iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Some of the nation's wealthiest donors are writing multimillion-dollar checks to support candidates during this midterm season in high stakes contests across the country.



While it's not unusual for uber-wealthy donors to gild the coffers of preferred candidates, the roster of rich donors often offers a glimpse of who is playing the role of kingmaker in elections and, sometimes, who might be interested in ensuring that their political interests are heard. By the end of 2014, just five donors poured nearly $135 million into federal elections, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission data by the Center for Responsive Politics.



So far this election cycle, 17 megadonors have given more than $100 million to candidates, party committees, super PACs, and outside groups. And six people have spent nearly more than $67 million so far this cycle in the battle to control Congress.



Here are the top six contributors thus far.



1. Richard Uihlein: $25.3 million



The single biggest donor this election cycle, Richard Dick Uihlein, has quickly become a GOP power player in the past couple of years.



He and his wife Liz Uihlein, co-founders of Wisconsin-based shipping company Uline, together donated more than $25 million already so far this election cycle.



Uihleins biggest focus so far this cycle has been on supporting Republican Kevin Nicholson's bid to unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the Wisconsin Senate race. He is involved in almost every single one of the top spending super PACs supporting Nicholson.



Pretty early on in the election cycle, Uihlein dropped seven-figure checks totaling $3.5 million to a single-candidate super PAC operating exclusively in support of Nicholson called Solutions for Wisconsin. Two of the biggest spenders in the race, Americas PAC and Restoration PAC, are also almost exclusively funded by Uihlein.



Outside groups funded by Uihlein together have spent more than $6.1 million in the Wisconsin Senate race so far this year and pro-Baldwin groups have ramped up their spending to try and compete.



The face-off has resulted in a pricey contest that has attracted the largest amount of spending from outside groups. The Wisconsin race has already seen nearly $10 million in outside money.



2. Tom Steyer: $16 million



California billionaire Tom Steyer, who topped individual contributions two consecutive election cycles in a row, is leading the charge from the Democratic side again.



So far this election cycle, Tom Steyer and his wife Kathryn Steyer together have donated nearly $16 million, and the number is expected to only go up. A leading voice in the impeach Trump now movement, Tom Steyer has pledged to pour an additional $30 million to flipping the lower chamber to a Democratic majority.



Steyer has been active in donating money directly to campaigns, but the vast majority of his big checks have gone to NextGen Climate Action, a super PAC he set up to push forward his political and environmentalist agendas. NextGen Climate Action has been active in organizing its own issue campaigns as well as donating to other liberal groups.



3. George Soros: $7.7 million



George Soros, a business magnate, and a long-time Democratic contributor recently started ramping up his political spending. He dropped a $3 million check in late March to a newly formed super PAC called Win Justice, which has not reported any activities as of yet.



He is the sole contributor to the super PAC so far.



He has also given millions to groups tied to the Democratic Party, including $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC and $380,000 to the American Bridge 21st Century. National Democratic Party committees also received a total of $537,100 from Soros.



George Soros' son, Alexander George Soros, has been following his father's steps to as a big contributor for the Democrats. He recently dropped a $2 million check to the Senate Majority PAC, and also has donated a total of $135,600 to the Democratic National Committee.



4. Donald Sussman: $8.2 million



Hedge-fund manager Donald Sussman, who donated more than $20 million to a pro-Clinton super PAC during the 2016 election cycle, has been a long-time fundraiser and generous benefactor for the Democratic side.



So far this election cycle, the Florida businessman has funneled $6.1 million to more than 150 Democratic campaigns, party committees, and outside groups. He donated $3.2 million to Senate Majority PAC and House Majority PAC, two super PACs with ties to the Democratic leadership in both the upper and the lower chambers.



5. Bernard Marcus: $5.5 million



Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus is the biggest financier for the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC with ties to Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. So far this election cycle, he has donated a total of $4 million to the pro-GOP Senate group.



He has been a big contributor for other Republican groups as well, donating $754,600 to the House counterpart Congressional Leadership Fund, $247,700 to Team Ryan and $204,500 to the Republican National Committee, National Republican Congressional Committee, and National Republican Senatorial Committee.



He also donated $300,000 to the John Bolton Super PAC and $250,000 to 35th, Inc., a super PAC that has been supporting Patrick Morrisey in a West Virginia House race.



Home Depots political action committee has also donated more than $1.7 million to party committees and candidates, the bulk of that has also gone to Democrats.



6. Fred Eychaner: $4.6 million



Media mogul Fred Eychaner has been exerting his political power mostly through donating to Democratic leadership groups.



He gave $2 million each to the Senate Majority PAC and the House Majority PAC towards the end of last year and has given a total of $474,600 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and $237,300 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.



Some big political names are either far down the list or arent even on the list, but that doesnt necessarily mean that they arent invested in the upcoming midterms.



Robert Mercer, who has donated about $3.7 million so far this cycle, has continued to boost his influence through his political group, Club for Growth, which has already reported spending more than $3.1 million this election cycle.



Likewise, the Koch network and its super PAC, Freedom Partners Action Fund, has stockpiled more than $13 million for the upcoming elections, including $3 million from the Charles G. Koch Trust. Americans for Prosperity, another conservative group funded by the Koch brothers, have also spent millions on ads though most of the expenditures have not been reported to the FEC as they don't fall under FEC reporting requirements.



Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff under George W. Bush, Karl Rove, known for his political operations through American Crossroads, has also been funneling more than $15 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund in an effort keep the Republican majority in the lower chamber.



Some other megadonors simply seem to be staying put.



Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who has donated only about $251,000 with his wife Miriam Adelson so far this election cycle, had poured more than $91 million and $82 million each during the 2012 and 2016 presidential election cycles, but only spent $6 million during the 2014 midterms.



Bloomberg L.P. CEO and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had donated $30 million during the 2014 midterms, has invested only about $508,000 so far this cycle.

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Here's a look back at old-school games for both kids and adults that anyone can play with nothing more than their bodies and imaginations.
A large fire broke out at a vacant building in Auburn Saturday.

Auburn Fire Department Capt. Chris Logue said the call for fire and smoke at a vacant structure at 23 Perrine St. came in at 11:09 a.m. Assistant chief Bill DiFabio, after returning from the scene at about 1:55 p.m., said the bulk of the fire had been extinguished. Crews were greeted by fire coming from the second-story windows when they arrived, he said. He said the fire's cause was being investigated.

Auburn teens arrested in connection with vacant building fire Two teens have been arrested in connection with the fire at a vacant Auburn building Saturday.

Three fire engines, a ladder truck and a command vehicle were at the scene around 12:50 p.m. as smoke poured from the building. Four streams of water were aimed at the upper floors of the building, which has Samuel Schwartz Sons Inc. emblazoned in white on the front.

Perrine Street between North and State streets was blocked off from traffic, as firefighters continued to douse hot spots after 3 p.m. and remained on the scene until early evening.

A crowd gathered by the caution tape set along the railroad tracks close to the scene. Several cars were clustered by Cottage Street near the scene.

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"With everything that's been going on in the national scene ... we just wanted to do an assessment of what's going on in our district and ways we can improve our safety," he said. "We just want to be proactive."

"We are facing a very real threat that is out there," Shomette added. "We have kids who are so darn broken that they are planning and preparing for six or seven months and bringing in weapons and coming in and murdering innocent people. It is not a small problem. It is an unbelievably huge problem."

And it's a problem that starts within.

To prove his point, Shomette displayed two images of a male student. On the left was the boy's freshman photo in which he appeared happy and carefree. On the right was a picture taken four years later, his head lowered and his smile gone.

The boy was Eric Harris, one of the shooters behind the Columbine High School massacre.

"He looks like a kid in need of services," Shomette said, pointing to Harris' senior photo. "When you look at that image, without a doubt you see that is an interior problem."

Shomette explained how Harris and his friend Dylan Kleboid had planned the attack at Columbine for one year. Both boys came from wealthy, stable families, but something inside had changed.
Everything you need to know about the COVID-19 booster shot. Who can get it? Who can't? What's it mean to be "fully vaccinated" now?
Church of the Brethren Newsline

April 20, 2018

A vision for a global Church of the Brethren was a point of discussion and focus for Mission Alive 2018, a conference for mission-minded church members from across the United States and around the world. The conference was organized by the Global Mission and Service office working with the Mission Advisory Committee, and hosted by Frederick (Md.) Church of the Brethren on April 6-8.

Keynote speakers spoke from their own experience of mission and their own expertise in a variety of international contexts, as well as their experience of translating the essence of the church in differing languages and cultures. The keynote speakers were

 Alexandre Goncalves, a theologian in Igreja da Irmandade (the Church of the Brethren in Brazil) who also works for a ministry to prevent child abuse and domestic violence;

 Michaela Alphonse, pastor of First Church of the Brethren in Miami, Fla., who spoke from her experience with Global Mission and Service as a program volunteer with Eglises des Freres DHaiti (Church of the Brethren in Haiti);

 David Niyonzima, founder and director of Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services (THARS) in Burundi, which provides psychosocial intervention and rehabilitation for people traumatized by war and violence, and vice chancellor of the International Leadership University-Burundi; and

 Hunter Farrell, director of the World Mission Initiative at Pittsburgh (Pa.) Theological Seminary who has had mission experience in Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of Africa as well as in Peru in work related to the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Using their presentations as a stepping off point, mission executive Jay Wittmeyer led sessions outlining a vision for a global Church of the Brethren, and opened that concept for conversation. The vision document was adopted by the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board and will come to Annual Conference as an item of business this summer (find it at www.brethren.org/ac/2018/business/NB/NB-3-Vision-for-a-Global-Church-of-the-Brethren.pdf ).

Currently, Church of the Brethren denominations are established, or are in the process of forming, in the United States, India, Nigeria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Spain, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Venezuela.

It will be a hard task but an inspiring task to build a global Church of the Brethren said Goncalves. Identity matters, he told the conference, emphasizing the necessity of remembering the essential elements that define the Brethren tradition. Without memory, our self-perception would be impossible. When an individual or group loses its memory, it also losesa sense of belonging, sense of values and beliefs.

He urged Brethren to continue to gather around scripture and study it in community, citing communal discernment of scripture as a key practice to maintaining a Church of the Brethren identity rooted in the Anabaptist and radical Pietist theological traditions. These traditions call believers to be involved in peacemaking and to address the political issues of the time, he said, and they lead to servanthood. There should not be Christian mission without service to others, he said, because Jesus commission touches all aspects of life.

He posed a hard question, however, noting that the Church of the Brethren is experiencing a diversity of theology and practice in the United States and internationally. Do Brethren really share the same theological tradition and language? he asked. What is the point of celebrating a global Church of the Brethren if many of the bodies do not manifest or do not want to know, manifest, embrace the Anabaptist and radical Pietist views? We must show that our essence is the same, he said, urging a return to Brethren roots that all the bodies have in common. It is time to sow the seeds again.

In addition to keynote sessions, the event included an evening peace vigil, a full love feast with feetwashing, meal, and communion service, and numerous workshops that shared detailed information about mission work of Brethren around the world.

Wittmeyer led a closing session that gave international participants opportunity to share their initial responses to the idea of a global Church of the Brethren. Those who spoke were supportive of the concept, while acknowledging past mistakes that have been made in mission and acknowledging the difficulties surrounding such a venture. The difficulties mentioned included questions about the nature of the global bodys structure, how to finance it, and how leadership will be determined

In response to questions, Wittmeyer explained that the vision document was reviewed by some key international church leaders in Nigeria, Brazil, and elsewhere, prior to its adoption by the Mission and Ministry Board. They affirmed its direction, he told the conference.

If adopted by Annual Conference this summer, the vision document will open up the possibility for invitations to the various international denominations to come to the table to together consider creating a global church structure. The document at this point represents an opportunity for the church in the United States to revise its mission philosophy and reconsider its relationship to the other Brethren denominations, he emphasized.

Adoption of the document at Annual Conference will not create a global Church of the Brethren. That step is still far in the future, after the various Church of the Brethren denominations and their leaders make their own decisions about whether to join in such a shared venture.

Find webcasts from Mission Alive and an online photo album linked at www.brethren.org/missionalive2018.

Go to www.brethren.org/Newsline to subscribe to the Church of the Brethren Newsline free e-mail news service and receive church news every week.
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Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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With six months given to comply with the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) guidelines to bring and store Indias financial data onshore, global financial technology giants such as Visa, Google and Facebook are trying to meet officers of the central bank, the finance ministry and the information technology ministry to modify the order, sources said.

Facebooks chat messaging app, WhatsApp, is testing the software for a mobile wallet, WhatsApp Pay. Google recently launched Tez, a similar app. Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments.

Ideally we would request for permission to be allowed data travel and that is what we would be discussing with RBI officials. However, if the government makes it clear that financial data in no circumstances would be allowed to travel offshore, then we want the deadline to be extended. It will take us at least a year to set up bigger data centres that could accumulate terabytes of financial data, said a senior executive of a top company in the segment.

Visa, Facebook, Google have all refused to comment of the issue. Many of Indias fintech entities and banks have stored all their customer data in India; however, many do use foreign servers, for operations, providing services and for data analytics. If RBI completely stops data travel for all purposes to destinations out of the country, these might not be able to continue many services they presently offer.

I do not think the issue is that fintech players do not store data in India of their customers. The issue is when peak loads come, transactions happen and certain services are being done on that data, they may be done out of India. Some part of the service or data for analytics purposes is always travelling, said Naveen Surya, chairman, Payments Council of India.

According to sector insiders, global payments technology players such as Visa, e-commerce giant Amazon India and tech majors such as Google have data centres in India. However, they do transfer data from India to other foreign data centres for various purposes.

Sources said Google, Visa and Facebook are all planning to approach RBI and others to put forward their case and explain why they need to send data to foreign servers.

Even so, some experts believe financial data should be stored in India for all purposes; logistically, it is not difficult. We must come up with stringent data privacy laws, which will help curb the potential misuse of any such critical data. When data is stored in multiple geographies, theres always lack of clarity as to which countrys data laws will be applicable in situations of conflict. We firmly believe every financial service provider in India must store data locally and theres only a minuscule cost associated in complying with this, said Kiran Vasireddy, operations head at Paytm.
The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to mete out stringent punishment to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age, amid a nation-wide outrage over the cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Surat and the rape of a girl in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh.

The ordinance has prescribed measures as part of a mission mode project to be rolled out in three months. New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the ...
A fast-track court on Saturday sentenced a former local secretary of the CPI(M) to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009.

The Alapuzha Fast Track Court Judge, Anil Kumar, pronounced the verdict this morning.

The court found that R Baiju was the main conspirator in the case and awarded the death sentence to him.

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on December 9, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left government's scheme to promote such products.

However, Divakaran refused to buy them, saying they were priced too high, leading to a heated argument.

He was then hit on the head and suffered serious injuries.

He succumbed at a hospital after a week.
During Mark Zuckerbergs testimony before the House of Representatives, Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA) asked the Facebook CEO bluntly if he would be willing to change the companys business model in the interest of protecting individual privacy. Zuckerberg responded, Im not sure what that means. While privacy may sound like a fuzzy concept, its not at all a new idea in either human rights law or the rules that apply to Facebook in some of its largest markets.

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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Human societies have seen a significant decrease in mortality from infectious diseases over the past century. However, we must still struggle with ongoing pathologies we once thought were under control (cholera, tuberculosis, plague, etc.) as well as the new ones that have emerged over the last 30 years (HIV/AIDS, Ebola, dengue, West Nile virus, H1N1, etc.).

The vast scale of the global epidemics provoked by these viruses forces us to look more closely at the territories where they emerge. In India, there has been an accelerated spread of dengue and chikungunya, both transmitted by the ...
The US State Department's human rights report criticises India for violations by police and security forces while at the same time noting the "serious abuses" by separatist insurgents and terrorists.

"The most significant human rights issues included police and security force abuses, such as extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, rape, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, and lengthy pretrial detention," the Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017 released in Washington on Friday said.

However, it also said: "Separatist insurgents and terrorists in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the northeast, and the Maoist-affected areas committed serious abuses, including killings and torture of armed forces personnel, police, government officials, and of civilians, and recruitment and use of child soldiers."

The publication of the report at a time when US President Donald Trump and his administration have been accused by adversaries in the US of trying to roll back civil rights and of attacking the media, said that in India "censorship and harassment of media outlets, including some critical of the government continued".

The report, which also criticised several other countries, was challenged by reporters for US media outlets at a news briefing by Michael G. Kozak, the Ambassador of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.

In a barrage of questions, reporters raised President Donald Trump's criticism of US media as "an enemy of the people" and calls for revising libel laws; excluding transgender people from the military; refusal to accept refugees, and travel bans on certain countries seen by courts as directed at a particular religion.

"How do you not open yourself up to charges of hypocrisy, and how effective do you think you can be at leading by example," a US news service reporter asked Kozak.

Kozak replied: "The countries that we criticize for limiting press freedom, it's for things like having criminal libel laws where you can be put in jail for what you say... or, in many cases, killing the journalists."

"We make quite a distinction between political leaders being able to speak out and say that story was not accurate or using even stronger words sometimes, and using state power to prevent the journalists from continuing to do their work," he added.

The report took a broad sweep of what it considered the human rights situations, going into details, many of them taken from reports by Indian and foreign watchdog groups.

While critical of India on several issues, the report attempted to bring some balance by also noting the several prosecutions of officials accused of human rights abuses, the free and fair state elections, and an independent media that "generally expressed a wide variety of views".

The report said that a "lack of criminal investigations or accountability for cases related to rape, domestic violence, dowry-related deaths, honour killings, sexual harassment; and discrimination against women and girls remained serious problems".

It also cited, "violence and discrimination based on religious affiliation, sexual orientation, and caste or tribe".

The report directed particular criticism against the government restrictions on some NGOs receiving foreign funding, specifically mentioning Compassion International, a Christian organisation that has the backing of US politicians and officials.

Legal restrictions on religious conversion in eight states, was another matter of concern in the report.

"Some journalists and media persons reportedly experienced violence and harassment in response to their reporting," the report said and cited a Press Council report that at least 80 journalists had been killed since 1990 and only one conviction had been made.

The State Department report said that journalists and activists, particularly women, were subjected to online and mobile harassment, with some getting thousands of abusive tweets from trolls.

While highlighting the periodic shutdown of Internet services, particularly in Kashmir, and prosecutions for online postings, the report noted that the "mass electronic surveillance data-mining programme" of the Central Monitoring System (CMS) which "continued to allow governmental agencies to monitor electronic communications in real time without informing the subject or a judge".
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made Aadhaar and PAN cards mandatory for opening bank accounts. The RBI said the updated know-your-customer (KYC) requirement was subject to the Supreme Courts final judgment on Aadhaar, for which the hearing is under way.

The central bank updated its master circular on KYC norms where it omitted various documents that could be used for due-diligence purposes. The updated circular said Aadhaar and PAN numbers must be quoted for new bank accounts. If these details are not available, the customers would have to provide proof that they ...
With capital becoming globalised, international investors look for the minutest of opportunities across the world to improve return on their funds. Such endeavours, many a time, fall into the grey zone where the difference between legal and illegal becomes very thin. Two such grey zone cases refer to treaty shopping and round tripping.

To simplify, suppose there is an investor in country A, who wants to invest in country B. Instead of investing directly from country A to B, the investor tries to look for a country C which has a tax treaty with B. The ...
Deputy CM in the offing

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced a chief minister for Karnataka  B S Yeddyurappa  should they win the election. But the latest is a demand that the party name a deputy chief minister. That person is an MP from Bellari constituency, B Sriramulu. The group pushing for this argues that this will be helpful for the BJP in wooing tribals and Dalits, for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Sriramulu, whose name was in the first list of 72 candidates from the party, has been asked to contest from Molakalmuru (Chitradurga) constituency. By giving the ticket to Sriramulu, the party leadership has overruled its policy of not fielding MPs, except chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa, in the Assembly elections. Sitting MLA from Molakalmur S Thippeswamy has not hidden his resentment at being displaced. So it could be a case of counting chickens before they are hatched.

Dharmic clarification

Putta Sudhakar Yadav, who has been named the new chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Trust Board, has had to clarify at a press conference that he is not a Christian. I am cent per cent Hindu. I have been conducting dharmic (religious) activities. Hence, my name has been considered, he said, adding, being a politician, I have only attended a Christian function as a chief guest. His clarification came in the wake of a storm on social media that the government was appointing a non-Hindu for the top post at the TTD. Some Hindu organisations objected to his appointment on the grounds that he was a Christian.
Kim said the nuclear test site in North Koreas north will be closed, according to the Korean Central News Agency. Punggye-ri, built in a secluded mountain valley northeast of Pyongyang and the site for all six of the regimes nuclear blasts, has already been in doubt amid signs of structural weakness, and some observers have said it would be unsafe to do more ...

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
North Korea said on Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site.

The announcement came ahead of a new round of nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington, but there was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

The North rather expressed confidence about its nuclear force, which leader Kim Jong Un declared as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead and flight tests of three intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Some analysts believe Kim is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is unlikely to accept a significant cut of his arsenal. South Korean and US officials have said Kim is likely trying to save his broken economy from heavy sanctions.

After the announcement today about testing, US President Donald Trump tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!" He also said he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim.



North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

North Korea also vowed to actively engage with regional neighbours and the community to secure peace in the Korean Peninsula and create an "optimal environment" to build its economy.

The announcements came days before Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

A separate meeting between Kim and Trump is anticipated in May or June.

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies.

The Korean Workers' Party's Central Committee declared it a "great victory" in the country's official "byungjin" policy line of simultaneously pursuing economic and nuclear development.

The committee unanimously adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and "groundbreaking improvements in people's lives." "To secure transparency on the suspension of nuclear tests, we will close the republic's northern nuclear test site," the party's resolution said.

The agency quoted Kim as saying during the meeting: "Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons.

"We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission."

Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.
On May 29, Starbucks will close 8,000 locations to administer racial bias training for 175,000 of its employees. The move is a response to national outrage over the arrests of two black patrons while they were simply waiting for a meeting to begin at a Philadelphia coffee shop. But racial bias training for employees is not enough to address the epidemic of discrimination by American companies. Over the past two years, we have investigated discrimination in customer service by conducting large-scale field experiments in the hospitality industry. We have repeatedly found that ...
US consumers may be about to directly feel the effects of the trade fight started by US President Trump with China and other countries this year when a new list of Chinese imports to be taxed is announced in coming days. After imposing import tariffs on solar panels and washing machines in January, Trump moved to levy steel and aluminium in March along with about $50 billion in other goods. After China responded with a list of U.S. goods that would be subject to tariffs, Trump raised the stakes on April 4 by directing the US Trade Representative to consider $100 billion in ...
North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North's state media said on Saturday, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing the weapons, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. It was the first time Kim directly addressed his position on North Korea's nuclear ...
In a landmark declaration at the end of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London on Friday, the leaders of the 53 countries agreed to work closely to evaluate and strengthen their cybersecurity frameworks and response mechanisms, and unanimously agreed to take action on cybersecurity by 2020.

A notification from the CHOGM termed the declaration as the world's largest and most geographically diverse inter-governmental commitment on cybersecurity cooperation.

This followed an announcement by the United Kingdom government deciding to pledge up to 15 million pounds to help the Commonwealth nations strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities.

The nations aim to tackle criminal groups and hostile state actors who pose a global threat to security.

The Commonwealth leaders also expressed their strong support for the multilateral trading system and adopted a six-point connectivity agenda to boost trade and investment links.

Other topics discussed included climate change, pollution, and over-fishing.

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A Delhi Court on Saturday deferred pronouncement of order in the 2002 extortion case involving 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict Abu Salem till April 28.

Earlier in April, the court deferred order in the said case due to unavailability of the concerned judge.

Salem had earlier claimed that the prosecution did not have enough evidence against him in the case after a fresh production warrant was issued against him in February.

Through his lawyer, the gangster had also claimed that his trial in the case violated an order by which he was extradited to India from Portugal in 2005.

Salem is facing trial for allegedly demanding Rs. 5 crore as protection money from Delhi businessman Ashok Gupta in 2002.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Assam R.P. Sharma on Friday said that the investigation of ever-rising rape cases should be handed over to the top investigation agencies such as Investigation Agency (NIA) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Sharma, while admitting that incidents of rape occurred in the BJP-ruled states, told ANI, "Either a party or organisation is trying to malign the image of our government. For this matter, I have been demanding that NIA and CBI should probe such incidents for an unfair treatment and those guilty should be severely punished."

Last week, Sharma called for a public execution of the accused in the Unnao gangrape case that involves the accused party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar.

Referring to MLA Sengar, he said, "Being an MLA - it would have been still acceptable if he had committed thievery - but rape and that too of a teenage girl is despicable."

The MP further said that a trial of a rapist should be completed in three months in a fast-track court, and the police should file a chargesheet in 15 days.

On April 8, a girl and her family tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow. Her family alleged that she was raped by Sengar and his accomplice last year, and no action was taken against the accused.

Prior to this, on April 3, the rape victim's father was allegedly thrashed by the accused MLA's brother, Atul Singh Sengar, for refusing to withdraw the FIR over the rape and was arrested the same day. On April 9, he died in a hospital. However, the family cried foul alleging that he was murdered.

Up to six police personnel were suspended for allegedly beating up the victim's father.

Earlier, the Uttar Pradesh Police had charged him under sections 363 (kidnapping), 366 (abduction of woman), 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and handed over the case to the CBI.

Sengar is currently in the CBI custody since last week.

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In the wake of an increase in incidents of rape of minors, the Union Cabinet on Saturday approved a number of measures to strengthen the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

As per government sources, the cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the promulgation of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, for effective deterrence against commission of rape, thereby instilling a sense of security among women and especially young girls in the country.

Taking cognisance of the recent incidents of rape in various parts of the country, the cabinet approved an ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years, and death penalty to be awarded to rapists of girls below 12 years of age.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment. In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

In terms of gangrape, the cabinet stated that the punishment for the gang rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of the life of the convict.

With regards to rape or gangrape of a girl below the age of 12, the cabinet said the accused would be sent to 20 years' imprisonment, imprisonment for life or death.

The cabinet also decided to put in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. It has been prescribed that the time limit for investigation of all rape cases has to be mandatorily completed within two months. Furthermore, the time limit for completion of trial of all rape cases has been ascertained as two months.

The cabinet has also provided for a six month time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases.

Among other provisions of the Ordinance, the cabinet prescribed that there will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been provided that the court would have to give a 15-day notice to the Public Prosecutor and representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in the aforementioned category.

?In order to give effect to the legal provisions and to improve the capacity of criminal justice system to deal with rape cases, the cabinet stated that new fast track courts will be set up in consultation with states/UTs and High Courts. It also mandated the creation of new posts of public prosecutors and related infrastructure in consultation with states and union territories.

The cabinet has also provided for special forensic kits for rape cases to all police stations and hospitals, forensic labs in each state and union territory and dedicated manpower for investigation in a time bound manner.

Furthermore, the Crime Records Bureau has been directed to maintain a database and profile of sexual offenders. This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

The cabinet also stated that the present scheme of One Stop Centres for assistance to rape victims will be extended to all districts in the country.

In the wake of the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi had expressed her ministry's intention to amend the POCSO to make provision for death penalty in such cases.

Soon after, the Centre submitted its report while responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, seeking maximum sentence of death penalty to those offenders involved in the rape and brutal murder of children between the age group of 0 to 12.

The Supreme Court's three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra along with Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, fixed the matter for further hearing to April 27.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday announced that the Centre will be presenting a fugitive economic offenders bill before the Parliament, to prevent economic offenders from fleeing abroad.

"Opposition levels allegations that some Nirav (Modi) and (Mehul) Choksi fled abroad. We will present a fugitive economic offenders bill before Parliament. Earlier offenders used to flee abroad and their properties were not seized. Now their properties will be seized under the bill," Singh said while addressing a gathering here.

Celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle and business partner, Mehul Choksi are the prime accused in the multi-crore scam that hit Punjab Bank (PNB). Both have been absconding arrest and while speculated that Modi is in Hong Kong, Choksi is believed to be in the United States.

The Home Minister was in Dadra Nagar Haveli to inaugurate a number of development projects.

Underlining the natural beauty of the union territory, Singh said it had the potential to be a good tourist destination, as well as be a centre of industrial development due to its proximity to Mumbai.

"There is a huge potential for industrial development. It is because I believe that tariffs here are lower than most states, and single-window system is also available," Singh added.

He also informed that a campaign titled 'Gram Swaraj Abhiyan Yojana' has been launched, wherein government officials will be making field visits from April 14 until May 5, to monitor progress of various development schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Ghar Yojna (Soubhagya).

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China on Saturday hailed North Korea's decision to abandon its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests.

China said North Korea's recent move would help in promoting the denuclearisation bid in the country, Xinhua quotes China's Foreign Minister spokesperson Lu Kang as saying.

Earlier on Saturday, North Korea announced to suspend its nuclear tests and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests immediately.

The decisions were made by the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korean.

China along with Japan, the US, China and South Korea has called for denuclearisation of North Korea.

North Korea further said discontinuance of the nuclear test is an important process for the worldwide disarmament.

Earlier today, United States President Donald Trump also welcomed the move of North Korea regarding abandoning nuclear and missile tests.

Trump tweeted, "North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

The denuclearisation announcement comes before ahead of the separate planned summits with South Korea and the United States.

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A group of journalists staged a silent protest in front District Collector's office in Coimbatore against Bhartiya Janta Party's (BJP) leader S Ve Shekher's for his social media post about a woman journalist.

More than 50 journalists gathered at District Collector's office and demanded the arrest of the BJP leader.

Earlier on April 20, journalists in Chennai protested against Shekher outside the BJP's office.

In the now-deleted post, Shekher reacted on the apology of Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit for inappropriately touching a woman journalist's face and said that the latter should "wash his hand with phenyl" for having touched the woman scribe.

He later removed the post and tender an apology for it.

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In a bid to mitigate the growing debt concerns of Low Income Developing Countries (LIDCs), Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg urged the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other international organisations to develop and articulate a clear strategy for enhancing public debt transparency on both the debtor and creditor's side.

Speaking at the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting here, Garg stressed that in tackling Sustainable Development Goals, the increasing debt burden in LIDCs is a massive hindrance, as they face challenges centered on equitable growth, resilience, finance and partnerships, and leveraging external public and private finance.

The DEA Secretary further informed that India is investing in digital technologies, encouraging private sector to adapt these technologies and also addressing the taxation related issues by introducing equalisation levy.

"The scope of strengthening bilateral and regional financing agreements is also important. India has started adopting policies and programmes for transforming systems of delivery of services using digital technologies and connecting every Indian with digital technologies and access through Aadhaar and other such means. Digital age technologies also have enormous implications for emerging markets and developing countries," he added.

Garg, who also attended an event hosted by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum on 'Indian Economy: Prospect and Challenges', said the reforms undertaken by the government for raising economic growth and maintaining macroeconomic stability have made India one of the fastest growing major economies in the world.

"The launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) represents an historic economic and political achievement, unprecedented in Indian tax and economic reforms, which has rekindled optimism on structural reforms. India carried out such major reforms when the global economy was slow. With the cyclical recovery in global growth amid supportive monetary conditions and the transient impact of the major structural reforms over, India will continue to perform robustly," he added.

On the sidelines of the 2018 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF in Washington, Garg also held bilateral meetings with the General Director of Treasury, France; CEO, GEF; and CEO, MIGA. He also met with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and discussed areas of cooperation for cost effective innovations and best practices in the field of development.

The top Finance Ministry official is currently on an official tour to Washington to attend the spring meetings of the IMF, World Bank and other associated meetings, and is being accompanied by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel and other senior officials.

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In the Spring of 2017, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveiled a seminal new concept in luxury, crafted for one very special customer, St Richard's Hospital Pediatric Day Surgery Unit in the marque's home town of Chichester, West Sussex.

The appropriately-named Rolls-Royce SRH was hand-built to allow children awaiting surgery to drive themselves to the operating theatre, through the Pediatric Unit corridors which are lined with 'traffic signs'. The experience of 'self-drive to theatre' has been proven to reduce child patient stress.

Twelve months later, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars welcomed the return of its smallest automotive family member to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood for its first year's service. The car has performed faultlessly, with no 'failures to proceed' and was given a clean bill of health by technicians in the company's analysis centre. An average of one child per day has driven to the operating theatre in the Rolls-Royce SRH.

"We've received fantastic feedback from families who've expressed how excited their children have been at the prospect of coming onto the Day Surgery unit to drive our mini Rolls-Royce motor car. Rather than being anxious about their upcoming procedure, our young patients are positively distracted by the fun experience of negotiating the corridors to theatre in a car they can drive all by themselves. We've also noticed that Dads especially love to admire the engineering and design specification and often ask for a turn! The whole experience of being in hospital for those children, and their loved ones, is enhanced by having the opportunity to drive such a special car," said Sue Nicholls, Pediatric Matron at St Richard's Hospital.

"We are delighted that the Rolls-Royce SRH has delivered successfully on its promise - making a positive impact on children and their parents during their time in hospital. This project showcased the world-class skills and technology that exist in the Bespoke Manufacturing Team and across every area at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. Equally, it has clearly demonstrated that our team of highly skilled men and women are passionate about making a valuable contribution to our local community," added Andrew Ball, Head of Corporate Relations, Heritage and Philanthropy, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said that he had not yet discussed about contesting assembly elections from Badami constituency along with Chamundeshwari seat with the Congress high command.

"I have not yet discussed it with the high command (of Congress)," Siddaramaiah said when asked contesting from Badami.

Earlier, the Chief Minister had asserted that decision on Badami will be taken by the Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Energy Minister and Congress leader, DK Shivakumar also asserted the same statement and said that the decision will be taken by the party senior leaders.

As per the first list of candidates released by the Congress party, Siddaramaiah is contesting from Chamundeshwari constituency in the inching Assembly elections.

Earlier speculations were rife that he would contest from Badami constituency as well.

It is to be noted that the Congress party has not yet declared any candidate for the Badami constituency.

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

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The Indore Bar Association on Saturday decided not to represent any rape accused in the wake of the rape and murder of an eight-month-old girl.

The association's president Dinesh Pandey, while addressing media, stated that the victim's family would be offered free legal service to get the accused hanged in one month.

Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan expressed concern over the incident.

The chief minister took to Twitter and wrote, "I am upset, shocked over a terrible act that took place in Indore with a minor. There is a need for society to see where are they going. The administration has arrested the accused and we assure that strict action will be taken against him."

The eight-month-old girl was raped and then murdered in the city on Friday. The infant was recovered from the basement of a building.

Reportedly, the police have identified the accused as Sunil Bheel, 21, claiming that he was seen in a CCTV footage, around 4.45 am on Friday, carrying the infant on his shoulder.

Meanwhile, victim's family did not name the accused as a suspect, who is victim's uncle in relation. The accused had an argument with victim's mother after which he allegedly committed the crime.

While addressing an event in Damoh on Friday, Chouhan urged that a bill should be passed wherein such rapists are hanged to death.

It is to be noted that, last year, the state assembly unanimously passed a bill awarding death sentence to accused in cases of rape and gangrape of girls below 12 years.

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Indian Overseas Bank (IOB), one of the leading public sector banks, on Friday entered into an agreement for information utility services with the National E-Governance Services Limited (NeSL).

The NeSL became India's first information utility (IU) for bankruptcy cases under the 'Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016' in October 2017.

With this agreement, the IOB branches will be able to provide high-quality, authenticated information about debts and defaults; which will have more transparency in maintaining the list of borrowers, debtors, creditors and loan defaulters.

"This agreement signifies the core services of NeSL under IBC and information utility regulations which would be available to IOB stakeholders. The information utility service will enable lenders in making decisions on credit transactions," said R M.A.Alagappan, General Manager, Indian Overseas Bank.

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When asked about whether the alleged cash crunch in the country is also affecting the printing machinery business, Sangam Khanna from Komori, the company which is among the top two companies worldwide engaged in providing currency printing machines, said that their supplies the equipment as and when asked by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

"We are manufacturers, we are not printers. The manufacturer supplies the equipment, and how you use it after that depends on you. We, being the manufacturer, give a 99 percent assurance to the government of India that our machine is available when required. What happens after that does not concern us. The government has policies, what they aim to derive from that is their outlook," Sangam Khanna told ANI.

In a move to strengthen their footprint in India, Komori Corporation Ltd., the Japan-based leader in offset presses, Digital press, Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) products and banknote/security presses commenced its India journey on Friday with the establishment of its India subsidiary, Komori India Pvt. Ltd.

Earlier, the company was operating in India through its sole distributor - Insight Group.

Komori is already a market leader in India through the Insight group, with a market share of over 40 percent.

Through this move, Komori plans to strengthen and scale its operations even further in India and the sub-continent.

In a bid to have a strategic hold in the Indian market, the company will be introducing customised printing presses suitable for the Indian market.

Komori is also amongst the top two companies worldwide, which is involved with currency printing for many countries including Indian Rupee and is undisputedly amongst the world's largest companies manufacturing offset presses for various applications of commercial printing like brochures, calendars, books, high-quality magazine publications and packaging printing like cosmetic boxes, liquor boxes, pharma boxes, among others.

"With the launch of India office, Komori aims to strengthen and enhance Komori's presence in India and nearby countries. We are very excited to start our India operations. With the India footprint, we'll be able to provide the world-class quality and strong support to aid the Indian market. We will use the best of global and local processes to provide the highest value to our customers and maximise the customers benefit," said Hirofumi Hoshino, Managing Director, Komori India Pvt. Ltd.

With the acquisition of Insight's Komori division, Komori India will continue to retain all the employees of Insight in its new team and this will help in ensuring absolute continuity with the existing sales and service activities.

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Over 700 farmers protesting over Mahadayi River water dispute will leave for Delhi from Karnataka to meet President Ram Nath Kovind seeking euthanasia.

The farmers will leave from Karnataka on April 25. They will also hold a three-day protest in the capital.

"We will file a plea and submit it to the President and will even protest there for three-day. Every politician takes benefit of the issue but does nothing on it. If the politicians continue doing the same then the farmers will face a major loss," said a member of farmer association Rait Sena Karnataka.

He said that they have even decided to boycott the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls over the issue.

Karnataka and neighbouring Goa have conflicting interests on the issue of sharing Mahadayi River water. While the river originates in Karnataka, a major part of it flows in Goa.

Karnataka plans to divert waters from the river to Malaprabha basin in the state.

The pro-Kannada organisations and farming communities bodies had earlier also called for bandh over the dispute.

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Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Friday wrote a letter to the Ministry of Finance seeking information about the action taken on proposals received since 2005 for the expansion of the Delhi Police force.

Maliwal, who is on an indefinite fast for the last eight days, is demanding death penalty for those accused of raping minors and setting up fast-track courts to deal with rape cases and completing the trial within six months, questioned the delay in increasing the manpower of the police force.

"We are informed that initially, Delhi Police first sought 66,000 additional police personnel. Thus began the long and humiliating ordeal of the Delhi Police Force as well as the women and children in the Capital as files have moved back and forth between various ministries of the Centre for the last many years," she wrote in the letter.

Stressing that the capital reported cases of sexual assault on three children every day, Maliwal said that the delay in increasing manpower of the Delhi Police was affecting speedy justice to the victims.

"A recent study conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation found Delhi to be 'rape capital' of the world. A major impediment to ensuring speedy justice to these innocent little victims is the time taken in the investigation and moreover, the quality of investigation done by the police. Since long, a need has been felt by the police itself to augment its resources by increasing its manpower," she added.

Expressing concern that the 'severe crunch' of the city police force led to increased crime rates day by day, Maliwal continued, "While the acute shortage of staff felt by the Delhi Police itself may or may not seem urgent on files but at the grassroots, it's having a dangerous effect. As it is, even the sanctioned strength of police personnel per police station is extremely inadequate given the severe workload on each police personnel as well as the demands of the profession. But most, unfortunately, even the sanctioned strengths remain unfilled by over 40 percent to 50 percent. Needlessly to say, this severe crunch of staff is leading to greater crime rates day by day."

The DCW chief demanded the details of action taken on each proposal since 2005, reasons for non-approval of personnel as sought by the Delhi Police, details of proposals approved till date by the Finance Ministry, details of proposals pending in the Finance Ministry till date and proposed timeline for approval of pending proposals of the Delhi Police.

Maliwal continued that it was informed through media reports that the Centre, at one point, said that it did not have sufficient funds (to the tune of only Rs 425 crores) to augment the Delhi Police force and to ensure the protection of women and girls of Delhi.

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday welcomed the decision of the Union cabinet to award death sentence to the rapists of children below the age of 12.

She said this would go a long way in curbing the harassment against women and girl child in the country.

The chief minister also welcomed other stringent amendments brought in by the Union cabinet in various relevant laws to ensure speedy investigation, trial and administering deterrent punishments to the convicted.

The chief minister also reiterated that her government intends to bring similar laws in the state to put an end to crimes against women.

The Centre today approved the criminal law amendment ordinance which seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The ordinance, which will be sent to President for his assent, has come after a spate of rape incidents in various parts of the country have led to outrage during the past few days.

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National security advisor (NSA) John Bolton on Friday (local time) named Undersecretary of Commerce Mira Ricardel as his deputy, announced the White House.

"I selected her as deputy national security advisor because her expertise is broad-based and includes national security matters related to our alliances, defense posture, technology security, foreign security assistance and arms control," the US media quoted NSA Bolton, as saying, in a statement.

Ricardel, a longtime government official has served stints at the departments of State, Defense and Commerce.

Ricardel, a former Bush era defense official who also worked for Boeing, advised US President Donald Trump's transition team on defence issues in late 2016 and early 2017, reported the Wall Street Journal.

Ricardel spent the first two years of the Bush administration as deputy assistant secretary of defense for Eurasia before spending two more years as acting assistant secretary of defense for international security policy.

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Women activists across the country have praised the ordinance approved by the Union cabinet to award death sentence to the rapists of children below the age of 12.

Speaking to ANI, Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma welcomed the move but also stressed on its implementation, "I welcome this move of the government. But the main challenge is the implementation of the law. I would still suggest that there be fast track courts so that the justice can be delivered at the earliest: Rekha Sharma, chairperson, NCW on the ordinance to amend POCSO Act."

Another activist, Mamta Sharma too concurred on the subject of implementation of the amended Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

"If it is implemented, then it would be deemed a historic decision. But, if there is no implementation, then these decisions merely on papers and files would not bring about change in regards to women safety," she said.

"If the government and the public do not take this seriously, we will never see change," Sharma added.

Activist Neelam Verma from Moradabad termed the death penalty a correct step, in light of the rise in crimes against children.

"With the rise in crimes of a particular nature, laws should be amended from time to time accordingly," she said.

Following a meeting of the cabinet earlier in the day, the government cleared the amendment in the POCSO Act, to award death sentence to the rapists of children below the age of 12.

In the wake of the gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi had earlier expressed her ministry's intention to amend the POCSO to make provision for death penalty in such cases.

Soon after, the Centre submitted its report while responding to a plea filed by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava in the Supreme Court, seeking maximum sentence of death penalty to those offenders involved in the rape and brutal murder of children between the age group of 0 to 12.

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As the intense heat condition prevails across Odisha, rural areas in the state are facing an impending water crisis.

The women of Mayurbhanj district are forced to travel to far off places to fetch buckets of water from other areas for drinking purposes.

Locals told ANI that the area has been reeling under acute drinking water crisis for the last few days. While the wells in the localities have gone dry, the stand posts do not yield water.

The water supply by the state's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is also highly erratic. The residents of the district have lodged complaints with the PHED office to improve the situation, but all in vain.

Frustrated with the ongoing crisis, residents of Mayurbhanj district have detained junior engineers and supervisors of the PHED several times but to no avail.

A PHED Executive Engineer (Mayurbhanj) admitted that there was a water crisis in the district.

Explaining the problem, the engineer said, "The water supply was disrupted as old pipes are getting replaced. Besides, some technical issues which we are trying to resolve as soon as possible. The department has been supplying water to the areas through tankers. We have decided to install water tanks, and dig borewells. As there is no alternative source to supply drinking water immediately, we have been dispatching water tankers as soon as we received complaints."

Debashish Marandi, an official of tribal development commission, told ANI, "The water level is going down. Temperatures have hit 41 degrees Celsius in Mayurbhanj. Every step has been taken by the Chief Minister (Naveen Patnaik) to ensure that all of them get access to clean and safe water.

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Organisation for Rare Disease India (ORDI), a non-profit patient association focusing on improving the of patients with rare diseases, has taken the initiative to appeal to the state governments to implement individual state rare disease policies as per directions of the national rare disease policy.

The organisation has written letters to the secretaries, ministers, chief secretaries and chief ministers of all the 29 states emphasising on the need to expedite the process of providing treatment to rare disease patients by implementing a rare disease policy.

Commenting on rare diseases as a health issue, Prasanna Shirol (Co-Founder & Executive Director, ORDI) said, "Rare diseases are becoming a serious public health challenge. They are often acute and severe and hamper the patients' daily lives. Majority of the patients suffering from rare diseases are children and they are losing their lives due to various challenges which include delayed diagnosis."

"Moreover, there are thousands of rare diseases but treatment is available for only some of them. The treatment and supportive care is also beyond the means of most families. Given these issues, we need the governments' support to promote early, accurate diagnosis and screening programs for rare diseases, including proper rehabilitation and counselling, which can make the patients' lives less painful," Shirol added.

Since health is a state issue, it is important for the states to have their individual state policies so that work can start happening at the ground level.

"Recently, the central government finalised the National Policy for Treatment of Rare Diseases and has allocated Rs 100 Crores corpus for the treatment of rare disease patients. Taking guidelines from the national policy, the state governments should come forward to implement this policy at the earliest to provide treatment to patients. We also request the concerned authorities to constitute a State Level Technical Committee (STC) and nominate respective state hospitals for treatments as per National Rare disease Policy implementation guidelines issued by Ministry of Health and family welfare. This would help in proper coordination and help in smoothening the process of providing treatment," said Shirol.

"The letters are a step from our end to appeal to the state governments to showcase urgency in the matter. There are a lot of patients who are suffering from these disorders and our endeavour is to help the patients lead quality lives. We hope that this initiative of ours would help in making the state governments aware of the various aspects of rare diseases and recognise it as a part of mainstream health discussion."

ORDI has mentioned that it would be happy to support the various steps taken by the government for the smooth implementation of the policy and bring on-board the specialists who would be providing their expertise in this matter.

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China's recent decision to provide Pakistan with the military version of Beidou, its hi-tech ballistic missile tracking and monitoring system, has once again certified a well known strategic view that Beijing uses Islamabad as the first choice exporting nation for testing its weaponry under supervision.

According to an opinion piece published in the www.strategypage.com web site, China and Pakistan have little in common historically or culturally and Beijing sees Islamabad more as a "client state.dependent enough on Chinese goodwill to provide (sic: the latter with) security."

The opinion piece in the web site says, "Pakistan needs China and never the other way around. After all, democratic Pakistan is run by its military and intelligence services, which use Islamic terrorists to attack its neighbors. China has employed such tactics in the past, but has since moved on to more sophisticated methods."

It further goes on to say that China is okay Pakistan's military backing its homegrown and dangerous Islamic terror groups so long as Beijing's huge investments and Chinese personnel in Pakistan are not affected by their brand of coercive violence.

"The military lets their pet Islamic terrorists understand that this risk (of Islamic terrorism) is well understood by the generals and that any "protected" Islamic terror group that decides to forget that will be eliminated and the survivors constantly hunted," says the article.

".China (has) told the Pakistanis that any Islamic terrorist violence against these projects or the Chinese personnel in Pakistan to ensure everything was built on time and according to spec would result in Pakistan losing the support of China. Pakistan could not afford that. China was not only the major supplier of weapons to Pakistan but also the only major power ally Pakistan had. In short, Pakistan needed China more than the other way around," it adds.

The testing of the Chinese GPS (Beidou) in Pakistan is not the first instance of the two countries collaborating at the defence level. Pakistan was the first foreign customer for Chinese stealth aircraft. Pakistan is often the first customer approached by China for testing and purchase of new types of warships.

"If there are any problems with these ships, and that is normal, China will quietly fix things and the Pakistanis will ensure their media does not make an issue of the problem," the article in the www.strategypage.com web site says.

Pakistan is willing to do all this because (of) the patronage China gives Pakistan without looking to establish control politically over the latter.

"The article says, "There is little danger of China seeking to take control of Pakistan because that is not how China operates. China does not like trying to rule and absorb large alien populations. It has enough problems with less than ten million Turkic Uighurs and would not want to deal with over 160,000 more Moslems.."

China, however, possesses the "economic clout to demand certain things from Pakistan and Pakistan find providing that level of security to Chinese investments and personnel (is) a useful exercise in counter-terrorism. This also makes Pakistan one of the few South Asian nations that take comfort in rising Chinese military and economic power in the region," the opinion piece concludes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Despite the refusal by Lahore district administration, Pashtun Tahafuz Movement supporters will continue to hold a public meeting at Lahore's Mochi Gate.

The Lahore Police have refused to grant permission for a public meeting at Lahore in connection with Pashtun Long March to Lahore on Saturday.

In an official letter, the police said, "The request for to hold public meeting on April 22 at Mochi Gate has been examined and it is hereby informed that under the prevailing security and circumstances, the NOC for the said purpose cannot be given."

Though, despite the refusal, the protesters have said that they would hold their march against Pakistan's atrocities in the Khyber-Pashtun area.

Earlier on Saturday, Pakistani journalist Rabia Mehmood criticised the Lahore administration's decision to prohibit the public meeting while attacking the Pakistan political party Tehreek-e-Labaik on spreading hate among the people.

"Lahore is littered w/ remains of public ads inviting people to Tehreek Labbaik confs & rallies of far-right groups that thrive on hate narratives against followers of diff denominations of Islam and their gatherings are allowed. But #PashtunLongMarch2Lahore is a security concern," tweeted Mehmood.

Pashtun Long March was a three-hour long rally to Peshawar held on April 8 by 1,00,000 Pashtuns against the Pakistani state-sponsored terrorism in Pashtunistan. The protesters further demanded public hanging of retired Pakistan Army General and former president Pervez Musharraf.

The movement was started by young Pashtun activists who are demanding an end to what they say are human rights violations by authorities in the country's tribal regions.

They have been calling for the removal of military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to "enforced disappearances" in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process.

As per another Pakistan-based journalist Rauf, these demands are within the ambit of Pakistan constitution to expose the atrocities of the army against the Pashtuns.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said on Saturday that a wave of positive change is about to set in Rae Bareli, hinting that BJP will win the parliamentary constituency from Congress in the next year's general election.

Rae Bareli is the Lok Sabha constituency of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"A while ago there was a short circuit here, all media channels were showing smoke. When something good is about to happen some obstacles do come. It's a sign that something big is about to take place in Rae Bareli," said the BJP chief, while addressing a public meeting here.

The BJP chief also hailed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's governance and said the latter was working towards the state's development, which he claimed Congress was unable to do.

In his speech, he promised to make Rae Bareli a model district.

Further, he also asked Congress to apologise for coining the term "saffron terrorism" and thereby defaming Hindus and their culture.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protesting over the SC/ST Act issue, agitators demonstrated a 'rail-roko' protest in Chennai on Saturday.

"The grassroots political parties in TN have come together for this. We are strictly against the idea of implementing SC/ST Act with any dilution," one of the protestors said.

The apex court, on March 20, introduced the provision of anticipatory bail in the act while directing that there would be no automatic arrest on any complaint filed under the law.

The ruling led to an uproar amongst the SC/ST people who alleged that the Act has been diluted.

Several Dalit organizations also called for Bharat Bandh on April 2 to protest against this.

The Centre, on April 3, filed a review petition against the ruling which went in vain as the top court refused to stay its order and asked all parties to submit detailed replies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after former Union minister Yashwant Sinha quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his ex-party colleague Shatrughan Sinha has clarified that he will stay in the BJP only and will not join Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"There were rumours that I would quit the party because I had not been given the ticket. But, I am clarifying it today that I am here to stay and I am not going to go anywhere," said actor-turned-politician Sinha, who has criticised top BJP leadership and its decisions on multiple occasions, on Saturday.

The speculations triggered after Sinha on Friday described jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad as his "best friend".

Sinha recently met Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his younger son Tejashwi Yadav.

Earlier, the BJP leader met jailed Lalu in a Ranchi hospital where the latter was admitted last month.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The batch of Sikh pilgrims returned to India on Saturday after visiting Sikh shrines in Pakistan.

The pilgrims expressed happiness over the arrangements made by the Pakistan government.

Around 1,700 Indian pilgrims had gone to Pakistan to visit Sikh shrines, including Panja Sahib Gurdwara near Lahore and Nankana Sahib--the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak, on the occasion of Baisakhi on April 13.

The pilgrims refused to comment on the incident where a woman, part of Jatha, allegedly married in Pakistan and converted to Islam.

They, however, said, "Jatha mustn't be used for personal matter as it might create a problem for 'jathas' in future."

A 31-year-old woman, Kiran Bala, from Hoshiarpur has allegedly converted to Islam and married a Lahore-based man.

Woman's father-in-law, who suspects that her daughter-in-law might have fallen into the hands of Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), demanded the Centre and Punjab government to intervene.

"My daughter-in-law called and said that she has converted to Islam and got re-married in Pakistan. I want to request the Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Punjab to take her out of this situation. I suspect she might have fallen into the hands of ISI," said Tarsem Singh, a Sikh religious preacher in his village, on Thursday.

Kiran Bala, 31, a widow, is the mother of three. She was living with her in-laws at their village house in Garhshankar sub-division of Punjab, around 90 km from Chandigarh.

Her husband had died in an accident in 2013.

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External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Saturday morning departed for a two-nation visit to China and neigbouring Mongolia from 21 to 26 April.

The External Affairs Minister will participate in a ministerial-level meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where India became a full member in 2017.

India was an 'observer' in the grouping since 2005 and was made full member along with Pakistan last year.

According to the reports, Swaraj is also likely to hold a meeting with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the summit.

Her visit to China comes in the backdrop of the efforts made by both India and China to move past the tensions which rose out of last year's Doklam standoff.

On a related note, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval met with the Director of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Yang Jiechi during the former's two-day bilateral visit to China.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Doval, who visited the country from April 12 to 13, was a part of regular high-level engagement between India and China.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

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Tata Starbucks proudly celebrates 150 years of its JV partner in India, the Tata Group, in its sixth year of the partnership. This partnership exemplifies a perfect synergy of corporate and ethical values and a quest for excellence that binds Tata and Starbucks together in India.

To honor this legendary milestone, Tata Starbucks announced the launch of a limited-edition beverage - Celebration 150 - from April 18 to 30, 2018.

Jamsetji Tata set up the Tata Group 150 years ago with a vision that placed the community at the core of its purpose. Over the years, the foresight, courage and transformative impact of the group have propelled it into becoming a global powerhouse, while community continues to be at the heart of everything the group does.

The limited-edition Starbucks Celebration 150 beverage pays homage to 150 years of Tata. In an India-first, Celebration 150 is a blend of signature Starbucks espresso and the classic Italian dessert - the Tiramisu Cake. Espresso, cake, milk and ice come together to create the perfect indulgence. The beverage is finished with a layer of coffee crunch and topped with whipped cream and coffee dusting.

"The Tata-Starbucks partnership has been incredibly successful in India. We have achieved unprecedented growth across seven cities and 116 stores, making India our fastest growing emerging market. This partnership represents two organizations that share the same values and vision for growth, and we are committed to earning the trust and respect of our Indian customers through the unparalleled Starbucks Experience," said Sumitro Ghosh, CEO, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd.

"Our journey with Starbucks has been very fruitful and Starbucks' celebration of 150 years of Tata is a special moment for all of us at the Tata Group. We are proud to have partnered with Starbucks, an organisation which shares our values, as we continue to build a socially responsible company. Through our partnership with Starbucks, we stay committed to delighting customers in India every day, creating rewarding careers and delivering a positive impact in the communities we serve. This partnership has also paved the way to present the finest Indian coffee to customers around the world. I am confident that Starbucks customers in India will greatly enjoy Starbucks Celebration 150," added Harish Bhat, Brand Custodian of Tata Sons.

Starbucks and Tata have taken multiple joint initiatives to expand their relationship and strengthen the partnership in the country. The Starbucks India Estate Blend and the Starbucks Reserve India Tata Nullore Estate are a reflection of the shared commitment between Starbucks and Tata Coffee to develop and promote Indian-grown arabica coffees.

Starbucks and Tata Global Beverages have also collaborated on the development of two signature Indian teas for the Starbucks Teavana range in India - the India Spice Majesty Blend and Hathikuli tea which are available across all Starbucks stores in India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna has stirred a controversy by making some abusive comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a public rally in Vijayawada on Friday, Balakrishna, who is the brother-in-law of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said, "Traitor, namak haraam (treacherous), come out and face people, they will beat you up and make you run. No matter where you go and hide, even if you hide in a bunker, Bharat Mata will bury you. Rebellion has begun and we will not stay quiet."

The MLA's vitriol was over the Centre's failure to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.

Following to his remark, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called for Balakrishna's expulsion from the party and even threatened to file a criminal case against him.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader Sudhish Rambhotla said, "Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu's brother-in-law and party MLA Balakrishna talks like a lunatic. What is the kind of language he uses? Does he have sense? I think he has to be treated for mental illness. He has to be expelled from the party."

"Why has Chief Minister Chandra Babu Naidu ji not condemned his statement yet?" he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Leading winery Grover Zampa Vineyards announced the appointment of Vivek Chandramohan as Chief Executive Officer.

Vivek, who started out at Citi Bank in 1995, has worked with leading liquor brands such as Bacardi, Bacardi Breezer, Glenfiddich, Grants and Grey Goose.

He then joined Grover Zampa Vineyards' Mumbai Head Office in 2012 in a lead sales role, before taking over as Vice President of Sales and Distribution.

"The brand marked 25 years of its presence in the industry in 2017 and have strived to deliver the best quality of wine over the years as evidenced by the countless awards they have won for their wines, including Winery of the Year 2018 at the Asian Wine Review, Hong Kong. I look forward to building on this incredible legacy," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ten people have been killed in Nicaragua in three days of violent clashes between police and opponents of changes to the pension system, officials said on Saturday.

The crisis occurred after the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) government decided to push through reforms that would apply a five per cent tax to old-age and disability pensions and increase the contributions paid by both employees and employers, the BBC reported.

The violence began on Wednesday, when pensioners took to the streets in the capital and were joined the next day by thousands of students and workers. So far, at least 100 people have been injured.

The dead include two protesters and a policeman who were killed in Managua on Friday, after demonstrations turned violent. The unrest continued into the night in several cities.

Vice-President Rosario Murillo blamed the violence on "vampires demanding blood to feed their political agenda", but said the government was open to dialogue. It is the deadliest wave of unrest in Nicaragua since President Daniel Ortega returned to office for a second stint in 2007.

The Sandinista government said public buildings were set on fire. Students from Polytechnic University in Managua barricaded their campus.

Protesters accused riot police and government supporters of initiating the violence. Independent TV stations said they were taken off-air after broadcasting the demonstrations live.

The measures were dismissed by businesses and experts as a tactic to stop the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security (NISS) from going bankrupt.

They also feared the reforms could increase unemployment, lower consumption and competition and harm the business climate.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
If you have developed a spare tyre, it is time you saw a doctor to assess your cardiovascular health as researchers have found that belly fat, even in people who are not otherwise overweight, is bad for the heart.

"People with a normal weight but a fat belly have more chance of heart problems than people without a fat belly, even if they are obese according to BMI (body mass index)," said study author Jose Medina-Inojosa from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, US.

"This body shape indicates a sedentary lifestyle, low muscle mass, and eating too many refined carbohydrates," Medina-Inojosa said.

BMI, which is weight relative to height in kg/metre square, is used to categorise adults as underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. However, BMI does not account for the amount and distribution of fat and muscle.

Central obesity is a store of excess fat around the middle of the body and is a marker of abnormal fat distribution.

This study tested the hypothesis that people with normal weight and central obesity would have more heart problems than people with normal weight and normal fat distribution.

From 1997 to 2000, the study enrolled nearly 1,700 people aged 45 years or older in the US.

Participants underwent a clinical examination and measurements were taken of weight, height, waist circumference and hip circumference.

Patients were followed-up from 2000 to 2016 for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events such as as heart attack, stroke, and death from cardiovascular causes.

Participants with a normal BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/metre square) and central obesity had an approximately two-fold higher long-term risk of heart problems compared to participants without central obesity, regardless of their BMI, the study said.

"If you have fat around your belly and it's greater than the size of your hips, visit your doctor to assess your cardiovascular health and fat distribution. If you have central obesity the target will be waist loss rather than weight loss," Medina-Inojosa said.

"Exercise more, decrease sedentary time by taking the stairs or getting off the train one stop early and walking, increase your muscle mass with strength and resistance training, and cut out refined carbohydrates," he added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The major reforms undertaken by the Indian government for raising economic growth and maintaining macroeconomic stability have made the country one of the fastest growing major economies in the world, said Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA).

Garg was addressing the Special Event hosted by US-India Strategic Partnership Forum on 'Indian Economy: Prospect and Challenges' in Washington DC on Friday.

He said the launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) represented an "historic economic and political achievement, unprecedented in Indian tax and economic reforms, which has rekindled optimism on structural reforms."

He further emphasized that India carried-out such major reforms when the global economy was slow.

"With the cyclical recovery in global growth amid supportive monetary conditions and the transient impact of the major structural reforms over, India will continue to perform robustly," Garg said.

During his meetings, Garg highlighted that the digital age technologies have profound implications for policies concerning every aspects of the economy. It also has enormous implications for emerging markets and developing countries.

He expressed that the response to such a transformation will have to shift from 'catch up' growth to adoption/adaption of digital technologies for development and growth.

Garg also informed that India has started adopting policies and programmes for transforming systems of delivery of services using digital technologies and connecting every Indian with digital technologies and access through Aadhaar and other such means

While citing the example of expanding mobile data access, he mentioned that India is now the largest consumer of mobile data in the world with 11 gigabytes mobile data consumption per month.

He informed that India is investing in digital technologies, encouraging private sector to adapt these technologies and also addressing the taxation related issues by introducing equalisation levy.

Garg is currently on an official tour to Washington D.C. to attend the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank and other associated meetings. He is accompanied by Urjit Patel, Governor, Reserve Bank of India and other senior officials.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded action against senior Telugu actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator N. Balakrishna for using objectionable language while targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A delegation of BJP leaders called on Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in Visakhapatnam and urged him to take serious note of the language used by Balakrishna.

The BJP delegation, led by Vishnukumar Raju, submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding action against Balakrishna.

Balakrishna on Friday described Modi as a "gaddar" (traitor) and "namak haram" (cheat) for going back on the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. He also used some more unparliamentary words, evoking strong condemnation from BJP.

The actor, who is a member of state assembly, was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada where his brother-in-law and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took up day-long fast to protest against the Central government for doing injustice to the state.

Balakrishna, younger son of legendary actor and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, spared no words in targeting Modi.

Reminding the Prime Minister's past as a tea-seller, the TDP leader said Modi had treated Andhra Pradesh like a fly struggling for survival in a cup of hot tea.

"Instead of rescuing it, he chose to take into his mouth and chew it. He is a 'makhi choos' (fly sucker)," he said.

He predicted that the BJP would not win even a single seat in Andhra Pradesh in the next elections.

"You are trying to play Sikhandi (an eunuch character in Mahabharata) by taking the help of our rivals to attack the TDP. But your cheap won't work here. You cannot succeed in your attempts," he said.

"If you have heart, you should listen to the heart beat of the Telugu people. Not just Andhra, entire India is against you. The time has come when they will beat you repeatedly and chase you, wherever you go. You cannot escape even if you go and sit in a bunker," said Balakrishna.

The actor also accused Modi of trying to gain grip over Andhra Pradesh as he had done in Gujarat.

"But remember Modji, Andhra Pradesh is not Gujarat. Your tricks do not work here. The Telugu people are courageous. They showed their power when the Congress government in Delhi tried to pull down NTR government in 1984."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance that provides for death penalty to those convicted of raping a child below the age of 12 and life term for raping a girl below age of 16.

The Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, approved at cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeks to provide effective deterrence against rape and instill a sense of security among women, particularly young girls in the country.

The government also decided to put in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases including a two month time limit for investigation, two months for completion of trial and six months for disposal of appeals.

There will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

The Cabinet also decided to strengthen investigation and prosecution including setting up fast track courts, and special forensic labs in each state besides maintaining a national database of sexual offenders.

The ordinance came in the wake of a nation-wide outrage over rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and other instances in different parts of the country including rape of a nine-year-old girl in Surat.

Sources said the government has taken a serious note of the rape incidents in the country and has decided on a comprehensive response to deal with the situation, with the ordinance approved in view of urgency and seriousness of the issue.

The ordinance seeks to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act by stringent provisions in case of rape of children and minors.

It provides that punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years will be minimum 20 years imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life or with death.

Punishment for gang rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for rest of life of the convict.

In case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that person's natural life.

The ordinance also provides that court has to give notice of 15 days to Public Prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age.

The Cabinet also approved a number of important measures in order to give effect to the legal provisions and to improve the capacity of criminal justice system to deal with rape cases.

As part of strengthening the courts and prosecution, new Fast Track Courts will be set up in consultation with states and union territories and high courts. New posts of public prosecutors will be created besides setting up related infrastructure in consultation with the states.

There will be dedicated manpower for investigation of rape cases in a time-bound manner. Police Stations and hospitals will be provided with special forensic kits for rape cases.

Special forensic labs will be set up in each state and union territory to deal exclusively with rape cases.

The measures will form part of a new mission mode project to be launched within three months.

As part of measures to strengthen the national database, the National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders, and this will be regularly shared with states and union territories for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

The present scheme of One Stop Centres for assistance to victim to be extended to all districts in the country.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) differentiates between regional secular parties and the Congress as far as alliances are concerned, senior leader Brinda Karat said on Saturday.

She said her party will make every effort to have joint struggles with regional secular parties on mutually agreed issues but there will be absolutely no political alliance with the Congress party.

Addressing a news conference on the sidelines of ongoing 22nd Congress of the CPI-M, she made certain clarifications about the political resolution adopted by the meet late on Friday.

"The alternative policies of the Left which are directly opposed to those of the Congress makes impossible any political alliance with the Congress which is a party of ruling classes and represents corporate interests," she said.

The CPI-M Politburo member also said that the resolution makes it clear that the CPI-M doesn't equate BJP and Congress. "BJP is now the main party representing corporate interests. It is in government following aggressive neo-liberal policies started by the party Congress and it is led and controlled directly by a fascistic orgaisation - the RSS."

Stating that there is no change in the political line of the party, Karat said the resolution made it clear that its first goal is to defeat the BJP-RSS combine in the central government.

"This is the line which advocates our independent struggle, advocates strengthening of Left identity, advocates people's struggle and which says we will pool anti-BJP votes," she said.

Ruling out political alliance with the Congress, the resolution said the party was ready for an "understanding" with it.

Karat clarified that this definition of understanding covers cooperation in Parliament on agreed issues, mobilising all secular opposition parties and forces on the issue of communalism and mobilising mass organisations.

"Electoral tactics come when there are elections," she remarked when asked if understanding will also mean electoral understanding. She pointed that in Karnataka where assembly elections are scheduled next month, the party's line is to seek votes for itself in constituencies where it has an independent base, for other Left parties and in the rest of the seats it will appeal to people to make sure that they vote for candidates who can defeat the BJP.

Karat claimed that this political line in any way doesn't advocate anything other than what they have been saying all along.

Asked about the electoral understanding with the Congress in West Bengal in 2016, she said a follow-up report admitted that it was not in consonance with the political line of the party.

Karat said in the drafted political resolution moved by the Central Committee. the paragraphs on which there were differences were redrafted in an agreed manner.

"I won't say accepted or I won't say rejected. I will say is agreed agreed to redraft and what is emerged is very clear enunciation of political line of the CPI-M," she said when asked if the minority view presented by General Secretary Sitaram Yechury was rejected.

She did not agree that it is victory or defeat of anybody. "It is re-writing of the words which we had used. We have re-worded entire paragraph and merged earlier paragraph which was part of political resolution passed at Visakhapatnam Congress."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior Kerala Police official - Ernakulam's Superintendent of Police, Rural, A.V.George was on Saturday was transferred in wake of the ongoing Crime Branch probe into a custodial death in the district.

Already a Sub-Inspector of Police and the three policemen who first took into custody the victim -- Sreejith, 26 -- have been arrested and according to informed police sources, more action against police officials, including George, is imminent.

Incidentally the three arrested policemen all are directly under the charge of George and just before their arrest, the three of them, in a video later shown on TV channels, had feared that they would be made scapegoats to save top officers.

George has been in the news for a while as he was involved in the arrest of PDP leader Abdul Nasir Maudany a few years back, probed the actress kidnap case, which led to the arrest of superstar Dileep and a few other high profile cases.

He was tight-lipped when asked if he felt that this transfer is some sort of a disciplinary action against him.

The action against George has come at a time with the Congress-led opposition are up in arms over the custodial death as State Congress president M.M.Hassan has demanded that George be suspended and Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala is going on a 24 hour fast on Monday at Kochi demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the custodial death.

Trouble started for Sreejith after 56-year-old Vasudevan hanged himself after a group of men barged into his house and threatened him.

A special squad took Sreejith, father of a two-year-old, and nine others into custody on April 7 and charged them with abetment to suicide and rioting. Subsequently, Sreejith was taken to a hospital where he died on April 9.

The state government earlier suspended the Circle Inspector, Sub-Inspector Deepak and two other policemen of the Varapuzha police station in the case.

--IANS

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Several poets, writers, theatre activists and journalists have boycotted Hindi daily Dainik Jagran's literature festival "Bihari Samvadi" on Saturday to protest against its repeatedly publishing a news story claiming the eight-year-old Kathua victim was not raped.

They have also appealed to fellow writers not to participate in the two-day event.

Bihari Samvadi, the first literature festival in Bihar, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here on Saturday.

A Patna-based literary organisation Jan Sanskriti Manch has appealed to people to boycott the event.

"Response to our call is more than expected," Rajesh Kamal, a Hindi poet and writer, and convenor of Jan Sanskriti Manch, said.

Kamal said it was really disgusting that fake news was being used to change the narrative on a heinous crime.

Noted Hindi poet Alok Dhanwa has boycotted the event, besides Sanjay Kundan, a Hindi poet and author, who said: "I am not attending Bihari Samvadi to express my protest against the fake news published by it."

Nivedita Shakil, a Hindi poet and journalist, said it was shocking that a newspaper that published a fake news to falsify the Kathua rape case was even organising a literary festival like this here. "I have decided to boycott it."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The West Bengal State Election Commission, after meeting with various political parties and representatives of the state government, selected April 23 as the extended day for filing nominations for the coming Panchayat polls, a senior official said on Saturday.

The meeting was convened following a Calcutta High Court order to the SEC to make a fresh announcement extending the deadline for filing of nominations in consultation with the state government and other important stakeholders and finalise a new election schedule for the Panchayat polls.

However, the BJP boycotted the meeting.

"Today, there was a meeting regarding the extension of the nomination deadline. Monday (April 23) would be the day for filing fresh nominations. The notice has not been issued yet. It might be issued by the SEC later," Officer on Special Duty (OSD) for Panchayat and Rural Development Saurabh Kumar Das told the media persons here.

He said there were no discussions regarding fresh polling date.

Earlier in day, representatives of various political parties met State Election Commissioner Amarendra Kumar Singh and discussed their demands for the Panchayat polling process.

"We do not want the election to happen during too much heat or in the rainy season. We do not want the election to happen in the month of Ramadan either. It should be completed as soon as possible. However, we do not have any objection if one day of polling falls inside the month of Ramadan," ruling Trinamool Congress' Secretary General Partha Chatterjee said after meeting the SEC.

The BJP alleged that the state government is putting pressure on the SEC to conduct the entire polling in one day.

It also boycotted the all-party meeting, accusing the SEC of not allowing more than two of their party members.

"We have submitted a copy of this complaint letter to the Commissioner stating that matter is now subjudice. The Registrar of the High Court has been intimated. So the SEC cannot fix any date about the polling process without talking to us," BJP leader Mukul Roy said, adding since the BJP is the main petitioner in this case, the SEC won't be able to fix any date for the polling process without discussions with them as that would be contempt of the high court order.

"BJP is a major stakeholder in this case. We are also the petitioner of the case in Calcutta High Court. Our office had a word with the State Election Commissioner today (Saturday) morning and informed that five of our members would come to attend the meeting. But he said only two of us will be allowed.

"The way he behaved with us is a disgrace. There was no one from the SEC to listen to us but police were brought to the fore to stop us. We will again move the court because this Commissioner is not listening to us," he claimed.

The opposition BJP, CPI-M, Congress and PDS had moved the court, accusing the Trinamool of unleashing massive pre-poll violence against their party workers to prevent them from filing nominations for the polls ever since the process began on April 2.

A single judge bench of Justice Subrata Talukdar on Friday quashed the SEC's April 10 order that had cancelled the extension for filing nomination which the state poll panel announced on the night of April 9, directed it to issue a fresh deadline extending the time for filing nominations in consultation with the state government and important stakeholders.

--IANS

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Income-Tax (I-T) sleuths seized Rs 41.3 million in cash and 4.52 kg gold jewellery valued at Rs 13.2 million during raids conducted over the last three weeks in poll-bound Karnataka, an official said on Saturday.

"Of the Rs 41.3 million seized, Rs 40.3 million is in Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, with Bengaluru accounting for Rs 24.7 million and Ballari Rs 5.5 million," said state I-T Director-General (Investigations) G. Ramesh in a statement here.

The rich mining Ballari town is 330 km from Bengaluru.

A single-phase election to the 225-member Karnataka assembly, including one nominated, is scheduled on May 12 across the southern state, with vote count on May 15.

"We have stepped up surveillance and monitoring of activities in view of the state assembly election. Seizure in higher denomination raises eyebrows, as people are finding difficulty in drawing cash from banks and ATMs due to its shortage in some parts of the country," asserted Ramesh.

High alertness at airports and railway stations across the state led to the detection of a person carrying Rs 1.65 million in cash at one of the airports without valid proof of its source.

"A follow-up action against the accused person led to detection and seizure of additional Rs 3.7 million in his Mumbai premises. We have seized all the cash amounting to Rs 5.35 million," pointed out Ramesh.

In raid, the sleuths seized Rs 5.5 million in cash from a person to whom a contractor paid in a district and confession by the latter of concealing Rs 160 million to evade paying income tax on it.

In another case, household articles valued at Rs 95.1 million intended for distribution was found in a warehouse near Mysuru.

"Investigation revealed that the articles were meant for distribution was found in a warehouse near Mysuru," claimed Ramesh.

Rs 5.0 million cash was seized from a person, whose name and the place has not been released.

"We have set up a 24x7 control room in the city to receive election-related complaints from the public and other state agencies. Strike teams have also been formed with powers in all the 30 districts to act," said Ramesh.

The bank's investigation cell has gathered details of contract payments made in the last quarter of the fiscal 2017-18 and comparing them previous years to identify the abnormality.

"We are also co-relating bank transactions and cash withdrawals with other officials," added Ramesh.
The Indian and Pakistan armies traded heavy fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, defence officials said.

Defence Ministry sources said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked heavy firing on the LoC in Kerni sector of Poonch.

"Our troops retaliated effectively and strongly. No report of any casualty or damage has come from our side so far," a source said.

--IANS

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A four-month-old girl was sexually assaulted and murdered in Madhya Pradeshs Indore town, police said, adding that the accused has been arrested.

The incident occurred in the M.G. Road area. The infant was abducted, raped and killed in a vacant basement space just 50m away from where her parents were sleeping early on Friday.

The police used CCTV footage to identify the attacker. He was apprehended late that night, the police said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday tweeted that society should look within to see where it was heading.

"The accused has been arrested. We will ensure that he is meted out strict punishment as soon as possible," Chouhan said.

Former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh said: "An infant has been raped and killed, where are we heading to as a nation and society? The accused should be severely punished."

--IANS

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Human rights organisation Amnesty International India on Saturday termed a "knee-jerk reaction" the decision to introduce death penalty for those convicted of raping a child below the age of 12, calling on the government to improve implementation of existing laws to protect children from sexual abuse.

"The government's decision to introduce death penalty through an ordinance is a knee-jerk reaction that diverts attention from the poor implementation of laws on rape and child protection," said Amnesty International India Programme Director Asmita Basu.

"Studies have shown that most perpetrators are 'known' to child victims and introducing the death penalty in such circumstances will only silence and further endanger children. Both the Justice Verma Committee and India's Law Commission have questioned the deterrent value of death penalty in preventing crimes.

"Instead, the government must allocate adequate resources for the effective implementation of existing laws, improve conviction rates and ensure that justice is done in all cases of child abuse. The President (Ram Nath Kovind) must not approve this regressive ordinance, as it does little to promote the best interests of children," she added.

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance that provides for death penalty to those convicted of raping a child below the age of 12 and life term for raping a girl below age of 16.

The ordinance comes in response to nationwide protests against the alleged gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua region.

According to media reports, the ordinance will amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes to the punishment of death.

The National Crime Records Bureau's Crime in India Report, 2016, highlighted that only 28.2 per cent of the child sexual abuse cases brought to trial have resulted in convictions.

Despite the low conviction rates, recently four Indian states, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh, have introduced the death penalty for the rape of girls below the age of 12.

--IANS

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Shreyas Iyer (52) and Rishabh Pant (85) helped Delhi Daredevils (DD) post a fighting 174/5 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 19th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

Iyer and Pant then showed some resistance, sharing a 75-run partnership for the third wicket as Delhi recovered from a poor start.

Put into bat, Delhi were off to a poor start as both the openers Jason Roy (5) and Gautam Gambhir (3) were back in the dug out with the scorecard reading just 23 runs in 5.4 overs.

While pacer Umesh Yadav dismissed Gambhir, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal clean bowled Roy.

Pant and Iyer eased the pressure on the visitors as they took time to settle down before finding occassional big shots.

Spinner Washington Sundar finally broke Delhi's momentum, dismissing Iyer, who was looking good, in the 14th over with Delhi's score being 98/3. Iyer departed after hitting four fours and three sixes.

With the addition of just another seven runs in Delhi' scorecard, Chahal sent back incoming batter Glenn Maxwell (4).

However, Pant kept the fight alive for his side and slammed 18 runs off a Chris Woakes' 18th over to lift Delhi to 163/4.

Trying to go big in the final over, Pant was finally dismissed by Corey Anderson. The Delhi batter's 48-ball 85-run knock was guided by six boundaries and seven sixes.

Rahul Tewatia's 13 off 9 for Delhi helped the visitors reach a fighting total.

For RCB, Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/22 while Umesh, Anderson and Sundar bagged one wicket apiece.

Brief Scores: Delhi Daredevils: 174/5 (Rishabh Pant 85, Shreayas Iyer 52; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/22) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore.

--IANS

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The German city of Trier is selling thousands of souvenir bank notes with a face value of zero euros in honour of revolutionary, political philosopher Karl Marx, and they are a sold out.

The bank notes were to commemorate the 200th birthday of Marx on May 5, Xinhua news agency reported.

The bills, sold at three euros each, have drawn a sizable number of buyers around the world. The first batch of 5,000 notes were sold out after going on sale on Monday. The city is now printing 20,000 more.

The bank notes, printed in purple, look like genuine euros but are labelled "souvenir". The bills play on Marx's criticism of capitalism, said Norbert Kaethler, managing director of Trier's tourism and marketing office.

Marx is famous for his political theory and is best known for his works "Das Kapital", and the "Communist Manifesto", which was co-written with Friedrich Engels and has been serving as a guiding principle for the Communist movement.

Besides selling souvenir bills, the city, which witnessed Marx's childhood and early education, has also planned other events and celebrations, including a grand state exhibition.

Trier will also unveil a 4.4-meter bronze statue of Marx, gifted by China.

--IANS

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More than 7,000 students visited the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) as it opened its gates to school children on Saturday, showcasing a number of its innovations and technologies it developed in last one year.

A number of devises and gadgets were displayed at the 14th Open House, organised by the premier institute, which included flexicrutch, a special crutch to ease walking for disabled, nasal filters to block pollutants, and biodegradable tableware made of rice straw.

"I really liked the event. Especially the hologram," said Lakshya, a class 12 student of Adarsh Public School, Dwarka.

According to an IIT official, students from more than 100 schools came to see the innovations.

"I was surprised to notice that about 7,000 school children came to the Open House this time. Last time this number was around 3,000. Schools from all over Delhi, and even as far as Sonepat came to IIT to see the the products," B. K. Panigrihi, a faculty at the Electrical Engineering department of the institute, told IANS.

A total of more than 50 innovations, software and hardware both, were on display, he said.

Some of the other key projects on exhibition this year were the Street Sizing system for Chirala Handloom Cluster, Tactile Graphics: Representation of Visual Images through Raised Lines Adapted for the Sense of touch, OnBoard: a system that enables a person with blindness to safely board public buses without any dependency amongst many others.

--IANS

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Nicaragua has accepted a call for dialogue by the private sector to discuss a new set of social security measures, which have led to widespread protests and violence in the country that killed at least five persons and injured around 100 in three days.

Vice President Rosario Murillo on Friday said that the government has decided to accept the call by the business guilds to come to the dialogue table to discuss the contentious social security measures and other issues, Efe news reported.

Earlier in the day, the private sector of Nicaragua had called for a march for peace and dialogue on Monday and urged authorities to respect their right to protest on the streets.

The call came after three days of violence and protests in the country against new social security measures by the government, led by President Daniel Ortega.

The new social security measures would require employees to pay seven per cent of their salaries, up from 6.25 per cent, to the Nicaraguan Institute of Social Security (NISS), while employers will have to contribute 21 per cent, up from 19 per cent.

The measures have been dismissed by businesses and experts as a tactic to stop the NISS from going bankrupt.

They also fear the reforms could increase unemployment, lower consumption and competition and harm the business climate.

--IANS

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With accusations being made by his own party legislators that he picked up only his loyalists as ministers in his government, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday that the selections were made to give representation to all categories.

Denying any "unfairness" in the selection of the new cabinet ministers, he claimed that adequate representation had been given to all sections and regions, with seniority being the key criteria.

"There were no swollen faces in the party, as the media chose to call them," a visibly agitated Amarinder Singh told media after the swearing in of nine new cabinet ministers and elevation of two sitting women ministers took place at the Raj Bhawan here on Saturday evening.

"The focus had been on striking a regional and caste balance, in order to ensure holistic development of the state," he said, replying to a question regarding dissatisfaction among some Congress MLAs.

To a question about certain MLAs having quit party posts after failing to find a berth in the cabinet, the Chief Minister said all issues would be "amicably resolved".

"With four Dalit ministers already in the cabinet, another member of the community could not have been accommodated. Nearly 25 percent of the state cabinet was currently being represented by Dalits," he pointed out.

The Chief Minister assured that all the Congress MLAs, who had not found place in the Council of Ministers, would be inducted into the various boards and corporations.

"The state has 7,000 jobs, ranging from the market committees to the planning boards, that can be given to party workers," he added.

Three Congress legislators had on Friday announced their resignation from party posts after their names did not figure in the list of new ministers.

At least 10 other legislators, six of them being senior and strong contenders for being ministers, were not considered.

At the same time, the list of new ministers was full of those seen as loyalists of the Chief Minister.

--IANS

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North Korea on Saturday announced freezing of its missile tests along with shutting down of a nuclear test site, a significant development that received a broad international welcome.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was quoted by the state-run KCNA news agency as saying that the country's quest for nuclear arms was "complete" and it "no longer needed" to test its weapons capability.

"Under the proven condition of complete nuclear weapons, we no longer need any nuclear tests, mid-range and intercontinental ballistic rocket tests, and that the nuclear test site in northern area has also completed its mission," Kim said.

His decision was welcomed by the world leaders, with US President Donald Trump describing it as "good news" for the world, and South Korea calling it "meaningful progress".

Kim is due to meet his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on April 27 for the first inter-Korean summit in over a decade, and Trump by June. Both countries have been pushing Pyongyang to denuclearise.

Pyongyang and Seoul started talking again for the first time in two years via a special phone line, and those talks led to North Korea's participation in South Korea's Winter Olympics.

"This is very good news for North Korea and the World -- big progress! Look forward to our Summit," Trump tweeted after the announcement.

A statement from the South Korean President's office said that the North's move "will also contribute to creating a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming South-North summit and North-US summit".

China, North Korea's main backer, welcomed North Korea's decision. "The decision made by North Korea will help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too hailed the announcement, while stressing that it was important to monitor the situation to see if it would lead to "a complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles," state broadcaster NHK reported.

The EU said it was "positive", but called for complete denuclearisation. European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said it was a "long sought-after step" that should lead to "verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation".

The call was echoed by Britain. "We hope this indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith," according to a statement from the British government.

Russia's Foreign Ministry also welcomed it, but called on the US and South Korea to reduce their military activity in the region.

North Korea conducted all of its six nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri test site in the northeastern province since 2006. Its latest and most powerful nuclear test was conducted in September, Yonhap news agency reported.

Although Pyongyang said it would abolish its nuclear test site, there was no indication it was planning to get rid of its existing weapons.

The decision to halt missile tests was also aimed at pursuing economic growth, according to KCNA. Kim reportedly pledged to "concentrate all efforts" on developing a socialist economy during Friday's meeting.

The declaration came as Pyongyang continued to make concessions ahead of the talks. In March, Kim told a South Korean delegation that he "understood" the need for joint US-South Korean military drills.

Earlier this week he dropped his requirement that US troops leave the Korean peninsula as a precondition for denuclearisation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korea on Saturday announced its suspension of all missile tests and shutting down of nuclear test site, saying its quest for nuclear arms was "complete" and it "no longer needed" to test its weapons capability.

"Under the proven condition of complete nuclear weapons, we no longer need any nuclear tests, mid-range and intercontinental ballistic rocket tests, and that the nuclear test site in northern area has also completed its mission," North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was quoted as saying by the state-run KCNA news agency.

North Korea conducted all of its six nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri test site in the northeastern province since 2006. Its latest and most powerful nuclear test was conducted in September, Yonhap news agency reported.

The surprise announcement came as North Korea prepares for historic talks with South Korea and the US. It also came just weeks after Kim met Chinese President Xi Jinping on his first official trip outside his country.

Kim is due to meet his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in on April 27 for the first inter-Korean summit in over a decade, and US President Donald Trump by June.

Both countries have been pushing Pyongyang to denuclearise and reacted positively to the latest development, calling it a "sign of progress" and a "promising start" to upcoming talks.

"This is very good news for North Korea and the World -- big progress! Look forward to our Summit," Trump tweeted after the announcement.

A spokesperson for the South Korean President called the North's move "meaningful progress". "It will also contribute to creating a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming South-North summit and North-US summit," a statement from Moon's office said.

The declaration came as Pyongyang continued to make concessions ahead of the talks. In March, Kim told a South Korean delegation that he "understood" the need for joint US-South Korean military drills.

Earlier this week he dropped his requirement that US troops leave the Korean peninsula as a precondition for denuclearisation.

China welcomed North Korea's decision. "The decision made by North Korea will help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue," said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe too hailed the announcement, while stressing that it was important to monitor the situation to see if it would lead to "a complete, verifiable and irreversible abandonment of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles," state broadcaster NHK reported.

--IANS

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Violent anti-government protests that spread across Nicaragua in response to its social security system reforms have claimed more than five lives in three days of rioting, reports said.

The violence follows the decision of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) government to push through reforms that would apply a five per cent tax to old-age and disability pensions and increase the contributions paid by both employees and employers.

The reforms, which went into effect on Wednesday, were in response to the financial crisis affecting its National Social Security Institute (INSS), The Guardian reported.

Some reports over Friday night put the death toll between five and 10. Consecutive governments have been accused of using the INSS as a source of "petty cash".

Rosario Murillo, the vice-president and wife of President Daniel Ortega, has defended the reforms in national radio address.

Murillo has comparing the protests to "vampires, needing blood to feed their political agendas".

Alleged fraud in electoral processes have allowed Ortega to control the country's national assembly and make important constitutional changes, including his own right to serve more than two terms as president.

--IANS

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The Lahore High Court directed Pakistan's Interior Ministry on Saturday to decide within 30 days the fate of Indian Sikh woman pilgrim who converted to Islam, married a Lahore-based man and moved the court for citizenship and visa extension.

Kiran Bala, a mother of three children from Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, had also sent an application to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry. The High Court, while extending her visa by 30 days, directed the Interior Ministry to decide whether she was eligible for the six-month extension, the Express Tribune reported.

Kiran Bala went to Pakistan on a pilgrimage as part of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation on April 12 and reportedly went missing on April 16. She went to Pakistan on her Indian passport with a visa valid till April 21.

But later, she reportedly embraced Islam and married a Pakistani national Muhammed Azam. Her family alleged that she may have fallen into the hands of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and forced to convert and remarry.

The family said they had no official communication from any quarter about her well-being and current status.

In her application for extension of the Pakistan visa, her name was mentioned as Amna Bibi while the signature was done as Amina. She applied for extension of the visa, citing "threats of assassination" to her life in India, before Pakistan's Foreign Ministry, reports said.

According to Pakistani law, Kiran Bala can stay in Pakistan for a month, and if granted the six-month extension, she could be eligible for attaining citizenship.

--IANS

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A 35-year-old Palestinian man was shot dead near his home on Saturday by two unidentified gunmen, police said.

The man, who was reported to be an electrical engineer and had lived in Kuala Lumpur for more than 10 years, was gunned down by two men on a motorbike who ambushed him and pumped more than 10 bullets into him, Xinhua news agency reported.

The victim was believed to be going to attend the morning prayer.

Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Anwar H. Al Agha identified the man as Fadi M. R. Albatsh, a mosque imam and also a university lecturer, according to Malaysian newspaper the New Straits Times.

Citing CCTV footage, the report also said the two gunmen, both wearing helmets, arrived at the scene and waited for the victim for some 20 minutes before carrying out the attack.

The ambassador said Fadi was supposed to leave for Turkey to attend a conference later on Saturday. Hamas, the Palestinian political organisation, said in a statement that the victim was a Hamas member known for "his scientific innovation as he has attended many international conferences on energy in Japan, the UK and Finland".

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that he learnt from police that Fadi was "an expert in electrical engineering and (building) rockets", according to the New Straits Times.

"His killing could have some links with foreign intelligence agencies or he may also be considered a liability to nations unfriendly to Palestine," Hamidi said, adding if necessary, Malaysian police may also seek the help of Interpol, Aseanpol and other related agencies.

--IANS

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The Philippines on Saturday slammed the US for raising concerns about alleged extrajudicial killings in the country and increase on police impunity in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

"The Philippines is a sovereign state with a fully functioning democracy led by a legitimately elected government that is getting things done for the Filipino people," said Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in a statement.

He was reacting to the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released in Washington on Friday.

"We do not need others who think they know better than us to tell us what to do," Cayetano was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

As a sovereign nation, Cayetano said, the Philippines deserves the same kind of respect they have been extending to their friends in the international community.

He assured the international community that in the conduct of the campaigns, "the government will remain guided by the rule of law embodied in the Constitution, which also enshrines the country's long-standing tradition of upholding human rights".

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte launched the anti-drug crackdown after he took office in June 2016 to wipe out the drug trade in the Philippines, vowing to restore social order and create favourable environment for economic development.

According to the website of the Philippine National Police, from July 1, 2016 to January 17, 2018, the police conducted a total of 81,919 anti-drug operations resulting in the arrests of 119,361 and the killings of 3,987 drug suspects.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked civil servants to use technology to improve governance and commit themselves towards a "New India".

Addressing civil servants on Civil Services Day, he, stressing on the need for public participation and use of innovation and technology to improve governance, said: "The year 2022, the 75th anniversary of our independence, can be our biggest inspiration to work towards achieving India of the dreams of the freedom fighters."

All available technology, including artificial intelligence and space technology, must be used to improve governance, he said. Describing civil servants as people with great capability, he said it is important for civil servants to keep pace with emerging technologies worldwide.

Stating no one is useless, he said there is lot of talk about achievers but he would like to hear about the last 25 performers. He urged the senior officials to listen to them, ascertain their problem, rekindle the energy in their heart and encourage them to get back in the race.

On "aspirational districts", Modi said these 115 districts can become growth engines for their entire states.

He also said lives of people will change when they are kept in the centre of decisions related to programmes, rules and systems. Further, he said that even the laggards whether civil servants or the districts can be motivated to put their best in contributing towards nation building.

Conferring awards for excellence in public administration, he said the occasion is one of "appreciation, evaluation and introspection".

"Prime Minister's award is a step towards motivating civil servants. These awards also indicate the priorities of the government," he said at Vigyan Bhawan here. Civil servants across the country watched the function through direct telecast and webcast.

Awards were given out for priority programmes of the country like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Deendayal Upadhyay Kaushalya Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Digital Payments, which Modi said "will change the country into a New India".

Two books on Prime Minister's awards 'New Pathways' and 'Aspirational Districts: Unlocking Potentials' were also released on the occasion.

--IANS

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US Attorney General Jeff Sessions warned the White House that he may resign if President Donald Trump fired his deputy Rod J. Rosenstein, who is overseeing the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Sessions told White House counsel Don McGahn in a phone call last weekend that he could leave the Justice Department in the event of Rosenstein's ouster, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

The phone call came amid a series of attacks on Rosenstein and special counsel Robert Mueller by Trump, following the FBI raid on April 9 on the home and office of the President's personal attorney Michael Cohen.

Rosenstein oversees the law enforcement investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Mueller is carrying out that probe.

Sessions had also asked for details of April 12 meeting between Trump and Rosenstein and was reportedly relieved when he was told that the encounter was cordial, the daily said.

According to the Post, one person familiar with the phone call said that Sessions did not intend to threaten his resignation but simply wanted to express his concern that Rosenstein's ouster would put him in a difficult position.

But Trump reportedly backed away from the idea of firing Rosenstein and Mueller after the deputy Attorney General told him in a White House meeting that he was not a target of Mueller's investigation.

Trump insists that there was no collusion between his campaign and Moscow, and that the investigation was a "witch hunt".

--IANS

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Several persons were injured on Saturday after the police fired tear gas shells in Imphal East district to control the crowd protesting against a decision of the state government to shift a hospital from Sagolmang to another constituency.

The Police on Saturday raided several houses in Khundrakpam area and arrested two activists S. Inao and Laishram Bijen from their houses for spearheading agitations against the shifting of the hospital to Keirao.

"Congress member T. Lokeshor was elected from the Khundrakpam constituency. For political reasons the BJP government tried to shift the hospital to Keirao where BJP member L. Rameshower was elected," said an activist.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh and Health Minister L. Jayentakumar maintain that there is a land dispute due to which the hospital cannot be constructed in Sagolmang, the activist added.

However, activists say that there is no such dispute.

--IANS

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The former lawyer of two women who were paid to stay silent about thier alleged affair with Donald Trump, has been drawn into the federal probe into the US President's attorney, Michael Cohen.

Keith Davidson, who had represented the women, was contacted by federal authorities on Friday in the wake of a raid on Cohen's Manhattan office and shared records with investigators, the Washington Post reported.

Davidson was asked to provide "certain limited electronic information" for the probe led by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, his spokesman Dave Wedge said.

"He has done so and will continue to cooperate to the fullest extent possible under the law," Wedge said.

Shortly before the 2016 election, Davidson represented both porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in two separate legal agreements that required each woman to keep quiet about the alleged sexual relationship with Trump. Daniels was paid $130,000.

However, she later sued Cohen, seeking to be released from the agreement which her lawyer argued was invalid because Trump did not sign it.

Similarly, McDougal sued American Media Inc., the media company that had paid her $150,000 for the rights to her story, arguing that she was deceived into accepting the terms.

She said that Davidson "inappropriately pressured her and secretly colluded with Cohen", who was not technically part of the negotiation, the New York Times reported.

Another former Playboy model was represented by Davidson in recent months as he negotiated another agreement with Cohen. Under that contract, Elliott Broidy, the deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee, agreed in late 2017 to pay $1.6 million to the woman, who had become pregnant during an affair with Broidy.

Davidson had called Cohen a "friend", and defended his professional integrity to CNN and said that Cohen had encouraged him to talk to the media and "spill my guts".

The investigators who have sought information from Davidson were working separately from the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

Among the evidence that the authorities in New York seized were recordings of conversations that Cohen secretly made.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Clashes broke out between students and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district on Saturday despite the authorities shutting down most colleges and schools in the valley.

Students demanding justice for the Kathua rape and murder victim clashed with the security personnel in Chadoora and Panzan areas.

As police intervened to quell the protests a teenaged girl was hit during the stone pelting by the protesters.

"She was treated in the hospital for a lacerated wound. Her condition is stable and out of danger," the attending doctor said.

The authorities have ordered closure of colleges and higher secondary schools in most parts of the Kashmir Valley on Saturday to avoid a face off between protesting students and the security forces.

Kashmir has been witnessing spiralling protests ever since the rape and murder of the eight-year-old in Hiranagar area in Jammu in January.

--IANS

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India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived on Saturday in Beijing on a four-day China visit where she will hold crucial bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ministerial-level meeting.

The one-on-one meet with Wang on Sunday will be the key highlight of Sushma Swaraj's visit in which she will discuss a range of issues and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's China trip in June to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Summit.

She will meet a more powerful Wang who in March was promoted to China's top diplomatic post of State Councillor. Their last meeting was in December on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers meet.

Sushma Swaraj will attend the SCO foreign ministerial-level meeting on April 24 and leave for Mongolia.

After the 73-day military stand-off at Doklam in 2017, China and India have tried to mend their ties, which is evident from the stepped up bilateral exchanges and high-level visits.

Besides the long-standing border dispute, the two countries have a host of issues that plague their relationship. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) irks India as its planned route cuts through the disputed Kashmir held by Islamabad and claimed by New Delhi.

Beijing's opposition to New Delhi's application at the UN to have Pakistan-based terror group chief Masood Azhar declared an international terrorist is another pesky issue between both countries.

India's willingness to join the emerging bloc of the US, Japan and Australia to counter an increasingly assertive China in the Indo-Pacific region worries Beijing. However, both sides seem to have decided to work with each other despite differences.

While bilateral high-level visits and dialogue have increased, both sides have propitiated each other. China in March agreed to share the Brahmaputra River data with India, which it had withheld after the military crisis erupted in 2017.

India shifted a planned Dalai Lama event out New Delhi, not to tick off Beijing, which calls the Tibetan spiritual leader a "separatist".

Last week, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met China's senior-most diplomat Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.

(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com)

--IANS

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Derogatory words used by senior Telugu actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator N. Balakrishna against Prime Minister Narendra Modi triggered protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.

Tension prevailed at Balakrishna's house at posh Jubliee Hills area in Hyderabad as BJP workers staged a sit-in demanding that he apologise to the Prime Minister.

As the actor reached his house in a car, the protestors surrounded his vehicle, shouting slogans. Police swung into action to escort the actor inside his house. When the protestors tried to barge into the house, police arrested and shifted them to a police station.

The BJP leaders in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana lodged police complaints against Balakrishna and demanded his arrest for insulting the Prime Minister.

The BJP also organised protests in various parts of Andhra Pradesh as its workers set afire the TDP legislator's effigy and raised slogans against him. In Nellore, the workers of the two parties clashed when TDP activists tried to prevent the BJP supporters from setting afire Balakrishna's effigy.

A delegation of BJP leaders called on Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in Visakhapatnam and urged him to take serious note of the language used by Balakrishna.

The BJP delegation, led by Vishnukumar Raju, submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding action against Balakrishna.

Balakrishna on Friday described Modi as a "gaddar" (traitor) and "namak haram" (cheat) for going back on the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The actor, who is a member of state assembly, was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada where his brother-in-law and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took up day-long fast to protest against the Central government for doing injustice to the state.

Balakrishna, younger son of legendary actor and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, spared no words in targeting Modi.

Reminding the Prime Minister's past as a tea-seller, the TDP leader said Modi had treated Andhra Pradesh like a fly struggling for survival in a cup of hot tea.

"Instead of rescuing it, he chose to take into his mouth and chew it. He is a 'makhi choos' (fly sucker)," he said.

He predicted that the BJP would not win even a single seat in Andhra Pradesh in the next elections.

"You are trying to play Sikhandi (an eunuch character in Mahabharata) by taking the help of our rivals to attack the TDP. But your cheap won't work here. You cannot succeed in your attempts," he said.

"If you have heart, you should listen to the heart beat of the Telugu people. Not just Andhra, entire India is against you. The time has come when they will beat you repeatedly and chase you, wherever you go. You cannot escape even if you go and sit in a bunker," said Balakrishna.

The actor also accused Modi of trying to gain grip over Andhra Pradesh as he had done in Gujarat.

"But remember Modji, Andhra Pradesh is not Gujarat. Your tricks do not work here. The Telugu people are courageous. They showed their power when the Congress government in Delhi tried to pull down NTR government in 1984."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
win a bilateral trade war against China. I do not know what data and information that the IMF has to support its assessment.

IC is China's Archilles' heel. The U.S. and the UK attacked China's weakness at such an early stage when the trade war has not yet been launched, I doubt the U.S. wants a war or not.

On a separate note, the U.S. demanded BNP Paribas, a French bank, to pay $9B penalty as a result of BNP circumventing sanctions to help money laundering. I once heard that BNP made much smaller of the profits by taking the compliance risks.

The Obama administration demanded JP Morgan to pay a hefty penalty because they hired Chinese red princes to get deals in China. The penalty also exceeded the total revenue generated by the deals in question.

Provided these two precedents, ZTE shouldn't complain.

1): The U.S. is not stupid. The U.S. knows what you are doing. Steve Bannon knows very well how Chinese elderlies abuse the U.S. social welfare.

2): The U.S. always revenges when the time comes.

However, it is not necessarily bad for China.
A British teenager was sentenced to two years behind bars on Friday after he was convicted of illegally obtaining the E-mail and phone accounts of senior US intelligence officials.

Eighteen-year-old Kane Gamble, who tricked his way to get the officials' information, had admitted a number of charges.

The court said he damaged the "effectiveness" of the wider law enforcement community, Xinhua reported.

Gamble will serve two years at a youth detention centre. His lawyer said he was "naive" and never meant to "harm" any individuals.

But the judge, Justice Haddon-Cave said Gamble ran a campaign of cyber terrorism.

The teen obtained "extremely sensitive" documents on military and intelligence operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the court was told.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three civilians sustained firearm injuries during clashes with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday during an anti-militancy operation, police said.

Police said immediately after the security forces started a cordon and search operation in Kareemabad village of Pulwama, protesting youth started stone pelting at the security forces.

Three of the protesting youth reportedly sustained firearm injuries during the clashes.

"The injured were shifted to Srinagar for treatment where doctors said their condition is stable," a police source said.

--IANS

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The BJP government in Tripura has urged the Centre for one-time relaxation in academic and other qualifications to facilitate recruitment of 12,222 teachers to overcome their shortage in the state, an official said on Saturday.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb met the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Nripendra Mishra on Friday in New Delhi and took up the state's six demands, including recruitment of teachers.

"Deb told Mishra that if the Human Resource Development Ministry did not relax the academic and other qualifications of teachers as laid down by the NCTE (National Council For Teacher Education) the state would not be able to recruit 12,222 teachers," the official posted in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) here said.

According to the Right of the Child to Free and Compulsory (RTE) Act of 2009 and NCTE guidelines, Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for recruitment of teachers in government schools.

To appear for the TET, the candidate ought to have 50 per cent marks in certain subjects and a Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Elementary or Diploma in

The HRD Ministry had earlier relaxed the minimum qualification norms for teachers, as notified by the NCTE, for Assam and West Bengal.

The teachers' recruitment was a key political issue ahead of the February 18 Assembly elections in Tripura as the Supreme Court had upheld a Tripura High Court verdict to terminate the services of 10,323 government teachers on the ground of discrepancies during the rule of Left Front government.

The official said that the Chief Minister also sought additional central financial support to fulfil promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before the Assembly polls.

Deb also discussed the Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the murder of two Tripura journalists and fraudulent activities of unrecognised chit funds and illegal non-banking financial institutions.

The Chief Minister demanded the setting up of a central agricultural university and AIIMS-like institute in Tripura.

--IANS

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US Defence Secretary James Mattis has met Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera and discussed the new US Defence Strategy, a media report said.

At the meeting on Friday at the Pentagon, the two leaders have said "the Japanese-US alliance is essential at a time when great power competition has returned", Xinhua news agency reported.

Mattis and Onodera have affirmed the importance of close cooperation among the US, Japan, South Korea and other "like-minded" nations in dealing with North Korea and "in providing credible military backing to the maximum pressure campaign".

Mattis has welcomed Japan's plan to review its National Defence Program Guidelines by year end.

After the last review and mid-term defence program in late 2013, Japan loosened its restrictions on armaments exports for the first time in half a century.

It had drawn wide protests and opposition from regional countries and the international community.

It also introduced new principles on defence equipment transfer in April 2014, allowing Japanese firms to export weapons if their deals pass government screening and engage in joint defence equipment development.

--IANS

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A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a village here by two youths, who have been arrested, police said today.

The girl was allegedly lured by a woman of her village to a secluded spot and handed over to the youths, who raped her yesterday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Pratap Kumar Gupta said.

On the complaint lodged the the victim's family, an FIR was registered, he said.

The accused were identified as Babloo Prajapati and Bhaiyan, and the woman as Savita Prajapati, the officer said.

They have been arrested and the girl has been sent for medical examination, the SP added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Fifteen militants have been killed in an anti-jihadist operation in central Mali, the Malian army said today, adding that one soldier died and two others were injured.

The "terrorists" were "neutralised, their weapons recovered and their motorbikes destroyed" during Friday's mission in the Tina forest in the Mopti region, the army said in a statement.

The army "suffered one death and two injuries".

Mali has seen a resurgence of violence in recent weeks. Last Sunday a UN base in the historic city of Timbuktu was attacked by rocket fire and car bombs, killing one UN peacekeeper and wounding seven others.

Last month the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) expressed "deep concern" over an increase in "serious violations and human rights abuses against civilians, including cases of summary execution" in the centre of the country, where jihadist groups are particularly active.

MINUSMA, which has 12,000 peacekeepers in Mali, said it had recorded at least 85 major violent incidents and armed confrontations that resulted in at least 180 civilian victims since the beginning of the year.

The unrest in the former French colony stems from a 2012 Tuareg separatist uprising against the state, which was exploited by jihadists in order to take over key cities in the north.

Although French forces succeeded in removing Al-Qaeda-linked groups from places such as Timbuktu, the groups have morphed into more nimble formations operating in rural areas, sometimes winning over local populations by providing basic services and protection from bandits.

The insurgency has gradually spread to the country's centre, where local grievances are sometimes exploited by radical Islamists in a region awash with guns.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with some armed groups, but other jihadists remain active, and large tracts of the country remain lawless.

Nomadic Fulani people and farmers from the Dogon ethnic group have also engaged in tit-for-tat violence, resulting in deaths.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two men were arrested for allegedly stealing foreign currency worth over Rs 2 crore from a west-Delhi based businessman, the police said today.

Rakesh Godara, running a business of purchase and sale of goods and commodities imported from foreign suppliers, had filed a police complaint that foreign currency worth over Rs 2 crore had been stolen from him, they said.

In his complaint, Godara said that he had employed Ratan a month ago to assist in his business, but later sacked him due to his addiction to liquor. On April 11, he went to Kota to meet his daughter studying in an engineering college there, the police said.

The next day he was informed by his business partner that Ratan had come to Delhi on the pretext of some work and wanted to stay at his residence. Though Godara was initially reluctant to let Ratan stay at his house, but later took pity on him and complied, they said.

That night, Ratan got the other employees, staying at the house, drunk. He then opened the doors of the house to let his accomplices Daljeet and Jasbir enter and directed them to the place where the foreign currency was kept along with the Indian bank notes, the police said.

Daljeet and Jasbir fled immediately after stealing the money, while Ratan left the next day, they said.

On returning to Delhi, Godara tried on his own to search for the accused. After he failed to do, he approached the police.

After questioning the acquaintances of the accused, the police conducted raids in Sirsa, Chandigarh, Mohali, national capital region (NCR), Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra as the accused persons were constantly changing their locations, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Vijay Kumar said.

Subsequently, Daljeet was arrested from Hauz Khas. During interrogation, he confessed that they had planned was to flee to Bangkok, he said, adding the second accused Jasbir was arrested from Nanded in Maharashtra on the intervening night of April 18 and 19, and 2,42,500 Euros was recovered from him.

In subsequent raids across NCR, foreign currency worth over Rs 33 lakh, mobile phones worth a lakh and two passports were recovered from various hideouts of the accused, the officer said, adding the police are searching for the other accused.

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Two more Congress legislators resigned from their posts in the party's Punjab unit today as resentment grew among MLAs for being denied a ministerial berth in the expansion of state Cabinet.

Surjit Singh Dhiman, the MLA from Amargarh in Sangrur district, and Nathu Ram from Balluana in Fazilka, tendered their resignations from party positions to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Sunil Jakhar.

The resignation came just hours before the swearing in here of the nine new ministers, whose names were announced yesterday after a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Another party legislator, Sangat Singh Gilzian, resigned yesterday from All India Congress Committee (AICC) and as a PPCC vice president over the issue.

Nathu Ram announced that he has resigned as PPCC general secretary because the party had ignored the Dalit community.

Surjit Singh Dhiman's resignation from the PPCC vice president's post was announced by his son Jaswinder Dhiman.

Nathu Ram represents the Dalit community and Dhiman is from the backward classes.

"Dalits are feeling humiliated by being denied a ministerial slot in the cabinet expansion," Nathu Ram, a two-time MLA, said.

"Dalits account for 34 per cent of Punjab population and if we are to consider this percentage, at least five ministers should be Dalits in the cabinet," he said.

Surjit Singh Dhiman's son said the party had "ignored" the backward classes.

"Not even a single minister belongs to backward class in the cabinet. Out of the backward class population in the state, 14 per cent belong to Ramgarhia community. At least one person belonging the to backward community should have been given the post," Jaswinder Dhiman said.

Besides the resignations, two other Congress MLAs today expressed disappointment over the Cabinet expansion.

Khanna MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli, who is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, said "old and traditional" families that have won elections for the party should have been considered for Cabinet berths.

"I meet all the criteria for becoming a minister but a junior person has been inducted. I fought three elections and won twice," said Navtej Singh Cheema, the MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.

Cheema said he was disappointed that the Doaba region was "ignored."



"Only one ministerial berth has been given to Doaba (Sunder Shan Arora) and that too represents the Kandi area. The main Doaba region comprising Jalandhar and Kapurthala, which is known as the NRI belt, is completely ignored," Cheema said.

"Whenever Congress won seats from the Doaba region, it formed the government," he said.

He said the party picked three ministers from one district but had ignored Doaba.

With the induction of Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa in the Cabinet, Gurdaspur district now has three ministers.

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian) and Aruna Chaudhary (Dinanagar) already represented the district in the ministry.

Amritsar also has three ministers now with the induction of O P Soni (Amritsar Central) and Sukhbinder Sarkaria (Raja Sansi). Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East was already a minister.

Cheema said he could not understand why his name was "dropped at the last moment" and will take up the matter with the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Kotli argued in favour of Punjab's "traditional" families.

"Old and traditional families that have been winning continuously and worked hard for the party should have also been considered," he said.

Kotli's grandfather Beant Singh was chief minister and his father Tej Partap Singh was a minister in previous Congress government.

But he added everyone will accept the decision taken by the party high command and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nine new Cabinet ministers were sworn in at the Raj Bhavan here today as three Congress MLAs quit their party posts after being ignored in the first expansion of the year-old Amarinder Singh-led Punjab government.

Ministers of State Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana were also elevated as Cabinet ministers.

Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore administered the oath of office to the new ministers.

Three legislators -- Sangat Singh Gilzian from Urmur assembly segment, Nathu Ram from Balluana and Surjit Singh Dhiman from Amargarh -- have resigned from their posts in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

Gilzian resigned yesterday when the names of the nine new ministers were announced after a meeting between Amarinder Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

The two other resignations came in today, just hours before the swearing-in ceremony.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, his cabinet colleagues and other senior party leaders, including Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary, were present during the ceremony.

Five-time MLA from Amritsar Central O P Soni was the first among the ministers to be sworn in.

Four-time MLA Rana Gurmit Sodhi (Guru Har Sahai constituency) and three-time legislators Sukhjinder Randhawa (Dera Baba Nanak), Gurpreet Kangar (Rampura Phul), Sukhbinder Sarkaria (Raja Sansi) and Balbir Sidhu (Mohali) are among the other new ministers.

Youth leader and Sangrur MLA Vijay Inder Singla, two-time MLA Sunder Sham Arora from Hoshiarpur and two-time MLA from Ludhiana West Bharat Bhushan Ashu too were administered oath.

The new ministers and the two MoS who were elevated to the cabinet rank took oath in Punjabi.

Among the new ministers, four are prominent Hindu faces while five others belong to the Sikh community. Most of them are considered close to the Chief Minister.

Amarinder Singh had earlier said seniority was a key criterion in the selection of the new ministers, and that they were chosen keeping in view regional representation and their capabilities.

Among the new ministers, the politically crucial region of Malwa in Punjab has been rewarded with maximum berths with five slots while Majha got three and Doaba one.

O P Soni, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria are MLAs from the Majha region. Ashu, Singla, Sodhi, Sidhu and Kangar are from Malwa. Arora belongs to the Doaba region.

Including the Chief Minister, the Punjab Cabinet now has 18 members, which is the maximum 15 per cent of a state assembly allowed.

The exercise has led to resentment among some Congress MLAs, who accused the party of ignoring them.

Opposition Aam Aadmi Party too lashed at the Congress after the expansion, accusing it of ignoring the representation of Scheduled Caste and backward classes among the newly sworn-in ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has made linking of national biometric ID Aadhaar to bank accounts mandatory as part of its updated 'Know Your Customer (KYC)' guidelines.

This, however, will be subject to the final decision of the Supreme Court on making of Aadhaar mandatory, RBI said in a circular late last night.

Till now, an Officially Valid Document (OVD) for address proof together with Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by the Income Tax department and a recent passport size photograph were the key KYC documents.

ALSO READ: Supreme Court says biometric authentication of Aadhaar prone to misuse

But in the amended Customer Due Diligence (CDD) procedure, RBI said, "The Aadhaar number, the PAN or Form No. 60" need to be obtained from an individual who is eligible for applying for the biometric ID.

Sources said that the move will facilitate a trusted environment for banking services.

The RBI has done away with sections relating to the use of other OVD by banks for address and identity proof.

For residents of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam or Meghalaya, who do not submit Aadhaar or proof of application of enrolment for Aadhaar, the bank may obtain a "certified copy of an OVD containing details of identity and address and one recent photograph," RBI said.

OVD means the passport, the driving licence, Voter's Identity Card issued by the Election Commission of India, job card issued by NREGA duly signed by an officer of the State Government, letter issued by the National Population Register containing details of name and address.

RBI said Aadhaar number shall not be sought from individuals who are not residents. "From an individual who is not eligible to be enrolled for an Aadhaar number, or who is not a resident, the following shall be obtained: PAN or Form No. 60, one recent photograph and



a certified copy of an OVD containing details of identity and address."



In case the OVD furnished by the customer does not contain updated address, utility bill of not more than two months old of any service provider (electricity, telephone, post-paid mobile phone, piped gas, water bill), property or municipal tax receipt, pension or family pension payment orders (PPOs) issued to retired employees by Government Departments or Public Sector Undertakings, and letter of allotment of accommodation from employer issued by State Government or Central Government Departments may be considered, RBI said.

RBI said the KYC norms have been updated following the government's decision to update the 'Prevention of Money Laundering' (PML) rules in June 2017.

The government had last month extended the date for submission of Aadhaar details for existing bank account holders indefinitely. A date would be notified after the final judgement in the petition challenging Aadhaar being heard before the Supreme Court, the government had said.

"The revised Master Direction is in accordance with the changes carried out in the PML Rules vide Gazette Notification GSR 538 (E) dated June 1, 2017 and thereafter and is subject to the final judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," RBI said while updating its master direction on know your customer norms.

According to the Aadhaar Act, a person who is residing in India for more than 180 days is eligible for applying for a Aadhaar number.
Over 600 academicians and scholars from across the globe have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing their anguish over the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, and accused him of maintaining "prolonged silence" over the "terrible state of affairs" in the country.

The letter comes on a day the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years, amid a nation-wide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua and Surat, and the rape of a girl in Unnao.

"We wish to express our deep anger and anguish over the events in Kathua and Unnao and the aftermath of these events; over the efforts of those administrating the relevant states to protect the alleged perpetrators of these monstrous crimes; over the subsequent profoundly distasteful efforts of rationalisation and the deflection and diversion that have been so much in evidence in the reactions of your party's spokespersons in the media," the letter to the prime minister read.

"We have observed that there has been a prolonged silence on your part over the 'terrible state of affairs' in the country and 'an undeniable association of violence with the ruling dispensation'," it added.

The signatories to the letter include academicians and scholars from varsities across the globe including New York university, Brown University, Harvard and Columbia, and the IITs, among others.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of activists has appealed to DCW chief Swati Maliwal to end her hunger strike and reconsider her demand for capital punishment for rape of minors, saying there is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty acts as a deterrent.

In an open letter to Maliwal, who has been fasting for the last nine days, the activists said they were deeply troubled by her demand for death penalty for rape of minors and noted that in her capacity as the chair of a statutory body, it is essential that she understands and engages with the in-principle opposition that many representatives of the women's movement have against death penalty.

"The issue of your demand for death penalty for rapists of minors that is being sought to be addressed by you is compelling us to raise some fundamental issues and concerns.

"There is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to rape. The most important factor that can act as a deterrent is the certainty of punishment, rather than the severity of its form," the activists said in the letter.

In fact, the demand for death penalty often takes the attention away from the gravity of the real issue, that of ensuring that institutions charged with responsibility to end violence, undertake systemic reforms and measures to dismantle patriarchal social norms that result in gender and other forms of inequalities, they said.

"As we know, in cases of sexual violence where the perpetrator is in a position of power conviction is notoriously difficult. The death penalty, for reasons that have already been mentioned, would make conviction next to impossible," they said.

The activists demanded that focus remains on ensuring the certainty and swiftness of punishment rather than the severity of punishment.

"Given the fact that death penalty is an issue that is informed by a core ethical persuasion that each individual comes with, we also appeal to you not to impose this as the key solution to sexual violence on minors on all partnering civil society organizations and individuals.

"This militates against the basic tenet of right to individual and collective freedom of thought as well as freedom to uphold one's conscience and personal ethics. We request you to review and reflect upon your position on this issue and to end your indefinite hunger strike at the earliest," they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Allison Mack , best known for hit series "Smallville", has been arrested in connection with a sex cult called NXIVM.

Mack, 35, and the group's leader, Keith Raniere, who was also arrested recently, have been charged with sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labour conspiracy, a release from US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York stated.

According to the release, over the past two decades Raniere established a series of purported self-help programs under the name NXIVM, based in Albany, New York, with centres in the United States, Mexico, Canada and South America.

Mack and other cult "masters" allegedly recruited slaves by telling them they were joining a "women-only organisation that would empower them and eradicate purported weaknesses that the NXIVM curriculum taught were common in women."



"As alleged in the indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere," United States Attorney Richard P Donoghue said.

"The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labour, to the defendants' benefit. This office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting predators who victimise others through sex trafficking and forced labour," he added.

The prosecutors also alleged that Mack lured women into a secret society, "DOS" or "The Vow", within NXIVM, which was referred as a "women's mentorship group".

She reportedly forced the potential entrants to provide "collateral" in the form of compromising photos or statements.

Mack appeared as a series regular on "Smallville" and played the role of Chloe Sullivan on the show.

She has films such as "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves" and "The Ant Bully" to her credits.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today hit out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre for ATMs in parts of the country running dry, saying such a cash crunch has never been experienced by the people in the country's history.

In a lighter vein, he said the cash crunch might ease after the May 12 assembly elections in Karnataka.

"... Elections are happening there, so money has gone there. Money will come back after the (Karnataka) elections," Naidu remarked.

In an interaction with Sadhikara Mitra, leaders of women self-help groups here, he said "Have you ever seen such a crunch? Money is not available in ATMs anywhere. Who is responsible for this?" he asked.

"Clearly, it is the national leaders.." he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress party took out rallies and held protests in front of ATMs in the state today.

Pradesh Congress Committee president N Raghuveera Reddy, who led the protest in Vijayawada, said the Narendra Modi government had alienated people from the banking system.

"It"s over 18 months since demonetisation but still there is no money available.Banks are devoid of cash while ATMs are empty," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A controversy has erupted over the appointment of an Andhra Pradesh MLA as a member of the TTD Board after a video surfaced where she purportedly said she was a Christian, prompting a BJP-linked outfit to call it an act of "sacrilege" and seek her ouster.

Payakaraopet MLA Vangalapudi Anitha was appointed to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Board, which governs the Lord Venkateswara's shrine at Tirumala, by the Andhra Pradesh government yesterday.

Today, a video went viral in social media where the woman legislator purportedly claimed she was a devout Christian.

"I always have a Bible in my bag and in my car. I don't move out without the Bible in hand," she told the interviewer in the video.

The BJYM, the youth wing of the BJP, slammed the government over the appointment and demanded her removal.

"It's nothing but sacrilege. How can a self-proclaimed Christian be appointed to a Hindu religious body," Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) state president S Vishnuvardhan Reddy said, adding "she should be removed forthwith."



Earlier, questions were raised after businessman Putta Sudhakara Yadav was appointed the chairman of the TTD Board.

Some pro-Hindu groups had objected to the appointment of Yadav, a close relative of the state's Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, claiming he had "campaigned" for various Christian events.

Yadav, however, rejected their allegation and insisted he was a Hindu.

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Restaurants, caterers and others will be able to easily donate excess food to the needy through a new mobile application developed by students of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology-Delhi.

The app called Zero provides an interface between caterers/restaurant owners and NGOs involved in distributing excess food from eateries and will help prevent wastage, according to its makers.

"A donor can register on the app and generate a request to pick up the leftover food. A notification on it then goes to the volunteers of the NGOs who can distribute food," IIIT-D M. Tech student Chetna Wadhwa said.

The idea was incepted and developed early this year by a group of M Tech students including Mallika Gupta, Akshara Rai, Ruchika Lakhina, Pallavi Rawat and V N Dawarka apart from Wadhwa who have experience of working with an NGO for a similar cause.

"Struck by the fact that tonnes of food was being wasted everyday when millions were starving prompted us to build the interface. We interviewed various stakeholders,like the caterers and dhaba and restaurant owners regarding food wastage, and some NGOs and college students to know about their willingness to distribute food among the needy," says Wadhwa said.

Zero is currently in the final stages of testing and the team hopes to release it in the app store soon.

"The idea was to build a simple interface such that all the stakeholders could access it smoothly. We developed the design of our app in various iterations with proper feedback and applying all the techniques and knowledge we learnt during our course Designing Human Centered Systems(DHCS) ," Wadhwa said.

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An Army jawan, who was injured in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, succumbed to injuries at a military hospital here, a defence spokesman said today.

His death raised the number of persons killed in over 650 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the state this year to 31, including 16 security personnel.

Havildar Charanjeet Singh (42) suffered bullet injuries in the unprovoked Pakistani firing on army posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector on April 17. He was evacuated and provided intensive medical care in a military hospital, the spokesman said.

He said Singh, hailing from Kalsian village of Nowshera in Rajouri district, succumbed to his injuries yesterday despite all out efforts by doctors to save his life.

Singh is survived by his wife Neelam Kumari, the spokesman said, adding that he was a brave and sincere soldier.

The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty", he said.

The spokesman said the mortal remains of the soldier had reached his home for last rites and he will be given a farewell with full military honours later in the day.

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Lt Governor Anil Baijal today inspected progress of the ambitious Rani Jhansi Grid Separator project in north Delhi and directed officials to also prepare a comprehensive traffic dispersal plan in view of congestion likely to happen due to its opening.

The 1.6-km-long flyover from near the St Stephens Hospital to Filmistaan Cinema, was originally scheduled to be completed by 2010, but has missed several deadlines.

On September 9 last year, the then North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) Commissioner P K Gupta had said the project would be completed by November 30.

"Lt Governor Anil Baijal today inspected progress of under-construction Rani Jhansi Grade Separator along with senior officials of NDMC and other civic agencies concerned.

"He directed the officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive traffic dispersal plan in coordination with agencies concerned as congestion is likely to increase once it opens for public shortly," the L-G office said in a statement.

It also stated that the L-G further gave directions to complete the beautification of the grid separator and its surroundings at a rapid pace.

"The Lt Governor also directed that crash barrier on both sides of the grid separator be installed," the statement stated.

Also, Baijal along with senior officers of the Delhi Development Authority visited the Shanti Stupa site in Millenium park of DDA at Sarai Kale Khan on Ring Road.

The park spreads over 84 acres area and in 2.5 acres of the park Shanti Stupa exists which is the first of its kind in Delhi.

The additional facilities are being provided in this part to facilitate the visitors which include Viewing Gallery and Peace Museum, it stated.

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Big reforms undertaken by the government for bolstering the economic growth and maintaining macroeconomic stability have made India one of the fastest growing major economies in the world, Economic Affairs Secretary S C Garg said.

In his address to the special event hosted by US-India Strategic Partnership Forum on Indian Economy: Prospect and Challenges' here yesterday, he said the country carried out such major reforms when the global economy was slow.

He said the launch of the GST represents a historic economic and political achievement, unprecedented in Indian tax and economic reforms, which has rekindled optimism on structural reforms.

"With the cyclical recovery in global growth amid supportive monetary conditions and the transient impact of the major structural reforms over, India will continue to perform robustly," he said.

Speaking at the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting, Garg said digital age technologies have profound implications for policies concerning every aspect of the economy.

"It also has enormous implications for emerging markets and developing countries," he said.

He expressed that the response to such a transformation will have to shift from catch up' growth to adoption/adaption of digital technologies for development and growth.

The Secretary informed that India has started adopting policies and programmes for transforming systems of delivery of services using digital technologies and connecting every Indian with digital technology and access through Aadhaar and other such means.

Citing the example of expanding Mobile Data Access, he mentioned that India is now the largest consumer of mobile data in the world with 11 gigabytes mobile data consumption per month.

India is investing in digital technologies, encouraging private sector to adapt these technologies and also addressing the taxation related issues by introducing equalisation levy, he said.

Garg also participated in the Development Committee Ministerial Lunch Session focused on Rising Public Debt Vulnerabilities in Low-Income Developing Countries.

He stressed that in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals, the increasing debt burden in LIDCs is, clearly, a massive hindrance.

"LIDCs face challenges centered on equitable growth, resilience, finance and partnerships, and leveraging external public and private finance," he said.

To mitigate the growing debt concerns of LIDCs, he emphasized the need for IMF and World Bank, and other international organizations must develop and articulate a clear strategy for enhancing public debt transparency on both the debtor and creditor side.
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb has demanded additional financial support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete the poll promises made to the people of the state.

Deb yesterday met Nripendra Misra, Principal Secretary to PM rime Minister Modi at the Prime Minister"s Office in New Delhi to place the demand, an official statement said.

"Some promises have been made to the people of the state. Fulfillment of all these promises can be possible with additional financial support from the Centre as the state government is passing through very difficult financial position," the statement, issued by the office of the Chief Minister, said.

Deb sought the additional funds for filling up 12,222 vacant posts of school teachers, introduction of the 7th central Pay Commission recommendations for state government employees, setting up a Central Agricultural University and a super specialty hospital like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Tripura.

Besides, The chief minister requested the Centre to allow one-time relaxation in educational and professional qualifications for teachers in Tripura, the release said.

Apart from funds, Deb demanded CBI inquiry into the killings of two journalists last year.

On September 20, TV journalist Santanu Bhowmik was hacked to death while covering a political event at Mandai in West Tripura, about 30 km from Agartala.

The other journalist, Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, was shot dead inside the headquarters of Tripura State Rifle"s 2nd battalion at RK Nagar, about 15 Km from here, on November 21.

The BJP-IPFT government resolved in the first meeting of the council of ministers last month to hand over the investigations to the CBI.

The statement said Mishra gave a patient hearing to Deb and assured to implement the demands after proper examinations.

After the first BJP government in Tripura came to power last month, it was sanctioned Rs 2,587 crore central funds for development projects and schemes such as housing, education and rural jobs.

Deb had said last month that Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has promised Rs 12,000 crore for six national highways in the state.

According to the BJP, Tripura is reeling under a deficit of Rs 11,355 crore, accumulated during the 25 years of Left Front rule.

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The ruling BJD workers in Odisha today staged demonstrations across the state, protesting against the alleged cash crunch hitting ATMs in the counry.

Holding placards, the sloganeering demonstrators held protests near the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as well as other nationalised bank offices in the state capital here.

Similar protests were held in different sub-divisions and blocks throughout the state, party leaders said.

Activists of the BJD's women, student and youth wings staged a two-hour sit-in from 10 am to 12 noon in a "peaceful" manner and work in the banks were not affected due to the demonstration, party leaders said.

"The party decided to resort to the protest action in view of the difficulty faced by the people in the state and elsewhere due to non-availability of cash in most ATMs," said BJD General Secretary Sanjay Dasburma.

The protest was aimed at creating awareness among people about the apathetic attitude of of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, he said.

Claiming that the country is witnessing a "financial emergency", party leaders said the protest would be intensified if the Centre fails to take concrete steps to improve the situation at the earliest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taking his party's fight against the Congress to the Gandhi family's pocket borough, BJP president Amit Shah today said his party would rid Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, of 'parivarvad' and take it on the path of development.

Addressing a public meeting here, Shah said Rae Bareli voted for top Congress leaders, but had not witnessed development since Independence.

"Rae Bareli has seen 'parivarvad' (dynastic politics) ever since Independence till this day and no development...I have come here to make it clear that the BJP will free Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad' and will start the campaign from today itself for taking it on the path of 'vikasvad' (development)," he said.

"The Congress and its top leadership have ruled in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli for years but the 'bhumi pujan' (ground breaking ceremony) of community health centre and primary health centre was carried out only lately and the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has done a lot for the constituency...now with some Congress leaders here joining the BJP, it is our responsibility to develop it by leaps and bounds," he said.

"We will develop it as an ideal constituency and a model district," he said, virtually blowing the BJP's election bugle with the Lok Sabha polls barely some months away.

He said before the Yogi Adityanath dispensation assumed office, Uttar Pradesh was known for 'goonda raj' and bad law and order.

"...Yogi government has established rule of law," he said.

On acquittal of Swami Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid blast case earlier this week, he sought to target the Congress over the party's attempts to "defame" Hindus in terror cases.

"I want to ask Rahul 'Baba', your leaders have talked about saffron terrorism...you need to apologise...decide how low you can stoop," he said.

Shah said he wanted to tell Rae Bareli people that he had been touring all over the country and "I can say Narendra Modi government will come back with a bigger mandate in 2019".

Exuding confidence that the BJP will win the Karnataka assembly election, he said, "The BJP will have its 16th state government in the country after May 15."



Though the BJP swept Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 general election, the BJP lost both Rae Bareli and Amethi to the Congress.

Barring three exceptions -- 1977, 1996 and 1998 -- Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952.

This time the BJP is out to test Rae Bareli's love for the Nehru-Gandhi family currently represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, a four-term MP. Amethi is represented in Parliament by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Earlier, a minor fire broke out at the venue of the public meeting, triggering panic and commotion in the audience.

The fire, which was brought under control in short time, broke out due to an electrical short-circuit near the media enclosure, officials said.

Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the dais at the time of the incident.

State BJP chief Mahendranath Pandey was addressing the gathering when smoke and sparks were noticed. Because of the fire, the programme was stopped for a while.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Saturday approved a restructured Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) aimed at building infrastructure and stepping up initiatives for e-governance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the scheme on National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24.

The scheme will focus on training, building infrastructure, stepping up initiatives for e-governance under the e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP), Rural Development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said.

The scheme will extend to all states and Union Territories and will also include institutions of rural local government in non-Part IX areas, where panchayats do not exist.

"The sharing ratio for the state components will be 60:40 barring the Northeast and hilly states where it will be 90:10," Tomar informed.

"For UTs, the central share will be 100 per cent. The total proposed cost of the scheme is Rs 7255.50 crore," he said.

This year, National Panchayati Raj Day will be a two-day event.

On April 23, an interactive group discussion-cum-workshop titled "Panchayat Ki Choupal Mein Charcha" will be organized at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

The main event will be held at Ramnagar, Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh, from where the prime minister will address all the of the country.

"As part of this initiative, a mobile application -- ActionSoft -- has been developed for field-level reporting and monitoring of physical progress of the works undertaken by the panchayats.

"This mobile application captures the geographical coordinates and photo of each asset at different stages of work for the activities included under the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). It will be launched on April 24," Tomar said.

Besides, a new award "Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award" has been introduced this year. It will be conferred on three-gram panchayats with the best planning across the country.

Also, a Local Government Directory Application developed by the Rural Development Ministry will be released for wide usage across all ministries to ensure interoperability across their databases.

The directory will have unique codes for villages, panchayats and blocks.

"Recognizing the fact that it is important to motivate panchayats and individuals, the ministry has laid emphasis on incentivizing the good performing panchayats through the system of annual awards in various thematic areas.

"The ministry's efforts have yielded good results in terms of wider participation and an increased number of panchayats competing for the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskar, Nanaji Deshmukh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar and e-Panchayat Puraskar," Tomar said.
Bollywood star Aamir Khan, who has been actively advocating for water conservation in Maharashtra, believes that if a cause is not genuine, presence of celebrities cannot motivate people to join any initiative.

The 53-year-old star said success of a campaign depends on its acceptability by the society.

"I feel the idea has to have merit. The concept is designed by Satyajit Bhatkal (director of 'Satyamev Jayate') who is the CEO of Paani Foundation. The concept was tried three years ago when we started in three talukas. If the concept doesn't have merit, then no matter how many celebrities push it, it won't work," he said in an interview here.

"So, the fact that it has worked, indicates it has merit. And certainly there are celebrities like me or from Marathi cinema, who have been actively pushing it, working with people," he added.

While Akshay Kumar has promoted sanitation and menstrual hygiene through his films, Aamir believes apart from making movies on such social issues, it is also necessary to work on the ground level.

"We are doing much more than that. We are working on ground with the villagers. We are doing a television show, which comes every week in Marathi, because essentially we are addressing the Marathi audience. So, I don't think a movie can do any more... We are doing much more than what a movie could do," he said.

Aamir shared his elder son Junaid is helping him with the work related to the Paani Foundation.

"Junaid is working and Ira (daughter) is not in India. She is abroad. But Junaid is very much working in Paani foundation and he sits in the office only."



The superstar recently interacted with the students of Symbiosis University in Pune and his aim is to encourage the students in Maharashtra to join the 'Mahashramdaan' (labour donation) on May 1.

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Even as a number of leaders have advocated death penalty for rape of girls aged below 12, child rights activists across the country have come out against the government's decision to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for this purpose.

The Union Cabinet today approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

"In a country where there is no certainty of conviction, this government wants to bring in more stringent laws. In a country where most rapes are perpetrated by family members, invoking death penalty will only increase the chances of acquittal.

"Most of the cases will not be reported. There is a reason why the death penalty for child rape exists in only about 13 countries or so, most of them Islamic," said Bharti Ali of HAQ centre for child rights.

According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau, 95 per cent of the rapes are committed by family members. The conviction rate in cases of rapes of women is around 24 per cent. It is 20 per cent under the POCSO Act.

"I believe that the only deterrent in rape cases is conviction in not more than 90 days. Worldwide we have seen that more than strict punishment, it is speedy justice that works as a deterrent.

"I fear that with the death penalty, most people will not report child rapes, as in most cases the accused are family members. The conviction rate will come down further," Vinod Tikoo, a former member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said.

According to a recent study by Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, it would take the courts two decades to clear the backlog of cases related to child sex abuse.

Activists say the government should focus more on strengthening the existing laws, ensuring safety of victims and witnesses, speedy trials, and awareness generation.

"We already have the death penalty for several offences and that has not led to any deterrence. If we are looking to create a deterrent, then we have to create it where it works.

"Creating a supportive and enabling environment for the victim to report the crime on their terms, effective and meaningful victim and witness protection, sensitive criminal justice system - including courts, legal aid and police, rehabilitation and ensuring certainty of conviction of the accused are among the areas which will generate deterrence," said Ananth Kumar Asthana, advocate and child rights activist.

The government's move to amend the law to award the death penalty for rape of girls aged below 12 comes amid a nationwide furore over the brutal rape of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, the alleged rape of a minor in UP's Unnao by a BJP MLA, and other incidents of sexual violence reported from different parts of the country recently.

Union minister of Women and Children Development Maneka Gandhi had few days ago asked her department to work on a proposal to amend the POCSO Act to bring in the provision of the death penalty for the rape of a minor below the age of 12 years.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal has been on a hunger strike at Samta Sthal here demanding death penalty for rapists.

Countries which have the provision of the death penalty for raping minors include China, Qatar, Sudan, UAE, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Kuwait.

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China today welcomed its close ally North Korea's decision to discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches, saying it could ease tensions in the Korean peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un announced the decision at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) yesterday, the Korean Central Agency (KCNA) reported.

The announcement came ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summit meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that it would help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue.

A nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in the region are in line with the common interests of the people on the peninsula and in the region, he said, adding that these are also the common expectation of the international community.

"We hope that the DPRK will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards," Lu said.

China supports the DPRK and the parties concerned to resolve their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to improve their relations, he said.

It is hoped that all parties concerned will meet each other halfway, take concrete actions and make due efforts to achieve lasting peace and common development in the region, Lu said.

"China will continue to play an active role in this regard," Lu said.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea's official name) will discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, the North Korean agency said.

The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests, it said.

The agency quoted Kim as saying that the mission to build a nuclear force has been completed and now the strategic route for the WPK is to concentrate on economic construction.

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Donald Trump lashed out Friday after memos of his meetings with the FBI's then chief James Comey depicted the president as obsessed with the Russia probe and a smutty video allegedly showing him with two prostitutes.

But the memos were just the latest twist in a week of awful headlines for Trump: from the release of a bestselling book in which Comey labels him "morally unfit," to a courtroom circus featuring his embattled personal lawyer and a porn star who alleges a tryst with Trump.

Trump's legal and personal woes -- and wall-to-wall Comey book interviews -- overshadowed his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at which the president confirmed CIA chief Mike Pompeo had met Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang to lay the groundwork for an upcoming summit with Trump himself.

As the week drew to a close, the flurry of developments on the North Korean front were once again eclipsed by the Comey memos -- which depict Trump pressuring the FBI chief over the probe into his campaign's links to Russia before firing him, and could bolster potential obstruction of justice allegations.

"James Comey Memos just out and show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION. Also, he leaked classified information. WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?" Trump tweeted Friday in response to the documents.

And to top it off, on Friday the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in New York alleging the Trump campaign, the Russian government and WikiLeaks conspired to skew the 2016 presidential election toward the Republican.

"We must prevent future attacks on our democracy, and that's exactly what we're doing today," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez. "If the occupant of the Oval Office won't protect our democracy, Democrats will. "



Trump's legal problems reach back to the beginning of his presidency, but have multiplied.

Two weeks ago FBI agents raided the New York residences and offices of his longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, seizing files that could bare Trump's past business dealings and expose more about his relationships with several women in the 2000s, when he was married.

One of them, the porn actress Stormy Daniels, whom Cohen paid $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006, showed up to much publicity at the first hearing over the Cohen raid.

Days later she went on the hit show The View where she said she was threatened not to talk about her Trump affair.

Daniels and Trump are now locked in dueling lawsuits that serve to keep the alleged tryst in the headlines.

Separately, Trump is battling a lawsuit that alleges he is breaking anti-corruption clauses in the US Constitution by profiting from the use of his namesake Washington hotel by foreign dignitaries.

Most ominous of all, Trump is under pressure from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into links between his campaign and Russia, a probe that is also examining possible obstruction by the president.

That investigation has numerous top aides and possibly family members of Trump in its sights. In recent weeks, according to reports, Trump has considered firing both Mueller and the Justice Department's number two, Rod Rosenstein, whom Trump himself appointed a year ago.

In a tweet late on Friday night, Trump wrote: "James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?" It is not the first time Trump has misspelled the word "counsel."



Trump and the Republicans have sought to undermine Mueller's probe by discrediting him and his team as biased and corrupt.

But Comey's new book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership," has deflected questions back to the president. Comey likens Trump to a Mafia boss who demands absolute loyalty, and lacks any moral foundation.

"This president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values," he writes. "His leadership is transactional, ego driven and about personal loyalty." The book, and the memos released by Congress, add support to allegations Trump wanted to suppress the Russia probe and fired Comey because of it.

The strain on the White House is clear. On Thursday Trump added three new attorneys, including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and two white collar criminal defense specialists.

According to Axios, the Trump team is still seeking to add more firepower to the legal team, and is pitching for Emmet Flood, who represented former president Bill Clinton is his fight against impeachment in 1998-99.

While Trump doesn't yet face any personal charges, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have warned him he could face impeachment if he fires Mueller.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress, in the presence of several of its senior leaders, today launched an 11-point agenda billed as the "Jabalpur ghoshna patra" (Jabalpur declaration) to highlight the party's stand on various contentious issues in the state.

Among those who arrived here to be part of a party programme titled 'Protecting Democracy and Constitution' were Digvijay Singh, Kapil Sibal, P Chidambaram, Kamal Nath, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Salman Khurshid and Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

The party's Jabalpur declaration stated that it would continue in its struggle to bring those involved in the Vyapam scam to justice.

It pledged to work towards curbing rising crimes against women and children and also to ensure that no farmer committed suicide in distress if the Congress came to power, after a gap of 15 years, in Madhya Pradesh.

The state is slated for Assembly polls later this year.

Referring to the Vyapam scam, the declaration stated," "We are surprised with the way the CBI had conducted investigations in the matter. It has betrayed the trust that Supreme Court had reposed in it while handing over the probe to it on July 9, 2015."



The declaration further alleged that no serious investigation was done in the scam.

Expressing concern over security of lawyers and mediapersons, the declaration said that the party would bring an Advocate Protection Act and a Journalist Protection Act if it came to power.

Attacking the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress chief whip in the Lok Sabha, criticised a Union minister, hailing from Karnataka, for stating that the time had come to change the Constitution.

Scindia said, "Our Constitution is not just a piece of paper, but the nation's soul. It is a symbol of the country's unity. An effort is being made to vitiate the atmosphere in the country and attempts are being made to curb the freedom of individuals."



Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Digvijay Singh, lauded the role played by advocates in protecting the country's Constitution.

Expressing concern over escalating litigation expenses, Singh suggested to the party's legal cell to establish a mechanism so that it could fight the cases of victims from the lower courts to the Supreme Court.

Former Union Minster Kamal Nath criticised Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, for claiming to be a "farmer's son and mama (uncle)" at a time when the " largest number of farm workers in the world" were committing suicide in the state.

Praising Dr B R Ambedkar, Nath said it was a matter of pride that the Indian Constitution drew praise from other countries as well.

Addressing the programme, former Union Minister Salman Khurshid said, "We don't want a change of power, but a change in system."



Favouring a continuation of the reservation policy, he said people should not have any problem in extending its (reservation) benefits to those who have been deprived for years.

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said that Ambedkar had been given the responsibility of framing the Constitution so that the deprived classes could be uplifted as he too had suffered atrocities being from a weaker section of society.

He also alleged that the Centre was not doing anything to fill vacancies in the Supreme Court and high courts.

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Union Minister Kapil Sibal alleged that institutions like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax were being misused.

He claimed that the truth about the Vyapam scam would come out in the "next few weeks".

The programme was organised by Vivek Krishna Tankha, chairman of the Legal Cell of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

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A Delhi court today restrained the media from publishing or broadcasting any item related to the investigation in a medial corruption case against former Chhattisgarh High Court judge Ishrat Masroor Quddusi and others.

Additional District Judge Twinkle Wadhwa passed the temporary injunction order on an application filed by Quddusi, who had claimed that reporting in the matter caused irreparable injury to his reputation in the eyes of the public and his colleagues.

Quddusi was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the corruption case related to Prasad Education Trust.

In an impleachment notice moved yesterday against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, seven opposition parties led by the Congress have listed five grounds of alleged misconduct against him, including a petition related to Prasad Education Trust.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal had said the charge related to the CJI having dealt on the administrative as well as on the judicial side with a petition which sought an investigation into the matter of Prasad Education Trust, in which he too was likely to fall within the scope of investigation.

The additional district judge today directed the media not to publish or telecast any item, programmes, debates and interviews., directly or indirectly, in connection with the case till the time the police complete their probe and file appropriate report before the court or till further orders.

"Further any publication/telecast/any other form of reporting still existing on any of the websites or in any other electronic form is directed to be withdrawn," the court said.

However, media houses are free to report about any court proceedings pertaining to the case or about the final conclusion of the police report as and when filed before appropriate court, it said.

The court held that "prima facie" the publication and telecast in the case were defamatory and "will lead to obstruction of justice".

"As per the material available on record wherein primarily on the basis of tape recordings, verification of which is required to be tested in a court of law, the defendants are excessively publicising the same which gives an impression as if the plaintiff is actually involved in the incident in order to create adverse public opinion.

"His name is prominently written in the articles and imputations are mentioned while the investigation is still pending," the court said.

It said that the continuous adverse publicity was destructive of reputation of the accused as a retired judge and as senior counsel, and "would result in loss of confidence in the institution itself".

"Prima facie I find that the publication connecting the plaintiff with such allegations creates a trial by media kind of situation by creating a sensation amongst the public and the same are required to be postponed. The constitutional guarantee of free speech does not confer a right to defame persons and harm their reputation by false and unsubstantiated allegations.

"Prima facie I find that in view of the publication already made, any such further publication would be destructive of the reputation of the plaintiff and would be an impediment in creating fair trial and justice to the plaintiff and the same needs to be restrained," it said.

In his application moved through advocate Vijay Aggarwal, the accused had sought to restrain the media from publishing any item related to the alleged taped conversations between Quddusi and other person in relation to medial college bribery scam.

Aggarwal had told the court that Quddusi was a 68-year-old and had "an illustrious and blemish-free career spanning more than 40 years in legal fraternity" and the reporting in the matter caused irreparable injury to his reputation in the eyes of public, colleagues and members of his social circle.

He alleged that the publication of the news items interfered with the administration of justice and would be "against the principle of fair trial and open justice."



Quddusi was granted bail by a Delhi court on September 27 last year in the case.

Quddusi, who has also served as a judge in Orissa High Court, was arrested along with Lucknow-based Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences' chairman B P Yadav, his son Palash Yadav and three others, for allegedly trying to settle a matter relating to the medical college debarred from admitting new students.

Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences is one of the 46 colleges debarred by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

According to the CBI, the arrests were made on September 20 last year after search operations at eight locations, including the residence of Quddusi in Greater Kailash area of South Delhi, as also in Bhubaneswar and Lucknow.

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An officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed in a gunfight with the Maoists in a dense forest in the insurgency-hit Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said today.

The gunfight took place last night in Kistaram police station area when a team of CRPF's 212th battalion was out on a search-cum-area domination operation, Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar Range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

"Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Anil Kumar Maurya was killed in the incident," he said.

The deceased was a native of Madhya Pradesh.

Security forces have launched a combing operation in the area, located around 500 km away from the state capital Raipur, he added.

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An officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed in an encounter with Naxals in a dense forest in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, a senior police official said today.

Teams of CRPF, its elite unit CoBRA and the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of police were carrying out search operations under the Kistaram police station limits when the gunfight broke out last night, Deputy Inspector General of Police (South Bastar) Sundarraj P said.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar Maurya (51), attached to the CRPF's 212th battalion, was killed in the exchange of fire with Naxals which took place in the forests of Karigundam village, three kilometres from Kistaram, he said.

CRPF's 212th battalion, 208th battalion of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), and DRG had launched a search-cum-area domination operation in different directions from Kistaram, 500 km from Raipur, he told PTI.

When a CRPF team was cordoning off the Karigundam forest, the encounter started and the rebels escaped after a brief exchange of fire, he said.

Reinforcement was rushed to the spot and Maurya's body was evacuated from the forest, he said, adding the body was airlifted to Raipur today.

Maurya hailed from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

His body will be flown to his native place this evening after the autopsy, Sundarraj added.

Based on information that the Naxal squad with which the security forces had the gun-battle last night was still hiding in the area, the search operation was intensified, the DIG said.

On March 13 this year, nine CRPF personnel were killed and two others injured after Naxals blew up their Mine-Protected-Vehicle, in Kistaram area.

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Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari today welcomed the central government's decision to approve promulgation of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 to award death sentence to those convicted of raping children of up 1o 12 years of age.

In a statement, he said the cabinet's decision should act as a deterrent to criminals involved in such heinous crimes.

"This amendment done with promptness shows that the Modi government does not indulge in politics on such sensitive issues," he said.

According to the party's statement, Tiwari said, "We request the government of India to make rape a totally non-bailable offence once cognizance is taken by the court and rape matters be tried only in fast track courts."



The Union Cabinet today approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years.

New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance cleared by a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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The Delhi government has asked its schools to collect old usable textbooks from students of all classes and form book banks.

The move comes following recommendation of better utilisation of used books by the National Green Tribunal. The banks will offer the books to underpriviliged children.

"Every year lakhs of tonnes of paper gets consumed in printing of books for students. As the students pass out, they are provided next set of books (of the higher class) and books of the previous class become redundant," a communication sent to government schools by the Directorate of (DoE) read.

"The schools are, hereby, directed to collect usable old text books from the students of all classes to set up a book bank under eco-club in every school," it stated.

The department has directed schools that old books of the previous academic session should be collected from students on voluntary basis for the book bank.

Books will be provided to the less privileged children through School Management Committees (SMCs).

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DRI sleuths have busted a racket in smuggling Rs 17.7 crore worth diesel from Dubai, imported as 'mineral spirit' by some city based companies.

The 'mineral spirit' was seized at Chennai Port on April 17 by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials during searches in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, an official release said.

A total of 263.78 metric tonnes (about three lakh litres) of diesel was found concealed in 14 containers at the Port under the name 'Mineral Spirit'.

Diesel is a restricted commodity for import as per the Foreign Trade Policy and can be imported by Oil Marketing Companies. To evade the restriction, operators have been importing diesel under the guise of mineral spirit, DRI investigations revealed.

The city-based operators also declared much "lower value" of the total consignment to evade customs duty, the release said.

After import, the diesel would be taken to grey markets in Chennai, Ongole, Kakinada and parts of Telangana for distribution.

The operators created fake companies in Dubai to purchase and import diesel to Chennai by creating 'false documents' and 'invoices'. The difference in price was adjusted by payments made through "hawala channels", the release said.

Five persons, including the key suspect, have been arrested in this connection under the Customs Act, 1962, the release added.

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Ernakulam Rural SP A V George,who set up the 'Rural Task Force (RTF), three of whose members were arrested for the alleged custodial death of a man recently, was today shifted to the Thrissur Police Academy.

Thrissur Superintendent of Police Rahul R Nair has been given additional charge of the Ernakulam Rural Police, official sources said.

George was transferred following the arrest of three members of RTF in connection with the alleged custodial death of 26-year-old Sreejith at Varappuzha recently.

He had since dismantled the RTF squad.

Opposition parties, including Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, had demanded a probe against George in connection with the case.

Four police personnel, including three RTF members and a Sub-Inspector have been arrested so far by the Special Investigation Team probing the alleged custodial death



A total of seven policemen have been suspended so far.

Sreejith"s family has alleged he was tortured by police leading to his death.

Opposition Congress and BJP have condemned the incident.

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Investigators from the global chemical arms watchdog collected samples today from the site of a suspected gas attack in Syria two weeks ago, after security concerns delayed their probe.

Gruesome footage of the alleged toxic attack on April 7 in the town of Douma, just outside Damascus, horrified the world and prompted unprecedented Western strikes on Syrian military installations.

Just hours after the joint missile strikes, a team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) arrived in Syria to investigate the claims.

But they had been unable to access Douma itself, which fell from rebel hands into joint Syrian and Russian control after the suspected chemical attack. United Nations security experts deployed to the town on Tuesday to check it was safe, but were forced to pull out after an explosion went off and they were shot at. Investigators finally collected evidence from the site for the first time on Saturday, the OPCW said.

"The samples collected will be transported to the OPCW Laboratory in Rijswijk and then dispatched for analysis to the OPCW's designated labs," the body said in a statement, adding it could plan another visit.

Russia's foreign ministry had earlier announced the inspectors reached Douma after guarantees by Syria and its own forces, and said it expected them to carry out an "impartial investigation".

Moscow, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, has said its own probe into the events in Douma found no traces of chemical use.

Assad's government, too, has repeatedly denied using toxic weapons, and accused the West of "fabricating" the claim to justify bombing Syria.

Medics and first responders in the town say more than 40 people were killed on the night of April 7, reporting foaming at the mouth, pinpoint pupils and difficulty breathing.

Investigators reached Syria a week later at the country's invitation, arriving just hours after a coordinated wave of French, American and British missile strikes.

But they spent a week in the capital, unable to access Douma just a few miles to the east, even as groups of journalists visited the town on government tours.

Western powers slammed Syrian and Russian authorities, saying proof that chemicals were used in Douma was probably being hidden.

"It seems likely that this attitude is intended to make proof and material evidence linked to the chemical attack disappear," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday, shortly before the OPCW got access to Douma.

Analysts say that if toxic chemicals were used, OPCW inspectors would still be able to find important traces in clothes, walls, rocks and soil in Douma, although their potency decreases with time.

"Nerve agents like sarin can be present in the environment for many weeks after use and particularly if you look near the site where a weapon has exploded," said Alastair Hay, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds. Crucial evidence can also linger in victims' blood, urine and organs.

"Autopsy samples, if available, will provide invaluable evidence and nerve agents can be found in many organs," Hay told AFP.

The "White Helmets", a Syrian rescue force that works in opposition-held areas, said it had given the OPCW details on the burial site of the Douma victims. But a top official from Jaish al-Islam, the rebel group that controlled Douma during the alleged chemical attack, accused the regime of raiding the graves.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for chemical attacks. The joint OPCW-UN taskforce that did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed Syria's regime for another gas attack.

Experts say it may take between two and three weeks to analyse evidence collected in Douma.

The town was the last in the Eastern Ghouta suburb to fall to Syria's regime, after a blistering two-month offensive backed by Russia.

Since securing Ghouta, Syrian troops have shifted their focus to a pocket of territory in southern Damascus still held by the Islamic State group. Heavy air strikes pounded the Yarmuk Palestinian camp and adjacent Hajar alAswad district today.

Syria's conflict has killed 350,000 people and defied UN peacemaking efforts since it erupted in 2011 with protests against Assad.

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The family of a Palestinian professor and Hamas member accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of assassinating him on the streets of Kuala Lumpur today.

Malaysian authorities said Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was killed by two suspects believed to have ties with a foreign intelligence agency in a drive-by shooting on his way to dawn Muslim prayers.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, quoted by the state-run Bernama agency, said Batsh was "an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets".

The Palestinian was "believed to have become a liability for a country hostile to Palestine", said Ahmad Zahid, who is in charge of Malaysia's security. The professor was to have left for Turkey today to attend an international conference, the minister said.

He said Malaysian police would request the help of Interpol to track down the suspects, believed to be European nationals.

In a statement from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the victim's family said: "We accuse the Mossad of being behind the assassination." The Islamist Palestinian movement said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members.

Hamas did not directly accuse Israel, which carries out air strikes in retaliation for cross-border rocket fire by militants in Gaza, of killing him, but it called Batsh a "martyr" -- a term used for people killed by Israeli forces. Contacted by AFP, an Israeli official refused to comment.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said one of the two suspects on a high-powered motorcycle "fired 10 shots, four of which hit the lecturer in the head and body. He died on the spot." "The police also found two empty bullet shells there," the police chief said, according to Bernama.

He said that footage from closed-circuit television cameras near the scene of the shooting showed that the assailants waited for around 20 minutes in the area before attacking.

"We believe the lecturer was their target because two other individuals walked by the place earlier unharmed. We will view the recordings of all the CCTV in the area," he said.

The Palestinian representative in Malaysia, Anwar al-Agha, told AFP that Batsh, who was married and a father of three, was a lecturer in electrical engineering who had lived in Malaysia for the past 10 years.

Asked if Mossad could be responsible for his killing, he said: "I cannot comment on this. We have to wait for the official investigation." The Batsh family urged Malaysian authorities to "arrest those responsible for killing him before they flee", and asked for the return home of his body to Jabalia in northern Gaza, where mourners gathered in front of their home.

The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but has never confirmed such operations. Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts -- Mohamed Zouari -- in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel.

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A minor fire broke out at the venue of a public meeting of BJP president Amit Shah, triggering panic and commotion in the audience.

The fire, which was brought under control in short time, broke out due to an electrical short-circuit near the media enclosure, officials said.

Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the dais at the time of the incident.

State BJP chief Mahendranath Pandey was addressing the gathering when smoke and sparks were noticed.

Because of the fire, the programme was stopped for a while.

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Former US presidents, family and friends today bid a tearful farewell to the former first lady Barbara Bush at a private funeral at the nation's largest Episcopal church and remembered her as the "first lady of the greatest generation."



The private funeral was held at the St Martin's Episcopal Church here a day after more than 6,000 people paid their respects to the woman known by many as "America's matriarch."



Around 1,500 invited guests including four former presidents and three former first ladies, as well as the current first lady, attended the funeral to honour the life and legacy of Barbara Bush.

Barbara Bush, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, had requested in her last wishes a modest funeral at the Gothic-style cathedral, where she and her husband, former President George H W Bush, were devoted members for decades.

First lady Melania Trump attended today's service on behalf of the first family, White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement.

"To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush family and friends attending the service, President Trump will not attend, the statement said.

In 2016, then President Obama did not attend the funeral of former first lady Nancy Reagan, while his wife did. Sitting presidents have rarely in recent decades gone to the funerals of former first ladies, according to FactCheck.org, a project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia.

Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for the weekend, extended his "thoughts and prayers" to the Bush family via Twitter and said he planned to watch Barbara Bush's funeral service from the "Southern White House."



Bush was remembered as a woman who represented the best of the World War II generation.

"Barbara Bush was the first lady of the greatest generation," presidential historian Jon Meacham, a friend of the Bush family, said in a eulogy at the service in Texas that drew signatories from across the nation and around the world.

Meacham recalled the snowy-haired former first lady's "long and consequential life," not least her promotion of literacy and her devilish sense of humor.

"She was candid and comforting," Meacham said, adding that she "kept everything and everyone together."



Four of the five living ex-presidents attended the funeral service, including former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons' daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was also in attendance.

Following the service, Bush's grandsons carried the casket out of the church. The Bush family then drove by motorcade about 70 miles to the grounds of the George H W Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, where she will be buried.

She will be laid to rest next to her daughter Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953 when she was three years old.

Earlier at the public viewing Friday night, attendees received a remembrance card with a statement from Bush that read, George Bush and I have been the two luckiest people in the world, and when all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends."



Mourners gathered at St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston to celebrate the life of the matriarch of the Bush family, who was the wife of a president and the mother of another.

While today's invitation-only service was for family and friends, a viewing was held yesterday for the public, where people paid their respects at the church until midnight.

Barbara Bush's husband, former president George H W Bush, made a last minute decision to greet mourners at the church.

On Saturday morning ex-president Bush hosted a reception for the visiting dignitaries before the private service.

Meanwhile, the church began to fill with less-recognizable friends of the family, including former staffers and Secret Service members who protected them for more than three decades.

Many of the women in attendance eschewed black in favour of a vibrant royal blue, Bush's signature colour. The mood inside the church was celebratory rather than sadfull of hugs and kissesakin to a reunion of old friends.

As part of the ceremony, Bush's only living daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, read an adapted excerpt from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the same lines recited by Robert F Kennedy at the Democratic National Convention in 1964, in a tribute to his slain brother, former president John F. Kennedy.

The passage reads, "And when she shall die Take her and cut her out in little stars, And she will make the face of heaven so fine That all the world will be in love with night And pay no worship to the garish sun.

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Forty live bombs were recovered from an abandoned house at Chandrapur in Howrah district, the police said today.

Acting on a tip off, police raided the house and recovered the bombs under Amta police station last night.

A bomb squad came from Kolkata and defused the bombs.

Two bikes found in front of the house were seized, the police said.

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Authorities have rejected an application of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case convict Abu Salem seeking a 40-day parole to get married, a senior police official said today.

The underworld don, lodged in Taloja prison in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, had moved the application a month ago, he said.

The application of Salem, serving a life sentence, was forwarded to the Konkan Divisional Commissioner for a decision, the official said.

The Divisional Commissioner, the competent authority to process such pleas, rejected the extradited gangster's application three days ago on grounds of his security, he said.

Before rejecting the plea, the Divisional Commissioner had sought a report from the Thane Police Commissionerate, the official said.

Salem has given his residential address of Mumbra, which falls under the Thane Police Commissionerate. After receiving a negative report, the Divisional Commissioner rejected Salem's plea for parole, he added.

According to the police, Salem, who is in his 50s, was to tie the knot, reportedly for the third time, with a woman from Mumbra town in Thane on May 5.

In 2015, the Mumbra woman had submitted an application in the special TADA court, which was hearing the blasts case, stating she wanted to marry Salem and he, too, had agreed to tie the knot with her, the official said.

This was the same woman who had claimed to have married Salem during a train journey to Uttar Pradesh in 2014, he said.

The gangster, extradited from Portugal in 2005, originally hails from Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh.

Salem and four others were convicted in the Mumbai blasts case by the special court in September last year.

The 1993 bombings in the financial capital had killed 257 people and injured 713 others.

Besides the blasts case, Salem is facing charges in several other criminal matters.

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A nine-year-old girl today sustained serious head injuries after she fell off a horse during a joyride and got dragged by it over a distance in Matheran, a hill station over 80 kilometres from here, police said.

"The incident occurred today around 10:30am at Alexandra Point in Matheran. Rashida Husain Radiowala (9), who was part of a 12-member family group that had come to visit the hill station, fell of a horse," Mahadeo Acharekar, Matheran police station in charge said.

The official said that the horse, due to some unidentified reason, went berserk while the victim was astride it.

"Rashida lost her balance, due to the horse going berserk, and fell off but her foot got caught in the leather straps holding the saddle in place. As the horse continued to gallop ahead, Rashida's head hit the ground several times leading to serious injuries," the official explained.

She was rushed to a nearby hospital by her father but was then shifted to the Intensive Care Unit at Saifee Hospital in Charni Road in south Mumbai, the official added.

"We have made a record of the incident in the police station diary and have also taken the statements of her family members," the official said.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the government is serious in taking strong action against the economic offenders, who flee the country, and a bill to this effect would be bought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

He made the remarks at a meeting here, before the Union Cabinet gave its nod for promulgation of theFugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance that provides for confiscating properties of escapees.

"The opposition levels allegations that some Nirav (Modi) and (Mehul) Choksi fled abroad. We will present a fugitive economic offenders bill before the Parliament soon," he said.

Singh said earlier economic offenders used to flee abroad and their properties were not seized, but now their assets will be confiscated under the bill.

The bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 12, but could not be passed due to continuous disruptions and adjournments in Parliament during the second half of the Budget Session.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance empowers the government to seize the domestic assets of those deemed by a relevant court to be belonging to fugitive economic offenders.

The ordinance would lay down the measures to empower Indian authorities to attach and confiscate proceeds of crime associated with economic offenders and the properties of the economic offenders and thereby deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts, the government said in a statement today.

The ordinance is expected to re-establish the rule of law with respect to the fugitive economic offenders as they would be forced to return to India to face trial for scheduled offences.

This would also help the banks and other financial institutions to achieve higher recovery from defaults committed by such offenders, improving the financial health of the institutions.

A fugitive economic offender is a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued in respect of a scheduled offence and who has left India to avoid criminal prosecution, or being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution, the statement said.

Jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle and business partner, Mehul Choksi are the prime accused in the multi-crore scam that hit Punjab National Bank. They fled India.

Liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit Modi are two other such persons who are in foreign land and avoiding the law.

During his two-day visit to Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Singh inaugurated a number of development projects and laid foundation stones of some others.

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The Madras High Court has held that government doctors who availed maternity leave while serving in hilly or rural areas would be entitled for incentive marks awarded to in-service candidates in post-graduate admission.

A division bench comprising justices Huluvadi G Ramesh and M Dhandapani gave the order on the matter referred to it after a single judge differed with the order of another judge on entitlements of candidates who had availed maternity leave.

The petitioners, a group of in-service doctors, challenged a clause in the prospectus for admission to the Post Graduate degree/diploma courses which excluded the period of maternity and earned leave from the period of "continuous service" for awarding incentive marks.

Petitioners submitted that when they were eligible to avail maternity leave and entitled to all maternity benefits and that the leave period will be counted as service for the purpose of pursuing post graduate courses, the same yardstick should be applied for granting incentive marks too.

The state government had contended that though maternity leave was a fundamental right guaranteed to women, incentive marks which was not a fundamental right should not be granted to those who had availed leave while serving in rural/hilly areas.

The bench in its recent order said the intention of the government to award incentive marks to in-service candidates for services rendered in remote/hilly areas taking note of the difficulty they would undergo in such areas was a noble one.

It also said government's intention to grant maternity leave and other benefits in order to protect the interest of women and the foetus should not be lightly ignored.

"When the intention is to give benefits to the women, the same intention should not take away the consequential benefits given to the in-service women candidates by way of incentive marks," it ruled.

However, it said the incentive marks shall be calculated for the period of maternity leave on the basis of performance during their actual service.

Earlier, passing orders on a batch of petitions, Justice N Kirubakaran had last year said maternity leave should be treated as service period and in-service doctors were eligible for incentive marks.

However, in a similar case, Justice S Vaidyanathan, who agreed with Justice Kirubakaran on treating maternity leave as service period, has said it will not give them a right to get incentive marks and referred the matter to a division bench.

Dealing with another issue raised by petitioners' counsel regarding earned leave, the bench noted their submission that government doctors were entitled to ten days of earned leave annually and said it was an ordinary right and cannot be equated with fundamental right.

Thus, except casual leave, other leave, namely earned leave cannot be taken as a matter of right and can be granted by the Head of the Department depending upon the reason assigned such as contingency or bereavement.

"Therefore, we hold that the grant of permission for availing Earned Leave has to be exercised only by the Head of the Department," the bench added.

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The Madras High Court has enhanced the compensation awarded by a tribunal to a person, who was injured in an accident leading to amputation of his legs, from over Rs 20 lakh to Rs 45 lakh.

The matter relates to a civil miscellaneous appeal filed by New India Assurance Company Limited against the order passed by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, Chennai, in 2012 awarding compensation of Rs 20,93,500 to R.Nagaraj.

Nagaraj, a cleaner-cum-load man, was travelling in a mini-lorry from Hosur to Bengaluru on December 5, 2009 when the vehicle collided with a Karnataka Transport Corporation bus, a motor cycle and another KTC bus.

He sustained severe injuries and both legs had to be amputated.

A division bench of justices N Kirubakaran and R.Pongiappan in its order recently said, "... the victim would not be in a position to move on his own and he would not be able to enjoy his life."



"He cannot do any work on his own. The victim has to depend on others throughout his life, even for answering the call of nature," the bench said.

It cited a Supreme Court judgment while enhancing the compensation.

The bench directed the insurance company to deposit the entire amount along with interest after deducting the amount, if any paid already, within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the copy of the order.

It also directed the tribunal to electronically transfer the amount to Nagaraj'sbank account within a period of one week.

Nagaraj came to the court in a wheel-chair assisted by an attendant.

The bench informed him about the enhancement of compensation to Rs 45 lakh.

The amount includes Rs five lakh to his wife for "loss of material pleasure" and Rs 10 lakh towards "attendant charges."



Nagaraj told the court that he had two daughters and would use the amount for their marriage.

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The Madras High Court has granted anticipatory bail to actor Mansoor Ali Khan in a case registered against him at Choolaimedu Police Station.

Justice RMT Teekaa Raman directed him to furnish a bond for Rs.10,000 and two sureties of like sum to the satisfaction of XVII MM Saidapet.

The anticipatory bail was granted when the criminal original petition filed by the actor came up yesterday.

According to Mansoor Ali Khan, the complainant A.Pari was the son of deceased Appavoo who sold a 3375 sq.ft property at Thirukumarapuram, Kodambakkam Village, to him.

The money was paid to the deceased, it was submitted.

A civil suit was pending adjudication on the matter before the city civil court, the actor said.

A complaint given before the same police earlier has been closed and the magistrate concerned also informed, he said.

The son, however, filed a petition before the MM and got an order to register the complaint for the same cause, the actor submitted.

He said when the same police had already closed the complaint given by the complainant's father on the same matter, how did they again register a complaint.

Moreover, when the matter was civil in nature, police were calling him frequently to produce documents and other things, the actor said.

Hence apprehending arrest, he approached the court.

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Police have moved the Madras High Court seeking to cancel the bail granted to an accused, a lawyer, in the murder of a neuro surgeon here in 2013 alleging that he was coercing key witnesses to turn hostile.

The petition charged that B William, accused no.5 in the case related to killing of Dr Subbaiah on September 14, 2013, in violation of the bail conditions was trying to intimidate the witnesses with the help of some other accused.

He had also offered money to one of the witnesses in Kanyakumari and a case had been registered in this connection.

The petition submitted that due course of administration of justice was being hampered and interfered with impunity by the lawyer and sought to cancel the bail.

Subbaiah was brutally attacked by hired hooligans near a hospital at Raja Annamalaipuram locality here on September 14, 2013 over a property dispute and died on September 23.

The fatal attack was captured by a CCTV camera in the area.

Police have filed a charge sheet against 10 accused, including Williams, and the case has been committed to the VII Additional Sessions Court for trial.

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The Madras High Court has pulled up a nationalised bank for rejecting loan applications of students on "flimsy grounds" and warned that such action was wilful disobedience of various court orders passed earlier.

Justice M S Ramesh of the Madurai bench, yesterday while allowing a petition filed by a law student, Hariharasudhan, seeking to direct Indian Bank to sanction loan, said courts by various orders had restricted the scope for refusal to entertain students' loan application on "flimsy grounds".

The judge directed the bank to consider the plea of the petitioner for sanction of Rs 70,000 loan for 2017-18 within two weeks.

In this case, the bank had raised queries in the form of clarification, calling upon the student to explain his one-year delay in admission and by placing the reliance on the CIBIL report of the petitioner's father, he said.

CIBIL scores are considered by several lenders to be the benchmark for granting a loan to a person.

The petitioner was the principal borrower and the status of parents or guarantor cannot be a factor for rejection of education loan application, the judge observed.

The judge said it was unfortunate that though this court had ordered in 2011 that CIBIL report should not be the basis for the rejection of education loan, financial institutions are continuing to reject the applications of this nature on similar grounds.

Justice Ramesh said rejection on the ground that the CIBIL report of the petitioner's family members was not proper and added the bank was not justified in seeking for an explanation for his delayed admission.

The petitioner had passed plus two (Class 12) examinations in 2016, but chose to join the law course in 2017-18 and the bank had sought an explanation for the same.

"I am constrained to observe that nationalised banks have been time and again rejecting applications on the ground that CIBIL report of the applicant's family members were quoted as disqualification," the judge said.

He also said such reasoning would amount to wilful disobedience of the various orders of the courts being passed and for which the nationalised bank concerned would be liable for contempt of this court's orders.

Ramesh directed Indian Bank's head office to issue necessary directions to all branches in the state to refrain from rejecting education loan applications on the said ground.

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Highlighting the evils of consuming liquor, the Madras High Court has rapped policy makers who lifted prohibition, which was imposed in Tamil Nadu in the late 1930s by the erstwhile Madras Presidency headed by C Rajagopalachari.

Justice N Kirubakaran also dismissed a petition filed by an engineering student who was not permitted to write his semester VI examination due to lack of adequate attendance as he was under suspension due to consumption of alcohol during college hours.

"How liquor plays havoc in the lives of the people is clearly exhibited in this case and this court should blame only the policy makers, who lifted prohibition which was imposed in Tamil Nadu during the year 1938 by the then premier of Madras Presidency, Rajagopalachari," Justice Kirubakaran said in his recent order.

There were many cases of untimely death of persons leaving their families in the lurch, due to consumption of alcohol throughout Tamil Nadu, the judge said.

"... consumption of alcohol in Tamil Nadu is stated to be more than other states..," the judge said.

It was not only confined to adults but even to students spoiling their and consequently their lives, justice Kirubakaran said, dismissing the plea which sought a direction to authorities to allow to him write the exam.

In 1971, the DMK government headed by M Karunanidhi lifted prohibition despite stiff opposition from many leaders, including Rajagopalachari and K Kamaraj, both former chief ministers.

He, however, brought back prohibition in 1974.

Dismissing the plea, the judge said "Consumption of alcohol, that too, by a student cannot be taken as an act of mistake, because he deliberately consumed alcohol during college hours and created ruckus among all the other college mates, thereby vitiating atmosphere in the class/campus.

"If the petitioner is allowed to continue this kind of act, definitely it would not be good in the interest of the institution and also to the students.

Therefore, the Tamil Nadu College of Engineering, Coimbatore, rightly suspended the petitioner and consequently, the petitioner could not get the required attendance for writing the VI semester (exam)."



The judge directed the Anna University to issue a circular to all colleges to include the condition in the admission prospectus itself that students shall not enter the colleges in an inebriated condition, "failing which they will be removed from the college and they will not be allowed inside the college campus, so that it will be a determent to the students.

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"Shiv Sena president Uddhav" Thackeray today said he was not a detractor of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but"will always speak up when he doesn't approve of something.

"I am not a critic of Modi, but I will speak on the issues where I don't agree (with Modi government's decisions)," he said.

Sena, ally of the BJP in the Centre and in Maharashtra, continually takes swipe at the the prime minister and his party, especially through its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Speaking at the release of a Marathi book, "Gof", penned by Sena's Rajya Sabha MP and 'Saamana' executive editor Sanjay Raut here, Thackeray said his father (late Bal Thackeray) had taught him to speak his mind.

RSS leader Sunil Deodhar, who is credited for the BJP's victory in Tripura Assembly elections, was present at the function.

"If we come together as Hindus, there will be no division of votes. But if"there are differences of opinion and views, then the question arises who is the real Hindu," said Thackeray.

"You (Deodhar) have come back to Maharashtra after 28" years, if you hadn't left, this state would have fared better," the Sena chief said.

"You gave your sweat and"blood to install a BJP chief minister in Tripura, but what should one do when he makes laughable comments," Thackeray said, in apparent reference to Tripura chief minister Biplab Deb's widely reported comment that 'Internet existed during the Mahabharat era'.

The Sena was"the first party to win an election on the issue of Hindutva, Thackeray pointed out.

"We got our first MLA elected on the issue of Hindutva. Then others realised that Hindutva can be a political plank," he said.

"In the last 25 years, we had a friendship based on Hindutva. But when 'Achhe Din' come, the Shiv Sena becomes unwanted. This is what hurts me," he said, taking a swipe at the BJP.

"Those leaders who created India are no longer there. But there are many who preach. One is shocked on seeing how those who preach behave," he said.

Thackeray also said he doesn't run 'Saamana' as a business.

"I never ask to see the Saamana editorial before it is printed," said Thackeray, whose name appears as the editor of the newspaper.

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India has said the IMF, World Bank and other international organisations must develop and articulate a clear strategy for enhancing public debt transparency to mitigate the rising debt vulnerabilities of low income countries.

In an apparent move to address the issue of debt trap being faced by low-income developing countries (LIDCs), to which China's "predatory economics" is playing a significant role, top officials of India, the US and Britain used various platforms here during the annual Spring Meeting of the IMF and the World bank.

Economic Affairs Secretary, Subhash Garg, who is leading the Indian delegation in the absence of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, raised the issue yesterday at the G-20 meeting of finance ministers. The finance ministers of the US, France, Germany and Britain also highlighted the issue in their address to the IMF.

Expressing concern over the rising public debt vulnerabilities in LIDCs, Garg, in his address to G-20 stressed that increasing debt burden in LIDCs is, "clearly, a massive hindrance" in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals.

LIDCs face challenges centered on equitable growth, resilience, finance and partnerships, and leveraging external public and private finance, he said.

To mitigate the growing debt concerns of LIDCs, he said the IMF and the World Bank and other international organisations must "develop and articulate a clear strategy for enhancing public debt transparency on both the debtor and creditor side.

He also emphasised on the need for strengthening bilateral and regional financing agreements.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin



called on the IMF and the World Bank to develop a joint action plan on debt transparency and sustainability.

"We call on the IMF and World Bank management to develop a joint action plan on debt transparency and sustainability to guide future work, ensure strong coordination between institutions, and boost visibility around these efforts, he said.

The action plan should include concrete steps to obtain more comprehensive debt data from member countries, to more clearly flag data deficiencies in debt sustainability analyses, and to enhance debt sustainability through strengthened use of debt limits and non-concessional borrowing policies, Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin said the rise of official bilateral, "plurilateral", and private creditor lending, especially to countries at high risk of debt distress, is complicating debt resolution processes necessary to re-establish debt sustainability.

"Increasingly we see instances where low Income countries have borrowed excessively, and unsustainably, from large, often non-transparent emerging sovereign creditors like China or private creditors, he said.

Clear restructuring rules do not exist for these cases, creating the risk of a complicated restructuring process, creditor losses, and a decline in real median incomes in the debtor country, the Treasury Secretary rued.

British Chancellor Philip Hammond, in his address to the IMF, expressed concern over the scale, nature and severity of rising debt vulnerabilities in LIDCs. Forty per cent of low income and developing countries now face significant debt related challenges, up from 21 per cent in 2013, he said.

"We call on the IMF and the World Bank Group to develop a joint action plan to help enhance debt transparency and address debt sustainability in LICs, Hammond said.

"This should also include the promotion of sustainable lending and borrowing practices, improving the prioritisation and effectiveness of investment and supporting debt resolution mechanisms, in close coordination with the Paris Club, he said.

The rapid, strong increase in debt in developing countries and the lack of transparent, sustainable financing practices call for greater international coordination, said French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire.

"More specifically, this involves reinforcing the Paris Club's position as the principal international forum for restructuring official bilateral debt, and expanding its membership to emerging creditors, as well as establishing and implementing principles of transparency and sustainable financing by public- and private-sector stakeholders, he said.

Germany's Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said rising public debt, particularly in low income countries is a cause of concern.

"To prevent debt from becoming unsustainable, the IMF can and should play a key role in monitoring debt developments and providing advice and technical assistance to member countries on prudent debt policies and sound public financial management," he said.

To prevent unsustainable debt developments in LICs, Germany attaches great importance to improved debt transparency and fully supports the work by the IMF and the World Bank as well as by the Paris Club on this topic, he said.

"One step towards more debt transparency could be debt registries, improving the available information on loans made to LICs. This would also contribute to implementing the G20 Operational Guidelines for Sustainable Financing as endorsed in March 2017, Scholz said.

Henri-Marie Dondra, Finance Minister of Finance Central African Republic, who spoke on behalf of the African countries, extended his support for greater debt transparency, more effective modalities for debt restructuring, mutually beneficial and sustainable lending practices and helping LICs make inroads toward the SDGs.

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The notice for impeachment of the CJI given by the Congress is an "attack on the judiciary" and is "politically motivated", Union Minister Vijay Goel said today.

Seven opposition parties led by the Congress had yesterday initiated an unprecedented step to impeach Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra, moving a notice accusing him of "misbehaviour" and "misuse" of authority.

Goel said the Congress was in a haste after the Supreme Court's judgment in the Justice Loya case, which was not as per its "wishes".

The opposition gave a notice under a provision of the Constitution, which only talks about removal of judges of the apex court and not impeachment, he claimed.

"According to media reports, the Congress has given a notice under Article 124 (4) (of the Constitution), but under this specific article there is only provision for removal of the Supreme Court judge and not for his impeachment. So, this is likely to be rejected, the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs said.

He said the resolution for impeachment has to be passed by a majority of not less than two thirds of the total membership of both the Houses.

Taking on the opposition parties, Goel said the notice for impeachment of the CJI is "politically motivated" and to "lower the prestige" of the CJI's office.

"It is unfortunate and shameful that the Congress along with other political parties are attacking the judiciary without any substance and evidence," he said.

If things do not turn out in their favour, the opposition parties do not hesitate in attacking constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission and the judiciary, the minister said.

"The Congress and its friends have an undemocratic approach towards the system. When its leaders were losing elections, they started blaming the Election Commission and EVMs. But, when they won the elections, they didn't refer to it, Goel said.

Similarly, the same trend is being seen in the case of courts. If the judgement is not in their favour, they start criticising the judiciary, he said.

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With economic reforms adopted in the last few years starting to bear fruit, India is poised to remain the fastest growing large economy in the world, and its GDP is expected to reach USD 5 trillion by 2025, a top Indian official has told the World Bank.

"India is poised to remain as the fastest growing large economy in the world. In 2018, we expect India to grow at over 7.4 per cent," Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg told the 97th meeting of the Development Committee of the World Bank here on Saturday.

Giving an overview of the South Asian countries - Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka - Garg said India continued to be a beacon of growth in the region.

"In the last few years, India has undertaken massive structural reforms toward formalisation of the economy and fostering digital financial inclusion," he said, adding that the country had grown at an average of 7.2 per cent per annum in the last four years and was continuing on the trajectory of sustained growth.

"India's GDP is expected to reach a volume of USD 5 trillion by FY2025 by leveraging on digitisation, globalisation, favourable demographics and structural reforms," Garg added.

Transformational reforms such as Goods and Services Tax (GST), and initiatives such as Insolvency and Bankruptcy code, recapitalisation of banks, and unclogging of infrastructure investments will support such elevated growth, he told the World Bank.

In the absence of the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Garg is leading the Indian delegation for the annual Spring Meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

India, he said, has accorded top priority to addressing its infrastructure deficit to sustain economic growth. Steps have been taken to mobilise funds from various sources for development of infrastructure which includes, inter alia, launching of innovative financial vehicles, he added.

India has begun undertaking a major programme of monetising brown field assets of Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) as a separate asset class for infrastructure investments, Garg said.

"In the field of digitisation, India has completed the ambitious task of connecting 100,000 gram panchayats through high speed optical fibre network under phase-I of the Bharat Net project," he said, adding that it has enabled broadband access to over 200 million Indians living in about 250,000 villages.

The government also proposes to setup 500,000 wi-fi hotspots which will provide broadband access to 50 million rural citizens, Garg said.

Around 470 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) have been connected to the electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) network providing a unified national market for agricultural commodities, he added.

Garg told the World Bank that one of the key features of India's economic performance in recent years has been the speed and scale of implementation of reforms.

"Recent upgrade of the sovereign rating reflects India's strength, speed and scale of these ongoing reforms," he said.

Noting that India rolled out the GST in July 2017, Garg said within a short span of eight months, monthly earnings from GST have crossed USD 12.7 billion. The number of dealers registered in the GST database increased by about four million in the fiscal year of the roll-out which is about 60 per cent higher than unique assesses registered earlier in the VAT network in the country.

India's massive leap in the Ease of Doing Business rankings from 142 in 2014 to 100 in 2017 is testimony to India's commitment to long-term reforms for an open and vibrant economy. This is also reflected in strong FDI inflows which have grown from USD 34.3 billion in 2012-13 to USD 60.1 billion in 2016-17, he added.

In the arena of financial inclusion, the Jan-Dhan Yojana, launched in August, 2014, has rapidly expanded banking services for the hitherto deprived sections, he said. Till date, over 313 million bank accounts have been opened and savings of about USD 11.510 billion has been mobilised under the scheme, Garg said.

For providing access to financial facilities by small businesses, India rolled out the Mudra Yojana in April 2015 and had supported over 115 million small businesses by sanctioning loans of USD 77.66 billion so far, he claimed.

Noting that India is pursuing a path of clean and climate responsible growth, Garg said the country aimed to achieve about 40 per cent cumulative installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance.
India will join a club of eight countries with a sexual offender database to monitor and track those convicted of such crimes, amidst growing criticism against it in the US, where it is pursued aggressively.

The Cabinet today approved promulgation of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 to award death sentence to child rapists and said that the National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders.

This data will be regularly shared with states and Union Territories for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

Many organisations such as the Human Right Watch and ACLU have spoken out against the sex offenders registry, claiming that it negates the concept of rehabilitation and perpetuates social stigma.

"Government statistics (in the US) indicate that most sexual abuse of children is committed by family members or trusted authority figures, and by someone who has not previously been convicted of a sex offence.

"In India, too, children are often sexually abused by people known to them and regarded as authority figures. The government must ensure implementation of existing measures...including enforcement of the POCSO Act," Jayshree Bajoria, author of Human Rights Watch report documenting barriers to justice for sexual assault survivors in India, told PTI.

While the registry in the US is public, in other countries like Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa,Trinidad and Tobago and United Kingdom, where such data of convicted sex offenders is maintained, it is purely for the consumption of the law enforcement authorities.

It is not clear if the Indian database will be made public or not.

"Once such a registry comes into being, I am concerned that it might lead to people not reporting rapes or sexual offences, because most of them are by people known to the victims. Also, once you are on the registry, it will mean no jobs, no chance to rehabilitate. Across the world such registries have failed to act as a deterrent," said Bharti Ali of HAQ Centre for Child Rights.

An HRW report in fact states that such offender lists "may do more harm than good".

Activists in India say that the talk of these lists is a knee jerk reaction to cases such as the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, both of which involved minor victims, and is intended to satisfy the public rage against sexual abuse by strangers.

"If it is a family member, a person known to the family of the victim, which is true in most cases in India, will this work? I have my doubts. The registry operates most aggressively in the US. However, there is very little evidence in that country to show that it has helped to prevent sexual assaults against children," said Supreme Court advocate K V Dhananjay.

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A jawan of Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) today shot dead a havildar of the force here in the district, police said.

Yukti Narayan Singh alias Dara Singh allegedly fired at havildar Afroz Samad (47) with an INSAS rifle belonging to another jawan in the wee hours and fled with the gun, Superintendent of Police Md Arshi said.

Samad received bullets in his chest and thigh, and died on the spot.

The reason behind the incident is being investigated, the SP said adding that a hunt is on to apprehend the accused jawan.

Both Singh and Samad had been deputed at the same college in Garhwa for the April 16 municipal election, Arshi said.

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The Arunachal Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) today announced May 29 as the date for elections to Itanagar and Pasighat municipal councils.

The schedule for panchayat polls, however, could not be finalised due to "technical reasons" related to the recent Arunachal Pradesh Panchayat Raj Amendment Bill 2018, which has called for changes in the structure of the Panchayat Raj system, State Election Commissioner Hage Kojeen said.

There are at present 30 wards under the Itanagar Municipal Council with 64,799 electors, while the Pasighat Municipal Council has 12 wards with a total of 9,646 electors.

The notification for the election would be issued on May 1, while the last date for filing of nominations has been fixed for May 8, Kojeen said.

Scrutiny of papers would be done on May 10 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is May 14.

Counting of votes would be held on May 31 and the entire election process would be completed by June 7, he said in a statement, adding, the model code of conduct would come into force from May 1.

The commission has also appointed two observers for Itanagar municipality and one observer for Pasighat municipality.

Elaborating on the panchayat elections, Kojeen said a delay in the polls resulted because of the Arunachal Pradesh Panchayat Raj Amendment Bill 2018, passed in the state Assembly, whereby the existing three-tier Panchayat Raj system is being replaced by a two-tier system.

"The commission had earlier moved the proposal for holding the (panchayat) elections on January 31 this year as per schedule, and requested the state government to convey its concurrence latest by the first week of March.

"But on getting no reply, reminders were sent to the CMO on February 19 and April 11, as the scheduled notification date was April 13, which already expired," he said in the statement.

The Arunachal Pradesh government in its response mentioned that consequential amendments are required to be incorporated in various subordinate legislations in view of the Bill, Kojeen said.

The state government has decided to hold the elections only after completing all the required legal processes, he said.

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Japan is not satisfied with North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, its defence minister said today, warning that Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

"We can't be satisfied," Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Washington, saying North Korea did not mention "abandonment of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles". He added that Japan will not change its policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang for the "ultimate abandonment of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms and missiles".

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said today that his country would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump and South Korea.

Pyongyang's declaration, long sought by Washington, comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.

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About 70 media persons today took out a march to the office of the City police commissioner urging him to file an FIR against actor-turned-BJP politician S Ve Shekher after he shared a post that contained derogatory references to media and women scribes.

Earlier, some media persons staged a dharna in front of the District Collectorate protesting the delay in arresting Sekhar.

They met Commissioner K Periaiah who assured them that he would go through their complaint and take necessary action.

Meanwhile, about 50 media persons staged a demonstration at nearby Pollachi demanding Sekher's arrest.

Under attack from the media, Shekher has said he had forwarded a friend's post "without reading" the content, and tendered an apology.

The message was forwarded "without reading the content, by mistake... was unintentional. When it was pointed out by a friend that the content was abusive, it was removed immediately," he said.

Journalists staged a protest at his residence in Chennai yesterday.

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An eight-year-old boy, who was kidnapped by two motorcycle-borne people while he was returning from his school, was rescued by police today, an official said.

"Laxman was rescued from the outskirts of Mehsana village which comes under the jurisdiction of Barsana police station," SSP Prabhakar Chaudhary said.

He said the kidnapper and his associates managed to flee from the spot.

The minor was kidnapped yesterday from the Krishna Colony here.

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A 14-year-old girl, carrying a baby in her arms which she alleged was born a year ago out of rape, today appeared before the media at the press club here demanding justice for her and the child.

Accompanied by her father, the minor girl alleged she was raped by a 28-year-old man, who is from "an affluent family and enjoys political patronage", and said nobody is listening to the poor family.

We knocked the door of the local police station and police's higher-ups but justice eluded us so far, the girl, holding the one-year-old child in her lap, said.

The claim is denied by the police.

Station House Officer of Basohli police station Sukhbir Singh said the accused got bail from a court and later his DNA test did not match with the child.

The girl belongs to Kathua district, which has been in the for the past few weeks after an eight-year-old girl was brutally raped and killed.

The girl's father said he came to know about the alleged rape of her daughter eight months after the incident when she fell sick and was taken to a doctor for checkup.

After being informed that she was pregnant, we lodged an FIR," he said. The girl's father said his daughter told him she was allegedly raped by the man, who also warned her against disclosing the incident to anybody.

"However, the accused evaded arrest and later sought bail from the court, he said, adding "the 28-year-old belongs to an affluent family and enjoys political patronage".

The girl was also carrying a copy of the writ petition the accused had filed before the High Court in June last year in which he claimed he was being falsely implicated in the rape case and demanded quashing of the FIR against him.

He also demanded a DNA sample test of the minor girl and the child to prove his innocence. The DNA test was conducted but it was fudged to save the accused, the father of the girl claimed.

He alleged that he was offered money to stay silent. "But I don't need money but justice for my daughter and her child.

However, when contacted, Basohli police station SHO Sukhbir Singh said, There was no question of any wrongdoing on our part. Soon after a case was registered against the accused, we tried to arrest him. But he later moved to the court and we were directed not to arrest him until the DNA report is received,



On the claim that the DNA sample was not sealed properly to save the accused, the SHO said it was collected and sealed by the doctors in presence of witnesses.

There is no truth in the claim. We have dispatched the sample to a laboratory in Delhi and it confirmed that while the girl is the biological mother of the child, the accused was exonerated, he said.

Singh said the investigation in the case was still going on.

He said the girl, when questioned by a woman officer after the receipt of the DNA report, said she did not know the name of the person who raped her.

We have not closed the case and in fact the father of the victim was asked to present the girl before woman cell only a few days back. However, he did not turn up, he said.

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There were more than 700 million workers living in poverty in emerging and developing countries who were unable to lift themselves above the $3.10 per person daily threshold in 2017, the International Labor Organization has said.

The rate of progress has slowed, and many developing countries are failing to keep pace with the growing labour force, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said.

"Despite significant progress, in 2017 there were still more than 700 million workers living in poverty in emerging and developing countries, unable to lift themselves above the $3.10 per person daily poverty threshold," Ryder told International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its annual Spring meeting.

Noting that the rebound in economic growth has strengthened job creation and the global unemployment rate is expected to fall slightly during 2017-19 (after a three-year rise), he said, however, the recovery is uneven across country groupings, with continued rises in the numbers of people unemployed in developing and emerging economies.

Ryder told IMF that new policies are required to foster decent jobs for youth in an era of rapid technological change. The ILO estimates that 67 million young women and men are unemployed globally, and around 145 million young workers in emerging and developing countries live in extreme or moderate poverty, he said.

"New automation and digital technologies pose further challenges. The opportunities they present will demand innovative policy solutions," he said, adding that proper infrastructure and equal access to information and technology should complement investment in education and skills and effective approaches towards lifelong learning.

Ryder said that in Africa, working poverty is forecast to stall at 24 per cent of the workforce during 2017-19, with numbers rising from 104 to 110 million.

In Asia and the Pacific, the share will drop only marginally from 16 to 15 per cent and the number of workers in poverty will still be close to 300 million by 2019. The slowdown in progress threatens not only workers' individual well-being, but also our global ambition to eradicate poverty by 2030, he said.

Ryder said that policymakers must ensure that workers in advanced, emerging and developing countries all benefit from a global trading system that produces fair outcomes.

Failure to do so risks the multilateral system, as the IMF warns, with significant economic costs and political risks for all nations. Key to restoring faith are policies to ensure a fairer distribution of the benefits of trade, he said.

"Stronger institutions, including minimum wages, sustainable enterprises, collective bargaining and freedom of association, are the right answers to political populists who exploit income disadvantages to undermine open economies and open borders," ILO chief said.
South Korea today welcomed the decision by the North's leader Kim Jong Un to cease its testing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

"North Korea's decision is meaningful progress for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, which the world wishes for," the presidential office in Seoul said in a statement. "It will create a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming inter-Korean and North-US summits.

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Senior Congress leaders, including Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, today told a Delhi court hearing the National Herald case that the complainant and BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was trying to defame them and vilify their party.

Other than the two leaders, Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda made their submission before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal in response to an application moved by Swamy alleging that a Rs 414-crore fine was recently imposed on Young Indian Pvt Ltd by the Income Tax department in connection with the case.

The case involves Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi.

They, however, have not filed any reply to Swamy's application, which has alleged that the I-T department had launched a probe against the accused, also involving Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI), after taking note of his complaint in the case. The Gandhis are major stakeholders in YI.

Swamy, in a private criminal complaint, has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which YI obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

"The application is surrounded by malafide as the same has been filed for the purpose of causing defamation of the accused respondents and vilification of the Congress party," the accused persons said in their replies.

They also accused Swamy of "indulging in loud and persistent publicity amounting to an interference with the administration of justice".

"Before and after every date of hearing, he unleashes hostile publicity through tweets and/or statements to the media. This conduct on the part of the complainant is clearly impelled by an intention to influence the outcome of the present proceedings through media intervention," they said.

They said the present application was not maintainable and termed it "a gimmick".

Moving the application on January 20, Swamy had said: "The I-T department took notice of the facts in my complaint and launched an investigation against the seven accused. A Rs 414-crore fine was imposed on YI for withholding information."



He said he found the documents related to the I-T department's December 27, 2017 order lying along with newspapers at his doorstep.

The court, however, had directed that the I-T department documents submitted by Swamy be kept in a sealed cover till further orders.

All the seven accused - the Gandhis, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey, Pitroda and YI - have denied the allegations levelled against them in the case.

The court had summoned the accused persons, besides YI, on June 26, 2014.

On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to the summonses.

Pitroda was granted bail on February 20, 2016 when he had appeared in the court.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora (AICC treasurer), Fernandes (AICC general-secretary), Dubey and Pitroda were summoned for the alleged offences of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating, read with criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.

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The Centre has deputed a high-level team to study environmental issues and concerns regarding the acquisition of paddy land for a proposed National Highway at Keezhattur in Kannur district.

The tiny hamlet in north Kerala district had recently witnessed a series of agitations by farmers and local people against the state government's move to take over agricultural land for the NH project.

The expert team, headed by John Thomas, a research officer at the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, would visit Keezhattur on May 3 and 4 and submit a report to the government, BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan today said.

The leader said that he was informed by the Ministry about the panel's visit.

Officials of the National Highway Authority and state government officials would also accompany the panel members, he said here in a release.

Rajasekharan had recently approached the Environment Ministry against the state government's move to acquire paddy land and apprised them about the concerns of local people.

Agitators comprising farmers and local people, under the banner 'Vayalkkilikal', had alleged that the state government proposal would destroy more than 200 acres of paddy field and leave many people homeless and jobless in Keezhattur and surrounding areas.

It would also result in the destruction of wetland of the area, they said.

The agitation had taken a political turn as most of the participants were former CPI(M) workers, who were expelled from the party after taking part in the stir.

Various political parties, including the BJP, had extended support for the stir.

The issue had also figured in the recently concluded session of the state Assembly, where the Congress-led UDF opposition had alleged that the CPI(M) government was trying to suppress the farmers' agitation.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, in a Saturday announcement welcomed by US President Donald Trump ahead of a much-anticipated summit between the two men.

Pyongyang's declaration, long sought by Washington, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

It comes less than a week before the North Korean leader meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of the eagerly-awaited encounter with Trump himself.

But Kim gave no indication Pyongyang might be willing to give up its nuclear weapons, or the missiles with which it can reach the mainland United States.

The North had successfully developed its arsenal, including miniaturising warheads to fit them on to missiles, Kim said, and so "no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now".

As such the North's nuclear testing site was no longer needed, he told the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA agency.

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday -- the North has not carried any out since November -- and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Within minutes of the report being issued, Trump tweeted: "This is very good for North Korea and the World -- big progress! Look forward to our Summit." Seoul too welcomed the announcement, calling it "meaningful progress" towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

But Kim offered no sign he might be willing to give up what he called the North's "treasured sword", saying its possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth nuclear blast, by far its most powerful to date, while Kim and Trump traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions ramped up.

Even when there was an extended pause in testing, US officials said that it could not be interpreted as a halt without an explicit statement from Pyongyang.

South Korean envoys have previously cited Kim as promising no more tests, but Saturday's is the first such announcement directly by Pyongyang.

Analysts cautioned that the declaration was promising but limited.

"Certainly this is a positive development," said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University. "It's a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-proliferation commitments."



And Christopher Green of the International Crisis Group added on Twitter: "I don't see how North Korean statement constitutes a step toward denuclearisation. It is a moratorium on testing, but recommits North Korea to nuclear weapons status." Japan -- which has seen missiles fly over its territory -- gave a mixed response, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offering a cautious welcome but his defence minister saying North Korea did not mention the short- or medium-range missiles that put Tokyo within reach.

Beijing reacted positively to the statement from its traditional ally, saying it believed the move would "help to promote the process of denuclearisation and attempts to find a political settlement" on the peninsula.

The formal declaration of an end to testing comes after Kim reiterated the North's nuclear status in his New Year speech and said he had a nuclear button on his desk -- prompting Trump to tweet that he had a bigger one of his own.

Events have moved rapidly since then, catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, and Seoul is now pushing for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, raising hopes that a settlement can finally be reached on the peninsula.

But there is a long way to go and Moon himself acknowledged this week that the "devil is in the details".

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees, potentially leaving much space for disagreement.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

But Kim told the Workers' Party meeting: "A fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape." For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.

But the leader said that as it was now a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction".

Several factors have driven the Korean rapprochement, including the North feeling that it can now negotiate from a position of strength, concern about the belligerence of the Trump administration, and the looming impact of sanctions.

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There will be no bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with their Pakistan counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meets to be held here, official sources said.

"There will be no meetings with their Pakistan counterparts," official sources here told PTI, ruling out any planned meetings between the Indian and Pakistani ministers.

Swaraj who arrived here today will take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the SCO to be held on April 24.

The same day Sitharaman will take part the SCO defence ministers meeting.

The meetings, which are part of the preparations for the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June, have become prominent as they are the first such meetings after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member group last year.

Both events are to be attended by the respective ministers from Pakistan. A host of issues including that of regional security and counter terrorism are expected to figure in the meetings.

Relations between India and Pakistan turned frosty after the Pathankot terror attack in January, 2016 and another strike by terrorists on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September that year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security, counter terrorism and related issues.

The organisation consists of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said yesterday that issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the SCO foreign ministers' meeting.

"We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field. Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception," she said and defended Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as "terror export factory" at an event in London recently.

So the upcoming meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues, along with major international and regional issues, Hua said.

While Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit, officials say Pakistan is expected to be represented by its President Mamnoon Hussain as its Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had recently attended the Boao Forum for Asia in the Chinese city of Boao.

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The CPI(M)'s West Bengal unit's decision to explore a seat adjustment with the Congress is not in consonance with the political line adopted in the past and is still not permissible, party leader Brinda Karat said today.

Even though the new political line adopted at the party congress incorporated the minority view of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, politburo member Brinda Karat told a press conference there was no change in the political line and the party had only reworded the draft political resolution before passing it yesterday.

"There is no change in the political line at all. We fight on seats where we believe we are strong. We support other Left parties under an agreement, and on the rest of the seats we ask (voters) to vote for the candidate who can defeat the BJP.

"So there is no question that this political line in any way advocates anything other than what we have been saying all along," she said.

"The political organisational report has said that what happened in 2016 is not in consonance with the political line (adopted) in the past. Why should we take the same line? It is not permissible," Brinda Karat told the media.

Though the press conference was convened on the party's political organisational report, Karat used the opportunity to stress that the CPI(M) had certainly not adopted the "minority view" of Yechury and had just "agreed upon" to reword the crucial clause on an "understanding with the Congress".

Reacting to Karat's statement about the political line, another politburo member, Mohammad Salim, said that the resolution which was "almost unanimously" passed did "incorporate changes".

"The phrase 'no understanding' was removed based on the discussions held at the party congress and a new direction for an understanding with all secular democratic parties, including the Congress, inside and outside Parliament was specified. We will chalk out a electoral strategy at the time of elections," Salim said.

The official draft, backed by Prakash Karat, had said that the party should unite all secular democratic forces "without having an understanding or electoral alliance with the Congress".

But the amended document said the party can unite secular democratic forces "without having a political alliance with the Congress party", thus keeping the doors open for an electoral understanding.

"There can be an understanding with all secular opposition parties, including the Congress, in Parliament on agreed issues. Outside Parliament, we should cooperate with all secular opposition forces for a broad mobilisation of people against communalism.

"We should foster joint actions of class and mass organisations in such a manner that can draw in the masses following the Congress and other bourgeois parties," the latest version of the crucial political document reads.

Prakash Karat had earlier said it was not the party's practice to disallow someone from taking responsibility even if he or she holds a minority view, in an apparent reference to speculation regarding removal of Yechury if his view on the draft political resolution was defeated.

Brinda Karat's remarks have created confusion within the party, and have irked a section of party leaders, who had supported Yechury's minority view in the discussions held yesterday.

According to a senior West Bengal unit leader, Karat's remarks, which came at a time when the two factions had just buried their differences to strengthen the party, would only create confusion and demoralise the cadres at the grassroots level.

"The Karat faction has not been able to realise that the minority view of the general secretary was passed as the political line of the party. It is very sad.

"The political resolution has certainly kept the doors open for an electoral understanding with the Congress which is a secular democratic party. And we have to work together to defeat the BJP. We can not do it alone," said the leader.

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Actor Noah Emmerich is set to star alongside Sacha Baron Cohen in the upcoming Netflix drama "The Spy".

The six-episode series tells the story of Eli Cohen (Baron Cohen), a spy for Israel in Syria in the early 1960s, reported Variety.

Cohen managed to embed himself into Syrian high society and rise through the ranks of their politics. His actions, connections, ultimately his death leave lasting consequences, shaping the Middle East as it is today.

Emmerich will play Dan Peleg, described as a charming, rumpled and brilliant Mossad trainer.

"The Spy" will be written and directed by Gideon Raff, the creator of the series "Prisoners of War" on which "Homeland" is based.

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Following are the top from the northern region at 5 pm.

Expected Chandigarh: Nine new Punjab ministers to take oath this evening.

On the wire CHANDIGARH DEL11



Chandigarh: Two more Congress MLAs expressed disappointment today for being ignored in the expansion of the Punjab Cabinet, hours before the scheduled swearing-in of the new ministers.

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Over 50 Chinese-made aircraft, which can be used for both passenger and cargo transportation, have been delivered to eight Belt and Road countries, the planes' manufacturer said today.

The latest two Y-12E aircraft were delivered on April 17 to Nepal, where they will be used for domestic short distance transportation, AVIC Harbin Aircraft Industry Group (HAIG) Co Ltd said.

Nepal had previously bought two Y-12Es in 2014 and 2017, respectively. The two aircraft have recorded more than 1,725 safe flight hours. The plane made a significant contribution to transporting supplies after the country suffered from an earthquake in 2015, the state-run Xinhua agency reported.

The HAIG, based in northeast China's Harbin, is a components supplier for international aviation enterprises such as Boeing and Airbus, and has independently developed a variety of aircraft, including helicopters and light regional aircraft, the report said.

The high wing two-engine Y12 series aircraft is light and general purpose and can be used for both passenger and cargo transportation as well as parachute jumping and touring.

The HAIG has sold Y12 series aircraft to more than 30 countries and regions around the world, including the United States and Russia.

The multi-billion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in which the controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part, aims to build connectivity projects including ports, highways and railways all over the world.

India had protested over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).

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The Lahore High Court (LHC) today



directed the interior ministry to decide within 30 days the fate of an Indian woman seeking Pakistani citizenship and extension to her visa after embracing Islam and marrying a local man during her visit here to attend the Sikhs' Baisakhi festival.

The high court while extending the Indian woman's visa by 30-days, directed the interior ministry to decide whether she is eligible for the six-month extension as per her application, the Express Tribune reported.

Kiran Bala alias Amna Bibi, who hailed from Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, had arrived in Lahore by a special train on April 12 to attend Baisakhi festival. During her visit, she embraced Islam and married a resident of Hingerwal, Lahore, on April 16 at a ceremony held at an Islamic seminary here.

According to the law, Kiran can now stay in Pakistan for a month, and if granted the six-month extension, she could be eligible for attaining citizenship.

The Indo-Pak treaty indicates that citizens of either country can attain the others nationality after seven years, the report said.

Kiran would have to renew her visa every six months for seven years, and if there are no complaints of law or Constitutional violations, then she can become a Pakistani national.

In her plea, she stated that she married the Pakistani national on her own accord and wants to live in the country.

Clad in black gown and pink coloured scarf and holding a 'Tasbhi' in her hands, the Indian woman had appeared in the court yesterday along with her husband Mohammad Azam.

She pleaded the court that she had contracted marriage with Azam of Lahore with her consent as she was not coerced to do so.

"I want to live in Pakistan after marrying a Pakistani man. I am very happy here along with my husband and I do not want to go back. I have embraced Islam and my new name is Amna," she said.

"After getting married with a Pakistani man I am entitled to get citizenship of Pakistan under Section 10 (2) of the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951," she said.

After contracting marriage, Kiran also wrote to the Foreign Office for extension to her visa as she is receiving "life threats"



The Baisakhi festival has already created bitterness after India accused Pakistan of using it to incite Indian Sikh pilgrims on the issue of 'Khalistan', which was rejected by Islamabad.

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The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has sent a three-member team to Jaipur to inquire into an alleged unethical human clinical trial conducted by a pharma company at a private hospital in the Rajasthan capital, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) said today.

Rajasthan Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf also constituted a three-member panel to probe into the alleged incident.

According to state officials, nearly two dozen people hailing from Rajasthan's Churu and Bharatpur districts were allegedly subjected to the unethical human clinical trial for an osteo-ortho drug at the hospital.

DCGI Dr S Eswara Reddy, in Delhi, said, "We have sent a team of three officials to Jaipur to inquire into the matter along with the state drug controller."



Saraf said a three-member panel, headed by an additional director-level officer has been constituted to probe the matter.

"Action will be taken, if lapses are found, the health minister said.

The panel today visited the hospital located in Vishwakarma Industrial Area today to initiate the probe.

"Principal investigator and the patients enrolled in the clinical trial were not available at the site. We have asked the hospital staff to provide necessary documents related to the trial," Dr Ravi Prakash Sharma, the head of the three-member probe panel constituted by the state government, said.

He said that it needs to be probed whether informed consent was obtained from the patients, whether permission was taken from state-level ethics committee or insurance policy document for patients was signed.

"Prima facie, it appears that the hospital did not possess 50 beds, mandatory for conducting clinical trials," Dr Sharma said.

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Terming the Kathua and Unnao rape incidents as "violent acts to subjugate, humiliate and instill fear", the Population Foundation of India (PFI) has asked the government to ensure that the perpetrators are neither "shielded nor glorified".

PFI is a body advocating for effective formulation of gender sensitive population.

Executive Chairperson, PFI, Poonam Muttreja, has demanded that the government act to ensure women in the country do not feel "insecure" and "unsafe".

In Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, an eight-year-old girl was abducted, raped and killed, while a minor girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district has alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and her father was killed in police custody after he refused to withdraw the FIR.

"What happened in Kathua and Unnao are violent acts to subjugate, humiliate and instill fear. The government should condemn such atrocities, and ensure that the perpetrators are neither shielded nor glorified.

"Justice has to be delivered before it is too late, or else we will only have an escalation of such acts of violence. We owe it to the victims of Kathua and Unnao, and to every girl and woman of our country," Muttreja said.

The PFI said it has been running a year-long campaign 'Bas Ab Bahut Hogaya' (enough is enough) to end violence against girls and women along with actor Farhan Akhtar's initiative MARD and noted film-maker Feroz Abbas Khan.

Muttreja along with Akhtar also co-wrote a letter recently decrying the rapes and demanding action.

PFI said the rapes in Kathua and Unnao were an ugly reminder of how women safety is still a critical issue and not a top priority in the country.

The last time India reverberated with cries to make the country safer was when 'Nirbhaya' was gang-raped in the national capital in 2012, it said in a statement.

Nirbhaya (the fearless) was a 23-year-old paramedic student who was brutally gangraped on a moving bus in Delhi on December 16, 2012, and a fortnight later, on December 29, she succumbed in a Singapore hospital.

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Prime Minister on Saturday asked civil servants to make the best of innovation and technology in implementing government policies.

He also said that participatory democracy is a must for the development of the nation.

Addressing bureaucrats at the conclusion of the two-day Civil Services Day function, the prime minister said the administration's aim in the pre-Independence era was to keep the Englishman safe, but today it has to ensure that a common man is provided relief.

He stressed the need for strategic thinking in implementing government policies, and also asked bureaucrats to put to use innovation and technology which can become additional strength.

He said "Janbhagidari" (people's participation) is a cornerstone of the success of a country such as India.

The prime minister said priority should be given to people's interests during formulation of policies or new laws.

Earlier, he released two books -- "New Pathways", a compilation of success stories on implementation of identified Priority Programmes and Innovations and "Aspirational Districts: Unlocking Potentials" -- an account of strategies for transforming aspirational districts.

He also conferred "Awards for Excellence in Public Administration" for effective implementation of identified Priority Programs and Innovation to districts and implementing units, and other central and state organisations at the function.

The awards have been instituted to acknowledge, recognize and reward the exemplary work for people's welfare by districts and organisations of the central and state governments.

"Motivation is always essential for better performance," the prime minister said after giving away the awards to civil servants.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today honoured bureaucrats for making Manipur's Karang the first cashless island of the country, and implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and other priority initiatives of the Centre.

Modi awarded civil servants for smooth implementation of four priority programmes -- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban and Rural), Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, and for promoting digital payments.

Also, Awards were given away for innovation in public service.

Karang island, a remote and backward region, was cut-off from the (Bishnupur) district due to insurgency for a long time. Incentives were provided for training towards digital payments and five POS machines were installed on the island, the award citation read.

Self-help groups and youth clubs were roped in for community mobilisation and parallel activities were conducted on the island for Aadhaar enrolment and opening of bank accounts, it read.

An online channel was launched to make people aware about digital payments. In addition, social media interventions were made for the purpose, according to the citation.

As a result, 92 per cent of the bank accounts were seeded with mobile and 70 per cent of them were seeded with Aadhaar.

The percentage of the electricity bills paid digitally increased from 78 per cent to 97 per cent in the last 20 months, it said.

Modi gave the award to Deputy Commissioner of the district for promoting digital payment. Besides, the officials concerned were honoured for popularizing electronic payment in Daman and Haryana's Sonipat.

Under the innovation category, awards were given to the Banka district administration in Bihar for reinventing education using technology, and to a group of officers for implementing the GST.

Senior IAS officers were appreciated for innovation in "ease of doing business in India" and for "information, education and communication of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)".

Awards for excellence in public administration were given away by Modi during the Civil Services Day function here.

Assam's Dhemaji and Telangana's Karimnagar were awarded for the best implementation of 'Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana', aimed at adding diversity to the incomes of poor families and cater to the career aspirations of rural youths.

Himachal Pradesh's Kangra and Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch were awarded for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) aimed at providing pucca houses with basic amenities to all homeless people.

Puducherry and the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Telangana, got the PM's award for implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) under which affordable houses are provided to the urban poor.

West Tripura and Maharashtra's Beed were awarded for the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana -- a crop insurance scheme.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a "wonderful meeting" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed multiple aspects relating to bilateral cooperation as well as other global issues with her.

Modi met Merkel during a brief stopover in Berlin after wrapping up his visit to the UK where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

It was the third and last leg of Modi's three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.

"Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues," Modi tweeted.

The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that Modi's visit "demonstrates India's mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership".

"Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting," Kumar said in a tweet.

The visit demonstrates the commitment by the two countries to maintain the momentum of high level exchanges, according to Indian officials.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Merkel began her fourth term as German chancellor last month.

Modi's meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's trip to India last month, which focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Germany is India's largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.

In 2016-17, the bilateral trade turnover was USD 18.76 billion, with India exporting goods worth USD 7.18 billion to Germany and importing German products worth USD 11.58 billion, according to German media.

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Police today seized 150 cartons of foreign liquor worth around Rs 20 lakh from a truck in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted the truck near Patiyasa Jalal under Ahiyapur police station of the district and seized the cartons, City Superintendent of Police Upendra Nath Verma said.

The liquor cartons were hidden under packets of oil and soaps kept in the truck bearing Harayan registration number, the SP said.

The driver and the cleaner of the truck escaped after seeing the police, he said, adding, the vehicle has been seized.

A complete prohibition on liquor is in force in Bihar since April 5, 2016.

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The highly decomposed body, with it's head severed, which was recovered from Thiruvallam near Kovalam, is suspected to be of a Lithuanian tourist, reported missing since March 14, police said today.

The body was found from a bushy, isolated area near a" mangrove forest on the banks of the Karmana river, they said.

Police Commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram, P Prakash, said DNA and forensic tests would be carried out to confirm it.

"The woman's body, with the head severed, ankles and toes detached, was recovered yesterday', another senior police officer told PTI.

The head was found at a few metres away from the body.

"We are probing all angles, including murder, to find the truth', the officer said.

Some local people who had gone for angling had informed police about the body.

The officer said DNA samples would be taken soon and sent to Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Bio-Technology here to ascertain if the body was that of the missing tourist.

33-year-old Liga Skromene, who had had come for Ayurvedic treatment for depression, had gone missing from Kovalam on March 14.

Liga's husband, Andrews and sister, Ilze, who had gone to the northern district of Kasaragod to paste photographs of the missing woman in public places, rushed to the state capital on hearing the report.

They took a look at the body and told police that the shirt and hair were similar to that of the missing woman. However, the jacket and slippers were not hers, they said.

Cigarette packets, a lighter and a bottle of water were found near the body.

Ilze told reporters that she was not satisfied with the police investigation so far.

Police had formed a Special Investigation Team and launched a massive search to trace Liga.

They had also announced a reward of Rs two lakh for anyone providing information about the missing woman.

Liga was staying at a private Ayurveda treatment centre at nearby Pothencode.

She had come to Kovalam with her sister Ilze on the morning of March 14. She went missing soon after.

A case was registered based on a complaint from the authorities of the treatment centre.

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Over 68,000 nurses of private hospitals in Kerala will go on an indefinite strike from April 24, demanding implementation of promised minimum monthly salary of Rs 20,000, a body of them announced today.

The functioning of more than 450 private hospitals with 50 plus beds was likely to be affected by the agitation, which was announced after talks held here between the nurses' representatives and the Labour Commissioner failed.

The nurses had struck work in June last year over the demand and called off their agitation after the government assured to address their demand. """ Though the government had published a draft on the minimum wages in November last year, an order on the revised pay was yet to be issued, the United Nurses Association (UNA) said. """ UNA President Jasmin Shah said that during today's talks, the government sought more time for a consensus, but the association rejected it.

"" As part of the agitation, the nurses along with their family members would hold a 'long march' from Cherthala in Alappuzha District to the state Secretariat, the administrative hub here, on April 24, Shah said.

""" Indian Nurses Association, another outfit, would also join the strike from May 12, its leaders said.

""" "We are not prepared for any compromise. From April 24, all private hospital nurses will stay away from work. They will work till their night shift on April 23 and stop work," Shah said.

"" Though they had approached the government several times seeking the implementation of the promised minimum wages of Rs 20,000 per month, the authorities had not even called them for any discussions, the nurses' leaders alleged.

""" A section of nurses was already staging an agitation in front of the secretariat for the last six days pressing their demand, they said.

"" The private hospital nurses in the state had been on a war path since the past two years demanding minimum wages of Rs 20,000 as fixed by the Supreme Court.

"" They had gone for a similar state-wide strike in June, last year also after the hospital managements rejected their pay revision demand.

"" The nurses called off the agitation in July after the government intervened and promised to implement the minimum pay of Rs 20,000 to nurses working in private hospitals with less than 50 beds.

"" The state has about 1,100 private hospitals, including 457 with 50 plus beds, according to the association leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nine new Cabinet ministers were sworn-in at the Raj Bhavan here today, in the first expansion of over a year-old Amarinder Singh-led Congress government.

Ministers of State Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana were also elevated as Cabinet ministers.

Punjab Governor V P Singh Badnore administered the oath of office to the new ministers.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, his cabinet colleagues and other senior party leaders, including Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudahry, were present during the swearing-in ceremony.

Five-time MLA from Amritsar Central O P Soni was the first one among the ministers to be sworn-in.

Besides Soni, Rana Gurmit Sodhi (four-time MLA from Guru Har Sahai), Sukhjinder Randhawa (MLA from Dera Baba Nanak), Gurpreet Kangar (from Rampura Phul), Sukhbinder Sarkaria (from Raja Sansi in Amritsar), Balbir Sidhu (from Mohali), all three-time legislators, were also sworn-in.

Youth leader and Sangrur MLA Vijay Inder Singla, two-time MLA Sunder Sham Arora from Hoshiarpur and two time MLA from Ludhiana West Bharat Bhushan Ashu and too were administered oath.

All the Ministers who were sworn-in, and the two women MoS who were elevated to the cabinet rank, took oath in Punjabi.

In the Cabinet expansion, the Congress has tried to give due representation to all the regions. Among the new Ministers, four are prominent Hindu faces while five others belong to the Sikh community. Most of those who have been inducted are considered close to the Chief Minister.

Chief Minister Singh had earlier said seniority was a key criterion in the selection of the new ministers, and that they were chosen keeping in view their regional representation, along with their capabilities and strengths.

The decision on the finalisation of the names of the new Ministers came yesterday after Amarinder Singh held a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.

Among the new ministers, the politically crucial region of Malwa in Punjab has been rewarded with maximum Ministerial berths with five slots while Majha got three and Doaba one.

O P Soni, Sukhjinder Randhawa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria are MLAs from the Majha region of the state; while Ashu, Vijay Inder Singla, Sodhi, Sidhu and Kangar belong to the politically important Malwa region. Arora belongs to the Doaba region.

Including CM Singh, there are nine ministers at present, and with the induction of as many faces, the Punjab Cabinet has touched the maximum strength of 15 per cent of the state assembly.

The Cabinet expansion was pending for some time now and was delayed for one reason or the other in the past.

Meanwhile, the exercise has led to resentment among few Congress MLAs, who accused the party of ignoring them.

Three legislators -- Sangat Singh Gilzian from Urmur assembly segment, Nathu Ram from Balluana and Surjit Singh Dhiman from Amargarh -- have resigned from their state party positions.

Opposition Aam Aadmi Party lashed out at the Congress after the expansion, accusing it of ignoring the representation of Scheduled Caste and backward classes among the newly sworn-in ministers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Red Cross employee was killed in Yemen's southern city of Taez today, an ICRC spokesman said.

"One of our colleagues was killed by an armed man in Taez city," Sanaa-based Red Cross official Adnan Hizam told AFP.

Most of Taez is government-controlled, but many parts of the surrounding area remain in the hands of Huthi rebels.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has not made public the aid worker's nationality or name.

"We are in mourning for one of our colleagues who was shot dead in #Yemen this morning. We are trying to find out more about this tragic incident," ICRC Yemen tweeted.

Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the country in March 2015 to push back Huthi rebels who forced the government into exile.

The United Nations says the conflict has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 22 million people dependent on aid and 8.4 million on the verge of famine.

Yemen is also struggling with cholera and diphtheria outbreaks.

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A retreat to inward-looking policies poses the greatest risk to global growth, the current president of the G-20 group of countries has said.

A meeting of Finance Ministers from G-20 countries, which was chaired by its current president Argentina, noted that growth is firming and that they are going back to levels of growth equivalent to the pre-crisis level.

"We are back to growth equivalent to the one that we had prior to the crisis of 2008 and 2009. Of course, downside risks remain, although contained," Nicolas Dujovne, Treasury Minister of Argentina, said here.

In the absence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, India was represented by Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Garg.

"Most of the participants pointed to the most important risks being the retreat to inward-looking policies, the impact of monetary normalisation in terms of the impact on the international economy, and then the geopolitical risks," Dujovne said after the meeting of G-20 ministers.

Noting that G-20 member countries recognised the importance of the technological change in which they are in right now, he said the group had a very positive view on the outcome that this will have in terms of growth in the medium and longer-term.

"But, of course, this is also a challenge for our citizens which are facing this dramatic change in the way in which we produce, consume, communicate," he said.

Observing that there is a very broad agreement that the outcome will be positive, but the future needs to be shaped, the Argentinian finance minister said in order to shape the future, there are some policy options that G-20 can adopt to make the transition smoother to this new environment.

"So in that aspect, we discussed how taxes and transfers, competitive conditions, public expenditure, data collection, can help us to live with this transition," he said.

Some of the conclusions of this meeting would be produce as a concrete policy toolkit in their next meeting of Finance Ministers and Governors, he said.

According to Federico Sturzenegger, Central Bank governor of Argentina, G-20 has identified two main sources of concern: the retreat to inward-looking policies and monetary policy normalisation.

Noting that there was general appeal for multilateralism on the first issue, Sturzenegger said there is certainly the view that a lot of work still needs to be done.

For example, the issue of trade in services, which is to some extent a pending agenda, was emphasised again in this meeting, he said. The idea that the gains from trade have to be evenly shared is a concern that was placed both by advanced economies and emerging economies, he said.

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Buoyed by its success with senior citizens, the is set to extend its 'Give it up' scheme to include other concession holders to offset its nearly Rs 330 billion subsidy burden in annual passenger fares.

The decision was taken after figures showed that following the introduction of the scheme last year - by which senior citizens can opt to give up 50 per cent of their fare subsidy, more than 1.9 million people gave up the concession, resulting in a saving of more than Rs 320 million between July 22, 2017, and March 31, 2018 for the railways.

"We realised that in 2016 when we were telling people to give up their concession by 100 per cent, many did not do. In 2017, when we gave them the option of giving up 50 per cent, many came forward," a Railway Ministry official said.

"This is completely voluntary and now we're preparing a campaign to encourage more such concession holders to come forward," the official said.

Railways extends passenger fare concessions in 53 categories, which include passengers with disabilities, cancer, thalassemia, heart and kidney patients, war widows students and others, incurring a loss of about Rs 330 billion annually.

As part of its campaign to encourage people in these categories to give up their subsidy, even if in parts, the railways will send each senior citizen, who gave up their subsidy, a personalised letter by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.

It is also in the process of setting up a website on which it will update realtime, not only the money saved by the railways, but also the data on senior citizens who gave up their subsidy.

The website will also carry testimonials from them.

"Plans are afoot to send newsletters to these senior citizens, felicitation of some of them by the minister, SMSes thanking them for their efforts and a special token of appreciation for them by the train crew during their train journeys," the official said, explaining the campaign.

The idea, the official said, is to create awareness and encourage more people to give up the concession on fares.

Between July 2017 and March 31, 2018 - more than 1 million senior citizens had given up 100 per cent of their concession, while more than nine lakh had given up 50 per cent of their concession, resulting in a saving of more than Rs 323 million.

In total, since August 2016, when senior citizens had the option to give up 100 per cent of their subsidy, until March 2018, 4 million of them have given up their subsidy, allowing the national transporter to save around Rs 770 million.
A Rohingya Muslim man among the group of 76 rescued in Indonesian waters in a wooden boat says they were at sea for nine days after leaving Myanmar, where the minority group faces intense persecution, and were hoping to reach Malaysia.

The eight children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon in Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, the third known attempt by members of the ethnic minority to escape Myanmar by sea this month.

Local authorities say several required medical attention for dehydration and exhaustion. Fariq Muhammad says he paid the equivalent of about USD 150 for a place on the boat that left from Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a violent military crackdown has sparked an exodus of some 700,000 refugees into neighbouring Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Rs 12,000 crore financial assistance scheme for the benefit of farmers will be rolled out by the Telangana government from May 10.

Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao, in a review meeting today, suggested that the ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other local body representatives be made stakeholders in the programme.

"We have to distribute 58 lakh passbooks and cheques. Printing of passbooks and cheque books is in the process of completion and will be over by this month end. Passbooks and cheques will be supplied to district, mandal and village wise," a release from his office quoted him as saying.

The Chief Minister said arrangements had been made to give financial assistance of 6,000 crore in the first phase to be distributed for monsoon crops.

The money had been kept in banks, which should pay cash to the farmers once they present the cheque in the bank, or else action would be taken against them, Rao said.

The state government allotted Rs 12,000 crore in the budget for implementation of the scheme, under which a financial assistance of Rs 4,000 per acre would be provided to all farmers in the state.

The Government has allotted Rs 6,000 crore for the first phase of the scheme.

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Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today backed the idea of holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, saying separate polls waste people's time and the government's money.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put forth a thought (of simultaneous elections). Every year elections take place in the country and it (the election cycle) never ends.

"It wastes people's time and costs the exchequer," Rupani told reporters, when asked about the proposal of simultaneous elections.

Rupani was talking to reporters at the Raipur airport after inaugurating 'Sadaakal Gujarat' cultural event here.

"The code of conduct hampers development works," he said, adding that all this can be avoided with simultaneous polls.

The Gujarat chief minister however said nationwide discussions should be held on the issue, after which "all political parties should decide together what will be in the interest of the nation".

He also welcomed the Union Cabinet's nod for ordinance providing capital punishment for rape of children.

It will act as a deterrent, Rupani said.

He also exuded confidence about the BJP's victory in the Karnataka Assembly polls, saying people were disappointed and angry with the "corrupt" Congress government.

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Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul called on NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter's residence 'Silver Oak' here, to discuss possible merger of Mumbai-based City Cooperative Bank, which Adsul controls, with a bigger entity.

The meeting yesterday was also attended by Saraswat Bank chairman Gautam Thakur, he said.

The bank is currently facing a financial trouble and the RBI has imposed certain restrictions on it.

On April 17, the Reserve Bank of India issued "directions", putting limits on withdrawal of money and imposing certain other restrictions on the bank. "The bank will continue to undertake banking business with restrictions till its financial position improves," an RBI release said.

"Our main objective is that depositors should be able to access the money deposited with us, and to be able to run the bank efficiently. Hence, the only way out is to merge the bank with a bigger entity," Adsul, who is the bank's chairman, told PTI.

"I had sought appointment with Pawar to discuss the issue. He also called the chairman of Saraswat Bank to the meeting," the Sena MP added.

Adsul said he had been in talks with Saraswat Bank for the last three-four months, and both the banks were in touch with the RBI with a merger proposal.

"I hope this issue is resolved by next week," Adsul said.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today hit out at BJP General Secretary P Murlidhar Rao for his Hindi tweet about his plans to contest the May 12 assembly polls from two constituencies, by asking him to tweet in Kannada or English.

Rao, who is in-charge of Karnataka, asked whether" Siddaramaiah was scared about winning Chamundeshwari seat in" Mysuru.

"@Siddaramaiah ji are you scared? After much effort"you chose Chamundeshwari seat, now after seeing that you will be defeated there you are searching for a second place."



"To end"your doubt let me clarify that not only your two seats, but"entire Karnataka will be Congress Mukt (Congress free)," he"said in a tweet in Hindi.

Replying to Rao in Kannada, Siddaramaiah tweeted, "Sir, tweet in Kannada or English. Don't understand"Hindi."



Speculations are rife that Siddaramaiah, who has been" fielded from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru, will be" opting Badami in Bagalkote district of north Karnataka as his" second seat.

Siddaramaiah has said that he was under pressure from Congress leaders from Bagalkote and Bijapur districts to" contest from Badami, but maintained that he would abide by the high command's decision.

The Congress, in its list of candidates for 218 seats" announced on April 15, had named Dr Devraj Patil as its" nominee from Badami.

But issuing of B-form (required to be filed by a political party mentioning name of its approved candidate) to Patil has been put on hold.

Badami with a strong presence of Karubas,the community to which Siddaramaiah belongs, was seen as the second safe option for"the Chief Minister as reports have suggested that the battle"in Chamundeshwari will not be an easy one for him.

Siddaramaiah has won five times and tasted defeat twice at Chamundeshwari, from where he has been announced as the candidate.

He has been representing Varuna constituency in Mysuru" since 2008, which has now been allotted to his son Yatindra.

Speaking to reporters here today, Siddaramaiah said he had conveyed to the high command, his desire to contest only from Chamundeshwari constituency.

"I have told the high command that I will contest from" Chamundeshwari and not from two constituencies. However, the" people of north Karnataka are pressurising the high command" that I should contest from north Karnataka too," he said.

The Chief Minister said he has not taken any decision so"far and he would go by the decision of the high command.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived here today on a four-day visit during which she will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Swaraj is due to meet Wang tomorrow.

This is their first meeting after Wang was elevated as state councillor last month which makes him the top diplomat of the country in the Chinese hierarchy. He also continues to be foreign minister.

Their meeting is part of efforts by the two countries to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve relations, official sources here told PTI.

Following the Dokalam standoff last year both countries increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels.

Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.

Both sides also held the 11th Joint Economic Group meeting and the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).

Besides meetings between officials from the two foreign ministries, both sides also held working mechanism meetings on border affairs and cross border rivers as well disarmament and non-proliferation dialogue in which India's entry into NSG was discussed.

Swaraj will take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the eight-member SCO on April 24. She along with other foreign ministers of the group would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 23, and will leave for Mongolia the next day.

This is the first meeting of the group after India and Pakistan were admitted into the SCO last year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security and counter terrorism and related issues.

The organisation is comprised of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

A host of issues, including regional security and terrorism, would be discussed at the meeting which is a preparatory meet ahead of the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also scheduled to take part in it.

Also, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive here on April 23 to take part in the SCO defence ministers' meeting to be held the next day. Swaraj and Sitharaman would be in Beijing around the same time to attend their respective meetings.

Sitharaman is also expected to meet her Chinese counterpart Lt Gen Wei Fenghe.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DCW chief Swati Maliwal announced she will end her fast tomorrow as the Union Cabinet today approved an ordinance to give stringent punishment, including the death penalty, to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

"The prime minister listened to our demands and the demands of the country. So I have decided to end my fast at 2 pm tomorrow," Maliwal told her supporters this evening at the fast venue at Rajghat in New Delhi.

"I am thankful to the prime minister for bringing this ordinance. I congratulate the people of this country for this victory," the Delhi Commission for Women chairperson added.

Today was the ninth day of her hunger strike.

Earlier today, Maliwal had tweeted she won't end her fast until "something concrete happens" to ensure safety of the girl child.

"I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false that I have broken the fast. Praying to all channels conscience to kindly not report fake news," she had said.

Yesterday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged her to end the fast, but she said will continue to fast until all her demands were met.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maliwal had mentioned her six demands, which included the passage of the ordinance, recruitment of police personnel as per the United Nations standards and fixing accountability of the police force.

She had sought that files relating to the recruitment of 14,000 police personnel - approved by the Home Ministry but pending with the Finance Ministry - be cleared.

She had demanded setting up of fast-track courts across India to try rape cases, and the constitution of a high-level committee, comprising the home minister, the lt governor and the Delhi chief minister, to review issues related to the safety of women in the national capital.

Yesterday, she wrote to the Union Finance Ministry, seeking to know the details of the action taken on proposals received since 2005 to boost the capacity of the Delhi Police.

Stating that Delhi reports three child rape cases everyday, Maliwal said a major impediment in ensuring speedy justice in these cases is the time taken by the police in investigation.

"While the acute shortage of staff felt by the Delhi Police itself may or may not seem urgent on files but at the grassroots, it's having a dangerous effect," she said in the letter.

A group of activists urged Maliwal to end her fast and reconsider her demand for the death penalty for rape of minors. The activists said there is no evidence to suggest the capital punishment acts as a deterrent to stop such crimes.

Amid a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault on girls and women in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, in Surat in Gujarat and in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, the Cabinet today approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

The ordinance will be promulgated after the presidential assent.

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On the occasion of Civil Services Day, Rajasthan Chief Secretary N C Goel today said civil servants should take decisions in a time-bound manner for the development of society.

At an event organised to mark the day, he urged the officers to have a positive outlook, sensitivity and conviction to complete the task undertaken by them for the betterment of common people.

Civil servants face several tests everyday while taking any decision. They should take up the challenges to provide solutions for development of society, state and the country, Goel said.

"Where there are challenges, role of civil servants exists. They should overcome the challenges by taking a time-bound decision for making lives of people better," he said.

Chairman of Revenue Board V Sriniwasan said the ambit of responsibilities of civil servants has increased in the 21st century and highlighted the efforts of the government for social and economical development of the country.

Speaking on principles and practice of effective public service delivery by civil servants, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest D N Pandey said civil servants should take risks for the welfare of people.

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President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran deal and the situation in Syria when they meet each other next week, a senior US official has said.

Macron will arrive here on Monday for a three-day state visit and Trump and First Lady Melania are throwing a red carpet to welcome the French president.

During the visit, the two presidents are expected to discuss the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by the US and other world powers and Iran, the official said.

The deal lifted economic sanctions on Tehran, and in return put limitations on its controversial nuclear energy programme.

Trump has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal and has set a May 12 deadline to make a decision on the accord, which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The official said Trump was not yet ready to make a final decision but that the nuclear deal would definitely be an important part of the discussions during his meetings with Macron.

"It's difficult to say what degree of detail the two presidents will go into, because based on the president's statement back in January, there's a deadline of around mid-May before he has to make a decision, the official said.

The Europeans, the E3 in particular, have been working hard on trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Iran's ballistic missile program, for example; the sunset clause; and the JCPOA, and so on. That work is not quite done yet. So I think the time to really have the final discussions and for the president to be ready to make the decision will be mid-May, the official said.

Noting that the United States works closely with France to combat terror around the world, the official said Trump and Macron will also discuss recent joint operations in Syria in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on April 7 as well as broader issues relating to Syria and the Middle East.

"These would include Iran's malign influence in the region; and also France's leading role in the NATO and in global counterterrorism operations more generally, including in the Sahel, where France takes the leading role," the official said.

Macron's state visit will include, on April 23, a tour of Mt. Vernon and a private couples dinner, the official told reporters here.

The tour would celebrate the "close and continuing" ties between the two countries, which have been a strong and reliable ally to each other.

"President Trump is eager to host the Macrons for this special event as he remembers, fondly, the dinner the couples shared together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day that was last July in 2017, the official said.

On April 24, Macron will meet with Trump in the White House, mid-morning, for a one-on-one session in the Oval Office. That will be followed by an expanded working bilateral meeting between the French and US delegations.

The bilateral meeting will include the Vice President, the Acting Secretary of State, the Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of Commerce, the White House Chief of Staff, and the National Security Advisor.

The visit has three themes: friendship, trade partnership, and the fact that France has been "a strong and reliable" ally of the US.

"President Trump is continuing the legacy of French-American cooperation that stretches back to America's independence, and is working with President Macron to build upon the already strong ties between the United States and France," the official said.

France is the United States' third largest trading partner in Europe, and averages over USD 1 billion in commercial transactions every day.
Two persons, including a child, were killed and four others injured when the jeep they were travelling in collided with a truck near here in the early hours of today, a police official said.

The mishap took place on Meghnagar-Jhabua road near Antarvelia village in the district.

The jeep occupants belonged to two families and were returning to their village Madrani after taking part in a marriage function at Ranapur in Jhabua district, Antarvelia police post in-charge Rajendra Sharma said.

The deceased were identified as Nanda Gari (45) and Naksha (4), he said.

The injured were referred to Vadodara in neighbouring Gujarat after initial treatment at Meghnagar, he said.

The truck driver escaped from the spot along with his vehicle after the mishap, Sharma added.

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Two minor girls drowned in the Dagrain river in Patna district today, police said.

Bhadaur police station Officer-in-Charge Mukesh Kumar said that the deceased have been identified as Karishma and Fruti Kumari, aged around 12-13 years.

Kumar said the two girls slipped into deep waters while taking a bath in the river.

The bodies have been fished out from the river and handed over to relatives, after conducting post mortem examination, police said.

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The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

Official sources said here that the criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently.

The rape of a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district had also outraged the nation.

The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the death of a CRPF jawan from Amethi district in an encounter with Naxalites in Sukma district of Chattisgarh.

The chief minister condoled the death of Assistant Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar Maurya, who hailed from Amethi, in a gun battle between the security forces and Naxalites, and has announced an ex gratia of Rs. 25 lakh for his family, a government spokesman said.

He also asked the minister in-charge of Amethi to personally visit the family and offer condolences on behalf of the government, the spokesman said.

The gunfight took place on Friday night and lasted around half-an-hour.

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An Indian-American teenager, wanted on a felony firearms possession warrant, was shot dead by a California police after he opened fire on them, officials said.

The individual, identified as Nathaniel Prasad, 18, was shot dead on April 5, according to an investigation report released by the Freemont Police Department on Thursday.

He was wanted on a felony probation warrant and a misdemeanor evading arrest warrant for fleeing from a Fremont School Resource Officer on March 22.

On April 5, the Fremont Police Department's Street Crimes Unit identified Prasad as a passenger in a vehicle that was being driven by a female in Fremont area.

The vehicle was known to be associated with Prasad.

Soon the information was broadcast over the police radio about the vehicle and the active warrants and requested marked patrol units to assist with a traffic stop.

Thereafter, two patrol officers responded to the area, activated their emergency lights and siren, and stopped the suspect vehicle just prior to the intersection of Fremont Blvd. and Nicolet Ave.

According to the investigation report, the driver of the vehicle stopped and Prasad fled from the right passenger side of the car on foot.

One of the patrol officers followed Prasad to the rear of a nearby petrol station. The officer, soon stopped his vehicle and quickly got out to confront Prasad.

Prasad pulled a firearm from his waist area and it appears that he fired one to two shots in the direction of the officer, police said.

The officer drew his duty weapon, returned fire and broadcast over the police radio that the suspect had a gun.

Prasad ran back toward Fremont Blvd.

This interaction was captured on video surveillance and was corroborated by statements of the involved officer and witnesses at the scene, the local police said in a statement.

Additional police officers were rushed to the scene.

During the time the six officers were giving chase, Prasad pulled a gun from his waist area, pointed it in the direction of the officers and it appears he fired at least one round.

This interaction is corroborated by the statements of the involved officers, statements of witnesses, the body worn camera footage and in-car camera footage of the event," the report said.

In response, the officers shot in the direction of Prasad, striking him several times, causing him to fall, it said.

"On the ground, Prasad still had the weapon in his hand and officers fired additional rounds, the report said.

Fremont Fire paramedics who arrived on the scene announced Prasad was deceased shortly thereafter.

No officers were injured during the incident, the police said.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Prasad's mother. She was transported back to the Fremont Police Department where she provided a statement to investigators.

The firearm in Prasad's possession was a .22 caliber revolver.

When officers examined the weapon at the scene, it had three spent casings and three empty cylinders.

A records check revealed it was reported stolen.

The recovery of the firearm from Prasad was captured via body worn camera and corroborated by witness statements.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Acting on court directions, the West Bengal State Election Commission today issued a fresh notification, announcing April 23 as the extended date for filing of nominations for the panchayat election.

Scrutiny of the nominations received on that date would be held on April 25 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is April 28, the notification said.

The filing of nominations will take place from 11 am to 3 pm on April 23.

The new dates of the panchayat polls, were, however, not announced by the SEC.

The Calcutta High Court yesterday directed the SEC to issue a fresh notification to allow nominations for panchayat polls in West Bengal, quashing the commission's April 10 order cancelling extension of the deadline for filing nominations.

The high court, which had earlier stayed the election process, also directed the commission to reschedule the dates for the panchayat poll process and accordingly conduct the election.

The SEC earlier in the day held elaborate meetings with political parties before issuing the notification.

The BJP, which initially boycotted the meeting, alleging that police prevented the party delegation from entering the commission's office, later responded to the call of the SEC and joined the meeting with the poll panel.

Mukul Roy, the BJP delegation representative, told reporters that they were not in favour of one-day panchayat polls in the state.

"We have said this to the SEC and demanded at least two-phase polls with the deployment of central paramilitary forces," Roy said.

He also said the SEC told the delegation that the dates for panchayat election would be announced after holding a discussion with the state government on April 23.

After the meeting, Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee told reporters that the party was ready for the polls anytime.

"Our main concern is that the people are not harassed in summer and the panchayat elections are not held during the Ramzan month and monsoon.

"Our priority is to expedite the development process initiated by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," he said, adding, that the polls could be held in one day if necessary.

Both the Congress and Left parties urged the SEC to ensure that the election is free, fair and peaceful.

The commission has to also ensure that the candidates willing to contest are allowed to file their nominations, they said.

The panchayat polls in West Bengal were to be held in three phases on May 1, 3 and 5 and the counting of votes was scheduled on May 8. The tenure of the present panchayat in the state will end in August.

The nomination process for the rural poll ended on April 9, but the SEC had extended it by a day the same evening, following a Supreme Court order.

However, the notification was withdrawn by the SEC on the morning of April 10.

Subsequently, the BJP moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the withdrawal, and Justice Subrata Talukdar stayed the election process on April 12.

Apart from the BJP, the CPI(M) and the Congress, too, had moved the high court separately, challenging the SEC's decision.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has asked a bankruptcy judge to order the Weinstein Co to turn over his emails and personal files, which he claims will help discredit sexual assault allegations against him.

Weinstein is under criminal investigation in Los Angeles, New York, and London. He is also facing numerous lawsuits from former employees and actors who accuse him of harassment and sexual assault.

Weinstein has been disputing this issue with the company since October, when he filed suit in Delaware. The company has continued to refuse access to the material, reported Variety.

According to Weinstein, the company, which fired him on October 8, is intentionally preventing him from defending himself. He also argues that this is counter to the interests of the company and its creditors, as it exposes the Weinstein Co estate to increased civil liability.

"To put it bluntly, TWC, and its counsel, may be knowingly withholding e-mails that may exonerate Mr Weinstein and, importantly, that would aid in the efficient conclusion of multiple pending criminal investigations and civil litigations, thereby limiting significant potential liability to the Debtors and their estates,"the producer's attorney, Scott D Cousins, said.

If they are able to obtain the emails and turn them over to police, Cousins added, "Mr Weinstein's attorneys are confident that any and all investigations can and will be brought to a favorable conclusion."



Cousins also said the company has turned over a "handful" of emails relevant to one case, which were turned over to investigators.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Social activist Medha Patkar today said the country needs basic facilities for ordinary people, and not Smart Cities.

Addressing a press conference here before attending 'Niwara Parishad' for the homeless urban poor, Patkar said, "What is the use of Smart City if people are being displaced?"



Improper planning has led to people from other parts of the state including Vidarbha and Marathwada coming to Mumbai and its surrounding areas seeking livelihood, she said.

The veteran activist also said that the cluster development scheme of the Maharashtra government -- where a group of old buildings can seek permission for collective redevelopment with additional FSI -- is aimed at benefiting only builders and land mafia.

The Congress government at least gave a hearing to activists who spoke out about the issues of urban poor, but the present BJP-led government pays no heed at all, she alleged.

Patkar said she would be a part of every agitation launched in Thane for the people displaced because of government projects or demolition drives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man and his wife were arrested here on charges of duping a woman of over Rs 15 lakh through a fake profile on a matrimonial website, police said today.

The arrests of Oboh Tony, a Nigerian, and Rosy Noronha were made following a complaint by the woman's father, a resident of Motia Khan. She was duped of Rs 15.50 lakh by the couple, they said.

They were arrested on April 14 from Mayur Vihar, police said.

The website had suggested that one Vinoth Abhishek's profile was an ideal match for the woman.

On September 19, 2017, the complainant's wife called Abhishek and they exchanged numbers, police said.

Abhishek called the woman in October, 2017, and told her that he was on duty on a ship and he would be reaching Mumbai on October 20, they said.

He told her that he would be coming to meet her and her family on October 21.

However, Abhishek, later informed the woman that there was a change in his programme as his ship was attacked and damaged by Somalian sea-pirates, and thus, to save his personal belongings he had dispatched them to the her address, police said.

He also told her that he had paid the air freight in advance, but a remaining amount of USD 1,450 had to be paid by them, they said.

The complainant was informed that the consignment had reached the Chhatarpati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai.

The complainant paid Rs 1,92,083, Rs 4,96,700, Rs 7.50 lakh and Rs 1 lakh in the name of the air-freight carrier, difference settlement, Income Clearance, United Nation Clearance and Immigration Fee to be paid to the US Government for transit passport respectively, police said.

Subsequently, the complainant realised that they were being duped and filed a police complaint, they said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
DCW chief Swati Maliwal said today she won't end her fast until "something concrete happens" to ensure safety of a girl child, even though the Union Cabinet approved an ordinance to give stringent punishment, including the death penalty, to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

Maliwal, who is on a hunger strike for the past nine days at Rajghat in New Delhi, made her stand clear in two Twitter posts.

"I congratulate people of this country for this victory. Very few protests have achieved so much in such less time. But until something concrete happens, I will not give up. Until a system is there which ensures safety for the last girl, I won't give up," the Delhi Commission for Women chairperson said.

"I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false that I have broken the fast. Praying to all channels conscience to kindly not report fake news," she added.

Yesterday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged her to end the fast, but she said will continue to fast until all her demands were met.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maliwal mentioned her six demands, which included the passage of the ordinance, recruitment of police personnel as per the United Nations standards and fixing accountability of the police force.

She has sought that files relating to the recruitment of 14,000 police personnel - approved by the Home Ministry but pending with the Finance Ministry - be cleared.

She demanded setting up of fast-track courts across India to try rape cases, and the constitution of a high-level committee, comprising the home minister, the lt governor and the Delhi chief minister, to review issues related to the safety of women in the national capital.

Yesterday, she wrote to the Union Finance Ministry, seeking to know the details of the action taken on proposals received since 2005 to boost the capacity of the Delhi Police.

Stating that Delhi reports three child rape cases everyday, Maliwal said a major impediment in ensuring speedy justice in these cases is the time taken by the police in investigation.

"While the acute shortage of staff felt by the Delhi Police itself may or may not seem urgent on files but at the grassroots, it's having a dangerous effect," she said in the letter.

A group of activists urged Maliwal to end her fast and reconsider her demand for the death penalty for rape of minors. The activists said there is no evidence to suggest the capital punishment acts as a deterrent to stop such crimes.

Amid a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault on girls and women in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, in Surat in Gujarat and in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, the Cabinet today approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

The ordinance will be promulgated after the presidential assent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a major development, the has endorsed an ambitious package of measures that include a USD 13 billion increase in paid-in capital.

The decision came late on Saturday along with a series of internal reforms, and a set of policy measures that greatly strengthen the global poverty fighting institution's ability to scale up resources and deliver on its mission in areas of the world that need the most assistance.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim hailed the decision as "historic" as Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde welcomed the move.

The package approved by the Development Committee of the Board of Governors consists of USD 7.5 billion paid-in capital for Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and USD 5.5 billion paid-in capital for Finance Commission (IFC), through both general and selective capital increases, a media statement said.

It also includes a USD 52.6 billion callable capital increase for the IBRD. The boost in capital will be augmented by a broad range of internal measures, including operational changes and effectiveness reforms, loan pricing measures, and other policy steps to create an even stronger

"The capital package for the IBRD and the IFC agreed to today builds on the strong commitment of contributors to the IDA, as demonstrated in the IDA18 replenishment, the successful launch of IDA in the capital market, and strengthened MIGA financial capacity," the statement said.

Following the decision, the combined financing arms of the are expected to reach an average annual capacity of nearly USD 100 billion between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2030, benefiting all Bank Group members across the income spectrum.

"Through the historic agreement endorsed today, our shareholders have clearly demonstrated a renewed confidence in global cooperation, and we greatly appreciate this strong support from our member countries," Kim said.

"This boost in capital was essential for us to advance our efforts to mobilise additional finance for development to meet the aspirations of the people we serve," he added.

The package endorsed by the Development Committee follows through on shareholders' commitment to the World Bank Group to better assist all client countries in addressing global challenges while deploying scaled-up assistance to areas that most need financing.

Across client groups, the World Bank Group will be able to support drivers of long-term sustainable growth, including investments in human capital and resilience, the statement said.

The package also puts forward a robust commitment by the World Bank Group to further strengthen its operational model and effectiveness, it said.
A French nun affectionately named "the white angel" by the Canadian soldiers she saved during one of the worst disasters to befall Allied forces during World War II has died aged 103, authorities said Saturday.

Sister Agnes-Marie Valois died on Thursday in a monastery, officials in the northern town of Dieppe said.

She tended to wounded soldiers in the Dieppe Raid of August 19, 1942, when a 6,000-strong force of mainly Canadian but also British troops briefly seized the Channel port held by the Germans.

More than a thousand men in the allied force died, hundreds were injured and more than 2,000 taken prisoner. Valois stood up to Nazi soldiers to treat the injured, even persuading German officials to tend to some of the wounded and stealing German rations to feed the men.

Her actions earned her the Legion of Honour, France's highest order. Valois often participated in annual commemorations of the battle, where she was reunited with the men she saved.

"They loved her and she loved them. Whenever she met what she called 'my Canadians' she had a great big smile on her face," Tim Fletcher, a retired captain with Canada's Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, told the National Post newspaper. The raid, codenamed Operation Jubilee, was the first time the Canadian army had engaged in the European theatre of the war.

It is enshrined in Canadian history as an episode of great bravery against overwhelming odds.

Born in 1914 in the French city of Rouen to a family of industrialists, she trained as a nurse with the Red Cross before joining the Augustine order in 1936. Dieppe Mayor Nicolas Langlois said she would be remembered by the town, as well as by Canada, as a heroine.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, who has been a vocal critic of the current BJP leadership and the government, today quit the party and alleged that there was a "threat" to democracy under the present dispensation.

"I have had a long association with the BJP. Today I am severing my ties with the BJP," the 80-year-old announced at a meeting here attended by opposition leaders from the Congress and the RJD besides dissident BJP leader and Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha.

Sinha, who held finance finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but was sidelined after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came at the helm, made it clear that he would not join any other political party, saying he was taking 'sanyas' (retirement) from party and will now work for "saving democracy in the country".

The BJP said it was not surprised by his decision as it was clear from his opinions and actions that he had been acting at the "behest of the Congress".

Sinha has been publicly opposing the Modi government's economic policies and style of functioning.

In a newspaper article, Sinha had criticised Arun Jaitley over what he called the mess the finance minister has made of the economy after which Jaitley hit back calling him "a job applicant at 80 years" who has forgotten his record as finance minister.

In a no-holds barred attack, Sinha had also said that demonetisation had proved to be an unmitigated economic disaster and that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was badly conceived and poorly implemented. He had also deprecated the Centre's handling of Kashmir.

The representatives of the AAP, the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress were also present at the meeting today hosted by "Rashtriya Manch" (National Forum) that Sinha had formed on January 30 as an "apolitical forum" to highlight the alleged"anti-people" policies of the Centre.

Everybody in the BJP is living in fear. We are not, he had said launching the platform after publicly raising a banner of revolt.

Sinha today alleged that democracy was "under threat" under the present government and that he would launch a strong movement to "save democracy" in the country.

"I am announcing from this platform that four years back I had quit electoral Now I am taking 'sanyas' from party I am not going to be a member of any other political party," he said.

The BJP said Sinha's conduct had been improper. "It was clear from his comments and writing that he was no longer in the BJP. These opinions could not be of a BJP leader and he was working at the behest of the Congress.

"The BJP gave him a lot of respect but his conduct was improper," BJP's media head Anil Baluni said.

The Congress, meanwhile, took a swipe at the BJP, saying all honest senior leaders are being forced to take 'sanyas' in the saffron party.

"It seems in BJP all honest senior leaders above 75 are being forced to take sanyas; except those who have the qualification of being former #JailBirds," Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted.

A bureaucrat-turned politician, Sinha had joined the BJP in the early 1990's after a split in the Janata Dal and became its national spokesperson in June 1996. He served as Union Finance and External Affairs Minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

He did not contest 2014 Parliamentary poll and his son Jayant Sinha won from the Hazaribagh seat in Jharkhand on a BJP ticket. Jayant Sinha is Union minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi government at present.

Born on November 6, 1937 in Patna, Yashwant Sinha became an IAS officer in 1960 and held several important administrative posts in Bihar as well the central government during his 24-year tenure.

He served as Principal Secretary to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur in 1977.

Influenced by Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, Sinha eventually resigned from the IAS in 1984 and joined active politics as a member of the Janta Party. He was appointed All-India General Secretary of the party in 1986 and was elected member of the Rajya Sabha in 1988.

When the Janta Dal was formed in 1989, he became its General Secretary. He worked as Minister of Finance from November 1990 to June 1991 in Chandra Shekhar's Cabinet.

Sinha had likened the present situation to that which prevailed 70 years ago when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, on this day and said democracy and its institutions were under attack.

He had even led a farmers agitation in Maharashtra and claimed that the Narendra Modi government had reduced farmers to the status of beggars. He also accused it of presenting made to order statistics to suit its interests.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha, who has been severely critical of the Narendra Modi Government's policies and style of functioning, today quit the BJP, alleging that democracy was under threat and key institutions were being undermined in the country.

The 80-year-old leader, who held finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but was sidelined in the party after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came at the helm, made it clear that he would not join any other political party, saying he was taking 'sanyas' (retirement) from party and will now work for "saving democracy in the country".

Sinha made the annoucement in the presence of dissident BJP MP from Patna Saheb Shatrughan Sinha and opposition leaders like Congress' Renuka Chowdhary, Trinamool Congress' Dinesh Trivedi, rebel JD(U) leader Uday Narain Choudhary and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh.

Lalu Prasad's son Tejashwi Yadav, who attended the function, compared Yashwant Sinha with Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan (JP) and urged him to take up a role similar to the one the socialist leader had played during Emergency to protect the country and Constitution.

"I am announcing from the land of Patna that I would no longer be the part of any 'party-politics' as I am taking retirement from it. And I am not going to join any party," Yashwant Sinha said while addressing a meeting of his newly launched apolitical outfit "Rashtra Manch" (National Forum).

"I took retirment from electoral four years ago... I am severing all my ties with BJP...I will not be the contender for any post in future," Sinha said and added in lighter vein that Shatrughan Sinha always says that those who have stature don't aspire for any post.

The BJP said it was not surprised and was "happy" with his decision as it was clear from his actions that he had been acting at the "behest of the Congress".

"Even as the finance minister in the NDA government, he proved to be once again a disaster. We are actually happy that he has called it quits and will look for his next employment in the party he seems to be great admirer of, which is the Congress party. So we wish him good luck," BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said.

Sinha has been publicly opposing the Modi government on several issues like demonetisation, GST, Kashmir issue and farm distress.

In a newspaper article, Sinha had criticised Arun Jaitley over what he called the mess the finance minister has made of the economy after which Jaitley hit back calling him "a job applicant at 80 years".

Everybody in the BJP is living in fear. We are not, he had said launching the Manch on January 30 after publicly raising a banner of revolt.

The democracy "is under threat again," the former finance minister today.

He claimed the situation is not good in the country, adding "parliament session was curtailed, four senior most judges of the apex court held a press conference, election commission disqualified the membership of 20 AAP MLAs without giving them an opportunity to put forward their case".

Parliament session was shortened keeping in mind Gujarat elections, Sinha alleged.

The central agencies are working at the instance of the central government, Sinha alleged and added that they were "going after some particular individuals".

"If there are problems on economic front or foreign policy, then the next government can bring it on track but if the democracy or democratic institutions die, then it will be difficult for any other government to revive these institutions and that's why we all have come together to save democracy," he said.

Dissident MP Shatrughan Sinha lashed out at the BJP leadership and dared the party to take action against him, asserting he is not going to quit the BJP.

Yashwant Sinha said his life would be dedicated to save democracy in the country. "People, country and freedom all are intact if if the democracy is intact in the country, but people will get to know the problem the day democracy is abolished in the country."



He vowed that he along with "people's power would wipe out those under who democracy is under threat in the country".

A bureaucrat-turned politician, Sinha had joined the BJP in the early 1990's after a split in the Janata Dal and became its national spokesperson in June 1996. His son Jayant Sinha is minister of state for civil aviation minister.

RLD leader Tejashwi Yadav came down heavily on both central and state governments.

"We are seeing you (Yashwant) with hope," Tejashwi, who is leader of opposition in Bihar assembly, said and claimed the BJP-led alliance will bite the dust in 2019 elections.

Training his guns at Modi, Tejashwi said that "a Prime Minister should be like that of a statesman and not like stuntman." "People say that BJP is dangerous party but I say that my uncle Nitish Kumar is more dangerous than BJP people. He (Nitish) stabs in the back and hence people need to be aware and alert of him (Nitish).

Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi attacked the rebel leaders, saying "those who consider themselves above the party and the country will soon find the land slipping from under their feet".

Samajwadi Party's Ghanshyam Tiwari, RLD's Jayant Choudhary and ex-Gujarat minister Praveen Singh Jadeja was also present at the event.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Severing ties with the BJP, former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, who has been critical of the current party leadership, today announced that he is quitting party politics, and will now work for "saving democracy in the country".

"I have had a long association with the BJP. Today I am severing my ties with the BJP," the 80-year-old leader announced at a meeting here attended by opposition leaders from the Congress and the RJD besides dissident BJP leader and Patna Sahib MP Shatrughan Sinha.

Sinha, however, made it clear that he would not join any other political party.

"I am announcing from this platform that four years back I had quit electoral Now I am taking 'sanyas' from party politics," he



The representatives of the AAP, the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress were also present at the meeting hosted by "Rashtriya Manch" (National Forum) that Sinha had formed on January 30 as an "apolitical forum" to highlight the alleged"anti-people" policies of the Centre.

"I am not going to be a member of any other political party," Sinha said.

A bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sinha said that he would launch a strong movement to "save democracy" in the country.

Sinha, who has been at loggerheads with the party leadership, alleged that democracy was under threat under the present government.

A bureaucrat-turned politician, Sinha was born on November 6, 1937 in Patna.

He became an IAS officer in 1960 and held several important administrative posts in Bihar as well the central government during his 24-year tenure.

He served as Principal Secretary to former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur in 1977.

Influenced by Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan, Sinha eventually resigned from the IAS in 1984 and joined active as a member of the Janta Party. He was appointed All-India General Secretary of the party in 1986 and was elected member of the Rajya Sabha in 1988.

When the Janta Dal was formed in 1989, he became its General Secretary. He worked as Minister of Finance from November 1990 to June 1991 in Chandra Shekhar's Cabinet.

Following a split in the JD, Sinha shifted to rge BJP and became its national spokesperson in June 1996. He served as Union Finance and External Affairs minister under Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

He did not contest 2014 Parliamentary poll and his son Jayant Sinha won from the Hazaribagh seat in Jharkhand on a BJP ticket.

Jayant Sinha is Union minister of State for Civil Aviation in the Narendra Modi government at present.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Jharkhand Disam Party candidate for Zilla Parishad election was found hanging at her home in Gajol area of Malda district, police said today.

Family members of Kankana Bala (22) suspected that she committed suicide yesterday following threats by some political party.

Bala was a college student and an ICDS worker, police said.

She had filed her nomination for the Malda Zilla Parishad in the three-tier panchayat election.

Police said they started an investigation and seized her mobile phone to probe the threat angle.

There had been allegations that candidates backed by opposition parties were being threatened and prevented from filing nominations for panchayat polls.

The Calcutta High Court yesterday directed the State Election Commission to reschedule the dates for panchayat election process and accordingly conduct the polls.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Friday, April 20, 2018 at 9:31PM

Warner Bros.

If youve seen the 2013 film Her, you have a bit of an idea what Huawei is working on in the virtual assistant space. The Chinese company is said to be developing a new assistant that will provide emotional interactions. Huaweis Vice President of Software Engineering Felix Zhang talked to CNBC about this. He said, We want to provide emotional interactions. We think that, in the future, all our end users wish [that] they can interact with the system in the emotional mode. This is the direction we see in the long run.

The company is hoping users would want to keep interacting with its assistant so they dont feel as alone, similar to what happened in Her. Now, whether this is something users really want is probably the more important question. What do you think?
news, latest-news

"Concerning" data shows one baby is born addicted to drugs, tobacco or alcohol every fortnight in Canberra, according to statistics from ACT Health. Many more women are accessing services to help overcome or control their substance abuse during pregnancy. But pregnant women who drink alcohol and those who use marijuana are putting their unborn babies at greater long term risk than those abusing harder drugs like ice or heroin, an expert in pediatrics at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians has said. In the 2016-17 financial year 25 babies were born addicted to alcohol, tobacco or other drugs. The year prior there were 22 babies in that category, and in 2014-15 there were 28. According to Professor Paul Colditz, an expert in infants and babies at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and University of Queensland, in many cases the substance abuse wouldn't be picked up at birth. Professor Colditz said stimulants like ice and cocaine could cause miscarriage and stroke in unborn babies, and babies born addicted to methadone or heroin have severe withdrawal symptoms in the days and weeks after birth. He said the withdrawal symptoms from methadone or heroin were severe, and often traumatic for everyone involved. "Suddenly that supply of the drug stops when the placenta separates. The baby becomes jittery, they cry alot, they become hyperactive, they can rub their knees against the sheets so much that they become red and abrased. "They can have seizures. It's distressing for everyone." But babies with mums who drank alcohol or smoked marijuana suffer more in the long term, he said. "Something like cannabis, we have evidence that it causes congenital malformations and heart and gut defects in newborns," Professor Colditz said. "Alcohol is the biggest cause of preventable brain damage in the world." "Everyone agrees alcohol is a toxin. The baby will be small and in particular have a small head. It kills all cells in the body, but most particularly cells in the brain - that's called fetal alcohol syndrome." Professor Colditz said the greatest concern was that even a small amount of alcohol during pregnancy could cause these defects. He said mothers-to-be could never be sure of the effect the alcohol was having on their unborn child, as every person metabolises it differently. The baby of a mother who had one glass of alcohol during pregnancy compared to a mother that drank more could have the same outcomes. Professor Colditz said babies born with fetal alcohol syndrome, or to the lesser degree fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, did not have typical withdrawal symptoms at birth, like babies on methadone. "There is not much withdrawal at all, even for the more seriously affected babies," Professor Colditz said. "Maybe they just go on to become the difficult child in the classroom. They have a very characteristic set of behaviours, the best example is that one of the characteristics is they end up in trouble with the law as adolescents, and not just once or twice or three times, but they're serial offenders. They cannot connect actions and consequences." There are a number of programs run through ACT Health to help pregnant women manage their addictions. Almost 6000 women over the past two years have accessed the ACT government's Pregnancy Enhancement Program which supports women on methadone, those who use drugs or alcohol and women experiencing mental health issues. In addition, about 400 people including partners and family attended a program for pregnant women to address substance abuse over the past two years. University of Canberra professor of midwifery Deborah Davis said the birth statistics were concerning. "There is no doubt that smoking and drug and alcohol use in pregnancy is associated with poorer health outcomes," Professor Davis said. She said it didn't help that the rate of alcohol consumption in women of a childbearing age was increasing. "Approximately 40 per cent of pregnancies are unplanned so many women are taken by surprise by pregnancy and may not have had time to address any smoking, drug or alcohol use issues prior to becoming pregnant," she said. "This means that we should continue to focus more broadly on health promotion in relation to substance use but also that maternity services must be well equipped to assist women with tobacco, drug or alcohol issues in pregnancy." An ACT Health spokeswoman said the government funds preventative health campaigns including Pregnant Pause to discourage drinking alcohol and 'Quit for you, quit for two' to cut rates of smoking. "Sadly, some women do not realise the serious health risks placed on a developing fetus when it is exposed to alcohol or drugs during pregnancy," an ACT Health spokeswoman said. The government also funds postnatal reviews by nurses which includes management of opioid replacement therapy after the birth, drop-in midwife clinics every week, a fetal medicine unit providing care to women with complex pregnancies, and neonatology services which, among other things, monitor babies for signs of withdrawal.

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Update -- April 21, 8:45 a.m.

Officials say a 16-year-old boy is "lucky to be alive" and unharmed after flying from California to Hawaii stowed away in a plane's wheel well, surviving cold temperatures at 38,000 feet and a lack of oxygen.

"Doesn't even remember the flight," FBI spokesman Tom Simon in Honolulu told The Associated Press on Sunday night. "It's amazing he survived that."

The boy was questioned by the FBI after being discovered on the tarmac at the Maui airport Sunday morning with no identification, Simon said.

"Kid's lucky to be alive," Simon said.

Photo: CTV A 16-year-old boy, seen sitting on a stretcher centre, who stowed away in the wheel well of a flight from San Jose, Calif., to Maui is loaded into an ambulance at Kahului Airport in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii Sunday afternoon, April 20, 2014. (The Maui News / Chris Sugidono)

Simon said security footage from the San Jose airport verified that the boy from Santa Clara, Calif., hopped a fence to get to Hawaiian Airlines Flight 45 on Sunday morning. The child had run away from his family after an argument, Simon said. Simon said when the Boeing 767 landed in Maui, the boy hopped down from the wheel well and started wandering around the airport grounds.

"He was unconscious for the lion's share of the flight," Simon said. The flight lasted about 5 1/2 hours.

Hawaiian Airlines spokeswoman Alison Croyle said airline personnel noticed the boy on the ramp after the flight arrived and immediately notified airport security.

"Our primary concern now is for the well-being of the boy, who is exceptionally lucky to have survived," Croyle said.

A photo taken by a Maui News photographer shows the boy sitting upright on a stretcher as authorities get ready to load him into an ambulance.

Simon said the boy was medically screened and found to be unharmed.

His misadventure immediately raised security questions. A Congressman who serves on the Homeland Security committee wondered how the teen could have snuck onto the airfield at San Jose unnoticed.

"I have long been concerned about security at our airport perimeters. #Stowaway teen demonstrates vulnerabilities that need to be addressed," tweeted Rep. Eric Swalwell, a Democrat who represents the San Francisco Bay Area's eastern cities and suburbs.

A Mineta San Jose International Airport spokeswoman said airport police were working with the FBI and the Transportation Security Agency to review security at the facility as part of an investigation.

"Our concern is with this young boy and his family. Thank God he survived and we hope his health is OK," spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes said.

Officials at Kahului Airport referred questions to the State Department of Transportation, which did not return a phone call seeking comment. A Transportation Security Agency spokesman who declined to be named referred questions to the FBI and airport authorities.

The boy was released to child protective services and not charged with a crime, Simon said.

In August, a 13- or 14-year-old boy in Nigeria survived a 35-minute trip in the wheel well of a domestic flight after stowing away. Authorities credited the flight's short duration and altitude of about 25,000. Others stowing away in wheel wells have died, including a 16-year-old killed after stowing away aboard a flight from Charlotte, N.C., to Boston in 2010 and a man who fell onto a suburban London street as a flight from Angola began its descent in 2012.

FBI officials say a 16-year-old boy stowed away in the wheel well of a flight from California to Hawaii, surviving the trip halfway across the Pacific Ocean unharmed despite frigid temperatures at 38,000 feet (11,500 metres) and a lack of oxygen.

FBI spokesman Tom Simon in Honolulu told The Associated Press on Sunday night that the boy was questioned by the FBI after being discovered on the tarmac at the Maui airport with no identification.

Simon says security footage from the San Jose airport verified that the boy hopped a fence to get to Hawaiian Airlines Flight 45 on Sunday morning. Simon says the child had run away from his family.

Simon says the boy will not be charged and was referred to child protective services.
First of all, I believe that the Alberta government implemented this legislation as a scare tactic towards the B.C. NDP Government. The Alberta Government realizes that this legislation could have a negative ripple effect across all provinces who have business dealings in B.C.

This threat should give us British Columbian's an opportunity to determine how our lives are so dependent on gasoline and its by-products. For those who are keen to switch to another non-fossil fuel source of energy you should not complain about this legislation. This legislation should give you the added push to switch to an alternative energy source now, rather than later.

For the B.C. government our question should be what alternative energy sources are you working on at this moment, is it affordable and how soon can it be implemented. If the B.C. government does not have an affordable, alternative energy source plan in place or in the near future than our dependence on gasoline and its by-products must continue. That applies to all British Columbian's who are not ready or able to switch to existing alternative non-fossil fuel energy sources.

It may take several years before we have an affordable alternative energy source and for sure it is going to cost lots of money to study and develop those new sources. If all British Columbian's are neither ready or able to switch to an existing non-fossil fuel energy source now than what choice do we have? The Kinder Morgan pipeline will provide the country with a steady supply of fuel for the interim and funds to apply towards alternative energy sources of the future.

Kathy Wine


Ottawa spends $5.7 million on deer eradication in Haida Gwaii. The decision to give $5.7 million to a handful of New Zealand sharpshooters and Americans is a slap in the face to low and middle income Canadian taxpayers.

Several BC communities, including mine, eradicate urban deer populations annually and utilize the meat, we are very good at it. As for sharpshooters, Canadians are the best in the world, holding 1st, 3rd, and 4th spots in the record books for long distance sniper kills.

This is simply more hard-earned Canadian tax dollars helping foreigners instead of helping Canadians.

Robert Brown
Time to end the dirty double standard in BCs watersheds. This month both Summerland and Peachland were

surprised to learn of mining exploration in their watersheds. Its the latest in a long list of double standards when it comes to watersheds.

In Vancouver and Victoria, any activity, even human trespass, is forbidden. For everywhere else, industrial activities, including clearcut logging and mining, are welcomed. The storyline has long been its about balancing the economy with the environment. For most of us, its about being unable to drink our water.

Just a few decades ago, certainly in the 1930s, many places in B.C. had watershed reserves that prohibited

activities such as logging, the value of water for drinking and irrigation was respected. Communities

are coming to the realization that if 50% of the population can have their drinking water protected,

so can all jurisdictions. To many people around British Columbia, this is an election issue. Forestry, dams, power lines, wind towers, new logging and legacy roads, mineral exploration, ATVs, cattle ranching, unregulated harvest of wildlife and invasive species are all threats to our watershed that require consistent monitoring until they can be controlled or ideally, eliminated.

People who know the land will tell you that the cumulative effect of all the industrial impacts, most of them with no mitigation and restoration requirements are causing soil erosion and heavy runoff, resulting in undrinkable water and increasingly flood conditions.

These are just a few reasons to protect what we have; arguably it is much easier and cheaper than to try and restore it, once it is gone.

Taryn Skalbania
Photo: Contributed

Last year, 158 workers died from workplace injury or disease In British Columbia.

According to the Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Canada, nationally roughly 1,000 workers die each year - nearly three workers a day.

Every year, 250,000 suffer work-related injuries or diseases, and every day, workers suffer from 685 work-related injuries or diseases.

On April 27, the City of Vernon will join in a national day of mourning to pay tribute to the lives lost on the job.

Speakers will include MLA Eric Foster, councillor Juliette Cunningham and representatives from WorksafeBC, BCMSA, RCMP, IAFF and CUPE.

The official day of mourning is April 28.

The Canadian Labour Congress first recognized the Day of Mourning in 1984. In 1990, the day became a national observance with the passing of the Workers Mourning Day Act, and on April 28, 1991, the federal government officially proclaimed the national Day of Mourning.

Canada was the first nation to recognize the Day of Mourning. Since 1984, acknowledgement of the day has spread too many countries and is now observed throughout the world.

Salmon Arm will mark the day with a ceremony at Marine Park on the 27th at 10:30 a.m.

Armstrong will mark the day on the 28 at the IPE Fairgrounds at 11 a.m.

Kamloops will mark the day with a ceremony on April 28 at St. Andrews on the Square at 6 p.m.

Kelowna will mark the day on with a ceremony at Ben Lee Park on the 28th at 12 p.m.
Photo: Google Street View

Bob Sattler has had enough.

Sattler, the manager and former owner of Hi-Pro Corporate Sportswear and Promotional Products on Coldstream Avenue, is frustrated with having to clean up garbage, needles and human excrement from around his business on a daily basis.

But when he received a $100 fine from City of Vernon bylaw for leaving a shopping cart full of items at the Gateway Shelter, that was the last straw.

Sattler's business is a block away from the shelter. He said he often has some of the street-entrenched population set up camp on his property, making a mess that he has to clean up.

On Thursday, Sattler found a small mattress and other items at the back door of his business. So he loaded the items into a shopping cart and took it to the shelter.

Sattler said he thought perhaps the owner of the items checked into the shelter, so he took the items to Gateway in case they needed them.

A guy from bylaw stormed into today; no talking about it, no nothing, he just handed me a ticket for $100 for placing garbage without owner's consent, said Sattler.

Sattler said workers at the shelter were upset when he left the items at the Gateway.

Sattler said he simply left the shopping cart next to the shelter, but Kelly Fehr with the John Howard Society that runs the shelter said there is video footage of Sattler dumping the contents of the shopping cart on the ground.

Fehr said he has known Sattler for a decade and holds him in high regard, having worked with him on charitable committees in the past.

Fehr said he understands and shares Sattler's frustration with the mess left behind by some of the street-entrenched population.

I totally get what Bob is saying. I am just as frustrated as any other business in the community with the amount of garbage left out, the needles being discarded, the shopping carts...our view is no different than anyone else, it's absolutely frustrating, said Fehr.

The unfortunate reality is, if one of his customers goes and litters somewhere, he is not responsible for that person's actions. If a customer that requires shelter services goes and dumps garbage somewhere, we are not responsible for that person's actions when they are outside of our building. When they are inside our building, we can hold them accountable.

Fehr said the person who left the items at Hi Pro was not staying at the shelter and there is little the shelter can do.

Sattler said when the shelter first opened he supported the facility, but his frustration is growing. He feels the shelter attracts people who end up making a mess on his property.

Sattler said he has had enough of the discarded needles, drug use, prostitution and human waste in his backyard and wants something done.

Bylaw said they can't come on to private property, the police say they can't do anything unless they are aggressive, said a very frustrated Sattler, adding it is not fair that he has to clean up his property of a mess left by homeless citizens.

Sattler said he plans to fight the ticket.

Fehr said he was disappointed that Sattler posted the incident online and invited the business operator to call him anytime about the matter.
Photo: The Canadian Press People watch a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, April 21, 2018.

North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

The North rather expressed confidence about its nuclear force, which leader Kim Jong Un declared as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead and flight tests of three intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Some analysts believe Kim is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is unlikely to accept a significant cut of his arsenal or go significantly beyond freezing a nuclear program. South Korean and U.S. officials have said Kim is likely trying to save his broken economy from heavy sanctions.

After the announcement Saturday about testing, President Donald Trump tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!"

He also said he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim.

South Korea's presidential office welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

The North also vowed to actively engage with regional neighbours and the international community to secure peace on the peninsula and create an "optimal international environment" to build its economy.

The announcement came days before Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

A separate meeting between Kim and Trump is anticipated in May or June.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this December 2017 file photo, singer Taylor Swift performs at Z100's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden on in New York.

Police say a stalker broke into Taylor Swift's New York City townhouse and took a nap.

Police say officers investigating a reported break-in Friday found 22-year-old Roger Alvarado asleep in the pop star's home in the Tribeca neighbourhood.

Alvarado, of Homestead, Florida, was arrested on charges of stalking, burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing.

It's not clear whether he has an attorney who can speak for him.

Alvarado was arrested at the same address on Feb. 13 on charges of breaking the front door with a shovel.

Swift was not home during Friday's break-in.

The multiplatinum-selling recording artist has dealt with stalkers on both coasts.

Police said a Colorado man arrested April 14 outside a Beverly Hills home owned by Swift had a knife, a rope and ammunition.
Photo: The Canadian Press Rescuers search for missing boaters on the Taohua River in Guilin in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Chinese state media said that several people have died and others are missing after two dragon boats capsized in southern China, causing dozens of people to fall into the water. (Chinatopix via AP)

BEIJING - Five people were killed on Saturday and multiple others were missing after two dragon boats capsized in southern China, causing 60 people to fall into the water, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The boats had been rehearsing for a race in the Taohua River in the city of Guilin when the accident happened, the broadcaster said. It was not immediately clear what caused the boats to capsize.

Five bodies and two survivors were pulled from the water. Rescuers were searching for an unspecified number of others who remained missing, CCTV said.

China has sought to step up safety surrounding nationwide dragon boat racing during the Duanwu festival, which falls near the summer solstice and commemorates the death of the poet and minister Qu Yuan in the third century B.C.
Photo: Brian Mosychuk A Toyota 4Runner lies on its roof on the Connector Saturday.

Despite warm and sunny weather at the Valley bottom, icy conditions persist on the surrounding mountain passes.

Emergency crews responded to a single-vehicle rollover on the Okanagan Connector Saturday morning, where temperatures are hovering around 0 C.

A silver Toyota 4Runner ended up on its roof on the mountain highway, but it's unclear what caused the crash.

The West Kelowna Fire Department responded to the crash, along with the RCMP.

The condition of the person or people inside the 4Runner is unknown at this time.
BLACK REPUBLICAN BLOG - The Republican Party is the party of civil rights and the four Fs: faith, family, freedom and fairness. The Democratic Party is the party of the four Ss: slavery, secession, segregation and socialism (Quote By Author Michael Scheuer).
Snow-covered field in Southern MN, April 19, 2018.

Photo: Liz Stahl

Planting date: University of Minnesota studies show that corn yield is typically maximized when planting occurs from late April through mid-May. In research conducted at Lamberton, Morris, and Waseca from 2009 to 2011, corn yield was maximized when planting occurred between April 25 and May 15. In long-term research conducted at Lamberton from 1988 to 2003, corn yield was maximized when planting occurred from April 21 to May 6, and reduced by just 5% when planting was delayed until May 15. Minnesota corn growers have achieved good yields in the past several years even when the average corn planting date (50% of the corn planted in the state) has been April 29 for the years 2014-2016 and May 7 in 2017.



Hybrid maturity: Although planting delays raise questions about when to switch to earlier-maturity hybrids, a general guideline in Minnesota is to stay with planned choices unless planting is delayed beyond the third week of May. When planting occurs between May 25 to May 31, a hybrid that is 5 to 7 relative maturity units earlier than full-season for the region is suggested to reduce risk of corn freezing in the fall before reaching maturity.





Keep in mind what your starting point is for hybrid maturity. Many farmers plant hybrids that are not quite full-season for the area to limit drying costs after harvest Switching to an earlier-maturity hybrid too early could reduce yield potential. Other considerations include: 1) the number of corn acres one intends to plant and time required to plant these acres, 2) labor availability during planting, and 3) availability and suitability of earlier-maturity hybrids for your farm.



Planting corn for grain after May 31 in Minnesota carries high risk of reduced yield and test weight and increased harvest moisture and dockage at the elevator. If corn must be planted after May 31 in Minnesota, planting a hybrid about 15 or more relative maturity units earlier than full-season for the region can help reduce risk. At June 5 or later, a crop other than corn should be considered, although this decision will need to be evaluated on a field by field basis.



Soil conditions: Although timely planting is important, it is also important to avoid planting when soils are too wet. Sidewall compaction and poor seed-to-soil contact (cloddy soil structure) can result in poor root growth and poor stands. Even though soil temperatures may be cold now, by the time the snow melts, fields dry, and soils are dry enough for planting, it will be late April to early May and warmer soil temperatures are expected soon afterward. Unless cold weather is forecast soon after planting, soil temperature should not greatly influence this years planting decisions in Minnesota.



Minnesota weather forecast (optimism for the short term): According to the National Weather Service, springtime conditions are in the forecast for the next week. At this time, the only real risk of precipitation for the next seven days is on Tuesday, April 24, with the outlook calling for a quarter to a half inch of precipitation over southern and central Minnesota. The snow pack that remains will rapidly erode with high temperatures in the 50's and 60's, and overnight lows above freezing.



The longer range picture from eight to 14 days from the Climate Prediction Center for the period ending May 3 has normal-like temperatures, which for early May means high temperatures in the mid 60's and lows in the mid 40's. There is a chance, however, of above normal precipitation from April 27 to May 3.



Additional resources: For more information, see



Planting corn for grain after May 31 in Minnesota carries high risk of reduced yield and test weight and increased harvest moisture and dockage at the elevator. If corn must be planted after May 31 in Minnesota, planting a hybrid about 15 or more relative maturity units earlier than full-season for the region can help reduce risk. At June 5 or later, a crop other than corn should be considered, although this decision will need to be evaluated on a field by field basis.Although timely planting is important, it is also important to avoid planting when soils are too wet. Sidewall compaction and poor seed-to-soil contact (cloddy soil structure) can result in poor root growth and poor stands. Even though soil temperatures may be cold now, by the time the snow melts, fields dry, and soils are dry enough for planting, it will be late April to early May and warmer soil temperatures are expected soon afterward. Unless cold weather is forecast soon after planting, soil temperature should not greatly influence this years planting decisions in Minnesota.According to the National Weather Service, springtime conditions are in the forecast for the next week. At this time, the only real risk of precipitation for the next seven days is on Tuesday, April 24, with the outlook calling for a quarter to a half inch of precipitation over southern and central Minnesota. The snow pack that remains will rapidly erode with high temperatures in the 50's and 60's, and overnight lows above freezing.The longer range picture from eight to 14 days from the Climate Prediction Center for the period ending May 3 has normal-like temperatures, which for early May means high temperatures in the mid 60's and lows in the mid 40's. There is a chance, however, of above normal precipitation from April 27 to May 3.For more information, see Considerations for late-planted corn in Minnesota and visit Extensions corn production website: www.z.umn.edu/corn

By Lizabeth Stahl, Jeff Coulter, and Dave NicolaiMuch of Minnesota has been covered in snow past mid-April and it will take some time for field conditions to dry enough for field work and planting to begin. Farmers are encouraged to consider the following as they wait for the 2018 corn planting season to begin.



remaining of

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MOSS POINT, Miss. -- Students at Kreole Elementary in Moss Point will have better conditions to play in for recess after Lowe's in Pascagoula chose the school for their "Lowe's For Heroes" project.

The program saw about 10-12 volunteers to come out to help assist with the beautification project where the goal was to revitalize the current area students play in and beautify them.

Asst. Principal Carol Jackson said originally, she only asked for picnic tables, but once Lowe's told her those would only cost $60, she decided the outside play area for the students could be revamped.

"We were glad that Lowe's chose Kreole as its first beautification project in our community," Jackson said. "We want to be trendsetters and we believe this project reflects that notion. We also want to help get Lowe's name out there as well because it is good to see community-minded people to take interest in local schools."

Danielle Ward, manager of the Pascagoula Lowe's said Kreole was chosen because they seemed to be the school in most need of the project and said the plan is to get the students outside to enjoy all that nature has to offer.

"After traveling to different schools in Pascagoula and Moss Point, we felt that Kreole needed the project the most," Ward said. "We also knew that they had construction going on already and we wanted to assist in their endeavors."

"We are adding seating areas for the children to be able to come out of the classroom and enjoy their surroundings and their day," Ward said.

Lowe's delivered six to eight picnic tables so that students can sit outside and enjoy their lunch and nature all at the same time. (MPSD)

The project started with a tilled path that leads from the doorway out to the playground. The area where the swing and other playground equipment resides, mulch and top soil will be placed there to keep children from scraping their knees -- seats will also be placed on the swing set and flowers will be planted around the area.

Playground equipment will also be repainted.

Ward said she hopes the impact will be felt the most by students.

"We are hoping that students will be impacted the most -- they are the ones we want to make sure they have a place to come out and enjoy their day and know that Lowe's is here to help them," she said.

With the picnic tables being placed outside of the school, Jackson said she hopes the community takes responsibility for the beautification of the equipment as well.

"This is huge on Lowe's part, but we know that the community must do its part in keeping the area beautiful also," Jackson said. "We know that when we are not here, people will be sitting out here, but we just ask that if you do, be sure to clean up after yourselves and do not leave trash for us to come behind and pick up."
More than 160 volunteers turned out to clean up Deer Island Friday, marking the annual kickoff of Mississippi Power's "Renew Our Rivers" program.

BILOXI, Mississippi -- More than 160 volunteers from across the coast arrived at the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor in the early morning chill Friday to ride boats across to Deer Island to help pick up trash and debris from the barrier island.

While happy to be there and do their part, what they found was disheartening.

More than two tons of debris, including a machete, BBQ grills, tires -- even remnants of a makeshift meth lab -- were found by volunteers.

The cleanup of Deer Island is the annual kickoff of Mississippi Power's "Renew Our Rivers" campaign, now in its 13th year. The program will move to various other waterways along the Mississippi coast in the coming weeks.

"It's really sad, all the glass and stuff you find out here," said volunteer Julie Boudreaux of Gulfport. "We've found a lot of broken glass, whole glass bottles, liquor bottles -- and some nasty stuff I'm not going to go in to."

The Harrison County Marine Patrol confirmed that the makings of a meth lab were found, including empty packets of Sudafed -- commonly used in the making of methamphetamine -- but said no hazardous materials were found.

Other items included barbed wire, a roadside hazard barrel, lawn chairs, coolers and a large amount of wood -- much of which likely came from piers destroyed during Hurricane Nate.

"It's unbelievable," said Mississippi Power CEO Anthony Wilson of the amount of waste. "This morning when I was out picking up, it was just incredible the amount of stuff somebody could just have easily dropped in a garbage can. It's kind of heartbreaking when you see some of that.

"But we have the opportunity here to bring the island back the way the good Lord wanted it, and that's what we'll do. It may only last for a short while, but we'll do it again."

The Renew Our Rivers program started in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Deer Island cleanup has served as the program kickoff for the past nine years. Renew Our Rivers has won numerous conservation awards and is considered one of Mississippi's top environmental stewardship programs.

Over the previous 12 years, volunteers have collected more than 362 tons of debris from Mississippi coast waterways. Wilson said Friday's turnout was the largest in the event's history.

"Katrina devastated our ecological systems here," Wilson said. "It did so much damage to our coast, we just thought this would be a good way to begin. It really grew from a need everyone identified after the storm and grew from there.

"It's become something our employees enjoy and the community along the coast really enjoys participating. We're proud of it."

The Beau Rivage, Hard Rock Biloxi, Golden Nugget and Harrah's Gulf Coast casinos partnered with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Waste Management, and Eco Tours of South Mississippi to support Renew Our Rivers.

The kickoff is annually held in conjunction with Earth Day on April 22.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos met with Pentagon officials Thursday to talk about one of her favorite topics: Extending school choice to the children of military personnel.

The meeting has stoked fears among school districts that receive Impact Aid that the Trump administration is planning to put its muscle behind a bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., and Sens. Ben Sasse, R-Neb ., and Tim Scott, R-S.C.

DeVos has not endorsed the bill publicly, and she did not discuss it or any other specific proposals in the meeting. Instead, they talked about school choice for military personnel more generally, a department official said.

Importantly: the Impact Aid proposal in Congress isnt the only idea on the table to create new choice options for military-connected students. (More on other possibilities below).

Impact Aid helps school districts make up for tax revenue lost because of a federal presence, such as a military base or Native American reservation. The Banks-Sasse legislationwhich is based on a proposal by the conservative Heritage Foundationwould create education savings accounts for military families, funded by the $1.3 billion Impact Aid program.

Under the Banks-Sasse bills, money would instead go to directly to parents, who could use it for everything from private school tuition to tutoring to community college courses.

The White House might be interested in the idea, based on an internal memo that surfaced last year. That memo showed that the administration was mulling a proposal to allocate 1 billion dollars to create an education savings account for military families living on bases. It did not specifically mention Impact Aid as a funding source for the program, however.

The Banks-Sasse legislation faces long odds on Capitol Hill, where Impact Aid remains popular with lawmakers, including Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the chairman of the House panel that oversees education spending.

And groups representing military families and Impact Aid districtsincluding the Military Child Education Coalition, the Military Officers Association of America, National Military Family Association, the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, and the Military Impacted Schools Associationare vehemently opposed to the idea. They argue it would hurt public schools serving vulnerable populations.

Proposals to divert Impact Aid from schools that educate concentrations of military-connected students are short sighted and will only reduce opportunities for all students in these school districts, they said in a statement released in December. (Read the full statement here .) Supporters of the legislation counter that the proposal would require only a small cut to districts share of Impact Aid.

However, there are other plans on the table to give military-connected kids more K-12 options that dont involve Impact Aid.

A separate bill sponsored by Scott would create a school choice pilot program on at least five bases . Under his legislation, military families would be eligible for scholarships of up to $8,000 for elementary and $12,000 for high school.

There have also been efforts to add similar language to defense bills. So far, none of them have passed. But using existing defense department dollars to create a choice program might be a more politically palable way for DeVos to extend choice to military families, if thats something she wants to do. The potential downside? A more limited proposal like Scotts though, may not reach as many students as the Banks-Sasse bill, and could require new money.

Noteably, DeVos said last year during an apperance at Fort Bragg in North Carolina that Scotts bill was worth a look.

Want more? Education Week previewed possibilities for extending choice to populations the federal government has a special responsibility for, such as military-connected kids, students on Native American reservations, and students in the District of Columbia here .

Photo credit: Swikar Patel for Education Week

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
A team of students from Hixson High School has earned a spot in the Top 50 of the nationwide VanCustom Culture competition. A panel of judges selected their work from a submission pool of 500 entries to continue to the public voting phase and a chance to win $75,000 for their art program.

The entry itself is two pairs of Vans shoes. Vans sends out shoes to all the participants, requesting them to create designs fitting two separate prompts. This years themes are Local Flavor and Off the Wall.

For Local Flavor, the Hixson High students decided to highlight iconic sights and symbols of the Greater Chattanooga area. These shoes represent Ruby Falls, Rock City, the Incline Railway, the Choo Choo, Point Park, and cultural icons like the Delta Queen and the Cherokee water spider. The Tennessee River can also be seen coursing over both shoes, bringing them together.

In the Off the Wall design, students built platforms to create a cavern underneath. The cave is lit by fairy lights, making the cast resin crystals gleam. Mushrooms dot the subterranean landscape, and a monster defends his treasures. Moss encircles the trim of the shoes, providing a smooth transition from top to bottom. Living plants are placed inside the shoes, while artificial sprouts pop up near the toe.

Voting opens on April 23 and closes on May 4. Individuals can vote once per day at customculture.vans.com. The team at Hixson appreciates the readers support, whether through votes or sharing their story.
"He prepared a memo that was allegedly the justification for my being fired. I didn't think much of that," Comey said. "I want to say something positive about the deputy attorney general. I think he has, since then  and maybe because of that  gone out of his way to protect the special counsel (Robert Mueller) and the rule of law at the Justice Department. And so, good. Good for him."
It's not clear whether he has an attorney who can speak for him.

Alvarado was arrested at the same address on Feb. 13 on charges of breaking the front door with a shovel.
For nearly a decade, Duster and a group of volunteers have been working to pay for a monument that could serve as a proper appreciation for Wells-Barnett. The Ida B. Wells Commemorative Art Committee has hosted fundraisers and taken collections. It commissioned famed sculptor Richard Hunt, who designed a granite and bronze monument that would be placed in Bronzeville near Wells-Barnett's former home.
One robber was described as a black man, about 19 to 20 years old and about 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 6 inches with a thin build. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and light gray shoes.
Prosecutors have said that the Facebook video shows one of the two women laughing as she punched the teen; a male foot on the victim's head; the teen groaning in pain as a male pulled a cord around his neck; and the victim screaming in fear when a male approached with a knife, saying, "Should I shank his a--?"
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"There's no words that I can say that will make it easier, the grief part," Johnson told families of some of the fallen officers before a crowd that included Mayor Rahm Emanuel, former police Superintendent Phil Cline and top department brass all clad in dress blues. "But just know that I'm always thinking about you. The department is always thinking about you. And we thank you for the sacrifice you all have made by letting your loved ones serve this city."
In an attempt to get to a phone and call 911, prosecutors said, J.B. asked to see his tanning business, the now-shuttered Soleil Tanning Salon. She tried calling police from the desk phone but accidentally put the phone on speaker, triggering Winner's ire; when she managed to get her own phone back from him, she called 911 and her sister, asking for help, prosecutors said.
As Sales-Griffin struggled through the event with no prepared remarks, he increasingly noted how poorly things were going. Near the end, he offered up some explanations: He had been up late the night before on a "hackathon" trying to get his campaign site launched and was awake at 6 a.m. watching TV debates from the 2015 mayor's race to prepare for possible questions. Sales-Griffin also said he had spent too much time in recent days "draining my savings" and "asking my friends for more of their money" to help bankroll the free "Neal for Mayor" campaign signs and the black-and-white "MAYOR" T-shirts that were for sale.
His father, a prolific writer of love letters to his wife, laughed when his son read a letter from their wedding anniversary in 1994. It began: "Will you marry me? Oops! I forgot we did that, 49 years ago." But when his son continued reading, about how his father grew happier each year spent with his wife, his father closed his eyes and cried. Jeb Bush later hugged his father and kissed him on the cheek.
In an emergency meeting, India's cabinet approved an amendment to the law protecting children from sexual offenses that will set the minimum penalty for the gang rape of a child under 12 to life imprisonment or death, and the minimum for the rape of a child to 20 years up to a maximum sentence of life or death. It also doubled, to 20 years, the minimum punishment for the rape of a child under 16.
In this Monday, March 5, 2018 photo, provided by the North Korean government on March 6, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, his sister Kim Yo Jong, and Vice Chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee Kim Yong Chol meet members of South Korean delegation headed by National Security Director Chung Eui-yong in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP)
Twenty-three people died of the heat on this date, but the death that drew the most attention was that of a 31-year-old Indiana man who, on his birthday a month earlier, had been declared Public Enemy No. 1 by the FBI.

At the time of his death, handsome, daring bank robber John Herbert Dillinger was as famous as anyone in America.In little more than a year, Dillinger had robbed several banks, escaped from two jails, eluded police traps and killed at least one police officer.

Despite Justice Department rewards totaling $15,000, he had lived an unnoticed and relatively normal life on Chicago's North Side. He often had dinner at the Seminary Restaurant at Lincoln and Fullerton Avenues. He went to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and pulled one of his trademark bravado stunts by saying hello to his lawyer, who was chatting with a police officer.

Dillinger's girlfriend was a red-haired waitress named Polly Hamilton. Her landlady, Anna Sage, who was to become known legendarily--though inaccurately--as "the Woman in Red," was Dillinger's confidant and knew his identity.

In the heat of that July, movie houses advertised that they were "air-cooled." Perhaps that's what made Dillinger decide to take Hamilton and Sage to a movie that evening. If so, there were 24 heat-related deaths that day.

Dillinger told the women he wanted to go to the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue where " Manhattan Melodrama," starring William Powell and Clark Gable, was playing. Sage told the law.

Sage, who had come to America from Romania as Ana Cumpanas, was a successful operator of houses of prostitution. Deportation proceedings had been started against her, but when Dillinger admitted his identity to her, she must have thought she had been given a ticket to remain in this country.

Dillinger and the two women--Sage in an orange skirt that looked red in the light of the marquee--left the Biograph about 10:30 p.m. More than 20 law-enforcement officers were waiting. As the three walked south on Lincoln, Dillinger realized he was walking into a trap and bolted for the alley. Shots rang out. One bullet hit Dillinger in the back of the neck and exited through his right eye. That shot killed him.

Sage died in 1947 in Romania, to which she had been deported.
The relationship between Sessions and Rosenstein - and their staffs - has been strained at times over the first year of the Trump administration. But people familiar with Sessions's thinking say that he has said several times that he would find it difficult to remain as attorney general if Trump fired for no good reason the veteran prosecutor in Baltimore that Sessions chose to be his deputy. The two men, along with Solicitor General Noel Francisco, were spotted in February dining together at a restaurant near the Justice Department, generating some speculation that they were attempting a display of solidarity.
But for now, fewer people are aiming gun barrels at one another and pulling triggers. An average of five people a day have been shot in 2018 in Chicago, down from an average of more than nine shot per day last year. And even last year, too, brought a few welcome anomalies: The Englewood neighborhood saw the lowest level of gun violence in 2017 since CPD began keeping records. "Englewood, one of the most historically violent neighborhoods in Chicago, led our gun violence reductions last year, and so far this year, they're doing it again," CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson recently told the City Club of Chicago.
New Zealand finished the pool stages as the only unbeaten team at the HSBC Kitakyushu Sevens after Spain beat Australia for the first time in five years and China reached a first-ever Cup quarter-final.

World Rugby: April 21, 2018 - New Zealand were the only unbeaten team on a day of upsets at the HSBC Kitakyushu Sevens in Japan on Saturday with Spain and Fiji joining them in the Cup quarter-finals as pool winners.



The Black Ferns Sevens will now face first-time Cup quarter-finalists China in the opening match on Sunday at 10:30 local time (GMT+9) after the Chinese marked their return to the series for the first time since 2014-15 with a 24-12 win over Ireland to finish as the best third-placed team across the three pools.

Spain became the first team to beat Olympic champions Australia in the 2018 series, ending their run of 14 consecutive victories after an impressive fight-back was completed by Maria Ribera's last-gasp try for a 17-14 win in the Pool A decider.

That loss means that Australia will face Fiji in a mouth-watering Cup quarter-final after the Pacific Islanders recovered from an opening defeat to Canada to beat both Russia and England to top Pool A and reach the quarter-finals for the first time this season.

VIEW FIXTURES AND RESULTS >>

VIEW FINAL POOLS >>

Russia and England still advanced to the quarter-finals  where they will face France and Spain respectively  but Canada miss out for the first time in series history and will instead play Ireland in the Challenge Trophy.

They will be joined in that competition by neighbours USA, who were set to advance to the quarter-finals as one of the best third-placed teams until they conceded a third try against Japan at the death, a score that meant England guaranteed a top-eight finish. USA will now face Japan again in the other Challenge Trophy semi-final.

POOL A

In a repeat of last year's Challenge Trophy final, Ireland ran out 17-14 winners over Spain in a tight match. Ireland led 12-0 only for Spain to hit back through converted tries for Marina Bravo and Maria Casado, but there was to be one final twist with Stacey Flood scoring to snatch victory for the Irish. Australia then made it 13 wins in a row on the 2018 series  their longest run  with a 33-5 defeat of invitational team China, who are making their first appearance since the 2014-15 series this weekend. China did score only their second-ever try against Australia through captain Yan Meiling, but tries from Emma Tonegato, Dom du Toit and debutant Yasmin Meakes ensured a winning start for the Olympic champions.

China nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback in their second match against Spain, recovering from 19-0 down with tries from Yan, Wang Wanyu and Chen Keyi to cut the deficit to two points. Unfortunately for them, Chen pulled a seemingly straightforward conversion to the left of the post and Spain were able to get possession and boot the ball into touch to escape with the win. Australia made no such mistake in their second match, Emilee Cherry scoring a brace as the series leaders passed through the 4,000-point marker in their 31-0 defeat of Ireland.

The Chinese, who will join the series as a core team next season, were finally rewarded for their endeavours with a 24-12 victory over Ireland in their final pool match with Chen scoring two of their four tries and they can now look forward to a first appearance in the Cup quarter-finals. Australia looked set to progress as Pool A winners after moving into a 14-0 lead against Spain with tries from Demi Hayes and Meakes, but Las Leonas had other ideas and two tries from Elisabet Martinez cut the deficit to two points before the pressure finally told and Ribera scored to give her side their first win over Australia since 2013 in Amsterdam.

REACTION: @ferugby star @PGR_RUGBY on her sides first win over Australia since Amsterdam in 2013. Spain top Pool A going into day two Cup quarter-finals. pic.twitter.com/YC1IPWEDR5  World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) April 21, 2018



POOL B

The Pool B opener brought the first surprise of the tournament, not necessarily in the result but the margin of victory with France dominant throughout in beating USA 36-0. Jade Le Pesq, on her return to the sevens fold after winning the Six Nations Grand Slam, scored two of their six tries in an impressive display. Newly-crowned Commonwealth Games gold medallists New Zealand produced a clinical display in their opening match against hosts Japan, Portia Woodman and Michaela Blyde both crossing for doubles in a 38-5 victory. The biggest cheer of the match, though, was reserved for Raichielmiyo Bativakalolo when she finished off a Japanese break to score a second-half try.

France followed up their record win over the USA with another strong display against Japan, Camille Grassineau and Anne Cecile Ciofani among their five try scorers in a 33-5 defeat of Japan. The Sakura Sevens kept battling to the end, cheered on by the home crowd, and were rewarded when 18-year-old Yume Hirano grabbed a late consolation try. USA's loss to France made their encounter with New Zealand a must-win match and they started brightly with Jordan Gray's opening try, but Woodman, Niall Williams, Blyde, Gayle Broughton and Shakira Baker ensured the Black Ferns Sevens emerged the 31-12 victors.

USA knew that, after two defeats, they needed to score as many points as possible against hosts Japan if they were to reach the quarter-finals and everything seemed to be going to plan after a Naya Tapper hat-trick and double from Alev Kelter put them 45-7 in front. However, they switched off and Japan scored two late tries through Mifuyu Koide and Bativakalolo which meant that USA finished with a points difference of -27 to England's -24 and found themselves consigned to the Challenge Trophy instead. Woodman then scored a first-half hat-trick  taking her tally to six in Kitakyushu and 28 for the series  as New Zealand ran out comfortable 38-7 winners over a French team that were a completely different opponent than in their earlier matches.

REACTION: Three wins from three on day one for the @BlackFerns, hear from @PortiaWoodman who scored six tries #Kitakyushu7s pic.twitter.com/BOlLc7MGCK  World Rugby Sevens (@WorldRugby7s) April 21, 2018



POOL C

Russia and England had the honour of opening the tournament and, roared on by groups of excited school children in the Mikuni World Stadium, it was the Russians who snatched a 17-10 victory after late tries from Baizat Khamidova, the DHL Impact Player in Sydney, and Elena Zdrokova denied the Commonwealth Games bronze medallists. Canada, who lost their inspirational captain Ghislaine Landry to injury on Friday, then proved too strong for a Fijian side who received three yellow cards in their opener, running out 38-14 winners in a match that saw Hannah Darling score their 600th try in series history.

Fiji have finished no higher than 10th this season, but they turned the form book on its head to beat Russia 29-5 with captain Ana Maria Roqica scoring either side of half-time to turn the match in her side's favour as Fijiana showed some of the touches that had taken them to the bronze medal match in Kitakyushu last year. England then ensured that all four teams would go into the final round of matches with one victory apiece by beating Canada 21-19, albeit only after Natasha Hunt curled the conversion between the posts after Emily Scott's try had tied the scores with time up on the clock.

With quarter-final places at stake it was Fiji who came out firing in the penultimate pool match, scoring three first-half tries through Tima Ravisa, Viniana Riwai and Naimasi to lead a stunned England 19-0. The Red Roses responded with a try from Jess Breach after the break, but it was quickly cancelled out by second tries for Ravisa and Naimasi as Fiji, cheered on by supporters from the Oita prefecture that hosted them ahead of the 2017 tournament, ran out 31-12 winners. Canada scored first against Russia through Olivia Apps, but with captain Alena Mikhaltsova pulling the strings and among their try-scorers it was the Russians who battled back to win 19-5 and leave Canada contemplating their failure to reach the Cup quarter-finals for the first time in series history.
Some members of the Supreme Court have listened. When a judicial opening occurs in their districts, they seek applications, appoint a screening committee to recommend candidates and keep a safe distance to ensure against the perception of a conflict of interest. As recently as Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Rita Garman announced the formation of a judicial screening committee for an opening in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Central Illinois. She announced the committee members' names and invited members of the public to submit comments.
While we just experienced a chilly March, and are now experiencing a downright cold April, our last subfreezing high was back on Feb. 12. How does that stack up to the average, and does it approach a record for the earliest last subfreezing high?
Throughout about nine hours of deliberations leading up to the Jan. 25 verdict convicting Baker of attempted murder, home invasion, and three counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, the juror told other jurors she believed Baker was not guilty and wasn't going to change her mind, she stated in a March 29 affidavit. The juror stated she was told if Baker were acquitted, that would mean two Aurora police officers who testified at trial were lying.
"I think our generation is starting to wake up to the problems of the world," said Carson, who noted he wasn't alive at the time of the Columbine shooting. "When Parkland happened, it was as if it was normal. This can't be normal, and we can't continue to accept this."
"It's the village board that's responsible for adopting a budget and for monitoring the finances," he said. "It is in my view incumbent on the board to look this problem in the eye and make a determination how to best pay your bills. You haven't been doing that for a number of years and it is now time for this board to do that."
According to state statute, the local party committee may nominate a candidate to fill this vacancy. Precinct committeemen will now help Brophy get the required 1,202 signatures on a nominating petition which must be filed with the Will County Clerk by June 4.
Elgin firefighter Robert Marquardt said Fire Ops 101 was created by the International Association of Firefighters and gives participants a better understanding of the fire service so they keep in mind what they learn when making decisions that impact fire departments and districts. This was the first time that Local 439 hosted the program here in Elgin.
The search firms interviewed so far have said it is possible to have a candidate selected by the end of 2018, Strack said. The latest the board would want to be making a choice is this time next year because the candidate pool will start to dwindle as other districts make hires.
Steven D. Apple II, 23, of the 8800 block of Niles Center Road, Skokie, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from an incident April 13 in the 6300 block of Pulaski Road in Chicago. Police said Apple II was pulled over after he was found speeding in the 6400 block of Crawford Avenue.
"It was a secret in our house," Moeller said. "Sexual assault was often a shameful thing to talk about. There weren't the counseling services we have today. There was not an acceptance we have today. She dealt with it in a very dignified and brave way. It didn't ruin her life, but I think back about the struggle she must have gone through dealing with that pain. It was before we were really open and supportive of victims."
According to projections, demolishing the current Indiana Avenue structure and rebuilding there would cost between $1.4 million and $2.6 million. Buying and building on a new site after demolishing the existing building would cost between $700,000 and $1.2 million, but the governmental purchase of land would mean one less office building on the county tax base.
A 19-year-old Chicago man was charged April 12 with retail theft at Kohl's after a Norridge resident spotted him in his backyard. Roberto Vasquez, of the 4200 block of West Monticello Avenue, was charged with retail theft and possession of marijuana. He is due in court May 11. A police officer was dispatched at 1:31 p.m., to the Harlem Irving Plaza, in connection with a retail theft in which two suspects had fled. A loss prevention agent told police he observed the two select several items. He said they proceeded to fitting rooms, where the items were concealed in backpacks they were carrying. He said they made their way to the second floor exit level exit and left without paying. He said after exiting, they were approached by a security officer who attempted to get them to return to the security office. He said they took off across the parking lot, with one going down a ramp, while the other was lost sight of. He said a short time later, a resident saw Vasquez in his backyard, and contacted police, knowing they were looking for him. He said he also flagged down a mall security guard. Police said at the station, while recovering items from his backpack, four baggies of a substance suspected to be marijuana was found. Police said the suspect marijuana tested positive. The clothing items returned to the store had a value of $79.
She has thought about the "what ifs" and whether she could have done more to save Jesse, but decided she couldn't focus on that and had to look ahead instead. "What can we do going forward to prevent this from happening to other people?" she said.
You are here: Business

China tops the world in the number of business entities thanks to years of market access reform.

There were 100.24 million business entities across the country in March, including enterprises and individually-owned businesses, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). The figure makes China the largest nation of entrepreneurs in the world.

Individually-owned businesses make up nearly 70 percent of the number.

China had less than 500,000 business entities 40 years ago when it initiated reform and opening up.

The number boomed during the past five years as the government stepped up effort to loosen restrictions on business registration. Business entities jumped 70 percent from 2012 to 2017. Fifty thousand new entities are registered each day.

"One million used to be unimaginable," He Xin, president of China Society of Market Supervision, said, attributing the growth to government efforts to cut red tape.

China has greatly relaxed market access to allow people to set up their own businesses, with 87 percent of approval items either reduced or canceled.

During the past five year, the high-tech industry witnessed rapid growth, and new service companies accounted for nearly 80 percent of registrations. Private businesses became the biggest employer, creating 40 percent of new urban jobs.

The World Bank data showed China improving by 18 places in ease of doing business in the past five years, and by 65 places in ease of setting up businesses.
"Now is the best time for Chinese private enterprises to invest in Africa," Wei Jianguo, executive deputy director of China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), said at a seminar titled "China-Africa Investment and Opportunities" in Beijing on Friday.

The Chinese government has offered strong policy support for China-Africa cooperation. The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping has brought about many opportunities in various fields, such as economy and trade, education, science and research, healthcare and culture, Wei said.

In addition, the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to be held in September will also advance economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries, Wei added.

Wei noted, as the China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership for cooperation further develops, exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and African business communities in such areas as infrastructure, finance, green economy, trade and investment have continuously expanded. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, the total import and export volume between China and Africa amounted to around US$169.75 billion in 2017.

Wei stressed there are a lot of latecomers that don't want to sit still and they are seeking opportunities in Africa. If Chinese private enterprises don't grasp this great opportunity to start businesses or invest in African countries in the next five to ten years, they will lose their chance in Africa.

"As an old African proverb goes, if you want to go quickly, go alone; if you wanna go far, go together," Wei said. "Under the principle of mutual trust, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, Chinese enterprises are able to accomplish more in Africa."

The seminar, co-hosted by China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC) and China Economic Consulting Corporation (CECC), aims to expand cooperation between China and African countries in economy and trade and help Chinese enterprises to better "go global."
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "keenly" grasping the historic opportunity for informatization development in a bid to build the country's strength in cyberspace.



Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and head of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, made the remarks at a national conference on the work of cybersecurity and informatization held from Friday to Saturday.

Premier Li Keqiang, deputy head of the commission, presided over the meeting, attended by other leaders including Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng. Wang Huning, also deputy head of the commission, made a concluding speech at the conference.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has achieved historic progress in the development of cybersecurity and informatization, formed a model of cyberspace governance with Chinese characteristics, and developed a strategic thought to advance the country's strength in this regard, Xi said.

Xi urged improving the governance capacity in cyberspace and developing a governing network led by the Party.

Internet media should spread positive information, uphold the correct political direction, and guide public opinion and values towards the right direction.

Internet service providers should take responsibility to prevent cyberspace from degrading into a platform full of harmful, false, and provocative information.

Efforts should be made to enhance self-discipline of the internet industry, and mobilize all sectors to take an active part in cyberspace governance.

Xi stressed cyberspace security, noting that China will enhance security of information infrastructure, develop coordination mechanisms, tools, and platforms for cybersecurity, enhance the capacity in responding to cybersecurity emergencies, and support relevant industries.

China will fiercely crack down on criminal offenses including hacking, telecom fraud, and violation of citizens' privacy, he said.

Stressing that the country will endeavor to achieve breakthroughs in core information technologies, Xi said more resources will go into researches, industrial development, and policy making.

The development of cybersecurity and informatization should contribute to China's drive to develop a modernized economy and achieve high-quality development, and to the new model of industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, Xi noted.

Efforts should also be made to develop the digital economy, promote deep integration between the internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and real economy, and make the manufacturing, agriculture, and service sectors more digitalized, smart, and internet-powered, he said.

The people-centered development vision should be upheld throughout cyberspace development, and the people's wellbeing should be the starting point and footing for IT development, Xi said.

Xi urged enhancing military-civilian integration in the field of cybersecurity and informatization, calling it a key and cutting-edge frontier field with the greatest vitality and potential in the integration drive.

He called for putting in place a comprehensive and highly-efficient network of integration.

Xi said it is a general trend and common aspiration of the people to promote the reform of the global cyberspace governance system by sticking to a multilateral approach with multi-party participation from the government, international organizations, internet enterprises, technology communities, non-governmental institutions, and individuals.

Cyberspace governance under the framework of the United Nations should be advanced and non-state entities should play a better role, he said.

He called for strengthening cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road in internet infrastructure, digital economy, and cybersecurity to build a digital silk road of the 21st century.

Xi also stressed the centralized, unified leadership of the Party over cybersecurity and informatization.

While presiding over the conference, Premier Li Keqiang said Xi has pointed a clear direction for development in grasping the historic opportunity of the information revolution, enhancing cybersecurity and informatization as well as stepping up the building of an internet power.

In his concluding remarks, Wang Huning called for concrete measures to implement Xi's speech, a "guiding document" for cybersecurity and informatization in the new era.
American Mothers, Inc. has named Nicole Smith the 2018 Tennessee Mother of the Year. Nominees qualify for this honor by having one or more children and being inspirational in their role as a mom.

Mother of the Year honorees will serve as ambassadors for mothers across the country and will be recognized at the American Mothers, Inc. Soldier Strong National Convention in Washington, D.C. on April 22-24, where the 83rd National Mother of the Year will be named. The National Mother of the Year is a historic award that honors mothers for their leadership and service at home and in their community.

About Ms. Smith:

Ms. Smith received the Disney Dreamer and Doer Award, in 1991, which captures her nature as a dreamer and a doer. Ms. Smith is a model of thinking about her goals, using her resources and then completing the tasks she sets to achieve. Ms. Smith's involvement in various community service projects has modeled and taught her family that they must give, in order to receive. Their family commits to reaching others by offering their time or talent to those who can benefit. Traveling abroad as the director of international programming has allowed Ms. Smith to show elementary children the beauty of the world and help them to develop being kind and caring citizens of the world. She is proud of organizing trips to Japan, Germany, South Africa and the UK for children and amply rewarded by seeing different places through the eyes of young people who are so impressionable and can absorb so much. Seeing the world is an experience that allows for respecting others, being in awe of places beyond what you know and cherishing the beauty of the world so big. As a mindful educator she shows her children how to breathe and cope in a healthy way that is so important now more than ever in this world. For a full bio on Ms. Smith please visit www.americanmothers.org/nicole-smith-2018-tennessee-mother-of-the-year

While every mother is special, some have a compassion for helping others," said Karen Thompson. "Part of her job included bringing the school together for different community service projects. She has modeled for her boys how to be compassionate members of our society. Her sons have participated in many of these projects, including working at the local Community Food Bank. The boys are able to experience firsthand just how rewarding it is to help someone, many times young boys just like them, who are less fortunate."

American mothers are true American heroes, said Connell Branan, president of American Mothers, Inc. For over eight decades our organization has honored mothers who work tirelessly and serve greatly. It is inspiring to see so many women who embody the selfless, caring spirit of motherhood and who are using that maternal energy to make the world a better place.


U.S. President Donald Trump [Photo/Xinhua]





Donald Trump upped the ante by telling Russia before time to prepare for "smart" missiles after the alleged use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces. And within days he delivered on the grim warning. More than 100 weapons were fired by the U.S., U.K. and French forces to target at least three sites in Syria.

None of Russian soldiers were hit in the strikes, which were carefully planned to engage the places where chances of the presence of any Russian service personnel were least. Trump again used Twitter to announce that "mission accomplished" and probably no more strikes anytime sooner.

Last year when Trump ordered similar strikes in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack by Syrian forces, he went alone. But this time the situation was different and he got support of key European allies after the Salisbury incident involving a nerve gas attack on a Russian double agent and his daughter.

The irony is that the west is trying to tame Russia and vice versa but the strikes were launched from places and hit the places far away from the U.S., U.K., France and Russia. Whether there is the use of chemical weapons or retaliatory strikes, victims of the strategic endgame are the Syrian people.

Why is the U.S. trying to teach a lesson to Putin? Is it just because the Russian leader is patronizing the "animal" Bashar al-Assad who allegedly gassed his own people or is there more to it?

Actually, Trump and company know that Putin is winning in Syria and they cannot stop him. It is also clear that the U.S. currently has no policy to tackle Syria. It was evident when hardly a week ago Trump was talking about withdrawing from Syria.

The conflict has already killed about half a million people and displaced many more. The infrastructure has been devastated and once a prosperous nation is lying low. No one cares who will be killed after a "smart" weapon is fired on Syria. Most of those so far killed in the horrific war are nameless and faceless. They are just part of body count.

Former German foreign minister Joschka Fischer, in an article which appeared on the website of Project Syndicate, compared the Syria war with the notorious 30-year war  1618 to 1648  which devastated most of the German region and Europe. But the destruction suffered by the Syrian people is worse than that caused by the thirty years of warfare in Europe.

Instead of trying to address the situation, the leading nations are blatantly following their narrowly defined interests. No one is trying to end the war or mitigate its horrible consequences for the people of Syria. Rather, there is sickening appetite for more bloodshed.

There are several possible scenarios arising out of the conflict. One is that the U.S. might be moving away any time as it is not in a position to retrieve the situation unless a full-scale war is waged to "liberate" Syria. In the presence of Russia, it will be suicidal and a harbinger of another world war.

Conversely, the withdrawal of the U.S. will be like handing over Syria to Iran and its supported Hezbollah as well as to Turkey to deal with the Kurds. Putin will have the main leverage and move the chessboard as per his wishes as no one in the equation would checkmate him in the absence of the U.S.

The possibility of America increasing its engagement in Syria by sending more troops might only deepen the stalemate. Even its success will be viewed as an effort to invade another Muslim country after Iraq and Afghanistan. It will also suck in more regional powers including Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The involvement of Israel or Saudi Arabia will expand the conflict and it would easily spillover to other places. A regional war may be a likely outcome involving world powers in the background while Sunni and Shiite forces are going in for the kill.

The issue of Israel's security would also be in question in the case of an expansion of the Syrian war beyond the border. Whatever the price or consequences, Israel would have to make some tough choices and the American forces would have to become part of war which again could spiral into a world war.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.




Two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave an important speech on the development of cyber security and informatization, outlining the roadmap for China to become a major internet power.

The speech has led to booming development of China's internet industry. Remarkable progress has been made in many of the bottleneck fields Xi pinpointed.

Xi stressed that developing core technologies must be one of the most important tasks. He emphasized that market volume and money can't provide China with core technologies, so we must spare no effort in developing technologies of our own.

The recent trade tensions between China and the United States, as well as the U.S. ban on sales to China's leading telecom equipment maker ZTE, have testified Xi's great foresight.

The recent incidents are warning signals, but they may also greatly accelerate our pace of turning China into an internet power. The U.S. sales ban will only prompt China to pool more resources to develop core technologies, thus reducing our reliance on U.S. imports and turning China into a powerful competitor in the market.

To rise to various challenges, China needs to strengthen work in the following fields to accelerate the pace of becoming an internet power.

First, China must consolidate its industrial foundation and continue to take an active part in global competition and cooperation. Production capacity and products are the core drivers of growth for the cyber security and information technology industries. The market volume and production capacity of a country determine how strong its voice can be in the world. The U.S. ban will have little impact on us if we have substitute production capacities, whether they be in China or in other countries. Therefore, China should continue to attract foreign investments and improve its own industrial systems.

Second, more emphasis should be put on scientific and technological research. It's important to have top talent stay and work in China. The United States can dominate the cyber security and information technology industries because it has accumulated human resources, knowledge and educational resources for decades. China still lags behind developed countries in this regard, and this is something we should strive to solve.

Third, military and commercial research efforts should be integrated, with military research institutions playing a leading role in technological development. As a matter of fact, cyber security and information technology industry was originally a military industry. It came into being when the Pentagon applied information technology to its command and combat systems. Google, Apple, Facebook and many other world-famous internet companies have received financial or technical support from the U.S. military to some extent. China can borrow this positive experience and promote further integration of its own military and commercial research efforts.

Li Zheng is an associate researcher at the Institute of American Studies of China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

The article was written in Chinese and translated by Chen Xia.
 Flash

Lord Mayor of Manchester Eddy Newman on Friday called for further enhancing ties between China and north England under the Belt and Road Initiative which he described as a golden opportunity for Britain amid Brexit concerns.

Speaking at an open-day event for understanding Belt and Road Initiative held by the Chinese General-Consulate in Manchester, Newman said the initiative aims to boost connectivity across the regions and Greater Manchester has benefited a great deal from its cooperation with China.

Manchester, a key industrial city and transportation hub in north England, is ready to explore more opportunities under the Initiative, which will prove helpful to boost the growth of north England, especially amid uncertainties caused by Brexit.

Sun Dali, the Chinese consul-general in Manchester, said China has pledged continued efforts to reform and open up, which offers opportunities for both sides.

The consul-general called for strengthening exchanges and mutual trust between the two sides in a bid to usher in a new ea for China-Britain relations.

According to a recent report by the IPPR North think tank, Brexit will have nearly twice the impact on the economy of the north of England as it will on the south like London.

Britain's northern regions, where many industrial cities are located, are relatively more dependent on trade with the EU than the south, according to the research.

About 10.2 percent of the north's gross domestic product (GDP) is dependent on the EU, compared with 7.2 percent for inner London. The report suggests some northern regions are up to 60 percent more dependent on EU markets for their prosperity than London.




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The Chinese Language Day was marked on Friday on the premises of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The event organized by UNECA in collaboration with the Chinese Mission to the African Union (AU) has featured remarks by officials, presentation on Chinese culture, exhibition, Kung Fu performance, traditional Chinese musical instrument performance and Chinese tea ceremony, among others.

Established by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2010, the Chinese Language Day is marked on April 20, aiming at celebrating multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization.

In his opening remarks, Carlos Hadaad, Director of Division of Administration at UNECA, said the commemoration is a demonstration of the strong appreciation for the Chinese language, and he hailed China's role in the transformation of the African continent.

"The newly established partnership with the mission of China is exemplary because it demonstrates how much we have accomplished together to promote not only multilingualism of Chinese language but other aspects of Chinese culture as reflected in our program today," he said.

"We are happy about the partnership with the Chinese mission and hope that from this initial activity we can develop other initiatives that foster multilingualism; this could include teaming up with Confucius Institute in Addis Ababa University to even teach Chinese language to the UN staff in Ethiopia," he added.

Speaking on his part, Cheng Xufeng, Minister-Counsellor of the Chinese Mission to AU, said such ceremonies help create diverse, inclusive and harmonious world.

"Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, cultural exchange has become one of the most important areas of cooperation between China and Africa," he said. "These exchanges not only promote mutual understanding and common development of all cultures, but also help create a diverse, inclusive and harmonious world."

Cheng noted that such events help the participants learn and experience Chinese language and culture in a relaxing way.

"It's also my hope that the Chinese Language Day will become an annual event at the UNECA so that more friends will join us," he said.

He also stated that his Mission is ready to continue its close cooperation with the UNECA and other partners in deepening economic, social and cultural exchanges between China and Africa.

Yang Ying, Director of Confucius Institute at Addis Ababa University, said the event serves good platform to introduce the Chinese culture in terms of the Chinese calligraphy, foods, and performances.

The six UN languages include Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

April 20 was chosen as the Chinese Language Day to pay tribute to Cangjie, a mythical figure claimed to have invented Chinese characters.




This is the blog of China defense, where professional analysts and serious defense enthusiasts share findings on a rising military power.
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The DPRK will suspend nuclear tests and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests immediately from Saturday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday.

The decisions were made by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korean (WPK) on Friday, according to the KCNA.

"We will discontinue nuclear test and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, 2018. The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test," KCNA said.

"The discontinuance of the nuclear test is an important process for the worldwide disarmament, and the DPRK will join the international desire and efforts for the total halt to the nuclear test," KCNA said.

According to the decisions, the DPRK will never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threats and nuclear provocations against the DPRK.

"We will concentrate all efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving the standard of people's living through the mobilization of all human and material resources of the country," the DPRK's official news agency said.

The DPRK "will create international environment favorable for the socialist economic construction and facilitate close contact and active dialogue with neighboring countries and the international community in order to defend peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the world," it added.

Kim Jong Un, the top leader of DPRK, attended the meeting where the decisions were made. He said that the mission to develop the nuclear force had been finished and now the strategic route of the WPK is to concentrate on economic construction.
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The mooted U.S. move on setting limits for Chinese investment in science and technology is an act of technological oppression, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Media reported that the U.S. Treasury Department is considering ways to restrict sensitive Chinese investment in the United States by invoking an emergency power law and declaring some security review reforms for corporate acquisitions.

"The move and recent many others expose U.S. hegemonic mentality," said spokesperson Hua Chunying. "It is obvious that the United States has been pushing for trade protectionism in the name of national security by repeatedly setting limits for Chinese trade and investment in high-tech fields in the States."

Hua said that while the United States required China to open up its market, it imposed restrictions on Chinese trade and investment.

"It is being unreasonable and hegemonic in suppressing China's economic growth and scientific and technological development on national security grounds," she said. "Technology should serve the interests of humanity rather than be a tool to advance one nation's power over another."

China contributed 57.5 percent to global scientific and technological progress last year and more than 30 percent of global growth, according to Hua.

"Nothing can slow the pace of China's technological innovation," she said.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to meet his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at the invitation of the United States, but Moscow is waiting for a detailed proposal, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

Trump proposed a meeting with Putin at the White House in a phone conversation on March 20, Lavrov recalled in an interview with Russia Today published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, adding that Moscow hopes Trump will give specifics on his invitation.



Trump told reporters on the same day of the phone call that he intended to meet Putin "in the not too distant future."

However, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier this month that the prospects of organizing the meeting have not been discussed since then.

A new round of U.S. sanctions against Russia and the recent U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria have added uncertainty to the possible Putin-Trump meeting.

As for the risk of a military confrontation between Russia and the United States, Lavrov said in Friday's interview that he is absolutely confident that Putin and Trump will not allow an armed conflict to happen.

He said Russia has noted that Trump expressed willingness on Twitter and other occasions to solve problems and mend relations with Russia. "It's better than not having those," Lavrov said.
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Four Palestinians were killed and more than 450 wounded on Friday during fierce clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protestors and Israeli soldiers near the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said.

Palestinian protestors clash with Israeli troops at the border in eastern Gaza with Israel, east of Gaza City, on April 20, 2018. Four Palestinians were killed and more than 450 wounded on Friday during fierce clashes between hundreds of Palestinian protestors and Israeli soldiers near the border between eastern Gaza Strip and Israel, medics said. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of the health ministry in Gaza said on Friday the four killed Palestinians are Sa'ed Abu Taha, 29 years old, Mohamed Ayoob, 15 years old, Ahmad Rashad Athamna, 24 years old, Nabil Abu Aqel, 25 years old.



Al-Qedra said that since the outbreak of rallies and protests in March 30, the Israeli army shot dead 37 Palestinians and wounded more 4,000 others; more than one third of them were shot by live gunshots.

Hundreds of Palestinians began earlier Friday to move towards the eastern area of the Gaza Strip that is close to the border with Israel to join the fourth Friday of protests and rallies that is called Friday of Martyrs and Prisoners.

Friday's movement is part of a six-week activity organized by Palestinians factions and political powers, which started in March 30 and will end on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "Day of the Catastrophe."

The Palestinians call the activity as the Great March of Return, to stress their right of return and to exert more pressure on Israel to end more than ten years of blockade imposed on Gaza.

On Friday, Ismail Haneya, Islamic Hamas movement politburo chief told demonstrators in northern Gaza Strip that the Palestinians showed during the rallies that they can never be defeated.

"Be ready and get prepared for the coming human flood that will be on all the borders of Palestine inside and outside the occupied territory on the day of the Nakba. I call upon the people of the nation to embrace this march and call on the people of the world to stand on our side," said Haneya.
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Russia will soon present evidence that the Syrian air defense forces shot down more than half of the missiles fired in the recent U.S.-led strikes, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.

Syrian forces used Soviet-era air defense systems and fired 112 surface-to-air missiles to repel the U.S.-led strikes, destroying 71 out of the 103 missiles launched by the Western coalition last week, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. [ However, the Pentagon said the missiles "successfully hit every target".

"Our general staff has a very clear picture (of the strikes). We watched everything happening in real time. We are ready to be responsible for the statistics that our military provided," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today.

He asked the United States and its allies to prove that their all missiles hit the targets.

Lavrov also said that earlier, Russia had decided not to supply its modern S-300 air defense system to Syria following the request of Western countries, which said the move could destabilize the situation, although the system is purely defensive.

"Now we have no such moral obligation," he remarked.

The S-300 system was first deployed in the former Soviet Union in 1979 and has been upgraded several times since then to become one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world.

The United States, along with Britain and France, launched joint airstrikes on military targets in Syria on April 14 for the Bashar al-Assad government's alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta near the Syrian capital, earlier this month.

Syria denies the allegation, which has not been independently investigated and verified.
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China's rapid and healthy development of the Internet and information industries has brought a host of tangible benefits to its people.

Keith B. Alexander, first commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and former chief of the National Security Agency, speaks during the 2015 China Internet Security Conference in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2015. A total of 120 experts from China, U.S., Israel, Australia, South Korea, etc. took part in the two-day conference that kicked off here Tuesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

China got access to the Internet in 1994. Since then, China has achieved a great leap in developing its Internet and information industries.



By December 2017, the number of Chinese netizens reached 772 million, of which 753 million surf the Internet via mobile phones, according to statistics released by China Internet Network Information Center.

Overseas experts acknowledge that China's fast Internet development has also promoted the development of the global Internet industry with advanced hardware and technical innovation.

"China plays a huge role in technology and innovation. So I think in an ideal world, countries like China will participate in the development of solutions," Sally Wentworth, vice president of global policy for the Internet Society (ISOC), told Xinhua in a recent interview.

File photo taken on Dec. 3, 2017 shows Xu Zhijun, Huawei's rotating CEO, introduces achievements of 5G technology during the release ceremony for world leading Internet scientific and technological achievements in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

"Our extensive research clearly shows that just as when the Internet Society was founded 25 years ago, people believe that the Internet's core values still remain valid -- that it must be global, open, secure, and used for the benefit of people everywhere in the world," Wentworth said.



Thanks to China's rapid Internet development, China has done a great job in promoting online financing, industrial upgrading and the combination of the Internet and mobile communications, said Guo Yike, head of Data Science Institute of Imperial College London.

Experts pointed out that China has the ability to help deal with cyber security threats around the world with advanced hardware.
But King Mswati can - he is one of the world's few absolute monarchs.

The president mentioned at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of Swaziland's independence and the 50th birthday of King Mswati III Thursday Taiwan's support of a Swazi 2022 development plan and Swaziland's support of Taiwan's worldwide participation. The BBC's Nomsa Maseko in Swaziland says the announcement of the name change has angered some in the country, who believe the king should focus more on the nation's sluggish economy. The new name, eSwatini, means "land of the Swazis".

The King revealed the name change at the large independence celebration in the second city of Manzini, 40km east of the capital Mbabane.

Tsai thanked the king of eSwatini for his long-term support for Taiwan at worldwide organizations and said she had told government departments to pay more attention to overseas aid workers, whose enthusiasm formed a basis for worldwide friendship and for the country's expansion of its global connections, CNA reported.

The name "Swaziland", the King said, had caused confusion. He explained that the name had caused some confusion, saying: "Whenever we go overseas, people refer to us as Switzerland".

He used it an address to the UN General Assembly in 2017 and at the state opening of the country's parliament this year.

Unlike some countries, Swaziland did not change its name when it gained independence in 1968 after being a British protectorate for more than 60 years.

"When read a particular way, it does sound a bit like a start up", tweeted Usman Ali, who said he was born in Swaziland. "Where it lies on the priority list is the issue".

The king was crowned in 1986 and has often been criticized by human rights groups for his lavish lifestyle and oppressive policies.

Among other African countries that changed names after gaining independence are, Zimbabwe which was previously known as Rhodesia, Botswana previously known as Bechuanaland and also Malawi which was previously called Nyasaland.
There is an excellent chance that western Washington is going to be hit by a major lowland snow event. And yes, the mountains will be b...
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  A former Philippine ambassador to the United Nations (UN) was sentenced to up to 27 years in prison for graft involving less than a million pesos.

The fourth division of the Sandiganbayan on April 13 found former foreign affairs undersecretary Lauro Baja Jr. guilty of graft and malversation of public funds when he was envoy to the UN in 2005.

CNN Philippines obtained a copy of the anti-graft court's decision on Saturday.

Baja was convicted of pocketing $17,524 (around P895,000) in insurance payments for the Philippine government-owned townhouse in New York, where he used to stay as the Permanent Representative of the New York Philippine Mission (NYPM) to the UN.

The Sandiganbayan sentenced Baja to up to 10 years in jail for graft and up to 17 years and four months for misuse of government funds. He was also perpetually disqualified from holding public office and ordered to pay the $17,524, the amount he supposedly pocketed.

Baja, who earlier pleaded not guilty to the case, said he will file a motion for reconsideration.

"There was no injury to the government and no evidence I pocketed any money for myself to warrant the charges," he said in a statement to CNN Philippines Saturday.

This amount was issued to the NYPM by the Lexington Insurance Company on June 18, 2005 after the ambassador's official residence was damaged by flood in December 2014. It covers the estimated amount of damage to the house at $15,170 and the lost jewelry and cash of Baja's wife at $2,500.

According to the Sandiganbayan, Finance Officer Tomas Valerio told Baja the checks should be deposited in the NYPM's official account at the Philippine National Bank (PNB). Baja allegedly refused.

Valerio and Baja opened a separate account under PNB under the name "Philippine Mission to the UN - Renovation of Townhouse" where the checks were deposited. The account was closed in April 2006 after Baja allowed the withdrawal of the remaining balance, the Sandiganbayan said.

"Significantly, the circumstances surrounding these undisputed facts displayed accused Baja's evident bad faith in the handling and disposal of the amount of said insurance proceeds" the Sandiganbayan's decision read, citing that calling Baja's acts "fraudulent."

The Sandiganbayan gave credence to prosecution witness Valerio's statement that he tried to talk Baja into depositing the money to the official government account.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) conducted a fact-finding investigation in May 2007 and found several irregularities in Baja's transactions, which led to the filing of charges against him before the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman found probable cause to indict him.

The Sandiganabayan said Baja "disregarded protocol" after opening a separate account without approval of the DFA.

Baja had said he exercised transparency, maintaining that all the transactions he entered into were properly documented and accounted for. But the Sandiganbayan said Baja failed to present evidence to back his claims, calling his arguments "skewed."

Baja presented photocopies of receipts he paid to a certain James McDonnell who supposedly submitted the lowest bid for repairing the government-owned house, but the court said these receipts were not properly authenticated.

Baja stood by the validity of the receipts and of his actions.

"My counsel and I were very confident of acquittal because the insurance proceeds were used to pay for the damage to the building as instructed by the DFA. The damage was repaired as certified by the insurance company and payment acknowledged by the construction company through receipts issued," he said
French hotel brand Le Meridien is integrating its romantic, artistic approach with the local culture of Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, providing an innovative experience when guests explore the city during their stay at Shenyang Heping Le Meridien Hotel.

In cooperation with Chutima Treearayapong, a young Thai artist, the hotel is showcasing videos and photos taken at popular tourist destinations in Shenyang, enabling visitors to get a glimpse of the city from the photographer's creative perspective.

The exhibition at the hotel's Le Meridien Hub is part of the brand's Follow Me program, a visual journey created by global artists for all Le Meridien hotels. The event runs from April 3 to the end of May.

Treearayapong created the artworks last December after she visited Shenyang Palace Museum, 1905 Cultural and Creative Park, Shenyang Aviation Museum and Zhongshan Road, a landmark in the city's Heping district.

Shenyang Palace Museum is the former imperial palace of the Manchu ethnic rulers from 1625-44, before they emerged from Northeast China with their armies, swept across the entire country and founded the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) in Beijing.

Today, modern commercial streets and shopping malls line the palace walls. "I felt the balance of Shenyang integrating the new and the old, which impressed me a lot," Treearayapong said.

Kong Yue, brand and marketing director of Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts in Asia Pacific, said: "With more hotels being established worldwide, Le Meridien will always focus on exploring the culture, art and cuisine of every destination."

"The Follow Me program can enrich guests' arrival experience when they walk in the hotel hub," Kong said.

In addition to the program, Le Meridien also partners with cultural centers in the destination city to offer culturally curious guests a free visit, called the Unlock Art program.

Guests at Shenyang Le Meridien enjoy free entry to Shenyang Aviation Museum when they show their room cards.

Xiao Ling, senior manager of brand and marketing at Marriott International in China, said: "The room card can open not only the door of the guest room, but also the gateway to art."

Jiang Nan, general manager of Shenyang Heping Le Meridien, said that the hotel not only provides classic French food and drinks, but also integrates elements from the local cuisine.

An example is the combination of Shenyang's traditional finger-shaped bacon puffs, a dessert originating from 19th-century France.

"In the Shenyang Le Meridien hotel, guests can enjoy the salty and spicy puffs, which they can't have in another hotel," Jiang said.

The hotel, which opened last November, is the first property operating under the French hospitality brand Le Meridien in Northeast China and the 15th across the country.

Marriott International, one of the largest hotel companies around the world, has owned the brand since 2016.

caoyingying@chinadaily.com.cn

From left: One of the pictures on display at Shenyang Heping Le Meridien Hotel. The creation by Thai artist Chutima Treearayapong depicts Shenyang Palace Museum. A suites living room at the hotel in Shenyang, Liaoning province.Provided To China Daily

(China Daily 04/21/2018 page10)
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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  Graft and corruption, no more, no less, are the reasons at least two government officials were axed recently, President Rodrigo Duterte said Saturday night in Albay.

The other day I fired two, one Undersecretary At tsaka mag-warning ako sa inyo, ha? (I will give you a warning.) I said, when you are fired, it is because of graft and corruption, Duterte said.

Kung sabihin mo lang (If youre going to say) its a behavior or attitude on certain matters or before the public...I would always say, be courteous to your employers, he said, referring to the taxpayers as the ones who paid for their salaries.

Duterte did not disclose the names of the sacked officials he was pertaining to. He said he acted on complaints his office received from the Presidents hotline, 8888.

And that is why, 'yung pabalik ng pabalik sa opisina, 'yan ang dahilan. (the reasons are these people keep coming back). Yung finire (fire) out ko. Wala akong ebidensya, pero kung magbalik 'yung tao, may affidavit ako. (I may not have pieces of evidence against those I have fired, but I have affidavits of those complainants who kept coming back), he said.

The President added he found the ordinary people who were complaining more credible because they do not have political connections.

While Duterte did not reveal the officials he axed for graft and corruption, resigned Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say previously told CNN Philippines about "an unnotarized affidavit containing statements that any lawyer will label as hearsay and double hearsay."

It stemmed from Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roques pronouncement that Say would have been fired if he did not resign.

Say tendered his resignation on April 18, citing a matter of difference on labor contractualization. Say said Roque cannot make a story by connecting unrelated events.
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Termen extins: Terre des hommes Moldova este in cautarea unui /unei consultant/e sau a unei echipe de consultanti, care va elabora un program de instruire inovativ, pentru adolescenti (14 - 18 ani) in domeniul antreprenoriatului
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  Filipinos may visit the Chinese province of Hainan visa-free for 30 days beginning May 1 after an announcement from China's State Immigration Administration, Chinese state media reported.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported the eastern giant will offer visa-free access for tourists from 59 countries including the Philippines, "in a move to support reform and opening-up in the country's southernmost island province."

Here is the full list of the countries with the 30-day visa-free access, according to Hainan's tourism page:

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Iceland

Indonesia

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Malaysia

Mexico

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Russia

Singapore

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

Ukraine

United Kingdom

United States

Hainan has offered a 15-day visa-free stay for group tourists from 21 countries since 2000, adding another five countries in 2010.

In April, Duterte went to Hainan, China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and to attend the Boao Forum for Asia, which is dubbed the Asian equivalent of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The island is China's sole tropical island, with a population of 8.5 million. Xinhua said the number of overseas tourists hit 1.1 million in 2017.
BROOK PARK, Ohio -- Disturbance, Van Wert Avenue: A Van Wert man, 54, called police at about 5:45 p.m. April 7 after his neighbor allegedly threatened him with a knife.

The man said he had been arguing with the neighbor about the neighbor's dog. Police didn't say why the dog was causing a problem. The neighbor pulled a 4- to 5-inch-long folding blade from his pocket and showed the knife to the man.

Police took statements from the man and his neighbor and referred the incident to the prosecutor for possible charges. They warned the neighbor, but didn't confiscate the weapon.

Damaged property, Smith Road: A Middleburg Heights man, 57, drove his car through the front window of Shell, 5918 Smith, at about 6:30 a.m. April 6 after mistakenly stepping on his car's accelerator instead of the brake.

No one was hurt. The man was not intoxicated.

Assault on a police officer, Westbrook Drive: A Brook Park man, 26, was arrested at about 8:30 p.m. April 8 after he used the back of his head to headbutt a police officer in the face.

It happened inside a Westbrook home. Family members had called police because the man had expressed a desire to harm himself. The officer, who was trying to prevent that from happening, was not injured.

Disorderly conduct, West 130th Street: A Brook Park man, 36, landed in trouble at about 4 a.m. April 7 after he refused to stop yelling profanities at a person in his apartment at Crestway Biltmore Apartments, 5850 W. 130th.

Police didn't say why the man was yelling profanities, but he was still doing so when officers arrived. They issued the man a summons for disturbing the peace.

Operating a vehicle under the influence, Cargo Road-Ohio 237: A Berea woman, 33, was arrested at about 10 p.m. March 31 after she caused a vehicle crash on Ohio 237.

The woman, who was intoxicated, drove her Ford Fiesta into the rear of a Toyota Sonata. No one was hurt.

Police found a container of marijuana in the woman's possession, but they didn't say whether the drug was in her car or clothes.

Grand theft, Brookpark Road: A trailer containing a $14,000 fuel filtration system, $1,100 in filters, a $350 air compressor, a $2,200 diaphragm pump with hoses and a toolbox containing about $850 in tools was stolen between 9:30 p.m. April 4 and 8:30 p.m. April 5 from the parking lot of a business.

Grand theft vehicle, Brookpark Road: A vehicle was stolen March 22 from Airport Infiniti, 13940 Brookpark.

A male entered the dealership at about 8 a.m. and stole the car's keys. His image was captured on security video. Police have identified him as a 40-year-old Cleveland man. They didn't say if they have arrested him yet.

Theft, Snow Road: A Brooklyn man, 23, was arrested at about 7:45 p.m. April 5 after he was caught stealing three headlights from O'Reilly Auto Parts, 14771 Snow.

Workers saw the man stealing and called police. The man initially gave false information to police.

Burglary, Gilmere Drive: A wedding ring set and three chains containing pendants were stolen between Dec. 29 and April 9 from a house. There were no signs of forced entry.

Marijuana possession, Meigs Boulevard: A Brook Park man, 18, was arrested at about 9:20 p.m. April 10 after police caught him with a baggie of marijuana.

The man had been acting suspiciously. Someone saw him sitting in a parked car for about 20 minutes on Meigs. When police arrived, they smelled marijuana in the vehicle.

To comment on this story, visit Friday's crime and courts comments page.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The high-caliber national law firm helping to guide FirstEnergy Solutions through Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring and protection from its creditors is also a registered congressional lobbyist for the company.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is working with the Akron-based Brouse McDowell law firm in federal bankruptcy court for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was filed on March 31 and the first hearing held on April 3. A second hearing has been set for Thursday, April 26.

On March 28, Akin Gump registered with Congress to represent the company and included the names of five lobbyists, two with considerable experience working for members of Congress, the registration indicates.

The lobbying registration of Akin Gump came one day before FirstEnergy Solutions petitioned the U.S. Department of Energy to invoke a provision used for national emergencies to assist its three nuclear power plants and two coal plants alive.

The old power plants, like many across the nation, are having trouble competing with new gas turbine power plants burning cheap shale gas as well as wind farms, which still receive a production tax credit.

FirstEnergy Solutions, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., has announced plans to close its nuclear plants within the next three years.

FirstEnergy Corp. spent $2.2 million on federal lobbying last year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, using publicly available data.

FirstEnergy Solutions is arguing that its large plants, with on-site fuel storage, are a hedge against natural catastrophes and terrorist attacks that could cripple the nation's high-voltage grid.

The company, with the support of the nuclear advocacy group Nuclear Matters, has also argued that its nuclear plants account for most of the carbon-free generation in Ohio and should be recognized financially for their contributions to clean air.

The DOE is continuing to accept comments on the petition while trade publications have printed conflicting articles based on interviews with different DOE officials about the possibility that the agency would declare an emergency and order price supports for old coal and nuclear plants.

At the same time, U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, has appealed directly to President Trump to save nuclear and coal-burning plants by invoking a provision in the 1950 Defense Production Act.

In a

to the president, Manchin argues that the power plants are crucial to the stability of the grid.

"The security of our homeland is inextricably tied to the security of our energy supply," he wrote. "The Defense Production Act grants the President the authority to ensure that the nation's domestic industrial base is capable of providing the essential materials and resources needed to defend our nation and protect our sovereignty."
NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - This summer, North Ridgeville will be hopping as the biggest bounce house in the country pops up in Northeast Ohio. It includes the 10,000-square-foot main bounce house, plus an additional 10,000-square-foot "Bounce Village" with a four-piece obstacle course, ball pit, slide and smaller houses.

Bounce House America will land at Victory Park at 7777 Victory Lane, North Ridgeville, this July 13-15 as part of its tour across the United States. The inflatable fun is all-ages throughout the day and geared towards adults later in the evening. Pre-sale tickets are available online.

It's the second time Bounce America has made its way across the country. In 2017, its inaugural tour took it to 15 cities - and every stop sold out. (A few slots for the July weekend are already sold out as well.) The North Ridgeville date is currently the only Ohio stop booked until it swings through the Columbus area in September.

Its roots? A music festival, where the bouncey house was part of the extracurricular concert activities.

"When the kids weren't using it and nobody was looking, we snuck on and bounced around like were kids again," the Bounce House America organizers said in a statement. "Then it dawned on us ... What if we made a much bigger bounce house? What if we built the biggest one in the world? What if adults could bounce? What if it had a DJ booth, ball pits, foam pits, slides, and more?"

This year, Bounce America keeps the festival vibes going with a DJ spinning on a circular stage and food vendors throughout the event.

Ticket levels are split into age groups, including Toddler Sessions (3 and under), Junior Sessions (7 and older), Bigger Kid Sessions (15 and under) and Adult Sessions (16 and over). Prices range from $10-17.
MEDINA, Ohio -- The Central Medina County Library , 210 S. Broadway St., is hosting a show of approximately 100 artworks from H. G. Blake Elementary School students in the third-floor B. Smith Gallery. The title of the exhibit is "Discover the Creativity of H. G. Blake Students."

You can see this giraffe, created by H.G. Blake Elementary School first-grader Alexis Shields, now through May 12 in the B. Smith Gallery at the Medina Library, 210 S. Broadway St. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to ceveland.com)

Art teacher Andrea McGhee chose work from students in every grade level and matted the pictures on colorful paper before hanging them on the art panels in the gallery.

The first impression of the exhibit is of color -- not only are the background mats colorful, but the artwork itself features vibrant hues.

A butterfly seems to leap off this painting by H.G. Blake Elementary School second-grader Alaina Cook. (Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com)

Fifteen pieces of multi-media art are displayed in a glass cabinet near the panels. Clay sculptures made by fifth-grade students of sea creatures -- including a snake, a crab and a snail -- are mounted on a paper seascape background. There's also a clay pink flamingo with a real pink tail feather, created by a kindergarten student.

Approximately eighty-five drawings and paintings are displayed on the art panels. Many are three-dimensional: Cut-out butterflies are attached to paintings of flowers; colorful feathers are attached to drawings of birds; and masks made from multiple layers of paper provide startling realism.

Most of the grade-level art themes are represented in the display by two artists each -- second-graders drew cardinals, first-graders created giraffes and kindergarteners explored drawing a series of five birds. Visitors can compare each pairing to see how the young artists' views differ.

The exhibit is open through May 12
CLEVELAND, Ohio - U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters told a crowd in Cleveland Saturday that she believes communities needs to be more involved with the youth, address poverty and public housing in order to combat the high rates of violence in the communities.

Waters, a Los Angeles Democrat who has been in public service for more than 30 years, served as keynote speaker at the 4th Cleveland Community Solutions Forum hosted by former city Councilman Zack Reed.

Reed, who lost an unsuccessful bid for mayor last year against now four-time Mayor Frank Jackson, campaigned in part on criticism of the city's handling of near-record homicide rates.

The event held at John Adams High School in Cleveland focused on more than just discussions about the problem of street violence. Waters, Reed and other speakers urged the more than 50 attendees to find ways to take action and to help organize neighborhoods and communities to help combat violence.

"Today is about solutions and rolling up our sleeves," Reed said. "We know there is a problem that we face that can't be overcome. Call on your neighbors, elected officials and let them know that there are ways to conquer this condition and that we are far away from giving up hope."

Waters said she has seen so much unnecessary violence in America.

"I decided we were going to make our solutions fit our communities," she said.

Waters founded Community Build in 1992 to help rebuild neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles in the wake of the Rodney King riots. She also helped develop public policy that helped cities acquire billions of dollars in loans for economic development and for job and life skills programs for unemployed youth.

She also started Project Build, another job training program for the youth, which, she believes, became a solution to some of the violence.

She handed out fliers that offered the job training.

"What we did was we put those fliers out and talked to those people," Water said. "It was a five-day program getting to know them. We started out with something simple, 'Who are you.'"

Waters said that she worked with young Americans and tried to gain an understanding of the life they came from.

"We can not give up on young people," she said. "We can not be afraid of them. If you approach young people as an authentic person, please don't say 'Be like me, I'm your role model.'"

There are young people who feel like no one cares about them, Waters said, and the community needs to talk to them.

"I've seen success I've seen changes," she said. "Young people want to know that you stand up for them. If unarmed young folks are being killed, you have a responsibility to say something about it."

These are the young people who at one point in time depended on their community, she said.

"We should be out finding out who the shot callers are and we should bring them in," Waters said. "We've got to be in the communities where they are. We have to talk to them. Stop letting our kids be isolated. Let's build a connection with them."

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
MAPLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Police are asking for the public's help in finding a 66-year-old woman who suffers from early-onset dementia, reports say.

Patty Mosley left the Broadway Care Center on Broadway Avenue shortly after 2 p.m. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater, blue jeans and black and gray hospital slippers, WKYC reports.

She was last seen wearing a gray sweater, blue jeans and black and gray hospital slippers, the TV station reports.

Mosley is five-foot five and weighs 135 pounds, Fox 8 reports. She has black and gray hair, either in a pony tail or bun, the TV station reports.

Anyone with information is asked to call either 911 or Maple Heights police at 216-662-1234.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One person died in a Saturday morning car crash in the city's Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, police say.

The two-car crash happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Bartlett Avenue at East 143rd Street, Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said.

Three people were taken to University Hospitals where one was pronounced dead.

The conditions of the two other people were not immediately available.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner has not released the name of the person killed in the crash. Cleveland police did not release the name of the car's other occupants.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron President Matthew Wilson has lost his bid to become president of Utah Valley University.

Astrid Tuminez, the regional director for corporate, external and legal affairs in southeast Asia for Microsoft, was named president Friday night by the Utah State Board of Regents.

This was the second presidency that Wilson has sought in two months.

Wilson was one of four finalists for the job. Utah Valley University is a public university in Orem, with an enrollment of about 37,000 students. It is the largest public university in the state.

Wilson announced in March, shortly after he was passed over for president of the University of Central Florida, that he would step down as president in Akron and rejoin UA's School of Law, effective July 31.

He said he made the decision because he wanted to spend more time with his family and reflect on his future. He also acknowledged that his interest in another presidency led trustees to question his commitment to Akron.

Wilson had said he sought the UCF presidency due to his family's roots in the Orlando area and the opportunities to lead the largest university in the country. He told officials there he wanted to retire in Orlando.

Wilson, who was raised in Utah and earned bachelor's degrees in political science and Asian studies from the University of Utah, made similar statements when he met faculty, staff, students and community members in Utah on Thursday.

He said he planned to stay in Ohio until the university's president announced he was stepping down and got calls from people telling him he'd be a perfect fit, according to the Daily Herald.

"I have decided I want to invest here in Utah Valley," Wilson said. He said he can see himself retiring in Utah.

Utah Valley University President Matthew Holland announced last November that he has been called to serve as a mission president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints starting in July 2018.

"The Board was aware that President Wilson might be included in a different university's search for a president," Roland Bauer, chair of the University of Akron's board of trustees said in a news release when it was announced that Wilson was a finalist at UVU.

Wilson, who arrived at Akron in 2014 as dean of the law school, was appointed interim president in July 2016 for a term of 18 months. He replaced Scott Scarborough, who resigned as president in May 2016 after a tumultuous tenure.

Three months later, trustees named Wilson permanent president. Last fall, trustees extended Wilson's contract through June 30, 2023.

During his tenure, Wilson has engaged with constituencies, helped increase enrollment and stabilized a budget that had significant deficits, officials said.

On April 18 the board of trustees appointed John Green, dean of the university's College of Buchtel Arts and Sciences, as interim president.

Green will begin his duties May 1 and work with Wilson.
Michael Canty

The battle among Ohio Republicans to determine the next House speaker is bringing a spate of third-party political spending to a local GOP primary contest to succeed term-limited Republican state Rep. Marlene Anielski in Ohio House District 6. The district encompasses eastern and southern Cleveland suburbs stretching from Broadview Heights to Mayfield.

Even before Speaker Cliff Rosenberger's abrupt departure this month under the cloud of an FBI investigation, the term-limited Rosenberger was backing state Rep. Ryan Smith of southeast Ohio to replace him as speaker next year over Larry Householder, an Ohio House member from Glenford in south-central Ohio who was speaker from 2001 through 2004.

Because Ohio House members will elect the speaker next year, the Smith-Householder battle reaches to electoral contests this year that will determine the makeup of next year's Ohio House.

So in the Ohio House 6 GOP primary race May 8, Rosenberger has endorsed former Bentleyville Mayor Michael Canty, a serial entrepreneur, who acknowledges he backs Smith in the leadership contest, while Householder is supporting Independence City Council member Jim Trakas, a former Ohio House member and former head of the Cuyahoga County GOP.

Canty, 66, Bentleyville mayor from 2000 to 2007, is president of Alloy Bellows & Precision Welding Inc. of Highland Heights. Citing his more than 35 years of business experience, Canty said state government needs people with a real-world perspective on Ohio's need for workforce readiness to help qualify Ohioans for good jobs.

Trakas, 52, was an Ohio House member from 1999 through 2006 and chaired the Cuyahoga County GOP from 1996 to 2005. He's chair and CEO of American Online Learning Center LLC, which provides court intervention services for diversion and probationary programs. Trakas also worked part-time and as a lobbyist for the embattled and now-shuttered Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow online charter, which is fighting a $60 million repayment demand from Ohio.

Trakas argues that the state has treated ECOT shabbily, but Canty is closer to the mark when he says that ECOT bears huge blame for an online learning design that lacked accountability.

Trakas was the State Board of Cosmetology's executive director until resigning in mid-2013 after Ohio's inspector general questioned how he'd settled a licensing disciplinary case.

Trakas acknowledges he could have handled it better but says he fundamentally did nothing wrong, something the board itself appeared to say in response to the IG. Trakas says he resigned only because an aide to Gov. John Kasich ordered him to do so.

Trakas wants to bring overseas and out-of-state factories back to Ohio, invest more robustly in job training and says Ohio should rethink a "Robin Hood" school-funding mechanism that forces higher property taxes on homeowners.

There's no discounting Trakas' Statehouse experience. But Canty is knowledgeable and thoughtful and offers a broader perspective about the challenges Ohio faces. That and his business experience make Canty Republicans' stronger choice in the 6th House District.

Phil Robinson, unopposed in the Democratic primary, awaits the winner of the GOP contest in the fall. Early voting in the May 8 primary has begun.

Michael Canty and Jim Trakas, candidates in the May 8 Republican primary for Ohio House District 6, were interviewed by the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer as part of its endorsement process on April 17, 2018. Listen to full audio of this interview below:

About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  Embattled Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on Thursday slammed claims that failure to submit her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) negates a public official's "integrity."

In her 147-page memorandum submitted to the Supreme Court Friday, Sereno asserted the Judicial Bar and Council (JBC) is the only body who could determine her integrity as a public official.

"The issue of whether the Chief Justice was a person of 'proven integrity' is a political question which only the JBC could answer," she said.

Sereno said her inclusion on the shortlist of nominees in 2012 was the JBC's answer.

Under the Constitution, among the requirements for a Supreme Court appointee is one "must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence."

Sereno also said requiring the submission of all SALNs as an "absolute requirement" would be tantamount to creating new qualifications for the Chief Justice.

Sereno was able to submit three SALNs, covering 2009, 2010, and 2011. JBC Executive Director Annaliza Ty-Capacite earlier said Sereno's submission of the three SALNs is already considered "substantial compliance," making her eligible for Chief Justice.

"It would be tantamount to amending the Constitution, which the JBC is powerless to do," he said.

The chief magistrate also said the filing of SALNs is not even considered to be evidence to prove a public official's integrity.

"SALNs are not among the documents which the JBC considers 'evidence of integrity' under Section 1, Rule 4 of the JBC Rules. In fact, the filing of the SALN is not even mentioned in any of the six Sections on 'Integrity,'" Sereno explained.

She explained that the quo warranto petition by Solicitor General Jose Calida, on the basis of questioning her "proven integrity" due to failure to file SALNs, is four and a half years late.

Under Rule 66 of the Rules of Court, the quo warranto petition  a legal proceeding where an individual's right to hold office is challenged  must be brought to court within one year before the cause of action or an ouster arises.

Calida, however, said Sereno was continuously making "excuses" for failing to file her SALNs.

READ: Calida slams Sereno's 'excuses,' insists on her ouster

The high court is set to decide on the petition on May 17, sources say.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  The Supreme Court (SC) has gotten the lowest satisfaction score in six years, according to a private pollster Friday.

In the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, the court's net satisfaction rating was at +20 or "Moderate," a 17-point decline from its December 2017 score.

This is the lowest score since the high court's +13 satisfaction rating in May 2012.

The SWS said the decrease could be attributed to two-digit score drops in Balance Luzon, Metro Manila, the Visayas, and Mindanao, where it got the highest score drop of 21 points.

The SC has been the subject of controversy as its head, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, is facing two ouster moves from the government. Once Congress resumes its session on May 15, it will decide on whether to impeach the chief magistrate.

READ: Robredo gets 'good' marks, Sereno dips to personal low in new SWS survey

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition to unseat Sereno on the grounds of not filing her complete Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs). If the SC en banc rules in favor of this, it would invalidate her appointment as SC Chief Justice in 2012.

READ: Sereno alarmed by 'leaked SC draft decision' to oust her

Senate, Cabinet ratings down, as House stays at 'Good'

The Senate, Cabinet, and House of Representatives also got lower scores for the first quarter of 2018.

The net satisfaction rating of the Senate fell by one grade from "Very Good" to "Good", at +45 in March 2018, down by 11 points from December 2017.

The Cabinet's net satisfaction rating also saw a 10-point decline, from a +38 "Good" rating last year.

The House also got eight points lower, down to a +35 "moderate" rating.

The net satisfaction rating of the House of Representatives kept the "good" rating, at +35 in March 2018, although down by eight points from December.

The SWS survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide from March 23 to 27.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  Fourteen drug suspects were killed and almost a hundred rounded up by police in anti-drug operations across the province of Bulacan Friday.

In a press release Saturday, the Bulacan Provincial Police Office said 91 drug suspects including a high-value target were arrested in simultaneous operations Friday.

There were three casualties from the city of San Jose Del Monte, two each from Baliwag and Santa Maria, and one each from the towns of Bocaue, Pandi, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Rafael, Calumpit and provincial capital Malolos City.

The police referred to them by their aliases, except the suspect from Calumpit who was not yet identified.

Authorities said they seized over 111 grams of suspected crystal meth or shabu, 510 grams of marijuana leaves and other drug paraphernalia, grenades, firearms, ammunition, and motorcycles from the suspects.

The province made headlines in August 2017 after 32 were killed also in a one-day drug sweep, months after relaunching a supposedly "less bloody" anti-drug campaign.

President Rodrigo Duterte then praised the police telling them, "Makapatay lang tayo ng (If we kill) another 32 every day, maybe we can fix what ails this country."

In October 2017, Duterte tasked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to lead the drug war, but later allowed the police to conduct operations under PDEA's supervision.

The Bulacan police on Saturday said 67 have died in their operations from December 2017.

Its latest drug operations come a day after the new Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Oscar Albayalde, assumed office. He vowed to continue the programs started by his predecessor, Dir. Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa.

Local and international human rights groups have criticized Duterte's bloody drug war, saying this resulted in more than 13,000 extrajudicial killings.

Government data show 4,075 were killed in anti-drug operations since the start of the anti-drug campaign in July 2016. The International Criminal Court is looking into the bloody drug war.
One of the most important maxims of good government is that officials advise and ministers decide.

This enduring formulation of civil service neutrality is intended to ensure that Government ministers take responsibility for the mistakes that happen on their watch, just as they claim credit for any successes.

They should never blame their civil servants for errors of policy  only for errors in its execution.

That said, morally decent ministers  of which, sadly, there are very few these days  will shoulder the blame even if they themselves are not at fault and when errors were made by their officials.

A classic example of this occurred in 1982 when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in one of Britains greatest post-war humiliations.

A classic example of this occurred in 1982 when Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands in one of Britains greatest post-war humiliations

Although this national debacle happened on his watch, there was no suggestion that the Foreign Secretary, Lord (Peter) Carrington, was at fault. His departments staff had failed to protect this remote British Overseas Territory.

But Eton-educated Carrington, who won the Military Cross as a tank commander for his heroism during World War II, knew his duty. Namely, that the code of ministerial responsibility held that ministers were responsible to Parliament for the failures and successes of the department under their control.

He duly resigned.

Another old school Tory minister and Military Cross holder, Willie Whitelaw, tried to do similar. He was Home Secretary when an intruder broke into Buckingham Palace and threatened the safety of the Queen.

Whitelaw told Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher he was going to resign, but she talked him out of it.

What a shaming contrast with events of this week.

Ministers either ran for cover or tried to pass the buck when the scale of the scandal was revealed concerning the way thousands of West Indian immigrants have been treated here by the authorities.

Threatened with deportation, refused NHS care and made victims of other forms of harassment, their invidious treatment has been an utter disgrace.

Rather than own up to the responsibility for mistakes, in the noble footsteps of Carrington and Whitelaw, dishonourable Conservative ministers have blamed their civil servants.

First, David Lidington, who is deputy prime minister in all but name, pointed the finger at Whitehall officials. That squalid and low-grade remark set a despicable precedent. Next, step forward Home Secretary Amber Rudd, who heads the Government department which bears the prime responsibility for the so-called Windrush fiasco.

The indelible truth is that there had been numerous warning signs that very many people who have lived in Britain legally for more than half a century had been discriminated against because they had never formally naturalised or had not applied for a British passport.

Ms Rudd either ignored the warnings or was neglectfully oblivious of them.

Inevitably, she never entertained the idea this abrogation of duty could be a resigning matter.

Equally unprincipled, she attempted to blame her boss, Theresa May, who was Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016.

Theresa May promised to help the people affected by the Windrush scandal during the Commonwealth heads of government meeting

Certainly, Mrs May made a very public show at the time of trying to reduce the numbers of illegal migrants coming to Britain.

In 2012, she vowed to create a really hostile environment for illegal migration.

But note the word illegal. She was simply doing the right thing as Home Secretary to guard our borders and stop people coming to Britain who had no entitlement to be here.

The Windrush Generation and their descendants were not in this category. They were originally invited in 1948 by the government to help rebuild post-war Britain.

Yet Labour has twisted Mrs Mays 2012 remarks completely out of context.

Jeremy Corbyn, whose principles in some foreign policy areas I strongly admire, has behaved with grotesquely bad judgment again with regard the Windrush controversy.

He was deceitful at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday when he repeatedly accused Mrs May of wanting to create a hostile environment for immigrants. Note all immigrants.

Mr Corbyn was twisting the Prime Ministers words in a disgraceful way.

The truth is that Mrs May has gone out of her way to make Britain a more civilised and decent place for people who legally come to live and work in this country.

Predictably, Mr Corbyns cynical contorting of the truth was followed by a Gadarene rush of Labour MPs who claimed that the treatment of Caribbeans was typical of the Tories entrenched racism.

This is utter and total nonsense. Like the British people in general, the members of the Tory Party are mainly a decent and tolerant lot and have always welcomed immigrants who want to make this country their home and contribute to society.

Paradoxically, reaction to the Windrush scandal proves this.

As soon as their plight was highlighted by the Press, led by the Guardian and the Mail, there was public outrage.

This didnt just come from the Left, but from all parties across the political spectrum  including Ukip.

Mr Corbyns cynical contorting of the truth was followed by a Gadarene rush of Labour MPs who claimed that the treatment of Caribbeans was typical of the Tories entrenched racism

What this country has learned over the decades since MV Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks in June 1948, carrying 492 Caribbean passengers, is that immigration policy must be guided by the values of fairness and decency.

Finally, Brexit will allow this country to regain control of our borders and immigration policy after years of Brussels making it impossible to control the number of migrants coming to Britain from Europe.

This weeks political crisis over Windrush is proof, not that it wasnt crystal clear already, that Britain needs urgently to sort out its immigration policy.

If we are to continue to let illegal migrants settle here, not only would it continue to put a crushing burden on public services such as the NHS, schools and roads, but it would damage the livelihoods of those migrants who have come here legally over the past 70 years.

Certainly, it would be totally irresponsible if ministers copied the Blair government, which opened Britain up to mass migration.

For, between 1997 and 2010, the UK population was boosted by more than 2.2 million immigrants, more than twice the population of Birmingham. In Labours last term in government, 2005-2010, net migration reached on average 247,000 a year.

A coherent, strict but fair migration policy is a huge challenge. Im afraid that Amber Rudd is not up to that challenge.

Given that she lacks the integrity to resign, Mrs May should find a replacement who can ensure that fairness and humanity are once again the hallmarks of Britains policy towards immigrants.

Putin's shadow over Commonwealth

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was wrong to say that Prince Charles should not automatically take over from the Queen as the head of the Commonwealth.

This remarkable organisation of 53 member states has been kept alive thanks to the Queen more than anyone else. If anybody has the right to anoint her successor, its Her Majesty.

This weeks Commonwealth Conference was a magnificent event and a tribute to her lifetimes work. But there was one mystery. With Vladimir Putins Russia considered to be an increasing threat to the West, why wasnt this on the agenda?

Was it, perhaps, because there are at least three Commonwealth countries (Cyprus, Malta, Vanuatu) who are also notorious havens for dirty Russian money?

Cyprus also sells Cypriot passports to rich Russians, which allows them to acquire citizenship and visa-free access to the EU.

Cyprus also sells Cypriot passports to rich Russians, which allows them to acquire citizenship and visa-free access to the EU

The Conservatives were right to attack the moral squalor of anti-Semitism in last weeks parliamentary debate. Its high time, however, that they tackled anti-Muslim bigotry in their own party.

Zac Goldsmiths campaign to become London Mayor two years ago was one of the nastiest political campaigns in my lifetime. It sought to smear Goldsmiths Labour rival, Sadiq Khan, because of his Muslim background.

There are worrying signs of similar bigotry today.

Bob Blackman, the Tory MP for Harrow East, has hosted an event in Parliament which featured a known anti-Muslim extremist.

He refuses to apologise. A man like Blackman has no place in a mainstream political party.
If you're a skincare addict you'll know the difference between chemical names like alpha hydroxy acids and vitamin C - but it's how they work separately and together that's important.

These potent elements, often found in things like serums and scrubs, may promise to rid your skin of dryness, flakiness or hormonal acne, but if they're used in conjunction with something else they may prove entirely ineffective.

In a bid to decide which order they should be applied, Dr Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip told Popsugar the first culprits we should be separating are benzoyl peroxide and retinol.

In a bid to decide which order they should be applied, Dr Joyce Imahiyerobo-Ip told Popsugar the first culprits we should be separating are benzoyl peroxide and retinol

Both are better known for their ability to treat spotty skin, but lathering the pair on at once is a terrible idea.

'Benzoyl peroxide is a potent acne product that's great for inflammatory acne, but many people are unaware that benzoyl peroxide can inactivate a topical retinol,' explained Dr. Imahiyerobo-Ip.

So you're essentially cancelling out the effects of both - and wasting your money - on a treatment that won't work.

So you're essentially cancelling out the effects of both - and wasting your money - on a treatment that won't work

Dr. Imahiyerobo-Ip instead recommends using benzoyl in the morning after your face is cleansed and retinol at night before you go to sleep. Both will work to alleviate the symptoms associated with acne but on their own schedules.

It's also important not to mix vitamin C and alpha hydroxy acids, given they both have a high impact antioxidant hit.

If applied together though they have the ability to change the pH of your skin to be more acidic.

It's also important not to mix vitamin C and alpha hydroxy acids, given they both have a high impact antioxidant hit

While this won't necessarily irritate it, this renders the vitamin C product useless and is a huge waste of money. A similar effect can be felt with vitamin B3 and alpha hydroxy acids.

What you can safely mix is vitamins C and E which are both extremely nourishing and help to prevent the outer layer of epidermis from free radical damage.

Coupled with sunscreen these ingredients are the best way of blocking the sun's harmful UV rays.
Lady Louise Windsor looked every inch the real Royal as she arrived at her grandmother Queen Elizabeth's 92nd birthday.

The 14-year-old donned a navy dress, which matched her mothers, as she entered the Royal Albert Hall this evening for a special birthday concert.

Despite her young years Lady Louise fitted in perfectly with the Royal Family at the celebratory event.

Matching: The Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor arrive at the Royal Albert Hall this evening

The young royal, who was a bridesmaid at the royal wedding in 2011, was born with a squint, but can now see perfectly after having corrective surgery.

A firm favourite of the Queen, she has inherited her grandmother's love of riding and has been taught by the monarch and her grooms from an early age.

She also has accompanied her parents to royal church services and at every turn has shown herself to be gracious and well-mannered.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were among the first to be pictured arriving at the venue this evening, with Meghan wearing a 1,148 Stella McCartney cape dress.

The Queen was seen arriving at the Royal Albert Hall wearing gold, while Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William took their seats in the Royal box as the concert got underway

Kylie Minogue, Shaggy and Craig David were among performers at the 'Queen's Birthday Party' earlier this evening.

The Duke of Cambridge, Lady Louise Windsor, the Princess Royal, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle take their seats tonight

Lady Louise is already an accomplished horsewoman and has previously competed in carriage driving at the Royal Windsor Horse Show.

Last year she was responsible for leading the carriages of the Champagne Laurent-Perrier Meet of the British Driving Society into the showground.

She has also joined her father Prince Edward, 53, on horseback as part of the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations in Windsor in 2016.

Prince Philip, 96, turned to carriage racing after he decided to stop playing polo at the age of 50.

Royal blue: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were pictured arriving at the Royal Albert Hall for the Queen's birthday concert tonight
Heart disease sufferers are more likely to stay out of hospital if they are fast walkers.

Among more than 1,000 adults with heart disease and high blood pressure, half of the slowest walkers needed hospital treatment over three years.

For those whose pace was faster, fewer than a third ended up in hospital, with those who did being discharged about a fortnight earlier.

The results follow evidence showing people who walk more slowly may be at greater risk of dementia. Walking speed may be a red flag for health problems because unfit people have less oxygen uptake, which can make them slower on their feet.

The studys lead author, Dr Carlotta Merlo from the University of Ferrara in Italy, said: The faster the walking speed, the lower the risk of hospitalisation and the shorter the length of hospital stay. The three-year study involved 1,978 people with high blood pressure, of whom 85 per cent also had coronary heart disease and 15 per cent also had valve disease.

Heart disease sufferers are more likely to stay out of hospital if they are fast walkers (file photo)

Participants were asked to walk one kilometre (1,100 yards) on a treadmill at what they considered a moderate intensity. Those classed as slow walkers had an average speed of 1.6mph, intermediate walkers 2.4mph and fast walkers 3.2mph.

Over the following three years, 51 per cent of the slow walkers had at least one trip to hospital, compared to only 44 per cent of the intermediate walkers and 31 per cent of the fast walkers. Members of the fast-walking group spent 990 days in hospital during the three years, while slow walkers spent 4,186 days. The average hospital stay for fast walkers was nine days, but slow walkers stayed an average of 23 days.

The results were presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Cardiology in Munich.
'I have no idea what hes talking about, says Simon Schama crossly, wanting to hit back at one of the critics of his blockbuster BBC series Civilisations. The review in question said it looked like televisions most distinguished historian had been driven mad by political correctness and would rather listen to a bullhorn being blown in a prehistoric cave than a proper masterpiece like Beethovens Ninth Symphony. He says that I rhapsodise about the bullhorn in the cave. I dont do anything of the sort. I say its haunting and it makes a very strange whooping noise!

But that was not the only criticism of the series, which set out to tell the story of art in a new way, expanding to take in culture from over the world. Schama and his fellow presenters David Olusoga and Mary Beard went around the world, making connections with ancient civilisations in a way that many viewers found mesmerising, provocative and packed with insight  but others made harsh comparisons with the series that inspired it, Civilisation, presented by Kenneth Clark in 1969.

Simon Schama fiercely defends his blockbuster BBC series Civilisations, after critics have attacked it from all sides

One reviewer wrongly accused Schama of insisting that cave paintings were as good as the works of Michelangelo

Astonishingly, the most hostile verdict came from the BBCs own arts editor, Will Gompertz, who said Civilisations was a rambling mess: More confused and confusing than a drunk driver negotiating Spaghetti Junction in the rush hour.

Now Schama is answering back, having been particularly upset by a reviewer who accused him of insisting that cave paintings were as good as the works of Michelangelo.

I dont for a second say that. What we do differently is to try to show connections between Western art and non-Western art when theyre historically true. Kenneth Clark knew this, he just didnt tackle it.

Can he give an example? A moment of awakening happened when artists like Claude Monet and Van Gogh discovered Japanese woodblock prints. This is nothing to do with political correctness or multiculturalism. Japanese art liberates them.

The commanding 73-year-old Schama lives in New York and teaches art history at Columbia University. He has published many critically acclaimed books including two volumes of a history of the Jewish people (with a third to come). But hes best known as a TV presenter, striding across our screens in series like A History Of Britain and Simon Schamas Power Of Art.

Mary Beard caused controversy in Civilisations by suggesting we should feel bad about how the British empire was built on looting and plundering

What was he doing when Clarks original version was made? Well, when Kenneth Clark was delivering the opening lines in front of Notre Dame cathedral, the student riots were going on. I was working in Paris in 1968. I was being lightly tear-gassed in Montparnasse. By mistake, actually: I was minding my own business in a cafe.

His fellow presenter Mary Beard caused controversy in Civilisations by suggesting we should feel bad about how the British empire was built on looting and plundering. Did Schama agree? No, I dont share share Marys view at all. Theres no doubt that by the middle of the 19th century theres a sense of arrogant, cultural superiority, although I would say that something as magnificent as the Ajanta Buddhist caves in India were rescued and restored by a British Army officer, something one should not forget. You find British scholars who are besotted with Indian culture. So I have a much more open-ended view. Im not a defender of the plunder and vulgarity that went on, but I think its a much more two-way process than the anti-imperial caricature usually presupposes. Thats going to get me into trouble, but its what I believe.

Simon Schama: While Kenneth Clark was in front of Notre Dame, I was being lightly teargassed in Montparnasse

Nor does he believe that we should turn away from the work of a great artist if his personal life turns out to be offensive in some way  from support of the slave trade to modern accusations of sexual assault.

Artists are often not very nice people. Rembrandt locked up his mistress in a mental asylum for years. That was an unforgivable thing to do, but we dont throw away his art. If you expect creative artists to be pillars of morality, youre in for a nasty shock.

As an Englishman in New York, has he made this latest series as an antidote to Trump? I hope so. Civilisations is about the importance of education, about thoughtfulness... not making policy in tweets.

His next book will be about nationalism. Its called Return Of The Tribes, and its not a polemic. You have to give credit to the emotional force of national identity. So its cerebral as opposed to the screaming match which is going on right now. Then Ill write volume three of The Story Of The Jews. Writing that will take me into what Gore Vidal called the springtime of my senility.

And Simon Schama laughs, because right now that seems like a long way off.

Civilisations is on Thursday, BBC2 at 9pm. Schama appears at the Chalke Valley History Festival in June (see panel)
Meraki

80-82 Great Titchfield Street, London W1

Rating:

My knowledge of Greek food is hardly Homeric. In fact, its barely fit to strum a note on that mandolin of Captain Corelli. That said, my most endearing memory of The Iliad is not the siege of Troy, or those feckless and fickle gods, rather the bit about many a goodly ox, with many a sheep and bleating goat did they butcher and cut up; many a tusked boar moreover, fat and well-fed, did they singe and set to roast in the flames of Vulcan. One of the great epic poems of world literature, and all I remember is their lunch.

We sit in a long, barn-like room, with expensively rustic walls, and can just about hear the bad pop blaring out over the deafening hubbub

Then theres Patience Greys Honey From A Weed, eternally elegant but assuredly unromantic, a beguiling mix of travel, autobiography and recipes, filled with tales of bitter Greek weeds (The more bitter the weeds the better, as far as the Naxians were concerned), boiled, anointed with olive oil and vinegar, and eaten with hard-boiled eggs. She believed that the finest cooking is the result of a balance struck between frugality and liberality. And that poverty rather than wealth gives the good things of life their true significance. Home-made bread rubbed with garlic and sprinkled with olive oil, shared  with a flask of wine  between working people, can be more convivial than any feast.

Shes right, of course, although Im not sure what shed make of Meraki, a newish Greek restaurant just to the north of Oxford Street, opened by Arjun and Peter Waney, the siblings who brought us Roka (one of my favourite places in London), Zuma (equally good, but rather too many elderly men entertaining their nieces) and La Petite Maison.

None is cheap, and nor is Meraki, where Dover sole comes in at an epic 54, and a leg of lamb for 5 short of a ton. I dont think Patience would approve.

We sit in a long, barn-like room, with expensively rustic walls, and can just about hear the bad pop blaring out over the deafening hubbub. Theres noisy, then theres Meraki on a Wednesday night. It makes even The Wolseley seem muted. Halfway through dinner some fella sits down with a guitar and starts hammering out Van Morrison covers. I presume hes been booked, but he could just be a well-oiled punter. He also might be rather good, but you can hardly make him out over the good-natured roar. Everyone here is having a grand old time.

We eat alabaster taramosalata, with the most subtle of smokes, piled thick on to warm pitta, before moving on to two real Greek classics, octopus carpaccio and prawn ceviche. Both are about as Greek as I am, although the octopus has admirable texture, hovering between robust and sighingly soft. And is beautifully presented, strewn with capers and onions, blobs of oil and a good crunch of salt. The Like A Greek ceviche (really? why?) uses equally fine shellfish, gloriously fresh, sitting in a chilli-spiked bath of lime and orange. Again, it may not be all that Greek, but it is damned good. Just like the rosti Greek style, which comes topped with two expertly fried eggs and a honk of truffle and lashings of cream cheese Cretan butter.

Theres a sun-kissed Santorini tomato salad that whisks me straight back to that island. The intensity of the fruit is remarkable for this time of year, although, for 14 a bowl, it needs be touched by Zeus. Deep-fried soft-shell shrimps are excellent, every bit the equal of those I ate at Toulas in Corfu, possessing the ephemeral sweetness of the truly fresh. But theyve been decapitated, thus robbing us of the best bit of all.

Four charred lamb chops are up there with those Korean beauties at Roka. They bleat with deep ovine aplomb. The great Fay Maschler, queen of restaurant reviewers, and an expert on all things Greek, complained in her review that they removed all the fat. Thankfully, they took note (as they did of her other complaints), and the fats back. Hooray.

Santorini tomato salad. The intensity of the fruit is remarkable for this time of year, although, for 14 a bowl, it needs be touched by Zeus

A plate of horta greens (or weeds, for thats what they are) have a bracing bitterness lifted by a whack of lemon juice and the merest hint of dill. Patience would most certainly approve, as she would of a magnificently crisp, minerally Assyrtiko white from Santorini, further proof as to the ever-increasing quality of Greek wine. Its a long way from Retsina. And Meraki is a long way from the cliched Greek places of old, with their slimy dolmas, fluorescent pink tarama and calamari clad in bulletproof batter. The only thing smashed here is your credit card limit. But although the crowd is skewed towards the late middle-aged cashmere-clad, the cooking can be very good indeed.

Its like a taverna thats left the islands, travelled the world and made its fortune, before coming home to wallow in a mixture of nostalgia and current culinary trends. The Waneys know their market well, and you could hardly fit another pitta, yet alone person, in the room.

Those in search of rustic Greek authenticity will not be amused. Nor would Patience Grey. But we had a blast. Just make sure someone else foots that bill.

About 55 per head

What Tom ate last week

Thursday

Cheese fondue at Hus 8 in Zurs for lunch. And the usual pickles and potatoes. If you cut me, Id bleed Gruyere.

Friday

We take skidoos up to Alpele, a tiny Alpine restaurant above Lech. Where we eat, yup, youve got it, peerless cheese fondue, plus fondue Bourguignon and Chinoiserie.

Saturday

Back to London and Xio Long bao buns and XO rice at Shikumen.

Sunday

Roast chicken and roast potatoes for lunch. I suggest fondue for dinner. Am ignored.
Want to know a secret? You can pre-order next seasons looks from designers such as Adeam (left) and Marni (right) straight after they hit the catwalks on the Moda Operandi website

FOR NEXT SEASON NOW The fashion industrys best-kept secret, Moda Operandi is the only site where you can pre-order next seasons looks straight after they hit the catwalks. Simply go to its Trunk Show menu to snap up pieces from designers such as Adeam (dress, above left) and Marni (above right) months before they hit the shops. Beware: checking in on the latest drops can become addictive. modaoperandi.com

FOR TRENDSETTERS

Visit Studio B for insider favourites and sold-out cult items

With seven years buying experience at Mulberry and Matches Fashion, Studio Bs founder Bethany Rowntree was well placed to launch her shopping site last year dedicated to under-the-radar labels and insider favourites such as Rixo and Gestuz. My tip would be to head here first for cult items likely to be sold out everywhere else. studiobfashion.com

FOR SHOE ADDICTS

Martha Louisa offers designer footwear at affordable prices

Newly launched Martha Louisa is a dangerous discovery. Like a department store just for footwear (why has no one thought of it before?), it offers luxury big-hitters such as Gucci and Prada as well as more affordable newbies including Aeyde, Yuul Yie and Attico (right). I know where Ill be browsing on my tea breaks marthalouisa.com

THIS WEEK I'M BUYING

HIGH-STREET STEAL WORTH THE SPLURGE

SHIRT, 49.99, Mango, mango.com Ill wear this top tucked into everything from midi skirts to wide-leg trousers for work. SUNGLASSES, 290, Celine, celine.com Ive been on the hunt for the perfect cat-eye sunglasses  only these will do!

IN THE KNOW...

Dune London has launched its new Nude Collection to solve the what shoes do I wear with this? dilemma. With shades ranging from fair and blush to noisette and espresso, the range is a welcome move away from the one-nude-suits-all approach.

WHAT TO WEAR IN...THE SOUTH OF FRANCE

Looking for a bank holiday mini break? We recommend the Le Meridien Nice on French Riviera

Looking for a bank holiday break? For blue skies without the long-haul flight, head to the French Riviera. If you like being in the thick of it, try Le Meridien Nice* for impressive sea views, or kick back by the water at Les Roches Rouges*. The perfect outfit? A classic Breton top by Nexts Label Mix paired with Kurt Geigers red slides.

*Rooms at Le Meridien Nice around 165 per night, lemeridiennice.com; rooms at Les Roches Rouges around 190 per night, reopening 13 May, hotellesrochesrouges.com
Jo and Sarah answer real questions from readers: to put your query, go to beautybible.com

Q Taking off winter woollies and thick tights has revealed some un-beautiful patches of very dry skin, elbows, feet, shins  and the rest! Whats the best product for (almost) instant softening?

A If you are happy to use a product that makes no pretensions to be natural, then we highly recommend CeraVe Moisturising Cream for dry to very dry skin, 14.50 for 454g, from a very popular US drugstore brand developed with dermatologists and newly launched in the UK. As skincare expert Caroline Hirons says, CeraVe is a great range to investigate, and a true beauty steal in our book.

For more information follow Beauty Bible online here or on Facebook and Twitter

We tried CeraVe Moisturising Cream on rough scaly heels (after buffing) and were amazed at the immediate transformation. Daily use really makes a difference. (Cracks in skin, which can affect older people particularly on feet and hands, can let in infections so it is important to treat them.)

The CeraVe effect is attributed mainly to three essential ceramides (oils found naturally in the skin) and hyaluronic acid. The second ingredient (after water) is glycerin, and petrolatum (petroleum jelly) is quite prominent in the ingredient listing too. (Ingredients are listed in order of the amount in the product.)

If natural products are your preference, we suggest turning to Green People, one of our favourite organic ranges. Try Sugar Scrub, 21 for 160g, with  yes - sugar plus skin-softening oils, followed by Body Butter, 21 for 135ml, a multi-tasking body balm. When it comes to feet, Charlotte Vohtz, founder of Green People, suggests massaging in Body Butter before bed then popping on clean cotton socks. Et voila! Super-soft feet in the morning.

Beauty Bible loves Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, 30. Were not sure how to categorise this. Even our friend Charlottes not sure what it is, describing it as the ultimate high-gloss, high-glow celebrity skin filter in a bottle.

So: since we couldnt quite get our heads round that, we took ourselves off to John Lewis to have it demo-ed on skin  always a great way to check out any new make-up product.

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. Described as the ultimate high-gloss, high-glow celebrity skin filter in a bottle

And what we can report is that this is an amazingly flattering, versatile innovation which makes skin look very soft-focus and gently glow-y. (The high-gloss tag is a bit off-putting  used judiciously, its way subtler than that.)

You can deploy it in several different ways. First, as a primer  a few dabs with the over-sized doe-foot wand of the light-diffusing mixture, blended into the complexion under foundation (forehead, cheeks, chin).

Secondly  and this is what weve been doing  you can actually mix it with your foundation. This is fantastic at this time of year, with your regular winter base; the light has really shifted out there  and suddenly, velvety, matte foundations look all wrong. A few dabs of Hollywood Flawless Filter, blended into foundation (in the palm of the hand works best) does the trick brilliantly at making your base look just right for now.

Thirdly, you can use it as a highlighter in its own right  on the tops of the cheekbones (provided youre not lined there), above the cupids bow, down the nose

Theres a terrific tutorial on her website (find it here). But to be honest, for fun (and for best results), we suggest you follow in our footsteps and get it applied in store. (Find her locations here.) That way, you can discover which shade is perfect for you  admirably there are seven in all (3 Light/Medium seems to be our best match).

Charlottes make-up pros are all incredibly highly-trained, positively evangelical about what they do  and frankly, no excuse is too slim for us to hoist ourselves up onto a stool and let them work their magic.
Radio 2's Simon says: keep calm and be kind

Guilty pleasure? I dont believe that there is such a thing. If you like something, say so  who cares what anyone else thinks?

Where is home? A Victorian house in Islington, North London.

Career plan B? A teacher. My father was a headteacher, my mother was a teacher, my sister is a headteacher and I was going to do teacher training before I got a job working for the BBC in Nottingham.

Who would play you in a movie of your life? Its a ludicrous idea, so anyone from the Milkybar Kid to Brad Pitt to Christopher Walken.

Biggest bugbear? Drivers who dont know how to turn right at crossroads.

As a child you wanted to be A radio presenter. I always loved Johnnie Walker and now Im fortunate enough to be on the same network.

Earliest memory? Helicopters dropping food parcels during the winter of 1962-63. We were snowed in at Lee Abbey in Devon over Christmas.

Best quality? Staying calm.

And your worst? Staying too calm.

Most romantic thing youve ever done? Propose to my wife Hilary ten minutes into Valentines Day.

Last meal on earth? Either chicken balti or amshe tikshe, a kind of Indian-Chinese hybrid dish from our local Indian restaurant.

Dream dinner-party guests? Stephen King, Kenneth Branagh, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Anne Hathaway and Yuval Noah Harari, who wrote Sapiens. I have interviewed them all apart from Oprah.

Advice to teenage self? Those high-heeled clogs at 14 were never a good idea.

Cat or dog? Dogs. Cats are possessed by the devil  Im also allergic to them.

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Someone who got lucky.

Starstruck moment? Interviewing Bruce Springsteen on my Radio 2 show in 2016. It was my career highlight.

Most embarrassing moment? Not recognising Naomi Campbell when a Radio 1 producer arranged for her to bring a cake into the studio on my birthday.

Favourite tipple? A glass of chablis.

Hangover cure? Drink less.

What did you have for breakfast today? Bread from a local bakery, Bread by Bike, marmalade and decaf coffee.

Top of your bucket list? A trip to the Canadian Rockies.

One thing that would make your life better? More time to read.

Philosophy? Work hard, be kind.

Biggest lesson you have learned about money? Im not very good at looking after it.

Where would you time-travel to? Dartmoor Prison in 1814 to meet Richard Crafus, an American sailor captured by the British who called himself King Dick. He is a central character in my new novel Mad Blood Stirring.

First record you bought? Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel.

Most extravagant purchase? A couple of Gucci cashmere jumpers that cost about 200 each. I still have them.

Best present you ever received? A Rock-Ola jukebox from Hilary.

Biggest fear? Being irrelevant.

Celebrity crush? Charlies Angels, Joanna Lumley and Meg Ryan.

Happiness is Spurs getting at least one point more than Arsenal. Things are looking good this year.

Simons new novel Mad Blood Stirring is published by Doubleday, price 12.99. To order a copy for 9.74 (a 25 per cent discount) until 6 May, visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15
You've just booked a cruise trip, but before you start planning which flip flops to pack, the next item on your check list should be making sure you've got the right kind of travel insurance in place.

This is because even if you already have an annual travel insurance policy in place  with cruise holidays you may need to take out a specialist policy to make sure you're properly covered.

In fact just 56 per cent of single and 59 per cent of annual policies include cover for a cruise trip as standard and if you do get it wrong and end up having to claim  and find out your insurance doesn't cover you  you could be left severely out of pocket.

Just 56 per cent of single and 59 per cent of annual policies include cover for a cruise trip

Taking a cruise trip has become increasingly popular in recent years.

Demand for these holidays increased 20 per cent in the past five years and in 2017 more than two million holidaymakers took a cruise setting sail from the UK and Ireland  a record number of passengers according to the Cruise Lines International Association's UK & Ireland Cruise Review 2018.

Yet because the trip takes place on a cruise ship, your standard insurance may not cover you.

This is because there may be limited medical supplies on board, you may have to be flown to the nearest hospital which could be quite a distance or in a different country, you may be travelling through several different countries along the way, and you could be taking part in activities, such as which water sports, which are considered to be of a higher risk.

Dr Matthew Connell, director of policy and public affairs at the Chartered Insurance Institute, explains: 'Cruises may seem like low-risk holidays, because they are usually relaxing and enjoyable. However, travel insurers have to factor in some significant risks.

'For example, is someone falls ill on a cruise, they may need an air ambulance which can cost tens of thousands of pounds. If they are too ill to be flown home, they may have to be treated abroad, and this can also be very expensive.

'As a result, cruise holidays are not covered under most standard travel insurance policies but you can buy this cover as an add-on. If you are going on a cruise, you should check your cover to make sure you are covered before you go.'

Of all the policies on the market, 32 per cent of single policies and 29 per cent of annual policies allow you to add on extra cover for a cruise, according to data from Defaqto.

While the figures are low, there are also a number of travel insurance providers that won't cover cruise trips  12 per cent of single and 11 per cent of annual policies.

The level of protection for cruise trips also varies depending on the insurer and the policy you've bought.

For example, some policies include compensation for what's called 'cabin confinement', if you're too ill to leave your cabin and miss out on one or more days of the cruise. Of the policies available, 54 per cent of single and 45 per cent of annual, provide this as standard, according to Defaqto.

The amount of money paid out for cabin confinement varies considerably between insurers

However, the level of compensation paid out also varies considerably, with some paying out just 10 a day and others up to 200 if you need to claim for missing days of the cruise.

The reason it's important to buy the right travel insurance as soon as you've booked is that you'll be covered from that moment. This means if you fall ill and can't go on the holiday, for example, you'll be able to claim for any money you've already paid out.

Brian Brown, head of insight at Defaqto, adds: 'Today's modern cruise ships cater for every taste with celebrity speakers, specialist classes such as gourmet cooking and wine tasting, as well as traditional sight-seeing.

'Yet a cruise holiday is very different to a holiday on the shore and has very different risks. Therefore, cruise travellers must ensure that their travel insurance specifically offers cruise cover, whether as standard or as an additional benefit.'

Here we look at the main factors to consider when looking for a travel insurance policy for your cruise trip.

What is cruise insurance?

A cruise insurance policy is a specific insurance policy to cover you while you are on a cruise holiday.

It will cover you from the moment you buy it and while you're away, which is typically longer than a standard holiday, and should include all the countries you visit and all of the excursions you take part in.

It can be bought as an additional extra or may be included in your existing travel insurance policy.

Do I need specialist insurance for a cruise trip?

This really depends on the type of cruise you've booked, and the insurance you need.

There are a number of single and annual travel insurance policies that cover cruise trips alongside other holidays made throughout the year.

Aviva, for example, covers cruise trips in its standard travel insurance policy so with this you may not need to buy a specialist policy (if the cover limits were suitable for the cruise you had planned).

It provides up to 5,000 cover if the cruise needs to be cancelled, 24-hour worldwide medical emergency assistance and up to 25 per person compensation per 12-hour delay.

Does it matter which countries I'm visiting?

Most cruise trips will include several different countries and therefore it's important your insurance will cover you while you're in each of them.

Most policies will exclude certain countries, such as those where there is political unrest, so always check before you set sail. You will also need to make sure you have everything else ready for each of the countries you visit including the appropriate injections beforehand and visas in place.

Check the small print of the policy to make sure you'll be covered in all of the countries along your trip  and also make sure you're aware of what would happen if you were to fall ill and the costs of repatriation.

On the up: Demand for cruise trip holidays has increased 20 per cent in the past five years

Martyn John, spokesperson from GoCompare Travel Insurance, said: 'Cruise trip insurance is essentially a travel insurance policy with certain extras which cater to the nature and risks of a cruise holiday.

'As most cruise trips involve visiting several different countries, it's crucial that people are checking the places they're visiting are included in their policy, otherwise they could be hit with a hefty bill on the return home.'

What should I look out for in the small print?

As well as all the standard cover limits you would find on a travel insurance policy, such as lost luggage, falling ill while you're away or theft of your belongings, there are a few things which you need to pay particular attention to.

These include; money paid for days when you're confined to your cabin, cover if you miss your departure from the UK and cover if you miss any of the departures along the trip.

Also look for cover that allows you to re-join the cruise at a later date if you fall ill and are then well enough to return and cover to get you back on the cruise if there is a delay returning from a pre-booked excursion and the boat leaves without you.

Some policies, such as LV's cruise cover, will also include compensation for each port stop shown on the itinerary that is then cancelled after the trip has started, such as for bad weather.
Meet the father paralysed by motor neurone disease (MND) who still manages to take jaw-dropping photographs of nature.

Simon Adams was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder, which robs its sufferers of the ability to move, in 2012.

He cannot breathe without a ventilator or speak, and is paralysed from the neck down  but he has still managed to keep up his passion of 30 years.

The 51-year-old, originally from Birmingham, takes his pictures with the help of his assistant, Andrew, and technology which allows him to control the camera.

Simon Adams has been taking photographs for 30 years - and is continuing to do so despite being paralysed from the neck down

The 51-year-old takes his stunning snaps with the help of his assistant Andrew, and uses wifi links to control the camera

Simon was diagnosed with MND in 2012, but still manages to take incredible pictures of nature, despite being paralysed

Simon explains he is wheelchair-bound but determined to carry on living: 'Despite these huge challenges, I get out with my camera gear and drone as often as I can, which is at least once a week'

Andrew positions the camera for Simon in the correct direction and height, and then the camera is linked to a MacBook - meaning Simon is able to control it and take the shot. The photographer says without the help of his assistant, his photo days would be long gone.

In addition, the camera's settings can be remotely adjusted, and Simon also uses a drone to get some of his incredible shots.

He says he prefers shooting in manual mode, so that he has total control.

The photographer, who previously worked in telecoms, technology and internet sectors, has familial motor neurone disease, which makes up 10 per cent of sufferers (Simon pictured with his wife, Emma)

The crippling illness leads to the breakdown of the motor neurones, which are essential in allowing the brain to send signals to muscles in order to move

It is unclear how many MND sufferers there are as diagnosis can be complicated, but it is thought that there are up to 5,000 people living in the UK with the condition at any one time

Simon explains that he tries to enjoy every moment he has, rather than dwelling on his condition: I dont think about my prognosis very often. Im way beyond what most neurological consultants would expect in terms of longevity'

Simon, who lives in Epsom, Surrey, with his wife Emma and seven-year-old son Aleksander, explains his illness: The easiest way to describe my current physical condition is to think of the late Professor Hawking.

Im paralysed from the neck down, unable to breath without a ventilator, unable to talk without an eye gaze computer. Im in a power wheelchair all day and totally reliant on others.

I need 24-hour care to manage my condition. Despite these huge challenges, I get out with my camera gear and drone as often as I can, which is at least once a week.

In everyday life, Simon uses eye gaze technology to communicate, a technology which allows him to tap out letters by selecting them via his eye movements.

Simon, currently lives in Epsom, Surrey, with his wife Emma and seven-year-old son Aleksander

The father said: 'I have a wonderful family and every day Im here is a bonus, as I get to see my boy grow up

He explains that he is grateful to be able to use computers to maintain his quality of life: 'Thankfully we live in an age where technology is readily available to help disabled people live a meaningful and interesting life.

'So many people with MND give up too soon. I like to show people  through my photography  that life doesnt have to be hell with MND!'

The crippling illness leads to the breakdown of the motor neurones, which are essential in allowing the brain to send signals to muscles in order to move. It is unclear how many MND sufferers there are as the condition is difficult to diagnose, but it is thought that there are up to 5,000 people living in the UK with the condition at any one time.

In everyday life, Simon uses eye gaze technology to communicate, a technology which allows him to tap out letters by selecting them via his eye movements

Simon was diagnosed with the degenerative disorder in 2012, and is now unable to move from the neck down - but has still managed to keep up his hobby of 30 years

There is no cure for MND and treatment seeks to alleviate symptoms, while the lifespan for the condition can be anywhere from a few months to more than 10 years.

The photographer, who previously worked in telecoms, technology and internet sectors, has familial motor neurone disease, which makes up 10 per cent of sufferers.

Simon explains that he tries to enjoy every moment he has, rather than dwelling on his condition: I dont think about my prognosis very often. Im way beyond what most neurological consultants would expect in terms of longevity.

The best thing to do, in my condition, is make every day count and be grateful for whatever each day brings. I have a wonderful family and every day Im here is a bonus, as I get to see my boy grow up.
A former tenant has been ordered to pay almost $50,000 for what a tenancy tribunal described as the worst case of rental property damage it has seen.

Alysha Hannaka Lyn Howe caused $48,200 of damage to a Christchurch home after being evicted, according to a ruling released to the New Zealand Herald.

It was one of the most serious cases of intentional damage by a tenant the tribunal had ever seen, adjudicator J. Greene said.

Ms Howe has since turned to social media to refute the claims made against her and alleged the publication is omitting her side of the story.

New Zealand woman Alysha Howe has been ordered to pay almost $50,000 in rental damages to her former landlord

Ms Howe claims her former home was inspected every three months

She rented the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Christchurch for $450 a week for a year. Pictured left is the kitchen before she moved in

Ms Howe has since gone to social media to refute claims made about her after making national headlines in New Zealand

'Kitchen appliances and other chattels were ripped out and removed from the premises; plumbing fixtures were removed causing substantial damage due to flooding; walls and a door were extensively scribbled on,' the tribunal said in its ruling.

'Carpet throughout the premises was so extensively damaged that it had to be replaced; vanity units were damaged; electrical fittings were ripped out. And there was other significant damage throughout the premises.'

Tests also found methamphetamine contamination at levels suggesting it had been smoked in the house, according to the New Zealand Herald.

'I get evicted after two months trying to get her to sort the heat pump not blowing hot air, dishwasher not working, asked her put alarm in and fix garage door after I was robbed and fix carpet, which kept growing mushrooms,' Alysha Howe posted

Ms Howe has since gone on social media to refute the claims made against her and says the publication keeps deleting her side of the story

The damage caused by Alysha Howe was described in the tribunal's findings as 'considerable'

Pictured is more shocking damage of the kitchen and living areas

She rented the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home for $450 per week for a year

New Zealand's Tenancy Tribunal described it as the worst cases of rental property damage it has seen

Howe rented the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home for $450 per week for a year from Champagne Homes prior to her eviction.

According to landlord Yvonne Parker, Howe had kept the house clean and mostly kept on top of her rent until the landlord took a potential buyer through the house, the publication reported.

In an initial tribunal hearing last December which ordered termination of the tenancy, three smoke alarms had been illegally removed, there was mould on the hallway carpet and damage to the cooktop.

The Christchurch home was in pristine condition prior to Ms Howe moving in, according to the landlord

'Have six months of emails asking her fix the pipes in walls leaking house was never tested before I moved in,' Alysha Howe posted on Saturday.

'A large number of photographs, taken by the applicant during recent inspections of the premises, were produced as evidence during the hearing,' the initial finding states.

'In addition, written reports and quotations from contractors were produced in relation to some of the items of damage. The applicant's evidence was that the premises were newly renovated immediately prior to the commencement of this tenancy,'

The damage was described as 'considerable'.

'I find that the applicant proved that it is more probable than not that the tenant has caused, or permitted to be caused, substantial damage to the premises,' it said.

'The damage listed is "considerable" whether viewed in terms of amount or quantity and whether considered in totality or in respect of just some the more 'serious' items of damage such as the removal of the smoke alarms, the carpet, the vanity cabinet, the drawn-on walls or the light fittings.'

Landlord Yvonne Parker posted before and after shots of the home on social media this week to warn other landlords about Ms Howe

The landlord is in the process of selling her rental homes following the recent nightmare

'I find that the applicant proved that it is more probable than not that the tenant (pictured) has caused, or permitted to be caused, substantial damage to the premises,' the tribunal stated.

The landlord posted before and after shots of the home on social media to warn others about former tenant Alysha Howe (pictured)

This week following the second ruling, Ms Parker posted before and after shots of the home on social media to warn other landlords about Ms Howe.

'Attention all landlords,' she posted.

'Beware of renting to this person: Alysha Hannaka Lyn Howe, also goes by Barbie Howe. She has caused over $60,000 in damages to my property. Besides the visual damage, the house was contaminated by the use of methamphetame, or P as it is also known. The courts considered this to be one of the worst cases of willful damage they have seen.'

Ms Parker is now in the process of selling her rental homes following the recent nightmare.

'There has to be consequences for tenants like this. Something has to change,' one woman commented.

Another posted: 'I hope our politicians would introduce laws someday that this kind of peculiar behaviour and damages be considered criminal in nature rather than just plain civil.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Howe for comment.

Ms Howe refuted claims on social media and said the property was inspected every three months.

'Have six months of emails asking her fix the pipes in walls leaking house was never tested before I moved in,' she posted on Saturday.

'I get evicted after two months trying to get her to sort the heat pump not blowing hot air, dishwasher not working, asked her put alarm in and fix garage door after I was robbed and fix carpet, which kept growing mushrooms.'

Alysha Howe caused so much grief for her former landlord that she's now in the process of selling her rental homes following the recent nightmare

The spotless bathroom before Ms Howe moved in

Bathroom cabinet doors and drawers were ripped out
Six years after his death, Trayvon Martin's name is known throughout the country as a symbol of social injustice and a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement his killing helped forge.

Yet Trayvon was initially identified by the authorities as a 'John Doe,' something that his father, Tracy Martin, still finds unsettling.

The 17-year-old was shot and killed in an altercation with Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012.

It took enormous pressure for the police to release Zimmerman's 911 calls from that evening, which captured Zimmerman chasing after the hoodie-clad high-schooler, who was armed only with Skittles and an Arizona Iced Tea.

It was six weeks before Zimmerman, who was ultimately acquitted, was arrested after claiming self defense.

That Trayvon might easily have remained anonymous to the wider public is one of the indelible impressions left by the six-part documentary series 'Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story.' The first episode premiered Friday at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Trayvon Martin's parents Tracy Martin, left, and Sybrina Fulton attend the Tribeca TV screening of 'Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story' at BMCC Tribeca on Friday

Trayvon Martin (left and right) was 17 when he was shot and killed in an altercation with Hispanic neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Sanford, Florida in 2012

'The state really tried to sweep this whole scenario under the rug,' Martin said in an interview. 'We had to go through hell and high water just to get an arrest. They weren't going to arrest the individual who killed our son. That's kind of been forgotten.'

'Rest in Power,' produced by Jay-Z and premiering in June on the Paramount Network, charts the long, hard-fought journey that began as a family's tragedy but grew into a nationwide protest movement on civil rights, gun violence and racial profiling.

'It took my son being shot down to stand up,' says Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon's mother, in the series.

'It didn't start with Trayvon,' Fulton said in a separate interview. 'It didn't end with Trayvon.'

Based on Fulton and Martin's 2017 book 'Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin,' the series is also a painful reflection for Trayvon's parents, who have remained politically active (Fulton campaigned in 2016 for Hillary Clinton) in an effort to honor their slain son's legacy. In the series, Martin broken heartedly recalls going to his son's room to smell his laundry, fresh with the scent of fabric softener.

Reliving the trauma was a difficult, if familiar experience.

'We truly relive the story every day,' said Martin. (He and Fulton divorced in 1999 but have stayed close.) 'But it was emotional seeing it at this magnitude, seeing it put together from the perspective of someone else's eyes. The satisfaction of seeing it put together so well from someone who's not a part of the immediate family, it did hit home.'

Trayvon Martin's parents Tracy Martin, left, and Sybrina Fulton pose with Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro, center, at the Tribeca TV screening of 'Rest in Power'

'There were a lot of things I had forgotten about,' said Fulton. 'That was a really, really dark period in my life. It's a period of my life I don't want to relive. To lose a child is different kind of pain. It's a different kind of hurt.'

As much as Trayvon's story is their story, too, the parents believe 'Rest in Power' holds lessons for all.

'It's a teaching tool. It's a direct path to being engaged in many social justice issues that are plaguing our society today,' said Martin. 'We're looking for this to be very impactful. We feel that the documentary is diversified. Everyone can relate to this.'

'There's going to be times where the audience is going to tear up,' said Fulton. 'There's going to be times when they smile at the screen and say, 'Yes!' And there's going to be times where they say, 'OK, I need to do more.''

Since the incident, Zimmermann has tried to auction off the gun he shot Trayvon with, labeling it an 'American Firearm Icon.'

In 2015, he was arrested for aggravated assault and domestic violence with a weapon after he allegedly threw a wine bottle at his girlfriend.

Sybrina Fulton, left, and Tracy Martin, parents of Trayvon Martin, are seen in a file photo. They are speaking out about the new miniseries based on their son's death

He was acquitted in the shooting of Martin on the grounds of self-defense. The case brought new attention to Florida's 'stand-your-ground' law, which was signed into law by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush with NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer by his side.

Martin and Fulton have advocated for gun control restrictions, focusing primarily on keeping guns out of the hands of 'irresponsible' people.

'A lot of people are afraid to go at the NRA. But I have nothing else to lose. I'm a father of slain child,' said Martin.

'With this new administration in office, it's been a setback. There's not been enough attention focused on the humanitarian aspect of it all. Recently, the focus has only shifted because of the Parkland incident. It had to take a Parkland incident for the country to say: Let's make a change.'

Trayvon's parents, who have considered running for political office, have high hopes for 'Rest in Power.' But they also have one simple goal.

'I just want people to remember that his life mattered,' said Fulton. 'I want people to remember he had a right to live. And I want people to know that Trayvon represents so many others.'
Ethnic hot spots are shifting as migrants from other countries buy real estate in the same area.

Migrants tend to gravitate towards areas that reflect the lifestyle that they want and what time they are at in life, according to experts.

Many American and European home-buyers look for beach and harbour destinations while Asian buyers gravitate towards suburbs with education and public transport.

Manly (pictured) is the most popular destination for home buyers from European destinations like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and France as it reflects the lifestyle that they want (stock image)

Parramatta (pictured) is home to the biggest ethnic cluster in New South Wales as 36,599 Indian-born residents call it home (stock image)

Retirees look for spots with great weather and parents look for areas with excellent schools.

Around 36,599 Indian-born residents live in Parramatta, according to The Saturday Telegraph, which is the largest ethnic cluster in Sydney.

Manly is the most popular destination for home buyers from European destinations like Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and France.

It's also a hot spot for Canadians, Japanese, New Zealand and Brazilian migrants.

Manly is also the home of 7,700 UK-born residents.

In another beach side location, Austrians settled in Brighton-Le-Sands.

Chatswood has a Chinese population of 5,500 while 1,200 Filipinos live in Sutherland and 322 Nepalese call Westmead home.

There has also been a spike of Turkish interest in Strathfield, however the three largest ethnic groups in Strathfield remain to be Chinese, Nepalese and Indian, according to a Burwood Council community profile.

In another beach side location, Austrians migrants settled in Brighton-Le-Sands (pictured), according to the data (stock image)

Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee told the publication that: 'It spreads through word of mouth. People settle into an area because it has something they like.

'When more people from their country arrive they're drawn to the same areas because they feel comfortable around people they feel are like them.'

According to Domain in the three months leading up to March this year foreign buyers were projected to make up 18.1 per cent of residential sales in New South Wales.

Another new ethnic hot spot popping up in New South Wales is an increased Turkish population in Strathfield (pictured). However the three largest ethnic groups in the remain to be Chinese, Nepalese and Indian (stock image)

This is down 23.6 per cent from the same time in 2017.

This is due to recent policy changes which sees foreign investors charged eight per cent of the home's selling price in stamp duty.

ANZ senior economist Daniel Gradwell told the publication that while there was a decrease: 'It's not like they're falling off a cliff  there's definitely still demand out there from foreign buyers and, equally, still demand to lend to them from within Australia.'
The first-ever female correspondent for ABC News not only slept with Cuban leader Fidel Castro but also served as a secret back-channel between him and the US government, newly released documents have revealed.

Lisa Howard, who initially began her career as a soap actress, decided to become a reporter who would cover international affairs.

She developed an intimate relationship with Castro months after the Cuban Missile Crisis nearly led to global nuclear annihilation.

The revelations about Howards relationship with Castro were reported for the first time by POLITICO.

Motivated by a desire to see peace between the US and Cuba, Howard volunteered to serve as a secret intermediary between the Communist government in Havana and the Kennedy administration.

Howard passed messages from Castro to the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Lisa Howard, the first female correspondent for ABC News, traveled to Cuba three times, where she met Fidel Castro. They are seen above meeting for the first time in Havana on April 21, 1963

Howard, who initially began her career as a soap actress, decided to become a reporter who would cover international affairs

In those messages, Castro is said to have been ready to meet American demands to stop exporting revolution to Latin America and to cool ties with the Soviet Union in exchange for Washingtons pledge to cease supporting invasions of his island.

The information is contained in diaries and notes written by Howard and released by the National Security Archive.

There are also photographs showing Howard interviewing Castro.

Howard is described as a relentless and driven journalist who was determined to not only get an interview with the Cuban leader but also to advance secret diplomacy by lobbying members of the administration to take her seriously.

The remarkably revealing diary passages show that Howard developed such an intimacy with Castro that she felt comfortable enough to tell him to his face that she thought his policies were ruining Cuba.

Howard told El Comandante that he touched [her] very deeply but that she was overwhelmed by sadness watching him interact with the Cuban people because he had such a genuine belief in the revolution and in what he was doing [when] in fact so much of what he was doing was truly evil...and I was not capable of making him see it.

Howard has mixed feelings because of her views of Castro the person versus Castro the leader.

I do not want you destroyed.  You possess what George Bernard Shaw called that spark of divine fire, Howard wrote to Castro after he granted her a television interview in April 1963.

You are not the ruthless, cynical tyrant [your critics] have depicted.  I do not believe you have meant to hurt people, though, in all candor, I am both saddened and outraged that you have destroyed thousands and harmed many more without just cause.

Castro, for his part, was smitten with Howard.

The two would spend hours talking until sunrise. Castro would visit Howard in her hotel room, where she felt free to undress in front of him.

I dressed in front of Fidel like he was a schoolroom mate, she wrote.

She developed an intimate relationship with Castro months after the Cuban Missile Crisis nearly led to global nuclear annihilation. Howard and Castro are seen above on the ABC News program 'Cuba And Castro Today', which aired in April 1964

[H]e pulled me over and asked me to sit on his lap, and then spoke to me very gently, and said, Lisa, you are very dangerous for me. I could love a girl like you very deeply. Youre very sweet, very pretty, very intelligent, very sensitive.

The Cuban leader envisioned what it would be like to have a serious relationship with Howard.

Castro told her: We would have many fights, a hundred fights, two hundred fights, but in the end it would be all right.

You can teach me very much.

Castro confided in Howard, saying that he felt ambivalent about his female conquests because he thought the women he slept with were interested in him only because he was the most powerful man in Cuba.

Howard wrote that the Cuban leader was at first hesitant to jump into bed with her.

What do you want, Lisa? Do you want my body? Castro told Howard.

He said he wanted me very much but the conditions had to be right and we had to be away somewhere where we could forget everything, Howard wrote.

But we did get to bed and he made love to me quite expertly and it was, of course, thrilling and ecstatic - as much as anything I have ever experienced.

Howard was a key link in a secret back-channel of communication between Castro and the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson

Howard was a key link in a secret back-channel of communication between Castro and the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

But those talks did not advance because Howard claims that the Johnson administration was not receptive to Cuban overtures for renewed diplomatic relations.

Howard was eventually fired from ABC News after she clashed with the network over her sympathetic portrayal of the Cuban government.

Fidel Castro died in November 2016 at the age of 90. His brother, Raul Castro, assumed the presidency.

On Thursday, Raul Castro officially stepped down as president, handing the reins over to Miguel Diaz-Canel.

It is the first time in over 40 years that the island nation will be headed by someone not named Castro.

Raul Castro, 86, will remain as the head of the Communist Party.

Howard died of a drug overdose in 1965. She was just 39 years old.
The arrival records for tens of thousands of immigrants from the Windrush generation have been found in the National Archives.

The find strengthen the cases for those trying to prove they are British citizens who were being told they had to leave the UK.

The ledger, found after an investigation by the Financial Times, shows arrivals at ports until 1960 with more than 85,000 people arriving from Caribbean countries.

The arrival records for tens of thousands of immigrants from the Windrush generation have been found in the National Archives. The find strengthen the cases for those trying to prove they are British citizens who were being told they had to leave the UK

These include citizens who arrived from the Caribbean on Empire Windrush in 1948 - it was the ship's name that would come to define the generation.

The information, compiled by the Board of Trade, could proof vital in helping those under threat claim UK citizenship.

The Home Office destroyed its cache of landing slips eight years ago, in a bid to up data protection. But the department since rejected applications for UK citizenship because of a lack of evidence to support their arrival date claims.

The move came despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties, it was claimed.

The revealtions come after Prime Minister Theresa May issued her second grovelling apology in two days to the Caribbean migrants threatened with deportation.

The ledger, found after an investigation by the Financial Times, shows arrivals at ports until 1960 with more than 85,000 people arriving from Caribbean countries

She said Windrush immigrants 'are British - they are part of us' and vowed to ensure they can stay in the UK.

She told the House of Commons: 'And for those who have mistakenly received letters challenging them. I want to apologise to them.'

But Mrs May also revealed that the disastrous decision to shred landing cards that could help prove the right of Windrush immigrants to stay was taken in 2009 by a Labour Government.

The Home Office destroyed its cache of landing slips eight years ago, in a bid to up data protection. But the department since rejected applications for UK citizenship because of a lack of evidence to support their arrival date claims

Her revelation was met with gasps and shouts from the Tory benches who urged Labour to 'apologise' after they had blamed Mrs May for the destruction of the cards, which happened in 2010 when she was Home Secretary.

Her apology, delivered in PMQs, comes as Amber Rudd is today facing calls to quit as Home Secretary over the Windrush fiasco.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the MEP said: 'Certainly after the Windrush scandal in Britain, we want to be sure that the same is not happening to our European citizens and that there is no bureaucratic nightmare there.'
A cabinet minister criticised Health Secretary Jeremy Hunts idea of an NHS tax as a bad thing last night.

Liz Truss, who is the deputy to Chancellor Philip Hammond, said health spending should be funded from general taxation like other public services.

Her remarks expose the splits at the top of Government over how to raise more money for the health service.

Theresa May wants to raise NHS spending  on top of funding increases already announced. But there is disagreement between ministers over how to provide the cash.

Mr Hunt is thought to back a so-called hypothecated tax covering NHS spending, meaning all revenue from a particular levy would be directed to the health service.

But critics say the idea does not ensure the NHS gets the right amount of cash, because income from different taxes vary year by year.

Liz Truss, who is the deputy to Chancellor Philip Hammond, said health spending should be funded from general taxation like other public services - but Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has proposed an 'NHS tax' to fund the service

Details are expected to be revealed in the Budget this autumn, but ministers may also announce more money to coincide with the health services 70th anniversary in July.

Miss Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said of hypothecated taxes: They are a bad thing. If you had a hypothecated tax in the late 2000s, and we got the economic downturn and National Insurance receipts went down, that would have meant less money for the NHS. I believe in an NHS funded from general taxation. She told The Daily Telegraph: We have already put extra money into the NHS  6.3billion at the Budget.

We have allocated extra money for nurses pay and other employees because we are achieving contract reform and productivity improvement.

How Brown tried it before In 2002, Labour chancellor Gordon Brown said he was raising taxes specifically to boost funding for the NHS. But the way he did it  and where the money ended up  differed from the Tory plans under discussion. Rather than creating a dedicated NHS pot of cash, he put a penny on National Insurance, raising the rate paid from 10 per cent to 11 per cent for earnings of 4,615 to 30,420, and introduced a 1 per cent rate for any earnings above this. Labour said this brought in 8.2billion extra a year, which was meant to secure the future of the NHS. In reality, it went into the general NI pot, which also pays for other public services. So there is no way of tracking whether every pound raised by the 2002 NI increases helped the NHS. Advertisement

But what is incredibly important is that we dont spend money we dont have. We have had a big effort to get the deficit down over the last eight years. We dont want to throw that away. It is important we get economic growth before we spend more public money. Otherwise wed end up raising taxes and that would be bad news for an economy which is growing.

Asked if pensioners who work should pay National Insurance to fund the NHS, she added: This is not a policy the Government has at all. Those people contributed throughout their lives and it is a good thing people work beyond retirement age.

Mark Littlewood, director-general of the Institute for Economic Affairs think-tank, said: Taxes dont work for the NHS.

In theory, the UK already has a hypothecated tax in the form of National Insurance, with a percentage earmarked for the health service. But in reality there is no relationship whatsoever between the amount raised and spending on the NHS.

Spending on a particular service should not be driven by how much a tax raises.

Mrs May signalled there would be extra billions when she gave evidence to a committee of MPs last month. The PM said the NHS cannot afford to wait.

Mr Hunt called for a ten-year health service spending deal to end the feast or famine of the past two decades  with the possibility of a ring-fenced tax.
Suburban sitcom heroes Tom and Barbara Good would be absolutely delighted  developers are building a utopian eco-village where residents will grow their own food and work from home.

There will be 500 houses on 300 acres at an old iron mine.

The 200million scheme near the coastal village of Millom in Cumbria aims to be the first community in the UK to give more than it takes by producing an energy surplus.

It echoes the BBC1 sitcom The Good Life, in which Tom and Barbara Good, played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal, try to live an eco-friendly, self-sufficient life.

The houses will be built by local builders using local materials and designed specifically to allow owners to rent out parts of their homes and additional rooms to holidaymakers. This will enable locals to generate an income from tourism, as well as tackling the problem of empty second homes which can damage communities in tourist hot spots.

Developers are building a utopian eco-village where residents will grow their own food and work from home. It echoes the BBC1 sitcom The Good Life, in which Tom and Barbara Good (pictured) try to live an eco-friendly, self-sufficient life

Designed in conjunction with the team behind the London 2012 Olympic Park, the properties will be built in the shape of an Italian hill town, with an amphitheatre for events and concerts overlooking a natural freshwater lagoon.

No petrol cars will be allowed at the site, which could open by 2021, but there will be driverless electric cars for residents.

Developer Ashley Dobbs said: As a general rule, human beings have been taking too much stuff out of the larder. We have to put something back, otherwise as a species we will die out.

This is an ambitious project to create a place where people grow more food and produce more energy than they consume.
A tiny toy boat belonging to two British boys has sailed nearly 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean and is set to complete its journey in the Caribbean.

Brothers Ollie and Harry Ferguson, eight and six, had their little Playmobil boat Adventure dropped 100 miles off the coast of Mauritania in Africa.

The toy craft has since travelled 2,800 miles in five months and tackled waves of up to 65ft to come within 100 miles off the coast of Guyana in South America.

Brothers Ollie and Harry Ferguson, eight and six, had their little Playmobil boat Adventure dropped 100 miles off the coast of Mauritania in Africa. The toy craft has since travelled 2,800 miles in five months and tackled waves of up to 65ft to come within 100 miles off the coast of Guyana in South America

But as Adventure became caught in a giant swell carrying her towards the Bahamas, she missed several 'pings' updating the boys on her location and the battery was beginning to run low.

Primary school pupils Ollie and Harry, from Turriff, Aberdeenshire, are desperate for someone to find the boat before the signal dies out and she is lost forever.

They have put out appeals to Guyana and Venezeula and even nearby drilling companies to try and locate her and, if she has not yet hit land, recharge the tracker before sending her off again.

Dad MacNeill Ferguson, who runs children's outdoor company Marvellous Adventure Club, said: 'It's hard to believe a little toy boat could make it so far. It's truly amazing.

'The data has shown her reaching speeds of one knot and heights of 20 metres (65ft) which shows what rough weather she's been through.

'We have started to worry about not getting pings. She had only missed one in the five months of her journey before but she's now missed three in quick succession.

'We have heard from her again which was a massive relief. When we thought we had lost her the boys were completely heartbroken.

'Now she is getting to the end of the journey the excitement is really building in our house.

'This is touching a lot of people, and we have thousands of people following the boat's journey and looking out for her pings on the tracking map.'

Adventure was an old Playmobil Pirates Ship the boys dug out of their toybox. She originally cost around 40.

But as Adventure became caught in a giant swell carrying her towards the Bahamas, she missed several 'pings' updating the boys on her location and the battery was beginning to run low

After filling her with polystyrene and foam to make her seaworthy, she was released into the North Sea in May 2017 at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

Fitted without a tracker, Ollie and Harry were delighted when they received a message saying the boat had landed 390 miles away in Denmark, before going on to Sweden and Norway.

The Norwegian crew of the full-rigged ship Christian Radich then offered take her 3,000 miles and drop her into the Atlantic.

Adventure's Atlantic crossing began 100 miles of the Mauritanian coast on November 8, with a tracker supplied by OPEX Group.

MacNeill said: 'When you play with these things in the bath they normally just fall over and sink.

'We did some work to make her seaworthy but we were amazed she made it Denmark.

'An Atlantic adventure seemed like the next logical step and we were so grateful when the Christian Radich approached us and offered to start it.

'They had people on board who had work on the Cutty Sark restoration so Adventure was in good hands for a few repairs.'

The journey almost came to an end only a few hundred miles into the journey when Adventure drifted through the Canary Islands and skirted just a mile from the shore.

Since then it has travelled to within 100 miles of Guyana, where it has been picked up by a strong current sweeping it towards the Caribbean.

But the dramatic change in course is likely to lengthen the boat's journey by several weeks, meaning the tracker's battery could run flat.

The crew of the Stena Carron, a drillship owned by Scottish company Stena Drilling, offered to launch a search party if Adventure came within 20 miles of their position, but she sailed agonisingly wide at 35 miles, making the hunt impossible.

MacNeill said: 'For someone finds it when it reaches land and message us to let us know, that's what we're really waiting for.

'But having the tracker has been so much fun and we would to lose track of her.

They have put out appeals to Guyana and Venezeula and even nearby drilling companies to try and locate her and, if she has not yet hit land, recharge the tracker before sending her off again

'It was very kind of the Stena Carron to offer to look for her. The chances of finding a small boat like that anywhere within 20 miles in the ocean are less than finding a needle in a haystack.

'If anyone else can find her and let us know how she is getting on that would be fantastic.

'It's what we're really hoping for.'

Stuart Greer, operations manager at Stena Drilling, said: 'This is a remarkable story generating a lot of excitement whilst capturing the hearts of the crews of the Carron as well as our client Exxon Mobil..

'It's astonishing that a plastic toy boat could travel across the Atlantic and if we had successfully recovered the Adventure the crews had been planning to take photographs of it in various locations on the ship that could be passed back to the boys.

'We have alerted the other vessels in the area and may still be able to intercept it with one of the supply vessels therefore we will keep in touch with the family and continue to monitor.'

Ollie and Harry launched the boat as part of their effort to complete 500 adventures before they turn 18.

They have currently completed 229 and are constantly adding more ideas to their list.

MacNeill said: 'The boys have learned so much through doing this.

'Not only have they been able to study the weather and how the oceans move, but they've found out there are kind people all over the world willing to help them.

'That's the point of these adventures, to let the boys have fun while exploring the world around them.

'We'd love to plan something big for the 250th thing but we're not sure what to do yet.

'If anyone has any ideas we'd really love to hear them. It's great when our adventures excite other people.'

Adventures' progress can be tracked at: https://track-adventure.squarespace.com/

Ollie and Harry's reactions to the crossing, and their other adventures, can be found here
An Aboriginal man has walked free from jail on Monday despite recommendations by the Terrorism High Risk Offenders Assessment Committee.

Greg Ceissman allegedly converted to Islamic State ideology while serving time in jail for car theft, driving while disqualified and resisting police.

According to the Australian, the 24-year-old is accused of plotting a bomb threat to Bankstown Shopping Centre and made threats to Marrickville police station.

Justice Stephen Rothman (pictured) signed off on the release Greg Ceissman who had been incarcerated since 2015

The Terrorism High Risk Offenders Assessment Committee recommended he stayed behind bars but Justice Stephen Rothman signed off on Ceissman's release from prison.

His release was subject to strict interim supervision orders which include refraining from using the internet at his father's home in Redfern.

Conditions also included unexpected visits, wearing an ankle bracelet, letting authorities know of his movements and to stay away from Marrickville.

Greg Ceissman, 24, allegedly converted to Islamic State ideology while serving time in jail for car theft, driving while disqualified and resisting police

It is believed Ceissman lived in Marrickville before he was incarcerated and had clashed with local police on multiple occasions.

Five days after his release from prison, Ceissman was arrested for researching a map of the New South Wales police academy on Google.

He is accused of breaching his supervision order by looking at the map during one of his unexpected visits by police.

Ceissman's release was subject to strict interim supervision orders which include refraining from using the internet at his father's home in Redfern

It was flagged as a concern due to previous threats involving the inner-west police station.

NSW police and the Department of Corrective Services established the High Risk Terrorism Offenders Unit last year to identify jail extremists.

It allows police to obtain detention orders for extremists inside prison and orders extended supervision for terrorist sympathisers once they are released.
Theresa May could face a challenge to her leadership of the Conservative Party if she allowed Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit, it is reported.

The PM has been warned that a concession to keep Britain in the 28-member customs union could prompt a series of no-confidence letters to be sent to a backbench chairman and trigger a leadership contest.

One backbench Tory MP told the website ConservativeHome: 'If there's a cave-in on the customs union, I think there will be a leadership challenge'.

The Government is set to duck a confrontation on the customs union this week, as chief whip Julian Smith said a non-binding vote on the issue would be held on a one-line whip, The Times reports.

Theresa May could face a challenge to her leadership of the Conservative Party if she allowed Britain to remain in a customs union with the EU after Brexit, it is reported

It came after peers inflicted a second defeat on the Government's Breixt Bill this week, as they approved an amendment which aims to protect the rights of EU citizens post-withdrawal.

It also followed claims that Brussels has 'annihilated' Theresa May's plans to take Britain out of the EU customs union while keeping a soft border with the Republic of Ireland.

The UK's proposals to use technology to avoid hard customs checks and border guards were rejected after a 'detailed and forensic rebuttal' of the plans, it emerged.



A contest would be triggered if 48 letters were sent to Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, according to Conservative party rules. The customs union allows the trading bloc to negotiate tariffs and trade deals collectively.

Treasury Committee chairwoman Nicky Morgan, Health Committee chairwoman Sarah Wollaston and former minister Bob Neill joined forces with opposition MPs to secure the backbench business debate on the customs union.

Other signatories include Labour's Hilary Benn and Yvette Cooper, the Liberal Democrats' Norman Lamb, and the Scottish National party's Angus MacNeil.

Treasury Committee chairwoman Nicky Morgan (left) and Health Committee chairwoman Sarah Wollaston (right) joined forces with opposition MPs to secure the backbench debate

The motion spells out the Remain campaign's belief that a customs union with the EU is the only way to protect existing UK-EU trade and keep open the Irish border.

Mrs May has insisted Britain will leave the EU's customs union after Brexit to ensure it can sign trade deals with the rest of the world. Brexiteers insist any customs union would tie ministers' hands in future.

Next week's vote would not be binding on the Government were it successful but would add huge political pressure.

The PM must get a Customs and Trade Bill through Parliament before next March.
Sarah Maria Beach, 45, an American expat living in London, faces misdemeanor assault charges which were filed in US district court in Utah on Thursday

A rowdy passenger aboard a Delta Airlines flight from London to Salt Lake City has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a US Air Marshal and throwing coffee on passengers.

Sarah Maria Beach, 45, an American expat living in London, faces misdemeanor assault charges which were filed in US district court in Utah on Thursday.

News of Beachs arrest was reported by KSL.com.

Prosecutors have alleged that Beach threw coffee on passengers during the flight, overturned a drink cart, and ran up and down the aisle of the plane.

Flight attendants asked air marshals who were sitting in the back of the plane to help subdue Beach, according to the criminal complaint.

After Beach calmed down, she was seated next to one of the air marshals, who escorted her to the bathroom three times.

After she came out the third time, she allegedly jumped on the air marshals back and grabbed his head, neck, and jaw.

Beach allegedly behaved rowdily while on a Delta Airlines flight from London to Salt Lake City. Delta planes are seen at Salt Lake City International Airport in this 2015 stock image

Another air marshal came to his colleagues aid and pulled Beach off of her, the government alleges.

Beach was then handcuffed for the remainder of the flight.

Her first scheduled court appearance before a federal magistrate judge was scheduled for Friday in Salt Lake City.

If convicted, Beach faces up to a year in federal prison.
The new boss of the National Trust walked straight into a row yesterday when she declared she wants to appeal to people from Birmingham.

Hilary McGrady said her mission as guardian of the nations treasures  with 1billion in assets and an area of land the size of Dorset  was to be more radical, relevant and attractive to those living in cities.

The days of walking in to one of our beautiful houses and just saying a family lived here, thats not going to do it, she told the BBC Breakfast TV programme.

We need to think about what are the stories that are relevant  why is it that someone from the middle of Birmingham would find that interesting? What is it thats in Birmingham that they would get more value from?

Hilary McGrady has taken over from Dame Helen Ghosh

She added: The people that need beauty the most are the ones that have least access to it.

Yesterday those living in Britains second city were far from impressed at the new director-generals comments.

If shes trying to say that people in Birmingham dont appreciate visiting places like the National Trust then thats ridiculous, said Graham Jenkins, 36, an IT technician from Edgbaston.

She should get off her high horse and not be so snooty.

National Trust member Jean Phillips, 62, a receptionist from Erdington, said: I know lots of people in Birmingham who love the National Trust places and visit sites regularly. Theres lots of places in Birmingham and nearby that you can go to, so its not like people around here arent interested or dont want to go.

Catherine Rawson, 20, a student, added: She makes it sound like Birmingham hasnt really got anything to offer. Mrs McGrady, 51, took over from Dame Helen Ghosh, who had been accused of promoting a politically correct agenda in her five years at the helm.

Yesterday, Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said Mrs McGradys comments sounded patronising and seemed to suggest the people of Birmingham are culturally deficient in some way. He added: Weve had quite a radical agenda set by the previous director-general. Many of its loyal supporters and members will be wondering where the trust is heading under the new leadership.

The trust, which is Englands biggest charity and had 24.5million visitors last year, said Mrs McGrady was referring to her interest in creating cultural and green spaces in urban areas in her TV interview. For example, the trust is working with Birmingham City Council to secure the future of Moseley Road Baths, an Edwardian public swimming pool. It is also trying to find funding for Newcastles public parks.
The first polar bear cub born in Britain for 25 years has delighted the country with his antics since his birth just before Christmas.

And now the nation will get to choose his name after keepers asked the public to vote on social media.

The cub was born at Highland Wildlife Park, and a shortlist of names  Artor, Hamish, MacKinnon and Poulsen  has been drawn up by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

The nation will pick between a choice of four names - Artor, Hamish, MacKinnon and Poulsen - to call the first polar bear born in the UK for 25 years (pictured)

Poulsen is in tribute to bear behaviourist Else Poulsen, who worked at the park, while MacKinnon was put forward in memory of a supporter of the society.

Artor is a Pictish name for a bear and a nod to the cubs father Arktos, and Hamish  the current front-runner  is said to be ideal for a polar bear born in the Highlands. The poll is open on the parks Facebook page until Thursday.

A spokesman at the park, near Kingussie, Inverness-shire, said: We need your help.

The keepers have whittled down the options and would like our visitors and supporters to vote.
On April 26, 1986 an alarm sounded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant as workers looked on in horror at the control panels announcing a major meltdown in the number four reactor.

Soviet authorities waited 24 hours before evacuating the nearby town of Pripyat, giving the 50,000 residents just three hours to leave their homes.

Over the following seven months, more than 500,000 were involved in the clean-up operation in an effort to decontaminate the affected areas.

Despite the disaster, Reactors 1, 2 and 3 were restarted between October 1986 and December 1987. The plant continued to produce nuclear power until December 2000.
President Donald Trump was so concerned about landing on a magazine's rich list he pretended to be someone else and even lied about his actual wealth, a reporter claims.

Since 1982, Forbes magazine has put out its annual list of the richest people in America.

Former Forbes reporter Jonathan Greenberg claims Trump was so 'obsessed' with his ranking on the list that he fabricated details about how rich he was and called him pretending to be Trump spokesman 'John Barron' in an attempt to get Greenberg to place Trump higher on the list.

Donald Trump lied about his wealth and pretended to be a Trump spokesman named John Barron in order to make the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America, a reporter claims

In a 1982 edition, Trump's net worth was estimated to be $200million. Barron called reporter Jonathan Greenberg to say that Trump's worth was a lot higher and he should be called a billionaire

Grenberg, who now works for the Washington Post, said in a column he recently learned he had been conned when he rediscovered tapes of his conversation with 'Barron', a name Trump testified in 1991 to using in phone calls with reporters.

'I was reporting for the Forbes 400, the magazine's annual ranking of America's richest people, for the third year. In the previous edition, we'd valued Trump's holding at $200million, only one-fifth of what he claimed to own in our interviews. This time, his aide urged me on the phone, I needed to understand just how loaded Trump really was,' Greenberg wrote.

'Although Trump altered some cadences and affected a slightly stronger New York accent, it was clearly him'.

Barron told the reporter that Trump had taken 'in excess of 90 per cent' of his father, Fred's company and most of the assets had been 'consolidated to Trump'.

Barron tried to convince Greenberg that Trump's net worth was way higher than the $200million the magazine estimated Trump's worth as. According to Greenberg, Barron said Trump should be called a billionaire.

'Nearly every assertion supporting that claim was untrue,' Greenberg wrote.

Barron claimed Trump had taken over '90 per cent' of his father's business, making his worth higher than Forbes' estimated $200million. Donald Trump is pictured on the left with his first wive, Ivana (center), and father Fred (right) in Atlantic City in 1988

Greenberg said he discovered Trump's lie when he rediscovered tapes of their phone conversations. Trump is pictured above with Steve Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine, in 1997

Even though Trump continued to make the Forbes 400 list, Greenberg said he had doubts Trump's wealth was as high as the now-president was claiming.

The reporter said in retrospect, Trump's actual wealth - roughly $5million the first time he made the list - should not have landed him on the Forbes ' ranking at all.

'When I first contacted him for the inaugural issue, Trump pulled out all the stops to convince me that he was the wealthiest real estate developer in New York,' Greenberg wrote.

He said Trump was 'obsessed' with getting on the list.

'The project could offer a clear, supposedly authoritative declaration of his status as a player, and while many of the super-rich wanted to keep their names off the ranking, Trump was desperate to scale it,' he said.

Greenberg said it took decades 'to unwind the elaborate farce' Trump had built 'to protect an image as one of the richest people in America'.

Several other journalists have written about their experiences talking with Trump's alter ego.

According to a 2016 story by the Washington Post, former People reporter Sue Carswell said she phoned Trump's office trying to interview him about his divorce from Ivana and his budding romance with model Marla Maples.

She said a man named 'John Miller' called her back saying he was Trump's publicist before going into shocking detail about why Trump dumped Maples for another model named Carla Bruni.

He really didnt want to make a commitment, Miller told Carswell. Hes coming out of a marriage, and hes starting to do tremendously well financially'.

Carswell later found out John Miller was actually Trump, himself.
A Columbine-obsessed teenager who opened fire on his old school in Florida on Friday, wounding a 17-year-old student, apologized for the attempted massacre once in custody.

Sky Bouche, 19, tried to carry out the attack at Forest High School in Ocala. It coincided with the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine massacre.

Bouche was only able to wound one person before he was taken down by a school resource officer and arrested.

As he was led away from the school by police, dressed in a hazmat suit to preserve any evidence on his body, he apologized for the attempt.

'I just shot through the door. Sorry, it doesn't matter anyway,' he told reporters on his way to a patrol car.

Scroll down for video

Suspect gunman Sky Bouche, 19, opened fire at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida Friday

During a perp walk on Friday he told reporters: 'I just shot through the door' adding 'I didn't see anyone'. A 17-year-old male student suffered an ankle injury in the hallway shooting

Bouche was a former pupil at the high school. His motive for the shooting is not clear

Bouche, who was a former student at the high school, did not reveal the motive for the shooting. He is now at Marion County jail.

A 17-year-old male student was injured in the ankle when Bouche aimed a shot at the bottom of a classroom door. The door was locked and the pellets bounced off and injured the boy.

He was taken to a local hospital with the non life-threatening injury to his ankle.

The schools resource officer Marion County Sheriffs Deputy James Long is being praised for his quick thinking after he heard gunshots.

Long heard a loud bang at 8:39am on Friday and immediately rushed towards the sound, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said.

By 8:42am, just three minutes later, Long was at the hallway where the shots were fired and took the shooter into custody.

Woods added that Long 'did not hesitate. He went right in,' at a news conference.

The 17-year-old victim was also praised at the news conference.

Bouche, left, was apprehended three minutes after he fired shots by school resource officer Deputy James Long, right

The shooting shook Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, pictured above Friday morning

In this April 20, 2018, photo by Jake Mailhiot, desks, chairs and filing cabinets are used to barricade a classroom door during the shooting that injured one on Friday morning

Hands up! Students were told to put their hands up as police swept through classrooms

When the county's chief deputy visited the injured student in the hospital the boy said: 'I am so glad it was me and not one of my friends'.

The sheriff also clarified that the suspect was not harmed when he was taken into custody and that he was arrested without resistance.

'Marion County does everything to protect their children,' he said.

A chilling photo taken inside the high school reveals the panic that ensued after gunshots were heard and the school went on 'Code Red' alert.

A photo posted to Snapchat displays a makeshift barricade of desks, chairs, and filing cabinets piled high in front of a classroom door to keep the gunman out.

A video reveals policemen sweeping classrooms looking for the gunman, yelling at students to put their hands up.

The suspect gunman did not reveal a motive for the shooting that sent a 17-year-old male to the hospital

Students and teachers are pictured hugging in front of Forest High School after Friday morning's shooting

Students are walking hand-in-hand as they are being led out of Forest High School

May were in tears as they were leaving the school to be reunited with their parents

Chris Oliver said his 16-year-old son, a Forest student, told him the shooting took place near his classroom. The boy told Oliver the gunman was standing in a hallway and shot at a closed classroom door.

The shooter then dropped an unspecified weapon, ran and tried to hide, the boy told his father.

He was apprehended within minutes of the incident.

All students were being taken by bus to First Baptist Church of Ocala, where parents can pick them up, reported the station WFTV.

Rachael Carter was at the church waiting to be reunited with her daughter, a 10th-grader who turned 16 this week. Her pastor called her when he saw a post on social media.

'Im shaking like a leaf in a hurricane,' Carter said.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods offers an update to the media about the school shooting

Armed law enforcement rush into the school to perform a security sweep following the shooting

A female student is comforted by a school official as students are led out of Forest High School

Parents and loved ones looks over the fence for students after reports of the shooting

She that once she is reunited with her daughter, she would 'stick to her like Velcro.'

Students who saw anything related to the shooting were separated so they could be interviewed by investigators.

School district spokesman Kevin Christian sent a recorded phone message to parents by phone urging them to stay away from the school.

The Ocala Police Department, the sheriffs office, the Florida Highway Patrol and the FBI were investigating the shooting. They divided into teams that cleared all buildings, vehicles and the parking lot area. Once all students were off campus, authorities began conducting a more methodical search of the campus.

Forest High has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Emotional scene were observed outside Forest High School in Ocala following the incident that injured one student

A photo shows high school students walking out of the Ocala school with their hands raised in the air Friday

An Ocala Fire and Rescue vehicle is seen at the scene of the shooting that left a student injured. On the right, officers are pictured on the scene outside the school

Safe space: All students were being taken by bus to First Baptist Church of Ocala (pictured)

Forest High has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students

Thursday's incident comes just over nine weeks after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people.

Florida Governor Rick Scott tweeted this morning that he has been briefed about the shooting by Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods and has offered any support local officials might need.
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Stoners across the country and around the world have gathered to celebrate April 20, or 420 Day, the annual high holiday of marijuana.

Pot heads congregated on Friday in Colorado, California and other states where the drug is legal to toke up in public for what is known as the 'Christmas of weed'.

Though the origins of '420' as numerical code for smoking marijuana are fuzzy and disputed, some believe it originated with a group of high school friends in 1970s California, who would meet up at 4.20pm to smoke weed after classes.

Today, April 20 means big business for dispensaries in the nine states, plus Washington DC, where recreational marijuana is now fully legal.

In California, it marked the first 420 Day since the state legalized recreational pot at the beginning of the year.

Thousands gathered on 'Hippy Hill' in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park to celebrate 420 Day on Friday

Cheyann Stevens smokes two joints at once on Hippie Hill in San Francisco on Friday to celebrate 4/20

A cloud of marijuana smoke hangs over a crowd of people during a 420 Day celebration on 'Hippie Hill' in Golden Gate Park

A man who declined to give his name smokes a joint on Hippie Hill in San Francisco on Friday

A marijuana user attempts to light an oversized joint during a 420 Day celebration on 'Hippie Hill' in Golden Gate Park

A marijuana user takes a hit from a bong during a 420 Day celebration on 'Hippie Hill' in Golden Gate Park on Friday

A man who only gave his name as Art sells blunts for $5 apiece in San Francisco on Friday as thousands celebrate 420 Day

Kenny Boynton smokes a joint in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park for the annual April 20 celebration of cannabis on Friday

A man who only gave his name as Bryan smokes a joint on Hippie Hill in San Francisco on Friday. The gathering was the first since California enacted broad legalization of marijuana on January 1

A marijuana user wears a marijuana themed outfit during a 420 Day celebration on 'Hippie Hill' in Golden Gate Park

Pre-rolled joints are displayed during a 420 Day celebration on 'Hippie Hill' in Golden Gate Park on Friday

An unconscious man is attended to by paramedics in San Francisco on Friday, harshing the mellow of nearby celebrants

Thousands gathered on 'Hippy Hill' in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park for the celebration, with the crowd all sparking their joins simultaneously at precisely 4.20pm.

There, what was once a small informal gathering has blossomed into a full-blown festival with corporate sponsors and commercial booths selling smoking devices, t-shirts and food.

Although public consumption of marijuana is still technically illegal in California and other states where the drug is legalized, authorities couldn't help but turn a blind eye as the massive crowds partook.

It wasn't all fun and games on Hippy Hill, though, as paramedics were seen attending to an unconscious man sprawled shoeless on the grass.

In Denver, overcast skies didn't discourage the crowds from attending the Mile High 420 Festival, where Lil Wayne, the Original Wailers and Inner Circle were all scheduled to perform.

In Denver, Lanika Rhea celebrates at 4.20pm by lighting up marijuana during the Mile High 420 Festival on Friday

Overcast skies didn't discourage the crowds from attending the Denver festival, which expected up to 50,000 attendees

A promoter of marijuana legalization, Patrick Bettis of Illinois (right), hands out a joint to Larnell Rhea in Denver on Friday

Marijuana enthusiast Larnell Rhea smokes a joint during the Mile High 420 Festival in Denver's Civic Center Park on Friday

In St. Paul, Minnesota, Daniel Beckenbach, Grant Wilkinson and Tom Davison pass a joint in front of the state Capitol Friday

Danny Williams took a toke off an oversized joint being passed around outside the Minnesota Capitol on Friday

Organizers in Denver expected 30,000 to 50,000 to attend the event, which is billed as 'the largest free 420 gathering on earth'.

The Denver event drew bad publicity and a permit ban for prior organizers last year, after leaving a trash-strewn mess in its wake.

New permit holders Euflora, a growing chain of dispensaries, are trying to put a friendlier face on the gathering, with the promise of yoga and increased security this year.

'We want this to look great for the city of Denver and state of Colorado, and we know the world is watching,' said Bobby Reginelli, Euflora's marketing director, told the Denver Post.

The celebrations were not confined to the US. In Canada, huge crowds turned out in Ottowa, Ontario for 4/20 merriment.

Smoke lingers over Parliament Hill as people smoke marijuana during the annual 420 Day rally in Ottawa, Canada on Friday

A man smokes a large novelty marijuana joint during the annual 420 Day marijuana rally on Ottowa's Parliament Hill

A man smokes marijuana in Ottowa on Friday. Canada's federal government is legalizing pot across the country later in 2018

A man with a marijuana-shaped bicycle takes a photo during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa

A woman inhales marijuana during the annual 4/20 rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario on Friday

In Vancouver, British Columbia, a cloud of smoke hangs over the crowd as thousands of people smoke marijuana on Friday

A man smokes marijuana in Mexico City during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally there on Friday

Young people in festive garb depicting cannabis leaves were seen sparking massive novelty joints on Ottowa's Parliament Hill.

Canada's federal government is legalizing recreational cannabis across the country later in 2018.

In the US, federal lawmakers are also contemplating a move toward legalization, with top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer using 4/20 to announce he'll introduce a bill taking marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances.

The bill would effect decriminalizing its use, letting states decide how to treat marijuana possession.

Schumer announced his change of position in an television appearance with VICE, pulling out a Sharpie to autograph a glass bong for the outlet's DC bureau chief Shawna Thomas.

'If smoking marijuana doesn't hurt anybody else, why shouldn't we allow people to do it and not make it criminal?' Schumer asks in the broadcast segment, airing Friday night.

In the middle of a VICE interview on the subject of decriminalizing marijuana that airs on Friday, New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer autographed a glass bong. Schumer will introduce a bill to legalize pot at the federal level

Nine states plus Washington DC have legalized recreational pot, while 30 states have legalized it for medical use

In states where possession of marijuana is still a criminal offense - though typically a minor ticket for small amounts - local police departments joined in the fun by poking fun at stoners.

'Incognito traps have been set up throughout the city,' tweeted cops in Wyoming, Minnesota on Friday, along with pictures of an officer spying on a raccoon trap baited with a trail of Funyuns.

In Marshall, Texas, the local police department had a tongue-in-cheek offer: 'To ensure everyone has a safe 4/20 day, we are offering to test your marijuana for FREE to make sure it's real.

'Just personally deliver your stash to the PD and K9 Amor will check it out. If it's real, you could receive a free stay in the finest resort in Harrison County.'
A 12-year-old boy used his mum's credit card and booked a solo trip overseas after a fight with his parents.

After the heated argument, the boy stole his family's credit card and bought a cheap flight en route to Indonesia.

Drew* doesn't like the word 'no' according to his mother Emma.

A 12-year-old boy used his mum's credit card to book a solo trip overseas after a fight with his parents

'Shocked, disgusted there is no emotion to explain how we felt when we found he had left for overseas,' the mother-of-two told A Current Affair.

Drew did extensive research on which airline would allow him to travel by himself without a written and signed letter from his parents.

He found an airline with a 'cheap deal' to Indonesia and booked the flight on a school day.

The ruthless boy tricked his Nan in to handing over his passport he packed his bag, grabbed his scooter and headed to the airport by train to go on his own overseas adventure.

When he tricked his Nan in to handing over his passport he packed his bag, grabbed his scooter and headed off his own adventure

He used the self-serve checkout and boarded a connecting flight from Sydney to Perth which would then take him to Denpasar.

The pre-teen said he was shocked no one at the Perth International Airport questioned why he was alone.

'They just asked for my student ID and passport to prove that I'm over 12 and that I'm in secondary school,' he said.

Emma said she was 'shocked, disgusted there is no emotion to explain how we felt when we found he had left for overseas,'

By the time he reached his overseas getaway, his mother had filed a missing persons report when he didn't show up for school.

As he landed in the foreign country, Drew jumped on a Go Jek bike and arrived at the hotel he booked earlier.

He checked himself in, told staff his sister was coming and he was checking in early.

'It was great because I wanted to go on an adventure,' he said.

He spent the next four days in his four-star hotel room at the All Seasons Hotel.

He booked accommodation at the All Seasons Hotel and set up for a week away
Attorney General Jeff Sessions has told the White House recently that he would likely resign if President Donald Trump fired his No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Last weekend, Sessions informed the top lawyer in the White House, Donald McGahn, that he would likely quit if the president removed Rosenstein, who oversees the Justice Department investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.

News of Sessions phone call to McGahn was first reported on Friday by The Washington Post.

The attorney general was reacting to Trumps fury over an FBI raid on the offices and home of the presidents confidante, Michael Cohen, on April 9.

There were heightened concerns among Justice Department officials that Trump would move against Rosenstein, who had approved of the raid on Cohen.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions (left) has told the White House recently that he would likely resign if President Donald Trump fired his No. 2, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein (right)

Cohen, Trumps personal lawyer and fixer, is under criminal investigation related to payments he made to women who allegedly had sexual relations with the president over a decade ago.

If Trump fires Rosenstein, it would likely trigger the resignation of Sessions as well as other top officials in the administration - a development that would likely throw the presidency into deeper turmoil.

The Post reported that Sessions asked McGahn about a meeting Trump held with Rosenstein on April 12.

When McGahn told Sessions that the meeting was cordial, the attorney general expressed relief.

The Post cited a source familiar with the exchange between McGahn and Sessions as saying that the attorney general felt that Rosensteins dismissal would put him in an untenable position.

Sessions has been a frequent target of Trumps ire - particularly because of the attorney generals decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

Sessions recusal led his deputy, Rosenstein, to appoint Robert Mueller as special counsel.

Last weekend, Sessions informed the top lawyer in the White House, Donald McGahn (above), that he would likely quit if the president removed Rosenstein, who oversees the Justice Department investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election

As Muellers investigation against Trump associates has gathered steam, the president has grew more enraged at Sessions, blaming his recusal as the root cause of his legal woes.

Trump has denied that his campaign colluded with the Russian government.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have warned Trump that firing Rosenstein or Mueller could trigger a constitutional crisis.

Rosenstein was appointed by Trump last year as deputy attorney general. His nomination was confirmed with overwhelming bipartisan support.

An administration official told the Post that Sessions has been concerned for months about Trumps treatment of Rosenstein.

The attorney general is said to be unhappy with the presidents behavior toward his deputy.

Trump, meanwhile, has voiced his displeasure about both Sessions and Rosenstein.

Trump (left) walks with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen in Key West, Florida on Thursday. An administration official told the Post that Sessions has been concerned for months about Trumps treatment of Rosenstein

The president has been known to derisively refer to Sessions as Mr. Magoo and Rosenstein as Mr. Peepers, a character from a 1950s sitcom.

Trumps anger at top Justice Department officials has raised questions about his willingness to respect the independence of the FBI and law enforcement.

James Comey was fired as FBI director by Trump after he refused the presidents request to publicly announce that he was not under investigation as part of the Russia probe.

Trumps suspicions of the FBI run deep.

During a January 22 meeting with Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray, the president demanded the firing of two senior officials in the bureau who have been accused by Trump and his allies of anti-Trump bias, Vox reported on Friday.

Peter Strzok, an FBI agent, and Lisa Page, a lawyer in the bureau, exchanged text messages in which they make derogatory comments about Trump.

In texts that were previously released to Congress, Strzok and Page referred to Trump as an idiot and a loathsome human.

After news reports about the messages, lawmakers demanded to see them amid Republican concerns that agency officials were biased against Trump.

The president demanded the firing of two FBI officials who have been accused by of anti-Trump bias, Vox reported. Peter Strzok (right), an FBI agent, and Lisa Page (left), a lawyer in the bureau, exchanged text messages in which they make derogatory comments about Trump

Strzok and Page both worked on the FBIs investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clintons use of a private email server, and they also each briefly worked on Muellers ongoing probe into whether the 2016 Trump campaign colluded with Russia.

Their cellphones are just two of thousands whose texts were not backed up and stored on the FBIs systems between Dec. 14, 2016 and May 17, 2017, according to a Justice Department official.

In the January meeting, Trump also demanded that Sessions and Wray find damaging information about Strzok and Page so that it can be turned over to Republicans in Congress.

The day after the meeting, Trump reportedly met with Sessions alone and once again pressured him to fire the two FBI officials.

Trump and his conservative allies in the press and on Capitol Hill are said to be trying to discredit Strzok and Page because they could be called as witnesses in Muellers probe.
The Missouri governor at the center of a blackmail plot has been charged with a felony for allegedly taking a charity donor list to use for his 2016 political campaign.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is charged with tampering with computer data after he reportedly used the donor list from The Mission Continues in 2015 without permission from the St. Louis-based charity that Greitens founded.

Greitens' campaign later raised nearly $2 million from donors who were on it.

The charge is the latest blow for Greitens who has also been accused of taking a non-consensual photo of a partially nude woman and threatening to make it public if she told anyone about their extramarital affair in 2015.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (pictured on April 11) has been charged with a felony for taking a charity donor list to use for his 2016 political campaign

The testimony of the woman details multiple instances in which the woman said Greitens spanked, slapped, grabbed, shoved and called her derogatory names during a series of sexual encounters as he was preparing to run for office in 2015. The testimony contradicts Greitens' previous assertions that 'there was no violence' and 'no threat of violence' in what he has described as a consensual extramarital affair.

Greitens has been facing increasing pressure to resign - including from fellow Republicans - since the committee released the testimony on April 11.

The woman told a House investigatory committee that Greitens took the photo after manipulating her into a compromising position during an unwanted sexual encounter and that he told her 'everyone will know what a little whore you are' if she told anyone about him.

Greitens has denied committing any crimes and vowed to remain in office, calling the investigations into him a 'political witch hunt.'

Greitens - pictured with his wife - has so far declined to testify or provide documents to the panel at the House investigatory committee

On Friday, he accused Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, of wasting 'thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars.'

'Her original case is falling apart - so today, she's brought a new one,' Greitens said in a statement. 'By now, everyone knows what this is: this prosecutor will use any charge she can to smear me.'

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican whose office has been investigating The Mission Continues, announced Tuesday that he had found evidence to support a felony charge against Greitens, but said it was up to the St. Louis circuit attorney's office to file charges.

That office had to move quickly because the statute of limitations was approaching.

A probable cause statement says Greitens directed a person identified as K.T. to disclose the charity's donor list to a political fundraiser on April 22, 2015. It doesn't identify the fundraiser. The initials match those of Krystal Taylor, an employee of the Greitens Group who had previously worked at The Mission Continues.

The court filing says Greitens and K.T. knew the charity donor list had been taken without the permission of the charity and used without its consent. Federal law generally prohibits charities such as The Mission Continues from becoming involved in political campaigns, and the charity has repeatedly denied granting permission for Greitens - its former CEO - to use the list for political purposes.

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, a Democrat, cited the new charge as additional grounds for lawmakers to try to quickly remove Greitens from office.

'One way or another, Eric Greitens' short tenure as Missouri governor is about to end. The only person who doesn't understand that is Eric Greitens,' Beatty said. 'Since he will not resign, the House of Representatives must immediately begin impeachment proceedings.'

Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson, who also has called on Greitens to resign, said Thursday that a special House investigatory committee is moving expeditiously toward a recommendation on whether to impeach Greitens. He said a 'substantial' number of House Republicans have already signed a petition calling for a special session to consider impeachment.

Hawley's office has said that its investigation into The Mission Continues began after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in February that it had it had obtained a copy of an email indicating that Taylor had shared the charity donor list in January 2015 with Michael Hafner, who had been working for Greitens' gubernatorial exploratory committee, and Danny Laub, Greitens' first campaign manager. But that incident wasn't cited in the criminal charge, because it was past the three-year statute of limitations.

When the AP first reported about the campaigns' access to the charity donor list in 2015, Greitens initially denied to the AP that he had used the donor list for his campaign.

But in April 2017, Greitens agreed to pay a $100 fine for failing to report that his gubernatorial campaign had, in fact, received the charity's donor list. Greitens' campaign filed amended finance reports referring to the list as an in-kind contribution valued at $600 and received March 1, 2015, from Laub.

Greitens' attorney, Edward L. Dowd Jr., said the new charge 'makes no sense at all,' noting that it was Greitens who built the charity and raised millions of dollars for it through 'an extraordinary act of public service.'

'Now he's being accused of stealing an email list from an organization he built? Give me a break,' Dowd said in a statement. 'Not only did he create this list donor by donor, friend by friend, but the Mission Continues still has the list.'

The charge intensifies the feud between Greitens and Gardner. He has called her a 'reckless liberal prosecutor' for leading the investigation that resulted in the invasion-of-privacy charge. His attorneys, in court hearings and filings, have painted a picture of an incompetent prosecutor who rather than working with police to investigate Greitens hired a private investigator who bungled the investigation, hid evidence and lied to the court.

'This is a political witch hunt,' Greitens said. He is pictured with pal Vice President Mike Pence

Gardner's office began investigating after KMOV-TV in St. Louis first reported on the affair on Jan. 10, the day Greitens was giving his annual State of the State speech. The governor acknowledged the affair but denied allegations that he had threatened to release a compromising photo of the woman if she disclosed the relationship. His trial in that case is scheduled to begin May 14.

Greitens, a former Navy SEAL officer and Rhodes Scholar, and Hawley both won election in 2016 as maverick political outsiders. Hawley is now running to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, and Democrats have been running TV ads linking Hawley to Greitens. Democrats have criticized Hawley's earlier investigation that found no wrongdoing in Greitens' use of a text message-destroying app, and claimed he stepped up his investigation of the charity only after it became politically beneficial.

In the Legislature, meanwhile, Senate leaders are considering holding off on sending bills to Greitens amid the multiple investigations. Republican Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and Democratic Minority Floor Leader Gina Walsh have not made a final decision, but Walsh has said she doesn't believe any bills signed by Greitens should become law.
Police have arrested two people following a fatal hit-run collision in Wantirna South this morning which claimed the life of a newly married couple.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives, with assistance from the Eastern Crime Unit and Knox Crime Investigation Unit detectives, arrested the man and teenage girl at a residence in Judkins Avenue, Belgrave about 1.15pm today.

The 19-year-old Boronia man and 15-year-old Belgrave girl are currently receiving medical treatment and remain under police guard.

The newly married couple were killed on Saturday morning when an allegedly stolen Lexus smashed into their car at an intersection in Melbourne's east.

Police allege a grey Lexus four-wheel-drive travelling south along Stud Road in Wantirna South collided with an eastbound black Holden Commodore at the Boronia Road intersection in Melbourne's east shortly after 1am.

The teenagers in the Lexus fled the scene and police believe the car is was stolen.

CCTV footage was released by Victoria Police showing the aftermath of the collision and witnesses running to the crash site in an attempt to render aid.

The footage also shows one of the occupants of the Lexus take off running as witnesses arrive at the scene.

Scroll down for video

Two teenagers are on the run after a fatal hit and run collision in Melbourne's east this morning which left two people dead

The footage shows one of the occupants of the Lexus (circled) take off running as witnesses arrive at the vehicle

Acting Superintendent Stuart McGregor was tasked with informing the next of kin about the fatalities and said it was something that will stay with him forever.

'Ive had to stand at the intersection with the parents of one of the deceased, Ive been able to explain how it has occurred but not why,' he said.

'This behaviour is abhorrent. No one in the community can understand why.

'The image of mum and dad of the male passenger will probably stay with me for the rest of my life.'

It was revealed the couple lived nearby the crash site in The Basin and most likely were making their way home at the time of the crash.

The male passenger, 38, in the Holden died at the scene and police are yet to formally identify him while the female driver, 32, was taken to hospital before passing away.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating and are urging the male and female to come forward

Supt McGregor said earlier today that it would only be a matter of time before they caught the occupants of the Lexusnews.com.au reported.

'Im positive that other people already know who this is and they know where they are,' he said.

'We are going to catch them, it is just a matter of time. But it is better for them to come us than us to come to them.'

He said the teenagers would no doubt have injuries sustained in the collision.

'This is not a game, this is real life. The reality is that two people are dead and two more are going to jail,' he said.

The occupants of the Lexus were last seen running westbound on Stud Road and are yet to be located.

Police believe they are a male and female about 18-years-of-age.

The occupants of the Lexus (pictured) were last seen running westbound on Stud Road and are yet to be located

The male passenger in the Holden died at the scene and police are yet to formally identify him while the female driver was taken to hospital before passing away

The male is perceived to be of Caucasian appearance and about 173cm tall with a skinny build and dark collar-length hair with blonde streaks.

He was wearing a hi-visibility hooded jumper and possibly grey shorts.

The female is described as being Caucasian in appearance and about 165cm tall with a skinny build and long wavy blonde hair.

The female is described as being Caucasian in appearance and about 165cm tall with a skinny build and long wavy blonde hair

The aftermath of a fatal hit and run collision overnight which left two people dead and two teenagers on the run form police

She was wearing a white tank top, black leggings and a black leather purse with a shoulder strap.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating and are urging the male and female to come forward.

Traffic is being diverted at the scene of the collision and the road will be closed for some time.
A woman in Ohio is being hailed as a hero for rescuing an 18-month-old boy who managed to climb out of a second floor window while his guardian was in the bathroom.

Jill Harper from Sandusky was on her way home on Sunday afternoon when she spotted a boy 'hanging from the porch gutter,' she told Fox affiliate Cleveland 8.

'I just pulled my car up and stopped and jumped out and ran up there,' Harper said.

Sandusky resident Jill Harper (Pictured) said that while traveling back home on Sunday afternoon, she spotted a boy 'hanging from the porch gutter'

Harper said she immediately exited her vehicle and tried to get someone's attention inside the house before catching the toddler

'I could only touch his foot so I started banging on the house hoping that somebody would come outside and help me.'

'We both kind of went down and I thought he was going to hit his head on the concrete steps.' Harper added that, 'He came up and he kind of grabbed me and I just grabbed him and I thought, "Oh my God, I caught him.'"

Police said that if Harper had not been there, the situation could have turned out much worse. Authorities said after responding to the scene, the 18-month-old appeared healthy and unhurt.

'It was the craziest thing that ever happened in my life,' Harper added.

The boy's guardian, Kelsi Hellman (Pictured), later told police that she was in the upstairs bathroom as the incident unfolded

The boy's guardian, Kelsi Hellman, later told police that she was in the upstairs bathroom as the incident unfolded, while the child was left downstairs in the living room.

She said she was stunned when she found out the boy had climbed out the window, which was left partially open inside a second floor bedroom, somehow getting around a safety gate placed on the stairs.

'Children, they will surprise you at any time. You turn your head for just a second thinking they're going to be OK,' Sgt. Kevin Youskievicz said.

'They will disappear quickly because they're adventuresome, they want to find out and that's exactly what I think happened here,' he added.

Hellman was not charged following the incident but police did 'talk to her about taking precautions' in order to avoid a similar incident in the future.

Hellman is a cousin of the boy's mother, who has custody of the toddler through Summit County Children Services, according to local broadcaster Cleveland 19.

Youskievicz later praised Harper, saying the Sandusky Police Department is 'extremely grateful to these citizens who stepped in and took action.'
The Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency on Friday ordered emergency inspections of jet engines like the one that ruptured during a recent Southwest Airlines flight, leaving one passenger dead.

The agencies have given just 20 days for almost 700 CFM56-7B engines, made by CFM International, to be examined.

'Fan blade failure due to cracking, if not addressed, could result in an engine in-flight shutdown (IFSD), uncontained release of debris, damage to the engine, damage to the airplane and possible airplane decompression,' the US regulatory authority said.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency on Friday ordered emergency inspections of jet engines like the one that ruptured during a recent Southwest Airlines flight (National Transportation Safety Board investigators examine damage to the plane)

This harrowing image taken before the plane made its emergency landing shows the state of the exploded engine on Tuesday

The move comes after the engine on Southwest Airlines flight 1380 exploded in midair on Tuesday. The blast sent a piece of shrapnel flying, smashing through a window and causing passenger Jennifer Riordan to be partially sucked through the hole.

The 43-year-old mother-of-two later died in hospital.

There have also been rising concerns around the engines since a similar failure in 2016 of the same type of engine.

In line with recommendations made earlier by engine maker CFM, the FAA ordered that all CFM56-7B engines that have performed 30,000 or more total accumulated flight cycles be inspected within 20 days.

That affects about 352 engines in the United States, or 681 worldwide.

This was the row of seats where the window was shattered. Jennifer Riordan was sitting in the window and was partially sucked out before passengers were able to drag her back in

Passenger Marty Martinez shared photographs and videos of himself on Facebook as the plane made its descent. He and other passengers are shown terrified as they hold their oxygen masks to their faces. He later said there was 'blood everywhere' as a result of the woman's injuries

'The unsafe condition,' the FAA said in the order, 'is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same design.'

The inspections ordered are a sharp step-up from actions by both the European and U.S. regulators after a Southwest flight in August 2016 made a safe emergency landing in Pensacola, Florida, after a fan blade separated from the same type of engine and debris ripped a hole above the left wing.

The European agency had given airlines nine months to check engines, while U.S. regulators still were considering what to do.

Ultrasonic inspections on fan blades that have been used in more than 30,000 cycles, or in service for about 20 years, will be required in the next 20 days, the agencies said on Friday. A cycle includes one take-off and landing.

Jennifer Riordan, a mother-of-two from Albuquerque, died. Southwest Airlines would not reveal on Friday if it had offered her family anything in the form of compensation

That order will affect about 680 engines globally, including about 350 in the United States, the FAA said. The engine that blew apart on Tuesday's Southwest flight would have been affected, since the company said it had 40,000 cycles.

The coordinated 20-day measure partially resolves a gap in previous responses to the 2016 accident by the world's two largest and most influential aviation regulators, a person familiar with the discussions said and published documents show.

The FAA in August 2017 drafted an order giving airline up to 18 months to carry out checks, but it had not finalized the measure by the time of Tuesday's fatal second accident.

The EASA had rejected a request by one airline to double the time allowed for checks to 18 months, matching the FAA's roll-out, saying data did not justify that.

The divergence marked a rare difference of approach between the two agencies, especially on one of the world's most-used aviation products. CFM, which is jointly owned by General Electric Co and France's Safran, produces the CFM56 engine in factories based both in the United States and in Europe.

'It happens that there are disagreements about the right way to go in some cases, and this was one of them,' the person familiar with the discussions said.

On Tuesday, however, when news broke that a second failure had taken place involving the same model engine, aircraft and airline - this time killing a passenger who was partially pulled through a gaping hole next to her seat - the two agencies agreed to act quickly, the person said.

Riordan's window was smashed by shrapnel from the exploding engine several rows in front of her

An FAA spokesman said the agency disputed that it had not agreed with European regulators on the response to the engine issue. An EASA spokesman declined to comment.

On Wednesday, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Robert Sumwalt, the chief investigator of U.S. aviation accidents, said he could not yet say if the incident pointed to a fleet-wide issue. The NTSB declined to comment on Friday.

The FAA and NTSB have different roles. Investigators study the probable cause of single accidents and recommend possible changes to safety rules, while regulators have to assess whether safety risks could appear.

Several major airline officials said the order will primarily impact airlines with higher utilization of aircraft covering shorter routes like Southwest.

The airline's CEO Gary Kelly sent a letter to the 142 passengers who survived, apologizing for the 'circumstances' which surrounded the flight and offering their help reuniting them with luggage.

No blame has been assigned to the airline for the engine explosion which sent a piece of shrapnel flying through the window next to Riordan.

Investigators are still probing what caused the explosion and the plane had been tested for safety just three days before the catastrophe.

In its letter, Southwest Airlines pointed to the ongoing National Transport Safety Board investigation into the incident but said its priority was assisting the traumatized survivors.

Southwest Airlines is giving passengers on board the disastrous flight $5,000 each and a $1,000 travel voucher.
The former lawyer for two women who were paid to keep silent about their alleged affairs with President Donald Trump over a decade ago is cooperating with federal investigators, it has been learned.

Keith Davidson negotiated non-disclosure agreements on behalf of Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.

Federal authorities have now asked Davidson for information related to the criminal investigation against Michael Cohen, Trumps personal lawyer.

News of Davidsons cooperation was first reported on Friday by The Washington Post.

Keith Davidson (above), the former lawyer for two women who were paid to keep silent about their alleged affairs with President Donald Trump over a decade ago, is cooperating with federal investigators, it has been learned

Federal authorities have now asked Davidson for information related to the criminal investigation against Michael Cohen, Trumps personal lawyer

Davidson negotiated a non-disclosure agreement on behalf of Stormy Daniels (above) - a porn star who says she had sex with Trump over a decade ago

Davidson was also the attorney for Karen McDougal (above), the former Playboy Playmate who says she and Trump had a 10-month affair

A spokesperson for Davidson told the Post that the attorney provided certain limited electronic information to FBI agents.

Davidson will continue to cooperate to the fullest extent possible under the law, said spokesperson Dave Wedge.

Cohen has been at the center of a controversy over a $130,000 payment he has admitted making shortly before the 2016 election to porn star Daniels, who has said that she had sex once with Trump in 2006 and was paid to keep quiet about it.

McDougal, a former Playboy model, has described having a 10-month affair with Trump, which the White House has said Trump denies.

McDougal said her lawyer at the time, Davidson, secretly negotiated with Cohen on a deal with American Media Inc, publisher of the National Enquirer, which paid her $150,000 in 2016 to keep quiet.

On Wednesday, McDougal reached an agreement with AMI freeing her from the nondisclosure deal and allowing her to speak about her relationship with Trump.

McDougal sued the company because it alleged that it colluded with Cohen to muzzle her by buying the rights to her story and then declining to run it  a practice in tabloid journalism known as 'catch and kill.'

On April 9, FBI agents working out of the Southern District of New York raided Cohens offices and seized materials.

It is likely that these agents got their hands on evidence related to AMI's dealings with McDougal, according to The New York Times.

Cohen is being investigated by the federal government for a litany of crimes, including bank fraud, wire fraud, and campaign finance violations.

Among the items taken by agents were tapes of recorded conversations between Cohen and Davidson, according to CNN.

Davidson was also the lawyer for a Playboy Playmate who received $1.6million to keep quiet about being impregnated by GOP fundraiser Elliott Broidy (right)

A source tells CNN Cohen recorded some of his calls with Davidson, who no longer represents either of the women, but the deals done to keep their stories from becoming public are now playing out in litigation, with each of the women wanting to be released from their agreements.

Another source says in at least one conversation between the two men, 'Cohen was being unusually simplistic, like he had bullet points that he was reading from to try and make himself look good. He was trying to clarify the timeline of the agreements made with Davidson in his (Cohen's) favor.'

Wedge said that Davidson never consented to having his conversations with Cohen recorded and that if tapes exist, Davidson will pursue all his legal rights under the law.

Cohen has denied any wrongdoing, however if he chooses to cooperate under the pressure of the investigation rather than fight the case, his knowledge of the president's dealings could create serious problems for Trump as special counsel Robert Mueller continues his investigation.

It was also learned last week that Cohen arranged for a $1.6 million payment to a Playboy Playmate to keep secret her sexual relationship with Republican fundraiser and Trump ally Elliott Broidy, during which she became pregnant.

The playmate in the Broidy payment was also represented by Davidson.
Inmate Herman Bell, convicted of ambushing and murdering two NYPD officers and killing a third cop in San Francisco, was granted parole

An upstate New York man convicted of shooting an NYPD officer more than 20 times and murdering two other cops is expected to be released from prison next week.

State Supreme Court Justice Richard Koweek set inmate Herman Bell's release date for 5pm April 27, according to the New York Post.

The 70-year-old is currently serving time at the Shawangunk Correctional Facility in Wallkill after being convicted of ambushing and murdering NYPD officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones in 1971.

Diane Piagentini, the widow of Officer Piagentini, requested a re-do parole hearing but it was denied.

According to the outlet, Koweek said Diane Piagentini's opposition had already been heard by the parole board and she lacked the legal right to request a new hearing.

Officer Joseph Piagentini (left) and Officer Waverly Jones (right) were killed after they were lured to a home in Harlem by Bell and other members of the Black Liberation Army

Bell and the crew opened fire on the two NYPD officers killing Jones instantly and shooting Piagentini more than 20 times as he begged for his life. Bell is pictured above after his arrest in September 1973

Diane Piagentini, as well as the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, vowed to appeal Koweek's decision.

'Not only have they compounded the pain and suffering we have experienced since my husband's death, they have also put the safety of the public in jeopardy by releasing a vicious killer like Herman Bell,' Piagentini said.

Patrick Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said the decision to release Bell 'will blow a gaping hole in our justice system, through which monsters like Herman Bell will continue to escape onto our streets'.

Retired NYPD officer and current New York State senate member Martin Golden said he wonders how Koweek 'can put his head on a pillow tonight'.

'It's a disgrace,' he fumed.

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb said the ruling was a 'slap in the face to police officers who risk their lives protecting us from killers like Herman Bell'. Even governor Andrew Cuomo said at a New York City event Thursday morning that he would not have granted Bell parole, the post reports.

Bell was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for murdering a pair of patrolmen in an ambush in Harlem. At the time, he was a member of the Black Liberation Army and the organization was targeting interracial 'salt and pepper' patrol officers.

Bell and two other members of the group lured Jones, who was black, and Piagentini, who was white, to a housing project with a bogus 911 call. When the officers arrived the crew opened fire killing Jones instantly.

Piagentini begged for his life as Bell and the other members shot him 22 times, including from his own gun.

Officer Piagentini widow, Diane Piagentini, requested the judge re-do Bell's parole hearing demanding he stay behind bars

'They have put the safety of the public in jeopardy by releasing a vicious killer like Herman Bell,' Piagentini said of the judge's decision. She's pictured above on her wedding day with Officer Piagentini

While on the run, Jones helped other Black Liberation Army members assassinate an officer in San Francisco. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in that case, saying he was just the getaway driver.

Bell was granted parole in March, on his eighth try. During his March 13 hearing, the convicted killer told the board that he had changed and was no longer the same person.

'I have so changed, that you would want me to be your neighbor, you would want me to be your friend,' he said. 'I was impressionable. I was young. I was angry and full of aggressive energy. The person I was then, if that person was to come into this room, during this interview, I couldn't recognize that person.'

Two of the three board members agreed that Bell had changed.

Since granting Bell parole, more than 367,000 online letters have been sent to parole board demanding he remain in prison. Almost 1,000 people have signed a petition in support of Bell's release.

Bell, 70, said he's changed and is no longer the same person who murdered three officers in cold blood

Waverly Jones Jr, the son of Officer Waverly, is among those who think the convicted murderer should be set free.

'The simple answer is (parole) would bring joy and peace as we have already forgiven Herman Bell,' he said in a letter, according to the New York Daily News.

'On the other hand, to deny him parole again would cause us pain, as we are reminded of the painful episode each time he appears before the board.'

Jones Jr's mother Mary Lewis told the outlet: 'Ive learned over the years that hate is a disease. When you keep hate in your life, then your whole life is empty. I wasn't brought up to hate. I just feel that 45 years is a long time.'
Air traffic control workers know their job means serious business, but it doesnt mean that they cant get into a little fun every now and then.

An airplane passenger awaiting takeoff filmed a playful moment between three air traffic control workers where they get into a mock lightsaber battle on the airport runway.

The video posted April 20 was filmed at an unnamed American airport.

Three air control workers were filmed having a lightsaber battle at an unspecified American airport in a video shared April 20

The clip displays the three workers challenge each other to a duel on the airport runway and fall to the ground in defeat in response to the lightsaber moves

The hilarious clip shot from the window of a plane on the runway displays three workers wearing air control uniforms challenging each other to a duel.

The three handle two glowing traffic wands each, which are meant to guide planes through the dark and stormy weather.

While waiting for instruction, the three creatively use the wands as miniature lightsabers.

At times they even connect the two to create a makeshift full size lightsaber.

The clip reveals the workers battling each other for a full minute. At times one will go after another with movie-like jabs and Star Wars-esque movements.

The three workers seemed to laugh and they attacked each other with Star Wars-like moves

Challenge time! The three were filmed from the window of a plane awaiting takeoff

One worker stops his peers attack by holding out his 'lightsaber' defensively in an 'X' formation.

Once the fighter has his opponent at a standstill, he jabs him in the stomach with the wand, causing the victim to crumple onto the ground with gusto.

The air control officers were animated in their battle, showing off different moves to each other.

One approached his peer using his wands like nunchucks, menacingly moving them side to side.

But his peer got the best of him, stabbing him in the knee with the 'lightsaber'.

The clip ends as the battles continues on.
The Department of Justice's internal watchdog is investigating James Comey for leaking classified information by sharing memos about his meetings with Trump with a friend, it has been reported.

On Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the infamous memos and how the ousted FBI director leaked them were part of an ongoing probe by the inspector general.

Comey's treatment of them, including him giving them to the media, is part of the investigation, it was reported.

The revelation prompted a tweet from the president, who previously dubbed Comey a 'leaker and a liar'.

The Department of Justice's internal watchdog is probing whether former FBI director James Comey leaked classified information when he shared his memos about Trump with friends and with the media. Comey is pictured on April 18 at a book signing

Trump tweeted late Friday: James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council[sic]? Therefore, the Special Council [sic] was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?

Trump, suggesting that the probe undermined the ongoing Special Counsel investigation into his campaign and administration's ties with Russia, said: 'Trump tweeted late Friday: James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council[sic]?

Therefore, the Special Council [sic] was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?

The leaked memos contained Comey's contemporaneous claim that in February, Trump asked him to end an investigation into his former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn who resigned after lying to the FBI about his contact with Russian officials.

Trump was most likely referring to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Friday about a review of Comeys memos by the Department of Justices internal watchdog.

Two of the memos that Comey wrote and then gave to a friend from outside of the government contained classified information, according to the Journal.

In one memo, Comey redacted the parts that he knew to be classified before he gave them to a friend.

But the second memo is said to have information that was later upgraded to confidential - the lowest level of classification.

Those memos are now being reviewed by the inspector general of the Department of Justice.

Comey has said that he leaked the memos after he was fired by Trump as head of the FBI because he felt a duty as a private citizen to ensure that a Special Counsel be named to continue the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.

Comey gave four memos to Daniel Richman, a former federal prosecutor and a professor at Columbia Law School.

Of the four memos, three were not classified at the time and one did have classified information that Comey himself redacted.

An FBI director has the power to determine what information is regarded as classified and what is not.

But once Comey became a private citizen, the FBI is legally authorized to determine what counts as classified information.

Sometime after Comeys firing, the FBI upgraded the classification of the memos.

Comey has said that he leaked the memos after he was fired by Trump he felt a duty as a private citizen to ensure that a Special Counsel be named to continue the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Mueller is seen in the image above

Besides Richman, the inspector general has also interviewed other associates of Comey's from outside of the FBI who may have also received copies of memos, CNN is reporting late Friday.

Trumps tweet late Friday appears to be an attempt by the president to use the new review by the inspector general as a rationale for firing Mueller.

On Wednesday, Trump refused to say whether he planned to fire Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as he's been reportedly wanting to do.

Rosenstein is overseeing the Russia investigation after his boss, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, recused himself.

On Thursday, Trump tweeted that the newly released memos written by Comey vindicate him.

James Comey Memos just out and show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION, the president tweeted.

Also, he leaked classified information. WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?

It has been alleged that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 elections  allegations that are being investigated by Mueller.

Trump fired Comey as FBI director last year.

Investigators want to know if the presidents dismissal of Comey was aimed at derailing the investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections  an act that could be construed as obstruction of justice.

Trump has denied there was any collusion with Russia.

Trump tweeted late Thursday that the newly released memos written by fired FBI Director James Comey vindicate him

Comey has said he was fired by Trump after the president told him he wanted the 'cloud' of the Russia investigation removed.

In a series of startlingly candid conversations, Trump told former FBI Director James Comey that he had serious concerns about the judgment of a top adviser, asked about the possibility of jailing journalists and described a boast from Vladimir Putin about Russia prostitutes, according to Comey's notes of the talks obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday night.

The 15 pages of documents contain new details about a series of interactions with Trump that Comey found so unnerving that he chose to document them in writing.

Those seven encounters in the weeks and months before Comey's May 2017 firing include a Trump Tower discussion about a possible encounter between Trump and prostitutes in Moscow; a White House dinner at which Comey says Trump asked him for his loyalty; and a private Oval Office discussion where the ex-FBI head says the president asked him to end an investigation into Michael Flynn, the former White House national security adviser.

The documents had been eagerly anticipated since their existence was first revealed last year, especially since Comey's interactions with Trump are a critical part of Mueller's investigation into whether the president sought to obstruct justice.

In explaining the purpose of creating the memos, which have been provided to Mueller, Comey has said he 'knew there might come a day when I would need a record of what had happened' to defend not only himself but the FBI as well.

The memos cover the first three months of the Trump administration, a period of upheaval marked by staff turnover, a cascade of damaging headlines and revelations of an FBI investigation into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The documents reflect Trump's uneasiness about that investigation, though not always in ways that Comey seemed to anticipate.

In a February 2017 conversation, for instance, Trump told Comey how Putin told him, 'we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world' even as he adamantly, and repeatedly, distanced himself from a salacious allegation concerning him and prostitutes in Moscow, according to one memo.

In another memo, Comey recounts how Trump at a private White House dinner pointed his fingers at his head and complained that Flynn, his embattled national security adviser, 'has serious judgment issues.'

The president blamed Flynn for failing to alert him promptly to a congratulatory call from a world leader, causing a delay for Trump in returning a message to an official whose name is redacted in the documents.

'I did not comment at any point during this topic and there was no mention or acknowledgment of any FBI interest in or contact with General Flynn,' Comey wrote.

By that point, the FBI had already interviewed Flynn about his contacts with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, and the Justice Department had already warned White House officials that they were concerned Flynn was vulnerable to blackmail.

Flynn was fired Feb. 13, 2017, after White House officials said he had misled them about his Russian contacts during the transition period by saying that he had not discussed sanctions.

The following day, according to a separate memo, Comey says Trump cleared the Oval Office of other officials, encouraged him to let go of the investigation into Flynn and called him a good guy.

Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is now cooperating with Mueller's investigation.

The memos reveal that days before Flynn's firing, then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked Comey if Flynn's communications were being monitored under a secret surveillance warrant.

'Do you have a FISA order on Mike Flynn?' Priebus asked Comey, according to the memos, referring to an order under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Comey said he 'paused for a few seconds and then said that I would answer here, but that this illustrated the kind of question that had to be asked and answered through established channels.'

Comey's response is redacted on the unclassified memos.

The memos also show Trump's continued distress at a dossier of allegations - since revealed to have been funded by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign - examining potential ties between him and his aides and the Kremlin.

Comey writes how Trump repeatedly denied to him having been involved in an encounter with Russian prostitutes in a Moscow hotel.

'The President said 'the hookers thing' is nonsense, but that Putin had told him "we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world",' according to one memo. Comey says Trump did not say when Putin had made the comment.

The documents also include the president's musings about pursing leakers and imprisoning journalists.

They also provide insight into Comey's personal and professional opinions.

He judges the administration's travel ban to be legally valid, and he takes a swipe at former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, calling her predecessor, Eric Holder, 'smarter and more sophisticated and smoother.'

The memos were provided to Congress earlier Thursday as House Republicans escalated criticism of the Justice Department, threatening to subpoena the documents and questioning officials.

In a letter sent to three Republican House committee chairmen Thursday evening, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote that the department was sending a classified version of the memos and an unclassified version.

The department released Boyd's letter publicly but did not release the memos.

The chairman issued a statement late Thursday saying the memos show that Comey clearly never felt obstructed or threatened.

Justice officials had allowed some lawmakers to view the memos but had never provided copies to Congress.

Boyd wrote that the department had also provided the memos to several Senate committees.

Boyd wrote in the letter that the department 'consulted the relevant parties' and concluded that releasing the memos would not adversely affect any ongoing investigations.

Mueller is investigating potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign as well as possible obstruction of justice by the president.

Comey is on a publicity tour to promote his new book, A Higher Loyalty.

He revealed last year that he had written the memos after conversations with Trump.

He said in an interview Thursday with CNN that he's 'fine' with the Justice Department turning his memos over to Congress.

'I think what folks will see if they get to see the memos is I've been consistent since the very beginning, right after my encounters with President Trump, and I'm consistent in the book and tried to be transparent in the book as well,' he said.
The MD of a financial advice firm has hit back at claims Sean Hannity secretly owns part of his company, which the Fox News host regularly promotes on his radio show and website.

The media personality has named Henssler Financial several times in previous months while inviting its managing director, Bil Lako, to appear on The Sean Hannity Show and write for his website.

Hannity has described Lako as a 'friend' and 'tax expert' in social media postings to his 6.7 million Twitter and Facebook followers promoting his various appearances.

Sean Hannity (left, in New York on April 2) has named Henssler Financial several times in previous months while inviting its managing director, Bil Lako, (right, undated file photo) to appear on The Sean Hannity Show and write for his website

Lako's most recent contribution to Hannity's media platforms came in the form of an article criticizing the cost of the special counsel

The media personality is the manager and co-owner of one of Henssler Financial affiliates, Henssler Capital, reported investigative journalist Scott Stedman writing on Medium.com.

Henssler Financial offers a number of services including fund and tax management, insurance and accounting for both individuals and businesses.

Its 2018 brochure contains a list of affiliates, which includes Henssler Capital.

Hannity part-owns Henssler Capital through firm SPMK II, which is based in Georgia.

Shell companies are often able to keep their beneficiaries confidential, but a representative must provide their name if one joins a limited partnership, which it did with Henssler Capital in 2007.

Hannity has described Lako as a 'friend' and 'tax expert' in social media postings promoting his various appearances

Therefore, Hannity signed a form confirming himself as manager of the general partner SPMK II.

SPMK II is registered to the same address on Cherokee Street in Kennesaw, Georgia, as the Sean Hannity Foundation.

Hannity has not commented on the revelations.

But Lako says claims of wrongdoing are false, and that Hannity's involvement with Henssler Capital are not linked to Henssler Financial.

'Henssler Capital is a separate and distinct legal entity from Henssler Financial. Each company has different lines of business and Henssler Capital does not offer its services to the general public', he said.

'Mr. Hannity has no ownership interest in Henssler Financial, the company he discusses in his media offerings, and to which his affiliation was disclosed. Henssler Financial does provide financial advice and other services to the general public and has hundreds of clients (including Mr. Hannity) with total assets under advisement of over $1.8 billion as of December 31, 2017.

'At no time, while I was on his show and writing articles for his twitter feed was there ever an offer made to any of his listeners or twitter followers to become a client of Henssler Financial and certainly not Henssler Capital.'

In fact, the media personality is the manager and co-owner of one of Henssler Financial affiliates, Henssler Capital. Pictured: the Henssler Financial website

Hannity was recently unmasked as a secret client of Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal lawyer who paid porn star Stormy Daniels $135,000 in return for staying silence about an alleged affair with the then real estate mogul.

The Fox News star said he had trivial conversations with Cohen and 'may have given him ten bucks' and that he wanted his name kept secret after a judge ordered Cohen's own attorneys to say who all his legal clients were.

But he denied Cohen performed the services he offered to Trump or his other known client, the disgraced Republican fundraiser who he helped pay $1.6 million to the Playboy model lover who aborted their child.

At a court hearing watched by Daniels herself, Cohen had tried to keep one of his three clients' names secret, claiming that it would cause the broadcaster 'embarrassment' or 'harm' for their association to be made public.
A blue heeler dog from Queensland is being hailed as a hero after he helped police find a missing girl.

Aurora went missing around 3pm on April 20 along with the 17-year-old family dog, Max, who is deaf and partially blind.

The three-year-old disappeared from Cherry Gully, 30km south of Warwick.

Max, a deaf and partially blind blue heeler, stayed by the side of his owner Aurora, three, for 17 hours after she went missing from Cherry Gully, Queensland

Aurora went missing around 3pm on April 20 before being found 17 hours later at 8am on April 21

More than a hundred State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers, along with police and members of the public searched for Aurora, who was found around 8am this morning.

Kelly Benston, the partner of Aurora's grandmother Leisa Marie Bennett, told the ABC Ms Bennett and other volunteers heard Aurora from the top of a mountain.

Mr Benston told the broadcaster: 'She found the dog first. Max led her to Aurora.'

A statement from police said: 'An extensivie land and air search was conducted with the assistance of SES, Polair and Rescue 511.

'At approximately 8am the child and dog were located on the family property approximately 2km from the home.

'The child was located with minor cuts and abrasions.

'Police would like to thank all of the people involved in the search and successful location of the child.'

Kelly Benston, the partner of Aurora's grandmother Leisa Marie Bennett, told the ABC that Max led Ms Bennett to her granddaughter

Queensland Police Service uploaded an image of the hero dog, accompanied with the lighthearted caption: 'Such a good boy, Max'

SES area controller Ian Phipps said a family member had spotted the girl and her dog two kilometres away in 'very inhospitable terrain to go walking in'.

Queensland Police Service uploaded an image of the hero dog, accompanied with the lighthearted caption: 'Such a good boy, Max!

'He stayed with his three-year-old human last night whilst she was lost near Warwick.

'For keeping her safe until she was found, you're now an honorary police dog!'

Aurora suffered minor cuts and abrasions during the ordeal.
Jason Rawlings Bounds (Pictured), 44, was arrested on Wednesday on one count of battery

Police in Florida released footage of a man being placed into a chockhold by an elderly clerk this week after he was arrested for assaulting her inside a convenience store.

Jason Rawlings Bounds, 44, was arrested on Wednesday on one count of battery for last month's incident at the Jessie's Island Store in Holmes Beach.

Footage of the incident shows Bounds getting into an argument with the female clerk, who attempted to confront after allegedly stealing an item from the store.

'She tried to detain him but was unsuccessful,' Holmes Beach Police Sergeant Brian Hall said. 'At one point he flipped out of his jacket and was able to squirm his way out and get away.'

Moments later, Bounds throws a devastating punch at the clerk, landing the the strike with frightening force.

He was arrested on Wednesday stemming from an incident last month at the Jessie's Island Store in Holmes Beach, Florida

A man in a black shirt standing just feet away witnesses the incident and tries to persuade the assailant to leave the store immediately.

Suddenly, the clerk appears to regain her posture and comes up behind Bounds, grabbing his throat from behind with both hands.

The clerk, still clasping Bound's in a tight headlock, ushers him out the front door while the man in black and another person come to assist.

Police say that they released the footage after identifying Bounds through their investigation.

Investigators said that Bounds had attempted to steal a bottle of beer, a pint of milk and a handful of beef and cheese sticks, according to The Brandenton Herald.

Court documents show that Bounds remains in custody at the Manatee County Jail on a $3,000 bond.

Footage of the incident shows Bounds getting into an argument with the female clerk, who attempted to confront after allegedly stealing an item from the store

Moments later, Bounds throws a devastating punch at the clerk, landing the the strike with frightening force

Suddenly, the clerk appears to regain her posture and comes up behind Bounds, grabbing his throat from behind with both hands

The clerk, still clasping Bound's in a tight headlock, ushers him out the front door while the man in black and another person come to assist
A former aged care worker has blown the whistle on what she says are appalling conditions and practices that permeate the industry including harassment and abuse.

Adelaide women and experienced aged care worker Eleanor Morgan, 36, spoke to 9 News about why she quit the aged care sector after continued harassment and complaints about conditions went unheard.

Miss Morgan is an active and outspoken member of a national aged care reform group and is campaigning for change.

Eleanor Morgan, 36, (pictured) a former aged care worker has blown the whistle on what she says are appalling conditions and practices in the industry including harassment and abuse

Her list of gripes with the industry include a shortage of professional carers while also being significantly underpaid for the work they are expected to put in.

'If you've got 30 people and you're spread out over a large section, you can't watch everybody at once and you've got people who are high needs, they need to be monitored constantly,' she said.

She said being understaffed contributed to high levels of stress and anxiety which contributed to her leaving the industry.

Unpaid overtime was another issue Ms Morgan said should be addressed as she was required to be at work up to an hour after her knock off time to make sure she completed the required paperwork before calling it a day.

Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt announced plans for aged care reform with a new commission acting as a 'one-stop shop to prevent failures' and where 'risks to senior Australians will be investigated promptly and care failures identified faster' (stock image)

The straw that broke the camel's back and finally lead Ms Morgan to call it quits in the aged care sector was her support of a complaint leading to her being harassed in the work place.

'I saw my friend bullied out of her job for speaking up. We were chased down the hall by a manager screaming accusations at us,' she said.

Ms Morgan claims she was then the target of intimidation and harassment for her support of a co-worker and friend, going so far as being 'screamed at' and 'physically intimidated'.

She believes a fundamental lack of federal funding is having a detrimental and long term impact on the aged care sector, combined with the perceived 'greed' of the retirement home operators.

Miss Morgan is an active and outspoken member of a national aged care reform group and is campaigning for change

Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt announced plans for aged care reform with the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission and a Serious Incident Response Scheme watchdog.

The sole purpose of both will be to address and clean up the aged care sector.

Mr Wyatt explained the new commission would be a 'one-stop shop to prevent failures and highlight quality concerns'where 'risks to senior Australians will be investigated promptly and care failures identified faster.'
Developers of a high-rise block that failed fire safety tests will pay for safety measures estimated to run into the millions of pounds, including replacing its Grenfell-style cladding, the Government has said.

Barratt Developments has said it will pay for backdated and future fire safety costs to make the Citiscape housing complex in Croydon, south London, safe, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid applauded the company for protecting leaseholders in the 95 flats from shouldering the costs.

Barratt Developments has said it will pay for backdated and future fire safety costs to make the Citiscape housing complex in Croydon, south London, safe, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said

But local MP Steve Reed said that, while 'delighted' for his constituents, it was 'ludicrous' the Government did not have a clear national plan for how to make buildings safe post-Grenfell.

The Citiscape building was among hundreds that failed fire tests ordered by the Government in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, which left 71 dead last year.

In March, Citiscape residents learned they had lost a tribunal battle the previous month over who should foot the bill.

The tribunal heard the total cost of the replacement of the cladding was estimated at 2 million.

Fire wardens have been monitoring the blocks full time at 4,000 a week, and by February had run up bills of approximately 128,000 since June 26, 2017.

In March, Citiscape residents learned they had lost a tribunal battle the previous month over who should foot the bill

Leaseholders were told of the decision at a Residents Association meeting on Thursday night.

A spokesman for Barratt Developments said: 'Following the recent ruling that the costs for necessary recladding at Citiscape will fall on the individual apartment owners, many of whom were originally Barratt customers when it was built in 2002, we have decided that we will pay for the work.

'Citiscape was built in line with all building regulations in place at the time of construction.

'While we don't own the building or have any liability for the cladding, we are committed to putting our customers first.

'The important thing now is ensuring that owners and residents have peace of mind.'

Mr Javid said the company had 'done the right thing' and listened to the concerns of residents.

The Citiscape building was among hundreds that failed fire tests ordered by the Government in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire, which left 71 dead last year (pictured: The aftermath of the fire at Grenfell Tower)

He said: 'Other building owners and housebuilders in the private sector should follow the example set by Barratt Developments to protect leaseholders from costs and begin essential fire safety works.

'I want to see all leaseholders in this position get the peace of mind they deserve and I am keeping this under review.'

Mr Reed, the Labour and Co-operative MP for Croydon North, said he was pleased Barratt had taken note of the 'very vocal campaign' led by him and local residents, but that he would continue campaigning for residents of other blocks across the country.

He said: 'While it's great for Citiscape, it does nothing for the vast majority of people living in these kind of blocks.

'The key point is, we can't just resolve this problem by relying on goodwill and by doing it piecemeal.

'There needs to be a clear Government plan for the removal and replacement of this kind of flammable cladding from every residential block where it's found.

'And that is still lacking now, nearly a year after Grenfell went up in flames.'
Police will investigate whether speed was a factor in a horrific car crash in Western Australia which claimed the life of a three-month-old baby on Friday night.

The maroon Holden Commodore sedan was travelling south along the Kwinana Freeway just before midnight,when it crashed north of the Safety Bay Road exit in Baldivis in Perth's southern outskirts.

'The vehicle rolled and struck a lamp post, and it is believed the driver and two passengers were ejected from the vehicle,' a Western Australia Police statement said.

Police believe the maroon Holden Commodore sedan may have been driven erratically from prior to the crash which claimed the life of a baby

Tragedy struck on Perth's Kwinana Freeway(pictured) in the city's southern outskirts on Friday night

'Major crash investigators are investigating whether speed was a factor in the crash.'

The three occupants of the vehicle, a man, 20, a woman, 18 and a three-month-old baby boy are all seriously injured.

Members of the public stopped to provide emergency first aid until WA Police and St John Ambulance personnel arrived.

The baby boy was rushed to Rockingham General Hospital and later transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital but sadly has since died.

The man and woman were taken to Royal Perth Hospital and are understood to be the baby's parents, the ABC reports.

The Kwinana Freeway southbound around Safety Bay Road was closed for more than an hour following the crash.

Police believe the maroon Holden Commodore sedan may have been driving from Success to Baldivis prior to the crash.

'It is believed a vehicle of similar description had been driving in an erratic manner in the area prior to the crash, and anyone who saw a maroon sedan driving in such a manner between 10pm and the time of the crash is asked to come forward and make contact with the crash investigators,' the police statement said.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police have arrested an Algarve barman on suspicion of raping a teenage British holidaymaker.

The 19-year-old tourist told detectives she was forced to have sex at a nightspot in the popular resort of Albufeira after having her drink spiked.

Officers from Portugual's Policia Judiciaria force confirmed the arrest in a statement, saying: 'The PJ has identified and arrested a man suspected of a rape which allegedly took place in the early hours of April 18 inside a bar in Albufeira.

The incident was reported to have taken place at Meet, a popular expat and holidaymakers' bar famed for its cocktails.

'The suspect, on the pretext of helping the woman, allegedly took her to a back room of the bar where the sex attack is said to have taken place.'

'The arrested man is 28 years old.'

The teenager is understood to told police her alleged attacker gave her a drink which made her feel ill - and raped her after pretending to aid her as she came out of the toilets but taking her to a storage room instead.

She alerted officers from the GNR police the night of the incident who got the PJ force involved.

The suspect was arrested on Wednesday after the teenager underwent a medical examination at Faro Hospital.

The results of the tests have not been revealed.

The unnamed barman, who is Portuguese, was released on bail pending an ongoing criminal investigation after appearing before a judge in a closed court hearing.

Police in Albufeira (pictured) arrested a 28-year-old man after the alleged rape

The British teenager was taken to Faro hospital (pictured) after she claimed she was raped

He was told he must sign on regularly at court as part of his bail conditions.

Portuguese police did not name the nightspot where the Brit holidaymaker was allegedly raped.

Respected Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha named it as Meet, a popular expat and holidaymakers' bar famed for its cocktails.

No-one was available for comment at the nightspot, located in the centre of Albufeira's Old Town in an area teeming with pubs, bars and restaurants.
A holidaymaker who looked after two young girls while their parents went out drinking in Majorca has said they 'don't deserve children'.

The sisters, four and 11, were repeatedly left on their own at the island's Club Palma Bay resort while their mother and step-father got 'paralytic'.

The couple were arrested by Spanish police on Thursday and the children left with social services until their mother was released yesterday. Her partner was not allowed to fly home to Scotland with them.

Amanda Wignall, 37, was staying at the same resort with her husband and four-year-old son when she spotted the two girls dancing on their own and became extremely concerned.

Two Scottish girls aged 4 and 11 were left on their own at the Club Palma Bay resort in Majorca (pictured) while their mother and step-father 'went out and got drunk'

The mother-of-two from Blackpool claims the youngsters were left with four different families over the course of two days and had to stay in a room with the hotel's children entertainer when the couple were arrested.

She told MailOnline she 'hasn't stopped thinking about their little faces' since she flew home on Thursday.

Mrs Wignall said: 'When I left the hotel to go to the airport I couldn't stop crying.

'I could cry now just thinking about how I had to walk away from those children knowing anyone could have picked them up.

'It could've been another Maddie McCann story, they didn't know how much danger they were in.

'It's absolutely disgusting, they don't deserve to have children, let alone take them abroad.'

Amanda Wignall (pictured), 37, was staying at the same resort with her husband and four-year-old son when she spotted the two girls dancing on their own and became extremely concerned

Three-year-old Madeleine McCann disappeared from her hotel room in the Algarve in Portugal in May 2007 and has never been seen since.

A child protection meeting is due to take place where the girls live in Scotland on Monday, where the 11-year-old girl's father is reportedly trying to get custody of her.

Mrs Wignall claims she has been in contact with the girl's father to confirm they got home safely.

She says she first spotted the youngsters at the hotel's children disco on Tuesday evening after flying out with her family on Sunday.

She claims the 11-year-old told her 'in no uncertain terms' it wasn't the first time her mother and step-father, believed to be in their late 40s or early 50s, had abandoned them on holiday.

She said: 'The eldest told me they'd been on holiday before and the step-dad and her mum had gone out drinking and left them on their own.

'All that little girl did the whole holiday was look after her little sister. Neither of them would've eaten anything if it wasn't for her.'

Mrs Wignall bumped into a friend of hers called Kate on the first day of the holiday and after spending time with her, realised she had been looking after the girls as well.

The women claim they would look after the girls whenever they saw them around the hotel but they were often left with other families while their parents were out on the strip or at the bar.

Mrs Wignall's friend Kate Lees took to Facebook to share the 'shocking' story

She told MailOnline: 'The first time I saw them I felt very uncomfortable.

'One night we saw them on their own and when we eventually found the mum she was absolutely paralytic.

'She was so drunk she couldn't even lift her head up to speak to us, let alone string a sentence together.

'I don't know where the step-dad was. The eldest kept saying she had to ring her dad in Scotland, we didn't know what was going on.'

On the final night of her stay Mrs Wignall saw the girls again and asked who would be looking after them when her and her friend had gone.

She claims they told her a young couple from Wigan had agreed to take care of them while their parents went out.

But when she came to check out in the early hours of Thursday reception staff told her the girls had been taken off the couple because they were also too drunk and their parents had been arrested.

She said: 'When I left on Thursday I told the receptionist I had serious concerns about two young children staying in the hotel.

Mrs Wignall said the children 'could have ended up like Maddie McCann (pictured), who disappeared from her family's hotel room in Portugal in 2007

'They said the father had been arrested and the hotel staff were now officially responsible for them, because the couple the parents had left them with were too drunk to look after them.

'The mum and step-dad had been taken away by the police and the children's entertainer had to stay in a room with there was no one else.'

Officials in Majorca said the police had been called after the mother allegedly assaulted one of the other women who had been looking after her daughters.

Mrs Wignall says this was the drunk British woman, but this has not been confirmed.

A spokesman for the National Police in Majorca said: 'National Police officers have arrested a British couple who were on holiday as the suspected authors of a crime of child abandonment.

'In the early hours of Thursday morning and at a hotel in Playa de Palma, hotel security staff were alerted to the abandonment of two children by their parents.

'The family of four had arrived two days earlier. Following their arrival, the parents were usually drunk and would regularly leave the hotel and leave their children there.

The couple were arrested by Spanish police on Thursday and the children left with social services until their mother was released yesterday. Her partner was not allowed to fly home to Scotland with them. Pictured: Palma Bay Club resort

'After security staff warned them about their illegal behaviour, they convinced another British couple who they didn't know, to look after their children while they went drinking in different bars in the resort.

'They would return totally drunk. They returned in the same state in the early hours of Thursday morning.

'For no reason the mother assaulted the woman who had been looking after her children and hotel security, who subsequently alerted police, had to intervene.

'Officers arrested the couple after reaching the hotel. They also discovered the tourist who had agreed to look after the youngsters was under the effects of alcohol.'

Mrs Wignall says she 'has thought of nothing else' since she left Spain.

She said: 'People keep asking me how my holiday was but I can't even talk about it.

'Those people had gone on holiday to get drunk and ignore their children.

'I was going out of my mind with worry, I barely thought about anything else.

'I was waiting to pick up my children from school yesterday and I just burst into tears.

'The mum was allowed to fly home with them, but the step-dad wasn't, that really distressed the kids.

'The whole thing is absolutely shocking. When you have children they are your responsibility and your responsibility alone.'

Taking to Facebook after she arrived back in the UK, Mrs Wignall's friend Kate Lees wrote: 'I've had the best time away just me and my youngest but I'm leaving Majorca today with a heavy heart.

'We've spent the week with two little girls aged 4 and 11... mainly because their parents were always drunk.

The British tourists had been staying at the popular resort of Playa de Palma outside the capital of Majorca

'Last night it came to a head and both parents were arrested after the dad was paralytic drunk and the mom had left the girls to look after themselves after she left the resort to go and party on the strip.

'I took care of them girls for 3 hours looking for her mom and we couldn't find her anywhere.

'They wanted to stay in my room, even a strangers room they'd only known 2 days, so they could be looked after but I told them I wasn't allowed to do that and hotel reception had to take care of them.

'The girl was calling her dad in Scotland for help. This morning I had to watch them two beautiful girls get taken away by Spanish social services and taken to a Spanish children's care centre as mom and dad have been arrested and in Palma cells.

'Never have I witnessed such awful disgusting parenting and fear in two small faces.

'Parents if you want a holiday abroad and get off your face leave your kids at home.'
A Chinese gold miner and Liberal Party donor is being sued by a former employee who claims he is owed more than $1 million in unpaid wages.

Sally Zou, who runs the AusGold Mining Group, has been taken to the Federal Court by Lee Rossetti, who claims he was sacked with three years to run on his contract.

Ms Zou has denied he was ever employed by the company and that he was working for AusGold as a consultant.

Chinese gold miner and Liberal Party donor Sally Zou (pictured) is being sued over $1m claim for unpaid wages

Ms Zou has been taken to the Federal Court by Lee Rossetti, who claims he was sacked with three years to run on his contract

Documents filed with the court reveal Mr Rossetti's claims he was told he would earn $250,000-a-year for five years as the general manager at the company's mine in Broken Hill in New South Wales, the ABC reports.

But Mr Rossetti says he was paid only $218,000 when he was sacked in April 2017 after starting in November 2014.

He says he is owed $1.15m from his employment and is also pursuing Ms Zou for unpaid earnings he claims he should have been paid if he was not sacked and superannuation payments.

Lawyers representing Ms Zou have submitted files to the court claiming Mr Rossetti was paid the $218,000 after the firm received invoices from him relating to consultancy work.

Ms Zou has denied he was ever employed by the company and that he was working for AusGold as a consultant

A picture posted by Ms Zou on social media showed a cheque for $1.2m made out to the Liberal Party - but the party reportedly never received the money

They also dismissed Mr Rossetti's claims for lost earnings arguing he had not got a job since working for AusGold Mining Group and had not tried to cut his losses.

The case will be heard in May.

Ms Zou donated $360,000 to the Liberal Party during the 2016-2017 financial year with $316,064 given to the South Australia branch, through her mining company.

The flamboyant businesswoman caused a stir by creating the 'Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation' last year, before dropping the foreign minister's name nine days later

Ms Zou donated $360,000 to the Liberal Party during the 2016-2017 financial year with $316,000 going to the South Australia branch

A picture posted by Ms Zou on social media showed a cheque for $1.2m made out to the Liberal Party for the state elections earlier this year.

The flamboyant businesswoman caused a stir by creating the 'Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation' last year, before dropping the foreign minister's name nine days later.

Reports emerged last year the AusGold Mining Group gave a $140,000 donation to the Liberals during the previous federal election campaign.
Hollywood actress Natalie Portman revealed that she won't be attending a ceremony in Jerusalem because Benjamin Netanyahu would also be there.

The 36-year-old actress said that her reasoning for not attending the Genesis Award ceremony has been 'mischaracterized'.

'I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony,' Portman said in a statement posted late Friday on Instagram.

She also denied accusations by Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev who on Friday said Portman subscribed to the ideology of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress Natalie Portman says she will not attend a Jerusalem award ceremony because she does not want to appear to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

'I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it,' the Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress said.

'Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation,' she said.

On Friday the Genesis Prize Foundation said that Portman had cancelled her participation in a Jerusalem ceremony slated for the end of June.

One of Portman's representatives informed the foundation that she was troubled by 'recent events' in Israel and 'does not feel comfortable participating in any public event in Israel,' the foundation said.

'I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony,'Portman said

The foundation did not say which events distressed Portman.

Portman said her decision to stay away from the award ceremony had been 'mischaracterised', insisting that she wanted to set the record straight and 'speak for myself'.

'Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today's atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values,' she said.

'I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it,' the Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress added

'Because I care about Israel, I must stand against violence, corruption, inequality and abuse of power,' Portman added.

Portman did not go into details, but her decision came amid a series of controversies for Netanyahu and his government.

The army has come under scrutiny over its use of live fire over the past three weeks during protests and clashes along the blockaded Gaza Strip's border with the Jewish state.

In a fourth straight Friday of mass demonstrations, four Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces, bringing the total death toll since March 30 to 38.

Netanyahu also recently reversed a controversial deal with the UN refugee agency aimed at avoiding the forced deportations of thousands of African migrants.

The Israeli premier is also the subject of a series of corruption investigations. Police in February recommended he be indicted in two of the cases and a third is ongoing.

The Genesis prize, launched in 2013, is awarded to 'extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews,' according to foundation's website.

Netanyahu recently reversed a controversial deal with the UN refugee agency aimed at avoiding the forced deportations of thousands of African migrants

Recipients contribute their winnings to causes of their choice, and Portman has said she intended to dedicate the money to programmes advancing women's equality.

Born in Jerusalem to a doctor father and an artist mother, 36-year-old Portman won a best actress Oscar for 2010's psychological ballet thriller 'Black Swan'.

Her announcement comes after Israeli politicians demanded that her citizenship be stripped away.

Politician Oren Hazan from the Likud party branded it 'complete craziness' that she was awarded the prize in the first place.

He accused her of 'cynically' using her birthplace to further her career and said she had 'no real connection to the State' after leaving for the USA aged four.

'From the outset, the idea of granting the Genesis Prize to Natalie Portman was complete craziness,' he said, as reported in Israel National News.

'[She is] a Jewish Israeli, who on the one hand cynically uses her birthplace to advance her career and on the other is proud of the fact that she managed to avoid enlisting in the IDF.

Portman in her next big role in Vox Lux, in which she plays a rising pop star named Celeste

'She's an actress, but she is unworthy of any honor in the State of Israel.

'Sweetness can come from strength: I call on Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (Shas) to rescind Portman's Israeli citizenship.

'She left Israel at age four, and has no real connection to the State.'

The country's Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev added: 'I was very sorry to hear that Portman fell like a ripe fruit into the hands of BDS supporters.

'A Jewish actress, who was born in Israel, has joined those who see the miraculous success story of Israel's creation as a "story of darkness".'
One of Sydney's most notorious serial sex offenders, Graham James Kay, 66, has angrily denied claims he assaulted a 16-year-old girl at a western Sydney supermarket this week.

Kay had only been released from jail in 2015 where he served an 18 year sentence for sexually assaulting eight women at knifepoint in the 1990s.

The new allegation also comes just one month after an electronic ankle bracelet he had been ordered to wear since his release concerns over his potential to reoffend had been removed.

One of Sydney's most notorious serial sex offenders, Graham James Kay, 66, (pictured) has denied claims he assaulted a 16-year-old girl at a western Sydney supermarket this week

'Police will allege a 16-year-old girl was working at the self-service check-out when a man called out to her for assistance,' a NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

Kay - who had been classified as a high risk repeat sex offender - then allegedly grabbed the 16-year-old girl, of whom he had reportedly met before, by the hips and kissed her on each cheek.

He was charged with with common assault, stalking and intimidation assaulting the girl, and an AVO was sought by police to protect her.

Cumberland Police arrested Kay at his Warwick Farm workplace the following day but was released on bail.

Kay had only been released from jail in 2015 where he served an 18 year sentence for sexually assaulting eight women at knifepoint in the 1990s

Police allege the assault took place at a self service checkout at a Woolworths supermarket in Rosehill (pictured) at around 3pm on Tuesday

Kay was approached as he was washing his car in the basement of his Parramatta unit block on Saturday, when he denied the allegations, the Daily Telegraph reported.

'I'm pleading not guilty,' he said before slamming his car door and driving off.

A Correctives Services NSW spokeswoman said Kay's supervision and monitoring would be increased due to the recent alleged incident.

He is due to appear in Parramatta Local Court on April 24.

Kay was approached as he was washing his car in the basement of his Parramatta unit block on Saturday, when he said 'I'm pleading not guilty'before slamming his car door and driving off

Known as the North Shore Rapist, Kay attacked multiple women aged between 16 and 39 in Balgowlah, Artarmon, Epping, Eastwood and Wollstonecraft between December 1995 and December 1996.

He was arrested in 1997 and served 18 years of a 20-year jail sentence.

Kay told a NSW Supreme Court hearing last year he should have his tag removed because it was awkward at the beach and he had complied with 42 conditions imposed upon his release from jail.

NSW Corrective Services officers removed his electronic ankle bracelet on March 17.

Kay's victims have feared he will strike again since his release from prison.

'I thought he was going to kill me. You just think it's going on forever, it just feels like forever,' one told A Current Affair in 2017.

'I'm terrified that he's going to get me again... he's a threat to all women.'

Known as the North Shore Rapist, Kay (pictured) attacked multiple women aged between 16 and 39 in Balgowlah, Artarmon, Epping, Eastwood and Wollstonecraft between 1995 and December 1996
Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different is one of the books moving away from traditional masculinity

Publishers are moving away from 'macho' heroes in non-fiction books for boys and moving towards an 'alternative type of hero' who to those who 'checks their privilege'.

It comes following impressive sales of books that empower young women, such as Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls which has sold more than a million copies worldwide.

The publishers aim to move away from the 'stereotypical idea of masculinity' and action-men style heroes such as Prince Charming and will instead focus on stories of real-life heroes such as Usain Bolt and James Harrison, a blood donor whose rare plasma has saved millions of lives over 50 years.

The first book is called 'Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different' by Ben Brooks, and will feature stories from 100 men such as Bill Gates, Salvador Dali, Benjamin Zephaniah and Stormzy.

It will be followed up in September by The Good Guys: 50 stories of men 'who have showed that changing the world doesn't require a sword or a corporate jet'.

'All of the focus has been on girls, which is great, and necessary,' Quercus Books nonfiction publisher Katy Follain, who published Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different this month told the Guardian.

'But statistics show that male suicide is on the rise, and the more I looked into it, the more I thought there was something there for boys.'

Debbie Foy, the publishing director at Wren & Rook, who are publishing The Good Guys said that 'boys are girls need good male role models.'

She added: 'Being male doesn't have to involve being a petulant man-baby or a sword-wielding superhero,'

Eighties icon George Michael also features in 'Boys who Dared to Be Different'

'The alternative type of hero is a man who checks his privilege and who is kind, selfless, courageous and not afraid to stand up for what's right.'

She also said the 'rise of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements' brought the behaviour of powerful men such as Trump and Weinstein to the fore and it was important to shine the light on positive men.

Rob Kemp, who wrote The Good Guys said: 'The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have not only highlighted the poor behaviour of men  and demand they're rightly made culpable for it  but also shown us how the vast majority of people want to look to positive role models and be inspired by those who don't mean to harm others, but help them instead. I hope these kinds of books reflect this and inspire young minds to follow a more positive path.'

More than 100,000 copies of the books around the world have already been pre-ordered.
A spectacular display of lights lit up the skies in Tasmania, Victoria and New Zealand on Friday night.

The Aurora Australis event, which saw the sky exploding into life, was witnessed by photographers around Australia.

Beautiful colours highlighting the sky included pink, yellow, red, purple and green.

The natural display is caused when charged particles from the sun interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere.

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A spectacular display of lights known as the Aurora Australis lit up the skies in Tasmania, Victoria and New Zealand. Brett Kelly took the this beautiful photograph.

Tristan Pokornyi took the image (pictured) at Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria

Social media was in meltdown with photographers excited about the epic display.

Tristan Pokornyi, told Daily Mail Australia the display was 'very spectacular and he described the intense beams of light.

The natural display is caused when charged particles from the sun interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere.

'First there was just a band of light on the horizon but then suddenly there was intense beams of light rippling that looked like curtains, making the show very intense for about 5 minutes before it faded again,' he said.

Brett Kelly from took this stunning photo from his dining room and driveway in Tasmania

Tim Grimsey captured the Aurora Australis in on South Arm Peninsula near Hobart, Tasmania, on April 10.

'I was stunned as it was the first time I saw the Aurora in Victoria.

'It was much better than expected.'

The Bureau of Meteorology predicted the event could continue into Saturday night, with 'geomagnetic activity expected to be unsettled'.

'If this geomagnetic activity occurs, auroras may be visible for southernmost Australian regions, including Tasmania and the coastline of Victoria during local nighttime hours,' the Bureau stated.

Social media was in meltdown with photographers excited about the epic display

The Bureau of Meterology predicted the event could continue into Saturday night, with 'geomagnetic activity expected to be unsettled'.
The family of a nine-year-old chess prodigy is fighting to stay in Britain so he can continue his quest to become the country's first world champion.

Shreyas Royal has only played chess for four years but is already belting teenagers a decade older than him and considered the best prospect of his generation.

The youngster has lived in the UK since he was three but faces being sent back to India when his father Jitendra Singh's work visa expires in September.

The family of nine-year-old chess prodigy Shreyas Royal (right) is fighting to stay in Britain so he can continue his quest to become the country's first world champion

He has only played chess for four years but is already belting teenagers a decade older than him and considered the best prospect of his generation

Mr Singh, 38, an IT manager for Tata motors, and his wife Anju are fighting for indefinite leave to remain on the grounds that their son is a national asset.

The couple from Bangalore living in southeast London have the backing of the English Chess Federation and renowned chess trainer Julian Simpole.

'This kid is like something I've never seen before. His talent is very highly pronounced. He's going to be a future world champion and we'd like it to be for Britain,' Mr Simpole told The Times.

Shreyas attends the Pointer School in Blackheath on a full scholarship and learned to play at an after-school program his mother enrolled him in to exercise his mind.

Named the world's youngest candidate master, he said it 'felt natural' and he loved it because it was more about using his brain than being physically aggressive.

He spends his weekends and holidays travelling around Britain and the world competing in tournaments and almost always wins

His fight to stay in Britain has the backing of the English Chess Federation and renowned chess trainer Julian Simpole

Shreyas attends the Pointer School in Blackheath on a full scholarship and learned to play at an after-school program his mother enrolled him in to exercise his mind

He now spends his weekends and holidays travelling around Britain and the world competing in tournaments and almost always wins.

'I don't think the older kids like being beaten by me. The Russians are the hardest to play against,' he said.

Mr Singh feared his son's promising career could be cut short if he was sent back to India, and Britain would lose his talents.

'Shreyas's life is here  he has roots. We are used to India, we spent a lot of our lives living there but it will be a massive shock for Shreyas. He will not be able to continue his chess, it really is a terrible situation,' he said.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says now is the time for North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.

The plea comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons, the Korean Central News Agency said.

Ms Bishop spoke to reporters in London on Saturday following the conclusion of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Australias role in the Commonwealth has also been elevated with Ms Bishop made the deputy chair of a key committee.

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'The prospect of talks between North Korea and the US is one that we must pursue and it's a sign that North Korea may well be genuine in looking to denuclearise in the longer term,' foreign minister Julie Bishop said

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un says his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons

'The statements by North Korea must be followed by verifiable steps that they are going to comply with the numerous United Nations' Security Council resolutions that ban North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic programs,' Ms Bishop said.

'In the past North Korea has made promises and then failed to honour them, so we need to see verifiable steps that it will abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic weapons programs.'

US President Donald Trump said the announcement showed progress.

'North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit,' Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

North Korea has said its nuclear and missile programs are necessary deterrents against US hostility.

It conducted numerous missile tests, with the aim of being able to hit the US with a nuclear bomb.

US President Donald Trump said the announcement showed progress

President Trump took to Twitter to welcome the move

Ms Bishop said North Korea had previously ignored pressure from the international community regarding its nuclear ambitions.

'This has always been our concern, that the previous international policy of strategic patience enabled North Korea, in defiance of numerous UN Security Council resolutions, to continue building capability in its intercontinental ballistic and nuclear weapons programs,' she said.

'The prospect of talks between North Korea and the US is one that we must pursue and it's a sign that North Korea may well be genuine in looking to denuclearise in the longer term. But we must remember we've seen this before, we need to see verifiable steps before we can be optimistic about the outcome.'

Analysts cautioned that the declaration was promising but restricted, The Australian reports.

'Certainly this is a positive development,' said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University.

'It's a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-roliferation commitments.'

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered a cautious welcome but his defence minister said North Korea did not mention the short- or medium-range missiles that put Tokyo within reach.
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Meghan Markle dazzled in a navy blue cape dress and matching heels as she joined Prince Harry at a concert to mark the Queen's 92nd birthday this evening.

Harry and Meghan were among the first to be pictured arriving at the Royal Albert Hall evening, with Meghan wearing a 1,148 Stella McCartney dress and matching the Prince of Wales, the Countess of Wessex and Lady Louise Windsor in navy blue colours.

The couple arrived at the London concert hall in a car with Prince William, who was pictured waving from the back seat as he attended without his pregnant wife, the Duchess of Cambridge.

The Queen was seen arriving at the Royal Albert Hall wearing gold, while Prince Charles, the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince William also took their seats in the Royal box as the concert got underway with Welsh singer Tom Jones performing his hit It's Not Unusual.

Harry took to the stage during the concert to wish his grandmother a happy birthday, and said: 'Tonight we are celebrating the Queen's Birthday but Your Majesty, if you do not mind me saying, you are not someone who is easy to buy gifts for.'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were pictured arriving at the Royal Albert Hall for the Queen's birthday concert tonight

Meghan, wearing a stunning navy blue cape dress, takes her seat at the concert along with husband-to-be Prince Harry

Meghan wore a 1,148 Stella McCartney cape dress in navy blue, finishing off her outfit with matching dark blue heels

The crowd is pictured assembling inside the Royal Albert Hall this evening as they wait for the concert to begin

The Queen waves and smiles from the Royal box as she watches her birthday concert at the Royal Albert Hall

The Duke of Cambridge is pictured reading a programme as he takes his seat at the Royal Albert Hall

The Queen wore gold for the occasion while Meghan dazzled in a navy blue cape dress, with Harry in a suit of the same colour

Lady Louise Windsor (centre) was seen wearing a navy blue dress as she joined her parents, the Earl and Countess of Wessex

Elizabeth - the world's longest-reigning living monarch - was pictured in the audience along with other members of the royal family.

Prince Harry led tributes to his grandmother in his new role as president of The Queen's Commonwealth Trust, saying: 'As we celebrate your 92nd birthday this evening and in recognition of your incredible life of service, I am delighted to say that the Queen's Commonwealth Trust has now been launched to support young leaders around the Commonwealth.

'This organisation, in your name, will provide a platform for those working to make a difference in their communities across 53 countries. Happy Birthday Your Majesty.'

The Queen's birthday this year comes on the tails of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, which brought the leaders of the 53 Commonwealth countries together in England.

At the meeting heads of government agreed that Prince Charles would succeed the Queen in the role of head of the Commonwealth, which she has led since she took the throne in 1952.

The Queen celebrates two birthdays every year: Her actual birthday on April 21, which she usually marks privately with her family, and her 'official birthday' in the summer. It usually falls on the second Saturday in June, when she joins the Trooping the Color military parade in central London.

Spectators wait for the concert to start at the Royal Albert Hall as they celebrate the Queen's birthday this evening

Meghan and Harry take their seats alongside the Duke of Cambridge, Lady Louise Windsor and the Princess Royal

Prince Harry addressing the audience during tonight's performance and wishing his grandmother a happy birthday

The Queen sat next to William as she appeared to nod along to a ukelele performance featuring Frank Skinner and Ed Balls

Prince William waves from the back of a car with Prince Harry and his fiancee Meghan Markle as they arrive at the concert

Prince Harry took to the stage during the concert and said the Queen was 'not someone who is easy to buy gifts for'

In front of a montage of Commonwealth flags Harry spoke about his new role as head of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust

Meghan's clutch bag is pictured close up as she arrived at the Queen's birthday concert alongside Prince Harry

A packed Royal Albert Hall watches on as Ed Balls, Frank Skinner and Harry Hill perform for the birthday concert tonight
Grace Currie, 24, was discriminated against in a Wetherspoon pub in Shropshire

A disabled woman with a speech impediment was thrown out of a Wetherspoons pub because managers thought she was drunk.

Grace Currie, 24, was ordered to leave when she tried to order a vodka and coke while enjoying a night out with friends.

Despite trying to explain that she had suffered a brain injury which caused her to slur her words, a bouncer guided her out the pub.

Grace almost died when she was mown down by a car in September 2010 which left her in a coma for six weeks and suffering catastrophic head injuries.

The photographer was booted out The Shrewsbury Hotel in the Shropshire town after meeting up with friends last Saturday night.

Grace was kicked out without being allowed to collect her phone and coat meaning she was left outside with no way of contacting anyone.

It took several minutes until Grace's personal carer, Netty Brook, who was in the pub with her, realised what had happened and came to her aid.

Grace, of Bagley, Shropshire, went home in tears and told her parents Graeme and Lorraine, both 61, what happened and they complained to the pub manager.

She said: 'It all happened so quickly and I was just so in shock.

Ms Currie almost died when she was mown down by a car in September 2010

She was left in a coma for six weeks and suffered catastrophic head injuries after the accident

'I literally went up to order a drink, and almost immediately I was escorted away.

'I hadn't really got round to completing my order. Almost as soon as I opened my mouth I was taken out.

'They must have seen me walking, and thought that my mobility issues were actually drunkenness.

'The bouncer pushed me out quite aggressively, and within seconds I was out on the street by myself.

Grace says she tried to explain to bar staff that she has brain injuries but she was yanked from the pub before she could say her piece

'I was out there on my own, bagless, coatless and without a mobile phone.

'It was very scary, as I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I was confused - I couldn't understand what I had done wrong.

'I shouted at the bouncer to go and get Netty, and thankfully she came out.

Ms Currie was ordered to leave when she tried to order a vodka and coke while enjoying a night out with friends

'It ruined the whole night. It's not a nice thing to have happen to you when you're just at a gathering.

'It was obviously very poor from Wetherspoons. I just hope they realise what they've done wrong and learn from it, so that other people like me aren't in that situation.'

Her father said: 'I just can't believe that this has happened to our poor Grace.

Pictured: The Shrewsbury Hotel Wetherspoon in Shropshire where Ms Currie was chucked out

'She's done amazingly well in the space of seven years to go from being on her death bed, to being able to go out and enjoy a drink in a social setting.

'It's horrendous that she's been treated like this on a social night.

'Over the past few years she's become much more independent, but is still very vulnerable and needs help from a full-time carer.

'She was just enjoying the evening out, when she went up to the bar and asked for a drink.

'Often she has problems speaking - she can talk very slowly, slur her words and sometimes struggles to grasp for the right vocabulary.

'But the bar staff obviously just assumed that she was drunk - and the fact that she has mobility issues will have made it look much worse too.

Ms Currie's father Graeme says he wants to see the restaurant chain put their staff through discrimination training

'Not only did they escort her out, but they escorted her out backwards, so she would have been completely disorientated by the time that she stepped outside.

'A big male bouncer took her out, and she wasn't even allowed back in to get her bag or her coat. Her phone was inside, so she had no way to call for help.

'It was a busy Saturday night in the middle of town, by a river, and she was understandably very shaken up by the whole thing.

The aggrieved woman said: 'I was out there on my own, bagless, coatless and without a mobile phone. It was very scary, as I didn't know what was going to happen to me'

'She had no idea what she needed to do to get out of this situation, and was effectively stuck.

'That's a very dangerous situation for her to be in, and anything could have happened to her.

'It's hard for a disabled person to go out and about in a setting where there are lots of other people, especially when drink is involved.

'For her to be kicked back like this is absolutely devastating for her.

'I'm just so disappointed at Wetherspoon's - you'd expect so much better from them.

'They need to tell us what they're going to do to address this disability discrimination, and tell us how they're going to provide disability training to staff.

A Wetherspoon spokesman said: 'We, again, apologise to Grace for the mistake and hope that this incident will help our staff manage future similar scenarios with better understanding'

'But they also need to provide Grace with some sort of redress - she was humiliated on what should have been a fun, laid back night for her.'

The pub chain have now apologised to Grace, saying bar staff made a 'misjudgement'.

A JD Wetherspoon spokesman said: 'At around 9.30pm on Saturday, door security at The Shrewsbury Hotel alerted the pub manager to the refusal of service of Grace Currie.

'The pub manager spoke with Grace and her companion, realising during the conversation that there had been a misjudgement.

'Subsequently, Grace's father has been invited to the pub, as the pub manager is keen to speak with him face-to-face, about the incident.

'We, again, apologise to Grace for the mistake and hope that this incident will help our staff manage future similar scenarios with better understanding.'
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has met Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in London, a month out from their wedding.

The royal couple stepped out on Saturday for a special reception hosted by the PM ahead of the Invictus Games in Sydney later in 2018.

Meghan looked spectacular in a summery green dress, black jacket, matching handbag and heels.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) has met with Meghan Markle (pictured) and Prince Harry a month out from the royal wedding

Meghan (pictured) looked absolutely spectacular in a summery green dress, black jacket, handbag and heels

Ms Markle, (right) wore a patterned green dress from Harvey Nichols, costing $550 in-store. The Prime Minister's wife Lucy (right) matched Meghan in class and style as she stepped out with the Former Suits actress.

The former Suits actress looked at ease as she shook hands with Mr Turnbull and wife Lucy outside Australia House in London.

Her black locks hung over her shoulders as she stayed close to future husband Harry.

The 36-year-old wore a patterned green dress from Harvey Nichols, costing $550, black Manolo Blahnik heels costing $908 and a black blazer from Alexander McQueen with a price tag of $2285.

Mr Turnbull was full of praise for the Prince, as he presented the royal couple with special black jackets for the Sydney games

Dressed in a red suit with a pearl necklace, the Prime Minister's wife Lucy matched Meghan in class and style.

Mr Turnbull was full of praise for the Prince's role in the Invictus Games, as he presented the royal couple with special jackets for the Sydney games, news.com.au reported.





'As you know we are a sporting nation and my heart will be with the green and gold,' Mr Turnbull said on Saturday.

'You'll receive an absolutely rapturous welcome in Sydney.'

While the guest list for the wedding has not been revealed, past protocol would indicate the Prime Minister and Governor General should be invited.

But it is understood no foreign heads of state will be invited to the ceremony at St George's Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Meghan (pictured) was at ease as she shook hands with Mr Turnbull (left) and wife Lucy (pictured in red) outside Australia House in London

Australian celebrities and friends rumoured to be a chance for an invite on the 600-strong guest list include Kylie Mignone, Pia Miller and defence personnel close to Prince Harry.

The Invictus Games Sydney 2018 will take place from 20-27th October and will see over 500 competitors from 18 nations compete in 11 adaptive sports.

Mr Turnbull said the competitors would get the 'respect and recognition they so thoroughly deserve.

Meghan's black locks hung over her shoulders as she stayed close to future husband Harry

'It will be a formidable contest. Five hundred athletes ... will all be competing in a country and a city which will applaud them for their service and cheers them on to greater heights.'

He said the spirit of the games was embodied by people like Curtis McGrath, a young Australian combat medic who lost both legs in Afghanistan before winning the canoeing Paralympic gold in Rio de Janeiro two years ago.

Mr Turnbull has been in London for a whirlwind trip for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Mr Turnbull (pictured arriving at Australia House) said the Invictus Games competitors would get the 'respect and recognition they deserve.

During the five-day meet, he was caught texting on his mobile phone during a speech by the British Prime Minister, Theresa May.

On Saturday, he posted a photo of himself shaking the Queen's hand on Instagram, describing the 'productive' few days he's had in London.

'I've just wrapped up a really productive few days at CHOGM in London,' he said.

Mr Turnbull also met with Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles during the Commonwealth Heads of Government gathering
India's government on Saturday approved the death penalty for child rapists, after the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl and a series of other horrific sexual assaults caused nationwide outrage.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a cabinet meeting to pass the measure Saturday on his return from the Commonwealth summit in London.

Protests have erupted across India in recent days over the rape and killing of the young Muslim girl by a group of Hindu men in Jammu and Kashmir state, increasing pressure on Modi to take action.

Protests have erupted across India in recent days over the rape and killing of the young Muslim girl by a group of Hindu men in Jammu and Kashmir state, increasing pressure on Modi to take action

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a cabinet meeting to pass the measure Saturday on his return from the Commonwealth summit in London

The attack sent out the sort of shockwaves that shook the country after the equally horrific gang rape of a Delhi student on a bus in 2012, which made headlines around the world.

The cabinet approved the ordinance amending laws on sexual violence to allow for capital punishment for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12, the official said.

Minimum jail sentences for convicted rapists were also toughened.

'The ordinance will be sent to the president for his consent,' the official said on condition of anonymity. The president's approval is seen as a formality.

The new decree requires trials involving child victims to be completed in two months after an arrest, unusually speedy for India where the wheels of justice turn slowly.

India carried out its last hanging in 2015 when the 1993 Mumbai bombing convict was executed

The order will remain in effect for a period of six months from the president's approval, or until parliament votes the changes into law.

In recent months, four Indian states have already introduced similar legislation in local parliaments to approve the death penalty for child rapists.

India has the death penalty for the most brutal murders and terror attacks. But the sentences are rarely carried out and are often struck down on appeal by higher courts.

India carried out its last hanging in 2015 of a 1993 Mumbai bombing convict.

The recent protests began after police accused eight Hindu men of raping a Muslim girl in a bid to force her nomad community out of a Hindu-dominated area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Public anger boiled over after police last week made public how the girl was drugged, repeatedly raped while held captive for five days at a Hindu temple and then beaten to death.

India previously introduced tougher laws in 2013 after the brutal New Delhi gang rape.

The incident triggered weeks of street protests and global condemnation.

A 2014 UN report said one in three rape victims in India was a minor while 11,000 cases of child rape were reported to authorities in 2015

But sexual violence, including against children, remains unabated in India, with some 11,000 child rape cases reported in 2015.

A 2014 UN report said one in three rape victims in India was a minor.

On Saturday, police in central Madhya Pradesh state arrested a man over the rape and murder of a four-month-old girl.

The infant's blood soaked body was found on Friday in a building in Indore city hours after she went missing.

Police said the suspect was a distant relative of the victim and had targeted the child after an argument with her mother.

Activists say lax implementation of laws and snail-paced trials fuel the 'rape culture' in India, with many accusing police of being slack in cases involving influential people.

Modi's government faced criticsm after one his party members in Uttar Pradesh was accused by a teenager of raping her.

The politician remained free for almost a year after police rejected pleas from the victim to file a rape case against the lawmaker.

He was finally arrested last week after the teenager tried to set herself on fire outside the residence of the state chief minister, triggering a wave of protests.
The president is confident his long-term lawyer and trusted confidante Michael Cohen will not 'flip' on him, as has been suggested, despite an ongoing investigation into alleged fraud.

On Saturday morning, Trump defended Cohen in a flurry of tweets at around 8.20am which he deleted within an hour.

He re-posted them shortly afterwards with a corrected version of a New York Times reporter's name which he misspelled the first time while criticizing her as 'third rate'.

Trump dismissed the suggestion that Cohen, whose hotel room and offices were raided last week, might turn on him and admit any illegal behavior which could incriminate the president, insisting instead that he has nothing to hide.

In a string of tweets on Saturday morning, President Trump defended Michael Cohen and said he did not think he would 'flip' on him as has been suggested. He deleted the tweets then reposted them shortly afterwards with the correct spelling of Maggie Haberman's name. Haberman published a report on Friday citing multiple unnamed sources who said it was a possibility that Cohen might turn on Trump

'Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories.

'Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!' he said.

Trump called Michael Cohen a 'fine person with a wonderful family'. Cohen is pictured on April 16, leaving a Federal Court in lower Manhattan

Earlier, he took aim at New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, who reported on Friday that it was a 'strong possibility' Cohen would cooperate with investigators to save his own skin.

On Saturday morning, Trump called Haberman 'third rate' and a 'Crooked H flunkie'.

'The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman known as a Crooked H flunkie who I dont speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will flip.

'They use.... non-existent sources and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family.

'Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected,' he continued.

In her report, Haberman cited sources who claimed the president's team had resigned themselves to the possibility that Cohen may go against him.

'Trumps lawyers and advisers have become resigned to the strong possibility that Mr. Cohen, who has a wife and two children and faces the prospect of devastating legal fees, if not criminal charges, could end up cooperating with federal officials who are investigating him for activity that could relate, at least in part, to work he did for Mr. Trump,' she wrote.

Cohen has his own team of lawyers who are advising him through the investigation. They are pictured leaving the court after a hearing about his payment to Stormy Daniels, a porn star he paid $130,000 to allegedly keep quiet about her 'affair' with Donald Trump in 2016

Stormy Daniels also attended the hearing. She wants to be free to speak out about the payment she received despite signing an agreement not to in exchange for the money

Hers was not the first claim that Cohen might flip.

Last week, The Wall Street journal reported that Jay Goldberg, one of his former lawyers, warned him of the same possibility, telling him: 'Michael will never stand up for you.'

Earlier, he tweeted about James Comey and the revelation that the Department of Justice's internal watchdog is examining whether he leaked classified information by sharing details of memos he wrote while he was the FBI director with friends and with the media.

The memos related to Trump, Michael Flynn and what is now the subject of a Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference and collusion.

Trump said on Friday that Comey's memos triggered the investigation and suggested that if it is proven that he leaked classified information, the whole probe should be dismantled on the grounds that it was started by illegal activity.

'James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council?

'Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?' he said.
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George H.W. Bush broke down in tears on Saturday as his son read aloud one of the dozens of love letters he wrote to his late wife Barbara as part of his moving eulogy at her funeral.

Jeb, the former Governor of Florida, was the only one of the former First Lady's children who spoke in front of the congregation of 1500.

They had gathered at St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Among the mourners were former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton who attended the service with their wives.

First Lady Melania Trump joined them in the front pew but the president watched from Mar-a-Lago out of 'respect', he said, for the Bush family.

Jeb's eulogy was accompanied by tributes from Susan Baker, the wife of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, and a touching speech by George H.W. Bush biographer Jon Meacham who remarked that the former president was the 'only boy' Barbara had ever kissed.

George H.W. paid tribute to his wife by wearing a pair of socks with books on them, honoring her work with literacy over the years.

He said in the front row alongside his children and could be seen smiling early in the ceremony and shook hands as he was wheeled out by George W. after the service had concluded.

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George H.W. Bush sobbed as his son Jeb read aloud one of his love letters to his late wife Barbara at her funeral on Saturday. He was comforted by his daughter Dorothy

Day of remembrance: Former president George H. W. Bush arrives at his wife's funeral service on Saturday with his son George W. Bush

Calming presence: President George H.W. Bush is comforted by his daughter Dorothy during the service

Barbara Pierce Bush died on April 17 aged 92

Melania attended the service alone, and was seated with Barack and Michelle Obama and Bill and Hillary Clinton.

She and Barack could be seen chatting with one another and laughing just before the start of the service.

President Trump did not attend the mass in order to 'avoid disruptions due to added security.'

This is not at all uncommon for a sitting president, with Obama opting not to attend the funerals of both Nancy Reagan and Betty Ford. Mrs Bush's son was not at the funeral for Lady Bird Johnson in 2007 when he was president.

He headed off to the golf course on Saturday but then left, tweeting: 'Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day!'

Mrs Bush's granddaughter Elizabeth Andrews was the first to speak on Saturday, delivering a reading from Ecclesiastes.

That was followed by a reading of proverbs from Mrs Bush's granddaughters: Noelle Lucila Bush, Jenna Bush Hager, Marshall Lloyd Bush Rossi, Nancy LeBlond Sosa, Ashley Walker Bush and Georgia Grace Koch.

Jenna choked back tears as she delivered her lines ahead of oldest granddaughter Noelle.

First couple: Jeb spoke about his parents, saying: 'My dad is a phenomenal letter writer and he would write mom on their wedding anniversary, and totalled an amazing 73 years'

Solo outing: Melania Trump arrived in Houston on Saturday morning for the service while her husband stayed in Palm Beach

Gentleman: Barack Obama waits to take his seat next to Melania with wife Michelle by his side

Familiar faces: Bill and Hillary Clinton followed the Obamas into the service and were not seen chatting with Melania

Not present was granddaughter Lauren Bush Lauren, who gave birth to a son on Wednesday morning just hours after learning her grandmother had passed away.

Barbara Bush, Jenna's twin sister, also struggled to maintain her composure while delivering a reading on her own from Corinthians.

In between the granddaughter's readings, presidential biographer Jon Meacham was the first to eulogize Mrs. Bush, delivering remarks that drew laughter from the crowd.

'About a decade ago I was on the Washington Mall for the National Book Festival on my way to give a talk about a book I'd written.

'When a woman ran up to me, which doesn't happen enough, believe me. And she said, "oh, my god, it's you."

'And I said, "well, yes, you know?" Kind of hard to argue with. She said, "I just admire you so much. I love your book, it meant a lot to me and my family? Would you wait here, I want to buy your book and have you sign it" and I said, "yes, ma'am,"' said Meacham.

Solo reading: Barbara Bush also held back tears who reading a passage from Corinithians on Saturday

Grandkids: Jenna Bush Hager delivers a reading alongside Barbara's other granddaughters (l to r: Noelle, Marshall, Nancy, Georgia and Ashley)

Jenna Bush wipes tears as she listens to her cousin Marshall give a reading at their grandmother's funeral

One last goodbye: Jeb places a hand on his mother's casket as he heads up to deliver his eulogy on Saturday

Comfort: Jeb plaves an arm around his father after delivering his remarks on Saturday

Friends until the end: The second reading came from Susan Baker (left), a longtime friend of Mrs Bush and the wife of former Secretary of State Jim Baker. In between the granddaughters' readings, presidential biographer Jon Meacham (right) spoke

JEB BUSH'S EULOGY OF HIS 'PRECIOUS' MOTHER BARBARA 'As I stand here today to share a few words about my mom, I feel her looming presence behind me. 'And I know exactly what she's thinking right now."Jeb, keep it short. Don't' drag this out. People have already heard enough remarks already and most of all, don't get weepy. Remember, I've spent decades laughing and living a life with these people!" 'And that is true. 'Barbara Bush filled our lives with laughter and joy and in the case of her family, she was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning. 'On behalf of our family we want to thank the thousands and thousands of expressions of condolence and love for our precious mother. 'We want to thank mom's caregivers for their compassionate care in the last month's of her life. I want to thank Neil and Maria for their next door family love of our parents and thank John and Suzanne for their eloquent words. 'Meachum, it might have been a little long but it was beautiful. We want to thank Russ and Laura for their friendship and pastoral care of our parents and we want to thank all that are here to celebrate the life of Barbara Bush. 'It is appropriate to express gratitude because we learned to do that at a very early age. 'You see our mom was our first and most important teacher. "Sit up, look people in the eye, say please and thank you, do your homework, quit whining and stop complaining, eat your broccoli". 'Yes, Dad she said that . 'The little things we learned became habits and they led to bigger things like, be kind. Always tell the truth, Never disparage anyone. Serve others. 'Treat everyone as you would want to be treated and love your God with your heart and soul. 'What a blessing to have a teacher like that 24/7. Now to be clear, her students weren't perfect. That's an understatement. 'Mom got us through our difficult times with consistent, take-it-to-the-bank, unconditional but tough love. 'She called her style, a benevolent dictatorship. But honestly, it wasn't always benevolent. 'When our children got a little older, they would spend more time visiting their Gampy and Ganny. 'All it would take would be one week and when they came home, all of a sudden they were pitching in around the house. They didn't fight as much and they were actually nice to be with. 'I attribute this to the unbridled fear of the ganny lecture and the habit forming effects of better behavior taking hold even in her 90s, mom could strike fear into her grandchildren, nephews, nieces and her children, if someone didn't behave. 'There were no safe spaces or microaggressions allowed with Barbara Pierce Bush. 'But in the end, every grandchild knew their Ganny loved them. We learned a lot more from our mom and our Ganny. We learned not to take ourselves too seriously 'We learned that humor is a joy that should be shared some of my greatest memories are participating in our family dinners when mom would get into it, most of the time with George W, as you might imagine, and having us all laughing to tears. 'We learned to strive to be genuine and authentic by the best role model in the world. 'Her authentic, plastic pearls. Her not coloring her hair - by the way, she was beautiful till the day she died. 'Her hugging of an HIV aids patient at a time when her own mother wouldn't do it. 'Her standing by her man with a little rhyming poetry in the 1984 election. And a thousand other ways. Barbara Pierce Bush was real and that's people admired her and loved her so. 'Finally, our family has had front row seat for the most amazing love story. 'Through a multitude of moves, from New Haven to Odessa to Ventura, to Bakersfield, to Compton, to Midland, to Houston, to DC, to New York, to DC, to Beijing, to DC, to Houston, to DC, back to Houston and Kennebunkport, their love was a constant in our lives. 'My dad is a phenomenal letter writer and he would write mom on their wedding anniversaries which totalled an amazing 73 years. 'Here's one of them written on January 6, 1994. "Will you marry me? Oops, I forgot we did that 49 years ago. I was very happy on that day in 1945 but I am even happier today . "You have given me joy that few men know. You have made our boys into men by balling them out and then, right away, by loving them. "You've helped Doro be the sweetest, greatest daughter in the whole wide world. "I have climbed perhaps the highest mountain in the world but even that cannot hold a candle to being Barbara's husband. "Mom used to tell me, "Now, George, don't walk ahead." Little did she know I was only trying to keep up, keep up with Barbara Pierce from Rye, New York. "I love you." 'The last time mom went in to the hospital, I think Dad got sick on purpose so that he could be with her. 'That's my theory at least cause literally a day later he showed up with an illness, he came into a room when she was sleeping and held her hand, his hair was standing straight up, he was wearing a mask to improve his breathing, he was wearing a hospital gown, in other words, he looked like hell. 'Mom opened her eyes and said, "My God George, you are devastatingly handsome!" 'Every nurse, doctor, staffer had to run to the hallway because they all started crying. 'I hope you can see why we think our mom and our dad are teachers and models for our entire family and for many others. 'Finally, the last time I was with her, I asked her about dying. Was she ready to go? Was she sad? Without missing a beat, she said, "Jeb, I believe in Jesus and he is my savior. "I don't want to leave your dad but I know I will be in a beautiful place." 'Mom, we look forward to being with you and Robyn and all of God's children. 'We love you.' Advertisement

'And let me confess, I was feeling kind of full of myself when she came back with John Grisham's latest novel.'

He continued: 'It gets worse. That had been on a Saturday in September and I was on my way to Maine to see the 41st president of the United States and Mrs. Bush. And I was feeling rather sorry for myself. And I told this story and Mrs. Bush looked across the table, looked me in the eye, and I was thinking here comes some motherly sympathy. It's called telegraphing. Here it comes, and she said, "well, how do you think poor John Grisham would feel? He's a very handsome man."

The entire crowd began laughing as Macham noted: 'So I was 0 for 2. But it was a fair and funny.'

He later spoke about the relationship between Mrs Bush and her husband.

'The bushes governed in congeniality, and grace. Instinctively generous, Barbara and George Bush put country above party, the common good above political gain, and service to others above the settling of of scores,' explained Meacham.

'The couple had met at a Christmas dance in greenwich in 1941, not quite three weeks after pearl harbor. She was wearing a red and green holiday dress. He endeavored to get introduced. She was 16, he was 17. He was the only boy she ever kissed.'

Meacham then added: 'Her children, she remarked, always wanted to throw up when they heard that.'

Barbara's grandsons place a tender hand on her casket as it is led out of the church on Saturday after her funeral

George H.W. Bush shook hands with mourners as he led the family after the service

The church was packed with 1500 mourners. It was joked during the funeral that only two people could fill it - Jesus Christ and Barbara Bush

Final farewell: The Bush family says goodbye as the family matriarch is taken from the church and headed to her burial plot

Grandsons: George Prescott Bush, Charles Walker Bush, John Ellis Bush Jr., Robert Daniel Koch, Samuel Bush LeBlond, Robert Pace Andrews, Pierce Mallon Bush and Thomas Alexander Andrews carry out their grandmother's casket

Former President George W. Bush follows the casket of his mother former first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal

The family watch as Barbara's coffin is placed in a hearse at St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas

Bush clan: The family exits the church after watching the hearse drive off with Mrs. Bush's casket

Many of the family members held hands as they followed Barbara's remains out of the church before being driven away

A solemn moment of quiet fell on the street outside the church as Mrs. Bush's casket was carried in to the hearse by her grandsons

Remarkable woman: The program for the service can be seen in one guest's hands

Police salute as Barbara Bush's hearse is driven away from St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas

The hearse carrying former first lady Barbara Bush passes through members of the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets

Barbara's funeral motorcade: Houston Police Department cars accompanied the hearse which carried the former first lady's remains

The motorcade for former first lady, Barbara Bush passes onlookers on George Bush Drive in College Station, Texas

Adored: People lined the streets to pay their respects as the former first lady's casket was driven to the cemetery

People line up to pay tribute as the motorcade carrying former first lady Barbara Bush travels through George Bush Drive

Jack Clayton of Austin, Texas, watches as the motorcade for former first lady, Barbara Bush, drives past onlookers on George Bush Drive on the way to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum for her burial in College Station, Texas

A sign in Houston to pay respect to Barbara Bush on April 21, 2018, in Hempstead, Texas, on the day of her funeral

From left, Johnny Franklin, Lisa Rueda and Stephanie Cervantes wait for former First Lady Barbara Bush's motorcade

Tribute: George H.W.'s socks, which featured a book pattern, was a subtle tribute to his late wife's love of literacy. Jenna Bush Hager shared a photograph of her grandmother on her wedding day earlier (right) on Instagram

That was not the case on Saturday though, with Jeb Bush remembering his mother and the love of her life in a powerful and moving eulogy.

'Our family had a front row seat for the most amazing love stories through a multitude of moods, New Haven, to Odessa, to Midland, Houston, to D.C., New York to D.C., D.C. To Houston, to D.C., back to Houston, and back to Kennebunkport. Whew,' said Jeb.

'Their love was a constant in our lives.

My dad is a phenomenal letter writer and he would write mom on their wedding anniversary, and totalled an amazing 73 years.

Bush's tribute at the White House which President Trump shared

Here is one written on January 6th, 1994: "Will you marry me? Oops, I forgot we did that 49 years ago. I was very happy on that day in 1945, but I'm even happier today. You have given me joy that few men know. You've made our boys into men by bawling them out and then right away, by loving them.

'You've helped Dorothy be the sweetest greatest daughter in the whole world and I've climbed perhaps to the highest mountain in the world and even that cannot hold a candle to being Barbara's husband."

'Mom used to tell me, "now, Jeb, don't walk ahead." Little did she know I was only trying to keep up, keep up with Barbara Pierce from rye, New York. I love you.

'The last time my mom went into the hospital, I think dad got sick on purpose so that he could be with her. That's my theory, at least, literally, a day later he showed up with an illness. He came into her room when she was sleeping and held her hand. His hair was standing straight up, he had on the mask to improve his breathing. He was wearing a hospital gown. And in other words, he looked like hell.

'Mom opened her eyes and said, my god, George, you are devastatingly handsome.

'Every nurse, doctor, staffer had to run to the hallway because they all started crying.

'I hope you can see why we think our mom and our dad, our teachers and models for our entire family and for many others. Finally, the last time I was with her, I asked her about dying, was she ready to go, was she sad.

'Without missing a beat she said, "Jeb, I believe in Jesus and my savior, I don't want to leave your dad, but I know he'll be in a beautiful place."

'Mom, we look forward to being with you and robin and all of god's children. We love you.'

The funeral program from Saturday's service. It included the Colossians verse St. Paul, 3:1-4

First daughter brigade: Caroline Kennedy and Chelsea Clinton are seen entering the church on Saturday morning

Susan Baker also had some kind words to say about her remarkable friend in her eulogy, having spent years together while their husbands worked in Washington DC.

'When Jim and I first arrived in Washington in 1975, I was overwhelmed trying to manage our newly blended family of seven children and an intimidating environment. Fortunately, Barb took me under her wing,' said Baker.

'She encouraged me. She offered suggestions, and she invited us to lunch almost every Sunday lunch.

Those hamburger lunches that always ended with an incredible dessert, included famous personalities, as well as many unknowns whom they loved and this really helped us become part of the Washington world.

'When we returned to Washington in 1981, George was vice-president and Jim was White House Chief-of-Staff. Barb encouraged me to use Jim's position in the Reagan administration to promote the causes that I cared about. This really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I followed her wise lead.

Family: Billy Bush arrives at the funeral on Saturday morning

The Enforcer: There will be three eulogies delivered during the service, one from friend Susan Baker, one from presidential historian Jon Meacham and one from Jeb Bush

Final resting place: A short while later, Mrs Bush will be buried on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum at Texas A&M University

Mourners: At least four the six living presidents will attend the funeral as in addition to the two former Bush presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama will also attend the service

Political pal: Karl Rove arrives at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for a funeral service

Paying tribute: Congresswoman Gabi Giffords attended with her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly (above)

Funeral transport: Guests were taken to the church on busses from a nearby house of worship

Inside: Guests fill up the pews in church ahead of the service on Saturday

Texas justice: Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus (left) talks to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (right)

American hero: Former Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell arrives at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for the service

'She supported my efforts to help the homeless by holding meetings in the vice-president's house. What a blessing. This meant that many came who otherwise would have not given our group the time of day.

'She also hosted controversial homeless advocates so we could help people understand about the plight of those who live on the street. Even though that was not a popular position in the administration. Barb taught us volumes about who our neighbors are and how to love them.'

The ceremony was invite only, with 1500 guests in attendance.

Guests were instructed to make their way to a nearby church, where buses then took them to St Martin's for the service.

Mrs Bush's coffin had been brought to the church on Friday, where she lay in repose.

She died at the age of 92 on Tuesday at her nearby home.

After the service, Mrs Bush was buried on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Library and Museum at Texas A&M University in College Station.

There she joined her daughter Robin who died at the age of 3 in 1953 from leukemia.

Preparations: Flowers are wheeled into St. Martin's Episcopal church for the funeral
A truck driver was sentenced to life behind bars without the possibility of parole for the horrifying deaths of 10 immigrants who died in the sweltering trailer of his truck on a summer day in Texas.

James Matthew Bradley Jr., 61, of Louisville, KY., had pleaded guilty in October, to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and one count of transporting aliens resulting in death. He will spend the rest of his life in a federal lockup.

It was just after midnight, on July 23 when police found 39 people in the trailer of a semi truck in a Walmart parking lot near San Antonio, Texas, eight were dead and two would die later at the hospital. According to court documents obtained by Fox News, police on the scene were told that there were as many as 200 people in there at one point, four of them unaccompanied minors.

In this July 24, 2017 file photo, James Matthew Bradley arrives at the federal court house. He had carted immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala.

James Matthew Bradley, 61, in his mugshot. At first he told police he had no idea that there were people in the trailer of his big rig

In this July 23rd photo, Bradley's truck (right) is towed from the Walmart parking lot

The temperature had reached 101 degrees that day, and the refrigeration in the trailer was broken. The passengers, who reported to cops that they had paid to be smuggled in the truck, had no water. Many of them were hospitalized for heat related issues.

Bradley was found in the cab of the tractor trailer. At first he told authorities that he had no idea that there were people in his trailer, but later admitted his role in the smuggling. In addition to his prison sentence, he has been ordered to surrender the truck, $5600 and a .38 caliber pistol that were found in the cab that night.

Pedro Silva Segura, 47, an illegal immigrant living in Laredo Texas has also pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced in June.

After Bradley was sentenced Friday, United States Attorney John Bash said in a statement, 'I am gratified that the court imposed an appropriate punishment for this horrific crime. Through this prosecution, we have sent two unmistakable messages: first, that alien smuggling is a dangerous offense with real victims; and second, that DOJ will seek justice for all victims of crime, no matter their legal status.'
Police are offering a staggering $1million reward for any information relating to solving the brutal 1982 murder of Jenny Rose Ng in her home on the 19th floor of a Melbourne housing commission flat.

Nearly 40 years after the mother of four was brutally stabbed in a frenzied attack while her 11-month-old baby lay in a cot in the next room, the killer has never been caught.

But investigators from the cold case homicide squad believe Ms Ng knew her attacker, letting him into her unit in the Elizabeth Street housing commission flats in Richmond.

Police are offering a $1million reward for any information relating to the brutal 1982 murder of Jenny Rose Ng (pictured) in her home on the 19th floor of a Melbourne housing commission flat

Homicide squad Detective Inspector Tim Day told the Sunday Herald Sun the $1 million reward would be available to anyone with information which solves the decades old case.

Police revealed they have a statement from a witness who said they heard someone knock on Ms Ng's door, an exchange in Macao or Cantonese dialect, noises that sounded like moving furniture and a door slam on the day she was murdered.

The identity of this man who knocked on Ms Ng's door at around 10.30 on the morning of April 23 in 1982 is crucial, cold case homicide squad detective senior sergeant Peter Trichias said.

'The circumstances dictate that it is probably somebody she knows ... If we identify that man I think we will solve the actual crime,' he told the Herald Sun.

Investigators from the cold case homicide squad believe Ms Ng knew her attacker, letting them into her unit in the Elizabeth Street housing commission flats in Richmond (pictured)

Investigators have said there was no sign of theft or sexual assault and believe the man was probably invited into the flat or had a key.

Ms Ng's body was found on the floor by her two young daughters, then aged eight and nine, when they came home from school for lunch.

One daughter told detectives that her mother always kept the door locked, but on that day the children had found it unlocked.

None of Ms Ng's four children want to be identified, but have expressed they want justice and closure.

The children's father was originally a suspect but investigators have said there is nothing to suggest that he murdered Ms Ng.

However, 'until somebody is charged he will remain a person of interest as we have to keep an open mind,' senior sergeant Trichias said.

Police hope the $1million incentive will encourage people to come forward with new leads and information about the man who was heard on the morning Ms Ng was murdered.
An Amish buggy had been struck from behind in Ohio, killing a woman and critically injuring a man and two infants, authorities said.

The Springfield News-Sun reported the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the buggy was properly lit when it was struck around 9pm Friday. Sidney is about 75 miles northwest of Columbus.

A 23-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The infants were flown to a Dayton hospital and remain in 'critical condition at this time'.

The man was taken to a local medical facility and transferred to a Dayton hospital.

A driver of an SUV crashed into an Amish buggy in Ohio on Friday evening. The fatal crash killed one woman, 23, and injured two infants and a man who were rushed to the hospital

Sheriff Lt. Tim Bender said the four were members of the same family in the Amish community. Their names haven't been released.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the buggy fled on foot after the accident and was arrested a mile from the scene.

He first attempted to leave in his SUV, but the vehicle was stuck after hitting the buggy.

Authorities have yet to release the drivers name but say that alcohol might have been involved in the incident.

The horse that was pulling the buggy suffered minor injuries after the crash and was taken to a farm nearby.

The SUV driver also suffered from minor injuries and is expected to be charged for the fatal crash.
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A neo-Nazi group has held a rally in Georgia despite hundreds of armed antifa protesters, with police successfully keeping the two groups separated and maintaining the peace.

Newnan, Georgia, which is about 40 miles west of the state's capital, permitted the National Socialist Movement to host a rally from 3 to 5pm on Saturday to celebrate Adolph Hitler's birthday.

After a delay, few dozen members of the neo-Nazi group rallied briefly in Greenville Street Park with fences and armed police separating them from protesters before disbanding at 5pm.

The group claimed in speeches about immigration and foreign and domestic policy that they are 'fighting for a better tomorrow'.

An estimated 400 law enforcement officers arrived early for the event to barricade the streets where the rally was held. Cops made at least 10 arrests during the day, many of them antifa who refused to take their masks off.

Members of the National Socialist Movement and their supporters march to hold a rally on Saturday in Newnan, Georgia

A man wearing the insignia of the League of the South (center) joins the NSM march to Greenville Street Park

Only about 25 NSM supporters turned up for the rally in the park, while counter-protesters numbered in the hundreds

Members and supporters of the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group, hold a rally on Saturday in Newnan, Georgia. Community members opposed the rally and security was heavy

Members of the National Socialist Movement (NSM) and other white nationalists rally at Greenville Street Park in Newnan

An armed member of the National Socialist Movement was seen in Newnan Saturday during the rally. The neo-Nazis started later than scheduled after encountering protesters

The rally participants march away after the brief rally. Police successfully prevented clashes between the NSM and antifa

County records show two arrests on Saturday for wearing masks in public, as well as three for obstructing a peace officer, one for blocking a highway, and one for disorderly conduct.

The other arrests in Coweta county on Saturday were for theft, drug and probation violation charges, and it wasn't immediately clear whether they were related to the protests.

The Atlanta Antifa and other counter-protesters organized their own rally to start earlier in Newnan to outnumber the white nationalist group and challenge their beliefs.

Anti-fascist members were seen armed with guns, masks and signs in protest, with several of them being taken into custody.

Early footage from the counter-protest before the white nationalist rally shows antifa getting arrested after they refused to take off their masks.

Citizens are allowed to carry a weapon in public under Georgia law, but they are not allowed to wear a mask.

According to Georgia law, a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if they wear a mask, hood or any other device to conceal their face. This law was passed in 1951 by the state as a measure to help unmask members of the Ku Klux Klan.

These counter-protesters arrived in the town to object the group's ability to host a rally about their controversial beliefs.

Hundreds of antifa counter-protesters (pictured) showed up to oppose the neo-Nazi rally honoring Adolph Hitler's birthday

Antifa strike a pose ahead of the rally, include one man (standing far right) openly carrying an AR-15-style rifle

Earlier in the day, police arrested antifa for wearing masks. There were hundreds of protesters opposed to the NSM rally

Several antifa were arrested as police attempted to keep the crowds under control during the rally amid fierce opposition

Local citizens interact with with a Department of Corrections officer brought in to help maintain peace during the rally

A shirtless local citizen regards the scene alongside a deputy assigned to keep protesters separate from neo-Nazis

A male individual exclaims as police take him into custody. At least 10 protesters and antifa were arrested during the rally

Police haul away a protester in Newnan, Georgia, where hundreds of antifa protesters showed up hoping to battle neo-Nazis

Antifa are seen congregating on a sidewalk hoping to to confront the neo-Nazi group ahead of the rally

'The City of Newnan has a responsibility to protect free speech rights, the individuals and groups that chose to exercise those rights and the broader community in which those rights may be exercised,' the city said in a statement earlier this week.

One member of the organization, Burt Colucci, told Atlanta Journal-Constitution before the rally that it was within the group's First Amendment right to talk about these racial issues, including illegal immigration.

'We need to round (illegal immigrants) up and put them in camps if need be. Like we did the Italians, Germans and Japanese. We are at war with the illegals,' he told the newspaper.

The National Socialist Movement obtained a permit for the demonstration last month and the event has since sparked counter-protesters to organize their own rally.

The extra safety measures the city has implemented include road closures and more law enforcement staff available during the demonstration, which will be held in Newnan's Greenville State Park.

In response to the neo-Nazi demonstration, Atlanta's Antifa and other counter-protesters began gathering in Newnan starting around 1.30pm.

Newnan, Georgia staffed an estimated 400 police officers from surrounding jurisdictions for the NSM rally on Saturday

Police made a heavy show of force and succeeded in keeping antifa and the neo-Nazis separate, preventing violence

Police are anticipated to outnumber the neo-Nazi members Saturday during their rally in celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday

Correction officers arrive hours before members of the National Socialist Movement are expected to arrive in Newnan for their rally Saturday

Another group called the No Nazi Newnan coalition has chastised the city for allowing the white supremacists to rally in the first place.

In a press release Tuesday afternoon, the coalition stated that 'city of Newnan authorities have lectured their residents about not protesting the National Socialist Movement', the Newnan Times-Herald reports.

But members of the coalition disagree with about not counter-protesting because they believe 'turning a blind eye' is not going to stop 'bigotry, hatred or violence.'

'What is needed is a large-scale display of unity and community vigilance against organized white supremacists,' the statement said.

Most businesses have shutdown amid the demonstrations and residents are worried that the protests could turn violent.

Newnan residents October Strange (left), six, her mother Ashley Frazier (center) and sister Lily Strange (right), seven, showed up in the town square to voice their opposition to the rally held nearby by the National Socialist Movement

Local residents chant in opposition to members of the National Socialist Movement and other white nationalists

Residents chant in opposition to members of the National Socialist Movement and other white nationalists who were rallying

Residents of the the Georgia town have spoken against the rally saying the area is 'no place for hate'. Some members of the community are concerned about potential violent clashes

Some local businesses have been closed an anticipation of the events Saturday to encourage residents to stay away from the demonstration

In preparation for the event, police officers have put up barricades around the area

'It's scary that this is coming to our town because we didn't ask for this,' said Newnan resident Gina Godfrey to CBS 46.

She was trying to go to the bank Friday, but the building was already barricaded in anticipation of Saturday's rally.

Residents' fears about the rally stems from the Charlottesville, Virginia, white nationalist event in August 2017.

The day turned violent when a vehicle slammed into counter-protesters killing Heather Heyer, 32, and injuring 19 people. The driver, James Fields Jr, was charged with second-degree murder.
A Windrush grandmother who paid taxes in Britain for 50 years has been penniless and cut off from her family since going to her sister's funeral in Jamaica.

Gretel Gorcan, 81, was one of thousands invited from the Caribbean to the UK to boost the economy and held a regular job and raised a family in London.

When she arrived in 1960 aged 24 she got a stamp in her passport giving her indefinite leave to remain, but it was stolen in a 2006 burglary.

Gretel Gorcan, 81, (pictured with children Pauline Blackwood (right) and Wilton Foster (left) is penniless and cut off from her family since going to her sister's funeral in Jamaica

Even though she hadn't lived in Jamaica for half a century, authorities said she wouldn't be issued a British passport and would need a visa if she left the country.

When Ms Gorcan returned from her sister's funeral in 2010 she was shocked to be denied entry because he new passport didn't he the right documentation.

'From the life, I once had surrounded by my children in London to having been made homeless in Jamaica has broken my heart,' she told The Mirror.

'I travelled to Britain to help out on the promise of a new life but now they have turned their back on me.

'My children are still in London but I am left here. It is not how I wanted to live my final years. I miss my family so much. I want to return to my home in the UK but can't.'

Ms Gorcan (pictured at her son Leigh's wedding in 2008) raised a family, worked a steady job, and paid taxes but never got citizenship

Ms Gorca was one of thousands to arrive on ships from the Caribbean in a generation named after the first ship, the Empire Windrush, which arrived in 1948

Since then she's been trapped in a country now foreign to her without her children and grandchildren who she is reliant on to survive.

Ms Gorcan is increasingly sick with diabetes and has fallen into two comas as she is no longer able to pay for her medication.

British officials cut off her benefits, which she received for some years after and were sent by her daughter, and is being hounded for 19,000 they say she wasn't entitled to.

The octogenarian has six of her eight children living in Britain, some of whom have their own children she has never even been able to hold in her arms.

Her daughter Pauline Blackwood feared that her mother would die without ever being able to return as she became increasingly sick without her medication.

'Mum is penniless. She has nothing except for the money I send over. What do they want her to do? Be homeless again?' she said.

Passengers got a boarding that recorded their permission to stay in Britain indefinitely, but many of them were destroyed in recent years

Many of those in the Windrush generation lack these records, having never applied for British citizenship or passports, and are now struggling to prove they are here legally

Ms Gorcan's family applied for a visa for her to come back and gather the evidence required to prove her permanent residency status.

They tried to find the paperwork for her, but claim to have been blocked at every turn by authorities requiring her to apply for documents herself.

Ms Blackwood said it took her a year to get a meeting with a Lambeth council director who promised to help track down her housing records.

But she claimed nothing has happened and it was an uphill battle to get other evidence from the Home Office.

Protesters hold a rally in solidarity with the many people unable to leave the UK or return after travelling abroad

'She has been left with absolutely nothing by authorities when her entire life is in the UK,' Ms Blackwood said.

Recent restrictions in immigration law require people to have paperwork proof of near-continuous residence in the UK.

Many of those in the Windrush generation lack these records, having never applied for British citizenship or passports, and are now struggling to prove they are here legally.
Sex workers fear a proposed overhaul to their industry in Victoria will put them and their clients at risk.

A Liberal Party proposal by its Legend Park branch to implement a 'more sensible policing policy' if it wins November's state election will be considered by the party's state council when it meets on April 28, news.com.au reports.

The proposal to adopt the Nordic model to 'protect vulnerable women' as it will not only target sex trafficking and illegal prostitution but also prosecutes illegal brothels, 'pimps' and patrons rather than prostitutes.

The Nordic model decriminalises all those who are prostituted, provides support services to help them exit, and makes buying people for sex a criminal offence (stock)

The Nordic model decriminalises all those who are prostituted, provides support services to help them exit, and makes buying people for sex a criminal offence.

The controversial model has resulted in a dramatic decline in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, Canada, France, and most recently, Ireland.

The Liberals' proposed motion added the model also provide public education on the harms of prostitution.

'Sexual services have surged into our suburbs in the guise of massage parlours,' the motion states.

'They are now closer to our homes and schools than ever before. Secure suburban havens in which to raise healthy and happy families are under increasing threat.'

Sex workers fear a proposed overhaul to their industry in Victoria will put them and their clients at risk (stock)

But concerned sex workers say the Nordic model will drive the industry underground.

'One of the best ways that self-employed sex workers like me protect themselves is phone ID,' a Melbourne sex worker told news.com.au.

'When someone calls, I can see the number. If it's a private number, I won't answer it. The Nordic model gives an incentive for clients not to reveal themselves to me, which removes my ability to screen dangerous clients.'

Australias peak national body The Scarlet Alliance and Victorian 'sex worker only' advocacy group The Vixen Collective have taken to social media this week to voice their opposition to the Nordic model.

The Vixen Collection took to Twitter to describe the Nordic model as 'harmful' and urged the Liberals to listen to sex workers.

The Scarlet Alliance is lobbying Liberal politicians to not support the proposal.

'The motion is sensationalist, inaccurate and not supported by evidence,' a post on its Facebook page states.

'The Liberal party needs to hear from sex workers (and supporters) the truth about this policy and just how harmful it has been for sex workers.'
Two men were stabbed near a tube station in London this evening just hours after a fatal stabbing took this year's London murder toll to 40.

Metropolitan Police have confirmed they were called to Tooting Bec station in south London at around 6pm this evening after reports of fighting.

Two men were found with stab wounds, but their condition is unknown. No arrests have been made.

The news comes after a 20-year-old man was found fatally wounded on Roth Walk, near Finsbury Park, north London at around 3am this morning.

Medical staff fought to save his life but he was confirmed dead at the scene.

Another man, aged 21, was also found with stab wounds nearby and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police vans and cars were spotted outside Tooting Bec station in south London this evening after two men were found with stab wounds

There are road closures in place and Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they were called to reports of a fight in Upper Tooting Road

A 20-year-old man was knifed to death at around 3am this morning in Finsbury Park (pictured: forensic officers at the scene)

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: 'Police were called at approximately 18:00hrs on Saturday, 21 April to reports of a fight in Upper Tooting Road, junction with Noyna Road, SW17.

'Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found two males, no further details, suffering stab injuries. Condition awaits.

'Officers from Wandsworth are on scene. A crime scene remains in place. No arrests; enquiries continue.'

Another murder investigation has been launched by the Met after a man died following an assault in Morden, southwest London on Thursday.

Police were called at 10.17pm on Thursday, after ambulance staff suspected that a 32-year-old man collapsed on London Road in Morden had been assaulted.

He was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition. He died at 11.45pm on Friday, 20 April.

Officers have established that the victim was involved in a fight with a man in the street.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday, 20 April and taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.

It comes amid warnings from top trauma surgeon Martin Griffiths who has predicted a summer of 'carnage' as youth violence rises across the capital.

He warns that the warmer weather will further increase the bloodshed among young people.

Police were called to the scene in Upper Tooting Road (pictured) at around 6pm

Police were called at 10.17pm on Thursday, after ambulance staff suspected that a 32-year-old man collapsed on London Road in Morden had been assaulted

Officers have established that the victim was involved in a fight with a man in the street (pictured: forensic officers)

Mr Griffiths, who works at the Royal London Hospital in east London, said that treating children with knife and gunshot wounds had become 'the bread and butter' of his job.

The stabbed 21-year-old has subsequently been arrested on suspicion of murder, possession of an offensive weapon and affray. He remains in custody at a north London police station.

At this early stage it is believed both males had been involved in an altercation involving a number of other people in the area of Roth Walk prior to the emergency services being called.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.

On Twitter the victim's sister made an emotional appeal for bloodshed on the capital's streets to end after the killing in Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's constituency.

She wrote: 'My younger brother, my only brother got stabbed to death this morning. Guys this needs to stop. The pain I'm experiencing is indescribable.'

Another friend tweeted: 'Heart shattered into a million pieces. Stabbings are just statistics until they happen to a loved one', reported the Evening Standard.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan posted online about the killing, saying he was 'deeply saddened' by 'another life unnecessarily lost to violent crime on our streets'.

He said: 'The Met Police are using extra City Hall resources to fight this scourge and to remove violent criminals and weapons from the streets.

'We are also working tirelessly with the Met Police, community and youth groups, health and education services, and local and national government on preventing young people getting dragged in to lives of violent crime.'

Islington council's leader Richard Watts added: 'Very sorry indeed to hear about the murder on the Andover estate last night.

Islington council's leader Richard Watts added: 'Very sorry indeed to hear about the murder on the Andover estate last night'

He was found fatally wounded on Roth Walk, near Finsbury Park, at around 3am on Saturday, Scotland Yard said

'I'm in touch with @MPSIslington, @jeremycorbyn and ward councillors. Thoughts clearly with the victim's family.'

Scotland Yard has launched more than 60 murder inquiries so far in 2018 following a surge of violent crime in the capital.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said police had been called to the scene in Finsbury Park at about 3am.

She said: 'A 21-year-old male was found at the scene suffering from stab wounds. He was taken to a north London hospital where his condition is not life threatening.

'A short distance away at Roth Walk, N7, a second male, aged 20, was found suffering from stab wounds. Despite the efforts of medics, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

'Enquiries are under way to trace next of kin. The 21-year-old injured male was arrested.'

Commenting on the wave of violence Mr Griffiths told the Times: 'I'm a trauma surgeon, not a paediatric surgeon. We're having to use the skillset that we use to look after adult trauma injuries for kids.

'That was never part of the deal. But we look after children now  that's what we do. Welcome to the new normal.'

He added: 'We handled a terrorist attack like we handle a busy Saturday night.

'That's a sobering thought.' he said, referring to the London Bridge terrorist attack on June 3 last year.

'Every day an ambulance rolls up with a kid who has been stabbed. That can't be right. We're not at war.'
Israels spy agency Mossad has been accused of assassinating a Palestinian suspected rocket maker in a drive-by shooting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, earlier today.

A gunman, who was sitting on the back of a high-powered motorcycle, fired at least ten rounds at the victim, Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, as he walked to dawn prayers on Saturday morning.

Al-Batsh was hit at least four times in the head and the chest died immediately in what Malaysian officials believe was a professional hit.

Mossad were today accused of assassinating a Palestinian university professor in Kuala Lumpur as he was walking to early morning prayers

Men holding up a poster portrait of 35-year-old Palestinian professor and Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh

A Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) forensic officer (C) collects evidence at the crime scene where a Palestinian scientist, Fadi al-Batsh, 35, was reportedly assassinated

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot

The killers were seen lurking around the area for at least 20 minutes awaiting Al-Batshs arrival.

Officials are looking through CCTV footage from the area in an effort to identify the killers.

Al-Batshs family have accused the Israeli secret service of killing the professor, who was also a member of Hamas. The victim, who was a married father of three had lived in Malaysia for the past ten years.

Now his family want his body returned to Jabalia in northern Gaza for burial.

Israeli officials refused to comment about the allegations of Mossad involvement in the murder.

Malaysian police are currently working on the assumption that al-Batsh was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency, although they are refusing to blame Israel for the hit.

Malaysias Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described al-Batsh as an electrical engineer and an expert in making rockets who had become a liability for a country hostile to Palestine.

Al-Batsh was gunned down hours before he was due to fly to Turkey for an international conference, according to Malaysian officials.

Palestinians gather in mourning outside the family home of 35-year-old professor and Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh

A Royal Malaysian Police forensic officer stands next to a walls with bullet holes as they collect evidence at the crime scene

They said the two suspects are believed to have been European and Malaysian security officials are liaising with Interpol in an effort to track down the killers.

However, the victims family has no doubt who was responsible for the attack.

In a statement released through Hamas, the family said: We accuse the Mossad of being behind the assassination.

The Islamist Palestinian movement described al-Batsh as a research scientist who specialised in energy issues.

He was described as a martyr.

Mohammad al-Batsh, attended his son's funeral ceremony at Jabalia Refugee Camp earlier today. Hamas has described Fadi al-Batsh as a 'martyr' following his murder today

Family members gathered at al-Batsh's home in Jabaliya, northern Gaza following his death

Members of the Ezz al-Din Al-Qassam brigade provided security outside al Batsh's home in Gaza following his death earlier today. The family has blamed Israel for the assassination

The Islamist Palestinian movement said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said one of the two suspects on a high-powered motorcycle fired 10 shots, four of which hit the lecturer in the head and body. He died on the spot.

He added: We believe the lecturer was their target because two other individuals walked by the place earlier unharmed. We will view the recordings of all the CCTV in the area.

The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but has never confirmed such operations.

Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts - Mohamed Zouari - in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel.

When contacted later by Reuters, Mazlan declined to comment on reports that the victim was a member of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or had been targeted by hitmen

Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot (pictured: Forensic officers at the scene)

Mourners for the professor gather in Jabalia in the northern Gaza strip

Mr al-Batsh has been described as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building (pictured: Forensics at the scene)

Malaysian forensic police cordon off the area where a Palestinian scientist was reportedly assassinated

Officials in Israel declined to comment.

Mr al-Batsh was a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specialising in power engineering, according to the university.

A Palestinian in Malaysia who knew Mr al-Batsh told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the victim was also an imam at a mosque close to his residence.

In recent weeks, tensions have been running high at the Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians have ramped up protests demanding the right to return to their former homeland.

Israel's use of live fire has drawn international criticism but the Israeli government says it is protecting its borders and takes such action when protesters come too close to the border fence.
A man allegedly gunned down his former school friend inside a Brisbane apartment on Friday night because he thought his target was a police informant.

Luke Cunningham, 21, fronted court Saturday charged with the murder of Jacob Bell, 24, after allegedly shooting him dead at a Petrie complex, north of the city.

Mr Bell, 24, was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries.

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Luke Cunningham (pictured) fronted court Saturday charged with the murder of Jacob Bell after allegedly shooting him dead at a Petrie complex, north of Brisbane, Friday night

Mr Bell (pictured), 24, was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries

Cunningham allegedly believed his victim (pictured) was a police informant

Cunningham, 21, was arrested in Hamilton overnight and was charged with one count of murder and one count of break and enter.

He has been remanded in police custody, with his next court appearance set for June.

At least two of Mr Bell's friends, who witnessed the shooting, were believed to be aiding in the investigation.

Neighbours said they heard a 'massive bang' and then a woman scream 'my boyfriend's been shot, please help me' at the time of the incident,' Courier Mail reported.

Cunningham, 21, was arrested in Hamilton overnight and was charged with one count of murder and one count of break and enter (ambulance pictured at the complex)

At least two of Mr Bell's (pictured) friends, who witnessed the shooting, were believed to be aiding in the investigation

The alleged gunman has been remanded in police custody, with his next court appearance set for June (street of murder pictured)

'It was quite scary,' neighbour Charlotte Bate told the publication.

Peter Schnitzerling, who lives the block of units next door, said he heard people 'freaking out about the police' before fleeing in cars.

Homicide detectives were seen in the area Friday morning as they searched for the suspect.

Homicide detectives were seen in the area Friday morning as they searched the suspect

Neighbours told Courier Mail they heard a 'massive bang' and then a woman scream 'my boyfriend's been shot, please help me' at the time of the incident (pictured is the scene)
A school police officer has been hailed a hero after he ran towards the 19-year-old alleged gunman during a Florida school shooting.

Deputy James Long, a resource officer for Forest High School in Oscala, heard the gunshots Friday and immediately ran towards the source.

Within three minutes, the officer was able to arrest suspected gunman Sky Bouche after he opened fire in the school.

Bouche was only able to wound one person after he shot through a classroom door and pellets hit a 17-year-old student in the ankle. The student was taken to the hospital with a non-threatening gunshot wound.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods praised the deputy for his response. Long 'did not hesitate. He went right in,' he said during a news conference Friday.

Deputy James Long, a resource officer for Forest High School in Oscala, has been hailed a hero after he arrested suspected shooter Sky Bouche three minutes after he opened fire

Bouche was taken away from the school in a hazmat suit to preserve the evidence on his body

The shooting took place at Forest High School (pictured) in Ocala, Florida, on Friday morning. It was the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado

Long heard a loud bang at 8:39am on Friday and immediately rushed towards the sound, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said.

By 8:42am, just three minutes later, Long was at the hallway where the shots were fired and took the shooter into custody.

The gunman, whose attempted massacre coincided with the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine shooting, was led away from the school by police in a white hazmat suit to preserve any evidence on his body.

He apologized to reporters after he was being taken away in cuffs.

'I just shot through the door. Sorry, it doesn't matter anyway,' he said on his way to a patrol car.

Bouche, who was a former student at the high school, did not reveal the motive for the shooting. He is now at Marion County jail.

Bouche, the alleged shooter, apologized to reporters Friday saying 'sorry, it doesn't matter anyway'. He is being held in Marion County jail

In this April 20, 2018, photo by Jake Mailhiot, desks, chairs and filing cabinets are used to barricade a classroom door during the shooting that injured one on Friday morning

Hands up! Students were told to put their hands up as police swept through classrooms

Authorities said the suspected gunman carried his weapon in a guitar case when he entered the school Friday.

The sheriff also clarified that the suspect was not harmed when he was taken into custody and that he was arrested without resistance.

'Marion County does everything to protect their children,' he said.

The school, along with others in the district, were planning a walkout to protest gun violence. But it was cancelled after the school went into lockdown following the shooting.

The student who was shot remains unidentified, but he told the county's chief deputy he was 'so glad it was me and not one of my friends'.

The suspected gunman did not reveal a motive for the shooting that sent a 17-year-old male to the hospital

Emotions ran high as students walked hand-in-hand outside their school on Friday to be united with parents and teachers who were waiting

Students and teachers are pictured hugging in front of Forest High School after Friday morning's shooting

One chilling photo revealed the panic that ensued inside the Florida high school after it went on a 'Code Red' alert during the shooting.

The photo, posted on Snapchat, shows a barricade of desks, chairs and other furniture in front of a classroom door to prevent the shooter from entering.

Video footage also revealed police officers sweeping classrooms looking for the gunman and yelling for students to put their hands up.

Forest High School has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The Friday shooting comes just nine weeks after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people.
The search for a Scottish man in Hamburg who has been missing for more than two months has widened to other German cities.

Liam Colgan was on his brother Eamonn's stag weekend when he vanished in the early hours of February 10.

Friends and relatives last saw him in the Veermaster Bar after which he was identified on CCTV footage from the Baumwall area of Hamburg.

Missing Liam Colgan was on his brother Eamonn's stag weekend when he vanished in the early hours of February 10

In a statement released on social media, his family said: 'With fresh thinking about his possible location we are drawing up plans for search groups to visit other large German cities to highlight the appeal and widen the search'

His family and German police have since led a large-scale search in the surrounding area, but Mr Colgan has not been found.

Now, on a statement released on social media, the family have said their efforts to find him will be widened to other large German cities.

It read: 'The trip to Hamburg did not lead us to the outcome we hoped for.

'However, family, friends and the fantastic group of volunteers took the opportunity to search all homeless shelters and drop-in cafes, of which there are hundreds, including a large number of sites that we were unaware of prior to the trip.

Friends and relatives last saw him in the Veermaster Bar after which he was identified on CCTV footage from the Baumwall area of Hamburg

'Liam's face was well known in these circles but nobody has seen him. This information now makes us think that it is very possible that Liam is no longer in Hamburg.

'With fresh thinking about his possible location we are drawing up plans for search groups to visit other large German cities to highlight the appeal and widen the search.

'We anticipate that a large group of friends and family will make the trip towards the end of May.'
Jim Carrey has hit out at President Trump and his cronies once again, this time striking Rudy Guilliani who joined the President's legal team earlier this week.

The actor painted a gruesome picture of the former mayor of New York City depicting him looking extremely red-faced to the caption: 'Ghouliani: Finally, a face we can trust!'

After sarcastically captioning the artwork he then posted it to Twitter Friday.

Carrey's latest creation, shared on Twitter, is an eerie and menacing portrait of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Styling his name as 'Ghouliani,' Carrey captioned the painting: 'Finally, a face we can trust!'

Earlier in the week the actor unveiled his latest portrait offering two views of Michael Cohen, President Donald Trumps personal attorney whos at the center of a federal investigation

Carrey's older creations include 'Sean Manatee,' an unflattering manatee-human hybrid painting of Fox News host Sean Hannity

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani adds a dose of star power to Trump's bare-bones legal team

The portrait follows Carrey's unflattering depiction of Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen, who is now at the center of a federal investigation, which he posted online the day before.

In recent weeks Carrey's paintings have become even more political with a particular focus on President Trump and his family.

In one portrait, Trump's two sons are seen being gorged to death on the tusks of an elephant.

Carrey's painting shows the two men, one brunette and one blonde, wearing matching hunting gear, with rifles slung around their shoulders.

The portrait is simply captioned with the hashtag #TeamElephant.

Jim Carrey continues to strike at the Trump family. Last month he painted two men who appear to be Donald Trump Jr and Eric Trump getting gorged to death on the tusks of an elephant

In March, Carrey unveiled a portrait depicting Donald Trump as the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz

Jim Carrey's take on National Security Advisor John Bolton

While many cheered Carrey on his for artistry, one man revealed he had reported the actor to the FBI for 'threatening the life of the president's sons'.

'I had to notify the authorities', he said in the tweet, which was posted with a grab from the FBI website with the message 'Your tip has been submitted'.

Carrey's paintings have taken on a decidedly more political slant in recent months

Carrey has revealed a number of new paintings of Trump in recent weeks.

One artwork shows a man, who Carrey himself said was Trump, outfitted in a fuzzy blue robe and ready to dig into a bowl with two scoops of ice cream plus whipped cream and cherries on top.

The photo is a clear reference to a Time Magazine interview that revealed Trump always enjoys two scoops of ice cream while everyone else at the dinner table only gets one.

'Dear Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery @NPG, I know it's early but I'd like to submit this as the official portrait of our 45th President, Donald J. Trump,' Carrey tweeted on Thursday.

'It's called, 'You Scream. I Scream. Will We Ever Stop Screaming?'

Another new Carrey painting shows Trump outfitted in a fuzzy blue robe and ready to dig into a bowl with two scoops of ice cream plus whipped cream and cherries on top

And yet another new photo shows Trump washing himself in a sewer, next to a sign that reads 'Keep Out, Sewage Contaminated Politics'

Another photo shows Trump washing himself in a sewer, next to a sign that reads 'Keep Out, Sewage Contaminated Politics'.

'America still has some magic,' Carrey wrote. 'Pity you have to wade through so much cultural sewage to find it.'

Last week Carrey revealed a portrait of Trump in bed with Daniels, painting the pair splayed naked on a bed with a presidential seal covering their modesty.

The Bruce Almighty actor entitled his piece 'Fifty Shades of Decay'.

Carrey has attacked not only Trump with his paintings, but his cabinet members as well.

Last month Carrey tweeted an unflattering portrait of Trump's Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Jim Carrey painted a portrait of White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. 'This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked,' he wrote

The actor regularly posts his art work on Twitter, which often follow political themes such as this image of Trump driving with Russia in the rear view mirror

Carey makes no secret of the fact that he is not a fan of the Trump administration including this painting that shows the President kissing Russian President Putin's naked bottom

Other portraits show historical figures like Abraham Lincoln crying over the state of the nation

In the piece an angry Sanders, 35, is pictured with her cheeks flush and her brow furrowed.

Although he did not name her he captioned his piece saying: 'This is the portrait of a so-called Christian whose only purpose in life is to lie for the wicked. Monstrous!'

His Twitter feed is filled with political paintings that often mock Trump, his cabinet, and Putin.

In a 2017 documentary I Needed Color, Carrey revealed his passion for painting and art which he used as a crux to 'heal a broken heart'.
A staggering one in 10 aspiring teachers in Victoria are failing basic literacy and numeracy tests, the worst performing state in Australia.

The startling figures were revealed after prospective educators from across the country were quizzed before they graduated university and began teaching in schools.

The results found the so-called 'education state' was at the bottom of the pile, with 11.4 per cent failing literacy and 10.3 per cent failing numeracy.

One state in Australia contains a jaw dropping number of future teachers who can't prove they have a basic understanding of literacy and numeracy (stock photo)

Results from a quiz given to prospective educators before they graduate university revealed a startling amount were void of simple 'common sense' knowledge

Victoria ranked far below the national average, while the Northern Territory was the second worst performing state and Tasmania was the best.

Students were given three chances and must pass the exam in order to graduate, with it testing them on things like punctuation, percentages and language.

One question in the quiz asks students to select which word out of four options: extensive, simple, hands-on, and clearly stated, is the closest in meaning to 'explicit'.

Down the bottom end of the scale with the worst results was Victoria, beat to the bottom of the pile narrowly by the Northern Territory (stock photo)

Can YOU pass the teaching test? 1. Below are four versions of a sentence from a student's assignment about the history excursion. Which version has acceptable punctuation? a) 'Our community, is not static,' she said. 'It is constantly changing.' b) 'Our community is not static' she said 'it is constantly changing.' c) 'Our community is not static,' she said. 'It is constantly changing.' d) 'Our community is not static, she said, it is constantly changing.' 2. If the sentence below contains a spelling error, correct the error by writing the word as it should appear; if there is no error, write N. I It is no exageration to say that the students' insights into historical processes and social conditions were impressive. 3. The weight of a box of stationery is 3.2 kilograms. What is the weight of 100 such boxes? 4. Duties will be allocated to staff who do not select two time slots. What is the purpose of this statement? A to reassure staff who may forget to select spots B to encourage staff not to forget to select spots C to warn staff against selecting too many spots D to suggest that staff should select their favourite spots early 5. Which of the following sentences uses acceptable punctuation to show that Mr Black is telling Samantha to come quickly? A 'Samantha shouted Mr Black come here quickly.' B Samantha shouted, 'Mr Black, come here quickly.' C Samantha shouted 'Mr Black, come here quickly.' D 'Samantha,' shouted Mr Black. 'Come here quickly.' 6. In chapter 3, the prevailing paradigm of what it means to use a computer in a school is challenged. Which word is closest in meaning to paradigm? A model B diagram C myth D misunderstanding 7. You will be given one free technical support call. ....... You will be charged in tenminute blocks for a technicians time. Which of the following words best fits in the gap in the sentences above? A Hence B Moreover C Thereafter D Conversely 8. Kerry has a part-time job. She earns $225 a week. Kerry saves half of the money she earns each week. Which of these equations could be used to calculate how much money Kerry saves from the money she earns? A savings = 225  2  number of weeks B savings = 225  0.5  number of weeks C savings = 225  (0.5  number of weeks) D savings = 225  (0.5  number of weeks) Answers: 1. C. 2. Exaggeration. 3. 3,200 kg. 4. B. 5. D. 6. A. 7. C. 8. B Advertisement

Another was: 'The weather bureau forecasts a 20 per cent chance of rain ... what is the chance that it will not rain?'

The embarrassing results were described as 'simply unacceptable' by Victorian Opposition education spokesman Tim Smith.

Education Minister James Merlino pointed the finger at Victorian universities accepting students with tertiary exams scores as low as in the 30s solely to boost profits.

Education Minister James Merlino (pictured) pointed the finger at Victorian universities accepting students with tertiary exams scores as low as in the 30s solely to boost profits

'This led to huge numbers of people applying to be teachers in Victoria compared to the rest of the country. It isn't good enough and it had to change,' Mr Merlino told the Herald Sun.

Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham said last year's results were even lower than the year beforehand, but higher than when the test was first introduced in 2015.

'Parents, schools and principals expect that a teacher in the classroom has the right subject knowledge and expertise but also the literacy and numeracy skills to best support students,' he said.
More than 10,000 children in care were reported missing last year, amid fears that vulnerable children have been subject to grooming and exploitation

More than 10,000 children in care were reported missing last year, amid fears that vulnerable children have been subject to grooming and exploitation.

As many as one in ten children in care went missing during 2017, official figures have revealed, with many children disappearing several times a year.

It comes amid concerns that young people are falling into the hands of gangs grooming children, following recent scandals in Rotherham and Telford.

Some of the children were reported missing for more than a month, the Daily Telegraph reports.

There were 1,720 cases of children disappearing for more than a week, among 60,720 total reported disappearances last year, the Department for Education statistics show.

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion, who has campaigned for child safety following the grooming scandal, said it was 'truly shocking' that so many children went missing.

'These children are under the guardianship of the state. The Government should be ashamed that it is failing them,' she said.

The Children's Commissioner, Anne Longfield, told the newspaper that schools and care workers needed to be able to recognise the signs of a vulnerable child who might be about to go missing.

It also comes amid reports that thousands of children and teenagers are rescued from slavery around Britain every year, but few of their captors ever face justice.

Just six per cent of crimes reported to police under the Modern Slavery Act led to prosecutions since it was introduced in 2015, The Times reports.

As many as one in ten children in care went missing during 2017, official figures have revealed, with many children disappearing several times a year

More than 1,500 potential victims and 110 suspects have been identified by the National Crime Agency in the Rotherham investigation, and figures are expected to rise further.

Earlier this year Paul Williamson, the senior investigating officer on Operation Stovewood, said 100 more officers were needed because a shortage of specially trained detectives meant many possible victims had not yet been contacted.

Meanwhile it is thought that a sex gang raped as many as 1,000 young girls over 40 years in Telford in what may be Britain's 'worst ever' child abuse scandal.

Telford's Conservative MP, Lucy Allan, has previously called for a Rotherham-style inquiry into the allegations and called the latest reports 'extremely serious and shocking'.
Michael Avenatti has been approached by Hollywood agencies that want to help him capitalize on his newfound fame

Stormy Daniel's lawyer Michael Avenatti has reportedly been approached my some of the biggest Hollywood talent agencies, which want to help him capitalize on his newfound fame.

Several sources in the industry told NBC that Avenatti met with the powerful agency William Morris Endeavor recently, and that United Talent Agency has also reached out about taking him on as a client.

The media-savvy attorney, 47, has been a constant presence on television since January, when the Wall Street Journal reported that president Donald Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen had paid the adult film actress $130,000 so she wouldn't disclose an alleged extramarital affair with Trump.

The attorney confirmed to NBC that he has been contacted by agencies but insisted his focus remains on the Stormy case.

'I'm very flattered by the outpouring of support and compliments relating to my alleged talent, but at this point I'm far more focused and concerned about seeing this case through to completion and ensuring that justice is done then anything else,' Avenatti said.

Avenatti, 47, has been a constant presence on television since January, when news emerged that Stormy allegedly had an affair with president Trump

Media-savvy Avenatti teased that Stormy would attend Cohen's hearing on Monday and then stood by the adult film star as she spoke to reporters outside the courthouse

'There will be plenty of time for other things to focus on when, and if, we are successful.'

Stormy, real name Stephanie Clifford, has made the most of the spotlight, going on tour with her stripping show, appearing on a CBS' 60 Minutes interview top discuss the alleged affair, running an adult content website that costs $14.99 a month, and most recently posing to appear on the cover of Penthouse magazine.

Avenatti has helped keep Stormy in the news while also promoting his own brand. He teased that she would attend Cohen's hearing on Monday and then stood by the adult film star as she spoke to reporters outside the courthouse.

Stormy has made the most of the spotlight, going on tour with her stripping show (left) and most recently posing to appear on the cover of Penthouse magazine (right)

Avenatti has helped keep Stormy in the news while also promoting his own brand

On Tuesday the duo released a sketch of a man who allegedly threatened Stormy in 2011 to not discuss Trump. The drawing got the president to acknowledge the scandal for the first time the following day.

A sketch years later about a nonexistent man. A total con job, playing the Fake News Media for Fools,' he tweeted on Wednesday.

Talent agencies can help Avenatti secure profitable projects such as book deals and speaking tours

Avenatti has worked on cases related to Paris Hilton, Jim Carrey, and even Trump's former reality show The Apprentice, according to his biography.

Avenatti poses with Stormy and Anderson Cooper, who interviewed her for 60 Minutes
A British man is facing a 13-year jail sentence after being convicted of stabbing a former army medic to death at a Spanish bar.

Benjamin Da Costa, 30, was found guilty of killing dad-of-one Scott Waring following a four-day trial at a court in Elche near Alicante on the Costa Blanca.

Simon Williams, owner of The Hub bar in the resort of Orihuela Costa, was also found guilty of trying to cover up the crime by a nine-strong jury.

Simon Williams, owner of The Hub bar in the resort of Orihuela Costa, where Scott Waring died

The 42-year-old expat, who lives in Torrevieja near the scene of the January 16 2016 killing, is expected to find out in the next few days if he will escape with a suspended prison sentence.

Former army medic Scott, 40, who did four tours of northern Ireland, died within minutes of being attacked after a row with Da Costa.

State prosecutors said in an indictment released ahead of the trial he bled to death after the attack with a 'glass or pint jug' damaged his jugular vein and carotid artery.

Williams was accused in the indictment of clearing up the broken glass and telling police called to the scene that the incident had happened outside his bar 'to help da Costa and hinder the investigation.'

The victim, who was working as a local chef, had a three-year-old daughter called Anais at the time of the killing.

Scott's mum Susan revealed before the start of the trial on Monday that her son spent nine years in the army as a medic and had completed four tours of Northern Ireland.

Williams s expected to find out in the next few days if he will escape with a suspended prison sentence

She described him as a 'troubled soul' in an interview with a local paper and claimed he was disturbed by what he had seen in the army and had needed counselling to help him readjust to civilian life.

But insisting he was an 'extremely kind person and never aggressive', she added: 'He idolised her daughter and couldn't do enough for her.

'I think he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

Prosecutors said they were sticking to their initial 13-year jail demand for Da Costa after the jury returned its guilty verdict against him for a crime of homicide.

A judge will sentence Da Costa and Williams in the next few days. Williams is likely to have his prison sentence suspended if he is sentenced to two years or less.

If he receives the two year two month prison sentence state prosecutors are looking for, he will almost certainly do jail time.

The crime of homicide Da Costa was sentenced to under Spanish law would have been murder under English law.

Under Spanish law homicide is a wilful killing but there is a more serious charge of 'asesinato' in Spain where aggravating factors like deliberately increasing the victim's suffering exist.
Oxford students who carry out trashing rituals to celebrate the end of their exams cost the authorities 25,000 a year, new figures show.

Trashing is a 40-year-old tradition which sees students cover each other in champagne, shaving foam, silly string, eggs, flour and even rotting food when they leave their last exam.

Students say it is a fun way to let off steam after all their hard work - but the university yesterday branded it entitled behaviour which blights the lives of locals.

New figures released by Oxford show it had to pay security staff 20,000 in overtime to monitor the incidents last year, while a further 1,881 was spent on hiring barriers.

Meanwhile, 3,500 was reimbursed to Oxford City Council, who clean up the mess from the streets when the celebrating students have gone home.

Oxford students who carry out 'trashing' rituals - which sees students cover each other in flour, champagne and shaving foam after their last exam - cost the authorities 25,000 a year

Students say it is a fun way to let off steam after all their hard work - but the university yesterday branded it entitled behaviour which blights the lives of locals

The university said this summer it will be tipping off Thames Valley Police about the locations of the so-called trashings so they can arrest anyone breaking the law.

A university spokesman said: Getting through examinations is a milestone but we urge our students to find ways to mark this which are far less damaging, costly and - frankly - annoying to community neighbours, the city council and fellow members of the university.

Thoughtless actions and inconsiderate, entitled behaviour passed off as trashing can damage Oxford students in the minds of the community and the wider public.

The university also said that participating in trashing can lead to fines and disciplinary action since it is against the universitys code of conduct.

The code states that no student is allowed to throw, pour or spray anything which could injure someone or damage property.

Several colleges have attacked the tradition, including Mansfield which labelled it stupid...damaging to the environment, and wasteful.

Meanwhile, Corpus Christi said trashing was just not classy.

According to student newspaper Cherwell, trashing dates back to the 1970s, when misbehaving students were regularly fined by proctors.

In the 1980s, the university had to send a letter to all students threatening arrest after complaints from police.

The then-Junior Proctor, Dr Paul Slack, said: Twenty years ago, when I was a student, none of this went on.

We used to retire quietly to our rooms to drink champagne. The whole matter has got out of hand.

New figures released by Oxford show it had to pay security staff 20,000 in overtime last year, while a further 1,881 was spent on hiring barriers. Meanwhile, 3,500 was reimbursed to Oxford City Council, who clean up the mess from the streets

In 2007, student union president Martin McCluskey urged students to tighten their privacy settings on Facebook, after it emerged that proctors had been using social media to identify who had been involved in trashings.

That year, the proctors fined students over 10,000 in trashing-related offences, more than five times the total that had been raised in all fines in the previous year.

The following year, Oxford pubs banned students covered in mess from entering the premises, while the Kings Arms banned any student wearing a gown during exam season.

In 2011, the proctors sent an email to all students reminding them that certain substances were a disgrace, and potentially dangerous.

They said: No flour, no eggs, no beans, ketchup, let alone rotting food or worse. Rotting food, vomit, broken glass and other items causing litter are simply not what any of us wants to see. They are a disgrace and potentially dangerous.

The same year, one student was fined 80 for throwing a trifle at a finalist.

In 2012, there were allegations that two members of staff were assaulted by a celebrating finalist, although there were no injuries.

In 2014, a now-defunct website selling trashing supplies was set up and the marketing material read: Trashing marks the end of your degree, and the beginning of summer and real life - and as such, is a symbolic and integral part of Oxford life.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has become the first Australian leader to plant a tree at United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May's private residence.

The leafless English oak was planted at Chequers Court, the country retreat of UK leaders, after a bilateral meeting with his counterpart on Saturday local time.

Relations between the two international leaders seemed close, with the pair admiring the tree from a distance after Mr Turnbull added a final shovel of soil.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull planted this English oak at Chequers Court, the country retreat of UK leaders. He and UK Prime Minister Theresa May later admired the tree from a distance

Mr Turnbull was seen digging into the dirt as his wife Lucy, Mrs May and her spouse Philip looked on

This followed a more tense Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, where Mr Turnbull was caught texting on his phone during the UK Prime Minister's speech.

The two leaders addressed trade opportunities and cyber security over a lunch of fillet beef, turbot and poached rhubarb.

Ms May and Mr Turnbull spoke about their new cyber security agreement, under which Australia and the UK will work closely to deter and counter suspicious cyber activity.

Ms May and Mr Turnbull spoke about their new cyber security agreement, under which Australia and the UK will work closely to deter and counter suspicious cyber activity

The pair shook hands and seemed to be getting along well at the UK Prime Minister's private residence

The leaders also discussed a range of security issues, including North Korea, and Syria.

'Whether it is in chemical weapons, whether it is in the threat of terrorism, cyber security, you see so many challenges to the rule of law,' Mr Turnbull told reporters.

'The maintenance of which is essential to not just our security, but our prosperity.'

Prime Minister Turnbull (left) and Therese May (right) were deep in discussion as their spouses Philip May (left) and Lucy Turnbull (right) followed.

Mr Turnbull welcomed the increased UK presence in the Asia-Pacific, through three new diplomatic posts.

The leaders also agreed to future collaboration on science and innovation, in particular in universities.

Mr Turnbull joins the likes of Dwight D. Eisenhower and Bill Clinton in the group of world leaders who have planted trees at the historic residence.


Parents have been left outraged by a school trip where teachers told their 6th grader children to reenact the Underground Railroad in which black children were told to act as runaway slaves.

The trip was took place in March and was a three-day, four-night excursion for 11 and 12-year-olds from McKinley Elementary School in Chicago.

Dawn Peterson's daughter Bailey told her she was told to pretend to be a runaway slave by white teachers.

'They talked to us about how we were runaways, and how our cover story was that we were a singing choir from Georgia called The Peaches,' Bailey told ABC 7.

Bailey Peterson said she was told to pretend she was a runaway slave during a recent camping trip with her school as part of a reenactment of the Underground Railroad. She is pictured with her mother Dawn

When she came home and told her mother about the exercise, she was outraged.

She said she had no idea the exercise was part of the trip and that she did not give consent for her daughter to participate in it.

'Couldn't find anything in any paperwork that stated consent.

'Not even letting us know there would be a simulation at all, let alone this particular simulation,' she said.

The school stood by by the exercise and said the children learned a valuable lesson from it.

Superintendent Jerry Jordan also dismissed the idea that children were 'chased' through the woods, saying instead that it was part of a 'night hike'.

Bailey is a student at McKinley Elementary School in Chicago. The school stood by the exercise

'There's a perception that we had the kids being chased by white folks at night through the woods.

'That's not what took place. It was a night hike.

'It's a part of history. A sad part of history that our people had to go through.

'And I think bringing something to light for the children, it helped them better understand what our foreparents went through,' he said.

The school said it would consider whether or not to use the same exercise in future trips.
A senior United Nations official is under investigation for allegedly trying to suppress a 'food-for-sex' scandal during a refugee crisis.

The deputy director with the UNHCR, Craig Sanders, has been accused of telling a female colleague not to report the alleged rape of a refugee by an aid worker in Chad in 2004 according to claims made to the select committee.

Former aid worker Lori Handrahan claims LEGAL ADD; to MP's that Mr Sanders angrily told her that he 'would not have a sex-for-food scandal on my watch'.

The 48-year-old has given evidence to to the House of Commons international development committee and The Times about the alleged abuse.

In written evidence to the Commons select committee, Dr Handrahan said: 'Sanders threatened me and tried to prevent me from doing my job: acting to protect women refugees fleeing Farfur in the UNHCR managed camps.

The deputy director with the UNHCR, Craig Sanders, has been accused of telling a female colleague not to report the alleged rape of a refugee by an aid worker in Chad in 2004 (stock image)

'Sexual abuse and exploitation of refugee women was occurring in the camps by humanitarians and others. When I reported one incident Sanders confronted me in anger, pointed his finger in my face, screamed at me and said I was not "going to discuss this at the co-ordination meeting" because a food-for-sex scandal was "not going to happen" on "his watch" and "ruin his career".'

Dr Handrahan said she defied her boss and reported the rape to the UN meeting, but said felt she was 'run out' of the organisation. Her three-month contract was not renewed and said she had several job applications rejected.LEGAL ADD: The UN denies this and says that she has worked with them since.

Mr Sanders, who denies all the allegations, said to The Times he would be willing to co-operate with an 'independent internal' investigation carried out by the UN.

He said: 'My priority is to address these allegations in the most forthright way possible. Independently establishing the facts and bringing to light truth through a legitimate review process is the best way forward.'

The Times has seen a redacted version of Dr Handrahan's report from the rape she claims took place. The woman claims to have met the rapist, a locally hired aid worker, at a 'food distribution' point.

In her report, she added although it was the first time she had come across such an incident, she had 'every reason to believe this case is not isolated'.

She was the first gender expert sent to an emergency after a 2002 report exposed widespread abuse and exploitation by UNHCR and other NGO staff in west Africa.

The author of the report, Asmita Naik, said the report had been met with resistance.

She said: 'It was quite shocking that allegations which shocked the world raised such a lacklustre response from the UNHCR leadership.'

In a statement, the UNHCR said it 'takes allegations of staff misconduct seriously'.
Lauren Bush Lauren and her husband, David Lauren, were seen out in New York City with their second child, a baby boy named Max Walker, just as her grandmother, Barbara Bush is laid to rest.

The 33-year-old was due to give birth next month, but her husband David announced that their bundle of joy arrived on Thursday, just two days after Barbara's passing.

The couple were pictured Saturday with flowers, gifts and balloons, along with their new bundle of joy, as they brought Max home from the hospital.

At the same time Barbara was being laid to rest in College Station, Texas, Saturday, following a private memorial service in Houston with the rest of Lauren's family.

Lauren Bush Lauren (pictured) and her Husband David bring their new born son Max home from Hospital in New York City, while her grandmother, Barbara Bush is laid to rest in Texas

Max Walker (pictured) was born just two days after Lauren's grandmother, Barbara passed away Tuesday at 92-years-old

Lauren smiles alongside the lat Barbara Bush, who was being laid to rest in Texas, Saturday just as Lauren arrived home with her new baby

Lauren hauled balloons, gifts, and flowers, along with baby Max, and help from her husband David Saturday as she returned from the hospital following his birth

As the happy family celebrated bringing home Max, Lauren's grandmother was laid to rest in Houston, Texas

Little Max slept soundly as his mother took him home from the hospital and snapped his photo as they went inside

She kept filming the every inch of his first trip home

Lauren Bush Lauren, 33, and her husband, David Lauren, 46, welcomed Max Walker (pictured) on Thursday, April 19 at 5:33am, two days after the passing of her grandmother Barbara Bush

Shortly after arriving home, David shared this photo of big brother James meeting Max

Lauren beamed as the second time father juggled carrying flowers in one hand, a Ralph Lauren bag in the other hand and a phone call at the same time

Lauren's sister Ashley, 29, was among the former First Lady's granddaughters who read passages of the Bible at the service, which Lauren missed out on.

Her brother Pierce, 32, was one of the pallbearers for their grandmother.

Father Neil Bush was there as well with his second wife Maria, the kids' stepmother.

'We feel lucky and blessed to introduce our son Max Walker Lauren!' David wrote to Instagram on Friday announcing his birth. 'He was born yesterday (April 19) at 5:33 am weighing 7lbs 8oz. He is happy and healthy and enjoying his new world!'

The proud dad shared a close-up photo of little Max sound asleep with a blue knit cap on his head.

The couple are also parents to a two-year-old son, James, who is now a big brother.

The joyous news comes follows Lauren's grandmother Barbara's passing on Tuesday.

Lauren paid tribute to the former first lady on Instagram earlier this week, sharing a series of photos of herself with her grandmother throughout the years.

'Ganny was truly a one-of-a-kind, tell it like it is, amazing woman! My love of reading, puzzles, and travel are just a few things she helped foster in me,' Lauren wrote.

'She loved my Gampy and her family fiercely, and I feel so blessed to have had her as my grandmother for over 30 years. Rest in peace Ganny, we love you!'

Lauren giving birth meant she missed out joining Barbara's other granddaughters in a reading of Bible passages at the funeral. Lauren's lookalike sister Ashley, far right, was there and no doubt looks forward to meeting her new nephew soon

Lauren's brother Pierce, seen front right with beard, was a pallbearer with Barbara's other grandsons

Second time grandfather Neil Bush, far right, was also at his mother's funeral. He is holding hands with wife Maria, his second wife, Lauren's stepmother

Night out: Lauren showed off her baby bump on Tuesday at the Food Bank for New York City Can Do Awards dinner. She was at the event when she learned of her grandmother's death

David did the heavy lifting while Lauren held a balloon and food

Little Max missed the commotion around him and slept soundly in the sun

He has mastered the tricky parental art of taking the car seat out and snapping it onto the stroller

Always on brand, Ralph Lauren's son wore a patriotic hat and sweatshirt from the family clothing line

Meanwhile, David posted a picture of their eldest son with Barbara and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, writing: 'Baby James got to experience the love and warmth of his unforgettable great-grandmother Barbara Bush. She will be very missed!

Before learning of her grandmother's death, Lauren showed off her growing baby bump in a long black shirtdress at the Food Bank for New York City Can Do Awards dinner at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City on Tuesday.

She had a motherly glow as she posed on the red carper with her hand lovingly resting on her stomach.

Page Six reported that Lauren found out about her grandmother's death at the event marking the Food Bank for New York City's 35th anniversary.

According to the outlet she stayed through the dinner but left before the after-party.

'She looked somber at the table,' a source told the publication.

Looking back: Lauren paid tribute to the former first lady on Instagram, sharing a series of family photos of herself with her grandmother throughout the years

Sweet moment: Lauren's son James held on to his great-grandmother's pearls while enjoying a visit with her as a baby

Paying tribute: David posted a picture of their eldest son with his 'unforgettable' great-grandmother Barbara and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush

Former president George H.W. Bush, who was married to Barbara for 73 years, attended the viewing on Friday as a last minute surprise.

'He just said, "I want to go." It was completely spontaneous,' one of his aides told NBC News.

Thousands attended Barbara's general public viewing at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston throughout the day Friday, which will lasted from noon to midnight.

On Saturday, a private by-invitation funeral service was being held in the church Barbara regularly attened. Afterwards, she will be laid to rest on the grounds of the George Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas.

Mourning: Much of Lauren's family is likely in Texas with Barbara's husband, George, who greeted mourners who came to pay their respects at his wife's viewing on Friday

Great loss: The former president, who was married to Barbara for 73 years, sat behind his her coffin at the viewing held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston

Surprise: Lauren, who had a May due date, shared this photo of herself savoring what she thought was going to be her final weeks as a mother-of-one last weekend

Just last weekend, Lauren revealed that she was savoring her last moments as a mother-of-one while sharing a photo of herself enjoying the warm New York City weather with James.

'Soaking in the [sun emoji] and my final weeks (or days) as a mama of one and a family of three!' she captioned the image, which appears to have been taken by her husband.

'Cant wait to meet the little bub in my belly, but for now its also nice to just relish in what we already have,' she added.

David also posted the image on Instagram, writing: 'The final countdown as we wait for the arrival of our next baby. Such a beautiful spring day in #NYC.'

Earlier this year, Lauren happily showed off her growing baby bump while she and David enjoyed a 'babymoon' in Arizona in February, three months ahead of her due date.

'Babymooning with my one @davidlauren and feeling even more excited and centered to welcome our baby to the world in 3 months!' she captioned a series of images from the trip.

Mom-to-be: Lauren happily showed off her growing baby bump while she and David enjoyed a 'babymoon' in Sedona, Arizona, in February

Feeling zen: The expectant mom was perfectly dressed for the heat in a white peasant dress featuring a floral print

Getaway: David shared the same images on Instagram, writing: 'Finding peace and meeting a few zen masters along the way on our #babymoon'

Lauren met David at the Met Gala in 2004 when she was just 19 years old, and the two have returned to the high-profile social event every year since to celebrate the anniversary of their first meeting.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is such a special place for the couple that when it came time to propose to his lady love in 2010 he chose that very spot.

David suggested that they meet at the Met to look at some new pictures before attending a dinner nearby, but when Lauren arrived at the venue she was surprised that no one else was there but him.

The art work he wanted her to see was actually a series of photographs from their seven years together.

'I created our own exhibition of our life together,' David told Vogue in 2011. 'And I got down on my knee and proposed.

'Then we went outside and took a carriage ride with a clarinetist and a saxophonist following us.'

Instead of saying 'I do' in their home city of New York, the couple wed at the Lauren family's 17,000-acre Double RL ranch in Ridgway, Colorado, over Labor Day weekend in 2011.

Four years later, in November 2015, the couple welcomed James.
Deadly superbugs are spreading in hospitals after experts concluded that sharing thermometers has increased the growth of a Japanese fungal infection.

It was found that most people carrying the infection had been sharing the same armpit thermometers.

The drug-resistant infection is believed to have affected 200 patients across 55 hospitals in Britain.

Initially a lack of staff to look after patients was blamed for the incident however it has since been revealed that the thermometers could be at fault.

The drug-resistant infection is believed to have affected 200 patients across 55 hospitals in Britain (file photo)

This was suggested after these types of thermometers had been used in 57 out of the 66 infected patients, research by the University of Oxford found.

The fungus may have spread quickly across hospitals as those with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to it.

Those with weakened immune systems can develop a bloodstream infection, which can prove fatal, or cause major disabilities such as hearing loss.

A spokesman for Public Health England said: 'These findings are specific to one hospital, but they do highlight that hospitals who see a potential outbreak need to look at every possible thing in the ward.

Those with weakened immune systems can develop a bloodstream infection, which can prove fatal, or cause major disabilities such as hearing loss

Dr David Eyre from the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford told the Telegraph: 'Despite a bundle of infection control interventions, the outbreak was only controlled following removal of the temperature probes.

'This reinforces the need to carefully investigate the environment, and in particular multi-use patient equipment, in any unexplained healthcare-associated outbreak.'

The first case of the fungus, known as Candida auris, was first detected in the UK in 2013 after spreading around the globe.

It was first documented in Japan in 2009 in the ear canal of a 70-year-old woman.

Patients admitted to Oxford University Hospitals Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit were found that they only contracted the infection after being admitted, research found.

Strains of the fungus were found on the surface of the temperature probes and after cross referencing it with the patient samples.

Affected hospitals and nursing homes have been ordered to deep clean of the infected areas and isolate infected patients.
One of the world's leading tobacco firms has been slammed by ministers and accused of breaching a long-standing ban on tobacco advertising.

Philip Morris, the company behind the Marlboro cigarette brand, has been sending posters to newsagents in Britain advertising its new tobacco heaters.

The IQOS heaters cost the company 3 billion to develop and they are marketing them as a healthier alternative to normal cigarettes.

Philip Morris, the company behind Marlboro, have been accused of illegally targeting British customers with a vaping advert (FILE photo)

The posters supplied by the company are reportedly designed to be used on the windows of newsagents.

Trading standards have described the posters as being in breach of a long-standing ban on tobacco and tobacco-related products advertisement.

The posters have been accused of being illegal, the Department for Health and the National Trading Standards Institute confirmed.

The iQOS heaters use an electronic 'heat not burn' system which heats tobacco sticks up to 350C.

This is close to half the temperature of a regular cigarette and generates a nicotine-containing vapor.

Public Health England has previously revealed that more research is needed to establish the health implications of the heaters.

They are believed to be less harmful than cigarettes but are considered worse than e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes differ to the IQOS as they heat liquid instead of tobacco.

The company claim that their 3bn IQOS tobacco heaters are a safer and healthier alternative to regular cigarettes

Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, discussed the Philip Morris posters with the Telegraph and said: 'It's completely unacceptable for organisations to be promoting tobacco products  smoking kills, and that's why we have clear, strict rules in place protecting people from its harmful effects.'

In response, Peter Nixon, UK managing director at Phillip Morris, defended the adverts.

He claimed that the advertising laws do not apply to the new tobacco heaters and that they were designed for cigarettes.

The firm could be faced with court action, however, as unlawful tobacco adverts can face a fine or six-month sentence.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, also slammed Philip Morris, and described its response as 'barefaced cheek'.

Trading Standards in Hackney, Lambeth and Glasgow are now reportedly investigating posters for iQOS products found in newsagents.

Some have allegedly already been removed.

Phillip Morris is one of just two companies currently offering heat not burn tobacco devices in the UK.
A 13-year-old survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing has got through to the next round of Britain's Got Talent after scoring four yes votes.

Hollie Booth, returned to the city of the attack to audition with her dance troupe, Rise, and performed to a medley of Ariana Grande hits.

It has been less than a year since Hollie attended the pop star's concert where a suicide bomber killed 22 people including her aunt, Kelly Brewster.

The troupe, which was made up of 11 dancers aged 10 to 24, performed the dance with wheelchairs in support of Hollie.

Hollie Booth and her dance troupe, Rise, performed a routine to a medley of Ariana Grande hits

Hero: The brave teenager reveals to the judges - Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon - that this is the first time she's returned to an arena

Hollie, who spent weeks in hospital and multiple operations following the surgery, was praised by Simon Cowell for her efforts at the audition.

Cowell said: 'Hollie ... this is difficult ... to get through what you went through and come out here and turn a negative into a positive is actually quite unbelievable.

'What these people did, they're cowards, and the fact that you can come on stage and do what you did and make such a positive statement with your friends, I'm very proud of you.

The troupe, which was made up of 11 dancers aged 10 to 24, performed the dance with wheelchairs in support of Hollie

Hollie was saluted by Simon Cowell for her bravery after the performance

'In fact I salute you,' he added.

Hollie broke her right knee and her left foot and leg as well as suffering nerve damage which means she cannot walk without wearing a splint.

Also making it through was a priest who brought the crowd to tears with his moving rendition of REM's Everybody Hurts.

Hollie, left, attended the concert along with her aunt Kelly Brewster, right, who was killed

Hollie and Kelly pose at Manchester Arena before the Ariana Grande concert that ended in tragedy

Father Ray Kelly, 64, from Oldcastle, County Meath in Ireland was one of Cowell's 'favourite ever auditions'.

The judge added: 'I thought your voice was beautiful, I loved the version of the song, this was everything we've been waiting for, genuinely.'

A stand-up comedian who cannot speak also made it through after David Walliams told him it was one of the best stand-up routines he had ever seen.

Lee Ridley, 37, who performs under the name Lost Voice Guy, has cerebral palsy which has left him unable to speak thus meaning he used his iPad to deliver a unique comedy routine.

Hollie, who spent weeks in hospital and multiple operations following the surgery, was praised by Simon Cowell for her efforts at the audition

Amanda Holden looks at fellow judge Alesha Dicon, both teary, as they watch the touching perfomance

Rock star pensioner, Jenny Darren, who sings AC/DC's Highway to Hell and a pair of balancing Vietnamese acrobats were also given four yeses by judges.

The episode, which was recorded in January, marked Ant McPartlin's first appearance on TV screens since he was banned from the road for 20 months and fined 86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal limit earlier this week.

After McPartlin was charged, ITV announced the Saturday Night Takeaway host would step back from his TV commitments, with co-presenter Declan Donnelly presenting the final two episodes of the show on his own.

While he is currently appearing in the pre-recorded auditions, ITV confirmed Donnelly will host the Britain's Got Talent live shows without his TV partner of almost 30 years.

Emotional: The brave teenager leaves troubled presenter Ant McPartlin in tears with her powerful performance
French food producers will have to come up with new ways of describing vegan and vegetarian foods after they were outlawed.

French MPs have voted to ban the use of terms such as 'vegetarian sausages', 'vegetarian mince' and 'vegan bacon', claiming it misled shoppers.

Firms will no longer be able to use 'burger', 'steak' or 'fillet' to describe foods which have no meat in them, such as 'ham' slices or 'chicken' pies that are made out of soya and wheat.

French MPs have voted to ban the use of terms such as 'vegetarian sausages', 'vegetarian mince' and 'vegan bacon', claiming it misled shoppers

The new measures also includes dairy alternatives too.

The ban was put forward by MP Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who used an argument based on a judgment by the European Court of Justice last year which ruled that soya and tofu products could not be marketed as 'milk' or 'butter'.

Mr Moreau, a farmer and member of Macron's En Marche! party tweeted: 'It is important to fight against false claims: our products must be designated correctly: the terms #cheese or #steak will be reserved for products of animal origin!'

Companies who chose to ignore the ban could be slapped with fines of up to 300,000 (264,000).

Wendy Higgins, of Humane Society International, said: 'It's a shame that instead of embracing vegan and vegetarian food, France has adopted a position of defensive paranoia.

'But ultimately it won't stop the rise of compassionate eating because the delicious, nutritious, Earth-friendly and ethical benefits will prevail regardless of what you call the products.'

A tweet from Jean-Baptiste Mopeau celebrating the ban, which was approved by French MPs
President Donald Trump will look to pull off the ultimate charm offensive as he hosts French President Emmanuel Macron at a glitzy- and first for the president- White House state dinner.

Wined and dined on multiple state visits during his tour of Asia last year, Trump is paying it forward and celebrating nearly 250 years of US-French relations at the dinner on Tuesday.

Months in the making, it is the first state visit and first big soiree of the Trump era in Washington.

'It sounds like what they're planning will be spectacular,' said Jeremy Bernard, who was White House social secretary in 2014, the last time the US feted a French president.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania will host their first state dinner. For their first state guests since he took office , they will be hosting French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (all pictured together in France in July)

The dinner on Tuesday will be held in the State Room on Tuesday (Trump and Melania pictured in State Room in June)

France's president Emmanuel Macron (L) and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting at the Palace Hotel during the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 18, 2017, in New York

President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte will first have a dinner with Trump and the First Lady on Monday at Mount Vernon, the home of America's first president, George Washington, on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia

The White House has said little beyond the fact that dinner will be served, sticking to the tradition of trying to maintain an element of surprise for its guests.

In fact, Macron will break bread twice with Trump.

On Monday, the president and Melania Trump will dine privately with Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at Mount Vernon, the home of America's first president, George Washington, on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia.

The White House said the setting will serve as a reminder of France's 'unique status' as America's first ally. Trump ended his first year without receiving a foreign leader on a state visit, making him the first president in nearly 100 years to do so and heightening the stakes for Tuesday.

Dinner tickets are typically highly sought after by Washington's political and business elite.

A few inklings of who's in and who's out already are known: Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, is in, as are House Speaker Paul Ryan, and defence secretary Jim Mattis. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was invited, but his office said he is unable to attend.

In a break with tradition, Trump invited no Democratic members of Congress or journalists, said a White House official familiar with the arrangements. But at least one Democrat will be in the crowd: The office of Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards confirmed his attendance.

Approximately 150 guests will take their seats in the State Dining Room on Tuesday, making for a more intimate affair than those held by President Barack Obama.

Obama's guest lists numbered into the hundreds, requiring that the event be held in a tented pavilion erected on the South Lawn because no room in the White House can accommodate that many people.

Most of the responsibility for executing a flawless celebration falls to the first lady and her staff, including such key details as what is served (Trump likes wedge salads and chocolate cake) and poured into glasses, who sits next to whom, who performs after dinner and what the decor looks like.

One big moment is the first glimpse of the first lady in her gown. Fashion details are kept secret until the first couple steps on to the North Portico on Tuesday night to welcome their dinner guests.

House Speaker Paul Ryan and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis will also attend the 150 person soiree

U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) for a dinner in the State Room at the White House in Washington in June

Former first lady Michelle Obama often used state dinners to showcase the talent of up-and-coming designers. Some designers have cited Trump's politics in refusing to dress the current first lady, a former model.

Still, a likely choice would be Dior, the French design house whose fashions Melania often wears, or Herve Pierre, the French-American who designed her inaugural gown and other looks.

The last time a Republican president hosted his French counterpart was November 2007 when President George W Bush welcomed the newly divorced Nicolas Sarkozy.

When Macron's limousine first pulls up the White House driveway on Tuesday morning, Trump, the first lady, White House and administration officials, and hundreds of invited guests will be waiting on the South Lawn.

The pomp-filled arrival ceremony is for the man who became the youngest president in French history when he was elected in 2017 aged 39 on his first run for office.

The visit also offers Macron his first Oval Office meeting and a joint White House news conference with Trump. There's also a State Department lunch hosted by vice president Mike Pence before Macron and his wife arrive for the state dinner.
Although German radio had announced that the Nazi leader had killed himself eight days before, on April 30, 1945, confirmation was needed urgently

It was the last day of the war in Europe, and Berlin was in ruins.

German families cowered in their wrecked homes, while Russian troops celebrated in the rubble-strewn streets.

The odd crackle of gunfire indicated that the Red Army was still mopping up a few remaining die-hard Nazis.

Now, after years of war, Russians and Germans alike were looking forward to peace.

But for some Soviet units, work continued as normal. Among them was a team of counterintelligence investigators.

Working for them was a 25-year-old interpreter called Yelena Rzhevskaya.

As her regular role involved interrogating captured Germans, she might have thought when she was summoned that afternoon to the office of her commander, Colonel Gorbushin, that she was going to be wheedling some intelligence out of a Nazi.

Instead, Gorbushin handed Yelena a box.

It was a second-hand, burgundy box with a soft lining and covered with satin, Yelena later recalled.

She asked Gorbushin what it contained. His matter-of-fact reply startled her. Hitlers teeth, he said. And if you lose them, youll be answerable with your head.

What followed remains one of the strangest missions of the entire Second World War.

Although German radio had announced that the Nazi leader had killed himself eight days before, on April 30, 1945, confirmation was needed urgently.

Many suspected the Fuhrer could have escaped from Berlin and was either hiding somewhere in the Bavarian Alps, or even under the waves of the Atlantic in a submarine en route to South America.

Yelena Rzhevskaya's memoirs will hopefully dismantle the increasingly popular conspiracy theory that claims Hitler did indeed survive the war

The task faced by Yelenas unit was to see whether the charred teeth discovered in the grounds of the Reich Chancellery really did belong to Hitler.

Today, thanks to the long-awaited publication of Yelenas memoirs in English, the world can finally learn the true story of how the Russians confirmed the Fuhrers death.

Her memoirs will hopefully dismantle the increasingly popular conspiracy theory that claims Hitler did indeed survive the war

So why was Yelena chosen for this historic task? That was the first question she asked as she opened the satin box to find a charred fragment of lower jaw and some dentures.

Because we have no safe here, replied, Colonel Gorbushin, and as a woman, youre less likely than a man to get drunk and then lose them.

Yelena was almost overawed by her new responsibility, and later admitted that she turned cold whenever she worried about losing the box.

Her first objective was to track down Hitlers dentist  no easy task in the chaos of the war-torn German capital.

After searching through a cabinet, the team found X-rays of Hitlers teeth and his dental records witch matched the fragment of jaw

With their driver Sergei behind the wheel of a Ford 8 saloon, she and her two officers headed into the centre of Berlin.

In places smoke was still rising, the citys air still filled with the fumes of battle, she wrote.

The barricades, crushed by tank tracks, had yet to be dismantled. After many hours, the team pulled up at a hospital, and enquiries were made about who had looked after Hitlers teeth.

The doctor in charge did not know, and the only name he was able to supply of those who had treated Hitler was that of the internationally renowned laryngologist Professor Carl von Eicken, who headed the Charite clinic.

It was the only lead they had, and later that day, the team arrived at the clinic. It was a grim place, covered in camouflage stripes to supposedly guard against aerial attacks.

Many suspected the Fuhrer could have escaped from Berlin and was either hiding somewhere in the Bavarian Alps, or even under the waves of the Atlantic in a submarine en route to South America

The ear, nose and throat department was located in the basement.

Nurses in grey, with white head-scarves bearing a red cross, looked exhausted as, sternly and silently, they went about their duties, Yelena recalled.

Wounded patients were being carried on stretchers.

The elderly figure of Prof von Eicken emerged, and told the Russians he did not know the identity of Hitlers dentist, but somebody from the dentistry department might.

A student was summoned, and he revealed that the dentist was called Dr Hugo Blaschke, and he could show the Russians where he worked.

The dentists surgery was located on Kurfurstendamm, one of Berlins most fashionable streets.

It was largely a ruin, but somehow Blaschkes building had survived. However, almost as soon as the team arrived, it looked like they had reached a dead-end.

A man called Dr Bruck informed them that Dr Blaschke had flown from Berlin to Bavaria. Nevertheless, the team looked around the surgery, until Col Gorbushin asked if Dr Bruck was in contact with any of Blaschkes employees.

Of course! Dr Bruck exclaimed. You mean Kathchen? Kathe Heusermann? She is at home in her apartment right on our doorstep.

Within a few minutes, an attractive woman in a dark blue flared coat came in. She was wearing a headscarf over luxuriant blonde hair.

Kathchen, said Bruck, these people are Russians. They seem to need you for something. Heusermann burst into tears, fearing she was going to be raped.

Like so many other women in Berlin, she had already been violated by the troops of the Red Army. However, Dr Bruck was able to reassure her that this group of Russians meant her no harm.

Heusermann revealed that she was 35, and that her fiance had been a teacher and now, as a non-commissioned officer, was somewhere in Norway and she had heard nothing from him for a long time.

Dr Blaschke had invited her to be evacuated with him, but she refused.

The task faced by Yelenas unit was to see whether the charred teeth discovered in the grounds of the Reich Chancellery really did belong to Hitler

Col Gorbushin told Yelena to ask her whether they had Hitlers dental records. Heusermann said they had, and immediately took out a box with record cards.

We watched with bated breath as she flicked through them, Yelena wrote in her memoirs. We glimpsed the cards of Himmler, Goebbels, his wife, all their children At last Hitlers medical card was found, and that was a start, but there were no X-rays.

Heusermann suggested they might be in Blaschkes other surgery  in the Reich Chancellery itself. Once the very heart of the Third Reich, the Chancellery on Wilhelmstrasse had suffered the ravages of war.

The team walked through the entrance, where above them, in bas-relief, was the Nazi emblem: a spread-eagle clutching a swastika in its talons.

Heusermann led the team to a little room. The torch dimly illuminated a dentists chair, a couch with an adjustable head-rest, and a small desk.

After searching through a cabinet, the team found X-rays of Hitlers teeth and his dental records.

For Yelena and the team, this was incontrovertible evidence. I really believed that all the nonsensical rumours that Hitler was alive would be swept away and truth would prevail, she wrote

The following day at 10am, the Russian officers sat down with Heusermann and asked her to describe Hitlers teeth from memory.

Yelena was translating and making notes, and specifically asked Heusermann not to use the technical names for the teeth, in case there was a confusion in the translation, but instead simply to number them.

Hitlers upper denture was a gold bridge attached to the 1st left tooth with a window crown, to the root of the 2nd left tooth, to the root of the 1st right tooth and to the 3rd right tooth with a gold crown

The team compared Heusermanns words with the X-rays.

Crucially, they matched. But more importantly, did they match the remains contained in the burgundy box? Yelena passed the teeth to Heusermann, who held them in her trembling hands.

She took a deep breath, then blurted out: These are the teeth of Adolf Hitler.

For Yelena and the team, this was incontrovertible evidence. I really believed that all the nonsensical rumours that Hitler was alive would be swept away and truth would prevail, she wrote.

Yelena was certain the team would soon be sent to Moscow with the evidence and principal witnesses to the identification of Hitlers remains.

But then something strange happened  or rather nothing happened. Because what took place, in the ruins of Berlin in May 1945, was a cover-up, personally ordered by Stalin, to keep the world guessing.

The Soviet leader wanted the secret of Hitlers death to himself.

He loathed the idea of detente with the Germans, and there would be less pressure if people thought Hitler was alive.

Stalin saw that as tactically important in the imminent discussions with the Allies about the nature of the post-war world.

So at the Potsdam Conference, when he was asked whether anything was known about Hitler, he sat on the truth.

Stalin saw that as tactically important in the imminent discussions with the Allies about the nature of the post-war world

Truth was not the only victim  so too was Kathe Heusermann.

She was held as a dangerous criminal for ten years, and would have died of starvation had another prisoner not shared her food.

So what happened to Hitlers teeth? Yelena last saw them in Berlin in late May 1945, when they were being placed in a special container to be sent back to Moscow.

After that it was not known for certain whether they still existed.

However, in 2000 the Russian authorities put the teeth on display as part of an exhibition to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

After the war, Yelena returned to Moscow and became a writer. She died in April last year, after only discovering in 1996 what had happened to Kathe Heusermann.

I know that if we had not found Kathe, Stalins plan would most likely have been successful and Hitler, as Stalin wanted, would have remained a myth and a mystery, she wrote.
The son of a woman murdered in 1990 by a clown in the doorway of her Florida home describes the terror he felt that day, after police say they have caught the killer.

Marlene Warren was 40 when she was shot dead. When she first answered the door, was excited to see the colorful clown with flowers and balloons, but then she saw the gun.

'Oh how pretty,' John Ahrens told 48Hours, he heard his mother say on that fateful day in May. Then he heard a bang.

'At first we thought maybe it was a balloon that popped, but when we saw her fall, we knew something was definitely seriously wrong,' Ahrens said.

Evidence was released that helped investigators arrest Sheila Keen Warren (right) 27 years after she killed Marlene Warren (left) in September. Evidence included witness statements and DNA of Keen Warren's hair the getaway vehicle

John Ahrens, Maureen's son, described the shooting as the worst day in his life, and thought the gun shot was the clown's balloon popping

Warren, 54, was arrested in September 2017 on a charge of first-degree murder for the killing of Marlene Warren, 40, in 1990. Pictured is Keen Warren appearing in court for a pre-trial hearing on November 13, 2017

While the clown walked away and drove off, Warren was critically injured and died in the hospital two days later.

'I remember that being one of the worst days of my life,' Ahrens said.

Just hours before the shooting, officers received an anonymous tip from a female caller urging them to look into Warren's husband. That tipster also mentioned Mike's employee, Sheila Keen- now 54-years-old.

Keen matched the description for a woman who had purchased a clown costume, flowers and balloons before the murder.

Sheila was rumored to have a secret relationship with Michael Warren (pictured together) before she married him in 2002

Mike had a solid alibi for the time frame of the shooting.

While Mike and Keen have denied any affair, they got married in 2002.

DNA evidence - including hair fibers in a getaway car - and two costume store staff accounts were what helped bring down the Keen, the alleged killer clown who shot dead her husband's first wife.

Sheila was arrested in September 2017 without incident on a charge of first-degree murder with use of a firearm in the 1990 killing of Marlene at her home in Washington County, Virginia.

She was arrested by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

Prosecutors released late evidence that they say helped them and sheriff's detectives to arrest Keen in September at the Abington, Virginia, home she shared with her husband - Michael Warren, Marlene Warren's widower.

The evidence includes hundreds of pages of witness statements, photographs, reports and maps. It also says recent DNA tests conducted by the FBI say hair found in a car linked to the slaying could have come from Sheila Warren.

Two nights before Marlene was fatally shot at her front door, a customer showed up at a nearby costume shop and begged to be let in at closing.

On this night 28 years ago, the woman urgently told two clerks she needed a clown suit, an orange wig, white gloves, a red nose and enough white makeup to cover her face completely. She passed on the floppy shoes.

Sheila Keen Warren went reportedly went to a costume store two days before the shooting to purchase a clown costume. A store clerk was able to identify her during a photo lineup. Pictured is Keen Warren during one of her court appearances in October 2017

Recent DNA tests conducted by the FBI say hair found in a car linked to the slaying could have come from Sheila Warren

One of the clerks in a photo lineup identified the customer as Sheila Keen, who was rumored in May 1990 to be having an affair with victim Marlene Warren's husband. The other clerk thought it might be Keen, but wasn't 100 percent.

Prosecutors released the evidence without comment. Her attorney, Richard Lubin, did not immediately return a call and email seeking comment. Michael Warren, reached by phone, declined comment.

Detectives have declined to rule him out as a possible suspect. Keen Warren, now 54, remains jailed without bond. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty.

According to the documents, she became a suspect shortly after the slaying.

Marlene Warren, 40, opened her door on a Saturday morning to find a clown in an orange wig, a red nose but normal high-top shoes holding two foil balloons and carnations.

Her then 20-year-old son and his friends, who were in the house, say the clown handed her the gifts. The clown without saying a word then shot her in the face, walked slowly to a Chrysler LeBaron convertible and drove away.

Michael Warren at the time owned a used car lot and Sheila Keen did repossessions for him.

Other employees, according to the document, told detectives Warren and Keen had been seen kissing and having sex in the office and her neighbors said he was frequently at her house. Warren and Keen denied a relationship. They married in 2002.

Sheila Keen Warren is pictured in a mugshot taken by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office

The documents show that immediately after the shooting, detectives worked to find where the clown costume, the balloons and flowers had been purchased and to find the car.

Along with the costume shop employees, the detectives learned the flowers and balloons came from a supermarket a half mile from the victim's home, bought by a woman who looked like Keen who wore white gloves.

The LeBaron was soon found abandoned in a parking lot. It had been reported stolen by a Payless rental agency near Michael Warren's car lot, Bargain Motors.

The couple who rented it last told detectives they had arrived afterhours at the Payless, hoping to leave the car. Finding no employees, they went home, looked in the Yellow Pages and called what they thought was Payless.

A man told them to leave the car with its keys in the visor in front of the lot and someone would get it. They reluctantly did.

When they went back later, the car was gone, so they called the number again and the same man acted like he never spoke to them. The next morning they realized they had called Bargain Motors - its Yellow Page ad read 'Payless!'

The rental agency had previously sued Michael Warren over the ad and an employee told detectives Michael Warren and another employee had pulled the ruse to steal the car as payback. No one was ever charged with the theft.

Marlene Warren, 40, opened her door on a Saturday morning in 1990 to find a female clown with brown eyes. Pictured are investigators analyzing the scene after the shooting occurred

Sheila Keen Warren was arrested after ah27-year investigation. She is now waiting in jail until her trial

Warren told detectives he and his wife had a good relationship, but his employees and her family said Marlene Warren had been threatening to divorce him over numerous affairs and a beating she said he had administered a year before.

Warren's employees told detectives he had said he would never divorce because his wife would get half his assets.

Keen was interviewed by detectives shortly after the shooting and blood and hair were collected. She denied being the shooter, saying she was in another part of the county looking for cars that needed to be repossessed.

Michael Warren was convicted in 1994 of grand theft, racketeering and odometer tampering and served almost four years in prison.

After his wedding to Keen, they settled in Virginia just across from Kingsport, Tennessee, where they operated a popular restaurant that they sold just before her arrest.




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.
Sgt Tonroe, 33, was on a covert operation to capture an IS commander when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Syrian town of Manbij three weeks ago

SAS soldiers have paid tribute to a fallen comrade with a poignant parachute jump.

After the funeral of Sergeant Matt Tonroe  the first British soldier killed in combat against Islamic State  four black-clad members of the elite regiment leapt from a helicopter 3,000ft above their secret base.

They quickly deployed their parachutes and landed near the SASs regimental chapel.

Sgt Tonroe, 33, was on a covert operation to capture an IS commander when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb in the Syrian town of Manbij three weeks ago.

An American special forces soldier was also killed and five US troops were wounded.

About 200 SAS soldiers and troops from Sgt Tonroes former unit, the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, gathered at the SAS barracks near Hereford on Friday to pay tribute.

Members of the soldiers family were also present.

An SAS source said: It was a fitting tribute after a stirring funeral service. Sgt Tonroe was a popular bloke and a very capable soldier.

One of the elite SAS comrades of Sgt Tonroe leaps out of the helicopter as part of the memorial service

four black-clad members of the elite regiment leapt from a helicopter 3,000ft above their secret base

The jump was a poignant display and took place after Sgt Tonroe's funeral, which was attended by more than 200 people

An SAS source said: It was a fitting tribute after a stirring funeral service. Sgt Tonroe was a popular bloke and a very capable soldier'

'So many people turned up that they had to erect a marquee inside the camp to fit everyone in.

Sgt Tonroe, from Manchester, joined the Army in 2004 and served in Afghanistan with the Paras before transferring to the SAS in 2010.

Following his death, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson hailed him as a courageous and gifted soldier, and added: His unflinching commitment will never be forgotten.
71-year-old Nick Nicholson is the Hernando County commissioner. He was arrested on Thursday on several charges of prostitution

A Florida county commissioner is facing multiple charges after authorities say he paid a couple living with him to be able to have sex with the mans wife.

71-year-old Nick Nicholson is the Hernando County commissioner. He was arrested on Thursday on several charges of prostitution.

The arrest came after an investigation that started in February after police went to a home Nicholson rents after getting a call reporting a domestic disturbance.

33-year-old Kendel Surette and 30-year-old Valerie Surette were found in the middle of a heated dispute.

Valerie was found with an injury to her face and told cops that her husband had thrown a screwdriver at her head according to WPTV.

The Surettes and Nicholson had glassy, red eyes, according to authorities, and they appeared under the influence.

Nicholsons sweatpants had a hole in the front that saw his genitals exposed.

Kendel Surette then revealed to investigators that the couple had been living in the home for around six months.

Nicholson had allegedly been buying them food and paying them $100 to have sex with Valerie Surette, pictured, on Tuesdays, and $200 to have sex with her on Saturdays

'He begged me for months and offered me very large sums of money if I would move in and have sex with him,' Surette said to the Tampa Bay Times.

'I had originally agreed to the arrangement,' she said. 'I did work at a strip club, but that's different. Here, I was a sex slave.  Whatever he wanted, I had to do.'

'If I didn't kiss him or touch him or sit on his lap, he would get angry,' she continued.

Surette said she met Nicholson last year at Icon Gentleman's Club in Pasco County, where she was a stripper.

Nicholson had been buying them food and paying them $100 to have sex with Valerie Surette on Tuesday, and $200 to have sex with her on Saturdays. The commissioner also paid her rent and rehab clinic bills.

Nicholson was renting the home and allegedly let 33-year-old Kendel Surette and 30-year-old Valerie Surette live there rent-free in exchange for sex

A second woman, Melinda Baker, 38, also allegedly had sex with Nicholson for money on Mondays and Wednesday. The commissioner also paid her rent

Nicholson allegedly let Valeries other clients have sex with her at the home  either in the garage or in a car parked in the driveway.

Thursdays arrest report indicated that a second woman, Melinda Baker, 38, also had sex with Nicholson for money. Baker, currently in the Hernando County Detention Center on a charge of driving on a suspended license, listed Nicholsons address as hers.

Surette said Baker lived at the house, but moved out a few months ago. In exchange for sex with Baker on Mondays and Wednesdays, the commissioner paid her rent and rehab clinic bills, Surette said.

Police arrested Nicholson Thursday and booked him at Henrico County Jail on $3,000 bond, which he posted shortly after.

The commissioner faces charges of operating a location for prostitution and two counts of purchasing services from a person engaged in prostitution, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

On Thursday night, the Republican Executive Committee of Hernando County voted to ask Nicholson to resign from his post, which he has held since 2012.

Prostitution charges against the women are not anticipated at this time, according to Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kraft.
Kanye West sparked an angry backlash by tweeting his admiration for a black far-right media personality and the way she 'thinks' on Saturday.

The rapper endorsed YouTube personality Candace Owen, a woman who is known for her controversial views on racism.

'I love the way Candace Owens thinks,' he said on Saturday morning.

Kanye West appeared to endorse YouTube personality Candace Owen, a woman who is known for her controversial views on racism

'I love the way Candace Owens thinks,' he said on Saturday morning

He would follow up with 'only free thinkers' a few moments after the first tweet.

The original tweet quickly gained traction as over 32,000 people liked the post and another 10,200 retweeted it.

Im freaking out. @kanyewest ....please take a meeting with me. I tell every single person that everything that I have been inspired to do, was written in your music,' Owens said on Twitter sharing West's post.

He would follow up with 'only free thinkers' a few moments after the first tweet

Im freaking out. @kanyewest ....please take a meeting with me. I tell every single person that everything that I have been inspired to do, was written in your music,' Owens said on Twitter sharing West's post

'I am my own biggest fan, because you made it okay. I need you to help wake up the black community.'

Owens is a known conservative, who is known for proudly bashing Black Lives Matter while singing praises of President Donald Trump.

An ardent opponent to 'social justice warriors', she has gained million of followers for her videos on Facebook.

She was recently tapped to be far-right group Turning Point USA's director of urban engagement.

'Bingo,' Roseanne Barr asserted, sharing the tweet

'I love that Kanye West loves the way that Candace Owens thinks,' said Scott Presler

Conservative writer Richard Armande Mills added: 'Kanye West tweeted that he likes the way Candace Owens thinks. I have legitimate tears in my eyes. For a hip-hop artist with a platform like Wests to promote and align with a strong conservative like @RealCandaceO. Im in awe. This is amazing. My morning is made'

West's tweets weren't just noticed by Owens as well known conservative figures voiced their support for the posts.

'Bingo,' Roseanne Barr asserted, sharing the tweet.

'I love that Kanye West loves the way that Candace Owens thinks,' said Scott Presler.

Conservative writer Richard Armande Mills added: 'Kanye West tweeted that he likes the way Candace Owens thinks. I have legitimate tears in my eyes. For a hip-hop artist with a platform like Wests to promote and align with a strong conservative like @RealCandaceO. Im in awe. This is amazing. My morning is made.'

'Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating. (Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.) For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous,' said writer Raquel Willis

'Would literally any other Candace Owens please stand up,' said Micah Peters

Another user added: '"I love the way Candace Owens thinks."At the time, few people understood how prescient Obama was when he referred to Kanye West as a "jackass". Kanye West is the black Donald Trump'

But a vast majority of those familiar with both Owens and Wests work were disgusted by the tweets and the increase of trolls that seemed to appear on the rapper's following tweets.

'Candace Owens has proven to be anti-Black, anti-LGBTQ and fact-hating. (Honestly, there are so many more descriptors.) For Kanye to align himself with her is messy and dangerous,' said writer Raquel Willis.

'Would literally any other Candace Owens please stand up,' said Micah Peters.

Another user added: '"I love the way Candace Owens thinks."At the time, few people understood how prescient Obama was when he referred to Kanye West as a "jackass". Kanye West is the black Donald Trump.'

'Aside from being an insane alt right race pimp Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is literally the messiah not you @kanyewest so you might want to reconsider,' said actor Tom Arnold

'As I've said many times before, if I had no dignity I would be a very rich man by now. Candace Owens is making money off of denigrating black folks for her mostly white audience. Same as that Noir guy, same as Stacey Dash, same as Allen West etc,' asserted Herb Lawrence

'I have to study extreme conservatives and the alt-right for my job. You know me so you know I do a deep dive into the black female ones. The screenshots above are damn near consecutive for Candace Owens, I barely even scrolled. That's not cherrypicking; that's her,' said Pia Glenn including some of Owens work including a recent post where she slammed Black Lives Matter

'Aside from being an insane alt right race pimp Candace Owens thinks Donald Trump is literally the messiah not you @kanyewest so you might want to reconsider,' said actor Tom Arnold.

'As I've said many times before, if I had no dignity I would be a very rich man by now. Candace Owens is making money off of denigrating black folks for her mostly white audience. Same as that Noir guy, same as Stacey Dash, same as Allen West etc,' asserted Herb Lawrence.

Charles Preston shared a link to Owen's piece and added: 'Here is a Candace Owens essay: "Black men getting shot by police isnt about racism" She starts the essay with "I date a white guy."'

'I have to study extreme conservatives and the alt-right for my job. You know me so you know I do a deep dive into the black female ones. The screenshots above are damn near consecutive for Candace Owens, I barely even scrolled. That's not cherrypicking; that's her,' said Pia Glenn including some of Owens work including a recent post where she slammed Black Lives Matter.

Soon after Donald Trump Presidential election, West shared with a Californian audience that he would have voted for Trump

In December of 2016, he actually met with President Donald Trump but soon after deleted all his post about the President after he was hit with a wave of criticism

Kanye has been quite vocal of his support for controversial conservatives.

Soon after Donald Trump Presidential election, West shared with a Californian audience that he would have voted for Trump.

'I told yall I didnt vote, right? But if I wouldve voted, I wouldve voted for Trump.' He said

'We live in a racist country. That is a fact. This world is racist, OK? Lets stop being distracted to focus on that as much.'

In December of 2016, he actually met with President Donald Trump but soon after deleted all his post about the President after he was hit with a wave of criticism.
A three-year-old boy drowned yesterday during a family swimming session at a busy private health club.

Young swimmers, some of whom were having lessons, watched in horror as a lifeguard attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation after the boy was plucked unconscious from the water at the David Lloyd centre in Moortown, Leeds.

The youngster, accompanied by his mother, was rushed by ambulance to the citys General Infirmary, where he died.

A beginners swimming class was under way in part of the indoor pool at the time the boy was discovered, but he had not been taking part.

A three-year-old boy drowned while swimming at a David Lloyd leisure centre in Moortown, Leeds

West Yorkshire Police are investigating the death but said last night that it appeared to be a tragic accident.

Detective Inspector James Entwistle said: Our thoughts are with the boys family at this extremely difficult time.

While there is nothing to suggest the death was suspicious, we do have a duty to investigate the circumstances of what has happened.

The youngster, accompanied by his mother, was rushed by ambulance to the citys General Infirmary, where he died

The boy was spotted in the indoor pool at 9.30am, just as three Swim All Stars sessions  one for beginners  were coming to an end. Distressed customers were later seen rushing from the centre, where a family membership costs around 180 a month. One woman aged in her 40s sobbed: I am never swimming in that pool again.

Club member Ash Moyassari, 12, said he saw people rushing out and crying as he entered to use the clubs outdoor pool.

I was told by someone who works there that a little child had died, he added. There were a lot of people leaving  some of them were running out and crying.

West Yorkshire Police are investigating the death but said last night that it appeared to be a tragic accident

Its really tragic. I feel bad for the boys parents.

DI Entwistle said many swimmers had left by the time police arrived and appealed for anyone who saw what happened to come forward.

A David Lloyd spokesman said staff were deeply shocked and saddened by the tragedy. The centre remained closed last night.

David Lloyd Leisure Ltd was fined 350,000 in 2016 after admitting breaching health and safety laws when a five-year-old boy nearly drowned at its Heston club in Hounslow, West London.
The gathering of world finance ministers began with heightened anxiety about the potential damage a US-China trade war could do to the economic recovery but ended Saturday with a door open to negotiations.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, who has been urging countries to avoid damaging protectionism, said this weekend's spring meeting had 'made progress towards dialogue.'

And shortly after her comments, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced he was considering a trip to Beijing to hold talks on the trade dispute, a welcome respite after weeks in which tensions had ratcheted ever higher.

Tensions between the world's two largest economies have cast a shadow over this week's gathering of finance ministers, given concerns a trade war would undercut the global recovery.

President Donald Trump last month approved steep tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of Chinese imports, while Beijing has slapped duties on key US agricultural exports and has threatened to do likewise for the sensitive American soybean industry.

United States Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he is open to traveling to Beijing to talk

International Monetary Fund Chife Christine Lagarde warned the gathered finance ministers about protectionism

The heated trade rhetoric comes at a delicate moment, as Washington and Beijing are both seeking to address North Korea's nuclear program -- which Pyongyang said Saturday it would largely scale back.

The IMF's governing committee in a statement at the conclusion of the ministerial meeting highlighted the risks presented by 'increasing trade and geopolitical tensions.'

Lagarde in recent weeks has repeatedly urged member countries to steer clear of protectionism and warned the uncertainty around trade disputes could choke off investment, a key drivers of the current recovery.

'My key concern...is to help in the process of resolving those issues before they escalate to a point where they would hamper growth and stability,' she told reporters at the conclusion of the meeting.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin at left, chats with Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso during the 'family photo' shoot

The gathering of governors started with concerns over a potential US and China trade war

The IMF projects global growth of 3.9 percent this year and next but warns that the risks are tilted to the downside.

Mnuchin differed markedly from his counterparts, saying the risk to global growth was from unfair trade practices, rather than the trade tensions.

But his announcement of a possible China trip could reduce the heat in the dispute.

While the timing of his visit to Beijing is unclear, and he did not provide details on the topics to be discussed, he said 'a trip is under consideration.'

Among 18 bilateral meetings with his counterparts this week, Mnuchin said he had met with Yi Gang, governor the People's Bank of China.

While the meeting with central bank chief Yi did not focus on trade, Mnuchin said he remained 'cautiously optimistic' about the issue.

'The discussions were really around the governor's actions at the PBOC and certain actions they've announced in terms of opening their markets which we very much encourage and appreciate,' Mnuchin said.

In his statement to the International Monetary Fund, Yi also warned that 'an escalation of trade frictions caused by unilateral actions' posed a risk to the global economic outlook and called on countries to use 'rules-based' multilateral organizations to resolve differences.

But he said China was committed to a series of reforms similar to those called for by the United States, including lower tariffs and protections for American technology.

'China will vigorously push forward the reform and opening-up of the financial sector, significantly relax market access restrictions, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen the protection of intellectual properties and actively expand imports,' Yi said.
The victim, pictured left with his sister, has been named locally as Kwesi and died after a fight broke out at a house party

A 20-year-old man was stabbed to death about a hundred yards from Jeremy Corbyns home in North London yesterday.

The victim was stabbed multiple times and was found lying on the street by paramedics who desperately tried to resuscitate him. But he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The stabbing is the latest death in a grim spree that has now seen the number of killings in London hit 60 this year.

A 21-year-old man was found nearby with stab wounds which were not life-threatening. He was taken to hospital and discharged soon afterwards.

He was later arrested on suspicion of murder, possession of an offensive weapon and affray, and has been remanded in custody.

Detectives believe the victim  who has been named locally as Kwesi, with nicknames Lavish and Junior  may have been involved in a fight with the 21-year-old and others, which broke out at a house party just before 3am.

The incident occurred on the notorious Andover Estate in Finsbury Park, which is a stones throw from Mr Corbyns house.

It is not known if the Labour leader was at home when the incident occurred.

Friends and relatives of the victim paid tribute to him. A Twitter user calling herself Naya said she was the older sister of the victim.

She tweeted a picture of her with him, writing: My younger brother, my only brother, got stabbed to death this morning. Guys this needs to stop. The pain Im experiencing is indescribable.

Forensic officers at the crime scene of a fatal stabbing at Roth Walk in Finsbury Park on April 21

One friend at the scene said: Whenever I saw him, Junior was always smiling and funwe cant believe whats happened.

The murder toll in London  where someone is now killed every three days, according to analysis from police data  is predicted to overtake last years total of 115. Earlier this year, it was reported that London had overtaken New York in its murder toll for the first time in living memory.

The Finsbury Park death comes only days after Sami Sidhom, 18, was stabbed to death in Forest Gate, East London, after being attacked by four men.
The mysterious fiance of Salisbury attack victim Yulia Skripal allegedly works for a shadowy organisation which is part of Vladimir Putins feared FSB intelligence service, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

Stepan Vikeev  seen clearly for the first time in our exclusive picture  vanished after Yulia and her double agent father Sergei Skripal were poisoned with a Russian nerve agent last month.

Moscow security sources have claimed Mr Vikeev, 30, works for a secretive company called the Institute of Modern Security Problems. The clandestine organisation is run by his mother Tatiana, 61, and is said to be an integral part of the FSB, which replaced the KGB at the end of the Soviet Union.

Stephan Vikeev, left, partner of Yulia Skripal, has gone into hiding along with his mother Tatiana, right, following the attempted assassination in Salisbury

Yulia Skripal, left, and her father Sergei, both survived an attempted assassination which has been blamed on Russian security services who used a nerve agent Novichock

Both Mr Vikeev and his mother  also pictured exclusively today  have gone into hiding since the Skripal attack and are being protected by Putins agents, according to well-placed sources.

FSB commanders have even blocked access to Moscow authorities who want to interview Mr Vikeev as part of a Russian probe into the case, it was claimed. Our disclosures deepen suspicions that Mr Vikeev and his mother had a role in the Skripal poisoning which Britain has blamed on Russia.

A UK intelligence dossier recently revealed Russian hackers had spied on Yulias emails since 2013 in a bid to track her and her fathers lives.

Now Mr Vikeevs links to the FSB raise the prospect that he was a honeytrap planted to keep a close eye on Yulia and her traitor father after he was sent to the UK in a spy swap deal in 2010.

Sources said Mr Skripal, 66, was not fond of Mr Vikeev. A source close to the family said: Sergei had reservations about Stepan but she told her father she wanted to be with Stepan. But Mr Vikeev has made no contact with his fiance and her family since the attack.

Miss Skripal, 33, was left very upset when she attempted to call Mr Vikeev but he did not answer his phone after she made a remarkable recovery in hospital.

She was discharged from hospital earlier this month and is being guarded by police in a secret location in Britain. She is expected to be granted political asylum to stay in the UK.

Her father  a Soviet military intelligence officer who was jailed for selling secrets to MI6  remains in hospital but he is no longer in a critical condition.

Vikeev and Yulia Skripal rented this flat in Moscow together before the attempt on her life

It emerged yesterday that key suspects have been identified by Scotland Yard investigators examining passenger lists from flights in and out of Britain around the time of the attack.

Miss Skripals friends and family have described Mr Vikeev as strange, and they have been alarmed by his complete lack of contact with his fiancee or her family since the poisoning.

Miss Skripals best friend Irina Petrova said she used to complain she was often home alone at night because Mr Vikeev worked night shifts at a special government organisation.

Neighbours at the flat in Moscow where the couple lived said Mr Vikeevs mother was a regular visitor before Miss Skripals ill-fated trip to visit her father in Salisbury last month.

Miss Skripal and Mr Vikeev had recently celebrated his 30th birthday together and he was the last person to talk to her on the phone from her aircraft as she prepared for take-off in Moscow.

Mr Vikeev deleted his social media profiles and pictures soon after the poisoning on March 4. Friends said he went into hiding.

One close acquaintance said: No one saw him and he stopped communicating. He did not answer calls or text messages.

The FSB is seen as being behind several assassinations of President Putins enemies, including former spy Alexander Litvinenko who was killed in London in 2006 by polonium poisoning.

Britain has claimed the Skripals were poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent developed in Russia.

The Kremlin has strongly denied any involvement in the Salisbury attack and launched its own probe into the case led by the Investigative Committee, which is Russias equivalent of the FBI.

Several sources said the Committee know the whereabouts of Mr Vikeev and his mother in the suburbs of Moscow, but have failed to obtain permission from the FSB to quiz them.
North Korea has promised to end all its atomic and missile tests  but experts warned last night that the dramatic pledge may mean the rogue state has already perfected its nuclear weapons system.

Dictator Kim Jong Uns surprise announcement comes prior to a planned summit with President Donald Trump next month.

But while some have greeted the offer as a welcome sign of peace, a leading ex-CIA analyst said the Communist despot may have already achieved his ambition of creating a weapons system capable of hitting any target in the US.

Kim Jong un, pictured, surprised the world announcing an end to atomic and missile tests

The North Korean dictator is believed to be preparing for a summit with Donald Trump

Donald Trump, pictured, has welcomed North Korea's announcement to stop testing missiles

The analyst  who asked to remain unnamed  said: Kim Jong Un is ready to end tests simply because he doesnt need them any more.

Urging President Trump not to overlook North Koreas horrendous human rights record in the coming talks, the expert added: There is no sign that Kim is ready to make any concessions on human rights or to relax his dictatorship.

And Ben Silberstein, University of Pennsylvania expert on North Korea, said there was nothing in Kims statement indicating a willingness to give up his missiles.

He added: On the contrary, the tone of the message is one of confidence and strength.

The British Government welcomed the announcement, saying: We hope this indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith.
Theresa May can still convince MPs to back leaving the customs union, a minister claimed today amid reports the Prime Minister could back down.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said the Government could 'win' the argument amid growing belief among Remain supporters Parliament will force the issue.

If was claimed today Mrs May could surrender to a Remain 'stitch up' over the customs union in defiance of a Brexiteer revolt.

Brexit Secretary David Davis was said to be leading resistance to a U-turn on the policy amid claims it would be a 'betrayal'.

But Mr Gauke played the issue down today, ahead of a crucial symbolic vote of MPs on the customs union this week.

Theresa May (pictured at church with husband Philip today) is said to be ready to accept a form of customs partnership in defiance of Brexiteer ministers

Justice Secretary David Gauke said the Government could 'win' the argument amid growing belief among Remain supporters Parliament will force the issue

Mr Gauke told BBC's The Andrew Marr Show: 'The job of those of us in Government is to persuade Parliament that the route going forward, leaving the customs union, but ensuring that we don't put in place unnecessary barriers to our trade with the European Union.

'We can make that case to Parliament. I think we can win that case. I think we have got to win that case and that is my determination.'

The Brexit Secretary objects to plans by Downing Street to stay in a customs 'partnership' with the EU that would allow the UK to strike trade deals around the world  but collect import tariffs on behalf of Brussels.

Mr Davis is understood to have told No 10 that the idea is unworkable and would be greeted with fury by many Tory MPs. He is believed to be supported by other Cabinet Ministers, including Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.

And Mr Davis is publicly backed today by one former Government Minister, who argues that the plan could lead to the 'complete derailment' of Brexit.

David Davis will 'lead a strike' over No 10's plans to strike a deal with Brussels

David Jones, who was a Brexit Minister under Theresa May, writes below that the idea is 'a Byzantine scheme designed first to slow down Brexit and then to strangle it'.

The 'partnership' customs plan is being pushed by Oliver Robbins, the Prime Minister's Brexit adviser at No 10, in an attempt to break a deadlock in negotiations with Brussels over the Irish border.

The British team has been struggling to find a way in which the UK can leave the EU customs union  as Mrs May has promised  without having a hard border in Ireland.

But Mr Jones said: 'I speak for many Tory MPs when I say that whatever the consequences, we could never vote for it.'

Theresa May will face further pressure on the issue this week when MPs debate a motion aimed at forcing a vote

It was reported last week that the customs 'partnership' was one of several options already rejected by Brussels. However, Brexiteer Tory MPs fear this is just a negotiating device to force the UK to accept close customs ties after Brexit.

Mrs May will face further pressure on the issue this week when MPs debate a motion aimed at forcing a vote.

Three Tory Commons select committee chairs  Bob Neill, Nicky Morgan and Sarah Wollaston  are among the signatories to the motion, which urges the Government to 'include as an objective in negotiations... the establishment of an effective customs union'.

Last night, a spokesman for Mr Davis said: 'We have put sensible and practical solutions on the table and are working constructively towards getting this solved by October .' A source said: 'David knows that Boris, Gove and a large chunk of the party won't buy it. It's not even as if they are mad on it in Brussels  they find the idea of a third party collecting their tariffs distinctly odd.'

A senior Brussels source told The Mail on Sunday: 'The consensus EU view is that we won't move forward with the negotiations until we have a clear idea as to whether there is British parliamentary support for leaving the customs union.

'We don't think there is  that sentiment is changing and you will end up staying in.'

WHY DO THE CUSTOMS UNION AND SINGLE MARKET MATTER AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN AFTER BREXIT? When Britain stays in a custom union with Brussels (the European Commissions headquarters is pictured) is one of the main points of Brexit contention The customs union and single market have emerged as crucial battlegrounds in the struggle over Brexit. The customs arrangements could decide the fate of the overall deal - as the UK has already said it will ensure there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Here are the main options for what could happen after Britain leaves the bloc. Staying in the EU single market A Norway-style arrangement would be the deepest possible without formally staying in the EU. The single market rules out tariffs, quotas or taxes on trade, and guarantees free movement of goods, services, capital and - controversially - people. It also seeks to harmonise rules on packaging, safety and standards. Staying in the EU customs union The customs union allows EU states to exchange goods without tariffs, and impose common tariffs on imports from outside the bloc. But they also prevent countries from striking deals outside the union. Theresa May has repeatedly made clear that the UK will be leaving the customs union. Forging a new customs union Some MPs and the Labour leadership have raised the idea of creating a new customs union with the EU. This could be looser than the existing arrangements, but still allow tariff free trade with the bloc. However, many Eurosceptics believe it is impossible to be in a union without hampering the UK's ability to strike trade deals elsewhere. They also complain that it would mean accepting the EU's 'protectionist' tariffs against other parts of the world in areas like agriculture. The PM has also ruled out this option. A customs partnership Less formal than a union, this proposal would seek to cherry pick the elements that facilitate tariff-free trade - without binding the UK's hands when it comes to deals with other countries. One possibility could be keeping the UK and EU connected for trade in goods, but allowing divergence for the services sector. The partnership option was floated by the government in a position paper last year. 'Highly streamlined' customs This scenario would be a 'bare minimum' customs arrangement between the EU and UK. New technology would be deployed alongside a simple agreement to minimise friction. But there are fears that this could hit trade, and it is unclear how the system would work with a 'soft' Irish border. Advertisement

Customs union Q&A What is the customs union? The EU customs union is a trade agreement comprising all 28 members plus Monaco. Members do not impose tariffs on each other's goods as they cross borders. They apply the same tariffs on imports from nations outside the union. Why should we leave? Inside the customs union, the UK cannot negotiate its own trade deals with the third party countries. Taking back control of trade would mean huge economic advantages from doing deals with non-EU nations. We could also cut tariffs on goods we import to cut prices for consumers. Why do Remainers argue for the customs union? Remainers say leaving would damage the economy because it would involve customs checks at ports, slowing down the passage of goods and potentially damaging industries which rely on quick movement of goods, such as car producers. They also say it's not possible to have a 'frictionless border' in Ireland if the UK leaves the customs union. Why does Ireland matter? Brussels argues that it is impossible to have no 'hard border' - involving customs checks between the republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland if the UK leaves. As a result, the EU says the North must stay inside the customs union, in effect creating a customs border in the Irish Sea. Theresa May says this threatens our 'constitutional integrity' and is something she would never accept. What are our options? Ministers have made two customs proposals. One is a highly streamlined set of arrangements involving trusted trader schemes and spot checks away from the border. The other involves the EU collecting tariffs on our behalf and vice versa with refunds paid to importers whose goods were destined for Britain if our tariffs are lower. What do other countries do? Turkey is a customs union with the EU so is unable to negotiate its own trade deals. Switzerland is not, but it follows many EU rules and has slashed checks on its borders with EU countries, relying mostly on risk-based spot tests. What happens next? Remainer MPs and peers are trying to force Britain to stay inside the customs union by amending the EU Withdrawal Bill. Eurosceptic Tories fear ministers are preparing to roll over, destroying one of the great benefits of Brexit. Advertisement
The United Nations has launched an investigation after a former senior official with links to a British charity was arrested over serious child sex offences.

Police allege they found 60-year-old Peter Dalglish with two boys aged 12 and 14 in the same room when they launched a dawn raid at his idyllic mountainside home in Nagarkot, near Kathmandu, Nepal, earlier this month.

Dalglish has held various posts, some senior, with UN agencies which receive more than 582 million a year in foreign aid from British taxpayers.

In his most recent posting in 2015, he was the UN's 'country representative' in Kabul.

Peter Dalglish, pictured with a young male acquaintance, is a former Unicef and WHO official and was found with 'two young boys at his home in Nepal'

Detectives claim the lawyer-turned-charity boss has been abusing children in Nepal for 15 years after a young man in his mid-20s made historical allegations against him. Police say that 'medical and scientific evidence' against Dalglish will be presented by prosecutors when he appears in court on Wednesday.

Officers said they were tipped off by workers from another charity three months ago, but also received intelligence from a foreign law enforcement agency more recently, and were following Dalglish prior to the arrest.

'Initial investigations revealed that he had been targeting children from poor financial backgrounds and sexually abusing them,' said Pushkar Karki, director of Nepal's elite Central Investigation Bureau.

He claimed that Dalglish lured children away from their parents with offers to educate them, take them abroad and provide them with jobs.

He told The Mail on Sunday that Canadian-born Dalglish believed his status would make him invulnerable, adding: 'Those things made it easy for him to prey on those kids. And then they would be silenced, because he has got so much influence.'

Staff at various UN agencies were urgently investigating Dalglish's past activities last week.

Dalglish, pictured with Canadian premier Justin Trudeau, held a number of senior posts with the UN

The married father-of-one founded global charity Street Kids International (SKI), which is now part of London-based Save the Children. He says he was inspired to help youngsters by the 1984 Ethiopian famine, which gave rise to Band Aid and Live Aid, and in his autobiography he writes of meeting Bob Geldof the following year at a camp in Sudan.

He recalled watching refugee children cluster around Geldof and observed: 'I have always believed that many kids come with a built-in radar that tells them which adults they can trust and which they should fear.'

Dalglish, whose net worth has been estimated at more than 5 million, has met Canadian premier Justin Trudeau and Princess Anne through his humanitarian work.

About 15 years ago, he founded the Himalayan Community Foundation, providing healthcare and education to remote communities in Nepal.

Dalglish had a 30-year career with the UN and was arrested at his house in Nepal (pictured)

Dalglish's career spans more than 30 years, and at various times, he has held many posts, some of them senior, in UN agencies, including World Food Programme, Unicef, WHO, and UN-Habitat, the organisation's home-building programme.

WFP said it was checking its records for the mid-1980s but had not yet found Dalglish's name  a spokesman added that he could have been a local appointment.

UN-Habitat revealed that Dalglish worked for it between 2010 and 2015, but there have 'not been any reports or allegations on any misconduct during his tenure'. WHO said it was 'shocked' at the allegations but added that no complaints had been made against him.

Save the Children said that Dalglish had never worked for the charity, adding: 'Save the Children acquired one of SKI's programmes and some of its assets in 2015.' Unicef said they were reviewing their records. Sir Bob Geldof declined to comment.

Dalglish's lawyer Rahul Chapagain insisted his client was innocent and added: 'Charges have not be filed but he denies the allegations. He will plead not guilty.'
Police have launched a hunt for British father suspected of abducting his twin daughters from their home in France.

John Patterson, 46, is alleged to have taken three-year-old Ava and Mia Patterson from a property in Metz after losing a custody battle with his wife.

Adam Pietrasiewicz, the children's grandfather, posted pictures of them on Facebook claiming they had been 'unlawfully taken'.

'The French police is investigating the case but our goal is to reach ordinary people everywhere to help getting a locate on them,' he said.

Three-year-old twins Ava and Mia Patterson are alleged to have been taken from a property in Metz after their father lost a custody battle with his wife

It is alleged that John Patterson (pictured), 46, failed to bring the children home last year

'So please share and keep and eye open. They can be everywhere.'

Alexsandra Pietrasiewicz, Patterson's wife, said her husband had a right to see the girls on alternate weekends but alleged that he had not brought them back after one such visit.

She claimed Patterson had failed to bring the girls back or take them to school, and there had been no trace of his car or phone ever since.

There was a danger that Patterson would have taken the children to Britain as they had dual nationality, she said.

Police believe Patterson may have fled from France into neighbouring Luxembourg, The Sun on Sunday reports.

The couple previously lived in Warwick in the UK, according to the Facebook page.
So Brussels is determined to play hardball. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. If it means we can now press on and deliver a real Brexit, all well and good. As Theresa May has said many times, no deal is better than a bad deal  and what the EU is trying to bully us into is very much a bad deal.

However, nothing in these talks is ever straightforward. The complete derailment of Brexit is still a real possibility and it is an outcome some of Britains own negotiators, led by Olly Robbins, may be unwittingly assisting. Worse than that, those same negotiators may be dangerously close to winning the Prime Ministers approval.

Its why Tory MPs who are determined to honour the result of the 2016 referendum must now warn Mrs May that we could never support that outcome in the Commons.

Theresa May has said many times, no deal is better than a bad deal when it comes to Brexit

According to reports, EU negotiators have spurned all our proposals to avoid a hard border in Ireland. Those included a customs partnership dreamt up by British officials to solve the impasse and ensure Mrs May keeps her promise to stay out of the customs union. The ingenious plan goes like this: the UK would indeed quit the customs union and be able to sign post-Brexit free-trade deals with countries around the globe.

As the Leave side promised in the referendum campaign, we would be free to set our own, lower tariffs on imports. But to avoid a hard Irish border, the UK would take on the role of the EUs tax collector.

We would impose the full tariffs on products destined for the Continent and pass the money on to Brussels. Importers of goods staying in the UK would receive a rebate. Et voila! No need for customs posts in Ireland and full steam ahead for post-Brexit free-trade deals.

Brexit Secretary David Daviss wily Brussels counterpart, Michel Barnier, is simply preparing the ground for a grand compromise

But sadly, this is nothing more than a Byzantine scheme designed first to slow down Brexit and then to strangle it.

Some of the people proposing it know such an immensely complicated  and untried  arrangement is guaranteed to end in chaotic failure. At which point, they will conclude we have no choice but to rejoin the fully fledged EU customs union, with its inflexible tariffs, all overseen by the European Court of Justice.

Bang goes our independent trade policy and with it our independence. In effect, bang goes Brexit. We would no longer be members of the EU but in name only. There were reports last week that the EU has rejected the Irish border proposal. But in my view, and that of many fellow Conservative MPs, it is merely a negotiating ploy.

I suspect that Brexit Secretary David Daviss wily Brussels counterpart, Michel Barnier, is simply preparing the ground for a grand compromise in which, ever so reluctantly, the EU signs up to something it apparently did not want.

It is all part of the tortuous negotiation dance, a baroque ballet to befuddle the Brexiteers.

I tell the Prime Minister today that such a con trick on the British people cannot be countenanced.

I speak for many Tory MPs when I say that whatever the consequences, we could never vote for it. Far better for Britain simply to go  to leave the EU on open, honest terms.
Chicago White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar suffered a brain hemorrhage on Friday

A White Sox reliever has suffered a brain hemorrhage while in the dugout during a game, and is in stable but critical condition.

Danny Farquhar, 31, got two outs in the top of the sixth on Friday night against Houston, and fainted moments later after returning to the dugout at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.

Farquhar, 1-1 in eight appearances this season, faced four batters and threw 15 pitches to get the final two outs in the top of the sixth before he passed out.

Farquhar was helped by team medical personnel and on-site EMTs. He regained consciousness before he was taken to a hospital by ambulance.

The White Sox announced Saturday that additional testing revealed the brain hemorrhage was caused by a ruptured aneurysm.

Farquhar is seen pitching on April 16 in Oakland, California. He threw 15 pitches on Friday night before collapsing in the dugout moments later

Farquhar was receiving treatment and being closely monitored in the neurosurgical ICU unit at Rush University Medical center.

The team said it will provide updates on Farquhar's health as appropriate, but requested privacy for the family.

'It takes your breath away a little bit,' manager Rick Renteria said after Chicago's 10-0 loss to the Astros.

'One of your guys is down there and you have no idea what's going on. Again, the medical staff was like there right away the whole time and you know they called into the EMTs and somebody was already caring for him before they even got up,' Renteria said.

Farquhar (43) is seen during a mound visit on April 4. He is was rushed to the hospital on Friday night after collapsing in the dugout due to a ruptured brain aneurysm

Farquhar was selected by Toronto in the 10th round of the 2008 draft and made his major league debut with the Blue Jays in 2011. The right-hander is 10-15 with a 3.93 ERA in 253 career relief appearances with Toronto, Seattle, Tampa Bay and Chicago.

The White Sox placed Farquhar on the 10-day disabled list before the second game of their weekend set against Houston.

Right-hander Gregory Infante was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte.
A New York man said his father-less childhood is what prompted him to sue his ex-girlfriend from using their frozen embryos to get pregnant.

Kevin Heldt, a 46-year-old tech salesman from Brooklyn, is currently embroiled in a bitter legal battle with his ex, Ilissa Watnik, over the use of four embryos they stored away while they were in a relationship.

Watnik, 42, wants to use the embryos to have a child. Heldt wants the court to stop her.

In a legal response filed Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court, Heldt explained that he filed the lawsuit because he knows the pain of growing up without a father.

Having grown up primarily with my mother, I understand the void a child feels when everyones father is around, and your father is not, he said, according to the New York Post.

Kevin Heldt (left) said he's suing his ex-girlfriend Ilissa Watnik (right) over the use of their frozen embryos because he knows the pain of growing up without a father

The former lovers are currently embroiled in a legal battle over the use of their embryos. Watnik, a lawyer, wants to use them to get pregnant but Heldt is trying to stop her. The above photo shows a computer illustration of in vitro fertilization

I would have difficulty going to bed at night without knowing whether my child has a roof over his head, clothes on his back or food in his stomach.

Heldt said he knows Watnik, a lawyer, could provide financially for the child but he would still feel a moral obligation to be a part of the child's life since it would be genetically his.

Her ability to support a child independent of me would not fill the void in my heart if I knew I had turn(ed) my back on a child that shared my genetics,' he wrote in court papers.

I respect Ilissas desire to become a parent. Ilissa should respect my desire not to want to become a parent with her.

According to the Post, Heldt listed several ways his ex could become a mother without forcing him to become a biological parent. He also said her claims that he is suing her to run out her biological clock were 'outdated'.

Fortunately for Ilissa and all of us, neither age, or infertility problems of any type, prohibit us from the joy of having a child, he said, adding that she could adopt, use donor eggs and sperm or hire a surrogate to carry the baby.

Adopted children placed in wonderful homes have gone on to change the world  Steve Jobs is the prime example. Thus, today, perhaps for less than the cost of this litigation, a person can become a parent without regard to biological clocks.

Watnik, pictured in an old photo, accused Heldt of suing her in order to run out her biological clock

Phil Chronakis, a lawyer for Watnik fired back at Heldt's response saying adoption is a wonderful thing but 'irrelevant' for their case.

Chronakis also dismissed Heldt's claims that his childhood fears are the reason he's suing Watnik.

Nobody cares about his childhood or fears.  His real fear should be children somebody learning how their sperm donor of a father fought tooth and nail to prevent their birth,' the attorney said.

Heldt and Watnik's legal drama began last year when Watnik went to the Reproductive Medicine Associates of New York to use the frozen embryos.

While Heldt and Watnik were in a relationship, they decided to try and have children through in vitro fertilization. Their first attempt at IVF did not result in a pregnancy - which made Watnik concerned that time was running out.

It was then decided that the couple would freeze the embryos and, according to Watnik, they signed an agreement stating that if their relationship ended, she would receive the frozen embryos for any purpose, including attempting to establish a pregnancy.

Watnik and Heldt eventually broke up in 2016 after two years of dating.

When Watnik went to the clinic to make use of the frozen embryos, Heldt was contacted to confirm the relationship was over.

The case bears similarity to that of Modern Family star Sofia Vergara (left). The Colombian actress was sued by her ex, Nick Loeb (right), who wanted to implant female embryos that the two created when they were together into a surrogate so that he could become a father

Heldt, however, said he would not consent and denied ever signing an agreement with Watnik.

Heldt filed a lawsuit last month in Manhattan Supreme Court to prevent her from obtaining the fertilized eggs.

Watnik accused her ex-boyfriend of trying to 'run out (her) biological clock'.

I am 42 years old. I want to be a mother. I want to raise a child, she said in court papers.

I am asking the court to enforce what I thought were already-resolved contractual issues I am asking the court to allow my use of those embryos so I may attempt (for a second time) to get pregnant.

The case bears similarity to that of Modern Family star Sofia Vergara.

The Colombian actress was sued by her ex, Nick Loeb, who wanted to implant frozen female embryos that the two created when they were together into a surrogate so that he could become a father.

The courts sided with Vergara, who did not consent to Loeb using the embryos.
The most beautiful stretch of coastline in the world? With its towering cliffs, dramatic seaside towns and the glittering Tyrrhenian Sea, the Amalfi Coast must surely come close.

But its more than just a stunning setting. There is the energy and culture of Naples, and extraordinary Pompeii, for ever preserved after the Vesuvius eruption of AD 79. And then theres a rich culinary tradition, from pasta-making to mozzarella  still lovingly crafted here  washed down afterwards with refreshing limoncello.

You will be joined on this special escorted tour by the godfather of Italian cuisine, Gennaro Contaldo. He grew up on the Amalfi Coast and no one knows more about the regions timeless appeal.

Glorious setting: Positano on the Amalfi Coast is a lust-worthy holiday destination

He will personally show readers his home town, and join you for liqueur tastings and cooking demonstrations. There is simply no better way to experience the seductive Amalfi Coast.

MEET OUR EXPERT Join Gennaro (pictured) on a culinary tour Gennaro Contaldo is widely known as the legendary chef who taught Jamie Oliver about Italian cooking. Born in Minori on the Amalfi Coast, Gennaro is one of our best-loved TV chefs, and the author of a dozen Italian recipe books. He regularly appears on Saturday Kitchen and on many of Jamies shows. He has also presented Two Greedy Italians alongside Antonio Carluccio. Advertisement

REASONS TO BOOK

GENNARO CONTALDO TOUR

The legendary chef will take you on a guided tour of the place where he was raised, Minori, a town thats famous for its pasta.

COOKERY MASTERCLASS

Enjoy limoncello tastings with Gennaro, who will also give you a cookery demonstration of the skills he learned on the Amalfi Coast as a young man. Enjoy a farewell meal with him on your final night.

SUPERB TASTES OF ITALY

This is a journey that will tantalise the tastebuds throughout. You will visit a mozzarella producer, enjoy meals at excellent restaurants and have the chance to try out your cooking skills.

CLASSIC SIGHTS

Visit the extensive ruins of Pompeii, the Roman city destroyed by the might of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. On a guided walking tour with a local expert, you will get an insight into everyday Roman life as you wander the basilica, forum and amphitheatre. You will also discover the Greek temples of Paestum, with their gleaming white marble set against a mountain backdrop. This is largely off the tourist track, but its well worth the effort.

Ancient ruins: A Paestum temple (above)

THE AMALFI COAST

Mouthwatering: The trip includes a tour of Minori, a town thats famous for its pasta.

Discover the 13 towns of the Amalfi Coast, all full of history and culture. Stops include the wonderful Villa Rufolo  the beautiful grounds were the inspiration for the setting of Wagners opera Parsifal. Youll also see glorious Positano and visit Villa Cimbrone, which has entranced visitors including Winston Churchill, Virginia Woolf and Greta Garbo, who famously fell in love here.

CAPRI

No visit to this part of Italy would be complete without making the voyage across the cobalt-blue Tyrrhenian Sea to the gorgeous island of Capri.

WHAT'S INCLUDED? Flights to Naples.

Eight-day escorted tour.

All transport.

Cookery masterclass and tour with Gennaro Contaldo.

Meals with drinks as stated in itinerary.

All entrance fees as stated in itinerary.

Good accommodation. Advertisement
Heaven: Bruno (above) in the Maldives in 2010

Continuing our series featuring the holiday memories of famous people, this week Strictly Come Dancing judge BRUNO TONIOLI, 62, recalls his life of adventures

First holiday I can remember:

When my parents could afford it, in August they would send me from our damp flat in Ferrara to get some sea air in Cervia, a resort on the Adriatic coast, with my grandmother and two cousins. When I was four we went for a month, with four of us squashed into one room. It was a 45-minute walk to the beach from our bedsit and every day my sainted grandmother would carry a large beach umbrella there and back, because they were too expensive to hire.

First time abroad:

In 1974 I was plucked from obscurity to play Jesus Christ in the satirical revue La Grand Eugene which went to Paris. Coming from a small Italian town, I was stunned by the glamour and beauty of the French capital and I went to the opera for the first time. To see The Magic Flute at the Palais Garnier was like the discovery of a whole new world.

Best ever trip:

The first time I could treat myself to a proper holiday was in the early 1980s and I went on safari in Kenya. The beauty of the landscape and the clarity of the air take your breath away. I was 6ft from a rhinoceros, which was mind-blowing. I stayed in a beautiful camp with a tent like a hotel room and had fantastic views of Mount Kilimanjaro. It was like Out Of Africa.

Worst ever trip:

I am very particular about my hotels. The only time I made a misjudgment was 20 years ago when I let a travel company book my trip to Mexico. I said I needed a very nice hotel on the beach and wanted to go to the ruins at Tulum. The hotel turned out to be a 2,500-room monster with all-inclusive drinks and buffet starting at 11am  my version of hell. But I couldnt move because it was Christmas and everywhere was full. It wasnt even near Tulum. I went out all day, every day, and saw every Mayan site on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Fond memories: A young Bruno in Italy with his parents

Favourite place:

When my three months of commuting between London and Los Angeles for Strictly comes to an end each December, I need to recharge my batteries. The Maldives is where I can pull the plug and do nothing except swim and read.

My dream destination:

Ive done almost every tropical destination except the South Pacific. My dream is to go to Bora Bora. It sounds like paradise and ticks all my boxes  blue sea, white sand and swaying palms  and its in French Polynesia, so the food should be good.

My perfect companion:

I like going on holiday on my own. A companion would have to be someone I can have a laugh with, be easy-going, and say Whatever you like, darling a lot.

The first thing I pack:

Three books  I cant stand reading on a tablet. I read biographies and thrillers, and always in English. Italian is my first language but English is my chosen language.
A fellow DJ feared Avicii would drink and party himself to death three years before he was found dead in his hotel room on Friday.

Laidback Luke, real name Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, said the Swedism EDM producer 'looked terrible' when he played a set in Ibiza in August 2015.

He was at the time worried Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, would 'join the 27 club' of artists like Amy Winehouse and Jeff Buckley who died before their time.

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A fellow DJ feared Avicii would drink and party himself to death three years before he was found dead in his hotel room on Friday

Laidback Luke, real name Lucas Cornelis van Scheppingen, said the Swedism EDM producer 'looked terrible' when he played a set in Ibiza in August 2015

'It sounds horrible but its the truth, and I cant take back the overwhelming sense of frustration I felt,' he wrote in a 2015 article for Billboard.

The body of the 28-year-old internationally renowned DJ was discovered in Muscat on Friday, a publicist confirmed.

Van Scheppingen described what young artists face when touring and recording constantly and how they sleep little and fill the void with substances.

'The pressures of being on the road as a DJ are constant and relentless. Unlike pop, rock or rap, they dont tour in cycles  theyre always on tour, virtually every week, sometimes every day,' he wrote.

'The first few years of heavy touring can have a major impact on a person's life, health and sanity.

'DJs on tour average about four hours of sleep per night, and with drinking, after-parties, adulation and everything that comes with it, it's easy to lose oneself.'

Music veteran Nile Rodgers also recalled his concern over Avicii's health, saying he was 'drunk' the last time they saw each other.

Music veteran Nile Rodgers has revealed his fears over Avicii's alcohol issues as he was 'drunk' the last time they saw each other

Nile, who worked alongside Avicii many times over the years, last teamed up with the star at a concert three years ago.

The Chic star revealed he was distraught to discover his friend was 'drunk' and warned him about the risks to his health.

Avicii quit touring in 2016 due to battles with his health, suffering from acute pancreatitis and had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.

In the past, the DJ struggled with addiction and was hospitalised twice for alcohol related issues.

The heartbroken performer also paid tribute to his 'little bro' on Twitter (pictured)

Nile told the Associated Press: 'He had promised me he would stop drinking, and when I saw him he was drunk that night. And I was like, 'Whoa. Dude. C'mon. What are you doing? What's going on? You said that that was done,'

'We did a show and I was a little upset. I didn't even stick around for his performance because it was breaking my heart.'

He added: 'I'm shocked because I don't know medically what happened, but I can just say as a person, as a friend, and more importantly, as a musician, Tim was one of the greatest, natural melody writers I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant musicians on this planet.'

The heartbroken performer also paid tribute to his 'little bro' on Twitter, writing: 'Dear Tim your family have my most heartfelt condolences. You were my little bro. Love always.'

American DJ Skrillex echoed Nile's sentiments writing that 'the industry can be rough' and that he saw it 'take a toll' on the musician.

Skrillex, real name Sonny John Moore, worked with Avicii on the 2011 song Levels, which catapulted Avicii into the mainstream market and later earned him a Grammy nomination.

In a message on Instagram, Skrillex said: 'The remix I did of Levels hasn't left my set since I made it back in 2011.

'All though we weren't 'close friends' I feel this deep sadness through the connection we had through this song. Tim was a truly a genius and an innovator, yet sensitive and humble.

American DJ Skrillex echoed Nile's sentiments in Instagram, writing that 'the industry can be rough' and that he saw it 'take a toll' on the musician

'This industry can be rough and from afar I saw it take a toll on him. I just wish I could have hugged him more and told him it would be okay.

'You're music will forever be apart of mine and so many other lives. Maybe that's the closest thing we have to immortality.

'I really hope you're essence, wherever it may be in the universe is now at peace.

'And if in some miracle you can see this, I hope you know that as long as human beings are alive on this planet, you will forever remain an inspiration. Thank you Tim. RIP.'

The body of the internationally renowned producer, whose real name was Tim Bergling, was found in Oman on Friday, a publicist confirmed

Popstar Rita Ora has paid emotional tribute to the Swedish DJ, Avicci, who was found dead in Oman today, while a host of other musicians have also spoken out about the tragic loss

'Devastated by the news': Paris Hilton also took to the photo sharing Instagram page where she posted a picture of the young DJ with a heartfelt message

Popstar Rita Ora, who worked with Avicii on Lonely Together, has also paid emotional tribute to the producer.

She penned on Twitter: 'I have no words. I remember how amazing it was to make Lonely Together and it felt like just yesterday we were talking.

'Condolences to Avicii's family, friends, and the fans who supported him. May he rest in peace. Gone too soon. I'm devastated. Heartbroken.'

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim.'

Former One Direction star Liam Payne wrote: 'Oh my god truly devastated for Avicii very very sad news way to young ... what a talent he was. rest in peace.'

Madonna paid tribute on Instagram with a photograph of herself and Avicii behind the DJ decks at a gig, with the caption: 'So sad. So tragic. Goodbye dear sweet Tim.'

Last post: Avicii shared this picture of himself posing in the rain on April 4, writing 'It's always sunny in California'

Friends: Accompanied with a picture of both himself and the rapper, David Guetta paid tribute with: 'Something really horrible happened'

Paris Hilton also took to the photo sharing Instagram page where she posted a picture of the young DJ with a heartfelt message.

'Devastating hearing the sad news of @Avicii passing. Such a sweet soul with a big heart & incredible talent,' she wrote. 'So many amazing memories together. My thoughts & prayers are with his family. Rest In Peace my friend.'

Charlie Puth added: 'Wow, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the man who really opened my eyes as to what my productions could one day sound like. Avicii was a genius and a music innovator, and I can not believe he is no longer with us. RIP to the very best.'

Shawn Mendes wrote: '...'One day you'll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember' - Avicii Inspiring millions with the joy of his music, will never be forgotten. Rest easy, Tim.'

Dua Lipa followed suit saying: 'Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x.' (sic)

Accompanied with a picture of both himself and the rapper, David Guetta paid tribute with: 'Something really horrible happened. We lost a friend with such a beautiful heart and the world lost an incredibly talented musician.

'He really opened my eyes to sound': Charlie Puth also expressed his sorrow for the young DJ passing away on the social media platform

Heartbreaking: Ellie Goulding expressed: 'Rest easy Avicii, you inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person x.'

'So sad': Madonna paid tribute on Instagram with a photograph of herself and Avicii behind the DJ decks at a gig, with the caption: 'So sad. So tragic. Goodbye dear sweet Tim.'

Ellie Goulding expressed: 'Rest easy Avicii, you inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person x.' (sic)

'Thank you for your beautiful melodies, the time we shared in the studio, playing together as djs or just enjoying life as friends. RIP @Avicii.'

Avicii quit touring in 2016 due to battles with his health, suffering from acute pancreatitis and had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.

In the past, the DJ struggled with addiction and was hospitalised twice for alcohol related issues.

The DJ's publicist said in a statement: 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii.

'He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th.

'The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.'

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim'

While former One Direction star Liam Payne wrote: 'Oh my god truly devastated for Avicii very very sad news way to young ... what a talent he was. rest in peace'

Tragedy: Dua Lipa followed suit saying: 'Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x.'

Pictured: The late producer and DJ with his mother during his childhood

Avicii battled with acute pancreatitis - which is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas - due in part to excessive drinking.

As a result he had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, cancelling a series of shows in attempt to recover.

He quit touring in 2016 in order to focus on his health and recovery.

Although he quit touring two years ago, the DJ continued making music in the studio, and collaborated with everyone from Madonna to Coldplay.

'It's been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent,' Avicii told Billboard magazine in 2016.

'When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price - a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me - but it was the best journey of my life.'

Famous friends: The DJ is pictured right, with Steve Aoki and Armin van Buuren

Avicii was a pioneer of the contemporary Electronic Dance Movement and a rare DJ capable of worldwide arena tour.

He earned $250,000 a night when playing out sold-out shows, according to GQ.

He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations. Known for Wake Me Up! The Days, You Make Me, and the recent Lonely Together with Rita Ora, Avicii's biggest hit was Le7els.

Avicii's death comes just days after he was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album for his EP Avicii (01), which he released last August.

The star's last tweet was to thank the organisation, he wrote: 'Thanks for the nomination! @billboard #BBMAS'

Fans around the world have noticed the heartbreaking final tweet from the legendary DJ, as it gains new poignancy in the wake of his death

Last year, the musician posted a statement on his website in which he said creating music was what he lived for.

He wrote: '[Creating music] is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.

'Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense  the studio.

'The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new.'

As news of his death broke on Friday, Avicii's celebrity friends rushed to pay tribute.

Fans were likewise distressed,flooding social media with tributes.
The First Wives Club is set to return to television screens more than two decades after the successful film debuted in theaters.

Paramount Pictures announced on Thursday that the 1996 movie starring Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn will be adapted into a 10-episode TV series.

While the TV adaptation has yet to be cast, the show will follow three college friends who bond over their failed marriages- much like the original film.

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Throwback: The First Wives Club is set to return to television screens more than two decades after the successful film debuted

Girls Trip co-writer Tracy Oliver is slated to write and produce the new series.

'Girls Trip was one of the funniest comedies in recent memory and we know Tracy will breathe new life, and some serious laughs, into these beloved characters,' Amy Powell, president of Paramount TV, said.

Production is set to begin this summer in New York for a series premiere in 2019.

Reboot: Paramount Pictures announced on Thursday that the 1996 film will be adapted into a 10-episode TV series

Out for revenge: Not yet cast, the show will follow three college friends who bond over their failed marriages

Oliver - who will also serve as the executive producer - further conveyed her passion for the reboot of the classic film.

'I think the premise is really timeless,' she said. 'You can tell this story at any point and it's relatable.'

Tracy added: 'At it's core it's about female friendship and it's really empowering. It's about women discovering themselves.'

Leading ladies: Paramount Pictures announced on Thursday that the 1996 movie starring Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn will be adapted into a 10-episode TV series

'Tracy Oliver is a brilliant writer and the perfect visionary to bring this unforgettable story from the big screen to the small screen in a fresh and contemporary way,' said Keith Cox, President, Development and Production, Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT.

The network reported that the half-hour series will 'follow a group of women who band together after their marriages fall apart.'

Much like the original film, the ladies find 'strength in their sisterhood' among mischievous acts and, of course, a little revenge.
She's a double platinum rock star who is presently on tour.

But Pink still finds time to read to the two children she shares with her husband, retired pro motorcycle racer Carey Hart, 42.

The 36-year-old posted a cute snap of daughter Willow, six, and one-year-old son Jameson both laughing as they sat on her lap in their pajamas while mom held up The Girl Who Drank The Moon by author Kelly Barnhill.

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'Storytime/Charlottesville': Pink shared this cute snap of herself reading to Willow, six, and one-year-old Jameson as they sat on her lap in their pajamas

The 36-year-old captioned the sweet image: 'Storytime/Charlottesville.'

Charlottesville, Virginia, is where the star, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore, played on Thursday evening.

And she also shared a pic of a book she's reading for herself at the moment, author Shefali Tsabary's The Awakened Family, How To Raise Emplowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children.

Reading: She also shared a pic of a book she's reading for herself at the moment, author Shefali Tsabary's The Awakened Family, How To Raise Emplowered, Resilient, and Conscious Children

Family first: The True Love hitmaker kicked off her Beautiful Trauma world tour, in support of her album of the same name, on March 1 in Phoenix Arizona; seen on Instagram

Pink captioned it: 'This book is blowing my mind. Oh I have so much to learn/unlearn.'

The True Love hitmaker kicked off her Beautiful Trauma world tour, in support of her album of the same name, on March 1 in Phoenix Arizona.

She is due to play 88 dates in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand where it is due to wrap in Auckland on September 8.

Sweet! She performed a flawless rendition of the National Anthem during Superbowl LII in February even though she was battling the flu

Pink met Carey at the 2001 X Games in Philadelphia. Following a brief separation in 2003, Pink proposed to him in June 2005 during a Mammoth Lakes motocross race.

She was assisting in his race and wrote 'Will You Marry Me? I'm serious!' on a pit board.

They married in Costa Rica on January 7, 2006.
They marked their second wedding anniversary on April 16.

And in celebration of their special day, The Good Doctor star Nicholas Gonzalez enjoyed a Mexican getaway with wife Kelsey Crane.

The duo soaked up the sun as they headed to the Grand Fiesta Americana hotel in Puerto Vallarta.

Mini vacation: The Good Doctor star Nicholas Gonzalez, 42, enjoyed a Mexican getaway with wife Kelsey Crane

Living the life of luxury: The duo soaked up the sun as they headed to the Grand Fiesta Americana hotel in Puerto Vallarta

Nicholas was clad in simple black board shorts.

Wife Kelsey was styled in a bright teal swimsuit, shades and a large straw hat.

The stylish couple casually walked along the sandy beaches, drinks in hand.

Keeping it basic: Nicholas was clad in simple black board shorts

Bold and bright: Wife Kelsey was styled in a bright teal swimsuit

Beach ready: The blonde beauty accessorized with a straw hat, shades, minimal jewelry and simple sandals

Just casually walking on by: The fit couple switched things up as they brought along different drinks for another separate stroll along the shore

Not seen with the couple of two years was daughter Ever Lee, one.

The duo welcomed their first child last March, almost one year since their April 2016 nuptials.

When he's not home with his family, the San Antonio, Texas native is busy supporting them.

Imagine the beauty before their eyes: The ever-so-in-love duo stopped to romantically gaze at the sunset

All hers: Kelsey warmly embraced her husband

Life's tough sometimes: Long walks on the beach certainly tired out the couple, so they stopped for a quick rest

Alone time: Not seen with the couple of two years was daughter Ever Lee, one

The handsome actor stars as Dr. Neil Melendez on the hit show, The Good Doctor.

The medical drama stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, a surgeon who has autism.

Up next for the actor is starring role in the film, Beneath Us, set for release later this year.

New parents: The couple welcomed their first child last March, almost one year since their April 2016 nuptials
A teenage girl who survived the terror attack at Manchester Arena has returned to the city in order to audition for Britain's Got Talent .

Hollie Booth, 13, was shielded from the blast by her protective aunt Kelly Brewster, 32, who was killed by terrorist Salman Abedi last May after watching Ariana Grande perform.

And on tonight's episode of Britain's Got Talent, the incredibly brave teen from Sheffield returns to the city where 22 people were killed and hundreds were injured to bravely audition with her dance group Rise.

Inspirational: Hollie Booth, 13, returns to the city where 22 people were killed and hundreds were injured to bravely audition with her dance group RISE on Saturday's Britain's Got Talent

Hollie, left, attended the concert along with her aunt Kelly Brewster, right, who was killed

The inspirational hopeful still uses a wheelchair after suffering two broken legs in the attack, as well as nerve damage, and has undergone 11 operations with more in the future.

In order to honour Hollie and Manchester, the girls - aged between 10 to 24, leave judges Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden in tears as they dance in wheelchairs to a medley of Ariana Grande songs while wearing Manchester worker bee t-shirts.

The audition was the first time she had been to an arena-like venue since being taken by her mother, Claire Booth, to the Ariana Grande concert for her birthday.

'It was an amazing, happy day that just ended so badly. We got up to leave and as we got into the foyer that's when the bomb went off,' Ms Booth said.

On her audition, Hollie said that it was difficult coming back to Manchester, but added: 'Everybody has been absolutely supportive and I couldn't have asked for anything better.'

'It feels amazing,' she said.

She was praised by Simon Cowell for her efforts at the audition.

Hollie Booth and Kelly Brewster pose at Manchester Arena before the Ariana Grande concert that ended in tragedy

Kelly Brewster and Hollie Booth pose in Ariana Grande t-shirts

Emotional: The brave teenager leaves troubled presenter Ant McPartlin in tears with her powerful performance

He said: 'Hollie ... this is difficult ... to get through what you went through and come out here and turn a negative into a positive is actually quite unbelievable.

'What these people did, they're cowards, and the fact that you can come on stage and do what you did and make such a positive statement with your friends, I'm very proud of you.

'In fact I salute you,' he added.

Kelly Brewster was killed in the attack while shielding her daughter

He added it was 'a moment he'd never forget' while judge Alesha Dixon described the audition as 'bigger than the show'.

Hollie broke her right knee and her left foot and leg as well as suffering nerve damage meaning she cannot walk without wearing a splint.

Ms Booth said her daughter 'takes my breath away every single day'.

'She's an inspiration to me and to everyone who comes across her,' she added.

Judge Amanda Holden told her: 'It's so important not to be defined by tragedy, to be shaped by it, but never defined by it.'

After their performance a number of the girls burst into tears before the four judges ventured backstage to congratulate them in an unprecedented move.

Kelly Brewster and Hollie Booth pose in One Direction t-shirts

Brave: Hollie still uses a wheelchair after suffering two broken legs in the attack, as well as nerve damage, and has undergone 11 operation

In May 2017, after Ariana Grande performed at Manchester Arena, Salman Abedi detonated a homemade explosive device, killing 23 people and injuring over 500, 59 of which were hospitalised.

Concert-goers, mainly children and young people, ran for their lives as the bomb detonated at the end of her performance, around 10.30pm.

Abedi, 22, used an explosive device packed with nuts and bolts to ensure maximum impact on his victims.

Amanda Holden teared up as she watched Rise's performance

Amanda Holden looks at fellow judge Alesha Dicon, both teary, as they watch the touching perfomance

The tickets had been a Christmas present. During the show, she took a selfie with her aunt and afterwards quickly left as Claire, Hollie's mother, had a headache and wanted to beat the crowds.

'We'd seen the set list so we knew what her last song was going to be. The minute Ariana left the stage we got up rather than wait for the lights.

'I'd got a headache and just wanted to get home. As we got to the top of the stairs the lights came on so we weren't that early but we'd beaten the crowd' Claire told the Sun.

Powerful: In order to honour Hollie and Manchester, the girls perform in wheelchairs as they dance to a medley of Ariana Grande songs while wearing Manchester bee t-shirts

Hero: The brave teenager reveals to the judges - Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon - that this is the first time she's returned to an arena

'We were in the foyer and we stopped because people seemed to be splitting in two directions, left and right.

'We decided to go left and literally a couple of seconds later the bomb went off. It was that quick' she added.

She said she knew it was a bomb and turned around to see her daughter and sister on the floor.

'I shouted to Kelly to run, dragged Hollie and we ran.

'We kept running, then Hollie said that Kelly wasn't with us, so we stopped and she just fell to the floor, she couldn't move any more.

'I was trying to get her to go back with me so we could find Kelly but I couldn't move her, so I left her and ran back inside to get Kelly. She was completely lifeless. She looked perfect. There was no blood, no visible injuries  she just looked asleep. I could hear Hollie screaming for me, screaming that she couldn't see anything.

Amazing: During the powerful performance, which leaves all the judges emotional, Hollie stands up from her wheelchair and puts her fist in the air

Tears: The routine leaves Simon emotional as he chokes up and says: 'fact I salute you!'

Emotional: Ant, who is currently in rehab and has stepped down from his TV commitments, is then comforted by Hollie's friends and family in the pre-recorded scenes

Ariana Grande performs at 'One Love Manchester' benefit concert in June. The star enlisted Justin Bieber, Coldplay, and Miley Cyrus to perform, it raised more than 10million for victims of the tragic attack

During the powerful performance, which leaves all the judges emotional as Hollie stands up from her wheelchair and puts her fist in the air, troubled presenter Ant McPartlin is reduced to tears.

As the girls perform, Declan Donnelly is also left touched, as he admits: 'Oh God, it gets you. Doesn't it?'

While Ant starts crying as he wipes away tears and adds: 'It does, doesn't it. Yeah, I know.'

The presenter, who is currently in rehab and has stepped down from his TV commitments, is then comforted by Hollie's friends and family.

The audition airs just a day after Ariana Grande released her first track since the bombing.

The track, released 11 months after the attack is called 'No Tears Left To Cry' and critics have said the imagery used in the video reflects the star's state-of-mind following the attack.

Ms Grande, whose benefit concert following the attack raised 10m for the victims - met Hollie shortly after the tragic bombing.

While in hospital, Hollie, then 12, missed the Queen's visit to victims as she was in surgery but shortly after her idol came to meet her.

Claire describes the meeting as 'bittersweet'.

'She gave Hollie something she needed. It was about ten at night, she'd had a horrible day and was in so much pain' she said.

More that 500 people turned out for the funeral of Kelly Brewster in July

'Ariana walked in the room. It was dark but you could just see this little girl and the minute Hollie realised who she was she burst into tears.

'They sat and talked about Harry Potter and took loads of selfies.

'She was telling Hollie how proud she was of her, to keep fighting and that she loved her. It's what you want from your idol, you want to hear that stuff.

'The smile it put on Hollie's face was amazing, I think it gave her something more to fight for. She needed that.'

Kelly Brewster was described as 'loved' and 'lived her short years to the best as she possibly could'

More that 500 people turned out for the funeral of Kelly Brewster in July.

She was a former City School pupil who worked for Irwin Mitchell Solicitors and insurance company Aviva and had just bought a house with her boyfriend Ian Winslow. Her family asked for any donations to be sent to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Ahead of the funeral they a released a statement which read: 'Kelly was the darling daughter of Kevin and Kim, loving partner of Ian, cherished sister to Claire and Adam, much-loved auntie of Demi and Hollie, best friend to Ian's daughter Phoebe and a special sister-in-law to Dale.

'Kelly truly loved life and packed as much into her short years as she possibly could - her passion was to travel the world and visit new places. Kelly was at a time in her life where she was truly at her happiest.

The episode also sees a singing priest, a stand-up comedian who is unable to speak following complications with cerebral palsy and a pair of daring acrobats.

Britain's Got Talent continues on Saturday at 8pm on ITV.
She rose to fame after representing Australia at the Miss Universe competition in 2006.

Now, over a decade later, Erin McNaught is fully focused on embracing her role as a mother, sharing an adorable Instagram snap bonding with baby Ennio.

Perhaps referencing her seven-month-old's sunny disposition, the 35-year-old captioned the post: 'Son's out again.'

Doting mum: Erin McNaught, 35, is fully focused on embracing her role of mother, sharing an adorable Instagram snap bonding with baby Ennio

Dressed in a sleeveless white number and matching runners, Erin cradled her seven-month-old son in the two-part picture series.

The Brisbane beauty's geotag indicated the snap was taken in London, her husband's hometown.

In addition to baby Ennio, the former Neighbours actress also shares three-year-old son Evander with her musician husband of almost five years, Example.

'Son's out again': The fitness enthusiast perhaps referenced Ennio's sunny disposition

Family life: In addition to baby Ennio, the former Neighbours actress also shares three-year-old son Evander with her musician husband of almost five years, Example

Erin frequently uses Instagram to share pictures of her family life with her over 165,000 followers.

The baby joy comes after heartache for the couple who suffered a miscarriage in 2016.

In a recent interview on UK talk show Lorraine, Example, whose real name is Elliot Gleave, opened up on how he was impacted by the loss.

Beauty queen: Erin first rose to fame after she represented Australia at Miss Universe

The 35-year-old said he struggled to cope with his grief as no one in his family had miscarried before, instead falling into the assumption that he needed to be strong for the sake of his wife.

He said: 'It's that old-fashioned ideal that men should be tougher and not show their emotions and it's what leads us down the path of male suicide.

'I didn't know how to talk about it no one in my family had lost one, you realise it's just about opening up, you just want to put all your time and effort into your Mrs.'
They're the Married At First Sight couple who appeared to forgive and forget during their tearful goodbye on the show.

But on Friday, groom Nasser Sultan appeared to take a swipe at ex-'wife' Gabrielle Bartlett.

The flamboyant 50-year-old reality star took to Instagram to share a short clip of himself letting fans know he will be giving away the M.J. Bale suit he was married in.

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'It's full of bad memories': Married At First Sight groom Nasser Sultan has appeared to take a swipe at ex-wife Gabrielle Bartlett as he revealed he's giving away his wedding suit

Walking down the stairs of his apartment, the aspiring beauty blogger did a twirl in front of the camera, showing off the bespoke clothing.

He then appeared to launch in: 'Hello guys, since my wedding is over and finished, this suit is full of bad memories.'

Speaking to the camera, the personal trainer continued by saying he wanted to give the $1,500 suit away to a Nasser fan.

The Channel Nine personality who is based in Surry Hills, encouraged his near 50,000 Instagram followers to tag a friend who deserves the light blue suit.

Here it is! The groom showed off the bespoke $1,500 suit in the short clip

Ending the short clip, Nasser cracked a joke by encouraging Prince Harry - who will soon wed Meghan Markle - to make a bid for the pre-loved items.

A number of his fans picked up on the reference to his marriage to Sydney-based actress Gabrielle.

Followers asked Nasser to explain what he meant by the comment, and if in-fact it was a dig at his polite and reserved bride.

'Bad memories? What bad memories? Do you mean that it just didn't work out?,' one Instagram user wrote, while another added: 'Why is everyone going crazy he meant it as a joke.'

Full of bad memories! After a strong start, the personal trainer's marriage to Gabrielle Bartlett, 44, (pictured) spectacularly fell apart

Appearing on last season of Married At First Sight, Nasser and Northern Beaches-based Gabrielle appeared to hit it off quite early on in the social experiment.

The pair, however, failed to ignite any kind of chemistry on the show, with both appearing to complain they were 'friend-zoned' early on.

The couple's relationship became increasingly volatile, with things seeming to come to a head after Nasser refused to stay with his TV wife during the show's home-stays.

In March, during one of the show's final commitment ceremonies, Nasser and Gabrielle bid an emotional farewell.
Amy Schumer is known for her hilarious stand-up routines.

But body image is no laughing matter for the comic.

Speaking to BW magazine on Saturday, the 36-year-old said: 'What you look like isn't who you are.'

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'What you look like is not who you are': I Feel Pretty star Amy Schumer, 36, has tackled the sensitive image of body image

Reflecting on the message of her new movie, Amy said: '[It] is to get out of your own way and realise that what you look like isn't who you are.'

The blonde, who covers self-esteem and confidence issues in the movie, added that it was important people recognised the power of their own voice.

'You have a voice and all of this potential - it's really your responsibility to live up to it and love yourself like your own mother.'

'It's really your responsibility to live up to it and love yourself like your own mother': The comedic actress struck a serious tone during the interview

It comes after it was revealed the actress rejected the opportunity to have curves retouched in the film.

Amy plays a young woman struggling with insecurities and revealed that she insisted her image wasn't changed in post-production.

Last Wednesday, speaking to CBS This Morning's Gail King, Amy explained: 'I said, 'Do not retouch me in this movie. Do not retouch anything.'

No filter! Amy Schumer explained why she rejected the chance to be retouched in her film I Feel Pretty while sitting down with CBS This Morning

'You see my cellulite. You see my, my rolls, whatever ... It's like, I feel great.'

Amy's latest project has received criticism in some quarters, with people claiming that it has body-shamed the actress.

But she's rubbished those suggestions, insisting it is intended to make people 'feel good about themselves.'

All out there! The star explained there was no hiding the real her, saying: 'You see my cellulite. You see my, my rolls, whatever'

She shared: 'I want other women, other people to feel good about themselves. And I think walking out of this movie, you really do.'

Meanwhile, Amy previously explained that in spite of some of the negativity surrounding her new movie, she hopes it will prove to be a source of inspiration for women.

The Hollywood star revealed she wants women to feel 'empowered' when they watch I Feel Pretty, which also stars Emily Ratajkowski and Michelle Williams.

Cast of characters: The Hollywood actress revealed she wants women to feel 'empowered' when they watch I Feel Pretty, which also stars Emily Ratajkowski [R] and Michelle Williams [L]

She said: 'We want women to feel empowered, we don't want anything to hold them back.

'If you feel someone is going to insult you, call you ugly or fat, it holds you back. I don't want anything to keep women from their full potential.'

I Feel Pretty was released in Australian theatres on Thursday April 19.
Jenna Dewan has been honored as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Humanitarian of the Year.

The 37-year-old actress appeared at the fifth annual St. Jude Hope & Heritage Gala in New York City on Friday to accept her award.

Dressed in a black, floral-patterned, floor-length gown with a plunging neckline, Jenna glowed as she walked the red carpet.

Round of applause: Jenna Dewan has been honored as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 's Humanitarian of the Year

It was her first event since her split with husband Channing Tatum.

She attended the event, which took place in New York City's Upper East Side, with her father Darryll Dewan.

Her medium-length dark locks fell playfully to just above her shoulders as she graciously accepted her award.

She wore a variety of rings - but not her wedding band - including one in the shape of flowers.

Helping hand: The 37-year-old actress appeared at the fifth annual St. Jude Hope & Heritage Gala in New York City on Friday to accept her award

Glowing: Dressed in a black, floral-patterned, floor-length gown with a plunging neckline, Jenna glowed as she walked the red carper

The actress and Channing used social media to announce in a joint statement on April 2 that they had decided to end their marriage after nine years.

They wrote: 'We have lovingly chosen to separate as a couple. We fell deeply in love so many years ago and have had a magical journey together.

'Absolutely nothing has changed about how much we love one another, but love is a beautiful adventure that is taking us on different paths for now.

'There are no secrets nor salacious events at the root of our decision  just two best-friends realizing it's time to take some space and help each other live the most joyous, fulfilled lives as possible.

'We are still a family and will always be loving dedicated parents to Everly.'

Waves: Her medium-length dark locks fell playfully to just above her shoulders as she graciously accepted her award

Single lady: She wore a variety of rings - but not her wedding band - including one in the shape of flowers

Father and daughter: She attended the event, which took place in New York City's Upper East Side, with her father Darryll Dewan (left)

Standing strong: The actress and her Hollywood movie star husband used social media to announce in a joint statement on April 2 that they had decided to end their marriage after nine years

Channing and Jenna became a couple after starring together in the 2006 dance film Step Up, then ultimately married in 2009.

Jenna gave birth to the couples only child in May of 2013 in London.

They reportedly remain focused on co-parenting and raising their daughter.

Us Weekly reported that source said, 'They are best friends and still support each other and go to each other's events and live in the same house.'

In the beginning: Channing and Jenna became a couple after starring together in the 2006 dance film Step Up, then ultimately married in 2009

Jetset: Jenna gave birth to the couples only child in May of 2013 in London

As a unit: They reportedly remain focused on co-parenting and raising their daughter
Zilda Williams first rose to fame as a contestant on The Bachelor, but has remained in the public eye largely thanks to her engaging Instagram content.

Her latest post on Monday showcases the glamour model's infamous assets, as she poses with a Buddha in the shot's background.

The 31-year-old playfully accompanied the photo with text that read: 'Hanging with my mate.'

'Hanging with my mate': Zilda Williams' latest Instagram post on Monday, showcased the glamour model's infamous assets as she poses with a Buddha

The New Zealand-born beauty was back in her homeland for the photo-op which was taken in the picturesque Whangaparaoa Peninsula, north of Auckland.

Three years ago, Zilda decided to downsize her assets from FF breast implants to a less buxom DD.

However earlier this year the former reality TV contestant announced on social media that her official chest size is now up to an EE cup.

Down a notch: Three years ago, Zilda decided to downsize her assets from FF breast implants to a less buxom DD

Kiwi: Zilda's most recent Instagram shot shows her back in her homeland in the picturesque Whangaparaoa Peninsula, north of Auckland

'My boobs are back to EEs,' she wrote at the time. 'Time to update the wardrobe! Need bras and bikinis asap.'

The bombshell also sported noticeably larger assets in a string of photos posted to Instagram in the weeks following.

Zilda previously told Daily Mail Australia back that her breasts had gone from a DD to an E due to weight gain.

Industry pressure: Zilda previously admitted that she had her natural DDs upgraded to FFs in her twenties after feeling 'pressured by the glamour modelling industry'

She previously said that she had her natural DDs upgraded to FFs in her twenties after feeling 'pressured by the glamour modelling industry.'

However, the hefty implants left Zilda with unbearable back pain and the 'wrong kind of attention from men.'

'My back pain is unbearable and I can't find many clothes that fit the rest of my body,' she said in 2015, just before her breast reduction.
He recently released his 15th studio album.

And riding on the heels of its success, Moby sold his Los Angeles-area home for $4.91 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The 52-year-old music mogul had originally listed the Los Feliz property for $4.495 million, netting a nearly $500,000 profit from the sale.

Off the market! Moby sold his Los Angeles-area home for $4.91 million, according to the Los Angeles Times

The world-renowned DJ and musician had recently renovated the traditional English-style home.

Moby - whose real name is Richard Melville Hall - purchased the home nearly two years ago for a cool $3.4million.

Many original details still remain in the home, including groin vault ceilings and delicate wainstcoting.

Congrats! The 52-year-old music mogul had originally listed the Los Feliz property for $4.495 million, netting a nearly $500,000 profit from the sale; seen in March

The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom property includes an office and a guest suite connected by a hidden passage.

A formal living room and a family room with built-ins are a few of the spectacular features of the stunning, 4,644-square-foot living space.

The eat-in kitchen received a bit of a facelift, which includes both an island and booth seating.

Nice! The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom property includes an office and a guest suite connected by a hidden passage

Readers ready: A formal living room and a family room with built-ins are a few of the spectacular features of the stunning, 4,644-square-foot living space

The walled and gated property features gorgeous trees lining the estate, with various sitting areas near the swimming pool and spa.

Moby is best known for bringing the electronic dance scene to a more mainstream platform, with an arsenal of hits under his belt.

A proud animal activist, he recently ventured into the restaurant world and opened a vegan bistro called Little Pine in Silver Lake three years ago.

Vintage: Many original details still remain in the home, including groin vault ceilings and delicate wainstcoting
Avicii, the Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ who performed sold-out concerts around the world died Friday at the age of 28.

The body of the Swedish-born producer, who is known for his EDM hits Wake Me Up and Hey Brother, was found in Oman, a publicist confirmed.

Avicii, born Tim Bergling, quit touring in 2016 due to battles with his health, suffering from acute pancreatitis and had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.

In the past, the DJ struggled with addiction and was hospitalised twice for alcohol related issues.

And now fans around the world have noticed the heartbreaking final tweet from the legendary DJ, as it gains new poignancy in the wake of his death.

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Avicii, the Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ who performed sold-out concerts around the world died Friday at the age of 28

Avicii accepts the award for favourite artist - electronic dance music at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles in 2013

Last post: Avicii shared this picture of himself posing in the rain on April 4, writing 'It's always sunny in California'

Fans around the world have noticed the heartbreaking final tweet from the legendary DJ, as it gains new poignancy in the wake of his death

Publicist Diana Baron said in a statement that the Swedish performer was found dead in Muscat, Oman.

It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii, the statement read. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.'

Avicii was recently nominated for the Billboard Music Awards 2018 in the 'Top Dance/Electronic Album', for his six-track EP Avici.

He addressed Billboard to thank them for the nomination on Twitter a few days ago and wrote: 'Thanks for the nomination! @billboard #BBMAS'

The DJ had been nominated six times since 2014 for an award - not including this year - and won the Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song in 2014 for Wake Me Up.

While the performer announced he was retiring from the road in 2016, he continued to produce songs and albums.

Avicii earned his first Grammy nomination at the 2012 show - for a collaboration with Guetta.

He continued to collaborate with more high-profile acts, producing Madonna's Devil Pray and the Coldplay hits, A Sky Full of Stars and Hymn for the Weekend.

Avicii earned his first Grammy nomination at the 2012 show - for a collaboration with Guetta

He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations. Known for Wake Me Up! The Days, You Make Me, and the recent Lonely Together with Rita Ora, Avicii's biggest hit was Levels

The DJ had in the past suffered acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. After having his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, he cancelled a series of shows in attempt to recover

He was also part of Mike Posner's hit I Took a Pill in Ibiza, which featured the lyrics: 'I took a pill in Ibiza, to show Avicii I was cool'.

The song was based off Posner's true story at an Avicii concert in Ibiza.

The DJ had in the past suffered acute pancreatitis, in part due to excessive drinking. After having his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, he cancelled a series of shows in attempt to recover.

'It's been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent,' Avicii told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016.

'When I look back on my life, I think: "whoa, did I do that?" It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price - a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me - but it was the best journey of my life.'

Last year, Avicii posted this message on his website, promising to keep creating: 'The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new.'

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim'

Friends: Accompanied with a picture of both himself and the rapper, David Guetta paid tribute with: 'Something really horrible happened'

Heartbreaking: Ellie Goulding expressed: 'Rest easy Avicii, you inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person x.'

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim'

Fans and members of the music community mourned his death on social media Friday.

'Something really horrible happened. We lost a friend with such a beautiful heart and the world lost an incredibly talented musician,' Guetta wrote on Instagram. 'Thank you for your beautiful melodies, the time we shared in the studio, playing together as djs or just enjoying life as friends. RIP @avicii.'

Calvin Harris called Avicii 'a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do.'

Ellie Goulding wrote that Avicii 'inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person.'

Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia , who knew Avicii from playing at their wedding, said they were saddened by his death.

'We are grateful that we got to know him and admired him as an artist and the great person he was. He made our wedding unforgettable with his amazing music. Our warmest thoughts go to his family,' they said in a joint statement.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called the lost star 'one of Sweden's biggest musicians'.
They faced a rocky patch in their marriage last year, when she had an affair with ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal while he was in jail for insider trading.

But Roxy Jacenko proved she and husband Oliver Curtis are back on track, as she shared a sweet selfie of the couple on Saturday.

Not afraid to show off her silly side, the 37-year-old PR maven pulled a goofy face as she cosied up to her partner of eight years during a sun-soaked lunch date.

Cute couple: Roxy Jacenko pulled a goofy face as she cosied up to her husband Oliver Curtis during a lunch date on Saturday

The Sweaty Betty PR guru rocked a white slogan T-shirt and gold aviator Ray-Ban sunglasses, while Oliver looked dapper in a button-down linen shirt.

The couple married in 2012 and share two children - three-year-old Hunter and six-year-old Pixie.

They struggled in April 2017 when photos emerged of Roxy and Nabil sharing a passionate embrace on a balcony, just eight weeks before Oliver was due to be released from Cooma Correctional Centre.

Discussing the scandal in February this year, Oliver called Nabil an 'extremely low' human being.

Oh dear: They faced a rocky patch in their marriage last year, when she had an affair with ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal while he was in jail for insider trading

'It's absolutely disgusting. What sort of man does that?,' Oliver told the Kyle & Jackie O Show.

The couple have since smoothed over their issues and are doting parents to their two young children.

Their date comes after Roxy splurged around $1,000 on her mother Doreen during a shopping spree at Sydney's Birkenhead Point.

Sweet: The couple married in 2012 and share two children - three-year-old Hunter and six-year-old Pixie

The label-loving duo were seen weighed down with bags full of discounted designer goodies as they raided the retailers at the popular outlet centre.

Roxy told Daily Mail Australia she was treating Doreen ahead of Mother's Day, which takes place on Sunday, May 13.

Of her successful day at the shops, the entrepreneur added: 'We had four arms full (of bags)... amazing discounts and I am now daughter of the year - according to Dors (Doreen)!'

Just in time for Mother's Day! It comes after Roxy treated her mother Doreen to a shopping spree at Sydney's Birkenhead Point on Friday

Dressed to impress for the outing at Birkenhead Point - which boasts 140 retailers with discounts of up to 70 per cent - the powerhouse publicist opted for a stylish black and red maxi dress.

Meanwhile, youthful Doreen could have passed for her Roxy's big sister, looking positively age-defying in a pink floral top and black flared pants.

The mother-daughter duo were seen shopping up a storm in French skincare retailer LOccitane.

With the store boasting the perfect gifts for Mother's Day, Roxy bought her mum five of her favourite products, including the Shea Butter Hand Cream and Almond Shower Gel.

They could be sisters! youthful Doreen could have passed for her Roxy's big sister, as she looked positively age-defying in a pink floral top and black flared pants

It was then onto the clothing stores, where the pair stocked up ahead of their joint July holiday to Europe.

At French Connection, Roxy bought both herself and her mum matching 'cocktail embellished' striped shirts for their time together overseas.

The blonde businesswoman then loaded up on cotton midi length dresses in bright colours at Metalicus - simply perfect for the European summer.

Shoe retailer Merrill also saw a look-in, before Doreen hand selected new white bath towels, face washers and a quilt cover at Sheridan.
She was sent to London to cover the royal weddings of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson and Prince William and Kate Middleton.

But veteran TV star Ita Buttrose has reportedly been snubbed from fronting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big day in the British capital on May 19.

Studio 10's star panellist, 76, said she 'doesn't have a clue' why she's staying put while Ten's showbiz reporter Angela Bishop is allegedly being sent over.

Rumour has it: Veteran TV star Ita Buttrose, 76, has reportedly been snubbed from covering Prince William and Meghan Markle's big day in the British capital on May 19

Discussing the alleged move, Ita told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Cest la vie.'

She certainly has a wealth of experience with royal topics, having covered Prince Charles' wedding to Diana in 1981 and fronting Channel Seven's coverage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's wedding in 1986.

She also presented Nine's A Current Affair's coverage of Prince William and Kate's big day in 2011.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted a Channel 10 spokesperson for comment.

The big day is approaching! Prince William and Meghan Markle will tie the knot in London on May 19

Meanwhile, over on Channel Nine, Today co-hosts Karl Stefanovic and Georgie Gardner are said to be leading the coverage.

The network will be joining forces with its British and American affiliates to host the coverage, and will have Allison Langdon, Lizzie Pearl, Laura Turner, Michael Best and Seb Costello on the ground.

Karl was in London with his ex co-host Lisa Wilkinson for William and Kate's wedding in 2011 and could bump into her if Ten decides to send her to London.

Hmm: Studio 10's star panellist Ita, 76, said she 'doesn't have a clue' why she's staying put while Ten's showbiz reporter Angela Bishop (pictured) is allegedly being sent over

Elsewhere, Melissa Doyle is rumoured to be heading up Seven's coverage of the big day, given her previous experience covering the Duke and Duchess of Cambrige's wedding.

Meanwhile, Ita recently faced rumours of bad blood between her and her Studio 10 co-star Denise Drysdale after an infamous 'brussels sprout' incident.

Denise, 69, recently broke her silence about the whispers of a 'feud' between the pair.

Speaking to The Herald-Sun in February, the TV personality said that while she and Ita are now on good terms, the in-fighting speculation arose from a real incident that involved Denise throwing vegetables at the former magazine maven.

Veteran: Ita certainly has a wealth of experience with royal topics, having covered Prince Charles' wedding to Diana in 1981 and fronting Channel Seven's coverage of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's wedding in 1986

'I threw the brussels sprout at her (Ita)  I have to admit that  at the Christmas party and I did the wrong thing, so it is totally my fault,' Denise told the publication.

'I was in a jovial mood. The (official Studio 10) Christmas party was that night and I could not go, so I had a couple of glasses of champagne towards the end of the day and I threw the brussels sprout and I shouldnt have.'

Explaining that she respects her co-host, Denise added: 'I rang Ita for Christmas; we talk, we all get along. I did the wrong thing, it was totally my fault, I am sorry it happened.'
He welcomed his third daughter Minnie back in February with his wife Lisa.

And Jack Osbourne looked every inch the doting dad as he attended the Race to Erase MS 25th Anniversary Gala with his five-year-old daughter, Pearl, on Friday.

The 32-year-old television personality, who has been open about living with MS since being diagnosed in 2012, beamed with pride as he hit the red carpet with the youngster, who looked cute in a pale pink dress.

Sweet: Jack Osbourne looked every inch the doting dad as he attended the Race to Erase MS 25th Anniversary Gala with his five-year-old daughter Pearl on Friday

Jack was dressed to impress for the glitzy ceremony, donning a sharp black suit and a crisp white shirt.

He teamed the look with a black tie and added a touch of wax to his brunette curls.

Pearl looked delighted to pose with her dad, flashing a smile for the cameras as she rocked a dazzling pink dress and glittery pastel pink pumps.

Doting dad: The 32-year-old television personality beamed with pride as he hit the red carpet with the youngster, who looked cute in a pale pink dress

Dapper: Jack, who was dressed to impress for the glitzy ceremony, donning a sharp black suit and a crisp white shirt, posed with Founder of Race To Erase MS Nancy Davi

Cute: Pearl looked delighted to pose with her dad, flashing a smile for the cameras in the dazzling pink dress which she paired with glittery pastel pink pumps

Jack allowed his daughter to take centre stage, stopping to kneel down on the red carpet before presenting with his sister Kelly at the ceremony.

Kelly, 33, cut a glamorous figure as she slipped her curves into a black tassel blazer, which showed off her ample cleavage.

She styled her cropped blonde tresses in a crimped style and accentuated her ensemble with winged eyeliner, blush-swept cheeks and a matte pink lipstick.

Busty: Kelly, 33, cut a glamorous figure as she slipped her curves into a black tassel blazer, which showed off her ample cleavage

Shock diagnosis: Jack was diagnosed with MS at the age of 26, shortly after becoming dad to Pearl

What is Multiple Sclerosis? Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system MS affects the brain and the nervous system and destroys myelin sheath layers between the nerves in the brain and spinal cord which stops impulses being carried around the body It can cause blindness, slurred speech, muscle weakness and a loss of coordination There is no known cause or cure for MS, which is twice as common in women than men Advertisement

Jack was diagnosed with MS at the age of 26, shortly after becoming dad to Pearl.

Last year he spoke about living with the neurological condition, he told Health: 'Depression is one of the most common symptoms that people with MS share, its kind of like the elephant in the room.

'I even had it the week leading up to my wedding, and I certainly had nothing to be depressed about.

'I look at my daughters and, not to get overly sappy, but there is that notion where if they get married, I might not be able to walk them down the aisle, I can get kind of heavy with it.'

The star, however, insisted since his diagnosis five years ago, he's doing 'really well' and hasn't had any 'significant flare-ups in a long time'.

Jack's red carpet appearance comes after the son of rocker Ozzy and TV judge Sharon and his 30-year-old wife Lisa announced they had welcomed their baby Minnie Theodora in February.

Family: Kelly showed her support to her brother as she posed with him and Scott Rogowsky (L)

The couple, who tied the knot in October 2012 during a ceremony in Hawaii, also have a daughter Andy Rose, two.

Minnie is a favoured name in the Osbourne household with one of Sharon's beloved pets given the moniker.

Jack's mother Sharon also wrote a sweet message to welcome the arrival of her granddaugher, saying: 'I dont have the words to express how happy I am for Jack and Lisa to have another beautiful little girl, and they named her Minnie which is most very favorite name, other than Nana which is what the girls call me.

Its a gift to be a Nana to 3 little angels - Pearl, Andy & Minnie.''

Revealing she was present at the birth Jack's older sister Kelly wrote: 'Congratulations to my brother& his beautiful wife on the birth of #MinnieOsbourne. She is perfect in every way. It was such a beautiful experience to witness the birth of this angel. I love you both so much.'

Candid: Last year he spoke about living with the neurological condition: 'Depression is one of the most common symptoms that people with MS share'

Jack recently spoke of the relationship his mother, X Factor judge Sharon, and sister, Kelly, have with his daughters.

Sharing a glimpse into their family life, Jack joked to Us Weekly that there is 'always a meltdown' when his relatives babysit his brood.

He said: 'My mom will babysit. My mom babysits Pearl because Pearl is way easier than Andy,' before adding: 'Kelly usually some weird meltdown happens when Kelly babysits, so short, small doses.'
She recently slimmed down and has no qualms about displaying her svelte frame.

And Sophie Kasaei was once again making the most of her figure as she hit the town with her co-stars on Friday night, yet flashed more than expected as she peeled off her denim jacket to reveal her sheer bra and eye-popping assets beneath.

The 28-year-old reality veteran looked nothing short of sensational in the ensemble while she was joined by equally-scantily clad Chloe Ferry, who was getting cosy with her boyfriend Sam Gowland at the Tomahawk Steakhouse in Newcastle.

Oh my! Sophie Kasaei was once again making the most of her figure as she hit the town with her co-stars on Friday night, yet flashed more than expected as she peeled off her denim jacket to reveal her sheer bra and eye-popping assets beneath

Sophie looked incredible in her sexy ensemble as she stripped off her jacket to unveil her bra underneath which was entirely sheer and flaunted her assets.

Ensuring she combined super-sexy and fashion forward, she wore the double denim getup with the two-tone jeans matching her top.

Giving a touch of designer cool to the look, she cinched in her tiny waist with a black Gucci belt with the GG logo in a gold tie at the front.

In true Geordie girl style, her beauty regimen was flawless yet she suffered a slight malfunction when she pulled her hair to the side and flashed her extension bonds.

Sizzling sensation: The 28-year-old reality veteran looked nothing short of sensational in the ensemble while she was joined by equally-scantily clad Chloe Ferry, who was getting cosy with her boyfriend Sam Gowland at the Tomahawk Steakhouse in Newcastle

Oops! Atop her wardrobe malfunction, Sophie also flashed the bonds of her hair extensions

Playful: Sophie looked stunning as she larked around for the camera with her sleek hair cascading down her back in a chic style

Oh my! Sophie was flashing her cleavage through her sexy top as she lived it up with her pals

Chloe wowed as she went braless beneath a plunging red mini dress with white polka dots all over, while she wore her platinum blonde locks in a straight style.

Abbie Holborn was flaunting her staggering legs in a black mini dress while rocking a Gucci belt and Chanel handbag.

She showed off her funky flare for fashion by pairing the look with a fringed nude jacket and lace-up high heels to lengthen her sun-kissed legs.

Nathan Henry joined the crew as he larked around while performing lunges and squats to the delight of his co-stars.

Busty babe: She struggled to contain her ample assets as she posed up a storm for the camera

Hot stuff! Chloe looked stunning in her red and white mini dress while adding in touches of designer chic with a Chanel handbag and Valentino Rockstud heels

Stylish pair: The happy couple, who met when Love Island star Sam joined the cast in the most recent series, held each other close ahead of the dinner

The happy couple: Chloe and Sam were looking stylish as they headed off

Making moo-vements! The happy couple were feeling particularly playful as they posed in front of a cow

Earlier this week, the MTV star discussed how hard she has worked to get her body where it is today and how she has found a new found self-confidence.

She wrote: 'So this time last year I was just beginning a journey that would change my life. Not only did I drop weight and dress sizes but I also gained so much self confidence.

'And not just from the way I looked, I felt healthier, less sluggish and full of energy. I sometimes had a "cant be arsed" attitude before and had no energy to do anything, whereas now Im so 'get up and go' with everything.'

Hot stuff! Abbie Holborn wore a scanty black mini with a chic fringed jacket over the top while she also held on to a Chanel handbag

Wow! She showed off her kooky fashion sense in the mash-up ensemble

What's he up to!? Nathan Henry joined the crew as he larked around while performing lunges and squats to the delight of his co-stars

Explaining how her attitude has changed, Sophie added: 'I didnt realise it would have so much of an effect on my mental outlook.

'Stuffing yourself with junk food is fun but it held me back from making the most of life and thats exactly what Im doing now.'

Earlier this year, Sophie shocked her following when she unveiled her trimmer frame after she had slimmed down from 10st 9lbs to 8st 7lbs and revealed she had dropped four dress sizes from a 16 to an 8.

Handsome: Nathan proved himself to be as stylish as his co-stars in his light-coloured ensemble

Hold me close: The happy pair were looking extremely stylish in their ensembles

Having a laugh: Abbie was holding on to Nathan following the delicious dinner

Happy days: Abbie was showing off her tanned legs as she strolled down the street

Her Instagram post comes amid speculation Sophie has a new man in her life - after being spotted hand-in-hand with fellow reality star Pauly D.

The beauty was seen putting on a cosy display with the 37-year-old, as the pair headed home from a Geordie Shore meets Jersey Shore cast dinner in London.

Paul also draped his arm affectionately over Sophie's shoulder - all but confirming the pair have already struck up a close connection.

Woo! Naturally the group were getting wild as they larked around on the streets
She confirmed her split from publican millionaire Stu Laundy in January.

And on Saturday The Bachelorette's Sophie Monk had a bold declaration for her Instagram followers revealing she might be in love ... with a slice of pizza.

Sophie's joking statement comes after her ex Stu was spotted enjoying a romantic dinner date with Married At First Sight star Ashley Irvin earlier this month.

Moving on? Sophie Monk reveals she is 'in love' again after dinner date ... after her ex Stu Laundy was spotted on romantic night out with Ashley Irvin

Taking to her Instagram Story on Saturday night, Sophie shared a series of videos of her tucking into her tasty takeaway.

'Why do I love pizza so much?' She captioned one video, panning to a takeaway box.

Biting into a slice of the fast food staple, Sophie captioned a second video: 'I think I'm in love mmmhmmmm.'

She's smitten! 'Why do I love pizza so much?' She captioned one video, panning to a takeaway box

Yum: Biting into a slice of the fast food staple, Sophie captioned a second video: 'I think I'm in love mmmhmmmm'

Sophie ended the video posts by tagging Uber Eats, for whom she is an ambassador for.

The blonde bombshell's humourous display of affection towards her food comes as her ex Stu is rumoured to be moving on with another reality TV star.

Earlier this month Stu, 45,was photographed enjoying dinner with MAFS star Ashley, 29, at one of his pubs, the Woolwich Pier Hotel in Sydney earlier this month.

Whirlwind romance: Sophie and Stu's relationship was short lived following The Bachelorette

Stu appeared to be in great spirits as he gazed at Ashley during the dinner, with onlookers telling New Idea: 'They even shared a kiss across the table during the night.'

New Idea's sources claimed Stu had initially taken a liking to Ashley after watching her on Married At First Sight, before they were introduced via a mutual friend.

However a friend close to Stu denied the pair are romantically involved, claiming that their so-called 'date' was nothing more than an innocent catch-up between friends.

What's going on? Stu, 45,was photographed enjoying dinner with MAFS star Ashley, 29, at one of his pubs, the Woolwich Pier Hotel in Sydney earlier this month

'A mutual friend put them together to compare notes. Both of them had been dumped and left brokenhearted on national television,' the source told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

While the photos show the pair's first date, the couple have reportedly since had a second date.

An insider told Daily Mail Australia that the millionaire had dinner with the busty blonde at The Buena in Mosman last Friday.

'They were clearly on a date, but he was paying her very little attention,' the eyewitness said.

Second date? An insider told Daily Mail Australia that the millionaire had dinner with the busty blonde at The Buena in Mosman last Friday

'He spent more time chatting to other people in the restaurant and bar, than he did to her,' the source went on to say.

Despite claiming that Stu paid Ashley little attention during the date, the insider recalled the pair 'held hands when leaving.'

However when approached by Daily Mail Australia for comment on Friday, Stu said that he wasn't in Sydney at the time.

After falling in love on The Bachelorette last year, Sophie and Stu confirmed their split in January after just six months together.
Shortly before, she was spotted bringing her five-month-old daughter Sunday to visit her acid attacker ex Arthur Collins in prison.

Yet Ferne McCann put the undoubtedly harrowing trip behind her on Saturday as she headed out with the tot while showing off her incredible post-baby body in a crop top and high-waisted trousers as she was seen packing up her car.

The 27-year-old former TOWIE star has been through a traumatic time since Arthur's heinous crime at Easter last year, yet she is making the most of life as a single mother and even enjoyed her first holiday with Sunday earlier this month.

Stunner: Ferne McCann put the undoubtedly harrowing trip to prison behind her on Saturday as she headed out with the tot while showing off her incredible post-baby body in a crop top and high-waisted trousers as she was seen packing up her car.

Ferne looked stunning as she carried Sunday out to the car while maintaining a straight face and giving a hint of her stunning figure.

A day before her outing, Ferne was pictured taking her baby to visit her acid attacker ex in prison after she said she never wanted to see him ever again.

The TV star made the 440 mile round-trip from Essex to the maximum security jail where Collins is serving a 20-year sentence for a vicious acid attack at a nightclub.

Former TOWIE star Ferne, 27, was seen cradling the convict's baby in a blanket as she left Sutton Jail, near York, where her former flame is imprisoned on Friday.

Moving on: The 27-year-old former TOWIE star has been through a traumatic time since Arthur's heinous crime at Easter last year, yet she is making the most of life as a single mother and even enjoyed her first holiday with Sunday earlier this month

Happier times: Ferne had previously visited Collins at Belmarsh Prison, South-East London when Sunday was two weeks old, telling him he would never see either of them again

Mummy dearest: Little Sunday looked adorable as she was carried out of the house

Careful does it! Ferne gently placed the tot in the car as she headed out a day after the visit to prison

The Only Way Is Essex star and her baby were forced to make the eight-hour journey after her jailbird ex asserted his legal right to see his daughter.

On the jail visit, the mother-of-one kept a low-profile as she donned huge sunglasses and shielded her child from view by swaddling her in blankets.

Protective of her daughter, Ferne kept her baby close to her chest when she made her way home from the prison visit.

Ferne had previously visited Collins at Belmarsh Prison, South-East London when Sunday was two weeks old, telling him he would never see either of them again.

During the visit, the This Morning star told him: 'You have ruined our lives. This is what you have done. And this is what you are missing out on.'

Onward and upward: A day before her outing, Ferne was pictured taking her baby to visit her acid attacker ex Arthur Collins in prison after she said she never wanted to see him ever again

Hot stuff: Ferne proved herself to be a yummy mummy as she strutted her stuff

Hard at it: Ferne has been taking to single motherhood with skill, with her and Sunday's journey being documented on her show First Time Mum

Sizzling: She flaunted her incredibly svelte frame in her high-waisted trousers and crop top

Ferne insisted she was 'done' with confronting Arthur and she explained she felt very 'strongly' about the 'innocent people' injured in the attack.

The This Morning presenter explained it had been a difficult decision to take her daughter with her to the prison as she discussed the intimate details of her visit.

She told The Sunday People: 'I went to see Arthur and I took Sunday with me. This was because I am very angry about what has happened and I needed to communicate that and wanted to hear what Arthur had to say.

Moving on: Ferne insisted she was 'done' with confronting Arthur and she explained she felt very 'strongly' about the 'innocent people' injured in the attack

Evil act: Collins, 25, was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after he threw acid at nightclubbers following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London

'I strongly feel for the innocent people hurt that night and I in no way condone violence as I have already made clear. It was a difficult decision to take Sunday into that environment but I felt I needed to confront him about a number of things, which I have now done.'

But since the visit it was claimed her jailbird ex-boyfriend took legal action to get access to the daughter he shares with the reality star.

A source told The Mirror: 'Ferne sought legal and professional advice, and it was a difficult decision she had to make.' MailOnline has previously contacted Ferne's representative for comment.

Collins, 25, was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after he threw acid at nightclubbers following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London.

Demands: But since the visit it was claimed her jailbird ex-boyfriend took legal action to get access to the daughter he shares with the reality star

Hard times: Ferne has made admirable attempts to keep her head up in the midst of the shocking troubles
She's the proud mother to two children - Oliver, nine, and Evie, three - and is in a long-term relationship with boyfriend Chris Walker.

But Carrie Bickmore has revealed that her life wasn't always so stable, as she opened up about her parents' divorce when she was aged just three.

The Project panellist, 37, explained that her 'childhood wasn't perfect' but admitted she felt grateful that her mother and father could get on so amicably 35 years later.

'My childhood wasn't perfect': The Project's Carrie Bickmore has opened up on the 'pain' of her parents' divorce when she was aged just three

'A lot of water has to go under a bridge before the pain of a divorce can be washed away, if at all,' she wrote in her column for Stellar magazine.

'There would have been times when they disliked each other, were angry at each other, and wanted to whinge about the other, but I can honestly say I never heard my parents b***h about each other.'

She added that she spent her early years with her mother, stepdad and two stepsisters in Perth.

However, she would often travel back and forth to her home town of Adelaide to visit her father, who was 'also a huge part' of her life.

Family ties: 'A lot of water has to go under a bridge before the pain of a divorce can be washed away, if at all,' she wrote (pictured with her two children - Oliver, nine, and Evie, three)

Back and forth: She spent her early years with her mother, stepdad and two stepsisters in Perth and would often travel back and forth to her home town of Adelaide to visit her father, who was 'a huge part' of her life (pictured with her boyfriend Chris Walker in 2017)

'My childhood wasnt perfect but Ive realised the older I get, and now with a family of my own, that no childhood is perfect. A nuclear family doesnt guarantee happiness,' Carrie remarked.

She explained that thanks to her step-parents she now has 'extra-grandparents to hug', 24 nieces and nephews and 'stepcousins coming out of my eyeballs'.

Carrie welcomed her first child with late ex-husband Greg Lange, son Oliver Lange, in September 2007.

Colourful past: 'My childhood wasnt perfect but Ive realised the older I get, and now with a family of my own, that no childhood is perfect. A nuclear family doesnt guarantee happiness,' Carrie remarked

Greg tragically passed away in December 2010 after losing his battle with brain cancer.

Carrie later met Chris, who was working as a producer at the time on Channel Ten's The Project.

She revealed that she bonded with Chris because he had also suffered a tragedy in his life, telling Woman's Day: 'He lost his brother in a car accident.

'I think that's why I connected with him - he had an understanding of what I'd experienced through his own experience.'

The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Evie Walker in March 2015.
Jeremy McConnell is reportedly living with his solicitor Katie McCreath after leaving jail in December.

Ms McCreath represented him during his time in prison trial last year and is based in Wolverhampton.

The 28-year-old reality star was imprisoned for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Davis and later breaching his suspended sentence by going to Turkey to undergo a hair transplant.

Roommate? Jeremy McConnell is reportedly living with his solicitor Katie McCreath (pictured), who is based in Wolverhampton, after she represented him during his jail hell last year

Way back when: Insiders tell The Sun, the 28-year-old reality star has set up camp at her home ever since he left jail, after assaulting his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Davis (Jeremy and Katie pictured on 11 August, heading into Liverpool Magistrates' Court)

In August last year, McConnell was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison at Cardiff Magistrates via a video-link after being convicted of assaulting Stephanie Davis, who is the mother of his 16-month-old son Caben Albi, and found fame starring as Sinead O'Connor in Hollyoaks.

He served only 34 days behind bars and was released in December last year.

'Jeremy moved in with Katie shortly after leaving prison. Hes even got a dog with her and knows her family and friends well. She became his manager but everyone thinks its weird hes been staying there for so long' sources told The Sun.

In court, Stephanie described the assault 'like something out of a horror movie', adding that Jeremy threatened to smash a bottle over his head.

When he was photographed heading into the courtroom on various occasions last year, he was flanked by Katie, who is listed on Crowndefence.com as 'a specialist in the field of serious and high profile criminal defence, this includes high worth frauds, violent crimes and terrorism'.

Insiders have now revealed to the Sun: 'Jeremy is getting ready to make his big comeback and has been lying low. Now all he does is post pictures of the inside of Katies house on social media. He thinks of Katie as the person that rescued him and will help make him famous again.'

The former model and Beauty School Cop Outs star appeared on Jeremy Kyle last month, where he candidly discussed his battle with addiction and his tumultuous union with Stephanie.

Starting off: In August last year, Jeremy was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison at Cardiff Magistrates via a video-link after being convicted of assaulting Stephanie, who is the mother of his 16-month-old son Caben Albi (Jeremy, pictured, following a court appearance in May)

Happier times: Stephanie and Jeremy (pictured in February 2016), met in the CBB house in January 2016 yet their romance soon turned to toxic

Support: He was given jail time after skipping his community service to get a hair and beard transplant in Turkey, following his assault on Stephanie which happened at her home in Rainhill, Merseyside in March last year before his sentencing shortly after

Hard times: Stephanie is pictured heading to court on 7 August last year to take the witness stand

During an emotional interview, Jeremy finally took responsibility for his actions, when he said: 'There was a lot of domestic violence in that relationship.

'I take full responsibility. People know its not in my nature. Im not a scumbag. Im trying to be as a genuine as I can. I have a massive heart and Id help anyone out.'

When Kyle asked him if he was violent to women, he said: 'I have been.' Jeremy, who wasn't paid for the interview, admitted that his relationship with Stephanie was always doomed to fail.

While he battled with drugs and infidelity, Stephanie recently admitted to having problems with alcohol and completed a stint in rehab.

Tough times: During an emotional interview, Jeremy finally took responsibility for his actions, when he said: 'There was a lot of domestic violence in that relationship (pictured in February last year)

Hard times: Jeremy said: 'The relationship wasnt healthy from the get-go. I had infidelity issues. Im not coming on to slag her off. I try and remain dignified' (Stephanie is pictured displaying her injuries after an attack)

Jeremy said: 'The relationship wasnt healthy from the get-go. I had infidelity issues. Im not coming on to slag her off. I try and remain dignified.

'Id never pretended to be someone different. Ive always been responsible for my actions  Ive been open about my addictions.

Contradicting himself, he said: 'Im not violent to women. There was an incident that I was convicted of. Common assault. I did my punishment.

'I was demoralised in going to prison. Im not playing the victim, but I did my time but I just want to move forward.'

MailOnline has contacted Jeremy's representation and Katie for comment.
They tied the knot in 2010 and have since gone on to have four children together.

And Bec Judd has revealed she has a surprising - but effective - way of keeping the romance alive between her and Chris.

Speaking on her KIIS FM show The 3pm Pickup this week, the 35-year-old explained the foolproof way she 'instantly' falls back in love with her former AFL player husband.

'It makes me fall instantly back in love!' Bec Judd reveals the VERY surprising way she and husband Chris keep romance alive after eight years of marriage

'We love each other and have been together forever, we never fight but sometimes I annoy him and he annoys me,' Bec explained to listeners, the Herald Sun reported.

'So what I do is I jump on my Spotify  and play a couple of bangers that remind me of him and they make me fall instantly back in love.'

The model and AFL WAG said her go-to songs were Donna Lewis I Love You Always Forever and James Arthurs Say You Won't Let Go.

Surprise tip: The model and AFL WAG said her go-to songs were Donna Lewis I Love You Always Forever and James Arthurs Say You Won't Let Go

'When we met I was so drunk and he has held my hair back when I was throwing up': Bec reminisced about their early dates together

James Arthur's tune was especially relevant to Bec and Chris' relationship because of the lyric 'I held your hair back when you were throwing up', she revealed to listeners.

'When we met I was so drunk and he has held my hair back when I was throwing up ... a couple of times,' Bec told The 3pm Pickup.

Last year Chris told The Howie Games podcast Bec was 'pretty drunk' and 'incredibly attractive' when he met her at Perth's Cottesloe Hotel in 2002.

Big family: The couple share four children together, son Oscar, six, daughter Billie, four, and twin sons, Tom and Darcy, one

Memorable meeting: Last year Chris told The Howie Games podcast Bec was 'pretty drunk' and 'incredibly attractive' when he met her at Perth's Cottesloe Hotel in 2002

Chris was at the popular Perth watering hole when he spotted his future wife, model Bec Twigley, across the room.

'I saw someone who was incredibly attractive and pretty drunk, and that was my sweet spot!' He recalled to the podcast.

The former Carlton captain said nothing 'full-on' happened between the pair that meeting, because he was still in a relationship with another woman.

Couldn't fight their feelings! Chris was at the popular Perth watering hole when he spotted his future wife, model Bec Twigley, across the room

But after Chris realised he had strong feelings for Bec, he dumped his girlfriend and the two began a relationship.

Chris later proposed to Bec during a 2009 holiday to Noosa, marrying a year later in a lavish socialite wedding in Melbourne.

The couple share four children together, son Oscar, six, daughter Billie, four, and twin sons, Tom and Darcy, one.
Both on and off the court, Liz Ellis is a resilient champion and a role model.

On Saturday, the former Australian netball captain bravely discussed her three heartbreaking miscarriages in detail.

The 45-year-old told Stellar that through her grief, she hopes others can gain valuable information that simply wasn't available to her a decade ago.

'It was like that little beating heart was winking at us': Former Australian Netball captain Liz Ellis opens up about her three heartbreaking miscarriages

In 2016, Liz and her husband Matthew Stocks welcomed their son Austin into the world, after suffering three miscarriages and five failed IVF treatments.

Her third miscarriage was the hardest to bear - the week before it occurred, Liz had witnessed its heart beating on a monitor.

'It was like that little beating heart was winking at us, telling us to sit tight because he was on his way,' reads a line in her forthcoming memoir.

The following week, the radiographer confirmed she had suffered her third miscarriage in four years.

Goal: The 45-year-old told Stellar that through her grief, she hopes others can gain valuable information that simply wasn't available to her a decade ago

The champion collapsed into her husband's arms, confused, shocked, and weeping.

Liz had researched fertility treatment during the planning stages of her second pregnancy (Liz and Matthew have a daughter Evelyn, six), but was shocked at how limited the resources available were.

'I was hurtling down the highway without a GPS,' she said.

Struggles: In 2016, Liz and her husband Matthew Stocks welcomed their son Austin into the world, after suffering three miscarriages and five failed IVF treatments (pictured with Austin, two and daughter Evelyn, six)

Hard to watch: Her third miscarriage was the hardest to witness - the week before it occurred, Liz had witnessed it's heart beating on a monitor

For every piece of useful information on Google, there appeared to be three times the amount of misleading advertising articles, some even flogging 'fertility smoothies'.

Austin was eventually, and miraculously, conceived naturally - an occurrence Liz and Matthew admit they never thought would be a possibility.

After her harrowing experience, she took it upon herself to speak to 'IVF specialists, scientists and obstetricians,' to gain the information she was never afforded.

Where is the info? Liz had researched fertility treatment during the planning stages of her second pregnancy but was shocked at how limited the resources available were. She found more advertisements than she did information

Miracle: Austin was eventually, and miraculously, conceived naturally - an occurrence Liz and Matthew admit they never thought would be a possibility

The result is her new memoir, titled 'If At First You Dont Conceive.'

Liz said that she thought she'd mastered patience and strength on the netball court and again when she became a first-time mum with Evelyn.

Describing herself as having a type-A personality, Liz says the experience has taught her 'to stop and accept and value what I have got '.

If At First You Dont Conceive is out Tuesday April 24 via Pan Macmillan.

'If at first you don't conceive': After her harrowing experience, she took it upon herself to speak to 'IVF specialists, scientists and obstetricians,' to gain the information she was never afforded
Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar empire encompassed cookbooks, eating programs and supermarket products before it was suddenly shut down in February.

But the entrepreneur says money troubles weren't behind the shock closure of her five-year-old business, which boasted twenty employees.

In a candid interview with Stellar on Sunday, the 44-year-old claimed she was no longer interested in expanding the brand, and that a focus on continual growth was affecting her health and well being.

'It felt soul-destroying': I Quit Sugar founder Sarah Wilson denies financial troubles ended her business empire and says she has enough money to last her for the next FIFTY years

'The business got to a point where it had gone from being a joy - creating, inventing, connecting with people - to a business concern. It felt soul-destroying. It felt wrong,' she bluntly told Stellar.

In her twenties, Sarah reached national prominence as a journalist, and went on to become the high-powered editor of Cosmopolitan.

But she suffered what Stellar describes as a 'mental and physical breakdown', and was at rock bottom when her I Quit Sugar journey began back in 2011.

Gone: Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar empire encompassed cookbooks, eating programs and supermarket products before it was suddenly shut down in February

Her career: In her twenties, Sarah reached national prominence as a journalist, and went on to become the high-powered editor of Cosmopolitan

The beginning: But she suffered what Stellar describes as a 'mental and physical breakdown', and was at rock bottom when her I Quit Sugar journey began back in 2011

Sarah experimented with giving up the 'white poison' for a newspaper column, before noticing remarkable changes to her energy, skin and overall wellness.

In 2012 she started the I Quit Sugar business, which turned over $534,000 in profits in its first year, according to Mumbrella.

Mamamia reported that the empire was projected to make upwards of $4 million in 2015.

'Money doesn't matter to me': Sarah told Stellar she wasn't interested in continuing to expand her brand

But Sarah says chasing a profit was never her intention.

When she was unable to find a buyer for I Quit Sugar with values that aligned with hers, Sarah decided to shut up shop.

She made sure her employees were generously paid out, and decided that any money from the sale of sections of the business would go into a 'philanthropic trust'.

'Money doesn't matter to me. I am aware that nobody else does it this way - that it seems insane. But I've always wanted to challenge the capitalist model,' she said to Stellar.

Shutting up shop: The five-year-old company boasted twenty employees and millions in profit

The brunette told the publication she lives modestly, and has enough money to now support herself without another job for the next fifty years.

With a lifetime of financial security, Sarah - who told Stellar that she lives 'quite a lonely life' - remains hopeful that she may become a mother.

She suffered two recent miscarriages after artificial insemination from a sperm donor, but will try again.

'It probably won't happen, but there's a chance, so I have to explore and see what I can make of it... I kind of feel that if my body is meant to hold a baby, it will do it on its own. If it's not, I trust the flow of life'.
Earlier this year, 1970s TV star Susan Hannaford hit headlines when she was spotted out in Los Angeles looking completely unrecognisable.

And after shocking fans with her dramatic transformation, the 65-year-old star of The Sullivans has sat down for a tell-all with Seven's Sunday Night.

Set to air on Sunday evening, the interview sees the one-time brunette sporting peroxide blonde hair and a teeny pair of hot pants - a skimpy garment which left presenter Matt Doran feeling 'embarrassed'.

Bizarre interview: Writing in The Sunday Telegraph, Matt Doran has dished details on his bizarre interview with The Sullivans star Susan Hannaford, which will air on Seven's Sunday Night

In a piece for The Sunday Telegraph, Matt wrote about his surreal experience meeting the eccentric star at her $9 million Hollywood mansion.

'Aghast, and a little embarrassed, I asked whether she needed a moment to change, but promptly discovered this was in fact the outfit Susan would be wearing during our interview,' he wrote of the star's 'miniature white activewear shorts'.

And according to Matt things only got more strange from there, as she escorted him around the mansion.

Unusual outfit: 65-year-old Susan's tiny hot pants made Matt feel 'embarrassed'

A number of staff, including a chef, pianist and handy man, allegedly weren't being paid for their services, but were rather 'auditioning' for their jobs.

When Matt came to question Susan about how she funds her lavish lifestyle, it quickly got heated.

Susan vanished without a trace from Australia after being evicted from her lavish waterfront home in Sydney, which was sold by her financiers in April 2013 for $3.15 million.

'Do you have difficulty with your IQ?': Things turned heated when Matt questioned Susan about her finances

Child star: Susan Hannaford shot to fame in the 1970s as Kitty on The Sullivans

In a preview from the show, Matt is seen asking: 'Do you have difficulty Susan, with telling the truth?', before the stony-faced star hits back: 'Do you have difficulty with your IQ?'

The intriguing interview comes after an unrecognisable Susan was discovered alive and well in Beverly Hills by Woman's Day earlier this year.

And when quizzed by the magazine in January about what she'd be doing in the years since, Susan Hannaford was coy with her response.

'It's a big story and I'm shortly going to break it,' she teased.
She's jetted off to Spain for a break away following her release on bail.

And Danniella Westbrook grabbed the attention once again by going topless on the beach during her Spanish getaway on Saturday.

The former Big Brother star, 44, ditched her bright coloured bikini top as she lapped up the hot sun while she splashing around in the sea.

Danniella Westbrook, 44, displays cleavage as she goes topless during Spanish getaway

Dressed in a pair of turquoise string briefs, the actress showed off her figure as she made her way back onto the shore.

Danniella left very little to the imagination as she raised her arms above her head, with her only accessory a sun hat to keep cool.

Evidently keen to top up her tan, the actress later pulled on a vibrant bikini top while reclining on a sun lounger.

Eye-popping: Posed with her arms above her head, the BBC star left very little to the imagination only accessorising with her sun hat to keep cool in the sweltering climes

The former soap star's holiday shortly follows her release on bail on Wednesday after she was pictured leaving the station wearing a standard police tracksuit.

Hertfordshire Constabulary has since confirmed Danniella's release from custody.

A police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'A 44-year-old woman, who was arrested by Hertfordshire Constabulary at a location in Essex at 2.05pm on Tuesday, April 10 in relation to allegations of malicious communications and witness intimidation, was released on bail yesterday (Wednesday, April 11) until May 6 pending further investigation.'

Breast attraction! Sunbathing in the blistering heat and keen to top up her tan as much as possible, the actress stripped off her vibrant bikini top when she rested on the sun lounger

It was confirmed that the troubled star was wanted for questioning by police over claims of 'intimidation and malicious communication' after reportedly taking 10,000 from a former friend.

Now magazine previously claimed the actress was rendered homeless after being unable to afford a rental property on her own.

'Danniella's been forced out of her home. She was staying with a friend, but the rental home came to an end and now she can't afford to rent by herself,' a source told the publication.

'She's told friends she's totally broke and is now back on benefits. If she is to get a place, she'll have to get housing benefits.'
Cindy Crawford's been commanding the attention of cameras since the 80s.

And the 52-year-old beauty was captured doing what she does best Friday, while in Rome shooting a commercial with revered Italian director Gabriele Muccino, 50.





The Vogue cover girl proved that modeling came like second nature, as she struck a pose in a tan suit-styled top and matching slacks on the old, stone steps of The Eternal City.

She's a natural! Cindy Crawford proved that modeling came like second nature while in Rome shooting a commercial with revered Italian director Gabriele Muccino on Friday

Sipping pretty! The DeKalb, Illinois native teamed the slim slacks with matching mules and was seen sipping on a bottle of store-bought iced tea as she ascended the stairs

It takes a village! Later the Vogue model thanked legendary MUA Sonia Kashuk and hairstylist Stephen Knoll on Instagram

Cindy didn't look a day over 40, displaying her toned arms in a sleeveless top with menswear-inspired lapels and a plunging neckline.

The DeKalb, Illinois native teamed the slim slacks with matching mules featuring a chunky block heel.

Climbing up the stairs for another shot, the beauty was seen sipping on a bottle of store-bought iced tea before passing it off to an assistant wearing black gloves.

Earlier the wife of Rande Gerber was seen stepping onto set in a flowy denim shirt tucked into tight, white pants to reveal a handsome Gucci belt.

Stylish: Earlier the wife of Rande Gerber was seen stepping onto set in a flowy denim shirt tucked into tight, white pants to reveal a handsome Gucci belt

Taking in the city! While she was busy working on ads, Crawford and team made time for a little tourism, sharing a group selfie from The Colosseum captioned: 'Fitting in a little sightseeing with the team'

She accessorized with a colorful scarf and white slides.

Though Cindy's outfit hadn't been styled yet, her beauty look was picture perfect.

She teamed well-contoured cheekbones with golden-brown hair styled into a full-bodied waves, later thanking legendary MUA Sonia Kashuk and hairstylist Stephen Knoll on Instagram.

In full bloom! It appeared like she was shooting a commercial for Italian beverage brand San Benedetto, who she tagged in a lovely flower-filled Instagram post on Thursday

From the star's Instagram tags, it appeared like she was shooting a commercial for Italian beverage brand San Benedetto.

A social media post from Thursday showed Cindy posing in front of some beautiful blooms while the brand's tag was tucked into the corner of the photo.

While she was busy working on ads, Crawford and team made time for a little tourist time as Cindy shared a group selfie from The Colosseum captioned: 'Fitting in a little sightseeing with the team.'

Doing their own thing: Cindy's up-and-coming model offspring Kaia Gerber, 16, and older brother Presley, 18, stayed at home, pictured above in West Hollywood on Friday

Tat's the ticket! Presley revealed a brand new tattoo on his arm which was a reinterpretation of English street artist Banksy's famous 'flower thrower' piece

It seems that the star was without her family for this trip, leaving up-and-coming model offspring Kaia Gerber, 16, and older brother Presley, 18, at home in Malibu.

While mom was away, the kids enjoyed a day out with their dad Rande, seen leaving Tocaya Organica in West Hollywood on Friday.

During the outing, Presley revealed a brand new tattoo on his arm which was a reinterpretation of English street artist Banksy's famous 'flower thrower' piece.
Paris Hilton paid tribute to fellow DJ Avicii, who was found dead on Friday at the age of 28.

The blonde beauty worked with the Swedish star in the past and knew him.

The beauty wrote on social media: 'Tim, you will always be in our hearts, minds, music, & memories.'

Scroll down for video

Stunner: Paris Hilton paid tribute to fellow DJ Avicii, who was found dead on Friday at the age of 28. The blonde beauty worked with the Swedish star in the past and knew him

In the past: Paris with Avicii, far left, and Afrojack, middle, several years ago

Earlier she shared a black-and-white photo of him with the caption: 'Devastated hearing the sad news of @Avicii passing.

'Such a sweet soul with a big heart & incredible talent. So many amazing memories together.

'My thoughts & prayers are with his family. Rest In Peace my friend.'

Hilton was dressed to the nines ahead of the BeautyCon Festival in New York on Friday evening.

The 37-year-old reality television star rocked a silver-mirrored minidress for the pre-party festivities celebrating Gigi Gorgeous' birthday.

Her pal: Earlier she shared a black-and-white photo of him with the caption: 'Devastated hearing the sad news of @Avicii passing. 'Such a sweet soul with a big heart & incredible talent. So many amazing memories together'

Sparkling like a disco ball on the dance floor, Paris' chic dress featured sheer black material over her arms and shoulders.

Layers of shining silver pieces lined her arms as bright red glitter pumps added inches to her already statuesque pins.

Hilton wore her short platinum blonde tresses in loose curls with a seductive part toward the side.

Strike a pose: The 37-year-old reality television star rocked a silver-mirrored minidress for the pre-party festivities celebrating Gigi Gorgeous' birthday

Beauties: Sparkling like a disco ball on the dance floor, Paris' chic dress featured sheer black material over her arms and shoulders; seen with Gabi DeMartino

Glitzy: Layers of shining silver pieces lined her arms as bright red glitter pumps added inches to her already statuesque pins

She kept her eyes covered for most of the evening, opting to wear a pair of heart shaped sunglasses indoors.

Gigi was the epitome of Barbie-chic as she showed off her killer curves wearing a figure-hugging pink dress.

Her flowing blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, with perfectly applied makeup highlighting her gorgeous features.

Party-mode: wore her short platinum blonde tresses in loose curls with a seductive part toward the side

Happy! The birthday girl was overcome with joy as her friends presented her an adorable unicorn-themed cake

The birthday girl was overcome with joy as her friends presented her an adorable unicorn-themed cake.

Makeup guru Kandee Johnson showed her flair for fashion by wearing a bright red blouse paired with sequin trousers.

Model Iskra Lawrence flashed her toned abs through an orange crop top paired with black-and-white sweatpants.
They became fast friends after appearing in Celebrity Big Brother together back in 2014.

And Apprentice star Luisa Zissman, 30, celebrated the christening of her five-month-old daughter Clementine with the help of former TOWIE alum Sam Faiers in Dublin on Saturday.

Luisa had her hands full ferrying her 18-month-old daughter Indigo at the family gathering, but looked cool and composed in an elegant white ruffled gown with a striking blue pattern.

CBB's Luisa Zissman celebrated daughter Clementine's christening with pal Sam Faiers in Dublin on Saturday

Luisa made sure to hold on tight to the rambunctious toddler but kept steady on her feet in shimmering metallic skyscraper heels.

Wanting to match her adorable youngster, the TV star's heels featured a set of fairy wings on the heel, which paired perfectly with Indigo's white Mary-Janes with their own gold detailing.

Luisa soaked up the spring sunshine with chic wide rimmed shades, while her glossy brunette tresses featured a glamorous curl for the occasion.

Yummy mummy: TV pal Sam held her own baby Rosie, five months, close to her chest as she arrived at the ceremony, showing off her flair of retro fashion in a crochet mini dress

Glam up: Luisa soaked up the spring sunshine with chic wide rimmed shades, while her glossy brunette tresses featured a glamorous curl for the occasion

The entrepreneur carried her essentials in a simple tote bag, while soft nude make-up polished off her elegant ensemble.

Luisa welcomed baby Clementine with her husband Andrew Collins late last year, confessing questions from fans had prompted her to finally make the news public.

The TV personality had left fans baffled by posting pictures of herself wearing a figure-hugging blue gown at the Elton John Aids Foundation bash the night before, with her baby bump noticeably absent.

Matching mum: Wanting to match her adorable youngster, the TV star's heels featured a set of fairy wings on the heel, which paired perfectly with Indigo's white embellished Mary-Janes

Addressing the speculation, Luisa wrote: 'So many people have messaged me asking if the baby is ok because I chose not to share on my social media, and now my bump has gone!

'She is absolutely perfect & we are totally in love with her. I had her 3.5 weeks ago on Sunday 5th November at 6.56am.

'She weighed 7lbs 14oz and we named her Clementine Saskia Collins. #newprincess #mysecretbubble.'

Rushing around: Luisa made sure to hold on tight to the rambunctious toddler but kept steady on her feet in shimmering metallic skyscraper heels

Busy mum: The entrepreneur carried her essentials in a simple tote bag, while soft nude make-up polished off her elegant ensemble

Luisa is already mother to daughter Dixie, seven, from her previous marriage to businessman Oliver Zissman, and Indigo with husband Andrew.

The TV personality divorced first husband Zissman in 2014 after five years of marriage and tied the knot with Irish businessman Andrew in July 2015.

TV pal Sam held her own youngster Rosie, five months, close to her chest as she arrived at the ceremony, showing off her flair of retro fashion in a vintage-style crochet mini dress with billowing bell sleeves.

Statuesque: Putting her lengthy pins on full display in the thigh-skimming design, the Mummy Diaries star teamed her sophisticated ensemble with glittering gold sandals

Putting her lengthy pins on full display in the thigh-skimming design, the Mummy Diaries star teamed her sophisticated ensemble with glittering gold sandals.

Sam amplified her look for the ceremony with shimmering earrings, while her blonde locks featured a soft wave.

The reality beauty is also mother to son Paul Knightley junior, two, with partner of three years, Paul Knightley.

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.

Getting ready: Sam amplified her look for the ceremony with shimmering earrings, while her blonde locks featured a soft wave

On the move: While cradling her youngest in her arms, Sam made her entrance to the family ceremony

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.'
The body of Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ Avicii will be flown from Muscat, Oman to his native Sweden this week, police have told PEOPLE.

The 28-year-old - whose real name is Tim Bergling - died on Friday while vacationing in the Middle Eastern nation, however a cause of death is still not known.

But an Oman police source has told Sky there is 'no criminal suspicion' surrounding the musician's death.

Gone too soon: The body of Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ Avicii, 28, will be flown from Muscat, Oman to his native Sweden this week

The source told the news network that despite two autopsies, 'we absolutely confirmed that there is no criminal suspicion of death'.

Aviciis brother, David Bergling, had reportedly traveled to Muscat to find out more about his siblings death.

Thousands have now gathered to mourn the Swedish born musician - who was known for his EDM hits Wake Me Up, Levels and Hey Brother - at Sergels Torg in central Stockholm.

Fans flooded to Sergels Torg to pay tribute to the DJ, listening to his music and celebrating his memory together.

They took to social media to share photos and videos from the memorial.

On Instagram, user pridesussie shared a series of photos from the event and wrote: 'Today at Sergels Torg. Memorial time as well as tribute to Avicii. Too young, he became a guardian angel among the clouds.'

Thousands of fans of Avicii's gathered to honour the much-loved producer at Sergels Torg in central Stockholm today

Many of his fans took to Twitter to share their experiences of Sergels Torg and to pay heartfelt tributes to the Swedish DJ

Others described the emotion of the event, which saw fans sing, dance and cry while recounting some of their memories of the DJ and his music

On Twitter, user Lena Ankarklo commented: 'Avicii on Sergels Torg. We are here and remember and honor the nice, the great and the best Tim. All thoughts to his mom Anki.'

While user namjooncito wrote: 'Went to the memorial for Avicii at Sergels Torg and lots of cameras on our faces when we sang along/cried! But this was so big and memorable.'

Vladi Mart also shared a photo and wrote: 'Serguei Square, Stockholm. People gathered to say goodbye to the wonderful musician, Tim Bergling. I liked his work, the themes in which he reminded of the value of time and the need to live exactly for today. Thanks for the melodies that bring us joy! He left at the age of 28. Truly, very sorry.'

Randi Haussler shared a photo from the scene and said: 'Hands up to honor and music from idol Avicii on the Sergelstorg in Stockholm.'

Instagram user emmyelsa said: 'Heaven just got a new star. Thanks for the music, memories and all the joy you gave millions of people, Tim. Rest in peace and see you on the other side. Love goes out to family & friends in this sad time.'

Several of the DJ's most popular hits were played during the tribute with thousands of fans seen dancing and singing along

One Avicii fan thanked the DJ for reminding him of the importance of 'living exactly for today' while sharing a photo of the memorial

The musician was seen just days ago while posing with fans at the luxury Muscat Hills Resort, though to be some of the last photos of him alive.

Born Tim Bergling, Avicii quit touring in 2016 due to battles with his health, suffering from acute pancreatitis and had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.

In the past, the DJ struggled with addiction and was hospitalised twice for alcohol related issues.

Last picture? Avicii was found dead aged 28 in Oman on Friday. The musician was seen days ago at Muscat Hills Resort, posing with DJ Maitrai Joshi (pictured)

A fan posted this photo of the musician, writing: 'RIP @avicii, can't believe I got to meet you in Muscat just 6 days ago, far too young to go'

Avicii dead at 28: Swedish DJ Tim Bergling's body found in Oman leaving family 'devastated'; he is seen in Los Angeles late last year

His brother has checked into an upscale hotel just 15 minutes from where Avicii stayed, claims TMZ.

Swedish reports say the DJ had checked out of Muscat Hills sometime last week and David will most likely want to discover exactly where his brother went in the days leading up to his death.

It comes as fans around the world noticed the heartbreaking final tweet from the legendary DJ, as it gains new poignancy in the wake of his death.

Avicii was recently nominated for the Billboard Music Awards 2018 in the Top Dance/Electronic Album, for his six-track EP Avici.

He wrote a few days ago: 'Thanks for the nomination! @billboard #BBMAS'

The DJ's publicist said in a statement: 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii.

'He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th.

'The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.'

No more details about his death were provided. Oman police and state media had no immediate report late Friday night on the artist's death.

Maitrai Joshi, who is resident DJ at the resort, is seen in one of the photos with Avicii at the resort.

Joshi, 29, told Mail Online that he met the famous producer last weekend, seeing him on Friday and Saturday.

He said: 'It was shocking for us to see him there in Oman. He was on vacation, he said it was his first time in Oman.'

The DJ was enjoying himself so much in the Middle Eastern country that he extended his stay an extra eight days; he was supposed to go home that Sunday, according to Joshi.

Joshi said he didn't recall if Avicii was drinking but noted that he was in good spirits while enjoying the luxury resort with a small group of friends.

He added to Norwegian paper VG: 'He was very nice, in good shape. Last Friday they were out on a boat, and the day after I know he was having dinner with friends. This is shocking news.

'I do not know what might have happened. He was very nice and happy.'

American Christina Hlosek also was seen in a photo with Avicii, she said: 'It's a shock to me that he's dead now. I could not believe the news when I read it.'

In November 2017, footage (pictured) was released of the musician hospital-ridden in Australia while struggling with his health during his worldwide arena tour

Last post: Avicii shared this picture of himself posing in the rain on April 4, writing 'It's always sunny in California'

Avicii battled with acute pancreatitis - which is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas - due in part to excessive drinking.

What is acute pancreatitis and how is it different from pancreatitis? Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, can come on quickly, when it is described as acute, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. It also can be a long-standing problem, when its known as chronic, where the pancreas slowly becomes more damaged over time. The most common symptom for both is pain in the abdomen that radiates to the back, along with nausea and vomiting. The theory is alcohol can cause the pancreatic duct to spasm, blocking the release of digestive juices. That inflames the pancreatic tissue. Other less common factors are faulty genes and viral infections such as measles or mumps. The dead tissue is vulnerable to infection and can lead to organ failure, so it needs to be removed. Around 25,000 cases of pancreatitis every year in Britain are acute. In 80 per cent of these, patients recover within a week. However, 5 per cent of patients will be extremely unwell, with serious and even fatal complications. Advertisement

As a result he had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, cancelling a series of shows in attempt to recover.

He quit touring in 2016 in order to focus on his health and recovery.

In November 2017, footage was released of the musician hospital-ridden in Australia while struggling with his health during his worldwide arena tour.

The snippet was from the Swedish artist's documentary, AVICII: TRUE STORIES.

The clip was uploaded to Avicii's Facebook and the star admitted at the time he was apprehensive about sharing his in-depth battles against stress, anxiety and illness.

He wrote about the video: 'I'm really excited. I'm also a bit nervous because it is kind of gritty sometimes. It's very personal. There's a lot of ups and downs. It's going to be interesting to see what people say.'

Footage shot by documentary maker Levan Tsikurishvili between 2013 and 2016 shows Australian doctors telling the DJ his gall bladder needs removing.

'Normally you'd take your gall bladder out before you go home on hospital admission, the reason being, so you don't get another attack in the mean time,' the doctor says.

'We understand your situation in that you're in the middle of a world tour...we think at some stage you need your gall bladder out.'

The video later shows the 28-year-old appearing disoriented and light-headed as he tried to grasp what day it is.

He looked exhausted, and his eyes went into a haze and rolled back into his head several times.

Although the DJ had been hospitalised in the past for excessive drinking, he claimed to have never taken the drug MDMA or Molly, which is known for being popular with fans of his music.

In an interview with GQ in 2013, he said: 'I mean, I want to take it. But I'm sort of afraid of anything that makes you feel out of control.'

The DJ was last romantically linked to former Canadian model Raquel Bettencourt (pictured together in 2013)

In the piece, he also touched on his battle with anxiety and drinking.

He said: 'You are traveling around, you live in a suitcase, you get to this place, theres free alcohol everywhereits sort of weird if you dont drink.

'I just got into a habit, because you rely on that encouragement and self-confidence you get from alcohol, and then you get dependent on it.'

Music veteran Nile Rodgers has paid tribute to the star and revealed his fears over the producers alcohol issues as he was drunk the last time they saw each other.

Nile, who worked alongside Avicii many times over the years, last teamed up with the star at a concert three years ago.

The Chic star revealed he was distraught to discover his friend was drunk and warned him about the risks to his health.

He told the Associated Press: He had promised me he would stop drinking, and when I saw him he was drunk that night. And I was like, 'Whoa. Dude. C'mon. What are you doing? What's going on? You said that that was done,

Music veteran Nile Rodgers has now revealed his fears over the producers alcohol issues as he was drunk the last time they saw each other

Nile Rodgers paid tribute to the DJ on Twitter calling him his 'little bro' (pictured)

We did a show and I was a little upset. I didn't even stick around for his performance because it was breaking my heart.

He added: I'm shocked because I don't know medically what happened, but I can just say as a person, as a friend, and more importantly, as a musician, Tim was one of the greatest, natural melody writers I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant musicians on this planet.

Although Avicii quit touring two years ago, the DJ continued making music in the studio, and collaborated with everyone from Madonna to Coldplay.

'It's been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent,' Avicii told Billboard magazine in 2016.

'When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price - a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me - but it was the best journey of my life.'

Avicii was a pioneer of the contemporary Electronic Dance Movement and a rare DJ capable of worldwide arena tour.

He was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right, earning international hits, fame, awards and more like typical pop stars.

Avicii earned $250,000 a night when playing out sold-out shows, according to GQ, and was once named as one of Forbes' highest paid DJs.

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim'

Avicii was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right. Pictured: Louis Tomlinson posted this photo with the DJ

He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations. Known for Wake Me Up! The Days, You Make Me, and the recent Lonely Together with Rita Ora, Avicii's biggest hit was Levels.

Avicii's death comes just days after he was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album for his EP Avicii (01), which he released last August.

Last year, the musician posted a statement on his website in which he said creating music was what he lived for.

He wrote: '[Creating music] is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.

'Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense  the studio.

'The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new.'

As news of his death broke on Friday, Avicii's celebrity friends rushed to pay tribute.

Tragedy: Dua Lipa followed suit saying: 'Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x.'

Condolences: Avicii's collaborators and friends rushed to pay tribute as the news broke

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim.'

Former One Direction star Liam Payne wrote: 'Oh my god truly devastated for Avicii very very sad news way to young ... what a talent he was. rest in peace.'

Charlie Puth added: 'Wow, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the man who really opened my eyes as to what my productions could one day sound like. Avicii was a genius and a music innovator, and I can not believe he is no longer with us. RIP to the very best.'

Dua Lipa followed suit saying: 'Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x.' (sic)

Ellie Goulding expressed: 'Rest easy Avicii, you inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person x.' (sic)

Fans were likewise distressed,flooding social media with tributes.
Barack and Michelle Obama are such a polite pair  I hear theyve sent a letter to their daughter Malias posh new boyfriend, Rory Farquharson, to apologise for being so famous.

Malia, 19, and Rory, 20, have been an item since they met while studying at Harvard University last year.

The Obamas are said to be concerned about the attention their daughters famous name might bring upon Rory  a former head boy at top public school Rugby  and his family.

But they neednt worry too much.

My high-society informants tell me that Rorys parents, Charles and Catherine  who live in a 1.6 million house in Suffolk  are telling anyone who will listen about their sons exciting correspondence from the former US President.

Malia, 19, and Rory, 20, have been an item since they met while studying at Harvard University last year

New role for Rose as EastEnder

Rose McGowan, has decided to move to Londons East End to escape the Hollywood fallout since she accused Harvey Weinstein, 66, of raping her

From Bel Air to Bethnal Green... thats not a switch of addresses you see very often.

But Rose McGowan, has decided to move to Londons East End to escape the Hollywood fallout since she accused Harvey Weinstein, 66, of raping her.

The actress wants to leave all the drama behind and write a book. I dont know if youve heard but theres some problems in America right now, the 44-year-old Charmed star joked as she scoffed a burger at the Ash From Chaos art launch last week.

I dont act any more, so I dont need to be there.
He recently defended his foul-mouthed rows towards his girlfriend, after leaving viewers and even co-star Gemma Collins shocked with his 'disgusting' behaviour on the ITVBe series.

And TOWIE stars James Lock and Yazmin Oukhellou looked like they had put the drama behind them as they stepped out in Majorca on Saturday.

The gorgeous couple appeared in good spirits as they laughed while relaxing in the idyllic sun and even took a stroll along the beach.

Fresh start: TOWIE stars, James Lock and Yazmin Oukhellou, put on a defiant display during their romantic Majorca getaway in Spain on Saturday

Yazmin showed off her enviable curves in a tiny black bikini, with a silver chain detail on the straps.

The stunning reality star went au naturale for the day, as she showed off her make-up free and sunkissed glow.

Yazmin styled her luscious brunette locks into a high ponytail, as she added a pair of black sunglasses on top.

Relaxing: The gorgeous couple appeared in good spirits as they laughed while relaxing in the idyllic sun and even took a stroll along the beach

Stunning: Yazmin showed off her enviable curves in a tiny black bikini, with a silver chain detail on the straps

Beautiful: The stunning reality star went au naturale for the day, as she showed off her make-up free and sunkissed glow

At one stage, the 24-year-old carried a black and white cover-up, Louis Vuitton clutch bag and Givenchy sliders to make her way across the beach.

Meanwhile, Yazmin's beau James, affectionately known as 'Lockie' by friends, showed off his broad and muscular frame in a matching pair of black swimming trunks.

The reality star hunk, who got a hair transplant earlier this year, styled his new brunette locks into a tousled look.

At one stage, to walk along the beach with Yazmin, James covered up in a tight-fitting black t-shirt and added a pair of Gucci sliders.

Elegant: At one stage, the 24-year-old carried a black and white cover-up, Louis Vuitton clutch bag and Givenchy sliders to make her way across the beach

Hunky: Meanwhile, Yazmin's beau James, affectionately known as 'Lockie' by friends, showed off his broad and muscular frame in a matching pair of black swimming trunks

Handsome: The reality star hunk, who got a hair transplant earlier this year, styled his new brunette locks into a tousled look

The holiday comes after the reality star recently defended his foul-mouthed rants at his girlfriend on TOWIE to The Sun, after some show watchers even called for him to be sacked.

Talking to the publication, he said: 'On a show like TOWIE you can become a negative character or a positive character.

'And I think I'm a very positive character now.

'I've been the bad guy, don't get me wrong and that's not good, but now I'm a good guy.'

Stylish: At one stage, to walk along the beach with Yazmin, James covered up in a tight-fitting black t-shirt and added a pair of Gucci sliders

Drama: The holiday comes after the reality star recently defended his foul-mouthed rants at his girlfriend on TOWIE to The Sun

Fiery: The 31-year-old TOWIE veteran became agitated earlier on in the series during a group trip to Barcelona, after he was confronted for his disrespectful behaviour by Yazmin's pals

The 31-year-old TOWIE veteran became agitated earlier on in the series during a group trip to Barcelona, after he was confronted for his disrespectful behaviour by Yazmin's pals Chloe Lewis and Chloe Meadows following a recent dinner they had all attended.

Although the girls were sticking up for their pal and attempting to calmly resolve the issue, James quickly became enraged and left Yazmin in tears as he repeatedly called her a 'spoilt f***ing brat'.

While Yazmin has since gone on to reassure fans that all is forgiven, even though she won't stand for it again.

Talking to OK! Magazine, she said: It was upsetting to watch. To see someone I love flip like that was horrible.

Upsetting: Although the girls were sticking up for their pal and attempting to calmly resolve the issue, James quickly became enraged and left Yazmin in tears

Mean: The reality star kept swearing at his girlfriend and repeatedly called her a 'spoilt f***ing brat'

Forgiven: While Yazmin has since gone on to reassure fans that all is forgiven, even though she won't stand for it again

'I dont excuse his behaviour and if he ever behaved like that again Id be gone. I love James dearly and I know that was just a blip moment.

She went on to say: If I was some weak woman who was allowing her boyfriend to speak like that I would just excuse it and say its alright. Its not okay and if he was to do it again I wouldnt stand for it.

On his own behaviour, James said he felt embarrassed' and 'got a bit upset' watching the scenes back.

Reflective: On his own behaviour, James said he felt embarrassed' and 'got a bit upset' watching the scenes back

Upset: In the midst of his rage, Yazmin pleaded with him to stop: 'I don't care if you do it at home but this is embarrassing'

In the shocking showdown, James was filmed shouting at Yazmin, saying: 'Let me tell you something. Okay, youre gonna start doing that. Throwing that card. Listen Yaz, do not f***ing sit there and make me look like a d**k.

'Don't sit here playing the victim because you are a spoilt, f***ing brat. Alright? You're a spoilt, little f***ing brat. Do not sit here and f***ing play the victim. Dont start f***ing crying.I'm a f***ing nice boy...'

In the midst of his rage, Yazmin pleaded with him to stop: 'I don't care if you do it at home but this is embarrassing'.

Naturally, the row caused quite a stir among viewers, with co-star Gemma Collins branding James 'disgusting' for his behaviour.
Celebrity chef Cat Cora, 51, has wed producer Nicole Ehrlich, 42.

They married on Saturday at the Villa Verano Estate in Santa Barbara, California, according to UsWeekly.

'Today was such a magical day. I married the love of my life, Nicole Ehrlich, in front of all of our family and closest friends,' Cora of Iron Chef told the site.

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You may now kiss the bride: Celebrity chef Cat Cora, 51, has wed producer Nicole Ehrlich, 42

Close: They married on Saturday at the Villa Verano Estate in Santa Barbara, California, according to UsWeekly

Official: 'Today was such a magical day. I married the love of my life, Nicole Ehrlich, in front of all of our family and closest friends,' Cora of Iron Chef told the site

'To share our love and commitment to one another, alongside our six sons, was a dream come true. We couldnt have asked for a more perfect day!' she added.

The ladies wore dresses from Kleinfeld Bridal. The boutique is featured in TLCs Say Yes to the Dress. Cora stunned in a Pnina Tornai, while Ehrlich glowed in a Signore, UsWeekly added.

They dined on sushi, cupcakes and a wedding cake.

Cute bouquet: 'To share our love and commitment to one another, alongside our six sons, was a dream come true. We couldnt have asked for a more perfect day!' she added

They started dating in 2017.

Cat has four children: Zoran, 14, Caje, 10, Thatcher and Nash, both nine  from a previous marriage to Jennifer Cora. They split in 2015.

Ehrlich has two sons  Jonas, 12, and Gavin, 10.

They have been together only two years: They started dating in 2017

Cora, who was born in Mississippi, has also been on Iron Chef America: Supreme Cuisine.

Cora has also opened restaurants.

Ocean Restaurant at the S.E.A. Aquarium at Resorts World Sentosa off Singapore was opened in February 2013.

The 63 seat restaurant is inside the world's largest oceanarium and has stunning views of deep-sea wildlife from every table.

And she has an eating nook at the San Francisco airport.

Cora is currently the co-host of Around the World in 80 Plates and works on Fox's My Kitchen Rules.
Dance Mom's Abby Lee Miller is in the hospital recovering from her emergency surgery on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old reality star, who was recently released from a Victorville, California prison, has been preliminary diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphomacancer of the lymph nodes.

'So much gratitude and love for those who listened, those who looked deeper, and those who leapt into action,' she said on Instagram in reference to her spinal surgery. 'So much more I wish I could say......about how quickly your life can change at the hands of others.'

Scary times: Dance Mom's Abby Lee Miller is in the hospital recovering after an emergency surgery on Tuesday

Following Abby's operation, her doctor, Hooman M. Melamed, spoke with PEOPLE through a rep and confirmed that Miller is 'looking good' but 'she's not out of the woods yet.'

The Pittsburgh native, who was left paralyzed from the neck down on Tuesday, will undoubtedly need another spinal surgery.

'She has a lot more movement in her arms legs and toes, which is a very good sign,' Melamed said.

The nearly five-hour surgery required Dr. Melamed to make an 18-inch incision. The orthopedic surgeon then removed the back part of several vertebrae in order to relieve pressure from Miller's spinal cord.

Life threatening: The 51-year-old reality star, who was recently released from a Victorville, California prison, has been preliminary diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphomacancer of the lymph nodes

An oncologist has been brought on Abby's case to determine next steps regarding chemotherapy and radiation.

'Depending on the tumor type, depending on the sensitivity of the tumor it just depends the type but I feel more than yes, she will undergo chemotherapy or radiation,' Hooman said.



'We don't know where the source is,' he added. 'Any tumor that spreads anywhere is automatically Stage 4, but we have not determined the stage yet.'

It's been a difficult few years for Miller, who was in the custody of Victorville Federal Correctional Institution from July until late last month in connection to her bankruptcy fraud conviction.

She lost 100 pounds during her detainment at the penitentiary.

Last month, she began staying at a Long Beach halfway house, where she's tentatively slated to stay until May 25.
Paris Hilton arrived at the BeautyCon Festival in New York on Saturday after sharing a heartfelt tribute to Avicii.

The 37-year-old hotel heiress is town as part of the two-day expo, sponsored by Kim Crawford wines which celebrates 'the hottest brands in Health & Wellness and Korean Beauty.'

Dressed in a white top with a sheer center and sides, she showed off her svelte figure while walking the pink carpet.

Beauty tips: Paris Hilton arrived at the BeautyCon Festival in New York on Saturday after sharing a heartfelt tribute to Avicii

Throwing a classic white jacket with golden buttons over the revealing top, Paris had an influential air about her as she entered the event.

The blonde beauty's medium-length locks were in waves, and a pair of high-wasted black pants added even more character to her already powerful look.

She wore a small silver pursue over her shoulder, and had her nails painted pink with French tips. Kim Crawford wine officially poured at the event.

Fashion with a cause: Phillip Picardi (right) wore a Burberry tartan coat with stripes

Lovely: The 37-year-old hotel heiress is town as part of the two-day expo, which celebrates 'the hottest brands in Health & Wellness and Korean Beauty'

Down the middle: Dressed in a white top with a sheer center and sides, she showed off her svelte figure while walking the pink carpet

Quick chat: While on the pink carpet, the television personality stopped and took photos with Picardi, digital editorial director for Teen Vogue and Allure

While on the pink carpet, the television personality stopped and took photos with Phillip Picardi, digital editorial director for Teen Vogue and Allure.

Later in the day, the two spoke on a panel together.

Phillip wore a Burberry tartan coat with stripes.

The 27-year-old editorial star added a pair of light blue jeans and a red sweater to complete his look.

Carry on: She wore a small silver pursue over her shoulder, and had her nails painted pink with French tips

Power jacket: Throwing a classic white jacket with golden buttons over the revealing top, Paris had an influential air about her as she entered the event

On top: The blonde beauty's medium-length locks were in waves, and a pair of high-wasted black pants added even more character to her already powerful look

Festival looks: The blonde beauty's medium-length locks were in waves, and a pair of high-wasted black pants added even more character to her already powerful look

Leon: Paris looked every bit the fashion professional as she sauntered across the pink carpet

Shutterbug: Saturday marked the second day in a row that Paris has taken part in BeautyCon events

Don't forget your fans: Paris made sure to stop and take plenty of photos with fans after her talk

All of the lights: The international hotel heiress lounged beneath her own neon sign

Paris paid tribute to fellow DJ Avicii, who was found dead on Friday at the age of 28.

The blonde beauty worked with the Swedish star in the past and knew him.

The beauty wrote on social media: 'Tim, you will always be in our hearts, minds, music, & memories.'

Stunner: Paris Hilton paid tribute to fellow DJ Avicii, who was found dead on Friday at the age of 28. The blonde beauty worked with the Swedish star in the past and knew him

In the past: Paris with Avicii, far left, and Afrojack, middle, several years ago

Earlier she shared a black-and-white photo of him with the caption: 'Devastated hearing the sad news of @Avicii passing.

'Such a sweet soul with a big heart & incredible talent. So many amazing memories together.

'My thoughts & prayers are with his family. Rest In Peace my friend.'

Hilton was dressed to the nines ahead of the BeautyCon Festival in New York on Friday evening.

The 37-year-old reality television star rocked a silver-mirrored minidress for the pre-party festivities celebrating Gigi Gorgeous' birthday.

Her pal: Earlier she shared a black-and-white photo of him with the caption: 'Devastated hearing the sad news of @Avicii passing. 'Such a sweet soul with a big heart & incredible talent. So many amazing memories together'

Sparkling like a disco ball on the dance floor, Paris' chic dress featured sheer black material over her arms and shoulders.

Layers of shining silver pieces lined her arms as bright red glitter pumps added inches to her already statuesque pins.

Hilton wore her short platinum blonde tresses in loose curls with a seductive part toward the side.

Strike a pose: The 37-year-old reality television star rocked a silver-mirrored minidress for the pre-party festivities celebrating Gigi Gorgeous' birthday

Beauties: Sparkling like a disco ball on the dance floor, Paris' chic dress featured sheer black material over her arms and shoulders; seen with Gabi DeMartino

Glitzy: Layers of shining silver pieces lined her arms as bright red glitter pumps added inches to her already statuesque pins

She kept her eyes covered for most of the evening, opting to wear a pair of heart shaped sunglasses indoors.

Gigi was the epitome of Barbie-chic as she showed off her killer curves wearing a figure-hugging pink dress.

Her flowing blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, with perfectly applied makeup highlighting her gorgeous features.

Party-mode: wore her short platinum blonde tresses in loose curls with a seductive part toward the side

Happy! The birthday girl was overcome with joy as her friends presented her an adorable unicorn-themed cake

The birthday girl was overcome with joy as her friends presented her an adorable unicorn-themed cake.

Makeup guru Kandee Johnson showed her flair for fashion by wearing a bright red blouse paired with sequin trousers.

Model Iskra Lawrence flashed her toned abs through an orange crop top paired with black-and-white sweatpants.
Britains Got Talent included the unexpected but encouraging sight of Simon Cowell showing he had a sensitive, spiritual, side  or at least pretending to - ostentatiously sucking up to a priest like a man still seeking redemption.

And who can blame him?

For years Cowell has had a reputation for being a greedy, cynical, record mogul responsible for destroying pop music by flooding the charts with vacuous pap like Matt Cardle, JLS, and Olly Murs  mostly because he did.

One of my favourite ever auditions! Simon Cowell saw dollar signs when he heard Irish priest Father Ray Kelly sing REMs Everybody Hurts', by Jim Shelley

His opportunity came when Father Ray Kelly from County Meath in Ireland performed his version of Everybody Hurts by REM.

Well in his job he should know.

Desperate to show he was not the evil monster he is portrayed, the millisecond Father Ray finished singing Simon was up on his feet giving the priest a standing ovation and whooping happily as if Ray was his latest discovery, or hed written the song himself.

Moving: Britains Got Talent included the unexpected but encouraging sight of Simon Cowell showing he had a sensitive, spiritual, side

Redemption? For years Cowell has had a reputation for being a greedy, cynical, record mogul responsible for destroying pop music

Mind blowing: His opportunity came when Father Ray Kelly from County Meath in Ireland performed his version of Everybody Hurts by REM

In case all this were not enough he even gave Father Ray A DOUBLE THUMBS UP, as if his benediction would provide the priest with some reassurance he couldnt get from the Good Lord.

Cowell didnt hold back when it came to his verdict either.

Im going to tell you something. This is one of my favourite ever auditions! he purred deeply, in case anyone hadnt registered that he was a fan.

Reaction: Desperate to show he was not the evil monster he is portrayed, the millisecond Father Ray finished singing Simon was up on his feet giving the priest a standing ovation

Got Simon's praise: Im going to tell you something. This is one of my favourite ever auditions! he purred deeply, in case anyone hadnt registered that he was a fan

I think your voice is beautiful. I love the version of the song. This is everything weve been waiting for. I absolutely loved it.

In short what he was trying to say was: KERCHING!

A sweet Irish indie priest: think of the sales when Father Kelly released his versions of Feels Like Teen Spirit, Bittersweet Symphony, something by Little Mix, and Tupacs I Aint Hard To Find.

Opinion: It may be blasphemy but personally I didnt think Father Ray was as good as everyone was claiming

Revealed: His stage presence had a comic air of Father Ted and often he just said the words rather than sang them

Alesha Dixon joined in but at least her analysis had some depth rather than just showing off.

Everybody was listening to the words and relating it to their own lives, she praised.

I wasnt. It may be blasphemy but personally I didnt think Father Ray was as good as everyone was claiming.

Hilarious moment: Let me ask you a question, Cowell mused when Ray came on stage. Do you do exorcisms?

His stage presence had a comic air of Father Ted and often he just said the words rather than sang them.

Let me ask you a question, Cowell mused when Ray came on stage. Do you do exorcisms?

He didnt say whether it was Amanda Holden he feared had been possessed by Satan or his own soul but it was something worth considering for the next round and certainly more entertaining weve seen in this series so far.

Change of heart? Unusually Cowell seemed intent on using this episode as a vessel for good deeds, good vibes, and Political Correctness

'I'm only in it for the parking': Lee Riley called himself Lost Voice Guy having been unable to speak for the last 37 years due to cerebral palsy

Unusually Cowell seemed intent on using this episode as a vessel for good deeds, good vibes, and Political Correctness.

Lee Riley called himself Lost Voice Guy having been unable to speak for the last 37 years due to cerebral palsy. Even if his act had been totally silent you suspect they would have given him four yeses. As it turned out he delivered a brilliant stand-up routine using a voice app on an iPad.

The VT about a group of young dancers Rise tugged at the heartstrings even more emotively. 13 year-old Hollie Booth had been at the Ariane Grande gig in Manchester and the suicide bomb had broken her right knee and left foot.

So funny: As it turned out he delivered a brilliant stand-up routine using a voice app on an iPad

Expectations: Even if his act had been totally silent you suspect they would have given him four yeses

After 11 operations she had re-joined the troupe even she was in a wheelchair one leg permanently needed a splint.

Kids eh? What are they like? They put us to shame. Her mates had devised a routine for One Last Time incorporating wheelchairs to show their solidarity.

The judges rightly voted them through but eventually you suspect theyll have to send them home.

Emotional: The VT about a group of young dancers Rise tugged at the heartstrings even more emotively

Tragedy: 13 year-old Hollie Booth had been at the Ariane Grande gig in Manchester and the suicide bomb had broken her right knee and left foot

The same goes for the 9-14 year Latin American kids in Call Swing, and David & Javier, a pair of Mexican/Spanish, Little & Large, salsa dancers who they put through more because they were lovely rather than particularly interesting.

David Walliams had a perfectly reasonable dig at Strictly by pointing out: I dont know why that show on the BBC doesnt have two men dancing together. Theres nothing funny about it.

Simon Cowell became very effusive about impressionist Andrew Lancaster even though his Donald Trump was at best generic, his Russell Brand feeble, and his Nigel Farage mystified the audience because no one can remember exactly what Farage sounds like.

Going strong: Kids eh? What are they like? They put us to shame. Her mates had devised a routine for One Last Time incorporating wheelchairs to show their solidarity

I loved it! It was topical and current! cheered Cowell, even though theyre the same.

Surprisingly Cowell was the last to buzz Hungarys Andras Lovas off the stage, even beseeching the others: well lets give it a chance!

This was despite the fact that Andras was making a noise he said was my special invention and called heart singing  because it comes from my heart only.

Unfortunately it was also a horrible hum, like a human didgeridoo.

Glitzy line-up: The same goes for the 9-14 year Latin American kids in Call Swing, and David & Javier, a pair of Mexican/Spanish, Little & Large, salsa dancers

Dazzling duo: David Walliams had a perfectly reasonable dig at Strictly by pointing out: I dont know why that show on the BBC doesnt have two men dancing together'

Cowell was less tolerant of Radu, a Romanian builder whose act consisted of spinning round in ever-more chaotic circles to a raucous techno tune, as if he were having his own private rave, which was fine as long as we didnt have to witness it.

Perhaps surprisingly and decidedly unfortunately, Andras and Radu were far from this weeks most bizarre contestants.

Kaptain Rock was an illiterate eccentric with a one-string light sabre and spent longer unpacking it than he did playing it before being buzzed off.

Finally, a 59 year-old bloke called Jim had BGTs first (and hopefully last) ever dancing clock act, complete with a cuckoo clock construction not to much on his head as over it. Why? Because he was cuckoo presumably

Impossible to miss: Cowell was less tolerant of Radu, a Romanian builder whose act consisted of spinning round in ever-more chaotic circles to a raucous techno tune

Time to go home! Finally, a 59 year-old bloke called Jim had BGTs first (and hopefully last) ever dancing clock act, complete with a cuckoo clock construction
She believes she was 'ostracised' for speaking up against sexual abuse in Hollywood.

And Thandie Newtown has opened up about being an advocate for women in film for two decades and recently feeling shunned by the Time's Up movement.

The 45-year-old spoke candidly to News Corp on Sunday about balancing her outspoken feminism with her role as a controversial brothel owner on Westworld.

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Speaking out: Thandie Newtown has opened up about being an advocate for women in film for two decades and recently feeling shunned by the Time's Up movement

The London-born actress described being sexually mistreated during an audition with an unnamed director when she was 18 years old.

'Who wants to be the first person to say, "This man raped me, and he is also the head of a studio, or he is a director?" Thats hard,' she recalled.

She explained how speaking out about her own incident and the rampant abuse in Hollywood 'ostracised' her from not only the acting community, but her family also.

Traumatic: The London-born actress described being sexually mistreated during an audition with an unnamed director when she was 18 years old

'I felt if there was one girl whose family was thinking about putting their child into show business, that would help them decide. That was all I cared about,' she said.

Her seasoned advocacy for women in Hollywood left Thandie feeling shut out when she wasn't invited to be part of Time's Up, a moment she describes as 'very painful'.

'I wasnt hot enough. I wasnt mainstream enough and I wasnt going to be at the Oscars this year, even though I am having a renaissance in my career,' she stated.

Disappointed: Her seasoned advocacy for women in Hollywood left Thandie feeling shut out when she wasn't invited to be part of Time's Up, a moment she describes as 'very painful'

The Westworld star also touched on the challenges of playing a madam named Maeve Millay in the HBO sci-fi series.

She acknowledged the character might be viewed as problematic as her primary function is to get 'young women f*cked again and again and murdered and raped'.

But she also prided herself on her reputation as a veteran actress and delivering multi-faceted roles that 'portray women with more than one dimension'.
A new photo shows DJ Avicii nursing what appears to be alcohol just one day before his death.

The electronic musician, who died on Friday while vacationing in Oman, was seen relaxing on a yacht while holding an icy beverage in the photo obtained by TMZ and published Saturday.

The ominous picture comes at the same time police in the Middle Eastern nation told Sky there is 'no criminal suspicion' surrounding musician's death.

PICTURED: A new photo shows DJ Avicii nursing what appears to be alcohol just one day before his death. The electronic musician, who died on Friday while vacationing in Oman, was seen relaxing on a yacht

While it's not exactly clear where the beverage was alcoholic the 28-year-old - whose real name is Tim Bergling - struggled with addiction in the past and was hospitalized twice for alcohol related issues previously.

Questionable: While it's not clear where the beverage was alcoholic the 28-year-old struggled with addiction

He suffered from acute pancreatitis due in part to excessive drinking and had his gallbladder removed in 2014

During his trip people said he 'definitely did seem to be in good spirits while enjoying his time.'

The body of Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ Avicii will be flown from Muscat, Oman to his native Sweden this week, police have told.

Aviciis brother, David Bergling, had reportedly traveled to Muscat to find out more about his siblings death.

Thousands have now gathered to mourn the Swedish born musician - who was known for his EDM hits Wake Me Up, Levels and Hey Brother - at Sergels Torg in central Stockholm.

Gone too soon: The body of Grammy-nominated electronic dance DJ Avicii, 28, will be flown from Muscat, Oman to his native Sweden this week

Thousands of fans of Avicii's gathered to honour the much-loved producer at Sergels Torg in central Stockholm today

Fans flooded to Sergels Torg to pay tribute to the DJ, listening to his music and celebrating his memory together.

They took to social media to share photos and videos from the memorial.

On Instagram, user pridesussie shared a series of photos from the event and wrote: 'Today at Sergels Torg. Memorial time as well as tribute to Avicii. Too young, he became a guardian angel among the clouds.'

On Twitter, user Lena Ankarklo commented: 'Avicii on Sergels Torg. We are here and remember and honor the nice, the great and the best Tim. All thoughts to his mom Anki.'

Many of his fans took to Twitter to share their experiences of Sergels Torg and to pay heartfelt tributes to the Swedish DJ

Others described the emotion of the event, which saw fans sing, dance and cry while recounting some of their memories of the DJ and his music

While user namjooncito wrote: 'Went to the memorial for Avicii at Sergels Torg and lots of cameras on our faces when we sang along/cried! But this was so big and memorable.'

Vladi Mart also shared a photo and wrote: 'Serguei Square, Stockholm. People gathered to say goodbye to the wonderful musician, Tim Bergling. I liked his work, the themes in which he reminded of the value of time and the need to live exactly for today. Thanks for the melodies that bring us joy! He left at the age of 28. Truly, very sorry.'

Randi Haussler shared a photo from the scene and said: 'Hands up to honor and music from idol Avicii on the Sergelstorg in Stockholm.'

Instagram user emmyelsa said: 'Heaven just got a new star. Thanks for the music, memories and all the joy you gave millions of people, Tim. Rest in peace and see you on the other side. Love goes out to family & friends in this sad time.'

Several of the DJ's most popular hits were played during the tribute with thousands of fans seen dancing and singing along

One Avicii fan thanked the DJ for reminding him of the importance of 'living exactly for today' while sharing a photo of the memorial

The musician was seen just days ago while posing with fans at the luxury Muscat Hills Resort, though to be some of the last photos of him alive.

Born Tim Bergling, Avicii quit touring in 2016 due to battles with his health, suffering from acute pancreatitis and had to have his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.

In the past, the DJ struggled with addiction and was hospitalised twice for alcohol related issues.

Last picture? Avicii was found dead aged 28 in Oman on Friday. The musician was seen days ago at Muscat Hills Resort, posing with DJ Maitrai Joshi (pictured)

A fan posted this photo of the musician, writing: 'RIP @avicii, can't believe I got to meet you in Muscat just 6 days ago, far too young to go'

Avicii dead at 28: Swedish DJ Tim Bergling's body found in Oman leaving family 'devastated'; he is seen in Los Angeles late last year

His brother has checked into an upscale hotel just 15 minutes from where Avicii stayed, claims TMZ.

Swedish reports say the DJ had checked out of Muscat Hills sometime last week and David will most likely want to discover exactly where his brother went in the days leading up to his death.

It comes as fans around the world noticed the heartbreaking final tweet from the legendary DJ, as it gains new poignancy in the wake of his death.

Avicii was recently nominated for the Billboard Music Awards 2018 in the Top Dance/Electronic Album, for his six-track EP Avici.

He wrote a few days ago: 'Thanks for the nomination! @billboard #BBMAS'

The DJ's publicist said in a statement: 'It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii.

'He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th.

'The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.'

No more details about his death were provided. Oman police and state media had no immediate report late Friday night on the artist's death.

Maitrai Joshi, who is resident DJ at the resort, is seen in one of the photos with Avicii at the resort.

Joshi, 29, told Mail Online that he met the famous producer last weekend, seeing him on Friday and Saturday.

He said: 'It was shocking for us to see him there in Oman. He was on vacation, he said it was his first time in Oman.'

The DJ was enjoying himself so much in the Middle Eastern country that he extended his stay an extra eight days; he was supposed to go home that Sunday, according to Joshi.

Joshi said he didn't recall if Avicii was drinking but noted that he was in good spirits while enjoying the luxury resort with a small group of friends.

He added to Norwegian paper VG: 'He was very nice, in good shape. Last Friday they were out on a boat, and the day after I know he was having dinner with friends. This is shocking news.

'I do not know what might have happened. He was very nice and happy.'

American Christina Hlosek also was seen in a photo with Avicii, she said: 'It's a shock to me that he's dead now. I could not believe the news when I read it.'

In November 2017, footage (pictured) was released of the musician hospital-ridden in Australia while struggling with his health during his worldwide arena tour

Last post: Avicii shared this picture of himself posing in the rain on April 4, writing 'It's always sunny in California'

Avicii battled with acute pancreatitis - which is a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the pancreas - due in part to excessive drinking.

What is acute pancreatitis and how is it different from pancreatitis? Pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, can come on quickly, when it is described as acute, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. It also can be a long-standing problem, when its known as chronic, where the pancreas slowly becomes more damaged over time. The most common symptom for both is pain in the abdomen that radiates to the back, along with nausea and vomiting. The theory is alcohol can cause the pancreatic duct to spasm, blocking the release of digestive juices. That inflames the pancreatic tissue. Other less common factors are faulty genes and viral infections such as measles or mumps. The dead tissue is vulnerable to infection and can lead to organ failure, so it needs to be removed. Around 25,000 cases of pancreatitis every year in Britain are acute. In 80 per cent of these, patients recover within a week. However, 5 per cent of patients will be extremely unwell, with serious and even fatal complications. Advertisement

As a result he had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, cancelling a series of shows in attempt to recover.

He quit touring in 2016 in order to focus on his health and recovery.

In November 2017, footage was released of the musician hospital-ridden in Australia while struggling with his health during his worldwide arena tour.

The snippet was from the Swedish artist's documentary, AVICII: TRUE STORIES.

The clip was uploaded to Avicii's Facebook and the star admitted at the time he was apprehensive about sharing his in-depth battles against stress, anxiety and illness.

He wrote about the video: 'I'm really excited. I'm also a bit nervous because it is kind of gritty sometimes. It's very personal. There's a lot of ups and downs. It's going to be interesting to see what people say.'

Footage shot by documentary maker Levan Tsikurishvili between 2013 and 2016 shows Australian doctors telling the DJ his gall bladder needs removing.

'Normally you'd take your gall bladder out before you go home on hospital admission, the reason being, so you don't get another attack in the mean time,' the doctor says.

'We understand your situation in that you're in the middle of a world tour...we think at some stage you need your gall bladder out.'

The video later shows the 28-year-old appearing disoriented and light-headed as he tried to grasp what day it is.

He looked exhausted, and his eyes went into a haze and rolled back into his head several times.

Although the DJ had been hospitalised in the past for excessive drinking, he claimed to have never taken the drug MDMA or Molly, which is known for being popular with fans of his music.

In an interview with GQ in 2013, he said: 'I mean, I want to take it. But I'm sort of afraid of anything that makes you feel out of control.'

The DJ was last romantically linked to former Canadian model Raquel Bettencourt (pictured together in 2013)

In the piece, he also touched on his battle with anxiety and drinking.

He said: 'You are traveling around, you live in a suitcase, you get to this place, theres free alcohol everywhereits sort of weird if you dont drink.

'I just got into a habit, because you rely on that encouragement and self-confidence you get from alcohol, and then you get dependent on it.'

Music veteran Nile Rodgers has paid tribute to the star and revealed his fears over the producers alcohol issues as he was drunk the last time they saw each other.

Nile, who worked alongside Avicii many times over the years, last teamed up with the star at a concert three years ago.

The Chic star revealed he was distraught to discover his friend was drunk and warned him about the risks to his health.

He told the Associated Press: He had promised me he would stop drinking, and when I saw him he was drunk that night. And I was like, 'Whoa. Dude. C'mon. What are you doing? What's going on? You said that that was done,

Music veteran Nile Rodgers has now revealed his fears over the producers alcohol issues as he was drunk the last time they saw each other

Nile Rodgers paid tribute to the DJ on Twitter calling him his 'little bro' (pictured)

We did a show and I was a little upset. I didn't even stick around for his performance because it was breaking my heart.

He added: I'm shocked because I don't know medically what happened, but I can just say as a person, as a friend, and more importantly, as a musician, Tim was one of the greatest, natural melody writers I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant musicians on this planet.

Although Avicii quit touring two years ago, the DJ continued making music in the studio, and collaborated with everyone from Madonna to Coldplay.

'It's been a very crazy journey. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 percent,' Avicii told Billboard magazine in 2016.

'When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price - a lot of stress a lot of anxiety for me - but it was the best journey of my life.'

Avicii was a pioneer of the contemporary Electronic Dance Movement and a rare DJ capable of worldwide arena tour.

He was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right, earning international hits, fame, awards and more like typical pop stars.

Avicii earned $250,000 a night when playing out sold-out shows, according to GQ, and was once named as one of Forbes' highest paid DJs.

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim'

Avicii was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right. Pictured: Louis Tomlinson posted this photo with the DJ

He won two MTV Music Awards, one Billboard Music Award and earned two Grammy nominations. Known for Wake Me Up! The Days, You Make Me, and the recent Lonely Together with Rita Ora, Avicii's biggest hit was Levels.

Avicii's death comes just days after he was nominated for a Billboard Music Award for top dance/electronic album for his EP Avicii (01), which he released last August.

Last year, the musician posted a statement on his website in which he said creating music was what he lived for.

He wrote: '[Creating music] is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.

'Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense  the studio.

'The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new.'

As news of his death broke on Friday, Avicii's celebrity friends rushed to pay tribute.

Tragedy: Dua Lipa followed suit saying: 'Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x.'

Condolences: Avicii's collaborators and friends rushed to pay tribute as the news broke

Fellow producer Calvin Harris was one of the first to tweet, writing: 'Devastating news about Avicii. A beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim.'

Former One Direction star Liam Payne wrote: 'Oh my god truly devastated for Avicii very very sad news way to young ... what a talent he was. rest in peace.'

Charlie Puth added: 'Wow, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the man who really opened my eyes as to what my productions could one day sound like. Avicii was a genius and a music innovator, and I can not believe he is no longer with us. RIP to the very best.'

Dua Lipa followed suit saying: 'Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x.' (sic)

Ellie Goulding expressed: 'Rest easy Avicii, you inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person x.' (sic)

Fans were likewise distressed,flooding social media with tributes.
Matt Damon's been spending a lot of time with new pal Chris Hemsworth.

And Damon's childhood friend Ben Affleck has taken notice of that fact, based on a tweet the Batman V Superman actor sent on Saturday.

'Hey @chrishemsworth, you can have him! I'm Team @Jimmy Kimmel anyways,' joked the 45-year-old Argo director.

Feud: Matt Damon's childhood friend Ben Affleck has taken notice of the fact The Martian actor has become tight with Chris Hemsworth, based on a tweet the actor sent on Saturday

The reference to the talk show host was a play on the long-running 'feud' between the 47-year-old star of The Martian and Kimmel.

The pair have played up their animosity for years for the benefit of laughs on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show.

And the Oscars host weighed into the fray, replying to Affleck's tweet: 'Wow. Another big win for #TeamBatman!'

'Sorry Matt, I'm sure this is a Thor thubject. #Iwilltakeeveryoneyoulove'

Old gag: The pair have played up their animosity for years for the benefit of laughs on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show

New BFF: Matt has been in Australia since Easter palling around with The Avengers actor. Pictured in January 2017

Matt has been in Australia since Easter palling around with The Avengers actor and has recently the subject of rumors that he is considering a permanent move Down Under

An unnamed source told Woman's Day recently that Matt is envious of mate Chris Hemsworth's idyllic Australian lifestyle.

'Matt loves Australia...Chris enjoys the quiet life away from Hollywood and that just makes it even more appealing.'

According to Page Six last month, he was looking to buy the property next door to Chris due to his dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.

'Matt's telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year,' a 'top' source told the publication.
A post-mortem examination will be conducted on the body of a 24-year-old man shot dead at a home north of Brisbane, as the hunt for his killer continues.

Neighbours of the Petrie unit reported hearing a woman screaming that her boyfriend had been shot just after midnight on Friday, before multiple cars left the scene.

The man was rushed to Royal Brisbane Hospital but later died of a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Police have spoken to a number of witnesses, but say they do not have the murder weapon and are keen to speak to anyone who was inside the unit when the shooting took place.

"The nature of what weapon was used is of acute interest to us, the reason for it (being used) and obviously the person who pulled the trigger," Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming told reporters on Friday.

"A young man has died in unacceptable circumstances ... we will find the person responsible for this and bring them to justice."

Det Supt Fleming said the man had been visiting the unit and knew at least one person who lived there.

Detectives have established an investigation centre at Petrie police station and are calling on anyone with information about the case to contact them directly, or anonymously through Crimestoppers.
Brexit will give Australia greater opportunities in the United Kingdom than it has ever had before, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

In a speech to an Australian Chamber of Commerce function in London, Mr Turnbull said the UK's decision to leave the European Union opened up chances for Australia.

"I believe that whatever the merits of Brexit may be in the UK, that's a domestic debate here, I think it offers greater opportunities for Australia in the UK than ever," he said on Friday evening local time.

"I can assure you that we will do everything we can to enable the UK to enter into the most favourable, open, to quote President Trump, fair and reciprocal, trade deal between Australia and the UK.

"We want an absolute level paying field.

"And why wouldn't we? Because we think, by and large, as long as there is a level playing field we can always be competitive with the Poms."

Mr Turnbull said the UK under Theresa May, who he has known since he was at Oxford with her almost 40 years ago, would be more global and open to trade.

"To once again become a nation that looks to the whole world, and not just Europe," he said.
A Sydney man who pleaded guilty to a terror-related charge after travelling to Syria is due to be sentenced in one week after a judge found his evidence was "implausible".

Mehmet Biber, now 25, told a sentence hearing on Friday he now had a "very different mentality" than when he travelled to Turkey to enter the war-torn region in July 2013.

He was arrested in Sydney in late 2016 some 18 months after he'd returned to Australia.

Biber denied ever fighting despite a photograph taken in Syria showing him among a group of men posing with assault weapons.

The 25-year-old insisted he was "extremely bored" after being taken to a rural farming area where they did "literally nothing," because the group was protective of the Australians and wouldn't take them anywhere near the fighting, the NSW Supreme Court at Parramatta heard.

He claims he no longer sympathises with Islamic State despite evidence to the contrary found in his Whatsapp chats on his phone following his return.

He pleaded guilty in February to entering a foreign state intending hostile activity, which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail.

Justice Christine Adamson said much of Biber's evidence was "implausible" but that didn't mean it was untrue.

Biber is due to be sentenced on April 27.
Fire crews are battling to control a blaze at a home in Melbourne's east, with part of the building partially collapsed.

It's believed all occupants have escaped the blaze in Balwyn, though firefighters were initially told a man had re-entered the burning two-storey building, which caught fire on Saturday afternoon.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, and a search of the property will continue as crews fight to control the fire, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade said in a statement.
Farmers' representatives will meet with Liberal MP Sussan Ley after the former minister called for a ban on live sheep exports to the Middle East.

The meeting in Albury on Monday, involving heads of the National Farmers' Federation and WAFarmers, follows Ms Ley's announcement that she will introduce a private member's bill over the issue next month.

"WAFarmers seeks to deliver an insight as to the importance of the trade to the Western Australian agricultural economy and to farming businesses across the state, given its dominant representation of 85 per cent of the national live sheep trade," chief executive Trent Kensett-Smith said in a statement on Saturday.
Alister Ross was in Gallipoli when he was saved by the Bible.

The butter factory worker was a corporal in the Australian infantry when a bullet and a piece of shrapnel hit him in his left breast.

The 22-year-old survived thanks to a pocket Bible his mother had given him, the dense pages stopping the metal from piercing his heart.

His family in London on Saturday donated the Bible, complete with bullet holes, to be displayed in the Anzac Memorial in Sydney.

"It is a very sacred piece of history," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said when accepting the gift in London.

"A reminder of the extraordinary heroism and sacrifice of Alister's generation."

The Bible contains notes from Corporal Ross' memories of battles, and pressed poppy petals.

"In Gallipoli he was saved by the Bible," Mr Turnbull said.

"It trapped a piece of shrapnel that otherwise would have killed him."

Corporal Ross later died on the Western Front and his body was buried in an unmarked grave in France, and has not been recovered.

At a wreath-laying ceremony at the Australian war memorial in London in the lead-up to Anzac Day, Mr Turnbull pledged support for the members of the armed forces.

"We best honour the Anzacs of 1918, by supporting you, the service men and women of today," he said.
Today's Birthday, April 22: Australian businessman Alan Bond (1938-2015).

Alan Bond's fall from grace was one of the more spectacular in Australian history.

Born in London, England in 1938, Bond moved to Australia with his family aged 12.

He started out as a Perth sign writer, before branching out to beer brewing, international property development and art acquisition with the Bond Corporation.

At age 17, Bond married Eileen Hughes in 1955 and they had four children together before divorcing in 1992.

One of Australia's richest men in the 1980s, the 1978 Australian of the Year co-winner became a national hero when he bankrolled Australia II's triumph in the 1983 America's Cup, the first non-American to win the sailing trophy in its 132-year history.

In 1987 the Bond Corporation purchased Vincent van Gogh's Irises for $54 million.

But Bond's national icon status was short-lived, with the colourful entrepreneur beginning his fall from grace when he declared bankruptcy in 1992.

He was jailed in 1997 for a $1.2 billion fraud involving his takeover of Bell Resources and later stripped of his status as Officer of the Order of Australia, which he had received 13 years earlier.

Bond served three years behind bars before he was released in 2000 after a successful High Court appeal.

That same year his eldest daughter Susane was found dead, aged 41, in her Perth home.

In 2008, BRW magazine named the controversial tycoon among the 200 wealthiest people in Australia with an estimated wealth of $265 million.

His second wife Diana Bliss was found dead in the couple's swimming pool after a private battle with depression on 2012

Bond died aged 77 in June 2015, not regaining consciousness after open heart surgery at a Perth hospital.

The Channel Nine-produced mini-series House of Bond was released in 2016 but failed to attract high ratings and was lambasted by the Bond family.

Australian readers seeking support and information about depression can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
The worst cyber attack offenders will be targeted and disrupted under a joint Australian and United Kingdom plan to make the internet safer.

The two countries also plan to respond to cyber attacks in a proportionate way, similar to the way militaries respond to physical attacks.

Prime ministers Malcolm Turnbull and Theresa May made a joint declaration on Saturday, promising to improve security online.

"The rules-based international order must be upheld online, just as it is offline," said their declaration issued after bilateral talks at the British leader's country retreat.

"Australia and the United Kingdom are concerned by the increased willingness of states and their proxies to pursue their objectives by undertaking malicious cyber activities contrary to international law."

The two nations are planning ways to disrupt malicious cyber attacks and strengthen defences.

"We will develop a joint assessment identifying the most nefarious state and non-state actors affecting our shared cyber security," the prime ministers said.

The countries will also work with their international allies to strengthen and co-ordinate global responses to malicious attacks.

"Our responses will be proportionate to the circumstances of the incident and consistent with our support for the rules-based international order and our obligations under international law," the statement added.

Russia's use of the NotPetya malware attack on critical infrastructure and businesses in February and North Korea's use of the WannaCry ransomware in December were cited as examples of attacks that must be stopped.

But nation-to-nation attacks aren't the only ones on the hit list.

"The internet is increasingly being used for malicious purposes by terrorists, child abusers and criminal syndicates," the declaration said

"We reaffirm, as agreed at the 2017 G20, the rule of law applies equally online as it does offline."

Cyber security has been a focus of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, where the UK led calls for stronger online defences.
A man remains in custody after allegedly murdering an acquaintance at a home north of Brisbane.

Luke Cunningham, 21, of Nundah, allegedly shot 24-year-old Jacob Bell in the chest just after midnight on Friday following a dispute.

Mr Bell, who was visiting Cunningham's unit at Petrie, north of Brisbane, died a short time later in hospital.

Cunningham was charged with Mr Bell's murder, as well as enter dwelling and commit an indictable offence.

He appeared briefly in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday morning and his matter will be mentioned again on June 11.
Melbourne homicide detectives are offering a million-dollar reward for information relating to the murder of Jenny Rose Ng in Richmond 36 years ago.

Ms Ng was found dead in her flat by her two daughters on April 23, 1982.

The girls, aged nine and seven at the time, had come home for lunch and found their 39-year-old mother dead on the loungeroom floor.

She had been stabbed multiple times. Their younger sister, 11 months, was found unharmed in her bassinette in their mum's bedroom.

Ms Ng was last seen alive that morning by her daughters and her 11-year-old son when she helped them get ready for school. She was separated from her husband at the time.

Detective Inspector Tim Day, in charge of the homicide squad, said on Sunday it was devastating for Ms Ng's children.

"We still don't know why Jenny was murdered and we're hoping that by announcing this reward today, we will get information that leads to detectives finding who is responsible," he said.

Det Insp Day believed there are still people who have information critical to this investigation.

"Detectives established that a male entered Jenny's flat approximately 10.30am on the day she was killed," he said.

"This is significant as investigators are confident that this person may have known Jenny and ultimately may have been involved in her murder.

"To date, this person has not been identified.

"They've had 36 years to live with this information and for it to sit on their conscience. Someone knows why this happened and who is responsible.

"I'm urging anyone with any information at all regarding the circumstances of Jenny Rose's death to come forward and tell us what you know."
Beefed up security measures including crowd control, bag checks and new vehicle blockers will be deployed across Sydney for this year's Anzac Day commemorations.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend Anzac Day events across the city on Wednesday, with NSW Counter Terrorism Minister David Elliott saying there is no specific threat and the measures are in place to ensure the community felt safe.

"The Anzac Day march covers a significant part of the Sydney CBD attracting thousands of people and increased security measures need to be in place to ensure the safety of both marchers and spectators," Mr Elliott said in a statement on Sunday.
Finance Minister Julie Bishop says Australia has encouraged Britain to have a greater presence in the Pacific region post-Brexit but won't say whether this is to counter the influence of China.

Ms Bishop, who has been attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the UK with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, says Britain wants to be more global once it has separated from the European Union.

"We have been encouraging Great Britain post-Brexit to have a greater presence in our part of the world," Ms Bishop told Sky News on Sunday.

She said there were estimates that trillions and trillions of dollars needed to be spent on infrastructure in the Pacific region by 2030 just to maintain current economic growth.

UK Foreign Minister Boris Johnson recently announced three new diplomatic posts in the Pacific region to help trade and "counter malign influences" of countries that sought to undermine Britain and its allies.

Ms Bishop welcomed the announcement but wouldn't say whether Mr Johnson was referring to China.

"You would have to ask the British government," she said.

"We have been encouraging Great Britain post-Brexit to look again at the Pacific as somewhere they could invest."

She also said in the recent past, most of Britain's aid was delivered by the European Union.

"Once Britain has exited the European Union we want to ensure that Britain's aid budget is also invested in our part of the world."
Actress Natalie Portman arrives for the premiere of "Annihilation" in Los Angeles on February 13, 2018

Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman has cancelled her participation in a Jerusalem ceremony where she was to receive a $2 million (1.6 million euro) prize, saying she was troubled by "recent events" in Israel, organisers said.

The Genesis prize, launched in 2013, is awarded to "extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews," according to their website.

Recipients contribute their winnings to causes of their choice.

The prize foundation was informed by one of Portman's representatives that "recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel", it said in a statement late Thursday.

The US-Israeli actress, an Academy award winner, "cannot in good conscience move forward with the ceremony", Genesis was informed, forcing them to cancel the ceremony set for the end of June.

The foundation did not say which events distressed Portman, but Israel has come under scrutiny over its use of live fire over the past three weeks during protests and clashes on the Gaza border.

Thirty-five Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli forces since the protests began on March 30, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Israel says its open-fire rules are necessary to defend the border, but the European Union and UN chief Antonio Guterres have called for an independent investigation into the deaths.

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev accused Portman of subscribing to the ideology of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement that promotes sanctions on the Jewish state.

"I was sorry to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen like ripe fruit to the hands of BDS supporters," Regev said in a statement given to Israeli journalists.

Portman was effectively joining the ranks of those "relating to the tale of Israel's success and wonder of rebirth as one of darkness and darkness," Regev said, a reference to "A Tale of Love and Darkness," the book by Israeli writer Amos Oz that Portman made into a film in 2015.

But Rachel Azaria, a member of the centrist Kulanu party, which is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, said Portman's cancellation should constitute a "warning light" to Israel.

"She's speaking for many in US Jewry, especially the young generation," Azaria wrote on Twitter. "Losing them might be too high a price."

Born in Jerusalem to a doctor father and an artist mother, 36-year-old Portman proudly brandishes her Israeli background.

She won a best actress Oscar for 2010's psychological ballet thriller "Black Swan".

The million-dollar Genesis prize money had been doubled by an additional contribution in December, and Portman had announced her intention to dedicate the money to programmes advancing women's equality.
Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who arrived in Damascus last Saturday, needed "full, immediate and unhindered access" to the site in the town of Douma

France urged the Syrian regime and its ally Moscow on Friday to grant weapons inspectors immediate access to the site of an alleged chemical attack, accusing them of "obstruction" aimed at eroding the quality of the evidence.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who arrived in Damascus last Saturday, needed "full, immediate and unhindered access" to the site in the town of Douma.

Their mission has been put on hold after a United Nations security assessment team were fired at, and officials at the OPCW have said that Russian and Syrian forces have likely removed key evidence.

"At this time the OPCW investigators still have no access to the chemical attack site in Douma. If Russia and Syria ultimately abide by their commitments, it will take (the investigators) at least two weeks," Le Drian said in a statement.

"The OPCW mission has as its goal establishing whether a chemical attack indeed took place and identifying the nature of the chemical agent used. This obstruction will obviously harm the quality of the investigation," he added.

"It seems likely that this attitude is intended to make proof and material evidence linked to the chemical attack disappear."

France joined the United States and Britain in launching air strikes a week ago against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, in retaliation against an alleged chemical attack in Douma which local medics said killed at least 40 people.

Le Drian said Russia was issuing "contradictory official statements on the chemical attack".

"One day the attack didn't take place, the next, it was carried out by armed groups," he said.

"A day later, it's a Western manipulation. There's no concern for either coherence or truth when it comes to sowing doubt and confusion."

He reiterated France's assertion that it has conclusive evidence of a chemical attack in Douma on April 7 as well as proof that it was carried out by the regime.
Smoke billows in a southern district of the Syrian capital Damascus, during regime strikes targeting the Islamic State group in the Palestinian camp of Yarmuk, and neighbouring districts, late on April 20, 2018

Syrian regime forces Friday intensified their bombardment of the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of Damascus for a second successive day in a bid to dislodge Islamic State jihadists, a monitor said.

The UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said it was "deeply concerned about the fate of civilians" and thousands of refugees in and around the camp.

"Regime forces have intensified their bombardments on several IS-controlled parts of Damascus, notably Hajar al-Aswad and in the Yarmuk camp," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

AFP images showed smoke billowing from Yarmuk after air strikes and soldiers targeted areas of the camp with artillery fire.

The offensive was aimed at ridding the Damascus region of "terrorist groups", state news agency SANA reported.

Since regaining full control of Eastern Ghouta to the northeast of Damascus from rebels last week, the regime has turned its attention to jihadist-held districts in the capital's south.

For days, it has targeted these areas with shelling and rocket fire as efforts to secure a negotiated evacuation have so far failed.

Since 2015, IS has controlled large parts of Yarmuk as well as parts of Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun.

The jihadists responded to the latest bombardment by firing missiles at nearby neighbourhoods, killing a civilian on Friday, said the Britain-based Observatory.

SANA said five civilians were wounded, after reporting that four were killed and 52 injured on Thursday.

In a statement on Friday, UNRWA said it was "deeply concerned about the fate of civilians after a week of increased violence and as intense fighting around Yarmuk continues".

The UN agency estimated there were about 6,000 Palestinian refugees in Yarmuk and about 6,000 in the surrounding areas.

IS swept across large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" in areas seized by the jihadists.

At its height their pseudo-state covered an area the size of Italy, but IS has since lost ground and now controls only around five percent of Syrian territory, according to Syria expert Fabrice Balanche.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators examine damage to a Southwest Airlines plane that suffered catastrophic engine failure on April 17, 2018, killing a mother of two and forcing an emergency landing

The maker of a jet engine that ruptured during a recent Southwest Airlines flight, leaving one passenger dead, called Friday for rapid inspections of all of its engines powering Boeing 737 aircraft.

CFM International, a joint venture between America's GE Aviation and France's Safran Aircraft Engines, said it "recommends ultrasonic inspections within the next 20 days to fan blades of CFM56-7B engines with more than 30,000 cycles since new."

About 680 engines are concerned, according to CFM, which noted that each inspection takes about four hours. Some 150 of the engines have already gone through the process.

A cycle concerns a complete flight, from engine start to takeoff and landing to complete shutdown.

"After first inspection, operators are recommended to repeat the inspection every 3,000 cycles, which typically represents about two years in airline service," CFM added.

The company also recommended that fan blades with more than 20,000 cycles be inspected by the end of August -- affecting an additional 2,500 engines.

Around 60 airlines use the CFM56-7B, according to the company, which said GE and Safran have mobilized some 500 technicians "to support customers and minimize operational disruptions" related to the inspections.

The directive comes after the left engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 suddenly blew apart during a Tuesday flight from New York to Dallas.

The shrapnel shattered a window and depressurized the cabin, partially sucking a woman out of the plane.

Fellow passengers pulled the passenger -- identified as Jennifer Riordan, 43 -- back in, but she later died of her injuries. The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

A first inspection of the Boeing 737's damaged engine showed that an engine fan blade was missing, apparently broken due to metal fatigue, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Federal Aviation Administration, a regulatory authority, said Wednesday it would publish "within two weeks" a mandatory directive for the engines.
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Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under leader Kim Jong Un

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un has announced Pyongyang will carry out no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests and will shut down its atomic test site, the North's state media reported Saturday.

The declaration, long sought by the US, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

It comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean leader Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, and ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with US President Donald Trump.

"As the weaponisation of nuclear weapons has been verified, it is not necessary for us to conduct any more nuclear tests or test launches of mid- and long range missiles or ICBMs," Kim told a ruling party meeting.

"The northern nuclear test site has completed its mission," he added at the gathering of the central committee of the Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, US, EU, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth nuclear test, by far its most powerful to date, and launched missiles capable of reaching mainland United States.
Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under leader Kim Jong Un

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, in a Saturday announcement welcomed by US President Donald Trump ahead of a much-anticipated summit between the two men.

Pyongyang's declaration, long sought by Washington, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

It comes less than a week before the North Korean leader meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of the eagerly-awaited encounter with Trump himself.

But Kim gave no indication Pyongyang might be willing to give up its nuclear weapons, or the missiles with which it can reach the mainland United States.

The North had successfully developed its arsenal, including miniaturising warheads to fit them on to missiles, Kim said, and so "no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now".

As such the North's nuclear testing site was no longer needed, he told the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The declaration from Kim Jong Un was welcomed by US President Donald Trump, who said he was looking forward to his summit with the North Korean leader

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday -- the North has not carried any out since November -- and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Within minutes of the report being issued, Trump tweeted: "This is very good news for North Korea and the World -- big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

Seoul too welcomed the announcement, calling it "meaningful progress" towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

But Kim offered no sign he might be willing to give up what he called the North's "treasured sword", saying its possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth nuclear blast, by far its most powerful to date, while Kim and Trump traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions ramped up.

Even when there was an extended pause in testing, US officials said that it could not be interpreted as a halt without an explicit statement from Pyongyang.

South Korean envoys have previously cited Kim as promising no more tests, but Saturday's news is the first such announcement directly by Pyongyang.

- 'Devil in the details' -

Analysts cautioned that the declaration was promising but limited.

"Certainly this is a positive development," said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University. "It's a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-proliferation commitments."

And Christopher Green of the International Crisis Group added on Twitter: "I don't see how North Korean statement constitutes a step toward denuclearisation. It is a moratorium on testing, but recommits North Korea to nuclear weapons status."

The North has tested nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles that it says are capable of hitting the US mainland

Japan -- which has seen missiles fly over its territory -- gave a mixed response, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offering a cautious welcome but his defence minister saying North Korea did not mention the short- or medium-range missiles that put Tokyo within reach.

Beijing reacted positively to the statement from its traditional ally, saying it believed the move would "help to promote the process of denuclearisation and attempts to find a political settlement" on the peninsula.

The formal declaration of an end to testing comes after Kim reiterated the North's nuclear status in his New Year speech and said he had a nuclear button on his desk -- prompting Trump to tweet that he had a bigger one of his own.

Events have moved rapidly since then, catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, and Seoul is now pushing for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, raising hopes that a settlement can finally be reached on the peninsula.

But there is a long way to go and Moon himself acknowledged this week that the "devil is in the details".

- 'Fresh climate of detente' -

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees, potentially leaving much space for disagreement.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

But Kim told the Workers' Party meeting: "A fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape."

For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.

But the leader said that as it was now a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction".

Several factors have driven the Korean rapprochement, including the North feeling that it can now negotiate from a position of strength, concern about the belligerence of the Trump administration, and the looming impact of sanctions.
Mount Vernon, the colonial mansion of America's first president and founding father George Washington, is the setting for a private dinner on April 23, 2018 for US President Donald Trump, visiting French leader Emmanuel Macron and their wives

The Trumps, it seems, have not forgotten their intimate meal with the Macrons on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower last July. They return the favor Monday, this time at an American landmark.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have invited French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte for a private dinner at Mount Vernon, the lavish Virginia mansion of first president and founding father George Washington.

It is also a symbol of the "special relationship" between France and the United States.

Few details have emerged about the rendezvous. The site -- a majestic 18th century colonial estate and one of America's most visited homes -- will close four hours early for a "private event."

In 1961, the Kennedys and their guests arrived at Mount Vernon by presidential yacht. The state dinner in honor of Pakistan's president was held on the east lawn, which offers an incomparable view of the Potomac River.

The iconic former plantation, just 15 miles (21 kilometers) from the capital Washington, welcomes more than a million visitors each year.

"It's a really special place where you can actually feel like you are walking in the footsteps of Washington (and) the leaders of the revolution," Mount Vernon curator Susan Schoelwer told AFP.

George Washington gradually expanded the property and the mansion over the 40 years he lived there. By the end of his life, his land exceeded 7,400 acres (3,000 hectares), and the house had grown to 21 rooms.

As a working plantation, Mount Vernon had more than 300 slaves in 1799. In his will, Washington mandated that his slaves be freed upon his wife's death.

- An 'adopted' French son -

Visitors line up to tour the mansion at Mount Vernon, a symbol of the "special relationship" between France and the US

George and Martha Washington in their day were consummate hosts, and Mount Vernon proved the ideal escape for visiting dignitaries.

"The Washingtons were famous for their hospitality and many of the visitors that they entertained during those years were visitors from France, the most famous of which was the marquis de Lafayette," Schoelwer said.

The French hero of the American war of independence "became so close to Washington that he was like an adopted son," she added.

Imprisoned during the French revolution, Lafayette even sent his son, George Washington Lafayette, to take refuge in Mount Vernon.

A prime symbol of friendship between the two allies hangs in the mansion's central hall: the key to the Bastille prison in Paris.

The heavy wrought iron key was a gift from Lafayette to Washington shortly after the start of the French revolution, "on behalf of the people of France."

"Even though Washington never traveled to France, it was clearly an important part of his personal history, as well as the nation's history," the curator said.

Carole Elbaz, a Frenchwoman living in the United States who came to enjoy a sunny outing at Mount Vernon, said: "We've heard about Lafayette. That's what connects us to our history."

Macron may walk Monday in the footsteps of Lafayette, but he is far from the first.

President Valery Giscard d'Estaing attended a formal ceremony here with president Gerald Ford in 1976 to mark America's bicentennial, while President Nicolas Sarkozy was hosted by George W. Bush in 2007.

Former prime ministers Georges Clemenceau and Aristide Briand, as well as general-turned-president Charles de Gaulle, have also visited, while French undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau marked his 75th birthday at Mount Vernon in 1985 with a party featuring 2,000 guests.
US President Donald Trump (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) have forged a friendship that has been one of the few stable elements in recent American foreign policy

They talk regularly, have shared memorable handshakes and supposedly have an "unbreakable" friendship. When US President Donald Trump and France's Emmanuel Macron meet next week, there will be more back-slapping -- but also major differences.

The Trump-Macron relationship has been one of the few stable elements in recent American foreign policy, with the French leader emerging as the privileged European partner for the White House.

While Trump's relations with German Chancellor Angela Merkel have often been tetchy and he has clashed publicly with British Prime Minister Theresa May, the mercurial US leader has been consistently friendly with France's 40-year-old centrist.

Their warm ties will be on display from Monday when Macron becomes the first foreign visitor during Trump's term to be honoured with a state visit, nine months after Trump was guest of honour during France's national day on July 14 last year.

"The visit comes at a time of extremely close relations between France and the United States with regular and intense exchanges between the two presidents," an aide to Macron told reporters this week.

The aim of the trip is to "continue and reinforce this dynamic," he added.

Although their political background, age and personal lives are sharply different, the two men have bonded over their role as outsiders who outwitted their established political rivals to gain power.

"The friendship between our two nations and ourselves is unbreakable," Trump told Macron during his trip to Paris last July, which ended with their famous 25-second-long handshake.

They have since worked closely on the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and coordinated Western strikes on Syrian regime chemical weapons installations last weekend.

But though they have found common ground on military matters, the list of subjects where they do not see eye-to-eye is long -- from climate change and the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to the role of the European Union and trade.

Furthermore, Macron never misses an opportunity to condemn the forces of right-wing nationalism and populism -- which brought Trump to power -- and did so again last week during a speech to the European Parliament.

"Everybody has been asking the same question: why is Macron getting along with Trump?" said Celin Belin, a former French diplomat working as a fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington.

"The question is also why does Trump like Macron? I think he enjoys the respect Macron provides and he respects Macron's power."

Belin believes Trump has also deliberately picked a favourite in the European Union "and he has picked France because it's strong militarily and not an economic threat, which is the opposite of Germany."

- Caution in Paris -

French diplomats privately concede that the main question for Macron is whether his proximity to the US unilateralist will lead to results, either in convincing the United States to take into account its EU allies or mitigating the fallout from Trump's decisions.

During the trip to Washington, Macron will have repeated opportunities to try to influence his American partner starting with a dinner at Mount Vernon, the home of the first US president George Washington, along with their wives Brigitte and Melania on Monday night.

Macron will also visit the State Department, take part in a state dinner at the White House and demonstrate his English-language skills -- a rarity for a French president -- in an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

Topping the agenda will be the Iran nuclear deal, which Trump is threatening to pull out of against the wishes of European nations, and US trade tariffs on steel and aluminium which could hit EU exports.

Trump is set to announce a final decision on the Iran deal and whether to prolong an exemption on EU metals imports in the first few weeks of May.

"We hope that the visit will be useful in convincing and in advancing things in the right direction," Macron's advisor said on condition of anonymity, but he warned: "You shouldn't expect a diplomatic breakthrough."

Other issues set to be discussed include US talks with North Korea and relations with Russia following the poisoning of an ex-Russian spy in Britain, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Syrian civil war.
CIA director Mike Pompeo could be the first secretary of state nominee in decades to be reported unfavorably out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but he is nonetheless likely to get a full confirmation vote

President Donald Trump's secretary of State pick Mike Pompeo is likely to be rejected by a Senate panel after all its Democrats opposed his nomination, but he may still win final confirmation next week.

Senator Chris Coons on Friday became the last Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to announce his position.

The panel has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

With Republican Rand Paul joining all the Democrats in opposition, Pompeo is now expected to be reported unfavorably out of committee -- a rare result -- despite a full court press by the White House to get him across the line.

"I do not make this decision lightly or without reservations," Coons said in a statement.

While he was convinced Pompeo, who currently heads the CIA, would help improve conditions for career professionals at the State Department, "I remain concerned that Director Pompeo will not challenge the president in critical moments."

Coons said he worried that Pompeo "will embolden, rather than moderate or restrain, President Trump's most belligerent and dangerous instincts."

The committee's Republican chairman, Senator Bob Corker, has scheduled a Monday panel vote.

Regardless of the outcome, Corker is expected to report the nominee to the full Senate for a vote. The White House is eager to see a final vote next week, before Congress goes on a one-week recess.

Pompeo, a former congressman, has promised to "push back" against Russian aggression. And he made headlines this week when it emerged that he secretly traveled to North Korea and met with leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a planned Kim-Trump summit.

But Democrats have warned Pompeo could be excessively partisan, something Corker sought to knock back on Thursday.

"I realize my Democratic friends in many cases feel like that in supporting Pompeo, it's a proxy for support of the Trump administration policies, which many of them abhor," Corker said.

But he insisted there was no one in Washington "that has more current knowledge about the threats" today than Pompeo.

He still has a shot at confirmation. Republicans hold 51 of the chamber's 100 seats.

With Senator John McCain out indefinitely as he battles cancer, and Paul opposed, Pompeo would need support from just one Democrat if all other Republicans back the nominee.

On Thursday, Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who is up for reelection in November in a state won handily by Trump in 2016, announced her support for Pompeo.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake, meanwhile, has said he remained undecided.

Pompeo has been quietly courting other Senate Democrats from red states in his hopes to win a majority.
The UN security council is holding its informal meeting in Backakra in Sweden

The UN Security Council met in a secluded farmhouse on the southern tip of Sweden on Saturday in a bid to overcome deep divisions over how to end the war in Syria.

In a first for the Security Council, which normally holds its annual brainstorming session in upstate New York, the 15 ambassadors and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were this year invited to hold an informal meeting in Backakra by Sweden, a non-permanent member of the body.

The United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is expected on Sunday.

"We still face a very serious divide on that (Syria) matter," Guterres said as he arrived along with the ambassadors.

"We really need to find a way in relation to the violation of international law that the use of chemical weapons represents," he added.

The farmhouse is the summer residence of Dag Hammarskjold, the United Nations' second secretary-general who died in a plane crash in Africa in 1961.

Situated in the heart of a nature reserve, just a stone's throw from the Baltic Sea, the farmhouse consists of four buildings around a courtyard and has been completely renovated in recent years.

The southern wing serves as the summer residence for the Swedish Academy which awards the Nobel Literature Prize.

With both New York and Damascus thousands of kilometres away, the council is exploring "the means to strengthen and make more effective United Nations peacekeeping missions," the Swedish government said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed the decision to hold the meeting in Sweden, "where there is a long tradition of peaceful conflict prevention and resolution".

But she warned against being too hopeful the Syrian issue would be resolved over the weekend.

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley (L) and Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom are in Backakra

"Hopefully there will be some new ideas on the table and I think itll be on those tracks: the humanitarian situation, the chemical weapons," she said.

But "not even the beautiful settings like these can solve all the problems", the minister added.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said on the Syria issue: "We're not having that much success, we're still deadlocked.

"Retreats like this are very important -- to get away from New York sometimes and discuss these things in a way that we can really try and find a solution."

British ambassador Karen Pierce said: "We are determined to try and find a workable solution, so we will keep doing that with our Russian colleagues."

While the war in Syria is not the only topic of the deliberations, it is high up on the agenda because it was an issue that divided council members deeply in recent months.

Skau said Backakra was a "fitting and inspiring venue" to reconnect with the power of diplomacy.

"It's a place to roll up our sleeves, take off our jackets and ties and come up with some real and meaningful ways forward," he said.

- 'No excessive hopes' -

Air strikes by the US, UK and France on April 14 targeted three sites, which the countries argued were used by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapons programme.

Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons in an attack a week earlier in Douma, the last rebel stronghold near Damascus.

Assad and Russian allies have denied that Syria was responsible for the attack, which according to rescuers, left more than 40 people dead. But the Western powers insist that the Syrian regime had crossed a red line.

The air strikes, conducted without a Security Council resolution, have led to fierce tensions between Russia and the other permanent council members, the US, France, Britain and China.

Moscow has used its veto on the council 12 times since 2011.

A fact-finding mission from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the Syrian town of Douma has finally arrived at the site of the alleged chemical attack, Russia's foreign ministry said.

Some non-permanent member countries of the council have been critical of the trip to Sweden.

With the conflicts the council has on its table, including the one in Syria, it is abnormal that the council would travel so far, said one ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"What will happen if something bad happens?" the ambassador asked.
A US soldier watching South Vietnamese refugees crowding a US Navy boat off the coast of Vietnam at the end of Vietnam War

Nguyen was nine when he boarded a boat alone to escape the communist regime in Vietnam for the United States. Some 40 years later, he returned in shackles, deported from the only country he really knows to one he can scarcely remember.

With conspiracy and fraud convictions under his belt, he was expelled in line with a Trump administration push to remove immigrants with criminal records for convictions ranging from traffic offenses to drug-related crimes and murder.

Nguyen left his four grown kids and second wife Annie behind in Boston, and now spends his days aimlessly cruising the web because he cannot find work, or battling bureaucracy to obtain identity papers.

"I still don't believe it," Nguyen told AFP in Ho Chi Minh City this week, using only his last name for safety.

"I really want to go back there because I lived there for more of my life there than here," said Nguyen, who's not yet used to the city's sweltering heat and complains of dry fried chicken at the local KFC.

The former construction worker was sent to immigration detention with orders of removal after his prison release last year, joining some 8,600 Vietnamese nationals tagged for deportation, most with criminal records.

In the 2017 fiscal year, 71 Vietnamese nationals were deported from the US -- double the 2016 figure -- and 76 have been sent so far since October 2017 according to data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which does not track refugees' date of arrival to the country when compiling removal data.

The move comes as immigration officials ramp up raids and removals of aliens from Mexico, Cambodia, Myanmar and elsewhere who Trump has vowed to crack down on.

Advocates argue that the expulsion of Vietnamese nationals violates a 2008 deal that says Vietnam refugees who arrived in the US before the normalisation of ties between the former war foes in 1995 should not be deported.

Four refugees have filed a class action lawsuit over months-long pre-deportation detentions.

But ICE says their birth nations are obligated to take them back and that it does not target immigrants "indiscriminately".

"ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security," spokesman Brendan Raedy told AFP.

- 'Very risky' -

Nguyen and nearly 30 others landed in Ho Chi Minh City in December after a 24-hour flight during which his hands and feet were shackled, and he has spent the last few months uneasily settling into a city he still calls by its former name Saigon.

He says his father was shot dead by communist authorities in 1979, soon after Nguyen left his mother behind for the US where he was taken in by American sponsors for a few years.

Since his return, his elderly mother has been visited by plainclothes police asking about her son and he fears further harassment because of his family's past work with the US military.

"It's very, very risky," Nguyen said.

Nguyen has spent the last few months uneasily settling into a city he still calls by its former name Saigon

Others agree.

Former US ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said in an essay this month he resigned last year in opposition to the "repulsive" plan.

"I think fundamentally this is racist policy," he told AFP from Ho Chi Minh City, where he is now vice president of Fulbright University.

Since many refugees sided with the US-backed South he fears they could "end up being human rights cases" in the country with a tarnished reputation for jailing critics -- including those who still pledge allegiance to the former regime.

That's what Vu Ha fears. Immigration officials in California issued his removal orders last year after he served time for burglary and he spent nearly a year in ICE custody until his recent release.

Vietnam still has not agreed to have him back, locking him in limbo between two governments that do not accept him.

"I'm just stuck right in the middle," Vu, 37, told AFP after checking in with immigration officials in Los Angeles.

He's not been back since he left at age nine and is terrified about a communist government he doesn't side with.

"There's nothing good to say about Vietnam. The government is attacking the civilians, they don't have any kind of rights as far as freedom of speech or anything," said Vu, who has a daughter about to graduate from high school.

- 'American blood' -

Some who have already been deported like Bui Hung have an American parent.

Hung, who served six years in an American jail for beating his wife after catching her in bed with another man, said his American serviceman father was killed in the war and he fled with his family to the United States in 1993.

He says he now lives in fear of police in Vietnam.

"I am still American, my dad is American, my blood is American," said Hung, who speaks with a Vietnamese accent using slang like "homeboy".

There is little recourse for refugees like him and Nguyen to return to the US, though some are hopeful they may get back after Trump -- a man he says "has no heart" -- is out of office.

Until then, Nguyen will learn to ride a motorbike, the transportation of choice in his new city, and keep in touch with his wife who bid him a tearful goodbye in Ho Chi Minh City Friday after a brief visit.

"He left Vietnam as a little boy," she told AFP. "Now he doesn't know what to do."
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has cautiously welcomed North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and long-range missile launches

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday cautiously welcomed North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches but its defence minister warned Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

"We welcome it as a forward-looking move... but an important thing is whether the move will lead to the complete abandonment of missile and nuclear developments in a verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe told reporters.

"We want to watch it closely."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged Saturday his country would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump and South Korea.

But Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said earlier that Japan "can't be satisfied", because Pyongyang did not mention giving up short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.

Onodera said Tokyo would persist with its policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang so that it ultimately gives up its "weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms and missiles".

Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the direct firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and raising tensions to fever pitch.

Japan's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso also voiced scepticism.

"(North Korea) has made a lot of promises and we paid money on the condition that they will give up experiment sites, but they continued," Aso told reporters in Washington, referring to Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

The North's declaration, long sought by Washington, comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.

Earlier this week, Abe held talks with Trump in Florida and displayed a united front on North Korea, including on the issue of Japanese abductees taken to North Korea, a major domestic issue.
People at a railway station in Seoul watch television news showing file footage of a North Korean missile launch

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared Saturday that Pyongyang would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, five months after its last ICBM launch amid a rapid diplomatic thaw.

Here are the key steps in the development of the regime's banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes:

- The beginnings, 1970s -

North Korea starts working in the late 1970s on a version of the Soviet Scud-B missile with a range of around 300 kilometres (around 200 miles), carrying out a first test in 1984.

Between 1987 and 1992, it begins developing longer-range missiles, including the Taepodong-1 (2,500 km) and Taepodong-2 (6,700 km).

The Taepodong-1 is test-fired over Japan in 1998 but the following year, Pyongyang declares a moratorium on such tests as ties with the United States improve.

- First nuclear test in 2006 -

It ends the moratorium in 2005, blaming the Bush administration's "hostile" policy, and carries out its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006.

In May 2009, there is a second underground nuclear test, several times more powerful than the first. Kim Jong Un succeeds his father Kim Jong Il -- who dies in December 2011 -- and oversees a third nuclear test in 2013.

- 2016, Japanese waters reached -

There is a fourth underground nuclear test in January 2016, which Pyongyang claims is a hydrogen bomb.

In March, Kim Jong Un claims the North has successfully miniaturised a thermonuclear warhead, and in April it test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

On August 3, it fires, for the first time, a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters. Later that month, it successfully test-fires another submarine-launched ballistic missile.

There is a fifth nuclear test on September 9.

- 2017, Japan and Guam under threat -

Between February and May, the North tests a series of ballistic missiles that fall into the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang claims these are exercises to hit US bases in Japan.

A test on May 14 is of a "newly developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12", Pyongyang says. It flies 700 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan.

Two months later, North Korea announces it successfully tested on July 4 -- the US independence day -- an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, a gift for the "American bastards". There is a second successful ICBM test on July 28.

Hours after US President Donald Trump threatens Pyongyang on August 8 with "fire and fury" over its missile programme, the North says it is considering strikes near US strategic military installations in Guam.

- Largest nuclear test yet -

On September 3, North Korea conducts its sixth and largest nuclear test. Monitoring groups estimate a yield of 250 kilotons, which is 16 times the size of the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

On September 15, less than a week after the UN adopts an eighth series of sanctions, North Korea fires an intermediate-range missile over Japan.

On November 20, Washington declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a day before adding to pressure on the isolated state with fresh sanctions.

On November 29, North Korea launches a new Hwasong-15 ICBM, which it claims could deliver a "super-large heavy warhead" anywhere on the US mainland.

Analysts agree the rocket is capable of reaching the US but voice scepticism that Pyongyang has mastered the advanced technology needed to allow the rocket to survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Weeks later on December 13, Kim vows to make North Korea the "world's strongest nuclear power".

- Olympic detente triggers thaw, 2018 -

In his New Year speech, Kim states that the development of North Korea's nuclear force had been completed.

Catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, a rapid diplomatic thaw begins in February.

On April 21, Pyongyang declares that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease immediately and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Kim adds that the possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".
A Syrian rebel fighter evacuated from the town of Dumayr, east of the capital Damascus, holds his son while sitting in a bus upon arriving in the city of Azaz in the northern countryside of Aleppo on April 20, 2018

Rebels started leaving a new area outside the Syrian capital Saturday, state media said, after a new deal was reached between opposition fighters and the Russia-backed regime.

The agreement for the East Qalamun area is the latest in a string of deals that have seen rebels and civilians bussed out of former opposition strongholds near Damascus.

"Buses carrying terrorists and their families start exiting Al-Ruhayba", a town in East Qalamun some 60 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Damascus, state news agency SANA said, using its usual term for rebels.

State television said 3,200 fighters and their relatives were expected to leave Al-Ruhayba, as well as the nearby towns of Al-Nasiriya and Jayrud on Saturday.

It showed images of buses moving in what it said was Al-Ruhayba, most with their curtains drawn.

SANA late Friday said an agreement had been reached for fighters to leave Al-Ruhayba, Jayrud and Al-Nasiriya starting Saturday.

They would be transferred to the rebel-held northern town of Jarabulus in Aleppo province and to the neighbouring province of Idlib, where hardline rebels have their strongest grip on power.

The regime is pushing to secure the capital after it announced its full reconquest last week of what was the last major rebel bastion outside Damascus.

Eastern Ghouta was emptied of rebels after a nearly two-month deadly assault on the enclave and several Russia-brokered deals that saw tens of thousands of people transported on buses to Syria's north.

Earlier this week, a deal was inked that saw around 5,000 people including 1,500 fighters exit Dumayr, a town just to the south of Al-Ruhayba.

The regime has simultaneously turned its sights on the southern districts of the capital where the Islamic State jihadist group has a presence.

Regime forces have bombarded the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp on the southern edge of Damascus in recent days in a bid to dislodge IS fighters.

Syria's conflict has killed 350,000 people and displaced millions more since it broke out in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine Saturday but has no plans to visit it to avoid tensions ahead of a three-way meeting with China and South Korea, officials and local media said.

Abe sent a sacred "masakaki" tree bearing his name to the shrine as it started a three-day spring festival, a shrine spokeswoman said.

On the eve of the festival, more than 70 lawmakers made a pilgrimage to the shrine, which China and South Korea see as a symbol of Tokyo's past aggression.

Kyodo News and other reports said Abe would not visit the shrine during the festival to avoid creating tension as he plans to host a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in early May.

The conservative premier, who has been criticised for what some see as a revisionist attitude to Japan's wartime record, has sent ritual offerings to mark the shrine's key events, including its commemoration of the end of World War II.

The shrine honours millions of Japanese war dead, but also senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after World War II.

The site has for decades been a flashpoint for criticism by countries that suffered from Japan's colonialism and aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

Abe visited in December 2013 to mark his first year in power, a move that sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul and earned a diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States, which said it was "disappointed" by the action. He has since refrained from going.

Abe and other nationalists say Yasukuni is merely a place to remember fallen soldiers, and compare it with Arlington National Cemetery in the United States.

Tokyo is also seeking warmer ties with Beijing and Seoul, key countries in dealing with the unpredictable North Korean regime.
Buhari's record is under close scrutiny after his announcement to seek re-election next year

Muhammadu Buhari's pledge to end Boko Haram's Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria played a large part in his 2015 presidential election victory.

With elections approaching next year and Buhari,75, having declared his intention to seek a second, four-year term, the extent to which he has done that is coming under increasing scrutiny.

But as Africa's most populous nation gears up for months of hard campaigning before the vote in February 2019, the former military ruler is not just facing questions about Boko Haram.

In recent months there has been a resurgence of clashes between farmers and nomadic herders -- and a heavily politicised reaction -- which could have an impact on polling.

Ryan Cummings, Africa analyst at the Signal Risk consultancy in South Africa, noted the violence "now accounts for more civilian casualties than the Boko Haram insurgency and may continue to do so in the foreseeable future".

Elsewhere, criminal violence and kidnappings for ransom in some northern states have increased, while tensions persist from pro-Biafran separatists in the southeast.

- Boko Haram weakened -

In the 12 months before the last election, Boko Haram fighters ran riot across northeast Nigeria, capturing swathes of territory with the military seemingly unable to respond.

Buhari, who headed a military government in the 1980s, was seen as a better bet to end the violence, which has killed at least 20,000 since 2009.

Boko Haram recently abducted 112 schoolgirls in almost a carbon copy of the Chibok kidnapping in 2014

He has achieved that to an extent but persistent attacks have undermined his repeated assertion that the militants have been virtually defeated.

"It is fair to say that President Buhari has failed in delivering on his promise to defeat Boko Haram within his first term," said Cummings.

The group recently gave a clear indication of the threat it still poses by abducting 112 schoolgirls from Dapchi in Yobe state in almost a carbon copy of the Chibok kidnapping in 2014.

Buhari secured massive support across the mainly Muslim north in 2015. That looks unlikely to change significantly in 2019.

In the north's biggest city and most populous state, Kano -- a key election prize because of its size -- people said Buhari had their vote for weakening Boko Haram.

But they warned he needed to take action against security threats elsewhere.

"That is where he is going to face his toughest challenge," said Abdulhadi Ahmad, a garment trader.

- Herder-farmer violence -

Violence in the decades-old dispute between herders and nomadic farmers in the central states of Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kogi has flared again in the past two years.

Buhari has been criticised for failing to stop the violence, which according to some estimates has killed more than 2,000 since the start of this year.

Violence between farmers and herders has flared again

It will be a key issue in central states, where the Muslim north meets the mainly Christian south, that typically swing between parties.

In Benue, the head of the state's tribal leaders, Chief Edward Ujege, said Buhari "does not deserve a single vote... because he has failed to give us security".

The conflict, which is driven by land and resources, has been seen largely through the prism of Nigeria's ethnic and religious identity politics.

The president of the ethnic Tiv Youths Organisation, Timothy Hembaor, indicated patronage will play a part: people in Benue will back Benue's APC governor, even if he moves party, he said.

Buhari "shouldn't even come here to campaign", he added.

- No political will -

Amaechi Nwokolo, from the Roman Institute of International Studies in Abuja, said Buhari, whose candidacy still needs to be endorsed by his party, had already "most likely lost the vote in Benue", an APC state.

"He may not win in many of the states that have gone up in flames and many people are going to use that against him around the country," added the security analyst.

Ndi Kato, a campaigner for indigenous people in the central states, said the attacks put a way of life under threat and the government's lack of action had caused outrage.

"We feel we cannot have four more years of this," she said, adding there was "zero political will" to end the violence, which has made tens of thousands people homeless.

"All things being equal the Middle Belt won't be voting for this government. However, we don't know who they will be voting for -- and that is another problem."
A picture shows the shattered rear window of the car that was carrying Lebanese Red Cross employee Hanna Lahoud in Yemen's third-city of Taez

A Lebanese Red Cross employee was gunned down in his car in war-torn Yemen's southern city of Taez on Saturday, the ICRC announced.

"Im shocked, outraged and profoundly saddened by the killing of my colleague and friend Hanna Lahoud," tweeted Robert Mardini, Middle East director for the International Committee of the Red Cross.

"We @ICRC condemn this senseless act in the strongest possible terms," he wrote. "My thoughts go out to Hannas wife and family in #Lebanon."

The ICRC said Lahoud, who was charge of prisoners' affairs in Yemen, was on his way to visit a prison when his car came under attack by unknown gunmen.

He died in hospital of his wounds, while colleagues in the same car were unharmed, it said in a statement.

The aid worker was killed by multiple gunshots to the heart, according to a hospital source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The back window of the car was completely shattered in the attack in the Zabab district of Taez, said an AFP photographer at the scene.

Most of Taez is controlled by forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, while Huthi rebels hold many parts of the surrounding area.

A colleague of Lahoud's mourned his death on Twitter:

"He saved hundreds of lives as a volunteer for the Lebanese Red Cross. He made silly jokes. He had a wonderful voice... He also beat cancer 2 years ago. Today an idiot took his life," tweeted ICRC regional spokeswoman Marie Claire Feghali.

Nearly 10,000 people have been killed in Yemen since a Saudi-led military coalition intervened in the country in March 2015 to push back Huthi rebels who forced the government into exile.

The United Nations says the conflict has triggered the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with over 22 million people dependent on aid and 8.4 million on the verge of famine.
Smoke billows and an explosion erupts in a southern district of the Syrian capital Damascus, during regime strikes targeting the Islamic State group in the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk and neighbouring districts

Heavy regime bombardment pounded a southern district of Syria's capital Saturday, state media and a monitor said, as government forces pressed their campaign against Islamic State jihadists entrenched in the area.

IS still holds large parts of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk and the adjacent Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun districts on the southern edge of Damascus.

Since Thursday, regime forces have been shelling them heavily in a bid to pressure IS fighters to withdraw.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said six civilians have since been killed.

"There are clashes and intense air strikes today, but no strategic advance on the ground," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Syrian state news agency SANA said government forces were targeting IS supply lines and had destroyed weapons depots in the area.

A reporter contributing to AFP from inside Yarmuk said there was steady shelling throughout the day on Saturday, with the booms of air strikes reverberating across the district.

Residents were hiding in the basements or ground floors of their modest cinderblock homes, too afraid to go outside.

Syrian warplanes and helicopter gunships could be seen flying above the camp, as billowing masses of thick grey smoke emerged from the skyline.

Once a thriving district home to some 160,000 Syrians and Palestinians, Yarmuk has been devastated by more than five years of clashes and a crippling government siege.

A Syrian air force Sukhoi Su-22 figther jet drops missiles while flying over the Palestinian camp of Yarmouk on the southern outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus

Thousands have fled over the years as the humanitarian situation has grown more dire.

IS overran most of Yarmuk in 2015 and Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate maintained a small presence in Yarmuk until it withdrew a few weeks ago.

Another small pocket is controlled by the regime and allied Palestinian fighters.

IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, but has since lost most of that territory to several offensives.
US actress Allison Mack pictured at the "Love, Loss, And What I Wore" new cast member celebration in New York City on July 29, 2010

An actress from the US TV series "Smallville" has been arrested on charges of sex trafficking for recruiting women to a purported self-help group in which they were forced to have sex with its leader, US prosecutors say.

Allison Mack, 35, who was arrested Friday, recruited women for what described itself as a female mentorship group, US attorney Richard Donoghue said.

The leader of the group was one Keith Raniere, also known as "Vanguard," it said.

"The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants' benefit," the prosecutor said.

The women were branded with a symbol containing the initials of the leader of the group, which was based in Albany in upstate New York.

Rainiere was arrested on sex trafficking charges in Mexico in March.

The statement said that during the past 20 years, Raniere established a series of purported self-help programs within his umbrella organization, called "Nxivm" (pronounced NEX-i-um). It has operated centers in the United States, Mexico, Canada and South America.

It featured a pyramid scheme, as courses cost thousands of dollars each and participants were encouraged to pay for additional classes and recruit others in order to rise within the ranks.

Mack is accused of co-creating a Nxivm program that recruited actors.

"As detailed in court filings, in 2015, Raniere created a secret society within Nxivm called 'DOS,' an acronym that stands for a Latin phrase that loosely translates to 'Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions,' or 'The Vow.' DOS operated with levels of women 'slaves' headed by 'masters.'"

"Raniere stood alone at the top of the pyramid. Other than Raniere, all members of DOS were women. Mack is one of the women in the first level of the pyramid immediately below Raniere," the statement charged.

Mack played Chloe Sullivan in "Smallville," a show about the raising of Clark Kent in Smallville, Kansas, before he became known as Superman. The series lasted 10 seasons.

Mack also had roles in the movies "The Ant Bully" (2006) and "Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves!" (1997).
French troops have joined the Malian army in joint anti-jihadist operations in the past

Fifteen militants have been killed in an anti-jihadist operation in central Mali, the Malian army said on Saturday, adding that one soldier died and two others were injured.

The "terrorists" were "neutralised, their weapons recovered and their motorbikes destroyed" during Friday's mission in the Tina forest in the Mopti region, the army said in a statement.

The army "suffered one death and two injuries".

Mali has seen a resurgence of violence in recent weeks. Last Sunday a UN base in the historic city of Timbuktu was attacked by rocket fire and car bombs, killing one UN peacekeeper and wounding seven others.

Last month the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) expressed "deep concern" over an increase in "serious violations and human rights abuses against civilians, including cases of summary execution" in the centre of the country, where jihadist groups are particularly active.

MINUSMA, which has 12,000 peacekeepers in Mali, said it had recorded at least 85 major violent incidents and armed confrontations that resulted in at least 180 civilian victims since the beginning of the year.

The unrest in the former French colony stems from a 2012 Tuareg separatist uprising against the state, which was exploited by jihadists in order to take over key cities in the north.

Although French forces succeeded in removing Al-Qaeda-linked groups from places such as Timbuktu, the groups have morphed into more nimble formations operating in rural areas, sometimes winning over local populations by providing basic services and protection from bandits.

The insurgency has gradually spread to the country's centre, where local grievances are sometimes exploited by radical Islamists in a region awash with guns.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with some armed groups, but other jihadists remain active, and large tracts of the country remain lawless.

Nomadic Fulani people and farmers from the Dogon ethnic group have also engaged in tit-for-tat violence, resulting in deaths.
Malaysian forensic police cordon off the area where a Palestinian scientist and Hamas member, Fadi Mohammad al-Batsch, was assassinated in Kuala Lumpur on April 21, 2018

The family of a Palestinian professor and Hamas member accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of assassinating him on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Malaysian authorities said Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was killed by two suspects believed to have ties with a foreign intelligence agency in a drive-by shooting on his way to dawn Muslim prayers.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, quoted by the state-run Bernama news agency, said Batsh was "an electrical engineer and an expert at making rockets".

The Palestinian was "believed to have become a liability for a country hostile to Palestine", said Ahmad Zahid, who is in charge of Malaysia's security.

The professor was to have left for Turkey on Saturday to attend an international conference, the minister said.

He said Malaysian police would request the help of Interpol to track down the suspects, believed to be European nationals.

In a statement from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the victim's family said: "We accuse the Mossad of being behind the assassination."

The Islamist Palestinian movement said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members.

Hamas did not directly accuse Israel, which carries out air strikes in retaliation for cross-border rocket fire by militants in Gaza, of killing him, but it called Batsh a "martyr" -- a term used for people killed by Israeli forces.

Contacted by AFP, an Israeli official refused to comment.

- Mourners at family home -

Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said one of the two suspects on a high-powered motorcycle "fired 10 shots, four of which hit the lecturer in the head and body. He died on the spot."

"The police also found two empty bullet shells there," the police chief said, according to Bernama.

He said that footage from closed-circuit television cameras near the scene of the shooting showed that the assailants waited for around 20 minutes in the area before attacking.

Palestinians gather in mourning outside the family home of 35-year-old professor and Hamas member Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, who was killed in Malaysia, in Jabalia in northern Gaza

"We believe the lecturer was their target because two other individuals walked by the place earlier unharmed. We will view the recordings of all the CCTV in the area," he said.

The Palestinian representative in Malaysia, Anwar al-Agha, told AFP that Batsh, who was married and a father of three, was a lecturer in electrical engineering who had lived in Malaysia for the past 10 years.

Asked if Mossad could be responsible for his killing, he said: "I cannot comment on this. We have to wait for the official investigation."

The Batsh family urged Malaysian authorities to "arrest those responsible for killing him before they flee", and asked for the return home of his body to Jabalia in northern Gaza, where mourners gathered in front of their home.

The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but has never confirmed such operations.

Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts -- Mohamed Zouari -- in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel.
People carry a man shot in the abdomen during clashes with police at an opposition protest against new election laws in Madagascar

One person died and 17 others were injured Saturday in clashes between Madagascar's security forces and thousands of opposition activists protesting against new election laws ahead of a vote later this year in the restive island nation.

Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana said in an address on state television that the country faced a "sad" day with the loss of a life during the demonstrations.

"According to the official report, there is one death and 17 wounded," he said.

Earlier, Olivat Alison Aimee Rakoto, head of the public hospital HJRA in Antananarivo, had told AFP that they had attended to "17 wounded..., one of whom succumbed to his wounds". He did not specify if the injured were protesters or police.

The premier said an investigation had been launched "to shed light on the cause of this death".

"We must now get rid of our habits of looking for solutions through violence," he said.

The violence erupted after police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters as the crowd grew and overwhelmed the security forces

Authorities had earlier in the week declared the protest illegal but opposition activists defied the order and forged ahead with the demonstration, which saw thousands throng a public square outside city hall in the capital of Antananarivo.

Clashes erupted after police fired tear gas to try to disperse the protesters as the crowd grew and overwhelmed the security forces, occupying the square, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Some of the demonstrators reacted by hurling rocks at the officers.

The opposition has accused the government of President Hery Rajaonarimampianina of wanting to muzzle it through new electoral laws in the run-up to presidential and legislative elections due to be held in late November or December.

The opposition claims that three new laws, adopted earlier this month, favour the ruling party and put in place obstacles to the disadvantage of opponents.

Rajaonarimampianina is out of the country on official business, according to his office, which did not specify his location.

The Indian Ocean island nation endured several years of turmoil after a 2009 coup

"The message to the president of the republic who is out of the country, is that it would be good that you remain where you are," opposition lawmaker Hanitriniaina Razafimanantsoa said.

Elected in 2013, Rajaonarimampianina has not yet announced whether he will stand for re-election.

But two former heads of state have already mooted runs: Marc Ravalomanana, who was president from 2002 to 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, who removed him during a coup.

Both were barred from running in 2013 and their parties were behind Saturday's protests.

The Indian Ocean island nation endured several years of turmoil after Ravalomanana was ousted as president in the 2009 coup that led to the withdrawal of foreign investment and donor money.

Ravalomanana was overthrown following an army mutiny that allowed Rajoelina -- then Antananarivo mayor -- to become the country's unelected transition president until 2014.

Rajaonarimampianina's arrival in power brought a temporary end to Madagascar's long series of political crises.
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A Syrian soldier walks down a destroyed street in the former rebel-held Syrian town of Douma on the outskirts of Damascus on April 19, 2018

Investigators from the global chemical arms watchdog collected samples Saturday from the site of a suspected gas attack in Syria two weeks ago, after security concerns delayed their probe.

Gruesome footage of the alleged toxic attack on April 7 in the town of Douma, just outside Damascus, horrified the world and prompted unprecedented Western strikes on Syrian military installations.

Just hours after the joint missile strikes, a team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) arrived in Syria to investigate the claims.

But they had been unable to access Douma itself, which fell from rebel hands into joint Syrian and Russian control after the suspected chemical attack.

United Nations security experts deployed to the town on Tuesday to check it was safe, but were forced to pull out after an explosion went off and they were shot at.

Investigators finally collected evidence from the site for the first time on Saturday, the OPCW said.

A man puts on protective clothing during a simulation at the headquarters of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague on April 20, 2017

"The samples collected will be transported to the OPCW Laboratory in Rijswijk and then dispatched for analysis to the OPCW's designated labs," the body said in a statement, adding it could plan another visit.

Russia's foreign ministry had earlier announced the inspectors reached Douma after guarantees by Syria and its own forces, and said it expected them to carry out an "impartial investigation".

Moscow, a key ally of President Bashar al-Assad, has said its own probe into the events in Douma found no traces of chemical use.

Assad's government, too, has repeatedly denied using toxic weapons, and accused the West of "fabricating" the claim to justify bombing Syria.

- 'Invaluable evidence' -

Medics and first responders in the town say more than 40 people were killed on the night of April 7, reporting foaming at the mouth, pinpoint pupils and difficulty breathing.

Investigators reached Syria a week later at the country's invitation, arriving just hours after a coordinated wave of French, American and British missile strikes.

Smoke billows from the Yarmuk Palestinian camp in southern Damascus during regime strikes targeting the Islamic State group on April 21, 2018

But they spent a week in the capital, unable to access Douma just a few miles to the east, even as groups of journalists visited the town on government tours.

Western powers slammed Syrian and Russian authorities, saying proof that chemicals were used in Douma was probably being hidden.

"It seems likely that this attitude is intended to make proof and material evidence linked to the chemical attack disappear," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday, shortly before the OPCW got access to Douma.

Analysts say that if toxic chemicals were used, OPCW inspectors would still be able to find important traces in clothes, walls, rocks and soil in Douma, although their potency decreases with time.

"Nerve agents like sarin can be present in the environment for many weeks after use and particularly if you look near the site where a weapon has exploded," said Alastair Hay, professor of environmental toxicology at the University of Leeds.

Crucial evidence can also linger in victims' blood, urine and organs.

"Autopsy samples, if available, will provide invaluable evidence and nerve agents can be found in many organs," Hay told AFP.

- Graves -

The "White Helmets", a Syrian rescue force that works in opposition-held areas, said it had given the OPCW details on the burial site of the Douma victims.

But a top official from Jaish al-Islam, the rebel group that controlled Douma during the alleged chemical attack, accused the regime of raiding the graves.

The OPCW does not have a mandate to establish who is responsible for chemical attacks. The joint OPCW-UN taskforce that did was shut down by Russia last year after it blamed Syria's regime for another gas attack.

Experts say it may take between two and three weeks to analyse evidence collected in Douma.

The town was the last in the Eastern Ghouta suburb to fall to Syria's regime, after a blistering two-month offensive backed by Russia.

Since securing Ghouta, Syrian troops have shifted their focus to a pocket of territory in southern Damascus still held by the Islamic State group.

Heavy air strikes pounded the Yarmuk Palestinian camp and adjacent Hajar al-Aswad district on Saturday.

Syria's conflict has killed 350,000 people and defied UN peacemaking efforts since it erupted in 2011 with protests against Assad.

On Saturday, the 15 UN Security Council ambassadors and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were huddling in Sweden, a non-permanent member of the body, to try to hash out a solution.

It was a first for the Council, which normally holds its annual brainstorming session in upstate New York.

But the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said the council was "still deadlocked."
Mourners attend the visitation for former first lady Barbara Bush at St Martin's Episcopal Church on April 20, 2018 in Houston, Texas

Past presidents, family and friends came together Saturday to bid farewell to Barbara Bush, the matriarch of one of America's most prominent political dynasties, at a funeral service in Texas.

Bush -- wife to the 41st US president and mother to the 43rd -- died Tuesday at her home in Texas aged 92, surrounded by her family.

The invitation-only service at St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston was attended by four former presidents: George H.W. Bush -- Barbara's husband of 73 years -- their son George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, as well as other former senior officials.

First Lady Melania Trump attended but her husband President Donald Trump did not, with the White House saying his decision to stay in Washington was taken "to avoid disruptions due to added security."

"My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Bush family," Trump wrote on Twitter, saying he planned to watch the funeral ceremony.

Known for her trademark faux pearls and tart-tongued comments about life in and out of Washington -- but also her deep loyalty to family and self-deprecating humor -- Barbara Bush was in many ways a figure more popular among ordinary Americans than her high-flying husband and sons.

Having undergone heart surgery in 2009, she was treated for years for Graves' disease, a thyroid condition. As her health failed in recent days, she was moved into comfort care at her home in Houston.

Barbara Bush is survived by five children, 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. She lost a sixth child -- daughter Robin -- to leukemia as a toddler.
Among the accusations made in the US human rights report were that Iran has high rates of execution without fair trial, disappearances by government agents, torture, hundreds of political prisoners and severe restrictions on freedoms

Iran rejected the latest US human rights report as hypocritical on Saturday, saying it was "biased by political objectives".

"Iran considers the annual report by the US State Department and in particular allegations raised about human rights in Iran as absolutely biased by political objectives, which depicts a distorted and unrealistic image of our country's situation," said foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi in a statement on the ministry website.

He said the United States was "recognised as one of the biggest violators of human rights in the world" and "supports well-known violators of human rights" including Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Among the accusations made in the US human rights report were that Iran has high rates of execution without fair trial, disappearances by government agents, torture, hundreds of political prisoners and severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association and religion.

"It would be better for America, instead of interfering in other countries' internal affairs... to take necessary measures as soon as possible to support human rights inside the United States and react to its foreign allies' widespread violation of human rights," said Ghasemi.

International rights groups also criticised this year's State Department report, saying it had been stripped of reporting on women's and reproductive rights.
US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin opened the door to talks with China to resolve the brewing trade dispute

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Saturday he was considering a trip to Beijing to hold talks on the trade dispute that is seen as a threat to the global economy.

The timing is unclear, and he did not provide details on the topics to be discussed but said "a trip is under consideration."

"I am considering that at this point," Mnuchin told reporters during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Tensions between the world's two largest economies have cast a shadow over the gathering of finance ministers, given concerns a trade war would undercut the global recovery.

The heated trade rhetoric comes at a delicate moment, as Washington and Beijing are seeking to address North Korea's nuclear program -- which Pyongyang said Saturday it would largely scale back.

President Donald Trump last month approved steep tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of Chinese imports, while Beijing has slapped duties on key US agricultural exports and has threatened to do likewise for the sensitive American soybean industry.

Among 18 bilateral meetings with his counterparts this week, Mnuchin said he had met with Chinese central bank chief Yi Gang.

While the meeting with Yi did not focus on trade with China, Mnuchin said he remains "cautiously optimistic" about the issue.

"The discussions were really around the governor's actions at the PBOC and certain actions they've announced in terms of opening their markets which we very much encourage and appreciate," Mnuchin said.

He also confirmed that the United States now supports a $13 billion capital increase for the World Bank in tandem with a set of reforms, including reducing lending to wealthier countries -- a move widely seen as targeting China.

"I look at this as a package transaction... we support a capital increase on the World Bank along with the associated reforms that they're talking about making," Mnuchin said, adding that he was hopeful Congress would approve the increase.
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said it was important to resolve trade disputes before they impact growth

The gathering of world finance ministers began with heightened anxiety about the potential damage a US-China trade war could do to the economic recovery but ended Saturday with a door open to negotiations.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, who has been urging countries to avoid damaging protectionism, said this weekend's spring meeting had "made progress towards dialogue."

And shortly after her comments, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced he was considering a trip to Beijing to hold talks on the trade dispute, a respite after weeks in which tensions had ratcheted ever higher.

China said on Sunday it welcomed the suggestion of a visit.

Tensions between the world's two largest economies have cast a shadow over this week's gathering of finance ministers, given concerns a trade war would undercut the global recovery.

President Donald Trump last month approved steep tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of Chinese imports, while Beijing has slapped duties on key US agricultural exports and has threatened to do likewise for the sensitive American soybean industry.

The heated trade rhetoric comes at a delicate moment, as Washington and Beijing are both seeking to address North Korea's nuclear program -- which Pyongyang said Saturday it would largely scale back.

The IMF's governing committee in a statement at the conclusion of the ministerial meeting highlighted the risks presented by "increasing trade and geopolitical tensions."

Lagarde in recent weeks has repeatedly urged member countries to steer clear of protectionism and warned the uncertainty around trade disputes could choke off investment, a key drivers of the current recovery.

"My key concern...is to help in the process of resolving those issues before they escalate to a point where they would hamper growth and stability," she told reporters at the conclusion of the meeting.

The IMF projects global growth of 3.9 percent this year and next but warns that the risks are tilted to the downside.

- 'Cautiously optimistic' -

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he is considering a trip to Beijing to discuss the trade dispute with China

Mnuchin differed markedly from his counterparts, saying the risk to global growth was from unfair trade practices, rather than the trade tensions.

But his announcement of a possible China trip could reduce the heat in the dispute.

While the timing of his visit to Beijing is unclear, and he did not provide details on the topics to be discussed, he said "a trip is under consideration."

Among 18 bilateral meetings with his counterparts this week, Mnuchin said he had met with Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China.

The meeting with central bank chief Yi did not focus on trade, but Mnuchin said he remained "cautiously optimistic" about the issue.

"The discussions were really around the governor's actions at the PBOC and certain actions they've announced in terms of opening their markets which we very much encourage and appreciate," Mnuchin said.

In his statement to the International Monetary Fund, Yi also warned that "an escalation of trade frictions caused by unilateral actions" posed a risk to the global economic outlook and called on countries to use "rules-based" multilateral organizations to resolve differences.

But he said China was committed to a series of reforms similar to those called for by the United States, including lower tariffs and protections for American technology.

"China will vigorously push forward the reform and opening-up of the financial sector, significantly relax market access restrictions, create a more attractive investment environment, strengthen the protection of intellectual properties and actively expand imports," Yi said.
This undated picture shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a test of a newly developed high-thrust engine at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in North Korea

Pyongyang's announcement it will halt nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches has left experts puzzling over Kim Jong Un's true intentions -- and the extent to which US President Donald Trump deserves credit.

The North Korean leader's surprising move Saturday marks another milestone ahead of his upcoming talks with Trump, who less than a year ago was threatening "fire and fury like the world has never seen" after Kim threatened to strike the US island territory of Guam.

Many North Korea experts greeted Kim's announcement with quick skepticism, noting he signaled no intention of actually disarming, and wondering what concessions the enigmatic leader would now expect from the United States.

"All of the steps Kim has announced are completely reversible and amount to only words and empty promises -- and North Korea is not exactly known to keep its word," said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, a conservative think tank in Washington.

North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since September and its last ballistic missile launch was in November, but Kazianis cautioned Kim could quickly ramp up again if he does not get what he wants from a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, or at subsequent talks with Trump.

"The international community, therefore, should be hopeful -- but not stupid," Kazianis told AFP.

Several other analysts poured cold water on Pyongyang's statement, saying that while it offered a pause on testing, it recommits North Korea to being a nuclear power, instead of moving it toward denuclearization.

And observers are dubious about trusting North Korean pledges, after decades of broken promises from the hermit regime surrounding its nuclear program.

But Joel Wit, a senior fellow at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University who has studied North Korea for decades, expressed frustration with some of the skeptical reaction to Kim's latest move.

He said it is clear that Kim is now intent on pivoting from his nuclear program to modernizing North Korea's economy, and Saturday's statement underscores that.

"I don't know what it will take for people to see this is serious," Wit told AFP.

"These are steps that no one was expecting."

- Broken promises -

Indeed, it was only in September that Kim was calling "mentally deranged" Trump a "dotard," after the American president labeled the North Korean leader "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission."

The name-calling came after Trump as a candidate had said he would be open to meeting Kim, later terming him a "smart cookie."

Despite Trump's zig-zagging rhetoric on Kim, Kazianis credited him for his pressure campaign, which has included increasingly tough sanctions backed by the UN Security Council and others.

Without Trump's action, "Kim would most likely have already started his normal missile testing several weeks ago, and likely tested another ICBM. This is a significant, but very small, victory for Team Trump," Kazianis said.

Wit too said the Trump administration had "certainly played a part in recent events," but sees North Korea as having a clearer long term plan than the United States.

"These are not just moves from the top of their heads," Wit said of North Korean officials.

Kim's announcement now sets the stage for a better atmosphere for the summits with Moon and Trump, but also puts pressure on the Trump administration to negotiate seriously and try to deliver a positive outcome, he added.

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees -- potentially leaving much space for disagreement.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

Victor Cha, senior adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Axios that the "glaring unanswered question in all of this" is what the US will give in return for North Korea's concessions.

"No one is scrutinizing what the US administration is thinking of giving up -- sanctions? peace treaty? normalization? exercises? missile defense?" he said.
Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress Natalie Portman says she will not attend a Jerusalem award ceremony because she does not want to appear to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Hollywood actress Natalie Portman said she was backing out of a Jerusalem ceremony where she was to receive a $2 million prize to protest against the policies of Israel's prime minister.

"I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony," Portman said in a statement posted late Friday on Instagram.

She also denied accusations by Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev who on Friday said Portman subscribed to the ideology of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

"I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it," the Oscar-winning US-Israeli actress said.

"Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation," she said.

Netanyahu's Likud party hit back on Saturday, accusing Portman of "hypocrisy".

It blasted Portman for "talking about human rights but participating in festivals in countries that censor films and whose respect for human rights is much worse than that of Israel".

On Friday the Genesis Prize Foundation said that Portman had cancelled her participation in a Jerusalem ceremony slated for the end of June.

One of Portman's representatives informed the foundation that she was troubled by "recent events" in Israel and "does not feel comfortable participating in any public event in Israel," the foundation said.

The foundation did not say which events distressed Portman.

Portman said her decision to stay away from the award ceremony had been "mischaracterised", insisting that she wanted to set the record straight and "speak for myself".

"Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from today's atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values," she said.

"Because I care about Israel, I must stand against violence, corruption, inequality and abuse of power," Portman added.

Portman did not go into details, but her decision came amid a series of controversies for Netanyahu and his government.

The army has come under scrutiny over its use of live fire over the past three weeks during protests and clashes along the blockaded Gaza Strip's border with the Jewish state.

In a fourth straight Friday of mass demonstrations, four Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces, bringing the total death toll since March 30 to 38.

Netanyahu also recently reversed a controversial deal with the UN refugee agency aimed at avoiding the forced deportations of thousands of African migrants.

The Israeli premier is also the subject of a series of corruption investigations. Police in February recommended he be indicted in two of the cases and a third is ongoing.

The Genesis prize, launched in 2013, is awarded to "extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews," according to foundation's website.

Recipients contribute their winnings to causes of their choice, and Portman has said she intended to dedicate the money to programmes advancing women's equality.

Born in Jerusalem to a doctor father and an artist mother, 36-year-old Portman won a best actress Oscar for 2010's psychological ballet thriller "Black Swan".
A Palestinian protester waves the national flag as smoke billows from a tire fire during clashes with Israeli forces on April 20, 2018, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip during mass protests along the border of the Palestinian enclave

The death of a Palestinian teenager during protests along Gaza's border with Israel sparked condemnation and international calls for restraint on Saturday.

Rescue services and relatives said Mohammed Ayoub, aged 15, was killed by Israeli gunfire on Friday.

The Israeli army said Saturday it was opening an investigation into the death of the young Palestinian, who was killed during demonstrations that have brought thousands of Palestinians to the border for four consecutive Fridays.

A spokesperson for the European Union on Saturday called for a "full investigation" into the circumstances of the death.

"As we once again mourn the loss of lives, the EU calls on the Israel Defence Forces to refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters," a statement said.

"As stated repeatedly, the priority now must be to avoid any further escalation of violence and loss of life."

On Friday night, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Nikolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter: "It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children... #Children must be protected from #violence, not exposed to it."

The teenager's father Ibrahim Ayoub told AFP his son "was standing far from the soldiers and not armed".

"Why are our children killed and Israeli children living a quiet life?"

Three other Palestinians were killed on Friday, bringing to 38 the death toll from Israeli gunfire since the start of "March of Return" protests on March 30.

High-ranking Palestinian official Saeb Erekat called on the International Criminal Court to open a "serious judicial inquiry into the crimes committed against the Palestinian people".

US envoy for the Middle East Jason Greenblatt called for moderation.

"As we mourn the tragic loss of a young life, we must all commit ourselves to avoid further suffering by responses to this death," he said.

Israeli forces have responded to demonstrations along its border by firing live ammunition, injuring hundreds in addition to the deaths.

But Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Saturday reiterated that he held leaders of Islamist movement Hamas, which rules Gaza, responsible for the violence and the death of the Palestinian teenager.

"Those cowardly leaders who are hiding behind women and children and send them forward as a human shield, so that they can continue to dig tunnels and carry out terrorist actions against the state of Israel," he wrote on Twitter.

"I will again tell the habitants of Gaza... Do not approach the fence."

Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, wedged between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean, have gathered at the border since March 30 calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former lands now inside Israel.
A recreational remote-controlled drone was spotted over the Khuzama neighborhood in Riyadh, a general view of the city which is seen here, and presumably shot down

Saudi forces on Saturday shot down an unidentified toy drone that hovered over a Riyadh neighbourhood home to royal palaces, state media said, prompting a security alarm in the capital.

"At 1950 (1650 GMT) a security checkpoint in Khuzama neighbourhood of Riyadh spotted a recreational remote-controlled drone," the Saudi Press Agency reported.

"Security personnel at the checkpoint dealt with it according to their orders and instructions in this regard," SPA added, implying that the drone had been shot down.

The statement followed unconfirmed videos on social media that appeared to show heavy volleys of gunfire in that neighbourhood, triggering speculation of a possible coup attempt.

But the government ruled out any major security breach, adding that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

Government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the whereabouts of the Saudi king and crown prince during the incident.

Security around the palaces appears to have tightened in recent months as powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman oversees landmark social and economic reforms to prepare for a post-oil era, despite the risk of riling religious hardliners.

The 32-year-old prince has also overseen a major military shake-up and a royal purge as he consolidates power to a degree well beyond that wielded by previous rulers.

Last October a gunman shot dead two Saudi guards and wounded three others at the gate of the royal palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, according to the interior ministry.

Royal guards killed the gunman, identified by the ministry as a 28-year-old Saudi national armed with a Kalashnikov and three grenades.

Saudi Arabia is also embroiled in a long-running conflict with Iran-backed Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, dubbed by the United Nations as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Huthi rebels have repeatedly fired missiles into Saudi territory, including the capital Riyadh. Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted most of them.
Verne Troyer was best known for his role as Mini-Me in the "Austin Powers" movies and as Griphook in "Harry Potter"

Verne Troyer, best known for his role as Mini-Me in the "Austin Powers" movies, died Saturday. He was 49.

While no cause of death was given, a statement on the actor's social media accounts said he had gone through a "recent time of adversity" and alluded to suicide and depression as "serious issues."

"Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much," it added.

"Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it's never too late to reach out to someone for help."

Troyer, who lived in Los Angeles, was taken to hospital early this month for unspecified treatment. The actor spoke about his alcohol addiction during another hospital stay a year ago.

One of the world's shortest men at just two feet eight inches (81 centimeters) due to achondroplasia dwarfism, according to reports, Troyer was born in 1969 in Sturgis, Michigan.

He first entered show business as a stunt person in "Baby's Day Out" (1994).

Troyer was said to struggle with alcohol and depression

"In 1993, I was working for Sprint in customer service, and a friend of mine who was the president of LPA -- Little People of America -- got a phone call from the producers of 'Baby's Day Out,' and they were wondering if there was anyone close to a stand-in size," he recalled in a 2012 interview with Hollywood Chicago.

"I guess they searched worldwide and couldn't find anyone. I sent in my picture, and they flew me out to Hollywood to meet with them. Two days later, they offered me the job, and I quit my job at Sprint."

- 'Extremely caring' -

Tributes poured in for the small man with an outsized personality.

"Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him," Mike Myers, his "Austin Powers" co-star said in a statement. "It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed."

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin said she was "so sad" over the news of Troyer's death.

"A lovely smile with a caring and big heart, he helped raise money on behalf of @starkeycares for free hearing aids for deaf and hard of hearing people. RIP," added Matlin, who is deaf.

Ludacris posted on Instagram a photograph of himself with Troyer strapped to him in a baby carrier, taken from the rapper's "Number One Spot" music video. The pair are wearing the same gray costume.

"R.I.P. Verne Troyer aka Mini Me. You made it to that #1 Spot Glad we got to make history," Ludacris wrote.

In addition to his breakout role as the "Mini-Me" -- a diminutive, hairless clone of villain Dr Evil -- in the first Austin Powers movie "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me," Troyer was also known for playing Griphook in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

"Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible," added the post on Troyer's social media accounts.

"He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination and attitude."
Roy Topal has been head of VSA for last 15 years
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif at an appearance in Karachi in March

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran is open to prisoner swap negotiations with the US if the Trump administration shows a "change of attitude."

Negotiations are a "possibility certainly from a humanitarian perspective, but it requires a change of attitude," Zarif said in an interview with CBS television's "Face the Nation" set to air Sunday.

Five Americans are held in Tehran, including 81-year-old Baquer Namazi, who is in failing health.

Zarif blasted the US administration for showing "disrespect" toward Iran, a frequent target of President Donald Trump's wrath.

Trump has said he wants to rip up the Iran nuclear deal, and his new National Security Advisor John Bolton has advocated for regime change in Tehran.

"You do not engage in negotiations by exercising disrespect for a country, for its people, for its government, by openly making claims, including this illusion about regime change," Zarif said, according to interview excerpts.

In January 2016, after months of secret talks between senior Iranian and US officials during Barack Obama's administration, Tehran released four Americans in exchange for seven Iranians being released in the United States.

A fifth American, identified as Matthew Trevithick, was also released separately as an "associated goodwill gesture."

According to Zarif, there are "many" Iranian prisoners being held in the United States or elsewhere at America's request, "including a lady who had to give birth in an Australian prison because of a US extradition request."
JERUSALEM (AP) - Actress Natalie Portman has snubbed a prestigious prize known as the "Jewish Nobel," saying she did not want her attendance to be seen as an endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Portman was to have received the award in Israel in June and said in a statement issued early Saturday that her reasons for skipping the ceremony had been mischaracterized by others, and she is not part of the BDS, a Palestinian-led global movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

News of Portman's decision to skip the event triggered an angry backlash Friday from some in the country's political establishment.

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, Natalie Portman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Annihilation" at the Regency Village Theatre. The foundation behind the prestigious Genesis Prize says this year's winner, Natalie Portman, has pulled out of the June awards ceremony in Israel, quoting a representative for the U.S. actress as saying recent events in Israel were "extremely distressing to her," according to a statement on Thursday, April 19, 2018. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

That was due to reports that Portman through a representative had told the Genesis Prize Foundation she was experiencing "extreme distress" over attending its ceremony and would "not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel."

Portman's statement said her decision had been mischaracterized.

"Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony," she wrote.

"Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance.'"

She asked people to "not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own."

Israel faces some international criticism over its use of lethal force in response to mass protests along the Gaza border led by the Islamic militant group that rules the territory.

One Israeli lawmaker warned that Portman's decision is a sign of eroding support for Israel among young American Jews.

The Jerusalem-born Portman is a dual Israeli-American citizen. The Oscar-winning actress moved to the United States as a young girl, evolving from a child actress into a widely acclaimed A-list star. Portman received the 2011 best actress Academy Award for "Black Swan," and, in 2015, she directed and starred in "Tale of Love and Darkness," a Hebrew-language film set in Israel based on an Amos Oz novel. Her success is a great source of pride for many Israelis.

The Genesis Prize Foundation said Thursday that it had been informed by Portman's representative that "recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing" to Portman, though it did not refer to specific events.

Since March 30, more than three dozen Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire, most of them in protests on the Gaza-Israeli border. Hundreds more have been wounded by Israeli troops during this time.

Israel says it is defending its border and accuses Hamas, a militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of protests. It has said that some of those protesting at the border over the past few weeks tried to damage the fence, plant explosives and hurl firebombs, or flown kites attached to burning rags to set Israeli fields on fire. Several Israeli communities are located near the Gaza border.

Rights groups have branded open-fire rules as unlawful, saying they effectively permit soldiers to use potentially lethal force against unarmed protesters.

Israel's right-wing Culture Minister Miri Regev said in a statement Friday that she was sorry to hear that Portman "has fallen like a ripe fruit into the hands of BDS supporters," referring to the Palestinian-led boycott movement.

"Natalie, a Jewish actress born in Israel, is joining those who relate to the wondrous success story of Israel's rebirth as a story of 'darkness and darkness'," Regev said.

Rachel Azaria, a lawmaker from the centrist Kulanu party, warned that Portman's decision to stay away is a sign of eroding support for Israel among young American Jews.

"The cancellation by Natalie Portman needs to light warning signs," Azaria said in a statement. "She is totally one of us. She identifies with her Jewishness and Israeli-ness. She is expressing now the voices of many in U.S. Jewry, mainly those of the young generation. This is a community that was always a significant anchor for the state of Israel. The price of losing them could be too high."

Oren Hazan, a legislator in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud Party, called on the government to revoke Portman's Israeli citizenship.

Gilad Erdan, Israel's Public Security Minister said he sent a letter to Portman expressing his disappointment. "Sadly, it seems that you have been influenced by the campaign of media misinformation and lies regarding Gaza orchestrated by the Hamas terrorist group," he wrote.

He invited her to visit and see for herself the situation on the ground.

The Genesis foundation said it was "very saddened" by Portman's decision and would cancel the prize ceremony, which had been set for June 28.

"We fear that Ms. Portman's decision will cause our philanthropic initiative to be politicized, something we have worked hard for the past five years to avoid," it said.

Portman said in her statement that the backlash has inspired her to make numerous contributions to charities in Israel. She pledged to announce those grants soon.

The Genesis Prize was launched in 2013 to recognize Jewish achievement and contributions to humanity. Previous recipients include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman and sculptor Anish Kapoor.

When Portman was announced late last year as the 2018 recipient, she said in a statement released by organizers at the time that she was "proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage."
BALTIMORE (AP) - A former Baltimore County school superintendent who served on prominent national education panels was sentenced Friday to serve six months behind bars after pleading guilty to perjury charges.

The sentencing marked another milestone on a dramatic downward trajectory for Shaun Dallas Dance, a charismatic and ambitious administrator who was just 30 in 2012 when he was chosen to lead Baltimore County schools. The suburban county ringing the city of Baltimore is the country's 25th largest public system, with more than 170 schools, 111,000 students and 21,000 district employees.

Over years, Dance failed to report that he earned nearly $150,000 for part-time consulting work while superintendent. Evidence presented in court showed that he also worked on the side for an Illinois-based administrative training company called SUPES Academy that won an $875,000 no-bid contract in his district shortly after he took leadership.

Maryland State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt has said Dance sought consulting jobs shortly after he became superintendent in 2012, apparently motivated to make more money because of a divorce. When he came to the district, Dance had only two years of teaching experience and was working as one of three chief school officers for Houston schools.

About two years after coming to Baltimore County, Dance was appointed to President Barack Obama's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Dance, who is African-American, was also chosen to serve on a number of other national education organizations.

But in April 2017, Dance abruptly announced his resignation as Baltimore County's superintendent, citing only vague family concerns. He was in the first year of his second contract, a four-year agreement paying him $287,000 annually. It later came out Dance was under investigation.

Indicted by a grand jury on four counts of perjury, Dance was accused of failing to disclose his work for the now-defunct SUPES Academy and a related company called Synesi Associates. Authorities said Dance negotiated and signed a no-bid contract with SUPES and Baltimore County schools, even allegedly vowing to a company official that he would fire a district employee to secure the contract, which the school board eventually approved.

A former leader of Chicago's public school system was also caught engaging in shady dealings with SUPES Academy and Synesi Associates. Barbara Byrd-Bennett was sentenced last year to 4 years in prison for steering $23 million in no-bid contracts to the education firms for a cut of more than $2 million in kickbacks. Co-defendants, SUPES Academy and Synesi Associates owners Gary Solomon and Thomas Vranas, also pleaded guilty to related charges in the Chicago case.

In Baltimore County, Dance pleaded guilty to the perjury charges in early March, agreeing to a statement of facts laid out by prosecutors.

Dozens of Dance's supporters - including pastors, colleagues and his ex-wife - wrote the judge asking for lenience. WBAL-TV quoted Dance's lawyer, Jay Graham, as saying: "This is basically about an honest man that did a dishonest thing."

But Judge Kathleen Cox imposed a sentence of five years with all but six months suspended. The sentencing date coincided with Dance's 37th birthday. He will also face two years of supervised probation after his six-month term at the Baltimore County Detention Center and 700 hours of community service.

Earlier this week, Baltimore County's school board voted to make the district's interim superintendent its official leader. The specifics of Verletta White's four-year contract are being negotiated.

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David McFadden on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmcfadd

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Information from: The Baltimore Sun, http://www.baltimoresun.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on a lawsuit by porn actress Stormy Daniels who says she had an affair with President Donald Trump (all times local):

6:40 p.m.

An attorney who previously represented porn actress Stormy Daniels has been contacted by federal investigators looking into the personal business dealings of President Donald Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Attorney Brent Blakely, left, who represents President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen, with Trump's attorneys Ryan Stonerock, middle, and Charles Harder, right, leave U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after a hearing regarding adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in Los Angeles, Friday, April 20, 2018. A federal judge in Los Angeles has told Cohen's lawyers that he needs to file a declaration in court in order to delay a lawsuit filed by Daniels. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A spokesman for attorney Keith Davidson said in a statement Friday that Davidson has provided "certain limited electronic information." Spokesman Dave Wedge didn't provide any additional details.

Davidson represented Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006, when she signed a nondisclosure agreement days before the 2016 presidential election.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, is now seeking to invalidate the agreement so she can openly discuss the relationship.

The FBI raided Cohen's office last week. Prosecutors said they were investigating his personal business dealings.

Wedge says Davidson will "continue to cooperate to the fullest extent possible under the law."

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10:40 a.m.

A federal judge in Los Angeles has told lawyers for President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen that he needs to file a declaration in court in order to delay a lawsuit filed by porn actress Stormy Daniels.

Judge S. James Otero said Friday that Cohen needs to file a statement declaring that his Fifth Amendment rights might be jeopardized if the case goes forward.

Otero says it's not enough for Cohen's attorney to file that statement on his behalf.

The judge has given Cohen until next Wednesday to file the declaration.

Daniels claims she had an affair with the president and is seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election. She argues it isn't valid because Cohen signed it, but the president did not.

Cohen wants to delay the civil case because FBI agents raided his office and residence seeking records about the nondisclosure agreement. Trump denies the affair occurred.

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11:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump's lawyer is seeking to delay a court case brought by a porn actress who claims she had an affair with the president

U.S. District Judge James Otero will hold a hearing Friday morning in Stormy Daniels' case in Los Angeles.

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has been seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election so she can discuss the alleged relationship, which Trump denies.

She argues it isn't valid because Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, signed it, but the president did not.

Cohen asked to delay the civil case after FBI agents raided his office and residence seeking records about the nondisclosure agreement. Federal prosecutors are investigating Cohen's personal business dealings.

Daniels' attorney has objected to the delay.

Michael Avenatti, attorney for porn actress Stormy Daniels, walks out of federal court in Los Angeles, Friday, April 20, 2018. A federal judge told lawyers for President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen that Cohen needs to file a declaration in court in order to delay a lawsuit filed by Daniels aimed at dissolving a confidentiality agreement that prevents her from talking about an alleged affair with Trump. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Stormy Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, second from left, talks to reporters as he leaves federal court in Los Angeles Friday, April 20, 2018. A federal judge in Los Angeles has told lawyers for Michael Cohen that he needs to file a declaration in court in order to delay a lawsuit filed by porn actress Stormy Daniels. Judge S. James Otero said Friday that Cohen needs to file a statement declaring that his Fifth Amendment rights might be jeopardized if the case goes forward. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Mitt Romney faces an intriguing hurdle in his bid to be the U.S. senator from Utah this weekend when he seeks the blessing of far-right leaning delegates at the state convention against a field of 11 competitors.

Romney already has collected enough signatures to advance to a GOP primary bid regardless of what party stalwarts do at the convention. A win would clear a path to victory in conservative Utah by letting him bypass a primary altogether.

But a loss would be an embarrassing stumble for the man seen as the likely successor to retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch.

In this Saturday, March 3, 2018, photo, shows Mitt Romney during a tour of Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

Romney needs to win over skeptics among several thousand delegates who question his dedication to the state - he moved there after losing the 2012 presidential race - and some are wary of his criticism of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

"I think it's very hard to predict what will happen at a convention," Romney told The Associated Press this week, fresh off two months of campaigning across the state. "I hope I do well, I don't worry about alternatives. We take what happens as it comes."

Romney is emphasizing his local connections and intent to use his clout to help Utah, where he's known for his role in turning around the 2002 Winter Olympics and becoming the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party.

Democrats will choose their nominee next weekend, but any Republican would be overwhelmingly favored in November.

Romney's competitors for the nomination are largely political unknowns who acknowledge the David-vs-Goliath nature of the contest, but insist he shouldn't get an automatic pass from Republicans.

Some delegates agree.

Linda Spencer, 59, of Orem, said she leans libertarian and carefully reviewed each candidate before settling on southern Utah attorney Larry Meyer as her favorite. "He is just a humble, down-to-earth, honest person," she said.

She especially likes his strong support for Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, whose 2014 armed standoff with federal agents over grazing fees made him a key figure in the debate over control of public lands.

Others in the crowded field include state Rep. Mike Kennedy, a doctor and lawyer from Alpine who has served in the Legislature since 2013. Kennedy said in a statement he's focused on reducing the national debt and he understands what it's like to balance a budget and raise a family in Utah.

Some Romney critics echo attacks he faced when he ran for president, including his shifting abortion stance and a health care law he signed as Massachusetts governor that was used as a blueprint for President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.

Others have questioned the depth of his ties to Utah and his criticism of Trump; he called Trump a "con-man" and a "phony" during the 2016 race. Sam Parker, a banker, has said he's running because he is worried Romney wouldn't be a strong, conservative ally for Trump.

Romney and Trump have made peace since the president took office, and he has endorsed Romney's bid to succeed Hatch.

In this Friday, March 2, 2018 photo, Mitt Romney poses with a group at the Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife Banquet during a campaign stop, in Blanding, Utah. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this March 3, 2018, file photo, Mitt Romney speaks with a group during a breakfast campaign stop in Green River, Utah. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2018, file photo, shows former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney standing near cows during a tour of Gibson's Green Acres Dairy in Ogden, Utah. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - In this March 1, 2018, file photo, shows Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, speaking during news conference at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. Others in the crowded field include state Rep. Kennedy, who has served in the Legislature since 2013. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

In the Wednesday, April 18, 2018, photo, Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, speaks on the House floor during a special session at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. Others in the crowded field include state Rep. Kennedy, who has served in the Legislature since 2013. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

FILE - In this Feb. 16, 2018, file photo, shows former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sitting behind the wheel of a tractor during a tour of Gibson's Green Acres Dairy in Ogden, Utah. Romney is gearing up for arguably the biggest challenge of his Senate campaign: A Utah Republican party convention where he'll have to face down nearly a dozen contenders in front of a far-right-leaning audience. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)'
WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Senate Democrat is using marijuana's informal holiday to announce a change of heart about the drug, another sign of the growing political acceptance of pot.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Friday he'll introduce a bill taking marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances - in effect decriminalizing its use.

His bill would let states decide how to treat marijuana possession. Under the measure, the federal government would still enforce laws against moving pot into states where it's illegal and would still regulate advertising so it isn't aimed at children. Schumer said he also wants to ensure that minorities and women have a fair shot at getting involved in the growing marijuana industry and that the federal government invests in research to better understand the drug's health effects.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., confers with his communications aide Matt House as he speaks to reporters following a closed-door strategy session on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"My thinking, as well as the general population's views, on the issue has evolved," Schumer said.

Schumer is only the latest mainstream politician to endorse what once was viewed as a pet cause of stoners and ex-hippies. But as more and more states legalize some marijuana use and an industry is beginning to boom around its sale, powerful politicians in both parties are shifting their stances and seeing the political benefits.

Schumer unveiled his new position on HBO's "Vice News Tonight" where he was asked whether he had smoked pot before. "No," he replied.

Would he like to try? "Well, as you pointed out maybe I'm a little old. But, who knows? Who knows?" said Schumer, age 67.

Schumer timed his announcement to April 20, or 4/20. That's the numerical code for marijuana's high holiday, an homage to pot's enduring appeal and universal slang for smoking.

Schumer's new stance could be a smart move politically. Democrats are trying to do a better job of connecting with young voters, hoping to drive them to the poll in November's mid-term elections.

Guy Cecil, chairman of Priorities USA, a Democratic super PAC, said that decriminalizing marijuana is a clear motivator for younger voters.

"It has a huge turnout effect on young people," Cecil said. "I think you'll see most, if not all of the presidential candidates in the next election be in favor of it, some version of it."

Nine states and the District of Columbia now allow recreational use of marijuana, and a majority of states allow its use for medical purposes.

Americans' support for marijuana legalization has been growing in polls with Gallup's most recent update in October showing that 64 percent of Americans were in favor of legalization.

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump pledged to respect states that legalized marijuana but also criticized legalization and implied it should be stopped. In January, Attorney General Jeff Sessions lifted an Obama-era policy that kept federal authorities from cracking down on the pot trade in states where the drug is legal. But Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., said last week that Trump promised in a conversation with him to support legislation to protect the marijuana industry in states where it is legal.

Former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner also announced recently that he had changed his stance on marijuana and that he would promote its nationwide legalization as a way to help veterans and the nation's deadly opioid crisis. Boehner, an avid cigarette smoker, has joined the advisory board of Acreage Holdings, a multistate cannabis company.

The federal government, through the Controlled Substances Act, generally prohibits the cultivation, distribution, and possession of marijuana, and has established significant penalties for violators. Lawmakers have sought in recent congressional sessions to take marijuana off the list of federal controlled substances, but the measures have gained meager support.

One such bill filed last year by Rep. Thomas Garrett, R-Va., has 27 Democratic co-sponsors and six Republican co-sponsors out of 430 members now in the House.

That's a slight improvement from the previous Congress when legislation from Democratic Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado, calling for marijuana to be treated like alcohol, gained 19-co-sponsors in the House.

The House also has its own "Cannabis Caucus." Four lawmakers started the group last year to keep federal policies from interfering with states as they enact laws allowing for recreational or medical marijuana.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and one of the group's founders, issued what he called the Cannabis State of the Union on Friday. He said that ballot measures are "poised for success" in Michigan, Missouri, and perhaps Utah. He said advocates for medical marijuana in Texas are organizing and optimistic about their chances for success in the 2019 legislative session in Austin.

"The wind of public opinion is at our back," Blumenauer said.

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Reach Kevin Freking on Twitter at https://twitter.com/APkfreking
PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on Arizona teachers' threat to strike and the governor's reaction (all times local):

1:45 p.m.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has vetoed 10 pieces of legislation to send a message to the Legislature that he wants them to send him a state budget that boosts teacher pay.

Teacher Jennifer Galluzzo casts her ballot outside Paseo Verde Elementary Wednesday, April 18, 2018 in Peoria, Ariz. Arizona teachers are weighing whether to walk out of their classrooms to demand more school funding after weeks of growing protests, a vote that's raising questions about how an unprecedented strike could play out across the state's education system. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Friday's vetoes by the Republican governor came the day after tens of thousands of teachers rejected his plan to boost their pay by 20 percent and voted to go on strike next week.

Teachers say Ducey ignored their demands that he also raise pay for support staff, boost overall school funding, restore school funding to 2008 levels and stop tax cuts until funding reaches the national average.

Ducey has refused to meet with leaders of the teacher protests.

His veto letters say "Our teachers have earned this raise. It's time to get it done."

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12:01 p.m.

Arizona teachers have voted to walk off the job to demand increased school funding.

The state's largest teacher membership group said Thursday that teachers will walkout April 26.

Arizona jumped into a movement for higher teacher pay that started in West Virginia, where a strike garnered a raise, and spread to Oklahoma, Kentucky and Colorado.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey has offered a proposal that gives teachers a 20 percent raise by 2020. Many teachers say the plan failed to address much-needed funding for classrooms and support staff.

Parents and communities already have been making plans for child care and food boxes for kids who rely on free breakfast and lunch at school.

Teachers could face consequences in Arizona, where unions do not collectively bargain with districts and representation is not mandatory.

Teachers Cassi Igo and Andrew Brothers cast their ballots outside Paseo Verde Elementary Wednesday, April 18, 2018 in Peoria, Ariz. Arizona teachers are weighing whether to walk out of their classrooms to demand more school funding after weeks of growing protests - a vote that's raising questions about how an unprecedented strike could play out across the state's education system. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Teachers and students wave to motorists outside Paseo Verde Elementary Wednesday, April 18, 2018 in Peoria, Ariz. Arizona teachers are weighing whether to walk out of their classrooms to demand more school funding after weeks of growing protests - a vote that's raising questions about how an unprecedented strike could play out across the state's education system. (AP Photo/Matt York)
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A Florida sheriff's deputy is facing charges of receiving child pornography through the Canadian-based social media messaging app Kik.

Federal prosecutors say 36-year-old Orange County Deputy Kevin Hutchinson was being interviewed Thursday as part of an investigation he transmitted child pornography when they found files he received that day.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police had alerted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security of child pornography being sent through Kik from an IP address in the Orlando area.

That address was traced to Hutchinson. Homeland Security Agent Ryan Eggland said in a criminal complaint that Hutchinson admitted he had child pornography files on his laptop.

Hutchinson was being detained Friday. It was not known if he has a lawyer.
The Latest on the plane that made an emergency landing in Philadelphia (all times local):

5:18 p.m.

The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered inspections of more jet engines like the one that blew apart at 32,000 feet in a deadly accident aboard a Southwest Airlines plane.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators examine damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. The Southwest Airlines jet blew the engine at 32,000 feet and got hit by shrapnel that smashed a window, setting off a desperate scramble by passengers to save a woman from getting sucked out. She later died, and seven others were injured. (NTSB via AP)

The agency says its order affects 352 engines in the U.S. and another 681 worldwide on "new generation" Boeing 737 jets. Each aircraft has two engines.

The requirement from the agency comes after the engine maker, CFM International, issued a service bulletin recommending that more engines be inspected. At issue are the engine fan blades on Boeing 737-600, 700, 800 and 900 jets.

The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the blades snapped on the Southwest flight Tuesday, hurling debris that broke a window and led to the death of a passenger who was sucked partway out of the plane. The jet, which was headed from New York to Dallas, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

The CFM 56-7B engines are on about 1,800 "new generation" 737s in service in the U.S. and about 6,400 worldwide.

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4:47 p.m.

The manufacturer of the jet engine that blew apart at 32,000 feet in a deadly accident aboard a Southwest Airlines flight wants more jets to be inspected for potential problems.

A spokeswoman for CFM International says the company plans to issue a service bulletin on Friday that would expand the number of engines to be checked beyond those in previous notifications.

At issue are the engine fan blades on Boeing 737s.

The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the blades snapped on the Southwest flight Tuesday, hurling debris that broke a window and led to the death of a passenger who was sucked partway out of the plane. The jet, which was headed from New York to Dallas, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

The CFM 56-7B engines are on about 1,800 "new generation" 737s in service in the U.S. and about 6,400 worldwide.

In this Tuesday, April 17, 2018 photo, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB via AP)

This April 17, 2018 photo provided by Marty Martinez shows the window that was shattered after a jet engine of a Southwest Airlines airplane blew out at altitude, resulting in the death of a woman who was nearly sucked from the window during the flight of the Boeing 737 bound from New York to Dallas with 149 people aboard, shown after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia. (Marty Martinez via AP)

This April 17, 2018 photo provided by Marty Martinez shows the window that was shattered after a jet engine of a Southwest Airlines airplane blew out at altitude, resulting in the death of a woman who was nearly sucked from the window during the flight of the Boeing 737 bound from New York to Dallas with 149 people aboard, after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia. (Marty Martinez via AP)

In this Tuesday, April 17, 2018 frame from video, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB via AP)

In this 2017 photo, Jennifer Riordan, of Albuquerque, N.M., poses for a photo in Albuquerque. Family, friends and community leaders are mourning the death of Riordan, a bank executive on a Southwest Airlines jet that blew an engine as she was flying home from a business trip to New York. (Marla Brose/The Albuquerque Journal via AP)

The engine on a Southwest Airlines plane is inspected as it sits on the runway at the Philadelphia International Airport after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, Tuesday, April 17, 2018. (Amanda Bourman via AP)

A Southwest Airlines plane sits on the runway at the Philadelphia International Airport after it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia, on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. (David Maialetti/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

In this Tuesday, April 17, 2018 frame from video, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB via AP)

In this Tuesday, April 17, 2018 frame from video, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that made an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport in Philadelphia. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine of the Southwest Airlines plane that set off a terrifying chain of events and left a businesswoman hanging half outside a shattered window showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (NTSB via AP)

In this April 17, 2018 photo provided by Marty Martinez, Martinez appears with other passengers after a jet engine blew out on the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 plane he was flying in from New York to Dallas, resulting in the death of a woman who was nearly sucked from a window during the flight with 149 people aboard. A preliminary examination of the blown jet engine that set off a terrifying chain of events showed evidence of "metal fatigue," according to the National Transportation Safety Board. (Marty Martinez via AP)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea announced that it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington, but stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its hard-won nuclear arsenal.

The announcement, which sets the table for further negotiations when the summits begin, was made by leader Kim Jong Un at a meeting of the North Korean ruling party's Central Committee on Friday. It was reported by the North's state-run media early Saturday.

Kim justified the suspension to his party by saying the situation around North Korea has been rapidly changing "in favor of the Korean revolution" since he announced last year that his country had completed its nuclear forces.

In this Friday, April 20, 2018, photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea said Saturday, April 21, 2017 it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

He said North Korea has reached the level where it no longer needs underground testing or test-launching of ICBMs, and added that it would close its nuclear testing facility at Punggye-ri, which was already believed to have been rendered unusable due to tunnel collapses after the North's test of its most powerful bomb to date last year.

The announcement is Kim's opening gambit to set the tone for summit talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, set for next Friday, and U.S. President Donald Trump, expected in late May or early June.

Trump almost immediately responded with a tweet, saying, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!" He added that he's looking forward to his summit with Kim.

South Korea's presidential office also welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered a more guarded reaction.

"What is crucial here ... is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles," he said. "And I will keep a close eye on that."

Pyongyang residents, who have been largely kept in the dark about Kim's plans to meet Trump, gathered at subway stations, where newspapers are posted for the public, or around large screens in city plazas to see the reports.

One resident, 34-year-old Son Kum Chol, said he read the news in the ruling party's newspaper. North Koreans are extremely cautious when speaking to the media, but Son told The Associated Press that the news made him feel the "future road will be brighter and prosperous."

Some analysts believe Kim feels he is entering the summit negotiations from a position of strength and is hoping to achieve tacit recognition that his country is now a nuclear power. They believe he wants to engage in talks and make some concessions around the edges that would convince Washington and other countries to ease sanctions on his struggling economy.

In his speech at the party meeting, Kim praised his nuclear policy as "a miraculous victory" achieved in just five years. A resolution passed after his speech also stressed that the country had successfully achieved its goals of obtaining a viable nuclear force and suggested it intends to keep that force.

Using the acronym for North Korea's official name, it said the North would "never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threats and nuclear provocation against the DPRK."

"This was a smart move by Kim," Vipin Narang, an associate political science professor and nuclear proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said in an email. "Although it largely formalizes previous pledges on the moratoria from last November and March, it still leaves a lot of wiggle room for circumventing the pledges in the future, and nothing in there is irreversible. And nothing in there mentions denuclearization, of any variety."

Narang noted that North Korea has already conducted as many nuclear tests as Pakistan and India - six - and may indeed not need to conduct any more underground testing.

Tossing out another nugget that could be used at the summits, Kim stressed at the party meeting his desire to shift the national focus to improving the country's economy, which has been hit hard by international sanctions and the "maximum pressure" strategy pushed by Trump.

The announcement ends what had been an ominous silence from Pyongyang regarding the stunning diplomatic moves Kim has been making since the beginning of this year, including his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month.

It also gives the best idea yet of what Kim intends to bring with him in his summits with Moon and Trump.

Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

Some important items were also left off the North's resolution - such as midrange missile or space rocket launches - suggesting either that the North isn't willing to go that far or that it wants to wait and see how much it can gain by further concessions once actual talks begin.

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Talmadge, the AP's Pyongyang bureau chief, reported from Tokyo.

File-In this April 9, 2018, file photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea said Saturday, April 21, 2018, it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

North Koreans watch as their country's most famous newscaster announces leader Kim Jong Un's proposal to suspend nuclear tests and long-range missile launches on a giant screen on Pyongyang's newly built Mirae Scientists' Street Saturday, April 21, 2018. Kim is to hold a summit with South Korea's president next week and with U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or June. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

North Koreans watch as their country's most famous newscaster announces leader Kim Jong Un's proposal to suspend nuclear tests and long-range missile launches on a giant screen on Pyongyang's newly built Mirae Scientists' Street Saturday, April 21, 2018. Kim is to hold a summit with South Korea's president next week and with U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or June. (AP Photo/Cha Song Ho)

FILE - This Aug. 29, 2017, file photo by the North Korean government shows what was said to be the test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea. North Korea said Saturday, April 21, 2018, it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site. The announcement came ahead of a new round of nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington, but there was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)

People watch a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site. The announcement came ahead of a new round of nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington, but there was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. The signs read: "North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

People watch a TV screen showing a file footage of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site. The announcement came ahead of a new round of nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang, Seoul and Washington, but there was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. The signs read: "Japanese media reports North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to the media after a cherry blossom viewing party hosted by him at Shinjuku Gyoen national garden, in Tokyo Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo listens to questions from the media after a cherry blossom viewing party hosted by him at Shinjuku Gyoen national garden, in Tokyo Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The fossil-fuels lobbyist tied to the bargain-priced Capitol Hill condo leased by Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt is taking early retirement as a result of the scandal.

J. Steven Hart sent an email to friends and colleagues on Friday announcing he's leaving Williams & Jensen, the powerhouse Washington lobbying firm where he served as chairman. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the email, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Hart, 64, said he was planning to retire in November, but that the intense scrutiny resulting from the unusual rental arrangement with the head of the EPA led him to expedite his departure.

FILE - In this Tuesday, April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt attends a news conference at the EPA in Washington, on his decision to scrap Obama administration fuel standards. The fossil-fuels lobbyist tied to the bargain-priced Capitol Hill condo leased by Pruitt is taking early retirement as a result of the scandal. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Media reports first disclosed last month that Pruitt paid just $50-a-night for the condo to a corporation co-owned by Hart's wife, who is also a lobbyist, triggering several ethics investigations.

In his email to friends, the veteran Washington insider attempted to make light of the issue.

"I want to thank so many of you who have taken the time to send me and Vicki notes and flowers as we learned a new and personal meaning of 'Fake News' and 'Real Friends,'" Hart wrote. "They say if you need a friend in Washington, get a dog. We now know that adage is not always accurate."

The embattled EPA administrator has described Hart as a personal friend and insisted that he paid a market rate for the condo, though comparable properties nearby are publicly listed at more than double what he paid.

EPA's press office did not respond to a request for comment.

A chorus of Democrats and a growing list of Republicans have called for Pruitt's ouster amid a string of ethics issues, including questions about his use of first class air travel and such pricey security precautions as a $43,000 anti-eavesdropping phone booth for his office.

EPA's inspector general announced earlier this week he will review spending by Pruitt's full-time security detail, the latest in about a dozen ongoing investigations related to Pruitt by various government agencies.

Prior to being tapped by Trump to lead EPA, Pruitt served as the elected attorney general of Oklahoma. Hart's firm represents OGE Energy Corp., one of the state's electric utilities.

Campaign finance records show the lobbyist hosted a 2014 fundraiser for Pruitt's state re-election effort where more than three dozen OGE executives cut checks, even though he was running without a Democratic opponent.

Once Pruitt arrived at EPA, copies of his daily calendar obtained by AP through a public records request show he meet with two top OGE executives and a registered lobbyist from Hart's firm in March 2017, when he was living at the condo.

In October, EPA announced it would rewrite the Clean Power Plan, an Obama-era regulation that sought to limit planet-warming carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants like those operated by OGE, which paid Hart's firm $400,000 in lobbying fees last year.

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Follow Associated Press environmental reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck
LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - Scientist Nerses "Krik" Krikorian, who was born a refugee and later became a legend in the once-secret New Mexico city where the atomic bomb was developed, has died. He was 97.

Officials at Los Alamos National Laboratory confirmed that Krikorian died Wednesday at his home in Los Alamos, the mountain town he had called home for more than 70 years.

Krikorian was born on a Turkish roadside in 1921 as his parents were trying to flee the aftermath of the mass killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks more than a century ago. With nothing but the clothes on their backs, the family moved around for the next four years and eventually found their way to the United States.

This undated photo provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory shows Nerses "Krik" Krikorian. Krikorian, who escaped the Armenian genocide as a boy and later became a legend in the once-secret New Mexico city where the atomic bomb was developed, has died. He was 97. (Los Alamos National Laboratory )

Krikorian spoke little English when they first arrived but went on to graduate with honors from college with a chemistry degree and landed a job working in a lab that made highly enriched uranium. It wasn't until later that Krikorian learned that work was part of the top-secret Manhattan Project.

He later went to work directly for Los Alamos lab. He said in an interview for a lab profile that he had never been west of Detroit and made the long drive to New Mexico in a 1936 Chevy convertible. He met his wife in Los Alamos.

In a career that spanned more than four decades, he worked with uranium and later with Project Rover in the 1950s to develop a nuclear-thermal rocket for space applications. He held six patents and published numerous assessments before becoming head of security for an intelligence unit. He also won accolades for his work.

In a memo to employees this week, lab Director Terry Wallace described Krikorian as "a giant" in the world of national security science and in the Los Alamos community.

"He contributed enormously to the mission of the laboratory, and I can say with confidence it's a better place because of him," Wallace said. "As we celebrate our 75 years as a laboratory, few people have been more impactful on our history than Krik. He leaves an enduring legacy that will continue far into the future."

The Los Alamos Monitor reported that Krikorian also helped found the United Church of Los Alamos and J. Oppenheimer Memorial Committee and helped with the creation of the original charter for Los Alamos County.

The newspaper reported that he was known for his dedication to making what started out as a place for a secret laboratory into a real, working community.

"Things have worked out far beyond what I ever imagined. I think of my parents and wonder, 'How did they ever do it?' To be born on a roadside in Turkey to this," Krikorian said in 2017 Monitor article about his life. "My parents instilled in me the importance of doing the right thing and giving back to your fellow man. I hope I've done that."

Krikorian's story also is part of an oral history project featuring those who worked at the lab in the early days.

His daughter Deb Krikorian said her father's dedication was a natural outcome of his constant quest for knowledge and his pragmatic outlook on life.

Asked where Krikorian's thirst for knowledge came from, she said, "Curiosity."

"He was curious about everything. He loved to just sit down and read. Even when he couldn't read, he was listening to books on tape and things like that," she said.

Krikorian had an extensive art collection, loved local theater and often acted in local productions. He also loved to fish.

A memorial service is being planned. A burial will be held Wednesday at Santa Fe National Cemetery.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - The Latest on North Korea saying it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site (all times local):

9:25 p.m.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has welcomed North Korea's announcement that it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests, and praised the way the U.N. Security Council "really came together" in order to achieve that.

People watch a TV screen showing file footage of U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Speaking at an informal working meeting of the Security Council ambassadors in southern Sweden on Saturday, Nikki Haley said pressure and sanctions coming from the U.N. enabled the isolation of North Korea "until they had a good behavior, and now we are seeing they want to come to the table."

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres told reporters in Sweden that he was optimistic about North Korea's decision, saying that "the path is open for the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

In an earlier statement released by his office, Guterres wished the two Koreas ahead of their April 27 summit "every success in their courageous and important task of resuming sincere dialogue leading to sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula." He also praised the establishment of a direct telephone link between the leaders of North and South Korea.

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7:45 p.m.

Sweden's foreign minister has welcomed North Korea's announcement that it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of summits with South Korea and the United States.

Margot Wallstrom said Saturday that it's "good news" that steps are being taken "to de-escalate and to defer from further bomb and missile tests."

But she added that "we have to keep the pressure up with the sanctions regime and everything else we are doing."

Wallstrom spoke before an informal working meeting in southern Sweden between U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Security Council ambassadors.

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2:25 p.m.

China, North Korea's main ally, is welcoming Pyongyang's decision to suspend its nuclear and missile tests.

The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang as saying Beijing wishes for North Korea to continue to achieve results in the development of its economy and improving the living standards of its people.

He says China will support North Korea through dialogue and consultations with "relevant parties" to resolve their concerns and improve relations.

Kim Dong-gil, the director of the Korean Peninsula Center at Peking University, says now that North Korea has nuclear weapons, he believes they will use them as a bargaining chip to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War, make arrangements to guarantee North Korea's safety and ultimately allow North Korea to open up its economy to the rest of the world.

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12:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump tweeted Friday night about reassuring signals from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said it was a sign "Progress being made for all."

His tweet said: "A message from Kim Jong Un: 'North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.' Also will 'Shut down a nuclear test site in the country's Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests.'"

Trump, who is at his South Florida resort of Mar a Lago, was referring to North Korea's announcement Saturday that it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington. But the announcement stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related component parts.

The new North Korean policy sets the table for further negotiations when the summits begin.

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11:35 a.m.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reacted with caution to North Korea's announcement it has suspended nuclear tests and long-range missile launches.

Abe, a hard-liner on the North, said he welcomed the announcement carried by state media early Saturday as a positive development.

He says: "What is crucial here, however, is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles."

Abe says Tokyo would maintain its policy coordination with Seoul and Washington.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who made the announcement at a party meeting, is to hold summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next Friday and President Donald Trump in late May or June.

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9:20 a.m.

South Korea's presidential office has welcomed North Korea's announcement it's suspending nuclear and long-range missile tests as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement Saturday the announcement will brighten the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a border truce village next Friday in a rare summit between the rivals aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang. A separate meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump is anticipated in May or June.

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8:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump appears to be confirming news that North Korea has agreed to suspend nuclear and long-range missile testing.

Trump has tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!"

He also says he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea said early Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency says the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

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7 a.m.

North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the suspension of nuclear and ICBM tests went into effect Saturday.

The country says it's making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

The announcements came days before North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo listens to questions from the media after a cherry blossom viewing party hosted by him at Shinjuku Gyoen national garden, in Tokyo Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
PHOENIX (AP) - U.S. health officials on Friday told consumers to throw away any store-bought romaine lettuce they have in their kitchens and warned restaurants not to serve it amid an E. coli outbreak that has sickened more than 50 people in several states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its warning about tainted romaine from Arizona, saying information from new illnesses led it to caution against eating any forms of the lettuce that may have come from the city of Yuma. Officials have not found the origin of the contaminated vegetables.

Previously, CDC officials had only warned against chopped romaine by itself or as part of salads and salad mixes. But they are now extending the risk to heads or hearts of romaine lettuce.

FILE--This Dec. 17, 1997, file photo, lettuce is harvested at a farm in Wellton, Ariz., east of Yuma. The Centers for Disease Control is expanding a warning about contaminated lettuce from Arizona that has now sickened dozens of people in several states. (AP Photo/Jeff Robbins, file)

People at an Alaska correctional facility recently reported feeling ill after eating from whole heads of romaine lettuce. They were traced to lettuce harvested in the Yuma region, according to the CDC.

So far, the outbreak has infected 53 people in 16 states. At least 31 have been hospitalized, including five with kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, severe stomach cramps and vomiting.

The CDC's updated advisory said consumers nationwide should not buy or eat romaine lettuce from a grocery store or restaurant unless they can get confirmation it did not come from Yuma. People also should toss any romaine they already have at home unless it's known it didn't come from the area, the agency said.

Restaurants and retailers were warned not to serve or sell romaine lettuce from Yuma.

Romaine grown in coastal and central California, Florida and central Mexico is not at risk, according to the Produce Marketing Association.

The Yuma region, which is roughly 185 miles (298 kilometers) southwest of Phoenix and close to the California border, is referred to as the country's "winter vegetable capital." It is known for its agriculture and often revels in it with events like a lettuce festival.

Steve Alameda, president of the Yuma Fresh Vegetable Association, which represents local growers, said the outbreak has weighed heavily on him and other farmers.

"We want to know what happened," Alameda said. "We can't afford to lose consumer confidence. It's heartbreaking to us. We take this very personally."

Growers in Yuma typically plant romaine lettuce between September and January. During the peak of the harvest season, which runs from mid-November until the beginning of April, the Yuma region supplies most of the romaine sold in the U.S., Alameda said. The outbreak came as the harvest of romaine was already near its end.

While Alameda has not met with anyone from the CDC, he is reviewing his own business. He is going over food safety practices and auditing operations in the farming fields.

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This story has been corrected to restore the full name of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A judge in the murder trial of a U.S. Border Patrol agent charged in the fatal shooting of a rock-throwing Mexican teenager told jurors to keep trying to reach a verdict after they reported they were unable to reach a unanimous decision.

U.S. District Judge Raner Collins on Friday sent the jurors back for two hours of deliberations before adjourning for the weekend. The jury will return to court in Tucson Monday morning.

Swartz is charged in the 2012 killing of 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder.

FILE - In this March 21, 2018, file photo, Border Patrol agent Lonnie Swartz, left, makes his way to the U.S. District Court building in downtown Tucson, Ariz., where opening arguments were scheduled to begin in his murder trial. Closing arguments are expected in Tucson, Ariz., this week in the trial of Swartz, charged in the 2012 fatal shooting 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez across the Mexican border. (Ron Medvescek/Arizona Daily Star via AP, File)

Prosecutors concede the teen was throwing rocks at agents when he was shot.

Collins says the jury can reach a verdict of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter if they can't agree on a murder conviction.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on teenager suspected of firing a shotgun in a Florida high school (all times local):

7:45 p.m.

A teenager suspected of firing a shotgun in a Florida school said sorry as he was being led away by deputies.

A student is comforted by a school official as students are led out of Forest High School after a shooting at the school on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)

The Marion County Sheriff's Office identified the suspect as 19-year-old Sky Bouche. The department posted video on Facebook of Bouche handcuffed and surrounded by deputies as reporters asked him questions.

He ignored most, but said, "I didn't shoot anyone." When asked what he'd say to the victim or his family, Bouche added, "Sorry. It doesn't make it better anyway."

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9:35 a.m.

Authorities say one student shot another in the ankle at a Florida high school and a suspect is in custody.

The Ocala Star-Banner reports the shooting happened Friday morning at Forest High School which was on lockdown. The injured student was taken to a local hospital.

Police say the suspected shooter is also a student at the school.

No other details were immediately available. Some parents came to the school to await word on what happened.

Nikki Brown, center, hugs others in front of Forest High School Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Doug Engle /Star-Banner via AP)

In this April 20, 2018, photo by Jake Mailhiot, desks, chairs and filing cabinets are used to barricade a classroom door in Forest High School in Ocala, Fla., after school officials announced a "Code Red" alert about an active shooter. Authorities say one student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody. The injured student was taken to a local hospital. Police say the suspected shooter is also a student at the school. (Jake Maihiot via AP)

Students are led out of Forest High School after a shooting at the school on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)

Forest High School students console one another after a school shooting at Forest High School Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Doug Engle/Star-Banner via AP)

Students are led out of Forest High School after a shooting at the school on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - The Latest on the Maine high school student who fled his native Zambia and sued to be allowed to participate in a U.S. poetry contest (all times local):

8 p.m.

The National Endowment for the Arts says it looks forward to welcoming an upcoming poetry contest's 53 finalists, including a high school student who fled his native Zambia for Maine and won a legal fight to compete.

In this April 12, 2018 photo, Allan Monga, 19, a high school student who fled his native Zambia, recites a poem during a news conference in Portland, Maine. A judge on Friday, April 20, 2018, ruled that Monga can compete in a government-funded national poetry contest. Judge John Woodcock overturned the National Endowment for the Arts' rejection on the grounds that the student doesn't meet U.S. citizenship rules. (Troy R. Bennett/The Bangor Daily News via AP)

The NEA says a federal judge on Friday granted the motion of an asylum seeker to compete in its Poetry Out Loud national finals. It says the 53 finalists will represent their respective states, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Allan Monga is a junior at Deering High School in Portland. He initially wasn't allowed to compete nationally because he hasn't been granted legal asylum. He and the Portland school district sued the NEA.

NEA lawyers cited a rule requiring competitors to be U.S. citizens or valid permanent residents.

The contest is next week in Washington.

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5:30 p.m.

A superintendent in Maine is cheering a judge's decision to allow a high school student who fled his native Zambia to compete in a government-funded U.S. poetry contest.

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Xavier Botana said the school community is "ecstatic" that 19-year-old Allan Monga will be able to share his talents with the world in next week's finals in Washington, D.C.

The National Endowment for the Arts had rejected Monga's participation on the grounds that he doesn't meet their rules requiring competitors to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Monga hasn't yet been granted legal asylum.

Federal Judge John Woodcock said the core issue is whether Monga is being denied public education based on a characteristic beyond his control.

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4:40 p.m.

A judge has ruled a high school student in Maine who fled his native Zambia can compete in a government-funded national poetry contest.

Judge John Woodcock disagreed with the National Endowment for the Arts' rejection on the grounds that he doesn't meet U.S. citizenship rules.

The ruling was made Friday.

Allan Monga is a junior at Deering High School. He won Maine's "Poetry Out Loud" contest but initially wasn't allowed to compete nationally because he hasn't yet been granted legal asylum. He and the Portland school district sued the NEA to let him participate.

NEA lawyers cited a contest rule requiring competitors at state and national finals to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a valid tax identification or Social Security number, which are needed to receive prizes.

The finals start Monday in Washington.

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9:45 a.m.

A federal judge is expected to rule whether a high school student who fled his native Zambia can compete in a government-funded United States poetry contest.

Allan Monga, a junior at Deering High School, won Maine's "Poetry Out Loud" contest. The National Endowment for the Arts is not allowing him to compete nationally next week because he hasn't yet been granted legal asylum. He and the Portland school district sued the NEA to let him participate.

A ruling is expected Friday.

NEA lawyers cite a contest rule requiring competitors at state and national finals to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a valid tax identification or Social Security number, which are needed to receive prizes.
LIMA, Peru (AP) - Authorities in Peru say at least two German tourists were killed and another 10 injured when their minibus went off the road and fell into a ravine in the Andes Mountains.

Highway police chief Jorge Castillo said rescuers were trying to retrieve the bodies of two male tourists trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle, which crashed shortly before reaching Chivay, a city 442 miles (712 kilometers) southeast of Lima.

Castillo said the accident occurred Friday afternoon when the minibus was on a downhill curve. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed several tourists helping to carry people on stretchers.

In this photo provided by the government news agency Andina, German tourists and residents recover a body from the site of a minibus crash, in Chivay, Peru, Friday, April 20, 2018. At least two German tourists died on Friday after a minibus left the road and fell into an abyss in the southern Andes. (Andina News Agency via AP)

The tourists were heading from Arequipa in Peru's southern Andes to the Colca Valley.

In November, four German tourists died in another accident in Peru's Huancavelica region.

In this photo provided by the government news agency Andina, a police officer investigates the site of a minibus crash, in Chivay, Peru, Friday, April 20, 2018. At least two German tourists died on Friday after a minibus left the road and fell into an abyss in the southern Andes. (Andina News Agency via AP)
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The outgoing head of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Yemen said Friday he believes that more people are dying from indirect effects of the conflict now than from bombing, shelling and ground attacks.

Alexandre Faite pointed to more than 2,000 deaths from cholera and acute watery diarrhea in a little over six months, a crumbling health system, almost no power in most towns, and the absence of key commodities or their availability only at very high prices.

He told a small group of reporters Friday that he has been traveling to capitals including Berlin, Brussels, Paris and Washington to deliver the message that "the situation in Yemen and the results of indirect effects of the hostilities are really dire."

With the high death toll from cholera, Faite said, "I would personally think ... that now more people are dying from the indirect effect of the hostilities."

Civil war in Yemen began six months after Houthi Shiite rebels and their allies seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition has been trying to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government to power, but the conflict is stalemated, with the Houthis still in control of Sanaa and much of the north.

U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock told the Security Council on Tuesday that Yemen remains "the world's worst humanitarian crisis" with three-quarters of the population - over 22 million people - urgently needing humanitarian help including 8.4 million struggling to find their next meal.

Before the war, Yemen relied on imports for 90 percent of its staple food, medicine and fuel but Lowcock said delays at ports and shortages have led to sharp increases in the price of food and household necessities, forcing hundreds of thousands of destitute families to turn to humanitarian aid to survive.

Faite said "humanitarian aid will not be the solution."

"Economic life is key," he said. "A country cannot run on humanitarian assistance. ... What is also vitally important is that commercial items, imports, commercial life, is really allowed to resume."

Faite said it's critically important that political and military authorities allow essential goods into all areas of Yemen.

"The conduct of military operations is bad enough," Faite said, but the indirect effects of the war on Yemen's crumbling infrastructure, the failure to pay health workers, teachers and civil servants, "is really impacting the life of the everyday Yemeni."

As an example of the dire situation, Faite said, the ICRC is supporting six kidney dialysis centers in the north where no others are functioning, and it also has been providing insulin to Yemenis with diabetes.

For people whose lives depend on this, if "you don't get it one week, the next week you will not be around," he said.

The war has also damaged power plants and it's estimated that only 10 percent of Yemenis have access to power in towns and cities, Faite said. So generators are crucial not only for electricity but to run pumping stations for water supplies.

He said the ICRC and the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF, have joined forces so that when there's a breakdown "we repair the pumps, they repair the generators of the pumping stations."

"If this was not done with UNICEF providing the fuel, it's not very clear if there would be running water in the city, if there would be running water at all," Faite said.

Faite said all parties need to sit down to see what can be done to speed up commercial shipping, especially in the northern port of Hodeida.
TRENTON, Fla. (AP) - A man who investigators say killed two sheriff's deputies in rural north Florida was a mystery figure in the small agricultural community rocked by the shooting.

Fifty-eight-year-old John Hubert Highnote had bought a house on a quiet, tree-lined dirt road outside of the tiny town of Bell in 2010, but didn't speak to neighbors and wasn't familiar at the few restaurants or shops on Main Street.

Authorities say that on Thursday, Highnote walked into a Chinese restaurant in the nearby town of Trenton, went up to Gilchrist County deputies Sgt. Noel Ramirez and deputy Taylor Lindsey and fired at them before they had a chance to react. He then went into his car and killed himself.

A memorial of with a flag and flowers sits in front of a restaurant window with bullet holes in Trenton, Fla., Friday, April 20, 2018. Authorities say two Florida sheriff's deputies were shot dead through the window of the Chinese restaurant by a man who then killed himself. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen)

Gilchrist County Fire Rescue personnel are seen outside the home of John Highnote, in Bell, Fla., Friday, April 20, 2018. Highnote, is suspected of fatally shooting two deputies while they were eating at a restaurant. Highnote then killed himself. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen)

Police look up as a helicopter flies overhead outside of Ace China after a shooting in Trenton, Fla., Thursday, April 19, 2018. Someone fired through the window of a north Florida restaurant Thursday afternoon, killing two deputies who were getting food, officials said. (Lauren Bacho/The Gainesville Sun via AP)

These undated photos made available by the Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office shows Sgt. Noel Ramirez, left, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey. Authorities say the two Florida sheriff's deputies were shot dead, Thursday, April 19, 2018, through the window of a Chinese restaurant in Gilchrist, Fla., by a man who then killed himself. (Gilchrist County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Police gather across the street from Ace China in Trenton where they are investigating a shooting in Trenton, Fla., Thursday, April 19, 2018. Someone fired through the window of a north Florida restaurant Thursday afternoon, killing a few deputies who were getting food, officials said. (Lauren Bacho/The Gainesville Sun via AP)
You, as usual, are lying through your teeth.

Almost all those things we have had under numerous conservative Republican Presidents.

Most are simply ideas voiced by individual liberals. Hell, EVEERY group has it's nut-jobs.

It was fucking Richard M. Nixon that instituted actual wage and price controls for a period of time in the 70's.

Most of your post is just bullshit, as usual.

Dismissed as such.
OCALA, Fla. (AP) - A man accused of opening fire at a Florida high school was denied bond during his first court appearance Saturday.

The Ocala Star-Banner reported that Sky Bouche appeared before Judge Willard Pope via video conference at the Marion County Jail, with a public defender at his side.

Pope said he denied bail due to the nature of the charges against Bouche, which include terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm. A second hearing for Bouche was set for May 22.

Marion County Sheriff's Detectives John Lightle, left, and Dan Pinder, right, escort a handcuffed and shackled Sky Bouche, 19, center, to a waiting patrol car, Friday, April 20, 2018, in Ocala, Fla. Bouche is the suspect in a shooting that occurred at Forest High School Friday morning. (Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner via AP)

Friday's shooting at Forest High School in Ocala happened on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence and left one person wounded.

Just hours after the shooting, a detailed picture of the troubled teen's life and a possible motive emerged in interviews with detectives and a local newspaper.

The 19-year-old Bouche allegedly told Marion County Sheriff's investigators he considered shooting up a church but settled on a school because "it creates more attention."

The shooting comes just over two months after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted in that Valentine's Day shooting.

Bouche told authorities he purchased the shotgun in a private sale roughly a week after the Parkland shooting. He said there is no paperwork for the 1930 shotgun, and there was no background check because it was a private sale.

Detectives said Bouche told them he felt an adrenaline rush Friday morning and was ready for the shooting but said the excitement quickly wore off, and he was unable to carry out his plan. When he first entered the school, he said it was empty so he went to the bathroom and put on a tactical vest and gloves.

Bouche told detectives he fired into a classroom door and the shrapnel hit a student in the ankle. The alleged shooter then dropped his weapon and surrendered to one of his former teachers.

"His hands were up and he said he wanted to be arrested ... 'I am mentally ill,'" Kelly McManis-Panasuk quoted him as saying.

She said he told her he didn't think the gun would work. The two talked for about three minutes until the principal and school resource officer took him into custody.

Bouche apologized as he was led away in handcuffs.

The Star-Banner interviewed Bouche shortly after his arrest. He said his earliest memories are of "violence and conflict." The paper didn't elaborate. Bouche said he wanted to join the Marine Corps, but couldn't because he had been committed for a mental health evaluation when he was 14.

Marion County Sheriff's Detectives John Lightle, left, and Sgt. Mike Mongeluzzo, right, escort a handcuffed and shackled Sky Bouche, 19, center, to a waiting patrol car, Friday, April 20, 2018, in Ocala, Fla. Bouche is the suspect in a shooting that occurred at Forest High School Friday morning. (Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner via AP)

Nikki Brown, center, hugs others in front of Forest High School Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Doug Engle /Star-Banner via AP)

In this April 20, 2018, photo by Jake Mailhiot, desks, chairs and filing cabinets are used to barricade a classroom door in Forest High School in Ocala, Fla., after school officials announced a "Code Red" alert about an active shooter. Authorities say one student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody. The injured student was taken to a local hospital. Police say the suspected shooter is also a student at the school. (Jake Maihiot via AP)

Marion County Sheriff's Detectives John Lightle, left, and Dan Pinder, right, escort a handcuffed and shackled Sky Bouche, 19, center, to a waiting patrol car, Friday, April 20, 2018, in Ocala, Fla. Bouche is the suspect in a shooting that occurred at Forest High School Friday morning. (Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner via AP)

A student is comforted by a school official as students are led out of Forest High School after a shooting at the school on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)

Students are led out of Forest High School after a shooting at the school on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)

Forest High School students console one another after a school shooting at Forest High School Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Doug Engle/Star-Banner via AP)

Students are led out of Forest High School after a shooting at the school on Friday, April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. One student shot another in the ankle at the high school and a suspect is in custody, authorities said Friday. The injured student was taken to a local hospital for treatment. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - A South American bloc created a decade ago to counter U.S. influence in the region has temporarily lost half its members after six countries suspended their memberships amid differences over who should lead the group.

Bolivian Foreign Minister Fernando Huanacuni said Friday that Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru had decided to temporarily leave the Union of South American Nations, or UNASUR, given differences over choosing the secretary general of the group.

"We have received a note from the six countries saying they will not participate in UNASUR meetings for a period of one year" until the leadership issue is resolved, Huanacuni said by telephone from Ecuador to state television Boliviatv.

Paraguay's foreign ministry said in a statement that the impossibility of electing a general secretary for UNASUR affects the bloc and that the six countries that will remain outside it until they see "concrete results that guarantee its operation."

Huanacuni announced a meeting in May to discuss the matter.

UNASUR was promoted by late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Surinam, Uruguay and Venezuela remain in the bloc.
Laughter, tears as former first lady Barbara Bush remembered

HOUSTON (AP) - Barbara Bush was remembered as the "first lady of the Greatest Generation" during a funeral Saturday attended by four former U.S. presidents and hundreds of other people who filled a Houston church with laughter as much as tears, with many recalling her quick wit and devotion to family.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush joked that his mother called her style of raising him and his siblings "'a benevolent dictatorship' - but honestly, it wasn't always benevolent." She was widely admired for her plainspoken style during her husband George H.W. Bush's presidency and was known as "The Enforcer" in her high-powered family.

Jeb Bush said he could feel her presence Saturday inside the nation's largest Episcopal church and that she would likely have given him advice: "Jeb, keep it short. Don't drag this out," he said to chuckles. He met her expectations with a speech lasting about seven minutes.

He choked up at one point while addressing the roughly 1,500 people seated inside St. Martin's Episcopal Church, where his parents regularly worshipped, when saying his mother - known for her self-deprecating remarks about her wrinkles and white-gray hair - was "beautiful" until the very end.

His father, a prolific writer of love letters to his wife, laughed when his son read a letter from their wedding anniversary in 1994. It began: "Will you marry me? Oops! I forgot we did that, 49 years ago." But when his son continued reading, about how his father grew happier each year spent with his wife, his father closed his eyes and cried. Jeb Bush later hugged his father and kissed him on the cheek.

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After air accidents, survivors grapple with flying again

Hundreds of hands grappling with oxygen masks. Flight attendants warning passengers to brace for impact. The plane hurtling toward the unforgiving ground.

Survivors of air accidents often proclaim that their survival was a miracle. But what follows is another kind of miracle: Many survivors manage to get past the horror and onto planes again.

How do they do it?

It's a question facing survivors of this week's Southwest Airlines accident, which killed one woman who was sucked partway out of the plane after the engine exploded and shattered a window.

Authorities said 148 passengers walked away, underscoring an important point: Plane crashes are rare, but when they happen, people often survive them. Between 1983 and 2000, 95.7 percent of people involved in commercial airline accidents survived, according to government data. In 2013, 304 of the 307 passengers survived an Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco. And the horrific 1989 crash of a United Airlines flight in Sioux City, Iowa, had 185 survivors.

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Trump says he doesn't think personal lawyer will 'flip'

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - President Donald Trump said Saturday that he doesn't expect Michael Cohen, his longtime personal lawyer and fixer, to "flip" as the government investigates Cohen's business dealings.

Trump, in a series of tweets fired off from Florida on the morning of former first lady Barbara Bush's funeral, accused The New York Times and one of its reporters of "going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will 'flip'" - a term that can mean cooperating with the government in exchange for leniency.

"Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble," even if "it means lying or making up stories," Trump said, before adding: "Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!"

The FBI raided Cohen's home, office and hotel room earlier this month looking for evidence of fraud as they conduct a criminal investigation. That included records related to payments Cohen made in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both of whom allege having had sexual encounters with Trump, people familiar with the raid have told The Associated Press.

Prosecutors have said they're investigating Cohen's personal business dealings but haven't said what crime they believe he may have committed. Cohen's lawyers have called the raid an assault on attorney-client privilege and Trump has said it was "an attack on our country.

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Romney must compete in primary for Senate seat

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (AP) - Mitt Romney was forced Saturday into a Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah as he looks to restart his political career by replacing long-serving Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Romney remains the heavy favorite overall to win the Senate seat in November. But if he had won the votes of a majority of the far-right leaning party delegates at the state GOP convention Saturday, he would have bypassed a primary altogether.

Instead, he was edged out by state lawmaker Mike Kennedy, who got 51 percent of the vote to Romney's 49 percent.

Voters will decide between the two in a June 26 primary. Romney previously secured his spot on the ballot by gathering signatures.

Romney went up against 11 other candidates at the convention, mostly political newcomers who questioned Romney's criticism of President Donald Trump and the depth of his ties to Utah.

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Road to N. Korea's denuclearization is littered with failure

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Bill Clinton offered oil and reactors. George W. Bush mixed threats and aid. Barack Obama stopped trying after a rocket launch.

While Seoul and Washington welcomed Pyongyang's declaration on Saturday to suspend further intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down its nuclear test site, the past is littered with failure.

A decades-long cycle of crises, stalemates and broken promises gave North Korea the room to build up a legitimate arsenal that now includes purported thermonuclear warheads and developmental ICBMs. The North's latest announcement stopped well short of suggesting it has any intention of giving that up.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday to kick off a new round of high-stakes nuclear diplomacy with Pyongyang. The inter-Korean summit could set up more substantial discussions between Kim and President Donald Trump, who said he plans to meet the despot he previously called "Little Rocket Man" in May or June.

A look at previous negotiations with North Korea and how the currently planned talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington took shape:

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Verne Troyer, Mini-Me from 'Austin Powers' films, has died

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Verne Troyer, who played Dr. Evil's small, silent sidekick "Mini-Me" in the "Austin Powers" movie franchise, has died. He was 49.

A statement provided by Troyer's representatives that was also posted to his Instagram and Facebook accounts said the actor died Saturday.

No cause of death was given, but the statement describes Troyer as a "fighter" who was unable to overcome a recent bout of adversity then goes on to discuss depression and suicide.

"Over the years he's struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much," the statement said. "Depression and suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, it's never too late to reach out to someone for help."

Troyer became a celebrity and pop-culture phenomenon after starring alongside Mike Myers as "Mini-Me," the tiny, hairless clone of villain Dr. Evil in two of the three "Austin Powers" films.

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AP Analysis: Kim Jong Un tests Trump with latest nuke offer

TOKYO (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has finally broken his silence on what he plans to bring to the table during his summits with the South Korean and U.S. presidents, and it doesn't have a whole lot to do with tossing out his hard-won nuclear arsenal.

Instead, Kim appears to be maneuvering toward his own big "get" - the chance to sit down with President Donald Trump on an essentially equal basis as the head of a nuclear-armed nation. The end of North Korea's nuclear program, meanwhile, isn't looking any closer than it was before.

Ending weeks of ominous silence from Pyongyang, Kim laid out the new strategy at a meeting Friday of his ruling party's Central Committee that suspends underground nuclear tests and test-launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. He also said the country's nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, already believed to be essentially inoperable, will be closed and "dismantled."

North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearization that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to keep pursuing nuclear development unless Washington offers ironclad guarantees of its security and removes its nearly 30,000 troops from the Korean Peninsula.

This time around, Kim seems to be more flexible than he had been previously regarding the troops. His latest statement also echoed Pyongyang's hope for security assurances and for the day when the world will have no nuclear weapons.

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After Facebook scrutiny, is Google next?

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) - Facebook has taken the lion's share of scrutiny from Congress and the media about data-handling practices that allow savvy marketers and political agents to target specific audiences, but it's far from alone. YouTube, Google and Twitter also have giant platforms awash in more videos, posts and pages than any set of human eyes could ever check. Their methods of serving ads against this sea of content may come under the microscope next.

Advertising and privacy experts say a backlash is inevitable against a "Wild West" internet that has escaped scrutiny before. There continues to be a steady barrage of new examples where unsuspecting advertisers had their brands associated with extremist content on major platforms.

In the latest discovery, CNN reported that it found more than 300 retail brands, government agencies and technology companies had their ads run on YouTube channels that promoted white nationalists, Nazis, conspiracy theories and North Korean propaganda.

Child advocates have also raised alarms about the ease with which smartphone-equipped children are exposed to inappropriate videos and deceptive advertising.

"I absolutely think that Google is next and long overdue," said Josh Golin, director of the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, which asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Google-owned YouTube's advertising and data collection practices earlier this month.

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World's oldest person dies in Japan at age of 117

TOKYO (AP) - The world's oldest person, a 117-year-old Japanese woman, has died.

Nabi Tajima died of old age in a hospital Saturday evening in the town of Kikai in southern Japan, town official Susumu Yoshiyuki confirmed. She had been hospitalized since January.

Tajima, born on Aug. 4, 1900, was the last known person born in the 19th century. She reportedly had more than 160 descendants, including great-great-great grandchildren. Her town of Kikai is in Kagoshima prefecture on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands.

She became the world's oldest person seven months ago after the death in September of Violet Brown in Jamaica, also at the age of 117. Video shown on Japanese television showed Tajima moving her hands to the beat of music played on traditional Japanese instruments at a ceremony to mark the achievement.

The U.S.-based Gerontology Research Group says that another Japanese woman, Chiyo Miyako, is now the world's oldest person in its records. Miyako lives south of Tokyo in Kanagawa prefecture, and is due to turn 117 in 10 days.

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Nicaragua's Ortega agrees to talk as deadly protests rage on

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said Saturday that his government is willing to enter into talks over social security reforms that have sparked four days of protests and clashes in which, rights monitors say, at least 25 people have died. A journalist covering the unrest was also killed.

In a nationally televised address, his first public appearance since the demonstrations began Wednesday, Ortega said he is open to negotiations so that there is "no more terror for Nicaraguan families."

But he said the dialogue would be just with business leaders and not with other sectors of society. He also seemed to try to justify what has been a heavy-handed response by the government and allied groups, accusing demonstrators, most of them university students, of being manipulated by unspecified "minority" political interests and of being infiltrated by gangsters.

"What is happening in our country has no name. The kids do not even know the party that is manipulating them. ... Gang members are being brought into the kids' protests and are criminalizing the protests. That is why they are put at risk," Ortega said.

Those remarks appeared to fan the flames, as soon afterward thousands of people spilled back into the streets in seven cities including the capital, Managua, after tensions had calmed somewhat Friday night.
ASUNCION, Paraguay (AP) - The son of a top aide to late Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner is expected to easily win Sunday's presidential election, promising to continue the country's strong economic growth with business-friendly policies.

Mario Abdo Benitez's father was the private secretary of Stroessner, who ruled the landlocked South American country with an iron fist from 1954-1989. Known as "Marito," the 46-year-old Abdo Benitez is running for ruling Colorado party, which was once led by the late dictator.

His closest rival is 55-year-old lawyer Efrain Alegre of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party.

Presidential candidate Mario Abdo Benitez, of the Colorado Part,y waves to supporters during a campaign rally in Paraguari, Paraguay, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Known by his nickname "Marito," the ruling party candidate is leading in the polls for the upcoming April 22 general elections. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

A recent poll by the consultancy Grau & Asociados shows Abdo Benitez with 56 percent support compared to 31 percent for Alegre. The survey was carried out from March 27 to April 8, and had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Both candidates have similar platforms, promising to attract foreign investment to create jobs in an economy that has been one of the fastest-growing in the region but still suffers from high poverty levels and extreme inequality.

Paraguay's economy has been growing annually by about 6 percent over the past five years. But the country suffers from endemic corruption, poverty affects nearly 29 percent of its population and about 80 percent of all lands are in the hands of just 2 percent of its population, according to estimates by the aid agency Oxfam Intermon.

"I promise that when I am president I will honor the vote of the people, strengthening institutions to fight the greatest vices of democracy: corruption and impunity," said Abdo Benitez.

The candidates are also both strong critics of sex education and abortion in one of the most socially conservative countries in Latin America. While some countries in the region allow same-sex marriage, a lack of legal protections and prevailing machismo continue stoke discrimination against Paraguay's LGBTQ community.

Just months before he was elected in 2013, now-outgoing President Horacio Cartes compared gay people to monkeys and said he would rather shoot himself in the testicles then see his son married to a man. Cartes later apologized, but the comments did not appear to hurt his political career.

Abdo Benitez went to college in the U.S., and in the late 1990s he founded a company in Paraguay that sold asphalt to state contractors. He won a senate seat in 2013 and in 2015 became president of the country's senate.

He has said that he tries not to talk about the role his father played in Stroessner's brutal regime because his political movement wants to look forward and not to the past.

"I have the best memories of the Stroessner family," he said last year in an interview with the Paraguayan newspaper Ultima Hora. "I was young when the democratic process happened. In our movement we have people who were persecuted during that time and today they trust me because I built my own identity. You don't choose where you're born, although I don't disown my origins."

"I'm proud of my father; he was a great family man, and an extremely noble man," he said.

Sunday's election will also renew all seats in Congress, and 17 governorships nationwide. The new president takes office on August 15.

Supporters of presidential candidate Mario Abdo Benitez, of the Colorado Party, attends a campaign rally in Itagua Paraguay, Thursday, April 19, 2018. Known by his nickname "Marito," the ruling party candidate is leading in the polls for the upcoming April 22 general elections. (AP Photo/Jorge Saenz)

Efrain Alegre, presidential candidate for the Ganar Alliance political party, and his wife Miriam Irun, hold a Paraguayan flag during his closing rally in Capiata, Paraguay, Thursday, April 19, 2018. Paraguay will hold its presidential election on Sunday, April 22. (AP Photo/Marta Escurra)

Ganar Alliance political party supporters attend the closing rally for presidential candidate Efrain Alegre in Capiata, Paraguay, Thursday, April 19, 2018. Paraguay will hold its presidential election on Sunday, April 22. (AP Photo/Marta Escurra)
BIREUEN, Indonesia (AP) - A Rohingya Muslim man among a group of 76 rescued in a wooden boat in Indonesian waters says they were at sea for nine days after leaving Myanmar, where the minority group faces intense persecution, and were hoping to reach Malaysia.

The eight children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore on Friday afternoon at Bireuen in Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, the third known attempt by members of the ethnic minority to escape Myanmar by sea this month. Several required medical attention for dehydration and exhaustion, local authorities said.

Fariq Muhammad said he paid the equivalent of about $150 for a place on the boat that left from Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a violent military crackdown on Rohingya has sparked an exodus of some 700,000 refugees over land into neighboring Bangladesh since August.

Ethnic-Rohingya men rescued in Indonesian waters sleep at a temporary shelter in Bireuen, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Indonesian fishermen rescued dozens of Rohingya Muslims stranded off the coast of Aceh on Friday, authorities said, in the latest attempt by members of the persecuted ethnic group to flee Myanmar by sea. (AP Photo/Rahmat Mirza)

The refugee vessel was intercepted by a Thai navy frigate and later escorted by a Thai patrol vessel until sighting land, said Fariq. The group believed the Thais understood they wanted to reach Malaysia and were dismayed when they realized they were in Indonesia, said Fariq, who gave the identification numbers of the Thai vessels.

"We were forced to leave because we could not stay, could not work, so our lives became difficult in Myanmar. Our identity card was not given, so we were forced to go," he told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Local officials and a charitable group are providing shelter and food for the refugees. The International Organization for Migration said it had sent a team from its Medan office in Sumatra, including Rohingya interpreters, to help local officials with humanitarian assistance.

Rohingya, treated as undesirables and denied citizenship in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, used to flee by sea by the thousands each year until security in Myanmar was tightened after a surge of refugees in 2015 caused regional alarm.

But there has been an apparent increase in Rohingya attempts to leave the country by sea this month. An Indonesian fishing boat rescued a group of five Rohingya in weak condition off westernmost Aceh province on April 6, after a 20-day voyage in which five other people died.

Just days before, Malaysian authorities intercepted a vessel carrying 56 people believed to be Rohingya refugees and brought the vessel and its passengers to shore.

Mohammad Saleem, part of the group that landed Friday in Aceh, said they left from Sittwe in Rakhine state, the location of displacement camps for Rohingya set up following attacks in 2012 by Buddhist mobs.

"We're not allowed to do anything. We don't have a livelihood," the 25-year-old said. "We can only live in the camps with not enough food to eat there. We have no rights there."

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Jatmiko reported from Jakarta, Indonesia. Associated Press writers Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta and Esther Htusan contributed to this report.

Fariq Muhammad, center, helps to distribute food to other members of the group of Rohingya Muslims rescued off Indonesian waters in a wooden boat during breakfast at a temporary shelter in Bireun, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, April 20, 2018. Muhammad said they were at sea for nine days after leaving Myanmar, where the minority group faces intense persecution, and were hoping to reach Malaysia. (AP Photo/Rahmat Mirza)

Ethnic-Rohingya men rescued in Indonesian waters perform morning prayer at a temporary shelter in Bireuen, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Indonesian fishermen rescued dozens of Rohingya Muslims stranded off the coast of Aceh on Friday, authorities said, in the latest attempt by members of the persecuted ethnic group to flee Myanmar by sea. (AP Photo/Rahmat Mirza)

An Acehnese woman uses her mobile phone to take pictures of the boat carrying a group of ethnic-Rohingya that was brought ashore in Bireuen, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, April 20, 2018. Indonesian fishermen rescued dozens of Rohingya Muslims from the boat stranded off Aceh province on Friday, police said, in the latest attempt by members of the persecuted ethnic group to flee Myanmar by sea. (AP Photo/Zik Maulana)
NEW YORK (AP) - A lawsuit by Democratic Party accuses Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Russia, WikiLeaks and Trump's son and son-in-law of engaging in a conspiracy to undercut Democrats in the 2016 election by stealing tens of thousands of emails and documents.

The lawsuit filed Friday in Manhattan federal court seeks unspecified damages and an order to prevent further interference with computer systems of the Democratic National Committee.

"During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump's campaign," said Tom Perez, the DNC chairman, in a statement. He called it an "act of unprecedented treachery."

In this April 18, 2018 photo, President Donald Trump listens during a news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Trump's private Mar-a-Lago club, in Palm Beach, Fla. The Democratic National Committee on Friday sued President Donald Trump's campaign, Trump's son, his son-in-law, the Russian Federation and WikiLeaks. The Democrats accuse the defendants of conspiring to help Trump win the 2016 presidential election after breaking into DNC computers and stealing tens of thousands of emails and documents. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

The Democrats accuse Trump and his associates of trading on relationships with Russian oligarchs tied to President Vladimir Putin and of collaborating with Russia as it worked to undermine Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The president has said repeatedly there was no collusion between his campaign and Russia. On Friday, his campaign scorned the lawsuit as "frivolous" and predicted it would be quickly dismissed.

"This is a sham lawsuit about a bogus Russian collusion claim filed by a desperate, dysfunctional and nearly insolvent Democratic Party," Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement.

He said the campaign would seek to turn the tables on the Democrats, using the legal discovery process to try to pry documents from the DNC including any related to a dossier detailing allegations of links between Trump and Russia. The dossier, a collection of memos, was written by an ex-British spy whose work was funded by Clinton and the DNC.

Trump himself tweeted that the DNC lawsuit could be "very good news," saying his campaign "will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI" as well as Hillary Clinton's emails.

The spokeswoman for Russia's Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said in a statement Saturday that media reports on the suit indicate that "it seems to be a distinct attempt of the Democrats to make excuses for their defeat."

The legal challenge, she said, is a Democratic attempt "to give new breath to internal political dismantling and to further heat up anti-Russian sentiments."

The Democrats' lawsuit doesn't reveal new details in the sprawling storyline of connections between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives working on behalf of the Kremlin.

Instead it knits many of the threads that have emerged in public over the past two years to paint a picture of an alleged conspiracy between the Trump campaign, the Kremlin and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

The DNC says the "brazen attack on American democracy" began with a cyberattack on DNC computers and phone systems in 2015, allowing the extraction of tens of thousands of documents and emails. WikiLeaks then blasted out many of the documents on July 22, 2016, shortly before Clinton was to be nominated -- upsetting the Democrats' national convention.

That added up to a "campaign of the presidential nominee of a major party in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency," the DNC lawyers wrote.

That conspiracy violated the laws of the U.S., Virginia and the District of Columbia, the lawsuit says, and "under the laws of this nation, Russia and its co-conspirators must answer for these actions."

The DNC accuses Donald Trump Jr. of secretly communicating with WikiLeaks, and blames the president, too, saying he praised the illegal dissemination of DNC documents throughout fall 2016, making it a central theme of his speeches and rallies.

The DNC also fingers Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner as a co-conspirator for his role overseeing the Trump campaign's digital operation.

WikiLeaks responded to the lawsuit caustically.

"DNC already has a moribund publicity lawsuit which the press has become bored of--hence the need to refile it as a 'new' suit before midterms," the group said in a tweet. "As an accurate publisher of newsworthy information @WikiLeaks is constitutionally protected from such suits."

Special counsel Robert Mueller has filed charges against multiple former Trump campaign aides stemming from his federal Russia probe. But Mueller has directly accused only former Trump campaign foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos of trying to work with Russian operatives to support the Trump campaign.

Mueller also has indicted 13 Russian individuals working for the Internet Research Agency accused of running an elaborate scheme to meddle in the U.S. elections. The indictment alleges one of Putin's close allies, Yevgeny Prigozhin, oversaw the effort.

The hacking of the DNC has long been a sore spot for Democrats across the board since Clinton's stunning loss in November 2016. The hack and subsequent release of the emails hit the party just before it formally nominated Clinton, and the emails remained a major issue through Election Day.

This is the second time in recent history that the DNC has sued a Republican president.

The Democrats sued Richard Nixon's Committee to Re-elect the President in 1973, following the break-in at the DNC's Watergate Hotel headquarters.

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LoBianco reported from Washington.

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Associated Press reporters Chad Day in Washington and Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.
NEW YORK (AP) - The public split between the White House and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley this week over Russia sanctions threw a spotlight on her at-times uneasy relationship with President Donald Trump, even as her deft rebuttal bolstered talk about her own future political fortunes.

Haley's rejoinder to a putdown from a close Trump adviser about message confusion - she declared that "I don't get confused" - was seized as a rallying cry among some women and echoed the audacity the former governor displayed while upending the old boys' club in the South Carolina Statehouse. But the episode also called into question her standing on Trump's national security team ahead of tough decisions on North Korea, Iran and other fronts.

"What distinguishes her from the star-struck sycophants in the White House is that she understands the intersection of strong leadership and public service, where great things happen," said Rob Godfrey, a spokesman for Haley when she was governor.

United Nations Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley arrives at The European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden, Friday, April 20, 2018. The annual informal working meeting with the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council will be held at Dag Hammarskojld's farm Backakra in Skane, southern Sweden on Saturday. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Haley, now considered to be on the shortlist of future presidential candidates, has consistently taken a harder line than Trump on Russia. While that, at times, has drawn Trump's ire, her hawkishness on other occasions has been appreciated by the president, who has allowed her to reprimand Moscow while he works toward a friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

That dynamic broke down this week. Trump was angry Sunday when he saw Haley on television discussing new Russia sanctions that she said would be announced the next day. He blasted her for being out of step with the rest of the administration, according to two White House officials. They were not authorized to discuss private conversations and commented only on condition of anonymity.

Despite Haley's words, no new sanctions were imposed.

Asked for an explanation, Larry Kudlow, the president's new economic adviser, told reporters that Haley "got ahead of the curve" and he added, "She's a very effective ambassador, but there might have been some momentary confusion about that."

The next day, Haley hit back, releasing a statement to Fox News that read: "With all due respect, I don't get confused."

Kudlow apologized but Haley's differences with the White House had already pushed into the open.

At the United Nations, responding to a shouted question about her relationship with the president, she simply said, "It's perfect." But the White House was left scrambling to explain.

Haley's allies insist she always consults with the West Wing, and sometimes the president personally, before speaking publicly. White House officials said the plan about the sanctions changed after she was briefed and she wasn't told before she went on television. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin further muddled the narrative Thursday when he told Fox Business Network that the administration "refined the strategy after Nikki made that announcement."

He said, "She wasn't left twisting in the wind, this was a fluid situation, the decision changed."

Haley's pushback struck a chord, becoming something of an instant feminist motto in the way it rebelled against what some saw as a patronizing comment from a powerful man. The words carried additional resonance considering Haley's place as one of the few prominent women in Trump's inner circle. Her comment was compared in some quarters to the way Sen. Elizabeth Warren had appropriated "Nevertheless, she persisted" as a rallying cry after the remark was delivered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after he tried to silence Warren on the Senate floor last year.

"I feel sorry for Nikki Haley," said former Secretary of State Madeline Albright. "She has been very tough up there making points. She makes very clear that she's representing the president. And all of a sudden she's put into this ridiculous situation of looking as though she is out there by herself on something."

Trump has vented to confidants about the media attention the dustup has received, but he hasn't given any signal that he wants to dismiss his ambassador, according to White House officials and outside advisers. Her footing on Trump's revamped national security team remains unclear: She is tight with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo, but lost an ally when H.R. McMaster was replaced by John Bolton as national security adviser.

All the attention has restarted some wary West Wing whispers about Haley's ultimate goals.

Her rebuttal stood in stark contrast to the conduct of Attorney General Jeff Sessions and former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who largely remained silent when they were undermined by Trump. She did not support Trump in her state's primary election, was viewed by many as gunning for Tillerson's job last fall, and has been floated by some Republicans as a possible running mate for Pence if he makes his own White House run.

One West Wing aide joked recently that the only question was if Haley's name would appear on a ballot in 2020 or 2024.

And on Tuesday, her office mistakenly blasted an email containing a series of press clippings that mention Haley - a message meant for the ambassador herself - to a number of journalists. Among the headlines highlighted, one cited MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough and read, "Scarborough: Nikki Haley would beat Donald Trump if she ran in 2020 GOP primary."

"She has an incredibly bright future and will be a major player for the Republican Party in the years ahead," said Newt Gingrich, former House speaker and informal Trump ally. "I think she's a future secretary of state and vice president. And remember: this president learns a lot from television. She is a remarkably effective presence for the United States of America on television and the president likes that."

Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, grew up enduring racist taunts during her childhood in a small South Carolina town. She is accustomed to defying political expectations.

In her first campaign in 2004, she defeated the longest-serving member of South Carolina's House. One of only a handful of women in the Legislature, she showed the tough political skin she said was needed to make political progress.

"I don't know how to be intimidated," she declared.

She faced her biggest challenge in 2015, when a self-avowed white supremacist gunned down nine black worshippers in a Charleston church. Haley sat front-and-center for weeks at the funerals and later backed removing the Confederate flag from the South Carolina Statehouse grounds, where it had flown for more than 50 years.

Says former spokesman Godfrey: "She's not afraid to stand up to people who are bullies, whether it's a thug dictator on the next continent, or it's a thug state senator in the next county."

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Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Additional reporting by Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Catherine Lucey in Washington and Edith Lederer at the United Nations.

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Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Kinnard at http://twitter.com/@MegKinnardAP

United Nations Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, center, France's Ambassador to the United Nations Francois Delattre, right, Poland's Ambassador to the United Nations Joanna Wronecka, left, and Russia's Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia look on at The European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden, Friday, April 20, 2018. The annual informal working meeting with the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council will be held at Dag Hammarskojld's farm Backakra in Skane, southern Sweden on Saturday. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

United Nations Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, center, during a visit at The European Spallation Source (ESS) in Lund, Sweden, Friday, April 20, 2018. The annual informal working meeting with the UN Secretary-General and the Security Council will be held at Dag Hammarskojld's farm Backakra in Skane, southern Sweden on Saturday. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks at a Security Council meeting at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
ATLANTA (AP) - Tom Steyer is on a multimillion-dollar mission to impeach Donald Trump, but Democrats whose campaigns the California billionaire is helping bankroll aren't keen to follow his lead.

Steyer, whose appeals you may have seen on TV, is spending $40 million on his "Need To Impeach" roadshow, with advertising and town halls around the country. But Democratic leaders in Congress and many candidates hoping to wrest House control from the Republicans shun the prospect of showy impeachment proceedings. Instead, they're counting on pocketbook issues and a growing voter interest in checks on the GOP government in Washington.

The tightrope balance for Democrats underscores their dilemma. The question is how to maximize liberal anger against the president, who is under the cloud of a special counsel's investigation, while not alienating Trump Country independents and moderate Republicans who are unhappy with him but often detest his critics even more.

FILE - In this March 16, 2018, file photo, political activist Tom Steyer speaks during an event in Cincinnati. Steyer is spending millions of his own money on a campaign arguing to remove President Donald Trump from office, but the effort isn't necessarily reflected across the rest of the Democratic Party and the progressive left. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says her caucus and its candidates are focused more on economic issues ahead of the November midterm elections. Other Democrats say Congress has to wait for the conclusions of special counsel Robert Mueller.(AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Steyer's largely freelancing effort is just one strain of a midterm cacophony where even tens of millions of dollars in outside spending can get lost in the noise. Trump already commands most of the attention. Republicans are eager to counterpunch. And as much as Democrats steer clear of impeachment talk, it does offer a release valve for liberal voter angst.

"It is the most important issue in the United States right now," Steyer tells a crowd, nibbling on hors d'oeuvres in Atlanta before a wide-ranging discussion of "high crimes and misdemeanors" and Trump's fitness to handle nuclear launch codes. "It's about lawlessness and danger and urgency."

But in sounding his impeachment alarms, the liberal, green-energy guru is also serving up an opportunity for Republicans to portray Democrats as having no agenda other than to undo the 2016 election.

"I hope Steyer goes everywhere in the country and I hope he buys $100 million of ads, and I hope he insists every Democrat sign a pledge to impeach the president," says former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who led the GOP in impeaching President Bill Clinton in 1998, only to lose seats that November.

Republicans see in Steyer a chance to extend their attacks on the liberal agenda, personified by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who could return to the speaker's rostrum if Democrats flip at least 24 GOP-held House seats this November.

Pelosi, Steyer's fellow San Franciscan, has listened to his argument on impeachment, her office said, but does not agree. She prefers to campaign for the majority with her own cold realism.

"What we're talking about is how we strengthen the financial stability of America's working families," she said recently. "That is what we are focused on."

Pelosi is certainly willing to take Steyer's help for the midterm elections. Steyer and his wife, Kat, live in Pelosi's congressional district, and the couple hosted a June 2017 dinner for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The event raised $593,500, officials said, including the couple's personal contribution of $67,800.

Recent polling could explain Pelosi's approach.

A national survey, conducted by Marist for NPR and PBS, found 47 percent of registered voters would definitely vote against a candidate who wanted to remove Trump from office, while 42 percent said such a promise would earn their vote. That's a sobering reminder given House district lines that have been tilted to GOP advantage around the country by Republican-run state legislatures - and a 2018 Senate lineup that puts 10 Democratic incumbents up for re-election in states Trump won in 2016.

Yet, in communities across America, Steyer isn't alone.

One progressive leader, Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, says he's routinely peppered with "When are you going to impeach him?" questions as he travels to and from his Tucson district.

"These are random people, I wouldn't describe them as wild-hair progressives," said Grijalva, who's co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. "My sense is there's going to come a point, as Trump continues to devolve, that that's going to become a more persistent question: 'If you are the majority, will you begin the process to looking at impeachment?' It won't be a nuanced question, it'll be a yes-or-no question."

Liberal House Democrats have forced two procedural votes on impeachment, but a December maneuver drew just 58 backers and another in January drew 66.

At the same time, there have been no such votes since, and even party liberals who align generally with Steyer's aggressive activism sound more like Pelosi and the Democratic establishment on the matter.

Democratic congressional hopeful Kara Eastman, running in the party's primary in Nebraska's Omaha-based 2nd District, treads carefully. "It's not a No. 1 thing," she says of impeachment.

At the Working Families Party, which backs liberals in Democratic primaries around the country, spokesman Joe Dinkin says candidates who want to "stop Trumpism" should focus on beating the president and his party at the polls.

That almost echoes the advice of former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired last year. He told ABC News that "impeaching and removing Donald Trump from office would let the American people off the hook" from something they are "duty-bound to do directly" in the 2020 presidential election.

Certainly, Trump could scramble the situation - for Democrats and Republicans alike - if he fires special counsel Robert Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, as he did Comey last year. In fact, some Democrats say, the Mueller investigation provides a rationale for not pursuing impeachment and allowing the probe to unfold.

"Folks back home get it," said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., who says he's "appalled" at Trump's presidency, but trusts Mueller's work. "We have these investigations going on for a reason - to get to the truth."

And Democrats hurling "wild" accusations and impeachment cries, Gingrich says, actually "will make this election much cleaner" for Republican voters and independents on the fence.

At his Atlanta town hall, Steyer - who is also spending millions of dollars on NextGen America, his effort to register young voters under 35 in key midterm races - scoffs.

The 2018 election is already a referendum on the president, he argues, so face it head-on. "Rather than trying to prevent their gain, why don't we play our game?"

___

Associated Press writer Steve Peoples in New York contributed to this report.

___

On Twitter, follow Barrow at https://twitter.com/BillBarrowAP and Mascaro at https://twitter.com/LisaMascaro
Mitt Romney was forced into a Republican primary in his bid for U.S. Senate in Utah after losing a nomination battle Saturday at the state's far-right-leaning GOP convention.

Romney remains the heavy favorite overall to replace long-serving Sen. Orrin Hatch in November and said he was ready to keep campaigning hard.

If he had won the party delegate vote at the convention, he would have bypassed a primary altogether. Instead, he was edged out by state lawmaker Mike Kennedy, who got 51 percent of the vote to Romney's 49 percent.

Mitt Romney was forced into a Republican primary in his bid for U.S. Senate in Utah after losing a nomination battle Saturday at the state's far-right-leaning GOP convention

Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney lost in a convention vote to Rep. Mike Kennedy, who got 51 percent of the vote to Romney's 49 percent

People walk to the Maverick Center to attend the Utah Republican 2018 nominating convention on Saturday in West Valley City, Utah

Mitt Romney is captured sitting behind the wheel of a tractor during a tour of Gibson's Green Acres Dairy in Ogden, Utah

Mitt Romney tours Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah, as part of his bid to be elected to the U.S. Senate in the state, taking the place of retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch

Mitt Romney (left) poses for a photo as he greets students at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah

Mitt Romney delivers his speech to the delegates at the Utah Republican Nominating Convention Saturday, he lost the convention by a hair to a more conservative candidate running for U.S. Senate and now faces a primary vote

Senate candidate Mitt Romney went up against 11 other candidates at the convention, including one dressed as Abraham Lincoln, complete with vest and bow tie

GOP voters will decide between the two in a June 26 primary.

Romney previously secured his spot on the primary ballot by gathering 28,000 voter signatures but said Saturday that choice was partly to blame for his loss.

Gathering signatures to make the ballot is unpopular among many conservative delegates in the state who say it dilutes their ability to choose a candidate.

The issue prompted hours of debate, shouting and booing at the convention.

Romney, 71, went up against 11 other candidates at the convention, including one dressed as Abraham Lincoln, complete with vest and bow tie. Some candidates questioned Romney's past criticism of President Donald Trump.

Romney pushed back against critics who said he's an interloper in Utah politics by referring to his role in staging the 2002 Winter Olympics in Utah.

"Some people I've spoken with have said this is a David vs. Goliath race, but they're wrong," Romney said in his speech. "I'm not Goliath. Washington, D.C., is Goliath."

Kennedy, a doctor and lawyer, framed himself as an underdog taking on the "Romney machine." At one point, he pitched in to sweep up tiny paper American flags that had been shot from a confetti cannon hours before.

Mitt Romney speaks with a group during a breakfast campaign stop in Green River, Utah as he runs for U.S. Senate in the state

Former GOP presiential hopeful takes a look at some cows during a tour of Gibson's Green Acres Dairy in Ogden, Utah in February

Delegate Matt Murdoch, 28, said he voted for Kennedy because he's a family doctor serving many of his neighbors in Alpine, south of Salt Lake City.

Stay-at-home mother Michelle Cluff said she liked Romney's experience and believes he is ready to get to work as a senator.

Romney was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007. While in office he signed legislation that greatly expanded access to health care through state-level subsidies and individual mandates to purchase insurance, much like Obamacare.

Romney asked for delegates' votes after spending two months on the campaign trail visiting dairy farms, taking selfies with college students and making stump speeches in small towns.

After his failed 2012 presidential campaign, he moved to Utah, where he gained popularity after running as the first Mormon presidential nominee of a major political party.

He's worked to keep the focus on state issues rather than his history of well-documented feuds with Trump, whom he called a "con-man" and a phony during the 2016 race. Trump fired back that Romney "choked like a dog" during his own White House run.

The two men have shown signs of making peace, and Romney has accepted Trump's endorsement for Senate. But Romney said Saturday he hasn't decided whether he'll endorse the president's 2020 re-election bid.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysian police say a Palestinian man was fatally shot by two assailants on a motorbike as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers. Palestinian websites have identified him as a relative of a senior official in the Gaza branch of the Islamic Jihad group.

Police say they are investigating all angles including terrorism.

Palestinian Ambassador Anwar H. Al Agha is quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper as saying the victim was Fadi M. R. Albatsh, a second imam at the mosque. He had been reportedly living in Malaysia for 10 years.

Agha says Imam Fadi was supposed to have left for a conference in Turkey on Saturday.

Police say closed-circuit television showed him targeted by the assassins who had waited for him for almost 20 minutes.
RNG said: At least that implies I started out with a brain. With you I'm becoming less and less sure.



I thought there was some hope for you when you seemed to accept the arguments that anarchy wasn't a viable system. But now I don't think that's what it was. Or you just moved on to even more unreasonable positions.



How many roads have you built for yourself recently? Click to expand...

3 in 2017 and will probably be making a few more this summer. Not sure what that has to do w/ anything. Oh, yeah. There is this nice old lady at the senior center that in the middle of something she just starts babbling incoherently about "the good 'ol days". That must be what you are going through. My apologies. Is Physician-assisted suicide legal up there yet? From what i have looked into getting old can be very trying on those around you especially when your mind and body start to deteriorate rapidly. It may be worth looking into as a compassionate and economically viable solution.Food for thought
ORANGE FARM, South Africa (AP) - Dressed in a red robe and a gold-trimmed bishop's miter, the clergyman pours whiskey into his cupped hand and anoints the forehead of the man sitting before him.

"You are hereby invested as a minister ... This is a double tot," he says of the remaining whiskey in the chalice. He hands it to the new minister, who downs it.

"Hallelujah!" shout the congregation members who erupt in singing and dancing, swigging from bottles of beer.

Leader of the Gabola Church, self-proclaimed Pope, Tsietsi Makiti, delivers his sermon during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Welcome to Gabola Church, which celebrates the drinking of alcohol. The South African church was started eight months ago and has found an enthusiastic following.

"We are a church for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol," Gabola's founder and self-declared pope, Tsietsi Makiti, told The Associated Press. "Gabola Church is established to redeem the people who are rejected, who are regarded as sinners. We drink for deliverance. We are drinking for the Holy Ghost to come into us."

Others in South Africa are outraged by Gabola, saying it is not a church at all.

"Gabola has nothing to do with the word of God. Those are not church services," said Archbishop Modiri Patrick Shole, director of the South African Union Council of Independent Churches. "They are using the Bible to promote taverns and drinking liquor. It is blasphemous. It is heresy and totally against the doctrines." He said his organization intends to see that authorities close Gabola for breaking municipal regulations that say churches should not be located near bars.

Gabola is not a member of the mainstream South African Council of Churches, which said it has no comment about it. Gabola is not affiliated with any other denominations.

About 80 percent of South Africa's 56 million people profess to be Christian. In addition to Catholic and Protestant denominations, there are small independent ones with unusual practices like handling snakes. One pastor recently was found guilty of assault for spraying Doom, a popular insecticide, into worshippers' faces, which was supposed to chase away evil spirits.

The condemnation by other Christian organizations did not bother the 30 worshippers attending a recent Gabola service, held in a bar in the sprawling Orange Farm township 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Johannesburg.

A pool table served as the altar, adorned with bottles of whiskey and beer. Six ministers at the altar solemnly blessed the chilled jumbo bottles of beer bought by most churchgoers. A few drank whiskey, brandy or other beverages, all of them similarly blessed. The congregation sang hymns praising the positive effects of drinking. Three new Gabola members were baptized with beer which covered their foreheads and dripped down their faces.

Gabola means "drinking" in Tswana, one of South Africa's official languages.

"Our aim is to convert bars, taverns and shebeens into churches," Makiti said. "And we convert the tavern-owners into pastors."

People in other churches "say they are holy but they drink by the back doors, in secret. They think God does not see them," he said. "But the Lord zooms in on them and can see them. We drink openly at our services. We do so in peace and we love each other."

Gabola's leader said he encourages people to drink responsibly and emphasizes that alcohol will only be sold and blessed to people who are 20, two years older than South Africa's legal drinking age.

The rousing hymns praising the effects of alcohol brought church members to their feet and they enthusiastically stomped and danced in a circle, often around a beer bottle. As the three-hour service progressed they became louder, more animated and sloppier. Some dozed off during the sermon.

"Nothing is as happy in the world as people who drink," said Nigel Lehasa, who explained scripture during the service and described himself as Gabola's professor. "There is no fighting, no arguing. We have nothing but love."

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Follow Africa news at https://twitter.com/AP_Africa

Worshippers are welcomed to a Gabola Church service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg on Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

A bottle of whiskey is prepared to anoint a priest with whiskey into the Gabola Church during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

A worshipper reaches for her beer during a service of the Gabola Church in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Leader of the Gabola Church, self-proclaimed Pope, Tsietsi Makiti, drinks from a chalice during a church service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Leader of the Gabola Church, self-proclaimed Pope Tsietsi Makiti, second from right, prepares for a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Leader of the Gabola Church, self-proclaimed Pope, Tsietsi Makiti, anoints a new priest into his church during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

A clergywoman of the Gabola Church, blesses a bottle of beer before being consumed during a church service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

A worshipper drinks a home brew from a soft drink bottle during a Gabola Church service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Worshippers sing and dance to hymns outside the bar during a service in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

A worshipper of the Gabola Church sleeps it off during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

A worshipper of the Gabola Church, drinks beer during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg, Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Leader of the Gabola Church, self-proclaimed Pope, Tsietsi Makiti, anoints a newcomer to the Gabola Church with beer during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Leader of the Gabola Church, self-proclaimed Pope, Tsietsi Makiti, second left, prepares to baptize newcomers to this church during a service in a bar in Orange Farm, south of Johannesburg Sunday, April 15, 2018. The new church in South Africa celebrates drinking alcohol and holds enthusiastic, alcohol fuelled services in bars, for those who have been rejected by other churches because they drink alcohol. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
NEW DELHI (AP) - India's government on Saturday prescribed the death penalty for people convicted of raping children under 12 to help combat an increase in violent crime against women.

An ordinance was approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Cabinet and was being sent to the president for approval, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

The ordinance will require the approval of Parliament within six months in order to become law. But in the meantime, suspects can be prosecuted using the ordinance.

FILE - In this Aug 23, 2013 file photo, Indian activists hold placards demanding rapists be hanged as they protest against the gang rape of a 22-year-old woman photojournalist in Mumbai India. India's government has decided to prescribe the death penalty for people convicted of raping girls under the age of 12 to combat an increase in crimes against women. The Press Trust of India news agency reported Saturday, April 21, 2018, that the ordinance is being sent to the president for approval. It will require the approval of Parliament within six months in order the become law. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

The move follows widespread outrage over the recent rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl in India's Jammu-Kashmir state, the alleged rape of a girl by a ruling party lawmaker in Uttar Pradesh state and several other rape cases involving girls in the country.

Many protesters expressed particular anger at India's ruling Hindu nationalist party for initially siding with the accused in the Kashmir case. The young victim was a Muslim and the accused are Hindus.

A total of at least nine suspects, including a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and four police officials, have been arrested in the two cases reported recently from Jammu-Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh states.

Violent crime against women has been on the rise in India despite tough laws enacted in 2013. In 2012, the fatal gang rape of a young woman in New Delhi triggered massive protests by hundreds of thousands to demand stricter rape laws in the country.

The government enacted laws doubling prison terms for rapists to 20 years and criminalizing voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women. Indian lawmakers also voted to lower to 16 from 18 the age at which a person can be tried as an adult for heinous crimes.

Abha Singh, a lawyer, said the government's move Saturday would deter men from committing crimes against women. But she urged the government to set a time frame for bringing suspects to justice as Indian courts are notorious for massive delays, with more than 30 million cases pending.

She said that "the conviction rate in rape cases in India was only 28 percent, implying that 72 out of 100 suspects are going unpunished."
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - The Latest on developments related to Gaza protests (all times local):

5:50 p.m.

The Hamas militant wing is suggesting that a Palestinian engineer and lecturer shot dead in Malaysia was one of its commanders.

Palestinian protesters evacuate a wounded youth during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

The armed wing of Hamas has opened a mourning house in Gaza Saturday for Fadi al-Batsh.

A main banner at the entrance of the tent described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing and "a commander."

Ten masked militants in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabaliya, the slain man's hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders.

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3:15 p.m.

A photographer says a Palestinian teen who was killed by Israeli army fire was dozens of meters (yards) from the Gaza border fence when he was hit by a bullet.

Gaza health officials have identified Mohammed Ayyoub, either 15 or 14 years old, as one of four Palestinians killed Friday by Israeli troops firing from across the fence in the fourth round of weekly Hamas-led protests near the border.

Photographer Abed Alhakeem Abu Rish said Saturday he saw the teen standing about 150 meters (164 yards) from the fence. He says Ayyoub was about to take cover behind a low sand berm when he was shot and fell to the ground.

Abu Rish's photographs show the teen as he collapses head first and then lies motionless in the same spot.

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1:55 p.m.

The European Union has urged the Israeli military to "refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters," after four Palestinians, including a teen-age boy, were killed by army fire in protests along Gaza's border with Israel.

In Saturday's statement, the European Union's diplomatic service called for a full investigation of Friday's shootings.

Friday marked the fourth round of weekly mass border protests, led by Gaza's ruling Hamas group.

The marches are aimed, in part, at breaking a border blockade of Gaza enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, when the Islamic militant group seized the territory, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections.

Since late March, 32 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,600 wounded by Israeli army fire in these protests, according to Gaza health officials.

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1:05 p.m.

Israel's defense minister says Gaza's Hamas rulers are the "only culprits" in the death of a Palestinian boy who was killed by Israeli army fire in protests on the Gaza-Israel border.

Avigdor Lieberman alleged on Twitter that Hamas uses women and children as human shields. His comments Saturday came after a top U.N. envoy in the region, Nikolay Mladenov, said it is "outrageous to shoot at children" and demanded an investigation.

The Israeli military has not commented on the killing of Mohammed Ayyoub. Gaza health officials initially gave his age as 15, but a local rights group, citing official documents, said he was 14.

Ayyoub was one of four Palestinians killed Friday by Israeli army fire in the fourth round of weekly border protests led by the Islamic militant Hamas.

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8:30 a.m.

Health officials say Israeli soldiers firing from across a border fence have killed four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, and wounded more than 150 others as several thousand people in blockaded Gaza staged a fourth round of weekly protests on the border with Israel.

Huge black plumes of smoke from burning tires engulfed the border area on Friday. Some of the activists threw stones toward the fence or flew kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails.

The latest deaths brought to 32 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in protests since late March. More than 1,600 have been wounded by live rounds in the past three weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded youth during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinian protesters hurl stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded youth during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinian medics evacuate a wounded youth during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian protester burns tires during clashes with Israeli troops along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinian protesters pull part of the fence placed by the Israeli Army, during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian protesters evacuate a wounded woman during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)

Palestinian protesters break rocks to through at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)

A Palestinian protester hurls stones at Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)

Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, center, chant slogans as he surrounded by protesters during his visit to the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)

Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, center, speaks to the protesters during his visit to the Gaza Strip's border with Israel, Friday, April 20, 2018. Thousands of Palestinians joined the fourth weekly protest on Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, some burning tires or flying kites with flaming rags dangling from their tails. Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops firing from across the border fence, health officials said. (AP Photo/ Khalil Hamra)
NAYPYITAW, Myanmar (AP) - Myanmar police on Saturday evicted the family of a police officer who had testified a day earlier that he and others were ordered to entrap two Reuters news agency reporters facing charges that could get them up to 14 years in prison, the officer's wife said.

The reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, have been detained since Dec. 12 on charges of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act. The two helped cover the crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a brutal counterinsurgency operation last year drove about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to neighboring Bangladesh.

Police Capt. Moe Yan Naing told a court Friday that his superior had arranged for two policemen to meet the reporters at a restaurant and hand over documents described as "important secret papers" in order to entrap them.

Daw Tuu, wife of Myanmar's police Capt. Moe Yan Naing, talks to journalists at the residence of younger brother of her husband in Naypyitaw, Myanmar Saturday, April 21, 2018. Myanmar police on Saturday evicted the family of the police officer who testified that he and others had been ordered to entrap two reporters working for the Reuters news agency who are facing charges that could get them up to 14 years in prison, the officer's wife said. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

On Saturday, Moe Yan Naing's wife, Daw Tuu, said she and her daughter were ordered to move out of their police housing unit in the capital, Naypyitaw.

"A police officer called us this morning and said we have to move out of the housing immediately and that's the order from the superior," Daw Tuu said, sobbing.

Moe Yan Naing said he and other colleagues who had been interviewed earlier by Wa Lone about their activities in Rakhine had been interrogated under the direction of Brig. Gen. Tin Ko Ko of the 8th Security Police Battalion.

The police department's action against Moe Yan Naing's family caused an outcry in Myanmar.

"This is an outrageous move," said Robert Sann Aung, a human rights lawyer. "This is to give an example to other police in the country to keep silent from telling the truth."

The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January. The defendants' lawyers have asked the court to drop the case against the pair, saying prosecutors failed to present enough evidence to support the case, but the judge denied the motion.

Daw Tuu, wife of Myanmar's police Capt. Moe Yan Naing, talks to journalists at the residence of younger brother of her husband in Naypyitaw, Myanmar Saturday, April 21, 2018. Myanmar police on Saturday evicted the family of the police officer who testified that he and others had been ordered to entrap two reporters working for the Reuters news agency who are facing charges that could get them up to 14 years in prison, the officer's wife said. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)

Daw Tuu, wife of Myanmar's police Capt. Moe Yan Naing, talks to journalists at the residence of younger brother of her husband in Naypyitaw, Myanmar Saturday, April 21, 2018. Myanmar police on Saturday evicted the family of the police officer who testified that he and others had been ordered to entrap two reporters working for the Reuters news agency who are facing charges that could get them up to 14 years in prison, the officer's wife said. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) - Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government entered their second week in the capital.

Thousands of demonstrators on Saturday closed off streets in Yerevan during a march pressing demands for the prime minister to resign. Former President Serzh Sargsyan was named premier this week as Armenia transitioned to a new system of government that reduces the presidency's power and bolsters the prime minister role.

Opponents say the shift effectively makes Sargsyan Armenia's leader for life.

Police detain an opposition demonstrator protesting the former president's shift into the prime minister's seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Friday, April 20, 2018. The protests, which began last Friday, are against former President Serzh Sargsyan's assumption of the prime minister's post. The move came as Armenia changed its government structure to reduce the power of the president and give more authority to the premier. (Hrant Khachatryan, PAN Photo via AP)

The national security service said two people with opposition connections were arrested for preparing bombings in public places. Police, meanwhile, said at least 70 demonstrators were detained.

In the evening, about 50,000 demonstrators gathered in the capital's central Republic Square.

President Armen Sarkisian, a former Armenian prime minister and ambassador to Britain who was elected in March when term limits required Sargsyan to step down, came to the square to speak with protest leader Nikol Pashinian.

Their discussion was not broadcast to the crowd.

Police block demonstrators gathered to protest the former president's shift into the prime minister's seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government enter their second week in the capital. (Hrant Khachatryan, PAN Photo via AP)

Police block demonstrators gathered to protest the former president's shift into the prime minister's seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government enter their second week in the capital. (Hrant Khachatryan, PAN Photo via AP)

Armenian president Armen Sarkisian waves to demonstrators in the Republic Square gathered to protest the former president's shift into the prime minister's seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government enter their second week in the capital. (Karo Sahakyan, PAN Photo via AP)

Armenian president Armen Sarkisian, center, stands with demonstrators gathered in the Republic Square to protest the former president's shift into the prime minister's seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government enter their second week in the capital. (Karo Sahakyan, PAN Photo via AP)

Police block demonstrators gathered to protest the former president's shift into the prime minister's seat in Yerevan, Armenia, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Armenian authorities say more than 70 people have been arrested, including two people suspected of building bombs, as large protests against the new government enter their second week in the capital. (Hrant Khachatryan, PAN Photo via AP)
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Ryan Kelly won a Pulitzer Prize this week for his photo of a car plowing into protesters at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia - an image he snapped on the final day of his newspaper job before leaving to work at a brewery.

The photographer has joined a growing list of journalists who have won the profession's highest honor on their way out the door of a once-thriving newspaper industry now destabilized and seriously weakened by the internet.

Kelly, 31, said he was burned out and looking for a better quality of life.

Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, Ryan Kelly, poses in the brewery at his new job at Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Kelly left journalism shortly after shooting his prize winning photo to work in the social medial division of the brewery. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

"Bad hours, bad pay, high stress, low job security ... it all just sort of built to me being ready to move on," said Kelly, who now works as digital and social media coordinator at Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond.

Like Kelly, other Pulitzer winners said deteriorating conditions in the industry drove them out.

Digital titans Facebook and Google have captured the majority of advertising that once supported local journalism, Craigslist has wreaked havoc on classifieds and free news outlets have proliferated online. Circulation has declined, and newspapers have slashed jobs and reduced benefits.

Rob Kuznia, a reporter for the Daily Breeze of Torrance, California, made headlines in 2015 for having left the paper by the time he won a Pulitzer for an investigation into widespread corruption in a school district.

Since then, the reporter who won with him, Rebecca Kimitch, also has departed for a public relations job.

"I was done. I just didn't have the fight in me anymore," said Kimitch, who had been a journalist for about 15 years.

Working at a local newspaper meant being asked to do more with less, she said.

But it also meant having less support, as the number of editors and copy editors - who examine stories closely for style, grammar, clarity and fairness - have diminished. She said she found herself constantly wracked with anxiety about possible errors in her stories.

"You're just on your own. That level of stress is really overwhelming, and it just takes a toll," she said.

According to an analysis from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people employed in the newspaper publishing industry fell almost 60 percent between June 1990 and March 2016.

At the same time, the number of people employed in internet publishing and broadcasting rose from about 30,000 to nearly 198,000.

Laurie Garrett, a former Newsday reporter who won a Pulitzer for her reporting from what was then Zaire on an Ebola outbreak and has been honored with other top industry awards, echoed Kimitch's concerns about the dwindling ranks in newsroom.

"What we've lost through years and years of budget cuts and corporate takeovers and stock market dividend-seeking and so on by the news industry ... we've lost that bench," she said.

Garrett said that when journalism was at its peak - in the 1980s and '90s, she thinks - the industry was able to hold leaders accountable. Now, some of that has fallen to activist groups like Black Lives Matter or other citizen organizations, and the media has missed important stories, she said.

"You hear the outcry all the time: Where's the media and why weren't they there?" she said.

Among the corporate takeovers in the past 10 years was the buyout of MediaNews Group, one of the country's largest newspaper chains that included the flagship Denver Post. A New York hedge fund, Alden Global Capital, acquired the company now operating as Digital First Media, and critics say it has gutted newsrooms while draining off profits.

The Post ran an editorial earlier this month criticizing its owner, saying, "When newsroom owners view profits as the only goal, quality, reliability and accountability suffer."

Digital First Media also owns the Daily Breeze, where Kimitch and Kuznia worked.

Rob Byers, who worked for decades for what's now the Charleston Gazette-Mail including as its executive editor before being essentially laid off by new owners in March, said readership has a crucial role in keeping newspapers afloat.

"They need to be willing to pay for news," said Byers, who helped oversee reporter Eric Eyre's work on the flood of opioids pouring into West Virginia that won a 2017 Pulitzer Prize.

Newspapers like the Gazette-Mail play a crucial role in uncovering fraud and abuse in government and industry, he said.

"I think people underestimate how important (journalism) is to the country and kind of the way of life we have here," he said.

Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist, Ryan Kelly, hoists a beer at his new job at Ardent Craft Ales in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, April 17, 2018. Kelly left journalism shortly after shooting his prize winning photo to work in the social medial division of the brewery. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2017, photo by Ryan Kelly of The Daily Progress, people fly into the air as a car drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. The photo won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography, announced Monday, April 16, 2018, at Columbia University in New York. Kelly is the latest in a series of newspaper employees who have won journalism's top honor only to leave the once-thriving industry, which has been destabilized and weakened by the internet. (Ryan Kelly/The Daily Progress via AP)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - President Donald Trump said Saturday that he doesn't expect Michael Cohen, his longtime personal lawyer and fixer, to "flip" as the government investigates Cohen's business dealings.

Trump, in a series of tweets fired off from Florida on the morning of former first lady Barbara Bush's funeral, accused The New York Times and one of its reporters of "going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will 'flip'" - a term that can mean cooperating with the government in exchange for leniency.

"Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble," even if "it means lying or making up stories," Trump said, before adding: "Sorry, I don't see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!"

FILE - In a Monday, April 16, 2018, file photo, Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's personal attorney, center, leaves federal court, in New York. Federal prosecutors said they can give President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Cohen, copies of materials seized from him by the FBI by May 11. They notified a New York judge Wednesday. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

The FBI raided Cohen's home, office and hotel room earlier this month looking for evidence of fraud as they conduct a criminal investigation. That included records related to payments Cohen made in 2016 to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, both of whom allege having had sexual encounters with Trump, people familiar with the raid have told The Associated Press.

Prosecutors have said they're investigating Cohen's personal business dealings but haven't said what crime they believe he may have committed. Cohen's lawyers have called the raid an assault on attorney-client privilege and Trump has said it was "an attack on our country.

In the tweets, sent shortly after he arrived at one of his Florida golf courses, Trump accused the newspaper of using "non-existent 'sources'" in a Friday story about the relationship between Trump and Cohen, who has said he would "take a bullet" for his boss. The story quoted several people on the record.

Trump also lashed out personally at one of the story's writers, calling reporter Maggie Haberman "third rate" and claiming he has "nothing to do with" her. Trump later deleted and reposted the tweets correcting the spelling of Haberman's name.

Haberman is widely seen as one of the most diligent reporters covering the president and is known to speak with him often. The Times responded on Twitter, saying it stood by the story and praising Haberman, who was part of the team that just won a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting on Trump.

The tweets came as the rest of the country was preparing for the funeral of Mrs. Bush. The president chose not to go to the Houston service, but first lady Melania Trump attended. Trump tweeted that he would watch from Florida.

The president also fired off several other tweets on Saturday attacking the media and fired FBI director James Comey and announcing that he is considering offering a posthumous pardon to boxing's first black heavyweight champion more than 100 years after the late Jack Johnson was convicted by all-white jury of accompanying a white woman across state lines.

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Follow Colvin on Twitter at https://twitter.com/colvinj
JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the European Union and a top United Nations official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy.

Avigdor Lieberman's comments on Twitter came a day after four Palestinians, including the teen, were shot and killed by Israeli army fire from across the border fence, according to Gaza health officials.

More than 150 Palestinians were wounded Friday, in the fourth round of weekly Hamas-led mass protests in the border area.

Residents arrive to the house morning of Mohammed Ayyoub, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, at the main road in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

The teen, Mohammed Ayyoub, was about 150 meters (yards) from the fence when he was hit, Gaza photographer Abed Alhakeem Abu Rish told The Associated Press. He said that the boy was about to take cover when he was shot and fell to the ground, collapsing head first. The Israeli military says it is investigating the incident.

The latest deaths brought to 32 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in protests since late March. More than 1,600 have been wounded by live rounds in the past three weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The rising Palestinian casualty toll signaled that Israel's military is sticking to its open-fire rules despite international criticism of the use of lethal force against unarmed protesters.

Israel has said it is defending its sovereign border, including Israeli communities on the other side. It has alleged that Hamas uses the protests as cover for attacks and for damaging the border fence.

Late Saturday, the military released photos and videos depicting what it has said it is trying to counter. In one image, young boys, under the cover of smoke, are seen charging the fence and uprooting part of it to allow for an infiltration.

The military said it had distributed leaflets warning the residents of Gaza to stay away from the fence but alleged that "the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip continue to exploit civilians, including many youth and children, while putting them in unnecessary danger."

Rights groups have said Israel's open-fire orders are unlawful because they effectively allow soldiers to open fire on unarmed demonstrators.

The marches are part of what organizers have billed as an escalating showdown with Israel, to culminate in a mass march on May 15.

The top Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said Friday that people should get ready for large crowds spilling across the border that day.

"Our people will outnumber the occupation and force it from our land," he said, referring to Israel.

The latest killings sparked new demands by a senior U.N. official and by the E.U. for an investigation.

Nikolay Mladenov, a top U.N. envoy in the region, said on Twitter that it is "outrageous to shoot at children."

The European Union urged the Israeli military to "refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters."

Mohammed Ayyoub's father, Ibrahim, said Saturday that his son was killed in cold blood.

"Mohammed did not deserve to be executed," the 42-year-old said as mourners streamed to the family's shack in the Jebaliya refugee camp. "He was not holding a stone or a gun ... Mohammed was not running toward the fence."

The Israeli military said Saturday that all reports of fatal shootings by Israeli soldiers, including that of the teen "are thoroughly checked by the relevant command echelons," examined by a fact-finding "assessment mechanism" and findings transferred to the military advocate general.

Lieberman, the Israeli defense minister, said on Twitter that "the only culprits in the death of the ... boy in Gaza are Hamas leaders."

He said they are "cowardly leaders who hide behind women and children and send them forward as a human shield, so that they can continue to dig tunnels and carry out terrorist actions against" Israel.

Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran Gaza in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections.

The marches also press for a "right of return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced from homes in the 1948 war over Israel's creation. Palestinians mark May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding, as their "nakba," or catastrophe, to mourn their mass uprooting.

While Hamas and smaller Palestinian factions have taken a lead as organizers, the mass marches are also fueled by growing desperation among Gaza's 2 million residents.

The border blockade has trapped nearly all of them in the tiny coastal territory, gutted the economy and deepened poverty. Gaza residents typically get fewer than five hours of electricity per day, while unemployment has soared above 40 percent.

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Laub reported from Jericho, West Bank.

School girls look while pass the house morning of Mohammed Ayyoub, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, at the main road in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Children eat in an alley outside the house of Mohammed Ayyoub, 14, in the Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018, as relatives mourn his death. The teenage boy was one of four Palestinians killed Friday by Israeli troops firing from across the fence in the fourth round of weekly Hamas-led protests near the border. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Ibrahim Ayyoub, 42, the father of Mohammed, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, reacts while sits near his wafe's Raeda, during interview at his family house in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Residents pay respect as they arrive to the house morning of Mohammed Ayyoub, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, at the main road in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Ibrahim Ayyoub, 42, the father of Mohammed, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, reacts while sits near son's photo during interview at his family house in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Raeda Ayyoub, the mother of Mohammed, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, reacts while sits near her husband Ibrahim, during interview at her family house in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Relatives mourn at the family house of Mohammed Ayyoub, 14, who was killed during a protest along Gaza's border with Israel, east of Jebaliya Yesterday, in Jebaliya refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Israel's defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the "only culprits" in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the EU and a top U.N. official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)
In this July 19, 1989, photo guardsman Dennis Nielsen carries passenger Spencer Bailey away from the wreckage of United Airlines Flight 232 after the plane crashed at Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa

Hundreds of hands grappling with oxygen masks. Flight attendants warning passengers to brace for impact. The plane hurtling toward the unforgiving ground.

Survivors of air accidents often proclaim that their survival was a miracle. But what follows is another kind of miracle: Many survivors manage to get past the horror and onto planes again.

How do they do it?

It's a question facing survivors of this week's Southwest Airlines accident, which killed one woman who was sucked partway out of the plane after the engine exploded and shattered a window.

Authorities said 148 passengers walked away, underscoring an important point: Plane crashes are rare, but when they happen, people often survive them. Between 1983 and 2000, 95.7 percent of people involved in commercial airline accidents survived, according to government data. In 2013, 304 of the 307 passengers survived an Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco. And the horrific 1989 crash of a United Airlines flight in Sioux City, Iowa, had 185 survivors.

For guidance, survivors of Southwest Flight 1380 might look to those others who have survived air disasters. Some of them say it's critical to get back in the air quickly; they suggest counseling, prayer and even calming apps. But others never get over the fear.

Emergency workers treat injured passengers from United Airlines Flight 232 after the plane cartwheeled down the runway. Through the efforts of the flight crew and emergency personnel on the ground, 184 of the 296 passengers survived

In this July 21, 1989, photo, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator walks in front of the torn portion of the passenger compartment of the United Airlines DC-10 that crashed and exploded at Sioux Gateway Airport

Dave Sanderson was the last passenger to exit US Airways Flight 1549 after its emergency landing in the Hudson River in January 2009. He spent one night recovering from hypothermia at a New York hospital. The next day he had to make a decision: Could he fly back home to North Carolina?

Sanderson steeled himself; flying was the fastest way home. When he arrived at the gate, the captain and first officer got off the plane, listened to his story and reassured him. A flight attendant cleared a row of seats for him.

'If you don't get back immediately, you may never get back on that plane,' said Sanderson, who now travels around the country giving inspirational speeches.

Sanderson makes it a habit to talk to the crew when he boards a plane. He also learns about the plane, including the exit strategy and what kind of doors it has.

Others lean on faith. Helen Young Hayes survived the crash of United Flight 232 in Sioux City, which killed 111 people. Hayes, a lifelong Catholic, closed her eyes and prayed as the plane went down; later, as she recovered from her burns, she thought a lot about why her life was spared.

Hayes started flying again about two months after the crash, confident that God would hold her whatever the outcome of the flight. She has since flown more than one million miles.

Passengers in an inflatable raft move away from US Airways Flight 1549 that went down in the Hudson River in New York on January 15, 2009. The jet ditched in the Hudson River after both engines failed when they ingested birds shortly after takeoff. All 155 people on board were safe. Captain Chesley Sullenberger and other crew members were hailed as heroes

Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger III, who safely piloted U.S. Airways Flight 1549 with 155 passengers and crew to a water landing, speaks during a press conference in New York in 2014. Sullenberger gathered with some survivors and rescuers to mark the fifth anniversary of the event known as the 'Miracle on the Hudson'

Dave Sanderson of Charlotte, N.C. sits in a hospital bed of Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, N.J. Sanderson was the last passenger to exit US Airways Flight 1549 after its emergency landing in the Hudson River in January 2009

In this November 16, 2014, photo, Sanderson speaks at the Franchise Expo in Secaucus, N.J

'I would never have stepped on a plane again if I didn't firmly believe I had been totally saved by a miracle,' said Hayes, who heads a Denver workforce development company that helps low-income people.

Hayes says survivors need to take time to heal. Their bodies will never forget, she says; every time she hits turbulence, she remembers what it felt like when the plane went down. But she also sees the crash as a gift that helped her find a higher purpose for her life.

Jennifer Stansberry Miller, a clinical social worker and crisis consultant, has been an advocate for survivors since her brother died in a plane crash in 1994. She says every survivor must find his or her own way. Some have trouble eating and sleeping and may need professional guidance. Others use apps that talk passengers through flying or forecast the amount of turbulence they might encounter.

Others take classes at airports that help people master their fears. Milwaukee's Mitchell Airport offers a $200, five-session class that culminates with a short commercial flight.

This July 6, 2013, photo shows the wreckage of the Asiana Flight 214 airplane after it crashed at the San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco

Two passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 811 brace themselves as the crippled flight returned to Honolulu International Airport on February 24, 1989. A gaping hole ripped open in the fuselage of the 747 at 20,000 feet during its flight from Honolulu to New Zealand. The sudden decompression sucked out several rows of seats, killing nine passengers. The photo was taken by passenger Beverly Nisbet of Hastings, New Zealand

Miller has her own ways to fight fear. She won't travel on Halloween - the day her brother's plane crashed - or on major holidays, when she assumes the most experienced pilots aren't flying. She only flies on jets, not propeller planes.

'It's not perfect science, but it's what I reconcile in my brain to fly,' she said.

Some survivors can't bring themselves to fly again. In 2008, drummer Travis Barker of the band Blink-182 was involved in a small plane crash that killed four of the six people aboard. Eight years later, when his band toured Europe, Barker was still unable to fly. He crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship.

Travis Barker performs during the T-Mobile Boulevard block party in Columbia, S.C. Barker and popular disc jockey DJ AM, also known as Adam Goldstein, were critically injured in a Learjet crash on September 19, 2008, in Columbia that killed four people

In this September 20, 2008, photo, investigators look over the debris left by the Learjet that was carrying Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein

Eric Zilbert, who was aboard Tuesday's Southwest flight, said the experience has been most difficult for his wife, who had to deal with the thought of almost losing him. On future flights, he says, he'll look more closely at the plane's equipment and choose seats in front of the wing.

Zilbert, a statistician, says he knows it's unlikely that another plane he boards will ever experience a similar emergency. He and his mother even flew home after the accident.

'We just didn't sit by the window, and they were fine flights,' he said.
LONDON (AP) - Ireland's premier has urged his country to show compassion as he launched a campaign to overturn some of Europe's strictest abortion rules.

Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Saturday that Ireland's May 25 referendum on whether to lift a constitutional ban on most abortions is an opportunity to "put compassion at the center of our laws." He said the current restrictions do not prevent abortions, but "just lets us sweep it under the carpet."

Abortion in largely Catholic Ireland is legal only in rare cases when a woman's life is in danger. Thousands of Irish women travel each year to get abortions in neighboring Britain.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, center, with Minister for Health Simon Harris, center left, and campaign co-ordinator minister Josepha Madigan, third right, pose with banners during an event to support a yes vote in the upcoming referendum on the repeal of the 8th Amendment, in Dublin, Saturday April 21, 2018. Ireland will vote on May 25 on whether to lift a constitutional ban on most abortions. (Tom Honan/PA via AP)

Voters will be asked whether they want to retain or repeal the constitutional ban. If it's repealed, parliament would be responsible for creating new abortion laws.
FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
NEW YORK (AP) - One has recurring nightmares. Another can't take a bath anymore. Still another can't sleep.

Jurors in the murder trial of a nanny who stabbed two small children to death in the bathtub of their Manhattan apartment said the nearly two-month-long experience took an emotional toll they fear will linger long after their guilty verdict.

They are still haunted by the words of the anguished parents and the grisly photos that showed 6-year-old Lucia Krim and her 2-year-old brother Leo gashed so severely in the throat that they were nearly decapitated.

In this image taken from video on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, jurors in the murder trail of Yoselyn Oretga, the nanny who stabbed two small children to death in the bathtub of their Manhattan apartment, hold a news conference in New York. The Jurors say the nearly two-month-long experience took an emotional toll they fear will linger long after their guilty verdict. Oretga was convicted of murder in the deaths of 6-year-old Lucia Krim and 2-year-old Leo Krim after the jury rejected her mental illness defense. (AP Photo/APTN)

"It was gut-wrenching," said juror David Curtis, a 52-year-old actor who has raised two children of his own. "I had nightmares which related to losing something important to me or not being able to find my family. It truly did affect me."

Alternate juror Chloe Beck, 31, said her days of taking baths to unwind ended after seeing the crime-scene photos (not shown to the courtroom spectators) that showed blood coating virtually every surface of the bathroom. There was even a bloody children's toothbrush. She fixated on the toddler, Leo, calling him her "little guy."

"I don't know how I'll ever get over this," she said, tears streaming down her face.

For juror Edgardo Chacon, 57, it's the face of the girl, Lucia, known as Lulu, that he sees when he sits up in the night. Many of the more than 30 stab wounds on her body indicated she tried to fight back.

"I was there for 33 days, and every night I think about Lulu," he said. "I don't know why it was in my mind. But it was not fair. ... It's not fair what she did to those kids."

Yoselyn Oretga was convicted Wednesday of murder after the jury rejected the argument that she should not be held responsible in the October 2012 slayings because she was too mentally ill. Prosecutors argued that Ortega, who had been the children's nanny for two years, knew exactly what she was doing, acting out of jealous hatred of the children's mother for her wealth and happiness.

Among the most wrenching moments of the trial came when mother Marina Krim took the stand as the first witness, telling of coming home from a swimming class with her 3-year-old daughter, Nessie, to discover her other two children dead. She described how she saw their vacant eyes and their small bodies ripped apart, and just started screaming.

"It was a scream you can't imagine is even inside of you," she testified. "I don't even know where it came from. I just thought: 'I'm never going to be able to talk to them ever again. They are dead. I just saw my kids dead.'"

Several in the panel of 12 jurors and five alternates who sat through the trial were parents, and for at least one, the testimony early in the trial was too much. The man with two small children of his own - ages 2 and 4 - asked the judge to be excused, saying he could no longer be impartial.

Said juror Curtis: "I worked very hard at not thinking about my own children. ... It is horrifying to think of being in a position, of having to experience or go through the process of what the Krims had to go through."

About 70 percent of jurors report some level of stress, but less than 10 percent report extreme stress, according to a study done by the National Center for State Courts. Some judges will request a crisis-management session after a trial but that's unusual and was not ordered after the nanny verdict.

"Juror stress is a problem more common than we realize, but cases where there is a mental health intervention are rare," said Theodore Feldmann, a professor emeritus in psychiatry at the University of Louisville who has counseled jurors after difficult trials, including those who convicted serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in the 1990s.

Feldmann said jurors may experience what's called acute stress disorder, essentially a less-serious form of post-traumatic stress disorder that includes such symptoms as headaches, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, nightmares and depression.

At the Ortega trial, even jurors who weren't deeply disturbed were still highly emotional. Alternate Brittany Yee, 27, was dismissed but stayed and waited for the trial to end. She said she was upset by the evidence she saw, but that she was handling it all right. But then father Kevin Krim entered the courtroom and sat down next to her. When the verdict was read, she sobbed and held his hand.

Krim later thanked the jury in a statement he posted on Facebeook.

"These jurors went through hell," Krim wrote. "I hugged every one of them I could."

In this image taken from video on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, David Curtis wipes a tear away as jurors in the murder trail of Yoselyn Oretga, the nanny who stabbed two small children to death in the bathtub of their Manhattan apartment, hold a news conference in New York. The Jurors say the nearly two-month-long experience took an emotional toll they fear will linger long after their guilty verdict. Oretga was convicted of murder in the deaths of 6-year-old Lucia Krim and 2-year-old Leo Krim after the jury rejected her mental illness defense. (AP Photo/APTN)
EVERETT, Wash. (AP) - An entrepreneur wants to bring a global trend to the U.S. and put commercial airport terminals in the hands of private companies instead of the government.

Starting in the fall, Brett Smith will get his chance at Paine Field in Everett, Washington.

He is the founder and CEO of Propeller Investments, which secured a deal in 2015 to build and operate a passenger terminal at the airport Boeing uses to test its jets.

In this April 11, 2018 photo, Brett Smith, CEO of Propeller Airports, left, talks with project engineer Todd Raynes, right, inside the privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal Smith's company is building at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. Propeller Airports sold $50 million in bonds earlier this year to finance the construction, according to data obtained by The Associated Press. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

The deal is notable because so-called public-private partnerships are rare in U.S. airports, and because Propeller has no experience building or operating airports.

The project contrasts with most of the 500 U.S. commercial airports, where local governments own and operate facilities.

They have relied on decades of federal funding and passenger fees to help finance infrastructure improvements.

In this April 11, 2018 photo, construction of a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal takes place near the control tower at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. Propeller Airports, the company building the terminal, sold $50 million in bonds earlier this year to finance the construction, according to data obtained by The Associated Press. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, construction of a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal takes place near the control tower at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, workers are shown in what will be the main entrance to a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, an areal photo on display near the Paine Field control tower, shows the areas of leased land that will be used for a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, a worker stands on a ladder as he helps construct a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, a worker stands on a ladder as he helps construct a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, a pipe assembly labeled for Paine Field in Everett, Wash., is shown on the site of a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at the airport in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, a worker stands on a lift as he helps construct a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, construction of a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal takes place near the control tower at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this April 11, 2018 photo, a worker cuts metal as he helps construct a privately-run commercial U.S. airport terminal being built at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. The public-private partnership contrasts with the majority of about 500 commercial airports across the U.S., where local governments own and operate the facilities. The terminal has commitments from Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for up to 24 daily flights, mostly to destinations in the West and Midwest. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A home invader wearing a ski mask is holding a woman hostage in her bedroom. A police officer immediately starts giving verbal commands, ordering the man to let the woman go, but the intruder refuses and lunges toward the officer with a weapon in hand. The officer then raises her gun and shoots the man.

The officer in this training exercise was a British tourist, and the victim and intruder were on a life-size video projection inside the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. The visitor was participating in a new hands-on exhibit that arms visitors with a pistol that shoots plastic pellets and puts them in simulated situations similar to those police encounter in real life.

The courthouse-turned-museum in downtown Las Vegas for years has showcased the area's storied past in organized crime. But visitors now can also learn about the complexity of the decisions that officers face when they encounter situations that may require the use of deadly force. The museum's most recent renovation also has added an interactive crime lab and a speakeasy, complete with on-site distilled moonshine.

In this April 12, 2018, photo, people look at an interactive exhibit at the Crime Lab Experience in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. For years the museum has showcased the area's storied past in organized crime, but visitors can now also enjoy a speakeasy, a use of deadly force training experience, and an interactive crime lab exhibit. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The use-of-force exhibit walks visitors through video and live role-playing scenarios, including an encounter in a staged alley with a suspicious person played by an actor or actress. Museumgoers are issued a police duty belt and a gun that's as heavy as one police officers carry.

Participants first receive a video introduction from a Las Vegas police captain and go through a brief target-shooting practice. All along, museum facilitators teach visitors gun safety practices, use-of-force guidelines and police procedures. Guests learn to maintain distance from a suspect, not to keep their finger on the trigger and not to shoot someone who does not pose an imminent threat.

"It did feel real. It was the first time I ever held a gun," London resident Lesley Morris said after participating in the exhibit. "It was really informative. We don't have guns or anything like that in England."

She added her heart rate went up as she walked through the exhibit.

In the case of the home invasion scenario, visitors see a video that shows the moment a resident tells an officer in a patrol car that someone has entered a house. Visitors at that point take on the role of officer and begin to see the inside of a home.

"Police," they are encouraged to yell to announce themselves. The video then shows the bedroom with the man holding the woman.

Panels outside the exhibit explain the use-of-force policies and de-escalation tactics used by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, as well as statistics on deaths resulting from police use of force nationwide.

Las Vegas police Capt. Robert Plummer, who previously headed the department's team that handled officer-involved shootings, told The Associated Press he hopes the exhibit will educate and change some people's perspectives on what police face when it comes to using deadly force, especially in an era when shootings by police have become a high-profile issue around the country.

"A lot of people wonder 'Why didn't you shoot the gun out of his hand or shoot him in the ankle?'" Plummer said. "If you go through the exhibit, you'll realize that's nearly impossible to do and to do it on a precision-type basis because there are so many factors. You have to know your backdrop. So, if you miss shooting at the elbow, what's behind? Is it an innocent citizen that's standing back there or is it a child or is it someone else?

At a nearby exhibit, visitors are immersed in a "CSI"-type environment where they can try to match bullets that were fired from the same firearm by comparing striations and learn about the intricacies of a fingerprint. The sketch of a real crime scene from 2016 and items that would be collected at a scene are on display.

People can play coroner, too. A horizontal screen displays renderings of cadavers, and visitors are prompted to answer a series of questions to try to determine the cause of death. The cases are based on the deaths of famous mobsters.

And below it all, people interested in learning more about the Prohibition era or just looking to have fun, can visit a working speakeasy in the museum's basement. The exhibit explains in detail how the mob built networks to make, move and sell booze after the nation's breweries and distilleries were closed.

People can sip on a variety of current and Prohibition-era cocktails as they learn about how people consumed alcohol when it was illegal to do so. Museum ticketholders can access the speakeasy as part of their tour. Those interested in visiting only the transformed basement can gain access through a side entrance after finding daily secret codes on social media. After 5 p.m., the public may also enter The Underground for free directly through the side entrance.

"People want experiences," said Jonathan Ullman, museum president and CEO. "This allows us to take them back in time."

In this April 12, 2018, photo, people look at an interactive exhibit at the Crime Lab Experience in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. For years the museum has showcased the area's storied past in organized crime, but visitors can now also enjoy a speakeasy, a use of deadly force training experience, and an interactive crime lab exhibit. (AP Photo/John Locher)

In this April 12, 2018, photo, training officer Albert Dauto, right, instructs Tom Coull at the Use of Force Training Experience in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. For years the museum has showcased the area's storied past in organized crime, but visitors can now also enjoy a speakeasy, a use of deadly force training experience, and an interactive crime lab exhibit. (AP Photo/John Locher)

In this April 12, 2018, photo, Tom Coull, left, reacts as training officer Russell Harris acts out a scenario at the Use of Force Training Experience in the Mob Museum in Las Vegas. For years the museum has showcased the area's storied past in organized crime, but visitors can now also enjoy a speakeasy, a use of deadly force training experience, and an interactive crime lab exhibit. (AP Photo/John Locher)
VENTURA, Calif. (AP) - The Latest on a man charged with stabbing a father to death at a Southern California restaurant (all times local):

10:10 a.m.

Police say they received a call about a man yelling and being disruptive a few hours before he allegedly stabbed a father holding his daughter in the neck in a crowded Southern California restaurant.

Ventura police said in a statement that a bystander reported the man Wednesday evening near the Aloha Steakhouse.

But officers were out on other calls so command center staff monitored him for 20 minutes using a pier security camera system before determining he didn't pose a threat.

Authorities arrested 49-year-old Jamal Jackson three hours later, after they say he stabbed 35-year-old Anthony Mele as Mele's 5-year-old daughter sat on his lap. Jackson has been charged with murder.

Online court records show Jackson has prior convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse and burglary dating back to the 1990s.

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4:42 p.m.

A homeless man has been charged with murder in the death of a California father who was stabbed in the neck as his 5-year-old daughter sat in his lap in a crowded beachside steakhouse.

The Ventura County District Attorney's Office says 49-year-old Jamal Jackson was charged Friday with premeditated, first-degree murder.

Prosecutor Richard Simon says 35-year-old Anthony Mele and his wife were eating dinner with their daughter Wednesday night at Aloha Steakhouse in Ventura.

The girl was sitting in her father's lap when Simon says Jackson walked up and stabbed Mele in the neck.

Jackson says patrons and an employee at the restaurant followed Jackson until he was arrested. Mele died at a hospital.

A GoFundMe page started by Mele's family for funeral costs says their "hearts are severely broken."
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) - Police in Brazil will recreate the scene of last month's murder of a Rio de Janeiro city councilwoman and her driver in an effort to track down their assailants.

Rio's Public Security Secretary Richard Nunes told reporters Saturday that the scene is expected to be simulated in early May.

Human rights activist Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Pedro Gomes were shot dead on March 14 while returning from an event focused on empowering young black women.

A sign with a picture of murdered councilwoman Marielle Franco with text written in Portuguese that reads "Marielle lives. I am because we are" hangs during a memorial for her and her driver Anderson Pedro Gomes, who both were killed a month ago in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, April 14, 2018. Franoco's death has touched a nerve with many in a nation where more than 50 percent identify as black or mixed race, but where most politicians are white men. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

So far no arrests have been made.
MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) - Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said Saturday that his government is willing to enter into talks over social security reforms that have sparked four days of protests and clashes in which, rights monitors say, at least 25 people have died. A journalist covering the unrest was also killed.

In a nationally televised address, his first public appearance since the demonstrations began Wednesday, Ortega said he is open to negotiations so that there is "no more terror for Nicaraguan families."

But he said the dialogue would be just with business leaders and not with other sectors of society. He also seemed to try to justify what has been a heavy-handed response by the government and allied groups, accusing demonstrators, most of them university students, of being manipulated by unspecified "minority" political interests and of being infiltrated by gangsters.

Masked protesters, one with a Nicaraguan flag, yell from the road block they erected as they face off with security forces near the University Politecnica de Nicaragua (UPOLI) in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

"What is happening in our country has no name. The kids do not even know the party that is manipulating them. ... Gang members are being brought into the kids' protests and are criminalizing the protests. That is why they are put at risk," Ortega said.

Those remarks appeared to fan the flames, as soon afterward thousands of people spilled back into the streets in seven cities including the capital, Managua, after tensions had calmed somewhat Friday night.

"We are in the streets asking for Ortega and his wife to go. This has already gone beyond the social security issue. Here there have been dead, wounded, and he does not even apologize for his killings or the savage repression against the people," said Mauri Hernandez, one of thousands of demonstrators at a central rotunda.

On Friday night Vice President, first lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said nine people had been confirmed dead in the clashes, though the human rights group Cenidh said Saturday it had counted at least 25 deaths nationwide.

Minutes later, news emerged that journalist Angel Gahona of the news show Meridiano was killed while covering unrest in the southeastern city of Bluefields. The AP viewed video from when he was broadcasting live on Facebook via cellphone showing damage to an ATM at the entrance to city hall as riot police advance up a darkened street. A gunshot is heard, the phone falls and a several voices scream his name.

A separate video of the incident circulating on social media, taken from behind Gahona, shows him approaching the ATM. After the shot, he slumps to the ground with blood streaming from his head. Someone presses a piece of cloth to try to staunch the bleeding.

Another Bluefields reporter, Ileana Lacayo, said he died en route to the hospital.

A prominent business chamber issued a statement conditioning its talks with Ortega on an end to repression, the freeing of detained protesters and respect for freedom of expression as the authorities have kept off the air one private news channel that is covering the protests.

"We cannot go into a dialogue if these minimal conditions are not met," it said.

There were more clashes at the Polytechnical University of Nicaragua, one of the strongest bastions of the protesters.

"We stand firm. They will not wear us out. Here we will give our all until the government understands that it will not continue to do whatever it pleases," Lombardo Ruiz Picado, a leader of the student protesters, told The Associated Press by phone from inside the school.

In the morning, army troops were deployed to Esteli, a city north of Managua that has been a main flashpoint of the demonstrations, to help police repel protesters.

State-affiliated media showed images of armed soldiers patrolling the city center and said they were safeguarding strategic concerns after fires at several public buildings.

The Roman Catholic Conference of Bishops in Nicaragua condemned repression against protesters and urged the government to listen to them and drop the social security reforms.

"A unilateral decision always brings with it social instability. Rectifying decisions is a sign of humanity, listening is the path of reason, seeking peace at all cost is wisdom," the conference said in a statement.

The reforms, issued by decree, increase income and payroll taxes and make changes to pensions to try to shore up Nicaragua's troubled social security system.

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Associated Press writer Peter Orsi in Mexico City contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to show that the journalist's surname is Gahona.

Anti-government protesters pull down a statue that is emblematic of the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, at the Jean Paul Jennie round-about in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Ortega said Saturday that his government is willing to enter into talks over social security reforms that have sparked four days of protests and clashes in which, rights monitors say, at least 25 people have died. A journalist covering the unrest was also killed. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

A protester holds up a Nicaraguan flag that reads in Spanish "Free country. Who surrenders. Your mother!" during clashes with security forces near the University Politecnica de Nicaragua (UPOLI) in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

A protester waves a Nicaraguan flag at the road block erected by protesters facing off with security forces near the University Politecnica de Nicaragua (UPOLI) in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

Men carry the casket of Alvaro Manuel Conrado Davila, a 15-year-old student who died the previous day during protests near the Centro Americana University (UCA), to his wake in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

Protesters yell from behind the road block they erected as they face off with security forces near the University Politecnica de Nicaragua (UPOLI) in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

The mother of Alvaro Manuel Conrado Davila, a 15-year-old student who died the previous day during protests near the Centro Americana University (UCA), sits during his wake in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

Masked protesters, one with a Nicaraguan flag, yell from the road block they erected as they face off with security forces near the University Politecnica de Nicaragua (UPOLI) in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

A protester stands before security forces during clashes near the University Politecnica de Nicaragua (UPOLI) in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Nicaragua's government said on Saturday it is willing to negotiate over controversial social security reforms that have prompted protests and deadly clashes this week. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)

Anti-government protesters pull down one of two metal tree sculptures that are emblematic of the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, at the Jean Paul Jennie round-about in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday, April 21, 2018. Ortega said Saturday that his government is willing to enter into talks over social security reforms that have sparked four days of protests and clashes in which, rights monitors say, at least 25 people have died. A journalist covering the unrest was also killed. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga)
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - A San Antonio charter school has apologized after a teacher asked students in an eighth grade American history class to list the positive and negative aspects of slavery.

The Great Hearts Monte Vista teacher who distributed the worksheet titled "The Life of Slaves: A Balanced View" was placed on leave and the school said it would audit the textbook associated with the lesson, said Aaron Kindel, the superintendent of Great Hearts Texas, which operates 28 public charter schools in Texas and Arizona.

"To be clear, there is no debate about slavery. It is immoral and a crime against humanity," Kindel said in a statement posted Thursday on the Great Hearts Facebook page. He said the school's headmaster plans to explain the mistake to the history class.

Scott Overland, a spokesman for Pearson, which published the textbook, said the company didn't create and doesn't endorse the worksheet assigned to the students, KENS-TV reported .

"We do not support the point of view represented in the worksheet and strongly condemn the implication that there was any positive aspect to slavery," Overland said.

A parent of one of the students in the class posted the worksheet Wednesday on Facebook. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro drew attention to the issue on Thursday when the Democrat tweeted that the worksheet was "absolutely unacceptable."

"Asking students to complete such an assignment challenges the reality that slavery was utterly dehumanizing," Castro said in a statement. He also called on the charter school network to review its history curriculum.
MEXICO CITY (AP) - A young Roman Catholic priest was shot dead in the west-central Mexican state of Jalisco, becoming the second cleric slain this week in a country said to lead the region in such killings.

Juan Miguel Contreras Garcia, 33, was murdered late Friday at a parish in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, the Catholic Multimedia Center said Saturday, adding that he was apparently performing the sacrament of penance at the time of the attack.

The Jalisco state prosecutor's office said early indications suggest two men entered the sacristy, fired directly at the priest and then fled in a car. It said Contreras suffered multiple gunshot wounds, and paramedics who arrived at the scene were unable to keep him alive.

The center said Contreras became a priest just two years ago.

The killing came two days after Rev. Ruben Alcantara Diaz, 50, was stabbed to death in his church on the outskirts of Mexico City. Local media reported he had argued with his killer, who fled after the attack.

"These regrettable incidents call us all to a much more profound and sincere conversation," the Mexican Conference of Bishops said in a statement. "It is time to look honestly at our culture and society, to ask ourselves why we have lost respect for life and what is sacred."

"We ask those who disregard and snatch away life for whatever reason to let themselves look upon the benign visage of God, to lay down not only arms but hate, rancor, vengeance and all destructive feeling," read the statement, which was signed by the archbishop of Guadalajara and the secretary-general of the bishops' conference.

According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, at least four priests have been slain in Mexico this year and 23 have been murdered since 2012. It says Mexico tops Latin America in the killings of priests.
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - The leader of Turkey's main opposition party predicted Saturday that voters who backed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the past would "side with democracy" instead of a "dictatorship" during the next elections in June.

Republican People's Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu said he is confident of ousting Erdogan from office by winning the snap parliamentary and presidential elections "with at least 60 percent of votes" even though the party lagged in past votes.

But the 69-year-old politician's optimism has weak spots. Though Kilicdaroglu says the pro-secular party, known as CHP, wasn't "surprised" by this week's announcement of early elections and ready to compete, it has yet to put forward a presidential candidate, a campaign plan or potential alliances.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's main opposition party (CDP) leader poses for The Associated Press, backdropped by the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Saturday, April 21, 2018, ahead of early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, 2018, a year and a half ahead of the initially scheduled November 2019 date. Turkey's weak opposition is scrambling to try and mount a strong challenge against Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with just nine weeks to prepare. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Erdogan, meanwhile, has worked to consolidate his base for months with speeches and events, bolstered by rising nationalism amid Turkey's military operation in Syria against a Kurdish stronghold.

During a live interview on NTV Saturday, Erdogan challenged Kilicdaroglu to run as the CHP's candidate for president.

"He should enter this race," the president said. "Let's see how much the nation votes for you."

Erdogan scoffed at the opposition leader's "self-confident statements," noting that Kilicdaroglu greatly overestimated how many votes CHP would get in the 2015 general elections.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Kilicdaroglu said Erdogan and his ruling party moved up the next elections from November 2019 to June 24 this year "to obtain more power, to completely suspend democracy."

A year ago, Erdogan narrowly won a referendum to change Turkey's form of government to an executive presidency, abolishing the office of the prime minister and giving the president more powers. The change takes effect after a presidential election is held.

Kilicdaroglu said if Erdogan is victorious, the new system would establish Turkey as "the one-man regime."

Though the CHP garnered only a quarter of national votes in the 2015 general elections, it has been emboldened by the 48.6 percent of "no" votes in the referendum and the wide support for the party's protest march last June.

The march, following the jailing of a CHP lawmaker, was a response to the state of emergency declared after a failed coup attempt in July 2016 that is still in place and which the opposition leader calls "a civilian coup."

In its aftermath, he said, pressures on media increased, parliamentarians were arrested, journalists were jailed, non-governmental organizations were silenced or their managers imprisoned.

"I hope that on June 24 we go to the polls with joy and wake up on June 25 with hope," Kilicdaroglu said.

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's main opposition party (CDP) leader poses for The Associated Press, backdropped by the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Saturday, April 21, 2018, ahead of early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, 2018, a year and a half ahead of the initially scheduled November 2019 date. Turkey's weak opposition is scrambling to try and mount a strong challenge against Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with just nine weeks to prepare. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's main opposition party (CDP) leader is greeted by an official as he arrives at a hotel in Istanbul, Saturday, April 21, 2018, ahead of early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, 2018, a year and a half ahead of the initially scheduled November 2019 date. Turkey's weak opposition is scrambling to try and mount a strong challenge against Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with just nine weeks to prepare. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's main opposition party (CDP) leader gestures as he talks to The Associated Press, in Istanbul Saturday, April 21, 2018, ahead of early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, 2018, a year and a half ahead of the initially scheduled November 2019 date. Turkey's weak opposition is scrambling to try and mount a strong challenge against Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with just nine weeks to prepare. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's main opposition party (CDP) leader gestures as he talks to The Associated Press, in Istanbul, Saturday, April 21, 2018, ahead of early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, 2018, a year and a half ahead of the initially scheduled November 2019 date. Turkey's weak opposition is scrambling to try and mount a strong challenge against Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with just nine weeks to prepare. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, Turkey's main opposition party (CDP) leader poses for The Associated Press, backdropped by the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Saturday, April 21, 2018, ahead of early presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, 2018, a year and a half ahead of the initially scheduled November 2019 date. Turkey's weak opposition is scrambling to try and mount a strong challenge against Turkey's strongman President Recep Tayyip Erdogan with just nine weeks to prepare. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin expressed cautious optimism Saturday over efforts to resolve trade tensions that have rattled financial markets and clouded the global economic outlook.

Mnuchin held a string of meetings over the past three days with financial officials from China, Japan and Europe over the punitive tariffs the administration has unveiled in an effort to fulfill President Donald Trump's campaign promise to reduce America's huge trade deficits.

In a session with reporters, Mnuchin refused to say how close the United States was to resolving the various trade disputes but did indicate progress was being made in the talks.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Governors gather for a group photo during World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, Saturday, April 21, 2018. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

In his discussion with Chinese officials, Mnuchin said the two sides covered the proposals that Chinese President Xi Jinping has made to open the Chinese market. "We are cautiously optimistic," Mnuchin told reporters, saying that he may soon travel to Beijing for further talks with the Chinese.

The United States and China are on the brink of what would be the biggest trade dispute since World War II. The US and China have proposed imposing tariffs of $50 billion on each others' products and Trump is looking to impose tariffs on up to $100 billion more of Chinese goods.

The rising trade tensions dominated the three days of talks among top finance officials attending meetings of the Group of 20 major economies, the 189-nation International Monetary Fund and its sister lending agency, the World Bank.

The US get-tough trade approach was roundly criticized by many countries at the finance meetings but Mnuchin insisted that the United States was not trying to provoke a global trade war but simply achieving a more fair system for American workers.

"The president has been very clear on what our objectives are," Mnuchin said. "''We are looking for reciprocal treatment. This is not about protectionism."

While the administration's America First approach rankled other nations, Mnuchin did announce a change in position with the World Bank, one of several multilateral institutions that Trump officials have criticized in the past. Last year, the administration said it was opposed to what would be the first increase in the World Bank's capital resources since 2010.

But on Saturday, Mnuchin said the United States had dropped its opposition and would support the increase as part of a package of lending reforms.

The proposal, which was approved late Saturday by the World Bank's policy committee, would provide the World Bank with a $13 billion increase in lending resources. The increase in capital was tied to a package of World Bank reforms in how loans are awarded.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim hailed the action as a demonstration of "renewed confidence in global cooperation."

Both the World Bank and IMF held meetings of their policy committees on Saturday. In a closing communique, the IMF expressed concerns that the rising trade tensions could dim what at the moment are bright prospects for the global economy, which is expected to grow this year at the fastest pace since 2011.

"Trade tensions are not to the benefit of anyone," said Lesetja Kganyago, who leads the policymaking committee and is governor of the South African Reserve Bank. "If there is a trade conflict, there could never be winners. We could all only be losers."

On Friday, Mnuchin had called on the IMF to do more to police countries running large trade surpluses, a role that has traditionally been left to the Geneva-based World Trade Organization. While many IMF member countries would object to such a broadening of the IMF's powers, the final communique did state, "We will work together to reduce excessive global imbalances in a way that supports global growth." The communique did not spell out how this would be accomplished.

The IMF communique did list a series of threats to the current global upturn and finance officials pledged to work cooperatively.

"Rising financial vulnerabilities, increasing trade and geopolitical tensions and historically high global debt threaten global growth prospects," the IMF communique said.

In his speech to the IMF's policy committee Saturday, Yi Gang, the head of China's central bank, said that global growth could be hurt by "an escalation of trade frictions caused by unilateral actions," an obvious reference to America's threatened tariffs against China.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, left, and Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso attend the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Governors group photo at World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, in Washington, Saturday, April 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
HOUSTON (AP) - Romell Quioto had a goal and two assists, Joe Willis made six saves and the Houston Dynamo beat Toronto FC 5-1 on Saturday to snap a four-game winless streak.

Mauro Manotas, a 22-year-old in his fourth season with the Dynamo (2-2-2), scored in the third minute, Jose Leonardo Ribeiro da Silva made added a goal in the seventh. Quioto poked it away from Toronto's Julian Dunn-Johnson to Manotas, who took a couple steps and tapped it in from just inside the box to open the scoring and Leonardo trapped a clearance and rolled it just inside the post from the top of the area.

Quioto beat Dunn on the left side and, after his cross was deflected by a defender, Eric Alexander finished from point blank range to make it 3-0 early in the second half.

Mitchell Taintor headed home a corner kick from Ager Aketxe for his first MLS goal to put Toronto (1-4-0) on the board in the 52nd minute, but Quioto fed Alberth Elis for a goal in the 60th and then capped the scoring in the 77th.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt met in his office last year with a veteran Washington lobbyist tied to the bargain-priced condo where Pruitt was living.

Both Pruitt and lobbyist Steven Hart had previously denied Hart had conducted any recent business with EPA.

A spokesman for Hart confirmed Saturday that the lobbyist met with Pruitt at EPA headquarters in July 2017 to discuss efforts to preserve the Chesapeake Bay.

FILE - In this Tuesday, April 3, 2018, file photo, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt attends a news conference at the EPA in Washington, on his decision to scrap Obama administration fuel standards. The fossil-fuels lobbyist tied to the bargain-priced Capitol Hill condo leased by Pruitt is taking early retirement as a result of the scandal. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

The admission about the meeting came after the lobbying firm Williams & Jensen filed a new disclosure report late Friday hours after Hart announced his early retirement as chairman. The firm's filing , first reported by The Hill, says Hart lobbied EPA during the first quarter of 2018 on behalf of Smithfield Foods.

The world's largest pork producer, Smithfield has been involved with efforts to clean up the bay since EPA fined the company $12.6 million in 1997 for illegally dumping hog waste into a tributary.

EPA's press office did not respond to questions about Pruitt's meeting with Hart.

Pruitt's connections to the prominent lobbyist have been under intense scrutiny since last month, when media reports first revealed that the EPA chief had rented a luxury Capitol Hill condo from a corporation co-owned by Hart's wife for just $50 a night. Pruitt's daughter, then a White House summer intern, also stayed at the condo.

On Pruitt's 2017 condo lease, a copy of which was reviewed by AP, Steven Hart's name was originally typed in as "landlord" but was scratched out. The name of his wife, health care lobbyist Vicki Hart, was scribbled in.

Pruitt's public calendar shows he meet at EPA headquarters on July 11 with the Smithfield Foundation, the pork-producer's philanthropic arm. The calendar entry does not include a list of attendees.

Pruitt's calendar does not disclose any 2018 meetings with Smithfield or its affiliates, the period covered by the report filed by Williams & Jensen.

Hart's spokesman, Ryan Williams, confirmed on Saturday that the lobbyist had met with Pruitt at EPA in July. In a statement, Hart disputed the legal filing made by his former firm.

"I assisted a friend who served on the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and this is inaccurately being tied to Smithfield Foods," Hart said. "I was not paid for this assistance and any suggestion that I lobbied for Smithfield Foods is inaccurate."

Lobbying disclosures show Williams & Jensen has represented Smithfield for more than a decade, with Hart intermittently reported as working directly on the pork-producer's behalf. The firm reported receiving $70,000 from Smithfield in the first quarter of this year.

In a statement issued Saturday, Smithfield said it did not direct any contacts with EPA about the Chesapeake Bay.

"The objective, while laudable, was not undertaken at the direction of or on behalf of Smithfield Foods," said a written statement provided by Smithfield spokeswoman Diana Souder. "These activities were conducted at the request of a then former executive and current Smithfield Foundation board member, Dennis Treacy, in his personal capacity."

Treacy is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which was created by the states of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania to coordinate on issues involving the bay. He did not respond to a phone message on Saturday seeking comment.

Pruitt denied in an interview earlier with Fox News earlier this month that there was anything improper with his rental of the condo from Hart's wife.

"Mr. Hart has no client that has business before this agency," Pruitt said. "It was like an Airbnb situation."

Hart also denied having any meaningful recent contacts with the EPA chief.

"Pruitt is a casual friend but I have had no contact with him for many months except for a brief pass by at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2018," Hart said last month.

Prior to being tapped by Trump to lead EPA, Pruitt served as the elected attorney general of Oklahoma. Williams & Jensen represents several clients with interests before the agency, including OGE Energy Corp., an electricity provider in Pruitt's home state.

Campaign finance records show Hart hosted a 2014 fundraiser for Pruitt's state re-election effort where more than three dozen OGE executives cut checks, even though he was running without a Democratic opponent.

Records show that once Pruitt arrived at EPA last year, he met with a lobbyist from Hart's firm and two executives from OGE Energy, which was then seeking to scuttle tighter pollution standards for coal-fired power plants. The company paid Williams & Jensen $400,000 in lobbying fees last year.

Pruitt's calendar also shows another meeting with OGE last month, though the agency provided no specifics about who attended.

Hart's spokesman declined to answer Saturday whether the lobbyist attended those or any other additional meetings with Pruitt.

___

Follow Associated Press environmental reporter Michael Biesecker at http://twitter.com/mbieseck
Rory McIlroy is confident he can add to his tally of four major titles this season, despite the disappointing end to his bid for Masters glory.

McIlroy began the final round three shots off the lead and closed to within a shot of eventual winner Patrick Reed after two holes, but faded badly with a closing 74 at Augusta National.

And although it was not the collapse of 2011, when he enjoyed a four-shot lead after 54 holes before crashing to a closing 80, the Northern Irishman has now failed to convert his first four chances to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods in winning all four majors.

Rory McIlroy is taking the positives from his Masters experience (Jane Barlow/PA)

I view the Masters as a very positive week, McIlroy said in a Q&A, broadcast by the BBC, at the launch of the revamped Adare Manor in Limerick. I put myself in position to win another major, it didnt quite happen for me but the long list of positives far outweigh the negatives.

An exciting day for Adare Manor as Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry hit the inaugural tee shots of the wholly-reconstructed Tom Fazio design golf course. #AdareManor #Golf #BeyondEverything https://t.co/k5GgSTKIB1 pic.twitter.com/6ckYnECmAp  Adare Manor (@TheAdareManor) April 20, 2018

I wish I had put a bit more pressure on Patrick Reed early on in the fourth round, I wasnt able to do it and that was really it.

Ive got three more chances this year (to win a major), my games obviously in great shape. Ive won this year, Ive given myself a chance at the first major, theres no reason I cant go to the other three and give myself three more chances and if I do that I feel like Ill hopefully add to that tally.

McIlroy escaped with a par after a wild drive on the first hole of the final round at Augusta and birdied the second after missing from four feet for an eagle, but was left to rue dropped shots on the third and fifth which killed any momentum.

Ive been in final groups in majors before and Ive played well, the 28-year-old added. I think the mental energy it took for me to do what I did on the Saturday (shooting 65), to back that up again was going to be very difficult.

A spectacular new golf course with an incredible backdrop of the historic Adare Manor. Looking forward to the exhibition match here tomorrow @TheAdareManor @AdareGC #AdareManor pic.twitter.com/iTffBlsw30  Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) April 19, 2018

I was three shots behind, I needed to make a fast start; I felt I maybe put myself under a bit too much pressure to make that fast start and put him under pressure.

It definitely wasnt as big a learning day as 2011 because it was my first time in that situation and I didnt handle it very well. But Sunday at Augusta this year I just didnt quite have it.

Adare Manor, which is owned by JP McManus, is set to bid to host the 2026 Ryder Cup.

Well put our name in the hat, McManus was quoted as saying by the BBC. I think we have the facilities to host it and wed love to have it.
Hundreds of people gathered to show their solidarity with the Windrush generation as it emerged those caught up in the scandal would be given compensated.

On Friday Theresa May confirmed the Government will make compensation payments to members of the Windrush generation who suffered as a result of official challenges to their migration status, however no details have yet been announced.

Shadow Home Secretary Dianne Abbott received a rapturous welcome as she addressed a rally at Windrush Square in Brixton, south London, on Friday evening as she demanded victims be compensated.

The square was renamed after the Empire Windrush ship, which carried settlers from Jamaica to England in 1948, to celebrate the contribution of the African Caribbean communities to the area.

Several hundred people gathered in the sunshine, some holding placards reading Solidarity with the Windrush generation and Windrush generation: Here to stay.

Stand up to Racism organised the event in solidarity with the Windrush generation and their families (Yui Mok/PA)

The crowd was led in chants of: Say it loud, say it clear. Here to stay, here to fight.

Ms Abbott said a whole generation had been turned into criminals and treated with complete contempt as she called for all those who have been deported to be allowed back.

Now is the time to say, we as people of the Caribbean, their children and their grandchildren will not tolerate being treated in this way anymore, she said, drawing cheers from the crowd.

We need to come together and demand compensation.

We need to come together and defend a generation that did so much for this country and, overall, we need to come together and demand justice and we will not stop until we have this justice.

Speaking to hundreds gathered for @AntiRacismDay #Windrush demo in #Brixton outside the @bcaheritage We will not stop until the #WindrushGeneration have justice pic.twitter.com/hMgFrk4ayd  Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) April 20, 2018

The Labour MP also demanded the release of figures of how many people have been deported and the number being held in detention.

She added: Amber Rudd and Theresa May are apologising, but they shouldnt be apologising because you only apologise when you have made a mistake.

They knew what they were doing. They knew the consequences.

Other speakers included the journalist Gary Younge, who was applauded when he told those present: I dont want to live in a country which is hostile to immigrants.

Editor-at-large for the Guardian Gary Younge addressed the crowd (Yui Mok/PA)

He said: These people, the Windrush generation, they didnt violate any laws, the law violated them.

They didnt do anything wrong to the immigration system, the immigration system did something wrong to them.

Others told personal stories of how they or their parents arrived in the country decades ago.

One speaker, who gave his namely only as Trevor, said: I have been here since 58. My child is 51 and Im still trying to get a passport.
The suspect wanted in connection with a botched burglary at the home of Richard Osborn-Brooks has been arrested.

Billy Jeeves, 28, is said to have fled the scene in Hither Green, south-east London, after Henry Vincent was fatally stabbed by the pensioner.

Mr Osborn-Brooks, 78, was arrested on suspicion of murdering 37-year-old Vincent while defending his South Park Crescent home on April 4, before being released without charge.

Billy Jeeves has been arrested (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Scotland Yard said Jeeves was arrested in north Kent at around 5.30pm on Friday on suspicion of two counts of burglary, theft and possession of a controlled substance.

Man wanted in connection with Hither Green burglary arrested - Billy Jeeves, aged 28, was located and detained in north Kent at approximately 1730hrs on Friday, 20 April https://t.co/NDsXN8NNFX pic.twitter.com/Bx9vEsKx0V  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) April 20, 2018

He has been taken to a Kent police station.

Police said inquiries continue but that no other suspects are being sought in connection with the investigation.

Since the incident, Vincents friends and family have sparked outrage among locals in the usually quiet south London neighbourhood by laying flowers and cards opposite the still boarded-up home of Mr Osborn-Brooks and his wife Maureen.

The tributes have repeatedly been torn down by neighbours and well-wishers angry that the career criminal is being remembered in such a way, only to spring up again within days.

Mr and Mrs Osborn-Brooks are reportedly living in a safe house and plan to sell their property.
A documentary exploring the 50 years since Enoch Powells Rivers of Blood speech has been praised for its celebration of multiculturalism.

Rivers Of Blood: 50 Years On features parts of the speech, played to over 100 black and Asian people to seek their reaction.

It was broadcast to the families who first heard it in 1968 as well as their descendants.

Channel 5 explored ethnic identity in a programme marking the anniversary of the Rivers of Blood speech (Pashoura Singh Bal/Channel 5)

TV Pick: #RiversofBlood: 50 years on explores the the issues faced by the immigrant population, including racism and loss of cultural identity since Enoch Powell's infamous speech. 10pm tonight on @channel5_tv. Read more: https://t.co/aqOLFfu54C pic.twitter.com/kGWi9oAZuR  Royal Television Society (@RTS_media) April 20, 2018

The Channel 5 programme examined the issues faced by the immigrant population in the decades since the infamous speech.

The subjects spoke about the daily threats they have received in the decades since the speech as well a loss of cultural identity and racism.

But they also showed a man who became the first non-white Lord Mayor and a family who loved to learn their African heritage.

The programme was praised by viewers on Twitter for its rejection of Powells speech but many felt a lot of the issues still existed today.

@UzziWozzi wrote: Fantastic documentary, incredibly sad to see the sad state of affairs with #windrush and #hostileEnvironment. To see Britain have the same overtones as the 50s with immigration policies now is heartbreaking.

It is an honour watching this #RiversOfBlood     (@TunzH) April 20, 2018

@LotaGroup posted: Hats off to Channel 5 for the first time ever. #RiversOfBlood distressing stuff man.

@Kitty_Kelliher wrote: Watching the #Channel5s look at the impact of the #RiversOfBlood speech. An amazing and wonderful insight how much multiculturalism has given this country. Thank you.

The constituency office of #EnochPowell is now a multi-cultural community centre. I hope he's spinning rapidly six feet under  #RiversofBlood  Sean MacGobhann (@SeanMacGobhann) April 20, 2018

@SpeedStorm tweeted: Is the #RiversOfBlood programme going to adress todays issues? Afterall we are seeing some elements turning full circle.

@IK_35 tweeted: Sadly these views are still very alive today #RiversOfBlood.

It comes as the BBC sparked controversy by announcing the controversial anti-immigration speech will be read in full on Saturday for the first time, on Radio 4s Archive On 4 programme.
Mary Berrys brand new cooking show will see the contestants living together in a shared house for the duration of the series, the BBC has revealed.

The former Great British Bake Off star returns to judging in Britains Best Home Cook, alongside fellow judges Chris Bavin, a produce expert and TV presenter, and top London chef Dan Doherty.

The series will be presented by Strictly Come Dancing host Claudia Winkleman.

Contestants will live in a shared house for a new Mary Berry cooking show. (BBC)

The 10 hopefuls will live under one roof throughout the eight-part series as Berry, Bavin and Doherty whittle them down to find the nations best home cook.

Described as an immersive cooking challenge with home at its heart, the new programme puts the skilled home cooks through their paces in the kitchen in a series of culinary tests.

Each episode will see them have to conjure up the nations favourite dishes and family-friend feasts, as well as tackle a high-pressure elimination round, all the while showing off their individual flair, skill, knowledge and creativity.

The contestants will also each bring a piece of home with them to their new living space to personalise their kitchen stations.

Among those vying to be crowned Britains best home cook are a retired shopkeeper from County Down, Northern Ireland, a farmer from Kent, and a wealth client executive from Glasgow.

Britains Best Home Cook starts on Thursday May 3 at 8pm, BBC One.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will join the Australian Prime Minister at a London reception ahead of the Invictus Games in Sydney later this year.

Harry and his bride-to-be will meet servicemen and women from both Britain and Australia, some of whom have previously competed in the international sporting event.

The couple will also learn more about preparations for this years games at the reception hosted by Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy at Australia House on Saturday.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada (Danny Lawson/PA)

More than 500 competitors  made up of sick and injured military and veterans  from 18 nations are expected to compete at the Invictus Games in Sydney between October 20 and 27.

It is expected Harry, who is patron of the Invictus Games Foundation which oversees the delivery of the tournament, will travel to Australia for the event with Ms Markle, who will by then be his wife.

When Toronto hosted the Paralympic-style event last year the former Suits star, who at the time was living and working in the city, attended the opening and closing ceremonies and visited competitors with Harry.
Vinyl fans across the UK are spending the night queuing outside record stores in a bid to get their hands on limited edition releases.

Saturday marks the 11th annual Record Store Day with avid music fans and stores gearing up for what has turned into one of the industrys busiest days of the year.

(PA Graphics)

Dozens of reports of queues outside shops were shared on social media ahead of the opening of stores who have been inundated with a string of special vinyl records.

Everyone from Abba to Bob Dylan are celebrating RSD 2018 by issuing new vinyl while there are also re-releases from Arcade Fire, The Who, and AC/DC.

The queue has begun !

Good luck to everyone - weather looks good !

Doors will be open at 7 and we will be selling From 8@RSDUK #Huddersfield pic.twitter.com/3Bya1uc8ie  Vinyl Tap Records (@vinyltaprecords) April 20, 2018

Meanwhile American comedian Adam Sandler is also cashing in as he releases his 1993 debut album Theyre All Gonna Laugh At You! on vinyl for the first time ever.

Weve just said good night to the #RSD18 records... oh and the queue! Here they are enjoying their @FrielsCider 

Dont let their earliness put you off, weve ordered a lotttt of records! Plenty to go around!

See you bright and early tomorrow for RECORD STORE DAYYYY! @RSDUK x pic.twitter.com/EpOXqIjCR1  David's Music (@DavidsMusicLGC) April 20, 2018

In the UK more than 200 independent record shops will sell special vinyl releases to eager fans and host artist performances.

#RSD2018 queue at @BanquetRecords is slowly growing  I hope everyone brought sunscreen pic.twitter.com/PpufyHRQqX   Chibi Shibby  (@ChibiShibby) April 20, 2018

Among those stores reporting queues on Friday night were Davids Music in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, who shared a photo on Twitter of five vinyl enthusiasts camped down for the evening.

Vinyl Tap Records in Huddersfield wrote: The queue has begun ! Good luck to everyone  weather looks good.

Sohos Sister Ray Records reported their queue had begun at around 6pm while VODMusic in North Wales reported their first overnight queues at 5.45pm.

Great to see Vod regulars Toni, Paul and Keith the first three in the queue at 5.45pm! @RSDUK @rsd @Megwam @BBC6Music pic.twitter.com/sv1haSej4P  VOD Music (@VODMusic1) April 20, 2018

Other stores in Stockton On Tees, Kingston, Shrewsbury and Glasgow also reported queues.

Record Store Day launched in the UK in 2008, a year after it had premiered in the US.

On Friday it was revealed a reissue of Radioheads album OK Computer had been the best-selling album in independent record shops since last years Record Store Day.

The album celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017 and first topped the charts in the summer of 1997.

Some 82% of the albums sales in independent record shops over the last year were on vinyl.

The second biggest seller was the special edition of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, which achieved bumper sales in its 50th anniversary thanks partly to an enhanced anniversary release.

In third place was Ed Sheerans Divide, which dominated the charts in 2017, followed by LCD Soundsystems American Dream and Queens Of The Stone Ages Villains.

Independent record shops account for more than a quarter of the sales of 12-inch vinyl and more than half of the newly resurgent cassette market.
Prosecutors are considering bringing charges against actor Ed Westwick in two cases, Los Angeles district attorney has confirmed.

The prosecutors office said on Friday that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has handed over a second file on the British actor, 30.

The former Gossip Girl star was forced to deny a public allegation of rape as multiple women accused him of sexual assault in the Me Too movement ignited by Harvey Weinsteins downfall.

Westwick faced allegations in the Me Too movement ignited by Harvey Weinsteins downfall (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office spokesman Greg Risling said two cases have been handed over by the LAPD, the first on March 20 and then on April 5.

Both remain under review, he added.

The attorneys office did not respond to requests for more information on the allegations. The LAPD was also unable to immediately provide details, but previously said it was investigating a sexual assault allegation.

Westwick, in a since deleted tweet, issued a rebuttal after the first claim of assault by an actress.

I do not know this woman, he wrote.

I have never forced myself in any manner, on any woman. I certainly have never committed rape.

In another since-erased message, he said he was cooperating with police to clear his name.

In a move echoing the removal of Kevin Spacey from All The Money In The World, the BBC scrubbed Westwick from its adaptation of Agatha Christies Ordeal By Innocence.

Actor Christian Cooke replaced Westwick, originally from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, in re-shoots for the series which also starred Bill Nighy and Anna Chancellor.
A stalker broke into Taylor Swifts New York City townhouse and took a nap, police said.

Officers investigating a reported break-in on Friday found 22-year-old Roger Alvarado asleep in the pop stars home in the Tribeca neighbourhood.

Alvarado, of Homestead, Florida, was arrested on charges of stalking, burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing.

Swift was not at home at the time of the break-in (Evan Agostini/AP)

He was arrested at the same address on February 13 on charges of breaking the front door with a shovel.

Swift was not home during Fridays break-in.

The multi platinum-selling recording artist has dealt with stalkers on both coasts.

Police said a Colorado man arrested on April 14 outside a Beverly Hills home owned by Swift had a knife, a rope and ammunition.
US president Donald Trump is planning on visiting the UK in the summer, it is reported.

Mr Trump has not visited the UK since he was elected to the White House in November 2016, with a potential visit to London to open the US Embassy in January not taking place.

The Daily Mail report a visit from Mr Trump has been pencilled in for July, while the Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed US official saying the president was looking at coming in the late summer.

Mr Trump cancelled a visit to the UK to open the new American embassy, criticising its move from Grosvenor Square in the prestigious Mayfair district of central London to an off location at Nine Elms, south of the Thames.

The president blamed the cost of the new embassy and its location south of the River Thames, saying it was a bad deal.

Theresa May was one of the first foreign premiers to visit the US president (AP)

His cancellation prompted media speculation that reasons for the snub included that Mr Trump had been offended by perceived slights against him by UK public figures.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of endangering the so-called special relationship after he said president had got the message from Londoners and would have been met by mass peaceful protests if he went ahead with the visit.

The president has endured a turbulent relationship with Mrs May since taking office, with the Prime Minister publicly criticising statements he has made on Muslims, terrorism and climate change.

However Mr Trump said he was grateful for the support from the UK and France when a coalition of the three countries conducted targeted air strikes in Syria last weekend.
American DJ Skrillex has paid a touching tribute to Swedish superstar Avicii following his death aged 28.

File photo dated 06/06/15 of Avicii performing during Capital FMs Summertime Ball at Wembley Stadium, London. The Swedish DJ died in Muscat, Oman, at the age of 28, his publicist confirmed.

Skrillex, real name Sonny John Moore, worked with Avicii on the 2011 song Levels, which catapulted Avicii into the mainstream market and later earned him a Grammy nomination.

Skrillex arrives at the 59th annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, was found dead in Oman on Friday afternoon.

In a message on Instagram, Skrillex said: The remix I did of Levels hasnt left my set since I made it back in 2011.

All though we werent close friends I feel this deep sadness through the connection we had through this song. Tim was a truly a genius and an innovator, yet sensitive and humble.

This industry can be rough and from a far I saw it take a tole on him. I just wish I could have hugged him more and told him it would be okay.

Youre music will forever be apart of mine and so many other lives. Maybe thats the closest thing we have to immortality.

I really hope youre essence, wherever it may be in the universe is now at peace.

And if in some miracle you can see this, I hope you know that as long as human beings are alive on this planet, you will forever remain an inspiration. Thank you Tim. RIP.
At least two German tourists have been killed and another 10 injured when their minibus went off the road and fell into a ravine in the Andes mountains, said authorities in Peru.

Police chief Jorge Castillo said rescuers were trying to retrieve the bodies of two male tourists trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle, which crashed shortly before reaching Chivay, a city 442 miles south-east of Lima.

Mr Castillo said the accident occurred on Friday afternoon when the minibus was on a downhill curve.

German tourists and local residents at the site of a minibus crash in Peru (Andina News Agency via AP)

Video obtained by the Associated Press showed several tourists helping to carry people on stretchers.

The tourists were heading from Arequipa in Perus southern Andes to the Colca Valley.

In November, four German tourists died in another accident in Perus Huancavelica region.
Jo Konta is relishing the challenge of facing Japans rising star Naomi Osaka in their crucial Fed Cup clash in Miki.

Konta brought Great Britain back into the tie with a straight-sets victory over Kurumi Nara to level it at 1-1 after Heather Watson had lost the opening rubber to Osaka.

The British number one holds a 3-0 lead over Osaka in previous meetings but is expecting a difficult encounter on Sunday.

Jo Konta is relishing the challenge of facing Naomi Osaka (John Walton/PA)

 @JoKonta91 defeats Kurumi Nara 64 62 to level the #FedCup World Group II play-off between Japan and Great Britain!



11 pic.twitter.com/jrxTzrSBwP  Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 21, 2018

I havent played her in almost exactly a year and Im looking forward to being on court with her again, said Konta of facing Osaka after her win over Nara.

Im really looking forward to playing against such an in-form player, added Konta in an interview broadcast on the BBC Sport website.

Of her victory over Nara, Konta added: I think through the whole match she did an incredible job to rise to the occasion. She used the energy of the crowd. She made it very hard for me.

I knew I was going to have to earn my way to come through a winner today.

GB team captain Anne Keothavong was full of praise for Kontas performance.

She said: Jos just put in a fantastic performance. Her opponent was able to raise her level but Jo was just too good.

Of the remainder of the tie, Keothavong added: Were ready for it. I feel like the team have prepared as well as they could have done and its going to be a case of whos best on the day.

 How did she get that?? Simply superb from  @JoKonta91!







10 #FedCup pic.twitter.com/eFbCfrsais  Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup) April 21, 2018

Konta was never behind in her opening match in the Bourbon Beans Dome which saw her take a comfortable 6-4 6-2 victory over Nara.

The British number one got off to a flying start and broke her opponents serve in the opening game, only to be forced to save three break points herself before holding to take a 2-0 lead.

Konta needed a second serve ace to hold in game four for a 3-1 lead, before having to work hard again to win game eight and take a 5-3 lead, forcing Nara to serve to stay in the first set.

Nara was able to do that but Konta came through when she finally took the next game on a fourth set point to win the opener 6-4 when Nara hit a forehand wide.

Not to be for Heather #Watson as Osaka takes the opening match 6-2, 6-3 to give Japan a 1-0 lead!



Next up is @JoKonta91! #BackTheBrits  pic.twitter.com/8VmTIQwSao  LTA (@the_LTA) April 21, 2018

Nara made a slow start to the second set as she suffered her second service break of the match in the opening game, a powerful backhand return giving Konta a second break point which she took as her opponent double-faulted.

Konta dug deep to save two break points on her own serve in game two before an ace earned her a 2-0 lead as the second set looked like a repeat of the first.

Konta upped the pressure in game three to claim a second break for a 3-0 lead, only for Nara to break back in game four. But Konta broke again to lead 5-2 and then served out for a 6-4 6-2 victory to level the tie.

Osaka made short work of Watson with a 6-2 6-3 victory to make it five wins from as many Fed Cup matches for the Japanese number one.

Osaka broke Watson twice in the opening set and was again too strong in the second as the British number twos poor form this season continued.

In Sundays reverse singles Watson will face Nara and there will be a doubles match featuring Anna Smith and Gabi Taylor if necessary.
Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert has spoken for the first time since the death of her partner three months ago.

Gilbert opened up on the heartbreak of losing the love of her life and fellow author Rayya Elias in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.

Gilbert, 48, enjoyed incredible success with her memoir Eat Pray Love, which documented her journey across the world following the breakdown of her marriage.

The book  which has sold 12 million copies worldwide and was made into a Hollywood film starring Julia Roberts as Gilbert  even documented her meeting future husband Jose Nunes in Indonesia.

But they split two years ago after Gilbert fell in love with Elias, her female best friend who died from cancer in January, aged 57.

Now, Gilbert has spoken of her heartbreak for the first time.

She told the newspaper: The grief hits you at weird times, and there are weird triggers for it.

And it doesnt matter how expected it was, or even how welcome it was by the end, because of the pain (Elias went through), theres still the great existential crisis. Where did she go? How is she not here? My favourite person has gone: now what?

People have been so kind and generous to me, but when youve lost somebody of that significance, the question is: who are you going to be now? And its too soon for me to tell.

Gilbert was already a relatively successful writer when she released her 2006 memoir, Eat Pray Love.

Julia Roberts arriving for the gala premiere of Eat Pray Love at the Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, London (Yui Mok/PA)

The book chronicled her journey to Italy (Eat), India (Pray) and Indonesia (Love), where she met her future husband.

Two years ago, her marriage broke down and she began a relationship with Elias, who she first met around 2000.

Elias had been diagnosed with incurable pancreatic and liver cancer and the couple held a commitment ceremony last June in front of close friends and family.
Two university student protesters have been killed in Nicaragua in clashes over a social security reform pushed by President Daniel Ortegas government, according to independent media reports.

Police did not immediately confirm the deaths, but images of the two young men were carried in local media and repeated on social networks.

They came a day after a police officer, a protester and a pro-government activist became the first confirmed casualties of the violence.

Dozens more are believed to have been wounded or arrested based on video broadcasts, in days of unrest the like of which has become rare in the Central American nation and which elicited a heavy-handed response.

The Nicaraguan state must fulfil its international obligations to ensure people can freely exercise their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful gathering and association, the UNs human rights office said in a statement.

Masked protesters during a third day of violent clashes in Nicaragua (Alfredo Zuniga/AP)

The Organisation of American States issued its own statement of concern, while also calling on demonstrators to protest peacefully.

The clashes, pitting protesters opposed to the reforms against riot police and pro-government groups such as the Sandinista Youth, have rocked the capital, Managua, and half a dozen other cities over the last three days.

Some demonstrators carried heavy sticks or threw rocks as they faced off against armoured officers with batons and riot shields. One agent was wounded in the leg by a makeshift mortar on Friday in the capital.

Security forces have seized vehicles carrying provisions for the protesters, and at one point police invaded an area near Managuas Metropolitan Cathedral where the Roman Catholic Church had been collecting donations.

In response, protesters burned one of the famous tree of life sculptures that Mr Ortegas government has erected along numerous streets in the city.

A prominent umbrella organisation for Nicaraguan chambers of commerce condemned the violence, called for a peaceful march on Monday and urged authorities to respect freedom of expression.

Vice president, first lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo alleged that violent acts by government supporters were provoked by those opposing the reforms, who she said were in turn being manipulated by political interests seeking to take advantage of the crisis.

These moments are tragic and painful for all our people, for the entire country, Ms Murillo said.

The government said at least 28 police officers have been wounded in the violence, but has not released numbers of protesters hurt or arrested.

The demonstrations come after years in which the opposition claimed electoral fraud by the government, but without street protests reaching such magnitude or intensity.

This is the release of a series of troubles that have been building among the people, sociologist and analyst Melvin Sotelo said, and social security is the drop that overflowed the glass.

The government reforms increase income and payroll taxes and make changes to pensions to try to shore up Nicaraguas troubled social security system.
US President Donald Trump will look to pull off the ultimate charm offensive as he hosts French President Emmanuel Macron at a glitzy White House state dinner.

Wined and dined on multiple state visits during his tour of Asia last year, Mr Trump is paying it forward and celebrating nearly 250 years of US-French relations at the dinner on Tuesday.

Months in the making, it is the first state visit and first big soiree of the Trump era in Washington.

It sounds like what theyre planning will be spectacular, said Jeremy Bernard, who was White House social secretary in 2014, the last time the US feted a French president.

The White House has said little beyond the fact that dinner will be served, sticking to the tradition of trying to maintain an element of surprise for its guests.

In fact, Mr Macron will break bread twice with Mr Trump.

On Monday, the president and Melania Trump will dine privately with Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at Mount Vernon, the home of Americas first president, George Washington, on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia.

The White House said the setting will serve as a reminder of Frances unique status as Americas first ally.

Mr Trump ended his first year without receiving a foreign leader on a state visit, making him the first president in nearly 100 years to do so and heightening the stakes for Tuesday.

Dinner tickets are typically highly sought after by Washingtons political and business elite.

A few inklings of whos in and whos out already are known: Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, is in, as are House Speaker Paul Ryan, and defence secretary Jim Mattis. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was invited, but his office said he is unable to attend.

In a break with tradition, Mr Trump invited no Democratic members of Congress or journalists, said a White House official familiar with the arrangements. But at least one Democrat will be in the crowd: The office of Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards confirmed his attendance.

The US and French flags as seen through the portico of the West Wing (Alex Brandon/AP)

Approximately 150 guests will take their seats in the State Dining Room on Tuesday, making for a more intimate affair than those held by President Barack Obama.

Mr Obamas guest lists numbered into the hundreds, requiring that the event be held in a tented pavilion erected on the South Lawn because no room in the White House can accommodate that many people.

Most of the responsibility for executing a flawless celebration falls to the first lady and her staff, including such key details as what is served (Mr Trump likes wedge salads and chocolate cake) and poured into glasses, who sits next to whom, who performs after dinner and what the decor looks like.

One big moment is the first glimpse of the first lady in her gown. Fashion details are kept secret until the first couple steps on to the North Portico on Tuesday night to welcome their dinner guests.

Former first lady Michelle Obama often used state dinners to showcase the talent of up-and-coming designers. Some designers have cited mr Trumps politics in refusing to dress the current first lady, a former model.

Still, a likely choice would be Dior, the French design house whose fashions Mrs Trump often wears, or Herve Pierre, the French-American who designed her inaugural gown and other looks.

The last time a Republican president hosted his French counterpart was November 2007 when President George W Bush welcomed the newly divorced Nicolas Sarkozy.

When Mr Macrons limousine first pulls up the White House driveway on Tuesday morning, Mr Trump, the first lady, White House and administration officials, and hundreds of invited guests will be waiting on the South Lawn.

The pomp-filled arrival ceremony is for the man who became the youngest president in French history when he was elected in 2017 aged 39 on his first run for office.

The visit also offers Mr Macron his first Oval Office meeting and a joint White House news conference with Mr Trump. Theres also a State Department lunch hosted by vice president Mike Pence before Mr Macron and his wife arrive for the state dinner.
Trade and security issues topped the agenda as Theresa May welcomed her Australian counterpart for talks at Chequers.

Malcolm Turnbull told the PM he was pleased the UK had expressed an interest in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership after Brexit.

Mrs May said the two countries were keen to combat protectionism and promote free trade together.

The two leaders walked in the grounds of Mrs Mays country residence (Aaron Chown/PA)

Mr Turnbull said: Trade is clearly very high on your agenda, as it always is on ours. Trade means jobs.

Thats why we persevered with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, got that signed despite the US dropping out.

And Im pleased to see your Governments interest in potentially joining that at a future date when you have left the European Union.

Mr Turnbull said the international community needed to unite against the threats posed by chemical weapons, cyber attacks and terrorism.

Mr Turnbull planted an English oak tree in the grounds (Aaron Chown/PA)

The Australian PM also said he and Mrs May would reminisce about their student days together at Oxford.

Mr Turnbull planted an English oak tree at Chequers during the visit.
A pensioners body has been found on the coast in the Highlands.

Phylis Robyn had been reported missing on Saturday.

The 78-year-olds body was discovered on the shoreline at Lonemore, near Gairloch.

Phyllis Robin was last seen in the Aultgrishan area of Gairloch (Police Scotland/PA)

Police Scotland said there are no suspicious circumstances and a report will be sent to the procurator fiscal.
Leinster advanced to their first Champions Cup final since 2012 after swatting Scarlets aside in an utterly dominant 38-16 win at the Aviva Stadium.

Leo Cullens men were relentless as they put the Welsh region to the sword, notching first-half tries through James Ryan, Cian Healy and Fergus McFadden, and adding two more after the break from man-of-the-match Scott Fardy and Jonathan Sexton.

They had clearly done their homework after last years Guinness Pro12 semi-final defeat to Scarlets, McFaddens try on the stroke of half-time giving the Irish province a 24-9 half-time lead.

Fergus McFadden goes in for his try (Lorraine OSullivan/PA)

Leigh Halfpennys three penalties from three attempts, and a slight scrum advantage, were Scarlets only positives in this one-sided Celtic clash, and they salvaged some pride late on with a try from their former Leinster forward Tadhg Beirne.

It was Leinsters eighth straight European victory this season and sets up the possibility of an all-Irish final in Bilbao in three weeks time if Munster can come through Sundays semi-final against Racing 92.

Beirne forced an early turnover to lift Scarlets, who had reached the last four for the first time since 2007. Steff Evans then drew a high tackle from Fardy which allowed Halfpenny to smash over a sixth-minute penalty for the lead.

That brought the best out of Leinster, Rob Kearney finding a superb touch and Fardy charging down Aled Davies, before they went wide and Ryan evaded Beirnes attempted tackle and bounced up to score his first try for the province, converted by Sexton.

The hosts were 10-3 in front after fit-again centre Robbie Henshaw had a couple of powerful runs and Scarlets infringed close to the posts, allowing Sexton to widen the margin to seven.

Halfpennys supreme goal-kicking kept the Welshmen within range, despite the concession of a second Leinster try.

A scrum penalty against Healy closed the gap to 10-6 before the Ireland prop, with support from the ever-wlling Fardy, crashed over for a 26th-minute converted score. Sextons initial cross-field kick had seen Steff Evans concede a five-metre scrum.

Halfpenny punished a Daniel Leavy offside seven minutes later, but Leinsters forwards flooded forward from a late penalty and the pressure told, Garry Ringrose flinging a pass wide for winger McFadden to reach over in the right corner ahead of Steff Evans.

Sexton added the conversion for good measure, putting 15 points between the sides at the interval, and Leinster showed no signs of letting up when play resumed.

Tadhg Furlong lost the ball in contact as Scarlets defended close to their line, a Sean Cronin break had Leinster knocking on the door again with Jordan Larmour, a replacement for the injured McFadden, showing his sidestepping ability.

It was Larmour who ripped the ball from Rhys Patchell to set the wheels in motion for the fourth try, Ryan and Fardy combining slickly in the 22 for the Australian international to power over. Sextons conversion made it 31-9.

Leinsters pack came hunting for more, carrying hard on the hour mark before Sexton stepped off his left foot for a smart finish. In contrast, Scarlets knocked on from a gilt-edged lineout opportunity, and they needed Scott Williams last-ditch tackle to deny Kearney a try.

With their strong bench keeping them on the front foot, Leinster missed out on a further try when a lunging Fardy had a 73rd-minute score chalked off for hands in the ruck.

The former Wallaby missed a tackle which allowed Beirne through for his consolation score, with Patchell drop-kicking the conversion.
Tottenhams 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday at Wembley was their eighth successive loss in the last four of the famous competition.

It is the worst run of losses at this stage and means they have not reached the final since 1991.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a look at their previous failings in the semi-finals over the last 25 years.

Manchester United inflicted more FA Cup semi-final misery on Tottenham (Adam Davy/PA)

Arsenal 1 Tottenham 0 (1992-93)

The north London clubs met at Wembley at the semi-final stage of the FA Cup for the second time in three years and Arsenal gained revenge for their 1991 loss. Tony Adams second-half header was enough for the 10-man Gunners, who went on to beat Sheffield Wednesday in the final.

Tottenham 1 Everton 4 (1994-95)

Another run deep into the competition came to an end at the hands of a Daniel Amokachi-inspired Everton. The Nigerian scored twice, with Matt Jackson and Graham Stuart also notching at Elland Road. Jurgen Klinsmann scored a consolation for Spurs from the spot.

Newcastle 2 Tottenham 0 (1998-99)

Spurs did not get much more luck across the Pennines at Old Trafford as Newcastle downed George Grahams side in extra-time. A goalless 90 minutes was followed by two Alan Shearer goals in the additional period as they suffered more semi-final heartache.

Arsenal 2 Tottenham 1 (2000-01)

Tottenham were back at Old Trafford two years later, bizarrely for another north London derby. Spurs were big underdogs but took an early lead through Gary Doherty. But Patrick Vieira levelled before the break and Robert Pires gave Arsene Wengers side a place in the final and bragging rights.

Tottenham 0 Portsmouth 2 (2009-10)

One of Spurs biggest disappointments was their Wembley clash with Portsmouth, who were on a fast-track to relegation from the Premier League. The league form went out of the window, though, as extra-time goals from Frederic Piquionne and Kevin-Prince Boateng sent Pompey through to the final.

Tottenham 1 Chelsea 5 (2011-12)

A London derby humbling came in 2012 as Spurs were blitzed by Chelsea. Quickfire goals either side of half-time put the Blues 2-0 up before Gareth Bale gave Tottenham hope. But three goals in the final 13 minutes saw Roberto Di Matteos men run wild.

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 2 (2016-17)

Chelsea were again the opponents as Spurs fell short again. They would have fancied going on to win when Dele Alli equalised at 2-2 early in the second half after Willian scored for Chelsea either side of Harry Kanes goal. But it was Antonio Contes side who kicked on, booking a final spot thanks to goals in the final 15 minutes from Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic.
Durham were routed inside five sessions as Kent seamer Matt Henry left Emirates Riverside with a career-best match haul of 12 for 73.

Having already bagged five wickets in Durhams first-innings surrender, the New Zealand international continued to enjoy Division Two life, snapping up seven for 45 as the hosts fell for 170 on day two.

Daniel Bell-Drummond led a trifling chase of 93, finishing 45 not out as Kent wrapped up a nine-wicket win that leaves plenty of time for celebration and recuperation.

Kent win by 9 wickets at Durham!



DBD (45*) punches through the covers to seal the win after a gritty stand with Heino Kuhn (36*).



Scorecard & video highlights:https://t.co/0dsgOP3ayK pic.twitter.com/WcJCbWCfck  Kent Spitfires (@KentCricket) April 21, 2018

Back in the top flight, defending champions Essex left Lancashire a victory chase of 320.

Last years star duo of Jamie Porter and Simon Harmer took one wicket apiece to end the Red Roses first innings in the morning, both bowlers securing five-fors in the process.

Harmer then did more heavy lifting with the bat, scoring 49 in a century stand for the eighth wicket alongside top-scorer James Foster (69).

Tom Bailey, Graham Onions and Joe Mennie each took three wickets as the innings subsided for 313 at stumps.

| @SimonHarmerRSA & @jamieporter93 are on  and it's only the second game of the season!



This is now 5-wicket haul no. 8 for Porter & no. 5 for Harmer in an Essex shirt!  #ESSvLAN pic.twitter.com/aQs1eNb4ni  Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) April 21, 2018

Surrey built a strong position against Hampshire at the Kia Oval, reaching stumps with a 281-run lead and six second-innings wickets in tact.

Sam Curran and Rikki Clarke finished with matching figures of four for 39 as the visitors went from 52 for three overnight to 147 all out.

The Brown Caps then moved to 217 for four on the back of steady half-centuries from Scott Borthwick (74) and Ben Foakes (50no).

Surreys Sam Curran shared eight Hampshire wickets with Rikki Clarke (Adam Davy/Empics)

At Headingley, wickets for Ben Coad and runs for Gary Ballance allowed Yorkshire to work themselves into a similar position of strength against Nottinghamshire.

Coads four for 49 helped dismiss Nottinghamshire for 188, a deficit of 68.

Captain Ballance then anchored things from the crease, closing 76no from 150 balls as the White Rose posted 189 for four.

Gary Ballance is building a healthy lead for @YorkshireCCC!



Will he see the day through? Follow here: https://t.co/FNYiXcfEwo pic.twitter.com/6ZZwYxfiVi  LV= Insurance County Championship (@CountyChamp) April 21, 2018

Worcestershires Ed Barnard kept his side in the conversation against a James Hildreth-inspired Somerset.

Barnard hit a maiden fifty and took career-best figures of five for 37, but Hildreths 111no meant it was Somerset who ended 278 in front on 255 for nine.

James Hildreth hit an unbeaten century for Somerset against Worcestershire (Ben Birchall/PA)

Elsewhere in Division Two, hosts Derbyshire saw Ben Slater and Luis Reece take control over Middlesex with an unbroken opening stand of 118.

South African seamer Duanne Olivier laid the groundwork with four wickets as Middlesex gave way for 157, then Slater and Reece took over to establish a 226-run lead.

Australias Ashes star Shaun Marsh gave Glamorgan the edge over Gloucestershire in Bristol, cracking 111.

Australias Shaun Marsh struck a century on day two for Glamorgan (Jason OBrien/PA)

He underpinned the Welsh countys 296 for five, a 60-run lead at the mid-point of the match.

A second first-class hundred from number seven, Michael Burgess, allowed Sussex to declare against Leicestershire, whose response was strong.

Burgess undefeated 101 and Ishant Sharmas 66 allowed Luke Wright to call his side in at 438 for eight only for the Foxes to post 112 for two.

REPLAY: The moment @mgkburgess went to his century and then the reception he received on his way in from the middle.



Brilliant to see such warm applause from the @leicsccc supporters. #gosbts pic.twitter.com/Bw6utVBMaH  Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) April 21, 2018

Tim Ambroses 17th career hundred put Warwickshire firmly in control against Northamptonshire at the County Ground.

Ambrose (103), Sam Hain (85) and Henry Brookes (70) all contributed to 413 and a formidable advantage of 266.

Ben Duckett and Rob Newton added 41 without loss for Northants but the road ahead remains a long one.
A teenage survivor of the Manchester Arena bombing qualified for the next round of Britains Got Talent as she returned to the city of the attack to audition.

Hollie Booth, 13, and her dance troupe, Rise, performed to a medley of Ariana Grande hits less than a year after the youngster attended the pop stars concert where a suicide bomber killed 22 people including Hollies aunt, Kelly Brewster.

The 11 dancers, aged between 10 and 24 years old, performed the dance with wheelchairs in support of Hollie who spent weeks in hospital and had multiple operations following the suicide bombing.

She was praised by Simon Cowell for her efforts at the audition as the dance group received four yes votes from the judges.

Cowell said: Hollie  this is difficult  to get through what you went through and come out here and turn a negative into a positive is actually quite unbelievable.

What these people did, theyre cowards, and the fact that you can come on stage and do what you did and make such a positive statement with your friends, Im very proud of you.

In fact I salute you, he added.

Hollie broke her right knee and her left foot and leg as well as suffering nerve damage meaning she cannot walk without wearing a splint.

Also making it through was a priest who brought the crowd to tears with his moving rendition of REMs Everybody Hurts.

Father Ray Kelly, 64, from Oldcastle, County Meath in Ireland was one of Cowells favourite ever auditions.

The judge added: I thought your voice was beautiful, I loved the version of the song, this was everything weve been waiting for, genuinely.

A stand-up comedian who cannot speak also made it through after David Walliams told him it was one of the best stand-up routines he had ever seen.

Lee Ridley, 37, who performs under the name Lost Voice Guy, has cerebral palsy which has left him unable to speak thus meaning he used his iPad to deliver a unique comedy routine.

TV presenter Anthony McPartlin (centre) outside The Court House in Wimbledon, London, after being fined A86,000 at Wimbledon Magistrates Court after admitting driving while more than twice the legal alcohol limit (Steve Parsons/PA)

Rock star pensioner, Jenny Darren, who sings AC/DCs Highway to Hell and a pair of balancing Vietnamese acrobats were also given four yeses by judges.

The episode, which was recorded in January, marked Ant McPartlins first appearance on TV screens since he was banned from the road for 20 months and fined 86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal limit earlier this week.

After McPartlin, of Chiswick, west London, was charged, ITV announced the Saturday Night Takeaway host would step back from his TV commitments, with co-presenter Declan Donnelly presenting the final two episodes of the show on his own.

While he is currently appearing in the pre-recorded auditions, ITV confirmed Donnelly will host the Britains Got Talent live shows without his TV partner of almost 30 years.
Failure to secure a free trade deal with the European Union will be disastrous for Britains 28 billion processed food and drinks industry, MPs have warned.

The cross-party Commons Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee said a reversion to World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules would have a seismic impact on the countrys largest manufacturing sector.

It warned that without full access to EU markets, exports of processed products such as chocolate, cheese, beef, pork and soft drinks would suffer while consumers in the UK would face higher prices and less choice on the supermarket shelves.

The committee warned of the impact of no deal on the processed foods industry (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The committee said British participation in the single market and customs union had led to an over reliance on EU markets which accounted for 60% of the 22 billion in processed food and drinks exports in 2017.

It said the industry, which employs 400,000 people  a third of them EU nationals  would undeniably suffer if Britain left without a trade deal and was forced to fall back on WTO rules.

The EUs most favoured nation tariffs under WTO rules would be disastrous for UK exports and must be avoided at all cost, the committee said.

A no deal scenario would be unviable and unacceptable to the sector as, at least in the short term, the EU is the UKs main trading partner. It would also have serious repercussions for importers of UK products in the EU and the rest of the world.

The committee warned that if UK tried to lower or remove tariffs on imports after Brexit, the consequences for British farming could be extremely serious while the impact on prices in the shops was likely to be very limited.

It said that Britain should remain as close as possible to EU regulations warning that UK consumers would not tolerate any lowering of standards.

It also urged the Government to seek a deal on immigration which allowed the industry continued access to EU labour  both skilled and unskilled  on which it was heavily reliant.

The committee chairman Rachel Reeves said: The success of the industry has been highly dependent on participating in the single market and customs union.

To ensure the continued success of our food and drinks industry, the Government must provide clarity and certainty on our future relationship with the EU and seek continued regulatory, standards, and trading alignment with the EU in the processed food and drink sector.
Buddhasasana Minister Gamini Jayawickrama Perera said yesterday the ban of pandals on Vesak and Poson Poya Days would not be changed and stressed the need to focus on the spiritual aspect of religion rather than on mundane activities.

He told Daily Mirror that this prohibition on pandals would only apply to April 29, the Vesak Poya Day and May 29 the Poson Poya Day and that pandals could be put up on the other days.

The minister had imposed this restriction last month but the Government Information Department said the government had not taken a policy decision to ban dansals and pandals on Vesak and on Poson Poya Days.

He said the ministry had requested the people to refrain from putting up pandals only on Vesak and Poson Poya Days following a request made to him by the Mahanayake Theras.

This decision was made to safeguard Buddhist principles and encourage Buddhists to engage in spiritual activities during Vesak and Poson, the minister said.

He said all concerned including the Police had been informed to impose this restriction on pandals on the specified days while dansals can be held on these days.

The ministry will soon make a proposal to the Cabinet to prohibit pandals on Vesak and Poson Poya Days applicable to every year. A national policy will be implemented in this regard, he said. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)
Twenty-eight years ago on the 19th April 1990 Dr. H.W. Jayawardene, QC, a colossus in the legal profession, passed away whilst on a visit to India. It was the end of an innings of a great legal luminary Sri Lanka had produced. It was a loss not only to his wife Claribel, son, daughters, in-laws and grandchildren, but to the legal fraternity at large.

The late Dr. Jayawardene was an advocate par excellence and at the time of his death, had completed 49 successful years at the bar. Born to a family of lawyers, Dr. Jayawardene was conferred silk at an early age. Fame and success came to him within a short period, thanks to hard work. Civil law was his forte and the later years of his practice was dedicated to the appellate courts where he excelled in every case he appeared in. The law reports of Sri Lanka and England bear ample testimony to his brilliance.



The legal fraternity of Sri Lanka owes a deep gratitude to Dr. Jayawardene for his contribution to the legal profession in many ways. When the Bar Association of Sri Lanka came into being in 1975, he was its first President. When there was a move by the then Government to shift the courts from Hulftsdorph to Bambalapitiya, it was Dr. Jayawardene who steered the opposition with success. He was instrumental in getting the Government of China to construct the Superior Courts Complex in Hulftsdorph which to-date houses the several appellate courts, the Supreme Courts, including the ceremonial Supreme Court, the judges chambers, the Ministry of Justice etc. Even the trees that stand in the said superior courts complex were planted under the strict stewardship of Dr. Jayawardene. Many others in his position would have wished to get their names inscribed in a prominent place in the Court Complex for posterity, but not Dr. Jayawardene QC who was a true leader of the Bar.



Dr. Jayawardene was a keen student of the law and a great teacher who was always willing to share his knowledge with fellow members of the profession. The large number of lawyers who learned the intricacies of the law in the chambers of Dr.Jayawardene QC include judges, politicians, senior practitioners, Presidents Counsel and several others. The high calibre advocacy, meticulous chamber work and academic approach to any legal issue are some of the valuable lessons Dr. Jayawardene imparted to juniors under his wing. When I started my career as a lawyer at his chambers we were well aware of the hard work put in by Dr. Jayawardene to serve his clients. There are several cases where he worked pro-deo. Dr. Jayawardene enjoyed working with his juniors in chambers and in courts and ensured that they were well equipped to be exemplary in the profession. I am happy to note that Dr. Jayewardenes grand-daughter Shahila Wijewardena, a law graduate from England who completed her Attorneys in Sri Lanka and apprenticed in my chambers, is now a busy practitioner in the chambers of Harsha Amarasekara PC and is following in her grandfathers footsteps. Coincidentally Amarasekara PC and I were the last two juniors of Dr. H.W. Jayawardene QC Chambers.



The other contributions made by Dr. Jayawardene to the country were not limited to the legal field. He held several important posts in the public and private sector including the post of Chairman of the Sri Lanka Foundation. He also led the team that participated in the Thimpu Talks in order to reconcile the burning issue of terrorism at that time. He was a perfectionist and his achievements were far too many to mention in an appreciation. A few years ago the Bar Association of Sri Lanka named its main Auditorium in Hulftsdorph as the Dr. H.W. Jayawardene QC Auditorium, which was a fitting tribute for his services to the legal profession.

He was a true Buddhist who followed the precepts of Gautama Buddha. He practised his religion in a quiet way. Dr. Jayawardene was a devoted husband and a wonderful father. It is said that writers leave behind their books and teachers leave behind their students. Dr. H.W. Jayawardene QC was a largehearted man and a great guru to several in the legal profession.

May he attain Nirvana.

(Harsha Cabral)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said he will suspend all missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site with immediate effect, BBC reported a short while ago.

"From 21 April, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," it said quoting the Korean Central News Agency.

The decision is aimed at pursuing economic growth and peace on the Korean peninsula.

Mr. Kim is due to meet his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in next week.

He is also expected to hold an unprecedented summit with US President Donald Trump by June. If it takes place, it will be the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.

"This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress!," Mr Trump tweeted after Kim Jong-un's announcement.

On Thursday, the US leader said there was a "bright path available to North Korea when it achieves denuclearisation".

A spokesperson for the South Korean president called the North's move "meaningful progress".

"It will also contribute to creating a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming South-North summit and North-United States summit," a statement from President Moon Jae-in's office said.
The private sectors in Sri Lanka and Iran should cooperate closely for the implementation of joint projects following the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said.

According to the Financial Tribune, Mr. Wickremesinghe has said positive developments have taken place in Sri Lankas economy.

The private sector has become very active here, and we are seeking to set up meetings with Irans private sector, he told Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in Colombo on Thursday.

The prime minister said Sri Lanka is keen to enhance trade ties with the Islamic Republic in various areas.

The bygone era of sanctions was a difficult time. We believe the remaining issues should be resolved and the conditions should be facilitated so that businesses from both countries can easily work together, he said.
Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara yesterday said that 20 Tourist Police Posts will be established within this year at identified tourist hotspots across the country to prevent the harassment of tourists.

A Dutchman and two women tourists were reported to have been brutally assaulted at Water Creatures Beach Guest Restaurant & Surf Bar in Mirissa on April 8 when resisting attempts of sexual harassment.

Addressing a press conference in Colombo, the minister said Rs.30 million has been allocated to strengthen the Tourist Police by the Government via Budget 2018. This, he said, was in addition to the Rs.50 million that had been allocated for the same in the 2017 Budget.

Minister Madduma Bandara said the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) will also offer support to make this a reality.

He said that 14 individuals had been arrested by the Police in connection with the assaults that took place in Midigama and Mirissa adding that the law will be strictly enforced and punishment meted out to anyone found guilty over the incident.

Meanwhile, Tourist Minister John Amaratunga said that after the proposed police posts are set up identified areas there would be regular beach patrols to curb harassment of tourists.

He said they would also seek Naval assistance in this regard to curb any illegal activities that occur at sea or on the sea shore.

Minister also informed the press that no embassy or foreign authority had contacted the ministry in relation to the attack in Mirissa so far. However, setting a bad precedent, he said several embassies had directly contacted several relevant bodies and inquired about the matter with guidelines on how to prevent such incidents from taking place in the future.

Minister Amaratunga said that embassies should have consulted the Tourism Ministry as a first priority. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by Indika Sri Aravinda, Buddhi

Pic by Lasantha Kumara
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Fake Democrat Butner and actual Democrat Campa-Najjar



Under normal circumstances, no one would be looking at as red a district as CA-50 (inland San Diego County) as flippable-- even in a wave election cycle. The PVI is R+11. Obama lost it both times (59-40% and 60-38%) and Trump thumped Hillary 54.6% to 39.6%. But Duncan Hunter is about to be indicted for stealing campaign cash and a Democrat has a chance to beat him. The progressive in the race, Ammar Campa-Najjar, was endorsed by the state Democratic Party. He's raised the most money in the race as well (as of the March31, FEC reporting deadline):

 Ammar Campa-Najjar (D)- $707,571

 Duncan Hunter (R)- $666,074

 Josh Butner (D)- $594,695

 Shamus Sayed (R)- $253,179

Campa-Najjar also has the most cash on hand. So why is the DCCC and the establishment leaning towards Butner? Is it because they're racists? That could be part of it. Is it because Butner is conservative, just like DCCC operatives Kyle Layman and Jason Bresler? Partially. But most of all, it's because Butner is an "ex"-Republican. The DCCC loves "ex"-Republicans. (They endorsed another one yesterday, Gil Cisneros in Orange County.)





The Intercept from the Registrar of Voters contradict those filings, showing that he was a registered Republican at least through the 2010 election. Butner did not vote in any elections, either primary or general, between 2010 and 2016, when he ran for the school board. But the records show that at some point between 2010 and 2012, he switched his voter registration status from Republican to 'no party preference.'" And he refused to discuss the revelations with Grim. Ryan Grim was the first to report that Butner was not just a Republican pretending to be a Democrat , but that he lied about it as well. Butner, wrote Grim "certified certified to the California Secretary of State in his election filings that he has been an independent-- known there as 'no party preference'-- since 2008. His filing shows he registered as a Democrat in 2016, four months before he announced his bid for Congress. But state voting records obtained byfrom the Registrar of Voters contradict those filings, showing that he was a registered Republican at least through the 2010 election. Butner did not vote in any elections, either primary or general, between 2010 and 2016, when he ran for the school board. But the records show that at some point between 2010 and 2012, he switched his voter registration status from Republican to 'no party preference.'" And he refused to discuss the revelations with Grim.





He voted in the Republican primary in 2008. He's never voted in a Democratic primary until 2016 when he registered as a Democrat for the first time.
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By CNBC , April 20, 2018





The Democratic Party on Friday sued President Donald Trump's presidential campaign, the Russian government and the Wikileaks group, claiming a broad illegal conspiracy to help Trump win the 2016 election.





The multimillion-dollar lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court says that "In the Trump campaign, Russia found a willing and active partner in this effort" to mount "a brazen attack on American Democracy," which included Russian infiltration of the Democratic Party computer network.

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By LA Focus News Paper , April 20, 2018





Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, is laying heat on two former FBI administrative officials, James Comey and Andrew McCabe, who played prominent roles in the investigation of Russian election meddling.





This week, Congress released a portion of the memos kept by fired FBI director James Comey that he wrote after conversations with President Donald Trump in 2017. The memos can be found online.

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Cuba's new president vows to defend legacy of Castro

Miguel Diaz-Canel, the man chosen to continue the legacy of Fidel and Raul Castro, was born in Villa Clara province a year after the triumph of the 1959 Cuban Revolution.

Cubas nation embarked on political transition after nearly 60 years of Castro rule.

Cubas new president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, began his term on Thursday with a promise to defend the socialist revolution led by the Castro brothers since 1959, giving a sober speech that also emphasized the need to modernize the islands economy.

The son of a teacher and a mechanical plant worker, Miguel Diaz-Cane was only two years old when the Cuban missile crisis erupted and seven when Che Guevara was executed at a schoolhouse in La Higuera, Bolivia.

He graduated from the Central University of Las Villas in 1982 as an electronics engineer and joined the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, where he served until 1985.

The mandate given by the people to this house is to give continuity to the Cuban revolution in a crucial historic moment. Diaz-Canel, 57, told the assembly in his first speech as president.

Castro will retain considerable clout as the head of the Communist Party until a congress in 2021. Diaz-Canel, praising the reforms he ushered in as president, said Castro would remain the leader of the revolution and would be involved in major decisions.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got invited by his self-proclaimed biggest fan to the prom, and of course, he surprised the teen with an awesome response.

Johnson is arguably one of the most in-demand wrestler-turned-actors nowadays, but it's surprising that fame doesn't get to his head, still appreciates his fans, and knows how to treat them nicely. Apart from sheer talent, these might be the reasons he was remained loved by Katie Kelzenberg, a senior student at Stillwater Area High School.

Kelzenberg, a hardcore fan of the actor, has a lot of The Rock merchandise and even dressed up as his idol in Halloween. It's a known fact among her friends as well, as she was given a life-size standee of Johnson for her birthday. That's why, for her prom, she invited the Rampage star to her prom on May 5th.

The Invitation

Wearing a black top and a fanny pack, Kelzenberg tried to convince Johnson to go with her to the prom via Twitter, even presenting it through a "punny" question: "Will you 'ROCK' it at prom with me?"

However, Johnson couldn't make it but made sure his fan will still get to see him, at least on the big screen. Kelzenberg, and probably her schoolmates, got quite a surprise when during her AP statistics class, as the announcement via the Intercom came. But wait, it isn't just any ordinary broadcast.

"You're probably thinking 'What?!! What is The Rock doing on our intercom system?' Well, I'm sending a message to a very special young lady, and her name is Miss Katie Kelzenberg," Johnson said.

The San Andreas actor then went on to express his gratitude for Kelzenberg, whom Johnson referred to as "cool" and "awesome," for her unique way of inviting him to the prom. However, he explained he couldn't come because of a conflict in schedule, as he is going to be shooting for the film Jungle Cruise in Hawaii.

The video of Johnson making the announcement was uploaded by the wrestler-comedian himself on his Instagram, which was simultaneously posted as the broadcast was aired, and he expressed his admiration for the young lady for her confidence. He pointed out the most girls shy away when they meet him.

To further prove his love for his fan, he instead gave Kelzenberg an extraordinary chance: to watch Rampage at a nearby theater with the cinema all to herself. Johnson then said she can invite 232 people, her friends and whomever she wants to, and even their unlimited snack will be provided, thanks to her idol.

"Thanks for being an AWESOME FAN and I'm a lucky dude to have fans like you.

Uncle DJ," Johnson wrote with his clip.
A day after news broke out that Natalie Portman opted to skip out of an award ceremony in her home country, Israel, the actress finally reveals the real reason behind her choice.

The 36-year-old thespian was invited to grace the Genesis Prize ceremony on June 28, as she was revealed to be 2018's Genesis Prize Laureate in November last year. Because of her cancellation, the organization had to nix the event altogether, fearing their organization might be "politicized."

The organization was told by Portman's representative that distressing events in the Asian country had been one of her reasons for not attending the ceremony. Furthermore, the spokesperson said the Oscar Award winner was "not comfortable participating in any public events in Israel."

Being the awardee would mean that Portman will receive $1 million, which according to the press release of the organization, would be donated to programs that focus on women's equality. The Genesis Prize acknowledges exceptional individuals who serve as role models to Jews.

Clarification

To refrain further misunderstandings and hearsays on the matter, Portman decided to air her statement. This was also done to clarify her decision and ultimately, without batting an eyelash, reveal the reason behind her cancellation.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, was supposed to give a speech during Portman's acceptance ceremony and she said she didn't want her attendance to be misinterpreted like she was endorsing the politician. The Black Swan actress also explained she was not a part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The Star Wars actress further underlined her right to be critical of the administration in her birth country without having to protest against the whole Israel. Portman explained her deep love of her roots and the country's culture and pointed out that it became a sanctuary for refugees during the Holocaust.

"But the mistreatment of those suffering from today's atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power," Portman said.

Flak

Her statement came on the heels of a statement by Miri Regev, Israel's culture minister, that insinuated that Portman joined the BDS campaign. Since opting to pull out on her supposed-to-be appearance, she also drew flak from Israel's Likud party. Politician Oren Hazan even requested for her Israeli citizenship to be revoked.

However, this wasn't the first time Portman expressed her disagreement with the leader of Israel. In a 2015 interview with Hollywood Reporter, she explained she was against Netanyahu and was dismayed that the politician was reelected.
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Fruit flies have a much better vision than what was previously believed in the scientific community. Researchers from the University of Sheffield (UK), the University of Oulu (Finland), Max IV (Sweden) and University of Szeged (Hungary) are on ID16B trying to find out what happens in the photoreceptors in these insects eyes.

It had always been claimed that flys eyesight was very basic, but I couldnt believe that after so many centuries of evolution this was still the case, explains Mikko Juusola, head of the Centre for Cognition in Small Brains at Sheffield University. So he started studying vision in fruit flies a decade ago and last year himself and his team debunked previous hypothesis: they proved that insects have a much better vision and can see in far greater detail than previously thought.

Insects compound eyes typically consist of thousands of tiny lens-capped eye-units, which together should capture a low-resolution pixelated image of the surrounding world. In contrast, the human eye has a single large lens, and the retinal photoreceptor array underneath it is densely-packed, which allows the eye to capture high-resolution images. This is why it was believed that insects did not have a good eyesight. Until Juusola came in the picture.

The research team from left to right: Neveen Mansour, Raimund Mokso, Julie Villanova, Joni Kemppainen, Paulus Saari, Jussi-Petteri Suuronen, Mikko Juusola & Marko Huttula ESRF/C. Argoud

Juusola and his colleagues found that photoreceptor cells underneath the lenses, instead, move rapidly and automatically in and out of focus, as they sample an image of the world around them. This microscopic light-sensor twitching is so fast that it cannot been seen with our naked eye. It took us seven years to come up with these results. The paper we published last September was 149 pages long as we wanted to include all the information that prove our hypothesis, explains Juusola.

Today, Juusola is at the ESRFs ID16B with colleagues from the University of Oulu in Finland, Max IV in Sweden and University of Szeged in Hungary to gain knowledge on the photoreceptors at the nano level and to try to create mathematical models of how well compound eyes can capture the visual world.

Marko Huttula (University of Oulu, Finland), Jussi-Petteri Suuronen (ESRF) and Mikko Juusola (University of Sheffield, UK) on ESRF's ID16B beamline. ESRF/C.Argoud

Juusola, a medical doctor by training, explains that there could be applications for cameras, for example, where the mechanism of the flys eye would be replicated. Ive been told in different conferences that I should patent our findings or that I should approach companies, but to be honest, I just want to know what takes place in the flies eyes as I find it fascinating. If the general public can one day benefit from all these experiments, then it is a bonus, he concludes.

Reference:

Juusola et al. eLife 2017;6:e26117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26117

Text by Montserrat Capellas Espuny
Germany is going to accept refugees under an EU program to resettle people that are considered particularly vulnerable while the controls on the German-Austrian border are likely to be prolonged for another half a year.EU Commissioner for Refugees Dimitris Avramopoulos confirmed that the country would be taking in more than 10,000 refugees from North Africa and the Middle East. He added that the German government had committed itself to being a key player in the EUs latest resettlement program. The German government is once again there when it comes to international solidarity, Mr. Avramopoulos said.

The EU program focused on vulnerable people provides a legal, direct, and safe route to Europe for refugees in need of protection. At least 50,000 of the most vulnerable refugees from crisis areas are to be accepted by the EU by 2019. Other member states have already made a commitment to resettle 40,000 refugees, meaning that the programs objective has been achieved. The EU Commission announced in September last year that it would pay member states to accept 50,000 refugees from Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, and Sudan in an attempt to stabilize the flow of migration from across the Mediterranean.

Since the peak of the migrant crisis in Europe in 2015, Germany has had more than 1 million people apply for asylum in the country. The 2016 data by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees show that the largest number of migrants originates from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea.
BMW SA Open hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni

Glendower GC, City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa
cakeverite said: I'm one month into a one-year apartment contract and just found out I need to relocate for work in a month. Are there any websites or places I can look for someone to take over my lease? There doesn't seem to be a place for that on Dubizzle unfortunately. Click to expand...

Youll need to involve the landlord if you havent done so already ..... depending on their attitude it may or may not be as simple as finding someone to take over the lease. If they are reasonable it could be put in the hands of an agent again and back on the rental market.
THE Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) believes current mechanisms are effective when it comes to minimising the impact of genetically modified (GM) crops contaminating non-GM properties.

The department made the comment in its submission to the Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs that is looking at whether there should be compensation for economic loss to WA farmers who have suffered contamination by GM material.

Last Wednesday the committee drilled down on submissions from DPIRD and the CBH Group as part of its inquiry.

In its submission DPIRD said different systems internationally relied on both tort law and strict liability, or a combination of both.

As well as consideration of potential mechanisms for compensation schemes, the committee is encouraged to see how changes may be made to tort law to meet the standards of non-GM farmers, if this were deemed necessary and appropriate, the submission said.

DPIRD acknowledged there was potential for GM crops to mix with non-GM crops, including from windborne pollen or seed.

It said these factors were taken into consideration by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator before it granted approval of GM canola as a legal commercial crop.

DPIRD said ultimately growers would choose whether or not they want to grow varieties of crops based on their own business decisions.

The CBH Group does not have a view on non-GM growers being compensated for the contamination by GM material.

The co-operative said it provided WAs 4200 grain growers with market choice by offering a robust and quality-assured supply chain that was able to store, handle and market GM and non-GM grain.

CBHs grower receival standards for non-GM canola allow a low level presence (LLP) of up to 0.90 per cent of a GM event approved by the Australian Government Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, the submission said.

This is consistent with the tolerance permitted by the European Union, Australias major trading partner for non-GM canola.

Since the adoption of GM canola to WA, no shipments have been rejected by our trading partners due to the unintended presence of GM material.

Sam West, a grain and sheep farmer from Wagin, is one of the who many had lodged a submission (see his comments in the Letters section on page 12 of this edition).

Mr West said he urged the government not to compensate non-GM farmers who may be affected by contamination.

He labelled as absurd the way the community was focussing on GM as the only possible cause of loss through contamination.

The proposed legislation if progressed will, without doubt, stifle the agricultural industry in this State on a number of levels, Mr West said in his submission.

It has the potential to regress the enormous advances that have been made in farming practices over the years by taking away farmer choices for fear of recrimination and litigation.

Further development of broadacre farming will be put at risk as over-regulation will diminish the funding for further research and development.

Mr Wests submission said it was one-sided legislation against GM farmers and did not take into account the more prevalent instances of organic farming practices contaminating the likes of modern and conventional crops through their lack of weed control.

It solely sets out to vindicate the GM industry that globally has been scrutinised, analysed and peer-group tested and found to be safe on all levels, the submission said.

Mr West has urged members of the committee to acknowledge the science surrounding GM crops, the significant agronomic and environmental benefits of growing GM canola and not to entertain the emotional, unscientific rhetoric of anti-GM lobby groups.

The hearings will continue next Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, April 24, as well as on Thursday, May 3, where the committee will consider arguments from a wide cross-section including GM-Free Farmers, GM Cropwatch, Gene Ethics, the Grain Industry of WA, Pastoralists and Graziers WA, WAFarmers and CropLife Australia.

The committee is headed up by Labor MLC Matthew Swinbourne and includes fellow MLCs Colin Holt (The Nationals WA), Samantha Rowe (Labor), Tim Clifford (The Greens) and Steve Thomas (Liberals).
WITH an uptick in the mining industry, ag labour issues are starting to become a topic again.

Torque is lending an ear to industry concerns  machinery dealers, town businesses and farmers, all of whom have voiced issues of either retaining staff or attracting people who want to work.

Nobody has a defined answer to this multi-faceted problem, but there is one common understanding  money.

Thats the honey pot which is the mining industry.

But as one machinery dealer told Torque this week, how many people attracted to the mines can calculate their net-after-tax income.

Although their income will still be greater their sacrifices are far greater, he said.

It would be unrealistic to expect staff to work 12 hours a day, seven days a week for two or more weeks straight, because you cant compare ag to mining with such a schedule.

But it would be interesting to see how many people with country jobs would readily take up a different lifestyle as a so-called FIFO worker if their weekly wages were increased by $20 an hour.

Which begs the question: Why cant ag become a honey pot?

The short answer is because the industry is so uncoordinated.

A mining protest gets government attention.

Activists get government attention.

Ag? Yeah, no.

Ironically politicians have a big picture of the industry, often citing it, incorrectly, as the food bowl of Asia.

They get the need for food.

They dont get the processes that enable them to sit down for meals every day.

If they did we probably wouldnt be talking about a skilled labour shortage in ag or the attractions of the mining honey pot.

To some full-glassers, ag already is a honey pot  great lifestyle, people, industry.

Unfortunately you cant get away from the wish for great wages.

If we take politicians at their word, that Australian agriculture is of profound importance to the nations economy, then it follows they should adopt the same financial attitude they do to the mining industry and provide tax breaks and tax incentives to the ag industry.

For many businesses Torque has spoken with, including several large farm operations, abolishing payroll tax would be a good start to reducing the cost monkey on the back of ag.

Another viewpoint is for ag to be on the same playing field as mining with incentives such as location allowances to encourage people to move into regional WA.

The point is that governments would gain a return on investment, eliminating the hand-out mentality that still lingers, particularly with metropolitan people, who perceive that ag always has its proverbial hand out.

Those people and politicians, would do well to remember that while agriculture, per se, only contributes about three per cent to the nations GDP, agribusiness, which includes service industries, food manufacturers, food processors, food wholesalers and retailers etc, accounts for significantly more and employs more than 1.6 million people, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science (ABARES).

Minings contribution to GDP is about eight per cent while employing a little over 300,000 people.

Is the tail wagging the dog here?

Weve heard ad nauseum, from politicians, about the need for regional development.

Well, put agriculture on the same platform as mining.

Give it dignity and respect and watch the ag industry Make Australia Great Again, to paraphrase Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, et al.
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DALLAS (dpa-AFX) - AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) are under investigation by U.S. antitrust officials over whether the companies colluded to make it tougher for consumers to switch wireless carriers, Bloomberg reported citing three people familiar with the matter. Apple Inc., a pioneer in the eSIM technology that makes switching easier, was joined by other equipment makers in complaining to the government about the carriers' practices. The department issued demands to the companies and the GSMA, a mobile industry standards group, for information on possible collusion, the report said. Regulators have pressured the phone companies to make it easier for consumers to switch carriers. The big four -- Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile US Inc. and Sprint Corp. -- agreed in 2013 to let consumers use smartphones on other networks after contracts expire. The following year President Barack Obama signed legislation giving consumers the freedom to switch between wireless carriers without having to purchase a new phone. Verizon spokesman Rich Young reportedlt said in an emailed statement that the matter is 'a difference of opinion with a couple of phone equipment manufacturers regarding the development of e-SIM standards. Nothing more.' AT&T reportedly said it's aware of the investigation and has provided information to the government in response to its requests. The company said it 'will continue to work proactively within GSMA, including with those who might disagree with the proposed standards, to move this issue forward.' 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.
AMSTERDAM, April 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Norgine B.V. today announced new data showing that there is a strong correlation between higher cleansing scores and increased polyp detection rate (PDR) and adenoma detection rate (ADR).

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/597589/Norgine_Logo.jpg )



The adenoma detection rate (ADR) is one of the primary quality measures of colonoscopy and an indicator of the likelihood of subsequent patient colorectal cancer.

The data were presented at the European Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE) 2018, oral presentation, OP251, 21 April 2018, 11:36 to 11:48 am.

This post hoc analysis determined the relationship between BBPS* scores and adenoma and polyp detection rates in patients who had identical scores in each of the three colon segments, using pooled data from three similarly designed Phase 3, multicentre, randomised trials: NOCT, MORA and DAYB.

Overall colon High- Odds ratio lesion Quality: Adequate : detection High- Adequate Low-Quality Adequate Low-Quality rates (95% CI) (95% CI) Quality(N=166) (N=950) (N=54) [P-value] [P-value] 1.60 0.90 (1.14-2.24) (0.50-1.60) PDR, n (%) 91 (54.8) 396 (41.7) 22 (40.7) [0.0067] [0.7104] 1.97 0.75 ADR, n (%) 71 (42.8) 247 (26.0) 15 (27.8) (1.39-2.80) (0.39-1.43) [0.0001] [0.3829] LR Analysis of Association between 0.0239 Uniform BBPS Score Group and PDR, P-value LR Analysis of Association between 0.0006 Uniform BBPS Score Group and ADR, P-value

Table 1. PDR and ADR by uniform BBPS score

Similar results were shown with the use of the Harefield Cleansing Scale** - Higher Harefield Cleansing Scale Scores are associated with improved lesion detection: post hoc analysis of three randomised and central reader-assessed phase 3 clinical trials, oral presentation, OP249, 21 April 2018, 11:12-11:24 am.[ii]

Dr Cesare Hassan, Gastroenterology and Endoscopic Unit, Nuovo Regina Margherita Hospital, Roma RM, Italy said: "For the first time, the use of two independent, validated, cleansing scales demonstrate that higher segmental cleansing quality is associated with higher lesion detection rates. As a result, patients should use a high quality bowel cleanser to facilitate early detection and removal of abnormalities in order to prevent colorectal cancer."

Colonoscopy is a vital screening procedure to detect and remove adenomas and polyps that could otherwise lead to colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality in Europe, with over 447,000 new diagnoses every year.[iii] Colorectal cancer is largely preventable, with early detection being associated with a 90% cure rate.[iv]

*Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) is a 10-point scale assessing bowel preparation after all cleansing manoeuvres are completed by the endoscopist.[v]

**Harefield Cleansing Scale is a robust, reliable, and consistent tool that has the potential to improve the effective standardization of bowel preparation assessment in both clinical and research practice.[vi]

View the media release in fullhttp://www.norgine.com/media.

i. Hassan C. et al. High-quality cleansing improves lesion detection during colonoscopy compared to adequate cleansing: post hoc analysis of 1170 central-reader assessed patients in three randomised phase 3 trials. Oral Presentation. ESGE 2018

ii. Manning J. et al. Higher Harefield cleansing scale scores are associated with improved lesion detection: post hoc analysis of three randomised and central reader-assessed phase 3 clinical trials. Oral presentation. ESGE 2018

iii. Epidemiology of colorectal cancer in Europe. Source: GLOBOCAN 2012

iv. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html . Accessed 10 April 2018

v. Edwin J. Lai et al. The Boston Bowel Preparation Scale: A valid and reliable instrument for colonoscopy-oriented research. Gastrointest Endosc. 2009 Mar; 69(3 Pt 2): 620-625 [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pubmed&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks&id=19136102 ]

vi. Halphen M [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Halphen%20M%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23531426 ].. Validation of the Harefield Cleansing Scale: a tool for the evaluation of bowel cleansing quality in both research and clinical practice. Gastrointest Endosc. [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23531426 ] 2013 Jul;78(1):121-31. doi: 10.1016/j.gie.2013.02.009. Epub 2013 Mar 24.

Media contact: Isabelle Jouin,ijouin@norgine.com .
ZURICH-SCHLIEREN, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2018 / Molecular Partners AG (SIX: MOLN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of drugs known as DARPin therapies, announced today that preliminary results from the ongoing Phase 2 study of MP0250 with bortezomib and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) were presented at the 1st European Myeloma Network Meeting in Turin.

The presentation in Turin focused on results from the first dose cohort of MP0250 with respect to safety and efficacy. Eight patients were treated with 8 mg/kg of MP0250 and five out of these eight patients showed a documented response: Four patients reached a partial response (PR) and one patient reached a very good partial response (VGPR) at the cut-off date. Four out of the five patients are still on treatment with individual treatment durations of 13, 21, 24 and 33 weeks, respectively. The safety profile was consistent with the known safety profiles of bortezomib and MP0250, respectively. The independent dose escalation committee recommended to continue the clinical study at the higher dose of 12mg/kg and the first patient in the second dose cohort has been dosed recently.

Prof. Dr. Hartmut Goldschmidt (Medical Clinic V, University clinic Heidelberg), the Primary Investigator of the phase 2 study, commented: "We are encouraged by the initial efficacy and good tolerability data of MP0250 in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Despite upcoming new treatment options, multiple myeloma remains an incurable disease and new molecules with innovative mechanism of actions are needed."

"We are pleased by the remarkable activity and the good safety profile that we have seen in the first cohort of this study. We are looking forward to patients being treated with the higher dose of MP0250 (12 mg/kg) and the additional phase 1b/2 study of MP0250 in combination with osimertinib in EGFR-mutated NSCLC," said Dr. Andreas Harstrick, Chief Medical Officer at Molecular Partners.

MP0250 is a proprietary DARPin drug candidate neutralizing VEGF and HGF and thus blocking key escape pathways and resistance. Increases in VEGF and HGF are associated with disease progression in multiple myeloma and have been linked to poor prognosis. They are known to be able to stimulate neovascularization, bone destruction, and myeloma proliferation, migration, and adhesion in the bone marrow. MP0250 shows activity in many preclinical tumor models, including in multiple myeloma models in which it enhances the effects of bortezomib on inhibition of M protein production and bone lysis and reduces invasion of tumor cells. MP0250 has shown a favorable safety profile in a phase 1 clinical study in 45 patients with advanced solid tumors.

In the ongoing phase 2 clinical study1, the safety and efficacy of MP0250 is examined in combination with bortezomib (Velcade) and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who have failed standard therapies. The study is performed in Germany, Poland and Italy. A total of 40 patients are planned to be treated, 12 patients in the dose-escalation phase (Part 1) to establish a safe dose, and an additional 28 patients in the dose-expansion phase (Part 2) resulting in a total of 34 patients at the target dose.

Additional safety and efficacy data are expected by the end of 2018.

An additional phase 1b/2 study will evaluate MP0250 in combination with osimertinib in patients with EGFR-mutated NSCLC pretreated with osimertinib. The study is conducted in the US and is open for patient enrollment2.

1ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03136653

2 ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT03418532

Financial Calendar

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
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2018 / Along with the constant flux of real estate pricing, market swings, and population shifts, other factors like technology have begun to reshape the way investors should be monitoring the Big Apple. Expert property investor Jacob Frydman discusses the ways that mobile platforms are impacting how properties are assessed, bought, and sold in New York City.

The currently immediate availability of data, services, and information, on-hand 24 hours a day through the rampant advancements of smartphones, has created a requirement of instant gratification. The way people are doing business, even substantial transactions, is changing rapidly. StreetEasy was one of the first apps offered that brought the advantages of multiple listing services to an area that formerly did not have access. With an agent advertising program and other built-in options, this application begins to show how technology can enhance the industry. Offering a newly accessible level of transparency, buyers and sellers now have an on-going trusted connection to all aspects of the process. The market is being transformed by mobile platforms that provide better methods for consumers and agents to move quickly and stay connected. There is also a shift into a more community or team mentality to direct people to the homes and amenities they need, in a fast and structured way. Rather than competing amongst each other, everyone involved is appropriately matched to meet their exact specifications.

Jacob Frydman encourages professional oversight, and values the improvements modern innovations allow. He notes that another interesting app affecting the city's real estate market is Compass, a real estate listing app that combines technology with the human touch of their highly skilled professionals. This user-driven program seeks to benefit both buyers and sellers as well as the agencies representing them. Verified listings, precise property value information, and market trends are only some of the existing options and centralized to a specific neighborhood or area. The system is designed to give a more holistic perspective of a potential asset purchase. Simplifying the real estate transaction so as to expedite the process for everyone involved is a natural progression of technology available.

Jacob Frydman has more than 30 years of experience in property ventures in New York City. As the Chief Investment Officer of the First Capital Real Estate Trust, he has extensive knowledge of the commercial, residential and mixed property. As a recognized leader in his field, he has managed more than $2 billion in investment transactions and has developed over five million square feet of real estate during his career. After retiring, Mr. Frydman is often engaged as a speaker, panelist or specialist on the topic of asset management, development, and finance. Native to New York he is passionate about serving the Jewish community and contributes time and resources to many organizations including; the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE), The Rhinebeck Jewish Center and The Bren Foundation.

Jacob Frydman - Blog - JacobFrydmanNews.com: http://JacobFrydmanNews.com

Jacob Frydman (@jacobfrydman) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacobfrydman

Jacob Frydman -- Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/jacob-frydman

Contact Information:

JacobFrydmanNews.com

contact@jacobfrydmannews.com

www.JacobFrydmanNews.com

SOURCE: Jacob Frydman
ORANGE COUNTY, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2018 / As new forms of technology appears, there becomes a new platform from which to advertise and grab the attention of those who have begun to integrate it into their lives. Nick Kohlschreiber, media expert and a renowned entrepreneur from California, points out that a profound transformation of marketing techniques is already well underway, as consumers spend an increasing amount of time on their smartphones and computers. This has created a challenge for brands as they seek to connect with customers through all these devices in real-time, while also developing advertising campaigns that are effective in social media, display advertising, and e-commerce.

Sweeping technological advances and the expansive outreach of social media has permanently altered the nature of marketing as a whole, a sentiment Guardian contributor David Benady noted prior to a panel discussion with industry executives. "Real-time conversations brands have with people as they interact with websites and mobile apps have changed the nature of marketing," Benady wrote. "The modern-day marketing department needs to combine the creative side of the discipline - using powerful narratives to tap into people's wishes and aspirations - with the technical side of data, digital engineering, and analytics." The potential reach of an advertising campaign has also broadened. Facebook, YouTube, online news websites, and integrated apps for smartphones and tablets now allow strong ideas to quickly spread and influence in the span of a single day. "If you come up with that nugget of an idea, you've now got such reach that you can expand that and get tremendous coverage just from a little niche idea," said Mark Singleton, head of marketing at betting brand Paddy Power.

Various technological tools enable modern marketing techniques to provide a highly personalized customer experience, often through insightful analytics providing a more targeted audience. As the number of tools and options continues to grow at rapid rates, marketers are faced with increasingly complicated decisions while deciding on their strategy. Nick Kohlschreiber, media genius, encourages them to carefully weigh the numerous choices available and focus on methods that best fit their brand while offering the highest level of direct access to their targeted consumer base. Kohlschreiber also advises companies to constantly reevaluate their strategies in light of emerging entities that may ensure even higher degrees of innovative and strategic advertising. By continuing to embrace evolutions in technology, marketing experts can stay ahead of the latest trends, adapting to changes while receiving optimal results.

Media guru, Nick Kohlschreiber is an experienced businessman and entrepreneur, beginning his career at a young age as the head of marketing at an online wholesale product company, where he invigorated sales with his innovative approach to the online selling and direct shipping of products to its consumers. Now the owner of a media company based in Newport Beach, Kohlschreiber oversees hundreds of employees and tens of thousands of clients every day while striving to further the connections to the modern communication platforms -- from document preparation to online, multimedia-driven business development. In his spare time, he is a dedicated philanthropist assisting both local charities and various international non-profit organizations.

Nick Kohlschreiber - Expert in Modern Marketing: http://www.nickkohlschreibernews.com

Nick Kohlschreiber - Business Entrepreneur & Founder of TeleTree: http://nickkohlschreiberreviews.com

Nick Kohlschreiber - Creative Marketing Solutions Expert: http://nickkohlschreibermarketing.com

Contact Information

NickKohlschreiberNews.com

www.NickKohlschreiberNews.com

contact@nickkohlschreibernews.com

SOURCE: Nick Kohlschreiber
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Actress Natalie Portman has announced that she will not attend the June awards ceremony of the so-called "Jewish Nobel" prize there despite winning the honor, the Genesis Prize Foundation said Thursday.

On Friday, the actress issued her own statement, claiming the reason for her decision was "mischaracterized by others."

The statement read:

"My decision not to attend the Genesis Prize ceremony has been mischaracterized by others. Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony. By the same token, I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it. Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance. Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from todays atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.

"Please do not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own.

"This experience has inspired me to support a number of charities in Israel. I will be announcing them soon, and I hope others will join me in supporting the great work they are doing."

Previously, the foundation said it was informed by Portman's representative that the Jerusalem-born Oscar winner feels that "recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her" and that "she cannot in good conscience move forward with the ceremony."

As a result, Portman "does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel," the Genesis foundation said.

The prize ceremony will reportedly be canceled as a result of Portman's decision.

Israel has come under increasing scrutiny for its response to mass protests on the Gaza-Israel border, in which 28 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli fire since March 30.

Earlier this month, Israel's top defense official praised the sniper who shot a motionless Palestinian near the Gaza fence in a video that circulated widely on Monday, saying he "deserves a medal."

The demonstrations at the border are a new attempt by Hamas to break a crippling, decade-old Gaza border blockade by Israel and Egypt that's made it increasingly difficult for the Islamic militant group to govern.



NATALIE PORTMAN SAYS SHE 'VERY MUCH REGRETS' SIGNING PRO-ROMAN POLANSKI PETITION

The Genesis foundation said it was "very saddened" by Portman's decision. "We fear that Ms. Portman's decision will cause our philanthropic initiative to be politicized, something we have worked hard for the past five years to avoid," it said.

The prize was launched in 2013 to recognize Jewish achievement and contributions to humanity. Previous recipients include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman and sculptor Anish Kapoor.

When Portman was announced late last year as the 2018 recipient, she said in a statement released by organizers at the time that she was "proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Dwayne The Rock Johnson had a special surprise on Friday for a Minnesota high school senior who asked the actor to prom.

In a video posted Twitter, Katie Kelzenberg asked Johnson an important question: Will you ROCK it with me at prom?

Days later, the teen got her answer. While in her AP statistics class at Stillwater Area High School, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, a recorded announcement came over the loudspeaker:

Im going to start this Friday morning announcement off with a little bit of fun and a little bit of excitement. Youre probably thinking What? What is The Rock doing on our intercom system? Well, Im sending a message to a very special young lady, and her name is Miss Katie Kelzenberg, he said.

The Rock had to unfortunately tell the superfan -- who has a Dwayne Johnson pillow, T-shirt, action figure and even a cutout of the actor, according to the Pioneer Press -- that he would not be able to make it to prom on May 5. The actor will be in Hawaii filming his new movie, Jungle Cruise, he said.

But the scheduling conflict didnt stop Johnson from giving Kelzenberg the surprise of a lifetime. The Rock announced that he rented out a local movie theater for the teen to watch his recently released movie Rampage.

"I decided to rent out an entire theater (capacity 232 seats) in her town so Katie and her closest 232 friends and family can enjoy a special screening of RAMPAGE," Johnson wrote on Instagram. "And all the free popcorn, candy and soda high school kids can consume! Your moneys no good Katie... everything is on Uncle DJ."



I couldnt believe it. I was so surprised, the teen said, according to the Pioneer Press. I just kept thinking, He saw me! He knows who I am!

I like that he interacts with his fans so well. He takes time out of his day to connect with them, Kelzenberg added.
When Paris Jackson posted an Instagram video of herself in March walking along the ledge of a skyscraper, it gave her family flashbacks.

One relative compared it to the infamous 2002 incident in which Paris father, Michael, dangled his then-infant son, Blanket, over a fourth-floor balcony of the Hotel Adlon in Berlin.

But this is worse than that because I still think Michael had control of Blanket and they werent nearly as high up as Paris is in this video, the relative told Page Six. Shes lost it. She really has.

In the clip, the wild-child 20-year-old daughter of Michael Jackson can be seen hanging out with her rumored girlfriend, model-actress Cara Delevingne, 25, and some friends at a restaurant. The video shows Paris and Delevingne talking loudly to one another, failing to complete sentences and staggering about.

It then cuts to Paris walking on a ledge as vehicles and pedestrians could barely be seen seemingly dozens of stories below.

She momentarily loses her balance, before slipping back into Delevingnes arms.

I almost died! Paris captioned the video which is no longer on the platform.

Everyone saw that video, and even though we all knew that shes now OK, watching it was so traumatic that nobody wants to show it to either Katherine or Joe, the relative said of Paris paternal grandparents.

Jackson insiders reveal a shared fear that Paris is out of control and, per a family source, heading for a serious meltdown.

Right now, there are no plans for an intervention, according to the family source. Its not happening, but everyone will regret it if she dies out there.

The worries are compounded by the young womans troubled past, which has, by her own accounts, included three suicide attempts and a history that includes self-harming, being cyber bullied and sexually assaulted, and struggling with sobriety and self-esteem issues.

Read more on the New York Post.
Verne Troyer, known for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movie series, died on Saturday, a spokesperson for the actor and his social media pages confirmed.

The actor, who was born with achondroplasia dwarfism, was 49, E News reported.

It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today, the statement read. Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh.

Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible, it continued. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday.

The post went on to describe how Troyer inspired people and exceeded expectations. Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if hed be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined, the post said. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know.

AUSTIN POWERS MINI ME ACTOR VERNE TROYER HOSPITALIZED

It also said he was a fighter and had his share of battles during his life, but unfortunately this time was too much.

Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, its never too late to reach out to someone for help, the post said.

In early April, Troyer was hospitalized after a reported poisoning, People Magazine said.

A statement later posted to the actors Instagram page on April 3 read, Asking you to keep Verne in your thoughts and prayers. Hes getting the best care possible and is resting comfortably. Appreciate the support from family, friends, and fans around the world. We will keep you updated here.

AVICIIS EX-GIRLFRIEND RESPONDS TO THE DJS SUDDEN DEATH

About a year ago, the actor was admitted to the hospital for alcohol addiction, People Magazine reported. The actor took to Instagram on April 6, 2017 to tell fans that hed been receiving treatment and added, With your support, I got this.

As you know, Ive battled alcohol addiction in the past and while its not always been an easy fight, Im willing to continue my fight day by day, he wrote.

Troyer took on the role as Dr. Evils diminutive clone, Mini-Me, in the "Austin Powers" movies, which starred Mike Myers as the British spy, Powers, and Dr. Evil, his archnemesis.
Following an E. coli outbreak in 16 states, officials are expanding their warning, advising people to avoid buying all types of romaine lettuce grown in Arizona.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an updated statement on Friday urging consumers not to buy or consume romaine lettuce unless you can confirm it is not from the Yuma, Ariz., growing region.

Based on new information, CDC is expanding its warning to consumers to cover all types of romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Ariz., growing region. This warning now includes whole heads and hearts of romaine lettuce, in addition to chopped romaine and salads and salad mixes containing romaine.

The new warning comes after investigators discovered that inmates from a correctional facility in Alaska became ill after reportedly eating lettuce from whole heads of romaine lettuce from the affected region, the CDC said.

Unless the source of the product is known, consumers anywhere in the United States who have any store-bought romaine lettuce at home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick, officials warn.

There have been 53 reported cases in 16 states. Of those infected with the E. coli strain, 31 people have been hospitalized. Although there are not reported deaths, five people have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a kind of kidney failure.

Pennsylvania appears to have the highest number of illnesses, but cases have also been reported in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Virginia and Washington.

Symptoms can appear on average after three to four days, and usually include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. Although infections can be severe or even life-threatening, most are usually mild and clear up within a week.

Fox News Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.
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North Korean dictator Kim Jong Uns surprise announcement that his nation will suspend tests of nuclear weapons and missiles and close its nuclear testing site sounds like a momentous victory for the U.S. Its not  at least, not yet.

Kims announcement Saturday (local time) may simply be a ploy to ensure President Trump meets with Kim in the coming weeks, conferring international prestige on the dictator and paving the way for the lifting of international economic sanctions crippling his impoverished nation.

Before we start singing Give Peace a Chance and celebrating a victory by the Trump administration for forcing Kim to back down, lets pause. Remember that Kim simply made a statement  and he has a long record of lying and breaking promises on the nuclear issue and other issues.

While Kims conciliatory words are certainly welcome, theres no way of knowing whether he will actually do what he claims.

Before we start singing Give Peace a Chance and celebrating a victory by the Trump administration for forcing Kim to back down, lets pause. Remember that Kim simply made a statement  and he has a long record of lying and breaking promises on the nuclear issue and other issues.

At this point, Kim has given away absolutely nothing. All he has to do is give an order and North Korea can resume testing nuclear weapons and missiles again.

And of critical importance, Kim gave no indication he plans to destroy his small but devastating nuclear arsenal and missiles that he has already developed  or his large conventional armed forces and armaments. He already has the ability to kill millions of people with the nuclear weapons and missiles that he has on hand, without developing any new ones.

Kim may simply be trying to show signs that he is willing to make major concessions to have better relations with the United States, South Korea and Japan, along with the international community. He has plenty of reasons to be on his best behavior over the next few weeks, showing that he can be reasonable, rational and open to a long-term detente.

The North Korean leader will meet on Friday in the week ahead with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. And plans are underway for the first-ever meeting between U.S. and North Korean leaders in coming weeks.

Remember the cold hard reality of what we witnessed back in 2017. Kim might not need to conduct many more missile or nuclear tests to know he can hit targets in the U.S. homeland.

Kim tested three intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)  part of a sprint of over 20 missile tests last year  that showed North Korea had the range and technological prowess to strike as far as New York City and even Washington, D.C.

In September, Kim also tested a hydrogen bomb  the most destructive of all nuclear weapons. One of these bombs could wipe any U.S. city off the map, with horrific casualties.

So Kim is now very close to having a fully capable, albeit tiny, nuclear force with global reach. All that is needed is the ability for his warheads to re-enter the Earths atmosphere and land on target.

And we know, at least according to one report, that Kim has at least a crude capability to see his warheads survive the massive heat and wind shears to rain down atomic terror on his enemies.

So what does this all mean?

Since Kim last tested an ICBM  or any missile  in November, he has had months of lab research time to perfect even more of his nuclear weapons arsenal and missiles.

Kim may have gambled that announcing a closure of his atomic testing grounds and suspending missile and nuclear weapons tests will gain him tremendous international goodwill, a meeting with the U.S. president  and result in him losing nothing.

Kim could easily start to test missiles at any time he wishes. And he doesnt need missiles flying all throughout Northeast Asia to perfect the targeting, guidance, command and control and heatshield technology of his nuclear delivery systems in small ways.

Perfecting all these things could have very big results months or years down the line if Kim decides to change his mind and begin missile testing again.

The same goes for nuclear weapons. Just because Kim closes his nuclear testing area doesnt mean he cant open it back up again. The testing site  a series of carefully crafted deep underground tunnels that took time to construct  is not a sophisticated lab. So lets not get carried away and be so impressed.

Again, as I noted just recently in a Fox News Opinion piece, what Kim is likely doing is setting the craftiest of traps  one designed to suck the Trump administration into months or years of negotiations.

All the while, Kims scientists are working to perfect his deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction  not just nuclear weapons, but also chemical and likely biological weapons as well.

The Trump administration must move past Kims dramatic announcement that was designed to pull at our emotions and make us hopeful that peace is at hand.

We must demand deeds, because as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Particularly in Kims case.

For example, the Trump administration should insist on a roadmap whereby Kim lays out how he will get rid of his nuclear weapons for good  before any U.S.-North Korea summit.

Any agreement with the North should be contingent on international inspectors having 24-hour access to all parts of North Korea  with no site off limits and no notification of access. If inspectors are not allowed to go anywhere, anytime in North Korea without notice there is no real basis for a deal.

Also, any lifting of the international maximum pressure campaign on North Korea must be contingent on Kim making measured and definable progress on giving up his nukes. He must give verifiable proof that he is getting rid of his atomic arsenal to see economic sanctions lifted.

While I am hopeful that Kim could really be sincere in giving up his nukes, public declarations and easily reversed measures are meaningless. I can only hope the Trump administration sees it the same way.
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It would be unconstitutional for Congress to prevent President Trump from firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing Russias interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Im not saying that firing Mueller would be a wise move politically, nor am I urging the president to do so. Thats another issue.

But under the Constitution, it is beyond the power of Congress to limit or impose conditions on any presidents authority to remove a political appointee within the Justice Department or any other department in the executive branch.

Whether you think Donald Trump is an absolutely wonderful president or an absolutely awful one, this holds true, as it does for all other presidents, regardless of political party.

Senators Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., are nevertheless pressing ahead to seek passage of legislation they are sponsoring called the Special Counsel Integrity Act. Under this bill, only the attorney general could discipline or remove a special counsel.

If the attorney general has been recused from the case (as Attorney General Jeff Sessions is with the Russia probe), then the most senior Department of Justice official who has been confirmed by the Senate could exercise this authority under the bill.

The bill further provides that a special counsel can be removed only for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause. The special counsel has to be notified in writing of the specific reason for his removal, and the special counsel is given the right to file a lawsuit contesting his removal.

But despite denials by its proponents, this bill violates basic constitutional principles. Under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, the president is given the authority to appoint  with the approval of the Senate  Ambassadors, other public Ministers, and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States.

Congress is also allowed, by law, to vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

What this means is that the president staffs the executive branch with more than 4,000 political appointees. Only about a quarter of these have to be approved by the Senate. The rest are inferior officers who can be appointed directly by the president or other top executive branch officials, such as Cabinet secretaries.

All of these officials  with the exception of judges and certain other officers (for example, the heads of federal agencies such as the Federal Election Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission) serve at the pleasure of the president. That means they can be removed by the president for any reason or no reason.

The fact that a Cabinet official may appoint political subordinates  such as a special counsel  does not take away the authority of the president to remove those subordinates.

In 1926 in Myers v. U.S., the U.S Supreme Court held that the grant of executive power to the president in Article II to make appointments carries with it the power of removal.

The reason for this recognized constitutional principle is that those in charge of and responsible for administering functions of government, who select their executive subordinates, need in meeting their responsibility to have the power to remove those whom they appoint.

This is particularly relevant to the Justice Department. Under Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, the president is charged with ensuring that the Laws be faithfully executed. That presidential authority has been delegated to the Justice Department under the presidents direction, guidance and control.

However, that delegation does not void the power of the president to remove either the attorney general or any of the other political appointees within the Justice Department. And Robert Mueller is a political appointee  not a civil service career employee protected by merit system protection rules.

The Supreme Court has held that Congress can limit the ability of the president to remove the heads of certain independent agencies. In 1935, in Humphreys Executor v. U.S., the court held that Congress can set the period of time that the heads of such agencies  in that case the Federal Trade Commission  hold office and limit the presidents authority to remove them except for cause.

The Supreme Court said this is because independent agencies such as the FTC have quasi legislative or quasi judicial functions. The FTC is an administrative body created by Congress to carry into effect legislative policies embodied in the statute  and to perform other specified duties as a legislative or as a judicial aid. It is not an arm or an eye of the executive.

Neither the Justice Department nor the special counsel fall within this exception. The Justice Department is, in fact, an arm and an eye of the president in his constitutional duty to take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.

The bill that Senators Tillis and Coons are pushing is similar to a provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley law that the Supreme Court found unconstitutional in 2010 in Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

That law set up a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, with governing members appointed by the commissioners of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The board members could be removed only for cause by the SEC, and the SEC commissioners themselves could also be removed only for cause by the president.

As a result, there were two layers of protected tenure between the president and the Oversight Board.

The Supreme Court held that this double layer violated the presidents executive appointment power. Without the ability to oversee the Oversight Boards conduct, the president cannot carry out his duty to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed.

The president has to have some power of removing those for whom he cannot continue to be responsible because the buck stops with the President, the Supreme Court said.

Tillis and Coons are attempting to take away the presidents power to ensure the accountability of subordinates within the Justice Department. That is a direct, frontal attack on his constitutional authority.

Supporters of this bill will no doubt point to another Supreme Court case, Morrison v. Olson, in which the Supreme Court in 1988 upheld the constitutionality of the now-defunct independent counsel law.

This is the law under which independent counsels such as Ken Starr were appointed by a group of federal judges to conduct far-ranging investigations of executive branch officials  including President Clinton  that seemed to never end.

Congress allowed the independent counsel law to expire in 1999 after much criticism of the constitutionality and wisdom of such a law.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote a scathing dissent over the basic violations of constitutional principles posed by a prosecutor who is unaccountable to the chief law enforcement officer of the United States  the president.

Scalia described the independent counsel law as a wolf (that) comes as a wolf. The investigation and prosecution of crimes is a quintessentially executive function and the executive power of our government is solely vested in the president, the justice said.

Thus, according to Scalia, the Presidents constitutionally assigned duties include complete control over investigation and prosecution of violations of the law.

In any event, Mueller is not an independent prosecutor chosen by federal judges. He is an employee of the Justice Department, which is an executive branch agency entirely under the authority of the president.

So the bottom line is that Congress cannot limit the presidents authority to remove a political appointee such as Mueller.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was right to voice his concern over the Tillis-Coons bill, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took the correct path in announcing that there will be no floor vote on this unconstitutional proposal.
A D.C. council member is under fire for allegedly donating $500 to a Nation of Islam event in which leader Louis Farrakhan declared that powerful Jews are my enemy, a new report claims.

According to The Washington Post, Trayon White Sr. made the Jan. 29 donation from an account for his constituents.

The private funds were reportedly raised by lawmakers with the intention of being used for members of the community.

Instead White, a Democrat representing Ward 8, allegedly donated to the Nation of Islams Saviours Day, a weekend gathering each year in which Farrakhan made controversial comments about Jews.

At that February event, Farrakhan railed against Jews, who he claimed were in charge of the FBI and were responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out turning men into women and women into men. At the event, Farrakhan also reportedly claimed that both powerful Jews and the government were his enemies.

White told The Post that he didnt know about the donation, but defended the group in broader terms.

The Brothers from the Nation are of the few men that show up to help . . . us address crime and social ills in Southeast. They also run a feeding program in several public housing communities in ward 8, White reportedly wrote in a text message to the outlet. Im a Christian but I support a lot of people and all religions who support my community.

An official with White's constituent fund told The Post that White personally ordered the funds be provided to the group.

He said to me, I want you to make a payment to the Nation of Islam for Saviours Day, Darryl Ross, the fund's treasurer, told The Post. So I went on the website to get the information I needed in order to make the payment.

The controversy surrounding the contributions follows an outcry over previous anti-Semitic remarks White has made. Last month White claimed that rich Jews control the weather.

"Man, it just started snowing out of nowhere this morning, man," White said in a Facebook video. "Y'all better pay attention to this climate control, man, this climate manipulation.

"And thats a model based off the Rothschilds controlling the climate to create natural disasters they can pay for to own the cities, man."

During the 19th century, the Rothschild family had one of the world's largest fortunes, amassed through banking and other endeavors.

In a subsequent visit to the Holocaust museum, White reportedly questioned the accuracy of the actions of a Nazi in a 1935 photograph.

White has a May 3 deadline to explain the donation to campaign finance officials and could be fined if they determine that the money given was improper.

Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain and Lukas Mikelionis contributed to this report.
Calls for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to resign continue to grow after prosecutors announced a new charge accusing the Republican leader of using a charity donor list for his 2016 political campaign.

He is also accused of taking and transmitting an inappropriate photo of a woman, with whom he'd had an affair, without her consent.

St. Louis prosecutors announced the new felony charge on Friday, accusing Greitens of tampering with computer data. He allegedly obtained the donor list from The Mission Continues, a charity he founded, and used it to raise funds for his campaign.

The Associated Press said Greitens raised nearly $2 million from donors on the list. Although he initially denied the allegations, Greitens agreed to pay a $100 fine in April of last year for failing to report that his gubernatorial campaign had, in fact, received the charity's donor list.

An investigation into the former Navy SEAL officers charity began when Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawleys office learned that a Greitens employee who previously worked at the charity had shared the donor list in January 2015 with Michael Hafner (he had worked for Greitens' gubernatorial exploratory committee), and Danny Laub, Greitens' first campaign manager.

MISSOURI GOV GREITENS EX-LOVER SAID ILLICIT PHOTO MAY HAVE BEEN A DREAM, DOCUMENTS SAY

Greitens is also facing a felony charge for invasion of privacy over allegations that he took a photo of a partially nude woman without her consent. The woman, with whom he'd had an affair, alleges that he threatened to release the photo if she disclosed the relationship.

Greitens has been facing increasing pressure to resign  including from fellow Republicans  since a special House investigative committee's report this month that detailed allegations from the woman with whom he had the affair. She testified that Greitens restrained, slapped, grabbed, shoved and threatened her during a series of sexual encounters that at times left her crying and afraid.

Greitens has denied committing any crimes and vowed to remain in office despite confirming the affair, calling the investigations into him a "political witch hunt."

He will appear in court on May 14 for the case involving the invasion-of-privacy charge.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The funeral for former first lady Barbara Bush, who died Tuesday at the age of 92, was attended by many high-profile figures, including first lady Melania Trump and former President Barack Obama.

A funeral service for the Bush matriarch, who once called herself everybodys grandmother, was planned for Saturday at St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. She and her husband of more than 70 years, former President George H.W. Bush, regularly attended the church.

The burial was on the grounds of the Bush library at Texas A&M University in College Station, about 100 miles northwest of Houston. The couples 3-year-old daughter, Robin, who died in 1953 of leukemia, is also buried at the site.

President Trump did not attend the funeral "to avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service," the White House said.

However, it's not uncommon for sitting presidents to skip the funerals of former first ladies. After all, former President Barack Obama did not attend the funeral of Nancy Reagan in 2016 or Betty Ford in 2011.

Heres a look at some high-profile figures who attended the beloved former first ladys private funeral.

Melania Trump

First lady Melania Trump attended the service on Saturday.

Throughout her life, she put family and country above all else. Her dedicated service to the American people was matched only by her compassion and love of family, Trump said in a statement after Bushs death. She was a woman of strength and we will always remember her for her most important roles of wife, mother, and First Lady of the United States.

Barack and Michelle Obama

Former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama also attended the funeral.

After she died, Obama and his wife praised Bush for the generosity she showed to us throughout our time in the White House.

But were even more grateful for the way she lived her life -- as a testament to the fact that public service is an important and noble calling; as an example of the humility and decency that reflects the very best of the American spirit, the Obamas said.

Bill and Hillary Clinton

Former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, the former secretary of state, attended the funeral.

Barbara Bush was a remarkable woman. She had grit [and] grace, brains [and] beauty, the former president said on social media. She showed us what an honest, vibrant, full life looks like.

Before Bush died, Hillary Clinton said she was wishing her the comfort she deserves surrounded by her loved ones. The former 2016 presidential candidate and first lady also thanked Bush for her many kindnesses to me and my family.

Clinton beat Bushs husband when he ran for re-election in the 1992 election. But he has since grew close to his predecessor and Barbara Bush, visiting them at their summer home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Clinton often joked that he spent so much time with the Bushes that hed become like a member of the family.

Fox News Jenny Buchholz, Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former President George H.W. Bush honored his late wife Saturday by wearing socks embellished with books on them to celebrate the former first ladys commitment to literacy.

Bush wore the black socks decorated with colorful books at the funeral service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston.

Bush's former White House spokesperson, Jim McGrath, tweeted about the socks raising awareness about their meaning.

BARBARA BUSHS PASSION FOR EDUCATION AND FAMILY LIVES ON

"To honor his wife of 73 years and her commitment to family literacy, for which she raised over $110 million over the course of over 30 years, George H.W. Bush will be wearing a pair of socks festooned with books at today's funeral service for former first lady Barbara Bush," McGrath tweeted.

McGrath then tweeted a photo of the socks stating, "The socks worn by the 41st President of the United States at today's funeral for former first lady Barbara Bush."

The former first lady died Tuesday at the age of 92 surrounded by her family at her Houston home. Some 1,500 people gathered Saturday to say their farewells to Bush a day after more than 6,000 people paid their respects during a public viewing.

FORMER FIRST LADY BARBARA BUSH TO BE LAID TO REST IN HOUSTON

Bush spoke about the importance of literacy during her tenure as first lady and encouraged people to read. The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy has provided more than $110 million to create or expand family literacy programs in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, according to the foundation.

"I chose literacy because I honestly believe that if more people could read, write, and comprehend, we would be that much closer to solving so many of the problems that plague our nation and our society," the former first lady said.

Fox News' Charlie Lapastora and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions reportedly told the White House that he may quit should President Trump fire Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein -- the latest in a tense standoff between the White House and the Justice Department.

Trump has repeatedly attacked both Sessions and Rosenstein and renewed that criticism after the April 9 raid this month on the office and hotel room of his personal attorney Michael Cohen -- a move signed off on by Rosenstein, who is now overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe. Sources told Fox News that Rosenstein told Trump he is not a target of the investigation into Cohen.

Immediately after the raid, Trump described Sessions decision in early 2017 to recuse himself from investigations related to Russia and the Trump campaign as a terrible mistake for the country. He also blasted Rosenstein for signing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act warrant that extended surveillance on former Trump aide Carter Page.

The Washington Post reported late Friday that Trump was furious at Rosensteins approval of the Cohen raid and that Sessions called White House counsel Donald McGahn and requested details of an April 12 meeting between Trump and Rosenstein at the White House.

Sessions was reportedly relieved to learn that the meeting was cordial and told McGahn that he would have had to consider resigning if Trump fired Rosenstein. Another source told the Post that Sessions did not want to threaten the White House so much as explain that it would make his position untenable.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Trump took to Twitter Saturday afternoon to challenge a claim in The Post's reporting that Trump had nicknamed Sessions and Rosenstein "Mr. Magoo" and "Mr. Peepers," respectively -- after two television characters.

"This is 'according to people with whom the president has spoken,'" he tweeted. "There are no such people and dont know these characters...just more Fake & Disgusting News to create ill will!"

While Trump has made Sessions a regular public punching bag, attacking him on multiple occasions, such a resignation would risk plunging the White House into crisis.

Yet, despite Sessions reported warning, other reports suggest that Trump has still not ruled out firing Rosenstein -- with Axios reporting that Trump hasnt cooled off on the deputy AG and that he is still looking at possibly firing him.

"Trump doesn't know exactly what to do with [Rosenstein], a source close to the president told the outlet. They don't have a clean way to get rid of him. That's the problem."

Trump has sparred repeatedly with Sessions though the punches have been thrown almost exclusively by the president. Sessions was one of Trumps earliest supporters and is closely aligned with Trump on issues such as illegal immigration and law and order.

On policy, Trump has embraced a great deal of what Sessions is doing at the Justice Department. He has repeatedly cited the lawsuit filed by the DOJ against California over its sanctuary policies. The lawsuit claims such policies prevent federal immigration authorities from enforcing immigration law. Since that lawsuit was filed, Trump has repeatedly blasted California Gov. Jerry Brown in particular over the state's policies on illegal immigration.

FBI'S COHEN RAID PUTS JEFF SESSIONS, ROD ROSENSTEIN BACK IN TRUMP'S CROSSHAIRS

Yet even that alignment has not prevented Trump from not only attacking Sessions, but also stating that he regrets hiring him in the first place, telling reporters on multiple occasions that he would not have appointed Sessions if he had known he would recuse himself.

But while the threat of firing has been long held over Sessions head, it has not come to pass -- even as numerous Cabinet officials and White House staff have either resigned or been ousted.

Rosenstein, too, has faced a similar grilling from Trump. In June of last year, Trump complained that he was being investigated for firing the FBI Director by the man who told me to fire the FBI Director. In February, when asked by reporters if he would fire Rosenstein over his involvement in the warrant on Page, Trump responded: You figure that one out.

Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Friday night to fire back at a Democratic Party lawsuit alleging a widespread conspiracy to tilt the 2016 election in his favor.

On a night when he was also tweeting about perceived progress on the denuclearization of North Korea, the president had this to say about the Dems' lawsuit:

"Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails."



The Democratic Party on Friday filed a multimillion-dollar federal lawsuit against Trump campaign officials, the Russian government and WikiLeaks, alleging an election conspiracy.

Calling it an all-out assault on our democracy, the Democratic National Committee filed the civil suit in federal district court in Manhattan. The suit amounts to another legal broadside related to the 2016 race, on top of the special counsel's ongoing Russia probe and the FBI raid on Trump's personal attorney this month.

"The conspiracy constituted an act of previously unimaginable treachery: the campaign of the presidential nominee of a major party in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the Presidency," the suit states.

The new suit claims that Trump campaign officials worked in tandem with the Russian government and its military spy agency to bring down Hillary Clinton by hacking into the computer networks of the Democratic National Committee and spreading stolen material.

The suit names several Trump campaign aides who met with Russian nationals during the campaign, including son-in-law Jared Kushner, former campaign chair Paul Manafort and former campaign deputy Rick Gates.

Gates and Manafort have both been charged in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The suit also claims WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange shared the defendants common goal of damaging the Democratic Party in advance of the election. The suit states that Russia, using WikiLeaks, would disseminate information stolen from the DNC at times when it would best suit the Trump campaign.
President Trump on Saturday attacked the New York Times and its third rate reporter Maggie Haberman for stories that he says attempt to destroy personal lawyer Michael Cohen by suggesting he will betray the president to avoid prison.

The New York Times and a third-rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I dont speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will flip,  Trump said in one of three tweets on Saturday.

Cohen, who for months been in the focus of national attention for allegedly paying porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet about the alleged sexual encounter with Trump, is now the subject of a federal investigation.

His home, office and hotel were raided by FBI agents earlier this month, in a case referred to federal prosecutors by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating whether the 2016 Trump presidential campaign colluded with Russia.

The Cohen investigation has sparked speculation and news stories by the Times and others about whether the case is connected to Trump or the 2016 campaign.

"They use non-existent 'sources' and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family, Trump said in the second tweet Saturday about the Times' reporting.

Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I dont see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!" he continued.

Soon after the presidents tweets, Haberman and the New York Times responded with posts of their own  with both highlighting that Trump misspelled the reporters last name in a now-deleted tweet on the same subject.

One B, sir (or Dan?). Heres the story that seems to have touched a nerve, she wrote in one tweet, which she followed with: When I was reporting this story, I said one person whos observed the Cohen-Trump relationship that Trump has been abusive to him. The person replied, Hes abusive to everybody.

The newspapers communications Twitter account said: We are extremely proud of @maggieNYT, who is a part of a team that just won a Pulitzer Prize. We stand by our story and our reporting.

The post included a link to the story and a screenshot of Trumps first tweet with the misspelling.

The FBI raid was purportedly focused on finding evidence of fraud -- including records related to the payments Cohen made in 2016 to Daniels and to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also alleges having had sexual encounters with Trump.

Prosecutors have said they're investigating Cohen's personal business dealings but haven't said what crime they believe he may have committed.

Cohen's lawyers have called the raid an assault on attorney-client privilege, and Trump has said it was "an attack on our country.

Trump tweeted Saturday after he arrived at one of his Florida golf courses. Cohen has said he would "take a bullet" for his boss.

Haberman reports on the White House for the Times and has covered Trump since his days a businessman in New York. Trump says in the tweets that he doesn't speak to Haberman, but the president purportedly has called her directly about big stories regarding his administration.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Alaska Airlines is the latest carrier to tighten up the rules for traveling with emotional support animals, following the lead of United and Delta. In January, the story of a woman denied boarding her United flight with an emotional support peacock went viral and sparked debate about the ethics of policy, given escalating instances of customer abuse and animal-related incidents in the high skies, according to the carriers.

"We are making these changes now based on a number of recent incidents where the inappropriate behavior of emotional support animals has impacted and even injured our employees, other guests and service animals," Ray Prentice, Alaska's director of customer advocacy, confirmed in a statement released April 19.

PASSENGER CLAIMS SOUTHWEST LOST HER MOTHER'S PROSTHETIC LEG

Most animals cause no problems. However, over the last few years, we have observed a steady increase in incidents from animals who haven't been adequately trained to behave in a busy airport setting or on a plane, which has prompted us to strengthen our policy, Prentice added.

As of May 1, passengers intending to bring their emotional support and psychiatric service animals onboard their Alaska Airlines flight must submit an animal health advisory form, mental health form and animal behavior form to the carrier at least 48 hours in advance of their trip via email or fax. The documents will be available on alaskaair.com as of April 30, the release states.

RYANAIR PASSENGER PLEADS GUILTY TO ASSAULTING CREW, GRABBING FLIGHT ATTENDANT'S BEHIND WHILE DRUNK

However, the update does not affect the carriers policy for traditional service animals.

Alaska Airlines further clarifies that the company consulted with its disability advisory board and disability advocacy groups to ensure that the expanded policy accommodates guests with disabilities ahead of the new policy rollout. Roughly 150 emotional support and psychiatric service animals fly with Alaska Airlines every day, the release adds.

The new rules for traveling with emotional support animals aren't the only recent update from the SeaTac headquartered carrier. As of June 4, Alaska Airlines is also shrinking carry-on bag sizes, too.

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On April 25, the Virgin America brand will officially be retired.

Alaska Airlines announced that customers who previously flew with Virgin America will begin using only the Alaska website for checking in or finding flight numbers, as well as using only Alaskas mobile app and call center.

At the 29 airports across the United States and Mexico that are served by both Alaska and Virgin America, the branding and signage will only represent Alaska Airlines starting the night of April 24. Customers must check-in at Alaskas ticket counters and kiosks and use only Alaska gates.

In addition, all signs and screens at curbside locations, lobbies, ticket counters, gates and baggage areas will change to Alaska branding. Travelers may still see Virgin America painted planes in service, but tickets for the aircraft will be sold under the Alaska name.

Weve been working behind the scenes for over a year, investing thousands of hours of planning, preparation and testing to make sure this transition goes smoothly for all our guests, Alaska executive Sandy Stelling said in a statement.

Combined, the new Alaska employs more than 23,000 people, but the airline is still asking travelers to be patient as the company fully integrates Virgin America into the every-day operations.

Over the coming months, Alaska will be painting airplanes, upgrading cabin interiors, installing satellite Wi-Fi and launching new food onboard.

This story originally appeared in TravelPulse.
A suspect described as a local vagrant was facing murder charges in Ventura, Calif., on Friday after he allegedly stabbed a 35-year-old father who was at a restaurant with his family, authorities said.

The suspect, identified as Jamal Jackson, 49, was charged with premeditated first-degree murder in the death of Anthony Mele, according to a news release from the Ventura County District Attorneys Office.

"It's horrible," Senior Deputy District Attorney Richard Simon told the Associated Press. "You don't think you're going to be killed when you go out to dinner at a nice restaurant with your family and you didn't do anything.

"He was just sitting there with his daughter in his lap," Simon continued. "You're not supposed to die that way."

The attack occurred Wednesday when Mele was dining at the Aloha Steakhouse with his wife and 5-year-old daughter, the Ventura Police Department said on Facebook.

While sitting at the table, the suspect approached the victim and stabbed him in the neck, police said. The little girl was sitting on her fathers lap at the time but wasnt hurt, authorities said.

Jackson and Mele reportedly did not know each other.

Mele ultimately died in a hospital Thursday after being taken off life support, police said in a news release.

The suspect fled after the stabbing, allegedly still holding the weapon, but a restaurant worker and other patrons followed him and monitored him until police arrived, Simon said.

Jacksons bail was set at $1.5 million. He was being held at the Ventura County jail, the district attorneys office said.

If convicted, he could face up to 55 years to life in prison, authorities said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Authorities say an Amish buggy was struck from behind by a pickup truck in Ohio on Friday, killing a woman and critically injuring a man and two infants, according to The Associated Press.

The AP reported the Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the buggy was properly lit when it was struck around 9 p.m. Friday in Sidney, some 75 miles northwest of Columbus.

A 23-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The infants were flown to a Dayton hospital, while the man was taken to a local medical facility before being transferred to a Dayton hospital.

Sheriff Lt. Tim Bender says the four were members of the same family. Their names haven't been released, the AP reported on Saturday.

The Dayton Daily News, following up on the fatal crash, reported that accidents involving the horse-drawn buggies are not uncommon in the area. The paper said that the Ohio Department of Transportation did a study of buggy crashes in the state involving a motor vehicle from 2007 to 2016.

The study identified 1,412 crashes leading to 25 fatalities and 208 serious injuries during that period of time. The most common scenario was a motor vehicle not maintaining its distance on a straight state road.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the buggy on Friday fled on foot after the accident and was arrested a mile from the scene. Additional information about the accident and arrest was not available at press time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
For years, Marine Corps. veteran Enrique Salas sought to return to the United States after he was deported from Mexico.

On Friday, he finally made it back when he was laid to rest in a California cemetery.

Salas, 47, was buried with military honors in the San Joaquin Valley city of Reedley, where he attended high school before enlisting in the Marines, the Fresno Bee reported .

He died on April 12 after suffering serious injuries in a car accident in Tijuana, Mexico, where he had been living. Salas was transported across the border for treatment at a San Diego hospital but had a heart attack on the way there.

"This is a bad way to get back to the states," said Fred Martinez, Salas' cousin.

Salas came to the United States with his family when he was 6. He served in the Marines and was honorably discharged after serving four years active duty and in the Persian Gulf War.

He became subject to deportation after a 2004 drug conviction and was arrested at a border checkpoint while returning to the U.S. from a family trip to Mexico in 2006.

He re-entered the country and was deported two more times. He was also prosecuted on a federal charge of illegal re-entry and sentenced to 18 months in prison, the newspaper reported.

Ricardo Franco, chairman of the Committee on Deported Veterans under the Veterans Caucus of the California Democratic Party, said roughly 200 to 300 deported U.S. veterans are alive and known to the committee.

Hector Barajas, a former U.S. Army paratrooper who was deported in Mexico in 2010 but became a U.S. citizen this month, was among the 150 people who attended a funeral Mass for Salas on Friday.

Barajas founded the Deported Veterans Support Home in Tijuana and received a pardon last year from California Gov. Jerry Brown for a 2002 conviction for shooting at an occupied vehicle. He had long hoped a similar scenario would one day happen for Salas.

"He was one of the guys who was going to be able to come home," Barajas said.

___

Information from: The Fresno Bee, http://www.fresnobee.com
A Florida school resource officer was hailed a hero after immediately jumping into action and arresting a man who was suspected of shooting a student Friday.

Deputy James Jimmy Long of the Marion County Sheriffs Office was hailed a hero by his colleagues Friday after he arrested the suspected gunman Sky Bouche just three minutes after he opened fire at Forest high School in Ocala, Fla. Bouche allegedly shot through a classroom door and pellets hit a 17-year-old student in the ankle. The student was taken to the hospital with a non-life-threatening wound to his ankle.

Bouche, 19, said, Sorry, followed by, It doesnt matter anyway, to reporters as he was led from the school in handcuffs by several deputies. Authorities said Bouche was a former student at the school.

"I didn't shoot anyone," he said to reporters. He ignored most of the other questions until asked what he'd say to the shooting victim. That's when he said, "Sorry."

FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING LEAVES ONE STUDENT INJURED; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

Other people credited with helping dilute the incident include Kelly McManis-Panasuk, a teacher at the school who spoke with Bouche during the incident as Long and the schools principal Brent Carson rushed over. Bouche was not injured and didnt offer any resistance when arrested, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said.

Woods praised Longs quick response as well as school personnel.

Long "did not hesitate. He went right in," Woods said at a news conference. Woods said Long heard a "large, loud banging sound" and immediately responded.

"Marion County does everything to protect their children," Woods said.

Bouche was held on charges of terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm, culpable negligence, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a short-barrelled shotgun, interference in school function and armed trespass on school property, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

2 FLORIDA DEPUTIES KILLED IN APPARENT AMBUSH AT RESTAURANT, SUSPECT DEAD

Authorities said the suspected gunman carried the weapon in a guitar case inside the school. The school along with all other schools in the district were placed on a lockdown following the incident.

The injured student, who was not identified, told officials that he was glad it was me and not one of my friends.

The incident occurred on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Students across the country were holding a walkout to protest gun violence on the anniversary. The Ocala school had planned its version of a walkout, students said, but it was canceled.

Forest High has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

The shooting comes just over two months after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted in that Valentine's Day shooting.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A teacher at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla., where one student was injured during a shooting Friday, said she spoke to the suspected gunman in the hallway, and listened patiently to him, before help arrived and he was arrested.

"I am no hero," the teacher, Kelly McManis-Panasuk, told The Gainesville Sun. "I was just a good listener, thats all.

At roughly 8:40 a.m., McManis-Panasuk was taking attendance in her classroom when she heard what sounded like a large metal garbage can being smashed in the hallway just outside, The Gainesville Sun reported.

McManis-Panasuk, who teaches digital information technology, e-commerce and entrepreneurship, went out into the hallway and saw an unidentified hysterical woman coming toward her, claiming that she'd heard gunshots. McManis-Panasuk quickly let the woman into her classroom and then peered back out into the hallway, according to the newspaper.

Thats when she saw the suspected gunman, 19-year-old Sky Bouche. The teen is one of the teachers former students, who dropped out, The Sun reported.

The 56-year-old then began to speak with Bouche, who was allegedly holding his hands up in surrender. McManis-Panasuk claimed that Bouche said he wanted to be arrested and that he is mentally ill. When McManis-Panasuk asked if he had shot a gun, he replied yes. When she asked where the gun was fired, Bouche allegedly told her that he shot a door.

RELATED: RECENT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN THE US

He said, I didnt think it [the gun] would work, McManis-Panasuk recalled.

Authorities later said that the gunman shot through a classroom door, shooting a 17-year-old student in the ankle. The student was taken to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

Bouche had already dropped the gun in the hallway when McManis-Panasuk said she told him to stand still. She then called the schools front desk and informed them of the situation.

Shortly after, school resource officer Jimmy Long, along with principal Brent Carson, arrived at the scene. Long was later hailed as a hero because he arrested the suspected gunman just minutes after he opened fire.

Just before Long and Carson arrived, however, McManis-Panasuk told The Gainesville Sun, Bouche allegedly reached into his pocket and removed gun shells and a folding knife. Im not going to hurt anyone, he reportedly said as he discarded the items.

McManis-Panasuk, a 10-year veteran of Forest High School, said that when Bouche was still enrolled at the high school he did not attend much and struggled.

When she saw Bouche in the hallway, he said he had been abused by his family his whole life, and he was done, she added.

McManis-Panasuk, who has a teaching certificate in business education, according to her profile on the schools website, is also the adviser of Future Business Leaders of America at the school. She was not immediately available for comment when contacted by Fox News on Saturday.
An Air Force service member killed during a 2002 firefight between a U.S. special ops team and Al Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan will be awarded the Medal of Honor, according to a new report.

Tech. Sgt. John Chapman, the radioman for the SEAL Team 6 reconnaissance unit involved in the March 4, 2002, firefight, would be the first from the Air Force to receive the nations highest award for valor since the Vietnam War, Task and Purpose reported Friday.

Chapman, of Windsor Locks, Conn., had been left for dead during the mountaintop battle against the terror group, the news site reported.

But an Air Force analysis of video captured by an overhead Predator drone, suggests that Chapman was not dead but unconscious, The New York Times reported in 2016. The footage suggests that when he came to he continued to defend himself, killing two enemy fighters, including one in hand-to-hand combat, until he was killed. He was 36.

NEW REVIEW OF SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF A 2002 AFGHANISTAN FIREFIGHT GENERATES CONTROVERSY

Chapman originally received an Air Force Cross, the second-highest valor award an airman can receive for his heroism during the mountaintop battle against Al Qaeda extremists, Air Force Times reported.

The Air Force recommended him for the Medal of Honor in 2016.

Task and Purpose based its report on sources familiar with the matter.

Chapmans family was notified in March that he would be awarded the Medal of Honor, the news site reported, citing several sources.

A source familiar with the Medal of Honors process said the time between family notification and the award ceremony in Washington is typically a matter of weeks, according to the news site.

The Air Force and the White House would not confirm the report late Friday, Air Force Times reported.

Air Force magazine reported Saturday that the White House is considering Defense Secretary James Mattis recommendation that Chapmans Air Force Cross be upgraded to a Medal of Honor, citing Air Commando Association vice president Wayne Norrad.

Our fingers are crossed, Norrad was quoted as saying.
For Blake Waldrop, protecting law enforcement isnt just a job  its a mission borne out of personal tragedy.

The founder of RMA Armament, Inc. in Centerville, Iowa, maker of bullet-proof vests, lost a friend in Iraq in 2005. His friend died even though he was wearing body armor. Since then, the goal of the former Marine and police officer was to make a product better than those on the market.

We have a proven product, thats proven time and time again, to be significantly stronger. Not just a little bit stronger  significantly stronger than everybody elses armor in the United States, he said.

The difference is in the technology. While most vests spider-web when hit, destroying the integrity of the vest going forward, RMAs vests isolate the bullets impact to the area where it hits, leaving the rest of the vest intact and ready to absorb another shot.

Its a responsibility that Waldrop and his team take extremely seriously.

We screw up here in the slightest fashion, in any stage of the manufacturing, somebody dies, he said.

Waldrop said the response from law enforcement has been enthusiastic. Being recognized by the President of the United States wasnt a bad perk, either.

In July 2017, RMA was one of 50 companies selected by the White House for their Made In America showcase. That meant a trip to Washington, D.C., and a visit to meet President Trump and Vice President Pence.

The President comes in  he actually sized me up and down because you know Im a big guy gave me an extra hard hand shake, so I gave it right back to him. I was clapping and looking at the president and I didnt realize the vice president is standing right in front of me. So, I shook his hand. The No. 1 thing I think I took away from that is the vice president leaned in and said, thank you for your service to our country. I mean, how did you know I was a Marine? Waldrop said.

The married father of three says he would be able to generate a greater profit by making the vests overseas. But, according to Waldrop, Made in the USA is a symbol of pride, not about dollars.

When Im dead and gone, I want to be remembered for the product that we built here and the amount of people that are alive today because of that product, he said.

And, while most people assume the name of the company stands for something tough or militaristic, its actually the first initial of each of his three daughters  Renee, Megan, and Alexis.

When you have a little baby girl in your arms, you melt like butter on a hot day in August, Waldrop gushed. So, thats what happened to me with my girls.
More than 350 pounds of dynamite stolen from a work site in Lancaster County, Pa., last weekend has been recovered, authorities said.

Investigators with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on Friday recovered 320 cartridges of the explosive, weighing 352 pounds, Harrisburgs FOX43 reported.

But it remained unclear at the time of recovery how much more of the explosives were still unaccounted for, ATF spokeswoman Charlene Hennessy told PennLive.com.

"We're continuing to investigate and trying to determine what happened," she told the outlet.

Agents also found 404 blasting caps, four more than the original estimate. A blasting cap is used to trigger an explosive device.

A hiker spotted the high explosives while walking the trails at River Front Park and alerted police, FOX43 reported.

ATF special agent Don Robinson told the station that the items were most likely left at the park within the last 48 hours.

Investigators conducted a full inventory check after the theft was reported last week and learned 704 pounds of dynamite and 400 blasting caps had been stolen from a locked truck trailer at the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline worksite in Marietta. Authorities at first believed the amount of dynamite to be 640 pounds.

Whether the estimated 350 pounds of unaccounted-for explosives had been used or were improperly logged by the company remained under investigation, Hennnessey told PennLive.

The ATF has interviewed more than 300 employees at the work site, FOX43 reported.

The agency recently increased a reward for information leading to the identification and/or arrest of those responsible to $20,000.

Fox News' Benjamin Brown and Edmund DeMarche contributed to this report.
A planned white nationalist rally and counter-protests set to kick off near Atlanta on Saturday have the community concerned -- even though officials have prepared additional security measures.

The city of Newnan -- about 40 miles southwest of Georgia's capital -- worked with two-dozen different agencies, including law enforcement, on a plan to ensure the safety of residents and businesses during the events, FOX5 Atlanta reported.

City officials have arranged road closures and beefed up security from a number of local, state and federal agencies for the First Amendment demonstration.

The City of Newnan has a responsibility to protect free speech rights, the individuals and groups that chose to exercise those rights and the broader community in which those rights may be exercised, the city said in a statement.

The City of Newnan has a responsibility to protect free speech rights, the individuals and groups that chose to exercise those rights and the broader community in which those rights may be exercised.  Newnan city government statement

The National Socialist Movement acquired a permit last month to hold a rally and exercise their First Amendment rights at Newnans Greenville Street Park, FOX5 reported.

We dont come to these events with the intention of starting any sort of violence whatsoever, Harry Hughes, spokesman for the group, told the station. Its hard for us to be responsible for the actions of other people who do come to these things with the intention of becoming violent.

Businesses were expected to shut down amid the demonstrations, FOX5 reported. Residents also expressed worry over potential troublemakers showing up for the events.

They are not welcome, resident Samantha Binion said at a news conference this week. This type of hatred, this type of tyranny, this aggression  I dont want it in my hometown in Newnan, not in Georgia, not in America, not anywhere.

This type of hatred, this type of tyranny, this aggression  I dont want it in my hometown in Newnan, not in Georgia, not in America, not anywhere.  Samantha Binion, Newnan resident

Last August, a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., was blamed for three deaths as violence escalated between the nationalist groups and counter-protesters.

The National Socialist Movements Burt Colucci told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the group will use its First Amendment rights to talk about all of the hot button issues in America, including illegal immigration.

We need to round (illegal immigrants) up and put them in camps if need be. Like we did the Italians, Germans and Japanese. We are at war with the illegals, Colucci told the paper.

We need to round (illegal immigrants) up and put them in camps if need be. Like we did the Italians, Germans and Japanese. We are at war with the illegals.  Burt Colucci, National Socialist Movement

Churches within the community have volunteered to hold unity events during the rally to inspire a message of love, FOX5 reported. The events will include prayer, music and barbecues.

A prayer event held Friday at Greenville Street Park saw hundreds of people meet to pray, sing and use chalk to write messages of love and unity ahead of the white nationalist rally, the Newnan Times-Herald reported.

Police in a statement reassured local businesses and residents of proper security measures.

Our strategies are planned to reduce the chance of physical altercations and minimize the risk of personal injury or property damage, Newman police wrote in a statement to FOX5. Our goal is to protect the First Amendment Rights of all citizens and visitors to the City of Newnan.
During the last year, multiple schools across the U.S. have been impacted by shootings, which have resulted in the deaths of both students and faculty members.

Read on for a look at school shootings that have taken place within the last year.

Noblesville West Middle School, Indiana

A male student fired shots at Noblesville West Middle School in Indiana on May 25, critically injuring another student and a teacher at the school.

The alleged shooter, who has not yet been identified, was taken into custody shortly after the incident occurred at roughly 9 a.m.

Sources told FOX 59 the suspect walked into a science classroom with a gun and opened fire, hitting a female. A science teacher was able to tackle the student who fired shots inside the classroom, student Ethan Stonebraker told The Associated Press.

The victims were taken to a local hospital. The extent of their injuries is unclear.

Santa Fe High School, Texas

At least eight people were killed and several others were injured following reports of an active shooter at a Texas high school on May 18, local affiliate KTRK reported. The suspected shooter was taken into custody.

"Personnel treating the injured. Info is still preliminary, but there are multiple casualties," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez confirmed.

Police officers responded to Santa Fe High School around 8 a.m. CDT after reports that a shooter opened fire inside a first-period art class. Details of the incident were not immediately available.

"Details will be released as we receive updated information. Law enforcement will continue to secure the building and initiate all emergency management protocols to release and move students to another location," the school district said in a statement.

Highland High School, California

A 14-year-old student was taken into custody after allegedly shooting a classmate at Highland High School in Palmdale, California on May 11.

The suspected gunman shot a fellow student in the arm, police said. The shooting stemmed from a dispute between the shooter and the victim, according to authorities.

The injured student is expected to make a full recovery.



Forest High School, Florida

A suspected gunman, later identified as 19-year-old Sky Bouche, allegedly opened fire at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, on April 20. The shooting occured on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting.

At least one student was injured after the gunman shot through a classroom door, hitting a 17-year-old student in the ankle, authorities said. The student was later taken to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

A school resource officer, James Long, was hailed a hero after arresting Bouche just three minutes after he opened fire.

Bouche, a former student at the school, allegedly carried the weapon in a guitar case inside the school, authorities said.

Great Mills High School, Maryland

On March 20, a gunman, identified as 17-year-old Austin Rollins, shot 16-year-old sophomore Jaelynn Willey at Great Mills High School in Lexington Park, Maryland, authorities said. Willey died days later from her injuries.

Investigators believe the shooting was not random as the gunman and Willey had recently ended their relationship.

Rollins was fatally wounded during a confrontation with Deputy Blaine Gaskill, an armed school resource officer who doubles as a SWAT team member.

"Our school resource officer...pursued the shooter, engaged the shooter, fired a round at the shooter," St. Mary's County Sheriff Tim Cameron said. "The shooter fired a round as well. In the hours and days to come, we'll be able to determine if our school resource officer's round struck the shooter."

Gaskill was praised because he reportedly contained the situation in under a minute, Cameron said.

Willey's parents announced on March 22 that their daughter was brain dead and that they would be taking her off of life support. She died later that night.

Jaelynn's mother, Melissa, told reporters her daughter had "no life left in her."

"On Tuesday ... our lives changed completely and totally forever. My daughter was hurt by a boy who shot her in the head and took everything from our lives," she said.

A 14-year-old boy, later identified as Desmond Barnes, was also injured in the shooting. Authorities said he was shot in the thigh but was later released from a local hospital.

Police are still investigating if the boy was shot by Rollins or Gaskill while the two exchanged gunfire.

Huffman High School, Alabama

A 17-year old girl is dead and one other person was left injured from a March 7 shooting at Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

Courtlin Arrington, 17, was killed when shots were fired in a classroom, Birmingham Police Chief Orlando Wilson told WBRC. A 17-year-old male student was wounded. He was taken to the hospital and released.

Birmingham Police Department announced March 8 that a student was taken into custody in the investigation into the deadly shooting. Police said evidence, surveillance video and statements were reviewed throughout the night.

Police initially called the shooting accidental, but later reviewed a video that captured the deadly incident.

"We're not saying he shot her, we're not saying he didn't shoot her," the chief said. "We're asking those questions ourselves so we can determine exactly what happened."

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida

Police responded to reports of shots fired at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., around 3 p.m. on Feb. 14. Seventeen people lost their lives and 17 others were injured.

The day after the shooting, the suspected gunman, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, told authorities he arrived at the school with an AR-15 rifle, adding that he shot "students that he saw in the hallways and on school grounds," according to an arrest affidavit.

Cruz may plead guilty to avoid the death penalty, his lawyer reportedly said Feb. 16.

Cruz was formally charged March 7 with 17 counts each of premeditated murder and attempted murder.

A 12-year-old girl was taken into custody after police said the loaded gun she brought to Salvador B. Castro Middle School in Los Angeles accidentally discharged on Feb. 1, shooting a 15-year-old boy in the head and a 15-year-old girl in the wrist.

Police interviewed the 12-year-old student and agreed the shooting was accidental. She was booked in a juvenile detention center on suspicion of negligently discharging a firearm on school grounds.

It is unclear where the girl got the gun or why she decided to bring it to her school.

Doctors said both students who were shot are expected to recover.

Additionally, an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl were treated at the hospital and released while a 30-year-old woman, who is a school staff member, had only minor injuries, Los Angeles city police said in a statement.

Marshall County High School, Kentucky

A shooter opened fire at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky., on Jan. 23, killing two people.

Students Bailey Nicole Holt and Preston Ryan Cope, both 15 years old, died.

Suspected shooter Gabriel Ross Parker, 15, was arraigned on Feb. 16, according to Kentucky State Police.

"A Marshall County Grand Jury returned an indictment on Tuesday, charging Parker with two counts of Murder and fourteen counts of First Degree Assault," KSP said.

Marshall County Circuit Clerk Tiffany Griffith told Reuters a judge entered a not guilty plea on the teen's behalf.

Italy High School, Texas

A 15-year-old girl was hurt in a Jan. 22 shooting at Italy High School in Italy, Texas. A 16-year-old male student was taken into custody, Ellis County police told Fox News.

In the school's cafeteria, the suspect "engaged the victim" and fired several shots with a semi-automatic handgun, Ellis County Sheriff Chuck Edge said during a press briefing.

The suspect was confronted by an Italy Independent School District staffer in the school cafeteria and took off, Edge said. Law enforcement later apprehended the suspect on school grounds.

The suspect was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, the Ellis County district attorney's office announced.

Aztec High School, New Mexico

Gunman William Atchison, 21, disguised himself as a student to get inside Aztec High School in Aztec, N.M., on Dec. 7, 2017, according to authorities. Atchison was also a former student.

State police said that Atchison killed students Francisco I. Fernandez and Casey J. Marquez.

Officials said Atchison eventually shot himself, adding that the students killed were not targeted, but were at the "wrong place at the wrong time."

Rancho Tehama Elementary School, California

A man in Northern California went on a random shooting rampage on Nov. 14, 2017, killing five people and wounding at least a dozen adults and children before authorities shot and killed him.

The gunman, who was later identified as Kevin Neal, 44, rammed a car into the gates of Rancho Tehama Elementary School and shot at its portable classrooms. He repeatedly tried to get into a kindergarten classroom but quick-thinking staff locked the school down, and he eventually stormed off.

Neal reportedly targeted the elementary school as part of a long-running feud with neighbors.

Mattoon High School, Illinois

A male student shot and injured a fellow student at a central Illinois high school on Sept. 20, 2017. The shooting unfolded in Mattoon High Schools cafeteria around 11:30 a.m., officials said at the time.

One female teacher intervened and successfully subdued and disarmed the gunman -- a move Mattoon Police Chief Jeff Branson said at the time was pivotal.

The gunman was taken into custody shortly after the incident.

Freeman High School, Washington

A 15-year-old student opened fire on fellow classmates at a Washington state high school on Sept. 13, 2017, killing one, investigators said. Caleb Sharpe, the suspected gunman, said the student who died had bullied him.

The slain student tried to stop the teen's rampage when the gun jammed, according to The Associated Press. A school janitor was hailed a hero after he was able to subdue the alleged shooter.

Three other students were wounded in the attack. According to court documents, Sharpe told officials that he brought the two guns to school to teach everyone a lesson about what happens when you bully others.

North Park Elementary School, California

A special needs teacher and a child, 8, were killed in what police said was a murder-suicide at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino, California.

Police said Cedric Anderson walked into the school on April 10, 2017, and shot his estranged wife, Karen Elaine Smith. Two other students were also struck before Anderson killed himself, although law enforcement officials said they do not believe they were intended targets.

Jonathan Martinez was identified as the 8-year-old killed at the elementary school. A 9-year-old was injured.

Liberty-Salem High School, Ohio

Two high school students were injured after a fellow student allegedly fired a shotgun inside Liberty-Salem High School in Ohio on Jan. 20, 2017.

Logan Cole, who was 16 at the time, was shot twice but survived. Another student was grazed by a bullet. Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin said the gunman intended to harm more students than he did.

Ely Serna, the accused gunman, was 17 at the time of the shooting but is being tried as an adult in Champaign County court. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Elizabeth Zwirz, Katherine Lam, Lucia I. Suarez Sang, Samuel Chamberlain, Kathleen Joyce, Shira Bush and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Minneapolis-area church pastor who also drives a school bus says his rights to free speech and religion were abridged when he got taken off his route for leading students in prayer.

And it's not the first time prayer on the bus has gotten him in hot water, either.

The Associated Press reported that the driver, George Nathaniel, 54, was fired in Burnsville, Minn., four years ago for the exact same reason.

Quality Care Transportation removed Nathaniel from his route last week, the Star-Tribune newspaper reported. He began working for the company in January 2017 and drove children to Nasha Shkola, a charter school in Brooklyn Park focused on Russian language and culture.

He started folding prayer into the bus ride this winter. "The students would volunteer to lead the prayer," Nathaniel said, according to The AP.

School officials received complaints that Nathaniel was forcing minors to pray, said Muk Musa, owner of Quality Care. While bus drivers are given time for personal prayer, leading children is not viewed as a part of the job, he said.

Nathaniel said he never forced students to pray. He also expressed shock that parents had complained because he'd talked about the issue with them. "That's where the Constitution comes in," Nathaniel said, according to the wire service.

Nathaniel isn't fired, but hasn't received a new route either, Musa said.

Nathaniel is also a pastor for a Minneapolis-area congregation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A gunman who carried a shotgun in a guitar case and opened fire at a Florida high school has been denied bond during his first court appearance.

A handcuffed Sky Bouche appeared Saturday before Judge Willard Pope via video conference at the Marion County Jail. The Ocala Star-Banner reports a second court date was set for next month.

Bouche told the newspaper he felt an adrenaline rush before Friday's shooting that quickly wore off, and he was unable to continue with his plan.

Bouche faces charges including terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of a firearm on school property.

The shooting at Forest High School in Ocala happened on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence and left one person injured.
A former juvenile justice department employee from Texas was sentenced Friday to 50 years in prison after being convicted of stealing $1.2 million in fajitas with county funds.

Gilberto Escamilla, 53, pleaded guilty to theft by a public servant, the Brownsville Herald reported.

It was selfish. It started small and got bigger and out of control, Escamilla said while testifying. It got to the point where I couldnt control it anymore.

It was selfish. It started small and got bigger and out of control. It got to the point where I couldnt control it anymore.  Gilberto Escamilla

Last year, Cameron County authorities arrested Escamilla after learning he had been accepting deliveries of fajitas for nine years -- even though the detention center's kitchen didn't offer the food item on its menu, the Dallas Morning News reported.

BIZARRE $1.2 MILLION FAJITAS THEFT SCHEME LEADS TO ARREST

During an investigation, officers searched his house and found packages of the stolen food in his refrigerator, the newspaper reported.

Officials said he stole more than $1.2 million worth of fajita orders and delivered them to his own customers, the Herald reported.

Cameron County Assistant District Attorney Peter Gilman asked visiting State District Judge J. Manuel Banales to sentence Escamilla to 50 years to send a strong message that theft by public servants will result in a long prison sentence, the report said.

Escamilla was reportedly allowed a brief moment to say goodbye to his family.
A couple who recently moved from Switzerland to Utah planned a murder-suicide that left their family of four dead in November after they believed the mother was suffering from a terminal disease, a new police report stated.

Jessica Griffith, 43, believed she had ovarian cancer and texted her husband Timothy Griffith on Oct. 25, 2017, about picking a good time to leave so they would be together and love for eternity, the police report made public on Wednesday stated.

The family was found dead on November 9, 2017, after neighbors became concerned when their car didnt move for a few days, People reported. The family died just a few months after they moved to Mapleton, Utah, from Switzerland.

An autopsy, however, found Jessica Griffith was healthy before she died, Mapleton police Chief John Jackson said Thursday.

FLORIDA SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER HAILED A HERO AFTER RESPONDING QUICKLY TO SHOOTING THAT INJURED ONE STUDENT

It's not clear why she spoke extensively with her husband about her pain and sent him links to ovarian cancer websites, he said. People reported Timothy Griffith was researching mass shootings, guns and sleeping pills online.

"We wish we knew the answer to that," Jackson said.

Police believe the couple put sleeping pills in hot chocolate before the mother and the children drank the beverage. The family was eating fondue and played a game of Uno before the murder-suicide.

Timothy used a pistol to shoot his sedated wife, her 16-year-old daughter and the couple's 5-year-old son, Alexendre Griffith, along with the familys German shepherd before killing himself.

The couple had met and married in Switzerland. Timothy was American, but had moved to Europe after meeting his first Swiss wife when she was a high school exchange student, according to his family.

Timothy and Jessica were both married when they met and ended their previous marriages acrimoniously. Jessica had her daughter, Samantha Badel, with her previous husband.

BODY CAMERA FOOTAGE SHOWS POLICE NEVER GOT OUT OF CRUISER TO CHECK FOR OHIO TEEN CRUSHED BY MINIVAN SEAT

Jessica had cut ties with her Swiss relatives after saying she was abused as a child, though her family denies that, Jackson said. Friends told police that Timothy had also had rough childhood experiences.

After the two married, Timothy's relationship with his children from his first marriage grew distant as he became violent with them, his ex-wife told police.

The family moved to Mapleton, about 55 miles south of Salt Lake City, for Timothy's job with Nestle.

Neighbors said the daughter only spoke French, making it hard for her to make friends at her high school. Police believe the couple was having marital problems before they died. Text messages showed they spoke about money problems and intimate marital woes. The police report stated Timothy was contacting women on Craigslist.

Jessica proposed celebrating Christmas early last year by telling the children she had to go to the hospital. Spending time around the Christmas tree would help them the children "leave in peace and joy," she said.

Timothy worried his teenage stepdaughter might sense something was strange but agreed, the police report said.

Before the couple carried out the murder-suicide, they contacted their former spouses and family members. Jessica Griffith apparently tried to mask her involvement in the planning by deleting texts, the report said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In his meeting earlier this month with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, CIA Director Mike Pompeo was assured that a planned summit between Kim and President Donald Trump could be joined with the release of three detained U.S. citizens, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday night.

Pompeo, whose nomination as secretary of state is pending, visited Pyongyang over Easter weekend. In the meeting with Kim, the Journal reported, the dictator said the imminent summit with Trump could be paired with the release of three detained U.S. citizens in the Hermit Kingdom. Thats according to people briefed on the meeting, the Journal reported.

An exact date and location for the historic meeting between Trump and Kim has not yet been decided, but the leaders are proceeding with plans to meet around the middle of June in a location outside northeast Asia, the sources told the outlet.

Recent talks between both countries have reportedly been positive and have been centered around the logistics of any meeting. Those talks have been ongoing since Pompeos return from North Korea, according to the Journal.

Kim Dong Chul, a South Korean-born businessman and naturalized U.S. citizen, has been held in North Korea since October 2015 over alleged espionage, according to the BBC.

Kim Sang-duk, also known as Tony Kim, has been held since April 2017 and was arrested before boarding a flight from Pyongyang for allegedly trying to undermine the countrys government, according to Reuters.

Kim Hak-song was arrested in May 2017 over alleged hostile acts against the country, according to the BBC.

New details surrounding Pompeos meeting follow earlier Friday reports that Kim will be suspending missile testing and closing a nuclear test site.

"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the Korean Central News Agency said, according to Yonhap News. "The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test."

Asked this week about the status of the detained citizens, Trump said their return home remained a priority. We have been talking about them. We are negotiating now, Trump said at a joint news conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Trump administration, the president said, is fighting very diligently to get the three Americans back.

Fox News Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.
Scott Olson/Getty Images(HOUSTON) -- Barbara Bush was remembered at her funeral as a loving wife, mother and friend with a devilish sense of humor and who represented the best of the World War II generation.

"Barbara Bush was the first lady of 'the greatest generation,'" presidential historian Jon Meacham, a friend of the Bush family, said in a eulogy at Saturday's funeral service in Texas that drew signatories from across the nation and around the world.

Meacham recalled the snowy-haired former first lady's "long and consequential life," not least her promotion of literacy, her quick-witted humor and her trademark faux pearls.

"She was candid and comforting," Meacham said, describing her as a point of light" who "kept everything and everyone together."

Some 1,500 guests filled St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston for the service. Barbara Bush, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, had requested in her last wishes a modest funeral at the Gothic-style cathedral, where she and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, were devoted members for decades.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in his homily described his "precious mother" as someone who "filled our lives with laughter and joy."

"She was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning," he said.

Susan Baker, the wife of James Baker who served as secretary of state under former President George H.W. Bush., also paid tribute to her longtime friend, Barbara Bush, whom she called "Bar."

In her homily, Susan Baker recalled how the former first lady "took me under her wing." She described her as "smart, fun and feisty" and an "amazing, caring and beautiful friend."

"The world saw a compassionate but strict mother who inspired her children with tender but firm lessons," she said. "Barbara, the tough but loving enforcer, was the secret sauce of this extraordinary family."

"Bars beauty was evident in every day of her life," she added. "Saying goodbye to our special friend is painful."

Barbara Bush's casket on Friday arrived at St. Martin's, the nation's largest Episcopal church, where she lay in repose as the public was invited to pay respects from noon to midnight, according to the Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.

The Rev. Russell Levenson Jr. and the Rev. Dr. Peter Cheney will be co-officiants of Saturday's service, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET. Barbara Bush's son, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will deliver a eulogy along with her longtime friend, Susan Baker, and historian Jon Meacham, according to a statement from the Bush family.

Four of the five living ex-presidents are attending Saturday's funeral service, including former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons' daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is also in attendance.

Following the service, a funeral procession will bring Barbara Bush's casket to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum near Texas A&M University in College Station for a private service, where she will be buried in a family plot beside her daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets are expected to line Barbara Bush Avenue outside the library to pay tribute to the former first lady.

First lady Melania Trump is attending Saturday's service on behalf of the first family, White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement. To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service, President Trump will not attend.

Similarly, in 2016, then-President Obama did not attend the funeral of former first lady Nancy Reagan, while his wife did. Sitting presidents have rarely in recent decades gone to the funerals of former first ladies, according to FactCheck.org, a project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia.

Trump, who's at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for the weekend, extended his "thoughts and prayers" to the Bush family via Twitter and said he planned to watch Barbara Bush's funeral service from the "Southern White House."

Barbara Bush served as first lady from 1989 to 1993. She died shortly after deciding to forgo further medical treatments for her failing health.

Former President George H.W. Bush is "broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, his wife of 73 years," according to Jean Becker, chief of staff at the 93-year-old former president's office.

"He held her hand all day today and was at her side when she left this good earth," Becker said in a statement.

Their eldest child, former President George W. Bush, described his mother as a "fabulous first lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions."

"To us, she was so much more," he said in a statement after her death. "Mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end. Im a lucky man that Barbara Bush was my mother. Our family will miss her dearly."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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A deepening shortage of seasonal labour on many farms makes it more important than ever for growers and livestock producers to be the employer of choice  and know how to get the best from their employees.

With that in mind, the NFU and Association of Labour Providers (ALP) have produced a 10-point plan to help farmers  and the agencies that source farm labour  recruit and retain workers, including from overseas. Here NFU chief horticulture adviser Hayley Campbell-Gibbons sets out the guidance.

See also: Farmings access to labour when UK leaves the EU

1. Advertising and promotion

Whether its advertising job vacancies or promoting the benefits of a job in farming, the more targeted any advertising and promotion is towards the individual worker, the more successful it will be. Advertising in the right place will improve your chances of getting a good response.

Action: Review your farm website and use of social media to promote the best image of the business and opportunities available, with up-to-date information about the job roles, facilities and benefits and a focus on selling the jobs available.

2. Get the best from your team

AHDBs Lean Labour Tool is designed to help growers increase the productivity and efficiency of their workforce, which can lead to a reduction in the overall number of workers required.

Getting the best from the team is the theme of AHDB Horticultures programme of workshops, aimed at helping employers find solutions to labour challenges.

Action: The AHDB is extending its programme of workshops throughout 2018. The NFU will help promote these events to farmers. Attend one if you can.

3. Collaborate with other farmers and providers

An employer who is a registered licence holder with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) can provide workers to other farms.

This may help balance out peaks and troughs in hours  especially in where members of the local workforce may be under-employed for a period of time. It could also create opportunities to extend seasonal work into full-time employment.

Action: Guidance on the provision of workers is available at gla.gov.uk

4. Incentives to retain workers

Farmers are experiencing an increase in labour turnover, with more non-arrivals of overseas workers and higher numbers of workers leaving their jobs early.

Paying the right rate of pay for each job role is important. Evaluating the job roles in a business can help to set appropriate pay scales that reflect the tasks, responsibilities and language skills required of individual members of a team.

Action: Consider the incentives and rewards you offer employees. Rewards for outstanding work can help retain staff. They can take the form of a bonus, or non-cash incentive such as additional paid-leave or reduced accommodation charges.

5. Ensure working patterns are flexible

More people are seeking jobs that offer a work/life balance to accommodate family commitments and lifestyle. Some operations may be suitable for employees not requiring onsite accommodation, while others may be looking for a more structured working week.

Action: Review job roles, descriptions and hours for temporary and permanent work. It may be possible to attract more workers already living in the UK by offering flexible working patterns.

6. Plan labour needs accurately

Planning ahead and planning accurately for labour requirements can ensure that businesses have the right number of workers at the right time. Overestimating or underestimating the number of workers needed, as well as having a just-in-time policy for recruiting staff is risky.

At the other end of the supply chain, late or inaccurate orders, changes to volumes and contract specifications by processors and retailers make it harder for farmers to manage their staffing, and add to workforce pressures.

Action: Develop a labour plan to improve labour forecasting and identify any opportunities for efficiency gains or collaboration.

7. Give workers a strong voice

Understanding the views of workers is important for identifying and rooting out any problems, concerns and exploitation. Workers value communication with employers to provide feedback on the work environment, accommodation and any issues they may have.

Action: Develop a communication plan, which includes worker surveys, setting up an employee forum, offering staff the chance to raise issues anonymously and encouraging informal communication. Issue guidance to staff on their rights as employees.

8. Guarantee a good living and working environment

Workers have more choice on where they work and who they work for than ever before. Rates of pay between most UK horticulture and agriculture businesses are not significantly different and this means the working and living environment becomes a key deciding factor for workers.

Action: View the working and living environment through the eyes of the worker and make changes that improve the way workers feel and are treated. Treat workers as individuals, make them feel valued and important to the business.

9. Consider all available visa programmes

Farmers looking to fill vacancies should consider all available visa programmes that enable the sourcing of workers from overseas.

For example, the Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa, allows individuals to work in most jobs and enter and leave the UK at any time while the visa is valid. It is open to those who:

want to live and work in the UK for up to two years

are aged 18 to 30

have 1,890 in savings

are from certain specified countries, or have certain types of British Nationality.

Action: Home Office visa information is available at www.gov.uk.

10. Sourcing and recruiting workers

Most farm business either rely on labour providers to fill their recruitment needs or employ their workforce directly. The NFU and ALP invited farmers, labour providers and government to a roundtable in March to review new and innovative ways of sourcing and recruiting overseas workers.

Feedback indicated that some recruitment strategies are more effective than others.

Action: The ALP is producing guidance for labour providers on sourcing workers in a tight EU labour market, and on recruiting in different countries.

The farmers view Derek Wilkinson, managing director, Sandfields Farms, Warwickshire We grow and pack spring onions. Without a reliable workforce we dont have a business, so we should do everything we can do to attract people to work in farming  whether thats for a few months of the year, or on a permanent basis. The plan is a good checklist for employers looking to improve their chances of recruitment success. This goes hand in hand with the call on government to provide clarity and assurance that we will have access to the workforce we need up to and after we leave the EU. Farming is a long-term business  on my farm we will be making planting decisions this summer in preparation for next season. I will do everything in my power to attract the workers I need, but government has a pivotal role to play here too.
With temperatures on the rise, sheep farmers are being urged to remain vigilant for blowfly.

Blowfly strike is caused by the green bottle fly, which lays her eggs in the fleeces and wounds of sheep. It causes intense irritation, rubbing, biting and discomfort.

Vet Emily Gascoigne from Synergy Farm Health in Dorset said it is likely that sheep farmers will be caught out this year, especially as the parasite nematodirus, which can aid the development of fly strike, is already being seen in flocks in the South West two to three weeks earlier than last year.

I think sheep farmers are under quite a lot of pressure at the moment with spring and its quite important for people not to get caught out with fly strike.

A preventative strategy is very important.

Identifying the risk

Blowfly eggs hatch once temperatures are sustained at 9-10C or higher.

At this time of year, as flocks head into the risk period, Miss Gascoigne said farmers should:

Use fly traps to monitor if green bottle flies are present on farm

Frequently inspect sheep for lesions or maggots

Clinical signs Discoloured/damp fleece

Fleece loss due to rubbing

Separation from flock

Sick animals

Death (caused by toxaemia when toxins are released from secondary bacterial infection)

Source: Nadis

Shearing

Flocks that shear ewes early will reduce their risk of fly strike by removing the damp wool that blowflies like to lay their eggs in. Instead, these flocks can be more prone to fly strike in the autumn once the fleece grows back.

In comparison, farms that shear sheep later may need to consider treating sheep with a product to prevent strike, Miss Gascoigne added.

Prevention and treatment

Licenced sprays or pour-on products containing cyromazine and dicyclanil can be used to prevent strike.

Farmers need to speak to their vet or SQP about which product to use, urged Miss Gascoigne, who added withdrawal periods prevent sheep from being shorn for certain periods after treatment, depending on the product used.

Meanwhile, very sick ewes suffering from toxaemia  caused by secondary infection from strike-induced wounds  will require fluids or antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, in addition to topical treatment to kill maggots, she added.

How parasites can increase blowfly risk

Parasite management is going to be a huge driver in protecting lambs from getting infected [with blowfly]. I am concerned about the risk of parasites this year.

Miss Gascoigne encouraged farmers to carry out FECs and keep lambs back ends clean.

Dags are fertile ground for maggots  they are warm, wet and smelly. It is attractive for flies to lay their eggs, so keeping lambs clean is really important.

The risk factor for fly strike will vary depending on flock and system, so theres isnt a one-size-fits-all solution. Each flock needs to assess its own risk factors in ewes and lambs and ensure parasite control is up to date.

Live tracker

To help sheep producers, Elanco Animal Health and the National Animal Disease Information Service (Nadis) have developed an interactive map to provide farmers with real-time updates on blowfly risk.

It uses data from the Met Office to predict the emergence of blowflies and produce forecasts.

Farmers can also report cases of blowfly in their flock to help highlight areas already hit by the disease.

The map is split into small grids to allow more localised reporting and uses a colour code to distribute risk: green (low risk), amber (medium risk) and red (high risk).

You can report a case or review the risk in your area online.
Berthouds new Vantage trailed machine won the affection of Essex grower Gavin Rowsell when he changed his sprayer last summer, seeing off other suitors with the promise of top after-sales support.

Cropping 500ha of heavy London clay with his daughter Shannon at Brickhouse Farm, Maldon, Mr Rowsell has been running trailed sprayers since he returned from college in 1989.

The most recent was a Hardi Commander and although it was a brilliant sprayer, he says the local dealer struggled with technical backup from the start and the Danish manufacturer itself has only a limited physical presence in the UK.

See also: Drivers view: Kent farmer rates his Alanco Sprayranger

Berthoud Vantage 5,500-litre tanks 36m Ektar B3 boom Price: 96,000

Although he says it was a quality sprayer, Mr Rowsell became frustrated with electronic glitches on the high-tech machine and with limited support to solve them, the farm took the decision to change last year.

Shannon did some market research and a shortlist of three was drawn up that included two from German makers Amazone and Horsch and one from blue-liveried French company Berthoud.

Both the Amazone and Berthoud ticked a lot of boxes for the farms requirements, but the factor in the French machines favour was the proximity to a Berthoud agent  Thaxsted-based application specialist Spraytec.

We use Spraytec for our repairs and MOTs and we know the local rep well. They dont do much else apart from sprayers and pelleters, so they are very focused [on application] and that did it for me, explains Mr Rowsell.

See also: Drivers view: Kent farmer rates his Alanco Sprayranger

Boom suspension

Replacing the outgoing Tenor range, the Vantage was available to order last March and had its official UK launch at Cereals 2017.

Mr Rowsell took delivery of the UKs second Vantage in late April and it was straight to work in the middle of a busy spring schedule, spraying his winter and spring wheat, lucerne plus maize produced for a local beef producer.

The high-spec 5,500-litre capacity machine has a 550-litres/min twin turbine pump and aluminium booms as standard, something that fitted in well with the farms recent transition to liquid fertiliser.

The stability of the 36m span  aided by the as-standard axle and drawbar suspension and Berthouds new optional Active Roll ultrasonic boom height control feature  is something Mr Rowsell describes as baffling.

It is unbelievable how stable it is, he says. The only issue with the boom is that it doesnt fold down to 24m, which weve needed to do in the past for contract spraying.

Although we arent doing any contracting at the moment, Shannon may want to in the future, so it is a shame and something that almost swayed us away from the Vantage, he adds.

Hydraulic drive

Among the other optional extras on the machine are six additional sections to give 15-section boom control for increased accuracy in short work, plus steering axle tracking and a hydraulically driven spray pump.

The latter is something Mr Rowsell has been particularly pleased with, as on the previous setup a battle between the link arms and the pto shaft raged if the tractors rear wheels dropped into any deep ruts.

The John Deere 7930 pulling the sprayer also sits at lower operating revs, improving fuel efficiency, and the hydraulics are impressively responsive  an area where the Vantage outperformed a Deere machine that was trialled on farm, but never made the shortlist.

Modern tractors have the oil flow to cope, so that isnt the difference. Some other makes dont seem to give the right priority to the pump and booms, whereas the Berthoud goes up when you want it to and doesnt let the booms drag, he explains.

Clever controls

The sprayer came equipped with Berthouds optional ISO Tronic sprayer control, which works through the tractors Isobus terminal and eases clutter in the cab.

The E-Pilot remote control also allows Mr Rowsell to control all the sprayers hydraulic functions within a 20m radius of the machine, handy for switching the system on and off to check nozzles and spray lines up close.

If there are any issues with the Isobus or an emergency change is required to a tractor without Isobus functionality, there is a spare sprayer touchscreen control on board to keep operations running.

Mr Rowsell says: Its locked away under the front hood and theres enough cabling to reach the cab. Its great to have that backup and I think its a very clever idea from Berthoud.

Machine of the Year

The Vantage won Machine of the Year at Sima 2017, but as with any new range, there will undoubtedly be some gremlins to be addressed.

Having taken one of the first machines to arrive in the UK, Mr Rowsell says Berthouds support has been strong, with technicians coming over from France several times to discuss functionality.

He says they have been very proactive in addressing any issues or additional requirements.

Mr Rowsells biggest gripe has been the positioning of the induction hopper, which is tucked too far under the tanks belly, making operator access more awkward than it should be, particularly when emptying and rinsing larger product containers.

Berthoud is fully aware of the issue and have already made some modifications to the machine and are working on more for the future, he says.

The only other requests Mr Rowsell has made of the manufacturer are for some increased functionality on the filling control panel next to the induction hopper and a revision of the positioning of the LED boom lights.

They shine along the boom and because Im usually using angled nozzles, it doesnt light up the spray pattern as well as youd like at night, he explains.
Farmers are being urged to complete a major survey examining the effect of crime in the countryside

The National Rural Crime Survey aims to measure the personal, social and economic cost of rural crime and anti-social behaviour across the country.

The last survey took place in 2015, when 13,000 people responded to give their impressions of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Results revealed that the financial cost of rural crime to the country was significant  totaling an estimated 800m every year.

See also: Farm security advice to combat rural crime

The goal of the 2018 survey is to provide a clear picture of what has improved, what challenges remain and what more can be done to combat rural crime.

Questions in the survey cover a range of issues  including whether you report crimes and if you believe enough is done to catch offenders.

Rural challenges

It is being carried out by the National Rural Crime Network.

The organisation brings together Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces and organisations that play a key role in rural communities.

These organisations include the NFU, the Country Land and Business Association, Neighbourhood Watch, Crimestoppers, Historic England and the Countryside Alliance.

Network chair Julia Mulligan said: I hope that everyone living or working in a rural community will spare a few minutes to complete our survey.

It will provide a clear picture of what has improved, what challenges remain and what more government, police forces and other organisations can do.

No soft target

The survey comes as NFU president Minette Batters warned chief constables to ensure farms and rural communities do not become a soft target for criminals.

A consistent and co-ordinated approach to rural crime was needed, she said.

All manner of rural crimes, whether it is hare-coursing, fly-tipping or theft, severely impact farm businesses and rural communities, added Ms Batters.

Not only does it have economic consequences but these criminals also bring threats, violence and intimidation to the countryside.

The rural crime survey is available on the National Rural Crime Network website and is open for submissions until Sunday 10 June.
Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 75F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, whose district includes Huntington and Newport beaches and other coastal cities, sent a letter to President Biden requesting a major disaster declaration for Orange County, to help with cleanup costs.
Love affair for over two years : Bonn Players with Same time, next year

Doris (Joanna Thron) and George ( Mike Nyandieka) meet once a year. Foto: Muller

Bonn I am in love with you, Dorothee, says George. Im called Doris, counters the lady with whom George wakes up in a hotel bed. With Same time, next year, the Bonn Players stage a comic and romantic play by Bernard Stade in the Brotfabrik in Beuel.

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The play takes place in a hotel room, explains Gina Kelly, director of the play. In the centre of the plot are two people: Doris, played by Joanna Thron, and George (Mike Nyandieka). They meet by chance in a bar in San Francisco, both married to other partners. But the one night stand turns into a regular event.

Thron and Nyandieka carry the play with ample humour and lightness, walk the audience through two decades from 1951 to 1975. Thanks to frequent visits to secondhand shops, the clothes are really authentic. The turtle neck is pretty tight, says Nyandieka. The play takes place in America, and there, you show off what you have, says Gill Atkinson, Production Manager of the play.

Small video clips and the music revive the past too. The whole play is in English. We are avoiding the American accent, says Kelly. The play is easily understandable for all. A brief booklet explains the gist of the story in German. Same time, next year will be shown on May 8, May 10, 11 and 11, at 7.30pm in the Brotfabrik in Beuel, Kreuzstrae. Tickets are 15 Euro - available from www.bonnplayers.de or at the door.

The Bonn Players are contributing to Bonns cultural life for over 30 years. Everybody can join in - directing, acting, stage design or production, everything is possible. Whoever wants to join in, can just send an email to bonnplayers@aol.de, said Kelly. The next play will be staged in November.
kacylee at 21-04-2018 11:02 AM (3 years ago) (f)

A pastor has caused serious stir after storming the church in full military regalia before proceeding to shoot at "enemies".

A video making the rounds on the internet has shown the moment a pastor excited church members after storming the church wearing a military outfit.

A pastor has caused serious stir after storming the church in full military regalia before proceeding to shoot at "enemies".A video making the rounds on the internet has shown the moment a pastor excited church members after storming the church wearing a military outfit.

The incident happened in Jamaica.



According to reports,the pastor decided to appear in church wearing the outfit to demonstrate that Christians are spiritual warriors. She stood in front of the congregation carrying a toy gun while speaking into the microphone.



She then went flat on her face and began shooting at 'imaginary' enemies while the church members applauded her.



The incident has since caused a stir on social media.



Watch the video below:

Jamaican pastor rocks military regalia as she shoots her enemies with a toy gun A post shared by Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) on Apr 21, 2018 at 1:05am PDT The incident happened in Jamaica.According to reports,the pastor decided to appear in church wearing the outfit to demonstrate that Christians are spiritual warriors. She stood in front of the congregation carrying a toy gun while speaking into the microphone.She then went flat on her face and began shooting at 'imaginary' enemies while the church members applauded her.The incident has since caused a stir on social media.Watch the video below:

Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 21-04-2018 11:02 AM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee

Nguyen Phu Trong shakes hands with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi

in their meeting in Hanoi on April 20th.

(Photo: VNA)

The Party leader made the remarks at a reception in Hanoi on April 20th for Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.



He spoke highly of the development of Vietnam-Myanmar relations in recent years and expressed his hope that the State Counsellors visit will mark a milestone, contributing to the enhancement of friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.



The Party chief welcomed the results of the earlier talks between State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and suggested the two sides foster cooperation in all areas, particularly trade, investment and cultural exchange as well as within ASEAN and regional and international forums for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world as well.



[Vietnam, Myanmar look towards USD1 bln in two-way trade]

Aung San Suu Kyi, for her part, said she was delighted to pay her first-ever official visit to Vietnam and to witness the countrys great socio-economic development under the leadership of the CPV.



The State Counsellor highlighted similarities between the two nations and affirmed that Myanmar will closely work with Vietnam in maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and in building a united and strong ASEAN Community.



She stressed that Myanmar wants to boost comprehensive cooperative relations with Vietnam in the time ahead, through Party, government and people channels, especially the exchange of high-level visits.



This is the first official visit to Vietnam by Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also Myanmars Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Presidents Office, aiming to strengthen the bilateral relationship.



Her visit takes place in a context of increased political trust and cooperation between the two nations.



Vietnam and Myanmar set up diplomatic ties on May 28th 1975. The two countries elevated their ties to the level of comprehensive cooperative partnership during a State visit to Myanmar by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong in August 2017./.
Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi is welcomed by

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi on April 19th (Photo: VNA)

The following is the full text of the joint statement.

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Her Excellency Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, paid her first official visit to Vietnam from April 19th  20th, 2018.



2. During the visit, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was accorded a ceremonial welcome by His Excellency Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. While in Vietnam, State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and attended the banquet hosted by the Prime Minister. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi also paid courtesy calls on Leaders of Vietnam, laid a wreath at the Monument of National Heroes and Martyrs, and visited President Ho Chi Minhs Stilt House. The State Counsellor also met with Chairman of Vietnam  Myanmar Friendship Association, and Vietnamese enterprises operating in Myanmar.



3. The two leaders acknowledged that the existing traditional friendship and the close cooperation between Vietnam and Myanmar were established by President Ho Chi Minh and General Aung San and cultivated by generations of leaders and people from both countries. They reaffirmed their common aspirations for peace, prosperity and development of the region and beyond. Vietnamese leaders emphasized that Vietnam is always mindful of the strong support rendered by the Government and people of Myanmar in the past struggle for national liberation and in current efforts for national development. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her admiration for the determination and courage with which the Government and people of Vietnam defended and developed their country. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi congratulated Vietnam for successfully implementing the strategy of renovation, reform and intensive and extensive international integration.



4. The Leaders reviewed developments in bilateral relations and cooperation since the very successful visit of His Excellency Nguyen Phu Trong, General Secretary of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam to Myanmar in August 2017. The Vietnamese side stressed the importance attached to relations with Myanmar and the Government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD) and reaffirmed its continued support for peace and national reconciliation in Myanmar. Vietnam firmly believes that the 21st Century Panglong was a major step forward and, through dialogues and negotiation, the Government of Myanmar would continue to succeed in building a stable and thriving democratic federal Union. Myanmar side expressed its appreciation to Vietnam for its consistent support, as well as for sharing with Myanmar its experience with regard to national reconciliation and development.



5. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi noted with satisfaction the positive progress in bilateral cooperation in past years, particularly the elevation of bilateral ties to Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership in August 2017. Both sides reaffirmed to strengthen further the effectiveness of comprehensive cooperation in all areas, including trade and investment, cultural, social and educational cooperation. These efforts will enhance trust and intensified cooperation between the two countries, bringing practical benefits for the peoples.



6. In order to effectively implement the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership Agreement, the two leaders expressed their strong desire to promote cooperation in politics, trade and investment, defence and security, agro-forestry and fishery, connectivity, energy and telecommunication, tourism, justice, education and people-to-people exchange and regional involvement.



7. The two sides emphasized that the exchange of visits at all levels and channels, including government to government, parliament to parliament, party to party, people to people, will enhance friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Both sides agreed that close party to party cooperation is an important pillar of bilateral ties and looked forward to the early signing of Action Plan 2018-2023 to implement the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership established in August 2017.



8. The two sides recognized the strong development in bilateral economic cooperation: the two-way trade volume in 2017 reached nearly USD830 million, a 51% increase compared to 2016. Vietnam has risen to become the 7th largest foreign investor in Myanmar with 17 projects and USD2.1 billion in registered capital. This relationship of cooperation demonstrates that the two economies complement each other and brings benefits to both sides, in the fields of agricultural trade, investment, aqua product processing, tourism and services given the circumstance that the Government of Myanmar is carrying out extensive economic reforms. The two sides also reaffirmed the commitment to enhance cooperation and find new means to reach the two-way trade target of USD1 billion at the earliest possible. Both sides stressed the importance of policy provision in trade and investment and providing favourable environment for foreign investors, including Myanmar investors and Vietnam investors. Leaders of both sides recognized the need to study further the possibility of establishing new mechanism as well as to sign the necessary MOUs/Agreements to help facilitate and promote investment between the two countries.



9. Both sides expressed appreciation of recent developments in bilateral defense-security cooperation and reaffirmed continued effective implementation of agreements reached under bilateral and multilateral frameworks. The two sides agreed to expand defense and security cooperation including exchange of military delegations at all levels, and conducting the Defence Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Ministerial Level in 2018, expanding cooperation into other areas, i.e. training, medical assistance, search and rescue, sport exchange. Vietnam welcomes friendship, sightseeing and field research visits by Myanmar delegations as well as Myanmar trainees attending courses on treatment of burns and the manufacture of prosthetic limbs in Vietnam.



10. Two sides welcomed and committed to fully implement the newly signed MoU on Cooperation in the field of Post, Telecommunication and ICT and MoU on Information Cooperation. Both sides agreed to expedite the negotiation for early signing of Agreement on Prevention and Fight Against Crime and other agreements/treaties in field of security cooperation. Both sides reaffirmed the commitment not to allow any individual or organization to use one countrys territory to conduct activities against the other country.



11. Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation with a view towards promoting closer financial linkages and acknowledging to enhance the financial sector, including financial services. The two sides also emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in telecommunication and energy sector, especially in the fields of oil and gas, infrastructure sharing.



12. Both sides reiterated that Agro-forestry and fishery cooperation is an important area of cooperation with many advantages and potential for mutual support and development. In that spirit, the two sides agreed to sign agreements on agriculture, forestry, fisheries and livestock and to expand cooperation at an early date to find ways to improve the quality and value of agricultural products, including corn, rice, beans and mung beans. The two sides expressed commitment to accelerate procedure to sign the MOU on Cooperative in Agriculture and Rural Development at the earliest.



13. The two sides also agreed to promote multi-modal transport cooperation, including land, sea and air links between the two countries and within the sub-region. In light of the successful GMS 6 held in Hanoi in March 2018, the two sides will work closely together to achieve the goals set out at GMS 6.



14. The two Leaders also discussed ways to deepen further bilateral ties in tourism, justice, education and people-to-people exchange under the framework of Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership. Both sides encouraged the effective implementation of the student exchange programs at all levels. The Leaders reiterated to support the role and activities of Vietnam-Myanmar Friendship Association and Myanmar  Vietnam Friendship Association to enhance people-to-people exchange, to contribute proactively to the extensive development of the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership between the two countries.



15. The two Leaders expressed appreciation of the close cooperation in regional and international fora, including ASEAN, Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations. To elevate the excellent cooperation to new heights in the spirit of the Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership, both sides agreed to continue to support the realization of the ASEAN Communitys goals through regional cooperation within the ACMECS and the CLMV frameworks, especially in the areas of environment, poverty alleviation, water security, connectivity and human resources development.



16. The two sides reiterated to continue close cooperation in regional cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong sub-region, including the Mekong  Japan, Mekong  Korea, Mekong  Ganga, Lower Mekong Initiative as well as Greater Mekong Sub-region. Vietnam encouraged Myanmar to become an official member of the Mekong River Commission (MRC).



17. Leaders of both sides expressed commitment to cooperate closely to build a successful ASEAN Community with central role in the regional security architecture.



18. Both sides reiterated the importance of maintaining peace, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region; underlined the importance of the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, the 1982 UNCLOS, without resorting to threat or use of force. Both sides committed to support the full and effective implementation of the DOC and the early conclusion of an effective COC in the South China Sea.



19. State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her deep gratitude for the hospitality, cordiality and warm-hearted reception that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc accorded to her and to the members of the delegation and looked forward to receiving Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on an official visit to Myanmar at a mutually convenient time./.
Norwegian expedition cruise operator Hurtigruten has signed a Letter of Intent with Rolls-Royce for a major environmental upgrade program to hybrid power. The main engines on up to nine cruise ships will switch from diesel to gas power and the upgrade will also include installation of a hybrid battery system.





One of Hurtigrutens Norwegian coastal ships.

The deal comprises the supply of equipment to six existing passenger cruise vessels, with an option for a further three. The ships will completely change their power system with the installation of new Rolls-Royce LNG-engines as part of a new hybrid system. The upgrade will enable the former diesel-powered ships to reduce CO 2 -emissions by at least 25%.

Hurtigruten was recently awarded licenses by the Norwegian Government for seven out of 11 coastal ferry routes. The year-round service, on the renowned passenger and cargo route from Bergen in the southwest to Kirkenes in the north, has 34 stops.





One of the key requirements from the Government of the routes operator was a reduction in CO 2 -emissions. With its plans for a major upgrade, Hurtigruten will be able to continue operating its existing fleet on the route and at the same time meet these new stricter environmental demands.

Hurtigruten is planning an upgrade with our newest and most environmentally efficient engine, powered by natural gas. This is another great innovation from our engine factory in Bergen, where we have more than ten years of experience of powering ships purely by gas. Together with other new energy system installations, Hurtigruten will make its older ships work as efficiently and environmentally as if they were new. Astrid Opsjen, Rolls-Royce, Vice President Product Sales & Advanced Offerings

The intentional agreement specifies that Rolls-Royce is to deliver two of its newly developed Bergen B36:45 L&PG gas engines as the main engines to each ship. These LNG engines set a new standard in power and efficiency with exceptionally low emissions of NO x , CO 2 , SO x and particulates.

Rolls-Royce will also supply the latest electrical power SAVe Cube system, designed with a single integrated drive switchboard for the whole vessel. Additional battery power will also be installed, making the ships hybrid powered and contributing to making them even more environmentally-friendly.

The propulsion system is planned to also include the Promas system, which combines rudder and propeller into one fuel efficient unit. In general the efficiency gain is between 3-8% for single screw vessels and 2-6% for twin screw vessels.

The new tender period for the coastal route starts on 1 January 2021.
Petrobras has started production of the Buzios field, in the pre-salt of the Santos Basin, by means of platform P-74. P-74 is located about 200 km (124 miles) off the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, at a water depth of 2,000 meters and is the thirteenth platform to go into operation in the Brazilian pre-salt.





Due to the high production potential of Buzios, in addition to P-74, four more platforms will be allocated to this field between 2018 and 2021, each with a capacity to process up to 150,000 barrels of oil and 6 million cubic meters of gas daily.

Buzios is one of the main pre-salt projects of the company and will contribute to the increase of Petrobras production under the 2018-2022 Business and Management Plan.
On Friday afternoon, Hue joined the leaders of several ministries and agencies to survey the citys two public investment projects, including the expanded Ring Road No. 3 from Mai Dich to Thang Long Bridge (State budget) and the Nhon - Hanoi station urban railway project (ODA capital).

According to the deputy PM, in the first quarter of 2018, the country disbursed 9.1% of the planned capital, lower than in the same period last year at 14%. The sluggishness of public investment disbursement is hindering national development, he stated, adding that the inconsistent system of laws on public investment and the limited ability of the ministries and localities concerned are obstacles to public investment disbursement.

Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue works with the Hanoi municipal People's Committee on public capital disbursement. (Photo: VGP)



Deputy PM Hue informed those present that the Government is preparing to submit the draft revised Public Investment Law to the National Assembly for discussion at the upcoming fifth sitting. The amended law is expected to be approved by the legislative body by the end of the year, thereby making an important contribution to addressing the current shortcomings, he said.

As Hanoi has a full public investment scheme (including government bonds, ODA, and State budget, accounting for 6.5% of the total national public investment capital), the citys practice in the field will be meaningful to the Government and other localities in overcoming the limitations and accelerating the disbursement of public investment, Hue stressed.

Adding that Hanoi has implemented effective models in the disbursement of public investment, helping to continuously maintain the disbursement rate at a higher level than the national rate, the senior Government official urged the local authorities to actively inspect and boost land clearance in order to deploy key projects in 2018.

He also asked the Ministry of Planning and Investment to study the decentralisation of the management over the reserve fund in the medium-term public investment plan. Hanoi and the competent agencies should estimate the demand for disbursement for its three urban railway projects to timely adjust their medium-term public investment plans, he added.
The PM made the suggestion while chairing a meeting with the PMs Economic Advisory Group at the Government headquarters in Hanoi on April 20.

Expressing his appreciation for the practical comments from the members of the special group in assisting the Government and the PM in directing and managing national socio-economic development, PM Phuc said that he would refer to their suggestions for both immediate and long-term issues.

The PM said that the people expect the country to grow stronger, at a higher level that must be sustainable, especially macroeconomic stability. He also pledged to continue to create a favourable business environment and seek measures to find markets for production output.

The cabinet leader called for raising the country's strategic reserves, while diverting growth and finding new growth opportunities, as well as linking the FDI and domestic sectors to narrow the development gap and reduce production costs.

The Government will hold regular meetings with economists and experts to seek more advice, the PM affirmed.

At the meeting, members of the PMs Economic Advisory Group proposed a number of solutions to ensure the economic growth in 2018, as well as in the medium and long term.
In 2008, Samsung Group officially received an investment license and started the construction of a mobile phone factory (SEV) in Yen Phong Industrial Park, with a total registered capital of US$ 670 million. After 10 years of operations, Samsung is the largest foreign investor in Vietnam with a total investment of more than US$ 17.3 billion, of which SEV (Bac Ninh) and SEVT (Thai Nguyen) are two of Samsung's largest mobile phone plants worldwide. In the development strategy of Samsung, Vietnam plays an important role in manufacturing, researching and developing.

On behalf of the Government of Vietnam, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh congratulated Samsung Group on their business results in Vietnam.

In 2017, Vietnam's export turnover reached over US$ 200 billion for the first time, of which Samsungs export turnover reached a record of more than US$ 54 billion, contributing more than 25% to the total export turnover of Vietnam.

The success of Samsung in Vietnam is also a success of the reform policies and the continuous improvement of the quality and attractiveness of the investment environment by the Vietnamese Government, he added.

He said that the Vietnamese Government will continue to cooperate with FDI enterprises in general, and the Republic of Korea (RoK)s enterprises (including Samsung Group) in particular, in the process of investing in Vietnam.

The Deputy PM suggested that the RoK businesses should transfer technology, pay attention to and ensure the material conditions for workers; support Vietnamese enterprises to step-by-step become partners in the global value chain and raise the localisation rate.

On this occasion, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh presented a certificate of merit to Samsung Vietnam.
SAM KING ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR OHA TRUSTEE AT-LARGE SEAT

Lets unite and return OHA to its true mission, says King on announcing his candidacy.

News Release from VoteSamKing.com

(Honolulu, Hawaii) April 20, 2018  Samuel Wilder King II today announced his entry in to the race for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Trustee At-Large seat. The position, which is elected on a statewide basis, will have a significant impact on the future of OHA as it begins to resolve the problems brought on by discoveries in the recent audit.

It is distressing that OHA has not taken sufficient action with respect to the audit and the CEO. Native Hawaiians, and all the people of Hawai`i, deserve an Office of Hawaiian Affairs dedicated to solving the bread and butter issues of indigenous Hawaiians  better housing, better jobs, better healthcare, and the celebration and preservation of Hawaiian culture, said Mr. King in making the announcement.

For the benefit of all the people of Hawai`i, OHA must return to the purity of its mission, as an organization that truly serves the Hawaiian community. I humbly ask for your vote for Trustee At-Large as we work together for a better OHA and a better Hawai`i.

For more information, visit www.VoteSamKing.com .

# # #

LINK: Sam King Bio
During a meeting with visiting Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Chen Wu in Hanoi on April 20, Minister Anh praised the leading role of Guangxi in cooperating with Vietnam in many fields, and Vietnamese localities in particular, especially in economy and trade.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) attaches special importance to developing cooperation with Guangxi, and considers the locality an important bridge connecting Vietnam with the Chinese market, he said, adding that Vietnam is willing to become a conduit to help Guangxi as well as other Chinese localities boost bonds with other Southeast Asian markets.

He used the occasion to ask the Guangxi side to urge China's quarantine agency to expeditiously complete the risk assessment procedures, thus allowing Vietnam to officially export milk and dairy products, fruit, pigs, and pork to China.

Chen, for his part, said the two should strengthen the construction and connection of border gates, and increase trade facilitation in order to meet the increasing demand for trade between their enterprises, he stressed.

Chen proposed that the two sides boost research and development of the One-stop-shop clearance model for some commodities such as watermelons and dragon fruit of Vietnam which are exported through the pairs of Huu Nghi-Huu Nghi Quan (Friendship-Friendship Gate) border gate; and Mong Cai - Dongxing border gate, making it easier for import and export activities between the two nations.

The annual China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) held in Guangxi is a great opportunity for Vietnamese and Chinese businesses to promote cooperation, he noted.

According to statistics from the Guangxi side, Vietnam has been the largest trade partner for Guangxi over many consecutive years. Their two-way trade always accounts for about one third of the total trade between the two nations. In 2017, trade between Vietnam and Guangxi hit US$ 24.12 billion, up 0.4 percent year-on-year, of which Guangxis exports to Vietnam reached more than US$ 13.77 billion, down 0.7 percent, while its imports from Vietnam were over US$ 10.35 billion, up 2 percent.
The event saw the participation of representatives from the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD); the Vietnamese Embassy and Commercial Affair in Malaysia; Malaysias Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry; and those from leading enterprises in the processing, exporting, and importing of livestock products in the two countries.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of MARD Tran Thanh Nam said the livestock cooperation between Vietnam and Malaysia still remains modest compared to its potential, and opportunities and mechanisms for businesses of both sides to strengthen links is limited.

He hoped that through the seminar, authorities and enterprises of the two countries would develop a greater understanding of each other's situation and abilities, thus proposing ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in the field.

Vietnamese enterprises such as Vinamilk and Minh Dang Groups introduced their activities and products. They said their products could meet the demands of the Malaysian market, expressing their wish to establish links with Malaysian partners, with the intention of exporting their products to the country in the near future.

Meanwhile, Malaysian businesses expressed their interest in some Vietnamese products such as beef, milk, dairy products, and animal feed.

They revealed that Malaysian dairy and beef firms meet only about 60 percent, and 23 percent of the domestic market demand, respectively.

The Malaysian side affirmed it would consider the possibility of collaborating with Vietnamese partners on imports of those products in the coming time.

Malaysian enterprises also said they could cooperate with Vietnamese firms through providing technologies of processing and preservation of livestock products, and veterinary medicines.

Previously, on April 20, Deputy Minister Nam held a working session with representatives from the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, during which the two sides discussed measures to boost their agricultural and breeding collaboration.
Bearing the slogan, A journey of knowledge and future, the bus runs between District 8s station and Thu Duc University Village, a route familiar to many local students. It serves as a mini library with wooden shelves, tables, and chairs for passengers.

Along with the bus, the Knowledge bus stop and the citys first Electronic Information Display at a bus stop were launched, which provide information on the books and activities available at the Book Street and the citys bus lines.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the municipal Transport Department Vo Khanh Hung said in the coming time, the department will build an area in the Book Street to raise childrens awareness about traffic safety.

On this occasion, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation signed a cooperation agreement with Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Company Limited to better serve the people and contribute to the development of Ho Chi Minh City as a high quality, civilized, and modern metropolis.
During her visit, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi held talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; paid a courtesy visit to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; and met with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. On this occasion, the two nations issued a joint statement.

Through the meetings, the two sides agreed to enhance political and diplomatic cooperation by increasing visits and meetings at all levels through Party, government, parliament and people-to-people channels.

The two sides consented to accelerate the organisation of the 9th session of the Vietnam-Myanmar Joint Commission and early approve the Action Plan to implement the Vietnam  Myanmar comprehensive partnership for 2018  2023.

The two sides agreed to boost bilateral trade-investment ties based on mutual benefits towards achieving US$1 billion or higher in two-way trade.

Apart from efforts to effectively implement bilateral agreements, they agreed to expand cooperation to other spheres such as training, military healthcare, search and rescue activities, and sport exchange.

The two sides concurred to hold a defence policy dialogue at the deputy minister level in 2018, and speed up negotiations to soon sign a crime prevention agreement and other agreements on extradition and transfer of sentenced persons.

Vietnam and Myanmar want to further promote key cooperative areas like finance, telecommunications, energy, agro-forestry-fishery, and people-to-people exchange. The two sides welcomed the enhancement of cooperation in transport, tourism, justice, education, and culture, and agreed to sign agreements in a bid to create legal frameworks for cooperation in specific spheres.

The two sides agreed to foster collaboration at regional and international forums, and promised to successfully building the ASEAN Community, which plays a central role in the regional security architecture, and to sustainably and effectively using Mekong Rivers water resources.

Vietnam and Myanmar pledged to support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early completion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

On the occasion, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of post, telecommunications and information technology, and another on information cooperation.
NA Chairwoman Ngan hosted a reception for the Myanmar leader in Hanoi on April 20 during which she lauded the increasingly important role of women in Vietnam and the world at large, adding that women have become more equal to men, many of them became prestigious national leaders like Aung San Suu Kyi.

The top lawmaker expressed her hope that, with her ability to inspire and motivate others, the State Counsellor will help Myanmar develop peacefully and stably, and gain greater achievements in the time ahead.

The NA leader highly spoke of the strong progress of the bilateral relations in recent years and affirmed that Vietnam always wants to expand ties with Myanmar in all fields for the benefit of their people.

Vietnam backs Myanmars efforts for socio-economic development and national reconciliation and wishes for prosperity in Myanmar, Ngan said.

Both leaders were delighted at the recent development of cooperation between the two legislative bodies. The two sides have well implemented their agreement signed in July, 2013 and maintained regular exchanges of high-level visits since then.

Aung San Suu Kyi said, in her position, she always supports the enhancement of cooperation between the two parliaments as they are very important bodies that represent the peoples voice and are at the forefront of national reoms.

She informed Ngan on the results of her talks with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in which the two sides discussed directions for bilateral cooperation, including measures to encourage Myanmar investors to do business in Vietnam and vice versa, and ways to achieve higher two-way trade value.

The State Counsellor said she was impressed to learn that Vietnamese ministries have cut more than 600 business and investment conditions and she hopes the Vietnamese NA, government and ministries will share experience with Myanmar in this area.

Chairwoman Ngan noted that Vietnam is pushing for vigorous reforms in administrative procedures with the focus on taxation, trade and customs to create favourable conditions for businesses.

The country has been working to make its business climate into Top 4 in ASEAN, she said, adding that the NA of Vietnam has worked with the Government to review the laws and make amendments to those that cause legal barriers to enterprises.

NA Chairwoman Ngan went on to say that as Myanmar is a potential market where Vietnamese firms want to make long-term investment, she hopes the State Counsellor will pay attention to facilitating Vietnamese businesses in Myanmar.

Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also Myanmars Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Presidents Office, paid her first official visit to Vietnam from April 19-20 at the invitation of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Her visit takes place in a context of increased political trust and cooperation between the two nations.

Vietnam and Myanmar have shared a sound traditional friendship. Myanmar was one of the first Southeast Asian countries to set up diplomatic relations with Vietnam in 1975 and whole-heartedly supported Vietnam during the struggle for national independence and reunification.
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The Party leader made the remarks at a reception in Hanoi on April 20 for Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

He spoke highly of the development of Vietnam-Myanmar relations in recent years and expressed his hope that the State Counsellors visit will mark a milestone, contributing to the enhancement of friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.

The Party chief welcomed the results of the earlier talks between State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and suggested the two sides foster cooperation in all areas, particularly trade, investment and cultural exchange as well as within ASEAN and regional and international forums for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world as well.

Aung San Suu Kyi, for her part, said she was delighted to pay her first-ever official visit to Vietnam and to witness the countrys great socio-economic development under the leadership of the CPV.

The State Counsellor highlighted similarities between the two nations and affirmed that Myanmar will closely work with Vietnam in maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and in building a united and strong ASEAN Community.

She stressed that Myanmar wants to boost comprehensive cooperative relations with Vietnam in the time ahead, through Party, government and people channels, especially the exchange of high-level visits.

This is the first official visit to Vietnam by Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also Myanmars Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Presidents Office, aiming to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

Her visit takes place in a context of increased political trust and cooperation between the two nations.

Vietnam and Myanmar set up diplomatic ties on May 28, 1975. The two countries elevated their ties to the level of comprehensive cooperative partnership during a State visit to Myanmar by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong in August 2017.
Imperial Valley News Center

AMAC calls for rational debate on gun control

Washington, DC - Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens, has called for rational debate rather than politically motivated rhetoric regarding the issue of gun control.

The murder of innocent children in our nations schools by mentally disturbed individuals cannot be tolerated. Nor should it become political campaign fodder. Yet that is exactly what is bound to happen in the next eight months leading up the 2018 Mid-Term elections, says Weber.

In the wake of the tragic mass shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens escalated the politics of gun control by calling for the full repeal of the Second Amendment.

Weber describes Justice Stevens solution as an absurdly extreme way to control the use of firearms. Not to mention that it would be perhaps the first time in American history that our own government would be taking away a Constitutional right.

A scholarly critique of the rationale for gun control showed that many of the reasons cited for the need of more onerous regulation of firearms are deceptive. One of the criteria cited is the notion that homicides are largely crimes of passion committed by otherwise lawabiding citizens not distinguishable from other people. Therefore, control must be directed at all gun owners rather than select criminal subgroups.

Says Weber, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which keeps track of gun deaths, has found that nearly two-thirds of death by firearms in the U.S. were the result of suicides, accidents and legal interventions. He notes that homicides accounted for only 33 percent of deaths.

Law professor Robert Delahunty has a different take on the need for more stringent gun control. According to Delahunty, progressives claim that more regulation of guns will deter violence and promote public safety. But, he says, they demure when it comes to the notion of abortion control. The progressive position seems to depend on what kind of laws they are talking about.

Weber points out that he is in no way condoning indiscriminate sales of guns, particularly to individuals who are potentially a danger to themselves and to others.

The emotional and mental stability of gun buyers should, indeed, be a factor in deciding whether to allow such sales. But, in addition we need law enforcement to be more proactive. For example, there was plenty of evidence to identify the intentions of the shooter in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School incident. The FBI and local police had been informed of who he was and what he was capable of. He was said to go around introducing himself by saying, Hi, Im Nick. Im a school shooter. Yet, the authorities seemed to ignore the threat he posed.

More recently, however, police in Lexington, KY got an anonymous tip that a local high school student was threatening to shoot himself and others at his school. The youngster had recently posted social media pictures of himself with a gun he had recently purchased. Little time was wasted in obtaining a mental health petition apprehending him

Instead of disregarding the right to bear arms granted by our Founding Fathers in the Constitution, instead of targeting legitimate gun buyers and sellers, lets focus on the reason for the mayhem. We should be concentrating on the mental health aspects if the issue by finding ways of identifying those with problems and intervening and preventing further atrocities as school shootings, according to Weber.
Imperial Valley News Center

Release of the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices

Washington, DC - Remarks on Release of the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices:

MS NAUERT: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so much for coming, especially on a Friday. Today the State Department released the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Promoting freedom  promoting and defending human rights and fundamental freedoms are central to who we are as a country, and the United States will continue to support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty.

This is the 42nd annual Human Rights Report that the department has now released. Were delighted to have our Acting Secretary of State, John Sullivan, with us here today to say a few words about this report. After Acting Secretary Sullivans remarks, we will invite Ambassador Michael Kozak to the podium to answer some of your questions. I will help facilitate, as we all know one another, and assist with that.

Ambassador Kozak is a senior bureau official with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and hes looking forward to speaking with you shortly. He has served this department under Republican and Democrat administrations for 46 years, which is incredible. Sir, thank you for your service to the State Department.

And with that, I will hand over the podium to our Acting Secretary John Sullivan. Sir.

ACTING SECRETARY SULLIVAN: Thank you, Heather. Good afternoon, everyone. Its an honor to be here to formally release the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Now in their 42nd year, these reports are a natural outgrowth of our values as Americans. The founding documents of our country speak to unalienable rights, fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law  revolutionary concepts at the time of our founding that are now woven into the fabric of America and its interests both at home and abroad.

Promoting human rights and the idea that every person has inherent dignity is a core element of this administrations foreign policy. It also strengthens U.S. national security by fostering greater peace, stability, and prosperity around the world. The Human Rights Reports are the most comprehensive and factual accounting of the global state of human rights. They help our government and others formulate policies and encourage both friends and foes to respect the dignity of all individuals without discrimination.

This year, we have sharpened the focus of the report to be more responsive to statutory reporting requirements and more focused on government action or inaction with regard to the promotion and protection of human rights. For example, each executive summary includes a paragraph to note the most egregious abuses that occurred in a particular country, including those against women, LGBTI persons, persons with disabilities, indigenous persons, and members of religious minorities.

Before I turn the podium over to Mike, Id like to discuss a few countries in particular, including some with the most egregious human rights records.

The entire world is aware of the horrendous human rights abuses in Syria, including barrel bombing of civilians, attacks on hospitals, widespread reports of rape and abuse by Syrian Government personnel. A week ago, the President took action, together with our French and British allies, to deter the use of chemical weapons and protect the human rights of Syrian civilians.

We condemn the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya in Burma and the atrocities committed against them, and we are working with partners to address that crisis. More than 670,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent months. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been internally displaced. Those responsible for the violations, abuses, and attacks must be held accountable.

The DPRK is one of the most repressive and abusive regimes in the world. As the report makes clear, the Kim regime systematically neglects the well-being of its people to underwrite and fund its illicit weapons programs via forced labor, child labor, and the export of North Korean workers.

China continues to spread the worst features of its authoritarian system, including restrictions on activists, civil society, freedom of expression, and the use of arbitrary surveillance. The absence of an independent judiciary, the governments crackdown in independent lawyers, and tight controls on information undermine the rule of law. Were particularly concerned about the efforts of Chinese authorities to eliminate the religious, linguistic, and cultural identities of Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, as well as restrictions on the worship of Christians.

The Iranian people continue to suffer at the hands of their leaders. The right of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression are the legitimate expectation of all individuals worldwide. Unfortunately for the Iranian people, these human rights are under attack almost daily.

In Turkey, the detention of tens of thousands of individuals, including journalists and academics, under an ongoing state of emergency has undermined the rule of law there.

In Venezuela, the Maduro regime represses the human rights of its people and denies them the right to have a voice in their government. Thousands flee their homes daily in response to this growing humanitarian crisis. At the Summit of the Americas last week, Vice President Pence announced $16 million in humanitarian aid from the United States to help those who have fled Venezuela, are in  and are in desperate need of food, water, and medical help. We stand by the Venezuelan people even as their leaders refuse to allow aid into the country.

Finally, the Russian Government continues to quash dissent and civil society, even while it invades its neighbors and undermines the sovereignty of Western nations. We once again urge Russia to end its brutal occupation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, to halt the abuses perpetrated by Russian-led forces in Ukraines Donbas region, and to address impunity for the human rights violations and abuses in the Republic of Chechnya.

Thats a brief overview of the factual reports on countries of most concern. I know that Ambassador Kozak will be happy to answer any questions you may have, but before I turn the podium over to him, let me note at least a few bright spots.

Uzbekistan  although theres still much progress to be made, the country has pursued a strategic reform agenda with positive effects on human rights, including the release of eight high-profile prisoners last year.

In Liberia, the recent presidential election represents a milestone marking the first peaceful transition from one democratically elected leader to another in more than 70 years.

And in Mexico, the general law on forced disappearances established criminal penalties for persons convicted of forced disappearance and a national framework to find victims.

These represent a few of the more positive examples noted in the reports which are released today. We hope to see many more positive accounts of countries taking serious action to improve the human rights record in the reports next year.

In conclusion, let me say America leads the way globally to promote human rights. We will also continue to impose consequences on those who abuse human rights. Over the past year, through the Russia Magnitsky and Global Magnitsky sanctions programs, we have undertaken some of our most aggressive measures yet. No human rights abuser, no matter where in the world, is out of our reach. The Human Rights Reports are a significant part of that overall effort. Creating them is an enormous undertaking and not for the fainthearted. Im grateful to so many of my colleagues in the State Department, including those here in Washington and many others in embassies and consulates around the world, whove made these reports possible and contribute to Americas longstanding leadership in promoting human rights.

So with that, Id like to turn the podium over to Acting Under Secretary Nauert and to my friend and colleague, Ambassador Mike Kozak. Thank you.
The PM emphasised the importance of realising common agreements and perceptions by senior leaders of the two Parties and States as well as further boosting the comprehensive partnership between Guangxi and Vietnam, and between Guangxi and Vietnamese border localities in particular.

He suggested continuing to upgrade existing mechanisms towards creating the most favourable conditions for customs clearance at border gates, and asked Guangxi to facilitate cross-border trade, promptly pilot the one-stop shop mechanism, and develop logistics infrastructure to raise two-way trade.

PM Phuc agreed with Chens proposal to upgrade transport connectivity between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities, saying that both sides could consider building and renovating bridges to boost trade ties.

Welcoming Guangxis capable firms to do business in Vietnam, the leader said the two sides should also increase cooperation in the fields of culture, health care, education, labour and people-to-people exchanges, as well as in the fight against crimes and maintaining a borderline of peace and friendship, thus contributing positively to the common achievements between the two Parties, States and people.

Chen, for his part, said his visit aims to continue realising common agreements and perceptions by senior leaders of the two Parties and States.

He noted the success of PM Phucs official visit to China in October 2016 and his attendance at the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), which he said, opened up a lot of opportunities to step up the comprehensive cooperation between people and businesses of the two countries.

Guangxi will do its best to connect bilateral cooperation ideas, especially those to raise two-way trade and build infrastructure at border gates, he said.

According to the Chinese official, Guangxi-Vietnam trade value accounts for one-third of the trade turnover between Guangxi and other countries in the world. Therefore, the province wants to promptly pilot the Two Countries, One Destination mechanism to facilitate customs clearance at border gates.

Chen proposed choosing several outstanding products for the pilot mechanism such as Vietnams watermelon and Chinas apple.

Guangxi wants to enhance road and railway transport connectivity with Vietnamese border provinces and upgrade border gates, he said, adding that the two sides could fortify collaboration in education, culture and health care.

Chen promised to continue building a borderline of peace and friendship with Vietnam, step up the fight against cross-border smuggling and transnational crimes, and well prepare for the upcoming CAEXPO in which Vietnam is expected to participate.
Imperial Valley News Center

President Trump Is Reducing Poverty and Promoting Opportunity

Washington, DC - The American people are generous and compassionate, and for generations they have supported their fellow citizens through programs established by government to help people in need. While these programs have helped many individuals and families, too often they have prevented economic independence, prolonged poverty and weakened societal bonds.

President Trump has issued an executive order aimed at reducing reliance on government programs and restoring the dignity of independence to millions of Americans. The executive order  titled Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility  will help increase self-sufficiency, well-being and prosperity.

As the secretary of agriculture, I am committed to making sure that the programs for which I am responsible meet this new orientation. My great confidence in the presidents course reflects my experience as Georgias governor during the Great Recession.

Many of those years were economically tough for the people of my state. Benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), then called Food Stamps, were important to families that had lost jobs.

We served families well, getting them the food benefits they needed. But as important, we also strongly supported their effort to find new jobs. With training, child care and transportation, we helped Georgians move past the temporary need for food stamps to return to the workforce.

Too many states have abandoned this goal of self-sufficiency. Many have asked to waive work requirements, abdicating their responsibilities to move people out of dependence on government programs. This may have been the easy, short-term choice, but it contributed to a long-term failure for many SNAP participants and their families.

We must do better and work with our state partners that administer SNAP to advance the principle of work for those who are able, with the ultimate goal of independence for American families.

Long-term government dependency has never been part of the American dream. USDAs goal is to help individuals and families move from SNAP back to the workforce as the best long-term solution to poverty.

Everyone who receives SNAP deserves an opportunity to attain self-sufficiency. Some may be unable to work due to disability or other legitimate reasons. As designed, the SNAP safety net will be there for them when needed most.

The states are our partners in providing the nutrition people need, but we must also hold them accountable for transitioning able-bodied recipients permanently into the workforce. With the presidents executive order, we reaffirm our mission of helping people move from dependence to employment.

Simply put, the dignity of work and responsibility makes lives better. We recognize, however, that finding success is by no means an easy path. Many SNAP participants face significant barriers to employment, and helping them will require effort, persistence and imagination for all those involved. It may also require coordinating directly with employers to train workers for jobs that are in demand.

The intent of the presidents Executive Order is to enhance the dignity of every individual, assisting those truly in need with compassion, and treating all with fairness. It is about helping people to move out of poverty and near poverty. And most importantly, it is the right thing to do. The presidents leadership propels us to action.

Our informal motto at USDA embodies the presidents vision  Do right, and feed everyone. The worlds most productive farms and ranches, and a vigorous economy, give us the opportunity to put safe and abundant food within the reach of all Americans.

When hard times come, we can help our neighbors. But to do right, we must make it possible for every American to take responsibility for an independent future. We at USDA are proud to join President Trump in making this vision a reality.

This op-ed appeared in Fox News on April 20, 2018.
Imperial Regional Alliance Receives Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program and Grant

Imperial, California - Imperial Regional Alliance proudly sponsored the Imperial Valley International Trade Seminar, hosted by Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation, U.S Commercial Service, and CaliBaja Binational Megaregion. Prior to the seminar, Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation, hosted a USDA Listening Session, for Kim Dolbow Vann, California State Director of United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development.

The purpose of the USDA Listening Session was for the State Director to obtain feedback from the local stakeholders in regards to the needs of the community.



During the Listening Session, Director Kim Dolbow Vann, announced that Imperial Regional Alliance was the recipient of the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, a Revolving Loan Fund, in the amount of $400,000 as well as a grant in the amount of $100,000. The Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program, or RMAP, encourages the development, whether by startup, expansion, of small businesses in rural areas. This program will assist businesses in the Imperial County access capital in order and promote local entrepreneurship. This accomplishment would have not been possible without the support from United States Department of Agriculture key personnel: Karen Rich, Matthew Koch, Daniel Cardona, Edgar Ortega and Carlos Andrade who represent a multitude of programs that assist communities, businesses and not for profit entities.



Imperial Regional Alliance is a not for profit, 501(c)3, organization that aims to provide a link between education, job training, and employment opportunities and promote entrepreneurship in the Imperial Valley.
Poland Science and Technology Agreement Signing Ceremony at Department of State

Washington, DC - Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, Jr. will welcome Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Gowin to the U.S. Department of State on Monday, April 23 at 3:30 p.m. for the signing of the U.S.-Poland Agreement on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.

The signing ceremony underscores our mutual commitment to advancing scientific research for the benefit of the American and Polish people, strengthening our official science and technology relationship that spans the last 45 years. This agreement facilitates joint research, programs, scientific workshops, conferences, and exchanges of scientific and technical data in the areas of basic research, applied research and development, and innovation activities.
Phuc made his remark at a reception for President and CEO of the Republic of Koreas Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd Dongjin Koh in Hanoi on April 20.

Expressing his delight at fruitful growth of Vietnam  Republic of Korea (RoK) ties across all fields, the PM hailed Samsungs achievements and contributions to Vietnams economic development.

He said the Vietnamese Government highly values efforts made by RoK investors, particularly Samsung, in maintaining their top position among foreign investors in Vietnam for years.

Samsungs cooperation, investment and production are important to the two countries strategic partnership, PM Phuc added, saying Vietnamese relevant agencies will continue creating the best possible conditions for the groups operation.

He requested the company to implement its research and development centre in line with schedule and commitments it had made with the Government.

The Government leader suggested Samsung expand investment in Vietnam in not only electronic assembly but also technology development. He asked the group to continue its training and technology transfer for Vietnamese firms in the support industry, particularly small- and medium-sized ones, to help them engage in supplying components for Samsung projects.

For his part, Dongjin Koh informed his host about a successful celebration of Samsung Electronics decade-long presence since its establishment of the first factory in Bac Ninh province.

Samsung always prioritises applying the most advanced technologies in its production in Vietnam, he added, noting that Vietnam is the main manufacturing hub of the conglomerate in the world.

He said Samsung is working to turn Vietnam into its key destination for technology research and to train more high-skilled local engineers and workers.

Affirming the groups determination to stand side by side with Vietnam along its development path, Koh agreed with the PMs suggestion of building electronic and smart cities in Bac Ninh and other Vietnamese localities.

The Korean guest stated Samsung will expand its investment and production scale and generate more jobs in Vietnam, with an expectation for further assistance from Vietnamese Government and relevant agencies.

Samsung has so far invested in six projects worth over US$17.3 billion in Vietnam. In 2017, Samsung Vietnam posted a revenue of nearly US$64 billion, with export value reaching US$54 billion or 25.4 percent of Vietnams total export value. It generated jobs for 160,000 local workers.
In this picture taken Feb. 11, 2009, Gujarat Women and Child Welfare Minister Maya Kodnani smiles along with other Bhartiya Janta Party leaders during a pledge taking ceremony in Ahmedabad. On March 27, 2009, Kodnani surrendered to a Special Investigation Team on charges that she incited a mob during the 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left at least 2,000 dead. The Gujarat High Court acquitted her April 20, citing insufficient evidence that she was at the scene. (Sam Panthaky/AFP/Getty Images)
April 20, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Nikki Haley, the fiery US ambassador to the United Nations, seems to have crossed swords with her boss in the White House. President Trump is said to have taken to shouting at the TV whenever he sees her making statements.



Last weekend, the spat flew spectacularly into the open when Trump undercut Haley over her claims that the White House was about to impose new sanctions on Russia. Trump's blood pressure reportedly surged with rage at her apparent uppityness to make up policy on the hoof.



Next day, the Trump administration pointedly announced it was holding off on new sanctions against Moscow. Haley was embarrassingly left hanging out to dry. A senior Trump aide told US media that the UN ambassador had gotten "confused". Haley then hit back at the slight, saying she "doesn't get confused".

There seems little doubt that the former South Carolina governor who was once such a rising star in Team Trump has now fallen out of favor with the president.

Such rapid reversal in fortune is par for the course for those who work for Trump. Rex Tillerson, HR McMaster, and many other senior members of his administration, have all been ditched by the president at a moment's notice, usually via his Twitter feed.

Nikki Haley would likewise be advised to watch her back. Any day, she might find herself out of a job.

But lately, her bravura performances at the UN Security Council have apparently rankled Trump for displaying a little too much self-importance and ambition. The word is that the president  himself a person with excessive egotism  views Haley as being a little too big for her boots, who harbors secret plans to one day occupy the White House.

The New York Times this week reported on growing jealousies and insecurities between the president and his UN ambassador. Trump is wary that Haley's grandstanding at the UN is more about advancing her political reputation among the Republican party, with a view to launching a run for the presidency in 2020. There is even talk of Haley teaming up with the current vice president Mike Pence for the presidential ticket. Trump has his eye on being re-elected, and is none too pleased with the conjecture about Haley striving to become the first female president.

Apart from grubby political jealousies and infighting could there be anything more significant in the dimming star of Nikki Haley?

Trump's abrupt intervention to scotch the latest round of sanctions against Russia may indicate a pragmatic realization that relations between Washington and Moscow are sliding much too dangerously.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has recently warned of dire deterioration in bilateral relations to the worst years of the old Cold War.

Russia's envoy to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia  Haley's counterpart  has also deplored that the way things are unraveling a war between the US and Russia cannot be ruled out. The worst flashpoint seems to be in Syria, where Russian troops are based, especially after Trump ordered a barrage of the country with over 100 missiles last weekend.

Moscow has reportedly expressed grave concerns to the Trump administration that the situation in Syria is at risk of escalating into a full-blown war between the US and Russia. It seems senior officials within the Trump administration are also acutely aware of the risk. Pentagon chief James Mattis reportedly cautioned Trump to limit the air strikes and to avoid Syrian and Russian casualties.

Perhaps too Trump has been given pause for thought over the initial allegations of Syrian and Russian complicity in the chemical-weapon incident in Douma on April 7. A growing number of Western journalists and politicians are questioning the authenticity of claims of an atrocity, and are openly saying that it was a "false flag" aimed at provoking US, British and French military strikes. This is exactly what Russia had been warning of in the lead up to the strikes on April 14.

That could be why Trump is increasingly exasperated by Nikki Haley. Her bellicose diatribes at the UN have plunged US-Russian relations into a bottomless pit.

While Trump has expressed at times a desire to improve relations with Putin, Haley has sounded the diametric opposite with her relentless hostility towards Russia. Evidently, Haley cannot think beyond a prism of Russophobia. Which is not a constructive position for White House policy. She, after all, is supposed to be an envoy for the president, not his policymaker.

Only days after being collared by Trump over Russian sanctions, Haley this week showed a marked change in tone at the UN concerning Russia. As 21st Century Wire reported, Haley appeared to be backtracking from her previous intransigent stance for blaming Russia over the Skripal poisoning affair in England. No longer is Haley categorically claiming a Russian state assassination plot. She is now leaving open the possibility that Russia may have lost control of its nerve agents which got into wrong hands. It's still a load of codswallop, but as 21st Century Wire points out, Haley is "hedging" her position and weakening her accusations against Russia.

Relations between the US and Russia have sunk to treacherous levels. Trump seems to have enough savvy to know that the downward dynamic has to stop before rock-bottom catastrophe hits.

Admittedly, US presidents are only figureheads when up against the Deep State and longterm strategic planning. So, Trump may not be able to divert the underlying dangerous direction of relations that Washington seems hellbent on towards Russia.

But if Trump stands to have any go at all at alleviating tensions with Russia, one thing is sure: Nikki Haley has to go.

Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent.
The U.S. Role in the Destruction of Syria

By David Ray Griffin

April 20, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - In Syria, the goal of creating chaos has succeeded in spades. Mnar Muhawesh wrote: [F]oreign powers have sunk the nation into a nightmare combination of civil war, foreign invasion and terrorism. Syrians are in the impossible position of having to choose between living in a warzone, being targeted by groups like ISIS and the Syrian governments brutal crack- down, or faring dangerous waters with minimal safety equipment only to be denied food, water and safety by European governments if they reach shore.



Of course, many Syrians were unable, or chose not to try, to reach Europe. Continuing her discussion of the refugee crisis created by the destabilization of Syria, Muhawesh added:



Other Syrians seeing the chaos at home have turned to neighboring Arab Muslim countries. Jordan alone has absorbed over half a million Syrian refugees; Lebanon has accepted nearly 1.5 million; and Iraq and Egypt have taken in several hundred thousand. . . . Turkey has [by 2015] taken in nearly 2 million refugees.55



By the end of 2015, the conflict in Syria had displaced 12 million people, creating the largest wave of refugees to hit Europe since World War II.56



Planning to Destabilize Syria



Some neocons had come into office with preformed ideas about destabilizing Syria. As mentioned earlier, Richard Perle and other neocons had prepared a 1996 paper for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, en- titled A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm. It suggested that Israel seek peace with some neighbors while beginning to topple the regimes of its enemies, especially Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Although regime change in Iraq would be the first goal, it would be achieved primarily for the sake of weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria, ultimately overthrowing Bashar al-Assad. In other words, the road to Damascus would run through Baghdad.57



When Bush and Cheney took control of the White House, a new largely neocon document, Navigating through Turbulence: America and the Middle East in a New Century, had the same message:  e two main targets of the new administration, the document said, should be Syria and Iraq.58 In 2001, a week after the 9/11 attacks, 40 members of the Project for the New American Century, led by Bill Kristol, wrote a letter to President Bush saying:



We believe the administration should demand that Syria and Iran immediately cease all military, financial and political support for Hizbollah [sic] and its operations. Should Iran and Syria refuse to comply, the Administration should consider appropriate measures of retaliation against these known state sponsors of terrorism.59



A few months later, Assistant Secretary of State John Bolton accused Syria of developing chemical and biological weapons and warned Damascus that it might be included in the axis of evil. Shortly thereafter, the State Department declared Syria to be a sponsor of terrorism, after which Congress made most US dealings with Syria illegal.60



The Bush-Cheney Hostility to Syria



The Bush-Cheney administration was hostile to Syria partly because Israel was hostile to Syria, and especially to its president, Bashar al-Assad. Syria had opposed Israel and especially Zionism; Syria had been aligned with Iran, which Israel considers its major threat.

More generally, Assad is an Alawite, which is a branch of Shiite Islam, and Assad has been viewed as, said Parry, the centerpiece of the Shiite crescent stretching from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon. Since Israeli leaders (and thus the American neocons) see Iran as Israels greatest enemy, the goal of collapsing the Shiite crescent has concentrated on bringing down Assad.61



More particularly, Israel has been hostile to Syria because it had sup- ported Lebanons paramilitary fighting force, Hezbollah, which defeated Israel militarily in 2006; and although Israel in the 1967 war took Syrias Golan Heightswhich now provides 15 percent of Israels waterSyria wants it back. More generally, Syria, with the assistance of Hezbollah, had prevented Israel from realizing its goal of taking control of land that, it claims, belongs to it by divine right.



There have been, in addition, several other reasons for the US hostility to Syria, Assad in particular. An overarching one is that Syria has remained independent of the US-dominated global order. For example, Syria has its own state-owned bank and has no IMF loans through which it could be ordered around. And Syria has refused to be included within the American empire. The document Navigating through Turbulence complained that [m]aintaining a strong alliance with Israel had not prevented every state on Israels border, except Syria, from accepting America as their principal source of military aid and materiel.62



As to why Syria did not want to be absorbed into the American empire: American politicians and media do not remind the world that four years before the CIA overthrew Irans elected government in 1953, it had over- thrown Syrias government for the same reasonthe price of oil.63

For a variety of reasons, ousting the Assad dynasty, said Parry, had been a top neocon/Israeli goal since the 1990s, so the Bush-Cheney administration was from the beginning intent on destabilizing Syria. In 2002, Under-Secretary of State John Bolton named Syria as one of the rogue states that can expect to become our targets.64



Knowing how he was regarded, Assad made many attempts to develop better relations. In 2004, Assad started secret peace talks in Turkey with Israel, offering what Israels leading newspaper called a far reaching and equitable peace treaty that would provide for Israels security.65

Although the talks were supported by a large number of senior Israelis, the Bush administration nixed them not surprisingly, because Cheney was an implacable opponent of engagement with Syria.66 In 2007, the Bush-Cheney administration, discussing a new strategic alignment in the Middle East, distinguished between reformers and extremists, placing Syria, along with Iran and Hezbollah, in the latter category. According to Seymour Hershs 2007 article The Redirection, the US participated in clandestine operations aimed at Syria as well as Iran.67



Information about what went on behind the scenes in the Bush-Cheney administration has been provided by WikiLeaks, which had obtained the cables of William Roebuck, the political counselor for the US Embassy in Damascus. These cables are discussed by Robert Naiman in a chapter of Julian Assanges The WikiLeaks Files, entitled WikiLeaks Reveals How the US Aggressively Pursued Regime Change in Syria, Igniting a Bloodbath. Roebucks cables show, according to Naiman, that regime change had been a long-standing goal of US policy; [and] that the US promoted sectarianism in support of its regime-change policy, thus helping lay the foundation for the sectarian civil war and massive bloodshed that we see in Syria today.68



Some commentators today suggest that the US hostility to Assad began with his brutal response to the Arab Spring protests in 2011. However, as far back as 2006 five years before Arab Spring protests in Syria, reported Naiman, the cables show that destabilizing the Syrian government was a central motivation of US policy, and Roebucks cables suggested strategies for doing this. Accordingly, said Naiman:

We are told in the West that the current efforts to topple the Syrian government by force were a reaction to the Syrian governments repression of dissent in 2011, but now we know that regime change was the policy of the US and its allies ve years earlier.



According to these cables, Naiman summarized, the top US diplomat in Syria believed that the goal of US policy in Syria should be to destabilize the Syrian government by any means available; that the US should work to increase Sunni-Shia sectarianism in Syria. . . ; the US should try to strain relations between the Syrian government and other Arab governments, and then blame Syria for the strain; that the US should seek to stoke Syrian government fears of coup plots in order to provoke the Syrian government to overreact. . . ; the US should work to undermine Syrian economic reforms and discourage foreign investment; that the US should seek to foster the belief that the Syrian government was not legitimate; that violent protests in Syria were praiseworthy.69



The 2011 Protests and the Obama Administration



The Obama administration publicly gave the same reason for hostility to Assad, namely, his excessive reaction to the 2011 uprising against him a reaction that led to major protests, which soon turned into a civil war between Assad and rebel forces.

The Need for a Balanced View: However, that was a very limited understanding of the events: The conflict resulted from a complex interplay of factors, some of which were Assads fault, some of which were not. One of the factors that was not his fault was the beginning in 2006 of a drought in Syria, which some climate scientists said to be the worst in 900 years; other scientists even call it the worst since agricultural civilization began many thousands of years ago.70 Describing the context for the war, William Polk wrote:

In some areas, all agriculture ceased. In others crop failures reached 75%. And generally as much as 85% of livestock died of thirst or hunger. Hundreds of thousands of Syrias farmers gave up, abandoned their farms and ed to the cities and towns in search of almost non-existent jobs and severely short food supplies. Outside observers including UN experts estimated that between 2 and 3 million of Syrias 10 million rural inhabit- ants were reduced to extreme poverty.



Also, added Polk, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Iraqis had in previous years taken refuge there, so that the new Syrian refugees had to compete with them for jobs, water, and food.71



By 2008, the representative of the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization had described the situation as a perfect storm, which threatened Syria with social destruction.72



However, Assad made the effects of the drought worse by poor governance. Central to this was what Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell called criminal mismanagement of Syrias natural resources, which contributed to water shortages for farmers. Favoring the big farmers over the poor farming communities, Assads regime subsidized wheat and cotton, which are water-intensive, and it also allowed unsustainable farming and irrigation techniques. It even allowed the big farmers to take all the water they wanted from the aquifer (although this was illegal), while the governments wasteful use of water also meant that rural people needed to drill for water, thereby emptying the aquifers. Moreover, Assad gave no aid to the increas- ingly poor farmers, and even raised their expenses: While subsidizing the wheat and cotton farmers, Assad damaged ordinary farmers by cutting subsidies for diesel and fertilizers.73



Because of the severe drought and Assads mismanagement, almost a million people, having lost their livelihoods by 2009, were forced to move to the slums, and many more were to follow. By 2011, about a million people had insufficient food. There is little room for doubt, therefore, that the beginnings of the Syrian opposition movement were originally rooted in Assads own destructive policies (in conjunction with the drought).74



An important factor in this insufficient food supply was another feature of criminal mismanagement: Lured by the high price of wheat on the world market, it sold its reserves. Accordingly, Polk said:



[T]ens of thousands of frightened, angry, hungry and impoverished former farmers constituted a tinder that was ready to catch fire. The spark was struck on March 15, 2011, when a relatively small group gathered in the town of Daraa to protest against government failure to help them.75



The protest in Daraa began after a group of children had painted some anti-government graffiti on a school wall and then were arrested and tortured by city police. Some protesters were shot. This excessive response by the government led to protests in the city. Assad made several attempts to calm the situation: He fired government and security officials for their roles in the overreaction; he assured the residents that the shooters would be prosecuted; and he announced several national reforms. But his response did not satisfy the protestors and they continued destroying property and attacking police and soldiers. Daraa was declared a liberated zone. And the protests spread to other towns.76 But why did the protests turn violent?



The Turn of Violence: The standard portrayal of the protest movement, summarized independent researcher Jonathan Marshall, was that the protest movement in Syria was overwhelmingly peaceful until September 2011.77 The Syria government rejected this view from the beginning, but its claim was long dismissed. But Marshall has provided evidence that the governments view was essentially correct on this point. In an essay entitled Hidden Origins of Syrias Civil War, Marshall said, opposition to the government had turned violent almost from the start. For example, unknown gunmen in Daraa reportedly killed 19 Syrians; in addition nine Syrian soldiers on their way to quell demonstrations in Banyas were ambushed and gunned down on the highway outside of town.78



Professor Joshua Landis, the head of Center for the Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, reported that video footage of the fighting showed that the government account was correct: the soldiers stationed in the town were overrun by armed and organized opposition.79



The protests in other towns also involved armed men. In one city, about 140 members of the police and security forces were massacred. But media largely ignored this side of the story. After studying the protests and the presss coverage of them, Landis concluded: Western press and analysts did not want to recognize that armed elements were becoming active. They preferred to tell a simple story of good people fighting bad people.80



It is important to recognize that this method of setting up a leader to be overthrown was an oft-repeated modus operandi by the US govern- ment. Besides being used in Libya as well as Syria, it was previously used in the 1990s, recalled William Engdahl, when the Bill Clinton administration wanted to split up Yugoslavia into its six republics. Making a deal with Bosnia to start a war with Serbia, the Washington propaganda machine began demonizing the Serbs as Nazis, and made up fake stories claiming that they not only bombed civilians and hospitals but also raped thousands of Muslim women.81



In any case, at some point the Syrian government cracked down ruth- lessly on the protestors, and several hundred protestors were reportedly killed. But even here it appears that the press, as well as giving a one-sided account, exaggerated. The private intelligence firm Stratfor, sometimes called the Private CIA, warned their clients not to be misled by opposition propaganda. Although it is certain that protesters and civilians are being killed, said Stratfor, there is little evidence of massive brutality compared to . . . other state crackdowns in the region.82

Some human rights organizations also, pointed out Jonathan Marshall, acknowledged that armed opposition forces had begun committing crimes against civilians.



For example:

Human Rights Watch sent an open letter to leaders of the Syrian opposition, decrying crimes and other abuses committed by armed opposition elements, including the kidnapping and detention of government supporters, the use of torture and the execution of security force members and civilians, and sectarian attacks against Shias and Alawites.83



Not incidentally, this same patternarmed elements joining a largely peaceful protest and shooting police as well as civilianswould occur with the protest leading to the coup detat in Ukraine as discussed in Chapter 9. In fact, said Engdahl,

Washingtons Arab Spring protests often used secret CIA and mercenary snipers to enflame and anger the population against their government by creating innocent martyrs and blaming the killings on the regime.84



Accordingly, the beginning of the opposition was due not only to the drought, Assads mismanagement of the countrys natural resources, his foolish and immoral responses to the drought, and his neo-liberal economic policies. The 2011 violence did begin with the Assad regimes brutal response to the protests, but this response was stimulated by armed elements. Accordingly, whereas Western propaganda has portrayed Assad as almost uniquely evil, said Marshall, the deadly provocations against Syrian government forces put an entirely different cast on the origins of the conflict.85



In sum, the Obama administrations interpretation of the origins of the anti-Assad movement was one-sided to the point of being false.

US Contributions to the anti-Assad War: An adequate understanding of the war in Syria requires an expanded discussion of the role played by the United States. Some of this role was played by the Bush-Cheney administration.



In 2008, that administration withdrew its ambassador from Damascus as part of an effort to weaken and isolate Assad.86 It also played a role in the Assad regimes failure to prevent the drought from resulting in so much social destruction. In November 2008, the representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Syria appealed to USAID for assistance, noting that Syrias minister of agriculture said that the economic and social fallout from the drought was beyond our capacity as a country to deal with. However, the Bush-Cheney USAID director said (in a cable that was later published by WikiLeaks), we question whether limited USG resources should be directed toward this appeal at this time.87



More generally, as pointed out above, the Bush-Cheney administration had begun talking about how to destabilize Syria, such as undermining its attempts at economic reform, toward the goal of bringing about regime change.



But the actual beginning of the war in Syria occurred during the Obama administration. His administration made part of its contribution to the war by its false interpretation of the origins of the anti-Assad movementby saying that that the civil war arose out of a spontaneous and peaceful uprising against Assad. But like Marshall, Muhawesh said that it was not entirely spontaneous: Wikileaks cables reveal CIA involvement on the grounds in Syria to instigate these very demonstrations as early as March 2011.88 That is, of course, what should be expected, given Naimans report of the Wikileaks cables during the Bush-Cheney administration about ways to destabilize Syria.

Robert Parry also agreed with Marshalls account of the instigation of violence: Since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, wrote Parry,

the powerful role of Al Qaeda and its spinoff, the Islamic State, has been a hidden or downplayed element of the narrative that has been sold to the American people. at storyline holds that the war began when peaceful protesters were brutally repressed by Syrias police and military, but that version deletes the fact that extremists, some linked to Al Qaeda, began killing police and soldiers almost from the outset.89



The Number of Protesters



Another issue raised by Muhawesh relates to the reports by major media outlets, such as the BBC and the Associated Press, that the demonstrations that supposedly swept Syria were comprised of only hundreds of people. Writing in 2015, she asked:

How did demonstrations held by hundreds of protesters demanding economic change in Syria four years ago devolve into a deadly sectarian civil war, fanning the flames of extremism haunting the world today and creating the worlds second largest refugee crisis?



She replied:

Just a few months into the demonstrations which now consisted of hundreds of armed protesters with CIA ties, demonstrations grew larger, armed non-Syrian rebel groups swarmed into Syria, and a severe government crackdown swept through the country to deter this foreign meddling. It became evident that the United States, United Kingdom, France, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey would be jumping on the opportunity to organize, arm and finance rebels to form the Free Syrian Army as outlined in the State Department plans to destabilize Syria.90

In other words, without the intervention of the United States and other countries, the protestations could have never turned into a civil war.

Regarding the Free Syrian Army, the BBC said that by 2013 there were believed to be as many as 1,000 armed opposition groups in Syria, commanding an estimated 100,000 fighters.91 The most powerful of these groups were ISIS and al-Qaedas al-Nusra Front (which had joined ISIS only briefly). Can anyone say that Assad did not have the right to defend his democratically-elected government against these outside forces?92



As for the United States in particular, its CIA started sending large shipments of weapons by 2012. The CIA, reported Seymour Hersh, was responsible for getting arms from Gaddafis arsenals into Syria.93 In fact, Chris Stevens, who had become the American ambassador in Libya, was killed in Benghazi after he had come there to negotiate a transfer of several hundred tons of Gaddafis weapons to Syria. In what Hersh called a rat line, these weapons were sent from Libya to Syria via southern Turkey, in an operation headed by General David Petraeus, the then-director of the CIA, under the supervision of Secretary Clinton. Indeed, the consulate where Stevens was killed was really only a mission, which existed merely to provide cover for the moving of arms, according to a former intelligence officer.94



In 2013, during a Congressional investigation of the Benghazi attack, Clinton swore under oath that she knew nothing about the weapons shipments to Syrian rebels prior to the attack. But in 2015, Judicial Watch obtained previously classified documents from the State Department and DOD that provided the first official confirmation that the US government knew about the shipments of arms from Benghazi to Syria.95



In 2016, moreover, Julian Assange reported that Clintons claim was disproven by 1,700 hacked emails about Libya in Wikileaks Hillary Clinton collection. These emails included, said Assange, proof that Clinton pushed for weapons to be sent to jihadists within Syria, including ISIS.96 This would seem to mean that she had lied under oath.



In any case, the CIA, beginning in 2012, spent $1 billion a year and trained some 10,000 moderate rebel forces.97 This was done in spite of the fact that then-DIA director Michael Flynn, reported Hersh, had sent a constant stream of classified warnings to the civilian leadership about the dire consequences of toppling Assad. The jihadists, he said, were in control of the opposition. His reports, Flynn told Hersh, got enormous pushback from the Obama administration. I felt, said Flynn, that they did not want to hear the truth. The Joint Chiefs of Staff likewise believed, reported one of their advisors, that Assad should not be replaced by fundamentalists.98



Indeed, the idea that the United States and its allies were funding only moderate rebelsones who were fighting both against Assad and the al- Qaeda jihadistswas increasingly regarded as a myth. Many observers provided evidence that there were now no moderate rebels in Syria.99

In fact, Vice President Biden admitted this. Saying that America had been trying to identify a moderate middle for a long time, he added:

[T]he idea of identifying a moderate middle has been a chase America has been engaged in for a long time. The fact of the matter is . . . there was no moderate middle, because the moderate middle are made up of shopkeepers, not soldiers.100



Admitting that the jihadists had been armed by Americas allies, Biden went on to say that Americas allies in the region were our largest problem in Syria. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he explained, had poured hundreds of millions of dollars and tens, thousands of tons of weapons into anyone who would fight against Assad. The result, Biden added, was that the people who were being supplied were Al Nusra and Al Qaeda and the extremist elements of jihadis coming from other parts of the world. Biden thereby contradicted the Obama administrations public posture, according to which, in Secretary Kerrys words, armed legitimate opposition groups exist separately from Al Qaedas Nusra Front.101 (Gareth Porter called this Obamas Moderate Syrian Deception.102)



The administrations claim, that the Free Syrian Army (FSA) consisted of non-terrorist rebels, was contradicted by many facts. A 2016 story reported that al-Nusra (which had changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham [Conquest of Syria Front], claiming that it was breaking ties with the al- Qaeda network103) reportedly took orders from Israel. Alastair Crooke, who had been a senior figure in British intelligence, said that the FSA is little more than a cover for the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra.104



In any case, besides starting to fund so-called moderate anti-Assad rebels covertly, Obama declared that Assad needed to step down. After it was learned in 2012 that Assad had chemical weapons, Obama announced that using them would be a red line, to which America would respond militarily. Then in 2013, there was a chemical attack, using deadly sarin gas, which reportedly killed seven hundred civilians. Arguing that Assad was responsible, neocons and other hawks pressured Obama to carry through with his red line declaration, and he planned a major attack on Assads military.



At the last minute, however, Obama cancelled the attack order. There were evidently two reasons for this cancelation. On the one hand, President Vladimir Putin convinced Assad to destroy his chemical weapons, thereby giving Obama a face-saving out.105 On the other hand, Obama became convinced, according to Seymour Hersh, that there was insufficient evidence to claim that Assad had been responsible for the sarin gas. There seem to have been three reasons for Obamas reevaluation of the evidence:



James Clapper, he director of national intelligence, told Obama that the intelligence community lacked slam dunk evidence of Assads responsibility.



A "vector" analysis, which supposedly showed that the rockets carrying the sarin gas could have come only from Damascus, broke down, showing that they could have come from rebel territory. Relevant to this possibility is the fact that, Hersh reported, the US and its allies knew from highly classified CIA and allied intelligence reporting throughout the spring and summer of 2013, that the jihadist opposition to Assad (primarily al-Nusra) had the ability to manufacture a crude form of sarin.106



A British laboratory showed that, it Hersh's words, "the gas used didnt match the batches known to exist in the Syrian armys chemical weapons arsenal. The sarin gas, Hersh concluded, was a false-flag attack launched by Turkey to instigate an event that would force the US to cross the red line.107



It is good that Obama resisted the temptation to support an attack on Syria as a humanitarian intervention. But his decision not to start a war against Syria led to great pressure on him to reverse it. In 2015, for example, 51 members of the State Departmentwhich Hillary Clinton had headed for four years, during which she gave important posts to neocons108 issued a dissent, saying against Obamas policy that the US should bomb Syria until it agrees to our wishes. The dissents argument was based on an extremely superficial understanding of the reasons for the Syrian war. The governments barrel bombing of civilians, the dissent said (according to a summary by the New York Times), is the root cause of the instability that continues to grip Syria and the broader region.109 This interpretation was rejected by Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, who said:



Its true that the initial phase of the Syrian Spring seems to have been largely spontaneous. Facts show, however, that outside intervenersprimarily the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabiacooperated in lighting the match that brought the inferno of civil war. Covert funding and provision of weapons and other material support to opposition groups for strikes against the Syrian Government provoked a military reaction by Assadwhich created a pretext for our enlarged support to the rebel groups.110



Besides evidently not understanding what had been going on in Syria in 2011, the State Department dissenters ignored the fact that they had suggested a policy that would be completely illegal under international law.111 Moreover, they also seemed to be unaware of how terribly unwise their proposed policy would have been.



In an article asking the question Risking Nuclear War for Al Qaeda? Parry pointed out that for Obama to have followed the urging of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Hillary Clinton to permit a full-out attack on Syria would have been insane. If these powers attacked Syria while Russias troops were there, Russiahaving insufficient ground forces and conventional weapons to protect themmight have been tempted to resort to tactical nuclear weapons, and this response could easily have led to a nuclear showdown. The insanity is that the United States [is] being urged to take on that existential risk for all humankind on behalf of preserving Al Qaedas hopes for raising its black flag over Damascus.112 (An extensive discussion of the threat of nuclear war is reserved for Chapter 9.)



The Main Reason for Attacking Assad



If the US desire for regime change in Syria was not based on Assads crack-down on rebels, we must deal with the question about the real reason (aside from the desire of neocons in general and Hillary Clinton in particular to help Israelsee the section on Israel below). Mnar Muhawesh said that what has been driving the chaos is control over gas, oil and resources.113 Wesley Clarkin his report on the Bush administrations plan to take out seven regimes, including Syriasindicated that this strategy was fundamentally about the regions oil and gas.114



Chris Floyd likewise wrote:



Vast interests in oil and natural gasboth existing and potentialare in play. . . . Competing pipelinesone favoring the West, undercutting Russia, the other bolstering Moscow and Tehranare in the mix.115

Dmitry Minin, an independent analyst, wrote:



A battle is raging over whether pipelines will go toward Europe from east to west, from Iran and Iraq to the Mediterranean coast of Syria, or take a more northbound route from Qatar and Saudi Arabia via Syria and Turkey.116



Minin based his ideas primarily upon renowned researcher on energy issues F. William Engdahl. Engdahl is, in fact, the researcher whoalong with Pepe Escobar, the author of Empire of Chaos117has over the years written the most about gas pipelines in relation to Syria.

F. William Engdahl on the Syrian Pipeline War



In a fundamental sense the entirety of the five-year-long war over Syria, Engdahl wrote in 2016, has been about control of hydrocarbon resources oil and natural gasand of potential hydrocarbon pipelines to the promising markets of the European Union.118 Political assessments, he had said in 2012, had not fully appreciated the dramatically rising importance of the control of natural gas to the future. This importance had been greatly enhanced in the European Union by its mandate to reduce CO2 emissions significantly by 2020, and natural gas has been considered far less polluting than coal (even if that is questionable119). The importance of this situation to the Middle East was enhanced still further by the discovery of huge natural-gas sources in Syria as well as Israel and Qatar.120



The movement toward the Syrian war as a pipeline war began in 2009, Engdahl said, after it became clear to some geopolitical Washington strategists that Qatar could play a strategic role in pushing Russia out of the EU natural gas game and put a US-controlled supplier, Qatar, in the dominant role. Accordingly, the Emir of Qatar, which owns the worlds largest gas field, went to Damascus in 2009 to propose to Bashar al Assad the construction of a natural gas pipeline that would begin in Qatar, cross Saudi Arabia and Syria, then end up in Turkey, where the gas would be sold to EU markets.



However, Assad declined the offer, saying that he wanted to protect the interests of [his] Russian ally, which is Europes top supplier of natural gas. Engdahl continued: This was the beginning of the NATO decision to militarily destroy the Assad regime. That this decision was made in 2009rather than after Assads 2011 response to the protesterswas made clear by Ronald Dumas, a former French Foreign Minister, who in 2009 revealed that British military were preparing for invasion of Assads Syria. Also, the previously mentioned intelligence firm, Stratfor, reported that by 2011, US and UK special forces training of Syrian opposition forces was well underway. 121



In any case, Syria chose a competing project, an Iran-Iraq-Syria pipe- line. Iran would get its natural gas from its part of the Pars field (Qatar gets its gas from its portion of the same field) then cross Iraq and end up in Syria.  The deal was formally announced in July 2011, pointed out Pepe Escobar, when the Syrian tragedy was already in motion.122



Then in July 2012, the three countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding to construct a pipeline from Iran through Iraq to Syria. This route, sometimes called the Shiite Pipeline, would leave Turkey and Qatar out in the cold, so they began doing everything they could to thwart the construction of that pipeline, including arming the anti-Assad rebels. The signing of this Memorandum was also, Engdahl added, the precise point when the US gave the green light to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey to back regime change in Damascusmad pipeline geopolitics.123



Victory would open the door for the Qatar-Saudi Arabia-Turkey gas pipeline to Europe, with its huge natural gas import market. Besides bringing riches to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, the war would intend, said Dmitry Minin, to accomplish three goals: to break Russias gas monopoly in Europe; to free Turkey from its dependence on Iranian gas; and to give Israel the chance to export its gas to Europe by land at less cost.124



The first of these goals



was most important to Washington. Whereas Russia had been filling 40 percent of the EUs natural gas demand, Washington wanted it and her allies to control much of the gas to meet this demand. Here we find the true agenda behind Washingtons five-year-long war for regime change in Damascus, said Engdahl, a war with terrorist groups such as ISIS or Al Nusra Front-Al Qaeda in Syria financed largely by money from Qatar.125



In sum, from the perspective of Engdahl and the other researchers discussed in this section, the Syrian War has been primarily about energy and money (not good and bad people). Indeed, Escobars 2015 essay on the war in Syria as a pipeline war began by stating, Syria is an energy war.126



The Extreme Moral Charges against Assad Contributed to Chaos



The claim that Assad was unbearably evil, like the claims about Saddam and Gaddafi, was used to get politicians and others in America and Europe to support the US drive, begun by the Bush-Cheney administration, to bring about regime change in Syria.

But even if he were as evil as he was portrayed by US officials, this would not have justified the attempt to depose him. Colin Powell, referring to his old Pottery Barn rule, cautioned:



I think you have to be extremely careful. We thought we knew what would happen in Libya. We thought we knew what would happen in Egypt. We thought we knew what would happen in Iraq, and we guessed wrong. In each one of these countries the thing we have to consider is that there is some structure . . . thats holding the society together. And as we learned, especially in Libya, when you remove the top and the whole thing falls apart. . . you get chaos.127



This chaos has resulted in a tragedy for the Syrian people. In July 2016, international lawyer Franklin Lamb wrote:



The conflict here has, according to some NGO estimates, now claimed the lives of nearly half a million Syrians, out of a pre-war population of 22 million. More than 11 percent of the Syrian population is estimated to have been killed or injured. More than five million have fled the country while approximately 8 million are internally displaced. The UN estimates that nearly 12 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, more than six million being children ranging from infants to age 12.128



The Syrian chaos resulted primarily from the Bush-Cheney administration and its neocon attitudes, which continued significantly in the Obama administration. Robert Parry observed:



In Neocon Land, it goes without saying that once the United States judges some world leader guilty for having violated international law or human rights or whatever, it is fine for the US government to take out that leader. . . . In this view, the exceptional United States has the right to invade any country of its choosing and violently remove leaders not to its liking.129



Unless this neocon way of thinking can be overcome, there will be little hope that the United States will quit causing chaos in the Greater Middle East. When this book was first planned, it appeared that the Queen of Chaos herself would be the next US president. She made it clear, said Parry, that she was eager to use military force to achieve regime change in countries that get in the way of US desires.130 Indeed, argued Andre Damon, There is little doubt that talks were underway between the Clinton campaign and the Obama administration, and planning was well advanced, for a massive US military escalation in Syria to be launched after the expected election victory of the Democratic candidate.131



Evidently realizing that the United States under Obama and Clinton was going to continue its assault on Syria, rather than helping to achieve a tolerable resolution to the Syrian situation, Russia, Iran, and Turkey set up talks without inviting the United States.132 Excluding the United States, at least under the neocon-inspired Democrats, seemed necessary to begin bringing the ruination of Syria to an end.



Moreover, the ruination resulting from the neocon ideology of the Bush-Cheney administration, continued by Obama and Secretaries Clinton and Kerry, has not been limited to the Greater Middle East. As a 2016 Newsweek article said, The Tide of Syrian Refugees Is Unraveling Europe133a problem to be explored after a discussion of ISIS and Russia. . . .



Russia, Syria, and ISIS



Near the end of 2015, Russias airforce intervened in Syria to protect Assadat Assads invitation. This invitation made Russias intervention legal, according to international law, whereas any US intervention in Syria would be illegal. (Secretary Kerry has even admitted this in private.147)



Russias intervention allowed Assad to take the offensive against ISIS and the other jihadists. The success of this intervention led the Obama administration to drop its public insistence that Assad had to go, but it continued to try to protect al-Nusra and other jihadists.148



Russia tried to work out a plan in which it and the United States would join forces against ISIS and other jihadists, but it soon concluded that the US was not going to cooperate but instead wanted to use ISIS against Assads government. So Russia, along with Syria and Hezbollah, launched a three-prong attack intended to dispose of the US-backed jihadists.149



The effort to clean the jihadists out of Syria focused first on Aleppoin particular, East Aleppo, which had been under the control of al-Nusra since 2012. Not appreciating the successful beginning of this effort, the United States used this as an opportunity to claim that Russia and Syria, having deliberately targeted children and hospitals, were guilty of war crimes. The US corporate press, being almost unanimous in repeating these charges, evidently convinced most Americans that these claims were true.



The White Helmets



However, Finian Cunningham pointed out that these press claims should not be accepted at face value, because claims of Russian and Syrian war crimes made by Western reporters were based on rebel sources, not on interviews with ordinary citizens in Aleppo. Also, much of the information that got reported came from the so-called volunteer aid group known as the White Helmets, which made many false claims about itself.



For one thing, it called itself the Syria Civil Defense, but it is not Syrian. Rather, it was created by the U.K. and the USA; it was established in Turkey; and its volunteers were mainly trained in Turkey and Jordan. In addition, whereas the real Syria Civil Defense has existed since 1953, the White Helmets was formed in 2013 by James Le Mesurier, a former British intelligence officer who was involved in NATOs interventions in Bosnia and Kosovo. He then moved into the lucrative private mercenary industry, where he became a mercenary with the Olive Group, a private contracting organization that is now merged with Blackwater-Academi.150



The real Syria Civil Defense, which was founded in 1953, is the only one. The White Helmets, said the International Civil Defense Organization, are not even civil defense concretely. We are working . . . only with official governments... , not the White Helmets.151

The real Syria Civil Defense no longer operated in East Aleppo. Journalist Vanessa Beeley, who probably wrote the most about the White Helmets, said that in an interview with the real Syrian Civil Defense, inside West Aleppo, she was told that, in 2012, when various militant factions infiltrated East Aleppo, they drove out the real Syria Civil Defense crewthey massacred many, they kidnapped others, they stole equipment, including all of the ambulances and three to five re engines.152



Another false claim by White Helmets was that it was composed of volunteers and that it is fiercely independent and accepts no money from governments. In truth, it received funding from various governments, especially the U.K. ($65 million) and the US ($23 million), which had collaborated with Le Mesurier in creating the White Helmets. In particular, calling themselves impartial, the White Helmets claimed, Were not being paid by anybody to pursue a particular line.153 However, Abdulrahman Al Mawwas, the chief liaison officer of the White Helmets, confirmed that the group was sponsored by the Western governments.154



In any case, this organization did have a very particular, twofold purpose: First, to demonize Assad as a butcher, who killed his own people indiscriminately, so as to argue the need for a no-fly zone (which was, of course, how the attacks on Iraq and Libya began). In campaigning for a no-fly zone, the White Helmets were working together with the public relations organization Avaaz, which had delivered a petition with 1,203,000 signatures to the UN for the Libya no-fly zone. In 2015, Avaaz began trying for a million signatures for a Safe Zone petition for Syria.155



Second, although the White Helmets served as a terrorist support group, in the sense of bringing equipment, arms, even funding, into Syria, said Beeley, their primary function is propaganda, as investigative journal Rick Sterling explained.156



Whereas the US press willingly accepts such propaganda, which supports our governments negative description of Assad and hence Putin, independent journalists who have spent time in Syria, where they have talked to ordinary Syrians, have presented views of Assad that disagree radically with the claims of White Helmets and the US press. See, for example, interviews of journalist Eva Bartlett, who said, The Media Is Lying to You! and Vanessa Beeley, who said, Everything the US Media Says about Aleppo Is Wrong.157



Similarly, the highly respected journalist Stephen Kinzer wrote a Boston Globe article entitled The Media Are Misleading the Public on Syria. Although the truth about Aleppo was being reported by brave correspondents in the war zone, Kinzer said, their reports do not fit with Washingtons narrative. As a result, much of the American press is reporting the opposite of what is actually happening.158

David Ray Griffin is a retired American professor of philosophy of religion and theology, and a political writer.



ENDNOTES



55 Mnar Muhawesh, Refugee Crisis & Syria War Fueled by Competing Gas Pipelines, MintPress News, 9 September 2015.

56 Lydia Depillis et al., A Visual Guide to 75 Years of Major Refugee Crises around the World, Washington Post, 21 December 2015.

57 Tyler Durden, A Short History: The Neocon Clean Break Grand Design & the Regime Change Disasters It Has Fostered, Zero Hedge, 1 July 2015.

58 Navigating through Turbulence: America and the Middle East in a New Century, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 2001.

59 William Kristol, Lead the World to Victory, Project for the New American Century, 20 September 2001.

60 Charles Glass, Is Syria Next? London Review of Books, 3 July 2003.

61 Robert Parry, Risking Nuclear War for Al Qaeda? Consortium News, 18 February 2016.

62 Adrian Salbuchi, Why the US, UK, EU & Israel Hate Syria, RT, 10 September, 2013; William Blum, Why Does the Government of the United States Hate Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Information Clearing House, 4 November 2015.

63 Andrew Cockburn, The United States Teams Up With Al Qaeda . . . Again, Harpers, 18 December 2015.

64 Jonathan Marshall, The US Hand in the Syrian Mess, Consortium News, 20 July 2015.

65 Robert Parry, Democrats Are Now the Aggressive War Party, Consortium News, 11 June 2016.

66 Marshall, The US Hand in the Syrian Mess.

67 Seymour M. Hersh, The Redirection, New Yorker, 5 March 2007.

68 Robert Naiman, WikiLeaks Reveals How the US Aggressively Pursued Regime Change in Syria, Igniting a Bloodbath, The WikiLeaks Files: The World According to US Empire (Verso, 2015), Chapter 10.

69 Ibid.

70 Andrew Freedman, The Worst Drought in 900 Years Helped Spark Syrias Civil War, Mashable, 2 March 2016; Elaisha Stokes, The Drought that Preceded Syrias Civil War Was Likely the Worst in 900 Years, Vice News, 3 March 2016; Francesco Femia and Caitlin Werrell, Syria: Climate Change, Drought and Social Unrest, Think Progress, 3 March 2012.

71 James Fallows, Your Labor Day Syria Reader, Part 2: William Polk, Atlantic, 2 September 2013.

72 Femia and Werrell, Syria. Ibid.; Jan Selby and Mike Hulme, Is Climate Change Really to Blame for Syrias Civil War? Guardian, 29 November 2015.

73 Femia and Werrell, Syria.

74 Fallows, Your Labor Day Syria Reader, Part 2: William Polk.

76 Jonathan Marshall, Hidden Origins of Syrias Civil War, Consortium News, 20 July 2015.

77 Ibid.

78 Ibid.

79 Joshua Landis, The Armed Gangs Controversy, Syria Comment, 3 August 2011.

80 Ibid.

81 F. William Engdahl, The Lost Hegemon: Whom the Gods Would Destroy (mine.Books, 2016).

82 Marshall, Hidden Origins of Syrias Civil War.

83 Ibid.

84 Engdahl, The Lost Hegemon, 261.

85 Marshall, Hidden Origins of Syrias Civil War.

86 Jim Lobe, US Brief Talks with Syria Spur Speculation, Inter Press Service, 30 September 2008.

87 Fallows, Your Labor Day Syria Reader, Part 2: William Polk.

88 Muhawesh, Refugee Crisis & Syria War Fueled by Competing Gas Pipelines.

89 Robert Parry, The NYTs Neocon Downward Spiral, Consortium News, 6 October 2016.

90 Muhawesh, Refugee Crisis & Syria War Fueled by Competing Gas Pipelines.

91 Guide to the Syrian Rebels, BBC News, 13 December 2013.

92 In June of [2014], wrote Steve MacMillan, Assad won Syrias Presidential election with 88.7 percent of the vote. . . . A group of international observers emphasized that the election was a valid and democratic expression of the views of the Syrian people. Steve MacMillan, Bashar al-Assad: The Democratically Elected President of Syria, Near Eastern Outlook, 20 December 2015.

93 Seymour M. Hersh, The Red Line and the Rat Line, London Review of Books, April 2014; see also Frederick Reese, Seymour Hersh: Benghazi Attack a Consequence of Weapons Rat-Line to Syria, Mint Press News, 21 April 2014.

94 Ibid.; Aaron Klein, CIA Ops Finally Revealed: What the US Ambassador in Benghazi was Really Doing, Global Research, 23 October 2015; Gareth Porter, Why the US Owns the Rise of Islamic State and the Syria Disaster, TruthDig, 8 October 2015.

95 Defense, State Department Documents Reveal Obama Administration Knew that al Qaeda Terrorists Had Planned Benghazi Attack 10 Days in Advance, Judicial Watch, 18 May 2015.

96 Alex Christoforou, Julian Assange Says 1,700 Emails in Hillary Clintons Collection Proves She Sold Weapons to ISIS in Syria, The Duran/Democracy Now; James Barrett, WikiLeaks: Hacked Emails Prove Hillary Armed Jihadists In SyriaIncluding ISIS, Daily Wire, 1 August 2016.

97 Eric Schmitt, C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition, New York Times, 21 June 2012; C.J. Chivers and Eric Schmitt, Arms Airlift to Syria Rebels Expands, With Aid from C.I.A., International New York Times, 24 March 2013; Trevor Timm, The US Decision to Send Weapons to Syria Repeats a Historical Mistake, Guardian, 19 September 2015; Adam Johnson, Down the Memory Hole: NYT Erases CIAs Efforts to Overthrow Syrias Government, Common Dreams, 21 September 2015.

98 Military to MilitarySeymour M. Hersh on US Intelligence Sharing in the Syrian War, London Review of Books, January 2016.

99 Ben Reynolds, There Are No Moderate Syrian Rebels, Counterpunch, 3 October 2014; Stephen Lendman, No Moderate Syrian Rebels Exist, Global Research, 6 November 2015.

100 Quoted in Jonathan Marshall, The US Hand in the Syrian Mess.

101 Ibid.; Parry, Risking Nuclear War for Al Qaeda?

102 Gareth Porter, Obamas Moderate Syrian Deception, Consortium News, 16 February 2016.

103 Nusra Fronts Rebranding: Story of Rats Trying to Pass for Flurry White Rabbits Sputnik International, 6 August 2016.

104 Syrian Militants in Tumult after Israel Moves to Restructure Fatah Al-Sham Command in Quneitra, FARS News Agency, 28 September 2016; Alastair Crooke, How the US Armed-Up Syrian Jihadists, Consortium News, September 29, 2016.

105 Mark Landler and Jonathan Weisman, Obama Delays Syria Strike to Focus on a Russian Plan, New York Times, 10 September 2013; Juan Cole, How Putin Saved Obama, Congress and the European Union from Further Embarrassing Themselves on Syria, Informed Comment, 10 September 2013.

106 Mark Karlin, Seymour Hersh on White House Lies about bin Ladens Death, Pakistan and the Syrian Civil War, Truthout, 14 August 2016.

107 Robert Parry, Will We Miss President Obama? Consortium News, 19 March 2016; Parry,  e Collapsing Syria-Sarin Case, Consortium News, 7 April 2014; Seymour M. Hersh,  e Red Line and the Rat Line, London Review of Books, April 2014.

108 Robert Parry, Neocons Have Weathered the Storm, Consortium News, 15 March 2014.

109 Mark Landler, 51 US Diplomats Urge Strikes Against Assad in Syria, New York Times, 16 June 2015.

110 Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, Intel Vets Call Dissent Memo on Syria Reckless, Consortium News, 25 June 2016.

111 Center for Citizen Initiatives, Seeking a Debate on Regime Change Wars, Consortium News, 20 June 2016; Marjorie Cohn, US Bombing Syrian Troops Would Be Illegal, Consortium News, 22 June 2016.

112 Parry, Risking Nuclear War for Al Qaeda?

113 Muhawesh, Refugee Crisis & Syria War Fueled by Competing Gas Pipelines.

114 James Huang, Who Exclusive: Gen. Wesley Clark on Oil, War and Activism, Who. What. Why., 24 September 2012.

115 Chris Floyd, Seeing Ghosts: Historys Nightmares Return in Syria, Empire Burlesque, 12 January 2016.

116 Dmitry Minin, The Geopolitics of Gas and the Syrian Crisis, Strategic Cultural Foundation, 31 May 2013.

117 Pepe Escobar, Empire of Chaos (Nimble Pluribus, 2014).

118 F. William Engdahl, The Syrian Pipeline War: How Russia Trumped USA Energy War in the Mideast, Russia Insider, 21 September 2016.

119 See David Ray Griffin, Unprecedented: Can Civilization Survive the CO2 Crisis? (Clarity Press, 2015), 369-72.

120 F. William Engdahl, Syria, Turkey, Israel and the Greater Middle East Energy War, Global Research, October 11, 2012

121 F. William Engdahl, Silence of the Lambs-Refugees, EU and Syrian Energy Wars, NEO, 10 November 2016.

122 Pepe Escobar, Syria: Ultimate Pipelineistan War, Strategic Culture, 7 December 2015.

123 Engdahl, The Syrian Pipeline War.

124 Minin, The Geopolitics of Gas and the Syrian Crisis.

125 Engdahl, The Syrian Pipeline War..

126 Escobar, Syria: Ultimate Pipelineistan War.

127 Kathy Gilsinan, The Pottery Barn Rule: Syria Edition, Atlantic, 30 September 2015.

128 Franklin Lamb, Dont Cry for Us Syria. . . . The Truth Is We Shall Never Leave You! Counterpunch, 29 July 2016.

129 Parry, Delusional US Group Think on Syria, Ukraine.

130 Parry, Democrats Are Now the Aggressive War Party.

131 Andre Damon, The Media Disinformation Campaign on Russian Hacking and the US Debacle in Syria, Global Research, 9 January 2017.

132 Ben Hubbard and David E. Sanger, Russia, Iran and Turkey Meet for Syria Talks, Excluding US, New York Times, 20 December 2016.

133 Judy Dempsey, The Tide of Syrian Refugees Is Unraveling Europe, Newsweek, 25 February 2016.

134 Karen Yourish et al., Where ISIS Has Directed and Inspired Attacks around the World, International New York Times, 22 March 2016; List of Terrorist Incidents Linked to ISIL, Wikipedia.

135 Terrence McCoy, How the Islamic State Evolved in an American Prison, Washington Post, 4 November 2014.

136 Bobby Ghosh, ISIS: A Short History, Atlantic, 14 August 2014; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Wikipedia.

137 Bill Palmer, Why President Obamas Correct Usage of ISIL vs ISIS Drives Ignorant People Crazy, Daily News Bin, 20 December 2015; Kathya, Why Obama Says ISIL instead of ISIS  Conspiracy Theory v. Logic, Liberal America, 11 December 2015.

138 Stephen Zunes, The US and the Rise of ISIS, National Catholic Reporter, 10 December 2015.

139 Lauren Boyer, Former US Military Official Says George W. Bush Created ISIS, US News, 1 December 2015.

140 Andrew Bacevich,  e George W. Bush Refugees, Politico, 18 September 2015.

141 Andrew Kirell, 4 Most Noteworthy Moments from Obamas Interview with Vice News, 16 March 2015.

142 Savage, Power Wars, 684-86.

143 Pamela Engel,  e Air War against ISIS Is Costing the US about $11 Million a Day, Business Insider, 19 January 2016.

144 David Swanson,  e US Wants the Islamic State Group to Win in Syria, TeleSUR, 29 March 2016.

145 Chris Floyd, Seeing Ghosts: Historys Nightmares Return in Syria, Empire Burlesque, 12 January 2016.

146 Eric Margolis, US Fight against Covert Western Asset ISIS Is a Big Charade, Ron Paul Institute, 2 October 2015; US Has Always Been Main Sponsor of Islamic StateFormer CIA Contractor to RT, RT, 29 September 2016.

147 Anne Barnard, Audio Reveals What John Kerry Told Syrians Behind Closed Doors, New York Times, 30 September 2016.

148 Simon Tidsdall, US Changes Its Tune on Syrian Regime Change as ISIS Threat Takes Top Priority, Guardian, 25 January 2015.

149 Mike Whitney, Putin Ups the Ante: Cease re Sabotage Triggers Major Offensive in Aleppo, Smirking Chimp, 27 September 2016.

150 Vanessa Beeley, White Helmets Campaign for War Not PeaceRLA & Nobel Peace Prize Nomination should be Retracted, 2 October 2016; Beeley,  e REAL Syria Civil Defence Exposes Fake White Helmets as Terrorist-Linked Imposters, 21st Century Wire, 23 September 2016; Max Blumenthal, How the White Helmets Became Global Heroes While Pushing for US Military Intervention in Syria, Alternet, 4 October, 2016; Tim Anderson, The Dirty War On Syria: Washington, Regime Change and Resistance (Global Research Publishers, 2016), 75.

151 Syrias White Helmets Are Multi-million Funded, Cant Be Independent, RT, 7 October 2016.

152 Syrian White Helmets a Terrorist Support Group & Western Propaganda Tool, RT, 25 October 2016.

153 Beeley, White Helmets Campaign for War Not Peace.

154 We Dont Hide It: White Helmets Openly Admit Being Funded by Western Govts, RT, 19 October 2016.

155 Max Blumenthal, Inside the Shadowy PR Firm Thats Lobbying for Regime Change in Syria, Alternet, 3 October 2016.

156 Syrian White Helmets a Terrorist Support Group; Sterling, Seven Steps of Highly Effective Manipulators.

157 See Journalist Eva Bartlett, Im Back from Syria. The Media Is Lying to You! The Event Chronicle, 13 February 2016; Liberty Report Talks to Vanessa Beeley: Everything the US Media Says about Aleppo Is Wrong, Liberty Report, 29 September 2016. She should not be described as an Assad supporter, Beeley said, because she has various criticisms of him. She simply disagrees with the view that Syria should be destroyed in order to save it.

158 Stephen Kinzer, The Media Are Misleading the Public on Syria, Boston Globe, 18 February 2016.

159 David W. Lesche and James Gelvin, Assad Has Won in Syria. But Syria Hardly Exists, New York Times, 11 January 2017.

160 Audio Evidence: John Kerry Privately Confirms Supporting and Arming Daesh, Voltaire Network, 13 January 2017; referring to Absolutely StunningLeaked Audio of Secretary Kerry Reveals President Obama Intentionally Allowed Rise of ISIS, The Last Refuge (The Conservative Tree House), 1 January 2017.



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Minister Lam briefed the embassys staff on the political and socio-economic situation in the home country, especially its efforts in crime prevention.

He also informed them of the outcomes of the previous talks between the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and the National Security Committee of Kazakhstan, saying that both sides shared experience in fighting crime and vowed to work closely together to prevent any individual or organisation from taking advantage of one countrys land to sabotage the other, while ensuring the security and safety of diplomatic representative agencies, as well as promoting trade, investment, labour and tourism activities.

The minister expressed his wish that each embassy official and staff member would strive to fulfill their assigned tasks and serve as a bridge to foster the traditional friendship between the two countries.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Doan Thi Xuan Hien said the embassy actively launched celebrations for the 25th founding anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Kazakhstan last year.
Rand Paul Says - Possible Alleged Syrian Gas Attack Was False Flag Watch Posted April 20, 2018 WOLF BLITZER, CNN: Joining us now from Capitol Hill is Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. He's a Republican member on the Foreign Relations Committee, also the Homeland Security Committee.



Senator, thanks so much for joining us.



Let's get to substantive issues you're dealing with right now. Your committee chairman, Bob Corker, described the walk-back by the White House as confusion. Larry Kudlow, the president's new chief economic adviser, says there was no confusion. He simply says Ambassador Haley just got ahead of herself. What was your reaction? Did the White House undercut Ambassador Haley? Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter SEN. RAND PAUL, (R), KENTUCKY: I think before you talk about sanctions we ought to talk about what evidence was there that Russia was complicit in this attack. In fact, for that matter, I still look at the attack and say Assad must be the dumbest dictator on the planet or maybe he didn't do it. I have yet to see evidence he did do it. The agency claims they have that evidence, but think about it, he's been winning the war for the last couple years. The only thing that would galvanize the war to Assad directly is a chemical attack. It killed relatively few people compared to what could be killed with traditional bombs, traditional machine guns, traditional tanks, so you wonder what made them use chemical weapons. So before we get to Russia, we have to determine that Syria was implicated and then we have to determine the connection between Russia and Syria.



BLITZER: As you know, it's not just the U.S., but France and the U.K. participated in the bombing of these chemical sites in Syria. Are you saying, Senator, the president had bad intelligence?



PAUL: I don't know. I haven't seen the intelligence. We have a briefing this afternoon where I may see some of this, but the difficulty is, these things are not a slam-dunk. This was back in 2013 President Obama looked at that chemical attack, and at that point in time, his general was saying, hey, it's not a slam-dunk, because you can detect there were Syrian claims, you can detect Syrians dropped bombs, but it's sometimes hard to know if they dropped an existing vehicle of weapons, and Syria has been known to use chemical weapons, or if the Syrians did it. If the Syrians did it, it comes back to the question that Assad must be the dumbest dictator on the planet to use chemical weapons when he knows from previous evidence it's the only thing that gets the world galvanized to attack him.



BLITZER: Or he may have thought he could get away with it. Who knows? ===== Zero real evidence Assad behind chemical attack  US congressman Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section.
Home Search ICH Each Click Brings us one Step Closer to the Bang! By The Saker April 20, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Trump pulled the trigger, but instead of a bang! what the world heard was a demure click. Considering that we are talking about playing a most dangerous game of potentially nuclear Russian AngloZionist roulette, the click is very good news indeed. But, to use the words of Nikki Haley, the US gun is still locked and loaded. There are a number of versions out there about what really happened, but I think that the most likely explanation for that click is a combination of two events: The US did go out of its way to avoid even giving the appearance of attacking the Russian or Iranian forces in Syria. With these kinds of rules of engagement, the target list and flight trajectory of the US missiles was easy to predict for the Syrian air defenses. The Syrian air defenses, now integrated with the Russian C4ISR networks and probably upgraded, performed way better than most people had expected. I honestly dont know who in the US should get the credit for doing the right thing, but that person(s) deserves our collective gratitude. Rumors say that Mattis was the man, others point to Dunford and some even to Trump himself (I doubt that). Again, I dont know who did it, but this action deserves a standing ovation. The fact that this (predictably) dismal performance was then covered up with silly statements about a perfect strike and all missiles hit their target is standard operating procedure, a basic exercise in face-saving and an attempt to appease the always bloodthirsty Neocons. The most important lesson from this latest development is that there are still some people in key positions in the US who did what had to be done to avoid a catastrophic escalation in Syria. The question now is how long can these sane forces (for lack of a better identifier) continue to resist the crazies? Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Needless to say, the Israel Lobby and the Neocons are absolutely furious. And just to add insult to injury, the Russians are now saying that they will provide the Syrians with S-300 batteries (which would be able to track and engage Israeli aircraft practically from their take-off). I would argue that the Israelis did that one to themselves with their own missile strikes at the worst possible time, but the fact this is self-inflicted does not make it less painful for the Israelis. But the biggest problem is that this outcome, while very positive by itself, really solves nothing. The key unresolved issues are Does anybody, especially the UNSC or/and Russia get to veto the AngloZionist Hegemonys actions anywhere on the planet? The official US position is a categorical no!. The outcome in Syria, however, does strongly suggest a yes. Is the US willing to come to terms with the fact that the Hegemony has failed to overthrow the Syrian government and that the Syrians have won the war? The official US position on this has flip-flopped a number of times, but I would argue that the no camp is much stronger than the yes camp. The current US posture in Syria strongly suggests that the USA is not quite ready yet to declare victory and leave. Have the Skripal and Douma false flag chemical (pseudo-) attacks been sufficient to re-subordinate the post-Brexit EU to the Anglosphere and have the AngloZionists been successful in forging a united front for a Crusade against Russia? The majority of EU governments have been willing to endorse any nonsense or violation of international law under the pretext of solidarity, but there are still quite a few cracks in this apparent unity. At this moment the situation is extremely fluid and there are too many potential variables which can determine the next developments in order to make a prediction better than a wild guess. The only thing which is certain that this confrontation between the AngloZionist Hegemony and Russia is far from over, both in Syria and elsewhere (the Ukraine). Fundamentally, our entire planet has to make a choice between two mutually exclusive world orders. AngloZionist Hegemony Multipolar world Civilizational model Single western Diverse Economic model Capitalism Diverse Political model Plutocracy Diverse International Relations Regulated by the Hegemon Regulated by International Law National sovereignty Fictional Real Social and Cultural model Postmodernist secularism Traditional and local Right now the collective West is engaged in a truly titanic effort to preserve the Hegemony, but the writing is very much on the wall, hence the kind of silly histrionics we now see from the likes of Trump, May and Macron. In this context, the war in Syria is primarily a war over the right of the USA to do whatever the hell it wants irrespective of international law, facts, logic or even common sense. Nikki Haleys message to the world has been beautifully simple, consistent and blunt: we are the Hegemon, we are above everything and everybody, above you and above any of your laws or principles. We are even above facts or logic. Bow down and worship us or else!. The problem for the AngloZionists is that while most western leaders have agreed to these terms (this is what solidarity means nowadays), the rest of the planet is quietly but actively seeking ways to explore other options and even some relatively weak and/or small countries (Bolivia for example) are still willing to openly reject this AngloZionist diktat. As for Russia and China, they are already de-facto creating a new, alternative, multi-polar world order where the Anglosphere will be limited to be only one amongst many and not the kind of planetary master-race its leaders fancy themselves to be. It is interesting that the main tactic chosen by the collective West to respond to these challenges has been to basically go into deep denial and worry about perceptions much more than about facts on the ground. Hence the perfect strike. Carl Rove put it best when he said Were an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while youre studying that realityjudiciously, as you willwell act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and thats how things will sort out. Were historys actorsand you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do. In the 1990s there used to be a popular, but unattributed, quote which said you have not won until CNN says that you won. Today, we are witnessing something similar, just reversed: you have not lost until CNN says that you lost. I felt an eerie sense of deja vu when Trump tweeted mission accomplished repeating the exact same words Dubya spoke on his aircraft carrier just before all hell truly broke loose in Iraq (I can imagine how the folks at CENTCOM, who are reportedly really upset, must have cringed when they heard this!). I hope that Marx was right when he said that History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. The long-suffering Middle-East has surely gone through enough tragedies, but I am afraid that what we have just witnessed with the latest US strike in Syria was the farce, and that a very real tragedy still might be in the making. The Neocons can roughly be separated into two types: first, those stupid enough to believe that the latest strikes were, indeed, a magnificent success, and those who are just smart enough to realize that it was a pathetic flop. The first type will be emboldened by the sense of total impunity (and the US did, in fact, get away with this grievous violation of all the norms of civilized behavior and international law) while the second type will continue to demand a much stronger attack. Combine the two and you have a perfect recipe for a very dangerous situation. And now here is the really bad news: the US ground forces (Army) are pretty much useless, while the US Navy and Air Force are in big, big trouble: the USN surface fleet is now quasi obsolete due to the Russian Kinzhal missile, while the USAF doesnt seem to be able to operate in an environment with modern Russian surface to air missiles. None of them appear to be able to get anything done other than wasting an immense amount of money and killing a lot of people, mostly civilians. Just like their Israeli and Saudi allies, the US armed forces are just not capable of taking on any meaningful enemy capable of defending itself. There is only one segment of the US armed forces which is still fully capable of accomplishing its mission: the US nuclear triad. Hence all the attempts by US force planners and strategists to find a doctrine not only for the use of nuclear forces as a deterrent, but to re-conceptualize them as a war-fighting capability (missile defense, micro-nukes, etc.). Think of it this way: the only credible (real world) means of aggression left to the Empire are nuclear weapons. Many (most?) people dont realize that (yet), but with each failed conventional attack this reality will become harder and harder to hide. Will the people who this time around succeeded in foiling the Neocon plans for a real, hard, strike on Syria, and possibly even on the Russian task force in Syria, succeed the next time? I dont know. But I cant ignore the fact that each click brings us one step closer to the bang. And that suggests to me that the only real solution to this extremely dangerous situation is to find a way to remove the finger pressing on the trigger or, better, take away the gun from the nutcase threatening us all with it. The Essential Saker: from the trenches of the emerging multipolar world Free Download ===== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
April 20, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Last week the U.S. fired 118 missiles at Syria: thats about 11 times as many missiles as refugees the U.S accepted from the war torn nation since January first.

The 2018 cost per missile: $1,400,000.

The 2018 estimated cost per refugee: $15,900.

I know the math is hard, but hang on. The U.S. spent $119.1 million just on the ordnance dropped on Syrianot counting the cost of keeping all those missile delivery systems in place. Aircraft carriers dont pay for themselves, you know. And each B-1B Lancer fighter jet used to convey some of the missiles to their targets cost $95,000 per flight hour. Heck, two hours flying time pays for all the Syrian refugees accepted into the U.S. this year.

Rejecting Syrians is clearly not about the cost to the taxpayer. The US could permanently relocate thousands of them for the cost of last weeks light show.

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The frosty little town of Ganderway up north in Newfoundland, Canadawelcomed 18 Syrian refugees in 62 days. Thats 150 percent more than the whole of the US accepted in twice that time. Ganders generosity is impressive. But its no where near their record for helping displaced persons. See, on September 11, 2001, Gander rescued nearly 7000 refugees from terrorist bombings in New York City and Washington D.C.

If youre a Broadway Show fan then youve likely heard of the smash hit, Come From Away. Its supposed to be a pretty good show. Countless newspapers and magazines have dubbed it, Best of the Year. Broadway Reviews Critics rated it an "8"thats darn impressive seeing as they only gave Les Miserables a "7.7." The play tells the story of what happened when thousands of frightened, weary, grieving passengers were forced into a foreign country because bad guys attacked their homeland. Many of these tempest tossed souls lost loved ones in the attacks. And like the rest of the world, they had little or no idea if the violence had ended. They couldnt get home to protect their loved onesthey couldnt even access their luggage to get a change of clothes.

Diane Davis, one of the heroes immortalized in Come From Away, spoke this week about Ganders generous spirit toward innocent folks forced from their homes by violence and war. When Davis learned that 38 planes would be landing and deplaning 6800 passengersindefinitelyshe and others set to work providing shelter, food, clothing and bedding to the refugees of the attacks. Davis sees no difference in the humanity of the 9/11 refugees and those fleeing the war in Syria. Davis explained that the people that landed in Gander in September of 2001 didnt know they were refugees: In effect, I dont think anyone knows they are refugees in the first day of war or the first week. The grounded passengers on 9/11 needed safety, shelter, food, and medication, and people of Gander provided it all.

Davis knew the events surrounding the bombings of the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, and downed Flight 93 were remarkable, but she didnt think she and her friends who gave refuge to those impacted by the attack were the remarkable part. Davis explained that shortly before seeing Come From Away performed in Gander she attended a dinner for first responders and community organizers from 2001. Davis looked around and realized she sat in a room with fellow members of the Gander Refugee Outreach committee for the resettlement of Syrian families. It was at that moment, just a year and a half ago, that Davis realized her community made a habit of caring deeply for all peopledeeply enough to open their lives to others in needregardless of race or national origin.

Gander is now home to four Syrian families. The dads are all working minimum wage jobs that dont tax their still limited English skills. Minimum wage in Labrador is $11/hour, so the families can afford to live modest lives. The children are enrolled in school and have become fluent in English. Davis says that the experience has enriched the lives of the hosts as well as the lives of the refugees. And a few months ago, one of the mommas gave birth to the first natural born Canadian of the new Syrian community in Gander.

Davis and the Gander Refugee Outreach committee are waiting on the fifth Syrian family to arrive. Theyre working to build the community because they want their new friends to stay. Theyve welcomed the refugees into their lives but respect that it can be isolating to be too far from the culture and language of ones youth. And just like the thousands of frightened people they hosted on 9/11, the people of Gander know the Syrians are worried about their home.

Still, at the end of the day, Davis doesnt think what theyre doing in Gander is all that remarkable. What Davis said about 9/11 is true for their efforts to relocate their newest refugees, We were just doing what our mothers taught us.

Where Canadian mothers all that different from those in the U.S.? Whats stopping the U.S. from doing the same?

Pat LaMarche
April 20, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - After the Syrian army liberated Douma, the next Takfiri held areas near the capital Damascus fell in short order. The Jaish al-Islam militants in Dumayr, north-east of Damascus, gave up without a fight. As usual by now the Takfiris were transferred to the north-western Idleb governorate held by al-Qaeda and other Turkish supported forces. The town of Dumayr controls the Damascus Baghdad highway. Capitulation negotiations in the nearby Eastern Qalamoun are ongoing.

The former Palestinian refugee camp Yarmouk is an upbuild suburb south of Damascus. One part is in the hands of al-Qaeda and another was controlled by an Islamic State group. Offers to evacuate the groups were made but rejected. Yesterday the Syrian army launched a massive artillery barrage and the Russian and Syrian air force dropped bombs onto the quarter. Today, just twenty-four hours later, the Takfiris gave up. The al-Qaeda aligned militants will be evacuated to Idleb, the Islamic State aligned group to the eastern Syrian desert.

With each elimination of a 'rebel' pockets Syrian army is gaining strength. Ten-thousands of soldiers who were needed to hold the Takfiri held areas around Damascus surrounded and under control are now free to attack elsewhere. Some of the militants who did not evacuate also joined the government forces.

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The evacuation of many militants to the north-west might later turn up to be problematic. They will eventually come under Turkish control and could be used in another Turkish attempt to take Aleppo. But for now they are infighting. Al-Qaeda in Syria, now renamed to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is fighting with other groups over control of the area. Over the last months about one thousand of the militants have killed each other, 3,000 were wounded and many of their heavy arms were destroyed. The Syrian government hopes that such infighting will continue for a while.

When all the surrounded areas within the government realm are consolidated the Syrian army will move towards the borders in the south. The area around Deraa up to the Israeli occupied Golan heights and the Jordan border is in the hands of various groups of militants. Like in the north rebel infighting is a frequent occurrence. Two days ago an Islamic State aligned group tried to wrest control over some villages east of Deraa from some other local militant group. Fighting has been ongoing since and both sides are losing strength. One wonders how many of these fights between rebels are instigated by undercover Syrian intelligence agents.

The greatest difficulty for the Syrian army operation in the south is the Israeli supply and support for a number terrorist groups in that area. Should Israel intervene in any form in the Syrian operation to liberate the area the fight can easily escalate into a larger war.

The destroyed city of Raqqa in the east is becoming a headache for the U.S. occupation force. The U.S. used unwilling Kurdish ground troops to attack the city. It was not much of an infantry fight. Anything that moved was simply bombed from the air or ground. The one U.S. artillery battalion that covered the city fired more than 35,000 155mmm rounds during the five month operation. Now some 80% of the buildings in Raqqa are completely destroyed. The rest is inhabitable.

The city has no water and no electricity. The U.S. claimed that 2,500 ISIS militants were in the city when the fighting started. In the end the U.S. let at least 500 of those leave the city and move further east to fight the Syrian army. It also said that only 30 civilians were killed in its attack. That is of course nonsense. At least 2,000 dead bodies have been recovered so far and 6,000 more dead are recorded as still lying under the ruins. There will be more. The city administration has no equipment and money to recover them. The U.S. is unwilling to spend any money for the city it destroyed and the Kurdish warlords who now occupy the city are incompetent and have no interest to help its Arab inhabitants. The population that has returned is hostile towards the U.S. and the Kurds. It wants to get back under Syrian government control.

Further east at the Syrian Iraqi border and north of the Euphrates some 3-5,000 ISIS fighters live unmolested by U.S. air or ground attacks. The U.S. prevented Syrian government troops who control the area south of Euphrates from attacking the ISIS forces. But neither Syria nor Iraq can allow that ISIS pocket to survive. Yesterday a high level meeting was held in the operation room in Baghdad where Russian, Iranian, Syrian and Iraqi commanders arrange common operations against ISIS. Shortly thereafter an Iraqi jet attacked a ISIS command meeting near Hajin in Syria. The strike had Syrian government approval. Syrian government forces have rebuild a military bridge that will allow them to cross the Euphrates in a future operation. Several battalions, including auxiliary troops under Iranian command, are ready to attack. Will the U.S. bomb them when they cross the river? Or will it hold back and allow Iraqi air support for the Syrian troops?

The neo-conservatives are busy insinuating that Syria still has chemical weapon program and that it is distributed throughout the country.

U.S. assessments following the U.S., British and French missile strikes on Syria show they had only a limited impact on President Bashar al-Assads ability to carry out chemical weapons attacks, four U.S. officials told Reuters.

...

U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the available intelligence indicated that Assads stock of chemicals and precursors was believed to be scattered far beyond the three targets.

This is of course just nonsense. Syria gave up its chemical weapons in 2013 and the OPCW confirmed that all weapon and precursor stocks were destroyed and all laboratories and production facilities dismantled.

This new fairytale of Assad's chemical weapons is designed to create a pretext for a another, more extensive bombing campaign against Syria. A fake pretext build on fake 'chemical attack' in Douma.

There is no evidence that any 'chemical attack' occurred in Douma. All the U.S., French and British government have are some videos created by known propagandists like the White Helmets who work for those governments. The State Department's spokesperson finally acknowledged that:

MS NAUERT: Yeah. ... We recognize and appreciate and are very grateful for all the work that the White Helmets continues to do on behalf of the people of their country and on behalf of the U.S. Government and all the coalition forces.

...

Ive just exchanged emails with him the other day. My understanding is that their work is still going on, and were proud to work with them.

Republican Representative Massie remarked today:

Thomas Massie @RepThomasMassie - 14:03 UTC- 19 Apr 2018 In briefing to Congress, DNI, SecDef, and SecState provided zero real evidence. Referenced info circulating online. Which means either they chose not to provide proof to Congress or they dont have conclusive proof that Assad carried out gas attack. Either way, not good.

After being stalled for five days the OPCW fact finding mission finally reached the area in Douma where the alleged 'chemical attack happened. It entered under protection of Russian military police.

The research service of the German Bundestag published a report today which concludes that the U.S. led attack on Syria on April 13 was evidently in violation of international law.
On the Criminal Referral of Comey, Clinton et al: Will the Constitution Hold and the Media Continue to Suppress the Story?





Ray McGovern reports on a major development in the Russia-gate story that has been ignored by corporate media: a criminal referral to the DOJ against Hillary Clinton, James Comey and others, exposing yet again how established media suppresses news it doesnt likeabout as egregious an example of unethical journalism as there is.





By Ray McGovern

Wednesdays criminal referral by 11 House Republicans of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as well as several former and serving top FBI and Department of Justice (DOJ) officials is a giant step toward a Constitutional crisis.

Named in the referral to the DOJ for possible violations of federal law are: Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey; former Attorney General Loretta Lynch; former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe; FBI Agent Peter Strzok; FBI Counsel Lisa Page; and those DOJ and FBI personnel connected to work on the Steele Dossier, including former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and former Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente.

With no attention from corporate media, the referral was sent to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah John Huber. Sessions appointed Huber months ago to assist DOJ Inspector General (IG) Michael Horowitz. By most accounts, Horowitz is doing a thoroughly professional job. As IG, however, Horowitz lacks the authority to prosecute; he needs a U.S. Attorney for that. And this has to be disturbing to the alleged perps.

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This is no law-school case-study exercise, no arcane disputation over the fine points of this or that law. Rather, as we say in the inner-city, It has now hit the fan. Criminal referrals can lead to serious jail time. Granted, the upper-crust luminaries criminally referred enjoy very powerful support. And that will come especially from the mainstream media, which will find it hard to retool and switch from Russia-gate to the much more delicate and much less welcome FBI-gate.

As of this writing, a full day has gone by since the letter/referral was reported, with total silence so far from The New York Times and The Washington Post and other big media as they grapple with how to spin this major development. News of the criminal referral also slipped by Amy Goodmans non-mainstream DemocracyNow!, as well as many alternative websites.

The 11 House members chose to include the following egalitarian observation in the first paragraph of the letter conveying the criminal referral: Because we believe that those in positions of high authority should be treated the same as every other American, we want to be sure that the potential violations of law outlined below are vetted appropriately. If this uncommon attitude is allowed to prevail at DOJ, it would, in effect, revoke the de facto David Petraeus exemption for the be-riboned, be-medaled, and well-heeled.

Stonewalling

Meanwhile, the patience of the chairmen of House committees investigating abuses at DOJ and the FBI is wearing thin at the slow-rolling they are encountering in response to requests for key documents from the FBI. This in-your-face intransigence is all the more odd, since several committee members have already had access to the documents in question, and are hardly likely to forget the content of those they know about. (Moreover, there seems to be a good chance that a patriotic whistleblower or two will tip them off to key documents being withheld.)

The DOJ IG, whose purview includes the FBI, has been cooperative in responding to committee requests for information, but those requests can hardly include documents of which the committees are unaware.

Putting aside his partisan motivations, House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes (R-CA) was unusually blunt two months ago in warning of legal consequences for officials who misled the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court in order to enable surveillance on Trump and his associates. Nuness words are likely to have sent chills down the spine of those with lots to hide: If they need to be put on trial, we will put them on trial, he said.The reason Congress exists is to oversee these agencies that we created.

Whether the House will succeed in overcoming the resistance of those criminally referred and their many accomplices and will prove able to exercise its Constitutional prerogative of oversight is, of course, another matter  a matter that matters.

And Nothing Matters More Than the Media

The media will be key to whether this Constitutional issue is resolved. Largely because of Trumps own well earned reputation for lying, most Americans are susceptible to slanted headlines like this recent one  Trump escalates attacks on FBI   from an article in The Washington Post, commiserating with the treatment accorded fired-before-retired prevaricator McCabe and the FBI he (dis)served.

Nor is the Post above issuing transparently clever warnings  like this one in a lead article on March 17: Some Trump allies say they worry he is playing with fire by taunting the FBI. This is open, all-out war. And guess what? The FBIs going to win, said one ally, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid. You cant fight the FBI. Theyre going to torch him. [sic]

Mind-Boggling Criminal Activity

What motivated the characters now criminally referred is clear enough from a wide variety of sources, including the text messages exchange between Strzok and Page. Many, however, have been unable to understand how these law enforcement officials thought they could get away with taking such major liberties with the law.

None of the leaking, unmasking, surveillance, opposition research, or other activities directed against the Trump campaign can be properly understood, if one does not bear in mind that it was considered a sure thing that Secretary Clinton would become President, at which point illegal and extralegal activities undertaken to help her win would garner praise, not prison. The activities were hardly considered high-risk, because candidate Clinton was sure to win.

But she lost.

Comey himself gives this away in the embarrassingly puerile book he has been hawking, A Higher Loyalty  which amounts to a pre-emptive move motivated mostly by loyalty-to-self, in order to obtain a Stay-Out-of-Jail card. Hat tip to Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone for a key observation, in his recent
Akpororo steps out

Over the weekend, Akpororo welcomed a set of twins with his wife in the United States.

Popular comedian Jephthah Akpororo is in a celebration mood, with the arrival of his twins.

He took to his IG page to share this photo of himself taking a walk with his newborn twins. He captioned the adorable photo, First outing with my babies #roroprince & second #roroprincess#babaibeji.

Akpororo who is holding one of his comedy show in Sapele, Delta State, took to his Instagram to share the good news with his fans, by uploading a video where he is seen celebrating with friends in the traditional way of applying talcum on the body.

Akpororo wedded his wife in 2015 and they now have three children after their first who was born two years ago.

The comedian has struggled as a young man to utilize the resources gotten from his shows to invest and also complete his home situated on the Island which he unveiled months back.

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President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria after his over a week official trip to United Kingdom. Mr president flew in, on Saturday and was received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja by top government officials, including his Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.

Buhari attended the Commonwealth Head of Government meeting, CHOGM and met with Theresa May, UK Prime Minister.
Date Night Movie Premiere

Beautiful Nollywood actress, Adesua Etomi-Wellington, was all shades of gorgeous in this lovely black jumpsuit she rocked to the movie premiere of Date Night last night.

The stunning actress plays the role of keeping hostage the man who took her home for the first time  its a whole lot of back and forth for the both of them as they struggle for survival.

She looks all shades of cute as she makes her way to the premiere of the new movie which also stars Nollywood actor, Deyemi Okanlawon.

See photos below:

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When PacMan and Baddo link up, you already know issallover jackie! Hits on Hits on Hits!

Both indigenous powerhouses join forces for the umpteenth time to bless us with this brand new banger titled ONYEOMA.

The Pheelz-produced indigenous record ticks all the boxes in terms of connecting with the beer parlors and the streets while maintaining mainstream appeal. Ive had Onyeoma on repeat since my very first listen.

Phyno & Olamide deserve some accolades! Theyve paid their dues! Worldwide!!!

DOWNLOAD
Punch

The senator representing Katsina South, Abu Ibrahim, on Friday said the President Muhammadu Buhari Support Group would be inaugurating its offices in three states in the South-South on Monday.

Vanguard

PDP calls Kogi Assembly to impeach Bello T he Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has lamented the absence of Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello from the state without officially transmitting a letter to the State House of Assembly.

The Sun

President Muhammadu Buhari would not be supported by the South-West geo-political zone in his quest to secure a second term in office in 2019, unless he starts taking concrete steps on the issue of restructuring of the country now, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE), has declared.

Thisday

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has lamented that the attack on the Senate on Wednesday had further revealed a need for the review of Nigerias security structure which he deemed faulty.

Daily Times

The Zenith Bank account of Governor, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State may have been re-frozen as the Appeal Court sitting in Ado- Ekiti, the state capital, Thursday gave a judgement that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has the right to freeze and continue investigation of Governor Fayoses accounts.

Tribune

MR Godwin Obla, SAN, a former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, on Friday accused the commission of owing him.

The Authority

Taraba State Governor, Ishiaku Darius yesterday decried the security challenges situation in the state, accused the military of defending the killer herdsmen against the community. The Nation Nigeria faces major food crisis over herdsmen attacks  Soyinka Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Friday expressed grave concern over the continued displacement of the nations farming population in various parts of the country by rampaging violent herdsmen. The Herald #LazyNigerianYouth: Femi Adesina Should Shut Up  Femi Fani-Kayode

Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has lambasted Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, for attempting to justify a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari that Nigerian youths are lazy.
Local leaders and people prayed for the countrys peace, solidarity, and firm protection of the nations territorial integrity and sovereignty over seas, islands, border areas, and its socio-economic development.

On the same day, the Hung Kings organising board- Hung Kings Temple Festival in 2018 concurrently organised activities such as displays of materials and artifacts, a photo exhibition, and art programme.

Legend has it that Lac Long Quan, whose real name was Sung Lam, the son of Kinh Duong Vuong and Than Long Nu, married the daughter of Heavens God De Lai, mother Au Co.

Au Co then gave birth to a pouch filled with one hundred eggs, which hatched into one hundred sons, believed to be Vietnams ancestors. But soon after, Lac Long Quan and Au Co separated. Lac Long Quan travelled to the coast with 50 children, while Au Co went to the highlands with the other 50.

Their eldest son became King, naming the country Van Lang and establishing the capital in Phong Chau (nowadays Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province), to start the 18 reigns of the Hung Kings.

The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings are closely related to the ancestral worshipping tradition of most Vietnamese families which forms an important part of people's spiritual lives.

The commemoration of Lac Long Quan, Au Co, and the Hung Kings is held annually at the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho province over the first days of the third lunar month, with the main activity organized on the 10th day.

Every year, millions of people flock to the Hung Kings Temple in Phu Tho for the Hung Kings Temple Festival.
Young Ghanaian boy

The sister of a young Ghanaian boy has taken to Twitter to share how she lost her brother this morning.

According to Naya, her only brother got stabbed this morning She took to Twitter to share his photos and wrote,

My younger brother, my only brother got stabbed to death this morning. Guys this needs to stop. The pain Im experiencing is indescribable

May the soul of her brother rest in peace

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This collection features the arguments in favor of and against the renaming of Catt Hall on Iowa State's campus, which was named in 
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo struck a positive note after a second day of meetings with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to revamp the 24-year-old accord, which underpins some US$1.2 trillion in annual trilateral trade.

"We are certainly in a more intense period of the negotiations and we are making good progress," Freeland told reporters, saying that officials would stay in Washington over the weekend as the eight-month-old talks continue.

Guajardo, who has often sought to temper optimism for a quick deal, said the ministers would meet again on April 24.

"There was a lot of progress made today," he said.

The three ministers are pressing for a quick deal to avoid clashing with a July 1 presidential election in Mexico, which would mean overcoming major differences on several US demands.

Canada and Mexico have battled for months with a US push for tougher NAFTA rules on how much North American content vehicles must contain to avoid tariffs, known as rules of origin.

"We continue to work very hard on rules of origin, really the heart of this agreement," Freeland said.

US negotiators had initially demanded that North American-built vehicles contain content that is 85 percent made in the NAFTA countries, based on value, up from 62.5 percent at present.

However, auto industry executives said last week that Washington had softened that demand in an effort to move faster toward a deal.

A source familiar with the talks said Canada and Mexico found the US concessions "really helpful," especially a move to back away from proposals that would have made tracking the origin of parts overly complex.

The source said the three nations were looking at a figure of roughly 75 percent for the NAFTA content of vehicles.

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to walk away from NAFTA unless major changes are made, says the pact has created jobs in Mexico at the expense of US workers.

Lighthizer instilled fresh momentum in early March by floating the prospect of a quick deal "in principle." Mexican and Canadian officials say only an agreement covering the essential details will be viable.
There is much to gain, in terms of access to new sources of energy and market opportunities, for European and Egyptian citizens and businesses alike," says EU Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete

The European Union is set to sign a strategic partnership agreement on energy with Egypt, 22-24 April, a press release by the European Commission read.

European Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete will arrive to Cairo Sunday and is expected to meet Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

Egypt is becoming an upcoming important gas and electricity hub that can provide energy security for the EU and for the entire region, said Canete in the statement.

On behalf of the Commission, Canete is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian government that will last from 2018 to 2022.

The memorandum highlights six priorities in the context of the EU-Egypt partnership.

These priorities include, according to the statement, further assistance to the development of the oil and gas sector, continued support to electricity sector reforms, and development of the energy hub.

The statement also references Further assistance with joint measures and projects in the field of renewable energy, additional support on energy efficiency strategies, policies and measures, across various sectors, and cooperation in technological, scientific and industrial areas across the energy field.

During his visit, Canete is expected to meet with Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy Mohamed Shaker, and Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek El-Molla.

Canete is also expected to meet with European energy companies and launch the EU-Egypt Sustainable Energy Business Forum & Exhibition.

The two-day trip will include a site visit to Egypts Zohr gas field, discovered in 2015 and estimated to contain 30 trillion cubic feet of gas. The gas filed is located near Egypts Suez Canal city of Port Said.

There is much to gain, in terms of access to new sources of energy and market opportunities, for European and Egyptian citizens and businesses alike. The EU stands ready to support Egypt in its energy market reforms and to boost sustainable energy investment, said Canete.

The last agreement signed between Egypt and the EU was in Brussels in 2008 to enhance EU-Egypt energy cooperation.

That agreement covered, among other areas, energy market reform, convergence of Egypts energy market with that of the EU, promotion of renewable energy and energy efficiency, the development of energy networks, and technological and industrial cooperation.

The new memorandum of understand will replace that signed between the EU and Egypt in 2008.

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Egypts prosecutor-general referred six defendants to the Supreme State Security Emergency Criminal Court on Saturday on charges of creating a Daesh-affiliated terrorist cell.

The defendants were detained in the Nile Delta governorate of Gharbiya after being accused of planning an attack on St Marys Coptic Orthodox Church in Mahalla during Christmas celebrations in 2017.

Ammunition, explosive material, and weaponry were also found in the possession of the accused.

The prosecution charged the defendants with a number of crimes, including establishing and joining a terrorist organisation in which aims to subvert the law and the constitution.

Defendants are also accused of embracing takfiri ideologies, which encourage the idea of declaring the ruling as infidel thus legitimizing his ouster.

The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to hardline Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

The prosecution said they were accused of allegedly attacking the members of the armed forces and the police as well as Christian citizens and their churches.

The defendants are also accused of funding the Daesh-affiliated organisation that they created.

Initial investigation reports of the defendants show that the cell members have received orders to create an affiliate terrorist group to Daesh in Mahalla to propagate their ideology on the internet.

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An Egyptian tourism ministry delegation headed by the minister, Rania Al-Mashat, arrived in Dubai on Saturday to take part in the Arabian Travel Market exhibition, which takes place next week.

The business-to-business exhibition, which has been running for 25 years, features a range of exhibitors and national pavilions from around the world, and will take place from 22 to 25 April.

According to its website, Arabian Travel Market showcases over 2,800 products and destinations from around the world to over 28,000 buyers and travel trade visitors.

Ahead of her departure, Al-Mashat said in press statements that the Middle Eastern market was one of the most important sources of tourists for Egypt.

The minister said that Egypts contribution to the forum this year will feature a virtual reality showcase of the countrys touristic sites.

The Egyptian pavilion is 423 square metres and will feature 42 participants, including 19 companies, 19 hotels, EgyptAir and Air Cairo, as well as a special pavilion for tourism destinations in Red Sea and South Sinai governorates, and a business suite (a corporate room, hotel room, Egyptian Federation of Tourist Chambers), according to the tourism ministry.

Participating in the forum comes in light of the tourism ministrys plan to attract more Arab tourists, Al-Mashat said.

The minister is scheduled to meet with professionals in the field as well as tour guide and airline companies.

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi expressed Egypts concerns over military escalation in Syria to French President Emmanuel Macron when he called El-Sisi to notify him of reasons behind a US-led tripartite military action on Syrian targets last week.

In a statement, El-Sisis official spokesman Bassam Rady said the Egyptian president received a phone call on Saturday from his French counterpart, in which they discussed the Syrian crisis and the situation in the Middle East.

El-Sisi highlighted Egypts firm stance in rejecting of any use of internationally prohibited weapons on Syrian territory, pointing to the importance of conducting an international, transparent investigation over the matter in accordance with international accords.

Macron explained to El-Sisi the goals of a strike carried out last week by the US, UK, France against Syrian targets, stressing that it came under a framework of international legitimacy, and as a response to a violation to an international ban on the use of chemical weapons.

Last week, the US, Britain and France carried out a wave of punitive strikes against Bashar Al-Assad's Syrian regime in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack on Douma, a rebel-held suburb in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus.

El-Sisi said a military escalation in Syria could lead to a deterioration of the situation and complications, which will affect the Syrian people.

Rady added that the two counterparts voiced their support for efforts exerted to resolve the Syrian crisis politically, affirming the importance of a participation by Arab states and permanent members in the UN Security Council in the matter.

They also spoke about boosting joint efforts to combat terrorism, with Egypt set to participate in the International Conference on Combating Terrorist Financing, which will be held in French capital of Paris on 26 April.

Both parties agreed on continued intensive consultation and coordination, and the statement added that Macron has ordered his foreign affairs minister to visit Cairo at the end of April for joint talks.

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Israeli confidence may be cracking as the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip continue their March of Return

Israel is continuing to look for ways to end the March of Return in Gaza because it fears that this could drag it into a war that will deplete its energy and attract international opprobrium.

Despite the military balance of power in its favour, Israel fears peaceful Palestinian actions that could uncover Tel Avivs actions to the world.

It fears that this civilian struggle, like the First Intifada in the 1980s, will revive the Palestinian cause and highlight the siege imposed on Gaza over the past 11 years that has turned it into the largest prison in the world.

According to Atef Abu Zeid, a spokesman for the Fatah faction of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Gaza, Israel has been using excessive force to deter peaceful protesters from moving towards the border during the March of Return.

Targeting journalists was meant to prevent them broadcasting the truth, he said, though this would not deter the Palestinian people who are sure of the justice of their cause.

Abu Zeid said that while the fathers may die, their children do not forget, and this strikes fear into the hearts of Israeli soldiers. There is a psychological war afoot on both sides, he said, which is why Israeli public figures have gone to the border to boost morale.

The Palestinians are marching to press their demands, and the Israelis confidence has reached historic lows, with 50 per cent of Israeli recruits considering leaving the army.

Retired Palestinian general Wassef Erekat said that occupation soldiers had told the Israeli media that they preferred months in northern Palestine to two weeks on the border with the Gaza Strip.

This is nothing new, as it signals the resilience of the Gaza Strip, Erekat said. He said that some Israelis had tried to dodge military service, meaning confidence in the army is declining along with its compliance with international law.

Farhan Alqam, an expert on Israeli affairs, said that Israels wars against the Gaza Strip had shown the serious failures in its army, despite its advanced weapons, in the face of locally made Palestinian weapons in the hands of resistance groups.

The Israeli soldiers do not believe in the feasibility of the battles they are fighting or in their objectives, he said. There have been reports of suicide and the need for psychiatric help among Israeli soldiers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked the UN Security Council to conduct an independent and transparent investigation of Israeli crimes against the March of Return.

The recent violence in Gaza killed and injured many people for no reason. I urge all the parties to avoid any action that could result in more victims and any action that could endanger civilians.

These tragedies confirm the urgency of relaunching the peace process in parallel with peace and security within recognised borders, Guterres said.

Discussing the 29th Arab Summit held on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, analyst Talal Okal said that the designation of the summit as the Jerusalem Summit and Saudi Arabias new financial commitments to Palestine did not match the sums Israel spends on the Judaification of Jerusalem.

The Arab world faces new challenges with US President Donald Trump in the White House because he is blindly biased towards Israel and against the rights of Palestinians, Okal said.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas are continuing their quarrel as the Palestinian National Council (PNC) prepares to meet on 30 April in an attempt to unify the parties.

Hani Masri, director of the Masarat Centre, a think tank, said that for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas all that is preventing Hamas from participating is its control of the Gaza Strip.

Intense efforts must be made to prioritise an end to divisions and find agreements to compromise on all sides.

Masri added that there were other reasons preventing Hamas and Islamic Jihad from joining the PNC, since they would need to agree to the PLOs platform that includes the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital.

The requirement by the International Quartet group to recognise Israel and accept the Oslo Accords also prevents Hamas and Islamic Jihad from participating, he said.

Masri said that the collapse of the so-called peace process and the Trump administrations throwing its weight behind Israels agenda by removing Jerusalem, the Palestinian refugees, settlements, borders and sovereignty from the negotiating table all undermine the conditions needed for Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join the PNC.

This was also true because of plans to sanction the Palestinian Authority, reduce US aid to the UN agency UNWRA working in the Palestinian territories, downgrade the PLO office in Washington, and relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem.

These developments made it more important than ever for Palestinian differences to be overcome, he said.

Meanwhile, the Gaza March will continue, perhaps moving towards a new Intifada in the territories due to the deplorable economic conditions in the Gaza Strip and the explosive social conditions within it, Masri said.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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JURIST Guest Columnist Chris Hoofnagle of Berkeley Law, discusses the policing of Facebooks privacy policies and FTC enforcement 

The Challenge of Policing Facebook

Are our institutions up to the challenge of protecting users from information-age problems? This is the high-level question emerging from the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica debate. While on one hand Facebook and similarly-situated companies will pay some regulatory price, our public institutions are also in the crosshairs. In the U.S., the much-praised and admired Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approach is suffering a crisis of legitimacy. Facebooks European regulator, the Irish data protection commissioner, is losing both control over its supervision of American companies and the respect of its regulatory colleagues. In a recent press release, the Article 29 Working Party announced that it was creating a working group focusing on social media, never mentioning the Irish in its statement.

In this essay I explain the challenges the FTC faces in enforcing its 2012 consent agreement against Facebook and suggest ways it could nonetheless prevail. In the long run, everyone wins if our civil society institutions can police Facebook, including the company itself. While Facebooks privacy problems have long been dismissed as harmless, advertising-related controversies, all now understand Facebooks power over our broader information environment. After Brexit, the 2016 U.S. election, and violence in Myanmar, if consumer law fails, we risk turning to more heavy-handed regulatory tools, including cyber sovereignty approaches, with attendant consequences for civil society and internet freedom.

FTC and Facebook

Facebook is already under a FTC consent agreement with broad restrictions to fence in aggressive data use. The 2012 agreement was a major victory for the FTC because it firmly established the notion that the information-age bait and switch, those privacy-eroding settings changes that are pushed onto users, are not acceptable without opt-in consent. The FTC understood the app problem and crafted its first and fourth complaint counts against Facebook data transfers to developers.

When Facebook settled the case, a wide range of critics pointed out weaknesses in the agreement. Republican-appointed Commissioner Rosch objected that Facebook denied all the facts in the case, and that it was not clear to him that the decree covered information transfer practices of apps. But the FTCled by the privacy and consumer protection teamsdismissed these arguments. It promised close supervision and a willingness to levy penalties. The Commission said it was clear that Facebook would be on the hook for application conduct that contravened Facebook representations. A Twitter chat led by a senior FTC privacy lawyer, along with responses to public commenters concerned about apps, assured the public that app misconduct was the kind of foreseeable risk that Facebook had to address in its privacy program.

But these statements do not have any force of law. Instead, the FTCs ability to fine is tethered to the settlement agreement, particularly to the specific provisions that Facebook promised not to violate. Enforcement is not handled by the privacy team, but rather by a different division with expertise in interpreting agreements. Turning to that agreement, advocates of civil penalties against Facebook point to three theories, but none of which is easy to bring.

First, part one of the agreement broadly bans Facebook from misrepresenting how it distributes personal data. Here, the FTC will bear the burden of showing that Facebooks opt-out settings for friends data transfer to apps were misleading. If this information were particularly sensitive, such as location data, it would be an easy case, but here it was only basic profile information that was subject to opt-out. American law subjects many forms of information to opt-out instead of opt-in standards. For instance, even financial information can be transferred on an opt-out basis. Why then would it be misleading for Facebook to make basic profile information subject to the same standard?

Second, part two of the agreement seems to impose a broad, affirmative prior consent restriction on transferring user data to third parties. Might Facebook have violated this consent standard in transferring data to developers? Probably not, because Facebook negotiated a special loophole to reserve the ability to create a retweet function. The loophole immunizes Facebook from users forwarding on information about other users. Until 2014, Facebooks default settings allowed such transfer to apps, and so the plain wording of loophole seems to eat up the affirmative consent requirement.

A third avenue for enforcement comes from Facebooks promise to create a comprehensive privacy program and mitigate risks. Here, some argue that Facebooks failure to audit developers was an unreasonable oversight. But it is common practice to entrust other commercial parties with confidential information, subject to contractual promises that data will be deleted. It will be difficult to convince a court that it was reasonable for Facebook to impose expensive, time-consuming audits on thousands of developers.

If one of these theories works, imposing civil penalties is still tricky because of how the FTC counts violations. The failure to audit might be counted as a single wrong triggering a five-figure fine. If however the FTC has the will to argue that many millions of people were misled by Facebooks settings, the fine could be ten-figures.

Of course, it would be economically rational for Facebook to litigate against even a seven-figure penalty, which raises yet another FTC pathology: the FTC is a risk-adverse litigator. It wishes not to litigate because cases soak up resources and if the agency loses, bad precedent can harm all the agencys efforts. Thus, the three theories for enforcement must be very strong for the FTC to risk bringing a case.

Facebooks reputation for scorched-earth litigation also adds to the FTCs caution. Consider that in an European proceeding, Facebook sought dismissal of a case because the court failed to follow formal Dutch language requirements. How? The court used the English words browser and cookie instead of the Dutch internetsnuffelaar and koekje zijn.

Deterring Facebook

Despite these challenges, I am optimistic about the FTCs renewed pursuit against Facebook. The investigation is likely to uncover new, unrelated wrongdoing that will give Facebook strong incentives to agree to broader terms and even pay penalties. But will this deter Facebook from further data depredations? I think the FTC needs to do two things to deter Facebook: first, the FTC must understand and tailor interventions to fit Facebooks psychology, and second, to impose personal liability on Facebooks leaders.

Turning first to Facebooks psychology, in a recent essay, former FTC director of consumer protection and Georgetown Law Professor David Vladeck, drew a distinction between clueless and venal respondents. Vladeck implies that Facebook is venal and suggested a series of reforms to rein in Facebook. Vladecks critique, insightful and trenchant, however, was misplaced.

Facebook is a founder-controlled company. Its leader is not venal; he is ideological. He simply thinks that privacy is irrelevant in light of the benefits, the powerful learnings that are at hand because of information flow. This ideology is identified as dataism by Yuval Noah Harari, but to understand its full consequences, one needs to venture into fiction, in books such as Joshua Cohens Joycean feat, Book of Numbers. Through those lenses, one sees that to a dataist, information flow and sharing are the categorical imperative. They trump enlightenment values surrounding personal autonomy and privacy.

This raises the questionhow to deter a founder who simply does not believe in privacy, one who posts an announcement of his wifes miscarriages online with paeans to an open and connected world? The answer is that the FTC has to either get Zuckerberg to sublimate privacy values, or it should craft an intervention that causes him to lose control over his company.

Second, startup companies leaders frequently face individual liability under the FTC Act because in small organizations, executives control so many decisions. If the executive directly participates in a deceptive act, such as approving a fraudulent ad, the executive can be named individually in a suit. Large companies rarely face such liability, but there is good reason to believe that the FTC can impose individual liability on Zuckerberg and other high-level Facebook executives. Consider Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth, who in an internal memo, wrote that connecting people was a categorical imperative justifying [a]ll the questionable contact importing practices. All the subtle language that helps people stay searchable by friends

The FTC could see such exhortations as direct participation in deceptive acts and impose terrifying levels of personal liability on such executives. The deterrent effect would be both specific and general, and would deny Zuckerberg the ability to continue aggressive privacy invasions, as his lieutenants would fear having a FTC order attach to them personally for 20 years.

Conclusion

Our society has awakened to the reality that privacy isnt just about advertisements. It is about the quality of our information environment, with knock-on effects on autonomy and our republic itself. As a result, the stakes have increased, for Facebook, and for the institutions that police it. I hope these institutions can rise to the challenge, in part because keeping these conflicts in the scope of consumer law has benefits to civil society and expressive freedom. The FTC can deter Facebooks data depredations by crafting interventions focused on its leadership, because of their specific efforts to deny individuals privacy.

Chris Hoofnagle holds dual appointments as adjunct professor in the Berekley School of Law and the School of Information and is the author of Federal Trade Commission Privacy Law and Policy.

Suggested citation: Chris Hoofnagle, Facebook in the Spotlight: Dataism vs. Personal Autonomy, JURIST  Academic Commentary, Apr. 20, 2018, http://jurist.org/forum/2018/04/chris-hoofnagle-facebook-dataism.php.

This article was prepared for publication by Kelly Cullen, JURISTs Managing Editor. Please direct any questions or comments to him at commentary@jurist.org
The US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit [official website] on Thursday ruled that Indianas recent abortion law, House Enrolled Act No. 1337 [text], is unconstitutional [opinion, PDF].

The law was enacted on March 24, 2016, and was challenged in court by Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky [advocacy website]. The law prevents women from having an abortion if it is known that the woman is doing so because of the sex of the child, diagnosis of Down syndrome or any other disability, or because of the race, color, national origin, or ancestry of the fetus. It also requires that women be provided these restrictions prior to the abortion and puts restrictions on the disposition of the aborted fetus.

The court found that these restrictions on abortion are an unconstitutional violation of the Fourteenth Amendment right to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability. Because the restriction was ruled to be unconstitutional, the requirement to notify the woman of the restriction was also ruled to be unconstitutional. The fetal disposition requirements were found to violate the Due Process clause of the Constitution because it was not rationally related to a legitimate government interest.

Judge Manion, in a separate opinion, concurred regarding the abortion restrictions, but also called upon the Supreme Court to overturn Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey and Roe v. Wade to allow states to place limits on abortion. Manion also dissented regarding the fetal remains provision, stating that the provision is within the states police powers.

Several states have recently passed bills which place restrictions on abortions. The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill [JURIST report] earlier this month that would ban abortions after 20 weeks following fertilization. Kentuckys House of Representatives passed a bill [JURIST report] in March that would ban abortions after 11 weeks. A federal judge in Mississippi blocked a Mississippi bill [JURIST report] in March that would restrict abortions after 15 weeks.
Moves are afoot to find a successor to Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar following revelations about his state of health

Khalifa Haftar, the 75-year-old strongman of eastern Libya, was flown to a military hospital in Paris two weeks ago amidst total secrecy on the part of French officials and confusion at the Libyan army headquarters in the Al-Rajma district in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Initially, spokespersons refused to acknowledge that Haftar had indeed suffered a sudden health crisis that necessitated hospitalisation in Paris.

However, they eventually caved into pressure from the local and international media after rumours began to circulate that Haftar had either died or had suffered a debilitating stroke.

Libyan sources told Al-Ahram Weekly that Haftar has been receiving treatment in the Val-de-Grace Hospital in Paris since 5 April, one of the most secretive hospitals in the world.

Medical practitioners and other staff may not divulge information about patients at the hospital, who have included political leaders from around the world.

Violations may be regarded as threatening French national security, according to the Deutsche Welle TV network on Sunday.

This is no ordinary hospital, as divulging what goes on there could ignite wars or coup detats, the report said, adding that 60 per cent of the medical staff have military backgrounds.

The 357-bed hospital has state-of-the-art facilities and specialises in cancer treatment, intestinal, vascular and neurological surgery and nuclear medicine. It is a high-security facility run by the French Ministry of Defence and French armed forces.

The Libyan sources said that Haftar has been suffering from Alzheimers disease and has previously suffered strokes.

His family has flown to Paris to be by his side, as have senior Libyan officials including Haftars right-hand man Aoun Al-Firjani, regarded as a possible successor to Haftar.

The tight secrecy surrounding Haftars health suggests that the military strongman, the most important figure in eastern Libya, may have already met his demise and regional and international players are now working to engineer the aftermath.

Since his rise to prominence following the 2011 Revolution in Libya, Haftar has succeeded in forging a network of close relations with Cairo, Abu Dhabi and Paris.

His domestic adversaries have described him as a local proxy for these powers, but his death or incapacitation could plunge Libya back to square one.

Since 2014, Haftar has manoeuvred to create Libyas first post-revolutionary national army, consisting of former Gaddafi regime military officers and tribal and Salafist militia groups that took part in Operation Dignity in May 2014 to retake Benghazi from the Islamist militias that had seized control of the city.

The operation took over three years to achieve this end, with the fighting meanwhile claiming hundreds of lives, wounding thousands, and destroying large portions of the city especially after the Islamists allied with other anti-Haftar factions.

Haftar was able to strike up an alliance with the Awaqir tribe, the largest in the east of the country and based in the vicinity of Benghazi.

He took advantage of the anger felt by this tribe against the Islamist militants occupying Benghazi in order to gain control over Libyas second largest city.

However, this alliance was fragile and fractured as the crisis dragged on.

Haftars sons and members of the Al-Firjani tribe to which he belongs gained the final say in the citys military, economic and political affairs, though Haftar managed to forge alliances with other eastern tribes in their particular areas of influence.

While Haftars allies continue to circulate images of him on social-networking sites in a bid to reassure his supporters, questions surrounding the future of Libya after Haftar are growing more pressing.

According to Libyan sources, France and the UAE have begun to look for a candidate who might be capable of filling Haftars shoes, with Aoun Al-Firjani being mentioned as well as Operation Dignity commander Abdel-Salam Al-Hassi, and military figures Al-Mabrouk Sahban, Idris Madi and Abdel-Razeq Al-Nazouri.

Haftar had intended to appoint the latter as deputy commander of the Libyan armed forces as part of arrangements to restructure the military being negotiated in the Egyptian sponsored talks in Cairo. These talks will now be postponed in the light of Haftars health.

In eastern Libya itself, Awaqir tribal leaders have begun to meet to discuss political and security developments in Benghazi in the event of the death or incapacity of Haftar.

However, these have been hampered by deep rifts over Haftar himself, with some accusing him of standing in the way of the tribes political and military aspirations.

They point to the fact that Haftars son Khaled Haftar had had former deputy interior minister in the Government of National Consensus Faraj Qaim Al-Aqouri, a member of the tribe, arrested and imprisoned following an armed clash in Benghazi in November 2017.

Other actions on the part of Haftars sons and officers close to Haftar who also belong to the Al-Firjani tribe have also worked to augment dissatisfaction with Haftar and the army command.

The decision to arrest military commander Mahmoud Al-Warfali some weeks ago in response to pressure from the International Criminal Court (ICC) stirred rancour among some of Haftars allies.

Recent disputes between Khaled Haftar and Abdel-Razek Al-Nazouri involving members of the Libyan Special Forces and tribal leaders intensified tensions, while further discontent against Haftar was fuelled when military prosecutor Faraj Al-Sosaa ignored complaints of abuses allegedly committed by members of the military command.

Such developments heightened strains between Haftar and speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, who earlier this year took measures to limit the powers of the military command, most notably the military judiciary headed by Aoun Al-Firjani, a candidate to succeed Haftar.

Such animosities offer insight into what the situation in Libya might look like after Haftar is gone. Although he has managed to secure the gains of the major tribes in the east of the country, especially those in the vicinity of Tobruk, home to the Obeidat tribe, and of Al-Beida, home to the Baraesa tribe, the tensions in Benghazi could escalate.

Similar tensions have been seen in Ajdabiya, part of the Libyan petroleum crescent, where the Mugharba tribe is based. Haftars foreign allies have been aware of such dangers, explaining their preparations for the post-Haftar phase.

Politically, there may be a resurgence of the federalist movement in the east of the country, which may find support among the Awaqir tribe against the backdrop of discontent among some regional and international powers at the political arrangements called for by the accord signed in Skhirat, Morocco, in December 2015.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Aguila Saleh, whom Haftar has tried to sideline in the past, has also begun manoeuvring to pre-empt attempts to exclude him in the post-Haftar era. Chairman of the countrys Presidency Council Fayez Al-Sarraj is also fully aware that with Haftar gone his own position will likely grow stronger.

Al-Sarraj will likely retract his insistence on holding general elections before the end of the year in the hope of entrenching his position further.

As for Haftars Islamist adversaries and others angry at his performance, these will do whatever they can to forestall arrangements to install his successor unless they can take part in choosing one.

Militarily, the members of the Libyan army command, especially those closest to Haftar, will be the first to suffer the consequences of his passing.

There may be the emergence of new alliances within eastern military circles leading to alignments behind either chief of staff Abdel-Razek Al-Nazouri or the Special Forces commander.

If these prospects look grim, they may in the end prove less costly than trying to pick a successor to Haftar and then attempt to mobilise support behind him.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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The UN Security Council met in a secluded farmhouse on the southern tip of Sweden on Saturday in a bid to overcome deep divisions over how to end the war in Syria.

In a first for the Council, which normally holds its annual brainstorming session in upstate New York, the 15 ambassadors and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were this year invited to hold an informal meeting in Backakra by Sweden, a non-permanent member of the body.

The United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is expected on Sunday.

The farmhouse is the summer residence of Dag Hammarskjold, the United Nations' second secretary-general who died in a plane crash in Africa in 1961.

Situated in the heart of a nature reserve, just a stone's throw from the Baltic Sea, the farmhouse consists of four buildings around a courtyard and has been completely renovated in recent years.

The southern wing serves as the summer residence for the Swedish Academy which awards the Nobel Literature Prize.

With both New York and Damascus thousands of kilometres away, the Council is exploring "the means to strengthen and make more effective United Nations peacekeeping missions," the Swedish government said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed the decision to hold the meeting in Sweden, "where there is a long tradition of peaceful conflict prevention and resolution".

But as she arrived in Backakra on Saturday morning she warned against being too hopeful the Syrian issue would be resolved over the weekend.

"Hopefully there will be some new ideas on the table and I think it'll be on those tracks: the humanitarian situation, the chemical weapons," she said.

But "not even the beautiful settings like these can solve all the problems", the minister added.

The country's deputy UN Ambassador Carl Skau said the idea was to foster dialogue and "relaunch momentum" with "humility and patience", a week after the air strikes by France, Britain and the United States against the Syrian regime.

"It's important for the council's credibility," Skau told reporters in New York.

While the war in Syria is not the only topic of the deliberations, it is high up on the agenda because it was an issue that divided council members deeply in recent months.

Skau said Backakra was a "fitting and inspiring venue" to reconnect with the power of diplomacy.

"It's a place to roll up our sleeves, take off our jackets and ties and come up with some real and meaningful ways forward," he said.

The air strikes by the three Western powers on April 14 targeted three sites, which the countries argued were used by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapons programme.

Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons in an attack a week earlier in Douma, the last rebel stronghold near Damascus.

Assad and Russian allies have denied that Syria was responsible for the attack, which according to rescuers, left more than 40 people dead. But the Western powers insist that the Syrian regime had crossed a red line.

The air strikes, conducted without a Security Council resolution, have led to fierce tensions between Russia and the other permanent council members, the US, France, Britain and China.

Moscow has used its veto on the council 12 times since 2011.

A fact-finding mission from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the Syrian town of Douma is currently held up in Damascus.

"Of course it'll be great to find a way to allow the OPCW to work and to have access (to the site)... to be able to have control and attribute responsibility" for the attack, Wallstrom said Saturday.

Some non-permanent member countries of the council have been critical of the trip to Sweden.

With the conflicts the council has on its table, including the one in Syria, it is abnormal that the council would travel so far, said one ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"What will happen if something bad happens?" the ambassador asked.

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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday criticised Austria for planning to ban any possible campaigning for the June elections, saying that countries attempting to undermine his country's democratic struggle would "pay a price".

Erdogan this week called snap elections for June 24, bringing the polls forward by a year and a half.

Both Austria and the Netherlands have announced their governments would not look warmly to any possible campaigning on their soil by Turkish politicians.

In an interview with private NTV broadcaster, Erdogan took aim at Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz who said Friday campaign events would "not be welcome" and would not be allowed.

Erdogan said the steps taken by Kurz would "entirely turn against him."

"Turkey's struggle for democracy cannot be easily restricted," he said.

The early election will accelerate the transition to a new presidential system which critics fear will lead the way for one man rule.

Kurz had told Oe1 radio Friday: "The Turkish leadership under Erdogan has for years tried to instrumentalise communities of Turkish origin in Europe; this has been the case for Erdogan's campaign events and those of his supporters."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also said Friday campaigning in the Netherlands would be "undesirable."

"They are Turkish elections, so the campaign should remain in Turkey," he said, warning that any campaigning by Turkish politicians could cause public disorder in the Netherlands.

Erdogan said he would address Turkish origin voters in a European country without elaborating further.

"We have finalised our preparations abroad. I will not publicise the country now but God willing, I will address a crowd of 10-11,000 at a meeting of an international organisation," he added.

Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik also blasted the prime ministers of Austria and the Netherlands, saying they were "not leaning on democratic values".

"With this approach, Austria and Holland are poisoning democratic values in their own countries. By doing so, they are helping spread of racist political movements hostile to European Union values," he wrote on Twitter Saturday.

Last year, Turkey's relations with some of the EU member states including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, took a strained turn after they banned rallies ahead of a constitutional referendum won by Erdogan.

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By CURT ANDERSON , Associated Press

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  A gunman who carried a shotgun in a guitar case opened fire Friday in a Florida high school, wounding one student before he was arrested on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence, authorities said.

It happened at Forest High School, which was put on lockdown, the Marion County Sheriff's Office reported. A 17-year-old boy was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening wound to his ankle.

Some students and teachers piled desks and filing cabinets against classroom doors as a makeshift barricade.

Police initially said the 19-year-old suspect is also a student at the school, but later said he was a former student not currently enrolled. No charges were immediately announced.

The shooting comes just over two months after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted in that Valentine's Day shooting.

It also coincided with a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence on the anniversary of the 1999 massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School. The Ocala school had planned its version of a walkout, students said.

Chris Oliver told the Ocala Star-Banner that his 16-year-old son, a Forest student, told him the shooting happened near his classroom. The boy told Oliver the shooter stood in a hallway and fired at a closed classroom door. The shooter then dropped the weapon, ran and tried to hide, the boy told his father.

Craig Ham, deputy superintendent of Ocala schools operations, said the gunman carried the shotgun in a guitar case into the school by blending in with students. Ham told reporters the shooter fired at the bottom of a locked classroom door, and pellets struck the victim in the ankle.

Jake Mailhiot's psychology class had just begun Friday morning when school officials announced a "code red" alert over the intercom.

"You could hear in their voice that this wasn't a drill," the 16-year-old junior said.

Prepared for such alerts, students and teachers leapt into action to barricade the classroom's one door and block the door's window.

"Our teachers started pushing file cabinets and desks toward the door, and a few friends and I joined in," Mailhiot said. "We also started tying together some jackets to hang out the window, in case we needed another way out."

In a photograph Mailhiot shared on social media, the classroom door is invisible behind a tall pile of furniture.

Mailhiot said about 15 people in the classroom waited over 30 minutes to be evacuated by Ocala police. They were instructed to leave with their hands up, he said.

The school had planned to participate around 11 a.m. in a walkout commemorating the Columbine shooting.

Marion County schools Superintendent Heidi Maier decided weeks ago that any students who walked out would be punished. Instead, Maier instructed the seven mainstream high school principals to meet with students to develop a topic of discussion for a 30-minute session. All such events were canceled Friday.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods praised the quick response by the school resource officer, as well as school personnel and first responders. In the Parkland shooting, school resource officer Scot Peterson retired amid accusations he didn't do enough to confront the Stoneman Douglas gunman.

The Forest resource officer, Marion County Sheriff's Deputy James Long, "did not hesitate. He went right in," Woods said at a news conference. Woods said Long heard a "large, loud banging sound" and immediately responded.

The sheriff said the suspect wasn't injured, wasn't fired at and was arrested without resistance.

"Marion County does everything to protect their children," Woods said.

Afterward, all students were taken by bus with a police escort to First Baptist Church of Ocala, where parents gathered to pick them up, officials said.

Rachael Carter was at the church waiting to be reunited with her daughter, a 10th-grader who turned 16 this week. Carter's pastor called her when he saw a post on social media.

"I'm shaking like a leaf in a hurricane," Carter said.

She that once she's reunited with her daughter, she will "stick to her like Velcro."

Students who saw anything related to the shooting were being interviewed by investigators.Ocala police, the sheriff's office, the Florida Highway Patrol and the FBI were investigating. They divided into teams that cleared all buildings, vehicles and the parking lot area. Once all students were off campus, authorities began conducting a more methodical search.

Forest High has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

___

Associated Press reporter Jennifer Kay in Miami contributed to this story.
Egypts investment map includes promising opportunities for investors in various areas, Minister of Investment and International Cooperation Sahar Nasr told US companies representatives in the United States on Friday.

In an official statement, the ministry of investment and international cooperation said Nasr met with several major US companies desiring to invest in Egypt at the United States Chamber of Commerce (USCC) during her participation at the World Banks Spring Meetings in Washington DC.

Nasr gave the US representatives an overview of the reforms achieved, highlighting the Egyptian governments efforts to encourage investments by the private sector to drive economic growth, job creation, and elimination of poverty, by implementing economic reforms and huge investments.

Egypt has introduced a number of fiscal reforms since 2014, including fuel subsidy cuts, as well as imposing a new value added tax (VAT) to ease a growing budget deficit, and a decision in 2016 to float the currency.

The country has since secured a $12 billion loan programme from the IMF.

Nasr pointed to the passing of the new investment law and its executive regulations, as well as the bankruptcy law, and amendments to the companies and the capital market laws and their executive regulations.

She also spoke about implementation of national mega-projects, topped by the Suez Canal Development Project, and the establishment of several new cities, among of which are the New Administrative Capital and New Alamein, besides fostering a legislative environment attractive for the private sector which has been conducted through the investment law and its complementary laws, the statement added.

According to the statement, Nasr called on the US companies to identify Egypt's distinguished investment opportunities and benefit from the investment law's incentives.

In June 2017, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi ratified a long awaited investment law which Egypt hopes would boost a much-needed investment by cutting down on bureaucratic requirements, especially for new projects.

The new investment law includes a raft of new incentives, such as a 50 percent tax break on investments made in underdeveloped areas and government support for the cost of connecting utilities to new projects.

It also includes subsidised utilities, the allocation of lands free of charge for strategic activities, and other incentives.

Nasr praised several US companies for the expansion of their activities in Egypt and the injection of new investments such as Mars Companies, General Electric, Honeywell and Kellogg's.

From their side, US companies expressed their keenness on injecting new investments into the Egyptian market during the upcoming period, while commending the steps taken by Egypt to improve the business environment during the previous period, according to the statement.

Nasr is in Washington to attend the spring meetings held from 20 to 22 April by the board of governors of the World Bank Group and the IMF.

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MDA's new President Mike Greenley is seen in front of one of three RADARSAT Constellation Mission spacecrafts being built for the Canadian Space Agency at the company's facility in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec on Tuesday January 30, 2018. The president of Canadarm-builder MDA says setting up the company's parent firm in the United States won't have any impact on jobs in Canada. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz
A memorial of with a flag and flowers sits in front of a restaurant window with bullet holes in Trenton, Fla., Friday, April 20, 2018. Authorities say two Florida sheriff's deputies were shot dead through the window of the Chinese restaurant by a man who then killed himself. (AP Photo/Jason Dearen)
People watch a TV screen showing file footage of U.S. President Donald Trump, right, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, April 21, 2018. North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Most Egyptians do not know the names of their political parties

During Egypts presidential elections, people suddenly discovered that we have over 100 political parties -- and that they are useless.

The Wafd Partys recent internal elections reminded people of the history of this venerable party, which was so important during the pre-1952 revolutionary era and since its revival following the reintroduction of political party life in the 1970s.

It also reminded them that the 107 other parties went into extended periods of hibernation almost as soon as they were founded and, so far, there is no sign of their imminent awakening.

In fact, there has been a sudden surge in discussion of the missing role of political parties. Many believe that by merely merging together to form larger parties, they will suddenly revive and become an effective political force.



As important as political parties are and as valid as the discussion about reviving them is, we must also acknowledge that Egypt is passing through a critical juncture that other countries have experienced before us.

It resembles the period in Germany following the fall of the Nazi regime when an entire people voiced an unprecedented unanimity in their rejection of everything embodied in the Third Reich.

The German public was unwilling, at the time, to hear any opinion opposed to that unanimity.

Moreover, legislators in that country in the centre of democratic Europe passed laws criminalising the espousal and dissemination of Nazism and its ideas.

Something similar occurred in Egypt following the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood regime.

Here, too, an unanimity of public opinion rejected any attempt to defend the Muslim Brotherhood and its ideas.

Such periods in the histories of nations are not the best times for diversity in opinion or for political parties that advocate views or policies that run counter to the prevailing mood.



In addition, we are still waging a fierce battle against terrorism. As is the case in all countries at all times, wartime makes plurality of opinion seen, at best, as a luxury and, at worst, as a form of treason.

This, too, does not favour the existence of a robust political party life with diverse outlooks embodied in political parties each advocating views and policies that differ to a greater or lesser extent from those espoused by other parties.

Looking back to the era preceding the January 2011 and June 2013 Revolutions, we observe that all the parties founded under Anwar Al-Sadat and Hosni Mubarak were essentially stillborn. They could never have appeared to begin with without the approval of the ruling authorities.

Yet real opposition parties are not produced by authorities. They sprout from the ground where they develop roots and grow among the people. This is the key to why those parties were so ineffective and why the movements that were influential in society, such as Kifaya (Enough) and 6 April originated outside political party structures.

A similar situation occurred in the post-revolutionary period when party founders took advantage of new constitutional provisions facilitating the creation of political parties but without doing the legwork to develop a base.

This may be one reason why the Tamarod movement, which played an important part in paving the way to the 30 June 2013 Revolution, far outstripped the political parties in influence and efficacy.



I certainly do not mean to imply that we should give up on political parties and their role in politics. True political life can only thrive when diverse opinions are aired and mature and open minded exchanges debated between the bodies that advocate those opinions. But how can we make that happen?



Some believe that the main problem is that there are so many parties. It is not normal for a single country to have 107 parties, they argue. The solution they propose is for parties to merge together so as to reduce their overall number, thereby augmenting their overall strength.

Unfortunately, the argument is not supported by experience. When Sadat applied that logic in the 1970s by limiting the number of parties to three, the parties were no more effective than those we have today.

If all our parties reduced themselves to just two, as they have in the Anglo Saxon democracies, or to five or seven, as is the case in Italy and France, they would still fail to be more effective unless they reform themselves first.

Because the real problem is structural. How many of our current parties are founded on a distinct political orientation or platform? How many of them apply democratic methods internally? How many of them pursue effective strategies to communicate with the general public?

After all, people are the real source of strength for political parties everywhere. The Egyptian people are totally removed from the existing parties.Most people do not even know their names or how many there are. So who are these parties working with? Who are they communicating with?

If they are so cut off from the people, do they even deserve being called political parties? True, the new constitution has unleashed the freedom to create political parties.

But there is much more to creating a party than getting a group of people together, thinking up a name and completing the required paperwork.

A political party is about working among and with the people, listening to them, promoting their causes and proposing solutions to their problems in a manner consistent with a political platform that sets itself apart from other political platforms out there.

None of the foregoing can be set down in the constitution, of course. But it means that merging is not the answer.

The solution is for political parties to consult the handbook on how to build political parties from the grassroots, as political parties elsewhere in the world do. When this is put into practice here, we might then be able to call some of our 107 parties genuine political parties.

*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Attorney Brent Blakely, left, who represents President Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen, with Trump's attorneys Ryan Stonerock, middle, and Charles Harder, right, leave U.S. District Court for the Central District of California after a hearing regarding adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels', case against Trump in Los Angeles, on Friday, April 20, 2018. A federal judge in Los Angeles has told Cohen's lawyers that he needs to file a declaration in court in order to delay a lawsuit filed by Daniels. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
FILE - In this April 17, 2018 file photo, effigies hang on nooses with the words, from left to right, "hang the guilty in the Unnao rape case," "Hang the guilty in the Kathua rape case," and "hang the guilty in the Surat rape case," referring to recent cases and allegations of rape, during a protest in Ahmadabad, India. India's government has decided to prescribe the death penalty for people convicted of raping girls under the age of 12 to combat an increase in crimes against women. The Press Trust of India news agency reported Saturday, April 21, 2018, that the ordinance is being sent to the president for approval. It will require the approval of Parliament within six months in order the become law. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki, File)
FILE - In this April 11, 2018, file photo, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens speaks at a news conference in Jefferson City, Mo., about allegations related to an extramarital affair with his hairdresser. Accused of sexual and political misconduct, Greitens is defying calls to resign from top lawmakers in his own party while instead banking on steady support from the voters who backed his populist campaign against "corrupt insiders" and "career politicians." (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP, File)
North Koreans watch as their country's most famous newscaster announces leader Kim Jong Un's proposal to suspend nuclear tests and long-range missile launches on a giant screen on Pyongyang's newly built Mirae Scientists' Street Saturday, April 21, 2018. Kim is to hold a summit with South Korea's president next week and with U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or June. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)
EUGENE, Ore. -- Since the beginning of 2018 KEZI 9 News has reported on 20 school threats made in western Oregon.

Sgt. Ryan Nelson with the Eugene Police Department said after major shootings like the one in Parkland, Fla., they typically see a rise in school threats because more people are aware and cautious of their surroundings. Officer Darin Vetter with the Springfield Police Department said some threats come from students who seek notoriety and attention.

Vetter said students can be impulsive, especially with social media, and they sometimes act before they think.





"Think very carefully before you use those words, think really carefully before you post that because it is going to have huge negative consequences for you," Vetter said.

Both officers said they take all school threats seriously. They said when they investigate they look at the student's behavior and what is happening in their life. They interview friends, family, and school staff. They also said they look for red flags like if a student plays violent video games or is cruel to animals. Vetter said unlike adults, most students will talk to someone about a potential threat.



(The map above shows the location of where school threats have been made this year. The red pins are where there were threats, but they either weren't credible or there were no arrests made. The yellow pins show where arrests were made.)

If a student is caught making a threat to a school it is considered a class A misdemeanor. Juveniles can be arrested and sent to a detention center. From there, punishments can vary depending on the severity of the threat, how credible it is, and if it is a repeat offense.

"It's a very serious situation," Nelson said. "It's criminal and also could get you expelled from school. The other thing is we are limited in our resources, so when we have to follow up on something like this we put a lot of resources into it and other people within the city aren't getting the services they should get as well."

Nelson said some of the threats can be people trying to copy someone else, but they can't discount any threat until it has been investigated.

Officers said students should be aware of what they post on social media or joke about.

In February an Oregon lawmaker introduced an amendment that would make it a felony to make a school threat in the state, even if it isn't carried out.
COOS BAY, Ore. -- Rep. Peter DeFazio, along with two other members of the subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, held an open discussion with representatives from ports up and down the Oregon coast, as well as Washington.

The majority of the conversation focused on current issues the port systems face, such as dredging, bar issues, harbor depths, and jetty maintenance.

They also discussed the Corps of Engineers and the necessity of having them properly funded to ensure these harbors will continue to get their annual dredges.

The Harbor Maintenance Tax was also discussed, and how not diverting the revenue from it is vital to these port and harbor cities.

Much federal investment has been made around our ports and harbors," said John Burns, representing the Port of Coos Bay. "When HMT revenue is diverted for other purposes, we lose our economic edge, federal investments are wasted, and our rural communities go into decline.

The meeting lasted for about two hours, with open dialogue and questions being asked by members of the subcommittee and the representatives present.

DeFazio and the other subcommittee members will take their notes from the meeting back to congress, to work to find new ways to continue furthering the Water Resources Development Act.
EUGENE, Ore. - Students from several different high schools gathered at South Eugene on Friday morning, April 20, for a walkout protest against gun violence.

Student leaders said they were disappointed that they didnt see action from lawmakers after the first national walk out and March for Our Lives event in March. They said they dont want to have to keep holding walkouts, and they understand that these events interfere with their education, but they have to keep fighting.

"The reality is that school shootings are also interfering with our education, and we can't continue to live as a society that accepts it as a way of life," said Devin Bahr, a Churchill High School student.

Specifically, student leaders said theyd like to see a few things changed. Theyd like the age to purchase a firearm to be raised to 21, and theyd like to see legislation that bans civilians from buying automatic weapons. This would include things like bump stocks, that can make a semi-automatic weapon fully automatic.

Students said that sensible gun laws are a long time coming in this country. Even though their main focus has been on school shootings, they hope any changes they influence will affect more than just schools. Specifically, they hope it lowers gun violence rates in lower income communities, which they said have struggled with the issue for a long time.

"Our country has been overdue for comprehensive gun violence reform for many, many years," said Jesse Kidd, another Churchill student. "Now that it is finally affecting white communities, people are starting to realize that something is very, very wrong."

A group of students headed to Salem directly after the walkout on Friday. They said they would be meeting with state legislators to hopefully put some of their goals in action.
NEVADA, Iowa (AP)  A man accused of text messaging before a fatal Linn County crash has been found guilty.

Court records say 36-year-old Keith Furne was convicted by a jury Wednesday of two counts of vehicular homicide and one of reckless driving resulting in serious injury.

The crash occurred on Nov. 3, 2016, on the north side of Robins. Authorities say Furne was writing a text while driving his pickup truck before ramming into the back of a car. Two teenage girls were killed: 16-year-old Selena Apodaca and 13-year-old Isabella Severson.

The trial was moved to Story County.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)  An Iowa mother who left her four children home alone to travel to Europe has been given two years' probation.

The Des Moines Register reports Erin Macke was sentenced Thursday in Polk County District Court. She could have faced up to eight years in prison.

The 31-year-old Macke of Johnston entered Alford pleas in February to four counts of child endangerment. In an Alford plea, a person doesn't admit guilt but acknowledges there is enough evidence for a likely conviction.

Police were called to her home in September by the children's father, who said the kids  two 12-year-olds, a 7-year-old and a 6-year-old  had been left alone the day before. Police say Macke failed to make child care arrangements before leaving Sept. 20 for a 10-day vacation in Germany.
UPDATE: The Iowa State Patrol is now releasing the name of the third person killed in this crash east of Charles City. 60-year-old Douglas Mack was killed when he was struck by Mahnesmith when he failed to stop at the stop sign.

FLOYD COUNTY, Iowa  Three people are dead after a two-vehicle collision east of Charles City.

It happened at about 5:05 pm Friday at the intersection of 210th Street and Woodside Avenue. The Iowa State Patrol says Jacob Allen Mahnesmith, 28 of Nahsua, was driving west in a 2011 Dodge Ram pickup when he apparently failed to obey a stop sign and hit a northbound 2002 GMC Sierra pickup.

The State Patrol says Mahnesmith and a passenger in his truck, Shane Allen Wiltse, 28 of Charles City, were killed in the crash while a second passenger in Mahnesmiths truck, Thomas John Parcher, 29 of Marble Rock, was injured.

The State Patrol says the driver of the Sierra pickup was also killed in this collision but that name has not yet been released.

The Floyd County Sheriffs Office, Charles City police and fire departments, Nashua Police Department, AMR Ambulance and Mercy Air all assisted at the scene.
AUSTIN, Minn.

Father of a Parkland shooting victim, Ryan Petty, encouraged students to walk up, instead of walking out, such as walking up to students who are alone at school.

On the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, Austin High School student group Students for Change decided to do both.

They coordinated the high school's walk out, a part of a national movement, where students chanted, listened to student speakers, passed out bracelets that say "be the change you hope for," and had a moment of silence for victims of school shootings.

Students for Change has two goals now that the national walk outs are over. They want to encouraged their peers to "walk up" and make school a positive environment for everyone, as well as to get their classmates involved politically.

"As high schoolers, we're becoming closer to the age of voting and so it's very important for us to be informed correctly and know what we're talking about but then also be motivated to go to the polling booths," explains Students for Change member Brock Lawhead.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)  A Minnesota judge has ordered the release of state files on the 27-year investigation into the kidnapping and murder of Jacob Wetterling.

Stearns County officials had planned to release the case file after Danny Heinrich confessed to the 1989 abduction and killing of 11-year-old Jacob. Jacob's parents, Patty and Jerry Wetterling, sued to keep 168 pages containing personal information sealed.

District Judge Ann L. Carrott ruled Thursday that any files connected to the investigation of a criminal case become public record once the case is concluded.

The Wetterlings said in a statement they were saddened by the ruling but thankful for the judge's "careful consideration of our concerns."

The county attorney says parties have 60 days to appeal and it will wait until that is resolved to release any documents.
ALTOONA, Iowa (AP)  Police in central Iowa have arrested a Missouri man accused of ramming and firing shots at a van he mistakenly thought was involved in an Amber alert.

The Des Moines Register says 41-year-old Matthew Golden, of Kearney, Missouri, called 911 just before 3 a.m. Tuesday after spotting the white van with Florida plates on Interstate 80 in Altoona. An Amber alert had been issued earlier for two Toronto, Iowa, children in a silver sedan with Illinois plates.

Police say Golden rammed the back of the van and fired two shots at it. Altoona Police Chief Greg Stallman says Golden ignored dispatchers' commands to stop.

The van's driver, who also called 911, wasn't hurt.

Police who soon arrived found Golden stripped to his underwear lying face-down the road. Officers say he had two guns and 16 grams of marijuana. He's charged with assault and other counts.

An attorney wasn't listed Friday for Golden in online court records.
MASON CITY, Iowa  Police are confirming that four juveniles arrested in Albert Lea, MN are believed responsible for a burglary in Mason City.

The Verizon Wireless store on 4th Street SW was burglarized early Wednesday morning and authorities say several electronic items were stolen. Mason City police put out an alert to other law enforcement agencies and four juveniles were arrested several hours later near the Verizon store in Albert Lea. Authorities say items from the Mason City Verizon were found during the arrest.

The four are now facing felony charges in Cerro Gordo County for burglary and ongoing criminal conduct and have been referred to Juvenile Court Services.
MASON CITY, Iowa- Hundreds of Mason City Schools students walked out of class on Friday and in to the school gymnasium as a way to stand in solidarity with schools across the nation on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

Students then had the opportunity to question prominent figures in the community: lawmakers, Mason City Police Chief, Mason City School Superintendent and the Mayor, about debate over gun control, mental health, school safety and many others.

Just this year alone, we have already had five school threats in our area: Mason City Schools, Riceville Schools, Austin Schools, Century High School and Triten Schools.

And those holding the event say it is events like those threats that are making them want to stand up to be sure their voices are being heard.

Daniel Stephenson, a sophomore, was one of the event coordinators. He said they originally were just going to hold a walkout, but after getting in touch with school staff, they came up with the idea to hold the panel as well.

When asked if the students feel safe while at school many raised their hand.

I think a lot of us do feel safe, said Stephenson. That is something I talked about in my speech. We are very lucky for that, but not everyone does have a safe school and that is sad, which is why everyone needs to recognize that and talk about it.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian companies hit by U.S. sanctions, including aluminum giant Rusal, have asked for 100 billion rubles ($1.6 billion) in liquidity support from the government, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying on Friday.

The United States on April 6 imposed sanctions against several Russian entities and individuals, including Rusal (0486.HK) and its major shareholder Oleg Deripaska, to punish Moscow for its suspected meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and other alleged malign activity.

Rusal, the worlds second-biggest aluminum producer, has been particularly hard hit as the sanctions have caused concern among some customers, suppliers and creditors that they could be blacklisted too through association with the company.

A temporary nationalization is an option for some sanctions-hit companies, but not Rusal, Siluanov was quoted as saying. He did not name the companies he was referring to.

A Kremlin spokesman had said on Thursday that temporary nationalization was one of the options for helping Rusal.

According to another news agency, RIA, Rusal has only requested government support with liquidity and with demand for aluminum so far, Siluanov said.

RIA quoted the minister as saying the government was not considering state purchases of aluminum for now.

Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova; Writing by Polina Devitt; Editing by Mark Potter
(Kitco News) - The desire for gold is the most universal and deeply rooted commercial instinct of the human race.  Gerald M. Loeb

Editor's Note: This op-ed was originally published on April 20th, 2018.

A close look at historical price returns shows that history agrees with the age-old adage of holding gold as a hedge but what is the best way to put this in practice?

The purest way for investors to play the yellow metal without buying outright physical gold bullions is to use gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but not all ETFs are created equal.

The analysis shows that iShares Gold Trust (NYE: IAU) is the best option for investors looking to hedge equity exposure.

Variables For The Tests

In order for the comparisons to be consistent, parameters and assumptions were set as follows:

1) A market correction is defined as a fall in the S&P 500 of greater than, or equal to, 5%.

2) Only pure-play bullion ETFs are considered; no gold mining ETFs will be used.

3) ETFs must have ample liquidity, as defined by an active trading volume.

4) No leveraged ETFs are allowed.

5) Only long positions are considered (no put options, inverse, or bear ETFs).

6) There must be enough price history to cover at least three years of data (no recently incepted ETFs).

7) No ETFs using options based on other gold-backed ETFs (such is the case for GLDI).

Using etfdb.coms online screener, the above parameters produced the following search results, ranked in order of assets under management (AUM):

Table 1

Testing The Performance

We then examined how each of these ETFs have performed during past market corrections, going as far back as the price data allows, which in this case, is late 2014 given that the youngest ETF on the list, OUNZ, was only incepted in May, 2014.

Table 2a gives a summary of the findings. There were a total of eight market corrections since 2014, with corrections of greater than 10% marked in red squares.

The performances of each of the gold ETFs during these periods are indicated on the right side of the table, with their median outperformance, as defined as the median returns of the ETFs minus the median returns of the S&P 500, circled in red at the bottom.

GLD and IAU are more or less tied in the median outperformance category.

Table 2a

As ETFs are managed by fund issuers, management fees must be considered, even if the funds themselves may be passively managed. The final step is then to compare the results by taking into account annual expenses for holding the fund.

Table 2b shows the funds median outperformance after deducting their latest expense ratios, since median fund returns in Table 2a do not consider annual fees.

Table 2b

Here, IAU is the winner, at 7.88% outperformance versus the S&P 500, edging slightly above GLDs 7.74%.

Extending The Timeframe

What happens when we add in more price history? The next step of the test repeats the same process but uses data going back to the end of Q1 2009, when the S&P 500 has troughed from the recession. Because OUNZ and SGOL were not incepted until after 2009, they are excluded in this step of the analysis.

Table 3a

Table 3b

Since 2009, the S&P 500 recorded 24 periods of market corrections, of which six were greater than 10%, as indicated by the red boxes in Table 3a. In the same table, the yellow highlights showed periods of ETF underperformance; it only happened once during the May  June 2013 correction.

Table 3b shows ETF outperformance after fees.

Here again, IAU was the clear winner, beating out its rivals at 7.34% outperformance.

Concluding Observations

This analysis should not be interpreted as discouraging for all other gold ETFs. In fact, the tables above show that on an average basis, all the major gold ETFs have outperformed the market during periods of stock corrections.

Two important observations should be noted from the calculations done in this piece:

1) Gold does not hold a perfect inverse relationship to the market; investors should be aware that outperformance does not equate to positive returns in gold during market corrections.

2) Gold does not outperform the market during corrections 100% of the time, although on average, major gold ETFs yield between 7% to 8% outperformance during corrections, which is a great track record as a hedge instrument by any standard.

The final word is that despite GLDs popularity and ubiquity amongst investors, as evidenced by its largest AUM in the market, its iShares competitor, IAU, beats it as a market hedge instrument, owing primarily to its slightly lower cost  0.25% expense ratio for IAU versus 0.4% for GLD.

Disclaimer: the author is not an investment advisor and this article is not intended to issue investment advice. Kitco News is not affiliated with any of the aforementioned ETF issuers, and it is not the business of Kitco News to promote ETFs.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Mainly clear. Low 47F. NNW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 47F. NNW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
A photo released by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the state news agency of North Korea, shows a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea held on under the guidance of Kim Jong-un, chairman of the WPK and chairman of the State Affairs Commission of the DPRK, in Pyongyang, North Korea, April 9. / EPA-Yonhap





North Korea said Saturday that it has decided to suspend nuclear and missile tests and shut down its atomic test site, in a surprise announcement that could give momentum to its upcoming summits with South Korea and the United States.

The announcement came amid a diplomatic push to denuclearize North Korea, the main agenda for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's planned meeting with his counterparts from the South and the U.S.

"We will discontinue nuclear test and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said, citing the outcome of a key meeting of the ruling party held Friday.

"The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test," it said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

North Korea has conducted all of its six nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri test site in the northeastern province since 2006. The North's latest and most powerful nuclear test was conducted in September last year.

The report also said that North Korea will neither use nuclear weapons nor transfer nukes or nuclear technology under any circumstances, unless there are nuclear threats or provocation against it.

The decision was made at the plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), which drew keen attention over whether the North would possibly unveil a shift in stance toward its nuclear programs.

The session was held before Kim sits down with President Moon Jae-in next Friday at the border truce village of Panmunjom. That meeting will be followed by a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump probably in May or early June. North Korea's denuclearization will top the agenda for those meetings.

Kim Jong-un claimed that as his country has completed the capability to mount a nuclear warhead on a missile and to develop delivery and strike means, there is no need to conduct more nuclear and missile tests.

"The mission of the northern nuclear test ground has thus come to an end," he was quoted as saying by the KCNA.

South Korea's presidential office and Trump welcomed North Korea's decision.

"North Korea's decision is meaningful progress for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which the world wishes for," Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.

"It will contribute to creating a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming inter-Korean and North-U.S. summits."
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters after he attends a cherry blossom viewing party at Shinjuku Gyoen park in Tokyo, Japan, April 21. / REUTERS-Yonhap



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday welcomed North Korea's decision to halt its nuclear and missile tests and shut down its nuclear test ahead of its planned summits with South Korea and the United States, local media reported.

Earlier in the day, North Korea announced that the country will suspend nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests and shut down the Punggye-ri nuclear test site located in the northern area of the reclusive country.

The move comes as North Korea is planning to hold summits with South Korea and the United States, with denuclearization likely to top the agendas to be discussed during the historic talks.

Japanese media quoted Abe as calling the latest development "positive," but cautioned that it remains to be seen whether the action would lead to a complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of the North's nuclear program.

"We will surely pay close attention," he said.












North Korean leader Kim Jong-un appears to be shifting his policy focus to lifting the North's threadbare economy, amid brisk diplomacy that could lead to sanctions relief and security assurances, experts here said Saturday.

During Friday's plenary central committee meeting of the North's ruling Worker's Party, Kim vowed to focus on boosting the economy, while suspending nuclear and missile tests and closing a key atomic experiment facility, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency.

The measures could mark Kim's strategic course correction after incremental global sanctions have crippled his country's economy, eroded public support and loyalty from the elites, and fueled diplomatic friction with China, its key economic patron.

The announcement came ahead of Kim's summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27 and United States President Donald Trump in May or early June.

"Should the issue of a security guarantee be discussed in the planned summit with the United States, the issue left for Kim is economic construction, based on which he may want to deliver on his avowed goal of making the North an 'economically strong' country by 2020," Cho Bong-hyun, a senior researcher at the Industrial Bank of Korea, told Yonhap News Agency.

"Kim appears to have determined that economic achievement could help him stably keep his regime and burnish his image overseas," he added.

The North's economy has continued to deteriorate, as the country has gone into overdrive with its nuclear and missile programs that have triggered tough U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions as well as standalone ones by the U.S., South Korea, Japan and other countries.

Particularly, Beijing's active enforcement of the UNSC sanctions has dealt a critical blow to the North's economy, given that the world's second largest economy accounts for some 90 percent of Pyongyang's aggregate trade.

Sanctions that have dried up Kim's cash coffers also threatened to hurt his dynastic family's long-standing tactic of statecraft -- compelling the elites' loyalty with a slew of gifts unthinkable for ordinary citizens, such as luxury watches and cars, North Korea watchers said.

"Due to the sanctions, hard currency might have started to hit the bottom and this situation might have affected the loyalty among those (elites) in Pyongyang," Park Won-gon, security expert at Handong Global University, said.

"Kim might have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to secure governing funds, and this might have added to his sort of threat perception," he added.

Sanctions have reportedly led to sharp cuts in trade, revenues from allegedly illicit overseas business dealings, as well as erstwhile steady remittances from the North's overseas workers who have been banned from extending their time abroad.

Due to the intricate web of global sanctions, Kim's past economic reform projects have languished, experts noted.












Seoul Mayor Park Won-sun announces running for Seoul mayoral poll in local elections on June 13 at the ruling Democratic Pary's office in Yeouido, April 12. / Yonhap



Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon on Friday won his party's primary for June's local elections by an overwhelming majority, marking a green light for another four-year term.

Park, a former human rights lawyer and civic group activist, garnered 66.26 percent of support in a three-way race to pick the flag bearer of the ruling Democratic Party for the Seoul mayoral poll on June 13.

He is to take on Kim Moon-soo, a former Gyeonggi Province governor with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, and Ahn Cheol-soo, a former software mogul who now leads the minor opposition Bareunmirae Party

The ruling party also picked Lee Jae-myeong, mayor of Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province, as its candidate to become the governor of that province, which neighbors the capital city. Lee, who was also a lawyer, received 59.96 percent of the vote.

Lee Yong-sup, a former lawmaker and minister, will run for the liberal governing party in the Gwangju mayoral election.

The choice of the three politicians was largely based on a three-day phone poll of party members and ordinary people. (Yonhap)
By Hwang Jae-ho





The most important characteristic of Korea's higher education policy in the 2000s is internationalization. Korea wanted to work toward internationalization but also, internationalization was extremely necessary for the country.



The reason why Korea showed interest in internationalization in the area of education is due to the establishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the spread of free trade agreements (FTA). The two trends allowed the country to open up its education sector to foreign players. Korea's international status and economic power were raised and universities started to show more interest in globalization and international competitiveness.



The Korean government's policy vision is to strengthen international competitiveness in higher education and cultivate global talent. In 2015, the Korean government announced plans to attract more international students through upgrading the Study Korea 2020 project. Korea plans to attract 200,000 international students by 2023 and create various internationalization models for domestic universities.



By strengthening the global competitiveness of Korean universities, Korea will be able to absorb the demand for Korean students to study abroad and provide opportunities for education in Korea. At the same time, Korea intends to revitalize domestic universities' entry into other countries.



The reason why Korea had no choice but to work toward internationalization is due to the sudden drop in the school-age population. In 2017, the birthrate hit 1.05, which is the lowest since 2005 when it was 1.08. Second, the university entrance rate, which is a representative indicator of the Korean people's will for education, is also rapidly falling. After peaking at 83.8 percent in 2008, it dropped below 70 percent in 2016, which has not happened for 18 years.



Last year, it was 68.9 percent. As of 2017, the universities' student enrolment capacity exceeded the number of high school graduates. Third, days when university diplomas guaranteed employment have ended. Since the financial crisis in 2008, the number of young unemployed increased and more people began to be skeptical about college education. Fourth, due to the decline in the school-age population, Korean universities needed to attract foreign students to overcome financial difficulties and increase the number of students.



Although higher education in Korea has grown overall, the level of internationalization and competitiveness of Korean universities is still insufficient compared with advanced countries. Currently, about 60 percent out of 100,000 Korean students are Chinese students, which shows how biased other countries are. The internationalization of Korean universities is mainly focused on memorandums of understating (MOUs) and there is no real exchange. They are focused on foreign exchange and attracting foreign students.



When looking at the actual curriculums and the programs, the proportion that foreign language courses and cooperation with foreign universities take are small. Internationalization of outbound forms such as internships and establishment of overseas branches of domestic universities are also insufficient. The absence of the government policy vision and passive internationalization of universities derived from the government's excessive control in this area are also problems.



Therefore, a new approach is needed by learning from past lessons. Here are some suggestions. First, the importance of local cities in this global era is growing. In addition to cooperation between central governments, sub-regional cooperation is also becoming more common. Local accessibility is easy and the connection between cities near the border area is becoming more critical. For example, sub-regional cooperation between Russia, Japan, China and South Korea can be established.



Customized education is needed. The international political environment is a hardware that is difficult to change. Also, most governments are under financial pressure and it is not easy for universities to receive special budget support from the government. However, it is not enough to complain and universities should work for best education even with minimum budgets. By considering the characteristics of different regions and cities, universities can carry out customized education through connecting with local governments and corporations.



Based on a specialized language education infrastructure, university education based on the characteristics of the region and the strengths of cities and universities should be provided. In this region, there are internationally important languages such Russian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese. The global language is English but second languages are absolutely important. Universities can train talented people by combining languages and majors.



In conclusion, universities must lead and deliver governments for successful implementation of national policies. There are many functions and roles of a university. It needs to be able to have a leading function by raising questions against and directing the society. It also needs to help with competition in the job market. In other words, it needs to catch several rabbits. To strengthen the global competitiveness of Korean universities, proactive proposals and practical actions of universities and scholars must be prepared.



Hwang Jae-ho is a director of the Global Security Cooperation Center, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul.


By Emanuel Pastreich



South Koreans find themselves in a period of rapid geopolitical change that is pushing them to the very limits of their ability to comprehend and to respond. The situation is made more serious by the general lethargy, and lack of creativity, in government and in industry that has set in over the past decade of conservative rule.





Yet, although the television and newspapers feature rather predictable stories that suggest that the world is basically the way it has always been, some of the more experienced Koreans in diplomacy and security, and in industry, are starting to sense that something is profoundly wrong in the relationship with Washington D.C., and with Tokyo.



These Koreans sense, and that if Korea does not take the initiative it could end up facing some sort of military conflict with North Korea in the next few months, or risk being dragged into a military confrontation (that could become a war) with China. That is how dangerous the right wing in Washington and Tokyo has become.



We mere mortals do not know what meetings and negotiations have been going on behind the scenes as part of preparations for North Korean leader Kim Jung-un's informal visit to Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping, or the recent dispatch of Xi Jinping's special envoy to Seoul to meet South Korea's President Moon Jae-in.



But it would be a good guess that the number of meetings in rapid succession suggests that South Koreans are not only excited about the summit, but also nervous, and a bit scared.



The Trump administration thinks nothing of threatening nuclear war against North Korea and recently Trump has combined forces with what was once known as the Democratic Party of the United States to launch a campaign to expel Russian diplomats and launch further political actions against Russia regarding a rather suspicious fairy tale about a diplomat who was poisoned.



The tit-for-tat expulsion of diplomats looks frighteningly similar to the actions taken by Germany (and also England) in the lead-up to World War I.



Some South Koreans are waking up out of the dreamy state induced by the bombardment in the media of positive images of how President Moon will visit North Korea to resolve the crisis and then how President Trump will meet Kim Jung-un, and then everyone would live happily ever after.



Actually, the Trump administration has shown nothing but complete contempt for diplomacy, for international law, for the Non-proliferation Treaty and for government itself. Even if Trump was able to visit successfully and to sign a remarkable agreement, no one trusts him to implement anything and we know he is entirely capable of turning around and threatening war.



Among Koreans experts, I have met several who doubt just about everything that the Trump administration says, even if they are hesitant to say so in person. This "Twitter as policy" president has no authority in his own country, or the world, and increasingly the decisions that he reads off are made by shadowy figures in the military industrial complex.

And now, with the promotion of John Bolton as national security adviser to Donald Trump, we can see without any doubt that this group of extremists is perfectly willing to risk world war, nuclear war, or both, to maintain its ruthless grip on power.



Thus South Koreans as a whole see the North-South summit as a critical opportunity to turn things around, and they feel increasingly that they must take the initiative because the U.S. as a whole, and the Trump administration in specific, is unwilling, or incapable, of playing a positive role.



As the old joke goes, "There are three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who let things happen and those who say, 'What happened?'" Korea, and China as well, are increasingly in the position to make things happen. The U.S. under Trump, stripped of all its qualified diplomats and generals, and run by a pack of right-wing extremists and fascists, is increasingly either letting things happen, or just asking, "What happened?"



We only need to look at the case of the Iran nuclear deal framework, to see how trustworthy the Trump administration is. The U.S. has put together a complex diplomatic agreement through a series of treaties approved by the legislatures of the U.S., the U.K., Russia, France, China and Germany.



The treaty cannot be pulled out of without showing complete contempt for international law and diplomacy. Trump had no problem doing exactly that.



Trump's new national security team, with Mike Pompeo at the head of the CIA and John Bolton as national security adviser, suggests nothing less than a military cabal. Pompeo has been on the payroll of the ruthless Koch Brothers for years and is famous for his radical and dangerous statements.



Bolton has advocated an unprovoked attack on North Korea, and on Iran, for more than a decade and he is uniquely capable of starting a world war. As Larry Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, remarked recently, "John Bolton is the most dangerous person I have met in 50 years of government service."



South Koreans, accustomed to following the initiative from Washington D.C., are at a loss. It is standard practice in the Korean media, or conversations among friends, to remark that Korea is still not as advanced as the U.S. and has so much to learn.



Imagine the shock of finding that the U.S., which has shaped Korean foreign policy for as long as anyone can remember, is being run by a group of corrupt businessmen and war mongers who are linked to corporations who seek to reap great profits by pursuing further war.



In this context, the Moon meeting with Kim Jung-un is absolutely critical. If South Korea can come up with a regional solution that the Trump administration will allow, even if it does not agree with it, there may be a way back to a path towards denuclearization.



However, that path is going to be extremely difficult as long as the Moon administration acts as if it is unaware of the larger security threat posed by Japanese remilitarization and the emergence of a regional arms race.



Another problem has been the lack of a long-term plan on the Korean part. President Moon is generally considered a likable and honest person, but lacking in strategic calculations. Numerous Koreans in government and in business have remarked to me casually that so far the discussion about a Trump-Kim summit is valued primarily because it puts off the possibility of a military confrontation for the next four to five months. But putting off war day by day is not a strategy and is unlikely to be successful.



Although obviously the environment may seem less tense now than it was a few months ago when Trump was threatening nuclear war, there has not been any positive change on the American side.



Instead the Trump administration is increasingly focused on how it will resist hostile forces within Washington D.C. The administration thinks a war, or a radical diplomatic reordering, or both, would be the only thing that might save them.

There were no rational voices around Trump before, but at least some moderated their war mongering. Now war is going to be front stage and center and the only question remaining is which country.



The opponents in Washington D.C. are not peace activists, but rather war mongers of a different flavor.



The interview with Nikkei by former deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage on April 1 suggests that the opposition to engagement with North Korea could well be about making sure that Abe Shinzo and his far-right cabinet can pursue their agenda of building a powerful military and dominating the region.



Armitage made the cryptic comment, "I would be ashamed of my president if he goes and gets a deal which helps U.S. security, but doesn't improve Japan's. That's not the right way to treat an ally, in my view."



South Korea must make this summit work, and work big time. There is reason to believe that Kim Jong-un's recent visit to China places us on the verge of a regional consensus on security that could lead to a historical breakthrough.



But to achieve that breakthrough will require either that the summit produces exactly what the Trump administration wants, or produces a regional security architecture that can stand on its own and provide the U.S. and Trump the option of going for "America First" in the sense of drawing down U.S. forces in Korea and Japan.



The first scenario, a historical breakthrough, is being played up in a dishonest and shortsighted manner in the press. Trump is incapable of making a meaningful deal and he has only contempt for the experts who could make it happen.

Hardliners around him like John Bolton are pressing for impossible concessions by North Korea that would require it to give up national sovereignty without any guarantee that the U.S. will not change its mind tomorrow and attack.



It does not matter what North Korea, or others, say about what Pyongyang will do to denuclearize. We must think through the process from Pyongyang's perspective and consider what happened to Iraq and Libya, and more importantly, what is being threatened against Iran even after a sophisticated diplomatic solution was put in place.



The second scenario is probably what is actually being discussed in the back rooms, a pull back from Northeast Asia by the U.S. to focus on domestic issues (positive) or to give it freer rein to wage a war against Iran (negative).



But will it be possible to put together a solution to the North Korean problem without any "help" from Washington that will actually be implemented?



It is possible. Koreans are being forced to think for themselves because the stakes are just that high. Could they pull it off? More amazing things have happened in history. And one thing is certain: no one who is paying attention to current trends wants to see the Korean peninsula reduced to a site for a brutal war of attrition.



The massive military build-up by the U.S. and mobilization for a military conflict cannot be maintained forever. Either a war is launched, or a move to draw down forces is started.



Korean diplomats who thought their ticket to success in their careers was to study at Harvard or other elite schools, will now have to struggle to make up their own strategies with no help from the U.S.



The U.S., a nation that Koreans benchmarked for virtually everything is now run by a president who shows explicit contempt for intellectuals, for ordinary people and for just about everyone.



His uniform contempt is in fact a strategy for ending the rule of law or due process within the government. This radical change on the American side is tremendously puzzling and troubling to most South Koreans, leading often to deep confusion.



I interviewed three leading figures in diplomacy and security to get their insights about the prospects for a North-South summit and beyond that for a Trump-Kim summit.



The first expert I interviewed was Dr. Kim Changsu, a research fellow at the Center for Security and Strategy at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, and frequent commentator on geopolitics.



I think that the North-South summit will go smoothly. The successful Pyeongchang Olympics gave real momentum to the normalization of relations. We see a real effort by the Moon administration to make it work and a passion for improving North-South relations among citizens.



Clearly a successful North-South summit is essential to put together the foundations for a successful campaign in the local elections to be held on June 13. So we can expect consensus on this topic, and focus, in the Blue House.



At the same time, there is a high probability that the content of the joint declaration at the summit will consist primarily of the confirmation of an agreement to adhere to principles of denuclearization and to restart a North-South exchange, with the actual details left to the following working-level meetings to address.



Conservatives see Moon Jae-in as simply being lured along by North Korea's offers and being used. Progressives, by contrast, see these talks as absolutely necessary to avoid the threat of war and also as an excellent opportunity to improve North-South relations.



Businessmen perceive the summit meeting as the central achievement for the first half of President Moon's term and hope that it will bring with it changes in economic policy as well. They are cautiously optimistic. Scholars have varied, and contradictory evaluations of the summit and its potential.



The timing and the location for a U.S.-DPRK summit are still undetermined and the Trump administration will make its decision based on its evaluation of other factors in domestic politics and developments in diplomacy and trade.



A possible trade war with China, diplomatic confrontations with Russia, the consequences of Kim Jung-un's recent trip to Beijing, and the upcoming North-South summit are all factors that will impact at US-DPRK summit. I still think that there is a 70-80 percent possibility of a U.S.-DPRK summit.



There is a high probability that a summit between Trump and Kim would be quite symbolic and would enable North Korea to affirm the principles of nonproliferation and of denuclearization without a concrete roadmap forward.



President Trump has the ambition to leave behind a historic legacy of solving the North Korean nuclear issue, and beyond that the problem of the Korean Peninsula. He thinks he can utilize the results of such a summit as an opportunity to increase the number of republican seats in the congress.



North Korea, for its part, will use the summit as a chance to ask for an end to hostile U.S. policies, obtain a freeze on U.S.-South Korea military drills, and push for the normalization of U.S.-DPRK diplomatic and economic relations.



It is important for Trump to give the impression that he is a strong, high-caliber leader. That means that the summit should be successful. The Korean and the Chinese governments will do their best to support this summit because they want an end to the Korean War and because they see the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula as critical.



There has not been any fundamental shift in the diplomatic game between U.S. and North Korea. The Trump administration so far has stressed "maximum pressure" toward North Korea. The outcome of the summit will determine further engagement.



We have a group of North Korea hawks, Pompeo, Bolton and Haley, in the White House now, and they will want to continue maximum pressure, while working to make the summit possible. We need to watch carefully how North Korea will respond, especially to the demands for a clear agreement on denuclearization.



Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is the final goal, but the realistic first bench marker is a freeze on North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and testing, combined with an agreement to inspections and declarations concerning facilities in accord with the nonproliferation treaty.



The process should include CBMs (confidence-building measures) and Nunn-Lugar-style CTR (cooperative



I also spoke with Lieutenant General (ret.) Chun In-Bum of the Korean Army and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.



Koreans are for the most part relieved that there is a chance for dialogue between North and South, but many remain skeptical as to whether there will be any meaningful results.



The results of Kim Jung-un's visit to Beijing to meet Xi Jinping suggests there is a willingness to engage with the world and China conveyed Kim's comments about a commitment to denuclearization, which were reassuring.



South Korea is split politically. Many progressives feel as if peace has already arrived and that the big problems have been solved. Conservatives, however, insist that Kim simply cannot be trusted.



The business community does not know what to make of the upcoming summit and academics as a whole are taken up too much with details to be of much help in the larger national debate.



I do think the US-North Korea summit is a real possibility, but who knows what the outcome will be? Many are doubtful of meaningful progress.



Finally, I interviewed Wi Sunglak, the former South Korean ambassador to Russia and former head of the South Korean team at the six-party talks.



As this is the first summit meeting involving the rather odd leader of North Korea Kim Jung-Un, and the nuclear technology, and missile technology of North Korea is far more advanced than it was on the occasion of previous summit meetings, we should see it in the proper context as taking place in a time of increased tensions and nervousness on the Korean Peninsula.



For that reason, there are expectations that a breakthrough can be reached concerning nuclear weapons, missiles and peace on the peninsula.



I also hope that the worries about nuclear weapons and missiles, about war itself can be defused and placed in context and we can focus meaningful and effective diplomatic negotiations that will lead to the resolution of the issues.



However, there are two important respects in which this summit is fundamentally different from previous summits. The North-South summit will be conducted in the explicit context of a U.S.-DPRK summit. For this reason, the North-South summit will not be evaluated solely on its own merits, but also in connection with the U.S.-DPRK summit.



One could say that we have a process set up wherein the results of the North-South summit will ultimately be evaluated in terms of the results of the U.S.-DPRK summit.



In addition, denuclearization will be the overwhelmingly central topic for this North-South summit. But North Korea has argued that denuclearization is not an issue between the two Koreas, but rather between the DPRK and the U.S., thus trying to avoid addressing what is the essential issue.



For that reason, it is hard to be overly optimistic about the results of the North-South summit. It is not clear if North Korea wants to discuss seriously the central issue of denuclearization with South Korea.



In addition, if the discussions with the U.S. about denuclearization do not produce the anticipated results, whatever was achieved previously in the North-South summit will seem far less impressive.



That is why, concerning denuclearization, it is so critical that we prepare in advance a precise response in coordination with the U.S.



Conservatives express concern that Moon Jae-in's progressive administration will fall into a trap set by North Korea as the South tries to pursue rapprochement. Conservatives criticize the progressive stance towards North Korea for being too conciliatory. Moreover, the political advantages of the conservatives have decreased since President Park Eun-hye's impeachment and their position is weak as they face the upcoming regional elections.



The conservatives seem to be taking the appraisal of the North-South summit as a card to play in the upcoming election. If they continue along that track, there is concern that it may work to their disadvantage and so they have adopted a defensive posture in advance



The progressives have promoted a major role for South Korea in the upcoming summit, increasing anticipation of a resolution of the North Korean nuclear problem.



However, if we consider the situation realistically, the primary player in a resolution of the nuclear problem will be the U.S. and there are obvious gaps in perception between the two parties.



The current progressive administration is unlikely to work hard to persuade a conservative and idiosyncratic Trump administration to accept the agreement. Seen from this perspective, it could end up being a burden for the Moon administration if it raises expectations too high.



For the business community, the possibility of a mood of reconciliation and stability on the Korean Peninsula would be welcome. The summit is welcome. But because many business figures have political connections with the conservatives, they do not actively support the administration's conciliatory posture towards Pyongyang. Many businessmen are deeply concerned that the failure of the summit could dramatically increase tensions.



Scholars are divided between progressives and conservatives. For the most part there are tremendous expectations for this unprecedented combination of a North-South and a U.S.-DPRK summits.



At the same time, there is growing concern that the North-South summit is being pursued too quickly. Similarly, there are those who worry that the issues will be treated too much as a political event.



The international sanctions mechanism must be employed effectively to induce North Korea to change its traditional calculations. For this reason we must establish good working relationship with those nations like China and Russia, which might be inclined to be lax in enforcing economic sanctions.



It is necessary that as a result of the summit North Korea commit to agreements and irreversible actions to pursue true denuclearization. It is necessary to be resolved to, and prepared to, take forceful countermeasures to achieve this goal.



For its part, North Korea has insisted on step-by-step, simultaneous moves forward on both sides. The Joint Statement of 19 September 2005 suggests that the North Korean position will be, in principle, to make a declaration and then proceed to engage in negotiations with the U.S. concerning a smaller package that will help advance that agenda.



If North Korea insists on only a stubborn step-by-step approach to engagement, it will be difficult to reach a single comprehensive resolution. We need to make strong demands that will assure that even if a step-by-step approach is employed, we do not face the salami-style engagement we have dealt with in the past.



We must, in advance, carefully consider what concrete solutions can be advanced and coordinate, with tremendous precision, with the U.S. and with Japan as the basis for entering the summit.



Also, we must engage in real negotiations. The time has come to focus on substance in the summit.



The exact nature of the upcoming North-South summit remains uncertain, and could be subject to tremendous shifts as the political landscape in Washington D.C. evolves. That said, we can expect without any doubt profound geopolitical transformation. We are moving into a period of instability and the institutions of the U.S. that have played such a central role over the a 60 years are collapsing. The summit meeting will be like none other and may end up defining a whole new world order, not just some discussions about normalizing relations.


Will Forrester directs cast members on "Eyes Wide Open" last year. / Photo by Paranoid Gecko Productions



By John Redmond





Will Forrester behind the camera on "Eyes Wide Open" last year. / Photo by Paranoid Gecko Productions

French writer, cinematographer and expat film director Will Forrester has recently finished editing his spy thriller "Eyes Wide Open" that was shot in Seoul.



Shot using local talent, the self-financed film tells the story of a CIA agent posing as a student in Seoul who has to stop foreign spies and local gangsters from getting their hands on a supercomputer that can connect to anyone and anything.



Forrester, from Nice, France, felt compelled to portray a modern perspective on the spy genre.



"I knew I wanted to tell a spy story that would be dynamic, visceral and at the same time entertaining and engaging," Forrester told The Korea Times. "We live in an almost digitally connected world and one of the challenges was creating a story that would be relatable."



The three-year project saw Forrester stressing the need for authentic characters.



"Eyes" sees Russian, Korean and American characters speaking in their own language.



Forrester also undertook extensive research for authenticity.



"Development started in April 2015 with research and reading a lot about digital surveillance, privacy laws/issues and geopolitics," he said.



Forrester spoke of challenges in the writing, from early development to the music and editing stage.





Will Forrester shoots a scene for "Eyes Wide Open" last year. / Photo by Paranoid Gecko Productions



"I woke up almost every day at 4 a.m. to write and by late November 2015 I had a script," he said. "I visited my friend Zon Petilla to tell him about the story to see how he reacted to it. I put Post-it notes all over his walls to get a sense of the story, took a few notes, revised the plot structure and had a final version by January 2017.



"We did the casting, rehearsed in April/May and shot from July to October 2017, shooting on weekends only. I was so lucky to work with such a talented cast and smart crew.



"I started editing in November 2017. I was lucky enough to get in touch with film composer Guy Michelmore and was happy to know that he was interested in writing music for the film. So we had lots of conversations with him and his team at ThinkSpace Education about story and character, the intentions, feel and mood I was looking for.



"A few adjustments were made to the edit and we locked it in January 2018. I actually teared up listening to the full score for the first time and matching it to the film because it was working. It finally sounded like the spy film I wanted to make. I tried my best to articulate in musical terms what the film wanted and they did all the magic."





The cast and crew shoot a scene on the set of "Eyes Wide Open" last year. / Photo by Paranoid Gecko Productions
Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Welcome to the L.A. Times Books newsletter! Im books editor Carolyn Kellogg and Im really excited for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend. What youll find in our book section in print and online this week (and last!) are all stories dedicated to the authors coming to the festival.

THE BIG STORY

Mexican American author Luis Alberto Urrea will be at the festival on Sunday with his new novel, The House of Broken Angels. He talked to writer Mark Athitakis about how it was inspired partly by the death of his half-brother, and partly by Donald Trumps anti-immigrant rhetoric: Its time to represent.

Author Luis Alberto Urrea will be at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times )

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OUR CRITICS AT LARGE

Alexander Chees new book just published Tuesday. He spoke to writer Tyler Malone about how he came to write How to Write an Autobiographical Novel (its actually an essay collection). Chee will be at the Festival of Books on Saturday and Sunday, the latter with fellow critic at large Viet Thanh Nguyen.

John Scalzis new book also just published Tuesday; its called Head On and is a sequel to his bestselling novel Lock In. Well have more about the book later, but you can get the jump by coming to see him at the Festival of Books on Sunday, where hell be in conversation with actor Wil Wheaton, who voiced the audiobook.

On Saturday, Rebecca Carroll will moderate the panel Black Girl Magic with our Innovators Award winner Glory Edim of Well-Read Black Girl and cultural critics Ijeoma Oluo, whose book is So You Want to Talk About Race, and Morgan Jerkins, author of This Will Be My Undoing. On Sunday, Carroll sits down with author Tayari Jones to talk about her bestselling novel, An American Marriage.

David Kipen, founder of the Libros Schmibros lending library in Boyle Heights, will be interviewing journalist Jorge Ramos about his new book, Stranger: The Challenge of a Latino Immigrant in the Trump Era on Saturday. In Sundays paper, Kipen looks back at the literature of El Segundo, future home of the Los Angeles Times.

If youve got tickets to see Susan Straight on the panel The Art of the Short Story with Elizabeth Crane Brandt, Scott OConnor and Daniel Olivas, youre in luck  its sold out. But take heart  even panels that are technically sold out often have room for the people in the standby line.

There are still tickets available to see Laila Lalami interview Ngugi wa Thiongo about his prison memoir, Wrestling With the Devil. If you ask me which discussion you shouldnt miss, its this. Thiongo is a master craftsman and the discussion will cover his own story, and, Lalami promised on Twitter, writing, repression, resistance and survival.

Tickets to all panels are available here; to find exactly what you need, you may want to consult the schedule.

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Critic at large Laila Lalami will interview Ngugi wa Thiongo. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times )

BESTSELLERS

One favorite on the bestseller list is An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, now in its ninth week on our fiction bestseller list. Jones, as mentioned above, comes to the book festival on Sunday.

Another is Ill Be Gone in the Dark: One Womans Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara. After McNamara died unexpectedly, the book was brought to publication by her widower, performer Patton Oswalt. There are still tickets available to see him talk about the book with me at the Festival of Books on Sunday.

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You can find all the books on our bestseller lists here.

Patton Oswalt and Michelle McNamara in 2012 (Matt Sayles / AP )

SEE YOU THERE

If I have one piece of advice for having the best festival experience, its this: Look up. I am chronically looking at my phone, even when Im walking down the street. If you dont do that  if you look up and around you this weekend  youll find food trucks and booths selling books and other items, youll see a poet reading in the distance, a crowd of people under a tent, a line queued up for something  what?  and maybe spot a green space to sit and read a book. Its a great time and space to explore. Hope to see you at the 2018 Festival of Books.

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Keep reading!

Carolyn

carolyn.kellogg@latimes.com

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In actress Tiya Sircars Hollywood Hills living room, Texas and India merge to create a unique design style reminiscent of home.

An open archway leads to this sunny enclave, revealing a conglomeration of objects and art including gold armadillos, a longhorn-skull bowl and various depictions of the Hindu deity Shiva, mirroring Sircars bicultural upbringing.

My parents are from India, and I grew up in Arlington, Texas  so both backgrounds bring their own aesthetic sensibility, said Sircar, who stars in ABCs new series Alex, Inc. It feels like different parts of my life all put together in a mishmash in one room.

This diverse mode of decorating is itself a family tradition inspired by her parents, both professors.

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My friends used to joke and call my parents house the Sircar Museum  not because it was fancy but because there were beautiful things from our travels on display everywhere, she said. Ive kind of adopted that.

Sircar purchased the 1,500-square-foot Hollywood Hills hideaway at the end of last year and finished renovations in March.

Why is this your favorite room?

Its the room I spend the most time in and feels the most me. Its got bright colors, which I love, and lots of plants, which I love but hope to not kill. It just feels nice and lived-in, comfortable and at home.

What first attracted you to this space when you purchased it?

Definitely the archway to the living room and the wall of built-ins. And I loved the Brazilian cherry-wood floors.

1 / 5 It feels like different parts of my life all put together in a mishmash, the Texas-raised actress, whose parents are from India, says of her living room. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 5 A longhorn-skull bowl. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 5 One of several decorative armadillos. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 5 Sircars influences are multicultural. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 5 Practically everything in this room holds a memory from my travels or back home, Sircar says. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

What were some of the main things you changed?

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The whole house was painted head to toe in a sallow yellow circa 1971, so I went with a cool, grayish-white instead. For the living room built-ins, I got rid of a couple of shelves and redesigned it so I can sneakily hide away the things I dont want everyone to see but added the glass cabinet doors to display everything else.

You have some very interesting artifacts and art in here. Where do you collect most of them?

Practically everything in this room holds a memory from my travels or back home. Theres the mosaic lantern from Istanbul, an Indonesian version of Shiva that I bought for my parents in Bali (they prefer the traditional Indian version and told me to keep it), a replica of a Ming Dynasty vessel bought in Singapore and a thangka, a traditional Tibetan Buddhist painting from a trip to the Himalayas.

How has being an environmentalist and animal-rights advocate affected your design choices?

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I dont do fur, but I love the look, so I use faux alternatives like the chair cushion and rug. I would never be able to ethically put the bust of an actual animal on my wall, so the silver deer bust is a nice eco-friendly alternative. I feel good about it; I like the funky look, and it adds an unusual element.

Whats your most cherished possession in here?

Its a piece from India called a Nataraja, which is the depiction of Shiva as the lord of the dance. Its special to me for two reasons: one, Im a dancer and Ive been doing Indian dance since I was 2. Dance is super-important in my family  my mom was a dancer, and my first teacher and choreographer. And, second, it belonged to my grandfather.

hotproperty@latimes.com

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After more than five hours in closed session, the Los Angeles Board of Education recessed its meeting Friday without announcing a new superintendent for the nations second-largest school system.

The board is scheduled to resume deliberations May 1.

Most of the speculation has centered on former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner. He appeared to have a solid four-vote majority going into Friday, with a good chance at winning votes from five of seven board members.

But two other finalists also were in play: interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso.

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The selection process is being conducted in secret, but sources unauthorized to speak about it indicated that the board wanted to hear briefly from each finalist one more time  either in person or by video conference. After opening the meeting at district headquarters, board members listened to public comments for about 25 minutes and then departed to deliberate in private at an undisclosed office suite in a downtown skyscraper.

Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who turns 58 Saturday and has spent her entire education career within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, was not able to return and announced her retirement in January.

Some of the support for Ekchian surfaced late in the week. Two parent advisory committees endorsed Ekchian in letters to the school board. During the open portion of Fridays meeting, several parents extolled the interim superintendent. They also called for more openness in the process, including a chance for parents and students to meet and assess the finalists.

Kathy Kantner, a parent who serves on a district advisory committee concerning services for disabled students, said Ekchian has devoted her career to the district and has established deep collaborative relationships. ... We know she has the best interests of our children at heart and she doesnt have any other agenda.

An Ekchian-friendly delegation of parents, representing several groups, visited every board office on Thursday but did not score a meeting with a board member, said parent Evelyn Aleman Macias, who was part of the group.

Numerous influential civic leaders have urged  and pressured  the board, mostly behind the scenes, to select Beutner.

Beutner, 58, has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6-million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified.

Austin would be a strong and thoughtful leader for LAUSD, said George Kieffer, who chairs the University of California Board of Regents and the Los Angeles Civic Alliance. He sees the big picture, he knows L.A., he listens and hes fair. He will develop a great team. He will be a partner as well as an executive.

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Also quietly lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members  enough to control the outcome  were elected with major financial support from charter supporters.

A couple of sources, however, report that one of these board members, Kelly Gonez, has expressed a preference to have an educator in charge  and might be leaning toward Alonso.

Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who is 60 and teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor.

Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members.

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On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso.

L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it  because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community.

Retana, like Gonez, worked for a time in the Obama administration for Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Duncan at least twice singled out Alonso for praise  for his ability to collaborate with teachers on reforms to their union contract and for altering student discipline practices by focusing more on mental health services.

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Retana said his statement about Alonso was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that another candidate also has community support.

howard.blume@latimes.com

@howardblume
A Los Angeles City Council member wants to give travelers flying out of Los Angeles International Airport with marijuana in their possession the option to dump the legal drug in a so-called amnesty box before going through security.

The effort by Councilman Mitch Englander touches on a sort of gray area for the drug, whose possession is legal in California.

The federal government still considers marijuana a Schedule 1, thus illegal, drug and if a Transportation Security Administration officer finds a substance that may violate federal law  such as marijuana  the officer lets local law enforcement to handle the issue.

But at LAX, if an adult traveler is found to possess a legal amount of pot  less than an ounce  Airport Police officers will let the person go through security regardless of destination, said Los Angeles Airport Police spokesman Rob Pedregon.

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Airport Police handle possession of marijuana at LAX consistent with the manner in which all Los Angeles police officers within the city handle possession, he said in an email. If an adult citizen is found in possession of less than an ounce of marijuana no legal action is taken and the citizen retains their property. There are no special considerations made because of the location.

Pedregon said that officers do advise travelers that the drug may be illegal wherever they are traveling.

But here in the state of California we are enforcing our laws, he said.

Englander wants to give the travelers the option of dumping their weed before it might get them in trouble.

You could be at a minimum held over and searched and miss your flight, he said.

Englanders motion will go to the councils Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee for review before it returns to the full council for a vote.

Airports in states where marijuana is legal handle the issue in their own way

Airports have varying approaches to handling pot-possessing passengers.

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At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, if a TSA officer finds marijuana on a travelers, airport police check to determine whether they are of legal age and have a legal amount of pot on them, and if so then let them go on their way.

In Nevada, possession of marijuana for recreational use became legal this year, but the Clark County Commission voted in 2017 to ban pot at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to keep the facility in line with federal law.

The airport set up 20 amnesty boxes this February to accommodate their pot-holding travelers. So far, the boxes have gotten steady use, said Christine Crews, spokeswoman for McCarran.

Edibles, liquids, the dried plant product, vape pens, however they sell it we have seen it here, she said.

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The airport has also found a half-eaten burger and a cup of Starbucks coffee in the boxes, she said.

Airports in Colorado handle pot differently.

The Colorado Springs airport also set up amnesty pot dump sites after the city voted to ban the drug from the facility.

Denver International Airport doesnt offer amnesty boxes. Instead officials ask travelers to discard their marijuana and police confiscate it, a spokeswoman there told The Times earlier this year.

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No one has been in trouble for this. Also, weve not had problems with discarded MJ. All has gone well, spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said in an email.

Pedregon, the spokesman for the Los Angeles Airport Police, said the department had not considered putting in amnesty boxes.

He said that after the Sept. 11 attacks, all lockers and mail drops were removed from the airport as security concerns and vulnerabilities were assessed and implemented.

We wouldnt want to compromise our security and introduce a place where a terrorist could covertly deposit an IED [improvised explosive device], he said in an e-mail. Therefore no considerations have been made to install amnesty boxes.

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To read this article in Spanish, click here

javier.panzar@latimes.com

Twitter: @jpanzar
A San Diego elementary school teacher was arrested this week on suspicion of distributing child pornography, authorities said.

David Gordon Weaks, 59, a fifth-grade teacher at Rosa Park Elementary School in City Heights, has worked for the San Diego Unified School District for 21 years, according to the district and online records.

Parents at Rosa Parks were notified of Gordons arrest on Friday with letters and phone calls from the school. Gordon was arrested Thursday.

In the letter, principal Veronika Lopez-Mendez urged any parents concerned about their childrens interactions with Weaks to contact the school immediately.

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A district spokesperson said the district has been cooperating with federal officials and making sure nothing impedes the ongoing investigation.

The investigation into Weaks began April 4 when a special agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations connected to Weaks computer using peer-to-peer, or P2P, file-sharing software  a common way to trade child porn, according to the complaint filed in San Diego federal court.

The agent was able to obtain directly from Weaks computer two videos, including one of a toddler girl blindfolded and crying while women are restraining her and a man is performing a sex act on her, according to the complaint. The title of the second video  which runs nearly two hours  suggests a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old are involved and includes the words sado slave, the complaint says.

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in San Diego searched Weaks home Tuesday and found numerous child porn files during an initial review, the complaint says. In an interview with the HSI agent, Weaks admitted using the software-sharing program and possessing child porn, the complaint states.

Weaks remains in custody without bond after prosecutors argued he was a danger to the community and a flight risk.

A detention hearing has been set for next week.

Rosa Parks, a year-round school, is on break until next week.

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com
Verne Troyer, the actor who delighted legions of fans with his comically wicked portrayals of Mini-Me, a foil to comedian Mike Myers in the Austin Powers spy movie sendups, died Saturday. He was 49.

His death was announced on his official Facebook page, in a statement that began, It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today.

Verne was an extremely caring individual, the statement said. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message every day.

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, Myers said: Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.

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No cause of death has been announced, but Troyer had struggled with alcohol abuse and had been hospitalized earlier this month with suspected alcohol poisoning.

So sad to read of the passing of Verne Troyer. A lovely smile with a caring and big heart, he helped raise money on behalf of @starkeycares for free hearing aids for deaf and hard of hearing people. RIP pic.twitter.com/pgA91tWPo6  Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) April 21, 2018

At that time, posts on his Instagram and Facebook accounts stated Asking you to keep Verne in your thoughts and prayers. Hes getting the best care possible and is resting comfortably. Appreciate the support from family, friends, and fans around the world. We will keep you updated here.

TMZ reported of that incident that one of Troyers friends had called authorities and described him at that time as extremely upset, drunk and suicidal.

The death notice on Saturday invoked similar themes, stating, Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one another. And always know, its never too late to reach out to someone for help.

Actor Verne Troyer poses on the press line at the premiere of the feature film The Love Guru in Los Angeles in 2008. (Dan Steinberg / AP )

It added: Verne was also a fighter when it came to his own battles. Over the years hes struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much.

Troyer, who was 32 inches tall, portrayed Mini-Me, the right-hand man of Austin Powers nemesis Dr. Evil (also played by Myers) in 1999s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He reprised the role in the 2002 sequel Austin Powers in Goldmember. His character was described on IMDB as Dr. Evils smaller and more concentrated pure evil protege.

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He had worked to raise money for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which actress Marlee Matlin, who is deaf, cited on Saturday.

So sad to read of the passing of Verne Troyer, Matlin tweeted. A lovely smile with a caring and big heart, he helped raise money on behalf of @starkeycares for free hearing aids for deaf and hard of hearing people. RIP.

Troyer was born Jan. 1, 1969, in Sturgis, Mich., and was raised about 250 miles north in Centerville, not far from the shore of Lake Michigan. He was one of three children.

His achondroplasia dwarfism never affected the way his parents saw him, he said. They never treated me any different than my other average-sized siblings. I used to have to carry wood, feed the cows and pigs and farm animals. He was raised for a time in the Amish culture, but left the religion when he got older.

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When he was 21, Troyer and his brother moved to Austin, Texas. He found work as a stunt man and made appearances as animals or small children. His first significant movie role was as a stunt double for a 9-month-old baby in Babys Day Out in 1994.

Other credits include Instinct, My Giant, Mighty Joe Young, Jingle all the Way, Men in Black, Bubble Boy and the goblin Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, the first entry in the Harry Potter film franchise.

His breakthrough role was as Mini-Me. He expressed surprise at the reach of his popularity through the Austin Powers films and other roles, telling an interviewer in 2002, We go to other parts of the world and they know who I am. I go on the internet, and Im amazed at all these fan sites.

The actor started the now-defunct Verne Troyer Foundation to offer support to other little actors, saying, Basically, I want to be able to inspire other little people to go to college and reach their goals. Other philanthropic organizations he supported included the American Foundation for AIDS Research, Best Buddies International, Lupus LA and the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.

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Despite the success of the Austin Powers films, roles were harder to come by. In 2004, he joined the cast of The Surreal Life reality TV series which revolved around faded celebrities. His off-screen life also had difficulties. in 2008, he became embroiled in a lawsuit with his former girlfriend, Ranae Shrider, over a sex tape they had made.

She said she sold it to a stranger who paid her $5,000 for the tape, the buyer saying he wanted it for private viewing, not public distribution. Troyer sued seeking access to the tape to copyright it to avoid further distribution, but neither the buyer nor the tape could be found.

She sold it to a private collector, so I think [Troyers] suit is baseless, Shriders attorney, Keith Davidson, said at the time. Davidson is the same lawyer who formerly represented adult film star Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, and Playboy bunny Karen McDougal, both of whom are now speaking out about alleged affairs with Donald Trump a decade or more before he was elected president.

Troyer most recently worked as the character Emperor Beezel-Chugg in the film Hipsters, Gangsters, Aliens and Geeks, which is still in postproduction. The plot is described as Out-of-work actor stumbles upon key to the universe, is drawn into intergalactic war between clowns and aliens.

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There was no immediate information about plans for any memorial service. The note on his Facebook page requested that in lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in Vernes name to either of his two favorite charities: the Starkey Hearing Foundation and Best Buddies.

randy.lewis@latimes.com

Follow @RandyLewis2 on Twitter.com

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UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: This article was updated with more details throughout.

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4:15 p.m.: This article was updated with more background about the actors career.

This article was originally published at 2:51 p.m.
Back in 2013, Orange Countys top prosecutor and federal authorities set up a task force to root out local political corruption.

The timing seemed appropriate: A grand jury report had recently declared that misconduct was actively festering in the countys halls of government. And the district attorneys office was receiving a growing number of public integrity complaints.

The creation of the Orange County Corruption Task Force and its work were shrouded in secrecy. But nearly four years after it began, the joint operation quietly fell apart last year amid conflicts between local and federal investigators who had little to show for their work together, according to a Los Angeles Times investigation.

About a dozen law enforcement sources recently provided details to the newspaper about the bad blood and the breakup.

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Federal agents, they said, harbored suspicions about supervisors in the D.A.s office seeking information about separate FBI corruption investigations. And officials clashed over separate inquiries into the mayor of Santa Ana, including a plan by D.A.s investigators to use information from a federal informant to obtain a search warrant for their own case.

The tensions came to a head when Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas sent federal authorities a letter withdrawing from the operation, complaining that his office had been threatened with Obstruction of Justice violations.

Rackauckas decision came weeks after the Justice Department announced that it was investigating whether his office had engaged in a pattern or practice of violating defendants constitutional rights by misusing jailhouse informants. A few months later, Rackauckas former top investigator filed a legal claim accusing the district attorney of interfering in corruption inquiries into his political allies. Rackauckas has denied the allegations.

It is unclear how many cases the task force investigated during its existence.

The district attorneys office declined interview requests from The Times or to say what cases the task force investigated. A statement provided by a D.A.s spokeswoman said the office takes public corruption cases seriously and continues to maintain a positive relationship with the FBI, conducting joint investigations on corruption, terrorism and other cases.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller confirmed the task force had ended. She said she could identify only one task force case  the bribery prosecution of an Orange County court clerk convicted of fixing tickets. In announcing the charges in 2016, the U.S. attorneys office credited only FBI and Internal Revenue Service agents, not the district attorneys office, even though a D.A.s investigator and prosecutor worked on the case.

Eimiller said federal agents assigned to the task force worked separately on several other investigations, including the case against a hospital operator convicted of paying doctors millions of dollars in kickbacks for patient referrals.

The end of the task force marks the latest setback in a county where attempts to target corruption have often run into apathy or outright resistance from political leaders.

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The countys Board of Supervisors balked at creating a specialized public integrity unit within the district attorneys office and initially dismissed calls from the grand jury to set up an independent watchdog agency to police political activities. A bright spot for reformers came in 2016 when the board relented and put the idea of an ethics commission to voters, who overwhelmingly approved the idea. But the new panel is not set up to be as aggressive as a similar commission that Los Angeles city voters created more than a quarter-century ago.

Jodi Balma, a professor of political science at Fullerton College, noted that while Rackauckas office has brought charges against some low-level government officials, it took federal authorities to swoop in and convict ex-Sheriff Mike Carona on charges of witness tampering  the biggest corruption case Orange County has seen in more than a decade.

The task forces collapse, Balma said, reinforces what those who walk an ethical fine line already believe  which is there are no consequences for unethical behavior in Orange County.

Rackuackas, who is running for a sixth term as the countys top prosecutor, was elected in 1998 after his predecessor, Mike Capizzi, provoked sharp criticism from the county GOP over his aggressive investigations of local politicians. Rackauckas campaigned in part by arguing that such cases take away resources from more important types of crimes and are better left for administrative citations by the state.

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Multiple sources said both federal and local officials deserve blame for not taking public corruption cases seriously enough and for failing to assign enough of their best investigators and prosecutors to work on the task force. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid undermining their ongoing relationships with the agencies that were part of the operation.

Federal officials on the task force were suspicious from the outset about the motives of the district attorney, whom they viewed as having close political ties with potential targets, according to the sources.

When you have local elected officials at a D.A.s office and theyre naturally involved in politics  thats what they do  can they effectively investigate and be involved in those investigations? one federal official asked. Its not a good fit.

Within the task force, friction between the district attorneys office and federal investigators grew over their separate inquiries into Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido, according to local and federal law enforcement sources.

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In 2013, after an expose by a local news outlet, the district attorneys office began investigating Pulido in connection with a land swap deal in which a city contractor traded a small parking lot the mayor and his family owned for a house in Westminster worth more than double the fair market value of the lot. The company, a local auto parts store, later received a $1.35-million no-bid contract to be the sole provider of auto parts for the city.

The FBI allowed the D.A.s office to take the lead on the investigation, according to federal sources familiar with the inquiry.

The D.A.s office ultimately cleared Pulido of criminal wrongdoing, but its joint investigation with the Fair Political Practices Commission led the state agency to fine him $13,000 for violating Californias Political Reform Act. The violations included not disclosing the real estate transaction on public statements of economic interest and an illegal vote for a contract with the vendor.

The next month, a medical marijuana collective filed a lawsuit claiming that Pulido and other city officials had accepted currency and gifts from pot dispensaries, that Pulido had a pecuniary or membership interest in at least one such business and that he and other city officials had directed police actions to shut down the competition to these shops.

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A judge later dismissed Pulido from the suit, but the D.A.s office launched an investigation into whether he had received money from collectives, according to sources familiar with the inquiry. (The citys police chief later said in a civil lawsuit he filed against the city that he reported similar allegations about Pulido to Rackauckas office.)

Meanwhile, the FBI had a separate inquiry into whether Pulido was accepting money from another local business, the sources said. As D.A.s investigators prepared to obtain a search warrant in their case, they approached the FBI and asked about information that an informant had provided the bureau about Pulido, according to one of the federal sources. FBI agents viewed the request as encroaching on their own inquiry, the source said.

Pulido has previously denied accusations of wrongdoing and has not been charged. He did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Tensions between the FBI and the Orange County district attorneys office came to a head over the agencies separate investigations of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times )

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On Feb. 1, 2017, Rackauckas wrote to then-U.S. Atty. Eileen Decker, FBI Assistant Director Deirdre Fike and IRS special agent in charge Anthony Orlando giving notice that his office was ending its participation in the task force.

In the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, Rackauckas complained that the IRS never joined the task force and has refused to share information related to joint investigations.

He said his investigators had delayed seeking a search warrant in a significant investigation for two months during which we have been asked to wait for the IRS and FBI to develop different leads. The search warrant, which was never executed, was related to the D.A.s new Pulido investigation, according to a federal law enforcement source familiar with the matter.

Read Tony Rackauckaus letter withdrawing from the task force 

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Without explanation, district attorneys officials were then asked to end their investigation, he said.

Instead of exchanging the information as outlined in the [task forces memorandum of understanding], our office was threatened with Obstruction of Justice violations if we chose to move forward with our case, he wrote. He did not identify who made the threat.

The core strategy of any task force is to develop synergy, efficiency and effectiveness, Rackauckas wrote. Recently, it has not been possible due to the lack of willingness by certain agencies to share information and build the best possible case.

Federal law enforcement sources acknowledged the conflict but were divided over whether anyone had threatened obstruction of justice charges. One said a supervising FBI agent had warned a district attorneys investigator that continuing with the Pulido inquiry would obstruct the separate federal investigation into the mayor but didnt explicitly warn of criminal charges.

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The Orange County task forces problems stand in stark contrast to the success of a similar joint operation farther east. The Inland Regional Corruption Task Force  which includes federal agencies and the district attorneys offices in Riverside and San Bernardino counties  has helped prosecute elected officials throughout the region.

In 2013, that task forces work led to the conviction of a Moreno city councilman who accepted a $2.36-million bribe from an FBI operative posing as a real estate broker, the largest bribe ever given to a public official during an undercover operation, authorities said.

In announcing Marcelo Cos guilty plea, federal and Riverside County prosecutors attributed the result to seamless collaboration between agencies on the task force, whose members share a mission of rooting out corruption across the Inland Empire.

Adam.Elmahrek@latimes.com

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Richard.Winton@latimes.com

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The former governor of the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas has been extradited from Italy to the United States to face charges of racketeering, drug smuggling, money laundering and bank fraud.

The U.S. attorneys office in Brownsville, Texas, announced Friday that Italy had extradited 61-year-old Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba after detaining him in April 2017. At the time of his capture in Italy, Yarrington was traveling under an assumed name with a false passport, authorities said.

This extradition sends a global message that those accused of leveraging their political positions to conduct drug trafficking and other criminal activity will be brought to justice, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the Drug Enforcement Administration said in a statement.

From 1999 to February 2005, Yarrington was governor of Tamaulipas, which is one of Mexicos most violent states and borders Texas to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the east.

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A May 2013 indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Brownsville accused Yarrington of accepting huge bribes from major drug traffickers operating in his state, including the Gulf Cartel. In return, hes accused of allowing the traffickers to operate freely, smuggling tons of narcotics into the United States. Hes also accused of involvement in cocaine smuggling from 2007 to 2009.

Federal officials have said that Yarryingtons criminal activities dated to at least 1998.

The indictment alleged that Yarrington accepted bribes as he campaigned for governor and continued to receive them through his six-year term and after. He was able to acquire numerous valuable assets, mostly across Texas, including homes, airplanes, bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate worth about $7 million, the indictment said.

Authorities allege that Yarrington was aided by a conspirator, Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, the owner of a Mexican construction firm. In a statement released Friday, authorities said Yarrington and Cano used front names and business entities to disguise the true ownership of the assets.

The assets allegedly included bank accounts, residences, airplanes, vehicles and real estate in Bexar, Cameron, Hidalgo and Hays counties, many of which were acquired via allegedly fraudulent loans from banks in Texas.

Cano is still wanted by authorities. Yarrington is scheduled to appear in federal court in Brownsville on Monday.

Yarrington is one of several Mexican governors or former governors to face criminal charges. In July the former governor of Veracruz state, Javier Duarte, was extradited to Mexico from Guatemala to face a wide variety of corruption charges. Duarte, who was once a rising star in Mexicos ruling political party, was arrested in Guatemala last April.

Cesar Duarte, former governor of Chihuahua from 2010 to 2016, is wanted on corruption charges. He is no relation to Javier Duarte, and authorities have said its likely that he fled across the border to Texas.
If the Three Californias measure qualifies for the ballot later this spring  and theres no reason to think it wont  voters will be confronted with an existential question. With one check mark, they could start the process of breaking the 168-year-old Golden State into three pieces: the new states of California, Northern California and Southern California.

Voters might reasonably assume that a decision of such magnitude would come before them only after months, if not years, of study by academics, planning by elected officials and vetting by policy analysts and others well-versed in the mechanics of governance. But voters would be wrong. This far-out plan to break up California is the brainchild of just one man  albeit one worth an estimated $1 billion, which he can spend freely to turn his dreams into our reality.

This is the second time Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper has tried to qualify a state breakup measure. Inspired by Northern California conservatives who hoped to create a breakaway state called Jefferson, Draper came up with his six states plan in 2014. That one failed to gather the 807,615 valid signatures needed to get on the 2016 ballot, which was just as well because it was a terrible idea that the states legislative analyst estimated would end up creating both the richest and the poorest states in the U.S. The new scaled-back Three Californias version has better odds of reaching the ballot because the signature requirements have been lowered since then  just 365,880 are needed.

All the states common assets would have to be divided up, and there certainly would be unequal distribution and unintended consequences.

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Is this what our forefathers envisioned when they crafted Californias direct democracy system? Certainly not. The citizens initiative process was conceived as a way for voters to band together to bypass elected officials when those officials were not acting in the peoples best interests. The idea was that the electorate should be able to change laws themselves when wealthy special interests (in those days, it was the railroads) gained too much control over the Legislature.

But eventually those wealthy people and special interests discovered that they could use the initiative process too. In recent years, theyve paid big bucks to hire professional signature-gatherers to obtain the thousands of voter signatures needed, and more big bucks to mount elaborate statewide campaigns.

Over the years, voters often have seen through the worst or silliest or most self-serving measures conceived and financed by one person or interest. But not always.

Cal 3, as the breakup campaign is being called, might sound reasonable and even fun to some voters  like SimCity, only for real. But carving up the most populous state in the union and building new states from scratch is more complicated and perilous than it sounds. Just ask the people who lived through the failed effort to break Los Angeles into three cities in 2002. (For reference, the last state breakup was more than 150 years ago, when West Virginia seceded from Virginia during the Civil War.)

All the states common assets would have to be divided up, and there certainly would be unequal distribution and unintended consequences. And so many questions: Would this render all existing state laws null? Would pot still be legal in all these new Californias? How would we divide up prisons and their populations? How would we ensure each new state got the water it needed? Would a college student from Los Angeles get in-state tuition at UC Berkeley? For that matter, what would happen to the University of California system? Would wealth be concentrated in one or two of the states, leaving the other or others much poorer? Who would keep the state flag and motto Eureka? Breaking up really is hard to do.

And even if the measure were to pass (which strikes us as highly unlikely), it would be only the first step in a process. Ultimately, Congress would have to agree to allow the three new states to join the union. (And why would a GOP-controlled Congress do so, since its not clear the proposal would create a even one reliably red state?)

But lets imagine for a moment that it did come to pass as envisioned by Draper. There would be a new state of Southern California, which would include Orange and San Diego counties. The sparsely populated counties in the northeastern part of the state would be lumped in with the crowded urban counties in the liberal Bay Area to form the new state of Northern California. And the third new state  called, simply, California  would include six coastal counties from Los Angeles to Monterey. If approved by the federal government, there would now be six U.S. senators from the region instead of just two.

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Californias citizens initiative process surely isnt perfect when it allows a single, unelected person to put so important a question before nearly 40 million others simply because he has made a lot of money. But it has been the source of much good as well, including in recent years allowing for criminal justice reform and raising needed tax revenue. And it can continue to do so in the future, provided voters educate themselves so they know what they are doing when they vote yes.

Then again, maybe the initiative process will get tossed out altogether during the Great California Breakup.

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To the editor: Ending homelessness is important, and it cannot be addressed with a quick fix. (Garcettis plans for homeless shelters raise as many questions as they answer, editorial, April 17)

Just as important as establishing and maintaining education and job training programs so homeless people can find meaningful work are programs to create decent and manageable housing for people, keeping that housing well maintained, and caring for those who cant help themselves. The long-term goal ought to be to create an entire city that has decent and affordable housing, safe and clean streets, and effective health and safety programs.

Creating a city that cares for its homeless people and keeps its neighborhoods clean and safe is important not just because Los Angeles will soon have some company (the world) coming for the 2028 Summer Olympics; rather, this is the right thing to do.

James Berger, Torrance

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To the editor: With all the news about homelessness and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcettis idea to finance shelters around the city that provide temporary housing to homeless people, I have a suggestion.

Why not take the half-built Target store in Hollywood and repurpose it as a homeless shelter?

The building is standing empty and useless. The developers can have a tax deduction and the lawsuits could end. Think how many rooms it could provide. A central kitchen and showers could be provided.

The building would be usable before it totally goes into disrepair, and many people would have a place to live.

Christi Moore, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Garcetti is touting Band-Aid solutions to the housing crisis while at the same time cozying up to the developers who will surely provide excellent support for his presidential run.

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As Los Angeles catapults toward being unlivable for all but the wealthiest, those shelters Garcetti proposes will fill with residents whose rents soar at rates outpacing their incomes. Until he (or someone else) addresses skyrocketing rents and home prices, nothing will change and we will build endless shelters for the working people who cant afford a place to live.

Dawn Halloran, North Hollywood

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To the editor: It is correct for people to take ex-FBI Director James B. Comey to task for branding Hillary Clinton as extremely careless in her handling of classified information when he could have, and should have, simply followed Justice Department guidelines and announced the close of the FBIs investigation into Clintons use of a private mail server and then walked away. (James Comey is dignifying Trumps mudslinging and making the nation worse off, Readers React, April 19, and Comeys no angel, but unlike Trump, hes not a threat to the republic, Opinion, April 16)

When asked to defend that and other questionable acts, including his decision to announce the reopening of the Clinton investigation less than two weeks before the 2016 election, Comey likes to cite his desire to provide the public with maximum transparency.

To which I say, if youre the head of the FBI and your main concern is providing the public with full transparency, maybe youre in the wrong line of work.

Vince Waldron, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Things are a lot different today when it comes to the response to an attack on the morality of the president.

Back in the 1970s, Georgia Gov. Lester Maddox called Jimmy Carter dishonest, and the presidents response (delivered by press secretary Jody Powell) was: Being called a liar by Lester Maddox is like being called ugly by a frog.

Today, when Comey writes about President Trump acting like a mob boss, the president suggests in a tweet that Comey should be jailed.

Long ago, we got a dignified and clever response, but this time we got something that sounds like a confirmation.

Tim Estle, West Hills

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To the editor: Comey, Robert S. Mueller III, Rod Rosenstein, Jeff Sessions, Trump, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Eric Holder, Loretta Lynch, Barack Obama  will there be enough buses under which to throw all these people?

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Ermanno Signorelli, Mar Vista

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Since the announcement in February that Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong had reached a deal with Los Angeles Times owner Tronc to buy the newspaper, scores of letter writers have expressed hope for what the new leadership might mean for the future of journalism in Southern California.

With Soon-Shiongs purchase of The Times about to close, and with the news that the paper will leave its downtown Los Angeles headquarters for an El Segundo office building before the end of June, letter writers have continued to express optimism, but some have wondered how the relocation might affect The Times journalism.

Bill Graham of Salinas, Calif., notes the papers proximity to government offices downtown:

I think The Times is courting disaster by leaving Los Angeles, the papers namesake. Who will scoop the verdict from the county courtroom first in the next trial of the century? Who will be the first to find out if the mayor resigns with The Times so far away from City Hall?

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Your new office will be a short distance from city and county beaches. Perhaps your reporters will daydream about running on the beach path.

The Times move could be best compared to Long Beach remodeling the Queen Mary into the Titanic.

Altadena resident Tony Peyser worries about authenticity:

There are movies supposedly set in New York City with mountains in the background. Thats when you sigh and say, Oh, they shot it in Canada. You cant really trust anything that comes next.

The same applies to the papers imminent move to El Segundo. Why not just go whole hog and leave the old name behind? The El Segundo Gazette is kinda catchy. So is the El Segundo Tribune, the El Segundo Post and the El Segundo Whatever.

Downtown L.A. hasnt been this vital in decades, which makes the papers departure from there all the more perplexing.

Jeffrey Berg of Los Osos, Calif., praises The Times new owner:

As an avid reader of The Times, it was with great optimism that I read the lengthy profile of Dr. Soon-Shiong that was published in Sundays print edition. I always draw great inspiration from reading stories about people that come from humble beginnings and achieve great success without losing sight of the important things in life.

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With intellectual curiosity among the public greatly diminished, I loved the doctors quote at the end of the article denouncing fake news and insisting on a medium that is honest, fair and written with compassion and care and inspiration. This is extremely important and certainly more timely than ever.

I wholeheartedly applaud Dr. Soon-Shiongs outlook and undertaking, and I wish him the best of luck.

Evie Elliott of Granada Hills wonders about a political career for Dr. Soon-Shiong:

Too bad Dr. Soon-Shiong isnt eligible to run for president because of his status as a naturalized U.S. citizen. Id be happy to vote for him. He seems to be able to get things accomplished.

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Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
Burbank police are searching for a man suspected of attempting to rob a bank late Friday afternoon.

The robbery attempt occurred sometime before 4 p.m. at the U.S. Bank at 1720 W. Olive Ave. The man attempted to rob the bank using a BB gun, according to the Burbank Police Department.

He was last seen running westbound from the area. Its unknown if he was able to get away with any money.

Police described the suspect as a white man in his early 20s, unshaven and wearing black or dark baggy pants.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Hollywood Burbank Airport is now about two years away from finding out whether a replacement terminal on an area known as the B-6 parcel will be feasible to build.

The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority unanimously voted on Monday to award a contract to RS&H California Inc. to prepare an environmental impact statement for the 14-gate terminal project.

The authority will be paying the consulting firm roughly $2.8 million to work on the report, which will study the findings compiled by airport officials, so far, and determine whether the project to construct a 355,000-square-foot terminal on the site meets the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, standards, said Patrick Lammerding, the airports deputy executive director of planning and development.

An [environmental impact statement] is the stringent level of NEPA review, so it works a little bit differently than the other levels of review, he said.

Lammerding said the airport will have no involvement in the preparation of the statement, other than paying for it.

Although the authority put out a request for qualifications to find a firm to work on this portion of the terminal project, Lammerding said the Federal Aviation Administration was responsible for conducting the interviews with RS&H and Mead & Hunt, Inc., the other consultant that responded to the request, and selecting which business would be the most qualified to prepare the statement.

Once the environmental impact statement is completed, it will be submitted and reviewed by the FAA, which will ultimately decide if the project is feasible on the B-6 parcel, which was the former site of Lockheed Corp.s Skunk Works program.

Lammerding said the entire process to prepare the statement and have it reviewed by the FAA is optimistically expected to be completed in 22 to 24 months. However, he told commissioners the process usually takes about 36 months.

So far, the airport authority has hit no speed bumps on its way to getting permission to build the replacement terminal.

In February, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board approved the airports human health-risk assessment of the B-6 site, stating that constructing a terminal on that location poses few to no health risks for construction workers or those who will be working at the airport.

Lammerding said airport officials cannot go any further with the project until the environmental impact statement is completed and approved by the FAA.

Should the federal agency give the authority the green light at the end of the review process, airport officials will be able to start working on the concept validation of the facility and a cost estimate for the project.

anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com

Twitter: @acocarpio
If theres any shameful aspect of American history we would prefer to forget, it would definitely be slavery. How such immoral subjugation could occur in an otherwise civilized country seems unfathomable to todays U.S. citizens.

Yet such a practice was accepted in the South  and tolerated in the North  at least until the Civil War. Playwright Kemp Powers places this grim segment of history under the microscope of harsh reality in Little Black Shadows, now on stage during its world premiere at South Coast Repertory.

Powers tells his story from the viewpoint of two young house servants charged with attending to the wants and needs of the twin son and daughter of a powerful plantation owner and his proud, intolerant wife. The slaves are the black shadows who sleep under the twins beds and talk only to each other after the lights are out.

Under the sensitive direction of May Adrales, the SCR production is most revealing concerning the attitudes of both blacks and whites in that prewar period. The production is beautifully staged with both interior and exterior settings (designed by David M. Barber) smoothly gliding on and off stage, augmented by actual shadows illustrating the story.

The six performances are immaculate, particularly that of Giovanni Adams as the male servant Colis who yearns to reconnect with his mother, whos supposedly out in the field somewhere. The rail-thin Chauntae Pink is poignant as Toy, his female counterpart, who strives to educate herself by attempting to read a book under the bed lit by a jar full of captured fireflies.

The most commanding portrayal is rendered by Mark Doerr as the cruel father seeking to make a man out of his teen-age son (Daniel Bellusci), who prefers flute playing to hunting. Doerr paints an indelible portrait of a self-made successful landowner disappointed in the boys lackadaisical nature, while Bellusci is quite convincing as the different young man chafing under his fathers authority.

Emily Yetter blossoms as the twin sister, Mittie, who delights in teasing boys with her charms. Elyse Mirto also impresses as her haughty mother, a proud picture of the Old South who looks down her nose at other regions.

Powers play takes a sharp left turn at the climax, one which seems unmotivated but which may become clearer on further reflection, regarding accepted practices of that period. It is, safe to say, a shocking moment that twists the action in a new direction.

Costumes, by Sara Ryung Clement, are well chosen for the time frame and Elizabeth Harpers lighting design is haunting, amplifying the story with shadows. Puppets and projections by Hana S. Kim further enhance the visual effect.

Little Black Shadows is an important new work that brings the time of slavery out of the shadows of history. Its an intriguing and compelling world premiere at South Coast Repertory.

Little Black Shadows runs through April 29 with shows at 7:45 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 2 and 7:45 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays at South Coast Repertory, 655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets start at $23. For more information, call (714) 708-5555 or visit scr.org.

Kids run rampant in Lord of the Flies

Few movies were more disturbing than the 1963 epic Lord of the Flies, adapted from William Goldings 1954 novel about a group of British boys who are stranded on an island and who transition from civility to savagery.

Little has been heard of that story since, but now playwright Nigel Williams has adapted it for the stage. Its unsettling fierceness and brutality currently spills across the stage of Costa Mesas Vanguard University.

College-age actors necessarily assume the roles originated by tweens, with young women filling several of the roles written for boys in this frenzied drama splendidly directed by Susan K. Berkompas. Some riveting individual performances emerge.

Robert Ball enriches his good guy character as Ralph, the boy who initially takes command and serves as the conscience of the tribe and becomes the lone companion of the pudgy, bespectacled Piggy, whom the others consistently ridicule.

His opposite number, and the commander of a rival faction, is Jack, superbly rendered by Zach Guevin. There is a frightening menace about this character and Guevin nails it in an electrifying performance.

The unfortunate Piggy, who continually strives for tribal harmony but is helpless without his glasses, is given dimension beyond his lowly status by Isaiah Nuno. Alondra Lucatero makes her gender cross quite effective as another outcast, Simon.

The spear-brandishing hunters under Jacks command are a fearsome force as they gravitate from meek choir boys to chanting, bloodthirsty savages. Fight choreographer Richard Soto has done some impressive work here.

As depicted in the stage version the lads are British survivors of a plane crash, but Goldings novel branded them wartime evacuees. Either way, the Vanguard actors breathe visceral life into their contentious characters.

Lord of the Flies is a stranger to local stages, but the acquaintance truly deserves to be met during Sundays closing performance in Vanguards Lyceum Theater.

Lord of the Flies closing performance is at 2 p.m. Sunday at Vanguard University, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets are $13 to $15. For more information, call (714) 668-6145.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater.
Im writing to respond to a letter to the editor posted on the Daily Pilot on April 19, Democrat Rouda takes the high road while Republicans Rohrabacher and Baugh sling mud.

This couldnt be further from the truth. In the past few months, 48th District Congressional candidate Harley Rouda has been engaging in the exact same types of mud-slinging tactics that former Assemblyman Scott Baugh and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) are using now.

Leading up to the California Democratic Party convention, Rouda sent at least three different mail pieces to delegates attacking Hans Keirstead, who was in the lead at the local pre-convention endorsement meeting of grassroots activists.

Keirstead and his campaign spent several hours calling, emailing and meeting delegates to make his case about why he is the best candidate. In the end, the positive message won, and Keirstead received the endorsement by the 48th Congressional District delegates at the California Democratic Party Convention in February.

Rouda has failed to follow the high road. The people of the 48th District deserve better, someone who focuses on their own strengths and values, instead of attacking other Democrats. That candidate is Keirstead, the candidate endorsed by local activists like me, not insiders or Democratic National Committee trolls or super delegates.

Craig Beauchamp

Costa Mesa

The writer is an Assembly District 74 delegate.

Rohrabacher has accomplished little in 30 years

When asked about when he knew when to retire, former New York Mets catcher and broadcaster Fran Healy said, As I walked back to the dugout after striking out, I looked into the stands and saw my wife and kids booing me.

I have been a 30-year supporter of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) but believe it is time for him to retire. Ive walked precincts for Rohrabacher, raised money and over the past three decades watched him lose touch with his constituents.

Washington, D.C., has a way of changing politicians. Elected in 1988, Rohrabacher was a strong term-limits supporter. That was 30 years ago.

Rohrabacher has spent too much time in the beltway, where he has accomplished little except marking time and collecting a paycheck. Hes neglected his constituents while enriching himself, traveling the world on taxpayer-funded junkets and paying his wife nearly $1 million in campaign funds.

We need a new member of Congress with the energy and ideas to represent the district  not one who focuses on Vladimir Putin, marijuana and his next trip abroad.

After 15 terms, Rohrabacher needs to retire.

Jim Silva

Huntington Beach

The writer is a former state assemblyman and county supervisor.

Lets drain the Team Newport swamp

What is going on in our city? Some of the council members are meeting in secret in order to oust the city manager. Two members of the council are accused of violating our campaign contribution laws  for the second time. The council is issuing subpoenas to harass our citizens in a case where they have no jurisdiction. The council is proposing to spend millions on a port plan.

Before that, they were trying to undermine our right to petition on the Museum House and wanted to refuse the gas tax dollars paid by Newport Beach motorists.

We never had this type of chaos before Team Newport moved into town and took over. This band of partisans, some from out of town, has made our city a laughingstock. We need to make a clean sweep of these interlopers and the puppet masters who pull their strings. As a taxpayer, I am simply outraged.

Lets drain the swap at City Hall by electing a new council in November and restore ethics to Newport Beach.

Lauri Preedge

Newport Beach

Fiscal conservatives wasted money to terminate contract

City Manager Dave Kiff, for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration, had an employment contract with the city of Newport Beach for a term ending in early 2019. We have been told that Kiff wanted an early exit from the contract for personal reasons and four members (a majority) of the City Council were willing to oblige.

It is an accepted practice, and simple common sense, that a person seeking to get out of a binding contract agrees to pay some form of penalty/compensation to the other party. Instead he was rewarded, with what I would consider a bonus of $200,000, so that he could walk away from his contractual obligation.

Something does not add up here. And I now read that one of the four City Council members who facilitated this squandering of $200,000 in taxpayer money, has been awarded this years Taxpayer Watchdog award. Go figure.

Jamshed Dastur

Balboa Island

Puzzled by puzzle placement

I can tell that the last two editions (April 19-20) of the Daily Pilot were set up by a typesetter who does not do crosswords, because they were in the middle of the fold. How about going back to the old one?

Dennis Strow

Fountain Valley

How to get published: Email us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.
The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday will consider executive search firms to recruit a new city manager.

Three companies have submitted proposals to help Newport find its next top administrative official after Dave Kiff departs Aug. 31.

The firms are CPS HR Consulting of Sacramento, Roberts Consulting Group of Rancho Mirage and Avery Associates of Los Gatos. Their price tags range from about $23,000 to $28,000.

Kiff announced in March that he would be leaving. He has worked for the city since 1998 and as city manager since 2009.

The council agreed April 10 to amend his contract with an exit plan allowing an earlier departure than the previous version of his contract, which would expire in April 2019.

The past two council meetings have been thick with outrage and allegations from some residents and council members who believe that some council members  namely Scott Peotter, Kevin Muldoon, Mayor Pro Tem Will ONeill and Mayor Marshall Duffield  colluded to force Kiff out. The accused council members have repeatedly denied that.

Port master plan

Also Tuesday, the council will consider possible next steps after the California Coastal Commission took a dim view of the citys pitch for a port master plan for Newport Harbor.

The commission voted 9-3 on April 12 to oppose a state bill that would amend the California Coastal Act to designate the largely recreational harbor as a port, putting it among the likes of the deepwater industrial ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hueneme and San Diego. The designation is necessary before the commission would consider a port master plan like the existing ports have.

The plan would allow Newport to issue state-sanctioned permits for in-water harbor projects such as small dredging work and private pier repair  much like it handles development on land close to shore through its Coastal Commission-granted local coastal program.

Commission members and staff were wary of ceding state authority over local waters and setting a precedent by relabeling a municipal harbor as a port, which they said is inappropriate for the Newport Harbors recreational nature. Local officials have said the change would be only in the designation and that Newport Harbor would not become home to cargo and cruise ships.

In light of the commissions vote, the City Council may decide to seek an amendment to the port designation bill, push for it as is, consider alternative Coastal Commission-sanctioned management plans or drop the idea altogether.

Tuesdays council meeting starts at 3:30 p.m. with a study session, followed by the regular session at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is one of three California hospitals ordered by California Atty. Gen. Xavier Bacerra last week to pay roughly $1.6 million to local nonprofits after denying the hospitals January request for modification to reduce the hospitals charity care spending obligation under state law.

According to California code, hospitals are required to maintain a minimum amount of annual charity care equal to or exceeding the annual historical charity care average as determined by the attorney general, using the hospitals previously filed reports to the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, or OSHPD, as they relate to charity care costs.

In a letter last week to hospital officials from the Office of the Attorney General, based upon USC Verdugo Hills Hospitals annual financial disclosure report submitted to the OSHPD for fiscal year 2017, the hospital only provided $421,518 in charity care.

USC Verdugo Hills Hospital is required to pay a total of $1,652,046 to one or more tax-exempt entities that provide direct medical care services to residents in USC Verdugo Hills Hospitals service area, the letter states.

In a statement released on Thursday, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital officials said the facility will meet the demands outlined by the Office of the Attorney General.

As a strong community partner, we also plan to continue serving the communitys needs through free public health seminars and health screenings, partnerships with local nonprofit organizations, and numerous additional no cost or low-cost resources for patients and our neighbors, according to the statement.

The hospital has until June 30 to prove the charitable payments to nonprofits have been made.

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Twitter: @JeffLanda
Students at Rosemont Middle School rallied on campus Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

Roughly 35 students on the La Crescenta campus joined thousands of their peers across the country as part of the National School Walkout movement. The local rally was spearheaded by a pair of 13-year-old Rosemont eight-graders, Roan Thibault and Lucy Rickey.

The two previously organized a die-in demonstration at the school last month.

Growing up, we always knew about [Columbine and school shootings], Rickey said before the rally. And when we heard about the Parkland shooting, it was really shocking to us that this was still going on after so many years.

Students began to gather on Rosemonts front lawn just before noon. Several of them were clad in orange shirts, a color used by gun-control supporters, and carried signs with messages such as Will I die at school tomorrow? and Teachers Arent Soldiers.

During the two hours in front of the school, eight students gave speeches calling for stricter gun-control laws and an end to violence.

Nicole Rowley talked about her unease when leaving for school in the morning.

Before I leave for school, I tell my mom I love her, she said. After I shut the door, I wonder if those are the last words I said to her.

The morbid thought used to cross her mind every once in a while but now its at least five out of seven days each week, Rowley said.

I should not be worried about my last words at the age of 13, she added.

Thibault said he was thankful for officials with the Glendale Unified School District and Rosemont for facilitating the event. While district officials could not take a stance either way, he said they didnt take any action to restrict the walkout.

The school [definitely respected] our 1st Amendment rights, Thibault said. Just by allowing us to use this location and post fliers.

While most of the students at the rally were supportive of the event, there were counterprotestors.

Six students stood silently to the side with signs saying Protect kids with guns and Guns arent the problem, people are.

Dylan Le, a seventh-grader at the school, said one solution to protect students would be to arm teachers and not take away guns.

I do believe we should have stricter regulations on buying guns such as a longer waiting period and more thorough background checks, he said. But I dont believe we should take away guns.

A closer look at the counter protestors signs.



Dylan Le, far left, said hes for stricter gun control but doesnt want people to have their weapons taken away. The students also believe teachers should be armed on campus. #NationalSchoolWalkout pic.twitter.com/R0kqklPCUH  Andy Nguyen (@Andy_Truc) April 20, 2018

In addition to the speeches, the students spent time calling members of Congress and leaving pro-gun-control messages. A representative from Moms Demand Action, a gun-control organization founded in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, also addressed the students.

Lucy Rickey attempts to leave a message for Paul Ryan during the #NationalSchoolWalkout at Rosemont Middle School. pic.twitter.com/imKKqBWX9k  Andy Nguyen (@Andy_Truc) April 20, 2018

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_Truc
Under the protective gaze of a light security detail, a small but irrepressible group of La Canada High School students walked out of class Friday morning and marched to Memorial Park to voice their demand for stricter gun control laws.

Organized by the non-school-affiliated group Activism USA, the walkout coincided with a national movement comprising some 2,600 schools across the country on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

The aim of the National School Walkout is to send a message to lawmakers about the need for stronger gun laws, help promote solutions to gun violence and engage more young people in the civic process.

LCHS student Ethan Crane, who rallied support via megaphone, said while the event was planned to complement an earlier March 14 demonstration, its intent was different.

The previous event was about gun violence. But here were talking about the issue of gun control, Crane said, listing universal background checks and a ban on assault rifles as possible solutions.

Senior Adam Goodman wore the movements signature color orange, the color hunters use to protect themselves from being shot by other hunters.

Some people dont understand this issue is not partisan, he said. We have as much of a right to life as anyone else.

While only about 40 La Canada High School students proved willing to incur an unexcused absence for leaving campus, several more students crowded hallways and balconies to see off marchers as they traversed nearly 2 miles north on Foothill Boulevard toward their destination. Players in the schools spring production of Les Miserables sang a rousing chorus of Do You Hear the People Sing?

LCHS Principal Ian McFeat joined a handful of administrators, security personnel and district officials standing watch by the school entrance to ensure things went smoothly and no one took advantage of the protest as an opportunity to ditch classes.

McFeat said while the school could neither support nor oppose students exercising their right to free speech, he did appreciate students taking ownership of their learning.

This is an interesting time to be a student, the principal added.

Sheriffs deputies rode parallel along Foothill Boulevard as Crane led a call and response chant, Show me what democracy looks like/This is what democracy looks like. Passing motorists, recognizing the protest, honked their horns and got cheers and fist pumps in response.

At Memorial Park, adults from La Canada Congregational Church set out sandwiches, cookies and chips and awaited marchers arrival. The churchs Rev. Kyle Sears said his eighth-grade daughter, Kylie, wanted to march so he let her.

I think its important that students find their voice as early as possible, he said.

Kylie Sears marched with friend and fellow eighth-grader Claire Steward, two of only a few LCHS 7/8 students who participated.

Students lives are being taken unfairly, and were here to march against that, she said of her reason for joining.

Steward said she also got permission from her parents, whove always taught her to stand up for her beliefs.

I dont think guns should be totally eradicated, but we should have some control, she added.

At the park, students ate lunch under the gazebo and listened to a playlist of songs specially selected by Activism USA President Jack Weirick for the occasion. Weirick, a senior at the high school, said the small turnout was pretty impressive, considering the risk involved.

I dont think most people were willing to risk getting marked truant or an absence, especially this close to the end of the year, so I think the turnout was pretty good, Weirick said.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine
Forget stars homes. These tours visit pot growers and bong makers By Hugo Martin In Napa and Sonoma, tour bus operators ferry oenophiles between tasting rooms and vineyards. In Hollywood and environs, they shepherd the starstruck past the homes of the rich and famous. Now theyre giving customers a mind-expanding look at one of Los Angeles burgeoning industries: pot. Since recreational use of marijuana became legal a year ago, a pot tourism business has emerged, taking visitors behind the scenes of Californias estimated $7-billion cannabis industry. Read More Facebook

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Plans for a state-backed pot bank arent feasible, a study says By Sam Dean Hopes that California might create a public bank to serve the states legal marijuana industry are nothing but a pipe dream, the authors of a new feasibility study told state officials Thursday. In the end we were not able to find any approach to doing this that makes any sense whatsoever, said William Roetzheim, founder and chief executive of Level 4 Ventures, the consulting firm hired to carry out the study for the State Treasurers Cannabis Banking Working Group. California voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016 to legalize growing, possessing and selling marijuana for recreational use. But since cannabis remains illegal under federal law, most banks which are federally chartered and insured by the FDIC  refuse to hold weed money. Read More Facebook

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Santa Cruz marijuana company fined $50,000 for explosion that badly burned employee By Hannah Fry A Santa Cruz-based marijuana manufacturing company is being fined more than $50,000 by state regulators for safety violations after an employee was severely burned in a propane explosion, officials have announced. An employee at Future2 Labs Health Services was working alone inside a 128-square-foot portable storage container in Watsonville on June 19, extracting oil from cannabis leaves with propane, when a spark ignited the tank and it exploded. The worker was hospitalized with severe burns, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The process of using a highly flammable gas to extract oil from cannabis leaves is dangerous, Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum said Thursday in a prepared statement. Read More Facebook

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FDA casts shadow on hemp win, calling CBD products illegal By Associated Press The hemp industry still has work ahead to win legal status for hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD oil, as an ingredient in food or dietary supplements despite the big farm bill President Trump signed this week designating hemp as an agricultural crop. CBD oils have become increasingly popular in lotions, tinctures and foods, but their legal status has been murky and the Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to some companies making health claims for CBD. In a statement following Thursdays bill signing in Washington, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb restated his agencys stance that CBD is a drug ingredient and therefore illegal to add to food or health products without approval from his agency. Read More Facebook

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One year of legal pot sales and California doesnt have the bustling industry it expected. Heres why By Patrick McGreevy When Californians voted in 2016 to allow the sale of recreational marijuana, advocates of the move envisioned thousands of pot shops and cannabis farms obtaining state licenses, making the drug easily available to all adults within a short drive. But as the first year of licensed sales comes to a close, Californias legal market hasnt performed as state officials and the cannabis industry had hoped. Retailers and growers say theyve been stunted by complex regulations, high taxes and decisions by most cities to ban cannabis shops. At the same time, many residents are going to city halls and courts to fight pot businesses they see as nuisances, and police chiefs are raising concerns about crime triggered by the marijuana trade. Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, who played a large role in the legalization of cannabis, will inherit the numerous challenges when he takes office in January as legislators hope to send him a raft of bills next year to provide banking for the pot industry, ease the tax burden on retailers and crack down on sales to minors. Read More Facebook

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Hemp is about to be legal under the 2018 farm bill. You cant get high from it  but you can wear it By Kurtis Lee Hemp  a close relative of marijuana that can be used to make textiles and other products  has long been classified as a Schedule I drug by the federal government. Thats set to change. President Trump is soon expected to sign a farm bill that includes a section that legalizes the commercial cultivation of hemp nationwide. The bill, years in the making, comes as public support for cannabis legalization has increased over the years, offering a cover of sorts to politicians who see the potential for boosting state tax revenue. Read More Facebook

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Students sent home after Marysville middle schooler brings pot brownies for class to eat By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Several students at a middle school in Marysville, Calif., were sent home this week after eating marijuana-laced brownies, officials said. Staff at Anna McKenney Intermediate School called police Wednesday morning after learning that a 13-year-old girl had passed out the brownies to her classmates, said Marysville Police Sgt. Jason Garringer. Nine students were sent home, Garringer said, but no one who ate the brownies showed obvious signs of being under the influence. Read More Facebook

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Mistletoke, luxe vape cases and other gift suggestions for the cannabis enthusiast on your nice list By Adam Tschorn Now that some form of cannabis use is legal in 33 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and Californias era of legal adult-use weed is almost a year old (though it remains illegal under federal law), its easier than ever to find a little something special for the cannabis consumer on your nice list. Below are a few items that  with the exception of the first item which is available in L.A. only  are legal, widely available and, if ordered soon, can still be under the tree in the U.S. by Christmas Day. For those who want to do good while feeling good  and score a little holiday decor at the same time  L.A.-based Zoma Cannabis is prepared to send some lucky L.A. residents a limited-edition floral-meets-cannabis Mistletoke arrangement that intertwines sprigs of mistletoe with three trimmed buds (roughly five grams total) of its Santa Cruz-grown True OG and/or Gelato strain cannabis flower all tied up in a big red Santa-worthy bow. No purchase is necessary, but recipients are highly encouraged to make a donation to the charity reforestation group One Tree Planted to aid in the recovery efforts from the 2017 and 2018 California fires. Zoma will match donations dollar for dollar. Each dollar donated means one tree gets planted, and that means the green you donate for its green means a greener Golden State moving forward. Zoma is set to deliver the decor right to your door if you live in L.A., are over the age of 21 and are one of the first 50 folks to fire off an email to info@zomacannabis.com with the word Mistletoke in the subject line. Supplies willing, orders placed as late as Dec. 20 will arrive in time to make your Christmas very merry indeed. Read More Facebook

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3 marijuana businesses win OK in Costa Mesa as another is put on hold By Bradley Zint The Costa Mesa Planning Commission this week approved three new marijuana facilities but postponed a decision on a fourth due to the absence of one commissioner, whose vote likely will decide the fate of the business. After two commissioners expressed support and two expressed opposition for Triiads proposal for a marijuana distribution facility, the panel voted 3-1 on Monday night, with Commissioner Jeffrey Harlan absent, to hold a special meeting Monday to reexamine the matter. Commissioner Carla Navarro Woods dissented. The proposed location at 3525 Hyland Ave., Suite 265, is in Hyland Plaza, north of South Coast Collection in an area identified under city law as permissible for marijuana uses. Read More Facebook

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Marlboro cigarette maker places a $2.4-billion bet on marijuana By Associated Press Altria Group Inc., one of the worlds biggest tobacco companies, is diving into the cannabis market with a $2.4 billion buy-in. The Marlboro cigarette maker is taking a 45% stake in Cronos Group Inc., the Canadian medical and recreational marijuana provider said Friday. Altria will pay an additional $1.4 billion for warrants that, if exercised, would give Altria a 55% ownership stake in the Toronto company. Read More Facebook

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Utah voters approved medical marijuana in November. State lawmakers just passed big changes to the ballot measure By Associated Press Lawmakers in Utah passed sweeping changes Monday to a voter-approved medical marijuana ballot measure under a planned compromise that secured the support of the influential Mormon Church but sparked a backlash from pot advocates. Supporters of the compromise cheered the vote, saying it would help suffering patients while creating safeguards against broader recreational use. I believe this agreement was a landmark day for our state, and we are helping people, said outgoing Republican House Speaker Greg Hughes, who sponsored the legislation and helped bring together the players for talks. Read More Facebook

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Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy, two others arrested on drug charges after heist at pot warehouse By Maya Lau The Los Angeles sheriffs deputy pulled up to the pot-filled warehouse just after three in the morning. He held up an official-looking document to a guard, who promptly unlocked a gate. The deputy and two other men, each of them armed and dressed in sheriffs jackets, got out. After locking the guard and two other employees in the back of the deputys SUV, the men went to work lugging bags of marijuana from the warehouse. Read More Facebook

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Cannary West dispensary to host Higher Standards pop-up shop Saturday through Feb. 28 By Adam Tschorn The Higher Standards X Cannary West pop-up is slated to run from Saturday through Feb. 28. (Higher Standards) Following its successful (and still running) pop-up space inside the Pottery dispensary in L.A.s Mid-City, purveyor of luxury-level cannabis accoutrements Higher Standards has announced plans to take up temporary residence inside the Cannary West dispensary in the Rancho Park neighborhood just in time for the holidays. On track to pop-up on Saturday (with a 20% opening day discount) and run through the end of February, itll serve up a similar curated mix of high-end smoking tools and accessories from brands like Marley Naturals, Grav Labs, Dr. Dabber and Puffco (makers of the futuristic-looking Peak dab rig) as well as home goods for the discerning head by Jonathan Adler, Malin+Goetz and Forestry Wool. Higher Standards X Cannary West Where: 2435 Military Ave., Los Angeles. Entry is restricted to those 21 and older. Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays from Saturday through Feb. 28. Info: cannarywest.com, higherstandards.com Facebook

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I fell off the way. A charismatic pastor-turned-marijuana smuggler heads to prison By Kristina Davis On Easter Sunday 2007, Pastor John Lee Bishop drew about 15,000 worshipers to a sports arena in Portland, Ore. With a flair for showmanship, Bishop  a jeans-clad minister sporting a youthful, moppish haircut  relished building buzz around his Living Hope Church, based in Vancouver, Wash., on the north bank of the Columbia River. One time, it was bringing a Bengal tiger onstage. Another, according to an account in the Columbian newspaper, it was advertising a sermon series with the word sex prominently facing a busy street. Read More Facebook

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For all your weed needs, theres now a pot superstore in Las Vegas By David Montero The employee in the red shirt counseled the two men on what  or what not  to buy. Now, if you start thinking dolphins are talking to you, that might be too much, she explained. The two young men nodded slowly. One stroked his beard. Neither had ever talked to dolphins before. Or even yelled at them on Sundays when they play against the New England Patriots. Above them, the continuous light show on the ceiling was like an electric lava lamp  orbs expanding and dividing in an endless trip. Then it was gone and replaced by flowers and a Saturn-like planet floating in the sky. Read More Facebook

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4 more marijuana permit applications await Costa Mesa Planning Commission review By Luke Money The recent parade of permit applications from marijuana manufacturing and distribution businesses looking to open in Costa Mesa will continue next week, when the city Planning Commission is scheduled to review four more. All the requests on Mondays agenda are for conditional use permits, which are among several approvals required to open a cannabis company in the city. Here is the latest lineup of applicants: Read More Facebook

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With Jeff Sessions out at the Justice Dept., the marijuana movement exhales By Kurtis Lee He described marijuana as a very real danger and has said its effects are only slightly less awful than those of heroin. Once, during a drug hearing when he was a Senator, he said he wanted to send a clear message: Good people dont smoke marijuana. So when Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions was ousted recently, a collective sigh of relief rose up from proponents of legalized pot  activists, politicians, investors  who felt targeted by the nations top law enforcement officer. Sessionss departure has translated into spiking stocks for cannabis companies and a reset of sorts for the legalization movement which, since 2012, has seen nearly a dozen states pass recreational pot measures. Read More Facebook

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This is what a cannabis executives party pad looks like By Kavita Daswani Dont expect to find bongs, water pipes and empty packets of Funyuns at the Los Angeles-area home of Will Htun. When we asked to look inside the home of the CEO of cannabis brand Sherbinskis, we found a sleek and minimal space where he could host chef-catered, cannabis-paired dinners on the rooftop and take meetings in a high-ceilinged front room. Htun, 34, moved into the 2,700-square-foot townhouse in July 2016, after he and brand founder Mario Sherbinski, who is based in San Francisco, decided it would make an ideal live/work space. With its three en-suite bedrooms, Htun opens up the home to associates in town for business instead of housing them in a serviced apartment. Read More Facebook

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First recreational pot shops in Eastern U.S. to open in Massachusetts By Associated Press Two marijuana stores in Massachusetts have been given the green light to begin selling to recreational customers, making them the first commercial pot shops in the eastern United States. Both stores, one located in Northampton and the other in Leicester, said they would open Tuesday morning after the Cannabis Control Commission, the states marijuana regulatory agency, on Friday authorized them to begin operations. The announcement ended a long wait for commercial sales to begin in Massachusetts. The states voters legalized the use of recreational marijuana by adults 21 and older in 2016, but its taken more than two years for state legislators and regulators to reach the point where the first stores can finally open. Read More Facebook

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Heres whats behind Mexicos radical move toward legalizing marijuana during its war on drugs By Kate Linthicum Mexico may soon legalize marijuana, a radical shift for a country whose prohibition on narcotics has been at the heart of its long and violent war against drug traffickers. Legislation submitted to Congress last week by the party of leftist President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador would regulate cannabis, allowing it to be grown, sold and consumed for recreational use. Proponents of legalization say it would reduce bloodshed in Mexico by weakening drug cartels and freeing up police officers and prosecutors to focus on more serious crimes. But the proposal has critics, including the Catholic Church, which holds significant sway in Mexican politics. A poll in Mexico last year showed a majority of respondents opposed legalizing marijuana. Read More Facebook

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Curious about all the CBD-infused products you see? By Kavita Daswani Some chew it, or place a few drops under the tongue or let it soak in through the skin. There are numerous ways to consume cannabidiol  better known as CBD. Its touted for its therapeutic effects, but, unlike its better-known cousin THC, does not get you high. Hemp-derived CBD is increasingly in the limelight these days, at natural products stores and even fashion boutiques, catering to widening demand from consumers who find it helps them with pain, anxiety and insomnia. Despite Californias marijuana-friendly laws, however, the state announced earlier this year it is waiting for the federal government to rule on the use of CBD oils and products before giving the green light to sales. Critics, meanwhile, have been asking for clarity, to help consumers who want options. Read More Facebook

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6 cannabis cookbooks with recipes from basic to gourmet By Amy Scattergood As cannabis is legalized  although it remains illegal under federal law and goes mainstream in California and other states, the cookbook industry has churned into high gear with books on what ways to use jazz cabbage beyond the bong. What to look for? A lot depends on your level of expertise  not just in the kitchen but with cannabis itself. If youve been making batches of pot brownies and want to expand your repertoire to, say, French macarons, there are cookbooks to help you out. Many books have lengthy introductions that outline the specifics of cooking with cannabis, so find one that fits with what you know  or dont know. Bong Appetit: Mastering the Art of Cooking With Weed by the editors of Munchies (Ten Speed Press, $30) This book, based on the Munchies and Viceland television series Bong Appetit, was published in October by Ten Speed Press. (This is in itself notable, as Ten Speed is one of the best cookbook publishers around, and continues the legitimate trajectory of the cannabis cooking genre.) The book has a comprehensive introduction that includes topics such as dosing, techniques, methods of decarboxylation and infusion, cannabis pairing tips, questions to ask your dispensary, tips on equipment and more. The recipes are sourced from the Munchies test kitchen and from many well-known chefs, whose recipes are recalibrated to add cannabis. Thus: Korean fried chicken from Deuki Hong of San Franciscos Sunday Bird; fried soft-shell crab with shishito pepper mole from Daniela Soto-Innes of Cosme and Atla; and (my favorite) Joan Nathans preserved lemons. The Munchies test kitchen also has some fun ones, including herb focaccia with, well, herb; and confit octopus, in which a whole octopus is poached in cannabis-infused olive oil. If that sounds too aspirational, there are instructions for making an apple bong  a hollowed-out apple filled with weed-infused mezcal  at the end of the drinks chapter. Read More Facebook

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Sativa or indica? CBD or THC? What to know before cooking with cannabis By Brette Warshaw Dont know the difference between MSG and THC? Heres a guide to the terminology youll encounter. Cannabis sativa and cannabis indica are two of the three species of cannabis. (The third species, cannabis ruderalis, is less attractive due to its smaller stature and low concentration of THC.) Sativa is a warm-weather species characterized by tall plants and thin leaves. The plant takes 10 to 15 weeks to mature and is known for a cerebral, energetic and invigorating high thats particularly suited for daytime use. Medically, it can be used to help people with depression and chronic pain. Read More Facebook

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California pot tax revenue improves but is still short of projections (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) The amount of money collected by the state from taxes on cannabis grown and sold legally in California continues to increase but is still falling short of budget estimates, according to figures released Wednesday. Tax revenue reported from the cannabis industry totaled $93.1 million for the three months ending Sept. 30, according to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. That is an increase from the $80.2 million collected during the second quarter of the year. If revenue continues to grow by the same 16% per quarter, pot taxes will bring in $471 million during the fiscal year that began July 1, while the budget approved by the governor and Legislature estimates the taxes would bring in $630 million during the fiscal year. Read More Facebook

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Eaze launches (nearly) nationwide delivery of hemp-derived CBD products By Adam Tschorn Eaze Wellness offers non-psychoactive CBD products derived from hemp. (Eaze) Eaze, the San Francisco-based technology platform thats been coordinating dispensary-to-consumer home deliveries of cannabis in Los Angeles since April, has expanded its reach  for CBD-containing products, that is  to most of the United States. (CBD, a.k.a cannabidiol, is a cannabis compound said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties but none of the high associated with THC. These claims have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.) Through the just-launched Eaze Wellness website, consumers over the age of 21 in 41 states and the District of Columbia can order a range of hemp-derived CBD tinctures, tablets, balms, bath bombs, patches, vape pens and pet products for delivery within four to six days. (Shipping is free for orders $50 and up; otherwise, itll cost you $5.) Much like its in-state marijuana-delivery service, which coordinates deliveries with local dispensaries, Eaze isnt doing the shipping itself, but rather working with a third-party partner to get goods from brands such as Plant People, Cannuka, BeTru Wellness and Vital Leaf from point A to point B. Although the laws surrounding the legality of CBD are murky at best (a loophole in federal law has been widely interpreted as making CBD derived from hemp grown for research purposes legal), one point B that Eaze Wellness wont be coordinating shipping to is its home state of California. (The company cites state regulations as the reason.) Yes, California, where cannabis  even the kind that gets you high  has been legal under state law since the beginning of the year. Additional information is available at www.eazewellness.com. Facebook

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What THC-infused edibles are most popular? Fruit-flavored gummies and chocolate-covered coffee beans for starters By Adam Tschorn Nearly a year in to the state-legal cannabis scene, theres no shortage of THC-infused items on the market for 21-and-older consumers, from sachets of herbal tea and cans of citrus-flavored soda to honey mustard pretzels, with analysts and dispensary owners seeing it as a growing side of the business. Since recreational use was legalized in January, edibles have seen a 20%-30% hike in sales, said Nick Danias, managing partner of the Pottery and Cannary West dispensaries in Los Angeles, who added that edibles have proved particularly popular with new cannabis users who might be reluctant to start experimenting by smoking cannabis flower. Edibles companies have been able to offer consumers micro dosing that allows for a controlled amount of THC to be ingested, he said. (State law requires that edibles be portioned or scored into servings that contain no more than 10 milligrams of THC per piece and no more than 100 milligrams of THC per package.) Read More Facebook

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5 more marijuana permit applications await Costa Mesa Planning Commission By Luke Money The torrent of applications from marijuana manufacturing and distribution facilities looking to open in Costa Mesa continues Thursday, when city planning commissioners will review five more during a special meeting. Should the commission grant all the requested conditional use permits, it would bring the total number of marijuana facilities with such approvals to 22  including nine in the past month. The applications up for review this time are: Read More Facebook

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Two shot and killed in Koreatown marijuana dispensary By James Queally Two people were shot and killed early Monday morning after gunfire erupted inside a Koreatown marijuana dispensary, authorities said. Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 400 block of Western Avenue in Koreatown around 4:20 a.m. Monday, according to a statement issued by the Los Angeles Police Department. There, they found a locked and sealed marijuana dispensary, according to the statement. A female employee told police she and several customers were inside the dispensary when they heard gunshots in the waiting room. They fled through the back of the building, and when officers gained entry, they found two people who were pronounced dead at the scene. Read More Facebook

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Party of Mexicos president-elect wants to legalize marijuana By Associated Press The party of Mexicos president-elect submitted legislation Thursday that would legalize marijuana possession, public use, growing and sales. Sen. Olga Sanchez Cordero presented the measure, saying that everyone should have the right to carry up to 30 grams [1 ounce] of cannabis. People could carry more than an ounce if they obtained a permit to do so under the proposal. From the point of view of negative effects, there is no reason why marijuana should not be legal, if alcohol and tobacco are, according to the bill. Read More Facebook

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Want to grow your own marijuana? This class will show you how By Jeanette Marantos California law lets anyone over 21 grow up to six marijuana plants in their yard or home, as long as the plants are not accessible to the public. (Check your City Hall for any additional local rules.) Unsure how to start? Check out Fig Earth Supplys two-hour workshops, Cannabis Cultivation for the Home Grower, on Nov. 10 or Nov. 17, taught by professional cannabis growers. Attendees must be at least 21. No plants or seeds will be sold. Workshops cost $95 and start at 5 p.m. at 3577 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. More info: figearthsupply.com Read More Facebook

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Whats that smell? Survey asks Venice Beach denizens if theyre vexed by odor of marijuana By Joseph Serna They descended on free-wheeling Venice Beach with clipboards and questions in hand. Their goal: to gauge humanitys tolerance for the smell and sight of public pot smoking. Akbar Karriem considered them ridiculous. Everybody be smoking, Karriem said as he sat on the boardwalk and lit a marijuana pipe. Its part of the culture here. Its like a religion. Read More Facebook

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Las Vegas newest and biggest pot shop aims to entertain By Jay Jones Prepare to be entertained at Las Vegas newest and biggest cannabis store a mile west of the Strip. Planet 13 combines light shows and fog-making fountains to wow visitors at the shop, which sells recreational pot, cannabis extracts and cannabis-infused products. The idea is to meld a cannabis shop with an entertainment complex. Visitors, who must be at least 21, can change the colors of 13 giant LED-lighted lotus flowers blooming on the roof of the building. Read More Facebook

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CBD-infused products are being sold everywhere in California  but are they legal? By Laura Newberry Greg and Gary Avetisyan make no secret of it: They proudly sell all manner of products infused with CBD, from essential oils to bath bombs to fruity tea-like beverages that promise calming relief in a frantic world. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a molecule derived from cannabis. But unlike its chemical cousin THC, it wont get you high. What it might do, according to some research, is alleviate anxiety, seizures, chronic pain and dozens of other ailments. The Avetisyan brothers belief in the alleged benefits of the extract is so steadfast that they opened Californias first CBD-only store, Topikal, in Tarzana last year and opened a second along the Venice Beach boardwalk in April. Read More Facebook

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Review: Documentary Weed the People looks at cannabis and pediatric cancer By Kimber Myers An urgent cry for help, Weed the People explores the effects of cannabis on pediatric cancer, as well as the establishments disinterest in researching its efficacy. With the lack of scientific studies available, Abby Epsteins moving documentary primarily devotes its time to five children and their families who are trying to survive using the alternative treatment. Weed the People doesnt ease into its multi-story narrative, wasting no time in sharing the stories of these kids with cancer. With parents desperate for their children to feel better, they turn to medical marijuana to ease the pain, as well as directly addressing the cancer cells. Without studies and lack of nationwide legalization, there is little regulation in the industry. Enter Mara Gordon, a former process engineer who brings precision and rigor to her medical cannabis company, offering the families hope for healing. Read More Facebook

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Denver verdict on pot odor and property values could discourage homeowners from filing RICO lawsuits By Associated Press A Colorado jury likely threw cold water on future legal challenges against cannabis companies by homeowners who consider filing racketeering lawsuits alleging that proximity to pot operations hurts their property values, analysts and industry lawyers said Thursday. A federal jury in Denver on Wednesday rejected claims involving the odor from a pot farm made in a case that was closely watched by the marijuana industry. It was the first such lawsuit to reach a jury. Three others are pending in California, Massachusetts and Oregon. Read More Facebook

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Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office makes its largest seizure of illegal marijuana plants By Joseph Serna An estimated 400,000 marijuana plants were destroyed by Santa Barbara County sheriffs investigators this week in what authorities are calling the countys largest seizure of pot plants at one site. The plants were hidden among farmland in Santa Maria and discovered by sheriffs investigators on Monday, the sheriffs office said in a statement. The crop belonged to a resident who, authorities said, had applied for a temporary state cannabis license using false information and did not have a valid cannabis license. Investigators found the 400,000 plants in various levels of maturity and tapped state Department of Fish and Wildlife personnel to help in the case. Read More Facebook

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Is Rohrabacher trying to lose Republican voters by caving on marijuana policy? To the editor: I was disappointed to read in a column on voters trying to flip an Orange County congressional district that Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) wants to weaken federal laws against marijuana. Recently-approved state laws legalizing marijuana have not been beneficial. In Colorado, following the legalization of recreational marijuana, the number of traffic fatalities involving marijuana-impaired drivers more than doubled. Surveys have found a majority of marijuana users in Colorado do not believe driving high is dangerous, leading some to get behind the wheel impaired. As a retired law enforcement officer who has had the opportunity to work with people impacted by drug addiction, and as a lifelong Republican, I feel Rohrabacher is making a mistake. Read More Facebook

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Berners Melrose birthday bash celebrates a new dispensary  and a collaboration with the G Pen Gio By Adam Tschorn The Cookies dispensary at 8360 Melrose Ave. celebrated its grand opening on Saturday. (Grenco Science) On Saturday morning, the lines were stretching around the corner and down the block outside the bright blue Beverly Grove storefront with the word Cookies above the door. The enthusiastic members of the crowd werent queued up for baked goods, though. They were waiting to get into a new cannabis dispensary  and to help celebrate the birthday of its founding partner, Bay Area rapper and entrepreneur Berner (born Gilbert Millam Jr.). Minimalist, awash in natural light and appointed in the brands blue and white color scheme and emblazoned with the cookie-with-a-bite-missing logo, it marks the second Cookies dispensary in Los Angeles County; the first, Cookies Los Angeles, is located in Maywood. Like that one, its stocked with a wide variety of cannabis flower, oils, edibles and the like, with a particular emphasis on the proprietary strains from the Cookie Family collective (the growers who originated the strain formerly known as Girl Scout Cookies as well as other dessert-named strains such as Gelato and Sunset Sherbet). It also stocks three different Cookies-logoed colors (blue, white and black) of the new G Pen Gio ($29.95), a vaporizer pen that uses cannabis concentrate cartridges for a super-simple, draw-activated plug-and-puff experience. The Cookies G Pen Gio from Grenco Science x Berner collaboration officially launched at the Saturday Berner bash, and includes Gio cannabis-oil cartridges filled with Gelato, London Poundcake, Sunset Sherbet or Snowman strains ($60 for 500 mg, which Tim Patenaude, Grencos vice president of marketing, says marks the first time those Cookie strains have been commercially available as concentrates. (Gio pod cartridges are now available at 500 dispensaries across 12 states, according to Patenaude, including MedMen, BARC and the Pottery locally, as well as through the Eaze delivery service.) Shown are Berners blue-and-white birthday cake, left, and vape pens and cartridges from his Cookies G Pen Gio collaboration. (Grenco Science) Patenaude says the partnership with Berner has its roots in Grencos 2014 partnership with another rapper  Wiz Khalifa (Wiz Khalifas weed guy was Berner, Patenaude said, and thats how we first met him.). He calls Berner the most important person in cannabis today, citing not only Berner and his partners wildly successful strains, but the rapper/entrepreneurs brand-building abilities outside of the cannabis space. His Cookies clothing label is sold in every Zumiez in every mall in America, Patenaude said. In a chat with the Los Angeles Times Rolling Paper, Berner said that the Cookies SF streetwear label he launched out of his garage less than a decade ago saw $12.8 million in revenue in 2017 and that hes aiming to open a store next door to the dispensary  hopefully in time for the Black Friday shopping season. (Theres currently a single flagship store in San Francisco.) He also said the dispensary opening bash was a good way to usher in his 35th year on the planet. Man, I couldnt be happier, he said. Were turning [over] customers left and right, theres no holdup anywhere, everyone is super-juiced and there was a line down the block and wrapped around [the corner] at 6 a.m. You cant ask for anything else. Cookies Melrose, 8360 Melrose Ave. (at North Kings Road), Los Angeles. Additional information on the G Pen Gio (including local availability) is at gpen.com. Facebook

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2 Chainz wants to put a THC tiger in your tank with his new cannabis brand Gas By Adam Tschorn Rapper 2 Chainz attends the launch party for Gas, his fuel-themed cannabis line now available in flower and pre-rolled joints. (Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times) Rolling into the Friday launch party for his new cannabis brand Gas, the first thing Grammy-winning rapper 2 Chainz did was brandish a joint in one hand and a smartphone in the other to record the rows of boldly packaged cannabis flower and pre-rolled joints in a video to share with his 5.7 million Instagram followers. The second thing he did was stand back and take in the moment. I cant believe it, thats why I was over here just trying to take it all in, 2 Chainz said about seeing all the green, yellow and black plastic pouches filled with marijuana, and a jerrycan converted into a display tray overflowing with green buds. Ive been told for over a year that we were doing this line, so now Im just trying to live in the moment. I dont do that a lot. The launch party took place at the Mid-Wilshire offices of Green Street Agency, a cannabis-focused branding and licensing company that is one of the rappers two Southern California partners in the venture. The other is L.A.-based Mazel Management Group (owners of the Westside Station dispensary in Van Nuys). Before joining the throng of well-wishers, industry friends and employees dressed in logo-emblazoned overalls, 2 Chainz (born Tauheed Epps), chatted with the Los Angeles Times Rolling Paper about his new project, how cannabis branding is like music and what took so long for the project to come to fruition. (Hint: There was lots of taste-testing). The Rolling Paper: Where does the name of your line  Gas  come from and what does it mean? 2 Chainz: Its Atlanta lingo that we use that basically signifies that this is a stronger type of flower  a stronger cannabis. Ive been saying it since I came into the rap game and Ive used it in a few verses of a few songs. At first people were like: What do you mean by [the line] gas in the ashtray? After it caught on and basically went mainstream, I figured why veer off from what got me here? So we started a legal line of cannabis called Gas. TRP: Ive heard that you were pretty picky in the development process. 2C: It took months and months and about 30 different kinds of [cannabis] flower. I think I was looking for that first impression  that first pull  how it made me feel. Were there fireworks or no fireworks? What kind of memory did it create? Thats what I was looking for. TRP: The three different types of flower youre launching with dont have names but numbers  87, 89 and 93  are those supposed to be kind of like octane ratings but for marijuana? 2C: Thats a great way of describing it. The 87, for example [a Petrol OG hybrid, with a THC content of 14%] is for functioning throughout the day, [and for] people who are on the go [or] at work and cant get that whole indica sleepy feeling during the middle of the day. I think 87 will be sufficient. The 89 [a Sour Gas hybrid, 17% THC] is for when people go out for cocktails after work, when they want to get ready for the wind-down  it signifies the medium [strength]. And the 93 [an indica called Gods Fuel No. 2 with a THC level of 20%] Id definitely say is the strongest. Thats for night-night. TRP: How did the fuel theme and octane ratings and all that evolve from the name? 2C: I approached this the way I do in my music  which was come up with the concept and follow all the way through with it. So, when you have Gas, you have to have the gas cans and the imagery that actually represents the gas pumps and things that tie in to the brand itself. I think that gives it legs  gives it a little more substance and sustainability. And I used these colors because I knew they would be very catching and appealing to the eye and I know that I will kind of have to muscle my way in as far as getting where I need to be on [dispensary] shelves these days. I figure I could be on the back of the shelf and you could still see this green, this yellow and this black packaging. Gas prices range from $12 to $14 (for 1-gram pre-rolled joints) and $36 to $48 for 3.5 gram packages of flower. Currently available at Westside Station, 7022 Valjean Ave., Van Nuys. Facebook

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A chemical found in liverwort has surprising similarities to the THC in marijuana By Noga Tarnopolsky Its an amazing plant that produces hypnotic effects, according to online testimonials. Some people who have ingested it or inhaled its smoke say it gave them a mild, marijuana-like high. Now scientists have weighed in. In experiments with more than 100 mice, they found that chemicals in the liverwort plant produced four of the same key effects as THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. An hour after being injected with the experimental chemicals, the mice entered a trance-like state, lost some of their ability to move, became less responsive to pain and experienced a drop in body temperature, according to a study published this week in the journal Science Advances. Read More Facebook

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Hours-long standoff at Tarzana weed dispensary ends after police learn building is empty By Hailey Branson-Potts The police standoff lasted more than six hours, shutting down a busy six-lane stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Tarzana for most of the evening. An armed robbery suspect, authorities said, had barricaded himself inside an illegal marijuana dispensary in a strip mall in the 18300 block of Ventura Boulevard. He was believed to be one of four suspects and was thought to have a female hostage. But when officers searched the building after 8:20 p.m., there was no one inside, said Officer Mike Lopez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. Read More Facebook

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State officials decline to drop plan to allow home deliveries of pot in California cities that ban marijuana stores Cities and law enforcement leaders say a state proposal to allow pot delivery to homes would increase crime. (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) Despite objections from cities and police chiefs, state officials on Friday declined to drop a proposal allowing marijuana firms to deliver to homes everywhere in California, including in areas that have banned pot shops. The proposed rule, which was made public in July, was opposed by the League of California Cities, which represents the states 482 municipalities, and the California Police Chiefs Assn., which said it would jeopardize public safety. But the state Bureau of Cannabis Control announced Friday that it is moving forward with the proposed rule after a series of public hearings and after weighing hundreds of comments from residents and interested parties. Read More Facebook

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San Diego plans to crack down on marijuana ads, especially billboards By David Garrick San Diego officials say they plan to crack down on marijuana advertising, particularly the billboard ads that have become increasingly common with recreational use of the drug now legal in California. Legislation proposed by City Councilman Chris Cate aims to keep marijuana billboard ads out of areas where young people congregate and to prevent illegal marijuana businesses from advertising anywhere. The proposal, which would go beyond relatively new state laws that govern marijuana advertising, will be included in a series of city code updates that Mayor Kevin Faulconers staff plans to present to the City Council next year. Read More Facebook

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Drinking before a flight is common. Now some fliers are turning to pot before takeoff By Hugo Martin Commercial flights can be so stressful  cramped seats, delays, turbulence, loud seatmates  that more than 60% of travelers in a recent survey said they down a drink or two before heading to the airport. But the survey by a drug treatment organization found that nearly as many fliers are now turning to marijuana to relax before getting on a plane. The online survey of 1,137 people who have flown in the past year was taken by Florida-based Delphi Behavioral Health Group. It found that nearly 30% of respondents said they had smoked marijuana and another 25% had consumed pot-infused snacks before arriving at an airport. Read More Facebook

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Marijuana issues dominate Costa Mesa Planning Commission agenda By Luke Money Cannabis-related companies will be front and center in Costa Mesa again Monday, when city planning commissioners will consider four applications for proposed marijuana manufacturing and distribution facilities. Should the Planning Commission OK all the requests, it would bring the number of marijuana businesses with city-approved conditional use permits to 17. First up will be Aureus LLC, which is looking to open in a 5,556-square-foot industrial space at 3505 Cadillac Ave., Building A. The company proposes to manufacture cannabis concentrates, particularly oils intended for use in vaporizer cartridges, according to city planning documents. Read More Facebook

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Canada is now the worlds largest legal marijuana marketplace By Associated Press Ian Power was among the first to buy legal recreational marijuana in Canada but he has no plans to smoke it. He plans to frame it. Canada became the largest country with a legal national marijuana marketplace as sales began early Wednesday in Newfoundland. Power was first in line at a store in St. Johns, Newfoundland. I am going to frame it and hang it on my wall. Im not even going to smoke it. Im just going to save it forever, Power said. Read More Facebook

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Bloom Farms doubles its meal donations on Oct. 16 in observance of World Food Day By Adam Tschorn Bloom Farms Pineapple Single Origin vape cartridge is a World Food Day exclusive that will be available only in October. (Bloom Farms) In recognition of the United Nations designation of Oct. 16 as World Food Day 2018, Oakland-based cannabis company Bloom Farms is doubling its usual meal-donation-per-sale for purchase made through the Eaze delivery service (which is doing its part by offering a day-long 20% discount on all Bloom Farms products) as well as participating dispensaries statewide (including Buds & Roses, Urban Treez and Green Dot locally). The company says that since 2014 it has donated about 1.4 million meals to food banks statewide through its one-for-one program, with a goal of donating 5 million meals. World Harvest Food Bank in Los Angeles and the San Diego Food Bank are among the SoCal beneficiaries of the Bloom Farm donations. Although the double-down on meal donations lasts only one day, Bloom Farms has a couple of slightly less time-sensitive promotions to raise awareness and drive donations in furtherance of the U.N.s mission of a zero-hunger world by 2030. One is a partnership with vaporizer maker Pax  which has pledged $10,000 to fund meal donations  that includes a free Pax Era vape pen (custom-engraved on-site) with the purchase of two Bloom Farms Pax pods at special dispensary events throughout the month, the second is an exclusive, October-only Pineapple Single Origin vape cartridge that, after the purchase of any two Bloom Farms products  can be purchased for just a penny. Additional information  and a calendar of dispensary events and demonstrations  can be found at getbloomfarms.com/events. Facebook

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Screened at U.S. border, Canadians who are honest about using marijuana could be banned from the U.S. By Kurtis Lee Bill Powers flipped through the sworn statement he gave to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the printed pages taking him back to that August afternoon  back to the border checkpoint into Washington state where agents asked if he had ever smoked marijuana. Yes, he answered, not initially thinking much of the question. The 57-year-old Canadian has a license for medical marijuana, and pot had been legal in Washington for six years. Like that, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents turned him away with an extreme decree: He had been banned from the United States. Its absolutely out of control. Here I am being honest with the United States and I get the boot, Powers said on a recent afternoon as he stood in his driveway in this farming town an hour east of Vancouver. I have a license  yet theyre turning people away for pot? It makes not a single bit of sense. Read More Facebook

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Newport mayor says he wants to sell his boat factory site, not grow marijuana on it By Hillary Davis Despite having local and state approvals to cultivate or distribute medical marijuana on the site of his boat factory in San Bernardino County, Newport Beach Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield says he isnt a pot farmer. Rather, he says, he sought the entitlements to make the property more attractive to buyers so he can move his factory to Utah. Duffield said in a statement emailed to the Daily Pilot on Sunday that he split his 4.7-acre property in Adelanto into thirds and sought a cannabis distribution permit from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control to take advantage of increased property values that followed Adelantos passage of a medicinal cultivation ordinance in 2015 and creation of a cultivation zone in 2016 that later expanded to include the factory site. As a property owner, I am trying to maximize the value to sell the land, not grow pot, Duffield said. I am actively manufacturing electric boats at the plant and there is no room to be growing pot. Read More Facebook

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NHL: Legal pot in Canada wont affect league policy By Associated Press Now a handful of years into retirement from more than a decade of junior and pro hockey, former enforcer Riley Cote is a proponent of cannabis and its oils as an alternative to more addictive drugs commonly used by athletes to play through pain. Marijuana can be detected in a persons system for more than 30 days, is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency without a specific therapeutic use exemption and is illegal in much of the United States. Canada on Wednesday will become the largest country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana. That means it will be available under the law in seven more NHL cities (its been legal to adults in Denver since 2012). The move is a step forward for those who, like Cote, believe marijuana has been stigmatized and should be accepted as a form of treatment. It was so tainted for a long time, Ottawa Senators forward Matt Duchene said. And now people are starting to learn a little bit more about it and there is definitely some positive uses to different elements of it. Read More Facebook

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Costa Mesa council to review marijuana permit decision By Luke Money Costa Mesas review process for marijuana-related businesses will enter uncharted territory Tuesday when the City Council takes a second look at an earlier decision to award a required permit. So far, whats separated this particular application by Pivot Naturals LLC from the dozen other marijuana manufacturing and distribution facilities that previously sailed through City Hall isnt so much the question of whether the business should be allowed to open, but when. City planning commissioners decided last month to grant the business a conditional use permit to operate within a 5,283-square-foot industrial space in Suite 101 at 3595 Cadillac Ave. However, they added a new wrinkle by restricting hours to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Read More Facebook

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Business linked to Newport mayor paid councilman to help create marijuana facility in Inland Empire, records show By Hillary Davis A business linked to Newport Beach Mayor Marshall Duffy Duffield paid his City Council colleague Scott Peotter to help convert part of Duffields boat manufacturing facility in San Bernardino County to a medical marijuana cultivation or distribution hub, records show. Peotter made at least $10,000 from DC Developments, a Duffield-associated company, according to Peotters state-required statement of economic interest forms. A string of corporations that financially tie the two together appears to answer a question  has Peotter ever worked for Duffield?  that has dogged them for weeks as they seek reelection in November. Read More Facebook

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Following California, pot legalization campaigns across the U.S. aim to throw out old convictions By Kurtis Lee Rob Jenkins tried for four years to find a job, scouring the internet for anything that seemed at all appealing  a maintenance position at a Chevron refinery, a counselor for foster kids, a clerk at Hertz. Some employers seemed interested, until they found out about his 2008 misdemeanor conviction for growing marijuana. I was stuck, recalled the 37-year-old college graduate. No job opportunities were coming in. Read More Facebook

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Canada is about to legalize marijuana. How did that happen? Justin Trudeau, for starters By Kurtis Lee Politicians herald it as transformative. Residents offer resounding support in the polls. Investors see billions of dollars on the horizon. When Canada legalizes marijuana on Oct. 17, it will join Uruguay as the only countries to allow recreational cannabis nationwide. The South American country became the first in 2013. The effort, years in the making, is unlike the piecemeal approaches to marijuana legalization that have been passed in the United States and the Netherlands. For pot proponents around the world, Canadas implementation of legal marijuana is being closely watched. Read More Facebook

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Can you carry marijuana in LAX? Yes, but its more complicated than that By Chris Erskine LAX wants you to know this about the marijuana you may be taking with you on your trip: Whats legal on the street is also legal in the terminals. Up to a point. Travelers can carry the legal amount of marijuana in California  up to 28.5 grams through the airport areas that are under city supervision, that is up to pre-security checkpoints. Read More Facebook

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Dont you dare light up at Las Vegas new cannabis museum By Jay Jones Inhale  we mean through your nose  in the new marijuana museum in Las Vegas. You wont smell a thing, even though recreational pot is legal in Nevada. Signs in the elevators at Neonopolis, the downtown entertainment, dining and retail center thats home to the immersive Cannabition museum, make it clear that consumption in public is still against the law. Just steps away, a colorful mural covering the museums exterior depicts the changing attitudes toward marijuana, from the scare tactics of the 1930s to strict law enforcement in the 80s to growing tolerance today. That history is depicted in greater detail once youre inside. Read More Facebook

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Costa Mesa Planning Commission awards permit to 13th marijuana business By Luke Money A 13th marijuana manufacturing and distribution facility took a step closer to opening in Costa Mesa after the city Planning Commission decided Monday to grant it a required permit. The 3-2 vote, with Chairman Stephan Andranian and Vice Chairman Byron de Arakal opposed, awards a conditional use permit to Pivot Naturals LLC to operate in an existing 5,283-square-foot industrial space in Suite 101 at 3595 Cadillac Ave. Pivot Naturals intends to process cannabis oils into a powder for use in a variety of products, including tablets, food and beverages. Read More Facebook

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Kindergartner can take cannabis drug to school, judge says By Associated Press A kindergartner can keep bringing a cannabis-based drug used for emergency treatment of a rare form of epilepsy to her public school, a judge ruled Friday. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that a judge sided with the family of 5-year-old Brooke Adams. The Rincon Valley Union School District in Santa Rosa sought to ban the ointment from school grounds because it contains the active ingredient in marijuana. Read More Facebook

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Glendale police seize hundreds of marijuana plants after reportedly discovering elaborate grow operation By Andy Nguyen What started as a routine wellness check by Glendale police officers on Monday led to the alleged discovery of an illegal marijuana grow operation and the seizure of more than 600 plants. Officers with the Glendale Police Department were in the 100 block of Wonderview Drive at around 12:40 a.m. after receiving a call about a person yelling for help from one of the homes in the neighborhood. After speaking with the homes occupant, 38-year-old Rui Yun Guan, officers entered the residence and discovered it had been converted into an elaborate marijuana grow operation, according to Tahnee Lightfoot, a spokeswoman for the department. Read More Facebook

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Tilrays wild ride shows how hyped pot stocks are catching up to the crypto craze By Craig Giammona Tilray Inc. investors could probably use a bit of the companys products right now. The Canadian maker of medicinal cannabis extracts finished a whipsaw session Wednesday with its share price 38% higher. But Tilray was up as much as 94% earlier in the day, peaking at $300. Fifty-three minutes and four trading halts later, it was in negative territory. The closing flourish that added $63 to the share price  it finished up $59.08 to $214.06  took just six minutes. It left a sea of bodies, both longs and shorts, behind in its wake, said Dave Lutz, managing director at JonesTrading. Read More Facebook

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Marijuana industry fights stoner, pot and other words that stigmatizes people By Gary Robbins Theres a badge on her uniform, possibly a gun on her hip, and her arms are spread a little, suggesting shes ready for anything. You might think that youre looking at a police officer walking a beat. But what youve seen on billboards and, more recently, the internet is an effort by MedMen Enterprises of Culver City to remind you that marijuana users come from all walks of life. They can be cops, nurses, teachers, scientists, construction foremen and grandmothers. Read More Facebook

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Police arrest eight people after searching illegal cannabis store in San Fernando Valley By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Los Angeles police arrested eight people at an illegal cannabis store in the San Fernando Valley after serving a search warrant, officials said Wednesday. About 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Departments Mission Area Narcotics Unit searched a cannabis retail shop in the 15400 block of Devonshire Street and confiscated several items of evidence and contraband, police said in a news release. The store was operating without proper permits and was considered a nuisance location, authorities said. Read More Facebook

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More than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students have vaped marijuana, study finds By Karen Kaplan Electronic cigarettes are the most popular tobacco product among U.S. teens, but tobacco isnt the only thing theyre vaping. A new report from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that more than 2 million middle and high school students have used an e-cigarette to vape marijuana. That figure is based on survey results from the 2016 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which polls a representative sample of American students in grades 6 through 12. Among the questions the 20,675 participants were asked in 2016 was, Have you ever used an e-cigarette device with a substance besides nicotine? One of the possible answers was this: Yes, I have used an e-cigarette device with marijuana, THC or hash oil, or THC wax. (THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the mind-altering chemical that produces marijuanas high.) Read More Facebook

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Police chiefs warn of increased crime if California allows pot deliveries statewide By Patrick McGreevy The prospect of vans loaded with pot delivering to homes in quiet Morgan Hill makes Police Chief David Swing uneasy. Like most cities in the state, the upscale San Jose suburb has banned pot shops. But now, as California considers a proposal to allow marijuana businesses to send home-delivery vans into communities where retail stores are prohibited, Swing and others in law enforcement say they are preparing for the worst. This will make it easier and more lucrative to rob a delivery person than a liquor store, said Swing, who is president of the California Police Chiefs Assn. He notes drivers would be allowed to carry up to $10,000 in cash. Robberies are the tip of the iceberg. They can lead to other crimes, including aggravated assaults and homicides. Read More Facebook

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Tesla erupts in chaos after senior executives leave and Elon Musk tokes up By Dana Hull The turmoil at Tesla Inc. reached a fever pitch Friday, as news emerged that two senior executives will leave Elon Musks electric-car maker a matter of hours after he smoked marijuana during an hours-long interview with a comedian. Chief Accounting Officer Dave Morton gave notice Tuesday that he was resigning less than a month into the job, according to a filing. Teslas stock plunged, then extended declines after Gabrielle Toledano, the head of human resources whos been on a leave of absence, told Bloomberg News that she wont rejoin the company. Morton, a former chief financial officer for computer-drive maker Seagate Technology Plc, joined Tesla the day before Chief Executive Musk tweeted that he was considering buying out some investors at $420 a share and taking the company private. Musk abandoned that take-private effort 17 days later, and in the process drew a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission and a series of lawsuits alleging market manipulation. Read More Facebook

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Elon Musk smokes a blunt live on YouTube with podcaster Joe Rogan By Russ Mitchell Elon Musk apparently smoked dope with comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan live on YouTube late Thursday night, then giggled about turning Mars into a big Jamaica. I mean, its legal, right? Musk said, accepting a lit blunt from Rogan in the Los Angeles studio, where The Joe Rogan Experience is webcast live. Rogan told Musk hed rolled marijuana in tobacco leaves. Musk took a single deep toke. If the pair were joking about what they were smoking, they didnt say so. Read More Facebook

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L.A. launches crackdown on unlicensed marijuana businesses; more than 500 people are charged By Joseph Serna A police crackdown on local unlicensed marijuana businesses has ended with misdemeanor charges against more than 500 people in Los Angeles, the city attorneys office said. In 120 criminal cases filed since May, City Atty. Mike Feuer has charged 515 people in connection with 105 illegal marijuana businesses, grow sites, extraction labs and delivery companies located throughout the city, his office announced Friday. All of the defendants were charged with unlicensed commercial cannabis activity within the city, which carries a potential sentence of six months in jail and $1,000 in fines. Local judges have been hearing the cases since May with arraignments scheduled through the end of October, Feuers office said. Read More Facebook

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12th marijuana business wins permit approval in Costa Mesa By Luke Money Costa Mesa planning commissioners Monday evening gave their blessing to another local marijuana manufacturing and distribution facility, bringing the total number of approvals to 12. On a 4-0 vote  with Chairman Stephan Andranian absent  the commission awarded a conditional use permit to Pure Labs Inc., which is looking to open in a 2,025-square-foot space in Unit M-103 at 3505 Cadillac Ave. The decision is final unless appealed to the City Council within seven days. Read More Facebook

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Former L.A. mayor Villaraigosa joins board of local cannabis firm MedMen By James Rufus Koren Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is joining the board of publicly traded cannabis company MedMen, marking his return to the business world following a resounding defeat in Junes Democratic gubernatorial primary. MedMen, a Culver City company that operates high-end cannabis shops in California, Nevada and New York and has aggressive expansion plans, announced Villaraigosas appointment Wednesday morning. Villaraigosa adds political and governmental experience to a board made up of branding, entertainment and accounting executives. Other recent additions to the companys board include Stacey Hallerman, a former executive at the conglomerate that owns luxury brands Montblanc and Cartier, and Jay Brown, the chief executive of of RocNation, the entertainment company co-founded by Shawn Jay Z Carter. Read More Facebook

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Newport man accused of operating illegal marijuana dispensary in Costa Mesa By Luke Money A Newport Beach man is accused of operating an illegal marijuana dispensary in Costa Mesa, according to authorities. Omid Delkash, 47, was charged Monday with four misdemeanor counts of unlawful transportation, sale and furnishing of marijuana. He pleaded not guilty and is in custody at Orange County Jail, records show. He is scheduled to appear in court Friday for a pretrial hearing. Costa Mesa law prohibits the retail sale of marijuana or marijuana products anywhere in the city. Read More Facebook

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California lawmakers want the state to collect data on drivers under the influence of pot By Patrick McGreevy After she was injured in a car accident allegedly caused by a driver impaired by pot, state Controller Betty Yee is backing a bill approved Monday by the Legislature that aims to begin addressing the problem of drugged driving on California roads. The measure sent to Gov. Jerry Brown would require the California Highway Patrol to report on how many motorists stopped for impaired driving are allegedly under the influence of marijuana. Its what other states have done  like Colorado and Washington  to at least start collecting state-level data, Yee said. They just want to understand the extent of cannabis-impaired driving. Read More Facebook

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Marijuana use is rising among pregnant patients. Not so fast, doctors warn By Jenny Gold Marijuana may be losing its image as a dangerous drug, but mounting research suggests women should steer clear of it if they are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The advice comes as more than half of the states, including California, have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use. Growing acceptance of the drug has made it seem harmless, or even beneficial. As a result, doctors fret that more and more babies are being exposed to the drug. The march toward legalization has outpaced scientific research about marijuanas health effects. Because it is a Schedule 1 drug  one with potential for abuse and no approved medical use  studies have been limited by federal law. Read More Facebook

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Mormon Church ramps up opposition to medical marijuana effort in Utah, speaking out publicly By Kurtis Lee The Mormon Church has played a quiet role in the fight against an effort to legalize medical marijuana in Utah, releasing measured statements and helping to bankroll lawsuits. But on Thursday, leaders of the powerful Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came out from behind the scenes. We are deeply concerned by the history of other states that have allowed medical and recreational use of this drug  and have experienced serious consequences to the health of its citizens, Elder Jack N. Gerard, flanked by politicians, medical professionals and other church leaders, said at a news conference at the state Capitol. Read More Facebook

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California lawmakers move to help expunge pot-related convictions California lawmakers voted Wednesday to ease the process for clearing the records of those convicted in the past of marijuana offenses. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) With recreational marijuana legalized by the states voters, Californians with past convictions for cannabis-related offenses would get state help in expunging their records under a bill sent by lawmakers to the governor on Wednesday. Proposition 64, which state voters approved in 2016, legalized the sale and use of marijuana for recreational use and permitted those with past convictions for the activity to petition the courts to clear their records. But state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told his colleagues Wednesday that the process is complicated, and many with pot convictions do not know about the opportunity. Read More Facebook

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By next year, you can buy medical marijuana in Hawaii, but youll still have to jump through some hoops By Jay Jones Out-of-state medical marijuana users next year will be able to buy cannabis products at dispensaries in Hawaii. The only hitches: Visitors will need to apply online and pay $45 (plus a $4.50 processing fee) for a temporary Hawaii medical marijuana card thats valid for 60 days. Weve been fielding a lot of calls daily about reciprocity, said George Bullock, director of the Cure Oahu marijuana dispensary in Waikiki. We really look forward to being able to serve them in the future. The Hawaii Department of Health plans to allow medical marijuana cardholders from other states to make purchases at dispensaries on Oahu, Maui and Kauai. But state officials are not using the word reciprocity because those out-of-state cards wont work. Read More Facebook

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Teen sold weed from her bedroom, with her parents as suppliers, Merced County officials say By Joseph Serna A teenage girl who sold marijuana out of her bedroom was using her gun-toting parents as her suppliers, the Merced County Sheriffs Office said. On Friday, deputies served a search warrant on the home of Jose Reyes Martinez, 44, and his wife in Delhi, Calif., where they found 80 pounds of packaged marijuana and a dozen large plants along with two firearms, officials said on Facebook. The packaged weed was found in the master bedroom closet alongside a loaded AK-47, deputies said. A makeshift greenhouse in the backyard held a dozen large plants, authorities said. Read More Facebook

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Newport Beach sues to halt what city calls a marijuana dispensary at Church of the Holy Grail By Hannah Fry Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block an operation that identifies itself as a church but the city says is a marijuana dispensary violating local law. Brick-and-mortar marijuana dispensaries are prohibited in Newport Beach under municipal code. Cultivation, processing, distribution and delivery of cannabis have been banned in the city since 2016. A civil lawsuit Newport filed June 25 seeks an injunction to forbid the organization known as Church of the Holy Grail from operating at 2072 Bristol St. It isnt clear how long it has been operating, though the lawsuit states the location has been running without a business license since at least Jan. 24. Read More Facebook

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Proposal to create state-chartered banks for California marijuana industry fails to advance Virgil Grant arranges containers of various strains of medical marijuana in a display case at a dispensary he runs in Los Angeles. (Frederic J. Brown / AFP/Getty Images) California lawmakers on Thursday shelved a proposal to allow the state to license private banks to handle the billions of dollars expected to be generated by the states legal marijuana industry amid questions about the plans feasibility. Voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016 to legalize growing, possessing and selling marijuana for recreational use, but newly licensed pot shops and farms say they cannot put their money in federally chartered banks because cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Los Angeles) proposed that the state could license special privately financed banks that would issue checks to the businesses to pay rent and state and local taxes and fees, and to compensate vendors for goods and services provided to their businesses. Read More Facebook

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Parent of Corona beer bets $3.8 billion on U.S. love of marijuana By Bloomberg Constellation Brands Inc., which for seven decades has made its money off beer, wine and whiskey, sees its future in a marijuana leaf. In the biggest (legal) marijuana deal, the Victor, N.Y., beverage company will spend about $3.8 billion to boost its stake in Canadian grower Canopy Growth Corp., betting legalization will gain traction around the world and especially in the United States. This is rocket fuel, Canopy Chief Executive Bruce Linton said on the companys earnings call Wednesday. Were going to be way more global. Read More Facebook

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Marijuana is not really legal in California if residents dont have a reasonable way to buy it By The Times Editorial Board California law allows adults to buy marijuana. It allows licensed businesses to deliver marijuana to customers, and it says specifically that cities and counties cannot prevent delivery services from traveling on public roads. Yet even though cities cant stop deliveries traveling through their jurisdiction, many cities currently ban deliveries to their jurisdiction. That means that unlike deliveries of virtually every other legal, adult-use product  including alcohol and cigarettes, which can be ordered over the internet in California  marijuana deliveries are barred. The practical effect is that residents in some places have little to no access to legal medical or recreational cannabis products because of local regulations  which seems contrary to the intent of Proposition 64. Roughly half of Californians live in cities or counties that prohibit marijuana stores and delivery services form opening in their jurisdictions. An analysis by the Sacramento Bee earlier this year found residents in 40% of the state had to drive 60 miles or more to find a licensed dispensary to buy legal marijuana  medical or recreational. Read More Facebook

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California cities oppose plan to allow pot delivery in areas where sales are banned California cities are objecting to changes in the states rules on marijuana that they say undermine local control. (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) California cities on Monday objected to a state proposal that would allow marijuana delivery to homes in areas where storefront pot sales have been banned locally. The changes, which are being considered by the state Bureau of Cannabis Control, will undermine a citys ability to effectively regulate cannabis at the local level, Charles Harvey, a legislative representative for the League of California Cities, said in a letter to the bureau. The cities group, which represents the states 482 municipalities, supports other changes to clarify the rules of Proposition 64, which was approved by voters in 2016 and allows the growing and sale of marijuana for recreational use. Read More Facebook

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Cypress Hills B-Real set to open a Sylmar dispensary, as Cannary West takes flight Saturday By Adam Tschorn B-Real, from left, Kenji Fujishima and Rojo Desantis in front of the soon-to-open Dr. Greenthumbs dispensary in Sylmar. (Dr. Greenthumbs) Rapper and marijuana entrepreneur Louis Freese, better known as Cypress Hill frontman B-Real, plans to celebrate the grand opening of his flagship dispensary in Sylmar with a day-long bash next Wednesday. Called Dr. Greenthumbs  a name music fans will recognize as the title of a 1998 Cypress Hill song  the Foothill Boulevard dispensary will be heavy on strains from B-Reals Insane brand of cannabis as well his Phuncky Feel Tips product line (glass tips designed to fit the business end of a hand-rolled joint). It will also serve as the home base for the rappers online BReal.TV network. According to todays announcement, the Wednesday event will be open to the public (though youll need to be at least 21  or 18 with a medical marijuana card) and feature a line-up of BRealTVs DJs as well as a slew of surprise guests [making] appearances throughout the day. A second Dr. Greenthumbs is expected to open in Cathedral City later this year. Dr. Greenthumbs grand-opening party, Aug. 15 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 12751 Foothill Blvd., Sylmar (just west of the 210 freeway between Arroyo and Vaughn streets). Cannary West In other dispensary-opening news, a rebooted and relocated Cannary West (this version by the folks behind the stylish, upscale Venice Blvd. dispensary the Pottery), officially opens its doors Saturday. Although parts of the space in the Rancho Park neighborhood are still under construction, its only because plans include adding sustainable on-site cultivation (a process also underway at the Pottery), it does already have one of Los Angeles real estates most enviable features  a dedicated off-street parking lot for customers around back. To mark the grand opening, the first 200 customers who spend $30 or more after the dispensary opens for business at 10 a.m. will receive a little something special for their efforts. Cannary West, grand opening, Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 2435 Military Avenue, Los Angeles (just south of Pico and two blocks east of Sepulveda). Facebook

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As budget remedies, Huntington Beach may explore marijuana-related revenue and boosting fines for illegal short-term rentals By Priscella Vega With general-fund revenue increases projected to taper off in coming years, the Huntington Beach Finance Commission this week recommended several potential budget-tightening and revenue-generating solutions. Among them are increasing fines for illegal short-term rentals, reducing city staff and exploring opportunities for marijuana-related revenue. Some recommendations will be unpopular with employees, but at the same time we hope they realize implementing some recommendations may make funding available for salary increases, Finance Commission Chairman Nouha Hreish told the City Council during a study session Monday. Read More Facebook

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High Times rolls out new online video network By Adam Tschorn High Times, which launched as a print magazine in 1974, has added a streaming video service to its offerings. (High Times TV) Los Angeles-based cannabis media brand High Times, which launched as a print magazine in 1974, has added a streaming video service to its offerings. Announced Thursday, the ad-supported web channel High Times TV is both a showcase for the brands own content (behind-the-scenes videos from its Cannabis Cup events, for example, and how-to videos for ganja guacamole) as well as a platform for an assortment of independent cannabis-content creators like the Stoner Mom (a Colorado mother with a family of six who focuses on living a responsible cannabis lifestyle), StrainCentral (a strain review site founded by Joshua Young) and That High Couple (Hollywood-based couple Alice and Clark who chronicle their THC-infused life via social media). While High Times newest venture is hardly a unique move- there isnt a legacy media brand out there that isnt trying to capitalize on streaming video  it could end up being a lifeline for the independents in the stoner space who have seen their traditional social media channels (particularly YouTube) threatened, restricted or suspended in a cannabis-content crackdown that began earlier this year. High Times TV is now available as an app on Android, Roku and Apple TV as well as online at tv.hightimes.com. Facebook

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Newport Beach lawsuit seeks to ban marijuana business that operated in residential neighborhoods By Hannah Fry Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block a marijuana business from operating in two homes in violation of city law. A civil lawsuit filed May 4 seeks an injunction to forbid the business  known as OC Healing House, Bud Man OC and Bud Man Newport Beach  from operating at a home on Drakes Bay Drive in Corona del Mar and a home on Promontory Drive in Newports Promontory Point community. The city attorneys office says the business was using the homes for marijuana delivery and distribution. The lawsuit calls the business a public nuisance. Read More Facebook

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Marijuana is a gift from God. A battle over pot pits the Mormon Church against an unlikely group: other Mormons By Kurtis Lee Brian Stoll faced a dilemma as his wedding day approached. For more than a year, he had been smoking marijuana to treat severe back pain, but to remain in good standing with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and get married in the temple, he had to stop using pot. Since marijuana was illegal under Utah law, church leaders told him, it was forbidden. Stoll turned to an opioid painkiller and has continued using it since his marriage three years ago, despite unpleasant side effects and its inability to match the soothing qualities of marijuana. This was devastating ... I had to choose between my health and my fiancee, Stoll said recently. It seemed asinine that if I lived in another state, I wouldnt have to make such a difficult decision. Read More Facebook

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Roommates were unaware of drug lab operation in Glendale home, police say By Andy Nguyen Authorities arrested a man on Friday suspected of operating an illegal butane honey-oil lab out of a Glendale home. John Kelly, 52, was taken into custody after the Glendale Police Department received a tip about the suspected manufacturing operation in the 1400 block of Randall Street. The information was derived from an ongoing narcotics investigation, according to Sgt. Dan Suttles, a spokesman for the department. Butane honey oil is a type of concentrated cannabis product made when marijuana is soaked in butane in order to extract the plants essential oils. The process can lead to explosions if the butane gas builds up in an enclosed area and ignites from a spark. Read More Facebook

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Rams guard Jamon Brown says marijuana is reason for suspension By Gary Klein Rams starting right guard Jamon Brown, suspended for the first two games of the season for violating the NFLs substance-abuse policy, said Thursday that the suspension stemmed from a 2017 incident in Kentucky that involved marijuana. Brown still worked with the first-team offense Thursday as the Rams held their first training camp practice at UC Irvine. Brown, a fourth-year pro from Louisville, said that before last season he was pulled over for speeding and that police found marijuana in the car. Read More Facebook

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Democrats still havent figured out that legal weed is a winning issue By Tom Angell Every Democratic U.S. senator rumored to be considering a 2020 presidential run supports marijuana legalization. So do 77% of Democratic voters. The partys 2016 national platform backs states rights on cannabis and calls for a reasoned pathway for future legalization. So why is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee  the entity charged with winning back control of the U.S. House  attacking a Republican congressman over his support for marijuana reform? And why is it citing a right-wing magazine to make the case? Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) has a cult-like fixation on marijuana, said a National Review article excerpt the Democratic committee highlighted in a tweet posted Monday. The party organ said the GOP congressmans cannabis advocacy is one reason why [Democratic nominee] @HarleyRouda needs your help flipping this seat...from #RedToBlue. Read More Facebook

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They worked at Apple, Amazon and Lyft. Now theyre working to get you stoned By Tracey Lien For much of her career, Natasha Pecor followed a path well-worn by tech workers. She built her reputation with her first employer in the industry, earning the title head of platform at Yelp. Then she jumped to one of the giants, Amazon, where she worked as a product manager. Most recently she parlayed that experience into a leadership role at a smaller start-up  a common move among techies willing to take a risk for a new challenge and perhaps a big payday. But this start-up wasnt exactly a tech company. Read More Facebook

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Fountain Valley man sentenced to life in prison in kidnapping and torture of marijuana dispensary owner By Hannah Fry A Fountain Valley man was sentenced Friday to spend the rest of his life behind bars for kidnapping a medical marijuana dispensary owner and his roommate in 2012 and torturing the dispensary owner as part of a plot to extort money. Orange County Superior Court Judge Gregg Prickett gave Kyle Shirakawa Handley, 39, the maximum sentence of life in state prison. A Superior Court jury in January swiftly found Handley guilty of of kidnapping, aggravated mayhem and torture, all felonies. Prosecutors contended that Handley, a marijuana grower who supplied the victims dispensary, and three other defendants kidnapped the man and his female roommate from their 25th Street home on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach on Oct. 2, 2012. Read More Facebook

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More California kids are having pot-related health scares, poison control officials warn By Patrick McGreevy State and local officials say they are alarmed by a spike in calls they have received to report children and teenagers ingesting marijuana products since California legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults in 2016. The number of calls to poison control centers involving people 19 and younger who were exposed to marijuana has steadily risen from 347 three years ago to 588 last year. In the first six months of this year, there have been 386 calls to poison control centers involving marijuana exposure by underage people. If that trend continues, there could be more than double the reports in 2018 as there were 2015. Nearly half of the calls received last year  256  involved children 5 and younger, including 38 children under 12 months old, and 64 toddlers who were a year old, according to Stuart E. Heard, executive director of the California Poison Control System. Read More Facebook

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With marijuana legal, California flooded with dubious health claims about the drug By Gary Robbins Spend a few minutes surfing Twitter and youre likely to encounter a startling claim that comes without proof: Cannabis cures cancer. The online world is awash with such posts, startling scientists and physicians who are urging weeds proselytizers to tap the brakes. Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown appoints members to new cannabis permit appeals panel Marijuana on display at the Harborside dispensary in Oakland. (Mathew Sumner / Associated Press) Six months after California began licensing growing and selling marijuana, Gov. Jerry Brown on July 3 appointed the first members of a new Cannabis Control Appeals Panel to consider objections from those denied permits or those facing penalties for violating regulations. The governor gets to name three of the five members of the panel and appointed county prosecutor Sabrina D. Ashjian of Fresno, college lecturer Diandra Bremond of Los Angeles, and a staff attorney for the governor, Adrian Carpenter of Plumas Lake. The other two appointments will be made by the Senate Rules Committee and the speaker of the Assembly. Read More Facebook

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Federal law? State law? Which takes precedence when you want to travel with cannabis? By Catharine Hamm You cant take it with you. Actually, you can. But its not a good idea when youre traveling, especially for the risk-averse. We speak, of course, of cannabis; its use was approved by 57% of California voters in November 2016. Proposition 64, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, allows the recreational use of marijuana in the Golden State; medical marijuana had been legal for about a decade before that. Legal, it should be noted, in California. Not legal according to federal law, although President Trump has signaled his willingness to support legislation that, according to an L.A. Times article, would end the federal ban on marijuana. Read More Facebook

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An 8-year-old Muslim girl was locked in a Hindu shrine, drugged, gang-raped for several days and bludgeoned to death with a stone.

As if the January killing in northern India werent horrifying enough, lawyers and right-wing Hindus this month marched in defense of her assailants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waited several days before condemning the crime, which was reported by police this month, then accused his critics of politicizing the issue.

The case has provoked nationwide outrage not seen since 2012, when a 23-year-old physiotherapist was gang-raped and killed on a bus in New Delhi. That crime prompted calls for tougher laws to address the nearly 39,000 sexual assaults that occur in this country every year.

But more than five years later, the number of rapes reported to police is rising. And the attack on the girl is just one of a series of recent cases that suggest Indias religious and political divisions  which are widening under Modis Hindu nationalist government  are making the crisis worse.

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Who is the victim?

Eight-year-old Asifa was a member of a nomadic Muslim community that takes its sheep and goats to graze during the winter in a part of Indias Jammu and Kashmir state that is dominated by Hindus, Indias predominant religion.

Tension had been building for years over whether the nomads, known as Bakarwals, should have grazing rights. Jammu and Kashmir is Indias only majority-Muslim state, its northern end home to a long-running separatist insurgency.

According to authorities, Sanji Ram, a retired bureaucrat, hatched a conspiracy to kill the girl in an effort to drive the nomads from the area. One day in January, when Asifa went to bring home the familys horses, Rams nephew abducted her and locked her in the temple, where Ram is the caretaker.

Sedated with local drugs, she was raped repeatedly  including by Rams son, who was summoned from 300 miles away to satisfy his lust  before being bashed in the head with a 2-pound stone and dumped in a forest, where her body lay for three days, police said. Two local police officers accepted nearly $5,000 in bribes from Ram to destroy evidence, according to police.

The house of 8-year-old Asifa, who was raped and killed, stands abandoned at Rasana village in Kathua district on April 13, 2018. (Channi Anand / Associated Press )

A backdrop of communal violence

The case received little attention until the police report became public this month, its grisly details and motive for the crime adding to the atrocities suffered by Muslims under Modis government.

Hindu extremists have been accused of killing Muslims whom they falsely accused of possessing beef, which is anathema to orthodox Hindus. Others have claimed a plot by Muslims to overtake the country  which is 80% Hindu  by forcibly converting Hindu brides to Islam, a practice they dub love jihad.

In this case, a newly formed right-wing group called Hindu Ekta Manch, or Forum for Hindu Unity, organized rallies in defense of the eight men arrested in the Asifa case, arguing they had been framed. Some demonstrators waved the tricolor Indian flag. Among the participants were two state officials with Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, who later were forced to resign.

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Last week, when police attempted to submit charges against the men  who pleaded not guilty  the courthouse was blocked by a group of lawyers who said the investigation was harassing Hindus. Misinformation on right-wing social media channels contended that Asifa hadnt been raped, prompting state police to issue a statement over the weekend saying that the facts of the case were established beyond doubt.

Pratap Bhanu Mehta, one of Indias foremost public intellectuals, wrote that the public responses suggested that the countrys moral compass had been destroyed and that state, law, civil society, now understand only a sectarian language.

Another rape fans outrage

At the same time, in northern Uttar Pradesh state, a teenage girl attempted to light herself on fire outside the residence of the states top official, a hard-line member of Modis party.

The girl accused a BJP lawmaker of raping her at his house last year. Police had ignored her, she said, and when she refused to withdraw the complaint, the lawmakers brother and several other men allegedly beat her father so badly that he died of his injuries.

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For several days, police said there was no need to arrest the lawmaker, Kuldeep Singh Sengar. It wasnt until a court accused the state government of working in league with Sengar that he was taken into custody last week.

Students participate in a candlelight procession for an 8-year-old girl in Jammu, India. (Channi Anand / Associated Press )

Has anything changed since 2012?

India introduced measures to speed up prosecutions of rape cases and expanded the definition of sex crimes to include stalking and voyeurism. There was a 12% rise in rape-related cases in 2016 in part because women felt more emboldened to report crimes.

But the national statistics remain shocking. In 40% of the rape cases, the victims were under 18. Courts move so slowly that one childrens rights organization estimated that if no new child sexual abuse cases were brought after 2016, it still would take Indias justice system 20 years to conclude pending trials.

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So much rape and sexual abuse still doesnt get reported because going to the police is still a nightmare, said Deepa Narayan, a social scientist and author of a recent book on Indian women.

In these recent cases, the courts have had to step in, and thats frightening. If you dont have political clout or your story doesnt become a national or international story, forget justice.

The government said last week that it was considering tougher penalties for rape cases, including the death penalty in crimes in which the victim is younger than 12.

Is Modis government to blame?

Modi, who took office in 2014 and is seeking reelection next year, is a savvy communicator who skillfully uses social media. But he has been noticeably taciturn on the subject of communal violence.

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Much of it is attributed to groups with loose ties to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a hard-line Hindu organization that is the ideological parent of Modis party. They include groups that have been accused of assaulting university students and self-styled vigilantes who aim to protect cows.

This week, a group of retired civil servants blasted Modi for the agenda of division and hate your party and its innumerable, often untraceable offshoots that spring up from time to time, have insidiously introduced into Indian life.

More than 600 academics from India and overseas followed that with an open letter calling the rapes part of a pattern of repeated targeted attacks on minorities. They said the violence was worst in states run by the BJP, creating an undeniable association with the ruling dispensation.

Modi condemned the rapes only after they had generated international headlines. When he did so, his words were vague and tinged with the patriarchal attitude that Narayan said infects most Indian thinking about women: Our daughters will get justice.

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Special correspondent Parth M.N. contributed to this report.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Shashank Bengali is South Asia correspondent for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @SBengali
Almost two weeks after a suspected chemical weapons attack killed almost 40 people in Syria, a team of experts arrived Saturday at one of the sites of the alleged attack in the city of Duma.

Early on April 21, a special OPCW [Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons] mission for finding traces of chemical weapons left for the city of Duma to the place of suspected use of toxic chemicals on April 7, said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to a report from the official Tass agency. The OPCW later confirmed in a statement its team had reached one of the sites to collect samples.

The OPCW will evaluate the situation and consider future steps including another possible visit to Duma, read the statement, adding that the samples would be sent to a lab in the Netherlands for testing.

The nine-person teams mandate under the U.N. charge is to determine if a chemical attack took place and what chemical agent was used. It cannot apportion blame.

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In Duma, the experts will have to gather biological samples from victims, both survivors and fatalities, as well as environmental evidence, said George Famini, a former U.S. government official and now chemical safety consultant with 35 years in chemical defense and security.

Gathering environmental evidence will be especially complicated, Famini added.

Both agents believed to be used in the attack degrade over time, making tests for the actual agent difficult, he said.

The team had been waiting for a week to enter Duma, just a six-mile drive northeast from where they were staying in the capital, because of what Russian and Syrian authorities said were security issues.

The city was the recent focal point of a large-scale government campaign aimed at routing armed rebel factions from Ghouta, the suburban areas ringing the capital.

During the final phase of that assault, opposition activists and medical workers contend troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad bombed two areas of Duma with chemical-filled barrel bombs, metal barrels packed with explosives and detritus that the government has dropped often on rebel-held areas.

Medics said hundreds of patients exhibited symptoms including skin discoloration, burning eyes and foaming at the mouth, indications of exposure to what they said was chlorine gas, a chemical poison, and sarin, a nerve agent.

Both Syria and Russia, the top international backer of Assad, dismissed the claims and invited the OPCW to investigate.

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The rebels surrendered after the attack, and Damascus had declared the area clear of terrorists, its usual term for the rebels, six days ago. Military police, numerous officials and even foreign journalists visited the area without incident.

Yet, a U.N. advance security team dispatched earlier this week to the two areas attacked in Duma withdrew after it came under small arms fire and an explosive was detonated, the OPCWs director-general, Ahmet Uzumcu, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The OPCWs visit opens another chapter in the Cold War-like confrontation between Russia and Western nations long opposed to Assads rule.

U.S., French and British officials have accused Russia of tampering with the site and obstructing the work of the OPCW, even as they insist they already have sufficient proof to hold Assad responsible for the attack.

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We appeal to Western colleagues to refrain from actions obstructing efforts to establish the truth regarding the provocation in Eastern Ghouta, said Zakharova, adding that Moscow expected the OPCW to conduct an impartial investigation and submit an unbiased report as soon as possible.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

Twitter: @nabihbulos
A South Side Easton resident found belongings moved at home and drawers that had been disturbed after allowing a purported water tester inside Friday, according to city police.

Police were continuing to investigate the incident that occurred about 3:30 p.m. at the home in the 800 block of Philadelphia Road, Inspector Daniel Reagan said in a news release Saturday.

A man came to the door and told the resident he was from a water company serving Easton, Bethlehem and Allentown.

"He told a resident that he needed to test water to make sure it is safe, because a gas line contaminated water in the area," Reagan says in the release.

The man wore a lanyard around his neck. He is described as possibly of Hispanic descent, standing about 5 feet 7 inches tall and with neatly shaven black hair and some facial hair, according to police.

He checked water at the kitchen sink and in the area of the home's washing machine, said it was safe then left, police said. It was later that the resident noticed things were amiss in the home and called police. It was not immediately clear where anything was stolen.

"If you are unsure about of the legitimacy of any persons that arrive at your residence do not allow them inside," Reagan wrote. "Police are reminding city residents to be cautious, vigilant, and report any suspicious activity immediately by calling 911, if the activity is in progress. The non-emergency number is 610-759-2200."

Police asked anyone with information on this incident to call Detective Charles Leauber at 610-250-6780.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A team of bicyclists is passing through the Lehigh Valley on Sunday and Monday to honor those killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

This marks the first ride along the entire September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance ride, according to the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. The D&L Trail comprises one leg of the trail.

The five riders with the trail alliance's advisory board began their 23-day, 1,300-mile journey April 11 at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.

The route passes by all three sites involved in the attacks: the Pentagon, a field in Somerset County where Flight 93 went down and the former site of the World Trade Center in New York City.

"We are one memorial, instead of three separate memorials. We're bringing them together, all as one," alliance board Chairman Andy Hamilton told The (Johnstown) Tribune-Democrat.

He is riding alongside fellow board members Wayne Clark, Cyndi Steiner, Anne Maleady and Eric Brenner.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance is more than 1,000 miles along, and links together the three sites involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Click here for a more detailed map of the route. (Courtesy 911trail.org | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The riders are setting out at 10 a.m. Sunday on a 44-mile trip from Weissport Canal Park in Carbon County, headed south on the D&L Trail into Lehigh County. A special send-off is planned by the Lehighton Fire Department.

Stops are planned in East Penn Township and Slatington, as well, en route to Bucky E. Boyle Park in Allentown. There, about 1 p.m. Sunday, the riders will be joined by the Allentown Fire Department for an escort along Front Street, across the Hamilton Street Bride and onto Albert Street, before they return to the trail.

The group is scheduled to arrive about 2:15 p.m. at Sand Island in Bethlehem before continuing to Easton, arriving about 4 p.m., for an overnight stay, according to Northampton County Deputy Director of Administration Becky Bartlett.

September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance Advisory Board members, from left, Chairman Andy Hamilton, Wayne Clark, Cyndi Steiner, Anne Maleady and Vice Chairman Eric Brenner pose for a photo April 15, 2018, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. (The Tribune-Democrat via AP | For lehighvalleylive.com)

On Monday, a kickoff for the next leg is scheduled for 9 a.m. in Centre Square. A police/fire escort is planned for 9:30 a.m. to get the riders to the Karl Stirner Arts Trail en route to Tatamy by about 10:30 a.m. and Wind Gap by noon. The group is expected in Portland by 2:30 or 3 p.m. before continuing across the foot bridge into Warren County.

"Doing the inaugural ride of the trail is going to have all the communities along the corridor -- all sorts of different groups of people, veterans, etc. -- realize that this is an opportunity to have a pilgrimage trail for themselves," Hamilton said. "Knitting the communities together as one to these memorials is really a significant thing, especially when we get into these small communities that are based in rural Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware.

"It's a really wonderful opportunity to connect these three places as one."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
UPDATE: Cause of death for missing woman still under investigation

Monroe County authorities are investigating the death of a 24-year-old Philadelphia woman after her body was found behind a mobile home Friday.

Nicole Murray had been reported missing to Philadelphia police late last December and to Pocono Mountain Regional police on Jan. 9, Pocono Mountain Regional police Chief Chris Wagner said Saturday.

Her remains were found late Friday afternoon on a piece of property on Foliage Drive in Blakeslee, Tunkhannock Township, according to Monroe County Coroner Tom Yanac. The mobile home on the lot was unoccupied, police said.

The death is considered suspicious, he said. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday to try to determine the cause and manner of Murray's death.

Investigators did not immediately release who found the body.

The Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Unit was also investigating the death, along with Pocono Mountain Regional police and the coroner's office, Yanac said.

$5,000 reward!!!!! Please share it has been almost three months! We need to bring Murray home!!!! Posted by Justice for Nicole Murray on Saturday, March 31, 2018

Murray had told her mother she was going to the Poconos with a man she knew only as Bob, and possibly two other people she also knew only by first name, according to a GoFundMe account set up to raise money for a private investigator to look into her disappearance.

"On January 7th, Bob used Murray's cell phone to call her mother to tell her that Murray left the Poconos on foot on the night of January 3rd, leaving behind not only her cell phone but all of her belongings," the GoFundMe account states. "Murray was last heard from on January 3rd when she asked a friend to pick her up from the Poconos."

Murray would have turned 25 next weekend.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Lopatcong Township is seeking permission from the state to fire its tax collector, who has been suspended from her job since February as an internal investigation into her office unfolded.

Without getting into details of the investigation, township officials gave a brief overview of the situation at a meeting April 4, when they unanimously voted to suspend Rachellyn Mosher without pay. (The discussion can be heard in the video below starting at 13:12.)

Mosher, who also collects payments for sewer service, had been suspended with pay since February, officials said during the meeting. In March, both the township and an outside auditor determined that there was enough information to ask the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, which oversees such situations, to sanction Mosher's removal.

Further action depends on the state department's own findings, the township attorney said during the meeting.

The nature of the investigation was not publicly discussed.

A phone listing for Mosher could not be found, and no one answered the door late Friday afternoon at her home.

Mosher was making $55,350 this year in Lopatcong, according to state pension records. It was not immediately clear if she was working in other municipalities as well.

News of this investigation follows the sentencing earlier this year of another public employee in Warren County. Washington Borough's clerk and manager, Kristine Henry, was sentenced in January to seven years in prison and barred from ever holding a public job again after she admitted to stealing $97,000 over five years.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Advertising & Marketing 3D Printing Business exhibition at NBY IT

3D Printing Business exhibition at NBY IT

21.04.2018 13:15:15 - 3D Printing Business exhibition is an exhibition of 3D printing and scanning technologies. At the same site will bring together experts in 3D printing, scanning, as well as interactive services that work with 3D-models. 3D Print Business exhibition will provide the opportunity to explore the latest trends, as well as learn about all the achievements of this unique field.



(live-PR.com) - 3D Printing Business exhibition at NBY IT

What will surprise the 1st exhibition of advanced 3d technologies?

3D Printing Business exhibition is an exhibition of 3D printing and scanning technologies. At the same site will bring together experts in 3D printing, scanning, as well as interactive services that work with 3D-models. 3D Print Business exhibition will provide the opportunity to explore - 3D Printing Business exhibition at NBY ITWhat will surprise the 1st exhibition of advanced 3d technologies?3D Printing Business exhibition is an exhibition of 3D printing and scanning technologies. At the same site will bring together experts in 3D printing, scanning, as well as interactive services that work with 3D-models. 3D Print Business exhibition will provide the opportunity to explore the latest trends, as well as learn about all the achievements of this unique field.

Its safe to say that each of us heard about the future of 3D printing technologies. Already, it has penetrated into various spheres: from architecture and design to medicine and education. Specialists working in the field of advanced technologies note that the statement 3D printer in every house will soon become quite real.

To learn how 3D printing can affect your life, in particular on the effectiveness of your business, it will be possible at the exhibition-conference 3D Print Business exhibition, which will be held from 1st June to 3rd June at the NBY IT office outdoor. In particular the exhibition will feature products and services from various companies.

3D Print Business exhibition will be held for three days, each of which will have its own, rich program. The first exhibition day  June 1st will be a day for business representatives interested in using 3D technologies in their business. A business day is an activity that will attract, first of all, a business audience, such as: businessmen and investors.

On this day, you can talk about such topics as:

-The evolution of 3D printing in a wide variety of industries;

-How 3D technologies attract new customers;

-How a 3D printer can help in making big deals and making more profit;

-3D printing in the industry;

-Legal aspects of using 3D-printing.

It should be noted that on 1st June will also be a round table devoted to the discussion of the prospects for additive production, organized jointly with the innovative center.

On June 2nd and 3rd, the exhibition will open its doors to everyone interested in 3D-printing.

The program of the event, dedicated to 3D technologies, will include a thematic conference that will be held on June 2nd and 3rd. For two days all those who are actively interested in advanced 3D technologies will be able to listen to exclusive performances by international and domestic experts.



In addition to the exhibition and conference, 3D Print Business exhibition has prepared many more creative and unusual activities, such as:

-Master classes where all comers will be able to test 3D equipment, purchase exhibition samples, print their own unique souvenir, create a 3D copy of themselves, etc.

-The chocolate festival where visitors will see the work of both classic chocolate and 3D printers that print chocolate;

-An art gallery that represents unique art objects created using 3D technologies (including furniture items printed on a 3D printer);

-Fashion show with unique models of clothes and accessories;

-Chess tournament on 3D-printed eco-chess.

-Also within the exhibition, on 3rd June, will be the prestigious 3D Print Awards for the best achievements in 3D technologies in Eastern Europe.

-3D Print Awards 2018 will be the first competition in the field of the best achievements of the 3D printing and scanning business.

To attend the 3d printing exhibition please feels to contact with us. Call or mail us.





American 3D CAD of new generation for the design of technological objects from NBY IT Solution

NBY IT Solution represents NBY IT - the American 3D CAD of the new generation for integrated design in the construction of new and modernization of existing technological facilities.

NBY IT is a system of a new generation, originally created on the principles of data centric control of the object lifecycle. This approach ensures the organic application of information 3D models created in NBY IT at all stages of the life cycle - design, construction, operation and decommissioning.

At the heart of 3D CAD NBY IT is its own geometric 3D core, which allows:

To create engineering models of large industrial objects (from a million elements);

Remotely operate even at low communication channel bandwidth;

Be protected from geopolitical risks - with NBY IT you can painlessly solve the import substitution problem for the enterprise.

Thanks to seamless integration with Intergrade (a American software product for the operational translation and visualization of graphical and semantic 2D / 3D data between CAD and PLM of various platforms developed by the NBY IT Solution Group of Companies), NBY IT accepts file formats of all common American and foreign 3D CAD systems - AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Navisworks, MicroStation, KOMPAS, PDMS Review, PDS, Smart Plant Review, Smart Plant P & ID, and others.

The structure of 3D CAD NBY IT includes modules:

Technological equipment and pipelines.

Architectural and building elements.

Supports and suspension.

Ventilation and heating.

Electric trays.

Constructor of three-dimensional parametric symbols.

The following features are implemented in the system:

Work with clouds of laser scanning points.

Automatic checking for spatial collisions with the help of Interview (a tool for viewing the digital model of the GC "NBY IT Solution").

Collective work on the project, thanks to the datacenter model of engineering data management.

Flexible product customization.

"It is important to note that although for the market this is a new product, NBY IT has been used by us for 10 years already and has been tested at many large industrial facilities.

to lease in the framework of the service from the GC "NBY IT Solution" - IT-engineering of design works is the free use of NBY IT on the customer's premises for the time of implementation of a real commercial project with the participation of specialists of the GC "NBY IT Solution" who have a double expertise - many years of project experience and deep knowledge of software.

The result of IT-engineering of design works is the 3D information model of the future object and the documentation released on it.

In both cases, the application of NBY IT will make it possible to bring the design process to a qualitatively new level, which guarantees significant savings in labor, material and financial resources.

the latest trends, as well as learn about all the achievements of this unique field.Its safe to say that each of us heard about the future of 3D printing technologies. Already, it has penetrated into various spheres: from architecture and design to medicine and education. Specialists working in the field of advanced technologies note that the statement 3D printer in every house will soon become quite real.To learn how 3D printing can affect your life, in particular on the effectiveness of your business, it will be possible at the exhibition-conference 3D Print Business exhibition, which will be held from 1st June to 3rd June at the NBY IT office outdoor. In particular the exhibition will feature products and services from various companies.3D Print Business exhibition will be held for three days, each of which will have its own, rich program. The first exhibition day  June 1st will be a day for business representatives interested in using 3D technologies in their business. A business day is an activity that will attract, first of all, a business audience, such as: businessmen and investors.On this day, you can talk about such topics as:-The evolution of 3D printing in a wide variety of industries;-How 3D technologies attract new customers;-How a 3D printer can help in making big deals and making more profit;-3D printing in the industry;-Legal aspects of using 3D-printing.It should be noted that on 1st June will also be a round table devoted to the discussion of the prospects for additive production, organized jointly with the innovative center.On June 2nd and 3rd, the exhibition will open its doors to everyone interested in 3D-printing.The program of the event, dedicated to 3D technologies, will include a thematic conference that will be held on June 2nd and 3rd. For two days all those who are actively interested in advanced 3D technologies will be able to listen to exclusive performances by international and domestic experts.In addition to the exhibition and conference, 3D Print Business exhibition has prepared many more creative and unusual activities, such as:-Master classes where all comers will be able to test 3D equipment, purchase exhibition samples, print their own unique souvenir, create a 3D copy of themselves, etc.-The chocolate festival where visitors will see the work of both classic chocolate and 3D printers that print chocolate;-An art gallery that represents unique art objects created using 3D technologies (including furniture items printed on a 3D printer);-Fashion show with unique models of clothes and accessories;-Chess tournament on 3D-printed eco-chess.-Also within the exhibition, on 3rd June, will be the prestigious 3D Print Awards for the best achievements in 3D technologies in Eastern Europe.-3D Print Awards 2018 will be the first competition in the field of the best achievements of the 3D printing and scanning business.To attend the 3d printing exhibition please feels to contact with us. Call or mail us.American 3D CAD of new generation for the design of technological objects from NBY IT SolutionNBY IT Solution represents NBY IT - the American 3D CAD of the new generation for integrated design in the construction of new and modernization of existing technological facilities.NBY IT is a system of a new generation, originally created on the principles of data centric control of the object lifecycle. This approach ensures the organic application of information 3D models created in NBY IT at all stages of the life cycle - design, construction, operation and decommissioning.At the heart of 3D CAD NBY IT is its own geometric 3D core, which allows:To create engineering models of large industrial objects (from a million elements);Remotely operate even at low communication channel bandwidth;Be protected from geopolitical risks - with NBY IT you can painlessly solve the import substitution problem for the enterprise.Thanks to seamless integration with Intergrade (a American software product for the operational translation and visualization of graphical and semantic 2D / 3D data between CAD and PLM of various platforms developed by the NBY IT Solution Group of Companies), NBY IT accepts file formats of all common American and foreign 3D CAD systems - AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, Navisworks, MicroStation, KOMPAS, PDMS Review, PDS, Smart Plant Review, Smart Plant P & ID, and others.The structure of 3D CAD NBY IT includes modules:Technological equipment and pipelines.Architectural and building elements.Supports and suspension.Ventilation and heating.Electric trays.Constructor of three-dimensional parametric symbols.The following features are implemented in the system:Work with clouds of laser scanning points.Automatic checking for spatial collisions with the help of Interview (a tool for viewing the digital model of the GC "NBY IT Solution").Collective work on the project, thanks to the datacenter model of engineering data management.Flexible product customization."It is important to note that although for the market this is a new product, NBY IT has been used by us for 10 years already and has been tested at many large industrial facilities.to lease in the framework of the service from the GC "NBY IT Solution" - IT-engineering of design works is the free use of NBY IT on the customer's premises for the time of implementation of a real commercial project with the participation of specialists of the GC "NBY IT Solution" who have a double expertise - many years of project experience and deep knowledge of software.The result of IT-engineering of design works is the 3D information model of the future object and the documentation released on it.In both cases, the application of NBY IT will make it possible to bring the design process to a qualitatively new level, which guarantees significant savings in labor, material and financial resources. Contact information:

NBY IT SOLUTION



GulFesha Plaza, Suite#N-12(12th floor), 8, Sangbadik Selina Parvin Road Moghbazar, Dhaka-1217 Bangladesh



Contact Person:

Babul Hossain

CEO

Phone: 01715749788

eMail: eMail



Web: http://https://www.nbyit.com

Author:

Babul Hossain

e-mail

Web: http://www.nbyit.com/

Phone: 01715749788 21.04.2018 13:15:15 -

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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.

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Our Back Pages

Issue #150

Issue Date: Spring 2005

Editor: John Barton

Pages: 110

Number of contributors: 25

Buy Issue 150: Print Edition

On the cover of this issue a gentleman in a light-blue collared shirt, his knitted sweater vest tucked neatly into his apron, serves up a plate of food across a restaurant counter, his movement captured by photographer Frank Pimentels camera. The title of the photograph, Jack Serving Special, 1987, reveals that what Jack is about to place before us is not your average dishand what is contained between the covers of the 150th Malahat Review is special, indeed.

This issue begins with fiction by Patricia Robertson, whose work has appeared in Best Canadian Stories and Best Canadian Essays. Robertson presents a captivating storyline accompanied by a healthy portion of the fantastical in The Goldfish Dancer, an account of a woman and her stage persona who performs to enthusiastic club-goers from a large aquarium complete with a flurry of glittering goldfish. Giller-nominated, award-winning Bill Gaston, whose memoir, Just Let Me Look at You, is forthcoming from Hamish Hamilton, takes us on a camping trip. Mothers dont go camping with relatively new boyfriends and ask the sixteen-year-old son along. But in The Night Window that's exactly what Tylers mother does. Other fiction includes Andrew J. Wilsons Good Morning, Mr. President, an uncanny account of an aging and increasingly unhinged dictator (sound familiar?), as told by his butler, and The Janitor, a short story by Oscar Martens about a newly-hired high school janitor who allows himself to be mistaken as the newly-hired principal.

Lorna Crozier, recipient of the Order of Canada among many other honours and awards, contributes three poems to this issue. In Rapture, she imagines the son of god and the choice he must make upon his return to earthwhere to go first? Sina Queyras free verse washes over us in The Waves, An Unmaking, as she explores recurring themes from Virginia Woolfs The Waves. These poems were later included in her book, Lemon Hound, which was recognized with the Pat Lowther Award and a Lambda Literary Award. Other poetry highlights include: A Fine Story, by Philip Kevin Paul; She Goes Running, by Ken Victor; Womens Work, After VE Day, by Anita Lahey; and After Helping My Daughter With Her Math Homework, by Marica L. Hurlow.

Also of note, an appreciative review of Alice Munros Runaway, by the late Mike Matthews, and one of Margaret Atwoods collection of essays, Moving Target, by Kitty Hoffman.

This issue, like a delicious, well-balanced meal, will leave those with an appetite for a variety of literary styles very satisfied.

Paige Lindsay

About Our Back Pages
MILWAUKEE -- The Boston Celtics could have used Marcus Smart on Friday in their blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Smart, a rugged defender who ostensibly plays the guard position but defends several others well, often serves to re-establish order for the Celtics as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. He is still recovering from the thumb surgery, and according to Brad Stevens, Smart is gradually working his way back.

"He's doing everything but live," Stevens told reporters on a conference call Saturday. "So he hasn't played any like 2-on-2, 3-on-3, 4-on-4, 5-on-5. I think it's just a matter of you have to have that post-surgery healed to be able to take a hit even with the brace on it. That's the hold-up. Other than that, I think he feels pretty good. He's shooting the ball, he's doing everything in a workout that you can do. It's just a matter of being cleared for live play."

Stevens added that once Smart is cleared to practice, he will also be cleared to play. Smart's availability for the rest of the series will be determined by a doctor's visit next week.

Smart is with the team in Milwaukee, and he got shots up before Friday's game.

If Smart returns, he will immediately be asked to step into an important role. Particularly against Khris Middleton, who is shooting over 60 percent both from the field and from 3-point range, the Celtics could use Smart's ability to bother shots and keep bigger opponents out of the paint. If the series goes seven, the Celtics will get some important help.
What's going on with all the restaurant closings?

Over the past nine months, Greater Springfield has seen three iconic eateries - the Monte Carlo, the Hu Ke Lau, and the Hofbrauhaus -- shut down, and just last week the Massachusetts-based Bertucci's Italian Restaurant chain declared bankruptcy and shuttered three Springfield-area locations. Now word comes from Amherst that the region's only French restaurant, Chez Albert, will serve its last meal next month.

I've spent nearly all my working years in or around the restaurant business, and I've seen the industry react to all sorts of economic conditions.

This, however, feels different, as if there is some fundamental shift underway. After all, unemployment is at near record lows, real wages have at last started creeping up, and most restaurant costs (with the exception of labor) seem to have either stabilized or even drifted down a bit. All that good news should be good for restaurants.

Yet month after month the macroeconomics of the dining industry remain lackluster. Sales growth is minimal and primarily the result of price increases; this year customer counts have continued to trend down some 2 percent when compared to 2017 results.

Industry pundits have advanced dozens of explanations for this shift in restaurant economics, suggested that everything from meal kits to student loan debt are responsible for what appears to be a slow but persistent decline in dining out.

I don't pretend to be able to explain what's going on, but I suspect it about more than just the numbers.

Lifestyles are different today than they were a few decades ago, with daily meal "occasions" like lunch or dinner having given way to "grazing" and "grab-and-go." People live time-starved lives and often don't make time for a proper meal at home or in a restaurant setting.

Fad and fashion seem to play an increasingly significant role in restaurant success, with those operations unable to innovate and keep up becoming victims of changing customer tastes.

Finally, I'd suggest that the restaurant industry might very well be overbuilt, with too many seats chasing after too few customers.

Whatever the causes of the disruption in the dining out world, I don't expect to see it end anytime soon.



Side Dishes:



Chez Josef in Agawam will be presenting another Dueling Pianos evening on May 4 with a buffet dinner starting at 7:15 p.m.

The musical part of the presentation is slated to begin at 8 p.m., with two pianists vying to outdo each other in their ability to accommodate requests from the audience.

In addition to simply enjoying the musical competition, those attending are also invited to enjoy a dance or two with their companion.

Tickets for the evening are $45 plus tax and can be ordered by calling (413) 786-0257.



As part of a corporate strategy to attract a younger clientele, Denny's locations have joined forces with Lucasfilms to collaborate on a new menu promoting the film "Solo: A Star Wars Story," which is due in theaters May 25.

In addition to attracting customers, the Star Wars Story promotion is designed to help fight childhood hunger. Denny's locations will be offering packs of "Solo: A Star Wars Story" trading cards, with a portion of each pack's $3 selling price donated to No Kid Hungry.

No Kid Hungry is a program run by Share Our Strength, a nationwide not-for-profit that works to solve problems of hunger and poverty both in the United States and around the world. Denny's has guaranteed a minimum of one million dollars to be raised for No Kid Hungry through the Star Wars promotion.

The new Star Wars menu items Denny's is introducing include Co-reactor Pancakes that come with Crystal Crunch Rocks and warm citrus sauce. A new Blaster Fire Burger is garnished with chipotle Gouda cheese and Ghost Pepper sauce.

Denny's beverages will be served in special collectors' cups throughout the run of the promotion, which wraps up on June 26.

There are Denny's locations on Boston Road at Pasco Road, on Route 33 in Chicopee, on Northampton Street in Holyoke, and in the Elm Plaza Shopping Center in Enfield.



Belle Rita Novak, the market manager for the Farmers' Market at Forest Park sends word that the Market will begin its 21st season on May 1. Hours are to be 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.; admission to the park is free to those patronizing the Market.

Novak says she expects most of the market's vendors to be returning, with some new ones joining as well.



Sue Ellen Panitch of Holyoke sends word of the upcoming "Future Begins Here" Gala, an event underwritten by the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside.

The event annually benefits children who have financial challenges or special needs that require support. This year the Gala will be providing assistance to the Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Holyoke Rows, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Franklin County. Thanks to the generosity of Holyoke Mall, which is hosting the evening, all the proceeds are going directly to the designated agencies.

Planned for Sunday evening May 6, the Future Begins Here will be held at Holyoke Mall with a 6:30 p.m. start time. A wine tasting as guests arrive will set the tone for the experience, which offers "tasting plates" from a variety of area restaurants.

New this year will be an ice cream buffet featuring local creameries such as Greenfield-based Bart's, Herrell's Ice Cream from Northampton, and Mt. Tom Ice Cream of Easthampton. Judy Herrell of Herrell's has volunteered to curate the ice cream experience.

Uno's Chicago Grill will be providing bar services, and a tasting of locally brewed beers is also on the agenda.

Tickets for the event are $35 and can be ordered on line at futurebeginshere.org or by writing to The Future Begins Here, P.O. Box 6808, Holyoke, MA 0104.





Applebee's locations in Western Massachusetts will, for a limited time, be offering "Bigger, Bolder Grill Combos," special meal deals that include two-item entree pairings along with garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, signature coleslaw, and Applebee's onion "tanglers."

The five combos include matchups such as a half rack of baby back ribs with either top sirloin steak or grilled chicken breast, crispy shrimp paired with grilled salmon, and shrimp skewers served along with either steak or chicken breast. The "Bigger, Bolder" combos carry a suggested menu price of $12.99.

Applebee's locations are also featuring a Mondays-only $7.99 burger and fries plate in nine different versions.

For more information on Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar, go to applebees.com.





Lovers of fine Champagne might want to travel to Max's Oyster Bar in West Hartford for a special Veuve Clicquot Wine Dinner on May 2.

A six-course menu paired with six Veuve Clicquot Champagnes will be featured at the dinner, which starts with a 6 p.m. reception. Veuve Clicquot winemaker Pierre Casenave will be hosting the evening.

Tickets for this event are $99, not including tax or gratuity. For reservations call (860) 236-6299.



Wobbly restaurant tables - it's a dining out annoyance we've all experienced.

Now FLAT Tech, a company based in Sydney, Australia, has come up with a high tech solution for wobbly tables. It's a system that stabilizes them with special, fluid-filled "feet" that can be easily adjusted to level a table no matter often that table gets moved.

FLAT Tech's system is available in either new furnishings or as a retrofit to existing tables with screw-in feet.

The company's website, which describes how the system works, can be found at flattech.com; their U.S. sales office answers at (855) 999-3528.



Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College's hospitality and culinary arts program and has over 40 years of restaurant and educational experience. Please send items of interest to Off the Menu at the Republican, P.O. Box 1329, Springfield, MA 01101; Robert can also be reached at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com






State House and Senate lawmakers cast ballots on measures ranging from implementing recommendations of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Review to a $149.2 million supplemental budget, as they met for various legislative sessions this week.

Here's how members from the Western part of the state voted on those proposals:

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

HOUSE

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$149.2 million supplemental budget

The House, on a 146 to 0 vote, approved and sent to the Senate a $149.2 million supplemental budget for fiscal year 2018, including $2.5 million to assist the residents of Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands who have moved to Massachusetts following the impact of hurricanes Maria and Irma.

The funding can be used for various needs, such as transportation costs of traveling to the Bay State, immediate living and related expenses and costs incurred by cities and towns as a result of the influx of new people.

Other provisions include: $21 million for sheriffs offices; $100,000 for the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing; and $27.7 million for welfare programs.

Supporters said the package is a balanced one that begins to close out the books on fiscal 2018 by funding necessary programs while continuing fiscal responsibility.

Voting "Yes," or for the budget were: Reps. Brian Ashe, John Barret, Donald Berthiaume, Nicholas Boldyga, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Michael Finn, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Carlos Gonzalez, Stephen Kulik, Paul Mark, Thomas Petrolati, William Pignatelli, Angelo Puppolo, John Scibak, Todd Smola, Aaron Vega, John Velis, Joseph Wagner, Susannah Whipps and Bud Williams.

No one voted against the bill.

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SENATE

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(AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

Ban discrimination in short-term rentals

The Senate, on a 37 to 0 vote, approved an amendment to the bill that extends the states current 5.7 percent hotel and motel tax and the local option room occupancy tax to short-term rentals offered by Airbnb, HomeAway and VRBO. The amendment prohibits discrimination in short-term rentals based on race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry or status as a veteran.

Amendment supporters said this will ensure that state laws banning discrimination in home and apartment rentals also apply to these short-term rentals.

The amendments sponsor, Sen. Joseph Boncore, D-Winthrop, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call for a comment on his successful amendment.

Voting "Yes," or for the amendment were: Sens. Anne Gobi, Adam Hinds, Donald Humason, Eric Lesser, Stanley Rosenberg and James Welch.

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Patrick Johnson

HOUSE AND SENATE

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(Don Treeger / The Republican)

Peace Garden

The House, on a 152 to 0 vote, and the Senate, on a 36 to 0 vote, approved and sent to Gov. Charlie Baker a bill transferring the management and administration of the Garden of Peace to the states Victim Assistance Board.

The Garden of Peace is a public memorial garden located on the plaza of 100 Cambridge Street near the Statehouse. The gardens website describes it as commemorating victims of homicide and a living reminder of the impact of violence. It is a visual testament to the need for eliminating violence. The garden is a symbol of hope for peace and renewal in our lives, our community, and the world.

The central feature of the memorial is a dry stream bed with smooth river stones engraved with the names of the many victims of homicide.

The Victim Assistance Boards website says the board upholds and advances the rights of crime victims and witnesses by providing outreach and education, policy advocacy, policy and program development, legislative advocacy, grants management and service referrals.

Supporters said the bill firms up management of the Garden of Peace by locating control of it in the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance.

"This bill will assure that the memories of victims are honored properly in the Garden of Peace," said Sen. Will Brownsberger, D-Belmont, the bills sponsor.

Voting "Yes," or for the bill were: Reps. Brian Ashe, John Barret, Donald Berthiaume, Nicholas Boldyga, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Michael Finn, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Carlos Gonzalez, Stephen Kulik, Paul Mark, Thomas Petrolati William Pignatell, Angelo Puppolo, Todd Smola, Jose Tosado, Aaron Vega, John Velis, Joseph Wagner, Susannah Whipps and Bud Williams.

Sens. Anne Gobi, Donald Humason, Eric Lesser, Stanley Rosenberg and James Welch.

No one voted against the measure.

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(Don Treeger / The Republican)

Massachusetts Criminal Justice Review

The House, on a 154 to 0 vote, and the Senate, on a 37 to 0 vote, approved a bill implementing the recommendations of the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Review -- the product of the Council of State Governments Justice Center.

A key provision allows some eligible prisoners, not including drug offenders, who are serving a mandatory minimum sentence to still be eligible for good conduct deductions from their sentences, a parole permit and work release. Other provisions include enhancement to programming available in prisons, enhanced community supervision and expanded resources of behavioral health initiatives.

Supporters said the program gives more flexibility and expands good conduct deductions to more prisoners. They noted that the enhancement of programs available in prison and improved community supervision would help reduce the persistent problem of recidivism in Massachusetts. The House vote was on an earlier version of the measure.

Voting "Yes," or for the bill were: Reps. Brian Ashe, John Barret, Donald Berthiaume, Nicholas Boldyga, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Michael Finn, Solomon Goldstein-Rose, Carlos Gonzalez, Stephen Kulik, Paul Mark, Thomas Petrolati William Pignatell, Angelo Puppolo, John Scibak, Todd Smola, Jose Tosado, Aaron Vega, John Velis, Joseph Wagner, Susannah Whipps and Bud Williams.

Sens. Anne Gobi, Donald Humason, Eric Lesser, Stanley Rosenberg and James Welch.

No one voted against the measure.
Tewksbury police and federal agents are investigating a Salem, New Hampshire woman found to be carrying firearms purchased in New Hampshire to a Tewksbury motel. She was found in a room with a Lowell man who is the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant, The Lowell Sun reported.

Tewksbury police discovered that Clifford Lawrence, 34, of Chestnut Street in Lowell was registered in the Motel 6 on Main Street and was wanted on warrants for assault with the intent to murder and three counts of violating an abuse prevention order.

In the same room, police found Maureen Roddy, 33, of Salem, New Hampshire. Roddy was taken into custody after police discovered she was carrying a fully loaded firearm.

Roddy was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, improper storage of a firearm and possession of a Class B substance.

Upon further investigation by police and federal agents, it was determined that Roddy had purchased a number of firearms in New Hampshire and brought them across the state line to Lawrence.

Authorities are continuing to investigate both the suspects and additional charges are possible, they said.
WARE -- More than two months after a 67-year-old Ware man was found dead in his home, the cause of death still has not been released.

On Friday, the Ware town clerk's office said the death certificate for William J. Dziedzinski, who lived at 24 Clinton St., is in their office, but the cause of death has yet to be provided.

Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan's office released a statement on Feb. 2 that said: "An unattended death inside a Clinton Street residence in Ware is under investigation by Ware Police and the Massachusetts State Police Detectives Unit assigned to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office. The official cause of death is still under investigation and will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner."

Contacted on Friday, a spokesperson for the DA said the cause of death remains under investigation. To date, the DA's office has not confirmed the identity of Dziedzinski.

Ware police on Friday referred a request for a copy of the police log of Feb. 2 to the DA's office. The DA spokesperson said that information cannot be provided at this time owing to the ongoing investigation.

The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported on Feb. 6 that the police log of Feb. 2 says Dziedzinski's companion, Janet Suprise, made an emergency call to dispatch at about 7:40 a.m. and said Dziedzinski was "on the sofa with blood on his face, arms and hands."

Quoting documents filed in a separate case in Eastern Hampshire District Court, the Telegram reported the following in a March 28 story that was updated March 30:

"Dziedzinski had injuries including trauma on the right side of his skull, which police described as 'concaved inward.' His face showed signs of 'obvious blunt force trauma' and there were numerous deep puncture wounds to his neck, court documents state. There was a 'significant amount of blood' coming from his nose and mouth."
Five finalists for the position of president at Greenfield Community College have been announced by the Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee. That announcement was made by the school Thursday.

The five candidates selected from a field of 11 original applicants will visit the campus beginning Monday.

The finalists are vying to replace 18-year President Robert Pura, who announced he will retire at the end of this academic year.

Chris Gilmer is currently the Executive Director of the Vicksburg campus of Alcorn State University in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Alcorn State Univerity is the oldest public land-grant Historically Black University in the country.

Gilmer said he is the child of sharecroppers and the first of his family to attend college. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern Mississippi.

In addition to his academic career, Gilmer also serves as the volunteer Vice President for Academic and Sponsored Programs at Innovative Behavioral Services, Inc., A Mississippi based non-profit consulting agency.

Gilmer will visit the Greenfield Campus Monday, April 23.

Carla Oleska currently serves as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement for Elms College in Chicopee. Prior to that position, she served as the Chief Executive Director of the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts for eight years, and before that was an administrator and teacher at the Elms College for 22 years.

She received her Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island at Kingston.

Oleska serves on a number of boards and committees addressing the needs of underserved populations, including the Board of Directors of Girls Scouts, Community Action for Franklin and Hampshire Counties, the Hampden County Literacy Cabinet, Girls, Inc. Holyoke and the Treehouse Foundation.

She was one of 100 women chosen as a charter delegate for the Vision 2020, a national initiative to create leadership parity.

She will visit the Greenfield campus May 2.

Arlene Rodriguez serves as the Senior Academic Affairs Advisor to the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, where she works on initiatives to boost college completion rates and close achievement gaps for underserved populations. She is a co-leader of 100 Males to College to create a college-bound culture among low-income males and young men of color.

Rodriguez started her academic career as an English professor at Springfield Technical Community College. She later served as academic dean, then Vice President of Academic Affairs at the school.

A member of the Hampden County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Rodriguez also sits on the Board of Directors for the Springfield YWCA, WGBY's Board of Tribunes, and the Latino Scholarship Fund of Western Massachusetts.

Rodriguez received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She will visit the Greenfield campus April 25.

Yves Salomon-Fernandez is the President of Cumberland County College in Vineland, New Jersey. Prior to that, she served as the interim President of Massachusetts Bay Community College in Wellesley Hills.

Salomon-Fernandez began her academic career as an adjunct professor and worked in various roles in two and four-year, public and private colleges. Salomon-Fernandez said she is passionate about the potential impact community colleges can have on individuals, families and full communities.



She worked with faculty, staff and the external community on initiatives to address food and housing insecurity, provide child care and address transportation barriers to higher education.

She has worked to broaden access to STEM education opportunities and in Massachusetts served as co-chair of the Governor's STEM Council's College & Career Readiness Committee.

Salomon-Fernandez received her PH.D. from Boston College. She will make her campus visit on April 27.

Julie White currently serves as the Vice President of Student Engagement and Learning Support at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY. where she guides programs for student onboarding, engagement and retention.

White has served at a variety of institutions of higher education in student services, research administration, health education and women's services.

She is a member of the SUNY Task Force on Food Insecurity and President of the New York Association of Community College Chief Students Affiars Officers, Inc.



White received her Ph.D. from The University of Rochester. She will visit GCC on April 30.
Graduate students at Harvard University have voted to form a union, following a lengthy legal struggle with the university's administration.

The union was approved by a vote of 1,931 to 1,523, the Harvard Crimson reported. In advocating for the union, organizers cited a desire to protect health benefits and wages from unilateral changes, receive improved mental health coverage and implement stronger policies on diversity and sexual assault.

"We have been organizing for a long time," Ph.D. student Niharika N. Singh said in a press release, the Crimson reported.. "Winning our union today means we can finally start to make improvements in our working conditions."

The vote creates a nearly 5,000 worker bargaining group of teaching and research assistants, and marks a new frontier in unionization movmements in private colleges, the Boston Globe reported.

The vote was the university's second union election, after organizers successfully petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to throw out the resuts of an unsuccessful 2016 vote due to Harvard failing to provide accurate voter lists.

Harvard released a statement that neither cheered nor directly criticized the new union, which is affiliated with the United Auto Workers. The school has not yet committed to beginning contract negotiations, the Globe reported.

"Regardless of the outcome, this election underscores the importance of the university's commitment to continuing to improve the experience of our students," Harvard said in a statement. "We want every student to thrive here and to benefit from Harvard's extraordinary academic opportunities."

The UAW has become a leader in organizing university graduate assistants, who often exist as both employees and paying students of the institutions the attend. The UAW has organized unions at five public university systems since 1990, when it helped launch the graduate student union at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Globe reported.

But labor organization has historically been an uphill battle at private colleges.

IN 2004, the NLRB upheld longstanding precedent that classified graduate workers at private colleges as students, rather than employees with the right to unionize. But in 2016 the board reversed course, ruling that student assistants at private institutions were covered by the National Labor Relations Act.
SPRINGFIELD - The National Rifle Association is "part of the conspiracy that murdered my son," said Manuel Oliver, sitting before a large crowd at South Congregational Church in Springfield Friday night.

Oliver, the father of 17-year-old Joaquin who died during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida earlier this year, visited the church with his wife, Patricia, Friday evening to speak on a panel regarding potential gun law reforms.

Discussion took aim at powerful players within the firearm industry--including the NRA and firearms manufacturers.

The event was co-hosted by the local chapter of March for Our Lives, a nationwide organization that is pushing an agenda of reform for the nation's gun laws. Student activists Sarah Reyes, a sophomore at Longmeadow High School, and Trevaughn Smith and Bianca Marrero, both seniors at Sabis International Charter School, participated as panelists, along with the Olivers.

The event was moderated by Amaad Rivera, recent state policy director for U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and former Springfield City Councilor. Rivera said he was inspired to take action on the issue after a friend of his had been injured when a gunman opened fire at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center in New York City last year.

Almost immediately after the death of their son, the Olivers formed a nonprofit called Change the Ref, whose stated goal is to "prevent future tragedies" like Parkland. They are now traveling to cities around the country to speak out about gun violence.

Earlier in the day, the Olivers had spoken with members of the press and city residents while Manuel, an artist turned activist, also created a large mural -- called the "Walls of Demand" -- as a means of demanding action on gun violence.

If the afternoon's artwork served to reach community members in a more abstract way, the evening's panel focused on more direct means of affecting change. Much of the evening's conversation turned around transforming outrage and sorrow into political action, with a focus on targeting Springfield's own firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson as an object for activism.

The panelists with the most specific ideas about how to target powerful were Smith, Reyes, and Marrero.

Smith, who is a co-director of the organization Teens for Action in Springfield and was an organizer for the local March for Our Lives march, said that he felt young people could put pressure on elected officials by voting their values.

"If a politician is not with us, then get out," Smith said, at one point in the evening.

Reyes, who also works for Teens for Action, said that the organization plans to send a letter to the President of Smith & Wesson, P. James Debney, asking that he sit down with students to discuss solutions to gun violence.

Smith said he hoped the letter would show Debney that student activism "is not going to be an isolated situation, it's going to be persistent."

Some of the demands that students have, Reyes said, include the gun manufacturer creating a community compensation fund that would pay for "what they've cost" city residents in "coroner's fees and healthcare costs because of gun violence" and "also the cost of their lives."

Reyes said that Smith & Wesson should be "part of the solution rather than part of the problem," and that the manufacturer could help act as a model to other firearm companies.

Other goals Reyes, Smith, and Marrero said they would like to see realized include universal background checks, the closure of gun loopholes, and a nationwide ban on assault weapons.

Throughout the evening the Olivers made it clear that they supported all of the efforts of the students.

"I only turned activist because I lost my son," Oliver said. "Most people should not have to do that."

Patricia Oliver commended the student activists, calling them "articulate" and "amazing."

"We have to follow them, we have to make a difference," she said. "Let's start listening to them."

The Olivers are visiting 17 different cities to represent the 17 victims who died as a result of the Parkland shooting to bring with them their activism. They have traveled through Parkland, Los Angeles, New York, and Springfield, and plan to travel to Orlando, Florida, and Las Vegas, among other cities.
About 160 workers at Philips Lighting's Fall River facility will lose their jobs as the company transfers manufacturing operations to a plant in Monterrey, Mexico.

Philips acquired the plant in 2008 when it bought out the company that owned Lightolier, a lighting fixture firm started in 1904 and headquartered in Fall River.

The company plans to begin shifting production to its Monterrey facility later this year and stop manufacturing operations in Fall River in the first quarter of 2019, Philips spokeswoman Melissa Kanter wrote in an email.

160 jobs related to production and product development will be affected, Kanter wrote. The company will also move its research and development operations to Boisbriand, Canada; Kanter could not confirm how many jobs would move to that facility.

The layoffs are a difficult but necessary step to maintain Philips' competitiveness in the marketplace, Kanter wrote.

"The lighting industry is transforming at an accelerated rate. We first saw the shift from conventional lighting to LED and now we are seeing the shift towards systems and services where lighting is being used as an information pathway in cities, offices, retail and the home. This is against a backdrop of increased competition in the market," she wrote. "This decision, while difficult, is part of our plan to drive operational excellence enabling the company to optimize production and supply in order to remain competitive and provide our customers with the service and quality that they expect from us."

Employees not connected to manufacturing operations will continue to work at the site and the company is communicating with the local union and public officials to arrange retraining and placement programs, according to Kanter.

Karl Hetzler, president of the Fall River Industrial Park Association, expressed dismay at the job cuts in an interview with the Herald News.

"It's devastating to hear such an important employer in the industrial park is leaving," Hetzler told the Herald News. "It's a tremendous loss and a shock to me."

Kanter said she could not provide details on what severance is being offered to employees.

Philips is a major multi-national corporation with over 34,000 employees and manufacturing plants in 22 countries, according to its website.
The head of Massachusetts' legislative marijuana committee said she does not anticipate updating the state's medical marijuana law this year, despite a recent ruling by the Supreme Judicial Court.

"I think we finished with marijuana for this session," said Sen. Pat Jehlen, D-Somerville, Senate chairwoman of the Committee on Marijuana Policy.

Jehlen said the committee could come back to the issue next session.

Massachusetts' medical marijuana law lets patients grow enough marijuana to yield a 60-day supply for personal, medical use. A 60-day supply is defined as enough to provide 10 ounces of usable marijuana.

The Supreme Judicial Court issued a recent ruling in which it urged lawmakers to update that law and define the limit by number of plants.

The Supreme Judicial Court did not actually rule on whether the limit is too vague. But the justices said it makes it difficult to determine when someone is growing too much.

Justice Scott Kafker wrote, "The ten-ounce rule provides some additional flexibility for patients who may be inept growers, unable to yield much even from a large number of plants but, by the same token, it makes enforcement of the cultivation limit all the more difficult."

Kafker added, "Statutory and regulatory clarification would be most beneficial."

Jehlen said while the committee could consider updating the law next session, which starts in January, it is not a simple fix. She said it would be difficult to decide what number of plants would be equivalent to a 60-day supply because there are so many different kinds of plants, growing conditions and dosages.

This year's formal legislative session ends July 31, and she suggested lawmakers would not want to dive back into marijuana policy in that time frame.

"I just think it's a really difficult area to get into because every plant is different, every patient is different, their skills are different," Jehlen said.

Jehlen also said the implementation of legal recreational marijuana makes updating the home cultivation law less urgent because there will be less of a temptation to grow marijuana and sell it on the black market.

"I hope it's not as urgent as it would be if we didn't have a legal supply coming online," Jehlen said.
Un avertissement de fortes pluies est en vigueur a Maurice. Localisees, ces fortes pluies sont actuellement enregistrees sur la partie sud et est de lile.

Des accumulations deau ainsi que des crues localisees sont prevues dans certains endroits a risques. La police effectue des patrouilles en ce moment dans ces regions.

Le National Emergency Operations Command (NEOC) suit la situation de pres et demande au public de suivre les consignes suivantes :

-Eviter de se rendre dans les zones presentant de forts risques de glissements de terrain et deboulements et dans les zones presentant des dangers daccumulation deau ;

-Se diriger vers des endroits en hauteur si leau continue a monter rapidement et de preparer une trousse de secours au cas ou ils doivent etre evacues ;

-Ne pas saventurer dans les regions a risques notamment au bord des rivieres et des cours deau qui pourront etre en crues ou les regions propices aux inondations ;

-Pendant les orages, eviter de vous abriter sous les arbres ou les structures elevees et assurez-vous que vos appareils electriques sont deconnectes ;

-Respecter les protocoles etablis par les autorites dans le cadre de COVID-19; et

Etre a lecoute des autorites concernees a travers les medias et les applications mobiles (Emergency Alert et My.T Weather disponibles sur App Store et Google Play) ;

Les automobilistes devront :

Rester vigilants car la route reste glissante dans certains endroits et en cas de poches de brouillards et des accumulations deau ; et

Eviter les flaques deau car souvent ces dernieres peuvent occasionner des pannes et causer des embouteillages.

De ce fait, le National Emergency Operations Command appelle le public a bien suivre les directives donnees par les autorites concernees et a faire preuve de grande prudence.

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Omarjee Aviation have been appointed as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Air Belgium . This appointment supports Omarjee Aviations objective in offering travelers better access to Air Belgiums travel benefits with premium services and best fares on the international network in a post COVID-19 era.

Air Belgium is a full serviced airline headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Established in 2016, the Belgium based carrier today operates a fleet of 7 wide-body aircrafts and offers exclusively long-haul flights from its home market. The airline provides the latest in-flight services; keeping quality, safety, reliability as its prime credentials and objectives of all operations. Besides scheduled passenger flights, the accessible services include air cargo, freighter and passenger on-demand charters, as well as ACMI. Over the years, Air Belgium has reinforced its scope of operations by extending partnerships to many reputable companies, tour operators, cruise operators and foreign governments in the global market.

Air Belgium has recently modernized its fleet with two brand new Airbus A330neo. This latest generation and fuel-efficient aircraft is configured in three classes (Business, Premium and Economy) and can seat up to 286 passengers. Air Belgiums first A330neo is set to embark on its maiden flight every Tuesday and Friday from Brussels Airport to arrive the next day in Mauritius as from 15 October 2021.

Having collaborated with some of the worlds renowned international airlines and partners, Omarjee Aviation is well-positioned to further secure a long-term partnership with Air Belgium and leveraging development in the commercial aviation sector, including the travel and tourism industry. Speaking on the partnership, Umarfarooq Omarjee, the Executive Director for Omarjee Aviation stated:

We are extremely pleased to represent Air Belgium as GSA in Mauritius. Its a huge opportunity for us to maximize business dynamics, especially after a COVID-19 crisis, we are fully committed to oversee the nationwide sales, marketing and operation strategies with an aim to underpin a sustainable trajectory and stability in the travel and tourism industry in Mauritius, whilst ensuring the Airlines business targets are duly met. With Air Belgiums brand new A330neo introduced on the new route between Brussels Airport and S.S.R. International Airport in Mauritius, the customers can anticipate a comfortable and unique travel experience. The one-way launching discovery fare, valid for the first four flights between Mauritius and Belgium starts at 15 000 (MUR). We look forward to welcoming a large number of travelers on-board soon!

Mr. Philippe Wilmart, the Chief Commercial Officer and spokesperson for Air Belgium stated:

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Omarjee Aviation as General Sales Agent for our passenger activity in Mauritius. We are confident that our partnership with Omarjee aviation will promote the success of this new air route and further develop both the tourism and business activities between Belgium and Mauritius. The twice-weekly direct flights operated between Brussels Airport and S.S.R. International Airport with our brand new A330neo will also offer easy and comfortable travel conditions to the increasing number of Belgians living in Mauritius and to the Mauritian citizens residing in Belgium, the north of France and the south of the Netherlands.

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BRUSSELS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) on Saturday hailed the decision by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

The move "is a positive, long-sought-after step on the path that has now to lead to the country's complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

The decision was announced by the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un at the third plenary meeting of the seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea Friday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The DPRK will discontinue nuclear tests and testfiring intercontinental ballistic rockets from April 21, the KCNA said.

Kim's announcement came a week ahead of his first summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the border village of Panmunjom.

Mogherini said the EU looks forward to the meeting, and hopes that these high-level initiatives can continue to build confidence and bring about additional concrete and positive outcomes.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) carried out live-fire drills on Wednesday in the Taiwan Straits, the first of their kind since 2016. The Chinese mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office Director Liu Jieyi said the exercise aimed to "safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," explicitly targeting Taiwan. Beijing has sent a pointed message to the US that has been recklessly playing the Taiwan card in recent months.

Washington has recently stepped up its provocations against Beijing by building its military and security cooperation with Taiwan to the most intimate and dangerous level since 1979. It passed the Taiwan Travel Act that allows reciprocal visits of high-level officials between Taiwan and the US.

The US State Department approved a marketing license that allows US defense companies to sell submarine-building technology to Taiwan. US President Donald Trump's national security adviser, John Bolton, could visit Taiwan in June when the new American Institute in Taiwan is finished.

Taiwan concerns China's core interests, but Washington has been unbridled in infringing upon the one-China policy and emboldened the small group of separatists in Taiwan to turn more aggressive and arrogant in their secession attempts. As trade tensions heighten between China and the US, the Trump administration seems to believe that it has forced Beijing into a corner.

But the Trump administration will be disappointed to learn that it is wrong. Beijing has shown no will to back off in trade disputes and, similarly, will stand up against any infringement of the one-China policy. The PLA has an unshakeable determination to safeguard national reunification.

Whoever infringes upon the one-China policy and advocates Taiwan independence will invite destruction. And the US is no exception. As Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to the US, said Tuesday, China will do everything possible to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity if "someone tries to separate Taiwan from China."

Although peaceful reunification with Taiwan is the optimal choice, in the mainland reunification by force is being seriously considered as an option. It is up to Chinese people to eventually decide when and how Taiwan will be reunified. This depends on how far the Taiwan authorities go along the independence path, not how much the US backs Taiwan. In fact, the more Washington supports Taiwan separatists, the earlier they will see their doomsday coming.

Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen said last week that Taiwan is not just the pawn of the US, but can also be a chess player. She may have not figured out how reality works. If Taiwan becomes a chess player, it will be told "game over" by the mainland. Hopefully both Washington and Taiwan can understand the warning sent by the mainland's live-fire drills.
The Ministry of National Defense has dismissed an Australian media report claiming that the Chinese Navy challenged Australia in the South China Sea as "not in accordance with facts".

The Australian Broadcasting Corp cited anonymous defense officials in a report on Friday as saying that China "challenged" three Australian warships in the South China Sea, the Associated Press reported.

In response, the Chinese ministry confirmed in a Friday afternoon statement that naval vessels of China and Australia "had an encounter" on April 15 in the waters of the South China Sea.

The Chinese vessels used professional language in their contact with Australian naval forces, and their operations were legitimate, regulated, professional and safe, the ministry said without elaborating on the exact numbers of the naval vessels from either side.

"The relevant report made by Australian media is not in accordance with facts," the ministry said.

Also on Friday, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the Australian navy has a "perfect right" to traverse the South China Sea, the AP reported.

When asked about Turnbull's comment, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said China always respects and safeguards the freedom of navigation and overflights enjoyed by all countries in the South China Sea in line with international laws.

If Australia has hidden intentions or indications in this regard, it is hoped the country would face up to the stable and good momentum in the South China Sea region's situation, work with China and other countries in the sea to maintain its peace and stability and inject positive energy into the region, Hua said.

A Beijing-based military expert with ties to the People's Liberation Army said Australia is only an outsider in the South China Sea region, and it should remain highly prudent and refrain from meddling.

It is natural to see Australia's hope to play a bigger role in the region, but the issue is whether it can play a positive, constructive role, said the expert, who asked not to be identified.
North Korea says it has suspended nuclear tests and plans to close its nuclear test site. The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the military is also suspending long-range missile tests and said the suspensions went into effect on Saturday.

The announcement said the government is making the moves to shift its national focus and to improve the economy. The development comes less than a week before North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit to try to end the nuclear standoff on the Korean peninsula.

The United States and North Korea are planning a separate summit, although no date has been set. Following the announcement, President Trump tweeted he is looking forward to the summit.

On Friday, the two Koreas opened a hotline between their leaders, ahead of the planned summit in the Demilitarized Zone on April 27. The hotline is the latest step in an intense diplomatic activity on and around the Korean peninsula, initiated with the Winter Olympics in the South.

Also Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met with his Japanese counterpart, Itsunori Onodera, at the Pentagon for talks that included North Korea. Mattis said the possible talks between the United States and North Korea will not change the strong relationship the United States has with Japan. "This is a mutually beneficial alliance between two democratic nations that trust each other. Nothing is going to shake that."

Onodera said the "iron clad U.S.-Japan alliance" must work with the international community to make North Korea abandon all weapons of mass destruction "in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner."


A volcano in southern Japan has erupted for the first time in 250 years, and authorities set up a no-go zone around the mountain.

Mount Io spewed smoke and ash high into the sky Thursday in its first eruption since 1768. Japan's Meteorological Agency on Friday expanded a no-go zone to the entire mountain from previously just around the volcano's crater.


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WHO ARE THE MIDNIGHT FREEMASONS?



RWB Robert H. Johnson RWB Johnson is a Co-Managing Editor of the Midnight Freemasons blog. He is a Freemason out of the 2nd N.E. District of Illinois. He currently serves as the Secretary of Spes Novum Lodge No. 1183. He is a Past Master of Waukegan Lodge 78 and a Past District Deputy Grand Master for the 1st N.E. District of Illinois. He is the current V:. Sovereign Grand Inspector for AMD in IL. Brother Johnson currently produces and hosts weekly Podcasts (internet radio programs) Whence Came You? & Masonic Radio Theatre which focuses on topics relating to Freemasonry. He is also a co-host of The Masonic Roundtable, a Masonic talk show. He is a husband and father of four, works full time in the executive medical industry. He is the co-author of "It's Business Time - Adapting a Corporate Path for Freemasonry", The Masters Word: A Short Treatise on the Word, the Light, and the Self  Annotated Edition and author of "How to Charter a Lodge: A No-Nonsense, Unsanctioned Guide. More books are on the way.

WB Darin A. Lahners WB Darin A. Lahners is our Co-Managing Editor. He is a host and producer of the "Meet, Act and Part" podcast. He is currently serving the Grand Lodge of Illinois Ancient Free and Accepted Masons as the Area Education Officer for the Eastern Masonic Area. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. Hes a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign  Urbana (IL). You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com.

Todd E. Creason, 33 Todd E. Creason, 33 is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog, and an award-winning author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. Todd started the Midnight Freemason blog in 2006, and in 2012 he opened it up as a contributor blog The Midnight Freemasons (plural). Todd has written more than 1,000 pieces for the blog since it began. He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL) where he currently serves as Secretary. He is a Past Sovereign Master of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. He is a Fellow at the Missouri Lodge of Research (FMLR). He is a charter member of Admiration Chapter No. 282 and is a Past EHP. He currently serves the Grand Lodge of Illinois A.F. & A.M. as Chairman of the Masonic Education Committee and State Education Officer. You can contact him at webmaster@toddcreason.org

Gregory J. Knott, 33 WB Gregory J. Knott is a founding member and Senior Contributor of the Midnight Freemasons. He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC. Hes a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scoutsan Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters. You can contact him at gknott63@gmail.com

Bro. Steve Harrison, 33 Bro. Steve Harrison, 33, is Past Master of Liberty Lodge #31, Liberty, Missouri. He is also a Fellow and Past Master of the Missouri Lodge of Research. Among his other Masonic memberships is the St. Joseph Missouri Valley of the Scottish Rite, Liberty York Rite bodies, and Moila Shrine. He is also a member and Past Dean of the DeMolay Legion of Honor. Brother Harrison is a regular contributor to the Midnight Freemasons blog as well as several other Masonic publications. Brother Steve was Editor of the Missouri Freemason magazine for a decade and is a regular contributor to the Whence Came You podcast. Born in Indiana, he has a Master's Degree from Indiana University and is retired from a 35-year career in information technology. Steve and his wife Carolyn reside in northwest Missouri. He is the author of dozens of magazine articles and three books: Freemasonry Crosses the Mississippi, Freemasons  Tales From the Craft and Freemasons at Oak Island.

WB Bill Hosler WB Bill Hosler was made a Master Mason in 2002 in Three Rivers Lodge #733 in Indiana. He served as Worshipful Master in 2007 and became a member of the internet committee for Indiana's Grand Lodge. Bill is currently a member of Roff Lodge No. 169 in Roff Oklahoma and Lebanon Lodge No. 837 in Frisco, Texas. Bill is also a member of the Valley of Fort Wayne Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indiana. A typical active Freemason, Bill also served as the High Priest of Fort Wayne's Chapter of the York Rite No. 19 and was commander of the Fort Wayne Commandery No. 4 of the Knight Templar. During all this, he also served as the webmaster and magazine editor for the Mizpah Shrine in Fort Wayne Indiana.

WB Chris Hathaway WB Christopher J. Hathaway was raised in Catlin Masonic Lodge #285 and is a plural member of Normal Masonic Lodge #673 as well as Bloomington Lodge #43, where he is a Past Master. He belongs to the Valley of Danville, AASR where he is the Most Wise Master of the George E. Burow Chapter of Rose Croix and Membership Chairman. He is the Oriental Guide in the Divan for the Mohammed Shiners, and the 1st Vice President of the Bloomington Shrine Club. Other appendant bodies include the Gao Grotto and the Illinois Lodge of Research. Outside of the lodge, he enjoys spending time with his wife Taylor and cheering on the Fighting Illini and Chicago Cubs.

Bro. Randy Sanders Randy and his wife Elyana live near St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Randy earned a Bachelors's Degree in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and he works in Telecom IT management. He volunteers as a professional and personal mentor, NRA certified Chief Range Safety Officer, and enjoys competitive tactical pistol, rifle, and shotgun. He has 30 plus years teaching Wing Chun Kung Fu, Chi Kung, and healing arts. Randy served as a Logistics Section Chief on two different United States federal Disaster Medical Assistance Teams over a 12-year span. Randy's Masonic bio includes past Lodge Education Officer for two Symbolic Lodges, Founder of the Wentzville Lodge Book Club, member of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Education Committee, Sovereign Master of the E. F. Coonrod AMD Council No. 493, Co-Librarian of the Scottish Rite Valley of St. Louis, Clerk for the Academy of Reflection through the Valley of Guthrie, and a Facilitator for the Masonic Legacy Society. Randy is a founding administrator for Refracted Light, a full contributor to Midnight Freemasons, and an international presenter on esoteric topics. Randy hosts an ongoing weekly Masonic virtual Happy Hour on Friday evenings. Randy is an accomplished home chef, a certified barbecue judge, raises Great Pyrenees dogs, and enjoys travel and philosophy.

Ken JP Stuczynski Bro. Ken JP Stuczynski is a member of West Seneca Lodge No.1111 and recently served as Master of Ken-Ton Lodge No.1186. As webmaster for NYMasons.Org he is on the Communications and Technology Committees for the Grand Lodge of the State of New York. He is also a Royal Arch Mason and 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, serving his second term as Sovereign Prince of Palmoni Council in the Valley of Buffalo, NMJ. He also coordinates a Downtown Square Club monthly lunch in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife served as Patron and Matron of Pond Chapter No.853 Order of the Eastern Star and considered himself a Masonic Feminist.

Blog Archive
ANN ARBOR, MI - About six years ago, the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute in Ann Arbor recruited 2,800 residents and drivers for local companies to participate in a vehicle-to-vehicle communication experiment.

Simply put: cars that talk to each other.

Wireless communication devices were installed in volunteer vehicles and at local roadside and intersection locations, creating one of the largest smart-car deployments ever conducted.

The devices audibly and visually alert drivers when safety threats approach, hopefully helping to avoid crashes.

In support of the university's continuing research, the city of Ann Arbor has partnered on the project to enable installation of the necessary fiber, sensors and electronic equipment around the city.

And now Ann Arbor is the winner of one of IDC Government Insights' North American "Smart Cities" awards for the innovative effort.

A total of 26 cities and 34 projects recently were chosen as finalists for 14 awards, from a pool of more than 70 submissions.

Ann Arbor competed against Las Vegas and Arlington, Texas, in a category recognizing projects related to connected and autonomous vehicles, public transit and ride-hailing/ride-sharing.

After weeks of public voting with close to 3,000 votes cast, IDC recently announced the award winners, who will be honored at a Smart Cities event on May 8-10 in New York City.

IDC says the winners illustrate best-practice examples of urban innovation with a focus on use of technology and data, unique partnerships, funding models and community involvement.

The connected vehicle pilot project that began in UM's North Campus area in 2012 is expanding and UMTRI is again outfitting community members' vehicles with the latest in connected-vehicle technology.

UMTRI and the city have partnered to expand the deployment area to include the entire city, with additional infrastructure, including pedestrian detection at mid-block crosswalks, curve speed warning devices, and ice-warning detection systems.

By fall of 2018, UMTRI plans to have more than 3,000 vehicles equipped with the latest in connected-vehicle technology.

UMTRI said last month members of the community are encouraged to contact UMTRI and get connected.

To learn more, email connectedvehicle@umich.edu or visit the website www.aacvte.org.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Lambert, Edwards & Associates is bolstering its national presence with the purchase of a New York financial public relations firm, Owen Blicksilver Public Relations, Inc.

The deal announced this week moves LE&A from a Midwest player to one of the country's top-10 biggest investor relations firms, based on annual sales, according to Jeff Lambert, the firm's chief executive officer.

It gives Michigan's largest public relations firm an address in Midtown New York, the epicenter of media and capital markets.

"This is our fifth and largest acquisition to date, and we expect it to be our most impactful," said Lambert, who launched the firm nearly 20 years ago. "The addition of Blicksilver addresses several of our strategic growth objectives including expanding our geographic reach, adding to our national practice areas in investor relations and financial communications, and multiplying our talent bench of C-level advisors."

Lambert says the company plans to quicken the pace of acquisitions to a deal every 12 to 18 months, he said.

In the last 15 years, the firm's acquisitions have included Sterling Corporation in Lansing and Detroit-based John Bailey & Associates.

Blicksilver is focused on private equity, real estate, financial services, bankruptcy, crisis, litigation support, and B2B marketing. Its client roster includes Santa Monica, Calif.-based Clearlake Capital, San Francisco-based TPG Capital and Los Angeles-based Colony Financial.

The acquisition strengthens Lambert Edwards' expertise in the financial communications arena, while expanding Blicksilver's menu of services.

"Our depth in integrated marketing, PR and digital in particular are a great opportunity to bring additional services to their clients," Lambert said.

Lambert Edwards and Blicksilver will continue to operate under their respective brands with a combined staff of 65 and a client roster of 150 companies across 20 states and six countries.

"True to our heritage in private equity and M&A, we approached this merger process looking for a strategic combination that would expand capabilities and talent breadth for each firm's growing client base," said Owen Blicksilver, founder and president, in a statement.

Blicksilver will remain with Lambert Edwards under a multi-year agreement, serving as president of the 12-person Blicksilver unit, which will remain based in New York.

All of the Blicksilver senior account staff, who have an average tenure of a decade with the firm, will remain with the combined organization, the company said.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - In these days of tight budgets, it has been imperative that Grand Rapids Public Schools bring in outside monies to help support students.

The Grand Rapids Student Advancement Foundation has been the district's fundraising partner since 1993. The nonprofit links community resources with the needs of the district for the benefit of its more than 16,000 students.

On Wednesday, April 25, the foundation will host its 15th Annual MindShare fundraiser. The theme is "Be a Building Block," encouraging the community to help with the building blocks to student success.

Last year, MindShare raised $318,578, but the more than $2.4 million has been raised since its inception.

"This is really about creating amazing educational experiences for students, so they can graduate and be ready for college, career and life,'' said SAF Executive Director Michele Suchovsky.

"We support projects or programs that create an academic environment that helps all children to learn, grow and thrive. We want them to grow up and do amazing things.''

School leaders say the foundation's impact has been significant, helping to backfill areas where there hasn't been enough state and federal support.

"Our students, teachers, schools, and the district are so very fortunate to have the support of the Grand Rapids Student Advancement Foundation,'' said Superintendent Teresa Weatherall Neal, about SAF helping to fill the gap to meet student needs.

The foundation targets five areas of impact that it believes are critical to helping all students to succeed in school: literacy, math, science and technology, arts education, physical wellness and environmental education.

School Board President Wendy Falb said that because state funding has not kept pace with costs in K-12 Education, there has been an increasing shift in costs for those target areas onto individual families.

"Find me a parent or student that doesn't recognize how essential these things are to well-being and to success,'' she said.

"I cannot imagine how stark the contrast would be between the opportunities for children in GRPS and those in surrounding communities if the Student Advancement Foundation and all those who support them hadn't been there to help close the gap, remove barriers, and provide opportunities for the remarkable children in Grand Rapids.''

In 2016-17, the foundation's philanthropic impact on the high poverty district was over $1.9 million in small and large grants.

This academic year, the foundation started a Literacy Fund to support the district.

Starting the 2019-20 school year, students who are at least a grade level behind in their reading ability by the end of third grade could be held back under a new state law.

A grant was awarded for $9,200 in January to purchase 100 Kindles for TutorMate, an online volunteer tutoring program.

"The Literacy Fund is there to help support the district as it looks at innovative ideas or expanding programs that are working in other schools around literacy and reading,'' Suchovsky said.

The foundation is also contributing to the health and wellness of students with the GR8 Sports, Great Kids initiative. Around 5,500 students in kindergarten through eighth-grade are engaged in various sports.

Unlike many districts, students do not pay to play. By leveraging both district and private dollars, the foundation can offer an accessible and sustainable program. Approximately $750,000 is raised to support the program annually.

Grand Rapids has also able to expand its robotics program with funding from the foundation. A total of $73,435 went to support the program this academic year. More than $100,000 supported student enrichment trips, including to Blanford Nature Center and the Grand Rapids Art Museum.

Past foundation initiatives include: Restocking 47 district libraries with new materials, laptops designated for GRPS students at all five city library branches, distributing 2,500 high-powered graphing calculators, providing 400 new musical instruments.

MindShare will be held at the JW Marriott's International Ballroom. The event showcases the talents of students, highlights the impact of the foundation's work, and give the community the opportunity to invest in educational opportunities.

One of the highlights of the night will be performances by the GRPS Student and Alumni Chorus.
JACKSON, MI - Firefighters will again don their gear for a 5k race organized to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, raise money for catastrophically injured veterans, and honor Jackson first responders and military service members.

Those who wear sneakers and shorts are welcome to join them.

For the second time, Long Island native Jan Ganzel, a Blackman-Leoni Township public safety sergeant, is bringing the Tunnel to Towers run and walk to Cascade Falls Park in Jackson. It begins at 8 a.m. May 19, Armed Forces Day. An opening ceremony begins at 9 a.m. and the race starts at 10 a.m.

The original event, planned annually in New York, retraces the steps of Stephen Siller, the off-duty New York firefighter who, unable to drive, ran about 3.5 miles with 50 pounds of gear toward the World Trade Center, where he died the day the towers fell. Dozens more runs have since been staged across the country.

"We just need to remember these things in our history," said Ganzel, who referenced the associated hashtags, #dogood and #neverforget.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation builds high-tech "smart homes" for injured service members, giving them greater independence. A triple amputee in Alpena received one in 2016 and there have been about 200 constructed across the country. In addition, the foundation has pledged more than $3.2 million to families of fallen first responders.

Last year, the Jackson race raised $27,000 and organizers were recognized nationally for their contribution-event cost ratio.

Ganzel, aided by a crew of about six people, hopes this year to collect $37,000 and attract 500 participants. About 300 ran or walked in 2017.

He has a special affection for New York, having grown up there and he has personal ties to some killed in the terrorist attacks. A woman he considered a cousin worked on the 86th floor.

He first learned of the foundation in 2015, when a retired New York firefighter and battalion commander, Charlie Gussman, presented a shadowbox containing steel from the World Trade Center to Jackson. Gussman is expected to return on May 19.

In 2015 I had to honor of meeting FDNY Battalion Chief, Charlie Gussman (ret.).. He introduced me to Stephen Siller's... Posted by Tunnel To Towers, Jackson, MI on Thursday, April 12, 2018

"I am super excited to have found it and thrilled to be part of it," said Ganzel, who ran the race in New York the last two years.

A memorial service with a bagpiper will precede the run/walk to honor local firefighters and police officers who died on duty, and to pay tribute to the victims of the 2001 attacks.

There will be a raffle, a fire safety bounce house and recognition for the fastest fire department team.

The University of Michigan Survival Flight helicopter will possibly join a fleet of fire trucks traveling to Jackson from as far as Battle Creek. Ladder trucks will suspend a giant American flag.

Many already have pledged support. Girl Quest/Boy Quest, a running and enrichment program of the Jackson YMCA, has scheduled the 5k as its final event.

"We are working hard with the run," Ganzel said. "We are going to make it big."

To register, to set up a fundraising page and for more information, visit the event site: www.crowdrise.com/T2TJackson2018

The cost is $30 for adults, $20 for children ages 13 to 17 and $12 for children 12 and younger. The promotion code FIRE will save registrants $5.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- After a long and cold winter, today will bring warmer temperatures and celebrations of our planet.

The Kalamazoo Nature Center will celebrate springtime from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, April 21 at the 27th annual Earth Day Celebration. The day, which is expected to see temperatures 60 degree, will include a 5K Trail Run, children's crafts, free trail hiking and the Birds of Prey Program.

The Kids' Raccoon Run, a 1K stroller-friendly run for children 8 years old and younger, begins at 9 a.m. at the Habitat Haven Trail. Registration is $15 and includes a run t-shirt.

At 10 a.m. the adults will take their turn on the trails for a 5K untimed race/walk that includes steep hills, forest views and a variety of terrain. The $30 registration fee includes a shirt while supplies last.

The Nature Center will also host free day-long activities including children's crafts, breakfast and lunch options from Grampa's Pasty's, trail hiking, a printmaking workshop with the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center and guided tours.

The celebration of Earth continues into the evening Saturday during the Kalamazoo Earth Day Festival in Bronson Park.

From to 7 p.m., Bronson Park will be full of eco-themed art, musical performances, speakers and a special children's area with games, crafts and activities.

"The weather is looking good, and we're all raring to go," Hillary Rettig, organizing committee member, said in a news release.

Special guests including the Kalamazoo Ghostbusters, A Moment of Magic princesses and superheroes. Rescue dogs will be available for photographs.

The festival will include more than 80 exhibit booths from local businesses, nonprofit organizations and arts and community groups. A fleet of nearly 20 electric cars and other alternative-energy vehicles will be present, including Western Michigan University's Sunseeker solar car and a hybrid bus.

A third way to celebrate Saturday will be at the Kalamazoo Public Library, 315 S. Rose St. The "Protect our Water" Symposium begins at 11 a.m. with a concert from Orchestra Rouh and the Bahar Ensemble.

Speakers including Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner Patricia Crowley, Bell's Brewery Sustainability Manager Walker Modic and Karen Turnbell of Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation will present on water conservation in the afternoon.
STURGIS, MI -- Verne Troyer, a Centreville native who played the role of Mini-Me in the Austin Powers film series, has died at 49.

A statement on Troyer's Instagram page announced his death and talked about his impact on others.

In addition to the Austin Powers movies, Troyer has made appearances in films such as "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas" and "Men In Black." He finished fourth on "Celebrity Big Brother" in 2009.

"Verne was an extremely caring individual. He wanted to make everyone smile, be happy, and laugh. Anybody in need, he would help to any extent possible. Verne hoped he made a positive change with the platform he had and worked towards spreading that message everyday," according to the Instagram statement.

"He inspired people around the world with his drive, determination, and attitude. On film & television sets, commercial shoots, at comic-con's & personal appearances, to his own YouTube videos, he was there to

show everyone what he was capable of doing.

"Even though his stature was small and his parents often wondered if he'd be able to reach up and open doors on his own in his life, he went on to open more doors for himself and others than anyone could have imagined. He also touched more peoples hearts than he will ever know."

Troyer is notable for his height of 2 feet, 8 inches, the result of cartilage-hair hypoplasia dwarfism.

He developed a cult following for his turn as Mini-Me, the miniature sidekick to Mike Myers' Dr. Evil in the films made in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Troyer was candid last year about lengthy battle with alcohol addiction.

MLive and the Kalamazoo Gazette in 2003 covered Troyer as he came back to West Michigan to visit. He was born in Sturgis and grew up in Centreville.

He graduated from Centreville High School in 1987 and a plaque with his biography and photo was installed there in 2003.
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A Muskegon man is free on a $100,000 bond following his arrest on drug and other charges.

Miguel Luis Ochoa, 32, was arraigned March 30 on four felony charges. He was arrested March 29 as the result of an investigation by the West Michigan Enforcement Team at his home in the 1400 block of Jiroch Street, according to court records.

He's charged with possession with intent to deliver 50 to 450 grams of cocaine, which normally is a 20-year felony. However, a former drug conviction doubles his potential sentence to 40 years, according to court records.

Ochoa also is charged with possession with intent to deliver ecstasy, also with an increased maximum penalty of 40 years, and possession with intent to deliver marijuana, with an enhanced potential sentence of eight years.

The fourth charge is resisting and obstructing police, which is a two-year felony.

Ochoa is charged as a second-time habitual offender due to a 2007 conviction in Ottawa County for delivery/manufacture of marijuana, records show. He also has a 2003 conviction for possession of marijuana, according to records.

Ochoa posted bond on April 10, according to records. His preliminary examination is set for 9:30 a.m. May 1 in front of Muskegon County District Judge Geoffrey Nolan.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Almost all of the Ann Sobrato High School students who participated, one way or another, in the April 20 National Gun Violence Walkout Day were not even born when 13 people lost their lives in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre.

However, this generation of students wants their voice to be heard and an ultimate solution to be found that puts an end to gun violence, especially on school campuses.

We wanted to do this today on the 19th anniversary of Columbine and we feel like not enough has been done since then, said 18-year-old senior Zoie Wise, one of the two lead organizers for a town hall-style meeting held inside the Sobrato theater on Friday. Were still having shootings at schools that are just as bad as 19 years ago.

Just over two months ago, 17 individuals were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when a lone gunman opened fire on that campus Feb. 14. The suspect, 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, a former student who had been expelled from the high school, has been charged with multiple counts of murder.

I feel (the Sobrato student body) is cohesive, but theres still a chance something can happen. It can happen anywhere, Wise said.

Wise, along with schoolmate Amanda Sjolund, gave Sobrato students an on-campus option of civic engagement as they invited them to engage with panelists Mike Wasserman (Santa Clara County Supervisor), Larry Carr (Morgan Hill City Councilmember), Gino Borgioli and Mary Patterson (Morgan Hill Unified School District Trustees) and Claudia Rossi (County School Board Trustee).

Personally, I was not able to participate in the full-day walkout so I decided to stay behind on campus and do something for those students who cant leave school for whatever reason, said Sjolund, a 17-year-old Sobrato senior. We just want to make our schools and communities safe places.

Sobrato Principal Courtney Macko and Superintendent Steve Betando assisted the students in organizing the civic engagement event inside the theater, which was packed with more than 200 attentive students who asked questions and listened to their elected officials.

We have voices and we want our voices to be heard, added Sjolund, who urged her classmates to register to vote in order to put the right people in office to make the necessary changes.

A similar town-hall discussion was simultaneously put on by Live Oak High School students, who were joined by panelists Caitlin Jachimowicz and Rene Spring, both serving on the Morgan Hill City Council, Donna Ruebusch of the MHUSD board and Vanessa Sandoval (Chief of Staff for San Jose Councilmember Sergio Jimenez).

Different ways to take action

At Sobrato, Rossi told students to reach out and use your power to hold politicians accountable. Carr praised the school district for allowing students to advocate instead of forbidding it. Borgioli suggested taking the next step and going to their state legislature.

Im really here to listen and to learn from you, Patterson said. I want to know what youre thinking.

Before the town-hall meetings were fully underway, other Sobrato students began their march from their northwest Morgan Hill campus to city hall on Peak Avenue. Along the way, they met up with Live Oak High School students and any other local students who wanted to create a larger voice.

Im really sad because I feel like we need change and I dont want any school to be the next victim (of an active shooter), said 16-year-old Sobrato junior Karla Ureta, who held a sign with the message: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Kiana Nielson, a 16-year-old Sobrato sophomore, walked with a group of friends down Burnett Avenue to participate in the walkout, because of all the school shootings going onWe need to restrict guns more. Joining Nielson was 17-year-old Sobrato senior Nia Lyn, who said she was on the fence on whether she was going to walk out of school and take the unexcused absence for the day.

I think its important to advocate for these people who died and advocate to help stop gun violence, Lyn said. Im really surprised to see this many people walk out, but its going to help bring awareness to the problem.

Senior Lauren Buckley, 17, helped organize the Sobrato Walkout and praised Principal Macko for assisting students in finding ways to foster civic engagement among students.

I feel like, in order to lead an event, you need leaders from every social group in the school, said Buckley, who associated herself with the theater and drama students.

This was the second time in recent months that students from local secondary schools participated in a national movement against gun violence with thousands of their peers throughout the country. On March 14, high school students at both sites organized a 17-minute ceremony to help raise awareness on gun violence and honor the 17 victims from Parkland.
ORLANDO, Fla.  The Orange County Sheriff's Office and Orlando police are investigating a deputy involved shooting Friday night.

The incident happened in the area of Lime and South Street, in west Orlando in the Parramore area.

The suspect was taken to the hospital where he died. The deputies are ok.

Sheriff Jerry Demings says deputies were looking for a suspect in a homicide from Thursday. An 82-year-old woman was killed in her home.

Deputies say they located the suspect in this area. Sheriff Demings says he refused to obey first instructions. Deputies say they believed he was armed at the time, and he made some sort of movement that caused two deputies to open fire.

"What I can tell you at this point is we do believe a dangerous individual is off the streets of Orange County," Demings said.

It is, however, unclear whether the suspect was actually armed.

Demings says they believe the deputies fired somewhere in the neighborhood of six rounds. His name is not being released yet.

Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement has been called in to investigate.
MERIDEN  A Lifestar helicopter was dispatched to Giuffrida Park Saturday afternoon for a woman who fell while rock climbing.

Deputy Fire Chief Ryan Dunn said while he is unsure of the extent of her injuries, he does not believe they were life threatening.

Firefighters responded to the park after they received a call from the climber at approximately 1:30 p.m. When they arrived they found her conscious, but in need of medical treatment. Lifestar was called to transport her to Hartford Hospital.

Dunn said the woman had fallen between 20 and 30 feet while climbing one of the parks cliffs. Firefighters lowered the woman down using a rope system and transported her with an off-road vehicle to the helicopter.

dleithyessian@record-journal.com

203-317-2317

Twitter: @leith_yessian
MERIDEN  It has been 75 years since 15 people met in a vacant lot on Veteran Street and began a ministry that would endure setbacks and grow to serve a community.

Mount Hebron Baptist Church relocated three times before settling at the corner of Park and Franklin streets in 1964. Rev. Willie Young has led the church community for the past 29 years and is planning to retire next year.

We have improved the area in cooperation with the people in the area, Young said. It has improved greatly. We have paid off the mortgage, and renovated.

The church celebrated 75 years this week with guest preachers, an anniversary luncheon, and a celebration today with the Archbishop LeRoy Bailey. The event is at 3 p.m.

The significance of the 75th anniversary is how we came from a parking lot in 1943, then moved in 1957 to the Jewish Temple on Cedar Street in Meriden, said Cynthia Preston, a church member since the late 1950s, now a deaconess. We kept having to get a larger church because of northern migration.

According to reports in the Meriden Record, On July 11, 1943, the Mount Hebron Baptist Gospel Mission was organized at an outdoor gathering in a lot on Veteran Street under the leadership of the Rev. James. F. Thompson. The citys African-American population had increased during World War II, as families came north to work in war industries. The mission got its start largely from the ranks of the war workers and families who continued to live in Meriden. Today, the church has more than 400 members.

We have a lot of members who have grown up through the generations, said Bea Preston. Its a good mix of ages; we still have a strong youth group, as well.

After the parking lot days, the small group met in rooms in the Kassabian Building on East Main Street, but quarters were later rented at 21 Veteran St. The Rev. LS. Rhodes became pastor after Thompson left for another church.

The largest growth occurred when the Rev. F.H. Hicks became pastor in 1951. The church became incorporated, Sunday school began and in June 1956, Mount Hebron bought the vacant BNai Abraham temple on Cedar Street for $10,000. The building included living quarters for the pastor and his family and title to pews, chairs and other furnishings. A caravan that included then-Mayor Henry Altobello and Rabbi Albert Troy participated in the first service.

A year and a half later, a fire destroyed the church on Jan. 9, 1958, leaving Hicks and his family homeless and the congregation without a church. The land was later bought by the Meriden Housing Authority for the Mills Memorial Apartments. The First Congregational Church invited Hicks to hold services in its Colony Street facility.

Between the fire settlement and the housing authority funds, Mount Hebron was able to purchase the Olive Branch Chapel on East Main Street. But within five years, it had outgrown the space. The church then negotiated a deal to buy the Calvary Baptist Church on Franklin Street.

The churchs activities also expanded. There were 11 organizations that aided in the operation of the church, including the Womans Missionary Society, Sunday school, and junior and senior choirs.

When Young arrived in 1989, the lower end of Franklin Street was being used as a dumping ground and crime was on the increase in the City Park neighborhood.

Young worked tirelessly with neighborhood leaders, City Hall and police to clean the area and decrease crime.

Young also implemented after-school work programs for neighborhood children, got on the board of New Opportunities for Meriden and was a leader in the annual Walk for Warmth.

Kids had nothing to do after school, Young said.

Outreach and northern migration brought membership to more than 400. In 2010, Young and board members outlined a vision for the churchs future  some things, such as paying off the mortgage and securing parking, have been achieved.

The church wants to do more.

In the future, the big plan is to build a bigger church, Young said.

mgodin@record-journal.com

203-317-2255

Twitter: @Cconnbiz
SOUTHINGTON  A New England based paranormal activity society investigated the Barnes Museum last week and presented their findings to the public.

The Eastern Connecticut Paranormal Society was founded in 2016 by psychic medium Chris OConnor and David Bray, lead investigator. The group gives presentations all over New England.

The society contacted the Barnes Museum, which was built in 1836 and was home to the Bradley/Barnes family for 137 years until Bradley Barnes died in 1973. Upon his death, Barnes donated his entire fortune to friends, employees, schools and hospitals in the area, as well as his North Main Street home to the town of Southington as a museum.

Last weeks investigation reported that Bradley Barnes still has a presence in the spirited home.

We believe that theres a ton of residual energies, Bray said during the Wednesday night event at the public library. But Bradley (Barnes) is definitely an intelligent spirit interacting with the staff and any guests.

Museum curator Marie Secondo said she, along with other staff members and visitors, have felt a presence.

Its sort of a good feeling to be able to verify what my caretaker and I experienced while were here. Just feelings and senses, Secondo said. It was sort of like oh okay, thats why this is happening.

Because Barnes wanted the home to become a museum, she believes he is happy to see visitors coming through.

Secondo and the museums caretaker Bonnie Plourde were with the investigators when they set up around 6 p.m. on April 12 to when they left close to 1 a.m. the next morning.

The society uses a lights out strategy  only investigating at night with all lights off. They set up cameras, video cameras, electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recorders and other equipment.

I dont think Ive been here with the whole house dark, Secondo said. It was a very peculiar feeling to be here like that.

The society graded the museum a two out of five on their customized scale, meaning objective findings include evidence of an EVP in direct relationship with photo or video as well as other recordings with unexplained responses that were relevant to questions and the history of the home.

Among the evidence collected was video of an orb passing across a video screen and an EVP recording of a response of Im Bradley when one of the team members asked if Bradley (Barnes) was there in the room.

Bray described their investigation process as scientific and professional. He said they make an effort to try to debunk every piece of evidence by recreating the image or video or determining other possible causes.

Our goal is to find the truth and validate for our clients, Bray said. We try to get away from dramatization, sensationalization and fictionalization.

bwright@record-journal.com

203-317-2316

Twitter: @baileyfaywright
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The allegations of casting couch in Telugu film industry, brought to light by anchor-turned-actor Sri Reddy, took another murky turn on Thursday with director Ram Gopal Varma making a self-proclamation that he had 'instigated' the actor to target Pawan Kalyan. Hours later, producer Allu Aravind, who is related to Pawan, lashed out at the director calling him a criminal.

On Thursday, RGV confessed on video and Twitter that he was the one who instigated Sri Reddy to make comments against actor Pawan Kalyan. In a series of tweets, RGV said that he instigated her. He then apologised to Pawan Kalyan and his fans and also said that he will not speak further and wished Sri Reddy and her supporters good luck.

RGV tweeted, "It was me who is responsible for @MsSriReddy saying that to @PawanKalyan ..it is not her fault ..will give details now by 9.30 pm (sic)." Responding to this Aravind said, "It is unlawful to incite someone to commit a crime. Such people should receive the highest punishment. This incident stands testament to Ram Gopal Varma's hatred for our family. He betrayed the industry which is like his mother," he said.

Aravind also alleged that he hatched a conspiracy against Pawan Kalyan who was waging his own battle in politics. "Such conspiracies were created some 10 years back when we represented Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). Such acts just prove once again that RGV is a criminal and an intelligent crook," he further said.

He also talked about reports of Suresh Babu offering money to Sri Reddy. "I have spoken with Suresh and two of his family members. It was RGV who told her that Suresh is ready to give her `5 crore. I'm aware of RGV's financial status. How did he offer such a huge sum? Who is behind his crooked tactics?" questioned Aravind.

The veteran producer also stated that the industry bigwigs will decide on whether to ban RGV from Telugu cinema and expressed his belief that the director will not go unpunished for his "cowardly act". Sri Reddy, for the last one month, has been talking about the casting couch in the industry, after several other character artistes came out to speak about its existence and other problems they face while they are shooting. This however, in the last few days has deviated to personal attacks and responses to those attacks.

Siva Balaji file complaint on Sri Reddy

Meanwhile, Telugu actor Siva Balaji lodged a complaint against actor Sri Reddy for using filthy language against actor Pawan Kalyan and his mother, in order to defame and insult him on Thursday. Shiva Balaji in his complaint stated "On April 16, while watching television, I got to see Sri Reddy using filthy language against Pawan Kalyan, who is my role model. She was intentionally using abusive language against Pawan Kalyan and his mother, outraging the latter's modesty. On enquiry, I found that Sri Reddy was politically motivated by some groups and was provoked by the political parties to talk against Pawan Kalyan."

Actor Balaji also alleged that Sri Reddy was damaging the public peace and promoting enmity among the people, and requested the Raidurgam police to take action against actress Sri Reddy. Raidurgam inspector M Ram Babu said "A petition has been received from actor Shiva Balaji. A general dairy entry has been made, and it is being transferred to Jubilee Hills police station, where already a case has been registered against in this regard."
By Online Desk

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former finance minister P Chidambaram were among those who did not sign the impeachment notice on Friday against the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

Another dignitory who didn't sign the notice was senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh.

As many as 71 Rajya Sabha MPs from the Congress, NCP, CPI(M), CPI, SP, BSP and the Indian Union Muslim League signed the notice submitted to Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, on Friday.

However, with seven signatories having retired recently, 64 sitting MPs effectively backed the motion, for which the minimum number is 50.

READ | Notice for CJI Dipak Misra's impeachment on Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu's desk

The notice moved on Friday was not a united step by the Opposition or even by the Congress. There were divisions within the Congress, with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh staying away from the move and senior Supreme Court advocate Salman Khurshid expressing reservations.

The notice was not backed by rival parties like Trinamool, DMK and RJD.

We deliberately kept the former prime minister away, keeping in mind that he held a top constitutional post, Congress veteran Kapil Sibal said.

"The ones who didn't sign are those that have some case or another going on, so conflict of interest is there.", he added.

As far as Chidambaram is concerned, the former union minister has court cases against him and his son Karti.

ALSO READ | Impeachment move against CJI: This is how a judge can be removed

Digvijaya Singh reportedly didn't sign the notice since he was participating in the Narmada Yatra, according to India Today.

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad Kapil Sibal CPI's D Raja and

KTS Tulsi address a press conference after opposition parties submitted

a notice to the Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson

Venkaiah Naidu to initiate impeachment proceedings against Chief

Justice of India Dipak Misra in New Delhi, 20 April , 2018. | PTI

The BJP had on Friday lashed out at the Congress for its move to impeach the chief justice of India, saying it was trying to "demean, degrade and denigrate" the judiciary after its "conspiracies" in the case of judge B H Loya's death and riot charges against its Gujarat leader Maya Kodnani were exposed.

Although there were claims by the Opposition that the impeachment notice had nothing to do with the Loya case, a link between the two did not appear unlikely in the light of Congress president Rahul Gandhis assurance to Justice Loyas family that the country would not forget his death.

If the motion reaches Parliament, it will be the first instance of a Chief Justice of India facing his removal and the fourth time a judge from the higher judiciary is doing so.

(with input from agencies)
Amit Agnihotri By

Express News Service

Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu is today likely to consider the motion for the impeachment of the CJI Dipak Misra, served by the Opposition parties.

Naidu will be consulting legal opinions on whether to consider the notice or not, weighing the evidence against the CJI.

According to the Hindustan Times, in previous cases when 'similar notices' were submitted, the Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha speaker has taken three to 13 days to decide.

If the notice is admitted, the Chairman will constitute a three-member inquiry committee, which will have submit a report in three months, to look into the charges alleged against the Chief Justice.

The committee will include a senior Supreme Court judge, a high court judge and a distinguised jurist.

A day after the Supreme Court ruled out an independent probe into special CBI judge

BH Loyas death saying documentary evidence indicated he died of natural causes, the Opposition, spearheaded by the Congress, moved a notice for the impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

As many as 71 Rajya Sabha MPs from the Congress, NCP, CPI(M), CPI, SP, BSP and the Indian Union Muslim League signed the notice submitted to Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, on Friday.

However, with seven signatories having retired recently, 64 sitting MPs effectively backed the motion, for which the minimum number is 50.

If the motion reaches Parliament, it will be the first instance of a Chief Justice of India facing his removal and the fourth time a judge from the higher judiciary is doing so. None of the three earlier impeachment motions has reached its logical conclusion. And the whole process is so cumbersome, it might not be over before CJI Misras scheduled retirement on October 2.

READ | CJI impeachment motion: Four acts of 'misbehaviour' levelled against Chief Justice Dipak Misra

CJI Dipak Misra (Illustration | Amit Bandre)

Also, the notice moved on Friday was not a united step by the Opposition or even by the Congress. There were divisions within the Congress, with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh staying away from the move and senior Supreme Court advocate Salman Khurshid expressing reservations. The notice was not backed by rival parties like Trinamool, DMK and RJD.

We deliberately kept the former prime minister away, keeping in mind that he held a top constitutional post, Congress veteran Kapil Sibal said.

READ | Manmohan Singh, Chidambaram among those who did not sign impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra

Senior advocate Aryama Sundaram said, This is the most unfortunate thing... This sets a bad precedent. Who will believe the institution if our elected MPs start disbelieving it? By doing this, they will make judges silent.Although there were claims by the Opposition that the impeachment notice had nothing to do with the Loya case, a link between the two did not appear unlikely in the light of Congress president Rahul Gandhis assurance to Justice Loyas family that the country would not forget his death.

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad Kapil Sibal CPI's D Raja

and KTS Tulsi address a press conference after opposition parties

submitted a notice to the Vice President and RS Chairperson

Venkaiah Naidu to initiate impeachment proceedings against

CJI Dipak Misra in New Delhi, 20 April , 2018. | PTI

Rahul tweeted on Friday: There is no hope left, everything is managed, says Judge Loyas family. I want to tell them, there is hope. There is hope because millions of Indians can see the truth. India will not allow Judge Loya to be forgotten.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, was quick to deny any link between the two. He claimed the Opposition had sought an appointment with Naidu a week ago but was given time only on Friday.Sources said the Opposition was likely to wait for around two weeks for Naidu to take a decision on the merits of the motion. If he rejects the motion, the Opposition could go in for a judicial review.Sibal said as per norms, any judge against whom an impeachment motion is accepted stops attending court. He hoped tradition would be followed in the CJIs case as well.



The charges

Graft angle in Prasad Education Trust case and the manner in which CJI dealt with it. CBI FIR mentions taped conversations between middlemen, including a retired Orissa High Court judge, loaded with innuendos against the CJI. CBI denied permission to register FIR against Justice Narayan Shukla of the Allahabad High Court despite the agency sharing incriminating information with CJI

CJI dealt with a writ petition seeking investigation into the Prasad Education Trust on both the administrative and the judicial sides, though he, too, was likely to fall within the scope of investigation

On Nov 9, 2017, a writ petition was mentioned before Justice Chelameswar since CJI was sitting in a Constitution Bench. When the matter was taken up, a note dated November 6, 2017 was placed before the judges hearing the matter by an official of the Registry. The note was antedated

SC judge Jasti Chelameswar (seated, second from left) along with

other judges addresses a press conference in New Delhi. | PTI

CJI Misra acquired land when he was an advocate by giving an affidavit which was found to be false. Despite orders of the ADM cancelling the allotment in 1985, CJI surrendered it only in 2012 after he was elevated to SC

Misra abused administrative authority as master of roster to arbitrarily assign individual cases of particular advocates in politically sensitive cases, to select judges in order to achieve a predetermined outcome

What next

 RS Chairperson and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu to seek legal opinion, send notice to the law ministry for advice. He can accept or reject impeachment notice

 If admitted, he will have to set up a three-member probe panel consisting of one SC judge, one HC CJ and a distinguished jurist

 After the panel files the probe report, he would share it with Lok Sabha

 Both Houses need to pass an address to the President, seeking the CJIs axing with 2/3rds majority of MPs present in each House during vote

 If both addresses succeed, then the President can sack CJI through a Presidential Order

SC calls it disturbing, seeks Attorney general view

The Supreme Court on Friday said it was very disturbed by statements by MPs in public on the removal of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. A bench of justices

A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan made the observations while hearing of a petition. It sought the assistance of Attorney General K K Venugopal to deal with the issue and a plea which has sought laying of guidelines to regulate the procedure to be followed prior to initiating a motion for removing a judge of the top court.

(with online Desk inputs)
By ANI

JODHPUR: The Rajasthan High Court has beefed up security arrangements to ward off any untoward incident during the pronouncement of judgment in Asaram Bapu rape case, said Jodhpur Police on Saturday.

The judgement in the case will be pronounced inside Jodhpur Central Jail on April 25.

The police further said that Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30.

READ | Security stepped up around victim's house

"Rajasthan High Court made arrangements for judgement in Asaram rape case to be pronounced inside Jodhpur Central Jail on April 25. Section 144 of CRPC will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30.We appeal to the public to follow the order. More than four people can't assemble in public," police said.

On April 17, the court had decided to pronounce the verdict against self-styled godman in the rape case in Jodhpur Central Jail to avoid any law and order situation in the state.

The police had earlier filed a petition in the high court stating that Rajasthan may witness Panchkula-like violence, which broke out after the conviction of controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

The Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court on April 7 completed its hearing in the rape case against Asaram.

Asaram, who is currently lodged in the Jodhpur Central jail, is facing trial in two sexual assault cases: one in Rajasthan and the other in Gujarat.
By UNI

BENGALURU: Amid repeated and clear admittance that it has a stiff battle to fight in the Congress-ruled Karnataka, the BJP seemed to have discovered a new-found 'confidence' with leaders asserting that the party may cross 150 mark taking advantage of the infighting in the Congress on issue of tickets.

According to BJP insiders, the new confidence seemed to have started dawning on them especially in the wake of intense infighting that surfaced in Congress especially after distribution of tickets to 218 aspirants.

However, some of them theel the optimism may be unrealistic.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the stewardship of Amitbhai (Amit Shah), we are going to cross 150.

The results of Karnataka will be as exceptional and surprising as it was in Uttar Pradesh and Tripura," senior party leader and Union Minister Ananth Kumar told UNI here.

"We stunned all of you in the media when we won 325 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, we ousted Marxistsin Tripura and our vote share rose from 1.5 per cent to 43. It was a dream come true for us," says Mr Kumar.

ALSO READ | Manmohan Singh, Chidambaram among those who did not sign impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra

Even the party chief Amit Shah has started exuding the confidence yet again and during his recent visit to the state directed the party workers and leaders to put up their best show especially to win maximum of the 28 assembly seats in Bengaluru city itself.

The BJP poll managers feel despite large scale criticism and pin-pointed attack on the Modi government for being anti-Dalit and anti-minorities, the Lotus party has able to hold on to some percentage of voters from these sections.

"People do not turn up just for the sake of it. In constituencies like Hebbal, where Y A Naraynaswamy filed his nomination, a large number of Muslims turned up. So, we continue to have a share of votes. Moreover we have hold on to our traditional support base among upper castes especially Brahmins and Lingayats," says Nasir Ahmed, a minority wing office bearer in the constituency.

Endorsing him a 56-year-old H Nazzila, a housewife from Mothinagar area, says: "The BJP's initiatives on certain controversial issues like Triple Talaq have gone down well.

There will be increase in percentage of Muslim women voting for BJP".

Other BJP workers in several assembly segments point out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to be "biggest vote catcher" in the country and once he starts campaigning, things will further turn in favour of BJP.

"We all are Narendra Modi fans," says Nitin Pandey, an original inhabitant of Uttar Pradesh and a voter in Hebbal constituency.

The 25-year-old Pandey, who speaks fluent Kannad, says, "Come what may, BJP will put up a good show in Bengaluru and Karnataka and most of these votes will be in the name of Narendra Modi".

The clamour for Mr Modi to campaign has already begun even in social network.

One Twitterati Usha recently wrote: "As usual you (Narendra Modi) are expected to be in election campaign".

However, there are challenges too.

The BJP's internal report, according to sources, not yet gives majority mark of 113 seats to the saffron party.

"There is a visible nervousness in BJP camp," insists Rafiq Qadir, a Muslim social worker in Shantinagar assembly seat.

He says the BJP's Hindutva politics is not yielding expected results yet.

"While big or smaller caste groups are primarily Hindu, the BJP is having little success winning them over despite projecting an image of itself as a protector of the rights of Hindus," says Qadir.

The BJP sources do not deny the challenges.

In fact, in his series of meetings with party leaders from frontal organisations and booth level workers, BJP chief Amit Shah has sounded his displeasure on the performance of several state leaders.

"Shah is also upset with the functioning of youth wing of the state unit and other frontal bodies also," one party insider said.

It is in this context, they point out the BJP national president has decided to enlist the services of leaders from other states including union Ministers.

In the wake of 'absence of killer instinct' among many state-level leaders, some key trusted aides of Mr Shah have been made regional and sub-regional in charges.

They include Delhi-based BJP leader Satish Upadhaya for Mysuru region, Gujarat-based leader C R Patil and O P Mathur have been put in-charge for the crucial Coastal region.

Similarly, sources said Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan Bhupender Yadav along with some leaders have been put in-charge for Hyderabad-Karnataka region.

Mr Shah has also decided to enlist the services of leaders like Ram Madhav, Gopal Shetty and Ashsish Shellar.

The leadership has also decided to give further push to its pro-Hindutva slant.

As part of this strategy in fact, recent court orders on Mecca Masjid blast in Hyderabad and Gujarat High Court on Maya Kodnani will boost BJP prospects, say party leaders and supports.

"People are proud of the party's pro-Hindu ideology.

Hindus really think that, under the rule of Congress, Christians and Muslims have always received preferential treatment.

We Hindus must come together and vote out BJP," says Tushar Rajendra, a voter in Mahadevapura assembly segment.

In fact, leaders like Mr Ananth Kumar say the Congress camp is not only in disarray, there is "nervousness" as well even in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah vis-a-vis Chamundeshwari as he wants to contest also from Badami.

"As a migratory bird, Siddaramaiah now wants to fly from South pole to the North.

He has also proved that he is the biggest Aya Ram, Gaya Ram in Karnataka politics," says Mr Kumar.

Another party leader from the remote Belgaum region seems to agree readily.

BJP corporator at Belgaum Deepak Jamkhandi says the compulsion of 'winning' has made Congress leadership desperate.

"This year's election in Karnataka is also for the survival of the Congress party as the country's oldest party will totally lose its relevance despite a favourable media if they lose out Karnataka," he says.
By IANS

VIJAYAWADA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded action against senior Telugu actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator N Balakrishna for using objectionable language while targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A delegation of BJP leaders called on Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in Visakhapatnam and urged him to take serious note of the language used by Balakrishna.

The BJP delegation, led by Vishnukumar Raju, submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding action against Balakrishna.

AP CM Naidu's brother-in-law&party MLA Balakrishna talks like a lunatic.What is the kind of language he uses? Does he have sense? I think he has to be treated for mental illness. He has to be expelled from the party: Sudhish Rambhotla, BJP on TDP's Balakrishna comments on PM Modi pic.twitter.com/UKtyR7CPa9  ANI (@ANI) 21 April 2018

Balakrishna on Friday described Modi as a "gaddar" (traitor) and "namak haram" (cheat) for going back on the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh. He also used some more unparliamentary words, evoking strong condemnation from BJP.

Traitor, 'namak-haraam', come out & face people, they'll beat you up & make you run. No matter where you go & hide, even if you hide in a bunker Bharat Mata will bury you. Rebellion has begun & we'll not stay quiet: TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna on PM #SpecialStatus (20.4.18) pic.twitter.com/nW8kLWqIoB  ANI (@ANI) 21 April 2018

The actor, who is a member of state assembly, was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada where his brother-in-law and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took up day-long fast to protest against the Central government for doing injustice to the state.

Balakrishna, younger son of legendary actor and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, spared no words in targeting Modi.

Reminding the Prime Minister's past as a tea-seller, the TDP leader said Modi had treated Andhra Pradesh like a fly struggling for survival in a cup of hot tea.

"Instead of rescuing it, he chose to take into his mouth and chew it. He is a 'makhi choos' (fly sucker)," he said.

He predicted that the BJP would not win even a single seat in Andhra Pradesh in the next elections.

"You are trying to play Sikhandi (an eunuch character in Mahabharata) politics by taking the help of our rivals to attack the TDP. But your cheap politics won't work here. You cannot succeed in your attempts," he said.

"If you have heart, you should listen to the heart beat of the Telugu people. Not just Andhra, entire India is against you. The time has come when they will beat you repeatedly and chase you, wherever you go. You cannot escape even if you go and sit in a bunker," said Balakrishna.

The actor also accused Modi of trying to gain grip over Andhra Pradesh as he had done in Gujarat.

"But remember Modji, Andhra Pradesh is not Gujarat. Your tricks do not work here. The Telugu people are courageous. They showed their power when the Congress government in Delhi tried to pull down NTR government in 1984."
By PTI

TOKYO: Japan is not satisfied with North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, its defence minister said today, warning that Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

"We can't be satisfied," Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Washington, saying North Korea did not mention "abandonment of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles".

He added that Japan will not change its policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang for the "ultimate abandonment of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms and missiles".

ALSO READ: North Korea's Kim Jong Un promises no more nuclear or missile tests

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said today that his country would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump and South Korea.

Pyongyang's declaration, long sought by Washington, comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 61F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Government has served nurses who disregarded its exhortation to return to work on Tuesday with dismissal letters, Health and Child Care permanent secretary Dr Gerald Gwinji has said.



In an interview yesterday, Dr Gwinji said a number of the affected nurses were applying to rejoin the public health sector.



We are also quite aware that as of today, many of those who participated in the industrial action turned up at their old workplaces inquiring as to how they can be taken back into the system.

We are saying there are processes and procedures to that. They were served with their letters of dismissal but they can reapply, said Dr Gwinji.





He said those applying for recruitment would be assessed for their commitment to serve.

In that re-application, naturally there is going to be re-vetting of suitable and unsuitable cadres not only in terms of professional qualifications, but in terms of suitability to serve in the public sector considering what has been happening, he said.





Dr Gwinji said institutions had also been directed to start the recruitment process on a first-come, first-served basis.





He appealed to those handling the administrative work to speed up the process to allow nurses to start their duties immediately.

Dr Gwinji said there were hiccups in the recruitment process on Thursday as officials were unsure of how to handle the applications.

Quite a number (of nurses) have turned up at various institutions and we clarified the issue this morning (Friday) for them to go ahead and recruit, said Dr Gwinji.





He said Government would continue recruiting until it filled all vacant posts.

These nurses are already trained and qualified as far as we are concerned, but we know some of them might not have been practising, so they will undergo some orientation.





However, many of them have been practising in the private sector, some on a part-time basis, but also others on a full-time basis and might want to come back to the public sector, he said.





Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA) secretary-general Mr Enock Dongo confirmed that some of their members had received dismissal letters.





We are not yet sure of Governments position because some of our members have received the dismissal letters but in some provinces, they have withdrawn the same, he said.





Meanwhile, the fired nurses yesterday tried to conduct free health check-ups in Harares Africa Unity Square as part of a publicity stunt, but the response from the public was poor.





The gathering, which began at 1PM, dispersed soon after lunch.

Speaking to The Herald, one of the nurses appealed to Government to reconsider its decision.





We are committed to our work and we still want to go back to work. We hope Government will reconsider its decision and allow us to go back to work because we care for our patients, she said.





Nurses downed tools on Monday demanding a review of their remuneration and working conditions, but refused to take heed of Governments call to return to work after they were given a commitment that authorities would attend to their grievances.





Before the dismissal, Government had availed US$17,1 million to cover the health workers allowances. Herald
TRAGEDY has befallen two families after their children were trampled to death by elephants while several others were hospitalised in two unrelated incidents this week.



The tragic incidents occurred between Monday and Tuesday in Mbire District, Mashonaland Central Province. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management National Spokesperson, Mr Tinashe Farawo, confirmed the incidents and said rangers were searching for the jumbos.





We are very sad at the unfortunate death of two people who were trampled by elephants. We have since sent out a search team to find the animal(s) so that they can be gunned down, he said.





Mr Farawo said the Parks and Wildlife Management suspected that it was the same jumbo in both incidents as the incidents had occurred within close proximity.





It is not known what could have provoked the animal. Mr Farawo said in the first incident, a woman was working in the fields while in the company of her minor daughter whose age was not disclosed but was said to be in primary school.

They were attacked by the jumbo and the mother failed to save the girl from the animal.

In the second incident, a group of boys was attacked by an elephant suspected to be the same animal that attacked the first victims, in the same village.





The elephant trampled on a number of boys. One died on the spot while several others, whose number could not be immediately verified, were rushed to hospital. The matter was reported to Mbire Police Station.





The Zimparks spokesperson said the elephant had become a problem animal and would have to be gunned down.





We are tracking down the elephant since it has become a menace and once we locate it, it will be put down as we feel that it is now a danger to communities, he said. Last year, a 50-year-old man employed as an elephant handler by a Victoria Falls tour operator was killed by one of the elephants that he handled.





Mr Enock Kufandada was killed by the domesticated jumbo in July last year while carrying out his duties.

The elephant, nicknamed Mbanje, was gunned down by Zimparks rangers following the attack. Chronicle
Visiting Sadc Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, has commended the political and legislative environment in Zimbabwe, saying it is conducive to conduct a credible election. The elections are expected in July.



Dr Tax said this soon after paying a courtesy call on President Emmerson Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa offices yesterday. You are about to go to elections so we discussed about the elections (and) that you are also undertaking socio-economic reforms, we touched on that, she said.





As you are aware we had on observer mission here, a pre-electoral observer mission and we have shared a few issues and generally our findings are that you are set for elections.





Politically, the environment is conducive, the legislative environment is also conducive, pointing to a readiness for elections and also the reform processes which are ongoing. We also have agreed on how we can work together as a region to support Zimbabwe.





Dr Tax reiterated President Mnangagwas call for peaceful elections and called on other stakeholders to follow suit.





The suggestion is to continue encouraging and assuring Zimbabweans as the President is doing that the elections are going to take place and are going to be free, fair and credible. That is the suggestion and also call upon all stakeholders to make sure that indeed they are part of that process, they use their civic right to also contribute in ensuring that the elections are peaceful and credible, she said.

The Sadc pre-election observer mission was in the country early this year. A number of missions, including from Europe and the US, have also been in the country to assess the pre-election environment.





Parliament is debating amendments to the Electoral Act as part of reforms requested by the opposition.





Dr Tax said she had also visited Zimbabwe to introduce herself to President Mnangagwa following his assumption of office last year.





This is my first visit since the new President took over. So I was here to introduce myself to him and also to exchange views and get guidance from him on Sadc issues. That was the main purpose, she said.





On the economic front, Dr Tax acknowledged that industrialisation was the way to go for the Sadc region.





In terms of reforms, you know that Zimbabwe championed industrialisation and that is still the way. So the suggestion is let us continue transforming our economies to make sure that indeed we can trade equitably, she said.





Earlier, Dr Tax met Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Cde Simon Khaya Moyo and senior Government officials to discuss how Sadc can assist Zimbabwe implement its economic reforms. Herald
'We're Going to Get This Done,'

Biden Says After Hill Meeting
(Newser)  The emails from Chris Smith to family and friends began in June 2010 with seemingly happy news: The 30-year-old wrote that he was flush with $1 million cash after selling out his half of an ad company to his partner and was embarking on an epic world journey by yacht with a Playboy playmate he'd met in Vegas. Then came the updates from the Galapagos, Peru, Chile, the Congo, and other far-flung locales. His final emails talked about trying to sell gold Krugerrands and arranging a meeting with a dealer in Rwanda. Then the emails stopped, and Smith's family began an investigation into his disappearance that would yield a startling revelation, writes James Vlahos at GQ. His passport hadn't been used: Smith, it seems, had never even left the US.

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When the State Department referred the family back to the local police in Laguna Beach, California, the trail soon led to Smith's business partner, Edward Shin. First came the discovery of Shin's shady business past, then the discovery of Smith's blood in their warehouse. Investigators say Shin soon changed his story to say that Smith fell and hit his head while they were fighting about something, and he admitted hacking into Smith's email to send the fake all-is-well messages. Shin's murder trial begins later this spring, and his attorney, while still not acknowledging that Smith is even dead (his body has not been found), says that it would be a case of self-defense if that proves to be the case. Click for the full story, in which a seemingly ill-advised phone call made by Shin near the Mexico border and a chance discovery by a private investigator also play roles. (Read more Longform stories.)
(Newser)  Southwest is sending a letter of apology, a $5,000 check, and a $1,000 travel voucher to passengers who were on a flight that made an emergency landing in Philadelphia following an engine explosion. Chairman Gary Kelly says in the letter that the money is to help cover any "immediate financial needs," per the AP. An engine on a Southwest jet exploded Tuesday, and debris hit the plane. Banker Jennifer Riordan of Albuquerque, 43, was fatally injured when she was sucked partway out of the jet through a shattered window. (Images from the plane show that passengers were not using their oxygen masks correctly.)
(Newser)  When James Comey gave four memos to a friend detailing his interactions with President Trump, he took pains to make sure they contained no classified information, the former FBI chief told Congress last year. However, the Justice Department is now investigating whether he was wrong about that, reports the Wall Street Journal. The department's inspector general is looking at two memos in particular. In one of them, Comey blacked out information of his own accord that he deemed to be confidential, according to the Journal. The other three he considered safe. One of those three, however, apparently contained information that was upgraded to classified status after Comey left the FBI.

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The situation is similar to one that occurred with Hillary Clinton and her infamous email serversome emails that she circulated were OK at the time she did so but were later upgraded to classified. No charges were brought against her (by Comey), and it's unclear whether Comey himself would face any charges in this new investigation. Fox News confirms that the inspector general is investigating the possible mishandling of classified info. One person who needs no convincing: President Trump. Comey "leaked classified information," the president tweeted Thursday night, continuing a familiar theme of his. "WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?" (Read more James Comey stories.)
(Newser)  Israeli-born Natalie Portman has set off a controversy in her native country with a decision to skip a prestigious award ceremony there for political reasons. Portman had been scheduled to travel to Israel in June to receive the Genesis Prize, which NBC News notes is known as the "Jewish Nobel." However, the actress informed prize organizers that she won't be making the trip because she would "not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel." Her rep cited "recent events" without providing specifics, but Portman is believed to be referring to Israel's use of deadly force against unarmed protesters on the border between Israel and Gaza. It's unclear whether Portman will still receive the $1 million in prize money from the Genesis Prize Foundation, which she planned to donate to women's groups, reports the New York Times.

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Portman has been publicly critical of Benjamin Netanyahu and his polices in the past, and her decision to skip the award ceremony drew condemnation from Israel's minister of culture and sports, notes the Hollywood Reporter. "I was saddened to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen as a ripe fruit in the hands of BDS supporters," said Miri Regev, using the acronym for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel. However, Israeli lawmaker Rachel Azaria said Portman's move signaled that Israel is losing the support of young Jewish people in America. "The price of losing them could be too high," she says. Portman was being recognized for her work in films, including 2015's Tale of Love and Darkness, an adaptation of an autobiographical novel by Israeli author Amos Oz that was set in Israel. Portman starred in the film and directed it. (Read more Natalie Portman stories.)
(Newser)  A Massachusetts mom isn't too thrilled with the word-ban imposed by her daughter's preschool, the AP reports. Christine Hartwell says her 4-year-old daughter Julia came home unhappy from the Pentucket Workshop Preschool in Georgetown because her teacher said the term "best buddy" was forbidden. "I think it's ridiculous," Hartwell tells WIS-TV. "Children who are four years old speak from their heart, so they should be able to call kids anything loving." The school explained to the Hartwells that the term "best friend ... can lead other children to feel excluded" and "ultimately lead to the formation of cliques and outsiders," per ABC 7.

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Pentucket hasn't responded to the media, leaving a gap filled by pediatric psychologist Gregory Young: "I think that words are really important and the term 'best' does have an implied meaning to it," he says, "[but] I don't know if the right answer is necessarily denying children the ability to use that term." Media reports in recent years have referred to a "best friend" ban in European and British schools but didn't give any concrete evidence, the Washington Post reports. As for Julia, she seems unnerved by the whole thing: "Even now she goes to say it in a loving way'I'm going to go see my best friend Charlie' or this one or that oneand she looks at me sideways as she's saying it and she's checking in with me to see if that language is okay," Hartwell says. (Read more preschool stories.)
(Newser)  A professor's profanity-laced outburst has prompted an apology from his school and shed light on his ongoing political feud with a conservative student, the Star-Ledger reports. Howard Finkelstein, who teaches sociology at Brookdale Community College in New Jersey, was recently caught on video shouting "f--- your life" at student Christopher Lyle as the two debated sexual harassment. "In a recent class, a faculty member acted in an uncivil manner," says the college in a statement. "We apologize to this student and to all students in the classroom for the way in which this faculty member behaved." Finkelstein was discussing how women are targeted by sexual harassment when Lyle cut in, saying men can also be victimized by women, Fox News reports.

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Finkelstein punctuated their heated exchange by slamming his hand on his desk and making his unkind remark. The next day, Lyle was removed from class by a school official who wanted to make sure that Lyle, a gun owner, wasn't angry enough to retaliate with violence, Lyle tells the Star-Ledger. Lyle has accepted the school's apology but Finkelstein hasn't responded to media inquiries. Seems this is all part of an ongoing feud in which the two spar in class and Finkelstein's office, but at least one student in their sociology class considers it an unwanted distraction. "Im paying to get an education and Im watching [Finkelstein] preach to another student," Joey Smith, who shot the video, tells the Asbury Park Press. "I'm not learning anything there." (Read more sexual assault stories.)
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Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy with snow. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. Snowfall around one inch..

Tonight

A few snow showers scattered about the area this evening, otherwise a good deal of clouds. Low 28F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 30%.
#KCCI KCCI head congratulates Japan's new PM, hoping for better bilateral ties The chief of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has sent a congratulatory letter to prospective Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, expressing hope for better tie...
The Daily News-Miner encourages residents to make themselves heard through the Opinion pages. Readers' letters and columns also appear online at newsminer.com. Contact the editor with questions at letters@newsminer.com or call 459-7574.

Community Perspective

Send Community Perspective submissions by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Submissions must be 500 to 750 words. Columns are welcome on a wide range of issues and should be well-written and well-researched with attribution of sources. Include a full name, email address, daytime telephone number and headshot photograph suitable for publication (email jpg or tiff files at 150 dpi.) You may also schedule a photo to be taken at the News-Miner office. The News-Miner reserves the right to edit submissions or to reject those of poor quality or taste without consulting the writer.

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Send letters to the editor by mail (P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks AK 99707), by fax (907-452-7917) or via email (letters@newsminer.com). Writers are limited to one letter every two weeks (14 days.) All letters must contain no more than 350 words and include a full name (no abbreviation), daytime and evening phone numbers and physical address. (If no phone, then provide a mailing address or email address.) The Daily News-Miner reserves the right to edit or reject letters without consulting the writer.
New Delhi:

The Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Saturday moved a Hong Kong court against billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi in order to recover an amount of over $5 billion.

The recovery writ has been filed gainst Nirav's companies Firestar Diamonds and Firestar Diamonds International. PNB will also approach the courts of other countries to explore the assets and business of both Nirav and Gitanjali Group owner Mehul Choksi in abroad.

"Punjab National Bank moves Hong Kong High Court against #NiravModi. PNB will also approach the courts of other countries where #NiravModi and #MehulChoksi have assets and businesses," ANI reported.

Punjab National Bank moves Hong Kong High Court against #NiravModi. PNB will also approach the courts of other countries where #NiravModi and #MehulChoksi have assets and businesses. pic.twitter.com/5LaKB8ou7B  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

Also Read | PNB Fraud Case: CBI issues non bailable warrant against Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi

Earlier, India has submitted a request to Hong Kong authorities to arrest the fugitive diamond merchant.

Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs General (retd) VK Singh informed the Rajya Sabha that the ministry "has sought the provisional arrest of Nirav Deepak Modi". The request was made on March 23.

The celebrity designer is at large after defrauding PNB of over Rs 14,000 crore using 1,200 illegally secured letters of undertakings (LOUs). The scam, which reportedly began in 2011, was detected in the third week of January 2018.

Also Read | Finance Ministry asks RBI to help ease industry troubles post LoU ban

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

In a fresh trouble for Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, a Mumbai court on Saturday cancelled the bailable warrant against him in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

"2002 Hit and Run case: Mumbai Sessions Court cancelled bailable warrant against #SalmanKhan," ANI tweeted.

The court had last week stayed the bailable warrant in the 16-year-old hit-and-run case, in which the government's appeal against Salman's acquittal is still pending before the Supreme Court.

The bailable warrant was issued after the Race 3 actor failed to complete the procedure of providing surety (a guarantor for good behaviour) on the scheduled dates.

"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," according to a police official.

2002 Hit and Run case: Mumbai Sessions Court cancelled bailable warrant against #SalmanKhan. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/E8IRLQytQQ  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

Also Read | Blackbuck Poaching Case: Jodhpur court allows Salman Khan to travel abroad

In December 2015, the Bombay High Court had acquitted Khan of all criminal charges for 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 sentenced him five years of imprisonment.

Salman was recently awarded five years of imprisonment in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Tubelight star spent two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail and was later granted bail on two bail bonds of Rs 25,000 each.

Also Read | Bigg Boss 12: Salman Khan's show to have a new host this season? Read details

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

All the fans of Rajnikanth out there, we have some big news for you. The veteran superstar will soon return to the big screen to entertain the audience with his much-awaited film Kaala.

The Pa Ranjith directorial which was originally slated to arrive in cinema theatres on April 27 has got a new release date. Dhanush, who is co-producing the film, took to Twitter to announce that Kaala will now release in all the languages on June 7.

According to reports, the 48-day long strike in Kollywood pushed the release date of the film. For the uninitiated, the Tamil Film Producer Council recently called off the strike which began on March 1, making it easier for the new films to release.

Talking about Kaala, the film which also stars Nana Patekar, Anjali Patil, Huma Qureshi, Samuthirakani and Pankaj Tripathi is based on the oppression of Tamilians in Mumbai.

Rajnikanth, who was last seen in Kabali, is playing the role of a don in Kaala. Interestingly, the Linga star collaborates with his Kabali director Pa Ranjith for the highly anticipated flick.

A post shared by RAJINIKANTH (@rajinikanthfanclub) on Mar 2, 2018 at 5:20am PST

The teaser of Kaala, which was unveiled on March 1, managed to create anticipation among movie buffs. Fans have already started the countdown to see their favourite Thalaiva on the silver screen.

Stay tuned for more updates on the film.
New Delhi:

Television actor Jay Soni, who is known for his role in Star Plus' popular show Sasural Genda Phool, is on cloud nine these days as he welcomes his first child.

His wife Pooja Shah gave birth to a healthy baby girl on April 18 in Mumbai.

"Both mother and child are doing good and Jay is over the moon. He has always wanted a baby girl, and with his wish coming true, he is jumping like a kid. Pooja is currently in the hospital but they should arrive home soon after the regular check-ups and formalities," a source reportedly told Indian Express.

It is indeed a happy moment for the new parents and the proud father Jay can't stop gushing about the new member of the family.

I am on cloud nine. I cant even begin to explain how it feels. I was inside the operation theatre with Pooja and I am really proud of her. She was so strong throughout. When the doctor announced that it was a girl, both of us started screaming with joy. I didnt even realise that I had tears when the baby looked at me for the first time. It was surreal, he told TOI.

Jay further added, My daughter was born on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. She is truly a blessing for us. My friends and relatives have been telling me that Laxmi aayi hai on such an auspicious day.

The couple hosted a grand baby shower for Pooja early in January and it was attended by several celebs from the television industry.

Jay Soni was last seen in Colors TV Bhaag Bakool Bhaag.
New Delhi:

Mumbai blasts convict Abu Salems parole request has been rejected by the Mumbai police on Saturday. The gangster had sought the parole for his wedding.

As per reports, Salem had written to the jail authorities on February 16, asking for a leave to tie the knot with Sayed Bahar Kausar alias Heena on May 5. In the application, Salem mentioned that he has never been out in the last 12 years, the letter was sent to the commissioner of Konkan division on March 12.

ALSO READ: Tug of War - in search of success story to regain lost glory

The parole plea stated Salems cousins - Mohammed Salim Adbul Razak Memon and Mohammed Rafique Sayyed, as guarantors.

Salem was sentenced to life imprisonment by a special TADA court for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Apart from the March 1993 Mumbai blasts, Abu Salem has also been sentenced to life in the builder Pradeep Jains murder case.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

All eyes are on Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu as the Congress and BJP are fighting in public over the impeachment motion of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra. Naidu is likely to form a committee to look into the matter and will decide if there is any merit of ground to take such a major step against CJI Misra.

Now, the big question is what happens if Naidu doesn't accept the petition. Legal experts say that the opposition has an option to go to the Supreme Court in such a high-profile case. It means that the matter will come up again before CJI Deepak Misra and he will decide its fate.

The opposition parties have submitted a petition with the signatures of over 70 members from Rajya Sabha and accused Misra of 'misbehaviour' and 'misusing' authority.

In such a situation it is important to know how a Supreme Court judge can be removed? Article 124(4) of the Constitution lays down the procedure for removal of a judge.

The process is as follows:

Step 1: A removal motion signed by 100 members of Lok Sabha or 50 members of Rajya Sabha has to be submitted to the Speaker of the Lower House or Chairperson (ie Vice President) of the Upper House. This can be in either of the Houses of Parliament.

Step 2: The Speaker/Chairperson can either accept or reject the motion.



Step 3: If the motion is admitted, then the Speaker/ Chairperson forms a three-member committee comprising a senior judge of the Supreme Court, a judge of a high court and a distinguished jurist to investigate the charges leveled against the CJI.



Step 4: If the committee supports the motion, it can be taken up for discussion. It must be passed by a special two-third majority of MPs in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Also Read | Judge Loya case: Opposition leaders hand over CJI's impeachment notice to Venkaiah Naidu

Here is who said what on the impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra:

It seems like The Aam Aadmi Party is among those who have backed out from supporting the move.

Describing the move a joke, AAP Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, "For the motion to pass, a two-thirds majority is required in both Houses, and the Opposition does not have the numbers. It will be defeated, and if that happens it will be a joke."

Besides that, The Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and some other parties have not signed the petition.

Randeep Surjewala:

"A day after Supreme Court trashes PIL movers as carrying politically vested interests, it entertains a PIL to gag the media for reporting on CJIs impeachment! Whose interests are such PIL serving?" the member of Indian National Congress said in a tweet.

"Even on an issue that effects the very edifice of the Judiciary, the two Bhakt channels are running BJPs discourse instead of informing the people about the reasons for the proposed #Impeachment motion against the CJI," Surjewala wrote in another tweet.



Even on an issue that effects the very edifice of the Judiciary, the two Bhakt channels are running BJPs discourse instead of informing the people about the reasons for the proposed #Impeachment motion against the CJI.  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 20, 2018

Kapil Sibal:

The Congress leader said that the notice for the Chief Justices removal has been moved with a "heavy heart" as Justice Misra had not "asserted the independence of the judiciary in the face of interference by the executive."

"We wish this day had never come," Sibal said during a press conference.

"As representatives of the people, we are entitled to hold the Chief Justice accountable, just as we are accountable to the people. The majesty of the law is more important than the majesty of any office," he said.

"We hope that a thorough enquiry will be held so that truth alone triumphs. Democracy can thrive only when our judiciary stands firm, independent of the executive, and discharges its constitutional functions honestly, fearless, and with an even hand," Sibal added.

Also Read | CJI Deepak Misra raps media, says it can't become Popes overnight

Ghulam Nabi Azad:

"We have moved a motion for the removal of Chief Justice of India under five grounds of misbehaviour," the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha said.

"... While submitting the motion to the Rajya Sabha chairman, we requested him we have the number required for the motion to be entertained ... I am sure that the minimum requirement for the motion to be entertained has been met and sure that chairman will take action," Nabi was quoted as saying by NDTV.

Salman Khurshid:

The senior Congress leader, however, seemed to disagree with his party colleagues.

"I hope not and believe not impeachment is too serious a matter to be played with on the grounds of disagreement with any judgment or with any point of view of the court. I am not a party to the discussions that have taken place between the parties therefore for me to say whether the grounds are justified or not would be unfair," News18.com quoted Khurshid.

Arun Jaitley:

Describing the move as a political tool of Congress, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, "It is not difficult to collect fifty signatures of Rajya Sabha or hundred signatures of Lok Sabha members even on frivolous issues. To use the power as intimidatory tactics when neither you have a case of 'proven misconduct' or the numbers on your side, is a serious threat to judicial independence."

Impeachment should not be allowed to be used as political tool.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) April 20, 2018

"My preliminary reaction to the impeachment motion filed today is clear. It is a revenge petition after the falsehood of the Congress Party has been established in the Justice Loya death case. It is an attempt to intimidate a Judge and send a message to other Judges, that if you dont agree with us, fifty MPs are enough for a revenge action," he added.

"The charges read out are issues those which have been settled by judicial orders or by precedent. Some issues are stale, trivial and have nothing to do with judicial functions."

Also Read | CJI Dipak Misra says no one can interfere between marriage of two adults

SC on public debates over impeachments:

The Supreme Court said the public discussions and statements, including those made by lawmakers, on the impeachment of judges were 'unfortunate' while hearing a petition filed by a Pune-based lawyers' organisation, which has also sought a gag on the media from reporting such statements.

"We are all very disturbed about it," a bench comprising justice AK Sikri and justice Ashok Bhushan said.

The apex court asked attorney general KK Venugopal to assist it in dealing with the plea and the next hearing will take place on May 7.

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

The hangmans noose may well be closing in on rapists of children below 12 years of age though the hard reality currently is that only three out of 10 men charged with raping minors are convicted.

An ordinance promulgated by the Narendra Modi government on Saturday after due Cabinet approval sets in motion the sharp deterrent against such depraved individuals.



Statistics reveal that in 2015 (the last year for which government statistics are available) as many as 5,700 people accused of raping minors were acquitted while only 2,241 were convicted.

While a clear deterrent has been created by the new ordinance, the war on rape and rapists will have to look also at this aspect of 70 per cent rapists not being brought to book evidently due to lack of evidence.



That the ordinance providing for death sentence is a reflection of the sense of revulsion and outrage in the country over the brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, another in Surat town of Gujarat and a couple of similar cases elsewhere, it is for watchful citizens to ensure that the action does not end at that.

The conviction rate needs to go up substantially with greater cooperation from the public and deeper thrust by the authorities and justice needs to be meted out expeditiously.



The Modi government has simultaneously announced that for speedy trial of rape cases new fast track courts would be set up in consultation with States/Union territories and high courts.

While this is good, public interest groups will need to act as watchdogs to ensure that there is no laxity in implementation.



The States will be required to act with complete cooperation and honesty if the ordinance is not to end up as a mere document that lines the shelves.



Another welcome development is that the ordinance also prescribes that there will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused

of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

In a country where those with clout peddle their influence to circumvent action all too often, there would be utmost vigilance required to ensure that the law is effectively enforced.



Significantly, after the horrific Nirbhaya gangrape in December 2012 in New Delhi which shook the nations conscience, and led the then Congress government of Dr Manmohan Singh to introduce the death penalty in cases where a woman either died or was left in a vegetative state after rape, there has been little follow-up action to avert subsequent incidents.



That is a danger we live with when media focus shifts to other issues and the public which was sensitized by the terrible incident tends to

look the other way.



When experts tasked to overhaul rape laws had looked into this demand following the New Delhi gang rape and murder of the 23-year-old woman, they had noted that capital punishment for rape "may not have a deterrent effect".



In the Kathua case, when Union minister for child development and womens welfare initiated the demand for capital punishment for rapists she had advised states to improve the response of the police to sexual offences by setting up special teams, sensitise officers and punish those found to be obstructing the probe. Whether this sane advice would be heeded is anybodys guess.



The need of the hour is not knee-jerk reactions to satisfy critics but sustained action for which not just the government but public interest groups need to swing into action in tandem.

There is also a dire need to ensure speedy justice which has been a perennial issue which remains unresolved.



The ordinance is one small step in the right direction. More steps must be taken if the deterrence against rape of minors and of others is to have proper meaning. Click Here to Read More From Kamlendra Kanwar

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New Delhi:

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj embarked on her two-nation visit to China and Mongolia where she will participate in the meeting of foreign ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Swaraj shall set the tone for PM Modi's visit to China which is scheduled in June. India became a full member of SCO in 2017. Since 2005, India was an observer in the group and was made a full member along with Pakistan last year.

The visit also gains significance of the backdrop of the hostilities in the Sino-India relations in the aftermaths of the Doklam standoff. Troops of the two countries were locked in a standoff for more than two months in 2017.

In the recent past, the two countries have accused each other of encroaching upon their territory. Swaraj is also expected to hold bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, besides similar talks with some other members of SCO. Following her visit to China, Swaraj will be in Mongolia from April 24 to 25.

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New Delhi:

Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday, quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stating that he will end his ties with the BJP and will not join any political party further.

"Today I am taking 'sanyas' from any kind of party politics, today I am ending all ties with the BJP. I will fight for democracy," said Yashwant Sinha in a public function held in Patna.

"The budget session was so small that it created history as it was the smallest. I say this with full responsibility that the Indian government did not let the house run," added Sinha.

Taking a jibe at the government, Sinha said that the democratic authorities are being overpowered, hinting at the press conference called out by four senior judges of the Supreme Court.

The decision comes after the Former Finance Minister criticised the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.

Sinha was the Finance Minister (1990-1991 under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and March 1998 - July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Minister of External Affairs July 2002 - May 2004).

Yashwant Sinhas son, Jayant Sinha, a consultant and investor is currently serving as the Minister of State for Civil Aviation in Narendra Modis cabinet.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who concluded his visit to London on Friday, has met German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss a few bilateral cooperation and other global issues.

Modi arrived in Germany on Friday night after wrapping up his visit to the UK where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

It was the third and last leg of Modias three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.

"Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues," Modi said in a tweet.

Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues. pic.twitter.com/aH1pLddhku a Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 20, 2018

The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Modias visit "demonstrates Indiaas mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership," he added.

"Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting," Kumar tweeted.

Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting. pic.twitter.com/vWac7Ql9XK a Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 20, 2018

Modias meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeieras trip to India in March. His vsiit focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Germany is Indiaas largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.

(With inputs from PTI)

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New Delhi:

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was killed in a gunfight with CPI-Maoist cadres in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday early hours.

An assistant sub-inspector rank officer was killed in the encounter with Naxals in forested area under Kistaram police station.

South Basata Range deputy inspector general of police (IG) Sundarraj P told the media that Maoists opened fired at CRPF team engaged in anti-Naxal operation in Kistaram forest.

According to local police sources, an operation was launched in the area on intelligence inputs on Friday evening.



aA search operation has been launched in the area to nab the Maoist cadres,a said police.
New Delhi:

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to award death sentence to the rapists of children below the age of 12.

"Union Cabinet approved an Ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age. Death penalty has been provided for rapists of girls below 12 years of age," ANI reported.

Union Cabinet approved an Ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age. Death penalty has been provided for rapists of girls below 12 years of age. pic.twitter.com/QXCv0P3pFP  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

Following a meeting of the Union Cabinet on Saturday, the government cleared the amendment in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Now the ordinance will be sent to President Ram Nath Kovind for his approval.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh man allegedly rapes 35-year-old daughter; calls two other friends to join

As per government sources, the Cabinet has also decided to put in place measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.

The minimum punishment for rape will now be life imprisonment as opposed to rigorous imprisonment of seven-10 years earlier.

Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment; in case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be life imprisonment or death sentence.  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of his life.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to life imprisonment; minimum 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided in the Ordinance.  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

Talking about the latest development, Rekha Sharma (chairperson, NCW) said, "I welcome this move of the government. But the main challenge is the implementation of the law. I would still suggest that there be fast track courts so that justice can be delivered at the earliest."

"In principle, CPM is against death penalty. The death penalty is already there in rarest of rare cases. The actual issue is that some members of govt are supporting rapists. There should be a penalty against rapist rakhsaks," ANI quoted CPM's Brinda Karat.

In principle, CPM is against death penalty. The death penalty is already there in rarest of rare cases. The actual issue is that some members of govt are supporting rapists. There should be a penalty against 'rapist rakhsaks': Brinda Karat, CPM on the ordinance to amend POCSO Act pic.twitter.com/ZPV9oY6Opq  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

"To divert the issue the govt is trying to bring this in. I am afraid as this has very little credibility. We want the certainty of punishment. This issue is not addressing the issue which is agitating the minds of Indians," Karat added.

To divert the issue the govt is trying to bring this in. I am afraid as this has very little credibility. We want the certainty of punishment. This issue is not addressing the issue which is agitating the minds of Indians: Brinda Karat, CPM on the ordinance to amend POCSO Act pic.twitter.com/eFMb2YJ7Iq  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

The decision has been taken amid the growing clamour over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua. Two other spine chilling cases in Uttar Pradeshs Unnao and Gujarats Surat district have also shaken the collective conscience of the nation.

Also Read | Unnao Rape Case: UP government withdraws BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar's 'Y' category security cover

Earlier, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi had expressed her ministry's intention to amend the POCSO to make provision for death penalty in such cases.

The Centre has submitted its report on the basis of a public interest litigation (PIL). It has sought maximum sentence of death penalty to those offenders involved in the rape and brutal murder of children below the age of 12. Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava has filed the petition in the Supreme Court.

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New Delhi:

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un on Saturday said that his nation has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests ahead of the fresh round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States.

There was no clear indication in the nation's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal. The East Asian nation rather expressed confidence about its nuclear force, which leader Kim Jong Un declared as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead and flight tests of three intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The announcement comes less than a week before the North Korean leader meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of the eagerly-awaited encounter with Trump himself.

But Kim gave no indication Pyongyang might be willing to give up its nuclear weapons, or the missiles with which it can reach the mainland United States.

The North had successfully developed its arsenal, including miniaturising warheads to fit them on to missiles, Kim said, and so "no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now".

As such the North's nuclear testing site was no longer needed, he told the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday -- the North has not carried any out since November -- and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Within minutes of the report being issued, Trump tweeted: "This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit." Seoul too welcomed the announcement, calling it "meaningful progress" towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

But Kim offered no sign he might be willing to give up what he called the North's "treasured sword", saying its possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth nuclear blast, by far its most powerful to date, while Kim and Trump traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions ramped up.

Even when there was an extended pause in testing, US officials said that it could not be interpreted as a halt without an explicit statement from Pyongyang.

South Korean envoys have previously cited Kim as promising no more tests, but Saturday's news is the first such announcement directly by Pyongyang.

Analysts cautioned that while the declaration was welcome, Pyongyang appeared determined to retain its nuclear capability. "Certainly this is a positive development," said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University. "It's a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-proliferation commitments."

And Christopher Green of the International Crisis Group added on Twitter: "I don't see how North Korean statement constitutes a step toward denuclearisation. It is a moratorium on testing, but recommits North Korea to nuclear weapons status." Japan -- which has seen missiles fly over its territory -- said it was not satisfied with Pyongyang's pledge, pointing out North Korea did not mention the short- or medium-range missiles that put Tokyo within reach.

The formal declaration of an end to testing comes after Kim stated in his New Year speech that the development of North Korea's nuclear force had been completed.In the same address, he said he had a nuclear button on his desk, prompting Trump to tweet that he had a bigger one of his own.

Events have moved rapidly since then, catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, and Seoul is now pushing for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, raising hopes that a settlement can finally be reached on the peninsula.

But there is a long way to go and Moon himself acknowledged this week that the "devil is in the details". The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees, potentially leaving much space for disagreement.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

But Kim told the Workers' Party meeting: "A fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape."

For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy. But the leader said that as it was now a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction", in what he called the party's "new strategic line".

Several factors have driven the Korean rapprochement, including the North feeling that it can now negotiate from a position of strength, concern about the belligerence of the Trump administration, and the looming impact of sanctions.

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An outbreak of measles in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa is affecting local tourism ahead of the spring holiday season.

Okinawa officials say that by Thursday, 65 people had been confirmed infected with the disease. The outbreak started when a male tourist from Taiwan tested positive on March 20th.

The officials also say more than 170 people have cancelled trips to Okinawa.

The prefectural government is receiving about 30 inquiries a day from people and travel agencies about where infections are rampant and how to protect against the virus.

Prefectural official Masaru Itokazu says it's deeply regrettable that the outbreak started before the holiday season, but that the prefecture will give people accurate information.

Some schools in Okinawa are cancelling classes.

The prefectural government plans to hold an emergency meeting of all its division chiefs on Monday.

Measles causes high fever and rashes. It can be fatal for infants and toddlers, and may result in miscarriages.
Wakayama Prefectural Police have arrested a 29-year-old man over the murder of his wife during a diving excursion in the town of Shirahama last year, a case that he framed as an accidental drowning, reports the Yomiuri Shimbun

On the afternoon of July 18, Takashi Noda, a driver living in Osaka City's Tennoji Ward, allegedly killed his wife, 28-year-old Shiho, by forcing her head under water to the sandy shoal below during a snorkeling trip about 50 meters from shore in the town of Shirahama.

Noda, who has been accused of murder, has declined to comment on the allegations.

According to the Shirahama Police Station, Noda staged the incident so that it would appear to be an accident. "I went to the toilet for about 10 minutes, and when I returned [she] was floating [in the water]," the suspect said at the time.

After the incident, the suspect pulled the body of his wife up to a rocky shore and alerted a lifeguard. The woman was subsequently transported to a hospital in a state of cardiac arrest. She died two days later due to brain damage from lack of oxygen.

Police launched an investigation after the emergence of several suspicious details in the case. First, doctors discovered a large quantity of sand in Shio's body while she was in the hospital. Further, she possessed a diving license, which would make accidental drowning unlikely on a day when there were no records of big waves or strong wind.

Seeing other women

The couple married in 2015. During interviews with the suspect, police learned that at the time of the incident they were considering divorce due to financial trouble and problems connected to his seeing other women.

An former colleague of Shio tells Fuji News Network (Apr. 20): "I heard that things were not going smoothly between them and that they were living apart. From about six weeks before she died, she said she couldn't eat, which left her very emaciated."

The arrest is the second for Noda. Police first arrested over the theft of a merchandise valued at more than 100,000 yen from pet-related company that formerly employed him in Osaka in October and November of last year. During questioning, he said, "I didn't have any money."
Ovie Omo-Agege

According to a report by The Nation, there were indications yesterday that the Senate would not allow Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to return to the chamber any time soon, following Wednesdays invasion by thugs who also snatched the mace.

Although Omo-Agege has denied any relationship with the perpetrators of the act, many of his colleagues appear not to be convinced by the senators defence.

Consequently, they are pushing for his suspension for the rest of the legislative days of the 8th Senate.

The fate of the former Chairman of Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is also shaky as he was said to have been put on the spot at an executive (close) session on Thursday where senators also identified five reasons why thugs invaded the hallowed chamber.

Although Adamu was said to have fought back and stoutly defended himself against the accusations levelled against him, the senators were unanimous in their decision to get to the roots of the invasion and enhance the security situation in the National Assembly.

The senators may also demand Omo-Ageges prosecution after its internal investigation and the outcome of the findings of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security Service.

A principal officer of the Senate said: The coincidence between Omo-Ageges entry into the chamber and the invasion by the thugs was more than met the eye.





Most of us are of the opinion that our colleague desecrated the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.





We have resolved that we will not allow him to resume sitting in the chamber under any excuse.





Once a Senator is suspended rightly or wrongly, he or she has no business in the chamber.

The coming of Omo-Agege on Wednesday was an affront.





His suspension might be unfair, but he should not have fought his way into the chamber.

Another Senator said: Some of us have demanded for outright suspension of Omo-Agege for the rest of the legislative days in the 8th Senate.





Actually, Omo-Agege was to be suspended for six months but the head of one of the security agencies prevailed on the leadership of the Senate to reduce it to 90 days.





Now, with the desecration of the chamber by thugs, we believe he has no business in the 8th Senate anymore.

At a stormy session on Thursday, the Senators were able to identify five accumulated factors which accounted for the invasion of the Senate chamber.

The reasons are as follows:

Continuous fallout of June 9, 2015 election of principal officers

Suppression of dissenting voices in the Senate

Rating of some Senators higher or lesser than others by the Senate leadership

Existence of caucuses and unfair ban on Parliamentary Support Group which is pro-President Muhammadu Buhari

Alleged lack of fairness by the leadership of the Senate

According to investigation, the Senators bared their minds at an Executive Session on Thursday to conduct a post-mortem on what went wrong.

It was learnt that the star of the session was Sen. Kabir Marafa (Zamfara) who opened up on many issues affecting the unity of the Senate.

Others who spoke were Senators Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Dino Melaye (Kogi), Ogola Foster (Bayelsa), Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session.

A ranking senator said: At the session, Senators put Abdullahi Adamu on the spot. He was accused of making his residence available for meetings by members of the Parliamentary Support Group of which Senator Omo-Agege is its secretary.





But Adamu said he had no hand in the invasion of the chamber.





He also said the PSG is a caucus group outside the chamber as it is the case with the Like Minds (supporting Saraki), the Unity Forum, the Northern Senators Forum and others in the Senate.





He said parliamentary caucus is legitimate all over the world.

It was gathered that Senator Marafa stole the show when he said all senators were guilty of the mess the Senate has found itself.

He picked on Adamu, saying: Some of you in this PSG today abandoned the Unity Forum to support Sarakis emergence as Senate President. When it was convenient, you opened doors for Saraki.





This same Senator Adamu was once with Saraki and at a point spoke against President Muhammadu Buhari. I belonged to the Unity Forum, I did not work for Saraki but he appointed me a strategic committee chairman.

A Senator from the North-West said: At the session, Senators backing Saraki spoke and those who belong to the left wing. We all focused on how our chamber became polluted with vested interests.

Asked of Adamus fate, the Senator added: It is still shaky, we do not know what they will do to him.





We cited the fact that the Senate leadership has some favourites through which motions were usually imposed on members.





The Senators tagged Like Minds behind Saraki would have met before any sitting and they will just ride us roughshod in the Senate.





Those in Like Minds do not allow alternative views in the Senate. Once a Senator speaks against a motion Saraki and his boys are interested in, you are tagged as anti-leadership in a Senate that we are all equals.





For instance, we condemned Omo-Ageges behaviour, but some of us suspected that he acted out of frustration.





When the debate on Order of Elections was on, Omo-Agege called for a division but he was ignored by the Senate President.





Yet after this same Omo-Agege apologised for expressing his dissenting views, he was suspended through a script already acted by the Like Minds.





The Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges has been doing a hatchet mans job.





Some Senators said the way out is to return the Senate to a chamber of equality, robust debates, accepting the reality of dissent views and allowing caucuses to exist and fairness to all.

Another Senator said: Well, some of our colleagues expressed regrets that some Senators have been made lesser than the other.

On his part, Senator Dino Melaye pointed accusing finger at the PSG for the invasion of the chamber.

In a fit of anger, he added: They still had a meeting yesterday (Wednesday).

The Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, was said to have appealed for calm, understanding and tolerance.

But Senator Ogola Foster redirected the session to the issue of the invasion of the chamber.

He said: We should face the reality. Someone desecrated the Senate chamber. We must investigate it and take appropriate action.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, took time to listen to all views and expressed the resolve of the Senate to protect the nations democracy.

A senator from the South-East said: Although we did not arrive at any resolution at the Executive Session, Ekweremadus address later on the floor was a summary of what transpired.





We want an investigation into the invasion, and the law must take its course.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of fresh plot to secretly create 30,000 illegal polling units in compromised areas in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari.





PDP described the said plot of the INEC and APC as wicked, horrible and totally unacceptable.





This accusation was contained in a statement issued by PDPs spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.





The statement reads, Our investigation shows that this is part of the grand design by the

commission under Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to rig the 2019 general elections in favour of President Muhammadu Buhari and his dysfunctional APC.





We are aware of series of clandestine meetings between compromised officials of the commission and certain agents of the Presidency and APC, where the plot to sneak in the 30, 000 illegal polling units in

some remote areas and through which they plan to allocate votes to President Buhari and the APC were perfected.





Having realized that Nigerians have completely rejected them because of

their manifold failures in governance, the Presidency and the APC are now employing all manners of dirty antics to create ways to rig the polls and foist President Buhari back on Nigerians.









The PDP cautions INEC not to set the nation on fire by its overt conspiratory tendencies. Prof. Yakubu should heed wise counsel and

immediately perish the thoughts of using such polling units or dividing the nation along ethnic lines in the 2019 general elections, as such would be stiffly resisted.





We invite INEC to note that every Nigerian has seen the handwriting on the wall regarding the general rejection of President Buhari and the APC well ahead of the elections. We all know where the tide is flowing and Nigerians are not ready to, and will never accept any results that do not reflect that reality.





Having completely lost confidence in the integrity of INEC under Prof. Yakubu, we unequivocally demand that all processes leading to the 2019 must be subjected to open review of political parties and stakeholders

at all levels.





In this regard, we demand that INEC makes public the location and status of all polling units as well as the report of its investigation of under-age voters in various parts of the country, particularly, Kano and Katsina state.





Finally, we urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and monitor all processes to ensure that INEC and the APC do not, at any point in the process, manipulate the 2019 general election and subvert the will of the people.




President Muhammadu Buharis statement to British Prime Minister Theresa May in London on Monday that he was more concerned about security...

President Muhammadu Buharis statement to British Prime Minister Theresa May in London on Monday that he was more concerned about security issues and the economy than his 2019 reelection bid generated uproar in Nigeria. This is because insecurity has not really been nipped in the bud.

Daily, cases of security challenges are reported in various parts of the country, making one to raise eyebrows over the presidents purported concern.





Few weeks ago, a former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defense, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University Jalingo, stirred the hornets nest when he urged Nigerians to defend themselves and not to rely on the military as they collude with the armed bandits to kill people.





As the country moves closer to the 2019 general elections, there are security challenges the president needs to not just tackle but also bring to an end this year.





Boko Haram:

Though Boko Haram has actually been degraded, pockets of attacks still take place. In a new video on January 2, 2018, leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, denied claims that the group has been defeated.





Days earlier, the group attacked the Muna Garage area of Maiduguri killing 25 people, with pockets of other attacks around the North-East.





Besides, the sect also embarrassed the government with the abduction of 110 girls at the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State, on February 19. However, 104 of the girls were later released.





Besides, the talks between the Federal Government and Boko Haram on the release of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls suffered setbacks. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement a week ago, quoted President Buhari has saying the break-down of talks was due to lack of agreement among the girls abductors whose internal differences had led to divergent voices regarding the outcome of the negotiations. Some of the girls have been in captivity for four years.





Herder-farmer violence:

The problem of herders-farmers clashes has not abated since the killing of 73 people in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State on January 1, 2018. There have been consistent killings mostly in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states. The crises were aggravated mainly with the commencement of the anti-grazing law by the Benue State Government on November 1, 2017 stopping open cattle-grazing in the state. The crises spilled to other states, with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACRAN) saying they would resist the law.





The crises have not been fully checked even with the launch of a special military operation tagged Ayem Akpatuma. Fourteen people were recently killed with cattle rustled in renewed hostilities between herders and farmers in villages of Keana, Obi and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State.





In Benue State, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Joel Yamu, said four police officers were killed on April 15, 2018 in Logo Local Government Area when they came under attack. Besides, the Executive Secretary Benue State Teaching Service Board, Professor Wilfred Uji, said 300,000 children have been forced out of school due to herders-farmers crisis.





Kidnappings:

Just when it was thought that kidnappings across the country have reduced, the menace resurfaced. In fact, some kidnappers committed a sacrilege with the abduction of the twin children of Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun and demanded N100 million initially as ransom before it was reduced to N10 million. The twins (a boy and girl) were held for a week before they were released.





However, in Kano, kidnappers killed a policeman and abducted a German, Engineer Michael Cremza, who work for Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company.





Not long after that, kidnappers killed a Syrian businessman, Ahmed Abu Areeda and kidnapped his 14-year-old son, Muhammad, in Kano. The boy was however rescued days later.





The Syrian, who recently retired, has been in Nigeria for about 20 years.





In Kaduna State, the Chairman National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) of Birnin Gwari, Malam Audu Kano and six of his executive council members were abducted. They were travelling to Zamfara State for a wedding.





However, in Kebbi State, the police arrested four suspected kidnappers of a Fulani leader in the state and recovered N800, 000. The suspects had earlier kidnapped and collected N500, 000 from another victim.





The police in Lagos in February also arrested six kidnap suspects and recovered arms cache. They were alleged to be involved in kidnappings in the South-South and southeastern parts of the country.

In Katsina, the police commands spokesman, DSP Gambo Isah, said operatives arrested four kidnap suspects dressed as women trying to abduct a 4-year-old boy. He said they were nabbed with hijab and niqab.





Banditry:

The robbery of banks in Offa, Kwara State, commando-style on April 5 casts a dark chapter in the security of lives of citizens as 20 people were killed and many injured as bandits stroke financial houses in the town. Some of the victims were policemen on guard and bank officials.





However, few days later, the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said 20 suspects have been arrested in batches of 8 and 12.





Also, a week ago, 20 people were killed by bandits in Kuru-Kuru and Jarkuka villages in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Two weeks earlier, about 30 people were killed by bandits and cattle rustlers in Bawar Daji.





However, operatives of Operation Sharar Daji killed 21 armed bandits in a face-off at Tungar Daji in the same local government area. The bandits killed two officers in the process. Worried about the spate of killings, the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, had during a condolence visit to the Emir of Zamfara, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad, ordered security operatives to shoot at sight any kidnapper and person bearing illegal firearms.





But the army got the worst of bandits attack in March when 11 soldiers were killed at Kamfan in Doka along Funtua Road in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Some of the soldiers were on their first mission after their training.





Shiite problem:

Even as President Buhari was conferring with Prime Minister Theresa May in London, Abuja was unsettled as police and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) or Shiites clashed as they converged at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, to protest the continued incarceration of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, since December 2015.





When the clash subsided, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said 115 Shiite members were arrested in connection with the crisis. On the other hand, spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, in a statement said members of the group injured 22 policemen.





But, IMN spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, said the security personnel caused the commotion by firing at unarmed protesters which was collaborated in a statement by Director, Amnesty International in Nigeria, Dr Osai Ojigho, describing the police action as reckless.





However, the government has been doing all it can to check these challenges which are still prevalent. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai at a demonstration to showcase the capability of the armed forces revealed that the mobile brigade concept was instrumental to defeating of Boko Haram.





Corroborating Buratais position, the Director of Defense Information, Brigadier-General John Agimat, at a press briefing said other operations have been launched apart from the Operation Lafiya Dole to fight the Boko Haram.





Furthermore, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, recently said the force has commenced works on additional two training schools in Maiduguri to improve the general security situation in the North-East.




Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, says the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration has reduced number of out ...

Babatunde Fashola, minister of power, works and housing, says the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration has reduced number of out of school children by over two million.





Speaking on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Head of Government Meeting (CHOGM 2018), Fashola said the administration, in 36 months, has also recorded 6.3 million new rice farmers.





The minister, who was speaking on transforming Nigerias urban agenda, at the London School of Economics and Political Science on Tuesday, said the government is providing jobs and opportunities in rural communities as part of ways to develop the area.





I am happy to say here that President (Muhammadu) Buharis commitment to local agriculture development has provided a very useful anchor, Fashola said.





Today, not only are we producing more food than we were yesterday, especially food crops like rice and wheat, what has happened is that in less than thirty-six months, we now have a record of 6.3 million new rice farmers, and the emphasis is on the word, new. And they are in the rural areas.





So those people are less likely, and the emphasis is on less likely, to leave to the cities. When food prices went up and government tried to intervene, and meet with the farmers to see what we could do about our food prices, one of the retorts we got is leave us alone, we have lived on the margins of this society for a long time, now that our own prosperity has come, let the people in the urban centres deal with it, just buy the food at the price.





One of the titbits I got recently was that 60,000 of those farmers are going on Hajj pilgrimage with their own money, they used to be state funded. They are going to take their wives and their children. They are less likely to leave the farm.





The 13th governor of Lagos state added that the social intervention programmes of the government have yielded results, particularly in the rural areas.





Some of the social welfare programmes of the government, which you might have heard about  school feeding, N-Power  is also making some impact.





I am happy to say that From 10 million plus children reported to be out of school, that number has reduced by two million. If we continue on that trajectory, we should wind down that big burden.





The point to make here is that most of these things are happening around rural communities. That does not suggest that there are no problems around urban centres.




The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna state has declared the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, missing.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna state has declared the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, missing.





The party said El-Riufai was declared missing due to his alleged lack of adherence to law and order and dereliction of duty.





The party said the governor purportedly breached the law by being absent from his duty post as the states elected governor.





The governor has not been seen in public for over 10 days and there is no formal explanation from his aides about his whereabouts.





The PDP Chairman Kaduna State Chapter, Felix Hyat, in a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary, Abraham Catoh, raised the concern over the governors absence.





For more than 11 days running, governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State has disappeared from public glare, without transmitting power to his deputy, the statement said.





It also condemned the APCs style of leadership in the state which is without recourse to Constitutional provisions.




The Senate has directed security agencies to prevent the suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from further gaining entrance into its chamber.Omo-Agege, who was last week suspended by the Senate for dragging the upper legislative chamber to court on the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010, had attended plenary on Wednesday. He was, however, absent on Thursday.The lawmakers emergence at the chamber had occurred same time when suspected thugs invaded the Senate chamber while plenary was ongoing and made away with the mace.Speaking to one of our correspondents on Friday, the Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, disclosed that the sergeants-at-arms and security personnel had been ordered to block the lawmaker whenever he tries to enter the chamber.When reminded that Omo-Agege was at the chamber for Wednesdays plenary, Murray-Bruce said the lawmaker was prevented from entering the chamber on Wednesday but that the embattled legislator allegedly forced his way in.He said, What kind of question is that? He brought thugs and the thugs broke the door down, broke the leg of one of our staff (members) and forced himself in. We didnt let him in. He broke in and the thugs led him into the chamber. How can you ask why we let him in? We were not supposed to fight with him. We are no children.He was not there the next day because we told the police that he was not allowed in. We have informed them officially that he is suspended. But that day, we didnt let him in. He was stopped from going in, but the thugs beat up our staff (sergeants-at-arms) and broke the door down; that was how he got in.Murray-Bruce was also informed that Omo-Agege had dismissed his suspension as illegal and that he would continue to participate in legislative activities.The Senates spokesman said, The law enforcement officials have been informed about that already.Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said the attack on the Senate on Wednesday called for a rethink of Nigerias security structure.He pointed out that the invasion and theft showed that the countrys security had broken down, describing the attack as an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community.Ekweremadu said this when he received the leadership of the Nigerian Political Science Association which paid a solidarity visit to the Senate, according to a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu.He said, It is an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community, for someone to drive all the way into the National Assembly Complex, enter the hallowed chamber, and cart away its symbol of authority.It shows a breakdown of security and it is a setback to Nigerias drive for foreign investment, because no one would be ready to invest money in such a system. So, it is a lesson that we cannot keep doing the same thing with our security system and expect a different result.It is also an irony that the people involved would organise armed bandits to rob the Senate of its mace since they understand the implication of what they have done. As a parliament, we will ensure that this does not happen again and insist that all the actors behind the drama are brought to book.The Deputy Senate President enjoined the association to help the nation to rethink its governance and security structures in line with other federal systems.President of the NPSA, Prof. Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, who led the delegation, said the association was at the National Assembly to solidarise with the Senate and condemn the incident.He said, Our association is non-partisan. But we must speak the truth, stand by the truth and protect the truth. Any group or person that perpetrated what we saw live on national television needs to have his head examined.A normal person cannot come here and desecrate the National Assembly, let alone infringe on the mace. It was not really an assault on the National Assembly, but the entire people you have been mandated to represent.The desecration of this hallowed chamber is so grave an event that it calls for an immediate national action to avert a repeat and to bring the culprits, who we regard as bandits, to book.Okolie stated that the association joined other progressive forces in the country to demand justice.We demand the immediate prosecution of the actors involved. This matter goes beyond the cliche of being on top of the situation.We want to see people we put in this place as our representatives conduct their affairs in a manner devoid of any intimidation or any fear so that the best will come out of this hallowed chamber, he said.Omo-Agege had told newsmen on Wednesday that he would continue to work as a senator.He had said, What happened is this: the jurisprudence in this area is very settled. The Court of Appeal in the Bauchi State House of Assemblys case, the Dino Melayes case in the House of Representatives and the Ali Ndumes case in the Senate; the courts made it clear and settled the issue, that a legislative house cannot suspend a member even for a day.That is the law and it has not been set aside. And this kind of judgment is for everybody. Even though I was not a party in those cases, the pronouncements are for the benefit of everybody. It is only the reliefs that are personal to those who went to court. Therefore, you dont have to go to court to re-litigate these issues.If the issue was settled, it means that whatever suspension they issued is illegal, null and void. That is why I said I would go to work. I went in and took my seat.The lawmaker had also denied having a link with the gunmen who carted away the mace in the Senate chamber.All the talk about mace, what is my business with it? I dont know where that came from, Omo-Agege stated.Again on Thursday, the senator insisted on his earlier positions when he spoke to our correspondent.It (his absence on Thursday) was deliberate but I have resumed. Like you rightly reported, I was never arrested; I was only taken away for security reason, from being mobbed. As far as I am concerned, I am not suspended. The purported suspension is illegal, null and void.Denying the allegation that he led the attackers into the chamber, Omo-Agege had said, That is arrant nonsense. I never did anything like that. I dont even know who they are. Beyond that, I wont say anything. I came on my own and I left on my own.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Friday expressed grave concern over the continued displacement of the nations farming population i...

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Friday expressed grave concern over the continued displacement of the nations farming population in various parts of the country by rampaging violent herdsmen.Soyinka warned that if nothing was done urgently to stem the tide of killings and sacking of farmers by herdsmen, the dark cloud of violence could plunge the country into a major food crisis.The renowned playwright and author of Kongi harvest, who spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during a conference session on African Drum Festival, said a period like the on  going drum festival, demands a moment of sober reflection on the onslaught by herdsmen against the primary producers of food in the country.Soyinka who is the consultant for this years African Drum festival, however, added that the appalling situation should not be allowed to completely dampen the spirit of creativity.He called for the immediate restoration of displaced farmers to their traditional base, as a first step towards ensuring that this country is good habitation for people .In his address, Governor Ibikunle Amosun observed that the intellectual angle to the festival was an innovation powered by Soyinka thanking him for putting the event together.
A special exercise codenamed Operation LAST HOLD, aimed at completely recapturing the northern Borno from remnant of Boko Haram and return...

A special exercise codenamed Operation LAST HOLD, aimed at completely recapturing the northern Borno from remnant of Boko Haram and return displaced persons to their homes and farmlands, is set to be launched.





The Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas made this disclosure on Friday.





Nearly all 10 local government areas in northern Borno had been sacked by Boko Haram terrorists since late 2014, as thousands of people fled to Maiduguri, the state capital, for refuge.





We are conducting a special exercise called Operation LAST HOLD in northern Borno. It is to restore hope in the northern part of Borno, especially in Malam Fatori, Cross Kowa, Gulumbali and others. We are going to do clearance of the area and hold the area, be with the people.





Were going to follow the people to their farms, stay with them even on their farms, Nicholas told journalists at the Command Headquarters in Maiduguri while receiving seven repentant Boko Haram members, including Amri (leader) on Friday.





According to him, the Chief of Army Staff will soon flag off farming activities in northern Borno, with soldiers being directly involved.








There were indications yesterday that the Senate would not allow Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to return to the chamber any time soon, followin...

There were indications yesterday that the Senate would not allow Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to return to the chamber any time soon, following Wednesdays invasion by thugs who also snatched the mace.Although Omo-Agege has denied any relationship with the perpetrators of the act, many of his colleagues appear not to be convinced by the senators defence.Consequently, they are pushing for his suspension for the rest of the legislative days of the 8th Senate.The fate of the former Chairman of Northern Senators Forum, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is also shaky as he was said to have been put on the spot at an executive (close) session on Thursday where senators also identified five reasons why thugs invaded the hallowed chamber.Although Adamu was said to have fought back and stoutly defended himself against the accusations levelled against him, the senators were unanimous in their decision to get to the roots of the invasion and enhance the security situation in the National Assembly.The senators may also demand Omo-Ageges prosecution after its internal investigation and the outcome of the findings of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security Service.A principal officer of the Senate said: The coincidence between Omo-Ageges entry into the chamber and the invasion by the thugs was more than met the eye.Most of us are of the opinion that our colleague desecrated the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.We have resolved that we will not allow him to resume sitting in the chamber under any excuse.Once a Senator is suspended rightly or wrongly, he or she has no business in the chamber.The coming of Omo-Agege on Wednesday was an affront.His suspension might be unfair, but he should not have fought his way into the chamber.Another Senator said: Some of us have demanded for outright suspension of Omo-Agege for the rest of the legislative days in the 8th Senate.Actually, Omo-Agege was to be suspended for six months but the head of one of the security agencies prevailed on the leadership of the Senate to reduce it to 90 days.Now, with the desecration of the chamber by thugs, we believe he has no business in the 8th Senate anymore.At a stormy session on Thursday, the Senators were able to identify five accumulated factors which accounted for the invasion of the Senate chamber.The reasons are as follows:Continuous fallout of June 9, 2015 election of principal officersSuppression of dissenting voices in the SenateRating of some Senators higher or lesser than others by the Senate leadershipExistence of caucuses and unfair ban on Parliamentary Support Group which is pro-President Muhammadu BuhariAlleged lack of fairness by the leadership of the SenateAccording to investigation, the Senators bared their minds at an Executive Session on Thursday to conduct a post-mortem on what went wrong.It was learnt that the star of the session was Sen. Kabir Marafa (Zamfara) who opened up on many issues affecting the unity of the Senate.Others who spoke were Senators Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Dino Melaye (Kogi), Ogola Foster (Bayelsa), Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session.A ranking senator said: At the session, Senators put Abdullahi Adamu on the spot. He was accused of making his residence available for meetings by members of the Parliamentary Support Group of which Senator Omo-Agege is its secretary.But Adamu said he had no hand in the invasion of the chamber.He also said the PSG is a caucus group outside the chamber as it is the case with the Like Minds (supporting Saraki), the Unity Forum, the Northern Senators Forum and others in the Senate.He said parliamentary caucus is legitimate all over the world.It was gathered that Senator Marafa stole the show when he said all senators were guilty of the mess the Senate has found itself.He picked on Adamu, saying: Some of you in this PSG today abandoned the Unity Forum to support Sarakis emergence as Senate President. When it was convenient, you opened doors for Saraki.This same Senator Adamu was once with Saraki and at a point spoke against President Muhammadu Buhari. I belonged to the Unity Forum, I did not work for Saraki but he appointed me a strategic committee chairman.A Senator from the North-West said: At the session, Senators backing Saraki spoke and those who belong to the left wing. We all focused on how our chamber became polluted with vested interests.Asked of Adamus fate, the Senator added: It is still shaky, we do not know what they will do to him.We cited the fact that the Senate leadership has some favourites through which motions were usually imposed on members.The Senators tagged Like Minds behind Saraki would have met before any sitting and they will just ride us roughshod in the Senate.Those in Like Minds do not allow alternative views in the Senate. Once a Senator speaks against a motion Saraki and his boys are interested in, you are tagged as anti-leadership in a Senate that we are all equals.For instance, we condemned Omo-Ageges behaviour, but some of us suspected that he acted out of frustration.When the debate on Order of Elections was on, Omo-Agege called for a division but he was ignored by the Senate President.Yet after this same Omo-Agege apologised for expressing his dissenting views, he was suspended through a script already acted by the Like Minds.The Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges has been doing a hatchet mans job.Some Senators said the way out is to return the Senate to a chamber of equality, robust debates, accepting the reality of dissent views and allowing caucuses to exist and fairness to all.Another Senator said: Well, some of our colleagues expressed regrets that some Senators have been made lesser than the other.On his part, Senator Dino Melaye pointed accusing finger at the PSG for the invasion of the chamber.In a fit of anger, he added: They still had a meeting yesterday (Wednesday).The Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, was said to have appealed for calm, understanding and tolerance.But Senator Ogola Foster redirected the session to the issue of the invasion of the chamber.He said: We should face the reality. Someone desecrated the Senate chamber. We must investigate it and take appropriate action.The Deputy President of the Senate, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, took time to listen to all views and expressed the resolve of the Senate to protect the nations democracy.A senator from the South-East said: Although we did not arrive at any resolution at the Executive Session, Ekweremadus address later on the floor was a summary of what transpired.We want an investigation into the invasion, and the law must take its course.
Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti, has described the third force movement proposed by former president Olusegun Obasanjo as no force.

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti, has described the third force movement proposed by former president Olusegun Obasanjo as no force.





The former president had called for a coalition that would wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019.





In an interview on the Osasu Show with Osasu Igbinedion, Fayose said the major political parties who have solid structures are well known to Nigerians.





One time fall does not mean that is the end of that person. If PDP has done something wrong today, APC has done something worse. PDP is a solid party with structure everywhere, he said.





Lets be realistic, dont deceive yourself, even the Obasanjos third force is no force. We know the major political parties.





Even if you register 200 (political parties), if you have children who are bastards, you will not be proud of them.





Speaking on the Ekiti gubernatorial election slated to hold July 14, Fayose said the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be defeated.





The governor said he remains unapologetic for fielding his deputy to succeed him, asking the APC to announce its candidate.





He said: They are all criticising me. I am not the one contesting. My deputy is the one contesting to be governor. I should be commended. Not many governors will promote their deputies. I have no apology for supporting my deputy. I will not be sorry for that.





Today, everywhere I go in Ekiti, it is Osoko Osoko, Osoko. If election is conducted in Ekiti free and fair, APC will not get 10 wards.





By the grace of God, we are on ground. Except there would be no election in the state, the moment there is election, APC will suffer a major setback. They will suffer a defeat. The people are waiting for them to shame them.





Fayose said he is more experienced than President Muhammadu Buhari, saying his involvement in all administrations since 1999 has prepared him for the top job.





My presidential ambition is still alive, so much alive but one step at a time. I want to lead this country.





I have what it takes, I have experience far above President Buhari. I have served in all governments. I was in Obasanjos administration, I was a friend of the late president Umaru YarAdua, I was in Jonathans administration, I am in Buharis administration.




An improvement in Nigerias oil earnings is on course as prices held firm yesterday near three-year highs reached earlier this week as o...

An improvement in Nigerias oil earnings is on course as prices held firm yesterday near three-year highs reached earlier this week as ongoing OPEC-led supply cuts, as well as strong demand, gradually draw down excess supplies.Brent crude oil futures were up at 73.79 dollars per barrel at 0440 GMT.) U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures down 2 cents at 68.40 dollars a barrel.Both Brent, which Nigeria produces, and WTI hit their highest levels since November 2014 on Thursday, at 74.75 and 69.56 dollars per barrel respectively.WTI is set for its second weekly gain.Oil prices have been pushed up by a gradually tightening market.Led by top exporter, Saudi Arabia, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has been withholding production since 2017 to draw down a global supply overhang.The tighter oil market is feeding into refined products.
Muhammadu Buharis pledge to end Boko Harams Islamist insurgency in northeast Nigeria played a large part in his 2015 presidential election victory.With elections approaching next year and Buhari,75, having declared his intention to seek a second, four-year term, the extent to which he has done that is coming under increasing scrutiny.But as Africas most populous nation gears up for months of hard campaigning before the vote in February 2019, the former military ruler is not just facing questions about Boko Haram.In recent months there has been a resurgence of clashes between farmers and nomadic herders  and a heavily politicised reaction  which could have an impact on polling.Ryan Cummings, Africa analyst at the Signal Risk consultancy in South Africa, noted the violence now accounts for more civilian casualties than the Boko Haram insurgency and may continue to do so in the foreseeable future.Elsewhere, criminal violence and kidnappings for ransom in some northern states have increased, while tensions persist from pro-Biafran separatists in the southeast. Boko Haram weakened In the 12 months before the last election, Boko Haram fighters ran riot across northeast Nigeria, capturing swathes of territory with the military seemingly unable to respond.Buhari, who headed a military government in the 1980s, was seen as a better bet to end the violence, which has killed at least 20,000 since 2009.He has achieved that to an extent but persistent attacks have undermined his repeated assertion that the militants have been virtually defeated.It is fair to say that President Buhari has failed in delivering on his promise to defeat Boko Haram within his first term, said Cummings.The group recently gave a clear indication of the threat it still poses by abducting 112 schoolgirls from Dapchi in Yobe state in almost a carbon copy of the Chibok kidnapping in 2014.Buhari secured massive support across the mainly Muslim north in 2015. That looks unlikely to change significantly in 2019.In the norths biggest city and most populous state, Kano  a key election prize because of its size  people said Buhari had their vote for weakening Boko Haram.But they warned he needed to take action against security threats elsewhere.That is where he is going to face his toughest challenge, said Abdulhadi Ahmad, a garment trader.
North Koreas announcement that it is halting nuclear and missile tests has received a broad international welcome.

North Koreas announcement that it is halting nuclear and missile tests has received a broad international welcome.Leader Kim Jong-un said further tests were not needed, as the North had demonstrated it had nuclear weapons, the BBC reports.United States President, Donald Trump, described the move as good news for the world, and South Korea said it was meaningful progress.The European Union said it was positive, but called for complete denuclearisation.North Korea is preparing for historic summits with South Korea and the U.S.Early on Saturday Kim Jong-un said: From 21 April, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.The surprise announcement, relayed by the countrys KCNA news agency, also said a test site would be shut down.Welcoming it on Twitter, Mr. Trump said he was looking forward to a face-to-face meeting with Mr. Kim in June.Mr. Kim and South Korean President, Moon Jae-in are due to meet next week for the first inter-Korean summit in over a decade.Mr. Moons office said the Norths decision would contribute to creating a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming South-North summit and North-United States summit.The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said it was a long sought-after step that should lead to verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.
A Bordentown doctor who prescribed fentanyl, oxycodone and other powerful drugs to patients who did not have a legitimate need for them will lose his license to practice medicine.

The state's Attorney General announced Friday that Dr. Moishe Starkman, who practiced in Bordentown, will permanently cease practicing medicine in New Jersey.

Investigators said Starkman was prescribing hundreds of opioid pills to patients each month, without regard for whether the patient was addicted to the drugs or was selling them illegally. He did not keep track of the patients' progress or examine if the drugs were working for the patients.

One male patient, identified only by their initials H.H., came to Starkman at age 19 complaining of lower back pain. Starkman, the OAG said, prescribed pain pills for H.H., sometimes as many as 240 pills a month.

He died of an overdose at the age of 22, two months after his final visit with Starkman, the release said.

T.A., a 29-year-old woman, was given six different prescriptions of oxycodone totaling 720 pills in a month, or one pill for every hour of of the day that month.

Starkman will retire along with surrendering his medical license, the state said.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Through shipments mailed from China, Yahmire Boardley accumulated enough fentanyl to kill more than half the population of New Jersey.

When authorities seized Boardley's supply of the opioid from the caches he kept around Camden last year, they found a total of 31 pounds of the drug.

Yahmire Boardley, 23.

That amount, according to the state Office of the Attorney General, would be enough for about 5 million people to fatally overdose. Fentanyl, often cited as the biggest contributor to an increase in overdose deaths, is so potent that a dose as small as two or three milligrams could be fatal. In New Jersey, it was responsible for 417 overdose deaths in 2015 and more than 800 in 2016.

Boardley, 23, who pleaded guilty to second-degree possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute in January as part of plea deal, was sentenced to seven years in state prison on Friday. Judge John T. Kelley handed down the sentence in his courtroom in Camden.

"As fentanyl-related deaths have skyrocketed in New Jersey, we've redoubled our efforts to lock up those responsible for the illicit supply of this deadly opioid, which in this case was coming through the mail from China," Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said.

The State Police, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Camden County Police set a state record at the time for the largest fentanyl seizure in state history when they found Boardley's supply. That record was later eclipsed when authorities seized 100 pounds of fentanyl after witnessing some of it being loaded into a Mercedes Benz parked in North Bergen.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Rafael Martinez Jr., the now-former Camden County cop who had a sexual relationship and fathered a child with a girl when she was 15, was quiet at his sentencing Friday.

Judge Edward McBride accepted a negotiated plea to sentence Martinez to five years probation. As part of the agreement, Martinez pleaded to endangering the welfare of a child.

In mid-August 2017, the teen gave birth at Cooper University Hospital in Camden and was interviewed by a social worker there, according to court documents.

The girl told the social worker that Martinez, 33, was the father, which was later confirmed with DNA evidence.

Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Grace MacAulay revealed that Martinez claimed he did not know the girl was underage, and that she told him she was 18.

"Saying the child told me she was 18, that is inexcusable and unacceptable for any person in our society, but especially for a law enforcement officer," MacAulay said. "They are held to a higher standard."

Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Grace MacAulay and defense attorney Dan Rybeck at Martinez's sentencing. (Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media)

Dan Rybeck said his client Martinez would like to be admitted to the County Supplemental Labor Service Program on weekends. According to the county website, offenders in this program report to the county correctional facility and receive an assignment that usually involves cleaning county parks or roads.

In sentencing Martinez, McBride noted that "his conduct is the result of circumstances that are unlikely to recur" and that the cop had no prior contact with the criminal justice system (besides being part of it).

Martinez was previously suspended without pay until the adjudication of his case, a police department spokesman said. He was required to forfeit his present employment on Friday.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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A 61-year-old state prison inmate knocked unconscious by a corrections officer had to wait 13 hours before receiving medical care, according to a federal lawsuit.

The senior corrections officer, Cortlen S. Flax, 30, of Woodbury, was recently indicted on charges that he punched Julio Valdez and then tried to cover up the incident at South Woods State Prison in Cumberland County.

Julio Valdez (N.J. Dept. of Corrections)

Valdez, who claims the attack was unprovoked, suffered a perforated eardrum, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators interviewed another inmate who said he saw Flax strike Valdez.

A Cumberland County grand jury indicted Flax on charges including aggravated assault, hindering apprehension or prosecution and official misconduct.

The officer is currently suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.

Efforts to reach an attorney for Flax were unsuccessful on Friday.

Valdez, who is serving time on burglary and criminal mischief charges, says in his lawsuit that his first interaction with Flax began in a dining hall on the afternoon of Feb. 14, 2017. Valdez had gotten his food and was looking for a place to sit down and eat.

Flax, an officer Valdez says he had never seen before, tried to tell him something, but Valdez couldn't understand because he doesn't speak English.

The seating area was apparently closed at the time, according to attorney Jason Kanterman, who is representing Valdez.

A "visibly aggravated" Flax continued trying to speak to Valdez, according to the suit, but he soon resorted to gestures, which Valdez interpreted as an order to return to his cell. Valdez discarded his meal and did as he thought he was being directed.

Minutes later, Flax arrived in the cell and began shouting at the inmate, again in English. Valdez told him, in Spanish, that he didn't understand the officer.

With that, Valdez claims Flax slugged him in the face, knocking him unconscious.

In addition to being more than 30 years younger that the inmate, the suit describes Flax as much larger than Valdez, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 153 pounds, according to Department of Corrections records.

"After regaining consciousness, Mr. Valdez found himself on his cell floor, blood dripping from his face, dizzy and in excruciating pain," according to the suit.

He shouted for help, but no one responded.

Inmates in a nearby cell told him they had witnessed what happened and offered to serve as witnesses.

At one point, another officer passed by his cell and Valdez said he "begged for assistance" but the officer did nothing.

"Throughout the remainder of the day and following night, despite constant cries for help, no correctional officers or supervisors responded to Mr. Valdez," the suit alleges.

"Not until 13 hours later does he get medical attention," Kanterman said.

The next morning, Valdez went to the infirmary, where he was diagnosed with a ruptured eardrum and a possible concussion. After receiving medical help, Valdez said he was interviewed by investigators and transferred to another prison that afternoon.

There are apparently no cameras in the cell or nearby that would have documented the alleged assault, Kanterman said.

Valdez, who is now 62 years old, continues to suffer from hearing problems related to the punch, as well as "debilitating" headaches, nightmares and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the suit.

Kanterman said he's witnessed some of these issues.

When recalling details of the incident to his attorneys, Valdez has repeatedly broken down in tears, he said.

"You can tell that he is severely emotionally disturbed by it," Kanterman said, "It's clear to me that our client in this case has really suffered from the attack."

The suit names Flax and other as-yet unidentified officers and supervisors who allegedly failed to assist Valdez.

The suit accuses Flax of excessive force, assault, infliction of emotional distress and violation of the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, and Flax and other officers of denial of adequate medical care.

When contacted about claims in the lawsuit, a Department of Corrections spokewoman noted that the department doesn't comment on pending litigation.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.
JERSEY CITY -- A mistrial was declared today in the murder trial of a 23-year-old Jersey City man charged with shooting a man through the head in an illegal gambling joint in 2015.

DeAndre Thomas is charged with killing Davonte Carswell, 23, on a staircase leading to the basement under Los Yoleros Mini Market Deli on Ocean Avenue on Nov. 15, 2015, and then shooting him in the face after he had fallen.

Twice today the jury sent notes to Hudson County Superior Court Judge John Young saying they had reached an impasse. After passing the second note, the judge sent jurors back into the jury room to decide if additional deliberation would be futile. The jury was dismissed after responding in the affirmative.

The parties are to appear before Young in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City at 1:30 p.m. on May 14 for a status conference to determine how the case will proceed and if there will be a retrial.

Thomas faced 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murder. He had numerous supporters in court through the course of the trial and after the mistrial was declared, he smiled at them.

The victim's mother moaned when the jurors returned to court after saying they were hung. A family member held the mother in her arms as she cried in the courtroom gallery. Some of the jurors appeared to glance at the mother in her agony.

Thomas was handcuffed and returned to the Hudson County jail in Kearny. Once the jury was dismissed, defense attorney Keith Hirschorn informed Young that he would file an application to allow Thomas to attend his brother's funeral, which will likely be held next week.

Thomas' 26-year-old brother, Devon Thomas, was fatally shot inside a parked car at the Curries Woods housing complex in Jersey City Monday night.

At about 7:45 p.m., Jersey City police responded to Peace Drive on a report of a shooting and found and found Devon Thomas in a "lifeless condition" inside the car. He had been shot multiple times, officials said, adding that he was pronounced dead at the Jersey City Medical Center at about 8:25 p.m.

Devon Thomas was charged in a 2012 homicide but was acquitted of murder at trial in 2015.

The state's case in the DeAndre Thomas trial relied heavily on security video footage from inside the bodega and in the basement, where people were seen congregating at a Plexiglas-covered window. The prosecution said they were placing bets. Telephone records were also introduced as evidence.

In his closing argument, Hirschorn noted that investigators had no DNA or fingerprint evidence and no gun was recovered. He noted that the man in the video was wearing a dark hat and although a dark hat was photographed in an alley near the building, it was not analyzed for evidence.

Hirschorn called the investigation sloppy and also noted that the medical examiner's report erroneously stated that Carwell was shot three times.

A hung jury also led to the declaration of a mistrial this week in the case of a 60-year-old Jersey City man charged with strangling his brother in 2016

Gangaram Maharaj, faced 30 years to life in prison if convicted of murdering Rajendra Maharaj, 62, inside the victim's Journal Square apartment in February 2016. That trial end on the fourth day of jury deliberation.
NORTH BERGEN -- Town officials are mulling over the possibility of establishing a natural-gas-fueled electric plant in a nearby industrial area, according to a report by northjersey.com.

The plant, called the North Bergen Liberty Generating Project, would be a $1.5 billion natural-gas-fueled generating system that would send its electricity to New York City, the report said.

Local officials said it would be an economic boon.

"North Bergen is very excited about the chance to bring a state of the art, clean power generation facility to the township that will create a significant amount of new annual tax revenue with no impact on residential neighborhoods or schools and minimal if any burden on local services," said Phil Swibinski, spokesman for the town, in a statement. "The project is expected to create hundreds of union construction jobs and it will be a vital part of the energy infrastructure for the region."

The project would be headed by Diamond Generating Corp., a Los Angeles-based subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi, the report said. The company is still seeking permits and approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The plant would be built on 15 acres of land already zoned for a power plant near Railroad Avenue.

A 6.5-mile underground cable would send electricity from the plant through North Bergen, Fairview, Cliffside Park and Edgewater, and then across the Hudson River, the report said. The electricity would go into the regional electric grid.

Local environmentalists, however, have concerns about the project. Bill Sheehan, director of the Hackensack Riverkeeper, told northjersey.com that the plant "just perpetuates our reliance on fossil fuels."

But North Bergen officials have signaled they are in favor of the plant. Mayor Nicholas Sacco, owners of the proposed project and supporters in labor unions and business groups will officially announce the proposal during a press event on Wednesday.

"While this project is still in the planning stages, we believe it represents a tremendous opportunity to secure the township's tax base in the coming decades and continue to keep property taxes stable," Swibinski said.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- A man was found dead inside a burning vehicle late Friday night, a spokesman with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office confirmed.

Firefighters responding to a car fire on 15th Street between Erie and Grove streets around midnight Friday night found a body inside the burning vehicle, sources said.

It is not clear if it is considered suspicious at this time. A spokesman with the HCPO confirmed it has opened an investigation into the matter.

Additional details were not immediately available.

Corey W. McDonald may be reached at cmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @coreymacc. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
An exotic species of tick that mysteriously appeared in New Jersey last year is now here to stay.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture announced Friday that the East Asian tick, also known as Longhorned tick or the bush tick, which was discovered on a Hunterdon County farm last year, has survived the winter.

"Ongoing surveillance continued during the winter and on April 17, 2018, the National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed the Longhorned tick successfully overwintered in New Jersey and has possibly become established in the state," it was stated in a news release.

Last summer, a farmer walked into the Hunterdon County health office covered in thousands of the ticks after she was shearing a 12-year-old Icelandic sheep named Hannah. Experts were called in to identify the tick which was not previously known to exist in the United States. The Department of Agriculture says it still does not know how the tick made its way to New Jersey.

The sheep has never traveled internationally and has rarely left Hunterdon County, according to Andrea Egizi, a tick specialist at the Monmouth County Tick-borne Disease Lab.

The longhorn tick. The larval and nymphal stages are difficult to observe with the naked eye. Larvae can be found from late summer to early winter. (Photo courtesy New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

When the incident was first reported, steps were taken to eradicate the insect from the farm by using a chemical wash on the sheep and removing tall grass where the they are known to dwell. The exact location of the farm and the identity of the sheep farmer is being withheld by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

Although the ticks are known to carry diseases, such as spotted fever rickettsioses in other parts of the world, tests performed on the ticks and the farm animals were negative for diseases.

Local, state and federal animal health and wildlife officials, as well as Rutgers University - Center for Vector Biology, are working together to eliminate the ticks and stop them from spreading. Wildlife and livestock in the area will continue to be monitored throughout the year.

The ticks are known to swarm and infest deer and animals other than sheep, so the department is warning that it has the potential to infect other North American wildlife species. The ticks reproduce asexually by cloning themselves and just one of them is capable of laying thousands of eggs.

State and federal Department of Agriculture employees will be working with the public to determine if the tick has spread and to educate the public about protecting their livestock and pets from the pest.

The nymphs of the ticks are very small, resemble small spiders and are easy to miss, according to the Department of Agriculture. They are dark brown, about the size of a pea when full grown and can be found in tall grasses.

Authorities are asking people to contact the state veterinarian at 609-671-6400 if they see any unusual ticks on their livestock.

Unusual ticks detected in wildlife should be reported to the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau or Wildlife Management at 908-637-4173, ext. 120.

Any questions about tick-borne illness in humans should be directed to local health departments or the New Jersey Department of Health at 609-826-5964.
The North Bergen "sexorcist" convicted of molesting a boy and facing three more sex offense trials, as well as a sentencing for bail-jumping, rejected a "generous" plea deal yesterday against the recommendation of his attorney.

On Feb. 25, 2015, Gregorio Martinez, who was described as a prophet and exorcist, was found guilty of touching the 13-year-old's genital area and kissing him on the lips inside the boy's mother's minivan in 2012 while she shopped.

The 50-year-old was out on bail at the time of the conviction and was allowed to remain free pending sentencing. When sentencing day rolled around, he was nowhere to be found. He was tracked to Nicaragua in 2016 and then arrested in Honduras.

Since then, Martinez was convicted of bail-jumping and faced up to five years at his sentencing yesterday, but it was postponed because the judge who presided over the bail-jumping trial was not in. Martinez is serving four years for molesting the boy.

In court yesterday, the state offered Martinez an 18-month sentence if he pleaded guilty to two of the remain sex charges and the state would agree to dismiss the third. The 18 months were to be served after to the bail-jumping sentence.

"You wish to go forward to trial on Tuesday?" Hudson County Superior Court Judge Sheila Venable asked Martinez, referring to the date for jury selection for his next trial. "Yes," said Martinez, who was described as being able to speak in tongues, and used a Spanish translator in court yesterday.

Martinez's attorney, Daniel Gonzalez, told the judge "I have advised him to avail himself of the generous plea offer."

And Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Andrew Baginski was clear that this was Martinez's last chance, saying "The offer expires when he walks out that door."

Martinez walked out without taking the deal. He is to be sentenced on the bail-jumping charge on Monday by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mirtha Ospina.
WASHINGTON -- High-profile opponents of Gov. Phil Murphy's proposal to allow marijuana for personal use brought their case to the nation's capital on Friday -- 4/20, an informal marijuana holiday.

They joined others in opposing efforts at legalization across the country.

State Sen. Ronald Rice, D-Essex, chairman of the New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus, said legal marijuana will entice people who have never used the drug to try it.

Bishop Jethro James Jr. of Newark's Paradise Baptist Church said the pot shops will be in urban areas as suburban communities ban them.

And former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who has relocated to Brigantine from Rhode Island, said, "We're looking forward to turning back this effort to legalize marijuana."

James, Rice and Kennedy were among the speakers at a press conference at the National Press Club held by Smart Approaches to Marijuana, an Alexandria, Virginia-based advocacy group that opposes full-scale legalization out of concern that pot is just another addictive substance like alcohol and tobacco.

The event took place and just hours after Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York proposed that the drug be decriminalized on the federal level and states be given the right to legalize it.

Rice, who has introduced competing legislation to decriminalize marijuana and is holding hearings on the subject in New Jersey, talked about the impact legal marijuana will have on his community, saying people now go hungry in order to buy drugs, and that number will only increase if it's easier to buy weed.

And he warned about increased crime if college students from just outside Newark come into the city in search of drugs, or blacks from the city cross into white suburban towns that have marijuana dispensaries.

"Somebody's going to get killed," he said.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has touted his effort to legalize marijuana on the federal level as a matter of justice. He said more than half of all drug arrests involve marijuana, and blacks are almost four times more likely to be arrested than whites. even though marijuana use is the same.

James, however, said arrests of minorites won't decline. Minorities will still be pulled over and those under age found with marijuana still will be arrested, he said.

"It will devastate communities of color," James said.

Kevin Sabet, president and chief executive officer of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said the effort is being pushed by companies and investors who see a new way to make money.

"Commercialization is more Wall Street than Woodstock," he said.

Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
The Port Authority is looking into claims that the agency provided a police escort for Rush Limbaugh who was hustling from Newark Liberty Airport to downtown Manhattan to make an evening event earlier this month.

And it could have been the conservative radio personality who tipped authorities to the potentially improper incident when he boasted on his show about the special treatment he said he received from Port Authority Police Superintendent.

"We recently became aware of this matter and are investigating internally," Port Authority Media Relations Director Ron Marsico said in an email Friday night when asked about the alleged escort with "lights and sirens" during rush-hour traffic on April 12.

Limbaugh had flown into Newark from D.C. that night to fill in for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as a speaker at the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation's 2018 Semper Fidelis Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan, according to a transcript of his radio show.

"So they sent the superintendent of the Port Authority to Newark to meet me for lights and sirens into Manhattan to make sure I got there in time," Limbaugh said on his show the next day. "And we did. We pulled in right as the reception and cocktail period was ending at 7 and everybody was being seated..."

Michael Fedorko, the Port Authority Superintendent, could not be reached for comment.

A source familiar with agency protocols said that providing a police escort for a celebrity is improper.

Fedorko -- who joined the bi-state agency in 2009 after retiring from the New Jersey State Police -- is one of the vice presidents of the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. It was unknown if he attended the gala.

Limbaugh is listed as one of the foundation's directors.

Marsico said Friday he could not comment further on the investigation at this time.

Limbaugh said on his show Jim Kallstrom, who previously headed the FBI's New York office, invited him to speak at the event.

Reporter Noah Cohen contributed to this report.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here.

Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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By Kevin Shea | For NJ.com

Gun violence not only kills and injures hundreds of people every year in New Jersey, it causes a reverberating sense of fear that affects tourism, the way people shop and forces some businesses owners to reduce their hours or relocate, all of which stifles the states economy.

If you roll in other factors, from healthcare to lost wages and the cost of the criminal justice system, gun violence extracts a $1.2 billion toll from the Garden State every year.

Firearm violence costs New Jersey taxpayers alone approximately $273 million each year.

Those are the estimates and conclusions of a report by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence titled, The Economic Cost of Gun Violence in New Jersey. The center chose New Jersey, not all states have been studied, because they believe change here is possible.

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Trenton police investigate a shooting in this file photo.

The center breaks down their findings in direct measurable costs, and then indirectly, arguing that pain and suffering from gun incidents costs another $2.1 billion. Together, the total tally of gun violence, the report believes, could amount to $3.3 billion per year.

Although this number is staggering, it actually understates the true cost of gun violence in New Jersey because it doesnt include significant, yet difficult-to-measure costs, including lost business opportunities, lowered property values, and reductions in the tax base," the report says.

The Giffords Center used federal and state documents and statistics  many from 2015 - to tabulate their financial theory and footnote the data in the 24-page report.

The center was founded in 1993, in San Francisco following a mass shooting, but joined with former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in 2016. She was gravely wounded when a gunman opened fire at one of her campaign events in 2011, killing six. Their mission is to form a courageous new force for gun safety that stretches coast to coast.

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Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at gun violence prevention meeting in Cherry Hill in this 2016 file photo.

The report says New Jersey has been averaging 280 gun-related homicides, 184 gun-related suicides, 764 non-fatal interpersonal shootings, and 599 unintentional shootings per year.

New Jersey, though, has the sixth-lowest number of gun deaths per capita among the 50 states, it says.

Nevertheless, gun violence in the state exacts a high physical, emotional, and financial toll on families and communities. We often hear about the heartbreak and physical pain these shootings cause, but there is another aspect of the gun violence epidemic that doesnt receive as much attention: the overwhelming financial cost," the report says.

The money, the report says, is mostly picked up by the public. Up to 85% of gunshot victims, the report says, either uninsured or on some form of public-funded insurance.

The report - which can be read by clicking here here - breaks the average of over 2,000 total shootings each year in the following direct costs:

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Healthcare - $93 million per year

When a person is shot, a response from the medical system is almost always necessary, the report says.

According to cost estimates developed by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, or PIRE, which the report says the federal government relies on, each gun-related death generates approximately $49,164 in medical expenses.

That includes everything from the ambulance to the hospital and processing medical claims.

When a shooting is not fatal, medical bills tend to be much higher, the report says, and comes in at $63,289.

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An ambulance leaves a shooting scene in Trenton in this 2017 file photo

Police & Criminal Justice - $131 million per year

A gun crime or incident is usually followed by an extensive police investigation, which can be costly, with or without an arrest, the report argues.

An arrest will start a criminal justice tab, from trial to prison, if authorities get a conviction. And while their estimates include police and prosecutors public-funded salaries, PIRE estimates a fatal shooting costs $439,217 to investigate. Nonfatal shootings usually carry shorter sentences or do not end in arrest, and they are cheaper  an estimated $8,391

The report says New Jersey taxpayers spend approximately $62,456 per year incarcerating each inmate in state prisons.

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Employer Costs - $8 million per year

Gun violence enters the workforce when businesses have to cover for employees who are unable to work, temporarily or permanently, due to serious injury or death.

In the case of a death or debilitating injury, the employer will have to bear the costs of locating, hiring, and training a replacement," the report says.

The PIRE cost-of-injury model estimates that a single, nonfatal shooting requiring hospitalization costs employers an average of almost $2,500, while a fatal shooting costs employers closer to $10,000.

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Lost Income - $918 million per year

On the personal level, victims lose wages, as well as the incarcerated perpetrator.

This cost is imposed directly on victims, perpetrators, and their families, the report says.

According to PIRE data, the average value of lost work for a single fatal shooting is $1,742,722, while nonfatal shooting victims  who need hospitalization  rack up losses of about $81,559.

The $918 million that New Jersey families lose in income every year translates into approximately $95 million in lost tax revenue, a cost borne initially by the government, and ultimately by taxpayers who must make up the difference or receive decreased services.

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Further Losses

A bevy of indirect, resulting costs include the costs of pain, suffering and fear, lost business opportunities, lowered property values, reduced tax base and additional security Measures

Yet, this larger estimate still does not encapsulate the true cost of gun violence in New Jerseyit does not account for other significant costs that are difficult to measure, since they arise from the fear felt in a community due to shootings," the report says.

The report argues, for example, that there is a massive, wide trickledown effect. When people are forced to live behind locked doors, they are discouraged from frequenting local establishments or otherwise participating in the local economy. This wreaks substantial losses on businessesparticularly on those dependent upon high levels of in-store traffic.

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Phil Murphy, then a candidate for New Jersey governor, speaks at a Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence event in this fall 2017 file photo.

So Why New Jersey?

The Giffords Center has only done such reports for six other states and chose New Jersey because they believe the state as a realistic chance of change and is engaged in the gun violence issue. That change is also political and they specifically pointed to Gov. Phil Murphys recent election  saying they see him as someone willing to legislatively willing to take on the gun lobby. Giffords legal director Laura Cutilletta said.

Promising solutions exist that will reduce shootings without impacting lawful, responsible gun ownership. These goals are not mutually exclusive. By implementing lifesaving gun safety laws and evidence-based violence prevention and intervention strategies, we can save lives and begin to reverse the devastating consequences of gun violence and the fear it instills in communities, the report concluded.

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READ MORE:

Murphy issues order to let you know where N.J.'s guns come from

Lawmakers just voted to make N.J. gun laws even tougher

Murphy says push for gun control 'isn't over,' but watch out for NRA

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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If you want to vanquish an enemy, knowledge is power.

When that enemy is as overwhelming as the opioid addiction killing nearly 2,000 of New Jersey's residents each year, that knowledge begins with teaching young people that addictions don't just "happen" to someone else.

And it begins with informing parents about the goodies their kids are finding in the bathrooms right at home, and consuming in record numbers: Percocet, Xanax, prescription cough syrups.

Above all, it starts with promoting awareness, which is why a recent workshop conducted by pharmacists at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield was an important component in ongoing efforts to combat a fearsome problem among our state's young people.

Aimed at middle schools and high schools, at community groups and churches, Horizon's youth-outreach campaign has partnered with Rutgers' Ernesto Mario School of Pharmacy. Since April 2017, it has reached out to nearly 2,000 students with an important message: Drug addictions come in all forms.

This month's workshop found youth leaders from The Hubb, a community center in Newark, gathered at Horizon headquarters to learn how they can bring important information back home to their peers.

A Horizon clinical pharmacist, Alex Wiggall, helped the young people identify the different types of substances their friends might experiment with. He showed them how to be alert for signs of drug use and taught them how to respond in the event of an overdose.

Workshop leaders also led a far-reaching discussion on how the teens feel watching their peers and family members suffer from addiction, and their sense of hopelessness at seeing the deterioration. The talk ranged from peer pressure to proms, topics the students could easily relate to.

Though at times the atmosphere was lighthearted, the motivation for the session was anything but.

Statistics indicate that in 2015, some 128,000 of the state's residents are addicted to heroin or other opioids, including prescription painkillers. About 40 percent of those who sought treatment between 2010 and 2014 were under the age of 26.

Up to four out of five new heroin users start out with prescription drugs and eventually switch to cheaper - and stronger - street versions

Horizon and Rutgers have developed a 51-page toolkit designed to help communities address the crisis.

In addition to describing how to build a team of professionals and volunteers, the website offers hints on how to conduct a drug take-back day, guidelines for physicians on how to safely dispense addictive painkillers, and ways to use social media to get life-saving messages across.

Addiction is an equal-opportunity killer. Reaching out for the type of help these resources provide is an important first step toward taming it.

Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
By Joe Scarborough

It has been nearly three years since Donald Trump descended his faux-gold escalator to announce an improbable run for president, and Republican politicians seem just as baffled by the reality TV star's future as they were the day he first launched this publicity stunt gone wildly wrong.

It is true that GOP leaders stand silent as President Trump trashes the rule of law, attacks federal judges and declares America's free press the "enemy of the people." These lap dogs even remain muzzled as younger Americans are chained to a future of crippling debt. And they shame the memory of the first Republican president - who gave his life ending slavery - by marching alongside a bumbling bigot who labels Hispanics "breeders" and "rapists," seeks to bar tens of millions of Muslims from entering the country, and defends white supremacy in the ugly aftermath of Charlottesville, Virginia.

And yet these same morally enfeebled enablers have become muted when asked whether they'll support their fearless leader's reelection bid.

"Look, I'm focused on opioids," muttered Tennessee's Lamar Alexander, suggesting that a U.S. senator is not mentally adept enough to fight a drug epidemic while also figuring out whether he backs a president in his own party. Alexander is not the only GOP senator to offer up tortured answers to this simple question.

Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, Texas, refused to answer, explaining that he had not given the question much thought because things could change in the time before the 2020 campaign revs up.

Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Corker, Tenn., spent four days grasping for an answer to a question he called "unfair" before finally saying he didn't want to "make news." Other GOP lawmakers are no more eager to talk about the 2020 campaign than Trump himself wants to discuss the intricacies of Stormy Daniels' lawsuit.

But while the president and his team of misfit lawyers have reason to tread carefully under stormy legal skies, Republicans on Capitol Hill can relax. It's becoming clear that Trump will not be running for president in 2020.

This past week, White House office pools reportedly set up in anticipation of the next staff firing are shifting their focus to predicting which Trump family member will be the first to land behind bars. Special counsel Robert Mueller III's independent investigation into Russia may have inspired a defiant West Wing response, but the U.S. attorney's raid of Michael Cohen's home, office and hotel room has stirred more fear and loathing inside White House offices than at any time since President Richard Nixon battled Watergate prosecutors in the summer of 1973.

Now, even Trump's most steadfast allies are quietly admitting that the Southern District of New York's investigation poses an existential threat to his future, both politically and legally. Trump allies are telling the president his "fixer" could flip for the feds, just like Michael Flynn, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos. In Washington and across the country, Republicans are sensingthe president is a wounded political figure, leading them to withhold their future support or - in one high-profile case - to challenge the president directly.

Which brings us to Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. The former South Carolina governor announced last Sunday that the United States would impose additional sanctions against Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Haley's declaration enraged Trump, despite the inconvenient fact she was only following White House policy and GOP talking points. Still, the president went behind his ambassador's back to assure the Russians he would kill any future sanctions. Other White House officials played down Haley's remarks, describing America's representative at the United Nations as "confused."

Haley's response to the charge was as sharp as it was telling.

"With all due respect, I do not get confused."

With those nine words, the ambassador declared that, unlike most other members of Trump's Cabinet, she would not allow herself to be humiliated by a political day trader, whose fitful 15 minutes of fame will come to a close long before a new president takes the oath of office in 2021.

Still, another scenario came to mind this week: How wonderful would it be for our daughters to see this woman - this daughter of immigrants - take a debate stage to coldly cut the Donald down to size, revealing to the world once and for all that this bloated emperor has no clothes?

What a sight that would be.

Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, hosts the MSNBC show "Morning Joe."

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By Rucha Kaur

Last month, the New Jersey State Senate and Assembly passed a joint resolution designating April as "Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month," making it one of just a few states in the country to ever take this step.

The joint resolution comes on the heels of several firsts for Sikhs in the state: In 2009, New Jersey became the first state to adopt a statewide curriculum standard that includes Sikhism. In November 2017, Hoboken elected the first-ever turbaned Sikh mayor of a major city, Ravi Singh Bhalla. Early this year, Gov. Phil Murphy appointed Gurbir Singh Grewal as the first-ever Sikh attorney general in U.S. history.

At a time when the national political rhetoric is divisive and some elected officials choose to attack minorities, it is deeply meaningful to see local political leaders lift up Sikh Americans and their contributions. The joint resolution, which was passed unanimously, is a welcome beacon of hope in a climate rife with xenophobia and racism.

For many years, Sikhs have consistently been targets of hate and violence, and have continued to experience discrimination in schools, workplaces and airports. According to the Sikh Coalition, Sikhs in the U.S. are experiencing an average of at least one hate crime per week since the start of 2018.

Despite the gains made by Sikhs in New Jersey and the diverse communities that live here, there is still a lot of work to be done. Last November, Bhalla's election campaign was targeted by racist fliers, and in February, Bhalla opened up about death threats against him and his family.

Other Asian American candidates in Edison, also saw racist fliers targeting their campaigns during the November elections. And just last month, a Sikh gas station attendant in Parsippany reported that he was called a terrorist and told to "Go home!"

We are home.

However, for Sikh families nationwide, these stories of discrimination are not unique. I have personally seen the subtle, distrustful glances people give my husband, a turban-wearing Sikh. I have also witnessed people confront him out of prejudice. In 2013, a stranger accosted him in our South Jersey apartment parking lot to question his citizenship status, just a few feet away from our front door.

Sikhs first came to the United States over 100 years ago, and we are the fifth largest religious group in the world. Our faith teaches us to treat everyone equally and to serve our communities wholeheartedly. We are your gas station attendants, soldiers, students, and now your elected officials.

Now that we are in New Jersey's first-ever Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month, we have one request of our neighbors: Please get to know us.

You are all invited to our gurdwaras (places of worship), of which we have several around the state. You are also invited to our monthly seva (selfless service) projects that feed those in need in Camden, Trenton, and Jersey City. These meals follow the Sikh tradition of langar (free community kitchen).

Finally, there is the Sikh Day Parade in the heart of New York City on April 28. Thousands of Sikhs gather in Manhattan to celebrate our tradition and be with community. We march down Fifth Avenue, serve one another langar and eat together in Madison Square Park. We would love for you to attend this joyous celebration with your friends and family.

At the end of the day, this is what we really need in New jersey: more awareness and understanding. Yes, we have made major strides together, from political leadership to school education standards, but we clearly still have a long ways to go.

The first step is a willingness to participate, but once you do we will build a more tolerant and inclusive New Jersey for all of us.

Rucha Kaur is a practicing Sikh and a New Jersey resident. She is the community development director at the Sikh Coalition, where she works on building and empowering a national network of grassroots leaders to promote interfaith solidarity, defend civil rights and raise Sikh awareness.

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WASHINGTON -- Armed with a photo of her eldest daughter and a personal story to tell, Kristin Camiolo sat down with her congressman and his aides to seek support for the bill that brought her to the nation's capital.

"The reason I came is my daughter Genna," Camiolo told Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th Dist.

Camiolo was part of a group of mothers (and a few fathers) who came to Washington at the behest of the St. Baldrick's Foundation, a private group that raises millions of dollars to fund childhood cancer research.

"Mom, you need to go do this," Camiolo recalled her youngest daughter, Rosie, 15, telling her. "It's important."

So this high school teacher and mother of three from Warren Township took the train to Washington to add her voice.

"Organizations like to have somebody like that helping them out," said lobbying expert James Thurber founder of American University's Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. "They're quite effective because they speak from the heart and the sorrow of the situation that they're in."

Camiolo was there to push for passage of Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research, or STAR Act, which supports funding for research and for support for survivors who may have after effects from cancer treatments as they grow into adulthood.

"I can't believe I'm getting excited over legislation," Camilio said before the meeting. "Here, we can do something. I can't do science. I can tell people our story."

That's the story of Genna, diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 6.

Genna attended chemotherapy sessions rather than first grade and underwent another round of treatment a couple of years later. The tumor damaged her vision but the treatment eventually shrunk and hardened it.

Today, she is 19 years old and attends Raritan Valley Community College with dreams of becoming a preschool teacher's aide.

Camiolo, wearing a gold and gray ribbon to symbolize both pediatric cancer and brain tumors, found a receptive audience in Lance, an early co-sponsor of the legislation that passed the Senate in March and is now pending before the House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee that he sits on.

"You have my support, and more importantly, advocacy before the subcommittee so this can move forward," Lance told Camiolo.

He pointed out that he had another way to get to the health subcommittee chairman, Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas.

Lance turned to his right, where his senior health policy adviser, Robert Butora, was sitting. He pointed out that Butora, a New Jersey native, formerly worked for Burgess.

The measure has 364 House sponsors, including most of the New Jersey congressional delegation. In the Senate, both U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., signed on. Camiolo earlier met with aides to both senators.

"This is not a partisan issue," Lance said. "It's not even bipartisan. It's nonpartisan."

Another New Jerseyan, Christina Loccke of Montclair, undertook a similar mission Tuesday, seeking legislative support for the National Commission on Scleroderma and Fibrotic Diseases Act, which would study and make recommendations for the treatment of such diseases.

"I think it's a fine balance between telling your story and asking for help," said Loccke, a freelance writer. "You sort of have to remember to do both. It can be very emotional at times. You're talking about what was a very dark time."

Loccke's 11-year-old daughter, Claudette Johnson, is being treated for scleroderma and accompanied her mother to meetings with Senate aides and Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-11th Dist. No one from New Jersey has yet co-sponsored the legislation, but four lawmakers recently signed on.

"There are instances where this direct lobbying can be incredibly powerful and incredibly effective," said Matthew Hale, a Seton Hall University political science professor. "Some one who is directly affected by whatever the issue is, that's a voice most congressmen want to listen to."

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
The Times-Picayune is marking the tricentennial of New Orleans with its ongoing 300 for 300 project, running through 2018 and highlighting 300 people who have made New Orleans New Orleans, featuring original artwork commissioned by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune with Where Y'Art gallery. Today: Sister Mary Frances Buttell.

The icon: Sister Mary Frances Buttell.

The legacy: A member of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, an order founded by St. Katharine Drexel, Sister Mary Frances Buttell helped establish Xavier University Preparatory School in 1915 and, 12 years later, Xavier University, where she was a faculty member and, later, university dean. Even though these events unfolded when segregation was the rule, Sister Mary Frances refused to let the generations of black students who passed through her schools feel they were second-class citizens. Gertrude Guidry, a Xavier Prep alumna, said Sister Mary Frances told them: "Shoulders back, heads up, and don't shuffle your feet. You are as good as anybody that walks God's earth. Never forget it."

The artist: Maddie Stratton.

The quote: "Sister Mary Frances Buttell ... impacted the city, the church, society and culture of New Orleans as she moved the dream of availability of Catholic higher education for local African-Americans to the vibrant reality of Xavier University of Louisiana." -- Raymond Verret, Xavier University president

Explore more of Maddie Stratton's work online at WhereYart.net and in person at the Where Y'Art gallery, 1901 Royal St.

She grew up in a German Catholic family on a farm in Sutton, Nebraska.

By John Pope, contributing writer

Source: The Times-Picayune archive

More on 300 for 300:
Photos from the final game of the series between the Colorado Springs Sky Sox and New Orleans Baby Cakes at the Shrine on Airline on Friday, April 20, 2018. The Cakes host the Oklahoma City Dodgers over the weekend.
When 15-year volunteer firefighter Kenneth Fulford ignited a fire in the bedroom closet of the Delhi, La., mobile home early Monday (April 16), he hoped the blaze would overwhelm and kill his disabled wife, ending her suffering, according to authorities.

Fulford's wife escaped the flames with third-degree burns on her shoulder, though her service dog died in the fire, according to the Louisiana Office of the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Authorities on Friday upgraded the charges against Fulford, 53, to attempted first-degree murder following his admission, said Ashley Rodrigue, spokeswoman for the fire marshal's office. Investigators also learned that this was the third time Fulford had set fire to a residence he shared with his wife.

Fulford's wife, 44, told authorities the couple was sitting on a couch in the living room of their home, located about 40 miles east of Monroe, around 12:45 a.m. when she noticed the smell of smoke, Rodrigue said.

Fulford walked outside to check but came back and told his wife he didn't find anything. She persisted, insisting that she could smell smoke, prompting Fulford to walk outside again, according to Rodrigue.

This time, Fulford came back to the trailer door, told his wife their residence was on fire and called for her to get out of the home.

But Fulford didn't re-enter the trailer to help his wife, despite his training and years as a firefighter with the Richland Parish Ward 1 Fire Department, according to Rodrigue. Instead, he stood outside yelling, instructing his wife to follow his voice.

"He did not make any attempt to go inside and physically assist her, knowing that she was going to be moving slowly due to her medical disability," Rodrigue said. "She had also taken her medication, which often makes her drowsy and disoriented. he knew all of those things."

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As Fulford's wife slowly made her way through the trailer, a burning object fell from the ceiling onto her right shoulder, according to Rodrigue. Once she got to the door, Fulford assisted her down the stairs. She was taken to a local hospital for treatment and released.

Fulford called for help on his fire department-issued radio. Fire investigators determined the origin of the fire and questioned Fulford. He eventually admitted setting the blaze, Rodrigue said. But he denied wanting to harm his wife.

In a follow-up interview with authorities, Fulford confessed that he'd set the fire in hopes that his wife wouldn't be able to escape, Rodrigue said.

Fulford also admitted to twice setting fire to a previous house owned by the couple. He set blazes to his residence in May 2013 and August 2015, according to Rodrigue. The couple moved to the Delhi trailer after the 2015 fire completely destroyed the previous house.

Fulford's wife was home at the time of the 2013 and 2015 fires, though she was not then disabled, according to authorities. Fulford didn't give a motive for the earlier arsons, telling investigators that he "sets fires and doesn't know why," according to Rodrigue.

He also confessed to torching his truck in 2016 because he was tired of paying the note, authorities said.

In addition to the attempted first-degree murder charge, Fulford was booked with three counts of aggravated arson, arson with the intent to defraud, aggravated cruelty to persons with infirmities and aggravated cruelty to animals.

Fulford was being held Friday at the Richland Parish jail in lieu of a $350,000 bond.
The former Orleans Parish Coroner's office van driver arrested last week on federal drug charges is accused of participating in a heroin-trafficking ring based in New Orleans and Houston, according to federal court records.

Rodney "Sugar Man" Robinson was fired from his job at the coroner's office following his April 13 arrest in connection with a federal investigation into the heroin conspiracy.

Robinson and eight others are charged in a three-count superseding indictment handed up last week -- with one of the defendants' names redacted.

Records say the alleged drug ring also has ties to the country of Colombia, but did not provide details on the connection.

An initial indictment, handed up in early March, accused six men of participating in the drug ring: Juan Carlos Mosquera-Amari, also known as "Papi" and "Mike," Alexander "Licho" Muriel-Diaz, Luis "Cubano" Ramos-Peralta, Carlos Alberto Gonzalez Valencia, Jose Antonio Valverde-Chacon and Stephen "Guppy" Duncan, whose name is sometimes spelled Steven in court records. Ramos-Peralta's name sometimes appears as Ramos-Gravedeperalta in court documents.

The superseding indictment adds Robinson and John "Rookie" Jones. The new indictment also lists a defendant whose name has been redacted.

All nine defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin.

Another of the three counts charges Robinson alone with distribution of heroin. He is accused of dealing the drug on July 19, 2017, but the indictment does not include further details on the transaction.

The indictment does not describe Robinson's alleged part in the conspiracy.

The remaining count accuses Jones of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, agents found several guns during April 5 searches of Jones' home and vehicle. Jones was convicted of several drug-related felonies in federal court in May 2002, preventing him from legally possessing a gun.

Criminal complaints filed in late February against the six men originally charged, and in early April against Jones, give some insight into how the drug ring moved heroin from Houston to New Orleans, and from suppliers to the streets.

The investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI employed various methods, including wiretaps, confidential sources, physical surveillance and electronic location monitoring, court documents show.

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According to the February criminal complaint, Mosquera-Amari, who was living in the Carrollton area of Uptown, and another New Orleans resident drove to Houston in December to finalize a drug deal with an unidentified supplier known as "Gordo." Muriel-Diaz, based in Houston, orchestrated the deal, the complaint alleges.

The February complaint also describes another meeting, this time including Ramos-Peralta, Mosquera-Amari and an associate of Gordo -- with arrangements again involving Muriel-Diaz--at a Harvey restaurant in February to again discuss plans to move a shipment of heroin from Houston to New Orleans.

On Feb. 27, Ramos-Peralta and Valverde-Chacon drove from New Orleans to Houston, where they met Gordo's associate in a gas station parking lot and picked up roughly one kilogram of heroin to bring back to Mosquera-Amari for distribution, according to the complaint.

Federal agents intercepted the shipment in the Kenner area, pulling over Ramos-Peralta and Valverde-Chacon on Interstate 10 and seizing the heroin.

Later that day, agents searched Mosquera-Amari's home, finding about 250 grams of heroin and a .45-caliber gun, according to the complaint.

The complaint also alleges that Muriel-Diaz and Duncan met in New Orleans in mid-February to exchange payment for the shipment of drugs. On Feb. 27, Muriel-Diaz and Valencia traveled to New Orleans to again meet with Duncan, this time to collect the remainder of the money owed for the shipment, according to court records.

A second criminal complaint, filed April 5 against Jones, alleges that Mosquera-Amari provided heroin to Jones, who then distributed the drug in the New Orleans area.

In the complaint, a federal agent says Jones picked up heroin from Mosquera-Amari's home and then passed some of the drugs to a dealer, who was then seen selling the drugs to several customers.

On April 5, agents searched Jones' home and vehicle, finding several thousands of dollars in cash in a bag and two cellphones in his car. Inside Jones' home, agents found two guns, each with loaded magazines, along with another loaded magazine and a digital scale, the complaint says.

After Jones was handcuffed, he was seen dropping heroin and marijuana to the ground, the complaint alleges.

Jones told agents that he had stopped selling drugs in October, according to the complaint.

"In regards to the drugs, (Jones) stated that the amount thrown to the ground was 'all I got,'" the complaint states.
A man accused in this month's robbery of a First American Bank and Trust branch in Metairie has been indicted in federal court, according to U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans' office.

Stephen Scott, 31, was formally charged Friday (April 20) with one count of bank robbery in the April 9 hold-up at the First American Bank branch at 1800 Veterans Boulevard.

According to a criminal complaint filed against Scott, a man walked into the bank about 3:40 p.m. and slid a demand note to the teller reading "This is a bank robbery, no dye packs, no small bills."

He fled the bank with $3,400 in cash, running southbound on Bonnabel Boulevard.

The FBI's Violent Crime Unit and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office investigated the case.

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The criminal complaint, sworn by FBI Task Force Officer Brandon Veal, describes how investigators used video surveillance from the bank, fingerprints found at the scene, photos from one of Scott's social-media accounts and law-enforcement databases to identify Scott as a suspect.

By the following morning, Scott was arrested in New Orleans in connection with the robbery.

At the time of the bank robbery, Scott was on parole in Louisiana for an armed robbery, his parole having been transferred from New Jersey, federal court records show. His criminal history includes arrests in New Jersey for armed robbery, narcotics possession, illegal carrying of a weapon and violation of probation and parole.

He is scheduled for arraignment Tuesday before a federal magistrate judge.

If convicted, Scott faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release following any prison term.
Parts of Southern University at New Orleans were under lockdown for an hour Friday afternoon (April 20) for an active-shooter training exercise performed by SUNO campus police and the New Orleans Police Department.

Several police officers occupied a hallway in the second floor of SUNO's administration building, where a dozen members of SUNO faculty and staff participated in the training. A man wielding a rifle emerged from the stairway and fired four simulated shots. The loud noise made participants flinch and cover their ears.

The smell of gunpowder hung in the air as the fake shooter took down a student actor who emerged from a room nearby. The fake victim held onto his smartphone as he fell to the floor. Police arrived moments later and shot the gunman, and officers in SWAT gear emerged seconds afterward.

Officers explained that SWAT members are trained to do a "systematic search" of the building even after law enforcement has taken down a shooter. Drawing attention to the fake victim, SUNO Police Chief Bruce Adams advised staff to avoid efforts to record the shooter on video.

Officers also stated that teachers in these situations will often feel conflicted over whether to open a door to aid other students or to keep their doors locked to protect their class. The police stressed that teachers and staff should always keep their doors closed and locked during an active shooting.

Adams told staff to never open their doors during an active shooting even if they know the person knocking on it. "It sounds cold, it sounds cruel, but we're minimizing casualties," Adams said.

Adams also showed the staff a panic button in the hallway and said pressing it would send out a recorded message to campus police. When he pressed it, a female voice came over an officer's radio and told him that "assistance is needed" at the second floor of the administration building.

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Although Adams said every building on campus has at least one panic button, he stressed that "we're moving in a direction where they will be panic buttons in every classroom." Officers also told staff to never pull a fire alarm because doing so will draw out more people to the gunman.

Authorities also held training in SUNO's University Center. Argyanna Bolton, a SUNO junior who works at the bookstore at the University Center, said she participated in the training because she wanted to see how officers would protect her if she was on campus during a shooting.

"They had another school shooting (in Florida) today, so we've got to give them the ammunition they need to know what to do in that situation," Adams said.

Adams advised people to run and escape the building if they ever heard gunshots. He also urged people to hide if they cannot escape and lastly, to fight back with whatever object they can find "if there's no place for you to run."

Adams said SUNO performs active shooter simulations every year to ensure that students and staff are prepared. The demonstration at SUNO comes a month after the Orleans Parish School Board teamed up with NOPD to provide citywide active shooter training at McDonogh 35 High School.

. . . . . . .

Wilborn P. Nobles III is an education reporter based in New Orleans. He can be reached at wnobles@nola.com or on Twitter at @WilNobles.
Eleanor McMain Secondary School students celebrated spring at the Junior-Senior Prom on Friday (April 20), with the theme "A Night of a Thousand Lights" at Club XLIV on Champions Square in New Orleans. The venue was decked out in the school colors, gold, black and white with silver and crystal accents.

Around 300 students cheered the brief fireworks display followed by the announcement of the prom royalty.

As part of NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune continuing Prom 2018 coverage, here are some pictures from the epic evening.

Holy Cross Prom 2018

Marine Corps prom photos with boyfriend's baby brother go viral
A federal appeals court Friday (April 20) threw out key decisions in post-Hurricane Katrina lawsuits that had awarded damages to residents in St. Bernard Parish and the Lower 9th Ward whose homes flooded during the 2005 storm.

The appeals court discarded a lower court judge's ruling finding that the Army Corps of Engineers' construction and failure to maintain the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet took some of the value of property in St. Bernard and the Lower 9th because of flooding during Katrina and later storms.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, based in Washington, D.C., issued the ruling, tossing out decisions by U.S. Court of Federal Claims Judge Susan Braden. The appeals court judges decision said Braden incorrectly interpreted the Constitution and federal law in awarding $3.16 million and interest to six "test case" landowners, and in awarding lost taxes to the city of New Orleans, in rulings she made between 2011 and 2016.

Braden had also declared the lawsuit to be a "class action," meaning other property owners in St. Bernard and the Lower 9th might also have been compensated for a similar temporary lost of value of their property. That could have potentially totaled billions of dollars in payments.

The takings lawsuit may be the last major suit attempting to collect damages for some of the more than 500,000 homeowners who filed claims with the Army Corps of Engineers in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The suit was originally filed soon after the storm, but was delayed repeatedly while Braden waited for other Katrina-related suits to be concluded. Most of those other suits resulted in findings that the corps was immune from damage claims that could have totaled in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

The appeals court Friday found that the suit presented to Braden was based solely on the damaging effects of the MR-GO, a 72-mile shortcut connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Industrial Canal in downtown New Orleans. The channel was closed with a dam in 2009. The appeals court ruled that neither Braden nor the attorneys representing the landowners considered whether the levee built by the corps before Katrina either had a direct role in the flooding or reduced the flooding.

The result, the appeals court ruled, was that Braden's ruling was based largely on the failure of the corps to take actions to reduce the effects of the MR-GO, rather than on actions the corps did take.

The appeals court argued that past rulings have found that under the Constitution's 5th amendment, the government can't take actions that take the value of private property without paying just compensation to the landowner. In this case, though, the issue was the corps' inaction, and not actions it took.

"We conclude that the government cannot be liable on a takings theory for inaction and that the government action in constructing and operating MRGO was not shown to have been the cause of flooding," said the ruling by Circuit Judges Pauline Newman, Alan Lourie, and Timothy Dyk.

"This is so because both the plaintiffs and the claims court failed to apply the correct legal standard, which required that the causation analysis account for government flood control projects that reduced the risk of flooding. There was accordingly a failure of proof on a key legal issue," the appeals court judges wrote.

Newman was appointed to the appeals court in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan, Lourie by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, and Dyk by President Bill Clinton in 2000.

Attorneys for the landowners can request the ruling to be reviewed by the full Federal Circuit, which could then be followed by an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We are still reviewing and analyzing the opinion, as well as evaluating our options for appellate review," said Carlos Zelaya, one of the attorneys representing the landowners.

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A spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department, which represented the corps in the case, said the agency had no comment on the ruling.

Braden ruled in 2011 that there was a link between increased storm surge and the MR-GO and that its construction, continued operation and the corps failure to maintain or modify the water body caused erosion, increased salinity, wetlands loss and created a funnel effect, all of which increased storm surge.

But the appeals court found that was not enough.

"The plaintiffs presented no evidence, and the claims court made no findings, as to whether the combination of these MRGO-related effects and the LPV (Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity) levees caused flooding on plaintiffs' properties greater than would have occurred had the government engaged in no action at all."

In a footnote, the appeals court said Braden "somewhat inconsistently" noted that some evidence suggested that the MR-GO "did not significantly impact the height of Katrina's storm surge, not because the 'funnel' effect was nonexistent, but because the storm was so great it nullified the impact of either the wetlands or the intersection of the MRGO and the GIWW -- the funnel -- at the height of the surge."

To find that a federal agency has created a "takings," the appeals court said, it has to be shown that the agency created the equivalent of a "flowage easement" on the private property -- that the actions it took caused the property to be turned into an easement for the stormwater.

Proof of such a claim, the court said, requires that the government action was the "direct, natural, or probable result of an authorized activity," based on several previous takings lawsuits. There also must be proof that the action was either intentional or foreseeable.

Braden's ruling, however, focused on inactions of the corps: "The claims court determined that the government's decisions not to armor the banks and not to repair erosion along the banks caused the channel to widen, which allowed MRGO to 'carry significantly more water at higher velocities,'" the appeals court said.

Those are all actions for which the corps might be sued under federal civil law, the Federal Tort Claims Act, the appeals court said, as opposed to the constitutional takings challenge. The appeals court judges pointed out that several tort lawsuits were filed in the aftermath of Katrina, and that either lower court or appeals court rulings found the corps was immune from damages.

In one major case, a federal judge in New Orleans ruled that the corps was specifically immune from damages caused by failure of levees because of a 1928 law governing water structures. In a second major case, an appeals court ruled that under the Federal Tort Claims Act, the corps was immune from damages resulting from the corps' failure to maintain the MR-GO because the corps' decisions were within its discretion as a federal agency.

"Here, the sole affirmative acts involved were the construction of MRGO, which was completed by 1969, and the continued operation of the channel," Friday's appeals court ruling. "The parties debate whether the injury to the plaintiffs was foreseeable as a result of these actions. We need not reach that question because we conclude that the plaintiffs have failed to establish that the construction or operation of MRGO caused their injury."

The appeals judges also pointed out that in their arguments during the appeal, the plaintiffs' attorneys argued that Braden was wrong in declaring the taking to have ended with the damming of the MR-GO in 2009. Instead, they contend the threat of flooding remained until the substantial completion of the post-Katrina levee system in 2011.

"Strikingly, the plaintiffs' own characterization of the temporary taking demonstrates that the totality of government action is relevant to the takings inquiry, regardless of whether individual construction projects were authorized under separate congressional legislation," the ruling said, adding that was an admission that the plaintiffs had failed to consider the impact of the earlier levee project, which represented a failure to include the pre-Katrina levees as a cause for flooding.
Across the United States, groups of students left class Friday (April 20) to protest gun violence. But at one Washington D.C. elementary school, a 7-year-old walked out alone, according to Teen Vogue.

First grader Havana Edwards posted a photo of herself outside her school with the caption: "I am all alone at my school, but I know I am not alone."

Havana also attended the March for Our Lives on March 24 in Washington. She has since been inspired to join the wave of students across the country calling for gun reform.

Students across New Orleans participated in Friday's walkout, which marked the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo., where two students shot dead 12 students and a teacher in 1999. They were joined by thousands of others who did the same across the country.
A bill moving through the Louisiana Legislature seeks to impose stiffer penalties on people who cause criminal damage to "critical infrastructure" or enter such infrastructure without authorization, and it's adding oil pipelines to the list of what the state of Louisiana regards as "critical infrastructure."

It's a bill that Anne Rolfes, founding director of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, says is aimed to prevent organizations such as hers from protesting the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, a 163-mile project that will eventually connect a crude oil hub in Nederland, Texas, to one in St. James Parish.

Groups such as Rolfes' have been as opposed to the Bayou Bridge Pipeline as the Standing Rock Sioux tribe was opposed to the Dakota Access Pipeline. The protests in Louisiana haven't attracted the international attention that the 2016 North Dakota protests did, and if lawmakers have their way, they never will.

Rep. Major Thibault, D-New Roads, has admitted that his legislation was inspired by the North Dakota protests. His legislation -- which has 49 co-authors in the House and 14 co-sponsors in the Senate -- defines pipelines as critical infrastructure and then creates two new crimes: criminal damage to a critical infrastructure and conspiracy to either commit criminal damage or enter a criminal infrastructure without authorization.

"We don't believe this takes away anybody's rights," Thibault said when he introduced the legislation to the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee meeting April 5. As Thibault addressed the committee, he had Republican Rep. Stephen C. Dwight to his right and Tyler Gray, chief counsel to the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, to his left.

Making it obvious that he himself had actually written bill, Gray told committee members he could change the language to address some of their discomfort. For example, when Rep. Denise Marcelle alluded to Black Lives Matter protests that have shut down highways and asked if highways counted as "critical infrastructure," Gray offered to expand the definition of critical infrastructure even further if it would make her happy.

It was a unclear if Marcelle, a former Baton Rouge councilwoman who expressed anger after Baton Rouge police killed Alton Sterling, would be happy if highways were defined as critical infrastructure, but Gray's eagerness to load up the bill with more restricted areas bolstered the activists' argument that its aim is not the not the protection of property but the quashing of free speech.

"There's a right way to do things and a wrong way," Thibault told the Criminal Justice committee. "And if you want to protest against something or show your support against something then you go on down to the courthouse or whatever entity you need to, you get your permit and you go do it in a legal fashion."

In a telephone interview Thursday, a week after the full House voted 97-3 in favor of the new restrictions, Rolfes said, "The kind of resistance they like is when we stay within the lines they've drawn."

There are tens of thousands of miles of pipeline in Louisiana, which both Rolfes and Thibault cite in making their arguments. Thibault cites all those pipelines to bolster his claim that the infrastructure is critical to Louisiana. Rolfes brings up to amount of pipelines to make the point that a multitude of places to protest would be checked off their list.

In addition to that, she asks, what counts as unauthorized entry to a pipeline? Other places where a person could commit unauthorized entry have fences, gates, doors, locks. Pipelines do not.

But Rolfes believes the language spelling out the crime of conspiracy is the "most pernicious." It wouldn't just criminalize what activists opposed to the pipeline do. It would criminalize them talking about what to do.

"It would make it criminal just for us to talk about engaging in civil disobedience," Margaret Logue, of the group 350 New Orleans, told the committee. "Civil disobedience has a long history of making good things happen, good change, come about in our country. And this bill threatens our First Amendment rights, to free speech, to engage in civil disobedience, to make Louisiana a better place, to protect our natural resources, to protect the people in Cancer Alley that are threatened by the Bayou Bridge Pipeline."

But the committee voted 16-0 to move it to the full House, which approved it 100-5. (The record shows that Marcelle, who expressed concerns about the bill, didn't vote for it, but neither did she vote against it.)

"This is a terrible bill," civil rights attorney and law professor Bill Quigley said in a Thursday email. Calling it a "naked attempt by the petro lobby to hypercriminalize protests," Quigley said that the "the scariest part" is the conspiracy language which would "allow prosecutions of people who never even go to the site of the protests!"

Thibault says his bill "protects against those who want to inhibit commerce."

And if protecting commerce comes at the cost of inhibiting Louisianians' speech? The Louisiana House shrugs "Oh, well."

Jarvis DeBerry is deputy opinions editor for NOLA.COM | The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at jdeberry@nola.comor at twitter.com/jarvisdeberry.
The state will soon be pushing the locally elected officials of Powhatan out of the way to administer the finances of the northwest Louisiana village that in mid-July had only $105 in its general fund and is hiring a cop to drum up some money from
La Maison Francaise of NYU will hold two events as part of the May 68 Week Celebration, marking the 50th anniversary of a period of civil unrest that halted French society and marked a turning point in Frances history. These events will offer reflections and explore the meaning of the events of May 1968a passage of time that continues to resonate in Frances collective consciousness.

Both events will be held at La Maison Francaise, 16 Washington Mews (between University Place and Fifth Avenue), and are free and open to the public in English and French. Seating for free events is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 212.998.8750 or visit nyu.edu/maisonfrancaise. Subways: R, W (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place); A, B, C, D, E, F, M (West 4th Street).

Tuesday, May 1, 7:00 p.m.

May 68 in Theory

A true event cannot merely be the object of already given theories: it challenges them and interrogates the very sense it makes to practice theory in general. This is eminently true of May 68 in France: it has been an event for Theory. However, its theoretical implications have been too often obfuscated by hasty interpretations that projected on it some vague Zeitgeist aptly coined 68 Thought. In order to avoid such simplifications, we need to get back to the perception the actors of the time themselves identified those theoretical stakes. It so happens that they in part were conflated with the reception of structuralism. The paper will patiently try to understand how such abstract theoretical constructions could be deemed at stake in the social and political commotion of those two months.

PATRICE MANIGLIER is Maitre de Conferences, Philosophy Department, Universite Paris-Nanterre; author of La Vie enigmatique des signes: Saussure et la naissance du structuralisme; La Perspective du Diable, Figurations de l'espace et philosophie, de la Renaissance a Rosemary's Baby; Foucault va au cinema

In English

New French Philosophy Event

Co-sponsored by the Departments of Comparative Literature; French Literature, Thought, and Culture; Media, Culture, and Communication; the Institute of French Studies; and the Graduate School of Arts and Science

Wednesday, May 2, 6:30 p.m.

Mai 68 a-t-il prepare le triomphe du neoliberalisme? Une relecture de levenement a partir de Foucault et de Bourdieu

Mai 68 continue detre interprete de manieres tres differentes et souvent contradictoires en France. Si certains lont considere comme une revolution anticapitaliste, heritage des luttes ouvrieres du XIXe siecle, dautres y ont vu lavenement triomphal de lindividualisme contemporain. Pour ces derniers, Mai 68 aurait annonce le neoliberalisme. Ces deux interpretations opposees ratent la singularite de levenement de 68 et se meprennent sur la periode neoliberale suivante.

CHRISTIAN LAVAL is Professor of Sociology, Universite Paris-Nanterre; author of LHomme economique; LAmbition sociologique

In French

Institute of French Studies Lecture

Editors Note

For over six decades, La Maison Francaise of New York University has served as a major forum for French-American cultural and intellectual exchange, offering contemporary perspectives on myriad French and Francophone issues. Its rich program of lectures, symposia, concerts, screenings, exhibitions, and special events provides an invaluable resource to the university community, as well as the general public. For more, please visit nyu.edu/maisonfrancaise.
Hotel Business News and Analytics

Important! This article is written by orangesmile.com editors and is protected by copyright law. The article can only be re-used with a direct link to www.orangesmile.com

NEWS BLOCKS:

London Hotels Have Fewer Guests from China and North America

As pound exchange rate keeps strengthening against the US dollar and Chinese yuan, London hotels serve fewer travelers from these regions. UK vacations become more expensive for tourists from China, the US, and Canada, so they prefer to spend their holidays in other destinations.



The recent data provided by ForwardKeys only proves this downward trend. The international bookings in London hotels for the first half of the year are already 3.5% below the results of 2017. The fall will be even more drastic for the second half of 2018 as the decline is expected to reach 10.1%. That said, other major European destinations do not experience declines in the number of bookings. Experts forecast a strong second half of 2018 for hotels in Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome.



This is not the first month that London hotels suffer from the lack of foreign visitors. First signs of the decline appeared yet during the last quarter of 2017. Quite an interesting fact  terror attacks in London didnt have any significant impact on the number of foreign tourists when compared to the fluctuations in the British pound exchange rate.



However, not all source countries provide fewer visitors to the British capital. The research performed by ForwardKeys proves that arrivals from various European countries, New Zealand, and Australia actually keep growing. Bookings from these countries are 16% ahead on average. Hotels in London can also expect more visitors from such countries as Argentina, India, Brazil, Russia, and Nigeria  the number of bookings from these countries looks quite promising. At the same time, China and the United States are behind the results of the previous year. The decline in bookings estimates 5.4% and 7.2% respectively.



Chinese traditionally enjoyed visiting London during Chinese New Year. This is something that didnt happen this year  visitor numbers were actually 13.3% below the result of 2017. This is a clear demonstration of the downward trend, even though it should be noted that the Lunar Year festival is still a small share of the total arrivals to London from this country. At the moment, London hotels have their hopes high for the end of April as this is traditionally the time when Indian travelers come to the city. The number of bookings from this group of tourists is already 5.6% ahead of 2017.

21.04.2018Stay in touch with the latest news of a worldwide hotel industry. All up-to-date analytics, reports , and news about hotel business trends on OrangeSmile.com.
Steve Phillips' letter

A Beaverton School District deputy superintendent who resigned this week after retweeting a post disparaging undocumented immigrants in the U.S. told his boss that he hoped his stepping down would help the community heal.

In a letter to district superintendent Don Grotting, Steve Phillips said he was sorry for the "pain, harm and embarrassment" he caused, called the retweet inappropriate, and said "despite what my 'retweet' says," he believes in serving all district students.

"I have worked for the students of Oregon for my entire career, mostly in impoverished and diverse communities," Phillips wrote. "This 'retweet' does not define me. It was a mistake."

Phillips said although he would have liked to continue working for the school district and learn from his actions, he thought it would be in the best interest of the district, students and community if he resigned.

Phillips' family emailed a copy of the letter to The Oregonian/OregonLive late Friday. His family declined to comment.

Phillips resigned Tuesday, the same day he submitted the letter. The day before, the school district apologized for and denounced his retweet that claimed undocumented immigrants "were more dangerous than assault rifles," and should be banned from the U.S.

It was a March 25 tweet by Mary Ann Mendoza, the mother of an Arizona police sergeant who was killed in a 2014 head-on crash with an intoxicated wrong-way driver. The driver was an undocumented Latino man, who also died in the crash.

Phillips wrote in his letter that he shared the tweet the same day it was posted.

After the school district apology on Monday, a petition calling for Phillips to be fired was created.

Grotting, in a statement Tuesday announcing Phillips' resignation, said the school district is "committed to restoring trust in our community.

Phillips was one of two district deputy superintendents. He was hired in 2016 after serving as the superintendent of the Malheur Education Services District. His annual salary was $171,148.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
The Clackamas County District Attorney's Office on Friday asked an outside police agency to open a criminal investigation into a deputy accused of misconduct during an arrest last year.

Prosecutors also dismissed their case against Ronald Strasser, the man whose arrest is now under scrutiny amid an accusation that the sheriff's deputy asked to be placed in a courtroom with Strasser so he could beat him.

"This is a serious allegation that has impacted the entire case," said Chris Owen, the chief deputy district attorney for Clackamas County. "It would not be in the best interests of justice to continue with this prosecution."

The DA's Office asked Portland police to take on the investigation.

Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts and the spokesman for the Sheriff's Office did not respond to emails seeking comment.

It is unclear if Deputy Dan O'Keeffe has been placed on paid leave as a result of the latest developments.

The Sheriff's Office did not open its own internal investigation into O'Keeffe until Tuesday, even though the allegations were included in a lawsuit notice filed with the county last month by another deputy.

Former Deputy Joel Manley is suing the county for retaliation and harassment, claiming he was the subject of two internal affairs investigations and isolated by coworkers after he refused to participate in an off-color photo shoot at the courthouse last fall for a co-worker's retirement calendar. Manley retired last month.

Manley alleges that O'Keeffe last year asked to be placed in a courtroom with Strasser.

"I just want a reason to beat the crap out of him," Manley recalled O'Keeffe saying that day. "He's going to give it to me."

Manley alleges that O'Keeffe's supervisor, Sgt. Corey Smith, said OK.

O'Keeffe was later assigned to a courtroom where Strasser's criminal case was to be heard.

When his name was called during the July 6 hearing, Strasser apparently did not respond at first.

"Your honor, he is here," O'Keeffe can be heard saying on a recording of the hearing.

"Are you Mr. Strasser?" Circuit Judge Jeffrey Jones asked.

"No, I'm not Mr. Strasser, but I am here in regards to that matter," Strasser said.

"Oh, OK," the judge said before issuing an arrest warrant because of Strasser's refusal to acknowledge his identity. "Then it'll be a $25,000 warrant."

"Pardon me?" Strasser asks.

As the judge repeats the warrant information, what sounds like a disturbance takes place punctuated by Strasser saying in a louder voice, "What's the matter? What's the problem? I am here in regards to this matter!"

The District Attorney's Office declined to release the video of the incident, saying it's part of the Portland police investigation.

According to O'Keeffe's report, he asked Strasser to put his hands behind his back when he approached him after the judge issued the warrant.

He said Strasser said "excuse me" and pulled away, prompting the deputy to pull the man's hair and drive him to the floor to gain control.

O'Keeffe said the man resisted by keeping his hands near or under his body. The deputy said he then delivered "10-12 knee strikes" to Strasser's side and back.

"Strasser kept screaming" to the judge "that I was hurting him," O'Keeffe wrote in the report.

Other deputies entered the courtroom and helped arrest Strasser on accusations of resisting arrest, interfering with a police officer and contempt of court. He was then booked into the Clackamas County Jail, where he was held for 56 days.

On Friday, Strasser said he was happy to hear the case against him had been dropped. "That is certainly a tremendous burden lifted from me," he said.

-- Noelle Crombie

503-276-7184

@noellecrombie
By Aaron Klein

In Oregon and other states where medical or recreational marijuana is legal, it's no secret that dispensary owners continue to face a host of operational hurdles, including a reluctance by banks to do business with them. Owners rightly complain about the safety risks of operating lucrative businesses in cash, not to mention the logistical hurdles of paying employees, other businesses and even their taxes.

Most arguments to resolve this mess have focused on regulation impacting marijuana-related businesses. This misses a major source of the problem: anti-money laundering regulation on banks. Nonsensical bank regulation is harming almost everyone: the federal government, state governments, banks and increasingly other businesses that just happen to interact with marijuana firms. There is a simple solution, if only bank regulators, the Treasury Department, and Congress, had the courage to admit the obvious: We don't need anti-money laundering rules to find state-licensed marijuana businesses.

The complex web of federal regulations that deter banks from working with legal dispensaries starts with the federal government requiring banks and financial firms to file "suspicious activity reports" that help federal investigators detect and uncover criminal enterprises. But when it comes to state-licensed marijuana dispensaries, these reports stop making sense. The purpose of these reports is to help law enforcement identify criminal activity and be able to follow the money to catch leaders of criminal operations. If the federal government wants to find Oregon's marijuana-related businesses, there is a far more efficient and less costly way: Google Maps.

As background, the federal government has been very clear about bank requirements. Banks are allowed to work with marijuana businesses, as long as they file reports and comply with a heavy set of regulations. Treasury Department guidance states that banks are still required to file suspicious activity reports even in states where marijuana-related activity has been legalized. Nationally, more than 360 banks and credit unions work with marijuana-related businesses, filing more than 2,000 suspicious activity reports a month -- a figure that's doubled in the past year.

Legal requirements on banks go further than just these reports. Banks are required to file reports for anyone depositing funds "derived from illegal activity." According to that logic, banks must also file a report when a state government deposits tax revenue paid by marijuana firms into the state's bank account. The result is banks telling Uncle Sam that Oregon is a possible money launderer. Not only does it not make sense to consider a state government a money launderer, there is no reason for banks to be the ones reporting to the U.S. Treasury that Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada are profiting from the sale of marijuana. Voters and state legislators did not exactly make it a secret this was their plan.

Going down this rabbit hole, regulations technically require banks to report every transaction that involves funds derived illegally. If Oregon did not create a separate account for its marijuana-related revenue, then every single check the state writes may require a separate suspicious activity report. There is no value added for banks to provide daily reports on each transaction made by state-licensed marijuana or cannabis firms. But imagine if you were a bank compliance officer, fearful of potential fines and criminal charges for failing to file, and looking over at Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Even if there is no logical reason to continually dump paperwork and filings in the government's lap, it may be the rational thing to do.

The result is bad news for everyone except the bad guys that these reports are meant to catch. As banks continue to file more suspicious activity reports federal law enforcement officials have more files to review. Federal investigators are looking for needles in the haystack, with banks continuing to dump more hay.

Banks meanwhile have to take resources away from identifying other potential suspicious activities. As the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis informed banks considering banking marijuana related businesses: "revenue is high but so are compliance costs."

Costs get passed on to businesses, customers and taxpayers. Ironically, one of the arguments behind legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational use was reducing costs and eliminating black market concerns. Treating state-licensed marijuana operators as illicit money movers thwarts that purpose. This is not a case of the financial services industry helping law enforcement find hidden drug operators. Quite frankly, these regulatory burdens aren't helping federal law enforcement officers do anything they can't already do by searching for marijuana dispensaries on Google maps.

-- Aaron Klein is a senior fellow in economic studies and the policy director of the Center on Regulation and Markets at the Brookings Institution.

Share your opinion

Submit your essay of 800 words or less on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification.
Another person with mental illness was shot and killed by Portland police this month ("David Elifritz identifies brother as man shot by Portland police, has many questions," April 8). Like so many in our city, I am sad and angry and I wonder what we can do.

Jo Ann Hardesty has been working relentlessly on this issue for many years. She has served on committees and task forces to study the problem and she has presented training at the state police training facility. She has led protests in the streets of Portland to demand change.

This year, Hardesty is running for Portland City Council and we can be confident she will work very hard to change city policies and practices in order to save lives.

What can we do to reduce police shootings of people with mental illness? We can vote for Jo Ann Hardesty.

Rhys Scholes, Southeast Portland
A former southern Oregon mayor was sentenced to a year and four months in prison Thursday for soliciting sex from a police officer on Facebook who he thought was a 14-year-old girl.

Kenneth Barrett, 72, was convicted of first- and second-degree online sexual corruption of a child and unlawful possession of a firearm in Douglas County Circuit Court. He was ordered to serve three 3 years of post-prison supervision and register as a sex offender.

Barrett resigned as mayor of Winston, about 8 miles south of Roseburg, days after bailing out of jail following his March 2017 arrest. He had started his two-year term as mayor that January.

Court documents show Barrett spent two weeks exchanging Facebook messages with a male Myrtle Creek police officer impersonating an underaged girl. The online decoy was created by police to target adults seeking sex with children.

Barrett mentions sex several times in the messages, that he's the mayor of Winston and described himself at the time as "71 with the mind of a 17-year-old and the energy of a 12-year-old," court documents said. He was arrested when he showed up to a designated meeting spot in Myrtle Creek.

Barrett told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he was done with social media after his arrest.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
Aimee Green | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Non-residential burglaries in Portland are up nearly 25 percent in one year, according to police data.





By AIMEE GREEN

The Oregonian | OregonLive



Business break-ins have become so prolific in Portland that police resorted to circling their small airplane over the city in the middle of the night last summer in hopes of catching a burglar red-handed. They weren't disappointed.



At 4:35 a.m. June 22, two officers in the plane radioed officers below. Someone had hit six businesses that night in the Alberta Arts and Mississippi Avenue districts. They had two teenagers in their sights.



With the help of a heat-detecting, night vision camera on the plane, officers and a dog on the ground chased the teens as they leapt over fences, dashed through backyards and hid under a staircase.



One of the suspects just pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.



A wave of commercial burglaries has hit Portland hard, likely fueled by the daily heroin and methamphetamine habits of addicts and the raging opioid epidemic.

Don't Edit



Non-residential burglaries jumped nearly 25 percent from 2016 to 2017, Police Bureau statistics show. Last year, burglars targeted almost 2,000 restaurants, offices, schools, storage units, food carts, detached garages, backyard sheds and other buildings.



Home burglaries also are up, but only slightly, at about 4 percent.



Some smaller cities in the metro area also report an increase in commercial burglaries -- 5 percent in Gresham and 35 percent in Beaverton, for example -- but they don't compare to the volume of the problem in Portland.



Beaverton, for instance, logged 58 commercial burglaries last year, compared to 43 the year before, with one repeat burglar making a big difference. Cody Runyon, 30, was responsible for at least half of the city's increase, investigators said.

Don't Edit

This graphic shows the steep increase in non-residential burglaries in Portland from 2016 to 2017. The year 2015 shows only seven months of data, because that's all that was available. Data from 2018 shows only the first two months of the year. (Source: Portland Police Bureau / Graphic by Mark Graves: The Oregonian)







And that's a common occurrence: Burglars often strike again and again, adding to the increased numbers.



Many criminals find it less risky to target businesses overnight because they know people won't be around, said Sgt. Chris Burley, a Portland police spokesman. At homes, even in the middle of the day when many people are at work, there's a greater chance that someone might be inside.



Burglarizing a home also comes with stiffer penalties -- and prosecutors suspect that the lawbreakers know that.



For someone with no previous criminal record, Oregon sentencing guidelines call for a two-year prison sentence on a defendant's second home burglary conviction. That's if no one was home. A break-in of an occupied home carries a recommended 1 -year sentence for a first conviction.



Burglarizing a business, in contrast, could get someone 1  years on the third conviction.

Don't Edit



The burglars are as brazen as ever.



In the burglary spree that brought out the police airplane, investigators had noticed the same game plan again and again.



"Rock through window, someone grabbing the till and running out," said North Precinct Officer Michael Schmerber.



"It was occurring daily," Schmerber said. "We wanted to try to find them quickly because they were going to keep on doing this until they were caught."



In another recent case, a judge sentenced 43-year-old Daryl William Johnson to two years and two months in prison after he was caught in December crawling through a human-sized hole he'd cut in the wall of a T-Mobile store on Burnside Street.

Don't Edit

Daryl William Johnson (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)







Johnson probably thought he could avoid setting off the store's alarm that way, investigators said. He learned he hadn't when police arrived minutes later. It was Johnson's sixth burglary conviction.



This week, another thief -- Benjamin Ian Mason, 20 -- was sentenced to two years in prison after twice targeting Mi Pueblo Taqueria in Gresham. He also plundered three other businesses and Oliver Elementary School in Southeast Portland, police said, and committed unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Benjamin Ian Mason (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)





Mason finally was caught after the owner of Mi Pueblo set up an after-hours stakeout.



Last Nov. 26, one of the owner's friends was sitting in his truck watching the restaurant from a nearby vantage point when he spotted Mason breaking in through the taqueria's drive-through window at 2:30 a.m., according to court records. The friend drove his truck right next to the drive-through, trapping Mason inside.



Desperate to escape, the young man threw a cash register through a large window, causing $1,800 in damage. The friend was able to grab Mason and hold him down until police arrived.



Leaving a mess behind also is typical of many burglars.



Workers at a Gresham coffee shop reported that they had to clean up blood spatters and sanitize the entire business after a clumsy intruder cut himself breaking in last November.



Binks bar on Northeast Alberta was one of the businesses struck by the two teenagers spotted by the police airplane.



They left with nothing of value that night but stuck the bar with sweeping up hundreds of bits of shattered glass. Binks owner Justin Youngers said he had to foot an $850 bill to repair his broken door.

Don't Edit

(Michelle Nicolosi/The Oregonian)







The crime was particularly irritating because the bar leaves its empty cash register drawer open overnight, a signal that targeting the business isn't worth a burglar's time, Youngers said. The cash register can be seen through the windows, he said.



Youngers was impressed to learn that police had used their plane to help snag the suspects.



"Cops catching these bad guys using all the tools they have, that's awesome," he said.



Police arrested Alec Johnson, then 19, and a 16-year-old accomplice that night.

Don't Edit

Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree burglary and one count of second-degree criminal mischief. The younger teen was found responsible for five of the burglaries and was sentenced to one of the state's youth correctional facilities. He could be under the Oregon Youth Authority's watch until he turns 25.



At Johnson's sentencing two weeks ago, Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer underscored the frustrations of business owners.



"All of these are small, locally owned businesses," Demer told a judge. "It's somewhat traumatic. ...The glass doors are broken. It makes people feel unsafe when they go to their local coffee shop and they see plywood over the windows. (They think) 'Maybe this isn't a safe place to have a cup of coffee.'"



Although Johnson faced 1  years in prison, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office made him a generous offer: 45 days in jail and three years of probation.

Don't Edit

Defendant Alec Ryan Johnson (left) goes over paperwork with his defense attorney, Tori Anderson, at his plea and sentencing hearing on April 4, 2018, in Multnomah County Circuit Court. (Aimee Green/The Oregonian)







Demer said he took into consideration Johnson's lack of criminal history after he turned 18 and the fact that all of the burglaries happened in a one-night binge.



Johnson, now 20, also is young, the prosecutor noted.



He now must take part in the Multnomah County Justice Reinvestment Program, designed to keep defendants out of jail or prison and connect them with drug treatment, housing and other necessities to help stabilize their lives.



Circuit Judge Eric Bloch told Johnson that he needs to make a decision about the life he wants: "a criminal career that will bring to you a lot of time in and out of jail and prison" or a law-abiding "life of happiness, health and productivity."



Before a sheriff's deputy walked Johnson to jail, the prosecutor pulled a chair next to him and urged him not to squander this chance.



"You know you got a deal, right?" Demer asked.



"Right," Johnson said, nodding.



"I want this program to work," Demer said. "I would love to have a success story."

Mark Graves of The Oregonian contributed to this story.
Actress Allison Mack, best known for her decade on TV's "Smallville," and Keith Raniere, the leader of what authorities allege is a sex cult, were indicted Friday in New York on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit forced labor, the Albany Times-Union reported.

Raniere and Mack are each charged with multiple counts, and could face a minimum of 15 years in prison. Mack was arrested in New York City on Friday and will be held pending a bail hearing Monday. Raniere has been in custody since he was arrested in Mexico in March.

Raniere is the founder of NXIVM, which bills itself as a self-help and empowerment organization, but is described by authorities as a cultlike group whose members recruited women to be sex slaves, and branded their pubic regions with Raniere's initials.

The Rochester Democrat & Chronicle said Mack was indicted "for her role in DOS, a group . . . that purported to be a women's empowerment sorority. Prosecutors, however, say DOS was actually a sex-slave ring led by Raniere, with women known as 'slaves' who reported to 'masters' who ultimately reported to Raniere himself. Mack is an alleged co-conspirator, reporting directly to Raniere."

Mack, 35, is alleged by prosecutors to have recruited slaves for pay, forcing the women to have sex with Raniere, and using explicit photos and damaging information to ensure their compliance.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors said Mack told recruits that they were joining a female mentorship group.

"Mack and other . . . masters recruited . . . slaves by telling them that they were joining a women-only organization that would empower them and eradicate purported weaknesses the NVIVM curriculum taught were common in women," prosecutors said.

But "the victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor to the defendants' benefit," said U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue of the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Kim Penza also said in court that "under the guise of female empowerment," Mack "starved women until they fit her co-defendant's sexual ideal," the AP wrote.

Mack starred in the CW Network series as Chloe Sullivan from 2001 to 2011, and has been in a handful of television series roles since, according to her IMDB page.

According to CBS News:

"Former NXIVM publicist Frank Parlato told Inside Edition that Mack is "completely enamored with Raniere and completely under his thrall." He also said that Mack and her "Smallville" co-star, Kristin Kreuk, were used as "poster girls for normalizing the group." Kreuk says she left NXIVM years ago and commended the women who exposed DOS."

Raniere, 57, known to his followers as 'the Vanguard' - was living in a villa in Puerto Vallarta with several women, according to federal prosecutors, before he was apprehended in March. Mexican authorities took him into custody and delivered him to Texas; he's now in federal custody in Brooklyn. As Raniere was taken from the villa, The Post's Kyle Swenson wrote, citing prosecutors, the women chased after authorities in their own car at high speed.

"In my opinion, NXIVM is one of the most extreme groups I have ever dealt with in the sense of how tightly wound it is around the leader," cult expert Rick Ross told the Times-Union in 2012.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn last week wrote in court documents that Rainere has "a decades-long history of abusing women and girls," and accused him of having sex with minors.

In a statement attributed to Raniere on NXIVM's website, he proclaimed his innocence and said he believed the justice system would prevail. He also denied affiliation with DOS, the sorority.

The Times-Union, however, wrote that "federal court records indicate emails seized from Raniere's private messaging accounts support the conclusion that Raniere created the club, which was known as 'Dominus Obsequious Sororium,' which means 'Master Over the Slave Women.' "

-- The Washington Post
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Much of the recent attention on falling cocoa prices is focused on the responsibility of the farmer to diversify and find additional ways to solve an industry-wide problem.



Prices of most agricultural products have experienced a downward surge coupled with high volatility. Lower prices imply lower incomes for farmers, creating a causal effect for higher farm gate prices and price premium as key short-term measures and providing an opportunity for the sector to discuss price.



Paying a higher price to the farmer (I daresay) will be the most efficient and simplest way to addressing the falling cocoa prices and abject poverty on the short term. But will the industry dare to care enough for its farmers? Will it be willing to take responsibility for its greatest constituents or will it continue to play the proverbial ostrich? Cocoa farmers require a willing industry that will look beyond the business as usual approach. Any caring cocoa company would start immediately!



In the Easter season, Christians continue to reflect on the suffering Christ and his role in the salvation and establishment of Christianity. During these moments of deep reflection and penance, this cousin of mine kept questioning me if the cocoa industry truly cared about the plight of suffering farmers, their lives, and livelihoods? As an Easter people, the risen Lord encourages us to be bold and courageous, responsible and accountable and to share in the truth and the power of the resurrected Christ. So, we decided to refocus our series on the suffering farmers and why we think the cocoa industry is ruining years of investment in sustainable supply by failing to take responsibility to tackle the price issue, once and for all.



The truth is simply this; that companies who manufacture chocolate, or process cocoa or buy cocoa beans from farmers should pay more to ensure a raise in farm gate prices. Any other way is a medium to long-term measure. Sydney J. Harris, a journalist, observes, that a realist believes that what is done or left undone in the short run determines the long run. The future of the cocoa supply depends on how the industry tackles the price issue upfront today.



To refresh our minds, cocoa prices on the London and New York markets hit a 10-year low in December 2017 of $1,917, according to the ICCOs monthly average of daily prices. That was the lowest level after October 2007 and the price has since not recovered. Unfortunately, prices are not expected to pick up any time soon. In its latest Agri Commodities report, Rabobank reduced its cocoa price forecast. It expects cocoa prices to rise only marginally, but even then, it will remain lower than 2016 levels. So why should the cocoa industry pay more when it is profiting from the lower prices? My cousin liked very much the recent SEO research quotes from Nienke Oomes, Bert Tieben, and others, that the main reason for the persistent poverty among cocoa farmers is the fact that most of them are price takers, with little or no market power. If there is any short-term measure to cushion the farmers, it is price. The rhetoric about income diversification, productivity and consumption are all medium to long-term measures. These measures do not count in the mix of finding short-term solutions to a crisis.



What will be the implications of these low prices for farmers and shouldnt they (farmers) increase productivity to leverage on price? asked my cousin. Lower cocoa prices mean lower incomes per unit of produce for farmers. Lower prices also reduce farmers capacity to invest in sustaining or improving productivity  which only makes business sense if the investment can pay off. Lower cocoa price is thus a threat to future cocoa production, and to the long-term profitability of the large cocoa companies. I have seen recent arguments going in the direction of proposing to farmers to offset their income loss by increasing the volume of cocoa produced  to enhance productivity. Unfortunately, greater volume at a lower price means more effort from labour per unit of income. Is this not equivalent to being asked to work longer hours at lower wages? That will be unfair and a possible violation of the right of the cocoa farmer to equal pay for equal work.



The other unfair development in the sector is that farmers are unable to find space to discuss and negotiate farm gate prices. The industry does not want to have any discussion on viable options to raise farm gate prices to the level that would allow farmers to attain a higher income and meet their Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and its member companies have been reluctant to discuss prices due to concerns around anti-trust laws. However, recent research by the Cocoa Barometer Consortium and reliable intelligence show that there are strong signals in Europe that competition authorities may allow conversations to take place, once they are meant to protect human rights and combat poverty of these farmers. Cocoa farmers have chosen their right to work and they deserve just and favourable conditions of work and protection against unemployment.

In line with the universal declaration of human rights, cocoa farmers who toil and till the land should enjoy their right to just and favourable remuneration, ensuring for themselves and their families, an existence worth of human dignity. This is a fundamental human right issue and any industry that cares enough for its supply base will act, and do something worthwhile to this effect. This is indeed a clarion call on CocoaAction member companies to put price as a pre-competitive and holistic approach to tackle poverty of farmers. It is price or nothing; and if we fail to discuss price at the ICCO world cocoa conference in Berlin next week, the industry will be deemed to have failed.



My inquisitive cousin pulled out the vision of the WCF to try to understand why it would not provide space for anything price, as she thinks this concerns the poverty of farmers. The vision of the WCF is a sustainable and thriving cocoa sector  where farmers prosper, cocoa-growing communities are empowered, human rights are respected, and the environment is conserved. To help farmers prosper, the WCF claim that it promotes sustainable livelihoods to raise farmers out of poverty.

Quite ironically, at the current price level, cocoa farmers cannot exercise their right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of themselves and their family, including their lack of access to food, clothing, housing and medical care. Women and children in cocoa families have no entitlement to care and social protection. The last two years of lower cocoa prices have brought misery to cocoa communities and cocoa farmers feel enslaved to a supply chain that is worth over hundred billion dollars. Where is the social and international order to which these rights and freedoms of cocoa farmers are enshrined?



On our way of the cross procession on Good Friday, my cousin pulled up another surprise. In 1993, the ICCO funded a massive industry-wide project in Japan to promote cocoa consumption. Who would think Japan is a pre-competitive space for chocolate? The overall objective of that project was to expand the market for cocoa and chocolate through an aggressive promotion campaign. The industry collectively invested in Japan to increase annual consumption of cocoa products by some 20,000 tonnes in bean equivalent. I will return to this subject in my next series but it is worth noting that there is historical antecedent to the fact that the industry can act together even in a competitive space. The ICCO event in Berlin, therefore, presents a fine opportunity and great platform to act together; if the industry really cares for the farmers and the origin countries that are suffering the brunt of the lower stock prices.



My cousin had other ideas. She borrowed a phrase from famous Kweku Baakos Assuming without admitting that the industry will not pay higher prices across the sector; to curiously ask why the industry will not push more value to sustainable producers through price premiums. Even if there might be concerns around collusion on collective pricing, as the WCF claims, is there any reason why individual companies cannot decide to unilaterally pay their farmers more?



Also, unlike some sector programs and brands that feel that a premium is only a small tool, my cousin thinks that recent cocoa price declines have meant that the cushioning effect of price premium might have a bigger role to play in maintaining livelihoods for cocoa farmers. Despite myriad projects aimed at improving education, increasing productivity, and implementing sustainable production, the collective impact has been limited and the industry has been unable to solve the root cause of the problem: the low prices paid to farmers. The price decline is erasing all the sustainability gains that have been achieved in the last twelve years. It is harming current efforts to combat child labour, exacerbate gender inequality, and fostering deforestation.



That notwithstanding, any cocoa company that is preparing to pay price premium should also not approach it in a business as the usual framework. This is a crisis moment and we should pay higher premium prices to offset the lower market prices and encourage continuity of responsible production. I think the Cocoa Marketing Company of the COCOBOD should consider including price premium in its contract and future salesbut I will leave the details to another series.



If price premium is already a tool in the market, and producers certified to the Organic, Fairtrade, UTZ and Rainforest Alliance standards have access to this tool, shouldnt this push more companies to make commitments to sustainable sourcing? I bet we are missing the opportunity to see more commitment towards sourcing certified beans. This is where my cousin has her greatest worry. If cocoa companies cannot commit to sustainable sourcing and pay higher prices in the short term, then where is our commitment to such bigger issue as halting deforestation? Therefore, I asked the question in my last series: where is price in the joint framework of action against deforestation?

For the first time, my uncle interrupted our conversation to remark; unless the welfare of the farmer is put at the centre of your discussion, every initiative in the cocoa will fail or at best register limited success. Regrettably, there are even companies which have stepped away from third-party certification and running their own label programs. If third-party certifiers like Rainforest Alliance/ UTZ would play no role in such company programs, how are those programs ensuring that premiums are high on the agenda and that farmers are not losing out of the bargain?



My cousin just reminded me that in as much as cocoa prices fall, the prices of chocolate bars have either remained the same or kept rising. So, where are the profits going? She lamented. Is the farmer shortchanged? With the ICCO world cocoa conference just around the corner, I leave the industry with the question: Is the farmer truly first in your supply chain? A higher price and price premium might be a small change to your company approach, but youll be helping to provide certainty to those who can really benefit from it.



As Nelson Mandela would say in his Long Walk To Freedom: I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there was mercy and generosity. Let us listen to the cry of our suffering cocoa farmers; because whether they live or die, they belong to the Lord.

Source: Christian D. B. Mensah | Cocoa Sustainability Expert |[email protected] | @mensahchris2









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A Windrush grandmother who paid taxes in Britain for 50 years has been penniless and cut off from her family since going to her sister's funeral in Jamaica.



Gretel Gorcan, 81, was one of thousands invited from the Caribbean to the UK to boost the economy and held a regular job and raised a family in London.



When she arrived in 1960 aged 24 she got a stamp in her passport giving her indefinite leave to remain, but it was stolen in a 2006 burglary.











Read Full Story .... dailymail.co.uk >>> :

















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An Accra Circuit Court has convicted Philip Okoye, a 29-year-old Nigerian for attempting to secure a Ghanaian passport under a Ghanaian name.



Okoye managed to secure a Ghanaian birth certificate and was applying for the passport with the name, Philip Osei, but was arrested during the process.



Okoye pleaded guilty to making a false declaration in attempt to obtain a Ghanaian passport and possessing false documents.



He has been remanded and will re-appear on Monday, April 23, for sentence.



Police Chief Inspector Musah Hamidu, told the Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh that Okoye had lived in Ghana for two years and was an employee of the Kwan Security Services.



On April 11, this year, in his quest to obtain a Ghanaian passport, he went to the Passport office with a Ghanaian birth certificate, purported to have been issued by the Births and Deaths Registry together with a filled Ghanaian passport forms.



Police Chief Inspector Hamidu said, upon suspicion that he is a Nigerian, the officers handed him over to the police for investigation.



Investigation from the Ghana Immigration Service revealed that Okoye is a Nigerian from the Ayamba State and had not denounced his nationality but assumed the name Philip Osei with which he fraudulently secured a Ghanaian birth certificate and applied to be issued with a passport.



Prosecution said, in his caution statement, Okoye admitted that he is not a Ghanaian and mentioned one Simon of Agbogbloshie as the one who took GHC1,500.00 from him to help him get the passport.



Okoye has so far not been able to send Police to the said Simon.



Prosecution told the Court that further investigation is being done to find out how he got the Ghanaian birth certificate.

Source: GNA









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The humorous part of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was amply demonstrated when he teased Supreme Court Judge, Justice William Atuguba at the launch of the Tax Awareness and Good Governance Week on Friday.



The Vice President reminded Ghanaians of the famous Supreme Court election petition in 2012 when he was one of the leading witnesses for the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Partys flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



Dr Bawumia, before reading his keynote address at the tax education launch, took the audience to the laughing world, saying; Justice William Atuguba representing the Chief JusticeI will say that Your Lordship, today, you and I are here.

Your Lordship, today, you and I will file our taxes, which attracted spontaneous laughter from the audience at the function, including Justice Atuguba himself and other ministers of state present.



Justice William Atuguba was one of the Justices sitting on the high-level electoral case filed by the then opposition New Patriotic Party soon after the 2012 polls.



A public servant who the GNA spoke to, but pleaded anonymity said it showed the beauty of the countrys democracy and urged the supporters and sympathisers of the two leading political parties to work together and avoid acrimony and mudslinging.



He said democracy was about choices, therefore, whoever the voting population chose to lead the nation should be accorded the needed respect and rally behind it to propel the nations development agenda.

Vice President Bawumia, in his address, said it was every income earners obligation under the laws of the country to honour his or her tax to propel the development of the nation.



He said the rolling out of the tax education campaign demonstrated the countrys resolve to fulfilling the vision of the President in moving Ghana Beyond Aid agenda.



He said to move the nation beyond aid, there was the need to strive to be self-financing to ensure sustainable development.



All over the world, taxation is the main tool countries rely on to mobilise revenues to develop their economies and to provide services to their people.



Whatever the developed countries sent to us as aid is as a result of their own ability to mobilise domestic resources. What we take for granted as aid resources is as a result of their capacity to raise taxes, especially income taxes. As we embark on this journey of Ghana Beyond Aid, it is imperative to take rigorous and decisive steps to raise enough revenues, he stated.



Dr Bawumia entreated all well-meaning Ghanaians to join forces and align their thinking to the paradigm of raising domestic tax revenue.



The filing of tax returns and paying our fair share of taxes is much of our constitutional obligation as it is a necessary requirement to build a good society for ourselves, Vice President Bawumia pointed out.



The Vice President used the occasion to file his tax returns, which is the assessment of taxes paid from January 01-December 31, 2017, to encourage Ghanaians to do same.



Tax returns is the statutory forms a taxpayer is supposed to complete on his or her income earned in a year of assessment and taxes to be paid within the year of assessment.

Source: GNA









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The Kumasi Diocesan Synod of the Methodist Church Ghana (MCG), has described as shameful the deteriorating sanitary conditions in the country.



We must bow down our heads in humiliation for being ranked one of the dirtiest countries globally. It is a development we all should not be proud of, the Right Reverend Christopher Nyarko Andam, the Diocesan Bishop, lamented.



Ghana ranks lowest in sanitation levels among all lower middle-income countries, although richer than a lot, according to the latest report by the United Nations International Childrens Fund (UNICEF).



The nation is said to lose about 290 million and 79 million US dollars annually to poor sanitation and open defecation, respectively, and it is estimated that it could take ample time for her to become open defecation-free.



Rt. Rev. Andam, addressing the 57th synod of the Church at Ayigya in the Asokore-Mampong Municipality, said religious leaders ought to take up the mantle in educating the citizenry to adhere to good sanitary practices in order to ward off communicable diseases borne out of filth.



The synod, the highest decision-making body of the Diocese, discussed issues pertaining to the growth of the church and society in general.



They encompassed education, health, employable skills acquisition, youth leadership training, environmental protection and spiritual wellbeing of members.



Rt. Rev. Andam touched on illegal small-scale mining, saying, so far, the campaign against the menace was yielding fruitful results.



Synod is appreciative of the efforts by stakeholders, particularly the media to bring an end to the destruction of our water bodies, forest resources and other bio-diversity, he stated.



The Diocesan Bishop advised leadership of the nation to strive to prioritise the nations development at the expense of their own personal gains.



This was critical for the effective utilisation of state resources to benefit the masses.

Source: GNA









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Leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Madam Akua Donkor says she is looking forward to getting a brand new car from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



The controversial politician cum farmer told NEAT FMs morning show host Mc-Jerry Osei Agyemang that, she is yet to meet the President to put before him her request.



According to Akua Donkor, her request stems from an ugly incident that took place a few weeks after the 2016 elections, when some thugs believed to be members of the ruling party stormed her residence to destroy her car.



Madam Akua Donkor however noted that ever since the incident, her means of transportation has been problematic  hence, the president must come to her aid.



I need a brand new car from the President [Nana Akufo-Addo]. His party members destroyeed my car. I will have to see him personally and put before him my request, she said on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Ambrose_wash









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After a successful fight for political freedom, Ghana is once again leading the rest of Africa in a fight for emancipation, this time for economic freedom, the Vice President of the Republic has declared.



According to H.E. Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, this vision of an economically-emancipated Africa is what underpins President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid, which should eventually lead to an Africa Beyond Aid.



Dr Bawumia outlined the Presidents vision when he received H.E. Pedro Verona Rodrigues Pires, former President of the Republic of Cape Verde, at the Jubilee House, Accra on Friday 20th April, 2018.



H.E. Pedro Pires is in Ghana to deliver the 6th Edition of the Africa Leadership Lectures of the University of Development Studies, Tamale.



Decades after Ghana and the rest of Africa fought for political freedom, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is engaged in a fight for economic freedom, which is captured in his vision of a Ghana beyond Aid. We hope this eventually leads to an economically-emancipated Africa, an Africa Beyond Aid, H.E Dr Bawumia stated.



The Vice President commended the former Cape Verde President, who was awarded the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Leadership after his terms ended in 2011, saying President Pires is a role model for those privileged to serve.



Recalling his days in Ghana, when he arrived in 1962 as a Freedom Fighter, H.E. Pedro Pires had high praise for President Akufo-Addos stance on matters affecting the African continent, as well as Ghanas economic and political stability now.



Ghana is a shining example for the rest of Africa, and I sincerely hope it is sustained and enhanced.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Madam Fauzia Adams Yakubu, former National Democratic Congress TEIN Women Organiser has suggested to former President John Dramani Mahama to abandon the idea of coming into active politics in Ghana.



In a news statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, Madam Fauzia Yakubu said former President Mahama has become a statesman and is accorded constitutionally enshrined courtesies and privileges.



His character as a statesman is measured by the extent to which he manages national and international issues. And so, he should not be exposed to political hazards that will in anyway undermine the character of statesmanship.



She said inspite of his heavy loss in 2016 general election, the former President was well received internationally into the circle of former presidents and should therefore live above petty partisanship.



If the former President is leading NDC as the standard bearer, we will lack the morality to criticize the NPP of corrupt practices particularly when there were publicly widespread corruption allegations in his administration, which among other things led to the unprecedented defeat of the NDC in 2016.



She said former President was entitled to the privileges of the office of ex-president, one of which was immunity from litigation for six years after leaving office and should he stand as a flagbearer it would open the flood gates of law suits which had the potential of denting his image as a statesman.



Madam Yakubu who was a former UDS TEIN women Organiser said in that case it would deflect the NDC community more to defend than to project in the 2020 election especially on corruption-related issues.



John Mahama is very popular, that is true and hes implemented a number of development projects, which is also true. But in the midst of these projects and popularity he lost, that is also very true he indicated.

Source: GNA









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Some Ghanaians in London will today, Saturday, 21st April, 2018 stage a demonstration against the Ghana-US Military deal.



The protesters are taking advantage of President Akufo Addos visit to that country for the Commonwealth meeting to demand that the President does not sign the controversial agreement.



Spokesperson for the group organizing the demonstration known as Ghana Action for Pan African Resistance, Alhassan Baba in an interview said theyll also seek that the terms of the agreement are revised.



Were going to send the signal to the international community that majority of Ghanaians are not in favour of that agreement. The US has to go back to the negotiation table, President Akufo Addo needs to put the interest of Ghana first because its necessary that in every foreign policy the vital national interest of every country needs to be taken into consideration. So you shouldnt abandon your national interest in the interest of another country and thats exactly what Nana Akufo Addo is doing to Ghanaians. So were going to highlight some of the defects of the agreement, were not saying there shouldnt be agreement, yes, theres global insecurity and we need to work together but looking at the content of this particular agreement its not going to benefit our country.



Alhassan Baba dismissed suggestions that their planned action is intended to embarrass the President in the eyes of other world leaders.



Meanwhile, the London demonstration coincides with another one here in Ghana to be staged by the Arise Ghana Youth Movement in Tamale in the Northern Region.





Source: kasapafmonline.com









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The Ghana First Patriotic Front today [Saturday] organized a massive demonstration in Tamale against the controversial Ghana-US military deal.



This being the second leg of the nationwide demonstration against the deal, leading members of the main opposition the National Democratic Congress (NDC) including its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, a party elder, Alhaji Hudu Yayaha and North Tongu Legislator, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa participated.

The demonstrators held placards with inscriptions such as, No to US military base in Ghana, We want jobs not military base, Ghanaians deserve some respect, Mr. Akufo Addo, Our sovereignty is not for sale, and Take Ayarigas $20 million and give Ghana back to us.



They marched through some principal streets of the Tamale Metropolis and implored President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addos government to rescind the deal.

Various speakers will later address the gathering at the Tamale Jubilee Park where the protest began.



We will spit more fire over Ghana-US military deal- Minority



The opposition NDC Minority had earlier vowed to continue to pile pressure on the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US.



We are wholly committed to holding the feet of the NPP and the Akufo-Addo government to the fire of accountability, the Minority Spokesperson Alhaji A.B.A Fuseini said at the time.

He said the NDC was poised to hold the Akufo-Addo government accountable for their many campaign promises that won them power at the 2016 polls.

Alhaji Fusseini stressed that, Government will see real fire and fury from the NDC in and outside of Parliament inasmuch as demonstrations and the Ghana-US Military Agreement are concerned. I am telling you something, we will make it costly for the NPP to carry forward the agreement.



The Executive would have executed the agreement before it was brought to Parliament. We brought it to the attention of the Speaker to no avail. So from day one we have been against it. It is an illegality. It is a walking contradiction and an affront to our constitution. They will tell you our NDC MPs approved this at the Committee level. It is blatant falsehood, he fumed.

According to him, the NDC and their allies will not relax their resistance to the Ghana-US Army deal.



The Akufo-Addo government is yet to see the very least of resistance against the Ghana-US Military Agreement from the Minority. We are very ready to spit fire over the controversial deal.



He then hinted at the nationwide protest by the Ghana First Patriotic Front and its allies against the deal, the first of which was held in Accra.



The Ghana First Patriotic Front demonstration was the first and smallest in a series of demonstrations that will rock this government. The selling of our sovereignty to the US is something we will hold President Akufo-Addos legs to the fire of accountability.



When ordinary people do not agree to something, no one can force them into it. The first demonstration by Ghana First Patriotic Front is the first of many they are yet to see.











Source: citinewsroom.com









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There are a few wineries located in urban venues, but the majority sit atop the hills or rest in the valleys that make up much of the terrain of the mid-Atlantic. While a few are blessed with perches that provide a view that stretches for miles, most offer sloping vineyards and acres of farmland and trees, all framed by distant hills that in the summer offer a great place to fill a glass or buy a bottle and take in the view. I'd be the first to admit this is not the complete list, but based on my experience and the help of a few associates, here's a glimpse of some options for outdoor scenery as you tour wineries in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey this summer.

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Let's start in Pennsylvania ...

There are destination wineries and then there are destination wineries such as Hauser Estate in Biglerville, a few miles west of Gettysburg. Start with a spacious tasting room that affords almost a full 360-degree view. It is among the mid-Atlantic's best perches.

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Hauser Estate Winery, Biglersville, Adams County

And if the weather is anywhere near hospitable, take your glass and munchies outside to a deck that will bring you a little closer to that extraordinary view. The winery is open seven days a week and offers dry to sweet wine options and several varieties of its Jack's Hard Cider.

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Armstrong Valley Winery, Halifax, Dauphin County

Armstrong Valley Winery, north of Harrisburg, earns a spot on this list more for the grounds than any spectacular view. Celebrating its seventh birthday in May, it offers both indoor and outdoor seating on property that was given to Robert Armstrong by the Penns (probably as payment for military service) and included roughly 200 acres. Armstrong started the homestead. which includes a main stone house, barn, summer kitchen, outhouse, tack house, ice house, granary & stable. Owners Jake Gruver and Dean Miller have added numerous modern touches while maintaining the lay of the land. Open seven days a week, with an extensive list of dry to sweet wines.

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The Winery at Hunters Valley, Liverpool, Perry County

Hunters Valley Winery was founded by Bill and Darlene Kvaternik in 1987, starting with a stand along Route 11/15 and then taking the winery and tasting room up the hill, allowing visitors to overlook the vines and the Susquehanna River. Find a bench or just get comfy on the lawn and take in a slice of Americana. The Williams family (who own The Winery at Wilcox and The Winery at Versailles in Ohio) took ownership and reopened in 2015 the place with a slightly tweaked name, The Winery at Hunters Valley and an upgraded wine list. But obviously that view hasn't changed one bit. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week.

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Olivero's Vineyard, McAlisterville, Juniata County

Pick a sunny day and, from Harrisburg, head out Route 322W (toward State College) for about 40 miles to the Mifflintown/McAlisterville exit. Ten minutes later, you'll see the vines on the right and a covered pavilion, providing a perfect spot to gaze at the stretch of farmland and distant hills. Olivero's is a family-owned and operated vineyard and winery adjacent to a family-owned 125-year-old farm house dating to the origins of the McAlisterville village. This is another winery with a mix of dry and sweeter wines.

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Lakeview Wine Cellars, North East, Erie County

For those who are in the mood to scope out the wine country around Lake Erie, make sure you stop at Lakeview Cellars to check out the scenery. Sam and Becky Best are celebrating their 10-year anniversary in May at a winery where they push environment-friendly: Their wine-bottle shaped pond is used for storm water management, irrigation, fire control, and as a geo-thermal heat source. The building is situated to accommodate solar panels, and they use ozonated water, which is electrically charged water that creates ozone to sanitize equipment before it turns back into ozone after 5 minutes. All the grapes are sourced from their vineyard or nearby vineyards. Open seven days a week, with dry and sweet wines.

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Clover Hill Winery, Breinigsville, Lehigh County

One of the state's older wineries and one of its biggest is also one of its prettiest, combining acres of vines that stretch away from one of the state's most attractive tasting rooms with a view that's serene in all directions. There's plenty of room outside to take a stroll or sit. Clover Hill Vineyards & Winery is open daily and has an interesting list of wine styles and grapes.

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Nissley Vineyards, Bainbridge, Lancaster County

One of the state's classic winery settings. Nissley Vineyards is located a few miles off Route 441, which runs north to south along the Susquehanna River. All the visual ingredients are here: the winding driveway that steers visitors past rows of vines and towering trees, ending at a renovated bank barn that houses the tasting room and winery. There's room inside and out to sample wines, with enough lawn to accommodate a thousand or more visitors once the annual Saturday night summer concerts get rolling in late June/early July. Open daily. Dry to sweet wines are served here.

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The Vineyard at Grandview, Mt. Joy, Lancaster County

Not sure what's prettier, the view of the winery and tasting room from below as you drive in or the scenery that greets your eyes from inside the tasting room or out on the large deck. Whichever you prefer, The Vineyard at Grandview hosts a number of activities in addition to churning out some of the state's finest wines. Open Fridays through Sundays, with those hours expanding a bit from May through October.

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Galen Glen Winery, Andreas, Schuylkill County

Considered one of the region's best wineries, Galen Glen Winery adds the elements of vines straddling the hillside in several places amid a backdrop of the northeast Pa. hills. The L-shaped bar in a well-lit tasting room provides a glimpse of what's in the distance, but between the patio in the back and a covered porch to the side of the tasting room, and lots of lawn to spread out on, there are a variety of spots to take in the views. In general, open Wednesdays through Sundays.

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Charles W. Klay Winery, Chalk Hill, Fayette County

This winery in southwest Pa. comes recommended as one providing a gorgeous view, combining mountainous terrain and woods that comprise the 215-acre farm. Named after the owners' son Christian, the place opened in 1997 as Fayette County's first commercial winery. The winery, located a few miles from Uniontown, is open noon to 6 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Click on the website link here for more details.

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Moon Dancer Winery, Wrightsville, York County

Another of the "perch" wineries, Moon Dancer Winery, Cider House and Taproom overlooks the Susquehanna River as it flows under Route 30 and heads south into Maryland. While there's plenty to see inside the French Country tasting room, the real view starts on the back patio or on any section of the lawn that slopes down toward the river. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, serving its own cider and wine, including its Moon Dog Cellars line of sweet wines, and Pa. beer.

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... then head down to Maryland

toMaryland has shot up over 70 wineries, with a handful dotting the Eastern Shore and the remainder spread across the rolling hills of the state's interior, from as far south as Slack Winery and Vineyard in Ridge (so far south it almost parallels Charlottesville, Virginia) to as far west as Knob Hall in Clear Spring (west of I-81).

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Black Ankle Vineyards, Mt. Airy, Maryland

One of the perennial top 101 American wineries on the dailymeal.com list, Black Ankle Vineyards will celebrate 10 years in business this October having won four Maryland Governor's Cups and national respect for its dry red and white varietals and blends. It blends into the pastoral terrain of central Maryland, about 50 miles northwest of Baltimore. The almost-finished refurbished tasting room provides plenty of space inside and out and shows off some elements from the surrounding countryside that that were used in the construction of the building. Open Thursdays through Sundays, with guided walking tours offered on Saturdays and Sundays, subject to weather, at 1 and 3 p.m.

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Mazzaroth Vineyard, Middletown, Maryland

Located in the southwest portion of Frederick County, Mazzaroth Vineyard is one of the state's newest wineries and takes its name, as the website explains, from the Book of Job, where it referred to a set of constellations or perhaps the zodiac. As the website goes on to explain: "In a larger context, Mazzaroth means more than just a group of stars. Its reference implies that humans can't control or change the forces of nature. For a vineyard, you'll achieve harmony if you, the sun, the soil, the rain, and the vines all work together." Among the grapes that this winery grows is Tannat, one of a half-dozen vinifera that make up the lineup of dry premium wines. Check out the website or Facebook and you'll see why this winery made the "best views" slideshow. It will reopen in May 2018 by appointment only.

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Deep Creek Cellars, Friendsville, Maryland

Add Deep Creek Cellars to the list of newer Maryland wineries that have found a spectacular spot in the middle of nowhere to put down its roots. The winery and vineyard are located on a steep hillside 20 miles from the nearest stoplight at the crossroads of a three-state outdoor recreation wonderland: two hours from Pittsburgh, three hours from the Washington or Baltimore beltways, and a short day's drive from Philadelphia, New York, Richmond, or Charlotte. Co-owner and winemaker Paul Roberts got his start in the mid-1980s working as an intern at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley (the winery made famous at The Judgment of Paris and in the movie "Bottle Shock") before moving to Pittsburgh in the mid-'90s. Soon, he and his partner Nadine Grabania would discover Deep Creek Lake and, well, the rest is history. Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays. Dry, natural wines rule here (check out the list at this link)..

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Chateau Bu-De, Chesapeake City, Maryland

Chateau Bu-De Vineyard & Winery is one of the few producers on this list that's remarkable more for the water than the hills, located on 440 historic acres aside the Bohemia River and along Scenic Byway 213 in Chesapeake City. That's about an hour and a half southwest of Philly. You can chill inside or outside one of the prettiest tasting rooms you'll find on the East Coast, or take your drink and wander down the hill toward the river. Tastings are offered Wednesdays through Sundays. Click here to view the wine list, one bent significantly toward dry vinifera, sourced from the Bu-De vineyard and from two high-profile vineyards in California.

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Big Cork Vineyards, Rohrersville, Maryland

There's the long winding driveway past acres of vines. A 10,000-square-foot tasting room that offers covered patios on both sides, a 25-foot-long tasting bar, and an events/barrel room that can handle a big crowd. Or, if you prefer, find a chair outside Big Cork Vineyards or drop your blanket anywhere on the lawn and take in the idyllic combination of vines and trees and miles of rolling terrain that climbs toward the distant mountains on several sides. Located in western Maryland's Washington County, not far from the Antietam Battlefield. If there is wine heaven, with Dave Collins and staff regularly earning regional and national awards, this is it. Tasting hours are Thursdays through Mondays, with tours offered at 11 a.m. and noon every day the winery is open.

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... and wrap up this tour in New Jersey

Now approaching 60 wineries, New Jersey is beginning to get as much attention for its wines as it has for its tomatoes. Wine Enthusiast just ran a story on its rising profile, and member of the Winemaker's Co-Op last year earned high scores from the Wine Advocate, including 90 points for a Vintage Brut made by William Heritage Vineyards.

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Willow Creek Winery, Cape May Court House, New Jersey

Having visited last summer, I can vouch for the addition of Willow Creek Winery to this list. Located in West Cape May, it's one of New Jersey's southernmost producers, So much here will be pleasing to your eyes, from the trip past the vines to the gigantic tasting room to the multiple patios and "back yard bar." As I've written about in the past, this place has one of the region's few working kitchens, and it's definitely worth a try. Open seven days a week, with a mix of dry to sweet wines.

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Auburn Road Vineyards, Pilesgrove, New Jersey

This place in Salem County comes recommended, largely because of the setting, with 23 acres of vines planted by or within a mile of the tasting room. Auburn Road Vineyards, like Willow Creek, has a kitchen that offers a competitive menu on the weekends. Julianne Donnini is co-owner and winemaker at Auburn Road, and you gotta love her back story: a degree in literature from St. Joseph's University and a law degree from Villanova Law School. She practiced law for 10 years in Philly specializing in commercial litigation, all the while educating herself in winemaking and laying the groundwork for what she has built today. Open daily, offering dry and sweeter wines.

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Alba Vineyard, Milford, New Jersey

One of the state's northernmost wineries, located in Milford, in western Warren County, Alba Vineyard sits on a 93-acre farm in the beautiful Musconetcong Valley that's two miles east of the Delaware River and Pennsylvania's Bucks County. The property, which dates back to the late 1700s, was for generations a dairy farm before the vineyards went into the ground. Need evidence of why this producer is on my list? Just check out the photos of the place on Facebook or on its website, and expect the visit to be enhanced by the completion of a new tasting room this year. Open Saturdays and Sundays with primarily a dry wine list.

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Beneduce Vineyards, Pittstown, New Jersey

Family-owned and operated, Beneduce Vineyards is another of the northern New Jersey wineries that offers enough tree-blanketed hills and acres of vines to put any visitor at ease. A Hunterdon County family farm since 2000, the vineyard was first planted in 2009, and opened to the public in 2012 with some of the more interesting names for wines: from its Shotgun Red (a blend of Chambourcin, Corot Noir and Noiret) to its Three Windows White (a Riesling) to its Blue 2 (a Blaufrankisch). Open Wednesdays through Sundays.

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Unionville Vineyards, Ringoes, New Jersey

A property dotted with trees. Vines off in the distance, with the winery sourcing six vineyards. An iconic barn that houses the upstairs tasting room and downstairs winery. And plenty of places to stretch out, either on a picnic table or, if you care to, on the grass. Unionville Vineyards is located in Ringoes, Hunterdon County, about a half-hour drive from the Pennsylvania line. Open daily. Excellent wines, with a Rhone grape program promising some interesting varietals and blends in the years ahead.

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For those looking for a road trip suggestion ..

I've been assembling these weekend or daylong road trips for more than a year, with more to come. Here's a sampling of destinations for you to try this year.

Winery tour 2018: A visit to 4 south Jersey producers

Winery tour 2018: Four wineries in a trip along Chesapeake Bay

Winery tour 2018: Three northcentral Pa. wineries in one day trip

Winery tour 2017: Four wineries in a weekend trip to central Virginia

Winery tour 2017: Four Lehigh Valley wineries in one day

Winery tour 2017: Three wineries in one central Pa. day trip

Winery tour 2017: Two-day whirlwind trip to the Finger Lakes

Winery tour 2017: Two wineries in one northern Md. day trip

Winery tour 2017: Four wineries in one Cape May, N.J., day trip

Winery tour 2017: Three northwest Pa. wineries in one day

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And links to other stories on wine

Best regional wineries for events

Fero Winery's goal for 2018: a good wine and visitors experience

Views from a California winemaker/owner: David Ramey

Linganore, one of East Coast's oldest wineries, making generational shift

A look at Va La Vineyards, one of the region's go-to wineries

Landmark Series feeding growth of Boordy Vineyards' wine club

Great Lakes climate, vinifera grapes helping Michigan build extensive dry wine portfolio

You can follow me on Twitter @pierrecarafe
Chalit's Thai Bistro has moved to 5517 Carlisle Pike, Hampden Township, 717-695-9889, 717-695-9879.

Three weeks ago, owner and chef Chris Kijcharoen held a soft opening for friends, neighbors and family at the new site for Chalit's Thai Bistro, at 5517 Carlisle Pike Hampden Township.

"Everything happens for a reason. I was content where I was, but the lease was up, and it was time to find the right space on the [Carlisle] Pike," Kijcharoen said.

The opening, according to Kijcharoen, went well, but it was very hectic. His staff was used to working in cramped conditions and with a modest floor plan.

"This place is so spread out," he said. There were major adjustments made to get things running smoothly.

Fast forward to my visits over the past couple of weeks, and Chalit's Thai Bistro is THE place to be seen. It's the trendy, new, hip spot on the pike. If you live on the West Shore, you are bound to see someone you know.

Things are going so well, in fact, that you'd better have reservations on the weekend. The BYOB, value-driven menu and friendly, accommodating staff add to the enticement of this restaurant. But don't be in a hurry, because meals do take time coming out of the kitchen.

The dining room is clean and uncluttered (like the food). The jazzy music is set at a good volume for conversations, and the lighting makes everyone look youthful.

"I wanted the feel of being somewhere, being in Thailand or Asia," said Kijcharoen.

Kneeling Buddhas welcome guests, and there are unexpected Thai pieces here and there. A decorative Thailand door to the temple was shipped damaged but it will soon be placed at the end of the hallway leading to the bathroom. A community bamboo-topped table surrounded by tall bar seats divides the room. Klicharoen didn't like the "cushiony stuff" so instead went with a slide in, slide out streamlined cork banquette seat against one wall. On the opposing wall, mechanized fans add movement and subtle liveliness to the somber setting.

"Some places have fish tanks. I really, really love the fans," said Kijcharoen.

What is his secret to success?

"We cook like we want to eat. If I (or the staff) wouldn't eat it, we don't send it out," he said. "I don't cut up veggies way ahead of time, and I don't cut them up too big that people ask for knives or too small. We look at, 'what's wrong, and why didn't they eat that?'"

For example, Kicharoen noticed that customers were leaving cabbage behind on their plates. For the mixed vegetables in garlic brown sauce, the kitchen switched from the harder cabbage to a softer, sweeter cabbage, and now no cabbage gets left behind.

Fresh and light cuisine prevails here. The food is a perfect, colorful marriage of sweet, salty and sometimes sour. Long-running traditional Thai specialty pad thai is a good example of sweet and sour with the addition of tamarind juice, soy sauce and hint of sugar. Tender chicken strips of carrot and green onion thread through soft, stretchy noodles and crushed peanuts are sprinkled over the top.

Thai wonton soup ($4.50) consists of flavor-packed chicken broth with baby bok choy and house-made wontons that look like clusters of broad ribbons stuffed with minced chicken and shrimp. Grilled Thai waterfall (beef or pork, $13) has never come off the menu ,and for good reason -- it's a colorful presentation of textures, with purple-tinted brown rice, cubes of grill-marked tender sirloin, thinly sliced cucumber salad and roasted tomato garlic puree sauce.

Curries are the best around. Glistening, pumpkin-colored, silky, coconut-enhanced sauces have varied ingredients just below the surface, such as eggplant, potatoes or peas. My favorite dish is a Thai stir fry, made with candy-like eggplant, chiles and choice of meat, with white jasmine steamed rice.

Dessert, like the rest of the meal, is not complicated. Steamed, coconut-scented sticky rice and very fresh mango slices keep this dish light and refreshing.

"Everything happens for a reason, and in this case, it's a blessing," said Kicharoen of the move.

For more Pennsylvania food & dining news:
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea announced Saturday it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington, but stopped well short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related component parts.

The new policy, which sets the table for further negotiations when the summits begin, was announced by leader Kim Jong Un at a meeting of the North Korean ruling party's Central Committee on Friday and reported by the North's state-run media early Saturday.

Kim justified the suspension to his party by saying that the situation around North Korea has been rapidly changing "in favor of the Korean revolution" since he announced last year his country had completed its nuclear forces. He said North Korea has reached the level where it no longer needs to conduct underground testing or test-launching of ICBMs.

He added that the country would close its nuclear testing facility at Punggye-ri, though that site was already believed to have been rendered largely unusable due to tunnel collapses after the North's test of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb last year.

The announcement is seen as an opening gambit aimed at setting the tone for talks ahead of Kim's summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next Friday and U.S. President Donald Trump in late May or early June.

Trump responded with a tweet saying, "Progress being made for all!"

A message from Kim Jong Un: North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Also will Shut down a nuclear test site in the countrys Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests. Progress being made for all!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

South Korea's presidential office also welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the announcement too but was a bit more guarded in his reaction.

"What is crucial here ... is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles," he said. "And I will keep a close eye on that."

Some analysts believe that rather than denuclearizing, Kim feels he is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is hoping to achieve tacit recognition that his country is now a nuclear power. They believe he wants engage in talks and make some concessions around the edges that would convince Washington and other countries to ease sanctions on his struggling economy.

In his speech at the party meeting, Kim praised his nuclear policy as "a miraculous victory" achieved in just five years. A resolution passed after his speech also stressed that the country had successfully achieved its goals of obtaining a viable nuclear force and suggested it intends to keep that force -- at least for the time being.

Using the acronym for North Korea's official name, it said the North would "never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threat and nuclear provocation against the DPRK."

"This was a smart move by Kim," said Vipin Narang, an associate political science professor and nuclear proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Although it largely formalizes previous pledges on the moratoria from last November and March, it still leaves a lot of wiggle room for circumventing the pledges in the future, and nothing in there is irreversible. And nothing in there mentions denuclearization, of any variety."

Narang noted that North Korea has already conducted as many nuclear tests as Pakistan and India, and may indeed not need to conduct any more underground testing.

"The aim of this, in my view, is to make it exceedingly difficult for Trump to say the North is uninterested in talks and walk away," he said. "Kim is doing everything he can now -- in a reversible way, mind you -- to ensure the summit happens. Because that's his ultimate victory."

Tossing out another nugget that could be used at the summits, Kim stressed at the party meeting his desire to shift the national focus to improving the country's economy, which has been hit hard by international sanctions and the "maximum pressure" strategy pushed by Trump.

The announcement ends what had been an ominous silence from Pyongyang regarding the stunning diplomatic moves Kim has been making since the beginning of this year, including his first summit, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, last month.

It also gives the best idea yet of what Kim intends to bring with him in his summits with Moon and Trump.

Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

Some important items were also left off the North's resolution, suggesting either that the North isn't willing to go that far or that it wants to wait and see how much it can gain by further concessions once actual talks begin.

It did not announce a moratorium on short- or mid-range missile launches or ground-based engine testing. It also did not suspend the production of more fissile material to build additional warheads, or the production of the longer-range missiles, which are Washington's primary concern.

At the height of Pyongyang's standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.

That kind of test would also not be included in the suspension.

-- By Kim Tong-Hyung and Eric Talmadge, Associated Press
A 10-year-old girl from Carlisle made national news after she reportedly was the only student to walk out of her elementary school Friday to demand gun control.

CNN featured the story of Delilah Matrese as part of its coverage of the walkouts that were planned for Friday.

Delilah's mother, Melissa Matrese, told CNN that no other members of the faculty or student body participated, so her husband Stephen stepped in.

He signed her out of Hamilton Elementary Friday morning and stood outside with her for about 30 minutes. Delilah held a sign with drawings of rifle rounds and the words: "not school supplies." Her mother posted photos and updates to her Twitter account.

The protest was part of an independent project for Delilah's gifted program, her mother wrote on Twitter. Each student in the program picks a topic and Delilah picked gun control. She then walked out of school as part of the national protest, "because the whole point is to DO something, not just write a paper," Melissa Matrese wrote on Twitter in response to questions.

Hamilton Elementary officials confirmed to CNN that Delilah was a student but would not discuss the walkout.

Delilah plans another walkout later this year, her mom said, adding that her daughter is passionate about current events and a huge fan of John Oliver, the host of "Last Week Tonight."

Delilah was one of two students featured by CNN who wanted to participate in school walkouts, but ended up being the only ones outside. The other student was a 7-year-old girl from Alexandria, Va.

A third student from North Carolina was featured in the story walked out alone on March 14, but said he was joined by 350 other students on Friday.

She's alone, but she doesn't care. Please retweet and show my daughter someone is listening.#NationalSchoolWalkout pic.twitter.com/WlEVTMdLzr  Melissa Matrese (@MelliBitch) April 20, 2018
Police in Indiana County this week accused a 54-year-old woman of intentionally backing her car into her adult daughter during an argument in front of a tobacco shop.

The 33-year-old victim was airlifted by medical helicopter to a hospital to undergo surgery on her right arm, according to the Pittsburgh Tribute-Review.

The incident happened about 6:35 p.m. Monday at a Blairsville Borough tobacco outlet.

Theresa Simms initially told police she accidentally hit her daughter, but additional evidence, including a passenger in the car, contradicted that, according to TribLive.

The newspaper reported that officers reviewed video surveillance images that showed Simms entering the store, then returning to the driver's seat, with her daughter Megan Russell in the passenger seat.

That's when they begin to argue.

Russell got out of the Ford Focus, according to the newspaper, "still yelling" and Simms then accelerated in reverse toward Russell, hitting her with the open door.

The impact knocked Russell "out of her shoes and into a parking meter," according to the video, the police officer wrote in his report.

A passenger in the backseat told police the pair was arguing about a public assistance card, according to TribLive.

Police sent a citation in the mail to Simms on Friday with a court date of May 23 to face two felonies, two misdemeanors and three summary offenses: aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle, recklessly endangering, simple assault, reckless driving, careless driving and backing up a vehicle improperly.

Simms' criminal record includes four guilty pleas to summary offenses of harassment dating back to 2014.

The TribLive story has more details.
James Durkin, left, and Dr. Stephen Grady

The Notre Dame Club of Harrisburg sent out a release Friday afternoon expressing its grief over the loss of two of its officers, killed in a small plane crash Thursday in Blair County.

The pilot of the plane was James Durkin, co-owner of Choice Security Services LLC in East Hempfield Township, according to LancasterOnline. With him was Dr. Stephen Grady, a dentist at Center Street Family Dentistry in Camp Hill.

Grady was the president of the club, Durkin was the treasurer.

"The Notre Dame Club of Harrisburg is truly heartbroken to lose two of our leaders in this tragic accident," the release read. "Steve Grady and Jim Durkin embodied the values we hold dear in our Catholic faith and we were fortunate to count them as our mentors and friends. Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to their families as they grieve the loss of these two remarkable gentlemen.

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them."

READ MORE: Camp Hill dentist, Lancaster County businessman killed in small-plane crash

The single-plane engine crashed behind a residence at about 8:45 a.m. Thursday, according to The Altoona Mirror. Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross told the newspaper the two men onboard the plane were killed on impact.

The plane, a Cirrus SR22, was scheduled to fly Thursday from Lancaster Airport to South Bend International Airport in Indiana. Durkin and Grady were flying to attend a University of Notre Dame Alumni Association Leadership Conference, LancasterOnline reported.

The plane was supposed to arrive at Altoona-Blair County Airport at 8:51 a.m. Thursday.

The Harrisburg club noted that the university will be honoring "these two distinguished gentlemen by burning two candles from the Grotto for the duration of the Notre Dame Leadership Conference in which their attendance had been expected."
PHILADELPHIA -- A Temple University fraternity house where two teenage students said they were sexually assaulted has been suspended, and police are investigating.

A 19-year-old student reported she was assaulted at Alpha Epsilon Pi's fraternity house in February by one of the fraternity's members, police Capt. Mark Burgmann said on Friday. That case has been sent to the Philadelphia district attorney's office to review for possible charges.

Another 19-year-old student told police she attended a party at the frat in March and was given several drinks. She said she became dizzy, lost consciousness and woke up later in bed with a fraternity member. She said she felt she'd been sexually assaulted.

Both students came forward this month.

A third student approached Temple University police recently with similar allegations, but Philadelphia police have not interviewed her.

A spokesman for Alpha Epsilon Pi International Fraternity said the fraternity was "very concerned about these allegations" and was fully cooperating with authorities.

"Alpha Epsilon Pi is a fraternity based in Jewish values, and anyone associated with such alleged behavior has no place in our fraternity and will be removed immediately," spokesman Jonathan Pierce said.

Temple announced on Friday the chapter had been suspended over the allegations, which also include possible drug use and underage drinking.

On Sunday, the Temple chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi posted on Instagram it was appalled by the accusations, adding the behavior alleged by the accusers is "against everything that we stand for."
By Bob Quarteroni

"In America today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see, and nobody calls the cops." Paul Brooks, "The Pursuit of Wilderness," 1971

And boy, do we have a corpse in this murder:

Bob Quarteroni (PennLive file)

A mountain of culm - coal waste - on a 55-acre site that makes the moon's surface look attractive.

And best of all: It's right outside my front door, a giant Mt. Trashmore that does sooo much for the ambience, not to mention the related catacomb of tunnels that may or may not be under my old miner's house.

With real estate it's normally location, location, location. Here, it's desecration, desecration, desecration.

No one knows exactly how much waste is there, but coal mining operations took place at the Harry E. Colliery site in Swoyersville, my little town, from the 1880s until 1960, so there's enough that it's going to take an estimated 20-25 years to clean it up.

We may not have exact numbers, but -- fantastic as it sounds -- I've seen traces of snow on top of Old Smoky when it was bare everywhere else.

So now, after a mere 78-year interlude since mining stopped, they are going to start removing it.

But it's not a kumbaya let's-be-green moment. It's only happening because Keystone Reclamation plans to haul away the coal in July for use at two cogeneration power plants, which use waste coal as fuel to create electricity.

Just another day in the land of the free and home of black lung. Environment savaged and fortunes made on the back of poor miners. It's a big, black ugly legacy to how things work when money trumps environmental concern and respect for the land is spit upon.

Look and see what can happen when no protection is given to the environment, what happened when the robber barons of yesterday were allowed to rape the land to reap the dough and shake your head in wonder.

And then shake your head again because it's still happening today.

Just because my particular mess is a remnant of our anthracite coal mining legacy, don't think you - any of you - are safe from the same type of treatment, particularly in the light of today's damn-the-environment federal government.

Thanks to a president who has never seen an environmental regulation he doesn't want to overturn, we're all just bait fish for the sharks of development and fossil fuel fun.

All our former presidents - whether I agreed with their politics or not - have been staunch defenders of the environment. Republican or Democrat, they have acted responsibly and America today is light years cleaner, greener and less and less dependent on fossil fuels than it was 20, 30 or 50 years ago..

Trump, who never saw my Uncle Mike gasping for air in the last stages of black lung disease, had the effrontery to say in his State of the Union message that his administration had "ended the war on beautiful, clean coal."

To me, that sacrilege is like saying he's ending the war on "beautiful, healthful cancer."

He's so anti-Earth he prefers placing actual enemies of the environment in charge of agencies that are supposed to protect the environment.

The most dangerous, of course, is the Poster Child for fossil fuels, Scott Pruitt, who is making no bones of trying to gut the EPA of its guardian of the environment role as much as possible.

Unfortunately, I don't have space to even list all of Pruitt's mad decisions. As Vox said last week about his first year in office "Pruitt celebrated the rollback of 22 regulations under his watch, and cheered President Donald Trump's rejection of climate science and policy."

But this one hits home.

Last week, EPA announced plans to scrap Obama-era rules tightening restrictions on disposal of coal ash, the toxic byproduct from coal-fired plants.

Pruitt said the proposal gives states "more independence" over coal ash disposal.

What it also gives a lot of us is a death warrant. Living within a mile of a wet coal ash storage pond poses a greater health risk than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, raising the risk of cancer to one in 50, an EPA study from 2010 found.

Vanity Fair summed up all this environmental mayhem in the headline of an April 5, 2018 article: "Can Scott Pruitt poison the environment enough to keep his job?"

No doubt.

And this noxious Batman and Robin are ready, willing and able to build a Mt. Trashmore of some polluted type for each and every American.

So while yours might be air you can't breathe or water you can't drink or land that poisons your body, it will loom just as large and just as dangerous as my personal front yard monster.

What can be done? I know I'm a broken record but the answer is always the same: Get involved.

This is really the time to unearth the old chestnut of thinking globally and acting locally and do something: Speak up if a dump is proposed for your backyard, or an old coal mine threatens to come alive, or some sleazy government official says an underground mine fire is no big thing.

And, of course, vote. Vote this fall as if your life depended on it. Because it does.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead, who sagely noted "We won't have a society if we destroy the environment," knew the answer: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Bob Quarteroni, a frequent PennLive Opinion contributor, is a former columnist and editor at the Centre Daily Times. He lives in Swoyersville, Pa. Readers may email him at bobqsix@verizon.net.
Tiffany Leeson, left, and Jillian Lucas are pictured in a Toronto bar on Friday, April 20, 2018. Seeing trash cans overflowing with straws night after night has prompted a server in Toronto to launch a campaign against the plastic item that's become a target of the British government as it aims to rid such pollution from oceans, though Canada has stopped short of pushing for a similar commitment. Jillian Lucas said her 10-year career in the restaurant business provided her with contacts at establishments that will be joining forces for The Last Straw on Saturday, when servers won't be providing straws in drinks, unless customers ask for them. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
Fariq Muhammad, center, helps to distribute food to other members of the group of Rohingya Muslims rescued off Indonesian waters in a wooden boat during breakfast at a temporary shelter in Bireun, Aceh province, Indonesia, Saturday, April 20, 2018. Muhammad said they were at sea for nine days after leaving Myanmar, where the minority group faces intense persecution, and were hoping to reach Malaysia. (AP Photo/Rahmat Mirza)
FILE - In this December 2017 file photo, singer Taylor Swift performs at Z100's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden on in New York. Police say a stalker broke into SwiftAos New York City townhouse and took a nap. Police say officers investigating a reported break-in Friday, April 20, 2018, found 22-year-old Roger Alvarado asleep in the pop starAos home in the Tribeca neighborhood. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Daw Tuu, wife of Myanmar's police Capt. Moe Yan Naing, talks to journalists at the residence of younger brother of her husband in Naypyitaw, Myanmar Saturday, April 21, 2018. Myanmar police on Saturday evicted the family of the police officer who testified that he and others had been ordered to entrap two reporters working for the Reuters news agency who are facing charges that could get them up to 14 years in prison, the officerAos wife said. (AP Photo/Aung Shine Oo)
Women cry in a hospital after they lost their children in a deadly suicide attack on a voter registration center in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, April 22, 2018. Gen. Daud Amin, the Kabul police chief, said a suicide bomber targeted civilians who had gathered to receive national identification cards. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)
Nicholas Cunningham: Fueling elections in Mexico and Brazil

TAPB Group



What could the results of Mexico and Brazil's upcoming elections

have in store for energy policies and the oil industry?

L atin America is home to seven presidential elections and transitions this year, including its two largest economies, Mexico and Brazil. Both countries suffer from chronic inequality, the militarization of domestic security, high levels of violence, and economic policies that favor the wealthy. But as two highly corrupt and thoroughly unpopular governments reach the end of their terms, voters also have an opportunity to halt the rightward shift in the region's politics. While much is at stake, both countries are at a crossroads over their respective energy policies. Both Mexico and Brazil have pursued some form of privatization in their energy sectors in recent years, selling off oil reserves to the highest bidders. Could viable leftist candidates in both countries offer alternatives visions to the fossil-fueled status quo?

AMLONot Quite Lazaro Cardenas

A ndres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, a former mayor of Mexico City who is running for president for the third time, is the frontrunner in Mexico's July presidential election. He leads the break-off group Movimiento Regeneracion Nacional (Morena), after leaving the Partido de la Revolucion Democratica (PRD) in 2012. One of the cornerstones of AMLO's candidacy is a pledge to roll back the partial privatization of Mexico's energy sector. Mexico kicked out foreign oil companies more than seven decades ago, and national control over the country's natural resources has long been a source of national pride. Ending state control over Mexico's energy sector was extremely controversial when President Enrique Pena Nieto pushed it through in 2013 and 2014 via a constitutional amendment, and polls show sizable majorities have opposed the move ever since. Since the reform passed, Mexico has sold off drilling rights to multinational companies, awarding 107 contracts over the course of the last three years, marking the first time that foreign companies have entered Mexico to drill since then-President Lazaro Cardenas nationalized the oil sector in 1938.

Mexico's oil fields are aging and have been in decline for years. However, there are still areas in the Gulf of Mexico that state-owned oil company, Pemex, has been unable to develop. Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron, among others, have had a longstanding presence nearby in U.S. waters, but Mexico's energy privatization has opened up new areas for extraction. These oil companies have been eager to grab acreage in Mexico. In January, Shell acquired nine of the 19 Gulf of Mexico blocks offered in a deepwater auction, the most significant offering to date. Mexican officials boast that its January auction could eventually yield $93 billion in spending from a variety of oil companies, although because that figure assumes all companies who bid will decide to move forward on drilling, the actual level of investment could end up being much lower.

Still, the Pena Nieto administration has been scrambling to hold as many oil auctions as possible until he turns over power over fears that a new leftist government could end the process. The government has long hoped the fruits of privatization would be plain to see. Yet as the benefits of privatization remain elusive, the costs of the Pena Nieto's energy reform have been visceral. In early 2017, protestors took the streets when the government phased out gasoline subsidies, which led to a spike in prices. The so-called gasolinazo saw gas stations burned and clashes between protestors and police across the country.

While the idea of ending subsidies for fossil fuels is laudable, it was certainly not enacted as a way to encourage alternative energy development or use. The abrupt nature of the phase-out was viewed by much of the Mexican populace as proof of President Pena Nieto's corrupt neoliberal energy agenda, which saw the nation's energy reserves sold off to multinationals combined with price hikes for average people without other policies to mitigate the fallout.

It is fitting, then, that Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who counts Lazaro Cardenas as one of his heroes, could move into Los Pinos on the 80 th anniversary of the original nationalization of Mexico's oil. AMLO's fierce opposition to the privatization of the energy sector in the past has stoked fears in the oil industry that their assets could be seized. However, despite his past revolutionary fervor, AMLO has recently signaled he would stop far short of renationalizing Mexico's oil reserves. Part of this is an electoral strategy to court business elites, or at least temper their opposition by reassuring multinational oil companies that their assets will remain untouched. We in Morena are open to investment, we are open to the world, Congresswoman Rocio Nahle, top energy advisor to AMLO and presumed energy minister, said earlier this year.

This watered-down energy agenda is also a recognition of his limits on power. While he enjoys a wide lead in the polls, AMLO's Morena party probably won't have majority control of the Congress, and because the privatization was made possible by a constitutional change, ratified by a majority of Mexican states, AMLO can't simply undo it by decree. Pena Nieto and the PRI have likely succeeded in locking in the energy reforms, even if they remain unpopular.

What, then, will the government of Lopez Obrador do? AMLO's energy agenda, such as it is, also leaves much to be desired. The cornerstone of his agenda calls for massive public spending on oil refineries, with the intention of processing Mexico's gasoline domestically, rather than relying on the United States for imports. He aims to end Mexico's crude oil exports, diverting the country's oil production for domestic consumption.

He has also stated that he would put a halt to the oil auctions that have been a key feature of the Pena Nieto era. I'm going to ask [Pena Nieto] that he doesn't hand out any more oil blocks, neither onshore or shallow waters, and that he puts a stop to the privatization of oil and electricity sectors, Lopez Obrador said in March.

But, even on this he has wavered. AMLO has tapped Alfonso Romo, an agro-industrialist, to open doors with the business elite. Romo has tried to soothe oil companies and their investors and assure them that their money is safe. There won't be any legal violation or anything else that would disrupt investor confidence, Romo told Bloomberg . What we've seen from the bidding process is that they're very good for the country, they're well done, and up until today we have no complaints.

AMLO has raised expectations of a radical departure from the current government, which has stumbled over itself to curry favor with multinational oil companies. He may slow the pace of Mexico's energy privatization, but his alternative strategy is to double-down on fossil fuels, pouring billions of dollars into oil refineries. In that sense, it will be more a continuation of the status quo, albeit with a nationalist tinge, rather than a more fundamental break with fossil fuel interests.

AMLO's candidacy promises the most left-leaning Mexican government in decades. But, while that could lead to progress on many fronts, on energy policy, at least, he is likely to disappoint. Not only is AMLO not the next Cardenas reincarnate, but he seems set to use massive public sums to perpetuate Mexico's fossil fuel dependence.

Fascism on the Rise in Brazil

T he stakes are much higher in Brazil, both because the current race remains highly fluid and because the potential outcomes could take the country down radically different paths. The backdrop of the election is the imprisonment of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has consistently led all other candidates in the polls.

On April 5, the Brazilian Supreme Court rejected Lula's request to stay out of jail while he fought the case against him, likely ending his chances to stand for this year's election. His confinement and disqualification could solidify the right-wing's grip on power, but the simultaneous aggressive ascent of a far-right fascist movement has brought back memories of military rule.

These are not mere flirtations with authoritarianism or nostalgia for the dictatorship. The head of the Brazilian army took to Twitter just days ago to all but threaten a coup if the court didn't send Lula to prison. The military is putting its thumb on the scales to block the most likely candidate to win the election in October, paving the way for the return of the far-right to power.

It is instructive to revisit how we got here. Frustrated after watching the left-of-center Workers' Party (PT) win four consecutive presidential elections, and embarrassed by the far-reaching Lava Jato corruption scandal and criminal investigation involving state-owned oil giant Petrobras, construction giant Odebrecht and politicians in several political parties, the Brazilian Congress impeached and removed former President Dilma Rousseff in 2016. It was a legislative coup , a seizure of power by politicians who were guilty of crimes of greater magnitude than those of the President they were removing. The longest recession in Brazil's historyin part the result of an oil market meltdown that began in 2014in which GDP contracted by nearly 8 percent, helped the rightwing curry public favor to oust Rousseff.

With the PT out of the way, the administration of President Michel Temer wasted no time in privatizing key aspects of the oil industry. Back in 2010, after Petrobras discovered a handful of massive oil discoveries off the coast of Brazil underneath a thick layer of salt , the government passed a law requiring the state-owned oil company to lead all pre-salt projects while also controlling at least a 30 percent stake. But years of mismanagement, corruption, and wasteful spending resulted in Petrobras repeatedly falling far short of its oil production goals. The collapse of oil prices in 2014 left the company deeply indebted, and it pushed the commodity-dependent Brazilian economy into recession.

The recession, high levels of debt, operational problems and, of course, the corruption probe into Petrobras provided a powerful justification for a dramatic overhaul of the energy sector. Shortly after Rousseff's removal, the Brazilian Congress and President Temer repealed the requirement for Petrobras to lead on pre-salt oil fields and control a 30 percent stake. That opened the door to international oil companies, who have come rushing in to grab their piece of the pie.

The presidential election this year offers starkly different paths forward for Brazil. The extreme right-wing fascist Jair Bolsonaro stands to benefit immensely from the absence of Lula, which is exactly why the military and right-wing allies in the Congress and the judiciary want the former president locked up. Bolsonaro is a racist authoritarian who has expressed fondness for Brazil's past military rule. He has previously made explicit calls for a return to dictatorship.

However, he has also expressed support for some orthodox neoliberal policies in an effort to woo investors for his candidacy. In a trip to the U.S. late last year, he signaled support for mass privatization, although demurred on whether or not he would privatize Petrobras. Strategic sectors, such as energy and mining, should be carefully regulated, he told Bloomberg News, and while he was open to privatizing Petrobras, we shouldn't start with it.

More recently, Bolsonaro tapped Paulo Guedes, a founder of a private equity firm in Rio de Janeiro, as his top economic advisor. He is a fierce proponent of privatizing government-owned companies and gutting the safety net. The last 30 years were a disasterwe corrupted democracy and stagnated the economy,'' Guedes said in an interview with Bloomberg . We should've done what the Chicago Boys instructed, he said. Bolsonaro has shifting economic positions, but has said he would rely on Guedes for advice on economic policy.

Against this backdrop, it seems likely the business class will throw in with Bolsonaro. Just as with Wall Street and Donald Trump, investors will learn to live with boorish behavior so long as the profits keep rolling in. Austerity, privatization, attacks on environmental protection , and militarization of the law enforcementfor corporate executives, there's a lot to like.

On the energy front, then, we can expect more of the same, taken to its logical conclusion. But Bolsonaro's election is not a foregone conclusion and the race will likely remain fluid with Lula probably out of the picture. The question is if PT supporters, centrists, leftists, and other disaffected voters will be left in disarray or if they can rally around another candidate. Centrist Geraldo Alckmin, who has been likened to Brazil's Hillary Clinton, promises an uninspiring establishment agendawith calls for the privatization of Petrobras  in an anti-establishment race, and has not been able to gain traction as of yet.

It will therefore be critical for the Left to coalesce around an alternative to Lula should he be forced out of the race. Who will emerge from the PT to fill the void left behind their standard bearer remains to be seen. Leftist candidate Ciro Ferreira Gomes of the Partido Democratico Trabalhista (Democratic Labour Party, or PDT) has promised that if elected, he would nationalize energy assets purchased by private companies. He has consistently polled in the high single digits for the presidential election, and was thought to benefit with Lula forced out of the race. However, he slipped in the most recent figures from polling firm Datafolha, published in mid-April.

A more likely and hopeful alternative could be Marina Silva of the Rede Sustentabilidade (Sustainability Network). Silva, a former rubber tapper, activist, Senator and Environment Minister, came in third in the 2014 presidential election. She has long championed the environment and would likely scale back oil production in favor of renewable energy. As Brazil's Environment Minister between 2003 and 2008, she presided over a period that saw dramatic declines in deforestation rates, and ultimately resigned in protest over the Lula government's support for large-scale hydroelectric dams, agribusiness, and other industrial policies that threatened the Amazon.

The latest polls from Datafolha, the first look at voter data following Lula's imprisonment, show that Bolsonaro and Marina Silva are virtually tied, with 17% to 15%, respectively. January polls had her in single digits. The most recent results suggest Marina Silva could capture PT voters with Lula out of the race. Notably, the PT's likely replacement, former Sao Paulo Mayor Fernando Haddad, recorded a marginal 2% in the poll.

More importantly, Silva would likely prevail over Bolsonaro in the second round by a margin of 44% to 31%, respectively. This suggests a wide swathe of Brazilian voters would rally around a pro-environmental agenda when pitted against a fascist one.

Latin America at a Crossroads

A longside Mexico and Brazil, Latin America will hold 15 oil and gas auctions in 2018, which could result in a record high sale of oil blocks this year. Expansion of the oil industry and its privatization seems to be on the march across Latin America. Argentina, under neoliberal favorite Mauricio Macri, is desperately trying to replicate the U.S. shale drilling frenzy. Uruguay has also recently reformed its energy rules to attract oil companies, with a planned auction this month. Guyana, meanwhile, might become the world's next petrostate, with ExxonMobil threatening to swamp the small country with an influx of cash as it develops its major discoveries offshore. Meanwhile, Colombia's presidential frontrunner, Ivan Duque, the right-wing ally of former president Alvaro Uribe, has proposed minor reforms to reroute oil revenues to extraction zones, while calling for higher oil production levels. His closest rival, Gustavo Petro, has advocated an economic model that does not depend so heavily on oil and gas, but he is trailing badly in the polls. And Venezuela's petro-state still clings to its long-weathering dependence on oil with the country's economy in shambles.

Yet, the fossil fuel bonanza is not inevitable, and there are some hopeful signs of pushback. Shale drillers in Argentina are facing stiff resistance from Mapuche who are fighting to protect their ancestral lands. The Colombian Supreme Court just ordered the government to halt deforestation. Renewable energy is making inroads across the region.

Most importantly, the prospect of a leftward shift in both Mexico and Brazil has many in the oil industry on edge. There is indeed a feeling that these could be the last [auctions] for a while, an oil executive for a company registered to bid in both Mexico and Brazil told Reuters in March, ahead of oil auctions in both countries.

These elections are the largest opportunity in years to change course. While it doesn't exactly represent a second Pink Tide, a shift to the Left has the potential to halt the onslaught of oil and gas in Latin America's two largest countries. Lopez Obrador's likely victory is significant as it demonstrates that a plurality of the population is ready to grant power to a leftist candidate. However, the absence of clear vision to transition away from fossil fuels from AMLO threatens more of the same on the energy front. In Brazil, the risks are more severe. The election of a fascist government, worrying on many levels, could also further entrench the primacy of fossil fuels. Faced with a return of military rule, however, much of the population could unite against fascism.
Genevieve Leet, left, and Maggie McCann, right. Brian Parker (unseen) holds up a glass of water taken from a spring. The Upstream Alliance environmental nonprofit led a group of 28 kayakers on a three-day, 40-mile journey from the New Jersey Pinelands to Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum April 20-22, 2018, to demonstrate one of the sources of the city's drinking water. Read more

Genevieve Leet stooped over a spring at the edge of a lake deep within New Jersey's Pinelands on Friday morning.

She pumped water up through a filter and it ran into a clear glass jug.

Leet took a sip. "It's kind of sweet," she noted.

That same water might be making its way through your tap right now.

Few Philadelphians might realize that the Pinelands feed clean water to the Delaware River by way of the Rancocas Creek. So Don Baugh of the Upstream Alliance, a nonprofit that seeks to connect people to nature, organized a trip this weekend to show just that. He led Leet and 26 others on a 40-mile, three-day kayak expedition to trace Philadelphia's drinking water to one of its purest sources.

The trip started in Brendan Byrne State Forest near historic Whitesbog Village in Pemberton Township. The kayakers paddled at the edge of the Pine Barrens through a series of lakes made by cranberry bog dams.

"One of our missions is to reconnect people to the waterways," said Baugh, who coordinated the trip with other environmental groups. "The impetus is to celebrate the fact that the Delaware is clean enough that we can recreate on it now. But people haven't connected to it. People have thought about it as a negative. We want to change that."

Baugh began planning the trip six months ago after meeting with representatives of the William Penn Foundation. During the meeting, someone mentioned that the Rancocas Creek flows into the Delaware River Watershed.

"I hadn't thought of that before," said Baugh. "I thought this was a great way to show how these two major ecosystems  the Pine Barrens and the Delaware  are connected."

So he reached out to Rancocas Pathways, a 4-year-old nonprofit comprised of citizens concerned about the future of Rancocas Creek. The Rancocas has multiple sources, including springs that bubble up from the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer. After water flows out of the aquifer it picks up minerals and tannins from Atlantic white cedar forests, producing tea-colored water. The ground is so high in iron that colonists extracted it to produce munitions for the Revolutionary War.

Settlements in the area vanished when better sources of iron were found in Pennsylvania. The area became known as the Pine Barrens, a large wild area eventually preserved through the Pinelands National Reserve in 1978.

Jeff Rosalsky, executive director of the Pocono Environmental Education Center, who was on the trip, noted the journey the water from the spring would take.

"In 48 hours, this water will come out of a tap in Philadelphia," Rosalsky said.

The Delaware River's massive watershed provides drinking water for more than 15 million people in four states. The river has many sources including headwaters in the Catskills and Poconos. But the Kirkwood-Cohansey Aquifer that feeds the Rancocas Creek is a prime source.

Of course, Baugh noted that the chemistry of the water coming out of the spring will change dramatically by the time it gets sucked into a Philadelphia drinking-water treatment plant. But, for now, he told them, it was pure as possible.

"This is clear water," he said. "They need this for the cranberries."

On Friday, Baugh's group paddled past quiet pitch pine forests, rimmed by narrow, white roads used in cranberry farming. They stepped lightly through the swampy ground under a darkened canopy of Atlantic white cedar. Some said they felt as if they were trespassing in a spiritual place.

The group camped Friday night at Iron Works Park in Mount Holly, where the tidal part of Rancocas Creek begins.

They planned to paddle Saturday up Rancocas Creek to the Delaware River and camp at Hawk Island Marina in Delanco, Burlington County. Once on the Delaware River, they'll pass the Philadelphia Water Department's Baxter treatment plant in Torresdale, which supplies 60 percent of the city with drinking water.

On Sunday  Earth Day  the group will paddle down the Delaware through the heavily urbanized and industrialized waterfronts of Camden and Philadelphia, complete with active marine terminals, to Independence Seaport Museum on Columbus Boulevard at Penn's Landing.
Completed in 1888, the Victorian Gothic Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church at 43rd and Chestnut could be torn down. It was designed by Isaac Pursell, a noted church architect. Read more

Philadelphia, which has been experiencing a wave of church demolitions, could lose one of its largest and most distinctive sanctuaries if a West Philadelphia apartment developer goes ahead with a plan to raze a 19th-century church and seminary at 43rd and Chestnut Streets.

>>READ MORE: The latest threat to Fishtown's historic St. Laurentius church? A nuisance lawsuit | Inga Saffron

Guy Laren, owner of Constellar Corp., secured a permit last week to tear down Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church, which spans a full city block in the Spruce Hill neighborhood. Completed in 1888, the granite-clad complex was built in the same Gothic style as Britain's Houses of Parliament. Its facade features an exuberant series of peaked gables, each bracketed by swirling turrets.

Spruce Hill emerged during the late 19th century after the city's new streetcar system made it possible for middle-class families to live in single-family homes and commute easily to Center City. While Spruce Hill's rich collection of Victorian architecture has been honored as a National Register historic district, only a handful of buildings are formally protected by the city's Historical Commission.

>>READ MORE: Philadelphia's preservation reform effort has lost its way | Inga Saffron

The church has long been a neighborhood beacon. The architectural historian Robert Skaler once described its 171-foot steeple as "a great exclamation point. That slender tower collapsed suddenly Aug. 3, 2004. At the time the complex was being used as a school by Christ Academy. The church had been occupied by a variety of tenants as recently as 2014. Laren bought the property the previous year.

Two architectural historians, Amy Lambert and Rachel Hildebrandt, were just completing a nomination for the city's historic register when they learned that Laren had obtained a demolition permit. Laren did not respond to a request for comment.

>>READ MORE: Changing Skyline: Another black church says farewell to Graduate Hospital neighborhood

As students from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University have moved west to neighborhoods like Spruce Hill, developers have responded by tearing down the neighborhood's quirky Victorian buildings and replacing them with more efficient, box-like structures. The financial advantages of replacing the old buildings with modern construction are substantial. Not only can developers fit more units onto their property, the new apartments qualify for the city's 10-year tax abatement.

In response to the wave of demolitions, Mayor Kenney created a Historic Preservation Task Force to look at new approaches. After meeting for more than 10 months, however, it has produced only a single report describing the city's existing law and incentives. Patrick Grossi, the advocacy director for the Preservation Alliance and a member of the task force, said Christ Memorial would have been a good candidate for a policy known as "demolition delay," which would allow the Historical Commission to review a building's importance before the city granted a demolition permit.

>>READ MORE: Changing Skyline: Hit by lightning, church reinvented itself

It is more than dazzling architecture that makes Christ Memorial stand out. The complex was commissioned and paid for by Harriet Smith Benson, then one of the richest women in Philadelphia, according to the nomination prepared by Lambert and Hildebrandt. Although Benson grew up in luxury, she embraced the Reformed Episcopal movement, a spinoff that sought to bring Episcopalianism back to more Protestant practices amid the growth of the Anglo-Catholic movement. The seminary was included in the complex.

Under her instruction, the church hired the noted Protestant church architect Isaac Pursell, of Pursell & Fry, to design the complex. The mix of English and French Gothic elements intentionally reference pre-Reformation church architecture, according to the nomination prepared by Lambert and Hildebrandt. This architecture "rejected 'high church' (which places an emphasis on ritual and accouterments) and embraced a purist, evangelical approach," they wrote.

>>READ MORE: Good Eye: This Catholic church celebrates the miracle of flight two ways

>>READ MORE: Good Eye: The steadying presence of Mother Bethel

Laren's intentions for the site are not clear. He rescued the Church of the Atonement at 47th Street and Kingsessing Avenue in 2015 after it had been slated for demolition and turned it into apartments. If he razes Christ Memorial, it would be the largest church demolition in the city since another Gothic-style sanctuary, St. Bonaventure Roman Catholic Church in North Philadelphia, was torn down in 2013.
Temple University has suspended one of its fraternities as Philadelphia and campus police investigate at least two sexual assaults, as well as underage drinking, during parties at the fraternity house.

Temple police issued a bulletin Friday saying they had received "multiple credible reports" of alleged crimes at Alpha Epsilon Pi's house, a three-story brownstone at 2000 N. Broad St. These included sexual assault, underage drinking, and possible drug use.

Two of the alleged victims are 19-year-old Temple students.

The first alleged victim was sexually assaulted at a party in February and reported the incident to police in April. This case has been referred to the District Attorney's Office, said Philadelphia Police Capt. Mark Burgmann, who heads the Special Victims Unit.

The second alleged victim told police that in March she went to a party at the fraternity where she was given several drinks.

"She said she became dizzy and disoriented, and that's the last thing she remembered until she woke up in bed with one of the members of the fraternity," Burgmann said at a Friday afternoon news conference.

"She believes she was sexually assaulted," he added. This incident was also reported in April.

A third alleged victim spoke with Temple police recently. Burgmann said he didn't have details about the incident, but hoped detectives will be able to speak with her next week. No charges have been filed and Burgmann couldn't say whether detectives have names of possible suspects.

Temple has increased police presence in various areas, including the 2000 block of North Broad while the investigation continues.

In a statement, Alpha Epsilon Pi said the fraternity brothers "are appalled by these allegations against our entire chapter. This alleged behavior is absolutely against everything that we stand for as brothers of AEPI, as students at Temple University, and as members of our greater community."

The statement further said that the fraternity had "absolutely no knowledge of the actions alleged about our chapter. If we determine that one of our members is responsible  or even has knowledge of who internally or externally is responsible  we will deal with them to the full extent of our powers, including beginning expulsion proceedings from the fraternity and turning them over to local and school authorities."

"Alpha Epsilon Pi is a fraternity based in Jewish values and, through those teachings, we believe in treating all people with respect. If any of our members or guests is deemed responsible for this behavior, we want no part of them and will take the actions available to us to ensure that they are not associated with AEPI ever again," the statement said.

Temple urged students to be vigilant.

If students are of age to drink alcohol, they should not leave any beverage unattended, the Temple statement said.

When socializing, students should make a pact to stay together and not leave anyone behind, Burgmann added. "If you go to a party together, leave together," he said.

The university issued a statement asking students with information on the events or who need support regarding any concerns of sexual misconduct to contact Temple Police at 215-204-1234 or police@temple.edu; the Dean of Students' Office at 215-204-7188 or dos@temple.edu; or the Wellness Resource Center at 215-204-8436 or tuheart@temple.edu.
Traveling to Iceland was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. At 16, I have been fortunate to travel to Europe, hike national parks, and explore cities all over the United States. Almost all of these trips have taken place in summer, when the weather is warm and the sun is shining. In Iceland for spring break, not so much. This was a huge change for my mom and me.

My favorite subject in school has always been science, so a land of volcanoes and glaciers and natural hot springs and the spot where North America and Europe come together seemed like a wonderful place to be.

Among all the awe-inspiring things we saw, my favorites were the black sand of Reynisfjara Beach, the Secret Lagoon, and the Northern Lights.

We set up base in Reykjavik, the capital, and rented a car as small as I've ever been in. But with the price of gas approaching $8 a gallon, the size seemed about right.

Reynisfjara Beach, right outside the fishing village of Vik on the South Coast about 2 hours from Reykjavik, was absolutely stunning, with pitch-black sand and an ocean-facing cliff of towering stacks of hexagonal blocks of volcanic basalt. The sea and its currents are extremely dangerous; everyone made sure to stay a safe distance from the waves, which often reached farther up the sand than a tourist would expect. There were also huge rock structures rising from the ocean that attract thousands of seabirds. The entire landscape looked as though it were from a movie.

The Secret Lagoon was one of our stops along the Golden Circle, a commonly traveled sightseeing trip. Located in Fluoir, the lagoon was only a half-hour drive from Gullfoss, a ginormous double waterfall that is a signature attraction in Iceland (and that is pictured on the cover of one of my dad's Echo & the Bunnymen albums). The lagoon itself is fed by hot springs and is surrounded by rocks and has pebbles along the bottom. The water temperature was perfect, and the steam made for awesome photographs. Compared to our experience at Blue Lagoon, the Secret Lagoon was much more calming, and a lot less busy!

Seeing the Northern Lights had been on my bucket list since I was in elementary school. Witnessing them in person was so much more beautiful than I ever imagined. We took a tour bus out near Keflavik (where the airport is) and parked in the middle of nowhere. At 10:30, the sky was black except for the moon, and we were beginning to lose hope. We then noticed a faint green stripe across the sky. It started to become much more vibrant, with purple on the edges. I was already speechless, but then the lights began to dance. I watched as the green and purple lines twirled around in the sky. They even made a swirl shape that appeared to surround the moon. It was the highlight of my entire trip, and I will never forget it.

Brielle Tuvim writes from Glenside.

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From the moment students file noisily into her honors physics class, Sister Claudette Naylor commands attention with a stately presence at the front of the classroom. The class settles down quickly and she begins the same way she does every day: with prayer.

She is the face of Catholic education at Holy Cross Academy in Delran, one of only two nuns remaining at the South Jersey parochial school, where more than two dozen sisters once were on staff. Across the country, the Catholic school landscape has changed dramatically, with enrollment dropping and schools closing.

Lay teachers now make up the bulk of Catholic school employees, a stark contrast to decades ago, when religious men and women  the vast majority nuns  composed 90 percent of school staff. Today, there are just 4,000 religious teachers, who represent 3 percent of all Catholic school staff from religious orders, according to the National Catholic Educational Association.

"The picture has changed completely," said Sister Dale McDonald, the organization's director of public policy. "For a lot of us, teaching was the only option. But as other options became available, people went into them."

At Holy Cross, Sister Claudette teaches three classes a day, often using an overhead projector with slides to illuminate her lessons. At 84, she has become a beloved fixture, teaching generations of students, with no plans to retire. Her students typically begin arriving for her first class at 8 a.m., before the bell, to spend time chatting with her.

"She's old-fashioned, but I like that about her," said freshman Whitney Daniels, 14, of Willingboro. "She has a caring personality."

Born in Chicago, Sister Claudette began her career in 1952 after entering the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton. She has been at Holy Cross for 23 years, teaching primarily physics, biology, and math.

"I'm still having fun teaching. I'm teaching what I like," she said. "There aren't too many of us still around."

She resides with Sister Bernadette Thomas, a former business teacher who has been at the school for 30 years and now runs the media center. Nearly half of the 350 sisters in their order work in education.

"We don't look at this as a job," said Sister Bernadette, who has been teaching for nearly 50 years. "I don't go to work. I go to my ministry site."

Women who enter religious orders now have more career options outside the convent than the sisters of yesterday who took vows of poverty and were largely needed as teachers in parochial schools and worked for low wages. Even today, nuns typically earn less than their lay teacher counterparts.

Sisters who work outside the convent after taking their vows have expanded to fields that include health care; social services work with the homeless, AIDS patients, at-risk women and children, refugees, and immigrants; and spiritual ministries.

The decline in sisters among the teaching ranks can be attributed partly to a decline in interest in Catholic religious life. Since 1965, when there were about 180,000 nuns in the United States, the number has dropped steadily to about 45,000, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate. During that same period, the number of priests has also dropped, from about 58,000 to 38,000.

Meanwhile, Catholic school enrollment across the country has dropped from about five million in the 1960s to about two million students in elementary and secondary schools. It has become more common for students not to have a class taught by a nun, experts say.

"I can't think of a parochial school or high school that wouldn't want more sisters or brothers," said Maggie McGuinness, a religion professor at La Salle University. "Sisters in the schools were really the face of Catholicism that people saw."

In the region, the Diocese of Camden, which enrolls about 12,000 students in six counties, has 29 sisters working in elementary and secondary schools, down from 73 in 2007, the latest figures available. In 1975, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had 1,963 religious teachers (sisters and brothers) in its parish elementary schools. That figure fell to 508 by 2001 and just 110 in 2016.

The Sisters of St. Joseph, one of the largest orders in the area, has seen its ranks drop in the past decade from about 272 sisters working in schools in 2008 to 118 this year. The population has also grown older, with the average age of teaching sisters rising from 71 in 2008 to 77.

On a recent day, St. Francis de Sales, a Catholic grade school with 500 students in West Philadelphia, hummed with activity. Sister Christine Lamb worked with a student learning English. Sister Francis Michael Finsterbush, the school's coordinator of finance and development, played chief cheerleader with a third-grade class working on an online math game. Sister James Anne Feerick delighted a small group of second graders reading a story about a frog.

The work is joyful, the sisters said, but they admit to feeling nostalgic for their early teaching days, when every class was taught by a nun. There are just six sisters among the teaching and administrative staff of 40.

"We love our ministry, and we wish there were more women coming to join us," said Sister Mary McNulty, the school's principal.

There's been a sea change since Rita Schwartz became one of the first lay teachers at St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls in Northeast Philadelphia, in 1963. She heads the Association of Catholic Teachers, organized in 1963 to represent lay teachers at the city's 17 archdiocesan high schools.

"We were told that we were only there until religious vocations picked up," said Schwartz.

Nuns filled a critical need for teachers when Catholic education began in the early 1900s because Catholics believed their children were being discriminated against in public schools, said Bren Ortega Murphy, a women's studies professor at Loyola University in Chicago.

In their schools, the sisters helped shape the religious environment. Although few sisters in the classroom bear resemblance to the image of nuns in habits made famous in Sister Act, they give identity to their schools.

"They make a Catholic school a Catholic school," said Adelina Joseph, 17, of Mount Laurel, a senior at Holy Cross, the only Roman Catholic high school in Burlington County. "It wouldn't be the same without sisters."

The disappearance of nuns from Catholic education has had financial implications. When Sister Dale began her career as a teacher at a Catholic school in New York in 1961, her order, Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, received a stipend of less than $800 annually for her work, and she lived in a parish convent.

The median stipend paid to sisters is now $30,000; lay teachers typically earn between $24,000 and $55,000. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average salary for public school teachers was $58,064.

At first, as fewer nuns worked in religious schools, parents were worried about the shift in the composition of the teaching staff. Some schools survived with few if any religious sisters; some closed, partly from competition from charter schools. An increasing number of Catholic schools have sought ways to reinvent themselves.

The four sisters who teach part-time at St. Basil Academy in Jenkintown diligently work with lay leaders to maintain Catholic traditions at the private girls' school founded by the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, said Sister Dorothy Ann Busowski. In 1985, nuns made up nearly half of the teachers.

Those numbers would have been unthinkable for the current students' mothers and grandmothers; to them, it's no big deal.

"Some of them don't even know what a sister looks like," Sister Dorothy said. "They're not in the schools and the parishes."

This year, Schwartz said, St. Hubert's in Philadelphia has no sisters teaching, though some work in support roles. John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls' High has five nuns, including two both in their 90s, who operate the school store, she said.

"It's really the end of an era," said Schwartz.

Though things have changed profoundly, Sister Barbara Buckley, the head of Merion Mercy Academy in Lower Merion, said she is glad to carry on a tradition that shaped millions of lives. Three nuns in the order work full-time in education.

"The strength of the Catholic Church was built on sisters who educated kids in the '40s, '50s and '60s," she said. "We all owe a lot to them."
President Trump, right, and Russia President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang in November 2017. Read more

MOSCOW  Is the United States embroiled in a new Cold War with Russia? Are we on the verge of WWIII?

As Washington imposes new economic sanctions on Moscow and the two countries barely missed a confrontation in Syria, these questions are being debated as hotly here as in America.

After a week in Moscow and conversations with several Russian foreign-policy analysts, I think the answer to both questions is negative. Yet this new era in which Russia is still trying to determine its role holds risks that make one yearn for the old Cold War.

"The real Cold War was dangerous, no doubt," says Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs magazine, "but at the end of the day, especially after the Cuban missile crisis, both sides knew exactly what red lines couldn't be crossed."

During that period, Moscow and Washington were the two preeminent global actors, with enormous coercive power. "Now, there are so many new actors," notes Lukyanov. Meantime, longtime global institutions and alliances are crumbling, often expedited by Donald Trump.

>> Read more: Report from Moscow: After missile strike, will Trump or Putin be seen as the winner?

"Who could have imagined that North Korea would become a major global player?" Lukyanov asks. "Or that Trump would act as if there were no NATO or that Europe would no longer have strategic significance?"

Or, I'd add, that China would become a major international player.

"Multipolarity is here," Lukyanov notes, "which means a high degree of chaos and uncertainty based on decisions by individual leaders."

In this new multipolar world, the term Cold War is passe. "We are in a hybrid war, a successor to the Cold War," says Dmitri Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. "But don't call it Cold War 2.0; otherwise you will confuse things."

America and Russia are jousting on new battlefields  information space, cyberspace, economic battles.

"Classic military means are largely unusable," says Lukyanov, "so other means become more central."

What then is one to make of Vladimir Putin's military interventions in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, or his venture in Syria? Or of the Russian leader's state of the nation speech March 1, in which he touted a slew of supposedly new nuclear weapons, complete with a promotional video showing an allegedly undetectable cruise missile landing in Florida?

Ukraine and Russia were special cases, says Lukyanov, where Putin was determined to prevent what he viewed as U.S. efforts at regime change (never mind that both featured genuine democratic uprisings). Neither model, he says, is likely to be repeated, especially since Russia's proxy war in eastern Ukraine failed to deliver the expected benefits.

>> Read more: Report from Moscow: Russian TV news exacerbates disconnect between Putin and the U.S.

As for the video, Lukyanov claims it was aimed more at the United States than at electrifying the home audience. Putin wanted to send Washington a message that it is time to return to strategic arms talks, before current treaties soon expire.

Yet it appears Putin's military ventures were also inspired by a willingness to seize targets of opportunity and move forward where there would apparently be no opposition from NATO or Western nations. Putin is a risk-taker and has the power to move quickly.

With a stagnant economy, low oil prices, and new U.S. sanctions, the Russian leader is unlikely to invest in more military actions that would overstretch Russian capacity. Russia's clear disinclination to respond to last week's U.S. military strike in Syria shows Putin wants to avoid a direct military clash.

Note: A new Russian poll on April 15 shows that trust levels in Putin have dropped from 58.9 percent in January to 48.5 percent; other studies show that, while Russians endorse the idea of a strong motherland, they don't want "real" war  i.e., a clash of nations with nuclear weapons.

So, if World War III is not in the offing and the old Cold War is dead, what is Putin's foreign-policy strategy?

Some analysts here insist he seeks recognition as America's equal, a desire born of the psychology of his generation that still sees the world in terms of a U.S.-Russian divide.

But others argue Putin is trying multiple approaches  hybrid war  to burnish Russian's international image in a world where he thinks the United States is on the decline. "He expects the United States to gradually lose its hegemonous position in the world, and as it does, there are plenty of opportunities," says Lukyanov.

Over and over I was told that the Kremlin never expected the Russian election trolling to have the impact it did in the United States. It was just one arrow in the quiver. Ditto for trolling European elections, which didn't bring great results.

In other words, in the post-Cold War era, the Kremlin will poke and prod where there is no resistance, and pull back where there is.

Right now, Moscow is pushing hard for a summit with Trump, insisting he promised one in a recent phone call. No doubt Putin sees Trump as yet another a target of opportunity. Buyer beware.
In this Friday, April 21, 2017, file photo, United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions stands near a secondary border fence during a news conference at the U.S.-Mexican border next to the Brown Field Border Patrol Station in San Diego. Read more

WASHINGTON  Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently told the White House he might have to leave his job if President Trump fired his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the exchange.

Sessions made his position known in a phone call to White House counsel Donald McGahn last weekend, as Trump's fury at Rosenstein peaked after the deputy attorney general approved the FBI's raid April 9 on the president's personal attorney Michael Cohen.

Sessions's message to the White House, which has not previously been reported, underscores the political firestorm that Trump would invite should he attempt to remove the deputy attorney general. While Trump also has railed against Sessions at times, the protest resignation of an attorney general  which would be likely to incite other departures within the administration  would create a moment of profound crisis for the White House.

In the phone call with McGahn, Sessions wanted details of a meeting Trump and Rosenstein held at the White House on April 12, according to a person with knowledge of the call. Sessions expressed relief to learn that their meeting was largely cordial. Sessions said he would have had to consider leaving as the attorney general had Trump ousted Rosenstein, this person said.

Another person familiar with the exchange said Sessions did not intend to threaten the White House but rather wanted to convey the untenable position that Rosenstein's firing would put him in.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

Rosenstein's status remains uncertain, but the pressure he is facing seemed to subside after last week.

Last summer, when it appeared Trump was going to fire Sessions or pressure him to resign, Republican lawmakers and conservative advocacy groups rallied to Sessions's side and warned the president not to move against him.

Trump had told senior officials last week that he was considering firing Rosenstein, who was confirmed by the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support last year. Since then, alumni of the Justice Department have rallied to Rosenstein's defense.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 800 former Justice Department employees had signed an open letter calling on Congress to "swiftly and forcefully respond to protect the founding principles of our Republic and the rule of law" if Trump were to fire the deputy attorney general, special counsel Robert Mueller or other senior Justice Department officials. The group MoveOn.org has sought to organize nationwide protests if such an event were to occur.

Rosenstein, on behalf of the Justice Department, is set to argue a sentencing case, Chavez-Meza v. United States, before the Supreme Court on Monday. Appearing before the high court has long been a professional goal, people close to Rosenstein say.

A senior administration official said Sessions does not like the way Rosenstein has been treated by the president and had expressed such concerns for months. He has regularly sought guidance from the White House about Rosenstein's standing with the president and asked about his interactions with Trump, this official said.

But Sessions has had little ability to do anything about it, given his own shaky standing with Trump for recusing himself from the Russia investigation, this official said. Trump has, at times, referred to Sessions as "Mr. Magoo" and Rosenstein as "Mr. Peepers," a character from a 1950s sitcom, according to people with whom the president has spoken.

The relationship between Sessions and Rosenstein  and their staffs  has been strained at times over the first year of the Trump administration. But people familiar with Sessions's thinking say that he has said several times that he would find it difficult to remain as attorney general if Trump fired for no good reason the veteran prosecutor in Baltimore that Sessions chose to be his deputy. The two men, along with Solicitor General Noel Francisco, were spotted in February dining together at a restaurant near the Justice Department, generating some speculation that they were attempting a display of solidarity.

Rosenstein, the Justice Department's No. 2 official, is tasked with running the day-to-day operations of the sprawling agency of 113,000 employees who work for the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Bureau of Prisons; U.S. attorneys offices; and Main Justice, the agency's headquarters. But from the time he was confirmed in May of last year, the investigation into possible coordination during the 2016 presidential campaign between Trump associates and agents of the Russian government has overshadowed everything he has done.

James Trusty, a partner at Ifrah Law and a friend of Rosenstein's, said the deputy attorney general "went into the job with a pretty fatalistic view," but he "probably didn't know it was going to be this much of a storm."

"I remember him joking at his going-away party that nine months was the average tenure for the deputy attorney general," Trusty said.

A wall of photographs outside Rosenstein's fourth-floor office at the Justice Department illustrates the high-stress and political nature of the deputy attorney general's position. President Barack Obama's first deputy attorney general, David Ogden, stepped down from the job after less than a year. One of President Bill Clinton's deputy attorneys general, Philip Heymann, lasted 10 months.

Trusty, who said he had spoken with Rosenstein about three weeks ago, said Rosenstein had kept his views on the situation largely private and had not sought surrogates or anyone else to press his case.

"I think he tends to view things in a very long-range way, kind of a this-too-shall-pass philosophy about the slings and arrows that will come at you," Trusty said.

A month after Rosenstein became deputy attorney general, he was criticized for his role in the firing of FBI Director James Comey. Rosenstein authored a critical memo lambasting Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, and the White House later used the document as a pretext to remove the FBI director. After a few days, though, Trump said he was thinking about the Russia investigation when he fired Comey. Comey has said in recent days he believed Rosenstein "acted dishonorably" and could not be trusted.

At that point, Rosenstein was overseeing the Russia investigation because Sessions had recused himself. On May 17, about a week after the Comey firing, Rosenstein announced that he had appointed Mueller as special counsel to conduct the Russia investigation.

Rosenstein took the action without first consulting Sessions and notified him when he was at the White House meeting with Trump. The decision took Trump by surprise and greatly angered him.

A person close to the White House and the Justice Department said Sessions has "vacillated, I think, from being concerned about the deputy leaving or being fired and recognizing that Rosenstein has not been a friend of either him or the department."

During the past year, Rosenstein has been involved in several policy issues in the Justice Department, as well as complex prosecutions involving cybercrimes and the first charges against Chinese-based fentanyl manufacturers and distributors.

But Russia continues to consume his days. This week, two of Trump's top legislative allies and leading members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus met with Rosenstein and pressed him for more documents about the conduct of law enforcement officials involved in the Russia probe. They warned him that he could face impeachment proceedings or an effort to hold him in contempt of Congress if he did not satisfy Republican demands for more documents.

The Post's Robert Barnes contributed to this report.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush speaks during a funeral service for his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Saturday, April 21, 2018, in Houston. Read more

More than a thousand guests attended a private funeral for former first lady Barbara Bush Saturday, including four former presidents and three former first ladies, as well as the current first lady.

Mourners gathered at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston to celebrate the life of the matriarch of the Bush family, who was the wife of a president and the mother of another. She died Tuesday at 92.

Several dignitaries and public figures were in attendance, including former president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, who were seated next to first lady Melania Trump in the front row of the church.

Bush's husband, former president George H.W. Bush, who was in a wheelchair, and her son, former president George W. Bush, sat at the front of the church, along with former first lady Laura Bush. Bush's only living daughter, Dorothy Bush Koch, could be seen with her arm around her father.

Jeb Bush delivered the eulogy for Bush on behalf of the family.

"She was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning," he said in a tribute. Jeb Bush emphasized his mother's humor, her authenticity, and strong will. "She called her style a benevolent dictatorship, but honestly it wasn't always benevolent." he said, to big laughs from the guests.

Not in attendance at the Saturday service was President Trump, who wanted to "avoid disruptions" and out of respect for the Bush family, the White House has said. Former president Jimmy Carter will also not be in attendance; he is caring for his wife, Rosalynn Carter, who is recovering from surgery, he said in a statement.

Minutes before the start of the service, Trump said on Twitter, "Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day!"

The first eulogy was delivered by Jon Meacham, who wrote a biography of Bush's husband, former president George H.W. Bush. "Barbara Bush was the first lady of the greatest generation," he said, describing her as a "point of light." Reflecting the celebratory spirit of the ceremony, Meacham drew roaring laughter from the guests, relaying self-deprecating anecdotes about Bush's preference for another author, John Grisham, and her tendency to lovingly prod her children.

In another tribute, Susan Baker, the wife of former secretary of state James Baker and Bush's longtime friend and confidante, called her a "vibrantly beautiful human being."

The selection of Jeb Bush as the final eulogist, and not her son, the former president, is notable in part because of his antagonistic relationship with Trump during the 2016 campaign and after. Bush herself was critical of Trump during the election, saying during one interview it was "incomprehensible" to her that anyone would vote for Trump because of his abusive comments.

While Saturday's invitation-only service will be for family and friends, a viewing was held on Friday for the public, where people paid their respects at the church until midnight. Former president George H.W. Bush made a last minute decision to greet mourners at the church.

On Saturday morning he hosted a reception for the visiting dignitaries before the private service. Meanwhile the church began to fill with less-recognizable friends of the family, including former staffers and Secret Service members who protected them for more than three decades.

Many of the women in attendance eschewed black in favor of a vibrant royal blue, Bush's signature color. The mood inside the church was celebratory rather than sad  full of hugs and kisses  akin to a reunion of old friends.

Bush's eight grandson served as pallbearers, carrying the casket out of the church. As the family exited, former president George W. Bush pushed his father's wheelchair down the aisle. Guests reached out to both, jumping up and shaking their hands as they moved toward the door. But no sign of tears.

The Bush family will then drive by motorcade about 90 miles to the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, where she will be buried. She will be laid to rest next to her daughter Robin, who died of leukemia when she was three years old.

At the public viewing Friday night, attendees received a remembrance card with a statement from Bush that read, "George Bush and I have been the two luckiest people in the world, and when all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends."

Roxanne Roberts contributed to this report from Houston.
Two people are dead and one other is injured after a shooting in North Philadelphia Saturday. Read more

A woman and a man are dead and a man is injured after a shooting early Saturday morning in North Philadelphia.

Police responded to a call of a "person with a gun" along the 1800 block of West Diamond Street, close to Temple University's main campus, where they found a 20-year-old woman shot in the back. She was taken to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead around 12:20 a.m. Saturday.

A 21-year-old man who was initially placed in critical condition after being shot in the head died from his injuries around 9:20 a.m. Another 21-year-old man was transported to Hahnemann University Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right leg. He is in stable condition.

Police have not released the victims' names and have not made any arrests at this time.

The university issued an alert at the time of the shooting, urging students and employees to "use caution" and "avoid the area."
Ethan Miller/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- She may be young, but Havana Chapman-Edwards is already a force to be reckoned with. On Friday, as students all over the country participated in the National School Walkout in support of gun control reform, Havana walked out too -- of her elementary school.

The Alexandria, Virginia, first-grader was the only one to walk out of Fort Hunt Elementary School, but she knew why she had to do it.

"I wanted to stand up for the kids who died in Columbine and Sandy Hook and other schools too and can't stand up for themselves anymore," Havana told ABC News.

Her classmates did not participate in the walkout with her, instead choosing to continue with their math work, Havana said. According to Havana's mom, Bethany Edwards, the school said in March that they did not have enough supervision on hand to facilitate a walkout during the March for Our Lives protest.

This time, Edwards decided to take matters into her own hands and sign Havana out.

Edwards said initially she was crushed when they walked out and she saw Havana was alone. After sitting in silence to honor the Columbine victims, however, the two tuned in to watch a live feed of walkouts at other schools.

That's when Havana told her mom, I am going to tell my friends I did this, and then next time there will be more of us. That means we are winning.

"I know I am just a kid, but I know you are never too little to make a difference," Havana told ABC News. She added that she was inspired by her heroes, Audrey Faye Hendricks and Ruby Bridges, both young African-American civil rights activists of the 1960s.

Already graced with more wisdom than many her age, the first-grader takes her lessons from history, but has her mind on the future.

Havana's tweet about her solo walkout had received more than 2,000 retweets and 9,000 likes by Friday night. And that space suit Havana was wearing in the photo -- Mom said that was an intentional choice.

"She [wanted] to show the people who make laws that they are not just little kids, but kids with big dreams."

Havana speaks eight languages, and has already started a book club and fundraiser for the African-American children in her choir so they can have books at home. She wanted to participate in Friday's walkout after she participated in the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. last month. She says another reason she decided to walk out on Friday was the 2009 death of her cousin, Tony, who was shot and killed on the way to school.

Her mom said after Havana's walkout Friday, she knows her daughter understands "what it means to be a leader, even in the most simple of terms."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
80,000 Durians Sold to China in 60 Seconds in Alibaba

Gone in 60 seconds! 80,000 durians sold to China in 60 seconds on Alibabas trading platform T-Mall. This is the magic of e-commerce or more like magic of Jack Ma. He was in Thailand for a mega deal investment with Thailand and he showed what his online platform can deliver within one minute.

The pre-orders were over 60,000 orders and the numbers rose to 80,000 within a minute. This is fresh durians from Thailand of the Golden Pillow or Monthong durian type. The size of Golden Pillow durian is often huge and it can go up to 7kg per durian. The taste is sweet and it is not popular in Malaysia.







The 80,000 Thai durians weigh 200,000 kilograms are sold within 60 seconds. An order for 4.5kg to 5kg of Golden Pillow Durian goes for 199 Chinese RMB (US$32 / RM 123) inclusive of delivery and taxes.

You might be thinking, if Thailand can sell 80,000 fresh durians to China and why Malaysia cannot sell 80,000 durians? Malaysias Musang King durian taste better than Thailands Golden Pillow? Lets not start the debate which durian is better or whose button is bigger.

Why cant Malaysia sell fresh durians to China like Thailand?

We all know Jack Ma is investing lots of money in Malaysia and he is also a good friend to our government and our country. In Malaysia, we do have Alibaba and Tmall like Thailand too.







So, what is the main reason why cant Malaysia sell fresh durians to China like Thailand?

This goes back to the knowledge of durians in Thailand and Malaysia. In Thailand, durians are cut from the tree before it is ripe while in Malaysia, we wait for the durians to fall once they are ripe.

Read: 12 Durians You Must Try in Malaysia







Thailand durians can last for weeks and Malaysia durians can last for days. Thats why the smell of Thailand durians is not as strong as Malaysia durians.







Malaysia durians are frozen and sent to China and there is no export of fresh durians except special events. Please do not believe in rumours of Malaysia durians rejected by China as it was fake news.

In our opinion, it is a blessing in disguise. If Malaysia can sell 80,000 durians to China, we wonder how much will be durian prices in Malaysia? Probably over RM 100 per kg for Musang King? =)







Wilson Ng A Father and traveler who enjoys to eat, shop, travel and taking pictures with Samsung S21 Ultra. Im a full time blogger, youtuber and father for two.

I travel around 17 International trips per year. Remember to follow us at www.instagram.com/placesandfoods and www.youtube.com/placesandfoods. For ads or features, contact me at [email protected] See author's posts
Detroit Police Officer Donald Kimbrough was shot in 1972 and died last year of complications from his wounds. The shooting has now been ruled a homicide. (Photo: WXYZ screen shot)

"We were investigating drug sales on the street," said Retired Detroit Deputy Police Chief James Younger whose partner was shot in 1972 by a man who was never arrested for the crime.

The shooting left Detroit Police Officer Donald Kimbrough paralyzed from the waist down and he died December 7, 2017, from medical complications that resulted from the decades old shooting.

"With the knowledge that he was shot and never fully recovered, the manner is homicide," says Dr. Bernardino Pacris from the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Officer who conducted an autopsy on Kimbrough and recovered an oxidized, deformed bullet from Kimbrough's back.

Sergeant Todd Eby of Detroit's Homicide Task Force has been assigned to solving this extremely cold case, WXYZ reports.
Sgt. Noel Ramirez (left) and Deputy Taylor Lindsey were shot and killed after sitting down to eat at a Chinese restaurant. (Photo: Gilchrist County SO)

Investigators in Florida say they may never know why a man - a recluse from a rural farm community who rarely ventured into town - killed two Gilchrist County Sheriff's deputies Thursday while they sat in a Chinese restaurant.

John Hubert Highnote, 58, of Bell casually walked into the restaurant, went up to the deputies and fired at them. He then went into his car and killed himself, ABC News reports.

"It's inexplicable," State Attorney Bill Cervone said. "People will want to know why, and we may never have an answer for them."

Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz blamed the deaths of Sgt. Noel Ramirez, 30, and Deputy Taylor Lindsey, 25, on hatred toward law enforcement.

"What do you expect happens when you demonize law enforcement to the extent it's been demonized? Every type of hate, every type of put-down you can think of," Schultz said at a news conference.
The Southern Pines (NC) Police Department offered detained weed smokers a snack on Friday April 20. (Photo: Southern Pines PD)

Those who get arrested in Southern Pines, North Carolina, for celebrating "Weed Day" on Friday are in for a treat when they arrive at the police station.

The Southern Pines Police Department is taking a light-hearted approach to April 20, informally known as "Weed Day."

To ensure the Southern Pines Police Department is prepared for additional guests visiting our detention facility on the 4/20 holiday, advanced preparation has taken place to accommodate the needs of these prisoners, the police department posted on its Facebook page on Thursday.

Photos of a holding cell stocked with Oreos, Coca-Cola and Cha-Ching wavy potato chips in a bowl accompanied the post. A pair of handcuffs was casually placed next to the Oreos, the News & Observer reports.
An on-duty NYPD officer fatally shot himself while parked outside a department facility in the Bronx Friday, authorities said.

He's the fourth NYPD officer to take his own life in as many months, police told the New York Daily News.

First responders rushed to an NYPD Auto Crime and Narcotics Division facility in Wakefield about 10:50 a.m., where the mortally wounded officer was found sitting in his personal vehicle in the parking lot.

Officers rushed him to Jacobi Medical Center, but he could not be saved. His name was not immediately disclosed.
Dicks Sporting Goods has announced that it will not sell AR-style rifles in any of its 700 plus stores and it plans to destroy its unsold stock.

Gun enthusiasts are asking the company to donate the rifles to cash-strapped police departments, Recoil Magazine reports.

"You can reach out to the Dicks Sporting Goods customer service team, in the most respectful way possible, and request that instead of destroying all of these rifles, we want Dicks to donate them to police departments that dont have a patrol rifle program or simply dont have the funds to supply officers with needed equipment," Recoil wrote.

Find ways to contact Dicks HERE, find their Facebook HERE, or Twitter HERE.
Plight of Palestinian Christians to be discussed

"United Methodists for Kairos Response: Answering the Urgent Call from Palestinian Christians" is the topic for a forum at 10:15 a.m. Sunday at Christ United Methodist Church.

Carol Brunholzl and Hank Kliewer, members of CUMC and the SE Minnesota Alliance of Peacemakers, will give a historical background of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the United Methodist Kairos Responsefocus on education, U.S. policy, responsible tourism, boycott and divestment.

Christ United Methodist Churchis located at 400 Fifth Ave. SW in Rochester. For more information, call 507-289-4019.

Speaker to discuss Permanent Warfare State

A presentation called "Countering the Spirituality of Americas Permanent Warfare State" will be offered 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Assisi Heights Spirituality Center.

Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, associate professor of Justice and Peace Studies at University of St. Thomas in St. Paul will focus on how and why the U.S. became a permanent warfare state, the distorted spirituality that gave rise to normalizing permanent war, and lay out the counters of an alternative spirituality.

Cost is $10 preregistered, $15 at the door. To register, call 280-2195 or go to www.rochesterfranciscan.org.

Douglas Methodist Church hosts breakfast and bake sale

ORONOCO  Douglas United Methodist Churchwill host its annual breakfast and bake sale from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. April 21. The menu includes scrambled eggs and ham, biscuits and gravy, sausage and a beverage.

Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children 5-10, with children younger than 5 free.

Douglas United Methodist Church is at 6507 75th St. NW in Oronoco.
W e drove to Chicago for a funeral. My wifes uncle Jerry had died. For decades he had been the family reject. We knew of only one other relative willing or able to attend, so off we went. Heres Jerrys story, in hopes that it will speak a good word to you.

Born in 1925, high school valedictorian, World War II vet, got some college, then re-enlisted to help in the Korean war. At his discharge the wheels came off his wagon. He was unstable  crazy even. He left his wife and child; wandered in California with long hair and beard; maybe thought he was Jesus for a while. When he returned to Illinois, his parents and sister had him committed. While institutionalized he met and later married one of his nurses. He remained a passionate and opinionated fundamentalist, and never regained acceptable entry into the family circle. He called himself a "fool for Christ." I had met him four-five times, and being that Im religious myself, I had some affinity for dear old Jerry.

We arrived at the modest, out-of-the-way church figuring the funeral would be slim and grim. Boy, were we wrong. Jerrys wife of 59 years was black; the church was "Church of God" (Pentecostal); and the place was packed and hopping. (Of the 150 folks present, five of us were white.) Rousing music, talented and lively choir, rich biblical wisdom, exuding love and faith  it was an inspiring two-hour service. Midway through they offered a chance for people to share a commendation or encouragement. Twenty people lined right up along the walls, and each one shared genuine stories of thanks and support for Jerry and Clara. None pretended that he was easy or great; all appreciated his help and devotion and passion. Then Jerrys son got up and told of their difficult past and of Jerrys turn-around, that at age 70 or so he softened and became a father figure to many. He reminded us that its never too late to change. Jerrys granddaughter called her grandpa the "comeback kid." It was a redemption story, Its what weve got in Christ. The focus was not on Jerrys goodness, but on the saving goodness of the Lord.

So for you and me and the normal respectable folks, will there be a packed church and joyous songs and 20 people eager to speak up for you? Do you figure that more than 100 people of a different race will be there to send you home? Hmmm. Im not saying "be a nut" ... Im just saying that the Lord can work wonders in unexpected people, and be grateful for the redeeming grace of God.
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For Dr. Tom McDonald, the journey from his home in Ireland to an internship at Mayo Clinic in the mid-1960s included a year-long detour to Vietnam.

Thats just the shorthand version of how a physician who was not yet an American citizen ended up on the front lines of a war that most American men were anxious to avoid.

McDonald came to the U.S. in 1964 after graduating in 1963 from the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. His visa was initially good for one year but could be extended.

"There was one condition," McDonald said. If he intended to stay beyond that year, "You had to sign on with the Selective Service. I was beginning to feel that this (America) was the place for me. So I signed on."

He was promptly drafted into the U.S. Army. Then, thinking it might be an adventure, McDonald volunteered to go to Vietnam, where an American military buildup was in full swing.

"It seemed exciting," said McDonald, a retired Mayo Clinic ear, nose, throat doctor. "I had always been interested in matters of the military."

So, after rudimentary military training, McDonald found himself in September 1966 stepping off a plane into the hot, humid air of Saigon  a non-American citizen dropped into the middle of a war that threatened to fracture his adopted country.

"My first thought was excitement and fear at the same time," McDonald recalled. "I thought, Why is everybody wearing weapons? Boy, this is serious stuff."

It became even more serious when McDonald was assigned to the 12th Evac Hospital at Ku Chi, west of Saigon. There, in between operating room shifts, he slept with a loaded .45-caliber handgun under his pillow.

In his unpublished memoirs, McDonald writes of the daily routine, the hardships, the comradeship, the lessons he learned, the pain of watching young, healthy men torn apart by bullets, mines and mortars.

He rarely had time to think about the political implications of the war, he said. "You were so busy," he said. "A big helicopter would come in with 30 casualties." The hospital itself was frequently attacked with mortar fire. "That was very frightening," he said.

Through it all, McDonald said, he and his fellow doctors and nurses took pride in treating everyone. If the five most seriously injured men were enemy soldiers, he wrote in his memoirs, they would be tended to first. "We acted as doctors, not as politicians," he said.

When his year-long tour was up, McDonald returned stateside, where his wife, Mary, was waiting for him. On the plane home, he said, "I thought, I made it through this, Im going home."

Home, though, was a new country. He had made up his mind to stay in America and become a citizen. "I was proud of myself for having fulfilled my obligation to this country," McDonald, now 77, recalled.

He was discharged from the Army in March 1968, and started a residency in the ENT department at Mayo Clinic. In 1972, he became a consultant, and later served as vice present of the clinics board of governors. He retired in 2007, but continues to attend weekly education conferences at the clinic.

As for the incongruity of an Irish immigrant at a U.S. Army field hospital in Vietnam, McDonald said, "I think its testimony to the American spirit. Theyve always welcomed strangers. This country was built on people coming here from other countries."
In Allen Drurys Advise and Consent, still in print after all these years, the presidents left-wing nominee for Secretary of State has a secret. As a young man  echoes of the Hiss case  he was a member of a Communist cell.

Leffingwells Communist past is a secret that must be covered up. Complications ensue, giving life to a Washington novel that is one of our favorites. Novelist Thomas Mallon rendered his considered literary judgment in his fiftieth anniversary tribute to the novel.

Times have changed, big league. By the time President Obama nominated John Kerry as Secretary of State, what were once vices had become habits hardly worthy of mention in polite company (as in this Boston Globe backgrounder).

Kerry had been wrong on just about every foreign policy issue he has addressed in the course of a long public career, stretching back to 1971. As an undergraduate, I saw him in person speaking on campus at the Hopkins Center peddling the vicious lies that turned him into a national celebrity. I believed him because I was credulous and sophomoric, but what excuse did he have?

Like Leffingwell, Kerry had been worse than mistaken. But it was no secret. It was out there in the open, and the guy nevertheless came within a hair of being elected president in 2004. John Perazzo reviewed the record of the man Obama saluted as the perfect choice to be his Secretary of State: The historical record informs us that not only has John Kerry been on the wrong side of every major foreign policy issue for most of his adult life, including Iraq, Nicaragua and most recently in Syria, but he has routinely engaged in deception to conceal his folly. Whats worse, Kerry has a clear record of giving aid and comfort to Americas enemies, all the while never missing an opportunity to viciously trash our brave forces fighting against them.

Returning to Advise and Consent, I recall recall that a key plot point hangs on the blackmailing of the senior senator from Utah in connection with a youthful homosexual affair. He is threatened with disclosure of the affair if he fails to vote in favor of the left-wing nominee. Rather than submit he commits suicide.

President Trumps nomination of CIA Director Mike Pompeo to serve as Secretary of State is to be voted on by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week. Senate Foreign Relations Committees Democrats have united in opposition. Given the additional opposition of Rand Paul, observers anticipate that Pompeo will receive a negative recommendation from the committee. Marc Thiessen traces the historic (and disgraceful) nature of such a negative committee vote against a Secretary of State nominee in this column.

One of the Democrats points against Pompeo is his disapproval of homosexual sex and homosexual marriage. He is apparently guilty of subscribing to traditional Christian doctrine. If only Pompeo could reveal himself to be a man with a homosexual past proclaiming correct thoughts, he might qualify to serve as Secretary of State. Coincidentally, the Democrats would also prefer a nominee who vowed to continue the Obama administrations love affair with the mullahs who hang Iranian homosexuals for male to male anal intercourse.

We are reminded once once again. Democrats, youve come a long way from Advise and Consent, from advice and consent, and from the Constitution, baby.
Trayon White is the D.C. Council member who explained that Jewish financiers control the climate and create natural disasters to gain political control. I called him anti-semitic and dumb as a rock.

To his credit, White has been trying to make amends. Reportedly, he attended a Passover Seder. In addition he visited the Holocaust Museum.

Unfortunately, the museum visit will only reinforce the dumb as a rock tag while doing little to overcome the view that hes anti-semitic.

From the Washington Post:

The photo, taken in 1935, depicts a woman in a dark dress shuffling down a street in Norden, Germany. A large sign hangs from her neck: I am a German girl and allowed myself to be defiled by a Jew. She is surrounded by Nazi stormtroopers. D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. studied the image. Are they protecting her? Lynn Williams, an expert on educational programs at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Whites tour guide for the day, stared at the photo. No, she said. Theyre marching her through. Marching through is protecting, White said. I think theyre humiliating her, Williams replied.

Theres more:

The group paused before grainy photos of German troops executing Catholic clergy in Poland by firing squad. Were they actually manufacturing these weapons? White asked.

Half way through the scheduled 90 minute tour, White left. In response to a text from the rabbi helping with the tour, White said something about having to attend an event in his Ward. However, when the tour ended, the rabbi found him standing outside the museum.

Seven of Whites staff members stayed with the tour after their boss left. They were shown an exhibit on the Warsaw Ghetto. According to Post, as the walling in of Polish Jews was being explained, one aide asked whether it was similar to a gated community.

Yeah, I wouldnt call it a gated community, the rabbi said. More like a prison.

Legislators tend to get the staff they deserve.

I find it significant and depressing that somewhere along the way, White learned that rich Jews control the weather, but he never learned enough to interpret correctly images from the Holocaust. As I said in a previous post on the subject, theres a problem here that cant be alleviated by attending Seders.
I was on the Howie Carr show a little while ago, talking about the release of James Comeys memos on his conversations with Donald Trump. Scott has already weighed in on the memos, which you can read in his post or here, and Paul has noted the reaction of Bob Goodlatte, Trey Gowdy and Devin Nunes. These are my thoughts, for what they are worth:

1) The memos do nothing to discredit President Trump. At every stage, he comes across as reasonable, even as described by an enemy. Democrats who try to spin the memos as breathing new life into their collusion campaign must have gotten an early jump on 4/20.

2) Comey, in contrast, comes across as a snake in the grass. Whenever he had a conversation with President-Elect or President Trump, he immediately dictated a self-serving memo of the conversation. He obviously viewed himself as an adversary of the president from the beginning.

I wrote last June about false testimony that Comey gave before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Comey was trying to explain why he wasnt a weasel, notwithstanding his habit of immediately dictating a CYA memo every time he spoke with the president. Comey self-righteously testified that he had served three presidents, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. He never dictated memos on his conversations with Bush or Obama, who were honorable men. It was something unique about Trump that caused him to deviate from his usual practice. Senator Warner was impressed: I think that is very significant.

Only it was a lie. As recounted in my post, Comey actually dictated an on-the-spot memo about the very conversation with President Bush that he told the Senate committee he didnt feel, with President Bush, the need to document it in that way.

3) One of Comeys annoying qualities is his vouching, over and over, for the honesty and lack of political bias of everyone in the FBI. President Trump was concerned about Andrew McCabe and twice asked Comey whether McCabe was hostile to him. Comey assured Trump that McCabe is as honest as the day is longlike everyone else at the FBI!and totally above politics. We now know that McCabe is a liar, and that he hosted a meeting in his office that included Peter Strzok, Lisa Page and perhaps others, in which senior members of the FBI fretted about the remote possibility that Trump might actually win the election.

Trump was right about McCabe, and while it took him longer to figure it out, he ultimately was right about Comey, too.
We receive DNC emails addressed to Rachelle at our Power Line gmail account. Tom Perez and Keith Ellison are both on a first name-basis with Rachelle, whoever she is. Todays correspondence promotes the DNC lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and other defendants. The element of projection looms large in Perezs message, as always in the recurring themes of the Democratic Party.

The message announces Were suing the Trump campaign, Rachelle. Perez writes:

Rachelle 

As a DNC supporter, I want you to be the first to know: Today, the DNC is filing a civil lawsuit alleging that Russia perpetrated a brazen attack on American democracy during the 2016 election, and found a willing partner in the Trump campaign.

Heres why: A major part of Russias attack on American democracy was the cyberattack on the DNC and theft of the DNCs proprietary information. This stolen information was then released to the public by Russian agents and WikiLeaks to damage the Democratic Party and influence the 2016 election.

Were taking this action because we believe no one is above the law, and we must pursue every avenue of justice against those who engaged in this illegal activity against the DNC and our democracy.

This is a patriotic  not partisan  move. As Sen. John McCain said, When you attack a country, its an act of war. And so we have to make sure that there is a price to pay, so that we can perhaps persuade the Russians to stop these kind of attacks on our very fundamentals of democracy.

We believe that Russia found a willing partner in the Trump campaign, who shared their goal of damaging the Democratic Party and helping elect Donald Trump. The Trump campaign had repeated secretive communications with Russian agents and WikiLeaks. Russian agents told Trump advisors that the Kremlin wanted to help Trump and had stolen emails and other material that could damage Trumps opponent. And Trumps closest political advisor, Roger Stone, had advanced knowledge of a major release of stolen Democratic emails.

It is a disgrace to our country that instead of taking actions to protect American democracy, the Trump campaign put itself first. And if the occupant of the Oval Office refuses to protect our democracy, its up to us.

Putting together a lawsuit like this, with all the proper documentation, has taken some time. Thats why were filing it today, both to seek justice and deter further attacks on our democracy.

Make no mistake about it, Rachelle: Our number one focus at the DNC is, and remains, electing Democrats from the school board to the Oval Office  and were winning all across this country.

Were going to keep our eyes on the prize: taking back the House and Senate, winning back state legislatures, and moving our country in the right direction.

But winning elections also means protecting elections, and today were doing just that.

Thank you, as always, for your support.

Tom

Tom Perez

Chair

Democratic National Committee
I tweet pretty regularly, almost always my own Power Line posts, but I never actually go on Twitter, in part because Twitter is a cesspool. Profane language is common, I often read about calls by liberals for conservatives to be murdered, and outrageous hate speech like the tweets I wrote about here is common. If you are on the Left, anything goes.

So you have to wonder why Twitter prevented this from appearing:

This tweet by Clear Energy Alliance promotes a video that is based on a report that my think tank produced on the folly of wind energy in Minnesota. (Steve Hayward and Peter Nelson wrote the report.) The report, which you can read here, is titled: Energy Policy In Minnesota: The High Cost of Failure.

This is the video; it was made by Mark Mathis of Clear Energy Alliance:

I cant think of any reason why a Twitter employee would question the appropriateness of the tweet by Clear Energy Alliance other than the fact that it promotes a video that criticizes green energy cronyism, a sacred cow of the Left.

Conservatives made a terrible mistake when they mostly abandoned the web in favor of Facebook, Twitter and other social media. On the internet, of course, we are still somewhat subject to the whims of Google, but Facebook and Twitter have acquired a dangerous ability to suppress conservative speech. My impression is that their efforts in this regard have been stepped up recently, perhaps in anticipation of the midterm elections, perhaps because of a perception that the Lefts campaign to bring down President Trump is failing.
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Udaipur, Towards making banking for all a reality under the national agenda of financial inclusion, Fino Payments Bank is spreading the reach of digital banking in the state through its association with Government of Rajasthans eMitra initiative and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL), its largest investor.It may be noted that in December 2017, Fino had announced a tie-up where Raj Comp became the banks corporate business correspondent (BC). Under the agreement, all the 55000 eMitra outlets of Raj Comp across 33 districts will act as Finos banking outlets.The reach of eMitra and BPCL outlets across the state of Rajasthan will help Fino Payments Bank achieve its objective of providing anywhere, anytime banking to its customers. Further, Finos biometric and Aadhar-enabled digital banking platform is completely paperless, simple and convenient for customers.Stating that adoption of digital banking to be beneficial for masses, Mr. Rishi Gupta, MD & CEO, Fino Payments Bank said, The customers we service cannot afford to lose time and income. Given the complexities involved in traditional banking, we believe technology led banking to be a great boon for them as it removes the barriers of access and availability of financial services. Today, our digitally enabled branches and banking points such as eMitra and BPCL outlets are closer to where customers stay or work and are also open for longer hours. Further, customers can also avail of doorstep banking where in Fino representative visits the customer to complete transactions.Fino Payments Banks customer segment largely comprises of small business owners such as kirana shops, dairy farmers, vegetable vendors and low income households, whose monthly income is between Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000. Keeping in mind the requirements of this segment of customers, Fino developed relevant products in association with partners.Fino has tied up with ICICI Prudential as well as Exide Life to offer life insurance and ICICI Lombard for health insurance. We are working with multiple banks to facilitate gold loans on their behalf, added Mr. GuptaCustomers can avail of all the services of Fino Payments Bank at its branches, merchant points, eMitra as well as BPCL outlets. From 4 minute account opening, receiving instant Rupay card, saving and withdrawing money, remitting money, paying utility bills, buying health and life insurance, and putting in a request for gold loans. Banking was never this easy!About Fino Payments BankFino Payments Bank is the 4th payments bank to be launched in the country. The new age bank has nationwide digitally enabled distribution network of over 400 branches and close to 30000 banking points, including BPCL outlets. These access points provide utmost convenience and unmatched paperless banking experience right from eKYC-based accounting opening to allowing customers do banking/ payments transactions anywhere, anytime and through any platform  digital/mobile or physical touch points. A revolutionary experience for the huge masses across India! (www.finobank.com)
"Ubiquo Telemedicina provides a unique opportunity for PharmaCielo to continue our leadership in the Colombian marketplace, and to support the expansion of medical cannabis expertise throughout the country," said Anthony Wile, CEO. "With over 400 medical practitioners currently engaging this interactive platform in support of a wide range of specialties, including areas of critical care, the facilitation of knowledge from within the medical community about cannabis formulations and medically appropriate treatment options is unparalleled."

The operating mandate of Ubiquo Telemedicina is to create fair and equal access for all Colombians to medical care and expertise. By enabling the Colombian medical community to provide increased access to highly specialized practitioner knowledge and consultation, Ubiquo Telemedicina facilitates continuing medical education and treatment focused communication among practitioners. As part of the operating agreement, knowledge about the possible uses, benefits and risks of medical cannabis will be enabled among medical practitioners associated with the platform to help them make educated and informed decisions about products and monitoring, in addition to the current broad range of consultative supports currently provide by the platform.

Following execution, the two organizations are jointly working to conclude definitive agreements for working together to meet the needs of current medical practitioners associated with Ubiquo Telemedicina as well as confirm strategies for expansion throughout the country.

Acquisition Terms

Pursuant to the agreement, the Company intends to acquire all of the shares of Ubiquo Telemedicina, which will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company in exchange for a combination of cash and shareholdings in PharmaCielo Ltd. valued at approximately $1.5-million CDN. The acquisition is arms-length and remains subject to due diligence, applicable approvals and a definitive purchase and sale agreement, which will include customary conditions, including obtaining all necessary corporate and applicable regulatory approvals. The acquisition is anticipated to be completed in 60 days or less.

About PharmaCielo

PharmaCielo Ltd. is a global company privately held and headquartered in Canada, with a focus on processing and supplying all natural, medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products to large channel distributors. PharmaCielo's principal (and wholly-owned) subsidiary is PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S., headquartered at its nursery and propagation centre located in Rionegro, Colombia.

The boards of directors and executive teams of both PharmaCielo and PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S. are comprised of a diversely talented group of international business executives and specialists with relevant and varied expertise. PharmaCielo recognized the significant role that Colombia's ideal location will play in building a sustainable business in the medical cannabis industry, and the Company, together with its directors and executives, has built a compelling business plan focused on supplying the international marketplace.

For further information:

www.PharmaCielo.com

Media Relations:

David Gordon, Tel: +1 647 259 3258, [email protected]

(Colombia) Juan Manuel Cuellar, Tel: +57 310 3298776, [email protected]

Investor Inquiries:

[email protected]

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "intends", "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, including the ability for the Company and Ubiquo Telemedicina consummating the acquisition and executing their business plans, that management believes are reasonable in the circumstances, but the actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be affected by known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, risks associated with closing the acquisition of Ubiquo Telemedicina including failure to obtain necessary approvals, risks associated with early stage companies, risks associated with the regulation of cannabis and cannabinoid derivatives, and risks associated with operating in Colombia. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Except as required by law, PharmaCielo undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. However, any further disclosures made on related subjects in subsequent reports should be consulted.

Related Links

http://www.PharmaCielo.com



SOURCE PharmaCielo
(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/679563/BJSS.jpg )

The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is one of the world's most distinguished business awards, celebrating and recognising enterprise excellence in UK companies. Announced annually by Her Majesty the Queen, the awards follow a rigorous and highly competitive judging process and are only bestowed on organisations that maintain the highest levels of business excellence.

Conceived by BJSS in 2008, Enterprise Agile is based on the Company's software delivery experience, often in challenging, deadline-sensitive environments, and has ensured the delivery of some of the world's most ambitious IT transformation programmes. Enterprise Agile addresses critical technical risks at the beginning of the project delivery, and prescribes innovative processes that enable Agile to be successfully adopted by public and private sector organisations.

One notable Enterprise Agile success is the complete re-engineering of the NHS legacy Spine national healthcare infrastructure. NHS Spine 2 was delivered by a combined NHS and BJSS team that worked collaboratively to build what is believed to be the one of the largest and most significant Open Source systems in the public sector to date. This easier, faster and cheaper system is the technological backbone of the NHS, and has successfully achieved an 89% improvement in response time, whilst saving the NHS 21 million in its first year of operation.

Glynn Robinson, managing director of BJSS says: "We are honoured to have won this prestigious accolade and to be recognised by the Queen's Award for our innovation. This is a significant moment for us as we celebrate our 25th year of operation, and is a real testament to our committment to leadership and excellence in technology delivery."

About BJSS

BJSS (http://www.bjss.com) is an award-winning delivery-focused IT Consultancy with 25 years software development and IT advisory experience to the private and public sectors. The company is renowned for technical excellence, cost-effective delivery and its proven BJSS Enterprise Agile approach.

About Enterprise Agile

Enterprise Agile (http://www.bjss.com/ea) is an Agile delivery framework for delivering change to technology-led products and services. Developed by BJSS practitioners, and based on experience from hundreds of successful engagements, Enterprise Agile enables predictable, cost-effective IT change that delivers rapid business value in even the most complex and dynamic environments.

SOURCE BJSS
"Ubiquo Telemedicina provides a unique opportunity for PharmaCielo to continue our leadership in the Colombian marketplace, and to support the expansion of medical cannabis expertise throughout the country," said Anthony Wile, CEO. "With over 400 medical practitioners currently engaging this interactive platform in support of a wide range of specialties, including areas of critical care, the facilitation of knowledge from within the medical community about cannabis formulations and medically appropriate treatment options is unparalleled."

The operating mandate of Ubiquo Telemedicina is to create fair and equal access for all Colombians to medical care and expertise. By enabling the Colombian medical community to provide increased access to highly specialized practitioner knowledge and consultation, Ubiquo Telemedicina facilitates continuing medical education and treatment focused communication among practitioners. As part of the operating agreement, knowledge about the possible uses, benefits and risks of medical cannabis will be enabled among medical practitioners associated with the platform to help them make educated and informed decisions about products and monitoring, in addition to the current broad range of consultative supports currently provide by the platform.

Following execution, the two organizations are jointly working to conclude definitive agreements for working together to meet the needs of current medical practitioners associated with Ubiquo Telemedicina as well as confirm strategies for expansion throughout the country.

Acquisition Terms

Pursuant to the agreement, the Company intends to acquire all of the shares of Ubiquo Telemedicina, which will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company in exchange for a combination of cash and shareholdings in PharmaCielo Ltd. valued at approximately $1.5-million CDN. The acquisition is arms-length and remains subject to due diligence, applicable approvals and a definitive purchase and sale agreement, which will include customary conditions, including obtaining all necessary corporate and applicable regulatory approvals. The acquisition is anticipated to be completed in 60 days or less.

About PharmaCielo

PharmaCielo Ltd. is a global company privately held and headquartered in Canada, with a focus on processing and supplying all natural, medicinal-grade cannabis oil extracts and related products to large channel distributors. PharmaCielo's principal (and wholly-owned) subsidiary is PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S., headquartered at its nursery and propagation centre located in Rionegro, Colombia.

The boards of directors and executive teams of both PharmaCielo and PharmaCielo Colombia Holdings S.A.S. are comprised of a diversely talented group of international business executives and specialists with relevant and varied expertise. PharmaCielo recognized the significant role that Colombia's ideal location will play in building a sustainable business in the medical cannabis industry, and the Company, together with its directors and executives, has built a compelling business plan focused on supplying the international marketplace.

For further information:

www.PharmaCielo.com

Media Relations:

David Gordon, Tel: +1 647 259 3258, david.gordon@cohnwolfe.ca

(Colombia) Juan Manuel Cuellar, Tel: +57 310 3298776, juan.m.cuellar@sprgroup.biz

Investor Inquiries:

investors@pharmacielo.com

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "intends", "anticipates", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, including the ability for the Company and Ubiquo Telemedicina consummating the acquisition and executing their business plans, that management believes are reasonable in the circumstances, but the actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be affected by known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including, but not limited to, risks associated with closing the acquisition of Ubiquo Telemedicina including failure to obtain necessary approvals, risks associated with early stage companies, risks associated with the regulation of cannabis and cannabinoid derivatives, and risks associated with operating in Colombia. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Except as required by law, PharmaCielo undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. However, any further disclosures made on related subjects in subsequent reports should be consulted.

Related Links

http://www.PharmaCielo.com



SOURCE PharmaCielo
"The new QSR features will help us quickly prepare food to order and expand our Made by Murray's offerings."

SuiteRetail, the maker of SuitePOS for Oracle NetSuite and Salesforce, announces their new point of sale features for quick-service restaurants (QSR) and retailers offering food or made-to-order products in-store. Today, SuitePOS is used by some of the world's most modern retailers to unify commerce by connecting in-store transactions to powerful business platforms including Oracle NetSuite and Salesforce. With these new features, SuitePOS can now offer this same solution to QSR and specialty merchants that build sales to order while a customer waits.

Currently, Oracle NetSuite and Salesforce are both used for business management by thousands of general merchandise and specialty retailers. These retailers are using ERP and CRM systems to streamline business functions while collecting customer data to help improve sales and provide a better customer experience. Without these business management platforms, QSRs miss out on the opportunity to build customer loyalty, improve sales, and create easier workflows across departments all on a single system in the cloud.

The new Quick Service module will deliver features such as service ticket printing to multiple printers (front-of-house and kitchen), and integrated scales to enable fast-food, casual dining, candy, ice cream or yogurt shops, material yards, workshops, and other types of retailers to use SuitePOS in environments where sales are made to order.

Additionally, SuitePOS with NetSuite or Salesforce can unify digital and physical commerce by allowing QSRs to utilize online or mobile ordering with buy online, pick-up in store options. Customers can easily place their food or drink order through the merchant's online ordering site or mobile app, and the merchant will receive the order to be prepared in time for the customer's arrival.

Retailers who need QSR features now have access to the same all-in-one business management suite as enterprise retailers. They can manage their entire business on a single platform and shift complex business functions to the back-office to create a better experience for the customer.

SuiteRetail customer Murray's Cheese  a Kroger company  will be rolling out the Quick Service module to their stores. This iconic NYC specialty cheese shop will be using the new QSR features for their made-to-order grilled cheese sandwiches, breakfast melts, mac and cheese, and more. The SuitePOS Quick Service module will help Murray's Cheese to enhance their kitchen services and will be used by existing locations.

"SuitePOS and NetSuite have done a great job enabling Murray's to track customer behavior, build loyalty, and increase retail sales at our busy locations. The new QSR features will help us quickly prepare food to order and expand our Made by Murray's offerings." - Andrew Perlgut, Director of Technology, Murray's Cheese

SuiteRetail will be attending SuiteWorld 2018 in Las Vegas from April 23-25. Contact SuiteRetail to schedule a meeting or to learn more about their retail solutions.

About SuiteRetail

SuiteRetail helps unify commerce at some of the most modern and sophisticated brands in the world. SuitePOS, built on Apple, makes things simple and efficient in your stores and connects you to powerful back-office systems, such as Oracle NetSuite and the Salesforce platform. These systems run your CRM, marketing, supply chain, inventory, eCommerce, and finance.
Young Marines National Foundation With GEICO Militarys help, our goal is to expand the Young Marines so that every child in the United States will have access to gain the skills necessary to become great leaders and engaged, active citizens, said Mike Zeliff, executive director, Young Marines National Foundation.

GEICO Military is a new corporate donor of the Young Marines National Foundation which was formed to support the long-term needs of the Young Marines.

The Young Marines is a national youth education and service program for boys and girls, age eight through the completion of high school. The Young Marines promotes the mental, moral and physical development of its members. The program focuses on teaching the values of leadership, teamwork and self-discipline, so its members can live and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

"The Young Marines National Foundation is thrilled to welcome GEICO Military's leadership and participation in the Young Marines National Foundation, said Mike Zeliff, executive director, Young Marines National Foundation. We are confident that, with the assistance of GEICO Military, the foundation will preserve and extend the excellent work of the Young Marines for years to come."

The Young Marines National Foundation financially supports the mission, values, and programs of the Young Marines by the solicitation, preservation, and distribution of gifts, grants, and matching funds from individuals, corporations, and foundations committed to the development of boys and girls into responsible citizens who enjoy and promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

The GEICO Military Team is proud to partner with The Young Marines National Foundation in support of the Young Marines programs, said Kevin Isherwood, manager, Military Department at GEICO. We are doubly pleased to participate in building a better American future through leading and supporting our youngest citizens.

With GEICO Militarys help, our goal is to expand the Young Marines, Zeliff said, so that every child in the United States will have access to gain the skills necessary to become great leaders and engaged, active citizens.

Since the Young Marines' humble beginnings in 1959 with one unit and a handful of boys, the Young Marines has grown to 270 units with 9,000 youth and 2,600 adult volunteers in 41 states, the District of Columbia, Japan, and affiliates in other countries.

For more information, visit: http://www.YoungMarines.com.

About GEICO

For over 75 years, GEICO has stood by the men and women dedicated to protecting our country. Thats been GEICOs mission since day one. We understand your needs and were here to provide you with great coverage, flexible payment options, numerous discounts and overseas coverage to fit your unique lifestyle. The GEICO Military team is proud of its ongoing support of our countrys heroes. For more information about GEICO Military, see: https://www.geico.com/military/
Betsy Audibert I think it will appeal to readers who like Christian poems

The Bible says we have been saved by grace through faith.

Within the pages of But by Grace of God ($19.49, paperback, 9781545620793; $9.99, e-book, 9781545628072), readers will discover what a relationship with God and salvation through Jesus is all about in a collection of Christian poetry.

I think it will appeal to readers who like Christian poems, Betsy Audibert says. I try to include myself in them so readers will see that I know I am a sinner too. I hope the readers take away a realization that they need Jesus in their heart and life.

Each poem magnifies the authors strong relationship with Jesus, depicting what salvation is for a person new to faith and the abundance of Gods blessings.

When we realize that we have been saved by the grace of God and it is not of our works but Jesus, then we are more equipped to share this knowledge with others before we return to our heavenly home, the author states.

But by Grace of God starts with the purpose of Gods parables to mankind, while also inspiring the hope of what being a Christian provides through faith, wisdom and love.

Several poems also highlight the changing seasons--from the excitement during summertime and the blossoming plants of spring to the quiet reflection that comes while indoors during the wintertime.

A native of Portland, Maine, Betsy Audibert came up with the collection of poems when she and her husband were making the bulletins for their church.

Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 12,000 titles published to date. Retailers may order But by Grace of God through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. The book is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) announces plans to build a 100,000-square-foot facility for electric power research in the Purdue Discovery Park District designed to support up to 300 new high-tech jobs.

In addition, Purdue alumnus Edmund O. Schweitzer III, and his wife, Beatriz Schweitzer, will donate funds to support the pipeline of innovation at Purdue, with $1.5 million going to the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering or ECE to endow a professorship, and another $1.5 million to support the schools power and energy systems research area.

The SEL corporate expansion, called SEL Purdue, will conduct electric power research and development in the new facility. The space is designed to hold up to 300 employees; the numbers and types of employees will increase as the companys business needs evolve and grow.

We are excited to establish a larger presence in the Midwest, said Schweitzer, who is the founder of the 100 percent employee-owned Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. The Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue Airport, is a convenient location for our business aviation needs and company's future expansion. This new facility will enable us to enhance the service we provide to our customers in the area, and we will benefit from the proximity to Purdue by both research and the talent pool the university provides. There is a high demand for power engineering, and this initiative will help us meet those demands.

The SEL Purdue building will be built on 10 acres of a 20-acre plot on the northwest corner of U.S. 231 and Newman Road, near the new Rolls-Royce facility in West Lafayette. Groundbreaking for SEL Purdue is expected to take place this summer. The site is designed to hold a second building depending on company growth and needs.

"Here in Indiana, we're committed to making our state a hub for innovation and a magnet for jobs," Gov. Eric J. Holcomb said. "Working with one of Indiana's leading universities, SEL will continue to advance breakthrough technologies that support electric power grids around the world. We look forward to watching the company succeed, grow and provide more great jobs for Hoosiers."

This is the breakthrough moment weve hoped for in making the Discovery Park District dream real. High-quality jobs and internships for our students; new research opportunities for our faculty; and new homebuyers and customers for the residential and retail components, Purdue University President Mitch Daniels said. Greater Lafayette can become one of the high-tech economic centers of the country, with the Discovery Park District at its core.

The $1 billion Discovery Park District is a 30-year plan to transform the west side of the Purdue University campus.

The SEL Purdue announcement, combined with the Discovery Park District master plan and Convergence building announced earlier this week, are clear indicators of the economic growth and quality of life advancements that can be anticipated in the coming years through the rapid developments taking place at Purdue and surrounding areas, West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis said.

Greater Lafayette is poised to become one of the high-tech centers of the country, with the Discovery Park District as its core, said Gary Henriott, chair of Wabash Heartland Innovation Network. I believe we have the right leadership and resources to make it happen.

A Northbrook, Illinois, native, Schweitzer earned his bachelors and masters degrees in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1968 and 1971.

Purdue, of course, is dear to me and my family. My grandfather, the first Edmund Schweitzer, earned his degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1898, Ed Schweitzer said. Supporting education is important to Bea and me, and were pleased our gifts to Purdue will provide current and future students with the educational and life skills needed for future success. And, with SEL Purdue there is no doubt that many will become SEL employees.

The Purdue School of Electrical and Computer Engineering is one of the largest in the United States and is consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally.

It is the generosity of alumni and friends like Ed and Beatriz Schweitzer that makes Purdues School of Electrical and Computer Engineering what it is today by supporting the outstanding research and educational opportunities we provide for students, said Venkataramanan Balakrishnan, the Michael and Katherine Birck Head and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In particular, ECEs power and energy systems faculty and students will benefit greatly from philanthropic funding and research connections made possible by the universitys partnership with SEL. We are grateful to Ed and Beatriz and are delighted to be forever connected with the Schweitzer name in such a fitting way.

About Edmund O. Schweitzer III

Edmund O. Schweitzer III earned his bachelors and masters degrees from Purdues electrical engineering in 1968 and 1971. He started his business in the basement of his Pullman, Washington home. In 1982, he left Washington State University, where he had earned his Ph.D. and served as a professor, to devote his efforts full time to growing the Pullman-based company into a leading designer and manufacturer of digital relays for the protection, monitoring, automation and control of electric power systems. Nearly every utility in North America uses SEL products, which can also be found in industrial and commercial power applications in 162 countries. SEL is also one of the regions largest employers, with more than 5,200 employees worldwide. Schweitzer holds the grade of Fellow in the IEEE, the Purdue University Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineer Award and is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

About Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

SEL invents, designs and builds digital products and systems that protect power grids around the world. This technology prevents blackouts and enables customers to improve power system reliability and safety at a reduced cost. A 100 percent employee-owned company headquartered in Pullman, Washington, SEL has manufactured products in the United States since 1984 and now serves customers worldwide. The companys mission is to make electric power safer, more reliable and more economical.

About Purdue Discovery Park District

Discovery Park District is a $1 billion, 30-year project to transform the west side of the Purdue University campus. Purdue Research Foundation and Browning Investments are partnering on the district. A goal of the project is to support Purdue's long-term enhancement and improved quality-of-life goals, including the support of research, innovation, economic development and community development by linking faculty, staff, students, visitors and area residents. The district includes as much as 7 million square feet of interior building space, including a hotel; restaurants; retail, office and business spaces; parks; research facilities; and industrial space.

About Purdue School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) is the largest academic unit at Purdue University and is consistently ranked in the top 10 of all ECE programs nationally. With more than 100 faculty members and approximately 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students, ECE at Purdue is among the nations largest ECE departments.

Writer: Cynthia Sequin, 765-413-6031, casequin(at)prf.org

Media contacts:

Purdue media contact: Tom Coyne, 574-309-2958, tjcoyne(at)prf.org

SEL Media Contact: Kate Wilhite at kate_wilhite(at)selinc.com

Sources:

Edmund O. Schweitzer III, SEL Media Contact: Kate Wilhite at kate_wilhite(at)selinc.com

Gov. Eric Holcomb , Contact: Abby Gras 317-232-8845, agras(at)iedc.in.gov

Mitch Daniels, Contact: Brian Zink at bzink(at)purdue.edu

Gary Henriott, ghenriott(at)henriott.com

Venkataramanan Balakrishnan, ragu(at)ecn.purdue.edu
The day is so powerful, it is filled with tears, hugs, smiles and sometimes even laughter as people whose lives have been impacted by organ donation come together every year.

The 23rd annual Remember & Rejoice ecumenical service, honoring New York organ donors, the families of deceased donors and organ transplant recipients, will be held Saturday April 21 from 2:30 to 4:30 pm at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.

It is the single largest gathering of donor families and transplant recipients in the country.

The candlelight ceremony includes the selfless families of deceased donors, living donors, and transplant recipients who have been given a second chance at life. The emotion in the 140-year-old neo-Gothic-style sanctuary is palpable as donor families find solace in honoring their loved ones and remembering their legacy, while bearing their losses. Conversely, recipients express their heartfelt gratitude to their donors and their families for their precious gift.

The day is so powerful, filled with tears, hugs, smiles and sometimes even laughter as people whose lives have been impacted by organ donation come together every year, said Fran Dillon, a 29-year liver recipient from Queens who coordinates the event.

The program includes donor and recipient speakers, spiritual leaders, soaring music and a beautiful dedication to donors and their families, where donors names are read aloud during a candle lighting and white rose distribution ceremony.

The unique stories told by each speaker bring the audience to a place of strength and hope as they give thanks and appreciation for those who donated a part of themselves, so that others could live. This year also features a Long Island mother who lost her 26-year old son, and found solace knowing her son lives on through the four New Yorkers whose lives he saved. Noemi Castro-Feinstein of the Bronx, once virtually blind, will speak about receiving the gift of sight.

Other extraordinary touches throughout the service interweave people whose lives have been touched by organ donation. For example, the priest who presides over the annual St. Patricks service  Rev. Thomas A. Lynch of Our Lady of the Angels in the Bronx donated a kidney to his brother.

The service is translated into American Sign Language by a kidney recipient.

The event is sponsored by the Manhattan Chapter of Transplant Recipients International Organization (TRIO) with the support of LiveOnNY.

TRIO is an independent nonprofit organization committed to improving the quality of life for people touched by the miracle of organ donation in the community by promoting awareness, offering support, providing education and participating in advocacy.

LiveOnNY is the federally designated non-profit that oversees and coordinates organ and tissue transplantation in New York. More than 22,000 New York lives have been saved since its inception in 1978 as the New York Organ Donor Network. Find us on Facebook.

Speakers:

Margaret OReilly  Donor Mom, Mother of 26-year-old Stephen Valeschi who died in 2010, and saved the lives of four people by donating his heart, live and both kidneys - Long Island

Andy Brattain  2018 Liver recipient; Concert producer for major headliners and former sound engineer for Michael Feinstein Manhattan

Noemi Castro-Feinstein  Double Cornea transplant recipient (2004/2008) Bronx

Natalie Benavides - Altruistic Kidney Donor (2016) -Manhattan

Linda Addonizio, MD  Medical Director of the Pediatric Cardiac Transplant Program at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center

Helen Irving, RN, MBA  President and CEO of LiveOnNY
Southland Log Homes Southlands new facility will further support the companys leadership of the US log home industry

Southland Log Homes, Americas largest designer and manufacturer of log homes, has set the date for the grand opening of its new manufacturing facility in Saluda, SC for April 30, 2018.

U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan is scheduled to attend the grand opening, along with local Saluda officials, and Southlands executive team. Rather than the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony, a log cutting is planned to symbolically open the new mill.

In recent months, the company has been ramping up production in the 160,000 square foot facility, which was acquired in 2017, and had been used in years past as a textile warehouse.

Southlands new facility will further support the companys leadership of the US log home industry," said Ken Sekley, Southlands President and CEO. We are proud that the nations largest log home company makes its home, and does all of its manufacturing of log cabin kits, right here in South Carolina.

Southland Log Homes provides its customers with personalized designs and high quality log home plans, as well as support in working with quality log home builders, understanding financing options, and identifying available land anywhere in the US. Southlands log homes range from beautifully rustic traditional designs to the latest in modern design trends and sustainability.

About Southland Log Homes: Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, Southland Log Homes was founded in 1978 and is the largest log home company in the United States. Southland operates model home sales offices and has authorized Southland dealers located throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Model homes are located in Atlanta, GA; Baton Rouge, LA; Biloxi, MS; Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC; Christiansburg, VA; Columbia, SC; Dallas, TX; Danville, PA; Fredericksburg, VA; Greensboro, NC; Greenville, SC; Houston, TX; Northwest Indiana; Kansas City, MO; Lake City, FL; Louisville, KY; Macon, GA; Memphis, TN; Nashville, TN; Springfield, MA; and San Antonio, TX. For more information about Southland Log Homes, call 800-641-4754 or visit SouthlandLogHomes.com.
Is the e-warrant a game-changer for DUI stops? As its name implies, the "e-warrant" allows the police to electronically request a warrant to take a blood draw immediately  before the traces of drugs or alcohol begin to dissipate.

The scenario for a DUI stop rarely varies: a policeman pulls a driver over late at night after observing him or her weaving or speeding or committing some other kind of traffic infraction. The policeman asks for license, registration and proof of insurance.

The cop smells or notices something, asks the driver to step out of the car and complete a Field Sobriety Test. Then he asks the driver to take an alcohol breath test.

The driver refuses.

Traditionally, at that point, the cop would arrest the driver and take him to jail. However, if the driver had been in an accident resulting in injury or death, he would call in for a warrant to take a blood sample at a local ER.

Sometimes it was hard to find a judge who could sign such a warrant. Then many jurisdictions put judges "on call" late at night and on weekends specifically to sign a paper warrant, which had to be physically transported to the courthouse.

Still it was cumbersome: all that analog technology like landline phones and paper warrants slowed the process down.

In many jurisdictions, that's changing: the DUI arrest has gone digital with the introduction of the "e-warrant."

As its name implies, the "e-warrant" allows the police to electronically request a warrant to take a blood draw immediately  before the traces of drugs or alcohol begin to dissipate. It enables officers to communicate directly with a judge through a teleconference, after which he can sign the warrant electronically. The officer receives permission to take a blood draw within minutes.

It all sounds seamless, right? One problem: the police officer isn't actually the person who draws the blood -- he has to drive the suspect to the nearest ER or clinic where a healthcare worker takes the blood.

Or doesn't. Defense lawyers envision cases where the suspect is physically resisting and the healthcare worker simply refuses to stick a needle in them, fearing for the safety of the suspect as well as their own. Or perhaps the ER is swamped on a weekend night, too busy saving lives, and can't afford to take time for a blood draw. ER personnel may also be wary of providing blood samples to any outside labs, where mistakes might be made.

In other words, healthcare workers may resist their new, expanded law enforcement duties.

And drivers still have a right to refuse a blood draw. In fact, defense attorneys are practically salivating at the prospect of contesting a forced blood draw in court.

So, as is the case, with breath tests, there are legal, ethical and practical reasons why drivers and healthcare workers will still refuse to cooperate.

And thats their right.
Stedman Graham, a New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned speaker on Identity Leadership During my time teaching at National University, I witnessed the dedication of its students and experienced the Universitys commitment to supporting them toward achieving their education and career goals

Stedman Graham, a New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned speaker on Identity Leadership, will deliver the keynote address at the April 22 Northern California Commencement Ceremony for National University, which is among the largest private, nonprofit universities in California.

A widely-regarded speaker in the field of Identity Leadership, Grahams message is grounded in the fact that the key to success is self-leadership capability. He has authored 11 books, including two New York Times bestsellers, and as chairman and CEO of S. Graham & Associates, Graham teaches the process of becoming a more effective leader to audiences around the world. A veteran of the United States Army, he specializes in sectors such as education, military and nonprofits.

During my time teaching at National University, I witnessed the dedication of its students and experienced the Universitys commitment to supporting them toward achieving their education and career goals, said Graham. As they embark on this new phase of their lives, I am honored to share my message of leadership and giving back with National University graduates who are inspired lifelong learners, dedicated to making a positive impact in society.

Serving as a presidential faculty appointee at National University, Graham taught Identity Leadership at military bases all over the country, including bases where National University offers its programs. Earning a bachelors degree in social work from Hardin-Simmons University and a masters degree in education from Ball State University, Grahams commitment to education and lifelong learning aligns with National Universitys founding mission to provide quality, accessible education to a diverse population of adult learners such as working parents, educators and the military community. About a quarter of National University students are active duty or have previously served in the military, and the Universitys Veteran Center is dedicated to supporting these students in their transition to campus and civilian life.

Stedman Grahams involvement at National University has been deeply appreciated by our students, faculty and staff, said Dr. David Andrews, President of National University. We applaud his devotion to serving the global community, as he exemplifies the highest standards of leadership and public service that serve as a benchmark for our graduates.

Commitment to community development and mentorship is central to Grahams philosophy. He is the founder of several youth mentorship programs such as the Concerned Citizens of Whitesboro, Grahams hometown, and is co-founder of The Community Alliance for Youth Success. Graham speaks and teaches from experience, having served in the United States Army and expands his positive impact on communities by supporting education programs for active military, veterans and their families.

The 2018 National University Northern California Commencement Ceremony is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 22 at the San Jose Convention Center. It will be presided over by Dr. David Andrews, National University President and Dr. Michael R. Cunningham, Chancellor of the National University System. More than 600 graduates will attend the ceremony, which recognizes a diverse student population and includes students completing their degree programs online and at the Universitys Northern California campuses.

National Universitys Southern California Commencement Ceremony is set for May 19 at San Diegos Petco Park.

ABOUT NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1971, National University is among the largest, private, nonprofit universities in California. With more than 150,000 alumni, National University is the flagship institution of the National University System. National University is dedicated to making lifelong learning opportunities accessible, challenging, and relevant to a diverse population of students. Four schools and two colleges  the College of Letters and Sciences; the Sanford College of Education; the School of Business and Management; the School of Engineering and Computing; the School of Health and Human Services; and the School of Professional Studies  offer more than 100 graduate and undergraduate degrees and 23 teacher credentials. Programs are offered at locations throughout California and across the nation, and are also available online. National University is headquartered in La Jolla, California. http://www.nu.edu/
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Last May, 180 former federal prosecutors who worked in the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York signed on to a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein calling for the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

The letter came just days after President Donald Trump fired James Comey as FBI director.

Now, a handful of the signees find themselves involved in the case against Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen.

Trump's attorney representing him in the case, Joanna Hendon, an accomplished trial attorney who used to work in the Manhattan US attorney's office, is a partner at Spears & Imes, a boutique law firm specializing in white collar criminal and civil litigation. Her partners, David Spears and Linda Imes, signed onto the letter. Hendon was not a signatory.

Additionally, two signatories to the letter were among the four nominees submitted by Cohen's attorneys to Judge Kimba Wood as options to serve as a special master, which Cohen's attorneys have sought to initially review the documents obtained by the FBI during the raids on Cohen's residences and office and make determinations on what is and is not covered by attorney-client privilege. Those two are Joan McPhee and Tai Park, former federal prosecutors who now work as defense attorneys.

The group of Republican, Democratic, and independent former federal prosecutors wrote that Comey's "abrupt and belated termination for" conduct related to the investigation into 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server that occurred after "his public testimony about his oversight of the investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election, has the appearance  if not the reality  of interfering with that investigation."

"Even if this investigation continues unabated, there is a substantial risk that the American people will not have confidence in its results, no matter who is appointed to succeed him, given that the Director of the FBI serves at the pleasure of the President," the letter continued. "We believe it is critical in the present political climate and clearly in the publics interest that this investigation be directed by a truly independent, non-partisan prosecutor who is independent of the Department of Justice."

Park and a representative for McPhee declined to comment. Spears and Imes did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Read the full May 2017 letter:

"We, the undersigned, are former United States Attorneys and Assistant United States Attorneys for the Southern District of New York. In view of the recent termination of James Comey as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, we are writing to request that you appoint a special counsel to oversee the FBIs continuing investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential election and related matters. This letter is addressed to you rather than the Attorney General since he has recused himself from this matter."

"As you know, Jim has had a long and distinguished career with the Department of Justice, beginning with his appointment as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York serving under United States Attorneys Rudolph Giuliani, Benito Romano and Otto Obermaier from 1987 through 1993. He returned to the Southern District of New York in 2002 when he was appointed the United States Attorney and served in that capacity until he was confirmed as Deputy Attorney General in 2003. Most of us came to know Jim when he worked in the Southern District of New York. Many of us know him personally. All of us respect him as a highly professional and ethical person who has devoted more than 20 years of his life to public service."

"While we do not all necessarily agree with the manner in which he dealt with the conclusion of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, we sincerely believe that his abrupt and belated termination for this conduct, occurring months later and on the heels of his public testimony about his oversight of the investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election, has the appearance  if not the reality  of interfering with that investigation. Even if this investigation continues unabated, there is a substantial risk that the American people will not have confidence in its results, no matter who is appointed to succeed him, given that the Director of the FBI serves at the pleasure of the President. We believe it is critical in the present political climate and clearly in the publics interest that this investigation be directed by a truly independent, non-partisan prosecutor who is independent of the Department of Justice, as is contemplated by 28 C.F.R. 600.1."
After sending a delegation of athletes and members of the ruling family to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, North Korea has made significant strides in thawing relations  though some political observers remain skeptical of the regime's motives.

Here are the latest developments between the US, South Korea, and North Korea:

During her trip to South Korea, Kim Yo Jong  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister  delivered a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The letter indicated a willingness to foster better relations between the Koreas. There was also an invitation to visit Pyongyang, North Korea's capital.

Kim Yo Jong's trip to South Korea marked the first time since the Korean War that a ruling family member of the North Korean regime visited the country.

North Korea then sent Kim Yong Chol, the country's vice chairman of the ruling Worker's Party Central Committee and the country's former intelligence chief, to South Korea for the Closing Ceremony at the Winter Olympics. Following Yo Jong's lead, Yong Chol also delivered a bombshell announcement: that North Korea was willing to hold diplomatic talks with the US.

Source:

Meanwhile, the US imposed additional punitive measures against North Korea. The new restrictions were lauded as the "largest package of new sanctions" on the regime, which included targeting ships suspected of carrying banned weapons components to or from North Korea.

Source:

Despite his heated rhetoric in public statements, US President Donald Trump has also teased the possibility of conducting talks with North Korea.

Source:

Meanwhile, the US State Department stressed that it would only entertain discussions with North Korea only if the regime commits to denuclearization.

Source:

But the State Department experienced personnel shortages for key positions. The Trump administration decided not to nominate as ambassador to South Korea Victor Cha, a leading expert on the Korean Peninsula. The position has remained unfilled for over a year.

Following his canceled nomination, Dr. Cha joined the MSNBC team as a Korean affairs analyst.

Joseph Yun, the point man on US-North Korean relations in the State Department, also resigned due to personal reasons.

After the Winter Olympics, South Korea sent an envoy of senior security officials to North Korea. The discussions appeared to bear fruit, as North Korea made several remarks indicating its willingness to soften its rhetoric.

South Korean officials said that North Korea expressed its "will" to denuclearize if its national security was guaranteed, and that it would halt its nuclear and missile tests during bilateral talks.

Source:

The two Koreas have also made plans to re-establish a hotline, and a landmark meeting between President Moon and Kim is set to take place in April  the first meeting between leaders of the two countries in 11 years.

Despite the apparent progress on the Korean Peninsula, a South Korean government official said it was not possible to postpone its annual joint military drills with the US in April  an activity that frequently bristles the North.

In response to the most recent developments, Trump said that he believes North Korea is "sincere," but noted that "they are sincere also because the sanctions."

The US also upped the ante against the North on Tuesday, March 6, announcing a new set of sanctions after the State Department determined North Korea used the chemical agent VX to assassinate Kim Jong Nam  Kim Jong Un's half-brother  in 2017.

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The South Korean envoy traveled to the US, where they briefed their counterparts on their discussions with North Korea.

In a groundbreaking announcement, South Korean National Security adviser Chung Eui-yong said that Kim invited Trump for a meeting and that Trump had accepted. The meeting will be held "by May," according to Chung.

President Moon praised the outcome of the invitation and called the recent developments a "historic milestone which will contribute to achieving peace on the peninsula in the future."

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On March 22, Trump announced that national security adviser H.R. McMaster was stepping down. Trump nominated former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton as his replacement.

Bolton's hawkish statements on North Korea have been viewed as troubling for many foreign policy experts.

On March 27, China announced that Kim made a trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The trip marked the first meeting between the two leaders, and the first time Kim met a world leader since he assumed power in 2011.

CIA director Mike Pompeo was revealed to have traveled to North Korea on April 1. Pompeo is believed to have met with Kim to discuss the upcoming summit between Kim and Trump.

On April 1, a 160-member art troupe from South Korea performed at Pyongyang for the first time since 2005.

Kim Jong Un and his wife also made a surprise appearance at the concert that included K-pop stars.

On April 15, South Korea unveiled promotional materials for the upcoming summits, including a website and the slogan: "Peace, a new start."

On April 20, North Korea's state-run news agency announced that the country would "stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles."
Former President Bill Clinton reportedly spread a conspiracy theory that The New York Times's publisher struck a deal with President Donald Trump to help get him elected, according to The Daily Beast.

In the forthcoming book "Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling" by Times reporter Amy Chozick, she wrote that Clinton started spreading a rumor that, in order to help get Trump elected, The Times decided it was going to hit Clinton's wife and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hard for her use of a private email server.

According to Chozick's book, Clinton said the deal between Trump and The Times was based upon Trump's ability to drive traffic and bolster The Times's stock price. The book also claimed the relationship between The Times and the Clinton campaign was "somewhat acrimonious."

The revelations of Clinton's conspiracy theory is just one of several to appear in Chozick's book, which profiles Hillary's quest for the White House.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly announced his country will stop conducting nuclear and missile tests, the nation's state-run news media reported early Saturday morning local time.

"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," KCNA said on Friday, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap News.

"The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test," Yonhap reported.

North Korea further claimed that a nuclear test center "will be discarded in order to ensure the transparency of the suspension of the nuclear test."

The regime conducted its most recent nuclear test in September 2017. It's last known ICBM test occured in November the same year, according to a timeline compiled by the Arms Control Association.

While North Korea's statement could indicate a positive step toward lowering tensions on the Korean Peninsula, it falls short of saying it would scrap its existing missiles or nuclear weapons. Experts weighed in with some healthy skepticism about the latest development.

"They have reached a point in their development cycle/testing sequence that this is probably technologically true," MIT associate professor Vipin Narang wrote on Twitter. "In fact they told us in November already that they had reached completion of their nuclear deterrent."

"The precise language here is important," Narang continued. "Closing the testing site doesn't preclude atmospheric nuclear tests for example (or other sites). And missile tests could still be conducted under the guise of space launch vehicles," he said.

North Korea has made these types of pronouncements before

In 2008, North Korea signaled it would curb its nuclear program by televising the destruction of a water-cooling tower at a plutonium extraction facility, only to announce that it would "readjust and restart" in 2013.

The latest development comes just days before North and South Korean leaders are scheduled to meet for diplomatic talks on April 27.

North Korea has made similar overtures and symbolic gestures ahead of the summit, including reestablishing a dedicated hotline between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Kim, and agreeing to meet with US President Donald Trump for separate discussions at a later date.

Trump praised the news and called it a sign of "big progress."

"North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site," Trump wrote on Twitter. "This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

The US president's secretary of state nominee, Mike Pompeo, made a secret trip to North Korea during Easter weekend to lay the groundwork for the meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un.

North Korea's announcement also follows a sharp message from Japan's defense minister on Thursday, in which he said that US-led coalition air strikes against Syria's regime was a "message" to North Korea.
Saudi Arabia screened Marvel blockbuster "Black Panther" on Wednesday night, marking the country's first film screening in more than three decades.

The screening was praised by advocates as a milestone in Saudi's modernization efforts, but attendees were reminded of the country's conservative laws when crucial scenes in the film were censored for modesty.

The film's regional distributor, Italia Film, told The Hollywood Reporter that 40 seconds of the film had been censored, which it said was on par with edits made for screenings of the film throughout the region.

According to Associated Press, the ending scene which featured a kiss between characters was cut, despite scenes that depicted violence being left in.

Awwad Alawwad, Saudi's minister of culture and information, attended the Riyadh premiere and told Associated Press films screened in the country need to strike a balance for Saudi audiences.

"We want to ensure the movies are in line with our culture and respect for values. Meanwhile, we want to provide people with a beautiful show and really enjoy watching their own movies," he said.

Last year, Saudi Arabia announced movies chosen for screening couldn't contradict "Sharia Laws and moral values in the Kingdom."

Variety noted in December that movies screened in Saudi Arabia can expect strong censorship, particularly around scenes which feature sex, LGBT representation, and religious issues.

Mario Haddad Jr., a Middle East distributor for Empire International, told Variety that films shown in the region are usually cut shorter than their international releases.

Many major blockbusters, like 2009's "Watchmen", were heavily cut for Middle East audiences, which critics said led to the movie being "near incomprehensible."

Producers of the 2011 film "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" declined to show the movie in Gulf cinemas with the requested cuts, which prompted backlash.

Saudi Arabia's decision to lift the 35-year ban on cinemas points to major efforts by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to modernize the country and make its economy more competitive on the global stage.

Saudi Arabia plans to open about 350 cinemas and 2,500 screens by 2030.
Demonstrators, clad in red, held placards with inscriptions: "No to US military base in Ghana," "This wasn't what you promised us King Promise," "Ghanaians deserve some respect Mr Akufo-Addo," "We want jobs not military base," "Our sovereignty is not for sale" among others.

The military agreement gives the US military "unimpeded" access to Ghana, immunity for US soldiers, access to runways, tax exceptions, radio frequency among others.
READ MORE: It appears Eugene has been moved as communications director

"From an initial membership of five countries namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand and then white-ruled South Africa, who were linked by ties of blood and race to Britain, to becoming, now, a 53-member organisation of diverse, once colonised peoples from all the continents of the world, who have gained their freedom and sovereignty, and are today equal members with Britain in the Commonwealth of Nations, the President said when he delivered a toast to Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace, on the occasion of the Queens Dinner for Heads of Government of the Commonwealth.

He added: Her Majesty has been the influence that has steered the Commonwealth to pay greater attention to our shared values and better governance. She has been the rock that has kept this organization sturdy, and true to its positive beliefs."

Meanwhile Britain's Prince Charles will be the body's next head as the Queen winds down her duties as Head of the Commonwealth.

On that, President Akufo-Addo noted that his toast takes on an added significance, as it falls upon him to express the depth of the collective regret of the Commonwealth that she would no longer automatically be present at meeting.

The Organisation would, undoubtedly, be the poorer for it, as we shall miss her inspiring presence, her calm, her steadiness, and, above all, her great love and belief in the higher purpose of this Commonwealth of Nations, and in its capacity to be a force for good in our world, he said.

He continued, Over the years, she has extended her customary courtesy, and smoothened the entry into the club for new leaders, making them feel at home in her practiced and direct manner. This being my first CHOGM as President of the Republic of Ghana, I am one of the new entrants into the family, and have become a beneficiary of Her Majestys legendary ability to make you feel at ease and forget that you are nervous.
Mr Amidu, who has revealed that he was once paid double when he was the deputy attorney general but refund the money when he noticed it, says his conscience won't allow him to prosecute ordinary Ghanaians for corruption and leave out the political elite.

He was livid by media reports that the Minority Leader is negotiating with the President to let the MPs who have been implicated in the scandal to refund the money.

He said: "Why should a Special Prosecutor be prosecuting ordinary Ghanaians and your honourables will be involved in these things; then they will be talking to the president to wash it up. Then I have no need sitting here. I wont even have the conscience to continue

"Will I have the conscience to prosecute any other body for corruption if the CID finds something prosecutable and are not allowed to prosecute because Members of Parliament are involved? That is not fair.
The move was in fulfilment of the Presidential Office Act which mandates the president to submit to parliament annually the list of presidential staffers.

The publication of the list of presidential staffers from the Jubilee House has generated shock and disbelief among Ghanaians.

The president's mantra of protecting the public purse has also come under strict scrutiny following the revelation that nearly 1000 people work at the Jubilee House.

The duplicity of roles and overlapping of jobs appears to also irk some Ghanaians.

"Having enough Public and Civil servants at the ISD thus information service department etc and yet we have staffers who are labelled as Camera Man, Technical Assistant Photographer, Technical Assistant Video, Laison Photographer, Programme Officer, Manager etc," Wonder Madilo, an aspiring National Youth Organiser of the opposition National Democratic Congress posted on Facebook.

A Twitter user quizzed: "After appointing 110 ministers, you go ahead to employ 998 presidentialstaffers. Are we running a monarch?

"Aah, 998 presidentialstaffers

"PRESIDENTIAL STAFFERS: Kufour - 692(2004), Kufour - 613 (2008), Mahama - 678(2014) (and) Nana Addo - 998(2017). The gods must be crazy," @Putinspeaks tweeted.

"If NPP came to even meet 2000 people, they could still trim the number! They dont need 998 people to run the Jubilee House! This is just tantamount to wanton dissipation of public funds! Job for the boys plenty too much! What in Zeuss name is a lady-in-waiting? Unacceptable!," Yaw Oteng Asante tweeted.

READ MORE: NPP employs doctors for their regional elections in the Ashanti Region

Meanwhile a former presidential staffer under the Mahama administration has criticised the 998 list of presidential staffers.
They included stools from the Hemingway Bar, a 19th-century bathtub, and sofas and a harp from the Proust Lounge.

The Ritz sale outperformed other hotels around the world, the auction house said.

In 2013 in Paris, Hotel de Crillon made 5.9 million euros from a furniture sale while Plaza Athenee made 1.4 million euros.

The 3,400 lots that were up for grabs were on sale between April 17 and 21.

Buyers bid on objects ranging from velvet security cordons and curtain ties, to rugs, bedframes and sets of bathrobes and slippers embroidered with the Ritz insignia.

Price estimates ran from 100 euros for a pair of tablecloths to 10,000 euros for a pair of nymph sculptures carrying bronze candelabras that used to decorate the lobby.

"The Ritz has excited a sudden passion, attracting buyers from all over the world," auctioneer Francois Tajan told AFP.

The Ritz decided to sell the pieces from its famous Place Vendome address when it reopened in June 2016 after four years of extensive renovations.

Owned by Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed since 1979, the hotel had accumulated impressive quantities of objects since it was opened in 1898 by Cesar Ritz.

It has served as the backdrop to several key moments in French history.

The Nazis requisitioned it during World War II but had cleared out by the time Ernest Hemingway burst in with a group of Resistance fighters on August 25, 1944, gun in hand, to "personally liberate" it.

Realising he was too late Hemingway took to the bar where he is said to have run up a tab for 51 dry Martinis.

In 1997, tragedy befell the hotel when Britain's Princess Diana, who had been staying there, was killed in a car accident in a Paris tunnel while being pursued by paparazzi.
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Many North Korea experts greeted Kim's announcement with quick skepticism, noting he signaled no intention of actually disarming, and wondering what concessions the enigmatic leader would now expect from the United States.

"All of the steps Kim has announced are completely reversible and amount to only words and empty promises -- and North Korea is not exactly known to keep its word," said Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at the Center for the National Interest, a conservative think tank in Washington.

North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since September and its last ballistic missile launch was in November, but Kazianis cautioned Kim could quickly ramp up again if he does not get what he wants from a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, or at subsequent talks with Trump.

"The international community, therefore, should be hopeful -- but not stupid," Kazianis told AFP.

Several other analysts poured cold water on Pyongyang's statement, saying that while it offered a pause on testing, it recommits North Korea to being a nuclear power, instead of moving it toward denuclearization.

And observers are dubious about trusting North Korean pledges, after decades of broken promises from the hermit regime surrounding its nuclear program.

But Joel Wit, a senior fellow at the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University who has studied North Korea for decades, expressed frustration with some of the skeptical reaction to Kim's latest move.

He said it is clear that Kim is now intent on pivoting from his nuclear program to modernizing North Korea's economy, and Saturday's statement underscores that.

"I don't know what it will take for people to see this is serious," Wit told AFP.

"These are steps that no one was expecting."

Broken promises

Indeed, it was only in September that Kim was calling "mentally deranged" Trump a "dotard," after the American president labeled the North Korean leader "Rocket Man" on a "suicide mission."

The name-calling came after Trump as a candidate had said he would be open to meeting Kim, later terming him a "smart cookie."

Despite Trump's zig-zagging rhetoric on Kim, Kazianis credited him for his pressure campaign, which has included increasingly tough sanctions backed by the UN Security Council and others.

Without Trump's action, "Kim would most likely have already started his normal missile testing several weeks ago, and likely tested another ICBM. This is a significant, but very small, victory for Team Trump," Kazianis said.

Wit too said the Trump administration had "certainly played a part in recent events," but sees North Korea as having a clearer long term plan than the United States.

"These are not just moves from the top of their heads," Wit said of North Korean officials.

Kim's announcement now sets the stage for a better atmosphere for the summits with Moon and Trump, but also puts pressure on the Trump administration to negotiate seriously and try to deliver a positive outcome, he added.

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees -- potentially leaving much space for disagreement.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

Victor Cha, senior adviser and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Axios that the "glaring unanswered question in all of this" is what the US will give in return for North Korea's concessions.
Blankenship is running in a primary there for the chance to go head to head in November with Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democratic incumbent, whose seat Republicans were once confident they could snatch. President Donald Trump won the state by 42 points.

But Blankenship, a former coal magnate, has serious blemishes. Make that pocks. Actually, gaping, oozing sores: He served a year in federal prison for conspiring to violate safety rules, after 29 of his miners died in a 2010 explosion. Hes campaigning while on probation.

Oh, and his company settled a lawsuit that accused it of contaminating West Virginians drinking water even as he installed a pristine private supply of water for his own home. Hes a knight in toxic armor  and certainly not the Manchin-slaying hero that party bigwigs had in mind.

If hes the nominee, that race is off the table, a prominent Republican strategist told me, adding that groups affiliated with the party are poised to spend whatever it takes to stop Blankenship. The candidate, in turn, is comparing that outside interference to Russias attempted corruption of the presidential election.

West Virginia may be the wackiest theater in the battle between Republicans and Democrats for control of the Senate, but across the country, the fight is getting messier, Republicans are confronting unanticipated obstacles and the outcome is growing harder to predict.

Republicans have a mere 51-49 advantage in the chamber, and theyre still favored to hold onto that majority, a state of play that confounds casual observers, who wonder how a predicted blue wave wouldnt wash away such a tiny gap.

Easy: Of the 35 senators who are up for re-election, 26 are Democrats and only nine are Republicans. Ten of those Democrats are defending their seats in states that Trump won in 2016, and in five of those states  West Virginia, North Dakota, Montana, Indiana and Missouri  the presidents victory margin was enormous and he maintains an approval rating significantly higher than his national number. Meanwhile, only one Republican, Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada, is defending his seat in a state that Hillary Clinton won.

But recent developments in West Virginia and elsewhere underscore how unsettled and unpredictable the situation is. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., who is retiring at the end of this year, went out of his way last week to praise the Democrat running for his seat, Phil Bredesen, the former governor and Nashville mayor.

He was a very good mayor, a very good governor, a very good businessperson, Corker said at an event in Washington, adding that he wouldnt campaign for Bredesens likely Republican opponent, Rep. Marsha Blackburn; that Republican donors in Tennessee were hosting fundraisers for Bredesen; and that Bredesen probably had a 6-point lead in the race. A Tennessee poll from late last month put him 10 points ahead of Blackburn, but political analysts say that its too early to read much into such surveys. Tennessee remains a red state.

Even so, Trump tweeted an endorsement of Blackburn the day after Corker fawned over Bredesen. The Washington Post reported that the president also called her to buck her up and that Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader, took Corker aside on the Senate floor to register his displeasure.

Displeasure is too mild a word for Republican leaders feelings about whats happening in Missouri. The scandals enveloping the states Republican governor, Eric Greitens, have utterly overshadowed the Senate campaign of the states Republican attorney general, Josh Hawley, an up-and-comer who was supposed to topple Sen. Claire McCaskill, the Democratic incumbent.

It would take an entire column to explain the Greitens saga, which involves bondage and accusations of blackmail. Its what youd get if you mashed up House of Cards and Fifty Shades of Grey. Hawley has implored him to resign. The states Republican lawmakers are contemplating impeachment. And McCaskill looks less worried about her re-election by the day.

Some candidates cant catch breaks. McCaskill has some magical mitt for collecting them. Although Missouri leans heavily Republican, she defended her Senate seat six years ago against self-appointed sexologist Todd Akin, he of the crackpot distinction between legitimate and illegitimate rape. This time around, her gift is her states Republican meltdown.

She is definitely the luckiest woman in politics, Jennifer Duffy, who analyzes Senate races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, told me late last week. Duffy now gives Democrats a 40 percent to 45 percent chance of a Senate majority.

McCaskill is plenty enterprising, too, and has raised much, much more money than Hawley, whose favor with party leaders is fading fast. Hes this young guy and hes allergic to hard work, groused the Republican strategist I mentioned before.

The fundraising success of many Democratic Senate candidates speaks to heightened passions among Trump-apoplectic Democrats, but it also reflects deepening pessimism among Trump-anxious Republicans, who fear that the nonstop presidential melodrama will drag down the partys Senate and House candidates.

Another prominent Republican strategist noted that donations to national groups that will help the partys Senate candidates have accelerated and told me that big donors will increasingly flock to the Senate races because they rightly estimate that Republicans chances there will be much better than in the House.

Im not lying awake at night fearful that were going to lose the Senate, he said, but I think its way more complicated than people think it is.

Republicans got a sole piece of great news a few weeks ago, when Rick Scott, the Republican governor of Florida, announced his candidacy against Sen. Bill Nelson, the states Democratic incumbent. Scott can bankroll much of his own campaign, potentially freeing outside groups to spend on Senate races elsewhere.

In Texas, for example. A poll published last week put Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican incumbent, only 3 points ahead of Rep. Beto ORourke, his Democratic challenger. That was within the margin of error.

If I had to place a bet, Id bet on Cruz, because Texas is Texas and hell benefit from the fact that the states Republican governor, Greg Abbott, is also running for re-election and has a crackerjack voter-turnout operation.

But ORourkes advance is at the very least a metaphor: Nothing can be taken for granted. Its a very weird year, Duffy said. In a very weird country, at least these days.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The strategy has been at the center of his governments propaganda and is enshrined in the charter of the governing Workers Party. But Kim said it was now time to adopt a new strategic line and focus the nations resources on rebuilding its economy.

As for nuclear weapons, he essentially declared that mission accomplished, saying North Korea no longer needed to test long-range missiles or atomic bombs and would close its only known nuclear test site. The byungjin policy, he said, already had achieved a great victory  an arsenal capable of deterring the nations enemies.

Kims pivot from nuclear testing and toward the economy came just days before a scheduled meeting with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea and weeks before his planned summit meeting with President Donald Trump.

Despite lingering doubts about his nations ability to strike the continental United States with a nuclear weapon, Kim appeared to be making clear he intends to enter negotiations with Washington the way the Soviets did decades ago, as an established nuclear power.

The big question is whether he will relinquish his nuclear weapons.

South Korean policymakers argue that Kim is signaling a willingness to dismantle his nuclear arsenal for the right incentives, including economic aid, a peace treaty and other security guarantees from Washington  measures he needs to rebuild the Norths economy.

U.S. officials say they have been repeatedly cheated by the North in previous talks on denuclearization. A deal in 1994 eventually collapsed when the United States accused the North of secretly enriching uranium. Another deal in 2005 fell apart in a dispute over how to verify a nuclear freeze. In 2012, the North launched a long-range rocket after agreeing to a moratorium on missile testing.

Kims decision to make the economy the nations priority and suspend nuclear tests was unanimously adopted at a Workers Party meeting Friday. He also pledged to neither use nor proliferate nuclear weapons unless faced with a nuclear threat.

Washington, Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo welcomed the move, although they cautioned that the suspension of tests was just one step toward denuclearization. The announcement made no mention of further steps.

If Kim is serious about economic growth, he will need the worlds help, analysts say. They point to the example set in the 1980s by Chinas paramount leader at the time, Deng Xiaoping, whose opening to the West was critical to his countrys boom.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Adeosun, in spite of the warning by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that debt levels in African economies were rising, said she owes no one an apology because the country had to borrow to exit economic hardship on its citizens.

The finance minister while speaking to newsmen on the sideline of the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings at the ongoing 2018 IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington DC, said Nigeria had nothing to worry about.

Nigeria is a middle-income country

Kemi Adeosun said the country is not part of the low-income country that debt levels can affect.

It is correct that debt levels in low-income countries is a threat but Nigeria is better described as a middle-income country.

The concern that has been expressed, and its a legitimate one, is that debt levels in those countries are at 55% of GDP which is very high but Nigerias is at less than 20.

So we are not one of the countries they have expressed concerns about. However we will continue to manage our debt very very responsibly.

We are at 20% of GDP and we do not intend to grow it aggressively. We are doing well at the moment as debt rate to revenue is going down gradually as we replace debt with revenue and refinancing our debt, she said.

Also READ: Here is the amount each Nigerian State generated in 2017

Nigeria government is monitoring debt levels at every stage

Adeosun said the government would keep monitoring and analysing its debt levels at every stage so that they dont fall into the trap that most African States had fallen into.

The Minister reminded Nigerians that due to the recession and near collapse of major sources of income, which it had inherited, from the former administration, the government had no choice but to borrow in order to save the country.

The options Nigeria had

Minister Kemi Adeosun said the country decided to take on more debt and invest in infrastructure so that growth can keep going.

There were two options. One was austerity, cut back, lay people off, and wait for the oil prices to rebound.

The other was to be more aggressive by expanding the budget, take on more debt and invest in infrastructure in the hope that you will get growth going and then you will be able to develop more revenues.

Step one, two and three of that has been done. We expanded our budget, we pumped money into the economy, we made sure that recession was not prolonged and we are now back into growth.

What we need to do now is to accelerate that growth and focus on revenue mobilisation which in turn will reduce our debt pressures.

Some of the ministers that I was in the meeting with are still in recession. And that means real pain for a long time. In Nigeria, to shorten it, we had to borrow in order to do so and I make no apologies for that, that was the right thing to do, she said.

IMF on rising debt levels

On Thursday, April 19, 2018, Christine Lagarde, the IMF Managing Director, opined that Global debt stood at 164 trillion dollars which were 25% of global GDP.

She said the rising debt levels presented a risk to low-income countries.

Lagarde said such countries may face hardship and be unable to repay these debts if they do not look for alternative measures to borrowing.

Nigeria's debt profile

Nigerias total national debt grew to N21.7 trillion ($70.92 billion) at the end of December 2017, according to the Debt Management Office.

Of this amount, the domestic debt incurred by the Federal Government was N12.589trn, while that of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was put at N3.348trn.

External debt of the Federal Government, the states and FCT was N5.78trn, making the gross total N21.7trn.
Jangebe disclosed this on Friday in Zurmi while speaking at the official launch of Cash Transfer Disbursement Programme of UNICEF Educate A Child (EAC) project.

He said UNICEF sponsored 163 female teachers at the state College of education Maru under its Female Teachers Training Service Scheme with the aim of boosting girl child education in the state.

He noted that the state government had in 2013 signed Memorandum of Understanding with the UNICEF for the scheme.

The female teachers were drawn from the 14 local government areas of the state and sponsored by the UNICEF with the agreement of going back to their communities to work after graduation in order to enhance girl child education especially in rural communities.

All of them have graduated and they are waiting for employment by the state government.

I am using this opportunity to call on the state government to employ these teachers so as to increase the number of our female teachers and improve girl child education in the state, he said.

Jangebe commended UNICEF and Qatar Foundation for the sponsorship and implementation of the EAC project.

He said the state government was in partnership with the UNICEF in various programmes to enhance both basic and post basic education in the state.

He urged the benefiting parents to utilize the assistance given to them to support their children to be educated.

In his remark, the Chief UNICEF Field Office, Sokoto, Mohameden Fall, said Zamfara was one of the four states partnering with the UNICEF and Qatar Foundation on the EAC project.

Fall said that the overall goal of the EAC project was to expand access to quality basic education for out-of-school children in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara states.

He said more than 10,000 out-of-school children were being targeted under the programme across the three local government areas chosen in the state.

I am calling on the state government to extend the project to other LGAs considering the high rate of out-of-school children in the state, he said.
Adichie's inclusion in the list of speakers scheduled to address the graduating students was announced on the Harvard Gazette.

The event will be coming up a day before the prestigious institution's 367th anniversary, Harvards 367th Commencement.

Speaking on Adichie's selection, Jerry Nelluvelil, the co-chair of the speaker selection committee said, We are honored to welcome Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as our Class Day speaker. Her eloquence and perspective as a writer and public speaker have inspired audiences to look beyond stereotypes and social norms to recognize our common humanity.

Jerry continued saying, In her captivating TED talks, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie urges us to better understand one anothers stories and to plan for a world of happier men and happier women who are truer to themselves. This is a powerful message for our class to hear as we reflect on our time at Harvard and prepare to write the next chapter of our stories, said Jerry Nelluvelil, co-chair of the speaker selection committee.

ALSO READ: Chimamanda Adichie shares her sexual assault story at 17!

The Harvard College Senior Class Committee has invited a guest speaker for Class Day since 1968.

Prior to that, the honor was given to University affiliates, such as deans, faculty, or classmates.

Late Martin Luther King Jr was the first individual to speak at the Class Day after accepting the invitation shortly before his assassination.

To this end, Martin Luther King's widow, Coretta Scott King, delivered the speech in his absence and also became the first woman to give a Class Day address at Harvard.

Chimamanda Adichie shares her sexual assault story at 17

Recently, Chimamanda Adichie has shared a story of how she was sexually assaulted at the age of 17.

The award-winning author made this known during an address at the just concluded Stockholm Forum for Gender Equality.
They convinced her to ride on a bicycle with them to the house of the second accomplice called Meraj, in Lucknow.

It was at that place that the father handed over his daughter to his two friends to have sex with.

Feeling shortchanged, the man joined his friend and they camped and raped his own daughter for 18 undiluted hours before she was able to escape from them the next day.

Daily Mail report indicated that Meraj, a fake doctor with no medical license was arrested after the victim went back and narrated her ordeal to her mother who did not hesitate to report it to the police.

Apparently, the incestuous father has always been affectionate towards his daughter.

Reports say the man was banished from his village in November last year following accusations that he was engaged in an incestuous relationship with his daughter.

A police source is quoted as saying: A panchayat was called and the father was arrested. He got bail in February this year.
The state's commissioner made the revelation while reeling out the achievements of the Lagos State ministry of Justice in the last one year.

Adeniji raised the alarm over the increasing cases of housewives who now batter their husbands on Friday, April 20, 2018.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also disclosed that no fewer than 138 of such cases were reported to the agency in charge of domestic violence.

He said: Ministry has noted an increase in report of domestic abuse against men. To date, the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) has received a total number of 138 cases in this regard.

Maryam Sanda kills hubby in Abuja for cheating

On Sunday, November 19, 2017, Bello was reportedly stabbed several times to death by his wife after she reportedly found a text message on his phone purportedly sent to him by another woman.
Sherifat, a 32-year-old hairdresser said her husband, Bolaji Ojelabi, is so promiscuous that he comes home with his concubines and have sex with them in their matrimonial bedroom.

She further narrated how their matrimonial bedroom is most times littered with condoms used by her husband whenever he has sex with his girlfriends in their Igando home.

Sherifat laments on her husband's adulterous lifestyle

Narrating her ordeal, Sherifat said: Bolaji brings home girls of different sizes, shapes and colours and made love to them on our matrimonial bed.

I used to see used condoms hang on every corner of our bedroom.

One of the girls he brought home got pregnant and gave birth to a baby.

Whenever he made love to me, I suffered infection with serious itching on my private parts that I have to use drugs before relief.

He steals from me

On the allegation of stealing, Sherifat said her husband stole a large sum of money from her aside stealing her ATM card to withdraw cash without her consent.

My husband borrowed N170, 000 from me and took another N150, 000, my contribution money in our room without telling me.

"He also took my ATM card to withdraw N300, 000 from my account without my consent.

When the issue resulted into a fight, his mother singlehandedly paid N350, 000 out of the money," the hairdresser said.

Sherifat further described her husband as an irresponsible husband and father, saying her mother-in-law had been playing his role in the house.

The hairdresser and wife therefore begged the court to terminate their marriage, claiming that the love she once had for her husband had faded.

I still love her, I will change for the best - Bolaji pleads

In his response, Sherifat's husband of three years, Bolaji, affirmed owning his wife money but said that the money was not up to N620, 000.

Yes, I took her money in the room and also took her ATM without her consent to withdraw only N120, 000 when I was in need of money and she refused to give me.

But all the money together is not up to N620, 000 as she claimed but my mother had paid N350, 000, he said.

Bolaji, a 36-year-old public servant denied littering their bedroom with condoms, but agreed having a girlfriend who got pregnant for him.

Affirming that he beats his wife but never strip her naked, Bolaji denied being a cult member.

I am not a cult member, I left the school willingly because some cult members wanted to force me into their groups, he said.
According to Daily Post, the ex-VPs media team also issued a statement describing the news as blatant lies.

The statement reads: Rumours that Atiku Abubakar got married to a new wife in Dubai are outright lies & fabrication.

The former VP, family & friends among them Obi of Onitsha were honoured to have graced the wedding ceremony of Anthony Chuka-Douglas and Whitney Erin Woods.

Atiku dismisses Buhari's claim

The former Vice President has also dismissed the claim by President Buhari that Nigerian youths feel entitled to sit and do nothing while the government does everything for them.

Atiku said Nigerian youths are hardworking with great entrepreneurial spirit, work ethic, and creative abilities that should be nurtured.
Buhari said "About the economy, we have a very young population, our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. This is a very conservative one.

"More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven't been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free."

In his reaction, Fayose condemned the Presidents comment saying that Buhari joined the Nigerian Army without his O Level certificate.

According to Daily Post, he said Under President Buhari; a man who got everything as a youth despite his academic limitations, farms are no longer safe for our youths who have taken to farming. They are being murdered by herdsmen and the President is looking the other way. Within 3 years, over 10m jobs lost!

If Nigeria was without opportunities for the youths like this when President Buhari was a youth, he would have probably ended up as a local farmer, rearing cows in Daura. But he had opportunity of joining the army at 19 & becoming a 2nd Lieutenant at 21 without OLevel certificate.

Presidency clears the air on Buharis comment

The Presidents Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, recently issued a statement to clarify what Buhari actually said.

Adesina said his words had been deliberately twisted by mischief makers to fit their agenda.

According to the presidential spokesman, the president did not say that all Nigerian youths are lazy, but rather a lot of them.

He said that the president could not have taken a swipe at all Nigerian youths because he values the youths, and knows that they are the fulcrum on which the future of the country rests.

Atiku dismisses Buhari's comments

Meanwhile, former Vice President the claim by Buhari that Nigerian youths feel entitled to sit and do nothing while the government does everything for them.
The young Kauna and other girls, who were awarded full scholarships and sanctuary at Christian academies in rural America, have explained their travails in the hands of their supposed 'benefactor' in the last four years.

Kauna and the girls narrated their American ordeal and how they were trapped again to the Wall Street Journal.

Escaping from Boko Haram

In 2014, Kauna had jumped out of a moving truck heading toward the Sambisa forest hideout of Boko Haram, in a desperate move to avoid the fate of the more than 200 other schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno State.

She alongside other escapees had been welcomed by the Nigerian government and enrolled into a private Institution, the American University of Nigeria until Emmanuel Ogebe, a Nigerian human-rights lawyer, showed up to take their custody.

The journey to America

Ogebe, who allegedly claims he is an authority on what he termed a Christian genocide in Nigeria, had helped shape U.S. policy toward Africas most populous country, the Wall Street Journal reported.

With this 'power,' Ogebe arrived Nigeria and in a hurry, made demands of the schools administrators to release the Chibok girls in the school's custody.

According to the report, Ogebe was accompanied by parents and pieces of paper demanding the school gives him four Chibok survivors, which include Kauna Bitrus, for weekend meetings in Abuja.

After much pressure, administrators of the American University of Nigeria reluctantly agreed to Ogebe's demand and released the girls. The girls never returned as they found their way to America.

Kauna and nine others were flown to Virginia alongside Ogebe where they were meant to study at the Mountain Mission School, a boarding school in Appalachia.

Ogebe's charms on prominent US dignitaries

Ogebe's calmly narrated accounts of Boko Haram murders of Christians - he rarely mentioned the sects more numerous killings of Muslims - won him friendships with powerful contacts.

Some of the powerful Americans that fell for Ogebe's ability to use the right words to get attention and what he wants are Republican Congressmen, Jason Chaffetz, Chris Smith and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, a Miami Democrat.

Jacob Zenn, a widely-cited Boko Haram expert said Ogebe frames himself as the best personality to talk to when Nigeria's insurgency is concerned.

He frames himself as a go-to-guy to talk about the insurgency. He knows the trigger words to say that will get attention to his issues in Washington, Zenn told WSJ.

In America, the girls were split into two

After landing on the American soil,, the students split up into two groups, both sent to Christian boarding schools in rural America: the Canyonville Christian Academy, Oregon, school run by Doug Wead, the former White House adviser; and Virginias Mountain Mission.

Months after their arrival in the United States, Ogebe and Wead would repeatedly clash, accusing each other of using the young women for personal and political gain.

WSJ reported that Wead says the students evaded one tyrant in Nigeria only to fall into the hands of another in the U.S.

This is a tale of girls being passed from Muslim predators in Africa to Christian predators in America, he said.

Wead was further quoted as saying he never pressed the young women to tell their story but did tell them people would lose interest if they didnt shop their story to filmmakers soon.

The group Kauna belonged to studied in Virginia, returning to high school for the first time since the night of their escape. They shared dorms with around 20 other students.

And Ogebe's alleged exploitation of the girls began in America

After a few days, Ogebe reportedly drove Kauna and another girl to Manhattan with sweet and lofty promises of a better life and secured future.

He told us We are going to New York, to see New York because New York is beautiful, its like the biggest city in America,  Kauna told WSJ.

On their arrival in New York, Ogebe reportedly brought the girls to a conference room full of journalists and before they could phantom what was going on, a phalanx of cameras were flashing lights as Kauna and another student stuttered while retelling the story of their escape.

According to The Wall Street Journal, two reports written by the American schools the Chibok girls attended, as well as two undisclosed Nigerian governmental investigations alleged that Ogebe and his Nigerian associates fraudulently exploited the ex-hostages for tens of thousands of dollars.

In the last four years, the girls have changed schools more than five times as a result of Ogebe's exploits around America, using the girls to solicit funds despite the scholarship and relocation process by the Christian community.

Kauna's verdict: There were too many lies. Its like we were prisoners again."

All the things that have been said about our Uncle Emmanuel are true, said another girl.

For those of you who gave money to him, we are sorry. There is nothing we can do about it. We forgive him, another girl said.

The exploitation route

Ogebe took some of the girls for speaking engagements around the U.S., and later, abroad.

Though the girls' visas showed the schools were responsible for them, Ogebe laid claim as their guardian and on Sundays, Ogebe would often bring one set of Chibok students or another to a church, where donations poured in for their education.

WSJ reported further that according to the Nigerian government investigation, one online fundraiser by the Jubilee Campaign, a Virginia NGO to help religious minorities, raised about $66,000 in the first five months of their time in the U.S.

Ogebe reportedly broke ties with the charity in 2015 after he insisted he is the custodian of that money, a decision the Jubilee Campaign felt breached financial reporting rules for nonprofit organizations.

In another fund raising ceremony, Ogebe had told a raucous crowd of hundreds of evangelical Christians that he had just received a phone call from former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, thanking him for what he is doing for the girls.

ALSO READ: What has happened to Chibok schoolgirls 4 years after Boko Haram abduction?

When contacted, a spokesman for Brown says Mr. Brown is absolutely not in contact or communication with this person.

Ogebe's denial of accusations

Ogebe has denied the accusations against him saying the young Nigerians have been turned against him by other actors eager to exploit them.

The human rights lawyer said those that have turned the girls against him range from Nigerias government, biographers looking to publish their story and a former adviser to George H. W. Bush who took two of them to meet President Donald Trump.

As against enriching himself with proceeds of donation for the girl's schooling, accommodation and feeding in the United States of America, Ogebe says the Chibok saga ultimately left him poorer.

This was a dirty operation and they did a lot of havoc and subterfuge. Its heartbreaking to a philanthropist and humanitarian when you see how heartless people can be

Ogebe is yet to be charged with any crime because he spent money housing, transporting and catering for the kids all through their travails.

The WSJ reported that in 2016, the FBI probed allegations that Ogebe committed financial fraud but didnt pursue charges because. investigators found out that he had likely been keeping or misappropriating money he raised in the name of the Chibok students, but that he also spent some fraction of that money housing and transporting them, according to people familiar with the inquiry.

The final escape in US

Towards the end of 2015, Kauna had had enough and wanted her freedom and she began contacting people shed met over the WhatsApp messaging system, to escape from the strongholds of Ogebe.

It was further reported that another student had called Jamila Fagge, a Nigerian-American Voice of America reporter asking to be rescued.

Fagge reportedly contacted law enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security began organizing an extraction of the girls.

The agencies in conjunction with Nigerian Ministry of Women and Children, began plans to get the girls out without attracting so much awareness.

On the last day of school in May 2016, DHS agents deployed to the campus in Grundy and Vienna, Va., where Ogebe had enrolled several of the girls.

The girls were picked up by the DHS agents and after a brief car chase, law-enforcement officers sorted the matter out and DHS escorted the Chibok students to a suburban safe house.

Within days, seven of the young women signed documents saying they no longer wished to be associated with Ogebe and also signed an open letter to their families saying they were no longer kidnapped.

Ogebe, who was present when the girls were picked reportedly said: You are wicked, wicked girls. Do you want to see me go to jail?

Over 200 girls were kidnapped by the deadly terrorists, Boko Haram in Nigeria in 2014 with Kauna and few others making initial escape.

Following the resumption of office, President Muhammadu Buhari's administration had negotiated the release of over 110 girls from their captors while others are still in captivity.
According to Daily Post, the villagers said that the incident happened early in the morning on Saturday, April 21, 2018.

Eyewitness reports say that the herdsmen numbering up to 20 wore military uniforms and drove into the village in a Hilux van.

The attackers also burnt houses and shops after carting away goods and properties of their victims.

10 bodies recovered

The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue state Governor, Terver Akase also confirmed the attack.

Akase told newsmen that only 10 bodies have been recovered from the scene of the incident.

The Benue Governors spokesman also called on the relevant security agencies to come to the aide of the people of the state.

Akase said  I can confirm that Fulani herdsmen last night and earlier today invaded Saghev Ward of Guma Local Gvernment Area, Benue State and killed many innocent persons.

ALSO READ:Soldiers uncover fake military base in Benue

Ten corpses have so far been recovered with many others injured. The armed herdsmen also burnt numerous houses, shops and other property in the area.

This mindless attack was unprovoked, and we urge security agencies to arrest the herdsmen behind the killings for prosecution.

Soldiers attack Benue villagers

This incident in Guma Local Government Area is coming after men of the Nigerian Army allegedly invaded Naka village in Gwer West local government area of Benue state on Thursday, April 19, 2018.
This is following the Presidents comment at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

Buhari said "More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven't been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free.

The comment which has sparked outrage among Nigerian youths, has put the Presidency on fire fighting mode.

Femi Adesina clarifies Buharis comment

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina saidthat his boss words were deliberately twisted by mischief makers to fit their agenda.

He said that Buhari did not say that all Nigerian youths are lazy, but rather a lot of them.

"There is no way President Buhari, father of the Nigerian nation in every sense of the word, who equally has biological children of his own in the youths age bracket, pass a vote of no confidence on all youths. It can only exist in the imagination of those who play what the President has described as "irresponsible politics" with everything, he added.

Youth development Buharis priority

Rising in defence of his boss, the minister of information said some people have made it their job to twist whatever the President says.

According to him, youth development is the main priority of the Federal Government.

Guardian reports that Mohammed said Some people have just made it their full-time job these days to scrutinise and twist whatever the President says out of context.

I wonder how a government that has employed 100,000 unemployed graduates and also feeds about 7.5 million people daily could be tagged anti-youth.

Our social investment programme has continued to generate jobs and created opportunities for our teeming youths, while our empowerment programmes have been providing soft loans to over 400,000 youths. Millions of families and individuals have also continued to benefit from our Conditional Cash Transfer initiative.

ALSO READ:Buhari needs to get facts right about young Nigerians

This is a government that is so concerned and passionate about youth development and it is not right for people to begin to quote Mr. President out of context, thereby inciting the youths against the government.

Critics should judge us by our actions and not by their emotions.

Northern youths says 2019 will tell

The National president of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima has also condemned Buhari lazy Nigerian youths comment.

According to Shettima, 2019 will tell if Nigerian youths are lazy or not.
Buhari, while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, 2018, said the country's youthful population is reliant on the notion that Nigeria is an oil-rich nation, which leads to the demand for free things.

He said "More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven't been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free.

Speaking on the incident, Shettima described the comment as unfortunate, adding that it is an abuse on the sensibilities of the Nigerian youth.

The APCF President also said that the youths will decide Buharis fate at the polling booth in 2019.

He said whether we are jobless, whether we are lazy. Whatever we are, 2019 will be the deciding factor.

We worked hard for Buhari

Shettima also said that the comment is an insult to Nigerian youths who worked hard to put Buhari in government.

He also dismissed presidential spokesman, Femi Adesinas statement saying the President was not referring to all Nigerian youths.

Femi Adesina clarifying that the President said a lot of, not all Nigerians does not make any difference. We dont expect to hear anything different from what Femi Adesina said.

Thats his job. He is paid to do that, and he will keep saying such. But good enough, he didnt deny that the president said Nigerians are lazy. But he made mention that the language was not generally for Nigerian youths as a whole.

No matter what, even if it is one or two youths, no matter the number, the fact remains that you cannot continue to go out of this country and abuse the sensibilities of Nigerians. It is wrong, especially this present generation that worked so hard to ensure that this government came to be. It is wrong, he added.

Buhari has destroyed his goodwill

According to the AYCF President, the President has destroyed his goodwill, adding that those who supported him in 2015 will not come out for him in 2019.

He said Since the statement was made, he has not visited Kano or Kaduna yet. So let him come back, visit Kano or Kaduna then we will know whether he is still popular or not. Even before the statement, the crowd has already reduced so as regards crowd trooping to welcome him now that he has stated this, we dont know what will happen again until he is back.

The president is destroying his goodwill from Nigerians, thats the truth. Some of these statements are uncalled for. Some of the governments actions are totally uncalled for. I can assure you that the support he got in 2015, he is clearly not going to have it in 2019.

Buhari joined Nigerian Army without O Level certificate
Saraki said this at 4th Anniversary Lecture of online media platform, The Nitche, which held in Lagos.

According to reports, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege allegedly led thugsto the National Assembly complex on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 to steal the mace.

Omo-Agege was suspended for 90 legislative days for rescinding on his apologies over his support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was suspended on Thursday, April 12, 2018 during plenary session over his remarks that the amendment of the 2010 Electoral Act is targeted at Buhari.

The Senate President said What happened was a disgrace. It made no sense if you think about it, and it was a very primitive adventure.

If they were looking for a routine change, it was better they followed due process.

If you were to impeach the President, for instance, you go through the impeachment process and involve the House.

You will have to get a simple majority or three quarters of the members to get him out. And where you are unable to do that, you simply walk away, he added.

Police recover Mace

The Nigerian Police has which was snatched by hoodlums at plenary.
An eye witness, Mr Shuaibu Kabaro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maru that the suspected gunmen attacked the two communities and the incident was immediately reported to the security agents.

He said three of the bandits were arrested by security agents following the prompt report of the incident to the security personnel.

Shuaibu said, the gunmen in turn went and mobilized more gangs and returned in multitude to carry out the attack which left about 30 dead and many others injured in the two communities.

The Maru Local Government Council Chairman, Alhaji Salisu Dangulbi and the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu both confirmed the killings.

According to them, many of the villagers deserted their homes for fear of further attacks which now characterized the mode of operations of the gunmen.

The duo said, with the presence of security personnel now in the area however, many of the villagers had returned home.

The PPRO further explained that units of mobile police working with the military and other security agents were immediately mobilized to the affected areas and that peace and normalcy had been restored.
The affected local government areas are Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi.

The Chief of UNICEF in charge of Sokoto Field office, Mohameden Fall disclosed this on Friday in Zurmi at the launching of cash transfer disbursement to parents of affected children under the UNICEFs Educate A Child (EAC) project.

He said the number was derived from the household mapping and listing of out-of-school children conducted in 2016 through the state Universal Basic Education Board when the number of out-of-school children was identified in the three LGAs.

In Bukkuyum, a total of 93,849 out-of-school children were identified with 41,134 males while 52,715 were females.

In Maradun 63,943 were identified with 28,963 males and 34,980 females while Zurmi has a total of 82,768 children with 38,286 males and 82,768 females, he said.

Fall also noted that the EAC project was bring funded by Qatar Foundation as personal initiative of Sheikh Nasser of Qatar and implemented by UNICEF in collaboration with Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara state governments.

According to him, the overall aim of the EAC was to extend the access to quality of basic education for 501, 749 out-of-school children across the four states by 2020.

We are targeting to reach out 10,347 in the first phase in Zamfara State, considering the alarming number of out-of-school children in the state.

We are calling on the state government to extend this programme to other local government areas, he said.

The project was initiated to assist households in sending their children and keeping them in school, in the benefiting communities who will receive an unconditional cash transfer of N8,000 per child that falls between six and 11 years for the period of two years.

Cash transfer is one of the seven strategic interventions under the EAC to enable the government of the target states and UNICEF to reach more out-of-school children, he said.

He thanked the state government for the recent award of N1billion contract for school renovation and the release of over N1billion UBE counter part funding on UNICEF intervention.

In his remark, the state Commissioner of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Ibrahim Birnin-Magaji thanked the UNICEF and Qatar Foundation for initiating the project.

Birnin-Magaji said that the project was complementing the state government policy of promoting pupils enrollment and enhancement of basic education in the state.

He said the state government was ready to continue to partner with the UNICEF and other development partners to improve quality education in the state.

The state government is committed to enhance teaching and learning in the state, from 2011 to date, we have renovated over 4,000 classrooms to reduce congestion of pupils.

We trained over 8,000 teachers and established 50 ICT centers across the primary and junior secondary schools in the state.

These efforts have increased our enrollment drive from 283,000 in 2012 to 600,000 as of now, he said.

Birnin-Magaji said the plan was one the ways to recruit more teachers and implement N18,000 minimum wage for primary and junior secondary school teachers in the state.

Earlier, the state SUBEB Chairman, Murtala Jangebe Commended the State Government and UNICEF for the project, saying that it would increase the pupils enrollment in the state.

Jangebe said 3,449 children have been selected from the 14 communities to benefit from the assistance of N8,000 under the project per term, per child.

We are disbursing N27 million as first phase to beneficiaries from Alawa, Kadage, and Doka communities from the three LGAs of Bukkuyum, Maradun and Zurmi respectively.
The agreement is seen as sending a strong signal to US President Donald Trump who last year launched renegotiations of what he has previously referred to as Mexico's "cash cow" -- the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The move has stoked tensions and uncertainty among signatories to the deal, which also include Canada.

The EU and Mexico said their agreement had been reached after "months of intense negotiations".

"This will contribute to making our trade relationship fit to face the opportunities and challenges of the 21st century," the statement said.

"The European Union and Mexico stand together for open, fair and rules-based trade."

The parties did not reveal further details of the deal, or specify whether it needs to be approved by the European Parliament.

Negotiating teams had begun final discussions in Brussels on Monday, with the deal being modelled on a recently agreed trade deal between Canada and the EU.
QUIZ: Guess the Road Songs

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CZECH REPUBLIC: A weekends-only direct service between Praha and the resort of Harrachov close to the Polish border in the Krkonose mountains was introduced by national operator CD on April 14.
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I am an liberal or leftist (not sure of which is a better term) who believes in the Constitution, supporting democracies as allies, and many deep-rooted American values. Mostly, I am an American and believe this is one of the greatest countries on earth.



America got that way because of the people it has drawn from other countries. Until the 1930's the U.S. has offered almost no social "safety net." Coming to a country where the minute you set foot you had to work like crazy and, to boot, in most cases learn a new language was a daunting prospect. Though it is a fictional work, Fiddler on the Roof was based upon historical fact. Its setting, the Western part of Czarist Russia, and now modern Moldova, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were always what should have been paradoxical, despotic, anarchic and chaotic at the same time. The "government" such as it was provided few if any services, and did not enforce law and order. The famous Kishinev Pogroms were a well-known highlight of this state of affairs. People who wanted to make something of their lives simply had no future among drunken peasants that wanted nothing more than to kill them.



One of my four great-grandfathers, and the only one I know anything about was a jeweler in Kiev, Ukraine. A conscript in the Czar's army, he fled when the Army wanted to force a renewal of his term because of his skills. He and my great-grandmother (an arranged marriage in the Jewish tradition of Fiddler on the Roof ) fled to New York by way of Montreal. He became a shoemaker in Yonkers, and never really struck it rich. One of their daughters was my maternal grandmother. She married my grandfather, a dentist. They bought a small house in Yonkers. While their lives were not perfect (I understand a bad marriage and alcohol abuse on the part of my grandfather were involved) they put their son (my uncle) and my mother through Syracuse University. My uncle became an executive at a major TV network. My mother became a housewife, and spurred my father to success as an interior architect after an unsuccessful Cornell education as an engineer. I went to Cornell and Boston University Law School and became a lawyer. Only in America would this levitation be possible .



And it was mostly through the U.S. Constitution, (through grudging tolerance for Jews) and hard work, as well as a belief that there really are no limits to growth (except I'm short and didn't grow to the sky), that made all of this possible. Their was no real money in the family and we received little government assistance, except Navy-paid and GI Bill education for my father, and a small amount of unemployment assistance for brief periods between jobs for me.



My OWN life has not been perfect. However, I don't look to find fault or place blames for any of my misfortunes on other people, the government, Donald Trump, etc.



How do I rate myself a left-winger and a liberal? I believe that governments should raise money openly through taxes and not through speed traps, petty regulations and fines, etc. I support integration in the schools and work place, though I am against affirmative action. I am pro-choice. I believe in the public school system. And I support causes anathema to many conservatives, including legalized marijuana and reintroduction of Canadian wolves to Yellowstone.
After taking action against 226,000 shell companies last year, the ministry of corporate affairs has now zeroed in on a fresh batch of suspected shell companies.

The government is intensifying its drive against shell companies.

After taking action against 226,000 shell companies last year, the ministry of corporate affairs has now zeroed in on another 225,000 suspected shell companies.

The ministry has sent notices to these companies, asking whether they had filed statutory financial returns.

Minister of State for Corporate Affairs P P Chaudhary told Business Standard that companies had been given a chance to respond to the notices.

On the Rs 139-billion Punjab National Bank fraud, Chaudhary said the Serious Fraud Investigation Office was probing 107 companies and seven limited liability partnerships belonging to Nirav Modis Firestar Diamond Group and Mehul Choksis Gitanjali group.

Though the minister refused to divulge details, most of these entities are suspected to be shell companies with no real businesses. Sources said these entities were used by Nirav and Choksi -- the prime accused in the fraud case -- to divert the money received from banks.

Chaudhary said the ministry had received a report from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India on systemic issues that led to the PNB fraud. We are currently examining it, he said.

Nirav and Choksi face charges of defrauding PNB in connivance with a few bank employees.

Chaudhary refused to buy the argument that his ministry had gone slow on investigating shell companies after it froze accounts of 226,000 entities. He said the ministry had identified around 225,000 more companies against whom notices had been issued in the second round.

Under the Companies Act, 2013, companies can be struck off the register if they do not file financial returns for a continuous period of three years.

Chaudhary said of the 226,000 companies, bank details of 168,000 had been revealed. Of those, 73,000 companies deposited Rs 240 billion in banks post-demonetisation. Bank details of 58,000 companies have not been revealed yet. Sixty-eight shell firms were being probed, including 19 by the SFIO, the minister said.

Chaudhary also talked about a panels recommendations on the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com.
Prince Charles to be next Commonwealth head







What does the head of the Commonwealth do?





The role, currently held by the Queen, is largely a symbolic one and carries no maximum fixed term.



It is used to unify the 53 member states and to ensure the core aims of the Commonwealth are fulfilled. These include linking the countries through trade and international co-operation.



The head of the Commonwealth usually makes regular visits to the member states to foster these connections personally.



A decision on all successive heads has to be made by the Commonwealth leaders.



Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Secretary-General and the Secretariat, its central organisation, help to plan many Commonwealth activities.



Sources: The Royal Family, The Commonwealth



20 April 2018BBC NewsThe Prince of Wales will succeed the Queen as head of the Commonwealth, its leaders have announced.The Queen had said it was her "sincere wish" that Prince Charles would follow her in the role.Leaders of the Commonwealth have been discussing the issue at a meeting behind closed doors at Windsor Castle.The head role is non-hereditary so is not automatically passed on when the Queen dies, with suggestions it might have rotated among the 53 leaders.In a statement, the leaders said they "recognise the role of the Queen in championing the Commonwealth and its people".Prime Minister Theresa May and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau had earlier given their backing to Prince Charles.Speaking at a news conference marking the end of the summit, Mrs May praised the Queen for her "vision and duty" in growing the Commonwealth from eight members to 53.She said it was "fitting" Prince Charles would succeed her due to his "proud support" of the Commonwealth "for more than four decades".The leaders also agreed a "blue charter" to protect the ocean from pollution and climate change and a "cyber declaration" to combat online crime and threats.The meeting during a two-day summit involved 46 heads of Commonwealth governments and foreign ministers from the remaining seven countries.The Commonwealth represents about 2.4bn people, but critics say the organisation is so disparate that it struggles to know what it is for, BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said.He also said the news of the prince's appointment would be "of great satisfaction" to the Queen.Other issues under discussion in London have included trade between the countries with Mrs May saying the leaders agreed to "fight protectionism" to expand intra-Commonwealth trade to $2 trillion by 2030.The leaders' statement said they had set "specific commitments" which include building peace, promoting gender equality and tackling climate change.They also said they will work to prevent violent extremism and human trafficking, pledged to halve malaria in Commonwealth countries by 2023 and agreed that all boys and girls should receive at least 12 years of education by 2030.Meanwhile, the government has indicated it would welcome Zimbabwe's re-entry to the Commonwealth after Robert Mugabe pulled the country out in 2003.Foreign secretary Boris Johnson said Zimbabwe's government has "made impressive progress" under Mr Mugabe's successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, but the country would have to deliver "free and fair elections" for the people in July.Rwanda has been chosen to host the next summit in 2020.
The ability to make out fake news from real could save the coming generations a huge amount of conflict and heartburn, says Vanita Kohli-Khandekar.

Recently, the ministry of information and broadcasting issued and then withdrew guidelines on fake news.

It was an ill-thought-out gambit but fake news remains a real danger. It is manufactured in factories full of techies whose only job is to revile, debase and smear some person, party or company.

Just discussing the damage it does to democracy or the violence it sparks doesn't help. The Indian news industry should be putting its heads together to tackle it.

That is where the United Kingdom creative industries' fight against online piracy offers two very critical lessons -- follow the money and educate consumers.

In 2014, Mike Weatherley, then an MP and Intellectual Property adviser to (then) Prime Minister David Cameron, published two discussion papers -- 'Follow the Money-Financial Options to Assist in the Battle Against Online IP piracy' and 'Search Engines and Piracy'.

Among other things these papers recommended making pirate sites unsearchable and unadvertisable by deranking them. Google implemented it globally in the same year.

In a search result if a notified pirate site came up, Google would push it down the ranks. This led, immediately, to a drop in reach of pirate sites by 50 per cent. And their revenues fell by 25 per cent.

Deranking has been talked about in the context of fake news too.

In November 2017 Google announced that it would derank Russia Today and Sputnik which were accused of spreading misinformation and propaganda by United States intelligence agencies.

Eric Schmidt, former CEO of the $110-billion Alphabet, Google's parent, had said he was not in favour of censorship but was using rankings, the basic service that Google offers, to tackle the problem. There is no data available on whether this happened and if it worked.

The more important question is, will it work in India?

It could help deal with sites that pop up for the money. Like the ones from Veles, Macedonia, which made anywhere between $2,000 and $2,500 a day in the run-up to the 2016 US presidential election by carrying fake news such as 'Bill Clinton is a murderer'.

These sites get millions of people to click on that headline and therefore get advertising from automated (and consequently blind) ad networks, also called programmatic networks.

But what about the propaganda workshops funded by political parties? If nothing, it will push them down to page nine or 10 of the search reducing their reach till the second and more important lever comes into play -- consumer and advertiser education.

Media literacy sounds rather academic but the ability to make out fake news from real could save the coming generations a huge amount of conflict and heartburn.

For example, there are many techniques that fact-check sites such as Alt News, Boom or SMHoaxSlayer suggest to identify fake news. One of them is, does a site offering news have a decent 'About us' section which tells you who owns it, runs it, how it is financed.

You could use simple googling too. A recent picture of a notice on a school board warning against drug-laced sweets being sold outside schools was being furiously forwarded and discussed across mothers' WhatsApp groups one day. A quick search revealed it as a 2017 notice from a UK school.

You could argue that this is easier for professional editors and journalists. Which is precisely why media literacy helps.

Instead of a random order maybe the government could nudge the Press Council of India, the News Broadcasters Association, top media schools and academics to create a media literacy programme.

It can become a part of school curriculum for younger people and a sustained ad campaign across television, print, online and radio for general news consumers.

A similar campaign targeted at advertisers raising red flags on brand safety and reputational hazards of being on sites carrying fake news or hate speech could be run in tandem.

India has tackled some really tough issues this way -- like raising the percentage of people voting in elections by making it a symbol of pride and status. If the news industry cannot get together to ensure that audiences stay with credible, fact-checked news, then it cannot blame anyone but itself for losing the same audience to fake news.
The Deen Bachao, Desh Bachao conference in Patna on April 15 was attended by lakhs of Muslims.

Will the electoral dividends from this rally be reaped by Nitish Kumar, the BJP (through Hindu consolidation), by both Nitish and the BJP or will it be reaped more by the anti-BJP forces, asks Mohammad Sajjad.

IMAGE: The Deen Bachao, Desh Bachao rally held in Patna's Gandhi Maidan, April 15, 2018. Photograph: PTI Photo

One of the most appropriate definitions of communalism in modern India is given to us by a scholar freedom-fighter, Kunwar Mohammad Ashraf (1903-1962), in his Urdu book on Muslim politics. He called it mazhab ki siyasi dukandari (political trade in religion).

Has it really been proved true, yet again?

Agitating against the Bharatiya Janata Party government's Bill on Muslim women's rights proposed in the Lok Sabha on December 15, 2017, the Muslim clergy has been mobilising Bihar Muslim women since February.

This culminated in a massive rally, 'Deen Bachao, Desh Bachao (save religion, save the country) conference', which was attended by lakhs in Patna's Gandhi Maidan on April 15.

Interestingly, while the Ulema were protesting against legislative interference in their religion, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, a respondent in the Supreme Court, had submitted an affidavit that only legislative interference could be allowed into such matters.

In other words, the legislative interference was asked for by the AIMPLB.

The apex court delivered its verdict on August 22, 2017, invalidating instant triple divorce (talaq-e-biddat), as it is un-Quranic.

The bill proposes, inter alia, to criminalise this practice.

The lead in this protest was taken by the Imarat-e-Shariah, with its leader, Wali Rahmani, also the general secretary of the AIMPLB, in the forefront.

Sections of Muslims were already wary of the mobilisation without preparing a model nikahnama and without a draft bill to be debated in Parliament, or not even a categorical stand against the un-Quranic instant triple divorce.

That Hindutva groups which were on the rampage on the pretext of beef, targeting and lynching Muslims with beards, skull caps, etc, and in the midst of intermittent communal violence across Bihar from January to March this year, have, at the same time, been allowing Muslim women to come out on the streets in district towns -- had begun to create suspicions if it was a fixed match between the Ulema and the saffron establishment.

Against this backdrop, on April 15, the massively attended Deen Bachao rally quite predictably did attract a lot of attention.

Days before, hoardings with photographs of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar were issued by ruling Janata Dal-United functionaries. This corroborated the conjecture among sections of Muslims that the rally was basically intended to help right-wing Hindu consolidation.

The organisers of the rally did not issue any clarification as to whether the ruling dispensation had done so against their wishes.

This was not all, there was other corroboration too:

The venue was flooded with hoardings advertising the Nitish Kumar government's schemes for Muslims and other minorities.

The speech delivered by Maulana Rahmani profusely thanked the chief minister for 'all kinds of helps extended to make the rally a grand success.'

The speakers did not say a word against the anti-Muslim violence, since January, across Bihar.

The convenor of the rally, Khalid Anwar, was nominated by the JD-U, an NDA constituent, into the legislative council after the rally.

This is now being taken, even by the hitherto aqeedatmand (unquestioning followers) of the Imarat, and apologists of the rally, as evidence of a nexus between the NDA and the Imarat-e-Shariah.

Even though the Imarat, in a letter dated April 17, tried to clarify that Anwar's nomination was not recommended by it, many take this more as a confirmation, and ask why he was the convenor of the rally.

Nor have the Imarat's Ulema condemned its convenor joining the NDA.

Some dismayed Urdu journalists have written letters to Maulana Rahmani, asking him, through social media, to explain and clarify the accusations of this 'deal'.

Some of these articulations speculate that a Nitish Kumar-led 'third front', comprising Ram Vilas Paswan, Pappu Yadav, etc, will be floated to make a dent into 'secular' votes, and also to split the Muslim votes, thereby facilitating the BJP's victory in Bihar; and that having befooled Muslims, the 'third front' will subsequently re-join the NDA.

Another speculation is that with this move, Nitish may enhance his bargaining power within the NDA.

On April 17, there was a protest in front of the Imarat office in Phulwarisharif, Patna, where an effigy of Maulana Rahmani was burnt.

Bihar's Muslims have flooded social media with such questions, sparking off intense debate. It is also speculated that since Nitish Kumar lacks the numerous core base of voters, he may not have deserted the Mahagathbandhan in July 2017 without prior consultation with the vote-wielding body of the Imarat-e-Shariah, and that the Idara-e-Shariah may have been lured to get along in the name of Islam in danger.

Patna's Idara-e-Shariah is a body of the Barelvi sub-sect, founded in 1968 by Arshadul Qadri (1925-2002).

Thousand of buses were hired to carry the Muslims attending the rally.

Who bore the expenses? Was it also contributed by the ruling JD-U?

Another set of questions arising out of it is over the lives of the dramatis personae behind the rally: Maulana Rahmani, Khalid Anwar, and Obaidullah Azmi.

For about two decades consecutively, Obaidullah Azmi was a member of the Rajya Sabha. His controversial speeches in the 1980s across Bihar-Bengal in some ways rivalled Imam Bukhari.

Cassettes of his speeches were banned, yet sections of Muslim youth listened to these, in defiance, for which some of them faced charges of threatening national security, and were put behind bars.

One wonders, why did Rahmani draw him out of political oblivion and have him adorn the dais?

Khalid Anwar's home turf Dhaka (in East Champaran) is a communally sensitive constituency.

It has a history of having elected Muslim legislators even in the pre-Lalu Yadav era as well as of electing BJP legislators even in an era when the BJP was a marginal force in Bihar. It has a huge residential Salafi madrasa funded by Saudi Arabia.

IMAGE: The Deen Bachao, Desh Bachao rally saw a large turnout by Muslims. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Imarat-e-Shariah was founded in Patna in 1921, under the aegis of Maulana Azad (1888-1958). It remained consistent in opposing British rule as well as the communal separatism of the Muslim League.

In September 1936, it launched its political outfit, the Muslim Independent Party, which mainly had agrarian concerns, besides safeguarding the religio-cultural concerns of Muslims.

During April-July 1937, it ran its ministry after which the Congress took over.

During those four months of administration, headed by a Britain-educated barrister, Mohammad Yunus (1884-1952) it earned laurels on the front of irrigation, flood control, soft loans to peasantry, firm handling of communal violence, etc, besides the construction of the legislative house in Patna.

Essentially Deoband oriented, in recent decades, the Imarat-e-Shariah has confined itself to religio-cultural concerns, though its influential members have invariably been getting into the legislature as well.

In 1986, they mobilised Muslims against the Supreme Court verdict over the issue of maintenance to Shah Bano, and succeeded in making the State legislate against the judicial verdict.

The 1980s was a decade of competitive communalism in India, and the clergy gained a lot of electoral importance.

It now appears that the Ulema intends to regain its political significance, which it feels has been losing in recent years.

Its electoral irrelevance was most glaring in the Bihar assembly election in 2015 when the Nitish-Lalu alliance reduced the election to bipolarity, with clearly drawn lines.

In such a scenario, faced with the majoritarian BJP, the other pole took them, and their constituency, for granted.

Now, it is said, the Ulema would be in a position to bargain with the two contenders for Muslim votes -- Lalu and Nitish.

In fact, the accusation is post-July 2017, when Nitish rejoined the NDA, he is being made a contender for Muslim votes. However, given the fact that Rahmani is also an All India Congress Committee member, his alleged pro-JD-U tilt is rather surprising.

Meanwhile, Anisur Rahman Qasmi of the Imarat-e-Shariah is reported to have suggested on April 17, partly responding to a volley of angry questions, that the rally was intended to enhance Muslim share of representation, from panchayat to Parliament.

Also, to be noted here is the shifting objective of the rally: From retaining the un-Quranic instant triple divorce, it now moves on to enhancing Muslim representation.

Qasmi, on April 13 (two days before the rally), told United News of India that the rally would be 'purely non-political', yet it turned out to be absolutely political.

With these rather fast-paced developments, the Bihar space has become much more interesting for election-watchers.

Forces opposed to the majoritarian aggression of the incumbent regime, and also those associated with the RJD, both contemplate to expose what they call the 'Mulla-Nitish nexus', and thereby prevent any split in non-saffron votes in the 2019 election.

It remains to be seen who the electoral dividends from this rally will be reaped by: Nitish, the BJP (through Hindu consolidation), by both Nitish and the BJP or will it be reaped more by anti-BJP forces.

Professor Mohammad Sajjad is at the Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University.

He has published two books: Muslim Politics in Bihar: Changing Contours(Routledge, 2014/2018 reprint). and Contesting Colonialism and Separatism: Muslims of Muzaffarpur since 1857 (Primus, 2014).
'How can we forget the hoax perpetrated on the UN and on all of us when it was stated in the security council, no less, that Iraq had nuclear weapons?' recalls Ambassador B S Prakash.



IMAGE: A scene from Douma, Damascus, Syria, April 16, 2018. Photograph: Ali Hashisho/Reuters

"How can India be so mealy-mouthed about condemning the use of chemical weapons? I am shocked by your indifference," my friend from California was saying.

He is a good man, though a full-blooded white American. We became friends during my period as consul general in San Francisco, the heartland of American liberals.

He had full credentials for that appellation: studied at Berkley, protested on the streets during the Vietnam war, now a successful doctor but with a heart that still bleeds for the not so successful in life, and a practitioner of yoga, the sitar, and yes, a strict vegetarian.

Now on a visit to India for some philanthropic work, he was expressing his disappointment with India's approach to the Syrian crisis and particularly for our non-enthusiasm about the Western punitive bombings recently.

He loathes Trump, of course, like most liberals, but believes that America has a duty to humanity.

Was he applauding Trump for his surgical strikes?

I think he is too sophisticated for that, but was arguing that the use of chemical weapons could not go unchecked.

"Even the French joined us, well, actually Macron egged on Trump," he said. "To stop the spread of such weapons: it is an international obligation, the will of the international community. And yet..." He shook his head.

"Go easy, there..." I replied wearily. "You know, I respect you, but you accept too many axioms, too readily. Our perspectives are different, and we don't take the New York Times as the last word in truth," I said.

"Explain."

"Oh, there are so many easy assumptions..." I started.

I did not want to dwell on all our differences on Syria.

There was no point now again going into how the Syrian crisis had started, the original sin, as it were.

Was it the popular rebellion against President Assad, during the heat of the illusory Arab Spring, and the brutal reprisal by his forces that had brought so much death, destruction and refugees?

Or was the initial revolt exacerbated by some Western and Arab foes of his encouraging violence?

Years ago, we had disagreed over the causes and effects in a complex situation like Syria. There was no point in rehashing it.

I started with "chemical weapons", a red flag to the liberals.

"Granted, the use of it is abhorrent, but how has it come to be that no magnitude of ordinary killings, or deaths by 'conventional weapons' invokes the 'drawing of red lines', but the poisoning of one ex-Russian agent in the UK in the most 'controversial' and suspicious manner results in declarations that 'lines have been crossed'," I asked giving vent to my anger at the questionable and totally disproportional sanctions imposed by the West against Russia in that case.

"Who has laid down that all hell will come down, only when chemical weapons are used, that too allegedly, without objective verification as to who, where, and why has used it."

Even assuming the worst case that they have actually been used, are there not alternative theories that they may have been planted, used to discredit regimes, and other variations of this sort?

"We are talking about Syria and the will of the international community to stop spread of chemical weapons," he reminded me.

"What is this so'called 'international community', but a convenient and self-selected label for the traditional Western alliance?" I responded, frustrated at this ploy by some to appropriate all the convenient slogans for themselves.

"Is it truly universal without China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Iran? Is it not misleading to arrogate to yourselves, the assumption of the will of all, even when there is explicit dissent?"

"Finally, how can we forget the hoax perpetrated on the UN and on all of us when it was stated in the security council, no less, that Iraq had nuclear weapons, that its WMD capability was a given, a 'slam dunk' as the then swaggering CIA boss George Tenet had declared."

"If there was indeed an internationally credible system, the perpetrators of that conflict -- the warmongers in the US establishment -- would have been declared 'war criminals' and taken to the International Criminal Court, incidentally another organisation that India has no belief in," I concluded, breathless.

I am now a retired diplomat and the old pleasures of arguing against Americans, however liberal, is a bit of an addiction.

"But you surely agree that all of us, civilised nations, especially democracies, have to take action, to intervene, to protect the truly vulnerable?" he asked, true to his humanitarian instincts.

This was familiar territory and for cynics like me the whole argument has been acronymised as the R2P debate (short for Responsibility to Protect).

"I don't know, honestly," I replied. "Yes, the suffering of multitudes of poor and weak people is indeed a tragedy and it is cruel to be mere spectators. But who is protecting the Houthis in Yemen, being bombed by your friends the Saudis?"

"Who helps the Congolese who have suffered but remained friendless for 50 years? And who is responsible for the mess in Libya after the French and you saved them from Gadhafi?"

India treads carefully on R2P issues. That is "the official India, the NGOs are different."

"Whew. Even the Chinese do not say all that," retorted my friend, amused.

"Yes, they are more pragmatic and opportunistic. We are by nature more argumentative, and also, perhaps more articulate," I added against my better judgment of keeping quiet.

"Incidentally, what has India said actually, on chemical weapons?" my friend wanted to know.

I recalled what I had read in the newspapers. I grinned and told him that what we had said was the mother of all truths.

Our position was that the use of chemical weapons anywhere and at any time and by anyone, under any circumstances was 'unacceptable'.

"Take that. Isn't it sufficient condemnation?" I asked with a wink.

"Sounds like something from the Upanishads... er... unexceptionable but vacuous," said my friend, laughing.

I was done with our fight. Besides his knowledge of the Upanishads is better than mine.

"You can call it Gandhian or quintessentially Indian," I conceded.

B S Prakash is a former Ambassador and a long-standing Rediff.com columnist.

You can read Ambassador Prakash's earlier columns here.
IMAGE: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un inspects the January 18 General Machine Plant in Pyongyang. Photograph: KCNA/via Reuters

Ahead of a planned meeting with United States President Donald Trump, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has announced the country will suspend its nuclear and missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site.

Kim has said he would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea, amidst preparing for discussions with the United States and South Korea, would shut down its nuclear test site in the northern area.

'From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles,' Yonhap quoted the Korean Central News Agency as saying.

'The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to guarantee transparency in suspending nuclear tests,' the statement from North Korea added.

The decision was made in a meeting of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea's full Central Committee that had convened to discuss a 'new stage' of policies.

Kim Jong-un is set to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next Friday.

The announcement was welcomed by the US President.

'North Korea has agreed to suspend all nuclear tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the world -- big progress! Look forward to our summit, Trump wrote on Twitter.

Pyongyang's declaration, long sought by Washington, DC, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

A meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will possibly happen in May or early June, this year.

China also welcomed its close ally's decision to discontinue nuclear tests, saying it could ease tensions in the Korean peninsula.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that it would help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue.

A nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in the region are in line with the common interests of the people on the peninsula and in the region, he said, adding that these are also the common expectation of the international community.

"We hope that the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards," Lu said.

China supports the DPRK and the parties concerned to resolve their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to improve their relations, he said.

It is hoped that all parties concerned will meet each other halfway, take concrete actions and make due efforts to achieve lasting peace and common development in the region, Lu said.

"China will continue to play an active role in this regard," Lu said.

However, Kim gave no indication of Pyongyang willing to give up its nuclear weapons, or the missiles with which it can reach the mainland US, saying its possession of nuclear weapons was the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world.

The North had successfully developed its arsenal, including miniaturising warheads to fit them on to missiles, Kim said, and so no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now.

As such the North's nuclear testing site was no longer needed, he told the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday -- the North has not carried any out since November -- and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the end of testing.

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

With inputs from agencies.
The cancellation of the project has far-reaching implications for the IAF, for which this was once its high-tech future fighter, reports Ajai Shukla.

The proposal for India and Russia to jointly develop an advanced fighter -- the eponymous Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft -- has been formally buried.

I learnt that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval conveyed the decision to a Russian ministerial delegation at a 'Defence Acquisition Meeting' in end-February.

Doval and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, who attended the meeting, asked the Russians to proceed alone with developing their fifth-generation fighter.

India, they said, might possibly join the project later, or buy the fully developed fighter outright, after it entered service with the Russian air force.

New Delhi and Moscow have discussed the FGFA since 2007 when they agreed that Hindustan Aeronautics would partner Russia's Sukhoi Design Bureau in developing and manufacturing the fighter.

In 2010, Sukhoi flew the fighter called the Perspektivny Aviatsionny Kompleks Frontovoy Aviatsii, or 'Prospective Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation (PAK-FA).

Seven prototypes are currently in flight-testing.

Russia said the PAK-FA met its needs, but the Indian Air Force wanted a better fighter.

So HAL and Sukhoi negotiated an $8.63 billion deal to improve the PAK-FA with the IAF's requirements of stealth (near-invisibility to radar), super-cruise (supersonic cruising speed), networking (real-time digital links with other battlefield systems) and airborne radar with world-beating range.

In all, the IAF demanded some 50 improvements to the PAK-FA, including 360-degree radar and more powerful engines.

Defence ministry sources who played a direct role in negotiations with Russia say much of this money was earmarked for Indian production facilities for manufacturing 127 FGFAs, and for India's work share in developing advanced avionics for the fighter.

It also included the cost of four PAK-FA prototypes for IAF test pilots to fly.

Now, the IAF has backed away from the FGFA because it argues the PAK-FA -- which Sukhoi has been test-flying since January 2010 -- is not stealthy enough for a fifth-generation combat aircraft.

Aerospace analysts who support the PAK-FA reject this argument.

They point out that the US Air Force F-22 Raptor, was built with an extraordinary degree of stealth, but that proved to be counterproductive, since it resulted in high maintenance and life-cycle costs.

Burned by that emphasis on stealth alone, US designers de-emphasised stealth while building their latest fifth-generation fighter, the F-35 Lightning II.

Instead, they focused on building its combat edge through better sensors, highly networked avionics and superior long-range weapons.

The cancellation of the FGFA project has far-reaching implications for the IAF, for which this was once its high-tech future fighter.

United Progressive Alliance defence minister A K Antony had ruled out buying the F-35 Lightning II, arguing that India would have the FGFA to meet its fifth-generation fighter needs.

Indian aerospace designers also cited the FGFA experience as essential learning for developing the indigenous fifth generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft which the Defence R&D Organisation is pursuing.

Now, the FGFA's burial sets the stage for the IAF to eventually acquire the F-35 Lightning II, which comes in air force as well as naval variants.

Indian military aviation, once overwhelmingly dependent upon Russian fighters, helicopters and transport aircraft, has steadily increased its purchases from America.

On Tuesday, April 17, appearing before a US senate panel for his confirmation hearings, Admiral Philip Davidson -- nominated as the top US military commander in the Indo-Pacific, -- said the US should aspire to 'break down' India's historical dependence upon Russia.

The IAF has been split down the middle on the FGFA.

Broadly, flying branch officers of the 'French school' -- whose careers have centred on the Mirage and Jaguar fighters -- have tended to oppose the FGFA.

Meanwhile, officers from the 'Russian school', their careers grounded in the MiG and Sukhoi fleet, have supported the FGFA.

Opponents of the FGFA have even argued that the project would duplicate and hinder the indigenous AMCA project.

However, last July, an experts group headed by Air Marshal S Varthaman (retd), set up to consider this question, ruled that there were no conflict lines between the FGFA and AMCA.

It stated that the technological expertise that would be gained from working with Russian experts would benefit the AMCA project.

In co-developing the FGFA, HAL was expected to deploy its experience in working with composite materials, which were to replace many of the metal fabricated panels on the PAK-FA.

India was also expected to participate in designing the 360-degree active electronically scanned array radar.

In addition, the experience of flight-testing the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft would be refined by flight-testing a heavier, more complex fighter.

These challenges were expected to imbue Indian engineers with genuine design skills, of a far higher magnitude than the lessons learnt from licensed manufacture.

In addition, the FGFA's foreclosure means the loss of $295 million that India sunk into its 'preliminary design phase' between 2010 and 2013.
Some lawyers in the Congress argued against upsetting the judiciary.

It was a tongue lashing from Sharad Pawar that spurred the Congress and other parties to go ahead with their move.

Archis Mohan reports.



IMAGE: Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

As the Budget session of Parliament was ending on April 6, several Opposition parties had second thoughts on moving an impeachment notice against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Rajya Sabha members withdrew their signatures on the draft impeachment notice. It meant the page with the signatures of the DMK MPs had to be removed, and other MPs who had signatures on that page had to put in theirs afresh.

MPs of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Trinamool Congress refused to sign.

The Biju Janata Dal, the ruling party in Odisha, decided not to get involved in this.

Chief Justice Misra hails from Odisha.

Even the Congress rethought its decision, while the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party too had misgivings.

Some lawyers in the Congress argued against upsetting the judiciary, but there was an equally strong effort led by Kapil Sibal and Ghulam Nabi Azad to go ahead with the process.

Interestingly, it was a tongue lashing from Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar that spurred the Congress and other parties to go ahead with their move.

In recent months, Pawar has emerged as the guiding light of Opposition unity against the Narendra D Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party.

Left leaders, particularly Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, and the Congress' Sibal and Azad had led the effort to convince Pawar and others. Yechury's predecessor and rival, Prakash Karat, has opposed the move.

But once Pawar had been convinced and signed the impeachment motion along with his party's other Rajya Sabha MPs, he was livid with the Congress party for getting cold feet.

According to an Opposition Rajya Sabha MP, Pawar told the Congress leadership how most MPs had signed the draft impeachment notice at grave risk to their reputations and careers.

Pawar voiced the sentiments of several MPs.

"Most of us represent smaller parties. Whatever the public perception, neither we nor our parties have the wherewithal to fight expensive court battles if cases were to be filed against us out of sheer vindictiveness for pursuing the impeachment motion," an Opposition MP said.

This too was the reason why the DMK, Trinamool Congress, and some Congress MPs did not sign the impeachment notice.

The NCP chief asked the Congress leadership why their signatures, including those of the NCP MPs, were collected when it did not intend to pursue the impeachment motion to its logical conclusion.

All the NCP members, including Pawar, Praful Patel, Majeed Memon and Vandana Chavan, had signed the impeachment notice.

Most of the Congress leaders signed, with Azad being the first. Other prominent ones to sign were Sibal, A K Antony, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Ahmed Patel and Jairam Ramesh.

According to Congress leaders, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had not signed, but supported the move.

Dr Singh argued it did not behave a former PM to disrespect the office of the Chief Justice of India. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram did not sign.

"We didn't want a few others to be embarrassed as certain matters are pending," Sibal said.

The BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra, a senior lawyer, signed as did the Samajwadi Party leader in the Rajya Sabha, Ram Gopal Yadav.

A week ago, Opposition leaders sought time from Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu's office, and had to specify the purpose of their visit.

According to sources, Ppposition leaders were surprised to find the next day that the chairman would be on a visit to Assam and other north eastern states for the better part of the week.

On Thursday afternoon, the chairman's office confirmed a time for Opposition leaders to meet Naidu on Friday afternoon.

Earlier on Thursday, a Supreme Court Bench, headed by the CJI, dismissed petitions seeking a probe into the alleged mysterious death of special Central Bureau of Investigation judge B H Loya.
IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Berlin. Photograph: Courtesy @PMOIndia/Twitter

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a 'wonderful meeting' with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed multiple aspects relating to bilateral cooperation as well as other global issues with her.

Modi met Merkel during a brief stopover in Berlin after wrapping up his visit to the United Kingdom where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

It was the third and last leg of Modi's three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.

'Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues,' Modi tweeted.

The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that Modi's visit 'demonstrates India's mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership'.

'Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting,' Kumar said in a tweet.

The visit demonstrates the commitment by the two countries to maintain the momentum of high level exchanges, according to Indian officials.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Merkel began her fourth term as German chancellor last month.

Modi's meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's trip to India last month, which focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Germany is India's largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.

In 2016-17, the bilateral trade turnover was $18.76 billion, with India exporting goods worth $7.18 billion to Germany and importing German products worth $11.58 billion, according to German media.
After raping the child, the man threw her on the ground from a height and she died, police said.

A man has been arrested for allegedly raping and killing a four-month-old baby girl in Indore city of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Saturday, a day after the infant's body was found in the basement of a commercial building.

Naveen Gadge, 25 and a cousin of the victim's mother, was arrested late on Friday night from the city, a police official said.

On Friday, police had detained three-four people in connection with the crime and identified the main suspect as Sunil Bheel, 21.

But on Saturday, Indore Deputy Inspector General H C Mishra told reporters that the police department has found Gadge as the accused in the case after a thorough investigation. Police has released Bheel after questioning.

Detailing the sequence of events, the senior police officer said Gadge's wife separated from him a few days ago.

"On Thursday night, he went to the girl's mother and asked her to persuade his wife to return to him. However, an altercation broke out between them and he was told to leave," Mishra said.

Early on Friday, Gadge returned to the family, who earn their livelihood selling balloons, when they were sleeping under an open space near the historic Rajwada Palace and abducted the girl, the DIG said.

"CCTV images show he carried the baby on his shoulder and took her to the basement of a commercial building, around 50 metres away from where her family was sleeping," Mishra said.

After raping the child, he threw her on the ground from a height and she died, he said.

Her body was found in the basement on Friday afternoon.

The post-mortem examination of the girl, done at the state-run MY Hospital in Indore, suggested she might have been raped before being killed as her private parts bore injury marks, a source said.

Mishra also said the department has suspended a policeman attached to Sarafa police station for alleged dereliction of duty.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Trilok Singh Varkadhe has been accused by the girl's family of not registering the complaint when they approached him.

"When the worried parents came to the police station yesterday (Friday) morning to file a complaint about their missing child, the ASI turned them away and asked them to come in the

afternoon when the inspector in-charge would register FIR," DIG Mishra said.

7-yr-old raped in Assam

A seven-year old girl was allegedly raped by a middle aged man at Lajong village in Tinsukia district, police said on Saturday.

They also arrested the accused a 55-year-old man.

As per the first information report lodged by the girl's father on Friday evening their neighbour Ainul Haq had a few days ago called out the girl from the house and raped her.

The girl's mother informed him only on Friday evening about the incident and he immediately informed his neighbours about it, the father said.

The neighbours nabbed Haq from his house and handed him over to the police station.

A police official said investigations into the incident was on.

Raipur: 7-yr-old raped in school

A seven-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted at Raipur's Campion School.

"It was her first day at the school on Wednesday. She went to the school and we wanted to meet her at the school, but we weren't allowed to do so. While changing her clothes after she returned from school, my wife noticed blood on her private parts and she was not wearing undergarments," the father of the minor girl told ANI.

When asked if she had reported the matter to the teacher, the minor replied that the teacher was absent on the second day of her school.

Meanwhile, the police said that they were investigating the matter and were examining CCTV footages of the school. An FIR was lodged for the same.

The president of Child Right Commission, Prabha Dubey, told ANI, "I have spoken to the girl personally. She is saying that a bhaiya had allegedly molested her. We asked the peon of the school about the undergarment, to which she replied that she had thrown away the undergarment since the girl had urinated on it. I will constitute a team to investigate the matter."

With ANI inputs
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday on a four-day visit during which she will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Swaraj is due to meet Wang on Sunday.

This is their first meeting after Wang was elevated as state councillor last month which makes him the top diplomat of the country in the Chinese hierarchy. He also continues to be foreign minister.

Their meeting is part of efforts by the two countries to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve relations, official sources in Beijing told PTI.

Following the Doklam standoff last year both countries increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels.

Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.

Both sides also held the 11th Joint Economic Group meeting and the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue.

Besides meetings between officials from the two foreign ministries, both sides also held working mechanism meetings on border affairs and cross border rivers as well disarmament and non-proliferation dialogue in which India's entry into NSG was discussed.

Swaraj will take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the eight-member SCO on April 24. She along with other foreign ministers of the group would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 23, and will leave for Mongolia the next day.

This is the first meeting of the group after India and Pakistan were admitted into the SCO last year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security and counter terrorism and related issues.

The organisation is comprised of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

A host of issues, including regional security and terrorism, would be discussed at the meeting which is a preparatory meet ahead of the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also scheduled to take part in it.

Also, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive in Beijing on April 23 to take part in the SCO defence ministers' meeting to be held the next day. Swaraj and Sitharaman would be in Beijing around the same time to attend their respective meetings.

Sitharaman is also expected to meet her Chinese counterpart Lt Gen Wei Fenghe.

No dialogue between India, Pak

However, there will be no bilateral meetings between Swaraj, Sitharaman with their Pakistani counterparts at the SCO ministerial meets, official sources said.

"There will be no meetings with their Pakistan counterparts," official sources here told PTI, ruling out any planned meetings between the Indian and Pakistani ministers.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said on Friday that issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the SCO foreign ministers' meeting.

"We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field. Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception," she said and defended Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as 'terror export factory' at an event in London recently.
Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, who was acquitted in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, on Saturday said that she has not yet thought about joining active politics, but will continue to remain a Bharatiya Janata Party worker.

"Truth always wins," she said on her acquittal on Friday, which came nearly a decade after she was made an accused in the case in which 97 people were killed by a mob.

"I am a BJP worker, I was a BJP worker and will continue to remain a BJP worker. I have not thought about it (joining active politics), as the court judgment came only yesterday (Friday). I am a party worker and will continue to remain so," Kodnani told a local TV news channel.

The three-time member of legislative assembly said she got the support of her entire family, which gave her 'strength to pass through the difficult times'.

"Time was put me to the test. This is how I see it. And I have managed to sail through difficult, testing times," she said.

On leaders of the ruling BJP welcoming her acquittal, she said, "I am a BJP worker and, therefore, it is natural for the party's senior leaders and well wishers (to wish me after the verdict)," she said.

A gynaecologist by profession, Kodnani was elected as an MLA three times from Naroda constituency in Ahmedabad -- in 1998, 2002 and 2007 -- and became the minister for women and child development in the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat in 2007.

She was made an accused in 2008 in the Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam massacre cases by the Special Investigation Team probing the post-Godhra riots cases.

In August 2012, a special SIT court sentenced her to 28 years in jail for her role in Naroda Patiya case. She had been arrested in March 2009, but was out on bail since July 2014.

In 2017, on her application in a special SIT court hearing the Naroda Gam case, BJP chief Amit Shah had deposed as her defence witness. He had told the court that on February 28, 2002, when the massacre took place, he saw Kodnani in the state assembly and then at Sola civil hospital, but had no idea where she went after that.

The Naroda Gam case is still being heard by the special court, in which 11 persons of the minority community were killed.

While acquitting Kodnani on Friday, the Gujarat high court upheld the conviction of former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Patiya riots case.

The high court said the statements made by witnesses regarding Kodnani's role were contradictory. No prosecution witness mentioned that she talked to them at the relevant time, the high court noted.

The trial court had convicted her for a criminal conspiracy under section 120 (B) of the IPC, but the evidence didn't establish the charge, the high court said.

A mob killed 97 people, most of them from a minority community, in Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad on February 28, 2002, a day after the torching of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra which triggered state-wide riots.

Photograph: PTI Photo
He said he will not join any party but will work to unite all non-BJP parties. M I Khan reports from Patna.

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday announced that he was quitting the Bharatiya Janata Party and party politics, and would now work on 'saving democracy in the country'.

The senior BJP leader said he would not join any other political party.

"I am announcing here the end my long-time association with the BJP. I am taking sanyas from party politics," Sinha said in Patna while addressing the first meeting of 'Rashtra Manch' founded by him earlier this year.

He said now onwards he will try to unite all non-BJP parties.

"I will not join any political party and will have nothing to do with party-politics," he said.

Sinha recalled that four years ago, he had announced not to contest elections. "Now, today I am taking sanyas from party politics," he said.

"I am not an aspirant for any top post and I am making it clear here that I am not at all interested in seeking any post," Sinha said.

Sulking BJP MP Satrughan Sinha, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress leader Renuka Choudhary, Samajwadi Party leader Ghanshayam Tiwary, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Choudhary and Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh attended the meeting of Rashtra Manch.

Sinha warned people that democracy is in danger in the country due to undemocratic style of functioning of current government led by Prime Minister Narendra D Modi.

"There is a need of a big campaign to save democracy in the country," he said

"Otherwise," he said, "future generations will ask us what we did in such a situation."

"All democratic institutions, including Parliament, judiciary, Election Commission, the Central Bureau of Investigation, the National Investigation Agency and media, are under tremendous pressure and have been forced to work on the instructions of those in power. It is a dangerous trend for democracy," he said at the meeting.

He said that he would launch a strong movement to 'save democracy' in the country.
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Torq Resources Inc. (TSX-V:TORQ) (OTCQX:TRBMF) (Torq or the Company) is pleased to announce the appointment of Natasha Frakes as the Companys Manager of Corporate Communications. She is now the main point person for the development, implementation, and management of external communications and investor relations strategies.



Frakes background is in journalism, formerly working as a news reporter for CBC Vancouver and producing content for television, radio, and web. She has also spent several years in leadership roles as a news anchor for CBC Calgary and CTV Regina. Her more recent work as a host for Market One Media, in which she interviews mining executives for broadcast on Canadas national business news network (BNN), gained her valuable insight into the resource sector and helped lead her to her new role with the Company. Frakes has a bachelors degree in English with an emphasis on writing and a certificate in journalism from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

Michael Kosowan, the Companys President and CEO, stated, We welcome Natasha to her new role leading Torqs external communications and marketing strategy. As the company expands its tier-one mineral portfolio in stable jurisdictions, her unique background will enable us to reach a broader audience and attract new investors.

On Behalf of the Board,

Michael Kosowan

Director, President & CEO

For further information on Torq Resources, please contact Natasha Frakes, Manager of Corporate Communications at (778) 729-0500 or natasha.frakes@torqresources.com.

About Torq Resources:

Torq Resources Inc. is a junior exploration company with the goal of establishing a tier-one mineral portfolio. The Companys management team has raised over $500M and monetized successes in three previous exploration companies. Its initial asset is a 120,000-hectare land package in Newfoundland, Canada, an emerging gold jurisdiction. Torq is continually reviewing and acquiring new precious metals targets on the path to discovery.

Disclaimer

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.
Kanye West announced on Twitter that he's dropping two new albums this summer, a solo record and a collaborative effort with Kid Cudi.

His solo record will have 7 songs in it, and will be released on June 1. The collaborative effort with Cudi is titled Kids See Ghost and is set for release on June 8.

West has reportedly been recording in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for his new album, which is his first since The Life of Pablo, released in 2016.

Kanye has long been touting this project for months, appearing with Cudi both onstage in his hometown of Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom, as well as at a recent gig in Los Angeles. He's also gone on trips with him to Tokyo, as well as to the mountains of Wyoming.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Entertainment News
The biotech sector witnessed a couple of hurrahs and heartaches this week, and here's some of what happened.

GW Pharmaceuticals plc's (GWPH) cannabis-based drug for epilepsy, Epidiolex, won the unanimous backing of an advisory panel to the FDA on April 19, 2018. The FDA's final decision on Epidiolex is expected by June 27, 2018. If approved, Epidiolex would be the first-ever medicine derived from a marijuana plant to be greenlighted by the FDA.

Argos Therapeutics Inc. (ARGS), which had been hoping to revive its late-stage kidney cancer trial of Rocapuldencel-T all along, finally announced its decision to terminate the study on April 19, 2018, sending the stock down nearly 69% that day.

Now, let's take a look at the pharma/biotech stocks and upcoming events to keep an ear out for in the coming week.

1. Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Co. Ltd. (BHVN)

Biohaven Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing drugs for neurological diseases, including rare disorders.

The Company's lead drug candidate is Rimegepant (BHV-3000) for acute treatment of Migraine, which is under two phase III trials.

On March 26, 2018, Biohaven Pharma announced positive top-line results from its two phase III clinical trials of Rimegepant - with each trial meeting the co-primary efficacy endpoints of superiority to placebo, at two hours post-dose, on pain freedom and freedom from the most bothersome symptom.

Watch out for...

On April 22, 2018, a panel of migraine experts will discuss the potential therapeutic benefits associated with the Rimegepant phase III clinical trial results.

BHVN closed Friday's trading at $27.18, down 0.33%.

2. Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY)

An FDA panel is slated to review the NDA for Baricitinib, proposed for the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis, on April 23, 2018.

Baricitinib, a once-daily oral JAK inhibitor, is co-developed by Eli Lilly and Incyte Corp. (INCY).

The FDA's final decision on Baricitinib is expected to be announced in June 2018.

LLY closed Friday's trading at $79.06, down 0.87%.

3. Tocagen Inc. (TOCA)

Tocagen is a cancer-selective gene therapy company developing therapies that are designed to destroy tumors, leaving the healthy tissues unharmed.

Watch out for

Updated durable response data from a phase I study involving patients with high-grade glioma who received Toca 511 & Toca FC at the time of surgical resection are expected to be presented on April 24, 2018.

You can find more about TOCA in our "This Day That Year" column.

TOCA closed Friday's trading at $10.41, down 0.67%.

4. Argenx (ARGX)

Argenx is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a deep pipeline of differentiated antibody-based therapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases and cancer.

Last December, the Company announced positive top line results from its phase II clinical trial of ARGX-113 in myasthenia gravis patients with confirmed generalized muscle weakness.

Primary endpoint analysis revealed ARGX-113 to be well tolerated in all patients, with most adverse events characterized as mild and deemed unrelated to the study drug. The secondary endpoint measures relating to efficacy showed ARGX-113 treatment resulted in rapid onset of action and strong clinical improvement over placebo during the entire duration of the study.

Watch out for

Complete data from the phase II clinical trial of ARGX-113 in myasthenia gravis is expected to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting on April 24, 2018.

ARGX closed Friday's trading at $88.90, down 0.29%.

5. NeuroMetrix Inc. (NURO)

NeuroMetrix is a commercial stage, bioelectrical and digital medicine company focused on addressing chronic conditions including chronic pain and diabetes.

The Company's lead product is Quell, an over-the-counter wearable therapeutic device for chronic pain.

Watch out for

Data from a pilot study that assessed the accuracy of the sleep monitoring in Quell device by comparison to gold standard polysomnography will be presented at the upcoming 2018 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting to be held in Los Angeles, CA, April 21-27.

NURO closed Friday's trading at $1.46, down 2.01%. In after-hours, the stock was up 8.22% to $1.58.

6. International Stem Cell Corp. (ISCO.OB)

International Stem Cell is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products.

Last month, the Company completed dosing of the second cohort of its phase I clinical trial of ISC-hpNSC for Parkinson's disease at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

ISC-hpNSC consists of a highly pure population of neural stem cells derived from human parthenogenetic stem cells.

Watch out for

Interim clinical results of ISC-hpNSC for Parkinson's disease will be presented on April 24, 2018.

ISCO.OB closed Friday's trading at $1.48, up 2.78%.

7. Acorda Therapeutics Inc. (ACOR)

Acorda Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company marketing two approved products namely AMPYRA and QUTENZA, and has a pipeline of novel neurological therapies addressing a range of disorders, including Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

The lead drug candidate in the pipeline is INBRIJA, an investigational treatment for people with Parkinson's living with OFF periods, or the re-emergence of Parkinson's symptoms.

INBRIJA is under FDA review, with a decision expected on October 5, 2018.

Watch out for

The Company will present new data for INBRIJA at the upcoming American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting in Los Angeles on April 24, 2018.

ACOR closed Friday's trading at $23.35, down 0.21%.

8. Alder Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (ALDR)

Alder BioPharma is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutic antibodies for the treatment of migraine.

The Company's lead drug candidate is Eptinezumab, under two phase III studies to assess its efficacy and safety in migraine prevention, dubbed PROMISE 1 and PROMISE 2.

The primary and secondary endpoint results of PROMISE 2 trial were reported in January of this year. There was a reduction of 8.2 monthly migraine days from baseline following a single Eptinezumab administration compared to 5.6 days for placebo.

Watch out for

New data from the PROMISE 2 trial will be presented at the 70th Annual American Academy of Neurology Meeting on April 24, 2018.

ALDR closed Friday's trading at $13.75, down 3.17%.

9. Neurocrine Biosciences Inc. (NBIX)

Neurocrine Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on neurologic, psychiatric and endocrine related disorders. The Company INGREZZA capsules in the United States for the treatment of adults with tardive dyskinesia.

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal and repetitive movements of the trunk, extremities and/or face.

INGREZZA was approved by the FDA in April 2017. The drug brought home sales of $116.6 million for Neurocrine Biosciences last year.

INGREZZA is also being explored in Tourette syndrome, and a phase IIb trial in this indication is underway. Top-line data from this study is expected in late 2018.

Watch out for

New data evaluating the efficacy of INGREZZA across body regions in patients with Tardive Dyskinesia is scheduled to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting on April 25, 2018.

NBIX closed Friday's trading at $79.40, up 1.56%.

10. Mallinckrodt Public Ltd. Co. (MNK)

The FDA is scheduled to announce its decision on Mallinckrodt's supplemental New Drug Application for Amitiza in children 6 to 17 years of age with pediatric functional constipation on April 28, 2018.

Amitiza came under Mallinckrodt's fold following the acquisition of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals last December.

The drug is already approved for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation and opioid-induced constipation in adults, and irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adult women.

The global sales of Amitiza in 2016 were $456 million.

MNK closed Friday's trading at $13.76, down 1.99%. In after-hours, the stock fell another 0.36% to $13.71.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
TORONTO, April 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canadian World Fund Limited (TSX:CWF) (CWF or the Company) and Third Canadian General Investment Trust Limited (Third Canadian) announced today that pursuant to the previously announced March 5, 2018 acquisition agreement (the Acquisition Agreement) providing for the acquisition by Third Canadian of all of CWFs issued and outstanding common shares (the Shares) not already owned by Third Canadian and its affiliates and associates by way of a plan of arrangement under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (the Arrangement), each CWF minority shareholder will be entitled to receive cash consideration per Share equal to $9.25 if the Arrangement is approved by shareholders and the court and is implemented.



Under the terms of the Acquisition Agreement, the cash consideration each CWF minority shareholder is entitled to receive per Share is equal to 95% of the Net Asset Value per Share calculated on April 20, 2018, being the day that is four business days prior to the meeting of shareholders of the Company which has been called for April 26, 2018 to consider the Arrangement (the Meeting). The Net Asset Value has been calculated in accordance with the valuation principles set out in the Companys Annual Information Form and consistent with past practice. Generally, publicly traded securities held by the Company are valued based on their closing market prices. The Net Asset Value per Share of the Company at April 20, 2018 as calculated by Morgan Meighen & Associates Limited, the Manager of the Company, is $9.74.

As at April 20, 2018, the consideration to be received by a shareholder of $9.25 per Share represents a premium of approximately 1.65% per Share based on the $9.10 closing price of the Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange on April 20, 2018. Share prices since March 6, 2018 may reflect the announcement of the proposed Arrangement after the close of trading on March 5, 2018. As at March 5, 2018, the closing price of a Share was $6.17 and the Net Asset Value per Share was $9.96.

The Company will make further announcements regarding the voting at the Meeting, the approval by shareholders and the court and the implementation of the Arrangement, as appropriate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jonathan A. Morgan, President and CEO or Vanessa L. Morgan, Chair

Phone: (416) 366-2931

Fax: (416) 366-2729

e-mail: cwffund@mmainvestments.com

website: www.canadianworldfund.ca
TORONTO, April 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the legalization of adult-use cannabis across Canada intended for this year, one of the chief objectives of our organization has been achieved. With these coming changes there are many reasons to celebrate this 420, yet there is still much work to do!

Canadians are on the cusp of reforms that represent a crucial step towards ending the drug war. NORML Canada will continue to work towards thoughtful and reasonable cannabis regulations that protect all Canadians.

To better reflect this massive shift in social attitudes, and the coming existence of regulation for which we may finally discuss reform, a new mandate has been proposed:

NORML Canada is a non-profit, public interest, member operated and funded group, chartered at the federal level in Canada since 1978. NORML Canada advocates for fair and inclusive cannabis laws, supports restitution for those wrongly harmed by cannabis prohibition, and takes an evidence-based approach to educating Canadians on cannabis. NORML Canada is also dedicated to ensuring cannabis patients have reasonable access to their medicine as Canada legalizes non-medical use. NORML Canada is committed to continuing its advocacy to ensure the liberalization of cannabis laws in Canada works for all Canadians.





Abigail Sampson

Interim Executive Director

NORML Canada

info@norml.ca

647-549-2686

2173 Danforth Avenue

Toronto, Ontario, M4C 1K4
By SA Commercial Prop News- I-Net Bridge

Octodec and Premium MD Jeffrey Wapnick said on Monday, while the inner city office property market was less buoyant the retail sector was robust with strong and increasing interest from national tenants over the past few years.



Octodec Investments (OCT) and Premium Properties (PMM) , which are unique players in the listed real estate sector, have embarked on a multimillion rand refurbishment of 76 properties in Gautengs central business districts (CBDs).

The value of the groups on-the-go projects is about R600m while the inclusion of planned projects pushes this number to more than R1bn.



Managed by City Property Octodec and Premium are unique players in the listed real estate space given their significant exposure to the residential sector which is more management-intensive than other sectors.



The groups conversion of a number of formerly dilapidated office buildings into higher end residential units now sees it managing more than 11000 residential units mainly in the Pretoria and Johannesburg CBDs amid continued improvements in the provinces inner cities.



Octodec and Premium MD Jeffrey Wapnick said on Monday that of City Propertys 8000 residential units in Pretoria only about 50 were vacant indicating the strong demand for quality accommodation in Gautengs inner cities.



While the inner city office property market was less buoyant the retail sector was robust with strong and increasing interest from national tenants over the past few years. Prime retail properties in the CBDs had zero vacancies Wapnick said.



Premiums investment portfolio which has a 29% exposure to the residential sector was valued at R4.7bn at the end of February while Octodecs was worth R3.7bn. Octodec has a much smaller residential component.



Wapnick said Pretoria and Johannesburgs CBDs were in their most positive positions in many years and its getting better all the time. City Property was very bullish about the outlook for inner city real estate he said.



Octodec and Premium financial director Anthony Stein said with new entrants into particularly the Johannesburg market and a scramble for inner city properties over the past few years prices have moved significantly which meant there were relatively few acquisition opportunities remaining.



But the group held a number of properties in Johannesburg which it could redevelop as well as upgrade opportunities and new development opportunities in Pretoria where City Property had abundant land holdings.



A few planned office-to-residential conversions would push Premiums residential exposure to over 30%. Stein said given the massive demand for high quality inner city accommodation we havent tested the demand yet.



Octodec and Premium have been eyeing a potential merger after each company converts to a real estate investment trust.



Earlier this year Premium reported above-market distribution growth of 9% to 126.2c per linked unit for the year ended February while Octodec reported a 10.5% rise in distributions per linked unit to 78.7c for the six months ended February.


(file photo) The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved an ordinance on the death penalty for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12. The decision came a day after the Ministry of Women and Child Development told the Supreme Court that it was proposing the death penalty for those convicted of raping children.



The Ministry had told the apex court that the government was "sensitive to the plight of young children" brutally abused in the most horrific manner, and proposed to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by introducing the death penalty to the convicts of child rapes.



The Cabinet move came in the backdrop of nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and other instances in different parts of the country including a nine-year-old girl in Surat.



The POCSO Act was formulated in order to effectively address sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.




VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Independent elementary schools in British Columbia continue to outperform the provinces public schools, claiming 80 of the top 102 spots in the Fraser Institutes annual ranking of B.C. elementary schools released today.



The Report Card on British Columbias Elementary Schools, 2018 ranks 946 public and independent elementary schools based on 10 academic indicators derived from the provincewide Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) results.

The report card provides parents with information they cant easily get anywhere else about how their childs school is performing over time and compared to other schools across the province, said Peter Cowley, director of school performance studies at the Fraser Institute.

Of the top 102 ranked schools provincewide, only 22 are public. And of those 22 schools, nine are located in West Vancouver including the top-ranked Cedardale and West Bay Elementary.

Contrary to common misconceptions, according to previous research, families with children enrolled in most independent schools in B.C. have an average (after tax) income only 1.9 per cent higher than parents with children in public schools.

Simply put, differences in parental income do not appear to explain the differences in the overall ratings of independent and public schools, Cowley said.

In addition to the ranking, the report card also spotlights schools that are improving or falling behind.

This year, 16 of the 20 fastest-improving schools are public schools. Parkview Elementary in Sicamousthe fastest-improving school provincewidehas improved its overall rating from 2.8 to 6.6 between 2013 and 2017. And Woodland Park Elementary in Surrey improved its overall rating from 5.2 to 7.0 over the same four-year period.

All too often we hear excuses that public schools cant improve student performance because of the communities and the students they serve, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Cowley said.

For the complete results on all ranked schools, and to easily compare the performance of different schools, visit www.compareschoolrankings.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Peter Cowley

Director of School Performance Studies, Fraser Institute

Cell: (604) 789-0475

Office: (604) 714-4556

E-mail: peter.cowley@fraserinstitute.org

Bryn Weese

Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

Cell: (604) 250-8076

Office: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 589

E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Like us 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
Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal, whose indefinite hunger strike to demand death for rapists of children continued for the ninth day on Saturday, said she would end her fast at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

"I'm ending the fast, but the struggle will go on," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said while announcing her decision.



Earlier in the day, she said that she would continue her fast till the time an ordinance on the death penalty for rapists of children below the age of 12 -- which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday -- is not promulgated.





Maliwal has been on fast since April 13 in support of her demand in the wake of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua in January and other similar crime elsewhere.



Welcoming the Cabinet's decision to approve the ordinance, Maliwal, said: "Until something concrete happens, I will not give up. Until a system is there to ensure safety of the last girl, I won't give up."



"When the Prime Minister can suddenly bring an ordinance without anybody knowing about it, when he can implement such a big project, then why can't he do these few things? Till the time these are not done, my fast will not end," she said and demanded the ordinance be immediately issued.



The DCW chief said: "I am happy that though, after nine days, the central government has taken the first step to (propose) death to rapists of small children within six months," she said and also appreciated the Centre's plan to increase the number of fast-track courts in the country to help avoid delay in justice in such cases.



However, Maliwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on her other demands.



She said that just changing the law was not enough, its implementation was more important. Even more important was raising police resources and their accountability, she added.



"If police resources and their accountability is not increased, then do whatever, rapes will not stop," Maliwal said, adding that it was the Prime Minister's duty to determine police resources and accountability.



She said for the last 10 years, Delhi Police has been demanding 66,000 police personnel but nothing had happened till date. The direct impact of this is borne by the public, she said.



Police is only able to do VIP duties, not of the public and most police stations have less than half of the required strength, the DCW chief said.
India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived on Saturday in Beijing on a four-day China visit where she will hold crucial bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ministerial-level meeting.

The one-on-one meet with Wang on Sunday will be the key highlight of Sushma Swaraj's visit in which she will discuss a range of issues and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's China trip in June to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Summit.



She will meet a more powerful Wang who in March was promoted to China's top diplomatic post of State Councillor. Their last meeting was in December on the sidelines of the BRICS Foreign Ministers meet.



Sushma Swaraj will attend the SCO foreign ministerial-level meeting on April 24 and leave for Mongolia.



After the 73-day military stand-off at Doklam in 2017, China and India have tried to mend their ties, which is evident from the stepped up bilateral exchanges and high-level visits.

Besides the long-standing border dispute, the two countries have a host of issues that plague their relationship. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) irks India as its planned route cuts through the disputed Kashmir held by Islamabad and claimed by New Delhi.



Beijing's opposition to New Delhi's application at the UN to have Pakistan-based terror group chief Masood Azhar declared an international terrorist is another pesky issue between both countries.



India's willingness to join the emerging bloc of the US, Japan and Australia to counter an increasingly assertive China in the Indo-Pacific region worries Beijing. However, both sides seem to have decided to work with each other despite differences.



While bilateral high-level visits and dialogue have increased, both sides have propitiated each other. China in March agreed to share the Brahmaputra River data with India, which it had withheld after the military crisis erupted in 2017.



India shifted a planned Dalai Lama event out New Delhi, not to tick off Beijing, which calls the Tibetan spiritual leader a "separatist".



Last week, India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met China's senior-most diplomat Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.
Toronto, April 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Health care is on the top of voters minds in the lead up to the June 7 provincial election. Aware of the increasingly aging population, many Ontarians want to know where the four political parties stand on seniors care and services.



On Monday, April 23, representatives from four parties will meet in a multi-stakeholder forum to explain their positions on these important issues. Confirmed representatives are

WHO:

Dipika Damerla, MPP (Liberal)

Minister of Seniors Affairs

Bill Walker, MPP (Progressive Conservative)

Critic for Seniors and Long-Term Care

Teresa Armstrong, MPP (NDP)

Critic for Seniors Affairs and Home and Long-Term Care

Valerie Powell (Green Party)

Seniors Affairs Critic

WHEN:

Monday, April 23, 2018

10:30 AM to 12:30 PM

Doors open at 10:00 AM

WHERE:

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education

252 Bloor Street West, Toronto

Auditorium G162

The two-hour discussion will be facilitated by Andre Picard, Globe and Mail health reporter. Titled Advancing Senior Care in Ontario, the event is being co-hosted by eight health care organizations: AdvantAge Ontario, Family Councils Ontario, Home Care Ontario, Ontario Association of Residents Councils, Ontario Caregiver Coalition, Ontario Community Support Association, Ontario Long-Term Care Association, and Ontario Retirement Communities Association.

Media wishing to cover the event are encouraged to register in advance by contacting Chris Noone, AdvantAge Ontario, at cnoone@advantageontario.ca
Prime Minster Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaois week in London would have done him a world of good. It was a timely break from the pressures of home.

Anyone who lives in this country would understand that now and then; you need to get away from the rock for some fresh air. The petty politics and the personalities can certainly be stifling at times.

Which is why we say Prime Minister Tuilaepa would have enjoyed his time away  albeit for work. What with the pressure from all corners of the country on his shoulders  and the unwanted threats from some key pillars of Samoan society including the church and some villages Tuilaepa needed a breather.

Perhaps it was all getting too much for our long serving Prime Minister because weve seen how cranky hed become.

First he had flatly rejected the honour of being called the Father of the Nation, chucking it back in the faces of many people who had genuinely meant it.

And judging from some of the things hes been saying lately, you really have to wonder. Dogs? Idiots? Stinking pigs? Fools?

Pity that but then he is only human and if he gets apprehensive at times, which we all do, its understandable. Its a tough gig. With the conflict at Luatuanuu a constant source of headache, the E.F.K.S. Church Ministers defiance to pay their taxes would not have sat well with him.

Besides, the headaches brought by social media and that enigma called Samoan rugby, there is also Prime Minister Tuilaepas self-appointed mission to find the gutless ghost writers who has/have been giving him some sleepless nights.

That mission appears far from being accomplished.

Elsewhere, we are living at a time when people are beginning to find their voices on certain issues. One that has started to slowly galvanize the country are fears about the alienation of customary lands.

Weve already had two protest marches about the issue. The crowds might have been small but it is just the beginning and they are unlikely to be the last. Lets not forget there are many Samoans from around the world who are starting to get behind the dissenting voice and they too have been taking to the streets in protest.

Then there is the decision by the former Head of State, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi to speak out (see his paper on pages 6, 7 and 14). That one would hurt Prime Minister Tuilaepa and his administration.

Lets not forget the internal conflicts within the H.R.P.P. as members of the party continue to quietly (in some cases) jostle among themselves about who is the likely replacement should Tuilaepa decides to call it a day.

Folks, we can go on and on but well stop here. The point is all that trouble in paradise would drive anyone mad. And the last thing they would want is to be reminded on a daily basis.

Which is perhaps why Prime Minister Tuilaepa has grown tired of the Samoa Observer so that for two weeks prior to his departure for London, he declined the opportunity to be questioned about these issues by a reporter from this newspaper.

The first instance was when the Prime Minister said he did not have time to answer questions, noting that he had to rush off somewhere. Then the following week, he apparently said: I have decided to have all the questions sent through  as it is not good to have one interview here and then another interview there. This way I can address these issues all at once.

Well if thats what he wants, then he should treat all media companies the same. But thats not whats happening.

Asked why the Samoa Observer has been singled out while every media outlet gets their time with Prime Minister Tuilaepa, Press Secretary Nanai Tuiletufuga said: The call on granting TV1 and Talamua one on one interview was made by the P.M. himself at his discretion.

How the P.M. arrived at his latest decision is an issue that he has not shared with me, but I will bring it to his attention when he returns from overseas.

Please do and let us know.

You see the past week in London where Tuilaepa had been rubbing shoulders with royalty during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (C.H.O.G.M.) should have been enough time to get over his crankiness.

But then maybe he is just tired.

Which means that perhaps its time to move on, retire and enjoy the fruits of his labour while he can. Hes done a lot for Samoa and he deserves it.

What do you think?

Have a peaceful Sunday Samoa, God bless!
Two Assistant Chief Executive Officers of the Land Transport Authority (L.T.A.) have been suspended.

This is in connection to an internal investigation on allegations that information was altered on the L.T.A. system to allow vehicles belonging to them to be registered.

The suspensions were confirmed by the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Papalii Niko Lee Hang.

According to the Minister, the A.C.E.O's are suspended with pay until the investigation is completed.

Asked about the identity of the officials in question and what positions they hold, the Minister said he could not divulge that information at this stage.

The Minister said hes currently waiting for a report from the Board of Directors of the L.T.A.

I cannot comment on the details of the case; however I am waiting for the results of the investigations by the L.T.A. Board; as you know they make the recommendation, not me.

Asked whether the L.T.A. will seek assistance from the Police, Papalii was skeptical.

This is an internal matter. We have to consider the seriousness of the case first before we take that route. Again we are looking at whether these allegations are accurate.

Also we have to give those involved the time to respond to the allegations made against them.

The Minister assured that justice will prevail again we have to wait whether these allegations are true or not true.

Asked as to why the investigation is taking so long, and the Minister said there is no need to rush.

Those involved are suspended so there is no need rush the investigation.

Let me make it clear; government policies for those who are suspended is that they are suspended with pay and until such time whether the allegations are proven or not, then appropriate personnel action will be taken, said the Minister.

Earlier this month, Chief Executive Officer of L.T.A., Ta'atialeoitiiti Agnes Tutuvanu-Schwalger, confirmed these allegations have already been made known to the L.T.A. and an investigation was underway.

As reported earlier, documents leaked to the Samoa Observer show that the year of manufacture for the vehicles were changed from 2000 to 2005 so they could be registered on the L.T.As Road Transport Administration System (R.T.A.S.).

One of the vehicles involved, according to documents obtained by the Sunday Samoan, is a Toyota Allion.

On the P.S.V. vehicle inspection, the car is a 2003 model. But according to the R.T.A.S, its been amended to 2006.

Both documents point to the same V.I.N. number.

During an earlier interview with Tutuvanu-Schwalger, she acknowledged the opportunity given to the L.T.A to comment.

But she said she cannot provide any further details at this point until the investigation has been completed.

The C.E.O. assured the L.T.A. has in place rules and regulations which govern their staff and how they carry out their work.

Therefore, if these allegations are proven to be true then my staff involved will be dealt with accordingly.

Honesty is one of L.T.A.s core values and principles therefore L.T.A. endeavours to promote and enforce this for our Management (including me as C.E.O.) and our staff.

According to Tutuvanu-Schwalger, since the start of 2018, L.T.A. has been in the process of upgrading its Road Transport Administration System (R.T.A.S.). The system houses all the information about vehicles in Samoa.

Findings from this investigation will be used to improve the setup, operation, maintenance and security of the R.T.A.S.

Furthermore, improvements to our current working procedures will be made based on findings from our investigation.

Again, I on behalf of the L.T.A., encourage members of the public to contact our office for any matters that they would like to discuss and understand more.

Comments and feedback from the public as well as our staff is crucial in improving L.T.A.s service delivery.
A Court Officer is being investigated by the Police.

The investigation follows the confiscation of a glass pipe used to smoke methamphetamine, also known as ice, from the Ministry of Justice and Courts Administrations compound by Police.

This was confirmed by an M.J.C.A. Assistant C.E.O., Veatauia Faatasi Puleiata, in response to questions from the Sunday Samoan.

The matter has been handed over to the Police and that is all I can say, said Veatauia.

Police Superintendent, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, also confirmed the investigation.

The Sunday Samoan understands that there are other issues being investigated.

They are also looking into allegations of personal cheques being forged.

This Officer of the Court found personal cheques then allegedly forged signatures and used the money gained for his personal use.

One of the cheques was used at a store in Papauta which bounced and thats when the M.J.C.A. Manager was informed and only then he found out his blank cheques were missing."

The owner of the store and the Manager viewed the cameras and identified the Court Officer, said the Police Officer.

Court employees witnessed as the Court Officer was taken in for questioning by the Police on the matter.

Auapaau did not respond to questions as to how much money was involved in the alleged forgery case.

He also did not address the queries whether the Police will take the glass pipe in for testing, whether the police intend to file criminal charges in the case.

All I can I say is that investigation is underway and I cannot discuss the details of the pending investigation, said Auapaau.

The M.J.C.A. Chief Executive Officer, Papalii John Taimalelagi, declined to answer whether any personnel action will be taken in this matter.

He also denied knowing anything pertaining to the glass pipe used to smoke ice confiscated by the Police.

I have no knowledge of anything and that is all I am going to say to you.
Samoa has overcome a strong challenge from Malaysia in the bid to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (C.H.O.G.M.) in 2022.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, who was in London for C.H.O.G.M. meeting, spearheaded Samoas bid against other nations.

The Sunday Samoan understands that the final decision came down to Samoa and Malaysia, which Samoa won.

The decision was announced in the 2018 C.H.O.G.M. communique.

Heads welcomed and accepted the offer of the President of Rwanda to host their next meeting in 2020, it reads. They also welcomed the offer of Samoa to host the 2022 C.H.O.G.M.

Fiji had apparently lost to Rwanda in the bidding for the next C.H.O.G.M.

It was not possible to get a comment from the Prime Minister yesterday. He has not arrived back in the country.

Tuilaepa is accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Agafili Shem Leo, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peseta Noumea Simi.

Tuilaepa attended the C.H.O.G.M. retreat where it was agreed that Prince Charles would take over as the next head of the Commonwealth from Queen Elizabeth II (see story page 22).

If all goes according to plan, Prince Charles will be one of the star attractions in Apia come 2022. The C.H.O.G.M. will continue Samoas proud history of hosting international meetings and sporting competitions.

Speaking at the meeting, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth said the Commonwealth has come a long way.

Here at Buckingham Palace in 1949, my father met the Heads of Government when they ratified the London Declaration, which created the Commonwealth as we know it today  then comprising just eight nations, she said.

Who then -- or in 1952, when I became Head of the Commonwealth -- would have guessed that a gathering of its member states would one day number 53, or that it would comprise 2.4 billion people?"

Put simply, we are one of the world's great convening powers: a global association of volunteers who believe in the tangible benefits that flow from exchanging ideas and experiences and respecting each other's point of view.

And we seem to be growing stronger year by year. The advantages are plain to see. An increasing emphasis on trade between our countries is helping us all to discover exciting new ways of doing business. And imaginative initiatives have shown how together we can bring about change on a global scale. The Commonwealth Canopy has emphasised our interdependence, while the Commonwealth Blue Charter promises to do the same in protecting our shared ocean resources. The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust is providing life-changing eye treatment to many thousands, through the generosity and cooperation of the nations represented here today.
The Samoa International Fish Gaming Association Tournament finale took place yesterday with an official closing ceremony.

In the end it was the Anglers from American Samoa team Double Hooked, captained by Skipper, Peter Crispen, who took the grand prize overall of the tournament coming in first place with 91.6 points.

The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Lopaoo Natanielu Mua and M.A.F. Chief Executive Officer, Tilafono David Hunter presented the awards for the winners of individual and team categories with the Minister giving the closing speech.

The President of S.I.G.F.A, Poao Francis Hansell, thanked their sponsors and supporters who made the tournament possible.

We are here to celebrate what has been a great week of fishing, said Poao.

Some good fish caught, released and a few that got away. Great sportsmanship was shown on and off the water. We thank you for the continuing support of the past and present sponsors and without you all this tournament would not have been possible."

A very special thank you to our major sponsor  the Wetzell family at the Apia Concrete Products for your continuous support year after year. A big faafetai tele to the Samoa international Finance Authority for your continued support."

To all our local business community and individuals that are always willing to give us a hand, thank you all. Last but not least to the Government of Samoa, faafetai tele lava.

During the closing ceremony, Angie Wetzell presented a cheque for $30,000 to the Samoa International Game Fishing Association on behalf of Apia Concrete Products (A.C.P.) who have been a major supporter of the tournament since it began.

Minister Lopaoo thanked the Samoa International Fish Gaming Association for their work in making the event an annual success and their contribution to Samoas Tourism.

He also said that he looks forward to welcoming Anglers to his district when they move on to the Asau Fishing tournament next week.

Team Results:

1st place: Double Hooked

2nd place: Double Down team Fish Pirates

3rd place: Free Spirit Team Digga Bits

4th place: Yellow Fin II Team Yellowfin

5th place: Razzee Team Razz
San Diegos Cubic Corp. is selling its defense services arm for $135 million to focus on its military technology products and mass transit fare collection businesses.

Valiant Integrated Services of McLean, VA., has agreed to by Cubics Global Defense Services division, which generated $378 million in revenue last year.

The unit employs about 3,500 workers in 10 countries. All Global Defense Services employees will transfer to Valiant once the purchase is complete, which is expected in 60 days.

The scale required to compete profitably in the defense services industry has increased meaningfully, and technology is no longer a market differentiator, said Cubic Chairman and Chief Executive Brad Feldmann in a conference call with analysts. This transaction will allow the services business and its employees to be part of a growing platform that is focused in the defense services market and is better positioned to compete in that consolidating industry.

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Wall Street analysts applauded the deal, saying it could pave the way for Cubic to make acquisitions in its remaining defense and transportation businesses.

Cubic is transitioning to more technology focused products and investing in markets that offer greater upside and margin potential than the services business, said Ken Herbert, an analyst with Canaccord Genuity, in a research note.

Cubic has several divisions. It is a major supplier of fare collection and information management technologies to some of the worlds largest mass transit agencies, including operators in London, New York, Chicago and Sydney.

For military customers, Cubic provides hardware and software for pilot training, laser-based live fire exercise for ground troops, marksmanship simulators, game-based training for sailors and so on.

It will continue to offer these products  as well as its growing communications/reconnaissance business that provides full-motion video from the battlefield, foldable satellite dishes and portable network gear.

What Cubic is selling is its military services arm. The division provides personnel who plan training exercises, play roles during exercises and deliver education, logistical support and analysis.

Service contracts are awarded under the governments lowest price technically acceptable standard  which in recent years has put pressure on companies such as Cubic that are not solely focused on the services market, said Anshooman Aga, Cubics chief financial officer.

Cubics Global Defense Services revenue shrunk from more than $400 million in 2015 to $378 million last year. It generated about $11.5 million in adjusted earnings in 2017, said Aga.

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It was better for us to sell off so we could grow in other parts of the company, he said.

Valiant said the deal significantly broadens its customer base and geographic footprint.

By adding the Cubic Global Defense Services business to Valiant -- a pure-play firm structured for the services marketplace -- we expect that this transaction will  immediately strengthen our position in core mission support markets, said Chief Executive James Jaska in a statement.

Once the sale is complete, Cubic will have 5,200 workers worldwide. Last year, revenue from all of Cubics divisions was $1.48 billion.

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The companys shares ended trading Friday at $65.40 on the New York Stock Exchange  up 4 percent for the week.

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mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com;

Twitter:@TechDiego

760-529-4973
For some, it was a chance to get a valid state of California identification card, a Hepatitis A vaccination and some gently worn clothing. For others, it was a place to find transitional housing.

For 53-year-old Charles Riggs, a homeless man who said he lives out of various tunnels in El Cajon, Fridays Project Homeless Connect East County meant he could take a much-needed shower and get a haircut.

This is priceless, said Riggs, a 1982 Santana High School graduate, as several students from the San Diego City College of Cosmetology cut, combed and styled his hair  and gave him some TLC.

Project Homeless Connect is an annual, 4-hour event sponsored by the Grossmont Healthcare District and Grossmont Center. Held at Rock Church in El Cajon, the event matches people to various agencies that offer help.

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It provides one-day access to services that otherwise would take months to procure. It is part of a nationwide initiative to bring needed services to the homeless at one location on one day, said Mary Case, executive director of Crisis House, which organizes the event.

Nikki Quintanar, once homeless herself, was one of the cosmetology students cutting and styling hair at the event, which drew more than 150 people. Quintanar, 45, said she was grateful to be able to help others who were down on their luck, as she once was.

Things sometimes happen that are beyond our control, she said. Its important to have compassion for others.

When asked how long he has been without a home, Riggs, who donates blood plasma for money to make ends meet, looked straight ahead and said, Too long.

The church was teeming with dozens of volunteers and representatives from organizations such as housing coordinators, addiction treatment centers and veterans groups.

Tommy Tulloch of Santee, who volunteers with Rock Church, helped men find the right sized shirts, jackets, pants and shoes from a table overflowing with donated clothes.

I love to see the smiles and the excitement on their faces when they find clothes they like, Tulloch said. Its like theyre at a department store and theyve won the clothes lottery. Its a joy to give them hope.

1 / 13 Canesha Parker plays with there daughter, 19-month-old Jasmine while waiting for the doors to open at the Rock Church in El Cajon where Project Homeless Connect East County was held. The one-day event brought homeless people together with service providers and outreach assistance including offering free haircuts, clothing, showers, and a wide range of other support services. 2 / 13 Michael O Quinn, left, and Daniel Lindsley, right, both homeless, pray with Dan Savage, center, outside the Rock Church in El Cajon where Project Homeless Connect East County was held. The one-day event brings homeless people together with service providers and outreach assistance including offering free haircuts, clothing, showers, and a wide range of other support services. Photo by Howard Lipin/San Diego Union-Tribune/Mandatory Credit: HOWARD LIPIN SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE/ZUMA PRESS (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 13 Erik Stottlemyer, homeless for about two-years, gets his beard cutoff courtesy of Kimberly Infringer, a student in the Cosmetology Department at San Diego City College after she gave him a haircut during Project Homeless Connect East County held at the Rock Church in El Cajon. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 13 People wait for the doors to open at the Rock Church in El Cajon where Project Homeless Connect East County was being held. The one-day event brought homeless people together with service providers and outreach assistance including offering free haircuts, clothing, showers, and a wide range of other support services. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 13 Clifton Coleman, homeless for the past three-years, gets a haircut courtesy of Brooke Plante, a student in the Cosmetology Department at San Diego City College, during Project Homeless Connect East County held at the Rock Church in El Cajon. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 13 Jose Ojeda with Presbyterian Urban Ministries, one of the outreach groups at the Rock Church in El Cajon where Project Homeless Connect East County was held. The one-day event brings homeless people together with service providers and outreach assistance including offering free haircuts, clothing, showers, and a wide range of other support services. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 13 Free clothes, one of the features of Project Homeless Connect East County held at the Rock Church in El Cajon. The one-day event brought homeless people together with service providers and outreach assistance including offering free haircuts, clothing, showers, and a wide range of other support services. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 13 Derius Romero who has been homeless for the past 12-years picks out shoes during Project Homeless Connect East County at the Rock Church in El Cajon. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 13 Jeniese Reppe, left, who has been homeless for about one-year, and Nina Schauf, right, homeless for 7-months, right, pick out clothes at the Rock Church in El Cajon where Project Homeless Connect East County was held. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 13 Robert Gamble, homeless for the past four-years, looks at himself in a mirror after John Arnold, a student in Cosmetology Department at San Diego City College finished giving him a haircut during Project Homeless Connect East County held at the Rock Church in El Cajon. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 11 / 13 Erik Stottlemyer, homeless for about two-years, gets a haircut courtesy of Kimberly Infringer, a student in the Cosmetology Department at San Diego City College during Project Homeless Connect East County held at the Rock Church in El Cajon. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 12 / 13 Craig Dias, right, who has been homeless for many years, along with others, check-in at the Rock Church in El Cajon where Project Homeless Connect East County was held. The one-day event brought homeless people together with service providers and outreach assistance including offering free haircuts, clothing, showers, and a wide range of other support services. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 13 / 13 Robert Gamble, homeless for the past four-years, looks at himself in a mirror after John Arnold, a student in Cosmetology Department at San Diego City College finished giving him a haircut during Project Homeless Connect East County held at the Rock Church in El Cajon. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

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There was even a shaded site outdoors for homeless persons to leave their pets while they were inside the church being served.

Jill Jones, manager of the El Cajon Animal Shelter, which oversaw the pet care, gave out packages of dog food, cat food and dog treats to clients. A pile of colorful dog toys on the table went quickly.

Not just people are homeless, Jones said. Im glad we can be here while people have the opportunity to get a hand up.

Case said she was hopeful the event would continue to grow. It was also held in 2013, 2014, 2015 and last year.

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At the events close, Case talked with Roxy Walnum, a program manager at East County Center for Change, about possibly bringing in legal help.

East County Center for Change is a case management and treatment provider for East Countys Adult Drug Court and works with judges, the District Attorney, public defenders, law enforcement and court support staff on behalf of its clients.

Case told Walnum that she would like to see the event host a legal clinic and possibly bring in a public defender and a judge to help homeless persons who are cited for illegal lodging by public safety officers.

Maybe we can find a way to get some of those tickets to be forgiven, Case said. Those tickets, when you get more than one, go up and up and up.

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Kaylen Perez was one of several Crisis House employees at the entrance and exit to the event, signing people in and out.

She said many people told her they were thrilled with being able to get goods and connect with some of the services they had been seeking. Several people thanked her.

One guy I checked in and checked out told me that Father Joes was able to help him, Perez said. He told me, I came in homeless and Im leaving with a place to live. 

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karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
Fifteen people, including two state coastal commissioners, have filed appeals asking the state Coastal Commission to weigh in on Encinitas decision to proceed with an overhaul of Coast Highway 101 in Leucadia.

It is a project that fails to consider public access to the coastline, that fails to adequately consider public safety, and fails to give adequate consideration to environmental concerns, said Christine Wagner, an Encinitas resident and one of the appellants, as she informed the City Council Wednesday night about her groups appeal.

While several opponents told the council theyre hoping the state now will put a stop to the project, proponents urged city leaders to continue pushing forward. Kellie Shay Hinze, executive director of the Leucadia 101 Main Street Association, said she was so grateful that the council had voted to certify the projects environmental documents last month and looked forward to the start of construction.

Known as Leucadia Streetscape project, the proposed overhaul of the coastal highway route has been in the planning stages for more than a decade. Plans call for adding up to six traffic roundabouts along a 2-1/2-mile stretch of the highway from La Costa Avenue to A Street, and eliminating a vehicle lane in each direction along much of the route.

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Project proponents, including many area business owners and some avid cyclists, stress that Streetscape will greatly improve conditions for pedestrians and bicycle riders by adding new sidewalks along the west side of the roadway, as well as striped crosswalks, buffered bike lanes in each direction and a decomposed granite pathway between the roadway and the railroad tracks.

It is a big step forward towards allowing the streets to be used by all modes of transportation, Councilman Tony Kranz said Wednesday night, adding that Interstate 5 ought to be the preferred route for automobile traffic.

Kranz said he doesnt think that Streetscape will worsen the routes traffic congestion, saying roundabouts have worked well in La Jollas Bird Rock area.

Opponents focus on Streetscapes proposed elimination of the two vehicle lanes and the addition of the six traffic roundabouts, saying theyre likely to make far worse what is already a very bad traffic congestion situation during the daily commuting periods. In paperwork filed April 11-16 with the state, various appellants argue that the Coastal Commission should consider how the project could impact peoples ability to visit the beach or enjoy a drive along the historic coastal route.

The appellants include a group of Encinitas residents with longstanding objections to the project and two state coastal commissioners -- Steve Padilla, a Chula Vista city councilman, and Effie Turnbull-Sanders, a Los Angeles attorney specializing in land-use issues.

Padilla wrote that the proposed roadway changes, including plans to reduce vehicle speed from 40 mph to 30 mph, are of concern.

The increase in travel time has the potential to deter the public from traveling to Encinitas beaches from inland destinations, he wrote. If it will take significantly more time to travel to and from the beach, people may be less likely to use the public beaches in the city.

The state Coastal Commission has not yet scheduled a date for hearing the appeals, commission Public Information Officer Noaki Schwartz wrote in an e-mail Friday.

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At the earliest, the appeals could be heard in June, but commission staff is aware of the community interest in this proposal and will keep that in mind relative to when the matter is ultimately agendized, she wrote.
Four people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, in the fourth consecutive week of protests organized by the Islamist militant group Hamas along the border between the Gaza Strip, which it controls, and Israel.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza reported 96 injured. The boy, Mohammed Ayyoub, was shot by Israeli forces near the Jabaliya refugee camp, and died about two hours later. Palestinian officials said the others slain, three men in their 20s, were also killed by live fire from the Israeli army.

The army said approximately 3,000 Palestinians took part in Fridays demonstrations.

The Israeli government had not commented on the deaths Friday, but Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, posted scathing remarks on Twitter.

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It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children! How does the killing of a child in #Gaza today help #peace? It doesnt! It fuels anger and breeds more killing. #Children must be protected from #violence, not exposed to it, not killed! This tragic incident must be investigated, Mladenov wrote.

 It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children! How does the killing of a child in #Gaza today help #peace? It doesnt! It fuels anger and breeds more killing. #Children must be protected from #violence, not exposed to it, not killed! This tragic incident must be investigated.  Nickolay E. MLADENOV (@nmladenov) April 20, 2018

Fridays demonstration was the fourth of six planned protests organized under the rubric Great March of Return. They are scheduled to last two more weeks and culminate in a massive march along the Gaza-Israel border fence.

Palestinian sources estimated the number of participants in Fridays protest at about 4,500, much lower than in previous marches. Estimates of those crowds have ranged from 10,000 to 30,000.

Fridays march was dedicated to Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, and some protesters brandished bilingual Hebrew-Arabic banners reading, Our prisoners are our number one priority.

The Israeli army accused demonstrators of attempting to approach the security infrastructures, burning tires adjacent to it and attempting to fly kites with burning items attached to them. Several kites crossed into Israel and were extinguished upon landing.

The army posted pictures of a few burning kites, including one decorated with a Nazi swastika.

In anticipation of possible rioting, Israeli security forces dropped leaflets over Gaza on Friday morning warning residents against using violence against Israeli civilians and soldiers or causing any damage to the border fence.

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You are participating in violent disturbances, the leaflets read in Arabic. Hamas is taking advantage of you to carry out terrorist attacks. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are prepared for any scenario. Stay away from the fence and do not attempt to damage it.

The Israeli army alleged in a statement that Hamas has used the protests to cover terrorist acts against Israels security infrastructure and IDF forces. The army warned that it would not allow an attack on security infrastructure and the fence that protects Israeli citizens.

Palestinians protesters burn tires during clashes near the border with Israel in the east of Gaza City on Friday. (MOHAMMED SABER/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock )

Thirty-four Palestinians have been killed in the weekly clashes since they started on March 30.

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Israel has yet to release the results of its investigation into the April 6 death of Yasser Murtaja, 30, a Palestinian photographer who was shot while wearing a vest emblazoned with the word Press.

On Friday, an Israeli army spokesman said that the circumstances in which the journalist was allegedly hit by IDF gunfire are currently under investigation.

Last week, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Murtaja had been a Hamas militant, but released no evidence to support the claim.

Asked for supporting material this week, David Keyes, Netanyahus spokesman for the foreign media, replied, Murtaja was 100% a Hamas officer. I saw the intelligence myself. There is not a scintilla of doubt.

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Palestinian media in the West Bank, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, have reported on numerous attempts to quell the protests, in particular by the Egyptian government. The Gaza Strip, an enclave of about 2 million people, is bordered by Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean Sea.

It has been isolated by a siege almost continuously since 2007, when Hamas, considered a terrorist group by much of the world, wrenched control of the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian Authority in a bloody conflict.

Hamas organizing committee says the marches will not stop before May 15, the Gregorian calendar date on which Palestinians commemorate the Nakba, or catastrophe, which is how they refer to the first full day of Israels existence.

Israel, which declared independence on May 14, 1948, celebrated its Independence Day this year on April 18, in accordance with the Hebrew calendar.

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Special correspondents Abu Alouf and Tarnopolsky reported from Khan Yunis and Jerusalem, respectively.

UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from U.N. official Nickolay Mladenov.

This article was originally published at 9:55 a.m.
ODESSA, FL, April 21, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dais Analytic Corporation (OTCQB: DLYT), is pleased to celebrate and share its contribution to Earth Day 2018. Earth Day, April 22, 2018, is a world-wide event celebrating the natural beauty of our planet, and it reminds us of what we can do to keep it healthy.



Daiss customers using the companys ConsERV Energy Recovery Ventilation product around the globe saved the Earths atmosphere from higher levels of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ). This was achieved from requiring less power generated to drive ConsERV equipped Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) systems.



A lower carbon footprint is the goal of many companies and governments around the globe.



CO 2 is a naturally occurring gas that is emitted at elevated levels by human activity and is one of several greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. It is believed to be a key component behind Climate Change as people and their many activities have increased CO 2 levels by over 400% since 1950. This is more than the Earths ecosystems can process naturally. Global increased levels of carbon dioxide are thought to manifest itself in higher temperatures in air and water  as well as raising the acidity in ocean water about 30 percent affecting a wide variety of sea organisms.



In the 2017  2018 Earth year Daiss ConsERV customers saved on average 30% of their energy costs for ventilation air related heating and cooling. The company projects ConsERV simultaneously saved the Earth from dealing with over 300,000 metric tons of CO 2  or an estimated 4 million metric tons cumulatively, since ConsERV was first introduced some 12 years ago. These savings are the result of the powerful features in the companys Aqualyte nanomaterial giving ConsERV its impressive capabilities.



With over 4 million life time tons of CO 2 avoided by ConsERV systems this equals roughly to the annual CO 2 output of 570,000 cars, 166,000 families, or about half the CO 2 emissions of one coal fired power plant.



The Dais team is thankful to its current  and future  ConsERV customers for their foresight in using our product which saves money and the beauty of our Earth. We are proud our technology is fulfilling its key promises and look forward to doing even more in this key area as use of ConsERV becomes wider, and other, newer Dais products come on-line using the same Aqualyte feature set showing similar environmentally friendly savings, said Tim Tangredi, Daiss President and CEO.

About Dais Analytic Corporation

Dais Analytic Corporation (OTCQB: DLYT) is a nanotechnology business producing a versatile family of membrane materials -- called Aqualyte -- focusing on evolutionary or disruptive air, energy and water applications. The uses include:

NanoClear, a commercialized system treating contaminated industrial waste water providing ultra-pure potable water with higher system efficiencies at equal or better capital and operating costs than other technologies.

ConsERV, a commercially available engineered energy recovery ventilator that uses stale air being exhausted to precondition the temperature and moisture content of the incoming fresh ventilation air, typically saving energy, reducing CO 2 emissions, and allowing for equipment downsizing;

emissions, and allowing for equipment downsizing; NanoAir, a water-based, non-fluorocarbon refrigerant cooling cycle in early beta-stage testing which can replace the existing gas-based compression cooling cycle in most forms of air-conditioning and refrigeration, saving a projected 50% in energy and CO 2 ;

Each use demonstrates the diversity of Dais' core product, Aqualyte, a family of nanostructured polymers and engineered processes focused on minimizing consumption of irreplaceable natural resources and ending the degradation of our environment. To find out more about Dais please visit www.daisanalytic.com.



Safe Harbor Statement

This press release includes statements that may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar statements. 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 that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. For example, statements about future revenues and the Companys ability to fund its operations and contractual obligations are forward looking and subject to risks. Several important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks outlined in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.
Trinity Erazo and Yesenia Lopez are only 16. But already, they know what its like to hide in fear from a campus shooter.

The University High School sophomores visited UCLA two years ago for their eighth-grade picnic. But they soon found themselves huddled inside a building and told to lock the doors and close the windows and tell their parents that there was an active shooter on campus. On the campus that day, June 1, 2016, a former doctoral student had killed his thesis adviser, then himself.

In the moment, the teens were terrified. Yesenia said she realized people can just walk onto campus with a gun on a regular school day.

When Trinity heard news of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School this February, she said she immediately wondered, Why is this happening again?

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On Friday, the two friends joined about 200 of their University High School classmates on a 3 -mile trek from their Brentwood campus to Santa Monica City Hall to push adults to work harder to curb gun violence.

In Santa Monica, they rallied alongside students from other schools, including Santa Monica and Venice high schools. Students carried signs saying such things as Hands up! Dont shoot, and chanted What do we want? Gun control. When do we want it? Now, as drivers of passing cars revved their engines and honked in support.

They were just one of many gatherings of students in L.A. and nationwide who walked out of school at 10 a.m. to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School mass shooting that killed 13 people in Littleton, Colo.

According to a central hub for organizing the protests  written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut  organizers encouraged their peers to push legislation to ban assault weapons and tighten up rules regulating who can buy guns and how.

My future child should not have to go through the same thing that I did, Trinity said.

Across the L.A. area, students participated in voter registration drives and rallies in numerous spots, including outside Los Angeles Unfied School District headquarters downtown.

When students walked out before, as part of the March for Our Lives on March 14, the district had requested that they commemorate the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Fla., by staying on campus. Some ignored that directive. The district issued a similar statement this time, encouraging students to take part in forums and other safe, peaceful activities held on campus.

District officials said they dont expect their philosophy on activism to change as walkouts become more frequent. L.A. Unified organized career days and assemblies at some schools to mark the day. Full-day absences were actually slightly lower this Friday than last.

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At University High School, where an assembly with state and district officials had been planned, administrators seemed to accept the inevitable departure. Principal Eric Davidson warned students that as they crossed city lines, Santa Monica police might check that they arent under the influence or hopping on trains for free. Unfortunately, this is a day that is coinciding with another thing, he said, alluding to the fact that 4/20 is also a day people celebrate marijuana.

Student Jade Crawford, who said her mothers friend lost a child in Parkland, wanted to make sure her group took their outing seriously. Some people are walking out because they just feel like they have the chance to get out of school, because its 4/20, she said. I want people to realize why this walkout is important: People have lost their lives.

Shortly after state Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) arrived in the University High auditorium, students crept out the door.

At the assembly, several students of color spoke of the attention that shootings get when the victims are white.

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We havent really been talking about gun violence in the life of minorities, one student told Allen.

Zoe Adams, a 17-year-old University High senior who lives in Inglewood, said she had mixed views on the walkouts.  Nobody notices suffering until it is white tears crying.

Desaree Justiniano and Alexander Quinttero, 16-year-old juniors at Linda Esperanza Marquez High School, walked six miles from their Huntington Park school to district headquarters downtown.

Desaree and Alexander wore signs that asked, AM I NEXT? They said they wanted districts to hold school-wide drills to better prepare for the worst.

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Once we know what to do, I feel like well be safe, Alexander said.

At a school safety panel at Hollywood High School on April 8, L.A. Unified School Police Chief Steve Zipperman said teachers and administrators are trained, but students do not need active-shooter drills.

Most kids would leave that training traumatized, having nightmares, wondering the next time they come into the school, Is this the next time I have to do this?  Zipperman said. His approach, he said, was to have the adults lead.

Multiple students and adults told him they disagreed, and said they wanted to feel prepared in the way that they do for earthquakes or fires.

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Joy.Resmovits@LATimes.com

@Joy_Resmovits
A couple of years ago, after speaking before the City Council to advocate for raising the minimum wage, Juan Pablo Sanchez was approached about joining the board of a local non-profit.

The executive director of Business for Good San Diego wanted to see if I would like to join a group that pushed for these types of policies, he says. It was very refreshing to find a board of my business peers who had similar values to mine.

This would make the fourth non-profit board of directors Sanchez would join, having previously joined the City Heights Business Association, the City Heights Area Planning Committee and the City Heights Coffee House. His familys restaurant and catering company, Super Cocina, has operated in the neighborhood since the late 1980s and he currently runs the business, continually looking to improve the circumstances and environment for other business owners, employees and his community.

Sanchez, 38, lives in North Park with his wife, Daniela, and took some time to talk about his work in his community, finding his voice to support his community, and lacking the one skill people might expect him to have in the restaurant business.

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Q: Tell us about the work you do with each of the non-profits youre working with.

A: The City Heights Business Association was the first non-profit I joined and still currently serve as a board member. It provides resources and services as well as promoting the business community in the neighborhood. On the board of the City Heights Area Planning Committee, we look at different proposed projects and act as advisers to the city council on anything to do with planning or development affecting public spaces within City Heights. With the City Heights Coffee House, I was invited to work with them early on, using my expertise in the hospitality sector. We advocate and employ people from marginalized groups and provide extended on-the-job training, scholarships, and other resources through our partnerships with other non-profits. We started by selling at farmers markets and then moved to a coffee cart. I am proud to say that we are now moving into our first brick-and-mortar space that will allow us to create a social meeting space for the community. Although I joined Business for Good most recently, it is one that has me very excited.

Q: Why did you want to join the board of Business for Good San Diego,a non-profit that works to bring small business owners together to advocate for policies they believe will benefit their communities?

A: In the past, I had felt very isolated when policy affecting my business was being developed or passed. It seemed to lack input from the small business community and address our needs. The same was true when policies that were labeled pro-business were passed; they often felt cold and devoid of addressing community concerns or the concerns of my employees. Imagine the pleasant surprise when I found that there were not only business owners like myself, but a lot of them who wanted to be able to be part of the conversation in passing responsible legislation that considered all aspects of the community. We could finally change the image of the hand-wringing business owner who only cares about the bottom line. In this way, we can also incorporate our collective voice in legislation so that we all benefit.

Q: How has Business for Good helped you with your voice in pursuing the things that help your business and the neighborhood of City Heights?

A: Having been involved with City Heights for so many years, there are several key issues which must be addressed, like access to capital to start a new business, single-payer healthcare, welcoming immigration policies, and environmental issues. These things are being tackled by our organization very effectively. Not only do we wield power by being a collective voice of business owners throughout San Diego, we also do a great job of getting the word out and finding the right people to talk to, to begin strategizing for change.

What I love about North Park ...

North Park is where my family and I first moved when we came to this country 30 years ago. This was my first experience of not only living in San Diego, but of living in this country. I love seeing the buildings that I knew so well as a child, and even though North Park has progressed and become so vibrant, I can still see a lot of the character it showed me as a child. It doesnt hurt that it neighbors City Heights as well.

Q: In talking about the social health of City Heights, what does this mean to you?

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A: City Heights is the most diverse community in San Diego and there is a big push to increase economic development and revitalization on one side, and a lot of groups that promote social causes on the other. These two sides are often isolated and Business for Good provides a bridge between the two. A healthy City Heights is one where there is an integration of both social and economic opportunities for its residents, which are necessary for any strong, healthy community.

Q: You also participated in a summit to help integrate immigrants into San Diego? What can you tell us about it?

A: We participated in a summit called Welcoming San Diego in February. It was the culmination of several meetings held the year before on how to create a San Diego that is better equipped to help new citizens in their navigation through the civic, public and business sectors. More than 200 people attended and we were involved with creating a plan on how to equip the large immigrant community to enable them to succeed economically.

Q: Why did you want to be involved in this summit?

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A: As an immigrant business owner and naturalized citizen myself, I believe we can do a better job of preparing immigrants for life in San Diego.

Q: Whats most helpful to immigrants when integrating into San Diego?

A: Whether it be new immigrants, refugees or newly naturalized citizens, I believe access to resources is the most helpful to integration. Educational opportunities, civic engagement and economic tools are all important in creating more productive members of San Diego, and we all benefit directly or indirectly from a productive and engaged immigrant community.

Q: Whats been challenging about your work with the various non-profits youre involved with?

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A: The most challenging thing about working with any non-profit is having effective time management. I run a restaurant full time, so scheduling that and the different board and committee meetings can be very challenging. Time is the most important form of currency for effective membership, so you must always try to maximize the time you put in.

Q: Whats been rewarding about this work?

A: The most rewarding thing for me is to see an idea you are working on become reality, whether it be something physical like the construction of a building for the benefit of the community, or something intangible like a change in policy for the benefit of San Diego.

Q: What has it taught you about yourself?

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A: I think I have learned that even if I lack the expertise or the experience in certain issues, if it is something I care about, I can add to their cause, even if just a little.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: I have received a lot of good advice throughout the years, but by far the best has been never being afraid to ask questions. In fact, try to always ask something. I have learned a lot and probably made fewer mistakes by swallowing my pride and asking about things I do not know, even if it felt like a dumb question.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

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A: I have been in the restaurant and catering business for around 15 years, and it might come as a shock to many that I am a horrible cook.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: San Diegos neighborhoods are amazing! They each have their own character and I love walking or biking around and enjoying what each one has to offer. It might be food or drink, or even a hike in one of our urban canyons. I like the idea of experiencing so many different things without having to drive far.

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Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @lisadeaderick
Although the Navy vowed to probe complaints by the troops that Navy officials in Okinawa were trying to convert people to Christianity through a Vietnam War display, an admiral in San Diego nixed the investigation.

In a letter dated April 17 and mailed to New York attorney Donald G. Rehkopf Jr., San Diego-based Rear Adm. Paul D. Pearigen said that neither further review nor an investigation of this matter is necessary.

That contradicted a message sent to Rehkopft 10 days earlier by Navy Medicine West paralegal David Ostrander, who indicated that we are investigating the matter now and would have more information to follow.

Rehkopf represents the nonprofit Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

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On behalf of 26 service members or Department of Defense civilian employees and their families in Okinawa, the New Mexico-based foundation had filed a seven-page complaint alleging that military leaders had placed a Christian Bible on a Prisoner of War/ Missing in Action display inside U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, the Navys largest overseas hospital.

A placard on the Missing Man memorial told visitors in English and Japanese that the religious book represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded one nation under God.

Michael Mikey Weinstein, a former Air Force officer and the foundations founder, said most of the petitioners were Christian and also included Jews, Buddhists, Shintoists, non-believers and a person who followed a Native American faith.

In his letter, Pearigen  Navy Medicine West commander  said the exhibit had been part of the tradition and custom of the military and the nation for many years.

Pearigen reasoned that the Bible wasnt the focal point of the display but was one of nine ceremonial items. As for the placard, Pearigen said it didnt promote religion but instead recalled the strength and resolve required of POWs and MIA personnel in the most difficult of times.

When asked for comment for this story, Pearigens staff promised a statement next week.

Weinstein told the newspaper by telephone and email that his legal team has requested an investigation into Pearigen and his clinic by the Department of Defenses Inspector General.

Rear Adm. Pearigen is horribly wrong on both the law and the attendant historical facts in this matter at hand, Weinstein said. Sadly, he appears to need a little history lesson about the origins of the POW/MIA table.

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In his letter, Pearigen said that the Missing Man display originated with the National League of the Family. Weinstein said that wasnt true, that it began with the River Rats of the Red River Valley Fighter Pilots Association in Thailand in 1967  and their table didnt include a Bible.

Weinstein traced the addition of the Bible to a ceremony script printed in a 1999 issue of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary magazine. A year later, a similar script appeared on the website of the National League of POW/MIA Families, he said.

The Air Force adopted the Bible as part of the display in 2001, took it out six years later and then put it back in 2012, according to Weinstein. He said Air Force now proposes that groups use a generic bound text to stand in for a book of all faiths  or none of them.

To Weinstein, the Christian Bible in the Okinawa display sticks out like a tarantula on a wedding cake, partly because its twice the size of a nearby American flag. He vowed to vehemently fight Adm. Pearigens ridiculous, illogical and unlawful decision to defy constitutional law and (military) regulatory provisions with his disgraceful actions.

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The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has won similar scuffles.

In early 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs removed a Bible from a similar display at a clinic in Akron, Ohio after the foundation said 11 patients complained about it.

When a VA clinic in nearby Youngstown refused to remove a Bible from its memorial, veterans requested equal accommodation for their beliefs by adding a Jewish Torah and the atheist manifesto The God Delusion.

Officials quickly replaced the Bible with a generic book.

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A similar strategy was employed by Weinstein and the American Civil Liberties Union last year when they forced San Diegos Marine Corps Recruit Depot to bar future displays of a Christian nativity scene on public grounds.

Twenty of the 27 petitioners in that dispute were Jews who wanted a Hanukkah menorah on the grounds each December, with the rest Christians or others who worshipped no deity but wanted to take a stand on religious fairness, according to the foundation.

In November, the Marine Corps ended the Christian-only commemoration.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
A Marine is accused of beating his wife and later lying about how he came to possess personal firearms.

Cpl. Douglas Pender, a mechanic at 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, has been charged with shoving his wife into a wall, biting her wrist, punching her and kicking her face during a July 23 incident at Camp Pendleton, according to charge sheets released to The San Diego Union-Tribune under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

Authorities also say that Pender, a Winnsboro, S.C., native, lied twice while making official statements to Marines about his guns.

On Oct. 26, he allegedly stated that his mother brought the firearms in South Carolina, something he knew wasnt true, according to Penders charge sheet.

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On Nov. 17, he allegedly added that the firearms arrived last May, something authorities claim Pender also knew was a lie.

Lt. Samuel S. Banks, a spokesman for 1st Marine Division, said that Penders case is pending court-martial and declined further comment.

Pender enlisted in early 2016 and has received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and a certificate of commendation.

Pender has not been placed in pretrial confinement, according to the court documents.

Penders charges stemming from his firearms come during an ongoing national debate about allowing troops to carry privately-owned guns on bases.

Although Pentagon regulations issued in late 2016 allow commanders to ease traditional restrictions on personal gun possession, military leaders have been reluctant to do so.

Installations like Camp Pendleton continue to require troops to register and surrender weapons to military police or armories for storage.

Spree shootings at military installations in recent years including Fort Hood in Texas and the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., highlighted base bans. The issue was rekindled after the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, when President Donald Trump vowed to re-examine the militarys rules.

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Were going to look at that whole military base gun-free zone, Trump said in a Feb. 23 speech to the Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Maryland. If we cant have our military holding guns, its pretty bad.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
The court-martial trial of Lance Cpl. Fernando Rayon Jr., accused of multiple sex crimes, is slated to begin Monday at Camp Pendleton.

Assigned to Weapons and Field Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Rayon was arraigned on Jan. 26 on eight specifications for sex crimes including allegedly raping and groping an unconscious and unidentified female Marine on July 1, 2016, at Camp Pendleton.

He also was charged with twice providing alcohol to minors, in 2015 and 2016.

As with all cases, the accused is innocent until proven guilty, said Marine Corps Recruit Depot spokesman Capt. Matthew W. Finnerty in an email to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Rayon enlisted in mid-2015 and has never deployed overseas.

Case records were released on Thursday afternoon by Marine Corps officials after an order by the Navy.

Part of an ongoing effort to shine a light on a military criminal justice system often hidden from civilians through trials overseen by commanders on bases closed to the general public, the Union-Tribune filed a request in January to review the documents under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

On Feb. 1, Marine Corps Recruit Depot officials moved to block every page of Rayons charge sheets from public view.

Citing the law and a string of court cases, the Union-Tribune appealed that denial to a special internal Navy administrative court.

In an order on March 9, G. E. Lattin, director of the General Litigation Division at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., sided with the Union-Tribune.

Remanding the case back to boot camp officials, Lattin ordered them to consult with the Marines Freedom of Information Act Office to properly disseminate the requested records within 20 business days.

Its unclear if that ever happened. After the 20-day deadline passed, the Union-Tribune contacted Marine Corps officials again and discovered that they never prepared any of the documents for release. It took another week before the Marines complied with the Navys order.

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Officials said that they didnt receive the remand until April 11, more than a month after the Navy issued it and the Union-Tribune received it.

cprine@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

Added on May 3: At the conclusion of his court-martial trial, Lance Cpl. Fernando Rayon Jr. was found not guilty by a military jury for all the sex crimes charges and one specification for providing alcohol to a minor. He was found guilty of one specification of providing alcohol to a minor. In a second round of deliberations, the jury gave Rayon the lowest penalty possible for a guilty verdict  no punishment.
By reputation, high school history courses are as thrilling as a bowl of cold oatmeal.

Dont tell that to Domenik Bauers. It was awesome, the 16-year-old junior said of his World War II lesson at Ramonas Montecito High School. Such a privilege.

On Friday, Bauers and classmates encountered two spellbinding history texts. The first, a restored B-17 Flying Fortress, gave 15 students a 30-minute flight from the Ramona Airport, west to the Pacific  and, if you squinted hard enough, all the way back to 1944.

The restored B-17 Flying Fortress was a tough act for anyone to follow but Donald Foulks was up to the task. As a 22-year-old bombardier, he was imprisoned in Nazi Germanys infamous Stalag Luft III, site of The Great Escape.

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A tough act for anyone to follow, but Donald Foulkes was up to the task. Now a 96-year-old Fallbrook retiree, Foulkes was a 22-year-old bombardier when he was captured and trucked off to Nazi Germanys infamous Stalag Luft III.

When you are 22, you think you are bulletproof, he told about 60 students. But this was a big camp with two fences, 12-feet tall, with barbed wire, machine gun towers and dogs. I suddenly realized, here I was God knows how many thousands of miles from home. I was really bottoming out emotionally.

Then someone called out from a crowd of POWs: Hey, Foulkesy!

Foulkes couldnt see the man  later, he found it was someone he had known as a Northeastern University undergrad  but the greeting immediately cheered him.

OK, I told myself, I know somebody here, he said. It changed my whole attitude.

Both plane and aviator were brought to the students by Dave Walker. The co-founder of a San Marcos company that services water-treatment systems, Walker is also an unabashed patriot who has devoted untold hours and dollars to share his passion for American history.

This generation is amazing, Walker told the Montecito juniors and seniors who had gathered for Foulkes talk. They laid the foundations for the county we have today, which is amazing.

Yummy prune whip

The B-17 belongs to Wings of Freedom, a company that tours the nation with an armada of restored WWII aircraft, offering flights. Montecito students entered a drawing to determine which 15 would travel aboard the bomber, with Walker covering the $450-per-person tariff.

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While the bomber is a muscular workhorse, it was not built for ease of travel. Within the cramped fuselage, theres a red hatch marked EXIT ONLY.

If you step on it, said Bill Hogue, the Wings of Freedom volunteer who delivered the pre-flight safety briefing, youre going for a ride.

Foulkes sat in a folding chair 100 yards from the bomber, watching the students. Its kind of exciting, he said. Its nice they want to know about this.

Still, he declined the offer of a ride: Ive been fortunate to have been invited on this before.

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A Massachusetts native, Foulkes enlisted in the Army Air Corps when World War II erupted. After washing out of pilot school, he was trained as a bombardier and then assigned to a B-24 Liberator.

Flying out of southern Italy in 1944, Lt. Foulkes flew 26 successful missions. His plane, dubbed Old Faithful, brought him home safely from bombing missions over Romanian oil fields, French ball bearing factories, German railroad yards.

The 27th mission, on Oct. 13, 1944  a Friday the 13th  was different. Flak destroyed one of Old Faithfuls four engines and a second began to sputter. Foulkes and another crewman were ordered to bail out. Parachuting to earth, they were separated.

Captured by Hungarian troops, Foulkes was transported by train and by truck to Stalag Luft III, the POW camp infamous for The Great Escape, later memorialized in books and on film.

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Many of his camp memories involve food  or the lack thereof. In his six-plus months as a POW, the 6-foot-1 Foulkes lost 30 lbs. He survived on the scarce rations supplied by his captors, Red Cross parcels and the creative cooking of his fellow prisoners.

(Shortly after his liberation, he excitedly shared with a friend a camp favorite: prune whip, a blend of canned prunes, powdered milk and sugar.

(Don, his friend said in disbelief, youve been here too long.)

Foulkes doesnt remember the precise day  it may have been April 25  but he vividly recalls waking up one morning to a silent camp. The guards had fled.

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Hours later, tanks commanded by Gen. George Patton rolled over the camps gates and freed the men.

Tin Man

Back in the States, Foulkes completed his electrical engineering studies, enjoyed a long and successful career with General Electric and a longer and even more successful marriage.

Well have been married 70 years next month, he said of his wife, Mary. Shes quite a girl.

A lifelong fan of language and drama, hes a regular in community stage productions. Hell be the Tin Man in the The Wizard of Oz  The Live Radio Play, at the Fallbrook Womens Club on May 12.

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Not that anyone wanted to hear about that on Friday.

People are more interested in what I did 70-some years ago than what I do now, he said.

Of course. Everyone knows that history is incredibly interesting  everyone, that is, who encounters this living history lesson.

I love learning about that kind of stuff, said Alana Sorenson, a 16-year-old junior. The bigger things in history that people dont talk about.
Abortion, gun violence, the global refugee crisis and the degradation of the Great Lakes were among the subjects of books honored Friday at the 38th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.

The awards were presented at USCs Bovard Auditorium on the eve of the two-day L.A. Times Festival of Books, which will feature more than 500 writers, musicians, artists and chefs. The ceremony, hosted by Times Book Editor Carolyn Kellogg, recognized 11 literary works published last year by established authors and emerging voices.

Novelist Mohsin Hamid won the nights fiction prize for Exit West, his novel about two refugees seeking to escape the violence in their homeland. Reporter Dan Egan picked up the history prize for The Death and Life of the Great Lakes, which spells out the harm done to the ecosystem of North Americas Great Lakes.

Egan called his book the product of 10 years of work with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and noted that things are tough at that publication.

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Newspapers are more important than we know, and theyre in great peril, he told the audience.

Jason Reynolds won the prize for young adult literature for Long Way Down, about a 15-year-old with a gun who is deciding whether to exact revenge. And Joyce Carol Oates received the mystery/thriller prize for her A Book of American Martyrs, which centers on two men  an abortion provider and the man who murders him  and the fallout from that crime.

In its review, The Times called Oates novel painful and demanding and sometimes nihilistic. But in her remarks Friday, the author said the book ends on a somewhat upbeat note.

I see real faith and hope in the next generation, she told the audience. I had no idea that we would be in this sort of a youth revolution.

Among the other winners were Nancy MacLean, who received the prize for current interest for Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Rights Stealth Plan for America; Laura Dassow Walls, who took the biography prize for her book Henry David Thoreau: A Life; and Robert M. Sapolsky, who received the science and technology award for Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst.

The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction went to Jenny Zhang for Sour Heart, a collection of stories about Chinese American girls growing up in New York City. The poetry prize was awarded to Patricia Smith, whose collection Incendiary Art: Poems examines maternal grief and the brutal murder of Emmett Till.

Smith thanked her father, who was part of the Great Migration from Arkansas to Chicago, for teaching her the tradition of the back porch.

He taught me to look at the world in terms of the stories it could tell, she said.

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The award for graphic novel/comics went to the cartoonist Leslie Stein for her book Present. The ceremony also honored Benjamin Taylor, winner of the Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose. His memoir, The Hue and Cry at Our House: A Year Remembered, drew from Taylors memories as an 11-year-old boy who met John F. Kennedy in Fort Worth, just hours before an assassin changed the course of a nation.

Taylor, in his remarks to the audience, described autobiography as a salvage operation against the menace of oblivion.

Glory Edim received The Times Innovators Award for creating Well-Read Black Girl, a Brooklyn-based book club and digital platform that brought readers and writers together to discuss black female authors.

Los Angeles novelist John Rechy, a first-generation Mexican American who has chronicled gay life in America, received the Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement. The 87-year-old novelist reflected on the extraordinarily negative review his first novel, published in 1963, received from Kirsch, then a reviewer for The Times.

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Kirsch so disliked City of Night, Rechys story about the meanderings of a gay male prostitute through the back alleys and dark streets of America, that he wouldnt call it a novel, referring to it instead as a thing.

Kirschs son, writer and critic Jonathan Kirsch, presented the award to Rechy.

Tonight we right that wrong, the younger Kirsch told the crowd.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

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thomas.curwen@latimes.com

laura.nelson@latimes.com
Ray Lucia, Sr. wants to clear his name.

In a drawn out David and Goliath battle, the financial adviser and radio show host has spent the past eight years battling a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) action against him for allegedly using misleading information in his Buckets of Money seminars.

At the age of 60, Lucia was formally barred from the securities industry and slapped by the SEC with a $300,000 fine ($250,000 of it levied against his now-defunct company). And he has been fighting it ever since, right up to the highest court in the land  the U.S. Supreme Court  where his case will be heard on Monday.

Lucia has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that no one taking his seminars complained of being harmed.

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There was not a penny of misappropriated funds. There were no damages to anyone but me, he insists.

He says his biggest loss, though, was his reputation  one he had spent 40 years building and burnishing. Some radio advertisers withdrew their support and some stations dropped his syndicated show, which still airs locally on radio AM 1700 weekday mornings. He says his income shrunk to about one-twentieth of his previous earnings.

Lucia has spent a fortune fighting back. I dont have a number but well into the seven figures, he estimates.

This has cost me everything  my retirement funds, my grandkids college fund, real estate investments, including my own home, said Lucia. He and his wife, Jeanne, now rent a house in Rancho Bernardo.

A primary concern of the SEC was Lucias use of the term backtests in his many seminars and whether he had actually done backtests. Lucia admitted to using both actual data and hypothetical data to analyze trends, calling that an acceptable method of backtesting in the industry. The SECs administrative law judge, however, maintained that only actual data should be used.

Lucia appealed the disciplinary action to the SEC, where a split panel upheld it, then to the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, where judges split down the middle, 5 to 5. Now its before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The legal strategy has now shifted from defense of his backtest strategy and securities advice to a challenge of the SECs use of administrative law judges, who are not constitutionally appointed, in adversarial enforcement proceedings such as Lucias. This has far-reaching implications. In fact, legal analyst Ronald Mann concluded in the SCOTUS blog: Mondays argument in Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission may be as important a decision for the administrative state as any case the justices have heard all year.

The Lucias will be in the U.S. Supreme Court Monday with their lead attorney Mark Perry, of Gibson, Dunn & Crutchers Washington, D.C., office. The U.S. government Solicitor General also filed a brief in support of Lucias challenge of the use of administrative law judges in such trial-like cases. This does not mean they could not continue to be used in other instances, such as many Social Security issues, that simply involve administrative law.

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The Commissions ability to enforce the nations securities laws has, in significant respect, been put on hold pending this courts resolution of the question presented, stated a Department of Justice brief.

Gibson Dunn attorney Kellam Conover says he expects a Supreme Court ruling before July.

If we prevail, its a minor win, says Lucia. I still would have to face off with the SEC and find out what they would want to do (in his specific case).

It would be a major victory, however, for the little guy like him whose career and livelihood are at the mercy of a single administrative law judge who may or may not be qualified to analyze complex securities issues.

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The SCOTUS blog points to a detailed analysis by the New Civil Liberties Alliance that concludes the SECs process for picking ALJs leads systematically to the selection of individuals with no experience or expertise in securities law.

The SEC, which declined to comment for this column, takes the position that administrative law judges dont take action but rather advise the SEC, which follows through on enforcement. Furthermore, the judges are not empowered to issue subpoenas. That action must come from a commissioner.

Lucia says it is about principle for him: I just want the system changed because the message this is sending to thousands of brokers and broker dealers around the country is that ...even if they follow the rules they can still be barred for life from the industry.

When he was confronted with an accusation as egregious as committing fraud on seniors, Lucia says, he had no choice but to fight that to the death.

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They charged me with a willful intent to deceive.  I was not personally enriched by this activity. The cost has been dear, but I can look at my grandkids and feel good about who I am. I can look at my children and feel good about who I am. ... You have to stand up for what you believe.

Meanwhile, Lucia is embarking on a new project. He is meeting with his cousin, Al Lucia, co-author of Walk the Talk and numerous books on leadership and self-improvement. Ray is turning his attention to writing a book  on integrity.

A long time ago, I made a contract with myself that I would always have integrity.

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diane.bell@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1518

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Twitter: @dianebellSD

Facebook: dianebell.news
A fifth-grade teacher at Rosa Parks Elementary School in City Heights was arrested Thursday on suspicion of distributing child pornography.

David Gordon Weaks, 59, has worked at San Diego Unified School District for 21 years, including a previous teaching post at Bayview Terrace Elementary School, according to the district and online records.

Parents at Rosa Parks were notified Friday with letters and phone calls from the school. In the letter, principal Veronika Lopez-Mendez urged any parents concerned about their childrens interactions with Weaks to contact the school immediately.

A district spokesperson said the district has been cooperating with federal officials and making sure nothing impedes the ongoing investigation.

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The investigation into Weaks began April 4 when a special agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations connected to Weaks computer using peer-to-peer, or P2P, file sharing software  a common way to trade child porn, according to the complaint filed in San Diego federal court.

The agent was able to obtain directly from Weaks computer two videos, including one of a toddler girl blindfolded and crying while women are restraining her and a man is performing a sex act on her, according to the complaint. The title of the second video  which runs nearly two hours  suggests a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old are involved and includes the words sado slave, the complaint says.

The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in San Diego searched Weaks home on Tuesday and found numerous child porn files during an initial review, the complaint says.

In an interview with the HSI agent, he admitted using the software sharing program and possessing child porn, the complaint states.

Weaks remains in custody without bond after prosecutors argued he was a danger to the community and a flight risk. A detention hearing has been set for next week to look further into the issue.

Rosa Parks, a year-round school, is on break until next week.

In a separate investigation, San Diego resident Joseph Deleon Cruz, 58, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of possessing tens of thousands of child porn files.

That case began in May 2016, when an FBI agent was able to connect to Cruzs computer through a P2P program, the complaint states.

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In one of the explicit images the agent obtained, a prepubescent girl is wearing a baby bonnet with a pacifier in her mouth, the court document says.

When investigators searched Cruzs home in May 2017, they found in his bedroom more than 44,000 images and 2,000 videos on a laptop and another 600-plus images on a hard drive, according to the complaint. One image depicts a girl tied to a chair, the complaint says.

Cruz also remains in custody pending a detention hearing next week.

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kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter: @kristinadavis
Estimados amigos,

Les doy cordialmente la bienvenida a este Blog informativo con articulos, analisis y comentarios de publicaciones especializadas y especialmente seleccionadas, principalmente sobre temas economicos, financieros y politicos de actualidad, que esperamos y deseamos, sean de su maximo interes, utilidad y conveniencia.

Pensamos que solo comprendiendo cabalmente el presente, es que podemos proyectarnos acertadamente hacia el futuro.

Gonzalo Raffo de Lavalle

Las convicciones son mas peligrosos enemigos de la verdad que las mentiras.

Quien no lo ha dado todo no ha dado nada.

Helenio Herrera

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce.

Karl Marx

If you know the other and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

Sun Tzu









We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.



Paulo Coelho
A jury on Friday found a driver guilty of DUI and hit and run causing death in a San Diego crash that killed a Lyft driver. They deadlocked on more serious charges of murder and vehicular manslaughter.

The prosecutor said after court that her office will decide whether to seek a second trial on the key charges against Steven Quintero, 25.

His Oct. 1, 2016, collision into the back of a Kia killed Henry Reyes, 41, of Escondido, who had stopped on a freeway shoulder near downtown San Diego to tend to one of his three passengers who was sick.

Quinteros blood-alcohol level was 0.10 percent three hours after the crash. It was calculated that the level would have been 0.12 to 0.18 percent at the time of the collision, Deputy District Attorney Cally Bright said.

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The limit at which a driver is presumed drunk in California is 0.08 percent.

Quintero had a prior DUI conviction, in 2015, when his blood-alcohol level was 0.15 percent, Bright said.

Jurors told San Diego Superior Court Judge Kenneth So that they were deadlocked 6-6 on a second-degree murder charge and 10-2 for guilt on the gross vehicular manslaughter charge.

The judge declared a mistrial on those two charges.

Bright had argued that the prior DUI conviction rated a murder conviction, since Quintero would have been aware of the potential consequences of driving drunk.

Defense attorney Suesan Gerard countered that Quintero has a severe learning disability and would not have formed the intent or conscious disregard for life to be guilty of murder.

The panel of eight men and four women found Quintero guilty of lesser felony charges of driving under the influence causing death, hit and run causing death and misdemeanor driving on a suspended license.

The jury was very thorough in their analysis of the evidence and the jury instructions, said Bright, who with Gerard had an extensive talk with about half the jurors willing to explain their verdicts.

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Quintero was also found to have caused great bodily injury to his passenger, Liliana Flores, as well as to Reyes and the three women in the Lyft car  Sarah Smith, Kelly Hoffman and Jessica Techel.

The women had gone out for drinks in downtown San Diego and arranged for a Lyft ride-share home. When Smith became ill, Reyes pulled over on the right shoulder of eastbound state Route 94 near 28th Street. He got out of the car to help her.

Quintero entered the freeway and hit Reyes and the Kia. Reyes, who was studying to be a dentist, died at a hospital.

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pauline.repard@sduniontribune

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Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday.

The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs.

White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs.

There are by and large taxes that we pay: income tax, sales tax and all that stuff. Its the publics money, and were the state university, he said.

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White noted that 10% of the states current workforce has Cal State diplomas, adding that California needs more employees with bachelors degrees.

Theres a state interest, he said. If we dont end up meeting that need, California will have more difficulty in sustaining quality of life for everybody.

Students already struggle with the costs of housing and transportation. Theyve come to recent Cal State trustees meetings to protest potential tuition hikes.

You have your mansion and your salary and your comfort that you have worked for, but help us get to a point where we can work for it too, Brittany Goss of Cal State Fullerton told trustees at their March meeting.

CSU students continue to be failed with every tuition hike that you approve, said Marissa Mendoza, a San Diego State student who told trustees she was $30,000 in debt.

Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk, White said of the decision to back off a hike. If we end up not succeeding, there will be consequences.

White and trustees say the state has left the system strapped for cash. Gov. Jerry Browns budget draft this year proposed a $92-million increase for the system, but it was $171 million less than what trustees requested. That money, White said, would help pay salaries and healthcare costs for roughly 50,000 employees as well as allow the system to fix up decrepit buildings and do more to boost graduation rates.

Another tuition hike  the second in a row after a six-year freeze  was proposed to fill the gap between proposed state funding and Cal States needs. The proposal was to tuition by $228 for in-state students, bringing the annual cost of attending Cal State to $5,970. Full-time nonresident students would have seen tuition increase by about $900, to $12,780 a year. Trustees were supposed to vote on the hikes in May.

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Final state budget decisions are expected early this summer, after the governors May revision. White said he has received no assurance from Brown that the money allotted to Cal State will increase, but he said he is confident that the needle will move.

Cal State officials have been telling the systems story as they lobby for more money.

We have had favorable conversations in Sacramento with lawmakers, White said. As I read the tea leaves, I have this optimism.

If its unfounded, he said, Cal State could be forced to make cuts in the chancellors office and could wind up enrolling fewer students. Those who are enrolled might have fewer support services and courses to choose from.

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Cal State struggles with oversubscribed campuses. About 32,000 eligible applicants were turned away from the the system last fall because of overbooked programs and campuses.

Six of the systems 23 campuses are in such high demand that each of their programs has more qualified applicants than can be accommodated.

The University of California, meanwhile, still is considering a tuition hike for state residents and recently approved a tuition increase for nonresident students.

joy.resmovits@latimes.com

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Twitter: @Joy_Resmovits
The Department of Justice is investigating potential efforts by AT&T and Verizon to hamstring a technology that could someday make it easier for consumers to seamlessly switch their wireless carriers, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The probe appears to focus on whether those companies - perhaps in a bid to stop their subscribers from jumping ship to rivals - colluded to undermine so-called eSIM cards, a technology that could someday allow the owners of smartphones, smartwatches or other devices to change their service provider on their own, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely about the probe, which has not been made public.

If the U.S. government ultimately determines that AT&T and Verizon harmed competitors or consumers, it could result in major fines or other penalties.

In response, Verizon stressed on Friday that the allegations are much ado about nothing.

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While acknowledging that it had been working with the DOJ for several months regarding this inquiry, a spokesman for the wireless giant described it as merely a difference of opinion with a couple of phone equipment manufacturers regarding the development of e-SIM standards. Nothing more.

AT&T said in a statement Friday that it had provided information to the government in response to the investigation.

We are aware of the investigation into GSMAs process for developing eSIM standards that provide a better experience for consumers, said AT&T, which added that it will continue to work proactively within GSMA, including with those who might disagree with the proposed standards, to move this issue forward.

Verizon ended 2017 with over 116 million wireless customers. AT&T ended the year with over 156 million wireless customers in Mexico and the United States.

The Justice Department declined to comment. The two are already squaring off in federal court, after the government challenged AT&Ts bid to buy Time Warner on grounds that it threatened competition.

The New York Times first reported the DOJs probe.

Most smartphones today rely on small chips, called SIM cards, that tie a device to a user and allow it to operate on a carriers network. Changing to another carrier, including switching from AT&T and Verizon, requires a new SIM card.

Unlike traditional SIM cards, which are physically inserted into electronic devices to make them compatible with a cellular network, eSIMs are soldered directly into the device. To activate the device on a carriers network, a customer scans a QR code provided by the carrier. To switch networks, that same customer would simply receive a different QR code from a new carrier and repeat the process. The technology is already available in such smartphones as Googles Pixel 2.

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You have this great promise of eSIMs, which is device portability, said John Bergmayer, senior counsel at Public Knowledge, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer group. Shouldnt you be able to shop around and find out which carrier has the best plan?

But a proposal introduced at GSMA earlier this year by AT&T and Verizon sought to make that process more difficult. The proposed policy would have altered the industry standards governing eSIMs in North America, requiring that consumers obtain permission from their existing carrier before they could scan a fresh QR code from a new network. The result, consumer advocates say, would be to make it harder for Americans to switch cellphone carriers.

The proposal was set for a key vote in March when it was suddenly withdrawn from the agenda, according to multiple people familiar with the proceedings. It is unclear if or when the proposal may resurface.

The industry proposal reflects sweeping changes in the wireless industry that have made it more difficult to retain customers. Years of bruising price wars, not to mention a shift away from long-term contracts, early termination fees and other tactics designed to prevent users from switching, have made it easier than ever for consumers to jump networks.

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Wireless carriers have committed to a series of principles allowing consumers to unlock their phones and switch networks. In 2014, President Barack Obama signed legislation that temporarily guaranteed that right to consumers. But unless it is upheld this year by the Library of Congress in its periodic review of copyright law, cellphone unlocking could once again be deemed illegal under the nations copyright protection laws.
St. Louis prosecutors on Friday charged Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens with a felony for using a charity donor list for his 2016 political campaign, adding to the woes of the first-term Republican governor who responded by calling it another effort to smear him.

The charge of tampering with computer data is in addition to an earlier charge alleging Greitens took and transmitted a nonconsensual photo of a partially nude woman with whom he had an extramarital affair in 2015. The new charge accuses Greitens of disclosing the donor list from The Mission Continues in 2015 without permission from the St. Louis-based charity that Greitens founded.

The Associated Press first reported in October 2016 that Greitens campaign obtained a list of top donors to The Mission Continues and raised nearly $2 million from donors who were on it.

Greitens has been facing increasing pressure to resign  including from fellow Republicans  since a special House investigative committees report released April 11 that detailed allegations from the woman with whom he had the affair. She testified that Greitens restrained, slapped, grabbed, shoved and threatened her during a series of sexual encounters that at times left her crying and afraid.

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Greitens has denied committing any crimes and vowed to remain in office, calling the investigations into him a political witch hunt. On Friday, he accused Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, of wasting thousands and thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Her original case is falling apart  so today, shes brought a new one, Greitens said in a statement. By now, everyone knows what this is: this prosecutor will use any charge she can to smear me.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican whose office has been investigating The Mission Continues, announced Tuesday that he had found evidence to support a felony charge against Greitens, but said it was up to the St. Louis circuit attorneys office to file charges. That office had to move quickly because the statute of limitations was approaching.

A probable cause statement says Greitens directed a person identified as K.T. to disclose the charitys donor list to a political fundraiser on April 22, 2015. It doesnt identify the fundraiser. The initials match those of Krystal Taylor, an employee of the Greitens Group who had previously worked at The Mission Continues.

The court filing says Greitens and K.T. knew the charity donor list had been taken without the permission of the charity and used without its consent. Federal law generally prohibits charities such as The Mission Continues from becoming involved in political campaigns, and the charity has repeatedly denied granting permission for Greitens  its former CEO  to use the list for political purposes.

House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, a Democrat, cited the new charge as additional grounds for lawmakers to try to quickly remove Greitens from office.

One way or another, Eric Greitens short tenure as Missouri governor is about to end. The only person who doesnt understand that is Eric Greitens, Beatty said. Since he will not resign, the House of Representatives must immediately begin impeachment proceedings.

Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson, who also has called on Greitens to resign, said Thursday that a special House investigatory committee is moving expeditiously toward a recommendation on whether to impeach Greitens. He said a substantial number of House Republicans have already signed a petition calling for a special session to consider impeachment.

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Hawleys office has said that its investigation into The Mission Continues began after the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in February that it had it had obtained a copy of an email indicating that Taylor had shared the charity donor list in January 2015 with Michael Hafner, who had been working for Greitens gubernatorial exploratory committee, and Danny Laub, Greitens first campaign manager. But that incident wasnt cited in the criminal charge, because it was past the three-year statute of limitations.

When the AP first reported about the campaigns access to the charity donor list in 2015, Greitens initially denied to the AP that he had used the donor list for his campaign. But in April 2017, Greitens agreed to pay a $100 fine for failing to report that his gubernatorial campaign had, in fact, received the charitys donor list. Greitens campaign filed amended finance reports referring to the list as an in-kind contribution valued at $600 and received March 1, 2015, from Laub.

Greitens attorney, Edward L. Dowd Jr., said the new charge makes no sense at all, noting that it was Greitens who built the charity and raised millions of dollars for it through an extraordinary act of public service.

Now hes being accused of stealing an email list from an organization he built? Give me a break, Dowd said in a statement. Not only did he create this list donor by donor, friend by friend, but the Mission Continues still has the list.

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The charge intensifies the feud between Greitens and Gardner. He has called her a reckless liberal prosecutor for leading the investigation that resulted in the invasion-of-privacy charge. His attorneys, in court hearings and filings, have painted a picture of an incompetent prosecutor who rather than working with police to investigate Greitens hired a private investigator who bungled the investigation, hid evidence and lied to the court.

Gardners office began investigating after KMOV-TV in St. Louis first reported on the affair on Jan. 10, the day Greitens was giving his annual State of the State speech. The governor acknowledged the affair but denied allegations that he had threatened to release a compromising photo of the woman if she disclosed the relationship. His trial in that case is scheduled to begin May 14.

Greitens, a former Navy SEAL officer and Rhodes Scholar, and Hawley both won election in 2016 as maverick political outsiders. Hawley is now running to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, and Democrats have been running TV ads linking Hawley to Greitens. Democrats have criticized Hawleys earlier investigation that found no wrongdoing in Greitens use of a text message-destroying app, and claimed he stepped up his investigation of the charity only after it became politically beneficial.

In the Legislature, meanwhile, Senate leaders are considering holding off on sending bills to Greitens amid the multiple investigations. Republican Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard and Democratic Minority Floor Leader Gina Walsh have not made a final decision, but Walsh has said she doesnt believe any bills signed by Greitens should become law.

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The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday ordered ultrasound inspections of hundreds of jet engines like the one that blew apart at 32,000 feet in a deadly accident aboard a Southwest Airlines plane.

The agency said the order affects 352 engines in the U.S. on new-generation twin-engine Boeing 737s, a workhorse jet widely used by airlines around the world.

The National Transportation Safety Board believes one of the engine fan blades snapped on the Southwest flight Tuesday, hurling debris that broke a window and led to the death of a passenger who was sucked partway out of the 737. The jet, which was headed from New York to Dallas with 149 people aboard, made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

NTBS investigators said the fan blade that broke off was showing signs of metal fatigue  cracks from repeated use that are too small to be seen by the naked eye.

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The FAA acted after engine maker CFM International issued a service bulletin earlier in the day recommending even wider inspections than it called for last June.

The FAA order and CFMs service bulletin reflected concerns that more engines could have faulty fan blades than originally thought.

Under the FAA order, all CFM 56-7B engines that have gone through at least 30,000 takeoffs or landings must be inspected within 20 days.

In its own service bulletin Friday, CFM, a joint venture between General Electric Co. and Frances Safran SA, went further, recommending inspections by the end of August of all engines that have gone through at least 20,000 flights.

Altogether, CFM 56-7B engines are on about 1,800 of the 737s in service in the U.S. and about 6,400 worldwide.

Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old bank executive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, died in Tuesdays accident.

The NTSB also blamed metal fatigue for the engine failure on a Southwest 737 in Florida in 2016 that was able to land safely.
TOKYO  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared he will suspend nuclear and missile tests starting Saturday, and that he will shut down the site where the previous six nuclear tests were conducted.

From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Korean Central News Agency said in a report Saturday morning.

This came out of a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers Party of Korea held Friday to discuss policy issues related to a new stage in a historic period.

The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the countrys northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test, KCNA reported.

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This comes less than a week before Kim is due to meet with South Korean president Moon Jae-in in the first inter-Korean summit in 11 years. Moon has said that Kim is willing to discuss denuclearization and that he will not insist on American troops being withdrawn from South Korea as part of any deal.
Mission Beach will get a second weekly trash pick-up this summer to fight swarming flies.

Last-minute lobbying wont be required because the money is already in the city budget.

City leaders support the second pick-up despite concerns raised by City Attorney Mara Elliott.

Mission Beach community leaders wont have to fight City Hall this spring to avoid a return of the buzzing flies that have swarmed the popular tourist community in recent years.

The proposed budget unveiled last week by San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer includes $70,000 for a second weekly trash pick-up in the community during summer months.

The second trash pick-up was eliminated during budget cuts in 2010, leading to six consecutive summers in which the fly problem persisted, with some seeing damage to the tourism economy, demand for vacation rentals and business at outdoor restaurants.

Community leaders and Councilwoman Lorie Zapf of Bay Ho managed to revive the second trash pick-up for summer 2016 by successfully lobbying the City Council to add money for it as a last-minute change to the budget.

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The same thing happened in spring 2017, but last-minute lobbying wont be necessary during budget debates next month because Faulconer chose to include the money from the very beginning this year.

This will reduce the fly infestation that occurs annually when the population increases by hundreds of thousands, Zapf said in an email. I am pleased for health and safety reasons.

A scientist hired by the city said in 2013 that Mission Beach struggles with flies more than other parts of San Diego because it has high-density housing, relatively little open space and scavengers who pry open trash cans and rip into bags searching for recyclable items, which allows flies to enter and lay eggs.

The winter population of Mission Beach is less than 6,000, but tourists increase that number to an estimated 20,000 in the more fly-friendly summer.

Many of those additional people stay for only a week or two in vacation rentals, leaving them confused about trash handling and not focused on snuffing out flies.

Because most vacation properties are rented weekly from Saturday to Saturday, departing tenants across Mission Beach typically throw away all of their uneaten food simultaneously when they leave on Saturday mornings.

The second weekly pick-up takes places on Saturdays from early July through early October. Trash is also still picked up each Tuesday in Mission Beach.

The city and community leaders tried several incremental remedies during the six summers during which there was no second trash pick-up, including street vacuuming, special liners in trash cans and door hangers to educate tourists.

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Not until the second pick-up was restored did the problem essentially go away.

We are delighted that this year the conversations were shorter, the man hours less, the process more streamlined, said Dawn Reilly, project administrator for the nonprofit advocacy group Beautiful Mission Beach.

Eight years ago our refuse removal schedule was decreased, creating a perfect breeding ground for filth flies, and ever since our community has struggled with a summer fly infestation, Reilly said in an email. Flies are detrimental to our businesses, environmental health, quality of life, tourist experience and community image.

Zapf has urged community leaders to find an ongoing funding source, such as a special tax district.

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An attempt in 2016 to form such a district was aborted when property owners objected to the proposed fees and fee structure.

Faulconer and the council have supported the second weekly pick-up despite concerns raised by San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott.

In a memo issued in June, Elliott wrote that the presence of so many vacation rentals in Mission Beach made it very likely the second trash pick-up was illegal.

Thats because a city law called the Peoples Ordinance provides trash collection  at no charge beyond standard taxes  only to homes in which residents stay for at least one month at a time.

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Elliott wrote that it is legally risky to double the amount of service to an area where the city is already aware its collecting trash from homes that are ineligible: short-term vacation rentals.

She said thats especially problematic when community leaders say the presence of those vacation rentals is the root of the problem.

But the council added the money last spring depite Elliotts concerns, and Faulconer chose not to instruct city trash workers to cease the second weekly pick-up.

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david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
San Diego has begun focusing on preservation of existing low-rent apartments.

Previous efforts to solve the local housing crisis have focused on new construction only.

While preservation costs less, some critics say new construction is the only real solution.

San Diego leaders are adding preservation of existing low-rent apartments to a series of new initiatives aimed at solving the citys affordable housing crisis.

More than 1,200 subsidized apartments have been lost countywide over the last 17 years because their government-sponsored rent restrictions expired, and another 2,400 face the same risk during the next five years  including 1,300 within the city.

Preserving those units will require greater vigilance by the city, strategies to persuade property owners to keep them low-rent and financial incentives to make such a move worthwhile, housing experts told city officials recently.

The comments came during a forum devoted to preservation of subsidized low-rent apartments, a priority thats been overshadowed by city efforts to spur new construction of affordable housing with financial incentives and looser regulations.

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The experts said city officials may just be digging themselves a deeper hole if they dont also focus on preservation, which could require shifting some resources away from incentives for new construction.

Preservation is inherently more cost-effective than building new housing, said Stephen Russell, executive director of the San Diego Housing Federation. So we have to preserve the housing stock that is there and protect the existing public investment weve made.

Russells comments were echoed by dozens of speakers at a meeting of the City Councils Smart Growth and Land Use Committee. But not everyone agreed with the potential shift in priorities.

Matt Adams, vice president of the local chapter of the Building Industry Association, said the city should remain singularly focused on increasing housing supply.

The problems I have with some of the things being discussed today is, were still just treating the symptoms, Adams said. The disease is a chronic undersupply of housing.

Councilman Scott Sherman said he isnt opposed to preservation, but said more financial resources should be devoted to helping members of the middle class who dont qualify for low-income apartments.

While regulations on rent-restricted units vary, they are typically available to families making less than 60 percent of the countys median income, which is $58,380 for a four-person household.

Monthly rents for such units cant exceed $1,460.

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Sherman said the city should focus on limiting regulations that push up the cost of housing, not adding the extra layer of bureaucracy required to preserve existing low-rent units.

It seems to me instead of asking us to put more regulation on, wed be removing regulation and making it easier to build smaller, more affordable middle-market housing, Sherman said.

Councilwoman Georgette Gomez, who is spearheading city efforts on preservation, said its important for the city to focus on every method of solving the housing crisis, including preservation.

She was spurred to action by the councils controversial approval in February of plans to demolish the 322-unit Penasquitos Village complex, where rent restrictions had expired, to make way for a 600-unit market-rate complex.

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Critics say city officials and the San Diego Housing Commission missed an opportunity to preserve the complex by not engaging the property owner in discussions.

Gomez wants the city to be ready for the next wave of projects for which rent restrictions will expire in coming years.

Gomez said she doesnt want to pit the community against the local development community, which makes more money from new construction than renovation of older, low-rent units.

She said last weeks meeting was mostly a brainstorming session, but that a May 21 forum on the same topic will include proposed new policies and initiatives.

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Russell, the housing federation official, said a key move for the city would be hiring a preservation coordinator.

That official would create and maintain a comprehensive database of all housing with rent restrictions and when those restrictions expire, which would allow the city to contact property owners early enough in the process to make preservation possible.

Experience has shown that the best, most successful preservation activities take place when there is direct human contact between the agencies and the owners to discuss what their options actually are, Russell said. So having someone who is charged with actually promoting the idea of preservation is critical.

Rent restrictions expire on such units because developers agreed to charge lower rents for a certain number of years  usually from 30 to 55  in exchange for tax credits, redevelopment money or other financial incentives.

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When the restrictions expire, the owners of the complexes can sharply raise rents to market rate or choose to demolish the older units and replace them with more upscale versions that yield even higher rents.

But there is a third option.

Apartment owners can choose to extend the rent restrictions for lengthy periods if they receive another government subsidy that makes preserving the units more financially appealing than tearing them down. Gomez said she wants to explore how the city could fund such subsidies and exactly how they would work.

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david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrick
San Diego County sued its retirement system this week over its refusal to implement a plan to lower pension benefits for most new employees.

The county said it has the authority to approve the changes, but pension officials say the plan requires legislative approval.

The lower tier of retirement benefits was created early this year to reduce future pension liabilities.

San Diego County supervisors are going to court to fight for their plan to reduce retirement benefits for most new workers they will hire after July 1.

The county filed a lawsuit this week against the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association, the independent retirement system that has refused to implement the lower tier of benefits for future members.

The five-page legal complaint asks a Superior Court judge to force the pension board to approve Tier D, the latest level of retirement benefits approved by the Board of Supervisors early this year.

Despite the fact that the Legislature authorized counties to use the formula, SDCERA has refused to implement Tier D, the lawsuit states. SDCERA wrongly contends that the 2006 legislation approving the use of Tier D is somehow inapplicable.

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Under Tier D, non-safety employees upon retirement would receive a pension amounting to 1.62 percent of their final annual salary for every year of county employment. Thats a decline from Tier C, which pays 2.3 percent per year.

The change also lowered the amounts the county and affected workers would be required to contribute to the retirement fund from 8.27 percent to 6.02 percent.

Members of the county Board of Supervisors, who approved 50 percent pension increases for themselves and others in 2002, created the lower tier to help reduce a multibillion-dollar gap between the $12.5 billion retirement fund balance and its longterm liabilities. Their own pensions would be unaffected.

Pension officials said the county did not follow the law when creating the lower tier. PEPRA, or the Public Employees Pension Reform Act of 2013, is at the heart of the legal dispute between the county and its retirement system.

In a hand-delivered letter to board Chairwoman Kristin Gaspar last month, pension chief David Wescoe said the retirement system will place new employees into the Tier C schedule until state lawmakers approve the arrangement  or they are ordered to do so by a judge.

The Board of Retirement thoroughly discussed and carefully considered the matter and obtained the advice of four experienced fiduciary and legal counsel, Wescoe told Gaspar. The board concluded that its course of action was mandated by PEPRAs plain language.

County supervisors say the reform act and previously existing law allow them to change the terms of defined-benefit retirement plans as they see fit, so long as the pension board finds no greater risk and no greater cost to the portfolio they manage.

The retirement board made just such a finding in December, but resisted enacting Tier D, citing the plain language of the reform law, which says the changes must be approved by the legislature.

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The mandate comes at the end of of a 70-word sentence that could be interpreted more than one way.

In a message posted on its website Friday, after being asked about the lawsuit by The San Diego Union-Tribune, the pension system said it could not legally adopt the lower benefits at this time.

SDCERA has a fiduciary duty to administer the plan according to the law, the statement says. By requiring the county to satisfy all the requirements of PEPRA prior to implementing Tier D, SDCERA is following its constitutionally mandated duty to the plan and its members and beneficiaries.

Supervisor Dianne Jacob, who also serves as chairwoman of the county pension board and voted in favor of enhanced retirement benefits in 2002, said in a statement Friday that she sounded the alarm about increasing pension liabilities in her state of the county speeches in 2009, 2014 and last year.

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While weve already made significant changes to reduce pension costs, we worked with our labor organizations to secure an even lower pension tier for new employees, said Jacob, who voted in favor of suing the retirement board she chairs. Clearly there is a disagreement between the county and SDCERA, and it needs to be resolved in order to further protect taxpayers and safeguard the health of the pension system.

San Diego County notes in its court filing that the reduced retirement benefits were approved as part of larger agreements with its unions during collective bargaining sessions last summer.

Various labor organizations have entered into binding agreements with the county in which they agreed to accept the Tier D formula for new employees in exchange for significant wage and benefit increases, the lawsuit states.

It was not immediately clear whether the enhanced wages and benefits would persist if Tier D is not implemented. The Services Employees International Union Local 221, which represents thousands of county workers, said it was aware of the lawsuit.

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We are monitoring it closely, union President David Garcias said in a statement. We will wait to see what the resolution is.

If the county does not prevail in court, supervisors are expected to pursue legislative approval for Tier D.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald


US-China rivalry will shape the 21st century



Beijings rising economic and political power poses great challenges to the west



Martin Wolf







China is an emerging superpower. The US is the incumbent. The potential for destructive clashes between the two giants seems potentially unbounded. Yet the two are also intimately intertwined. If they fail to maintain reasonably co-operative relationships they have the capacity to wreak havoc not only upon each other, but upon the entire world.



China is a rival of the US on two dimensions: power and ideology. This combination of attributes might remind one of the clash with the Axis powers during the second world war or the cold war against the Soviet Union. China is of course very different. But it is also potentially far more potent.



Chinas rising power, economic and political, is evident. According to the IMF, its gross domestic product per head in 2017 was 14 per cent of US levels at market prices and 28 per cent at purchasing power parity, up from 3 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, in 2000.



Yet, since Chinas population is more than four times as big as that of the US, its GDP in 2017 was 62 per cent of US levels at market prices and 119 per cent at PPP.



Assume that by 2040, China achieves a relative GDP per head of 34 per cent at market prices and 50 per cent at PPP. This would imply a dramatic slowdown of the rate it is catching up (a fall of around 70 per cent from the rate since 2000, starting in 2023). Chinas economy would then be almost twice as big as that of the US at PPP and almost 30 per cent larger at market prices. (See charts.)











The 34 per cent benchmark I have chosen is that of todays Portugal. It is hard to imagine that China, with its vast savings, motivated population, huge markets and sheer determination could not achieve the relative prosperity of Portugal. This would still leave it far poorer, relative to the US, than Japan or South Korea  the fast-growing east Asian economies of the past.



Size matters. It is quite unlikely that Chinas overall economy will not end up far bigger than that of the US, even if, on average, individual Americans remain far more prosperous than individual Chinese. China is also already a more important export market than the US for many significant countries, particularly in east Asia.



Moreover, China is spending almost as big a share of GDP on research and development as leading high-income countries. This is a driver of Chinese innovation, which I recently saw at a visit to Alibabas headquarters in Hangzhou. Moreover, the combination of economic size with improving technology is making China an increasingly formidable military power. The US may complain about this. But it has no moral right to do so. Self-defence is a universally accepted right of nations.









So is the right to develop. The US can huff and puff about Chinese theft of intellectual property. But every catch-up nation, very much including the US in the 19th century, seized the ideas of others and built upon them.



The idea that intellectual property is sacrosanct is also wrong. It is innovation that is sacrosanct. Intellectual property rights both help and hurt that effort. A balance has to be struck between rights that are too tight and too loose. The US can try to protect its intellectual property. But any idea that it is entitled (or indeed able) to prevent China from innovating its way to prosperity is mad.







China is also an ideological challenger of the US, on two dimensions. It has what might be called a planned market economy. It also has an undemocratic political system. Unfortunately, recent failures of free market high-income economies have increased the lustre of the former.



The election of Donald Trump, an admirer of despotism, has strengthened the appeal of the latter.



The US, one would once have said, also has the benefit of powerful and committed allies.



Unfortunately, Mr Trump is waging economic war upon them. If a decision to attack North Korea led to the devastation of Seoul and Tokyo, US military alliances would be over. An alliance cannot also be a suicide pact.









Managing the competition between these two superpowers is going to be difficult. Graham Allison of Harvard is fatalistic in his Destined For War: conflict between the incumbent and rising power is almost inevitable. A hot war among nuclear powers might seem relatively unlikely.



But large-scale friction and so an end to necessary co-operation over economic relations seems probable. It is unclear how to resolve todays conflicts over trade. Co-operation over managing the global commons has already collapsed, given the Trump administrations rejection of the very idea of climate change.



Chinas future is up to China. But the wests relations with China are up to it. The US is right to insist that China abide by its commitments. But then so must the US and the rest of the west. China is not going to feel compelled to abide by agreed rules when pressed by any country that treats these rules with contempt. China is, in any case, not the real threat. That relationship can surely be managed.











The threat is the decadence of the west, very much including the US  the prevalence of rent extraction as a way of economic life, the indifference to the fate of much of its citizenry, the corrupting role of money in politics, the indifference to the truth, and the sacrifice of long-term investment to private and public consumption.



It is indeed a tragedy that the best way we could find to escape from a financial crisis was via monetary policies that risked promoting new bubbles. We could be better than this.



The west can and must live with a rising China. But it should do so by being true to the better angels of its own nature. If it is to manage this turn of the wheel of history, it has to look within.
A City Heights home was destroyed in a fire that investigators said was intentionally set early Saturday.

The fire started in the home on an alley of 42nd Street near University Avenue about 3 a.m. The flames had taken over the two-story home by the time firefighters arrived, the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said.

It took crews about 30 minutes to knock down the blaze. No one was injured.

Two residents were displaced and were assisted by the Red Cross.

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Investigators from the Metro Arson Strike Team have determined the fire to be arson although no arrests have been made.

The damage is estimated to be $200,000 to the structure and $100,000 to the contents.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
A 3-year-old boy was seriously injured when his head was run over by a pickup truck at Crawford High School Saturday, San Diego police said.

The boy stepped in front of the Ford F-150 in the schools quad area about 11 a.m. without the drivers knowledge, police said. The truck hit the boy and then rolled over his head.

The boy suffered two skull fractures and abrasions and is expected to survive, police said. He was taken to Rady Childrens Hospital.

The driver was a 31-year-old man. Families had gathered at the school on Colts Way in El Cerrito for a clean-up day, according to OnScene TV.

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kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
The Coast Guard assisted seven boaters after their vessel began taking on water west of La Jolla on Friday morning.

The operator of the 80-foot vessel Mahana contacted the Coast Guard in San Diego at about 10:25 a.m. to report the boat was taking on water and the crew was unable to keep up with the rate of flooding.

A Jayhawk rescue helicopter was dispatched to aid the Mahana, which was about 18 miles west of La Jolla.

A U.S. Navy vessel in the area and San Diego lifeguards also responded.

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The Jayhawk crew arrived on scene at about 11:15 a.m., and a rescue swimmer was lowered to the Mahana along with a pump to get water off the boat.

Once the rate of incoming water slowed, Mahanas crew began heading toward port, and the crew safely moored in Mission Bay at about 1:45 p.m.

There were no reported injuries.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
A firefighter was injured while fighting a blaze at an abandoned home in Encanto Saturday morning, authorities said.

The fire broke out about 4 a.m. at the two-story home on Brooklyn Avenue near 64th Street, said the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

A firefighter suffered non-burn injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Details about the injury werent given, but fire officials said the firefighter will be OK.

The home was red-tagged by a city engineer, meaning no one is allowed inside due to structural issues.

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Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
Two stories this week illustrate the extent of the California housing crisis and the difficulty of taking dramatic steps to address it.

The first came from San Jose, where a 1,066-square-foot home that was largely destroyed by a 2016 fire was put up for sale for $799,000. As local real estate agents anticipated, demand was huge and immediate, and the parcel ended up being sold for more than $900,000 after its owner received multiple bids. What may seem ridiculous in the rest of the world seems ho-hum in Silicon Valley.

For the record: An error in a bill number was corrected.

The second came from Sacramento, where SB 827  an ambitious measure by Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, that would have required cities to allow construction of apartment buildings within a half-mile of mass transit stops  was abruptly killed by the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee. The bill was aggressively opposed by local governments eager to maintain their clout over planning. But as a Bay Area News Group analysis pointed out, the committees move had the effect of shutting down [a] passionate debate as soon as it had begun. This is unfortunate, because just about everyone agrees that adding housing units near transit is a very smart way to address the housing shortage since it also helps communities meet environmental goals by limiting auto pollution.

If Weiners proposal to achieve this end went too far, a better approach would have been to scale it back  not scrap it. The Senate panels precipitous decision may have gotten local officials off state lawmakers backs. But it didnt serve the public.

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Twitter: @sdutIdeas

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Re All of these people have died in school shootings since Columbine. Enough. (April 20): Agreed. Mental illness is a serious problem in this country. We need to reopen mental facilities and take this burden off parents who cannot provide the proper care for these ill children.

Steve Swyn

Joined April 18, 2016

Mental illness is one component, but easy access to military-style assault weapons is also a factor. The Second Amendment begins with the phrase well-regulated, and thats what guns should be.

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Westy Camper

Joined May 6, 2016

NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch continues to blame mental illness as the issue for mass shootings. Here is a list of responsible gun laws that address both the NRA position on mental illness and ability of those with mental illness to get guns: 1) Universal background checks. 2) Eight-round max magazine capacity. 3) Public Health Physician Reporting Registry. 4) Mandatory registry/victims insurance. 5) Ban AR-15s.

Political Irony

Joined May 3, 2016

Yes Enough! So why dont you school teachers and school counselors start doing your jobs. For one, bullying in schools is out of control. Enough! How many teens are committing suicide over bullying? Enough!

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tenhomas

Joined April 21, 2016

Re Stage is set for April 24 showdown on fairgrounds gun shows (April 4): Anyone who goes to the Del Mar gun show knows that there is much more than just guns and ammo there. I personally go there to stock up on prepping supplies and silver. This really shows how uneducated people are that are trying to stop this. Not only that, this show has been going on for years, and now people are upset? Give me a break.

Jess0Rock

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Joined April 20, 2018

Id rather have a weed convention. Get rid of the gun show!

tutuliinkita

Joined June 4, 2017

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Re Trump vs. Comey: It comes down to who is more trustworthy (April 19): Who to trust more, James Comey or Donald Trump? Is that a rhetorical question? The lifetime proved Liar in Chief or the FBI Director Boy Scout type personality? Ummm ... lemme see now.

lpdh1937

Joined July 19, 2016

I guess the writers forgot that Comey made Trump president and tanked Hillary Clinton by breathing (unjustified) new life into her email server scandal. They really liked and trusted him back then. Maybe hes just a guy who likes letting the air out of important people  so they owe Hillary an apology  and the presidency.

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lucydbarker

Joined April 30, 2017

Re Qualcomm begins layoffs as part of promise to boost financial results (April 18): Sad to see Qualcomm management bureaucrats sacrifice the very employees who made them so successful. Would be far better to fire the incompetent managers who think this is a good idea. Benefit is it will take fewer overpaid, underworked managers to let go and achieve the savings goal.

voyager2k

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Joined July 6, 2017

Wow, what a concept. A publicly traded company acknowledging that financial performance might actually matter. Qualcomm is remarkably quick on the uptake.

JAD555

Joined April 29, 2016

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Re Qualcomm sheds 1,231 San Diego workers in latest restructuring (April 19): Is Qualcomm still claiming to desperately need foreign workers on H-1B visas these days?

kevinkey

Joined May 10, 2016

Mollenkopf took home $60M in 2015. Just sayin.

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j.eldon

Joined April 20, 2018

Most employees work at will, which means they can quit at any time and can be fired or laid off at any time, for any reason that is not illegal. Unless an employee has a contract that requires good cause for termination or limits the employers right to fire, the employee works at will. Worked nearly 13 years at Qualcomm  during the time when it was fun to work there!

benwallace

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Joined April 16, 2016

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Its standard procedure at the Union-Tribune to not name victims of sexual crimes. That includes if the person is testifying in open criminal court.

But what about naming a woman who says in a lawsuit that she was subjected to sexual harassment on the job? Its a sensitive and timely question.

A U-T story that ran online April 3 and in print April 4 named the woman who sued. Other than the lawsuit, she had not publicly come forward.

The womans attorney and two other readers emailed the paper objecting to identifying the woman.

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The attorney, Michelle Baker, said printing the name violated common decency, and she demanded the story be retracted or redacted. She wondered what was the benefit to society in identifying the woman. No justifiable basis exists for publishing her name, she said, and it exposed her to further harm and stress. She said it showed no regard for the privacy rights of a sexual assault victim.

Heres the gist of the story written by reporter Greg Moran: A woman working in the countys jail system said she rejected sexual advances by a former assistant sheriff. She said she told supervisors, tried to transfer away from him, but he retaliated, and she was moved to what she said was a lesser job. She filed suit March 28 against the Sheriffs Department and the county, citing sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and retaliation.

According to the story, she said she was subjected to hugs, touches, inappropriate sexual innuendo and leering by the assistant sheriff, who has since retired. She said she has suffered anxiety because of the harassment, and has had to seek therapy.

The story identified her and the former assistant sheriff. By comparison, a story by Channel 7 San Diego reporting on the same lawsuit referred to the woman only as the claimant.

The U-T does not name victims of sexual offenses in criminal cases, unless the victim chooses to come out publicly. That policy differs from civil cases. The U-T named women who sued former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner, for instance. Another example is the Harvey Weinstein sexual harrassment case. Media reports on the class-action lawsuit against the Weinstein Co. have named the women who brought the suit.

In a response to Bakers original email to the paper about naming her client, U-T Managing Editor Lora Cicalo said the identification is consistent with similar cases. We reported on a civil lawsuit filed in the public court system, which included the name of your client as the plaintiff. ... We are willing to consider other circumstances or facts, but these types of allegations are aired publicly in civil court proceedings, including the names of the litigants. The lawsuit is not a criminal case with allegations of sexual assault.

In a follow-up email to questions from the Readers Rep, Baker further made the case for why her client should not have been named.

When I file a lawsuit, while I obviously understand I am filing in a public forum, I have no expectation that members of the general public will rush to the court house to pull the file and read it, Baker said. Laypeople primarily rely on the medias portrayal of a situation.

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Could the case have been filed for Jane Doe? I asked.

I think it is disingenuous for a news agency to take the position that what is filed publicly is fair game; that an employee could have just filed anonymously, Baker responded.

She said the court requires certain criteria for a lawsuit to be filed anonymously. Baker said she felt those standards could not be met.

However, that does not mean that her name ought to be published in the media. ... I have dealt with multiple TV news organizations who have specifically declined to publish my clients name, in light of their policies against naming victims of sexual assault, Baker said.

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Baker said publishing the name further harms her client. She cited coverage of the #MeToo movement in a U-T article from December by staff writers Karla Peterson and Michele Parente.

It spoke of the hazards women will likely face if they choose to proceed with a sexual harassment complaint. The writers also invited women to come forward, anonymously if they would prefer, to tell their stories.

Cicalo said the reporting by Peterson and Parente differs from the reporting on the lawsuit filed in public court.

Heres the way I see it for this lawsuit article: The name should be published. The who is a basic element of journalism that reporters and editors should lean toward publishing. By filing a lawsuit against public agencies and being named in the lawsuit, the woman in essence choose to publicly come out.

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Also I feel it is fair. The defendant is named in the lawsuit and in the story. I think the plaintiff, who is accusing the defendant and the public agencies, should be identified as well.

Baker disagreed. The impact of naming the corporate or government defendant, ... is limited at best, given the resources available to the defendant, particularly when juxtaposed against the impact on the victim. Thus, it is arguable that there is a social purpose to name defendants, but no social purpose to name the plaintiff/victim in the context of sexual harassment allegations.

(It should be noted that the Sheriffs Department choose not to comment on the allegations in the story, and the reporter said he tried reaching the womans lawyer, but did not hear back.)

Different circumstances in other similar stories might warrant anonymity. But here, I feel identification was appropriate.

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What do you think? Email the readers.rep@sduniontribune.com.
More than 150 Del Norte High School students participated in an on-campus demonstration Friday morning as part of a national walkout against school violence that coincided with the 19th anniversary of the Columbine massacre.

The event was organized by a recently-formed group of students, who dubbed themselves Nighthawk Activists United.

It was the only large demonstration on Friday at a Poway Unified campus, according to district spokeswoman Christine Paik.

Senior Yunho Jung said NAU members first gathered in a classroom on March 14 while many peers participated in a national walkout on the one-month anniversary of the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

We were frustrated that the (March 14) walkout would not make a change, Jung said. That day they formed NAU in order to promote political activism among students, regardless of their political beliefs, and to press their legislators and the people who need to hear their voices, he said.

Students at the Del Norte High School demonstration. (Elizabeth Marie Himchak )

Those people include the Poway Unified School District school board members, whom the students say are not doing enough to help them and deter school violence. While the board recently approved adding and upgrading cameras and fencing at campuses, the students said during the rally and at a school board meeting the night before that they need more mental health support. This can be accomplished by hiring more school counselors, who now have too many students assigned to them, NAU members said.

With a backdrop featuring the pictures of students and teachers killed during the Columbine and Parkland attacks, three students spoke about how gun violence has personally affected them, why they want reasonable and effective solutions, and the importance of teens expressing their views via letters to elected officials and by voting.

Jung said the students had three concrete steps they wanted to emphasize:

 Advancing legislation that promotes student safety not based on party agenda, but on compromise and an exchange of ideas so students are safe across the nation.

 Advocating the PUSD board to allocate funding so the district can hire more school counselors since they said 500 students per counselor is too many to address their academic and other issues. We are losing that personal connection, he said.

 Advocating for voter registration education in the 10th and 11th grades through the U.S. and world history courses, not waiting until 12th grade, when it is discussed during Advanced Placement government and civics classes.

Students at the Del Norte High School demonstration. (Elizabeth Marie Himchak )

The students wore shirts saying School safety is not a political issue.

Junior Caden Hollander said he walked out to protest the inaction on Capitol Hill for reasonable gun safety legislation and the inaction by the PUSD school board to fund more counselors.

When speaking to his peers, Hollander talked about how 17 people were killed within six minutes at the Parkland campus, saying it was about the time it takes for him to get his drink order at Starbucks and a minute longer than their pass period between classes.

How can so many lives be impacted in such a short amount of time? Hollander asked.

We are not just ditching class, but want to make the world and schools a safer place, Hollander said. No more fake promises from Capitol Hill. If (politicians) take money from the NRA, thats fine. Well vote you out of office. We want reasonable gun reform that 96 percent of the country supports.

He said the Second Amendment should not outweigh our right to feel safe at school. The students cheered when Hollander said, It should not be harder to get a drivers license than a gun.

Senior Nicole Parks. (Elizabeth Marie Himchak )

Senior Nicole Parks, who also spoke at the April 19 PUSD board meeting, recounted how scared she was recently after ending a bad relationship and the nightmares she had after, fearing violence at school because of it. She said she identified with the victim at a Maryland high school recently killed by an ex after they broke up. Parks said shootings at targeted victims are three times as common as those where victims are chosen indiscriminately.

We dont do enough to acknowledge the collateral damage of gun violence, Parks said. There are thousands and thousands of children traumatized by gun violence.

Our generation grew up differently than any generation before. ... When will it stop? I should not have to feel unsafe while receiving an education, Parks said, later adding, This should not be a normal part of coming to school. ... So why does America do so little to protect its children? We do not have to accept this or stand idly by.

Junior Maria Alita. (Elizabeth Marie Himchak )

Junior Maria Alita said while getting ready for the protest that morning she learned of another school shooting that day in Ocala, Florida, saying it brought the school shooting tally up to 21 thus far for 2018 and more than 188 since 2000.

For the past 18 years adults have been standing up to fight for safer schools, but we see that is not enough, Alita said. Fences and unmonitored cameras will not protect us from someone with a firearm.

We will make sure the blood (victims) spilled was not in vain, Alita said. To honor the victims ... we will use our voices to create change.

Im really proud of my kids, said Principal Greg Mizel. They have been respectful and are doing this with us, not to us. They are doing more than just marching ... with voter registration, letters and advancing multiple solutions to complex problems. Its more than guns, but advocating for student services support.

Students registering to vote. (Elizabeth Marie Himchak )

Mizel said he has been hearing from many of Del Norte Highs 2,200 students that they and their peers are not just coping with academic pressures, but issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and grief.

While the students love the campuses four full-time and one part-time counselor who are doing their best in an impossible job, Mizel said it is difficult for the counselors to fully meet students needs when assigned 500. Prior to the Great Recession and staffing cuts made in 2008 and 2009, Mizel said Poway Unifieds high school campuses typically had seven or eight counselors each. As the economy improved, the eliminated positions were never reinstated.

The kids needs today are as great or greater, but we have far fewer people to be proactive and preventative rather than reactive, Mizel said.

The students walked out with the possibility of repercussions, Mizel said. While there would not be disciplinary action, he said each student would have to individually work out with their teacher whose class they left the consequences of missing a quiz or doing extra schoolwork due to their time out of the classroom.

Mizel said the school supported the students by providing a safe space for the demonstration, but was taking a neutral position on the gun violence issue. Were not pro-NRA or anti-NRA, he said.

Mizel said he considered the event a civil rights lab day, similar to class time science students miss on a lab day fieldtrip.

They are playing their part in a movement that until this year they just read about, Mizel said, mentioning historic figures over the decades who at the time of their actions were labeled disruptive and counter culture, and who created issues that were met with mixed reactions. But they had a full vision, clarity and plowed forward (eventually achieving change), he said.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com


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Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2018 -- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a special form of the conventional cruise control systems which is used to maintain and control the speeds of cars and other intelligent vehicles. Adaptive cruise control is an intelligent form of cruise control systems that slows down and speeds up automatically to keep pace with the car in front of you. It dosent make use of any satellite, any roadside infrastructures or any cooperative support from other vehicles, rather it uses sensors and lasers to control the speed of vehicles.



The main impact of adaptive cruise control system is on driver's safety as by adjusting the distance between according to the traffic conditions. The overall process is achieved through a radar headway sensor, longitudinal controller and digital signal processor. Adaptive cruise control systems are being enhanced to guide through collision warning capabilities to warn drivers through audio or visual signals that a collision is imminent and that evasive steering is required. Now-a-days, Adaptive cruise control system is often paired with a pre-crash system which alerts the driver and often starts braking. Adaptive cruise control is also known as autonomous cruise control, active cruise control, intelligent cruise control or radar cruise control.



The Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented on the basis of Geography, Vehicle Type and Technology. On the basis of Geography, the Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America and Latin America. On account of type, the Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented into passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles. Passenger vehicles include luxury cars, mid-range cars and premium cars. Further, considering technology, the Global Adaptive Cruise Control System Market can be segmented into infrared sensors, laser sensors, image sensors, radar sensors and ultrasonic sensors.



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The key regions in the field of adaptive cruise control systems are Asia Pacific, Europe, Americas. The Asia Pacific region includes the emerging markets like Thailand, India and China. The factors such as rising demands of premium and luxury cars in such regions are effective to the overall growth of the global adaptive cruise control system market. Europe is the region which is a major market to the product and is home for the major suppliers of adaptive cruise control systems. The key regions in Europe comprises of Germany, France and Italy. The American region comprises of Brazil, Mexico, Canada and others; Brazil and Mexico being the emerging markets of this region. The growth of the global adaptive cruise control system market highly depends on the rising number of accidents due to increase in traffic. Moreover, with the advancement of technology, people tend to be on a safer side and thus are willing to pay to install adaptive cruise control systems and thus are willing to pay.



The increasing disposable incomes and greater sales of premium and luxury cars is also a major factor driving the growth of the global adaptive cruise control system market. The increasing use of sensors with the advancement in the technology is another fuelling factor. Moreover, government initiatives to improve fuel efficiencies and safety attributes of vehicles are motivating the manufacturers to apply such integrated systems to ensure safety as well as to comply with the government regulations. The regions with higher intensity of fog, rainfalls and snowfalls are repelling to the adaptive cruise control systems. Regions with such weather conditions make such safety systems inefficient in making and monitoring the speeds of the surrounding objects and vehicles making the owners of the vehicles reluctant to implement such systems. Since each and every manufacturer competes with each other, each manufacturer implements high end safety sensors thus making the car owners difficult to understand the exact operating procedures of the product.



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Various companies are into manufacturing the adaptive cruise control system market. Some of the key players involved in the global adaptive cruise control system market are Denso Corporation, Magna International Inc., Mando Corporation, Valeo SA, TRW Automotive, Autoliv Inc., Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd., Robert Bosch GmBH, Delphi Automotive PLC and others.
Valley Cottage, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/20/2018 -- With the increase in Shale gas E&P activities across the globe, leading with North America, Europe, Argentina and now China the global chemical/petrochemical industry downstream is expected to witness a critical make over due to the supply shortages in various chemical feedstock. Ethylene, propylene, butadiene and benzene are the four building blocks of various chemicals or petrochemicals produced downstream for consumption by end use industries.



Shale Gas is an unconventional, un-associated gas which contains 75-90% Methane, 15-5% Ethane and the rest C3's and heavier hydrocarbons. With lower percentage of heavier hydrocarbons the supply of propylene, butadiene and benzene are expected to decline with respect to Ethylene supply. Excess of Shale production has resulted into an increasing preference for ethane cracking compared to Naphtha cracking, which would result in a supply shortage for C3's and above. The result would be lower availability of propylene and other basic chemicals. In order to ensure optimum supply, on purpose technologies are being built in North America and Asia Pacific.



On purpose technologies include CTL/CTO (Coal to Liquids/Olefins), MTO/MTP (methanol to olefins/propylene), PDH (propane dehydrogenation) and Metathesis. Use of Coal to produce synthetic fuels and petrochemicals has been present for more than 50 years with Germany utilizing this technology to provide fuel for its units during the 2nd World War. The technology was not utilized due to its high operational cost and lower market feasibility with adequate Crude oil supplies. But the decrease in the use of Crude Oil due to environmental concern opened up opportunities for Coal to be used as a feedstock for production of petrochemicals and synthetic fuels.



With the increasing production of Shale Gas the demand for ethane cracking has increased hence resulting in a lower yield of propylene. Propane de-hydrogenation operation unlike other operations provides a higher yield of Propylene (82%) ensuring a stable supply for the production of Polypropylene. North America with its expected increase in demand for Polypropylene by 2025, has made investments to increase PDH production capacity by 1.8 Mn MT/y. China has also made investments in PDH operations and has made arrangements with a South Korean trader to supply LPG to its plants. Metathesis which is a technology which was commercialized for the synthesis of higher olefins has also seen traction in the petrochemical industry however, Methanol to Olefin/Propylene technology witnesses a greater growth rate.



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China with its anticipated increase in Coal and Natural Gas production is expected to focus on CTO/L operations in the coming years in order to meet its growing demand. China has the biggest Natural Gas reserves in the world, however chooses not to utilize it to its potential. PDH operations in the country are anticipated to witness an increasing trend due to future Natural Gas E&P activities.In India, Tata and Sasol have signed up for a CTL plant in Orissa which is expected to come on stream by 2018. The plant would cost Rs. 90,000 Crores and is expected to provide synthetic fuel and petrochemicals.



With the increase in availability of Natural Gas in North America and higher preference to ethane cracking to take advantage of the cheaper Natural gas the availability of Propylene, butadiene and benzene are expected to decline which are quintessential for the production of downstream petrochemicals and other chemicals. Also, with low Natural Gas prices the technology has become affordable and economical for profitable production of downstream chemicals and petrochemicals.



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North America is anticipating an increase of 1.8 Mn MT/y of PDH production capacity by end of 2019. China has also started constructing PDH facilities to utilize the feedstock advantage of Coal with CTL plants in China. India is expected to finish its first CTL plant by end of 2019. In South America, Argentina is expected to start E&P activities from its Shale Gas reservoirs which is expected to provide the region an advantageous feedstock position.



Some of the major players in the refrigerated display cases are AHT Cooling systems, Epta Spa, Hussman corporation, Nekano refrigerators co. ltd, ISA Italy etc.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three Staten Island people have pleaded guilty to their roles in a drug ring that helped fuel the borough's epidemic.

Married couple Maria and Glenn DePaolo pleaded to acquiring oxycodone by fraud and Carol Monforte pleaded to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, according to Brooklyn federal court records.

The DePaolos will be sentenced on Sept. 13 and Monforte on Sept. 6.

The three defendants were among several borough residents arrested last February in the drug scheme that ran from September 2016 to February 2017.

Lifetime parolee Michael Calabria; his brother, Joseph Calabria; Stephen DelPriore; and Devida Lombardo were also accused of conspiring to distribute oxycodone and heroin on Staten Island, authorities said.

According to a criminal complaint, the DePaolos and Monforte were among those who supplied oxycodone to Joseph Calabria, who distributed the drug to others.

Joseph Calabria was heard a number of times on wiretaps discussing oxycodone purchases with those four defendants, said the complaint.

The foursome typically refilled oxycodone prescriptions containing 120 to 180 pills and sold most of the drugs to Calabria, the complaint alleges.

A second criminal complaint accuses Michael Calabria of supplying heroin to Ugo Gallo, who then distributed the narcotics.

Michael Calabria transacted tens of thousands of dollars with Gallo, and Calabria generally sold heroin to customers in $10 bags, that complaint said.

Delpriore is accused, along with Michael Calabria and unnamed others, of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin.

The Calabria brothers, Lombardo and others allegedly conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone.

Michael Calabria is on lifetime parole after serving a sentence of three years to life for a 1990 drug-dealing conviction in Brooklyn.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The charges against the cast and crew of the television show "Staten Island Hustle" have been dismissed, authorities said.

Three Staten Island men were among nine show members arrested in January for trying to pass through Newark Airport security with a fake bomb while claiming to film the incident for the reality show.

Ruben Montenegro, 44, of Annadale; Michael L. Palmer, 51, of Rossville; and Adolfo Lacola, 51, of Richmond Valley, were previously charged with public false alarms, interference with transportation and conspiracy.

On Friday, Essex County prosecutors announced they were dismissing all charges after the investigation found the device was not an explosive. It was a makeshift luggage shrinking device designed by the characters starring in the show, prosecutors said.

"The conduct engaged in by these individuals was ill-advised, and demonstrated extremely poor judgment in this age of heightened security awareness, but it does not rise to the level of a knowing violation of the criminal laws of the State of New Jersey,'' said Acting Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino.

On Jan. 18, officials said Montano entered the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport, Terminal C, and placed the suitcase containing the Bissell vacuum motor and connecting pipes and power cord on the x-ray screening machine.

Authorities said the crew claimed they were filming the incident for the show.

Eventually, TSA bomb techs cleared the bag, but the nine defendants were charged.

Also arrested and charged were: Samuel Micah Berns, 39, Hollywood, Calif.; Jacob M. Towsley, 34, Portageville, N.Y.; William Oaks, 36, Brooklyn; Philip K. Nakagami, 26, Jersey City, N.J.; Carlos F. Gonzalez, 33, Queens; and Timothy S. Duffy, 34, Sparta, N.J.

"As tempting as it is to use this case to make a public example of what not to do, based on all the facts and circumstances, we concluded that the charges had to be dismissed because they did not knowingly create a false public alarm, as required by the statute," Laurino said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island towing company has filed a lawsuit against the city and the NYPD for wrongful contract termination.

Breen Bros. Towing, which has served the Staten Island community for over 40 years, filed a lawsuit last Friday claiming the NYPD revoked its five-year arterial towing contract after just nine months without proper cause or notification, according to court records.

"Our contract was terminated without cause for what the city calls convenience," said manager Joseph Breen in a recent interview.

New York City is currently broken down into 17 arterial highway towing districts, two of which are located on Staten Island.

The NYPD is responsible for contracting companies to remove disabled vehicles from New York City's arterial highways, including the Staten Island Expressway and West Shore Expressway, according to NYC Traffic Law Section 4-07i.

While Staten Island's districts had previously been serviced by two borough-based companies, one of which was Breen Bros. Towing. The contracts for both districts have since been awarded to Runway Towing Corp. in Queens, according to court documents.

"We've been here a long time and being able to service the residents of Staten Island means a lot to us," said Breen.

Runway Towing Corp. already controls five arterial towing districts in Brooklyn and Queens, in addition to the two Staten Island segments they were recently granted, according to the lawsuit.

The Request for Applications for the Arterial Tow Services Contract stated that no vendor could be awarded more than three segments and "no applicant may be awarded both segments sixteen and seventeen unless it is determined that the award is in the best interests of the City," according to court records.

In February, Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance indicted 17 people, including Daniel Steininger of Long Island, for monopolizing the towing industry through violence, fraud and corruption.

Though the February case did not implicate Breen Bros. Towing in the scheme, the city elected to revoke all given towing contracts, regardless of involvement, according to records.

"The city's excuse was that the commissioner felt as though the corruption had permeated through the entire procurement process," said Breen.

Despite the recent monopolization indictment, New York City's 17 towing districts are now operated by only four companies.

The NYC Department of Central Administrative Services' Office of Citywide Procurement, responsible for the purchasing of certain goods and services for city agencies through contract procurements, declined to comment on the case, stating that the NYPD would be the appropriate agency to handle the matter.

The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI), responsible for NYPD media relations, would not comment on the suit at the time of publication.
China says welcomes N. Korea's decision to halt nuclear, missile tests



Beijing, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



China Saturday said it welcomed North Korea's decision to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, with Pyongyang's chief ally saying the move would help promote denuclearisation in the flashpoint region.

"China believes the decision to stop nuclear tests and focus on developing the economy and improving people's living standards will help further ease the situation on the Korean peninsula and help to promote the process of denuclearisation and attempts to find a political settlement," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement.

"China will support North Korea ... (to engage in) dialogue and consultation with the relevant parties."

The surprise announcement comes less than a week before the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of an eagerly-awaited encounter with US President Donald Trump.

However, Kim gave no indication Pyongyang might be willing to give up its nuclear weapons, or the missiles with which it can reach the mainland United States.

For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.

But the leader said that now North Korea was a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction".
Japan PM Abe sends offering to war shrine



Tokyo, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine Saturday but has no plans to visit it to avoid tensions ahead of a three-way meeting with China and South Korea, officials and local media said.

Abe sent a sacred "masakaki" tree bearing his name to the shrine as it started a three-day spring festival, a shrine spokeswoman said.

On the eve of the festival, more than 70 lawmakers made a pilgrimage to the shrine, which China and South Korea see as a symbol of Tokyo's past aggression.

Kyodo News and other reports said Abe would not visit the shrine during the festival to avoid creating tension as he plans to host a trilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in early May.

The conservative premier, who has been criticised for what some see as a revisionist attitude to Japan's wartime record, has sent ritual offerings to mark the shrine's key events, including its commemoration of the end of World War II.

The shrine honours millions of Japanese war dead, but also senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after World War II.

The site has for decades been a flashpoint for criticism by countries that suffered from Japan's colonialism and aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

Abe visited in December 2013 to mark his first year in power, a move that sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul and earned a diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States, which said it was "disappointed" by the action. He has since refrained from going.

Abe and other nationalists say Yasukuni is merely a place to remember fallen soldiers, and compare it with Arlington National Cemetery in the United States.

Tokyo is also seeking warmer ties with Beijing and Seoul, key countries in dealing with the unpredictable North Korean regime.
Dragon boat accident kills 11 in southern China



Beijing, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



Eleven people were killed Saturday and six others are missing after two dragon boats capsized in southern China, state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Rowers on board the two long, narrow kayak-like boats were practising for a race in Taohua River in the city of Guilin when the accident occurred Saturday afternoon, tipping 57 people into the water.

Some 40 people have been pulled out of the water alive and rescue work continues, Xinhua said.

Authorities in Guilin said villagers had organised a practice session without notifying police, and that two organisers were detained.

Races are held nationwide every year to mark the dragon boat festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, or the summer solstice.

The festival pays tribute to the ancient poet Qu Yuan who, legend has it, drowned himself in protest against being falsely accused of treason.
The United Kingdom is opening a new High Commission in Apia.

The British Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, announced the opening of nine new diplomatic posts across the Commonwealth, including in Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.

As a Commonwealth family of nations, it is in our shared interest to boost prosperity, tackle security issues and clear up the environment, he said.

These new diplomatic posts are in regions which provide huge potential and opportunity post-Brexit for British businesses and will help us to deepen our relationships across the Commonwealth.

After we leave the EU, Global Britain will remain outward facing, open for business and a champion of the rules-based international order.

Laura Clarke, non-Resident British High Commissioner to Samoa, said:

I am delighted that the Foreign Secretary has decided to open a High Commission in Samoa. I very much enjoyed my first visit to Samoa in March this year, and came back convinced that the UK should increase its work and presence there.

There is a natural affinity between the UK and Samoa. Ours is a partnership based on a shared history, shared values, and a shared political and judicial system. We work in partnership together on shared challenges  such as combating climate change  and we are both proud members of the Commonwealth. There is so much more that we can achieve together.

I look forward to working with the Government of Samoa as we set up our new British High Commission in Apia before I hand over my responsibility for Samoa, with both sadness and pride, to the new Resident British High Commissioner.

It is expected that the new British High Commission in Apia will open in 2019.
Japan not satisfied with N. Korea pledge, will continue pressure: defence chief



Tokyo, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



Japan is not satisfied with North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, its defence minister said on Saturday, warning that Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

"We can't be satisfied," Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Washington, saying North Korea did not mention "abandonment of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles".
N. Korea's Kim promises no more nuclear or missile tests



Seoul, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, in a Saturday announcement welcomed by US President Donald Trump ahead of a much-anticipated summit between the two men.

Pyongyang's declaration, long sought by Washington, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

It comes less than a week before the North Korean leader meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of the eagerly-awaited encounter with Trump himself.

The North had developed its weapons in what he called a "great victory", Kim said, and so "no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now".

As such the North's nuclear testing site was no longer needed, he told the central committee of the Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday -- the North has not carried any out since November -- and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Within minutes of the report being issued, Trump tweeted: "This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

Seoul too welcomed the announcement, calling it "meaningful progress" towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"It will create a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming inter-Korean and North-US summits," the South Korean presidential office said in a statement.

However, Japan -- which has seen missiles fly over its territory -- said it was not satisfied with Pyongyang's pledge, adding North Korea did not mention "abandonment of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles".

Kim gave no indication he might be willing to give up what he called the North's "treasured sword".

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth nuclear blast, its most powerful to date, and tested missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim and Trump traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions ramped up, and even when there was an extended pause in testing, US officials said that it could not be interpreted as a halt without an explicit statement from Pyongyang.

South Korean envoys have previously cited Kim as promising no more tests, but Saturday's news is the first such announcement directly by Pyongyang.

"Certainly this is a positive development," said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University. "It's a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-proliferation commitments."



- 'Fresh climate' -



The formal declaration of an end to testing comes after Kim stated in his New Year speech that the development of North Korea's nuclear force had been completed.

In the same address, he said he had a nuclear button on his desk, prompting Trump to tweet that he had a bigger one of his own.

Events have moved rapidly since then, catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, and Seoul is now pushing for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, raising hopes that a settlement can finally be reached on the peninsula.

But there is a long way to go and Moon himself acknowledged this week that the "devil is in the details".

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees, leaving much room for negotiation.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

The leader told the Workers' Party meeting: "A fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape."

But he added that the possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".

- 'New strategic line' -



For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.

But Kim said that as it was now a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction", in what he called the party's "new strategic line".

Several factors have driven the Korean rapprochement, including the North feeling that it can now negotiate from a position of strength, concern about the belligerence of the Trump administration, and the looming impact of sanctions.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies told AFP: "This is in effect a declaration of abandoning the byungjin policy for the sake of economic development."

"The North will now engage in negotiations with the US to obtain the normalisation of ties, guarantee against attempts to undermine its regime, and the lifting of sanctions which are essential for developing economy and improving people's livelihoods," Yang said.
Vietnam War refugees deported under Trump struggle to settle



Ho Chi Minh City, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



Nguyen was nine when he boarded a boat alone to escape the communist regime in Vietnam for the United States. Some 40 years later, he returned in shackles, deported from the only country he really knows to one he can scarcely remember.

With conspiracy and fraud convictions under his belt, he was expelled in line with a Trump administration push to remove immigrants with criminal records for convictions ranging from traffic offenses to drug-related crimes and murder.

Nguyen left his four grown kids and second wife Annie behind in Boston, and now spends his days aimlessly cruising the web because he cannot find work, or battling bureaucracy to obtain identity papers.

"I still don't believe it," Nguyen told AFP in Ho Chi Minh City this week, using only his last name for safety.

"I really want to go back there because I lived there for more of my life there than here," said Nguyen, who's not yet used to the city's sweltering heat and complains of dry fried chicken at the local KFC.

The former construction worker was sent to immigration detention with orders of removal after his prison release last year, joining some 8,600 Vietnamese nationals tagged for deportation, most with criminal records.

In the 2017 fiscal year, 71 Vietnamese nationals were deported from the US -- double the 2016 figure -- and 76 have been sent so far since October 2017 according to data from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which does not track refugees' date of arrival to the country when compiling removal data.

The move comes as immigration officials ramp up raids and removals of aliens from Mexico, Cambodia, Myanmar and elsewhere who Trump has vowed to crack down on.

Advocates argue that the expulsion of Vietnamese nationals violates a 2008 deal that says Vietnam refugees who arrived in the US before the normalisation of ties between the former war foes in 1995 should not be deported.

Four refugees have filed a class action lawsuit over months-long pre-deportation detentions.

But ICE says their birth nations are obligated to take them back and that it does not target immigrants "indiscriminately".

"ICE focuses its enforcement resources on individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security," spokesman Brendan Raedy told AFP.



- 'Very risky' -



Nguyen and nearly 30 others landed in Ho Chi Minh City in December after a 24-hour flight during which his hands and feet were shackled, and he has spent the last few months uneasily settling into a city he still calls by its former name Saigon.

He says his father was shot dead by communist authorities in 1979, soon after Nguyen left his mother behind for the US where he was taken in by American sponsors for a few years.

Since his return, his elderly mother has been visited by plainclothes police asking about her son and he fears further harassment because of his family's past work with the US military.

"It's very, very risky," Nguyen said.

Others agree.

Former US ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said in an essay this month he resigned last year in opposition to the "repulsive" plan.

"I think fundamentally this is racist policy," he told AFP from Ho Chi Minh City, where he is now vice president of Fulbright University.

Since many refugees sided with the US-backed South he fears they could "end up being human rights cases" in the country with a tarnished reputation for jailing critics -- including those who still pledge allegiance to the former regime.

That's what Vu Ha fears. Immigration officials in California issued his removal orders last year after he served time for burglary and he spent nearly a year in ICE custody until his recent release.

Vietnam still has not agreed to have him back, locking him in limbo between two governments that do not accept him.

"I'm just stuck right in the middle," Vu, 37, told AFP after checking in with immigration officials in Los Angeles.

He's not been back since he left at age nine and is terrified about a communist government he doesn't side with.

"There's nothing good to say about Vietnam. The government is attacking the civilians, they don't have any kind of rights as far as freedom of speech or anything," said Vu, who has a daughter about to graduate from high school.



- 'American blood' -



Some who have already been deported like Bui Hung have an American parent.

Hung, who served six years in an American jail for beating his wife after catching her in bed with another man, said his American serviceman father was killed in the war and he fled with his family to the United States in 1993.

He says he now lives in fear of police in Vietnam.

"I am still American, my dad is American, my blood is American," said Hung, who speaks with a Vietnamese accent using slang like "homeboy".

There is little recourse for refugees like him and Nguyen to return to the US, though some are hopeful they may get back after Trump -- a man he says "has no heart" -- is out of office.

Until then, Nguyen will learn to ride a motorbike, the transportation of choice in his new city, and keep in touch with his wife who bid him a tearful goodbye in Ho Chi Minh City Friday after a brief visit.

"He left Vietnam as a little boy," she told AFP. "Now he doesn't know what to do."
Key steps in North Korea's weapons development



Seoul, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared Saturday that Pyongyang would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, five months after its last ICBM launch amid a rapid diplomatic thaw.

Here are the key steps in the development of the regime's banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes:



- The beginnings, 1970s -



North Korea starts working in the late 1970s on a version of the Soviet Scud-B missile with a range of around 300 kilometres (around 200 miles), carrying out a first test in 1984.

Between 1987 and 1992, it begins developing longer-range missiles, including the Taepodong-1 (2,500 km) and Taepodong-2 (6,700 km).

The Taepodong-1 is test-fired over Japan in 1998 but the following year, Pyongyang declares a moratorium on such tests as ties with the United States improve.



- First nuclear test in 2006 -



It ends the moratorium in 2005, blaming the Bush administration's "hostile" policy, and carries out its first nuclear test on October 9, 2006.

In May 2009, there is a second underground nuclear test, several times more powerful than the first. Kim Jong Un succeeds his father Kim Jong Il -- who dies in December 2011 -- and oversees a third nuclear test in 2013.



- 2016, Japanese waters reached -



There is a fourth underground nuclear test in January 2016, which Pyongyang claims is a hydrogen bomb.

In March, Kim Jong Un claims the North has successfully miniaturised a thermonuclear warhead, and in April it test-fires a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

On August 3, it fires, for the first time, a ballistic missile directly into Japanese-controlled waters. Later that month, it successfully test-fires another submarine-launched ballistic missile.

There is a fifth nuclear test on September 9.



- 2017, Japan and Guam under threat -



Between February and May, the North tests a series of ballistic missiles that fall into the Sea of Japan. Pyongyang claims these are exercises to hit US bases in Japan.

A test on May 14 is of a "newly developed mid/long-range strategic ballistic rocket, Hwasong-12", Pyongyang says. It flies 700 kilometres before landing in the Sea of Japan.

Two months later, North Korea announces it successfully tested on July 4 -- the US independence day -- an ICBM capable of reaching Alaska, a gift for the "American bastards". There is a second successful ICBM test on July 28.

Hours after US President Donald Trump threatens Pyongyang on August 8 with "fire and fury" over its missile programme, the North says it is considering strikes near US strategic military installations in Guam.



- Largest nuclear test yet -



On September 3, North Korea conducts its sixth and largest nuclear test. Monitoring groups estimate a yield of 250 kilotons, which is 16 times the size of the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

On September 15, less than a week after the UN adopts an eighth series of sanctions, North Korea fires an intermediate-range missile over Japan.

On November 20, Washington declares North Korea a state sponsor of terrorism, a day before adding to pressure on the isolated state with fresh sanctions.

On November 29, North Korea launches a new Hwasong-15 ICBM, which it claims could deliver a "super-large heavy warhead" anywhere on the US mainland.

Analysts agree the rocket is capable of reaching the US but voice scepticism that Pyongyang has mastered the advanced technology needed to allow the rocket to survive re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.

Weeks later on December 13, Kim vows to make North Korea the "world's strongest nuclear power".



- Olympic detente triggers thaw, 2018 -



In his New Year speech, Kim states that the development of North Korea's nuclear force had been completed.

Catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, a rapid diplomatic thaw begins in February.

On April 21, Pyongyang declares that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease immediately and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Kim adds that the possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".
EU says N.Korea nuclear decision a 'positive step'



Brussels, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



The European Union on Saturday hailed North Korea's decision to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches as "a positive, long sought-after step".

The announcement by Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong Un shows "full respect for its international obligations and all relevant UN Security Council resolutions," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

Kim's declaration comes less than a week before he meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of an eagerly-awaited encounter with US President Donald Trump.

"The European Union looks forward to the upcoming Summit meetings between the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in and the leader of the DPRK; and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, and the leader of the DPRK. We hope that these high-level initiatives can continue to build confidence and bring about additional, concrete and positive outcomes," Mogherini said.

"The EU will continue its work to support a negotiated solution in all possible ways," she said.
Russia 'welcomes' North Korea's nuclear declaration



Moscow, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



Moscow "welcomes" North Korea's Kim Jong Un's declaration on halting nuclear tests and calls on the US and Pyongyang to work together to reduce tensions, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

"We welcome the declaration of the Working Party's Chairman Kim Jong Un on the halt of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear and missile tests from April 21," the statement said.

"We consider the given decision an important step towards the future easing of tensions in the Korean peninsula," it added.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday said he would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, in a Saturday announcement welcomed by US President Donald Trump ahead of a much-anticipated summit between the two men.

Russia called on Washington and Pyongyang to take steps in lowering military activity in the region.

"We call on the US and the (South) Korean Republic to take adequate reciprocal steps towards lowering military activity in the region and achieving mutually acceptable agreements with the DPRK in the upcoming inter-Korean and American-North Korean summits," the statement said.

On Friday, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow welcomed an expected summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un.

"We cannot wish this meeting failure," Lavrov said.

"We very much hope that he (Trump) starts the process of de-escalating tensions."

The odds of the Trump-Kim summit taking place were boosted by the shock news earlier this week that CIA chief Mike Pompeo had gone to Pyongyang to meet Kim for the most significant US-North Korea contact in almost two decades.

Lavrov compared the US and North Korean statements prior to the meeting to tensions between "boxers" before a match.

"Before the start of serious conversations it is like boxers entering the ring, showing off in front of one another before the fight," he said.

Russia has relatively warm ties with North Korea, with which it shares a small land border.

The United States earlier this year accused Russia of helping Pyongyang evade some international sanctions by supplying fuel to the isolated country.
Turkey to consider Greek soldiers' case if coup suspects returned



Istanbul, April 21 (AFP) Apr 21, 2018



President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday said his government would consider the case of two Greek soldiers jailed in Turkey if Athens extradited soldiers suspected of the 2016 failed coup.

Turkey is holding in pre-trial detention two Greek soldiers who crossed the border on March 2, claiming to have lost their way in the fog.

The pair, held in the northern Turkish province of Edirne, have been charged with espionage.

"They (Greece) ask us to give back the Greek soldiers and we told them 'if you make such a demand, you should first give us FETO soldiers involved in a coup against our state'," Erdogan told the private NTV television in an interview.

FETO is a name Ankara gives for a movement led by Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen who it blames for masterminding the failed coup aimed at unseating Erdogan.

Gulen, based in the US state of Pennyslvania, has denies the accusations.

"If they are handed to us, we will consider" the situation on Greek soldiers, he said.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras earlier this month demanded the release of the two soldiers, arguing that they should not be "pawns to blackmail".

Turkey's ties with Greece have taken a strained turn over Athens' failure to extradite eight Turkish soldiers Ankara says were part of the coup bid. Greek authorities say they would not have a fair trial in their home country as the purge of Erdogan opponents continue under the state of emergency.

Erdogan on Saturday said Greece had become a "first stop" for coup suspects who later flee to other European countries.
Festival tour announced for Chimera

The anticipated sci-fi thriller Chimera starring Henry Ian Cusick, Kathleen Quinlan, Jenna Harrison and Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve will have its North American Premiere on Wednesday April 11th as the Opening Night Feature of the 2018 Boston International Film Festival (BIFF). The attending audience will enjoy the distinguished presence of Oscar and two-time Golden Globes nominated actress Kathleen Quinlan, LGBT-rights advocate and actress Erika Ervin and first-time writer-director Maurice Haeems. They will all walk the red carpet and participate in a Q&A after the screening.



Boston International Film Festival

Showplace Icon Theatre

60 Seaport Blvd Suite 315, Boston, MA, USA

Wednesday, April 11

5:30pm (red carpet)

6:30pm (screening)



Chimera was filmed entirely in Massachusetts for which the producers give thanks to the assistance of the MA Film Office and to the tax credits offered by the MA Department of Revenue. Most of the productions below-the-line crew and supporting cast are from the region and/or have ties to the state. Given Chimeras deep connections to Boston and Massachusetts, the films North American Premiere is fittingly taking place on Opening Night at the 2018 BIFF.



"We viewed Chimera not just as a stunning piece of genre filmmaking, but as a fascinating character study and an exploration of love and loss, obsession and redemption. We loved the sincerity and intensity of the performances and the way the creative elements came together to produce a compelling cinematic experience, says Patrick Jerome, the Executive Director of the festival. It gives me great pleasure to present the North American Premiere of Chimera at the Opening Night of the 2018 Boston International Film Festival, he concludes.



Actress Kathleen Quinlan brilliantly portrays her character Masterson, the storys antagonist. There was a corporate greed and a voracious disregard for life I found intriguing with Masterson, she says about her villainous role. She perceives everything and everyone as her prey, she adds.



Chimera recently had its World Premiere at the prestigious Fantasporto International Film Festival in Portugal, one of the top Genre festivals in the world. After its North American Premiere in Boston, the film will continue its tour in other cities.



Upcoming Festival Screenings:



Phoenix Film Festival

Theatre 4

- Harkins Scottsdale

101 7000 E Mayo Blvd

Phoenix, AZ, USA

Friday, April 13  11:20am

Saturday, April 14  1:25pm

Sunday, April 15  2:10pm





All screenings will have a Q&A with writer-director Maurice Haeems and actress Erika Ervin a.k.a. Amazon Eve.



Sci-Fi London Film Festival (Opening Night Film)

Stratford Picturehouse

 East London

Salway Road, London E15 1BX, UK

Tuesday, May 1 7:00 pm





Followed by a Q&A with writer-director Maurice Haeems and actress Jenna Harrison.



NYC Independent Film Festival

Producers Club  Theatre G

358 West 44th Street

New York, NY, USA

Wednesday,

May 9  6:45pm



It was written and directed by

Maurice Haeems, and stars

Henry Ian Cusick, Jenna Harrison, Karishma Ahluwalia, Erika Ervin, Raviv E. Haeems, Kaavya Jayaram, Jennifer Gjulameti and Kathleen Quinlan. It was produced by

Praxis Media Ventures, with Maurice Haeems, Jay Sitaram, and Eric B. Fleischman serving as producers.





While our story pushes the central character down some very dark paths, we still wanted the audience to see that despite his many flaws, Quint is always driven by a utopian vision and noble intentions, says director Maurice Haeems.





This film asks difficult philosophical questions like How far would you go to save the ones you love? and Without your family, would you still want to live forever?, says producer Jay Sitaram.





You can read our review of the film here . Check out the synopsis and new trailer and teaser below.

Imagine a world without aging, injury, disease or death. Quints obsession with this utopian dream pushes him to the edge of his sanity. Rather than risk losing his dying children, Quint decides to freeze them alive, thereby preserving them in a cryonic ametabolic state. Meanwhile, he feverishly researches genetic modifications that would give them the regenerative abilities of the immortal Turritopsis jellyfish. Quints experiments require human embryonic stem cells and this sets him on a collision course with his Masterson, a shadowy figure, whose bizarre motives trigger a chain of events with far-reaching consequences.




Paris, April 21, 2018 (SPS) - More than 100 international academics and researchers called on President Emmanuel Macron to reconsider France's position regarding Western Sahara conflict, insofar as France has "heavy responsibility" in the non-decolonization of this territory, occupied by Morocco.

"There may still be time for the French state to reconsider its position regarding the Western Sahara conflict, by getting more involved in finding a peaceful solution to the conflict, along with international institutions," said academics and researchers from several countries, including France, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Switzerland, Italy and Japan, in an open letter to the French president, submitted Wednesday to the Elysee Palace and of which APS obtained a copy.

"Every year in April, France supports, at the United Nations Security Council, Morocco's position opposing the extension of the mandate of the UN Mission for Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) to include human rights monitoring, as well as the holding of a referendum on self-determination, the main objective of the ceasefire of 1991 and a requirement of the UN since 1996," the signatories recalled in their letter.

They added that this position "allows Morocco, which the UN, the African Union and the European Union continue to consider as an occupying authority of this territory (Western Sahara), to continue its colonization by displacing population from Morocco as well as imprisoning and sentencing Sahrawi political activists on the Moroccan territory: two major violations, among others, of international law and international humanitarian law." (SPS)

062/SPS/APS
Helicopter pilots from Vietnam War finally get their due with Arlington memorial...

To the men fighting the war, it was the sound of hope  to carry them out of hell!...

From - The Washington Times - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Nearly 50 years ago, Col. Carl McNair was in South Vietnams Mekong Delta, a new Army aviator piloting the services iconic Bell UH-1 Huey helicopter. Decades and thousands of flight hours later, the now-retired Maj. Gen. McNair recalled his harrowing baptism under fire flying the unfriendly skies above Vietnam.

We flew 13 hours that day, he told the crowd of Vietnam veterans at Arlington National Cemetery, gathered on a sunny but cool Wednesday afternoon for the dedication of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilot and Crewmember Monument. We all flew to the sounds of the guns, he said.

On another helicopter mission in the Vietnam War, a crew member aboard another Army Huey would have his life cut short. David Kink was one of the nearly 5,000 American helicopter aviators who lost their lives during the course of the conflict. To the family of Kink and all those pilots and crew members who lost loved ones in Vietnam, the familiar whomp-whomp of the Hueys rotor blades in flight is a reminder of what they had lost.

When I was growing up, the sound of a helicopter was the sound of sadness, David Kinks sister, Julie, said during the dedication ceremony, held in the cemeterys outdoor auditorium near Section 35 and just a few feet from the iconic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

But in her grief, Ms. Kink said, she found solace in the fact that the same sound that brought so much pain for her family was the sound of salvation for the soldiers and Marines who depended on the fleet of Hueys and CH-47 Chinooks as their lifelines in the jungles and rice paddies of Southeast Asia, delivering supplies, providing cover and evacuating the wounded.

To the men fighting the war, it was the sound of hope  to carry them out of hell, she said.

To the veterans of the air war in Vietnam, Wednesdays event was a long time coming. Over 12,000 helicopters participated in combat operations throughout the war. Given the Vietnamese topography and the nature of the fighting, helicopters assumed an outsized role in a war they had never seen before.

Vietnam will always be known as the helicopter war, Gen. McNair said.

The National Malls Vietnam Veterans Memorial, with its iconic black granite slabs bearing the names of the 58,000 Americans killed, received international acclaim for its somber but emotional take on one of the most divisive conflicts in U.S. history. But erecting the 2.5-by-2.5-foot granite block engraved with an image of an Army Huey commemorating Vietnams air warriors proved an unexpectedly difficult fight.

Army officials declined the request by the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association in 2014, saying Arlington Cemeterys hallowed grounds lacked the space to support another war memorial. Undeterred, association officials reached out to Congress and eventually garnered enough support for a law authorizing the memorial.

Its hard to get a memorial here, and it should be, Rep. Mark E. Amodei, Nevada Republican and a key sponsor of the legislation, said during the ceremony. He said the tenacity of the association and other Vietnam veterans groups was a testament to the groups dedication to honor their fallen comrades in arms.

Helicopter pilots and crew members risked their lives, again and again, to lead offenses, transport troops and save lives. A monument in Greater Washington, D.C., to their bravery, is overdue, Rep. Matt Cartwright, Pennsylvania Democrat and another co-sponsor of the legislation, said in a statement.

The memorial, Ms. Kink said, was not built by the government but by the men who flew alongside our loved ones in Vietnam. They will never be forgotten, she said. To those who survived the war, Vietnam will always be a part of them.

I think about it every single day. Every single day, said Jim Holden, who flew Hueys in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968. He recalled telling his grandsons Boy Scout troop about his experiences during the war.

We survived, said Hugh Adams, who flew and fought in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, as several Hueys flew in formation above the cemetery to mark the memorials dedication. It was the duty of those who made it out of the war to remember the ones who gave their lives there, Mr. Adams said.

Anyone who experienced a single taste of war  you all likely have the scars and the medals to show for the sacrifices made in Vietnam, Gen. McNair said. I salute you all for your service. We are soldiers for life.
In an unprecedented show of civic defiance, protesters today in Yerevan today surrounded a convoy of government cars escorting Minister of Defense Vigen Sargsyan.

The incident occurred on Komitas Street.

Later in the day, the Ministry of Defense issued the following statement:

Armenias Minister of Defense, a member of Armenias Security Council, is an individual enjoying state protection, and any restriction of his mobility is impermissible. Thus, is completely unacceptable for unidentified individuals to block his official vehicle.

There were unidentified provocateurs and juveniles in the crowd of protesters today when the incident occurred at around 6pm at the intersection of Komitas and Tigranyan Streets. They not only hindered the return of Armenias defense minister to his office but disregarded the polite calls of his security team to stop the blockade. They hit one of the escort vehicles and a masked protester attempted to open the door of the car in which the defense minister was sitting. Given the situation, the ministers security team was forced to employ force to open the road.

While expressing its concern regarding the incident, the Ministry of Defense urges people not to hinder state security vehicles in the operation of their duties. Such actions can endanger the work of government agencies tasked with ensuring the routine daily military operations of the army.
Heres the unedited text of Sargsyans statement:

During the past week several demonstrations and marches were held in Yerevan. Everyone in our country has the right to peaceful demonstrations and marches. The authorities respected that right and will continue to respect it.

Unfortunately, these public meetings were often held in breach of the law, getting unnecessary and anarchic manifestations as reported in numerous statements issued by the Police.

The developments are fraught with unpredictable consequences, endanger the public order, and can undermine the complex and subtle harmony of Armenian society.

Each of us must remember that besides him, there are other citizens of Armenia who are not less proud of their civic stance; who live, learn, work and rest in this country. Our countrys social harmony should be based on cohesion and tolerance.

I am deeply concerned about the inner-political developments. In order to avoid irreparable losses, I am urging National Assembly member Nikol Pashinyan to accept our call of political dialogue and join the table of negotiations. It should be done immediately.

I am confident that all the political forces of our country can contribute to the launch of such a dialogue adequate to the situation.
Hundreds are marching in Etchmiadzin in opposition to Armenias current government, and, in particular, Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan.

The marchers can be heard chanting Take a step, reject Serzh and Unity.

People from the surrounding villages are driving to Etchmiadzin, a town in Armavir Province where the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church is located, to join the protest.
STRATFORD-UPON-AVON jeweller Pragnell, is one of two local companies to have been named as winners of the prestigious Queens Award for Enterprise.

The 64-year-old firm, based on Wood Street in the town centre, has been honoured in the International Trade category.

It counts African tribal leaders to Middle Eastern sheikhs, international entrepreneurs, world-famous celebrities and European royalty among its clients.

The other local recipient is organic baby products firm Green Sheep Group, which is based in Snitterfield.

It was honoured in the Innovation category.

Both companies can display the Crown and Queens Award logo on products, packaging and marketing for five years.

The Queens Award for Enterprise is the UKs highest official Award for British business performance, recognising and rewarding outstanding achievement by UK companies.

They are granted each year by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, who is assisted by an advisory committee that includes representatives of government, industry and commerce, and the trade unions.

Pragnell managing director, Charlie Pragnell, grandson of company founder, George, said: "This is a tremendous honour for us.

"We set out our ambitions to become an international brand in 2014, and with the help of a carefully designed international growth strategy, weve achieved some success.

Our investment in our people and in new technology has been particularly effective in helping us become a leading exporter of the finest handcrafted British jewellery. Im very proud of our team and am excited for the next chapter in the Pragnell story.

Roger Allen, Green Sheep Group chief executive, said: The whole company was absolutely delighted to receive the news, it is testimony to the hard work and upbeat culture in every department that we have received such an incredible honour.

The Queens Award focuses attention from macro thinking through to a high demand for accuracy and attention to detail.

"We had to demonstrate professional acumen within each facet of the business, including the high levels of growth we have managed and lived through over recent years. It is an incredibly exciting time.
Today, around 350 Armenians living in different parts of Germany, demonstrated in front of the Armenian Embassy in Germany, expressing their solidarity with anti-government protests in Armenia.

Canadian-Armenian actress Arsinee Khanjian, who is currently in Berlin to act in "Auction of Souls" theatrical performance, dedicated to the Armenian Genocide, has also joined the demonstration.

Protester Aram Galstyan told Hetq that their main demands are the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan, new elections, and improvements in the country allowing for the return of Armenians.

Galstyan says embassy employees were following the protest from inside. Several German police officers are monitoring the protest.

Yesterday, some fifty citizens of Armenia living in Germany published the following open letter.

"We, Armenian citizens living abroad, express our support to our compatriots, who have come out to the streets to struggle against the authoritarian system formed through the fraudulent elections and constitutional referendum held in Armenia. At the same time, we condemn any attempt of provocation and violence by the authorities. We urge the authorities to adhere to the principles proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations and other international organizations and to end any threat to peaceful demonstrators.
Anti-government protesters shut down traffic on the Noyemberyan-Bagratashen roadway for one hour today before Tavoush Provincial Governor Hovik Abovyan arrived on the scene, demanding that the protesters disperse.

Some of the protesters headed to the nearby community of Kogb.

Note: Today is the ninth day of street protests and rallies calling for the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister and an end to Republican Party of Armenia rule.
Dysfunctional economy and elitism View(s):

Much of the economic news I heard during the past few weeks was about the Sri Lankan state being dysfunctional. I am not referring to the standstill of normal activities due to the Sinhala and Tamil New Year vacation. But it is a similar thing extended for a much longer period, resulting in a state of being dysfunctional in terms of the economy or its parts and components. It is a worrying situation because a dysfunctional state will have far reaching economic and political consequences.

At the Kotelawala Defence University

On March 22, a meeting of the Sri Lanka Forum of University Economists (SLFUE)  Professors and Lecturers, was held at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU). Initially it wasnt planned to be held there, but at the Sabaragamuwa University.

Trade unions of the university employees suddenly launched a strike. As a result, all the government universities in the country, except one or two such as KDU, became dysfunctional. The KDU did not have such issues so that the organizers were able to shift the meeting venue from Sabaragamuwa to KDU.

There might be differences in opinion (about this university), but I think many must have appreciated the state of discipline and order at KDU which is managed differently from the traditional universities in Sri Lanka. KDU selects the students it wants to admit from among the Sri Lankan and foreign applicants.

Within a few weeks after the release of the GCE Advanced Level results, KDU has the ability to finalize its admission process and admit the students. A student who enters KDU knows his or her academic calendar in advance so that he or she can plan everything for the next 12 months. They enter the university on time, continue with studies without any interruption, sit the examinations as planned, and graduate on the day as mentioned in the academic calendar.

It was about 10 years ago a group of Sri Lankan university students who attended a regional conference reported that they were 3  4 years older than their counterparts from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. By international standards, students enter the universities at the age of 18 years and graduate at 21 years. This is the age that a Sri Lankan student prepares to enter a university; they are usually about 25 years old or even more, when they become graduates!

Visit of a Japanese Professor

Prof. Hitoshi Osaka  one of our academic friends from a Japanese University, had planned to visit the Colombo University last month. Although we kept him informed about the dysfunctional state of the universities, he was unable to change his months of planning. Anyway, he came and saw that there was nothing happening within our universities.

After having the discussions, we sat with him for lunch. He said: Under whatever the circumstances public sector employees in Japan never go for strike; it is prohibited there as public sector employees are considered to perform a service to the nation than doing a job. He continued: For the same reason, a public sector official hardly loses the job, as it is that much respectable. I quickly replied: Oh, we also have that part; at least we share 50 per cent with Japan!

I hope Prof. Osakas work in Sri Lanka was not interrupted by the dysfunctional state of the universities here. Even if it was, does anyone care?

Economic standstill

During the same week I met a senior public sector official who with frustration told me about the dysfunctional state of the public sector that has become worse in the recent past. As a result the activities are not moving and the economy is in a state of limbo while the business sector is in the state of wait and see. I asked him: Usually the ministries should have a vision and a plan for the respective sectors for the next couple of years; do they have anything as such? He only laughed!

At KDU too, the keynote speech delivered by Dr. W.A. Wijewardena, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, exposed the current political imperatives that have made the economy dysfunctional. The political imperatives that are moving in two opposite directions effectively left the economy not moving in any direction.

In a political economy environment as such, slowing down growth prospects of Sri Lanka is not surprising. If it continues for the next few years too reporting less than 5 per cent annual rate of growth it wont be surprising. It is sad to see what should have become the strength of the nation  coalition of major opponents -, turning out to be its weakness now.

In the first week of April, there was an email circulated with an interesting question inviting for answers: Why are political leaders not seeing and acting on issues and challenges we in society see? The question was also accompanied by a coherent answer given by a reputed scholar. Whichever the way you may think of answering that question, its underlying truth is that the political authority of the country is dysfunctional!

Elite class of development

I was also there at KDU attending the SLFUE meeting. Apart from being a member of the SLFUE, I had to review the new issue of the Sri Lanka Journal of Economic Research (SLJER) that was launched at the same occasion. As relevant for our topic today, I like to quote from one of the research papers published in this Journal.

It was on Rethinking the Development of Post-Conflict Sri Lanka Based on the Singapore Model authored by Sanika Ramanayake and Chandana Wijetunga. Whenever you hear a title as such you might have the impression about the inappropriateness of such a model for Sri Lanka due to two different political systems. But this was a paper that has deviated significantly from such traditional line of thinking.

One element of the analysis that caught my attention was the building up of an elite class that became the catalyst for economic development in Singapore. In every political system, the leadership supports a formation of an elite class on the basis of different attributes. In Singapore it was more on merit-based than on any other attributes.

The leadership intentionally built this elite class by selecting the right persons on merit-basis to be the Parliamentarians, Cabinet Ministers, key public sector officials, heads of departments and, managers of state-owned enterprises; they formed the elite class and carried out the jobs, which converge at the end enabling Singapore to be a rich country.

Accountable for output

There were other strategies adopted in forming this elite class for development; they were paid well so that they did not have to look for commissions, bribes and other forms of corrupt practices and areas with conflict of interests. Anyway, the rule of law was efficient and effective so that there was no room for such things either.

They were also given the autonomy of powers and responsibilities within their purview. On the top of all above, they had to show outcome-based performance so that the accountability was utmost important.

This was the formation of an elite class purposively for development in Singapore that was known as development elitism. As a result, there was no sector underperforming or malfunctioning on the one hand and, being subject to corrupt practices or external influences on the other hand.

Quality and character of the elite

Formation of an elite class by the political leadership is something that you can observe in every country. It has nothing to do with authoritarianism or democracy or any other system. Intentionally or effectively, it is there everywhere and, as the political leadership select the people to be around them and to follow their vision and mission.

What matters is the quality and character of the emerging elite to drive the economy forward; the difference depends on what basis the elite class is chosen, and how much they are equipped with and guided by the necessary regulatory instruments. By looking at the layers of the elite from national to local levels, you can infer where the nation is set forth to move in the future.

(The writer is Professor of Economics at Colombo University. He could be reached at sirimal@econ.cmb.ac.lk)
Lakdanavi wins Kerawalapitiya 300MW LNG power plant tender By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

After a string of bureaucratic hullabaloo in tender procedure, the much delayed Kerawalapitiya 300MW Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) power plant bid was recently awarded to Lakdanavi Ltd, the largest independent power producer in the country, a top bureaucrat divulged.

The 18 month impasse in selecting a suitable bidder to build the 300MW Kerewalapitiya LNG Power Plant has ended marking a significant step forward for a new era of LNG power in Sri Lanka, Secretary to the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy Dr. Suren Batagoda said.

Lakdanavi Ltd, a power plant construction and operation subsidiary of LTL Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, which is a subsidiary of the state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), placed the lowest bid, he told the Business Times.

Proposals for this 20 year Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) project were opened in April 2017 and it took almost one year to fast track the project due to tender irregularities and political pressure, a senior member of the CEB engineers union said.

The delay has caused a loss of over Rs. 18 billion, he said adding that plans to build the power plant were suspended after detecting certain irregularities in the tender procedure to select the company to construct the plant.

The awarding of the tender had dragged on further owing to certain disagreements in opening the financial bid of Samsung JV Korea Group without considering bids of seven other firms.

The Standing Cabinet Approved Procurement Committee (SCAPC) had opened tenders that pass the technical evaluation of the Tender Evaluation Committee(TEC), in order to ensure transparency in procurement.

In another development, Petronet LNG Ltd, Indias biggest importer of gas, and its Japanese partners have completed a feasibility study for the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal and the Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU), Dr. Batagoda said.

Sri Lanka has signed a tripartite MoU with India and Japan to conduct this feasibility study with the approval of the cabinet.

The Cabinet of Ministers has also authorised Sri Lanka Gas Terminal Ltd to enter into agreements with the Indian and Japanese partners to establish the proposed pubic private partnership.

Sri Lanka Gas Terminal Ltd will hold a 15 per cent stake in this joint venture while 47.5 per cent of the stake will be with the Indias Petronet LNG Ltd.

Some 37.5 per cent shareholding of this venture will be jointly vested in Japans Sojitz Corporation and Mitsubishi.

The LNG terminal is to be located within the Colombo Port and pipelines from the port will transport the gas to two dual-fuel power plants in Kerawalapitiya expected to be completed around 2021.

Petronet LNG Ltd. will finalise negotiations with Sri Lankan authorities to build the countrys first liquified natural gas terminal project in Colombo and expects to receive commercial clearance by August this year.

The project capacity of the floating LNG receipt facility off the islands western coast, is 2.6-2.7 million tonnes per year and would cost around US $350 million.
Public unhappy over performance of state enterprises By Jayampathy Jayasinghe View(s): View(s):

A survey conducted by the World Bank and other counterparts have found that many Sri Lankans are not happy about the performance of state enterprises due to issues of political interference and has stressed the need for better governance.

Revealing this data, Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Banks Country Director for Sri Lanka and Maldives, said that many state-owned enterprises had reported significant and persistent losses over the years which had caused social problems. She was speaking at the recent launch of the Handbook on Good Governance for Chairmen and Board of Directors of Public Enterprises held at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka in Colombo.

From 2012- 2015, the net transfers from the state to public enterprises amounted to Rs.460 billion more than what was estimated in the budget. Referring to a study done on 70 countries in 2007, she said it indicated that countries with higher quality institutions experienced a higher growth and low corruption.

It further estimated that countries moving towards high quality institutions had a growth rate of 26 per cent in the short term and 40 per cent in the long term.

Those are not small numbers, she added.

Referring to a World Bank report, she said it was intangible capital that makes the difference. Intangible capital is composed of human capital, natural capital, institutional capital and social capital that is very relevant to Sri Lanka in strengthening the governance framework. The recently approved Right to Information and Audit Acts create a conducive environment to improve transparency and accountability and good governance in the public sector and state enterprises. She said public sector enterprises in Sri Lanka represent a major part of the state institutions and their governance matters greatly.

Around 400 small and medium enterprises (SME) that operate in Sri Lanka play a major key role in the countrys economy by providing infrastructure and service facilities. She said that good governance requires credible institutions that are built on principles of transparency and accountability to end poverty and to share prosperity.

While many of us are not government specialists we can relate to the impact of good and bad governance where the recommendation of this hand book should be implemented. It is the citizens right and duty to demand good governance, she said.

Parliamentary Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Chief Guest at the event, said that enormous losses of public corporations can be stopped or minimised to a certain degree as expressed by the World Bank Country Director.

These loss-making institutions are making the countrys economy to bleed and that had gone on for a long time.

The present government had taken measures to uphold the rule of law, accountability and good governance and transparency in managing the public sector. He said the creations of independent commissions under the 19th amendment such as the Right to Information Act and the proposed Audit Act and the Public Finance Act will soon become a reality. Since 2015 several far reaching steps have been taken to strengthen the supervision of the public boards. The opposition political parties have been given a chance to participate in the COPE committee. The Auditor General too had been vested with powers to eradicate corruption in the public sector. President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka Jagath Perera also spoke. Chairman National Human Resources Development Dinesh Weerakkody participated in the panel discussions.
Safe holidays in Sri Lanka get mafia bashing View(s):

Travelling safe has become a concern in Sri Lanka in the wake of a few attacks on tourists that have hurt holidaymakers trying to take home a memorable stay on the isle.

Accusations have been levelled against mafia groups operating in the southern area of Mirissa who are said to have been carrying out orchestrated attacks on tourists while other government officials believe that such groups were linked politically as well.

The latest worry to the authorities comes after an April 8 physical assault on two male tourists and a sexual assault on a female tourist who had been visiting the popular surfing destination of Mirissa. After a police complaint was lodged, nine suspects were arrested and produced before the Matara Magistrate, the Police stated.

It was also noted that the suspects were to have been produced for identification before the Magistrate on Thursday (April 19).

In another incident there had been an attack carried out on five Israelis holidaying in the country at Midigama in Weligama and following a complaint lodged with the police, four arrests were made in this connection.

The mafia group is reportedly operating in the area carrying out attacks on tourists and sometimes even on locals who even speak with foreign tourists that has become an issue. Added to this is the fact that these groups of beach boys are employed by some of the beach side surf bars operated mostly illegally by various parties allegedly connected to politicians in the area.

Politicians back beach boys

Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga told the Business Times on Monday that the government believes there is a political hand and an unseen hand involved in the escalation of violence which authorities were currently investigating.

As a second incident also occurred in Midigama after the Mirissa attack during the last couple of days, the minister attributed it to some organised violence.

One of the measures adopted to contain the situation; Minister Amaratunga pointed out would be to throw out the beach boys as these persons would carry out such attacks if paid to do so.

The Minister apologised to tourists for having to endure this trauma and assured them of their safety in Sri Lanka in future.

He noted that an adequate police force needed to be deployed at the beaches to ensure the safety of holidaymakers and that the police needs to be decentralised to access tourist areas.

Following investigations by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) on the Water Creatures Guest Restaurant and Surf Bar where the incident had taken place, the authorities had issued orders to close the establishment on Tuesday evening.

During the investigations it was found that the establishment was operating as an eating place with a business license from the Pradehiya Sabha authorities with no permission from tourism authorities to entertain overseas visitors.

SLTDA Director General P.U. Ratnayaka said that they had issued orders to close the surf bar and noted that the authority officers were present at the time the establishment was shut down.

The authorities conducted investigations into the establishment and had even requested the owner Baduge Harsha Prasanna to come to the SLTDA office in Colombo for an inquiry.

Mr. Ratnayaka noted that the informal sector needed to be gazetted and registered and pointed out that the publicity Sri Lanka was receiving following this incident was damaging to the industry.

Harassing hotels

Hoteliers Association President Sanath Ukwatte highlighted that there was a mafia group operating in the Weligama area and noted that some of the general managers of member hotels in the area also have faced harassment at the hands of these unscrupulous people.

He pointed out that this was the first time the government had taken action seriously to address the problems faced in these areas.

He pointed out that the harassment of tourists was an ongoing phenomenon on the beach, in public transport and even at standalone restaurants.

The mafia group operating in the south has harassed managers in hotels in the area and in this respect, Mr. Ukwatte called for a halt to such operations noting that people visit Sri Lanka on the premise that the people of this land area a nice lot.

Tourist Police OIC Prabhath Vidanagama speaking with the Business Times on the sidelines of the media briefing held on Tuesday said that the recent incidence of violent attacks against tourists that seemed to be on the rise were attributed to the large number of travellers visiting this destination.

However, tourism industry veterans noted that though numbers were getting larger there needs to be an increase in ensuring tighter security and believed it to be the height of stupidity to assume that more tourists would mean more attacks.

In fact, they pointed out that this should not be allowed to happen in the country and added that the reason could be attributed to the increase in the visibility of the attacks than before.

Although most complain of similar incidents in the past, official records have no indication as to any complaints being made in the past against these groups.

The SLTDA said that they would be requesting the Tourist Police to establish a temporary unit with a minimum of 15 officers to work in the area following the recent incidents in Weligama.

This temporary measure would be taken up until a permanent Tourist Police force is established in the area.

Getting attention

Most of the industry was concerned about the news getting the spotlight on social media and if so its possible impact on the sector that was just picking up on the numbers.

However, although it was noted that following the assault there had been some posts on social media like Mirissa Dont Go the concerns were also mainly focused on the fact that tourists visiting Sri Lanka were not culturally sensitive.

This is not the first instance when an incident of this nature had made it to the headlines of the news of the day infact a couple of months agoanother female tourist was sexually assaulted as a result of which the issue of how and when travellers should move around came up for discussion.

In fact even this time, the subject Minister pointed out that the tourists must understand that they should travel outside during reasonable hours and not venture into jungle areas.

But even tour operators and travel agents highlighted that tourists visiting Sri Lanka were either unaware or not simply following the guidelines on how to dress appropriately in this cultural outpost.

Law and order taking effect could act as a deterrent for these kinds of acts and the industry believes that the fact that the police had been inactive in the past was since the local government authorities were behind these groups.

In this respect, the industry urged the government to ensure that there could be central defense and tourism apparatus that would lay out clear policies and indicate clear instructions to police in a bid to initiate action in these types of cases.

A police force patrolling the beaches is a requirement that would ensure the beaches would remain safe for anyone to visit. In fact, the ministers request for the Special Task Force (STF) to be deployed patrolling the beaches is yet to be taken up.

A safe environment for travellers to come home to and feel welcome is imperative to attracting the right travellers and ensuring proper guidelines are given them to assure them of a safe holiday on the paradise island of Sri Lanka.
STF to patrol tourist hotspots By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

The government will be deploying the Special Task Force (STF) to patrol the beaches of Mirissa after the recent violent attacks on tourists allegedly by a mafia group operating in the area as beach boys, with local political backing.

IGP Pujith Jayasundera told reporters on Friday that the police required more officers and infrastructure to carry out special jobs but noted that they would deploy their services particularly in the coastal areas.

He pointed out that despite one of the foreign victims of the Mirissa attack refusing to appear in court to identify the culprits they would pursue the case based on evidence already obtained some of which was noted to be sufficient to proceed further.

On the sidelines of the media briefing, he said the STF would be deployed in the area though no permanent post would be established in this regard.

It was pointed out that the STF in future too would be brought in to ensure law and order prevails as and when necessary.

Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga pointed out that more than simply a police post they required the presence of the police personnel on the beaches patrolling the areas that was likely to act as a deterrent to violent attacks being repeated.

The minister also said that he would be requesting President Maithripala Sirisena to assist in this regard by engaging the Sri Lanka Navy to patrol the beaches as well.

He pointed out that during the conduct of the court case they could also use Skype technology in a bid to obtain increased information and evidence from victims and eye witnesses that were reluctant to physically appear in courts.

The minister also noted that they would brief the foreign missions this week in the country on the current situation in the Mirissa and Weligama areas and assure of safety to their nationals when visiting the country.

Interior Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara addressing the media in Colombo today said that they would be establishing 20 more Tourist Police units and identify problem areas and monitor them to keep these incidents in check.

Currently, the police are conducting investigations on the cause of the delay in taking up the case by the Weligama police. Incidentally, the complainants had informed the Tourist Police of the incident which then instructed the Weligama police to investigate.

Weligama Urban Council Chairman Rehan Jayawickreme, at the same briefing on Friday, considered this to be an isolated incident noting that such incidents of violent attacks had not been reported from Mirissa previously.
By Gayaneh Sargsyan

Hundreds marched through Vanadzor today to protest the April 17 election of Serzh Sargsyan as Armenias prime minister.

Meanwhile, scores of cabbies drove their taxis around the town in a circle, informing residents of the protest march.

Police, some in plainclothes, monitored the marchers from the sidelines.

The marchers disregarded police requests to stay on the sidewalks.

Note: Today is the ninth day of street protests and rallies calling for the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister and an end to Republican Party of Armenia rule.
Surge in Sea Street due to Hindu festival gold rush By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Despite a tax hike on gold, hundreds of customers countrywide especially women, made a beeline on Wednesday to gold and jewellery shops in Sea Street, Pettah to buy glittering gold jewellery to celebrate the Akshaya Tritiya Hindu festival, an auspicious day for buying gold and other valuable items.

Jewellery merchants, who had announced a slew of discounts and attractive offers mainly through TV advertisements for the past two to three weeks, reaped maximum benefit drawing a large number of customers with cash registers ringing merrily, several customers told the Business Times during a visit to the area.

With the belief that buying gold on Akshaya Tritiya augurs well and brings fortune throughout the year, jewellers offered discounts, gold coins, and gifts as well as a free, one night stays in a hotel for honeymoon couples to entice clientele.

The imposition of a 15 per cent tax on gold imports by the Treasury with effect from midnight Tuesday didnt deter customers or sales, several jewellers said.

Some of the leading jewelers who advertised heavily over local TV channels had given an opportunity to their customers to reserve their desired piece of jewellery from its collection (by paying an advance of 25 per cent) between March 12 and April 17 and have the items collected on the day of Akshaya Tritiya, April 18.

These advertising and marketing campaigns have resulted in over 100 per cent increase in footfalls on Wednesday, a leading jewellery merchant told the Business Times adding that most of the jewellery shops were kept open till late night on Akshaya Tritiya day.

The response has been in line with more than our expectations this time, another leading jeweller said.

The demand is quite good this year and the sales are likely to surpass last years figures, a small jewellery shop owner said.

The number of customers to one of the leading jewellery shops in Sea Street exceeded 5,000 and many of them thronged there from early morning around 6 a.m, witnesses revealed.

The Finance Ministry has imposed a 15 per cent tax on gold with the aim of limiting imports which has affected the trade deficit and the exchange rate, a senior Treasury official disclosed adding that the a large number of people had been able to buy gold items at old prices on this special day.

A large quantity of gold imported to Sri Lanka duty free is smuggled out to neighbouring countries especially to India with high customs duties, he pointed out adding that this move will put an end to that practice as well as re-exporting of gold.

Excessive gold bullion imports posed a risk to the Sri Lankan banking industry as gold is frequently used as collateral against banking loans and that a drop in the gold price has led to the increase in the number of loan defaulters, he claimed.

However the gold tax hike will affect Sri Lankan jewellers and other citizens who wished to purchase gold as the price of a gold sovereign will go up by Rs. 8,000, analysts said.

Addressing a recent media conference in Colombo, Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardana noted that gold smuggling will increase to avoid the 15 per cent tax.

He noted that the governments move would definitely decrease the demand greatly affecting the local gem and jewellery industry.

The former Rajapaksa regime imposed a 10 per cent tax on gold imports in 2013 while the present Government not only eliminated the 100 per cent tariff on gold, but also took the additional step of reducing the previous 10 per cent tax to 7.5 per cent on the directions of former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.

The removal of gold buying restrictions was working well at that time and the end result for gold investors was an increase in demand for the yellow metal, analysts said.
Unions go ahead with May 1 rallies, ignoring official May 7 change in date View(s):

Lankan trade unions are to ignore a Government decision to change May Day, saying they will go ahead with May 1 rallies and processions  bracing for a possible confrontation on the streets with the authorities.

The Government has declared May 7 as the May Day holiday instead of May 1 Tuesday, which is the traditional International Workers Day, since the normal date clashes with the Vesak celebrations.

However an umbrella group of trade unions on Thursday said in a public statement:  we as trade unions will proceed to hold our joint May Day rally as usual on May 1 whatever hurdles there could be. We therefore call upon all organisations, groups and individuals who stand for human, democratic and worker rights to join hands with us, this May Day.

The group comprised 14 unions  Ceylon Bank Employees Union, Ceylon Mercantile Industrial & General Workers Union, Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union, Ceylon Estate Staff Union, Union of Postal and Telecommunication Officers, United Federation of Labour, Ceylon Teachers Union, Insurance Employees Union, Women Workers Solidarity Union, Commercial & Industrial Workers Union, All Employees Union of Information Telecommunication, Telecommunication Engineering Diplomats Association, Federation of Media Employees Trade Union and Government United Federation of Labour.

We strongly protest the decision of this good governance unity government that has not only postponed the international workers day on May 01st that in Sri Lanka is a workers right to celebrate, but also its attempts at disrupting any workers celebrations on May Day.

The statement said that it was in 1956 that May Day was declared a holiday in Sri Lanka for public, bank and the mercantile sectors.

After 62 years this government has declared May Day a working day by issuing a gazette notification that has created confusion even among the top bureaucracy.

Government has on a unilateral decision, declared May 7 as the alternate day for May Day celebrations. The government did not even consider it worth discussing the issue of postponing May Day in the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) before it decided on the postponement, it said.

Following the change in the date for May Day celebrations, the major partner of this government, the United National Party which now controls the Colombo Municipal Council has refused permission for May Day rallies to be held in public parks on May 1, the statement said, adding: The government has thus achieved an indirect ban on all May Day celebrations in Colombo.

It is our experience now, this government that gives into wheeler dealer interests is openly and seriously into curbing worker and democratic rights. All these including the postponement of the May Day and refusing permission to hold May Day rallies in public parks, fall in line with the appointment of a businessman who was brought into parliament on the UNP national list, being appointed as acting minister of Labour and Labour Relations. We therefore forewarn, these developments would leave all promises and guarantees given by this government to the EU in regaining GSP + as benefits and advantages to the businessmen and not to the people and the workers of Sri Lanka, it said.
A lesser known fact among most politically literate Sri Lankans was a directive Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe issued to all parliamentarians of his United National Front (UNF) ahead of the National New Year. On Monday April 9 he told them to refrain from criticising the 16 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs who had voted in favour of the no-confidence motion against him. That comprised six Ministers, the Deputy Speaker, four State Ministers and five Deputy Ministers.

The backdrop to Wickremesinghes directive, also lesser known, was a meeting a three-member United National Party (UNP) delegation had with President Sirisena, leader of the SLFP, on Sunday April 8. It comprised Ministers Malik Samarawickrema, Mangala Samaraweera and Vajira Abeywardena. Their talks were centred on wide-ranging issues over intra-party relations and how the coalition partners should move forward together. Thus it covered the role played by the 16 SLFP MPs, too.

Though he is loathed by sections in the UNP, Minister Samarawickrema to his credit has won the confidence of Sirisena both for himself and his party. During talks with Wickremesinghe on Thursday April 12, it was the President who told the Premier that he would like to see Malik hold the post of Minister of Social Empowerment (Samurdhi), Welfare and Kandyan Heritage even temporarily. This week he was even acting for Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera who was with the President in London. Samarawickrema has also emerged as a sort of Man of the Match after the no-confidence motion against the Premier. He lobbied intensely in Wickremesinghes favour. His style of diplomacy paid off and all in the UNF voted against the motion.

The trio reported back to their party leadership that their discussion was very cordial and Sirisena gave them a favourable hearing. According to them, he had even concurred with the representations made on behalf of the UNP that the rebellious 16 have ceded their right to remain in the Cabinet. That was expressly on the grounds that they had voiced their no confidence in the Prime Minister and thus their inability to work with him. The delegation left convinced Sirisena would act on their representations. This singular development ahead of the National New Year appears to have augured well for both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, at least for the time being.

2020 deadline

For Sirisena, leader of the SLFP and the President of Sri Lanka, it was removing a huge political burden from his shoulders. His Sunday (April dialogue with the three UNP ministers became a curtain raiser of sorts for a new scenario. He could continue with the coalition or the National Government for the next 18 months, until the scheduled presidential election. That is with a Prime Minister whom he had failed despite his strong efforts to remove him from office. That is also with a Prime Minister, whom he once vowed during the presidential election campaign in 2015, he would continue to call Sir forever. It seems he has done the full circle and returned to where he began  working with the UNP.

Of course, 2020 would be a final deadline. Both he and Wickremesinghe could face each other as presidential candidates. A third will be former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa on behalf of the Joint Opposition. Allowing for frictions and factionalism to continue, the arrangement for the want of a better one, therefore does have a limited shelf life. Sirisena was conscious of the politically obvious  there was no one else whom he could call upon to form a Government if his fledgling party parted ways. The Joint Opposition had baulked at the idea when it agreed to support overtures from a group of SLFP ministers for the no-confidence motion. Yet, his isolation and a crisis of credibility were enhanced by the no-confidence vote. He was also an immediate casualty. He has to now confront three different fronts, the Joint Opposition, his own SLFP dissidents and, to a lesser degree, the UNP.

Wickremesinghe, though conscious of the different pitfalls with the SLFP and a target of it many a time, has, nevertheless, remained a conformist. He has faithfully fallen in line with Sirisena over different issues and has carefully avoided confrontational situations, at least publicly. A case in point was when Parliament passed legislation to extend terms of Provincial Councils. This was in particular to put off Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and North Central Provincial Council elections. Their terms ended on October 1 last year. Otherwise, a larger polls defeat for the SLFP and a relatively less one for UNP would have come earlier than the local councils elections on February 10.

In April 2019, elections to the Southern and Western Provincial Councils are due. The Uva Provincial Council election is due in October next year. The amended laws provide for PC polls to be conducted on one day. However, according to present indications, an early provincial poll is unlikely. Another occasion was when some UNP MPs who were dubbed as the footnote clique for making their own dissenting observations to the report of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) that probed the Central Bank bond scam levelled criticism against Sirisena. The Premier directed that they refrain from making such remarks.

Wickremesinghe spearheaded Sirisenas project and delivered. This was despite displeasure from his own UNP ministers and MPs who were critical of his actions. In essence, he has not been aggressive but submissive. His directive to his parliamentarians not to criticise the 16 SLFP MPs nevertheless has some rationale. He is conscious that such criticism would only be reflected eventually on Sirisena. Such a move, he feels, would increase the pressure on him to react differently. Hence, a UNP silence on the issue strengthens Sirisena in coping with an emaciated SLFP. It assumes the character of a confidence building exercise which is imperative if the UNP is to go the rest of the tenure with the SLFP. Wickremesinghe requires such confidence and goodwill from Sirisena for his immediate priorities.

These include rewarding with portfolios his party MPs who campaigned for him during the no-confidence motion and launching the UNPs own projects and relief measures to cushion the rising cost of living. With the impending increase in fuel prices, such a scenario assumes high priority.

As is clear, formal talks between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe over the formation of a new Cabinet are still due. The duo will get down to the task together after Sirisena returns late tonight from London. He was there for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

For these reasons and more, Wickremesinghe does not want to rock the boat, not after his ministerial trio had broken the ice with Sirisena. That way, he has a swathe of his battlefront secured leaving him to tackle other fronts ahead of the 2020 polls. Among them is introducing the already delayed reforms to his own party, gearing the party for the unlikely PC elections, presidential polls and strengthening the UNPs grassroots level organisations. Top positions in the party  Chairman, General Secretary and National Organiser  remain to be filled. Jockeying for these positions has already begun with claimants boasting of their track records. In terms of the UNP constitution, it is the prerogative of the leader to name persons for these top positions.

Two-pronged approach

It is amidst these developments that Sirisena chaired a meeting of the SLFP Central Committee, the main policy making body, at his residence on Monday April 9. Most members at the meeting urged that the SLFP part ways from the coalition and go its own way. Even if he did not spell out the consequences of such a move, Sirisena was all too well aware. Parting ways would have left him without a Government in power adding to further instability and political chaos. It would not be a National Government, but a Cohabitation Government  like the ill-fated one of 2001-2004. He had to avoid it at any cost.

So, he successfully chose a two pronged approach  one to ask the SLFP ministers not to attend Tuesdays (April 10) weekly cabinet meeting. This was to be their retaliation for a letter UNP leader Wickremesinghe had written seeking the dismissal of the group of 16. Thus, he avoided a situation where the UNP ministers would have staged a walkout if their SLFP colleagues were present. That would have forced Sirisena to cross swords with the UNP. Second was to persuade SLFP CC members not to decide finally to quit the coalition, not until another CC meeting was held on Wednesday April 11 to discuss matters further. Though he said he would summon one, he did not do so. Whether he would now have a meeting upon his return remains a critical question. The chances are that he may not.

The Cabinet meeting on Tuesday April 10 saw Sirisena being the only SLFP member present. He chaired it. As reported in these columns last week, he told the UNP ministers that SLFP MPs who voted for the no-confidence motion would join the Opposition benches. Sirisena in fact raised issue with the group of 16 during a meeting at his Paget Road residence on Wednesday (April 11) night. He told them that the Premier had sought their removal from the Cabinet through a letter sent to him. Contrary to earlier reports, by then, the group of 16 had sent in their letters of resignations dated April 10. However, it was to take effect only from midnight of Wednesday April 11, just hours after they met their leader. If this were to happen, Sirisena loses a sizeable part of his SLFP parliamentary group whilst his Government loses its two thirds majority in Parliament.

Former State Minister Sudarshani Fernandopulle told the Sunday Times, After the no-confidence motion was taken up for debate, the 16 members who voted in favour of the motion met and decided to resign. We handed over our resignations on April 10. The President wanted us to stay on saying there was a cabinet reshuffle coming up. However, we declined the offer and decided to resign. The president did not ask us to resign.

Since they quit, the 16 MPs have been meeting at different Colombo residences of their members. One of the prime SLFP movers of the no-confidence motion, former Minister S.B. Dissanayake, told the Sunday Times, Three of our members  Chandima Weerakkody, Dilan Perera and Lakshman Wasantha Perera  had flown to London for a meeting with President Sirisena. We dont know the details but they are expected to discuss the proposed re-structuring of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

Throwing more light on the issue was former Minister John Seneviratne who supported the no-faith vote. He said though there was no decision or any consensus, three MPs from amongst them have flown to London. They want to brief President Sirisena about the prevailing situation and on matters relating to re-structuring the party. We feel strongly that the General Secretary of the SLFP (Duminda Dissanayake) and General Secretary of the UPFA (Mahinda Amaraweera) should be changed, Seneviratne told the Sunday Times. The duo have come in for severe criticism from this group within the SLFP over the no-confidence motion. Amaraweera was one who earlier supported the move to bring such a motion but later abstained by absenting himself at voting time. They are also being accused of making contradictory public statements. Dissanayake also abstained by absenting himself. The group of 16 charged that he had taken part in their meetings to support the no confidence motion.

The Group of 16 splits

A significant development over the group of 16 is the fact that some have changed their mind about sitting in the Opposition benches. Whilst an unknown number is still set to sit in the Opposition benches, others are now backing out. The reasons appear to be personal, the fear of losing transport and other perks that they enjoy now or the fear of having to serve long outside the Government. The trio, one source said, would also urge Sirisena to summon an early meeting of the Central Committee to decide on a series of party reforms  a request which Sirisena is unlikely to grant immediately. Other than a demand to quit the coalition, such a move is also underscored by efforts to take control of both the SLFP and the UPFA. More so since larger number of members are calling for a withdrawal from the coalition.

The group of 16 who voted for the no-confidence motion are Ministers Dayasiri Jayasekera, S.B. Dissanayake, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Chandima Weerakkody, W.D.J. Seneviratne, State Ministers Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, T.B. Ekanayake, Dilan Perera, Sudarshini Fernandopulle and Deputy Ministers Anuradha Jayaratne, Sumedha G. Jayasena, Susantha Punchinilame, Lakshman Wasantha Perera. Taranath Basnayake and former Deputy Speaker Thilanga Sumathipala.

The portfolios held by six ministers who resigned were temporarily re-assigned on Thursday April 12 to three also from the SLFP. They are: Sarath Amunugama Minister of Science, Technology and Research and Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training. These two portfolios were held by Susil Premjayantha and Chandima Weerakkody. Ranjit Siyambalapitiya, Minister of Disaster Management. This portfolio was held by Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. Faiszer Musthapa Minister of Sports. This portfolio was held by Dayasiri Jayasekera. In addition Malik Samarawickrema was sworn in as Minister of Social Empowerment, Welfare and Kandyan Heritage. This was held by S.B. Dissanayake. Samarawickrema was also sworn in as Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Sabaragamuwa Development. The portfolio was held by John Seneviratne.

At a sombre swearing-in ceremony on a rainy Thursday (April 12) evening, for the SLFP trio and UNPs solitary Malik Samarawickrema (sans the media except for the official ones) Sirisena gave them a brief speech. He said those sworn-in would be holding those portfolios only for just ten days. Hence, he said, they should not place new name boards, print any new letterheads or visiting cards with their names as ministers in charge of the new portfolios. He made clear there would be a complete ministerial reshuffle when he returned from London. Invited to the swearing-in ceremony were three more SLFP ministers  Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mahinda Samarasinghe and Vijith Vijithamuni de Zoysa.

In the coming week, there would be at least four different priority issues for Sirisena to tackle. One would be the swearing-in of a new Cabinet which he says would be on a scientific basis. There is no change in the number of portfolios which either the SLFP or the UNP would hold. However, variations are likely when some of the subjects which are now handled by different ministries are merged. Sirisena told his last news conference early this month that the subject of sugar production is now being handled by three different ministries.

Of course, it was Sirisena who was responsible for assigning such subjects after ministers were named in August 2015. It is no doubt an acknowledgement that subjects have not been apportioned scientifically. The Ministry of Social Empowerment (Samurdhi), Welfare and Kandyan Heritage, held until last week by the SLFP, has been ceded to the UNP. Appointed temporarily to the position is minister Malik Samarawickrema. Although the SLFP had been offered the Ministry of Public Administration in return, SLFP senior members are now seeking the Ministry of Highways. This portfolio, now with the UNP, has been a prized one with road development projects involving billions of rupees being undertaken. Both Sirisena and Wickremesinghe are set to deliberate on the number of portfolios and who should have them. This is expected to take place before May 8 when there will be a ceremonial sitting of Parliament. President Sirisena prorogued Parliament at midnight on Thursday April 12. It came after he discussed the matter earlier that day with Premier Wickremesinghe.

Focus on the economy

The second priority, more significant, is Sirisenas policy statement in Parliament on May 8. For the first time he will spell out the Governments economic policies which are mostly his own. This is since Sirisena taking over the running of the economy from the hands of Premier Wickremesinghe. He ensured the winding up of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) which was chaired by Wickremesinghe and has now created a National Economic Council (NEC) at the apex level. The statement, which will set out the Governments priorities and targets for the coming 18 months, is being keenly awaited by the business as well as the diplomatic community. This is to determine whether Sirisena would highlight any policy shifts. One of the areas where there has been disagreement between the SLFP and the UNP has been the sale or lease of state assets. Government officials say he will avoid contentious issues and focus largely on coping with the cost of living as well as employment  two key factors ahead of a presidential election.

A third issue would be the basis on which he would continue the SLFPs relationship with the UNP. Whilst an earlier suggestion has been to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Sirisena, SLFP sources say, favoured a common minimum programme being incorporated. This is to ensure that both sides will work according to an agreed plan that would deliver quick results to the people.

The fourth issue, important for Sirisena, is how he would resolve the imbroglio over the group of 16 MPs. The only practical way out to resolve it is by asking the MPs in question to extend an unconditional apology to the UNP. Whilst some will be in favour, others would be reluctant to eat humble pie by doing so. Most of them want nominations in 2020 and their opponent would be the UNP. Therefore, whatever measures Sirisena adopts, a section of the SLFP MPs from the 16 moving to the Opposition benches would be inevitable. Those proposing to cross over want to remain as a separate entity and yet calling themselves SLFPers. They are, however, not averse to forming a loose alliance with the Joint Opposition. This is perhaps the contributory factor for the demand to summon a meeting of the Central Committee. With an anti-UNP mood predominant there, sections of the group of 16 believe they could take over the reins of their party. However, this appears far-fetched.

On the other hand, the Joint Opposition has also been thrown into a crisis with a move by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to move a private members motion in Parliament calling for the abolishing of the Executive Presidency. Remarks by JO Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardena that they would back such a move if a provision calling for immediate parliamentary elections is incorporated have infuriated sections. A group led by Wimal Weerawansa, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader, has said that Gunawardena had no mandate to make such an offer. He is waiting for the JO party leaders meeting to raise objections and urge them not to support the JVP move. He has contended that the call to abolish the Executive Presidency is a ploy by the JVP to win public support now ahead of the presidential election. The UNP said during the 2015 presidential election campaign that it was for the abolition of the Executive Presidency, a stance it continues to maintain.

Media freedom

In view of Vesak next week, Sirisena would put behind him the cabinet reshuffle and a policy statement at a time when his own SLFP remains in tatters. He will then have to brace himself for some of the most inevitable challenges on the economic front  a steep increase in the prices of fuel and cooking gas. It will escalate the prices of goods and services to a new high and is certain to earn the public wrath. Unlike stopping the mouth of a jar, the snowballing impact cannot be covered by a large tent or even through a censorship.

Sirisena does not seem to be lost on these burning issues. He went a step further than most of his predecessors to tell the Sri Lankan community in Britain this week not to believe 75 per cent of the media reports from Sri Lanka. Some argue he was referring to the social media, others say he was speaking in general terms about the media. His judgement came at the conclusion of more than half of his tenure as the President. Sri Lankas history is replete with instances of political leaders breathing fire on the media when the going is not good for them. More so, when they have created such situations themselves. It is certainly different from the climate that exists before they are elected.

Then, the sunshine stories of what they will do for the country and the people come as a major boost for their ego and image. When they fail to turn words into deeds the frustration turns to blaming it on the media. Even if one is to concede arguably that it is a common phenomenon, there is something worse. That is when they declare that the freedom they have given is being misused. Firstly, it is not their gift nor one leased by them. Media freedom is very much a part of democracy and good governance. Secondly, they still have the state machinery to deny, refute any reportage or carry out their own propaganda. Most democracies dont have a state media anyway. Why then is all this chest thumping?
How many slaps must Ranil take before he walks alone to triumph? ALAS! THE FIRST AND LAST SEASON OF M AND RS PUNCH AND JUDY SHOW - Even as coalition road show comes to a dead-end with no encores in the offing, only way out for the UNP is to say come or go Colombo, we go solo View(s): View(s):

Lets face it. The curtain has fallen on the coalition road show. And no public encores echo in the mountains and resound in the valleys demanding it be raised again. That it be lifted to make the two main actors take their curtain calls and make repeated bows before an unappreciative and thoroughly disgusted audience, appalled with their pathetic performances.

Ranil made a mess playing Hamlet, allowed the bond scam play to be used by his foes to be the thing to stain the character of a king. Maithri played a dual role as Othello, sheathing his sword seeking peace with his foes and jealously snuffing out the light of his friends, knowing only at the end of the tragedy that he had not realised the value of the pearl good fortune had thrown to him.

But now its all water under the bridge and nothing can reverse the tide. The coalition government, to all sense and purpose is dead: Dead as a doornail. And the cause of death: The Government did not govern but instead allowed the Joint Opposition to dictate the terms. These last three years saw the sorry spectacle of the coalition government not proactive but merely reactive. And even though as pictures show the President thumping the rabana on New Years day at his presidential home, both he and Ranil failed to realise that they had been dancing to the thumping beat of a distant drum played at Meda by a master drummer.

The continuing tragedy is that the coalition seems not to have realised that the last breath has long fled from its corpus and only the last rites to formally bury the carcass still remain. Instead, they seem busy drafting a new Memorandum of Understanding in a desperate bid to resurrect the un-revivable.

Last Sunday UNP Minister Lakshman Kiriella said, The UNP and the SLFP would enter into a new partnership, after President Maithripala Sirisenas return from London. The new pact would give priority to the Governments development plans for the next two years and set out the guidelines under which the two parties would work together, without having to encounter problems, such as the ones witnessed in the recent past.

A committee, he said, headed by Special Assignments Minister Sarath Amunugama, appointed by the President had been tasked with drafting the new agreement.And when newsmen asked whether the national unity government would continue, Kiriella said: Yes. What the Amunugama Committee would do is outline the ground rules which the UNP and the SLFP, will be required to follow.

In politics, as in life, the only ground rule that exists is self interest. So how will the interest of the UNP be served by repeating the folly? By hailing the British axiomatic the king is dead, long live the king?

Whilst the rumour mill is busy grinding out the gristle that on May 8th when the President reconvenes the prorogued Parliament  sorry for the digression but dont you think pro rouged Parliament is an ideal description of the House in todays corrupt context  and delivers his throne speech, it will be taken up and put to debate and vote and will be defeated, resulting in empowering the President to dissolve his entire cabinet and appoint a fresh one with a new prime minister, what do you suppose the present incumbent of that prime ministerial office be planning out now?

This Sunday morn, after having breathed the invigorating mountain air of Nuwara Eliyas splendorous climes taking a well earned Avurudu break with his wife Maithree and dog Brandy, does the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, though back at Fifth Lane sea level , realise he is still atop Piduruthalagalas peak? At least for the moment. Holding all the cards in his hand. Which he must play now, lest the gust of winds that howl around him, sweep it off his hands.

For better or worse, in riches or in poverty, in health or in sickness, the time has come for the UNP to break its vows  justified in the face of betrayal of vows sworn three years ago in twilight whilst the nation awaited the dawn. The time has come for Ranil to lead the UNP flock to the promised land, this time alone. The time has come for the parting of the ways with the SLFP in order to part the waves to cross through to that promised land. To walk away with dignity, with held high, not booted out ignominiously by a leadership that has long lost its credibility.

From the mythical Mount Kailas abode where Lord Shiva, the Destroyer in the Hindu Triumvirate of Gods, is said to reside in meditation  the other two being Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Preserver  Ranil Wickremesinghe, standing as he is now on his mystical Piduruthalagala peak, must first destroy the bonds of friendship with the SLFP, create anew the United National Party in order to preserve the democratic way of life Lankans have been fortunate enough to know for these last seventy years of independence, give or take a few mishaps.

As he views the valleys below him, he surely must see the opposition in turmoil: The main SLFP led by President Maithripala Sirisena, drawn and quartered. The split away group headed by GL Peiris but ghost led by Mahinda Rajapaksa, licking and nursing its wounds having failed in their no-confidence bid to oust him. Sirisena left on the rack, with sixteen of his remaining members having one foot in the Rajapaksa camp and the other in the sinking SLFP sand, whilst Ranils UNP demonstrated, in no uncertain terms on April 4th that his party, whatever differences they have, is solidly behind him at a time of crisis.

Heaven does not bestow such good fortunes upon one so easily even as ones Karma only pays a fleeting visit. Then its free will that dominates and forges present plight to success. Opportunity does not knock twice. For Ranil its now or never. Or he is a goner.

Parliament itself is on its last legs. Left with only a two year breathing space. If Ranil harbours ambition of being a candidate or believes that station must belong to someone else from his own party, its time to act now. If he acts like the vacillating moon, like Hamlet did in his procrastinations, he would end up eclipsed. This time permanently.

What if the President should appoint a new government made up of SLFP ministers and appoint Siripala or some other joker as Prime Minister? Let him. And watch his frustration in some sort of morbid glee, when Sirisena finds to his dismay no simple bill can be passed without the support Ranil commands in the House. Not even the all-important budget, come this November.

Ranil Wickremesinghe, even though he may not realise it, has become the banker in the political Baccarat played in Colombos casinos. If he does not play his cards correct and use his Baccarat coup to win his game, he, too, like the President, will be left holding the joker in the pack.

Will the milk ever boil to the brim for Maithri

The date: Avurudu Morn, April 14th. The place: Presidents House. Together with the rest of Sri Lanka, First Lady Jayanthi Sirisena lights the family hearth at 10.42 am sharp. Shes surrounded by her loved ones. The nations First Family is starring in a scene that is being enacted, at that precise moment in time, in millions of homes throughout the countryside.Her husband, President Maithripala Sirisena, standing behind her, keeps close watch over the ceremony, anxiously waiting for the milk to boil to the brim without a crack in the milk pot. Fretfully waiting for it to spill over and to flow in torrents of prosperity to his own presidential household and trickle, even in dribbles, into every humble hamlet home in the nation. And as he waits, with suspended breath, for the milk to rise what do you suppose his thoughts are?Whats on his mind as he nervously waits for the milk of his hopes to stir to life? Whats he brooding over before the pregnant pot in heat gushes and delivers prosperitys milk? Is he thinking of the economic crisis that has beset the terminally ill nation and wondering whether his newly appointed economic committee can turn the tide and wreak a miracle within two years? Is he thinking of the promise he pledged to the nation in the run-up to the presidential election in 2015 on every political platform he spoke that he will bring the Rajapaksa regime rogues to justice; and is he lamenting on his disastrous failure to keep his solemn word of honour? Is he ruminating on his gross failure to raise his presidential sword as he declared he would, just two full moons ago, and regretting having sheathed it for fear the Rajapaksa spittle would rust it? And regretting dragging his feet for these last three years, for his crusade to begin only at the eleventh hour? Is he thinking of his failure to deliver the 2015 mandate extended by the people to establish a Yahapalana government; of placing in peril the continued existence until 2020 of the coalition government by not urging, nay, by not insisting that the SLFP members under his command vote against the noconfidence motion against Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier this month? For displaying his weakness as a leader and giving free rein to his flock to roam as they jolly well please and to even jump over the brink with scant regard to the necessity, in the nations interest, of having a stable government in office to ensure the islands prosperity?

Anointed shepherd as he is, is he thinking of the folly of counting the Rajapaksa sheep instead of looking after his own, even though many of his own were well known to be wolves wrapped in wool? And even as the kindled fire in the hearth crackles and burns even stronger to spur the milk to rise to the pots brim, is he, in his heart of hearts, admiring Mahinda Rajapaksa for his uncanny genius to not only keep his flock together but poach both rams and ewes from the other side of the fence, where they were pleasantly grazing, where the grass was green under an azure blue sky? For keeping his sheep firmly locked in his pen and repeatedly bleat the Rajapaksa name when Mahinda, having lost his sceptre and throne, has no perks or privileges to offer them but only a mat to sleep on in some solitary Welikada prison cell and wistfully dream of his third advent? Are his Avurudu thoughts embroiled in remorse, as he surely must grievously feel for not backing his own prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe earlier this month when it mattered most and the coalition governments future was to be burnt at the stake? When he, instead, washed his hands of, like Pontius Pilate did, and cast Ranil to the mercy of the mob to crucify him on the cross of corruption the Joint Opposition had hastily erected to hide their own corruption cross and delay their day of judgment in court? As he watches the milk in his presidential pot rise, is the echo ringing in his stereophonic ears of all the platitudes of gratitude he heaped upon Ranil Wickremesinghe without whose UNP support he would still have been crunching crumbs of hopper crusts insolently thrown from Mahindas high table?

Or, even as the randy milk heated by the howling flames of fire stirs to life and begins rising to a crescendo; even as those standing guard in voyeuristic fascination around the little pot of hope await it to spurt, spout and climax and squirt prosperity on the presidential household floor, is he dreaming of the gleaming prospect of meeting the Queen of England on his visit to the British Isles to attend the Commonwealth Heads of State summit presently being held there And wondering whether he will be accorded the same honour and rare privilege of having a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II and be given a cup of Ceylon Tea in her private chambers as he was given with colonial condescension when he visited London shortly after having won the presidential election in 2015; and the royal red carpet was rolled out for him in all honour? Ah, he must reminisce, what a rosy hued dawn it had been then, flushed with triumph. Till the rainbow lit sky had suddenly been enveloped by the Rajapaksa fog  a fog neither heaven or earth could banish  a rich dark fog that refused to move away and even today, stays put to cast its gloom on the sorry landscape of this paradise isle. A penny for his thoughts and a pound for your guesses.

But even as the milk in his Avurudu pot dances in bubbles and goes over the top doing the Sinhala salsa and spills over to the ground  a traditional symbol of prosperity but more a realistic sign of utter waste  he must also be pondering, watching the milk meaninglessly slithering to the floor; and, whilst giving ear to the growing applause of those around him as more and more milk is wantonly made to flow for sport  for thats another Sinhala trait: the more waste, the more the cheer and clap  that the pot that runneth over is also symbolic of how he had squandered the goodwill and trust thrust upon him that January 9th when he took his oaths at Independence Square in twilight hour and swore to discharge the mandate given unto him by the people.

The question that must trouble him most, is whether the milk will ever boil to the brim for him, come twenty twenty polls?
Mirissa and Midigama attacks reflect Sri Lankas brutal realities View(s):

At the height of the impunity that prevailed during the Rajapaksa Presidency, it was questioned in these column spaces as to whether one needed to be a foreigner in order to claim the protection of the law in Sri Lanka?

The ugliness that Sri Lanka descended to

This question was specifically raised at the time in relation to the assault and murder of British aid worker Khurram Shaikh and the rape of his female companion by politically connected thugs at a tourist resort in Tangalle.

That bland reference did little to convey the horrific nature of the attack, with Shaikh being beaten, repeatedly stabbed, slashed across the face and neck and shot in the head with an assault rifle, as was recounted during an inquest into the killing. Criminal investigations were repeatedly thwarted due to ties that the resort owner cum local politician had to the Rajapaksas. It was only due to sustained international pressure that the case was concluded in court with the sentencing of the local politician and his thugs two years after the incident.

In the meantime, rapes and murders of Sri Lankans continued with impunity elsewhere, in the war-torn North East and in remote villages in other parts such as Deraniyagala where a local politician had rape centres in the village under his domain. To what ugliness did Sri Lanka descend to then? And to what extent did the law fail ordinary Sri Lankans?

Heavy burdens to get rid of

To be clear, that failure of the Rule of Law in general was not due to political thuggery alone but also owing to the culpability of corrupt judicial officers, state prosecutors who acted on political instructions to squirrel indictments out of sight and lawyers of the unofficial Bar who colluded with the political command.

These are heavy burdens for a country to get rid of. Awakening deja vu tones of the Khurram Shaikh incident, the brutal assault of Dutch tourists in a tourist restaurant in Mirissa early this month was followed a week later by an attack on Israeli tourists in Midigama. In Mirissa, the assault of the males had taken place following the attempted sexual harassment of women in their group by thugs who had been drinking apparently earlier with a ruling party politician.

Unlike earlier, suspects in both incidents have been arrested and the criminal justice process has commenced. The Government has issued instructions to hotels in Mirissa to register with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and the unauthorized restaurant in Mirissa at which the Dutch tourists were assaulted has been closed. The Coastal Conservation Department has also stated that all unauthorized constructions along the coastal belt in Mirissa will be removed by end of this month and that this would be thereafter implemented across the Southern coastal belt. Apparently, an assurance had been given that unauthorized constructions elsewhere would also be demolished.

Larger issue linked to the Rule of Law

Yet unanswered questions remain. The sudden scrambling of the Government though the Tourist Ministry to engage in damage control measures proceeds on the basis that such incidents are detrimental to tourism, resulting in the loss of revenue to the state coffers. But the larger question is linked to a general breakdown of law and order which this Government has been spectacularly unsuccessful in tackling since it came into office on a Rule of Law platform in 2015.

How were these illegal constructions permitted to operate in the first instance? Was the Coast Conservation Department, deaf, dumb and blind to these infractions under a new political dispensation which promised the enforcement of the law? And should not the Excise Department be held accountable for the collusion of their officers in permitting the illegal sale of liquor by these outlets? It is ludicrous that a Minster of this Government is reduced to the state of apologizing to the public for being unable to summon responsible officers of the Excise Department to account for its duties in this regard. And further, to what extent are Sri Lankan women safe when they walk the beaches of the South and elsewhere in this country? To what extent are there unreported rapes and incidents of sexual harassment or just plain harassment which are not treated seriously by law enforcement authorities?

Certainly a sterner hand is warranted in bringing offenders to justice. Unlike in the past, telephone calls do not go out from politicians to judicial officers commanding to rule in a particular way in cases before them but that does not suffice to address the problem. The arrest of thugs who operate under cover of political impunity cannot be sufficient either. As has happened in the past, these characters may be arrested but then let out on bail with the cases falling by the wayside.

A lack of confidence in the system

In fact, as has been documented in many instances, police officers themselves collude with such miscreants with little or no disciplinary action being enforced against them. In that regard, the appeal of the Inspector General of Police for the assaulted tourists to return and testify to the facts in the two instances is ironic. Similar appeals have been issued to victims of assault in other cases, including in several cases where journalists had been assaulted and brutalized during the previous regime. They have been asked to return to Sri Lanka to testify.

But who will want to take that risk given the fundamental lack of confidence in the law enforcement process and the lack of safety for witnesses in the criminal justice system? Let alone foreigners, will Sri Lankans wish to subject themselves to such an ordeal? A major promise of this Government when it came into power was that it would enact and effectively implement a Victim and Witness Protection Act.

Though a law was enacted and a Victim and Witness Protection Authority established, it was weak-kneed in many respects, not the least of which was that the police was given the task of spearheading its protection division. This was likened by many cynics to be akin to giving the fox the duty to guard the hen house, as it were. Since then, the Government has taken no interest in its activation, only parroting the fact of the enactment of this law at periodic sessions of the United Nations in Geneva and elsewhere. It appears that even pretending commitment to the idea of witness and victim protection is not evidenced any longer.

Our ghosts of the past

What happened at Mirissa and Midigama were not isolated incidents but reflections of a daily lived reality in Sri Lanka, not only for tourists but also for citizens, where at any given point, the law can yield to bestiality with catastrophic consequences. That is what war, political savagery and the abandonment of the Rule of Law has brought about for this country.

Exorcising these ghosts of the past will be remarkably arduous, if at all, this is indeed possible.
The economys performance in a turbulent political environment View(s):

Recent months were a period of political confusion and chaos. What we may experience in the months ahead could be worse than political instability. It could be a continuation of the chaotic and confusing political environment.

Hopefully the two main parties of the coalition have learnt the lessons of their folly and will make an effort to govern the rest of their term of office single-mindedly with a consensus on economic policies and be collectively responsible.

However the expectation of political stability and an agreed economic agenda this year and in the next, in the run up to the general and presidential elections of 2019-20, may be unrealistic. The economy would be compelled to function in a political environment of uncertainty, confusion and policy indecision.

Rates of growth

In the 1970s, a renowned Indian economist, Raj Krishna, described Indias economic growth of around 3.5 percent per year at that time as A Hindu rate of growth. What he meant by this catchy description was that the whole range of conditions impacting on Indias economic performance was not conducive to a higher rate of economic growth. This included, inter alia, cultural values, social milieu, economic policies and politics.

India today

This has changed drastically after the economic reforms of 1991 when there was a spurt of growth. India is today one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It is expected to grow at 6.5 to 7 percent this year. In contrast, Sri Lankas economy has been sliding in the years after the initial boost to the economy by the cessation of the war. Economic growth has been on a declining trend since 2015 and plunged to 3.1 percent last year.

Asia

Other countries in Asia are also growing rapidly. Bangladesh has overtaken Pakistans per capita income and is growing at 7 percent. Vietnams economic development has been phenomenal. The Chinese, East Asian and South East Asian economies are experiencing robust growth.

Prerequisite

That political stability is a prerequisite for economic development is incontrovertible. The state has important roles to play in ensuring law and order, fostering economic growth through economic policies, development of economic and social infrastructure and economic reforms, among others. Consistency and certainty in economic policies are also vital to ensure investment. These preconditions are hardly possible in the countrys current chaotic political environment.

Autonomous growth

Notwithstanding this, Sri Lankas economy will grow at a modest rate of around 4 to 5 percent this year and in the next. This is because any economy has a certain momentum based on its past and current investments and growth factors that are not related to current state policies. One could even say that the economy would grow at this momentum in spite of the turbulent political conditions. This autonomous growth is virtually what we could expect in 2018-19.

The sources of autonomous growth this year are increased food crop production, higher tea and rubber production, enhanced tourist earnings, backward linkages of export growth in manufactures and fisheries and increased earnings from ICT services.

Enterprises

There are a host of economic enterprises that can expand moderately without state interventions. These enterprises, especially those with backward linkages of the growth sectors would contribute to the economy irrespective of the political conditions. However even these could be adversely affected by government neglect and ineffectiveness.

Agriculture

An increase in food and agricultural production is likely owing to expected good weather conditions. The current favourable weather and probability of normal weather conditions would be largely responsible for increased agricultural output. The revival of the rural economy would have beneficial impacts on other sectors as well.

Exports

The export growth in manufactures and sea food that commenced in March 2017 is likely to continue and its backward linkages would contribute to growth. Tourist earnings that had a temporary setback owing to the communal violence in some parts of the country have revived. With tourist earnings increasing significantly in the first quarter of the year, earnings from tourism are likely to grow and contribute to growth, baring a similar setback to tourist arrivals.

Growth

These sources of growth are likely to result in about a 5 percent growth partly assisted statistically by the low growth of only 3.1 percent in 2017. The average annual growth of only 4.2 percent in 2017-2018 discloses the poor performance of the economy. For the same statistical reason, it would be more difficult to achieve a growth of 5 percent in 2019 from around 5 percent this year.

The political environment too would be less conducive to substantial economic growth. There could be growth owing to politically motivated increased public expenditure on welfare measures and increased state employment. These unproductive expenditures would increase the national output, while straining the longer term economic stability and growth.

Other viewpoints

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka expects the economy to grow by 5 to 5.5 percent in 2018 while the IMF expects it to be 4.5 percent. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) in its annual Asian Development Outlook for 2018, says that Sri Lankas Growth over the next two years will depend on agriculture and the political climate as elections approach. Assuming normal weather in 2018 and 2019, it expects growth primarily in agriculture but also growth in industry, construction and services.

Longer view

Although the political disruption and uncertainty is unlikely to impact current growth by much, the longer run setback is serious. The political disunity and uncertainty disables the government from undertaking reforms that would strengthen the economys capacity to achieve a much higher growth trajectory.

While the inherent capacity of the economy would ensure an autonomous growth of around 5 percent, the political convulsions would damage the economys capacity to grow at a much higher rate in the future.

Vision or mirage

Vision 2025 of achieving a rich and prosperous country is fading away. The vision is turning into an unrealised dream, perhaps a mirage. The severest damage of the current political confusion is the adverse impact on investment, erosion of fundamental macroeconomic stability and deferment of economic and social reforms. Being a debt ridden country, we could drift into an economic crisis and stagnation that would in turn destabilise the polity.

Reflection

The prorogation of parliament till May 9th could be a time for reflection for the President and Prime Minister and to arrive at a common agreed agenda for the rest of its tenure of office. Consensus on economic policies, however limited in scope, could add confidence and certainty in the economy that would enable it to perform better than the autonomous rate, and even more importantly not erode the long term capacity for higher growth and economic development.
Parents, teachers, well-wishers repair damaged schools View(s):

Several schools in the Beruwala area were damaged by heavy winds recently. In some instances, parents and teachers have initiated repairs to the damaged schools while in other areas well-wishers have come to the rescue. The Primary school classrooms in Moragolla, Beruwala, damaged in November last year, were not repaired.

The parents and teachers of the school, with Rs 300,000 allocated by the Regional Engineer, renovated the damaged buildings. The desks and chairs of Karandagoda Primary school were also damaged due to heavy winds in November last year. A German couple visiting Sri Lanka, donated desks and chairs for the school, which was handed over to its Principal T.E.H. Ruberu. Pix by Thusitha Kumara de Silva
The Dutch suffer a food shortage This article is part of a continuing series on Sri Lankan history View(s): View(s):

Due to the opposition of the Government Agents of King Rajasinghe, the Dutch had to install armed contingents in various places. Along with this, came the difficulty in supplying food for the Dutch. This made the Dutch Governor rather nervous.

Gradual decrease in the supply of food caused a problem for the Dutch. Then the Dutch Governor took a stand to demolish the fort

in Negombo and hand it over to the king. He informed the king of this stand. Along with a lot of gifts, they sent this message to the king. But the king refused to believe in this.



The king did not listen to any of their requests. He on his part, tried to go to Ruwanwella and negotiate with the Portuguese, through letters. Meanwhile, the Dutch captured the royal camp in Raigam Korale. They dispersed the Sinhala soldiers who were there.

The Dutch Governor did not like to maintain a huge army in Colombo. As a result he had to demarcate places for the Dutch to settle down. The extent of the fort was reduced. The part that was separated was named the Old City which is derived from the Tamil word Pettah.

Later, the British gave the name Pettah to this Old City and so it came to be known as Pettah. The meaning of the word Pettah is the land near the fort of a guarded city.The extent of Fort was the distance from the harbour to Canal Row.

By Halaliye Karunathilake

Edited and translated by Kamala Silva

Illustrated by Saman Kalubowila
Blistering barnacles! Guess whos come to China-town, Singapore? By Rajitha Weerakoon View(s): View(s):

Guess who we stumbled on while wading through the crowded roads of old Chinatown in Singapore? Taking us completely by surprise was Captain Haddock of the ever-popular Tintin Adventure series, clad in black naval uniform and standing sentinel at the doorway at believe it or not, an exclusive Tintin shop! Tucked away on the downtown Pagoda Road, the shop would have gone unnoticed had our curiosity not been stirred by the larger than life figure of the lovable Naval Captain at the entrance, beckoning the swarms of tourists passing by, to step in.

On entering the shop, right before us was a life-sized figure of Tintin on the run, his spiked fluff of blond hair flying and diving towards us in mid air. Alongside was his faithful terrier, Snowy, probably chasing Rastapopoulous, the villain? Or, following a vital clue?

Keeping up the momentum were more Tintin characters and the famous objects that were part of Tintin adventures which the novelty shop offered its fans to browse through and relive the thrills of the journalistic encounters of this famed young boy reporter.

This is especially so for those who grew up with Tintin idolising the cartoon character, who without confining himself to reporting, trespassed on dangerous territory while chasing after stories. Whether it was on land, sea, air, the moon, or even skirting volcanoes, he kept those hooked on his exploits virtually on the edge of their chairs.

The merchandise, an extensive array of Tintin memorabilia consisted mostly of 12cm resin figurines of the journo, clad in various kits as he figured in the numerous adventures and misadventures, with his smart snow terrier and the hilarious Captain Haddock of billions of billions blue blistering barnacles fame who often found himself tipsy yet helped Tintin solve many a complicated mystery.

More or less a display gallery, the Tintin shop, besides the main characters, had both Tintins friends and the crooks. There were the bungling detectives, the identical twins Thomson and Thompson, moustached and dressed identically in black suits and bowler hats awaiting the next move. Professor Cuthbert Calculus, slightly stooped with his thick round rimmed glasses, was very much part of the gallery as the preoccupied scientist. How his half deafness created hilarious situations due to his misunderstanding what he was told!

A special feature of the gallery was that the more popular Tintin episodes were arranged as individual entities that revived memories and aroused humour. There was Tintins arch-enemy, Rastapopulous, who provided Tintin a good excuse to move to various exotic locations. Remember how he created panic and suspense? There were Muller and Musstler as well, in the act as villains.

The gallery did not leave out the formidable Bianca Castafiore, the soprano intensely disliked by Captain Haddock. And who, blissfully unaware of the high drama unfolding under her very nose, belted out her famous classical operatic numbers at such a high pitch so as to shatter glass.

There were Alcazar, the knife thrower, Nestor, the Captains butler and Marlinspike Hall, the country house of the Captain, the numerous replicas of rockets, air planes, cars, bikes as well as adventures amongst volcanoes and explosions that thrust visitors into the throes of the Tintin mystery world.

The quaint old-fashioned shop is run by Gabriel Tan. Syamirul Zainal is its young retail assistant. Both Singaporeans, they acknowledge that the shop is now a landmark in Chinatown and tourists come looking for the shop to buy Tintin memorabilia. Then there are Singaporeans who visit Chinatown especially to buy a comic or a video and browse around the shop.

Mementos included artefacts, sculptures, posters, stickers, notebooks, canvas bags as well as Tintin watches, clocks, games, puzzles, mini bowls, coasters and mugs with Tintin figurines on them. Collectors delight was the full range of Tintin books, also sold in digital format. Videos of Tintin comics were played continuously on a large screen.

Mostly snapped up by tourists however were t-shirts with Tintin, Captain Haddock or Snowy on them. However, disallowing tourists to take selfies in the company of their idols, was a disappointing factor for the tourists. Nevertheless, the shop takes you back to an era when Tintin made its mark well before the electronic blast of animated cartoons and movies.

Created by Belgium author Herge, whose real name was Georges Prosper Remi, the Tintin series has fans across the world. There are seven exclusive Tintin shops around the world in London, Japan, USA etc with the main shop set up in Brussels  Herges hometown. The Tintin shop in Singapore opened in 2010, is the newest and the largest outside Belgium with life-sized figures of its main characters on display. But instead of choosing Singapores plush showpiece of Orchard Road or other ultra modern hotspots, it is situated in the heartland of Chinatowns street market  where a bustling mix of old and new shops sell inexpensive Chinese souvenirs, crafts, trinkets and garments with Indian shops and Chinese restaurants adding to its distinct bazaar atmosphere.

Chinatown is the cradle of Singaporeans, being the main landing area for those who made the arduous crossing from China. In 1819, they made a trading settlement with the British East India Company based in Singapore and when its head Stamford Raffles planned an orderly city, segregated by ethnicity, the Chinese, forming the largest ethnic group, were allocated land in 1843. Chinatown was thus born.

Busloads of tourists who visit Chinatown for its history, its colourful and cultural sights and in search of souvenirs, have one more stop now. To Tintin fans, it is a shrine.
Fragments and Figments View(s):

Fragments and Figments: A Collection of Cultural Essays, written by freelance critic Uditha Devapriya, was launched at the Western Province Aesthetic Resort recently.

The launch ceremony was a resounding success, with the active participation of several distinguished members of Sri Lankas cultural and literary spheres. Malinda Seneviratne and Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, the Chief Guests of the event, delivered speeches revolving around the author and his work, while veteran actor Ravindra Randeniya delivered the welcome address.

Highlights of the event included the live performance of three popular and old songs, including two from films directed by Sumithra Peries, who was present at the ceremony. The two film songs included the nostalgically successful Ran Tikiri Sina, which marked 40 years since its first recording on March 31, 1978 and which was performed that night by its original vocalists, Victor Silva and Nirasha Perera.

Gehenu Lamayine from Periess debut Gehenu Lamayi was also sung, as was Paawe Wala, bringing down the curtain on the event. Veteran media personality and announcer Thilaka Ranasinghe and renowned English announcer and artiste Lithmal Jayawardhana were the comperes for the night.

Uditha Devapriya in his speech contended that unless the field of criticism is nurtured and maintained well, theres no real way through which those art forms can be conveyed properly to the outside world, observing that the young are key stakeholders in the movement to propagate those art forms and artistes.

For more information call 0774597276 / 0718670679 and via email at

udakdev1@gmail.com
Yerevan police today detained and later arrested Armen Grigoryan, a political analyst and civic activist, on charges that he violated various administrative codes related to the organization of public rallies and marches.

Armenias Special Investigative Service has issued a statement that Grigoryan and others organized rallies and marches in Yerevan between April 13 and 16 without informing, in writing, the Yerevan Municipality in advance.
Jazz mania hits Kandy View(s):

A popular Jazz Band from Germany was in action recently at the Grand Kandyan Hotel at their monthly High Tea event on the 31st of March 2018.

This was the 3rd high tea event organized by the hotel and the very first time foreign artistes were seen in action to entertain more than 230 guests, who were gathered to enjoy the event.

The NOC-New Orleans Connection, a Jazz band is one of the most reputed jazz bands in Germany. The members of the band had met for the first time in New Orleans, USA and thats why they go as New Orleans Connection Jazz Band even though they are from Germany. The band has been formed in 1992 and the musicians started to travel around the world as the official Cultural Ambassador of the City of Hanau, Germany. Through their engagement for jazz music, the musicians established and activated potentials for jazz music in their country, which is now an essential part of the music-scene. The Musicians of the New Orleans Connection Jazz Band were declared honorary citizens of the city of New Orleans in 1992 by the Mayor of New Orleans.

The band has been seen in action all over the world at Jazz festivals for more than two and half decades. Kandy was their very first venue in South Asia. Based in Frankfurt performing in the locality mainly, NOC is a popular outfit performing frequently in New Orleans, California and the West coast of the USA. Apart from that, their major concerts were held in Australia, Canada, South-Africa, Russia, Cuba and many European countries.

Our main purpose of organizing this event is to build a bridge between the cultures of Germany and Sri Lanka. And to showcase that Kandy is a safe place to travel after the recent disturbances said Susith Samaraweera, the General Manger of the Hotel.

The hotel is planning to have their next high tea event on 12th May 2018 with another exciting concept.
Making the journey to Everest base camp Johann Peries who is working towards summiting Mount Everest has already set out on his journey. The following is a short description of his progress as conveyed to his support team in Colombo View(s): View(s):

Two years down the track and Im looking forward to once again, pursuing my dream of reaching the top of the world.

On April 7, I set out on the journey to Everest Base Camp (EBC) and flew from Kathmandu into Lukla airport in a small fixed-wing single turbo propeller plane along with the rest of my team members. Lukla , the starting point for the ten-day climb to EBC, is situated at an altitude of 2,860m, and the airport there is considered one of the most challenging in the world.

From Lukla we gathered porters and yaks for the remainder of the climb. The yaks carry the heavy goods, and the porters the less heavy items. Ill be travelling with a team from the International Mountain Guides (IMG), a highly experienced US-based expedition company. IMG organises the logistics of the private sherpas, guides, all transfers, accommodation, food, ropes, ladders and other climbing equipment for the duration of the eight-week journey.

Our first stop was Phakding, overnight, then up a steep incline the next day to the town of Namche Bazaar at 3,440m. Here we did a tough acclimatisation climb and had a rest day. An acclimatisation climb is performed by climbing to a higher altitude during the day, and then coming back down to a lower altitude to sleep. This is done to help the body cope with the change and kick start it into producing more red blood cells so that it can handle the altitude, the decreased pressure and thinner air. The rest day helps the body make this adjustment before proceeding up to a higher altitude once again.

From Namche Bazaar we trekked to Tangboche, famous for the magnificent Tangboche monastery and temple. Here we received a blessing of good luck for the remainder of the climb. There was a snowstorm over night, and the whole area was covered in a thick layer of snow  quite spectacular. Next stop was Pangboche for a night, and then on to Periche, at 4,371m which is where we are now. Here too we well rest for a day, while enjoying the magnificent views.

Reflecting on the journey  Im fortunate and grateful to have the support of an enormous band of friends, family and sponsors yet again for this second trek.
A family inheritance that needs medical attention Consultant Haematologist Dr. Chitranga Kariyawasan talks to Kumudini Hettiarachchi on the management of haemophilia in Sri Lanka View(s): View(s):

He was the most prominent figure worldwide to be associated with this inherited bleeding disorder, for he was the heir-apparent of the House of Romanov, due to sit on the throne of the Russian Empire.

The youngest and only son of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, Alexei Nikolaevich had inherited haemophilia from his mother.

Keeping his disease under wraps, he was also closely guarded to make sure he would not sustain an injury. Alexei, however, never ascended the throne, for the Emperors family was imprisoned during the Great October Revolution of 1917 and the teenager was executed 100 years ago in July.

What is haemophilia?

It is to Consultant Haematologist Dr. Chitranga Kariyawasan of the

Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital that MediScene turns to, for when she was elected President of the Sri Lanka College of Haematologists in 2015 she turned a sharp focus on haemophilia. She worked towards establishing four dedicated centres for the management of this disorder, expanding the already existing six by these four. Within three short years, there are 16 state institutions across the country for the management of these patients now.

Haemophilia is an inherited (genetic) bleeding disorder, says Dr. Kariyawasan, explaining that it is an X-linked recessive disorder, predominantly affecting males. Females are usually carriers. When haemophilia is inherited, the severity of the disease would be the same throughout that family line or pedigree. The severity varies from mild to moderate to severe.

In Sri Lanka, those actively involved in the management of haemophilia are the Sri Lanka College of Haematologists, the Haemophilia Association of Sri Lanka (HASL) and the Health Ministry with the support of the World Federation of Haemophilia.

Taking a closer look at the genetic profile, Dr. Kariyawasan says that among the chromosomes, the X and the Y are the sex chromosomes, with the gene for haemophilia on the X chromosome. A baby-girl will inherit two X chromosomes, one from her mother and the other from her father (XX). A baby-boy will inherit an X chromosome from his mother and a Y chromosome from his father (XY). If the baby-boy inherits an X chromosome carrying haemophilia from his mother, he will have haemophilia. Fathers, however, cannot pass haemophilia to their sons.

Even if the baby-girls of a mother who has the haemophilia gene, inherit that gene from her, because they have two X chromosomes (the other a healthy one from the father), they are unlikely to have haemophilia. A baby-girl who inherits an X chromosome that contains the gene for haemophilia becomes a carrier.

For a woman-carrier, the likely outcomes of a pregnancy are:

A baby-daughter who is not a carrier

A baby-daughter who is a carrier

A baby-son without haemophilia

A baby-son with haemophilia

In the case of a woman-carrier marrying someone who is a haemophiliac, there is the possibility of Lyonization. This is the random inactivation of an X chromosome in early embryonic development, the name being derived from geneticist Mary Lyon, it is learnt.

When we come across a patient with haemophilia, there is almost always a family history and when we look back, we find that the mothers side has had it, maybe her brother or an uncle etc., says Dr. Kariyawasan, pointing out that genetic mutations are rare but can occur in about 1/3rd of the patients without a family history.

She recalls how as a post-graduate doctor serving at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) in Colombo, she saw her first patient with haemophilia.

It was a 17-year-old who had developed deformities, as at that time he had not been diagnosed properly and not monitored properly. He had kept bleeding into the joints, says Dr. Kariyawasan, adding that it was pathetic. He had a long hospital stay and his joint damage was beyond repair. He needed joint replacement but unfortunately his family could not afford it.

Depending on the severity of the disease, those with haemophilia present the signs and symptoms at birth, during the neonatal period (early infancy), childhood or teenage years. The signs in neonates would be bleeding patches at birth, with some, in rare cases, having intracranial haemorrhaging.

MediScene learns that according to 2016 data, there are 863 patients with haemophilia in the country. With the disorder being grouped into two, 709 patients are in the commoner Haemophilia A category, with the balance 154 coming under Haemophilia B. Forty-seven have von Willebrand disease, while 29 have other bleeding disorders.

Dr. Kariyawasan gets down to specifics as she explains that when a baby starts to crawl, if he is having haemophilia, he would start bleeding at the knees. Mild haemophilia will manifest as bruises and bleeding patches, while in the moderate form there could be bleeding into joints and muscles, if there is trauma. However, in the severe form, there is spontaneous bleeds into the joints and muscles.

According to this Haematologist:

Haemophilia A  This is classic haemophilia in which either Factor VIII (FVIII), a blood-clotting protein in blood plasma, is missing or deficient.

Usually, in normal people, the plasma levels of FVIII range from 50% to 150%.

Those with mild Haemophilia A have only 6% to 49% of FVIII in their blood. They will have prolonged bleeding only after a serious injury, trauma or surgery.

Those with moderate Haemophilia A have only 1% to 5% of FVIII in their blood. They will get bleeding episodes after injuries.

Those with severe Haemophilia A have only <1% of FVIII in their blood. They will have bleeding following an injury and also frequent spontaneous  without an obvious cause  bleeding often into their joints and muscles.

Haemophilia B  The cause is the missing or deficient Factor IX (FIX).

Usually, the plasma levels of FIX range from 50% to 150% in a normal person.

Those with mild Haemophilia B have only 6% to 49% of FIX in their blood. They have prolonged bleeding only after serious injury, trauma, surgery and tooth extraction and tend to get diagnosed only then.

Those with moderate Haemophilia B have only 1% to 5% of FIX in their blood. They tend to have bleeding episodes after injuries.

Those with severe Haemophilia B have only <1% of FIX in their blood. They bleed following an injury and may have frequent spontaneous bleeding episodes into their joints and muscles.

von Willebrand Disease (vWD)  This is due to the von Willebrand Factor (vWF) being missing or defective. vWF is a clotting protein, which binds Factor VIII and platelets in blood vessel walls and helps form a platelet plug during the clotting process.

Meanwhile, in both Haemophilia A and B, the carriers will have more than 30% of FVIII and FIX respectively and as such will not have any symptoms, MediScene learns.

Dr. Kariyawasan says that it is important to get a detailed medical history of the patient to find out whether relatives have been diagnosed with a bleeding disorder. The tests to determine haemophilia include the evaluation of blood-clotting time and a clotting factor test or assay to zero-in on the type of haemophilia as well as its severity.

The products to treat haemophilia include cryoprecipitate, plasma-derived concentrate, recombinant concentrate (excluding prolonged half-life and prolonged half-life) and DDVP (desmopressin).

There are many hospitals treating haemophilia across the country and include the NHSL; the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH) for Children in Colombo; the Teaching Hospitals of Colombo South (Kalubowila), Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Jaffna, Karapitiya, Badulla and Peradeniya; the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Hospital in Peradeniya; the District General Hospitals of Ratnapura, Chilaw, Hambantota and Matara; and the Base Hospitals of Embilipitiya and Kuliyapitiya.

Several of these centres give patients direct access under one roof to a haemophilia doctor, a nurse, a physiotherapist and a special coagulation laboratory.

Explaining that haemophilia patients are being provided acute management (injection of factor and prophylaxis) as well as home therapy (low-dose factor replacement) and supportive care (blood transfusions, tranexamic acid, physiotherapy and dental care), she says that there is also a referral system to dental and other units, with social worker support starting at a few centres.

The doctors who are treating haemophilia have to be alert to the danger of patients developing inhibitors (antibodies) in the blood to fight off what the body sees as a foreign invader which in fact is really the foreign factor proteins, she warns, as this will stop the factor concentrates from fixing the bleeding problem. In the management of patients in Sri Lanka, only four developed inhibitors in 2016 and were treated with immune tolerance induction (ITI).

Not content with resting on her laurels, Dr. Kariyawasan says that more needs to be achieved including a system to care for the disabled, genetic testing for carrier detection, a database and network among centres, training of physiotherapists and the issuance of identity cards to patients with proper registration numbers so that they can carry them with them.

HASL: Leading the way in haemophilia care

The Haemophilia Association of Sri Lanka (HASL), founded in 1998 has become proactive since 2015 and been exploring ways and means through which to improve and strengthen haemophilia care in the country.Working closely with the Sri Lanka College of Haematologists, the HASL is set on improving musculoskeletal care to prevent complications and disabilities and educating and empowering patients. The HASL may be contacted on e-mail: lalla_gun@yahoo.com or Phone: +94112894451 or +94812499796
14 unions to defy ban on May 1 rallies View(s):

Some local trade unions, backed by a global trade union body, are bracing for a confrontation with the authorities after deciding to go ahead with May 1 rallies and celebrations despite the Government changing the date of May Day to May 7. Backing the local unions is the Geneva-based IndustriALL Global Union which on Friday fired letters to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, urging them to remove restrictions on holding May 1 rallies.

Since May 1 falls during the Vesak week, the Government at the request of the Mahanayakes has declared May 7 as the official May Day holiday for celebrations, while May 1 will be a normal working day. Protesting unions said that changing this traditional International Labour Day, marked in Sri Lanka since 1956, was akin to changing ones birthday!

IndustriALL Global Union General Secretary Valter Sanches, in his letter urged the two leaders to reverse the decision, and grant permission, through the Colombo Municipal Council, for May Day rallies to be held in public parks on May 1. He also said the union, stands in solidarity with its affiliates in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan trade union movement in their struggle to protect the rights of workers, including their democratic right to commemorate May Day on the 1st of May.

On Thursday, a group of 14 unions said they were going ahead with May 1 celebrations and also expressed disappointment that the Government had unilaterally decided on the change of date without consulting the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), a point also reiterated in the IndustriALL letters. The NLAC is a state-managed body with representatives from the Government, trade unions and the private sector.

Local unions said that for workers and unions, May Day had important historical significance and workers around the world celebrated it on May 1.

IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors in 140 countries, including Sri Lanka, and has also been actively involved in the lobbying for the restoration of GSP+ concessions to Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Free Trade Zones & General Services Employees Union claims private sector workers who fall under the Shop and Office Employees Act and the Wages Board Ordinance are at risk of having to work on both May 1 and May 7.

The unions Joint Secretary, Anton Marcus, claimed that the Labour Ministry needed to publish a separate gazette regarding the change of the May Day holiday from May 1 to May 7. This has not happened so far, resulting in employers giving their own interpretations as to whether May Day is in fact a holiday for the private sector. Already, some factories have put up notices, informing workers that May 1 was a compulsory work day. With no gazette out to declare May 7 a holiday for the private sector, employers could also claim that it was not a holiday for the sector, the trade unionist said.

However, Labour Ministry Secretary Nimal Saranatissa said there was no need for a separate gazette. The Ministry has already gazetted holidays for workers and it is the Ministry of Home Affairs which gazettes on which date the holiday falls, he said. We have already declared May Day as a holiday. Even though the date has changed, under the Holidays Act, May Day is still a mercantile holiday. So, the change of date has no effect. Employers must give a paid holiday to their workers on May 7, he said.
Finance Ministry to review social protection programmes; consultants to be recruited View(s):

The Finance Ministry is to recruit consultants to study Sri Lankas social protection programmewhich includes pensions, employment, health and other welfare benefitsand to make recommendations for a new policy.

The assignments include a US$ 40,000 (Rs 6.2mn) contract for a comprehensive assessment of existing social protection structures; a US$ 25,000 (Rs 4mn) commission for the development of a strategy to take beneficiaries off welfare programmes; and another US$ 25,000 task to develop a disaster recovery plan.

All three components are part of a total US$ 75mn (Rs 11bn) World Bank-funded loan signed in 2016 to develop a system that better manages selection, administration and payments to beneficiaries of welfare programmes. The Social Safety Nets Project (SSNP) will help the Government develop a single registry of citizens and it will contain information on families and economies.

The idea is to assess the existing system and to come up with a new policy, said Welfare Benefits Board Chairman S. Rannuge, who heads the project. Existing welfare programmes are fragmented and there is no cohesion. We are not sure if the right persons are receiving benefits. On the other hand, some have no access to welfare packages and are waiting for years to get benefits. It has to be studied whether this is due to systemic, financial or other errors.

Also under the project, a unified social registry containing data on current and former programme beneficiaries and new applicants is now being developed by the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA).

It has long been pointed out that Sri Lankas social protection schemes are fragmented. There are more than 30 welfare programmes operated by 11 ministries without centralisation. There is no digital record and, therefore, no coordination, monitoring or evaluation. The World Bank has found that, although programme costs have risen over time, fewer of the poorest households are now covered. As part of the project, data in the registry will be updated periodically, and records will be reviewed to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries remain. To prevent fraudulent applications, each individual will be identified in the registry using biometric technology.

The terms of reference for the consultancies explain that households now potentially receive benefits from several ministries, provincial councils and other related institutions. The degree of duplication is not known, due to deficiencies in both systems and policies, it states. The largest consultancy will be awarded to a company while the other two will be to individual experts. Some of the areas the comprehensive assessment will focus on include income cash transfers, in-kind programmes and assistance such as cooked meals, textbooks and transport subsidies for students as well as methods for coping with disasters, droughts and floods.

Also to be covered are social security programmes such as pensions, disability, and survivor and health coverage. Another key area which has proved politically sensitive is labour protection. A 2007 World Bank study found that, Sri Lankas labour market institutions provide excessive job protection for formal sector workers. It concluded that the countrys severance pay system is one of the most restrictive severance pay systems in the world. For example, a Sri Lankan worker with 20 years of experience is awarded by a severance pay of 39 monthly wages versus average of 16 in other Asian countries and six in OECD countries, it said.

The study put forward as a policy option the reduction of excessive job security for formal sector workers saying it will not only enhance productivity but also improve job prospects for vulnerable groups.
Immediately screen 49 peacekeepers deployed in Lebanon, UN tells Lanka View(s):

The Sri Lanka Government must immediately prioritise the completion of the screening of 49 soldiers deployed to Lebanon in February, a spokesman for United Nations Peacekeeping has told the Inter Press Service (IPS).

The UNs Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) has also notified Sri Lanka that, if concerns arise regarding the 49 personnel already deployed to the United Nation Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), it may request that they be repatriated and replaced at the Governments cost.

The DPKO has asked the Sri Lankan Government to formalise the screening arrangements with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), UN Peacekeeping spokesman Nick Birnback said. Compliance with these arrangements will be required before the UN can receive any further deployments or rotations from Sri Lanka. The Government is cooperating with us in this regard.

The HRCSL earlier this month wrote to President Maithripala Sirisena saying the army sent the contingent to join the UNIFIL despite being clearly aware that no personnel could be deployed on UN peacekeeping operations without first being vetted by the Commission.

Further, the Commission was not informed that the 49 personnel had to be deployed to Lebanon early, HRCSL Chairperson Deepika Udagama had said. Deploying soldiers who have not undergone the vetting process is a complete violation of the agreement made with the Human Rights Commission.

Mr Birnback has reaffirmed the UN Secretariats commitment to ensuring that all personnel serving with the UN meet the highest standards of conduct, competence and integrity, including respect for and commitment to human rights.

Member States that provide personnel to UN peacekeeping operations have the responsibility to certify that all these personnel have not been involved, by act or omission, in violations of international humanitarian law or human rights law, and have not been repatriated on disciplinary ground from a UN operation, Mr Birnback told IPS.

In the case of Sri Lanka, where there are specific human rights concerns, we put in place additional screening measures in 2016 to help ensure that deployed personnel meet our standards, he said. Prior to their deployment to UNIFIL, the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka provided an attestation certifying that the contingent had not been involved in any violations.

However, in February 2018, we learned that the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commissionwhich the Government of Sri Lanka had agreed would undertake human rights screening of all Sri Lankan personnelhad not yet completed the screening when the rotation of the unit in UNIFIL started, he said. UN Peacekeeping immediately raised this with the Sri Lankan authorities and the deployment was stopped.

All Member States that nominate or provide personnel to serve with the UN must screen and certify that such personnel have not committed, or are alleged to have committed, criminal offences and/or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. Those who seek to serve with the UN must attest the same and, where necessary, provide relevant information. The processes by which this can be done are outlined in Decision 2012/18 of the UN Secretary-Generals Policy Committee.

According to the UN, Sri Lanka is the first nation to be granted the opportunity to vet military personnel for peacekeeping operations by a national Human Rights Commission. But the HRCSL on February 19 came to know through a media statement that a group of 49 soldiers has already been deployed to Lebanon. This was confirmed by the army. None of the members of this team was cleared by the Commission.
Lankan LGBTI activist welcomes move by Commonwealth View(s):

British Prime Minister Theresa Mays public expression of regret for her countrys role in criminalising same-sex relations under colonial rule will pave the way for making some positive change for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and inter-sex (LGBTI) communities of the Commonwealth, says Sri Lankan LGBTI activist Rosanna Flamer-Caldera.

Sri Lanka has upheld such laws for the past 135 years under Section 365 and 365A of the Penal Code. At present, 36 of the 53 Commonwealth nations criminalise consensual same-sex intimacy between men. These laws also apply to women in 16 Commonwealth countries. Many of these countries, including Mauritius, Bangladesh and Jamaica, criminalise homosexuality under the exact laws that were imposed by Britain during the colonial era.

In a speech at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Ms May expressed deep regret over Britains history of exporting homophobic laws across the world during the colonial era. Across the world discriminatory laws made many years ago continue to affect the lives of many people, she said. I am all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country. They were wrong then and they are wrong now.

Nobody, she stressed, should face persecution or discrimination because of who they are or who they love and the UK stands ready to support any Commonwealth member wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes such discrimination possible, because the world has changed.

It is important that the LGBTI movement is not just driven by a few people in the global north, said Ms. Caldera, Executive Director of Equal Ground and Co-Founder and Chair of The Commonwealth Equality Network (TCEN). We now have opportunities to try and lobby for change within the Commonwealth.

TCEN comprises 44 organisations from across the Commonwealth and brought LGBTI rights to the table at the 2018 CHOGM in London.
Symbolic of the political situation in Sri Lanka is this event at the traditional New Year celebrations held by the Central Cultural Fund and Sigiriya hoteliers in Sigiriya on Friday. Involved in the tug o war is an elephant on one side, and a host of others on the other. Pic by Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa.
President Sirisena affirms SLs commitment to PCA, SDA London Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka remains firmly committed to the full implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement (PCA) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (SDA), said President Maithripala Sirisena said, when he addressed the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) session in London on Thursday (19).

Speaking further, President Sirisena said Sri Lanka extended its support to the Clean Ocean Alliance, proposed by the United Kingdom (UK), and this was part of the countrys commitment towards this end. He pointed out that Sri Lanka joined the international community in similar endeavours, including Climate Change.

He also welcomed adoption of the Commonwealth Blue Charter in joint efforts to ensure the Oceans are a shared responsibility and the common heritage of mankind.

He added, Sri Lanka was pleased to have the opportunity to serve as a Blue Charter Champion, and that the charter, along with the PCA and the SDA, are tools to promote a sustainable future.

The inaugural ceremony of the 25th CHOGM 2018 was held under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Thursday (19).

On Wednesday (18), President Sirisena delivered the keynote address to the Commonwealth Business Forum.

Among the other engagements during his visit to the UK, President Sirisena met with UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, who stated that, his Government is ready for direct investments in Sri Lanka, while increasing its investments in the country. He further said that the necessary process in this regard will be implemented in the near future.

The President also met with Lord Naseby, a member of the UKs House of Lords, and thanked him for supporting Sri Lanka in the UK Parliament.

On Thursday, the President attended a special banquet hosted by Queen Elizabeth II in honour of leaders attending CHOGM.

While in the UK, President Sirisena met with members of the Sri Lankan community in London. In his address to the community, the President claimed that certain media and social media platforms are attempting to highlight falsehoods and suppress the truth, to gain narrow political advantage and commercial benefits.

On Friday, the President was the Chief Guest at the opening of the Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health.

President Sirisena arrived in London on April 16 and, as part of the New Year rituals, the President participated in the Oil Anointing Ceremony held at the London Buddhist Vihara, soon after his arrival.
UAE refuses to deport Weeratunga; proposes extradition case in court View(s):

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has turned down Sri Lankas request to repatriate to Colombo Udayanga Weeratunga, a former ambassador to Russia, and advised the Government to initiate extradition proceedings in UAE courts. An extradition treaty exists between Sri Lanka and the UAE. However, though it was signed on April 29, 2002 it has not been placed for ratification in Sri Lankas Parliament.

Officials had pinned their hopes on a deportation of Weeratunga after formal official requests were lodged with the Emirati government and its Embassy in Colombo. Now, officials are busy again formulating fresh documents to initiate extradition proceedings in a UAE court of law. An official source said this has now become a time consuming and financially costly exercise. Most steps are now being taken by the Attorney Generals Department in Colombo. The Sri Lanka diplomatic mission in the UAE has not been helpful enough since the top level diplomats there have little or no contact with the UAE authorities, an official source lamented yesterday.

The source said housemaids who overstayed or faced complaints from their employers were deported pronto and added that the Foreign Ministry in Colombo too had not been able to help. At present the AGs Department is working through a law firm in Dubai where fees are said to be exorbitant. The AGs Department is now examining whether the Sri Lanka-UAE extradition treaty should be first presented in Parliament before it could move courts in the emirate.

Udayanga Weeratunga, a principal suspect in investigations by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over the Air Force acquisition of MiG-27 fighter jets, is now under detention in Abu Dhabi. He was arrested last month when he returned to his apartment during an operation carried out by the Dubai Police.

Mr. Weeratunga, who was Sri Lankas former ambassador to Russia, was earlier a resident of Ukraine. He ran a restaurant serving Sri Lankan cuisine.

It was one time Attorney General C.R. de Silva, as the then Solicitor General, who signed the Sri Lanka-UAE extradition treaty.

In terms of the treaty, provisions are identical for both the UAE and Sri Lanka. The treaty allows to extradite persons who are accused of offences which entail punishment of one year and more, or who have been convicted and sentenced to a period of imprisonment of six months which has to be served. This agreement is quite extensive and provides for the surrender of accused persons as well as convicted persons on both sides.
The Artsakh Ministry of Defense reports that it has spotted movements of Azerbaijani military personnel and equipment along the Line of Contact, especially in the east and southeast.

It also reports intensified Azerbaijani gunfire as of this afternoon.

The ministry says it is closely monitoring developments on the border.
Veggie farmers cry out for sales channels for their surpluses By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s):

Every year, Sri Lankas farmers produce some varieties of vegetables more than is needed by households. Only minute amounts are exported. The bulk ends up on garbage dumps, for elephants to rummage through.

The glut of vegetables cause financial loss to farmers and the waste of thousands of tonnes of vegetables continues.

Farmer associations are calling for ways to regulate agricultural production.

Vegetable prices in Colombo dropped sharply with the majority of produce selling below Rs 80 per kilogram.

Referring to the recent glut, Duminda Priyadarshana, head of marketing food policy and the agri business division at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Institute said farmers had switched to growing vegetables because they had not been able to grow rice.

He said demand and supply fluctuates from March to April and July to September, but this years surplus has led to a massive drop in prices.

Mr Priyadarshana said farmers can harvest their vegetable crop in 45 days, unlike the rice crop. Despite losses, he said, farmers continue to grow vegetables, in the hope they can recoup their money the next time around, but it does not happen. So they sink deeper and deeper into debt.

Mr Priyadarshana told the Sunday Times that the Agriculture Ministry and the training institute should draw up plans to manage production and regulate prices.

A researcher at the institute, W A Nalaka Wijesooriya, said a system under which they suggest the amount and type of crop based on the size of the farm had been introduced. But this can not be implemented because of adverse weather. For one thing, the Government has no system to purchase excess stock and store them.

At the same time, he said, farmers are reluctant to follow available schemes.

But farmer groups blame the Government for not helping them in marketing their produce.

The All Island Farmers Federation. national organiser, Namal Karunaratne told the Sunday Times that the Government lacks a plan to regulate crop production and estimate how much is needed for consumption.

He also said, that the Government must provide suitable seeds.

Mr Karunaratne said farmers produce 100 kilos of vegetables and only earn an income for 40kg.

The lack of air-conditioned storage contributes to the waste. Buyers in Dambulla do not have such storage either.

Sometimes, farmers have to pay more to transport vegetables compared with what they can earn, Mr Karunaratne said.

Back in Colombo, vendors said they are unable to sell their vegetables despite a drop in prices.

Though the prices have dropped, there is no major increase in demand. Some times we buy extra assuming that we can sell it, as prices are low, but that does not happen, said M. N. Nirmala a vendor at the Dematagoda market.

She said she incurs losses as a result.

Sumith Thilanka, another trader in the same market, said many of the vendors were selling the same produce.

Due to large stocks being transported, the crop damage also was high. This further affects the traders, he said.

He sees the need for cold storage facilities in markets.

A cross section of consumers interviewed by the Sunday Times admitted that vegetable prices were low.

We feel sorry about the farmers though we benefit from low prices. In some cases a farmer may not be getting Rs 10 per kilo, said Jayantha Liyanaarachchi, a resident of Wattala.

He too believes cold storages should be provided to the trade.

The government and the farmers need to work together on this issue. The officials should know the realities on the ground, he said.

N Hewage, a resident of Colombo, said that during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, prices were very low and even lower in Dambulla. When I visited Dambulla I saw the stocks held for disposal, he added. He said cold storage should be provided to vegetable growers and sellers.

TOMATO PILES ROT, BUT NOT IDEAL FOR PASTE FACTORY Lorry loads of tomato end up in the garbage dumps of Sri Lanka because of over production by farmers in a country with high to moderate poverty, high malnutrition and rising inequality, according to a study by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Research and Training InstituteA kilo of tomato now sells for Rs 34 wholesale on average in Colombo, and Rs 21 in Dambulla. A kilo is Rs 63 at retail level in Colombo and Rs 42 in Dambulla. On April 20, a kilo had dropped to Rs 30. In 2015, a kilo of tomato was selling for more than Rs 130. It October last year, prices had risen to Rs 175. In the five years to 2010 alone, studies by local researchers have shown that 31,193 metric tonnes of tomato were produced in excess by farmers  6,000 MT on average every year. Nearly 40 percent goes to waste after the harvest, according to a study by the Hector Kobbekaduwa Research and Training Institute. Sadly, the study found that there is considerable demand for tomato paste in the country, nearly 1,250 MT annually and the total requirement was imported. The researchers note how a Rs 60 million tomato processing factory in Matale Nalanda Industrial Zone shut down after the first trial run. Tomato grown in the country was not suitable for processing; farmers had little knowledge about it; and the factory offered low prices, were among many factors that contributed to its failure. The factory needed 7,200 MT of tomato annually. But farmers of Sri Lanka produced on average 6,000 MT in excess every year until 2010. But ordinary people and NGOs wonder why the excess is not distributed to the poor, at a temple, a mosque, a church, or kovil, for example.
Going beyond books An initiative by global organisation Room to Read aims at ensuring that schoolgirls across the country complete their secondary schooling while also gaining essential life skills. Shakya Wickramanayake reports from Anuradhapura View(s): View(s):

Close to a two-hour drive from Anuradhapura, off the town of Kebithigollawa is the small school of Wahalkada D2. We reach there a little after the school day has finished, but for a group of 12 students, lessons are still not over. This is no ordinary lesson focused on geography or mathematics. Instead it focuses on an area the national school curriculum fails to look at  life skills and soft skills.

For that days lesson, the teacher known as a social mobilizer, teaches time management and how to effectively prepare a study timetable for the upcoming exams as well as getting each child to volunteer to tutor another student in their preferred subjects. The children are told to account for family functions, unexpected events and even rest times.

It all sounds simple enough, almost common sense, but the effects are far-reaching. When we visit 14-year-old Piyumi Sandamalies home, a small unplastered house, Piyumis mother eagerly tells us how the programme has changed her daughters life. Shes become more patient now, and will go out of her way to help others, she says, reiterating how her daughter teaches the neighbourhood children in spite of it eating into her own study time. Though naturally talented in writing and dancing it wasnt until she took part in the girls education programme that her confidence blossomed and she started actively participating in competitions. This once shy girl is not only excelling at school, but making a positive impact both at home and in her community.

Her story may not sound that special until you realize the challenges faced by most women in rural underprivileged areas. Country Director for Room to Read in Sri Lanka, Shevanthi Jayasuriya explains how girls from rural communities are more likely to become pregnant as teens, be married off at young ages, become victims of abuse and be trapped in the poverty cycle. Some women try to escape this cycle by going abroad as domestic aides, but only 20% of them are actually better off than when they left, she says adding that most women suffer some sort of abuse or hardship as a result of their employment and that the rate of incestual abuse increases in households without mothers.

The girls education programme that had been operating in the school since 2011 is an initiative by the international charity Room to Read (RTR). Its aims are twofold: first, to ensure that the girls complete their secondary schooling and second, that they gain the necessary skills to negotiate key life decisions. Starting from Grade 6 up until Grade 12, the programme covers a variety of areas from decision making, empathy, sexual health and reproduction, career planning, financial literacy to building healthy relationships and avoiding abusive ones.

The programmes are conducted by the social mobilizer  usually a person from the area who acts as a mentor to the girls and liaison between the community and the programme. These social mobilizers must constantly monitor the progress and attendance of the girls: if a child is absent for three days consecutively they visit her home to check up on her. This has helped prevent countless drop-outs. In most instances these social mobilizers form a great rapport with the children and can reach out to them in a way parents cannot.

We saw this with 15-year-old Sachini Nimesha Tillekaratne. Though a little shy around strangers we got to witness how bubbly and enthusiastic she was with the social mobilizer who is both her mentor and confidante. Her mother comments that it eases her mind to know that her child has someone to always connect with. She cant always open up to me because Im her mother, but she can always talk to her (the social mobilizer), she adds.

Were engaged in transformative work. Were transforming lives, say Shevanthi speaking about the programme, which operates in schools across Moneragala, Badulla, Matale, Anuradhapura and Kandy. The results speak for themselves. 95% of the first batch of girls to follow the programme at a school in Hatton have graduated and are either in higher education, vocational training or employed. Two students from an IDP camp school in Puttalam entered the Colombo and Peradeniya Law Faculties.

Self-respect and self-worth isnt taught in the system, says Shevanthi, referring to both the cultural and education systems. By teaching these girls these values, and teaching them to dream bigger and aim higher, hopefully critical mass is created by the time we leave and the girls become role models to look up to in their community.

However, the work done by Room to Read doesnt just focus on girls education nor is it limited to Sri Lanka. A global charity, Room to Read, which operates in 14 countries, spanning from Nepal to South Africa, seeks to transform the lives of children through capacity building by focusing on literacy and gender equality. Already RTR has reached over 10 million children across the world with its literacy and girls education programmes, and hopes to reach over 15 million by 2020.

The organization which was founded by former Microsoft executive John Wood, former Goldman Sachs executive Erin Ganju, and Dinesh Sheshtra, had its beginnings in a chance encounter back in 1998. While trekking in Nepal, Wood met a Nepalese school inspector who invited him to visit one of the local schools.

On seeing the meagre collection of books that formed the schools library, Wood was moved. Immediately contacting his associates and acquaintances asking for books, Wood was able to construct a worthy library for the schools 450 odd students. From there on Wood quit his job and started Books for Nepal, which went on to become Room to Read.

Today its literacy programme has expanded its operations from merely procuring books and building libraries to publishing childrens books in the local languages and training primary school teachers on effectively teaching languages. In fact now the organization is said to be one of the most influential childrens publishers in the region, having won the 2011 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy. This vertical integration into publishing was spurred due to the lack of quality, age appropriate as well as culturally relevant books in local languages available in the local markets. Today we train the local authors and illustrators on how exactly to write for children, explains Shevanthi, adding that the books are then published in-house and distributed free of charge to school libraries.

But the programme which perhaps has had the biggest impact is the primary teacher training programmes. Piloted in 2012 and launched in 2014, the programme which works through the zonal education system trains primary school teachers in the evidence based methodology for teaching language, especially the mother tongues, replacing the outdated rote learning which focuses on memorisation rather than comprehension. Over 70% of students that sit for the grade 5 scholarship receive a zero for the essay question, says Shevanthi, explaining that this shows a lack of comprehension. You cant do other subjects without basic language skills, she adds highlighting the importance of children grasping the basics of language at an early age.

Under the new methodology teachers use nonsense words (fictional words) to assess whether the kids are merely memorising or whether they comprehend the rules of language; as well as the scientific method of measuring reading speed. In addition theyre trained in the art of storytelling and use various reading techniques such as loud, shared and paired reading. Teachers can now identify the reading abilities and level of each child and cater to them individually according to RTR. For most schools the results become apparent after the grade 5 scholarship exam, says Shevanthi. But within the first few months itself there is a decrease in teacher absenteeism as teachers are more enthusiastic when they see the progress of a child that comes with each lesson. Weve had teachers say that for the first time in their 25 years of teaching, theyre enjoying their vocation, says Shevanthi.

Their literacy programmes have also resulted in parents and the community becoming more involved in their childrens education. Once parents see the childs progress their interest levels shoot up, Shevanthi says, mentioning how in some instances the child who is in Grade 1 or 2 reads the newspaper to their own parents. The community also gets involved through the library system. This is because even though the school libraries are built by RTR, it is the parents who manage them. This helps to make the entire system more sustainable as the community buys into the concept.

Ultimately the goal of their literacy programmes is to give children the necessary literacy skills to further their studies, as well as create the habit and foster a love for reading. As perhaps best said by the famous childrens book author, Dr. Seuss, The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places youll go. That is what RTR strives for, the transformation of lives through education.

Currently their literacy programme in Sri Lanka operates in Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa, Badulla and Anuradhapura, in over 200 schools.These programmes along with the girls education programmes are funded by various individual and corporate donations from across the world, while the biggest corporate support here has been Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), which has helped RTR to carry out its work across the island, and especially in the most remote rural areas that especially need this leg up to break the cycle of poverty.
It all started with a love for old buildings As Barbara Sansoni Lewcock turns 90 today, her friend and colleague Anjalendran reflects on her remarkable contribution to art, architecture and design in Sri Lanka View(s): View(s):

Barbara Sansonis interest in buildings had begun in her childhood through the high ceilinged, wide verandah residencies occupied by her father as Government Agent in Batticaloa, Kurunegala and Matale.

That love affair with architecture crystallized in the early 60s. Disturbed by the destruction of the many beautiful buildings that were being knocked down or remodelled in the name of progress, Barbara decided that she would draw these old buildings in an endeavour to save them, and for herself to enjoy.

Her drawings initially appeared in a weekly series called Collecting Old Buildings in the Ceylon Daily Mirror in 1962 and 1963. Some of these drawings accompanied the initial article on the joint work of Geoffrey Bawa and Ulrik Plesner in the Architectural Review of February 1966.With annotations by Ulrik Plesner and Dr.Ronald Lewcock, who joined this effort in 1969, these drawings were published as a coffee table book called Vihares and Verandas, in 1978.

With her patronage, seven of these architectural buildings and complexes were measured by Ulrik Plesner, assisted by Ismeth Raheem and Laki Senanayake. With 30 years of scholarship and dedication by Dr. Lewcock, these reached a total of 96 examples. This magnum opus was published as Architecture of an Island in 1998, and has now become a sourcebook.

All these publications make one aware of Sri Lankas rich indigenous architectural traditions and heritage.

Back in 1958, Barbara had been joined by the now famous Australian artist Donald Friend in drawing on unbaked tiles in Kelaniya. Inspired by his drawings of every day, her drawings too contained the rich natural landscape to the buildings she drew. No doubt, these inspired the younger Laki Senanayake and Ismeth Raheem, both with their botanical inclinations, to draw the natural settings as an integral part of architectural drawings. These have now become internationally accepted as the Geoffrey Bawa style of architectural drawing

In 1962 Barbara also commissioned Plesner to build an annexe for herself (he initially lived in it!). With its spatial variations and minimal walls under a simple gable roof, this was one of the forerunners of the resolved duality of tradition and the modern, and has continued to inspire generations of young architects.

Bawa and Plesner also designed the Chapel of the Good Shepherd in Bandarawela in 1963. For this remarkable Chapel, Barbara who had worked with terracotta tiles before used this technique to create the 14 Stations of the Cross, and the Psalm of the Good Shepherd which were used in the rec- essed arched vent niches in the otherwise blank exterior. Barbara also moulded in clay, a life size Risen Christ which was then cast in concrete. Together these form an integral part of this chapel and add to its architectural ambience.

She also drew designs of animals, birds and creepers in the St.Bridgets Montessori, designed by Bawa in 1961.

Her interests relating to architecture has been essayed in numerous articles. These include: Some Notes on Old Furniture  ( Times of Ceylon Annual 1962),  Lelilas Road (Ceylon Observer Pictorial 1963), An Essay by a Citizen of Colombo ( Economic Review, April 1980), A Back-Ground to Geoffrey Bawa ( in MIMAR monograph, Concept Media, Singapore, 1986) and Sri Lankan Vernacular ( Architecture + Design , India, March-April 1990.

The Barefoot chapter of her life began when the Mother Provincial of the Good Shepherd Nuns requested Barbara to help out with the colours for the weaving centres she had set up for disadvantaged women who had no schooling to learn skills. As Barbara says,  To match is mediocre, clash divine. Barefoot , a household name in Sri Lanka, was inspired by the lifestyles of the weavers and is now a cottage industry involving over 600 women.

Her warp and weft, make cotton often look like silk. Furthermore, the designers of Barefoot capture moods, flora and fauna and landscape into two dimensional cloth, as demonstrated in the exhibition catalogue  How can it be so right yet, Sarong? of December 2004.

These fabrics and murals have been used in the ceiling of the lounge at Bentota Beach Hotel (1969); bedcovers and room curtains at the Triton Hotel, Ahungalle (1974), and in the landscape murals at the specialty dining lounge at Kandalama Hotel (1994), and the reception of the Lighthouse Hotel, Galle (1998).

Barbara has used her understanding of colour, to move forward and achieve distance in projects such as the SOS Youth Village, Piliyandala (1989); Anjalendran House, Battaramulla (1993); Dharmavasan and Julie House, Battaramulla (2001); and the Crooked House, Battaramulla (2008).

Against the simple background tones of the natural textures of these buildings Barbara emphasized the exposed structure of the building and separated the spaces using the brilliance of the primary colour wheel. Her colours lead one through these buildings and the interaction of these hues make directional movement through these buildings a much varied experience.

Her successful experiments of colouring three dimensional buildings have helped her rediscover her own architectural drawings and present them in colour to show various ways of seeing a building.

I have great pleasure in wishing Barbara Sansoni Lewcock for her 90th birthday, celebrating her architectural contribution, her pioneering revival and design in the field of handlooms, as well as her unique perception of a Sri Lankan identity in colour.
Jessica dishes out her Lankan ties By Tarini Pilapitiya View(s): View(s):

Draped in a batik saree, Jessica Heath greets invitees with a warm ayobuwan welcoming them to the launch of her first cookbook CEYLOVE: From Sri Lanka with Spice. The launch was on April 5 at the Kaema Sutra restaurant at Shangri-la, Colombo.

Based in the United States, Jessica was born to an American father and Sri Lankan mother. CEYLOVE, pronounced Say Love, is her 240-page love letter to her heritage and her mothers homeland conveyed through a collection of family recipes, anecdotes and new twists to local curries as she takes readers through her personal experiences in Sri Lanka.

Growing up I immediately surpassed baby food and went straight on to the curries! Jessica laughs. Her culinary journey has been guided by the expert hands of her mother and grandmother who she remarks, are phenomenal cooks who Ive learnt everything from.

Her cookbook isnt Jessicas first step into the world of food. The former model was also part of the top 40 contestants of Season 8 of MasterChef USA. Beating 50,000 plus contestants and enduring a five-month audition process, Jessica fondly looks back at MasterChef for catapulting her career. I was in the kitchen with Gordon Ramsay! she shares with a chuckle I guess thats something to say.

Her grandmother who was of Dutch Burgher descent passed down many recipes and through CEYLOVE Jessica aims to do justice to the splendour of spices and produce found in the country whilst also trying to enliven forgotten recipes of Burgher cuisine.

Her mothers family migrated to the United States in the 1960s. What I think I adore and respect most of all is that they held onto their traditional roots and it was by default passed on to me, she says, adding Sri Lanka was always been present in our house.

Im governed by the Sri Lankan spices I grew up on, she says passionately. This proved to be a hurdle when it comes to western recipes which lacked the heat found in Lankan cuisine. But you just have to find a way to connect with people all over the world, Jessica says, adding that she incorporates Sri Lankan spices and ingredients into popular western dishes.

With 97 recipes in the glossy pages of her eye-catching book, Jessica is stumped when asked her favourite. I get really excited about all the dishes! even the simplest Wambatu Moju (eggplant pickle) and Pol Sambol (coconut sambol). Her biggest supporter, her husband Rick weighs in that Jessicas cooking had him immediately falling in love with spices. One of his favourite dishes was the spicy beef curry she made three months into their relationship. My friends and I absolutely loved it, Rick shares adding with a chuckle I think we cried while we ate it.

From her signature French- Sri Lankan fusion dish of Sri Lankan Beef Bourguignon (which landed her a spot on MasterChef USA), to one of Ricks favourites, the Dutch Burgher inspired Bole Curry to even a remake of the classic custard with Jessicas Chocolate Wattalappan CEYLOVE coaxes vibrant flavours with simple preparation and fresh produce.

CEYLOVE: From Sri Lanka with Spice is currently available at all leading bookshops and online at www.ceylove.com
The Flying Dutch monk who found his spiritual answers in Sri Lanka View(s):

If Monks & Monkeys is the first coffee-table book written on a Buddhist monk, Bhante Olande Ananda deserves the honours of being its subject. Authored by veteran journalist D.C. Ranatunga, the life story of Bhante Ananda, as narrated by the monk himself, relates the extensive spiritual journey of the young, restless Dutch graduate who was groping in the dark in search of spiritual solace. The journey took him through innumerable Ashrams, temples and religious teachers in India till an accidental meeting with a Lankan bhikkhu, led him to visit Sri Lanka. If Monks & Monkeys is the first coffee-table book written on a Buddhist monk, Bhante Olande Ananda deserves the honours of being its subject. Authored by veteran journalist D.C. Ranatunga, the life story of Bhante Ananda, as narrated by the monk himself, relates the extensive spiritual journey of the young, restless Dutch graduate who was groping in the dark in search of spiritual solace. The journey took him through innumerable Ashrams, temples and religious teachers in India till an accidental meeting with a Lankan bhikkhu, led him to visit Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka, once convinced of the Buddhas teachings, he was ordained as a Theravada monk. Today, described as the Flying Dutch monk, Bhante Ananda travels extensively here and abroad, propagating the Buddha Dhamma and holding meditation courses.

The slim coffee-table book, simply written in an informal literary style, is very readable. The striking cover picture which captures the spirit of the book, is symbolic of the life of a wandering monk. Sarath Perera is responsible for the photographs used of places and those whom Bhante Ananda associated with in Sri Lanka while Somachandra Pieris has made his contribution with his saffron-based designs and lay-out.

Professor Asanka Tillekeratne who spoke at the recent book launch held at the SLFI noted that Buddhist monks, traditionally travelled far and wide to propagate the Dhamma. Bhante Ananda too has trodden the same path. Even in China and Korea,this still happens. As to why the monks extensive travels were described on the cover as travails instead of travels, he said that it could be due to the hardships which travelling monks faced. Referring to the rather strange title of the book  Monks and Monkeys, he said it relates to the rapport Bhante Ananda had with the monkeys during his meditation retreats at the Rockhill Hermitage in Gampola. Professor Tillekeratne said that besides monkeys often figured in Buddhist stories on rebirth.

Professor J.B. Disanayaka commented on the name the Dutch monk adopted on Ordination from Rudy Hammelburg to Olande Ananda. He said that people of Holland were called Landesi, in short, Lansi as we say in Sri Lanka. Therefore, Olande was a better choice. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and the Governor of the Southern Province spoke of the close association they have had with the Venerable monk.

Why a book on Bhante Ananda? There had been many coincidences that had taken place in the life of the monk which suggest rebirth. It was a discussion of these coincidences during a phone conversation between Deepal Sooriyarachchi and the author, two common friends of Bhante that the need to record them was sounded and led to the writing of the book.

In 2008, Bhante Ananda felt the urge to go to Bhutan. Rather he says, it was not me going to Bhutan but Bhutan coming to me, as out of the blues, someone emailed him from Bhutan and said she could organise a trip to Bhutan. His only connection with Bhutan till then was with some Bhutanese monks who in the 1970s visited the Pagoda Road Temple where he was based. With the help of several people, he travelled to Bhutan, a rendezvous where he felt he had spent a lifetime or two. Particularly, when he discovered a mask with three bulging eyes which he remembered having drawn regularly as a small boy in school in Holland without ever having seen it.

Deepal Sooriyarachchi having thus aroused the interest of the author who is domiciled in Australia, the chats with Bhante Ananda commenced on skype whenever the monk touched base from his wanderings. A chance-encounter Bhante Ananda had with the Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka whom he happened to meet during a train journey to Kathmandu was also revealed. It was on his advice, in 1975, that he took a boat from Rameshwaram to Talaimannar and arrived in Sri Lanka.

More coincidences followed. Then a young man of 27, on arriving at the Fort Railway Station, he was seeking help to get to his destination  Sri Vidya Vijayarama on Pagoda road, Nugegoda when another young man, later identified as Hemakumara Nanayakkara, gave him directions. Once he arrived at the temple and settled down after a warm welcome from the Chief Prelate, the same young man who gave him directions appeared at the temple apparently to take a few monks to chant pirith to bless his father who was in hospital. The second meeting led to a close friendship between the two which even extended to their families.

The story of Bhante Ananda, unfolds at the time he sat for his MA after he obtained his degree which included Economics and Sociology in Developing Countries from the University of Amsterdam. As statistics bored him, he attempted a summer course at Cornell University in USA in Political Affairs which he disliked as well.

His father was Jewish and mother, an ex-Christian. With no religious background and while in a disturbed state of mind, a chance meeting in Holland with an Indian Brahmin  P. Narayana Sharma led him to India where he embarked on a spiritual journey. It was this family he stayed with in India who suggested that he followed Buddhism and he was sent to Varanasi where he visited the sacred Buddhist places.

But his search for mental peace continued. He visited many ashrams and temples in Goa, Pondicherry. Thiruvannamalai in Tamilnadu, Mahabalipuram and Puttaparthi where he met Sai Baba. He did intensive meditation under committed gurus and attended talks delivered by famous philosophers such as J. Krishnamurthi. It was at this point, in 1975 that he met the Buddhist monk from Sri Lanka while on his way to Kathmandu by train, who navigated him on to the path he searched for.

On arrival in Sri Lanka, the Chief Prelate of the Pagoda Road Vihara and his Guru Ven. Davuldena Gnanissara Mahanayake Thera, gave him accommodation at the temple even before he took to robes. Five months later, he ordained him as a samanera (novice.) Two years later, in 1977, he received Higher Ordination as a Theravada monk. Bhante Ananda speaks of Ven Davuldena Gnanissara Maha Nayake Thera and other leading venerable monks who directed him on to the path to Ordination with gratitude. As a samanera priest, he learnt to speak and write in Sinhala and later turned out to be the Sudu Hamuduruwo whose sermons were eagerly awaited.

The regular invitations that come his way to deliver sermons here and abroad, to hold guided meditation sessions and to participate in international conferences earned him the epithet flying Dutch monk and afforded him the opportunities to meet world renowned religious personalities such as the Dalai Lama. It also made one-time UNESCO Ambassador Dr. Ananda Guruge whom Bhante Ananda often bumped into at international religious venues to suggest that he should not be called Olande Ananda but All Over Ananda.

Book facts Monks & Monkeysby D.C. Ranatunga. Reviewed by

Rajitha Weerakoon
Tribute to Sri Lankas unsung heroes in the health sector View(s):

Nearly all major achievements in health care in Sri Lanka were made possible by medical administrators, various medical officers working in the field, public health officers, nurses, midwives and other para-medical staff including laboratory staff working under very difficult conditions. We should not forget the medical personnel of the armed forces. The motherlands gratitude must go to them in full measure even though their names are forgotten. They worked with the ideals of  Riches I hold in light esteem, Lust of fame was but a dream that vanished with the morn.

This is the tribute that respected Anaesthetist Dr. Lakshman Karalliedde, based in London, England, paid to the unsung heroes in the health sector at the launch of the History of Medicine in Sri Lanka: 1948-2018 held recently amidst a distinguished gathering at the Lionel Memorial Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) in Colombo 7.

Giving a glimpse at the pages of History of Medicine in Sri Lanka: 1948-2018 edited by former SLMA Presidents Dr. Iyanthi Abeywickrama and Dr. Palitha Abeykoon; retired Senior Consultant of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Dr. Philip Veerasingam; and himself, Dr. Karalliedde said that looking back upon or viewing retrospectively is the intent of a preview. Our co-editors from the SLMA who kick-started this activity have expressed their thoughts in the appropriate sections. In essence, what has to be said has been written.

He then went onto present his and Dr. Veerasingams thoughts by quoting author Virginia Woolf that nothing has really happened till it has been recorded.

Setting the backdrop, he stated that it was Dr. Uragodas epic published in 1987 that recorded what had happened in the field of medicine up to 1948. Since 1948, the expansion and extension of services associated with medicine have been exponential. It was considered useful or rather a necessity to document the achievements sooner than later, despite a comprehensive coverage being near-impossible within a limited period of time. However, if a rather long period is taken update, it is likely that the changes that took place during this period would be excluded.

Collating the information from eminent contributors provided us with the opportunity to observe the tremendous commitment, dedication and relentless pursuit of individuals to enhance health care in Sri Lanka. They travelled across the globe to centres of excellence, often at their expense to learn techniques and skills, lobbied state officials and the private sector to construct buildings and develop specialized units, sought assistance and guidance from international collaborators and funding agencies to obtain equipment, technology, train staff and investigate states of ill-health, said Dr. Karalliedde, adding that these are admirable and inspirational efforts and it has been a privilege to collate them albeit possibly with some omissions.

Looking back into the past, he painted images of how health sector personnel served in all parts of the country that were plagued by diseases such as malaria, typhoid, cholera, yaws, who infused children with severe diarrhoea and malnutrition with infusion sets made of rubber with a metal clips to control the rate of infusion, providing emergency care for potentially fatal conditions without the comfort of modern utilities such as tap water, electricity, sterilisers, telephones, computers and motor cars, to name a few.

He explained that they are aware of similar activities by the younger generation who are extending the boundaries of their specialties, providing training activities for professionals from all parts of the world. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain detailed information.

The merits and demerits of the book would be decided by the readers, said Dr. Karalliedde, adding that some may fault the selection of specialties, contributors, content matter and the errors associated with printing. We are aware that this skeleton provided has many deficiencies, deformities, dislocations or missing metatarsals or whatever  the task is over to you to correct the defects and add the muscles that would make Sri Lanka proud of their health professionals. We did our best to eliminate bias, prejudice and whatever damaging influences that prevail in our society during the whole activity. The sole objective was to pay a just tribute to Dr. Uragoda: If not, Sri Lankas rich heritage of developments would never have been documented.

With the hope that the deficiencies would be corrected in the near future, as there is no lack of professionals of ability and competence amongst us, the main constraint being time, Dr. Karalliedde concluded with a quotation by Wilhelm Geiger, published in the foreword to the translation of the Chulawamsa that not what is said but what is left unsaid is the besetting difficulty of Sri Lankan history.
Memories of an unparalleled politician By Kalinga Indatissa View(s): View(s):

Lalith Athulathmudali, PC was assassinated by an unidentified gunman on April 23, 1993. Obviously, the assassination was based on political reasons. In 1991 he along with the late Mr. Gamini Dissanayake, PC was instrumental in bringing an impeachment against former President Ranasinghe Premadasa. Parliament was prorogued and the speaker M.H. Mohamed announced that the number of signatures on the impeachment motion was insufficient and rejected the impeachment.

It is in this backdrop that Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake, G.M. Premachandra and several other members of parliament, left the United National Party and formed a new political party  the DUNF. In December 1991 Mr. Athulathmudali and the other members of parliament were expelled consequent to a judgement of the supreme court.

I was first introduced to the late Lalith Athulathmudali by Upul Jayasuriya, PC former President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. Upul and I were constituents of the Ratmalana electorate which Mr. Athulathmudali represented in Parliament since 1977. Prior to my first meeting I was fascinated by the achievements of this brilliant erudite scholar. I still recall that when I joined the upper school at Royal College, out of the 24 panels which contained the names of the prize winners, Mr. Athulathmudalis name was included in 20 panels in the college hall.

When I joined Law College in 1982, Mr. Athulathmudali was invited to address the Law Students Union and by this time he had commenced the Mahapola scholarship scheme which has benefited generations of students since 1981. Upul and I met up with Mr. Athulathmudali at his Stanmore Crescent residence about three weeks prior to the general elections of 1989. I observed with amazement, the professionalism of his campaign and the manner in which he attended to every single detail. At this election, which was the first election held under the PR system, Mr. Athulathmudali emerged as the candidate who polled the highest number of preferential votes in the Colombo district.

When the impeachment was in the air, I had the opportunity of meeting up with him at his Flower Terrace residence with the late Asoka Abeysinghe who was my lecturer in commercial law. We never spoke of politics, but we urged him to look after his security. After my resignation from the attorney generals department in 1991, I had the opportunity of developing a closer relationship with this great personality. I was attached to his chambers as the most junior member and when he returned to the Bar, I realised the professionalism with which he approached every brief. In retrospect, I sometimes wonder why he did not remain in the law for had he done that he may have been alive still.

However, by that time Mr. Athulathmudali was deeply involved in politics and public life. The Mahapola Trust, the Colombo Port, the new innovations in the field of agriculture and establishment of a buffer stock of food for a national emergency were some of the significant contributions that he had made to this country during his tenure of office.

Consequent to his death, several opinions were expressed as to who was responsible for the assassination. Several articles and books have been written and even a presidential commission of inquiry was appointed to probe the killing. Allegations were made against the ruling party and against the LTTE. Twenty five years after his demise the question as to who assassinated him still remains unanswered in the opinion of those who knew him closely and who were aware of the circumstances and the threats immediately before and after the assassination.

The LTTE was alleged to be responsible for many assassinations and killings of prominent personalities during this period. It is very rarely that the LTTE would assassinate a prominent individual through a lone gunman. At the commencement of the LTTE as an organisation, there were instances such as the killing of Alfred Duraiappah, the former respected mayor of Jaffna who was killed on July 27, 1975 and A. Amirthalingam the former leader of the opposition who was assassinated on July 13, 1989. Apart from a few incidents such as these, it was never the style of the LTTE to assassinate their targets through an individual assassin.

On that fateful day Mr. Athulathmudali had wanted to meet me with some lawyers at around 10 pm. I learnt about the assassination at around 8 pm when a friend of mine, a Tamil hindu who is now serving as a very senior officer in a state department telephoned me and inquired whether Mr. Athulathmudali had been shot. He was very concerned since, during the 1983 riots it was Mr. Athulathmudali who had protected his family.

When the commission of inquiry was appointed, I was selected to prosecute along with Mr. Upali Gooneratne, PC and to lead the evidence before the commission. The commission findings were subsequently quashed by the supreme court. In my view the commission lost its objective and at one point, I was requested to lead evidence which would have led to the inference that a former head of state may have been involved in the assassination of Mr. Athulathmudali. By this time the head of state had also been assassinated. When I refused to lead the evidence, as I was not convinced of the truthfulness of the statements or the nexus between the evidence and the assassination, a lot of pressure was brought upon me by one individual in the commission, at which point I tendered my resignation. On the same day Gamini Amaratunga who was one of the commissioners tendered his resignation also on the same lines. I am aware that Mr. Upali Gooneratne, PC also resigned subsequently.

As I have said before, it is very rarely that the LTTE would adopt the method of sending a lone gunman to assassinate a target. Furthermore, the LTTE never had the habit of sending assassins with their national identity card in their pocket.

It is interesting to state that immediately after the shooting, several individuals, most of whom are alive even today searched the entire area looking for the assassin who was reported to have been shot by a personal security officer of Mr. Athulathmudali. The entire area in the vicinity of the Kirulapana grounds was searched, including Mugalan road, where the body of the purported assassin was found the next morning. At the time of the search no one found a body or signs of an assassin, dead or alive.

In my view the above three issues, namely the method of killing, the assassin being found with an NIC and the absence of any assassin dead or alive when the search was conducted on the night of April 23, clearly demonstrate that the question as to who assassinated Mr. Athulathmudali still remains unanswered.

During my brief association, I learnt many things from the late Mr. Athulathmudali. He taught us law, politics, values and traditions, fearlessness and confidence and above all how to conduct yourself in society.

Despite his very busy schedule, Mr. Athulathmudali always found time to enhance the knowledge and the skills of individuals. I still recall with gratitude an incident which taught me about simplicity in life.

One day he arranged a private dinner for me at the Hilton in a private dining area. When I received the invitation for the dinner I never knew that only he and I would be there for the dinner. I was 27 years old and struggling to come up in the legal profession after having left the attorney generals department. The purpose of the dinner was to teach me to go through a full western meal without making mistakes. Handling cutlery was something alien to most of us and to this day I appreciate his gesture. At the end of the dinner he told me that one should be proud to be a Sri Lankan and that as Sri Lankans we should be second to none.

In 1994, I had the opportunity of following a course in law and politics in England. My internship was under Mr. Keneth Clarke who was the chancellor of the exchequer of the British Parliament. One evening, I was invited for tea by the speaker of the British Parliament, who inquired from me about the assassination of Mr. Athulathmudali. In the course of the conversation she related to me, a dialogue between her and Mr. Athulathmudali a few years prior to 1994. On a private invitation, Mr. Athulathmudali had met her where she had asked him what the British Government could do to help Sri Lanka. This was during the thickest times of the conflict. The reply that Mr. Athulathmudali had given her made me proud of being a Sri Lankan. He had told her initially Madam Speaker, I do not think that you could help my country by giving me what I have in my mind. The Speaker had insisted that she would do anything within her power, at which point Mr. Athulathmudali had curtly replied Madam Speaker, there is nothing else that I would want, except if you can give us back the pride of the nation that the British took away in 1815, that would be sufficient.

We have today an era where lot of public funds are wasted on insignificant events. Today for most politicians everything is a project and a ceremony. Opening bridges, repairing of buildings, restructuring of projects, opening of sinks and fixing alternators to buses are the contributions that most politicians of today have the capacity for. Most of them lack vision, foresight and national interest. Most of them thrive on cheap publicity and popularity. Every night, every single television channel would beam programs on the theme How to make this nation. This has been happening since 1994. The nation is still in the same place in view of the fact that most politicians except for a very few, do not know the meaning of the term national interest.

It is in this context that I would always refer to Mr. Athulathmudali as an unparalleled politician. He was a visionary and was fearless in taking decisions.

He is fortunate to have many who associated with him, remembering him even today. Most of them are either from his constituency or from the Colombo port or Mahapola recipients. We all remember him for the contribution that he made for 14 years as a Cabinet minister of Sri Lanka.

When we commemorate his 25th death anniversary, my only wish for him is that his journey through samsara be shortened and that he attains the supreme bliss of nirvana. May his life be an inspiration to those who aspire to be politicians and lawyers.

(The writer is a Presidents Counsel)
JORDAN, N.Y. -- A 17-year-old Jordan-Elbridge High School student is accused of making a bomb threat against the school district's buses, according to police and school officials.

The threat was made Thursday afternoon while the student was riding a school bus, according to New York State Police.

Jordan-Elbridge Superintendent James Froio told parents that the student was overheard on a school bus saying that he put a bomb on another school bus. Students who heard his remarks reported them to school authorities, Froio said in a voice message to the school community.

State police K-9 units responded to the Jordan-Elbridge bus garage and the threat was deemed to be non-credible, according to Trooper Jack Keller.

"The student admitted to making those comments with no intent clearly to put a bomb on the bus," Froio said in his message.

The teen, who was not identified, was charged with third-degree falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor, Keller said.

Froio also sent a warning to students.

"It is not appropriate to make comments that you might think are funny relative to anything that endangers the safety of us," Froio said. "The consequences are severe for making statements. There is no such thing as joking around when it comes to issues like this."
There's a new option for Syracuse passengers looking for low-cost bus service to the Big Apple.

OurBus started its first round of express trips from Syracuse to New York City on Friday, with plans to offer services on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The company's website promises "comfortable and luxurious" service from Syracuse to New York City, with reclining seats, free wi-fi, personal charging ports, sanitized restrooms, free water and free rescheduling.

Bus tickets can be purchased through their website or the OurBus app for an average price of $15. Axel Hellman, OurBus co-founder, said the price of tickets will rise to between $25 to $35 in the next few weeks.

The Syracuse pick-up and drop-off site is located at Waverly Avenue in front of the Schine Student Center on Syracuse University's main campus.

We just figured out how to give you a better weekend , Our NYC TO SYRACUSE Express Bus is now live and runs exclusively on weekends. Log on to www.ourbus.com and book your tickets today #RideOurBus Posted by OurBus on Tuesday, April 17, 2018

OurBus launched in 2016, and uses crowd-sourcing and analytics to determine new routes to and from New York City. That's how the idea for a route from Syracuse started.

"We got the request and we knew that we had bus companies that wanted a new route to start," Hellman said.

Hellman said the idea for the route came in part from requests by Syracuse University students who wanted more routes to New York City available. He said the company may do special back-to-school trips for this coming fall semester.

But the routes are not just for Syracuse University students, but for the public as well.

"I want to stress that it's not just for college students. Anyone can take the bus, it just happens to be near it," Hellman said.

The company also offers pick-up locations in Ithaca and Binghamton that have been running since August and September of last year.

Hellman said OurBus is a tech company that works with bus companies to supply them with all of technology, scheduling and customer service to perform the routes.

The OurBus app, which is available through Apple Store app or Google Play Store app, allows customers to track their bus in real time. Bus drivers and transportation planners share travel updates with customers in real-time through the app and through social media.

Hellman said the company plans to expand the schedule of buses to and from Syracuse to weekdays after four to six weeks of weekend-only trips.

"Once we're running for a few weeks, we can have enough people to survey about how the company is doing and what times they want to go on," Hellman said.

Frequent travelers can purchase memberships to get even lower fares - like 10 intercity tickets for $9.99 each, valid for 60 days. Hellman said the company recently stopped selling OurBus Select program memberships due to high interest, but they will be available for purchase again in the next couple weeks. After paying the initial membership fee, customers will be available to purchase tickets for fifty percent off.

Mario DaRocha Jr. is the vice president of operations for MJM Travel Group Inc., the company OurBus works with for the Syracuse bus routes.

He said the time between the initial idea of a route between Syracuse and New York City and implementation was about 30 days.

"There was bunch of practice runs and there's definitely a lot of people that want to go to New York and vice versa," DaRocha Jr. said.

The experience with Ourbus isn't the negative one some people would associate with bus trips, he said.

"It's the experience of the service that the customers will enjoy and honestly rely on," DaRocha Jr. said.


What in the world is U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement doing?



In a scene straight out of a dystopian novel, eight federal agents raided a dairy farm in Rome on Wednesday. They had guns but were not wearing badges or jackets that say "ICE." They produced no warrants, no documentation and no explanation as they pinned Marcial de Leon Aguilar against a window in the milk house and took him into custody.



Farm owner John Collins, hearing the scuffle, said he ran inside to demand what was going on. As he attempted to video the incident, the ICE agents handcuffed him, threatened to arrest him and threw his phone across the road.





"I couldn't believe how unprofessional they were," Collins says in an interview recorded by a farmworker advocate. We'd use stronger terms: authoritarian, arrogant, harsh, disrespectful, inhumane. Some might say such harsh tactics are necessary when federal agents come into a potentially dangerous situation and immediately have to take control. Once they have control of the situation, the public expects agents to act as disciplined as military service men and women.



According to ICE, the agents entered private property to arrest Aguilar for illegally re-entering the country after having been deported multiple times. Aguilar also has a criminal conviction for reckless aggravated assault, according to ICE. Nevertheless, immigration agents should have identified themselves to the farmer and produced appropriate ID, along with a warrant. An ICE agent did not answer questions about whether agents had a warrant. It didn't come up in court paperwork, either. The job of immigration agents is to enforce the rule of law and uphold the Constitution. They ought to abide by both the letter and spirit of it.



It is worth noting that in 2017, ICE processed the arrests of roughly 1,500 people through its Buffalo field office, a 27 percent increase from the year before, according to data collected by the Pew Research Center. Aguilar's arrest is gaining notice because of the way ICE agents treated an American citizen, who loudly complained about it. The public rarely glimpses how agents treat the targets of immigration raids.



ICE's posture against immigrants who are in the country without permission is noticeably tougher under President Donald Trump. Agents may feel they can operate with impunity. They should be careful not to abuse or take for granted the consent of the people they are supposed to serve. This type of unprofessional behavior can only breed contempt for their mission.



Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized ICE's "overly aggressive tactics" in New York. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for a federal investigation into the raid on the Collins farm. The public deserves some answers about how ICE is going about its job enforcing immigration law in New York state and elsewhere. The agency reluctantly answers questions about its activities and shields itself from accountability to the public and to Congress. That's not how it's supposed to work in a democracy.





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SCHENECTADY -- A 31-year-old woman faces misdemeanor charges for allegedly stalking and sending sexually explicit nude photos to the cellphone of the wife of a veteran Schenectady cop when he tried to break off their affair, according to a criminal complaint.

Kimberly Duncan is charged with fourth-degree stalking and third-degree obscenity in the incident between March 4 and Monday, according to court papers. Duncan is accused of sending "nude photographs depicting her breast and vaginal area with an obscene performance" to the cellphone of the wife of Sean Clifford, 48.

He is the older brother of a police Chief Eric Clifford and a seasoned police canine officer.

Sean Clifford said in a statement to the Times Union that he is sorry for his conduct.

"This is a difficult time for my family and I am doing all I can to protect them," he said. "I sincerely apologize to my family for the embarrassment that this has brought them."

On Friday, the police chief referred questions to the New York State Police.

State Police spokesman Mark Cepiel was out the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

The investigation was handled by Investigator James Castiglione with the State Police barracks in Princetown.

The complaint alleges that from March 4 to April 16, Duncan "at various times and various locations, including a restaurant in Schenectady ... intentionally, knowingly, and unlawfully and for no legitimate purpose engaged in a course of conduct directed at" Sean Clifford's wife by calling her cellphone to cause fear in the woman and her family.

Duncan was arraigned Wednesday in Schenectady City Court and released pending a May 2 court appearance.

-- Paul Nelson, Times Union, Albany, N.Y.
In the Oscar-winning movie "Spotlight," Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian talks openly about the priest who abused his clients and the power of the Catholic Church to keep the scandal a secret.

"I'm not crazy. I'm not paranoid. I'm experienced," Garabedian, played by actor Stanley Tucci, says of the church. "You'll see. They control everything. Everything."

That scene was from 17 years ago, but Garabedian's anger with the Catholic Church is still front and center, an important part of his message as he brings his high profile to Buffalo in search of sexual abuse clients here.

Garabedian is one part, a big part, of the out-of-town legal presence that arrived here when the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo announced a compensation fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse.

This collection of lawyers from across the country came armed with a reputation for taking on the church, and, some would say, burdened by a history of not always doing it the right way.

"I believe there's a moral imperative to doing this type of work," Garabedian said in an interview. "It's necessary to counter the evil within the Catholic Church and the evil of sexual abuse."

Garabedian's in-your-face approach is bound to ruffle feathers in Catholic Buffalo.

And he's not alone. In the world of clergy sexual abuse, there are a small number of law firms across the country that specialize in representing victims. And most of the big ones have come to Buffalo.

Lawyers descend on Buffalo for clergy sex abuse cases https://t.co/JUo76VcSa4  The Buffalo News (@TheBuffaloNews) April 21, 2018

Many of these lawyers have been suing Catholic dioceses and individuals on behalf of children abused by priests since the early 1980s.

They also win large sums of money at times and share in the compensation. Typically, a firm will require about a third of a client's cash settlement.

"These cases are not about the money," said attorney J. Michael Reck, a well-known name in the clergy sexual abuse bar. "They're about accountability."

Reck is part of a team led by Jeff Anderson who, like Garabedien, was a pioneer in clergy sexual abuse cases. Even today, Anderson is known for creative and controversial tactics, including at least two lawsuits against the Vatican.

At one point, he filed a racketeering suit that pointed to the church's coverup of sexual abuse by priests and suggested the nation's Catholic bishops were part of an organized criminal enterprise.

Together, Anderson and Reck are representing several dozen survivors in Buffalo. Reck said he could not talk about the details of his clients' abuse at this time but suggested the Buffalo diocese is knowingly underestimating the number of victims.

"They know about a lot of people who they have not reached out to," he said.

Garabedian said his Buffalo clients include a wide range of survivors -- 15 men and 2 women -- and their abuse covered a period from 1953 to 1991. His clients, he said, were between 8 and 18 years old when the abuse took place and are now between 48 and 71 years old.

"It's not unusual for sexual abuse survivors to reach out to me in their 60s and 70s," Garabedian said.

There is no shortage of lawyers looking for survivors and, like personal injury lawyers, they are using advertising to reach the victims.

"Did you survive abuse within the Diocese of Buffalo?" asks one ad from The Marsh Firm in Long Island City.

James R. Marsh said his firm's experience with sexual abuse cases dates back 30 years and the expertise that grew out of that history makes it well equipped to help survivors here.

His firm is working with about 20 victims, he said recently, and each one of them carries the lingering effects of the abuse they suffered at the hands of people they trusted.

"These are the kind of traumatic events you don't forget," Marsh said. "These are events that, for some people, come to define them. It's a sense of betrayal they all feel."

Lawyers such as Marsh, Garabedian and Reck are not without their detractors.

Early on, there was criticism of the secret settlements that for years kept clergy sexual abuse out of the public's eye and helped contribute to the church's coverup.

Many plaintiff lawyers acknowledge those sins of the past and admit that their failure to see the pitfalls behind secrecy led to even more victims.

More recently, the criticism has centered around the tactics used by some attorneys.

Anderson, for example, is known for his reliance on media coverage and his use of press conferences -- Reck and an associate held one Tuesday at the Buffalo Hyatt Regency -- to release documents on priests accused of abuse.

Critics say the risk is that some innocent clergy will be tried unfairly in the media.

Even more important, perhaps, is the allegation that some plaintiff lawyers are cold-calling victims or misrepresenting their legal prospects for receiving compensation from the Buffalo Diocese.

Right now, the only survivors who qualify for the diocese's compensation plan are those who reported their abuse to the diocese before March 1 of this year.

Lawyers acknowledge taking on clients who may not be be eligible but are hopeful the diocese will create a second compensation phase for those who failed to meet the March 1 deadline.

"People need to know what they're up against," said Laura Ahearn, a plantiff's lawyer from Long Island. "There shouldn't be any secrets. Everyone should be allowed to make an informed decision."

Ahearn thinks the diocese needs to be clearer about who is eligible for the program and whether survivors who are now coming forward will have a chance to tell their story.

"These are traumatic experiences that victims are talking about for the very first time," she said.

Unlike compensation plans offered by other Catholic dioceses, the Buffalo program is headed by two former judges: Barbara Howe and Jerome Gorski.

Together, Howe, a former Surrogate Court judge, and Gorski, a former State Supreme Court justice, have the authority to review a survivor's individual claim and offer a cash settlement. The victim then has 60 days to reject or accept the offer.

The diocese said Howe and Gorski are independent administrators, and the church has no power to change or withdraw a settlement. For that reason, the diocese claims, victims don't need a lawyer.

George Richert, a spokesman for the diocese, is quick to add that lawyers are allowed to take part in the process. He also said the diocese is well aware of the calls for a second phase to its compensation plan.

"The Diocese of Buffalo is focused on responding to the claims being made under our existing program and has no plans to expand that program," Richert said last week.

Many of the out-of-town lawyers working on cases here view the Buffalo program with suspicion, in large part because of the suggestion that survivors don't need attorneys to earn their fair share of the compensation program.

"The risk," said Reck, "is that the church will continue to fail them."

- By Phil Fairbanks, The Buffalo News, N.Y.
GLENVILLE -- A national cheese manufacturer that already has a facility in Schenectady will build a new $25 million plant at the Glenville Business and Technology Park, Empire State Development officials announced Thursday.

Belgioioso Cheese, of Green Bay, Wisconsin is a maker of Italian cheeses that bought the Cappiello cheese plant on Broadway in Schenectady in 2011, though the retail store next door remains opened by the Cappiellos. Belgioioso is planning a modern 100,000-square-foot plant at the Glenville site, with the Cappiello plant expected to remain open, as well.

Empire State Development officials said 46 jobs will be created once the plant opens, and 31 existing jobs will be retained.

The new plant will be built on 40 acres the company is buying from the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority for $1.3 million. The land was formerly owned by the federal General Services Administration, from the time when the sprawling park on Route 5 was a naval supply and storage facility. Metroplex bought it in December.

The company will receive $850,000 in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program credits. The company will also be given a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement through Metroplex in which it will pay taxes on 50 percent of its value in the first year of operation, with its taxes rising each year until it is paying 100 percent after 10 years.

"Across the Capital Region, companies are investing in projects that establish and expand their footprint and create new jobs in our communities," said Empire State Development CEO and Commissioner Howard Zemsky. "This project underscores BelGioioso's commitment to Schenectady County and highlight's New York state's economic development efforts in Glenville."

The plant will also create a new market for milk at a time when dairy farmers have been struggling with low milk prices, though company officials wouldn't say how much additional milk it will be buying, since it is a privately owned company.

"We have grown our utilization of milk and this new announcement will only mean continued upward production growth," said Tim Cronin, general manager of the existing Schenectady plant. "Belgioioso has national distribution. The most important thing is we are here to expand in Schenectady County, we are continuing to work with our dairy and milk partners, and we will not be displacing any of our staff and workforce here."

Cronin wouldn't provide a timeline for construction, though such large plants filled with specialized food-handling equipment would typically take more than a year to build. He said the former Cappiello plant is expected to remain in operation.

"We will continue to produce Belgioioso, Cappiello, and Casaro brand cheeses," Cronin said. "We are going to continue to operate the Broadway facility."

BelGioioso was founded in 1979 as a specialty producer of all-natural Italian cheeses. It is planning what company officials called a "state-of-the-art" facility.

"BelGioioso is known around the world for quality cheese products," said Ray Gillen, chairman of Metroplex. "We have the skilled workforce, high-quality water and a great site that won the day and the deal."

Gillen said the company wanted 40 acres so that there would be room for future expansions.

The plant's water will come from the town of Glenville, which has wells that tap the Great Flats Aquifer.

"One of things we're excited about is that they'll be a new water customer for the town," said Glenville Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle. "It's a significant amount of water."

With milk producers seeing some of the lowest prices they have in years, state agriculture officials also hailed the plans as a potential boost for a struggling sector of the economy.

"This is great news for New York's dairy industry at a time when our farmers are facing many challenges," said state Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball. "Once the DelGioioso Cheese plant comes online, a number of our New York producers will have a new home for their milk."

Local officials said negotiations to have the new plant built in Schenectady County have been going on for about two years.

Schenectady County Economic Development Committee Chairman Gary Hughes, D-Schenectady, said the project will also put land that was been government-owned back onto the tax rolls.

"It's jobs, and it strengthens the dairy industry," Hughes said. "It's a good collaboration between the county and the state."

Belgioioso operates nine plants across the country, making fresh mozzarella and about 30 other cheese varieties.

"They need to meet growing demand. People love specialty cheeses," Gillen said.

The plant's site specifics will require review and approval by the Glenville Planning and Zoning Commission, but Koetzle said most of the challenges have been anticipated, and he expects the review to go quickly.

"It's a huge victory for the town. We've been working closely with the town, the state and Metroplex," Koetzle said.

The town is separately in the process of developing an improvement plan for the business park, including upgrading the road system, adding internal directional signage and developing a new marketing plan.

- By Stephen Williams, The Daily Gazette, Schenectady, N.Y.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

The North rather expressed confidence about its nuclear force, which leader Kim Jong Un declared as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead and flight tests of three intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Some analysts believe Kim is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is unlikely to accept a significant cut of his arsenal or go significantly beyond freezing a nuclear program. South Korean and U.S. officials have said Kim is likely trying to save his broken economy from heavy sanctions.

After the announcement Saturday about testing, President Donald Trump tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!"

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

He also said he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim.

South Korea's presidential office welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

The North also vowed to actively engage with regional neighbors and the international community to secure peace on the peninsula and create an "optimal international environment" to build its economy.

The announcement came days before Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

A separate meeting between Kim and Trump is anticipated in May or June.

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee, which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies. The Korean Workers' Party Central Committee declared a "great victory" in the country's official "byungjin" policy of simultaneously pursuing economic and nuclear development.

The committee unanimously adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and "groundbreaking improvements in people's lives."

"To secure transparency on the suspension of nuclear tests, we will close the republic's northern nuclear test site," the party's resolution said.

The official news agency quoted Kim as saying during the meeting: "Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons.

"We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this, the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission."

Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

South Korean scientists have questioned whether the North could continue conducting underground nuclear detonations at its mountainous test site in Kilju in the northeast due to a series of earthquakes that were likely triggered by the activity, suggesting it's too unstable for further bomb tests.

At the height of Pyongyang's standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.
Candidates named in city and school elections

With the passing of the filing deadline for the upcoming city and school election, several area governing bodies including the City of Tama and ...
A new paper sheds light on the possible support of autism pioneer Hans Asperger to the Nazi program, which led to the deaths of children. Who is Hans Asperger?

Nazi Link

A new paper by Herwig Czech provides a review of the life and career of Dr. Asperger during World War II, showing that the pioneer managed to further his career by aligning himself with the Nazis and even actively participated in the eugenics program wherein children with disabilities were killed in Am Spiegelgrund, a concealed killing center.

Evidently, contrary to previous claims that Asperger was protecting the children from being sent to concentration camps, the paper suggests that he sympathized with Nazi politics and played an active role in certain programs that led to the children's deaths. It is said that it was because of this alleged involvement that he was rewarded with excellent career opportunities.

However, while there are other publications that allege Asperger's Nazi-sympathizing ways, there are also others that describe him as a soft-spoken man who really cared for the children, even to the point of lauding their special abilities.

"We believe that the value of Czech's scholarship is that it establishes the necessary evidentiary framework for future discussion," wrote the editors of Molecular Autism in an editorial regarding Czech's paper.

Who Is Hans Asperger?

Hans Asperger is an Austrian pediatrician who was born on Feb. 18, 1906. He is most known for his 1944 paper where he identified a behavioral pattern he described as "autistic psychopathy," which includes a lack of empathy, clumsy movements, intense absorption in certain interests, having one-sided conversations, and lack of ability to form friendships. Interestingly, Asperger is said to have expressed all these symptoms when he was a child.

He was the first person to describe the tenets of what would eventually be called Asperger's syndrome in 1981 and even reportedly called children with the syndrome "little professors" because of their ability to discuss their special interest in great detail. He also reportedly believed that they could use their abilities in adulthood and even followed one patient who eventually became a professor of astronomy.

However, Asperger reportedly also went on to classify some children with autistic psychopathy in contrast with each other instead of highlighting their individual potentials. For instance, in his 1939 paper, he went on to describe one child as being capable of great intellectual achievements, while another child's "autistic originality" was described as being "bizarre, eccentric, and useless."

Asperger continued to work and professionally thrive in Vienna after the exclusion of Jewish doctors and psychiatrists from their professions, especially with the support of fervent Nazi Franz Hamburger. After the war, he criticized the moral failings by the Nazi regime but not its violence, destruction, and persecution, though this supposed unwillingness to deal with the past was not atypical of the Austrian post-war society.

The debate continues regarding Asperger's alleged contributions to Nazi politics, and Czech's paper does not just open up the conversation yet again but also provides the evidence that could help find the truth on whether Asperger was merely complying with the Nazi rule to protect himself and the children or if he was indeed complicit.

"Regarding Asperger's contributions to autism research, there is no evidence to consider them tainted by his problematic role during National Socialism. They are, nevertheless, inseparable from the historical context in which they were first formulated, and which I hope to have shed some new light on," said Czech, author of the paper published in Molecular Autism.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Brooklyn postal service employee faces criminal charges after authorities discovered that he was delaying and detaining mails he was supposed to deliver.

Kept Undelivered Mails In Car, Work Locker, And Apartment

Aleksey Germash, a US Postal Service employee for 16 years, was arrested after federal authorities found out that he had been hoarding undelivered mail in his car and apartment.

According to court papers, authorities received a tip in April that there was a car in Dyker Heights area, where Germash was assigned, filled with more than 20 blue mail bags.

Germash, a Russian immigrant, admitted that the car, a Nissan Pathfinder, was his. He also said that he had also been keeping mails in his apartment and work locker. The complaint alleges that the mailman had been stockpiling the parcels for 12 years.

Overwhelmed By Amount Of Mails To Be Delivered

Germash said that he would take the mails from work to his apartment. He justified his actions saying that he was overwhelmed by the amount of letters that he needed to deliver and that he made sure the important mails are delivered anyway.

Authorities discovered 10,000 pieces of mail in the Nissan Pathfinder, 1,000 in the locker, and 6,000 at the mailman's apartment. The oldest mail dates back to 2005.

Germash appeared in federal court in Brooklyn on Thursday in his postal uniform and was released on a $25,000-bail. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

Earlier this month, another mail carrier was also reported to have thrown away thousands of mail.

Paid An Accomplice To Throw Away Thousands Of Mails

Indiana mailman Kristopher Block was accused of paying a man to throw away 11,000 pieces of mail he was supposed to deliver and for hiding another 6,000 pieces of mails at his home.

He was busted following the discovery of multiple tubs of undelivered mail in a ravine in February 2017. Block told police that he brought home the mails that he could not deliver before the end of his shift and paid somebody of his $50 per bundle to burn the mails in Michigan.

Block, who has since resigned from his post office job, said that this went on for months since summer 2016. He turned in to the post office about 6,000 pieces of undelivered mails that he was keeping at home after being questioned by the police.

His accomplice has not yet been located nor formally charged with a crime.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A 27.5 million-year-old fossil that was discovered on the South Island of New Zealand is now described as one of the oldest known species of baleen whales.

Toipahautea Waitaki

Researchers named the new species Toipahautea waitaki, which roughly translates to "baleen whale from the Waitaki region". The fossil had been found in January 1988 about 30 years ago, but researchers were only able to conduct more in-depth study recently.

The creature lived during the Oligocene epoch about 33.9 million to 23 million years ago when New Zealand was an island archipelago surrounded by shallow waters.

Ewan Fordyce, from the University of Otago's Department of Geology, and colleagues who studied the fossil said that the whale is a relatively old one, hailing back nearly halfway back to the age of the dinosaurs.

Relatively Small Compared With Their Modern Kin

The species was small when compared with modern baleen whales. It measured just 19 feet in length, which is just about half the size of a modern minke whale.

"People look at the fossil record and think the early history of many animals is filled with giants, but not for whales. It's only in recent geological times that whales have achieved really large sizes," said Fordyce.

Baleen Whales

Modern baleen whales are filter-feeding marine giants and include many of the largest known cetaceans such as the humpback, bowhead, and minke whales.

Most of these modern species are feeding specialists. The humpback and blue whales, for instance, are known for gulf-feeding. They take mouthfuls of water and krill before squeezing the water out. Right whales, on the other hand, use skin-feeding. They swim with their mouths open at the surface so they can strain out their prey.

The researchers found that the jaws of the Toipahautea waitaki were long, narrow, and toothless, suggesting that they also fed in similar ways to modern-day whales. Nonetheless, they think that ancient baleen whales such as the Toipahautea were likely generalists that used a number of feeding styles.

"Late Oligocene mysticetes vary considerably in jaw form and kinesis, tooth form and function, and development of baleen, implying a wide range of raptorial, suctorial and filter-feeding behaviour," the researchers wrote in their study, which was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on April 18.

"We here propose that early mysticetes, when transitioned from toothed to baleen-bearing, were generalists and opportunists instead of specializing in any forms of feeding strategies."

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On Wednesday, April 17, a group of marine biologists had a close encounter with a peculiar-looking squid in the Gulf of Mexico.

An Uncanny Creature

According to National Geographic, the Okeanos Explorer team found the interesting creature that was thousands of feet below the Gulf of Mexico. Crew members were recording their findings for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when their remote-controlled submarine stumbled upon the sea creature.

Several members of the crew were surprised by it. One of the team members stated that the creature looked like a vampire squid. The creature also had two pairs of horns on its head and stumpy arms. It perplexed the researchers as they had a hard time identifying it.

However, one of the team's researchers, Mike Vecchione, hypothesizes that the squid could be a part of a squid species known as Discoteuthis discus. This particular type of squid has been known to travel throughout the warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean. The submarine did not collect the creature and continued on their expedition.

"Every time we catch [D. discus], it's so hard to tell what species it is. I've never seen one entire, or in good condition. If that's what it is, then it's the first time anybody's seen one alive," said Vecchione to National Geographic.

The NOAA's Gulf Of Mexico Mission

Finding the mystery squid was a part of the Okeanos Explorer's expedition into the Gulf of Mexico basin. Since Wednesday, April 11, NOAA has charged the team to explore the body of water. The team is searching for sea life, discovering habitats, and also exploring shipwrecks. The Okeanos Explorer team is expected to conclude its mission and return to the East Coast on May 3.

Marine Wildlife Corner

In addition to the Okeanos Explorer's crew of scientists, other researchers have been making discoveries about marine wildlife. Other researchers discovered a group of more than 100 octopuses beneath the ocean surface off of the coast of Costa Rica. The octopuses were protecting their eggs from an underwater volcano.

Another group of scientists discovered a dead sperm whale in Murcia, Spain. Over 64 pounds of plastic apparently was inside the sperm whale's body. Plastic bags, water containers, and pieces of net were discovered inside its stomach and intestines.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Journal of Experimental Biology reported that dolphins have been carefully planning their hunting dives. Researchers revealed that dolphins use information from their previous expeditions to predict where they could find food.

To see the squid in action, click on the video:



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Hammond man struck by two vehicles, killed after trying to run across I-55 Friday, State Police say
More than three years after Louisiana passed a law aimed at getting guns out of the hands of domestic abusers, victim advocates say only the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office has systematically taken on the job of following through on that mandate.

In the rest of the state, advocates say little has changed, despite the law on the books that bans people with protective orders against them or those convicted of certain domestic abuse charges from possessing guns. The problem, they said, seems to be that despite prohibiting gun ownership for these offenders, the Louisiana Legislature never set up a system to ensure the firearm is surrendered or taken away.

In Lafourche Parish, a small division of the Sheriff's Office actually started looking at this problem even before Louisiana acted in 2014, relying on an older federal law that says many people with domestic violence convictions  even some convicted of misdemeanors  can't possess a gun.

Lafourches process has been really groundbreaking for our state," said Mariah Wineski, the executive director for the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "They took the initiative to make this a priority. ... What they were able to to do and have been able to do is incredible, and I see no reason why it cant be replicated."

When someone in Lafourche becomes prohibited from possessing a gun because of a domestic violence offense or protective order, the Sheriffs Office contacts them. If they acknowledge having firearms, deputies then supervise the transfer of the weapons, either to a qualifying friend or family member, or to the Sheriff's Office.

Were concerned about domestic violence and about firearm violence.  Were not simply going to let someone masquerade and pretend that theyre in compliance with the law, said Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre.

Webre touts the success of the program, pointing out that his parish of about 100,000 residents has not seen a homicide committed by a prohibited possessor since 2014. He argues ensuring domestic abusers don't have ready access to guns creates a kind of "cooling off" period that limits impulsive firearm use.

State Sen. JP Morrell is now hoping to establish a similar process statewide, a move he said would help ensure the protections provided to domestic violence victims are afforded as the law intended.

We often hear that we need to tighten the laws that are already on the books.  The bill is just kind of laying out how you do it, said Morrell, a New Orleans Democrat.

Morrells bill, which lays out how to transfer firearms from prohibited possessors but also includes a more stringent framework to identify and penalize those banned from purchasing guns who still try anyway, easily passed the Senate in early April. On Wednesday, it could face more scrutiny in the House criminal justice committee, where similar proposals have died in the past.

No implementation strategy

Louisiana ranks consistently as one of the worst states for the number of women killed by men, according to data from the Violence Policy Center. Based on the latest figures from 2016, Louisianas homicide rate for incidents where one woman was killed by one man is almost double the national average, coming in behind only Alaska and Nevada. It is not clear how many of these killings involved domestic partnerships, as no national data set looks solely at domestic-related homicides.

But those numbers stood out to Lafourche officials, especially Lt. Valerie Martinez-Jordan, who runs the sheriffs social services division. Even before Louisiana lawmakers began addressing the issue of armed domestic abusers, she and Webre looked for ways to better protect victims of domestic violence from further harm  at that time finding prohibitions only in federal laws.

Political Horizons: Renewed effort to close domestic violence loophole If New Orleans Rep. Helena Moreno succeeds in her latest attempt to update the states domestic violence law, she may very well have to thank 

Martinez-Jordan, whom Webre called the architect of the gun transfer program, collaborated with local Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives agents to craft a letter to inform those deemed ineligible under federal law to possess guns. When she started that process 2010, Martinez-Jordan said it was primarily educational, alerting people of the laws they might be violating in hopes they would comply because deputies did not have jurisdiction to arrest or prosecute under federal statutes.

The federal law that (started) this whole concept of gun divestiture, there was never an implementation strategy, Webre said. They should have set the process in motion. So the states, ultimately  started enacting their own version of federal law.

Louisiana's law, adopted in 2014, prohibits firearm possession for a person convicted of domestic abuse battery for 10 years after the completion of a sentence or probation. It also bans guns from someone with a protective order against them, whom a judge has found is a potential threat to the physical safety of a family member, household member or dating partner. That restriction is in effect only while the order is in force, typically 18 months.

Once the Legislature tweaked the law, Martinez-Jordan saw an opportunity to expand, and actually enforce, her firearm divestment process.

With support from the local courts and the District Attorneys Office, the Lafourche Sheriffs Office receives notification when a person loses eligibility to possess a gun due to a conviction or protective order. Upon notification, deputies flag the person in their internal database so deputies  and other local law enforcement officers  can be aware of the restrictions during a possible interaction. Martinez-Jordan's office also sends a letter explaining the laws that prohibit the persons gun possession.

The majority of recipients return the letters, Martinez-Jordan said, signing that they understand the restrictions and indicating whether they possess guns. Anybody who doesn't respond, as well as people who acknowledge their gun ownership, receive follow-up visits from trained deputies.

For the gun owners, deputies explain the three options they have to transfer their weapons: hand them over to a qualified third-party recipient for storage; sell or donate the gun indefinitely; or give the gun to the Sheriffs Office for safe keeping.

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Since 2015, when the state law became effective, the Sheriffs Office has sent out more than 1,000 such letters, of which more than 55 percent have been returned. When guns were discovered, either by the letters or in follow-up visits, the majority of prohibited possessors have turned the weapons over to third parties, Martinez-Jordan said, though the exact number of those transfers was not immediately available. As of October, the Sheriff's Office was storing 13 guns from the transfer process.

To be able to implement the intent and the spirit of that law, its given assurance to victims that weve done everything, that we care about them, Webre said.

Although Webre and other advocates of this kind of system admit its not foolproof  somebody who hands a gun over to a relative or friend might be able to easily get it back  they contend its the best out there. The process is modeled off similar successful processes in Wisconsin and King County, Washington.

There are obvious gaps  (but) it doesnt mean we should be making it easy for them, Wineski said. We do think its a really workable process.

At a recent Louisiana Sheriffs' Association meeting, about 10 of the 35 sheriffs there said they had, in some capacity, taken guns away from people deemed a prohibited possessor though the courts, either from a domestic violence conviction or protective order, said Michael Ranatza, executive director of the group. He said that often happens when deputies were called for another reason, like a domestic incident or traffic issue, and a gun was found with someone who is restricted under the law.

Tougher domestic violence bills sent to Jindal The Louisiana Legislature backed several bills Tuesday that seek to provide additional layers of protection for domestic violence victims.

It doesn't mean that other sheriffs are not doing it; it means Sheriff Webre has a more formal program, Ranatza said. He has been very proactive in working with his judges and other entities, and I certainly give credit where credit is due.  Were very proud of what hes done.

In an Orleans Parish civil courtroom, Judge Bernadette DSouza also has worked to implement the applicable portion of the 2014 law since it was passed, saying she believes its incumbent on me to keep that family safe. D'Souza doesn't deal with criminal cases, only family court proceedings that could result in a protective order.

The law requires, upon finding the subject of a protective order presents a credible threat to the physical safety of a family member or household member, that a judge must explain to the person that he or she is prohibited from possessing a firearm during the period of the order.

DSouza goes a step further when guns have been mentioned in a victims testimony or complaint, working with Orleans Parish sheriffs deputies to fulfill her court order that guns must be transferred from the possessor. She said the Sheriffs Office will store the guns until the end of the protective order, when she will, after an evaluation, file a second court order to return the guns.

"I believe its at my discretion, DSouza said. "If I am to hear testimony of a witness where the defendant held a gun to her head, am I supposed to let the defendant walk away?"

'Closes the gap'

Morrells proposal, Senate Bill 231, would make sheriffs' offices the agencies in charge of overseeing gun transfer programs, while laying out how they should move forward with this responsibility.

We passed the requirement to transfer guns (from certain domestic abusers)  but they didnt create a mechanism as to how to do it, Morrell said.

Under the bill, judges would issue a court order for the transfer of firearms and suspension of concealed handgun permits after a qualifying conviction or the filing of a protective order.

The person would then have 48 hours to transfer their guns, under the supervision of a local deputy, through one of the three options used in Lafourche Parish. They also have five days to file paperwork with the clerk of court proving the transfer or declaring that they dont have guns.

When a person regains their gun possession rights  at the end of a protective order or 10 years after a completed sentence or probation period for a domestic abuse conviction  the sheriff would return any guns they stored. The bill allows sheriffs' offices to charge a fee for weapon storage.

Morrells bill also includes language to strengthen penalties for prohibited possessors who try to purchase a gun despite the legal restrictions, and it would require firearm dealers who determine someone tried to purchase while prohibited to notify law enforcement, as well as a mandate that victims also are informed.

Ranatza said the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association overall supports the bill but wants to clarify certain details, like how judges can expedite determining if a newly prohibited possessor has weapons, how firearms would be returned at the end of the prohibited period and how to address financial constraints.

Were very much interested in assisting Sen. Morrell in the passage of this very important legislation, said Ranatza.(But) we still have some concerns.  Were only trying to make the process better.

Before the Senate passed the bill, the National Rifle Association sent out an alert against it, highlighting the penalty for firearm dealers if they do not tell law enforcement of an attempted gun purchase by a prohibited possessor. Although multiple NRA spokespeople did not return calls for comment this week, Morrell said the group has moved to a neutral position on the bill, which no longer includes criminal penalties against gun dealers who fail to communicate with police.

Morrell said he is well aware that any bill restricting Second Amendment rights can become controversial, but he and anti-domestic violence advocates remain hopeful the House will join the Senate in its passage.

(The bill) essentially closes the gap between our existing domestic violence laws and their actual meaningful implementation in our state, Wineski said. We have every hope and every reason to believe that with the passage of the law, we will be able to save lives in Louisiana.
A Gonzales man and woman were arrested on counts of vehicular homicide Saturday in an April 7 crash that killed a 5-year-old girl after investigators determined they lied about who was driving and that the real driver had been intoxicated, Louisiana State Police said in a press release.

Angela Gaudet, 31, and Joey Gaudet, 35, both of Gonzales, were arrested in the crash that killed Addisyn Teekell.

Joey Gaudet initially told investigators he was driving and trying to turn left on to Mire Road from LA 621 when he hit another vehicle driven by 32-year-old Benjamin Teekell, of Baton Rouge, head-on. He claimed that Angela Gaudet was a passenger in the vehicle he was driving.

However, police found that their injuries were not consistent with where they claimed to be sitting in the vehicle and soon discovered that Angela Gaudet actually had been the driver, police spokesman Senior Trooper Bryan Lee said.

Angela Gaudet was impaired during the time of the crash, according to police toxicology results. Investigators initially said they didn't believe intoxication was a factor in the crash when they believed Joey Gaudet was the driver.

Five-year-old dead following head-on Ascension Parish crash, state police say A five-year-old Baton Rouge girl died following a two-vehicle crash in Ascension Parish Friday evening, according to state police spokesman Br

Angela Gaudet, 31, was arrested on vehicular homicide, 10 counts of vehicular negligent injuring, aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce, obstruction of justice, driving under suspension, no inspection sticker and four counts of no child restraints. Joey Gaudet, 35, also of Gonzales, was arrested on obstruction of justice and injuring public records, police said.

Lee said the Gaudets had more people inside their vehicle than there were seats, including four children who were not properly buckled into their seats.

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Video courtesy Louisiana State Police

Addisyn Teekell was transported to a hospital after the crash and she later died. Her sister, Ashtyn, was also hospitalized after the crash, according to a social media post from their father Benjamin Teekell, who is a St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office deputy.

Ashtyn was released from the hospital last week, but before she went home received several visits from area law enforcement officers, according to her father's Facebook updates. He also posted after the crash he forgave the other driver who caused the wreck.

As for the driver who took my princess Addisyn away, if I cant forgive you then I am a hypocrite to what I preached to her  and for her sake, I forgive you, he wrote.
Wendy Vitter, President Donald Trump's nominee to be a District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, gives testimony during a U. S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.(AP Photo/Harry Hamburg) ORG XMIT: DCHH110
Administration Commissioner Jay Dardenne, left, and Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, right, answers questions on Leger's amendments as the House Appropriations Committee takes up HB1, the budget bill, Monday April 16, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La. After much discussion the amendments failed to pass 6-18.
Dylan Choate, Berelian Karimian and June Olivier were determined to be heard on Friday.

Adjusting the straps of their neon-colored backpacks, the trio of eighth-graders from Lusher Charter School unfurled hand-drawn posters with messages such as No More Silence, End Gun Violence and began their march down the sidewalk of Loyola University on St. Charles Avenue about 10:10 a.m.

We are students, we are change! the three called out. Nearby, a Loyola student gave them a thumbs-up.

While the group was small, they werent alone. Students across the U.S. were championing the same cause, all part of the second nationally organized classroom walkout in two months to protest school shootings and call for gun control measures.

Fridays walkouts came on the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, where gunmen Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 students.

The Friday events were organized by National School Walkout, a coalition of high schoolers in Ridgefield, Connecticut, who began planning Fridays event after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz killed 17 students at a Parkland, Florida, high school on Feb. 14.

According to the groups website, students at Benjamin Franklin High School in Gentilly, Alfred Bonnabel High in Kenner, Belle Chasse High in Belle Chasse, East St. John High in Reserve and Slidell High in Mandeville were scheduled to stand outside for 13 minutes Friday, in honor of every student who died at Columbine 19 years ago.

However, the latest round of walkouts in the New Orleans area did not appear to attract the hundreds of students who turned out for a similar demonstration last month, hosted by another group called Empower.

That group, the youth branch of the national organizing group Womens March, called for protests in honor of the students who died in Parkland. It urged students to ask Congress to ban military-style assault weapons of the kind used at Parkland, require universal background checks before gun sales and allow courts to take guns away from people who show signs of becoming violent.

The group behind Fridays event has yet to craft a list of specific demands, but it plans to do so in coming months, according to its website.

Demands for tougher gun restrictions have met resistance from gun rights advocates who say expanded background checks wont stop criminals from obtaining guns, that federal gun control laws are already strong enough and that some proposals would rob people of their constitutional rights to due process and to own guns.

Empowers walkouts received mixed reactions from school administrators, with some threatening to punish students who participated but others being more supportive.

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While Lushers administration helped students organize the first walkout  with teachers accompanying Lusher students as they locked arms with students from nearby New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High  Fridays event did not appear to have the same cooperation.

Choate, Karimian and Olivier said they were told by one administrator this week that they would be suspended if they walked out without permission.

However, a Lusher spokeswoman said the school did not plan to suspend any students. An email sent to parents Thursday by Lushers middle school principal, Charlene Hebert, said that students would be required to have their parents sign them out of school if they wanted to walk out.

In any case, the three girls appeared to have missed a gathering of about 20 other students who were apparently protesting on Loyolas campus Friday.

The girls' efforts werent entirely for naught, however. Their actions prompted some on-street debates about the issue of gun control.

A woman who said she lost her son last Thursday to gun violence stopped to hug and thank the three as she waited for the streetcar.

Brian Fitzpatrick, the president of the company behind New Orleans new crime cameras, offered a different view as he passed the girls on St. Charles.

He spoke of the trauma he endured when he was robbed and shot by a 15-year-old. He legally owns a gun but didnt have it on him that day, he said, while the weapon used to shoot him was obtained illegally.

If you take the gun away from the law-abiding citizen, and the guys that dont listen to the laws dont give up their guns, all of a sudden youve created a world where only the bad guys have guns, Fitzpatrick said.

The girls listened to his story. Olivier, however, pointed to Australia, where there have been few mass shootings since that country barred semi-automatic and military-style weapons.

Karimian, who grew up in Belgium, which imposes strict restrictions on guns, said she understood Fitzpatricks points but that something has to change.

I feel like the argument is always, This is how its always been, so we cant change it,'  she said.
A former instructor at an alternative school in Mandeville is facing criminal charges and a lawsuit after he was accused of brutalizing a 12-year-old boy under his supervision.

The suit, filed by the boy's mother in federal court in New Orleans, claims civil-rights violations. It alleges that Johnathan Johnson "viciously" beat her son on an almost daily basis, and that the top school official in St. Tammany Parish did nothing about it even after the abuse was brought to his attention.

St. Tammany Parish Schools Superintendent Trey Folse is named as a defendant along with the Parish School Board and Johnson.

A spokeswoman for the school district declined to comment on the case or turn over any records related to Johnson's employment status.

The suit, which refers to the boy only by his initials, claims that Johnson was motivated by hate for the 12-year-old, whom he stalked at the school and serially, repeatedly, viciously and almost daily kicked, beat, slapped, punched."

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The abuse "caused Q.M. extensive, permanent physical and mental damages for which he has been required to seek mental and physical care which is anticipated to go on into the far future if not for Q.M.s entire life," the suit says.

The school, dubbed Project Believe and described as a paramilitary-style environment by administrator Corwin Robinson in a promotional video, is for students recommended for expulsion from other public schools in St. Tammany.

The 12-year-old was sent there in January 2017, according to the suit, because of emotional and developmental problems. But the environment there only made things worse, the suit says.

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His mother, Quintrell Miller, claims in the suit that her son was terrified of going to school and now requires intense psychiatric care. She said she worries he suffers from brain trauma.

Miller said she alerted school administrators to the abuse in April 2017, but nothing was done and the beatings continued.

Around that same time, Miller reached out to Folse, according to the lawsuit, which says she made multiple calls to him, but nothing was done and the unwarranted attacks continued.

The lawsuit alleges that the boys grandmother, Carol Miller, later went to pick him up from school, where she saw him being pushed and hit by Johnson. It says she recorded much of the incident on video and turned it over to Folse, who then fired Johnson on or about April 24, 2017.

The School Board refused to provide any documents related to Johnson or his termination.

Johnson was arrested on June 1, 2017, and booked on one count of cruelty to a juvenile, which the lawsuit claims was related to the incident shown in the video.

Court records in the case are sealed because the alleged victim is a juvenile. But Johnson faces trial in that case May 21 in Louisianas 22nd Judicial District Court.

Millers federal lawsuit makes clear that without the video, she believes the beatings would have continued, saying the School Board became aware of the Johnson attacks on Q.M. but did nothing to stop them until School Board received video of an actual event.

The lawsuit claims the attacks violated the boys constitutional rights to free speech, to be free from unreasonable search and seizure and to be free of false imprisonment, among other constitutional violations.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images

Today, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom celebrates her 92nd birthday. To commemorate that remarkable occasion, were focusing today on her very favorite diadem: the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara.

The history of the tiara goes back more than a century, to the early 1890s, when royal wedding excitement in Britain was suddenly mixed with tragedy. Princess Mary of Teck, the daughter of one of Queen Victorias cousins, was engaged to marry the future king, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale in December 1891. But he suddenly died of influenza only a few weeks after the engagement was officially announced. Mary (called May in her family) was left without a groom, and the country had a new future monarch  the Duke of Clarences younger brother, Prince George, Duke of York.

Wikimedia Commons

George had been in love with one of his cousins, Princess Marie of Edinburgh, but shed turned him down in favor of the Crown Prince of Romania. Now, in the spring of 1893, George did what many of his future subjects had long expected: he proposed to his late brothers fiancee. May accepted, and the pair were married at the Chapel Royal in St. Jamess Palace on July 6, 1893.

SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images

Among Mays glittering hoard of wedding presents was the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara. The tiara takes its name from the committee of women, led by Lady Eva Greville, who raised money for its creation. They purchased the tiara, which features festoon and fleur-de-lis designs, from Garrard in June 1893. The tiara was made of diamonds set in silver and gold, and the original 1893 version was topped by fourteen pearls. Inside the custom mahogany box provided by the jeweler, a second frame was also supplied, which allowed the tiara to be worn as a coronet. Even better, it could also be taken off a frame entirely and worn as a necklace.

Bethany Clarke/Getty Images

Lady Evas committee was so successful in their appeal to raise funds for the tiara that they ended up with much more money than they needed. The extra funds ended up serving a very good purpose. As the tiara was being made, a maritime disaster shocked Britain: a battleship, the HMS Victoria, accidentally collided with another ship off the coast of Tripoli, killing more than 350 sailors as it sank. May personally requested that the surplus funds from the appeal be sent to a fund that had been established to support the widows and children of the perished sailors.

Paul Marotta/Getty Images

Although May didnt wear the tiara on her wedding day  she wisely chose to wear the diamond fringe presented to her by the grooms grandmother, Queen Victoria  the tiara quickly became one of her favorite pieces. She wore it on its coronet frame at the famous Devonshire House Ball in 1897. When George ascended to the throne in 1910, the new Queen Mary wore the tiara in one of her first official portraits.

Wikimedia Commons

Mary was photographed and painted in the tiara and her Garter robes in 1912, shortly after her coronation. In 1914, however, Mary decided to tweak the tiara just a bit. She had Garrard remove the pearls from the top of the tiara, replacing them with 13 diamond brilliants. (The pearls were incorporated into her new Lovers Knot Tiara.) The base of the tiara was also removed around this time so that it could be worn separately as a bandeau. In the 1920s and 1930s, Mary was frequently photographed in the tiara without the signature Garrard diamond-and-dot base.

When Princess Elizabeth, Marys granddaughter, married Prince Philip in November 1947, Mary decided to make the tiara one of Elizabeths wedding gifts. She presented her with both the tiara and its base (still separated as two distinct jewels), and both went on display with the rest of Elizabeths bejeweled wedding presents.

AFP/Getty Images

In recognition of the gift, Elizabeth still reportedly calls the diadem Grannys Tiara. It quickly became a central part of her jewelry wardrobe, first as a princess, and then as Queen Elizabeth II. She even wore the tiara in Edinburgh during one of her first public appearances after the funeral of her father, King George VI. Above, she wears the tiara in a portrait taken on her 25th birthday in 1951.

PHILIPPE BOUCHON/AFP/Getty Images

In the late 1960s, the bandeau base of the tiara was finally reunited with the rest of the sparkler, bringing the piece back to a more magnificent height. The Queen has worn the tiara in that more complete form ever since, pairing it with virtually all of the other gala jewels from her collection, including her rubies, the emeralds from the Delhi Durbar Parure, the Brazilian Aquamarines, and even the Kent Amethysts. Above, she pairs the tiara with the Godman Necklace during the 1984 French state visit to Britain.

Oli Scarff/Getty Images

In the twilight years of her reign, the tiara has become one of the only diadems that the Queen regularly wears. She has chosen it for several important recent occasions, including the landmark state visit to Ireland in 2011 (pictured above) and the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of D-Day in 2014.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

The tiaras classic design will surely make it a favorite of royal ladies in the future as well, but its somehow difficult to imagine anyone else wearing the Queens signature tiara. The diadem may still be Grannys Tiara to Elizabeth, but she has undoubtedly made it her own.
April 13-19, 2018

Heres the rest of the best royal jewels of the week, including pieces that were mainly worn for daytime engagements. Dont forget to vote for your favorites in the poll below!

PONTUS LUNDAHL/AFP/Getty Images

15. Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden wore playful green earrings for a meeting with Prime Minister Modi of India at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Tuesday.





14. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Contemporary Art Fair in Brussels on Thursday, Queen Mathilde of the Belgians wore striking green earrings.

PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU/AFP/Getty Images

13. To welcome President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa of Portugal to Madrid on Monday, Queen Letizia of Spain wore Bulgari hoop earrings set with aquamarines and diamonds.

12. Queen Sofia of Spain wore her trademark layered jewelry look to mark the hundredth anniversary of the Padre Rubinos charity on Thursday.

11. For the UNDPs Spring Gala on Tuesday, Princess Sofia of Sweden wore her dark floral statement earrings. ( See a close-up of the pair over here!

JESSICA GOW/AFP/Getty Images

10. Queen Silvia of Sweden wore pearl button earrings and a bumblebee brooch to receive the Speaker of the Parliament of Finland at the Royal Palace in Stockholm on Thursday.

Alastair Grant  WPA Pool/Getty Images

9. The Duchess of Cornwall wore pearls, including her favorite diamond and pearl drop earrings, to receive Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand and her partner at Clarence House on Thursday.

CHRIS JACKSON/AFP/Getty Images

8. For Thursdays Womens Empowerment reception in London, Meghan Markle sparkled in the Diamond Swirl Earrings from Birks.

CLAUS BECH/AFP/Getty Images

7. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark wore diamond studs and a beaded bracelet for the opening of Slagelse Hospital on Tuesday.

ERIC GAILLARD/AFP/Getty Images

6. For a fundraising gala in Monaco on Saturday, Princess Charlene glittered in classic diamond stud earrings.

YANN COATSALIOU/AFP/Getty Images

5. Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, the elder daughter of Prince Albert II of Monaco, sparkled in diamond jacket-style earrings as she attended the Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series Tournament with her father on Thursday.

Dominic Lipinski-WPA Pool/Getty Images

4. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore a floral brooch studded with blue gems for an audience with Prime Minister Ardern of New Zealand on Thursday.

Pablo Cuadra/Getty Images

3. Aquamarine drop earrings by Bulgari were Queen Letizias accessory of choice to attend a literary awards event in Madrid on Wednesday.

Yui Mok  WPA Pool /Getty Images

2. On Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth II wore the Graving Dock Diamond Brooch to unveil a panel from the new Commonwealth Walkway. ( More over here!

Dominic Lipinski-WPA Pool/Getty Images

1. For Thursdays formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth II chose a classic jewel: the Courtauld Thomson Scallop-Shell Brooch. ( More on the brooch here!
Exercising after a heart attack may help stave off death for longer, Swedish researchers said Thursday.

A study which followed 22,000 heart attack survivors aged 18-74, found that those who boosted their exercise levels after being discharged from hospital, halved their risk of dying within the first four years.

"It is well known that physically active people are less likely to have a heart attack and more likely to live longer," said Orjan Ekblom of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences.

"However, we did not know the impact of exercise on people after a heart attack."

Ekblom led the research presented at a European Society of Cardiology congress in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The team collected data on heart attack patients in Sweden, and their physical activity levels as reported six to 10 weeks or 12 months after the event.

Researchers documented how many exercise sessions of at least 30 minutes the survivers took part in -- with zero to one weekly sessions categorised as "inactive", and two to seven sessions as "active".

Read also: Lack of sleep boosts chance of death by heart failure

"All types of activities could be included, typically with an intensity corresponding to a brisk walk or more intense," Ekblom told AFP.

Almost 1,100 of the group of 22,227 died in the four years of the study.

The team also measured whether the patients became less or more active over time, or maintained a constant level of activity.

Making provision for other factors such as the patients' age, gender, smoking habits and health, the team then looked at trends.

"Compared to patients who were constantly inactive, the risk of death was 37 percent, 51 percent, and 59 percent lower in patients in the categories of reduced activity, increased activity, or constantly active, respectively," said a press statement.

"Reduced activity" referred to patients who exercised initially after their heart attack, but then stopped.

"Exercising twice or more a week should be automatically advocated for heart attack patients," said Ekblom.

The study yielded no data linking strenuous exercise with heart attack risk, he added.
Walking into his sleek and minimalist corner office  with its secret doors, spiral staircases and antechambers  is like entering the set of a James Bond film. Its the perfect place for meeting the nations leading movie producer.

Punjabis made 80 movies since launching MD Pictures in 2007, including cult horror hits (Joko Anwars Kala, or Dead Time) and beloved biopics (Habibie dan Ainun, about former president BJ Habibie). His romantic drama Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love) is the all-time box-office champ in Indonesia and MD Pictures captured 25 percent of the market for local movies in 2017.

The 45 year old dresses for the part of a stylish producer, sometimes appearing in a bespoke three-piece suit perfectly cut to his slim frame, sometimes hiply dressing it down with a tee-shirt.

During an interview, he fingers the tall, point collar of his Milanese-made Vittorio Marchesi (vittoriomarchesi.com) dress shirt, showing off its contrasting linings and signature doubled buttons. Fabric and fashion is part of my creative side, Punjabi says. Its a lesson he learned after his start in a garment factory, buying product in the Tanah Abang market in Jakarta and running a retail business. I know movie stars who dont dress up well  most stars learn how to dress up later on. In this business, you want to dress well. When you dress well you define your personality.

Style begins with suits. On his go-to designers, Punjabi says he brings extra luggage to pick up more suits from Calibre (calibre.com.au/) when in Australia. Its the right fit for me. It brings out the personality that I like about myself, he adds about the Melbourne- based label founded by Gary Zecevic. Very detailed...very young, yet that stylish, elegant touch is there.

Punjabis also partial to Pal Zileri (palzileri.com) , the Italian luxury menswear label thats channelling the spirit of Venice under its new creative director, Rocco Iannone, and Stefano Ricci (stefanoricci.com), the Firenze fashion maison, when looking for a fancier touch.

He leans back into the rich maroon leather of his office chair, virtually the only touch of color amid the dark tones of his office. Punjabi agrees when asked if using a single point of contrast, like the chair, is something he likes to repeat sartorially. Ill do that one golden touch that makes me different, but not too much, that would make me out there.

J+ by The Jakarta Post asked Punjabi a few more questions about his style. His answers have been edited for length and clarity.

Read also: Indonesian movies still lack commercial aspect: producer

Sharp-dressed man Manoj Punjabi says he has upwards of 40 suits. (J+/Riman Saputra)

How many suits do you have?

I think maybe 40 or so...I have maybe about 10 that I havent worn as I tend to buy a few at a go when Im in shopping mode [laughs]. I like my suits in perfect condition, so I take good care of them.

How do you define your style?

I like to create my own trends. Comfort is very important, but stylish comfort. I dont like gaudy colors. The simplicity should be there, but toned down. I make sure when I wear something I am super comfortable. I dont like to fake it.

Has your style changed over time?

Twenty-five years ago I used to wear stronger colors. Now, I dont like wearing something that makes me look older than my age. I try to wear something as young as possible. I dont want to look bapak-bapak [staid]. Even my batik should look as cool as young as possible100 percent contemporary.

On suits, single or double breasted?

I like single. Double breasted makes you older, less cool, more formal and you become more stiff.

Sneakers with a suit?

Ive not adapted to it yet. I need to go proper. It doesnt feel right...yet. Maybe Ill change tomorrow, if the style allows me to. You never know. I believe in change.

Is costume design your favorite part of making movies?

No. Not at all [laughs]. But I am very particular about what the stars wear. I am particular about everything when it comes to style. The look matters. For example, in Surga yang Tak Dirindukan, the director shot [test footage]. Cynthia Laudya Bellathey were making her look so loose and with no style while wearing the hijab. I said she should be a very trending hijabersimple and stylishso she could create a trend on how to dress up. And suddenly Boom! It made a difference.

On accessories, are you a watch collector?

I am a little bit. Now I am in the mood of Richard Mille. I like this RM015 [tourbillon dual time zone]. I have the Bubba Watson White Legend RM055, RM011 chronograph and RM028 diver. The style is there. It is simple, not too much. This is so me. I like luxury watches that have a value. I like when the price maintains or sometimes goes up.

Arent there easier ways to make money than show business?

Its more than making moneyits very difficult to make money here, but if youre really good at it, you can do it. I want to contribute. I can influence people for the greater good. By my movies, I can set the culture of the country. I can influence values for the public. Look at making a movie like Habibie dan Ainun. If 1 percent of the viewers can become just 10 percent of him [Habibie] by watching the movie, Ive made somebody better.

This article was originally published in the April 2018 edition of J+ by The Jakarta Post with the headline Style and Cinematic Flair.

J+ by The Jakarta Post (J+/File)
Roughly one in three Indonesians in major cities in Southeast Asia's largest economy has recently purchased Japanese brands such as Sony and Uniqlo, according to a Japan External Trade Organization survey.

The survey via smartphones on 720 individuals in Jakarta, Surabaya and six other cities also showed that some consumers misrecognize other foreign brands as Japanese, including Miniso of China and Samsung of South Korea.

In the survey conducted in late February, 42.4 percent said they bought Japanese brands in the past three months and 31.6 percent named specific brands and products. But about a quarter of the brands and products mentioned are other foreign brands.

Miniso, a Chinese household and consumer goods retailer, is the most popular "Japanese brand," with 5.1 percent of those polled buying its products, followed by Sony at 4.6 percent, Sharp at 2.9 percent and Toshiba at 1.8 percent, the survey showed.

Honda and Yamaha are also popular among men, while Miniso, Uniqlo and Shiseido attract women.

Miniso is apparently misidentified as a Japanese brand since its stores use displays in Japanese and handle products of a Japanese designer.

Read also: Research shows Indonesians like to shop online during work hours

Indonesians believe the products of Japanese brands are high quality, Takenobu Yamashiro, an official at the Jakarta office of the Japanese government-backed export promotional body known as JETRO, told NNA in a telephone interview.

"Miniso is booming" as it offers well-designed high-quality products at a cheap price, Yamashiro said.

The survey covered consumers aged 18 to 40 with monthly expenditures between $101 and $500 in the eight cities also including Bandung, Bogor, Tangerang, Bekasi, Medan, Makassar and its vicinity, with males accounting for two thirds of the total.

Among the respondents, 67.4 percent said they shop at e-commerce sites more frequently than the previous year, while 36.4 percent buy things at shopping malls more often.

Shopping malls are an important place for Indonesian consumers to catch and feel new services and items, said Yamashiro.

The three most popular online shopping sites are Lazada, Tokopedia and Shopee, with 47.1 percent spending up to 500,000 rupiah ($36) in the past three months, according to the survey.
Researchers have discovered the first evidence that people can genetically adapt to deep diving, as shown by the unusually large spleens in indigenous people of Indonesia known as the "Sea Nomads," a study said Thursday.

The spear-fishing Bajau people regularly free-dive to depths of up to 230 feet (70 meters), with only weights and a wooden mask.

They spend up to 60 percent of their work day diving for fish, spearing octopus and gathering crustaceans -- an amount of time rivaled only by sea otters -- and can stay underwater up to 13 minutes at a time, said the report in the journal Cell.

Intrigued by this unusual ability, American researcher Melissa Ilardo, then a post doctoral candidate at the Centre for GeoGenetics at the University of Copenhagen, wondered if they had genetically adapted somehow to be able to spend more time underwater than other people.

She spent several months in Jaya Bakti, Indonesia, with the help of a translator, getting to know the Bajau and another nearby group that did not dive, the Saluan.

"I spent my whole first visit to Jaya Bakti introducing myself, the project, and the underlying science," she told AFP.

"I wanted to be sure that they understood exactly what I was asking of them so they could help to direct the project to reflect their interests. They were very curious and excited about the research."

Before her second visit, she learned some Indonesian in order to be able to communicate directly with the Bajau.

Read also: Seven lesser-known dive areas in Indonesia

Scans and gene tests

She took genetic samples and did ultrasound scans, which showed that Bajau had spleens about 50 percent larger than the Saluan.

Spleens are important in diving -- and are also enlarged in some seals -- because they release more oxygen into the blood when the body is under stress, or a person is holding their breath underwater.

Spleens were larger in the Balau people whether they were regular divers or not, and further analysis of their DNA revealed why.

Comparing the genomes of the Bajau to two different populations, the Saluan and the Han Chinese, scientists found 25 sites that differed significantly.

Among them was one site on a gene known as PDE10A, which was determined to be linked to the Bajau's larger spleen size.

In mice, "PDE10A is known for regulating a thyroid hormone that controls spleen size, lending support for the idea that the Bajau might have evolved the spleen size necessary to sustain their long and frequent dives,' said the study.

More research is needed to understand how thyroid hormone affects human spleen size.

The findings could boost research in medicine by helping researchers understand how the body reacts to a loss of oxygen in various contexts, from diving to high-latitude climbing to surgery and lung disease.

"This really tells us how valuable and important indigenous populations are around the world that are living extreme lifestyles," said co-author Eske Willerslev, a professor at the University of Copenhagen.

Willerslev admitted he initially urged Ilardo not to pursue the research for her PhD thesis, believing it was too risky and that she may find nothing.

"She said she wanted to do it anyway and that paid off. Melissa was right and our concerns were wrong."

Ilardo said she was aware of the risks but "believed so strongly in this project," that she had to push on.

"The Bajau and other Sea Nomads are simply extraordinary and I wanted to be able to prove that to the world," said Ilardo, now a US National Institutes of Health postdoctoral scholar at the department of Molecular Medicine at the University of Utah.
Indonesian ride-hailing and online payment company Go-Jek is looking to expand into the Philippines, Manilas transport regulator said on Friday, just days after Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] shut down its local business as part of its exit from Southeast Asia.

Go-Jek executives have requested for a meeting with the regulator next week, Aileen Lizada, a board member at the transport regulator, told Reuters.

A Go-Jek spokesman declined to comment.

Reuters reported in March that Go-Jek, which counts Alphabet Inc, Singapores Temasek Holdings Ltd and Chinas Tencent Holdings Ltd as investors, was set to announce its first expansion to another country in Southeast Asia in the next few weeks.

Read also: Philippines, Malaysia put Uber-Grab deal under anti-competition scrutiny

The move comes weeks after Uber sold its loss-making Southeast Asia business to regional rival Grab, and just days into Ubers exit from the Philippines, to the dismay of the riding public that has complained of higher fares, longer waiting time and picky drivers.

The Philippines transport regulator this week approved the accreditation of homegrown ride-hailing companies Hype Transport Systems Inc, HirNa Mobility Solutions Inc and Golag Inc to spur competition.

The countrys transportation agency caps the number of ride-sharing vehicles at 65,000 across all brands and reviews the figure every three months.
Three Papuan women, Nela Hababuk, 58, Maria Meraudje, 62, and Agustina Iwo, 45, shared laughter while roaming around mangrove forests in Kampung Enggros, Jayapura, Papua, looking for clams on Friday.

They held onto a kole-kole (floating boat), where they put their lunchboxes and clams for the day. At times, they lifted their muddy legs to the surface hoping they could find clams there. They would clean the clams they found and collect them in the kole-kole. The clams would then be sold at the traditional market. Collecting and selling clams has been acknowledged as the womens job and has become the locals main source of daily income, especially during times of the year when the men cannot sail out to sea to fish.

We often spend the whole day in the forest, thats why we have our lunchboxes with us. After lunch, we will continue looking for clams until dawn, Maria told The Jakarta Post.

Collecting clams in the forest is special for local women. Before the women leave to collect clams, they huddle up and pledge to never leave each others side while in the forest, as they are supposed to travel in a group. Men are banned from entering the forests while the women are collecting clams.

It has been our preserved tradition. Males are banned because the women usually go naked when collecting clams  it feels more comfortable that way anyway, she said.

Spending time with other women, they will share funny stories and laugh, sing together and even freely shout out their inner voices.

We feel free to do anything we want. We are happiest when were in the forests. Men who hear our voices will know and they will go further away from the forests, Maria said.

Read also: Jawatan Benculuk, an enchanting forest in the outskirts of Banyuwangi

Men who break the rule will be sanctioned by local traditional law, or hukum adat, and will have to pay a fine. The women-only rule also applies to outsiders, including journalists hoping to capture their activities in the forest.

Men are only allowed to enter the forest to collect wood when there are no women, deemed to be the rightful authority of the forest. Enggros Kampung leader Origenes Meraudje said women were free to do anything they wanted in the forest because, they dont have a place to hang out and share stories in the village.

He boasted of the forest as the pride of the kampung, claiming that it is probably the only mangrove forest in Indonesia designated for women.

The 8-hectare mangrove forest, which locals call the tonotwiyat (female forest), is located in the eastern part of Kampung Enggros, the oldest kampung in Jayapura. It takes only five minutes by boat from the kampung to get to the forest.

Echy Sanyi, an Enggros native, who works as a journalist, recalled her fond memories as a young girl following her grandmother into the forest. Echy remembered being lectured by her because she could not row the boat. You shouldnt spend too much time in the city. Come home and learn how to row the boat! Echys grandmother would say as she recalled.

However, local women are now facing challenges from mounting trash, particularly plastic, coming from the city.

We find more plastic than clams nowadays. We are so sad, Meraudje said.

Back in the day, we needed only half a day to fill up our boat [with clams]. But these days, we work the whole day but barely fill up half the boat, she added.
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has made waves since the beginning of her assignment as a no-nonsense leader by fearlessly enforcing tough measures in order to protect Indonesias waters.

Susi recently spoke with The Jakarta Post about staying authentic while forging a career in a male-dominated environment.

Question: Bu Susi, you're a minister in a field dominated by men. Have you ever been underestimated for being a woman?

Answer: I don't think I ever feel underestimated. I don't think men would [be] brave enough to underestimate me.

Q: What are your favorite books?

Books, so many nice books, so many good books. I love everything.

The Kartini book is one of the books I like because of her way of thinking through time, beyond the time that she was living in.

I also like Simone de Beauvoir. I also like the Mahabrata. I also like Kho Ping Hoo. So I like all books.

I like Adam Smith. I like Thomas Paine. I like so many nice books. I can't say one.

So many good books.

Q: Can you name the women who inspire you?

Inspiring women.

My mother, Theresa [May], [Angela] Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, and even Michelle Obama is full of inspiration.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti. (JP/Seto Wardhana)

Read also: Minister Susi graces Anne Avantie's runway, dons elegant 'kebaya'

Q: How do you manage to stay healthy amid all your activities?

Juggling time. And trying to be happy all the time. Even if sometimes I hate it, like these questions.

Q: Do you have any plans to quit smoking?

Always, actually. Because I think smoking is not healthy and the doctor says my skin will be wrinkled more but I never [beat] that.

So, I sometimes try to give up but I can't, so I give up trying.

But I will try again some time.

Q: Do you have any dreams or ambitions that you haven't achieved yet?

To be always with my children at all times. And I think I will never have that opportunity.

So, I try to do my best. Spend most of my time with them.

But, Ive never been, but, I try to enjoy it.

I take them sometimes on my job.

Q: What's behind your bravery and courage in doing your work as a minister?

Professionalism. And I just want things done.

That's the keyword and drive for me.

I ride the road that's called work has to be done.

Done is done.

That's it.

Q: At what events do you choose to wear a kebaya?

A kebaya is sometimes not practical.

It looks good on me, though. I think.

People agree.

But it's just sometimes so impractical.

Read also: Susi beats Sandiaga in Lake Sunter showdown

Q: Do you google yourself?

A: Once in a while. When people send me some message, its funny.

And sometimes I'm surprised at what actually Google knows about me.

Sometimes I don't even realize I know myself as Google knows [me].

Q: Where do you get your news?

Newspapers, online, Yahoo News, Google News.

TV, movies, I don't go, I don't watch.

So, mostly from articles.

And from what people send to my phone.

Because my phone has been publicized by the President. So, many people send me news.

And I don't think I read 50 percent of it.

Q: Can you recommend five destinations for marine tourism?

Raja Ampat is nice. The Banda area is very nice.

Fakfak, Ive just seen it also, nice place.

And Karimunjawa is a nice place.

And Sumatra. Mentawai, Simalungun, are nice places.

Q: Do you have any message for all Indonesian women out there?

Liberate your mind.

Stop thinking you are a woman all the time.

Have some restrictions and limitations.

Because once you liberate your mind, you can move forward and be freer to go to work to do anything you like.

And you will do better, once you feel better. (liz/mut)
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Linkedin Keith Coffman (Reuters) Littleton, Colorado  Sat, April 21, 2018 06:00 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfc304b 2 World #USA,#school,#education,#GunControl Free

Thousands of students walked out of classes across the United States on Friday, marking the 19th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School with a show of unity aimed at pressuring politicians to enact tighter gun restrictions.

Students from more than 2,600 schools and institutions were expected to leave their classes at 10:00 a.m. local time, organizers said. Many wore orange, a color that has come to represent the movement against gun violence, as they observed a 13-second silence in honor of those killed at Columbine.

Waving placards with slogans including No more gun violence and I should be worried about grades, not guns, they walked out of school in cities including New York, Detroit and Washington.

Outside the White House, scores of young protesters sat in silence while they listened to the names of gun violence victims read aloud.

Its an issue thats been in this country for a long time, said Ayanna Rhodes, 14, who walked out of Washington International School. (The Columbine killings) happened like 20 years ago, and we are still getting mass shootings in schools.

On April 20, 1999, two Columbine seniors rampaged through their school, killing 12 of their classmates and a teacher before committing suicide. Since then, mass shootings have occurred with shocking frequency across the United States.

In the latest gun violence to hit a high school, one person was wounded and a suspect was in custody after a shooting on Friday morning at Forest High School in Marion County, Florida, police said.

The second deadliest public school shooting in US history took place in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, leaving 17 dead. The shooting set off a national student movement calling for an end to gun violence and tighter gun restrictions.

Carlos Rodriguez, a 17-year-old junior from Parklands Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was in Columbine for the anniversary, and said he found a sense of solidarity.

Thats the only thing thats keeping us Douglas students alive right now: the distraction of fighting for our rights and advocating for our lives, Rodriguez told Reuters. Its the one thing keeping us hopeful, its the one thing keeping us from not being able to sleep at night.

Another Parkland survivor, Cameron Kasky, praised Fridays demonstrators. Keep marching forward and NEVER settle for less, Kasky wrote on Twitter.

The walkouts, speeches and drive to sign up voters were aimed at pressuring U.S. politicians to enact tighter restrictions on gun sales in the run-up to Novembers midterm congressional elections.

After walking out of class and observing the 13-second silence, it was up to students how to demonstrate. Suggestions from national organizers included marches to the offices of local lawmakers, speeches, and voter registration activities.

On Thursday, Colorado gun control activists rallied near Columbine High School, calling for an end to gun violence.

Columbine has not held classes on April 20 since the massacre, a district spokeswoman said, so there would be no walkout at the school. Students were encouraged to take part in community service.

The latest national rally came more than a month after tens of thousands of students from some 3,000 schools participated in the #ENOUGH National School Walkout to demand that lawmakers seek tighter gun control regulations.

It also followed March For Our Lives rallies in cities across the United States on March 24 that were some of the biggest US youth demonstrations in decades, with hundreds of thousands of young Americans and their supporters taking to the streets to demand tighter gun laws.

Dudley Brown, president of the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights, said the gun-control movement seeks to have the government take away rights.

The main objective of these students is to ban firearms completely, and confiscate the firearms of law-abiding Americans, Brown said. We will oppose them at every step.
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Linkedin Alex Nussbaum, Tina Davis and Laura Blewitt (Bloomberg) New York  Sat, April 21, 2018 10:00 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfc9eb2 2 Business #OPEC,#oil,#SaudiArabia,#Russia,#RussiaTrump,#trump,#DonaldTrump,#USA Free

Rising oil prices are now the latest target in President Donald Trumps cross-hairs. The nations tweeter-in-chief complained Friday about OPEC fueling an artificially Very High" cost for crude that he said will not be accepted!"

So whats behind the jump in prices? Market outcomes, like success, can claim a thousand fathers, but heres a potential rogues gallery for Trump following Brent crudes move to almost US$75 a barrel on Thursday, its highest level in more than three years:

The Saudis: Trumps right on this one. The worlds biggest oil exporter has signaled it wants to push prices even higher, to around $80 a barrel, as it seeks to fund the expansive (and expensive) economic agenda of Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and support the valuation of state energy giant Aramco before an initial public offering. The kingdom spearheaded the successful effort by OPEC, Russia and other major producers to curtail global supply and boost prices. In a meeting this week, oil ministers signaled a willingness to see prices rise further.

Russia: Saudi Arabias most important ally in cutting output has backed extending the effort through the end of this year. Meanwhile, tensions are rising between the West and the worlds largest crude producer. The US and Europe announced tough sanctions on Russia in recent weeks, including limits hitting oligarchs in the energy sector, although Trump did reverse a plan earlier this week to impose more restrictions.

The Iran Deal: Fears that Trump will reimpose sanctions on Iran when the nuclear deal is reviewed, largely arising from the presidents public comments, are adding to uncertainty in the market. The Obama administrations agreement with Iran has boosted production from the nation by more than 1 million barrels a day. A Bloomberg survey of oil-market analysts found a 50-50 chance of a sanctions snap-back, which could halt as much as 800,000 barrels a day of exports from OPECs third-largest producer within six months. Watch prices rise then.

Venezuelas Meltdown: This OPEC member has seen its output decline amid political and economic strife. Trump has added to the pressure, with a drive to impose tough sanctions to punish President Nicolas Maduro. Among those hit by sanctions are the former chief financial officer for the state-owned oil producer, Petroleos de Venezuela SA. A cryptocurrency introduced by Maduro, based on the nations massive oil reserves, may also face sanctions, the US has warned.

Trade Wars: Trumps tough trade talk, and tit-for-tat tariffs between the US and China, have roiled global markets and raised the specter of further restrictions, at a time when American oil and gas exports are rising. In March, the industry said a new White House levy on steel imports could increase the cost of steel for wells by 25 percent and discourage pipeline construction as well.

And about those pipelines: The Permian Basin, the heart of the shale boom, is running into shortages with labor, equipment and, perhaps most critically, pipeline capacity. The output above pipeline space could grow to almost 1 million barrels a day in the year ahead, with no significant new pipes coming online until the second half of 2019.

Pipes arent the only things carrying oil. The Jones Act - Section 27 of a law enacted in 1920 requires that goods transported by ship between US ports be carried on vessels built and flagged in the US and owned and manned by US citizens. That drives up the cost of shipping US crude from the Gulf Coast, for example, to refineries on the East Coast, which often use international oil instead. Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, among others, has called for the act to be annulled.

Finally, the worlds consumers can blame themselves. Global oil demand likely climbed by 2.6 million barrels a day in this years first quarter, the biggest year-over-year jump since 2010, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said on Thursday. Rising consumer spending as well as cold weather in Europe and the US helped boost demand, keeping Brent on track to reach $80 in the coming months, the Goldman analysts said.

Meanwhile, theres one lever Trump could pull to tamp down oil prices: releasing crude from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The emergency supply currently holds about 665 million barrels, according to the Energy Department. The backup has been tapped in the past to deal with market disruptions such as Libyas civil war and Hurricane Katrina.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Indonesia  Sat, April 21 2018

The government will propose that its capital Jakarta, as well as the cities of Makassar in South Sulawesi and Banyuwangi in East Java, be included in an upcoming ASEAN smart cities program, as the bloc seeks ways to build more sustainable cities in the region.



Indonesia is gearing up for the 32nd ASEAN Summit, to be held from April 25 to 28 in Singapore.



Prior to the summit, all ASEAN member states are requested to propose either two or three cities for the smart cities program.



The program aimed to further promote the use of technology in improving cities and enable transparent and effective city management, said Chandra Widya Yudha, the Foreign Ministrys director for ASEAN political-security cooperation.



Indonesia has proposed Jakarta, Makassar and Banyuwangi, he told a press briefing on Friday.



Jakarta is often seen as the seat of ASEA...
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 21, 2018 10:17 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfcb714 1 City bootleg-liquor,Bekasi,death Free

Five residents of Kodau Ambara Pura housing complex in Jatiasih, Bekasi, have reportedly died after drinking oplosan (bootleg liquor).

The victims have been identified as Emo or Imron, 47, Alvian or Pokin, 52, Yopi, 45, Mambo or Hermadi, 58, and Heri Bayo, 57.

"My brother died on Thursday evening," said Hermadi's brother, Suryadi, as quoted by tribunnews.com on Friday.

The five were close friends, Suryadi said, adding that the group might have drunk together last week after getting bootleg liquor for free from a man named Untung.

Imron was the first to die on April 13 after suffering from severe stomach pains and respiratory problems. Alvian and Yopi died five days later.

"[Other residents and I] started suspecting that it was the bootleg liquor that had killed them, because we knew they all drank together last week," Suryadi explained.

Jatiasih Police chief Comr. Illi Anas said that his team is investigating the case.

"We're attempting to gather as much information," Illi said. (vla/ahw)
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Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 21 2018

Musa Widyatmodjo (Courtesy of Musa Widyatmodjo)

In the fashion world, beauty is a diverse concept, and its definition changes from time to time.



United Kingdom-based Italian academic, model and fashion activist Alessandra Lopez y Royo, who did research on contemporary Indonesian fashion and its impact on women, pointed out that today, the fashion industry around the world has taken steps toward inclusivity, representation and diversity.



Diversity in Indonesia is debated, but it seems to be more focused on the relationship between dress and faith, [revolving around] modest fashion. I have not really heard of body positivity, age issues or fashion in disability, she said.



She also opposed the idea that the ideal of beauty is a slim body, long hair and long legs.



Because we are different, ...
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Linkedin Catherine Triomphe (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States  Sat, April 21, 2018 10:40 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfccece 2 Business jet,FAA,aviation,safety-check,accident,Southwest-Airlines Free

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered emergency inspections Friday of jet engines like the one that ruptured during a recent Southwest Airlines flight, leaving a passenger dead.

"Fan blade failure due to cracking, if not addressed, could result in an engine in-flight shutdown (IFSD), uncontained release of debris, damage to the engine, damage to the airplane and possible airplane decompression," the regulatory authority said.

In line with recommendations made earlier by engine maker CFM, the FAA ordered that all CFM56-7B engines that have performed 30,000 or more total accumulated flight cycles be inspected within 20 days.

That affects about 352 engines in the United States, or 681 worldwide.

Each inspection of the engines, which power Boeing 737 aircraft, takes about four hours, according to CFM International, a joint venture between America's GE Aviation and France's Safran Aircraft Engines.

It says about 150 of the engines have already gone through the process.

A cycle concerns a complete flight, from engine start to takeoff and landing to complete shutdown.

Critics quickly criticized the FAA's delay in taking corrective measures.

"The airlines are dictating to the FAA what they think should happen versus the FAA saying 'No, you are going to do this right now,'" Gary Peterson, vice president of the Transport Workers Union International, told NBC News.

"In the old days, we would have had an airworthiness directive and we would be doing the work on the engines right now."

William McGee, an aviation consumer rights advocate, said "the FAA should be more aggressive in ensuring that, when there is a problem, there is a fix."

Once the inspections are completed, CFM recommended to repeat the process every 3,000 cycles -- about two years in airline service -- but the FAA did not require such a measure.

CFM also recommended that fan blades with more than 20,000 cycles be inspected by the end of August -- affecting an additional 2,500 engines.

Around 60 airlines use the CFM56-7B, according to the company, which said GE and Safran have mobilized about 500 technicians "to support customers and minimize operational disruptions" related to the inspections.

The directive comes after the left engine of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 suddenly blew apart during a Tuesday flight from New York to Dallas.

The shrapnel shattered a window and depressurized the cabin, partially sucking a woman out of the plane.

Fellow passengers pulled the passenger -- identified as Jennifer Riordan, 43 -- back in, but she later died of her injuries. The plane made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

A first inspection of the Boeing 737's damaged engine showed that an engine fan blade was missing, apparently broken due to metal fatigue, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Southwest announced just hours after the incident that it would conduct additional inspections of its CFM56-7B engines.

A similar accident on a separate Southwest flight in August 2016 had forced the plane, equipped with the same engine, to make an emergency landing. There were no victims.

CFM and the FAA both called for inspections of the engines at the time, but the regulators did not publish a directive.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 21, 2018 16:55 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfd704a 1 City commuter-trains,barista,jakarta,train-station Free

"Do you want coffee? Here you go," Hendrika Visuddhi said, offering cups of coffee to dozens of commuters at the Jakarta Kota Station in West Jakarta.

Hendrika is one of the 20 female baristas who helped run the Ngopi Bareng Kartini (Coffee with Kartini) event organized by commuter line operator Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) on Saturday.

During the event, 20 female baristas and their male colleagues served free coffee to commuters at the station.



Hendrika said she learned the skill of roasting and serving coffee when she opened Mainichi Coffee in 2014 while working as a private company employee.



"I manage my roaster alone so far, so it is still a one-man show," Hendrika joked, adding that she frequently attended public events to promote her roasted coffee.



Hendrika said she noticed that the barista field was dominated by males, as not a lot of women were interested in learning the skill.



"Anyone can learn to make good coffee," she said.



KCI spokesperson Eva Chairunnisa said the company held the event to commemorate Kartini Day on April 21.

"Previously, baristas were synonymous with men. So we brought in 20 female baristas [to commemorate Kartini Day] while introducing coffee from many parts of Indonesia," she said.

Eva said some 20 female models also showcased batik and kebaya for fashion shows at four commuter trains heading from Jakarta Kota Station to Juanda Station in Central Jakarta (ami)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 21, 2018 11:30 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfce7ff 1 Business TPP,trade-agreement,ASEAN Free

Indonesia is considering plans to join the Trans-Paicific Partnership (TPP) without the United States, known as TPP-11.

The country will discuss the matter during the 32nd ASEAN Summit in Singapore on Wednesday, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said.

He added that as Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Brunei had entered the trade pact, the remaining countries, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines, could get input from them.

"We are studying the new TPP because without the US, it will be different. ASEAN countries will sit together and those four countries that are already in the TPP will brief the remaining six countries," Enggar said on Friday. (ahw)
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Linkedin Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura  Sat, April 21 2018

Sisterhood: Papuan women of Enggros village in Jayapura, Papua, swim in a mangrove forest, which locals call the tonotwiyat (female forest), to collect clams, on Friday. Men are not allowed to enter the forest when women are collecting clams. (JP/Nethy Dharma Somba)

Three Papuan women, Nela Hababuk, 58, Maria Meraudje, 62, and Agustina Iwo, 45, shared laughter while roaming around mangrove forests in Kampung Enggros, Jayapura, Papua, looking for clams on Friday.



They held onto a kole-kole (floating boat), where they put their lunchboxes and clams for the day. At times, they lifted their muddy legs to the surface hoping they could find clams there. They would clean the clams they found and collect them in the kole-kole. The clams would then be sold at the traditional market. Collecting and selling clams has been acknowledged as the womens job and has bec...
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, April 21, 2018 13:13 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfd09d6 1 City school,Fraud,jakarta,police,crime Free

Barunawati Vocational School in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, has reported travel agency PT Wisata Mandiri Travel to the police for alleged fraud.

Barunawati's headmaster Zainuddin accused the agency of taking Rp 134.9 million (US$9,718) of the school's money, which was supposed to be used for a study tour to Yogyakarta.

They promised to pick us up on Thursday at 5 p.m., but they did not show up, Zainuddin said as reported by Kompas.com on Friday.

On that day, 187 study tour participants comprising students, teachers and the schools officials were ready to depart with their luggage. They were later informed that the agency had been robbed and they lost the money the school had deposited.

We are upset because the agency only informed us on the day we were supposed to depart. They requested us to reschedule, he said.

Zainuddin said he had reported the agency to the Tanjung Priok District Police Office.

Zainuddin said the school was in the process of refunding the students. Each student had paid Rp 1.2 million for the tour, he said.

Separately, Tanjung Priok Police chief Comr. Supriyanto said his team had detained some of the travel agencys employees.

The suspects are charged under articles 372 and 378 of the Criminal Code on embezzlement and fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of four years. (ami)
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Linkedin Heather Scott (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Sat, April 21, 2018 10:59 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfcdc39 2 Business IMF,trade-war,China,US,Trade,economy Free

Trade tensions between the United States and China, which threaten to spill over into the global economy, are dominating a gathering of world finance officials even as the Group of 20 avoided the topic on Friday.

Official after official has called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue rather than unilateral tariffs, and warned about the threat to the economic recovery.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire criticized what he called a "vain and pointless" spat with China.

"We run the risk of trade war. We run the risk of multilateral order breaking down that is good for no one, and most definitely not for the world economy and growth," Le Maire told reporters during the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund.

But US President Donald Trump's top finance official said the fault lies with countries that employ unfair trade policies.

"We strongly believe that unfair global trade practices impede stronger US and global growth, acting as a persistent drag on the global economy," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement to the IMF.

While IMF chief Christine Lagarde has offered the fund as a forum to resolve differences, Mnuchin instead said the IMF "should be a strong voice" in urging members "to dismantle trade and non-tariff barriers and to protect intellectual property rights."

Le Maire agreed China must respect the rules, but said the country is a key part of the world trading system.

"We must redefine international trade with China, not against China."

- Serious consequences -

Theft of American intellectual property and technology has been a key irritant in the dispute with Beijing, which prompted President Donald Trump to announce steep tariffs on tens of billions of dollars' worth of Chinese goods, on top of last month's punitive duties on steel that were primarily targeted at China as well.

Washington and Beijing have traded tariff threats and also filed complaints against each other at the World Trade Organization.

WTO Director Roberto Azevedo warned that the effects of a major escalation "could be serious," and poor countries would be the collateral damage.

"A breakdown in trade relations among major players could derail the recovery that we have seen in recent years, threatening the ongoing economic expansion and putting many jobs at risk," he said in a statement to the meetings.

The IMF has highlighted the trade tensions as a major downside risk to the otherwise solid global recovery, and Lagarde said the dispute undermines confidence and creates uncertainty that could choke off investment which has been a prime engine of the global recovery.

The WTO projects global merchandise trade will expand by 4.4 percent this year, after increasing by 4.7 percent in 2017.

- G20 avoids trade issue -

Despite the intense focus on the US-China dispute, the Group of 20 finance ministers, from the world's major economies, avoided discussion of the issue Friday, even while acknowledging the potential danger it posed to the global economy.

"We didn't have a discussion on specific measures on trade," Argentine Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne told reporters after the meeting. "The G20 is not the place to discuss specific measures. That's the WTO."

It was a surprising omission for the group that was key to shepherding the global economy through the 2008 financial crisis and preventing another depression.

But Dujovne said, "We have to also recognize the limitations that we as a group have... and try to find a consensus even if the consensus is more limited than we want."

The ministers did express concern over the growth of "inward looking policies," he said, using a frequent euphemism for trade protectionism.

But German central bank chief Jens Weidmann said the G20 officials all agreed trade must benefit all countries.

"Protectionism, not to mention a trade war, is certainly not the solution."

Le Maire repeated his criticism of the US tariffs on steel and aluminum which were aimed at China but only spared the EU and other key trading partners under a temporary exemption that is due to expire May 1.

As close allies in the EU "we expect not only temporary exemption but a full and permanent exemption," he said.

"We cannot live with a kind of sword of Damocles hanging over our heads."
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Linkedin Reme Ahmad (The Straits Times/Asia News Network) Singapore  Sat, April 21, 2018 07:00 1261 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cfc394e 2 SE Asia #ASEAN,#Malaysia,#election,#MalaysiaFundScandal,#economy,#EconomicGrowth Free

Malaysia's financial markets have been "very calm" as the country enters election season, with investors apparently concluding that nothing much will change on the political front.

But there could be surprises ahead which the markets have not priced in, said Selena Ling, head of treasury research and strategy at OCBC Bank.

"Financial markets are very calm pre-elections," she wrote in notes presented at a forum. "On the flip side, this could also mean that any surprises... which are not discounted could potentially contribute to bouts of uncertainty and volatility."

On the plus side, the Malaysian economy is doing well with the ringgit on the rise, equities on an uptrend, and strong foreign inflows into government bonds, Ling told The Straits Times Global Outlook Forum panel discussion on Thursday.

The economy is on a strong footing, with gross domestic product expected to expand by 5.5 percent this year, after growing 5.9 percent last year.

Some of the economic boosters include government handouts including the BR1M cash aid and bonuses to government-linked companies, strong private investments and thriving exports, Ling said.

Malaysia - South-east Asia's fourth-biggest economy by GDP after Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore - has seen political tumult in the last few years, but its economy has remained resilient.

There are indeed medium-term challenges that the government must tackle such as carrying out structural reforms, boosting labour productivity and improving education quality and skill mismatches.

But the immediate scenario is positive, with all three international rating agencies still giving Malaysia a stable outlook at the sovereign credit rating, she said.

"From the economic point of view it really looks like it is as good as it gets. Actually any risk is on the downside from here, if there are any election surprises," she said.

As the May 9 polling day inches closer, pundits are raising the possibility of unexpected outcomes, such as a hung Parliament or social unrest, which could immediately affect the investment climate and financial markets.

The government has faced much criticism over cost of living issues, and has promised that BR1M cash handouts will continue if the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is returned to power.

Both BN and the opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact have pledged in their respective election manifestos to raise monthly minimum wages to RM1,500 (US$385), from RM1,000 in Peninsular Malaysia now and RM920 in Sabah and Sarawak.

The PH pact has also promised to abolish toll charges on highways, and remove the goods and services tax.

Topics :

This article appeared on The Straits Times newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Garuda Indonesia held a special Kartini Flight to celebrate Kartini Day on April 21.

The GA 204 Kartini Flight that departed from Jakarta to Yogyakarta featured pilots, cabin crew and ground crew who were all female employees of Garuda Indonesia. Among them were captain Ida Fiqriah, who is the carriers first ever female pilot, co-pilot Melinda, flight service manager Evi Soenarjono and aircraft release engineers Pita Hadi Sriwahyuni and Dessy Purnamasari.

According to a press release, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti was among the passengers on the flight, alongside two of the national flag carriers female executives, General and Human Resources director Sari Suharso and Domestic Marketing director Nina Sulistyowati, as well as several other senior managers of state-owned enterprises.

Read also: Women traffic police wear kebaya while on duty

Garuda Indonesia deserves praise for arranging this special flight. The involvement of female pilots, cabin crew and ground crew is proof that women can work amid technological advancements and career dynamic challenges, said Susi prior to takeoff.

Nina said the company expects to make the Kartini Flight an annual event, which celebrates RA Kartini, a national hero and a source of inspiration for Indonesian women.

The company has over 4,500 female employees, from ground crew, aircraft technicians to co-pilot and captains. Twenty-nine of the airlines pilots are women.

To celebrate Kartini Day, Garuda Indonesia is offering a series of promotions for female customers, including up to a 21 percent discount on tickets, a 2,100 air miles bonus and free access to Garuda lounges in Jakarta, Medan and Balikpapan throughout April. (kes)
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. With such high stakes, some may choose to decorate those windows and emphasize their lashes for an added allure.

More and more beauty salons are opening up in Jakarta specifically catering to lash enthusiasts in the Indonesian capital.

Those thinking of diving into the lash-extensions realm for the first time, or even those who are seeking new places to try out, may want to consult the following list before making an appointment.

Dandelion

First established in Surabaya, East Java, Dandelion expanded to Jakarta and has recently opened its third branch, located in Senopati, its second in the capital city.

The salon, which provides eyelash extensions, waxing and nail art services, has grown to become a local favorite. Most recently, it won Best Beauty Clinic of the Year at the BeautyFest Asia, a beauty festival held in Jakarta in March.

Cofounder Shellen Halim said Dandelion emphasized hygiene and quality in eyelash extensions.

"We ensure that our tools and practices adhere to medical-grade standards. This way, there is little to no chance of infection or discomfort," Shellen said during the opening of the branch recently.

Dandelion eyelash extensions application. (Courtesy of Dandelion/File)

The salon uses two types of imported lashes, namely Novolash from the United States and Airy from Japan. There are also different designs available in their application, from a natural setting, that follows the pattern of the original lashes, to a more dramatic setting of a full and enhanced look.

Where : Jl. Senopati No.41C, RT.6/RW.3, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

Price : A basic full set starts at Rp 650,000, while a refill starts at Rp 400,000. For an appointment with a certified top stylist, a full set starts at Rp 800,000 and refills from Rp 500,000.

Read also: Jakpost guide to all about pets

Two Cents

Two Cents first started as a home-to-home service in Jakarta in 2015. In 2017 it opened its first branch in Menteng, while also continuing to provide home services.

Its lash experts are ready to cover the entire Jakarta region, as well as several parts of Tangerang, with additional charges depending on the location. A call to SCBD in South Jakarta will cost approximately Rp 30,000, while to Pluit it could be around Rp 60,000.

Cofounder Cecilia Juarso said the salon used eyelash extensions from Japan, emphasizing a comfortable wear.

"We specialize in providing everyday and natural looking lashes. So, while they look full, it still feels comfortable for day-to-day activities," Cecilia said.

If taken care of properly, Cecilia said, lashes last up to four weeks. However, it is recommended to touch up once every two weeks, she added.

Two Cents is located in Menteng, Central Jakarta. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

While the salon tries its best to accommodate walk-in customers, it is recommended to schedule an appointment approximately three days in advance.

Where : Jl. HOS. Cokroaminoto No.81, RT.3/RW.5, Menteng, Central Jakarta.

Price : A natural-look set starts at Rp 480,000, with touch ups starting at Rp 280,000. A fuller Volume 3D starts at Rp 680,000 and its touch ups start at Rp 380,000.

Wonderbelle

Wonderbelle in Setiabudi offers an Instagram-worthy beauty experience, not only does it have alluring and photogenic lashes, its store is also specially designed to be camera-ready.

Wonderbelle in Setiabudi. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)

Manager Alysia Cathelin said the salon had its own trademarked lashes imported from South Korea. Comfort is key, Alysia said, adding that eyelash extension services have a one-week guarantee for any necessary repairs if needed.

"Lashes are worn when we sleep, when we shower, when we work, so of course they have to be comfortable," Alysia said.

With its main branch opened in Setiabudi, Wonderbelle is making lash extensions accessible in different areas around Jakarta by opening branches spread around different corners of the capital.

Another branch is located in Srengseng Kembangan in West Jakarta, while its most recently opened one is also located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. Its next branch is set to open in Muara Karang in North Jakarta.

Where : Jalan Setia Budi III No.11 A, RT.2/RW.3, Setiabudi, South Jakarta.

Price : Lash extensions start at Rp 600,000 and a retouch starts at Rp 380,000.

Byra Lash Bar

While Byra Lash Bar offers the traditional eyelash extensions, those wanting fuller-looking lashes without the application of extensions can opt for a lash lift.

The salon offers a keratin-based lash-enhancement treatment as an alternative, which aims to add a boost and curve natural lashes upward to make them appear thicker and longer.
New York will soon ban cars from its beloved Central Park, the city's mayor announced Friday, citing a commitment to reducing pollution and "prioritizing people over cars."

Automobile traffic was already prohibited in the north of Manhattan's iconic green space, which will celebrate its 160th birthday next year. Vehicles could still circulate, however, on three concrete lanes in the south: West Drive, Terrace Drive and Center Drive.

The traffic ban on those thruways will go into effect June 27, the day after the city's public schools close for the summer.

The measure does not concern, however, four dedicated below-grade roads that cross the park's width and are separated from the rest of the park by walls.

Read also: Bowie's New York subway station turns into museum to him

"Our parks are for people, not cars. For more than a century, cars have turned parts of the worlds most iconic park into a highway," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in announcing the move. "Today we take it back."

"We are prioritizing the safety and the health of the millions of parents, children and visitors who flock to Central Park."

The mayor's decision follows his January decision to designate the loop drive in Brooklyn's sprawling Prospect Park car-free.

"Central Park is one of New York City's most iconic open spaces and is used by millions of New Yorkers and visitors," said Daniel Zarrilli, the city's Senior Director of Climate Policy and Programs.

"Making Central Park car-free will ensure that everyone who enjoys the park will enjoy cleaner air and improved safety in support of the Citys sustainability and climate goals."
If youre not aware, theres a special election next week to select a new representative in the 74th Assembly District. On Tuesday, voters will pick among four candidates to replace former Assembly member Brian Kavanagh, who switched over to the State Senate.

The 74th AD covers the East Side of Manhattan below Midtown, including the East Village and a few pockets of the Lower East Side beneath East Houston Street (see the district map here). The favorite is longtime community activist Harvey Epstein, running on the Democratic Party line. Other candidates include: Bryan Cooper (Republican Party), Juan Pagan (Reform Party) and Adrienne Craig-Williams (Green Party).

Earlier this month, Epstein reached out to local news outlets, including The Lo-Down. We interviewed him one rainy afternoon at his campaign headquarters on Avenue C.

Epstein is a public interest attorney who just wrapped up a 12-year tour of duty as head of the Community Development Project at the Urban Justice Center. Hes a former chairperson of Community Board 3, tenant representative on the Rent Guidelines Board and a former parent leader at the Neighborhood School.

Even if you dont know Epstein personally, youre probably aware of the impact hes made in the local community. His team at the Urban Justice Center was behind several high-profile cases against Lower East Side landlords accused of harassing rent stabilized tenants. Epstein helped lead a successful effort to pass a dozen tenant protection bills in the City Council last year. He was one of the most outspoken members of CB3 on the issue of affordable housing, especially in the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (now known as Essex Crossing).

In our conversation, Epstein made it clear that working to alleviate New Yorks affordable housing crisis would be a high priority for him in Albany. He noted that there are more than 60,000 homeless people on the citys streets. People are struggling, and we need to do something about it, said Epstein. The state needs to do better.

He would repeal vacancy deregulation as a way of protecting New York Citys stock of rent stabilized housing. At the same time, he said, the State Legislature needs to look for new opportunities to create middle-income housing (the Mitchell Lama Law is 40 years old). We need affordable housing at every (income) level, he added.

As for the troubled New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), Epstein was pleased by Governors Cuomos recent decision to add another $250 million to the housing authoritys budget for critical repairs. But much more needs to be done, he said. While the federal government has starved public housing of funding, Epstein noted that local governments have failed to fill the gap. Theres not enough money going into NYCHA, he asserted. The state and the city, have not done their job to fully fund NYCHA. That really falls at the feet of the state. Over the past 20 years, New York gave up its responsibility to NYCHA.

Another big issue for public housing tenants throughout the Lower East Side is NextGeneration NYCHA, which calls for building new mixed-income housing alongside existing residential towers. Several developments in the 74th Assembly District could be impacted, including the Baruch Houses (NYCHA is now evaluating development proposals for new senior housing at Baruch).

Epstein said he wants more robust resident engagement as NYCHA pursues development opportunities. I want the residents to be driving these conversations, he explained. Its really important that the people who live in those developments have a say in whats happening. Epstein is skeptical about NYCHAs plan to build 50% market rate apartments in new infill projects. I have serious reservations about a 50-50 deal, he said. I always believe that on government land you need to do your best to get 100% affordable housing. Theres an argument to be made, he added, that no new development should occur on NYCHA land. Im not 100% convinced we need to do something there, Epstein said.

From 2008-2013, Epstein was part of a task force created by Community Board 3 to develop a grassroots plan for the former Seward Park Urban Renewal Area. He was among a group of nine members who vowed to oppose the final deal because the city would not commit to making 50% of the apartments permanently affordable. The Bloomberg administration eventually relented, and he backed the plan.

Years later, with the first Essex Crossing buildings opening to residents, does Epstein feel the community got a good deal? In my 2008 eyes, he responded, I think we did the best deal we could get. I have no idea in 2018 whether we could have gotten a better deal than we got in 2013. But thats not how it works in life. I think we got the best deal we could get, and I think we should feel proud of what we got. Personally, he would have loved to have secured more affordable housing, but Epstein said it was significant that the city agreed to permanent affordability, something it hadnt done in the past. That was the old best, he added. In future projects, we have to figure out whats the new best deal we can get for the community.

While we spent a lot of time talking about housing issues, Epstein has many other priorities. Near the top of the list is the decaying, dysfunctional Metropolitan Transportation Authority. For starters, said Epstein, the MTA needs to stop borrowing money for capital improvements. For every dollar you give to the MTA, 20% is going to pay off debt service. In addition to fully funding the MTA, he wants to see a reduced fare program for low-income residents. Other topics Epstein wants to tackle in Albany include more funding for public schools, strengthening gun control laws and establishing a single-payer healthcare system.

In February, Epstein was selected by the Democratic County Committee in the 74th AD as the partys nominee. Many local elected officials and community leaders rallied around him, making victory at the party level relatively easy. But Epstein wants to see the process change. He supports open primaries for all special elections, rather than relying on party bosses in smoke-filled rooms to pick candidates for statewide office.

Asked what he wants voters to know about his candidacy before Tuesdays election, Epstein concluded our interview by saying, I want them to know I care deeply about this neighborhood, and Im really open to hearing from them. I will always try. People should hold me accountable.

If you want to find out whether youre a voter in the 74th Assembly District or locate your polling station, consult the Board of Elections website.
Today would be Charlotte Brontes 202nd birthday. Whilst 2018 really belongs to her sister Emily, younger by two years, there is never a bad time to remember the woman whose best known work, Jane Eyre, has entered into the literary canon  which is impressive for a tiny woman from a tiny village in Yorkshire.

Jane Eyre, as almost everybody knows, is the story of a girl whose horrific experiences at school help her to grow and become the strong, forthright woman who refuses to become her employers mistress. The infamous mad woman in the attic, the brooding darkness of Mr Rochester, and Janes own impassioned calls for female emancipation all combine to make a memorable and very adaptable book.

But Im not going to tell you about Jane Eyre: what could be said that hasnt been said before? Im going to tell you about Brontes 1853 novel, Villette, a text which the majority of people have probably never heard of.

On the surface, its perhaps easy to see why people shy away from Brontes last completed work. Whilst it too follows a young girls growth into womanhood, theres no simple trajectory here, no sympathetic narrator and not even a happy ending. There are fewer adaptations and fewer reworkings. Its also, in the Penguin edition, over 600 pages long, with extensive notes including translations of the many paragraphs written in French. Its not an easy text.

It follows the life of Lucy Snowe, a girl whose family remain mysteriously absent from the text as she is shunted from home to home, finally leaving England to take up a job in a Belgian girls school. There, she lives her life mostly vicariously, observing those around her as they embark on romances, whilst her own love-life is vague and uneasy  no clear Rochester-like declarations of love for her. Lucys life is one of intrigue and confusion and the novel is far less optimistic than the earlier Jane Eyre, which may also account for its general unpopularity.

But if we consider what Charlotte Bronte herself was going through at the time, perhaps we can understand her problematic and somewhat frustrating narrator.

To start, Villette was not the first time she had explored the world of a Belgian boarding school. Her first completed novel The Professor tells a similar tale, although from the perspective of the male school-teacher. Only published after her death, it is widely considered to reflect Charlottes own experiences in Belgium between 1842 and 1844, an experience which included falling passionately in love with her older married tutor, M. Heger. Letters still exist from Charlotte to Heger which, whilst not explicit, project the intensity of her feelings all too clearly. Upon returning home for good, Charlotte used her own life as the basis for The Professor. When the novel was rejected for publication, she wrote Jane Eyre, but that tutor-student relationship must have lingered in the back of her mind at all times, finally spilling out in Villette.

Theres more to it than this though. Jane Eyre was written in her family home, across the table from her sisters Emily and Anne, who themselves were working on Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey respectively. They showed each other drafts, read aloud sections of their manuscripts and enjoyed their collective creativity. That magical time which produced three of literatures most famous works was utterly unique, and indeed never to be repeated.

Because by 1853, Charlotte was an only child. One of six children born to Patrick and Maria Bronte, her two eldest sisters died when they were children. Then, in eight horrific months, Charlotte lost her closest friends. Branwell, the closest sibling by age, died from alcohol-related diseases in September 1848. At his funeral, Emily fell ill and died from tuberculosis in December of that same year, refusing treatment until it was far too late. Then Anne, the youngest, contracted the same illness and died by Charlottes side in May 1849. The only way Charlotte could find to cope with the loss of her beloved siblings and closest rivals was by writing: first, Shirley, published in 1849 and then Villette. Given all of this, it is no wonder that Villette is the book it is.

What is most striking about the novel is its understanding of psychology. Whilst in Belgium, Lucy Snowe struggles repeatedly with her mental health, finding herself falling into a deep depression when left alone at the school during the holidays. I have never seen such an accurate depiction of misery and loneliness, and Bronte calls upon many Gothic tropes in order to present Lucys psyche to us, from the school of many corridors and hidden rooms, to the ghost of a nun, which may or may not be real.

In light of her own real-life traumas, it is no wonder that Villette lacks the fairytale positivity that infuses Jane Eyre. For Charlotte, life wasnt a fairytale; even her 1854 marriage to her fathers curate, Arthur Bell Nichols, ended when she died during pregnancy in 1855. The open-ended nature of Villette, which ends with Lucy refusing to confirm whether her love-interest M. Paul is alive or not, reflects the reality of a life where health and happiness were never certainties. Its the Bronte novel for grown-ups and well worth a read.
If you find a book leaves you wanting more or you just cant get enough of the story, then you probably love a good book-to-film adaptation.

From devoted bookworms to avid cinema goers, these heart-warming narratives often have the perfect combination of romance, comedy and thought-provoking messages that are only boosted by their presence on the big screen!

To celebrate the release of Every Day, in cinemas now, were taking a look at why these novels do so well on the screen

1. The Fault in Our Stars (2014)

When two teens meet at a cancer support group, its clear they share the same quick-wit and contempt for the conventional. They quickly discover a love that takes them on a journey, both emotionally and physically, via a trip to Amsterdam to meet a beloved author. Based on John Greens sixth novel of the same name published in 2012, the mix of comedy with raw emotion comes alive on the silver screen as you join the couple on the ups and downs of the relationship. Somehow, seeing their rollercoaster in the cinema only added another layer of depth to the acclaimed novel.

2. Me Before You (2016)

When a girl in a small town forms an unlikely bond with a recently-paralyzed man she's taking care of, neither of them are aware of how they are going to change each others lives forever. Adapted for the cinema from the 2012 romantic novel by Jojo Moyes, this heart-breaking story is sure to bring a tear to your eye as you embark on an emotional journey with the couple

3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

This moving story sees 15-year-old Charlie, a sweet and distant outsider, coping with first love, the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. 1999 saw the release of Stephen Chboskys coming of age novel, with its translation onto the big screen in 2012 ensuring all emotion is kept intact as it tackles the whirlwind of growing up

4. The Notebook (2004)

When Noah, a poor but passionate young man falls for Allie, a rich young woman, their feelings begin to blossom before being separated due to their social differences. Noah writes 365 letters to Allie, only for her not to receive them due to her disapproving mother. Three years later, an unlikely coincidence brings them together and their love story can really begin. From the pages of a 1996 book to the big screen in 2004, this uplifting tale of true love despite limitations will warm your heart.

5. Paper Towns (2015)

After an all-night adventure, Quentin's life-long crush, Margo, disappears, leaving behind clues that Quentin and his friends follow on the journey of a life-time. Adapted from the 2008 bestselling novel by John Green, written prior to The Fault in our Stars, the search leads Quentin and his quick-witted friends on an exhilarating adventure that is equal parts hilarious and moving. Prepare to grow with these teens as their experiences are catapulted onto the silver screen.

6. Every Day (2018)

Based on David Levithans acclaimed New York Times bestseller published in 2012, Every Day tells the story of Rhiannon, a 16-year old girl who falls in love with a mysterious soul named A who inhabits a different body every day. Feeling an unmatched connection, Rhiannon and A work each day to find each other, not knowing what or who the next day will bring. Telling the tale of love and acceptance, this novel explodes with emotion on the big screen

Every Day is in cinemas now.
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Newspapers are in trouble. And it isnt their fault.

For the newspapers in the larger cities, the Internet and all of its auxiliary activities have been hogging the advertising dollar. For the weekly papers, the revenue has been drying up with main street.

And main street has been drying up because customers have been heading off to shop the stores with more choices and bread is three cents cheaper.

For the past 50 years, North Dakotas newspapers have been retrenching with the changing economy. They have consolidated into local chains so they can share equipment, reporters and administrative leadership. But adversity continues to pursue them.

The cost of newsprint has been climbing and may take a major jump if the threatened tariff on Canadian newsprint is implemented.

In addition, an interim committee of the legislature is considering legislation that will make it possible for local governments to stop publishing paid minutes and other information. It may not be a budget buster for the local newspapers but it would be another straw on the camels back.

This is all regrettable because newspapers have become the only trustworthy source of information in this era of fake news.

If you hear it on radio or television, it evaporates into the ether never to return. The local newspaper is there through rain and shine with the postman. If an error is made, it can be corrected and the same people will see the correction. Only a few of the initial TV and radio listeners ever hear corrections so the error marches on.

Then theres Facebook, Twitter and other such social media creations that are stealing revenue from the print media and rewarding the rumor-mongers in spreading misinformation.

When it comes to meddling in American elections, the Russians are not going to be stealing 27 votes in Cando or six votes in Ashley. They are going to divert hundreds of votes by feeding rumors and distortions through the social media just as they did in 2016.

This leaves newspapers as the only safeguard in this battle for the minds of voters because they are the only accountable medium.

For local communities, the newspaper pulls together the happenings in schools, main streets, service clubs, local elections and all of the other activities that give substance to the meaning of community. Once or twice a week, there it is the essence of the community presented one more time in black and white.

As long as local customers are dashing off to the bigger cities and as long as the rural population is declining, newspapers will continue to face a real struggle for survival.

Local businesses need customers; newspapers need local advertising. It is all about community.

There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon. Gov. Doug Burgum has launched the Main Street initiative to foster a new emphasis on community building. Around 30 North Dakota towns have already committed to the program. The key to success will be local initiative.

The governor is offering main streets new opportunities to fight the relentless trends that have been eating up our communities.

This approach is similar to that of Deputy Director Brad Gibbens of the UND Center for Rural Health who makes presentations to communities about saving and building local health and medical resources. He concludes his sessions by telling communities there it is but it isnt going to be anything without local initiative.

Hopefully, local leaders will be challenged to step up to the plate to save main streets, medical facilities and, todays war, the local newspapers. The opportunities may be slipping away.

Omdahl is a former lieutenant governor and former political science professor at UND.
More Arrow Pride: Three men, two women inducted into Watertown High School Athletic Hall of Fame

The 16th induction ceremony for the Watertown High School Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday resembled many of the previous 15 in a number ways.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 17C. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 8C. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Pack-a-day smokers arent the only ones who should think about butting out.

A recent study by Erin O'Loughlin, a PhD candidate in Concordias Individualized Program (INDI), emphasizes the need to target both heavy and light smokers in anti-smoking messaging and cessation campaigns. The study, co-authored by Robert J. Wellman, Erika N. Dugas, Annie Montreuil, Hartley Dutczak and Jennifer OLoughlin, was published in the February 2018 edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors.

Light smokers don't place as much importance on quitting. They identify with non-smokers, says O'Loughlin, who is also a Concordia public scholar. You can be a heavy smoker and perhaps never have repercussions, but you could also be a light smoker who gets cancer, emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Either way, youre playing the lottery with how much your body can handle.

In 2015, approximately 19 per cent of young Canadians between the ages of 20 and 24 smoked. That number is too high for O'Loughlin, who recently blogged about her concerns for Concordia.

Study: Ranking reasons to quit

In an attempt to better understand young adults who smoke, OLoughlin conducted the 22nd survey cycle in the ground-breaking Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) Study. The study, which began in 1999, follows 1,294 grade-seven students from 10 secondary schools in Montreal. The most recent survey asked participants, now aged 22 to 28, to rank common reasons for quitting smoking. Not surprisingly, OLoughlin found that the greatest concern for the majority of young adults related to long-term health risks.

Interestingly, however, we discovered a group we call discounters, who discount the importance of long-term health risks. They didnt rate any of our reasons to quit smoking as important at all, says OLoughlin, who collaborated with lead author Robert J. Wellman on the study. Eleven per cent of the discounters, who account for 14.5 per cent of the total sample size, also self-reported nicotine dependence symptoms, yet still dont think its important to quit.

OLoughlin notes that the discounters are lights smokers, or so-called social smokers. The study hypothesizes that discounters arent concerned about health risks because they identify with non-smokers.

An epic smoking study continues

The NDIT is a prospective cohort investigation that aims to describe the development of nicotine dependence symptoms among smoking adolescents, and to identify genetic, socio-demographic, psychosocial, and environmental risk factors for the onset of cigarette use. Using NDITs sample base, 311 participants in OLoughlins survey reported having smoked in the last 30 days.

They ranked 15 reasons for quitting  such as shortness of breath, coughing, yellow teeth, social disapproval, bad breath and parental concern  ranging from very important to not at all important. Long-term health ailments were the highest ranked concern.

Tailor messaging to young adult smokers

OLoughlin hopes that health apps, like those for drinking more water or maintaining good posture, will assist young adults in Canada who are trying to quit smoking.

Health apps are just one way. Any action that sends cessation messages, or identifies smoking as behaviour and not identity, is promising.

Read the published study

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306460317303544

Concordia University

AB
Can women have it all? That perennial question has taken on a new form in corporate Britain, where investors are asking whether a handful of women can scoop up all the directorships.

They are known as the Golden Skirts, which sounds sexist  because it is, even though it was coined in politically correct Norway where there are boardroom quotas for women and then adopted by cerebral magazine The Economist.

The phenomenon came about because Norwegian companies felt there was a shortage of suitable females to fill their quotas, so a small group of elite women were offered the lions share of the jobs.

Golden Trousers are actually a far bigger problem than Golden Skirts, says Ruth Sunderland

The label Golden Skirts implies it is the women themselves who are somehow to blame for this situation.

Not true. The real culprits are executives  often, but not always male  who have failed to help women reach their full potential at work, failed to introduce family-friendly policies, and who have lacked the imagination to cast their nets wider when hiring.

In this country, we have steered clear of gender quotas.

But a Government-backed campaign to increase the number of female directors set a target of 33 per cent by 2020.

Firms are scrambling to meet that goal and have stumbled into the Norwegian trap of all trying to hire the same tiny cohort of candidates deemed suitable in spite of their womanhood.

But the issue of overboarding  another choice bit of corporate jargon describing bosses who have too many directorships  is one for both genders.

Golden Trousers are actually a far bigger problem than Golden Skirts.

Anita Frew, for example, is one highly regarded woman with a clutch of top directorships, earning around 800,000 a year from her roles as chairman of chemicals group Croda, deputy chair of Lloyds banking group and non-executive at miner BHP Billiton.

But a boardroom analysis conducted last autumn by The Mail on Sunday found many more men who have multiple directorships at big companies, including half a dozen who were holding two FTSE 100 chairmanships at once.

There is no formal prohibition on the same person chairing two Footsie companies. Many shareholders dont like it, however, because they fear if there is a sticky situation at one or both of the businesses, the chairman might not have enough time to sort it out properly. As it happens, some of the two jobs brigade did have a lot on their plate.

'Overboarding': Donald Brydon was chair of software group Sage and the London Stock Exchange while the latter was in merger talks with Deutsche Boerse

Mike Turner was a busy man, chairing engineer Babcock (which subsequently dropped out of the blue-chip index) as well as leading the board at GKN when it unsuccessfully tried to fight a hostile bid from Melrose.

Donald Brydon was chair of software group Sage and the London Stock Exchange while the latter was in merger talks with Deutsche Boerse. He then found himself under assault from activist investor TCI.

Roberto Quarta is currently in the chair at medical supplies group Smith & Nephew at the same time as trying to find a successor to Sir Martin Sorrell at WPP.

No doubt these men are supremely talented. Yet it does rather beg the question of whether there really is such a dire drought of potential chairmen that it is impossible even to find a hundred of them without having to double up.

If there is genuinely such a skills shortage, then it is a big indictment.

A look at who chairs FTSE 100 companies is revealing. At the time of our analysis last year there were 15 Sirs; 13 men named John, four men called Sir John and four women.

This suggests there is not only a problem with sexism, but with resistance to change, lack of openness and group-think.

It doesnt sound like a recipe for innovation and growth.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

P.G. writes: In 2003 we opened savings accounts at Nationwide Building Society for our two sons. My wife set up a standing order from her Lloyds account to pay 15 monthly into each Nationwide account.

When we looked at our sons accounts last year, only one had received the monthly payments. One Nationwide account had eight digits while the other had nine.

Nationwide initially said it was not possible to pay into an eight-digit account but after numerous calls staff changed their mind. Lloyds says it no longer has records from 2003 and considers the matter closed while Nationwide says it has failed to retrieve our sons money from the holder of the eight-digit account. No one seems able to help.

Sorted: Nationwide has refunded the lost money

Ever since banks and building societies began making customers responsible for supplying sort codes and account numbers, while at the same time ignoring the name of the person who was supposed to be on the receiving end of any cash transfer, there has been an upsurge in the number of customers whose cash simply vanishes into the system.

The tiniest error means money goes to the wrong account. Everything then depends on the honesty of the accidental recipient. If they help themselves to the cash, the banks refuse to identify the thief because that would breach their privacy. It takes a court order to overcome this with no guarantee that the thief will be traced and will not have spent every penny.

In 2003 your wife slipped up and incorrectly typed an eight-digit Nationwide number to receive 15 a month. This did not match any account as the prefix number was wrong. Nationwide has been honest and admitted it should have queried this or sent the money back to Lloyds.

Instead, someone at the society tried to be helpful and corrected the account number to what they thought was right. But this meant that every month your wife has been sending 15 to a stranger  and that person has withdrawn the cash and disappeared. This leaves you with one son enjoying a nest egg while the other has nothing. At least this would be the case except that Nationwide has now put things right.

The society told me: We have accepted we should have queried the different prefix or rejected the payment. As such, we will refund 2,565  171 monthly payments of 15. Nationwide is also adding 200 to make up for what happened. Lloyds Bank could also have done more. It told me: We could have been more proactive in contacting Nationwide on her behalf in an attempt to recover the funds paid.

So Lloyds will also be offering 200. In the end, a very good result for your son.

Clone fund crooks who targeted pensioner

R.B. writes: On January 22, I received a call from Keystone Investment Trust of Moorfields in London regarding an investment I held in land. It offered 16,300 for this, subject to a fee of 3,750 to be paid on February 19. Later, it asked for a further 2,200 and I paid both sums and was told the 16,300 would reach my bank account on February 26. When the money did not arrive, I called Keystone and was told a further payment was required. I said I was not prepared to pay, and now realise it was a scam. I am 87 and should have known better.

First of all, let me say that you were never in touch with the real Keystone Investment Trust. This is a genuine investment fund. But you were called by a clone run by fraudsters who set up a fake website at keystoneinvestmentstrust.com. Note the extra letter s that turns investment into investments and makes sure you see the fake website.

I contacted the real Keystone which is part of investment giant Invesco Perpetual. It told me it was well aware of the scam. It said: We have taken appropriate steps and continue to report to the enforcing authorities.

Those bodies are the Financial Conduct Authority and the police-run Action Fraud. Despite this, when I rang the fake firm last Thursday on 0207 129 7316, it was still in business. Sadly, whoever answered hung up as soon as I gave my name, so I was not able to ask how it felt about stealing thousands of pounds from a pensioner. That is one mystery but the bigger puzzle is why the thieves are allowed to carry on stealing.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.

Read Tony Hetherington's case files at thisismoney.co.uk/hetherington
Confident: Chetan Sehgal has taken over the reins at the trust

It is all change at Franklin Templetons emerging market investment operations based in Singapore, which manages some $50billion (35billion) of assets.

Out through Franklins revolving doors have gone both Dr Mark Mobius and Carlos Hardenberg, renowned emerging market investment managers. In has come Manraj Sekhon from Fullerton Fund Management as chief investment officer.

All this shuffling at the top has been accompanied by a greater concentration of investment resources in Singapore.

The changes have had ramifications for Templeton Emerging Markets, the countrys longest established investment trust managing assets in the worlds developing countries.

Mobius, who managed the 2.3billion trust for more than 26 years before latterly becoming an adviser to the fund, will no longer have an input, having decided to put his boots up and retire from the trust.

Hardenberg, who succeeded Mobius at the helm in October 2015, left for pastures new last month. Up has stepped Chetan Sehgal, senior research analyst, to take over the trusts running, an individual with 22 years experience of watching emerging markets.

In London last week to update financial advisers and the media about the trust and introduce himself as the new face of Templeton Emerging Markets, Sehgal was in confident mood.

Risks: The trusts 9 per cent exposure to Russia has been hit by Americas decision to impose sanctions on a number of Russian tycoons and businesses

Although he acknowledged that the loss of Mobius  often dubbed Mr Emerging Markets  and Hardenberg were big blows, he said that it was very much business as normal.

There will be no significant changes in investment philosophy, he reassured listeners. This trusts management is about we rather than I, emphasising the fact that behind him is a long-established team of analysts and country specialists who spend their working lives identifying investment opportunities.

It has been a baptism of fire for Sehgal, as the trusts 9 per cent exposure to Russia has been hit by Americas decision to impose sanctions on a number of Russian tycoons and businesses.

Big holdings include Chinese internet giants Alibaba and Tencent

Although some Russian positions have been reduced, the trust continues to hold stakes in energy giant Gazprom, web search engine Yandex, internet company Mail Ru and mining firm Norilsk Nickel. Sehgal talks of collateral damage only but is keeping a watchful eye on developments.

He says that with the notable exception of Russia, most emerging markets remain in a sweet spot. He says stronger commodity prices have been good news for many natural resource based companies operating in emerging markets  Peruvian mining giant Buenaventura is a top ten holding.

He is also excited by the technology revolution that is taking place in countries such as China.

Indeed, technology is the biggest theme within the trusts portfolio, accounting for nearly a third of assets. Big holdings include Chinese internet giants Alibaba and Tencent.

Technology is also helping Sehgal change the way the trust is managed. In the past, Mobius was renowned for circumnavigating the globe to meet company bosses.

Now, a lot of key financial information can be obtained via the internet which means Sehgal will spend more time behind his desk in Singapore.

Yet seeing company management will remain part of his job. A lot of the companies pass through Singapore, he says. It is vital to meet them.
Companies are under fire for appointing the same small group of female directors to a string of boardroom jobs, raising concerns over the rise of the Golden Skirts.

Firms are under mounting pressure to appoint more women to their boards. This has led to a handful of highly qualified female bosses being in heavy demand and holding multiple directorships.

The trend has become so pronounced that many investors now fear that some female directors may be overstretched.

Busy: Dr Marion Helmes is accused of serving on too many boards

The term Golden Skirts originated in Norway, which a decade ago forced companies to increase the number of women on boards to 40 per cent by law. Many firms claimed there were too few qualified females to fulfil the quotas.

The phrase was later enshrined in the work of Norwegian academic Professor Morten Huse. It has subsequently been picked up by business publications including The Economist.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that shareholder advisory bodies ISS and Glass Lewis have urged investors to vote against Dr Marion Helmes being reappointed as a non-executive director of British American Tobacco at the FTSE 100 stalwarts annual meeting in London on Wednesday.

ISS, which describes the German businesswoman as a professional director, said: Aside from being a non-executive director at British American Tobacco, Marion Helmes is also a director at six other companies.

It said even after stepping down from her role at German engineering firm Bilfinger later this year she will have six positions in aggregate and each of these companies are very large, therefore raising questions regarding her ability to devote sufficient time to her role at British American Tobacco.

ISS added that Helmes had not turned up to a BAT board meeting in February nor to a crucial meeting to approve the 40billion takeover of US rival Reynolds, due to prior commitments.

Advisory group Glass Lewis bluntly said the 52-year-old serves on too many boards. It added: We believe that a non-executive director of a FTSE 350-listed company should retain some spare capacity in case a crisis or other event escalates the demand on their time.

Helmes is also on the boards of German firms ProSiebenSat.1 Media, Uniper and Siemens Healthineers as well as Dutch companies Heineken and NXP Semiconductors.

After being contacted by The Mail on Sunday, A BAT spokesman said Helmes will step down from the board of another company, leaving her with five directorships, which it said Glass Lewis and ISS consider an acceptable number.

There was a similar Golden Skirts revolt last year when almost 40 per cent of shareholders in catering giant Compass Group voted against the re-election of Ireena Vittal. Almost one in five voted against her this year.

Even after shedding three of her board seats, which she plans to do by June, Vittal will still be a director of five firms plus Compass.

THE GOLDEN SKIRTS Rakhi Goss-Custard Rakhi Goss-Custard Age: 44 Nationality: American Boards: Non-executive director at Schroders, Kingfisher, Intu, Rightmove and Be Heard Group Pay: 320,000 Background: Prolific director who owns a vineyard in Berkshire with husband Daniel Lesley Knox Lesley Opportunity Knox Age: 64 Nationality: British Boards: Legal & General, Thomas Cook, chair of Grosvenor Group and two private companies Pay: At least 256,000 Background: Once said of sexism in the City: Ive had lots of experiences that these days you could sue for. Married to Brian with daughter Fenella Deanna Oppenheimer Deanna The Banker Oppenheimer Age: 60 Nationality: American Boards: Chair at Hargreaves Lansdown and director at Tesco, Whitbread, Axa, Joshua Green Corp and Vettd Pay: At least 316,000 Background: Tipped for top at Barclays before departing to turn professional boardroom director Susan Kilsby Susan Deal Queen Kilsby Age: 59 Nationality: American Boards: Chairman of drug-maker Shire, director of Diageo, Goldman Sachs International, BBA Aviation and Fortune Brands Home & Security Inc Pay: At least 718,000 Background: At helm of Shire as suitors circle the 40bn drugs giant Gwyn Burr Gwyn Six Jobs Burr Age: 55 Nationality: British Board roles: Six including Just Eat, Hammerson, Taylor Wimpey, Sainsburys Bank, German retail group Metro and Ingleby Farms. Pay: At least 200,000 Background: At Asda during one of the most historic turnarounds in UK corporate history

Other women with a number of seats on high-profile boards include 44-year-old Rakhi Goss-Custard. She is a non-executive director at two FTSE 100 companies  fund manager Schroders and DIY group Kingfisher.

She also has board positions at shopping centre owner Intu, online property group Rightmove and digital marketing firm Be Heard Group. Goss-Custard, who owns a vineyard in Berkshire with her husband Daniel, has not held an executive position since she left a senior post at Amazon in 2014.

A review in 2015, led by former Standard Chartered chairman Lord Davies, led to a call for firms to promote more women to senior positions just below the board.

This would have created a reservoir of women who could later progress to boardroom posts, but there are still too few females breaking into this tier.

According to Cranfield University, women accounted for 33 per cent of FTSE 100 non-executive directors last year  up from 15 per cent in 2007.

By comparison, only 10 per cent of executive board directors and just 7 per cent of chief executives are women. In 2007, those figures were 4 per cent and 3 per cent respectively.

Cranfields Professor Sue Vinnicombe said: I dont think the issue is a lack of talented women, but women dont have the same corporate careers as men. Prof Vinnicombe insisted that efforts to increase women on boards have sought to avoid the Golden Skirts effect.

She added: The idea was to broaden the talent pool and not just to give all of the important jobs to the same group of women.
NHLANGANO  Although the countrys name change from Swaziland to the Kingdom of Eswatini may have provoked mixed reactions, but in the end, there was unanimity about the move heralding the dawn of a new era.

While some described the change as a symbol marking full achievement of independence, there were, however, those who chose to be circumspect about the whole thing.



While these concurred the move amounted to a construction of a national self, they were quick though to say the local population should be mindful of the costs that may be attendant to the whole process.

Well, the instant reaction is that of obsession about our national identity, but for me the timing of the whole thing engenders a sense of being apprehensive. You should remember that not so long ago government proposed hiked fees for national documents like passports, identity cards and drivers licences. The name change could mean we would all have to acquire new documentation at these exorbitant fees, and all that would be digging deep into our pockets, observed a civil servant who preferred anonymity.



The name change was announced by His Majesty King Mswati III on Wednesday during the celebration of his 50th birthday alongside the countrys 50 years of independence, held at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre in Manzini.

Among those who embraced the new development with great optimism was senior citizen Majwabu Mdluli (65) of Mahamba, a place, which is also symbolic as the countrys entry point for religion and education, said the Kings pronouncement showed a strong will for the countrys leadership to allow its inhabitants to safeguard the countrys true identity and cultural heritage.



For me this was long overdue. I just could not understand why we remained stuck with that name (Swaziland) because over the years it has only existed on paper, and was never embraced in our daily language.

I would like to thank His Majesty for the wisdom to herald a new era. I think it is now high time for EmaSwati to transform the country into a powerful force and claim a spot in the First World, which will help fulfil the dream of the king, stressed Mdluli.



For people like Mdluli, the name change as well gave a glimmer of hope that the country might one day succeed in its land reclamation campaign beyond the currently perceived immigration barriers.



Narrative



Simanga Mavuso (40), a Nhlangano based Motor Mechanic who hails from the northern Hhohho Region, also said he could not understand why the country remained stuck with an English name, yet the narrative out there portrayed the Kingdom as one that long attained its independence from British protectorate status.



It was somehow confusing because no one ever mentions the name Swaziland in daily talk. We have always referred to the country as Eswatini or KaNgwane; so the name change was long overdue, he observed.

The same sentiments were expressed by Ngwane College employee Gugu Mdluli (53), who said it was wise for His Majesty the King to realise that the country could no longer afford to promote itself under a borrowed identity. We have always referred to ourselves as EmaSwati, so I just could not understand why it took us so long to embrace this uniqueness. We have compromised our identity for a long time and I am welcoming this name change with great joy in my heart, she said, with a beaming smile.




MANZINI  Distance is just a number. This was proved by an eight- year-old boy, who walked barefoot approximately 10 kilometres to celebrate with His Majesty at the Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre. Flavo Mpanze claimed that he walked from Logoba to the trade centre unaccompanied just to be part of the festivities there.



However, the young boy was not in a position to give the time he woke up and when exactly he left home.

Flavo was spotted by this publication walking aimlessly outside the stadium where festivities were happening.



The Grade II pupil, who was wearing a brown short and a vest, explained that he had no choice but to walk because he did not have the E6 single fare from Matsapha to Manzini.

Basically, this meant Flavo would walk another 10 kilometres back home if he failed to secure a return fare of E6. Even though this reporter gave him E10, Flavo said he would use it to purchase something to eat because he had left home on an empty stomach.



He had embarked on his journey in the morning after his bricklayer father left for work. He claimed his father knew about the trip to celebrate with the King and the nation. About the whereabouts of his mother, the eight-year-old said she was in South Africa.

Asked why he walked barefoot he said, babe akakangitsengeli ngoba usete imali.



This is loosely translated, My father cannot afford to buy me shoes because he is still not yet financially stable.

He said he was among the top performers in his class as he attained position four out of an unknown number.

Asked if he had seen the King, the aspiring soldier said he saw the King aboard an aeroplane.



Even after being told that His Majesty was not on a plane, Flavo firmly said he saw the King flying around.

If presented with an opportunity to have an audience with the King, Flavo said he would tell him about his bus fare predicament. Verbatim, he said: Benginga mtjela kutsi ngihamba ngetinyawo, ngite imali.

Efforts to contact his parents proved futile because he said he could not remember their telephone numbers.
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MANZINI  For half a century, Swaziland and the Republic of China on Taiwan have stood together in the course of trials and tribulations around the world.



The 50 years of friendship, according to the visiting President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-Wen, started in 1968, on the year of independence and the rebirth of a nation.

In her poetic speech, the visiting president said, His Majestys father, the late King Sobhuza II, declared that Swaziland would look East, to a country like his own, bordered by powerful neighbours.



The president, who was on her maiden tour to the continent, said King Sobhuza II observed a people similar to his own, industrious and hard-working and saw a country that would be a willing, faithful, and dedicated partner to a young nation.



He declared this country, the Republic of China on Taiwan, an inseparable friend of his and of Swaziland.

She noted that during this period the duo has witnessed the rise and fall of great powers while it stood together in the course of trials and tribulations around the world.



Through it all, our two countries have never wavered in the promise of friendship and partnership. We have not allowed this friendship to be dictated by the whims and fancies of the present. We have always done what is right, sustainable, and best for our two peoples.

With that, she congratulated the citizenry for all the achievements accomplished over the past 50 years.



Committed



The president noted that Taiwan was committed to supporting the countrys future.

She emphasised that her country was fully dedicated to assisting His Majestys National Development Strategy Vision 2022.

The State lady also emphasised that her country would offer any possible assistance  through education, healthcare, infrastructure, and agriculture  to help fulfil His Majestys pledge to improve standards of living for all people in the country.



Succes



She said the success of the country would also be the success of Taiwan, as there was a lifelong commitment as brothers and sisters to always support each other.

Further, the president of Taiwan said at the heart of any relationship, is people. In that regard, she noted that it was why the two leaders, (her and the monarch) had focused on building enduring partnerships between people, institutions, and organisations.



I experienced this first-hand when I shook the hands of young doctors, educated in Taiwan medical schools, at Mbabane Government Hospital.

Our agricultural experts at the Taiwan Technical Mission near Matsapha are proudly working on their new agricultural produce. I met young Taiwanese teachers at the Swaziland College of Technology, whom I know are educating the best and brightest of Swazilands next generation.
MANZINI  EmaSwati may not have been aware that they were not entirely free from the bondage of colonialism despite having attained Independence in 1968.



At least not until on Thursday when the King declared a new name for the country, further explaining that the name change was a sign that the country was reasserting its own identity.

This move marked a step away from the colonialism, according to political experts.



From now on, the country will be known as the Kingdom of Eswatini.

Research states that a name change is often done for political or nationalistic reasons such as removing traces of colonial rule or reflecting the ideologies of the government in power.

A country or state may also change its name for purely commemorative reasons, especially in honour of an influential person or an important event in the country. A country may also change its name to improve their image and to erase an unpleasant event or memory in its history.



In his speech when he made the announcement, the King said, As we are aware, the name Swaziland was inherited from the British.

If we are to give true meaning to our independence, time has come to give our country a name of its people. It must be said that this process is long overdue, particularly if you consider how other countries in the region localised their names soon after independence.



He said the nation is now EmaSwati and further announced, Therefore, I have the pleasure to present to you, on this historic day, a new name for the kingdom. Our country will now be called; Kingdom of Eswatini.

Maswati, you deserve to stand proud of turning the tide during all times of difficulties we have gone through as a nation. Our goal as Emaswati is to stand together and confront any problem head-on and this has taken us thus far. Let us continue to work as a nation in order to contribute to the sustainable development of our nation.



The King has been referring to the kingdom as Eswatini years before the official name change but this did not stop the thousands of revellers who were attending festivities from bursting into applause at the declaration.

During the celebrations, the King listed a series of milestones that the country has achieved which include existing structures to fight HIV/AIDS, investment in infrastructure development and allowing about 97 per cent of school-going children access to education.



We also congratulate you for achieving great success in the eradication of malaria, which led to the country assuming chairmanship of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA). Let us maintain this record for the next 50 years.

Infrastructure development is marked by the high quality road network that is at par with the best in the region, continent and the world at large.



On access to clean water and electricity he noted the remarkable improvement resulting in over 90 per cent of the people enjoying these essential commodities.

The country is now ranked third among the southern African power pool members, in terms of giving our people access to electricity.

Initiatives that the King highlighted were on food self sustainability where he noted a scale up on subsidy level which resulted to improved yield per hectare.



We have also been able to provide several empowerment initiatives that have made a significant contribution to poverty alleviation. These include, but not limited to, providing resources for the regional development fund, Phalala fund, youth enterprise fund and the orphaned and vulnerable children education fund.

Even though the annual gift of peace that the King has always requested from the nation was not a talking point this year, he did mention that, Peace has become an elusive commodity across the globe, but we are proud to count it as one of the most significant milestones of the 50 years since independence.



He said the Kingdom of Eswatini has been internationally renowned as a haven of peace, harmony and stability.

We applaud EmaSwati for fully embracing the philosophy of solving their differences in a peaceful manner. Differing viewpoints will always emerge in any society which makes it important to provide forums, such as sibaya, that accommodates diverse views the King added.



The event that started at about 10am and lasted until 3pm was graced by the presence of the President of Taiwan Tsai Ingwen, Vice President of the Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangwe and other dignitaries.

People from all walks of life gathered at the arena as early as 6am and by 8am the stadium was almost filled to capacity.



The celebrations could not have been successful without supplementary equipment like live television screen which the King also acknowledged.

We applaud the efforts to provide live screening of the celebration at stadiums in the other regions to ensure that nobody is left out due to the lack of space at this venue, since this is a great milestone in our history. We also welcome the viewers from across Africa who have tuned in to television, as well as the listeners following proceedings on our national radio.
[April 20, 2018]

Blackhawk Technical College Selects YuJa Enterprise Video Platform for 7-Year Contract with Options for System-Wide Participation

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- YuJa Corporation formally announces a new partnership with Blackhawk Technical College to provide video content management, lecture capture, and live streaming solutions for both on-campus and off-campus scenarios.

Following a competitive review process, including a Request for Proposals (RFPs) from all major vendors, Blackhawk selected YuJa to implement a cloud-hosted video platform. The seven-year agreement additionally provides "piggybacking" and discount opportunities for all member colleges of the Wisconsin Technical College System.

The YuJa Enterprise Video Platform provides an ideal solution that integrates with the college's existing self-hosted Blackboard learning management system (LMS) and existing video infrastructure to support the college's educational initiatives centered on video and student engagement.

"Our partnership with Blackhawk Tech continues to demonstrate that delivering campus video initiatives can be boh an affordable and straightforward undertaking," said Dr. Ajit Singh, President of YuJa Corporation.







About YuJa

YuJa is a leader in enterprise video solutions. Our products harness the power of video to educate, engage, inspire and collaborate. We serve organizations of all sizes within all sectors including higher-ed, K-12, government and corporate delivering video experiences including lecture capture, live streaming, media management, video conferencing, and immersive social & mobile engagement tools. We have legal headquarters in Delaware with primary U.S. offices in Silicon Valley, California and Canadian offices in both Waterloo and Toronto.

About Blackhawk

The Blackhawk Technical College Central Campus is located midway between Beloit and Janesville. Situated on over 80 acres of partially wooded prairie, the campus is home to most of BTC's programs and services. BTC has five campus locations in Rock and Green counties and has provided educational opportunities to the community for over 100 years. Blackhawk's promise to every student is "to provide an opportunity to build a future through flexible education in a supportive environment."

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/blackhawk-technical-college-selects-yuja-enterprise-video-platform-for-7-year-contract-with-options-for-system-wide-participation-300634039.html

SOURCE YuJa Corporation
[April 20, 2018] Zenabis Receives Cannabis Plant Sales License

Zenabis Ltd. ("Zenabis" or "the Company"), a licensed producer, is pleased to announce that Health Canada has issued an amendment to its Producer's License. Zenabis is now eligible to sell clones to other licensed producers under current Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). The amended license also opens the door for the Company to meet national demand for high-quality cannabis. The amended sales license was issued for Zenabis' 380,000 square foot facility in Atholville, New Brunswick, and is effective from April 13, 2018 through January 19, 2021. Zenabis received its cultivation license for Atholville in August 2017, and has since been growing top of the line, high-yielding, pharmaceutical-grade cannabis plants and preparing for its release of top quality cannabis strains. "Obtaining our license to sell cannabis plants is a significant milestone for Zenabis and an incredible opportunity for innovation," stated Kevin Coft, CEO of Zenabis, "We take pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our cannabis plants and with this amended license can nowsupport the Canadian cannabis community."



This amended license brings the Company one step closer to increasing its global presence as the prominent industry leader in cannabis innovation, production, and distribution of high-demand cannabis strains. For a list of available strains, or to place an order, please contact Zenabis at by phone at 1-855-936-2247 or by email at info@zenabis.com

ABOUT ZENABIS LTD. Zenabis is a privately-held, cannabis company with one of the largest, federally licensed indoor medical cultivation footprints in Canada. Zenabis currently operates two licensed production facilities with more than 400,000 square feet of fully certified growing space in British Columbia and New Brunswick. Our strategic location on Canada's coasts enables us to leverage our global partnerships and provides us with direct access to international markets. The company is currently working towards globally recognized GMP certifications. Zenabis has one of the most experienced management teams in the industry, with an extensive background in commercialized cultivation, retail, and pharmaceutical sales. Our growing team has more than two decades of experience in organic cultivation and distribution of herbs and nutraceutical products throughout the Americas, North Africa, and the Middle East. Our sales team has more than two decades in product development, commercialization, and retail and pharmaceutical sales including international distribution. If you would like more information, please contact Kevin Coft at media@zenabis.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180420005842/en/

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[April 21, 2018] UNIDO and eWTP Build Stronger Ties to Support E-commerce and SMEs

HANGZHOU, China, April 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director General LI Yong and Jack MA, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Alibaba Group, met Saturday to discuss deepening the cooperation between UNIDO and the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP). UNIDO and Alibaba Group share common goals, ones that include support for small businesses and sustainable development through e-commerce. The meeting, which took place at Alibaba Group's headquarters in Hangzhou, focused on how to expand cooperation on eWTP. The discussions also looked at joint support for China's innovation agenda as another possible area for cooperation. Alibaba Group, the world's largest online and mobile commerce company, with a culture of campioning small business, is also one of the initiators of the eWTP, an initiative supported by UNIDO that promotes the development of e-commerce and SMEs. Cooperation on eWTP would dovetail with the new China-UNIDO Strategic Cooperation Framework 2018-2021.



"The eWTP initiative is very much in line with UNIDO's mandate of inclusive and sustainable industrial development and has the potential to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," said LI Yong. "Our support to eWTP could build on UNIDO's and Alibaba's shared vision of disseminating good practices and capacity-building in support of e-commerce development in SMEs, with particular focus on youth and women." Jack MA stated that, "The purpose of eWTP is to help SMEs, youth and women to achieve global buy, global sell, global payment, global logistics, and global travel. The cooperation with UNIDO is in particular valuable, since the technology will be combined with manufacturing and traditional industries."

The eWTP is a private sector-led, multi-stakeholder initiative for public-private dialogue to share best practices and foster a more integrated, inclusive, effective and efficient policy and business environment for the development of e-commerce, trade and the digital economy. It achieved international recognition with its inclusion in the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit Leaders' Communique. In 2017, the eWTP, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Economic Forum (WEF), jointly launched a trilateral collaboration entitled "Enabling E-commerce", to drive public-private dialogue on e-commerce. Media Contacts Raymond Tavares

Industrial Development Officer

Business Environment, Cluster & innovation Division

UNIDO Department of Trade, Investment and Innovation

r.tavares@unido.org Katie Lee

Alibaba Group

+852-9728-0979

k.lee@alibaba-inc.com Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180421/2111521-1LOGO

Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180419/2109626-1LOGO-c SOURCE Alibaba Group

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THIS WEEKEND, is the last weekend at Glenwood Arts Theatre for the final screenings of Big Sonia on the BIG screen in KC. Join Big Sonia directors for 2 special screenings w/Q&A on Sat, April 21 @ 7:30P and Sun, April 22 @ 5:15p. Come celebrate with directors, cast and the Glenwood staff on an incredible 20-week record-braking theatrical run in Kansas City.
DO YOU SUPPORT REPUBLICAN LEADER AND AG HAWLEY OR GUV GREITENS FIGHTING FOR HIS POLITICAL SURVIVAL???









. . . We can stop talking about the fiction that objections to Guv Greitens and his sleazy tenure are a Democratic Party conspiracy or the work of George Soros.To wit . . .This juxtaposition comes as the AG seemingly warned the Guv of forthcoming charges thenSadly, the death rattle for the political career of the former Navy Seal now has his work for the troops besmirched by the GOP.Roundup:Developing . . .
3 Life Lessons I Learned From #IFeelPretty - Sarah Scoop I Feel Pretty is one of the most empowering movies of 2018! This incredible story gives the phrase "self-love" a whole new meaning. Renee Bennett (Amy Schumer) is insecure, unhappy and has been beaten down by a society that holds women to extremely high standards.

There might be spoilers in here but I'll never know because TKC has far too much testosterone to ever watch this movie . . . Don't get it twisted, TKC might take a lady friend to a showing but rest assured this blogger will be in the parking lot bench pressing small trucks and andlocal politics to strangers instead of engaging in this seemingly delightful lady extravaganza.Here's a far more thoughtful local girl talk review . . .
Iconic Sign Of The Times

Kansas City's iconic Western Auto sign will again light up downtown skyline KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City's famous Western Auto sign has had an on-again, off-again relationship with light. After a handful of dark years, the condominium association in charge of the building announced this week a plan to repair the sign and turn it back on.

MLK Planning Meeting Aftermath Today

Kansas City looks to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Fifty years after his death, Kansas City is considering new ways to honor Dr. Martin Luther King. That could include renaming "The Paseo" or some other street after Dr. King. Now, a commission is taking up that issue.

Newspaper Nonviolence Advocacy

In Missouri and Kansas, African Americans are in peril. How can we reduce homicide rates? Missouri has the highest rate of black homicide victims in the country for the seventh time since 2005. And it's not even close, according to a report on federal data released this week by the Violence Policy Center. Kansas had the ninth highest rate.

Kansas City Survivor Strategies

Health Workers Say 'Battlefield Medicine' Can Keep Kansas City Gun Violence Victims Alive Tourniquets may be an old concept; they may also be the key to keeping gunshot victims from bleeding to death. Health professionals at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, have been training Kansas City police officers and school administrators how to " Stop the Bleed."

Local Inconvenient Ripoff Deets

Sophisticated ATM skimming scheme hits area QT customers - Kansas City Business Journal A 23-year-old Romanian national has been charged with covertly stealing and using debit card data by placing skimming devices on ATMs inside QuikTrip stores in Olathe and Riverside. According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri, David Velcu was charged Thursday in U.S.

Dead-Tree Dedication

Fixing Damage Is A Higher Calling For This Kansas City Paper Restorer People don't often think about preserving the valuable things they own on paper until it's too late. But when that time comes, one Kansas City man is often able to help. Mark Stevenson is used to seeing paper in every state of disrepair.

Rebuilding Year Highlight

Royals end long losing streak by beating Tigers, 3-2 The bottom of the lineup came up in the ninth inning, and the losing streak being extended to double-digits seemed inevitable. Then, somehow, just this once, things were different for the Kansas City Royals. THEY FINALLY WON A GAME WHEN THE OPPONENT SCORED A RUN!

Pop star hottiebut we appreciate the news addiction of our bloggy community and share some worthwhile news items for our blog community of news junkies on this day dedicated to stoners.Take a peek:And this is thefor right now . . .
SPECIAL THANKS TO JACKSON COUNTY INSIDERS FOR TALKING ABOUT THE DEBATE OVER THE NEW SHERIFF AND PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE COURTHOUSE TO COOPERATE!!!

PRESSURE FROM TKC AND INSIDE THE COURTHOUSE PRECEDED NEWS OF A NOMINATING COMMITTEE!!!

Jackson County Executive announces nominating committee for Jackson County Sheriff

I want to commend the members of this committee for coming together to professionalize this process, White said. This is an important decision for the safety and welfare of our community and I am grateful for their support.

The Jackson County Sheriff must meet the following qualifications:





- Democrat (same political party as previous office holder)

- Qualified voter

- No felony conviction

- Resided in Jackson County for three years prior to assuming office

- POST certified

This is how local Democracy works and really the only reason we bother writing this blog every day . . .A few days agoand yet another round in the ongoing fight betwixt the Legislature and the Executive's office.Accordingly . . .Here's confirmation ofrather than just simply practicing punditry.As always, credit belongs to insiders and tipsters whilst this blogger just enjoys typing it up.Checkit:KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. has announced a nominating committee to help appoint a Jackson County Sheriff, who will serve the remainder of the year.Members of the nominating committee are:- Alfred Jordan (Chair)  2nd District Jackson County Legislator- Crystal Williams  2nd District At-Large Legislator- Tony Miller  3rd District At-Large Legislator- Jean Peters Baker  Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney- Chief Rick Smith  Kansas City Police Department- Chief Dave Starbuck  Grain Valley Police Department- Rick Inglima  President, Missouri State Fraternal Order of Police- Tammy Dickinson  Former United States Attorney- Dr. Wallace Hartsfield, II  Pastor, Metropolitan Missionary Baptist ChurchThe nine-person nominating committee will conduct candidate interviews publicly on Friday, May 4 from 9am-Noon at the offices of the Mid-America Regional Council, 600 Broadway in Kansas City, MO. However, the committee holds the prerogative to conduct private interviews if a candidate demonstrates extenuating circumstances.All candidates are required to hold these times until further notice. The committee requests that candidates not sit in on each others interviews.Candidates will also be subject to a background check and drug test. Human Resources professionals will review the applications for qualifications and the committee will interview the finalists. Resumes will be held in confidence until the candidates have authorized public release.Interested candidates can submit their application through the Jackson County website at. The deadline for submission is Monday, April 30 at 5 p.m.Following interviews, the committee will meet in closed session to discuss the finalists and submit 2-3 recommendations to the County Executive, who will make the final selection.Community members will be given a brief opportunity to address the committee during this process. Citizens who want to speak are encouraged to sign up in advance. They can also submit a comment, suggestion or question to be shared with the committee. Such requests can be made through the Mid-America Regional Councils website at###############Developing . . .
KANSAS CITY IS STILL GOING BROKE AND NOT ONLY FIGHTS TO RAISE TAXES BUT ALSO CUTS SERVICES!!!

Not so long ago, City Hall promised voters that all of Kansas City's cash problems would be solved by borrowing more more money.As usual. That didn't happen.Instead, as some of the best and brightest among our blog community have pointed out . . .Even worse . . .Here's a tragic example of local cutbacks which also limit neighborhood participation and a popular local pastime for hopeful volunteers.You decide . . .
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Mammoet, a global service provider specialising in engineered heavy lifting and transport, said it had successfully completed the safe transportation and installation of four 1,180-tonne NGL bullet tanks for

Omans biggest petrochemical project, Liwa Plastics Industries Complex (LPIC) project which is owned by Orpic.

The bullets, each measuring 60 m in length and 7.8 m in diameter, were positioned on sand beds in a synchronised tandem lift utilising a 1,600-tonne PTC ring crane and a 1,200-tonne crawler crane.

The small footprint enabled the PTC 35 DS crane to work within the limited area onsite utilising the available space as efficiently as possible.

Mammoet has been providing ongoing heavy lifting and transport solutions for this petrochemical project since 2017 and contributed to the outstanding safety milestone of 10 million man-hours worked lost time injury (LTI) free.

Andrew Lees, SHEQ director for Mammoet Middle East and Africa, said "The achieved safety milestone is a testament to the incredible team that has been put together by our valued client. Commitment to safety is a core value and an integral part of Mammoet's culture."

"With every workforce member staying focused on incident-free operations we can send everyone home safely to their families each day, stated Lees.

Upon commissioning in 2020, LPIC will transform Orpics product mix and business model, double the company profit, create new business opportunities, generate significant employment opportunities and support the development of a downstream plastics industry in Oman.

Following this commissioning, plastics production is forecast to have increased by more than one million tonnes, giving Orpic a total of 1.4 million tonnes of polyethylene and polypropylene production.-TradeArabia News Service
Oman is planning to invite bids next month for the construction of an undersea natural gas pipeline between Sohar and its neighbour Iran, said a report citing the sultanates oil minister.

Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhi told Thomson Reuters Projects that work related to seabed surveys, design of the pipeline and its accessories and the compressor stations has been completed.

Iran media had last week reported that Tehran was expected to reach a final agreement with its southern neighbor on the offshore pipeline project.

The project will supply Iranian gas to the littoral state by the end of June, reported IRNA citing Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh.

The deal will be finalised in two stages: The first of which is planned to be concluded by the end of May and the second part is going to be signed by the end of June, Zanganeh was quoted as saying by IRNA.

Zanganeh paid a visit to the sultanate on Thursday to pursue talks with his Omani counterpart Mohammad bin Hamad al-Rumhi in Muscat.

Rumhi said eight consortiums from across the globe have already expressed interest in involvement with the project.
harinder@tribunemail.com

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 21

The body of a 38-year-old Sector 19 resident, who had been missing since Friday morning, was found in a river at Thapli village in Morni here on Saturday morning. The family members suspect it to be a case of murder.

The deceased, Rakesh Bansal, a resident of Sector 19.

Villagers spotted the body of Rakesh Bansal in the river and immediately informed the police about it. The body has been kept at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Sector 6, for autopsy, which will be conducted on Sunday.

As the news about the body was circulating on WhatsApp groups in Panchkula, a relative informed Rakeshs family members about his death. The family identified the body as that of Rakesh.

Rakeshs father Sushil Kumar said his son had left the house at around 9 am on Friday morning and had given Rs 100 to his mother. He had told his mother to buy vegetables and that he would come home late, his father told mediapersons.

Rakeshs brother-in-law Ashwani said Rakesh was not having any vehicle and had even left his mobile phone and purse at home. How did Rakesh reach Thapli alone? There must be someone with Rakesh. It seems somebody has killed him, he said.

Chandimandir police station SHO Mahmood Khan said they had already started investigations in the case.
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21

In what appears to be a step forward for much-awaited harsher law provisions for snatchers, who are striking at will in the city for the past some time, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India, Satya Pal Jain, has asked the Union Government to amend the law provisions for enabling a stricter punishment to snatchers in Chandigarh.

The development assumes significance as the UT Administration had been seeking addition of Sections 379-A and 379-B in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Chandigarh on the pattern of Punjab and Haryana but the Centre was sitting on the matter.

It was on April 3 that the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is hearing a petition on the increasing chain snatching incidents in Chandigarh, had directed the UT Administration to supply to the ASG for taking up with the Centre the set of papers regarding enhancing the punishment for snatching, which according to the UT counsel were lying pending before the Union Home Ministry.

After getting the copies of the communications exchanged between the UT and the Centre in this regard, Jain has written to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to look into the matter personally and take appropriate decision in the matter and convey the same to him by way of an affidavit of a responsible officer of the Union Home Ministry so that he may place it before the High Court on the next date of hearing, which is slated for April 25.

On March 21, the High Court had impleaded the Union Home Secretary as respondent in the petition after the petitioner, Hari Chand, had prayed for the same, citing the UTs statement before the court that the matter regarding enhancing the punishment for snatching was lying pending with the Union Home ministry.

It was in October last that the UT DGP, after taking cognisance of a sudden spurt in the incidents of snatching in the city, had proposed to the UT Home Secretary to add Sections 379-A and 379-B in the IPC for Chandigarh.

The UT Home Secretary had referred the matter to the UT Legal Remembrancer, who amended the proposal in December last. The amended proposal was then sent to the Union Home Ministry, which was still pending for its consideration and notification.

What the present law says

Presently, the snatchers in Chandigarh are booked under Section 379 of the IPC, which provides the maximum punishment of three years in jail or with fine or both.

Proposed law

As per the state amendments made by Punjab and Haryana in the IPC for their respective states, Section 379-A provides for a minimum jail term of five years and the maximum of 10 years with fine (Haryana Rs 25,000) (Punjab Rs 10,000) for snatching while Section 379-B provides for a minimum jail term of 10 years (Haryana maximum 14 years) and fine (Haryana Rs 25,000 and Punjab Rs 10,000) for also causing hurt to the snatching victim.

Flashback

October 16, 2017 The UT DGP writes to the UT Home Secretary

December 6 The UT Legal Remembrancer amends proposal; the UT Administration sends it to the Union Home Ministry

March 13, 2018 The Union Home Under Secretary replies to the UT Adviser, seeks copies of the official gazette notification of Haryana and the proposed draft notification with modification for the UT

March 26 The UT Home Secretary refers the matter to the UT DGP

April 2 The UT SSP provides copies of the desired documents to the UT Home Secretary, who forwards these to the Union Home Ministry
editorial@tribune.com

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21

Panjab University (PU) Vice-Chancellor Arun Kumar Grover adjourned the Syndicate meeting on Saturday after a syndic used sh*t word during the discussion on the PU affidavit in the High Court on governance reforms.

The Syndicate meeting was called to discuss the agenda items remaining from the last meeting held on March 30. As soon as the meeting began, Syndic Prabhjit Singh raised the issue of PUs affidavit in the High Court. He said they had reservations over it and wanted that the affidavit should be withdrawn. But the Vice-Chancellor said he wouldnt withdraw it.

The affidavit by Prof Grover stated: The groupism in the Senate had reached such a sorry state that discussions did not take place on merit and factionalism prevailed. He also added that the new initiatives for the universitys sustenance were getting thwarted for the want of consensus in the Syndicate or the Senate and serious offenders were getting away due to technicalities. The case has its genesis in a suo motu notice taken by the High Court over the PUs financial mess. The next hearing is on May 15.

The discussion

Syndic Amit Joshi asked the VC which issue in the Syndicate or the Senate had been passed against his wishes. He added that most of the agenda items had been passed unanimously except the punishment to Komal Singh, who is accused of sexual harassment, in which the members casted votes. I asked him about the issue which couldnt be discussed due to groupism in the governing bodies, but the VC did not reply. The preparation of agenda is the duty of the Vice-Chancellor and not the Syndicate or Senate. An irreparable damage has been caused to the University by his affidavit, he said.

When Syndic Inderpal Singh Sidhu said the visit of former PM Manmohan Singh was not managed well as senators were treated like sh*t, Prof Grover walked out of the meeting.

In absence of the VC, syndics requested GS Malhi to preside over the meeting, but then the VC came and adjourned the meeting.

When questioned over the use of sh*t word, Sidhu said: The word I used was not unparliamentary. Dr Gurmeet Singh, Dr JC Mehta, Dr Shaminder Sandhu and I were treated like sh*t during the Manmohan Singhs visit.

There are two groups in the Senate, one is led by Prof Navdeep Goyal, chairman of the Physics Department, and another by Ashok Goyal.

On VCs affidavit, Prof Navdeep Goyal said: Talking about the governance reforms, the process began three years ago as the committee was set up for the purpose on the proposal of then PUTA (Panjab University Teachers Association) president Prof Akshaya Kumar. The process should have been allowed to be completed.

Ashok Goyal said, Probably, it is the first time in the history of the PU when the VC, who is the chief executive officer of the university, has filed an affidavit using undesirable language and unfounded allegations against the members of the supreme body  Senate. This has caused irreparable damage to the image and prestige of the university and also its governing body.

He said: The members are hurt by the action of the VC.

Agenda items for next meeting on April 29
editorial@tribune.com

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 21

It is the victory of truth and now truth has come before everybody. The cases against me were politically motivated, said Swami Assemanand, who was in Panchkula in connection with the hearing in the Samjhauta Express blasts case on Saturday.

He was talking to mediapersons for the first time after the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Hyderabad acquitted him in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case on April 16. He is on bail in the Samjhauta Express blasts case. He was also acquitted in the Ajmer Dargah blasts case in March last year.

Aseemanand, who was clad in saffron clothes, said that the blast cases against him were politically motivated and he has full faith in the Indian judicial system. His counsel Manvir Rathi said that Aseemanand was a victim of political terrorism.

Meanwhile, during the hearing in the Special NIA Court in Panchkula, the statements of two judicial officers, who had recorded the statements of two prosecution witnesses, were recorded. These judicial officers had recorded the statements of the witnesses at Panchkula and Gurugram.

Rathi said that the court has now fixed May 4 as the next date of hearing. Till date, 213 witnesses had been examined, he added.

Recently, the Special Court of the NIA at Panchkula, had issued summons to 13 Pakistan nationals in the case for August 3 and 4. They were either travelling on the train or were next of kin of those who died in the blasts. Some of them had received the bodies of their relatives.

The NIA on June 20, 2011, had filed the charge sheet against Swami Aseemanand and four others in the Panchkula NIA court. The agency had accused Aseemanand, Lokesh Sharma, Sunil Joshi (now dead), Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra Kalasangra, aka Ramji, of hatching a criminal conspiracy of blasts in the cross-border train near the Dewana railway station in Panipat district in February 2007, resulting in the death of 68 persons. A majority of those killed in the blasts were Pakistanis.
editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

UNA, APRIL 21

A 25-year-old newly wed woman on Saturday reportedly died under mysterious circumstances at her in-laws house in Sanoli village of Una district.

The body of deceased Rajni Devi has been kept in the mortuary at the Una district hospital, while a forensic team from Dharamsala has been requisitioned by the police to assist in the investigations.

According to police sources, deceased Rajni Devi hailed from Nangraan village in Punjab and was married to Suresh Kumar in Sanoli village of Una district. Her body was found lying in her room this morning. While the in-laws claimed that Rajni died of heart failure, her parents have alleged foul play.

SP Devakar Sharma said a criminal case has been registered on the complaint of the parents of the deceased and forensic experts are on the job.
editorial@tribune.com

Jammu, April 21

Havildar Charanjeet Singh, 42, grievously injured in the Sunderbani sector on April 17 during ceasefire violation by Pakistan troops, succumbed to his injuries on Friday. He was cremated with full military honours at his native village Kalsian in Nowshera sector on Saturday.

Hundreds of people from Kalsian and adjoining villages paid their last respects to the soldier, who is survived by his wife Neelam Kumari.

Havildar Charanjeet Singh sustained bullet injuries, was evacuated and provided intensive medical care in military hospitals. Despite all efforts, the gallant soldier succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Friday, a defence spokesperson said.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 21

The state government is bringing an ordinance penalising rape with death, which will be put for approval before the Cabinet in the meeting likely to be held next week.

Jammu and Kashmir has its own Criminal Procedure Code and since Central laws are not directly applicable to the state, the government is now bringing its own ordinance to make rape punishable with death.

The draft ordinance has already been prepared and would be on the lines of the one approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday, Abdul Haq Khan, Law Minister, told The Tribune.

He said once approved, the ordinance would go to the Governor for promulgation.

Though it would not be similar to the one approved by the Centre, it would be on the similar lines, he said, adding that in the ordinance, the JK Government has also proposed capital punishment to the accused involved in the rape of children below the age of 12.

As per a 2013 amendment to the J&K Criminal Procedure Code, the trial in the special offences like rape are to be the completed within a stipulated time frame of six months, but the J&K Government has requested the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to set up a fast-track court to complete the trial in the Kathua rape-murder case within 90 days.

CM welcomes Centres decision

Jammu: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has welcomed the decision of the Union Cabinet to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. This, she said, would go a long way in curbing harassment against women and children in the country. The Union Cabinet approved an ordinance regarding this on Saturday. The CM also welcomed other stringent amendments brought under the ordinance to ensure speedy investigation of rape cases and administering deterrent punishments to convicts. She reiterated her resolve that her government intended to bring similar laws in the state to put an end to crimes against women. TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, April 21

Three civilians, including a minor boy, were injured after Army men opened fire at stone-throwing youth in Pulwama district of south Kashmir around 7 pm on Saturday.

The injured have been shifted to Srinagar for specialised treatment. They have been identified as Faizan Farooq, 13, Tanveer Ahmad Pandit, 45, and Sajad Ahmad Sheikh, 35, all residents of Karimabad village in Pulwama district.

As per police reports, an area domination party of the 55 Rashtriya Rifles of the Army was patrolling the area when youths attacked them with stones.

They (Army men) opened fire in response, injuring at least three persons. The injured are stable, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Pulwama, Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam.

The SSP said the Army men maintained that their Casper vehicle was obstructed by the stone-throwing youth in the area.

Public Relations Officer of the Army Rajesh Kalia said the details were being ascertained.

As news of the firing spread, protests erupted in many parts of Pulwama district.
sanjiv@tribunemail.com

Arun Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 20

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said she had put the state police in a do-or-die mode to bring the culprits to book when the horrendous case of the rape and murder of an eight-year-old Kathua girl surfaced.

In an interview to The Tribune, the CM, speaking on the case that brought the three-year-old PDP-BJP alliance to a breaking point, said now she was looking toward the judiciary for justice after the chargesheet had been filed and the accused were in jail.

On whether she had served an ultimatum on the Centre on BJP ministers Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, who resigned later, Mehbooba said, I had spoken to the Prime Minister and told him that they had to go because they had participated in pro-rapist rallies. This, she said, was unacceptable and the PM was also shocked to learn this.

As for Cabinet expansion, she said it would take place this month itself.

Mehbooba, who faced a lot of flak over the handling of the case which polarised the state on communal and political lines, said she had deliberately avoided visiting the victims village because the chargesheet mentioned temple (as the site of crime).

I did not want things to flare up as the Amarnath Yatra is scheduled in the next few months. I did meet the family; they sought justice, I promised them the same.

On charges that she had favoured a tribal policy that was seen as her patronage to change the Hindu majority demographics in the Jammu plains, she asserted that it was the other way round. Look at the chargesheet, it states clearly that the whole conspiracy behind the crime was to drive the tribes out of the area.

Mehbooba termed it a hypothetical question when asked whether she would hand over the inquiry to the CBI if the court directed so as some media reports quoting medical records claimed that the girl was not raped. How I wish it could be true, the CM said.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Shahjahanpur (UP), April 21

With a special SC/ST court in Jodhpur all set to pronounce its verdict in a 2012 rape case against self-styled godman Asaram, the district administration here has stepped up security around the house of the victim.

The security of the victims family is continuously being monitored...Five policemen have been deployed at the house and a strict vigil is being maintained on all the visitors, SP (City) Dinesh Tripathi told PTI on Saturday.

I am personally reviewing the security as the court judgment is likely to come soon and officials are in touch with the family, the Superintendent of Police (SP) said.

The father of the victim said he had complete faith in the judiciary and was confident that justice would be done.

Earlier this month, Judge Madhu Sudan Sharma of the Jodhpur court heard the final arguments from the prosecution and defence counsels for five months and reserved the order for April 25.

The teenage girl had accused Asaram of sexual assault at his ashram at Manai village near Jodhpur.

The girl, who belonged to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, was a student living in the ashram.

Asaram, who has been in jail since August 31, 2013, was charged under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

If convicted, Asaram faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.

He is also facing a rape case in Gujarat.

Earlier, the apex court had refused to grant bail to Asaram on various grounds in the two sexual assault cases lodged in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Two Surat-based sisters had lodged separate complaints against Asaram and his son Narayan Sai, accusing them of rape and illegal confinement, among other charges. PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Rae Bareli, April 21

Taking his party's fight against the Congress to the Gandhi family's pocket borough, BJP president Amit Shah said on Saturday his party would rid Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, of 'parivarvad' and take it on the path of development.

Addressing a public meeting here, Shah said Rae Bareli voted for top Congress leaders, but had not witnessed development since Independence.

Rae Bareli has seen 'parivarvad' (dynastic politics) since Independence and no development...I have come here to make it clear that the BJP will free Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad' and will start the campaign from today itself for taking it on the path of 'vikasvad' (development), he said.

The Congress and its top leadership have ruled in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli for years but the 'bhumi pujan' (ground breaking ceremony) of community health centre and primary health centre was carried out only lately and the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has done a lot for the constituency. Now with some Congress leaders here joining the BJP, it is our responsibility to develop it by leaps and bounds," he said.

"We will develop it as an ideal constituency and a model district," he said, in what is apparently BJP's election bugle with next years Lok Sabha polls.

He said before Chief Minister Adityanaths dispensation assumed office, Uttar Pradesh was known for 'goonda raj' and bad law and order, but the BJP state government had  established the rule of law.

On acquittal of Swami Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid blast case earlier this week, he sought to target the Congress over the party's attempts to "defame" Hindus in terror cases.

"I want to ask Rahul 'Baba', your leaders have talked about saffron terrorism. You need to apologise, decide how low you can stoop," he said.

Shah said: I can say Narendra Modi government will come back with a bigger mandate in 2019.

Exuding confidence that the BJP will win the Karnataka assembly election, he said: "The BJP will have its 16th state government in the country after May 15".

Though the BJP swept Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 general election, the BJP lost both Rae Bareli and Amethi to the Congress.

Barring three exceptions1977, 1996 and 1998Rae Bareli has been a Congress bastion since 1952, and is currently represented in the Lok Sabha by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi represents Amethi.

Earlier, a minor fire broke out at the venue of the public meeting, triggering panic and commotion in the audience.

The fire, which was brought under control in short time, broke out due to an electrical short-circuit near the media enclosure, officials said.

State BJP chief Mahendranath Pandey was addressing the gathering when smoke and sparks were noticed. Both Shah and Adityanath were on the dais at the time of the incident. PTI

BJP, Amit Shah, rally, Rae Bareli, Adityanath, fire
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Sanjeev Raj Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 21

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday approved the Criminal Law (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018, on death penalty for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12.

Official sources said the government has taken serious note of rape incidents in various parts of the country.

While expressing deep anguish over such incidents, it has been decided to devise a comprehensive response to deal with the situation, they added.

In view of the urgency and seriousness of the issue, the Cabinet approved an ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age.

Death penalty has been provided for rapists of girls below 12 years of age.

The ordinance is aimed at effective deterrence against commission of rape and instilling a sense of security among women and especially young girls in the country.

It has also been decided to put in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.

Among the salient features of the ordinance is that the minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that persons natural life.

The punishment for gangrape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for rest of life of the convict.

The ordinance provides for stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years, minimum 20 years imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life or with death.

In case of gangrape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence.
editorial@tribune.com

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 21

As the Congress-led Opposition awaits Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidus decision on its unprecedented motion to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, jurists disapproved of the move, saying the allegations against him did not amount to proved misbehaviour  a constitutional requirement for removal of a judge.

This is only a political ploy to make the judiciary fearful. If you dont decide cases in our favour, we will defame you by moving impeachment motion, former Supreme Court Judge KT Thomas told The Tribune.

They know that they dont have two-third majority not even one third to pass the impeachment motion. The purpose is only to give a message to the judiciary that if you dont decide as per our wish, we will trouble you, Justice Thomas said.

Terming it an unpleasant, unfortunate and unprecedented development, former Chief Justice of India RM Lodha said the threshold of 50 Rajya Sabha MPs or 100 Lok Sabha MPs signing the motion has been crossed.

He said now it was for the Rajya Sabha Chairman to decide whether to admit the motion and set up a committee to investigate the allegations as required under the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.

Another former CJI KG Balakrishnan said, This way, no CJI can function no official right from the village panchayat level to that of a secretary or a chief secretary can function. He has the authority to decide the roster and CJI has been doing it for decades.

Case allocation and grievance of some judges regarding it cant be a ground to impeach a CJI. The only thing is that he (CJI Misra) has failed to take along many senior judges Its a leadership issue which should have been handled in a better manner. But that cant amount to proved misbehaviour, Justice Balakrishnan said.

Justice Lodha said, The allegations against CJI Misra dont amount to proved misbehaviour under Article 124(4) or the Judges Inquiry Act. But, in the ultimate analysis, impeachment is a political process. There are no yardsticks or parameters to judge what amounts to proved misbehaviour Its all political.

Asked if the CJI can continue to exercise his authority as Master of Roster even after the impeachment motion was admitted and it was rejected and the rejection is challenged before the top court, Justice Lodha said, These are unprecedented situations. Normally, once the motion is admitted, the judge in question is not allocated any judicial work. But here its a case of the CJI its an unprecedented situation. Ideally, the next seniormost judge should be deciding the roster.
editorial@tribune.com

Beijing, April 21

There will be no bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with their Pakistan counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meets to be held here, official sources said.

There will be no meetings with their Pakistan counterparts, official sources here said, ruling out any planned meetings between the Indian and Pakistani ministers.

Swaraj, who arrived here on Saturday, will take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the SCO to be held on April 24. The same day, Sitharaman will take part the SCO defence ministers meeting.

The meetings, which are part of the preparations for the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June, have become prominent as these are the first such meetings after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member group last year. Both events are to be attended by the respective ministers from Pakistan. A host of issues, including that of regional security and counter-terrorism, are expected to figure in the meetings.

Relations between India and Pakistan turned frosty after the Pathankot terror attack in January 2016 and another strike by terrorists on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September that year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security, counter-terrorism and related issues.

The organisation consists of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said on Friday that issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the SCO foreign ministers meeting.

We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field. Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception, she said and defended Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as terror export factory at an event in London recently.

So the upcoming meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues, along with major international and regional issues, Hua said.

While Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit, officials say Pakistan is expected to be represented by its President Mamnoon Hussain as its Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had recently attended the Boao Forum for Asia in the Chinese city of Boao.  PTI
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Berlin, April 21

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a wonderful meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed multiple aspects relating to bilateral cooperation as well as other global issues with her.

Modi met Merkel during a brief stopover in Berlin after wrapping up his visit to the UK where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

It was the third and last leg of Modis three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.

Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues, Modi tweeted.

The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that Modis visit demonstrates Indias mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership.

Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting, Kumar said in a tweet.

The visit demonstrates the commitment by the two countries to maintain the momentum of high level exchanges, according to Indian officials.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Merkel began her fourth term as German chancellor last month.

Modis meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeiers trip to India last month, which focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Germany is Indias largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.

In 2016-17, the bilateral trade turnover was USD 18.76 billion, with India exporting goods worth USD 7.18 billion to Germany and importing German products worth USD 11.58 billion, according to German media. PTI
uttara@tribuneindia.com

New Delhi, April 21



The Punjab National Bank on Saturday moved the Hong Kong High Court against millionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi, a prime suspect in a major banking scam involving more than Rs 12,000 crore.

A PNB official said the bank would also approach courts in countries where Modi and his uncle, Mehul Choksianother suspect in the casehad assets and businesses.

The loan fraud scamthe biggest in the countrycame to light earlier this year. Modi and Choksi have been accused of having separate Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) to avail credit from banks in 2011 and defaulted in payment. The scandal made national headlines after the Punjab National Bank alerted authorities about it in its filing at the BSE .

In April, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asked Hong Kongs government to put Modi under provisional arrest. The MEA said that Hong Kong was obliged under agreement with India to surrender a fugitive. Hong Kong has yet to respond to Indias request. ANI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Patna, April 21

Hours after Yashwant Sinha announced quitting the BJP, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha dared the ruling party to take action against him if it wants to but made it clear he won't resign from its membership on his own.

Shatrughan Sinha has been at loggerheads with the current BJP leadership since the 2015 Bihar elections. He has often taken a stance at variance with the official party line, including on demonetisation, implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, and on the Union government's policy on Kashmir.

"I heard that the party is contemplating to take action against me since the Bihar Assembly polls but they did not take action. Are they so helpless that they will look for a muhurat to expel (me)," the Patna Saheb lawmaker said.

His remarks at an event hosted by Yashwant Sinha came shortly after the former Union finance minister quit the party alleging threat to democracy under the present dispensation.

The event was organised by the Rashtra Manch, a political action group Yashwant Sinha launched in January, at the S K Memorial Hall in Patna. During its launch, Shatrughan Sinha - popularly known as the "Bihari Babu" - led a group of politicians in joining the Manch.

Today's event was attended by a number of leaders of anti-BJP parties, including the Congress, the RJD, the TMC and the Samajwadi Party.

"Whenever they (the BJP leadership) want to take action, they can do so but they must remember Newton's third law that every action has an equal and opposite reaction," Shatrughan Sinha warned.

He said he has always maintained he would never quit the party. "I have not joined the party to leave it. I have always maintained that this is my first and last party and I can not quit the party. It's another thing if they want to leave me. But I will not violate the dignity till I am with the party."

Making it clear that he was at the Rashtra Manch event because of his close ties with Yashwant Sinha, the actor-turned-politician said he has always maintained his personal relations and attended every social gathering organised by opposition leaders such as Lalu Prasad and Sonia Gandhi.

Sinha, who rued about his non-inclusion in the party's list of star campaigners for Assembly polls in Bihar, UP and Gujarat, said he was astonished to see the UP Assembly election results.

"How it happened. I don't know whether it was the result of EVMs or something else. I will not say anything on it," he said.

Talking about the problems people faced due to the sudden government decision to demonetise a bulk of Indian currency and the implementation of the GST, he criticised the NDA-led central government for the decisions.

"People say that it seems this is the government of Ali Baba and 40 thieves," Shatrughan Sinha said.

He served as a Union minister in the NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He and Yashwant Singh recently met West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC president Mamata Banerjee when she visited Delhi in her attempt to bring parties opposed to the BJP together. - PTI
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Patna, April 21

Veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, a vocal critic of the Modi government, on Saturday announced snapping of his ties with the BJP.

Announcing his sanyas from party politics, the former Union Finance Minister said he would now work towards saving democracy in the country, that was under threat.

Speaking at a meeting hosted by Rashtriya Manch, a forum that Sinha floated on January 30, the 80-year-old said: I gave up electoral politics four years ago. I am quitting party politics now. I have also snapped all ties with the BJP. Among those at the event were BJP MP from Patna Sahib Shatrughan Sinha, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Congress Renuka Chaudhary as well as AAP, SP and TMC representatives.

Shatrughan Sinha said: My entry in the Bihar Assembly elections was banned and the BJP incurred losses. I am still with the party. I did not join the party to quit. But if the party so wishes, it can dump me.

Unfazed, state minister Nand Kishore Yadav remarked: Yashwant Sinha had already been working against the Modi government as he was afraid of the PMs growing popularity owing to his development policies. Whenever polls are due, several fronts and forums are formed but these do not matter.

Yashwant Sinha, a 1960-batch IAS officer, held several important posts in Bihar as well as the Central Government. He was Principal Secretary to former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur in 1977. He resigned in 1984 and joined the Janata Party. He was elected member of the Rajya Sabha in 1988. He served as Union Minister first in the Chandra Shekhar government and then the Vajpayee ministry.
editorial@tribune.com

Our Correspondent

Ahmedabad, April 21

Harsasai Gurjar, accused of raping and killing an 11-year-old girl, was brought here from Rajasthan on Saturday morning and handed over to the Surat police. The Ahmedabad crime branch claimed the accused had also confessed to the rape and murder of the girls widowed mother.

Gurjar, a father of two, brought the mother and daughter to Surat about a month ago to work at his construction site. He lodged the two in a rented room in a locality nearby where he repeatedly raped the mother and strangled her in a fit of rage. He then took the girl, a witness to the crime, to his home and kept her in confinement even as the body of her mother lay in the rented room. The girl was thrashed, repeatedly gangraped and strangled to death. The bodies of the two victims were found in Pandesara area on April 6.

JK Bhatt, Joint Police Commissioner, Ahmedabad, said Gurjar did not have a criminal record but was seen as a village strongman. On whether the mother and daughter were purchased for Rs 35,000, as reported in a section of the media, he said the police were yet to verify the information. The Surat police have detained three more persons, including his Gurjars brother, for questioning.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

New Delhi, April 21

DCW chief Swati Maliwal announced she would end her fast hours after the Union Cabinet's new ordinance approved death penalty for those raping girls below 12 years.

"The prime minister listened to our demands and the demands of the country. So I have decided to end my fast at 2 pm tomorrow," Maliwal told her supporters this evening at the fast venue at Rajghat in New Delhi.

"I am thankful to the prime minister for bringing this ordinance. I congratulate the people of this country for this victory," the Delhi Commission for Women chairperson added.

Saturday was the ninth day of her hunger strike.

Maliwal tweeted earlier in the day she won't end her fast until "something concrete happens" to ensure safety of the girl child.

"I will continue the fast until the ordinance is passed. Also police resources and accountability needs to be increased. Really sad that some channels are playing false news that I have broken the fast. Praying to all news channels conscience to kindly not report fake news," she had said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had urged her to end the fast on Friday.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maliwal had mentioned her six demands, which included the passage of the ordinance, recruitment of police personnel according per the United Nations standards and making the police accountable.

She demanded files relating to the recruitment of 14,000 police personnelapproved by the Home Ministry but pending with the Finance Ministry to be cleared, fast-track courts across India to try rape cases, and a high-level committee, comprising the home minister, the lieutenant governor and the Delhi chief minister to review issues related to the safety of women in the national capital.

She wrote to the Union Finance Ministry on Saturday for details of the action taken on proposals received since 2005 to boost the capacity of the Delhi Police.

She said Delhi reported three child rapes on an average each day, and blamed tardy investigations to be a major impediment to speedy justice.

"While the acute shortage of staff felt by the Delhi Police itself may or may not seem urgent on files but at the grassroots, it's having a dangerous effect," she said in the letter.

A group of activists urged Maliwal to end her fast and reconsider her demand for the death penalty for rape of minors. The activists said there is no evidence to suggest the capital punishment acts as a deterrent to stop such crimes.

Amid a nationwide outrage over cases of sexual assault on girls and women in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, in Surat in Gujarat and in Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, the Cabinet today approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years.

The ordinance will be promulgated after the presidential assent. PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 21

Veteran BJP leader and former finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit active politics, in other words the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of which he had been a part for more than two decades to save Indian democracy.

His purpose may have been to create a few squirming moments for the new BJP leadership, primarily Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah. However, leaders here claim no damage, difference or embarrassment either to the party or the PM against whom Yashwant Sinha was most critical while departing.

Sinha, the most vocal critic of new BJP leadership, was spoiling for a fight for long and wanted to be expelled so that he could play the martyr, a BJP leader here claimed.

Shah refused to comply, leaving Sinha with no other option but to announce acrimonious exit from the party which once gave him the opportunity to sit on the famed Raisina Hill and head the important Finance Ministry. He also seemed to be also unmindful of the fact that his son (Jayant Sinha) is a member of the Modi government, he added.

It remains to be seen whether in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Yashwant Sinha will be followed by other sidelined leaders in the party. Among those who have openly supported him is actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, who said he was not going anywhere.

As per the BJP leaders, Shatrughan Sinha is unlikely to quit as of now. He is still the Patna Sahib MP and would like to remain so for the rest of the tenure of the current Lok Sabha. Regarding speculations about other disgruntled veterans the two members of margdarshak mandal LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshifollowing suit, they term it a highly impossible possibility.
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 21

Veteran BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He made the announcement at the opposition rally at Patna. The leader said democracy is under threat and slammed the Modi-led NDA government.

Of late, Sinha has been repeatedly firing salvos at the Centre.

I have remained in the NDA government. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the PM we were told that Parliament should function at all costs. Did the current PM even try to reach out to the opposition parties to resolve the impasse? In fact, the government was happy that Parliament was not functioning because there was a no-confidence motion against it," he said.

I dont want to cast assertions on the conduct of the Speaker (Sumitra Mahajan) but when she said she could not count whether 50 members favoured the no-confidence motion it was the biggest joke on democracy," he said.

Lashing out at the Narendra Modi government, he said he did not want to be part of any party politics.

Sinha said he would not join any political party but be part of a group to save Indian democracy.

Sinha who quit electoral politics in 2014 had been the most vocal critic of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.

It remains to be seen whether he will be followed by other sidelined leaders of the party. Among those who have openly supported Yashwant Sinha is actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Lahore, April 21

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday directed the interior ministry to decide within 30 days the fate of an Indian woman seeking Pakistani citizenship and extension to her visa after embracing Islam and marrying a local man during her visit here to attend the Sikhs' Baisakhi festival.

The high court while extending the Indian woman's visa by 30 days, directed the interior ministry to decide whether she is eligible for the six-month extension as per her application, the Express Tribune reported.

Kiran Bala alias Amna Bibi, who hailed from Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, had arrived in Lahore by a special train on April 12 to attend Baisakhi festival. During her visit, she embraced Islam and married a resident of Hingerwal, Lahore, on April 16 at a ceremony held at an Islamic seminary here.

According to the law, Kiran can now stay in Pakistan for a month, and if granted the six-month extension, she could be eligible for attaining citizenship.

The Indo-Pak treaty indicates that citizens of either country can attain the others nationality after seven years, the report said.

Kiran would have to renew her visa every six months for seven years, and if there are no complaints of law or Constitutional violations, then she can become a Pakistani national.

In her plea, she stated that she married the Pakistani national on her own accord and wants to live in the country.

Clad in black gown and pink coloured scarf and holding a 'Tasbhi' in her hands, the Indian woman had appeared in the court yesterday along with her husband Mohammad Azam.

She pleaded the court that she had contracted marriage with Azam of Lahore with her consent as she was not coerced to do so.

"I want to live in Pakistan after marrying a Pakistani man. I am very happy here along with my husband and I do not want to go back. I have embraced Islam and my new name is Amna," she said.

"After getting married with a Pakistani man I am entitled to get citizenship of Pakistan under Section 10 (2) of the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951," she said.

After contracting marriage, Kiran also wrote to the Foreign Office for extension to her visa as she is receiving "life threats".

Meanwhile, sources in Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian High Commission Protocol team was not allowed to meet Sikh pilgrims so were not aware of these claims and further details.

The Baisakhi festival has already created bitterness after India accused Pakistan of using it to incite Indian Sikh pilgrims on the issue of 'Khalistan', which was rejected by Islamabad. - PTI/TNS

Another Sikh pilgrim goes missing in Pak

Amritsar: Besides Kiran Bala, another member of the Sikh jatha, Amarjit Singh, has not returned from Pakistan. Parampal Singh, SSP (Amritsar-Rural), said the police would be visiting his house in Niranjanpur village. The jatha chief too had no information about him. Sources said the Immigration authorities had alerted the police about the missing pilgrim. TNS
rchopra@tribunemail.com

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21

In the run-up to the Punjab cabinet expansion on Saturday evening, top state leadership spent the day in mollifying the MLAs who have been left out.

Senior party leaders feel that seeing the resentment among the MLAs hailing from the Dalit and OBC categories, a section of the MLA could stay away from the swearing-in.

Punjab affairs in-charge Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary are said to have spoken to different sets of disgruntled MLAs, including Raj Kumar Verka.

Both, along with PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar, reached Chandigarh in the afternoon to attend the ceremony.

MLAs Sangat Singh Gilzian, Nathu Ram and Surjit Singh Dhiman have resigned from party positions and could stay away from the swearing-in.

Besides, discussions among the top state party leaders indicate that portfolios of two women ministers of state Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana were being changed while elevating them to the cabinet rank.

The level of anxiety among some sitting ministers can be gauged from the fact that some of them were seen enquiring from top leaders about the portfolios being given to them. Some also called upon the Chief Minister to share their concern, it is learnt.

The ministers in waiting spent the day in knowing the portfolios being given to them.
editorial@tribune.com

Islamabad, April 21

The Lahore High Court on Saturday extended the visa of Amna Bibi (Kiran Bala) by 30 days. It also directed Pakistans Interior Ministry to decide within 30 days the fate of the Sikh woman pilgrim who converted to Islam and married a Lahore-based man. Kiran Bala, a mother of three from Hoshiarpur district, had also sent an application to the Pakistans Foreign Ministry. The court directed the ministry to decide whether she was eligible for a six-month extension.

Sikh jatha back

Amritsar: Meanwhile, the 1,794-member Sikh jatha returned on Saturday in two special trains after celebrating Khalsa Sirjana Divas in Pakistan gurdwaras.

Kiran Bala, now Amna Bibi, who went as part of the SGPC jatha, did not return. Her conversion into Islam after marrying a Pakistani has courted a controversy. A majority of the jatha members said they had no interaction with her.

Una pilgrim Swarn Kaur said they came to know of her disappearance quite late as most of them were busy visiting shrines.

SGPC jatha leader Gurmeet Singh Booh recalled that the jatha was in Lahore when they came to know of Kirans disappearance. The matter was immediately reported to the Evacuee Trust Property Board.

In response to a Sikh woman converting to Islam, he said she was originally born into a Hindu family and married a Sikh. He accepted that there were some infrastructure lapses at Gurdwara Dera Sahib and Dera Panja Sahib while arrangements in other prominent gurdwaras were excellent. He said the Pakistan government announced to permit more members for the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.  TNS & IANS
editorial@tribune.com

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 21

Having spent four decades in community service, 93-year-old Budh Singh Dhahan breathed his last at Nawanshahr on Friday.

A native of Dhahan village, falling in Banga, and hailing from the family of Gadharites, Budh Singh Dhahan had moved to Canada in 1960 but returned 19 years later to start philanthropic services around his place.

He initiated with setting up an elementary school and then a dispensary. He then mobilised the NRIs of the area for donations and set up Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Education Trust. The trust runs a 250-bed charitable hospital, a trauma centre and a 50-seat nursing college at Dhahan and adjoining Kaleran village.

Raghbir Singh, who was closely associated with him, recalls, Babaji (as he was called) was SAD district president too and remained closely attached with Master Tara Singh. Both used to pedal to villages to organise various programmes. When he migrated to Canada, he was motivated with the way Jews performed community service there. After his five children (a son and four daughters) got settled there, he returned to his village and started welfare work.

Raghbir shared that more than 15,000 NRIs, primarily from Canada, US, Australia and Germany, were raising funds for works in education and health pursued by him. Unfortunately, a dispute arose in the trust at Dhahan in 2006 and he quit there. But his works did not stop. He decided to set up another charitable hospital for poor patients of the Kandi and Bet area.

With half of the NRIs still linked with him, he managed resources, bought a 20-acre land on the Garshshankar-Anandpur Sahib road and set up a 30-bedded hospital. Philanthropist SPS Oberoi has helped us set up an eye care centre in the complex, he said.

As the family of Budh Singh is expected to arrive on Monday from Canada, cremation will be held then. Sushil Kaur, who worked as secretary with Budh Singh Dhahan, has already been named as the president of the new Guru Nanak Mission International Charitable Trust that he had formed.
editorial@tribune.com

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, April 21

A day after Sangat Singh Gilzian, Urmur MLA, resigned from Punjab Congress posts to protest non-inclusion in the Cabinet, two more MLAs followed suit on Saturday. Surjit Dhiman and Nathu Ram, Amargarh and Balluana MLAs, respectively, resigned from party positions.

The leaders, though announced to continue as MLAs, warned the Congress of "serious consequences" for ignoring the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes.

Alleging the failure of the party in breaking the drug supply chain in the state, Dhiman said "bad elements" were influencing the working of the government and officers from top to bottom were involved.

"Nearly 42 per cent state's population belongs to the SC/BC category. They are disappointed over not given adequate representation in the Cabinet. I belong to the Ramgarhia community, which consists of 12 per cent of the total BCs. If not me, the party could have chosen other MLAs. But now we feel that the Congress doesn't need our support," said the three-time MLA.

While Dhiman resigned from the post of PPCC vice-president and a delegate, Nathu Ram quit the post of general secretary and from three different committees.

Both have sent their resignations to Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh through email and apologised from their communities for "failing to get the desired respect from the Congress government".

Nathu Ram said: "Given the size of state's SC population, there should be five ministers from our community. We cannot accept this decision. Even the seniority has been ignored.
editorial@tribune.com

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21

Simmering tension in the state Congress was evident as nearly 25 party MLAs stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony of nine newly inducted Cabinet ministers at Punjab Raj Bhavan here on Saturday.

Three MLAs, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Nathu Ram and Surjit Dhiman, have already resigned from all party posts over "inadequate representation to Dalits" in the state Cabinet.

In a brief low-key ceremony, all nine newly-inducted Cabinet ministers were administered oath of office and secrecy in Punjabi by Governor VP Badnore, with their family members and senior Congress leaders closely following the events. Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana were elevated to the Cabinet rank. The Capt Amarinder Singh Cabinet now has a total strength of 18.

Barring Punjab affairs incharge Asha Kumari and Harish Chaudhary, no other senior national leader was seen at the ceremony.

Following the tradition of abstaining from the VIP culture, new cars allotted to the newly inducted ministers were without red beacons.

Sources said the Congress would have to burn midnight oil to smoothen the ruffled feathers of disgruntled legislators, including Raj Kumar Verka, Randeep Nabha, Amrik Singh Dhillon, Pargat Singh, Sangat Singh Gilzian, Navtej Cheema, Rakesh Pandey and Surinder Dawar, who among others were conspicuous by their absence at the swearing-in ceremony.

PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar said efforts were being made to mollify the annoyed legislators. "Everyone should realise that not all MLAs can be inducted into the Cabinet," he said.

No dissent: CM

Talking to The Tribune, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh denied that Dalits and OBCs are inadequately represented. The Cabinet already has 25 per cent representation for Dalits. We have to take many factors into consideration while shortlisting the probables. There were no swollen faces in the process as the focus was to strike a regional and caste balance to ensure holistic development of the state, he said. The CM said all MLAs who had not found place in the Council of Ministers would be given positions in various boards and corporations.

Backward Classes ignored, says AAP

Chandigarh: AAP on Saturday criticised the Congress and Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh for ignoring the Backward Classes. In a press statement, Kotkapura AAP MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan said the list of newly appointed ministers showed the feudal mindset of Amarinder as he failed to induct any minister from the SC/BCs. Rubbishing that seniority criteria was followed while expanding the Cabinet, he said if was the parameter, then Sangat Singh Gilzian, Raj Kumar Verka and Pargat Singh would have been inducted. TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Roopinder Singh

A Canadian immigrant of Indian origin donated $10 million to the University of Lethbridge, the largest gift that the university had ever received. The money is to be used for the faculty of management, to be called the Dhillon School of Business, which will focus on futuristic learning through innovative subject areas and new technologies such as blockchain, cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence, and robotics. We would be looking for eligible Indian students with good school grades who want to study in Canada on scholarships, he said in a telephonic interview recently.

Accomplished and rich people often engage in philanthropic activities. This happens all over the world, and it is far from being something recent  just look at all the Birla and Tata hospitals and educational institutions.

In some ways, Bob Dhillon is a good example of the contemporary diasporic Indian. A first-generation immigrant in Canada, he traces his origins to Japan, where he was born, and a childhood in India, as a boarder at the Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, with time spent in the ancestral village, Tallewal, in Barnala district, and with family in Liberia, a country set up by freed slaves, which had a strong democratic ethos, till a military takeover. The civil war in 1989 forced the family out, to take on challenges anew in Canada.

Within four decades of his familys arrival in Canada, where he worked and educated himself, Bob founded Mainstreet Equity and became its chief executive. He is a billionaire who is giving back to the country of his adoption. His $10 million donation for the university is far from being his only contribution to society. In 2011, he hit headlines by donating the use of 100 apartments for people displaced by a fire around Slave Lake, Alberta. Then there were other grants too to other educational institutions in Canada and to Belize, where he owns an island.

Bob is the latest in a series of philanthropists who have contributed to life, both in Canada and in India. Not too long ago, the Canadian High Commission in Chandigarh organised a meet for the winners of the $25,000 Dhahan International Punjabi Literary Prize, the worlds most well-endowed prize for fiction writing in Punjabi. It is open to authors who write in either in Shahmukhi or Gurmukhi script, and the winners have been Indians and Pakistanis and from the Punjabi diaspora.

Barj (Barjinder Singh) Dhahan, the man who moved from Punjab to Canada as a child, is no stranger to philanthropy. His father, Budh Singh Dhahan, who migrated to Canada in 1959, came back to Punjab in the 1980s and helped start the Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust, which operates a hospital. He set up the Guru Nanak College of Nursing in 1993. NRI doctors contribute their time and expertise, besides providing healthcare. The college has sent out nurses to other countries too.

He is also the chairperson of the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability (IC-IMPACTS), which is now working on the Clean Ganga mission and a founding donor of Canada-India Centre for Excellence (CICE) in Ottawa, among other endeavours.

Among those who were there to cheer this effort was Dr Gurdev Singh Gill. The 19-year-old Gill had left India in 1949. He became the first Canadian of Indian origin to graduate in medicine from the University of British Columbia and the first to practice medicine in Canada. In 1990, he became the first Indo-Canadian to receive the Order of British Columbia.

A visit back to his village Kharoudi, Hoshiarpur district, in 1999 exposed him to the lack of sanitation there. Ever the social activist, he and a fellow villager, another Canadian success story, Dr Raghbir Singh Bassi, raised the requisite funds in Canada and devoted themselves to improving the place of the birth by providing sanitation facilities and other basic infrastructure. Their effort started with their village, which received a visit in 2003 by the then President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

In time, other villages were brought into the ambit, and the model tweaked to make it more sustainable. The health and other benefits in such villages are significant, and overall, this project too has been a successful one. Dr Gill divides his time between Vancouver and Chandigarh.

Successful Canadian Punjabis have been giving back. So have other overseas Indians. Dhillons latest donation to his alma mater is yet another reason to celebrate the success of our brethren. The continuing hullabaloo around Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus visit to India and various faux pas that happened then is way past its expiry date.

Punjabi Canadians have longstanding relations with both countries and have, in their individual and official capacities, contributed much to them, as they were well expected to. Let more people in both lands work on building bridges and helping each other.
Saba Naqvi

Saba Naqvi

A neighbour I recently ran into complained about the news: all I hear is about Dalits and Muslims and rape and protests, she said, declaring shes going to stop reading the papers, having switched off TV news for a while now. I quite get it, if I was a typical middle class upper caste Hindu professional, who thinks she treats her staff well, I too may have been put off by protesting Dalits and constant talk of Muslims (now top of the mind because of what happened to the little girl of Kathua). I may have imagined a more peaceful eco-system, the notion of being a country of good people who do not brutalise each other but build something positive.

That remark got me thinking about comparisons although I concede they are odious. Who, I wondered, are worse off in contemporary India: Muslims or Dalits, and to avoid additional depression Im not even venturing to address the question of adivasis.

First, let me concede that I belong to the school of thought that had believed that the long-drawn Hindu-Muslim discourse was actually a grand diversion from the more complex but brutal realities confronted by Dalits and adivasis. The real story, largely invisible though it remained in terms of media coverage, lay in Adivasis being thrown off their lands, Dalits being historically brutalised and ostracised. I remember telling people that this Hindu-Muslim discourse is orchestrated theatre, to hide the real problems in the belly of our nation.

Now I wonder if I had it wrong or has the situation just changed? Adivasis remain the forgotten people in our narrative, but Dalits are quite organised today, articulate and forceful. If there is an atrocity or hate speech based on caste lines there is the SC/ST Act they can turn to and kudos to them for protesting loudly against the judicial whittling down of the law. Whats more, in an electoral democracy, everyone wants their votes, from the major national parties to regional parties. That is a great protection.

Of the two national parties, the BJP does not want or seek Muslim votes and the Congress would like these votes to come their way without being seen to ask for them or more specifically, minimise photographs with the community. Both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have either stated this or acted in ways that suggests this quite clearly. True, there are regional parties that openly court Muslim voters, but there is now a huge counter polarisation against these parties for doing just that.

The Muslim community has different social strata and there is a historical and intellectual elite thats produced wondrous poetry, literature and fine works of letters. There are prominent Muslims in cinema, engaged in the writing, the music composition to the directing and acting. Hindi cinema is one field where the talent of this minority has found expression. But they lag behind in every other sphere, especially government services, and there is no hope of anything like affirmative action coming their way.

The community also excels in handicrafts, weaving, tailoring, carpentry and many make functional and beautiful things with their hands. Yet the politics that is unfolding in parts of India has only added to the sense of insecurity in the hamlets where traditional crafts persons live and work. The fact is that Muslims are either presented as a burden on the nation or they are seen as the figures against whom others must mobilise, thereby papering over traditional differences of caste. Electoral democracy, therefore, no longer provides any protection to the community as it does to Dalits.

That is why an act of unspeakable brutality in Jammu has been almost condoned by the political class there. Although the local BJP has been attacked quite rightly for seeking to defend the child rapists/murderers, (in spite of the corrective of getting its ministers to resign) lets recognise that the local Congress in Jammu too drinks from the same poisoned well of communal hate. The members of the bar council that protested so loudly (not for the dead child) are linked to the Congress as is the BJP MLA Lal Singh, who set off to defend the accused. He only shifted to the BJP in 2014 after a successful career in the Congress. As I said, its the same poisoned well of hatred.

I, therefore, have no answers to the question that I posited at the start of the piece. Perhaps rightly so as there is no fair and just answer to such a question. In recent times we have seen visuals of Dalits being flogged, Muslims being lynched and both disturb us equally. The child horror from Jammu has however disturbed by equilibrium and penetrated my barricades.

From a very personal perspective I have learnt to dismiss the trolling that mediapersons are subjected to. But I would like to flag the communal abuse that comes my way day in and day out. There are unprintable suggestions that are an incitement to violence because I have a Muslim name. But there is no law to address hate speech (beyond the SC-ST Act). So I just have to lump it, get over a bad day, and take it in my stride tomorrow.
Sunit Dhawan, Deepkamal Kaur & Parveen Arora

About a year back the Haryana government, alarmed over a spike in honour killings involving young couples, decided to formulate a policy on runaway couples. Today, no one in the government knows what happened to it. Meanwhile, the number of such couples is steadily rising: in 2016 the count stood at 2,028 in 22 shelter homes of the state, up from over 1,400 in 2014.

According to Honour Based Violence Awareness Network, an international digital resource centre working to advance understanding of honour-based violence and forced marriage, around 1,000 honour killings occur in India every year. Haryana  where three such killings took place in February this year  is among the top five states where such killings are common.

The Tribune takes up three districts  Rohtak, Hisar and Karnal  to see the condition of the shelter homes for such couples and the reasons why elopement remains a serious social problem:

Space shortage

rohtak: The safe house sheltered 200 such couples last year. The figure for this year is already 30 with around a dozen couples staying in the temporary shelter home on the first-floor of Bal Bhawan building. Of the two rooms, one is meant for a team of policemen deployed for the protection of the couples.

Rohtak SP Pankaj Nain says he is aware of the shortage of space and rooms at the safe house. We wrote to the deputy commissioner about it a few months back. We are yet to receive any response, says Nain. Rohtak Additional Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar said the existing arrangement was made with the help of Red Cross authorities in compliance with the Supreme Court directions on an immediate basis. We are looking for better accommodation that can serve as a safe house, said Kumar. But he was unable to specify when such an arrangement could be made.

Protection-cum-child marriage prohibition officer Karminder Kaur says the government should have a well-defined policy and funds to ensure that the young couples are able to stay with dignity.

The social pressures resulting in running away and getting married continue to be as serious as ever. The girls are increasingly asserting themselves in an environment that encourages education leading to professional careers. Financial independence naturally prompts them to make their choices in marriage. But a patriarchal mindset becomes the biggest obstacle, hence the resistance, says Dr Jitender Prasad, a former professor of sociology at Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak.

He says the lack of suitable girls due to a skewed gender ratio also leads to love marriages, many of which are inter-caste or same-gotra. Then you have traditional village councils or khap panchayats that interfere with young peoples choices, said Prasad.  Sunit Dhawan

Unhygienic conditions

hisar: The safe house is located in the backyard of the Red Cross office, where a police team disallows you to enter the building. For safety reasons, SP Manisha Chaudhary would not even allow a media team to interact with the couples.

Sources say even the policemen dont want to be posted at the safe house in the absence of basic amenities. The couples are safe. But how do you deal with mosquitoes, said a source. A former inmate, Anju, says it is difficult for young couples to live in an awkward situation. Nobody stays in the house for more than 2-3 days, she said. Anju belongs to Rohtak and stayed in the safe house for nine days around two years ago after she got married to a different caste boy in Hisar.

Anju works with the NGO Madad that helps such couples to get formally married. Sometime back the inmates received free food from the adjoining jail. But now the authorities have told the couples to get their own supply from the market, says Anju. At least seven runaway couples arrive in the shelter home in a month. The poor condition of the safe house forces a few of them to return in a couple of days.

She says safe houses with livable amenities are needed because there seems little change in the mindset towards the inter-caste marriages. The social situation persists despite court order and pressure groups. In most cases, the girls parents are not ready to accept the marriage, says Anju.  Deepender Deswal

Sleepless, cooped up

karnal: At least seven couples share a room of the PWD Rest House. In another room live police personnel who provide security to the runaway couples. In the suffocated room, the couples sleep on the floor.

The protection home has registered a continuous increase in the number of runaway couples. Since 2015, 414 such couples have approached the court for protection. The numbers was 188 in February 2015 to December 2016. From January 2017 to December 2017, the figure was 164. And from January this year, 62 couples have taken shelter in PWDs one room.

The couples have to stay inside the single room, which is full of foul smell. They can use the AC only for an hour. And they share a washroom.

I got married on February 14. My wifes side opposes my marriage and we are receiving threats to our lives, forcing us to live in such inhuman conditions, says a 27-year old youth refusing to tell his name.

Dr Ramesh Bhardwaj, professor in the department of social work in Kurukshetra University, says social pressures are a big challenge. He says the government must provide separate rooms for the couples in a shelter home.

Deputy commissioner Aditya Dahiya says the issues related to the protection home are reviewed periodically. I will get the problems being faced by the young couples at the protection home checked, he said.  Parveen Arora
Ajay Banerjee

Ajay Banerjee in New Delhi

Around 19 years ago, on June 24 during the Kargil war, the Indian Air Force launched an attack on Tiger Hill located north-west of Drass in Ladakh (J&K). Two Mirage-2000 fighter jets dropped laser guided bombs to mark the first operational use of these bombs. The attack softened up the target for the Army's infantry units which climbed the peak and captured it after a bloody battle.

The war ended in last week of July that year. The IAF, impressed by Mirage's capabilities, recommended purchase of more Mirage-2000/V aircraft from France. These were to fit into the category of the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). These have the ability to multi-role between air-to-ground attack and an air-to-air attack.

There was, however, no agreement. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2004 decided to have an open global tender to acquire 126 fighter jets - which was then called the MMRCA tender. The request for information (RFI) - the first step in the tender process - was floated in 2007 and it was scrapped in 2015 after years of trials, discussions and cost negotiations. In April 2015, the government decided to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets off-the-shelf from French major Dassault.

After 19 years and several technological leaps elsewhere, the IAF still awaits the MMRCA and, if everything goes smoothly, it will still take at least six years from now for the first plane to arrive.

A re-run & ground situation

On April 6, the IAF floated an RFI inviting foreign manufacturers to come and 'make in India'. To foreign companies this may have looked like a re-run of scrapped MMRCA tender. On April 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at the Def-Expo-2018, assured foreign companies that India would not spend a decade on (deciding) it.

The scrapped MMRCA tender had Lockheed Martin's F-16IN, US Boeing's F/A-18IN, Eurofighter Typhoon, French Dassault's Rafale, Swedish Saab's Gripen and Russian MiG-35. All these are expected to be in the race again.

Military equipment take years to get delivered, and this time too, it wont be different. The RFI says deliveries are expected to commence within three years of signing the contract and completed within 12 years from contract signing. Contract signing, if everything goes smoothly, could take about three-four years. This will include the process of issuing a request for proposal, selecting a plane and then negotiating its price and the transfer of technology. The first jet may come by 2024-2025 and last one by 2036-2037.

Will this technology be needed 20, 30 or 40 years from now? Air Vice Marshall Manmohan Bahadur (retd) says: We will still require the numbers as our adversaries will not have a full strength of the fifth generations planes.

Air Vice Marshall SJ Nanodkar (retd), a former fighter pilot, says: We will surely need this technology as human-flown fighter jets will continue. The reaction span needed in mountainous region is best tackled by a human.

The RFI says approximately 110 fighter aircraft are needed (about 75% single seat and rest twin seat aircraft). Of the 110 aircraft 15% (or 16-17 planes) will be in a fly-away condition and the rest will have to be made in India by a strategic partner (Indian company). The strategic partnership is itself being tried out for the first time and is set to be amended.

Costs for depleted IAF

The cost will be a huge Rs 1.25 lakh crore. The IAF is now down to 31 squadrons (each squadron has 16-18 planes) against the need of 42, as mandated by the Cabinet Committee on Security. It will lose nine squadrons in the next five years when the remaining seven MiG-21 and 2 MiG-27 squadrons retire. Two squadrons of Rafale fighters, two of the LCA Tejas and two more Su-30MKI will be added making it 28 squadrons by 2022. If the MMRCA-style delay is repeated, the IAF is in for disaster as its six Jaguar, three MiG-29 and three Mirage-2000 squadrons will retire by 2030. Air Vice Marshall Bahadur says matters can be speeded up only to a limit. It's not simple. The contract signing is expected to take some time as our process is such.

Tech transfer is the key

The RFI indicates that transfer of technology will be a key element in the decision-making matrix. IAF wants that original manufacturer should be willing to transfer design, development, manufacturing and repair expertise within India. Securing the force against any whimsical imposition of sanctions, the RFI says the foreign manufacturer will have to provide assurances from their home country about manufacture, repair, overhaul, upgrade and also for all subsequent authorizations needed to negotiate, sign and execute contracts with the Indian government. But it remains to be seen if countries will be willing to offer their cutting edge technology related to, say, engines. In Def-expo at Chennai, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Sweden Saab expressed keenness to work in India and Transfer technology.

Desired abilities, budget

Defence secretary Sanjay Mitra was categorical at the Def-Expo in Chennai recently that this RFI is different. The 72-page RFI says the IAF intends to use the aircraft for day & night all weather operations in the following roles: air superiority, air defence, air-to-surface ops, reconnaissance, maritime, electronic warfare missions, and ability to refuel in air.

Budgetary provision is vital because the government wants the bulk of the aircraft to be Made in India. Setting up an assembly line for dozens of fighters could actually work out to be costlier than imported aircraft. An example is how the Su-30MKI imported directly from Russia is cheaper than the one produced at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.

IAF for years has been saying that it wants a light fighter which is economical to operate. But over the years some confusion has prevailed. Post Kargil it wanted the Mirage-2000  a single engine plane. The MMRCA tender had selected the Rafale  a twin engine plane. In 2016 the IAF issued another RFI for buying and building 100-200 single engine fighters. The new plan yet again removes the engine restriction and the RFI mixes single and twin-engine aircraft. In a competition, the heavier twin-engine fighter will have superior range, endurance and capability but will cost 30 per cent more.
monicakchauhan@gmail.com

Seoul, April 21

North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North's state media said on Saturday, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea said that to create an "international environment favourable" for its economy, it would "facilitate close contact and active dialogue" with neighbouring countries and the international community.

It was the first time Kim directly addressed his position on North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes ahead of planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with US President Donald Trump in late May or early June.

The pledge to halt the development of nuclear weapons, initiated by his grandfather and continued by his father, would mean a significant reversal for the young, third-generation leader, now 34, who has staked his security on his nuclear arsenal and spent years celebrating such weapons as an integral part of his regimes legitimacy and power.

A testing freeze and commitment to close a test site alone would fall short of Washington's demand that Pyongyang completely dismantle all of its nuclear weapons and missiles.

But announcing the concessions now, rather than during summit meetings, shows Kim is serious about denuclearisation talks, experts say.

"The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test," KCNA said after Kim convened a plenary session of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party on Friday.

The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Pyunggye-ri site in northern North Korea is its only known nuclear test site, where all of its six underground tests were conducted, including the last, its largest-ever detonation, in September.

"We will concentrate all efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving the standard of people's living through the mobilisation of all human and material resources of the country," KCNA said.

Trump welcomed the statement and said he looked forward to a summit with Kim.

"North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit," Trump said on Twitter.

South Korea said the North's decision signified "meaningful" progress toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and would create favourable conditions for successful meetings with it and the United States.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he welcomed North Korea's statement but it must lead to verifiable denuclearisation.

"This announcement is forward motion that I'd like to welcome," Abe told reporters. "But what's important is that this leads to complete, verifiable denuclearisation. I want to emphasise this."

The United States, Japan and South Korea have historically been the main targets of North Korea's anger.

"Were all looking for evidence that Kim is really serious about negotiations, and announcements like this certainly suggest he is, and that he is trying to make clear to the world that he is," said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Fears of war

North Korea has said its nuclear and missile programmes are necessary deterrents against US hostility. It has conducted numerous missile tests with the aim of being able to hit the United States with a nuclear bomb.

The tests and escalating rhetoric between Trump and Kim raised fears of war until, in a New Year's speech, the North Korean leader called for reduced military tensions.

He later improved ties with South Korea and sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics in the South in February.

Nam Sung-wook, professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul, said it was "sensational" that Kim had personally declared plans to suspend nuclear development, but added that his remarks left a number of questions.

"It still does not seem clear if it means whether the North will just not pursue further development of its nuclear programmes in the future, or whether they will completely shut down 'all' nuclear facilities. And what are they going to do with their existing nuclear weapons?" Nam said.

South Korean President Moon said on Thursday North Korea had expressed a commitment to "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula, and had not attached conditions, but Washington had remained wary and vowed to maintain "maximum pressure" on Pyongyang.

The United States said on Thursday that in the run-up to Trump's planned summit with Kim, countries should continue to put financial and diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang to surrender its banned nuclear weapons.

Many US officials and experts doubt Kim's sincerity about denuclearising, viewing the recent flurry of diplomacy as a ploy to win relief from economic sanctions.

UN Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006 and extended over the past decade have aimed to deny it a considerable amount of international trade, banning critical exports such as coal, iron ore, seafood, textile while limiting oil imports.

That has threatened the policy of byungjin" - simultaneous military and economic development - that Kim Jong Un has adopted since taking power in late 2011.

"Easing tensions and cooperating with the international community is critical if Kim wanted to advance the economy," said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute think-tank south of Seoul.

Koh Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said he did not believe Pyongyang was ready to give up its existing nuclear weapons and missiles.

"Kim is just saying that now that the nuclear development is complete, he will put all the efforts toward building an economy," Koh said. Reuters
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Shanghai, April 21

Chinese naval forces have passed through waters south of Taiwan and carried out military exercises in the western Pacific, the latest in a series of military drills that self-ruled Taiwan has criticised as amounting to intimidation.

J-15 fighters took off from Chinas sole operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, on Friday for training in the area to the east of the Bashi Channel, which runs between Taiwan and the Philippines, the official newspaper of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) reported on Saturday.

Chinese destroyers carried out offensive and defensive drills to test their capabilities, the PLA Daily said. The Ministry of Defence carried pictures of the exercises on its website on Saturday. China has been ramping up military displays in the area over the last week.

On Wednesday, the navy carried out live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait in what state media said was a direct response to provocations by Taiwan.

Taiwan, which is claimed by Beijing as Chinese territory, accused China of sabre rattling, and carried out its own live-fire exercises on Tuesday on two Taiwan islands close to China.

On Thursday, Chinese bombers flew around Taiwan in what the air force called a sacred mission.

Taiwans China policy-making Mainland Affairs Council said Chinas exercises, including the flight by the bombers, amounted to military intimidation.

Taiwan is one of Chinas most sensitive issues and a potential flashpoint. China has ramped up military exercises around the island over the past year.

The Chinese manoeuvres come at a time of heightened tension between Beijing and Taipei and follow strong warnings by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chinas military activities and growing assertiveness has worried United States as well, whose Pacific command called China a disruptive force in January.  Reuters
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Tokyo, April 21

Japan is not satisfied with North Koreas pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, its Defence Minister said on Saturday, warning that Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

We cant be satisfied, Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Washington, saying North Korea did not mention abandonment of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles.

He added that Japan will not change its policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang for the ultimate abandonment of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms and missiles.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said today that his country would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump and South Korea.

Pyongyangs declaration, long sought by Washington, comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.  AFP
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Washington, April 21

President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran deal and the situation in Syria when they meet each other next week, a senior US official has said.

Macron will arrive here on Monday for a three-day state visit and Trump and First Lady Melania are throwing a red carpet to welcome the French President.

During the visit, the two presidents are expected to discuss the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by the US and other world powers and Iran, the official said.

The deal lifted economic sanctions on Tehran, and in return put limitations on its controversial nuclear energy programme.

Trump has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal and has set a May 12 deadline to make a decision on the accord, which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The official said Trump was not yet ready to make a final decision but that the nuclear deal would definitely be an important part of the discussions during his meetings with Macron.

Its difficult to say what degree of detail the two presidents will go into, because based on the presidents statement back in January, theres a deadline of around mid-May before he has to make a decision, the official said.

The Europeans, the E3 in particular, have been working hard on trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Irans ballistic missile program, for example; the sunset clause; and the JCPOA, and so on. That work is not quite done yet. So I think the time to really have the final discussions and for the president to be ready to make the decision will be mid-May, the official said.

Noting that the United States works closely with France to combat terror around the world, the official said Trump and Macron will also discuss recent joint operations in Syria in response to the Syrian regimes use of chemical weapons on April 7 as well as broader issues relating to Syria and the Middle East.

These would include Irans malign influence in the region; and also Frances leading role in the NATO and in global counterterrorism operations more generally, including in the Sahel, where France takes the leading role, the official said.

Macrons state visit will include, on April 23, a tour of Mt. Vernon and a private couples dinner, the official told reporters here.

The tour would celebrate the close and continuing ties between the two countries, which have been a strong and reliable ally to each other.

President Trump is eager to host the Macrons for this special event as he remembers, fondly, the dinner the couples shared together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day that was last July in 2017, the official said.

On April 24, Macron will meet with Trump in the White House, mid-morning, for a one-on-one session in the Oval Office. That will be followed by an expanded working bilateral meeting between the French and US delegations.

The bilateral meeting will include the Vice President, the Acting Secretary of State, the Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of Commerce, the White House Chief of Staff, and the National Security Advisor.

The visit has three themes: friendship, trade partnership, and the fact that France has been a strong and reliable ally of the US.

President Trump is continuing the legacy of French-American cooperation that stretches back to Americas independence, and is working with President Macron to build upon the already strong ties between the United States and France, the official said.

France is the United States third largest trading partner in Europe, and averages over USD 1 billion in commercial transactions every day. PTI
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Sudanese refugee women rest under a tree in Iridimi refugee camp in Eastern Chad in 2014.  UNHCR/Corentin Fohlen

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, earlier this week and together with the Governments of Chad and Sudan, facilitated the first in what is hoped will be a new series of voluntary returns of Sudanese refugees living in Chad.

A group of 53 refugees left the Iridimi camp in eastern Chad last Saturday and arrived in a reception centre in Tina, North Darfur after a road journey of four hours (70 kilometers) in UNHCR arranged buses.

On arrival in Sudan, they spent two days in a reception centre before heading on to their final destinations. These returnees are the first of thousands who are expected to return voluntarily in the coming months. Most have been living in Chad for years.

The returns follow the signing of a tripartite agreement on the voluntary repatriation of Sudanese refugees by UNHCR and the Governments of Sudan and Chad in May of last year.

The war in the Darfur region of Sudan broke out in February 2003, when rebel groups began fighting the government of Sudan. The ensuing conflict killed tens of thousands and displaced millions of people within Sudan and over its borders.

The returning refugees fled Darfur in 2003 -2004. Prior to their return, refugee representatives had visited their villages in Darfur, before making the decision to return. UNHCR continues to register more refugees as they express their intention to return to Sudan. Returning refugees are provided with transport and a return package to help them initially at their places of return in Sudan. The returnee package includes three months food rations, provided by the World Food Programme (WFP).

UNHCR is working to support efforts of Sudanese authorities to improve services in North Darfur together with UN sister agencies and other partners as return areas are in need of urgent rehabilitation. The support of the international community is also required to make returns durable and sustainable. A UNHCR funding appeal for our operations in 2018 of nearly US$256 million is only 14 per cent funded.

More refugees have indicated their interest in returning to Sudan in the coming months, and as the security situation in Darfur improves. The region has witnessed a growing trend of returns of refugees and internally displaced people in the last few years. In December 2017, UNHCR helped some 1,500 refugees return to South Darfur from the Central African Republic through an air operation.

This is in part thanks to general security improvements in Darfur as a result of peace agreements between the government and some armed groups. A disarmament exercise carried out by the government throughout Darfur as well as the efforts of the peacekeeping mission led by the United Nations-African Union hybrid force, are also contributing to making areas safer for displaced people to return.

Around two million people are currently displaced inside Sudan, while more than 650,000 Sudanese refugees live in neighbouring countries - including Chad and South Sudan. Some 300,000 refugees from Darfur are currently living in 12 UNHCR and government run camps in eastern Chad.

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Srinagar, Apr 21 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir police arrested a drug peddler and recovered cannabis in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Friday evening, a police spokesman said here.

He said following an tip-off, a 'naka' was set up at Paribal crossing Aloosa in Bandipora district last evening. The naka party challenged a person and during his search, police recovered 650 grams of powdered form of cannabis from his possession.

The drug peddler was arrested, he said, adding that a case has been registered and further investigation taken up.
Srinagar, Apr 20 (UNI) JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik was arrested in the summer capital, Srinagar, to prevent him from leading a protest march after Friday prayers against the rape and brutal murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu region.

A JKLF spokesperson said that a large police party today came to the residence of Malik in Maisuma and arrested him. He was then lodged in Kothibagh police station.

Malik was arrested to prevent him from leading a protest march after Friday prayers to Lal Chowk, the nerve center of the summer capital, demanding death penalty to Kathua rape and murder culprits.

UNI ABS SB 1356
RTPS facing severe coal shortage

Raichur, Apr 21 (UNI) The Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS), one of the major thermal power source in Karnataka, has been facing severe shortage of Coal.

According to the sources , the Station needs 30,000 tonnes of coal every day for running its eight units (seven with installed capacity of 210 MW, while the eighth unit has 250MW). It receives around ten rakes of coal (each rake contains around 3,200 tonnes) every day from Singareni Coal Mines, Andhra Pradesh; Mahanadi Coalfields in Talcher, Odisha; and Western Coalfields in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Keeping in mind the coal requirement of Yermarus Thermal Power Station (YTPS), which recently commenced operations, the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL)
On March 23, a blaze, which was caused by a motorcycle in the parking area of the Carina building, broke out and killed 13 people. Photo: VNA/VNS

Tung, who is the director of the Hung Thanh Ltd Company, will be put in custody for four months.

The information was confirmed by Colonel Nguyen Sy Quang, spokesman of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department.

The proceedings are in line with the 2015 Criminal Codes Article 313 on violation of fire safety regulations.

On March 23, a blaze, which was caused by a motorcycle in the parking area of the Carina building, broke out and killed 13 people, with 11 of them dying of smoke inhalation and two jumping out of windows or balconies.

Some 90 more people were injured and had to be hospitalised. The fire also destroyed 150 motorcycles and five cars, causing damage to another 10 cars.

Previously, investigators on March 26 pressed charges relating to the inferno at the Carina Plaza residential block, which they said resulted from violations of fire prevention and fighting rules.

The authorities also identified that the investor of Carina Plaza had not properly followed fire safety regulations. When the fire broke out, it turned out that many items of required equipment were not present, and the fire alarms and sprinklers did not work.
A view of the Han River. - Photo courtesy Danang tourism department

Deputy director of the department Nguyen Xuan Binh said at the launching ceremony yesterday that the application, in English and Vietnamese, had earned positive feedback from tourists from 12 countries and territories.

A leaflet for the Danang FantastiCity chatbot. Danang City has officially launched the chatbot to support tourists visiting the city. - VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Binh said the application wiould help visitors search key information including attractions, things to do, events, hotels, cuisine, directions, Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), public rest-stops and weather forecasts.

He said tourists could search the chatbot at danangfantasticity.com, fanpage Danang fantasticity, or by using messenger on Facebook, in order to avoid wasting download time.

Danang at night. - VNS Photo Le Lam

Binh said the city was working on adding Japanese, Chinese and Korean language versions and more updated data.

The chatbot, an artificial intelligence technology, was used during the 2017 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week in a Nang last year.

a Nang is the first city in Viet Nam to use chatbot technology in tourism.

An overview of the Co Co River in Danang city. - VNS Photo Le Phuoc Chin

According to the citys tourism promotion centre, the chatbot fanpage has attracted over 10,000 followers, and 121,000 queries have been answered since last November.

Danang hosted 6.7 million tourists, of which 2.3 million were foreigners, in 2017.
President Donald Trump stepping off Air Force One in West Palm Beach, Florida on Apr 18, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Mandel Ngan)

But the memos were just the latest twist a week of difficult headlines for Trump: from the release of a bestselling book in which Comey labels him "morally unfit," to a courtroom circus featuring his embattled personal lawyer and a porn star who alleges a tryst with him.

Trump's legal and personal woes - and wall-to-wall Comey book interviews - overshadowed his summit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at which the president confirmed CIA chief Mike Pompeo had met Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang to lay the groundwork for an upcoming summit with Trump himself.

As the week drew to a close, the flurry of developments on the North Korean front were once again eclipsed by the Comey memos - which depict Trump pressuring the FBI chief over the probe into his campaign's links to Russia before firing him, and could bolster potential obstruction of justice allegations.

"James Comey Memos just out and show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION. Also, he leaked classified information. WOW! Will the Witch Hunt continue?" Trump tweeted Friday in response to the documents.

And to top it off, on Friday the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in New York alleging the Trump campaign, the Russian government and WikiLeaks conspired to skew the 2016 presidential election toward the Republican.

"We must prevent future attacks on our democracy, and that's exactly what we're doing today," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez.

"If the occupant of the Oval Office won't protect our democracy, Democrats will. "

PERSONAL LAWYER RAIDED

Trump's legal problems reach back to the beginning of his presidency, but have multiplied.

Two weeks ago FBI agents raided the New York residences and offices of his longtime personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, seizing files that could bare Trump's past business dealings and expose more about his relationships with several women in the 2000s, when he was married.

One of them, the porn actress Stormy Daniels, whom Cohen paid US$130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged affair with Trump in 2006, showed up to much publicity at the first hearing over the Cohen raid.

Days later she went on the hit show The View where she said she was threatened not to talk about her Trump affair.

Daniels and Trump are now locked in dueling lawsuits that serve to keep the alleged tryst in the headlines.

Adult film actress Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford) was paid US$130,000 by President Donald Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen to not speak of an alleged affair she had with Trump in 2006. (Photo: AFP/Drew Angerer)

Separately, Trump is battling a lawsuit that alleges he is breaking anti-corruption clauses in the US Constitution by profiting from the use of his namesake Washington hotel by foreign dignitaries.

Most ominous of all, Trump is under pressure from Special Counselor Robert Mueller's investigation into links between his campaign and Russia, a probe that is also examining possible obstruction by the president.

That investigation has numerous top aides and possibly family members of Trump in its sights. In recent weeks, according to reports, Trump has considered firing both Mueller and the Justice Department's number two, Rod Rosenstein, whom Trump himself appointed a year ago.

COMEY BOOK

Trump and the Republicans have sought to undermine Mueller's probe by discrediting him and his team as biased and corrupt.

But Comey's new book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership," has deflected questions back to the president. Comey likens Trump to a Mafia boss who demands absolute loyalty, and lacks any moral foundation.

"This president is unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values," he writes.

"His leadership is transactional, ego driven and about personal loyalty."

The book, and the memos released by Congress, add support to allegations Trump wanted to suppress the Russia probe and fired Comey because of it.

TRUMP EXPANDS LEGAL TEAM

The strain on the White House is clear. On Thursday Trump added three new attorneys, including former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani and two white collar criminal defense specialists.

According to Axios, the Trump team is still seeking to add more firepower to the legal team, and is pitching for Emmet Flood, who represented former president Bill Clinton is his fight against impeachment in 1998-99.

While Trump doesn't yet face any personal charges, both Democrats and Republicans in Congress have warned him he could face impeachment if he fires Mueller.
Land fever in the Phu Quoc special administrative economic zone in southern Kien Giang Province. The shortage of information in the property market has been a big issue for its development.- Photo theleader.vn

This was heard at the Vietnamese business forum: voices of property companies in the 2018-19 period held in Ha Noi on Wednesday. The forum was under the award ceremony of c.

The report based on a survey of the top 500 companies showed that real estate would continue to be a stable and attractive profitable channel this year.

However, the competition would also be fiercer as the market has high integration, requiring businesses to pay attention to sustainability and longevity of their projects.

The report also revealed that the macro-economy which was expected to have stable growth this year would be a pre-condition for estate, construction, retail and high quality agriculture sectors in the upcoming time.

Top 10 prestigious real estate investors in 2018: VinGroup JSCNovaland Group CorporationDat Xanh Real Estate Service and Constructions CorporationNam Long Investment CorporationKhang Dien House Trading and Investment JSCCEO Group JSCSaigon Thuong Tin Real Estate JSCHa Do Group JSCHim Lam CorporationHoa Binh Company Limited

Prof Dang Hung Vo, former deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment said the shortage of information in the property market has been a big issue for its development.

Recent land fever in special administrative economic zones as well as other forecasts on the real estate market is only qualitative, Vo said, adding that the market still lacked of published information.

He gave an example that such information of how many condotels will be offered in the Da Nang market and whether capital should flow into the real estate market or not should be published.

If we do not have data, we cannot discuss about development, forecasts and co-operation among investors in the estate market, he added.

He suggested that the Government should have real and open data to help investors have an overall view about the market.

Sharing the ideas, Dang Huy Dong, former deputy minister of Planning and Investment said there should be co-operation between the Government and businesses to ensure information in the market.

Dong said the property market has not had information only on estate projects but also materials, suppliers and finance.

The real estate market has been an important index of the economy in addition to securities and the macro-economy, he said.

Effective spending required for peoples acceptance of new property tax proposal The Ministry of Finance has proposed imposing a new tax on people who own property worth VN700 million ($31,000) or more.
Micro, small and medium enterprises businesses are defined as the engines of growth and innovation in the APEC region, alongside the two important areas of agriculture and innovative startups. - Photo ipsard.gov.vn

This was the consensus at the conference titled Reforming administrative procedures  improving credit access held on Wednesday by the State Bank of Viet Nam and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

According to VCCI data, 97 per cent of the 500,000 enterprises operating in Viet Nam are small and medium sized (SMEs). Of these, 85-90 per cent are micro and small companies.

Bank capital has contributed significantly to the development of the private economic sector, especially the SMEs. This was demonstrated in the rapid improvements of both the overall business environment and the credit ranking of the country.

Viet Nams business climate ranked 68th out of 190 economies surveyed in the World Banks Doing Business Report 2018, a jump of 14 ranks against the previous year  a record improvement. Its Getting Credit Index was among the top 30 economies, with the 29th position.

VCCIs chairman Dao Tien Loc said that the banking sectors contributions to the economy are more than the numbers, particularly given that about 55 per cent of medium- and long-term capital is being provided by bank credit.

At present, about 80 per cent of credit is channeled into the production sector while the capital supply for the Building-Operate-Transfer (BOT) tends to decline, Loc said. However, he pointed out that a number of enterprises have still found it difficult to access bank credit.

Some businesses told me that they have thousands of hectares of farmland for production, but bank regulations require the mortgage of workshops to get loans. This is not to the advantage of agricultural enterprises, Loc said.

In fact, this type of businesses is often small-scale, lacks collateral assets and management experiences and is vulnerable to market changes, all of which make it difficult for them to gain credit from banks.

We need to change the method of giving credit so that farmers can use their own land as the mortgage to get capital to grow their businesses. This is not the responsibility of the banking industry, but the Government, Loc said.

Growth engine

Micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as women-owned businesses, are defined as the engines of growth and innovation in the APEC region, alongside agriculture and innovative startups, in which additional investment is urged.

One of the critical issues for their development is financing, and the Government should improve credit access for these targeted enterprises, especially reforming lending procedures for agricultural and startup businesses, Loc said.

Dao Minh Tu, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV), said Viet Nam has created a legal framework to build a truly equal credit relationship between banks and businesses. Banks have cut back a wide range of cumbersome procedures, as well as provided diversified products.

At present, SBV has built a big database on credit information, which helps assess the performance of enterprises, their creditworthiness and financial capability. Businesses also know the banks information.
US Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis shakes hands with Japanese Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera during a meeting at the Pentagon. (Photo: AFP/Saul Loeb)

Observers have suggested the strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could strengthen Trump's hand in talks, as they showed Kim that the West has the political will to back up its rhetoric - as well as the capability for precise strikes launched from afar.

"This is an action that was taken against weapons of mass destruction, and I think this gave a certain message to North Korea as well," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said through an interpreter.

Mattis said last week's strikes on three facilities tied to Assad's chemical weapons program had garnered broad international backing.

"Let me address Assad, should he ignore the international community," Mattis said.

"There has been full support for that regrettable but necessary attack on his research and engineering part of his weapons program - weapons of mass destruction. He would be ill-advised to ignore the international community's statement, and we stand ready to address anything in the future."

Onodera was at the Pentagon for a meeting with Mattis, who said the US-Japan alliance was "the cornerstone for peace and security" throughout the Pacific region.

"Together we are carefully reviewing a possible new path to peace, and at the same time we remain vigilant," he said, referring to North Korea.

Onodera said the US and Japan must work "synergetically" along with the international community to "make North Korea abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Trump and Kim are expected to have talks around Kim's nuclear program in late May or June. The location of what would be a historic summit has not yet been disclosed.
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde warned about rising protectionism, while US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin blames countries with unfair trade policies. (Photo: AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

Official after official has called for disputes to be resolved through dialogue rather than unilateral tariffs, and warned about the threat to economic growth.

But US President Donald Trump's top finance officials said the fault lay with countries that employed unfair trade policies.

"We strongly believe that unfair global trade practices impede stronger US and global growth, acting as a persistent drag on the global economy," US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement to the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund.

And while IMF chief Christine Lagarde has offered the fund as a forum to resolve differences, Mnuchin instead said the IMF "should be a strong voice" in urging members "to dismantle trade and non-tariff barriers and to protect intellectual property rights."

Theft of American intellectual property and technology has been a key irritant in the dispute with Beijing, which prompted President Donald Trump to announce steep tariffs on tens of billions in Chinese goods, on top of last month's punitive duties on steel that were primarily targeted at China as well.

Washington and Beijing also have filed complaints against each other at the World Trade Organization.

WTO Director Roberto Azevedo warned on Friday that the effects of a major escalation "could be serious," and poor countries would be the collateral damage.

"A breakdown in trade relations among major players could derail the recovery that we have seen in recent years, threatening the ongoing economic expansion and putting many jobs at risk," he said in a statement to the meetings.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire criticized the US spat with China as "vain and pointless" and said his country will not be drawn into the battle.

"The increased tariffs cannot weigh like a sword of Damocles on trade relations among states," he told reporters.

The IMF has singled out the trade tensions as a key downside risk to the otherwise solid global recovery, and Lagarde said the dispute undermined confidence and creates uncertainty that could choke off investment which has been one of the key engines of the global recovery.

The WTO projects global merchandise trade will expand by 4.4 per cent this year, after increasing by 4.7 per cent in 2017.

G20 AVOIDS TRADE ISSUE

Despite the intense focus on the US-China dispute, the Group of 20 finance ministers avoided discussion of the issue on Friday, even while acknowledging the potential danger it posed to the global economy.

"We didn't have a discussion on specific measures on trade," Argentine Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne told reporters after the meeting. "The G20 is not the place to discuss specific measures. That's the WTO."

It was a surprising omission for the group that was key to shepherding the global economy through the 2008 financial crisis and preventing another depression.

But Dujovne said, "We have to also recognize the limitations that we as a group have...and try to find a consensus even if the consensus is more limited than we want."

The ministers did express concern over the growth of "inward looking policies," he said, using a frequent euphemism for trade protectionism.

But German central bank chief Jens Weidmann said the G20 officials all agreed trade must benefit all countries.

"Protectionism, not to mention a trade war, is certainly not the solution."
The Crazy House in Da Lat. Photo by Xuan Lan

The magazine's new "A Spotter's Guide to Amazing Architecture" introduces the world's "coolest" constructions and where to see them.

Hang Nga Guesthouse, dubbed the "Crazy House" in the Central Highlands town Da Lat, has been recognized for its extraordinary exterior which resembles a monstrous banyan tree.

Around one kilometer from the center of Da Lat, the guesthouse was officially opened in 1990, and has been compared to the amazing architecture of world-acclaimed constructions such as the Salvador Dali Museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The design by Vietnamese architect Dang Viet Nga was inspired by the poetic natural scenery of the dreamy city and the architectural works of Catalan master Antoni Gaud.

Once forgotten, it has now emerged as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Vietnams city of love, where visitors have to pay for VND50,000 (US$2.20) for an entrance ticket to satisfy their curiosity.

Lonely Planet list also includes the Taj Mahal (India), Sydney Opera House (Australia), St Basil's Cathedral (Russia), Pena Palace (Portugal) and Lincoln Cathedral (UK)

This is not the first time the guesthouse has earned global plaudits.

The UK-based travel magazine last year hailed Vietnams astonishing building as a secret marvel, saying Crazy House is different from every angle: on one side, warped walls seem menacing and windows glare like eye sockets; from another, traditional Vietnamese designs adorn the eaves.

In 2016, the leading US architecture website Archdaily included Hang Nga on its list of the worlds most unusual buildings.
We here at Vulture would personally take a bullet for Mary Berry, goddess divine of the British culinary world, so she can continue to delight the world with soggy bottom commentary for the rest of our lifetimes. That feeling has only grown stronger after watching Berry recount the time she was briefly arrested at an airport early in her career, after she didnt quite realize the dangers of carrying a bunch of white-powder packets in her luggage. About 25 years ago I was asked to go to America for cookery demonstrations, she explained to Graham Norton. Im very particular about getting everything right and I also try to look ahead, so I thought, I ought to have all of my ingredients weighed out in case the plane is late. A bunch of drug-sniffing dogs and some self-reflecting time in a jail cell later, and Berry wont try to make money from white packets again.
Stephen King. Photo: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images

You thought your tiny Maine town had it rough, what with the evil kid-murdering clown running around. But is that really much worse than a buried alien spaceship brainwashing your fellow Maineiacs into becoming psychotically violent? New Hampshire probably doesnt have to deal with any of this. Thems the breaks, however, when you live in Stephen Kings favorite state. According to Deadline, Universal has now laid claim to Tommyknockers, the coming movie adaptation of of Kings book by the same name, to be directed by The Conjurings James Wan. In the sci-fi horror novel, residents of Haven, Maine, fall under the sway of a newly discovered spacecraft, which slowly turns them into an alien hive mind. Jimmy Smits and Marg Helgenberger starred in the 1993 ABC miniseries version of The Tommyknockers. In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, King said of his 1987 work, The Tommyknockers is an awful book.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he is considering a trip to China, and is "cautiously optimistic" the United States can broker a trade deal with Beijing.

"A trip is under consideration," Mnuchin told reporters at a press conference in Washington DC on Saturday. "I'm not going to make a comment on timing, nor do I have anything confirmed."

On the sidelines of the IMF World Bank spring meeting, Mnuchin met with Yi Gang, governor of the People's Bank of China, where they discussed China's central bank, not trade, the secretary said.

When asked if a trip to Beijing signaled a positive direction in talks, a senior Treasury official told reporters he would echo the secretary's message that talks between the two countries have been "encouraging."

Related: Trump threatens China with new $100 billion tariff plan

The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Sunday that "China has received a message from the US about its willingness to hold bilateral trade talks in Beijing."

"China welcomes this move," the ministry said in a brief statement.

Tensions between the world's two biggest trading partners have rattled financial markets and elevated concerns of a trade war. The Trump administration has proposed imposing tariffs on as much as $150 billion worth of Chinese imports. Beijing has vowed to retaliate with its own measures against American soybeans to television makers.

Related: China hits the United States with tariffs on $3 billion of exports

Mnuchin said China has been "very helpful" in supporting US sanctions against North Korea, and welcomed the regime leader's announcement on Friday to suspend nuclear testing.

Still, he said the US would continue to exert its "maximum pressure" campaign until the rogue regime abandons its nuclear weapons program in a proven way.

-- Steven Jiang contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Cities and nations are looking at banning plastic straws and stirrers in hopes of addressing the worlds plastic pollution problem. The problem is so large, though, that scientists say thats not nearly enough.

Australian scientists Denise Hardesty and Chris Wilcox estimate, using trash collected on U.S. coastlines during cleanups over five years, that there are nearly 7.5 million plastic straws lying around Americas shorelines. They figure that means 437 million to 8.3 billion plastic straws are on the entire worlds coastlines.

University of Georgia environmental engineering professor Jenna Jambeck calculates that nearly 9 million tons (8 million metric tons) end up in the worlds oceans and coastlines each year, as of 2010, according to her 2015 study in the journal Science .

Organizers of Earth Day, which is Sunday, have proclaimed ending plastics pollution this years theme. And following in the footsteps of several U.S. cities such as Seattle and Miami Beach, British Prime Minister Theresa May in April called on the nations of the British commonwealth to consider banning plastic straws, coffee stirrers and plastic swabs with cotton on the end.

The issue of straws and marine animals got more heated after a 2015 viral video showing rescuers removing a straw from a sea turtles nose in graphic and bloody detail.

But a ban may be a bit of a straw man in the discussions about plastics pollution. Straws make up about 4 percent of the plastic trash by piece, but far less by weight.

Bans can play a role, says oceanographer Kara Lavendar Law, a co-author with Jambeck of the 2015 Science study. We are not going to solve the problem by banning straws.

Marcus Eriksen, an environmental scientist who co-founded the advocacy group 5 Gyres, says working on bans of straws and plastic bags would bring noticeable change.

Our cities are horizontal smokestacks pumping out this smog( plastic ) into the seas, Eriksen says. One goal for advocacy organizations is to make that single-use culture taboo, the same way smoking in public is taboo.

The key to solving marine litter, Steve Russell, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council, says, is in investing in systems to capture land-based waste and investing in infrastructure to convert used plastics into valuable products.

Even though Jambeck spends her life measuring and working on the growing problem of waste pollution, shes optimistic.

We can do this, Jambeck says. I have faith in humans.




(CNN) -- A student was wounded in a shooting Friday morning at a high school in Ocala, Florida, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said. The incident occurred shortly before students were to walk out as part of a national protest against gun violence.

The 17-year-old Forest High School student, who was shot in the ankle, was in good condition at a hospital with a wound not considered life threatening, officials said.

"I am so glad it was me and not one of my friends," the boy told sheriff's deputies at a hospital, according to Sheriff Billy Woods.

"You should be proud of your son," Woods said of the boy's parents. "You should be proud because you've done something right."

A school resource officer, Deputy Jimmy Long, heard a loud bang at 8:39 a.m. and rushed to the scene, Woods told reporters.

Three minutes later, the officer took a 19-year-old into custody without resistance, said Woods, describing Long as a hero.

The suspect in the 20th US school shooting this year was identified as Sky Bouche, a former Forest High School student, according to Woods. The motive is unclear.

As Bouche was being escorted out of the sheriff's headquarters on his way to the county jail, a reporters asked whether he had anything to say.

"Sorry," he muttered. "It doesn't make it better, anyway."

Earlier, an emotional Woods said he did not want student to be afraid in school.

"It's a shame what society has come to in that we even have to be here on a school campus," Woods said. "Society has changed since I was in school. ... We as a whole need to do something. My emotions are running rampant."

'The hand of God was over our children'

Woods and school officials said the resource officer's quick response and active shooter protocols at the school helped save lives.

"The hand of God was over our children today," Marion County School Superintendent Heidi Maier said.

Jake Mailhiot, 16, a junior, posted a photo to social media of desks, chairs and other furniture piled high over the door to the classroom where he was studying psychology. The barricade was meant to keep out an active shooter.

"I didn't hear anything other than people from other classrooms crying," he said.

Mailhiot and other students helped a teacher block the door, he said. They were on lockdown for about an hour.

Authorities had asked residents to avoid the campus area, which was surrounded by emergency vehicles and buses transporting students away from the scene.

As Forest High students were being bused to First Baptist Church of Ocala to be reunited with their parents, students at some 2,500 schools around the country were walking out of their classrooms as part of the National School Walkout against gun violence.

"The fact that it happened on this day, in a way, reinforces what we are trying to get across," said Ryan Servaites, a high school freshman in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and teachers were gunned down in February. "This happens. It is an issue. We see more people dying. Children are being hurt."

In a walkout in New York City, Stuyvesant High School sophomore Grace Goldstein, 16, lamented that her generation has become desensitized to gun violence.

"We're very glad that no lives were lost," she said of the Ocala shooting. "We're incredibly grateful for that. Our reaction was, of course, this is how our country works. The person who was shot today is on the list of the people who we're fighting for."

Forest High was to participate in the walkout, according to a Thursday post on the Ocala school's Twitter account.

Instead, aerial news footage from the scene showed a sea of students gathered outside a steepled church to meet their parents and officers, guns at their side, clearing buildings on the sprawling Ocala campus.

School walkouts were canceled districtwide in Marion County after the shooting, according to school board member Nancy Stacy.

The Ocala shooting comes more than two months since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland near Fort Lauderdale. Parkland students are participating in the national walkout -- which is also the 19th anniversary of the shooting deaths of 13 people at Columbine High School in Colorado.

"We won't stop," Servaites told CNN. "This is why. It is, in a way, the world slapping us in the face, but we just have to look at it as a wake-up call."

Forest High, which was ranked as one of the best high schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, has about 2,100 students. Ocala is about 65 miles northwest of Orlando.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct Jake Mailhiot's grade in school.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
London: Queen Elizabeth has been granted her wish to see Prince Charles endorsed as the next head of the Commonwealth but the royal family has been sent a signal that it cannot assume it will always fill the post.

The Commonwealths political leaders reached the agreement after months of speculation over moves to separate the role from the British monarchy because so many of the member nations do not recognise the Queen as their head of state.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles arrive for the formal opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the ballroom at Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday. Credit:AP

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke during the private debate at Windsor Castle to suggest the formal head of the Commonwealth would always be the British monarch, a view backed by others.

The final decision stopped short of that approach, however, and named Prince Charles as the next head without saying this would be the model adopted in the future.
Guns Are Dangerous, Ignorance Is Worse

By David Stolinsky. April 19th, 2018

Original Source

In this 2003 photo, Sen. Dianne Feinstein is surrounded by police chiefs, including William Bratton of Los Angeles. The senator attempts to demonstrate how dangerous assault weapons can be, including this (apparently) semiautomatic, civilian version of an AK47.

On the contrary, Feinstein succeeds only in demonstrating that she knows nothing about safe handling of firearms. Note that a magazine is inserted (possibly loaded), the bolt is closed, the safety is off, her finger is about an inch from the trigger, there is no way to tell whether there is a round in the chamber -- and the muzzle is pointed directly at then-California Governor Gray Davis.

It ill behooves those who are protected by armed guards provided at taxpayers expense, and who themselves had a concealed-carry permit, to restrict the ability of us ordinary citizens to protect ourselves and our families. This mindset is typical of rulers looking down on their subjects. It is wholly inappropriate for elected officials looking across at their constituents. After all, we are the employers and the officials are our employees. Or the at least thats the way it used to be. .......

One of the many things that "gun control" proponents seem to generously exhibit is ignorance - not only of actual details about firearms themselves but also the rights of people to self defense. Emphasis is almost always placed on murder statistics concerning criminals, with little thought given to the law abiding gun owner and how "guns save lives" - something so easily and conveniently ignored.

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This insidious practice is detaining women in abusive marriages for years. In Islam, men are able to divorce their wives without reason, while women need to persuade a board of all-male imams that they have legitimate grounds to separate. Just in the past few weeks, women holding intervention orders have been told to return to violent husbands. We found that while Muslim leaders and clerics have strongly condemned domestic violence in all its forms, some still teach followers that men have the right to control their wives, including whether or not they can work, invite family members over or leave the house, even if it is just to go to the backyard to collect the laundry. According to Sheik Shady Alsuleiman, the president of the Australian National Imams Council, if a woman goes to work without her husbands consent, he has grounds to divorce her and give her nothing. Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman said in 2016 that a woman needs her husbands permission to leave the house. Credit:Steven Siewart

Alsuleiman, the lead signatory on a 2017 letter signed by more than 30 Muslim leaders that condemned "all forms of intimidation and abuse targeting women", who studied for several years in Syria, said in 2016 that a woman needs her husbands permission to leave the house, "even if it is to go and visit her parents or to go shopping or to go down the road". But now women are beginning to speak. Labor MP Anne Aly, the first Muslim woman elected to federal parliament is one of them Her first marriage was to a violent man who tried to entrap her  continuing his abuse of her - by denying her an Islamic divorce. 'We need to start listening to the real, lived experiences of women who are forced to stay married to men who are abusive towards them because they cannot have access to a divorce,' she told The Drum this week. "I think the issue runs deep, and starts off with the birth of a girl child and the idea that a young woman's value is only measurable by the kind of partner she can attract  that a woman is not complete unless she's married.

Lawyer Mariam Veiszadeh tweeted in response to the ABCs reports: To women, far & wide, whether Muslim or otherwise, please raise your voices, even if your voice shakes... Lets hope our Imams sit up and listen. So much needs to change, now! Maha Abdo, the long time head of the Muslim Womens Association, was gentle but firm: The reality out there is very much what has been captured [in the reports] ... we cant pretend everything is okay because it is not, otherwise I wouldnt be here and none of us would be here [at the crisis centre]. The majority of imams are really on the same level and are promoting womens rights within the Islamic faith but we cant deny the fact that some men need to be educated. And other men need to do this. Women need to be included, she said, on divorce panels and on advisory boards, and they need to be heard.
A problem gambler who fleeced more than $1.7 million from elderly investors blamed his English boarding school upbringing for his descent into crime.

Edward Charles Toller was on Friday sentenced to eight years in jail, with a five-year non-parole period, for 14 counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception over a three-year period.

Edward Charles Toller.

NSW District Court judge Stephen Norrish QC said the 34-year-old alcoholic and gambling addict arrived in Australia in 2013 to escape a toxic lifestyle.

But soon after his arrival, Toller began approaching investors who had lost money through firm Velvet Assets under the guise of running a rival investment company.
A Queensland police officer who killed his baby son will be sentenced next week after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

Senior Constable Colin David Randall had initially been charged with murder after his two-month-old son died from significant injuries in June 2014 and was due to face trial at Brisbane Supreme Court.

Crown prosecutor Phil McCarthy said the sentence handed to child killer Heidi Strbak should be considered as a comparable case to Colin David Randall's.

But on Friday he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing on Tuesday.

During a brief hearing after Randall's plea, crown prosecutor Phil McCarthy said the sentence handed to child killer Heidi Strbak should be considered a comparable case.
A former East Perth cemetery opposite Old Perth Girls School with potentially hundreds of human remains will be redeveloped into a community hub after it was purchased from the State Government by a private company.

The land sale is expected to create a vibrant new East Perth precinct. Credit:WA Government

The site, at 20 Bronte Street is now a vacant block, but was a cemetery during the early days of Perth and will be redeveloped into mixed use, residential, retail, office accommodation and community space.

Planning Minister Rita Saffioti said a private group of local investors, led by Australian Development Capital (ADC) and Warburton Group, had entered into a contract with the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and settlement would happen in 60 days.

As a condition of the sale, ADC and Warburton must enter into a Heritage Agreement which will govern the remediation process and ensure exhumation and reinterment is carried out ethically.
Attorney General John Quigley has referred the 2009 conviction of Scott Austic for the wilful murder of Stacey Thorne to the Court of Appeal.

In what is a major development in the case, Mr Quigley said he had decided to refer the case to the Court of Appeal after receiving advice from the Solicitor General.

Scott Austic, in 2016, in a picture supplied by his family. Credit:Austic Family

WAtoday has reported extensively on the Austic case over the past several weeks.

Several days ago WAtoday revealed Mr Quigley had sought advice from the Solicitor General in relation to a petition for clemency, lodged by Austic's legal team.
Once again, they filed out of class. In a new wave of school walkouts, they raised their voices against gun violence. But this time, they were looking to turn outrage into action.

Many of the students who joined demonstrations across the US on Friday turned their attention to upcoming elections as they pressed for tougher gun laws and politicians who will enact them. Scores of rallies turned into voter registration drives. Students took the stage to issue an ultimatum to their lawmakers.

Students at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia walk out to protest against school shootings. Credit:AP

"We want to show that we're not scared. We want to stop mass shootings and we want gun control," said Binayak Pandey, 16, who rallied with dozens of students outside Georgia's Capitol in Atlanta.

"The people who can give us that will stay in office, and the people who can't give us that will be out of office."
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared he will suspend nuclear and missile tests starting on Saturday, and that he will shut down the site where the previous six nuclear tests were conducted.

The surprising announcement comes just six days before Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in, a precursor to a historic summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.

Both Moon and Trump had been saying that North Korea, which last year crowed about developing a "super large heavy warhead" and the missiles to deliver it to the mainland US, was willing to "denuclearise."
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Saturday one of its employees had been killed in a shooting in the Yemeni city of Taiz.

It made the announcement on its Twitter feed, and said it was trying to find out more information about the incident.

Yemeni officials and the ICRC named the man as Hanna Lahoud, a Lebanese national, who was killed in Taiz in southwestern Yemen by unknown gunmen who opened fire on a car.

Lahoud was in charge of the ICRC's detention programme in Yemen, the ICRC said in a statement. He was on his way to visit a prison this morning when he was attacked on the outskirts of Taiz, the statement said. He was taken to hospital and died from his injuries.

A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting Iran-allied Houthi rebels.
Guns Are Dangerous, Ignorance Is Worse

By David Stolinsky. April 19th, 2018

Original Source

In this 2003 photo, Sen. Dianne Feinstein is surrounded by police chiefs, including William Bratton of Los Angeles. The senator attempts to demonstrate how dangerous assault weapons can be, including this (apparently) semiautomatic, civilian version of an AK47.

On the contrary, Feinstein succeeds only in demonstrating that she knows nothing about safe handling of firearms. Note that a magazine is inserted (possibly loaded), the bolt is closed, the safety is off, her finger is about an inch from the trigger, there is no way to tell whether there is a round in the chamber -- and the muzzle is pointed directly at then-California Governor Gray Davis.

It ill behooves those who are protected by armed guards provided at taxpayers expense, and who themselves had a concealed-carry permit, to restrict the ability of us ordinary citizens to protect ourselves and our families. This mindset is typical of rulers looking down on their subjects. It is wholly inappropriate for elected officials looking across at their constituents. After all, we are the employers and the officials are our employees. Or the at least thats the way it used to be.

These over-educated fools dont understand that there can be no right to life without a right to self-defense. Forbidding people to defend themselves, as is now the case in the UK, is equivalent to declaring that their lives do not belong to them, and certainly not to God, but to the state. And the state can declare their lives forfeit to violent criminals whenever it pleases. This notion is inappropriate in a limited monarchy like the UK, and it is intolerable in a constitutional republic like the USA. I thought we knew that.

Guns are dangerous; otherwise they would be useless. So are motor vehicles, gasoline, electrical appliances, power tools, kitchen knives, oven cleaner, drain opener, and many other things in our technological civilization. But what is really dangerous is allowing ignorant, careless people to handle them unsafely. And what is even more dangerous is allowing these ignorant, careless people to make laws about objects of which they know little ? and refuse to learn.

Yes, Senator, even we simple-minded deplorables, we ignorant irredeemables, we uncivilized bitter clingers, even we can understand ? guns are dangerous. Just dont shoot the governor to prove it.

He knows nothing, and he thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.

-- George Bernard Shaw, Major Barbara

Unarmed men, and unarmed nations, can only flee from evil. And evil is not overcome by fleeing from it.

-- John D. Jeff Cooper, Lt. Col., USMC (Ret.); firearms authority

It takes only seconds to call the police -- waiting for them to arrive could take the rest of your life.

-- Anon.

When seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

-- Clint Smith, firearms instructor

I do not like the language of violence. However, I am fluent in how it is spoken.

-- Anon.

The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day.

-- Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, soldier, psychologist

Sadly, it is the governments that most conspicuously fail in their protection obligations that are most insulted by the existence of armed self-defense -- and hence determined to forbid it.

-- David B. Kopel, Independence Institute

The meek do inherit the earth, but they tend to inherit very small plots, about six feet by three.

-- Robert Heinlein, science fiction author

Freedom is never an achieved state. Like electricity, weve got to keep generating it, or the lights go out.

-- Wayne LaPierre

Were the first ones taxed, and the last ones considered, and the first ones punished when things like this happen. Because our rights are the ones being taken awayWhen that Second Amendment was written, whether the Framers liked it or not, they wrote it for everybody. And I am everybody. The law-abiding citizens of this city are everybody. And we want our rights. And by God were going to keep our rights, come hell or high water.

-- Mark Robinson, patriot [Watch his speech, heed his words.]

But you still want to disarm us? Watch this video of 11 disarmed British police put to flight by one criminal with a knife. No guns, no billy clubs, no pepper spray, no tactics -- and no respect. How indescribably sad. Britannia used to rule the waves. Now they cant even control their own streets. Physical disarmament may be reversed, if were really lucky, by rearming. But mental and spiritual disarmament? That may be irreversible.

Contact: dstol@prodigy.net. David Stolinsky 2018, www.stolinsky.com/

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Srinagar, April 21: A teenager was injured after being hit by a stone during clashes between students and government forces in central Kashmirs Budgam district.

Scores of school students held massive demonstrations demanding justice for Kathua minor rape and murder victim in Chadoora and Panzan areas of the district.

Later, demonstrations morphed into clashes in which a 17-year-old female student was injured.

The girl has got three stitches, said Block medical officer Chadoora Dilawar Ahmad.
Srinagar, April 21: Three youth were wounded after army opened fire on youth who pelted their vehicle with stones in Kareemabad village of south Kashmirs Pulwama district on Saturday.

Reports said that army men of 55 RR opened fire after youth pelted their vehicle moving through the village with stones.

Three youth were hit by bullets, they said, adding that the injured were rushed to Bone and Joints Hospital Barzulla for treatment where their condition is stated to be stable.

More details are awaited.
Belt route will revive Nepal and China ties

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will revive business and cultural exchanges between Nepal and ChinaIt is Nepals honour to work with China under the BRI for greater mutual prosperity.
Bus owners use political nexus

While the agitating transport entrepreneurs are counting on their political connections to stay safe from the authorities action against their syndicate, the government has reaffirmed its resolve to dismantle the cartels plaguing public transport.Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Raghubir Mahaseth said the government stands by its decision to uproot the syndicates. Refuting the claims of the agitating transport committees that he was positive about addressing their concerns, Mahaseth said, The government is committed to its decisions. We have to make the sector well-managed.
by Logan Albright

This article was originally published on FEE.org. Read the original article.

The political Left, particularly in its extreme forms, has always been skillful in the use of language to further its ends. Recognizing that perception matters more than reality, exponents of socialism and communism use words in a particularly Orwellian way, imparting meanings to words directly opposite to what their etymologies would lead us to suspect. A well-known example is the word liberal, which derives from Latin liber: free. Originally applied to thinkers who favored individual liberty and small government, the word now, thanks to the tireless efforts of the Left, connotes an advocate of high taxes and invasive regulations.

What leftists really want is a return to a culture both primitive and tribal.

A less-recognized perversion of language can be found in the term progressive, now preferred to liberal by many on the Left. Its not hard to see why a movement would desire such a label. Progressive connotes progress, and progress is by definition a good thing. Nobody speaks of progress towards bankruptcy or tyranny. Progress implies movement towards a desirable goal. Who could be against that?

But here again, the word doesnt mean what you would expect; in fact, it means quite the opposite. For all their talk of progress, what leftists really want, the foundation on which all of their ideas are based, is a return to a culture both primitive and tribal. Ill explain.

The Word 'Progressive'

In the early 20th century, when the term progressive began to be used, it had some merit in that it was not wholly dishonest. Progressives of the time were interested in science, technology, and the future. American eugenicists sought to apply the theories of Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel to the human race, engineering a more perfect species through scientific design. The Italian Futurists may have been fascists, but at least they were honest about their desire to tear down traditional structures and look only forward.

All of this was built upon the writings of Marx and Hegel, who claimed that the tide of history was something more than an accumulation of chance events, but rather a force with definite direction leading us all into a predetermined future of global communism. The remnants of this movement are seen today in the cultural Marxism that attempts to destroy religion, the family, and even such well-worn institutions as gender.

The word has been attached to a wide variety of leftist policies which are, in a word, regressive.

In the century since progressivism arose as a popular movement, however, the word has lost much of its meaning and has instead been attached to a wide variety of leftist policies which are, in a word, regressive.

The most obvious example of this is the collectivist tendency towards economic egalitarianism. In the worldview of the socialist, we should all be materially equal, as it is unjust for some to have more than others. Property, we are told, is theft, and social justice demands the constant redistribution of wealth to ensure that the rich are not better off than the poor.

What lies behind this? Is it an altruistic concern for the well-being of the poor? Hardly. If you listen to the rhetoric of the egalitarians, they are less concerned with bringing the poor up as in bringing the rich down. As Margaret Thatcher put it in describing the views of a left-wing opponent, He would rather have the poor poorer, provided that the rich were less rich.

A Primitive View of the World

There is a word for this, although it is seldom discussed and more seldom understood. The word is envy, the resentment of someone elses success. This is not to be confused with jealousy, which is to desire what someone else has. Envy merely yearns to spitefully diminish those who succeed.

Why should men envy one another? The answer lies in a mistaken worldview, one that views economic life as a zero-sum game. In short, the belief that one mans gain must necessarily be another mans loss.

The idea that theres something inherently wicked about success is as old as man himself.

Nothing is more primitive than this way of looking at the world. Even the most cursory study of anthropology reveals how common it is among tribes untouched by civilization, where the success of individual members is attributed to witchcraft, the evil eye, or some other supernatural method of prospering at the expense of others.

In classical mythology, the gods are frequently motivated by envy to lash out at successful humans. One is reminded of Arachne, a shepherds daughter who was turned into a spider by Athena for the sin of being good at weaving. Even the story of the Tower of Babel in the Old Testament sees humans cooperating to build an impressive structure, only to be cast down and their languages confused by an envious god. The idea that theres something inherently wicked about success is as old as man himself.

It is only by abandoning such magical thinking and embracing the ideas of private property and individualism has humanity managed to claw its way out of the depths of poverty and privation that characterized early man.

In his exhaustive treatment of envy as a motivator of social behavior, sociologist Helmut Schoeck comments on the irony of progressivism:

The actual point of departure for socialist  and for left-wing progressive  generally is identical with that of particularly envy-inhabited primitive peoples. What, for more than a century, has made itself out to be a progressive mental attitude is no more than regression to a kind of childhood stage of human economic thinking.

F.A. Hayek elaborates on this in his The Fatal Conceit, in which he argues that the socialist impulse is a natural one because it conforms to the ancient structures of tribes and families, where property is shared and the individual is less important than the group. The error comes in applying the same model to large groups of unrelated strangers, where the bonds that hold tribes together and enforce accountability are almost wholly absent.

Progressivism Regressivism

Its almost comical to watch so-called progressives deride conservatives for allegedly trying to cling on to the past, while at the same time condemning all that is new in favor of ancient superstition and folly.

For all its pro-science rhetoric, the progressive movement maintains a hostility to technological advances.

Economics is not the only area in which progressives betray their reverence for the past. For all its pro-science rhetoric, the progressive movement maintains a hostility to technological advances like genetically-modified crops and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, usually on protectionist grounds. And, of course, little need be said about the radical environmentalists, who openly long for a time when humans barely existed in enough numbers to make an impact on the planet.

Yet in pointing out that progressivism is actually regressive, it is important not to fall into the opposite fallacy that something is bad simply because it is old or good because it is new. This is certainly not the case in many instances. There is much to be said for ancient traditions such as roaring bonfires and the nuclear family, while the fact that selfie sticks are a recent invention does not make them less of a cancer upon the planet. One must remain suspicious, however, of an ideology that disguises its true nature by claiming to be forward-looking when it is actually rooted in the distant past.

With this in mind, I suggest that those of us who value truth and integrity cease our continual retreat in the battle for words, and instead mount a rare counteroffensive. Let us call this brand of primitive collectivism what it really is. I propose the term regressivism, and I hope you will all join me in its adoption.
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AAA: Check vehicle battery before temperatures get too cold
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 20, 2018 | 07:54 PM | PADUCAH, KY









A McCracken County dog owner has taken to Facebook to explain a situation with a dog that had gotten loose.According to Facebook posts, the citizen states that her dog got out of her yard on April 9th. She made calls to McCracken County Animal Control and the McCracken County Humane Society, to report the dog as lost. Neither told her that they had seen the dog.On April 11th, she found out that one of the McCracken County Animal Control officers had picked her dog up after seeing it running in Lone Oak Road. The officer reportedly said he could not take the dog to the McCracken County Humane Society, so he dropped it off in the Glenn Street neighborhood.She posted pictures of the dog on Facebook, offering a reward for the dog's safe return, and on April 13th, a resident on Shawnee Lane, in the Cherokee neighborhood, contacted her to let her know she had the dog. This resident stated they saw the dog near Lone Oak Road and were able to rescue it. They had seen the post on Facebook and realized that this was the lost dog. As a result, she paid the resident the reward, and got her dog back.West Kentucky Star confirmed with McCracken County Animal Control that this incident did, in fact, take place. Director Aaron Hudson said that this is not normal and was an isolated incident. He said the officer involved is no longer employed there.Hudson went on to say that the policy of McCracken County Animal Control is to return an animal to the owner, if they can determine who that is, or to take the animal to the McCracken County Humane Society.When asked about the policy of the McCracken County Humane Society with accepting animals from McCracken County Animal Control, Executive Director Terry Vannerson said that they will always take animals from them, even if they are at capacity.Vannerson said although the McCracken County Humane Society had nothing to do with this incident, she was aware of it, and felt extremely bad that such a thing had happened. As a result, the Humane Society provided the dog with a microchip at no charge.
Govt gets rap for barring rallies at Maitighar

Political parties, civil society groups and general public have demanded that the government scrap its decision to designate Maitighar Mandala as a protest exclusion zone.
Walk 4 Water Today at Riverfront's Wilson Stage

Advertisement

By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 20, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 20, 2018 | 11:49 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The annual Walk 4 Water event is Saturday, April 21 in downtown Paducah.



The event raises money for Healing Hands International, which helps provide clean drinking water for people worldwide.



Every day in developing countries, women and children walk an average of 4 miles to collect water for their family. Not only is this chore keeping the children from attending school, but the dirty water they are bringing home is also affecting their health, and even killing some of them.



Healing Hands International says that on average, 842,000 people die a year from water-related illnesses. More children die every day from dirty water than from malaria, aids, and measles combined.



The event is at the Wilson Stage at the foot of Broadway on the Ohio River. Registration starts at 8:00 am and the walk starts at 9:00 am. Every participant will receive a FREE t-shirt.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 20, 2018 | 01:04 PM | FULTON, KY

A group of local ladies are helping a local senior center that is in need.Social worker Alicia Franklin and some others have gathered donated items from people and businesses in the area and are selling raffle tickets to win one of eleven themed baskets of goodies, coupons, tools, and more. All proceeds will help the Fulton Senior Center sustain their programs for the communities of Fulton, Hickman and South Fulton.Baskets are individually valued at between $70 and $285.They include a Fix 'em up basket, Serenity basket, Tool Time basket, Farmer's Daughter Soap Company basket, Happy Camper basket, BBQ basket, Keep on Truckin' basket, Brunch basket, Fashion basket, Family Fun basket, and a Flower basket.See the attached link for more details and photos of each basket.Tickets are $1 each, 6 for $5, 12 for $10, or 24 for $20, and purchasers can split the tickets into multiple drawings as they wish.The winners will be drawn on May 4. Call Alicia at 270-599-2617, or Barbara at 270-355-0970 to purchase tickets, or come to the office for Fulton County Protection and Permanency, 510 Mears Street in Fulton. Several people are selling other tickets in other locations as well, please call to get more information.

On the Net:
A deceased veteran will be laid to rest with respect thanks to the Wetzel County Democratic Executive Committee Veterans and Military Families Council and fellow residents.

In a social media post, Frances Headley, chair of the WCDEC Veterans and Military Council, reported she was contacted by members of the Wetzel County Sheriffs Office after they discovered the late 63-year-old Leroy McElrath of Texas. Headley said Deputy Dave Howell, Deputy Cody Elliot and Corporal Roger Spragg, of the WCSO, had found a Disabled American Veterans Card in the deceased mans wallet and wanted to make sure everyone knew McElrath was a veteran.

According to Headley, it was discovered McElrath had been living in a 1020 foot outbuilding with no running water, electricity, or heat. The building was located off of Sheep Run Road in Jacksonburg.

Headley said Wetzel County Medical Examiner Carla McBee worked tirelessly to search and located McElraths next of kin. McBee confirmed McElraths next of kin were not able to claim his body. McBee reviewed McElraths medical records with the Disabled American Veterans and confirmed he was an Honorably Discharged Disabled American Veteran.

Headley said with tremendous help from friends this Disabled American Veteran, Mr. Leroy McElrath, who before West Virginia called Midland Texas home, will be laid to rest at the Knights of Pythias Cemetery. Services are scheduled for April 22, 2 p.m. Headley said the Blue Blazers from VFW Post 6327 of Sistersville would provide full Honor Guard Services.

Headley said the West Virginia Patriot Guard has been called into action by member Pat Minor Dawson, who stepped up with Michael Whitlatch and Susan Whitlatch to organize an honor ride and flag line for McElrath. Headley said Mike and Susan will serve as Honor Ride Captains.

Ritchie and David Palmer, of Palmers Funeral Home in Pine Grove, are also credited for their help in giving McElrath final respects. Headley reported the Palmers reached out to the Cemetery management and explained the situation. A free burial plot was provided for McElrath.

With nobody to claim Mr. McElrath, there was nobody to file for Death Benefits, so without the kind hearts of the Palmer Brothers and the Cemetary there would be no burial or graveside services to lay him to rest honorably. In the absence of someone to file for Death Benefits, I say thank you to those who have already donated to pay for the casket and graveside services, Headley said.

Headley said Council Member and Army Veteran Kimberly Shatney will proceed with contacting the Veterans Administration to file Death Benefits on behalf of Palmer Funeral Home. Furthermore, the Valley High Schools Sportsmans Club, advised by Kristi Earley and Donald Bordenkircher, are purchasing replacement dog tags for Mr. McElrath.

Headley also thanked the Councils co-chair, Cecile Doiron Fiest, along with Shatney and Edna Travis of the Council.

The WCDEC Veterans and Military Council can be reached at 304-455-5328.
LOCAL ARBOR DAY EVENT PLANNED FOR MAY 4TH

WILL BE AT BRUCE DRYSDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

School children at Bruce Drysdale Elementary will invite Arbor Day officials and the public to this years Arbor Day celebration on Friday, May 4, at 12 noon at the school on North Main Street, downtown Hendersonville. North Carolina Forest Service personnel will present awards, Hendersonville Mayor Barbara Volk will proclaim May 4 as Tree City Day in Hendersonville, and an American chestnut tree will be planted on the school grounds. The event is hosted by Four Seasons Rotary Club, which has sponsored Arbor Day events for over 15 years.

Students will present a special program focusing on trees and their important service to the community. Andy Frank Buster Rogers, a ranger with the N.C. Forest Service, will make a brief presentation and declare the City of Hendersonville a Tree City USA, and the City will be given a Growth Award as well. A Tree City flag will be presented.

Hendersonville is celebrating 27 years as a Tree City USA, recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.

We are proud of the efforts in our town to preserve, protect, and plant trees, said Dr. Jim Volk, coordinator of the event for Four Seasons Rotary, and we organize the local Arbor Day program to enable school children and the community to celebrate those efforts. Everyone is invited to attend this brief but important event.

Arbor Day events are held around the country and the world throughout the year. Communities achieve Tree City USA status by meeting certain standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and celebrating Arbor Day.

The Tree City USA Growth Award is given by the Arbor Day Foundation to recognize higher levels of tree care by participating Tree City USA communities. The Growth Award highlights cities and towns that have innovative tree programs and projects, increased commitment and resources for urban forestry, and have partnered on new ideas and successes. This will be the 20th year that Hendersonville has received a Growth Award.

In addition, Hendersonville is one of only 14 Sterling Tree City USA communities in North Carolina. Sterling Communities are regarded by the Arbor Day Foundation as leaders in community forestry and are often looked upon as innovators.

For more information about the Arbor Day celebration, phone Arbor Day Coordinator Dr. James Volk at 693-5692.
LOCAL PROTESTS CONTINUED FRIDAY OVER RECENT "ICE" RAIDS IN WNC

ONE LOCAL GROWER REPORTED THAT 65 HISPANIC WORKERS STAYED AWAY ONE DAY THIS WEEK DUE TO FEAR OF BEING ARRESTED

Protests over recent ICE (Immigration Customs Enforcement) raids in Western North Carolina and in Henderson County specifically continued late this week.

After protesting the raids at a sheriffs debate at Blue Ridge Community College earlier in the week, protests spread to an ICE picnic on Friday in Flat Rock Park. It was explained that those who attended the picnic were not involved in the raids where local Hispanics had been arrested, but that did not deter the protesters.

And nearly 100 people gathered outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Hendersonville late Friday to speak out against the recent string of arrests.

A total of 40 people were detained by ICE throughout North Carolina, including 16 in Western North Carolina.

After these recent ICE raids started, local farmers and growers---who rely heavily on Latino workers...said many Hispanic workers stayed away from work on at least one day this past week out of fear of being picked up by ICE and arrested and deported. This is a big concern for local agriculture at the start of the growing season, with hundreds of acres of vegetables expected to be grown in the county along with the countys multi-million dollar apple crop.

Late Friday, protesters had scheduled a vigil at an ICE building, which is a former doctors office building, at the corner of Sixth Avenue West and Justice Street across from Pardee Hospital and the new health science center.

News 13 covered the event:

"No one deserves to live in fear," Kim Borom, the organizer of the event, read off her sign.

She said Fridays event is a vigil in honor of the families affected by the arrests.

"Many families have been ripped apart this week, Kim Borom said. It's happening in front of children, and these are our neighbors, these are coworkers, these are our friends and this is our community."

Marilyn Borom was out protesting with her niece Aveyah Guice. Borom said the 4-year-old made it a point to join.

"Because some of the moms are taken away from the families," Guice said.

Looking down the long line of people gathered on the sidewalk, one person stood out among the rest.

In her traditional Mexican attire, Alicia Gash was speaking out for those she says live in fear.

"I work with an organization where just this week a mother did not go out to get food for her children because she was afraid that she would get arrested," Gash said.

With an American mother and Mexican father, Gash said it is her duty to speak up.

"I have a responsibility to be out here, Gash said. The suffrage that my father went through is the reason I'm here."

Though many people driving by the protest honked in show of support, others had a different message.

"They need to go home, Jenna Brooks said. We need to support our kids. They're taking our jobs, the economy is going down, they're here illegally, and they don't want to do it the right way. So, send them home."

Some of the protesters said they plan to take food to people who are afraid to leave their homes.
Govt looks to FDI to finance development

The government said Friday that it had prioritised foreign direct investment (FDI) as the country is in need of a huge amount of funds to implement the federal system and achieve development goals. The budget for this fiscal year has not allocated funding for 12 percent of the proposed expenses.
Khokanas Kols

He is walking along a trail cutting through vast farmlands, his mind set on the long journey ahead. He is focused. It has already been an arduous morning and the kharpan balanced precariously on his shoulder is getting heavier by the hour.
Forest High School(OCALA, Fla.) -- A suspect was taken into custody Friday following a shooting at a high school in central Florida, authorities said.

Gunshots broke out Friday morning at Forest High School in Ocala, some 38 miles south of Gainesville.

Within minutes, a school resource officer on campus found a 17-year-old student who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The officer also located the suspected shooter, identified as a 19-year-old male who is not a student at the school, according to Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident, and the wounded student was transported to a local hospital for treatment, the sheriff told reporters at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Woods said the shooting appeared to be intentional, but it's unclear whether the suspect was targeting anyone in particular.

Sky Bouche, the suspected shooter, is being cooperative and talking with investigations, the Marion County Woods said in a later press conference Friday afternoon.

Bouche faces eight charges, including terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm, culpable negligence, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm on school property, possession of short-barreled shotgun, interference in a school function and armed trespassing on school property.

The arrest affidavit shows Bouche was allegedly using a 17.5-inch barreled shotgun and the report indicates police suspect he was under the influence of drugs, but not alcohol. Bouche is listed as a resident of Crystal River, Florida, which is about 40 miles southwest of Ocala.

Bouche arrived on campus with the shotgun hidden in a guitar case and put on a tactical vest and gloves in a bathroom before the shooting, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. He also allegedly told police after his arrest that he had originally planned on carrying out some type of shooting on April 13 -- Friday the 13th -- but "chose to target a school because he thought it would gather more media attention."

As Bouche was escorted out of the Marion County Sheriff's Office Operations Center, he was hounded by questions from reporters.

When one reporter asked if Bouche was "trying to shoot someone," he shook his head.

"I shot through the door," he said. "I didn't see anyone."

Then, when asked by a reporter what he would say to the victim's family, Bouche replied, "Sorry."

"It doesn't make it better, anyway," he said before he was led into a police van.

Woods called the injured victim and the deputy who took Bouche into custody "heroes." When Woods visited the injured student in the hospital, he said he told him, "I am so glad it was me and not one of my friends."

The shooting took place in the school's main building, according to Marion County Public Schools. Approximately 2,200 students attend Forest High School. The students were evacuated and the high school placed on lockdown, along with 17 other schools in the area.

Jonathan Grantham, deputy superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, said there was no indication before the shooting that anything was amiss.

The shooting happened just minutes before thousands of students across the country were set to rally against school gun violence in an event called the National School Walkout. The event is taking place on the anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, where two students opened fire in 1999, killing 12 classmates and one teacher.

However, one of the student organizers of Friday's walkout said the event is a direct response to the mass shooting in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 students and educators dead.

"The fact that this keeps on happening ... I knew I needed to do something," Lane Murdock, a sophomore at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut who helped organize the walkout, told ABC News.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Malindo Air Boeing 737 aborts takeoff, swerves off runway

A Malindo Air Boeing 737 aborted takeoff and swerved off the runway and on to the grass on Thursday night, forcing Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to shut down for more than 12 hours.
Manange sent to Dillibazar prison

Deepak Manange has been sent to the Dillibazar Prison to serve his five-year sentence for attempted murder. He was arrested from Kathmandu on Thursday.
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By Dakin Andone, CNN

(CNN) -- Syracuse University has suspended a professional fraternity after video footage surfaced showing members exhibiting "extremely racist" behavior, according to the university's chancellor.

Videos purport to show members of Theta Tau, an engineering fraternity, repeatedly using racial slurs and simulating sex acts.

Chancellor Kent Syverud called the behavior "offensive" in a statement to the campus community Wednesday.

"They include words and behaviors that are extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities," Syverud said.

The Syracuse fraternity apologized: "Anyone of color or of any marginalized group who has seen this video has every right to be angry and upset with the despicable contents of that video."

The racist video had been part of a skit to roast an active brother, who is a conservative Republican, it said in the statement.

"The new members roasted him by playing the part of a racist conservative character. It was a satirical sketch of an uneducated, racist, homophobic, misogynist, sexist, ableist and intolerant person," according to the fraternity. "The young man playing the part of this character nor the young man being roasted do not hold any of the horrible views espoused as a part of that sketch."

It added that the group wasn't trying to make excuses for the content, but wanted to tell the context around the video.

"We cannot apologize enough for the pain, sadness and fear that this has caused," it stated.

The Daily Orange, an independent newspaper run by Syracuse University students, obtained and posted one video in which a fraternity member makes another one swear to hold onto hatred for African-Americans, Hispanics and Jews, using racial slurs for those groups.

Later, another student, using a derogatory word for Jews, makes a veiled reference to gas chambers in Nazi Germany.

CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of the video the newspaper posted. The paper said videos were posted in a secret Facebook group. The university has not released any videos.

"This conduct is deeply harmful and contrary to the values and community standards we expect of our students," Syverud said. "There is absolutely no place at Syracuse University for behavior or language that degrades any individual or group's race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, disability or religious beliefs."

After confirming the fraternity's involvement, the school's Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities suspended the chapter, Syverud said. All evidence was sent to the Department of Public Safety, which is working to identify the members and pursue "additional legal and disciplinary action," he said.

The fraternity stated: "None of the satire was said or done in malice."

"That said, many bright lines were obviously crossed. The language used in this sketch is disgraceful, and it made the active brothers very uncomfortable."

It said the organization would never demand new members to recite the kind of language in the video and that the fraternity was not a place of hate.

Theta Tau's central office also condemned the actions of those in the video as "truly disgraceful."

"It was revealed that the video was a parody, skit, or roast of the active brothers by a pledge class, and not Chapter members hazing, humiliating, or disparaging its pledges as the university had described to our Central Office. However, this does not excuse the behavior," it said in a statement.

The central office vowed to take action based on findings from an investigation.

On Wednesday night, hundreds of students turned out to protest at the chancellor's office, according to CNN affiliate WSYR, before moving to a chapel on the upstate New York campus, where they shared accounts of discrimination they had faced at the school. And they demanded that university officials release the videos.

"From the testimonies that I have personally heard today, it is completely clear that this is one in a great many of unspoken events, and the only reason that this really got started today is that somebody got caught on tape," Syracuse student Colin Mackenzie told WSYR.

(The-CNN-Wire &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)
ONEONTA- An overwhelming topic of concern for rural New York State is the lack of broadband. Broadband is access to high-speed Internet. Thousands of rural Americans currently go without this tool of communication; so on Friday, this topic of concern was discussed during a roundtable at Hartwick College.



What is essential is getting this expanded broadband, said Congressman John Faso. This is so we are touching more people in rural areas.

Local members from across the state met to discuss these issues with the Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, Anne Hazlett.

Hazlett made the trip from Washington, D.C. to Oneonta to hear each member of state and local communities on what they proposed concerning issues. Issues ranged from job growth in rural areas to bringing broadband to rural areas.

I think broadband offers what people want in the places they live, said Anne Hazlett. That access is often foundational.

Hazlett born and raised in Indiana has developed broadband services in her home state. Looking forward to the future she is looking to help rural New York State in Washington.

A lot of people leave their community because they are looking for economic development, said Hazlett. Bringing broadband to these areas could possibly help this.
WKTV Back to Work Job Orders for April 23  April 27, 2018

Monday, April 23, 2018

Job Title: Intake Coordinator/Case Mgr. City: Utica, NY

Summary: Is the initial point of contact for all Veterans and their families. Is responsible for Veterans seeking assistance and must determine eligibility for programs and then conduct needs assessment, provide case management and link Veterans with necessary services. Ensure that all Veterans seeking help are assisted in some way. Must be proficient with computers Must be able to communicate clearly.

Pay: Not specified Job Order # NY1252807

___________________________________________________________________________________

Monday, April 23, 2018

Job Title: Printing Helper City: Utica, NY

Summary: esponsibility to perform a variety of manual and machine tasks related to producing Print Shop products. Employees in this class operate printing equipment, provide finishing services, and aid in completing work orders. The work is performed under supervision of the Printing Supervisor, with limited leeway allowed for exercise of independent judgment in carrying out details of the work.

Pay: $23,199/yr Job Order # NY1252506

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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Job Title: Utica Recruitment Day City: Utica, NY

Wednesday April 25th is Utica Recruitment Day at Utica Working Solutions, 207 Genesee Street, 2nd floor room 205. From 10am to 12 noon, businesses with immediate openings will be on site interviewing and accepting applications for multiple positions! Free or paid training available for many positions. Don't miss these great opportunities- they won't last. Please bring a photo id for building security.

Pay: Varies Job Order # NY1252423

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Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Job Title: Customer Service Associate City: Oneida, NY

Summary: assist customers, primarily at the ProServices desk. This includes building relationships with the Pro customer, honoring the price guarantee, taking and following up on orders, following up on quotes, and arranging for product deliveries. The CSA ProServices is required to respond to customer inquiries and support them throughout their shopping experience.

Pay: Not specified Job Order # DE4626583

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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Job Title: Job Fair City: Rome, NY

A local organization will be hosting their Large Job Fair from 10am to 1pm on Thursday, April 26th at their location, Rome Alliance Church 920 Turin St., Rome, NY. Over 20 employers have many open positions for various industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, retail and more. Check out www.romejobfairs.org for more info. We hope to see you there!

Pay: Varies Job Order # NY1252101

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Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Job Title: Drivers City: Whitesboro, NY

Full and part time positions available with a long-term care pharmacy in Whitesboro, NY. Drivers are responsible for accurate and timely delivery of orders to long-term care facilities while ensuring total customer satisfaction. Must have High School diploma or the equivalent, valid NY State Driver's license and suitable driving record. Work days and hours may vary. Business operates 7 days per week.

Pay: $11/hr Job Order # NY1252823

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Thursday, April 26, 2018

Job Title: Herkimer Mini Job Fair City: Utica, NY

On Friday, April 27th from 10am-12pm, The Herkimer Working Solutions Career Center will be hosting their Mini Job Fair at their location, 303 N. Prospect St. Herkimer. Seven businesses with immediate openings will be on site interviewing and accepting applications and resumes for multiple positions. Openings in manufacturing, transportation, law enforcement, retail and healthcare.

Pay: Varies Job Order # NY1252764

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Thursday, April 26, 2018

Job Title: Part Time Counter Clerk City: Rome, NY

Summary: Part time Counter Clerk needed. Duties include answering phone/taking orders, operating cash register, food prep, operating grills, fryers, and ovens, and cleaning duties. Must have a high school diploma or equivalent and have the ability to be on your feet for at least 7 hours. Some lifting required

Pay: $10.40/hr Job Order # NY1253972

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Friday, April 27, 2018

Job Title: Heavy Equipment Mechanic City: Utica, NY

Summary: involves the repair and maintenance of a variety of heavy and/or automotive equipment, requiring a thorough knowledge of the trade. The incumbent performs related work as required.

Two years of experience as a skilled automotive mechanic, which shall have involved repairs and maintenance of heavy automotive equipment, or experience of a similar nature.

Pay: $31,322/yr Job Order # NY1252067

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Friday, April 27, 2018

Job Title: Warehouse Workers/Laborers Recruitment City: Rome, NY

Representatives from a local Distribution Center will be holding a recruitment on Wednesday, May 2nd from 12pm-3pm at the Rome Working Solutions Office, 300 W. Dominick St. Rome* Bring a resume and be prepared to interview. They are looking for General Warehouse Workers, Bulk Order Fillers,

Shipping Loaders, Repack Stockers, and Repack Order fillers, 2nd and 3rd shifts.

Pay: $10.90-$13.50/hr Job Order # NY1252427




China News on Women





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Young economist of Nepali origin Pathak wins John Bates Clark Medal

Parag Pathak, a young American economist of Nepali origin whose research suggests that school choice can lead to improved student performance, won the John Bates Clark award for his contributions.
Carwyn Jones to quit as First Minister

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Apr 21st, 2018

Carwyn Jones has announced he will be standing down as First Minister of Wales.

Carwyn Jones was the third First Minister, taking office on the 9th December 2009.

The announcement has been made today at the Welsh Labour party conference in Llandudno, with Mr Jones expected to stand down later this year with a new leader expected to be in place by the end of the year.

Vaughan Gething and local AM Ken Skates have both been widely tipped to succeed Mr Jones if he was to stand aside at any point, or not stand for re-election, with Mark Drakeford also currently high in the bookmakers lists.

ITVs Adrian Masters reported from the conference:

No, Im told cabinet members werent forewarned.  Adrian Masters (@adrianmasters84) April 21, 2018

With the BBCs Nick Servini reporting:

Welsh Gov cabinet members had no idea Carwyn Jones stepping down #WelshLab18 but Im told hes been thinking about it since September.  Nick Servini (@NickServini) April 21, 2018

The First Minster presented a long speech to the conference, but wrapped up by presenting a list of achievements, and then saying: And what of the future? Conference, you dont need me to remind you what tough times we have been through together since the last time we met here in Llandudno.

This is my 9th Conference speech as your leader. You know me pretty well by now.

Together we have achieved stunning victories, often against the odds.

Yes, weve had some disagreements along the way, but I hope that when you look at me you see someone who doesnt just believe in fairness as a watchword for Government, but as a code for daily life.

That is the kind of upbringing I was given by my mam and dad.

It drove me in my work in the courts of law.

It is the kind of lesson I try to instil at home now.

And it is certainly what I have always aspired to as your leader, someone who values fairness above all else, perhaps sometimes to my own detriment.

Maybe turning a blind eye, or playing favourites is the smarter, easier political road to travel. But, thats just not who I am.

But, there are people I havent been fair to in recent times. And that is my family.

In any normal political career, you expect to be put through the ringer, and even have your integrity challenged. I dont think anyone can know what these last few months have been like. No-one that is, apart from Lisa and the kids. They have carried me through the darkest of times. I have asked too much of them, and it is time for me to think about whats fair for them.

And so, this will be the last Welsh Labour conference I address as party leader.

I intend  as Ive always maintained  to be here to give every answer to every question. But I intend to stand down in the autumn, allowing for a new First Minister to take place by the end of this year.

At that point it will make sense to have a fresh start. For my family, for my party and for my country.

I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together so far. The election victories. The landmark legislation. A better deal for nurses, for students and our businesses. Putting Wales on the map.

He then later signed off by saying: And so Conference from me goodbye, and thanks. Cymru am byth. Llafur Cymru am byth. Wales for ever, Welsh Labour forever.
Dedication and hard work of Welsh Ambulance Service staff to be celebrated at annual awards ceremony

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Apr 21st, 2018

The dedication and hard work of ambulance staff across the region is to be celebrated an an annual awards ceremony  with the public invited to put their nominations forward.

Each year the Welsh Ambulance Service hosts the ceremony to recognise colleagues with long service and celebrate the fantastic achievements of our staff.

Along with the traditional long service awards, there are category awards including for Team of the Year, Personal Excellence, Inspiring Others and Innovation.

Anyone can nominate, including staff, volunteers, partners and the public.

Chief Executive (Interim) Patsy Roseblade said: Our staff and volunteers are the lifeblood of this organisation, so its really important that we celebrate their contributions.

Often, our staff dont realise that what they do is special; they see it as part of their daily job, so the Staff Awards are an opportunity to pause and reflect on their achievements and to say a big thank you.

We heard some incredible stories of dedication, commitment and courage at last years ceremony, and I already know that this years event will be another amazing showcase.

Im so inspired by the excellent service we provide across all aspects of our work and throughout the whole organisation, and I look forward to seeing this reflected in the submissions.

Visit the Awards and Recognition page of the Trusts website for more information about how to nominate.

If you are a patient, the Peoples Choice Award is your opportunity to say a special thank you to the individual or team who helped you.

This year, the Trust has also introduced a Public Recognition Award to recognise members of the public who have gone above and beyond to help a patient or patients in the community.

Ensure your entries are in before the closing date, which is 29 June, 2018.

You can also influence the winners by casting a vote online  with the winners being announced at a ceremony at Swanseas Brangwyn Hall in October.

There will also be opportunities to sponsor this years ceremony, and more information about the sponsorship packages available will be published soon.

To express an interest in sponsorship, please email Rachel.Watling@wales.nhs.uk.

You can keep up to date of all things Staff Awards by following us on Facebook (Welsh Ambulance Service) and liking us on Twitter (@WelshAmbulance) using the hashtag #WASTAwards18
Ten by Three to launch plan to support women

US-based non-profit organisation Ten by Three will launch a programme to support women from low income groups to produce and market handmade products in association with the US Embassy in Kathmandu.
Walter Leroy Moody, 83, was killed via lethal injection on Thursday evening by the state of Alabama. He was the oldest inmate put to death in the United States since the US Supreme Court cleared the way for the return of executions in a 1976 ruling. Moody was convicted in federal and state court in connection with 1989 pipe bombings that killed a district court judge and a civil rights attorney.

The lethal injection, originally scheduled for 6 p.m. local time, was delayed for about two hours after the US Supreme Court issued a temporary stay about 15 minutes before the execution hour. The high court gave no explanation for the delay or why it lifted it later.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, a Republican, denied clemency for Moody early Thursday evening.

According to AL.com, the lethal injection began at 8:16 p.m. at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore and prison officials placed his time of death at 8:42 p.m. Moody kept his eyes closed and head still and did not make a last statement when asked.

Early Thursday afternoon the Alabama Supreme Court denied a stay of execution in Moodys case. In a brief to the court, lawyers claimed Moody was evaluated by medical personnel in his prison cell the prior night, who seemed concerned about Moodys veins and whether they would support the execution drugs.

Moodys attorneys brief to the state Supreme Court cited the February 22 execution attempt of Alabama death row inmate Doyle Hamm. Hamm, 61, who has spent more than half his life on death row, was subjected to about two-and-a-half hours of torture in the Holman prison death chamber before prison officials called off the execution.

Hamm has terminal cancer and severely compromised veins. Lawyers for Hamm reportedly reached a settlement with Alabama in March that will keep him out of the death chamber. The brief on behalf of Moody argued that Moody was likely to experience the same severe pain as Hamm.

Moody was convicted in 1991 of multiple charges related to the pipe-bomb murders of US 11th Circuit Judge Robert Vance and Georgia civil rights attorney Robert E. Robertson. He was convicted in a federal trial in Minnesota and sentenced to seven concurrent life sentences and 400 years.

In 1996, Moody was convicted of capital murder at a trial in Alabama for the bomb explosion that killed Judge Vance and also injured his wife Helen. The jury in that trial recommended death by an 11 to 1 vote, and the judge imposed the death sentence. Moody has maintained his innocence.

The US 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied an appeal in Moodys case. Among his arguments was that the federal government that convicted him first on non-death-penalty charges should have him in custody instead of the state.

US Justice Department attorneys and the Alabama attorney general have argued that they have had an agreement since the 1990s to allow Moody to serve his sentence in Alabama. On Monday, the Justice Department filed a brief on behalf of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was the Alabama attorney general at the time of Moodys conviction and sentencing in the state.

The brief read in part: The Attorney General, Jefferson B. Sessions, III, informed the undersigned Deputy Assistant Attorney General  that the United States waives its right to exclusive custody of petitioner Walter Leroy Moody and consents to his custody in Alabama for purposes of carrying out the capital sentence imposed on Monday in Alabama.

On Wednesday night, Moody and his lawyers filed a request to the US Supreme Court for a stay of execution. Applications for a stay were filed Thursday morning and again Thursday afternoon.

Moody asked the high court that another appeals court hear his case instead of the 11th Circuit, where Judge Vance served. He cited several 11th Circuit judges recusal in 2014. Moody also asked the high court that he be also allowed to serve out his federal life sentences.

On January 25, another Alabama death row inmate, Vernon Madison, was granted a stay of execution just 30 minutes before his scheduled execution, when the US Supreme Court granted a temporary stay of execution. In their petition filed with the Court for a stay, Madisons attorneys argued that their client, 67 at the time, suffered irreversible and progressive vascular dementia that left him with no memory of the crime for which he was sentenced to death.

They said that the courts had found him competent to be executed based on the testimony of a doctor who had since been suspended from the practice of psychology and arrested on felony charges of forging prescriptions for substance abuse.

The Alabama Supreme Court responded in a filing that Moody has requested a stay not on the basis of innocence, an irregularity in his trial proceedings, or other error ... but because he would like to serve his non-capital, federal (life) sentences before being subjected to justice at the hands of the State.

The response framed Moodys impending execution in Alabama as an act of efficiency. Whether Moody is credited with twenty-one years toward his multiple federal life sentences at the time the State executes its judgment is a meaningless question, under the circumstances, the filing stated. If Moody is executed, the federal sentence of life imprisonment will have been executed simultaneously.

Alabama state Auditor Jim Ziegler criticized the execution of Moody, and his 20-plus years behind bars, not as cruel and unusual punishment, which is banned by the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution, but because it defeats the deterrent of the death penalty.

Thirty years is too long to carry out a sentence, Ziegler told AL.com. Killers are not worried about what may happen 30 years from now. They think in terms of the next 30 minutes, Zeigler said. It is very little deterrent to a would-be killer that he might be executed 30 years later.

Zeigler bemoaned the fact that Moodys long period on death row also meant taxpayers had to pay for his room, board and medical treatment. We have got to correct this problem and start carrying out swifter justice, he said.

One way that Alabama lawmakers want to expedite the execution process is to allow the use of nitrogen gas to execute inmates. The Alabama House of Representatives approved a measure to allow use of this method on a 75-23 vote. Governor Ivey is reviewing the measure before making a decision on signing it.

The bill would allow executions by asphyxiation with nitrogen gas if lethal injection drugs are not available or if lethal injection is ruled unconstitutional. State Rep. Thomas Jackson, a Democrat, commented, We had Yellow Mama, referring to the nickname for the states yellow-painted electric chair. Now we are going to bring back the gas chamber.

Oklahoma and Mississippi have voted to authorize nitrogen gas as a backup method, according to the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC). Oklahoma announced in March that it would begin using nitrogen for executions when the state resumes death sentences due to the difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter said that the procedure would likely involve placing a mask over an inmates head.

Moodys execution was the second carried out in Alabama and the eighth nationwide this year. According to DPIC, Alabama has carried out 63 of the 1,473 executions in the US since 1976. As of July 1, 2017, the state had 191 prisoners on death row, including five women.
They stowed away on trains, slept in shelters and marched in protests as they trekked across Mexico.

Soon hundreds of migrants from Central America will find out whether it was worth it.

Buses carrying members of the caravan pulled into the border city of Tijuana on Tuesday. And organizers say more will soon be on the way.

Many in the caravan say they plan to turn themselves into US authorities and ask for asylum.

The migrants say they're fleeing violence and poverty in Central America and hope they'll find safety and security in the United States.

But President Trump is already making it clear he's not planning to roll out the welcome mat.

It's been weeks since word of their journey first sparked Trump's ire and spurred a decision to deploy the National Guard to the US-Mexico border.

And as more migrants near the border, it's likely we'll see a new round of political ripples. Here are some key questions to keep in mind:

Wait - didn't the caravan dissolve?

Some individuals and smaller groups have split off along the way. The largest contingent is now much smaller than it was at the outset, when about 1,200 migrants from Central America convened at Mexico's southern border weeks ago. According to a recent head count by organizers, that group now numbers closer to 600.

And that's typical. The annual pilgrimage, a march with religious roots organized by Pueblo Sin Fronteras since 2010, normally shrinks as it travels north.

This year, US and Mexican officials offered different explanations for the group's decreasing size. Trump tweeted that the caravan had "largely broken up" thanks to Mexico's strong immigration laws. Mexico's foreign minister countered that the group dispersed on its own - and that pressure from north of the border had nothing to do with it.

But the bottom line is this: Hundreds of migrants are still in the caravan heading toward the US-Mexico border.

So is there going to be some sort of showdown at the border?

It's actually nothing new to have large groups of Central American migrants coming to the border and asking for asylum. That's been going on for years.

But long before this caravan neared the border, it was already getting a lot more attention than other groups of immigrants have in the past. That's not an accident; organizers created the annual event as a way to draw attention to the plight of migrants.

So suffice it to say, neither side has much of an interest in this proceeding quietly, the way many other asylum cases do.

Trump tweeted Monday morning that he'd instructed his head of Homeland Security "not to let these large Caravans of people into our Country."

Hours later, federal officials announced plans to send more asylum officers, prosecutors and immigration judges to the border.

"If members of the 'caravan' enter the country illegally, they will be referred for prosecution for illegal entry in accordance with existing law," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement.

Those who turn themselves in and ask for asylum may end up behind bars while officials evaluate their claims "efficiently and expeditiously," she said. And those who don't have a valid claim, she said, will be swiftly deported.

If the migrants weren't allowed to turn themselves in at the border and proceed with their cases, that would likely be met with a swift outcry as well as legal action from immigrant rights groups, who already filed a class-action lawsuit last year accusing US officials of illegally turning away asylum seekers.

Is what the migrants are doing legal?

Yes. It's not illegal to come to another country without papers and ask for asylum. International law requires countries to consider such claims.

While Mexican officials deported about 400 participants in the caravan for violating their country's immigration laws, they gave others 20-day permits to remain in the country.

The government also gave some migrants the option of seeking asylum in Mexico, setting up information tables at caravan stops to help guide them through the process. Some decided to accept the offer and now plan to stay.

Those continuing north insist they're not planning to sneak across the border. They intend to turn themselves in and ask for asylum.

"People who have a legitimate fear of persecution under US law have a right to present their case," Rep. Zoe Lofgren told reporters Monday. "That's not a violation of immigration law. That's a part of immigration law."

Lofgren, the top Democrat on the House subcommittee on immigration, accused Trump of using the caravan to stir up hatred.

"I think that the President has tried to fan fears of the other," Logren said, "through misstating what this group is about."

What does it mean to ask for asylum?

Asylum is a protected status that allows people fleeing persecution to live legally in another country. But it's not easy to obtain. In order to qualify for asylum in the United States, applicants must prove they have faced persecution in the past or have a well-founded fear of persecution due to their race, religion, national origin, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.

What are the chances migrants in the caravan will get asylum?

Pretty slim. But it's impossible to predict how any one case will go. A number of factors contribute to whether someone wins asylum, including how much evidence they have with them to prove their case and which judge is hearing it.

Looking at national statistics gives a good sense of how tough those cases can be to win - particularly for people from Central America, who often have a hard time meeting the requirements.

More than three quarters of immigrants seeking asylum from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala between 2011 and 2016 lost their cases, according to immigration court statistics published by Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. That means more than 75 percent were refused.

A large number of people in this year's caravan are from Honduras. Among the reasons they've given CNN for fleeing the country: widespread gang violence, domestic violence, poverty, political repression after a contested presidential election, and discrimination against the transgender community.

Is the current asylum system working in the US?

Not at all, according to critics on both ends of the political spectrum.

Immigrant rights advocates argue the system is engineered to send as many people back to their home countries as possible, no matter what threats they face.

The Trump administration has taken a stance long advocated by immigration hard-liners, who argue that existing asylum procedures in the United States are rife with loopholes that essentially give people who claim fear of persecution a free pass into the country.

"This system is currently subject to rampant abuse and fraud," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in October. "And as this system becomes overloaded with fake claims, it cannot deal effectively with just claims."

Recently, Sessions has taken steps to exert his authority over the immigration courts and change the way asylum cases are decided.

Advocates maintain that the vast majority of asylum claims are legitimate, and that stacking the deck against immigrants fleeing dangerous situations is immoral and contrary to international law.

What happens to the caravan once it reaches the border?

We won't know for sure until they get there. But asylum seekers generally follow a few steps once they're in custody:

- A credible fear screening: This interview with an immigration official is the first step in the asylum process. If an asylum officer finds that a person's fear of persecution is credible, the case is referred to an immigration judge.

- Detention: This could last for days, months or even years, depending on the case. Adults traveling alone could be transported to detention centers across the United States. Families are most likely to be held in Texas, where there are two family immigrant detention centers.

- Immigration court: This is where asylum seekers will make their case, often facing tough odds. And there's no guarantee they'll have lawyers to help them. In these administrative courts, immigrants don't have a right to an attorney.

- Release from custody: Sometimes, people with pending asylum cases are released on parole. Sometimes, they remain detained until their cases are complete. Advocates recently sued the Trump administration, arguing that adult asylum seekers are now being detained at an alarming rate to deter others from seeking refuge in the United States.

Trump has decried the practice of letting immigrants with pending cases leave detention - and he's vowed his administration will put an end to the policy, which he derides as "catch and release." But officials haven't revealed publicly what they plan to do when this group of Central Americans arrives.

In recent months, immigrant rights groups have accused the Trump administration of separating immigrant parents from their children as they await asylum proceedings. Officials have said they separate adults from children in custody only "in the interest of the child" - for instance, if there's a suspicion of human trafficking or if they are unable to confirm the child is traveling with parents or legal guardians. The Department of Homeland Security's inspector general is investigating the matter.

If immigrants in the caravan lose their asylum cases, the government can order their deportation. If they win, they'll be allowed to stay. But no matter the outcome, it's a long road, filled with uncertainty.
Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, will campaign in Montana for a Republican Senate candidate "very soon," the candidate has announced.

Troy Downing, an Air Force veteran and one of the four Republicans vying to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in November, announced the news Friday.

"It is time to stand up for our #American Heroes," Downing tweeted. "I am excited to announce that American Patriot @GenFlynn will be joining me in #Montana very soon. Details to come!"

Flynn is a retired Army lieutenant general and also served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under President Barack Obama. He was fired as Trump's national security adviser after it became public that he misled administration officials about his communications with the then-Russian ambassador to the United States, Sergey Kislyak.

Flynn later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about conversations he'd had with Kislyak, and CNN has reported that he is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and any possible collusion by the Trump campaign. Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion.

Downing has tied himself to Trump throughout his Senate bid, including by pledging to back Trump's plan for a wall along the US-Mexico border and supporting the Republican backed tax reform bill.

Kevin Gardner, Downing's campaign manager, said in response to questions about the event that Flynn "is an American Patriot and combat veteran who has served our country for 33 years. He is coming to Montana to support Troy Downing, a fellow combat veteran, because he is the best candidate to defeat career politician Jon Tester."

Representatives for Republicans Matt Rosendale and Russell Fagg, two of the other contenders for the Republican Senate nomination in Montana, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Montana Democrats relished the news, however, given that Flynn was forced to resign from the White House over questions surrounding phone calls he made to Kislyak.

"Flynn made headlines last April when he got in a bit of hot water for, well, lying to the Vice President of the United States and was then fired," the party said in a blog post. "But the President continues to stick up for him, even defending him this morning. With no clear frontrunner in the #MTSen primary, Downing seems more than happy to ride Trump's coattails through the primaries. The question is: will it work?"

Flynn had maintained a relatively low profile after his plea, but he did endorse a Republican California congressional candidate, Omar Navarro, earlier this year. Flynn appeared with the candidate at an event in March. Navarro is looking to unseat Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters in a solidly Democratic district that includes parts of Los Angeles.

Tester's race has largely flown under the national radar, despite the fact that he is a Democrat running in a state Trump won by 20 percentage points.

A spokesman for Tester declined to comment on Flynn's involvement in Downing's campaign.
Words have power, everybody should get their share

Bhairab Risal, the 90-year-old veteran journalist, critic and activist, is a humble man. Even when you are seated in his living room, looking at the many framed awards that cover two adjacent walls, he doesnt really entertain the idea of talking about them.
ISIS and al Qaeda represent major threats and are growing in strength in West Africa according to the commander of US special operations in Africa, Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks.

"The al Qaeda and ISIS inspired threats in Lake Chad Basin and here in the Sahel are very real and continue to grow in strength," Hicks told CNN, referring to two regions in western Africa.

Hicks was speaking via phone from Niger where he was attending Flintlock 18, a major military exercise involving 1,900 elite special operations and counterterrorism troops from 21 African and western countries.

"Both ISIS and al Qaeda franchises here should be taken seriously, they both have either carried out or attempted attacks on western interests in Africa, and they both have aspirations to continue attacks on western interests here, and then to attack the west beyond here," Hicks said.

But while he labeled both groups threats, Hicks said that al Qaeda represented the bigger concern due to its ability to plan for the long term.

"What concerns me most specifically is al Qaeda, because I believe that al Qaeda-associated threats here, so al Shabaab and JNIM and the other offshoots of formerly known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, are taking direction from al Qaeda core and are sort of walking through the al Qaeda playbook to develop clandestine infrastructure, and I think they have a disciplined, patient approach to building a base that will allow them to form a caliphate when the time is right," Hicks said referring to the terror group's Somalia, Mali and North Africa based affiliates.

The biggest al Qaeda affiliate is al Shabaab in Somalia where the terror group commands some 4,000-6,000 active fighters, according to the US military, making it one of al Qaeda's largest affiliates. US Navy Seals advise local Somali security forces battling al Shabaab while the Trump administration has also conducted dozens of targeted airstrikes against the group.

JNIM, the Mali-based al Qaeda affiliate, has approximately 800 fighters. France has thousands of troops in Mali, helping local forces combat JNIM and other extremist groups.

Officials are also concerned about ISIS affiliates in Libya, the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin, and Somalia, particularly the prospect of foreign fighters leaving Iraq and Syria and joining these newer affiliates.

The two groups in the Lake Chad Basin, which includes Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad include Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa. The US military believes Boko Haram fields approximately 1,500 and ISIS West Africa approximately 3,500.

"As the physical caliphate collapses, where those fighters go is a question. There are already sub-pockets again both in the Sahel, in Libya, in Lake Chad Basin and a small one in Somalia where those ISIS fighters could find themselves." US Air Force Col. Craig Miller, an officer in Special Operations Command Africa, told CNN.

"The threat is increasing at different rates and different volumes depending on where you are at in the theater in Africa," a US military official familiar with US operations in Africa told CNN.

Hicks said that exercises like Flintlock highlight the strategy of working "by, with and through" local African partners as they seek to combat both terror organizations.

However, even this supporting role carries risk something underscored in October when four US soldiers were killed in an ambush by some 50 ISIS-affiliated fighters while advising Nigerien troops near the Niger-Mali border. On Thursday the Pentagon confirmed that the investigation into the incident by US Africa Command has been completed and the results are expected to be made public in the near future.

The group that was believed responsible for the ambush, ISIS in the Greater Sahara, is thought to have up to 300 active fighters, operating in the ungoverned border area between Mali and Niger, an area known as the Sahel.

Hicks acknowledged the risks involved, saying "missions here are not without risk, I want to be very clear about that" but also added: "we try to mitigate risk where we can."

Following another firefight between a different group of ISIS-linked fighters, ISIS West Africa, and a joint US-Nigerien force in December in a different part of the country, Hicks issued a letter to the troops under his command reminding them that the US military was in a supporting role.

"My intent there was to remind -- a lot of my force is coming out of Afghanistan, and to remind them that we are not in Afghanistan. We have multiple sovereign nations here, and this is going to be a long, deliberate effort to develop their capability, and that our focus is really on working by, with and through our African and western partners," Hicks said.

Hicks said that resource constraints also factored into his decision to remind his troops of their supporting role.

"I cautioned my force to back away from pushing it too hard is because the resource rich environment that we enjoyed in Iraq and Afghanistan exists virtually nowhere in Africa," Hicks said, referring to the limited resources US troops in Africa enjoy compared to operations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. There are only about 800 US troops in Niger, a country roughly two-times the size of Texas.

"We're mindful of the limits of our resources," Hicks said, saying that those constraints factored into operational planning with regards to things like air support for operations.

Hicks said that he has shifted the focus of US special operations forces in Africa, from advising small local units on tactical patrols toward more strategic-level advising, something he said would allow for a "higher-level return on investment" given the relatively small number of troops in Africa while also having "the benefit of reducing our risk somewhat."

"We are not walking away from our African partners. In fact, because their capability has improved to the level it has, they're capable of conducting lots of these tactical operations on their own," Hicks said while adding that some tactical level advising out in the field would continue.

"We're going to help them to degrade the enemies that we share in common. They are fighting America's enemies. These are sworn enemies of the United States, that's why we're here. We can fight them here or we can fight them somewhere else at a much higher cost," Hicks said.
LIVE OAK, Fl. (WTXL) - "The neurologist came in and said mom, we're done. There's nothing else I can do."

Tracie Brim Perbtani remembers every moment of April 19th, 2012 - the day that changed her life forever.

Perbtani's daughter Raivyn was injured in an ATV accident on a Thursday. Three days later, she was declared brain dead.

"I said okay, then you need to call for organs," she said when the doctors delivered the news. "Raivyn went to the OR, I believe it was 5:30, 6:00 in the morning on the 23rd, and gave her final gifts to this world."

Raivyn Summerfield saved four people with her organs. She was also a tissue and eye donor.

"She liked dance, she was always that smiling, happy go lucky kid," smiled Perbtani. "If she couldn't make you feel better by smiling, she had some kind of wise words beyond her years."

Now, Summerfield's heart, beats through Annemarie, who was 18 when she received the Summerfield's gift of life.

"She's my heart daughter!" exclaimed Perbtani. "She was a stranger six years ago today. Raivyn's story didn't stop. It started a new chapter, but with that, that chapter intertwined with complete strangers."

"One donor can save eight lives, tissue donor can help more than 75," said Coral Denton, who works with LifeQuest Organ Recovery Services. "Age is not a factor. The oldest cornea donor was 107, the oldest organ donor was 9 days shy of his 93rd birthday. So people are not too old!"

In Summerfield's case, you're never too young to make an impact, forever leaving her mark on Suwannee County.

"I think it took our small community that had not been impacted in those ways," said Perbtani. "It took a child of 14 years old that changed a lot."

Summerfield's story has opened the conversation on organ donation, and for the second year, the Suwannee County Tax Collector's office is holding a 5k to benefit Donate Life Florida and Summerfield is in the hearts of everyone.

"It gives you a purpose," said Andrew David Poole of the Suwannee Tax Collector's Office. "It's something that comes from the heart and it gives us an opportunity to give back to the community. Everybody comes together in a time of need and it just gives us the opportunity to hopefully help with Donate Life to educate people so they can become aware when they're asked the question to be an organ donor."

"It helps with the staff of the tax collector's office and the driver's license examiners have more meaning behind the question would you like to register as an organ donor," added Denton. "They actually know of a story or know of a person that's been impacted."

"There's a quote, and I can't think of who said it at this point and it may be an unknown quote, but it said, "you've never truly lived life until you do something for somebody that they can never repay," said Perbtani. "What more does that encompass than organ, tissue, and eye donation?"

In its inaugural race last year, the 5k had 46 participants and raised $4,000.

This year, the 5k had 76 participants and raised $5,500.

For more information on how to register, click here.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A woman was arrested after a traffic stop led to multiple drugs being found inside her car and the possession of two other people's driver's licenses.

Anagel Palmer, 45, was arrested by the Leon County Sheriff's Office on April 19.

On April 18, deputies saw a car travelling without a lighted tag light. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and made contact with Palmer.

Palmer spontaneously stated to deputies she did not have a valid Florida driver's license. Palmer then allowed deputies to search her bag, but not the car.

Deputies found a syringe, which Palmer stated was used for "shooting up", but said it wasn't hers.

Deputies then conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and the other two passengers. No illegal substances were found on the passengers.

Inside the car deputies found pills of clonazepam, nine grams of fentynal, 42 grams of methamphetamine, scales used to weigh drugs, and a BB gun.

The police report states, deputies found two separate Florida driver's licenses in Palmer's wallet, neither which belonged to her.

Palmer couldn't provide a reason for the possession of either driver license.

An illegal contraband was also found within direct reach of Palmer while she standing outside of the car.

Based on the evidence, Palmer is being charged with multiple drug charges, possessing narcotic equipment, driving while license is revoked, and using the ID of another person without consent.

She was transported to the Leon County Detention Facility.

Her bond has been set at $10,000.

Palmer was previously arrested back in February for distributing meth within 1,000 feet of a business.
LARAMIE  University of Wyoming students have elected Seth Jones, a current junior in communications and political science, from Upton, as president of the Associated Students of UW (ASUW).

LARAMIE  University of Wyoming students have elected Seth Jones, a current junior in communications and political science, from Upton, as president of the Associated Students of UW (ASUW).

Alexandra Mulhall, a current junior in political science, from Worland, was elected vice president.

Jones will preside over the student government that oversees a budget of more than $1 million, including funding for a variety of student programs. He also will serve as an ex-officio member of the UW Board of Trustees.

Area UW students also elected ASUW senators, who serve on various committees and represent their colleges in budgetary and policy matters affecting all UW students.

Senators, listed by hometown and college represented, are:

Greybull  Hannah Good, Arts and Sciences; and Anna Savage, Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources.

Ten Sleep  Matthew Hoffman, Engineering and Applied Science.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-13 11:42:27|Editor: MJ

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, attend a press conference after their meeting in Beijing, capital of China, June 13, 2017. China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China and Panama signed a joint communique Tuesday on the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meeting here with Isabel Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and foreign minister, and they signed the joint communique.

According to the communique, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Panama, in keeping with the interests and desire of the two peoples, have decided to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level effective from the date of signature of this communique.

The two governments agree to develop friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of the principles of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence, the communique said.

The Government of the Republic of Panama recognizes that there is but one China in the world, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, it said.

The government of the Republic of Panama severs "diplomatic relations" with Taiwan as of this day and undertakes not to have any more official relations or official exchanges with Taiwan, the communique said, adding that the Government of the People's Republic of China appreciates this position of the Government of the Republic of Panama.

During a press briefing after the meeting, Wang Yi said Panama is an important Latin American country, and the Chinese people value the traditional friendship with the Panamanian people.

He said the political decision made by Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela and the Panamanian government meets the fundamental interests of the country.

Both China and Panama agreed that the one-China principle is the fundamental premise and the political basis on which the two countries can establish diplomatic ties and develop bilateral relations, Wang said.

"We both agreed that the establishment of bilateral ties will bring broad prospects for us to expand the comprehensive cooperation of mutual benefits," he said.

The two sides will engage in friendly exchanges of various levels and areas, and deepen political mutual trust, Wang said, adding that China welcomes Panama's active participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.

They will also have communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, help deepen friendly cooperation between China and Latin America as well as the Caribbean area, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote peace, stability and development in the world, he said.
BERLIN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- German justice minister Katarina Barley (SPD) has lamented evidence of growing hostility against Jews in the country on Friday.

Speaking to the "Funke" media group, Barley complained that awareness among Germans of the historical dangers posed by antisemitism appeared to be declining.

"Unfortunately, we must observe that antisemitism is becoming socially-acceptable again," the minister said.

According to the SPD-politician, debate over the recent nomination of two allegedly anti-Semitic rappers for an Echo music prize, as well as reports of a violent assault against two young Jews in Berlin, underscored the worrying societal development.

"It is a significant task of ours to resist this trend," Barley appealed to the public. She emphasized that there was no place for antisemitism in contemporary Germany, not least given the country's role in murdering some 6 million Jews during the Nazi regime.

Barley highlighted that anti-Semitic sentiments were particularly widespread in many Arab countries. "When people from these countries come to us, this can be a domestic problem as well," the minister warned.

Over one million refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan have arrived in Germany since 2015.

Levi Salomon, the spokesperson for the Jewish Forum for Democracy and against Antisemitism, has recently expressed concerns that "Jewish people are not safe" in Germany.

In Berlin and many other German cities, synagogues and Jewish institutions are monitored by police around the clock as a precautionary measure.
VILNIUS, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian retail giant Maxima Grupe plans to issue bonds worth around 300 (368.5 million U.S. dollars) to 400 million euros amid the company's rapid expansion in Europe, Maxima's chief executive Dalius Misiunas told local media on Friday.

Misiunas said the company plans to diversify its debt portfolio by issuing bonds this year. If carried out, the bond issuance of 300-400 million euros by the Lithuanian retail company would be the largest in the region, reported vz.lt.

Proceeds from the issuance would be allocated to diversify the company's financing structure and lower dependency on bank loans.

"The company has grown up, and is capable of borrowing from the capital markets, including international markets," Misiunas said.

The chief executive declined to reveal the yield and maturity of the potential bond issuance.

This wouldn't be the first multi-million bond issuance for Misiunas, the new chief executive of Maxima, who took the helm of the company two months ago.

Last summer, Lithuania's state-controlled energy group Lietuvos energija, then headed by Misiunas, issued international green bonds for 300 million euros in what was the first green bond issuance by Lithuanian company.

Earlier this week, Maxima completed the deal to acquire Polish company Emperia Holding S.A., which operates retail chain Stokrotka with 436 stores and had a turnover of 607 million euros in 2017.
DAR ES SALAAM, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania is conducting a two-month massive awareness campaign on counterfeits amid increasing substandard products imported into the country.

A joint statement issued Friday by the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Fair Competition Commission (FCC) said the campaign was aimed at educating the general public on the functionalities of the two government institutions in checking the influx of substandard goods.

Frank Mdimi, the FCC senior communications officer, said the FCC and TBS officers will work closely during the campaign.

"We intend to reach the general public through community radio and television broadcasts and meetings with business communities," said Mdimi.

He added: "There has been an outcry from the public regarding the influx of substandard and counterfeit products in Tanzania which needs to be fully addressed by the responsible institutions."

Roida Andusamile, the TBS senior communications officer, said consumers generally have little knowledge on how TBS and FCC played their central role in providing Tanzanians with protection against counterfeit and substandard products.

Both institutions are under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and they are mandated to facilitate trade through fair competition and quality products.
Palestinian protesters prepare kites laden with a molotov cocktail before flew its over the border before cutting the string leaving the burning material to fall in Israeli territory, on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, east of Gaza City, on April 18, 2018. (Xinhua photo)

GAZA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- As the fourth weekly protest along Gaza-Israel border began Friday, hundreds of Palestinians flew kites over the border fence into Israeli territory as a way to protest.

This week, flying kites was the Palestinians' tool to express their anger against Israel during their six-week protests dubbed the Great March of Return, which kicked off on March 30 and left so far 37 Palestinians dead and hundreds of others injured.

Since early hours of the day, thousands of Palestinians gathered at the eastern area of the Gaza Strip to carry on their anti-Israel rallies that were held in five areas along the borders with Israel.

The marches are expected to peak on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "Day of the Catastrophe."

Close to the border fence, teenager Ahmed Bashir from Gaza city made his own kite bearing the colors of the Palestinian flag and flew it over the Israeli soldiers guarding the borders amid the cheers of his pairs.

"My kite is flying over our stolen lands," Bashir said as he held the kite string. "I wrote 'we will be back' on my kite."

Next to Bashir, teenager Suleiman Abu Khdair attached a letter to his kite.

"My letter is sent to Israeli soldiers. It says 'Leave our homeland'," Abu Khdair told Xinhua while watching dozens of teenagers flying kites along the borders.

The little boy said he is just among thousands of Palestinians who came to participate in the weekly protest that demands the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes they were forced to leave when Israel was created in 1948.

"The Israeli soldiers target us with live ammunition and tear gas, but we reply with these kites," he added.

Palestinians believe that the mass protest is a strong message to the world that the issue of the Palestinian refugees has not been resolved yet.

The Palestinian refugees' struggle to return home has been one of the key and thorniest issues in the final status negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

Spokesman for the organizing committee of the protests, Ahmed Abu Retaima, told Xinhua that flying kites is an initiative of young people who wanted to show that the protests are peaceful but are met by violent Israeli reactions.

However, some Palestinians believe that the kites could also be used to cause Israel troubles.

Dozens of young people flew kites carrying firebombs that started fire once they touched the ground, causing wildland fire near the border fence.

"These kites are simple, but they still can cause damage," Eissa Abu Jamie, a masked Palestinian protestor from southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, told Xinhua.

He added that Israelis should realize that what has been seized by force can only be retrieved by force.

According to Israeli media, kites with Molotov cocktails attached to them had caused several fires, but had not caused injuries.

Regional councils of Israeli towns and villages adjacent to Gaza asked Israeli citizens to be alert and to report any unusual fire incidents.

During this Friday rally, four Palestinians were killed and at least 450 others injured in clashes between demonstrators and Israeli soldiers in eastern Gaza Strip.

Among the injured, 96 were shot with live ammunition, of whom 4 are in serious conditions.

Earlier in the day, Israeli army planes threw flyers over eastern Gaza, warning people "not to listen to the incitement of the organizers of the rallies."
KIEV, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which monitors the situation in eastern Ukraine, said Friday that tensions in the region have escalated in the past week after a period of relative calm.

Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor of the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine, said that there was a 10-percent increase in the number of ceasefire violations in the past week, with an almost nine-fold increase in instances where heavy weapons were used.

"Last week, 11 civilians were injured in eastern Ukraine as a direct result of the sides' failure to comply with their obligations," Hug said in a video address.

According to him, the clashes between the conflicting parties have also caused damage to dozens of private houses and apartment buildings.

The conflict between government troops and pro-independence rebels in eastern Ukraine has been raging since April 2014, claiming close to 10,000 lives.

On March 30, a fresh round of ceasefire started in eastern Ukraine, helping to ease the hostilities for several weeks.
MOSCOW, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Building up the presence of the United Nations (UN) in Syria deserves attention as it will help collect reliable information, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.

Russia cannot accept the situation that UN agencies produce reports and statements based on information from other sources than UN's own ones, he said at a joint press conference following talks with visiting UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Lavrov criticized the U.S.-led missile strikes on Syria last week as they undermined the Geneva talks for the Syrian settlement under the auspices of the UN at a time when Russia, Turkey and Iran very closely approached the resumption of the Geneva process.

He asked the UN to step up humanitarian aid to the Syrian people and help with the reconstruction of housing, infrastructure and facilities of the war-torn country's national economy.

De Mistura said at the press conference he was pleased that Russia remains committed to pushing for a political settlement of the Syrian crisis.

He said the deconfliction mechanism between Russian and U.S. forces in Syria has been effective and should continue.

De Mistura expressed the hope that experts of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) will visit Douma district near the Syrian capital of Damascus as soon as possible to investigate an alleged chemical weapon attack by the Syrian government forces.

The United States, Britain and France launched intensive missile attacks on Syria on April 14, saying the move was in response to the alleged chemical weapon attack.

Damascus denied the accusation and Russia said its military experts found no traces of toxic substances in Douma.

The OPCW experts are now in Syria for the investigation, but so far they have not visited Douma.

Western countries accused Russia of hindering the OPCW investigation, while Moscow said that the experts cannot enter the area due to a lack of the UN's permission over safety concerns following the U.S.-led strikes.
HOUSTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The active number of drilling rigs in the United States rises thanks to increasing activity in West Texas' Permian Basin, according to weekly data collected by Baker Hughes released Friday.

Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes reported that the overall rig count increased by five, up to 1,013 in total. The Permian alone grew by eight rigs. Small declines in Colorado, North Dakota and Oklahoma partially offset the gains.

According to the company, oil drilling currently accounts for 820 rigs of the total. The rest are seeking natural gas.

West Texas' Permian Basin now accounts for 453 rigs, which is 55 percent of all the nation's oil rigs. The next most active area is South Texas' Eagle Ford shale with 76 rigs.

Despite this week's rise, the oil rig count is down 49 percent from its peak of 1,609 in October 2014, before oil prices began plummeting.
VIENNA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Election campaigning by Turkish officials in Austria is "not wanted" and will no longer be allowed in future, according to Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.

Speaking to state broadcaster ORF on Friday, Kurz made the comments in light of news there could be a potential snap election in Turkey in late June.

In the past, Turkish officials have held large-scale rallies in major European cities to appeal for votes from the large numbers of Turkish nationals there.

Austria's capital Vienna has been one such city, though the visits have been subject to controversy, with particularly those on the right of the political spectrum unhappy about the practice.

Kurz on Friday said if further campaigning in Austria is planned by Turkish officials in the run-up to a new election, the Austrian government will not allow it.

Amendments made to the Public Meeting Act in 2017 could be applicable in denying foreign officials the capacity to campaign in Austria, it was noted.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of students from schools in the Bay Area in northern California rallied Friday as part of a National School Walkout to protest against gun-related violence and called for tighter gun control.

The students gathered outside San Jose City Hall, about 72 kilometers south of downtown San Francisco, observing a moment of silence for the 13 people who were shot and killed in the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in 1999.

Friday's protests were staged to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine massacre, in which two teens went on a shooting spree on April 20, 1999, killing 12 students and one teacher, and injuring 21 others, before they committed suicide.

Nationwide there are about 2,600 more of these walkouts, and at least 30 events were staged in the Bay Area to advocate stricter gun laws.

"This is our time for change, for our generation to speak up, and the students are being impacted by gun violence," said a girl from the protesting groups.

"Nobody should be afraid of going to school, (and) it should be a place of safety," she added.

"There's something about this generation that gets it, about the fact that their voice matters and about the fact that they should care about the future of this country," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who went out to support the students.

Similar protests also took place in downtown San Francisco, where a large group of students from San Francisco Unified School District rallied outside the City Hall, urging lawmakers to pass bills to enforce tougher gun control on campus.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 07:06:24|Editor: Lifang

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MEXICO CITY, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's government on Friday expanded the size of a sanctuary designed to protect the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction.

The refuge in north Mexico's Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez, was extended to cover 1,841 square kilometers, the Environment Ministry said.

The plight of the vaquitas gained worldwide attention when Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio traveled to Mexico in June 2017 to urge the president to take stronger action to save the species.

Experts believe only around 30 vaquitas are left in the Gulf of California, where they are accidentally caught in fishing nets designed to capture totoaba, a fish whose bladder is believed to have aphrodisiac properties and sells for up to 60,000 U.S. dollars per kilogram on the black market.

The decision to expand the sanctuary follows a study that showed the only marine mammal native to Mexico inhabits an area much larger than the original parameters set in 2015.

"It is necessary to expand the ... refuge area for the protection of this aquatic species," the ministry said in a statement.

The sanctuary aims to protect the porpoise from fishing and sailing activity.
FILE PHOTO: The logo of chipmaker Qualcomm Inc is pictured on its building in San Diego, California, U.S. July 22, 2008. ( REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo)

LOS ANGELES, April 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Chipmaker Qualcomm started to cut jobs at its facilities in California in order to meet the company's promise to investors to cut costs by 1 billion U.S. dollars.

According to local NBC 7 news channel, the San Diego - based wireless giant had plan to trim 1,231 jobs in San Diego and 269 at its offices in San Jose and Santa Clara in mid-June. Workers were told of the layoffs Wednesday.

A company spokesperson was quoted as saying that this move, a reduction of full-time and temporary workforce, is a part of the cost reduction plan announced in January, and the company found it is necessary to support long-term growth and success after evaluated other plans.

According to the San Diego Business Journal, Qualcomm filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice with the state of California on Thursday stating 1,500 employees in the state will be terminated on or about June 19, 2018.

The regulation of U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration shows, a WARN notice must be given by the employer, "if there is to be a mass layoff which does not result from a plant closing, but which will result in an employment loss at the employment site during any 30-day period for 500 or more employees."

The company pledged to cut costs earlier this year as part of its effort to fend off a hostile takeover attempt from chip rival Broadcom.

The Donald Trump administration blocked Broadcom's buyout on national security grounds, but Qualcomm investors were frustrated by its lagging share price and poor financial performance relative to its semiconductor peers.
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump was upbeat on Pyongyang's announcement to suspend nuclear and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) tests.

According to the official KCNA news agency, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will suspend the tests from Saturday. The nation also decided to close a nuke test site to ensure the transparency of its test-halting effort.

On Twitter, Trump noted that the announcement and the decision of the DPRK are "very good news" for the country and the world.

"Big progress!" He tweeted, adding that he looks forward to his meeting with the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump told the media on April 9 that he will meet with Kim in May or early June.
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis met Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera at the Pentagon on Friday.

The two discussed the recently released U.S. National Defense Strategy, saying "the Japanese-U.S. alliance is essential at a time where great power competition has returned."

On Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Mattis and Onodera affirmed the importance of close cooperation among the United States, Japan, South Korea and other "like-minded" nations "in providing credible military backing to the maximum pressure campaign."

Mattis welcomed Japan's plan to review its National Defense Program Guidelines by year end.

After the last review of its national defense program guidelines and mid-term defense program in late 2013, Japan loosened its restrictions on armaments exports for the first time in half a century, drawing wide protest and opposition from regional countries and the international community.

It also introduced new principles on defense equipment transfer in April 2014, allowing Japanese firms to export weapons if their deals pass government screening and to engage in joint defense equipment development.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 11:57:05|Editor: ZD

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WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Financial leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) have expressed concerns that trade disputes among major economies could pose downside risks to the global economy, Argentine Treasury Minister Nicolas Dujovne said on Friday.

"Concerns on trade disputes occupied some part of the discussions that we had yesterday, and, of course, it is still one of the three main concerns in terms of the downside risks for the economy," Dujovne told reporters in Washington after wrapping up a two-day meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors under Argentina's presidency.

"We discussed trade and the potential impacts on the global economy and the potential disruption that modifications on the trade scheme can actually pose to the global economy," he said.

While some differences over trade appeared in the last few months, Dujovne said G20 members "still have a very big consensus on the benefits of trade for growth."

"The idea that the gains from trade have to be evenly shared is a concern that was placed both by advanced economies and emerging economies," echoed Argentine central bank governor Federico Sturzenegger, noting "there was general appeal for multilateralism."

However, the G20 meeting didn't discuss specific trade measures, which are appropriate for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to deal with, according to Dujovne.

Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao said at the meeting that current global recovery is facing "substantial challenges from a strong wave of anti-globalization and unilateralism."

He urged G20 members to "firmly support the multilateral trading system" and strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination so as to lay a solid foundation for sustainable global growth, according to a statement posted on the website of China's Ministry of Finance.

The G20 meeting comes after the Trump administration recently announced additional tariffs on imported steel and aluminum and threatened to impose broad tariffs against Chinese imports.

These unilateral protectionist measures have sparked widespread criticism and provoked threats of retaliation from major trading partners, raising the prospect of escalating global trade conflicts that threaten global recovery.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 12:22:08|Editor: ZD

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BOGOTA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Four countries have offered to host ongoing peace talks between the Colombian government and National Liberation Army (ELN) after Ecuador withdrew, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday.

Chile, Brazil, Norway and Cuba, which had been accompanying the talks taking place in Ecuador's capital Quito, all offered to serve as hosts.

"This morning, Chile's President Sebastian Pinera called me and told me Chile eagerly offers to host the talks with the ELN ... and Brazil, Cuba and Norway did the same," Santos said.

Colombia is now working out the details, which included issues like whether the current fifth round of talks could be completed in Quito, or should be immediately moved to a new location after Ecuador withdrew, Santos said.

On Wednesday, Ecuador said it would stop hosting the negotiations with the ELN guerrilla group as long as the rebels continue to carry out "terrorist acts."

"I have asked Ecuador's foreign minister to stop these talks ... for as long as the ELN does not pledge to stop carrying out these terrorist acts," Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said in an interview with Colombian news networks RCN News and NTN24.

Ecuador's decision followed a spike in crime along Ecuador's border with Colombia, including the recent abduction and killing of a three-man press team that was reporting there, as well as the kidnapping of a young couple.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 12:57:11|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday welcomed the decision made by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend nuclear tests and inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks on Saturday in a statement.

Related:

DPRK to suspend nuclear, ICBM tests
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday tweeted twice to commend the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s earlier announcement to suspend its nuke and nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests.

Trump said in the first twitter that the announcement and the decision of the DPRK are "very good news" for the country and the world.

"Big progress!" He tweeted, adding that he looks forward to his meeting with the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un.

According to the official KCNA news agency, the DPRK will suspend the tests starting from Saturday. The nation also decided to close a nuke test site to ensure the transparency of its test-halting effort.

Trump told the media on April 9 that he will meet with Kim in May or early June.

In a separate twitter sent some four hours later on Friday, Trump claimed that Kim once sent him a message that his nation "will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles" and "shut down a nuclear test site in the country's Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests."

"Progress being made for all!" he added.

The DPRK's announcement came ahead of Kim's meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in slated for April 27 at the border village of Panmunjom.

A positive momentum around the Korean Peninsula has been built up in recent months, thanks to the inter-Korean good faith resulting from the diplomacy around the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Peninsula denuclearization, and efforts of related countries to promote dialogue between the DPRK and South Korea, and with the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 13:32:18|Editor: ZD

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BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's rapid and healthy development of the Internet and information industries has brought a host of tangible benefits to its people.

China got access to the Internet in 1994. Since then, China has achieved a great leap in developing its Internet and information industries.

By December 2017, the number of Chinese netizens reached 772 million, of which 753 million surf the Internet via mobile phones, according to statistics released by China Internet Network Information Center.

Overseas experts acknowledge that China's fast Internet development has also promoted the development of the global Internet industry with advanced hardware and technical innovation.

"China plays a huge role in technology and innovation. So I think in an ideal world, countries like China will participate in the development of solutions," Sally Wentworth, vice president of global policy for the Internet Society (ISOC), told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Our extensive research clearly shows that just as when the Internet Society was founded 25 years ago, people believe that the Internet's core values still remain valid -- that it must be global, open, secure, and used for the benefit of people everywhere in the world," Wentworth said.

Thanks to China's rapid Internet development, China has done a great job in promoting online financing, industrial upgrading and the combination of the Internet and mobile communications, said Guo Yike, head of Data Science Institute of Imperial College London.

Experts pointed out that China has the ability to help deal with cyber security threats around the world with advanced hardware.

The Internet is a brilliant invention, but it "cannot be an area where illegality is allowed to simply exist in a way that it wouldn't be in the real world," said Robert Hannigan, former director of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

"Much computer software around the world is designed and manufactured in China. Thus China has been in a good position to assist the world to cope with cybersecurity threats. Because only through improving the security standards for both hardware and software can we build a safer cyber world," Hannigan said.

Commenting on Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for respecting Internet sovereignty and building a community of shared future in cyberspace, Guo said both notions are very precise.

"Of course the Internet bears the characteristics of sovereignty," Guo said. "Although the Internet connects every part of the world, data itself is a huge resource, and where there are resources, there is sovereignty. There's no doubt about that."

One the one hand, Guo said, sovereign rights over the Internet -- especially those concerning information resources -- should be respected, while on the other hand, further efforts should be made to build a smoothly interconnected world, thanks to which science and technology have already been developing by leaps and bounds.

"On top of protecting our information resources and Internet sovereignty, we should make more efforts to enrich this concept of a community of shared future in cyberspace," said Guo.

Guo has been paying close attention to China's Internet Plus strategy. He said there is "a large portion (within that strategy) where China has done extremely well."

First proposed in 2015, the Internet Plus -- sometimes likened to the "information highway" championed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in the 1990s -- refers to the application of the Internet and other information technology in conventional industries that have previously been operating offline.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in his 2015 Government Work Report that an action plan for the strategy aims to integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing, to encourage the healthy development of e-commerce, industrial networks, and Internet banking, and to help Internet companies increase their international presence.

"I think China's development in recent years has truly led the world in revolutionizing the business sector by adopting the next generation Internet technologies," Guo said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 13:42:20|Editor: ZX

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The photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows a view of the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on April 20, 2018. In yet another move to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un has announced that his country will "discontinue" nuclear and missile tests. (Xinhua/KCNA)

PYONGYANG, April 21 (Xinhua ) -- In yet another move to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s top leader Kim Jong Un has announced that his country will "discontinue" nuclear and missile tests.

The decision was announced by Kim at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) which took place here on Friday, reported the Korean Central News Agency.

The decision is another gesture made by Kim to seek an end to the confrontation with the United States and could pave the way for holding talks on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said analysts.

It came days before Kim is due to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the truce village of Panmunjom.

"The overall situation is rapidly changing in favor of the Korean revolution thanks to the DPRK's proactive action and efforts after the declaration of completing the state nuclear force last year," the DPRK leader.

"Fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean Peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape," he said.

Kim said that all efforts of the nation must now concentrate on economic construction to upgrade the people's living standard.

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK said the DPRK's northern nuclear test ground would be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test.

"The discontinuance of the nuclear test is an important process for the worldwide disarmament, and the DPRK will join the international desire and efforts for the total halt to the nuclear test in the world," the KCNA quoted a communique of the WPK session as saying.

The DPRK will never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threats and nuclear provocations against the country, it added.

"We will concentrate all efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving people's living standard through the mobilization of all human and material resources of the country," it said.

The DPRK will aim to create an international environment favorable for its socialist economic construction and facilitate close contacts and active dialogues with neighboring countries and the international community in order to defend peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the world, it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 13:47:21|Editor: ZD

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HOUSTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- The 51st edition of WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival kicked off here Friday.

The suspense and action movie Nine to Nirvana starring Li Zhixue, a well-known young Chinese actress, was screened as the opening film for the festival.

Scheduled for April 20-29, the film festival will showcase 50 new independent feature films and 108 award-winning short films from over 70 countries and regions around the globe.

As part of the festival, the fourth edition of WorldFest Focus on China will feature some 20 feature films from China, providing the audience with a taste of Chinese movies, which have stepped into global spotlight over the past years.

WorldFest-Houston Chairman Hunter Todd told Xinhua that while most film festivals around the world will show one or two Chinese movies, "we are the first film festival that's made an ongoing effort to establish a major survey of Chinese films. China is more represented in our festival than any others."

The Houston International Film Festival has 10 categories in total, including Best Film, Documentary, TV Commercials, Music TV, Original Screenplay, Short Film and others. An award party will be held on April 28.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 14:32:27|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Loans to China's real estate sector grew at a slower pace in the first quarter as government purchase restrictions remain in place in major cities, data from the central bank showed.

By the end of last month, financial institutions had lent 34.1 trillion yuan (5.4 trillion U.S. dollars) to the property sector, up 20.3 percent year on year, according to a report from the People's Bank of China (PBOC).

The growth was 0.6 percentage points lower than the rate seen at the end of last year.

Outstanding loans for individual purchases went up 20 percent to 22.86 trillion yuan, retreating 2.2 percentage points from the end of last year.

The data came amid continued government efforts to rein in property speculation, particularly in major cities.

To curb speculation, local governments have passed or expanded restrictions on house purchases and increased minimum downpayments required for mortgages.

In addition, China is working to implement a long-term mechanism for property regulation that ensures supply through multiple sources, provides housing support through multiple channels, and encourages both housing purchases and rentals.

To guide money to the more needy sectors such as small businesses and agriculture, China's central bank in January implemented a targeted reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cut to commercial banks that extend a big enough proportion of their outstanding or new loans to the desired industries.

Commercial banks whose annual outstanding or new loans in inclusive financing account for more than 1.5 percent of the total enjoy a 0.5 percentage point RRR cut from the central bank's benchmark level from next year.

The RRR will be cut further by 1 percentage point if the ratio exceeds 10 percent, according to the central bank.

Inclusive financing covers credit support for small business owners, agricultural development, impoverished groups and students.

The central bank data showed the country's outstanding loans to small and micro businesses totalled 25.1 trillion yuan at the end of March, accounting for 32.7 percent of overall business loans.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 15:02:32|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China's sugar output from October 2017 to September 2018 is expected to reach 10.25 million tonnes, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

The projected output was down 50,000 tonnes from the previous forecast made last month, according to the Chinese Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released in April by an advisory body under the ministry.

The monthly analysis report attributed the revision to lower sugarcane output in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the country's largest sugar manufacturing base.

From October 2017 to March 2018, sugar output rose 10.6 percent year on year to 9.54 million tonnes, the report said, noting that it is near the end of this production season.

It cautioned of an impact on the domestic price from declining sugar prices on the international market.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 15:22:34|Editor: Xiang Bo

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The photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows a view of the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on April 20, 2018. In yet another move to ease tension on the Korean Peninsula, the DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un has announced that his country will "discontinue" nuclear and missile tests. (Xinhua/KCNA)

BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday welcomed the decision made by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang made the remarks in a statement.

The decision was announced by DPRK leader Kim Jong Un at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Friday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The DPRK will discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, the KCNA said.

The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests, it added.

The KCNA quoted Kim as saying that the mission to build a nuclear force has been completed and now the strategic route for the WPK is to concentrate on economic construction.

China believes that the decision made by the DPRK will help ease the situation and promote the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue, said Lu.

A nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in the region are in line with the common interests of the people on the peninsula and in the region, he said, adding they are also the common expectation of the international community.

"We hope that the DPRK will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards," said Lu.

He said China supports the DPRK and the parties concerned to resolve their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to improve their relations.

It is hoped that all parties concerned will meet each other halfway,take concrete actions and make due efforts to achieve lasting peace and common development in the region, said Lu.

"China will continue to play an active role in this regard," he said.

Related:

DPRK to suspend nuclear, ICBM tests
Keith B. Alexander, first commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and former chief of the National Security Agency, speaks during the 2015 China Internet Security Conference in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2015. A total of 120 experts from China, U.S., Israel, Australia, South Korea, etc. took part in the two-day conference that kicked off here Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's rapid and healthy development of the Internet and information industries has brought a host of tangible benefits to its people.

China got access to the Internet in 1994. Since then, China has achieved a great leap in developing its Internet and information industries.

By December 2017, the number of Chinese netizens reached 772 million, of which 753 million surf the Internet via mobile phones, according to statistics released by China Internet Network Information Center.

Overseas experts acknowledge that China's fast Internet development has also promoted the development of the global Internet industry with advanced hardware and technical innovation.

File photo taken on Dec. 3, 2017 shows Xu Zhijun, Huawei's rotating CEO, introduces achievements of 5G technology during the release ceremony for world leading Internet scientific and technological achievements in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

"China plays a huge role in technology and innovation. So I think in an ideal world, countries like China will participate in the development of solutions," Sally Wentworth, vice president of global policy for the Internet Society (ISOC), told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Our extensive research clearly shows that just as when the Internet Society was founded 25 years ago, people believe that the Internet's core values still remain valid -- that it must be global, open, secure, and used for the benefit of people everywhere in the world," Wentworth said.

Thanks to China's rapid Internet development, China has done a great job in promoting online financing, industrial upgrading and the combination of the Internet and mobile communications, said Guo Yike, head of Data Science Institute of Imperial College London.

Experts pointed out that China has the ability to help deal with cyber security threats around the world with advanced hardware.

The photo shows a silhouette of an attendee at the closing ceremony of the two-day Budapest cyberspace conference in Budapest, Hungary, Oct. 5, 2012. Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi on Friday called for continued international cooperation in creating and maintaining a free and secure cyberspace. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

The Internet is a brilliant invention, but it "cannot be an area where illegality is allowed to simply exist in a way that it wouldn't be in the real world," said Robert Hannigan, former director of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

"Much computer software around the world is designed and manufactured in China. Thus China has been in a good position to assist the world to cope with cybersecurity threats. Because only through improving the security standards for both hardware and software can we build a safer cyber world," Hannigan said.

Commenting on Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for respecting Internet sovereignty and building a community of shared future in cyberspace, Guo said both notions are very precise.

"Of course the Internet bears the characteristics of sovereignty," Guo said. "Although the Internet connects every part of the world, data itself is a huge resource, and where there are resources, there is sovereignty. There's no doubt about that."

File photo taken on May 25, 2017 shows a demonstration center of Guizhou big data pilot zone in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

On the one hand, Guo said, sovereign rights over the Internet -- especially those concerning information resources -- should be respected, while on the other hand, further efforts should be made to build a smoothly interconnected world, thanks to which science and technology have already been developing by leaps and bounds.

"On top of protecting our information resources and Internet sovereignty, we should make more efforts to enrich this concept of a community of shared future in cyberspace," said Guo.

Guo has been paying close attention to China's Internet Plus strategy. He said there is "a large portion (within that strategy) where China has done extremely well."

First proposed in 2015, the Internet Plus -- sometimes likened to the "information highway" championed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in the 1990s -- refers to the application of the Internet and other information technology in conventional industries that have previously been operating offline.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in his 2015 Government Work Report that an action plan for the strategy aims to integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing, to encourage the healthy development of e-commerce, industrial networks, and Internet banking, and to help Internet companies increase their international presence.
WASHINGTON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- A senior U.S. official on Friday gave a briefing on French President Emmanuel Macron's state visit to the United States, slated for April 23-25.

On Jan. 24, the White House had said that President Donald Trump will welcome Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron on the French president's first state visit to the United States under the Trump administration.

Trump visited Paris in July 2017, weeks after the U.S. withdrew from the Paris climate accord.

STRAINS REMAIN

The two presidents have met and talked on the phone several times since assuming office and struggled to soften their divergence over Syria, the Iran nuke deal, the Paris climate accord and trade liberalization.

On the weekend, Macron said he had persuaded Trump to limit the scale of the attack on Syria to its alleged chemical weapons. He also reportedly persuaded Trump to maintain a small number of U.S. ground troops in Syria after Trump had announced the troops would be recalled, calling Syria a "very troubled" place.

During the briefing, the U.S. official said the Iran nuclear deal will be a major topic on the agenda. Trump has threatened to withdraw from it by May 12 unless the U.S. Congress and European nations agree to amend it.

The official said Trump's three priorities regarding the deal are the "sunset clause", Iran's ballistic missile program, and more broadly, Iran's activities throughout the region that Washington sees as "malign".

Washington fears that the "sunset clause" will provide Tehran with an option to build nuclear weapons. Iran has said that there is no such clause and its commitment to not make nuclear arms is permanent.

Iran has continued to test ballistic missiles, saying the program is for peaceful purposes and doesn't breach the nuclear deal.

CLOSE TIES

France is the third largest trading partner of the United States in Europe, with daily commercial transactions worth an average 1 billion U.S. dollars. The United States is the top destination for French foreign investment. In 2016, France invested 19.3 billion dollars in the United States, which supported over 26,000 jobs there.

The United States is also the largest foreign investor in France, investing about 78 billion dollars in 2016.

The two nations worked closely in the joint operation to attack Syria on April 13 for alleged its use of chemical weapons. They have also worked together in global counterterrorism operations including in the Sahel region in Africa, where France takes the leading role.

MACRON'S ITINERARY

Macron will be given a tour of Mount Vernon, the plantation home of U.S. first President George Washington in Virginia, where he will have a private couples' dinner.

In July 2017, the two first couples had dinner together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day, the French National Day which is celebrated on July 14.

On April 24, the two leaders will meet in the White House for a one-on-one session in the Oval Office and an expanded working bilateral meeting with delegations from both sides.

Later, the two presidents will host a joint press conference. Macron will also go to the Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony and attend a state dinner in the White House.

He will address a joint session of Congress on April 25, marking the 58th anniversary of former French President Charles de Gaulle address to a joint session of Congress in 1960.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 15:52:41|Editor: Liangyu

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MANILA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China is set to emerge as the Philippines' top tourist source thanks to "exceptionally stronger government to government relations," according to a Philippine lawmaker on Saturday.

"In a matter of months, we could see China dislodging South Korea as our number one supplier of foreign tourists," said Lito Atienza, a member of the Philippine House of Representatives, in a statement.

Atienza credits President Rodrigo Duterte's "wisdom and foresight" in reaching out to China.

"Foreign tourists create a huge demand for goods and services that we as a country have ample supply of, so our economy is benefiting in a big way from the influx of Chinese visitors," he added.

"The Philippines and China have long had very warm people to people relations, considering our extensive Chinese ancestry, so we definitely welcome the surge in Chinese holidaymakers," Atienza said.

Citing data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Atienza said China dislodged the United States for the first time as the Philippines' second-biggest supplier of foreign visitors in 2017.

He said DOT statistics show that the Philippines received a total of 6,620,908 foreign visitors in 2017, up 11 percent from 5,967,006 in 2016.

The number of Chinese tourists surged by 43.33 percent to 968,447 in 2017 from 675,663 million in 2016, Atienza said.

The rapid growth in Chinese tourists continued in the first two months of 2018, Atienza said.

This year, Atienza said the DOT hopes to draw in 7.4 million foreign tourists, including 1.5 million from China.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 16:02:43|Editor: Liangyu

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BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China's soybean output from October 2017 to September 2018 is expected to grow 12.8 percent year on year, according to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Soybean output is predicted to reach 14.6 million tonnes during the statistical period, up 1.66 million tonnes from a year earlier, according to the Chinese Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates released in April by an advisory body under the ministry.

The monthly analysis report said the supply of imported soybeans will remain normal in the near term, noting that a seasonal increase of imports from South America will offset impact from Sino-U.S. trade frictions.

Earlier this month, the U.S. administration proposed a list of Chinese goods worth 50 billion U.S. dollars subject to additional 25 percent tariffs amid strong opposition from China and U.S. business groups.

China struck back with a tariff plan of equal scale on a list of U.S. products including soybeans, automobiles, aircraft, and chemical products.

China's soybean imports hit 95.53 million tonnes in 2017, the highest worldwide.
BISHKEK, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyzstan's former Chief of Staff in the President's Office, Mukhammedkaliy Abylgaziyev, was named the new prime minister by parliament Friday, following the fall of the previous government due to a no-trust vote on April 19.

President Sooronbai Jeenbekov, who sacked the Sapar Isakov government after parliament passed a vote of no confidence, signed a decree Friday to appoint the new prime minister and cabinet members.

Earlier during the day, lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to approve Abylgaziyev, who has also served as a former deputy prime minister, as the 30th prime minister of the country. The 50-year-old's cabinet has also been approved.

The April 19 no-trust vote was the first in the history of Kyrgyzstan.
Keith B. Alexander, first commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and former chief of the National Security Agency, speaks during the 2015 China Internet Security Conference in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2015. A total of 120 experts from China, U.S., Israel, Australia, South Korea, etc. took part in the two-day conference that kicked off here Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's rapid and healthy development of the Internet and information industries has brought a host of tangible benefits to its people.

China got access to the Internet in 1994. Since then, China has achieved a great leap in developing its Internet and information industries.

By December 2017, the number of Chinese netizens reached 772 million, of which 753 million surf the Internet via mobile phones, according to statistics released by China Internet Network Information Center.

Overseas experts acknowledge that China's fast Internet development has also promoted the development of the global Internet industry with advanced hardware and technical innovation.

File photo taken on Dec. 3, 2017 shows Xu Zhijun, Huawei's rotating CEO, introduces achievements of 5G technology during the release ceremony for world leading Internet scientific and technological achievements in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

"China plays a huge role in technology and innovation. So I think in an ideal world, countries like China will participate in the development of solutions," Sally Wentworth, vice president of global policy for the Internet Society (ISOC), told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Our extensive research clearly shows that just as when the Internet Society was founded 25 years ago, people believe that the Internet's core values still remain valid -- that it must be global, open, secure, and used for the benefit of people everywhere in the world," Wentworth said.

Thanks to China's rapid Internet development, China has done a great job in promoting online financing, industrial upgrading and the combination of the Internet and mobile communications, said Guo Yike, head of Data Science Institute of Imperial College London.

Experts pointed out that China has the ability to help deal with cyber security threats around the world with advanced hardware.

People visit the Light of Internet Exposition of the fourth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen of Tongxiang City of east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 2, 2017. The expo, attracting 411 renowned internet enterprises from home and abroad, showcases the latest internet technologies and applications from around the world, highlighting artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data and other areas. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

The Internet is a brilliant invention, but it "cannot be an area where illegality is allowed to simply exist in a way that it wouldn't be in the real world," said Robert Hannigan, former director of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

"Much computer software around the world is designed and manufactured in China. Thus China has been in a good position to assist the world to cope with cybersecurity threats. Because only through improving the security standards for both hardware and software can we build a safer cyber world," Hannigan said.

Commenting on Chinese President Xi Jinping's call for respecting Internet sovereignty and building a community of shared future in cyberspace, Guo said both notions are very precise.

"Of course the Internet bears the characteristics of sovereignty," Guo said. "Although the Internet connects every part of the world, data itself is a huge resource, and where there are resources, there is sovereignty. There's no doubt about that."

File photo taken on May 25, 2017 shows a demonstration center of Guizhou big data pilot zone in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Liu Xu)

On the one hand, Guo said, sovereign rights over the Internet -- especially those concerning information resources -- should be respected, while on the other hand, further efforts should be made to build a smoothly interconnected world, thanks to which science and technology have already been developing by leaps and bounds.

"On top of protecting our information resources and Internet sovereignty, we should make more efforts to enrich this concept of a community of shared future in cyberspace," said Guo.

Guo has been paying close attention to China's Internet Plus strategy. He said there is "a large portion (within that strategy) where China has done extremely well."

First proposed in 2015, the Internet Plus -- sometimes likened to the "information highway" championed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton in the 1990s -- refers to the application of the Internet and other information technology in conventional industries that have previously been operating offline.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in his 2015 Government Work Report that an action plan for the strategy aims to integrate mobile Internet, cloud computing, big data and the Internet of Things with modern manufacturing, to encourage the healthy development of e-commerce, industrial networks, and Internet banking, and to help Internet companies increase their international presence.

"I think China's development in recent years has truly led the world in revolutionizing the business sector by adopting the next generation Internet technologies," Guo said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 16:12:46|Editor: Liangyu

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GUANGZHOU, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The first China-Africa Economic and Cultural Week opened in south China's Guangzhou on Friday, aiming to serve as a bridge for Sino-African economic and cultural exchanges.

A wide variety of activities will be held from April 20 to 26, including photography exhibitions, movie screenings, reading clubs and forums.

Jointly sponsored by the Institute for African Studies at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Africa Investment and Trade Alliance (AITA) of Guangdong Chamber of International Commerce, and China-Africa Economic and Cultural Exchange Center, the event aims to facilitate the opening-up of Guangdong's economy and culture, and promote diversified exchanges, cooperation, and common development between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and African countries.

Diplomats from 10 African countries, including Angola, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, as well as business representatives and artists from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, attended the opening ceremony.

"We want people to get a better understanding of Africa by immersing themselves in these activities," said Huo Jiangtao, founder of China-Africa Economic and Cultural Week.

"It will create a good atmosphere for the China-Africa Cooperation Forum Beijing Summit, which will be held in September, and also show the active role Guangdong plays in promoting the China-Africa cooperation," said Fu Lang, head of the Institute for African Studies.

As the province with the largest GDP and trade volume in China, Guangdong has extensive exchanges and cooperation with African countries. In 2017, the trade volume between Guangdong and Africa reached 36.77 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 1.7 percent, while companies in Guangdong invested more than 60 million U.S. dollars in African countries, a year-on-year growth of 85 percent.

Zhang Hua, vice president of the Guangdong Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade said that Guangdong and African countries should deepen mutual understanding and trust, and expand cooperation through economic and cultural exchanges.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 16:17:48|Editor: Liangyu

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CHONGQING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Police in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality have detained six suspects and seized 521.5 kg of methamphetamine, according to the local public security department.

In July 2017, an ex-con surnamed Wang caught the attention of local police when he was involved in a drug-dealing case. Investigations showed that Wang had been producing methamphetamine and had other drug dealers selling the drugs in Chongqing and Sichuan Province.

On Nov. 1, 2017, police raided a meth lab in Dianjiang County, Chongqing. They detained the six suspects and confiscated drug making equipment and four vehicles.

Other details of the case were not disclosed until Friday.

The case is under further investigation.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 16:57:52|Editor: ZX

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DAMASCUS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Buses were prepared on Saturday to evacuate rebels and their families from areas in the eastern part of Qalamoun region north of the capital Damascus under a new deal, state news agency SANA reported.

The rebels and their family members will leave Ruhabieh area as well as the towns of Jairud and Nasiriyeh, and this evacuation will end the rebels' presence in the eastern part of Qalamoun mountainous region.

The militants will go to rebel-held areas in northern Syria under the Russia-brokered deal.

The latest deal was reached after rebels evacuated the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus earlier this month, while the Syrian army is advancing in the battles to clear the rebels from the vicinity of the capital.

South of Damascus, the Syrian government forces are pounding the positions of the Islamic State (IS) group in the Hajar al-Aswad area, amid reports of a near end to the battles in other areas.

The Syrian government is working to secure the surroundings of Damascus through evacuation deals with rebels, and the ongoing military offensive on IS militants south of the capital.

The Syrian forces have seized control of Eastern Ghouta, the key place for the capital's security because of previous daily mortar attacks and infiltration attempts from the rebels in the region.
SEOUL, April 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's presidential Blue House hailed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s announcement of discontinuing nuclear and missile tests as a "meaningful progress."

Yoo Young-chan, senior presidential press secretary, said in a statement that the Blue House welcomed the DPRK's decision to close its nuclear testing facility and discontinue nuclear and missile tests.

He said the DPRK's decision was a meaningful progress toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which the entire world desires.

It would contribute to setting a very positive tone for a success in the upcoming summits of Pyongyang with Seoul and Washington, Yoon noted.

He said South Korea will make best efforts to let the inter-Korean summit become a guidance to denuclearize the peninsula and build a permanent peace.

The statement came after top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un said at the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) that he would discontinue nuclear and missile tests.

The meeting was held Friday and carried early Saturday by the Korean Central News Agency.

Kim's announcement came a week ahead of his first summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the border village of Panmunjom.

Kim said all efforts of his country must now concentrate on economic construction to upgrade the people's living standard.

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the WPK said the DPRK's northern nuclear test ground would be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test.

The DPRK will never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threats and nuclear provocations against the country, according to the KCNA.
Gunmen kill at least 30 in NW Nigeria attack Source: Xinhua 2018-04-21 17:27:56 LAGOS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Up to 30 people have been killed in an attack in two villages of northwest Nigeria's Zamfara by unknown gunmen, local police said Saturday. Editor: ZX
LAGOS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people were killed and scores of others wounded following another attack by bandits in Nigeria's northwestern state of Zamfara, local officials confirmed on Saturday.

The bandits unleashed terror in Danmani and Kabaro communities in Maru area of the state between late Thursday and early Friday, Salisu Dangulbi, a local government official told Xinhua.

Dangulbi said many villagers had fled their homes due to fear of more attacks.

Security operatives were deployed to the communities on Friday, to forestall further attacks, he noted.

A police spokesman in the state told Xinhua that three of the suspected bandits have now been arrested by security operatives.

On April 11, scores of people lost their lives when bandits attacked two villages in another area of the state.

More than a dozen attacks have been recorded in the northern state since the beginning of the year despite efforts to calm the situation by the Buhari administration.

Last month, Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari had ordered deployment of troops to Zamfara to end the incessant killings in the state since last year.

This led to the deployment of Air Force and Army personnel to the state to contain the situation.
LAGOS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- At least 30 people were killed and scores of others wounded following another attack by bandits in Nigeria's northwestern state of Zamfara, local officials confirmed on Saturday.

The bandits unleashed terror in Danmani and Kabaro communities in Maru area of the state between late Thursday and early Friday, Salisu Dangulbi, a local government official told Xinhua.

Dangulbi said many villagers had fled their homes due to fear of more attacks.

Security operatives were deployed to the communities on Friday, to forestall further attacks, he noted.

Mohammed Shehu, a police spokesperson, who confirmed the killings to reporters in Gusau, capital of Zamfara state on Saturday, said units of mobile police working with the military and other security agents were immediately mobilized to the affected areas and that peace and normalcy had been restored.

Three of the suspected bandits have now been arrested by security operatives, according to the police.

On April 11, scores of people lost their lives when bandits attacked two villages in another area of the state.

More than a dozen attacks have been recorded in the state since the beginning of the year despite efforts to calm the situation by the Buhari administration.

President Muhammadu Buhari recently visited Zamfara were he met with traditional and community leaders over the security situation in the state. Over a hundred people have been killed in the past few months in attacks in the state by armed bandits.

Last month, Buhari ordered deployment of troops to Zamfara to end the incessant killings in the state since last year. This led to the deployment of Air Force and Army personnel to the state to contain the situation.
ABUJA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Two Boko Haram commanders and a women leader of the terror group have surrendered to Nigerian troops as the military intensifies efforts to capture remaining terrorists in the country's northeast region.

In a statement on Saturday, Nigeria's military commander in the northeast Rogers Nicholas said the group's physician and some children of the terrorists also surrendered to troops during operations in the past week.

Nicholas said the Boko Haram fighters voluntarily surrendered, noting that the move was acceptable under the Safe Corridor Scheme initiated by the Nigerian government to encourage terrorists to lay down their arms.

Ali Musa, the terror group's physician, told the military that his life had been "damaged" by the group's activities, saying he was led to join Boko Haram by its leaders.

Musa also said he conducted surgical operations such as bullet extraction, appendix, treatment of wounded fighters, antenatal and post-natal services in the group's camp.

The surrendered terrorists would be engaged in deradicalization, rehabilitation and skill acquisition training program for re-integration into the society by the Nigerian government, according to military authorities.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 17:47:59|Editor: Liangyu

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AUCKLAND, New Zealand, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative is "a huge opportunity for Oceania, not only New Zealand," the president of the New Zealand National Party said.

Peter Goodfellow made the remarks here Friday at the New Zealand-China Economic and Trade Cooperation Seminar hosted by the Oceania Silk Road Network (OSRN).

Goodfellow, also OSRN's honorary chairman, said "We are determined to take advantage of further opportunities" brought by the initiative.

"We sought for an efficient mechanism to enable entities in the two countries to connect and work together," he said, adding "We are more than a trade organization, but a comprehensive and inclusive platform delivering connections across all spectrum."

Chinese Consul General in Auckland Xu Erwen noted that the initiative will benefit the world, saying "We believe that the Belt and Road Initiative will be a wonderful stage for international cooperation."

Paul Goldsmith, New zealand's former minister of Science and Innovation, said "From New Zealand's point of view, we are obviously particularly interested in the elements of that group (Belt and Road), which are in favor of removing barriers to trade."

"So we watch on in a world where there is increasingly a future of nervousness, but also with a determination to maintain strong relationship that could promote trade and prosperity," he said.

Proposed by China in 2013, the Belt and Road initiative refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, aiming at building a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes of Silk Road.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 17:47:59|Editor: Liangyu

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DAMASCUS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Prime Minister Emad Khamis has said that the Syrian foreign trade volume in 2017 amounted to 4.9 billion U.S. dollars, over 86 percent of which were imports, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Saturday.

The imports of the private industrial production requirements valued 3.36 billion dollars in 2017, Khamis said, adding that the exports have expanded from reaching 80 countries in 2016 to 105 countries in 2017.

He said 10 Syrian fairs home and abroad had been supported, pointing out that 194 contracts were signed for exports during the Damascus International Fair last year.

Khamis said that 14,000 establishments in industrial zones across the country have returned operative.

Meanwhile, the prime minister added that support for the health sector annually ranges between 120 to 150 billion Syrian pounds (around 349 million dollars), stressing that the Syrian government has worked since the first day of the crisis to deal with the challenges imposed by the war.

Moreover, Khamis said the Syrian government is currently working on several future strategies, including supporting the national project of administrative reform and a project called "Syria After War," which concerns enhancing the institutional structures, fighting corruption and developing infrastructure.

The Syrian government has been subject to sets of Western sanctions against the backdrop of the conflict in Syria, with government officials repeatedly saying that such sanctions target the livelihood of the Syrian people.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 18:08:05|Editor: Lu Hui

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BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday published the master plan document for Xiongan New Area, creation of which is "a strategic decision with profound historic significance made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping has planned for, made decisions on and promoted [the Xiongan New Area] in person, devoting painstaking efforts," reads the preface of the document released by the Hebei provincial authorities.

"The establishment of Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province is a significant decision and arrangement by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core to push forward the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei," the plan reads.

Xiongan is another new area of "national significance" following the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Shanghai Pudong New Area, according to the document, which has been approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

It is "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come, and a significant national event," the plan says.

The plan is the fundamental guideline on the planning and development of Xiongan New Area, mapping out the area's future by 2035 and looking ahead into the mid-21st century, it reads.

It has 10 chapters, namely the general requirements, developing scientific and reasonable layout, shaping the city landscape for a new era, building a beautiful natural ecology and environment, developing high-end and hi-tech industries, provision of quality shared public services, construction of fast and highly-efficient transportation network, building a green and smart new city, fostering modernized city security system, ensuring orderly and effective implementation of the plan.

In April 2017, China announced the establishment of Xiongan New Area, spanning three counties in Hebei Province about 100 km southwest of Beijing.

Xiongan will be the location for Beijing's non-capital functions. The area will become a new home for Beijing's colleges, hospitals, business headquarters, financial and public institutions that meet the requirement of Xiongan's status and development.

The China (Hebei) Pilot Free Trade Zone will be established with Xiongan as the center, according to the document.

Related:

China approves master plan for Xiongan New Area

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's central authorities have approved a master plan for Xiongan New Area, reiterating that its creation will carry "lasting importance for the millennium to come."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 18:08:05|Editor: ZX

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ADEN, Yemen, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A member of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Yemen's southwestern province of Taiz on Saturday, a security official told Xinhua.

"Unknown gunmen raided the car of an ICRC team with a barrage of gunshots in the public market of Dhabab in Taiz Province, killing the team leader on the spot," the local security source said on condition of anonymity.

Witnesses said the ICRC worker was shot in the chest near a shop and died immediately.

Other local sources revealed that the killed field officer was Lebanese.

The ICRC delegation in Yemen also confirmed the shooting in a short statement obtained by Xinhua.

"We are in mourning for one of our colleagues who was shot dead in Yemen this morning. We are trying to find out more about this tragic incident," the statement said.

The attackers fled the scene. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taiz has witnessed an uptick in assassinations and attacks targeting military officials and humanitarian aid workers during the past months.

On March 26, 2015, a Saudi-led military coalition of 10 Arab countries, backed by the United States, intervened in the Yemeni conflict, in order to roll back the Houthis' progress and reinstate exiled President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government to the power.

The ongoing civil war has killed more than 10,000 Yemenis, mostly civilians, and displayed around 3 million others, according to UN aid agencies.

The conflict has also triggered the world's most serious humanitarian crisis and pushed the poor Arab country to the brink of mass famine.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian police said on Saturday that a 35-year-old Palestinian man, who is reported to have lived in Kuala Lumpur for more than 10 years, was shot to death near his residence early in the morning by two unidentified gunmen.

Kuala Lumpur police said in a statement that the man was gunned down by two gunmen in a motorbike who ambushed him with more than 10 bullets. The victim was believed to be going to attend the morning prayer.

Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Anwar H. Al Agha identified the man as Fadi M. R. Albatsh, a mosque imam and also a university lecturer, Malaysian newspaper the New Straits Times reported.

Citing CCTV footage, the report also said the two gunmen, both wearing helmets, arrived at the scene and waited for the victim for some 20 minutes before carrying out the attack.

The ambassador said Fadi was supposed to leave for Turkey to attend a conference later on Saturday.

The police said investigation is ongoing.
TUNIS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and 10 injured in a pileup of 25 vehicles caused by a thick fog on early Saturday morning, announced the Tunisian Ministry of the Interior.

The accident happened on the highway connecting the seaside provinces of Sousse and Sfax, killing a district chief and his deputy who were on mission besides another civilian, the ministry said.

It reported that at around 7:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), the fog and the wet pavement caused a series of collisions, involving 25 vehicles.

The accident caused panic among the users of this part of the country's main north-south highway, spreading over 390 km, said Wahbi Mahfoudhi, a young driver who escaped the tragedy.
James Macharia, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for transport, infrastructure and housing, speaks during the farewell ceremony for the third batch of Kenyan students to study in China under CRBC scholarship programme on April 20, 2018. (Xinhua)

by Christine Lagat

NAIROBI, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Patricia Tafawa was elated upon learning that she was among 40 Kenyan youths who beat tough competition to win scholarships from China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to pursue majors in railway technology at Beijing Jiaotong University starting from May.

The 19-year-old actuarial science under-graduate student at a local public university has since childhood defied entrenched cultural myths and stereotypes to study technical courses that are largely shunned by the female gender in Kenya.

Tafawa told Xinhua during a farewell ceremony for CRBC scholarship beneficiaries on Friday that a study tour in China has presented a golden opportunity for her to realize long-cherished dreams.

"I have never shied away from challenging tasks and pursuing a major in civil and structural engineering in China will test my grit and determination to succeed in the face of huge odds," said Tafawa.

"I look forward to utilizing knowledge and skills acquired in China to improve transport networks in our country, especially roads and railways," she added.

Tafawa is among a growing army of young Kenyans who have benefitted from China-funded skills development to help transform the country's railway transport sector.

So far, CRBC has sponsored 100 Kenyan youths to pursue advanced courses in railway engineering, maintenance and operations at the prestigious Beijing Jiaotong University.

Tafawa and her 40 peers were excited by the prospect of studying railway engineering in China and vowed to return home and help their country realize its quest for modernization of transport sector.

"My desire is to come back after completing studies and participate in our country's development. Our skills will be required as the government embark on modernization of railway system to propel industrial growth," said Tafawa.

Other beneficiaries of the third and final batch of CRBC scholarships to study railway-related courses in China were upbeat their lives were to be changed.

James Chira Kamau, 26-year-old major in tours and travel said he felt honored to be among 40 Kenyan youth who are set to join Beijing Jiaotong University for elite courses in railway engineering and operations.

"Am very glad for this opportunity to study a technical course in line with my childhood dreams. I promise to get a first class honors and come back to develop our country's infrastructure," Kamau told Xinhua.

He noted that Chinese financial and technical support has been instrumental in transforming the lives of Kenyan youth.

James Macharia, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for transport, infrastructure and housing, was joined by Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, Liu Xianfa and senior executives from CRBC during the send-off ceremony for the scholarship beneficiaries.

Macharia said Kenya appreciated China's support to help bridge skills gap in the rapidly evolving railway sector.

"We need to increase the capacity to develop the entire railway systems," said Macharia adding that Kenya could soon be a hub for skills and knowledge transfer in railways operations and management.

China-sponsored elite courses in modern railway management have provided a new lease of life to the country's youth who often grapple with unemployment after graduating from college.

Emmanuel Kahindi, a 24-year-old mechanical engineering graduate from a local public university, said he looked forward to a transformative experience during the four-year study tour in China.

"This is a great chance for me to improve my engineering skills and I intend to come back to Kenya and make the country better in the areas of infrastructure development and manufacturing," said Kahindi.

He noted that Kenya could tap into Chinese expertise and advanced technologies to upgrade its railway systems and decongest roads.

The launch of the 480 kilometers Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) by President Uhuru Kenyatta in May last year has necessitated the need to train additional personnel to enhance its operations.

Li Qiang, CRBC Vice President of General Manager of Kenya Office, said the 40 Kenyan students who are set to enroll for advanced courses in railway engineering at the university in Beijing will be a critical asset during construction of other SGR phases.

The scholarship beneficiaries on their part said they hoped to be roped in during implementation of the remaining sections of SGR that is expected to open Kenyan hinterland to investments and trade.

Mutai Kiplagat, a 20-year-old civil engineering major at the University of Nairobi, said an opportunity to pursue railway related courses at a prestigious Chinese university will have ripple effects in his community and country at large.
PRETORIA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday reiterated the government's quest of land redistribution to bring about equity.

"We will intensify our struggle to return the land to the people and build an inclusive economy that benefits all South Africans. It is a struggle to eradicate the privileges of the few and to entrench human rights as the basis of our democratic dispensation," said Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa was speaking at the funeral of former Cabinet Minister Zola Skweyiya and ANC (African National Congress) stalwart who passed away in a Pretoria hospital on April 11 after illness.

He stated that the late Skweyiya was a champion who always advocated for the wellbeing of the poor. Ramaphosa also said the late anti-apartheid hero also preached peace and rejuvenation of the ANC, the ruling party.

Ramaphosa said the death of one of the struggle stalwarts is a reminder for the ANC to return to its founding principles which Skweyiwa espoused.

He called on the ANC members to unite and "revitalize" the party and ensure that the poor are taken care of.

Ramaphosa also urged people to work towards ensuring that the people achieve economic freedom.

The ANC have stated that the expropriation of land without compensation should be done within the confines of the law and not negatively affect the economic growth.

In December 2017, the ANC at the national conference resolved to expropriate land without compensation.

The parliament is currently accepting inputs from the people about the change in the Constitution to enable expropriation without compensation.
MANILA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines on Saturday slammed the United States for raising concerns anew about alleged extrajudicial killings in the country and increase on police impunity in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

"The Philippines is a sovereign state with a fully functioning democracy led by a legitimately elected government that is getting things done for the Filipino people," said Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in a statement.

"We do not need others who think they know better than us Filipinos to tell us what to do."

As a sovereign nation, Cayetano said, the Philippines deserves the same kind of respect they have been extending to their friends in the international community.

"While we note that the United States and other entities such as the European Parliament have their own reporting mechanisms, the Philippines has its own internal processes and mechanisms to ensure that the human rights of all our people are protected and respected," Cayetano said.

"We would like to emphasize that our vigorous campaign against criminality, most especially against the illegal drug trade, seeks to promote the welfare and protect the human rights of all Filipinos, to save lives, to preserve families, to protect communities and stop the country from sliding into a narco-state," he went on.

Cayetano assured the international community that in the conduct of the campaigns the government will remain guided by the rule of law embodied in the constitution, which also enshrines the country's long-standing tradition of upholding human rights.

Cayetano was reacting to the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices released in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte launched the anti-drug crackdown after he took office in June 2016 to wipe out the drug trade in the Philippines, vowing to restore social order and create favorable environment for economic development.

According to the website of the Philippine National Police, from July 1, 2016 to January 17, 2018, the police has conducted a total of 81,919 anti-drug operations resulting in the arrests of 119,361 and the killings of 3,987 drug suspects.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 20:08:26|Editor: Liangyu

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WEIFANG, Shandong, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The 35th Weifang International Kite Festival opened on Saturday in east China's Shandong Province, attracting kite fans from around the world.

Hans Jansen op de Haar, from the Netherlands, is the vice chairman of the International Kite Federation. This was his 13th time attending the Weifang festival. The 68-year-old was introduced to kites by his sister who once worked in a kite shop. He still designs and sometimes makes his own kites.

"At the festival I can see different kinds of kites," he said.

Hans Jansen op de Haar first came to Weifang in 2005. "The city has grown enormously, and there have been a lot of changes," he said.

Kim Hitchcock from the United States is visiting Weifang for the first time.

"Before coming here, I was expecting it to be a town," she said, adding that she was surprised Weifang is such a large city.

"The festival has brought big changes to Weifang," said Chen Yulin, vice president of the city's Folk Literature and Art Association, who has studied kites for over 20 years.

"Weifang has no famous tourist attractions. The festival has not only made Weifang better known, especially to foreigners, but also boosted the development of the city," he said.

Weifang's connection to kites can be seen in many ways. One of the city's main roads is named Yuanfei, which means "kite flying." Another important road has red lamps in the shape of butterfly kites.

Shandong has a long history of kite flying. According to Chinese records, in the Spring and Autumn period more than 2,000 years ago, a carpenter named Gongshu Ban invented a wooden kite.

In the following centuries, kite making thrived in China, while the enthusiasm for kites continued in Weifang. In the 1930s two kite festivals were held in the city before the Japanese invasion during WWII interrupted the event. Seventy-year-old Chen remembers that many elderly people in Weifang could make kites.

The first Weifang International Kite Festival was held in 1984. Zou Ligui, former mayor of the city, wrote in an article that the idea came from David Checkley, then chairperson of the Seattle Kite Association.

According to Zou, Checkley was invited to a kite show in Shanghai in 1983, and afterwards he visited several kite manufacturers.

"He found that kites made in Weifang were the best and suggested that an international event be held there," Zou wrote.

At that time, China has just started its reform and opening-up.

"Hosting an international festival was a requirement of the time," said Wang Shuhua, vice mayor of Weifang, adding, "It was a platform which appealed to both Chinese and foreigners."

The first festival, held six years after the beginning of the reform and opening-up, attracted kite fans from 11 countries and regions including the United States, Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, and Australia. At the fifth festival, Weifang was named "kite capital of the world." Trade volume during the ten days stood at one billion yuan, a significant amount at that time.

As the festival got bigger, Weifang developed as well, establishing economic and cultural bonds with more than 190 countries and regions.

In 1992, the city's GDP reached 21.6 billion yuan, becoming one of the earliest cities whose GDP exceeded 20 billion. Last year the GDP reached 585.9 billion yuan.

The festival also boosted the development of Weifang's kite-making industry. Today the city is home to more than 300 kite manufacturers, with their products sold to more than 40 countries and regions, making up 85 percent of the domestic market and 65 percent of the world market.

Daro Roeung from Cambodia came to the festival for the first time this year. His father is a kite maker who had attended the festival three times and donated one of his kites to the Weifang World Kite Museum.

"I would like to visit the kite factories here and look into sales opportunities," he said, adding that he would like to cooperate with local manufacturers in the future.

Hans Jansen op de Haar told Xinhua that he sometimes shares his ideas with kite factories in Weifang, and hopes that this can help them.

During the kite-making industry's growth, however, problems have occurred. "Now we have less traditional hand-made kites," Chen said.

"There is a lack of craftspeople," said Yang Hongwei, whose grandfather was once one of the best kite makers in Weifang.

"Many people who used to work with me have retired and the younger generation believe the job is difficult and less profitable," she said.

"Only through innovation can we achieve a bright future for traditional hand-made kites," said Zhang Xiaodong, 69, a master craftsman.

Zhang, who previously worked as carpenter and watch repairman, uses his varied skills to make kites. He not only created kites with moving fish and frogs, but also used a microphone to make the kites "talk" in the sky.

After China launched the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft, Zhang created a rocket-shaped kite.

"I have a controller and the two parts of the 'rocket' can separate in the sky just like the real one," he said proudly. His next goal is to use drones in kite making.

Yang continues to use traditional patterns and skills. "Only something classic can last," she said.

Since the 1990s, she has travelled to the United States, Germany, Australia, and South Korea to teach and attend exhibitions.

"As long as there are people who want to learn I will not stop teaching," she said.

Yang's nephew Xu Yang, 30, is now learning traditional kite making from her. Xu's son is just three and sometimes his mother brings him to the workshop. "I will teach him when he is older," Yang said.

Chen is drafting information about Weifang's traditional hand-made kites for school textbooks.

"Traditional culture should be passed on to children," he said.

"The vitality of our traditional hand-made kites will always be preserved, now and in the future," said Wang.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 20:08:26|Editor: Lu Hui

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BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- China on Saturday published the master plan document for Xiongan New Area, creation of which is "a strategic decision with profound historic significance made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping has planned for, made decisions on and promoted [the Xiongan New Area] in person, devoting painstaking efforts," reads the preface of the document released by the Hebei provincial authorities.

"The establishment of Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province is a significant decision and arrangement by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core to push forward the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei," the plan reads.

Xiongan is another new area of "national significance" following the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and Shanghai Pudong New Area, according to the document, which has been approved by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

It is "a strategy that will have lasting importance for the millennium to come, and a significant national event," the plan says.

The plan is the fundamental guideline on the planning and development of Xiongan New Area, mapping out the area's future by 2035 and looking ahead into the mid-21st century, it reads.

It has 10 chapters, namely the general requirements, developing scientific and reasonable layout, shaping the city landscape for a new era, building a beautiful natural ecology and environment, developing high-end and hi-tech industries, provision of quality shared public services, construction of fast and highly-efficient transportation network, building a green and smart new city, fostering modernized city security system, ensuring orderly and effective implementation of the plan.

In April 2017, China announced the establishment of Xiongan New Area, spanning three counties in Hebei Province about 100 km southwest of Beijing.

Xiongan will be the location for Beijing's non-capital functions. The area will become a new home for Beijing's colleges, hospitals, business headquarters, and financial and public institutions that meet the requirement of Xiongan's status and development.

The document listed overall development goals for the new area.

By 2035, Xiongan will basically develop into a modern city that is green, intelligent, and livable, with relatively strong competitiveness and harmonious human-environment interaction.

By the middle of the century, it will become a significant part of the world-class Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei city cluster, effectively performing Beijing's non-capital functions and providing the Chinese solution to "big city malaise."

It will serve as an example of the country's high-quality development with world-leading economic and social indicators and a modernized governance system, which will manifest advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics.

Xiongan is expected to become "a model city in the history of human development," the document says.

Related:

China approves master plan for Xiongan New Area

BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- China's central authorities have approved a master plan for Xiongan New Area, reiterating that its creation will carry "lasting importance for the millennium to come."
KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian police said on Saturday that a 35-year-old Palestinian man, who is reported to be an electrical engineer and had lived in Kuala Lumpur for more than 10 years, was shot to death near his residence early in the morning by two unidentified gunmen.

Kuala Lumpur police said in a statement that the man was gunned down by two gunmen in a motorbike who ambushed him with more than 10 bullets. The victim was believed to be going to attend the morning prayer.

Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Anwar H. Al Agha identified the man as Fadi M. R. Albatsh, a mosque imam and also a university lecturer, Malaysian newspaper the New Straits Times reported.

Citing CCTV footage, the report also said the two gunmen, both wearing helmets, arrived at the scene and waited for the victim for some 20 minutes before carrying out the attack.

The ambassador said Fadi was supposed to leave for Turkey to attend a conference later on Saturday.

Hamas, the Palestinian political organization, confirmed in a statement on its website that the victim was a Hamas member, known for "his scientific innovation as he has attended many international conferences on energy in Japan, UK (Britain) and Finland."

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, when attending a public event on Saturday, told reporters that he learnt from police that Fadi was "an expert in electrical engineering and (building) rocket," according to the New Straits Times.

"His killing could have some links with foreign intelligence agencies or he may also be considered a liability to nations unfriendly to Palestine," Zahid said, adding if necessary, Malaysian police may also seek the help of Interpol, Aseanpol and other related agencies.

The police said investigation is ongoing.
HELSINKI, April 21 (Xinhua) -- While Finland has been renowned for clean pork industry, a key piggery associated with the Finnish meat production company Atria was hit with salmonella, media reports said on Saturday.

In the affected farm, 2000 sows are being slaughtered as the salmonella bacteria has spread throughout the buildings and a quarantine is not feasible. The farm is a "sow facility" where 60,000 bigs are born annually to be sent to other facilities to grow.

Authorities have not identified the farm, under privacy rules, but MT said it is in southwestern Finland. The bacteria type is Thymiurum FT U 277 and has been spread with birds and mice.

Atria has assured no salmonella contaminated pork has gone to customers. Corpses are destroyed at a special facility.

The facility affected is one of the largest in Finland. Atria assured the mass slaughters will not result in any immediate shortage in its merchandise, but may be seen next winter season in the availability of Christmas ham.

Seppo Paavola, chairman of the board of Atria, was quoted by the news service MT on Saturday as saying the event "hits hard" Atria. The company has been using "clean pork" as one of the marketing themes.

Atria has recently begun exports to China. There was no immediate comment on the impact on exports.

Salmonella outbreaks have been rare in Finland. There was a large outbreak in 1995.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 21:48:46|Editor: ZD

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and head of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, speaks at a national conference on the work of cybersecurity and informatization held from April 20 to 21 in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called for "keenly" grasping the historic opportunity for informatization development in a bid to build the country's strength in cyberspace.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, chairman of the Central Military Commission, and head of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, made the instruction at a national conference on the work of cybersecurity and informatization held from Friday to Saturday.

Premier Li Keqiang, deputy head of the commission, presided over the meeting, attended by other leaders including Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng. Wang Huning, also deputy head of the commission, made a concluding speech at the conference.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has achieved historic progress in the development of cybersecurity and informatization, formed a model of cyberspace governance with Chinese characteristics, and developed a strategic thought to advance the country's strength in this regard, Xi said.

Xi urged improving the governance capacity in cyberspace and developing a governing network led by the Party.

Internet media should spread positive information, uphold the correct political direction, and guide public opinion and values towards the right direction.

Internet service providers should take responsibility to prevent cyberspace from degrading into a platform full of harmful, false, and provocative information.

Efforts should be made to enhance self-discipline of the internet industry, and mobilize all sectors to take an active part in cyberspace governance.

Xi stressed cyberspace security, noting that China will enhance security of information infrastructure, develop coordination mechanisms, tools, and platforms for cybersecurity, enhance the capacity in responding to cybersecurity emergencies, and support relevant industries.

China will fiercely crack down on criminal offenses including hacking, telecom fraud, and violation of citizens' privacy, he said.

Stressing that the country will endeavor to achieve breakthroughs in core information technologies, Xi said more resources will go into researches, industrial development, and policy making.

The development of cybersecurity and informatization should contribute to China's drive to develop a modernized economy and achieve high-quality development, and to the new model of industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural modernization, Xi noted.

Efforts should also be made to develop the digital economy, promote deep integration between the internet, big data, artificial intelligence, and real economy, and make the manufacturing, agriculture, and service sectors more digitalized, smart, and internet-powered, he said.

The people-centered development vision should be upheld throughout cyberspace development, and the people's wellbeing should be the starting point and footing for IT development, Xi said.

Xi urged enhancing military-civilian integration in the field of cybersecurity and informatization, calling it a key and cutting-edge frontier field with the greatest vitality and potential in the integration drive.

He called for putting in place a comprehensive and highly-efficient network of integration.

Xi said it is a general trend and common aspiration of the people to promote the reform of the global cyberspace governance system by sticking to a multilateral approach with multi-party participation from the government, international organizations, internet enterprises, technology communities, non-governmental institutions, and individuals.

Cyberspace governance under the framework of the United Nations should be advanced and non-state entities should play a better role, he said.

He called for strengthening cooperation with countries along the Belt and Road in internet infrastructure, digital economy, and cybersecurity to build a digital silk road of the 21st century.

Xi also stressed the centralized, unified leadership of the Party over cybersecurity and informatization.

While presiding over the conference, Premier Li Keqiang said Xi has pointed a clear direction for development in grasping the historic opportunity of the information revolution, enhancing cybersecurity and informatization as well as stepping up the building of an internet power.

In his concluding remarks, Wang Huning called for concrete measures to implement Xi's speech, a "guiding document" for cybersecurity and informatization in the new era.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-21 22:08:52|Editor: Liangyu

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by Chen Wenxian, Du Zhen

JERUSALEM, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese enterprises in Israel have formed an association, with the aim of providing a platform for them to seek further development in Israel and play an active role in boosting the bilateral ties.

The association, named Chinese Enterprises Association in Israel (CEAI), was officially established Friday at a ceremony held in Tel Aviv.

It was created against the backdrop of the fast growth of the China-Israel ties since the establishment of the innovative comprehensive partnership in March 2017.

The establishment of the CEAI is a milestone event presenting "the deep and fruitful economic and trade cooperation" between China and Israel, Chinese Ambassador to Israel Zhan Yongxin told the ceremony at the Chinese Cultural Center in Tel Aviv.

Economic and innovative cooperations are "two pillars for the friendly and practical relations between China and Israel," said Zhan.

He noted that China has become Israel's largest trade partner in Asia, and the third largest partner around the world. The two sides have concluded the third round of negotiations on the establishment of the China-Israel free trade zone and are now preparing for the next round.

So far, the bilateral cooperation has been focused in the fields of infrastructure, investment, hi-tech and green agriculture, while great achievements have already been made, the Chinese envoy added.

The bilateral China-Israel trade volume exceeded 13 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, up 15.6 percent from a year ago, according to figures issued by the Chinese embassy.

Investment made by Chinese companies in Israel has totaled more than 6.5 billion dollars and is expected to further expand in the coming years.

China and Israel have also become increasingly important cooperation partners in the innovation sector. China has a huge in market and is a leading manufacturer, while Israel is one of the leading nations in innovation. Chinese IT giants, such as Alibaba, Baidu and Tencent, have already made investment in Israel to conduct the research and development.

So far, over 30 Chinese enterprises are already operating in Israel mainly in the sectors of infrastructure, trade and investment, and labor cooperation, which have created around 10,000 jobs for Israel, said Wu Bin, counsellor of the economic and commercial counsellor's office in the Chinese embassy.

The CEAI will work as a "new wing" for the China-Israel cooperation and is expected to push forward the development of the bilateral economic and trade ties, added Wu.

Efforts will be made to build the CEAI into a platform to help Chinese companies to seize the opportunities for mutual development under the Belt and Road Initiative, said George Guan, the first president of CEAI and now also working as the managing director of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation's Israel Branch.

Ambassador Zhan told Xinhua that the CEAI's founding is the result of the fast development of the China-Israel ties and will help Chinese enterprises to seek further and better development in Israel.

Great hope is pinned on the CEAI to promote the China-Israel free trade zone, to increase investment by Chinese companies, and enhance personnel, economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Guan told Xinhua that the CEAI will play an active role in ensuring the interest of Chinese enterprises in Israel, supervising their operations, fulfilling their social responsibility for local communities, and boosting the bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday hailed the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend nuclear tests and urged South Korea and the United States to act accordingly for a peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.

"We consider this decision as an important step towards further easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula and consolidating positive trends towards normalizing the situation in Northeast Asia," the ministry said in a statement.

The DPRK Friday announced the decision to discontinue nuclear tests as well as inter-continental ballistic missile launches from Saturday, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was pleased to note that the situation on the peninsula was developing in a positive manner in accordance with the political settlement proposed by Russia and China.

"We urge the United States and South Korea to take adequate measures aimed at reducing military activities in the region and achieving mutually acceptable agreements with the DPRK at the upcoming inter-Korean and U.S.-DPRK summits," the statement said.

The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are scheduled to hold their first summit meeting on April 27 in the border village of Panmunjom.
Hu Sishe (L2), vice-chair of Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Trier Mayor Wolfram Leibe (L1), Chairman of Association of German-Chinese Societies Kurt Karst (R1) attend a press conference on April 20, 2018 in Trier, a city in western Germany, which will host a 3-month long exhibition series themed "Meet with China" starting from June 1. (Xinhua/Shen Zhonghao)

TRIER, Germany, April 20 (Xinhua) -- In the Western German city of Trier, the great thinker Karl Marx's hometown, people will have opportunity to stay close to exhibition series themed "Meet with China" from June 1 on, experiencing fascinating diverse Chinese culture.

Organized by Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), Directorate General of Cultural Heritage of State Rhineland-Palatinate and Association of German-Chinese Societies (AGDC), the monthly changing exhibition series will lively display local culture as well as social development of seven Chinese provinces and cities including Jiangxi, Shandong, Yunnan and Beijing, etc. with a variety of forms such as photos, videos and live shows.

Not only beautiful sights, but also cultural elements of Chinese characters like Confucius and author Lu Xun will be presented amid the exhibition, the vice-chair of the CPAFFC Hu Sishe told Xinhua at a press conference held Friday in the Forum Baths of Trier, a ruin of a Roman bath as location of the three-month exhibition series.

"In Germany, we haven't ever had any exhibition series from China in that density and diversity," said Kurt Karst, Chairman of AGDC.

We believed that visitors from near and far would marvel at the cultural diversity and beauties of China from June to September in Trier, he added.
TRIPOLI, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia officially decided to reopen its consulate in the Libyan capital Tripoli after nearly a three-year closure following the kidnapping of Tunisian diplomats, the Libyan Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

"The Tunisian Consulate has officially begun working through Consul General Tawfik al-Qasmi and eight diplomats representing the staff of the Tunisian Consulate in Libya," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement added that the reopening of the consulate was a result of efforts and discussions between the Libyan Foreign Minister Mohamed Sayala and his Tunisian counterpart Khemaies Jhinaoui.

The Tunisian authorities closed the Tunisian Consulate in Tripoli in June 2015, after a militia kidnapped 10 diplomats and staff members of the consulate and demanded the release of a senior militia leader detained in Tunisia.

Wissam Jameh, director of the Libyan diplomatic security, said that the consulate is "secured in accordance with our security plan to protect and secure embassies and diplomatic missions in Libya."

"There are a number of embassies preparing to reopen in Tripoli," Jameh told Xinhua.

Most embassies and diplomatic missions to Libya left Tripoli in July 2014 after heavy clashes broke out between rival armed groups, which created the current political division in the country.
MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Saturday said it had killed a member from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group who had plotted to attack local authority buildings.

During an operation on Saturday, the suspect, who had sworn allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and was planning to attack an administrative building and the FSB local headquarters in southern Stavropol Territory, suffered fatal wounds while putting up an armed resistance, an FSB statement said.

Agents found a rifle, a knife, improvised explosive devices and an IS flag at the scene, the FSB said.
DUSSELDORF, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Twenty students from 13 German colleges joined a Chinese proficiency competition for foreign college students on Saturday in Dusseldorf, a city in western Germany.

The competition, hosted by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in China, is the German regional final and is also a preliminary competition of the "Chinese Bridge", a contest for foreign college students on their mastery of the Chinese language, to be held in China.

The competition held at the Clara Schumann Music School was jointly undertaken by the Chinese Embassy in German and Confucius Institute at the University of Dusseldorf.

The students gave speeches in Chinese, and were tested knowledge about China. They also demonstrated their talents -- Chinese songs, Chinese instruments, Chinese calligraphy, as well as Kung Fu.

After fierce competition, Andreas Melts, from the Free University of Berlin, won the first prize and will travel to China to compete with contestants from other countries in this year's "Chinese Bridge" event, also known as Chinese Proficiency Competition for Foreign College Students.

Andreas said he could not believe that he had won the first place because he had been studying Chinese for only a year and a half and had never been to China. He chose to learn Chinese as he wants to be more competitive.

According to the Education Office of the Chinese Embassy in Germany, there are 19 Confucius Institutes, 4 Confucius classrooms in middle schools in Germany. While, more than 300 primary and secondary schools have been offering Chinese courses, of which nearly 70 have Chinese as their formal credits and a high school graduation examination subject.
PHNOM PENH, April 21 (Xinhua) -- A troupe of Chinese artists from eastern China's Jiangsu province performed a variety of traditional dances, songs and acrobatics here on Saturday to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the China-Cambodia diplomatic relations.

A group of Cambodian artists also joined the two-hour performance, which was held at the iconic Chaktomuk Theater in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia.

Zuo Wenxing, political counselor of the Chinese embassy to Cambodia, said the event had not only deepened cultural relations, but also further promoted traditional friendship between the two countries.

She said as part of the cultural events marking the 60th anniversary of the China-Cambodia diplomatic ties, Cambodian Princess Norodom Buppha Devi will lead a troupe of Cambodian artists to perform the Royal Ballet in Beijing later this month.

Uk Socheat, a secretary of state at the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, said the Sino-Cambodian ties have become closer in recent years thanks to their bilateral cooperation.

He said China's Belt and Road Initiative has benefited all countries around the world, including Cambodia.

Spectators said the performance was amazing and would importantly contribute to promoting cultural ties and people-to-people relations between the two countries.

"I have never watched this kind of cultural performance before. It was an amazing performance -- both Cambodian and Chinese artists are very talented," Vanna Sothealeak, 19, a student at the Asia Euro University, told Xinhua.

Shared her view on the Sino-Cambodian ties, Sothealeak said, "I feel very happy to see China treat Cambodia as a brother."

"The Cambodia-China relations are now very close, and China has helped Cambodia a lot such as roads and bridges," Mom Bunla, another 19-year-old student at the Asia Euro University, said. "I want to see closer cooperation between China and Cambodia in the future."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 00:54:30|Editor: ZX

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Zhang Chi (4th R), the charge d'affaires for the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, poses for photo with some of the winners of the national awards in Brussels, Belgium on April 21, 2018. The Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium held the 2017 award ceremony for "outstanding self-financed students abroad"in Brussels on April 21. (Xinhua/Pan Geping)

BRUSSELS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Education Section of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium held the 2017 award ceremony for "outstanding self-financed students abroad"in Brussels on Saturday.

More than 60 people, including 10 winners and their families, mentors and review experts, attended the event.

Zhang Chi, the charge d'affaires for the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, said after awarding the prizes to 10 winners that the word "national" not only reflects China's passion and care for international students, but also reflects a growing presence of outstanding Chinese students around the world.

The representative of Yang Wenyi, a doctoral student at Leuven University who in his field of research applied results from western country to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in China, said on behalf of the winners that the support given by the motherland is the best encouragement for international students.

"It is imperative to vigorously carry out research and formulate prevention and control measures for the people of the country. We hope that in the future we can also cooperate with classmates present here today and apply your research results to the medical profession", he said in a speech on Saturday.

Dr. Chen Guoxing, who had just obtained a doctoral degree from the the Vrije Universiteit in Brussels who is currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, stressed that "We will not fail the expectation of the motherland and the people and will strive to learn advanced scientific culture and technology from abroad. We will deepen professional knowledge, and will return to China in the near future to contribute our youth and wisdom to the prosperity and development of the motherland."

He Weidong, an ex-chairman of the Association of Chinese Professionals in Belgium who has been an evaluations expert for the Scholarship in Belgium for five consecutive years, also congratulated the winning students.

"In recent years, the number of papers submitted by doctoral students studying abroad in Belgium has obviously increased in quantity and quality. This is a very welcomed phenomenon", he said.

The Chinese government "Award for outstanding self-financed students abroad" was established by the China Scholarship Council in 2003. The recipients worldwide are chosen each year for their outstanding accomplishments in any discipline. This award is considered as the highest award given by the Chinese government to graduate students living abroad who do not receive financial support from the Chinese government.
Oxford vice chancellor Louise Richardson is in an interview with Xinhua on April 3. (Xinhua/Gu Zhenqiu)

by Gui Tao, Gu Zhenqiu, Larry Neild

LONDON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Britain's decision to quit the European Union (EU) could lead to the decline of the number of EU students at the University of Oxford, which currently stands at about 15 percent of the university's places, Professor Louise Richardson, the university's vice chancellor told Xinhua.

Around 70 percent of the people in the Oxford area voted remain in the June 2016 referendum.

One of the implications of the decision to leave is that EU students would face the higher fees paid by international students from outside the EU bloc.

In a recent exclusive interview, Richardson told Xinhua: "We worry about Brexit. We're concerned about Brexit for three reasons, firstly because of its impact on our European students," the academic, Oxford's first ever female vice chancellor, said.

"We're committed at Oxford to having an international student body," she added: "About 15 percent of our students are citizens of the EU and we worry that that number will decline."

"They will have to pay the same fees as other international students whereas at the moment they pay the same fees as home students which are much lower. We worry that the number would reduce."

Another concern for Oxford is the impact of Brexit on university staff. Currently a quarter of Oxford's academic and research staff are from EU mainland countries.

Richardson said: "We worry that they will feel unwelcome in Britain, or that they will choose to go home, or that they would be worried about the ability of their children to remain in Britain."

Following the latest round of negotiations which provided more clarity and reassurance about the post-Brexit status of Europeans in Britain, Richardson said she was much less worried than she was after the referendum.

"We haven't experienced a loss of our academics, but we thought we might," she added.

Richardson's other major worry is the impact of Brexit on Oxford's pan-European research and collaboration.

"We belong to a network of collaborators across Europe with free movement back and forth, and this is critical to our success," she explained.

"We also receive a great deal of funding, with over 14 percent of our research funding coming from the European Research Council. We worry about losing access to that research funding."

"Students, staff, the network of collaborators and the research funding are all significant matters of concern for us," added Richardson.

On a broader level, Richardson admits to being worried that Britain has been so focused on Brexit that attention has been distracted.

"I'm worried that the economy of the country will suffer, and that will naturally have an effect on government funding of universities," she said.

Another major topic in business, professional and public life in Britain is the so-called gender pay gap.

Prime Minister Theresa May and her senior ministers have embarked on a strategy to see the gap narrowed, and also see more females following the example of Richardson by winning top jobs, particularly at boardroom level.

Professions such as academia are shaped like a pyramid, the higher up you go, the fewer women there are, and the gender pay gap is reflected by that, says Richardson.

"As in most other parts of society, women are over represented at the lower rungs and not yet highly enough represented at the most senior levels," she added.

Oxford, insists Richardson, is utterly committed to changing that situation.

"As with other issues we end to reflect society rather than change it. Although over the longer term I think this will change," she predicts.

Richardson said analysis of data reveals that the biggest problem is the motherhood pay gap.

"When you look more closely you see that where women fall off the career track it tends to be when they have children. For understandable reasons, raising children is very demanding, and women bear a disproportionate role in child rearing. And I think that's the biggest single explanation for why there are fewer women at senior levels, and I think it's the biggest explanation for the gender pay gap."

Whether gender pay, or gender mix becomes a reality in universities, one thing Richardson is convinced about is that robot teachers will never replace humans any time soon.

"I'm not anticipating robot teachers in my lifetime, though I do anticipate robots assisting our teachers," she said,

Richardson added that a recent study by Oxford Martin School predicted 47 percent of all jobs could eventually be displaced by robots.

"And I don't think teachers will be one of them," she added: "If you look at the tutorial system at Oxford, it is based on one-on-one, or two-on-one interaction with the tutor. It is about fashioning an argument, having your argument criticized and having differences to defend. No computer design can do that."

Richardson added: " There's nothing like learning the humanities to do that, to inhabit the mind of another. A computer cannot do that yet, so while I think technology is going to affect real change in education, I don't think we're going to be out of a job yet."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 01:54:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The fact-finding mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) entered Damascus's Douma Saturday to look into allegations of chemical weapons use.

The OPCW said in a statement that its experts visited one of the sites in Douma to collect samples for analysis in connection with the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma on April 7.

The OPCW will evaluate the situation and consider steps including another possible visit to Douma, according to the statement.

It added that the collected samples will be transported to the OPCW laboratories in Rijswijk, the Netherlands for analysis.

This comes as the UN security team entered Douma on Friday to assess the security situation before the visit of the OPCW experts after a previous attempt that ended with the security team returning to Damascus after coming under small arms fire.

The arrival of the OPCW team came after the Syrian government invited the OPCW to investigate the April 7 incident, when the rebels and activists accused the Syrian forces of using chlorine gas in an attack on Douma.

The Syrian government denied the allegations, saying the rebels and their foreign backers were fabricating events to attract foreign military action.

On April 14, the U.S., France and Britain launched a series of missile strikes on Syrian positions over the allegations, and the OPCW team arrived on the same day after the strikes were over.

On Saturday, Syria's Assistant Foreign Minister Ayman Sussan said that investigating the chemical weapons allegations in Douma will expose the lies of the Western countries.

In an interview with Xinhua, Sussan said it was the Syrian government who invited the inspection experts of the OPCW to look into the allegations about the use of chlorine gas in the battles in Douma on April 7 ahead of the withdrawal of the rebels and their families to northern Syria.

"The Syrian government has declared in its invitation letter (to the OPCW), and after the arrival of the (inspection) team, it will fully cooperate and offer all facilitations for the inspection team to carry out its mission," he said.

He added that this "will be of a great interest for us because when the investigation team conducts its work it will expose the lies of the Western allegations and the accusations they have made about the alleged attack in Douma."

In the interview on Saturday, the Syrian official said "the OPCW team in Damascus has held several meetings with the Syrian government, and met with a number of witnesses from inside Douma, including locals, doctors or the medical cadres working in hospitals."

Meanwhile, Sussan slammed the U.S. and its Western allies for overstepping their boundaries by making their allegations and attacks on Syrian positions ahead of the international investigation into the chemical weapons' allegations.

"If they are saying that chemical weapons were used in Ghouta, and if U.S. or France and Britain really wanted to know the truth, they should have provided appropriate conditions for the OPCW to carry out its mission," he said.

He stressed that the Western countries will not stop making allegations and claims because they want to thwart the work of any organization.

The official, meanwhile, said that the goal behind U.S.-led missile strike ahead of the arrival of the investigation team was to hinder the work of the OPCW mission.

"The U.S.-led strike aimed to hinder the work of the inspection mission and the West wanted that because the work of the mission will expose their lies," he said.

He added that "the Western powers thought that the strike on Syria would push the Syrian government to react by preventing the mission from entering Douma."

Unlike the Western stance, Sussan said, the Syrian government respects the international legitimacy and the work of international organizations and promises cooperation with the investigation team.

Sussan stressed that the Western countries know very well that when Syria joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 2013, it gave up all of its chemical stockpiles.

He charged the Western powers over repeated use of this pretext, adding that the U.S.-led Western alliance was attempting to prolong and complicate the Syrian crisis, preventing the situation from getting better.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 02:09:42|Editor: Chengcheng

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People demonstrate at the May 13 square, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, April 21, 2018. One was shot dead, while 17 others were injured during opposition demonstrations on Saturday in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, Madagascar's Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana said. (Xinhua/Eric Laperozy)

By Eric Laperozy and Holitiana Randrianasolo

ANTANANARIVO, April 21 (Xinhua) -- One was shot dead, while 17 others were injured during opposition demonstrations on Saturday in Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar, Madagascar's Prime minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana said.

However, one of the leaders the demonstration, Hanitra Razafimanantsoa, a parliament member supporting former president Marc Ravalomanana, said that four were killed, including two demonstrators shot dead and two babies suffocated by tear gas at the children hospital nearby the scene.

Some 73 parliament members, who opposed to the adoption of electoral law at the parliament, planned to report to their followers a complaint about this electoral law at the May 13 square, a famous venue where opposition overthrew the power in 1972, 1991, 2002 and 2009.

However, the government banned this demonstration. A Xinhua reporter who was on spot saw that the armed forces sealed off the May 13 square, threw tear gas to demonstrators who already filled all roads to square.

Demonstrators resisted the tear gas and pushed the armed forces by throwing stones. The armed troops gave up and let thousands of demonstrators join the May 13 square.

Three hours after, the armed forces came back to May 13 square, but this time they secured the demonstrators to avoid smudge.

During the clash in the morning, Xinhua reporter saw one of the demonstrators shot dead on spot, another was seriously injured after he was hit by bullet on the head, and others were injured of tear gas firing.

Angry demonstrators set a police 4x4 pick-up on fire which remained at May 13 square.

Some people also tried to rob the mobile phone stores owned by a parliament member who support Madagascar's president Hery Rajaonarimamianina but fortunately the store owner already emptied it before the demonstration.

Late Saturday, Razafimanantsoa said the demonstration will continue on Sunday with funeral ritual of the four people killed during the demonstration.

"The demonstration will continue again on Monday to fight against corruption, we will continue it until the dismissal of president Hery Rajaonarimampianina," Razafimanantsoa said asking former president Marc Ravalomanana, former transition president Andry Rajoelina, the church council, all opposition parties in the country, the students and public servants to join on Monday.

President Rajaonarimampianina is abroad since Thursday night, according to the presidency.

Prime Minister Solonandrasana called for dialog with opposition and appeasement from the people. "Do not make violence as durable solution for our country. This is not good for Madagascar."

The president of the senate Rivo Rakotovo, who is the president of ruling party Hery Vaovaon'i Madagasikara (HVM) or New Force of Madagascar, also urged appeasement. He said that only dialog between politicians can resolve the problem. "Road demonstration is not for Madagascar which is still weak on economy," he said.

These 73 parliament members include those who support former president Marc Ravalomanana, those who supported the former transition president Andry Rajoelina, and other parliament members who opposed to the current regime.

This is the fifth cyclical political crisis in Madagascar since its independence in 1960 after that of 1972, 1991, 2002, and 2009.

The political crisis in Madagascar in 2009 saw Rajoelina opposing Ravalomanana, with many of their followers killed. But 9 years later, Ravalomanana and Rajoelina joined forces to overthrow Rajaonarimampianina, who was the candidate supported by Rajoelina in 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 02:19:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Iran's economy would not be negatively affected by the possible withdrawal of the U.S. from the 2015 international nuclear deal, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday.

Iran is prepared for the U.S. president's possible decision to pull out of the nuclear deal internationally known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Rouhani said.

The recent reforms that the Iranian administration made to the currency market was a preemptive measure before the U.S. likely decision against Iran, he was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Besides, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has developed technical plans to surprise the United States in case it scraps the deal, he said at a meeting of governmental officials.

Last week, Iran's Central Bank (CBI) banned non-governmental forex market from buying, selling and transferring foreign currencies in an attempt to regulate and stabilize currency rates.

The new move by the Iranian government comes as the forex market in Iran went out of control and the value of local currency rial plunged sharply over the past weeks.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the nuclear pact and demanded the elimination of sunset clauses for some of the restrictions the U.S. places on Iran from the nuclear deal.

He also called for stronger inspection rules and limitation to Iran's development of long-range missiles.

But Iran says it will neither tolerate anything beyond its commitment to the nuclear deal, nor accept changes to the agreement.

Iran has threatened to withdraw from the deal if it cannot receive economic benefits.
by Alessandra Cardone

VERONA, Italy, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The mood among operators at the 2018 Vinitaly wine exhibition, which run on April 15-18 in the northern Italian city of Verona, was upbeat.

Some 128,000 people visited the fair -- the key event for Italy's wine industry -- with attendance by accredited international buyers up by 6 percent to 32,000.

A total of 4,380 exhibitors from 36 countries took part in this 52 edition, while business delegations came from some 140 countries and regions in the world, according to organizers.

Furthermore, the latest data by Coldiretti farmers' association showed a 13 percent export increase in January only.

It was thus not surprising to hear the 12 major domestic stakeholders -- involved in a survey by Vinitaly and Nomisma Wine Monitor on the last day of the fair -- were expecting Italian wines to keep growing on foreign markets in the next five years.

Hopes for growth would run especially high in relation to Eastern countries, such as Russia, Japan, and of course China where a culture of wine was developing fast.

In the Lombardy Pavilion, two hundreds producers and 2,000 labels represented the identity of a region that was "small" in quantity -- compared to Tuscany, Piedmont, Veneto, or Sicily -- but "large" in quality.

Lombardy averagely counts for only 3 percent of Italy's production; yet, it boasts a long tradition and many excellences.

Despite most of its wineries were small and micro firms, the role of public institutions and consortiums was crucial to make Lombardy wines stand out. As such, the regional government and the chambers' association UnionCamere together promoted the collective presence at the international fair.

"In a region best known for its economic prowess, it may come as a surprise that the quality and variety of wines matches the best ones from Italy," UnionCamere Lombardy president Gian Domenico Auricchio explained.

Last year, Lombardy's wine exports registered the highest rise in three countries: Russia (260.8 percent), Brazil (126.7 percent), and China (41 percent).

At the booth of Nino Negri winery, oenologist and director Casimiro Maule pleasantly talked to potential buyers, offering a tasting of their best wines.

Having worked in the company for 47 years, he could testify its development strategy at best.

"We have been exporting to China for about 10 years now, and specifically one of our best red wines (the 5Stelle Sfurzat)," Maule told Xinhua.

"We have also welcomed several Chinese operators to our winery for tasting sessions," he added.

Established in 1897, the Nino Negri was the largest producer in the Valtellina valley, a mountainous area in north Lombardy that is especially devoted to Nebbiolo grapes, from which one of Italy's most prestigious reds -- the Barolo -- is made.

The oenologist explained their first approach with Chinese consumers had not been simple, since Nebbiolo was a "structured" grape, not easy to understand for any palate at first instance.

"We still need to work in the next future to help increase the taste for such wines in countries like China, through tasting sessions and exchanges," Maule said.

The winery could benefit from a further promotion channel, since the GIV Group (Gruppo Italiano Vini) to which they belong has established its own agency in China.

Valtellina's Nebbiolo vineyards were grown between 350 and 750 metres above sea level, and machines cannot access them. Vines were still tended (and grapes gathered) manually only.

Yet, Maule dismissed there was something "heroic" in such effort: "It is the vine to work hard, more than the man," he said with a smile.

Optimism on future trends and a growing interest for the Asian markets were also showed by winemakers from Lombardy's Oltrepo' Pavese, an area south of Milan that counted some 13,500 hectares of vineyards, and an average production of 800,000-950,000 hectolitres.

An excellence from that territory was the Pinot Noir sparkling made mostly or fully with Pinot Noir grapes, and applying the so-called "Classic Method" (the same used for French champagne).

After Italy's Prosecco got into the spotlight in several countries in the last five years -- including Canada, the United States and Britain -- operators there felt it was the right time to push other "Italian bubbles" abroad.

"This is an auspicious moment to boost Pinot Noir sparkling," Emanuele Bottiroli, director of the Consortium for the Protection of Oltrepo' Pavese Wines, told Xinhua.

"Now, our largest foreign markets are the United States, Canada, and Japan; tomorrow, it will hopefully be UK and China," he stressed.

Bottiroli highlighted Pinot Noir vines needed specific conditions to grow, and a delicate work in the vineyard, since its grape had a very thin peel.

The Oltrepo' Pavese Consortium was hoping to enter the Chinese market in some two years, with the Pinot Noir sparkling and a sweet red bubbly wine called Sangue di Giuda.

Before starting selling, however, they would also go through tasting sessions, ad-hoc events, and exchanges of professionals, according to the director.

"First, we need to adapt out production, and be sure we are able to provide the Chinese with the varieties and the taste they require," Bottiroli confirmed.

Finally, as some officials noted, Italian wines may also benefit from the encouraging results Italian overall agrifood products registered in Asian markets.

"We have a stable presence in Japan with our Franciacorta sparkling, and we are working much also on China," Lombardy regional councillor for Agriculture Fabio Rolfi confirmed to Xinhua.

"Our agrifood sales to China rose by 10 percent in 2017... It is a younger market, and it may offer higher margins for growth for wines as well," the official stressed.
The photo provided by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows a view of the Third Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), on April 20, 2018. (Xinhua/KCNA)

MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday hailed the decision of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to suspend nuclear tests and urged South Korea and the United States to act accordingly for a peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue.

"We consider this decision as an important step towards further easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula and consolidating positive trends towards normalizing the situation in Northeast Asia," the ministry said in a statement.

The DPRK Friday announced the decision to discontinue nuclear tests as well as inter-continental ballistic missile launches from Saturday, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was pleased to note that the situation on the peninsula was developing in a positive manner in accordance with the political settlement proposed by Russia and China.

"We urge the United States and South Korea to take adequate measures aimed at reducing military activities in the region and achieving mutually acceptable agreements with the DPRK at the upcoming inter-Korean and U.S.-DPRK summits," the statement said.

The DPRK's top leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in are scheduled to hold their first summit meeting on April 27 in the border village of Panmunjom.
Chinese and Russian policemen attend a joint anti-terror drill in Manzhouli City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 20, 2014. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

MOSCOW, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) on Saturday said it had killed a member from the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group who had plotted to attack local authority buildings.

During an operation on Saturday, the suspect, who had sworn allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and was planning to attack an administrative building and the FSB local headquarters in southern Stavropol Territory, suffered fatal wounds while putting up an armed resistance, an FSB statement said.

Agents found a rifle, a knife, improvised explosive devices and an IS flag at the scene, the FSB said.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 05:15:10|Editor: Chengcheng

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People participate in a massive demonstration against the outcome of the general elections in Budapest, Hungary, on April 21, 2018. Just one week after a massive demonstration against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a second protest with the participation of several tens of thousands of people was held here on Saturday after Orban's third consecutive election victory on April 8. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Just one week after a massive demonstration against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a second protest with the participation of several tens of thousands of people was held here on Saturday after Orban's third consecutive election victory on April 8.

The crowd, of which the number was put at 100,000 people by the organizers, gathered in front of the parliament's building and took a march in the inner city of Budapest to hear the speeches at a podium set up at the foot of the Erzsebet Bridge.

Organizers, just like a week before, were private individuals and civil organizations. In last week's protest, the demonstrators called for new elections. This time, the main objective of the event was the creation of unbiased and objective public media and a call for unification and cooperation between opposition parties.

One of the organizers, Balazs Gulyas said that the demonstrators had to stand by the civil organizations, and by the independent justice and local authorities,

The elections saw a large victory of the Hungarian conservative prime minister, whose Fidesz-KDNP coalition received 133 seats of 199 in the parliament according to the official figures.

The comments of the government is not available now.

A third large demonstration was planned to be organized on May 8, on the occasion of the first session of the new parliament.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 06:05:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIYADH, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia's security forces shot down a recreational drone in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, the official Saudi News Agency reported.

The Saudi forces shot down the drone after social media showed gunfire in the neighborhood where Saudi King Salman's home is located, sparking speculation of political unrest.

The report quoted the spokesman of the Riyadh police as saying that an unauthorized small recreational drone was noticed by one of the security screening points at 7:50 p.m. local time.

The security men delt with it according to orders and instructions, it added.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said in a statement that a system would be put in place to regulate the use of recreational drones.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-22 06:25:26|Editor: Chengcheng

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WASHINGTON, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank said on Saturday that its shareholders endorsed a capital increase package, a series of internal reforms, and a set of policy measures to strengthen the international lender's capabilities.

The 13-billion-U.S. dollar capital increase package includes 7.5 billion dollars of paid-in capital for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the group's primary lending arm, and 5.5 billion dollars for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the group's private sector lending arm, said the World Bank in a statement.

World Bank shareholders also endorsed a 52.6 billion-dollar callable capital increase for IBRD, the statement said.

"Through the historic agreement endorsed today, our shareholders have clearly demonstrated a renewed confidence in global cooperation," World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said.

"This capital package allows for greater responsiveness to risks to global stability and security, particularly in poorer countries and fragile states," Kim added.

Following the capital increase plan announced Saturday, the combined financing arms of the World Bank are expected to reach an average annual capacity of nearly 100 billion dollars between fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2030, said the World Bank.

Kim said at a press briefing this week that the capital increase package doesn't target changes of loans to any specific country.

"It's about how we think about income levels and how the World Bank Group can continue to be a partner and to support all of our member countries who are still clients," he argued.

He said that the multilateral lender would increase lending to lower middle-income countries over time.
KHARTOUM, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle 63 illegal immigrants, including 29 foreigners, in Sudan's North Darfur State, the official SUNA news agency reported on Saturday.

"The Rapid Support Forces, in coordination with the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), have managed to stop a human smuggling group with 26 Ethiopians and 37 Sudanese," North Darfur State Governor Abdul-Wahid Yousif told SUNA.

He said the group was stopped at Wady Hawar area near the Sudan-Libya border, reiterating Sudan's commitment to combat illegal immigration phenomenon.

Sudan has witnessed an increase in organized human trafficking and illegal immigration.

In October 2014, Sudan hosted an international conference on combating human trafficking and illegal immigration which included the participations of African and European countries.

European countries have helped Sudan with air and maritime support on combating multi-national human smugglers.
The results of the general election confirm that the governments economic policy goals should remain the same, Economy Minister Mihaly Varga said at a meeting of the board of the Hungarian Banking Association.

Maintaining annual GDP growth of around 4% and stable financial foundations, reducing state debt, keeping the general government deficit low, reducing unemployment and achieving full employment remainof key importance, Varga said.

State debt as a percentage of GDP should be brought down to or below the 60% Maastricht threshold by 2020, he added.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a radio interview on Friday that Varga would continue to oversee the new governments economic policy. The Hungarian Banking Association projects GDP growth of 4.5% this year, said chairman Mihaly Patai, noting that the forecast is above the governments 4.3% official projection.

He put the banking sectors combined after-tax profit this year, and in the long term, at around 300 billion forints, down from a bumper 600 billion in 2017.

MTI Photo: Kovacs Attila
Janos Lazar, who has served as Prime Minister Viktor Orbans chief of staff, has said he will dedicate the next four years to his Hodmezovasarhely constituency, in south-east Hungary.

Serving as a local MP would be difficult to reconcile with a role in national politics, he said in an interview to a local radio station. There is a life beyond the government; indeed, there is a life beyond Budapest, he said.

Lazar said he was scheduled to meet Orban on Monday. As far as the future is concerned, it takes two to tango. The prime minister, he added, has full authority in shaping the structure of the new government and deciding who he wants to cooperate with in the coming years.

He said his task over the past four years had been to head the Prime Ministers Office, which, he added, was work he had completed in this form. He said he had indicated this to Orban in September.

Lazar, who won nearly 52% of the vote in his constituency in the April 8 general election, said local politics should be about cooperation.

He has already conducted constructive talks with his two former challengers, Attila Kiss of radical nationalist Jobbik and Istvan Roja of Socialists-Parbeszed, he said. He said he plans to meet other opposition leaders to smooth out earlier differences.

From Peter Marki-Zay, independent mayor of Hodmezovasarhely, I need to hear a sentence regarding things said during the election campaign before starting the talks. The city needs their representatives to cooperate, he said.


Three liberal intellectuals question the fairness and legitimacy of the April 8 election. Another liberal commentator suggests that by blaming their defeat purely on allegedly unfair circumstances, the Left could miss an opportunity to revise its strategy.

In Heti Vilaggazdasag, Balazs Majtenyi, Anna Unger and Dezso Tamas Ziegler claim that the April election was not free, fair or democratic. The liberal intellectuals contend that the media was dominated by the governing party and that the electoral rules introduced in 2011 give a clear advantage to Fidesz.

The authors speculate that even if the election was rigged, voters will never learn the truth, as there are no independent institutions that would report fraud.

In light of all this, the authors think that the April 8 Parliamentary election was unfair, and label the Hungarian political system an electoral autocracy marked by hollowed out and only formally existing democratic institutions which are used as a cover-up for arbitrary rule.

On Index, liberal free-speech activist Peter Molnar thinks that it would be an exaggeration to call the Hungarian political system a dictatorship. The liberal activist agrees that since 2010, Hungary has become a more centralized and less free country, but nonetheless, the opposition can exercise freedom of speech and openly criticize the government.

By claiming that the Left has no chance to defeat Fidesz, due to its allegedly dictatorial rule, left-wing politicians and intellectuals miss the opportunity to revise their strategy and come up with a vision that is more appealing to voters, Molnar suggests.



This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of this portal. Your opinion articles are welcome too, for review before possible publication, via info@xpatloop.com
As the government pledges to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of racism, a group of western European intellectuals accuses Fidesz of anti-Semitism. A left-wing columnist agrees, the two pro-government dailies protest.

Remembering the victims of the Holocaust on Monday, the government and Fidesz wrote that the Hungarian government is determined to defend all religious and ethnic minorities, and to fight all forms of racism and anti-Semitism.

The press release underscored that no one has to fear discrimination or violence on religious or ethnic grounds in Hungary, and suggests that (by contrast) anti-Semitism and religious intolerance is on the rise in pro-immigrant western European countries.

On Tuesday, in an open letter published in Politico, two hundred western intellectuals called on Angela Merkel to distance herself from the Hungarian government. The signatories also urged the European Peoples Party to expel Fidesz.

Among other things, the letter accused the Hungarian government of weakening democracy as well as indulging in anti-Semitism.

Nepszavas Miklos Hargitai finds the Hungarian governments statement on Holocaust Memorial Day complacent. The left-wing columnist claims that the anti-Soros campaign of Fidesz amounts to covert anti-Semitism.

Hargitai also accuses the government of conducting anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim campaigns that contradict the spirit of religious tolerance mentioned in the Fidesz statement. In conclusion, Hargitai contends that Fidesz is responsible for growing anti-Semitism in Hungary.

(The latest nationwide survey on anti-Semitism was published last year and found that the last significant increase in anti-Semitism was recorded in 2010, while only modest changes have been observed since.)

In Magyar Hirlap, Mariann Ory finds the anti-Semitism charges levelled against Fidesz absurd . The pro-government columnist writes that Muslim migrants arriving in Europe are indeed more anti-Semitic than European majorities, and also that in most of these states, anti-Semitic violence has surged.

In light of this, it is peculiar for western intellectuals to worry about anti-Semitism in Hungary, Ory adds. She claims that the Fidesz anti-Soros campaign has nothing to do with the ancestry or religion of George Soros, but was motivated by Mr Soross efforts to weaken national sovereignty.

In Magyar Idok, Levente Sitkei recalls that Mr Soros has been fiercely criticised over the past three decades in many countries, from Great Britain to Malaysia without such critics being accused of anti-Semitism.

He calls the current charges of anti-Semitism levelled against the Hungarian government a conscious distortion of facts and a shameful political manoeuvre.

This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of this portal. Your opinion articles are welcome too, for review before possible publication, via info@xpatloop.com
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, in his regular Friday interview to public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, said he planned to reorganise the Prime Ministers Office when the new government is formed.

He also said that Mihaly Varga (pictured on top), the economy minister, will stay as head of the economic cabinet. Orban said he wanted to transform the governments brain centre and create a different management structure.

Serious negotiations are under way and will continue over the weekend, he said, adding that he wanted the government to be formed as soon as possible.

Orban said, however, there were no plans to set up new ministries. If it aint broke, dont fix it, he said. Its worth keeping the current system with large ministries headed by highpowered officials, he added.

The new government will have some of the same people while keeping the old targets unchanged, he said. The people voted to preserve the governments targets not for continuity in terms of personnel, he added.

The prime minister said that, like in past years, parliament should pass next years budget before the summer break. He said he had already held talks about this with Varga, whom he described as an extremely talented and experienced minister.

Commenting on demographics and family support, Orban said he wanted to sign a comprehensive agreement on the outlook the government can offer to Hungarian women for the next 20-30 years.

Demographics depend on them; it is their decision, he said. Having children is a highly personal issue but one that is important to the community, he added. The job of the government is to listen and understand women if they want to have children, Orban said.

Commenting on the outcome of the general election, he said voters had underlined their support for the governments essential targets such as economic growth coupled with fiscal rectitude, full employment, support for families, preserving the value of pensions and guaranteeing security by not yielding to Europe in immigration policy and maintaining Hungary as a Hungarian country.

MTI Photo: Mohai Balazs
IRON COUNTY Sheriff Tony Furyk pours a root beer float for a student at the Mercer, Wis., School on Thursday. Members of the sheriff's department were at the school as part of Iron County's Child Abuse Prevention Month activities.

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Hurley - April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Iron County is holding a variety of events throughout the month to raise awareness about how to recognize signs of possible abuse.

Members of the Iron County Sheriff's Department were in Mercer Thursday, serving root beer floats to the students.

Teresa Way, a children's social worker with the Iron County Human Services Department, said the event was a way for the students to meet the members of the department in a safe, friendly setting.

"The whole point of that was for the children to see law enforcement in a different light," said Way, who is helping organize the month's activities. "A lot of kids are afraid of the police."

The sheriff's department and Hurley Police Department are scheduled to serve floats at the Hurley School next week.

There are also movie nights planned in Hurley and Mercer. The free movie night will feature a showing of "Wonder" at the Hurley K-12 School at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. A date is still being determined in Mercer, according to Way.

A coloring and poster contest is also being held for all Iron County students - not just those in the two schools.

The contest is divided into age divisions between pre-K and 12th grade, according to Way, with District Attorney Matt Tingstad, Hurley Police Chief Chris Colassaco and Iron County Sheriff Tony Furyk judging the entries.

There are also blue ribbons at the courthouse to wear or put on a vehicle's antenna to help raise awareness.

Way said it is important for people to be aware of the signs of possible child abuse, which can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.

Signs can range from unexplained bruises or burns for physical abuse to poor hygiene or being unsupervised for long periods of time for neglect.

Above all, Way said people should contact the department if they suspect there is abuse.

"People always say, 'I don't know if I should call CPS.' It's our job to investigate, we'll take care of that," Way said, referring to people being unsure of whether something rises to the level of abuse. "Call and we'll take care of it."

People may fear being seen as a nosy neighbor, but Way said it's important they trust their instincts and call if something is wrong.

She brought up the recent example of the family in California accused of holding their 13 children captive in their house.

Iron County and the surrounding area takes pride in the region's strong sense of community, Way said, which should extend to protecting the community's children.

"These are our children. We're a community, these are our children and it takes a village," Way said.

In some cases, there may even be resources available to help a family alleviate a potentially neglectful situation.

"What if that family just needs resources, you're helping your neighbor," Way said. "And then we can offer resources to help that family."

Those reporting cases of possible abuse remain anonymous, Way said, and reports can be made 24/7 with there being on-call staff available outside of normal business hours.

The Iron County Human Services Department can be contacted at 715-561-3636, or the sheriff's department can be called at 715-561-3800 if it's after hours.
Ocelot/Los Angeles Zoo

Spring means lots of new babies at the Los Angeles Zoo! Guests can now observe two Sichuan Takin calves and two Chacoan Peccary piglets out in their habitats while an Eastern Bongo calf, two Ocelot kittens, and seven Peninsular Pronghorn fawns remain behind the scenes bonding with their mothers for a few more weeks.

Peccary/Jamie Pham

Takin/Jamie Pham

"The Zoo does tend to see a rise in animal babies each spring, but there is a lot more thought and careful planning that goes into the process than one might think," said Beth Schaefer, General Curator at the Los Angeles Zoo. "A majority of our offspring this season are all members of Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) programs which aim to keep the North American populations of these species sustainable while also creating an insurance population, so these animals don't disappear from the planet."

One insurance population currently thriving at the L.A. Zoo is a breeding group of Peninsular Pronghorn, a species of antelope native to Baja California Sur, Mexico. The Zoo recently welcomed seven Peninsular Pronghorn fawns, born between March 4 and April 8. In 2002, the L.A. Zoo joined the Peninsular Pronghorn Recovery Project in the Vizcaino Desert Biosphere Reserve of Baja California Sur, Mexico because the species numbers were dwindling in the wild due to hunting, habitat destruction, and cattle ranching.

On April 4, the L.A. Zoo celebrated the birth of two endangered Chacoan Peccary piglets. These medium-sized animals are found primarily in Paraguay and Bolivia, and they have a strong resemblance to pigs. Chacoan peccaries are social animals that live in small herds of up to 10 individuals, and they are known for their tough snouts and rooting abilities. The L.A. Zoo is currently working with the only conservation project in existence for this endangered species called the Chaco Center for the Conservation and Research (CCCI) and hopes to help care for and breed this species whose numbers are dwindling primarily due to habitat loss and hunting.

More photos and video below.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-20 12:23:52|Editor: Chengcheng

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MANILA, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Filipino English language teachers Cresencia Mapalad and others are hopeful that they could land teaching jobs in China.

Mapalad told Xinhua in an interview that she got excited when President Rodrigo Duterte announced that China has opened its doors to Filipino English language teachers.

"I am excited to apply. I hope that there will be no age restrictions to applicants because I'm very interested in applying," said the 72-year-old English language teacher who is now sitting as the dean of the College of Education in Metro Manila College (MCM) in Quezon City.

Mapalad, who has a doctorate degree in education, has taught English in Samar State University in the central Philippines for decades. When she retired in 2011 at the age of 65, she applied at MCM.

For Mapalad, landing a teaching job in China means better pay and better life. In China, she said, her pay will definitely higher than what she is getting now. "Maybe three or four times my current salary."

Mapalad is paid 20,000 pesos (roughly 346 U.S. dollars) a month. Teachers fresh from college are paid 12,500 pesos (240 U.S. dollars). Teachers in public school get a little bit more than their counterparts in private schools, she said.

She said Filipino English language teachers have greater advantage than teachers from other Asian countries.

She said the Philippines is recognized around the world as one of the largest English-Speaking nations, with the majority of its population having at least some degree of fluency in the language.

"We are even better that the Americans because we strictly follow grammar."

Teofanes Pie, an English language professor at MCM, agrees with Mapalad. He said English has always been one of the country's official languages, and is widely spoken by millions of Filipinos.

"English is the primary medium of instruction in education in the Philippines, and is the language of commerce and law," Pie, 61, said in a separate interview. His current monthly salary is 13,000 pesos (roughly 250 U.S. dollars).

Pie has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education. With his degrees, Pie expressed optimism that he will get more if he is hired as an English language teacher in China. "Maybe I'll get 100,000 pesos (roughly 1,920 U.S. dollars) monthly salary."

Pie, who worked in the Middle East before finishing his college and post-graduate studies in the Philippines, said Chinese students will also like Filipino teachers more "because we are happy people."

"This is a good opportunity for Filipinos who wish to work abroad. Chinese people are eager to master the English language."

"We have an edge because of our proficiency in the English language. Also we have perseverance in good work, and we are known around the world as people who have initiative," Pie said.

Moreover, Pie said Filipinos are easier to understand when they speak the English language. "Unlike other Asian speakers, our English is not heavily accented," he said.

Both Mapalad and Pie said Filipinos have comparative advantage since American English is the language of instruction at virtually all Philippine institutions of higher learning. That is why Filipinos speak fluent English, they said.

Duterte is pleased that China is further opening its doors to Filipino English language teachers.

Upon his arrival from his participation in the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan early this month, Duterte reported that nine business agreements have been signed during his third visit to China.

"These are projected to generate more than 10,000 jobs for our countrymen and women. Among these is the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the employment of Filipino teachers of English language in China," Duterte said.

"This allows for the employment of 2,000 Filipino English language teachers starting this year and will be valid for two years, subject to renewal."

The document called the MOU on the Employment of Filipino Teachers of English Language in China was signed by Philippine Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua.

"We both underscored the need for further intensified cooperation, trade and investments, tourism, agriculture, defense, science and technology and energy, among other things," Duterte said.

Duterte said his latest visit to China "underscores yet again the need for the Philippines to seek its destiny in Asia."

Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana broke the news to reporters in Hainan about China's plan to hire more English language teachers from the Philippines.

Sta. Romana said there are Filipino teachers currently working in China but they found the jobs on their own.

"There used to be a Chinese rule that excluded the Philippines as a legal source or as a source that they encouraged. They wanted to emphasize, you know, what they called native speakers but they have relaxed it now," Sta. Romana said.

Sta. Romana said the improved ties between the Philippines and China also played a role in the readiness of Beijing to hire more Filipino teachers.

Already, Duterte has instructed Bello to start the implementation of guidelines for the hiring of Filipino English teachers and for his part, Bello said, the bilateral agreement with China might be renewed after two years and outlines the salaries, work hours, benefits and other employment rules for Filipino workers.
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said he would take a final call tomorrow on contesting from Badami in north Karnataka after discussing the issue with Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Siddaramaiah, who has been fielded from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru, said he was under pressure from Congress leaders from Bagalkote and Bijapur districts to contest from Badami.

"Tomorrow I am going to take a decision after discussing with Rahul ji (Rahul Gandhi)," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question about when he would decide on Badami.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, the chief minister said he would abide by the high command's decision.

"Those from Bagalkote and Bijapur districts; leaders like S R Patil, M B Patil, Timmapur,J T Patil....And several others are pressurising me to contest from there (Badami)," he said.

Siddaramaiah said he had told the high command that he would not contest from the constituency, but leaders were pressurising him.

"So I have told them that I will bring the opinions expressed by you (leaders) to the notice of the high command. Whatever the high command says, I will abide by it," he added.

Siddaramaiah has been camping in Mysuru since Monday and has dedicated his entire schedule for campaigning in Chamundeshwari and Varuna, constituencies from where he and his son Yatindra are the respective candidates.

Restricting his campaign to two constituencies has led to speculations that Siddaramaiah was unhappy that the party central leadership had not allowed him to contest from two constituencies.

The Congress in its list of candidates for 218 seats announced on April 15, had named Devraj Patil as its nominee from Badami.

But issuing of the B-form to Patil has been put on hold.

Siddaramaiah's reported wish to contest from two seats is said to have met with stiff opposition from veteran party leaders Mallikarjuna Kharge and Veerappa Moily, after which it was decided to field Patil.

Kharge and Moily reportedly opposed two constituencies for Siddaramaiah, stating that it would consolidate Vokkaliga votes in favour of JDS in the Mysuru region and also send a wrong message about the chief minister lacking confidence.

Fielding Patil has led to internal squabbling within the local unit of the party, with many, including sitting MLA Chimmanakatti opposed to it.

Chimmanakatti has said that if the chief minister is not contesting, he should be the candidate.

Meanwhile, a Facebook post on an account allegedly belonging to Yatindra today, stated that the chief minister would file his nominations from Badami in Bagalkote on April 23 has made headlines.

The post has reportedly been deleted now.

Badami, with a strong presence of Kurubas, the community to which Siddaramaiah belongs, was seen as the second safe option for the chief minister, as reports have suggested that the battle in Chamundeshwari will not be an easy one for him.

Siddaramaiah has won five times and tasted defeat twice at Chamundeshwari, from where he has been announced as the candidate.

He has been representing Varuna constituency in Mysuru since 2008, which has now been allotted to his son Yatindra.
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Mumbai: Actress Sunny Leone is heading to South Africa to shoot Karenjit Kaur - The Untold Story of Sunny Leone. She says this year has been one of the best years of her life.

"It has been a very hectic year for me and that is exactly what I had been looking for . This is one of the best year of my life. I am currently heading to South Africa for the shoot of m1y biopic, and all excited to reunite with the team their," Sunny said in a statement.

Sunny, who welcomed her twins Noah and Asher in March, has also been keeping busy with her newly launched make-up range -- Star Struck by Sunny Leone.

The show Karenjit Kaur..., which will stream on the OTT platform ZEE5, revolves around the journey of Sunny, who was born as Karenjit Kaur in a middle class Sikh family in Canada.

It will trace her transition from being a little girl to becoming an adult film actress and from there to her rise in Bollywood.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an all-India weather warning predicting heat wave conditions in some parts of the country and thunderstorms and windy conditions in other parts over the coming four days.

Heat wave conditions are likely to hit Central India across the five-day period till April 25. Regions that would be affected include Telangana, Vidarbha, Coastal Andhra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The IMD also warned of thunderstorms or dust storms over large portions of Eastern and Northeastern India.

The bulletin also forecast heat wave conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Here is the full warning bulleting issued by IMD:

Fishermen have been advised not to head out to sea in the coastal areas which are predicted to experience thundershowers, squalls and high wind speeds which are likely to make the seas rough.
Diu: India's considers all her neighbours relatives, but one refuses to listen to us, Union Home Minister said on Saturday in an indirect reference to Pakistan and terrorism.

We always want to maintain good relations with our neighbouring countries. We consider all our neighbours our relatives. However, one of them doesn't listen, said Singh.

But they will have to listen some day. All international forces are putting pressure on them, he said, adding that international agencies are trying their best to convince Pakistan to boycott terrorism.

Being our neighbour, they are conspiring to break our country with the help of terrorism. We are proud of our security forces as they are perfectly retaliating to the terror attacks, said the Union Minister at an event.

Speaking on the recent PNB fraud, Singh added the Centre will be presenting a fugitive economic offenders bill before the Parliament, to prevent economic offenders from fleeing abroad.

"Opposition levels allegations that some Nirav (Modi) and (Mehul) Choksi fled abroad. We will present a fugitive economic offenders bill before Parliament. Earlier offenders used to flee abroad and their properties were not seized. Now their properties will be seized under the bill," Singh added.

Celebrity jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle and business partner, Mehul Choksi are the prime accused in the multi-crore scam that hit Punjab National Bank (PNB). Both have been absconding arrest and while speculated that Modi is in Hong Kong, Choksi is believed to be in the United States.

The Home Minister was in Dadra Nagar Haveli to inaugurate a number of development projects.

With ANI inputs
JAIPUR: Ahead of pronouncement of verdict in Asaram Bapu rape case on April 25, Rajasthan High Court on Saturday made arrangements inside Jodhpur Central Jail for the judgement. Section 144 of CRPC will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30, reported ANI.

The imposition of Section 144 prohibits the presence of persons carrying firearms and others articles capable of causing injury, raising slogans and exhibiting placards. "We appeal to public to follow the order. More than four people can't assemble in public," said Jodhpur Police.

On April 7, the Jodhpur SC/ST Court had announced that it would pronounce the verdict in Asaram Bapu rape case on April 25. Asaram has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl over a period of nine years.

If convicted, the self-styled godman faces a maximum sentence of 10 years. He is also facing a rape case in Gujarat.

The Jodhpur Police arrested Asaram on August 3, 2013. He's been inside the prison since then. Several courts have repeatedly denied his bail requests.

In 2013, a Surat-based girl filed a case against him, alleging sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006 when she was living in his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. The girl belonging to Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh was a student at the ashram.
Alok Priyadarshi

A multi-agency task force has been set up by the Centre to investigate the recent paucity of cash in banks and ATMs, with the government planning to take strict action against those responsible. Sources close to the development told Zee Media that the unit, to be formed under Prime Minister's Office (PMO), has been asked to submit its report within 15 days.

Top level officials are reportedly viewing the recent hype around cash crunch as a political conspiracy being created to mislead the nation with upcoming elections, at least when enough cash is available in the country.

The reason behind the crisis will be known only after a detailed report on the issue has been prepared, the Finance Ministry earlier said. Its action will be dependent on the outcome of the report.

Intelligence Bureau (IB) report, exclusively accessed by Zee Business, suggests that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) will be acting as a nodal investigating agency in the investigation that is being carried out by the task force. Currently, 2600 branches of government and private banks are on the radar of the investigating agencies.

Banks also need to submit reports on any and every suspicious transaction as well as suspicious activities to the FIU at the earliest, the IB report adds. It says, Red Flag Indicators have been inserted in small and inactive bank accounts, to get an information related to multiple withdrawals from these accounts through immediate alerts, which is being monitored at the control room of the FIU.

To monitor real-time transactions and suspicious transactions, the FIU upgraded its FINEX server in recent past which will help in alerting a situation. In addition, the Income Tax department, which is in action has been raiding and surveying at several states that are suffering from the cash crisis.

Banks have been advised to conduct an internal forensic audit of the transactions. A team of senior bank officers has also been formed in each bank to monitor every activity of its branches. Instructions have been given to all banks to submit its balance report, balance status, cash report, reports of Jan Dhan accounts and zero balance accounts on the daily basis. Reports related to suspicious accounts and their transaction information have been sought separately.

Under the process, the alerts will be first sent to a senior official of the branch and then it will be sent to the head office of the bank and later to the FIU, which will be responsible to share the alert with the concerned department. All transactions are checked on all parameters of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

To ensure the digital trail of the notes, a Transition monitoring system (TMS) has been created, which will be providing all information related to the banknotes, .i.e., the place from where it was supplied, consumed, re-deposited in the banks, the account to which it was deposited among others.Apart from this, the banks have also been asked to monitor through the custom identity management system, which includes CCTV and other methods.

Other steps being taken to find the loopholes and identify the culprits of this cash crisis includes an immediate alert to concerned authority in cases where transaction amount goes above Rs 10 lakhs and customs departments at airports and ports have been alerted and asked to monitor any undeclared foreign currency. Air Intelligence Unit is coordinating with the rest of the agencies and this coordination has led to arrest in many places.

A monitoring committee has been created in the Ministry of Finance to monitor the activities of government employees. The committee includes intelligence, revenue officers along with members from other agencies.
NEW DELHI: In what is likely to be a bad news for Engineering students, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) may reduce its intake by almost 1.3 lakh B.Tech and M.Tech seats from this July. Since technical institutes in the country have failed to fill their vacant seats, they have approached the AICTE to reduce its intake. No decision has been taken as yet but it is unlikely that the permission to the colleges will be denied.

While 83 engineering institutes having 24,000 seats have applied for closure, 494 other colleges are seeking permission to discontinue undergraduate and postgraduate engineering courses. The permission, if granted, will reduce the intake of students by another 42,000 seats; 639 other institutes have approached the AICTE to reduce their intake by 62,000 seats.

AICTE may impose a penalty on colleges which have had a poor admission recorded over the last five years. Technical courses where admission has been consistently less than 30 percent will reportedly be forced to reduce their seats by half in the new academic year starting this July. This despite the fact that technical education in India contributes a major share to the overall education system.

In 2016-17, 51 per cent of over 15 lakh seats in 3,900 engineering colleges in India were vacant.

Students and professors have been blaming the increasing unemployment for the decision. "One of the major reason behind this is that AICTE couldn't provide job opportunities in the ratio in which they increased the number of seats," a professor at Harcourt Butler Technical University said. He also added that such a situation only exists in private colleges. "We are, in fact, going to increase the number of seats," he said.
PATNA: The Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) is likely to announce the results of Class 10 and Class 12 examinations in the first week of May, 2018. Once the results are declared, the candidates will be able to check them by visiting the official website of BSEB - biharboard.ac.in.

As per reports, the results of BSEB 2018 intermediate exams for arts, science and commerce will be announced at least three to four days prior to the declaration of results of matriculation exams.

This year, more than 17 lakh students had appeared for the matriculation (BSEB) 2018 examination and over 12 lakh students had appeared for the intermediate (BSEB) 2018 examinations conducted by Bihar School Examination Board (biharboard.ac.in).

The scanning procedure of the OMR sheets has concluded and the further process to finalise the results is underway. The process is likely to take two weeks after which the result of Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) 2018 will be declared.

Once the results of BSEB 2018 Class 10 and BSEB 2018 Class 12 examinations are uploaded on the official website biharboard.ac.in, the tab showing the direct link of how to download the result will be active.

The BSEB has not announced any official date of the release of the results yet. Candidates are advised to keep checking the official website of the BSEB for any notification regarding the BSEB 2018 Class 10 and BSEB 2018 Class 12 examination results.

In 2017, the results announced by the end of May for Class 12 in June for Class 10 due to the elections. The results are expected to be announced earlier in comparison to the last year.

Last year, over 12.40 lakh students had appeared for the Bihar Class 12th Intermediate Examination 2017, which were held between February 14 and February 25. However, only 4.37 lakh students had managed to pass the board exam in 2017. Last year too, the Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) had declared the BSEB Intermediate Result of 2017 stream-wise (Science, Commerce, Arts) on the same date.

Here's how to check your BSEB Results 2018:

1. Visit the official website of Bihar Board at www.biharboard.ac.in

2. Click on 'Bihar board results 2018'

3. Click on BSEB Class 10th Results 2018 or BSEB Class 12th Results 2018

4. Enter roll number and other relevant details

5. Click on 'Submit'

The students are suggested to download the results and take a print out of the same for future reference.

About Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB)

The Bihar School Examination Board is established for holding and conducting an examination at the end of the Secondary School stage, for prescribing course of studies for such examination and for carrying out such other objects and duties as may be considered necessary for the purpose as stated in the Act, Rules and Regulations of the Board.

Normally every year the Bihar School Examination Board conducts Annual Secondary School Examination in the month of February/March and Supplementary School Examination in the month of August/September on the basis of course/syllabus as prescribed by the state Government.

Apart from the aforesaid Secondary School Examination, the Board also conducts departmental examinations (not on yearly basis) such as Diploma in Physical Education, Certificate in Physical Education and Teachers Training Examination on such terms and condition as laid down by the State Government.
NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Thursday approved an ordinance to award death penalty to those who are convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. In case of rape of a girl aged under 16 years, the minimum punishment to be awarded has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, which is extendable to life imprisonment. The minimum punishment to those raping a girl aged under 12 will be 20 years imprisonment. The Cabinet has also decided to put in place measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. The ordinance will now be sent to the President for his approval.

The decision comes at a time when there is a massive uproar over the cases of rape that surfaced recently. Currently, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" is life imprisonment and the minimum sentence prescribed is seven years in jail.

The government had on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age. "An ordinance today is the best way to deal with the issue. An amendment bill will have to wait (till July) when the Monsoon session commences," a law ministry official had said.

After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, a provision of death penalty in case the woman either dies or is left in a "vegetative state" after rape was introduced through an ordinance which later became the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

The recent cases of brutality against children include that of an eight-year-old girl who was gangraped and killed in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir and a nine-year-old who was found dead after she was allegedly raped for at least eight days before being strangled.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had recently said that such incidents shake our sensibilities and no criminal will be spared. "I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done," he had said. Speaking about the perception of people, the PM had also said: "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too. The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son."
RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh Police has released the admit cards for the entrance test of Constable DEF on its official website cgpolice.gov.in. The online application for the exam was released in January 2018. A total of 2259 vacancies have been announced.

Here's how to download the exam admit cards:

1. Visit the official website cgpolice.gov.in.

2. On homepage, look for the floating clickable link that states, Admit Card - Click here to download Admit Card of DEF Constable Recruitment 2017-18

3. On the new page, enter your Registration Number / ID and code

4. After hitting submit, candidates will be able to download the admit cards.

Chhattisgarh police now has a total 18 Armed Battalions (CAF) including 9 India Reserve (IR) Bns. The IPS cadre strength has increased from initial 59 to 103. The state is divided into Five police ranges viz; Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Sarguja and Bastar. Number of sanctioned Police Stations has risen from 298 in November, 2000 to 428 in June, 2016.
New Delhi: The admit cards for Common Law Entrance Test or CLAT is expected to be released on April 26, 2018 on it's official website clat.ac.in. Earlier, the admit cards or hall tickets were supposed to be released on April 20, 2018, but were later delayed due to technical issues. Interested candidates need to visit the website on Thursday to download the admit card. CLAT 2018 exam will be held on May 13, 2018.

CLAT, a national-level law entrance exam, is conducted on a rotational basis by National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. CLAT 2018 is being conducted by The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS). CLAT scores are used for admission to BA LLB (Hons), BSc LLB (Hons), BBA LLB (Hons), BSW LLB (Hons), BCom LLB (Hons) and LLM programmes on offer at the NLUs.

Here's how to download CLAT 2018 admit card

1. Log on to official website clat.ac.in

2. Click on info tab

3. Now enter admit card, username and password.

4. Admit cards will now displayed on the screen

Candidates are advised to save printouts of the same for future use
New Delhi: The Rahul Gandhi-led Congress party on Saturday took a pot shot at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for terming the opposition parties' move to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Dipak Misra, as a "revenge petition".

'It is important to be "right" than to be on the "right side of powers," the Congress party said.

In a series of tweets, Congress national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that UPA government had duly followed the constitutional procedure under the Judges Inquiry Act for removal of Justice Soumitra Sen of Calcutta High Court.

Surjewala also attached a video showing Arun Jaitley supporting the impeachment move with his tweet.

"Mr. Jaitley, when you argued for the impeachment of Justice Sen, no one accused you of 'revenge politics'. Instead, the UPA Government followed the Constitutional procedure under the Judges Inquiry Act. It seems your stand on the matter is this," Surjewala said referring to the video.

Mr. Jaitley, when you argued for the impeachment of Justice Sen, no one accused you of "revenge politics". Instead the UPA Government followed the Constitutional procedure under the Judges Inquiry Act. It seems your stand on the matter is this-: pic.twitter.com/h9b74E8gFr  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 21, 2018

In another tweet, Surjewala referred to Jaitley's reaction to the Supreme Court in 2015 striking down National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act.

"Mr. Jaitley, it's important to be 'right' then to be on 'right side of powers'. Time to jog your memory. If MPs follow a Constitutional process of impeachment, it is 'politics of revenge'. If Jaitley Ji calls Supreme Court decision as a 'tyranny of the unelected', it is a valid opinion," he tweeted..

Mr. Jaitley, its important to be right then to be on right side of powers Time to jog your memory. If MPs follow a Constitutional process of impeachment,it is politics of revenge. If Jaitelyji calls Supreme Court decision as tyranny of the unelected,it is valid opinion pic.twitter.com/ZC112rPdp6  Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) April 21, 2018

The reaction from the Congress party came a day after Arun Jaitley wrote a post on his Facebook post accusing the Congress of using impeachment motion as a political tool.

The senior BJP leader said that the opposition's move was a 'revenge petition' to intimidate the judiciary following the Supreme Court's verdict on Judge BH Loya's death.

In a strongly-worded Facebook blog, Jaitley called the judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya death case as an instance "that almost created a judicial mutiny". The Union Minister posted the blog on his Facebook page on Friday afternoon, a day after the Supreme Court of India rejected a batch of petitions seeking an independent probe into the death of special CBI judge BH Loya.

Jaitley, who is also a renowned lawyer, said that a "reading of the judgement exposes every facet of the conspiracy to generate falsehood as propaganda in the public and political space".

The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had observed that there was no reason to disbelieve the Judicial Officers in the Judge Loya death case while dismissing the petitions. The apex court had ruled that investigation reveals that judge Loya died of natural causes.

As many as 64 members of the Rajya Sabha belonging to seven parties led by the Congress had on Friday submitted an impeachment motion to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, for the removal of Chief Justice Dipak Misra on five grounds of "misbehaviour."

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: India will join a club of eight countries with a sexual offender database to monitor and track those convicted of such crimes. The Cabinet on Saturday said that the National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders.

This data will be regularly shared with states and Union Territories for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

While the registry in the US is public, in other countries like Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom, where such data of convicted sex offenders is maintained, it is purely for the consumption of the law enforcement authorities.

It is not clear if the Indian database will be made public or not, as per reports.

Cabinet nod to Ordinance providing death penalty for raping girls below 12

Meanwhile, the Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years.

New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance cleared by a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance, as per PTI.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, they said.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life".

The punishment for the gang-rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials added. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will stand amended once the ordinance is promulgated after the approval of President Ram Nath Kovind, officials further said.

The measure also provides for speedy investigation and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of the trial in all rape cases will be two months and a six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

(With PTI inputs)
Washington: The Trump administration on Friday claimed that in India, media outlets critical of the government were allegedly pressured or harassed in 2017. "The Constitution (of India) provides for freedom of speech and expression, but it does not explicitly mention freedom of the press. The government (of India) generally respected these rights, although there were instances in which the government allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government," US State Department said in its annual Human Rights Report for the year 2017.

The Congress mandated annual report of the Department of State chronicles situation of human rights in almost all countries of the world. While the situation of human rights in India, as compared to other countries, is much better, the State Department report chronicles major instances of incidents perceived as an attack on the press freedom in India.

This comes at a time when the Trump administration itself is being accused of launching an assault on the freedom of the press. President Donald Trump himself has coined the word "fake media" for those news reports and media outlets that are critical of him.

In its report, the State Department said individuals routinely criticised the government publicly and privately. According to Human Rights Watch, however, sedition and criminal defamation laws were sometimes used to prosecute citizens who criticised government officials or opposed state policies, it said.

According to media watchdog The Hoot's India Freedom Report detailing cases between January 2016 and April 2017, "there was an overall sense of shrinking liberty not experienced in recent years." The report detailed 54 alleged attacks on journalists, at least three cases of television news channels being banned, 45 internet shutdowns, and 45 sedition cases against individuals and groups.

Noting that independent media generally expressed a wide variety of views, it said the law prohibits content that could harm religious sentiments or provoke enmity among groups, and authorities invoked these provisions to restrict print media, broadcast media, and publication or distribution of books.

The report mentioned the CBI raid on NDTV, exit of Bobby Ghosh as the editor of The Hindustan Times and arrest of cartoonist G Bala.

The State Department said in 2017, some journalists and media persons reportedly experienced violence and harassment in response to their reporting. During the year a subcommittee of the Press Council of India issued a report to the government on the protection and preservation of the freedom of the press and integrity of journalists; the report highlighted that at least 80 journalists had been killed since 1990 and only one conviction had been made.

"Online and mobile harassment, particularly of female journalists, was prevalent, with some female activists and journalists reporting that they receive thousands of abusive tweets from 'trolls' every week," it said.

The report noted the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh and attack on television journalist Shantanu Bhowmik.

According to the State Department, the most significant human rights issues included police and security force abuses, such as extrajudicial killings, disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, rape, harsh and life-threatening prison conditions, and lengthy pretrial detention.

Widespread corruption; reports of political prisoners in certain states; and instances of censorship and harassment of media outlets, including some critical of the government continued, it said. "There were government restrictions on foreign funding of some nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), including on those with views the government stated were not in the "national interest," thereby curtailing the work of these NGOs," it said.

Legal restrictions on religious conversion in eight states; lack of criminal investigations or accountability for cases related to rape, domestic violence, dowry-related deaths, honour killings, sexual harassment; and discrimination against women and girls remained serious problems, it said.

"A lack of accountability for misconduct at all levels of government persisted, contributing to widespread impunity. Investigations and prosecutions of individual cases took place, but lax enforcement, a shortage of trained police officers, and an overburdened and underresourced court system contributed to a small number of convictions," said the State Department.


INDORE: In the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a six-month-old infant by her uncle in Indore, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Saturday said that in 92 per cent of cases, minor girls are raped by someone belonging to their family.

Condemning the incident, Shivraj Singh Chauhan said, "The Indore incident has left me distressed. How can someone do something so terrible to a little girl? Society needs to peep within themselves. The administration has taken quick action and arrested the accused. We will ensure that he gets severe punishment without delay."

    ,                                                   ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 21, 2018

The Chief Minister's statement comes after the body of a six-month-old infant was recovered from the basement of a building in Indore. According to police, the victim has allegedly been raped and murdered by her uncle. The family of the infant did not name the accused as a suspect as he was a family member, said the Deputy Inspector General of Police.

"Victim's family didn't name the accused as a suspect, who is victim's uncle in relation. Initial suspects were ruled out by Special Investigation Team (SIT) and victim's uncle was arrested. Accused had an argument with victim's mother after which he committed the crime," said HC Mishra, deputy inspector-general of police, Indore.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has, meanwhile, arrested the victim's uncle. Identified as Sunil Bheel (21), the accused was caught on CCTV camera, at around 4.45 am on Friday, carrying the infant on his shoulder. He had an argument with the victim's mother after which he committed the crime.

The post-mortem of the infant, which was carried out at the state-run MY Hospital here, suggested that she might have been raped before being killed as her private parts bore an injury mark, a source said.

"The body of the infant was recovered from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area. The accused, Sunil Bheel, had kidnapped her early today morning when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort. The accused was sleeping close to the family," said Mishra.

The accused and the infant's parents knew each other and were in the business of selling balloons, he added.

"The accused is seen carrying the infant in CCTV images of around 4:45 am today. He then took her to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping, and her body was recovered in the afternoon," he said.

"The infant had an injury on her head. The accused probably threw her to the ground. However, only the post-mortem report will verify if she died due to this or whether she was smothered," Mishra concluded.

(With inputs from agencies)
NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday rubbished reports which said that he may soon quit the party. Referring to all such reports as rumours, the MP from Patna Sahib said: "There were rumours that I would quit the party because I had not been given the ticket. But, I am clarifying it today that I am here to stay. I am not going to go anywhere."

His statement comes on a day when former party leader Yashwant Sinha quit the BJP saying he was taking 'sanyaas' from politics.

Earlier in March, Sinha had hinted that he may contest the next Lok Sabha election on a different party ticket as leaders like him were being "unfairly treated". "As they are my own people, I can`t speak about their behaviour to outsiders in detail... My party knows it hurt me. Not just now but from day one when this government came to power."

He had said that he would not move from the Patna Sahib constituency seat in Bihar from where he has been elected to the Lok Sabha. "I have offers from other parties. Whether I serve through my party or some other parties or even contest independently, it hardly matters. There were rumours in the last elections too that I will not get ticket from the BJP. But I got the ticket. (In 2014) My name was announced at the last moment from the same seat. Now, I am again hearing these rumours," Sinha had said.

Questioning why he will not be given the ticket again, he had said he won from his seat with a record margin. "I broke previous records and got the highest vote share in the country. Why will I not be given ticket," he had then asked.
In an unprecedented move, the leaders of Congress along with six other opposition parties met Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday seeking "impeachment" of the Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. Signed by 64 Rajya Sabha MPs, the leaders submitted a notice which listed five charges against CJI Dipak Misra.

"The Constitution allows only one recourse to remedy the situation. Since there is no other way to protect the institution except to move an impeachment motion, we, members of the Rajya Sabha, do so with a heavy heart. We took upon ourselves to move the impeachment motion in the background set out above but on the basis of charges of acts of misbehaviour that are set out in the impeachment motion," the notice reads. Apart from the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) are backing the notice.

However, Naidu rejected the motion seeking removal of CJI Dipak Misra on Monday after consulting legal experts. Naidu started the consultations on Sunday after returning to New Delhi from Hyderabad. He met several constitutional and legal experts including Attorney General KK Venugopal and former top law officer K Parasaran to discuss the motion.

But in reality, the Constitution of India nowhere mentions impeachment in connection with the judiciary. The term impeachment is used only in relation to the President of India under Article 61 of the Constitution and in Article 124 in Chapter IV, which is about the Union Judiciary and establishment and constitution of Supreme Court, the term "removed" is used.

So while a judge and even the Chief Justice of India can be removed, he or she can never be impeached according to the the Constitution or The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 which regulates "the procedure for the investigation and proof of the misbehaviour or incapacity of a Judge of the Supreme Court or of the presentation of an address by Parliament to the President and for matters connected therewith".

The procedure to remove a judge has to also take into account Article 14 of the Constitution which comes under the Fundamental Rights. Article 14 states that "the State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India."

The procedure to remove a judge is listed below:



Under Article 124, Clause 2 (b): A Judge may be removed from his office in the manner provided in clause (4).

Under Article 124, Clause 4: A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.

Under Article 124, (5) Parliament may by law regulate the procedure for the presentation of an address and for the investigation and proof of the misbehaviour or incapacity of a Judge under clause (4).

The procedure to remove a judge has been explained in The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968. It is an Act to regulate the procedure for the investigation and proof of the misbehaviour or incapacity of a Judge of the Supreme Court or of the presentation of an address by Parliament to the President and for matters connected therewith.

Section 3 of The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 deals with investigation into misbehaviour or incapacity of Judge by Committee. It is as follows:

3 (1) If notice is given of a motion for presenting an address to the President praying for the removal of a Judge signed,

(a) in the case of a notice given in the House of the People, by not less then 100 members of that House;

(b) in the case of a notice given in the Council of States, by not less, then 50 members of that Council,then, the Speaker or, as the case may be, the Chairman may, after consulting such persons, if any, as he thinks fit and after considering such materials, if any, as may be available to him either admit the motion or refuse to admit the same.

*(2) If the motion referred to in sub-section (1) is admitted, the Speaker or, as the case may be, the Chairman shall keep the motion pending and constitute as soon as may be for the purpose of making an investigation into the grounds on which the removal of a Judge is prayed for, a Committee consisting of three members of whom -

(a) one shall be chosen from among the Chief Justice and other Judges of the Supreme Court;

(b) one shall be chosen from among the Chief Justices of the High Courts; and

(c) one shall be a person who is in the opinion of the Speaker or,as the case may be, the Chairman, a distinguished jurist :Provided that where notices of a motion referred to in subsection(1) are given on the same day in both Houses of Parliament, no Committee shall be constituted unless the motion has been admitted in both Houses and where such motion has been admitted in both Houses, the Committee shall be constituted jointly by the Speaker and the Chairman:

Provided further that where notices of a motion as aforesaid are given in the Houses of Parliament on different dates, the notice which is given later shall stand rejected.

(3) The Committee shall frame definite charges against the Judge on the basis of which the investigation is proposed to be held.

(4) Such charges together with a statement of the grounds on which each such charge is based shall be communicated to the Judge and he shall be given a reasonable opportunity of presenting a written statement of defence within such time as may be specified in this behalf by the Committee.

(5) Where it is alleged that the Judge is unable to discharge the duties of his office efficiently due to any physical or mental incapacity and the allegation is denied, the Committee may arrange for the medical examination of the Judge by such Medical Board as may be appointed for the purpose by the Speaker or, as the case may be, the Chairman or, where the Committee is constituted jointly by the Speaker and the Chairman, by both of them, for the purpose and the Judge shall submit himself to such medical examination within the time specified in this behalf by the Committee.

(6) The Medical Board shall undertake such medical examination of the Judge as may be considered necessary and submit a report to the Committee stating therein whether the incapacity is such as to render the Judge unfit to continue in office.

(7) If the Judge refuses to undergo medical examination considered necessary by the Medical Board, the Board shall submit a report to the Committee stating therein the examination which the Judge has refused to undergo, and the Committee may, on receipt of such report, presume that the Judge suffers from such physical or mental incapacity as is alleged in the motion referred to in sub-section (1).

(8) The Committee may, after considering the written statement of the Judge and the medical report, if any, amend the charges framed under sub-section (3) and in such a case,the Judge shall be given a reasonable opportunity of presenting a fresh written statement of defence.

(9) The Central Government may, if required by the Speaker or the Chairman, or both, as the case may be, appoint an advocate to conduct the case against the Judge.

Report of Committee



4 (1) Subject to any rules that may be made in this behalf, the Committee shall have power to regulate its own procedure in making the investigation and shall give a reasonable opportunity to the Judge of cross-examining witnesses, adducing evidence and of being heard in his defence.

(2) At the conclusion of the investigation, the Committee shall submit its report to the Speaker or, as the case may be, to the Chairman, or where the Committee has been constituted jointly by the Speaker and the Chairman, to both of them,stating therein its findings on each of the charges separately with such observations on the whole case as it thinks fit.

(3) The Speaker or the Chairman, or, where the Committee has been constituted jointly by the Speaker and the Chairman,both of them, shall cause the report submitted under subsection (2) to be laid, as soon as may be, respectively before the House of the People and the Council of States.

Powers of Committee



5 For the purpose of making any investigation under this Act,the Committee shall have the powers of a civil court, while trying a suit, under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, in respect of the following matters, namely :-

(a) summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person and examining him on oath;

(b) requiring the discovery and production of documents;

(c) receiving evidence on oath;

(d) issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses or documents;

(e) such other matters as may be prescribed.

Consideration of report and procedure for presentation of an address for removal of Judge

6 (1) If the report of the Committee contains a finding that the Judge is not guilty of any misbehaviour or does not suffer from any incapacity, then, no further steps shall be taken in either House of Parliament in relation to the report and the motion pending in the House or the Houses of Parliament shall not be proceeded with.

(2) If the report of the Committee contains a finding that the Judge is guilty of any misbehaviour or suffers from any incapacity, then, the motion referred to in sub-section (1) of section 3 shall, together with the report of the Committee, betaken up for consideration by the House or the Houses of Parliament in which it is pending.

(3) If the motion is adopted by each House of Parliament in accordance with the provisions of clause (4) of article 124 or,as the case may be , in accordance with the clause read with article 218 of the Constitution, then, the misbehaviour or incapacity of the Judge shall be deemed to have been proved and an address praying for the removal of the Judge shall be presented in the prescribed manner to the President by each House of Parliament in the same session in which the motion has been adopted.

Power to make rules

7 (1) There shall be constituted a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the provisions hereinafter contained for the purpose of making rules to carry out the purposes of this Act.

(2) The Joint Committee shall consist of fifteen members of whom ten shall be nominated by the Speaker and five shall be nominated by the Chairman.

(3) The Joint Committee shall elect its own Chairman and shall have power to regulate its own procedure.

(4) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of subsection(1), the Joint Committee may make rules to provide for the following among other matters, namely:-

(a) the manner of transmission of a motion adopted in one House to the other House of Parliament;

(b) the manner of presentation of an address to the President for the removal of a Judge;

(c) the travelling and other allowances payable to the members of the Committee and the witnesses who may be required to attend such Committee;

(d) the facilities which may be accorded to the Judge for defending himself;

(e) any other matter which has to be, or may be, provided for by rules or in respect of which provision is, in the opinion of the Joint Committee, necessary.

(5) Any rules made under this section shall not take effect until they are approved and confirmed both by the Speaker and the Chairman and are published in the Official Gazette, and such publication of the rules shall be conclusive proof that they have been duly made.


NEW DELHI: The Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Saturday approached the Hong Kong High Court seeking action against beleaguered diamond trader Nirav Modi, who is a key accused in the Rs 12,700-crore fraud linked with the bank. According to ANI, the PNB is seeking the seizure of Nirav Modi's bank accounts and attaching his assets and businesses in Hong Kong.

ANI also reported that PNB has also decided to approach the concerned courts in other countries where Nirav Modi and his jeweller uncle Mehul Choksi have their assets and businesses.

Importantly, China had last week said that the administration in Hong Kong can accede to India's request to arrest fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi based on local laws and mutual judicial assistance agreements.

Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh had informed the Parliament last week that "the Ministry has sought the provisional arrest of Nirav Modi by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the People's Republic of China."

Asked about India's request, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in a media briefing that "according to the one country two systems and basic law of the HKSAR, under the assistance and authorisation of the central government, the HKSAR can make proper arrangement on judicial mutual 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 said.

Nirav Modi, who is wanted in connection with the 12,700-crore scam at the Punjab National Bank, has been traced to be hiding in Hong Kong which is a special administrative region of China.

It then sent a formal request to Hong Kong for the diamond trader's provisional arrest.

Nirav Modi has his shop in Hong Kong besides in Beijing. Nirav Modi and his jeweller uncle, Mehul Choksi, are accused of defrauding the PNB to the tune of around Rs 12,700 crore.

The CBI has so far arrested 19 people in connection with the PNB fraud. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also conducting an independent probe into the scam.

It is alleged that LoUs (letters of undertaking) and LCs (letters of credit) worth close to USD 2 billion were issued fraudulently to the companies of the uncle-nephew duo from the PNB's Brady House Branch in south Mumbai through SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messages.

Several bank employees have been booked for collusion in the case, CBI and ED officials have said. A LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to the Indian banks that have branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant.

In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit-giving bank, along with interest. Both Choksi and Modi have been booked in two cases each related to the bank fraud, which came to light in February.

The uncle-nephew duo had fled the country in the first week of January, days before the PNB detected the fraud.

(With Agency inputs)
MATHURA: In a shocking statement, veteran Bollywood actress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hema Malini on Saturday said that instances of rapes and crimes against women are receiving more publicity now.

Abhi jyada iska publicity ho raha hai aajkal. Pehle bhi shayad ho raha hoga maloom nahin tha. Lekin iske upar zaroor dhyan diya jaayega (Such cases are receiving more publicity now-a-days. Such cases might be happening earlier too, there was no info. But there will be focus on such issues), the BJP lawmaker said.

Aisa jo haadsa ho raha hai nahin hona chahiye, isse desh ka bhi naam kharab ho raha hai (Such incidents should not happen. It also reflects our country in a bad light), she added.

The actress' comments came amid massive protests across the country over the recent string of rape crimes against minors including horrific incidents from Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua, Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Gujarat's Surat.

In Kathua, an eight-year-old girl from a nomadic community was brutally tortured, raped for weeks before being killed. The rape victim had disappeared from a spot near her house in Kathua on 10 January and a week later, her body was found in the same area. A Special Investigation Team of Jammu and Kashmir Police Crime Branch, formed to probe the incident, has arrested eight people, including two special police officers (SPOs) and a head constable and a sub-inspector, who was charged with destroying evidence, reported news agency PTI.

In Surat, the body of the minor girl with 86 injury marks, believed to be in the age group of 9 to 11 years, was found in Bhestan area on April 6. Following a five-hour-long post-mortem, it was revealed that the girl was raped and tortured for at least eight days, and was later strangled to death.

In the Unnao case, the victim alleged that she was raped by BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar at his residence on June 4, 2017, where she had gone with a relative seeking a job.

In February, the girl's family moved court seeking to include the MLA's name in the rape case. After this move, the survivor's father was booked by the police under the Arms Act on April 3 this year and put in jail on April 5. Frustrated over the inaction of law enforcement agencies, the victim and her family attempted self-immolation in front of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's house on April 8. The very next day, her father died in jail with a post-mortem report suggesting serious injuries on his body.

With agency inputs
Beijing: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in China on Saturday on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). She will also hold bilateral talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, whom she is due to meet on Sunday.

This is their first meeting after Wang was elevated as state councillor in March 2018. He also continues to be foreign minister.

External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj arrived today in Beijing for a bilateral visit and to attend the Regular meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation #SCO @SushmaSwaraj @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/MZHaZhMm1O  India in China (@EOIBeijing) April 21, 2018

Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai. Both sides also held the 11th Joint Economic Group meeting and the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).

Besides meetings between officials from the two foreign ministries, both sides also held working mechanism meetings on border affairs and cross-border rivers as well disarmament and non-proliferation dialogue in which India's entry into NSG was discussed, as per PTI.

Swaraj will take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the eight-member SCO on April 24. She along with other foreign ministers of the group would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 23 and will leave for Mongolia the next day.

This is the first meeting of the group after India and Pakistan were admitted into the SCO in 2017. The organisation is comprised of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Also, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive in Beijing on April 23 to take part in the SCO defence ministers' meeting to be held the next day. Swaraj and Sitharaman would be in Beijing around the same time to attend their respective meetings.

Sitharaman is also expected to meet her Chinese counterpart Lt Gen Wei Fenghe.

No bilaterals between foreign, defence ministers of India, Pakistan at SCO

However, there will be no bilateral meetings between Swaraj, Sitharaman with their Pakistan counterparts at the SCO ministerial meets. "There will be no meetings with their Pakistan counterparts," PTI quoted official sources as saying

Relations between India and Pakistan turned frosty after the Pathankot terror attack in January 2016 and another strike by terrorists on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September that year.

(With Agency inputs)
Mumbai: Two more prosecution witnesses on Friday turned hostile in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases, taking the number of witnesses who didn't support the CBI's case to 52. The court here has examined 76 witnesses so far.

Rafique Hafiz and Firoze Khan, deposing before Special Judge S J Sharma here, said they had not given any statement to the CBI, contrary to the agency's claim. They said they had visited the agency's office only once and the CBI had taken down their names and addresses. Special public prosecutor B P Raju then declared them hostile.

According to the CBI, Hafiz and Khan had said that they were arrested in a murder case (both were acquitted later), and Prajapati, who met them in a Rajasthan jail, told them that he and Shaikh were going to extort Rs 20 crore each from R K Marbles and Sangam Textiles.

However, Gujarat Police officer Abhay Chudasama picked up Prajapati, Shaikh and Shaikh's wife Kausar Bi. All three were brought to Ahmedabad on November 24, 2005, where Chudasma and IPS officer D G Vanzara assured them that they were arresting Shaikh only under political pressure, Prajapati told the two, according to the CBI. The police officers had told Shaikh that he would soon get bail, the agency said, citing the two witnesses.

Prajapati further allegedly told Khan and Hafiz that that out of crores of rupees received from RK Marbles and Sangam Textiles, the police got a very meagre share while a major chunk went to then Rajasthan Home Minister Gulabchand Kataria, according to the CBI. Chudasama, Vanzara and Kataria have been discharged from the Shaikh encounter case.

Prajapati allegedly also told the two, the CBI said, that Vanzara and Chudasama were paying his jail expenses and legal fees. Though he was an eyewitness to Shaikh's encounter, he was afraid to speak out as he apprehended threat to his life, he allegedly told the duo.

However, as per the testimonies of the two witnesses on Friday, they had given no such statement to the CBI, which is a setback to the agency's case of fake encounters.

Shaikh, an alleged gangster with terror links, and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Hyderabad on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra in November 2005.

According to the prosecution, Shaikh was killed in a staged encounter. Kausar Bi, who disappeared, was also killed. Prajapati was allegedly killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006.


NEW DELHI: Former finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "Today I am taking 'sanyas' from any kind of party politics, today I am ending all ties with the BJP," the veteran leader said.

He made the announcement at an event in Bihar's Patna. He was attending an event 'Rashtra Manch' which was venued at Patna's SKM Hall. "I am announcing here from this stage to end my long time relation with the Bharatiya Janata Party," he said while addressing the first meeting of Rashtra Manch, founded by him.

Attacking the Narendra Modi led-NDA government, the senior leader said that the democracy of the country is under threat. He will launch a countrywide campaign to save the democracy, Yashwant Sinha added.

The 80-year-old leader, who had joined the BJP in the mid-90s, said "Aaj se mera BJP ke saath rishta samapt ho gaya. Main apna sambandh viched kar raha hun BJP se. Main BJP se khud ko alag kar raha hun (From today my relation with BJP is over. I'm severing my ties with the party...)."

He said that from now he will try to unite all non-BJP parties, "I will not join any political party and will have nothing to do with party-politics."

"I am not an aspirant for any top post and I am making it clear here that I am not at all interested to seek any post," he added.

Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha and leaders of the Opposition including the Congress, the RJD, and the AAP were also present at the event.

Yashwant Sinha held the portfolio of external affairs minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He became the finance minister in the same government for the next term. The veteran leader's son Jayant Sinha is currently the Minister of State for Civil Aviation in Narendra Modi's cabinet.

(With inputs from agencies)
New Delhi: The father of an eight-year-old girl who was brutally tortured, raped and killed in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district recently has expressed hope that the Union Cabinet's nod to amend the existing Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act will ensure stringent punishment to those convicted for raping minors.

Though he did not understand the nitty-gritty of the decision taken by the Union Cabinet, he remained hopeful that the situation will eventually improve.

''We are simple people, we do not know the nitty-gritty of the decisions that the central government takes but whatever they're doing is good, we are hopeful for justice,'' he said.

''A child is a child there is no Hindu or Muslim in that, the father of the Kathua rape victim said when asked what he felt about the Centre's decision to bring an ordinance to amend the POCSO Act in view of demands for a death penalty to child rapists.

We are simple people, we do not know the nitigrities of the decisions that the govt takes but whatever they're doing is good, we are hopeful for justice. A child is a child there is no Hindu or Muslim in that: Father of #Kathua rape victim on the ordinance to amend the POCSO Act pic.twitter.com/9Eb5jmWoKf  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

In view of rising public anger and protests against a sudden spurt in the child rape cases from across the country, the Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved an ordinance on the death penalty for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12.

The decision came a day after the Ministry of Women and Child Development informed the Supreme Court that it was proposing the death penalty for those convicted of raping children.

The Ministry had told the top court that the government was "sensitive to the plight of young children" brutally abused in the most horrific manner and proposed to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by introducing the death penalty to the convicts of child rapes.

The Union Cabinet move came in the backdrop of nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, and other similar instances in different parts of the country, including a nine-year-old girl in Surat.

The POCSO Act was formulated in order to effectively address the incidents of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Law Minister Abdul Haq Khan today assured that the investigation into the horrific Kathua rape case was on right track and those found guilty will not be spared.

''The investigation into the Kathua rape case has been done very professionally. Not only the district court but also the Supreme Court is looking into the matter. This case will be treated as a fast track case. The culprits will be punished,'' Khan was quoted as saying by ANI.

Investigation of Kathua rape case has been done very professionally. Not only the district court but also the Supreme Court is looking into the matter. This case will be treated as a fast track case. The culprit will be punished: Abdul Haq Khan, #JammuAndKashmir Law Minister pic.twitter.com/9IUVo4JZ8N  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

In a related development, Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Syed Altaf Bukhari on Saturday advised students protesting over the Kathua rape and murder case to control their emotions and resume their classes.

"After the Kathua incident, we gave the students a chance to vent their emotions. Students should control their emotions and now go back to their classes," the Bukhari said.

The Minister said Kashmir cannot afford a generation of illiterates and urged everybody to help ensure that students resume academic activities.

He warned that if the present situation continued the state government would be forced to close down educational institutions.

"The security of students is our paramount concern. That is why we close schools and colleges," he added.

Kashmir has been on the boil and witnessed spiralling student protests in the past month or so to seek justice for the Kathua rape and murder victim who went missing in Rasana village and was found dead a week later.

(With Agency inputs)
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Police's Crime Branch on Saturday cited medical experts in confirming that the minor victim in the Kathua incident  an eight-year-old girl  was actually sedated, sexually assaulted and subsequently murdered.

The Crime Branch also categorically rejected reports in a section of media regarding the Kathua rape-and-murder case as 'false' and 'far from the truth'.

The statement from the J&K Police came in the wake of reports in some section of media as well as the social media platforms regarding the case registered at the Hiranagar Police Station in Kathua district.

"However, for the last couple of days, a section of print/electronic media has published/broadcast information/reports shared on the social media sites as well, which are far from the truth," the Crime Branch said in a release.

"Constrained by the reports, it is to place on record that on the basis of opinion furnished by medical experts, it was confirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused,'' the Crime Branch said.

The Crime Branch further stated that based on the opinion of the medical experts, Section 376 (D) of the Indian Penal Code was added in the case accordingly.

''The medical opinion also established beyond doubt that the victim was held in captivity and administered sedatives and the cause of her death was asphyxia leading to the cardiopulmonary arrest," it added.

''Over a period of time, Press/Electronic Media and Social Media has been sharing information with regard to the case FIR No. 10/2015 dated 12.01.2013 registered in Police Station, Hilanagar Kathua. After completion of all legal formalities of the investigation, a chargesheet was produced in the competent court of law and Investigating agency is in the process of submitting supplementary chargesheet. However, for the last couple of days, a section of print/ electronic media has published /broadcast information/reports shared on social media sites as well, which are far away from truth. Constrained by this reportage, it is to place on record that on the strength of opinion furnished by medical experts, it has been confirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused. The medical expert has also opined that hymen of the victim was not found intact. Accordingly, on the basis of medical opinion, section 376 (D) RFC was added in the case. In addition to this, medical opinion has established beyond doubt that the victim was held in captivity and administered sedatives and her cause of death was asphyxia leading to cardiopulmonary arrest,'' the press release issued by the J&K Police said.

Press release....Case FIR No 10/2018 dated 12.01.2018 Police Station Hiranagar Kathua. pic.twitter.com/ek2IsXDpsa  J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) April 21, 2018

The Crime Branch had presented a chargesheet in the local court after completing all legal formalities of the investigation. The investigating agency is also likely to submit a supplementary chargesheet in connection with the case soon.

Section 376 (D) deals with the gang-rape followed by death or persistent vegetative state of the victim and prescribes punishment with imprisonment for life.

A minor girl, belonging to a Bakarwal Muslim family, was kidnapped on January 10 and her body found a week later on January 17 near Rasana village in Hiranagar tehsil in Kathua district.

Police investigations revealed she was held captive inside a temple, sedated and repeatedly raped before her murder.

The J&K Police has filed chargesheet against eight persons in the case.

Meanwhile, in a major development, the Union Cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday approved an ordinance to amend the existing POSCO Act for ensuring death penalty for child rapists.

Reacting to the Centre's move, the father of the Kathua rape victim today expressed hope that his child would finally get justice.
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday welcomed the Union Cabinet decision to bring an ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age. She also asserted that her government will bring a similar law in the state.

Plus, she welcomed other stringent amendments brought in relevant laws by the Union Cabinet to ensure speedy investigation and trial in rape cases. "This will go a long way in curbing the level of harassment against women and girl child in the country," Mehbooba said.

She reiterated that her government intends to bring in a similar law in the state to put an end to crimes against women. Earlier, on April 12, Mehbooba had said her government would enact a new law to make rape of minors punishable by death, amid outrage over the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl in Kathua district in January 2018.

I welcome the decision of the Union Cabinet to bring in the death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age & reiterate my resolve to introduce similar laws in J&K for the expeditious deliverance of justice.  Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) April 21, 2018

The Union Cabinet on Saturday cleared Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. The death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance, as per PTI.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, they said.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life".

The punishment for the gang-rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials added. Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will stand amended once the ordinance is promulgated after the approval of President Ram Nath Kovind, officials further said.

The measure also provides for speedy investigation and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of the trial in all rape cases will be two months and a six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

(With PTI inputs)
An activist in Karnataka is taking his wedding as an opportunity to inspire people to vote in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. The activist, Siddappa Doddachikkannanavar, designed his wedding card like a voter ID. The card has the photo of the couple and has a unique number 'SJMRG27042018' which is a combination of the initials of the bride and the groom as well as the wedding date.

The date of the wedding is written on the front side of the card page along with the time and place. The couple has reportedly printed about 1,200 such cards. The invite has also reportedly been sent to Haveri Deputy Commissioner Dr Venkatesh and Superintendent of Police Dr K Parashurama.

Siddappa Doddachikkannanavar, a Kannada activist from Haveri, has designed his wedding card like a voter ID a unique number 'SJMRG27042018', bride-groom with wedding date front page has wedding date & time along with couple's name printed about 1,200 cards._#KarnatakaElection pic.twitter.com/w1NhcUtpzf  Mohsin Ahmed (@mohsinstats) April 20, 2018

As per a report in the Bangalore Mirror, Siddappa is an employee with Railways at Vasco in Goa. He said he has worked in the past to promote Kannada and hence wanted to do something unique for the wedding that could help in the promotion of the language.

"Being the state president of Kannada Srujanasheela Balaga, we do visit Kannada schools and distribute Kannada books. I also enjoy writing limericks," he was quoted as saying.

While he was pondering over what special he could do, his friend suggested that he should do something to encourage voting as the elections are just a few weeks away. Siddappa with the help of his friend designed a wedding card which looks similar to a voting ID card. Even the fonts and style used in the card have been kept similar.

Instead of the title Election Commission of India, they have used the national emblem in the invitation card. The second page of the card mentions details of the wedding venue, telephone numbers and also a signature of family members.

The card also has messages on the importance of blood donation and voting. It states that the voters should not sell votes and "exercise the franchise with clear conscience". While it asks guests to be present for the wedding day, it also urges them to compulsorily vote on the May 12.

Siddappa's wedding with his fiance Jyothi is set to take place on April 27.
INDORE: The blood-soaked body of a six-month-old infant was recovered from the basement of a building here, a police official said on Friday.

Police identified the accused as Sunil Bheel (21), claiming that he was seen in CCTV footage, at around 4.45 am today, carrying the infant on his shoulder.

The post-mortem of the infant, which was carried out at the state-run MY Hospital here, suggested that she might have been raped before being killed as her private parts bore an injury mark, a source said.

"The body of the infant was recovered from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area. The accused, Sunil Bheel, had kidnapped her early today morning when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort. The accused was sleeping close to the family," said HC Mishra, deputy inspector-general of police, Indore.

The accused and the infant's parents knew each other and were in the business of selling balloons, Mishra said.

"The accused is seen carrying the infant in CCTV images of around 4:45am today. He then took her to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping, and her body was recovered in the afternoon," he said.

"The infant had an injury on her head. The accused probably threw her to the ground. However, only the post-mortem report will verify if she died due to this or whether she was smothered," Mishra said.

"We are going to arrest the accused shortly," he added.
MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police on Saturday rejected the parole application of Abu Salem. The 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict had sought the parole for getting married.

Salem had earlier sought the permission of the TADA court - which had pronounced the verdict in 1993 Bombay blasts case - for registration of his marriage with a woman he is believed to have married secretly.

The special TADA court had sentenced the gangster to life and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh in the Bombay blasts case in September 2017.

According to a report published in a local tabloid in 2015, Abu Salem had married a woman 'over phone' during a train journey when he was being taken to Lucknow for a court hearing under police escort.

Salem had earlier requested a Mumbai court to grant him the permission to attend the office of the Registrar of Marriage.

The dreaded underworld don had also submitted citations of two high courts claiming convicts were given such relief for entering into wedlock.

Abu Salem, who was convicted under various provisions in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, escaped capital punishment due to an extradition treaty existing between the Portugal and India.

Through his lawyer, Salem had also requested the special TADA court not to keep him in solitary confinement, citing grave threats to his life.

He had pleaded before the court that since he had been attacked inside the jail by his rivals at several occasions in past, he should not be kept in solitary confinement.

Salem had filed an application in the special TADA Court seeking jail transfer to Delhi so that he can attend pending proceedings there.

Abu Salem alias Abdul Saleem Ansari was one of the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. He was found guilty of transporting the weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai.

He was involved in a series of 12 blasts that rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993, killing 257 people and injuring 713 others.
New Delhi: In a shocking turn of events, Swedish DJ and record producer Avicii, one of the biggest stars of electronic dance music (EDM) in Europe, was found dead on Friday afternoon in Muscat, Oman, his U.S. publicist said.

Born as Tim Bergling, Avicii was only 28 years old.

"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," publicist Diana Baron said in a statement. "The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time."

However, the cause of death has been not been revealed yet by his spokesperson.

As the world mourns the death of the young electronic dance music pioneer, here's looking at five of his most popular numbers.

1) Wake Me Up

The song became an instant among music lovers when it released in 2013. It was Avicii's biggest hit and secured the thirteenth position on Billboard's year-end top 100 songs in 2013.The music video is the 39th most-viewed YouTube video in history, garnering 1.4 billion global views.

2) Hey Brother

The dance number is from Avicii's debut album 'True'. It was written by Avicii, Ash Pournouri, Salem Al Fakir, Vincent Pontare and Veronica Maggio.

3) Levels

The song was released on October 28, 2011, and peaked at number one in Sweden and on the Dance music charts in the United States and became a top ten hit in various other countries.

4) Seek Bromance

The song was released when Avicii was known as Tim Berg. It was released on October 17, 2010, in the Netherlands. The song is a vocal version of his instrumental "Bromance"

5) Waiting for Love

It is a romantic dance number which was released on May 22, 2015, as the lead single from Avicii's second studio album, Stories (2015)

Avicii announced in 2016 that he was retiring from touring. He later told Billboard magazine he had made the decision for health reasons.

"The scene was not for me. It was not the shows and not the music. It was always the other stuff surrounding it that never came naturally to me," he told the magazine.

"I`m more of an introverted person in general. It was always very hard for me. I took on board too much negative energy, I think," he added at the time.

However, he did not stop making music, releasing a six-track EP album in August 2017.

Avicii won a number of American Music Awards, Billboard music awards and MTV Europe Music awards for his EDM work.
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh expanded his government by inducting nine new ministers at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan on Saturday.

The nine newly-inducted ministers in the Punjab government are all first-timers.

They were administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor VP Singh Badnore at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhawan here on Saturday evening.

Two women ministers were also elevated to cabinet rank in today's expansion of the Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab.

Two women ministers - Aruna Chaudhary and Razia Sultana - who were in the rank of ministers of state were also promoted as cabinet ministers.

They were also administered the oath as Cabinet ministers by the Governor.

The nine newly inducted ministers are OP Soni, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Gurpreet Kangar, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Vijay Inder Singla, Bharat Bhushan Ashu and Sunder Sham Arora.

Majority of the new ministers are said to be a staunch loyalist of the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister also took to Twitter to welcome the nine newly-inducted ministers and shared a picture of them posing together after the oath ceremony at the Raj Bhawan.

Happy to welcome my new Cabinet colleagues. They will add to my governments strength and propel our efforts to bring back the hey days of Punjab. My best wishes to all of them! pic.twitter.com/k9GZ6bx6qS  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) April 21, 2018

However, today's Cabinet expansion has left several hopefuls in the ruling party sulking.

Some of them have even offered to resign from Congress party posts to show their resentment.

Indian Youth Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Kuljit Singh Nagra, former Olympian Pargat Singh and Dalit leader Raj Kumar Verka were among the strong contenders who were left out in today's cabinet expansion.

Congress legislators Sangat Singh Gilzian, Surjit Dhiman and Nathu Ram resigned from party posts after the list of new ministers was announced.

After a slew of resignations, senior party leaders, including Congress party in-charge for Punjab Asha Kumari, held talks with some of the disgruntled legislators to pacify them.

Decks were cleared on Friday by the Congress high command for the induction of nine new ministers.

Their names were approved in New Delhi on Friday following two days of meetings between Amarinder Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

The Congress won the Assembly elections by a thumping majority in March last year, getting 77 legislators in the 117-member Assembly.

The state cabinet can have a maximum strength of 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, under the law.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Superstar Mahesh Babu, whose latest flick 'Bharat Ane Nenu' has impressed audience and critics alike, was left overwhelmed the response he got from all his fans. People thronged the theatres to watch first-day first show of Bharat Ane Neu.

Mahesh Babu took to Twitter to thank all his fans in a unique manner, "Feeling overwhelmed seeing the love of fans from all across the world

 , , Thank You, 

#MaheshBabu1stDay1stShow

Feeling overwhelmed seeing the love of fans from all across the world

 , , Thank You,  #MaheshBabu1stDay1stShow  Mahesh Babu (@urstrulyMahesh) April 20, 2018

He thanked his fans in four different languages.

Moments after the release of Bharat Ane Nenu, fans united to trend #MaheshBabu1stDay1stShow on Twitter. The power of the Superstar's pan India audience base was witnessed with a strong India trend on the networking platform. Social media was flooded with fans exhibiting their loyalty and commitment towards Mahesh Babu's films

Bollywood actor and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar has also lent his voice to the film. He made his Telugu debut by singing a song for Mahesh Babu in his upcoming film. Titled 'I Don't Know', the song is a foot-tapping number which is bound to become an anthem of sorts for sure.

The film also marks the Telugu debut of Bollywood actress Kiara and she plays Maheshs ladylove in the film

Keeping in mind the global fandom of the Superstar, the makers are planning to release 'Bharat Ane Nenu' forty-five countries.

Mahesh Babu plays Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in the political drama.The film highlights the journey of a young graduate taking on the state to fight for the rights of his people. The film was released on the big screen on April 20, 2018.
Mumbai: Milind Soman is all set to tie the nuptial knot with girlfriend Ankita Konwar in a private ceremony in Alibaug. The wedding celebrations have begun with the Mehendi ceremony and the couple is ecstatic and so are family members and friends.

The model-actor's friends shared images on Instagram to give fans glimpses of the ceremony.

Take a look at some of the pictures here:

#celebrations #milindwedding A post shared by Anju Kp (@anjubangalore) on Apr 21, 2018 at 12:37am PDT

#mehendi #milindwedding #celebration A post shared by Anju Kp (@anjubangalore) on Apr 20, 2018 at 11:58pm PDT

The 52-year-old dashing fitness enthusiast had reportedly met Ankita's family in Guwahati, Assam last year to plan the wedding.

Milind surprised his fans and social media followers by sharing pictures with Ankita who is almost half his age. He indirectly announced his relationship with Konwar by sharing pictures with beautiful captions for her on Instagram.

Soman ringed in his 52nd birthday in Tromso, basking in the glory of Northern Lights last year. The dashing man also shared an adorable selfie with his ladylove on Instagram and thanked the fans for their love.

For the uninitiated, Soman was earlier married to Mylene Jampanoi, his French co-star from their film Valley Of Flowers. He got married to Jampanoi in 2006 and separated from her three years later.
Rae Bareli: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Saturday accused Congress of insulting the Hindu religion across the globe in the name of "saffron terrorism".

"The Congress should apologise for the term 'saffron terrorism'. The party must apologise for defaming Hindu culture, insulting Hindus," he said at a public meeting in the Gandhi family's home turf.

"The grand old party will never apologise to the Hindu community because of its vote bank politics," Shah said. Referring to the acquittal of preacher Swami Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid blast case, he sought to target the Congress over the party's attempts to "defame" Hindus in terror cases.

"Charges were levelled during the Congress government against Aseemanandji and others but they have been acquitted by the court. I want to ask Rahul 'baba', your home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, P Chidambaram, Digvijay Singh and all had tried to defame Hindu culture by talking about saffron terrorism. You need to apologise before the entire country," Shah added.

He also said that BJP will rid Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad' (dynastic politics) and take it on to the path of `vikaswad' or development.

"Rae Bareli has seen 'parivarvad' (dynastic politics) ever since Independence till this day and no development. I have come here to make it clear that the BJP will free Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad' and will start the campaign from today itself for taking it on the path of 'vikasvad' (development)," Shah said.

"The Congress and its top leadership have ruled in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli for years but the 'bhumi pujan' of community health centre and primary health centre was carried out only lately and the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has done a lot for the constituency. Now with some Congress leaders here joining the BJP, it is our responsibility to develop it by leaps and bounds. We will develop it as an ideal constituency and a model district," he added.

Though the BJP swept UP in the 2014 general election, the BJP lost both Rae Bareli and Amethi to the Congress. Barring three exceptions - 1977, 1996 and 1998 - Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952.

Rae Bareli is currently represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, a four-term MP. Amethi is represented in Parliament by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

(With PTI inputs)
Rae Bareli: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said his party would rid Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, of 'parivarvad'.

Addressing a public meeting in Gandhi family's pocket borough, he said Rae Bareli voted for top Congress leaders, but had not witnessed development since Independence.

"Rae Bareli has seen 'parivarvad' (dynastic politics) ever since Independence till this day and no development. I have come here to make it clear that the BJP will free Rae Bareli of 'parivarvad' and will start the campaign from today itself for taking it on the path of 'vikasvad' (development)," Shah said.

"The Congress and its top leadership have ruled in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli for years but the 'bhumi pujan' of community health centre and primary health centre was carried out only lately and the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has done a lot for the constituency. Now with some Congress leaders here joining the BJP, it is our responsibility to develop it by leaps and bounds. We will develop it as an ideal constituency and a model district," he added.

The BJP chief further said that before Yogi government assumed office, UP was known for 'goonda raj' and bad law and order. Shah went on to say that he wanted to tell Rae Bareli people that he had been touring all over the country and "I can say Narendra Modi government will come back with a bigger mandate in 2019".

Though the BJP swept UP in the 2014 general election, the BJP lost both Rae Bareli and Amethi to the Congress. Barring three exceptions - 1977, 1996 and 1998 - Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952.

Rae Bareli is currently represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, a four-term MP. Amethi is represented in Parliament by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

(With PTI inputs)
Remember all those hilariously badly translated signs that went viral (or whatever else it was called back then) when Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008? Well, they could soon be a thing of the past. The city has announced a war on the endearingly funny and sometimes-inappropriate signs.

The Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office has asked local residents who know English to fill out forms online and submit them when they find signs that are poorly translated. China being China, the project has been given the rather attractive title of '2018 Online Correction of Erroneous Public Sign Translations'.

The signs caught global attention ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and China seems determined to ensure that all the signs are fixed in time for the 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2022 Winter Paralympics.

"Although a funny sight for those that have a good grasp of English grammar, some of the signs around Beijing are incorrectly worded and some are even rude," read an aggregated media report on the project.

" the city will receive huge media attention across the world. During this time, Beijing will see an even higher amount of tourism from all over the world as it holds the opening and closing ceremonies, so signs must be legible and correct," the report added.

Enthusiasm for a project like this is unlikely to be high. So, the Foreign Affairs Office has announced monthly prizes for individuals who find the highest number of signs to be corrected. Beijingers can report such signs by filling and submitting an online form.

Here are some of the hilarious signs, with what the Beijing goverment feels should be the correct version:

What it should have been: Caution, danger of falling into the water

What it should have been: Nationality Garden

What it should have been: Poisonous and harmful rubbish.
In a development that is totally not 'unpresidented', US President Donald Trump brought his skills at spelling into focus, again. In a tweet late on Friday night (US time), he trained his guns on Robert Mueller, without naming him. However, he ended up attacking the 'Special Council' instead.

Discrediting the Special Counsel investigation into his dealing and connections with Russia has been one of the most defining attention points for Trump through his eventful Presidency.

In his tweet, he sought to hit two birds with one stone, by going after the now-released memos written by former FBI director James Comey. "James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?" he tweeted.

James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

At least this time, those reading the tweet were able to decipher that the US speller-in-chief got it wrong. There have been instances when that was not clear. Remember when he launched a brutal attack on the media by accusing them of 'covfefe'?

Trump's seemingly poor spelling has been the focus of online derision on multiple occasions before. He had once unprecedentedly used the word 'unpresidented'. We think the President tried to say 'unprecedented', but ended up spelling it 'un-correctly'.

There have been a whole number of other instances. For instance, there wasn't 'honour', and thank the evangelical heavens that elected Trump, someone managed to save it for posterity before he deleted it.

And then there was the time he tried to be all statesmanly and tried to 'heel' the world with his 'stable genius'.

If all this is not 'reeson' enough for Twitter to make the 'edit' button a reality, we don't 'no' what 'iz'.
1. Yes. There should be absolute certainty that the election was free and fair.

2. Yes. The audit could and should lead to stronger laws governing elections in the state.

3. No. Former President Trump wants the audit to further cast doubt on the 2020 vote.

4. No. Its a waste of money, an attempt by Abbott to gain favor among Trump backers.

5. Unsure. It seems unnecessary but it may provide some worthwhile findings.

Vote

View Results
NEW DELHI: Shortly after Kim Jong-un announced that North Korea will suspend nuclear and long-range missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site, US President Donald Trump called it a 'big progress'.

Welcoming the move, the US President said that it is very good news for both North Korea and the world. "Look forward to our Summit," he added.

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

Taking to Twitter, Trump said, "North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

Earlier in the day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared that the country would suspend its nuclear and missile tests and shut down a nuclear test site. His statement came ahead of a planned meeting with Trump.

South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea, amidst preparing for discussions with the United States and South Korea, would shut down its nuclear test site in the northern area from April 21.

"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," Yonhap quoted the Korean Central News Agency as saying.

"The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to guarantee transparency in suspending nuclear tests," the statement from North Korea added.

The decision was made in a meeting of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea's (WPK) full Central Committee that had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies.

Kim Jong-un is set to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next Friday.

A meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un will possibly happen in May or early June, this year.

Meanwhile, Japan's Defence Chief expressed his dissatisfaction over Kim's move and said, "Not satisfied with North Korea pledge, to continue pressure."

(With inputs from agencies)
SEOUL: North Korea will carry out no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests and will shut down its atomic test site, it said on Saturday in a move immediately welcomed by US President Donald Trump.

Pyongyang`s declaration, long sought by Washington, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

It comes less than a week before North Korea`s leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.

The North had developed its weapons in what he called a "great victory", and so "no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now".

"The mission of the northern nuclear test ground has thus come to an end," he added at the gathering of the central committee of the Workers` Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday -- the North has not carried any out since November -- and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Within minutes of the report being issued, Trump tweeted: "This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth nuclear blast, its most powerful to date, and tested missiles it said are capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim and Trump traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions ramped up, and even when there was an extended pause in testing, US officials said that it could not be interpreted as a halt without an explicit statement from Pyongyang.

South Korean envoys have previously cited Kim as promising no more tests, but Saturday`s news is the first such announcement directly by Pyongyang.

"Certainly this is a positive development," said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University. "It`s a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-proliferation commitments."The formal declaration of an end to testing comes after Kim stated in his New Year speech that the development of North Korea`s nuclear force had been completed.

In the same address, he said he had a nuclear button on his desk, prompting Trump to tweet that he had a bigger one of his own.

Events have moved rapidly since then, catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, and Seoul is now pushing for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, raising hopes that a settlement could finally be reached on the peninsula.

But there is a long way to go and Moon himself acknowledged this week that the "devil is in the details".

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees, leaving much room for negotiation.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

For its part, Pyongyang has been relatively reticent about the process, making its first official reference to contacts with the US only last week, when KCNA said Kim had discussed "the prospect of the DPRK-US dialogue".

But the leader told the Workers` Party meeting: "A fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape."For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.

But Kim said that as it was now a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction", in what he called the party`s "new strategic line".

Several factors have driven the Korean rapprochement, including the North feeling that it can now negotiate from a position of strength, concern about the belligerence of the Trump administration, and the looming impact of sanctions.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies told AFP: "This is in effect a declaration of abandoning the byungjin policy for the sake of economic development."

"The North will now engage in negotiations with the US to obtain the normalisation of ties, guarantee against attempts to undermine its regime, and the lifting of sanctions which are essential for developing economy and improving people`s livelihoods," Yang said.
Open source

The militants attacked the Ukrainian positions 20 times, as the Donbas conflict HQ reported on Facebook.

Russian occupation troops performed 20 attack of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The aggressor continues violating the Minsk Agreements using banned weapons, the message says.

The militants were firing from BM-21 Grad multiple artillery rocket system at our positions near Lebedynske. They have launched 40 rocket-propelled missiles. The enemy used 82-mm mortar launchers, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms near Lebedynske.

Besides, the occupants attacked from 122-mm artillery and 120-mm mortar launchers at the defenders of Shyrokyne and Vodyane. The aggressor used 120-mm mortar launchers near Novotroitske, grenade launchers and small arms near Butivka mine, Vodyane, Pisky and Opytne, and small arms near Avdiivka and Novotroitske.

Russian troops were firing from banned 122-mm artillery near Popasna, from infantry fighting vehicle  near Krymske and from small arms near Novoluhanske.

As it was reported, as a result of the enemys firings on April 19 two Ukrainian soldiers were injured, one soldier died and one was wounded on April 20.

As we reported, the militants opened fire from Grad near Lebedynske today.

Ukraine news on 112.international
The militants launched 40 shells from Grad at Ukrainian positions

Open source

Ukrainian soldier born in 1991 died in the enemys attacks in Donbas conflict zone over the past 24 hours, as Dmytro Hutsulyak, the Defence Ministry Spokesperson on Donbas, said at the briefing in Ukraine Crisis Media Center, 112.ua reports.

Besides, one soldier was injured, he was taken to the military field hospital with a critical health condition.

36 attacks in total were documented over the past 24 hours. The militants launched 40 shells from Grad at Ukrainian positions. They have also performed around 40 shots from 122-mm artillery and launched 60 mortar shells from 120- and 80-mm mortar launchers.

Ukrainian soldiers have opened fire 15 times from ratified armaments as a response.

As it was reported, the militants used armored fighting vehicles near Pyshchevyk and Pavlopil (Donetsk region).
Open source

More than 2,540 civilians died and around 9,000 were injured in Donbas over four years, as UN reported on Twitter.

Four years of war have taken lives of more than 2,540 civilians and broke loves of around 9,000 people. The number of casualties is increasing every day, the message says.

Earlier, Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko stated that more than 13,000 Ukrainian military servicemen were injured from the beginning of war in Donbas.

As we reported earlier, Pavlo Klimkin, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine claimed that the deoccupation issue of Crimea and Donbas will be discussed at the meeting of the foreign ministers of G7 countries.

Ukraine news on 112.international
The Security Service of Ukraine detained an employee of one of the strategic enterprises of the Ministry of Defense in Kyiv, who was spying for Russia.

The detainee was informed of the suspicion of committing a crime and a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen.





In the framework of open criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Art.

111 (high treason), investigative actions continue.





A native of Russia, colonel of the reserve of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in July 2017 while staying in in Russia was recruited by the Russian military intelligence officer.





For monetary compensation, the former Ukrainian military collected data with limited access in the defense sphere of our state for the transfer of information to Russian curators.





"The special services of the Russian Federation, in particular, interested in information on the implementation of state defense orders and development of new systems of unmanned aircraft detection used during the anti-terrorist operation in the east of Ukraine", said in a statement.





In addition, the agent was trying to buy a Ukrainian-made drone to be sent to Russia for aerial reconnaissance.
112 Agency

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation accused the US authorities of disruption of the performance of the Bolshoi Theater artists in New York. This is reported on the Russian MFA website.



"Just two days ago we pointed out the deplorable situation with the issuance of US visas in Russia, which artificially created by the United States, which leads to considerable difficulties in maintaining the business, cultural, sports, and even family ties. And now a new sad example - the denial of entry to artists of Moscow Bolshoi Theater, as a result of which the New York performance of prima ballerina O. Smirnova and the first soloist of the ballet troupe Y. Tissi were disrupted, "the statement said.



The Russian Foreign Ministry complained: "Even during the" Cold War " we hadn't experienced such csircumstamces. Arts, including ballet, always help to better know and understand each other, to melt the ice of distrust, to reduce tension in international relations."



What happened in Russia is regarded as another unfriendly gesture on the part of the United States. "Today, the influential forces of the United States, concerned about how to put pressure on Russia, will not stop," the ministry added.



It is noteworthy that earlier in the US they said that the improvement of relations between Moscow and Washington depends on the solution of problems related to interference in the American elections, chemical attack in Britain, situations in Ukraine and Syria.

Related: Defense Ministry employee spying for Russia arrested in Kyiv
Ukraine's accession to NATO would be beneficial to Hungary and the Hungarian community in Ukraine, but third countries, in particular Russia, are interested in worsening relations between Kyiv and Budapest.





This was stated by Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vasyl Bondar in an interview with Radio Liberty

"The problem of Hungary is in trying to use its NATO membership to meet its own goals, which we do not quite understand. On the one hand, as a member state of NATO - on the territory of Ukraine there are Hungarians who are part of Ukrainian society, their security should be a key

so Ukraine in NATO would be more profitable for Hungary than vice versa, so I suspect that this is not Hungary's interest ... but the interest of a third party. And it's not surprising to talk about it, knowing certain facts,"

he said.





At the same time, Bondar specified that under the "third countries" he primarily refers to the Russian Federation.





"I do not want to blame ... But politically I can admit that Moscow's influence on Budapest, unfortunately, is growing, and this is a threat not only for Kyiv, but also for Europe, for unity in NATO and for understanding how

Russia is acting, "he added.





At the same time Bondar noted that the Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban received high support of the society in the parliamentary elections, which means that "he skillfully conducts his policy inside the country, including using politically the subjects of national minorities" and the Ukrainian law "

On education ", containing a norm on the languages of national minorities."





"We basically hoped that by achieving specific goals on the domestic front, the rhetoric of Budapest will change, because I do not think that Budapest is interested in the deterioration of relations with Ukraine, having here such a large community," he said, noting that after the elections in

Hungary is rhetoric against Kyiv, unfortunately, has not changed.





"This confirms once again my assumption that it is not a Hungarian interest to have a bad relationship with Ukraine, and this is the interest of a third party." We are prepared to compromise on a reasonable solution to the problem, but we will not go to ultimatums," Bondar said.





Earlier, Bondar said that Hungary has distributed more than 100,000 passports to citizens of Hungarian origin in Transcarpathia.


Open source

The US State Department accused the governments of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea of violating human rights. This is stated in the published annual report of the United States on the state of human rights in the world.



"The governments of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, for example, daily violate human rights within their borders and as a result are forces of instability," the text of the document says.



US Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki Haley believes that human rights are most often infringed in China, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela, the statement of the United States' Permanent Representation Office says.



"Protecting and upholding human rights is the heart of American values, and we will continue to challenge countries that are more infringing on human rights - Iran, China, Syria, Venezuela and North Korea. The publication of the statement serves as a warning to inhuman states that the US is monitoring them and is a reminder that we will continue to stand on the side of victims of human rights violations, "Haley said.

Related: Ukraine to increase pressure on Russia to release political prisoner, - Foreign Ministry
Open source

The doctors observe positive dynamics in the health condition of the children who got poisoned in Sievierodonetsk, as Yuriy Garbuz, the Head of Luhansk Civil-Military Administration, wrote on Facebook.

Thanks to God and doctors, children are all right! We observe positive dynamics, children do not have temperature, he wrote.

Earlier, Garbuz informed that children receive medical assistance in full. Two of them were in the emergency room in a critical condition, the condition of the rest was estimated as moderate.

According to him, local prosecutors office opened a criminal proceeding on the case.

All the perpetrators will be prosecuted. I personally control the situation, the Head of Luhansk Civil-Military Administration stated.

As it was reported earlier, 15 children at the ages from 10 to 12 were hospitalized with different severity levels of poisoning in the hospitals of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk after consuming meals in one of the food outlets.
Donald Trump, the U.S. President, on Twitter welcomed the North Koreas decision to suspend nuclear tests.

A message from Kim Jong Un: North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Also will Shut down a nuclear test site in the countrys Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests. Progress being made for all!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

Earlier, Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, stated that Pyongyang suspends nuclear and missile tests and shuts down nuclear test site. North Korea expressed its readiness to discuss denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula with the U.S. at the meeting of Kim Jong-un with Donald Trump. North Korea insists the meeting with Trump to be held in Pyongyang. Geneva is another place being considered. At the meeting with Japanese PM, Trump stated that the talks with Kim Jong-un are to be held at the beginning of June.
Open source

Ukraine and Russia terminated an agreement between Russias Government and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 1998 on the cooperation in the information area, as it was stated in the message of Russias Foreign Ministry, which was published on the official website of Russias legal information.

The agreement between Russia and the Cabinet of Ministers on the cooperation in media field signed on February 27, 1998 was terminated on April 20, 2018, the document says.

According to the agreement, the parties were obligated to provide assistance for the accredited representatives of mass media of another state and create the conditions required for the professional duties performance, including the establishment of business contacts and the preparation of the informational content and television reports.

Both of the sides were obligated to provide assistance for the activity of mass media correspondent stations of another state, which function on its territory.

The parties were obligated to support, encourage and improve the cooperation between the mass media areas of the states.

The document consisted of 13 articles.

Earlier, Russia announced about the termination of the agreement with Ukraine on the mutual deliveries of weapons and military equipment.

The Cabinet of Ministers terminated the Programme on economic cooperation between Ukraine and Russia for 2011-2020 on March 21.
The representatives of the Foreign Ministry are worried about the health condition of the political prisoner

Ukraine is to increase pressure on Russia to release Volodymyr Balukh, a political prisoner, kept in annexed Crimea in Simferopol detention center, as Mariana Betsa, the Spokesperson of Ukraines Foreign Ministry, wrote on Twitter.

We are worried about Volodymyr Balukhs health condition. We together with our partners will increase pressure on Russia concerning his release, Betsa stated.

As it was reported earlier, Balukh's lawyer Olha Dinze reported that the convoy beat Volodymyr Balukh, the illegally convicted in the occupied Crimea, Ukrainian activist on April 2. In addition, according to her, the administration of the pre-trial detention center refused to give Ukrainian political prisoner water, saying he was on a hunger strike.

As it was reported earlier, Volodymyr Balukh, the Ukrainian citizen illegally judged in the occupied Crimea claimed that he goes for a timeless hunger strike. Balukh protested against the verdict in his case, announced in January 2018. The jury sentenced him to three years and five months for the alleged storage of ammunition. As it is currently effective, the detainee now serves time in jail.

In December 2013, when the Euromaidan movement began in Ukraine, Balukh supported its activists and hoisted a Ukrainian flag over his house. It remained there  even after the so-called referendum in Crimea in spring 2014 when people were forced to vote for Crimeas recognition as part of the Russian Federation. Balukh said he never recognized the peninsula as part of Russia.

Volodymyr Balukh was detained by the Russian FSB (federal security service) in his house in December 2016. The law enforcers said they found 90 cartridges and several TNT blocks on the houses rooftop.After that, he was sentenced to three years and seven months of imprisonment.
Open source

The UN humanitarian agencies possess only 3% of means required for the assistance for the residents of the southeast Ukraine this year, as Neal Walker, the Coordinator of UN Humanitarian Programmes in Ukraine, stated.

The representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have calculated that $187 million of assistance for the residents of the state. The organization has not received the total sum yet.

Today, I call on Member States to stand in solidarity with conflict affected people in Ukraine and to help urgently address this 97 per cent funding gap. I continue to call on the parties to the conflict to take all measures necessary to ensure international humanitarian law is respected  civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. The only solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine is peace. We do not want to mark any further anniversaries of continued conflict, Neal Walker stated.

According to the OCHA estimates, 4,4 million Ukrainians are conflict-affected and 3.4 million people in Ukraine are struggling to cope with the impact of the humanitarian crisis and urgently require humanitarian assistance and protection.

As it was reported earlier, the European Union allocated 700 million of humanitarian assistance for Ukraine.
A rising chorus of investors and stakeholders, along with some farmers, are beginning to spread the message that the health of the soil is just as important as the health of the plants growing in it.

In comparison to its importance, we have mostly ignored soil for centuries and are only just now starting to understand the biology of it, said Bill Buckner, president and CEO of the Noble Foundation to AgFunderNews last year.

In honor of Earth Day, here are six startups working to improve the health of soil on farms and off. Soil health is a term with as much grey area as sustainability  both are commonly expressed goals without clear, universal definitions. But the Soil Health Institute, created by the Noble Foundation, offers some clarity in describing its mission as safeguarding and enhancing the vitality and productivity of soil.

This list includes startups that are working to positively improve the inherent nutrient content of soil and those looking to remove harmful substances or diseases from it. Perhaps conspicuously absent from this list are companies creating biological crop inputs  a type of ag biotech innovation generally believed to be less negatively impactful on soil health, but according to Buckner, the jury is still out on that. Therefore, biologicals are only included on this list if they have an expressed purpose of improving soil health.

With low commodity prices leaving farmers little room for trying new things, these startups have even more incentive to develop technologies that benefit farm ecology and economics in equal measure.

EFC Systems AgSolver  United States

Founded in 2014, a partnership between farm management software startup AgSolver, the National Corn Growers Association, and the Soil Health Insitute created software to measure the sustainability of farming operations. The partnership was established to quantify the environmental and economic impact of practices such as cover crops, nutrient management, and reduced tillage  all of which are believed to positively impact soil health. AgSolvers assets were acquired by EFC Systems in 2017, but the program persists. As of October 2017, the players had enrolled more than 4,000 acres, seeking to study the relationship between sustainable farming and economic success.

Cool Planet  United States

Cool Planet is a biocarbon producer, which has earned a USDA Certified Biobased Product Label. Produced from non-food biomass and a variety of feedstocks in a process called biomass pyrolysis, CoolTerra is applied to soil at a variety of different stages depending on the crop. It has a range of benefits such as a highly porous medium, which acts like a sponge retaining water and nutrients at the root zone. Its pore structure and chemistry also provide surfaces where beneficial soil microbes can attach and flourish. CoolTerra also has carbon sequestering properties. Every ton of CoolTerra placed in the soil sequesters three tons of atmospheric carbon, according to the company.

Land Life Company  The Netherlands

Land Life Company is a startup hoping to regenerate degraded soil. The company makes Cocoon, a low-cost, biodegradable product in which trees can grow autonomously without irrigation. The Cocoon allows the trees to grow in soil that would otherwise not be conducive to growth and as it breaks down provides healthy microorganism life and an environment around the tree that is healthier for plant life due to the introduction of shade and increased water retention in the soil among other factors. Land Life has run forestry projects in Mexico, China, the West Bank, Chile, and Zambia among others.

MicroGen Biotech  Ireland

MicroGen Biotech is a microbial crop input and soil remediation platform. The companys flagship technology Constructed Functional Microbiome produces microbial products for increasing crop yields and soil health with the goal of food safety. The companys target market is China because many areas of China have soil contaminated with heavy metals like cadmium. Though Micron Biotech microbes benefit crop yield as well, their primary markets are ones where soil health is compromised to such an extent that the crops would otherwise contain unsafe quantities of harmful substances like cadmium.

Trace Genomics  United States

Trace Genomics makes a microbiome test for soil pathogens in strawberry and lettuce farming. Before launching its service, which many compare to human DNA testing kit 23andMe, Trace Genomics completed trials on strawberry and lettuce farms in California. The soil testing kit also allows farmers to gauge the health and productivity of their soil before they begin planting, allowing optimization of inputs and yields. The product is intended to help farmers make cost-saving decisions about the types of treatments to apply to their soil or even which crops to plant.

Wanda Organic  Kenya

Wanda Organic is a Kenyan start-up providing organic bio-fertilizers to small and medium-sized farmers in order to improve their soil health and yields. Clients can order products by sending a simple SMS with their phone. Wanda says that its products improve soil organic matter, increase nutrient turnover, increase disease tolerance facilitate soil stability, and break down pesticide and herbicide residues.
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!)
Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda performs live.

Since arriving in the United States in 1994, Colombian-born harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda has forged a unique musical path bringing a wholly original voice to jazz and other genres. Born in 1978 in Bogota, Castaneda took up the harp as a teenager, playing the folkloric music of his homeland. He discovered jazz after moving to New York City where he was introduced to the jazz community by Paquito DRivera, who called him an enormous talent with the charisma of a musician who has taken his harp out of the shadow to become one of the most original musicians from the Big Apple. Since then, Castaneda has taken the world by storm with the sheer force of his absolutely virtuosic command of his instrument A master of skillfully drawing out lush colors and dynamic spirit and crafting almost unbelievable feats of cross-rhythms, layered with chordal nuances rivaling the most celebrated flamenco guitarists efforts, Castaneda is also the consummate collaborator, having forged a series of exciting partnerships, including his latest with Japanese pianist Hiromi, with whom he recently released Live in Montreal. Castaneda has also performed and recorded with John Scofield, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Marcus Miller, John Patitucci, Miguel Zenon, Brazilian pop-jazz great Ivan Lins, Paquito DRivera, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and Chico OFarrills Afro-Cuban Jazz Big Band and has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and the 10th annual World Harp Congress. If you arent watching Castaneda in action, you might think youre listening to an ensemble rather than a solo player. His left hand pops and slaps the strings, dancing across minor-key ostinatos, while his right hand arpeggiates chords and invents spontaneous micro-melodies. Between both hands, you hear the overlapping polyrhythms of joropo, a complex, triple-meter dance from South America.  Hartford Courant.
Mario Cabrerahe directs a production of Agatha Christies first stage play.

The Adobe Theater announces its production of Agatha Christies first stage play, Black Coffee, which launched her second successful career as a playwright.

Fans of the great Belgian detective Hercule Poirot will be delighted when he and his friend Captain Arthur Hastings are summoned to visit a famous physicist, Sir Claud Amory. Set in the early 1930s, Sir Claud has come up with a secret formula for one of the deadliest weapons known to man. Too late to save the scientist, however, Poirot and Hastings discover on their arrival that he has been murdered and the formula stolen. Black Coffee is one of Christies most gripping country house murders, a superbly crafted whodunit with endless red herrings, subplots of infamous spies and an astonishingly prophetic storyline about weapons created through bombarding the atom.

Blackmail, the stolen formula, and family tensions contribute to the suspense. Will Poirot successfully employ his little grey cells to correctly deduce which of Sir Claud's house guests or family members is the killer? Of course he will! But will you?

Director Mario Cabrera says In her first play ever written, Agatha Christie introduces us to a character who went on to become one of the most famous detectives of all time as well as the only fictional character ever to receive a full-page obituary in the New York Times. Arriving at the estate just moments too late, one man instantly sniffs out a sinister brew of secrecy, treachery, and deception amid the households occupants. That man is Hercule Poirot. Like her other plays, Black Coffee is sophisticated and full of suspense, with just the right amount of humor tossed in for good measure. It is a formula that still works today. Please sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee in Sir Claude Amory's sitting room, and watch what this great cast helps unfold!

Appearing as the dapper detective Hercule Poirot will be Dehron Foster, and director Cabrera has attracted a top-notch cast from Albuquerques favorite actors, including Mike Eddie Dethlefs as Hastings and Neil Faulconbridge as Inspector Japp, Nick Fleming as Richard Amory and Fawn Hanson as Lucia Amory. Follow the Adobe Theater on social media for additional details about the cast and the show.

Black Coffee opens April 13th and plays through May 6 at The Adobe Theater, 9813 4th Street NW. Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm. General Admission $20, Discount $17 (Seniors, Students, ATG/PBS Members, Military, First Responders). Opening Weekend Special: All Tickets $15!

Tickets: www.adobetheater.org
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Opposition protesters resumed the citywide demonstrations Saturday morning, starting a new march from Yerevans Nor Nork district in the eastern part of the city.

Deputy Police Chief of Yerevan Colonel Valery Osipyan approached the protesters and notified that the demonstrators are illegally restricting the movements of other citizens.

We are receiving reports from citizens that they are unable to reach hospitals in time, some even couldnt make it to the airport in time, the Colonel said.

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the rallies, argued that police shouldnt restrict the demonstrators. The Colonel responded by saying that the rallies themselves are restricting the constitutional rights of many citizens.

Mr. Osipyan mentioned that many of the initiators of the rallies have used highly offensive language to insult police officers. We will be forced to bring everyone to order. You, as an initiator of the rally, will be removed from here because you are unable to normally organize the rally, the Colonel said.

The lawmaker however argued that they are holding a spontaneous rally and police cannot obstruct the march.

A clash erupted shortly thereafter, with one officer being injured and taken away by other cops. Several people were detained.

Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital of Yerevan a week ago.



The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The rallies began with a sit-in at France Square in downtown Yerevan, followed by sporadic marches in the city streets. The protesters even began blocking intersections and shutting down traffic. The situation escalated when the crowd of protesters and MP Pashinyan himself breached into the headquarters of Public Radio of Armenia, demanding airtime on April 14.



Then on April 16, protesters and riot police clashed in a brief incident on Baghramyan Avenue  one of the main city streets housing the parliament, Constitutional Court and the Prime Ministers residence. The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order.

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands and continued the rally, initiating sit-ins outside governmental buildings, blocking traffic, obstructing public service staff from entering their offices, even deflating tires of official vehicles parked outside ministries.

About 100 demonstrators were detained for misdemeanors on April 19. Several others have been placed under arrest for causing a brief riot earlier in central Yerevan. 107 people have been detained in about 6 hours Friday.

Police said they will continue lawfully detaining those who are violating public order.

More than 200 people were detained on April 20 during citywide demonstrations.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. All 233 protesters who were detained during Friday by Yerevan Police Department have been released, police said.

Earlier on April 19, police spokesman Ashot Aharonyan said law enforcement agencies will continue lawfully detaining those who are committing public order violations.

Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital of Yerevan a week ago.



The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The rallies began with a sit-in at France Square in downtown Yerevan, followed by sporadic marches in the city streets. The protesters even began blocking intersections and shutting down traffic. The situation escalated when the crowd of protesters and MP Pashinyan himself breached into the headquarters of Public Radio of Armenia, demanding airtime on April 14.



Then on April 16, protesters and riot police clashed in a brief incident on Baghramyan Avenue  one of the main city streets housing the parliament, Constitutional Court and the Prime Ministers residence. The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order.

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands and continued the rally, initiating sit-ins outside governmental buildings, blocking traffic, obstructing public service staff from entering their offices, even deflating tires of official vehicles parked outside ministries.

About 100 demonstrators were detained for misdemeanors on April 19. Several others have been placed under arrest for causing a brief riot earlier in central Yerevan. 107 people have been detained in about 6 hours Friday.

Police said they will continue lawfully detaining those who are violating public order.

The rallies resumed Saturday morning.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The defense ministry of Armenia has called on the demonstrators of the ongoing Yerevan rally to refrain from attempting to block the streets near the Defense Ministry headquarters, as well as attempts to obstruct vehicles with defense ministry license plates.

The statement said that the defense ministry and the General Staff of the Armed Forces are on 24/7 duty for ensuring the militarys daily functioning. Nothing can obstruct the implementation of this work, the statement said.

Any similar attempt will be strictly prevented.

As the Yerevan protests entered a 9th day, opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan announced April 21 that the rally will also march near the Defense Ministry. The Defense Ministry HQ is located in the Nor Nork district of Yerevan.

The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The rallies began with a sit-in at France Square in downtown Yerevan, followed by sporadic marches in the city streets. The protesters even began blocking intersections and shutting down traffic. The situation escalated when the crowd of protesters and MP Pashinyan himself breached into the headquarters of Public Radio of Armenia, demanding airtime on April 14.



Then on April 16, protesters and riot police clashed in a brief incident on Baghramyan Avenue  one of the main city streets housing the parliament, Constitutional Court and the Prime Ministers residence. The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order.

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands and continued the rally, initiating sit-ins outside governmental buildings, blocking traffic, obstructing public service staff from entering their offices, even deflating tires of official vehicles parked outside ministries.

About 100 demonstrators were detained for misdemeanors on April 19. Several others have been placed under arrest for causing a brief riot earlier in central Yerevan. More than 200 were detained Friday, but all were subsequently released shortly thereafter.

Police said they will continue lawfully detaining those who are violating public order.

The rallies resumed Saturday morning.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Ombudsman of Armenia Arman Tatoyan released a statement on the extremely tense atmosphere in the country, calling on all participants to take measures for peaceful settlement of the situation, the Ombudsmans Office said.

A tense atmosphere in the country. 24-hour monitoring of social networks and other publications shows a clear increase of hate speech and violence, including calls on resolving problems through weapon. This is extremely unacceptable, since it intensify the situation. 24-hour investigations show that violence and intolerance campaigns are being carried out through the comments under the media publications and reports. There are also frequent cases of violence. The comments under the publications in social media describing the actions of police that call for violence towards police officers and in separate cases to deprivation of life are of special concern. In these circumstances, blockade of vehicles of the persons, responsible for the most important functions of the state is also unacceptable. Alerts related to child rights violations have significantly increased. A strong protection and security of children based on the principles of their best interest should also be ensured. This situation is fraught with the threat of serious human rights violations and the dangers of obstacles to preventing these violations. In all these circumstances, it is our duty to exert every effort for the peaceful settlement of the situation. Therefore, I call all actors of the process to show tolerance and responsible attitude, to refrain from activities straining the situation and creating dangerous situation for violence cases. All calls and exhortations aimed which are aimed at peaceful settlement of the situation are welcomed.

Arman Tatoyan RA Human Rights Defender of Armenia, the statement said.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The ARFs (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) Armenia Supreme Body released a statement about the ongoing unrest in Armenia and welcomed Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans call for dialogue.

We welcome the call of the Armenian Prime Minister for starting immediate dialogue and negotiations  this is in line with [ARF] path. This path will prevent further escalations in Armenia, which can lead to serious consequences for our people and state, the statement said in part.

The moment is sensitive and full of numerous domestic and foreign threats and dangers. Logic dictates to negotiate  without ultimatums and preconditions and to bring forward a real, clear political agenda.

Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital of Yerevan a week ago.



The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order.

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands and continued the rally, initiating sit-ins outside governmental buildings, blocking traffic, obstructing public service staff from entering their offices, even deflating tires of official vehicles parked outside ministries.



Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan reacted to Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans call for immediate dialogue amid the unrest in the Armenian capital.

The lawmaker responded by repeating the same preconditions which he had earlier announced at a rally.

Pashinyan said he is only willing to discuss the conditions of Serzh Sargsyans removal from power in case of a dialogue.

We dont want any vendettas or revenge. The chapter of domestic hostility is closed in Armenia, we must not incite hostility within the society. I call on Serzh Sargsyan to accept our conditions, Pashinyan said.

Armenias Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan made a statement on April 21 about the ongoing domestic situation, calling for dialogue.

Several demonstrations and marches took place in the capital city Yerevan during the past week. Each citizen of our country is entitled with the right of peaceful demonstrations and marches. Authorities have respected this right and will always continue respecting it.

Unfortunately, these public gatherings have frequently crossed the permitted limits of law and received unnecessary and anarchic manifestations, which are talked about in detail in the numerous statements of the police. The ongoing developments are fraught with unpredictable consequences, endanger public order and harm the Armenian societys complex and delicate harmony.

Each of us must remember, that besides him, no less proud Armenian citizens are living, studying, working and resting in this country. The harmony of our society must be based on solidarity and tolerance.

I am deeply concerned with the domestic developments. With the goal of avoiding irreversible losses, I call on Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan to sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiations. This must be done immediately.

I am sure that all political powers of the country can contribute to forming such a dialogue adequate to the situation, the Prime Minister said.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan has weighed in on the ongoing unrest in Armenia.

The President released a statement, saying : These days all Armenians are focused on the ongoing developments in Yerevan and a number of cities of Armenia. Artsakh cannot remain indifferent for ongoing developments in Mother Armenia and is also following this all.

For our homeland, which is in a complex geopolitical situation and threatened by an insidious enemy any second, any attempt of destabilization and undermining of unity is dangerous and fraught with the worst consequences, which cant not impact of security, defense-ability and the situation at the borders.

Any citizen of Armenia is entitled with presenting his opinion or vision about the present or future of the country. This is an inseparable Constitutional right.

However, this right must be exercises exclusively within the law, never forgetting that the most important factor of guaranteeing security of the two Armenian states has been and is domestic stability.

Dear countrymen,

I call on you all to unconditionally adhere to the law, to settle disputed issues through dialogue, display restraint and high level of responsibility.

We must not make mistakes the consequences of which can be fatal for our people and the free and independent statehood, which is the supreme value for any Armenian, in Armenia, Artsakh or the Diaspora, the statement says.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Opposition protesters have blocked the Mashtots Ave.  Pushkin Str. intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Police officers are opening the intersection, but after each time drivers block it again by parking their vehicles in the middle of the street and sounding the horns.

Traffic is heavily congested in the area.

The situation is tense as officers are trying to prevent demonstrators from blocking traffic.

The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order.

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands.

More than 200 were detained Friday, but all were subsequently released shortly thereafter.

Police said they will continue lawfully detaining those who are violating public order.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. The Political Science Association of Armenia expresses its deep concern regarding the events currently underway in Armenia.

The April 20 attack on the Minister of Defense service car while he was carrying out his official duties is clear evidence that current situation threatens Statehood of Armenia which is de facto under the war conditions, and may create favorable conditions for the several external harmful interferences. Especially dangerous are calls to commit high treason for financial benefits.

The Political Science Association of Armenia, as an organization uniting the professional resource in political science, worries about polarization and deepening confrontation within the society.

The national interest should be of priority over any political interests. Political Science Association of Armenia calls for starting negotiations without preconditions and offers its professional support.

On behalf of the Political Science Association of Armenia Board,

Honorary President of Association, Doctor of Political Science, Professor, LTG Hayk Kotanjian, the Political Science Association of Armenia said in a statement.

The ongoing opposition demonstrations began more than a week ago and are led by Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan.

Pashinyan has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan urged the MP to begin dialogue, which the lawmaker rejected.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. A reporter of RFE/RLs Armenia service was attacked on Saturday in Artashat, a town 30km southeast of Yerevan.

The reporter, Arus Hakobyan, was broadcasting live when a plain-clothed man attacked her, punching Hakobyan in the face and attempting to grab the camera.

A similar incident happened earlier on April 19 in Yerevan, when a reporter from the Union of Informed Citizens, Tirayr Muradyan, was attacked outside a governmental building by plain-clothed individuals. Police launched an investigation into the case.

Opposition protesters resumed the citywide demonstrations Saturday morning, starting a new march from Yerevans Nor Nork district in the eastern part of the city.

Deputy Police Chief of Yerevan Colonel Valery Osipyan approached the protesters and notified that the demonstrators are illegally restricting the movements of other citizens.

We are receiving reports from citizens that they are unable to reach hospitals in time, some even couldnt make it to the airport in time, the Colonel said.

Opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, the leader of the rallies, argued that police shouldnt restrict the demonstrators. The Colonel responded by saying that the rallies themselves are restricting the constitutional rights of many citizens.

Mr. Osipyan mentioned that many of the initiators of the rallies have used highly offensive language to insult police officers. We will be forced to bring everyone to order. You, as an initiator of the rally, will be removed from here because you are unable to normally organize the rally, the Colonel said.

The lawmaker however argued that they are holding a spontaneous rally and police cannot obstruct the march.

A clash erupted shortly thereafter, with one officer being injured and taken away by other cops. Several people were detained.

Opposition protests began in the Armenian capital of Yerevan a week ago.



The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.

The rallies began with a sit-in at France Square in downtown Yerevan, followed by sporadic marches in the city streets. The protesters even began blocking intersections and shutting down traffic. The situation escalated when the crowd of protesters and MP Pashinyan himself breached into the headquarters of Public Radio of Armenia, demanding airtime on April 14.

Then on April 16, protesters and riot police clashed in a brief incident on Baghramyan Avenue  one of the main city streets housing the parliament, Constitutional Court and the Prime Ministers residence. The Yerevan Police Department (YPD) has called on the opposition crowd to refrain from illegal actions and to maintain public order.

The protesters largely ignored the YPD demands and continued the rally, initiating sit-ins outside governmental buildings, blocking traffic, obstructing public service staff from entering their offices, even deflating tires of official vehicles parked outside ministries.

About 100 demonstrators were detained for misdemeanors on April 19. Several others have been placed under arrest for causing a brief riot earlier in central Yerevan. 107 people have been detained in about 6 hours Friday.

Police said they will continue lawfully detaining those who are violating public order.

More than 200 people were detained on April 20 during citywide demonstrations.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan urged the MP to begin dialogue, which the lawmaker rejected.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Numerous unions and institutions have joined Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans call for dialogue amid the ongoing opposition demonstrations in Armenia.

Nig-Aparan Union of Countrymen released a statement urging dialogue in the protests. On the eve of the Armenian Genocide commemoration day, we call on all stakeholder parties of the political process to discuss all issues of concern through dialogue, dialogue cannot have an alternative, the union said.

A similar call was made by the Rule of Law party.

The Yerkrapah Union of Volunteers also released a statement calling on the disputing parties to immediately launch negotiations without any preconditions.

The Christian-Democratic Union issued a similar statement.

The Javakhk Compatriotic Union also expressed concern about the ongoing developments in the country. Today, more than ever, our country needs peace and stability, the union said in part.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan urged opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan to start negotiations and begin dialogue, but the lawmaker rejected the offer.

The rallies are led by opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinyan, who has called on his supporters to launch civil disobedience.





English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENRESS. The Prosecution has forwarded media reports about the attack on a RFE/RL reporter to the Investigative Committee for launching proceedings, the prosecution said.

A reporter of RFE/RLs Armenia service was attacked on Saturday in Artashat, a town 30km southeast of Yerevan.

The reporter, Arus Hakobyan, was broadcasting live when a plain-clothed man attacked her, punching Hakobyan in the face and attempting to grab the camera.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan has responded to an open letter of a group of graduates of the Luys Foundation, the PMs office said.

Dear Luys graduates,

I got acquainted with the open letter addressed to me by a group of graduates and I find it necessary that you hear the brief response to these concerns directly from me.

Democracy will never regress in Armenia. Our achievements in building strong and developing democracy during the past years are irreversible and guaranteed by the reformed Constitution.

Weve had numerous occasions to discuss our step for development and vision for the future with you. I am proud that Ive had my contribution in your professional accomplishment. I hope, that you will serve your education, which you received in the best universities of the world, for the stable, secure and unified development of our country. It is joyous that many of you today, by already being in the state administration system, contribute to our statehood building work with your daily quality work.

Assuming office of Prime Minister was due to one simple fact  in this complex geopolitical region and period full of new challenges we must secure the countrys safe development and continue efforts aimed at the dignified resolution of the Artsakh issue.

In my view, the abovementioned issues are solvable, after which other politicians can assume the countrys [control]. In this greatest task, we will also rely on the potential of the Luys community, the Prime Minister said.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. President of the European Council Mr. Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Mr. Jean-Claude Juncker congratulated Armenias Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on being elected to office, the PMs office told ARMENPRESS.

Excellency,



We would like to congratulate you on your election as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. Relations between the European Union and Armenia have been strengthened with the signature of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement on 24 November 2017 and of the EU-Armenia Partnership Priorities of last February.



We look forward to continued cooperation with you in your new position, particularly on the implementation of the new Agreement, including with a view to further consolidating democracy, strengthening rule of law and protecting human rights. In this context, we trust that Armenian authorities will do everything to respect the right of citizens to exercise freedom of assembly in a peaceful manner and in accordance with the law.



Finally, we count on your continued positive engagement within the Eastern Partnership and for our joint efforts to promote security, stability, democracy and prosperity of Armenia and of the broader region, Mr. Tusk and Mr. Juncker said in a joint letter.

Third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan was elected by Members of Parliament to serve as Prime Minister on April 17, a historic vote marking the first time that a Prime Minister is being elected by lawmakers.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian released a statement on the ongoing demonstrations in Yerevan.

Dear countrymen,

I express my deepest concern over the situation in the country.

The intolerance hanging in the air has reached its peak. I am deeply concerned about the rejection of the dialogue offer, which can lead to a confrontation.

Thus, I address you all  stop for a moment and think soberly what consequences this resistance can lead to.

This isnt a political call; I address you as a parent, as a friend and as an Armenian man.

I urge you all to proceed with extreme restraint and responsibility before making any step, strictly adhere to the law, not to cross the circle of rights and duties of the Armenian citizen, not to cross the circle of your official jurisdictions.

Any political demand, as much as justified it may seem, becomes senseless if it endangers the health and life of citizens.

Unfortunately, we have this experience and we cant allow for it to repeat.

There wont be winners and losers, we all will suffer, the country will suffer.

The tension must be de-escalated. We cant allow for the gap dividing the sides not to be able to be bridged.

Thus, I am willing to meet with Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan with the purpose of mitigating the existing tension through dialogue between political forces, the President said in the statement.

As the ongoing demonstrations entered the 9th day, the opposition crowd resumed citywide demonstrations in Yerevan.

Scores of protesters have been detained.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
YEREVAN, APRIL 21, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan began heavy ceasefire violations since Saturday afternoon in the Artsakh line of contact. Azerbaijani forces are using various caliber weapons in the violations, the defense ministry of Artsakh told ARMENPRESS.

In addition to ceasefire violations, active movements of manpower and equipment is observed in various sections of the line of contact.

The Defense Army are closely flowing the actions of the Azerbaijani military.

English translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.Since roughly the beginning of the year, a small segment of tech-savvy internet pranksters have managed to adapt artificial intelligence (AI) programs to take the faces of mainstream movie stars and other personalities and map them onto the faces of porn stars having sexand pretty much no one, not Hollywood nor porn, has been very happy about it. And the charges have flown back and forth, with each side blaming the other for the fakery, and with the performers in both camps (though mostly Hollywood's) decrying the reputation-smearing that has inevitably followed from the fake porn images.

So it's not terribly surprising that SAG-AFTRA, the mainstream performers' union, would issue a statement decrying deepfakery.

"We are closely watching the development of so-called deepfakes," wrote SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris in the latest quarterly issue of the unions official magazine. "This artificial intelligence tool has the ability to steal our images and superimpose them onto another persons body in potentially unpleasant and inappropriate digital forms. SAG-AFTRA is focused on these emerging processes and fighting back when the technology infringes on our members rights."

Among those rights, in California and some other states, is the "right of publicity," under which celebrities may sue those who use the stars' images, words and other attributes without permissionand it's that right that the union will be employing to attempt to keep deepfakes out of the internet's mainstream.

"We want to protect our members from the unauthorized use of their persona, including their digital replica, in advertisements, products, merchandise, company branding, fake news, movies, video games, or pornography," the SAG-AFTRA editorial continued. "And we want to see these protections for both living and deceased individuals. Neither New York nor Louisiana have post-mortem rights of publicity, despite their large entertainer populations. The right of publicity is a property asset, designed to protect the livelihood of our members from misappropriation and theft, and it should be exclusively or non-exclusively licensed or passed down to heirs, much like a copyright. Where a content creator misappropriates a living or deceased individual for commercialized fake news or fake porn, or in expressive works depicting the individual performing the activity for which they are known, e.g. delivering the news or performing fictional characters, we believe explicit protections should be in place. We also support new judicial theories to extend protections to individuals and their heirs who are victimized in fake porn videos."

Of particular concern, especially in the current political environment, is the possibility that the faces of well-known mainstream newscasters or politicians may be pasted onto the bodies of others to make it seem as if they are calling for political actions to be taken, or "reporting" on such actions, when in fact no such statements were made by the actual personalities. In other words, it would be the ultimate in "fake news."

"Recent advances in AI have made it easier than ever to put words in someone's mouth or place a person in unflattering situations," noted Engadget reporter Jessica Conditt. "Oscar-winning writer, actor and director Jordan Peele made a video with Buzzfeed this week showcasing how far this kind of technology has come: He made it appear as if former President Barack Obama called President Donald Trump 'a total and complete dipshit.'"

The union has called for legislation to be passed to make such fakery illegal.

And while several adult sites have promised to weed deepfakes from their online libraries, Conditt stated that, "just this week a simple search pulled up more than 100 videos featuring face-swapped celebrities."

Pictured: NOT Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2018 issue of Intimate magazine. Click here to see the digital edition.

As medicinal and recreational adult-use cannabis is becoming legal and accepted in more states, manufacturers of products that contain CBD oil are looking to expand their reach. And one place theyre looking is adult retail.

Among the first products looking to move into adult is Knob Polish from JACK.

Knob Polish is a CBD-infused, water-based personal lubricant. Its the first in a planned line of CBD topicals from JACK.

The use of CBD in Knob Polish is meant to increase blood flow. Knob Polish is not designed to help increase your size, or make orgasms bigger, explained Krista Whitley of JACK.

JACK was created earlier this year by a top team of cannabis professionals who decided that highjacking could be a thing, according to the companys website.

You could buy boring lubricant at your closest c-store, but youre JACK. JACK doesnt want boring lube, JACK wants the most out of this life, the site adds. This water-based personal lubricant lasts and is infused with precise doses of cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis and hemp. This amazing cannabinoid has medical benefits that help you relax while reducing inflammation. Our product is made from full spectrum CBD isolate extracted from industrial hemp. This fully legal product is available to ship nationwide.

The water-based formula for Knob Polish contains no spermicides, so its safe for use with latex and silicone toys and condoms. For more, visit ProductsByJACK.com.

Also looking to make the leap from c-stores and gas stations into adult is Legal Lean, which produces edibles, tinctures and oils, syrups and more with CBD oil. The company bills its products as natural health solutions to ease stress and relax the mind.

Legal Lean products feature a specially formulated blend of natural herb extracts and essential vitamins, with herbal extracts and proprietary chemicals that are fully compliant under federal law.

For a complete listing of products, visit LegalLeanStore.com.

While there are a few products that rely on THC already being produced and marketed to adult stores, current federal law does not allow for their distribution in all states. However, products using CBDparticularly CBD from hemp plants as opposed to cannabis plantsare eligible for shipment nationwide. That doesnt mean, however, that adult retailers shouldnt do some research before stocking their shelves with CBD products.

CBD is not regulated by the FDA, but it is considered a supplement, so it could be a bit of a Wild, Wild West situation out there, said Vincent S. Gillen, vice president of sales at Hemp Bombs, a manufacturer of CBD-based products, including gummies and vape juices.

Hemp Bombsand parent company Global Widget LLChas been providing CBD-based products to convenience stores and gas stations, but is already working to develop relationships with adult retailers and distributors to bring their products to a wider audience.

CBD products can be another source of revenue for adult stores, Gillen said. Adult retailers always need new products, and these are a perfect accessory if they are already carrying smoke items and the like.

CBD products are a natural fit for adult boutiques, Gillen noted, because CBD is often used as a calming and relaxing supplement.

And there is a range of people using CBD products, he said. Older consumers might be using it for pain relief, while younger customers might enjoy vaping it for its calming abilities. Based on our customer feedback, its hard to say there is only one demographic interested in and using CBD products.

Gillen admitted there will be those who are skeptical of the productsand initially, he and the rest of his staff felt the same. He began using CBD products for anxiety issues and noticed an improvement; now, he said, Hemp Bombs regularly receives calls and emails from customers extolling its virtues.

Hemp Bombs sources its CBD from industrial hemp plants. Hemp plants do not contain THC, so the CBD from these plants can be used in products that can in turn be shipped and distributed nationally. The company also receives a Certificate of Analysis for every ingredient it uses in all of its products. Hemp Bombs also contracts with a third-party laboratory to test the final products.

Each label also has a QR code so retailers and customers can see the lab test results, and more, Gillen said.

In addition to gummies, capsules, vape liquids and more, Hemp Bombs is also looking to add lubricants to its product lineup within the next few months.

For more, visit HempBombs.com.

To learn more about the differences between THC and CBD, read this article by "Cannasexual" Ashley Manta here.
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Party labels give voters an idea of a judicial candidate's philosophy, but sitting judges shouldn't become partisan cheerleaders

Fine sentiments, expressed by N.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan in a speech late last month at West Henderson High School.Too bad the balance of Justice Morgan's remarks, as reported in the Hendersonville Times-News , and the venue - the Henderson County Democratic Party Convention - undermined that noble message.Morgan said.Morgan said the election of Donald Trump has energized Democrats in several special elections.Morgan said.He gave another call to partisan action, according to the paper.Statements like these are unseemly (at a minimum) for a sitting judge. They'd be wrong if a Republican judge said something similar at an event sponsored by a GOP group. Judges aren't supposed to be partisans who give their party's interests any consideration as they weigh legal or constitutional disputes.If a party files or appeals a lawsuit thinking his side would gain an advantage depending on the party affiliation of the judge, then our judicial system has become a rubber-stamp for the party in control.With the state Supreme Court split along party lines, four Democrats and three Republicans, the justice's remarks are unsettling. Especially since several controversies in state court involve battles with clear partisan undertones, including scuffles between Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and the Republican-led General Assembly over separation of powers. A court divided along partisan lines any time a partisan dispute arises serves raw power, rather than justice.Even so, Morgan's sentiments aren't a reason to abandon partisan judicial elections at every level - the system in place not only in North Carolina but also in six other states Why? University of Pittsburgh political science professor Chris Bonneau gave compelling reasons in a white paper recently published by the Federalist Society. In it, he concluded the Tar Heel State's way of picking judges is best.First, consider how other states fill vacancies on the bench. The most common method is assisted appointment , or merit selection. In about half the states, some outside group - a panel of experts, or even a partisan commission - submits a list of nominees to the governor, who selects one. Some states require the pick to win confirmation from the legislature. The judge later faces voters in a retention election. A judge winning the election gets a new term; a losing judge would be replaced using merit selection.Leaders in the state Senate are interested in this alternative, and it would take a constitutional amendment to make it happen.Next is nonpartisan elections (used in about a dozen states). The Democratic-dominated General Assembly shifted North Carolina from partisan to nonpartisan elections around the turn of the 21st century, when Republicans started winning more elections than Democrats liked. The GOP gradually switched things back when Republicans reclaimed the legislature.Finally, a handful of states either have the governor or the legislature appoint judges, and many states elect judges at some levels and appoint them at others.No system is ideal. Having the legislature or the governor appoint judges invites a judiciary that's beholden to the people doing the picking. So can any process letting politicians rather than voters choose among nominees offered by an "independent" commission.In his paper, Bonneau found partisan elections the best way to select judges for several reasons. Party labels suggest a judge's basic ideology, information voters might not get since judges aren't supposed to say how they would handle specific issues before them. (Unless they speak at partisan rallies, of course.) Selection committees generally meet in private, they don't publish their works, and the public often has little or no input in committees' decisions. And judges with life tenure can let their personal biases run rampant - and those judges are hard to replace.Disagree? Want to hear more? Some of the best legal minds in the region will discuss judicial selection Monday, May 7, in Raleigh. The lunchtime event, co-sponsored by the John Locke Foundation and Western Carolina University's Center for the Study of Free Enterprise, will feature Bonneau and several academic critics.You can register here for the event, at Campbell University School of Law. There's a fee for lunch. If you're interested in the future of the state's judiciary, and why the way we choose judges matters, be sure to join us.
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.
An overwhelming stench of poop and urine led authorities to check out what was going on in an unassuming two-story house in Toliara, Madagascar. When they opened the front door, they were shocked to find the house full of endangered tortoises10,068, to be exact. According to Soary Randrianjafizanaka, a representative from Madagascar's environmental protection agency, so many of the poor little critters were jammed into the house that they literally had no room to move.

From National Geographic:

In total the house contained 9,888 live radiated tortoises, a rare species found only in Madagascarand 180 dead ones. Randrianjafizanaka helped count them as rescuers loaded them onto six trucks that made several trips to Le Village Des Tortues (Turtle Village in French), a private wildlife rehabilitation facility in Ifaty, 18 miles north of Toliara. It took until early the following morning to transfer all the tortoises to the rescue center.

The majority of the turtles taken to the rehabilitation facility are doing well, now that they've been cleaned up, moved into more suitable quarters, and provided with veterinary care. Unfortunately, close to 600 of the turtles have died since being removed from the house, due to dehydration or infectionthe result of their long neglect.

With a shrinking population of around three million of the reptiles, the trade of radiated turtles, each of which can have shells up to 16 inches across and weigh as much as 35 pounds, is illegal in 182 countries. That makes the turtles an attractive product for blackmarket traders operating out of Madagascar, to export to shady buyers around the world.

Image: Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE  Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata), CC BY-SA 2.0, Link
A draft of the World Bank's annual flagship World Development Report says that its creditor-states (the poorest countries in the world) should eliminate their minimum wage rules, allow employers to fire workers without cause, and repeal laws limiting abusive employment contract terms.



The bank argues that this is necessary to stop employers from simply investing in automation and eliminating workers altogether.

The report does not contemplate the possibility that the world's governments would just raise taxes on corporations and their investors to provide for all their citizens.

Poor countries  especially decolonized countries  are often in debt to organizations like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, sometimes because they were forced to literally buy their freedom (like Haiti, whose slave-descended population had to remit a sizable portion of its annual GDP to the descendants of French slavers until 1947), sometimes because their wealth was looted by colonists during and after the colonial period, and sometimes because rich creditor nations were complicit in the exfiltration of the nation's treasure by gangster-politicians, a practice that continues to this day.

Countries generally carry more debt than they can hope to repay, and teeter on the brink of continuous default, putting them at the mercy of creditor-organizations, who can order changes to national laws, sell-offs of public industries and assets, and other measures that further reduce debtor-states' ability to prosper, creating more debt and deeper concessions.

The World Bank's recommendations feel like the beginning of the end-game of late-stage capitalism, a recognition that the post-war era in which cruel exploitation of workers was considered a bug rather than a feature is drawing to a close, and a return to a kind of market feudalism, where property rights  no matter how corrupt their origins  always trump human rights.

Five years ago, the World Bank's 2013 World Development Report concluded that labour regulations had little or no impact on employment levels, but the draft for the 2019 WDR says that if workers are expensive to dismiss, fewer will be hired. "Burdensome regulations also make it more expensive for firms to rearrange their workforce to accommodate changing technologies." The report is being prepared amid growing speculation about the impact of artificial intelligence and automation on employment and wages in future decades. "Rapid changes to the nature of work put a premium on flexibility for firms to adjust their workforce, but also for those workers who benefit from more dynamic labor markets," the draft says. Bakvis said the draft "puts forward a policy programme of extensive labour market deregulation, including lower minimum wages, flexible dismissal procedures and UK-style zero-hours contracts. The resulting decline of workers' incomes would be compensated in part by a basic level of social insurance to be financed largely by regressive consumption taxes."



World Bank recommends fewer regulations protecting workers

[Larry Elliott/The Guardian]





(via Naked Capitalism)
I was a teenaged page at the North York Central Library in suburban Toronto, working in the Business and Urban Affairs section, shelving books, taping together newspapers while we waited for their microfilm versions to arrive, and fiddling around with the newly installed (and poorly documented) computerised catalogue/lending system  I worked there with many other would-be writers, like Nalo Hopkinson, who was a public service clerk a few floors down.



North York Central is now seeking a romance writer-in-residence for a two-month, CAD8,000 residency, which entails spending 14 hours (or more) per week at the library, undertaking "public readings, workshops, evaluation of submitted manuscripts, one-on-one

and/or group

meetings with writers from the general public, participation in

social media and

online

forums, and other activities as agreed."

I owe much of my own development as a writer to my one-on-one sessions with Judith Merril, who founded the "Spaced Out Library" (now the Merril Collection) to house the enormous library of science fiction and fantasy books she donated to the Toronto Public Library system; Judy mentored me and a whole generation of Toronto writers, and her legacy is felt to this day.





This residency is a brilliant opportunity for a writer to develop their own craft in a fantastic hub of knowledge-sharing and community development  but more importantly, it's an opportunity to perform a genuine service to literature and the arts in Canada.

Writer in Residence Position



Romance

Fiction [North York Central

Library/Toronto Public Library]

(via Super Punch)
Mark Zuckerberg says it doesn't matter how creepy and terrible his company is, because you agreed to let him comprehensively fuck you over from asshole to appetite by clicking "I agree" to a tens of thousands of words' worth of "agreements" spread out across multiple webpages; when questioned about this in Congress, Zuck grudgingly admitted that "I don't think the average person likely reads that whole document." But as far as Zuck is concerned, it doesn't matter whether you've read it, whether you understand it, whether it can be understood  you still "agreed."

Facebook is far from the worst offender: Paypal has been cutting off the accounts of users who signed up before they were 18, which violated their 50,000+ word ToS (spread across 21 web-pages!); it doesn't matter if those users are now well over the age of consent, more than a decade later, their failure to read all those terms is a hanging offense.





The self-replicating plague of bullshit "agreements" is finally getting a reckoning, as users wake up to the fact that companies were actually serious when they said that they expected hold us to these absurd legal documents. What's more, the looming spectre of the EU General Data Protection Regulation, with its mandate for plain language agreements that users have to understand, is calling into question whether it's possible to even have a business that can only exist if users agree to terms that put the US tax-code to shame.

That is to say, businesses are being told that they are obliged to obtain detailed, informed consent to every single term in their contracts before they can start interacting with their users. The businesses say that undertaking such a process could take hours and that no one would ever use their services if a precondition for their usage is to actually understand what they're giving away.





To which the EU answers: exactly.

Websites have long required users to plow through pages of dense legalese to use their services, knowing that few ever give the documents more than a cursory glance. In 2005 security-software provider PC Pitstop LLC promised a $1,000 prize to the first user to spot the offer deep in its terms and conditions; it took four months before the reward was claimed. The incomprehensibility of user agreements is poised to change as tech giants such as Uber Technologies Inc. and Facebook Inc. confront pushback for mishandling user information, and the European Union prepares to implement new privacy rules called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. The measure underscores "the requirement for clear and plain language when explaining consent," British Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham wrote on her blog last year. "I'm a lawyer, and I have no idea what that means" During two days of testimony before the U.S. Congress this month, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive officer, was repeatedly chastised for burying important information in text that's rarely read. Waving a 2-inch-thick printed version of the social network's user agreement, Senator Lindsey Graham quoted a line from the first page, then intoned: "I'm a lawyer, and I have no idea what that means." The South Carolina Republican later asked Zuckerberg whether he thinks consumers understand what they're signing up for. The Facebook CEO's response: "I don't think the average person likely reads that whole document."

The 'Terms and Conditions' Reckoning Is Coming [Nate Lanxon/Bloomberg]
Entertainment / Music

by Nkosini Tshuma

Mthwakazi Maskandi icon Mkhosi Ndlovu has released his third album entitled 'Umshado Wephepha'. "Court Wedding"The album was recorded at 2088, one of the biggest Studios in South Africa. After two successful albums 'Isheleni Lami' and 'kwangenza Ukufa', Mkhosi says he very delighted by the way people his music was well received by the people, "I have become a darling to Maskandi lovers across Zimbabwe, South Africa and the world in general.I appreciate the support I am getting from all the fans, I will always give them the best of music". He says.Born at Ezidulini in Nkayi, Mkhosi grew up at a nearby village at Bhuka where he did his primary education and grew up herding cattle like any other boy who grew up in the village.He believes his new album will uplift his career in the music industry since he worked with with music greats like, Khehla Nkosi, Nothi Ntuli and Bhamuza.He also thanks Legendary Jazz Musician who has seen it all in the music industry 'Jeys Marabini for support, advice and guidance.UMkhosi elaborates that this time he chose the best studio and he believes his third album will be the best.The albums consists of songs like, "Izulu Liyaduma", Umshado wephepha and Ngoma yami .He urged upcoming musicians to be patient and bare it in mind that Rome was not built in one day.He can be contacted at 0820510823 South Africa and 00263776423144
News / Africa

by BBC

There are not many people in the world who are able to change the name of a nation. But King Mswati can - he is one of the world's few absolute monarchs.King Mswati III of Swaziland announced on Wednesday that he was renaming the country "the Kingdom of eSwatini".The monarch announced the official change in a stadium during celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence.The celebrations also marked the king's 50th birthday.The new name, eSwatini, means "land of the Swazis". The change was unexpected, but King Mswati has been referring to Swaziland for years as eSwatini.It was the name the king used when he addressed the UN general assembly in 2017 and at the state opening of the country's parliament in 2014.He explained that the name had caused some confusion, saying: "Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland."The BBC's Nomsa Maseko in Swaziland says the announcement of the name change has angered some in the country, who believe the king should focus more on the nation's sluggish economy.Swaziland's leadership has been criticised by human rights activists for banning political parties and discriminating against women.The son of Sobhuza II, who reigned for 82 years, King Mswati currently has 15 wives.According to official biographers, his father took 125 wives during his reign.The king, known as Ngwenyama or "the lion", is known for his many wives and for his adherence to traditional dress.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 31-YEAR-OLD Victoria Falls woman, who was allegedly forced to sit on an acidic substance by 10 police officers, is contemplating suing the officers after the Zimbabwe Republic Police failed to reveal their names of the cops and charge them.Zibusiso Moyo, being represented by Human Rights lawyer, Thulani Nkala said since the June 2017 incident, police have denied having a hand in her torture and injury, regardless of the magistrates' court orders."We will be taking the matter to Bulawayo High Court next week because the ruling was that they were supposed to give us the names of the 10 police officers and a docket was meant to be opened," he said."Police said she was the one who assaulted them during the trial, but due to compelling evidence against the 10 officers, she was acquitted."I also have a trail of formal communication that I have made with the police, but they insist that she was not injured in their hands and they will not open a charge against them, hence, the decision to approach a higher court if they don't respond by April 26."Moyo was picked up by a police van near a Jehovah's Witness worship centre on allegations of prostitution and was made to sit on an acidic substance that severely burnt her backside and private parts.Her gaping wounds are not responding to treatment and she was advised that only specialist doctors in South Africa could save her life.A mother of one, she can hardly walk and experienced a miscarriage two days after the incident.
News / National

by Staff rpeorter

A 24-year-old woman purported to be Jacob Zuma's bride-to-be delivered a baby boy in the Busamed Hillcrest Private Hospital on Thursday April 12, the same day the former president turned 76.Doctors delivered the baby of Nonkanyiso Conco, of the plush Hilltop private estate at Zimbali, KwaZulu-Natal, by caesarean section on Thursday.She had been listed in hospital records, obtained exclusively by TimesLIVE, as "Mrs Zuma".Conco confirmed on Friday that she was expected to become the former president's seventh wife, but abruptly ended the conversation when quizzed about the birth of her child.The paternity of the child could not be verified at the time of publishing and Zuma's personal assistant refused to comment.Several well-placed hospital sources confirmed that Zuma had visited his wife-to-be on Thursday when the baby was delivered.His platoon of protectors closed off a section of the maternity ward while he spent time with the woman who is 54 years his junior.TimesLIVE earlier reported that Conco had confirmed she would wed the former president."Yes, we are getting married, but that is all I can say. I need to consult before I give any interviews," she said.She would not comment on their courtship and their relationship in general.Conco is a director of the Pietermaritzburg-based Nomkhubulwane Culture and Young Development Organisation, aimed at protecting the cultural practices of young Zulu women.Zuma, who has always been a proponent of polygamy, is currently married to MaKhumalo, Thobeka Madiba-Zuma and Bongi Ngema Zuma.He is divorced from Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and separated from Nompumelelo MaNtuli Zuma.His second wife, Kate, committed suicide in 2000.The birth of the child and news of the upcoming nuptials come as the elder statesman is embroiled in a slew of legal challenges, the most recent being his indictment on charges of corruption and racketeering relating to the arms deal.Zuma appeared briefly in the Durban High Court on corruption charges on April 6.The case was adjourned until June 8 to allow for a review application. His lawyer Michael Hulley indicated that by mid-May Zuma intended to file a challenge to National Prosecution Authority head Shaun Abrahams's decision to put him on trial.Moreover, Zuma wants to intervene in the state-capture legal saga in his personal capacity - so he can fight an order that he must personally pay the case's estimated R10-million legal costs bill.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE People's Rainbow Coalition (PRC) led by former Vice-President Joice Mujuru has launched its campaign for the 2018 elections and was working on fielding 210 candidates and 1 958 councillors.At a meeting held in Bulawayo on Thursday, the party unveiled the new People's Democratic Party (PDP) deputy president, Benson Ntini, treasurer -general, Clayton Jones, chairperson, Thaba Moyo, vice-chairperson, Edson Kerenda and women's assembly chairperson, Juliana Veremu.Addressing delegates during PRC's extra-ordinary general council meeting, PDP secretary-general, Gorden Moyo said other parties had started their campaigns."We are starting our campaign for elections and when we are starting the campaign, we are not going to do it as PDP, but we will be with others.We are going with PRC, which is official and lawful," he said."We are working with National People's Party, Zunde and many others towards elections.So now we have to meet with others, so that we can win this election."Moyo said all the 29 councillors in Bulawayo will come from PRC."All those that are in the council are going. We are giving them notice.As PRC, we will work together to remove all the councillors, who are thieves and crooks, who have taken away people's monies, houses and the closing water," he said."We are saying the next council, which is going to (be inaugurated) in August, they will not be there.PRC will have taken over all councils. We have 12 MPs and 12 Senators in Bulawayo.We are saying all of them will be out. PRC would have taken over."Moyo said this can only be achieved if they worked together."PRC is working on having 210 candidates in the country, 1 958 councillors and all these, we will be having them by the end of this month.We must not do what we see in other parties, we want balance and that's how we are going to work," he said."Other parties have started their campaigns and we are starting now.That is why Mujuru, (Lucia) Matibenga, [Samuel] Sipepa [Nkomo], Ntini and others are here.We are giving ED [President Emmerson Mnangagwa] and [Vice-President Constantino] Chiwenga notice that mene mene tekel upharsin (your days in office are numbered).It's over for them," he said.
News / National

by AFP

A Zimbabwe parliament committee has summoned former president Robert Mugabe to give evidence on May 9 over diamond corruption costing billions of dollars, underlining his fall from power after 37 years of autocratic rule.Mugabe, now 94, ruled Zimbabwe from 1980 until he was ousted last year after the military took over briefly and his once-loyal Zanu-PF party turned against him."We have set May 9 as the date on which he will give evidence," Temba Mliswa, the chairperson of the mines and energy parliament committee, told Friday's state-owned Herald newspaper."We met today (Thursday) as a committee and resolved that we invite the former president Mr Mugabe to our committee to explain the disappearance of $15 billion worth of diamonds," said Mliswa, an independent MP.The lawmakers plan to question Mugabe over his 2016 claim that the country had lost $15 billion due to corruption and foreign exploitation in the diamond sector.It was unclear whether Mugabe, who is in frail health, would agree to appear before the committee or make moves to avoid a potential grilling.Lucrative diamond mines"Parliament is playing its oversight role," Thabitha Khumalo, spokesperson for the MDC opposition party, told AFP. "We hope that they release the results of their findings."Mugabe - whose own regime was accused of siphoning off diamond profits - has described his ousting as a coup.He was replaced by his former deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa, a veteran loyalist in the Zanu-PF party who was backed by senior military officers.Mugabe, who has not been seen in public since his fall, exercised ruthless control over parliament, security forces and the country's mineral resources for decades.The parliamentary committee has already summoned former ministers, ex-police chiefs and heads of several government department.Zimbabwe discovered alluvial diamonds in Chiadzwa, in the east of the country, over 10 years ago, and rights groups have accused security forces of using brutal methods to control the scattered deposits.Over 200 people were killed during operations to remove illegal panners from the area, rights groups say.Amid allegations of massive looting, Zimbabwe allowed several diamond companies to mine the area - most of them as joint ventures between the government and Chinese firms.Zimbabwe is due to hold elections in July or August, the first since Mugabe was unseated, with the Zanu-PF widely predicted to retain power.Mnangagwa has vowed to hold a fair vote, and to tackle graft as he tries to revive the shattered economy by attracting foreign investment and re-building many international ties cut under Mugabe's regime.
Opinion / Columnist

How much did the government spend on yesterday's independence celebrations country wide? Clearly the answer is millions of dollars - but was it worth it? For any reasoning person the answer must be a resounding NO!In fewer than 90 days in office John Magufuli 'The Bulldozer' of Tanzania showed the whole world the servant leadership that is lacking in most African leaders. He reduced his inauguration expenses, reduced his motorcade, cancelled independence celebrations for the first time in 54 years, citing poor service delivery in government hospitals. In December 2017 he gave his public leaders just one day to declare their assets and liabilities and he was the first to submit his declaration form. Can our number one man who is alleged to be the richest in the country do the same?It's not a mistake to make a mistake but it becomes a mistake to repeat the same mistake. President Mnangagwa is just following his predecessor's footsteps. Mwangagwa and Chiwenga's 'Operation Restore Order' sold us a dummy by making us believe they were going to arrest corrupt criminals but to date no-one has been jailed for corruption and all those who were used to stage-manage arrests like Mr Chombo are moving freely just like before. There is no politician with any major corruption scandal who has ever been prosecuted, just little fish get caught. $15 billion is still missing, Zisco Steel thieves are still free, war victims compensation fund looters are still free, CDF looters are still free and many corruption charges are just pending'. Is this something to celebrate? NO!Countries succeed through good leadership and by putting people first at the centre of development but our government does otherwise. With over 80% of the national budget being consumed by civil servants' salaries, the IMF has even warned us of the need to reduce government expenditure but, surprisingly we hear the police are recruiting, the military are recruiting, more nurses are being hired - even the nurses Chiwenga fired will be re-engaged. President Mnangagwa's government rewarded army coup plotters but ignored the 31 days strike by doctors. ED bought chiefs 280 Isuzu twin cabs but never looked at the state of the roads. His government promised to fight corruption but corruptly awards Mai Chiwenga multi-million dollar contracts through the back door. Instead of looking into nurses' grievances the government fired all striking nurses with scant regard for the health needs of the poor people of Zimbabwe who cannot afford to seek treatment abroad. Our national debts now stands at over $18.4 billion and for more than 10 years we have not had our own currency yet we talk of celebrating celebrating what?18 April 2018 Independence Day of Zimbabwe was not worthy celebrating. Instead crying over unnecessary deaths of our beloved ones lying untreated in Zimbabwe's hospitals. Did it occur to the President that all those empty seats in the stadiums were because people were busy vending in the streets and at celebration venues, busy planning on how to get their next meal. You spoke fine words Mr President few will remember what you said. The money you wasted on long hours of military parades and pomp and circumstance would have been better directed towards meeting the real needs of suffering Zimbabweans.
Opinion / Columnist

Revolutionary greetings comrades. The struggle for change in Zimbabwe is for everyone, the young and the old, the employed and the unemployed. Therefore, an injury to one is an injury to all. The wound inflicted upon the nurses by the junta is the whole nation's wound. We can't sit down and watch military rule to nakedly unfold and continue to liquidate the constitution. The same nurses that the ill informed junta is treating like used condoms, are the same people who went to the streets to call for the resignation of Robert Mugabe. These are the same people who have worked for peanuts under the most grueling working conditions. They are the servants who have worked ceaselessly to save life in under resourced health institutions. Today they are treated like enemies of the state, traitors and useless other who can be disposed and replaced easily. Dear comrades, this a clear sign that Zimbabwe has been beseiged by our own army. Its an unadulterated sign that we are under a military rule. If we do not stand together as a nation and fight for the restoration of constitutionalism in our beloved country, then we are doomed. Always be reminded that real power is with the people and is the people.Our top leadership who were catapulted by the coup to where they are today have no respect for the constitution. Our constitution died a painful death under the leadership of Mugabe and the 2017 coup drove the final nail on the coffin of constitutionalism. We as Zimbabweans also sanitised and legitimised the coup through going to the streets calling for the resignation of Mugabe. Little did we know that we are paving way for military rule. I therefore, submit that the November 2017 coup was a mere change of personalities at the helm and a continuation of the old order of Mugabeism. Mugabeism is a system of repressive rule where the institutions of democracy and constitutionalism are consciously undermined. It is a murderous system where those that are viewed as the voices of decent are silenced eternally. It is therefore, only us united Zimbabweans who can restore the rule of law in our country. Our government has proved that it is unwilling to precipitate upon our country democracy and constitutionalism. It has proved that it cares less about the plight of the poor workers and the unemployed. It is not interested in bettering the lives of the suffering millions.The same top leaders care less about our disintegrating health system because they get their medical attention abroad. They have no faith in our health system. This explains why Chiwenga had the guts to fire the nurses who were fighting for a just cause. This move is meant to silence demonstrators of all shapes by the repressive regime. Our silence will mean the end of industrial action in our beloved country. It will mean the death of freedom of speech and expression.The firing of more than 16 000 nurses who were involved in a peaceful industrial action, is a warning sign of what the junta is prepared to do to silence protesters. As NPP youth, we unapologetically condemn this move as unconstitutional and evil. What kind of a father responds to a request of sweets by his children by rewarding them with all sorts of stinging agents such as scorpions and snakes? We are therefore, ready to join the fired nurses in their fight for justice. The security forces and their handlers can fire us, horse pipe us and kill us for a just cause, but they will never completely silence the cry for resuscitation of the rule of law. They will never extinguish the flame of change. Dear Zimbabweans, this is the time for us to come together as a nation and say NO to the unconstitutional firing of nurses. It is time for us to fight along side our oppressed nurses. This is the darkest hour of their existance, hence they need our support through out these trials and tribulations. United we stand, but divided we are nothing better than injured lizzards. Rise Zimbabweans rise, this is the time for your redemption.Victory is certain alutta continuaNPP National youth chairmanKhulani David Ndhlovu
Opinion / Columnist

Zimbabwe president Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa (EDM) once owned my heart as the world's most powerful man for a fortnight! I am on record as fighting his public battles for a fortnight! The only-one to achieve an almost total national and international rainbow following for a November 2017 fortnight! He had earned it over The Grace Mugabe/co-Vice President Phelekezela Report Mphoko most aggressive anti-Mnangagwa campaign! Marked by extreme undue denigration, Ice Cream poisoning and expulsion respectively from the then Vice Presidency to Mugabe few-men stampede! And his short-lived fortnight of exile and heroic return as a hoped-for Messiah! The Prince of hope! Immeasurable most undue humiliation from birds of the same feather that had successfully most humiliatingly off-loaded former Vice President Dr. Joyce Mujuru in the same manner that the same Mnangagwa was! Stabbed with his own sharpened spear! Mnangagwa had not only earned my heart but the hearts of multitudes in good will, good hope and in good faith!The Rainbow multitudes all believed that EDM had become a highly refined product through The Grace Mugabe/co-Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko Sandhurst Mill in addition to his close to forty years eating from The Devil's high table! Learning never stops even in the most adverse of conditions! Yes! Multitudes in both ZANU PF and opposition ranks had expected lots of political and administrative common sense from EDM despite the fact that, at the time, he had committed to none other than his lost gainful employment and extreme humiliaation! Not for good governance issues but for power matrix between himself and Grace Mugabe! A rainbow revolution emerged inspired by assumed urgent political and administrative reforms out of the then prevailing governing Mafia! And, therefore, high quality of the respective citizenry life. EDM and retired General, Constantino Guveya Chiwenga, whom I both bravely and confidently qualified for the title "People's General" for a November 2017 fortnight over and after The Rainbow Revolution, have failed to rise above the restoration of their gainful employment, cheap Animal Farm prestige, and, therefore, forfeited the good will, good hope and good faith of the same rainbow multitudes that had taken to the streets enmasse in support of an assumed new qualitative political and administrative dispensation! They have lost not only my vote but the rainbow vote equally enmasse! They stand as qualified orphaned political paupers surviving on borrowed time. Any free and fair election stands as political bad news for EDM and entourage. And could be safely bade an early farewell as embarrassed statesmen on the street.The Rainbow Revolution remains as guilty for management or incitement by assumption! Desperate action! EDM and Chiwenga surely had made no commitment to good governance! They went on a personalised mission to restore personal legacies and to round-up all those believed to have influenced their unceremonial dismissals from gainful employment within the Mugabe 37 year-old Animal Farm government. A well-defined personal conflict with their long-time partner-in-crime, disgraced former president, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. The Rainbow Revolution, in this way, became a misguided voluntary missile of restoration of a two man legacy of immeasurable social horror at the expense of the masses who were already chocked in excruciating poverty! The Rainbow multitudes in their expectant minds had seen the emergence and the enshrining of the long desired change! No normal Zimbabwean emerging from Mugabe's almost 38 years of hostage governance would govern the globe-trotting EDM fashion! Chartered Malaysian jets have gobbled the meagre millions of the already most fragile economy in wild chase of his lame quest for "Zimbabwe is open for business crusade!" His empty begging bowl to and fro was ever predictable! Surely which part of the world, be it the west, east, north or south would seek to invest in a collapsing busket! Invest in a government whose days are most visibly numbered! This loudly tells the world of how less sophisticated EDM as a Head of State was! No nation, as of now, would rise beyond those free consolatative/valueless Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs). EDM has continuously multi-million dollar globe-trotted in command of high-powered government delegations with a Chief among them, with highly restricted political common sense and came back empty-handed! Even to those look east Father Christmas nations like China that the government that he was part of, for almost forty years, as an influential politician, failed to honour financial obligations with! No normal person in The Rainbow Revolution ever thought that EDM would ever dream and find wisdom in governing without the most strategic partners in The November 2017 Rainbow Revolution! Driven by political greed, he negligently committed political suicide in this way in broad-daylight! EDM was carried more against Mugabe by the opposition, civil society, The Clergy and a section of ZANU PF. This stands as evidenced in the amount of revolt against him within the respective party in the form of multi-splits and the Grace Mugabe/Mphoko G40 most grave manifestations. Both the multitudes in The Rainbow Revolution and the entire world got fevered with mistrust upon EDM! Natural loss of confidence in EDM! There was no way that EDM could have build the desired empire without all key part-takers! Especially the late Morgan Tsvangirai whose party was electorally proven far superior to ZANU PF in terms of numbers and electoral performance since its formation about 29 years ago. In this way EDM would have surely instantly both opened Zimbabwe for business and attracted international mercies. For showing very little or zero political and adminstrative grey matter in the area between his ears, I withdraw and re-deploy my vote in the same manner as The Rainbow Multitudes! What he thinks was radical African economic transformation as compared to radical African nationalism has turned-out to be radical African Impoverishment pre-eminently marked by multiple draining flights and chartered jets in an already severely haemorrhaged economy. EDM proceeds into the 2018 elections as both a politically and administravely multi-fractured man! His short-lived glory as Head of State remains as Guiness Book of Records material! The 2018 elections stand to be a great moment of humiliation for EDM and entourage! EDM remains as most visibly non-presidential material of late! Political and administrative dust-bin material with many years of experience in governance but of zero political and administrative wisdom! Fares badly upon The MDC Alliance's youthful and witful Nelson Chamisa who fell into The Mugabe rough political terrain as a mere school-leaving youth about twenty years ago. Grew-up fighting running battles in opposition of Mugabe's Animal Farm administration. And now The MDC Alliance front foot.The Zimbabwean citizenry has become poorer and more desperate with EDM! The public service collapsed the evermore! Health institutions reduced to fulltime death-traps! Doctors and nurses fighting in the battle frontlines with zero pre-requisite! weaponry! Hospital dispensaries maintained as empty shells! Medical personnel highly de-motivated and ill-equipped! In Chiwenga-Parirenyatwa unlimited horror and terror and yet expected to render high quality service on the job! Patients required to provide own sundries for theatrical and maternity procedures! Broken-down ambulances! Cash scarcity! Up-ward spiraling prices of basic commodities! Unemployment close to 100 percent! A disgruntled public service and substandard service delivery in local authorities! Delapidated roads infrastructure and non-accountability of the roads network Tall Gate proceeds! And a still missing Itai Dzamara in the EDM new political dispensation! Give Zimbabwe its Son Itai Dzamara EDM! Restore legacy with his unconditional release! Grant Itai Dzamara his freedom as top-most priority! The Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights must wake-up over the location and release respectively of the missing Itai Dzamara! And yet EDM bribery of traditional leaders with top of the range Isuzu Double Cab luxury vehicles for this economical non-functional sector! Came as top-most priority. A social gap-filler institution! The traditional leaders who are assigned to manage or manipulate the political/electoral nerve centre in their respective rural jurisdictions coercing all-subjects to vote in favour of EDM's ruling ZANU PF, a carry-over approach of the Mugabe fraudulent electoral legacy.Evangelist Reginald Thabani Gola.Cell 00263 775184749.mail: regtgola@gmail.com
Opinion / Interviews

RM: Your appointment as ZANU-PF national political commissar was hailed by war veterans and other party membership as a positive development. What are your priority areas of concern?ER: I was invited by his Excellency for a briefing where he outlined his expectations by way of giving me the mandate to restructure the party from cell right up to the province. The second task was (that) because we have elections that are due sometime in the middle of the year, the President directed me to be involved in the mobilisation of support for the party. So basically those were the two tasks I was given. Restructure and mobilise and ensure the party scores a massive success in the harmonised elections.RM: How far have you fared in the execution of these tasks?ER: I want to comment first on the restructuring. I can confirm that as far as the structures of the cells is concerned, we have done that and we continue to verify our cell structures. Why do we continue to verify our structures? There is this inevitable movement of people from time-to-time. Either some are transferred because of the demands of their employers or are newly-resettled. You know we have introduced land reform, some of our members continue to benefit through land reform and then they find themselves settling in areas where they would not have registered to vote.So because of that movement, we are bound to conduct our restructuring particularly of the cells continuously. We have also been encouraging our lower structures  provinces, districts, branches and the cells  to make sure that our members are registered to vote and also that they appear in our party registers. The cell register comprises 50 members and they need to be aligned to the polling station where they will be voting. So because of those changes, it becomes necessary to continue restructuring ourselves to make sure that by the time we get to the elections, our cells are intact and our members know exactly where they are going to vote. It doesn't make sense for one to claim to belong to our party and not be registered.RM: And what have you done in terms of mobilisation?ER: There is quite a lot that we have achieved. First, we are conducting commissariat programmes that have taken me and my commissariat staff to almost all the provinces where we are addressing our membership at cell level because the concept we have adopted this time is the concept of the web, "dandemutande".This strategy focuses cells in a way that links them together just like the spider does. It links its web mats so neatly and makes sure that there is connectivity. And that's the approach we have taken as the commissariat. We are going down to the cells, mobilising them, educating them on the importance of voting; on the importance of supporting Zanu-PF given our history as a revolutionary party that has brought independence to this country. We constantly remind Zimbabweans that it is the revolutionary ZANU-PF that has addressed the main national grievance of land, which was at the core of the liberation struggle and many other issues. We have also taken the President to a number of provinces by way of Presidential tours where he meets the people and the people are introduced to him. Each visit is normally juxtaposed with a tour or inspection of economic activity of interest. Remember the President's mantra at his inaugural address at our extraordinary congress was that it's no longer just politics. So we in Zanu-PF follow that call by the President not to spend more time talking about politics but also focus on economic issues. When we invite the President to tour, we normally arrange that he also tours or inspects an economic activity in the province first before addressing the people. And in the process of addressing the public, he will then give further direction or update concerning the economic activity.RM: Prior to your appointment, members of Zanu-PF had expressed concern over wanton expulsion of members without due process. What have you done to instil confidence among party members and ensure that internal contradictions are amicably dealt with?ER: For your own information, it is not the responsibility of the national political commissar to handle disciplinary matters. That was actually a misnomer. In the current dispensation, the mandate of the national commissar as I said is to restructure and mobilise people to support the party. So I cannot be found anywhere near disciplinary cases within Zanu-PF. We have a secretary for Legal Affairs who is responsible for handling such issues and the national chairman of the party is the one chairs the National Disciplinary Committee. The national political commissar is not a member of the disciplinary committee.It was actually a contradiction; how can you mobilise and on the other hand prosecute? How do you win the heart and minds of the people? So in the current dispensation, my responsibility is to mobilise people. Yes, there were a lot of injustices committed by my predecessor and you are aware that during our extraordinary congress held last year, a resolution was arrived at where all those members that were expelled during the previous administration, the majority of them were readmitted into the party. So there is a resolution that has sanctioned the readmission of all members that were expelled, the lifting of suspensions on all members who were suspended.RM: In other words, you are saying all those that felt unfairly treated by the previous administration have been appeased?ER: I don't know about those that you perceive as still holding grievances over their treatment by the previous commissar. In actual fact, what happened is that after the resolution passed last year at our congress, members who held positions simply reverted back to their positions. I don't see anyone still having an issue to grind because of having been ill-treated by Kasukuwere.RM: What is your general assessment of the party structures ahead of the harmonised elections? I know you mentioned the issues of the "dandemutande" strategy, but are you happy with the state of the party as you prepare for elections?ER: I am relatively satisfied because we have conducted an exercise to verify those structures and the result that we got after the exercise gives me satisfaction. But you know Zanu-PF is a big party and we don't want to take chances and sit on our laurels. We find it prudent and imperative that we continuously verify our structures particularly in an election. Your know the fever, you know the euphoria and the anxiety that comes with elections and there are chances of infiltration, especially when you have other aspiring members wanting to get into the election by hook and crook and in the process create parallel structures.So we want to guard against that, we want to get into an election with a credible structure and not a dubious one. That has happened before and we are now very alert and careful, particularly in our primary elections. We wont countenance parallel structures.RM: Do you think all party cadres, especially those in remote areas are adequately appraised of the change of leadership that took place in November last year?ER: Oh yes, there has been this unfounded assertion that people are not aware that there have been changes either in Zanu-PF leadership or in Government leadership. That is a myth; that is totally false. I have personally been to very, very remote areas. I was in Chipinge, (I am not saying Chipinge is a remote area) very distant areas where people believe information does not get there in time and is transmittedaccurately. I addressed a rally in Machona, which is almost close to the border with Mozambique. I addressed a rally in Kwale, which is very close to the border with South Africa and Botswana just trying to establish whether what people are alleging is true that the generality of people in rural areas don't know that there is leadership has change. That is false. People know that VaMugabe resigned. People know that the current head of state, commander of chief and President of the Republic is Mnangagwa.People have radios, mobile phones, television sets and are on social media. Tell whoever is saying that to give us a break. I am talking from practical experience. Ranga, tell me; are you telling me that when the entire nation came out in numbers on the 18th of November in solidarity with what the Defence Forces had done; those people were foreigners? These solidarity marches were not only confined to urban areas. I come from Bikita, there were demonstrations there and there were also demonstrations in Chiredzi and everywhere. What were they demonstrating about?In all the areas that we have travelled as commissariat, people are clamouring for President Mnangagwa regalia. Let no one mislead the nation by saying that the generality of people are not aware of the new dispensation. I get very offended when I hear some armchair critics saying such kind of things. That is reckless and mischievous statements from uninformed people.RM: One of the issues that was at the centre of the disharmonious state of affairs in the party was lack of rigorous orientation and lack of adherence or attachment to the party's founding ethos and principles. Highlight steps taken by the commissariat department to ensure that members are adequately educated and respect the party's foundational ethos?ER: I fully agree with that assertion. That there was total lack of understanding of what Zanu-PF stood for. The revolution had been hijacked by people who were not interested in championing what the party represented. The revolution had been infiltrated by fifth columnist. People who wanted to destroy the party because they did not understand the history of the party? Why people went to war to liberate this country? These were the people who were at the mantle of leadership within Zanu-PF. And I want to give you example- nobody would be trained militarily before undergoing a 21-day ideological orientation programme. You would not be able to go and cook sadza for other comrades before you were properly oriented. It was mandatory for every cadre that they go through political orientation programme.When you transgress or flout laws or instruction, you would not be thrown out of the party as what we were seeing in the past administration- war veterans for that matter. If they had committed any crimes during the war, they would be taken through a reorientation programme that politically puts them back onto the rail. This was not the case. Your saw what the Women's and Youth League were doing. It was a clear manifestation of lack of proper political orientation.Although the Chitepo Ideological College existed, it was not fully utilised. There were piecemeal approaches to Chitepo programmes unlike now where we have embarked on sustainable Chitepo programmes. We have trained the national leadership of the youth league, women's league, the war collaborators, the ex-detainees and leadership of students and civil servants to understand the importance of Zimbabwe. Chitepo ideological programmes are not only for Zanu-PF, they are for every law abiding citizen of this country. If we get an opportunity in future, we will get everyone through the Chitepo ideological College. If you look at other countries- like China today, those programmes of political education are critical in ensuring that people know their identity. People must know that despite our differences, we are Zimbabweans first before being anything. We fall under one flag.Look at the so-called old democracies. They have opposition of political parties but you don't see them calling for the suffering of fellow citizens. When they are out there, they speak with one voice whether they are democrats, republicans, labour or conservatives- they all put the interests of their country first. It is unlike in our case where we have a situation where we have someone goes to America to castigate your own country-push for and support measures that bring agony to your own people. That's murder.RM: Let's go back to internal party matters. How far have you gone in vetting and processing applications of aspiring councillors and legislators?ER: It's an ongoing process and will notify you when we are done with the exercise. It's progressing well and that's the only thing I can comment on that.RM: What are the basic requirements that the party is looking at in vetting an aspiring councillor?ER: Our guidelines are very clear. In the case of a councillor, one must be in our structures at branch or cell level for more than five years, you must be a fully subscribed member and not in arrears, you must be an individual of impeccable standing in society without a criminal record. Constitutionally, you must be above 18 years and for senatorial you must be above 40 years.RM: What about war veterans who might have been in structures but are active party cadres?ER: For all war veterans, there is a waiver. We don't consider any position you have held in the party. All that is needed is to authenticate that you are a genuine war veteran. You can contest for any position you want. But one must not have a criminal record.RM: When is the party manifesto going to be launched? I am asking this question because when I spoke to the party spokesperson last week, he categorically said the manifesto would be ready this week.ER: It will be launched very soon.RM: How soon is soon Rugeje?ER: The time resides in the future. There are other processes that precedes the launch of the manifesto otherwise we get ourselves onto a gridlock.RM: What are your general sentiments regarding some G40 members who have continued to denigrate the new dispensation including calling all those who support President Mnangagwa EDIOTS?ER: I have not come across anybody who talks directly to me in a negative way about the new dispensation except reading it in the Press. Usually I don't want to talk about other people from other parties. I don't want to talk about Jonathan Moyo or Zhuwao. I can't be diverted from my mandate because of what Jonathan Moyo said.RM: Is it not within your purview to also protect the image and integrity of the party from unnecessary battering and misconceptions?ER: That is the role of S.K Moyo who is the chief public relations of the party. He is the one who should talk about that. My mandate is to restructure and mobile party cadres. I can't get out that closet. I don't waste my time talking about other political parties. We will meet at the elections.RM: There are reports that the leader of the National People's Party Joice Mujuru and other former members like Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo are reconsidering re-joining Zanu-PF. How far true are those reports?ER: I am yet to hear about that but what I can tell you is that Mai Mujuru is most welcome. We welcome anybody who wants to join us- provided they apply and submit their applications to the secretary for administration. We don't care which party you are coming from. So if Mai Mujuru wants to come, the door is open as long as she is coming without any conditions. But you know when someone is coming back, you start from the cell level. You are aware that almost everyone belongs to the cell. So when one joins, he/she must start at the cell level.RM: But what safety nests have you put in place to ensure that you don't just accept some counter-revolutionary elements that will destabilise the party?ER: We have a very competent security department whose work was in the past frustrated by the same elements I have alluded to before. But now that they have been given enough space to exercise their duties, they will definitely do a thorough job.RM: There are sentiments that Zanu-PF is not campaigning and is not visible on the ground. How do you respond to such sentiments?ER: Who is really saying that? Do you really understand this 'dandemutande' strategy? I told you that I was at cells. People think that because they don't read me in the papers or see me on television, then I am not visible. Let those who say we are not visible live in that delusion  they will meet us at the elections. What's the point in having rallies when you have not verified whether we have structures on the ground or not? What's the point of having rallies when we have not verified whether our members are registered? We don't want to grandstand. It's not the first time we have contested the elections and it's not the first time we are going to win elections.RM: Lastly, Zimbabwe celebrated its 38th independence anniversay from British colonial rule. What is your message to Zimbabweans regarding this day?ER: Independence Day always brings joy and a reminder of the journey we have travelled as a country. Independence is for everybody. It's not a party issue. My clarion call is unity and more unity. We don't want violence. Let's find harmonious ways of resolving our differences. It really boggles the mind when people start saying Rugeje is selling out when they see me talking to an opposition member. Who doesn't have relatives in MDC? Who doesn't have relatives in Zanu-P? We must show maturity as a nation. 38 years of independence is not a joke.
By Angus Berwick and Renee Maltezou

MADRID/ATHENS (Reuters) - European Union and Italian authorities are investigating suspected wide-scale tax fraud by Chinese criminal gangs importing goods via Greece's largest port of Piraeus, a trade gateway between China and Europe, officials said.

"The VAT is completely evaded, with enormous damage to the national tax authorities and to the community," Fabio Botto, of the Italian Central Anti-fraud Office's special investigative unit, said in an interview.

He said the suspected scam at Piraeus, part of China's vast Belt and Road infrastructure project, had cost Italy tens of millions of euros in unpaid value-added taxes (VAT), though the total could be far higher as the investigation was not over.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) confirmed it was working with Italy on the investigation but declined to give details, citing confidentiality.

Botto said his agency had evidence that Chinese-owned firms run by the criminal groups were fraudulently avoiding import duties and VAT on large shipments of goods through Piraeus.

The groups import goods, often counterfeit clothing and footwear, and massively understate their value to EU customs to avoid import duties, he said. They also lie about the firms that receive the goods, enabling them to avoid VAT.

Greece's Financial Crime Unit is conducting a separate investigation into a suspected tax fraud case involving Chinese goods imported via Pireaus. The Greek unit has had little contact with Italian and EU authorities and has not been informed about the wider investigation, an official there said.

China's state-owned COSCO Shipping (Shanghai:601919.SS - News) (HKSE:1919.HK - News) has majority-owned Piraeus since 2016.

China wants to transform the port into its "gateway to Europe" under the $126 billion Belt and Road initiative, which envisions a new "Silk Road" of land and sea routes with trading partners.

Botto and the Greek official said neither investigation had evidence of any wrongdoing by Piraeus port authorities. COSCO owns a majority stake in the Piraeus Port Authority (PPA) (OLPr.AT), which manages one container terminal, and a wholly-owned COSCO subsidiary owns and manages two other terminals.

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COSCO said: "The company has in its global operations consistently and strictly followed local and international laws, and persevered to operate legally and compliantly".

PPA said it had not received any information about criminal groups using the port and it would alert authorities if it did. It said it took all necessary measures to ensure that goods had customs supervision.

"(PPA) is under no circumstances responsible for conducting checks for illegal activities," PPA said in a statement.

OLAF and national authorities in recent years have clamped down on customs loopholes used by Chinese smugglers, whose tax scams they estimate cost the EU billions of euros a year.

Italy began investigating the Piraeus case in late 2017 after seizing falsified invoices at customs offices, Botto said. Reuters has not seen this evidence and Botto declined to name the suspect firms as the investigation is ongoing.

Piraeus has become a major new entry point, Botto said, as northern ports have tightened controls and Piraeus's import capacity has leapt six-fold under COSCO.

"We are investigating the new routes developing with the Belt and Road project. Currently the predominantly beaten path appears to be through Piraeus," he said.

(For a graphic on 'Map of China's Belt and Road initiative' click http://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/rngs/CHINA-SILKROAD-SECURITY/010040B60P7/CHINA-SILKROAD-SECURITY.jpg)

(Adds dropped figure in ninth paragraph)

(Writing by Angus Berwick; Additional reporting by Lefteris Papadimas in Athens and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Editing by Mark Bendeich and Giles Elgood)
By Angus McDowall and Suleiman Al-Khalidi BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - The Syrian government stepped up its efforts on Thursday to retake the opposition's last besieged enclaves, as rebels prepared to withdraw from one and a newspaper reported an ultimatum against another. President Bashar al-Assad scored a major victory this month by retaking eastern Ghouta, the biggest rebel stronghold near Damascus, putting his forces in by far their strongest position since the early months of the seven-year-old civil war. The United States, Britain and France launched a volley of air strikes on Saturday against three Syrian targets in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons strike during the Ghouta assault. The limited Western intervention, far from any contested battlefront, has shown no sign of having any impact on the ground, where Assad's forces have pressed on with his offensive. But it showed Western powers were ready to act outside the jurisdiction of the United Nations Security Council. The last rebels withdrew from eastern Ghouta hours after the Western bombing. Since then, the government has focused on regaining four less populous encircled enclaves. Much of northwestern Syria is still under the control of Turkish-backed forces or militant groups, however, while a U.S-Russian de-escalation zone along the country's southwestern borders has given some protection to Western-backed rebels. Israel has warned it would not allow Iranian-backed militias operating alongside the Syrian army in several areas to expand their influence in that strategic border strip. U.S. backed Kurdish-led forces are also in control of much of the area east of the Euphrates river, where Syria's main oil and gas reserves lie. Diplomacy this week has focused on accusations that Assad's forces used chemical weapons use in Douma, the last town to hold out against the government advance in eastern Ghouta. Western countries say scores of people were gassed to death in the April 7 chemical attack. Syria and its ally Russia deny that. Now the rebels have surrendered, the area is under government control, and a team of international inspectors has so far been unable to reach it. The inspectors have delayed their visit to Douma after their security team were shot at during a reconnaissance trip on Tuesday, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said. The Western countries say Moscow and Damascus are preventing the inspectors from reaching the site and may be destroying evidence. Russia and Assad's government deny this. Meanwhile, the Western intervention has had so far no measurable impact on the wider war, with rebels in pockets around the capital continuing to surrender under deals that allow them to withdraw to the opposition pocket in the northwest in return for abandoning territory. Syrian mainstream opposition leader Nasr al Hariri accused in a press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh the Syrian government of seeking a military solution. The regime presses on with a military solution and continues with his military strategy without any seriousness as regards negotiations or arriving at a political settlement," he told reporters. SURRENDER State television showed live footage of police and security forces entering the town of Dumayr, northeast of Damascus, where a few hours earlier buses were sent to bring out fighters and their families, while soldiers stood by the roadside. An estimated 5,000 people including 1,500 rebels are expected to leave to north Syria under the Russian-brokered deal that was reached earlier this week, according to opposition sources confirmed by state media. Dumayr has been covered by an informal ceasefire for years, but its recovery is important for the government and Iranian-backed fighters with a foothold in the area as it makes it possible to guarantee the safety of vehicles traveling on the Damascus-Baghdad highway. As well as being a major conduit for commercial trade, the highway is used by Tehran to send weapons to ally Assad. The route was suspended when Islamic State militants had partial control over Iraqi territory but has again become a key arms channel since the militants were routed last year. Said Seif, a senior official with the Ahmad Abdo Martyrs group, said rebels had no choice but to go along with the deal to leave the town, because there were no other outside forces that could guarantee their safety. "We hope the Russians keep their promises, even though we have no trust in them," he said. In the nearby enclave of Eastern Qalamoun, several towns and an area of hills which have also been covered by an informal ceasefire, rebels said they were also negotiating a withdrawal deal with Russia. Russian military officers conducting the evacuation negotiations are pressuring rebels in Eastern Qalamoun to start negotiations to withdraw, an opposition source close to the negotiators said. Talks also began between Russia and rebels over the fate of an enclave in central Syria around the town of Rastan where talks have centered on easing the flow of trade and passengers across crossings into government held-areas, negotiators said. The months-long talks in northern Homs, part of broader Russian efforts to force rebels to make peace with the government, do not at this stage involve an evacuation of fighters from that rebel enclave. Separately, the pro-government al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday that Islamic State militants had been given 48 hours to agree to withdraw from an area around the Yarmouk camp, once Syria's largest for Palestinian refugees, south of Damascus. "If they refuse, the army and supporting forces are ready to launch a military operation to end the presence of the organization in the area," al-Watan said. Most residents have fled the camp, but thousands of civilians are still inside. Christopher Gunness, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which looks after the refugees said it was deeply concerned for their safety. Referring to the latest evacuations, the United Nations said in a note it expected further displacements in the near future to northern Syria. A commander in the regional military alliance that backs the Syrian government said the Syrian army had begun shelling the jihadist enclave on Tuesday in preparation for an assault. Islamic State lost most of its territory last year, but it still holds small areas of desert in eastern Syria on either side of the Euphrates. On Thursday neighboring Iraq carried out air strikes against the jihadist group in Syria in coordination with Damascus, the Iraqi military said. (Reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Tom Perry and Dahlia Nehme in Beirut, Tom Miles in Geneva, Ben Blanchard in Beijing and Raya Jalabi in Baghdad; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Peter Graff and Catherine Evans)
By Sofia Christensen DAKAR (Reuters) - Botswana's new leader has urged President Joseph Kabila not to stand for re-election in Congo's long delayed presidential poll, saying he had already been in power longer than expected. Botswana, one of Africa's most stable democracies, is so far the only country in Africa to have directly criticized Kabila. Earlier this year, the government issued a statement openly blaming the president for Democratic Republic of Congo's deteriorating humanitarian and security situation. "The president of the DRC has stayed in power longer than the time that was expected," President Mokgweetsi Masisi, who took office this month, said during a interview with London's International Institute for Strategic Studies streamed on its website on Thursday. "Hopefully we can get from (Kabila) a real commitment to not attempt to come back to power by whatever means." Kabila's opponents suspect him of seeking a referendum to change Congo's constitution to enable him to run for more than two terms, as the leaders of neighboring Uganda, Rwanda and Congo Republic have. He has neither confirmed nor denied this, but his refusal to step down at the end of his mandate in December 2016 triggered widespread street protests. It also emboldened several armed groups, raising fears the country is sliding back into turmoil. The election - now scheduled for Dec. 23 - has been repeatedly delayed. Congo emerged from a five-year war in 2003 during which millions were killed, mostly from hunger and disease, and militias and foreign armies exploited the country's fabulous mineral wealth. "The DRC is potentially the richest country in Africa and arguable one of the richest in the world," said Masisi. "The world has failed the DRC." Other African countries have been more cautious, encouraging progress towards elections but avoiding direct criticism of Kabila. (Additional reporting by Fiston Mahamba; Editing by Tim Cocks and Alison Williams)
A Canadian citizen imprisoned in Ethiopia for more than 11 years has returned to Toronto after a gruelling campaign by his family and an international human rights group to free him.

Bashir Makhtal was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 after he was arrested by Ethiopian authorities for his alleged involvement in an independence movement. Amnesty International called the charges against him "blatantly unfair" and said he was denied due process throughout his imprisonment.

"This day has been so long in coming, we hardly are able to believe it is true," said Said Maktal, Bashir's cousin, in a statement released by Amnesty International on Saturday. Said, who now lives in Hamilton, was instrumental in bringing public scrutiny to his cousin's case over the years.

Makhtal was released from a Addis Ababa prison on April 18. According to Lorne Waldman, a prominent immigration lawyer in Toronto who helped in the effort to have Makhtal freed, the charges against him were unfounded.

"I think from the beginning I was convinced that Bashir was innocent. Based upon the evidence that I saw, there was no evidence to suggest that he was in any way involved in any illegal activities," Waldman told CBC News.

Family targeted

Makhtal's grandfather was reportedly a member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, a separatist group made up of ethnic Somalis within Ethiopia who want independence from Ethiopia. Ethiopian authorities accused Makhtal of being a member himself.

Makhtal was on a business trip in Somalia in December 2006 when Ethiopian troops invaded the country. He attempted to flee to Kenya, but was intercepted and unlawfully sent to Addis Ababa in 2007. He has been in prison ever since.

During his detention, he was denied medical care for a number of significant health issues. Ethiopian authorities also targeted his extended family, forcing some 12 relatives to flee to a refugee camp in Kenya.

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Gloria Nafziger, a rights campaigner with Amnesty International, said the ordeal has taken a tremendous and incalculable toll on the family. Until only recently, it wasn't clear Makhtal would ever walk out of a prison a free man.

"It's one of those moments that you just dream about and you don't ever believe is actually going to become real," Nafziger said. She was among a small group of family and friends who waited for Makhtal to walk through the arrivals gate at Pearson International airport on Saturday.

"A free man back in Canada reunited with his family, how can you not cry when you see that happen? It's just one of the most wonderful days."

Long push for freedom

Makhtal first came to Canada as a refugee in 1991 and became a citizen three years after. Despite his ties to Canada, the federal government struggled to gain traction in the push for his release.

"These cases where people are detained abroad are extremely difficult because there's only a limited number of things that governments can do and that the lawyers and advisers can do," Waldman said.

According to Nafziger, the Canadian government was working for years to negotiate Makhtal's release. An access to information request by The Canadian Press in 2009 found hundreds of pages of records revealing the government's frustrated efforts to assist him.

"There were constant efforts being made," said Nafziger. "They would raise it in diplomatic meetings with the Ethiopian government constantly ... There's been, in the last few years, a really high-profile attention being paid."

A change of government in Addis Ababa also contributed to Makhtal's release, Waldman explained.

"I think perhaps maybe the cumulative effect of all these years of pressure by the family, by the lawyers, by the government of Canada, they finally just decided it was a big irritant to Canadian-Ethiopian relations and it was time to let him go."

Makhtal will take a few days to settle in with his family before making a public statement, Waldman said.

His cousin Said expressed gratitude on his behalf in Amnesty International's statement.

"We send our thanks to everyone who signed a petition, wrote a letter or came to a public event about Bashir's case," he said.
In partnership with Mount Royal University's Bachelor of Communication-Journalism program and the Calgary Journal, CBC Calgary is publishing a series profiling some of the immigrants and refugees who moved here and how they're helping shape our city.

Since it gained independence from Belgium in 1962, Burundi has been a place of unrest. Ethnic divisions between the Hutus and Tutsis resulted in a hostile atmosphere where everybody knew which group everybody else belonged to.

When civil war broke out in 1993, the conflict wasn't unfamiliar to Egide Nzojibwami. Expecting the violence to end as quickly as it had in the past, he brought his then-young family to Belgium to keep them safe.

But the war persisted, and the Nzojibwamis realized they would not be returning to Burundi.

It was Canada's tolerance and multiculturalism that led the family to immigrate from Europe to Calgary, where Nzojibwami now runs an engineering firm.

Growing up in Burundi

Nzojibwami grew up in a small village in the countryside. As the second oldest in a family with eight children, Nzojibwami helped his mother run their farm until he was old enough to begin school, which was a rare opportunity for native Burundians.

"The Belgians didn't like Indigenous people to go to school," said Nzojibwami. "It happened that my father was a school teacher, so he put all of us, myself and my siblings, through school."

Nzojibwami did so well in school that he was able to earn a scholarship to attend university in Belgium. His dad had passed away during his last year of high school, so university was an opportunity he would not have been able to afford otherwise.

While attending, Nzojibwami said his Belgian professors encouraged him to quit.

"It was just to keep the Indigenous people down as much as possible," he said.

Time to leave

Nevertheless, he finished school and returned to Burundi to work as a university professor. Five years later, the first multi-party election occurred. Hutu President Melchior Ndadaye was elected and then assassinated three months later, sparking the civil war.

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"I was dean of the faculty, and the teachers and students could all see it boiling," said Nzojibwami. "They went all the way to kill whoever was educated at that time. They killed a lot of my students."

Even Nzojibwami's oldest daughter, Verlyne Christensen, realized the threat to her safety. She was just 11 years old.

"I remember thinking that I couldn't wait out on the street anymore to be picked up from school," she said. "I had to wait by my classroom where my teacher could see me."

As a result, Nzojibwamis fled to Belgium on a visitor's visa, leaving behind a house, an extended family and good careers in Burundi. Nzojibwami's wife, Beatrice, even had her own televised cooking show.

"We thought in two weeks it would all be finished because it was not the first time we had seen this happen," said Nzojibwami. "People kill each other and then it becomes quiet again."

But weeks turned into months and the conditions in Burundi worsened. Nzojibwami was able to find work in Belgium at a good engineering company, but soon realized he did not want to stay.

"It was not as multicultural as it is today," said Nzojibwami. "The kids would get insulted in school almost every day. I had my job as an engineer and lots of people thought it had to be a job for a white person.

"They would push my employer to fire me."

Despite the mistreatment, Nzojibwami was grateful to have people in Belgium on his side, like his employer.

"There are good people wherever you go," he said. "I am lucky that he was able to keep me even among the pressure to let me go."

Move to Canada

Unfortunately, those good people were not enough. Nzojibwami had done business in Eastern Canada and felt it would be a better environment to raise his children in.

"We just decided to go with hope and faith. We didn't speak English, we knew basically nobody," Nzojibwami said.

It took 2 years to go through the application process, but Beatrice said she never considered quitting.

"We had already made up our mind that this is what we wanted for our children," she said.

Determination didn't make it easy.

The family settled in Calgary, but Nzojibwami faced the challenge of finding work.

"I had a doctorate degree in Belgium, but that still wouldn't give me a job because people didn't understand it," Nzojibwami said.

Colyn deGraff, manager of communications at the Calgary Immigrant Education Society, says that's a common issue among immigrants.

"Foreign credential recognition processes are, for various institutional reasons, strict and expensive," he said.

For Nzojibwami, the process involved completing an exam after only being in Canada for three months. Despite limited English experience, he passed and was able to register with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, which regulates engineers in the province.

He completed a master's in civil engineering at the U of C to legitimize his credentials and restarted a company he founded in Burundi: Technosol Engineering.

Some peace at last

Through it all, Nzojibwami was grateful to have his family with him. "Was it a challenge? Yes, but it was a great support to be all together," he said. "Leaving the family behind was never, ever an option."

The family still laughs about the time they were politely greeted when all seven of them walked into a store shortly after arriving. Though insignificant to most Canadians, for the Nzojibwamis it represented acceptance they hadn't felt before.

"There is a sense of community. We are among the most blessed by this experience,"said Nzojibwami. "This is home and I'm not planning to go anywhere else."

MORE FROM THE SERIES:
April 20 is treated like a holiday at Smoke on the Water in Calais, Maine.

On Friday, the dispensary, which doubles as a smoke shop where you can buy bongs and pipes, added some festive flair with balloons and signs.

As customers came in to buy some of the pungent marijuana behind the display case, the clerk greeted them with a cheery "Happy 4-20."

Business has been good, according to store manager Terry Johnson Jr.

Maine legalized recreational marijuana in 2017, but Johnson said it hasn't gotten any easier to leave the state with weed.

And while Canada will soon pass legislation to make recreational cannabis legal, he doesn't think going north will be any simpler.

"That's going to be a difficult part," Johnson said. "The federal government on either side runs the border."

According to a Canada Border Services Agency spokesperson, importing cannabis and cannabis products will still be prohibited under the proposed new law. Jennifer Morrison said in an email that a valid permit issued by Health Canada will be needed to do so.

Going south won't be any different. While weed will be legal on both sides of the border, Calais's port director with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will be business as usual.

"The change in legislation on the Canadian side is not going to affect the way that we enforce the U.S. federal laws," said Corey McPhee.

He said under current U.S. federal policies, marijuana is prohibited from entering the country, so border agents will continue to follow those rules.

McPhee said marijuana is seized on a daily basis at the border, both in recreational and distribution amounts. His agency has been working with Canada Border Services to prepare for the coming changes in Canadian pot laws.

While there might be a bit of a learning curve with public knowledge at first, McPhee said he wasn't concerned.

"Our people are well-versed in how to handle it," he said.
By James Pearson HO CHI MINH CITY (Reuters) - It wasn't until Pham Chi Cuong saw the plane waiting to deport him from the United States that it sunk in that he was about to be sent back to Vietnam, the country he fled in 1990. Cuong and at least three other deportees who had lived in America for decades were returned to Vietnam in December 2017 as part of a renewed Trump administration push to deport immigrants convicted of crimes in the United States. The expulsions were carried out despite a 2008 bilateral agreement that Vietnamese immigrants who arrived in the United States prior to 1995, many of whom had supported the now defunct U.S.-backed state of South Vietnam, would not be sent back. Cuong and the other men, who spoke to Reuters this week in Ho Chi Minh City, said they spent the 17-hour flight in enforced silence, their hands and legs in restraints. Adjusting to life in Vietnam, the men all said, has been difficult. They said they were viewed with suspicion by Vietnamese officials and have had trouble finding work. "If you ask me 'do you want to come back to the U.S?' I'll give you the answer 'yes', but I don't know how," said Cuong, who left a wife and children back home in Orlando, Florida. Another of the men, who asked to be identified only by his last name of Nguyen, told Reuters he was asked by local police officials when he returned to Vietnam if he worked for the CIA. He said he was deported to Cam Ranh Bay, a place he had fled after the war because of his family's connections to the losing side. "I ran away from there," said Nguyen. "There were a lot of Americans there at the time, and my family worked for them," he added. "My uncle died in the war. He was a South Vietnamese soldier". It is not known how many pre-1995 Vietnamese immigrants like Nguyen and Cuong have been deported so far, but the Trump administration is seeking to send back thousands, Washington's former envoy to Hanoi told Reuters in an interview last week. Vietnam has expressed reluctance to take back pre-1995 immigrants. Of the 8,600 Vietnamese nationals in the United States that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency says are subject to deportation as of December last year, "7,821 have criminal convictions", an ICE spokesman said. The agency said it could not say how many of the immigrants slated for deportation arrived before 1995. The White House has declined to comment on the Vietnamese deportations. But the Trump administration has labeled Vietnam and eight other countries "recalcitrant" for their unwillingness to accept their deported nationals. ABUSE AND DISCRIMINATION The son of an American serviceman stationed in Saigon during the war, Cuong is "Amerasian," which he said subjected him to abuse and discrimination in Vietnam after the war. He didn't attend school and spent years ostracized and working in rice fields before leaving the country in 1990 on a program that gave Amerasians like him a chance to resettle in the United States. But despite being born to an American father and raising three American children in Florida, Cuong never became a U.S. citizen. It hadn't seemed necessary, he said, since he had come to the country legally and was allowed to work. Then, in 2000, Cuong was convicted of assault and battery and sentenced to 18 months in jail. In 2007, he was given one year probation for driving under the influence. Both times, Cuong was warned that his crimes made him eligible for deportation under U.S. law, but at the time Vietnam was not accepting deportees back. He was relieved in 2008, when the bilateral agreement on repatriations was signed in which the return of pre-1995 refugees was specifically barred. After his arrests, Cuong checked in regularly with ICE as he was required to do, and stayed out of trouble. He held down a steady job as a sushi chef and put his son through three years of college. But in October, 2017, he was taken into custody by ICE and two months later found himself on a plane back to Vietnam. 'UTTERLY SHOCKED' Another of the deportees, Bui Thanh Hung, is also Amerasian, born in 1973 to a Vietnamese mother and an American soldier who died during the war. Hung was convicted of domestic violence in 2010, which he says came after he walked in on his wife and another man. He spent six years in prison. Last year, he was released into ICE custody and deported in December. "Over here, I have no job, no one to support me, no house to live in", said Hung. He said he was relying on new acquaintances to stay temporarily at their homes. Many immigration advocates say they assumed the United States would be particularly reluctant to expel Amerasians like Hung and Cuong, because of their American fathers and the discrimination they had faced in post-war Vietnam. "Those of us in the Southeast Asian community were utterly shocked," Tin Nguyen, a U.S.-based lawyer, said of the ongoing deportations. Nguyen volunteers with the Southeast Asian Coalition nonprofit and has been working with the deportees. "It was as if they forgot about the Vietnam War". Cuong and Bui were deported with around 30 other deportees from Asian countries on a plane that dropped people off in Myanmar and Cambodia before reaching its final destination, Vietnam. Now back in the country they once fled, the men said they receive little support from the Vietnamese government and were struggling to find work. "I got no money," said Cuong. "My wife, sometimes she gives me a couple hundred dollars, but nobody helps me, nothing". (Corrects date to 1990 in paragraphs 1 and 14.) (Additional reporting by Minh Nguyen; Editing by Sue Horton and Philip McClellan)
P.E.I.'s French Language School Board has filed a formal notice to sue the provincial government in order to gain access to federal funds it says it is entitled to.

The board said they want the province to stop using federal funds allocated for French-language education for other operations. It wants the funds used for the needs of the French Language School Board, its students, and Acadian and Francophone communities.

At a news conference Friday at Carrefour de L'Isle Saint-Jean, school board president Emile Gallant said for the past five years the board has been trying to get the government to let it have a say in where the federal funding goes.

Now it'll be up to government, which has 90 days to respond, whether it goes to court, Gallant said.

"We're not going away," he said. "This will be settled one way or another."

The school board estimates that at least $1 million of $1.5 million annually received from Ottawa go directly to provincial coffers. The board is aiming to receive that money directly.

"We need funds to develop the cultural and linguistic side, because without that our community will slowly die," said Janine Gallant, a parent who is also part of the suit.

The next agreement for French-language education funding between the province and the federal government is expected this year.

"The school board wants to be at the table, wants to be directly involved when such agreements are negotiated," said Mark Power, a lawyer who is representing the school board. "The federal funding is supposed to be for extras, but province using it to subsidize the basic costs of what the province has to anyway."

More P.E.I. News
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippine government will ask the Supreme Court for more time to answer its order to hand over records of thousands of deadly encounters in its war on drugs, and will not comply until the president agrees, the national police chief said on Friday. The high court on April 3 gave police 15 days to comply with a December order to submit records related to the bloody drugs war, which the solicitor-general attempted to block on the grounds of national security, arguing it could endanger police, informants and witnesses. "As of this time, there is a motion being prepared," the new national police chief, Oscar Albayalde, told a news conference. He said the police would take orders from President Rodrigo Duterte before releasing any information about the drugs war. "Maybe, even without the Supreme Court order, he may order us to give the records," he added. Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said he was unaware of any submission from the police. About 4,100 people have since June 2016 been killed by police and several thousand more by unknown gunmen whom the authorities have described as vigilantes, or rival gang members. Police deny activist allegations they have falsified reports, staged crime scenes and systematically murdered small time peddlers and users, and say those killed had violently resisted arrest. In December, the court ordered Solicitor-General Jose Calida to submit details of those killed in police operations and other drug-related deaths. It also asked for information on each deadly encounter, the police and witnesses involved, and to see copies of warrants against all suspects who were killed. The order covers the period between July 2016 and November 2017, when two complainants, including a group of Manila slum dwellers, petitioned the court to make details publicly available. Calida filed a motion attempting to keep operational details secret, but the court dismissed that. Albayalde's predecessor, Ronald dela Rosa, on Wednesday said the 15-day deadline was unfeasible because the paperwork was "voluminous". (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Martin Petty)
RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for Markel Jason Downey after Nova Scotia's highest court overturned his acquittal on charges related to a shooting that injured three people and ordered a new trial.

"We know that someone out there knows where he is at," said RCMP Cpl. Dal Hutchinson.

"We've been exhausting multiple options including reaching out to family, friends and community members in and around Cole Harbour and surrounding areas with hopes that he can be encouraged to turn himself in."

Downey, 22, is facing a new trial in relation to a home invasion in Cole Harbour on Nov. 30, 2014, one that left Ashley MacLean Kearse paralyzed from the waist down. He was accused of being one of four people who burst into the house.

In February 2017, Downey was acquitted of 28 charges, including three counts of attempted murder, and walked away a free man following a trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

But the Crown appealed that ruling. In a decision released this week, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal said the trial judge, Michael Wood, had made "serious errors" when he considered evidence identifying the shooter.

"He ignored highly relevant evidence, and considered irrelevant evidence in his reasoning," said the Appeal Court decision. "He misconstrued the Crown's position concerning significant corroborative evidence connecting the respondent to the shooting."

Downey represented Nova Scotia as a boxer when he won a gold medal in the 2011 Canada Games, which were held in Halifax.

Police are advising people not to approach Downey and to contact them immediately if they see him by dialing 911 or calling 902-490-5020.
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Rockets hit Libya's main airport and damaged a plane as it was waiting to take off early on Thursday, a security force said, underscoring fragile security. One rocket hit an Airbus 320 of state-run Libyan Airlines, and others struck the arrivals hall at Tripoli's Mitiga airport at around 2 a.m.(0000 GMT), but no one was injured, a spokesman for the Special Deterrence Force (Rada) said. Photos circulating on social media showed a tear in the tarmac and holes in the wing and body of the plane. Tripoli has been controlled by a patchwork of armed groups since a 2011 uprising that toppled long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi and splintered the country. Armed groups fighting for territory and power have regularly attacked the city's transport hubs - undermining the government's efforts to persuade diplomatic missions to return to the capital. There have been rival governments in Tripoli and the east since 2014, when most diplomatic missions evacuated to neighboring Tunisia. Airlines have struggled to maintain services and keep the oil-producing country connected to the outside world as attacks damage their planes. Mitiga is the only operating airport in Tripoli. Fighting in 2014 put the main international airport out of service. Rada, a security group aligned to Libya's internationally recognized government that controls the airport, said the rockets were fired by men loyal to a militia leader known as Bashir "the Cow" Khalfalla, a group it has clashed with before and which it blames for regular nighttime shelling of Mitiga. Italy and Turkey reopened their embassies in Tripoli last year. U.N. envoy Ghassan Salame is now based in the city, where he held a series of meetings on Thursday and attended an art exhibition with Prime Minister Fayez Seraj in the evening. French Ambassador Brigitte Curmi was also in the capital, holding talks with Libyan officials. When asked whether elections would be held this year, Salame said after meeting Foreign Minister Mohamed Taher Siyala: "Sure. We promised this the U.N. Security Council." He did not elaborate. The United Nations launched a new round of talks in September in Tunis between the rival factions to prepare for elections in 2018, but divisions have so far prevented any accord. (Reporting by Tripoli newsroom; writing by Ulf Laessing and Aidan Lewis; editing by Andrew Heavens and Cynthia Osterman)
Panic and fear gripped another Florida school Friday when a gunman opened fire, wounding one student before being taken into custody on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence, authorities said.

It happened Friday morning at Forest High School, which was put on lockdown, the Marion County Sheriffs Office reported. The wounded student, a 17-year-old boy, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury to his ankle.

Some students and teachers piled desks and filing cabinets against classroom doors as a makeshift barricade.

Police initially said the 19-year-old suspect is also a student at the school, but later said he was a former student not currently enrolled. No charges were immediately announced. The sheriffs office said no other schools in the county were under any threat.

The Ocala shooting comes just over two months after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted in that Valentines Days shooting.

The shooting also coincided with a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence on the anniversary of the 1999 massacre at Colorados Columbine High School. The Ocala school had planned its version of a walkout, students said. (AP)

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Four students at Memorial University say they've been working away enthusiastically at other projects after winning an award for a failed business idea.

The Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship in St. John's named the first-ever winners of its Fail Tale Cup last summer.

The idea is to encourage students to expect lots of flops on the journey to create a solid venture.

"To succeed, there's going to be a lot of failures along the way," said Mehnaz Tabassum, an international student and one of the inaugural winners of the cup.

She said her team is working hard to get successful business projects off the ground because they hope to stay in St. John's after they graduate.

'There's a difference between being a failure and failing'

All four students are from Bangladesh. The failed idea that got their team's name engraved on the big shiny Fail Tale trophy was the notion of using a community-minded enterprise to push for free post-secondary education in Newfoundland and Labrador.

It was a concept that Tabassum's mother had been working on in Bangladesh.

However, when Tabassum shared the idea here, she said she received constructive, but negative, feedback.

Locals told her it was a complicated issue, with little hope of succeeding anytime soon. They also pointed out that well-established organizations such as the Canadian Federation of Students were already focused on reducing education costs.

So the four members of the team abandoned the idea.

They found out about the inaugural Fail Tale Cup at the last minute last June, and decided to enter the competition. Winners of the cup get $1000.00 to explore other concepts.

Florian Villaume is the director of the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship.

He said the goal was to establish a culture at the centre where failing is authorized and where it's understood that fresh ideas are always waiting. Plus there are lessons to be learned.

"Many people are afraid of failure," said Villaume. "The thing is that there is a difference between being a failure and failing."

Story continues

Other projects rolling out

The four Bangladeshi students are a tight-knit group who not only brainstorm together, but also live together.

The oldest, 23-year-old Saif Ahmed, is studying to be an engineer. The others are doing business administration. That includes his 21-year-old romantic partner Mehnaz Tabassum. Her brother, Adib Rahman, is just 18. Their cousin, Mahmudul Islam Shourov, is 20.

After winning the cup, Tabassum said they decided to focus on a couple of projects.

One is their company, Astha Marketing and Communications, which does promotional work for other firms, but also branches out into the area of community-building.

Last summer, the four students organized an event in St. John's for International Youth Day, rounding up 30 volunteers. Many of them spent the day working at Empower's Take Two thrift store in St. John's.

The plan is to greatly expand the number of volunteers on this year's date in August.

"What we did was, with the failed idea, we managed to merge it into something that would succeed in the long run," said Shourov.

The four also received $750 in seed funding from the Feeding 9 Billion challenge, which gets teams of university students working on sustainable food supplies.

The team is not ready to give away all the details of that plan yet, but it involves being able to order local ingredients online, as well as to reduce food wastage.

Liking fish and chips more than curry

Tabassum said that she hopes all four can stay in St. John's after they graduate. They are hoping to secure start-up visas for entrepreneurs who create jobs.

All four juggle school, jobs and the group's business projects. They must study full-time as a condition of their student visas, and all four work part-time to help cover living expenses.

Tabassum's partner has come to prefer local fish and chips over curry. Her brother is dating a local woman. All four said they enjoy hiking, and the province's spectacular scenery.

She says she's never forgotten her second day in St. John's. She was just 17, trying to find a government office. She and Ahmed had just stepped off a city bus, and were lost.

Tassabum said a stranger stopped to help them find the building.

"That person helped us to do shopping and then later dropped us at our home. So I would like to live in a community where we have these kind of people," said Tabassum.

It would be her idea of success. That, plus a family-run small business in St. John's.

The students plan to apply for permanent resident status in the near future.

As for this year's Fail Tale Cup, student entrepreneurs can submit applications to the Memorial Centre for Entrepreneurship during the first two weeks of June.
TORONTO (Reuters) - A U.S. woman has been sentenced to life in a Canadian prison for her role in an aborted Valentine's Day mass shooting at a shopping mall in 2015, local media reported on Friday. Lindsay Souvannarath, 26, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit murder. A Canadian man also accused in the plot, Randall Shepard, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2016. The two were accused of planning a mass murder and suicide at the shopping center in the Atlantic province of Nova Scotia. They were arrested at the Halifax airport after Souvannarath arrived from Illinois, allegedly to carry out the massacre. Souvannarath will have to serve at least 10 years before she is eligible for parole, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Her lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment. Souvannarath and Shepard were arrested after police received a tip about their alleged plans to shoot as many people as possible at the Halifax Shopping Centre and then kill themselves. A third man believed linked to the plot was found dead in a house in Halifax. The two men were childhood friends in Halifax and reportedly met Souvannarath online. All three admired the two teenagers who killed 12 students and a teacher in a high school shooting spree in Columbine, Colorado, in 1999, according to media reports. (Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Tom Brown)
The United Nations refugee agency is getting ready to make a visit to Atlantic Canada to pitch the idea of increasing sponsorship of refugees in this region.

"We tend to think a lot in terms of big urban centres: Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, to some extent Ottawa," said Jean-Nicolas Beuze, the representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Canada in a telephone interview.

"But I really believe that a lot of the solutions are actually in those provinces like Nova Scotia, where again there is ample space, willingness to receive people, and also from an economic point of view there may be easier ways for refugees to integrate."

'Dreaming of living in a province like Nova Scotia'

Beuze will be visiting Halifax on Monday to meet sponsors, potential sponsors and refugee settlement agencies. He will also observe the Atlantic Immigration Pilot, a federal-provincial program that allows employers to hire people who are not Canadian citizens, if they cannot fill jobs locally.

Beuze's goal is to match more international refugees with this area, in particular using the Blended Visa Office-Referred program. It allows private sponsorship groups to support a family for six months, which will be matched by the government for a further six months.

"Those refugee families are dreaming of living in a province like Nova Scotia," he said. "We have a lot of our refugees who are farmers, fishermen, who are not interested in moving to big urban centres, for example. Who are much more comfortable being in smaller communities, in rural parts of the country. And Nova Scotia really offers this unique opportunity to allow them to come and integrate very easily."

Beuze said rural communities are able to pull together to help refugee families.

"The communities in Nova Scotia, in particular perhaps in more rural places, are very closely associated and are strong communities who will dedicate a lot of time and support."

Story continues

Laura Hambleton works with the national organization Refugee Sponsorship Training Program, which is hosting the UNHCR's visit. Her group helps people privately sponsor refugees. She is organizing a talk by Beuze on Monday evening at the Halifax Central Library and says 115 people have already responded that they will attend.

Popular talk

"It certainly has been really popular. There are people coming from universities, from student societies, from faculties, from settlement organizations," she said, noting that attendees are coming from all over Nova Scotia from Cape Breton to the South Shore, and as far away as P.E.I. and New Brunswick.

Hambleton said many of the refugees she's seen under private sponsorship programs have skills such as agriculture or have owned their own businesses.

"Those are people that are really, really needed in the Atlantic provinces," she said. "There's also a lot of economic reasons as well."

The UNHCR will also visit Fredericton on April 25.
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The fallout from Brexit is starting to come before the European Union's top judges, in cases whose variety the head of the EU Court of Justice said defied the imagination. "There are already Brexit cases pending," ECJ President Koen Lenaerts told a news conference. They range from trademark cases to the extradition of a criminal, he said, added: "fact is stranger than fiction." Lenaerts noted that he has been predicting a variety of Brexit cases since Britain voted in 2016 to leave. Some people campaigning to stop Britain's exit next March have tried to bring national cases that oblige the Luxembourg-based ECJ to interpret the hitherto unused Article 50 of the EU treaty in a way that would challenge the British government's view that the article means Brexit cannot be stopped. No court has so far referred such a case to the EU judges. But Lenaerts mentioned at least two Brexit-related cases before them. In one, a Spanish court asked whether an EU trademark could be enforced after March 2019 if it was based on British trademark protection. In the second, an Irish court wondered whether it could send a criminal to Britain to serve a sentence that would extend beyond Brexit. A third case, more directly related to complaints by Brexit opponents, concerns British citizens in The Netherlands, who asked a Dutch court to assure them of residence rights after Britain left the EU. Lenaerts said the Dutch court agreed to seek ECJ input but was holding off pending a local appeal. Lenaerts acknowledged that any ECJ decision which overturned British parliamentary legislation would be particularly controversial, because Britain, unusually in Europe, has little national tradition of courts ruling laws unconstitutional. But he also noted that Britain had been a full participant in the EU legal system and remained so. It was still bringing new requests for rulings on EU law, he said, "as if before it's too late". He also accused Brexit Secretary David Davis, a campaigner against EU membership, of double standards because as a backbench lawmaker he had sponsored an appeal to the ECJ in 2016 to oppose his own government's policy on data protection. Further illustrating the diversity of issues raised by Brexit that is challenging the EU's legal machinery, the head of the EU's lower General Court said his tribunal was reviewing a request by a group of people asking for EU leaders' decision to launch Brexit negotiations to be annulled. And, added General Court President Marc Jaeger, the EU Intellectual Property Office was looking at a request from one enterprising business to trademark the brand "Brexit". (Reporting by Alastair Macdonald; @macdonaldrtr; editing by Larry King)
Appellate Court of Illinois, Third District. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. WILLIE HARRISON, Defendant-Appellant. Appeal No. 3-15-0419 Decided: April 20, 2018

OPINION

 1 Defendant, Willie Harrison, appeals from the third-stage dismissal of his postconviction petition. He argues that his waiver of postconviction counsel was invalid because the trial court failed to admonish him pursuant to Faretta v. California, 422 U.S. 806 (1975). We affirm.

 2 FACTS

 3 In August 2013, pursuant to a fully negotiated guilty plea, the court sentenced defendant to 16 years' imprisonment for the unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver (720 ILCS 570/401(c)(2) (West 2012)). Although the offense itself is a Class 1 felony, defendant's criminal history required a Class X sentence.

 4 In September 2013, defendant filed a timely motion to withdraw his guilty plea and vacate his sentence. Subsequently, he voluntarily dismissed this motion.

 5 In August 2014, defendant filed a pro se postconviction petition raising various claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel. The trial court appointed postconviction counsel to represent defendant on his petition.

 6 At an April 2015 hearing, postconviction counsel informed the trial court that defendant wished to proceed pro se on his petition. The court then addressed defendant stating, This is a crucial stage of your proceedings in post conviction, and I need to know why you think you are capable of handling the complex issues in a post conviction proceeding. Defendant responded that he had been asking postconviction counsel to do stuff for seven months but counsel told him he was unable to get in contact with the witnesses defendant asked him to seek out. Counsel then informed the court that defendant is seeking to have another person admit that the drugs that were found that he was charged with and that he pled guilty to were in fact another person's, but that counsel had spoken with the two people defendant asked him to contact and neither knew where Mr. Finny was. Defendant next informed the court that he wished to represent himself on his claims of ineffective assistance of trial counsel because his trial attorney, whose performance he was attacking, was postconviction counsel's boss. The court then announced it would let defendant proceed pro se.

 7 At the June 2015 evidentiary hearing, defendant questioned his trial counsel on the stand. Following arguments, the trial court denied the postconviction petition, finding that defendant failed to meet his burden of showing trial counsel's performance was ineffective.

 8 This appeal followed.

 9 ANALYSIS

 10 Defendant argues that the trial court's failure to properly admonish him pursuant to Faretta, 422 U.S. 806, rendered his waiver of postconviction counsel invalid. Defendant also asserts that [a]dmonishments regarding the potential punishment, required by [Illinois Supreme Court] Rule 401(a) [ (eff. July 1, 1984),] in the trial context, should likewise be required in post[ ]conviction proceedings where the defendant faces the possibility of a new trial.

 11 We begin by noting that a postconviction petitioner has a right to represent himself in postconviction proceedings. People v. Heard, 2014 IL App (4th) 120833,  10 (citing 725 ILCS 5/122-4 (West 2010)). In fact, a court must accept a defendant's knowing and intelligent request to proceed pro se provided that the waiver is clear and unequivocal, not ambiguous. People v. Baez, 241 Ill. 2d 44, 115-116 (2011) (citing Faretta, 422 U.S. at 835, and People v. Burton, 184 Ill. 2d 1, 21 (1998)). In determining whether a defendant has intelligently waived his right to counsel, a court must consider the particular facts and circumstances of defendant's case, including his background, experience, and conduct. People v. Lego, 168 Ill. 2d 561, 564-65 (1995). We review a trial court's decision regarding a defendant's waiver of his right to counsel for an abuse of discretion. Baez, 241 Ill. 2d at 116. An abuse of discretion exists only where the ruling is arbitrary, fanciful, unreasonable, or where no reasonable person would take the view adopted by the trial court. People v. Hall, 195 Ill. 2d 1, 20 (2000). On the other hand, issues regarding a trial court's compliance with Rule 401(a) involve questions of law that we review de novo. People v. Campell, 224 Ill. 2d 80, 84 (2006).

 12 Essentially, defendant's contention on appeal is that his waiver of postconviction counsel was not intelligent because the court did not conduct a Faretta-type inquiry prior to accepting his waiver. In Faretta, the United States Supreme Court declared that in order for a defendant to competently and intelligently *** choose self-representation, he should be made aware of the dangers and disadvantages of self-representation, so that the record will establish that he knows what he is doing and his choice is made with eyes open.  Faretta, 422 U.S. at 835 (quoting Adams v. United States ex rel. McCann, 317 U.S. 269, 279 (1942)). This is true because [w]hen an accused manages his own defense, he relinquishes, as a purely factual matter, many of the traditional benefits associated with the right to counsel. Id.

 13 Defendant recognizes Faretta involved the waiver of a defendant's sixth amendment right to counsel at trial rather than the statutory right to counsel at issue here. Nonetheless, he cites this court's decision in People v. Lesley, 2017 IL App (3d) 140793, appeal allowed, No. 122100 (Ill. Sept. 27, 2017), for the proposition that there is no distinction between waivers of a statutory right to counsel and a constitutional right to counsel. The issue in Lesley concerned a defendant's waiver of postconviction counsel due to misconduct. Specifically, the defendant in that case refused to cooperate with his appointed postconviction counsel, swore at counsel numerous times, and told him he was fired. Id.  6. After repeated status hearings where it was evident defendant refused to cooperate with his counsel, the trial court allowed counsel to withdraw. Id.  10. Defendant then represented himself pro se at the evidentiary hearing after which the trial court denied his postconviction petition. Id.  13. On appeal, a divided court held that, in the context of a waiver by conduct, a trial court must comply with Rule 401(a) requirements by explaining to the defendant what is at stake if his conduct continues. Id.  20. Because the trial court in Lesley failed to warn the defendant he would lose his right to appointed counsel if his misconduct toward counsel continued, the majority declined to construe the defendant's failure to cooperate with appointed counsel as a knowing wavier of his right to postconviction counsel. Id.  21. Specifically, the majority noted that defendant's conduct, while inappropriate, was not so severe that no warning was necessary or foreseeable and that under the facts presented, a warning would have been appropriate. Id.  25.

 14 Unlike Lesley, the instant case does not concern a waiver of postconviction counsel due to defendant's conduct. Rather, defendant here specifically requested to represent himself in the postconviction proceedings, and thus, clearly understood he would represent himself going forward if the trial court granted his request. Lesley, even if affirmed by our supreme court, is inapposite.

 15 Defendant next directs our attention to Durocher v. Singletary, 623 So. 2d 482, 485 (Fla. 1993), and State v. Chester, 2009-1019, pp. 2-3 (La. 2/10/10); 27 So. 3d 837, two out-of-state supreme court cases which found Faretta-type admonishments were required when postconviction petitioners who had been sentenced to death sought to waive their statutory right to counsel. In Durocher, the defendant was sentenced to death three times after pleading guilty to the murders of his former girlfriend and her two children. Durocher, 623 So. 2d at 483. Thereafter, a capital collateral representative (CCR), who was appointed to represent the defendant pursuant to a Florida statute created to provide for the representation of indigent defendants sentenced to death, filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus on the defendant's behalf, even though defendant had told CCR no less than 20 times not to file anything on his behalf. Id. at 482-84. The defendant expressed his wishes that his death sentences be appealed no further and that the court deny the petition filed by CCR. Id. at 484. While the Florida Supreme Court opined that the defendant presents every indication that he is knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily waiving his right to collateral proceedings through his adamant refusal to allow CCR to represent him, it also recognized the State's obligation to assure that the waiver of collateral counsel is knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. Id. at 484-85. Accordingly, the court directed the trial judge to conduct a Faretta-type inquiry of the defendant to ensure that he understood the consequences of waiving collateral counsel and proceedings. Id. at 485. In his specially concurring opinion, Chief Justice Barkett wrote separately to emphasize that additional safeguards, such as Faretta-type inquiries, are essential in collateral proceedings when an inmate sentenced to death expresses the desire to waive legal representation. Id. at 485-86 (Barkett, C.J., specially concurring).

 16 In Chester, the defendant, who had been convicted of murder and was sentenced to death, filed a motion with the Louisiana Supreme Court to waive counsel and represent himself during postconviction proceedings in the district court. Chester, 2009-1019, at 1. The defendant had not filed the motion in the district court, however, so the supreme court was not in a position to rule on the motion. Id. Instead, the court noted in principle that while an indigent death row inmate has a statutory right to appointed counsel, he may knowingly and intelligently waive that purely statutory right, just as he may waive statutory post[ ]conviction remedies altogether. Id. at 1-2. After citing Durocher and Faretta, the court remanded to the district court with directions that it consider whether the defendant knowingly and intelligently understood the consequences of his decision to proceed pro se. Id. at 2-3.

 17 Initially, we note that the decisions of other states are not binding on this court. People v. Sullivan, 366 Ill. App. 3d 770, 781 (2006). Nonetheless, Durocher and Chester are distinguishable on the grounds that those cases involved the waiver of postconviction counsel in capital cases. Here, defendant's pro se representation in his postconviction proceedingsregardless of the quality of his performance or the trial court's ultimate decision to grant or deny the petitionwill not result in his death at the State's hands. Moreover, as noted, we review a trial court's decision to allow a petitioner to proceed pro se for an abuse of discretion. Baez, 241 Ill. 2d at 116. Based on our review of the record and the relevant authority, we find that neither the provisions of the Post-Conviction Hearing Act (725 ILCS 5/122-1 to 122-7 (West 2012)), nor the facts of this case warrant the adoption of a per se rule requiring Faretta-type admonishments to be given every time a postconviction petitioner chooses to represent himself in the proceedings. The record here clearly shows defendant did not wish to be represented by appointed counsel on his postconviction issues. The court conducted a limited inquiry. The trial court's decision to allow him to do so was neither arbitrary, fanciful, nor unreasonable.

 18 Finally, we reject defendant's contention to the extent that he asserts admonishments similar to those required in the trial context pursuant to Rule 401(a) should be required in postconviction proceedings where the possibility of a new trial exists. Rule 401(a) provides that prior to accepting a defendant's waiver of trial counsel, it must ensure the defendant understands (1) the nature of the charge, (2) the minimum and maximum sentence for the offense, and (3) that the defendant has a right to be represented by counsel and, if indigent, to have counsel appointed for him. Ill. S. Ct. R. 401(a) (eff. July 1, 1984). In People v. Young, 341 Ill. App. 3d 379, 387 (2003), the Fourth District held that Rule 401(a) admonishments were not required prior to a postconviction petitioner, who had already been convicted of the offense and sentenced, waiving his right to counsel since he already knew everything a Rule 401(a) admonishment would have told him. In his reply brief, petitioner cites People v. Bahrs, 2013 IL App (4th) 110903, in support of his contention that Young's logic is flawed since Rule 401(a) still applies to those who seek to waive counsel for post[ ]trial proceedings following a conviction. We note, however, the defendant in Bahrs dismissed his appointed counsel prior to his sentencing hearing, not in postconviction proceedings following the imposition of his sentence. Thus, in Bahrs, a sentencing admonishment, as provided by Rule 401(a), was applicable. Here, as in Young, defendant had already been convicted and sentenced and, thus, knew all that Rule 401(a) admonishments would have told him. Furthermore, we fail to see any prejudice to defendant where, as here, the trial court denied his postconviction petition. There will be no new trial or sentencing.

 19 CONCLUSION

 20 For the foregoing reasons, we affirm the judgment of circuit court of La Salle County.

 21 Affirmed.

JUSTICE SCHMIDT delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

Justices Holdridge and Lytton concurred in the judgment and opinion.
I always had rather a soft spot in me for Barbara Bush; the exemplary old-school upper-middle-class good wife, with her triple strand of pearls, and the way that she didnt give a damn about going prematurely white. That was the way she was, and she didnt give two pins. Class  thats what she had, the class of a previous generation; a class now belatedly appreciated and mourned, now that the upholders and exemplars of it are almost now gone from between us. Among my transitory friends in Korea was a security policeman who had come off the White House protection squad at the end of the senior Bush administration: he adored Barbara, who called him Timmy  possibly the only person on earth besides his mother who did so, as he was one of these six-and-a-half foot tall human hazards in traffic, who looked rather like an Irish-Anglo version of Dwayne The Rock Johnson.

So  I took brief note of her passing; yes, good to die at home, refusing anything but palliative care, among family, and those whom hold you in affection. I am certain that Timmy  wherever he is now  is riffling through his fond memories of his particular First Lady and drinking a toast to her. A good long life, well lived, a loving marriage, well-adjusted and successful children, and grandchildren; what more could a brief life on this earth offer? I also drink a toast to Barbara Bush, and convey my sincerest condolences to those who loved her, a circle which extends far beyond those of her blood family. (I wish, though, that she had not been so catty about Sarah Palin, but I guess she was just going along with the old-line Establishment GOP crowd.)

This appears to be a simple social courtesy too much for a certain professor of  something or other at a California State University. Oh  its the one in Fresno. Fresno  like Bakersfield, its own punishment. (Yes, I am letting my latent California snobbishness show. Yes, there are places in California too infra dig for words. Fresno is one of them, although it did feature in a hilarious and all-star parody of 1980s dramas like Dynasty and Dallas. I continue.) The tweets posted by this so-called professor (of what, pray tell? Oh, dear  of English.) Couldnt prove it through the content of her tweets, which largely appear barely literate speak for themselves  mostly a narrative of vicious ignorance and malice.

Her name is Randa Jarrar, which must be 21st century speak for Two Ton Tessie, the epitome of a certain kind of female academic social justice warrior, like Trigglypuff. If her now-notorious tweets are what she puts on her social media feed, god only knows what she says to her students in the classroom  at a public and state-funded university, I might add. MS Jarrar is apparently a promising author of the kind of socially-aware preciosity that most of us wouldnt read on a bet, unless it was to make riotous fun of. She appears to be a lukewarm American Muslim of part-Palestinian extraction, raised in Kuwait and Egypt, returning to the United States for good and all after the First Gulf War in 1991; her previous claim to fame was to have authored a widely-circulated essay on Salon about how she couldnt stand white belly-dancers. On the grounds of cultural appropriation, apparently.

Among the items of cultural appropriation that MS Jarrar seems to have refused to partake of is the classically Latin truism about speaking no ill of the dead  and the other, more American bog-standard, about if you have nothing good to say, dont say anything at all. Tragic, since she seemed to have graced UT-Austin with her presence, for a degree in Middle Eastern studies. Oh, well  Austin, what can I say? I would venture a supposition that her very personal animus towards the Bush family has roots in the Gulf War and Saddam Husseins brief occupation of Kuwait. If I recall (and I do, for I followed events, being on active duty at the time), elements of the Palestinians in Kuwait and in the Middle East generally were enthusiastically backers of Saddam Hussein. When Saddam Hussein was chased out of Kuwait  well, those Poor, Poor, Pitiful Palestinians were considered as collaborators, and treated in Kuwait rather as French Nazi collaborators were treated after Liberation. While not quite having their heads shaved and marched naked through the streets, they were definitely made unwelcome by the Kuwaitis. I recall that many self-identifying Palestinians did leave Kuwait in a hurry. Being a logical person, I suspect that MS. Jarrars family were among them.

And so MS Jarrar found herself, after many academic adventures, comfortably in a well-paid sinecure at a small-town public university in California. Tenure, baby  its where you can find it. Alas, she seems to be addicted to the drug of Calling Attention to Yourself, and in this case, not thoughtful of how she went about getting that required fix or considering the wisdom of what she would say to get it. Now she has that attention  and having done so on her personal Twitter account (I swear, Twitter exists for the sole purpose of revealing morons in 140 characters or less) she has reflected nothing good on her employer, and from reports of her other social media appearances, she has nothing good to say about the local Fresno community, either. She may very well prove toxic to the university itself, tenure or no  having also demonstrated that she has no firm hold on the axiom regarding not bringing discredit or public opprobrium on ones employer. Discuss this latest social media/academic dumpster fire; will she be sacked, or retained? Place your bets, gentlemen, place your bets.
India and Finland have reached an agreement on the tax dispute with Nokia under Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) system. The resolution covers disputes pertaining to Nokia India as well as Nokia Corp. This involves payment of Rs 1,600 crore, a sum that was deposited with government by Nokia in March 2018.

This paves way for the sale of Nokias Chennai (Sriperumbudu) plant, which has been shuttered since November 2014. Software giant Microsoft had kept Sriperumbudur factory out of the deal when it acquired Nokias mobile device business in 2014 due to Income Tax notice and asset freeze imposed on the factory.

Background

Nokia India was issued tax demand notice for Rs. 2,500 crore in 2013 by Income Tax Department, which was thereafter reduced to Rs. 1,600 crore over royalty payments made to its parent company in Finland since 2006. The IT Department also raised tax demand of Rs.10,000 crore tax on Nokia Corporation for same transaction, but was dropped under MAP agreement.

The tax claim was related to Nokias import of software from its head office in Finland. Nokia India had showed payments made for software as purchase transactions and not royalty payments and held that payment was made without keeping back any withholding tax.

The India-Finland Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) has set 10% rate for royalties, which was IT Department was demanding. In tandem, at Nokia Indias request, Finland had initiated MAP process under DTAA in 2013. Nokia India also had sought to initiate arbitration under Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) in 2014, but did not pursue it after Indian Governments response through MAP avenue for solving cross-border tax dispute instead of arbitration.

Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) system

MAP is alternative dispute settlement mechanism that allows multinational companies (MNCs) to settle transfer pricing disputes with tax authorities and eliminate double taxation. The need for such arrangements was surfaced after many MNCs with operations in India had transfer pricing disputes with local tax authorities. MAP helps to increase comfort level of foreign investors over Indias tax laws. Moreover, speedy resolution of tax cases help in providing conducive atmosphere for investments and business to foreign companies in India. Under MAP, settling case with other government means closing all pending proceedings related to tax matter. It is increasingly seen as preferred mode for settling cross-border tax disputes.
The Great Barrier Reef is certainly threatened by climate change, but it is not doomed if we deal quickly with greenhouse gas emissions. (Photo: Pixabay)

Corals on Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef experienced a catastrophic die-off following the extended marine heatwave of 2016, a study has found.

Scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) in Australia mapped the geographical pattern of heat exposure from satellites.



They measured coral survival along the 2,300 kilometre length of the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, following the extreme marine heatwave of 2016.

The study published in the journal Nature found that 29 per cent of the 3,863 reefs comprising the world's largest reef system lost two-thirds or more of their corals, transforming the ability of these reefs to sustain full ecological functioning.

"When corals bleach from a heatwave, they can either survive and regain their colour slowly as the temperature drops, or they can die," said Terry Hughes from ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE).

"Averaged across the whole Great Barrier Reef, we lost 30 per cent of the corals in the nine month period between March and November 2016," said Hughes.

The amount of coral death the researchers measured was closely linked to the amount of bleaching and level of heat exposure, with the northern third of the Great Barrier Reef being the most severely affected.

"The coral die-off has caused radical changes in the mix of coral species on hundreds of individual reefs, where mature and diverse reef communities are being transformed into more degraded systems, with just a few tough species remaining," said Andrew Baird of Coral CoE at James Cook University.

"As part of a global heat and coral bleaching event spanning 2014-2017, the Great Barrier Reef experienced severe heat stress and bleaching again in 2017, this time affecting the central region of the Great Barrier Reef," said Mark Eakin of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"We are now at a point where we have lost close to half of the corals in shallow-water habitats across the northern two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef due to back-to-back bleaching over two consecutive years," said Sean Connolly of Coral CoE at James Cook University.

"But, that still leaves a billion or so corals alive, and on average, they are tougher than the ones that died. We need to focus urgently on protecting the glass that is still half full, by helping these survivors to recover," said Hughes.

These findings reinforce the need for assessing the risk of a wide-scale collapse of reef ecosystems, especially if global action on climate change fails to limit warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The study is unique because it tests the emerging framework for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Ecosystems, which seeks to classify vulnerable ecosystems as 'safe,' 'threatened' or 'endangered.'

"The Great Barrier Reef is certainly threatened by climate change, but it is not doomed if we deal very quickly with greenhouse gas emissions. Our study shows that coral reefs are already shifting radically in response to unprecedented heatwaves," said Hughes.
'We are investigating to find out why he killed his ex-wife,' police said. (Photo: Representational)

Phnom Penh: A Cambodian man murdered his ex-wife and then jumped off a bridge in a suicide that he broadcast live on Facebook, police said on Friday, in the first such case reported in the country.

Facebook is the social media platform of choice for Cambodians. Nearly a third of the countrys 15.8 million people are Facebook users and the network is a major source of information, particularly for young people.

Ra Chhay Rath, 21, killed his former wife at a school on Thursday then went to the nearby Tsubasa bridge, in Kandal province, and jumped into the Mekong river. Only the suicide was broadcast, police said.

It has never happened before. It was the first case, police spokesman Kirth Chantharith told Reuters, referring to the broadcast of the suicide.

We are investigating to find out why he killed his ex-wife.

Police said the mans body had not been found.

Reuters was able to access videos of the suicide on Friday shared by Facebook users. It was not immediately clear whether anyone had reported the video or asked for it to be taken down.

A spokesman for Facebook later said the company was deeply saddened by this tragedy and that it had removed the video.

We dont allow the promotion of violence or suicide on Facebook and have removed the video, the spokesman said in an email to Reuters.

We want people to have a safe experience on Facebook and we work with organisations around the world to provide assistance for people in distress.

In 2017, Facebook said it would expand its pattern recognition software after successful tests in the United States to detect users with suicidal intent.

Facebook has been embroiled in a number of content moderation controversies over recent years.

It has also been accused by human rights advocates of not doing enough to weed out hate messages while it faces questions in several countries about data privacy.
'We hope the international community could support the efforts made by Pakistan in counter-terrorism and forge effective cooperation with it in that regard,' Hua said. (Photo: File)

Beijing: China on Friday backed its all-weather ally Pakistan and called on the international community to support its counter terrorism efforts after Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the neighbouring country as a "terror export factory".

"Terrorism is the enemy faced by all. The international community should work together to fight against it," foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a media briefing in Beijing, when asked about China's response to Modi terming Pakistan as a "terror export factory" during a speech in London.

"We hope the international community could support the efforts made by Pakistan in counter-terrorism and forge effective cooperation with it in that regard," Hua said putting up a strong defence for China's all-weather ally.

While speaking at the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme at the iconic Central Hall Westminster in London on Wednesday, warning Pakistan, Modi had said India will not tolerate those who export terror and will respond to them in the language they understand, referring to the 2016 surgical strikes conducted across the LoC.

"When someone has put a terror export factory in place and makes attempts to attack us from the back, Modi knows how to answer in the same language," he had said.

Hua's comment also came ahead of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here, to be held early next week.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is arriving in Beijing on Saturday to take part in the meeting to be held on April 24. She is due to meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday.

Separately Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too will attend the SCO Defence Ministers meeting on the same day.

These are the first meetings of the SCO after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member group in which China and Russia plays an influential role.

Both events are to be attended by the respective Ministers from Pakistan. SCO consists China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Modi is also due to attend this year's SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June.

Hua said issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers.

"We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field. Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception," she said.

"So the upcoming SCO Foreign Ministers meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues, major international and regional issues and all the participants will uphold the Shanghai sprit to consolidate more consensus and to move forward the development of the SCO," she said.
Resham Khan (in pic) and her cousin Jameel Muhktar were attacked when they were out celebrating Khan's 21st birthday. (Photo: Facebook)

London: A tattooed thug was on Saturday jailed for 16 years by a British court for a horrific and life-changing acid attack on an aspiring Pakistani-origin model and her cousin.

John Tomlin, 25, threw acid at Resham Khan and Jameel Muhktar on June 21, 2017. They were attacked as they were out celebrating Khan's 21st birthday.

Tomlin, who has six teardrops tattooed on his face, attacked the duo while they waited in a car at traffic lights in Beckton, east London. They were doused with acid through the car window.

Khan told Snaresbrook Crown Court that her birthday "turned into a day where my face was taken away from me".

"I have been looking at myself in the mirror it upsets me, it brings back the incident on the day, it doesn't look like me," she added in her victim impact statement.

Sentencing Tomlin, Judge Sheelagh Canavan said the injuries were "dreadful and life-changing".

"It is becoming all too common an occurrence on our streets that members of the public are pouring water over people who have had acid thrown over them, as if this is some sort of fashionable assault that is being carried out," she said.

Tomlin was caught on CCTV chasing after the car and emptying the bottle of acid over Muhktar as he sped away. He was arrested after handing himself in to the police a month after the attack and said in a police interview that he was "hearing voices in my head".

John Tomlin attacked the duo on June 21, 2017. (Photo: Facebook)

Khan, a Manchester Metropolitan University student, suffered face and neck injuries and was left with damage to her left eye.

She will carry lifelong scars and has suffered from severe depression and anxiety as a result of the attack, the court heard, the BBC reported.

Mukhtar, 37, who had to be placed in an induced coma, has permanent scarring to his head, neck and body and has lost hearing in one of his ears. In his victim statement he told the court he suffers from depression and has tried to take his own life.

"I get flashbacks and am really worried to leave my house, constantly looking over my right shoulder fearing attacks," he added. "I am mentally and physically scarred for life. I can't even have a relationship," he said.

Helen Taylor, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said it was an "appalling attack that left the victims with physical and psychological scars".

"This case serves as a warning of the harm acid can cause and that those who use it as a weapon can face significant prison sentences," she added.
It is reported pressure on the ratings could build if a lack of funding from external donors calls into question Ukraine's ability to meet large external repayments.

S&P Global Ratings on April 20, 2018, affirmed its "B-/B" long- and short-term foreign and local currency sovereign credit ratings on Ukraine. The outlook is stable.

"At the same time, we affirmed our 'uaBBB-' Ukraine national scale rating on Ukraine," S&P said in a statement.

"The stable outlook reflects our expectation that the Ukrainian government will pass reforms necessary to draw a fifth tranche under its Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Those funds, combined with additional disbursements from international donors, would help Ukraine to meet its external repayments coming due over the next 12 months," the report says.

"We could consider a positive rating action if economic growth significantly outperforms our expectations, alongside improvements in fiscal and external imbalances that would allow the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) to continue easing its capital account restrictions. We could also raise our ratings on Ukraine if we conclude that the security situation in the nongovernment-controlled areas in Ukraine's east has stabilized and a further escalation is unlikely."

It is reported pressure on the ratings could build if a lack of funding from external donors calls into question Ukraine's ability to meet large external repayments.

"Additionally, we consider that an adverse ruling in Ukraine's legal battle with Russia over a eurobond issued in December 2013 and held by Russia could have fiscal implications, and in a worst-case scenario might create technical constraints on Ukraine's ability to repay its commercial debt, which would exert pressure on the ratings. Irrespective of the ruling at the London court, we expect the case to be appealed to the Supreme Court prolonging the overall proceedings further. We note that the government believes there is no potential for technical constraints on debt service, even in the case of an adverse ruling," S&P said.
After many meetings and debates, the Chicago delegation succeeded in working with the New York United Federation of Teachers, Local 2 (UFT) to push the AFT to take stronger stands on charter school accountability and school closings  though many delegates from Chicago would have liked the language to have been even stronger.

Generally speaking, the New York delegation represented organizing charters as the best model for handling their role in reshaping unions, despite the fact that according to many reports few charter schools in New York have been organized as is the case in Chicago. This logic is the same touted by the Progressive Caucus of the AFT. The few that have been organized are a part of the UFT local though they have separate contracts negotiated with the help of UFT. The Chicago delegation reflection the mindset that allowing new charters to continue to proliferate while attempting to organize existing charters is an end game in which public schools and the union lose.



Jen Johnson, CTU, Local 1 in Substance


EBRD president at meeting with Danyliuk notes importance of privatization in Ukraine

President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti during a meeting with Finance Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Danyliuk has noted the importance of the progress in the privatization process in Ukraine in order to attract foreign investment in the country.

The meeting was held on Friday, April 20, as part of the spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington, the press service of the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported on Saturday.

"Suma Chakrabarti noted the importance of the progress in the privatization process and added that transparent privatization is one of the main tools for attracting foreign investment to Ukraine," the report reads.

For his part, the finance minister assured the EBRD's president of Ukraine's commitment to the reform process.

Danyliuk and Chakrabarti have discussed the cooperation of Ukraine with the International Monetary Fund and the progress of implementation of EBRD projects.

"The officials agreed to continue the dialogue during the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Jordan in mid-May of this year.
Ukrainians to travel to Hainan Province without visas from May 1

Visa requirement for Ukrainians travelling to the Chinese province of Hainan will be canceled from May 1, according to the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.

"Ukraine is on the list of the countries whose citizens can enter and stay in the territory of China's Hainan without visas for up to 30 days," the report said.

The simplified procedure for entering the province will come into effect on May 1, 2018, and will apply to tourist trips, both for group tours and for individual travel.
Kyiv to increase pressure on Russia to get political prisoner Balukh released

Ukraine together with its partners will step up pressure on Russia to free political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh, who went on a hunger strike on March 19.

"We are worried about Balukh's health and together with our partners we will increase pressure on the Russian Federation regarding his release," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Mariana Betsa wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

As reported, Ukrainian farmer Balukh was arrested on December 8, 2016 in his house in the village of Serebrianka of Rozdolne district of Crimea temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation. Russian authorities charged him with possession of ammunition.

Crimea's Rozdolne District Court sentenced Balukh to three years and seven months of imprisonment in a low-security penal colony and to a fine of 10,000 Russian rubles. Balukh's defense team said the case was fabricated, and his verdict would be appealed in courts of higher instances.

Balukh has been on a hunger strike since March 19.
Since the beginning of hostilities in Donbas, more than 2,500 civilians have been killed, and more than 9,000 have been injured, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Neal Walker has said in his report to UN Member States and International Organizations in New York.

According to a report posted on the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Walker stressed that 4.4 million conflict-affected people in eastern Ukraine are the dire humanitarian situation. After four years of conflict, 3.4 million people in Ukraine are struggling to cope with the impact of the humanitarian crisis and urgently require humanitarian assistance and protection.

"More than 2,500 civilian men, women and children have been killed, and over 9,000 injured, since hostilities began four years ago," the report says.

According to the coordinator, there were on average 40,000 violations per month in Donbas in 2017. Walker said that, "only this week, five water treatment workers were shot while trying to maintain critical water infrastructure along the contact line."

"Today, water supplies to over 345,000 civilians hang in the balance. Last year alone, over 130 incidents affected critical water infrastructure,"  he said.

According to the UN, over 600,000 people, including 100,000 children, suffer from the continued armed clashes along the 457-km contact line. Every month, over 1 million people are forced to cross the 'no-man's land' through checkpoints, many to simply access basic humanitarian and social services.

Walker also noted a serious explosive hazard contamination in eastern Ukraine. Last year alone, over 235 civilians were killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants of war.

Walker recalled that in December 2017, humanitarian agencies launched a highly prioritized $187 million appeal to reach over 2.3 million of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine with assistance and protection services. So far, this appeal remains largely unfunded.

"Today, I call on Member States to stand in solidarity with conflict- affected people in Ukraine and to help urgently address this 97 per cent funding gap," he said.
As tensions escalated between Iran and Israel, The Jerusalem Post on April 20 quoted Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying in reaction to Irans threats that Israel is prepared for every possible Iranian move and will not shy away from action.

"We hear the threats from Iran and the IDF and security forces are prepared for every possible Iranian move. We will fight whoever tries to harm us. We will not shy away from action against those who threaten our security. They will pay a heavy price, Netanyahu said.

According to Jerusalem post, Netanyahu made the statement Friday morning at a special cabinet meeting that took place at the location where, 70 years ago, the establishment of the State of Israel was declared.

Within an hour, Hossein Salami, a deputy commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said in Tehran on Friday You would be annihilated in any war. Your only way out would be escaping to the sea.

We know you very well. You are too vulnerable. Your country is smaller than one of the theaters of the Iran-Iraq war [of the 1980s]. All of the occupied lands could come under our fire, Tasnim News Agency quoted Salami as saying.

Salami added: You have no escape route. You live in the mouth of the dragon. Whatever war that might take place will end with your annihilation.

Do not rely on your air bases. They are within our reach. Do not rely on the US and UK. They will get there when you are no longer alive. So, beware of dangerous miscalculations, Salami warned Israel.

In the meantime, as war of words heighten between Iran and Israel, the state of alert in northern Israel continues too, reported Y.Net News website, adding that Netanyahus tone has become clearer as Irans threat turned more serious.

Reacting to Salamis remarks, Israels Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned:

"I suggest that everyone on the northern border think carefully about what they are doing," adding

"They should not try the IDF or the State of Israel. We are ready for any scenario. We are ready for a multifaceted scenario. There has never been such readiness and such willingness, both in the army and among the people of Israel, in recent memory."

Israels President Reuven Rivlin had said on Thursday that Israel is facing direct threats from Iran.

Iran and Russia attributed an air strike in early April on T-4 base in Homs, Syria to Israel. This was the second round of attacks by Israeli forces on Iranian targets in Syria In a matter of weeks. It immediately followed Syrias alleged use of chemical weapons.

At least 7 Iranian military men were killed during the attack on Homs.

The first strike, which targeted a base near Palmyra, took place after Israel disclosed that Iran had flown a drone into Israeli airspace with a suicide mission. Israel had said the incident was tantamount to Irans entry into direct military confrontation with Israel.

Before the drone incident Iran usually acted against Israel through its proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah, Israeli sources said at the time.

Iranian leader Ali Khameneis adviser, Ai Akbar Velayati said during a visit to Syria that that the attack on T-4 will not remain unanswered. Subsequently, Ai Shirazi, Khameneis representative to IRGCs Qods Force threatened that Tel Aviv and Haifa will be levelled with the slightest stupidity by Israel.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi also threatened in mid-April that Sooner or later Israel will get Irans response to the attack on T-4, adding, Israel will regret what it did, Iranian agencies reported.
Ignoring a heavy presence of police and security forces, hundreds of people in the city of Kazeroon continued their protest assembly on April 20.

Located just over 1,000 kilometers (roughly 640 miles) south of Tehran, Kazeroon has recently been the scene of protests against plans to change the citys boundaries.

The protesters invaded the citys Friday Prayers venue, or mosalla, and chanted angry slogans against the citys MP as well as the state-run radio and TV organization, which has provided no coverage of the protests.

While Iran has long insisted Friday Prayers are its last political and religious trench for defending the Islamic Revolution, the people of Kazeroon followed in the footsteps of protesting farmers in Isfahan and assembled at their citys mosalla.

After protest assemblies in front of governorates that yielded little results, demonstrators in Iran have started protesting at Friday Prayers venues, where a religious representative of the Islamic establishment delivers sermons.

The four-decade-old slogan of the Islamic Republic is Death to America, to which the enraged people of Kazeroon responded by chanting, Our enemys right here; they lie and say its America!

Based on reports and footage received by Radio Farda, the people in Kazaroon chanted slogans against MP Hossein Rezazadeh. We take refuge in God from the treacherous MP, and We will slay whoever commits treason, they chanted, along with describing state-run radio and TV as our source of shame.

Rezazadeh recently tabled a motion in the parliament that would separate two counties, Chinarshaheejan and Qaemeyyeh, from Kazeroon, creating a new city named Koohchinar.

According to local media, Qaemeyyeh is Rezazadehs birthplace and he has personal motives in supporting the motion, which requires government endorsement.

A local website cited Rezazadeh as saying, I am after what the people of the county [Qaemeyyeh] have demanded and, whether some like or dislike it, will follow up the case.

However, the protesters -- who have the unprecedented support of Kazeroons Friday Prayer leader -- have vowed to block the move, which would slash a range of benefits and jobs the city has received for many years.

Kazeroon Friday Prayer Leader Mohammad Khorsand described the new boundary plan as dubious. Sadly, the plan to divide Kazeroon suffers from a lack of transparency and does not take into account the opinion of experts, he said, adding that the authorities are trying to sow seeds of discord in the city.

Videos circulated on social media on April 20 showed some of the largest public gatherings since the anti-regime demonstrations that broke out at the end of December and spread to more than 100 cities across Iran.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

The upcoming SCO summit in China will be important in terms of a high level political dialogue and consultations among the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua.

"The SCO summit will strengthen cooperation in various fields and identify new areas for cooperation," Hajiyev said.

He noted that the SCO is an organization that serves as an effective platform for political consultations and interaction to build confidence and cooperation in the region.

"Azerbaijan has very close and traditional friendly relations with member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. As an international organization and important platform, the SCO creates favorable conditions for the multilateral development of our relations with its member states," Hajiyev stressed.

He added that new transport projects, implemented jointly with regional states in the atmosphere of partnership and friendship, support the goals and priorities of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and promise wide opportunities for cooperation between SCO member states and neighboring countries in the field of transportation.

Hajiyev pointed out that Azerbaijan supports the SCO goals that promote cultural diversity and participates in various joint cultural projects in close cooperation with the SCO Secretariat, based in Beijing.

"Currently, Azerbaijan, which has a status of a dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, continues to work closely with the organization and its member states to expand cooperation in various fields," he stressed.

As for Azerbaijan's role within the SCO, Hajiyev said that his country intends "to raise relations with the SCO to a qualitatively new level."

"We hope that the SCO member states will revise the status of Azerbaijan in this organization," Hajiyev said, adding that the new status would give the country more opportunities to contribute to the activity of SCO and mutually beneficial cooperation.

This year's SCO summit is scheduled to be held in east China's coastal city of Qingdao in June, with China taking the rotating chair.

Azerbaijan's status as a dialogue partner in the SCO was officially approved in March 2016.

It is expected that Azerbaijan's membership in the SCO would give the country more opportunities to interact with China and Central Asian countries much more closely.

President of Azerbaijan llham Aliyev has recently said that Azerbaijan maintains constructive and friendly relations with all SCO member states.

He said Azerbaijan is interested in strengthening ties with the SCO, adding that the development of cooperation with the SCO members is one of Azerbaijan's key foreign policy priorities.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Azerbaijan fulfills the function of a solidarity bridge, reads an article by Eldost Ibrahimov, the lecturer of Urdu at the Department of Oriental Studies of the Baku State University, published on Modern Diplomacy.

The author reminds that at the end of the 20th century  at the beginning of the 21st century, world politics differ by its complexity and diversity.

Ibrahimov believes it is too important that Azerbaijan, which proclaimed independence twice during the twentieth century, maintained its this independence during the period full of globalization, international integration and social contradictions.

"Under such complicated historical circumstances, the prominent politician and statesman, the well-known and respected person in the world  Ilham Aliyevs commitment and successful realization of this responsibility can be characterized as the golden age of modern Azerbaijan history," Ibrahimov says.

Ibrahimov notes that conduction of successful foreign policy during his term as head of state has had a significant impact on the future life of Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan established normal international relations with all the countries of the world after gaining independence, and in the frame of good relations with the Muslim countries, it also protects the interests and interests of the Islamic world within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and continues to cooperate with these countries in accordance with the requirements of international law. In this regard, strengthening of Islamic solidarity in the world is one of the priority issues in the foreign policy of Azerbaijan," reads the article.

Namely from this point of view, according to Ibrahimov, declaration of 2017 year as Islamic Solidarity Year by President Ilham Aliyev's decree dated Jan. 10, 2017, is an indicator of humanism of the state leader and at the same time it is a positive example of the countrys sensitive attitude to the Islamic Countries Union.

"Islamic solidarity does not only mean the solidarity of Islamic countries. This is a kind of challenge, regardless of religion, to the worlds people to live in friendship, brotherhood and multiculturalism conditions. The announcement of the year 2017 as the Year of Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan is a challenge to the West, which is strengthening its attacks on the Islamic world annually and promoting a new crusades in the 21st century. This is also a call for Islamic countries to be vigilant against the crafty intentions of the West, to demonstrate unity and solidarity. Ilham Aliyev made this important step and expressed his own position and the position of the state of Azerbaijan. As Azerbaijan has distinguished from other states with its multicultural and tolerant values throughout its history. Islamic solidarity is also a part of this context, and this shows that President Ilham Aliyev gives great importance to the solidarity of the Islamic world," Ibrahimov says.

For the first time in history, the head of the Azerbaijani state has sent a political message to the Islamic world, pointing to the importance of acting from unified position, to achieve unity and at the same time integrate into the world, according to Ibrahimov.

The author notes that only state leader of the country like Azerbaijan, where multiculturalism and solidarity are established, and citizens of different nationalities, religions and sects live in peace, has a moral right to give such a decree.

"The promotion of the Islamic Solidarity initiative is related to the challenges of the present and controversial processes that take place because of various reasons in the Islamic world. As it is seen here, the importance of Azerbaijans reputation in the Islamic world, as well as the need to strengthen the solidarity of Islamic countries, as well as the actuality of holding the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku, the capital of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2017, have been extensively and logically expressed in this decree. With Islamic solidarity policy, Azerbaijan, as unifying facility of the Islamic world, confirms that these religious values are indeed, humanistic, moral values and reinforces belief to being of these ideas are an effective means of creating a shared living and stability environment not only in the Islamic geography but also in the entire world," Ibrahimov says.

Azerbaijan, which has created a partnership of cultures and ideas between East and West, fulfills the function of a of solidarity bridge, thus demonstrates its commitment to universal values, as well as its commitment to the highest values of the Islamic religion, according to Ibrahimov.

"Thus, Azerbaijan uses all the means to establish steady stability in a globalizing world and propagates the peacekeeping, reconciliatory position in a unique way that is essential for today. This humanist initiative of the President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, will promote the expansion of cooperation relationship between Muslim countries in the world and further strengthening of the Islamic solidarity," reads the article.

The strengthening of Islamic solidarity, in its turn, will play an important role in ensuring tranquility and peace in the Middle East and other regions, Ibrahimov concluded.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Samir Ali - Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 93 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 21.

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 21

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

It is no secret that Armenian nationalists - Dashnaks (Armenian Revolutionary Federation) are among those responsible for the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), said the Chairman of the Copyright Agency of Azerbaijan Kamran Imanov.

Imanov made the remarks speaking at the conference titled "Ancient texts and classical sources expose Armenian falsifications and fabrications", dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the national leader Heydar Aliyev and the 100th anniversary of the ADR.

Imanov noted that Azerbaijanis became victims of two-faced Armenians, because Azerbaijanis weren't strong enough and believed the Dashnaks.

"Therefore, as the head of state noted, "in 1918, Irevan was given to Armenia as a gift." Today, relying on his power and will, President Ilham Aliyev states that "Azerbaijan will never allow a second fictional Armenian state to be created on our historical lands". The existing Armenian state was created on our lands. We must not forget and we do not forget our historical lands. Our historical lands are the Irevan khanate, Zangezur, Goyche region. We, Azerbaijanis, should return to our historical lands," Imanov said.

He said, these statements are based on justice, international law and historical truth.

"What is "Eastern Armenia"? These are our historical lands - Zangezur county and Goyche region, lands that were cut off from Azerbaijan and given to Armenia. That is how Soviet Armenia, which has no territory, was created at the expense of Azerbaijani territories. Moreover, with the support of the Soviet historical science, Armenology began to replicate lies and fabrications," Imanov said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has expressed gratitude to Artur Rasizade for his activity as the countrys prime minister, said the press-service of Azerbaijani president.

President Aliyev said on April 21 that Artur Rasizade has worked effectively for many years holding high positions in civil service.

Rasizade worked hard for Azerbaijans development under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev both during the USSR period and during the years of independence, said the head of state.

It was pointed out that Artur Rasizade spared no effort for even more strengthening Azerbaijans independence and for achieving great success by the country under the leadership of Ilham Aliyev as well.

Rasizade, for his part, expressed gratitude to the head of state for the appreciation of his activity. He noted that during the presidency of Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continues the policy of Azerbaijans national leader Heydar Aliyev, the country has achieved unprecedented success in all directions of the social and economic sphere and has gained great reputation on the international arena.

President Ilham Aliyev has expressed gratitude to Artur Rasizade for his activity as the countrys prime minister.

Artur Rasizade once again thanked the head of state for the care and attention. He wished success to President Aliyev in his future activity in ensuring Azerbaijani peoples welfare and prosperity.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

During its plenary session held April 21, Azerbaijani parliament approved the candidacy of Novruz Mammadov, assistant of the Azerbaijani president for foreign policy issues, head of department, as the countrys new prime minister.

12:04 (GMT + 4) Plenary session of Azerbaijani parliament (Milli Majlis) started on April 21.

The approval of the countrys new prime minister is being considered in the meeting.

The approval of Novruz Mammadov, assistant of the Azerbaijani president for foreign policy issues, head of department, as the countrys new prime minister is being discussed in the parliament.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:

Novruz Mammadov, whose candidacy for Azerbaijans new prime minister was approved by the parliament on April 21, has expressed gratitude to Azerbaijani president for confidence in him.

"The credence given to me puts on me a great responsibility by the president and sets a major task for me," he said adressing the parliament.

Mammadov expressed deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev for the high confidence in him. He said that the post of the prime minister is very difficult, but honorable.

"To work with head of state Ilham Aliyev is very honorable," Mammadov said.

Mammadov noted that today, Azerbaijan is a country that has its place and position on a global scale, further adding that Azerbaijan has the most difficult geopolitical location.

"Continuation of stability, security and dynamic development in Azerbaijan at a time when tense processes are taking place in the world in the second decade of the 21st century creates great challenges for each of us. We should continue a high-level development. This is a very difficult task. I will try to fulfill this responsible task under the leadership of the president of Azerbaijan, in close cooperation with state and governmental bodies, as well as with the parliament. I will make efforts to continue the path defined by national leader Heydar Aliyev, under the leadership of the president of Azerbaijan, Mammadov said.

He stressed that presently, Azerbaijan is at a stage of very high development.

"As I am very much involved in foreign policy, I am well familiarized with the positions related to the states in the international arena. Azerbaijan, as an active participant and organizer, has successfully implemented the world's major projects in the fields of politics, energy, sport, culture, and multiculturalism. Azerbaijan has made a huge contribution to international cooperation. In a few years the country will become the largest transport hub of Eurasia. Azerbaijan will become the knot of trade and economic relations of all countries from India to the north of Europe, from East to West, to the south of Europe. This also ensures the future development of Azerbaijan. The main task before me is to further concretize the directions of success achieved so far in Azerbaijan's economic sector, take steps taking into account what reforms are more important for us, and for subsequent development of the country. Undoubtedly, under the leadership of the president of Azerbaijan, together with state and governmental bodies, as well as members of the parliament, we will cope with these tasks," Mammadov said.

He stressed that Azerbaijan has already implemented major projects and has achieved success in the spheres of politics, economy, energy, sports and culture.

If we analyze all this work, we can see that no country in the world can be compared with Azerbaijan or compete with our country. Azerbaijan is a very active participant of international organizations. Our country hosts prestigious events in political, cultural, sports spheres, as well as in dialogue among civilizations and multiculturalism. In 2019-2021, Azerbaijan will chair the Non-Aligned Movement, which brings together 120 countries and is the second largest organization in the world after the UN. Azerbaijans president is a wise political figure, who perfectly knows the domestic and foreign policy, the sphere of international relations. Taking all this into account, we can say that Azerbaijan is in the most grandiose period of its history, he said.

In conclusion, Novruz Mammadov said that he will do everything possible to fulfill the tasks assigned to him by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The Parliament of Azerbaijan will send a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev in connection with the presidential election held on April 11, said the parliament's speaker Ogtay Asadov.

He made the remarks at a meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament on April 21.

Asadov wished success to President Aliyev in his activities.

The incumbent head of state, Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party Ilham Aliyev garnered 86.02 percent of votes in the April 11 election, securing his position as the head of state for the next seven years.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

It is hard to find a better place to hold a meeting between Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and Curtis Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO Allied Command Operations than Azerbaijan, Aleksey Sinitsin, the chief expert at American-Azerbaijani Progress PromotionFund, told Eurasia Daily.

"Azerbaijan is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement. However, it has quite respectful and developed relations with both Moscow and Western capitals. The situation in Baku is always stable, benevolent, and any unexpected political excesses are practically excluded," he said, stressing that it is difficult to find a better place for such meetings.

Baku hosted a meeting between Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, and Curtis Scaparrotti, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) of NATO Allied Command Operations on April 19.

The Russian Defense Ministry stressed that Gerasimov and Scaparrotti confirmed their readiness at a meeting in Baku to continue the dialogue for exchange of views on the issues of mutual interest.

The Baku meeting demonstrated mutual interest in supporting military ties aimed at maintaining predictability and transparency, the NATO press service said.

The two top generals discussed issues related to the current situation and military drills, the NATO said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on April 21 on the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The members of the Cabinet of Ministers are as follows:

1.1. First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov;

1.2. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov;

1.3. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov;

1.4. Deputy Prime Minister Hajibala Abutalibov;

1.5. Minister of Internal Affairs Ramil Usubov;

1.6. Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov;

1.7. Justice Minister Fikret Mammadov;

1.8. Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev;

1.9. Minister of Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov;

1.10. Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov;

1.11. Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev;

1.12. Minister of Agriculture Inam Karimov;

1.13. Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov;

1.14. Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov;

1.15. Minister of Transport, Communication and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade;

1.16. Minister of Taxes Mikayil Jabbarov;

1.17. Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture Samir Nuriyev

1.18. Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs Rovshan Rzayev;

1.19. Chief of State Border Service Elchin Guliyev;

1.20. Head of State Security Service Madat Guliyev;

1.21. Head of Foreign Intelligence Service Orkhan Sultanov

This order enters into force from the date of signing.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

Inam Karimov has been appointed Azerbaijans minister of agriculture.

He replaced Heydar Asadov on this post.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on April 21 on the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Inam Karimov previously headed the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

Samir Nuriyev has been appointed the chairman of Azerbaijans State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on April 21 on the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers.

Prior to this appointment, Nuriyev served as director of Azerbaijans State Housing Agency.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 20

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

Azerbaijan and Russia are discussing possibility of establishing joint ventures (JVs) for export to third countries, Russias trade representative in Azerbaijan Eldar Tlyabichev told Trend.

"We have certain developments and presently we are considering possibility of organizing and expanding cooperation in the industrial sector and creating joint products for export to third countries. Another interesting topic that is actively developing now is tourism. There are real opportunities here to increase the mutual tourist flow," he said.

Tlyabichev further urged Russian and Azerbaijani companies to actively use the existing business opportunities.

The potential of mutual investment and production cooperation is not fully used today, according to him.

"I urge Azerbaijani investors to more actively participate in projects being realized in Russia. Particularly, to use the capabilities of Russian special economic zones, which offer its significant preferences and create comfortable conditions for doing business," he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakhstans National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NE) "Atameken" has become the operator of the state program to assist exporters, starting from 2018, the press-service of Atameken said in a message.

The Chamber provides for reimbursement of costs to subjects, engaged in industrial-innovative activity, producing domestic processed goods.

"Reimbursement will include the costs associated with the advertising of products, participation in foreign exhibitions, fairs and festivals, as well as the development and dissemination of promotional catalogs. In addition, some of the amount for the maintenance of a representative office, store or warehouse abroad will be compensated, conducting procedures for the registration of trademarks and product certification," the message said.

The Atameken subsidiary - the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan - plans to conduct 15 trade and export missions for Kazakh companies to the border regions of Russia, the countries of Central Asia, China and Iran.

"Entrepreneurs will be given sites to find foreign partners. As experience shows, participation in foreign trade missions expands the geography of exports of manufactured goods and services".
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Fikret Dolukhanov  Trend:

The Philippines is interested in organizing systemic supplies of tropical fruits to Uzbekistan, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan stated citing Ambassador of the Philippines in Uzbekistan with a residence in Tehran Wilfredo Santos addressing a meeting at in the ministry.

Uzbek side noted the importance of creating a legal framework for cooperation between the two countries during the meeting. In turn, Santos informed the Uzbek side about the foreign policy course of the new Philippine government aimed at establishing partnership with both traditional and new partners

One of the most promising areas for cooperation between the two countries is the agricultural sector. The delegation of the Philippines expressed interest in organizing the systemic supply of tropical fruits. The Uzbek side informed members of the delegation about the availability of a wide range of fruits and vegetables in Uzbekistan, which have significant potential in the markets of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

Cooperation in the textile sphere was discussed as well.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade of Uzbekistan S. Saifnazarov suggested considering the establishment of joint ventures in Uzbekistan for production of finished textile goods.

The parties also agreed to cooperate in the promotion of mutual trade, including the establishment of close contacts between the business circles of Uzbekistan and the Philippines.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a telephone conversation with President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on April 20, Uzbek media reported citing press service of the head of state.

Uzbek leader expressed sincere gratitude to President Vladimir Putin for the message sent and the participation of the representative Russian delegation in the solemn events on the occasion of the completion of the construction and launch of the Kandym gas processing complex, which took place in Bukhara region on April 19, 2018.

It was specially noted that the high-tech production for deep processing of natural gas created jointly with LUKOIL is another vivid example of the strengthening relations of strategic partnership and alliance between Uzbekistan and Russia.

During the conversation, an exchange of views took place on further expansion and deepening of Uzbek-Russian multifaceted relations in the context of implementing agreements reached at the highest level.

The sides considered some regional and international policy.

The president of Uzbekistan reaffirmed his invitation to the president of Russia to pay a state visit to Uzbekistan. The invitation was accepted with gratitude.

The exact terms of the visit will be coordinated through diplomatic channels.

In conclusion of the telephone conversation, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin confirmed their readiness to continue active cooperation in various formats.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Fikret Dolukhanov - Trend:

A new Center of Advanced Technologies will be created in Uzbekistan under the Ministry of Innovative Development, Uzbek media reported citing the presidential decree On the formation of the Center for Advanced Technologies under the Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

According to the text of the decree, the Center will be created to support high-tech enterprises and to introduce innovative ideas, technologies and projects on the base of the Educational and Experimental Center for High Technologies State Unitary Enterprise.

The new body will be aimed at creating conditions for enhancing development of scientific and innovation activities, broad integration of science, education and production, generation and application of new knowledge, effective use of scientific and innovation potential and scientific and laboratory base in the development and implementation of advanced innovative ideas, technologies and projects.

The president of Uzbekistan ordered to develop a roadmap on expansion of research and innovation activities of the center.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 20

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Delegation of the Kazakh Defense Ministry, headed by First Deputy Defense Minister and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant-General Murat Maykeev, participated in the meeting of the Committee of Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces of the CIS member states, held in Kazan, the press service of the Kazakh Defense Ministry said in a message.

The participants exchanged views on the current military and political situation and analyzed the challenges and threats to military security in the CIS space, during the meeting.

The sides also approved the results of the work of the CIS Defense Ministers Council on the development of military cooperation in 2018 and the draft work plan for 2019, as well as issues of cooperation in the field of unmanned aviation and a unified system of state radar identification.

Kazakhstans armed forces ranked 50th in the annual Global Firepower Index rating, the press service of GFI said in a message.

In 2017, the country stood at 53-rd place.

From the CIS countries, Kazakhstan is below Ukraine (29th place), Uzbekistan (39th place) and Belarus (41st place). The rating includes 136 countries.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

Two new frontier posts have been built on Tajikistans common border with Uzbekistan in the northern Sughd province, Tajik agency ASIA-Plus reported.

Official opening ceremonies of the mentioned frontier posts took place in the Asht district and were attended by Security Council Secretary Abdurahim Qahhorov.

The Sughd administration press center notes that construction of the Mehrobod frontier post has been financed by Barqi Tojik (Tajikistans national integrated power company). Some 18 million somoni (over $2 million) has reportedly been spent for construction of this frontier post.

The Punuk frontier post has been built and equipped with facilities due to funds provided by the Sughd regional budget and 5.4 million somoni (over $600,000) has reportedly been allocated for construction of this frontier post.

(8.8626 somoni = 1 USD on April 21)
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The official visit of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to Uzbekistan starts on April 23, the Turkmen Foreign Ministry announced.

The upcoming visit will be an event of historical significance, will raise to a new qualitative level the indigenously fraternal relations based on centuries-old traditions of good neighborliness, mutual respect and fruitful cooperation, said the message.

The advantageous geographical position of these states in the center of the Asian continent is of key importance.

Being at the most important crossroads of trade, economic, transport and communication corridors, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan carry out coordinated cooperation on the development of the most promising routes in the East-West and North-South directions.

Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan jointly work on the rational use of water and energy resources and environmental protection, said the message.

It was also noted that the agreement on economic cooperation for 2018-2020 and agreement on mutual deliveries of goods contribute to expansion of partnership.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

Trend:

The CIS countries will hold joint military drills within the framework of the integrated air defense system in 2018, Sputnik Uzbekistan reported.

The corresponding statement was made by Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Russia, First Deputy Minister of Defense, Army General Valery Gerasimov at the meeting of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Representatives of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan attended the meeting of the Committee of the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Kazan.

The parties analyzed the implementation of the 2020 military cooperation concept, agreed on joint activities for 2019, approved the Regional Security  2018 joint computer command and staff exercise of the joint air defense system.

The exercise was proposed by the General Staff of the Belarusian Armed Forces.

The Chiefs of Staff exchanged views on the military-political situation, analyzed the challenges and threats to the CIS countries during the meeting.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Irans top nuclear official has once again repeated that his organization is ready to resume enriching uranium to 20 percent purity, if the US walks away from the 2015 nuclear deal.

Whenever the system [the Islamic Republic] decides, we are ready to move like an army. However, I hope that the other side [the US] will be wise and it will not get itself and others into trouble, ISNA quoted Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, as saying on Saturday.

He made the remarks ahead of the May 12 deadline, on which US President Donald Trump must sign a presidential waiver on sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

On the same day, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pledged that the nation will suffer no serious problems if the US walks away from the nuclear pact.

Of course I assume that it will not be difficult for us to cause inconvenience to them [the US] if it becomes necessary  The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is fully prepared from months ago for both, plans they think of and for plans they even have not thought of, Rouhani said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who is in the US on a six-day visit to attend a United Nations General Assembly meeting over sustaining peace in an interview with CNBC news has also said that the country is ready to restart its controversial nuclear program if the Trump administration resumes sanctions.

Trump earlier told the Europeans that they must agree to fix the terrible flaws of the Iran nuclear deal or he would re-impose the sanctions that Washington lifted as part of the pact.

Reuters citing a senior administration official reported on Friday that French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to discuss the Iran nuclear agreement at the White House on Tuesday, although discussions with European countries on addressing US concerns about the 2015 deal were not quite done yet.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

Iran plans to increase its petrochemical and mining exports capacity during the current fiscal year, started March 20, 2018, Mojtaba Khosrotaj, the head of Trade Promotion Organization of Iran, said.

Petrochemicals and mining products are Irans two major sectors in exports, he said, adding that in the current year it is planned that the production and export capacities of the sectors with inauguration of new projects in various provinces.

Khosrotaj told reporters April 21 that Irans petrochemical sector exports is expected to increase by $6.5 billion in the current fiscal year.

It is while the Islamic Republic exported $15 billion worth of petrochemicals in last fiscal year, ended March 20, which was 8 percent less year-on-year.

Earlier Reza Norouzzadeh, managing director of the National Petrochemical Company (NPC), said that Irans petrochemical output is expected to reach 63 million tons during the current fiscal year. He added that the export share from the sale is expected to reach 27 million tons, worth $14 billion.

Irans nominal petrochemical production capacity stands at 73 million tons per year.

The country hopes to bring the capacity to 120 million tons by 2020 and 160 million tons by 2025.

Khosrotaj further said that Iran eyes to increase the mining sector exports by $1.5 billion in the current fiscal year.

He added that Irans mining sector exports registered an increase by 14 percent in terms of value and stood at $7.5 billion in last fiscal year.

Irans non-oil exports, including condensates have witnessed a 6.6-percent increase during the last fiscal year and reached $46.93 billion.
In an interview to air Sunday on "Face the Nation," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the country is ready to restart its controversial nuclear program if the Trump administration resumes sanctions, CBS News reports.

"We have put a number of options for ourselves, and those options are ready," Zarif told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan, "including options that would involve resuming at a much greater speed our nuclear activities."

Zarif's comments to "Face the Nation" expand those of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who earlier this month said, "we will not be the first to violate the accord, but they should definitely know that they will regret it if they violate it."

The top Iranian diplomat worked for two years with Obama administration negotiators to reach an agreement to freeze Iran's nuclear development. The Joint Commission Plan of Action (JCPOA) that emerged from those talks outlined a timeline for gradual sanctions relief on Iran, in exchange for certification that the country would disassemble nuclear sites.

President Trump, who as a candidate threatened to leave the JCPOA, has insisted he would walk away from the deal by May 12 if tougher restrictions are not imposed on the country.

The White House called for a "follow-on" accord that would penalize Iran for ballistic missile tests, expand nuclear inspectors' access, and lengthen limits on Iranian nuclear activity. But European negotiators working to mediate American demands have reportedly struggled with a lack of specific guidance from the president and fears he may rip up the deal regardless.

Asked how Iran would respond if the president walked away from the deal, Zarif said the country was prepared.

"Those options are ready to be implemented and we will make the necessary decision when we see fit," said Zarif.

"Obviously the rest of the world cannot ask us to unilaterally and one-sidedly implement a deal that has already been broken," he added later.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 21

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has implicitly said that the countrys recent monetary policy seeks to rule out the possible implications of an expected decision by the US President Donald Trump on leaving the nuclear deal.

Speaking about the May 12 deadline, on which US President Donald Trump must sign a presidential waiver on sanctions on the Islamic Republic, Rouhani said that the Central Banks recent monetary policy would rule out the possibility of creating chaos in the domestic market if the US decides to walk away from the nuclear deal.

They [Americans] have cherished all hopes that they would disturb [Irans] domestic market in case of taking a step against the Iranian nation on May 12 [leaving the nuclear deal], Rouhani told a gathering of the government officials on Saturday, IRINN TV reported live from the event.

He further added that the new monetary measures taken by the Iranian government and the Central Bank have foiled the US plot.

Following the recent developments on the Iranian currency market, the central bank imposed a ban on the sale of foreign currencies at the countrys exchange bureaus.

The new directive has said that the exchange bureaus no longer have the right to buy, sell, or transfer foreign currencies, and the central bank will no longer provide cash to the bureaus.

The Iranian national currency, rial, gave up some 20 percent against the US dollar in two weeks. Many in Iran over the recent 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 had previously 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 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 in early April 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.

Addressing the event on April 21, Rouhani touched upon Irans solutions to deal with the possible decision of President Trump on pulling out from the 2015 nuclear deal and pledged that the nation will suffer no serious problems if the US walks away from the nuclear pact.

Of course I assume that it will not be difficult for us to cause inconvenience to them if it becomes necessary  The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is fully prepared from months ago for both, plans they think of and for plans they even have not thought of, he added.
Twenty people were killed in an air strike by a Saudi-led military coalition in southwestern Yemen, Reuters with reference to the residents reported.

The attack hit a car transporting 20 passengers south of Taiz province, locals told Reuters. Six bodies had been identified but the rest were charred beyond recognition, they added.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said it would investigate the report, but declined to comment further. We take this report very seriously, he said.

Coalition air strikes have repeatedly struck civilian targets while trying to target Houthi forces during the three-year war. The coalition says it does not target civilians.

Houthi fighters killed two people, including a woman, and wounded four others on Friday in an attack north of Taiz, residents and medical sources said.

The Yemen war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and driven the country to the verge of famine, according to the United Nations.
UN Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura considers it necessary to agree not only on a military de-escalation, but also on a political de-escalation in Syria, TASS reports.

On Friday, he discussed the issues of Syrian settlement with Russias Defense Minister and Foreign Minister, Sergey Shoigu and Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow.

"On the political tensions, we need a political de-escalation, not only a military de-escalation," de Mistura was quoted as saying by the press service.

Special envoy expects "both Astana and Sochi to actually make a contribution to the Geneva process," he said, adding that "at the end, that is the only internationally recognized process."

"So we need to revitalize all three (processes): Make Astana (process) more consistent in de-escalation, make Sochi with its promise to become a reality and Geneva to use it," de Mistira explained.

The eighth round of the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva held from November 28 to December 14, 2017, was attended by delegated of the countrys government and opposition. De Mistura described it as the "golden opportunity missed."

The first round of the Astana talks on Syria took place on January 23-24, 2017, which launched the process of determining moderate armed opposition groups, capable of holding talks with the Syrian government. Russia, Iran and Turkey also agreed to establish a trilateral group to monitor the Syrian ceasefire.
The Russian embassy in London demands the British to confirm or reject media reports that indicate a possible sharing of the Skripal case information with individuals, the Russian Embassy in London has said, TASS reports.

The statement came in response to public allegations by Vladimir Uglev, claiming to be a "Novichok" inventor and saying he is sure that A-234 was used to poison Sergei and Yulia Skripal.

"Yesterday we learned from the BBC that the self-proclaimed inventor of the so-called "Novichok" Mr Vladimir Uglev was sure that the Skripals had been poisoned with A-234. He comes to this conclusion from all the spectrum data [he] was sent recently," the embassy said in a statement.

"This is quite an extraordinary statement. It essentially means that a private citizen has been provided with the information that the Russian Side has not been able to obtain from the British authorities for weeks," the statement reads.

The spokesperson also pointed out that earlier, statements based on access to some kind of "intelligence data" were made by Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, the former commanding officer of the UKs chemical regiment.

"Of course, these allegations can not be verified. But if we are to believe them, it looks like the British authorities share highly confidential data with private individuals," the statement continues. "This is another gross violation of the OPCW rules. We have asked the FCO to confirm or deny this, and to provide us access to the files that these gentlemen refer to."

According to London, former Russian military intelligence (GRU) Colonel Sergei Skripal, who had been convicted in Russia of spying for Great Britain and later swapped for Russian intelligence officers, and his daughter Yulia suffered the effects of an alleged nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury on March 4. Claiming that the substance used in the attack had been a Novichok-class nerve agent developed in the Soviet Union, London rushed to accuse Russia of being involved in the incident. Moscow rejected all of the United Kingdoms accusations, saying that a program aimed at developing such a substance had existed neither in the Soviet Union nor in Russia.

On April 12, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) released a report which confirmed the information about the toxic agent but shed no light on its origin.
The meeting of representatives of the Russian Finance Ministry with investors on the sidelines of the spring session of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington mainly focused on the sanction issue, Minister Anton Siluanov told journalists, TASS reports.

"We have had a meeting with investors. They were interested in the situation in Russia, sanctions, our response, ways to collaborate with sanctioned companies, our future financial and budget policy, including borrowings amid this environment. This time the sanctions issue dominated," he said, adding that the meeting was attended mainly by American investors.

On April 6, the US authorities slapped sanctions against Russias top seven businessmen, 17 officials and heads of state-owned corporations, as well as 12 private and two state companies. According to the US Treasury, the assets of all 24 Russian citizens and 14 companies, if there are any under US jurisdiction, will be frozen.

Sanctions affected Russias state arms seller Rosoboronexport, Russian Financial Corporation and the country's biggest aluminum producer Rusal. The list also included Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, VTB CEO Andrei Kostin, Renova owner Viktor Vekselberg, General Director of Surgutneftegaz Vladimir Bogdanov, Sibur board member Kirill Shamalov, businessmen Igor Rotenberg, Oleg Deripaska and Suleiman Kerimov.
Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China on April 23-24, the Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, TASS reports.

"He will hold talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, and a meeting with President of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping is planned," the statement said.
Russias Foreign Ministry regrets the refusal to issue US visas to the Bolshoi Theatre performers, according to a statement released on Saturday, TASS reports.

"Only two days ago we highlighted a sorrowful situation around issuing of US visas in Russia, which has been artificially created by the US authorities, and which leads to substantial difficulties for business, cultural, sport and even family ties to be maintained. Here is another sad example - visa denial for the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre performers," the statement said, adding that "those lengths were not even reached during the Cold War times."

"It only remains to regret such policy pursued by Washington. Ordinary Americans are unlikely to take kindly to being denied the opportunity to see the Russian culture and meet friends from Russia," the ministry added.
Turkey's foreign ministry on Friday slammed the U.S. State Department over its spokeswoman's remarks on the upcoming snap elections' transparency, saying that casting doubt on a vote that is yet to be held is unacceptable, Daily Sabah reports.

The ministry said the U.S. official's statement, claiming that "it would be difficult to hold a completely free, fair and transparent election" under the state of emergency was an "ill-intentioned approach."

"International observation reports confirmed that all elections in Turkey are democratic, free, fair and transparent. The constitutional referendum held in 2017, which was also held under the state of emergency, is the latest example," the statement said.

On Thursday, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that "during a state of emergency, it would be difficult to hold a completely free, fair and transparent election in Turkey."

"We have concerns about their ability to hold it during this type of state of emergency. We would certainly like to see free and fair elections, but there's a concern here," Nauert said in Washington.

Saying that holding elections during a state of emergency is not a rare case, the ministry said commenting on the elections that have not yet taken place is disrespectful to the Turkish people's will.

On April 18, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated about the need for early presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey.

"The government welcomed the proposal of Bahceli [leader of the Nationalist Movement Party] to hold early elections. The elections will be held on June 24, 2018," he said.

Devlet Bahceli previously proposed to hold early parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey. Bahceli said the early elections should be held on Aug. 26.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 22

Trend:

U.S. and its allies supply weapons to terrorists for free, while refusing to sell them to Turkey, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, Turkish media reported.

"So where does the threat come from? It comes primarily from strategic partners. We cannot buy weapons from the U.S. with our money, but unfortunately, the U.S. and coalition forces give these weapons, this ammunition, to terrorist organizations for free," Erdogan said.
Donald Trump is looking to visit the UK in late summer, according to a senior official in his administration, Telegraph.co.uk reports.

"I know the president, late summer, is looking at a visit to the UK," the official said.

Mr Trump has yet to travel to the UK since being elected in November 2016. No date has been set for a state visit following an invitation extended by Theresa May in the week that followed his inauguration in January 2017.

The visit this summer would more probably be a working visit.

In January Mr Trump had been expected to open the new US embassy in London but cancelled, saying the building was too costly and in an "off location".

Mr Trump reportedly told Mrs May at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos later that month that he would visit in the summer.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 21, 2018 - 13:10 | All, Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to Tokyo's war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Saturday, the first day of its annual spring festival, according to shrine officials, sparking a protest by the South Korean government that views Yasukuni as a symbol of Japan's past militarism.

Abe is expected to forgo a visit to the Shinto shrine during the three-day festival after making the "masakaki" tree offering in the name of the prime minister, in an apparent appeal to his conservative supporters.

The South Korean Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing "deep concern and regret" over Abe's offering and a visit Friday by a cross-party group of lawmakers to the shrine, calling on Tokyo "to reflect on and atone for its past deeds and step up efforts to gain trust from neighboring countries and the international community."

The shrine has been a source of friction with Asian countries that suffered from Japan's militarism during World War II as it honors Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals along with millions of war dead.

The shrine stages spring and autumn festivals in April and October, regarded as the most important events in its calendar.

Abe last visited the shrine in December 2013, drawing fierce protests from China and South Korea and prompting the United States, Japan's main ally, to express disappointment.

More on Yasukuni Shrine:

Japanese lawmakers' group visits war-linked Yasukuni Shrine
KYODO NEWS - Apr 21, 2018 - 12:30 | Feature, All

Eiji Teruya, a third-generation Japanese Brazilian and the son of a migrant worker, will, it is believed, be the first Brazilian to qualify as a lawyer in Japan, having recently passed the country's bar exam.

The accomplishment of Teruya, 26, from Aichi Prefecture, who overcame financial hardships and language barriers, has already spread in the Brazilian community by word of mouth, providing a ray of hope among children of foreign migrants.

Teruya says he wants to protect the rights of foreigners in Japan as a lawyer while expressing the hope that young foreigners can shine in the country.

"There are a lot of paths. I hope (young foreigners) will be encouraged to pursue their own ambitions by hungrily looking to their future," he said, adding being able to speak a different language in addition to Japanese "will be a weapon in pursuing any field."

Having moved to Japan at the age of 8, Teruya grew up in a single-mother household. He spent his after-school hours at home watching TV programs while his mother Regina, 45, was busy working at a factory.

He said he learned about the work lawyers do by watching TV dramas. He recalls how he was inspired by the way in which lawyers sided with the weak and crushed the strong as he considered himself a socially vulnerable person.

Although compulsory education is offered free at public schools in Japan, related expenses for his lunch, school trips, school uniform and gym clothes took a financial toll on his mother who began to look "gaunt" even in the eyes of Teruya as a little boy.

Teruya had poor academic records in elementary and junior high schools but he told his high school teacher that he wanted to enter Nagoya University's law department to become a lawyer. He still appreciates how the teacher took seriously what seemed a pipe dream at that time.

Teruya studied five hours every day after school and eight hours during the holidays for six months to prepare for the university entrance exam, which he successfully passed. After completing Nagoya University's law school, he also passed the bar exam at his first attempt.

Yoshimi Kojima, an associate professor at Aichi Shukutoku University who has conducted extensive research into human rights of foreigners in Japan, said, there have been some Brazilians who became teachers and local public servants in Japan and she is happy to finally see a lawyer.

"It is highly meaningful that young Brazilians are encouraged and their spirits are lifted by such role models," she said, but added that the situation remains tough for many foreigners who try to earn qualifications in Japan despite persistent discrimination that disregards their abilities.

Teruya is currently undergoing mandatory legal training and could officially become a lawyer as early as the end of this year.

While foreigners are eligible to take the bar exam, only Japanese nationals were previously allowed to take the legal training that was required to practice law.

A Korean resident in Japan who passed the exam in 1976 demanded the Supreme Court, which oversees the appointment of legal apprentices, scrap the rule and the top court in 1977 changed the regulations, paving the way for foreigners to become lawyers under the Japanese system.

Tokuji Izumi, a former Supreme Court justice who was involved in the 1977 decision, welcomes the increasing number of foreign lawyers in Japan.

"In foreign countries there are many active Japanese lawyers, so this is just a natural consequence. There are more than 2.5 million foreigners in Japan...It is good for Japanese society that foreign lawyers who can understand their problems can work as lawyers," Izumi said.
12,297 new COVID cases in Kerala after 88K tests on Sunday

With this, the number of active COVID cases in the state fell to 1,37,043. Of the new cases, 11,742 contracted the virus through contact while 61 came from outside the state.
Madrid, Spain: West Nile virus (WNV), which is transmitted via mosquito bites, reemerged and spread to new territories of Greece in 2017 following a two-year hiatus in reported human cases, according to findings presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) [1].

During this reemergence, in the summer and early autumn of 2017, researchers diagnosed 45 cases from blood samples and cerebral spinal fluid from 180 patients who had symptoms and signs that probably indicated WNV. Prof. Athanassios Tsakris, who is head of the Microbiology Department at the University of Athens Medical School, and his team of researchers analysed the reemergence and presented the findings.

The researchers diagnosed 26 patients, or 57.8% of the new cases, with WNV neuroinvasive disease. They characterized the remaining 19 patients, or 42.2%, with WNV fever. The age of patients diagnosed with the neuroinvasive disease ranged from 15 to 91, with a median age of 63. Elderly patients with underlying diseases were particularly affected. Of the five patients who died (19.2% of those with neuroinvasive disease), all were older than 70.

All new cases emerged from southern Greece and most were reported in regions that had not been affected before. Of the 45 confirmed cases, 40 were in new territories: 37 in Argos and three in Corinthia prefecture. One case was reported in Crete and the remaining four were reported from previously affected prefectures of northwestern Peloponnese. Researchers analysed geographical data of the areas affected by the virus and concluded that Greece's landscape, such as natural and constructed wetlands, seem to influence the transmission and rate of new cases.

Prof. Tsakris says: "The reemergence of WNV after a two-year hiatus of reported human cases and its subsequent geographic expansion in newly affected areas demonstrates that Greece provides the appropriate ecological and climatic conditions for WNV circulation. The virus has been established in Greece and disease transmission may continue in the future."

"Epidemiological surveillance, intensive mosquito management programmes and public education about personal protective measures are crucial to prevent WNV transmission, especially among susceptible population groups," Tsakris said.

"The risk of WNV transmission is complex and multifactorial; it concerns the virus, the vectors, the animal reservoirs, the environmental conditions and human behaviour. Preventing or reducing of WNV transmission depends on successful controlling vector's abundance or interruption of human-vector contact. Also, targeted WNV surveillance within mosquito populations may contribute to the well-timed detection of the virus prior to its emergence in equine species or human populations", Prof. Tsakris emphasizes.

WNV is transmitted to humans via infected mosquito bites. The transmission period is typically between mid-summer and early autumn when mosquitos are most active. Most people infected with WNV have no symptoms, but 20% develop West Nile fever, a flu-like illness that causes fever and body aches. Less than 1% of infections progress to diseases with sever neurological manifestations, such as aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis.

Prof. Tsakris explains that the dramatic decline in cases in the previous two years may be result of the mosquito management strategy, i.e. the timely and proper use of effective larvicides, which has shrunk the populations of adult mosquitoes, and the preventive measures taken by the community to limit their exposure to WNV. Still, WNV continued to circulate in Greek territories as it was demonstrated by serological testing of birds in 2015, he adds.

"Additionally, the development of immune response against WNV may have reduced human cases by depleting the susceptible human population. It is also possible that WNV caused infections that were asymptomatic, as occurs in approx. 80% of cases, or that remained undetected including neuro-invasive cases", Tsakris says. "Of course, climatic conditions cannot be excluded since virus replication rate within mosquitoes, as well as vector competence and population dynamic, are mainly weather dependent."

The first outbreak of WNV in Greece was recorded in 2010 and was considered to be the largest epidemic in Europe since the 1996 outbreak in Romania. Most outbreaks in western Europe have been caused by WNV Lineage 1. In eastern Europe, however, Lineage 2, which emerged in Hungary in 2004, has been responsible for human and bird mortality, particularly in Greece.

###

Paper poster no: P0550, Reemergence of West Nile Virus infections in humans in Southern Greece, July to September 2017; session Dengue, Chik and other reemerging and emerging viruses, 15:30 - 16:30, Saturday, 21 April 2018, Paper Poster Area

[1] The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). This year it will take place from 21-24 April 2018 in Madrid, Spain. At the world's largest congress combining the fields of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, researchers will present more than 3,000 regular and late-breaking abstracts with the latest findings and recommendations, which are set to help improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infection-related diseases. The congress offers almost 200 sessions, including keynote lectures, symposia, oral sessions, educational workshops and meet-the-expert session. ECCMID expects approximately 13,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

About ESCMID

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in Europe and beyond. The society promotes and supports research, education, training and good medical practice in infection-related disciplines with a special focus on antimicrobial resistance to build capacity throughout the world. http://www.escmid.org

Contact

Chantal Britt

ESCMID Communications Manager

ESCMID Executive Office

P.O. Box 214, CH-4010 Basel

Phone +41 61 508 01 57

Mobile +41 76 588 08 24

Email chantal.britt@escmid.org

http://www.escmid.org

Tara Giroud

ECCMID Communications Assistant

Mobile +41 78 705 79 85

Email taragiroud@gmail.com
You might not want to use bathroom hand dryers ever again after reading what a newly done study has found about this machine which is designed to dry your wet hands. A microbial study done by University of Connecticut has found that the hand dryers in public restrooms suck up the particles of fecal matter and sprays it around whenever it is operated.

The research conducted states that the air blowing out from the hand dryers is far more bacterial than the normal air in the bathroom. It makes a horrifying claim that blowing your hand for 30 seconds in the hand dryer may cover your hand with 60 different bacterial colonies.

The study has its solid research and experiments done at the University of Connecticut; examining 36 bathrooms and collecting samples from each hand dryer for laboratory testing. It shocked the researchers when they found an eminent amount of a dangerous bacteria called staphylococcus aureus which was sometimes linked to causing serious infections in humans.

However, researchers also admit that they are not %100 sure that the bacteria found were actually emitting from the hand dryers or there could be other sources involved, as the amount of bacteria were way lesser when the machines is not operated. So the idea derived was that the hand dryers are infested with infectious microbes from its surroundings and blast it out in a greater number when the machine is being used.

Now the question arises is that why is there bacteria in the air of the washrooms? The answer hides inside the toilet seat. Theres a reason why it is being said to always close the lid of your toilet seat before flushing. This is because whenever a toilet is flushed, it discharges particles of your or someone elses feces in the air, polluting it with the airborne poop bacteria. And it is more dangerous in public restrooms as you dont know the people using washrooms and their health conditions.

Just the idea of the dangerous bacteria travelling from the feces of an unhealthy person into the air and then spreading around is a complete horror. According to the study, the only solution to prevent such thing from happening is installing HEPA filters in every hand dryer. Only then the hand dryer would be save to use.
5 things to know about Kehinde Wiley, the artist behind Barack Obama's presidential portrait

Just two months after artist Kehinde Wiley's official portraits of former U.S. President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama debuted at the Smithsonian Institute's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., Wiley has earned a spot as one of Time's Most Influential People of 2018 .

"Historically, portraiture has always been about saying yes to things that we want to celebrate, but I think also the commissioned portrait has often times been about a society saying, 'Who are the people we collectively want to honor?' and particularly with the presidential portrait, this is the highest aspect of that tradition," Wiley told Time in a recent interview . "It's been  I can't tell you  an extraordinary honor to be able to participate in that."

This year, the Obamas made history not only as the country's first African-American presidential couple featured in the gallery but also for selecting the first African-American painters to receive a presidential portrait commission from the museum.

"My hands were shaking when I was making this portrait because this is the real thing, this is it. Showtime. There's going to be young kids who want to feel that they are capable of participating in art and participate in this conversation. How do you compare that to anything? This is extraordinary," Wiley told Time.

Barack Obama selected Wiley, a New York-based portraitist for his painting, while Michelle Obama selected Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald.

"Thanks to Kehinde and Amy, generations of Americans  and young people from all around the world  will visit the National Portrait Gallery and see this country through a new lens," Obama said in an Instagram post after the portrait unveiling . "They'll walk out of that museum with a better sense of the America we all love. Clear-eyed. Big-hearted. Inclusive and optimistic. And I hope they'll walk out more empowered to go and change their worlds. "

Story continues

Wiley's portrait of Obama features the former president wearing a black suit, sitting on a wooden chair surrounded by flowers and green foliage.

"What I was always struck by whenever I saw [Wiley's] portraits was the degree to which they challenged our conventional views of power and privilege," Obama said at the portrait unveiling.

"The ability to be the first African-American painter to paint the first African-American president of the United States is absolutely overwhelming. It doesn't get any better than that," Wiley said.

Here are five things you may not know about Wiley.

Obama and Wiley share a similar upbringing

Preparing Obama for the portrait required Wiley to shoot thousands of images, Wiley told the Guardian in 2017.

As a result of the time-intensive process, Obama said he thinks "it's safe to say Kehinde and I bonded." Obama also realized how much he and Wiley had in common.

"Both of us had American mothers who raised us with extraordinary love and support. Both of us had African fathers who had been absent from our lives and in some ways, our journeys involved searching for them and figuring out what that meant," Obama said at the portrait unveiling.

"I ended up writing about that journey and channeling it into the work that I did because I cannot paint," Obama jokingly added. "I'm sure that Kehinde's journey reflected some of those feelings in his art."

Wiley, 40, grew up in South Central, Los Angeles during the 1980s. Wiley explained on his website that art was his escape from the violence that occurred in the neighborhood.

"I was humbled by this invitation, but I was also inspired by Barack Obama's personal story, that sense in which he and I both do have that echo of single parents, African fathers, that search for the father," Wiley said.

The White House has previously recognized Wiley's work

As a result of using his art to "promote cultural diplomacy," Wiley was awarded the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts in 2015, according to the department's Art in Embassies program .

Former Secretary of State John Kerry presented Wiley with the biannual award, which allows American artists to showcase their work at U.S. embassies across the world.

Wiley has also served as a juror for the White House Historical Association's "This Art is Your Art" national student competition.

Wiley has wanted to paint Obama since 2008

Months before Obama was elected as U.S. president in November 2008, Wiley shared his interest in painting the politician.

"I'd love, love, love to do his official presidential portrait. I'm actively campaigning," Wiley told Time Out New York magazine in July of 2008.

Leading up to Obama's reelection in 2012, Wiley told BBC he thought "it would be really interesting to paint Obama."

"The reality of Barack Obama being the president of the United States  quite possibly the most powerful nation in the world  means that the image of power is completely new for an entire generation of not only black American kids, but every population group in this nation," Wiley told BBC.

"Now there are children who are four or five who would have known only a black man at the seat of power in this nation. It's an important social message," he said.

Wiley told the New York Times he was sworn to secrecy by the National Portrait Gallery, but said, "I'm excited about it: It's going to be amazing."

"It's going to be, like, boom!" he added.

Wiley has painted portraits of Michael Jackson, Notorious B.I.G. and other famous figures...

For VH1's 2005 annual Hip Hop Honors event, the network commissioned Wiley to create portraits of hip hop leaders, including Ice T, Notorious B.I.G. and Grandmaster Flash, according to the National Portrait Gallery . Select portraits were shown in the Smithsonian exhibit "Recognize!"

In the summer of 2008, the now deceased Michael Jackson asked Wiley to paint a portrait of him.

"He saw one of my works at the Brooklyn Museum, a very large equestrian portrait of a young black man in the pose of Napoleon crossing the Alps. He said to his crew: 'I need to meet that artist,'" Wiley told the Guardian . "At first, I didn't believe it. Eventually, a mutual friend said: 'Will you please answer the f--king phone?' And so we set something up."

The result was a portrait of Jackson atop a horse titled, " Equestrian Portrait of King Philip II (Michael Jackson) " created in 2009. Jackson did not get to see the painting, which sold for $175,000 at an auction .



...but his favorite subjects include everyday people

As an alternative to the gang-ridden streets of South Central in the 1980s, Wiley's mother sent him to art school as an 11-year-old. Wiley then completed his undergraduate studies at the Art Institute of San Francisco.

His art style began to take its current form while getting his MFA at Yale University. There, he f on the topics of identity, gender and sexuality as well as painting as a political act.

Wiley's portrait subjects are usually "urban, black and brown men" he randomly selects on the streets of wherever his projects take him. Through his portraiture, Wiley depicts these otherwise unknown people as "heroic, powerful, majestic" figures commonly found in classical European paintings of noblemen, royalty and aristocrats.

Obama said he was struck by "the way [Wiley] would take extraordinary care, precision and vision in recognizing the beauty, grace and dignity of people who are so often invisible in our lives and put them on a grand stage."

"In my small way, that's part of what I believe politics should be about. It's not simply celebrating the high and the mighty and expecting that the country unfolds from the top-down, but rather that it comes from the bottom-up " Obama added.



Instead of giving Obama a similar, elaborate treatment to his other portrait subjects, Wiley humanized the former president by depicting him seated in a wooden chair.

"When you look at this painting, there is, sure, an amazingly handsome man seated," Wiley said. "But there's also botanicals that are going on there that nod towards his personal story." The painting features the chrysanthemum, the flower of Obama's hometown in Chicago, Illinois, as well as flowers that represent Obama's heritage by way of Kenya and Hawaii.

The portrait will live in the National Portrait Gallery's "America's Presidents" exhibition, the country's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House.

"In a very symbolic way what I'm doing is charting his path on Earth through those plants that sort of weave their way. There is a fight going on between he and the foreground and then the plants that are sort of trying to announce themselves underneath his feet," Wiley said. "Who gets to be the star of the show? The story or the man who inhabits that story? It's all chance-driven."



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Big tobacco stocks have had one of their worst weeks in years, with Marlboro manufacturer Philip Morris International (PMI) down more than 17% (including its single biggest one-day share price decline in a decade Thursday), Altria down more than 10%, and British American Tobacco (whose subsidiaries include Camel cigarettes maker Reynolds American) down 9%.

So why are all these cigarette stocks getting smoked? The bear run kicked off with what, for the industry, was a foreboding sign about the state of business: Philip Morris reported its tobacco shipments had fallen even more than expected. Thats an issue thats dogged Big Tobacco for a while now as smoking rates plummet. But what was potentially more troubling to companies like Altria and British American Tobacco was PMIs admission the next generation of tobacco products meant to make up for declining traditional cigarette salessuch as heat not burn devices like the iQOSappear to be stalling in certain global markets like Japan.

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That could be a long-term problem for Philip Morris and its ilk if it cant step up its marketing game in a crowded space. And the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Commissioner Scott Gottlieb may not be making things much easier with aggressive plans to limit nicotine levels in traditional cigarettes and skepticism about firms claims that devices like the iQOS cut health risks compared to conventional cigarettes. A group of U.S. Senators recently sent the FDA a letter urging the agency to reject Philip Morris request to market iQOS as a modified-risk tobacco product, which might give consumers the impression that its a healthier alternative.

Still, some industry analysts believe these devices will ultimately be the wave of the future and help tobacco companies like Philip Morris transform themselves by shifting to smokeless and nicotine-vapor products.

We continue to believe in iQOS and its power to reshape this company, said Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher Growe in a research note. After one quarter of a minor setback in development in Japan, we are loath to change our long-term estimates significantly.
By David Shepardson and Tim Hepher

WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - European and U.S. airline regulators on Friday ordered mandatory inspections within 20 days of aircraft engines similar to one involved in a fatal Southwest Airlines <LUV.N> accident earlier this week.

Engine maker CFM International on Friday recommended the ultrasonic inspections on fan blades that have been used in more than 30,000 cycles, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Administration are making those recommendations into requirements.

A cycle includes one take-off and landing.

The inspections recommended within the next 20 days will affect about 680 engines globally, U.S. regulators said.

Approximately 14,000 CFM56-7B engines are in operation.

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigators earlier this week said that a broken fan blade touched off the engine explosion on Southwest Airlines flight 1380 on Tuesday that shattered a window, killing a passenger. It was the first death in a U.S. commercial aviation accident since 2009.

CFM, jointly owned by General Electric Co <GE.N> and France's Safran <SAF.PA>, also recommended inspections by the end of August for fan blades with 20,000 cycles, and inspections of all other fan blades when they reach 20,000 cycles.

After the first inspection, airlines should keep repeating the process every 3,000 cycles, which typically represents about two years in service.

More than 150 have already been inspected.

Inspections recommended by the end of August will affect an additional 2,500 engines.

(Reporting by Tim Hepher, David Shepardson; writing by Peter Henderson; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)
GM Korea Design Center in Bupyeong, Incheon, Korea

GM

GM has been working to rescue its South Korean unit.

The operation there has lost almost $3 billion over the past four years, Bloomberg reported.

CEO Mary Barra has exited underperforming markets and won't hesitate to do the same with GM Korea.



If you want to understand the difference between "old," pre-bankruptcy and "new," post-Chapter 11 General Motors, look no farther than South Korea.

The automaker is currently embroiled in an effort to rescue it money-losing operations there, collectively referred to as GM Korea.

Bloomberg summarized the grim financials:

The unit posted combined losses of about 3 trillion won ($2.8 billion) in the four years through 2017, according to regulatory filings. At the end of 2017, GM Korea had 6.39 trillion won of assets and 7.54 trillion won in liabilities. The business needs more than 500 billion won of cash by April 27 to make payments to about 2,600 voluntary retirees and vendors.

A bankruptcy filing could come next week, and it would be tricky for GM, as the carmaker's Chevy brand is the top non-South Korean marque in the country. But for months, GM has been trying to extract concessions from GM Korea's unions and support from the South Korean government. The situation now looks critical.

mary barra

Ruben Sprich/Reuters

GM has been in an out of South Korean since the early 1970s, but the lastest chapter dates to 2002. The issue for the automaker is a return on investment  period. CEO Mary Barra has shown no hesitation about leaving markets where the carmaker isn't profitable, reasoning that holding out in old-GM fashion was one of the bad habit that contributed to GM's own 2009 bankruptcy.

Barra has terminated GM's business in Russia and sold off the Opel unit in Europe, which GM had run since the early 20th century.

We can safely assume that she wouldn't blanch at pulling the plug on GM Korea, if is prevents GM from investing competitively in China, as a much larger market with higher prospects from growth.

Story continues

GM shares were flat in trading Friday, at $38. The stock has declined 10% year-to-date.

NOW WATCH: Jim Chanos on the return of choppy markets, Tesla, and the 'rent-seeking behavior' that's hurting our economy

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The fact that the Zacks Airline industry declined 2.5% in the first quarter of the year highlights the fact the sector is not bereft of headwinds, despite positives such as increasing financial prosperity and the new tax law.

Lets take a look at the factors responsible for the disappointing price performance.

Weather-Related Disruptions Rule

Stocks in the airline space have been hit repeatedly by inclement weather this year. Weather-related disruptions cripple airline operations, leading to multiple flights being cancelled. Apart from Winter Storm Grayson in January, successive noreasters in March disrupted airline operations significantly due to multiple flight cancellations.

In fact, the month of March has reportedly seen more than 10,000 flights being called off due to successive noreasters. Notably, this was the worst March in five years in terms of flight cancellations.

The increase in the number of flight cancellations resulted in significant revenue loss for airline operators and this is likely to dent the top-line performance of carriers in the first quarter.

According to the Air Travel Consumer Report unveiled by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of cancellations increased during January 2018. In fact, the rate of cancelled scheduled domestic flights increased to 3% from 2% and 1.2% in January and December 2017, respectively.

Public Relations Fiascoes

Carriers such as United Continental Holdings, Inc. (UAL) and Southwest Airlines Co. (LUV) have been hurt by issues pertaining to animals on their flights. In February, an unfortunate child-related incident occurred on a Southwest Airlines flight (Phoenix-to-Portland) when a dog bit the girl on the plane. Southwest started reviewing its policy pertaining to onboard service animals, even before the occurrence of incident.

The dog fiasco at one of the flights of United Airlines  United Continentals subsidiary  earned the carrier rebuke from all corners. In fact, the incident which resulted in the tragic death of a black French bulldog puppy on one of its flights on Mar 12, 2018, did not go unnoticed by lawmakers in the United States.

Story continues

According to a Reuters report, U.S. senators John Kennedy and Catherine Cortez Masto have introduced a legislation aimed at preventing airlines from putting live animals in overhead bins. The senators have also proposed the imposition of fines on violations of the animal-friendly measure. This apart, the transportation of a Kansas-bound German shepherd to Japan also dented its market reputation with respect to its pet-handling policy.

Markedly, these two mishaps were the reasons behind United Airlines decision to suspend its pet cargo travel service. Even in 2017, United Airlines had the dubious distinction of the highest number of animal deaths on its flights.

The mishandling of animals has caused carriers like Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) to change their policy on animals on their flights. Markedly, from Mar 1, 2018 the concerned passengers on Delta flights would need to furnish documents underlining passengers need for carrying the animal on the flight. Also, the person has to provide proof related to its training and vaccinations within 48 hours before the flight.

Delta carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

High Costs Likely to Hurt Bottom Line in Q1

Crude oil prices are on their way back up after falling sharply from $100 a barrel in 2014, to a low of $30 in 2016. Currently, oil prices are hovering around the $66 a barrel mark. Mounting tensions related to Syria contributed to the upsurge. As fuel costs represent one of the largest input costs for airline companies, the rise in oil prices naturally pushed up operating expenses, in turn, hurting the bottom line of carriers. With fuel costs moving northward, bottom-line growth of carriers is likely to be limited in the first quarter.

Apart from high fuel costs, expenses on the labor front have also been increasing over the past few quarters due to the various labor deals inked by carriers. High labor costs are likely to dent the bottom-line growth of most carriers in the first quarter.

Other Headwinds Plaguing Airlines

The long-standing pay-related dispute between European low-cost carrier, Ryanair Holdings plc (RYAAY), and its pilots shows no signs of ending. According to a Reuters report, the European Employee Representative Council  formed in 2016 by pilots of the Irish carrier  demanded the resignation of Ryanair CEO Michael OLeary.

The unofficial pan-European body was of the opinion that OLeary had failed to tackle the issue effectively, resulting in many pilots quitting the company. Ryanair has, however, dismissed this demand.

Moreover, Southwests bleak view unveiled late last month, with respect to operating revenue per available seat miles (RASM), for first-quarter also dented stocks in the space. The Dallas-based carrier attributed the downbeat forecast to pricing pressure and lower-than-expected demand for air travel due to the timing of the spring break holidays.

Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Transportations (DOT) tentative decision to grant permission to five U.S.-based leading carriers to operate new scheduled flights to Havana has led to fears of competition intensifying among leading carriers as Havana is popular tourist spot. In fact, in a bid to attract customers, U.S. carriers may face a price war. To match the low fares of carriers like JetBlue Airways Corp. (JBLU) and Southwest, legacy carriers namely Delta and American Airlines Group (AAL) might follow suit which is likely to trigger a price war.

Only time will tell whether the fears turn into reality, once the flights take effect following the finalization of this tentative decision. Moreover, the safety-related allegations leveled against Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) by CBS "60 Minutes" also raise concerns. The allegations are being investigated.

Investors will also closely watch first-quarter results of the sector participants to find out whether capacity-related woes, which have been hurting airlines for quite some time, show up again in the current reporting cycle.

Check out our latest Airline 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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Speaking to reporters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick: "We have to be patient. We shouldn't jump the gun, we shouldn't be complacent and listen to some of the noise such as 'mission accomplished'. I think we still have work ahead of us."

OPEC, Russia and several other allied producers have spearheaded an ongoing effort to try to clear a global supply overhang and prop up prices.

OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia warned oil traders on Friday that a dramatic upswing in crude futures was little reason to become complacent.

Speaking to reporters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the kingdom's Energy Minister, Khalid al-Falih, told CNBC's Steve Sedgwick : "We have to be patient. We shouldn't jump the gun, we shouldn't be complacent and listen to some of the noise such as 'mission accomplished'. I think we still have work ahead of us."

OPEC, Russia and several other allied producers have spearheaded an ongoing effort to try to clear a global supply overhang and prop up prices. The agreement, which came into effect in January 2017, has already been extended through until the end of this year  with producers scheduled to meet in June to review policy.

The initial target of the supply-cutting deal was to reduce industrialized nations' oil inventories back to their five-year average. Nonetheless, with several major global producers honing in on achieving their original aim, there is little indication from the world's top exporter that it wishes to wind down the supply cuts.

OPEC and its partners meet in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, with the 14-member oil cartel then set to reconvene on June 22 to review to its oil production policy.





More From CNBC


South Korea bitcoin Ethereum Cryptocurrency

Earlier this week, mainstream media outlet News1 reported that Bithumb, South Koreas biggest cryptocurrency exchange, is conducting an initial coin offering (ICO) later this year to launch its own cryptocurrency Bithumb Coin.

Bithumb Coin

Some of the largest cryptocurrency trading platforms valued at billions of dollars such as Binance, Kucoin, and Huobi have already released their native tokens that can be used to trade cryptocurrencies and pay fees. On Binance for instance, users can benefit from lower fees in trading by using Binance Coin, and the company benefits from the funds it has raised through the ICO which are used to cover operational costs.

In an interview with News1, Bithumb revealed that Bithumb Coin will be released in two parts or types but the company has not disclosed any details about the structure or the purpose of its token. More importantly, Bithumb told News1 that it is not seeking to conduct a public ICO but rather a token sale targeted at institutional investors and large-scale investment firms.

Similar to most large-scale ICOs like Telegram, individual investors will only be permitted to participate in the token sale if they either join a big group of other individual investors or partner with institutional investors to purchase Bithumb Coin.

Earlier this year, Kakao, the largest internet conglomerate in South Korea that operates KakaoTalk, KakaoPay, KakaoStock, KakaoTaxi, and KakaoStory, five apps that have over 90 percent dominance in their respective industries including messaging, stock brokerage, ride-hailing, and social media, announced that it will likely conduct its ICO outside of South Korea due to the governments ban on domestic ICOs.

Kakao suggested that it may permanently move its blockchain venture to Switzerland as a separate company to Kakao and simply manage it as a subsidiary. Kakaos potential ICO and blockchain venture are expected to be worth billions of dollars and the relocation of Kakaos blockchain firm to regions like Switzerland would negatively impact South Koreas local blockchain sector.

Story continues

Acknowledging the significance of Kakaos ICO and the value of its blockchain venture, the South Korean Financial Services Commission (FSC) revealedalmost immediately after the rumors surrounding a potential ICO by Kakao were disclosedthat it may legalize domestic ICOs in the near future if taxation policies are in place.

The financial authorities have been talking to the countrys tax agency, justice ministry and other relevant government offices about a plan to allow ICOs in Korea when certain conditions are met, one source told Korea Times.

Another source added that the government is primarily concerned with the tax aspect of token sales and as soon as it is resolved, domestic ICOs will be legalized. Various scenarios such as the imposition of value-added tax, a capital gains tax, or both on trade; and the collection of corporate tax from local cryptocurrency exchanges, as well as the initiation of authorized exchanges with licenses are being discussed, said the second source.

Public Company

Bithumb is a public company that is operated by BTCKorea and it is required to publish all earnings, possessions, and balance sheet of both Bithumb and its subsidiaries. Conducting an ICO can become more complicated for Bithumb as a result and the company will not reveal any more information about its ICO until it is fully ready to conduct the token sale.

Featured image from Shutterstock.



The post South Koreas Biggest Cryptocurrency Exchange to Conduct ICO in Switzerland appeared first on CCN.


Trump blasts OPEC, says cartel is keeping oil prices 'artificially very high' and that 'will not be accepted'

"Looks like OPEC is at it again," Trump tweets. "Oil prices are artificially Very High!

WTI oil prices hit a three-year high above $69 a barrel this week.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih responds that "Markets should determine price."

President Donald Trump blasted the oil-producing cartel OPEC on Twitter on Friday.

"Looks like OPEC is at it again," he wrote. "With record amounts of Oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!"

Tweet

WTI oil prices hit a three-year high above $69 a barrel this week and were still trading above $68 on Friday. The international benchmark, Brent crude, was above $73 on Friday after also hitting its highest level since November 2014 this week.

The president is likely referring to OPEC's production level agreement with Russia and other producers put in place last year and set to expire at the end of 2018.

There have also been reports lately that Saudi Arabia, the key member of the cartel, wants oil at $80 to $100 a barrel in order to boost the eventual initial public offering of its state oil company, Saudi Aramco.

When asked to comment on Trump's tweet, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told CNBC, "Markets should determine price."

As president, Trump controls the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the largest supply of emergency crude in the world, according to the Energy Department's website. The SPR was last released in 2011 to offset a supply disruption related to unrest in Libya.

Oil prices retreated from their highs following Trump's tweets: WTI crude was down 0.5 percent and Brent was 0.6 percent lower.

 CNBC's Steve Sedgwick contributed to this report.





More From CNBC


ADP CEO Carlos Rodriquez on CNBC last year, with an image of investor Bill Ackman in the background. Source: CNBC

Dozens of companies have given employees one-time bonuses on account of the tax cuts President Trump signed into law last year.

But not Automatic Data Processing (ADP), the payroll and human resources company. In fact, ADPs CEO recently told employees that investors, not workers, will see most of the benefits of tax cuts.

At an internal town hall meeting on March 15, ADP CEO Carlos Rodriguez fielded an employee question on what the company planned to do with the savings from corporate tax cuts. Rodriguez alluded to other companies that have given bonuses to employees, but said thats not what ADP had in mind. You should expect that most of that benefit that we got as a result of tax reform, I think flows through to our investors, Rodriguez told employees watching nationwide on a company feed. I recognize thats not a popular answer and not everybodys going to like that answer, but I think that is really kind of where ADP is today.

Yahoo Finance obtained a recording of Rodriguezs comments. Heres an audio file with his complete answer to the question:

On April 11, ADP raised its dividend by 10%, increasing returns to shareholders. Rodriguez, the CEO, owns about 125,000 shares of company stock, worth nearly $15 million, according to S&P Capital IQ. At least 10 other company officials own more than 25,000 shares in the company, so they are among the investors who will benefit if the stock price rises. Of course, its typical for CEOs to own shares in the companies they lead, and Rodriguezs stake is not unusually large.

ADPs shares have been flat so far in 2018, and theyre up about 13% during the last 12 months. Thats roughly in line with the S&P 500 index.

ADPs stock, in blue, compared with the S&P 500, in green. Source: Yahoo Finance

Critics of the Trump tax cuts have argued that slashing the corporate rate from 35% to 21% will boost profits and stock prices, benefiting the investor classbut do little to help ordinary workers. Rodriguezs surprisingly candid remarks provide one example of a company that seems to be doing just that.

Story continues

In a statement emailed to Yahoo Finance, Rodriguez confirmed that we dont have any plans for a one-time bonus due to tax reform. ADP, he said, prefers a pay for performance approach that directly links bonuses and merit increases to our performance, not one-time events. We are still considering other initiatives for associates. The recent dividend increase is consistent with our proud 43-year track record of annual dividend increases, Rodriquez said, while reiterating that the company anticipates another dividend increase in November. And he pointed out that ADP has earned plaudits as a top workplace from LinkedIn and Fortune.

Still, the company has faced pressure recently from activist investor Bill Ackman, whose firm Pershing Square Capital Management has a 7.2% stake in the company. At a hedge-fund conference on April 17, Ackman said, ADP is one of the biggest beneficiaries of tax reform of any U.S. corporation. Thats because ADP operates mostly in the United States, leaving more revenue subject to lower tax rates than other large companies.

Last October, Ackman told Yahoo Finances Julia LaRoche that ADP is one of the least efficient big companies, while calling for moves to streamline and modernize the firm. He lost a proxy fight last year to install himself and two allies on the companys board, but is still calling for reforms. At the April 17 conference, Ackman suggested tax cuts and other factors could push ADPs net income more than 20% above the companys current guidance by 2020.

While we won the proxy contest, Rodriguez said in his statement to Yahoo Finance, we continue to work hard on executing our strategy and we give strong consideration to all the feedback we receive from investors regarding our business and board. With respect to Mr. Ackman, we maintain an open dialogue and will continue to do so.

The Trump tax cuts are boosting profits at hundreds of companies. Yet they remain controversial, with just 29% saying they approve of the legislation in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. A Yahoo Finance survey conducted April 18 found many people feel the cuts favor the wealthy over the middle class and put too much financial burden on future taxpayers. They also think its fishy that tax cuts for businesses are permanent, while tax cuts for individuals are temporary.

Kevin Hassett, chairman of President Trumps Council of Economic Advisers, defended the tax cuts in an April 17 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal. He cited evidence that the tax cuts have pushed wages up, spurred business investment and boosted productivity. The problem for Republican backers of the tax cuts is that many voters arent yet seeing the evidence Hassett is pointing to. A more visible flow of benefits to workers is one thing that might change that.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Click here to get Ricks stories by email.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman

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President Trump didnt upset financial markets this week. Hurrah!

There were no new threats to impose tariffs, tear up trade deals or punish American companies. But a curious new idea is now circulating in Washington: Republicans need to pass another round of tax cuts before the midterm elections in November. Greg Valliere of Horizon Investments predicts the House of Representatives will pass a new set of tax cuts by summer, with a tougher path through the Senate.

This reeks of desperation, which is why we give this theoretical tax-cut bill our worst grade on the Trumpometer: SAD!

Source: Yahoo Finance

For those with short memories, Congress just passed a big set of tax cuts, which will save taxpayers $1.8 trillion over a decade, while costing Uncle Sam that much in lost revenue. That legislation slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, which sent the outlook for corporate profits soaring. It also cut taxes for about two-thirds of individuals, with the typical family getting a tax cut saving about $1,300.

[Check out our Trumponomics Report Card.]

So whats the problem? Well, the tax cuts are unpopular. Republicans thought voters would reward them for putting more money in peoples pockets, yet just 27% of respondents said they approve of the new tax law in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. A recent Yahoo Finance survey found three main objections. People think the tax cuts favor the wealthy over the middle class. They dont like the burden placed on future taxpayers. And theyre suspicious because individual tax cuts are temporary, while business tax cuts are permanent.

So Republicans want a redo. A new tax law might address some voter concerns, by making the individual tax cuts permanent and giving lower-income earners more of a break. But such cuts would add even more to Uncle Sams annual deficits, which are approaching $1 trillion per year. And theyd be a tacit admission by Republicans that maybe we blew it the first time around. Thats one expensive mulligan.

Story continues

Two other pieces of Trumponomics news this week. First, Trump reversed an earlier reversal and said he opposes the Trans Pacific Partnership after all, once and forever, never to be persuaded otherwise, unless he changes his mind again. Trump railed against the TPP as a candidate, yet a couple weeks ago, said he might be open to joining after all. Then, while meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week, he said, never mind. The TPP isnt for him. Hes not a globalist after all.

Trump also went after OPEC, saying in a tweet that the oil cartel is at it again. We think Trump means OPEC is trying to push oil prices higher, which it does from time to time. But theres really no need for Trump or anybody to do anything about it. Prices for West Texas crude are at a modest $68 or so, which is midway between the high of $110 in 2014 and the low of $28 in 2016. Markets and motorists can easily live with $68 oil.

But it might not stay that high. With all the fracking capacity that has come online in recent years, drillers typically pump more oil as the price goes up, because they make money doing so. And the increased supply tends to push prices down. OPEC is still important, but its less dominant than it used to be, because theres more non-OPEC oil on the market. Trump can relax.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Click here to get Ricks stories by email.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman

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Dozens of suspected Taliban and Islamic State (IS) militants were killed by Afghan security forces in the past 24 hours across the country, Afghan authorities said on April 21.

The Ministry of Defense said in a statement that 21 suspected Taliban militants, including a local commander, were killed in raids in various parts of the country, including Balkh, Helmand, Kapisa, and Khost.

The local commander, Mullah Jalal, was killed in the northern province of Faryab, the statement said. According to the ministry, 17 insurgents were wounded in the army operations.

It said at least 27 suspected IS fighters have been killed in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where the extremist group has control over some small pockets.

Military operations were conducted in Nangarhars Batikot, Deh Bala, Dur Baba, and Rodat districts, local military commanders said.

In a separate development, at least six police officers were killed when a group of Taliban fighters attacked and overran a police checkpoint in northern Sari Pul Province.

Zabi Amani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said two other police officers were wounded in the attack, which took place in Sayad district late on April 20.

Reinforcements arrived and a sporadic gunbattle is still under way in Sayad district, Amani said on April 21.

The spokesman added that three Taliban fighters were killed and two others were wounded in the battle.

With reporting by tolonews.com and AP
From surface; 0m to 166m grading 1.14% copper equivalent1,2

(0.84% copper, 0.36g/t gold)

Results pending from 166m to 387m

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centenera Mining Corporation (Centenera or the Company) (TSXV:CT) (OTCQB:CTMIF) receives drill results from the first 166m of drill hole 18-ESP-025 at the advanced Esperanza Copper-Gold Porphyry project. Drill hole 18-ESP-025 collared in mineralization and continued to drill mineralized rock to a total depth of 387m, at which depth the hole was abandoned due to drilling difficulties. Laboratory results have been returned (Table 1) for the upper 166m grading 0.84% copper and 0.36g/t gold; 1.14% copper equivalent1,2. Results for the lower portion of the drill hole (from 166m to 387m) are pending and expected in early May.

Partial results for our first drill hole at Esperanza are excellent. Mineralization at the base of this sample batch remains strong, with 1.32% coper equivalent from 142m to 166m. We look forward to receiving results for the remainder of the drill hole in early May, stated Keith Henderson, Centeneras President & CEO. We acquired the Esperanza project in 2017 because drilling results in 2006 had provided such a solid foundation for further exploration. These first results from our drill program demonstrate very clearly that the potential to expand mineralization is real.

Table 1: Partial results for drill hole 18-ESP-025 from surface to 166m depth

Drillhole Azimuth Dip From (m) To (m) Interval (m) 1 Copper (%) Gold (g/t) Copper Equivalent (%)2 280 -67 0 166 166 0.84 0.368 1.14 18-ESP-025 including 0 22 22 1.17 0.556 1.62 and 142 166 24 1.02 0.367 1.32

Notes 1 True width is not known. 2 Copper equivalent = Copper grade % + (0.795 x gold grade g/t), assuming a copper price of $2.20/lb ($4850/t) and a gold price of $1200/oz ($38.58/g) and assuming 100% recovery.

Figure 1: Map showing location of existing 2007 drill holes at Esperanza (blue), the 2018 drill holes (red), both completed and planned, is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/de2609a2-67d7-47cc-9087-c98942698c6a

Drilling Update



Drilling at the Esperanza Copper Gold Porphyry project is ongoing. The first drill hole, 18-ESP-025 (Figure 1), collared 120m northwest of previous drill hole 06-HU-02. Drill hole 18-ESP-025 collared close to the western extent of the Canyon Stock as defined by outcropping alteration and mineralization and drilled on an azimuth of 280. The purpose of the drill hole is to test the extent of mineralization to the west and at depth. Drill hole 18-ESP-025 collared in potassic altered (biotite, K-feldspar, biotite) and mineralized porphyry intrusive and remained within this proximal alteration zone throughout the entire length of the hole before being terminated due to technical difficulties at 387m. The planned depth for was 500m.

Drill hole 18-ESP-026 collared approximately 30m south of 18-ESP-025 and was drilling on an azimuth of 080. The drill hole did not test target and was abandoned at 127m.

Drill hole 18-ESP-027 collared 100m south of previous drill hole 06-HU-02 and is drilling on an azimuth of 285. The purpose of the drill hole is to test the extent of mineralization to the west and at depth. The drill hole collared in mineralized rock and is ongoing at approximately 250m. Target depth is approximately 500m.

About Esperanza Copper-Gold Porphyry

The outcropping copper-gold porphyry mineralization at Esperanza was first drill-tested in 2006-2007 by 7 drill holes totalling 2,011 metres. All drill holes intersected significant copper-gold mineralization (Figure 1). Drilling highlights include:

Mineralization is outcropping at surface with a pyrite halo extending over a 1,400m x 850m area

Drill holes generally intersected mineralization at surface

Mineralization is open all directions

Majority of drill holes terminated in mineralization (due to the depth limitations of the rig) and are open at depth

Several drill holes demonstrate increasing grade with depth

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

The Esperanza copper-gold porphyry drill testing was historically undertaken by Cardero Resource Corp. from 2006 to 2007. On site personnel at the project rigorously collected and tracked samples, which were then sealed and shipped to ALS Chemex for analysis. ALS Chemex's quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025: 1999. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Quality control was further assured by the use of international and in-house standards. Blind certified reference material was inserted at regular intervals into the sample sequence by Cardero personnel in order to independently assess analytical accuracy. Finally, representative blind duplicate samples were forwarded to ALS Chemex and an ISO compliant third-party laboratory for additional quality control.

Drilling undertaken by Centenera in 2018 has been supervised by on site personnel at the project who rigorously collect and track samples, which are then sealed and shipped to SGS Minerals (SGS) for analysis. SGS's quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025: 1999. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Quality control is further assured by the use of international and in-house standards. Blind certified reference material was inserted at regular intervals into the sample sequence by Centenera personnel in order to independently assess analytical accuracy.

Qualified Person

Keith J. Henderson, P.Geo., is the Company's qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr.Henderson is not independent of the Company, as he is an employee, a shareholder and holds incentive stock options.

About Centenera Mining Corporation

Centenera is a mineral resource company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CT and on the OTCQB exchange under the symbol CTMIF. The Company is focused 100% on mineral resource assets in Argentina. The Company intends to focus its 2017 exploration activities on drill-testing its flagship Esperanza copper-gold project. Other assets, including the El Quemado lithium pegmatite project in Salta Province and the Organullo gold project, are intended to be explored by the Company with the aim of proving project potential and attracting a joint venture partner or a project sale. The Organullo project has approximately 8,000 metres of historical drilling and assay results. Organullo has a geological target range from 19.8 million tonnes grading at 0.94 g/t gold (600,000 ounces) to 31.6 million tonnes grading 0.92 g/t gold (940,000 ounces) using a 0.5 g/t gold cut-off-grade. It should be noted that these potential exploration target quantities and grades are conceptual in nature, that insufficient exploration and geological modelling has been done to define a mineral resource, and that it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the delineation of a mineral resource.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of

CENTENERA MINING CORPORATION

"Keith Henderson"

President & CEO

For further details on the Company readers are referred to the Company's web site (www.centeneramining.com) and its Canadian regulatory filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Keith Henderson

Phone: 604-638-3456

E-mail: info@centeneramining.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated content, commencement, timing and cost of exploration programs in respect of the Project and otherwise, anticipated exploration program results from exploration activities, the Company's expectation that it will be able to enter into agreements to acquire interests in additional mineral properties, the successful negotiation and execution of a definitive Option Agreement for the Project, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves on the Project, and the anticipated business plans and timing of future activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or 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 differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Project, including the geological mapping, prospecting and sampling program being proposed for the Project (the "Program"), actual results of exploration activities, including the Program, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, the timing and amount of estimated future production, costs of production, capital expenditures, the costs and timing of the development of new deposits, the availability of a sufficient supply of water and other materials, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals and copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSXV acceptance, for the Property acquisition, or financing or in the completion of development or construction activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, hedging practices, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Information Circular (April 2016) and as discussed in the annual management's discussion and analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking information. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein.
dave13 wrote:

VeritasPrepKarishma wrote:

eybrj2 wrote: In a corporation, 50 percent of the male employees and 40 percent of the female employeesa re at least 35 years old. If 42 percent of all the employees are at least 35 years old, what fraction of the employees in the corporation are females?



a) 3/5



b) 2/3



c) 3/4



d) 4/5



e) 5/6



You can use the weighted averages formula for a 10 sec solution.



No of females/No of males = (50 - 42)/(42 - 40 ) = 4/1



No of females as a fraction of total employees = 4/(4+1) = 4/5



For details of this method, check: You can use the weighted averages formula for a 10 sec solution.No of females/No of males = (50 - 42)/(42 - 40 ) = 4/1No of females as a fraction of total employees = 4/(4+1) = 4/5For details of this method, check: http://www.veritasprep.com/blog/2011/03 ... -averages/
Did Albert Fiddler, 76, of Fellsmere, Florida shoot his wife 52 times with a shotgun, once for each year she wouldn't have sex with him? No, that's fake news that originated on a Canadian satire website. It is not true and did not happen.

The story was published in an article on World News Daily Report on April 20, 2018 using the title "Man killed his wife after she refused to have sex with him for 52 years" (archived here) and it opened:

Fellsmere, FL | A 76-year-old Florida man killed his wife in their home and subsequently called 911 admitting to the crime he had just committed.

Albert Fiddler, 76, called 911 and coldly admitted to shooting his wife 52 times with a Remington 870 shotgun for "every year she wouldn't give me any sex," he told the operator. The Indian River County Police Department received a call at approximately 8:14 a.m. from the man, who said he shot the victim because she refused to have sex with him since 1966. Albert Fiddler, 76, and Emma W. Fiddler, 70, were about to celebrate their 52 years of marriage this week before the gruesome murder occurred.

The story looked like a normal news article to people on social media who just got the summary:

Man killed his wife after she refused to have sex with him for 52 years Fellsmere, FL | A 76-year-old Florida man killed his wife in their home and subsequently called 911 admitting to the crime he had just committed. Albert Fiddler, 76, called 911 and coldly admitted to shooting his wife 52 times with a Remington 870 shotgun for "every year she wouldn't give me any se

But we weren't able to find any independent news reports about this story and the image of the man just seems to have been taken from some old blog post from 2011:

Are there Monsters? Are there such things as Monsters? Depends on your definition of "monster", of course. Mythological beast of horn and fire? Probably not. Folks with malice in their hearts and evil in their deeds? Knowing evil? Probably - hard to argue against. Not that many of course - a very small percentage of the overall population.

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
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): All stakeholders in South Sudan must engage genuinely and constructively in finding a political solution to the conflict there, a senior United Nations peacekeeping official said at the end of her four-day visit.

There is no military solution to the conflict, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita told reporters in the war-ravaged countrys capital, Juba, underscoring the importance of the peace talks facilitated by the regional body, the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD).

A key forum led by IGAD to revive the peace process, which will resume soon, offers an important opportunity that needs to be seized, she said, urging warring parties to adhere scrupulously to the terms of the December 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement  an accord adopted at the Forums previous round held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

But peace will not be won in Addis Ababa only, Ms. Keita said, stressing that it must be won in every state of South Sudan where politically motivated intercommunal violence has caused numerous fatalities in the past month.

The fighting between the government and rebel forces, which broke out in several parts of Greater Upper Nile and the Bahr-El-Ghazal in the past few weeks, has to stop once and for all, she said.

Ms. Keita said the UN is committed to supporting people-to-people peace initiatives, reconciliation efforts and the national dialogue process provided they are genuinely inclusive, transparent and offer complementary platforms through the efforts of IGAD.

If they are, we will not hesitate to tell the opposition leaders: Think about the country beyond your individual interest. Give peace a chance. Give your children a chance. Every opportunity for peace, every chance to save lives, has to be seized, she said.

David Shearer, the Head of the UN Mission in South Sudan, known as UNMISS, highlighted the many ways the Mission is supporting the peace process, internationally and locally, as a part of its mandate.

We have provided logistical support to get the national dialogue to the places they need to go to, in other words helicopters and planes. We have provided financial support directly to the dialogue, Mr. Shearer said, in response to a question about what the Mission was doing to support efforts to find a political solution.

We have provided technical support to bring in the experience of national dialogues across the world. In those ways, we have supported the peace process. It is a critical part of our mission, he added.

Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has spent much of its short life mired in conflict, as what began as a political face-off between President Salva Kiir and former Vice-President Riek Machar erupted into full-blown war late in 2013.



unmiss


New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Despite warnings, Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers who fled Boko Haram violence continue to be returned from Cameroon, the United Nations refugee agency has said, underscoring the need to accord international protection to those in need.

We appeal once again to the authorities in Cameroon to refrain from further forced returns and to ensure protection to those fleeing insecurity and persecution in Nigeria, in accordance with Cameroons national and international obligations, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement.

Since the beginning of 2018, 385 Nigerians refugees and asylum-seekers have been forcibly returned from Cameroon  the majority of them last month, including 160 on 10 April and a further 118 a week later.

In total, the UN agency has registered some 87,600 Nigerian refugees in the country.

The forced returns are in violation of the principle of no forced returns or non-refoulement. They are also a significant setback to progress previously achieved by Cameroon in granting asylum to Nigerian civilians fleeing Boko Haram violence, said UNHCR.

In the statement, UNHCR also noted that it recognized legitimate national security concerns of States affected by the Boko Haram crisis, and stressed that it is important that refugee protection and national security are not seen as being incompatible.

Properly functioning screening, registration and asylum systems help safeguard host country security, it said, reiterating its support to the Government of Cameroon to ensure that all those seeking international protection have access to efficient screening and registration procedures, as well as appropriate reception arrangements.



OCHA/Ivo Brandau
London/Ottawa, Apr 21 (IBNS): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday concluded his tour to the United Kingdom, where he tried to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two nations, media reports said.

Trudeau had attended the Commonwealth Summit in the UK on Thursday.

At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Trudeau had underlined his government's commitment to address climate change, protect oceans and develop economy in pursuit of job creation.

Trudeau said in the CHGM that Canada will become a Commonweath Blue Charter Champion, which calls for a coordinated action to promote the sustainable use of coastal and ocean resources.

Canada has also pitched in the advancement of human rights and the improvement of lives of LGBTQ2 people.

Speaking about the UK tour, Trudeau said: "The UK is among Canadas closest friends and most important partners. We unite in our shared history, family ties, and unwavering commitment to democratic values. We will continue to set the stage for an even closer economic partnership, and create greater opportunities for citizens of Canada and the UK alike."

He said: "CHOGM is a unique and valuable forum that brings leaders from every corner of the globe together. I thank my Commonwealth counterparts for the productive discussions over the last few days.

"Working together, we can play an important role in addressing the most pressing challenges of our time  like fighting climate change, eradicating poverty, and building a truly gender equal world.

Trudeau had also met other Commonwealth leaders Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya, Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique, and Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa.

(Reporting by Suman Das)
Ottawa, Apr 21 (IBNS): The business community are appearing to be divided over the expansion of Trans Mountain pipeline in British Columbia, media reports said.

Though many businessmen have lent their support to the expansion, those belonging to the technology, green tech and tourism industries are not much enthusiastic.

In a recent development, 400 businessmen signed an open letter, urging B.C. premier John Horgan to continue his opposition to the expansion.

People who have signed the letter stated the pipeline expansion will be disastrous for the business in B.C., the province which depend upon clean and protected environment.

The letter has been quoted by CBC News, "We recognize the energy sector has made a major contribution to our quality of life and to the Canadian economy."

"But now it is time to recognize that our choices around projects like this pipeline will have a resoundingimpact on our future

"If this pipeline were to be built, it would lock in our dependence on fossil fuels for decades to come and remove any incentive to convert to renewable alternatives."

However, ending the uncertainty over the Trans Mountain Pipeline construction, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in mid-April said the federal government will undertake financial and also the legislative actions to ensure the building of the pipeline.

Trudeau met premiers of Alberta and British Columbia, Rachel Notley and John Horgan respectively, in the national capital.

Following the meeting, Trudeau said: "I have instructed the minister of finance to initiate formal financial discussions with Kinder Morgan, the result of which will be to remove the uncertainty overhanging the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.

"I have also informed premiers Notley and Horgan today that we are actively pursuing legislative options that will assert and reinforce the government of Canada's jurisdiction in this matter which we know we clearly have.."

He has been quoted by CBC News.

He insisted that the construction will go forward.

The PM said he will release the financial details to the Canadians once he gets hold of it.

The project was reportedly approved by the federal government in 2016.

(Reporting by Suman Das)
Although US President Donald Trump recently floated the idea of a pullout of US forces who has served as advisors to the Kurdish Democratic Forces and other pro-democracy rebel groups, the White House also ordered air strikes on Syria last weekend as punishment for the use of chemical weapons by the government of Bashar al-Assad. This has led to a predictable escalation in the war of words between Washington and Tehran.

Nonetheless, Al Jazeera maintains that the two sides are mutually averse to the idea of turning that war of words into a shooting war. This aversion has been on display throughout recent years as American forces declined to directly target the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps or even to generally target the pro-Assad militias supported and directed by the IRGC. Meanwhile, Iran has not directed those Syrian militias to target American forces, even though some have publicly vowed to ultimately oust the US from the region.

At the same time, Al Jazeera points to a clash between Iran-backed militias and US forces in May 2017 as evidence that there could be an uptick in low-level conflict as the two sides test the boundaries of their competing roles. It is also clear that Iran and the US intend to persist in efforts to limit each others influence over the conflict. And within the Trump administration, this impulse can be expected to intensify following such developments as the appointment of John Bolton to the post of National Security Advisor and the declaration by UN Ambassador Nikki Haley that curtailing Irans entrenchment is a major foreign policy priority.

Such statements suggest that the US is not about to blink in this contest of wills. But there are similar indications coming out of Tehran, which has struck a defiant tone in public communications not only regarding the American role in the Middle East but also regarding other contentious matters like the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The Algemeiner reported on Friday that Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned of unpleasant consequences for the US in the event that it pulls out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action next month. The comments were widely disseminated on Iranian state television as the country awaits the May 12 deadline imposed by the Trump administration on European partners whom he expects to fix the terrible flaws in the deal.

Previously, various Iranian officials including Zarif and Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, have warned that the Islamic Republic might respond to the re-imposition of US sanctions by ramping up nuclear enrichment activities to levels far beyond those that were maintained before the JCPOA went into effect. It is all but certain that Zarifs more recent remarks were intended to recall attention to these threats, but the implication of a broader response cannot be ruled out.

This is especially true in light of Irans clear signals in recent days that it is committed to entrenchment in Syria, and also to pushing back against the persistence of an American role in the conflict. While still not welcoming direct military conflict with the global superpower, Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei said in a recent speech that Tehran and its allies should be prepared for an intelligence war aimed at curtailing foreign espionage and subversion. As part of the same remarks, which were posted on Khameneis official website and summarized by Newsweek, the supreme leader also called for Irans partners to form a united front against adversaries led by the US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.

This seeming call-to-arms was arguably underscored on Thursday when Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami visited Baghdad to promote security ties and to bolster the work of an intelligence-sharing network established there in 2015, with participation from Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Russia. As Newsweek notes, the visit coincided with the unusual move by the Iraqi government to carry out airstrikes against rebel positions in Syria, in a potential sign of closer cooperation with Iran and with the Assad regime over the prosecution of that war.

As well as meeting with the Iraqi head of military intelligence, Hatami also had discussions with representatives of Syria and Russia, at a time when both of these countries are facing  and mutually pushing back against  rising levels of pressure from the West. While this months airstrikes by the US, France, and the UK were motivated by Assads use of chemical weapons, the previous month saw collective efforts to sanction Russia over a similar issue, the use of a chemical agent in the poisoning of a Russian national on British soil.

On Wednesday, Alireza Jahangir, the Iranian delegate to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, defended Russian against such efforts in a speech that could also be seen as an expression of the Iranian regimes willingness to overlook chemical incidents involving its other ally. Mehr News Agency quoted Jahangir as saying that Western powers had used the Chemical Weapons Convention as an instrument to confirm [their] political intentions.

He went on to say that disputes over any issues involving chemical weapons should be dealt with through the existing mechanisms and provisions of the CWC, thereby underscoring Irans opposition to efforts by the US and its allies to use either sanctions or airstrikes to punish Assad or his supporters for the use of such weapons.

That opposition may be motivated not only by Irans commitment to anti-Western allies or to its efforts at regional expansion, but also by fears over the broader implications of American and European measures that challenge Irans dominance in Syria. This was the position taken by a recent editorial at the American Thinker, in which human rights advocate Hassan Mahmoudi declared that the US-led airstrikes had a significant impact on the Iranian regime as well as on Assad.

The article pointed to recent anti-government protests in Iran, which spanned the entire country in January but have continued in various localities up to the present day. Participants in many of those protests have been heard to chant, Forget about Syria; think of us, and to disregard regime propaganda portraying the US as the enemy of the Iranian people. In light of this messaging, Mahmoudi concludes that the recent airstrikes served to underscore the cost of Irans involvement in Syria, and thus to encourage protests against it.

This goes to show that there are domestic risks for Iran in the event that the Syrian conflict leads to further escalation of tensions with the US. But it also highlights the potential payoff for the US of policies currently being advocated by opponents of the Iranian regime, including newly appointed National Security Advisor John Bolton and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which he supports. In their view, a concerted effort to push Iran out of Syria would force the clerical regime to face rising levels of domestic dissent, thereby compelling it to either reform or face overthrow.
An article published by Iran Lobby outlines what they call the common misperceptions in the letter:

 The only reason we were able to achieve this breakthrough is that we stood together. Together, Europeans and Americans have proved that a strong and united transatlantic partnership can bring about a coalition extending to Russia and China, endorsed by the international community.

The article alleges that the deal was dependent on economic sanctions that brought Irans economy to a virtual standstill.

 We were able to impose unprecedented scrutiny on the Iranian nuclear program, dismantle most of their nuclear enrichment facilities, and drastically reduce the danger of a nuclear arms race.

The article claims that the nuclear deal gave the regime leeway to clean up suspected nuclear sites, and that Iran was also allowed to keep and store its centrifuges while being allowed to test and install even higher performing centrifuges to enrich uranium.

 As much as we share the concerns expressed by many about Irans behavior, we are deeply convinced that these issues must be treated separately (as we are doing already)  and not within the context of the JCPOA.

Citing the failure to include Irans involvement in the Syrian civil war, support of terrorism, and brutal human rights record, the article says that nuclear deal gave the mullahs a free pass to do as they wished.

Trita Parsi of the NIAC argues that the approximately 500 parliamentarians signing the letter demonstrates its global significance. Parsi wrote, The message to Trump/Pompeo/Bolton is clear: You do this and youre on your own. Still, 500 members only represents 18 percent of the total membership of the three European parliaments.

The awful truth for Parsi and the rest of the Iran lobby, according to the article, is that the vast majority of U.S. and European voters have moved on and now view the Iranian regime as a direct threat to regional peace and stability.

The Iran nuclear deal may already be dead from the perspective of the Trump administration. Trump is constantly threatening to tear it up as it renews the waiver finding the regime in compliance.

The threat of ending it has its European partners working to address the what the Trump administration views as loopholes. In their visit to the White House next wee, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel hope to persuade President Trump against pulling out of the deal. They intend to show the progress made on his three main concerns:

1. Expiring limits on Irans nuclear program

2. Tehrans ballistic-missile program

3. The scope of international nuclear inspections

Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has made a six-day trip to New York and the United Nations, in the meantime, in an effort to showcase Irans compliance with the agreement. However, the Foreign Minister continues his threats. TV quoted Zarif upon his arrival in New York, Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehrans reaction to Americas withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant.
Justice expert tells Nepal to make Act changes public

A transitional justice expert on Thursday urged Nepal government to use the amending of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Act as an opportunity to integrate concerns of all stakeholders and make the amendment public.
Minister Gyawali stresses people-to-people connectivity between Nepal, China

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali has stressed on people-to-people connectivity between Nepal and China for enhancing the friendship between the two neighbouring countries.








Meeting Fidel involved some synchronicity. He had come to Tucson to attend the Yoeme Easter Celebration at Old Pascua but arriving early went to one of the assisted living complexes to conduct a healing ritual with the residents. There he met Olga Tafolla one of the residents and asked her if she was related to Linda, an old friend who had been part of his video crew in Nicaragua in the late 1980s.

Fidel Moreno







Why shes my daughter, Olga answered. An exchange of telephone numbers led to Linda, an old friend of mine from Battle Creek Michigan, calling to tell me that I should meet Fidel.





Fidel and I met at Old Pascua, met again at the home of Joyce, another of Olgas daughters and a third time at a youth center in South Tucson. Hes a very unusual fellow, this Fidel, whose father was a Huichol and his mother of undetermined Mexican ancestry. He considers himself an indigenous person and has become versed in healing ceremonies in which his powerful baritone voice astounds as happened at Joyces home when he performed a ceremony for Olga in which he sang and cleansed with feathers and played a small flute. It was very spontaneous and impressive.









For the third meeting, he asked me to join him at the youth center and I went thinking we would sit down and talk but instead I walked in on him conducting a session with a roomful of twenty plus young kids making a beaded bracelet with leather. The kids, male and female, were probably 6th or 7th graders squirmy with energy, requiring him to help them to stay focused on the task that required several steps. He was gentle but strict and he elaborated on why it was important to pay attention to the bracelet that had colored beads each representing the student and family members. Each child was asked to think deeply about their mom, their dad, their grandparents and he would introduce new words to them such as maternal grandmother, or hygiene





After the session he and I did sit down and talked. I was especially interested in an architectural drawing that he had shown me at Joyces home, which I had come to realize was the prime reason he was traveling to various towns and villages. He travels in an older white panel van carrying all sorts of stuff including the leather and beads which he used with the kids and a big drum, sufficiently large to accommodate fifteen drummers.





White Eagle Sanctuary









Antonio- Fidel this is what I find on the Internet when I do a search on you. Will you elaborate?





Fidel Moreno is Huichol / Chichimeca and Mexican American. He is an Oscar nominee in the Best Short Documentary category as co-producer and co-director of WIPING THE TEARS OF 7 GENERATIONS, and a three-time Telly Award winner for THE PEYOTE ROAD and 500 NATIONS. Moreno is an activist passionate about working with youth and children through cultural literacy skill building, emotional development and purposeful life navigation. His most recent video, Behind Standing Rock, chronicles the Native American struggle over water rights and ancient burial grounds.

Raised in both old Mexico and the Midwest area of the United States, Morenos work in documentary film and video since 1983 has focused on the struggle and dialogues of indigenous people and communities in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central America. He has worked directly with many communities, aboriginal leaders, chiefs and elders in documenting environmental actions and issues, human rights violations and crisis relief services.





Fidel- I retired from film making six years ago and now Im trying to establish The

White Eagle Native American Holocaust Sanctuary & Trauma, Truth and

Reconciliation Institute for Healing & Wellness for Veterans, families and

individuals with PTSD who are working through historical trauma and

multi-generational grief in various communities. Here in Tucson I presented the idea to elders from both the Yoeme and the Tohono OOdham. So I travel and offer my services wherever I can find an appropriate place as I did with the assisted living home and the youth center. I dont get paid in money, instead I get paid by the awareness that I raise. And there is great interest here in South Tucson for such a center.

fmoreno@cybermesa.com

www.healingwinds.net Cell: 832-777-8081














Vitaly Bespalov had no idea what to expect when he arrived at a business center in St. Petersburg, Russia, to ask for a job.

Everything about the building seemed unusual to the 23-year-old reporter. There was a lot of security. The windows were darkened. Guards dressed like soldiers asked him where he lived. They examined his passport.

As he was talking with them, a woman entered the building. She appeared to be extremely angry.

Bespalov said, "She was yelling something about how she refused to be a part of this.

He added, Everything about the place was strange.

The year was 2014. The place was the Internet Research Agency, a company which would hire Bespalov. The Internet Research Agency now faces criminal charges in the United States. The Justice Department has accused it of illegal interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Bespalov recently described his experiences working at the Internet Research Agency to VOA.

A mysterious and well-paying position

Bespalov had moved from his home in Siberia to St. Petersburg to work at a local news website. But he did not get the job. So, he began to search for writing or reporting positions.

One day he received a promising call. There was an opening for a writing job that paid double the usual amount.

I had no idea who it was, Bespalov said. They just called and told me to show up tomorrow at this address - Savushkina 55. And I didnt understand what the job was or what the company was, but I said, Sure, why not?

Bespalov met there with a woman named Anna. He took a writing test and provided examples of his reporting. He described them as sympathetic pieces on Russias opposition movement.

I still dont understand why they took me, he says, adding that his politics were clearly anti-government. But Anna came back with a smile and said, Well, we dont cover the kind of stories you do, but you know how to write.

How to write for IRA

On his first day, Bespalov was asked to cover the war in Ukraine. He was told to rewrite reports from other websites for a few fake Ukrainian news sites. The goal was make the reports seem fresh and pro-Russian government.

For example, he said, he would change the word annexation to reunification. Or he would describe the Ukrainian government as fascist while commenting favorably about separatists in the eastern part of the country.

Bespalov said he quickly understood he was working at the center of a propaganda machine. He said he was faced with only two possibilities. He could leave the so-called troll factory immediately to protect his professional image. Or, he could stay to learn more about the place and write a big story about it.

Bespalov went with the second choice. He became a mole among trolls.

He says the job demanded a lot. Teams worked eight to 12 hours around the clock, seven days a week. Supervisors watched their work. Cameras were deployed all over the building. The company discouraged employees from talking to each other.

Investigating begins

But, Bespalov did have short discussions with other workers during breaks. He said most seemed not to care or think about what they were doing.

I know people whove been there for three years and never thought once what it was all about. They were there for the money, he says.

Bespalov said it was a highly structured operation with a newsroom on one floor, and bloggers and social media workers on another. There was also an images department.

Bespalov said the goal of all this was to complete what he called a circle of lies. The bloggers and social media operation supported state media news to push one central idea. Bespalov called that idea Make Russia Great Again.

So, he said, the internet and state media had united.

Bespalov said the effort was directed fully at the Russian people.

He said, Even the fake Ukrainian sites werent there to change minds in Ukraine. The point was to remove Russians doubts about the war in Ukraine and about ourselves because we have a weak economy, because we have few political freedoms.

He said the Internet Research Agency sought, in his words, to create the appearance of a great country.

Time to go

Bespalov worked at the agency for three-and-a-half months to learn as much about the organization as he could. Then, he quit.

He published a report on his investigation in 2015. He said he did not use his own name as the writer because he worried for his safety. Later, he was threatened, he says, after others at the IRA began to suspect that the report was his work.

Other reports came out and the threats stopped.

Everybody knew about it, he says.

Bespalov says he has very little additional information about the Internet Research Agency. But, he said it had started looking for English-speakers around the time he quit.

Bespalov said his actions have been misrepresented in Russia and the United States.

He said people in the U.S. do not call him a reporter but a former troll. And in Russia he is considered a treasonous liar. He said his friends want him to stop talking because they fear he will be killed.

Now it appears the IRA worked to influence Russia's 2018 presidential campaign.

An internet user named Kremlebot, claiming to work for IRAs Russian language group, posted that employees worked to raise voter numbers.

Facebook and Reddit social media sites have removed accounts each company identified as connected to the IRA.

The Russian government has denied any connection to or direct knowledge of the company.

Im Susan Shand. And Im Dorothy Gundy.

Charles Mayne reported this story for VOA News. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA. Caty Weaver was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

address  n. the words and numbers that are used to describe the location of a building

fake  adj. not true or real

annexation  n. the act of taking control of a part of a country

reunification  n. to make something, such as a divided country whole again

fascist  adj. a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government

mole  n. a spy who works inside an organization and gives secret information to another organization or country

troll  n. a person who tries to cause problems on an Internet message board by posting messages that cause other people to argue, become angry,

doubt  n. to be uncertain about (something) : to believe that (something) may not be true or is unlikely

discourage  v. to tell or advise someone not to do something
A finger bone is pointing to what scientists are calling a new understanding of how ancient human beings came out of Africa and began settling the rest of the world.

The middle bone of an adults middle finger was unearthed in the Nefud Desert of Saudi Arabia. It was found in an area called Al Wusta. Testing has dated the fossilized remains to about 90,000 years ago.

Researchers reported that it is the oldest Homo sapiens fossil ever found outside of Africa and the eastern Mediterranean Levant area. They also said it is the first human fossil from the Arabian peninsula.

While the Nefud Desert is now a sea of sand, it was green when this Homo sapiens lived. The researchers say the area was once a grasslands, filled with wildlife, near a freshwater lake.

Our human ancestors first appeared in Africa about 300,000 years ago. Scientists once thought Homo sapiens left Africa in a single, fast migration some 60,000 years ago. It was thought they moved along coastal areas, eating fish and other sea creatures, said Michael Petraglia. He is an anthropologist with the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History in Germany.

This fossil bone, measuring 3.2 centimeters from end to end, suggests our species left Africa much earlier.

Petraglia explained that the fossil supports the idea that Homo sapiens did not move all at one time, but slowly and over many years. The discovery also shows these people were moving across the interior of the land, not just along the coastline, he added.

Near the fossil finger, scientists also discovered many animal fossils, University of Oxford archeologist Huw Groucutt said. Bite marks on fossilized bones showed that meat-eaters lived in the area.

Stone tools that hunter-gatherers used also were found.

The big question now is what became of the ancestors of the population to which the Al Wusta human belonged, Groucutt said.

We know that shortly after they lived, the rains failed and the area dried up. Did this population die out? Did it survive further south in Arabia? Groucutt asked. He noted that the drying environment many have pushed them into Eurasia.

A report on the findings was published in the magazine Nature Ecology and Evolution.

Im Susan Shand.

The Reuters news agency reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the report for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow.

______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

fossil  n. remains of an organism from the past

homo sapiens - n. the human beings that exist today

peninsula  n. a piece of land that is almost completely surrounded by water and connected to a larger land area

migration  n. the act of moving from one place to live or work to another

anthropologist - n. someone who studies human races, societies, and cultures

interior  n. the inner part of something; inside


Syrian-born artist Mohamad Hafez saves memories of his home country through dioramas. His models show life in Syria, both before and during the current conflict.

Hafez uses little pieces of metal, wood and stone to represent people and their communities. He also uses recorded voices and images of everyday life in Syria. He captured them with his camera before the fighting started in 2011.

Hafez told VOA, I recorded everything I could get my hands on. Peoples conversations in cafes, the calling for prayers in mosques, the bells of churches, the conversation of a taxi driver and voices of children playing in the courtyard of Umayyad Mosque.

Mohamad Hafez said the recordings provide examples of everyday life. And, Hafez said he believes art helps rebuild the spirit of Syrias past and present, and protect the beauty of his culture.

One year after the war began, he found the recordings and images he had made. The artist said that he felt, after their discovery, he had found a new purpose in life. He was meant to tell the story of his country and keep memories of it for the next generation of Syrians.

Hafez said that, as an artist, he is supposed to bring hope to his people to rebuild their homeland and live in peace.

On this Earth, there is something worth living for, he added.

Hafez now lives in exile in the American state of Connecticut. Since 2009, he has worked as an architect in the city of New Haven. Recently, he received special recognition from Yale University. He was named a 2018 Yale University Silliman College Fellow.

Hafez came to the United States on a student visa in 2003 and studied at Iowa State University. Once in the U.S., it took him several years to go back to his home in Syria.

Refugees

The war in Syria has caused millions of Syrians to flee their homes and seek safety within or outside the country.

Mohamad Hafez is an activist for refugees and their rights.

You do not need to be a refugee to understand the memories and the feelings of them. We should understand that circumstances forced these people to leave their homes, he said.

We should treat them as real humans who share the same feelings as we do, he added.

Hafez said he wants to represent the common quality that connects Syrian refugees with the rest of the world.

I am trying to tell the stories of the refugees from all religions and backgrounds, Hafez said.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates there are more than six million Syrian refugees living in neighboring countries. More than half of them are reported to be in Turkey.

Im Caty Weaver.

VOA News reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

_________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

diorama  n. a three-dimensional life-size or small-size model

conversation  n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people: the act of talking in an informal way

mosque  n. a building that is used for Muslim religious services

bell  n. a hollow usually cup-shaped metal object that makes a ringing sound when it is hit

church  n. a building that is used for Christian religious services

courtyard  n. an open space that is surrounded completely or partly by a building or group of buildings

circumstance  n. a condition or fact that affects a situation
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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KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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Acacia Mining plc, together with its subsidiaries, mines, processes, and sells gold in Africa. The company has three gold mines in north-west Tanzania, including Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi, and North Mara; and a portfolio of exploration projects at various stages of development in Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Mali. It also produces co-products, such as copper and silver. The company was formerly known as African Barrick Gold plc and changed its name to Acacia Mining plc in November 2014. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Acacia Mining plc is a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation.

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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ready to take bold decisions to rebuild the economy after the coronavirus pandemic as his Conservative Party met Sunday for its first annual conference since 2019. The Tory conference opened Sunday in the northwestern city of Manchester as a shortage of truck drivers to delivery fuel across Britain continues to cause empty pumps and long lines at many gas stations.

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Aptiv Plc engages in the design, development, and manufacture of vehicle components. The firm also provides electrical, electronic, and safety technology solutions to the global automotive and commercial vehicle markets. It operates through the following business segments: Signal and Power Solutions, Advanced Safety and User Experience, and Eliminations and Other. The Signal and Power Solutions segment includes complete electrical architecture and component products. The Advanced Safety and User Experience segment covers component and systems integration in connectivity and security solutions, as well as advanced software development and autonomous driving technologies. The Eliminations and Other segment comprises of elimination of inter-segment transactions, other expenses, and income of a non-operating or strategic nature. The company was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. engages in the mining of copper, gold and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining; Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining and Corporate, Other and Eliminations. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Bagdad, Safford, Sierrita and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico. The South America Mining segment includes Cerro Verde in Peru and El Abra in Chile. The Indonesia Mining segment handles the operations of Grasberg minerals district that produces copper concentrate that contains significant quantities of gold and silver. The Molybdenum Mines segment includes the Henderson underground mine and Climax open-pit mine, both in Colorado. The Rod and Refining segment consists of copper conversion facilities located in North America and includes a refinery, rod mills, and a specialty copper products facility. The Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining segment smelts and refines copper concentrate and markets refined copper and precious metals in slimes. The Corporate, Other and Eliminations segment

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Koninklijke Philips N.V. is the Netherlands-based health technology company. The Company's segments include Personal Health businesses, Diagnosis & Treatment businesses, Connected Care & Health Informatics businesses, HealthTech Other and Legacy Items. The Personal Health businesses segment is engaged in the health continuum, delivering integrated, connected solutions that support healthier lifestyles and those living with chronic disease. The Diagnosis & Treatment businesses segment delivers precision medicine and treatment, and therapy. The Connected Care & Health Informatics businesses segment provides consumers, care givers and clinicians with digital solutions that facilitate care by enabling precision medicine and population health management. The HealthTech Other segment comprises such items, as innovation, emerging businesses, royalties, among others. The Legacy Items segment consists mainly of separation costs, legacy legal items, legacy pension costs, among others.

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The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. 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Talks to replace ailing Khalifa Haftar at the head of self-imposed Libyan National Army (LNA) are in full swing as the militarys entourage and international backers, mainly Egypt and United Arab Emirates (UAE), have begun secret talks to choose a successor to the LNA top commander.

Haftar has been out of Libya for over one week. The army commander has been admitted to hospital in Paris after he suffered a stroke while on a visit to Jordan. According to a diplomatic source, he has a lung cancer, which has affected his brain.

London-based Middle East Eye has revealed that Haftars health condition is embarrassing. The media, citing an informed source, notes that the warlord is not lucid and has lost ability to talk.

He is unable to talk or even fully comprehend. He cannot even sit or stand up, the source is quoted as saying.

The media, citing a doctor at the Paris hospital, notes that it looks uncertain to see the 75-year old military commander winning back his speaking abilities.

There are drugs that can be administered to reduce the swelling in the brain. They could give Haftar back the power of speech, for instance, but these effects would be temporary, the doctor told the media on condition of anonymity.

Haftars alarming health condition is worrying the LNA and capitals backing him as succession wars emerge.

Negotiations, according to media reports, have begun in eastern Libya and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to find a successor to Haftar.

Salem al-Hassi, the second commander in line right after Haftar, is the leading successor. He is said to be popular in the east-based army and enjoys Egypts backing.

UAE on the hand has rallied behind Aoun al-Ferjani  another LNA official close to Haftar, the New Arab reports.

A third figure, Abdel Razak al-Nadhuri, is also tipped for the army top position. Al-Nadhuri also close to Haftar according to the LNA survived an assassination attempt Wednesday in the entrance of the city of Benghazi.
Researchers developed a new colour-coded visual tool called Infection Risk Scan, or IRIS, which is set to make it easier for healthcare workers to measure in which areas a hospital complies with guidelines and where it needs to implement measures to improve infection control and the use antimicrobial therapies, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

Dr Ina Willemsen, presenting author, and her team of researchers looked at several variables in care and compared them to local quality standards and data. These variables included hand hygiene, environmental contamination, healthcare workers' personal hygiene, appropriate use of antibiotics and any transmission of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria, such as Klebsiella spp. or Escherichia coli (E. coli). From this, the risk factors were displayed as an image that shows patient-related risks and any factors that can be controlled by healthcare workers.

"Infection control needs user-friendly standardized instruments to measure the compliance to guidelines and to implement improvement actions," Willemsen said.

"The IRIS method provides a multifactorial tool ensuring transparency in the infection control practices and outcomes. Repeated use of the IRIS makes it possible to monitor outcome and offers opportunities for targeted adjustment where needed. This results in a plan-do-check-act (PDCA) quality cycle in infection control."

Over three years, Willemsen's team conducted four consecutive IRIS in five wards of a Dutch hospital. All wards improved hand hygiene compliance, increasing to 68% overall from 43%. Environmental contamination, which was evaluated using adenosine triphosphate measurements, improved but could not be sustained. Personal hygiene was already good and was sustained over the observation period. The appropriate use of antibiotics did not improve despite researchers having identified clear places for improvement, however no changes were implemented. And finally, researchers noted only one instance of drug resistant bacteria transmission involving two patients.

In the next two years, IRIS will be implemented in nine hospitals and 40 nursing homes in the Dutch/Belgium border area. In addition to this research, Willemsen also explored whether this model could be useful in comparing the quality of infection control programmes between hospitals and between hospitals in different health systems. To that end they compared IRIS results from a hospital in the Netherlands and one in the United States.

The same variables were used to determine the levels of infection control and antimicrobial use as described above. Willemsen's team compared the US results with the Dutch guidelines and vice versa.

The hospitals varied greatly in their approach to antimicrobial therapy. Narrow-spectrum antimicrobials are used in the Netherlands whereas in the United States, guidelines call for broad-spectrum antimicrobials. There was also a large difference in environmental contamination levels, with the higher levels being found in the Dutch hospital. Personal hygiene practices differ as well, for instance, national guidelines forbid the wearing of jewellery in the Dutch hospital.

Willemsen said: "The standards and guidelines in the two hospitals showed substantial differences, which makes it impossible to compare the level of quality of infection control and antimicrobial use in the two hospitals in different countries with different national guidelines. More evidence-based standardization of guidelines around the globe is needed to allow international comparisons of the standard of care."

Willemsen will present this research in an oral session on Saturday and as a paper poster on Sunday. Last month she published a paper about IRIS in the journal Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control.

Explore further Experts define global criteria for hospital programs to tackle antimicrobial resistance

More information: Abstract no: O0173, The implementation of the infection risk scan (IRIS) in a Dutch hospital, resulting in standardization, transparency and substantial improvement; session Interventions in infection control: What works? 13:30 - 15:30, Saturday, 21 April 2018, Hall J Abstract no: O0173, The implementation of the infection risk scan (IRIS) in a Dutch hospital, resulting in standardization, transparency and substantial improvement; session Interventions in infection control: What works? 13:30 - 15:30, Saturday, 21 April 2018, Hall J Ina Willemsen et al. The infection risk scan (IRIS): standardization and transparency in infection control and antimicrobial use, Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control (2018). DOI: 10.1186/s13756-018-0319-z

Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Madrid, Spain: West Nile virus (WNV), which is transmitted via mosquito bites, reemerged and spread to new territories of Greece in 2017 following a two-year hiatus in reported human cases, according to findings presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

During this reemergence, in the summer and early autumn of 2017, researchers diagnosed 45 cases from blood samples and cerebral spinal fluid from 180 patients who had symptoms and signs that probably indicated WNV. Prof. Athanassios Tsakris, who is head of the Microbiology Department at the University of Athens Medical School, and his team of researchers analysed the reemergence and presented the findings.

The researchers diagnosed 26 patients, or 57.8% of the new cases, with WNV neuroinvasive disease. They characterized the remaining 19 patients, or 42.2%, with WNV fever. The age of patients diagnosed with the neuroinvasive disease ranged from 15 to 91, with a median age of 63. Elderly patients with underlying diseases were particularly affected. Of the five patients who died (19.2% of those with neuroinvasive disease), all were older than 70.

All new cases emerged from southern Greece and most were reported in regions that had not been affected before. Of the 45 confirmed cases, 40 were in new territories: 37 in Argos and three in Corinthia prefecture. One case was reported in Crete and the remaining four were reported from previously affected prefectures of northwestern Peloponnese. Researchers analysed geographical data of the areas affected by the virus and concluded that Greece's landscape, such as natural and constructed wetlands, seem to influence the transmission and rate of new cases.

Prof. Tsakris says: "The reemergence of WNV after a two-year hiatus of reported human cases and its subsequent geographic expansion in newly affected areas demonstrates that Greece provides the appropriate ecological and climatic conditions for WNV circulation. The virus has been established in Greece and disease transmission may continue in the future."

"Epidemiological surveillance, intensive mosquito management programmes and public education about personal protective measures are crucial to prevent WNV transmission, especially among susceptible population groups," Tsakris said.

"The risk of WNV transmission is complex and multifactorial; it concerns the virus, the vectors, the animal reservoirs, the environmental conditions and human behaviour. Preventing or reducing of WNV transmission depends on successful controlling vector's abundance or interruption of human-vector contact. Also, targeted WNV surveillance within mosquito populations may contribute to the well-timed detection of the virus prior to its emergence in equine species or human populations", Prof. Tsakris emphasizes.

WNV is transmitted to humans via infected mosquito bites. The transmission period is typically between mid-summer and early autumn when mosquitos are most active. Most people infected with WNV have no symptoms, but 20% develop West Nile fever, a flu-like illness that causes fever and body aches. Less than 1% of infections progress to diseases with sever neurological manifestations, such as aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis.

Prof. Tsakris explains that the dramatic decline in cases in the previous two years may be result of the mosquito management strategy, i.e. the timely and proper use of effective larvicides, which has shrunk the populations of adult mosquitoes, and the preventive measures taken by the community to limit their exposure to WNV. Still, WNV continued to circulate in Greek territories as it was demonstrated by serological testing of birds in 2015, he adds.

"Additionally, the development of immune response against WNV may have reduced human cases by depleting the susceptible human population. It is also possible that WNV caused infections that were asymptomatic, as occurs in approx. 80% of cases, or that remained undetected including neuro-invasive cases", Tsakris says. "Of course, climatic conditions cannot be excluded since virus replication rate within mosquitoes, as well as vector competence and population dynamic, are mainly weather dependent."

The first outbreak of WNV in Greece was recorded in 2010 and was considered to be the largest epidemic in Europe since the 1996 outbreak in Romania. Most outbreaks in western Europe have been caused by WNV Lineage 1. In eastern Europe, however, Lineage 2, which emerged in Hungary in 2004, has been responsible for human and bird mortality, particularly in Greece.

Explore further Ongoing surveillance and vaccination are key to prevent yellow fever outbreak in humans

More information: Paper poster no: P0550, Reemergence of West Nile Virus infections in humans in Southern Greece, July to September 2017; session Dengue, Chik and other reemerging and emerging viruses, 15:30 - 16:30, Saturday, 21 April 2018, Paper Poster Area

Provided by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
A decision on New York Mets right-handed Matt Harvey has been made.

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, New York has moved the former ace to the bullpen.

Harvey, 29, went 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA for New York this year. He has struggled since 2016, where he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.

Mets left-hander Jason Vargas will likely replace Harvey in the rotation once he returns from injury, likely around the time of the series in San Diego.

He kind of told us hes pissed off right now and motivated to show everybody that he can be a starter, Manager Mickey Callaway said of Harvey.

The right-hander will be available out of the bullpen starting Tuesday.
YEREVAN.  Tourism in Armenia has problems in connection with infrastructures.

Hripsime Stambulyan, the founding manager of a local travel agency, on Friday told about the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am, at the In Tour Expo and the SportWay international exhibitions being held in capital city Yerevan.

This travel agency is Air Cairos official representative in Armenia. In addition, it is engaged in inbound tourism, it conducts combined tours between Armenia and Georgia, and works toward attracting tourists to Armeniaespecially from Egypt.

When asked what draws tourists to Armenia, Stambulyan responded as follows, in particular: Armenia is interesting for gastro tourism, alcotourism, and adventure tourism, alike. They come a lot [also] for medical tourism. Dental and plastic surgery services are quite affordable in Armenia; and since they are not covered by insurance policies, tourists from Europe, Russia are interested. [But] we have a problem of certain recognition; Armenias recognition shall be raised. We have good doctors, affordable prices.

She noted, however, that there are problems with respect to airline tickets.

Since we dont have direct flights to many countries, airline ticket prices turn out to be quite expensive, Hripsime Stambulyan noted. We have a problem with infrastructures. The number of 3-, 4-starespecially brandhotels is low, whereas thats the condition for attracting the young tourist. They are primarily five-star hotels [here] at us.

The In Tour Expo and the SportWay international exhibitions are held simultaneously in Yerevan, from Friday to Sunday.

Armenian News-NEWS.am is the information sponsor of these two events.
YEREVAN.  Police have detained several people after the opposition movements rally and march in Yerevan, on Friday evening.

Arayik Harutyunyan, a member of the political council of the opposition Civil Contract Party, wrote about the aforesaid on his Facebook page.

Also, he called on attorneys to deal with the cases of these detained persons.

At the same time, human rights activists are reporting that, in some parts of Armenias capital city, there were attacks on the drivers who were honking the horns of their vehicles in protest.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan on Friday informed that on Saturday they will continue their protest actions of blocking streets and avenues. All operations will kick off at 11am.

Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.
In Washington, D.C., Deputy Prime Minister Vache Gabrielyan of Armenia met with representatives of the US Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Congress, as well as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

In Gabrielyans words, during the talks the sides also lauded the peaceful nature of the ongoing protests in Armenia, reported the Voice of America Armenian Service.

The parties stressed that they should be peaceful and there should not be a curtailing of rights as well as a use of violent force from any side, he said, and [they] noted that the government of Armeniathe police, in particular approach to those matters very professionally.

The deputy PM added that his interlocutors in Washington appreciated especially the Armenian governments controlled reaction to these demonstrations.

To the query as to when the people of Armenia will directly sense the positive effects of the economic growth that is recorded in the country, Vache Gabrielyan responded that even though a sizeable growth is not envisioned, the current rates of development also have an impact.
Renowned American Armenian musician Serj Tankian will not be coming to Armenia to take part in the ongoing protests against Serzh Sargsyan becoming Prime Minister.

Instead, he dedicated a song to Armenias peaceful resistance.

It seems like the issue of my presence in Armenia is causing quite a stir, Tankian wrote on his Facebook page. I apologize for that although I truly had nothing to do with it. The youth on the street are the only ones I trust with Armenias future and my sites should be the only place you trust regarding my moves.

And in his respective video message, Tankian said he would like to congratulate the protesters for the most successful civil disobedience campaign ever in Armenias history.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) of Armenia Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.

Armenian Opposition leader announces their demands
YEREVAN.  Police are not permitting participants of the My Step initiative march to block a road in capital city Yerevan.

They have deployed large numbers forces to the area, and are prohibiting the demonstrators from walking along the traffic lane.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) of Armenia Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan attempted to negotiate with Yerevan Deputy Police Chief Valeri Osipyan, so that the police would open the street, but police refuse to do so.

Pashinyan called on his supporters to gather near him.

Police are detaining demonstrators.

Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.

Armenian Opposition leader announces their demands
YEREVAN.  Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday issued a statement with respect to the current domestic political situation in Armenia.

Each and every citizen of our country has the right to hold peaceful demonstrations and marches, the PM said, in particular, in his statement. Unfortunately, those public assemblies have frequently crossed the limits prescribed by law, and assumed unwarranted and anarchic manifestations.

The developments taking place are fraught with unpredictable consequences; they jeopardize public rule order, and undermine the complex and delicate harmony of Armenias society.

In order to avoid irreparable damage, I call on National Assembly MP Nikol Pashinyan to sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiations; this should be done immediately.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.

Armenian Opposition leader announces their demands
YEREVAN.  As of Saturday at 11:30am, capital city Yerevan police have detained eleven people, the Police of Armenia news service informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Recently, the situation was tense at the Nor Nork District where police forcibly detained demonstrators.

Protesters are marching in various districts of Yerevan, since early morning.

The march which is led by My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan, is carried out at Nor Nork.

The demonstrators are calling on people to join them.

Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.
YEREVAN.  There is a tense atmosphere in the country. The 24-hour monitoring of social networks and other publications shows a clear increase of hate speech and violence, including calls on resolving problems through weapon; this is extremely unacceptable, since it intensifies the situation.

This is noted in a statement by Arman Tatoyan, Human Rights Defender (Ombudsman) of Armenia.

24-hour investigations show that violence and intolerance campaigns are being carried out through the comments under the media publications and reports. There are also frequent cases of violence, the statement also reads. The comments under the publications in social media describing the actions of police that call for violence towards police officers and in separate cases to deprivation of life are of special concern.

In these circumstances, blockade of vehicles of the persons, responsible for the most important functions of the state is also unacceptable.

Alerts related to child rights violations have significantly increased. A strong protection and security of children based on the principles of their best interest should also be ensured.

This situation is fraught with the threat of serious human rights violations and the dangers of obstacles to preventing these violations.

In all these circumstances, it is our duty to exert every effort for the peaceful settlement of the situation. Therefore, I call all actors of the process to show tolerance and responsible attitude, to refrain from activities straining the situation and creating dangerous situation for violence cases.

All calls and exhortations which are aimed at peaceful settlement of the situation are welcomed.
YEREVAN.  The topic of discussion with the authorities can only be the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) of Armenia Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday told aforesaid to reporters, during the My Step march in capital city Yerevan.

He noted this commenting on Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyans proposal to him to immediately sit at the negotiating table.

After that [Sargsyans stepping down], we will discuss the terms, Pashinyan said. Moreover, these terms shall be acceptable not to me, but to the people.

Also, he stated that Sargsyan has no control over the current situation and his obstinacy threatens Armenia.

If they [the police] take, apprehend, arrest or detain me, I call on Armenias citizens to go out and close off all the roads, block all the police departments, all public administration buildings, Pashinyan stated adding that his arrest cannot stop the process.

As reported earlier, Serzh Sargsyan issued a statement and called on Nikol Pashinyan to immediately sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiations, while the police threatened to stop the rally.

Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.

Armenia PM calls on opposition movement leader MP to immediately sit at negotiating table
STEPANAKERT.  The adversary breached the truce along the Line of Contact between the Karabakh and Azerbaijani opposing forces more about 320 times, from April 15 to 21.

During this time the Azerbaijani armed forces fired more than 2,500 shots toward the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR) military positions, and by way of different-caliber rifle weapons, informed the Artsakh Ministry of Defense (MOD).

In addition to shooting with rifle weapons, the adversary fired three rockets from a rocket-propelled grenade, at the northern sector of the line of contact.

But the NKR Defense Army vanguard units fully control the frontline, and they continue confidently carrying out their combat duty.
YEREVAN.  The police just recently detained several market merchants in Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, at a downtown intersection.

The Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter at the scene informed that, first, these merchants closed off the Mashtots Avenue-Amiryan Street intersection, and then the Pushkin Street-Mashtots Avenue intersection. Subsequently, they blocked the Tumanyan Street-Mashtots Avenue intersection with garbage bins.

Police started forcibly detaining the demonstrators.

They detained protesters at France Square, too.

The merchants, who have declared a strike, have marched and reached the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.
STEPANAKERT.  President of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic/NKR), Bako Sahakyan, on Saturday issued a statement in connection with the current domestic political situation in Armenia.

These days the attention of the entire Armenian nation is focused on the events taking place in [capital city] Yerevan and a number of towns in the Republic of Armenian. Artsakh cannot be indifferent towards the developments going on in Mother Armenia and is thoroughly following them, too, the statement reads, Central Information Department of the Office of the Artsakh President informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. For our Fatherland located in a complicated geopolitical surrounding and threatened by the insidious enemy every minute, any attempt to destabilize, undermine internal cohesion is dangerous and fraught with the worst consequences that will affect the security, defense capacity, and the current situation along the borders.

Every citizen of the Republic of Armenia has the right to express his opinion and vision on the countrys present and future. It is an indivisible right enshrined in the Constitution.

However, this right should only be exercised within the law, never forgetting that inner stability has been the most important factor of the security of the two Armenian states.

Dear compatriots,

I call all of you to unconditionally follow the letter and spirit of the law, settle disputable issues through dialogue, [and] show restraint and high level of responsibility.

We must not make mistakes that may have fatal consequences for our people and for the free and independent Armenian statehood, which is a priceless and precious asset for every Armenian in Armenia, Artsakh, and the Diaspora.
YEREVAN.  The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Dashnaktsutyun Party welcomes the Prime Minister of Armenias call to immediately start dialogue and negotiations.

The aforementioned is noted in an appeal by Arsen Hambardzumyan, representative of the Supreme Body of ARF Armenia, and in connection with the current political situation in the country.

It [the PMs call] is in line with the avenue proposed by Dashnaktsutyun, the statement also reads, in particular. This avenue will prevent further aggravations in Armenia.

Political sensibleness and dialogue is the door that can pave a real way to resolving the peoples discontent and the numerous key issues facing the country.

The moment is sensitive and full of numerous internal and external perils and risks. Prudence dictates to negotiate without ultimatums and preconditions.

My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.
VAGHARSHAPAT.  The residents of Vagharshapat (Etchmiadzin) town are protesting since early Saturday morning, and they have joined the My Step initiative against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

The Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter at the scene informed that the demonstrators are marching through the city streets, making calls, and urging others to join them.

A large number of police officers are overseeing the protest march in Vagharshapat.

As reported earlier, protesters are marching in various districts of capital city Yerevan, since early Saturday morning.

The march which is led by My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan, had started at Nor Nork District.

The demonstrators are calling on people to join them.

Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.
YEREVAN.  Saturdays protest march by the My Step initiative has reached outside the house of mayor Taron Margaryan of Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia.

The demonstrators chanted and whistled outside Margaryans home.

As reported earlier, Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday issued a statement and called on My Step initiative leader, opposition Civil Contract Party Political Council member, and National Assembly (NA) Way Out (Yelk) Faction head Nikol Pashinyan to immediately sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiations, while the police threatened to stop the rally.

Nikol Pashinyan and his supporters are staging protests in capital city Yerevan ever since April 13, and by marching, holding rallies, as well as blocking streets and squares. They protest against ex-President Serzh Sargsyan being elected Prime Minister of Armenia.

As a result of the clashes during these demonstrations, 46 peopleincluding Pashinyanwere injured, and police detained several dozen people, including minors.

In addition, a criminal case has been filed into the protesters bursting into the Public Radio of Armenia building and regarding an incident that occurred at an intersection in downtown Yerevan.

Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan was elected Prime Minister at Tuesdays NA special session, and by a vote of 77 for and 18 against.
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FM: Artsakh ready to negotiate with Azerbaijan on equal footing

934 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia

Artsakh President has new Chief Adviser

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Grape harvest in Artsakh's Amaras valley carried out with interruptions due to Azerbaijan provocations

Newspaper: Reporting, providing fake, false information to Armenia parliament inquiry committees to be criminalized?
Scientist Nerses Krik Krikorian, Armenian by origin, who was one among developers of US nuclear program, died at the age of 97 Wednesday at his home in Los Alamos, AP reported.

Krikorian was born on a Turkish roadside in 1921. His parents were fleeing Armenian Genocide. They spent the next four years moving from country to country with nothing but the clothes on their backs, trying to find a permanent home.

They finally found refuge in Canada. When Krikorian was 4 years old, they moved to the United States, settling in Niagara Falls, where his father became a factory worker and his mom a homemaker, according to The Los Alamos Monitor.

He graduated from college with a bachelors degree in chemistry and began a job at Union Carbide, working in a lab that made highly enriched uranium.

It was 1943 and, unbeknownst to him, Krikorian was knee-deep in the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos.

When the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Krikorian knew then what hed been working on. I thought, Well, the war is going to end, he said. And I hope we never have to use it again for any reason.

The move to Los Alamos proved to be a good one. Its where he met his wife, Katherine Pat Patterson, who came to Los Alamos in 1943 to work on the Manhattan Project.

In the 1970s, Krikorian started working for the US intelligence. Krikorian still marvels at the fact that he, who arrived in the United States as a boy with papers that labeled him as stateless, could be in charge of security for a US intelligence unit.

Krikorians selection for the intelligence unit was also no doubt spurred by the fact that he spoke fluent Armenian and some Russian. When he was a child, his parents forced him to not only learn to speak and write Armenian, but to understand the countrys history, culture, and literature.
Direct U.S. assistance to care for Artsakhs (Nagorno Karabakh) most vulnerable citizens and the completion of lifesaving de-mining efforts were the main focus of foreign aid discussions with State Department and USAID officials and key Senate and House appropriators this week, as the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and public health leaders worked to build upon two decades of direct U.S. aid to the region.

We continue to articulate the case for continued U.S. aid to Artsakh - a vital American investment in peace that has remained under relentless attack by Azerbaijan since it was first launched with ANCA backing in the Fiscal Year 1998 foreign aid bill, said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian, who was joined by internationally respected public health expert Dr. Alina Dorian, ANCA Eastern Region Chairman Steve Mesrobian, and ANCA Western Region advocate Leonard Manoukian for several days of meetings with Administration and Congressional leaders this week.

In addition to U.S. foreign aid priorities, the delegation discussed expanding trade initiatives, Armenian Genocide remembrance, the situation in Armenia, and a broad array of ANCA foreign policy priorities.

We are - with sufficient Congressional funding for the HALO Trust - within clear reach of a mine-free Artsakh and are, today, well positioned to meaningfully expand Artsakh's regional rehabilitation services for the most vulnerable - children, adults, and the elderly with disabilities. The substance and the symbolism of America's life-saving assistance to Artsakh represents an investment in peace, one that we will not allow Baku to block, said Hamparian.

In testimony submitted to the Senate and House Appropriations Committees earlier this year, the ANCA called for $10 million in U.S. assistance to Artsakh, including $6 million for ongoing de-mining and rehabilitation efforts and $4 million to implement Royce-Engel proposals to strengthen regional peace.
WASHINGTONOne hundred and two U.S. Representatives  including the Chairmen of the House Foreign Affairs and Intelligence Committeeshave called on President Donald Trump to reject Turkeys gag-rule by honestly and accurately commemorating the Armenian Genocide this April 24, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Its time to end Americas Turkey First approach to the Armenian Genocide, said Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the ANCA. Erdogans traditional apologists have abandoned himand rightfully so. Devoid of allies across the American political landscapefrom left to right, hawk to dovehes turning to the White House as his last line of defense against the truth. The choice rests with President Trump, to put America first or to enforce a foreign gag rule.

The letter to President Trump, led by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), David Trott (R-Mich.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.) as well as Vice-Chairs Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) explained that: The Armenian Genocide continues to stand as an important reminder that crimes against humanity must not go without recognition and condemnation. Through recognition of the Armenian Genocide, we pay tribute to the perseverance and determination of those who survived, as well as to the Americans of Armenian descent who continue to strengthen our country to this day. It is our duty to honor those contributions with an honest statement of history recognizing the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians as the 20th centurys first genocide. By commemorating the Armenian Genocide, we renew our commitment to prevent future atrocities. They closed by asking that the President: Appropriately mark April 24th as a day of American remembrance of the Armenian Genocide.
Home | Latest Addition | Breaking: 30 people feared dead as gunmen attack 2 communities in Zamfara

Suspected gunmen have again killed about 30 people in Kabaro and Danmani villages in Maru local government area of Zamfara state.

An eye witness, Mr Shuaibu Kabaro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maru that the suspected gunmen attacked the two communities and the incident was immediately reported to the security agents.

He said three of the bandits were arrested by security agents following the prompt report of the incident to the security personnel.

Shuaibu said, the gunmen in turn went and mobilized more gangs and returned in multitude to carry out the attack which left about 30 dead and many others injured in the two communities.

The Maru local government council chairman, Alhaji Salisu Dangulbi and the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu both confirmed the killings.

READ ALSO: Another Nigerian gets top UN appointment

According to them, many of the villagers deserted their homes for fear of further attacks which now characterized the mode of operations of the gunmen.

The duo said, with the presence of security personnel now in the area however, many of the villagers had returned home.

The PPRO further explained that units of mobile police working with the military and other security agents were immediately mobilized to the affected areas and that peace and normalcy had been restored.

The police spokesman however said that the actual number of those killed was still being worked on and until this is done, l cannot give you actual figure at the moment.

NAIJ.com had earlier reported that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai on Friday, April 20, said the Nigerian Army would commence Operation LAST HOLD in northern Borno and parts of Lake Chad Basin to complete the decimation of the Boko Haram terrorists.

NAIJ.com gathered that Buratai who was represented by Major General David D Ahmadu, the chief of training and operations at a press briefing at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, said the operation would commence on the May 1 and end by August 31.

Benue IDPs: Education amidst crisis | NAIJ.com TV:

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Home | Latest Addition | Randy professors and the rest of us

By Muyiwa Adetiba

Both the mainstream and social media have been full of condemnationsand rightly so for the randy Professor who wanted to knackforgive my vulgaritya girl young enough to be his grand-daughter five times before he could raise her marks from 33 to 40 a rough translation of one round per mark with two bonus marks that would probably be contingent on satisfactory performance. I shudder and develop goose pimples as I think of my two daughters and what they would have had to do to graduate had they studied in Nigeria and their cousins, my nieces, who actually studied here. How many rounds did my nieces have to endure before they were allowed to graduate? Were they groped and defiled on the Professors well-worn couches or in some slimy, short term rooms across the hostels? Did they barter the number of rounds like some cheap whore the way the girl in the audio did or bantered with their lecherous adversaries, again like the girl, to reduce the gravity of the transaction? (How can anyone reduce the gravity of the act?) How scarredpermanently or otherwiseare the likes of my nieces by their experiences in the hands of lecturers who take more than they give, by the university system which looks the other way, perhaps out of complicity and by the society which plays the ostrich only to complain about the quality of our graduates.

It is one thing to choose to date your lecturer or prefer a father figure as your lovereven herethe lecturers should exercise maturity and restraint and try to discourage the infatuation of youth. It is another thing to be compelled or blackmailed into doing it. The ripple effects go far beyond the one, two, or five rounds to the psyche of the victim, her future relationships, and the values of the society at large. We have all heard of stories of these randy Professors and their low moral values. But the lowest of the low was the story of a Professor who slept withI refuse to use the word datea young girl for two years and still failed her. His reason to his fellow conspirators was that she was too sweet to be allowed to just go like that. And the callous, complicit old men, who must have daughters and daughters in-law of their own, simply laughed.

i,

I have heard comments from those who should know better, that many of the girls involved are willing victims because they are the ones who do not take their studies seriously and yet want to graduate. Some beg for it by the way they dress and interact with lecturers. Even if true, this simply doesnt tell the whole story. There are lecturers who, emboldened by the powers of their office, feel it is their duty to rouse the fire within the most detached and introverted student, or humiliate someone they feel is arrogant or self-confident or ravish anyone whose beauty intoxicates them. In any case, it their duty as teachers to fail any student who refuses to study. It is the only way to maintain the standard and quality of their profession and institution. Sex for marks is at best, a form of bribe. At the worst, it is a form of blackmail; of rape. Both are crimes.

As indignant as we all are about the repugnant activities of our randy professors in our citadels of knowledgethese activities are more rampant in state and federal universities across the country than we thinkthere is a thread connecting them to the larger society. Those of us acting in self-righteous anger should reflect on the exchange between King David and Prophet Nathan in the Bible. Nathan told David of a rich man who had a large herd of cattle but chose to kill the only lamb of a poor man to entertain his guest. David was understandably angry and vowed that the rich man, whoever he is, must die. He was mortified when told he was that rich man. He had left his harem to pick the only wife of a poor soldier. So, as we point one accusing finger, three are pointing at us. The personnel manager who demands sex to shortlist desperate job applicants; the manager who demands sex to advance the career of his staff undeservedly; the chief executive who samples every female staff at will; the procurement manager who uses sex for contracts; the governor who picks whoever tickles his fancy in the civil service; the policeman who sleeps with awaiting trial offenders; the master who sleeps with the house maid; they, like King David and the randy Professors, have abused their positions. The common thread running through all of them is this sense of entitlement. They see females who work under them, who are dependent on them as fringe benefits. The feelings of those women are immaterial. The status of those womenyoung, old, single or marriedis immaterial. The gradual erosion of their own values, self-worth and moral consciousness is immaterial. It is immaterial that they are violating an important law of decency and interpersonal relationships. Fortunately for them, we do not name and shame in Nigeria. And there is no due process that will lead to prosecution. So the sexual impunity continues, unabated, unrestrained.

What makes the case of our randy professors worse is that universities are supposed to be a beacon of light in a darkened world. They are supposed to push for a better society through research and knowledge. They are supposed to stand on a higher moral and intellectual ground. Ours have become a closed society of incest, licentiousness, corruption and debauchery. Professors are respected all over the world for their intellect, devotion to knowledge, and moral standing. He is at the acme of knowledge in his chosen field towering over other professionals. We have, by the quality and actions of these bad eggs, successfully dragged the word Professor to the mud in Nigeria.

If anybody thinks anything is going to come out of the OAU tape, they are mistaken. Sexual licentiousness has eaten very deep into our university system. There is a story of a PhD student who was kept in school for 18 good years because she refused to have sex with her supervisor. Nothing happened to the supervisor even when the lady in question almost ran mad. It is not limited to students or sex for marks alone. Junior lecturers are being denied or rewarded by older professors depending on how they co-operate sexually. As I write, at least two sexual harassment cases are being swept under the carpet in UNILAG. It is a case of he who is without sin among the professors, let him cast the first stone. Sad.

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Home | Latest Addition | Presidency reacts to Zahra Buharis Facebook post insulting Nigerians

The post, which has since gone viral, was published on April 17, and reads:

Children of God, here is a 75 years old man walking in the snow without Cardigan just to rescue the battered economic status of Nigeria and some of you senseless people feel he travels too much as if he travels for partying or merry making?

God bless Nigeria

Please share

However, the Presidency has vehemently denied any connection with the post.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in a statement, described the person(s) behind the page and post as merchants of mischief.

The statement reads:

Merchants of mischief have taken their antics against the first family further by creating a fake Facebook account in the name of Zahra, President Muhammadu Buharis daughter.

The fake account, conspicuously different from the authentic one, was used to post a message on April 17, 2018, at 9.07 a.m.

A picture of President Buhari, with snowflakes all over him, and being welcomed to a foreign country was used, alongside this message:

Children of God, here is a 75 years old man walking in the snow without cardigan just to rescue the battered economic status of Nigeria and some of you senseless people feel he travels too much, as if he travels for partying or merry making.

God bless Nigeria. Please share

The Presidency hereby repudiates the Facebook account, as it does not belong to Zahra. Members of the public are urged to be wary, and see through the intentions of those behind the fakery. They seek to attract odium to the first family, and also do not mean well for our country.

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Home | News | General | Presidency raises alarm over fake Facebook account in Zahra Buharis name

Abuja  The Presidency on Friday in Abuja raised alarm over fake Facebook account in the name of Zahra, President Muhammadu Buharis daughter.

Zahra Buhari

The Presidencys concern is in a statement by Mr Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

He stated that merchants of mischief have taken their antics against the first family further by creating a fake Facebook account in the name of Zahra, President Muhammadu Buharis daughter.

He said the fake account, conspicuously different from the authentic one, was used to post a message on April 17, at 9.07 a.m.

The presidential aide revealed that a picture of President Buhari with snowflakes all over him, and being welcomed to a foreign country was used, alongside this message: children of God, here is a 75-year-old man walking in snow without cardigan just to rescue the battered economic status of Nigeria and some of you senseless people feel he travels too much, as if he travels for partying or merry making.

God bless Nigeria. Please share

Adesina, therefore, repudiated the Facebook account, saying it did not belong to Zahra and urged members of the public to be wary, and see through the intentions of those behind it.

He added that those behind the fake account sought to attract odium to the first family, and did not mean well for the country. (NAN)

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Home | News | General | Why your legislator is a mace snatcher

By Emmanuel Aziken

Last Wednesdays mace snatching incident is the first recorded event of such in either of the two chambers of the National Assembly. However, similar incidents of mace snatching are not strange to State Houses of Assembly where political theatrics sometimes turn to physical exchange of blows by legislators.

Since Mr. Ebubedike representing Badagry East put his name in history when he snatched the mace of the Western House of Assembly in 1965, aggrieved legislators have seen it as a last resort to disrupt legislative proceedings when they are on the losing side.

Thugs going with the Mace Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, secretary of the Parliamentary Support Group for Buhari was surely on the losers side among his colleagues as at last Wednesday when thugs accompanied him into the Senate chambers to rain mayhem on the institution of the legislative house.

If emerging details is anything to go by, what happened in the Senate chambers last Wednesday may have been the first decisive plan to uproot the Senator Bukola Saraki leadership. It was just by happenstance that the three senators: Dino Melaye, Enyinnanya Abaribe and Obinna Ogba who the dissenters expected to fight back and provoke the expected pandemonium were not available at the time of the incident.

By going for the mace, the invaders aimed to delegitimise further proceedings of the Senate given the fact that the mace is the symbol of authority of the legislative house. However, they perhaps did not bargain for the fact that the Senate had a spare mace.

This revelation that the Senate has a spare mace is eliciting questions from some folks who question why the Senate should have two symbols of authority. Even if a spare mace was procured for such a circumstance as this, does it not by that fact undermine the authority of the mace?

As the senators get ready to sit, the Serjeant-at-Arms leads the procession which commences from the office of the Senate President into the chamber. The Senate President, his deputy and other principal officers of the Senate follow in a single procession. There is a measured distance between the Serjeant-at-Arms bearing the mace on his shoulder and the Senate President or whosever is going to preside. As he goes in measured steps, the Serjeant-at-Arms shouts Mr. President and every one on the way is expected to give way. In the House where the practise is essentially the same, the Serjeant-at-Arms shouts Mr. Speaker!

As he arrives the chamber, the Serjeant-at-Arms places the mace on a special hook that is attached to the table. It must be raised up.

When the Senate goes into a committee of the whole or temporarily stands down from plenary, the mace is brought down from its raised platform indicating that the Senate is not in plenary session. When it is brought down, the Senate President or whosever is standing in for him is no longer addressed as Mr. President, but rather, as Mr. Chairman.

At the end of the session and when the Senate adjourns to another legislative day, the Serjeant-at-Arms again picks up the mace and leads the procession with the presiding officer in front back to the office of the Senate President.

There is now a controversy over the custody of the mace. It had been suggested that the Serjeant-at-Arms being the chief security officer should bear custody of the mace. However, Senator Chuba Okadigbo apparently changed that narrative when he personally took custody of the mace at the height of the insurrection against him in July 2000. His opponents in the Senate had to fabricate another mace with which they aimed to summon the Senate in the face of Okadigbos refusal to do so. Whether it was that mace that the Senate resorted to after the invaders went away with the one on the table last Wednesday or not is no longer an issue for many. What would have been an issue was if they sat without a mace, the instrument of authority of the legislative house.

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Home | News | General | Mace stealing a blessing in disguise  Senator Ibrahim

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

Abuja  The Senator representing Katsina South Senatorial District, Abu Ibrahim has said that there is no provision for the suspension of serving senators in the laws guiding the operation of the upper legislative chamber.

. Deputy Senate President Ike Ekeremadu (R) led by the Sergeant at Arms carrying a new Mace after plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday (18/4/18). The old Mace was cart away by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by suspended Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege on Wednesday.

Senator Ibrahim also said that the recent crisis in the senate that led to the invasion of the senate plenary by suspected thugs and the stealing of the mace which is the symbol of authority of the parliament appeared to be a blessing in disguise as it afforded members the opportunity during the execution session to look at the security situation of the entire national assembly as well as the reason for the embarrassing action.

Speaking to State House correspondents after the weekly Jumaat service at the State House mosque, Abuja, Senator Ibrahim also revealed that the President Muhammadu Buhari Support Group will be inaugurating its offices in Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States on Monday to kick-start the re-election process.

Fielding question on the ugly incident in the senate where some suspected thugs invaded the chamber during plenary and made away with the mace, Senator Abu said, Well I would like to take this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly is still one and stabilized. Obviously, what has happened calls for concern to every Nigerian. But at the same time, we have to accept that in Nigeria and all over the world, politics sometimes can create a situation of this nature.

This has actually given us two opportunities, one, to look at the security of the National Assembly itself. In fact, the Nigerian National Assembly is the most unsecured place I have seen in my life everywhere I have gone around the world. Every National Assembly has good security, you cannot just go in, you cannot just access officers but the case is different here.

If you go to our offices in the National Assembly here, like in my office yesterday, there were over sixty people waiting who I did not have appointment with. So, this has influenced us to sit down and critically examined the security at the National Assembly itself.

Secondly, we sat in an executive session as senators and asked ourselves pertinent questions of what happened and why. We actually told ourselves the truth and even looked at what led to this. We came out with the promise that everyone of us will support and abide by the provisions of the constitution, our rules in the National Assembly and obviously, we sort of accepted that we are all Senators, elected by our people and with the same rights and privileges. This is therefore the benefit of the crisis which happened two days ago, if I can call it so.

So, I still assure Nigerians that the National Assembly has come out of this crisis better, much more united and much more focused.

On whether the senate will sanction culprits identified in the disappearance of the mace, he said, You know that this thing has gone out of our hands and is with the security. Therefore, we cannot be creating more problems for ourselves. We have to know who did what and what are the reasons for doing these things? So, we need to have a report.

I think the IGP and the DG DSS may have to come and brief the National Assembly on what happened. We have cautioned ourselves too because some people feel, they even quoted the Court cases that no National Assembly has power to suspend any member. So, we have to look at these areas very thoroughly before we take another action and we have to get the report from the security agencies.

On whether the senate has the right to suspend any erring member, Senator Ibrahim said, There are provisions for punitive measures and I looked at it, there was no specific area where it was agreed that we can suspend ourselves.

He said that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, will come out of its forthcoming congresses stronger.

He said, Of course, we had little hiccups when the party handles the extension but we looked at the laws, the constitution and rationality took over and it was directed that the NEC should arrange for elected congresses. Already, they have appointed a national convention committee that will steer the congresses so, obviously, we are on the right track.

APC is a political party and a political party is based on elections. We formed the APC just about one year before elections. We were able to merge three major parties into APC and we were able to hold congresses and got leadership. So, I cant see us not being able to hold congresses. I am sure, we will hold it and come out stronger.

Also speaking on the rumored plan by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, to join forces with other political parties against the APC in the 2019 elections, the senator said, PDP has already indicated and they know that they cannot defeat us. As far as I am concerned, there is no more party outside PDP, APC. All of them are mini, mini, one member parliamentarian parties. How big are they?

He said that the Buhari Support Group will be opening its state chapter offices in Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states on Monday and also launch its buses for campaigns.

On the banning of the group in the senate, Senator Abu said, We are not banned, but we sat and agreed that an association must have a limit.

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By Francis Ewherido

Before we got married, I agreed with my wife on the number of children we would have. It was a decision we had to make to avoid disagreement in future. Surprisingly, I never asked myself why I wanted children in the first place. It was just the usual mindset that marriage should necessarily bring forth children. That is why childlessness is still a very big issue in this part of the world. How many of us who are married sat down to articulate why we wanted children and how many of those preparing for marriage have done so?

It looks superfluous or even stupid, but answering such a stupid question can give you clarity of purpose. Our grandparents had large families to enable them have a large workforce; some people have children so that they would have people to take care of them in old age. For some, children are simply a source of livelihood in old age. Some others have children to perpetuate their lineage. Such people are ready to give birth to one million children if they all turn out to be females until they get the almighty male child. Some have children to have people to bequeath the family wealth to. There are also those who are having children because others are having. They do not really know what they want.

Whatever your reasons are, bringing up children is a tough job. First, the mother has to carry the pregnancy for nine months, plus, minus two weeks. Then a painful child birth follows. Then you start nursing the baby. For the next 20 years or more, you will feed, clothe, house, educate and make provisions for the childs other needs. It is a life of enormous sacrifice, selflessness and love to children who at some points will be at loggerhead with you, disobey you and sometimes do not seem to appreciate your efforts. But you are consoled that your sacrifices are only for a while; at the end of the day, children leave their parents homes and move on to live independent lives.

But it is not so with some children. A few weeks ago, I took one of my children to the clinic to stitch him up after doing one of the stupid acts children are prone to do. As I sat down, I noticed a child with cerebral palsy with tubes in his mouth and nostrils on a wheelchair. His case is particularly bad and unless, a major miracle happens, this child will spend his lifetime on the wheelchair. He will never be able to able to feed himself, do his laundry, or live independently. From childrens diapers, he will graduate to adult diapers. He was brought by caregivers from a Cerebral Palsy Centre. The parents probably abandoned him when they found out about his condition. They probably did not want to contend with endless visits to the hospital, frequent sessions with therapists and 24/7 attention such children need.

But there are parents who have refused to surrender their flesh and blood. I have not seen families where such totally-dependent children are being lovingly taken care of by their parents and siblings. Some of these parents knew right from when some of these children were very young that they would never grow up to be independent and still hung on to them instead of abandoning them or quietly snuffing life out of them. Over time, these children, like all human beings, grow bigger in size and into adulthood. Carrying them from the bed, giving them their bath, putting them on their wheelchair and putting them on a toilet seat or bowl are huge tasks due to their weight, but their parents and families continue to do these tasks.

And this is happening in a society that scarcely has the weak and disabled in mind when planning. There are people who suffered temporary disability and found out they could not even function in the houses that they used their own hands to build. They could not come out of the house unless they were lifted by others because there was nowhere to roll a wheelchair through. Many public buildings are still inaccessible to people on wheelchair. Many years ago, a friend came back to Nigeria on a wheelchair. At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, there was no lift to bring him down to the arrival hall. The escalator, where they could have supported him to stand and get down to the arrival hall, was not functioning. They had to manually carry him and his wheelchair down.

A few years ago, a friend came down to Nigeria after sojourn abroad. The building where his company office was located was not accessible to people on wheelchair. Meanwhile, the company rendered services to all and sundry. He felt it was discriminatory and built a ramp. Some colleagues laughed at him, some felt he was suffering from colonial mentality, while others were angry with him for wasting companys money.

It is in this same uncaring society that some parents have decided to hang on to children who will not be able to take care of them in old age, children who will not be able to procreate and perpetuate family lineage, children who will not conquer the world and put the family name on the global map. They do it without expecting any reward in return. Beyond biological parents are caregivers who have devoted their lives to these children. Where their parents rejected them, the care givers have become the childrens parents; where their parents refused them refuge, they have provided them homes and where the parents refused them what we all cherish, love, these caregivers have lavished it on them.

I was just amazed at the tenderness and love with which this woman carried and handled another persons child who will probably never to able to mutter thank you not to talk of paying her back in future for her good deeds. If these caregivers were working in orphanages where children without challenges are raised, maybe someday, some of them will become very successful and come back to say thank you, but not these cerebral palsy cases.

There are no words to describe this extraordinary sacrifice, selfless service and unconditional love. I am blown away.

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Home | News | General | Young man becomes internet sensation after helping a disabled girl achieve her dream of seeing a waterfall (photos)

- Kindness is like a spark from a match that creates a forest fire and sometimes even a friendly smile can save life

- In the spirit of kindness, a Kenyan Wildlife Service ranger took it upon himself to carry a disabled girl to the top of Aberdare ranges to view the waterfall

- She had been left behind by her attendants and teachers as they could not carry her uphill

One thing people overlook far too much is the simple yet effective act of kindness by men in uniform. In this cold world overtaken by selfishness and greed is a desperate need for those little acts of care by such men.

That cannot have been captured better than a Kenya Wildlife Service ranger who was seen taking the Utumishi kwa Wote mantra in pride and stride.

In a Facebook post by Anyama wa Anyama, the ranger shows compassion to a disabled secondary school student, and he turned her day completely around.

In this cold new world overtaken by selfishness and greed is a desperate need for these little acts of care by men in uniform. Photo: Anyama wa Anyama/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Proud mama! Office cleaner smiles from ear to ear as son gets employed for a job (photo)

Philip Wesa offered to carry Deborah Nyaboke on his back to the top of Aberdare ranges in order for her to view Chania Falls.

He said: "KWS Ranger Philip Wesa is one service man among many. He sacrificed to carry a disabled Deborah Nyaboke on his back in a hilly Aberdare National park in effort to make her view the Chania Falls."

Deborah, with her fellow students and teachers from Joyland special school in Kisumu were on a tour of the ranges, when she was left in the school van because she could not climb the hill on her own.

"Nyaboke had been left in the vehicle by her teachers and attendants as they ascended the Aberdare since she couldn't climb on her own and only left to receive the information from her colleagues," Anyama added.

Wesa touched, decided to go back to the vehicle, clutched his gun then hoisted the poor Deborah on his back. Photo: Anyama Wa Anyama/ Facebook

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Wesa touched, decided to go back to the vehicle, clutched his gun then hoisted the poor Deborah on his back.

He ensured she joined her colleagues at the park and her dream was realized.

What a man!

I have never had to look for a job in my life | Faces of Nigeria - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Culture shock: White men on visit to Ooni seen sitting as others kneel down to greet monarch (photo)

- A photo of some foreigners has caused debate on media space

- The foreigners visited the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi's palace with their Nigerian counterparts

- But while their counterparts knelt down in front of the Oba, the white men were sitting down

A photo of white men who were led by some Nigeria representing brands on a courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusis palace, has gone viral on media space.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi while playing host to a delegation of foreigners led by their Nigerian counterparts in his palace

The quizzing thing about the photo was that the foreigners refused to bend the knee even as it was quite evident that their Nigerian counterparts were on both knees.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has reiterated his commitment to the well being of orphans and less privileged in this country by ensuring they do not lag behind in the society as he released the date for this year's GiveBack Concert which is aimed at raising funds to cater for the needs of the orphans and less privileged people in the country.

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi while playing host to a delegation of foreigners led by their Nigerian counterparts in his palace

This was made known in his palace when he received the project ambassador; Cobham's Asuquo, a physically impaired entertainer who has made it through life despite his physical challenge.

He was assisted by people who saw the best in him and took care of his every needs, ensuring his talent didn't go to waste.

There is light at the end of the tunnel - Ooni of Ife - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Murder, gun-running charges: Are Melaye and Sani really being framed; who will speak up? by Buchi Obichie (Opinion)

Editors note: The writer, Buchi Obichie, puts the spotlight on the recent murder and gun-running charges leveled against Senators Dino Melaye and Shehu Sani, and questions if they are being set up. She points out that citizens have a duty to dig deep and ask important questions, because they may be the ones facing the same problems tomorrow.

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for meand there was no one left to speak for me.

Those are the evergreen words of Martin Niemoller, the prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler.

Niemoller believed that Germans  and Protestant leaders in particular  by their silence, had been complicit in the imprisonment, persecution, and murder of millions of people by the Nazis.

READ ALSO: 2019: How Buhari should handle defeat by Buchi Obichie (Opinion)

A senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ben Murray-Bruce, has been having something of a Niemoller moment in recent times.

In light of the recent charge of alleged conspiracy to murder leveled against Senator Shehu Sani, Bruce stated on his Twitter handle: First @dino_melaye then @ShehuSani. Who is next? If I say I am not Dino, so I will keep quiet, or I am not Shehu so I should hold my peace, who will speak out when they come for me?

Who will speak when they come for you? There may be none left to speak then. Shehu is innocent!

Bruce was also making reference to the fact that just like his other colleague, Dino Melaye, who was alleged to be involved in gun-running, Sani had been ordered to appear at his states Police command headquarters after a suspect had allegedly identified him as a person of interest in a murder case.

Both men - Melaye and Sani  have consistently been outspoken critics of their respective state governments  Kogi and Kaduna  and the federal government; and the similarities between their recent travails with the law have not gone unnoticed.

The question many ponder upon now is this: Are Melaye and Sani being targeted because of their controversial stances?

Shehu Sani, in response to the charges, claimed that he was being framed by his political opponents in Kaduna state.

He stated: They want to frame me the same way they framed Senator Dino Melaye in Kogi on allegation of arming thugs.

On his part, Dino Melaye has alleged that his state governor is behind his travails.

And to make matters even more suspicious, Isah Garba, the Joint Task Force (JTF) commander accused of killing one Lawal Dona, disclosed that he was tortured to implicate Senator Sani!

So, could both men be telling the truth? Are they being set up? Frankly, it is quite incredulous to even imagine that a man like Sani would sully his hands by getting involved in a crime as heinous as murder.

The man has been a human rights campaigner and a champion for the causes of the masses for a very long time; and even spent time in jail for the struggle. So I do not imagine that he would get involved in such criminal activity!

I cannot speak with as much certainty for Dino Melaye; but I cannot also deny the fact that in his own eccentric and unorthodox way, the Kogi senator has raised some eye-popping allegations about his state government.

Is there really a plot to do-in both men? Are we witnessing before our eyes, the use of state might to silence them? Or are they really guilty of the crimes they are accused of committing? Are we supposed to speak out in support of both men or at the very least, ask pertinent questions and demand for critical proof? Or should we stay silent and let the parties involved attend to their own problems?

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The truth of the matter is that most of us do not know the facts of the matter; but I dare say that we have a duty to demand a credible and transparent investigation. We must also hold our leaders accountable and call out any semblance of an abuse of power. We have a duty to ask questions and demand answers.

Now, a man says he was coerced to implicate Sani; will his claims be looked into, or swept under the carpet? Will the same vigour used in ordering the senator to appear at the Police command be expended in fishing out the alleged agents who tortured Mr Garba to implicate Sani?

We may choose to stay silent because, afterall, we have our own problems; but like Senator Bruce and Martin Niemoller stated, tomorrow, it may be us. Who will fight for us, if - or when - we are being made to answer for crimes we say we did not commit?

This opinion piece was written by Buchi Obichie.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of NAIJ.com.

What does Nigeria need right now? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on NAIJ.com TV:

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Home | News | General | Attacks in Zamfara reportedly leaves 30 people dead

- Over 30 people are said to have died in Zamfara as a result of attack by gunmen

- Many of the villagers are also said to have deserted their homes for fear of further attacks

- The police spokesman however said that the actual number of those killed was still being worked on

Suspected gunmen have again killed about 30 people in Kabaro and Danmani villages in Maru local government area of Zamfara state.

An eye witness, Mr Shuaibu Kabaro, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maru that the suspected gunmen attacked the two communities and the incident was immediately reported to the security agents.

He said three of the bandits were arrested by security agents following the prompt report of the incident to the security personnel.

Shuaibu said, the gunmen in turn went and mobilized more gangs and returned in multitude to carry out the attack which left about 30 dead and many others injured in the two communities.

The Maru local government council chairman, Alhaji Salisu Dangulbi and the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Mohammed Shehu both confirmed the killings.

READ ALSO: Another Nigerian gets top UN appointment

According to them, many of the villagers deserted their homes for fear of further attacks which now characterized the mode of operations of the gunmen.

The duo said, with the presence of security personnel now in the area however, many of the villagers had returned home.

The PPRO further explained that units of mobile police working with the military and other security agents were immediately mobilized to the affected areas and that peace and normalcy had been restored.

The police spokesman however said that the actual number of those killed was still being worked on and until this is done, l cannot give you actual figure at the moment.

NAIJ.com had earlier reported that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai on Friday, April 20, said the Nigerian Army would commence Operation LAST HOLD in northern Borno and parts of Lake Chad Basin to complete the decimation of the Boko Haram terrorists.

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NAIJ.com gathered that Buratai who was represented by Major General David D Ahmadu, the chief of training and operations at a press briefing at the Army Headquarters, Abuja, said the operation would commence on the May 1 and end by August 31.

Benue IDPs: Education amidst crisis | NAIJ.com TV:

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Home | News | General | 2019: Buhari group to open campaign offices in Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River  Senator Ibrahim

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja

THE Senator representing Katsina South Senatorial District, Abu Ibrahim has said that there is no provision for the suspension of serving senators in the laws guiding the operation of the upper legislative chamber.

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari

Speaking to State House correspondents after the weekly jumaat service at the State House Mosque, Abuja, Senator Ibrahim also said that the Buhari Support Group would open its state chapter offices in Edo, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states on Monday and launch its buses for campaigns to kick-start the re-election process.

On the banning of the group in the senate, Senator Ibrahim said, We are not banned, but we sat and agreed that an association must have a limit.

He also said that the recent crisis in the senate that led to the invasion of the senate plenary by suspected thugs and the stealing of the mace, a symbol of authority of the parliament, appeared to be a blessing in disguise as it has now afforded members the opportunity to review the security situation of the entire National Assembly as well as the reason for the embarrassing action.

Fielding question on the ugly incident in the senate, Senator Ibrahim said, I would like to take this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the National Assembly is still one and stabilized. Obviously, what has happened calls for concern to every Nigerian. But at the same time, we have to accept that in Nigeria and all over the world, politics sometimes can create a situation of this nature.

This has actually given us two opportunities, one, to look at the security of the National Assembly itself. In fact, the Nigerian National Assembly is the most unsecured I have seen in my life in everywhere I have gone around the world. Every National Assembly has good security, you cannot just go in, you cannot just access officers but the case is different here.

If you go to our offices in the National Assembly here, like in my office yesterday, there were over sixty people waiting who I did not have appointment with.

So, this has influenced us to sit down and critically examined the security at the National Assembly itself.

Secondly, we sat in an executive session as senators and asked ourselves pertinent questions of what happened and why.

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Home | News | General | PDP calls Kogi Assembly to impeach Bello

By Boluwaji Obahopo

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has lamented the absence of Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello from the state without officially transmitting a letter to the State House of Assembly.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State

The party therefore called on the state House of Assembly to commence an impeachment process on the governor for absenteeism and dereliction of duties. Kogi State PDP Director of Research and Documentation, Achadu Dickson who stated this in a statement yesterday in Lokoja, said it was lamentable that since the fall of the governor at a market place in Lokoja a month ago, he had been absent from the state and his duties without any letter transmitted to the state Assembly.

The statement reads, For now the ship of governance in the state which lacked direction under Governor Bello, has on its own entered reverse gear, with unpaid salaries to workers who have been cleared since January, while some others had not been paid in the last twenty four months.

The absence of Governor Bello has opened up government activities to corruption and stealing, little wonder local government workers last week, since the beginning of the year, were only paid a paltry twenty percent of their January salary.

The hunger and poverty in the state, decayed infrastructure, which has led to deaths of citizens, owing to inept leadership and governance, under the Bellos APC is unprecedented. The state had never witnessed the worst of governance like it is experiencing.

We therefore call on the State House of Assembly to begin an impeachment process on the governor. The assembly, composed of representatives of the people, who are daily in the know of the current suffering of the people, and the governor having flouted the constitution; the House must do the needful, to fill the vacuum created by the governors sudden disappearance.

The PDP which described the unknown where about of the governor as worrisome, said the tax payers, who were citizens, whose money was used in servicing the governor, deserved to know the where about of the governor and how their resources were being used.

It called on APC led administration in the state to apologize for bringing untold hardship on the people, saying it has failed in governance.

The party however assured that it was poised to take over Lugard House soon

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Home | News | General | Marginalization: The Way Out For Indigbo  Hope Uzodimma

It was a religious gathering. A conference of Christian Mothers of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. The event was the 2018 Mothers Conference of the Orlu diocese of the Anglican Church. Naturally, it would be expected that everything about the conference would have to do with religious matters: How to become a better Christian, for instance. But not these mothers. They ventured into temporal matters with audacity. They invited Sen. Hope Uzodimma, Imo West to speak on no other topic than The Remedy for the continuous marginalization of the South East in project Nigeria.Expectedly, St Andrews Anglican Church Obinugwu, Orlu, venue of the Conference, was not only occupied by Christian Mothers, but by high ranking politicians as well. And Uzodimma did justice to the topic. He gave a spell binding clinical account of the history of Igbo marginalization from the 1996 coup to the present day before proceeding to proffer three unique ways out of the marginalization scourge.

His treatise x-rayed the agonising journey of Igbo marginalization from the abandoned property era to the $20 refund for every money in an Igbo mans bank account, after the Civil War and the criminal exclusion of Igboland from the citing of major federal projects. According to Uzodimma, the situation was different before the war. At the end of the First Republic, J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi was the first army general in Nigeria. Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu was the first university graduate to join the Nigerian Army. His father, Sir Louis Ojukwu, the first Nigerian millionaire, was the founder of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Igbos had a sizeable number of permanent secretaries in the Federal Civil Service. Most important perhaps, is that before the Biafra War, Igbos dominated commerce and industry in Nigeria.

In politics also, Igbos held sway; Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, an illustrious Igbo son practically defined politics in the country before and up till the day of independence. As leader of the NCNC, he had loyalists from across the country who practically worshipped him for his masterful political acumen and mesmerizing sagacity. Expectedly, he recorded many firsts: First Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, first Governor General and later, first President of Nigeria. In fact, but for an odious political conspiracy, the great Zik of Africa would have been the first Premier of the Western Region. In 1952, his party the NCNC, won majority of the seats in the Western Region and Zik as leader of the party was set to be sworn in as Premier, but for the infamous carpet crossing that took place on the floor of the parliament before the inauguration.

Senator Hope Uzodimma

He noted also that in the academia and technology, Igbos had an intimidating share of firsts. Kenneth Dike, the first black vice chancellor of the University of Ibadan, also the first Nigerian professor of history was an Igbo. Eni Njoku, the first vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos and first Nigerian professor of botany, as well as progenitor of the anti-cholera vaccine was an Igbo. Chike Obi, the man who solved Fermats last theorem and first Nigerian professor of mathematics was Igbo. The current Obi of Asaba, HRH Chike Edozien, was the first Nigerian professor of anatomy and physiology. In like manner, HRH Laz Ekwueme, the present Igwe of Oko in Anambra State, was Africas first professor of music.

Herbert Kodilinye was appointed a professor of medicine, Nigerias first, in 1952; James Nwoye Adichie, first Nigerian professor of statistics initiated research in non-parametric statistics that led to new areas in statistical research; GD Okafor who became a professor of philosophy at Amherst College in 1953 was the first Nigerian professor of philosophy; while Pius Okigbo the first Nigerian PhD in economics was a visiting scholar and professor of economics at the University of London.

The Senator Concluded that from these few examples, it was self-evident that Ndigbo had a firm grip of every sector in pre-civil war Nigeria. The implication therefore, is that it was the war indeed, and the defeat thereof, that brought about the marginalization of Ndigbo.

Uzodimma presented a very persuasive argument that the side-lining of Ndigbo in post-civil war policies, including the non-citing of major infrastructural projects in the Igbo homeland, point to the fact that their marginalisation is ongoing. He believes that there is impeccable evidence also from the statements credited to Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi and former governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, lamenting the fact that the presidency of Nigeria has eluded Igbos, since post war democracy, to support the position that the marginalization of Ndigbo has continued till date.

The climax of the matter he said is that the South East or Ndigbo is the only geopolitical zone with the least number of states: five, with the multiplier implications therein. All the others have six or seven. This is, of course, another facet of the marginalization agenda. The cost in practical terms to Ndigbo, is that the South East is denied one state governor, three senators, a minimum of ten seats in the House of Representatives. These would have been critical political stakeholders, who, if they had been in place would be lending their voices and weight to national discourse to promote the interests of the region. In essence, the political presence of Ndigbo in the political space has been deliberately dwarfed by this singular marginalization stroke.

Likewise, the national vocal presence of our people has been dimmed by this policy of exclusion. A combination of these two factors ensure that we remain politically malnourished in our beloved country.

On the economic side, the salaries and allowances due to these excluded public officers have denied Ndigbo the economic multiplier benefits that would have accrued to them. But more important however, is the loss of revenue allocation from the Federation Account, which a sixth state in the South East would have been entitled to. By simple calculation, this potential revenue loss calculated from 1999 alone, would run into trillions of naira. This would have helped, in no small way, in addressing the economic needs of our people.

So, yes, the woes from marginalization have continued to press Ndigbo down till date. This is a statement of fact. It now brings us to the main issue: How do we remedy the situation?

On remedy, he offered a three pronged approach to wit: (1) A Nigerian President of Igbo extraction in 2023 (2) The restructuring of Nigeria and (3) The advancement of technology and intellect for economic dominance.

Nigerian President of Igbo Extraction in 2023

This proposition is derived from the submissions of Sanusi and Musa. As we have already seen, both men are of the view that Igbos have not only been marginalized but deliberately and wickedly denied the Presidency of the country. Musa actually went a step further to suggest that in 2023 the presidency should be solely conceded to Igbos as it was done to the Yorubas in 1999. Taking it from there, I submit that Igbos should produce the President of Nigeria in 2023. Conceding the Presidency to Igbos should be seen for what it is: the extension of a hand of consolation from the rest of Nigeria for all the deprivations they have been visited with since the end of the civil war. A Nigerian President of Igbo extraction will no doubt go a long way in assuaging the battered collective psyche of Ndigbo who have felt unwanted in project Nigeria since the end of the civil war. It will equally revamp their sagging self- esteem and provide the much needed sense of belonging in Nigeria.

Incidentally we, Igbos, can and should facilitate the actualization of this desire in the course of the 2019 elections. How can we do this? Simple. By supporting any northern candidate who will not seek re-election in 2023. We should also reach an agreement with such a candidate that he will support the emergence of an Igbo for the Presidency of Nigeria in 2023. Our argument for this deal should be anchored on this rotational logic. The Presidency has come to the South twice, and the South-west had it through Obasanjo while the South-south had it through Goodluck Jonathan. The North has also had the Presidency twice through Umaru Musa YarAdua and now Muhammadu Buhari. The Norths second take on the Presidency will end in 2023 and the Presidency will return to the South. When it does, it should naturally come to the South-east who have never had a bite at it.

However, we cannot achieve this by sitting supine. We must be proactive by coming out in the arena to canvass this position and by supporting a Northern candidate who will not re-contest election in 2023. If we collectively resolve to achieve this, I am very certain that we can.

Restructuring of the Federal Project (Nigeria)

For just one moment, let us ask ourselves this pertinent question, why did Ndigbo do so well in Nigeria before the outbreak of the civil war? The answer ought to be obvious  Nigeria had a true federal structure that provided a level playing field for individual and collective talents to flourish. That is all that Ndigbo need to fulfill their God given destiny, a true federal structure that ensures equity for all. That is also what we mean by restructuring. In essence, we should champion the need for the restructuring of Nigeria, a return to the pre-independent and first republic structure upon which our federal project was rested. We should work relentlessly to actualize the return to the Nigeria that our founding fathers, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Tafawa Balewa, Dennis Osadebe, etc, agreed to; a Nigeria where power is devolved to the Regions as the true federating units. A restructured Nigeria will guarantee the South East the sixth State it deserves. It will ensure that Ndigbo have a level playing field in Nigeria to take their destiny in their hands. It will naturally and logically end marginalization in any form. We should push for it until it is actualized. In doing this, we must rise with a strong voice to condemn any separatist clamour. We must let our people know that what we need is a balanced federal Republic which guarantees equity to all, not Biafra.

The Advancement of Technology and Intellect for Economic Dominance.

The third proposition is no less important. As we have seen, before the war, Igbos dominated the academia and technology in Nigeria. We recorded many firsts in many intellectual fields including technology. In the present world where technology defines progress with its attendant leadership status, we should reenact these pre-war feats and use them to dominate the economy of Nigeria.

The good news here is that after what happened during the period I refer to as the dark ages of Ndigbo, that is, the post- civil war era, light appears to be slowly but steadily reappearing in the horizon.

The continuing stories of industrial and technological breakthroughs in Nnewi, Onitsha, Aba and Enugu, all point to a resurgence of the Igbo intellectual and technological prowess. I find it reassuring that Innoson Motors, the first indigenous fully localized motor assembly plant in Africa is the brain child of an Igbo, Zinox Computers, the first indigenous computer assembly in Nigeria is yet another product of an Igbo. Recently, a young technician in Onitsha displayed an electric plant that can be powered by water instead of petrol or gas, to illuminate an electric bulb. That same Igbo lad invented how to recycle used plastics and polythene into fuel, that is petrol, disel and kerosene. Yes, a renaissance of the Igbo spirit of rare technological aptitude is on. The Aba textiles and foot wear industrial revolution and the Nnewi automobile assembly wonder, all point to this direction.

In the intellectual sphere, the Igbos have equally woken from sleep. As at 2014, the records at the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) show that Imo State has the highest number of professors in Nigeria. The records for the other States in the South East are no less impressive.

Also in 2023, 2014, and 2015, Anambra State topped the rest of the country in WAEC examinations. In 2016 Abia State was the best. More cheering news is that the five South East States have remained among the top seven best States in the country in the last six (6) years. I am very proud of these records and I am sure you are too. Yes, because it assures us that all hopes are not lost.

The truth is that if we continue with these giant strides in the areas of science, academia and technological inventions, it will not be long for us to dominate the economic landscape of our country. Again we must take action to make this happen. My well-considered view is that the political leadership of Ndigbo should put together a Board of Trustees(BOT) for the promotion of science and technology in the Igbo homeland. This can be achieved by galvanizing all Igbos in different fields to come and launch a trust fund for this purpose. The Board of Trustees will manage this fund and annual contributions to the fund shall be mandatory for all Igbo public officers, Corporate persons and organizations. Contributions by other individuals or businesses can be worked out to be either mandatory or voluntary.

The fund will be used to finance the mass production of technological inventions by Igbos such as the one by the Onitsha lad, which we have alluded to. The fund will also be deployed for technological research by our University professors and others.

The availability of this fund will greatly encourage talented individuals to come up with inventions and stimulate more technological research work.

If this is done, it will be only a matter of time for Igbos to flood the economy with new products which their willing brothers and sisters in the distributive trade will be too glad to market. The effect of this is that Ndigbo will take their economic destiny in their hands, and will over a short time, control the economy of the nation. As we know with economic power, political power can be bent.

So what do all these come to? They amount to the profound reality that Ndigbo can control the economy of Nigeria and with economic power make political power amenable to their whims and desires. With political power forced to be Igbo friendly, marginalization will be a thing for the dustbin of history.

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Home | News | General | Buhari has disappointed us  Ex-militants

By Festus Ahon & Ochuko Akuopha, Asaba

EX-AGITATORS, under the aegis of National Assembly of Ex-militants, NAE, have frowned at the declaration of interest by President Muhammadu Buhari to run for second term in office, saying Nigerians could not afford another four years of poverty ridden administration.

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari

The group which claimed to have worked for Buhari in the 2015 elections, said it has withdrawn support for Buhari reiterating that the present administration had brought infectious poverty, abandoned the presidents supporters and was insincere in developing the Niger Delta region.

Acting National Coordinator of the group, Ibifuro Pureheart, said Buharis alleged pursuit of ethnic agenda had left Niger Delta youths poorer than he met them, whereas the president focused more on developing northern youths at the detriment of their counterparts in the Niger Delta region.

According to him, The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, was left in the hands of the members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to polarise the youths of the All Progressives Congress in the region. The President has shown enough disdain for those who worked for him while patronising his political enemies.

We cannot afford another four years of Buharis poverty ridden regime or else we would all die. The poverty being spread currently brings hopelessness and death upon fellow citizens. Even though the President had our support, we are now calling on the people of the region to chart a new course.

Buhari has disappointed us, we spent our fortunes to bring him to power, we invested our emotions yet, we have nothing to show for it. With our PVC, we are ready to sack him in 2019.

Power resides in the citizens and we shall sustain the campaign to boot Buhari out of office in 2019. Hes a huge failure and it is time to bring a more trustworthy leader on board.

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A special exercise codenamed Operation LAST HOLD, aimed at completely recapturing the northern Borno from remnant of Boko Haram and return displaced persons to their homes and farmlands, is set to be launched.

The Theatre Commander, Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas made this disclosure on Friday.

Nearly all 10 local government areas in northern Borno had been sacked by Boko Haram terrorists since late 2014, as thousands of people fled to Maiduguri, the state capital, for refuge.

We are conducting a special exercise called Operation LAST HOLD in northern Borno. It is to restore hope in the northern part of Borno, especially in Malam Fatori, Cross Kowa, Gulumbali and others. We are going to do clearance of the area and hold the area, be with the people.

Were going to follow the people to their farms, stay with them even on their farms, Nicholas told journalists at the Command Headquarters in Maiduguri while receiving seven repentant Boko Haram members, including Amri (leader) on Friday.

According to him, the Chief of Army Staff will soon flag off farming activities in northern Borno, with soldiers being directly involved.

He said that repentant Boko Harm members willingly decided to surrender themselves at Kumshe area. He called on others to follow.
Former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi has expressed his reservations about President Muhammadu Buharis speech where he described Nigerian youths as being lazy.

He rather said that the Nigerian youths were hardworking and among the best in the world.

Obi, who was at the 10th Anniversary celebration of Nnamdi Azikiwe radio station, UNIZIK 94.1FM, regreted that the performance of the youths were impeded by misrule of past governments.

He dismissed the impression of scarcity of jobs as defeatist, saying the first job before the youths was voting out bad governance.

Unemployment is as a result of accumulated bad leadership. There are jobs out there for you and the first job is to ensure good governance. That you can achieve by voicing out your opinion on national issues and questioning what is happening, he said.

He regretted the accumulated debt being owed by the country which he put to the tune of $70billion, saying that Nigeria would be in risk situation by 2025 if the ugly trend persisted.

It is unfortunate that a nation like China which was at par with Nigeria, has so much outgrown her, with her GDP rising from $10.5b to $3trillion.

The former governor referred to Nigeria as a failed state, with over 10million out of school children and 15m unemployed youths.

He, however, expressed hope that the nation can bounce back if the youths were provided the enabling environment to showcase their talents.

Earlier, the Zonal Director, National broadcasting commission, Mrs. Susan Obi, commended the management of the station for being objective in their reportage.

She said NBS had never had any cause to sanction the station for any violations as it had always complied with regulations since its establishment.

Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku who was also at the ocassion said the station had kept faith with the paradigms in the area of community broadcasting.

Within ten years of coming on air, a period during which the station should ordinarily be struggling to find its feet, it leaped into prominence rising head and shoulders above its peers.

It has attracted and retained vast listenership, especially among the youths, across many states, through the quality of its programmes in informing, educating and entertaining as veritable tool of mass communication, he said.

The Director of the station, Prof. Stella Okunna was full of appreciation to the guests and the School authority for being supportive to the project, pledging to continue to project the goal of its establishment.
President Muhammadu Buharis statement to British Prime Minister Theresa May in London on Monday that he was more concerned about security issues and the economy than his 2019 reelection bid generated uproar in Nigeria. This is because insecurity has not really been nipped in the bud.

Daily, cases of security challenges are reported in various parts of the country, making one to raise eyebrows over the presidents purported concern.

Few weeks ago, a former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Defense, Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma (rtd), at the maiden convocation of the Taraba State University Jalingo, stirred the hornets nest when he urged Nigerians to defend themselves and not to rely on the military as they collude with the armed bandits to kill people.

As the country moves closer to the 2019 general elections, there are security challenges the president needs to not just tackle but also bring to an end this year.

Boko Haram:

Though Boko Haram has actually been degraded, pockets of attacks still take place. In a new video on January 2, 2018, leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, denied claims that the group has been defeated.

Days earlier, the group attacked the Muna Garage area of Maiduguri killing 25 people, with pockets of other attacks around the North-East.

Besides, the sect also embarrassed the government with the abduction of 110 girls at the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State, on February 19. However, 104 of the girls were later released.

Besides, the talks between the Federal Government and Boko Haram on the release of the remaining abducted Chibok schoolgirls suffered setbacks. The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement a week ago, quoted President Buhari has saying the break-down of talks was due to lack of agreement among the girls abductors whose internal differences had led to divergent voices regarding the outcome of the negotiations. Some of the girls have been in captivity for four years.

Herder-farmer violence:

The problem of herders-farmers clashes has not abated since the killing of 73 people in Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue State on January 1, 2018. There have been consistent killings mostly in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states. The crises were aggravated mainly with the commencement of the anti-grazing law by the Benue State Government on November 1, 2017 stopping open cattle-grazing in the state. The crises spilled to other states, with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACRAN) saying they would resist the law.

The crises have not been fully checked even with the launch of a special military operation tagged Ayem Akpatuma. Fourteen people were recently killed with cattle rustled in renewed hostilities between herders and farmers in villages of Keana, Obi and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State.

In Benue State, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Joel Yamu, said four police officers were killed on April 15, 2018 in Logo Local Government Area when they came under attack. Besides, the Executive Secretary Benue State Teaching Service Board, Professor Wilfred Uji, said 300,000 children have been forced out of school due to herders-farmers crisis.

Kidnappings:

Just when it was thought that kidnappings across the country have reduced, the menace resurfaced. In fact, some kidnappers committed a sacrilege with the abduction of the twin children of Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun and demanded N100 million initially as ransom before it was reduced to N10 million. The twins (a boy and girl) were held for a week before they were released.

However, in Kano, kidnappers killed a policeman and abducted a German, Engineer Michael Cremza, who work for Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company.

Not long after that, kidnappers killed a Syrian businessman, Ahmed Abu Areeda and kidnapped his 14-year-old son, Muhammad, in Kano. The boy was however rescued days later.

The Syrian, who recently retired, has been in Nigeria for about 20 years.

In Kaduna State, the Chairman National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) of Birnin Gwari, Malam Audu Kano and six of his executive council members were abducted. They were travelling to Zamfara State for a wedding.

However, in Kebbi State, the police arrested four suspected kidnappers of a Fulani leader in the state and recovered N800, 000. The suspects had earlier kidnapped and collected N500, 000 from another victim.

The police in Lagos in February also arrested six kidnap suspects and recovered arms cache. They were alleged to be involved in kidnappings in the South-South and southeastern parts of the country.

In Katsina, the police commands spokesman, DSP Gambo Isah, said operatives arrested four kidnap suspects dressed as women trying to abduct a 4-year-old boy. He said they were nabbed with hijab and niqab.

The robbery of banks in Offa, Kwara State, commando-style on April 5 casts a dark chapter in the security of lives of citizens as 20 people were killed and many injured as bandits stroke financial houses in the town. Some of the victims were policemen on guard and bank officials.

However, few days later, the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said 20 suspects have been arrested in batches of 8 and 12.

Also, a week ago, 20 people were killed by bandits in Kuru-Kuru and Jarkuka villages in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Two weeks earlier, about 30 people were killed by bandits and cattle rustlers in Bawar Daji.

However, operatives of Operation Sharar Daji killed 21 armed bandits in a face-off at Tungar Daji in the same local government area. The bandits killed two officers in the process. Worried about the spate of killings, the state governor, Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar, had during a condolence visit to the Emir of Zamfara, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad, ordered security operatives to shoot at sight any kidnapper and person bearing illegal firearms.

But the army got the worst of bandits attack in March when 11 soldiers were killed at Kamfan in Doka along Funtua Road in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Some of the soldiers were on their first mission after their training.

Shiite problem:

Even as President Buhari was conferring with Prime Minister Theresa May in London, Abuja was unsettled as police and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) or Shiites clashed as they converged at the Unity Fountain in Maitama, to protest the continued incarceration of their leader, Sheikh Ibrahim Zakzaky, since December 2015.

When the clash subsided, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said 115 Shiite members were arrested in connection with the crisis. On the other hand, spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, in a statement said members of the group injured 22 policemen.

But, IMN spokesman, Ibrahim Musa, said the security personnel caused the commotion by firing at unarmed protesters which was collaborated in a statement by Director, Amnesty International in Nigeria, Dr Osai Ojigho, describing the police action as reckless.

However, the government has been doing all it can to check these challenges which are still prevalent. The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Yusuf Buratai at a demonstration to showcase the capability of the armed forces revealed that the mobile brigade concept was instrumental to defeating of Boko Haram.

Corroborating Buratais position, the Director of Defense Information, Brigadier-General John Agimat, at a press briefing said other operations have been launched apart from the Operation Lafiya Dole to fight the Boko Haram.

Furthermore, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, recently said the force has commenced works on additional two training schools in Maiduguri to improve the general security situation in the North-East.

On banditry, the IGP ordered commissioners to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms and ammunition in the country by mopping them up. He also ordered them to ensure that state governments do not establish militias and arm them with illegal weapons.
Home | News | General | 2019: Stakeholders protest as INEC introduces new polling units in northern Nigeria, say it's a rigging plan

- The leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) continues to face integrity problems

- The move by the commission to re-introduce new polling units has sparked outrage

- INEC is said to have perfected plans to call them Voting Point Settlements

A report by THISDAY indicates that the ghost of the creation of 30,000 new polling units in the run up to the 2015 elections has resurfaced, with the move by INEC to re-introduce new polling units, but this time disguised as Voting Point Settlements.

According to the report, should INEC adopt the format used in 2014 when it attempted to create precisely 30,062 new polling units, with more units allocated to the states in Northern Nigeria than the South, this could compromise the integrity of the 2019 elections.

Nigerians will return to the polls next year to elect new set of leaders.

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The initiative was let out of the bag last month when the former INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, congratulated the current chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, for among other achievements, what he called the review of the polling units, registration areas as part of the commissions significant, commendable progress made to sustain, deepen and defend the integrity of the Nigerian electoral process.

An internal memo on the introduction of Voting Point Settlements is said to have further revealed that it was targeted at re-introducing the controversial 30,000 polling units that were rejected by the public before the 2015 elections.

By bringing it up, Jega had brought to the fore the creation of the additional 30,000 polling units which he was said to be passionate about implementing in his time as INEC chairman and is now encouraging his successor to re-introduce under a new nomenclature.

The first time the introduction of new polling units was mooted in 2014, it was very controversial because many saw the allocation of polling units as skewed and not reflective of the registered voter demographics of the country.

Many had argued that the north was unduly favoured because the northeast which was heavily under siege by Boko Haram terrorists at the time was allocated more new polling units than the southwest which was peaceful and had two heavily populated states  Lagos and Oyo states in the zone.

Also, the southeast, made up of five states, had almost the same allocation of new polling units as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The allotment of polling units then by the Jega-led INEC was as follows: northwest  7,906, northeast  5,291, and the north-central  6,318.

However, INEC under Jega allotted the southwest 4,160 polling units, the south-south  3,087 and southeast  1,167 while the FCT got 1,200 new polling units.

At the time, Jega had argued that the additional polling units would bring the total to 150,000 polling units nationwide with 500 voters per unit.

He also said the new polling units were being created to: decongest over-crowded polling units and dispersing voters as evenly as possible among all them;

 Locate polling units more effectively within commuting distances of voters, given that movement is usually restricted on election day;

 Relocate the unit from in-front of private houses, and such other unsuitable places, to public buildings or where this is not possible, to public open spaces where tents can be provided;

 Locate them inside classrooms or such other suitable enclosures, in line with international best practices;

 Split large polling units such that they have on average of 500 registered voters; and

 Create additional polling units to cater for the splitting of large polling units as well as new settlements not serviced by any existing units.

With the latest move by the current INEC leadership, many are concerned that the so-called Voting Point Settlements is an attempt to bring back the skewed 30,000 polling units by subterfuge with the same numerical electoral advantage given to Northern Nigeria.

They wondered why the electoral commission would introduce the same polling unit controversy and reinforce Nigerias fault-line through the clandestine intended changes very close to the 2019 elections, given the distrust it might cause.

READ ALSO: Civil Society Organisations slam PDP over comment on INEC

Meanwhile, an election observer group, the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group (ISDMG) has faulted the failure of political parties in the country to participate in the process of cleaning up of voters register since 2011.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, ISDMG executive director, Dr Chima Amadi, said following an FOI inquiry to tNEC, it discovered that even though the commission has been complying with the provision of the Electoral Act and making voters register available to political parties, none of the political parties or individuals have bothered to verify it.

According to him, the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) in Section 10 (3) provided that the commission shall, within 60 days after each year, make available to every political party the names and addresses of each person registered during the year.

NAIJ.com special report on Anambra governorship election on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Army in move to finally destroy Boko Haram, launches operation Last Hold

The Nigerian Army is to launch Operation Last Hold in Borno north and Lake Chad region to restore socio-economic activities in the areas, as well as to fast track return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Punch reports that chief of training and operations, Maj. Gen, David Ahmad, announced this on Friday, April 20, at a news conference.

READ ALSO: Culture shock: White men on visit to Ooni seen sitting as others kneel down to greet monarch (photo)

NAIJ.com gathered that Ahmadu said that Last Hold, which would commence on May 1 and to last for four months, was intended to facilitate the clearance of the Lake Chad waterways of sea weeds and other obstacles obstructing the movement of boats and people across the water channels.

He said: It will also ensure the destruction of Boko Haram terrorist camps and strong points in the Lake Chad Basin. The operation will also facilitate the rescue of hostages.

The operational end-state of Operation LAST HOLD is the total defeat of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.

Strategically, the conduct of Operation LAST HOLD will facilitate the restoration of fishing, farming and other economic activities in the Lake Chad Basin.

Additionally, it will facilitate the relocation of Internally Displaced Persons from camps to their communities."

Also speaking, Maj. Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, the chief of military/civil affairs said during the duration of the operation, Nigerian army Engineers would make blocks using compressor machines and assist in building new homes for IDPs at their various towns.

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According to Angbazo, the army will cooperate with state governments and ministries of agriculture to assist in land clearing for planting during the planting season. (NAN)

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that Nigerian army on Friday, April 20, called on displaced farmers in Borno to return home to enable them cultivate their farmlands.

Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Senate attack reveals a breakdown of Nigeria's security - Ekweremadu laments

- The deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that the recent intrusion of thugs into the chamber was a lesson to be learnt in terms of Nigeria's security

- Ekweremadu promised Nigerians that a repeat of the development will be avoided

- The president of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, commended the Senate's proactive stance and method of addressing the incident

Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy president of the Senate, on Friday, April 20, said that the attack on the Senate which happened on Wednesday, April 18, was a huge lesson to be learnt when considering Nigeria's security system.

Ekweremadu made this statement in his speech to the leadership of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) which paid a solidarity visit to the Senate. He stated: It is an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community for someone to drive all the way into the National Assembly Complex, enter the hallowed chamber and cart away its symbol of authority, The Guardian reports.

READ ALSO: President Buhari departs London for Abuja after CHOGM 2018

It shows a breakdown of security and it is a setback to Nigerias drive for foreign investment, because no one would be ready to invest money in such a system. So, it is a lesson that we cannot keep doing the same thing with our security system and expect a different result.

It is also an irony that the people involved would organise armed bandits to rob the Senate of its mace, since they understand the implication of what they have done.

As a parliament, we will ensure that this does not happen again and insist that all the actors behind the drama are brought to book.

The deputy Senate president urged NPSA to assist the country to revamp its governance and security structures, in accordance to other federal systems.

Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, the leader of NPSA, said the association was at the National Assembly to partner with the Senate and decry Wednesday's development. Okolie said: Our association is non-partisan, but we must speak the truth, stand by the truth, and protect the truth.

Any group or person that perpetrated what we saw live on national television needed to have his/her head examined. A normal person cannot come here and desecrate the National Assembly, let alone infringe on the mace. It was not really an assault on the National Assembly, but the entire people you have been mandated to represent.

The desecration of this hallowed chamber is so grave an event that it calls for an immediate national action to avert a recurrence and to bring the culprits, whom we regard as bandits, to book.

We are here to join other progressive forces in this country to demand justice. We demand the immediate prosecution of the actors involved. This matter goes beyond the cliche of being on top of the situation.

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We want to see people we put in this place as our representatives conduct their affairs in a manner devoid of any intimidation or any fear, so that the best will come out of this hallowed chamber.

Okolie praised Ekweremadu and the entire Senate for their mature handling of the incident, adding that it was instrumental in averting a national crisis.

Earlier, NAIJ.com reported that some Nigerians in the diaspora had condemned the Nigerian Senate over its call for the sack of all service chiefs.

These Nigerians under the aegis of Nigerians in Diasporas Monitoring Group (NDMG) said the call by senators was a ploy to separate the president from his appointees who were diligent. They also dismissed the state of insecurity on which the lawmakers predicated their call as a smokescreen.

Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? On NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Businessman hits hard at Keyamo in court for accepting Buhari's appointment

- Renowned lawyer and human rights activist, Festus Keyamo suffered a verbal attack in Anambra on Friday, April 20

- Keyamo was verbally attacked by a businessman, Bobby Uzochukwu, for accepting President Muhammadu Buhari's appointment

- The renowned lawyer accepted to serve as spokesperson for President Buhari re-election campaign

Following Festus Keyamo's (SAN) acceptance to serve as spokesperson for the President Muhammadu Buhari's campaign organisation in the 2019 general elections, a businessman in Anambra state has verbally attacked the renowned lawyer.

The businessman, Bobby Uzochukwu, on Friday, April 20, verbally attacked Keyamo on the premises of the Anambra state federal high court, Awka, accusing him of being a betrayal for accepting the appointment, Punch reports.

NAIJ.com notes that Keyamo, who was the counsel for a defendant in a suit on the August 6 killings at Saint Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, Anambra state, was fielding questions from journalists at the court complex when the businessman verbally attacked him, calling him unprintable names.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: KADSIECOM building gutted by fire in Kaduna

Keyamo, however, ended his interview with journalists as he entered his car and left.

Uzochukwu said: I know Keyamo. Hes my friend. I was surprised when I heard that he accepted to serve Buhari. This is a betrayal of the highest order. We thought Keyamo would replace the late Gani Fawehinmi; but see what he has done, consenting to serve somebody who has no interest of the people at heart. I would have done more things to him this afternoon, but as you can see, he ran away.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a day after his appointment as the director of strategic communications for the Buhari campaign organisation, senior lawyer, Festus Keyamo revealed the reasons he decided to accept the offer announced in a letter on Tuesday, April 17.

Keyamo said this on Wednesday, April 18, in a lengthy response to the shades of opinions that greeted his appointment.

Keyamo revealed that he was actually consulted before the appointment and that he accepted it for the good of Nigeria and for posterity.

Nigeria News: Aisha Buhari Backs President Husband | NAIJ.com TV

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The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged the Cameroonian authorities not to send Nigerian refugees back to the Boko Haram violence they fled from.

Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers who fled Boko Haram violence have been forced to return to the country, despite previous warnings against such.

At least 385 Nigerians refugees and asylum-seekers had been forcibly returned from Cameroon since the beginning of 2018, the majority of them in March, including 278 in April.

In total, 87,600 Nigerian refugees have been registered by the UN agency in the country.

We appeal once again to the authorities in Cameroon to refrain from further forced returns and to ensure protection to those fleeing insecurity and persecution in Nigeria, UNHCR said on Saturday.

This is in accordance with Cameroons national and international obligations.

The forced returns are in violation of the principle of no forced returns or non-refoulement.

They are also a significant setback to progress previously achieved by Cameroon in granting asylum to Nigerian civilians fleeing Boko Haram violence.

The agency also said it recognised legitimate national security concerns of states affected by the Boko Haram crisis, adding it is important that refugee protection and national security are not seen as being incompatible.

Properly functioning screening, registration and asylum systems help safeguard host country security, it said.

UNHCR reiterated its support to Cameroon in ensuring that all those seeking international protection have access to efficient screening and registration procedures, as well as appropriate reception arrangements.
Home | News | General | Ex Ayem Akpatuma: Nigerian army apprehends notorious armed bandits in Taraba state

- Two armed bandits have been arrested by the Nigerian army in Taraba state

- The army said that some ammunition were recovered from their hideout

- They were arrested by troops of 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed in the state

The Nigerian army has arrested two armed bandits in Taraba state and recovered some ammunition from their hideouts.

This was contained in a statement sent to NAIJ.com by the director of army public relations, Brigadier Texa Chukwu.

The statement read: "Troops of 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed in Taraba state while on patrol on 20 April 2018 raided a suspected criminal hideouts at Dogo Ruwa following a tip off. Two notorious armed bandits were nabbed during the raid.

READ ALSO: Buhari congratulates Emir of Ilorin at 78

"Items recovered from the hide out include: One G3 rifle containing 7 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, one Pump Action rifle, one dane gun."

According to him, preliminary investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution on completion.

Brigadier Chukwu called on the public to cooperate with the security agencies by reporting any suspicious movements. You are please requested to disseminate this information to the public.

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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Nigerian army on Saturday, April 21 said that it arrested 23 suspected cultists, who were conducting physical training for new recruits, initiation and planning for robbery and kidnap activities.

The army also said that it arrested 15 other persons suspected to be pipeline vandals and recovered 31 jerry cans of refined petroleum products in the process.

Major-Gen Enobong Udoh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigerian army, made this known at a news conference at the 174 Battalion, Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Robbers return firearms to Nigerian Police | NAIJ.com TV - Latest Crime News in Nigeria

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Fossil fuels aren't going away anytime soon. But in order to meet the electricity needs of a growing global population, renewable energy, more commonly known as "green energy," is being increasingly relied on to fill the gap, so to speak.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy, which includes solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power, accounted for almost two-thirds of global net capacity additions in 2016. Whereas 26 gigawatts (GW) of coal-powered generation was retired in 2016 (though 31 GW was added in net), a net of 74 GW of new solar photovoltaic capacity was added, along with 52 GW in net wind power additions. These clean fuel sources, while potentially pricy investments upfront, should pay off over the long run with considerably lower kilowatt per hour (kWH) costs.

Wind turbines next to an electrical tower at sunrise.

Image source: Getty Images.

The IEA continues to see a bright future ahead for green energy, pun aside. Estimates call for 920 GW of global renewable electricity capacity growth by 2022 over 2016. And, assuming government policy in countries like China and India lifts barriers to growth, the IEA believes renewable capacity growth could expand to as much as 1,150 GW.

However, lifting barriers to growth isn't the only catalyst that could cause green-based electricity demand to skyrocket in the years to come. Instead, green-energy investors might want to thank bitcoin, Ethereum, and other mineable cryptocurrencies for fueling the push to renewable sources of energy.

Certain cryptocurrencies, like bitcoin and Ethereum, require a lot of electricity usage

While there are a handful of ways that cryptocurrency transactions are validated on a blockchain network -- blockchain being the digital, distributed, and decentralized ledger that's responsible for recording transactions in a transparent and unchanging manner -- there are two methods that dominate. These are the proof-of-work model and proof-of-stake model.

Story continues

With proof-of-stake, transactions validation duties -- i.e., ensuring that a virtual coin hasn't been spent twice and that a transaction is true and accurate -- are assigned randomly to members who own a stake in a particular cryptocurrency. The more virtual tokens a member owns, and the longer that member has held those tokens, the more likely he or she is to be chosen via the proof-of-stake model to validate transactions. Following validation and the addition of a group of verified transactions (known as a block) to the blockchain, the individual is rewarded with the aggregate fees from the transactions that were proofed.

Hard drives and graphics processing units connected on a table.

Image source: Getty Images.

The proof-of-work model works very differently. In proof-of-work, cryptocurrency miners, which are nothing more than people with high-powered computers and servers, compete against one another to solve complex mathematical equations that are a result of the encryption used to protect transactions on a blockchain network. The first individual or business to solve these equations and validate a block of transactions is given a "block reward." This reward is paid out in virtual tokens of the cryptocurrency being proofed. For instance, each block reward for bitcoin, the world's most valuable digital coin, currently pays out 12.5 bitcoin tokens. With the virtual currency valued at around $8,000 per token, that's a $100,000 haul for validating transactions. Not too shabby!

But there can be big costs involved. The proof-of-work model is highly electricity intensive. Imagine connecting dozens, hundreds, or maybe thousands of servers using graphics processing units or ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) chips to mine cryptocurrency. Not only will this use an extraordinary amount of electricity, but it also creates a lot of heat. Large mining farms often require cooling systems to ensure their equipment doesn't overheat. That can pump up the electric bill even more. Therefore, electricity costs, as well as the ambient temperature of a mining farm, matter.

Could cryptocurrencies push green-energy growth rates to the next level?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, approximately 70% of the world's cryptocurrency mining industry resides in China, which is known for its relatively low electricity costs. China is also the "undisputed renewable growth leader," per the IEA. Renewable capacity additions for China are expected to total 363 GW between 2017 and 2022, or perhaps as much as 464 GW, if those aforementioned government barriers are lifted.

Water rushing through the gates of a hydroelectric station.

Image source: Getty Images.

Of course, China isn't exactly cryptocurrency friendly. It has moved to shut down domestic cryptocurrency exchanges, initial coin offerings (essentially IPOs for digital currencies), and has throttled electricity output to select crypto mining farms. That has forced mining companies to look beyond China for cheap electricity and a welcoming climate. Many are finding the Nordic region of Europe as an amicable place to call home. Whereas Europe averages $0.11/kWh in commercial electricity costs, commercial power prices in Sweden, Norway, and Iceland clock in at a respective $0.065/kWH, $0.071/kWH, and $0.08/kWH, respectively, per Reuters. They also have temperate climates.

Vancouver, B.C.,-based HIVE Blockchain Technologies is one such mining firm currently ramping up its operations in Sweden and Iceland. HIVE recently announced plans to expand its energy capacity in Sweden to 17.4 megawatts (MW), with the funds available to eventually ramp up to 26.8 MW by September 2018. Additionally, HIVE Blockchain purchased data center Kolos Norway AS in a cash-and-stock deal about four weeks ago.

But mining farms aren't the only beneficiaries of cheap electricity derived from renewable energy. It could actually turn out to be a mutually-beneficial relationship between crypto-mining farms and green-energy utility providers. In Norway, 99% of electricity production is derived from hydroelectric power. In neighboring Sweden, 40% of its power is from hydro, with another 40% coming from nuclear power. Reuters notes that the dominant state-owned utilities in each country, Vattenfall in Sweden and Statkraft in Norway, view the electricity needs of crypto mining farms as an opportunity for growth. Though cryptocurrency mining represents a small component of their total business, it certainly has the potential to blossom into a major growth driver for these and other utilities.

Assorted stacks of gold tokens in front of a bar chart.

Image source: Getty Images.

Something to keep in mind

Then again, investors must also remember that cryptocurrency mining is only feasible if virtual token prices make it worthwhile. At the moment, mining bitcoin, Ethereum, and other virtual currencies does make fiscal sense for HIVE Blockchain and other mining farms. But make no mistake about it -- margins were considerably higher in December 2017. Should bitcoin and other virtual currencies continue to fall, mining margins could drop, and electricity demand from mining farms could wane, negatively impacting utilities and green-energy companies.

Will this happen? No one knows with any certainty. Cryptocurrencies are still mostly unregulated, and they're constantly whipsawed by the emotional rollercoaster that is the retail investor. With minimal institutional investor involvement, along with piecemeal regulation, volatility is expected to remain exceptionally high, at least compared to equity alternatives to cryptocurrencies.

Given that crossing your fingers and hoping for the best isn't a viable investing strategy, I'd hold off on calling cryptocurrency mining a long-term driver of growth for the renewable energy industry for now. It does, however, bear monitoring.

More From The Motley Fool

Sean Williams has no position in any of the stocks or cryptocurrencies mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks or cryptocurrencies mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Visitors to a zoo in southeastern China killed one kangaroo and injured another by throwing bricks at them in an attempt to get a reaction from the big marsupials, state media reported.

A 12-year-old female kangaroo suffered a severely injured foot when it was struck by bricks and concrete chunks on February 28 at the Fuzhou Zoo in Fujian province, China Central Television reported.

The kangaroo died days later and an examination by a veterinarian revealed that the cause of death was likely a ruptured kidney caused by being struck by the projectiles.

A few weeks later, a five-year-old male kangaroo at the same zoo was slightly injured in a similar way, said the report posted on the network's website late on Thursday.

Rocks used to make a kangaroo hop (pictured) led to it dying from injuries in a Chinese zoo. Source: AAP

A sign outside the enclosure reads, 'Please do not feed, tease animals'. Source: AAP

The report included pictures of the first kangaroo's smashed and nearly severed foot, and of the animal receiving treatment via intravenous drip before it died.

Visitors to the zoo were known to try to provoke the Australia marsupials to get them to display their signature hopping mode of locomotion using their powerful hind legs.

The report did not mention whether anyone was punished over the matter, but it said the dead female would be stuffed and put on display and the zoo would look to install security cameras to deter visitors from harming animals in future.

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Tourists check out the kangaroos at the enclosure. Source: AAP

China's lightly regulated zoos and wildlife parks often make news for the wrong reasons, typically involving abysmal conditions in which animals are kept or insensitive actions by visitors in a country where the notion of animal rights is not deeply ingrained.

Among recent examples, horrified visitors to an animal park in eastern China's Jiangsu province last June watched as tigers killed a donkey that was released into their enclosure by investors angry over a business dispute related to the zoo, according to media reports.

A few months earlier, a zoo visitor died after he was mauled by tigers whose enclosure he entered in the city of Ningbo, south of Shanghai.
i actually let out a huge gasp. i feel like he's been in everything. R.I.P.

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I can name one movie

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Mini Me u complete me

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good for you

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I didnt think I knew him from much, but he was in more than I thought.



He was bb Joe in Mighty Joe Young.

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He was also in Bubble Boy.

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omg :( RIP

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wow :(

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RIP

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I can't even deal with the news right now. There is a fucking virus in the matrix and this year needs to calm the fuck down. A friend of mine died this week. Everyone is losing people and sad and stressed out. Every day something bad is happening in the news or in personal lives. I don't like anything right now. I'm so tired and sad. RIP Verne Troyer. I hate that he carried so much pain.



Edited at 2018-04-21 08:33 pm (UTC)

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Oh man, sorry for your loss <3

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I'm so sorry. Is it possible for you to at least take a break from the regular news while you deal with your personal loss? It's awful and sometimes it feels like there is bad stuff all around.

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I probably should. Never really had to do that before. Im a News and politics junkie but its just... bananas

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I am very sorry for your loss. *hugs*

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i'm very sorry, bb. <3

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i'm so sorry for your loss! <3.

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im sorry hon <3 i get that feeling a lot

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i'm so sorry about your friend bb. i'm also going to suggest taking a break from the news. i had to do that for various reasons a few months ago because everything was just too overwhelming and it really helped.



take care of yourself <3

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I am very sorry for your loss.



2016 was like that for me. I had something bad happen to me in 2015 and was not coping. People i knew were dying and it seemed like only bad things happened in the world. I was very very scared all the time. But it eventually got better. It did help to check out of events outside of my immediate community for a while. I also saw a psychologist for 6 month in 2017.



I am sorry if it seems like i made this all about me. I really really hope you feel better! And once again, i am very sorry about your friend.

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For real! This year has been so weird so far. There have been way too many sudden deaths in my family this year. Everything just feels so ominous right now. Itd kind of felt like that the last 3 years for me.

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I added a bit more info to this post.



Avicii yesterday and him today :(

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...and both possibly related to excessive alcohol consumption :(



One of the students I work with got picked up by the police for public intoxication and underage drinking (he's 17). Schools try to do a lot of awareness training on drunk driving and drug use but I feel like most people arent as educated about what it does to your body long term for drinking too much, especially if you start really young.

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Rule of 3s again. Barbra Bush, Avicii, and now Verne.

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i was just going to mention this.

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i miss this show

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Whhhhaaaat?? Really? =( omg

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I was SO sad about this. I remember being super young, like five or six, and watching this with my Nan. We both fancied Dale so much, I actually think Dale Winton was my first crush in hindsight.

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dumb

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RIP

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So I still watch Jack of All Trades with Bruce Campbell and Verne like once a year because its so fucking ridiculous and funny and I love him as Napoleon. I feel really awful right now. Ugh

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omg yes!!



I've got that on DVD; I think I'll bust it out and watch a few episodes.

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I gasped. RIP :(

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That's awful :( His story about almost dying as a baby was so sad. His poor family going through that a second time :/

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday cautiously welcomed North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches but its defence minister warned Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang. "We welcome it as a forward-looking move... but an important thing is whether the move will lead to the complete abandonment of missile and nuclear developments in a verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe told reporters. "We want to watch it closely." North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged Saturday his country would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump and South Korea. But Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said earlier that Japan "can't be satisfied", because Pyongyang did not mention giving up short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Onodera said Tokyo would persist with its policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang so that it ultimately gives up its "weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms and missiles". Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the direct firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and raising tensions to fever pitch. Japan's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso also voiced scepticism. "(North Korea) has made a lot of promises and we paid money on the condition that they will give up experiment sites, but they continued," Aso told reporters in Washington, referring to Pyongyang's nuclear programme. The North's declaration, long sought by Washington, comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself. Earlier this week, Abe held talks with Trump in Florida and displayed a united front on North Korea, including on the issue of Japanese abductees taken to North Korea, a major domestic issue.
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Armenian anti-government protests leader Nikol Pashinyan said he would meet Prime Minister and ex-president Serzh Sarkisian on Sunday, after nine days of mass demonstrations against an alleged power-grab. Tens of thousands of people earlier flocked to Republic Square in the capital Yerevan to protest against new premier Sarkisian's rule, according to AFP journalists at the scene. "I will meet Serzh Sarkisian to discuss the conditions of his resignation and of (a) peaceful transfer of power," Pashinyan said in a video address published on his Facebook page. He said the meeting was scheduled for Yerevan's Marriott hotel at 10 am (0600 GMT). Sarkisian's office has not yet confirmed the meeting. Armenia's political crisis deepened Saturday -- the ninth day of anti-government demonstrations -- with Pashinyan insisting he would only discuss the exit of the country's newly elected prime minister. "We are only ready to discuss the conditions of his departure," news agencies quoted Pashinyan as saying, rejecting Sarkisian's appeal for "political dialogue". "Serzh Sarkisian doesn't understand the new situation that has emerged in the recent days... the Armenia and Yerevan he knows does not exist anymore," he told protestors. Opposition supporters are angry over Sarkisian's efforts to remain in power, after he became prime minister last week, following a decade serving as president. Demonstrators waved Armenian flags and blocked streets, disrupting traffic in the capital. Police said they made 84 arrests on Saturday afternoon, and more than 230 people were arrested on Friday. Rallies were also planned in other cities such as Gyumri, Ararat and Artashat. President Armen Sarkisian -- no relation to Serzh -- on Saturday afternoon met Pashinyan at the demonstration, an AFP journalist said. Flanked by bodyguards President Sarkisian shook hands with the opposition leader and the pair spoke for around ten minutes. Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian had earlier sought discussions with the protest leader. "I am deeply concerned about the unfolding internal political events. In order to avoid irreversible consequences, I call on deputy Nikol Pashinyan to sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiation," the 63-year-old leader said in a statement. At a 30,000 strong rally in Yerevan on Friday evening, Pashinyan laid out his demands for the authorities. "First, Sarkisian resigns. Second, parliament elects a new prime minister that represents the people. "Third, it forms a temporary government. Fourth, they schedule parliamentary elections. We will enter negotiations around these demands," he said, calling Serzh Sarkisian a "political corpse". "The whole world can see this is a people's velvet revolution, which very soon will be victorious," Pashinyan told the rally. - Protests enter ninth day - Demonstrators held up placards reading "Sarkisian is a dictator". "I believe we will win this time because when the youth is on the street the police can do nothing," Hovik Haranyan, a 25-year-old protester blocking traffic, told AFP. "Our generation has the right to live in a functioning country," he added. Opposition supporters have criticised the 63-year-old leader over poverty, corruption and the influence of powerful oligarchs. A former military officer, Serzh Sarkisian has been in charge of the landlocked South Caucasus nation of 2.9 million people for a decade. Under a new parliamentary system of government, lawmakers elected Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister last week after he served a decade as president from 2008. Constitutional amendments approved in 2015 have transferred power from the presidency to the premier. After he was first elected in 2008, 10 people died and hundreds were injured in bloody clashes between police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate.
China has carried out aircraft carrier drills in the Pacific, its navy said Saturday, ramping up tensions with Taiwan over its military exercises in the sensitive region. Beijing's sole aircraft carrier and two destroyer ships carried out "offensive and defensive drills to test their combat muscle" on Friday, China's navy said on its official microblog site on Weibo. The exercises took place in an area east of the Bashi Channel, which runs between Taiwan and the Philippines, it said. China sees democratically-governed Taiwan as a renegade part of its territory to be brought back into the fold and has not ruled out reunification by force. In Beijing's latest military drills, photos showed J-15 fighters waiting to take off from the Liaoning aircraft carrier. The Jinan and Changchun destroyer ships also participated in the training. Taiwan has accused China of "saber rattling" after Chinese bombers and spy planes flew around Taiwan Thursday, and the Chinese navy conducted live-fire drills off the Taiwan Strait a day earlier. "China has deliberately manipulated (the exercise) to pressure and harass Taiwan in an attempt to spark tensions between the two sides and in the region," Chiu Chui-cheng of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council told a regular briefing Thursday. "(We) will never bow down to any military threat and incentive." Beijing has stepped up military patrols around Taiwan and used diplomatic pressure to isolate it internationally since pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen took office. Chinese President Xi Jinping observed the navy's largest-ever military display this month in the South China Sea, which involved 76 fighter jets and a flotilla of 48 warships and submarines. Beijing has also been angered by Washington's arms sales to Taipei, and China protested last month after President Donald Trump signed a bill allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan. Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but maintains trade relations with the island.
James Bond actor Daniel Craig's Aston Martin, numbered with the character's signature 007, sold at auction Friday for $468,500. Christie's, which announced results of the bidding, had estimated the limited-edition midnight blue 2014 Centenary Edition Vanquish would fetch $400,000-$600,000. All proceeds from the sale will benefit The Opportunity Network, a charity helping under-served youths develop their careers. Both Craig and his wife, actress Rachel Weisz, sit on the charity's board. Craig made a surprise appearance during the auction, joining the Christie's team to encourage a client to bid higher. The car, which has a top speed of 183 miles (295 kilometers) per hour, is part of a series of just 100 which Aston Martin created in 2014 to celebrate the firm's 100th anniversary. It is made of a lightweight bonded aluminum structure and motorsport-inspired carbon-fiber exterior. The handcrafted interior includes luxury leathers, carbon fiber and aluminum.
Tens of thousands protested in Armenia's capital on Friday against what they say is a power-grab by ex-president Serzh Sarkisian, as police arrested more than 230 people. For the past week, opposition supporters have held mass rallies to denounce Sarkisian's efforts to remain in power as prime minister after a decade serving as president. On Friday, demonstrators waved national flags and held up placards reading "Sarkisian is a dictator" as protests in the impoverished former Soviet country went into their eighth day. An AFP reporter at the scene said there were tens of thousands of people at the rally in the capital. "The whole world can see that this is a people's velvet revolution, which very soon will be victorious," opposition lawmaker and protest leader Nikol Pashinyan said at the rally Friday evening. "Authorities have already started talking about being ready to begin a dailogue with us...Sarkisian himself is a political corpse and one does not conduct a dialogue with a corpse, that boat has sailed," he said. Pshinyan added that he would be willing to discuss a timetable for the prime minister's departure. "Corruption and injustice are choking the country -- if you want to open a small business you have to bribe officials, the people from the tax service want bribes, teachers expect presents," 52-year-old protester Mushegh Khachatryan told AFP. "It can't go on like this...but who created such a situation, who's to answer for it? Serzh Sarkisian of course," he added. "The old generation should give up their place to the youth -- a free, fair Armenia, where there's decent education and plenty of jobs," said Anna Minasyan, a 21-year-old student. Protesters earlier tried to block roads in response to repeated calls by Pashinyan to paralyse traffic, but police prevented those attempts. A police spokesman told AFP more than 230 people were detained in Yerevan. Protesters also rallied in the second city of Gyumri where they attempted to block a main road leading to the capital. Constitutional amendments approved in 2015 have transferred power from the presidency to the premier. Sarkisian in effect remained the country's leader by taking the post of prime minister after a parliament vote this week. - Poverty, corruption - Opposition supporters have criticised the 63-year-old leader over poverty, corruption and the influence of powerful oligarchs. The spokesman for Sarkisian's ruling Republican Party on Thursday said the newly elected prime minister would not step down. Under a new parliamentary system of government, lawmakers elected Sarkisian as prime minister on Tuesday after he served a decade as president from 2008. Analysts say that the opposition so far lacks resources to oust the leader even though huge public anger has built up in recent years. The number of demonstrators had somewhat dwindled over the past few days, down from roughly 40,000 who took to the streets Tuesday when Sarkisian was elected by parliament. On Thursday, more than 15,000 protesters staged a rally outside government headquarters as Sarkisian chaired his first cabinet meeting since the controversial vote. On Monday police used stun grenades against protesters who tried to break through a barbed wire cordon to get to the parliament building. Authorities said at the time that 46 people, including six police and Pashinyan sought medical help. The new president, Armen Sarkisian -- no relation to now prime minister Serzh -- was sworn in last week but his post is largely ceremonial under the new system of government. A former military officer, Serzh Sarkisian has been in charge of the landlocked South Caucasus nation of 2.9 million people for a decade. He also held the office of prime minister from 2007 to 2008. After he was first elected in 2008, 10 people died and hundreds were injured in bloody clashes between police and supporters of the defeated opposition candidate.
France on Friday deported an influential Islamic preacher whose mosque in the southern city of Marseille was shut down last year over accusations of hate speech. The expulsion of Algeria-born El Hadi Doudi back to his home country came after his appeal with the European Court of Human Rights was rejected earlier this week. Doudi, 63, had long been on the radar of Marseille police, who considered him an "authority" on Salafist interpretations of Islam, a Sunni branch which demands a strict conservative lifestyle. While a majority of Salafists disdain violence, some followers embrace the use of force to promote their beliefs. France has been wrestling with how to counter the influence of extremists after a string of deadly jihadist attacks by people later found to have moved in Salafist circles. Several members of Doudi's mosque -- one of Marseille's largest before its closure in late 2017 -- are suspected of having gone to fight alongside jihadists in Iraq and Syria in recent years. The interior ministry based its decision to deport Doudi on an analysis of 25 sermons obtained by intelligence services starting in January 2013. Officials said his preachings included "calls for the defeat and destruction of infidels" and descriptions of Jews as "unpure" and "the brothers of monkeys and pigs". He was also accused of urging his followers to proclaim "Allahu Akhbar" (God is greatest) in public places in order to "frighten the unbelievers". - Increased expulsions - Last month some French lawmakers went so far as to urge a ban on the movement after four people were killed during a shooting spree and hostage taking in a supermarket by a homegrown jihadist in southern France. Others called for "preventive detention" of the most radicalised Islamists already on police watch lists, after it emerged that attacker, Moroccan-born Radouane Lakdim, had recently been summoned for an interview with authorities. France expelled 20 radicalised foreigners living legally in the country last year, a number which Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said was "the highest ever". Doudi, a father of seven who arrived in France in 1982, denied spreading messages of hate, while his followers claimed he was opposed to jihadist violence. His lawyers also claimed he was at risk of torture and "inhumane or degrading treatment" at the hands of Algerian authorities, but the European rights court rejected that argument this week. Doudi's deportation comes shortly after that of Mohammed Tlaghi on March 28 to Morocco, following the closure of a mosque in Torcy, in the eastern suburbs of Paris. The imam, who was also a high-school maths teacher, was found to have "explicitly legitimised armed jihad and called on followers to pray for jihadists so they could destroy enemies of Islam in France and the rest of the world," authorities said. The mosque came under surveillance after its imams urged support for members of the so-called "Cannes-Torcy cell" suspected of planning jihadist attacks. France remains on high alert following jihadist attacks that have killed more than 240 people since 2015.
Osman Morote, the ex-deputy leader of Peru's once feared Shining Path guerrillas, was moved from prison to house arrest Friday after 30 years behind bars, his attorney said. The 73 year-old Morote left the Piedras Gordas prison just north of Lima in a personal vehicle under heavy police protection. He drove to the home of a relative in Chaclacayo, 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Lima, his attorney Manuel Fajardo told AFP. The Maoist Shining Path waged a bloody guerrilla campaign against the Peruvian government between 1980 and 2000. In all, some 70,000 people were killed in a war between the army, the Maoist guerrillas and another leftist rebel group, the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA). Morote had been sentenced for terrorism, and his court-authorized release was met with howls of outrage by the country's politicians, including President Martin Vizcarra. Morote was captured and imprisoned in 1988, when the maximum prison sentence was 25 years behind bars. Punishment for terrorism cases, however, got tougher: when top Shining Path leader Abimael Guzman was captured in 1992, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Guzman, now 83, is serving his sentence in a prison at a naval base just outside Lima. Morote should have been released in 2013, but legal challenges kept him behind bars. He faces three other terrorism cases that -- if he's found guilty -- would send him back to jail. Margot Liendo, another ex-Shining Path leader, will also move to house arrest under the same court order. Nearly 5,000 former Shining Path guerrillas have been released from prison since 2001. The Shining Path suffered a crippling blow when Guzman was captured in 1992, followed by a string of other top leaders. Today, a largely defunct, renegade group of fighters are still hides out in the jungle, thriving in drug trafficking.
Two German tourists died and 12 other people were injured Friday when their minibus fell into a ravine on an Andean road in southern Peru, police said. The vehicle, which carried 12 German tourists along with their Peruvian driver and another Peruvian, fell about 20 meters (65 feet) while traveling from the city of Arequipa to the town of Chivay around 3:00 pm (2000 GMT). The surviving 10 German tourists and their two Peruvian crewmembers were taken to hospital in Arequipa, a police official in Chivay said. Chivay, home to about 6,500 inhabitants, is located more than 3,600 kilometers (2,240 miles) above sea level in the mountains of the Colca Valley, a popular tourist destination in the South American country. Hours earlier, another accident occurred in the same region that left seven dead and 18 injured, after a passenger bus fell into a 60-meter (yards) ravine. A separate bus plunge on Friday, in the northern region of La Libertad, killed at least 11 people when it landed at the bottom of a 200-meter chasm, police said. Peruvian authorities recommend driving with extreme caution in the winding and narrow Andean routes. On January 2, 52 people died, while 45 were killed on February 21 -- in both cases after passenger buses fell into ravines of nearly 100 meters. Almost 2,700 people died in traffic accidents in Peru in 2016, according to official figures. The data for 2017 have not yet been published.
JILL LAWLESS/Agencies

LONDON, UK.- The Commonwealth has confirmed that Prince Charles will be the next leader of the organization of Britain and its former colonies once he succeeds his mother Queen Elizabeth II on the throne.

Commonwealth leaders meeting in London said in a statement that the next head of the organization "shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales."

"Shall be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales".

The announcement had been expected since the queen said Thursday that she hoped her son and heir would lead the Commonwealth after her.

The queen has led the Commonwealth throughout her 66-year reign, but the largely symbolic position is not hereditary, and some have suggested a non-royal head would project a more modern image.

Yesterday, Queen Elizabeth II opened a summit of the 53-nation Commonwealth on Thursday, and backed her son Prince Charles to be the next leader of the association of Britain and its former colonies.

In a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the queen said she hoped Charles would carry on the important work of leading the Commonwealth, a loose alliance of countries large and small that has struggled to carve out a firm place on the world stage.

For decades, the queen has been the driving force behind the Commonwealth but she had no designated successor as chief. Some have suggested that Charles should not take over the helm of the group, which takes in 2.4 billion people on five continents.

It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949, the queen said.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who hosted the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2015, signaled that leaders were likely to confirm Charles as successor to his mother, who turns 92 tomorrow.
Fares Akram

INTERNATIONAL.- Gaza protest organizers moved sit-in tents closer to the Israeli border fence Thursday, a day before a fourth planned mass demonstration, raising fears of more bloodshed. The protests, largely led by Gazas Hamas rulers, began March 30.

Organizers said theyll gradually move the camps toward the fence until May 15, but made conflicting comments about a possible breach.

Hamas says the protests are aimed at breaking a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Islamic militant group overran the territory in 2007, a year after winning Palestinian parliament elections.

Tambien te puede interesar: Newborn baby 10 days old, she makes Senate history in her pink cap

The marches also press for the return of the descendants of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were forced from homes in the 1948 war over Israels creation. While some organizers portray the protests as peaceful, Hamas and representatives of other factions have made it clear that a border breach is being considered.

We will cross the border, said Daoud Shehab, a member of the organizing committee from the smaller Islamic Jihad group, adding that Israel should feel really jittery as a result of these marches.

Israeli military officials have warned that they will not tolerate a mass border breach or permit protesters to get close to the fence.

Israels military said Thursday that it is ready for all scenarios and is prepared to prevent any breach of Israeli sovereignty or damage to the border fence. Several Israeli communities are close to the border.
COLLIN BINKLEY

FLORIDA.- Students from Florida to Chicago started streaming out of their schools Friday in the latest round of gun-control activism following the February shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. The protests were chosen to line up with the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, which left 13 people dead in Littleton, Colorado. At 10 a.m. in each time zone, students at dozens of schools left class to take moments of silence honoring the victims at Columbine and other shootings.

From there, some students headed to rallies at their statehouses. Others stayed at school to discuss gun violence. Some are holding voting registration drives. Hundreds of Washington-area students gathered at a park near the White House, taking 19 minutes of silence for each year that has passed since the Columbine massacre. In New York City, crowds of students gathered in Washington Square Park and lay down in a die-in.

Organizers say there will be walkouts in every state, with more than 2,700 registered on the events website . Citywide protests are expected to attract thousands in New York City and Austin, Texas. Police in Richmond, Virginia, say they expect at least 10,000 at the state Capitol.

Shortly before the walkouts, another school shooting in Florida left one student injured. Authorities say one student shot another in the ankle at Forest High School in Ocala. A suspect was taken into custody.

At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a gunman killed 17 on Feb. 14, student David Hogg said the latest shooting underscored the urgency of the protests. We have to stop this. Were not going to be able to stop this unless we continue to make our voices heard, though, when our elected officials wont, Hogg said.
BRIAN MELLEY | MICHAEL BALSAMO

Los Angeles, US.- A federal judge on Friday told lawyers for President Donald Trumps attorney Michael Cohen that Cohen needs to file a declaration in court in order to delay a lawsuit filed by porn actress Stormy Daniels aimed at dissolving a confidentiality agreement that prevents her from talking about an alleged affair with Trump.

Judge S. James Otero said Cohen needs to file a statement declaring that his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination might be jeopardized if the case filed in Los Angeles goes forward.

Otero said at a hearing in Los Angeles that it was not enough for Cohens attorney to file that statement on his behalf, and he gave Cohen until next Wednesday to do so.

Cohen sought to delay the civil case after FBI agents raided his office and residence, seeking records about the $130,000 agreement that Daniels signed days before the 2016 presidential election.

After the raids, Cohen asked the judge to grant a stay for at least 90 days and argued that because the allegations in the lawsuit overlap with the criminal investigation, Cohens civil rights may be adversely affected if this case proceeds.

Daniels attorney, Michael Avenatti, objected to the requested delay and said he was pleased with the outcome of the hearing.
ROBERT BURNS

Washington, US.- The drama of U.S. and allied missile strikes on Syria has obscured a sobering fact: The U.S.-led campaign to eliminate the Islamic State from Syria has stalled.

The U.S. has 2,000 troops in Syria assisting local Arab and Kurdish fighters against IS, even as President Donald Trump resists deeper U.S. involvement and is eager to withdraw completely in coming months. Trump wants other people to deal with Syria, whose civil war has spawned the greatest humanitarian crisis since World War II in terms of refugees.

Its unclear whether Trump will go ahead with a total U.S. withdrawal while IS retains even a small presence in Syria. Since January, when Trump asserted in his State of the Union address that very close to 100 percent of IS territory in Syria and Iraq had been liberated, progress toward extinguishing the extremists caliphate, or self-proclaimed state, has ground to a halt and shows no sign of restarting.

"Weve halted forward progress and are essentially attempting to avoid losing territory weve gained to date".

U.S. warplanes continue to periodically bomb remaining pockets of IS in eastern Syria, but ground operations by U.S. partner forces have slowed. Weve halted forward progress and are essentially attempting to avoid losing territory weve gained to date, said Jennifer Cafarella, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War. She sees two potential solutions: send additional U.S. combat power to eastern Syria to take on IS more directly, or resolve a diplomatic dispute with Turkey that has largely sidelined the main U.S. military partner in Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Now that Trump has upped the ante by attacking Syria directly for the second time in just over a year, Cafarella said in an interview this week, it is possible that Syria and its two main international supporters  Russia and Iran  will retaliate militarily against American.
This post is part of Nosh, a special pop-up blog about snacks. Read more here.

4/20the informal holiday celebrating all things marijuanais as much a festival of the munchies as it is of the increasingly legal miracle plant that causes them. But it can be hard to whip up something satisfying in the kitchen when your mind is  elsewhere. So Slate staffers and friends have assembled this little cookbook of our favorite pot-friendly creations to help you out. Enjoy!

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Endless ChocoDisks

Rebecca Onion



I wanted a more civilized way to eat Nutella one, um, night, and I had some Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers left over from making a pie crust. I set myself up with the jar of wafers and the jar of Nutella and some whole milk and was very pleased. Nutella is sometimes a little too sweet for me; the wafers are darker chocolate and the right amount of crunchy. You spread these yourself, so you can control the dark-to-hazelnut chocolate ratio.

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Ingredients:

1 box Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

1 jar Nutella

1 glass whole milk

1 butter knife, for spreading

Method:

Take a wafer. Spread some Nutella on it. Cap with another wafer, if desired! Eat. Repeat.

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Cookie Pie

Benjamin Frisch

Co-developed with a friend for movie-night snacking, Cookie Pie is a laziness-proof baked treat with a surprising amount of versatility of flavorperfect for noshing in front of the TV.

Ingredients:

Cookie dough and a pie crust. They can be either store bought or homemade (but lets be honest, they will almost certainly come in a tube and a tin from your local grocery store).

Method:

Simply line your pie crust of choice (graham cracker works especially well) with your choice of cookie dough, treating the cookie dough as though it were a pie filling. Bake until the cookie filling is at desired level of firmnesssome prefer a very gooey cookie pie, while I prefer a cookie pie more al dente. Let cool a few minutes so that the filling is firm enough to cut into slices, and serve. Optional garnishes include whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and regret a few hours after consuming.

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Popcornios

Dan Kois

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I love oil-popped popcorn as a late-night snack; it is salty and hot, you can make as much or as little as you want; its ready in like four minutes. But one night I was hunting for some way to give my popcorn a hint of sweetness, and found way back in the cabinet a box of Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheeriosa cereal too overpowering for prime time (uh, breakfast) but perfect for the tiniest sprinkling of chocolatey goodness. This recipe is very satisfying, very crammable, and will not lead to morning-after grossness and regret. It also can be prepared by anyone, regardless of sobriety.

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Ingredients:

Unpopped popcorn (anywhere from 1/8 to 1/2 cup)

Oil

A little melted butter

Salt

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios, one handful

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Method:

Pop the popcorn in the oil, letting it rest off the flame, lid still in, for one minute after popping concludes. Melt the butter. Toss everything in a bowl. Rest bowl on stomach while slouching in a chair.

Cheese on a Plate

A shy Slate stoner

My old roommates and I used to make this regularly. Very easy to make, quick, and most importantly, full of cheesy goodness.

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Ingredients:

Shredded cheese of your choice. The sharper the cheese, the better. Gruyere and aged Irish cheddar strongly suggested. About  cup per person.

Method:

Shred the cheese and sprinkle it on a microwavable dinner plate. No more than 1 cup per plate. Microwave in 30 second increments until you notice the edges getting crispy (about 90 seconds total). Remove and cool. Enjoy with a fork while watching something funny.

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Peanut Butter Waffle Sandwich

Leah Campbell

This was a classic my high school boyfriend and I turned to again and again. My mom told me years later she could always tell Id come home stoned when she heard me open the freezer. This recipe works because you pretty much always have these ingredients available. If you held my apartment upside down and shook it, 5,000 Nature Valley Oats n Honey bars would fall to the ground. I also always crave a savory late night snack option. So, if you too are sweet-toothless, this is for you.

Ingredients:

2 multigrain toaster waffles (Stop & Shop Natures Promise is my preferred)

1/4 cup Crunchy peanut butter (Teddys Organic if available)

2 Nature Valley Oats n Honey Bars

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Method:

Toast the two waffles then spread crunchy peanut butter on both halves. Put two Nature Valley bars in a plastic bag and crush them into their desired state (infinite crumbs). Apply the crumbs to both peanut buttercovered waffles and sandwich together. Cut sandwich in half and share with your companion.

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Half-Assed Cookie Dough

Lena Wilson

I ripped this off from Georgia Hardstark of My Favorite Murder podcast fameshe briefly mentioned making this in an episode once, and I eventually got curious enough to try it myself. Its basically the first three ingredients for cookie dough, but, it turns out, thats all you need for a delicious and disgusting snack. Smokers will undoubtedly appreciate this down-home junk food for its accessibility and high sugar and fat content.

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Ingredients:

Equal parts butter and sugar (brown sugar, if the spirit of Mary Berry moves you)

Several drops of vanilla

Method:

Pop the butter in the microwave for a little bit, softening it in five-second bursts. DONT turn it into liquid. When the butter is soft, beat it together with the sugar. Drop on a bit of vanilla. Consume.

Frozen Java With Worms

Evan

Cold Stone Creamery is a stoners paradise. Its a relatively calm and antiseptic space that does exactly two things well: sugary smells and the presentation of a precise and extremely pleasant array of pastel ice cream colors and gooey toppings. Its the perfect dose of pleasure for your tripped-out hippocampus. So it was that I landed in Cold Stones throughout high school, and how I began combining my two favorite snacks: coffee-flavored ice cream and gummy shit. I love gummy shit! And I love the taste of coffee. And so Frozen Java With Worms was born. I know many prefer the 7-11 Slushie or the gas station candy bar run. But I find the inevitably harsh gaze of the clerks too overwhelming to bear. Cold Stones employees by turn are just annoyed 14- or 15-year-oldskind, naive souls who could care less if my eyes are bloodshot red or if Im drooling on the glass sneeze guard. And God bless them for it.

Ingredients:

Coffee ice cream

Gummies, preferably the worm kind

Method:

Go to Cold Stone. Ask for coffee ice cream. Then ask them to add gummy worms.

Try not to drool on the sneeze guard.

See more from Nosh here.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions told White House counsel Donald McGahn last weekend that if President Trump fired his deputy, Rod Rosenstein, he may have to leave his job, the Washington Post reports. Sessions gave the warning as the Trumps fury at Rosenstein soared after the approval of the FBI raid on the presidents personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

Although he couched it in uncertain terms, Sessions warning underscores the political firestorm that Trump would invite should he attempt to remove the deputy attorney general, notes the Post. If Sessions were to leave, others would certainly follow, potentially creating a moment of profound crisis for the White House.

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It also isnt clear exactly how seriously Sessions meant his words to be taken. One source familiar with the conversation told the Post that Sessions didnt really mean it to sound like a threat, but merely to express the untenable position that Rosensteins firing would put him in. Plus it seems Sessions is none too happy about the way Trump has been treating Rosenstein but really cant do much about it considering hes not exactly in great terms with the president.

The Post piece contains a little interesting detail that gives insight into how Trump treats members of his administration. We already knew that Trump liked to refer to Sessions as Mr. Magoo but now it turns out he also has a nickname for Rosenstein. Trump reportely likes to call the deputy attorney general Mr. Peepers, who was a character from a 1950s sitcom.
From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Korean Central News Agency said, as quoted by South Koreas Yonhap agency.

The decision came after a meeting of the ruling Workers Party of Korea.
Rep. Trey Gowdy, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, says hes leaving politics to escape the corruption of partisanship. I enjoy being fair. I enjoy the pursuit of fairness as a virtue, Gowdy told CBS News in February. In Washington, he lamented, theres no place for a truth-teller like himself. Perhaps, then, Gowdy can explain why he has teamed up with two other chairmen, Devin Nunes of the House Intelligence Committee and Bob Goodlatte of the House Judiciary Committee, to issue a statement full of lies about James Comey.

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Gowdy, Goodlatte, and Nunes have been pressuring the Department of Justice to release memos, written between January and April 2017, in which Comey, who was then the FBI director, described his meetings and phone calls with President Donald Trump. On Thursday, the department gave the memos to Congress, which promptly leaked them. House Republicans, who used to insist that the memos were so laden with national secrets that Comey should be prosecuted for leaking them, have now dragged them out into the open. Why? The answer seems to lie in the canned statement from Gowdy, Goodlatte, and Nunes, which portrays the memos as proof of Trumps innocence.

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The statement claims that Comeys memos show the President made clear he wanted allegations of collusion, coordination, and conspiracy between his campaign and Russia fully investigated. Thats laughable. The memos describe repeated, explicit pressure from Trump to lift the cloud of the investigation. One memo recounts how Trump shooed everyone but Comey out of an Oval Office meeting and asked him several times to drop the FBIs investigation of departing National Security Adviser Mike Flynn, who had misled the FBI about contacts with Russia. Not until March 30, 2017six weeks after Trumps move to protect Flynn and two weeks before Trumps final conversation with Comeydid Trump say anything positive about the investigation. In that phone call, Trump told Comey, as an aside, that if some satellite had done anything wrong, it would be good to know. The comment was indecipherable, and Trump offered it only as part of a pitch to have the FBI director declare him innocent.

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The Gowdy-Goodlatte-Nunes statement says the memos made clear the cloud President Trump wanted lifted was not the Russian interference in the 2016 election cloud but rather the salacious, unsubstantiated allegations related to personal conduct leveled in the dossier. This, too, is demonstrably false. Trump did fret to Comey about allegations that Trump had used prostitutes in Moscow in 2013. But Comeys March 30, 2017, memo, in which he records Trumps comments about the cloud, describes a much larger context:

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The President  said he was trying to run the country and the cloud of this Russia business was making that difficult. He said he thinks he would have won the health care vote but for the cloud. He then went on at great length, explaining that he has nothing to do with Russia (has a letter from the largest law firm in DC saying he has gotten no income from Russia), was not involved with hookers in Russia.  He finished by stressing that he was trying to make deals for the country, the cloud was hurting him (and mentioned going to G-7 with it hanging over him), and he hoped I could find a way to get out that he wasnt being investigated.

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Gowdys theory is that when Trump spoke of a cloud that was impeding his work at the G-7, on trade deals, and on health care, he was talking about a pee tape. Thats absurd. And why would Trump cite a letter about his income stream to rebut allegations about a hookers outgo stream? Did Gowdy not read this statement before he put his name on it? Did he not read the memos? Or does he think we cant spot the differences?

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Comey never wrote that he felt obstructed or threatened, says the statement. At best, that sentence is willfully obtuse. The memos document Trumps efforts to corrupt Comey. Trump pressed him for loyalty, told him he could easily be replaced, and asked him to drop the Flynn investigation. Again and again, Trump maneuvered to get Comey aloneat a dinner, after a briefing, in phone callsand leaned on him. Every detail Comey recordedverbatim requests, threatening hints, facial expressions, body languageis what youd record if you felt you were being encouraged and coerced to betray your law enforcement duties.

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The memos show two different standards, Gowdy and his colleagues allege. Comey immediately began to memorialize conversations with President Trump, they protest, but the FBI director didnt write similar memos about his conversations with President Obama, Attorney General Lynch, Secretary Clinton, Andrew McCabe or others. Comey has repeatedly explained that he took notes about his conversations with Trump because Trump, unlike other officials, behaved suspiciously with him. Gowdy ignores this explanation, as though its unfair to treat people differently based on conduct. He and his colleagues complain, in effect, that a cop documentednot surveilled, not audio-recorded, but simply wrote downthe behavior of a person he suspected of wrongdoing.

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The statement concludes that Comeys memos show he was:

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motivated by animus. He was willing to work for someone he deemed morally unsuited for office, capable of lying, requiring of personal loyalty, worthy of impeachment, and sharing the traits of a mob boss. Former Director Comey was willing to overlook all of the aforementioned characteristics in order to keep his job. In his eyes, the real crime was his own firing.

What a remarkable piece of dishonesty. The memos are contemporaneous. Comey wrote them while Trump was lying to him and demanding personal loyalty. They cant be about the firing, because Comey wasnt fired until a month after the last memo was written.

Comey did what a good cop would do: He recorded Trumps attempts to corrupt him. He wrote six memos about it. Gowdy looks at these memos and declares that the man who wrote them was willing to overlook what he saw. In what universe is that anything but a lie? And if Comey hadnt been willing to work for Trump, how would we know about Trumps efforts to suborn the FBI director? Isnt the complaint that Comey was willing to work for Trump just a restatement of the fact that he was in the room?

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Gowdy, Goodlatte, and Nunes are in charge, respectively, of committees on oversight, the judiciary, and intelligence. Theyre supposed to protect national security, monitor government misconduct, and uphold the rule of law. Their hit job on Comey and his memos mocks these responsibilities. It shows that as long as Republicans hold Congress, theyll serve not as a check on a corrupt president, but as his accomplices and lawyers.

Remember that when Gowdy retires. He wasnt part of the solution. He was part of the problem. Why are you getting out of this racket? Alisyn Camerota asked him two months ago, when he announced he was done with Congress. I miss the justice system, Gowdy replied. I like jobs where facts matter. Sorry, Trey, but you never understood the job. Facts matter in Congress, too. They just didnt matter to you.
25 years of making roof shingles by hand

He inherited the craft from his grandfather.

Peter Kormos from Vikartovce has dedicated his life to the craft of making roof shingles for 25 years already. He took over the craft from his grandfather.

In the past, people used shingles to cover roofs. The shingles are made from chopped wood from white or red spruce.

I chop wood into 40 or 50 centimetre long pieces and process them with a two-handed knife on a grating deck, said Kormos, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

It is important to choose the right high-quality wood, he said. The thickness of shingle is two and half or three centimetres. After processing, he puts the shingle in an upright position to let it dry for more than one week in a draft but away from the sun. Then he puts them into cages, weighted down to prevent distortion.

Black roofs

People are less interested in handmade shingles than the machine made ones, according to Kormos. Machine made shingles are of lesser quality, however, because the wood is cut and not chopped, resulting in broken wood structure that is more likely to soak up water.

It is necessary to use about 30  35 pieces of 50 centimetre long shingles for one square metre; a roof usually has an area of 70 square metres. The roof lasts about 30  40 years when it is made from red spruce and 30 when it is made from white spruce.

In the past, wooden shingles even one hundred years because they were preserved with tar. That is also the reason why roofs were so dark, even black.

Today, paint is used on the wood and it doesnt last long, explained Kormos, as cited by TASR.

Craft King

People in the past used to prepare shingles in the winter to be ready for summer construction.

We had one order when, with my grandfather, we created about 20,000 shingles. Everyone who knew how to make a shingle in the village helped us, he recalled for TASR.

Kormos, with his son Kristian, has represented shingle craft and woodcarving for several years now. At the festival for European folk craft in Kezmarok he got a title of Craft King in 2011.

21. Apr 2018 at 7:30 | TASR, Compiled by Spectator staff
Train full of missiles photographed in Ostrava a hoax

It seems that wartime conflicts are almost always accompanied by hoaxes, recent stories show.

Photos from the set of the feature film Revolution Man were misused for propaganda. (Source: Courtesy of Bellingcat)

On Facebook, a photo of a cargo train loaded with missiles in open carriages has been spread by several sources. I come from Ostravy (a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic), and this is what my security guard colleague managed to capture, the accompanying text states, as quoted by the Sme daily, adding that the train was headed for Slovakia and that it was clear that its ultimate destination was Ukraine, as a railway company employee said so.

One of the sources is the Facebook account of Stanislav Miko, and from there, the photo was shared more than 3,300 times, and liked 128 times. Websites such as the pro-Russian site Cesi a Slovaci Podporuju Rusky Krym (Czechs and Slovaks support the Russian Crimea) which has spread fake news in the past, also spread the picture.

The photo itself has not been falsified but the text describing it is a sheer lie, the daily wrote.

What was on the train?

The author of this hoax relied on readers to interpret the photo. An ordinary reader really does not have time to check on the source of the information; in standard media, journalists do this job.

In fact, this photo comes from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, and features carriages carrying missiles Raduga Kh-22, produced in Russia and designed to eliminate sea targets. These missiles can also bear nuclear warheads.

Train loaded with missiles, allegedly headed from Ostrava to Ukraine. (Source: Facebook)

The origin of this picture can be tracked down through the Russian-language site on the Livejournal.com blog. The Czech site Misantrop.info also analysed the photo. The missiles in the carriages have dismounted wings, so they were probably meant for decommissioning and eliminating. Thus, they surely were not heading to Ukraine or traveling from Ostrava as the starting point. Even if this was true, the only one able to really use them now is the Russian Federation. The Kh-22 missiles are launched from Tupolev Tu-22M and Tu-95 airplanes, used only by Russia, according to Sme.

Ukraine inherited its nuclear arsenal after the split of the Soviet Union but it promptly got rid of it. It either returned strategic bombers to Russia in exchange for writing off the debt for gas, or destroyed them.

Film scenes used as propaganda

The chemical attack in Syria and ensuing missiles attack of Allied Forces against the regime of Basher al-Assad have been accompanied by several hoaxes. The public-service Czech TV took over fake shots allegedly capturing a recent bombing by allies of Syria. Russian media spread scenes from a film to prove the chemical attack in Syria was staged, Sme wrote.

The latter hoax was spread by Russian broadcaster Russia-1, whose show Vesti claimed that it has acquired shots proving that chemical attacks were staged, and that the volunteering civil aid group working on Syrian territories and controlled by anti-regime opposition, so-called White Helmets, is behind the shots.

However, British investigative server Bellingcat noticed that the shots are from the shooting of the Syrian film Revolution Man  and they are also on the films official website.

The hoax was also spread on Facebook by Ratko Sudecky who writes for the disinformation magazine, Zem a Vek. The Dezinformacie Hoaxy Propaganda website pointed out that his status was shared by more than 4,000 people.

A Wikipedia entry reads that White Helmets are often the target of propaganda by Russian, Syrian and Iranian websites.

Czech TV was tricked, too

Another hoax had slightly more serious consequences and even the Czech public-service broadcaster, CT, shared it. In a report on a bombing in Syria, the broadcaster used a video-recording which later turned out to come from the Ukrainian region of Luhansk, and dates back to 2015, Czech server Hlidaci Pes explains.

The Czech disinformation server Aeronet wrote that Czech TV used manipulation to cover the failure of the allied forces attack on Syria.

The core of the problem is that CT took the disputed recording from the Twitter account of Murad Gazdiev, a journalist of the Russian broadcaster Russia Today which, together with the network of websites Sputnik, is controlled by the Russian state newswire RIA Novosti.

Meanwhile, Gazdiev deleted the video-recording and admitted it was fake news, according to Sme.

War and propaganda

Wartime conflicts are almost invariably connected with propaganda and distorted information. Sometimes, it is spread intentionally by the involved sides of the conflict, sometimes public receive incomplete or distorted information simply because better information is not available.

21. Apr 2018 at 8:20 | Compiled by Spectator staff
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Royal Dutch Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company worldwide. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Oil Products, Chemicals segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. The company also markets and trades natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, electricity, carbon-emission rights; and markets and sells LNG as a fuel for heavy-duty vehicles and marine vessels. In addition, it trades in and refines crude oil and other feed stocks, such as gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, marine fuel, biofuel, lubricants, bitumen, and sulphur; produces and sells petrochemicals for industrial use; and manages oil sands activities. Further, the company produces base chemicals comprising ethylene, propylene, and aromatics, as well as intermediate chemicals, such as styrene monomer, propylene oxide, solvents, detergent alcohols, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Royal Dutch Shell plc was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands.

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Resolute Forest Products Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates in the forest products industry in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Market Pulp, Tissue, Wood Products, and Paper. The Market Pulp segment offers virgin and recycled bleached kraft pulp, which is used to make a range of consumer products, including tissue, packaging, specialty paper products, diapers, and other absorbent products. The Tissue segment provides various tissue products, such as recycled and virgin paper products for the away-from-home and retail markets; and sells parent rolls. The Wood Products segment produces construction-grade and spruce-pine-fir lumber products, wood chips, bed frame components, finger joints, and furring strips for pulp and paper mills, as well as I-joists for the construction industry. The Paper segment offers newsprint to newspaper publishers, as well as to commercial printers for a range of uses comprising inserts and flyers. This segment also provides various uncoated mechanical papers, including supercalendered and white papers, as well as uncoated freesheet papers to commercial printers, direct mailers, publishers, catalogers, and retailers. Its specialty papers are used in books, retail inserts, direct mail, coupons, magazines, catalogs, bags, and other commercial printing applications. This segment sells specialty papers to commercial printers, direct mailers, publishers, catalogers, and retailers. The company also produces electricity at six cogeneration facilities and seven hydroelectric dams. Resolute Forest Products Inc. is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

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U23s finish with a draw at Old Trafford

Friday, 20 April, 2018



Everton Under-23s rounded off their Premier League 2 campaign on Friday with an entertaining 2-2 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

The young Blues opened the scoring through Matty Foulds's close-range effort, before the home side equalised. Luke Garbutt's brilliant strike put the Blues in front again at the start of the second half but the Red Devils hit back to snatch a point.

Hilton, Ouzounidis, Gibson, Bramall, Garbutt (62' Hornby), Bowler, Markelo, Foulds, Denny, Sambou (82' Mathis), Broadhead (76' Tarashaj).Subs not Used: Hewelt.

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Editor's note: Dr. Terry F. Buss is a fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Public Administration. He wrote this article exclusively for Tuoi Tre News.

Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump, along with Britain and France, launched a surgical missile strike against Syrian government chemical weapons facilities in retaliation for attacks on civilian rebel populations.

Reporting and commentary on the strike in the U.S. media and internationally was interpreted in so many disparate ways that those watching or reading the news must be totally confused. What did the strike even mean?

What nearly all of the coverage had in common was a focus on Trump, much of it negative. None of it shed much light on what really happened and why.

Competing storylines

Opponents immediately complained that the missile strike was intended to draw attention away from the numerous political and personal scandals swirling around Trump.

He was bombarded in the media over scandals involving salacious sexual indiscretions, treasonous collusion with Russian intelligence to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016, and fraudulent business dealings.

Other opponents, particularly those running for president in 2020 against Trump, argued that the strike was unconstitutional and should have been approved by Congress. This is one more count against Trump for those trying to remove him from office.

Some proclaimed the strike a success: It eliminated a major chemical weapons complex. But opponents complain that Syrians could be easily reassembled the complex elsewhere; recalling that one year ago, Trump ordered chemical facilities eliminated for previous attacks on civilians. The strike wasnt a deterrent then.

Many questioned the surgical nature of the strike. Russians appeared to have been warned so they would not retaliate. Care was taken not to hit Russian or Iranian troops for fear of starting a full-scale war. Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad laughed off the attack. Secretary of Defense James Mattis went so far as to declare this a one-off attack with no follow up.

Trump is often accused of being too supportive of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Conspiracy theorists were everywhere in the news, claiming Trumps tepid missile strike was further proof of his Russian complicity. Trump did himself no favors when he reversed sanctions that had been prepared to punish Putin. In so doing, Trump undercut UN Ambassador Nicki Haley who had announced them in the UN Security Council.

For opponents, surgical strikes like this rarely, if ever, work. The retaliatory missile strike on Saddam Husseins palace in 1993 for his attempted assassination of President George H. W. Bush was followed by the gassing of Saddam opponents in northern Iraq.

Many critics opined that the Russians and Iranians were now likely to launch cyber attacks against the US. These attacks are easy to execute, difficult to defend against, and perpetrators hard to identify. This would be the price to pay for the attack. But, they note that Trump has been slow to blame Russia for its cyber activities and has not made an effective cyber defense a priority.

Numerous opponents reside in the White House and intelligence agencies. They came out in force, always covertly and anonymously after the strike. They complained of the confusion and chaos surrounding the decision making to launch an attack. Once it succeeded, critics assaulted Trump for not having a Syria strategy.

As part of the chaos, Trump earlier on announced he was pulling out of Syria. The US has 2,000 special forces troops and a massive naval and air force presence there. Then he proceeded to launch the strike. Now he plans to pull out again. To add to the confusion, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had talked Trump out of withdrawing from Syria, only to be reputed by Trump. Trumps Syrian policy changes daily.

Britain was caught up in politics as well. The storyline was to be that the US, and many nations, had united behind Britain when the Russians allegedly poisoned a former spy living in London. The missile strike was to be a united US, Britain and France initiative. But opponents turned it into an anti-Brexit story. PM Teresa May was accused of participating in the strike to draw attention away from her efforts to withdraw Britain from the European Union (Brexit). Importantly, she was not supporting Trump.

Conclusion

The Syrian missile strike illustrates in microcosm how low the news media has sunk while trying to denigrate Trump or remove him from office. The media is literally throwing everything they can against the wall hoping it will stick. Perhaps Trump and his colleagues deserve it: His global leadership approval rating, according to a Pew Center study, is only 30%. Regardless, the media and Trump are a perfect marriage for disaster.

But, the price citizens are paying in not being well-informed, even after consuming numerous news sources on multiple media, cannot be good for American democracy, especially with a president who behaves so unconventionally.

How can citizens make decisions about politics with this cacophony of conflicting, false misinformation? They cant: They are either withdrawing from politics or selectively consuming information that supports their own biases. The citizenry is deeply fragmented.

The New York Times, Washington Post, and CNN made the decision to go negative on Trump beginning in 2016. They have succeeded. The top news sources in the US, based on credible Harvard University research, shows that the reporting is nearly 95% negative.

Some might argue that were mixing hard news and commentary. But, as part of going negative, news has become increasingly slanted and opinionated, blurring the lines.

All of this is made worse by social media commentators and bias and censorship in the coverage of political events from Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google.

This needs to stop. News media needs to return to the professional journalism around before Trump and Obama.
Dany, a Belgian comic book artist known for several series of erotic joke comics, is in Vietnam on a three-day visit to exchange with local students and artists.

The visit is held within the framework of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018.

During his stay in the Southeast Asian country, Dany will hold exchange sessions with students of the Vietnam University of Fine Arts and local professional comic artists.

On this occasion, the Vietnam University of Fine Arts has organized an exhibition introducing 29 paintings by the Belgian artist.

The exhibition, running at the Hanoi-based university's campus from April 20 to May 5, opens from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Visitors watch Dany's works at the exhibition in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Dany, whose real name is Daniel Henrotin, was born in 1943 in Belgium. He started his first comic book series in 1968.

The artist is famous for the adult comic book series Olivier Rameau. The dream land he built in Olivier Rameau resembles Oz in the works of writer L. Frank Baum, or Alice in the Wonderland of Dany Lewis Carroll.

Dany's works are always full of energy and humor, and depict the typical European comic style.

In the late 1970s, he produced more realistic drawings while in collaboration with writer Jean Van Hamme.

This included Histoire sans heros ("Story Without a Hero") in 1977, which was a one-shot adventure story about the survivors of a plane crash trying to find a way out of a dense South American jungle. It obtained critical success and reached a wide audience.

But his main commercial success came in 1990 when he started a series of erotic joke comics.

In 2007, he received the Saint-Michel Prix, the second-oldest comic award in Europe still presented, in Best Artwork category.

Below are some of Dany works:
Vietnam always attaches importance to strengthening and expanding the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with Myanmar, Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong said as he received visiting Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in Hanoi on Friday.

The Party leader spoke highly of the development of Vietnam-Myanmar relations in recent years and expressed his hope that the state counselors visit will mark a milestone in the friendship and cooperative ties between the two countries, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also Myanmars Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Presidents Office, was making her first-ever visit to Vietnam from April 19 to 20, aiming to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

The visit took place at a time when political trust and cooperation has increased between the two nations.

General Secretary Trong welcomed the results of the earlier talks between the Myanmarese leader and Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, suggesting that the two sides foster cooperation in all areas, particularly trade, investment and cultural exchange.

Vietnam and Myanmar should also establish stronger ties within ASEAN and regional and international forums for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, he added.

The visiting leader responded by expressing her pleasure to pay her first-ever official visit to Vietnam and to witness the countrys great socio-economic development under the leadership of the Party, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

The state counselor highlighted similarities between the two nations and affirmed that Myanmar will closely work with Vietnam in maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and in building a united and strong ASEAN Community.

She stressed that Myanmar wants to boost comprehensive cooperative relations with Vietnam in all levels in the time ahead, particularly the exchange of high-level visits.

Vietnam and Myanmar set up diplomatic ties on May 28, 1975 and elevated their ties to the level of comprehensive cooperative partnership during a state visit to Myanmar by General Secretary Trong in August 2017.
The 43-year-old donor, from the southern province of Ba Ria  Vung Tau, sustained traumatic brain injury after the accident when he was commuting in the neighboring province of Dong Nai on April 5.

The victim was declared brain dead shortly after being rushed to the Dong Nai General Hospital.

As brain death is considered legal death in Vietnam, his family members made an informed decision to donate the mans organs for patients in need.

Doctors from the Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnams leading institution in organ transplant, arrived in Dong Nai the same day to receive the donated organs, including his heart, kidneys and corneas.

Transplant surgeries were done the same evening to save a female patient with myocardial dilation, a kind of heart failure, and two female patients with end-stage renal disease.

Two other female patients with corneal ulcer also received corneal transplants at a later date, saving their vision.

All organ recipients have recovered from their respective operations and are in stable health, Cho Ray doctors said at a press briefing on Friday.

Relatives of the patients who received the organs also paid respect to the donor at the meeting.

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Read whats in the news today, April 21!

Politics

-- Vietnams Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong on Friday received Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counselor of Myanmar, during the latters official visit to Vietnam and discussed with the Myanmarese diplomat about bilateral trade prospects.

Society

-- Ho Chi Minh City police on Friday arrested Nguyen Van Tung, former director of Hung Thanh Company, developer of the Carina Plaza apartment complex where a fire killed 13 last month, on suspicion of violating fire safety regulations.

-- Land owners on Phu Quoc Island off southern Vietnam are being drawn into a real estate fever as they divide vast areas of farmland into smaller plots and sell for profit despite warnings from authorities and experts.

-- The administration of Quang Ngai Province in central Vietnam is raising eyebrows as it wants to relocate a planned border guard station to free up space for a resort project developed by scandalous realty conglomerate FLC Group.

-- The police chief of Da Nang City in central Vietnam has denied rumors that a luxury villa he owns in the citys Son Tra District had been a gift from Phan Van Anh Vu, aka Vu nhom, a mafia boss who had been arrested for links to multiple land management violations involving former Da Nang leaders and top military officials.

-- Six Vietnamese fishermen have been saved and brought to safety after their ship was attacked by a Chinese vessel early Friday morning and sank near the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands in the East Vietnam Sea.

-- A former journalist in Vietnam has been sentenced to three years behind bars for extortion of property, after he pleaded guilty to blackmailing the director of the Department of Planning and Investment in Yen Bai Province in northern Vietnam and another individual.

Business

-- Nearly 99 percent of residents in Vietnams rural areas have been connected to the national power grid following an investment of VND40 trillion (US$1.76 billion) by state-run Vietnam Electricity (EVN) group over the past decade to develop electricity infrastructure in the areas.

-- Vietnamese ride-booking application VATO has encountered technical issues in recent days after upgrading from an older version, leaving users unable to find a driver, CEO Tran Thanh Nam admitted, promising to have the issues fixed by May.

-- Vietnam wants South Korea to create favorable conditions for its agricultural exports as the countries target bilateral trade of $100 billion in 2020, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Le Quang Manh said at a Vietnam-Korea business forum in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday.

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Le Van Tam, director of the Da Nang police department, was accused in a Facebook post that went viral this week of owning a 1,000-square-meter villa valued at around VND100 billion (US$4.4 million) at the Euro Village villa complex in Son Tra District.

The owner of the post, a Da Nang-based journalist, questioned whether the police chief had received the high-class residence as a gift from Phan Van Anh Vu, aka Vu nhom, who was arrested in January over allegations of revealing state secrets, tax evasion and abuse of power.

Tam has denied the accusations, though confirming with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that he owns a villa at Euro Village.

I do own a villa there and the place is registered under my name, but what has been reported online is not true, Tam said.

Journalists have the rights to report on their findings, but they will be held accountable if the findings are false.

The police chief said authorities are already looking into the case and the journalist responsible for the Facebook post will face disciplinary actions from his newspaper if he is found at fault in the spreading of false information.

Le Van Tam was appointed police chief of Da Nang on May 21, 2015.

Born in 1975, Phan Van Anh Vu is business tycoon known for owning different companies and multiple pieces of prime real estate in Da Nang.

He is linked to a high-profile case of land management violations in the central resort city that also involves, among many, two former Da Nang chairmen and a former deputy chief of intelligence under the Ministry of Public Security.

Vu had tried to escape from charges in Singapore in January but was later deported by the city-state, upon which he was arrested by Vietnamese police.
Nguyen Van Tung was taken into custody for fours month, accused of violating fire safety regulations at the three-block apartment complex in District 8, police said later the same day.

The former director was arrested while he was attending a companys meeting at Hung Thanh headquarters in the southern metropolis, as police officers searched the office for documents relevant to the case.

Police have also initiated legal proceedings against him on charges of violating fire safety regulations that led to serious consequences.

A predawn fire occurred on March 23 in a basement located between two apartment blocks A and B, sending toxic smoke up upper floors due to fire doors at all floors being left wide open.

Thirteen people were killed and nearly 100 others were hospitalized in the blaze, which also destroyed hundreds of cars and motorbikes parked in the basement.

No fire alarm was sounded during the entire incident, as residents went door to door to tell others to evacuate.

Nguyen Van Tung, former director of Hung Thanh Company, developer the Carina Plaza apartment complex in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, is seen in this photo posted on social media.

Ho Chi Minh City police launched legal proceedings into the case on March 26, after having collected enough evidence to suggest there was a criminal offense in fire safety.

Investigators have found that the Carina Plaza developer, Hung Thanh Co., had managed to pass several fire safety inspections with borrowed equipment. Local fire authorities just failed to detect that the apartment complex lacks requisite measures to prevent or extinguish a fire, according to the investigators.

The company was also found to have neglected regular maintenance of the fire safety systems at Carina, leading to their non-function during last months fire with grave consequences.

Tung, as director of Hung Thanh at the time of the incident, was responsible for these violations, according to police.

Police are still investigating to see if other individuals and entities are also to blame for the fire.

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A pick-up truck driver apparently lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a row of motorcyclists waiting for the traffic lights at an intersection in Ho Chi Minh City, killing two and injuring several others on Saturday.

The fatal accident took place a few minutes past midnight near the Nguyen Huu Canh-Nguyen Binh Khiem intersection.

The truck was speeding toward the intersection, when it swerved to the left, mounting the median strip, crossing into the opposite lane before crashing into multiple motorbikes at the traffic lights.

The pick-up truck was rolling over before hitting the motorcyclists, one eyewitness said.

The witness added that many motorbike drivers were seen lying on the ground following the crash that eventually claimed two lives.

I could have been killed had the truck not crossed into the opposite carriageway, he added.

The pick-up truck was heavily distorted, while four other motorbikes were broken following the crash. Several trees and the traffic light post at the intersection were also damaged.

Local police are working to investigate the cause of the accident.

The rear parts of the pick-up truck are broken and dented. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A motorbike damaged in the crash. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Two motorbikes damaged by the truck are seen at the scene. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Several trees are also damaged. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A distorted pick-up truck and two broken motorbikes are seen after a crash in Ho Chi Minh City on April 21, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre
Statistics that nearly 18,000 metric tons of plastic waste are generated in Vietnam on a daily basis was one of the alarming messages delivered at an event held to observe the Earth Day in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

On average, one Vietnamese produces around 1.2kg of waste per day, and "16 percent of them is plastic," Quach Thi Xuan, director of Da Nang Centre for Consultancy on Sustainable Development, said at the seminar held by the Consulate General of the United States in Ho Chi Minh City.

Supposing that Vietnamese population is 100 million, the amount of waste generated every day will be 100 million, the amount of waste would be 120,000 metric tons, and 19,000 of them is plastic, Xuan told the event, titled Earth Day: Fish or plastic  Whats your lunch made of?

In reality, Vietnams population just reached 93.7 million last year, according to statistics by the General Office for Population and Family Planning under the Ministry of Health.

This means Vietnamese people are generating nearly 18,000 tons of plastic waste a day.

The expert added that only a small proportion of plastic waste in Vietnam has been recycled, and the rest still exists in the environment, particularly makes all the way to the ocean.

Trash instead of fish

Many recent studies have pointed out a scary prediction that if no action is taken, there will be more trash than fish in the ocean by 2050.

In Vietnam, the coastal line provides livelihood for millions as well as food security for the whole country.

In my opinion, plastic pollution in Vietnam is really serious, Xuan claimed.

The expert warned that plastic is leading to dead zones that are killing aquatic stock many people depend upon.

For instance, Vietnam has recorded cases involving sea turtles died from being trapped in fishing net or eating plastic waste, she said.

U.S. Consul General Mary Tarnowka speaks at the event in Ho Chi Minh City on April 19, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Another speaker at the event, Linh Nguyen, country manager of the Environment and Development Action in Vietnam (ENDA Vietnam), said, citing a World Bank study on waste classification in 109 countries, that Vietnam is the 17th-biggest plastic waste producer.

Moreover, Vietnam also emits twice more plastic waste in comparison with other low income countries.

Statistics that Vietnam is among the top five countries with the biggest plastic waste volume thrown into the ocean, with 1.8 billion metric tons per year, was also cited at the event as a call for action to change.

The accumulation of marine debris is a human-made problem that requires a human solution, U.S. Consul General Mary Tarnowka said at the seminar.

It is indeed a sad day when the accumulation of waste in our ocean has grown so large that we actually have a proper name for this area  the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is currently six times bigger than Vietnam with 90 percent made of plastic waste, according to David Saiia, co-founder of Rescue Everything Institute, an organization dedicated to technology for full life-cycle solutions for plastic waste.

Photo: A pile of waste is seen at the Bui Vien - Tran Hung Dao intersection in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

3Rs and 5Rs

A simple and practical solution for the problem is 3Rs which stands for Reduce  Re-use  Recycle.

Do you need an extra plastic bag at the supermarket? Or can you bring your own? Do you need a plastic cup and straw at the bubble tea shop? Or can you bring your own mug? Do you reuse plastic bags or throw them away? Tarnowka gave out a bunch of questions, which she said everyone should ask themselves.

Michael Burdge, co-founder of Zero Waste Saigon, a social group and network working on solutions to decrease plastic consumption, also offered his powerful tool for people at the event.

When you order your water, say no plastic straw, he said, expressing the small action can lead to bigger change.

Refuse, as Burdges method, is also a step that extends 3Rs to 5Rs including Refuse - Reduce - Re-use - Recycle  Rot.

However, according to the environmentalists, the waste processing system in Vietnam has not been synchronized, leading to a reduction in the efficiency of waste classification.

In many places, sanitation workers will also mix up classified waste and put all on garbage truck.

Besides educating to raise peoples awareness, there is still a need of governments regulation on plastic waste.

ENDA Vietnams country manager gave an example about the helmet regulation in Vietnam.

At first when the regulation took effect, people obeyed because they were afraid of traffic police, but now if we ask why people wear helmet, their answer would be to protect myself, she addressed.
Nguyen Ba Truong Nam, a police officer in the north-central province of Nghe An, has been unknowingly living with an unusual gift left inside his body by a criminal he once chased after for more than a decade.

In 2007, Nam, an officer of the Nghe An police department, was trying to capture a fleeing criminal when he was aggressively fought back.

The lawbreaker managed to stab the 34-year-old officer in his head, shoulder, and back.

Nam was later hospitalized to treat his severe injuries.

Even though it has been 11 years since the incident, with all his wounds healed, the policeman had not known that the blade of the knife remained in his body, until recently, when he suffered serious pains in his back.

Following a health checkup, Nam was stunned to see x-ray images showing that knife blade, measuring 13 centimeters long, was there just over his spine.

The 13 cm-long blade is heavily oxidized. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The police officer underwent a surgery at the Nghe An Friendship General Hospital, when doctors successfully removed the metal, already oxidized heavily, from his body.

The was located at a sensitive area near the abdominal aorta and could have moved toward the aorta and killed Nam if he had carried out heavy exercises, doctor Hoang Kim Tuan, who performed the surgery, said on Friday.

The officer is currently in stable conditions and recovering well.
Three days ago, Barbara Bush passed away in the city of Houston, Texas, at the age of 92. There has been an outpouring of support from the political figures of the US. Bush was the former First Lady of the United States as the wife of former US President George H.W. Bush, a few years before her son George W. Bush took the same office. So, as both a wife and a mother, she was very successful. Her funeral is currently being planned and many US officials will be in attendance, but the most important one  sitting President Donald Trump, a member of the Bush familys prized Republican Party  wont be.

To be fair, Trump has some very good reasons for skipping out on the funeral. While he did say that he believed the ex-First Lady was a wonderful, wonderful person, he said that he was worried about all the added security that would come along with him to the funeral. Whenever the President goes anywhere, there are Secret Service agents everywhere, and hes worried that with all of them around, it might either disturb the funeral service at St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston or otherwise be seen as a sign of disrespect. This problem isnt true and may not be his full reasoning for bowing out of his expected funeral attendance, but thats the line, anyway.

According an official statement released by the White House staff, the President will be missing the funeral in order to avoid disruptions that may be caused by all the extra security that would follow him to the event.

They said that the President will miss the funeral out of respect for Barbara Bush and the family that she leaves behind. Instead, Trumps wife and current First Lady Melania Trump will be going to his place to represent the family at her predecessors memorial service.

Trump has tangled with the Bush family in the past

The relationship between Trump and the Bush family is not as simplistic or black-and-white as, well, the belong to the same political party and they have three Presidencies between them.

There are some subtle tensions between the two families. For starters, Trump was running against the Bush familys very own Jeb Bush in the campaign for the 2016 primary elections for the Presidential candidacy. These elections decide who gets to run in the Presidential election race for the Republican Party, and obviously, the Celebrity Apprentice host beat the guy whose father and brother have both been the President of the United States before.

Thats where the tensions between the Trump family and the Bush family began.

Still, Trump appears to be letting bygones be bygones (although perhaps the Bush family will not be as forgiving) with the family in the wake of their beloved matriarchs passing. In the days since she died, the President has been remembering her very fondly. At a press conference delivered from his infamous Mar-a-Lago resort (where he seems to have spent more time during his tenure in the White House than the White House itself), he described the late First Lady Bush as a woman of proud patriotism and profound faith.

Bush, Sr. called Trump a blowhard

While Trump may be willing to set his feud with the Bush family to one side, they dont seem to be ready to return the favour.

George H.W. Bush, the husband of the late First Lady who used to be the President himself, has called the current President a blowhard, while his son George W. Bush, the son of the late First Lady, who also used to be the President himself, was quoted as saying that Trump doesnt know what it means to be President. So, maybe theyre glad that hes bowing out of attending the funeral. It might be a win-win situation.
Three days ago, former First Lady of the United States Barbara Bush passed away at the age of 92 in the Texan city of Houston. In the days since, the other members of the Bush family  including former Presidents of the United States, George, Sr. and George, Jr., and the little engine that could, Jeb Bush  have spoken out to express their mourning and also offer thanks to those who have offered them condolences.

Donald Trump called Barbara a wonderful, wonderful woman

Current US President Donald Trump said that he and his wife, current First Lady Melania Trump, join the rest of America after the passing of Melanias predecessor in celebrating the life of Barbara Bush. Meanwhile, past President Barack Obama (a member of the Democratic Party and therefore politically opposed to the Bush family) and his wife Michelle (also a former First Lady, of course) released a statement in which they remembered Barbara Bush fondly as the rock of a family dedicated to public service.

Bill Clinton, also a former US President and a Democrat and therefore a Bush rival, has praised Barbara as a remarkable woman, and said that both he and his wife Hillary  who, as you may remember, ran against Trump in the 2016 Presidential election  are mourning her loss. Death brings two opposing political parties together, apparently.
* Company to split into two in June

* UK wealth arm to list as Quilter

* Rest to have primary list in South Africa (Adds CEO comment, share price, CEO bonus)

By Carolyn Cohn and Simon Jessop

LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - Old Mutual (Other OTC: ODMUF - news) said on Friday that the next stage of a planned break-up of the Anglo-South African financial services group would take place in June with the listing of its emerging market and UK asset management units.

The listings will see shareholders receive one share in new UK wealth management company Quilter and three in Old Mutual Limited for every three Old Mutual shares currently held.

Old Mutual has been working towards a break-up since 2016 after deciding that regulatory changes had made the firm too complex to run, and has already sold out of its U.S. fund arm.

"There were four good businesses that did not need to be held together in a group structure," Old Mutual Chief Executive Bruce Hemphill told Reuters by phone, adding that the firm's share price had been suffering from a "conglomerate discount".

Old Mutual's shares, which have been trading close to multi-year highs on prospects for a break-up, closed little changed at 242.6 pence.

The next stage of the break-up will see the Old Mutual Wealth unit spun out and renamed Quilter, with a listing in London and Johannesburg, while the rest of the company, which includes the emerging markets unit, will list a day later in Johannesburg and London as Old Mutual Limited.

Under the Quilter demerger, existing Old Mutual shareholders will receive 86.6 percent of Quilter and up to 9.6 percent will be placed with institutional investors. The rest would be held on behalf of management and staff.

The fourth step of the company's break-up plan will take place six months later and see Old Mutual Limited separate out its stake in South African lender Nedbank, by distributing 32 percent of Nedbank's stock to Old Mutual Limited shareholders.

After that, Old Mutual Limited will retain a minority stake of 19.9 percent in Nedbank, it said.

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Old Mutual is aiming for "material completion" of the break-up by the end of 2018. Hemphill stands to receive a bonus of up to 1,000 percent if it completes on schedule.

The Old Mutual break-up comes as other insurers and asset managers such as Prudential (SES: K6S.SI - news) and Standard Life Aberdeen are also changing their structures to become more competitive.

The plan also follows an agreement by Old Mutual to sell part of its asset management arm, Old Mutual Global Investors, to private equity firm TA Associates and management for 600 million pounds.

Bernstein analysts valued Old Mutual Wealth at 2.8 billion pounds excluding Old Mutual Global Investors. (Reporting by Simon Jessop and Carolyn Cohn Editing by Susan Fenton)
Switzerland may be in the heart of Europe 8,000 miles away, but king Mswati III has finally had enough of people confusing it with his own country, Swaziland.

So in a move that will cause cartographers a few sleepless nights, the absolute monarch changed his countrys name with a flick of the pen - to eSwaitini, the country's precolonial name, which means place of the Swazis in the local language. Austrians and Australians may empathise.

Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland, he said in the city of Manzini, at celebrations that marked the 50th anniversary of independence from British rule.

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REUTERS/Stringer

African countries on getting independence reverted to their ancient names before they were colonized. So from now on the country will officially be known as the Kingdom of eSwatini, the king added, according to Reuters.

The change poses a few logistical problems. It may require revising the name of the national airline, which is called Swaziland Airlink, the currency, which bears the name the Central Bank of Swaziland, as well as the countrys internet domain name, especially as ES is already taken by Spain.

Mswati III is Africas last absolute monarch and presides over a country landlocked by South Africa and Mozambique.

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He has a reported 15 wives and although a popular ruler, he has been criticized for maintaining a lavish lifestyle while most of his countrys 1.3 million people live in poverty.

Forbes reported in 2009 that Mswaiti III was worth $200 million. In 2014, his parliament allocated the royal household $61 million. Almost two-thirds of Swazis, meanwhile, live on less than $1.25 a day in a country which has the worlds highest rate of HIV/AIDS.

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A number of African countries changed their names when they became independent. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe, Nyasaland became Malawi and Bechuanaland became Botswana.

King Mswati will hope that the nation formerly known as Swaziland will no longer be on the list of countries that confuse people.

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REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

This includes Austria, which has no kangaroos and Australia which does, Niger and Nigeria, Guinea and Equatorial Guinea, and, of course, Uruguay and Paraguay.

In 2003, former U.S. President George W Bush even confused the foreign minister of Slovakia with his counterpart in Slovenia.

Greece feels rather strongly about its neighbor long, weary campaign to call itself Macedonia, instead of the unwieldy Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in part because this has implications for each country's claim to be the birthplace of Alexander the Great. The debate has soured relations between Skopje and Athens for decades, and could have implications for the future of the entire European Union.

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A British Airways pilot allegedly tried to fly a plane while four times over the legal alcohol limit before being stopped by flight attendants, the London Evening Standard reported on Friday.

Julian Monaghan, 49, was scheduled to pilot a plane from Gatwick Airport in England to Mauritiusa 12-hour flightin January, but reportedly appeared intoxicated upon entering the aircraft. British Airways told the Evening Standard that Monaghan no longer works for the airline and that "aircraft remained at the gate until an alternative third pilot joined the flight crew."

Monaghan was arrested at the airport, which delayed the flight by two hours.

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"The Crown Prosecution Service has authorised a charge of being over the alcohol limit on board an aircraft against a former pilot," a spokesman told the Evening Standard. "Julian Monaghan, 49, a resident of South Africa, was arrested at Gatwick Airports North Terminal at about 8.45pm on Thursday January 18 on suspicion of performing an aviation function when the level of alcohol was over the prescribed limit. He is charged with having 86mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in his system. The legal limit is 20mg."

A different pilot for a Portuguese airline recently made headlines in March after he stranded about 100 passengers in a German airport by showing up visibly intoxicated. A man reported to authorities that the co-pilot was stumbling and smelled like alcohol, which caused a major delay, according to the Associated Press.

As CNN reported last year, alcohol limits for pilots vary from country to country. In the United States, for instance, the limit is a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent and there's also a requirement of eight hours between drinking and flying. For comparison's sake, the legal driving limit is 0.08 percent. But in India, for instance, any amount of alcohol in a pilot's system is illegal, according to CNN.

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Protesters blocked traffic and clashed with security forces in the Armenian capitol of Yerevan on April 20, as demonstrations against the appointment of former president Serzh Sargsyan as prime minister entered their eighth day.

Sargsyan, who served as president from 2008 to early 2018, was elected as prime minister by parliament on April 17. Critics say his election is anti-democratic and have branded it as a power-grab. In 2015, Armenia held a constitutional referendum which lessened the power of the president and gave greater power to the parliament.

The state-owned ArmenPress news agency said several roads in Yerevan were fully or partially closed due to protests on April 20.

This footage shows demonstrators wrestling with police as they attempted to make arrests. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful
By Foo Yun Chee and Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Whistleblowers may be given greater protection from reprisals when exposing fraud, tax evasion, data breaches and other misdeeds, under new rules proposed by the European Commission.

Whistleblowing has become an increasingly hot topic since two former accounting firm employees were prosecuted in 2016 for leaking data about Luxembourg's tax deals with large corporations in the so-called "LuxLeaks" affair. The conviction of one was overturned by Luxembourg's highest court this year.

Under the Commission's proposed rules, both private and public companies would be required to set up internal reporting channels and do follow-up reports, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

Such channels will have to guarantee the confidentiality of the whistleblower's identity.

The proposal would also oblige employers or authorities to prove that any lawsuits they bring are not a retaliation against the informers.

The draft says exposing wrongdoing, whether corruption, tax avoidance or public procurement, could save the bloc billions of euros.

The level of protection currently given to whistleblowers varies among the 28 EU countries, with Ireland for example considered to have good laws in place while Cyprus does not have any, according to Transparency International EU.

The proposal, which the Commission will unveil on Monday, will need approval from EU countries and EU lawmakers before it can become law.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Andrew Roche)
FILE PHOTO: Iran's national flags are seen on a square in Tehran February 10, 2012, a day before the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl/File Photo

By Arshad Mohammed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Reports of the Iran nuclear deal's imminent demise might just be premature.

President Donald Trump will decide by May 12 whether

to restore U.S. economic sanctions on Tehran, which would be a severe blow to the 2015 pact between Iran and six major powers.

Under the deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, struck the pact to try to keep Iran from building a nuclear weapon but Trump believes it has "disastrous flaws."

Even if Trump rejects a possible remedy being worked out by U.S. and European officials and decides to bring back sanctions, the key U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil sales will not immediately resume.

As a result, oil markets and companies may have some time to adjust to the prospect of fresh U.S. sanctions, and diplomats could keep trying to avert them.

There are at least two avenues potentially offering more time for talks after May 12, difficult as that may seem given that Iran has strongly warned against reviving sanctions.

The agreement has a dispute resolution clause that provides at least 35 days to consider a claim that any party has violated its terms. That can be extended if all parties agree.

And if Trump restores the core U.S. sanctions, under U.S. law he must wait at least 180 days before imposing their most draconian consequence: targeting banks of nations that fail to cut significantly their purchases of Iranian oil.

Iran has ruled out renegotiating the accord and threatened to retaliate, though it has not said exactly how, if Washington pulls out.

"Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehran's reaction to America's withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Thursday.

OIL MARKET TENTERHOOKS

Oil markets are watching the issue closely.

"This is a market that is on tenterhooks in terms of monitoring headlines out of the Middle East," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital Management, a hedge fund in New York.

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While the physical impact on oil supplies may be delayed or muted if the deal unravels, futures are expected to react sharply to a return of Iran sanctions.

Oil prices already reflect a $1 to $3 premium on the assumption that the United States may pull out of the deal and that additional sanctions may be put in place that will harm Irans ability to sell oil into the market.

If the United States opts to remain in the deal by May 12, oil prices would drop to eliminate this premium. On the other hand, if it pulls out and Iranian exports are cut, prices could climb as much as $5 a barrel.

If Trump declares that he is reviving sanctions, it is unclear whether European allies would still want to talk or whether the deal's other parties, including Iran, would accept any compromise before the sanctions actually kick in.

"It is technically feasible by virtue of having this window ... but (I) struggle to see how it would work in reality," said a European diplomat of talking beyond May 12.

The leaders of France and Germany visit Washington next week in the hopes of persuading Trump to bless an emerging fix being worked out among British, French, German and U.S. diplomats that might preserve the agreement.

DIPLOMATIC FALLOUT

The odds of the deal collapsing appear to have risen since Trump recently appointed hawkish National Security Adviser John Bolton and nominated Mike Pompeo to become secretary of state.

The end of the pact would raise tensions in the Middle East where rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran are vying for supremacy.

It could also make it harder for Trump to get North Korea to curb its nuclear programme, given that Pyongyang might conclude Washington cannot be trusted to keep its word.

Trump sees three defects in the deal: a failure to address Iran's ballistic missile programme; the terms under which international inspectors can visit suspect Iranian nuclear sites; and "sunset" clauses under which limits on the Iranian nuclear programme start to expire after 10 years.

Diplomats have cited progress on ballistic missiles and on inspections but the sunsets issue remained unresolved.

Pompeo, currently CIA director, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin - have hinted at the possibility of continuing talks, either about a fix or about a whole new deal.

"He can have it both ways by declining to extend the waivers in mid-May, and then using the six-month window to try to prod the Europeans to do more ... before sanctions actually kick back in," said a former U.S. official.

"Classic Trump - lots of sound and fury, with the door still cracked open," he said, citing fears this "would only prolong the death by a thousand cuts that is the (deal's) likely fate."

(Reporting By Arshad Mohammed; Additional reporting by Tim Gardner in Washington, Parisa Hafezi in Ankara, John Irish in Paris and Jessica Resnick-Ault in New York; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Alistair Bell)
A new global initiative has been launched by an Australian billionaire and philanthropist in a bid to help tackle rare and deadly forms of cancer.

The Universal Cancer Databank (UCD) will allow patients with rare cancersmany of which have proven too difficult for any single country or institution to addressto share their data anonymously with researchers and other patients around the world, using individual genome sequencing and profiling.

This will help connect cancer sufferers with the best treatments, while also boosting the development of new ones as scientists will be able to access the data for free. A patient donating their genomic data to the UCD may generate a match with another patient who has a similar cancer, enabling them to find out what treatments will be most effective.

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While more common cancers have seen significant improvements in care over recent decades, treatments for many rarer forms have fallen behind. In fact, rare cancers are now the cause of the majority of cancer deaths.

The UCD forms part of the Eliminate Cancer Initiative (ECI) created by Australian entrepreneur Andrew Forrest, founder of the Minderoo Foundation. He told Newsweek that the databank will become more effective as more people offer their medical information.

Data is the challenge, Forrest said. If we can collect the data, not of thousands, not of tens of thousands, but of millions of cancer patients, then we are going to navigate the human genome until we find cures.

On Thursday a former British member of parliament, Dame Tessa Jowellwho is suffering from a rare form of brain cancer known as glioblastomabecame the first patient to commit her data to the UCD.

The long-term survival rate for patients with glioblastoma, as an example, has remained largely unchanged since the 1970s, hovering at around 5%.

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Developing cures for rare cancers like glioblastoma through adaptive clinical trialstrials in which researchers can add in new drugs or combinations of therapies in response to a patients improving or deteriorating conditionhas often been stymied by small sample sizes, something the UCD will address by aggregating information from across the globe, according to Forrest.

Signing a pledge in the U.K. parliament on Thursday, Jowell urged cancer researchers and governments around the world to harness the power of patient donated data.

It is my hope that through my cancer journey and sharing of my data, we will be able to develop better treatments for cancer and speed up the discovery of new ones, Jowell said.

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SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

Forrest said his motivation for establishing the UCD was the bravery and leadership shown by patients like Tessa Jowells, whos pledge he described as the most selfless act.

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I think the end of brain cancers time has come, he added. How did this happen, it happened because I rang a lady [Jowell] and asked if shed be the founding signatory to a global development called the Universal Cancer Databank. And the energy in that ladys voice, which crackled down the phone line, was remarkable. She said 'yes, Ill absolutely be in it, I know the importance of data.'

One of the ECIs flagship projects is to eliminate brain cancer for which Forrest has already raised around $150 million dollars. The UCD itself is funded "100% philanthropically", unlike previous attempts to share and collect patient data, he said.

As part of the initiatives, the Australian entrepreneur has held discussions with health departments from the United States, the U.K. China and Australia, among other nations; as well as organizations such as the U.S. National Foundation for Cancer Research; and leading research centers like Cambridge University and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Cancer patients have demonstrated a clear desire to partner directly with researchers and share their data to help accelerate cures, Nikhil Wagle, an associate member at the Broad Institute, said in a statement. Again and again, these men and women are volunteering their medical data and their storiesand want reassurance that researchers around the world will use this information to make a real difference."

Baroness_Tessa_Jowell_Andrew_Forrest

Eliminate Cancer Initiative

Jess MillsTessa Jowells daughter, who was speaking in support of the UCDtold Newsweek that the new initiative marks the beginning of the future for the way we approach cancer.

Data belongs to the individual, it is the key to unlock the doors behind which cures to previously intractable forms of cancer exist, she said. And I know personally through the time that weve spent with other families who have a family member with glioblastoma, and other forms of cancer as well, that patients want this to happen.

This marks the beginning of a moment. We are creating a completely new paradigm where we really believe that if we unite forces internationally, globally, cancer will not be a disease that destroys families any longer, and thats the goal.

You can support the Universal Cancer Databank here.

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If you are driving down the highway next year and see a gray whale tagging along with the car in front of you, its just the new Oregon license plate. And the swimming creature pictured on the plate is one with a serious comeback story.

The upcoming design is called the Coastal Playground and will be an option available through the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles, The Oregonian reported. Depicted on the vehicle tag are a mama gray whale and her calf swimming near the states coast. Sales of the special edition plate will support Oregon State Universitys Marine Mammal Institute, which works on whale conservation.

Gray whales have a complicated history on the Pacific coast. All around the world, the animals have had certain protections since the 1930s, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Fisheries Service. The Eastern North Pacific gray whales, which live near the western American coast, were previously on the endangered species list.

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But over the years, and with significant conservation efforts, they had recovered to near their estimated original population size and were not in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of their range. The Eastern North Pacific gray whale came off the endangered species list in 1994.

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Merrill Gosho/NOAA

Scientists and other experts still monitor the whales.

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Meanwhile, the Western North Pacific gray whale population is still endangered, according to NOAA.

The Western North Pacific population remains highly depleted and its continued survival is questionable, the administration reported. This population is estimated to include fewer than 100 individuals.

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The marine mammals are massive, with their mottled gray bodies clocking in at about 50 feet long and 80,000 pounds, according to NOAAs description. These baleen whales might live as long as 80 years and tend to frequent shallow coastal waters, where aside from humans their only predator is the orca, also known as a killer whale.

Among the threats to gray whales is the commercial catching of the creatures, which greatly contributed to their depletion in the mid-19th and early 20th century and is done illegally today. They're also susceptible to collisions with ships, habitat loss and noise pollution.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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An American ISIS widow stranded in Syria is looking for a way home. Having survived three years living in ISISs self-declared caliphate, Samantha Sally and four children are now being held in Syrian-Kurdish custody.

Captured after ISISs de facto capital Raqqa fell in October 2017, Sally told CNN she wishes to return to America. With no way of travelling home independently, the fate of the family will hinge on whether the U.S. government believes Sallys harrowing story.

Sally said her husband, Moussa Elhassaniwho was killed in a drone strike in 2017tricked her into traveling to Syria to join ISISs self-declared caliphate in 2015. The couple had agreed to leave their home in Elkhart, Indiana, to start a new life in Morocco, transiting through Hong Kong so Elhassani could transfer money.

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Raqqa

BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

The family continued to Turkey for a holiday, but Sally soon found herself at a border crossing on the edge of ISIS territory. Elhassani grabbed her daughter Sarah and marched across the frontier, leaving her behind with son Matthew. To stay there with my son or watch my daughter leave with my husbandI had to make a decision. Maybe I would never have seen my daughter again ever, and how can I live the rest of my life like that?

Once they were in ISIS territory, Elhassanis behaviour deteriorated, Sally said. She became a prisoner in her home and was beaten regularly. In this time, the couple had another two children. While pregnant, Sally claimed she was imprisoned for three months by ISIS authorities for trying to escape and for alleged spying on behalf of the U.S. She said she was tortured and sexually abused while behind bars.

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All I saw was a bunch of drug-using thugs who had no place, Sally said, describing the years she spent in the caliphate. They created their own state here and called it in the name of God.

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According to a George Washington University's Program on Extremism report, around 300 Americans have attempted to join ISIS and other radical Islamist groups in Syria since 2011. Of those, 64 were successful. The report says 34 percent died overseas and 44 percent remain at large. Twelve have returned home and nine are currently in custody.

Around 30,000 foreign fighters are believed to have traveled to fight for the group, most from the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. Though many have been killed, survivors are thought to have slipped out of the country. Some have gathered in remote regions of the Iraq-Syria border that ISIS still controls.

Raqqa

DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Elhassani was often called away to fight on the front lines. To keep Sally company, he bought a 17-year-old Yazidi girl for $10,000, one of thousands captured in the ISIS advance and forced into slavery. He soon began raping the girl. He later purchased another, even younger, Yazidi slave girl for $7,500 and regularly raped her too. Later they also bought a young boy, Aham, for $1,500.

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Despite the ongoing sexual abuse, Sally said her home was a better place to be than most others. I would never apologize for bringing those girls to my house. They had me and I had them, she told CNN. In any other situation they would be locked in a bedroom and fed tea every day. And the situation I was in with them, we cooked together, we cleaned together. Drank coffee together. Slept in the same room together. I was like their mother.

The couples children grew up amidst the carnage inflicted by the caliphate and the forces trying to destroy it. Matthewher son from a previous marriage to an American soldierbecame a valuable ISIS propaganda tool, appearing in a video threatening U.S. President Donald Trump. Sally said she tried to stop the project, but was badly beaten.

It was extremely stressful and it was hard, Matthew recounted. I would have to say one word and then they would make me say another in Arabic. I never even knew Arabic before. I did not want to do it.

A deal to allow the last ISIS fighters to leave Raqqa was the familys way out. Sally claimed she was too afraid of IEDs and snipers to leave with other civilians as Kurdish forces surrounded the city.

They were detained a short time later. The family have been interrogated by the FBI but no charges have been brought nor travel arrangements arranged. I will do anything to get my kids back where they belong, Sally said. If I have to spend 15 years in prison, it's better than anything here.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Queen Elizabeth II hosted a dinner yesterday evening [Photo: PA]

Jacinda Ardern, the pregnant prime minister of New Zealand, has caught the worlds attention by wearing a traditional Maori cloak to Buckingham Palace.

During this weeks Commonwealth heads of government meeting, Ardern was swathed in a Kahu huruhuru, a Maori cloak studded with feathers.

Mark Sykes, guardian of Maori special collections at the national museum of New Zealand Te Papa, told the Guardian that traditionally, the piece is bestowed on chiefs and dignitaries to covey power, prestige and respect.

Which is why Arderns choice of clothing was a big moment for Maori people, and for women, around the world.

Praise of Arderns clothing has been circulating on Twitter as fans discuss why the moment is significant to them.

Head of government, pregnant, unmarried, wearing a Maori cloak of power, putting care for her people in the center of her message. #oldboysclub and warmongers your days are numbered. #respect @jacindaardern #womenleaders @jagodamarinic https://t.co/O4PwCDo6Yf  judith bogner (@judithbogner) April 20, 2018

To a number of people, Ardern  who is heavily pregnant  wearing the piece signifies a changeup of gender roles as a female world leader wearing a cloak that symbolises power.

Who is Jacinda Ardern?

Ardern has been New Zealands prime minister since October 2017, the countrys youngest in 150 years as she was 37 when she took office.

Shes known for openly discussing mental health, including her own struggles with anxiety, and is a big supporter of womens rights and LGBTQ issues.

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For example, shes strongly defended the right of New Zealand women to keep their plans to start a family from their employers.

Regardless of your politicial leanings, you've got to take a minute and appreciate everything this photo represents; Especially around all of us being free from toxic gender roles, and empowered to go with our hearts. pic.twitter.com/JM38tEWMaT  Suzy Cate-O (@CateOwen) April 19, 2018

Shortly after being elected to lead the Labour party, Arden was asked repeatedly if she had plans to have children by local media.

When asked if it was okay for a prime minister to take maternity leave by Mark Richardson, a host of the AM Show, she replied that it is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace. It is unacceptable, it is unacceptable.

Which, like her decision to wear a Kahu huruhuru yesterday, has gained her plenty of fans.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

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Researchers working in California have accidentally discovered a small, furry animal that no one has documented since 1986.

Scientists from the San Diego Museum of Natural History set live traps in a field in Baja California to catch rodents and monitor their populations. In four traps, they discovered kangaroo rats that they only recognized from field notes of other naturalists, written decades ago. The discovery proves that at least some of these animals have survived well after their last sighting.

Burrowing_Bettong

TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images

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The rediscovery of the San Quintin kangaroo rat, which the Mexican government marked as endangered in 1994, was seldom-seen enough that some suspected it was entirely extinct. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature currently lists them as "critically endangered (possibly extinct.)" Converting their habitat into agriculture made these bizarre creatures scarce.

The San Quintin kangaroo rat, like the other 19 species of kangaroo rat in the genus Dipodomys, is a small rodent with a long, tufted tail. Kangaroo rats get their name from their short front legs and oddly long back legs, making them able to hop around like tiny kangaroos. The scientists describe this species as larger and feistier than its relatives.

This discovery could lead to changes in conservation practices, because it means that these animals still exist and need protection.

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"Not only is this discovery a perfect example of the importance of good old-fashioned natural history field work, but we have the opportunity to develop a conservation plan based on our findings," mammalogist Scott Tremor at the San Diego Natural History Museum said in a press release.

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The museum will work with the local organization Terra Peninsular, with funding from The JiJi Foundation Fund at the International Community Foundation, to develop a conservation plan for small mammals like the kangaroo rat in the region, according to the press release.

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Stargazers should head outside the evening of April 21 if they want to catch the best glimpse of our galaxys oldest meteor shower. Although the Lyrid shower began earlier in the week, it will hit its peak before dawn on Sunday.

In order to witness the annual event, viewers should head outdoors when its dark, lie on their back, and wait at least a half hour to adjust to the darkness, Bill Cooke, lead of NASAs Meteoroid Environment Office, previously told Newsweek.

"After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patientthe show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse," NASA said.

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Those hoping to get the most spectacular view should avoid areas near cities or street lights. Additionally, when you lay down your feet should be facing east, NASA advises.

4_20_lyrid meteor shower

Ye Aung Thu/AFP/Getty Images

Although locating the Lyra constellationwhere the shower seems to originate fromcould help make the experience a more exciting one, its not necessary to find it. The meteors typically appear unexpectedly and can be seen in all parts of the sky, according to EarthSky. No binoculars or telescope are necessary.

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Its expected that as many 20 meteors will shoot across the sky each hour during the Earth Day shower. While that leaves plenty of opportunities to spot one, it falls very short to the brightest shower ever observed. In 1982, stargazers reported outbursts of as many as 100 meteors streaking across the sky per hour.

If you happen to miss the peak moment, meteors will likely be visible until April 25. However, far fewer meteors will be in the skyabout 10 to 15 per hour, according to AccuWeather. And if all else fails, you can always catch the Lyrid shower in April 2019.

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Thanks to particles left behind by the comet Thatcher, weve been able to see the spectacle for the past 2,700 years.

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Swedish DJ Avicii died Friday in Oman, a statement from his rep told Billboard. He was 28 years old. A cause of death was not immediately known, but the DJ previously suffered from pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is when the pancreas becomes inflamed. It can go away in a few days, or it can become a chronic condition, according to the National Institute of Health. Pancreatitis can cause pain in the upper abdomen on back. Sufferers might experience symptoms like nausea, fever, weight loss and rapid pulse. One of the causes is heavy alcohol use. Aviciis excessive drinking contributed to his condition, Variety reported Friday, and drinking alcohol is advised against if someone has pancreatitis.

It can be treated with pain medicines and intravenous fluids. In some cases, surgery might be needed.

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Avicii announced last year that he stopped performing in 2016. He told fans he was suffering from health complications. The Swedish DJ had his appendix and gallbladder removed two years before, Variety reported.

WE ALL REACH A POINT IN OUR LIVES AND CAREERS WHERE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT MATTERS THE MOST TO US, Avicii announced on his website last year. For me its creating music. That is what I live for, what I feel I was born to do.

Avicii

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

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Last year I quit performing live, and many of you thought that was it. But the end of live never meant the end of Avicii or my music. Instead, I went back to the place where it all made sense  the studio, he continued. The next stage will be all about my love of making music to you guys. It is the beginning of something new. Hope youll enjoy it as much as I do.

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Aviciis untimely death was announced by his publicist. "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii. He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th," his publicist Diana Baron said. "The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given."

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The declaration from Kim Jong Un was welcomed by US President Donald Trump, who said he was looking forward to his summit with the North Korean leader (KCNA/AP)

Donald Trump has hailed North Koreas announcement that it was halting nuclear and long-range missile tests as big progress.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the nations nuclear force as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead.

Pyongyang said it also plans to close its nuclear test site, although there was no clear indication if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

The announcement came days before Mr Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

While a separate meeting between Mr Kim and US President Trump is anticipated in May or June.

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

Trump took to Twitter in response to North Koreas announcement.

He said: North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Look forward to our Summit.

Later adding: A message from Kim Jong Un: North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Also will Shut down a nuclear test site in the countrys Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests. Progress being made for all!

A message from Kim Jong Un: North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Also will Shut down a nuclear test site in the countrys Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests. Progress being made for all!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

The Norths decisions to halt missile tests were made in a meeting of the ruling partys full Central Committee, which had convened to discuss a new stage of policies.

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The Korean Workers Party Central Committee declared a great victory in the countrys official byungjin policy of simultaneously pursuing economic and nuclear development.

The committee unanimously adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and groundbreaking improvements in peoples lives.

To secure transparency on the suspension of nuclear tests, we will close the republics northern nuclear test site, the partys resolution said.

The official news agency quoted Mr Kim as saying during the meeting: Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons.

We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this, the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission.

Seoul said Mr Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons.

But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearisation that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (KCNA)

South Korean scientists have questioned whether the North could continue conducting underground nuclear detonations at its mountainous test site in Kilju in the northeast due to a series of earthquakes that were likely triggered by the activity, suggesting it is too unstable for further bomb tests.

At the height of Pyongyangs standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.
Russian minister Sergei Lavrov with Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has said Moscow has plenty of evidence that Britain staged the alleged chemical attack in the Syrian city of Douma.

Mr Lavrov even claimed that chemicals made in Salisbury were used by the UK.

In an interview with the state-run Rossiya Segodnya news agency, he also alleged that the humanitarian organisation the White Helmets falsified videos showing people suffering the after-effects of the gas attack in the Syrian city.

He accused the rescue organisation of terrorist links.

Also, just recently, our defence ministrys troops liberating Douma found a stockpile of chemicals produced in Germany, Porton Down and Salisbury, among others, Mr Lavrov said.

Experts are now analysing the substances found there.

The attack on 7 April was the trigger for US, UK and French air strikes in Syria.

Theresa May has said there is irrefutable evidence that the Assad regime was responsible for the deadly atrocity.

Assad and his ally Russia have both denied that this is the case.

Two men ride a motorbike along a destroyed street in Douma (Getty Images)

The British ambassador to the UN warned earlier today that there is a possibility that Russia has tampered with evidence of the alleged chemical gas attack.

Karen Pierce said all the facts had not yet been established, and that Russia and Syria should allow inspectors to visit the site.

The visit to the area by inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been put on hold after a team came under small arms fire and returned to Damascus earlier this week.

Ms Pierce, speaking to the Associated Press, said: We do look to the Russians and the Syrians to uphold the promises they made to the Security Council last week that the inspectors would be allowed in, that they would be escorted, that they would be safe and that they could have free access.

Speaking last weekend, Prime Minister Theresa May said there was no practicable alternative than to use force to deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime.

She added: This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change.
By Lisandra Paraguassu

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Half of the nations belonging to Unasur, a South American bloc set up a decade ago to counter U.S. sway in the region, have decided to suspend their membership, a Brazilian official told Reuters on Friday.

The governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Paraguay believe the bloc has been rudderless under the current rotating presidency of Bolivia, according to a statement sent to Brazilian ministers, seen by Reuters.

Bolivia's Foreign Minister Fernando Huanacuni said the six were only pressuring for a quick turnover in presidency and stressed they were not abandoning Unasur. Bolivia will call an emergency meeting to solve disputes in the bloc, Huanacuni added in an interview with state media.

Unasur was created in 2008 when leftist populism advocated by the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez was at its strongest in South America. But in recent years, the bloc has been paralysed by divisions as centre-right governments have risen to power in several countries.

"Unasur works by consensus but the differences between its members' political and economic views are so great it can no longer operate," said a Peruvian diplomat who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Chavez and other leaders set up Unasur to create a regional economic and political union that ultimately struggled to gain momentum.

Unasur sought to bypass the Washington-based Organisation of American States (OAS), which leftists considered a tool for promoting U.S. policy in Latin America.

Venezuela's economic collapse and political turmoil post-Chavez has divided the region. At the OAS Summit of the Americas in Peru last week, the United States joined Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Paraguay in condemning Venezuelan elections next month that they say will cement a dictatorship under President Nicolas Maduro.

Efforts to build consensus behind strongly worded condemnations of Venezuela have run into resistance from Caracas' left-leaning allies such as Cuba and Bolivia, as well as Caribbean nations that have benefited from Venezuela's subsidized oil.

The remaining active Unasur members are Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Guyana and Suriname.

(Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Additional reporting by Daniel Ramos in La Paz and Marco Aquino in Lima; Writing by Anthony Boadle and Mitra Taj; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Sandra Maler)
A boy walks along a damaged street at the city of Douma in Damascus A boy walks along a damaged street in the city of Douma in Damascus, Syria, April 16, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki

By Tom Perry and Suleiman Al-Khalidi

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian rebels began withdrawing from an enclave northeast of Damascus on Saturday and will go to northern Syria, state TV and a rebel official said, in a surrender agreement that marks another victory for President Bashar al-Assad.

The withdrawal will restore state control over the eastern Qalamoun enclave, some 40 km (25 miles) from Damascus.

Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, is seeking to wipe out the last few rebel enclaves near Damascus, building on momentum from the defeat of the insurgency in eastern Ghouta, which had been the last major opposition stronghold near the capital.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said a fact-finding mission collected samples on Saturday at an eastern Ghouta site where an alleged chemical weapons attack took place on April 7. The mission arrived in Damascus a week ago.

France and the United States have accused Russia of obstructing access to the site, where medical relief agencies say dozens of people were killed. The alleged attack led rebels to give up the last town they held in eastern Ghouta.

Russia and Damascus say the attack, which triggered Western missile strikes on Syria, was fabricated.

State TV said rebel fighters and their families would be transported from eastern Qalamoun to Idlib and Jarablus, a rebel-held territory at the border with Turkey, with 3,200 militants and their families expected to leave on Saturday.

The spokesman for one of the rebel groups in eastern Qalamoun said the insurgents had agreed to the deal after intensified Russian shelling killed six people in areas near the town of al-Ruhaiba earlier this week.

"This made the Free (Syrian) Army factions sit at the negotiating table with the Russian side and an agreement was reached the most important articles of which are the surrender of heavy weapons and the departure of fighters to the north," Said Seif of the Ahmad Abdo Martyr brigade said.

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A first convoy of 10 buses had left Ruhaiba and was being searched in a nearby area before continuing to the north.

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION

Meanwhile, the Syrian military and its allies pressed the bombardment of a besieged enclave south of Damascus.

State TV footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the al-Hajar al-Aswad district, part of an enclave including the Palestinian Yarmouk camp that is held by Islamic State and other jihadist groups.

A commander in the regional military alliance that fights in support of Assad said jihadist positions were being targeted with all types of weapons. "Daesh positions are being targeted by Syrian army helicopters," the commander added, using an acronym for Islamic State.

UNRWA, the U.N. agency that cares for Palestinian refugees, has said it is deeply concerned about the fate of civilians including some 12,000 Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk and the surrounding areas.

"Displacement continues with people moving to the neighbouring area of Yalda ... to escape the fighting. Some families are staying in Yarmouk, either because they cannot move due to the intensity of fighting or because they choose to remain," UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said.

"We don't have any numbers on how many people have moved but the humanitarian situation of those in both Yarmouk and Yalda is intolerable."

Although the conquest of eastern Qalamoun and the enclave south of Damascus will leave just one remaining besieged rebel enclave, north of the city of Homs, large parts of Syria at the borders with Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Iraq remain outside Assad's control, however.

Anti-Assad rebels hold a chunk of territory in the southwest and the northwest, and Kurdish-led militias, backed by the United States, control an expanse of northern and eastern Syria.

(Reporting by Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman and Maria Kiselyova in Moscow and Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by William Maclean and Alexander Smith)
Despite the important job they do, wages for people working in childcare tend to be low. These workers earn less than the average wage across all UK employment sectors and barely half that of qualified teachers.

In the latest government provider survey, it was found almost 20% of day nursery workers in England earn less than the national living wage  including 10% of those aged 25 and over.

In contrast, qualified teachers working in state nursery schools, childrens centres or state primary nursery classes receive nationally agreed pay and employment conditions.

This is partly because, since 1998 and the introduction of universal entitlement to early education for all three- and four-year-olds, early education is no longer required to be delivered by graduate teachers  except in state nursery schools and nursery classes attached to state primaries.

Instead, working with children in private sector settings  such as day nurseries, preschools and playgroups  are early childhood practitioners with a range of childcare qualifications, or none. Some may be graduates, some may be school leavers.

Low pay, low status

This matters because research into childcare quality shows a direct link between workers qualification levels, their pay and conditions and service quality. In other words, the more qualified and better paid the workers, the better the educational and care experience children receive.

Research has shown what matters to those working with young children includes competitive wages and benefits. As well as reasonable workloads, competent and supportive managers and opportunities for development. Research has also shown that a supportive environment for nursery workers can have a positive impact on childrens development and childcare quality.

All of these factors also increase the likelihood of staff retention and motivation for quality interactions with children. Yet despite this, these aspects of childcare provision are not regulated by the government and are left to be determined by the industry itself.

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Womans work?

One of the reasons for this is the gender imbalance within the workforce. Childcare is still seen as womans work, and is often undervalued. Men form only 3% of the UK childcare workforce.

Attempts to change this dynamic  by emphasising the educational dimension  have done little so far to raise the status of English childcare practitioners. This is despite the fact that childcare workforce qualification levels have been steadily rising and an independent review recommended that graduate childcare practitioners should have the opportunity to become qualified teachers.

Instead, the government has offered graduates interested in working with young children various training pathways. But these dont offer the same packages that qualified teachers get  such as better pay and conditions, as well as improved career prospects. Unsurprisingly, enthusiasm for such training routes has proved limited and many courses have closed.

International perspectives

Nordic countries, on the other hand, have much smaller pay differentials within their early years workforce and the job is much more respected. Statistics from a 2017 report show that Denmark has achieved the best gender balance within its early years workforce. Here, 13% of staff are male.

Across the age range, well paid early years teachers in Denmark work alongside assistants  whose training differs from schoolteachers. As early childhood is viewed as a distinct life stage, the childcare system is also completely separate from the school system.

Similarly in Germany, the early years workforce is much less of a hierarchy. Most of those working with children under six have a three-year post-secondary qualification  only 4% are qualified to degree level. And in France, even childminders have their basic pay and conditions regulated by government.

Affordable childcare

In other EU countries, parents fees for nursery are income related, or waived for the poorest. Price capping is also used to keep childcare affordable.

In Finland, the state still provides completely free childcare. And in many countries, governments cover more than 80% of the direct costs. Compare this with early years spending in the UK which is more than 20% lower  and considerably lower than even the OECD average. In fact, the UK and Japan are the only OECD member states where 50% of early years spending comes from private sources  such as parental income.

In the UK, funding for early education is paid directly by the government to state schools, academies and private childcare businesses. Parents then have to pay all additional childcare costs upfront. For a child under two spending 25 hours a week in a day nursery, parents can pay anything from 100 up to 154.

Although some parents can then claim part of these costs back  through the benefits or tax credit systems  this forms a huge barrier. Particularly so for parents in irregular or self-employment. It also deters childcare businesses from raising fees further to invest in their workers.

Baby steps

A recent government report said this was a fundamental design flaw and one that was in urgent need of rectification. It was hoped that the recent roll-out of the 30 hours of free childcare for three- and four-year-olds of working parents would help to change matters  and make childcare more accessible and affordable.

But given that the free childcare initiative requires a significant expansion of the early years workforce, this may be tricky. Without improving training, pay and employment conditions, the chances of creating a high quality, equitable and sustainable childcare system seem remote.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Eva Lloyd has carried out research for the Department for Education and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Is death planet NIbiru coming to kill us all again? (Getty)

Good news, everyone, the world isnt going to end on Monday  instead, the end has been postponed at least until May, or possibly later in the year.

Thats straight from the mouth of David Meade, the Christian conspiracy theorist who has repeatedly predicted the beginning of the end times and the arrival of a mythical death planet Nibiru.

But Meade describes reports that the world will end on Monday April 23 as fake news, according to the Guardian.

Meade says that The Rapture  when Jesus returns to save the faithful  will in fact begin between May and December.

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After that, therell be seven years of tribulation followed by 1,000 years of peace and prosperity  THEN the world will end.

He said, So the world isnt ending anytime soon  in our lifetimes, anyway.

David Meade has a long history of statements about the end of the world  having written 14 books on the subject including Planet X: the 2017 arrival.

He builds on a long tradition of conspiracy theorists waffling about Planet X.

Nibiru (or Planet X) was widely predicted to hit our planet in December 2016, and before that in April 2016, and December 2015.

David Meade has repeatedly predicted the end of the world (David Meade)

Are you seeing a pattern here?

Prior to that, it was predicted to smash into our planet to coincide with the Mayan apocalypse in 2012  and before that, Nancy Lieder, an American website writer who claimed to have an alien implant in her brain, predicted it would destroy the world in 2003.

Nibiru does not exist. It has never been seen on any telescope, and no credible scientist has ever confirmed its existence.

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NASA has thoroughly debunked the Nibiru myth via its Beyond 2012 page, saying, Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims.

If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye.

Soviet-born American writer Zecharia Sitchin first wrote about Nibiru in his hit 1976 book The 12th Planet where he claimed it was inhabited by a race of ancient aliens  the Annunaki  who had created the human race.

Sitchins work remains in print and has a devoted following around the world.

Nigel Watson, author of the UFO Investigations Manual says, Zecharia Sitchin claims that Nibiru collided with a planet called Tiamat that was situated between Mars and Jupiter. The result was the creation of the asteroid belt and planet Earth.

Nibiru is populated by the Anunnaki, an advanced humanoid race, who visited Earth thousands of years to mine gold in Africa. As an outcome of needing workers to carry out these mining operations they used genetics to create Homo Sapiens.

The popularity of these type of ideas makes it certain that every new discovery by our spaceships will be be minutely studied for any evidence of Nibiru, or any other similar body that might be populated by extraterrestrials.
New Mexico mother-of-two Jennifer Riordan was partially sucked through the window of a South West Airline Plane shortly after one of the engines exploded about 20 minutes into the flight on Tuesday, in a harrowing incident witnessed by passengers.

According to CNN, a blast happened shortly after take-off, and a piece of shrapnel flew off and shattered a window next to Mrs. Jennifer Riordan and causing a violent depressurization that nearly sucked the woman out of the window of the South-West Airlines flight on April 17 and she hung out of the plane for several minutes.

What we know

This prompted a desperate effort among flight attendants and passengers to save the woman (identified as Jennifer Riordan, 43). She was a mother to 12-year-old daughter Averie and 10-year-old son Joshua, and she had been married for 21 years to her husband, Michael.

She was also an accomplished business leader who worked for Wells Fargo Bank as vice president of community relations. Mrs. Riordan had traveled to New York for a business meeting before the tragic accident.

Jennifer Riordan sustained critical injuries from nearly being sucked out of the aircraft window. However, with the joint efforts of both the flight attendants and passengers, they managed to pull her back in. Jennifer Riordan was seriously injured and would have died immediately, but a certified nurse on board managed to keep her alive long enough by giving her CPR for about 20 minutes.

The 43-year-old died shortly after she was rushed to the hospital.

Seven other victims suffered minor injuries.

There was pandemonium on board as the plane dropped by 1,000 feet per minute before the hero captain Tammie Jo Shults, a former Navy fighter pilot and one of the first women to fly an F-18, regained control of the flight and took the plane into a sharp descent and made an Emergency Landing at 11.23 AM at Philadelphia International Airport.

The passengers and flight attendants also managed to close the broken window by fitting in clothes and boxes to prevent other passengers from being sucked out as well.

The last time a passenger died in an accident on a United States airlines was 2009, when 49 people on board and one on the ground where killed when a continental Express plane crashed on a house near Buffalo, New York.

Tuesdays emergency broke a string of eight straight years without a fatal accident involving a US airliner.
Starbucks is continuing to feel the burn from an incident that unveiled an issue of racial bias at one of their coffee shops in the United States. Last week, two black men were reportedly waiting for a friend to arrive at a Philadelphia-area Starbucks. They didn't purchase anything while waiting, which led to a refusal to use the restroom. Eventually, police were called and the two men were escorted out of the building. The company has started to work on a plan to prevent that situation from ever unfolding again, but is it enough? A report by NBC News provided most of the information in this article.

What the company is doing

CEO Kevin Johnson has done his best to get ahead of the situation. He personally flew out to Philadelphia to meet with the two men who were arrested for trespassing. Meanwhile, the Starbucks employee who made the call to the police is no longer working for the company. The big announcement from the company, however, is that all Starbucks employees will undergo racial-bias training next month. The company will close the doors for every store in the nation on the afternoon of May 29, giving all 175,000 employees an opportunity to participate in a training that will combat implicit bias and prevent discriminatory acts from being proffered again.

It's the type of training that people from around the country - not just Starbucks employees - should participate in; we can't counter the biases we're instilled with if we don't even recognize their presence.

It's not enough to move the needle for the company, though.

What Starbucks needs to do

The training is an important step in the rehabilitation of Starbucks, but it does take on the airs of a publicity stunt. People will be disappointed when they can't get their Crystal Ball Frappuccino on May 29, only to remember that employees are undergoing important training, earning consumer forgiveness.

The real key to promote real change will come in the days, weeks, and months following the training.

A one-off training isn't enough for most people to make a significant change in their thinking. Instead, Starbucks should allow for paid monthly training that keeps the message fresh in the minds of its employees. They should also have high-level meetings about hiring and business practices that may not be discriminatory in nature but could provide clues for more implicit bias problems at the executive level. Starbucks is a prominent brand, one that won't be destroyed by this incident. They have a responsibility to lead the way toward a more tolerant future.
Barbara Bush, former first lady and Americas matriarch, will be Laid To Rest on Saturday in Texas. Mrs. Bush last wish was for her funeral service to be held at the St. Martins Episcopal Church, where she and her husband were devoted members. The nation will bid their final goodbye to the former first lady who has made an interesting impact on American history.

Barbara Bushs casket arrived at St. Martins on Friday, and the church invited the public to come and pay their respects from noon to midnight.

The former first lady's son, Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Susan Baker, a longtime friend of Mrs.

Bush, will be giving a eulogy of remembrance. According to CNN, many women who are attending are wearing a string of pearls around their necks. Honoring the former first ladys signature accessory.

Barbara Bush requested the funeral service to be simple.

Who will be attending the former first ladys funeral?

More than 1,500 guests from across the nation and around the world will be attending the former first ladys funeral to remember her legacy and life. Dignitaries who served under the Bush administration, such as former Senator Olympia Snowe, came to pay their respects to the American legend.

Four former presidents of the United States will be paying their respects to the former first lady.

Former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush, will be paying their respects. Along with former first ladys Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton. The Clintons daughter, Chelsea Clinton, is also attending.

President Donald Trump will not attend the former first ladys funeral service.

White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement. that First Lady Melania Trump will attend on behalf of the first family. President Trump felt his presence would disrupt security, and it is out of respect for the Bush family that he decided not to attend.

It is not an uncommon practice for sitting presidents not to attend funeral services.

In 2016, Former President Barack Obama also did not attend the funeral of former first lady Nancy Reagan, while his wife did. President Trump opposed the Bush family during the 2016 election, but offered his sincere condolences, stating that the former first lady was a wonderful, wonderful person. A titan in American life.

The burial

Barbara Bushs casket will be sent to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, where she will be buried in a family plot next to her daughter, Robin.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is taking the next steps in responding to the reported election meddling by Russia. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, the DNC is suing the Donald Trump campaign, the Russian government, and Wikileaks.

DNC sues Trump campaign and Russian government over alleged conspiracy to help Trump win election https://t.co/b1r7HRG9a5 pic.twitter.com/2liEHnh2OU  The Hill (@thehill) April 20, 2018

DNC's lawsuit

After Donald Trump pulled off his shocking upset win over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, many wondered how all the experts got their predictions wrong.

In the weeks that followed, several well-respected news outlets and government agencies concluded that not only did Russia hack into the election, but that they did so with the goal of helping to elect Trump in the process. Since then, Trump and his administration have denied any wrongdoing, often repeating the phrase "no collusion" and calling the current Russian investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller a "witch hunt."

Breaking: Democratic Party files lawsuit alleging Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks conspired to disrupt the 2016 campaign https://t.co/OwkznB9QuA  Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 20, 2018

While Donald Trump continues to claim that he never worked with Russia in their reported hacking in 2016, the Democratic National Committee thinks otherwise.

According to The Hill on April 20, the DNC has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Trump, the Russian government and Wikileaks for their role in the alleged hacking and conspiracy. First reported by the Washington Post on Friday, the DNC filed the lawsuit in a Manhattan court and is accusing the Trump campaign of working with Russia in an attempt to illegally damage former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her chances of becoming president.

In a statement by Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, "Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trumps campaign." Perez continued, labeling Trump's alleged collusion with the Kremlin to be an "act of unprecedented treachery." As of press time, neither the Trump campaign, Russian government, nor WikiLeaks have responded to the lawsuit in question.

Next up

With the DNC now filing their lawsuit, Donald Trump is facing yet another headache as president. In recent weeks, the president has been forced to deal with the ongoing Russian investigation, the fallout from former FBI Director James Comey's new book, the Story Daniels scandal and raid of Michael Cohen's office, in addition to domestic and foreign policy issues. With an approval rating hovering around just 40 percent, only time will tell what Trump does moving forward.
It has been widely reported that cryptocurrency users evade taxes. What evidence exists to support this claim? A single, incomplete report from Credit Karma. That is no evidence at all. As has been noted in the past, lack of regulatory clarity leads to impossibilities in reporting gains. Saying that all cryptocurrency users evade taxes amounts to liable. Reports by Market Watch and Forbes provided most of the information used in this article.

Mockingbird media claims crypto users evade taxes

Its interesting to note that this one misleading article appeared on dozens of different sites on April 13.

It has also been posted on a few different dates, but it appears as though this one report was disseminated in an attempt to make it appear as though cryptocurrency users evade taxes. Many thousands of people file their taxes through Credit Karma, apparently (who knew?). Even before this Tax Day, April 17, headlines were screaming about the alleged criminality of the average cryptocurrency user. Or rather, the alleged criminality of all crypto users, period.

Credit Karma had processed the tax returns of about 250,000 people as of April 15, 2017. And of that quarter-million, about 100 (0.04 percent) had reported their gains or losses from cryptocurrency transactions. Therefore, all Americans have been proven to be evading taxes due on their crypto gains, or so the story goes.

Notice the gigantic leap in logic present in this line of thinking.

Figuring out where to begin in dissecting this flawed logic is almost as difficult as determining ones tax liability for cryptocurrency transactions.

First, note the source cited for this outrageous claim. One agency that files taxes, Credit Karma, put out this insignificant report. The report included data on 250,000 people.

Assuming approximately 150 million Americans owe tax (half the population), this amounts to less than 0.2 percent of all taxpayers. Of this 0.2 percent, no mention of how many were regular cryptocurrency users was made  only that 100 out of the 250,000 had reported any gains. It could be that those 100 people were the only ones in Credit Karmas sample that had anything to report, in which case it could be said that 100 percent of crypto users always report their gains. This claim is no more or less ridiculous than the claim that all crypto users evade taxes. Both are based on pure speculation. In addition, tax season was not even over at the time of this report. Several days were still left to file.

How many people do you know that filed their returns almost a week early and used Credit Karma to do so?

There is also a MarketWatch report circulating that surveyed 2,600 cryptocurrency users. Of those 2,600, a reported 46 percent claimed they had no intention of reporting cryptocurrency gains. While this seems more credible than the Credit Karma quackery, it's still a very small sample that lacks crucial information (this article even cites that same hilarious Credit Karma report!). Of those 2,600, how many had more than $100 worth of cryptocurrency? How many made a taxable transaction? What kind of annual income did these people have? Of course, none of this information will ever be known.

The survey was conducted using an anonymous social app for tech employees. Again, there is no evidence that crypto users evade taxes. But there is certainly evidence that crypto users could be construed as b no matter what they do.

Failure to comply does not mean crypto users evade taxes

In 2014, the IRS issued guidance declaring Bitcoin to be a form of property. As such, all cryptocurrency is to be treated as property, and therefore subject to Capital Gains Tax. As Ive written previously, the prevailing regulatory landscape makes it all but impossible for most to even begin attempting to report their capital gains tax if they are required to. In addition, many who hold crypto do not owe anything under current laws.

The only taxable transaction happens when a sale of crypto for fiat dollars takes place. And thats the easy kind of transaction when it comes to reporting.

Purchases made using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Litecoin are also considered sales of property. Think about how impossible this would be to calculate if you had dozens or hundreds of purchases using crypto throughout the year. At what price do you consider to have bought the currency in question? How do you determine how much you gained, given you only sold a small portion of it? What about miner fees and exchange fees  how do those factor into the whole equation?

With one buy of a whole piece of property and one sell of the same piece of property, the math is simple.

A purchase of $1,000 worth of property later sold for $2,000 during the same year would incur short-term capital gains tax, roughly 30 percent. In other words, you would owe 30 percent on the $1,000 profit you made. Unfortunately, this is not how it works with cryptocurrency, which comes in infinitely smaller increments. If you exchanged $1,132 for 1.0 Bitcoin in January 2017, for example, and later bought an area rug on Overstock.com for $30 when the price of one Bitcoin equaled $1,573, where do you begin? What if you hadnt bought an entire Bitcoin at one price, but instead bought many smaller portions over time, all at different prices?

As you can see, things get rather complicated very fast.

A single purchase of bitcoin and a single sale for dollars would be easy to deal with. But other than that, it becomes unclear how to even start thinking about all this. Classifying cryptocurrency as property was perhaps one of the worst ways to make transactions reportable. It did, however, ensure that one of the highest taxes possible would be applied in the form of capital gains tax. It seems reasonable to assume that this was the primary motivation for such a classification, seeing as nothing else makes any sense.

There's an app for crypto sales

To be fair, there are a number of Certified Public Accountants and other legal experts that have begun tackling this issue. It's not hard to find a dependable source on the subject if you are looking for actual advice (nothing here can be construed as actionable advice - this is only an opinion piece).

There is even an app for that. Several, in fact. BitcoinTaxes, CoinTracking, and others are all dedicated services assisting people in reporting capital gains tax associated with sales of cryptocurrency. So, it can be done. In addition, Forbes has reported on some of the most popular tools to help calculate crypto transactions. Consider this - if all crypto users evade taxes, how is there even a market for apps like this?

Of course, many people who hold cryptocurrency never make a single sale for fiat, which is another reason why it's unfair to claim that crypto users evade taxes.

Capital gains tax only applies when an asset is sold. If there's no sale, there's nothing owed.

Claiming crypto users evade taxes amounts to liable

All in all, the treatment of cryptocurrency users in the mainstream press is totally unacceptable. It has reached epic levels of liable. The insinuation that anyone who participates in this monetary system must be some sort of criminal harkens back to the early days of the internet when some said cyberspace had no use outside of criminal activity. In the near future, all pundits and publications making similar statements regarding crypto and those who use it will look similarly ignorant.

Furthermore, all of this is a moot point. The Internal Revenue Service does not need your tax dollars, whether they come from capital gains tax or elsewhere (interesting side note: all 500 of the people who work at the IRS pay zero tax - they simply mark themselves as "exempt.").

Every American citizen could be taxed for 100 percent of their income and it wouldn't make a dent in the national public debt. Annual tax revenue does not provide for annual government budgets, only ever-increasing amount of debt can do that. The debt is supplied by the Federal Reserve. The Fed simply prints Federal Reserve Notes and lends them to the US Treasury in exchange for bonds. The Treasury then owes interest on those bonds. This means that the Treasury owes interest on the very currency it uses for its machinations.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush was so universally beloved that President Trump. Barack Obama, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Nancy Pelosi all united in expressing grief and condolences at her passing. She was the very personification of a grandmother, tart-tongued at times, but still brimming with compassion. However, as an English professor at Fresno State named Randa Jarrar proved, there is always a jerk ready to grab 15 minutes of infamy with the help of social media.

Randa Jarrars volcanic hate for the Bush family

Jarrar essentially called Barbara Bush an amazing racist and said that she and the elder President Bush had raised a war criminal, presuming President George W.

Bush. She also celebrated the fact that the younger Bush was likely sad about his mothers passing. When called out by numerous people who suggested she should not be allowed near young people and be fired, she boasted that she had tenured and could, therefore, say anything she wanted without fear of termination.

Fresno State now has a problem

Fresno State, to its credit, rapidly distanced itself from Jarrars remarks and expressed its condolences for Barbara Bushs death. A spokesperson also hinted that there might be a way to rid the university of Jarrars presence. However, Hot Air is likely correct that in the absence of the commission of a felony, Jarrars job is indeed safe.

Of course, the incident has sparked a renewed debate on free speech.

The high minded reaction has been that free speech covers even the most obnoxious, so Jaffar should not be made to suffer professionally. On the other hand, one does not have to imagine what would happen to any academic who would dare dance on the grave of Hillary Clinton, horrible person that she is, should she go to her reward.

Unfortunately, too many people like Randa Jarrar exist in academia, full of themselves, addled by an epic sense of entitlement, boiling with rage and hate that can never be assuaged. Her case suggests that universities should take more care about who they hire, not to speak of granting tenure to.

It is entirely possible that the problem may be solved by students and their parents.

Who would want to spend tens of thousands of dollars every year to have ones child exposed to the likes of Randa Jarrar? Enrollment may start to dry up, hitting Fresno States bottom line. Students who do go to the university would be well advised to avoid taking any of Jaffars classes. If she is capable of hating Barbara Bush, who knows how she approaches literature?
Chad Michael Murray's recent Instagram photos at the iconic Wilmington, North Carolina "One Tree Hill" landmarks have Fans buzzing. The photos set off some major nostalgia for fans who continue to hope for a reunion/reboot.

'One Tree Hill' star Chad Michael Murray teases fans

Chad Michael Murray shared some very brooding, Lucas Scott-like photos and captions, leading fans to believe he may be ready to return to Tree Hill in the near future. It is no secret that "One Tree Hill" fans still can't get enough of the former CW series. The show ended in 2012 after a long nine-season run, leaving viewers brokenhearted and wanting more.

Can we get former cast members on board?

The series ran in streaming mode for several years on Netflix, but, the network disappointed numerous subscribers last fall when they removed the series from their streaming lineup. Hulu wisely picked up the series and a good number of subscribers continue to watch the series daily. Fans have been very vocal over the years, expressing their great desire to see a "One Tree Hill" reboot/reunion in any form.

Now, thanks to Chad Michael Murray's Instagram share he has many believing he may just be ready to revive the popular series. Murray is seen in the first photo standing on the bridge seen in the series' opening credits. He captioned the photo: "I returned to the place it all started.

Feels like yesterday . . . OK, maybe not. It feels like 15 years ago I walked this bridge for the 1st time." He even added the hashtag #TheBridgeThatGuidedUsAllTogether.

He also posted another photo sitting on the porch of his TV home with #OnceAScottAlwaysAScott. Is this Chad's way of telling us he is ready to go "home" again?

Chad Michael Murray appears as if he may have time in his acting schedule to commit to such a project, but what about the rest of the cast?

Hilarie Burton appears to spending most of her time as a full-time mom to her two children with actor Jeffery Dean Morgan. As for Sophia Bush, who is best known to "OTH" fans as Brooke Davis, her latest film role in "Acts of Violence" coincidentally has her playing a detective by the name of Brooke Baker.

Could this also be a hint? When the show ended, Brooke had married and had twin sons with Julian Baker.

Nathan and Haley stars James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Lenz also appear to have some free time on their hands at this point should the group decide to get on board a new "One Tree Hill" project. Even if the series is not up for a full-on reboot, fans have expressed their desire for a compromise much like the Netflix miniseries "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life."

Such a venture could bring the Tree Hill gang back together and give fans a chance to see how everyone's lives have unfolded since the 2012 season 9 finale. Could this be what Chad Michael Murray was teasing fans with when he posted the nostalgic "One Tree Hill" photos?
Natalie Portman publicly said she will not be traveling to Israel to collect her Genesis Prize Foundation award. This caused Miri Regev, Israels Culture Minister to denounce the Hollywood actress decision to boycott the event. According to Regev, Portman is involved with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel.

No trip to Israel for Jerusalem-born Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem but said she would not travel to the awards ceremony due to recent events in Israel. Initially, Portman was not specific over the events in question.

However, the EU and UN recently demanded investigations into the fact that Israels military used live ammunition during Gaza clashes and protests. This has led to dozens being killed and hundreds of Palestinians wounded.

Portman delivers official statement about her choice not to attend

As noted by People, Portman later went on to make an official statement about her decision not to collect Israels version of an Oscar award. She said her decision had been mischaracterized and went on to say she wants to speak for herself. Natalie said she chose not to attend the ceremony, as she does not want to look like she is endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who will deliver a speech at the event.

The tide is turning! First Sarah Silverman, now Natalie Portman... Who will be the next Jewish celebrity to reject the status quo of endless occupation and repression for Palestinians?https://t.co/vRSZDIZJ7u  IfNotNow (@IfNotNowOrg) April 20, 2018

However, Portman went on to deny Regevs claim that she is involved in the BDS movement and said she does not endorse it.

She also said that, as with Jews and Israelis worldwide, she is entitled to criticize the leadership in Israel. According to Portman, while Israel was a haven for Holocaust refugees 70 years ago, the mistreatment and suffering of people from the current atrocities are not in line with her Jewish values.

Portland said she cares about Israel and that she must stand against corruption, violence, abuse of power and inequality.

She warned people not to take comments that are not directly from her mouth as being her own.

Yup, this is exactly how any normal democracy would respond to the tiniest act of dissent. https://t.co/G9TLP5esbm  Reza Aslan (@rezaaslan) April 20, 2018

Deadline reports that Oren Hazan, part of Israels Kikud party, has also condemned Portmans decision not to collect the award and went on to demand that Israeli officials revoke the actresss Israeli citizenship.

Actress originally agreed to accept the $2 million award

Sometimes called the Jewish Nobel prize, Portman initially did agree to accept it at an event in June. However, after Portmans statement, the Genesis Prize Foundation went on to cancel the awards ceremony.

In their statement, the foundation said that the actresss decision would lead to their philanthropic initiative being politicized. They went on to state that they have worked for the last five years to avoid this happening.
Chelsea Houska is halfway through her pregnancy and beginning to show signs of a major Baby Bump. Weeks after the "Teen Mom 2" star announced that she and her husband, Cole DeBoer, were expecting their third child, the second for DeBoer, Houska took to Instagram where she posted a pregnancy update on her Instagram story. Along with her photo, Houska told fans the image was her "bump update" and noted that she was "almost 20 weeks."

On March 15, Houska officially announced the news of her her pregnancy with a post to her fans and followers on Instagram, confirming that a baby girl would be joining her and DeBoer's family in "a few short months." Since then, she's shared just a couple of glimpses at her growing baby bump.

Houska is already mom to nine-year-old Aubree Houska, who she shares with ex-boyfriend Adam Lind, and to one-year-old Watson, who she shares with DeBoer.

Chelsea Houska married husband Cole not once, but twice

Chelsea Houska and Cole DeBoer welcomed their first child in January 2017, just months after tying the knot in a small ceremony near their home in South Dakota. Months later, Houska and DeBoer tied the knot in a second ceremony surrounded by several of their closest friends and family members. As fans of the show may recall, Houska initially planned just one big wedding but after learning she was pregnant with son Watson, she chose to throw a small wedding and wait until months later to celebrate with a larger ceremony when she was not pregnant.

Chelsea Houska is completely estranged from Adam Lind

Ever since Adam Lind shockingly quit his role on "Teen Mom 2" and began involving himself in a number of shocking legal issues, including arrests and custody battles, he has remained out of touch with his former girlfriend. As for their daughter, Aubree, she doesn't seem to see a whole lot of Lind these days and his youngest daughter, Paislee, doesn't seem to see her father much either.

As fans can see on Instagram and Twitter, the two children appear to spend the majority of their time with their mothers, Chelsea Houska and Taylor Halbur, as well as their mothers' husbands.

To see more of Chelsea Houska, Cole DeBoer, and their co-stars, including Leah Messer, Corey Simms, Jeremy Calvert, Briana DeJesus, Kailyn Lowry, Jo Rivera, Javi Marroquin, Jenelle Evans, and David Eason, tune in to the new season of "Teen Mom 2," season 8B, which premieres on MTV on Monday, May 7, at 9 p.m.
DEFENSE

Centralized IT management needed to cut DOD cost

NOTE: This article first appeared on FCW.com.

Eliminating supporting defense agencies may not yield the big cost-savings Congress is looking for, but consolidating IT services might.

Peter Levine, the Defense Departments former deputy chief management officer told lawmakers in an April 18 hearing on oversight of defense agencies and field activities that leadership over independent components was the root of many DOD money problems, particularly with IT services.

"The DOD CIO is supposed to be in charge of the entire DOD information enterprise, including cybersecurity, communications, and information systems," Levine said in prepared testimony before the House Armed Services Committee.

However, most of the departments communications and information systems are actually owned and operated by the individual components ... despite efforts by the CIO to institute defense-wide policies to achieve efficiencies through data center consolidation, enterprise licensing, and consolidated cloud contracts, Levine said.

Levine proposed expanding the Joint Service Provider, a Defense Information Systems Agency group that provides IT services to the Pentagon and other Capital Region facilities. JSP saved DOD more than the $31 million, and Levine said he believes a nationwide consolidation could have even greater savings.

Levine's DOD IT consolidation suggestion was somewhat of a rebuttal to a proposal by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) to cut back-office spending by 25 percent and eliminate seven supporting defense agencies  including DISA -- in the process.

Cutting clutter

Released days earlier, Thornberry's proposal featured two defense reform bills aimed at cleaning up the acquisition code and reducing costly bureaucratic spending by shuttering DISA and six other support agencies.

Thornberrys acquisition reform proposal borrowed heavily from a January report published by the Section 809 Panel, an 18-member group tasked with streamlining the defense acquisition process.

Its a decluttering of the code, Cathy Garman, a Section 809 Panel commissioner, told reporters during an April 18 media call. They are laws that are not codified, but theyre notes. And trying to read Title 10 and all of these sections is a bit overwhelming to a number of practitioners.

Additionally, DODs spending on services has grown to more than half of its total spending -- more than on weapons systems, said Section 809 Panel Commissioner, Darryl Scott, which makes the need for commercial definitions important.

Theres no guidance on commercial services, he said, so there needs to be a separation between tangible goods and services DOD buys.

Clarifying exactly what a commercial service is and exactly what the rules are will make it easier for program managers to use whats out there in the commercial market, Scott said.

The bill's goal is to eliminate unnecessary functions -- and their costs -- with vital ones being absorbed by other agencies.

For example, U.S. Cyber Command, over time, would take on DISA's functions, something Thornberry said was already "naturally" happening.

But reorganizations only do so much. John Hale, DISAs chief of enterprise applications, told FCW during a cloud event, that closing DISA wouldnt be the end of the agency's essential functions or necessarily its staff.

I dont think at the end of the day the things that DISA is doing is going to go away. The question is where in the department that stuff falls. Ultimately the missions that were providing are key to the warfighter, he said.

Additionally, slashing agencies won't necessarily cut spending enough to make a dent in the 25 percent goal, said Preston Dunlap, the national security analysis mission area executive at Johns Hopkins Universitys Applied Physics Laboratory, who also testified in front of the House Armed Services Committee April 18.

To get to that target of 25 percent, the Congress is going to have to take a careful look at what to cut and what to stop doing, Dunlap said.

Eliminating those agencies, he said, would only account for a 2 percent reduction out of the proposed 25 percent, which would require cost cutting from other services such as commissaries and base realignment and closures.
Army's massive RS3 contract gearing up for more action

The Armys massive Responsive Strategic Sourcing for Services contract is starting to pick up some momentum with over 40 task orders in the pipeline and moving toward awards.

Phase 2 awards of prime spots on the contract also are on track for October, according to Thomas Stocks, program branch chief on the RS3 contract. Stocks also is a retired Army colonel. He was the featured presenter at a Washington Technology webcast, Inside the Armys RS3 Contract. An archived version of the webcast is available.

RS3 has a $37.4 billion ceiling over 10 years and so far there are 56 primes  41 small companies and 15 large.

The phase two awards are going through the source selection process now, Stocks said.

RS3 consolidated five large IDIQ contracts: Rapid Response  Third Generation, Warrior Enabling Broad Sensor, Technical Information Engineering Services, Technical, Administrative, Operations Support Services, and Strategic Services Sourcing.

Several incumbents from these contracts failed to make the phase one awards but are in the running for phase two, including large businesses such as Leidos, Raytheon, CACI International, Northrop Grumman and SAIC.

RS3 is used for a broad range of professional services including engineering, logistics, acquisition and strategic planning, education and training services, and research and development.

Since the phase one awards were made last May, there are been five task orders have been awarded. Booz Allen Hamilton won a $13.4 million task order with the Army. IAP Worldwide Services won a pair of Navy task orders worth $15.1 million and $7.7 million. AASKI Technology won a $8.1 million task order with Army National Guard. The fifth task order worth $4.9 million went to FCI Enterprises LLC to support the Defense IT Contracting Organization.

There are 43 task orders in the pipeline, Stocks said. Of those 13 are being awarded by the RS3 office, 27 from other Army Contracting Command offices at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, Fort Belvoir, Virginia or Fort Huachuca in Arizona. The other three are being used outside of the Army Contracting Command umbrella.

The RS3 contracting office also is working to expand the customer base for the vehicle. It certified 111 contracting officers outside of the RS3 office to use the contract. They want to extend the reach of the contract will beyond its base at Aberdeen, including training contracting officers outside of the United States to use the contract, he said.

During the webcast, Stocks and his fellow branch Chief Katherine Thompson field a variety of questions about the contract. The full webcast including the Q&A is available for view at this link.
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, produces, distributes, and markets gas in Hong Kong and Mainland China. It is involved in the provision of liquefied natural gas, methanol, and coal and other chemicals; conversion and utilization of biomass, and industrial and agricultural waste; and operation of natural gas refilling stations, piped city-gas projects, upstream and midstream developments, water and wastewater treatment projects, energy exploration and utilization ventures, and aviation fuel facilities. The company supplies town gas to approximately 1.9 million customers. It also provides network connectivity, and data center and cloud computing services; and engages in the software development, solution implementation, and systems integration activities. In addition, the company offers consultancy and engineering contractor services, including utilities installation, infrastructure construction, and civil and building services engineering for public and private projects; and designs and manufactures gas meters and metering systems. Further, it is involved in water supply and wastewater treatment serving 2.4 million customers. Additionally, the company manufactures polyethylene piping and fittings; and engages in the customers center, cafA, restaurant, retail sale, automatic meter reading system development, laboratory testing, payment gateway and related, project management, landfill gas project, financing, logistics, oil, research and development, property development, and securities investment activities. The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited was founded in 1862 and is headquartered in North Point, Hong Kong.

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WellCare Health Plans, Inc. provides government-sponsored managed care services. The company operates in three segments: Medicaid Health Plans, Medicare Health Plans, and Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs). The Medicaid Health Plans segment offers plans for beneficiaries of temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental security income, and aged blind and disabled residents; and other state-based programs, such as children's health insurance programs and long-term services and supports programs for qualifying families who are not eligible for Medicaid. The Medicare Health Plans segment provides Medicare, a federal program that provides eligible persons aged 65 and over, as well as some disabled persons with a range of hospital, medical, and prescription drug benefits; Medicare Advantage, a Medicare's managed care alternative to the original Medicare program, which offers individuals standard Medicare benefits directly through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; and coordinated care plans that are administered through health maintenance organizations and require members to seek health care services and select a primary care physician from a network of health care providers. The Medicare PDPs segment provides Medicare part D PDP plans to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Its PDP plans offer national in-network prescription drug coverage, including a preferred pharmacy network. As of December 31, 2018, the company served approximately 5.5 million members in the United States. WellCare Health Plans, Inc. was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.

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Banco Comercial Portugues SA provides banking activities and financial services. Its operating segment consists of Retail Banking segment activity includes the Retail activity of Banco Comercial Portuguas in Portugal, operating as a distribution channel for products and services from other companies of the Group and the Foreign business segment. Corporate & Investment Banking segment includes corporate network in Portugal, specialized monitoring division, investment banking unit and activity of the Bank's international division. Private Banking and Asset Management segment comprises the private banking network in Portugal and subsidiary companies which are specialized in the asset management business. Non-core Business Portfolio segment includes the business granted for securities-backed landing, loans collateralized with other assets, subsidized mortgage loans, construction subcontractors. Foreign Business segment comprises the operations outside Portugal, in particular Poland, Mozambique, Angola, Cayman Isl

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For Subscribers Vols show it's better to be Heupel's iceberg than Pruitt's Titanic

Theres no chance Josh Heupel thought of Jeremy Pruitt when he said what he said Saturday. But Tennessee football fans should take note.
SANTA FE  Brian Snyder is out as Santa Fe city manager  though hell go back to his previous job as water division director  and Lynette Trujillo abruptly retired as human resources director Friday, in belated fallout from a set of temporary raises that were granted without informing the City Council.

Before Friday, Mayor Alan Webber  in office only since early March  had stood by the raise of 10 or 15 percent for 37 city employees said to have worked beyond their job descriptions to implement a $4.2 million project to upgrade computerization, software and other technology.

But Webber told reporters in his office late Friday afternoon that he had asked for Snyders resignation that morning, and received it, after it came to light that a city policy covering incentive pay was not properly followed when Snyder made the decision to hand out the raises which cost close to $400,000 without going through the City Council.

This, I think, changes the situation fundamentally from a communications failure, a judgment failure, to a violation of city policies and the city personnel manual, Webber said.

I think it really points out a different level of failure by management in dealing with the implementation of these temporary pay increases. It means it wasnt a communication error or even a minor error in judgment, it was an error in policy, practice and it was fundamentally not holding the citys management to the way that their job needs to be done.

Webber and members of the City Council were not made aware of the raises, which were recommended by Deputy City Manager Renee Martinez and approved by Snyder before Webber took office, until the Santa Fe New Mexican reported on them two weeks ago.

The mayor issued his own report on the controversy last week that said the giving the raises were justified, but the way they were handled was a process failure and a communication flaw.

On Friday, Webber said a closer look at the citys administrative manual changed his thinking. It was newly elected City Councilor JoAnne Vigil Coppler, who once held the position of human resources director for the city, who pointed out a policy covering incentive pay dating from 1992.

The policy states that before the incentive pay increases can be implemented, they must first gain a recommendation from the City Councils Finance Committee and then be approved by the full council.

Snyder had said the raises, which were to last for one year, were within the budget for the software project and that his decision to approve them using a contingency fund for the project was a personnel decision that didnt require council review.

Webber added that Snyder has been a hardworking and devoted city employee who should be recognized for this contributions to the city.

Anger over raises

Webber has previously said of the raises, Rarely has one decision made so many people angry for so many different reasons. Other employees wanted to know why they didnt get raises. Members of the public  and the City Council were concerned about the expense and wanted to know why the raises had been a secret and were put in place just before the citys leadership was transitioning to a new mayor and a City Council with three new members

Webber said the software upgrade, called the Enterprise Resource Planning and Land Use Modernization Project and was overseen by deputy city manager Martinez, remains absolutely essential to modernizing City Hall to make for more effective and efficient processes in the Land Use, Finance and Human Resources departments.

That said, we need to follow the citys policies, we need to follow the citys practices as dictated in this handbook, and we need to hold people accountable when those policies are not followed and make decisions that will change leadership when thats appropriate, he said.

A clause in the contract Snyder signed four years ago when he became city manager states that if he leaves the position of city manager he would assume his former position as water division director or another position in city government.

While the 37 employees given temporary pay hikes by Snyder have already seen an increase in their pay since the raises went into effect in March, the raises will be suspended pending approval by the City Council.

Webber said he has appointed Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg as temporary city manager. The City Council will vote on Wednesday whether to retain Litzenberg in that position for the next 90 days. Consideration of the temporary raises will likely come at a later date  after theyve gone through the councils committee process.

Asked about Martinezs status, Webber said that had not been addressed yet. But he did say that under the new full-time mayor form of government that went into effect the same time he took office  the mayor is now officially the citys chief adminstrative officer, with new authority over the citys other top administrators  he thought the position of deputy city manager was redundant and would probably be eliminated.
Equality New Mexico  the states largest LGBT advocacy group  has endorsed Debra Haaland for the Democratic nomination in the First Congressional District, angering some supporters of Albuquerque City Councilor Pat Davis, a prominent gay candidate in the race.

Dennis Alexander and William Cox, who described themselves as members of Albuquerques gay community, said Daviss long record of advocating for LGBT rights makes him more deserving of the endorsement.

If our states largest LGBT organization cant even stand with prominent and highly qualified gay elected officials, they shouldnt expect other elected officials or LGBT citizens in the community to trust or support them, Alexander and Cox said in a letter to the Journals editor on Thursday.

Adrian N. Carver, executive director of Equality New Mexico, said the decision to endorse Haaland over Davis was a hard call for the groups board.

We endorsed Deb because she has been a long and passionate advocate not only for Equality New Mexico for years, but she has demonstrated she can win the campaign and that her campaign is viable, he said, noting Haalands fundraising prowess among other attributes.

The importance of the First Congressional District is huge and were not in the business of electing somebody just because they are gay, Carver added. Were in the business of getting the best person who is best situated for our issues.

There are six Democratic candidates on the ballot in New Mexicos First Congressional District primary.
No one disputed that he was dead.

It had not been unexpected. Alan Hudson was 71 and in failing health, his hearing blunted, his spirit dulled in the final winter of his life.

The former linguistics professor and celebrated local thespian was found Jan. 2 alone in his Albuquerque home, his life spooled out around him in clutter and chaos and stacks of paper, his will carelessly tucked into the piles.

Foul play was not suspected, nor, apparently, was suicide.

But because the death was unattended and no one was there to claim his body, it was taken to the state Office of the Medical Investigator  although it does not appear an autopsy was performed.

Friends, of which he had many in theater and academic realms, speculated that he had died between Christmas and New Years Eve. One friend recalls seeing him at an audition before the holidays.

David Margolin, one of his closest friends and a University of New Mexico linguistics professor like Hudson, spoke with him by phone Christmas morning. But each call after that went unanswered.

Margolin, out of state at the time, assumed his friend could not hear the phone ring or was asleep.

Years before, Margolin had been designated as Hudsons sole executor and trustee of his estate. Hudson, divorced, childless, with no living relative save for a disabled brother in his native Ireland, had also given Margolin power of attorney and named him as his emergency contact.

He talked to me about this in 2004, around the time he retired. He gave me his lawyers card and told me that should anything happen to call her, Margolin said. In a way, it was an acknowledgment of our friendship.

Margolin likely didnt expect that friendship would require so much of him once anything happened. But nearly 16 weeks after Hudsons death, its still happening  or, more accurately, still not happening.

Finding out Hudson had died had been complicated enough, despite Margolins status as emergency contact  the caretaker who found him dead relayed the news to the clinic where Hudson had been a patient; a doctor at the clinic told her husband; the husband told his friends in the theater via a social media post; an ex-girlfriend saw the post and contacted Margolin.

He never heard from the OMI, he said, until he made contact himself upon returning to Albuquerque on Jan. 17. Initially, he said, the OMI refused to release the body for cremation, as had been Hudsons request, according to a notarized form Hudson had signed, until a director from a local funeral home submitted a copy of the state statute explaining that such a form was proof enough for cremation.

Thats when Margolin hit another roadblock.

Even though there had been no complication or controversy over Hudsons death, Margolin has yet to receive a death certificate. Without proof of Hudsons death, Margolin cannot fulfill his promise and his legal duties to his friend, including sending his ashes back to Ireland.

The problem is that there are many expenses involved with dealing with the estate  everything from mortuary expenses to repairs on the house that has to be gotten ready for sale, he said. My wife and I are now on the line for $10,000, which we have managed so far, but which we cant keep racking up indefinitely. Without the death certificate, I have no access to any of Alans accounts. The funds there would be more than adequate to cover the estate expenses.

The dreadfully long wait for some death certificates takes a financial and emotional toll on the living. Experts in the death field estimate that obtaining a death certificate can take from six to 12 weeks  and, in some cases, much longer than that.

The issue is complicated and involves not only OMI, but funeral homes and the state Health Departments Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Yvonne Villalobos, OMI director of operations, said in an emailed statement. OMI obtains information from lab tests, outside medical reports and investigational information. All this information must come together before the doctor can certify a death certificate.

Health Department spokesman Paul Rhien said that, once the OMI certifies its report, listing the cause and manner of death, a death is recorded almost immediately and a death certificate released to the funeral home in about 10 business days. Such certificates are only provided to immediate family members or people who provide tangible proof of legal interest.

But Margolin said that despite providing that tangible proof, he was recently notified by the funeral home that his request to obtain Hudsons death certificate had been canceled. So far, its unclear why or who would have ordered that. Health Departments Rhien could not talk specifically about the Hudson case and repeated attempts to speak further with OMIs Villalobos were unsuccessful.

So Margolin has pulled out that lawyer card Hudson gave him and has turned the matter over to her, as the bills pile up, the ashes of his friend stay stuck far from Ireland, the words of The Iceman Cometh, the last play Hudson performed in, circle unrequited: Whats before me is the comforting fact that death is a fine long sleep, and Im damned tired, and it cant come too soon for me.

UpFront is a front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Joline at 823-3603, jkrueger@abqjournal.com or follow her on Twitter @jolinegkg. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.
For the 159th time, historians are gathering for the Historical Society of New Mexicos annual conference April 19-21.

This years opening session in Alamogordo, on the New Mexico State University campus, featured noted author Michael McGarrity, who has produced 15 crime novels set in the Southwest. For those not familiar with the Historical Society of New Mexico, consider this an invitation to join a historic institution with diverse membership, fascinating activities and connections.

The conferences provide a forum for dozens of well-researched presentations, guided tours of areas of interest, book publishers/vendors, a money-raising book auction, outstanding banquet, awards presentations and plenty of chances for attendees to connect with well-versed New Mexico historians.

Subject offerings at the conference traditionally take the form of lectures and slide presentations on topics ranging from little-known details of Spanish colonial presence in the region to recognition of Native Americans growing importance, railroad development, cattle mutilations and space invaders to mapping the territory and cyclical military occupation.

Check the website http://www.hsnm.org/conference for all the presentations, tours and costs for this years conference. Annual conferences are held at various locations throughout the state and periodically, in conjunction with adjacent states. Last years joint conference in Flagstaff with the Arizona Historical Society, was filled to capacity, and numerous presentations focused on the close relationship of New Mexico and Arizona as territories and states. Such joint gatherings with other states provide a broader, regional perspective to presentations.

Yearly membership will link you with people interested in, and knowledgeable of, the magnificent history of the Land of Enchantment. Founded in 1859, more than 50 years before statehood yet only 11 years after becoming a U.S. territory following the Mexican War, the Historical Society of New Mexico has had a range of memorable members. They include Mabel Dodge Lujan, several former mayors of Santa Fe, past governors, Ralph Emerson Twitchell and Lansing Bloom, as well as territorial governor Lew Wallace, plus countless other luminaries.

Long an all-volunteer organization, the society also provides a speaker service at no charge to schools and groups. Many of its knowledgeable members provide interesting programs on nearly any historic subject. The societys official publication, La Cronica, is available online and has numerous richly researched articles relating to all phases of New Mexico history.

In order to promote research in additional topic areas, the society offers several grants and awards throughout the year, described fully on the website. Grants, with no matching amount required, are available for both individual researchers and institutional members of the society. And there are various awards for outstanding service in the field of history.

Whether you decide to join the Historical Society or simply want to get a feel for New Mexicos past, authoritatively described by seasoned historians, please know you will be most welcome as a visitor and a new member.
Could everyone reading this just pause for a bit and really think about our fellow citizens who, literally, put their lives on the line for us every day?

Im talking about police officers and firefighters who face deadly dangers and serious stressors on a regular basis. Gruesome car accidents, raging fires with trapped victims screaming for help, domestic abuse calls that can easily end with officers injured or killed. Hostage situations and the ever-present possibility of having to respond to a mass shooting or bombing, blood, terror, death is a way of life for these brave first responders.

Can you imagine facing this kind of trauma every single work day? How would you cope?

The sad fact is a growing number of law enforcement officers and firefighters find it impossible to go on. The cumulative effect of all the shock bearing down on their souls day after day can lead them to face the final, ultimate demon  the urge to commit suicide.

In a recent white paper study by the Ruderman Foundation I was struck by the stark reality. The opening paragraph announces, Police and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty.

Digest that shocking line for a moment. Our community heroes, the ones who run toward danger while the rest of us run away, are so profoundly good at what they do they dont die on their dangerous jobs nearly as often as they go home and take their own lives.

The Ruderman study reports that in 2017 suicide was the cause of death for at least 103 firefighters and 140 law enforcement officers. That is a suicide rate more than five times higher than the general population.

But according to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance, an advocacy organization that calls the increase in the number of firefighter suicides jaw-dropping, the underreporting at play here is significant. The FBHA estimates that only about 40 percent of firefighter suicides are actually reported. If that is accurate, the number of suicide deaths of firefighters would be more than double the 103 reported, closer to 260 deaths.

Not mentioned in the Ruderman study, but just as important to my mind, are all those other first responders. Emergency medical technicians, paramedics, ambulance attendants and emergency room doctors and nurses. They are also routinely exposed to the most shocking and raw situations any person can face. Besides tending to those in the last throes of life they can encounter tiny murdered children, convulsive overdose cases, heart-attack victims, grieving and inconsolable survivors. And each of these first responders do it because they care about their fellow human beings.

I personally know several first responders. They confirm other Ruderman Foundation findings. First, there are simply not enough mental health programs available to these brave men and women. Of the 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States, the white paper reports, approximately three to five percent have suicide prevention training programs.

Second, many of these dedicated people believe it could be career-ending if they were to admit they need some mental health care. And they have good cause to feel that way. Stressed supervisors worried about filling positions grow impatient with a staffer who needs to make a therapist appointment or take days off to decompress after a grisly call.

In Florida, for example, following the Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Orlando  49 dead  and the high school shooting in Parkland  17 dead  those first responders who were diagnosed with disabling PTSD were not covered under workmans comp for lost wages while they recovered. Late last month Floridas governor signed a bill to rectify that, but it was not in time to help Cpl. Omar Delgado, one of the first on scene at the gruesome Pulse Nightclub shooting. He found he couldnt shake the blood-soaked scene and reached out for help. He took a few months off and was then placed on desk duty. With just six months to go before being vested in the pension system, he was fired. Delgado, a married father of three, said, I guess Im being punished because I asked for help.

It is time to lift the mental health stigma that most certainly affects a sizeable segment of our first responders. One cannot see what they see and do what they do month after month without some profound effect on their psyches. It costs a lot of money to train professional first responders. To toss them to the curb when they have problems or, worse yet,to force them into staying silent when they really need assistance helps no one. If they had a broken arm the department would wait for it to heal. So if they have a broken emotional center, doesnt it make sense to help them heal that too?

www.DianeDimond.com; e-mail to Diane@DianeDimond.com.
Fourteen months, numerous trips from California to Las Cruces, more than $50,000 in travel expenses and legal fees  and a mans unwavering love for his stepmother, who had been in his life since he was 14 years old.

Thats what it took for Larry Davis and his wife, Marcia, to pry Larrys stepmother, Kise Davis, from a commercial guardianship/conservatorship. Unbeknownst to her family, a handyman the 85-year-old woman befriended in Las Cruces had an emergency petition filed to have her placed under court protection.

The petition filed by the handymans lawyer failed to mention that Kise had a stepson  describing him only as her former power of attorney. Larry Davis had no notice of the petition that state District Judge James T. Martin of Las Cruces granted without a hearing. Davis first inkling was a telephone call in December 2016 from a neighbor of Kises in La Mesa telling him I think you should know, they came and picked up Kise and said theyre taking her to an institution.

Davis, who had visited his stepmother that June and been assured by state Adult Protective Services she was OK to continue living in the home she had shared with Larrys father before his death, reacted quickly.

He talked to the handyman, Larry Franco, who said he had been worried about Kise and would withdraw his petition.

Too late. The commercial guardianship train had started rolling down the track. As provided by law, Kise now had a court-appointed guardian ad litem and a court-appointed guardian/conservator  both being paid from her assets.

She had been placed in a facility with people whose dementia was much worse than hers and the guardian ad litem opposed transferring her to California or putting her closest relative in charge of her care.

The judge initially agreed that Kise would be better served with a commercial guardian  even though he acknowledged Kise and Davis had a relationship.

Davis fought on. He had four different lawyers and made more than a half dozen trips to Las Cruces  including one when he arrived and was told the judge had been called away and the hearing re-scheduled.

He and his wife continued to see Kise  under restrictions from the guardian about what they could talk about and when they could see her.

Reforms passed by the 2018 Legislature, and others being drafted by a Supreme Court rules committee, will address some of the systems ills. But they wont necessarily stop what happened to Kise and Larry Davis.

But judges have the power to make  and the rules committee should consider a requirement that  attorneys who file petitions for guardianships or conservatorship submit an affidavit they have done due diligence and there are no family members who should be notified. Without that, the transparency reforms enacted this year mean nothing in a case like this.

And the Legislature, which backed off this year adopting the new Uniform Probate Code developed nationally, should revisit it  especially a provision that says judges should use the least restrictive means possible to protect the incapacitated person. In this case, that could have been a temporary living arrangement for Kise while the case was sorted out  rather than a full-blown corporate guardianship apparatus that has its own vested financial interest.

At the end of the day, it would appear the case of Kise and Larry Davis has a happy ending. You saved my life, Kise told her stepson, honoring him with a faux-Olympic medal after hearing the news on Feb. 26 that Larry would be her guardian/conservator.

But few people would have the assets and determination to fight the system the way Larry did  even if they had the same love for the family member. Once the family is shut out, the task is simply too daunting for too many.

There have been too many unhappy endings in cases like this. Its up to our Legislature and the judiciary to continue working on reforms that prevent the nightmare scenario faced by Kise and Larry Davis.

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.
LAS VEGAS, N.M.  A northern New Mexico school district may require all teachers, staff and student athletes to undergo drug testing amid an opioid crisis that has severely hurt parts of the region.

West Las Vegas Schools is considering a proposal that would mandate drug testing aimed as monitoring staff as a precaution, the Las Vegas Optic reports .

In light of the recent events of whats happened at schools, I think that anybody, or any teacher, any administrator who may be using a prescription medication or may be using narcotics, poses a safety threat to the school, said West Las Vegas Schools board member Ambrosio Castellano, who introduced the proposal this month.

Castellano said those using narcotics or medications may not be fully aware or fully coherent during an emergency.

He cited a poll conducted among teachers which found that 35 percent of them said that their stress level was very high, and they were coping by taking antidepressants or other medications.

Superintendent Chris Gutierrez said he would look into the issue and conduct a survey to get feedback from teachers.

Castellano said he came up with the idea after he attended a National School Board Conference in San Antonio, Texas, where an insurance provider presented an opioid forum on the epidemic among teachers.

Its unclear if the proposal would require testing of drugs such as marijuana, cocaine and opioids, or just opioids.

New Mexico had one of the highest overdose rates in the nation for the better part of two decades and only recently plateaued amid a series of pioneering policies aimed at combating opioid addiction, including becoming the first state to require law enforcement agencies to provide officers with overdose antidote kits.

The state also has a prescription monitoring database to prevent overlapping drug sales and has expanded access to naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses.

___

Information from: Las Vegas Optic, http://www.lasvegasoptic.com
Hundreds of hands grappling with oxygen masks. Flight attendants warning passengers to brace for impact. The plane hurtling toward the unforgiving ground.

Survivors of air accidents often proclaim that their survival was a miracle. But what follows is another kind of miracle: Many survivors manage to get past the horror and onto planes again.

How do they do it?

Its a question facing survivors of this weeks Southwest Airlines accident, which killed one woman who was sucked partway out of the plane after the engine exploded and shattered a window.

Authorities said 148 passengers walked away, underscoring an important point: Plane crashes are rare, but when they happen, people often survive them. Between 1983 and 2000, 95.7 percent of people involved in commercial airline accidents survived, according to government data. In 2013, 304 of the 307 passengers survived an Asiana Airlines crash in San Francisco. And the horrific 1989 crash of a United Airlines flight in Sioux City, Iowa, had 185 survivors.

For guidance, survivors of Southwest Flight 1380 might look to those others who have survived air disasters. Some of them say its critical to get back in the air quickly; they suggest counseling, prayer and even calming apps. But others never get over the fear.

Dave Sanderson was the last passenger to exit US Airways Flight 1549 after its emergency landing in the Hudson River in January 2009. He spent one night recovering from hypothermia at a New York hospital. The next day he had to make a decision: Could he fly back home to North Carolina?

Sanderson steeled himself; flying was the fastest way home. When he arrived at the gate, the captain and first officer got off the plane, listened to his story and reassured him. A flight attendant cleared a row of seats for him.

If you dont get back immediately, you may never get back on that plane, said Sanderson, who now travels around the country giving inspirational speeches.

Sanderson makes it a habit to talk to the crew when he boards a plane. He also learns about the plane, including the exit strategy and what kind of doors it has.

Others lean on faith. Helen Young Hayes survived the crash of United Flight 232 in Sioux City, which killed 111 people. Hayes, a lifelong Catholic, closed her eyes and prayed as the plane went down; later, as she recovered from her burns, she thought a lot about why her life was spared.

Hayes started flying again about two months after the crash, confident that God would hold her whatever the outcome of the flight. She has since flown more than 1 million miles.

I would never have stepped on a plane again if I didnt firmly believe I had been totally saved by a miracle, said Hayes, who heads a Denver workforce development company that helps low-income people.

Hayes says survivors need to take time to heal. Their bodies will never forget, she says; every time she hits turbulence, she remembers what it felt like when the plane went down. But she also sees the crash as a gift that helped her find a higher purpose for her life.

Jennifer Stansberry Miller, a clinical social worker and crisis consultant, has been an advocate for survivors since her brother died in a plane crash in 1994. She says every survivor must find his or her own way. Some have trouble eating and sleeping and may need professional guidance. Others use apps that talk passengers through flying or forecast the amount of turbulence they might encounter.

Others take classes at airports that help people master their fears. Milwaukees Mitchell Airport offers a $200, five-session class that culminates with a short commercial flight.

Miller has her own ways to fight fear. She wont travel on Halloween  the day her brothers plane crashed  or on major holidays, when she assumes the most experienced pilots arent flying. She only flies on jets, not propeller planes.

Its not perfect science, but its what I reconcile in my brain to fly, she said.

Some survivors cant bring themselves to fly again. In 2008, drummer Travis Barker of the band Blink-182 was involved in a small plane crash that killed four of the six people aboard. Eight years later, when his band toured Europe, Barker was still unable to fly. He crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship.

Eric Zilbert, who was aboard Tuesdays Southwest flight, said the experience has been most difficult for his wife, who had to deal with the thought of almost losing him. On future flights, he says, hell look more closely at the planes equipment and choose seats in front of the wing.

Zilbert, a statistician, says he knows its unlikely that another plane he boards will ever experience a similar emergency. He and his mother even flew home after the accident.

We just didnt sit by the window, and they were fine flights, he said.

Tips for surviving an airplane crash

Each day, more than 8 million people around the globe step aboard some 90,000 flights. They almost always land safely.

But in the rare chance of a crash, there are some things passengers can do to improve their odds of surviving. Here are some tips adapted from a British Airways safety awareness course.

During the safety demonstration, count the number of rows to the nearest exit. Then count the number of rows to the second nearest exit, remembering that it might be behind you.

Next, practice putting on and taking off your seatbelt to build muscle memory. Check where your life vest is and touch it.

Learn the proper brace position: Bend forward as far as possible, keep your head down. Place your feet flat on the floor and slide them back. Your dominant hand goes on the back of your head. Protect that hand by placing the other hand over it. Do not interlock fingers. The goal is to ensure that the bones in the stronger hand arent broken so you can eventually unbuckle the seatbelt.

Red lights always signal an exit because the color cuts through smoke the best.

Once an evacuation order is given, seconds count. Move quickly to the nearest exit and jump down a slide. If you hesitate, the flight attendants will push you out.

Always inflate life vests outside the plane. They can limit mobility in a tight space. Or, if water fills the cabin, passengers with inflated vests can be pressed up against the ceiling, unable to swim down to the door.

___

Associated Press writer Alexandra Villarreal in Philadelphia contributed to this story.
Publicis Groupe has reported net revenue of 2,082 million euro in Q1 2018, down 8.2 per cent from 2,267 million in 2017. However, net revenue grew by +1.6 per cent at constant exchange rates. Organic growth was +1.6 per cent in Q1 2018 after reaping the benefits of accounts gained in 2017, notably McDonalds, Diesel, Lionsgate, Bradesco and Southwest.

Publicis Groupe has applied IFRS15, the accounting standard on revenue recognition, since it became effective on January 1, 2018. The 2017 financial statements have, therefore, been restated for the purposes of comparison. This has increased Q1 2017 revenue by 161 million insofar as certain costs re-billed directly to clients are excluded from revenue. These costs mainly concern production activities as well as various expenses incumbent on clients.

In Q1 2017, revenue after application of IFRS15 is 2,489 million. After deduction of re-billable costs totalling 222 million (161 million in application of IFRS15 and 61 million already in operating expenses in application of previous accounting standard), net revenue (that is, revenue less pass-through costs) stands at 2,267 million.

Exchange rates had a 217-million negative impact, that is, 9.6 per cent of net revenue in Q1 2017. Acquisitions (net of disposals) contributed a negative 1 million in Q1 2018, as Genedigi was deconsolidated from January 1, 2018.

Region wise growth

Net revenue in Europe declined by 0.8 per cent. With acquisitions and exchange rates factored out, organic growth was +0.3 per cent. In addition to the loss of a few accounts, this weak growth should be seen in the perspective of a difficult comparable period as growth in Q1 2017 was +5.5 per cent. Among the larger countries, France and the UK both performed well at +2.3 per cent and +1.3 per cent, respectively. Germany and Italy were both in negative territory (-4.1 per cent and -9.7 per cent, respectively) when measured against very strong first quarter in 2017.

North America posted organic growth of +2.8 per cent for Q1 2018, shored up by accounts won in 2017 (including McDonalds, Diesel, Lionsgate, Molson Coors and Southwest).

Asia Pacific reported degrowth of -16.4 per cent and organic growth of -4.6 per cent. The negative performance can be mainly attributed to Australia (-11.6 per cent) due to the discontinuation of the Qantas call center contract. China performed satisfactorily, returning to positive growth (+1.1 per cent) despite the impact of accounts lost. Singapore rose by +10.2 per cent.

Latin America reported growth down 6.5 per cent, but organic growth of +11.5 per cent. In Brazil, net revenue progressed by 11.3 per cent thanks to the gain of the Petrobras and Bradesco accounts. Mexico continued to record sustained growth (+6.2 per cent).

The Middle East & Africa region reported a decline of 6.8 per cent, but increased by +4.8 per cent on an organic basis.

In a statement issued, Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe, said, The first quarter of 2018 was a very intense period for Publicis Groupe. We had three objectives. Firstly, to continue to deliver solid performance while we transform ourselves. Secondly, to demonstrate the attractiveness of our model through our ability to convert pitches into wins. Lastly, to present our strategy and execution plan  Sprint To The Future  to our teams, our clients, and to the financial community. Overall, the outcome on each of these three objectives has been positive, sometimes beyond our own expectations, making this quarter a key milestone in our transformation journey.

Outlook

Publicis Groupe is aiming to accelerate organic growth in 2018-2020 with the ambition of achieving +4 per cent growth by 2020, that is, an additional 900 million over the next three years (before the impact of IFRS15).

The Groupe is also aiming to increase its operating margin rate by 30 to 50 basis points per annum until 2020. This objective includes a 450-million cost savings plan fully aligned with the Groupes strategy. This cost savings plan will serve to fund a 300-million operational investment plan spanning 2018-2020, a plan that is primarily dedicated to the Groupes talent through hiring, training, development and re-skilling.

Publicis Groupe is targeting 5-10 per cent annual growth of headline diluted EPS, ramping up over the next three years, at constant exchange rates, through continuous enhancement of its organic growth, improved margins and the contribution of acquisitions to earnings.

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The Trump administration has declared war on MS-13, a criminal gang based in the US and Central America, with a long history of violence in the US. Though the gang has been around for decades, federal law enforcement agencies have been given sweeping new powers to arrest and deport gang members  spreading fear in Latino communities.

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In 2017, after a string of MS-13 killings in Long Island, New York, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began partnering with local police to identify and detain suspected gang members.

They carried out a series of raids, arresting hundreds of people  deporting some, and holding others in detention for months, without a hearing, or any evidence of a crime in some cases.

And while some have been released, theyre still living in fear of deportation. So is the war on gangs really about MS-13?

Fault Lines travelled to Long Island, NY to examine how the Trump administration is using the fear of one gang to crack down on entire immigrant communities.

In the following account, two teenagers trapped between gangs and laws talk about their daily struggles and the impact of Trumps MS13-crackdown. We also hear from a lawyer and a former police commissioner.

Felix:  It feels like we are in El Salvador now

Felix says he is scared to be sent back to El Salvador [Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]

Felix is undocumented in the US and has asked us to protect his identity. He says he fled El Salvador four years ago to escape death threats from MS-13. But soon, he realised MS-13 was also at his new school.

I was happy [when I arrived in the US]. I almost cried. I was so happy to be in a new country. I was happy to see all of this. But I didnt know whats coming.

The first day that I went to school, I was expecting to get somebody else, not even from my country, who too speaks Spanish, who took me with them and said, You know what, Im going to take you, Im going to show you where you have to go. [But] they dont care.

[I know gang members here] but I just know them, I dont talk to them, and I dont do anything with them. I dont want to be part of that.

In El Salvador, they [the gangs] put pressure on you. They said, Im going to kill your mother, Im going to kill your father, Im going to kill your family, if you dont join me. Here, its different. Many people join the gangs because they dont get enough attention, they dont have enough help in school  because of that.

Youre new in this country, you know you have to pay rent, you have to pay insurance card or whatever you have to pay, you have enough bills to be worried about it, and then if you can, with your parents, your parent doesnt pay attention to you because theyre worried how to support their family.

I wouldnt wear a blue shirt, red shirt, not even Nike Cortez [to make sure I am not associated with a gang]. No. No shorts. If the police see you with that, they will stop you. And thats not fair.

It feels like we are in El Salvador now.

I have the fear that one day, they (ICE) are going to come over to my home, and theyre going to knock the door out, theyre going to ask for me, or for somebody else, and then were going to go back to El Salvador. Thats my fear.

Im afraid to think about it (the future). I might be here, speaking to you today, and I dont know if, where Im going to be tomorrow. I might be dead, I might be in my country. I might be working. I might be somewhere else  I dont know the future, and I get scared of that.

Juan: Youre a fraid of going outside

Juan says he is afraid of going out alone and being detained again [Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]

Juan is a 17-year-old teenager who migrated from El Salvador in 2014. Hundreds of thousands of these minors have fled Central America in recent years, often to escape gang violence. Hes undocumented and asked us to protect his identity. In May 2017, he was stopped for a small traffic violation and then was accused of being a gang member. Police handed him over to the ICE and he was detained in a high-security juvenile detention centre. He was released six months later.

My mum left me [in El Salvador] when I was young, like three years old. When I was 14 years old, my mum gathered the money and sent for us.

It was dangerous [in El Salvador]. They (gangs) killed an uncle of mine. [He was] my age, 17 years old.

I came here (to the US) because supposedly there werent any gangs. It was supposed to be calmer, different, nothing to do with gangs. You never know what they could do.

[I was stopped by the police] Then, they told they have to take me to the police precinct to verify my name.

I told them I wasnt a gang member and didnt know any gang members. Then, they told me they didnt believe me and I was some sort of gang member.

I was asking myself why they are going to deport me, what do they think? Because I knew immigration was coming for me, especially with how things are. I was praying to God that nothing bad would happen.

When I arrived [at the detention centre], everything was different. It was worse than jail, because youre locked up in there. You dont leave at all, not even to see the sun, youre just locked up.

Truthfully, I felt alone, with no one to console me or anything like that.

I still feel sad. Everything I went through, you dont forget about it easily.

I usually dont go out alone  Youre more afraid of going outside, of being detained. You dont feel the same like before, like being free.

When Juan

, everything was different. It was worse than jail, because youre locked up in there. You dont leave at all, not even to see the sun, youre just locked up.]

Paige Austin:  Theyre disappearing into the immigration detention system

Lawyer Paige Austin says some minors are detained without any evidence of wrongdoing [Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]

In 2017, dozens of unaccompanied minors  allegedly affiliated with gangs  were detained for months without a court hearing. Paige Austin was one of the attorneys that worked on a class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union that forced the government to bring the minors in front of a judge.

They were disappearing into the immigration detention system, and it often took parents days or weeks to even figure out where they were, much less to get them released and brought back home.

And then, the second thing that was very disturbing was the lack of evidence to support the allegations that the government was making.

Many of the symbols or the items that the government claims are signs of gang affiliation are, in fact, religious symbols, or theyre signs of cultural pride.

If they were suspected of committing a crime, the police would arrest them, and they would be in criminal custody. The fact that theyre in immigration custody means that local authorities were looking for some other way to detain them in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing.

In February 2018, the NY Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit that challenges the prolonged detention of immigrant youth by the US government. This includes undocumented youth who are not unaccompanied minors swept up in the MS-13 crackdown. Austin is the lead lawyer on this case.

LVM (one of the detained minors) had, in April of 2017, been suspended from Bellport High School for extending his middle fingers at another student. The school alleged that that was a gang sign and they suspended him.

This [report] says that he had self-admitted to being a gang member. It also says that he had gang tattoos, and that he has been identified as a gang member by the Suffolk County Police Gang Unit.

Hes never admitted to being in a gang, and hes never had any contact with the Suffolk County Police Department. He also does not have a single tattoo anywhere on his body.

The immigration judge, to whom this evidence was presented, rejected these allegations and concluded that he did not pose any danger. And yet, he remained detained.

Timothy Sini: We are not targeting undocumented residents

Sini says they are targeting gang members, not undocumented immigrants [Jawahir al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]

Timothy Sini is the former Suffolk County Police commissioner who is now district attorney. He is a Democrat whos been criticised for working closely with ICE under the Trump administration.

Since September of 2016, weve made over 320 MS-13 arrests with over 220 individuals  Theyre confirmed gang members. But keep in mind, whether theyre gang members or not, these are criminal arrests that we have to then go to court, open court, and prove criminal charges against.

But in the instance where we have reliable, credible intelligence that someone is an MS-13 gang member and theyre in our country illegally, we will  and were not in a position to bring a significant state charge or bring a federal RICO charge, well work with the Department of Homeland Security to detain them, and for Department of Homeland Security to commence removal proceedings against them.

Its very important that folks in the community know that we are not targeting undocumented residents; rather, were targeting gang members, and we will provide protections to folks who have no immigration status whatsoever. And were not going to not work with our federal law enforcement partners to target MS-13. To ask us to do otherwise is reckless.
In Armenia, a small nation of three million located just south of Russia, spring has ushered in mass protests. Thousands of people, young and elderly, women and men, have taken to the streets to rally against the ruling regime, newly gussied-up in a revamped parliamentary system.

The movement has been challenging outgoing President Serzh Sargsyan, who took over as prime minister on Tuesday. In his second, and final term as president, Sargsyan led the effort to replace the semi-presidential system with a parliamentary one in order to avoid the term limits set by the constitution.

The move enhanced the powers of the prime minister and relegated the presidency to a ceremonial role. The president and his Republican Party argued that this change was necessary in order to democratise Armenias political system, insisting that Sargsyan did not intend to assume the office of prime minister.

On Tuesday, however, he did just that: Amid widespread popular protests and civil disobedience, Sargsyans majority in the new parliament appointed him to the prime ministerial post, effectively granting him a third term as the countrys leader.

With authoritarianism on the rise worldwide, such constitutional engineering has been a favoured instrument by authoritarian leaders who wish to consolidate their power. Sargsyan was successful in usurping power, but with his actions, he also managed to push thousands to the streets of the country.

In Armenia, so confident was the ruling party, that its parliamentary majority granted Sargsyan perpetual ownership of the hitherto publicly owned presidential residence in early April; on Thursday, after public outrage, he announced he was giving up the property.

The protests have been led by opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan, who has deftly built and maintain a well-networked self-organising movement across the country. Removing Sargsyan as prime minister has been the main demand of the protests, but their importance goes beyond that: It is about preserving democratic institutions and resisting budding authoritarianism.

A very potent non-violent movement

This recent wave of mass civil disobedience is only the latest in a long record of peaceful protests over the course of a decade or so. Indeed, tiny Armenia has become a laboratory of peaceful resistance and civil society in an increasingly authoritarian part of the world.

This springs movement, however, is different. It is larger in scale and is geographically broad. It is organisationally sophisticated, grassroots-driven, with an extraordinary degree of self-governance.

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Both the movements leaders and participants have demonstrated a high level of discipline, and have been quite successful in applying non-violent protest strategies. Over the years, these protest efforts have extended both within the country and outside  reaching the dispersed Armenian diaspora across the globe.

The security implications of this movement are immediate. There is convincing academic and empirical evidence that non-violence as an instrument of political action is superior to violence in achieving a movements articulated goals. In the case of Armenia, such non-violence on a large scale is particularly potent and consequential, occurring in a post-Soviet region plagued by inter-state conflict and violence.

The organic emergence and consolidation of non-violent civil movements challenges and weakens the political future of warfare as an instrument of foreign policy. It does so by deepening the norms of non-violence and by creating capacities for constructive conflict resolution. Such movements inspire and empower the broader civil society, and endow broader coalitions a voice in otherwise closed decisions of war and peace.

Russia vs the West

It is true that external security concerns often fuel internal democratic declines in nations large and small, democratic and authoritarian. In the specific case of Armenia, large-scale civil disobedience and grassroots democracy movements have the potential to add to the strength of the state by offering the government much-needed leverage in dealing with hegemonic regional powers in their neighbourhoods.

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Indeed, Armenia, located in the fractured region of the South Caucasus, has been pulled since its independence in different geopolitical directions; like in many other post-Communist states, the choice is often between Russia and the West. The emergence of indigenous civil societies and grassroots non-violent movements, under the right circumstances, can establish an important new political pillar in the landscape against which these choices are made.

There is one catch: It is far from clear whether governments will choose to embrace the geopolitical leverage offered to them by their civil societies. In fractured regions such as the South Caucasus, ruling elites have historically sought such leverage from myriad external actors, primarily from outside the region.

Governments in fractured regions, struggling with low levels of internal legitimacy, have been willing partners for external regional powers. Smaller states pushing back against larger players remain the exception and not the rule. Non-violent civil action is, contrary to what these governments believe, a political asset for strong statecraft in fractured regions. Suppressing it in Armenia will hurt the very institutional foundation of this very young state.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
More than 10,000 attend fourth mass protest in as many weeks calling for return of Palestinian refugees to their lands.

Israeli forces have shot dead four Palestinians, including a 15-year-old boy, as more than 10,000 gathered in a mass demonstration in the besieged Gaza Strip demanding the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Friday that at least 729 people protesting near the border with Israel were wounded by Israeli gunfire, needed treatment for tear gas inhalation or suffered other injuries.

Palestinian officials identified those killed as Mohammed Ibrahim Ayyoub, 15, Ahmed Rashad, 24, Ahmed Abu Aqil, 25 and Saad Abdul Majid Abdul-Aal Abu Taha, 29.

Fridays demonstration was the fourth in as many weeks of a planned, weeks-long sit-in dubbed the Great March of Return.

The latest deaths bring the number of Palestinians killed by Israel since the protests began in late March to 39. According to the health ministry, more than 4,000 have been wounded.

Despite international criticism over the use of lethal force, Israel has refused to reverse its open-fire policy and continues to deploy snipers along the border.

Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith, reporting from the protest, said the Palestinians seemed determined to edge closer to the border.

The Palestinians are 300 metres closer to the Israeli border than they were last week because this protest is about a key issue  the right of return.

The main message of the Great March of Return, which is due to continue until May 15, is to call for the right of return for Palestinian refugees who were driven from their homes in the territories taken over by Israel during the 1948 war, known to Arabs as the Nakba.

What the protesters are planning is that by the final week, on the day of the Nakba, theyll be at the border fence with Israel, said Smith.

And thats what the Israelis fear. They dont want them getting anywhere close to the border.

The mass marches, which have been backed by several Palestinian factions, are also fuelled by growing desperation among Gazas two million residents.

The border blockade has trapped nearly all of them within the territory, gutted the economy and deepened poverty. Gaza residents typically get fewer than five hours of electricity a day, while unemployment has soared above 40 percent.

Mahjoob Zweiri, an associate professor in contemporary history of the Middle East at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera that the Israelis feared the independent discourse of the protest movement.

This is a movement created by the people who have lost faith in the Palestinian leadership  for that reason Israel is very fearful of them.

The Israelis pushed the Egyptians to mediate, but the movement was disinterested, and so for this reason, they could continue using live ammunition against them until they stop.

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Journalists wounded

According to The Committee to Protect Journalists, Israeli forces wounded four journalists covering Fridays protests.

The group said Mohammad al-Sawalhi, a cameraman for the Gaza Media Center, was injured by a live round in his right hand in Gaza Citys eastern neighbourhood of Shujaiya.

Two weeks ago, photographer Yaser Murtaja died after being shot in the stomach despite wearing a blue flak jacket marked with the word press.

Asaad Abu Shariek, a spokesman for the Great March of Return, said the movement was hoping the large turnout would sway international opinion against Israel.

We are implanting an idea in the minds of people across the world that Palestinians have rights and they hope for the right of return, Abu Shariek said.

We want the world to impose a military embargo on Israel and the BDS [Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions] strategy. South Africa used this method [against apartheid], and they emerged victorious, and I think we will be no exception.

Yahya Sinwar, Hamas Gaza chief, told a protesting crowd near the Israeli border that they would march on Jerusalem.

We will not bargain on the Palestinian peoples rights in exchange for bread, he said.

Palestinians have long demanded that as many as five million direct descendants of the original Palestinian refugees be given the right to return to their ancestral homes.

Israel has ruled out the demand, arguing that Palestinians returning to what is now Israel would outnumber its Jewish majority.
A week after arriving in Syria, experts enter town where dozens died and hundreds were injured in April 7 incident.

Inspectors from the global chemical weapons watchdog have finally reached a formerly rebel-held town in Syria where a suspected gas attack took place two weeks ago.

Saturdays visit to Douma came a week after the fact-finding mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) first arrived in Syria, and amid growing questions about whether there would still be enough evidence for the investigators to gather.

In a statement, the OPCW said its team had visited one of the sites of the alleged attack to collect samples for analysis.

The OPCW will evaluate the situation and consider future steps including another possible visit to Douma, it said.

Based on the analysis of the sample results as well other information and materials collected by the team, the FFM (fact-finding mission) will compile their report for submission to the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention for their consideration.

Earlier on Saturday, the foreign ministry of Russia, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had also said that the OPCW inspectors had entered Douma.

The US and France have accused Russia of blocking access to the site, where rescuers and medics say dozens of people were killed on April 7.

The Syrian government and Moscow say the alleged chemical attack, which prompted a series of air strikes by Western allies as an act of retaliation, was staged.

Security fears

The OPCW team arrived in Damascus on Saturday but had not been able to travel to Douma, on the outskirts of the capital, due to security concerns following a reconnaissance mission by a United Nations team at two sites in the town on Tuesday.

The UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) officials had to withdraw from the first location as the presence of large crowd there raised security fears.

At the second site, they came under small arms fire and an explosive device was detonated nearby, the OPCW said in a statement.





There were no injuries and the UN team returned to Damascus, but the watchdog had to postpone its visit.

In a statement on Saturday, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, said the delays to the OPCW team were unacceptable.

On Monday, during an emergency meeting at the OPCWs headquarters in The Hague, Western diplomats accused the Syrian government and Moscow of obstructing the team.

Russia denied the claims, saying parts of Douma still needed to be de-mined and said the watchdogs inspectors would enter on Wednesday.

Yet, France and the US appeared to question the purpose of such a mission, warning at the time that any incriminating evidence had likely been removed by then.

Earlier this week, Ishak Majali, a former OPCW inspector, said it was unlikely the inspectors would find evidence at the site after such delay.

It has been a lot of time since the attack took place, he told Al Jazeera.

So, if you are in control of a site with chemicals for such a long time, its very easy actually to tamper with the place and to change the facts on the ground.

You can actually do what we call it in the military business as the decontamination process, which is to remove all the evidence on the ground by using other chemicals to neutralise the chemicals on the ground. Also, you can tamper with the munition itself  to prepare some witnesses or to prepare some medical reports.

Government raids

The town of Douma was under rebel control and facing a government air and ground assault when the suspected attack took place.

Images that emerged from Douma at the time showed lifeless bodies collapsed in crowded rooms, some with foam around their noses and mouths.

Opposition groups gave up the town in the days after the incident. Thousands of people  rebels and civilians  left on buses to northern Syria, believing they could not reconcile with the government after it took over the town.

The evacuations were the latest in a string of population transfers around the Syrian capital that have displaced more than 60,000 people as the government reconsolidates control after seven years of civil war.





UN officials and human rights groups say the evacuations amount to a forced population displacement that may be a war crime.

Also on Saturday, Syrian government forces continued an offensive against rebel-held parts of the capitals outskirts, in a bid to drive out remaining armed opposition groups, according to state media and war monitors.

Rebel-held pockets near Damascus have been witnessing intense bombardment and shelling from Assads forces since Thursday.

Some of the areas, including Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun in the southern district of Damascus, have been under Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) groups control since April 2015.

The areas comprise the majority of the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp, which lies about 8km from central Damascus.
Good (Iyi) Party, launched in October by Meral Aksener, is eligible for June 24 parliamentary and presidential polls.

Turkeys Supreme Election Board has confirmed that the recently formed Good (Iyi) Party is eligible to participate in the countrys upcoming snap elections.

Prior to Saturdays announcement, debates over whether or not the party would be able to take part in the June 24 vote had flooded Turkish media, amid questions over whether it might fall foul of complicated rules suggesting it must have held its first congress at least six months before an election.

Iyi Party was launched in October 2017 by Meral Aksener, a former minister. A January poll tipped it to win 15 percent of the votes in a parliamentary election.

Overall, the board said 10 parties were eligible to participate in the early presidential and parliamentary polls, called for by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday.

Turkey will be good

Aksener promised to shake up Turkeys politics with the launch of her party, whose party has adopted a centre-right platform.

Using Turkey will be good as its slogan and a bright sun as its logo, Iyi Party lists pluralism, democracy, the rule of law, freedom of speech and nationalist values as some of its founding principles.

Aksener rallied against constitutional changes narrowly passed in a referendum last April, which changed Turkeys parliamentary system to an executive presidency.

Under the changes, the person who will be elected as president in 2019 will have new powers to appoint vice presidents, ministers, high-level officials and senior judges.

The president will also be able to dissolve parliament, issue executive decrees and impose states of emergency.
Qatar-based network calls on Egypt to release its journalist, who has spent almost 500 days in jail without charge.

Egyptian authorities have extended the detention of Al Jazeera journalist Mahmoud Hussein, who has spent almost 500 days in jail without charge.

The extension on Saturday for another 45 days was to allow for further interrogation.

Hussein, an Egyptian national who was based in Qatar, was stopped, questioned and detained by authorities on December 20, 2016, after travelling to the Egyptian capital of Cairo for a holiday.

Five days after his initial arrest, Egypts interior ministry accused him of disseminating false news and receiving monetary funds from foreign authorities in order to defame the states reputation.

READ MORE Groups call for release of Al Jazeeras Mahmoud Hussein

Since then, he has been put in solitary confinement and denied his legal rights. He has yet to be formally charged.

According to Egyptian law, the maximum time a person can be held for interrogation is two years. If Hussein remains imprisoned, he will hit that maximum in December 2018.

Before working at the networks headquarters in the Qatari capital, Doha, Hussein was based in Al Jazeeras now-closed bureau in Cairo.

His family says the journalist is in poor physical and psychological condition, and is being denied adequate treatment for ailments.

Al Jazeera has rejected the accusations against Hussein and has called on Egypt to unconditionally release its journalist.

At the time of his arrest, Sherif Mansour of the Committee to Protect Journalist said: Egyptian authorities are waging a systematic campaign against Al Jazeera, consisting of arbitrary arrest, censorship, and systematic harassment.

Human rights and press freedom groups have also condemned his ongoing detention, currently in its 487th day.

Targeting of journalists

Husseins detention was the latest in a string of arrests by Egyptian authorities targeting the networks staff in the country.

In May 2016, Ibrahim Helal, the former editor-in-chief of Al Jazeera Arabic, was sentenced to death in absentia for purportedly endangering national security.

Egypt also imprisoned Al Jazeeras Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy, and Peter Greste on charges of spreading false news in a case that was widely condemned by international media outlets and politicians alike.

Mohamed and Fahmy spent 437 days in jail before being released, while Greste spent more than a year in prison.
Controversial order to remain in effect for six months from presidents approval, or until parliament votes it into law.

Indias cabinet has approved the death penalty for rapists of girls below the age of 12, after Narendra Modi, the prime minister, held an emergency meeting in response to nationwide outrage in the wake of a series of cases.

Saturdays controversial executive order, or ordinance, amends the criminal law to also include more drastic punishment for convicted rapists of girls under the age of 16, government officials said.

India launched fast-track courts and a tougher rape law that included the death penalty after an assault on a young woman shocked the country in 2012, but Indias rape epidemic has shown no sign of dying down.

There were 40,000 rapes reported in 2016. The victims were children in 40 percent of those cases.

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However, Kirti Singh, a womens rights activist, says capital punishment is unlikely to act as a deterrent in such cases; instead, the authorities should instead focus on carrying out proper investigations and legal processes.

Studies have shown that death penalty does not act as a deterrent. Our experience shows the same. We are against death penalty, she told Al Jazeera from New Delhi.

[In the recent child rape cases], there was a complete breakdown of law and order. It wasnt as if just because death penalty doesnt exist, there was this breakdown.

Some people in India act in with impunity, thinking that they wont be punished. The certainty of the punishment, rather than the severity of it, should be made sure.

Some activists want the government to set a timeframe for bringing suspects to justice as Indian courts are notorious for delays, with more than 30 million cases pending.

According to Abhay Singh, an Indian lawyer, the conviction rate in rape cases in India was only 28 percent, implying that 72 out of 100 suspects are going unpunished.

Kathua gang rape

The latest outpouring of national revulsion came after details emerged of the gang rape of an eight-year-old Muslim nomad girl in Kathua, a Hindu-dominated area in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Local leaders of Modis BJP had appeared to offer support to the men accused, adding to the public disgust.

Protests around the country were further prompted by the arrest of an MP from the BJP last week in connection with the rape of a teenager in Uttar Pradesh, a populous northern state that is governed by the party.

More recently, a sexual attack on an 11-year-old girl was reported in Modis home state of Gujarat.

The post-mortem revealed the girl had been tortured, raped, strangled and smothered.

Modis failure to speak out soon enough during the latest bout of public anger fuelled criticism that his government was not doing enough to protect women.

With a general election due next year, Modi moved quickly to remedy that negative perception by holding the emergency cabinet meeting as soon as he returned on Saturday morning from an official visit to Europe.
Nicaragua launches deadly crackdown on anti-government protests

Pension cuts triggered mass demonstrations, which have led to several deaths, and now, the government is attempting to control coverage of the protests by shutting down independent media outlets.
Leader Kim Jong-un also announces the shutting down of nuclear test site, before next weeks inter-Korean talks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has announced that his country will suspend nuclear and missile tests immediately, according to state media.

The announcement on Saturday came amid increasingly decreasing tensions on the Korean Peninsula in advance of a landmark summit between North and South Korea next week.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Pyongyang would also close its nuclear test site as part of the countrys efforts to pursue economic growth and regional peace.

Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons, the agency quoted Kim as saying during a meeting of the ruling partys full Central Committee.

We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles, and because of this the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission.

According to the KCNA statement, North Korea also pledged to join international efforts to stop all nuclear tests and vowed to never use nuclear weapons as long as there are no such threats towards the country.

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The North appears to be signalling now, through its state news agency, that it is shifting its focus from the nuclear weapons development to more of an economic policy, Al Jazeeras Kathy Novak, reporting from South Koreas capital, Seoul, said.

Last year, after conducting its most powerful nuclear test ever and saying it had successfully tested its first intercontinental ballistic missile, North Korea announced that its nuclear programme was complete, added Novak.

Landmark meeting

Kim is to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a border village on April 27 and US President Donald Trump in the subsequent months in separate summit talks.

Next weeks inter-Korean summit will the first such meeting since 2007 and only the third since the 1950-1953 Korean War.

Meanwhile, Kims expected meeting with Trump will come after months of a diplomatic standoff that saw the two leaders exchange fiery military threats and personal insults.

A date for the meeting has not yet been set, with the White House still weighing five potential locations, according to comments made by Trump to reporters on Tuesday.

Later on Saturday, Trump welcomed Kims move.

North Korea has agreed to suspend all nuclear tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the world  big progress! he wrote on Twitter.

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

Look forward to our summit, he added.

Trump had previously said the summit would take place sometime in May or early June.
Democrats filed a lawsuit against Russia and the Trump campaign, but their lawyers didnt properly define computer.

A lawsuit filed by Democrats alleging a conspiracy between the Trump campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks could be derailed by a glaring omission in its legal text, a prominent legal expert told Al Jazeera.

Democrats filed the suit on Friday, alleging that Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks worked together to put US President Donald Trump in office.

The complaint argues that Trumps campaign gleefully welcomed Russias help, which included a cyberattack on Democratic National Convention (DNC) computers that resulted in the theft of a large amount of private data  including damaging emails that were later released  from the Democratic Party.

Trump himself is not named as a defendant.

The lawsuit further alleges the conspirators violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a 1986 anti-cybercrime measure that criminalised accessing protected computers without authorisation.

Fred Jennings, a lawyer who specialises in cybercrime, told Al Jazeera that it sure looks like the DNC complaint failed to include a necessary definition of a computer.

The CFAA is the US primary law against cybercrime and is often used to prosecute hackers for alleged unauthorised access of protected computers.

But the CFAA requires that lawyers clearly define computers and then protected computers  which have two separate definitions.

In order for a computer to be protected, it must first be defined as a computer.

The suit could face trouble in court because it failed to define hacked DNC computers as computers under CFAA guidelines, Jennings said.

Importance of definitions

The lawsuit didnt bother to plead facts sufficient to show that DNC computers were in fact computers as the CFAA defines them under 1030(e)(1), Jennings, the head of information technology and e-discovery management programmes at Tor Ekeland Law, said, citing a specific section of the law.

Tor Ekeland Laws lawyers have worked on a number of high-profile CFAA lawsuits and have been dubbed the lawyers hackers call by the Columbia Journalism Review.

Jennings said the CFAA is a core part of his practice as a lawyer and this omission jumped out at him.

The CFAA defines computers as a high speed data processing device and includes any data storage facility or communications facility that works with such devices.

However, the suit skips defining DNC computers as such, jumping straight to the definition of protected computers, which include those used by the US government or financial institutions.

Lawyers for the defendants would have to notice and move to dismiss this part of the lawsuit, which would affect their overall argument, as DNC hacks are a substantial portion of their allegations.

Trump  and Russia  won

The 66-page lawsuit uses strong language, including a heading of Trump  and Russia  Won to describe Trumps victory in the 2016 presidential elections, to allege cooperation between the plaintiffs.

Some political commentators in the US have said the lawsuit was more a ploy shift attention to the DNC in advance of crucial midterm elections for US Congress in November.

Its hard to see that theyre really going to prove these allegations in court, Reihan Salam, a conservative US political commentator, told PBS, but the litigation is definitely going to get the DNC and DNC Chair Tom Perez in the news.

Typically, foreign governments are immune from legal action in the US, but the DNC alleges the hacking was a trespass of their private property, which they contend removes Russias immunity.

Most of the allegations in the complaint were sourced from publicly available court documents and news reports.

The Trump teams connections to foreign actors have been well documented in the press and through the special counsel investigation.

Several Trump associates, including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn and former campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates have been indicted because of the probe into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Still, it is possible the lawsuit might reveal new details. The DNCs lawyers could request documents related to the alleged collusion in the discovery phase of the trial, during which lawyers on both sides ask for material relevant to the suit.

It might lead to additional discovery of events and relationships that we dont yet know about, Leonard Williams, a political science professor at Manchester University, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

Trump has also praised the lawsuit for giving his campaign the ability to ask Democrats for damaging information relative to alleged misconduct from the Hillary Clinton campaign during the discovery phase.

Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

Added complexity

But Jennings said that the DNCs lawyers failing to properly define their computers means that claim might be vulnerable to a motion to dismiss from defence lawyers before any fact discovery occurs in the discovery phase.

But even if a judge did dismiss the claim, its almost certain the DNC would be permitted to file an amended complaint to fix the error, the lawyer explained.

The definition of a computer wont end legal proceedings, Jennings said, but its more that this was an easily avoided error that could add a substantial amount of time, cost, and complexity to the DNCs case.

Added cost would do the DNC no favours. The DNC was reportedly so low on funds for the 2016 election that it had to borrow money from the Clinton campaign.

DNC fundraising in 2017 amounted to $67m, half of Republicans $132.5m raised. Democrats reportedly had $6.5m in cash on hand at the end of 2017 but owed $6.2m in debts, Politico reported.

In February, the DNC took out a $1.7m loan, according to filings with the US Federal Elections Commission.

Even if the failure to define computers in the lawsuit adds cost to the economically disadvantaged DNC, the lawsuit might be beneficial in the long run.

If the DNC wants to be influential and important, it has to raise money, commentator Salam said. The lawsuit could help if it really fires up the base and the small-dollar donors, many of whom are very passionate about the Russia story, Salam added.
A Palestinian scholar has been shot dead by two assailants in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers, according to local police.

Fadi al-Batsh, a 35-year-old Palestinian academic and member of Hamas, was instantly killed by the unknown attackers in a residential neighbourhood of Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Al-Batshs father told Al Jazeera that he accuses Israels intelligence agency, Mossad, of being behind his sons killing and called on the Malaysian authorities to look into who carried out the assassination as soon as possible.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Malaysias deputy prime minister, said the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, according to state news agency Bernama.

According to police chief Datuk Seri Mansor Lazim, the two attackers had waited for al-Batsh in front of a residential building in Setapak district for almost 20 minutes, and fired at least 10 bullets, four of which instantly killed him.

Al-Batsh was shot in the body and head, the police said, adding that they are investigating all angles including terrorism.

Relatives of al-Batsh mourned in the northern Gaza Strip on Friday [Mohammed Salem/Reuters]

Hazem Qassem, spokesperson for Hamas, the governing party in the Gaza Strip, confirmed to Al Jazeera that al-Batsh was a member of the movement.

In a statement on Twitter, Hamas described al-Batsh as a young Palestinian scholar from Jabalia in the Gaza Strip. It called al-Batsh a martyr and said he was a distinguished scientist who has widely contributed to the energy sector.

      .                ""     pic.twitter.com/MfjW6ZdRHH     (@AqsaTVChannel) April 21, 2018

Palestinian websites identified al-Batsh as a relative of a senior official in the Gaza branch of the Islamic Jihad movement.

Fadi al-Batsh was shot in the body and head, police said [EPA]

Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Anwar H al-Agha was quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper as saying the victim was a second imam at his mosque.

He had been reportedly living in Malaysia for 10 years.

Agha said Imam Fadi was supposed to have left for a conference in Turkey on Saturday. He was survived by his wife and three children.

In December 2016, Palestinian drone expert Mohamed al-Zawari, was shot dead in Tunisia, with Hamas accusing Israel of killing him.

Israel is widely believed to have killed numerous Palestinian activists in the past, many of them overseas.
UN tries to restart Syria talks after regime advances

A week after US missile attacks on Syria, the conflict between the US and Russia appears to have calmed, but rebel enclaves continue to fall to the Assad regime as the UN pushes for peace talks.
Police open investigation, state media says, as videos posted online purport to show area ringing with heavy gunfire.

Saudi forces have shot down a toy drone near the royal palace in the capital, Riyadh, as videos posted online purported to show the area ringing with heavy gunfire.

The official spokesman of Riyadh police said on Saturday that security forces dealt with an unauthorised, small drone-type toy after spotting it at a security point in Khuzama neighbourhood, state-run news agency SPA said.

An investigation into the incident, which happened at 7:50pm (16:50 GMT), was under way, added SPA.

There was no immediate information about any injuries or damage.

Footage shared on social media appeared to show heavy shooting that lasted for at least 30 seconds, sparking speculation of political unrest.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

An unnamed senior Saudi official told Reuters news agency that Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was not in his palace at the time of the incident.

The king was at his farm in Diriya, the official said, naming another area of Riyadh.

In October 2017, a gunman drove up to a gate of the kings palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and opened fire, killing at least two security guards and wounding three others before being shot dead.

The attacker, who was identified by the interior ministry as Mansour al-Amri, a 28-year-old Saudi national, was armed with a Kalashnikov rifle and three Molotov cocktails.
South Africa president addresses long-running riots in north

Protests against corruption and a regional leader have turned into riots and looting, prompting Cyril Ramaphosa to cut short his trip to the UK and return to South Africa.
April 22, 1993, killing of black man by five white youths laid bare Met Police incompetence, corruption and racism.

From the Keep Britain White mobs who went n**ger hunting during the Notting Hill riots in 1958, through to the recent deportation of the children of the Windrush generation, the marginalisation of black Britons is an ancient British tale of a nation anxious of creeping multiculturalism and dark strangers.

Following post-war Commonwealth migration, racism, that ugly word that brings with it entire histories and generations of trauma, was relegated to the archives of Britains imperial past.

But the murder of one black man, in particular, 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence, permanently altered the social, political and cultural landscape of the entire nation.

Lawrence was stabbed to death in Eltham, in southeast London, on April 22, 1993, in a racially motivated attack by five white youths.

It took 18 long years marred by incompetence in the Metropolitan Police, corruption and racism in all its new unconscious forms, before Stephens parents Neville and Doreen Lawrence, could bring two of his five killers to justice.

The face of Stephen Lawrence smiling gently on newspapers and televisions across the country burned his face into British consciousness, revealing an irrefutable and unavoidable truth: Racism was a British problem.

For Duwayne Brooks, a stop-and-search consultant and independent mayoral candidate for Lewisham, his life has become inseparable from the murder of his friend.

He was only 18 when he witnessed Stephens murder and risked his own safety by standing in court to give evidence against Stephens smug-faced attackers.

Street fighter

Speaking to Al Jazeera about his memories of Stephen [or Steve as he called him], he said: We would spend a lot of time playing video games like Street Fighter.

I was always Ryu in the white suit, and Steve was always the tall, bald guy, Dhalsim.

Naturally we would talk about girls. We werent in any gangs and we didnt go clubbing.

We were just two teenagers.

Weeks after the murder, the Metropolitan Police had received sufficient hearsay evidence from members of the community to investigate the five white young men who were later accused of his murder.

Yet they were obstinate in their refusal to treat the murder as a racial attack.

Caught in the crossfire of the investigation, Duwayne and Stephen himself were implicated by the police under the assumption that the murder was a drug-related dispute between two black boys.

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The police kept questioning me about what Steve might have had when he was murdered or what he might have done, recalled Duwayne.

They said they found gloves in his bag, and so they asked me whether or not he had done any burglaries.

There was also a belief maybe that I inflicted the injuries, and I was trying to blame it on a group of boys.

They suggested when we were at McDonalds earlier that night, he might have interfered with some white girls outside and the attackers may have been her brothers.

They were questioning Steves integrity and questioning mine, so I knew they werent out to do anything positive.

It was not until Nelson Mandela met the Lawrence family the same year that arrests were finally made.

After the charges were dropped because of the supposedly unreliable nature of Duwaynes evidence, it was the sheer persistence and indomitable will of Stephens parents and a group of campaigners that led to the launch of the first private murder prosecution case in almost 150 years.

But all hope seemed lost after the Metropolitan Police were exonerated of any wrongdoing, and three of the murderers  Neil Acourt, Luke Knight, and Gary Dobson  were acquitted when Duwaynes witness testimony was ruled inadmissible in September 1994.

After Jack Straw, the then home secretary, announced a public inquiry, it was the landmark publication of the Macpherson Report in 1999 that was to radically transform race relations in Britain.

It turned the spotlight squarely on racism within the Metropolitan Police and diagnosed what black Britons had been calling out for decades with a single phrase: institutional racism.

Report recommendations

The report made 70 recommendations that would bring public institutions under the umbrella of race relations legislation.

Among some of the tangible results, the Macpherson Report discarded double jeopardy, which allowed Stephens killers to be tried again for the same crime in 2011, when Gary Dobson and Neil Acourt were found guilty.

It also led to the creation of the Independent Police Complaints Commissions (IPCC) among numerous other changes.

But 25 years on, since Stephens murder, the initial zeal for endemic change is waning.

Xenophobia legitimised by Brexit discussions has gathered such a pace, that theres a feeling, not a great deal has changed even though in reality quite a bit has, says Simon Woolley, director of Operation Black Vote.

There was a big push for every institution to have a race equality strategy. But the tragedy is after 9/11 and 7/7, the focus switched from tackling race and inequality to tackling the enemies within.

This week weve seen the debacle of immigration policy demonising and hounding the Windrush generation.

Worryingly, in recent years weve had ramped up stop and search. The rise of young black men dying on the streets is symptomatic of a society that doesnt afford literally tens of thousands of young people equality of opportunity.

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For Zubaida Haque, a research associate and consultant at race equality think-tank Runnymede Trust, evidence pointing to the continued marginalising and criminalising of black men is proof that institutional racism persists.

If you look at the police at the moment, black boys are visible to them when it comes to policing but invisible when it comes to protecting, she said.

Stop and search still disproportionally impacts on BME people, particularly black people.

According to the governments disparity unit, black men are six to eight times more likely than white men to be stopped.

The differential arrest figures from the Lammy Review found that young black men are three times more likely to be arrested compare with their white peers.

When we look at deaths in police custody, black people are more likely to have disproportionate excessive force used against them, Haque said.

It was only last year that we had the death of Rashan Charles and Edson Da Costa, yet not a single police officer has been convicted.

Racialised narrative

The racialised narrative surrounding the recent surge in youth violence is of particular concern to Haque.

When you look at knife crime I find it extraordinary how the police talk about black men without actually saying black men. Theyve deliberately been trying to other them in terms of gangs and crime, she said.

It says that black men are criminal but nothing about how the police have stopped protecting them, how theyre vulnerable or living in disproportionately high-crime areas where they feel they have to protect themselves because the police certainly arent.

There arent other safety nets to look after young men.

So theyre doing things to protect themselves, which includes carrying a knife.

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The irony is thats exactly what happened during Stephen Lawrences racist murder.

They initially questioned his role in his own murder.

For Duwayne, the new surge in youth violence is the symptom of an acute mental-health crisis.

As an eighteen-year-old, I didnt have anyone to speak to about the impact of Steves murder, the court process, my experience with the criminal justice system, the private prosecution, the stop-and-search, the behaviour of the police, he said.

All of those experiences were traumatic. Black people and young people per se arent accessing mental health services, trauma counselling or victim support.

Untreated trauma is very dangerous, and were seeing it on the streets with people who have extreme anger management problems.

Many of these perpetrators are repeat victims whose issues have never been resolved, their trauma has never been spoken about.

A quarter of a century on, Duwaynes suspicion of the police remains, and understandably so.

After testifying against the Metropolitan Police for the Macpherson Report and filing to sue for racism, his car has inexplicably been broken into on numerous occasions, and he has been stopped by police, and, on one occasion, arrested for always resulting in acquittals.

Insipid fruits of racism

A Home Office-commissioned inquiry in 2014 reported that an undercover police officer was commanded to spy on the Lawrence family campaign and on Duwayne, to collect intelligence that might help smear the Lawrence family and undermine public sympathy.

It took the murder of Stephen Lawrence for Britain to hold up a mirror to itself and face the bitter truth that far from being a utopian multicultural society, the insipid fruits of racism and institutional racism had fastened its iron grip not only on individuals but within public institutions as well.

The British racial landscape has been altered irrevocably. But for Stephens family and friends and for Duwayne, a victim himself in one of the most profound miscarriages of justice in British history, the loss of Stephen will forever be inconsolable.

We move on every day as we learn and gain more experience. But what happened to Steve, that experience will always be there. Thats never going to change.
Protesters call for tighter gun control legislation and for voters to punish recalcitrant politicians at the ballot box.

Ridgefield, Connecticut  Thousands of students across the United States have walked out of their schools to protest against government inaction on gun reform.

The protest on Friday was the second national school walkout since an attacker killed 17 people in a Florida high school in February.

Student groups  some 2,700 in total  left their schools at 10am local time and observed a moment of silence for the victims of gun violence.

Student protesters called for tougher gun control laws and for voters to punish recalcitrant politicians at the ballot box.

Time is on our side

Several hundred students participated in the walkout at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut, where the protests organiser, 16-year-old Lane Murdock, is a sophomore.

Murdock scheduled the walkout to coincide with the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

Organiser Lane Murdock speaks at Ridgefield High School [Ben Dalton/Al Jazeera]

Addressing her fellow students, Murdocks message was one of generational change.

Regardless of how much money you have or how much power you have, the one thing you cant control is time, she said on Friday.

And time is on our side.

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, addressed the students and promised to fight for stricter gun control measures nationwide.

We need national laws because the strongest states like Connecticut are at the mercy of states with the weakest laws, Blumenthal said. Guns have no respect for state boundaries.

Ridgefield students walked to the centre of their schools track and sat  many huddled under blankets against the cold  to listen to a succession of student and adult speakers.

Some wore tags with the amount $1.18, a reference to political donations by the pro-gun National Rifle Association.





Step up and take action

Ridgefield is a short drive from Sandy Hook Elementary School, where in 2012 gunman Adam Lanza killed 26 people, most of them young children.

Annie Colao, a senior at Ridgefield and one of the protest organisers, said that the Sandy Hook shooting  and the political paralysis that followed it  was a harsh lesson.

As a high school senior looking back and seeing that our country took no action after that event and after 26 people died, it really shocked me, Colao told Al Jazeera.

Colao said that it was all too easy to imagine herself or her peers in the position of the Parkland shooting victims.





I could compare everyone from that shooting, said Colao.

That could be somebody from my school, or that could have been me, she added. That just really made me want to step up and take action.

Several protesters stressed that gun violence extends beyond the mass shootings that dominate headlines.

Fourteen-year-old Lashawnna Mullins, a resident of New Haven, said that less covered, day-to-day shootings also weigh heavily on US communities.

I used to go to school in the inner city, and theres so much gun violence there every day. It really takes a toll on you. You think it doesnt, but then you go to a school like this and its a whole different atmosphere, Mullins told Al Jazeera.

Fridays protest makes you feel like you have power, and youre not just someone who is sitting in class and cant do anything about it, Mullins said.

While Ridgefield administrators coordinated with walkout organisers, some schools threatened to take disciplinary action against student protesters.
After days of government raids, rebels agree to leave Qalamoun while other groups hold on to areas in capitals south.

Syrian government forces continue to launch air raids and artillery fire on parts of the capitals outskirts in an attempt to drive out remaining armed opposition groups, according to state media and war monitors.

Rebel-held pockets near Damascus have been witnessing intense shelling from Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces since Thursday.





Some of the areas, including Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun in the southern district of Damascus, have been under Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) groups control since April 2015.

The areas comprise the majority of the Palestinian Yarmouk refugee camp, which lies about 8km from central Damascus.

ISIL fighters were given 48 hours to surrender and withdraw from the Yarmouk area on Thursday, pro-government Al-Watan daily reported.

Meanwhile, remaining rebel factions in nearby eastern Qalamoun have begun evacuating to rebel-held parts of the country, after agreeing on Friday to surrender under threat of military action by government forces.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported that buses began evacuating terrorists and their families out of Qamaloun to Idlib province and Jarablus city at noon on Thursday.

Activist Hazem al-Shamy told Al Jazeera that fighters from rebel groups Jaish al-Islam and Hayet Tahrir al-Sham remain in control of other pockets such as the towns of Yalda, Beilla, and al-Qadam  all of which lie south of the capital.





Al-Shamy and other activists say some 200 air attacks were launched since Thursday.

All of those areas including Yarmouk are being shelled by Russian fighter jets, al-Shamy said.

According to Action Group for Palestinians in Syria, a London-based watchdog that documents human rights violations, at least four Palestinian refugees, including a member of Syrias Civil Defense, were killed in Saturdays attacks.

In total, at least six Palestinians lost their lives in the government-led raids that began two days ago, the group said.

Although most of the camps residents fled to other parts of Syria or to neighbouring countries, the United Nations estimates thousands remain trapped inside as a result of an imposed siege that began in 2012, shortly after the Syrian war started.

ISIL currently controls about five percent of Syria, including pockets in Deir Az Zor, and have a presence in Syrias vast Badia desert.

Since 2015, the Syrian government has regained control of the majority of Syria, with opposition groups now restricted to the northern part of the country.

They have thus far managed to regain large swaths of land through a series of evacuation deals that come amid a military offensive, most recently in Eastern Ghouta, a major Damascus suburb that was once home to 400,000 people.
UNs Palestinian envoy urges probe into Israels deadly crackdown

Palestinians have refused to back down, despite the live-fire from Israeli snipers and volleys tear gas, and are continuing their Great March of Return protests at the Gaza border.
Yemen war survivor struggles to provide education to women

A woman in divided Taiz province is trying to empower other women and girls to obtain brighter future.
On April 17, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc.; the decision is due in June. The case deals with e-commerce, specifically the taxing of sales done over the internet. South Dakotans feel that the internet is bilking them of sales tax revenue and that e-commerce is hurting their brick-and-mortar retailers. So South Dakota wants internet "retailers" in other states to collect sales taxes for them.

According to the Sales Tax Institute, there are currently 45 states that "impose a general sales tax." Each of those states also imposes a "use tax," which is what one is supposed to pay when using the net to buy stuff from out-of-state vendors. But the states are abject failures at collecting their use taxes; enforcement of the use tax is a joke. Hence the movement to tax out-of-state sales on the internet.

If the Court decides in South Dakota's favor, the internet retailers in the five states that don't have sales taxes will be required to collect sales taxes for the other 45 states that do have sales taxes. That doesn't sound very equitable. Such "retailers" can be individuals. Perhaps they purvey custom-made quilts sewn to order, which means they might have only one customer at any given time. And now South Dakota wants to complicate their lives with tax collection.

Over the last few years, there's been a veritable exodus of Americans who leave high-tax states, like California, for states with lower taxes. The idea that one can't get away from these states is hateful. That the state one has fled can still impose taxes on him seems un-American.

Each of the states is sovereign, and each of the states can levy sales taxes at whatever rate it wants. But none of these internet retailers residing in other states had a vote in what those tax rates would be. One assumes that South Dakota hasn't gotten the message about "no taxation without representation."

The solution to the problem of so-called "lost revenue" due to internet sales is already in the hands of the states; the high court needn't intervene. The solution is simply to impose a new substitute tax. Indeed, the states could do away with sales taxes altogether, including for brick-and-mortar outfits. They might consider upping their income tax rates, or even imposing a capitation. When it comes to taxation, government can be quite creative. But the states don't want to change; they want individuals to be required to change.

Except for the payroll tax, sales taxes are just about the only tax a lot of low-income folks pay. Why not end sales taxes and make up for the lost revenue by expanding the payroll tax? That would ease the compliance and regulatory burden on all retailers.

Some states pride themselves on not having an income tax. Such states must get their revenue from somewhere, so they depend on the sales tax. That's their choice, and that's their problem. The states also want tourists to visit their states to pay taxes they're afraid of imposing on their own residents.

The primary reason a government levies taxes is to raise revenue to pay for the proper and essential things government does. Taxation's main purpose is not to regulate behavior, protect enterprises, or punish. It's not the non-collection of sales taxes from internet retailers that is hurting "physical" brick-and-mortar stores. Rather, it's the state legislatures that have levied sales taxes on them.

The tax that South Dakota expects others to collect for it is a consumption tax. Some say that if you want less of something, tax it. Perhaps South Dakota wants less consumption, fewer sales. The reason one should be taxed to pay for state government isn't because one has purchased something, but because one is residing in the state and receiving the benefits of the state.

If the states can't be commandeered to carry out federal law, such as immigration laws, how can a state commandeer the residents of other states to carry out its laws and collect taxes for it? Since e-commerce is worldwide, should other nations be able to commandeer retailers in America to collect taxes for them? I ask that absurd question because what South Dakota is seeking is absurd.

There are huge constitutional issues at play in this case. One of them is whether the high court should be imposing taxes, which is a legislative prerogative. If the Court finds for South Dakota, it will not only be imposing a new tax, but also be creating a whole new tax regime: cross-state taxation. If that is correct, then in holding for South Dakota, the Court would be "legislating from the bench." Such judicial legislating, which is usurping the power of another branch of government, should be an impeachable offense.

Recently, Justice Neil Gorsuch disappointed conservatives by voting with the four "liberals" in an immigration case  seems he doesn't think we can repatriate illegal aliens. In the oral arguments heard in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., Gorsuch doesn't show his hand, so it'll be interesting to see how he votes. (Gorsuch does, however, use the word "delta" twice, the only iterations of the word in the oral arguments. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to report back on what that word means in this context.)

Even if the Court does the right thing and finds for Wayfair, Inc., internet retailers still aren't out of the regulatory woods. Congress weighed in on the issue of internet taxes in 2013, when the Senate passed the Marketplace Fairness Act. The bill is still pending, as the House hasn't passed it. The MFA would do exactly what South Dakota is seeking in its suit against Wayfair: allow for cross-state taxation of sales. In June of 2013, American Thinker ran "Internet Retailing Under the Marketplace Fairness Act" by yours truly, which addressed some of the issues in this misbegotten law.

The internet is one of the most transformative empowering inventions of the last half-century. In its recent grilling of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Congress showed America how clueless some members are concerning this technology. Both Congress and the Supreme Court should err on the side of caution when seeking to regulate the net. Let government show that it can secure its own online systems against hacking before presuming to change our wonderful internet.

Taxing out-of-state internet commerce is a singularly awful idea, especially when the states have so many better options for raising revenue.

Jon N. Hall of ULTRACON OPINION is a programmer from Kansas City.
As has been well documented, the left is hating on Chick-fil-A...again. No one should be surprised by this, least of all Chick-fil-A. Back in 2012, Chick-fil-A became a prime target of the left when its then-president and chief operating officer, Dan Cathy  son of founder Truett Cathy and now the chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A  gave a benign interview to Baptist Press (the Cathys are longtime members of New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Ga.).

The following exchange between Mr. Cathy and Baptist Press is what first drew the ire of the left.

The company [Chick-fil-A] invests in Christian growth and ministry through its WinShape Foundation (WinShape.com). The name comes from the idea of shaping people to be winners[.] ... "That morphed into a marriage program in conjunction with national marriage ministries," Cathy added. Some have opposed the company's support of the traditional family. "Well, guilty as charged," said Cathy when asked about the company's position. "We are very much supportive of the family  the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that. "We operate as a family business... our restaurants are typically led by families; some are single. We want to do anything we possibly can to strengthen families. We are very much committed to that," Cathy emphasized. "We intend to stay the course," he said. "We know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles." [Emphasis mine.]

Note that Mr. Cathy didn't mention politics, political parties, legislation, the courts, or anything that could be deemed political. He didn't make reference to any organizations other than his own business and charity. Neither did he say anything about homosexuality or same-sex "marriage." Nevertheless, and predictably, the left still decided to make an example out of the fast food icon.

Apologists for the LGBT agenda attempted to organize a nationwide homosexual "kiss-in" to take place at Chick-fil-A restaurants. LGBT enforcers within the Democrat Party took notice of Cathy's modest attempt to spread the truth on marriage and family. They were not about to let even the least amount of light shine into their darkness. As CNN noted:

Philadelphia city councilman James Kenney sent a letter to Cathy this week, telling the CEO in blunt terms to "take a hike and take your intolerance with you," and vowing to introduce a resolution at the next council meeting condemning the company. "There is no place for this type of hate in our great City of Brotherly and Sisterly Affection," Kenney wrote. San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee tweeted: "Closest #ChickFilA to San Francisco is 40 miles away & I strongly recommend that they not try to come any closer." In Chicago, Alderman Joe Moreno has been working for months to block construction of a Chick-fil-A in his district, citing traffic congestion and worry about the company's "business practices." Mayor Emanuel, a Democrat, said this week that "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values. They're not respectful of our residents, our neighbors and our family members." And in Boston, where Chick-fil-A is considering opening a location, Mayor Thomas Menino, also a Democrat, made it clear the chain would not be welcome. "I don't want an individual who will continue to advocate against people's rights. That's who I am and that's what Boston's all about," he said.

After this heat from the left, Cathy did what some considered a bit of a retreat  or even a "sellout"  in his efforts to spread the truth on marriage and the family. The left-media took notice and wrote headlines like "Chick-fil-A promises to stop giving money to anti-gay groups." Homosexual activists claimed to have been shown tax records that indicated that "Chick-fil-A had pulled its support of groups opposing gay marriage  including the Family Research Council, the Eagle Forum and Exodus International  as early as 2011."

This information was reportedly circulated among gay advocacy groups "to show the chain's willingness to change." Mr. Cathy denied charges that Chick-fil-A had capitulated to the homosexual agenda, declaring, "Chick-fil-A made no such concessions, and we remain true to who we are and who we have been."

However, Chick-fil-A also released a statement saying that "our sincere intent has been to remain out of this political and social debate[.]" If only leftist corporations and organizations were so accommodating.

In the six years since this initial dust-up between Chick-fil-A and the LGBT tyrants, and in spite of the relative silence from the chicken sandwich giant on the highly important matters of marriage and family, the left's hatred for the Christian-owned business has not abated. Whether it's in the pages of The New Yorker, on the Huffington Post, on the campuses of a growing list of leftist-dominated colleges or universities (and even high schools), or out of the mouths of totalitarian-minded liberals, the hate-filled, intolerant left continues to attack Chick-fil-A.

In other words, it makes little difference whether Christians (or those like-minded)  in fast food (chicken or pizza), photography, baking, floral design, sports, bathrooms, schools, hospitals, or even homes and churches  are vocal about the truth on marriage, family, sex, gender, and so on. The left is already bent on vengeance.

What's more, those corporations, small businesses, schools, "churches," and the like who have aligned themselves with the perverse LGBT agenda are rarely hesitant to let it be known loudly and proudly where they stand on sex, marriage, and the family. Virtually all of corporate America and the government schools have, in one way or another, sold their souls on these grave matters.

And like it or not, part of this fight is political. In spite of losing the electoral battle on marriage  in a landslide  the left fought on and eventually  as is so often the case in such things  got the court victory it lusted after. Because leftists have made a god of government, the principal instrument for the left to spread its corrupt worldview is politics; thus, we must fight in the political realm.

We are far past the moral crossroads Al Mohler referenced several years ago. There is no room for compromise, and there is little to no opportunity for silence. If high-profile Christian business-owners, athletes, entertainers, politicians, pundits, pastors, and so on won't boldly and loudly stand for the truth on something as fundamental as marriage and the family, what can they be trusted to stand for? To whom much is given, much is required.

Again, marriage is the oldest institution in the history of humanity  older than God's covenant with the nation of Israel, older than the Law, older than the church. Marriage is one of the earliest truths revealed by God. If anything is true, marriage as the union of one man and one woman is true. On this, there can never be compromise, and there should never be silence.

Trevor Grant Thomas: At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason. www.trevorgrantthomas.com Trevor is the author of the The Miracle and Magnificence of America.

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com
Remember a recent stop in India on Hillary Clinton's "Excuse Tour", blaming everyone and everything except the family dog for her surprising (at least to her and her supporters) electoral loss to Donald Trump? Two things stand out from her visit to India  her tumble down the stairs and her latest excuse as to why she lost the election everyone thought she would win in a landslide.

Instead of Rush Limbaugh or Fox News brainwashing voters to choose Trump, this time the puppet masters were white men, dripping with privilege and deplorable-ness. Hillary explained, "We do not do well with white men, and we don't do well with married white women." An entire race has been thrown under the bus. I thought Democrats were about tolerance and inclusion! Perhaps only as campaign issues, but not beyond that.

Mrs. Clinton went on: "And part of that is an identification with the Republican Party, and a sort of ongoing pressure to vote the way that your husband, your boss, your son, whoever, believes you should."

Blame it on the men, white ones in particular. They are all Archie Bunkers or Ralph Kramdens, promising to bang, zoom, send Edith or Alice to the moon if they don't vote for Trump.

What about on the Democrat side? If Donald Trump had lost the election, would he be in India blaming women for pressuring their husbands to vote for Mrs. Clinton? Is "female privilege" part of the Democratic Party, pressuring husbands, boyfriends, and sons to vote the way their "I'm with Her" mothers, wives, or girlfriends want them to?

I'm sure we all know examples of relationships where it's the woman, not the man, dictating party affiliation and electoral preferences. One such prominent example may be former FBI Director James Comey.

It doesn't matter how James Comey voted when he discharged his duties as FBI director as a partisan campaign operator for Team Clinton. As his book reveals, his actions were all directed toward electing Hillary Clinton and discrediting her opponent.

He wrote a letter exonerating Clinton long before he interviewed her and her campaign associates. His October surprise, reopening the Clinton email investigation, was not to hurt Clinton, but instead to exonerate her before the election. He read the polls, knew she would win, and wanted to clear the decks for her presidency by declaring the email issue dead and buried.

I wonder what Mr. and Mrs. Comey discussed in the year before the election? He was supposed to be nonpartisan in his position, but she certainly didn't have to be.

Mrs. Comey, in an ABC News interview, said, "I wanted a woman president really badly and supported Hillary Clinton." So did many around her: "[a] lot of my friends worked for her, and I was devastated when she lost."

It's safe to assume that the Comeys live in the swamp, denizens of the Deep State, where everyone in their family and social sphere thinks as they do. It's an environment where voting for a reprobate pig like Donald Trump is as alien as owning a gun or driving a pickup truck.

That's the world of James Comey, too. And of Andrew McCabe. And of Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Bruce Ohr, Robert Mueller, and many others. Jim Comey is surrounded by liberals, even in his own house. He told ABC News, "I'm pretty sure that at least my four daughters, probably all five of my kids, wanted Hillary Clinton to be the first woman president."

Not only did they vote, but they marched, too. Comey said his daughters and wife marched in the Women's March the day after Trump's inauguration. If Comey hadn't been FBI director at the time, I wouldn't be surprised if he would have marched along with his family  complete with the requisite pink hat.



Via ABC.

Comey also announced, in typical NeverTrump fashion, that he no longer considers himself a Republican. In yet another of his never-ending interviews, he said, "These people don't represent anything I believe in."

Oh, really? So he calls himself a Republican but doesn't believe in tax cuts, border security, defeating ISIS, reining in North Korea and Iran, trade deals beneficial to American workers, conservative justices, or a strong military? If he doesn't believe in these things, one can only conclude that he is a Democrat, despite his protestations to the contrary.

If anything, Trump and his supporters have left the Republican Party behind, remaining in the Republican Party only due to the realities of a two-party political system. If the modern Republican Party is the party of John McCain, James Comey, and the Bushes, count me out. That is a party that's all hat and no cattle, talking about conservative issues on the campaign trail or Sunday talk shows but acting Democrat-lite in the halls of Congress and the White House, at least in past administrations.

This applies to all the NeverTrumps, from the Bill Kristols and Jennifer Rubins to the Bushes and the McCains. A president is implementing everything they supposedly stand for, and they can't wait to bail on their political party. So much for political conscience; instead, we have only virtue-signaling to Deep State friends and neighbors.

Comey's book and incessant interviews are a coming out party for him, a chance to shed his oppressive political affiliations and come out of the closet as a progressive. President Trump has left the Republican Party, too. The Ryan-McConnell party is dead. Their resume of congressional leadership is as thin as Obama's resume of implementing American greatness.

The ongoing Comey book tour is not damaging President Trump. No revelations. There is only a confirmation that Comey wears a pink hat  that he has been in the tank for Hillary Clinton from long before the election and is now revealing it in no uncertain terms.

Brian C Joondeph, M.D., MPS is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Former president Barack Obama is a man who exhibits selective outrage based upon how a tragedy can benefit advancing the utopian vision. If an event includes changing "the world as it is" into the world Obama thinks it "should be," the former president will commend whomever he has to.

With that in mind, recently, via a piece written for Time magazine entitled "Cameron Kasky, Jaclyn Corin, David Hogg, Emma Gonzalez and Alex Wind," Obama praised the five Parkland student-activists who made Time's 100 Most Influential People list.

The former president wrote, "America's response to mass shootings has long followed a predictable pattern." Obama's article was even more "predictable."

For starters, the ex-POTUS chided Americans for our behavior after a mass shooting:

We mourn. Offer thoughts and prayers. Speculate about the motives. And then  even as no developed country endures a homicide rate like ours, a difference explained largely by pervasive accessibility to guns; even as the majority of gun owners support commonsense reforms  the political debate spirals into acrimony and paralysis.

Those sentiments come from a fellow whose whole career hinges on the debate that "spirals into acrimony and paralysis." After all, Obama is the one who laments death by guns while supporting "pervasive accessibility" to abortion on demand. In fact, the most glaring contradiction in Obama's Parkland stance is that 18 years ago, he would have heartily supported aborting the five teens to whom he pays Time tribute.

Nevertheless, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, there are still approximately 33,000 gun violence deaths in the US, two thirds of which are from suicide, a right to choose Democrats likely support. Therefore, if former President Obama is concerned about violent death, why does he ignore the statistic that says every ten days, 30,000 Americans lose their lives in an abortion facility?

As for "commonsense reforms" for firearms, isn't it Obama who refuses to respect the fact that a majority of Americans also want "commonsense reforms" banning abortion after 20 weeks?

Either way, Obama's words extolled the future of student activism by expressing the complimentary view that:

This time, something different is happening. This time, our children are calling us to account[.] ... [T]he Parkland, Fla., students don't have the kind of lobbyists or big budgets for attack ads that their opponents do. Most of them can't even vote yet.

Despite all his talk about lack of lobbyists, big budgets, and attack ads, in truth, Obama is well aware that anti-gun billionaires organize and fund marches and recruit the media to demonize both the Second Amendment and the NRA. Trust me: above all, Barack Obama is a wily twister of minds. Whenever the former president says something isn't happening, it should call attention to what he's probably helping bring to pass.

In addition to deception, Obama's written homage to youthful activism included the opinion that Parkland activists possess the "power so often inherent in youth: to see the world anew; to reject the old constraints, outdated conventions and cowardice too often dressed up as wisdom."

Someone needs to ask the former U.S. president whether he considers adherence to the Bill of Rights an "old constraint, outdated convention and cowardice too often dressed up as wisdom." And, notwithstanding the opinion that radicalized youth exercise "[t]he power to insist that America can be better," if the Constitution he considers "deeply flawed" manages to survive the left's assault, is Obama saying America will be worse because of it?

Meanwhile, Obama's obsequious rant continued with the following words:

Seared by memories of seeing their friends murdered at a place they believed to be safe, these young leaders don't intimidate easily. They see the NRA and its allies  whether mealy-mouthed politicians or mendacious commentators peddling conspiracy theories  as mere shills for those who make money selling weapons of war to whoever can pay. They're as comfortable speaking truth to power as they are dismissive of platitudes and punditry. And they live to mobilize their peers.

Wait! Barack Obama suddenly cares about safety? This man displays zero compassion for babies slaughtered by the millions in the womb, "a place they believed to be safe." Moreover, during his tenure, when police officers were assassinated in the safety of a police cruiser and Americans murdered in cities once deemed safe, then-president Obama either remained silent or used the tragedy to commiserate with the perpetrators.

With that in mind, maybe mendacity and mealy-mouthedness are not character faults a person like Obama should be highlighting.

Furthermore, one can't help but wonder what the five educationally "dumbed down" high school students, who Obama claims "speak truth to power" and "dismiss ... platitudes and punditry," would think if they knew he had handed murderous Mexican drug cartels "weapons of war" that resulted in Americans dying.

Anyway, in typical, Obama sullied the NRA and the Republican Congress and so-called "conspiratorial" conservative pundits. Then, while attempting to "sway" the swayable, Obama condemned political adversaries for using the "scare tactics [he uses] on much of the country" every time he speaks.

Then Obama wrote: "But by bearing witness to carnage, by asking tough questions and demanding real answers, the Parkland students are shaking us out of our complacency." Sorry, but the words "carnage" and "complacency" are much more fitting to discussions concerning liberal policies with high body counts.

Then, without citing that the "disproportionate victims of gun violence" live in cities where gun laws are the strictest, America's most famous community organizer demonized, prophesied, patronized, and attempted to get out the vote through ethnic and racial "common cause" when he wrote:

The NRA's favored candidates are starting to fear they might lose. Law-abiding gun owners are starting to speak out. As these young leaders make common cause with African Americans and Latinos  the disproportionate victims of gun violence  and reach voting age, the possibilities of meaningful change will steadily grow.

In conclusion, Obama pronounced:

Our history is defined by the youthful push to make America more just, more compassionate, more equal under the law. This generation  of Parkland, of Dreamers, of Black Lives Matter  embraces that duty. If they make their elders uncomfortable, that's how it should be.

Undoubtedly, based on those words, what remains clear is that our nation's 44th president continues to side with anti-gun activists, illegal aliens, and radical racist groups, all of whom believe that this country is unjust, lacks compassion, and endorses inequality.

In like manner, Obama's piece provokes the youthful to make elder Americans "uncomfortable," which for Barack Obama is "the world" as "it should be."

In the end, the Parkland students are five manipulable youths Barack Obama hopes to employ in his mission to craft a "future [that] isn't written [by] us [or them], but by [himself]." And so, in the progressive effort to revise America, the "kids" Obama would have cheerfully aborted 18 years ago are now his new recruits.

Jeannie hosts a blog at www.jeannie-ology.com.

Image: Marc Nozell via Flickr.
American president Donald Trump, who only days ago promised to remove the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria, now sits on the horns of a dilemma. Media reports on the advice he is getting from his new secretary of state designee and national security adviser indicate that they feel that it would be extremely dangerous to cede Syria to Iran and Russia, whose intentions are far from benign. They believe that there are strategic, economic, and political reasons that would make it far wiser for the U.S. to remain in Syria for the foreseeable future.

Strategically, Syria's importance stems from its geographical location, extending halfway across the Middle East from the eastern Mediterranean to the border of Iraq. Since Shiite Muslim-ruled Iraq is now dominated by Iran (also Shiite), Syria finds itself in between expansionist Iran in the east and expansionist Sunni Muslim Turkey, which longs to return to its imperial Ottoman glory, in the north. Both states would like control of Syria in their efforts to create a great Islamic caliphate as predicted by Islamic scriptures. If Syria remains little more than a province of Iran, there will be an Iranian military port and airfield in the eastern Mediterranean from which Iran, a country that considers itself locked in an existential religious war with the U.S., can extend its power over the eastern Mediterranean, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Arabian (also called Persian) Gulf. During wartime, that would mean that Iran, with the support of its friend Russia (which already has a naval base on Syria's Mediterranean coast), could effectively freeze much of worldwide commerce and make it extremely difficult for the U.S. and her allies to acquire the supplies necessary to win a war  a war that we in the West don't want but may come to us anyway.

When one power retreats from stresses caused by other powers, it is only a matter of time before other powers fill the vacuum that the retreating power has left. Thus, there is no question that Iran and Russia will fill the military vacuum should the U.S. pull its troops out of Syria. Leaving the area merely invites the kind of military actions by America's enemies that will guarantee a U.S. return to the area under far worse terms. (That's why President Obama needed a "surge" of American troops in Iraq after he had withdrawn U.S. troops too soon.) It guarantees a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East that will only encourage military adventurism by the one country on Earth totally dedicated to the extermination of America: Iran. To allow a religiously extreme nation, bent on developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles for the purpose of destroying the U.S. in the name of Islam, to expand its power unopposed is a recipe for an American military disaster.

Economically, allowing Iran and Russia virtually complete control of Syria would mean that Iran and Russia will expand their economies considerably, as they benefit from sales to their Syrian proxy of expensive weapons systems. Syria would also be a reliable customer for Iranian and Russian consumer products. Since an effective defense is expensive and must be built on the foundation of a solid economy, the more wealth Iran and Russia have, the more they can spend on weapons to threaten the U.S.

Politically, an American retreat from Syria would also put Iran and Russia in a position to intimidate nearby countries into using their United Nations votes and other diplomatic means to support both Iranian and Russian hegemony in the region and make the world far more dangerous for Western democracies. It's important to remember that both Russia and Iran are expansionist states. They are building empires in the names of nationalistic (in Russia's case) and religious (in Iran's case) extremism. It is old-fashioned imperialism in the 21st century, an imperialism that the political left, always on the lookout for imperialism to expose, chooses not to see.

As Russia and Iran grow stronger and more aggressive, America appears to grow weaker. Other nations sense this and see an America that lacks the will to defend itself and its interests, an America in decline while Russia and Iran are ascendant. Why should those countries trust America when America betrays its allies, like the Kurds in Iraq and Syria, and flips back and forth on its support for Israel depending on which party rules the White House? Why should any nation trust an America that has constantly proven itself to be an undependable ally?

There's a war coming. A big war. It is not a war that we in the West have chosen, but we cannot avoid it with appeasement. Tyrants like Russia's Putin and Iran's Khamenei cannot be appeased. And so this is one war that we must either deter or fight to win. Either deterrence or victory will require us to do some things we find distasteful, like backing some unsavory national leaders who share our national interests but not our values and inserting the U.S. military into dangerous situations to show the world that America is still a nation that does not allow itself to be bullied by foreign predators and thugs. As long as there is no better way to deter aggression by predatory nations and faiths, then the credible threat of the use of American military force is the only effective way to preserve international order and prevent pure evil from conquering us all.

Leaving U.S. troops in Syria and using them to prevent Iran from exploiting the Shiite Crescent to Lebanon that it is building, from the Arabian Gulf through Iraq and Syria to the Mediterranean Sea, is the best and, probably, only way to slow down Iran's quest for dominance of the Middle East and Mediterranean before it develops nuclear weapons and the ability to deliver them.

Preventing that, ultimately, must be the focus of American foreign policy in an age when Iranian religious tyrants are betting the keys to their Islamic heaven on the destruction of America. Leaving American troops in Syria is the first step in the defense of the West in the war that is to come.

Pete Cohon is a retired attorney living in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Two apparent concessions from Pyongyang are boosting the chances of success for President Trumps initiative to strike a deal that we would de-nuclearize the Korean Peninsula and possibly even lure North Korea out of its status as a rogue nation, cut off from the outside world and shunning the norms of international relations. This would be a major triumph not just for Trump, but for America. Meanwhile, Senate Democrats are doing their utmost to rebuke and disempower the point man in achieving those concessions by obstructing CIA Director Mike Pompeos nomination as Secretary of State.

Standing in opposition to the facilitator of what maybe the biggest diplomatic triumph since Nixon began the process of opening China could end up boomeranging on them in November if the talks succeed. That implicitly means that the Democrats are betting against the resolution of what President Obama termed as the biggest national security threat to America, as he and President-elect Trump rode the limo to inauguration at the Capitol.

The GOP is in danger of losing its hold on the title of The Stupid Party.

The triumphs-in-process are substantial, though far from fully realized yet.

First, North Koreas surprise announcement that it is suspending nuclear and missile testing left CNNs Pyongyang correspondent Will Ripley speechless when he phoned into Wolf Blitzers Friday evening show. Via Grabien:

This is an extraordinarily significant development. And frankly, a huge win for President Trump going into these potential summits with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. I want to read to you a quote from a North Korean force I just spoke to on the phone. Finally, Kim Jong-un decided to open up. This is a new chapter for the DPRK. Hes committed himself to the task of denuclearization and focus solely on economic growth and improving the national economy. Finally, he has realized the best path forward is to open up the country and normalize relations. He is finally being recognized by the international community and this is an historic timely opportunity. Wolf, I am speechless here at the pace at which North Korea has done this u-turn."

President Trump hailed the concession:

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

But keep in mind that Kim also stated that North Korea has completed its testing.

What remains is work on guidance systems, miniaturization, heat shielding the return warhead, and other matters that do not require shooting off missiles or detonating bombs. Moreover, Kim made no mention of short and medium-range missiles that could threaten Japan. Nevertheless, the announcement is a major concession, and signal that the forthcoming talks have promise.

A second reported concession also indicates a favorable outlook on the talks. Via HuffPo:

President Donald Trumps upcoming meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will likely involve the release of three American citizens currently detained in the hermit country, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. North Korean officials gave CIA Director Mike Pompeo assurances that the summit between Trump and Kim could be linked to the release of the U.S. citizens, the Journal reported, citing people briefed on the meeting.

With Mike Pompeo the hero of the hour, Democrat senators on the Foreign Relations Committee, joined by Rand Paul, are preparing to vote down Pompeos nomination, which would be a historic move. Normally, presidents are allowed to pick their secretaries of state. Ali Rogan reports for ABC News:

Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, announced Friday that he will not vote to support the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be secretary of state, officially closing the door on Pompeos chances of being favorably recommended out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ahead of a full Senate floor vote. Coons, the last Democrat on the panel to announce his position, said in a statement that he was encouraged by Pompeo's commitment to the diplomatic corps that he laid out in his confirmation hearing but concluded that the current CIA director and former congressman would embolden rather than temper President Donald Trump's most bellicose instincts.

The nomination still could move to the Senate floor, where North Dakotas Senator Heidi Heitkamp has promised to vote for confirmation, no doubt worried about her re-election prospects.

President Trump sees the issue:

Mike Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un in North Korea last week. Meeting went very smoothly and a good relationship was formed. Details of Summit are being worked out now. Denuclearization will be a great thing for World, but also for North Korea!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 18, 2018





Of course, achievement of a deal to end North Koreas nuclear program and open up the Hermit Kingdom is far from a sure thing. The Norks have a long history of lying, cheating, and delaying as they move forward with the planned nuclear arsenal. Madeleine Albright was suckered into a worthless deal for the Clinton administration that was violated by the Norks. But the very bellicose instincts that so worry Senator Coons are a powerful reason for Kim to treat Trump differently than Bill Clinton  who allowed China to acquire critical ICBM missile technology from Loral.

I think that the odds for a genuine strategy change on the part of Kim and his regime are better than many people realize. Ripleys report, Finally, Kim Jong-un decided to open up, may be true. Make no mistake, Kim Jong-un is ruthless (he had his half-brother murdered in Malaysia), but unlike his father and grandfather, he has lived in the West. In addition, his countrymen and -women have far more access to information about the outside world than ever before. And his essential patrons in China called him to Beijing for consultations in the face of their tightening of sanctions, and may not see his continued value as an irritant to the West, particularly if he provokes Japan into acquiring a nuclear arsenal.

IF Trump scores a win for America and for peace by a successful deal, the Democrats will go down in history as reactionaries who tried to prevent success.

Betting against Americas interests is never a good idea for an American political party.
April 19, 2018 was a date that had been long awaited in the annals of Cuban history. A new day in the post-Castro era began with the elevation of Miguel Diaz-Canel to the presidency of Cuba. Many people expected this change of guard would bring positive changes to a Cuban population that had endured innumerable hardships during the Fidel/Raul Castro regimes. Nothing could be further from reality.

To begin with, Diaz-Canel will occupy a secondary position to Raul Castro, who will remain as head of the Communist Party -- according to the Cuban Constitution, the most powerful force of society and the state. Castro also remains commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. With control of the Communist Party and the military, nothing will get enacted without the approval of Raul.

It is the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party that issues all decrees pertaining to the countrys policies, and which are subsequently rubberstamped by a subservient National Assembly. Evidence of this subservience was the 603-1 vote to elect Diaz-Canel.

Moreover, Diaz-Canel will be surrounded by other members of the Castro Mafia who will not only keep an eye on him, but will derail any changes that they view as deviant to the hardline communist orthodoxy.

Colonel Alejandro Castro Espin, Rauls son, controls the intelligence services for the military and the Interior Ministry. Castro Espin participated in the secret negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba, via the Vatican, that led to the 2014 opening.

General Luis Alberto Rodriguez Lopez-Callejas --- who used to be married to Raul Castros daughter Deborah -- is the president of Gaesa, a conglomerate that controls the militarys business interests ranging from hotels to restaurants.

Diaz-Canel promised to the press in March of 2018 to make Cubas government more responsive to its people. How can he truly mean that when he was the sole candidate to succeed Raul Castro? The fact that there were no opposition candidates for the presidency means Cubans had no voice in electing a leader of their choice.

To address the current disenchantment afflicting the younger generation that is hungry for better economic conditions, Diaz-Canel stated that the new period would be guided by modernization of the economic and social model. Nevertheless, almost in the same breath, he said that the transition would not bring sweeping changes and swore there would not be a return to capitalism.

But a return to capitalism is the only change that would turn around Cubas economic malaise. It is precisely the Soviet-style centrally planned economy of the last fifty-nine years that has generated an average salary of $30 a month and has turned the Caribbean island into a third-world country.

In Rauls Cuba, if an applicant wants to rise to the top of the career ladder, he is best served by keeping a low profile regarding any doubts about the system or plans for reform. This is exactly the trajectory that Diaz-Canel has followed. Now that hes become the next President of Cuba, he can unveil an action plan that will unleash the dormant energies of a stagnant, centrally-planned economy and embrace a market economy that will bring wealth and prosperity to most Cubans. He will face stiff opposition from the military, for sure, but his magic weapon would be the disenchanted younger generation who could call for a national strike if its demands were not met.

If, on the other hand, Diaz-Canel decides to be a loyal figurehead, not much will change for Cubans. However, Cuban Government officials will no doubt use his election as a propaganda ploy to fool those who are always willing to drink the Kool-Aid that a new day has arrived for a better Cuba.

Most Cubans would be better served by looking up to American guitarist George Benson and demand that world leaders and fake-news media outlets remove this masquerade of change. Most Cubans would agree with the Santeria ritual of blowing cigar smoke into the air as a metaphor for smoke and mirrors in a Cuba AC (After Castro).
Warning: Major spoilers ahead!

I suspect that the majority of people who have seen A Quiet Place went into the theater anticipating a thrilling horror story that gives the usual rush of being scared out of one's seat.

But A Quiet Place has a couple of sub-narratives running through it that might be subversive to the secular Hollywood left. I suspect that John Krasinski knew exactly what he was doing when he directed a movie for the first time and came up with a masterpiece in its originality.

The primary narrative, to be as brief as possible, is the story of John Krasinski as the father, Emily Blunt the mother, and their children trying to survive in what appears to be a post-apocalyptic world where humanity has been wiped out by alien-like creatures that kill based solely on the sounds generated by living beings. The family has to communicate using sign-language and walk barefoot so as not to draw the lethal wrath of the monsters.

Here is where one of the two sub-narratives begins  one that really doesn't seem subversive because it's hiding in plain sight: an allegory of the nuclear family trying to survive in a hostile world where external social forces and pressures, not to mention the temptations and seductions of modernism, have been eroding and destroying it for decades. It is clear anymore that it is the strength and cohesion of the family unit that provide the necessary security for its survival, and in turn for society as a whole.

With the slow-motion breakdown of the nuclear family since the creation of the welfare state that incentivizes single motherhood and ease of divorce, along with the destructive forces of hyper-individualism and pervasive permissiveness, the modern American family has been ravaged, which is the foundation of nearly every social problem the country faces  e.g., alcoholism, drug addiction, promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases, illiteracy, and all of the concomitant criminal behavior rooted in anti-social pathologies.

In the movie, it is palpable how intense is the love of the family members for each other. If they weren't facing their extinction, one can see how their love would still be there.

With the recent death of Barbara Bush, her 1990 commencement address at Wellesley College has been going viral. Here is the most powerful passage and how it relates to A Quiet Place:

Fathers and mothers, if you have children, they must come first. You must read to your children, and you must hug your children, and you must love your children. Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens inside your house.

What may be the larger sub-narrative of the two occurs toward the end of the movie, and that is the sacrificial love at the heart of a family and of A Quiet Place.

At the penultimate moment in the movie, John Krasinski makes the decision that in order for his son and daughter to live, he is going to have to give up his life. When one of the monstrous creatures is about to kill his two children, he screams at the top of his lungs in order to draw its attention. His son and daughter are able to make their way back to their mother as their father loses his life.

Tying the two sub-narratives together, the family at its essence is all about sacrifice in big ways and in small ones. Just don't tell that to a leftist who's too busy looking out only for himself while trying to assuage his guilt by demanding, then imposing, his hedonistic lifestyle on everyone else.

A Quiet Place is being marketed as a horror movie, which is an appropriate metaphor for the damage to the American family brought on by a culture and governance dominated by liberalism for the past fifty years. It's been gruesome to witness.
Rush Limbaugh on his April 19 show said the important news in the report of Inspector General Horowitz's report is the August 12, 2016 call to McCabe from the Obama DOJ regarding the Clinton Foundation investigation. Limbaugh believes that it was Sally Yates, of the Obama DOJ, who called McCabe to tell him they were "concerned" about the investigation.

Horowitz found that McCabe lacked candor in describing how he authorized his in-house FBI special counsel (not Mueller) to reveal the phone call to Wall Street Journal reporter Devlin Barrett. By doing so, McCabe confirmed there was an FBI investigation of the Clinton Foundation.

Barrett was working on an article criticizing McCabe and the FBI on the basis that McCabe had shut down the investigation.

The Horowitz report discloses:

McCabe told the OIG that on August 12, 2016, he received a telephone call from PADAG regarding the FBI's handling of the CF Investigation about FBI agents taking overt steps in the CF Investigation during the presidential campaign (the "PADAG call"). McCabe said that PADAG expressed concerns. According to McCabe, he pushed back, asking "are you telling me that I need to shut down a validly predicated investigation?" McCabe told us that the conversation was "very dramatic" and he never had a similar confrontation like the PADAG call with a high level Department official in his entire FBI career.

In federal-speak, "PADAG" means "Principal Associate Deputy General." "CF" means Clinton Foundation. "OIG" means Office of Inspector General.

It is not clear who was the PADAG on August 12* who made the call. Loretta Lynch was the attorney general. The critical fact is that McCabe understood the DOJ attorney to say the FBI had to "shut down" the Clinton Foundation because of the presidential election. You do not have to be an FBI agent to conclude that the Obama DOJ believed that the investigation of the Clinton Foundation would hurt Hillary's election bid.

While Mueller searches in vain for the nonexistent collusion and obstruction of justice by President Trump, there is clear evidence in the Horowitz report of obstruction of justice to interfere with the 2016 election by the Obama DOJ.

The media have been obsessed with covering the Comey book tour, Stormy Daniels, and the criminal referral of McCabe for "lack of candor."

But if McCabe is telling the truth that he received the phone call from the Obama DOJ, then that is clear evidence that the Obama DOJ tried to stop the investigation of the Clinton Foundation because it would damage Hillary's election bid.

McCabe's lack of candor about the August 12, 2016 phone call does not regard a contention that the phone call did not occur or the substance of the phone call. The lack of candor comes in regarding whether McCabe believed he had the authority to disclose the phone call to the WSJ reporter. To date, nobody from the Obama DOJ, such as Lynch and Yates, has denied the phone call. It is difficult to believe that the phone call was made without the knowledge and approval by Obama. Moreover, Horowitz did not find that McCabe lied about receiving the phone call.

Evidently, McCabe was upset that the WSJ reporter believed that McCabe was shutting down the Clinton Foundation investigation. McCabe wanted to notify the reporter that the Obama DOJ wanted the investigation shut down because it was an election year. This led him to disclose the phone call to the WSJ.

One would assume that McCabe informed Comey of the August 12, 2016 phone call. We do know that Comey knew as of October 30, 2016 that the Obama DOJ made the phone call to interfere. Horowitz's report states:

The account of the August 12 McCabe-PADAG call, and other information regarding the handling of the CF Investigation, was included in the October 30 WSJ article. We found that, in a conversation with then-Director Comey shortly after the WSJ article was published, McCabe lacked candor when he told Comey, or made statements that led Comey to believe, that McCabe had not authorized the disclosure and did not know who did.

Maybe a reporter will ask Comey when he learned about the August 12 call and what he did about it. Did he write a memo to himself saying, "Andy got call from DOJ. President Obama concerned that FBI is investigating Clinton Foundation"? Did he investigate?

Comey claims that President Trump may have obstructed justice by asking about General Flynn, but what did Comey do about the August 12 phone call?

McCabe, fired for lack of candor, may be the principal witness to show that Obama obstructed justice by having his DOJ tell McCabe to shut down the Clinton Foundation investigation.

At the same time that the Obama DOJ was calling McCabe to shut down the Clinton Foundation investigation, the Obama DOJ was using the Steele-Hillary dossier, paid for by Hillary, to obtain FISA warrants to spy on the Trump campaign.

Time for McCabe to make a deal to disclose the full contents of the August 12 phone call, who made it, and what he told Comey.

* It appears that the PADAG probably was Matthew Axelrod, according to the career timeline offered here. Hat tip: Mark Wauck
Sometimes, I truly envy the New York Times. From a privileged perch high above the rest of us mere mortals, the Times constantly informs us of what's happening in America - from their perspective, at least.

Of course, they are oblivious to the real America. But don't tell them that. They wouldn't believe you anyway.

Case in point; the Times believes that a few socialists running in far left liberal communities is proof that America is ready for a socialist wave and that the future belongs to the far left.

Rather than shy away from being called a socialist, a word conservatives have long wielded as a slur, candidates like Mr. Bynum are embracing the label. He is among dozens of D.S.A. members running in this falls midterms for offices across the country at nearly every level. In Hawaii, Kaniela Ing, a state representative, is running for Congress. Gayle McLaughlin, a former mayor of Richmond, Calif., is running to be the states lieutenant governor. In Tennessee, Dennis Prater, an adjunct professor at East Tennessee State University, is running to be a county commissioner. Supporters, many of them millennials, say they are drawn by D.S.A.s promise to combat income inequality, which they believe is tainting every facet of American life, from the criminal justice system to medical care to politics. They argue that capitalism has let them down, saddling them with student debt, high rent and uncertain job prospects. And they have been frustrated by the Democratic Party, which they say has lost touch with working people.

Yes, it's capitalism's fault that an individual takes on hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. They are forced at gunpoint to sign the loan papers. And high rent in big cities - caused by socialist policies enacted by far left Democrats - is capitalism's fault too.

The ability of young people to delude themselves is constantly amazing to me.

Outrage over rising inequality has simmered for years, erupting into the Occupy Wall Street movement and the groundswell of support for Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist. But it was the election of Mr. Trump that convinced tens of thousands that both parties were broken and that the country was in need of a radical fix.

The New York Times, which had daily updates on the Occupy movements around the country, can't seem to grasp that the "movement" is deader than a doornail and was never, ever about "income inequality.

The Times, Senator Sanders, or any other socialist never mentions how this income equality is to be achieved. Simply taxing the rich won't nearly be enough. There will be confiscation and, along with it, the possible jailing of people who won't part with their property. That's how it has happened in every other socialist takeover of a government in history. Why should America be any different?

It's true, both parties are broken and in need of radical fixes. But the question on both the left and the right is do the parties "reform" by moving farther to the extremes or would it be more prudent to move back to the center? Partisans, activists, and ideologues from both sides, who are gaining more control of the parties as time goes by, would almost universally prefer to move further toward "pure" conservatism or liberalism. If that happens, socialism and fascism will be entrenched in American politics with very little hope for free government.

The Times is wrong. There aren't enough millenials to effect a socialist revolution and in the overwhelming majority of the country, "socialism" isn't a "slur"; it is simply despised as un-Amercan.

The Times would know this if their reporters ever ventured beyond the island of Manhattan.
In their latest Wile-E-Coyote bid to reverse the results of the 2016 election, Democrats have launched a lawsuit charging President Trump campaign with collusion with Wikileaks and Russia. Little do they know, they aren't going to like the result.

Democrats have been yowling about President Trump's victory for more than a year now in a positively anal inability to accept the results and move on. They've made continuous calls to investigate Trump as a colluder with the Russians, starting with President Obama's disproportionate expulsion of dozens of Russian diplomats (whose activities have never bothered him before), triggering significant retaliation. They've vowed to impeach him if and when they retake power, something they found hurts them in the polls. They called for and got a special counsel, who turned up utterly nothing on collusion. They investigated President Trump through the House Intelligence Committee, with Rep. Adam Schiff writing a much-vaunted memo that also turning up nothing and fell flat.

Now they're doing a lawsuit, charging that President Trump's campaign "gleefully welcomed Russia's help" which in turn handed Trump the election. According to the New York Times:

The 66-page complaint, filed in federal court in New York, uses the publicly known facts of the investigation into Russias election meddling to accuse Mr. Trumps associates of illegally working with Russian intelligence agents to interfere with the outcome of the election. In the document, the committee accuses Republicans and the Russians of an act of previously unimaginable treachery.

Like Democrats would never dream of having meetings with Russians? Give us a break. Just the foreign campaign donations to Obama's campaign, which never checked such details for awhile suggests otherwise. The Clinton Foundation's pay-to-play donations suggest it even more. There were also little-noted encounters with Russian operatives that Democrats had, there was the fact that Democrats likely paid for the meeting between a Kremlin-linked lawyer and Donald Trump, Jr., via Fusion GPS, There also was the bid to sell the contents of the Russian-written fake phony Steele dossier to the public using the FBI, which would have taken some Russian collusion from the Democrats' side, and there was Russian involvement in Facebook and Twitter that supported the Hillary side (why did the Russian bots keep retweeting all the leftist lunacies of Joy Reid on Twitter, or create the biggest Black Lives Matter Facebook group to whip up the masses?). Aside from this, there were overall Russian Kremlin expectations that Hillary was going to win.

Fortunately, it won't turn out like they think it will turn out. They may be betting on a corrupted judicial bench of Democratic appointees can do the trick, but now they open themselves to discovery, which is what such a lawsuit does, and now we are going to find out things about their own collusion. They may think they have bleachbitted all the evidence but they likely haven't.

Already, WikiLeaks is raising money for legal funds to do discovery, crowing that discovery 'will be amazing fun.'

President Trump said so plainly enough, in this tweet here.

Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails.

 Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

Al Jazeera of all places, notes that the lawsuit itself didn't define computer well enough, meaning, it's going to run into trouble on that front, too.

A lawsuit filed by Democrats alleging a conspiracy between the Trump campaign, Russia and WikiLeaks could be derailed by a glaring omission in its legal text, a prominent legal expert told Al Jazeera. Democrats filed the suit on Friday, alleging that Russia, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks worked together to put US President Donald Trump in office. The complaint argues that Trump's campaign "gleefully welcomed Russia's help", which included a cyberattack on Democratic National Convention (DNC) computers that resulted in the theft of a large amount of private data  including damaging emails that were later released - from the Democratic party.

What do we have here? Another Wile-E-Coyote effort to reverse the results of the election, on the premise that Wisconsin voters would have voted another way had none of this so-called collusion occurred.

It's baloney. This suit won't change a darn thing, but it should lead to some interesting discovery. Trump and the rest of the people who voted for him will gladly await it with popcorn in hand.

Image credit: Logan Zawacki, via Flickr // Creative Commons 2.0
As one of his first acts as president, Donald Trump signed presidential memoranda to revive both the KeystoneXL and Dakota Access pipelines by expediting the environmental review process. The Dakota Access pipeline is now in full operation. TransCanadas annual report gives us an update on the Keystone XL pipeline.

"Keystone XL In February 2017, we filed an application with the Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking approval for the Keystone XL pipeline route through that state and received approval for an alternate route on November 20, 2017. On November 24, 2017, we filed a motion with the Nebraska PSC to reconsider its ruling and permit us to file an amended application that would support their decision and would address certain issues related to their selection of the alternative route. On December 19, 2017, the Nebraska PSC denied this motion. On December 27, 2017, opponents of the Keystone XL project, and intervenors in the Keystone XL Nebraska regulatory proceeding, filed an appeal of the November 20, 2017 PSC decision seeking to have that decision overturned. TransCanada supports the decision of the Nebraska PSC and will actively participate in the appeal process to defend that decision. In March 2017, the U.S. Department of State issued a U.S. Presidential Permit authorizing construction of the U.S./Canada border crossing facilities of the Keystone XL project. We discontinued our claim under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement and withdrew the U.S. Constitutional challenge. Later in March 2017, two lawsuits were filed in Montana District Court challenging the validity of the Presidential Permit. Along with the U.S. Government, we filed motions for dismissal of these law suits which were denied on November 22, 2017. The cases will now proceed to the consideration of summary judgment motions. In July 2017, we launched an open season to solicit additional binding commitments from interested parties for transportation of crude oil on the Keystone pipeline and for the Keystone XL project from Hardisty, Alberta to Cushing, Oklahoma and the U.S. Gulf Coast. The successful open season concluded on October 26, 2017. In January 2018, we secured sufficient commercial support to commence construction preparation for the Keystone XL project. We expect to commence primary construction in 2019 and construction will take approximately two years to complete."

After seven years of delays under the Obama Administration and the then-secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Keystone XL pipeline has an approved route and a 20-year commitment for the oil it will carry from Canada to Cushing, Oklahoma, from whence it can be distributed wherever needed throughout the United States. TransCanada is negotiating with landowners along the route for the necessary easements. Those easements will put money into American landowner's pockets.

Currently, construction is expected to begin in 2019 and full operations are expected to commence in 2021. Another 500,000 barrels per day of secure oil supply to add to our expanding domestic production. Energy independence is in our future! And President Trumps deregulation efforts are bearing fruit.

The author has a small equity position in TransCanada.
As my late father used to say, too many people don't know the Castros. Or to translate, the Castros don't change but they want you to think that they change.

Down in Cuba, we have a change, the new President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Let's take a look:

1) Yes, it is historic, since the guy is not named Castro; and,

2) Yes, it is generational because Diaz-Canel was born in 1963 and is not a part of the Castro generation.

Bur real change? Not at all!

Diaz-Canel was handpicked by Raul Castro and subsequently "approved" by the one party Cuban assembly, as we see in this report:

He has been waiting in the wings since 2013 when Castro said that he would leave the Cuban presidency on Feb. 24, 2018 -- later postponed to April 19 -- and the rubber-stamp National Assembly named Diaz-Canel first vice president of the Council of State. When Raul Castro is the president, then yes, the president runs Cuba, said Jaime Suchliki, a longtime Cuba watcher. When Raul Castro is not president, that will be a very different matter. Diaz-Canel has no tanks and no troops. Diaz-Canel himself has solid party credentials. In 1997, he became the youngest member ever of the Politburo, the handpicked committee of 14 party members who function as Castros senior advisers. Yet if theres still doubt about how much real power Castro is willing to cede, theres a widespread consensus that the political and economic collapse of the government in Venezuela  Cubas staunch ally and longtime subsidies provider  means that the island must seek foreign investment and engage with other governments. And that, in return, will require at least some public-relations gestures to convince the outside world that Cuba is moving beyond a one-family state.

So what happens now? How impressed are foreign investors going to be with the "public relations gestures"?

Not very and especially not President Trump.

I call on President Trump to make the following announcement: We will end the embargo if Diaz-Canel calls for an open plebiscite to determine Cuba's future, as Pinochet did in Chile.

Call Diaz-Canel's bluff and let's see how much he really wants to reform!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Ever since an FCC filing popped up showing what seemed to be an Android TV device in the form of a Chromecast dongle there has been massive speculation on whats next for Android TV. More alarmingly, there seems to be quite a few people (and media outlets) who are in favor of this merging of the Android TV and Chromecast form factors. Which is strange as they should be kept separate as they are totally different things.

They are similar but not the same

Yes, Android TV comes with Chromecast built-in but arguably they do not result in quite the same casting experience. Anyone who owns both a Chromecast and an Android TV device (even the mighty SHIELD) will likely vouch for how much more reliable an actual Chromecast is. For whatever reason, a Chromecast performs so much better than Android TV devices when casting and not just in terms of how quickly it is able to receive and broadcast the signal, but also how reliable the signal remains while casting. That, however, does not mean the same logic can be ported over to Android TV on a Chromecast. In fact, it is probably more likely that the opposite will be true.

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Its about the power

Android TV as a thing, is a much more demanding thing. More importantly, it is much more of an Android thing. Chromecast, on the other hand, is simply a lightweight device that mirrors your display. Which means all the processing is happening on the smartphone. In contrast, all the processing power with Android TV happens in the box. Bringing Android TV over to a Chromecast form factor would suggest the actual device will be less capable of processing and may even somehow require some of that processing to occur at a smartphone level  a la Chromecast. Which is the first obvious disadvantage of a merging like this. As Android TV is exactly the type of TV experience an Android user will want on their TV. One that is local to the device, separate from their phone, and able to handle the load placed on it. Which is where the Android thing point comes in. While smartphones are able to multi-task and have multiple windows open in the background, Chromecast is not about that as its purpose is just to cast content from one window. That is not the case with Android TV which is built to accommodate multiple windows open in the background Netflix, YouTube TV, Hulu, and so on. They are typically all running at the same time and all placing their own strain on the device. And this is without even taking into consideration one of the heaviest processor-draining aspects of Android TV, gaming.

What about the gamers?

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One of the other major issues is that those advocating for Android TV in Chromecast form is simply ignoring the world of Android TV gaming. This is arguably one of the main reasons why the SHIELD has become the go-to Android TV box for many. As it is almost purpose-built for gamers offering support for a wide selection of Android games, as well as games that NVIDIA has specifically worked on to port over to the Android TV platform  games that are not typically designed to run on Android. As a result, gaming matters on Android TV and a Chromecast dongle  again  does not seem as though it would be built or able to handle a premium gaming experience  the form is all wrong. Not to mention, while everyone is focusing on the Chromecast with a remote control in the FCC filing there is no gamepad. Further evidence maybe of how this type of device is just not built for gamers at all. Take a look at the Fire TV Stick and Roku stick for comparison. While these sum up what many want to see in an Android TV stick they are not exactly gaming devices.

Its not just about an Android TV bias either

While many seem to be focused on the benefits of having a hidden Android TV device in dongle form, many people wont want that. In fact, many wont want Android TV at all. If these two worlds merge then it would seem Chromecast  as it currently is  would cease to be, as it would seem unlikely Google would want to have both an Android TV Chromecast and a non-Android TV Chromecast on the market  that would be just too confusing. So the likelihood is that Chromecast would absorb Android TV and come pre-loaded with some version of it  Android TV Go maybe? And this is not good news for those who want a Chromecast just to cast content to a big screen. Some wont want a fuller and richer Google TV interface and this sort of design will force them to use Android TV. Likewise, they will likely have to pay more for it as while an Android TV dongle will be cheaper than a box, it seems unlikely to be as cheap as a passive Chromecast. It is in everyones best interest to keep the product lines separate as they cater to different consumer needs.

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Wrap up

The reality is, if Android TV arrives in Chromecast form it will not be as powerful as it can be in Android TV form. It will also not be as gamer-centric as it is in a console form. In other words, it will be a lesser experience and product overall. Yes, you would be able to hide the box better but would you be happy with a PS4 in a dongle form just to hide it more? While a PS4 is significantly more powerful than an Android TV box the logic is the same  shrinking down the form factor will result in a less powerful and capable product in virtually every respect. Yes, Android TV does need a gateway product to help fuel adoption and a stick might be a solution worth considering as an entry-level product. But make no mistake, it will be an entry-level product, offering an entry-level experience. Not one that is designed for existing Android TV users. A smarter Chromecast experience should not automatically mean a dumbing down of Android TV and that is likely what will be on offer here.
Australia successfully pressured the Solomon Islands to drop Huawei from its list of Internet infrastructure suppliers, having agreed to largely finance an undersea high-speed cable connecting it to the country, with the new development being announced shortly after Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull met with political leaders from South Pacific in London earlier this week. Canberra is understood to be worried about losing its influence in the region to China, with Huawei being by far the largest technology company in the Far Eastern country. Papua New Guinea will also be connected via the same cable and will contribute to the project financially together with the Solomon Islands, though Australia is understood to be covering the majority of related expenses, with the installation of the cable being set to be completed by 2019.

The Solomon Islands initially approached the Asian Development Bank to finance the project whose value was estimated to be in the ballpark of $70 million but later announced Huawei will be the one to pay for the cable. ADB then withdrew its support of the buildout, citing a lack of transparency. Australia and its allies  the United States, in particular  are worried about the security implications of Huaweis equipment that they believe is either being leveraged by Beijing to spy on other countries or could be abused in such a manner going forward due to the high level of influence China exerts on its companies, even those which arent formally state-owned. A number of U.S. intelligence chiefs were recently warning Australia against relying on Huawei for any kind of infrastructural deployment, especially in the context of the fifth generation of mobile networks.

Huawei has already been banned from launching infrastructural tender bids in Australia in 2012 but managed to maintain a presence in the country to date, largely through partnerships with privately owned wireless carriers. The tech giant is presently facing scrutiny on a global level, with Washington publicly warning its allies against using Huawei-made equipment due to spying concerns that the Chinese firm repeatedly dismissed as baseless, claiming its running its business independently of Beijing.
OnePlus is now seeking tech enthusiasts willing to review its upcoming Android flagship and is incentivizing people to apply by promising theyll get to keep their OnePlus 6 review units. The call for reviewers is being sent out as part of the latest iteration of The Lab, OnePluss established initiative meant to gauge user sentiment on the companys new devices. The Shenzhen, Guangdong-based phone maker is now accepting entries until 10 PM EDT on May 2, noting that the call is only targeting English-speaking reviewers. Individuals selected to be among the worlds first OnePlus 6 reviewers will be announced within ten days of the submission period ending, with everyone selected having to pledge theyll test and review the device in a timely manner.

Even applicants who arent selected but fit the firms requirements will be added to its list of backup reviewers that will be contacted in case any initially chosen reviewer is unable to fulfill their end of the bargain, i.e. write a OnePlus 6 review in a reasonable timeframe, as is always the case with OnePluss crowdsourced reviews. The application window itself coincides with recent reports about the Chinese firm planning an early May launch for the OnePlus 6, especially given how it has already been teasing its upcoming Android flagship for several weeks now.

The OnePlus 6 has so far been confirmed as featuring a display notch and a screen-to-body ratio of roughly 90-percent, as well as Qualcomms Snapdragon 845 and up to 8GB of RAM. The most premium variant of the phablet will also ship with 256GB of storage space, the company said earlier this month, without clarifying whether its planning to release two or three memory configurations in total. The handset is likely to retain the $550 starting price of its predecessor and should become available for purchase on a global level by the end of the next month. A special edition of the OnePlus 6 themed after Marvels new Hollywood blockbuster Avengers: Infinity War is also in the works and should be launching simultaneously with the standard models.
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The spectacular snow road is opened to the public this year from April 15 to June 22, according to Japan Guide . For the entire period, it can be travelled by both vehicles and pedestrians.When the route first opened on Monday, the walls of snow to either side stood 17 meters tall (55 feet), presenting visitors with a spectacular, yet frightening sight.The snow corridor is part of a larger stretch of road, spanning for several tens of miles between the town of Tateyama in Toyama Prefecture and the city of Omachi in Nagano Prefecture. This year, authorities expect more than 1 million people will be visiting the region.The walled-in road itself is 1 km-long (0.6 miles), and can be visited on foot for about half its length. When summer hits in June, the walls of snow would have melted, so pedestrians will probably take the usual means of transportation to their next destination.Originally, removing the snow was just to be able to bring people and supplies to the Tateyama Kokusai Hotel, Yoshihide Tanikawa, from the Toyama Prefectural Road Public Corporation, told Atlas Obscura last year.But then we realized that we have something fairly exceptional, and why not bring people to see the walls.According to CNN, making the road look like it does starting this week took no less than tree months-worth of snowplow work.What is amazing, and somewhat unclear, is how the drivers operating the snowplows know where to find the road which lies tens of feet of snow below them. But that should not come as a surprise, considering the fact that the Japanese have been at the forefront of technologies in this field for decades.
ECU

Sucks to be stuck with the 488 GTB right now, doesnt it? Not so fast, as Pogea Racing begs to differ. Established in 1997 in Friedrichshafen, the German chiptuning outfit has an upgrade for the 488 GTB in the guise of the FPlus Corsa.The nitty-gritty will leave you and 488 Pista owners speechless. In addition to a good olre-flash, a modified exhaust system made out of stainless steel sees the output climb to 820 PS (809 horsepower). Torque is on another level as well, rated at 900 Nm. For reference, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat boasts 881 Nm.What that means in a straight line is 2.8 seconds to 100 km/h (62 miles per hour), with the top speed rated at 345 km/h (214 miles per hour). In regard to handling, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber is present on all four corners of the mid-engine supercar, measuring 245/30 ZR21 up front and 325/25 ZR21 at the rear. The monoblock wheels, on the other hand, come in at 9x21 inches at the front and 11x21 inches for the rear axle.Limited to 20 examples, the conversion from 488 GTB to FPlus Corsa costs 35,000. In comparison to the list price of the bone-stock 488 GTB (more than 210,000 in Europe), the package doesnt seem all that expensive after all, does it?Also included in the price is lots of carbon fiber, more aggressive bumpers front and rear, big wing, and an active aerodynamic diffuser. Customization options for the cabin are also mentioned on Pogea Racing s website, though the tuner doesnt give any sort of pricing information whatsoever.Then again, what sort of 488 GTB owner would say no the buttery leather upholstery for an aftermarket solution painted in a wacky color such as Smurf Blue ? Oh wait, those people actually exist!
The four solders killed in an ambush in Niger this month had "little to no combat experience," and one of them had never been deployed abroad before, the WSJ's Ben Kesling reports, citing Army records. The Army wouldn't reveal whether the troops had been in combat while deployed before this incident, per Kesling.

However, the troops had undergone an Army Special Forces training package and the Pentagon said "these men were prepared for this deployment." The Pentagon is scrambling for more information about how the ambush went down.
At least 37 people have been killed in protests in Gaza since its start in late March, the New York Times reports, and hundreds have been left "wounded by Israeli fire."

The big picture: While participation has waned slightly, the protests along the border separating Israel and Gaza have drawn thousands. Aaron David Miller, director of the Wilson Center's Middle East Program, said that these protests have "become the bloodiest since the 2014 war," and it's "likely to get even worse."

Israel has been criticized internationally for its "use of lethal force against unarmed protestors," NBC reported, but Israel says it's "defending its border" from the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas.

The details: Per NBC, the protests are meant "to culminate in a mass march on May 15."
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens was charged with felony computer tampering on Friday  his second felony charge in two months, the Kansas City Star reports.

The details: Greitens was charged for using the donor list for a veteran's charity, The Mission Continues, to raise money. The charity would be violating federal law and putting its "tax-exempt status at risk," per the Star, if it had given him its donor list. Greitens was also charged with felony invasion of privacy.
A new report from the Tow Center for Digital Journalism examines the spread of fake news and misinformation among Chinese-American immigrant users of WeChat, Tencent's communication platform that is used by nearly 900 million people globally, including Chinese overseas.

Why it matters: Western policymakers grappling with the growing global influence of the PRC and the Chinese Communist Party have little ability to influence the content flowing through WeChat.

Among the report's findings:

WeChat content is disproportionally focused on affirmative action/census data disaggregation and unauthorized immigration over other topics like jobs, economy and health care.

"Local stories and policies especially fall prey to distorted information, when lack of local news coverage on issues of particular interest to immigrant Chinese leaves a vacuum for misinformation to flourish."

One example of a "fake news" headline on a platform is: Kill a Chinese, get a green card.

Read the full report.

My thought bubble: I am in several groups of mostly Chinese-American immigrants and I regularly see some crazy stuff getting posted. Another issue is that many consumers have weak English skills and so only read Chinese-language media.
Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian on Saturday urged Nikol Pashinian to urgently negotiate with him on ways of ending the political crisis in Armenia resulting from massive street protests against his rule organized by the opposition leader.

I am deeply concerned about the ongoing internal political developments, Sarkisian said in a statement. For the purpose of avoiding irreversible losses, I am calling on National Assembly deputy Nikol Pashinian to sit at a negotiating table for political dialogue. That must be done immediately.

Sarkisian said Armenias major political forces can contribute to such dialogue. His Republican Party, the pro-government Armenian Revolutionary Federation and President Armen Sarkissian already made similar offers to Pashinian earlier this week.

Pashinian responded to the premiers appeal as he continued to stage anti-government rallies in Yerevan. He said Sarkisians resignation must be the main subject of any talks with the authorities.

We are ready to discuss the terms of his departure, he told reporters while marching, together with several hundred supporters, through Yerevans northern Nor Nork and Avan districts. I am calling on Serzh Sarkisian to accept our conditions.

Pashinian set the same conditions when he addressed tens of thousands of Armenians in the citys Republic Square the previous night. He said the Armenian parliament must also form an interim government and call snap general elections.

In his statement, Sarkisian said nothing about the precise subject of the proposed talks with Pashinian. Instead, he warned of unpredictable consequences of the protests which entered their ninth day. They are jeopardizing public order and damaging the complex and delicate fabric of the Armenian society, he said.

Earlier in the day, the Armenian police said they will no longer tolerate Pashinians illegal rallies and are ready to end them immediately.

Pashinian dismissed the use of force threatened by the authorities and insisted that his campaign is lawful. He warned the authorities against arresting him, saying that would only accelerate the victory of the revolution.
Angry demonstrations against Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisians rule continued unabated in Yerevan on Saturday despite fresh mass detentions of their participants.

Thousands of people again took to the streets of Armenias capital and other towns to demand that Sarkisian step down after having governed the county as president for ten years. Security forces again scrambled to stop them from blocking streets ahead of yet another big rally which the protest leader, Nikol Pashinian, planned to hold in the citys central Republic Square in the evening.

A police spokesman said that at least 93 people were taken into police custody as of 4 p.m. local time. The detainees included Armen Grigorian, a civic activist actively involved in the protests. Amateur video posted on Facebook showed that he was detained inside a Yerevan cafe.

The police issued fresh statements on Saturday, saying that street blockades and other unsanctioned gatherings are illegal and can be dispersed. Neither these warnings nor the detentions seemed to contain the wave of protesters.

There were chaotic scenes on two major street intersections in downtown Yerevan which hundreds of opposition supporters persistently tried to block. A number of people did that by parking their cars in the middle of the roads. One of those drivers, a young man, told RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) that he is against Serzh and wants to have a bright future.

Police detained several other drivers and impounded their cars as they repeatedly unblocked traffic through. Mashtots Avenue, one of central Yerevans main arteries.

Earlier in the day, traders working at a big retail market in the western Malatia district went on strike and marched to the city center to voice support for the unprecedented campaign for Sarkisians resignation. Several of them were detained in the process.

Meanwhile, Pashinian himself led a bigger crowd marching through the northern Nor Nork, Avan and Zeytun districts. He said hundreds of thousands of Armenians should rally on Republic Square at 7 p.m.

The more than weeklong protests on Saturday spread to Echmiadzin, a small town about 15 kilometers west of Yerevan. More than a thousand people rallied there before heading to Yerevan on foot in the afternoon.

In an apparent bid to stop people from Echmiadzin and nearby villages from reaching the capital, government loyalists led by Arakel Movsisian, a controversial former parliamentarian, blocked a highway with heavy trucks commandeered by them. One of the truck drivers was dragged away and forced into a nearby compound on Movsisians orders. Police officers at the scene did not intervene.
President Armen Sarkissian met with opposition leader Nikol Pashinian on Saturday during a surprise visit to Yerevans Republic Square where tens of thousands of people continued to demand Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisians resignation.

Sarkissian was greeted with President, reject Serzh! and Nikol! chants as he entered the sprawling square hours after renewing his calls for a dialogue between the government and Pashinian. The two men spoke for 15 or so minutes there. Journalist were not allowed to approach them during the conversation.

The recently elected president, who has largely ceremonial powers, could only be heard proposing to Pashinian crisis talks at a hotel located on the square. As he left the square he answered only one of the questions shouted by reports. Asked by an RFE/RL correspondent whether such talks will be held, he said: I hope so.

Sarkissian expressed serious concern at the intensifying political crisis in the country earlier in the day. In a statement, he said both the Pashinian-led protesters and the authorities must show extreme restraint.

It is imperative to defuse the tensions, Sarkissian said, adding that he is going to meet Pashinian and to offer to host a dialogue of political forces.

Pashinian commented on their conversation when he addressed the large crowd later in the evening. He said he is open to negotiating with Serzh Sarkisian in a neutral venue but reiterated that he would only discuss the terms of the prime ministers resignation.

I made clear that the sole theme of such negotiations would be Serzh Sarkisians resignation and a smooth transfer of power, said the leader of the opposition Civil Contract party. No other issue can be on our agenda.

Pashinian went on to urge even more Armenians to demonstrate across the country on Sunday so that our positions are as strong as possible in this negotiation process. Speaking to reporters after the speech, he said it is not yet clear when the talks could start.

According to the Tert.am news service, President Sarkissian met with the prime minister after his brief talk with Pashinian. Earlier in the day, the premier called on the protest leader to immediately start a dialogue with the government.

Pashinian first announced his conditions for the dialogue the previous night. He said Serzh Sarkisians resignation must be followed by fresh parliamentary elections.

The spokesman for the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK), Eduard Sharmazanov, criticized Pashinians stance as emotional and unconstructive on Saturday. As regards the resignation demand, I am once again stating that Armenias prime minister was elected in accordance with Armenias constitution, by a free expression of the will of Armenias free and proud parliamentarians, he told RFE/RLs Armenian service (Azatutyun.am).

Sharmazanov urged Pashinian to stop setting ultimatums.
By Trend

The Congress of European Azerbaijanis has sent an appeal to the UN, OSCE, OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries in connection with the recent provocation by Armenia on the contact line between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan said in a message April 20.

The Armenian army that occupied Azerbaijani lands increased the number of provocations on the contact line of the troops, and this seriously worries the Azerbaijanis living in Europe, according to the appeal.

As a result of the Armenian Armed Forces shelling on April 18, a 27-year-old Rahim Hajiyev, a resident of the Yukhari Giyamaddinli village of Azerbaijans Agjabadi district, received a gunshot wound, the appeal said.

This incident greatly shocked the Congress of European Azerbaijanis, according to the appeal.

Artillery shelling of civilians and civilian facilities of Azerbaijan by the Armenian Armed Forces prove that the Armenian state, pursuing an aggressive policy, doesnt observe the norms of international law and continues to seriously violate the international humanitarian law and human rights, in particular the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the addition number one, as well as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the appeal said.

It is also noted that the US, France and Russia, the co-chair countries of the OSCE Minsk Group, which assumed the mediation role in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, remain silent.

The international communitys ignoring the Armenian atrocities creates conditions for even greater freedom for the aggressors actions, and the impunity of crimes committed by Armenia leads to another murder of Azerbaijani civilians, the appeal said.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

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By Trend

It is deeply regrettable that some MPs represented in Belgiums local bodies act as supporters of Kaspar Karampetian, head of the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), operating in Brussels, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry, told Trend April 20.

Apparently, Karampetian is seriously concerned about the fact that the Prosecutor Generals Office of Azerbaijan opened a criminal case against him, Hajiyev said.

Therefore, Karampetian seeks the support of some MPs in local bodies of Belgium, who illegally visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Hajiyev added.

Hajiyev noted that Karampetian carries out persistent illegal activity expressed in the repeated illegal crossing of Azerbaijans state border in 2014-2018 as part of an organized group, as well as agitation and propaganda of the so-called regime created in the Azerbaijani territories occupied as a result of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan and bloody ethnic cleansing, and open calls for the violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.

"Thereby, he grossly violates the fundamental rights and freedoms of more than a million Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, who have been subjected to ethnic cleansing. He also violates their right to return to their native lands and to use their property," Hajiyev said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesperson added that Karampetian lures European politicians by various means, organizes their visits to the occupied Azerbaijani territories and then turns these people into an instrument of propaganda against Azerbaijan, organizes and finances events spreading disinformation against Azerbaijan.

Hajiyev also noted that the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun), where Kaspar Karampetian is a member, has participated in murder of thousands of innocent people in the territory of Azerbaijan and committed numerous acts of terror.

Like in every country, such actions are considered as particularly serious crimes in Azerbaijans Criminal Code, said Hajiyev, adding that on this basis, a criminal case has been initiated against that person.

Armenia is responsible for the illegal actions committed in Azerbaijans occupied lands. Part of those illegal actions is the serious violation of the obligations under the imperative norms of the international law. Serious violation of the imperative norms of the international law requires taking special measures resulting in aggravated liability (http://mfa.gov.az/en/news/909/4939).

Hajiyev said that the European Court of Human Rights in its decision on the case of 'Chiragov and others against Armenia' affirmed that Armenia had been involved in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict since the beginning, and the illegal regime created in Nagorno-Karabakh exists thanks to military, political, financial and other support provided by Armenia.



"We'd like to note that in accordance with the Articles 138, 139, 144, 153 and other articles of the Criminal Code of Greece, whose citizen is Kaspar Karampetyan, a criminal liability is stipulated for violation of the territorial integrity of Greece, implementation of activities against friendly countries of Greece, as well as for insulting the state attributes of these countries. The government of Belgium has applied a universal jurisdiction over crimes against humanity, as well as violations of peremptory norms of international law (jus cogens)," he said.



Hajiyev said that threats voiced by a lawyer on behalf of Kaspar Karampetyan, who is responsible under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, as well as laws of other countries and international jurisdiction, against representatives of Azerbaijan's independent media and a member of the Parliament, interference in their independent activities and threats to sue them at the Belgian court, are inadmissible.

"All relevant legal mechanisms will be used on a bilateral and multilateral basis to prevent Kaspar Karampetians activities against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and to bring him to criminal liability. It is deeply regrettable that some members of the local bodies of Belgium act as accomplices of Kaspar Karampetian. We once again want to remind that these MPs are responsible before their voters," Hajiyev added.

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By Trend

A meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament's Human Rights Committee was held in Baku on April 20.

The meeting participants discussed an annual report of the Ombudsman, as well as amendments to the Law on Mass Media and the Law on Copyright and Related Rights.

According to the amendments proposed to the Law on Mass Media, those who are engaged in production or sale of goods, advertising of which is prohibited under the Law on Advertising (Article 21.1.1), cannot be sponsors in the media.

Placement of trademarks of advertisers, name and logo of the sponsor in announcements published in periodicals is proposed to be considered as advertisement.

Furthermore, it was proposed to make addition to the Article 1.3 of the law, under which sponsorship advertising is distributed in accordance with the Law on Advertising. Also it was proposed to add: "Unjust, inaccurate and hidden advertising is refuted in accordance with the requirements of the Law on Advertising" to the Article 45.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to conduct one-off payment of financial assistance to veterans of the Second World War of 1941-1945, widows of those killed in the Second World War, as well as persons awarded orders and medals for selfless labor in the rear front.

In accordance with the order, participants of the Second World War of 1941-1945 will be provided with a one-off financial assistance in the amount of 1,000 manats.

This is while widows of those killed in the Second World War or fighters who died later, persons awarded orders and medals for selfless labor in the rear front at that time, employees of special units who performed tasks in the interests of the army and navy in the rear front during the Second World War or in the operational zones of the fighting fleets, persons awarded the appropriate medals and badges for the Defense of Leningrad during the Second World War, as well as the participants of the blockade of Leningrad will receive a financial assistance in the amount of 500 manats.

For implementation of the order, 5.9 million manats will be allocated from the Presidential Reserve Fund of Azerbaijan envisaged in the state budget for 2018.

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By Trend

The registration system of IMEI codes of mobile phones has been integrated into the e-GovPay (SmartPay) payment system, the Data Processing Center of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan told Trend April 20.

It is possible to pay for the registration of IMEI codes of mobile devices both online (via e-govpay.az website) and via e-GovPay terminals, which are mainly installed in some offices of Azerpoct LLC and telecommunications centers of state communication operators. By means of e-GovPay terminals it is possible to pay for utility services, communication services, TV, the Internet, etc.

In order to register IMEI codes of mobile devices, it is necessary to enter the appropriate section (MCQC), specify the IMEI code of the device, then fill in the necessary fields and make payment, the message said. After that the mobile device will be registered in the system within 24 hours.

Total number of IMEI codes registered through the e-government portal has exceeded 2.43 million since the system was launched on May 1, 2013.

Mobile devices imported for private use (in the networks of mobile operators in Azerbaijan) must be registered within 30 days. Registration of mobile devices is available through the electronic government portal at e-gov.az as well as at the main office of Azerpoct LLC.

The cost of registering IMEI code of a mobile device is five Azerbaijani manats for personal use and 1.6 manats for commercial sale.

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By Trend

Azerbaijan can serve as an example of religious tolerance for many countries, reads an article by Saddam al Jihad, chairman of the Executive Board of the Association of Muslim Students of Indonesia, posted on the countrys Rilis political news website.

The article said that against the background of global problems, especially Islamophobia, the world community should take an example from Azerbaijan, where there is harmony of religions.

Representatives of different religions live in Azerbaijan in peace and respect each other, the article reads. In Azerbaijan, where the majority of citizens are Muslims, the principle of tolerance is highly respected. Such atmosphere allows representatives of various ethnic minorities to feel comfortable.

This harmony can also be observed during the Friday prayers held in the Heydar Mosque, where Shiites and Sunnis gather together, according to the article.

In addition, Shiites and Sunnis marry in Azerbaijan, said the article. In Indonesia, for example, the harmony between Shiites and Sunnis is still a rarity. In this respect, Azerbaijan can serve as a model for the countries of Europe, the US, as well as the countries of the Middle East and Asia.

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By Trend

The international auditing company Baker Tilly will prepare a report on transparency in the extractive industry of Azerbaijan, for 2017, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) said in a statement.

The decision was made at a meeting of the Commission on transparency in the extractive industry, in the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.

The auditor will conduct checking of reports of local and foreign companies, operating in extractive industries and reports of the government of Azerbaijan on revenues.

The Commission on transparency in extractive industries was established after Azerbaijan announced its withdrawal from the extractive industries transparency Initiative in March 2017.

In early April last year, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on additional measures to increase accountability and transparency in the extractive industry, the main point of which was the creation of a special body  the Commission on transparency in the extractive industry.

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By Trend

Tajikistan will participate in the Expo 2020, to be hosted by Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tajik agency ASIA-Plus reported on April 20.

Expo Dubai 2020 will open October 20, 2020 and will run through April 10, 2021, according to Tajikistans Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).

By governments decree, an organizing committee for preparations to participate in Expo Dubai 2020 has been set up. The committee is led by the first deputy prime minister.

The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MoEDT), CCI and some other relevant ministries and agencies have been ordered to elaborate measures to ensure proper preparation of Tajikistan for participation in Expo 2020.

The main site of Expo Dubai 2020 will be a 438-hectare area located midway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The master plan, designed by the American firm HOK, is organized around a central plaza, entitled Al Wasl (meaning "the connection" in Arabic), enclosed by three large pavilions, which will be built by Al-Futtaim Carillion, each one dedicated to a sub-theme. Dubai has also been emphasizing on investments in various sectors, such as economic growth, real estate, environmental avenues and public affairs.

Dubai Expo 2020 also would see a rise in the GDP as predicted by the International Monetary Fund.

UAE selected the theme Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, sub-themes being Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity.

The World Expo in Dubai in 2020 will be the first to be held in the Middle East and North Africa & South Asia region (MENA & SA).

Recently, Dubai has made major investments in the real estate sector as well as introduced the worlds largest Solar Power Project, which is all set to start by Expo 2020.

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President Trump's early morning tweet on Friday accusing OPEC of artificially raising oil prices "very high" isn't exactly right, Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said.

On the sidelines of a luncheon in Houston on Friday, the second ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate said it's more likely that oil prices cruised above $68 a barrel this week because of simmering tensions in the Middle East.

Energy markets have been roiled in recent weeks by Syria's civil war, a conflict oil traders have long feared could spill over to the region's major oil-exporting countries.

The latest developments drawing worldwide attention to the struggle include the Bashar al-Assad regime's use of chemical weapons against rebel groups in Douma and U.S. bombing strikes against Syrian weapons facilities last week.

"I think that spike has more to do with political concerns about potential conflicts than it is anything else," Cornyn said. "Those have a tendency to raise oil prices."

On Friday morning, the U.S. president took to Twitter to excoriate the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries  a collection of states like Saudi Arabia and Iraq that pump about a third of the world's oil  for using their market influence to raise oil prices, which increases gasoline prices for American drivers.

"Looks like OPEC is at it again," Trump said. "With record amounts of oil all over the place, including the fully loaded ships at sea, oil prices are artificially very high! No good and will not be accepted!"

OPEC has long held a certain level of sway in the oil market, but its power has been significantly reduced since the advent of U.S. shale drilling a few years ago.

Venezuela, an OPEC producer, has faced sharp declines in oil production over the past few months that aren't the result of an OPEC conspiracy to manipulate prices. Rather, those drops came because its state-run oil company lacks the funds to pay service companies to keep pumping crude.

"The best solution in the long run is for the United States to continue to produce oil and gas and export it to the world," Cornyn said. "We've lifted the ban on exporting petroleum and now, with natural gas, there are many countries in the world that want to buy it because they have no real choice when it comes to their resources."
Our cameras were at the Harbor Foundation's butterfly release at Ford Park on Saturday. Did we see you there?
During a panel discussion at Becker's Hospital Review's 9th Annual Meeting April 12, four healthcare experts shared their thoughts on the evolution of physician-hospital ASC joint ventures and offered tips for leaders looking to forge these partnerships.

Numerous factors have driven significant growth and acceptance of the ASC model over the past decade, according to North American Partners in Anesthesia Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer Peter Doerner.

"We have the ACA, we have the next evolution of the ACA  whatever that will be  we've had the movement from fee to value," he said. "All those things are encouraging more collaboration between the parties."

PDI Surgery Center CEO Viveka Rydell-Anderson experienced the shifting perspectives firsthand. Local hospitals invested in PDI because they wanted the surgery center to take on a certain segment: children with special needs.

"In the last 10 years, they've each saved billions of dollars from us being there," she said. "I think everyone's seeing themselves more [as part of] the community and [determining] what's the most efficient way to care for patients."

When hospitals and physicians are ready to dive into an ASC joint venture, they should openly communicate governance, operations, structure and how 'what if' scenarios will be handled  like if the payment comes and someone wants out, said Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery CEO/Administrator Dawn Knight. "Then everyone's clear, and then you can work on your culture."

VMG Health Managing Director Don Barbo, CPA/ABV, urged leaders to also find advisers who have experience with ASC deals and writing strong governing documents.

"If you haven't ever developed a surgery center, I strongly recommend getting an ASC management company that has done it before and knows what to look out for," he said. "What you don't want to do is swing and miss with physicians that are key to your community and get cross with those docs because that obviously can have downstream impacts."
Though Gov. Rick Scott, R, believes shortening the Medicaid enrollment period for Florida residents will save the state $98 million, critics of the move contend it will have a much greater impact than the administration projects, according to the Orlando Weekly.

Federal Medicaid policies cover medical bills for new enrollees up to three months before they enroll for Medicaid coverage as long as they were economically eligible during that time. Mr. Scott submitted a waiver request to the federal government proposing to shorten the enrollment period to 30 days from 90-days, which he estimates will affect 39,000 Florida Medicaid recipients and save the state $98 million  drastically lower than previously estimated. In 2017 the secretary for the state's Agency for Health Care Administration sent a letter to HHS claiming the shortened period would save the state as much as $500 million.

"I would say that Governor Scotts Medicaid numbers should be carefully and independently analyzed," said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, according to the Orlando Weekly. "I certainly regard them with a healthy degree of skepticism."

These critics believe the administration's previous estimate more accurately depicts the negative impact this change would have. However, Florida officials argue that covering potentially inefficient and ineffective care before the patient was enrolled in Medicaid sticks the state with an overly expensive bill.
A Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola University Medical Center nurse is being held on bond after she allegedly hired a company to kill the wife of the Maywood-based anesthesiologist she had been having an affair with, according to the Daily Herald.

Prosecutors claim 31-year-old Tina Jones, RN, paid a dark web company $10,000 in January to kill the wife of her lover.

Police said Ms. Jones turned herself in April 17. She has been charged with solicitation of murder for hire.

Authorities began investigating a tip they received April 12 about a woman in their area who was the subject of a murder-for-hire plot. Prosecutors said the tip was called in by the CBS News program "48 Hours," according to the report.

Loyola hospital officials said Ms. Jones has been suspended pending an investigation, the Daily Herald reports.

Ms. Jones is being held in DuPage County jail on $250,000 bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for May 15. If convicted, she faces a minimum 20-year prison sentence, according to the report. She is also prohibited from contacting the victim or the victim's husband.
The DeKalb County (Ill.) Rehab and Nursing Center was fined $25,000 in January after staff improperly moved a patient to his bed, which led the patient to fall and sustain a leg fracture requiring surgery, according to an Illinois Department of Public Health report obtained by the Daily Chronicle.

Since the patient suffers from hypertension, anemia, osteoarthritis and left hip fusion, his bedside care plan requires two people to transfer him to and from his bed, according to the report.

However, a certified nursing assistant tried to transfer the patient from his wheelchair to his bed on her own Dec. 9, the report said. The patient's knee gave out and he fell to the floor.

The nursing assistant claimed she attempted to transfer the patient without help because she had watched other staff do it before and thought it was acceptable. The nursing assistant also said she had not checked the patient's bedside care card until after he fell, according to the report.

The patient was taken to a local hospital, where staff found he had fractured his left femur, and then transferred to another hospital for surgery, according to the report.

The report said several caregivers corroborated that the patient had always required a two-person transfer and caregivers should always check the bedside care card to determine the number of staff necessary to safely transfer a patient.
An investigation of PharMEDium, a major compounding pharmacy, revealed safety violations are worsening hospital shortages of painkillers, especially in California, where health officials are banning sales from one of the company's plants, according to Kaiser Health News.

In March, Californias Board of Pharmacy phobitied the distribution of medications, which included lidocaine and other local anesthetics, from a Texas factory belonging to PharMEDium. The decision followed a February cease-and-desist order against the plant from the state's pharmacy board, which cited "an immediate threat to the public health or safety."

Additionally, in December, The FDA issued a similarly damaging inspection report on the companys Tennessee plant, which led the company to voluntarily cease production at the plant.

PharMEDium mass-produces ready-to-use IV bags, prefilled syringes and other sterile medical solutions for hospitals, surgery centers and other healthcare facilities. The company is owned by AmerisourceBergen and supplies medications to around 77 percent of hospitals across the country.

Before the investigations into PharMEDium, hospitals already had to address significant shortages of injectable opioid painkillers, such as Dilaudid, morphine and fentanyl, due to manufacturing delays at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. The shutdown of PharMEDium's Tennessee plant, which creates those drugs, worsened the shortage on a national level.

In an effort to spare their patients pain, physicians began looking to second-choice pain drugs and have started using more local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, ropivacaine and bupivacaine. However, these local anesthetics are also in short supply due to manufacturing problems and back orders, according to the report.

Numerous hospitals in California abandoned PharMEDium altogether. "Were having to be very creative," said Aimee Moulin, MD, an emergency physician at the University of California-Davis Health System and president of the California chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

"There are times when we're not able to achieve that amount of anesthesia that we would like," Dr. Moulin said. As a result, Dr. Moulin frequently uses second-choice drug that might not be as effective, she added.

The California Board of Pharmacy chose not to renew the plants license in late March. The agency is not aware of any patient harm that may be related to the plant's failures, said Virginia Herold, the board's executive officer.

PharMEDium spokeswoman Lauren Esposito told Kaiser Health News the company is actively working to resolving the matter.

"We look forward to renewing our California licenses and resuming shipment of our products into the state of California as soon as the board feels that its observations have been satisfactorily addressed," Ms. Esposito said.
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery will launch a new Maintenance of Certification option in January 2019, according to AAOS Now.

Here are six things to know.

1. The new ABOS pathway to MOC, called the ABOS Web-Based Longitudinal Assessment Program, will allow board-certified orthopedic surgeons to fulfill MOC Part III requirements by completing a single annual assessment instead of taking an examination to recertify every 10 years.

2. Diplomates seeking recertification will have the option to use a web-based interface to answer questions on a personal computer.

3. The questions will be drawn from a collection of "knowledge resources" consisting of articles, practice guidelines, videos, webinars and other content chosen by 10 knowledge source groups covering the major focuses of orthopedic practice. ABOS will work with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and specialty societies to appoint members to the groups.

4. The knowledge resources portfolio will be made available to diplomates each January. Diplomates may select 15 knowledge resources out of a planned 60 to 70 that they find most relevant to their practice. In April, 30 questions drawn from the selected knowledge resources will be presented to the diplomate to answer through the web platform.

5. The diplomates will be given three minutes to answer each question while utilizing resources.

6. The ABOS and the AAOS will work to ensure that the ABOS WLA will be eligible for CME credits at no charge to Academy fellows.

More articles on practice management:

AAOS raises major concerns over BPCI Advanced model: 5 things to know

Mayo Clinic opens new orthopedic, sports medicine clinic: 5 things to know

Crystal Clinic, Emory University & more: 12 hospitals expanding spine, neurosurgery programs
Here are four orthopedic surgeons making headlines.

Sunnyside, Wash.-based orthopedic surgeon Valentin Antoci, MD, had his surgical privileges restored after a hearing before the state Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

Newly elected American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons President Michael Hasley, MD, gave his first address at the AAOS Annual Meeting, March 9 in New Orleans.

Orthopedic surgeon and State Rep. Knute Buehler, MD, R-Ore., beat Greg Wooldridge by one vote in a gubernatorial straw poll held by the Washington County Republican Party.

Robert Fisher, MD, of Frederick (Md.) Surgical Center, is encouraging patients to choose outpatient surgery that does not require opioid use for knee replacement operations.

More articles on orthopedics:

Orthopedic surgeon to know: Dr. James Tibone of Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic

Dr. Gregory C. Mallo on Elite Special Forces experience and empathy in patient care

'The promise of personalized medicine'  AAOS President Dr. David Halsey gives first address
Here are six spine and neurosurgeons making headlines.

The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery named Marek Szpalski, MD, the 2018-19 president at its annual meeting last week.

Hooman Melamed, MD, performed emergency spinal surgery April 17 on former Dance Moms star Abby Lee Miller at Cedars-Sinai Marina Del Ray (Calif.) Hospital.

Susan Williams, MD, joined the CHI Mercy Health board of directors in Roseburg, Ore.

The American Orthopaedic Association selected Venkat Ganapathy, MD, to be the associate editor of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Neurosurgeon Ali Rezai, MD, who leads the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute in Morgantown, was honored at an investiture ceremony April 16. The institute researches ways to tackle the opioid crisis and use technology to treat chronic pain and Alzheimer's disease.

Toronto neurosurgeon Mohammed Shamji, MD, will stand trial April 1, 2019, for allegedly murdering his physician wife.

More articles on spine:

Meet the spine surgeon whose son is a top NFL draft prospect

Dr. Susan Williams joins CHI Mercy Health board of directors

Dr. Ali Rezai leads WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute: 3 things to know
The former Tedfords restaurant which reopens under a new name next month

High-end restaurant Tedford's is to return to its former home with a new name, new head chef and revamped menu - just two months after relocating.

The business, housed within a historic former ship chandlers', has taken inspiration from its heritage and will be renamed Chandlers Seafood Belfast.

It will open at the beginning of next month.

It will focus on seafood with fresh local scallops, mussels and oysters added to the menu alongside other fish dishes.

Owners Sharon and Alan Foster, who also run Tedford's Kitchen on Lanyon Quay, which opened in 2015, decided "it was time for a change and refreshment" as the original Tedford's celebrates 18 years in business this year.

"We had been concentrating on Tedford's Kitchen and decided it was time for a refreshment of Tedford's," said Sharon.

"We were never exclusively seafood and that was a theme that was difficult to get away from.

"We originally branded as Tedford's Steakhouse but everyone still thought we were a seafood restaurant because of the restaurant that was there before us, but we only ever had a choice of a couple of fish dishes."

And so, embracing the establishment's reputation as a seafood restaurant, the couple have gone with a new theme with more local fish on the menu.

The rebrand also includes the refurbishment of the back of house and kitchen area of the premises.

It will be headed up by new chef Patrick Franklin whose previous roles include chef de partie at the prestigious Il San Pietro di Positano restaurant on the Almafi Coast in Italy. Most recently Mr Franklin was head chef at Harry's Shack in Portstewart.

Some of the managers at the restaurant's sister establishment will transfer over to Chandlers Seafood Belfast and up to 10 jobs will be created when the venue opens in two weeks.

In February the Fosters decided to relocate Tedford's to their more casual restaurant on Lanyon Quay.

Talking about the name change, Sharon explained: "We had been toying with loads of different names and because the building is listed as a ship chandler, with that above the door, we decided to go with that.

"And because we've always been known as a seafood restaurant, we put that in the name."

Sharon believes it will also appeal to visitors.

"We are seeing so many more tourists in Belfast and they love trying local fish dishes so it will work well," she added.
American DJ Skrillex has paid a touching tribute to Swedish superstar Avicii following his death aged 28.

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Skrillex, real name Sonny John Moore, worked with Avicii on the 2011 song Levels, which catapulted Avicii into the mainstream market and later earned him a Grammy nomination.

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Avicii, real name Tim Bergling, was found dead in Oman on Friday afternoon.

In a message on Instagram, Skrillex said: The remix I did of Levels hasnt left my set since I made it back in 2011.

All though we werent close friends I feel this deep sadness through the connection we had through this song. Tim was a truly a genius and an innovator, yet sensitive and humble.

This industry can be rough and from a far I saw it take a tole on him. I just wish I could have hugged him more and told him it would be okay.

Youre music will forever be apart of mine and so many other lives. Maybe thats the closest thing we have to immortality.

I really hope youre essence, wherever it may be in the universe is now at peace.

And if in some miracle you can see this, I hope you know that as long as human beings are alive on this planet, you will forever remain an inspiration. Thank you Tim. RIP.
Only a week or two ago, I was giving off about the lack of pubs in this country which serve good food. Harry and Meghan's visit to Belfast and their lunch in the Crown Bar highlighted the demand for this kind of food experience. Then, lo and behold, I discover the Stillhouse of Moira (I have little to say about Moira and its fine citizenry other than it is as lovely a place as Hillsborough, ahem).

Something has been happening in Moira of late. New Forge House may have been around for a few years, but it still seems fresh and buzzy. The beautiful Georgian manse's fabulous restoration, its charming, period bedrooms and friendly service are matched by the excellence of the food served there, and one day I will get a chance to review it properly.

Closer to the town centre is a holy trinity in a row - a cafe, a bar and a restaurant: the Fat Gherkin, where the coffee is excellent, the tray bakes vast and warm; Wine & Brine, which has won a hardcore, loving and loyal clientele, thanks to the outstanding quality of the food; and, now, the most recent addition, the Stillhouse.

On the site of the former pub and club known as The Four Trees, the Stillhouse is first and foremost a pub. There are people on stools at the main bar enjoying drinks and it all looks like it's been here for years. But look a little further and there is more. The Stillhouse will shortly house a distillery where those clever people behind Rubyblue Spirits, makers of potato vodka and various liqueurs, will up stakes from their current home in Lisburn and establish operations here. But, really, the brother and I are here for the food. A simple and wholesome bar menu operates during the week and then an a la carte and fuller menu are on at weekends. Starters of beetroot-cured salmon with cream cheese, horseradish and orange, black pudding scotch egg with mustard mayonnaise and Irish ham hock and apricot terrine with cornichons, mushrooms and curried aioli, give you a sense of the measured ambition and relevance. We were able to try a few, including the salmon (fresh, zingy and plentiful), a black pudding sausage roll with confit hen's egg yoke (if ever the great Sassidge Roll competition is revived, this is a definite contender: crispy, flaky, golden crust with rich, but not overwhelmingly heavy, interior) and cheeky little Clonakilty black pudding fritters with pea puree, whipped goat's cheese and hazelnuts (you could eat those all night). Mains were as good and I was glad to see Carnbrooke Meats' ribeye served medium-rare with a melange of mushrooms. This is a fine steak and, while I am a mushroom lover, I'd rather have the bare, meaty flavours uninterrupted. Steak is delicate in flavour, and when it's this good, less frippery is better. A salted hake with wild garlic from Moira Demesne, buttery samphire and pearl onions comes with a beautifully judged little sauce of stock made from the fish bones, lemon and cream. It's seriously good and the fish is spot on, slipping and flaking away under the knife, effortlessly. Hickory-smoked Cherry Valley duck breast comes with carrot, black cherry, fondant potato and onion ash. It's a reminder of just how good ingredients in this country can be. In the hands of chef Dave McClelland, they become memorable. A little bit of showbiz helps the meal along and the Guinness sticky toffee pudding with salted butterscotch sauce and yellowman ice-cream is accompanied by a tiny shot 'pint' of stout. We are grown men, the pair of us, and yet overcome this maturity to spend the next five minutes Instagramming the tiny pints to exhaustion. A tonka bean creme brulee is textbook. Not an every day sight in Northern Ireland, the tonka bean's sweet flavours are somewhere in the vanilla, woodruff, cocoa field, and this creme brulee makes full use of the interesting sweetness. The Stillhouse is a revelation. As a pub, it is a beautiful, wood-panelled palace of cosiness, booths and nooks and crannies. It is grand and welcoming, with sure-footed and knowledgeable servers. Once the entire operation is alive and that distillery is active, it's sure to become a landmark. The bill Salmon starter .................................... 5 Sausage roll ........................................ 5 Black pudding fritters........................ 5 Ribeye ............................................... 22 Duck.................................................... 17 Hake.................................................... 17 Creme brulee....................................... 5 Sticky toffee pudding........................ 5 Bottle sauvignon blanc.................... 24 Total ................................................. 105

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John and Patricia Hume with Bill Clinton in Derry in 2014

Former SDLP leader John Hume doesn't remember the peace process that he helped to build, his wife has admitted.

Pat Hume's heartbreaking revelation came on an RTE television programme looking back at the Nobel Peace Prize winner's legacy.

Standing on the Peace Bridge in Londonderry, Mrs Hume replied to a question on Nationwide about her husband's ailing health by addressing his struggle with dementia.

She said: "He actually doesn't remember the peace process now, that he spent his entire life (on)."

Mrs Hume said her husband's memory was not good, and that he could ask the same question 20 times.

She added of the support she has encountered: "Derry people are great. They're the kindest in the world."

Eleven days ago Mr Hume was too ill to attend a ceremony at Queen's University in Belfast to mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

Key players in the 1998 peace deal were there, including Mr Hume's joint Nobel winner David Trimble, ex-US President Bill Clinton and former British and Irish premiers Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern.

But Mr Hume's key role in bringing peace after his heavily-criticised talks with Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams was acknowledged at the event by Senator George Mitchell, who brokered the deal at Castle Buildings in April 1998.

Senator Mitchell described Mr Hume as one of the "greatest political leaders in Ireland".

Mr Hume, who was 81 in January, has been suffering from dementia for many years.

But he was regularly seen in his old haunts in Derry, and his wife said everyone in the city loved him and looked after him.

In 2015 she disclosed that her husband first became ill in the late 1990s when he was speaking in Austria.

Last December she received a standing ovation after paying an emotional tribute to him at the launch of a new book containing extracts from speeches he made throughout his career.

John Hume: In His Own Words was written by former SDLP MLA Sean Farren, a close friend of his former party leader.

On Nationwide last night, Mrs Hume recalled how her husband asked the organisers of the Bloody Sunday march in January 1972 to postpone it or have it in a less built-up area than the Bogside.

She said his plea came after he saw civil rights demonstrators beaten off a beach at Magilligan by soldiers the week before the Derry march.

She added that when he saw paratroopers at Magilligan he was "incredibly worried", but the organisers of the ill-fated march in Derry told him most of the plans were in place and they couldn't postpone it.

Mrs Hume said close friends of her and her husband arrived at their home after Bloody Sunday.

She added: "They were absolutely panic-stricken with the soldiers just going mad and shooting all round them."

Thirteen people were killed and another man died five months later from his wounds. Mrs Hume said her husband had worked hard on the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985 and on the Good Friday Agreement 13 years later:

"It was a long, long process. He was always completely anti-violence, which wasn't popular at the time because so much had been done to people and they reacted."
The family of Lisa Gow described her as a loving, caring and devoted mother.

The family of Lisa Gow have spoken of their devastating loss and how the reaction of their Belfast neighbours has left them "overwhelmed".

The mother of two was killed after she was hit by a stolen car on Thursday on the Ballysillan Road in north Belfast.

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In a statement released on Saturday through DUP councillor Dale Pankhurst, the family said they had been left deeply saddened and hurt by the loss of a beloved daughter and sister.

"Lisa was a loving, caring and devoted mother to her two children, Olivia aged eight, and Riley aged five, along with her partner, John. She was a daughter and a sister who was full of joy, full of energy, and full of love for her family and friends."

Martin Nelson (39), from Ardoyne, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving and other offences. He was remanded into custody after a court hearing on Friday.

The family said Lisa's life had been tragically cut short, "costing our family a daughter, a sister, an auntie, and most of all, a mummy". Since the tragedy the fund raising initiatives have taken place and thousands raised.

"We are overwhelmed by the response and the caring nature of the community, who in spite of this terrible tragedy, rallied around us, sending messages of support and tributes from right across the community: from Ballysillan to Ardoyne to Highfield and west Belfast.

"We are also deeply humbled by the financial donations from members of the public in order to help us and the floral tributes at the site of the tragedy on the Ballysillan Road."

The Police Ombudsman is investigating the circumstances of the police chase of the stolen car. Police said their pursuit had ended before the fatal crash. However the police watchdog said video footage showed police were "a matter of seconds" behind the car before the tragic incident.

The family have requested privacy for the days ahead.

Lisa's funeral will be held in St Andrews Church in Glencairn at 1.30pm with a service at Roselawn Crematorium at 3.30pm on Tuesday
Soldiers have claimed their regimental mascot, a wolfhound named Domhnall from Northern Ireland, is being "worked to his death bed".

The tall, shaggy face of the Irish Guards is six years old and was a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge on her ceremonial St Patrick's Day visit last month.

Graffiti with the words 'Justice 4 Domhnall' was seen spray-painted on the wall of an Army barracks in Hounslow, west London.

He has been with the regiment since 2013, when he was recruited from Northern Ireland as an untrained dog.

The Sun newspaper reported that soldiers were furious the faithful military mutt was still paraded for official duties despite hip problems and needing around the clock care from his handler, who is currently on sick leave.

"He should be enjoying retirement.

"It's not right," a source said.

"The lads love that dog.

"But Domhnall has problems with his health.

"People are saying the dog is being overworked constantly.

"He was meant to be retired a long time ago; he's not well, but is being worked to his death bed.

"Someone in the battalion has heard it and gone around spraying that on the walls.

"People are saying that this fantastic dog should be enjoying retirement. It's not right."

An Army spokesperson maintained Domhnall, known for having a taste for Guinness, was receiving the best of care. They added that the soldiers who daubed the slogan on the barracks wall meant well, but did not know his real condition.

"Domhnall's welfare is always of utmost importance to the regiment, which is very proud to have him as its mascot," he said.

"Since joining the regiment in January 2013, Domhnall has received health examinations on a regular basis by veterinary officers from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, to ensure he is being well looked after and is fit for service. In addition, Domhnall has also been under the care of a local civilian veterinary practice throughout his career."

As part of a successful treatment for prostatic disease, civilian and military veterinary surgeons recommended that Domhnall was castrated in 2017.

In addition, they said that on Wednesday, Domhnall was examined by an independent civilian veterinary surgeon, who found him to be in good health.

A Royal Army Veterinary Corps vet also examined him on Thursday, finding him to be in good condition.
Emergency services at the scene, after a light aircraft fire at Nutts Corner, County Antrim / Credit: Pacemaker

Bryan Greenwood was killed in Thursdays crash outside Crumlin

Pilot Bob Farmbrough was killed in Thursdays crash outside Crumlin

Bob Farmbrough and Bryan Greenwood were killed in the crash.

An experienced pilot who died in a light aircraft crash has been described as "the best friend and colleague anyone could wish for".

Bob Farmbrough was at the controls of the small plane that came down in Co Antrim on Thursday.

Bryan Greenwood from Larne, who ran his own aerial photography business, was also killed.

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The Cessna 152, which is understood to have been rented from the Ulster Flying Club in Newtownards, crashed between Nutts Corner and Loanends.

Mr Farmbrough (77), who lived in Carrickfergus, was a retired commercial pilot with more than 40 years' experience.

He was a father-of-two and a grandfather.

Shocked friend John Ward, a retired pilot who had worked with Mr Farmbrough for 11 years, said that "from an ability point of view, he was the very last person you would have thought this would happen to".

The crash occurred shortly after noon on Thursday, near rural Ballyhill Lane outside Crumlin.

Neighbours who witnessed the tragedy told the Belfast Telegraph that the light plane had "circled for 10 to 15 minutes", and they believed the pilot was trying to avoid striking houses in the area before the aircraft came down.

Mr Ward said his friend was originally from England, and was an experienced pilot when he moved to Northern Ireland to begin working for Inter European Airways in 1988.

He stayed with the company when it was taken over by Airtours International Airways, and left in 2000 to join British Regional Airlines.

He retired in 2002.

"Bob was already an accomplished pilot who had flown all over the world by the time I met him when we joined Inter European," the Armoy man said.

"He was one of the first pilots on the first-ever jet aircraft to be based in Northern Ireland.

"He was well-respected, with a great sense of humour, lovely to work with and loved by the cabin crew.

"A day out working with Bob was a day of fun and enjoyment.

"He was calm under pressure. He liked flying from Newtownards, and I think he flew quite regularly.

"I know that he did fly for pleasure.

"It was absolutely such a shock to hear about the accident - we were made aware almost immediately.

"From an ability point of view, he was the very last person you would have thought something like this would happen to.

"The pilot community in Northern Ireland is stunned by the news.

"We have had over 100 messages of condolence on Facebook from people he worked with, which shows how well-respected he was.

"He was a very experienced and accomplished pilot.

"He had an amazing sense of humour, he was a very, very funny chap, and one of the best friends and colleagues you could ask for."

Mr Ward expressed his sympathies to Mr Farmbrough's family.

"Bob had met his wife Pamela here and settled down," he explained.

"He had a son, Andrew, and also a daughter, and he was a grandfather.

"His wife must be incredibly shocked.

"The last thing you would expect is for him to go out for a bit of pleasure flying and never to return home.

"You could spend forever trying to work out just what happened.

"There's reasonable protection in a light aircraft, but you're not sure how big an impact there was or how quickly it has descended.

"I will remember Bob as a great friend and colleague, somebody that was always fun to be with."

Mr Greenwood was also understood to have been a grandfather.

A neighbour who had lived beside him for several years said she was "horrified" to hear of the tragedy.

"He was quiet, he kept himself to himself," she said.

"I heard about it on the news and I just knew it was him.

"I'm just horrified, this was a horrific incident.

"He has been running that photography business since he was here, and he went up regularly in the planes.

"He was a well-known Larne man, he socialised quite a bit.

"The community is very shocked at what has happened."

A post on Mr Greenwood's website states that "Cessna aircraft are used for all aerial photographic work".

An investigation into the crash is continuing.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said it would be moving the wreckage so it could carry out a more detailed examination.

It added: "The AAIB was notified of the accident at around lunchtime on Thursday.

"Accident investigators were on site later the same day to examine the wreckage of the aircraft and to start a field investigation looking at all aspects of the aircraft's operation.

"This weekend we expect to recover the aircraft wreckage to our facility at Farnborough (in England) for more detailed examination.

"The AAIB investigation will take some time and an accident report will be released in due course."

The Ulster Flying Club referred all enquiries to the PSNI Press office.

The Coroners Service said it "cannot provide any information at this stage".
A report suggesting that Catholics will outnumber Protestants by 2021 in Northern Ireland does not mean a united Ireland is any closer, a DUP MP has insisted.

The study from Dr Paul Nolan suggests the Protestant majority will end in three years - on the 100th anniversary of partition.

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But Strangford MP Jim Shannon said that while he "can't argue with the statistics", there was no cause for concern among unionists that it means reunification is a step nearer.

"The real issue here is not the religious make-up of the population, it's the question: 'Does this bring forward a united Ireland?' The answer is no. It doesn't," he argued.

Census figures in 2011 showed a narrowing gap between the two religions, putting the Protestant population at 48%, just 3% ahead of the Catholic one (45%).

Figures from 2016 show that among those of working age, 44% are now Catholic and 40% Protestant.

The difference is even more marked among schoolchildren, with 51% Catholic and 37% Protestant.

Only among the over-60s is there a majority of Protestants, with 57% compared to Catholics on 35%.

Dr Nolan, who specialises in monitoring the peace process and social trends, said: "Three years from now we will end up, I think, in the ironic situation on the centenary of the state, where we actually have a state that has a Catholic majority."

But Mr Shannon said: "This research doesn't change anything. Unionism and nationalism don't automatically equate to Protestant and Catholic. Politics, not religion, is what matters.

"I can only speak for my constituency, but I know many people from religions other than Protestant who have no intention of calling for a united Ireland.

"They want to stay as part of the United Kingdom and I don't see that changing by 2021 or 2030."

The report comes not long after DUP leader Arlene Foster said she would probably leave in the event of a united Ireland.

In response, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said: "Of course unionists have to be at home in a new Ireland. It has to be as much a home for Arlene Foster and her family as for mine.

"So, yes, let's have the discussion."

Ms McDonald feels that every aspect of life on the island should now be on the table for discussion.

She added: "As far as I'm concerned, nothing is taboo. Let's talk about the flag, let's talk about the anthem, let's talk about every nuance and every aspect of Irish life, north and south."

Looking at the last Census in 2011, Mr Nolan pointed out that although 45% identified as being from a Catholic background, only 25% claimed an exclusively Irish identity.

He said: "The future of unionism depends entirely upon one thing - and I mean unionism with a small 'u' - it depends on winning the support of people who do not regard themselves to be unionists with a capital 'U'.

"In other words people who do not identify with the traditional trappings of unionism; people who would give their support for a UK Government framework - and that's a sizeable proportion of Catholics provided they are not alienated by any form of triumphalism or anything that seems to be a rejection of their cultural identity as nationalists."

It is likely there will be "more examination of what a united Ireland might mean", according to Dr Nolan.

"Does it mean one parliament in Dublin or two parliaments? One in Belfast and one in Dublin? I think the more that gets unpacked, the more opinion will move back and forward. It's not going to go just in one direction."

Dr Nolan also warned not to rely too heavily on polls for an indication on support for a united Ireland. Dismissing opinion polls declaring support for a united Ireland, Dr Nolan says the polls ask the wrong question.

"If we got to the situation where people go into a polling booth and have to put the mark against a united Ireland, it's very hard for anyone to predict it.

"Just ask Hillary Clinton, ask David Cameron, ask Theresa May: were they right to put their faith in the opinion polls? I don't think so."
The National Archives hold arrival records of thousands of people who arrived in the UK as part of the so-called Windrush Generation.

Details from arrivals into the UK, including name, birth date, and details of the journey taken were all recorded on passenger lists drawn up for the Board of Trade between 1878 and 1960.

These records  which are filed in nearly 1,500 boxes at the National Archives  could include those who came to Britain from the Caribbean by ship.

Recent restrictions in immigration law require people to have paperwork proof of near-continuous residence in the UK.

Many of those in the Windrush generation lack these records, having never applied for British citizenship or passports, and are now struggling to prove they are here legally.

However, it has emerged that thousands of landing card slips recording the arrival of Windrush-era immigrants were destroyed by the Home Office in 2009.

These records could help those looking to support claims of their arrival on British shores.

It comes as more stories from those affected by the issue have come to light.

Gretel Gorcan, 81, is reported to have been denied re-entry into the UK after going to her native Jamaica for a funeral.

Mrs Gorcan told the Daily Mirror she has been stuck in the Caribbean since 2009, having been told she needs a visa to return to the UK.

She told the paper: I travelled to Britain to help out on the promise of a new life but now they have turned their back on me.

My children are still in London but I am left here. It is not how I wanted to live my final years.

The Home Office told the Mirror they are urgently reviewing cases.

Meanwhile, the Government is to make compensation payments to members of the Windrush generation who suffered as a result of official challenges to their migration status.

Downing Street declined to give details of the compensation scheme, saying only they would be announced shortly by the Home Office.

It is thought likely that payments will go beyond the reimbursement of legal bills and include a recognition of the anxiety caused to long-standing Commonwealth residents of the UK whose right to be in the country was questioned.
US president Donald Trump has been told he should expect loud and peaceful protests if a summer visit to Britain materialises.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has repeatedly clashed with the American world leader since they were both elected almost two years ago, made the remark following reports Mr Trump has a UK visit in the pipeline.

Speaking to the Press Association at a St Georges Day event in Trafalgar Square, Mr Khan said the capital is a place which respects, embraces and celebrates diversity.

Asked whether he thinks there will be protests if the American president does come to Britain, Mr Khan said if it goes ahead Mr Trump will see a city where those from different backgrounds, religions and ethnicities get on very well with each other.

I hope if he does come, he reflects on the difference good leadership can make, he said.

I think our best friend, the USA, their leader was wrong when he retweeted messages from a Far Right groupSadiq Khan

We have got a great history in our city of protests we have got a great history in our city of bringing about change by protest, the key thing is for it to be lawful, for it to be peaceful.

I have no doubt that if he does come, there will be some people who want to express their views loudly and peacefully to the president.

Mr Khan also said how the message should be loud and clear that we think it is wrong that anyone should be amplifying Far Right messages or messages of hatred or division.

He added: I was very disappointed to be honest that the leader of our closest ally was doing just that, and we shouldnt be embarrassed to say to our best friend that we think they are wrong.

I think our best friend, the USA, their leader was wrong when he retweeted messages from a Far Right group.

Expand Close Theresa May was one of the first foreign premiers to visit the US president (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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Last November Mr Trump came under fire for retweeting a number of inflammatory videos from Britain First  prompting Prime Minister Theresa May to condemn him at the time.

Mr Trump has not visited the UK since he was elected to the White House in November 2016, with a potential visit to London to open the US Embassy in January not taking place.

The Daily Mail has reported a visit from Mr Trump has been pencilled in for July, while the Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed US official saying the president was looking at coming in the late summer.

Mr Trump cancelled a visit to the UK to open the new American embassy, criticising its move from Grosvenor Square in the prestigious Mayfair district of central London to an off location at Nine Elms, south of the Thames.

The president blamed the cost of the new embassy and its location south of the River Thames, saying it was a bad deal.

His cancellation prompted media speculation that reasons for the snub included that Mr Trump had been offended by perceived slights against him by UK public figures.

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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused Mr Khan of endangering the so-called special relationship after he said the president had got the message from Londoners and would have been met by mass peaceful protests if he went ahead with the visit.

The president has endured a turbulent relationship with Mrs May since taking office, with the Prime Minister publicly criticising statements he has made on Muslims, terrorism and climate change.

However Mr Trump recently said he was grateful for the support from the UK and France when a coalition of the three countries conducted targeted air strikes in Syria last weekend.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle previously attended the UK team trials for the Invictus Games in Sydney (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will join the Australian Prime Minister at a London reception ahead of the Invictus Games in Sydney later this year.

Harry and his bride-to-be will meet servicemen and women from both Britain and Australia, some of whom have previously competed in the international sporting event.

The couple will also learn more about preparations for this years games at the reception hosted by Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy at Australia House on Saturday.

Expand Close Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attended the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada (Danny Lawson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook

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More than 500 competitors  made up of sick and injured military and veterans  from 18 nations are expected to compete at the Invictus Games in Sydney between October 20 and 27.

It is expected Harry, who is patron of the Invictus Games Foundation which oversees the delivery of the tournament, will travel to Australia for the event with Ms Markle, who will by then be his wife.

When Toronto hosted the Paralympic-style event last year the former Suits star, who at the time was living and working in the city, attended the opening and closing ceremonies and visited competitors with Harry.
The Prince of Wales will succeed the Queen as head of the Commonwealth (Chris Jackson/PA)

The Prince of Wales has been caught up in a racism row after a non-white woman claimed he joked about whether she was really from her home town of Manchester.

Anita Sethi said she was left feeling shocked, humiliated and angry following the incident during one of the many Commonwealth events staged this week in the run up to a major summit of Commonwealth leaders.

She has now questioned whether the heir to the throne should be the next head of the Commonwealth  a multi-cultural institution with member countries from areas like Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Ms Sethi, a writer, said in an opinion piece penned for the Guardian newspaper that Charles had asked her where she was from when they met briefly during the Commonwealth Peoples Forum earlier this week in London, where she was a guest speaker.

When she replied Manchester, UK she said that he quipped Well, you dont look like it! and laughed.

The writer, whose mother was born in Guyana, wrote in the Guardian: That the mooted next leader of an organisation that represents one-third of the people on the planet commented that I, a brown woman, did not look as if I was from a city in the UK is shocking.

She went on to say: Of course, allegations of racism are not new for the Royal Family. The Duke Of Edinburgh has made numerous contentious comments; and only last year Princess Michael of Kent wore a blackamoor brooch while meeting Prince Harrys fiancee, Meghan Markle.

Philips comments often led to controversy, but he was once branded a national treasure by the press for his inability to curb his off-the-cuff remarks.

During a state visit to China in 1986 he told British students: If you stay here much longer, youll all be slitty-eyed.

Clarence House declined to comment.
The UK has cautiously welcomed the announcement that North Korea is to put a halt to its nuclear testing programme.

In a statement responding to developments overnight, the Foreign Office (FCO) said it hoped Kim Jong Uns announcement indicated a willingness to negotiate with world leaders.

The US and South Korea, who are due to take part in historic talks with Pyongyang, both approved of the move.

In a statement, the FCO said: A long term commitment from Kim Jong Un to halt all nuclear tests and ICBM launches would be a positive step. We hope this indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith.

We remain committed to working with our international partners to bring about our goal of a complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and to do so through peaceful means.

US president Donald Trump said the move marked big progress.

He tweeted: North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site.

This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Look forward to our summit.

Pyongyang announced that it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington.

But it stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its hard-won nuclear arsenal.

Mr Kim justified the suspension to his party by saying the situation around North Korea has been rapidly changing in favour of the Korean revolution since he announced last year that his country had completed its nuclear forces.

Foreign Office Minister Mark Field, writing on Twitter, said he welcomed North Koreas announcement that it will halt all nuclear tests and mid/long-range missile and ICBM launches.

He added: Hope this is the first step towards a complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.
The tributes that have poured out in the wake of Barbara Bush's death have exposed something of a dichotomy at the heart of her legacy.

The former First Lady was one half of the partnership that started the most successful political dynasty in modern-day American politics, with a US president for a husband and a son.

Following her death last Tuesday, at the age of 92, Bush has been remembered as a force to be reckoned with: someone who was unafraid to speak her mind when she deemed it necessary.

"She was fierce and feisty in support of her family and friends, her country and her causes", said former President Bill Clinton, who replaced her husband in the White House.

Others looked back fondly on her ability to skewer opponents with sharp wit and a sometimes caustic tongue - her reference to one of George H W Bush's political rivals as a "rhymes with rich" has been rehashed several times over the past week.

However, it's clear from the tributes that have poured out from all corners of the globe that Bush is mostly remembered as a kind of grandmother-to-all. She acknowledged this image herself, which many believe had its roots in her white hair, which she developed unusually young after tragedy struck the family when her first daughter Robin died from cancer, aged three.

Others say it was down to her relaxed, down-to-earth manner - markedly different to that of her stylish and reserved predecessor Nancy Reagan - with a nice line in self-deprecating humour, which gave people the impression she was someone with whom they could strike up an easy friendship.

Her status as grandmother to a nation is somewhat fascinating to me - as well as being intensely irritating.

Grandmothers are usually portrayed as lovable, but largely harmless - not necessarily what you want in a leadership role. And US First Ladies take on a real leadership role.

Their names are as well-known as those of their husbands and often become synonymous with the causes they decide to champion.

Betty Ford had her rehab centre, Michelle Obama had her healthy eating campaign and Barbara Bush had her literacy campaigning, through which she raised millions to improve reading skills around the world.

In any case, the idea of "a grandmother" is largely meaningless. It's not a job, there aren't any qualifications for the role - outside of having a child, who then has a child.

You can be evil, stupid, lazy, good, bad and/or ugly and still be a grandmother.

So, why use the term for someone so greatly admired?

Grandmother is far from a pejorative, but it's miles away from the way great male leaders are described by their fans.

It's also miles away from the terms used for divisive, or controversial, female leaders - for examples of that, we need only look at some of the insults the next First Lady dealt with.

Hillary Clinton had a big pair of shoes to step into and bringing her brand of independence, personal ambition and wariness about the media to the role threw her into sharp contrast with Bush.

As such, she failed to win the same genuine affection as Bush and, instead, has been putting up with severe - and often unfair - criticism throughout her time in the public eye.

However, the praise she does get focuses on her intelligence, her tenacity, her strength - any of the positive attributes that she has demonstrated through her actions. These same qualities could easily be applied to Bush.

This is perhaps why the epithet most used in commemorating her seems quite galling.

Barbara Bush was one of the most popular First Ladies in history. And the best tribute most people can come up with is that she was some sort of universal grandmother?

Surely, she deserves better than that?
A U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber separates from the boom pod after receiving fuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker while en route to strike targets in Syria, April 13, 2018.

Updated at 7:55 a.m. ET on 2018-04-21

The Pentagon said it could not confirm social media reports of the death of an Indonesian Islamic State (IS) militant fighting in Syria but acknowledged that U.S.-led coalition fighter jets had bombed the area where he was allegedly killed this week.

The elusive Bahrumsyah, who uses the nom-de-guerre Abu Muhammad al-Indonesi, allegedly leads an Indonesian-Malaysian unit of the IS known as Katibah Nusantara, which aims to establish a so-called caliphate in Southeast Asia.

This is not the first time Bahrumsyah has been reported killed. A year ago, some news reports said he died in a suicide mission in Syria but experts clarified that he was not the one who died in the blast.

This week, his sympathizers sent messages on Telegram, a social-media channel often used by IS supporters, eulogizing Bahrumsyah and claiming that he was confirmed a martyr having been exposed to the bombardment of a B-1 Lancer fighter jet in the Hajin, Syria area.

We did conduct airstrikes in the reported general area on the day Bahrumsyah was allegedly killed, but I do not have confirmation of his death, Pentagon spokesman Eric Pahon told BenarNews.

The Coalition remains committed to achieving the lasting defeat of ISIS and its affiliates, he said on Thursday, using the other name for IS. We must not relent on ISIS or permit these terrorists to recover from their battlefield losses.

On Friday, the Coalition Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) also confirmed in an email to BenarNews that bombings took place in the area where Bahrumsyah was allegedly killed.

On April 17 in Syria, Coalition forces conducted several strikes near Abu Kamal, but we cannot confirm any further info on these strikes, the public affairs office of Operation Inherent Resolve said.

In a news release issued Thursday, CJTF-OIR also said the Iraqi air force conducted an air strike near Hajin, Syria, against Daesh terrorists operating near the Iraq-Syria border on April 19, using the other name for IS.

The strike was approved by the Iraqi Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Dr. Haider Al Abadi, the news release said, adding that the operation was planned and executed by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command with intelligence support from the Coalition.

Bahrumsyah, an Indonesian known by the nom-de-guerre Abu Muhammad al-Indonesi, is pictured in a screenshot taken from an online IS propaganda video, Jan. 27, 2016. [BenarNews]

The United States has led the coalition against IS since 2014 and U.S. troops have served as advisers on the ground with Iraqi government forces and with Kurdish and Arab groups in Syria.

Officials of Indonesias National Agency for Counter-Terrorism (BNPT) told BenarNews they did not receive any reports on Bahrumsyah's death. Known pro-IS media have also been silent about Bahrumsyah's purported killing.

Indonesian authorities took notice of Bahrumsyah in 2014 when he appeared in a YouTube video calling on Muslim youths in Indonesia and Malaysia to join IS. The release of that video led to a government ban on IS.

Botched suicide attack denied

On March 14 last year, Singapore daily The Straits Times quoted pro-IS media as saying that Bahrumsyah died while carrying out a botched suicide attack in Syria.

But six days later, IS news outlet Amaq News Agency described the report as false, and Jakarta-based security analyst Sidney Jones later said the man who was killed wasnt even from Indonesia, he was from Uzbekistan.

Bahrumsyah, whose aliases also include Bachrumsyah Mennor Usman, and Abu Ibrahim al Indonesi, was classified last year by the United States as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.

Zam Yusa in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia contributed to this story.

Updated to add information in the main photo caption.
A man hangs a poster depicting Palestinian electrical engineer Fadi Mohamed Al Batsh, who was shot to death in Malaysia, on Al Batshs family house in the northern Gaza Strip, April 21, 2018.

Two unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead a Palestinian engineer Saturday as he was walking to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian police and the political group Hamas said.

Fadi Mohamed Al Batsh, 35, was killed at dawn after the gunmen opened fire with pistols, striking him four times, including once in the head, police said.

Hamas didnt disclose Al Batshs role in the Islamist militant group but it issued a statement on its website describing him as a member and a scientist who was originally from a refugee camp north of the Gaza Strip.

Al Batshs killing came a day after Israeli intelligence minister Israel Katz threatened the Hamas leadership in the Gaza Strip with targeted elimination, after the Islamist militant group reportedly released a video of top Israeli officers in a sniper rifle crosshairs.

Hours after the shooting, Malaysias state news agency Bernama quoted Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying that the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency.

Mazlan Lazim, the Kuala Lumpur police chief, told reporters that footage from a closed-circuit television showed that the shooters had waited for Fadi for almost 20 minutes. He said police were investigating all angles, including terrorism.

Based on the shooting marks, it showed that [the gunmen] had fired more than 10 shots at him, suggesting that they really wanted to kill him, Mazlan said.

Why they wanted to kill him, we have no idea, he said. We are probing further.

Ahmad Zahid claimed that Al Batsh was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organizations and was an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building. He also said the victim had links with foreign intelligence, but he did not provide evidence.



Al Batsh could have been seen as a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine, Zahid told reporters, according to Bernama. The deputy prime minister did not elaborate.

Anwar H. Al Agha, the Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia, told the newspaper The New Straits Times that victim Al Batsh was a University of Malaya graduate and was supposed to have left to chair a conference on energy in Turkey on Saturday.

He was a kind, friendly and a quiet person. He mixed well with everyone, the diplomat said, adding that the victim has been living in Malaysia for 10 years, working as electrical engineering lecturer at a private university.

Malaysia's Islamist party, PAS, condemned Al Batshs killing and urged the government to conduct a thorough investigation.

Hamas, in a short statement posted on its website, mourned Al Batshs death, described him as a martyr and praised his commitment for the Palestinian struggle.

According to news reports on Friday, four people were killed, including a 15-year-old boy, in the fourth consecutive week of protests organized by Hamas along the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, which Hamas controls.
At Novartis, he will be responsible for advancing the company's industry-leading pipeline of innovative medicines and biosimilars.

Novartis has announced the appointment of John Tsai, M.D. as Head of Global Drug Development (GDD) and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Tsai will join Novartis on May 1, 2018, and will be based in Basel, Switzerland. He will report to Vas Narasimhan, M.D., CEO of Novartis and will become a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis (ECN).

Dr. Tsai succeeds Dr. Narasimhan who became CEO of Novartis on February 1, 2018. Dr. Rob Kowalski, who led GDD as interim since February 1, 2018, will resume his responsibilities as Head of Global Regulatory Affairs for GDD.

Dr. Tsai has been Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Global Medical at Amgen Inc., since May 2017 and oversees all clinical and medical functions across multiple sites worldwide.

At Novartis, he will be responsible for advancing the company's industry-leading pipeline of innovative medicines and biosimilars. Dr. Tsai will also lead the GDD organization's ongoing transformation embracing the power of advanced data sciences and digital technologies to create a more agile model for drug development.

Prior to joining Amgen, Dr. Tsai spent eleven years with Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS), where he served as Global Head of Clinical Development for marketed products and global clinical operations.
Kims Asian Restaurant has come a long way from the small food outlet it started out as at The Town Centre 30 years ago.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Kims Asian Restaurant has come a long way from the small food outlet it started out as at The Town Centre 30 years ago.

Current owner Angie Nguyen said that if everything goes to plan, she expects to see their second location, at 2330 Victoria Ave., open for business on April 26.

Already a few weeks behind as a result of their gutting the building "from top to bottom," she said she has become antsy to open the front door to customers.

Larger than their present restaurant space at 42 McTavish Ave. East, Nguyen said the restaurant is indicative of the continued progression of her familys business, which has been the product of not only their own hard work and dedication, but also support from the community.

Her parents, Kim and Van Binh Nguyen, arrived in Brandon as Vietnamese refugees in 1978.

Sponsored by the congregation at St. Georges Church, the couple went on to raise a family in the Wheat City, which Angie said they have long considered their home.

After a dozen years of running their smaller-scale The Town Centre venture, the couple shifted the business to their present-day McTavish Avenue East space.

Earlier this week, crews were seen going in and out of their new space, which until earlier this year housed the longstanding Kam Lung Chinese Restaurant, which closed without warning.

The restaurant was originally owned by Sergio and Susan Lee, who owned and operated it for 37 years prior to Patrick Sun and his wife Nan taking ownership of the building in 2010.

Unable to shed light on what led to Kam Lungs closure, Angie Nguyen said when the opportunity came up, her family jumped at the opportunity to expand their footprint within a city that has always supported them.

She said their second location would offer the same broadly Asian-style dishes that their other location serves up, within a newly constructed "modern Asian" environment.

Along with the newly renovated space, Nguyen said the restaurant would follow the same strict policies around cleanliness as their McTavish Avenue East location.

Situated outside their new building are two Fu Dogs marble statues of lions that are considered good luck in Chinese culture.

Inside the building are four smaller marble statues, including an emperor, general and two soldiers.

Its the Fu Dogs that draw the eye to Kims Asian Restaurant by facing the traffic that streams along Victoria Avenue.

The statues were shipped in from China, during a journey that found them spend a few months floating on the ocean before being loaded onto a train at the port, and from the train to a flatbed truck to Brandon.

Nguyen said while she and husband Tony Hong would run the new restaurant, her brother Billy would take command of their McTavish Avenue East space.

In the midst of this weeks flurry of construction to get things ready in time for Thursdays opening, Angie said the speedy work of the contractors has allowed them to get where they are.

Although a few weeks behind schedule, she said that the renovation project proved larger than theyd initially anticipated.

Even so, Angie said the finished product would be worth it.

From her parents arriving in Canada with little to where they are now, she said that her goal has been to make her parents proud.

With her parents looking after her kids while she heads their expanding legacy, Nguyen appears to have filled their shoes.

 tclarke@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 21/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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UPDATE: BPS have found Alaina Flett.

--------

Police are searching for Alaina Flett, 12, who was last seen on Tuesday. (Submitted/Brandon Police Service)

The Brandon Police Service is searching for a 12-year-old girl in foster care who has been missing for almost a week.

Alaina Flett was last seen at 9 a.m. on Tuesday after leaving her home that morning.

She was reported missing by her foster mother later in the day at approximately 1:15 p.m.

Alaina is described as four-foot- eight, 90 pounds, Indigenous, with brown eyes, short and straight dark brown-black hair, a slim or slender build, and a fair complexion.

She was last seen wearing a dark blue Nike or Adidas hoodie, blue jeans, and black and red Jordan runners.

BPS Staff Sgt. Brian Partridge said Alaina was recently put into foster care in Brandon and her last placement prior to that was in Portage la Prairie.

Partridge said police have limited information on Alaina, but it is believed she is either with her grandmother or natural father.

However, police have been unable to contact either one of them.

"But we are working on trying to locate her," Partridge said. "We just havent had any success at this point."

News of Alainas disappearance was made known on Friday afternoon in a BPS media release.

In the release, police said attempts to locate Alaina have been unsuccessful and both police and care providers are very concerned for her well-being.

Asked why a release was put out on Friday, a few days after Alaina was reported missing, Partridge said police may not issue something right away, especially if a child has been a runaway more than once.

"We have a number of kids that go missing from care on a regular basis, where theyre not always the subject of a media release," Partridge said.

Alaina has had no known contact with family members or care providers and Partridge said police are attempting to contact Alainas grandmother in Portage, which could involve having the RCMP conduct a physical check of her home.

He said police have no record of the fathers name or where he resides. No information was available on Alainas mother.

Police have provided a picture of Alaina from about one year ago, which is believed to accurately represent her current appearance, although her face may now appear to be slightly slimmer.

Anyone with information on Alainas whereabouts is being asked to call the Brandon Police Service at 204-729-2345 or Crime Stoppers at 204-727-5477 (TIPS), or their local RCMP detachment.

 The Brandon Sun
By Eamon Quinn

The new chief at Bank of Ireland has pledged the bank will do a lot better as the banks directors faced a barrage of criticism from shareholders over its care of customers, the alleged lack of staff at its branches, and mistakes such as cheques being cashed with the wrong amounts.

Francesca McDonagh, who stepped into the job from HSBC in Britain last October, faced her first outing in front of Bank of Ireland shareholders as at the same time Archie Kane, the 490,000-a-year chairman, prepared to step down to be replaced by Patrick Kennedy, best known as the former Paddy Power boss.

Shareholders also touched on the tracker mortgage overcharging, with Ms McDonagh saying the bank had so far spent 130m on compensating customers. That means a large chunk of the 170m it has set aside has been eaten up, as it prepares to deal with its own staff who will likely be compensated too following the work of financial consultant Padraic Kissane in uncovering the industry-wide scandal. But a number of shareholders from the floor, including retired staff, cited instances of poor customer care, with one shareholder claiming Bank of Ireland branches to be the least friendly in the country.

Ms McDonagh said the transformation plan she was driving would help staff deal with customers better. To remain as Irelands largest lender it would have to up its game, she said. Outgoing chairman Mr Kane said the bank needs to improve and has work to do. He pledged its investment in new technology will in time pay off as it struggled like other lenders with legacy issues.

Mr Kane said the bank carried the lowest level of non-performing loans in the industry and had posted its first growth in net lending for the first time since the crash. On Brexit, Mr Kane said it had hit consumers in the UK and delayed investment decisions in both Britain and Ireland. Bank of Ireland has a large lending operation through the UK Post Office.

A vote to restore an incentive plan, on which the Government abstained, was carried by 99% of those voting. Owen Callan, a leading analyst at Investec, said institutional shareholders will focus on the banks capital day in June. Bank of Ireland shares fell 1%, leaving the shares up 1% from a year ago.

New CEO hears home truths of an Irish bank

By Eamon Quinn

A Bank of Ireland branch is a very cold place and just as Michael OLeary belatedly learned the value to his no-frills airline of treating customers well, the bank would have to learn quickly too, said a disgruntled shareholder from the floor of its AGM.

His was just one voice of criticism, including those of retired staff, that greeted new CEO Francesca McDonagh at her first AGM since joining the bank last October. Her big agenda of change is mostly aimed at meeting the demands of institutional shareholders, to get costs down and an underperforming share price up.

But at the UCD gathering, shareholders gave startling first-hand insights into Irish banking.

A shareholder told of an elderly customer forced to sit on the floor as the branch had no chairs. People just want to be treated properly, another said, pleading with directors: Please please, listen to customers and not just to yourselves. Ms McDonagh must grapple with the Brexit hit to consumers in the UK, where the bank has a sizeable operation. Yesterday, she saw problems closer to home.
The Coast Guard and the RNLI are warning us to be careful on the water this weekend.

Air temperatures are rising across the country, but the sea is still cold, after a very long winter.
Gardai are appealing for information following an armed bank robbery in Co Roscommon yesterday.

A hunt is underway for a gang of five who escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash after holding up a branch of Bank of Ireland in Strokestown.

Four men wearing balaclavas entered the bank at 2.15pm yesterday, threatening staff with iron bars and what is believed to be a handgun.

No one was injured, but the raiders escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash in a black Audi car with UK plates, driven by a fifth man who'd been waiting outside.

It is believed they drove up Elphin St, took a right turn and drove in the direction of Kilmore.

Investigating Gardai are appealing for witnesses and information from any person who may have seen anything suspicious in the hour prior to the robbery and after the incident.

They also want to speak to any drivers who may have dash cams fitted to their vehicles to contact Castlerea Garda Station on 094-9621637, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda Station.

A statement from Bank of Ireland says the safety of customers and staff is their number one priority and they're engaging with Gardai in their investigation.

- Digital Desk
Dublin's Ideal Homes Exhibition is today being targeted by a protest over the homeless crisis.

The Campaign for Public Housing is opposing plans by one of the event's main sponsors, Permanent TSB, to sell off thousands of non-performing loans.

Workers' Party Councillor Eilis Ryan says they are calling on the government, as a main shareholder, to instead take control of the distressed mortgages and guarantee that people will not be evicted from their homes.

"Tenants are just as much entitled to their family home as anybody else, so I think those tenants should be delighted to receive the assurance that they're going to have full security of tenure, there won't be anybody evicting them and they can stay on renting from the State as long as they want," she said.

"For homeowners, I think the State should be in a much stronger position to negotiate in the interests of the homeowner that the vulture funds."

Separately, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he is encouraged by this week's figures showing a 40% reduction in the number of people sleeping rough in Dublin, the biggest drop since 2007.

In his weekly message on social media, he said it coincides with the biggest construction drive since the crash.

Bringing you my weekly message from aboard the MV Celine. Sign up to receive this by email: https://t.co/KcNX4L55g7 pic.twitter.com/3UTU6lSab4  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) April 20, 2018

- Digital desk
Some Irish Ferries customers could have their summer holiday plans disrupted.

It is after the company announced a delay in the delivery of their new ferry the W.B.Yeats.

Irish Ferries say the German shipyard building the W.B Yeats has informed the company delivery of the new ferry is likely to be delayed.

As a result, the company decided, in a bid to minimise potential disruption to customers, to cancel a number of affected sailings from July 12 to July 29.

Customers impacted by the decision are being contacted and offered spaces on the MV Oscar Wilde, close to the dates of their original bookings.

However, in the event an acceptable alternative cannot be found, customers will be entitled to a full refund.

In a statement on the company's website, Irish Ferries have apologised for the inconvenience and say it is an extraordinary circumstance beyond its control.

- Digital Desk
Update 3.05pm: A group of GAA stars have today launched called for a No vote in the May 25 referendum on the 8th Amendment.

The launch today at the Ballyfermot Sports Centre was attended by Joe Sheridan (Meath), Patrick Gallagher (Antrim), Aoife Cassidy (Derry, All Ireland Camogie winning Captain), AnneMarie McDonagh (Galway Ladies Football) and Micky Harte (Tyrone Manager).

The group also plans to issue a series of videos from well-known GAA players over the coming month, in which the players will give their reasons for voting No.

Sport is a place where people come together to test themselves, to strive for greatness, to fulfil their potential, and to express their unique gifts as part of a team," a statement from the group read.

"Working together, we become one team, one society, one nation, and one human race.

"Those are our principles  inclusiveness, compassion, respect, dignity, teamwork.

"In keeping with those principles, we are coming together today to ask the Irish people to vote NO on May 25th.

The proposal the Government has put forward is not inclusive. It specifically seeks to exclude one group of people, the unborn, from our society. It strips them of rights, it declares that they are not on our team."

"The proposal is not compassionate.... The proposal is not respectful.

"It would compel hospital porters, doctors, nurses, and pharmacists to take part in abortions even if they believe, in the deepest pits of their being, that they were being asked to do something terribly wrong.

"The proposal strips away our dignity. It asks us to condone abortion not just in the difficult cases, but for healthy children, for any reason. These children will not get a coffin, or a burial, or a funeral. They will be treated as if they did not exist.

"Finally, the proposal fails the test of teamwork. This is a society of people of many talents, with boundless potential and vast resources. If we work together, we can come up with a better solution than to cast away the rights of our unborn children and call it a solution. We can, and we must, do better."

The statement concludes: "We respect and cherish women. We support them, and we believe that as a society, we have much more, so much more, to offer our women than the death of their children.

"Were asking people to vote NO.

Update 2pm: Time for Ireland to 'come of age', says Taoiseach; GAA players to call for No vote later

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said "it is time for Ireland to come of age" and treat women equally in Irish society by removing the Eighth Amendment from the constitution.

Speaking at the official launch of the campaign for pro-choice Fine Gael members, Mr Varadkar said Ireland as a nation cannot continue to brush the reality of abortion "under the carpet" and pretend the status quo is justifiable.

In a detailed speech at Smock Alley in Dublin City, Mr Varadkar said "it is time for Ireland to come of age" and take advantage of the "once in a generation chance" to repeal the eighth amendment.

He said while Irish Governments "have spent many years recently righting the wrongs" inflicted on women in previous generations, "truth be told we are still wronging women" by imposing the Eighth Amendment upon them.

Mr Varadkar said the reality is the Eighth Amendment only allows people to hide abortion "under the carpet" by pretending it is not taking place, even though nine women a day travel abroad for terminations and three women a day illegally obtain abortion pills.

He said "the Ireland of 2018 is still turning a cold shoulder" to women facing extremely difficult choices, and said: "if the referendum is not approved nothing changes and this will continue to be a problem for women".

Weve spent much of the last few years in Ireland atoning for the wrongs we have done to women. Truth is we still wrong women. The 8th amendment does not prevent abortion. It just lets us sweep it under the carpet. No more. #voteyes #Together4Yes pic.twitter.com/8XJPFR4upo  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) April 21, 2018

Mr Varadkar also used the official Fine Gael campaign launch to raise pro-life concerns a yes vote will lead to widescale abortion.

He said in the 1995 divorce referendum it was claimed almost half of marriages may be cancelled while in the 2015 marriage equality referendum it was claimed marriage itself would be undermined.

However, the Taoiseach said in both cases this did not happen, and said removing the eighth amendment will not lead to women having abortions for reasons unless they are needed.

The Fine Gael launched was attended by a number of other Government figures, including party referendum co-ordinator and Culture Minister Josepha Madigan, Health Minister Simon Harris, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, Kate O'Connell, Frances Fitzgerald and others.

Mr Harris said abortion must be made legal in Ireland as too many traumatic incidents have happened to women and couples in Ireland due to a law that not working.

During the launch people who have been directly affected by the Eighth Amendment explained their stories, while Dr Mary Higgins outlined the reality of the current law for doctors.

Personal stories. Vickis babys heart stopped beating in early pregnancy. Caroline & Michael received a fatal foetal abnormality diagnosis after 20 weeks. Their babies were much wanted. The 8th amendment made their deeply traumatic situations so much harder. #VoteYes pic.twitter.com/JOzTqIZVX1  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) April 21, 2018

Dr Higgins said while this is a yes versus no referendum campaign, should the referendum pass there will not be a celebration or party, but instead there will be "a sigh of relief".

"The difference between empathy and compassion is compassion means you do something about it," she said.

A group of prominent GAA players will today come out in support of a No vote in the referendum.

The group will release a series of videos over the coming month giving their reasons to "save the 8th".

The GAA as an organisation has said they will remain neutral on the issue of the 8th Amendment.

John McGuirk, communications director for Save8.ie, said: "We're delighted to be joined today by some of the leading figures in the GAA including Micky Harte, Joe Sheridan from Meath [and] a whole range of others," he said.

"Like us, I think they're people who are very concerned that this proposal just goes far too far for most poeple."

Update 1.25pm: Taoiseach calls for Yes vote as GAA stars prepare to launch No campaign

The Taoiseach has said it is incumbent on people who want a "Yes" vote in the abortion referendum to make the case to voters.

Leo Varadkar will this morning launch the campaign for Fine Gael members who want the 8th amendment to be repealed.

He'll be addressing an event at Dublin's Smock Alley Theatre, along with Health Minister Simon Harris and campaign co-ordinator, Minister Josepha Madigan.

The Taoiseach began canvassing in his own constituency last night.

"I really think what's incumbent now on all of us who want a Yes vote is to go out there, talk to people and explain to people why a Yes vote is the right thing to do - why we should become a country where we trust women and trust doctors to make the right decisions when it comes to crisis pregnancies and a country in which we don't send women on the boat anymore," he said.

A group of prominent GAA players will today come out in support of a No vote in the referendum.
The Taoiseach has urged Ireland to show some compassion as he launched a bid to overturn some of the strictest abortion rules in Europe.

Leo Varadkar said next month's repeal referendum could represent a coming of age moment when the nation stops cold-shouldering those in crisis.

Ireland has a near-ban on terminations and nine women travel abroad every day for the procedure.

The Taoiseach drew on the experience of rape and child incest victims during a speech in Dublin.

He said: "I am calling for a yes vote because I trust women and I trust doctors and instead of fearing the worst I choose to believe the best about us as a nation.

I believe a yes vote will allow us to look our sisters, our friends and our families in the eye when for far too long we have looked away.

"Now is the time to change and to put compassion at the centre of our laws."

Abortion is currently only available when a mother's life is at risk, but not in cases of fatal foetal abnormality, rape or incest.

Yes to the May 25 referendum would be the latest in a series of social liberalisation measures which has seen divorce and same-sex marriage legalised in Ireland, and Mr Varadkar used past victories for modernisers to characterise those opposed to change as outdated.

He added: "In Ireland in 2018 we still export our problems and import our solutions, and in the Ireland of 2018 we still turn a blind eye and a cold shoulder to our sisters, nieces, daughters, colleagues and friends when in need or when in crisis."

The ballot will be on whether to retain or repeal the Eighth Amendment of the constitution, which means the life of the woman and her unborn child are seen as equal.

Draft legislation to be introduced if the referendum is passed proposes unrestricted abortion access be made available to women who are up to 12 weeks pregnant.

The Taoiseach said the referendum was a once in a generation opportunity.

"In Ireland we spent much of the last few years atoning for historic wrongs that were done to women, but truth be told, we still wrong women today.

The Eighth Amendment does not prevent abortion. Nine women every day travel to other countries to end their pregnancies, often making that journey alone and in secret.

"And three women every day, and the number is growing, order abortion pills over the internet and end their pregnancies at home without medical supervision, counselling, support or advice.

"All the Eighth Amendment does is allow us to sweep it under the carpet, as we did so often on so many issues in the dark days of the past."

Parts of Ireland are becoming increasingly secular, but the Catholic church is among those campaigning for a no vote, those who argue that a baby's life is sacrosanct.

A statement from Save the Eighth campaigners claimed the Taoiseach's position was too extreme, and said he had been unable to unite his governing Fine Gael party around his position.

Mr Varadkar rubbished suggestions reform would see the number of abortions rocket, and claimed those on that side of the argument thought very little of women.

"So, May 25 is a chance for Ireland to change all that and a chance for Ireland to come of age as a nation," he said.

"We should be a country in which we trust women and trust doctors to decide what is right.

"And if this referendum is approved, the Government will introduce a safe, regulated, doctor-led system for the termination of pregnancies in Ireland."

Fine Gael officially launched their Yes campaign at a theatre in Dublin on Saturday.

- PA
Update 4.25pm: Two Dublin hotels have been refused permission to add extra floors to their buildings.

It comes as Failte Ireland predict that a shortage of hotel accommodation in the capital will be eliminated by 2020.

The Morgan Hotel in Temple Bar appealed unsuccessfully over its proposal to add a sixth storey to its building.

An Bord Pleanala ruled that the plan would be "visually prominent in the skyline."

On the other side of the Liffey, The Holiday Inn Express on Upper O'Connell Street was also denied permission.

They wanted to add an extra floor to its seven-storey structure to increase the number of bedrooms by 21.

However, the city council ruled that that development would be out of place with the character of the O'Connell Street area.

Earlier: Two Dublin hotels refused permission to add extra floors

Two Dublin hotels have been refused permission to add extra floors to their buildings.

The Morgan Hotel in Temple Bar appealed unsuccessfully over its proposal to add a sixth storey to its building.

On the other side of the Liffey, The Holiday Inn Express on Upper O'Connell Street was also denied permission.

An Bord Pleanala ruled that both extensions would be out of place with the character of the city.
A woman in her 40s has been rescued by emergency services after falling from cliffs on Dublin's Howth Head.

A Coast Guard Cliff Rescue Team searched an area near Balscadden after the alarm was raised yesterday afternoon.
A stalker broke into Taylor Swift's New York City townhouse and took a nap, police said.

Officers investigating a reported break-in on Friday found 22-year-old Roger Alvarado asleep in the pop star's home in the Tribeca neighbourhood.

Alvarado, of Homestead, Florida, was arrested on charges of stalking, burglary, criminal mischief and trespassing.

He was arrested at the same address on February 13 on charges of breaking the front door with a shovel.

Swift was not home during Friday's break-in.

The multi platinum-selling recording artist has dealt with stalkers on both coasts.

Police said a Colorado man arrested on April 14 outside a Beverly Hills home owned by Swift had a knife, a rope and ammunition.

- Digital desk
Another Best Picture Oscar winner, Kathryn Bigelow also became the first woman to win Best Director. While criticised by some Iraq veterans, The Hurt Locker was intense, intelligent and Jeremy Renners complex portrayal of a bomb disposal soldier was highly praised. Bigelows Zero Dark Thirty, about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, is also worth a look. The Great Escape, 1963 Based on a real life escape from a German POW camp, this film has an all star cast who youre rooting for from the minute they start digging the first tunnel. From Charles Bronson's claustrophobia to Steve McQueens iconic fence jump on the Triumph TR6 Trophy motorbike, The Great Escape is just that. While 55 years old the film still wins over audiences for it "Boy's Own" appeal. Apocalypse Now, 1979

Francis Ford Coppolas epic film is memorable not only for its depiction of the Vietnam experience but just as much for what went wrong while they were shooting the film. From an overweight Marlon Brando, to lead actor Martin Sheen having a breakdown on set, Apocalypse Now pushed the boundaries on and off set. The horror .. the horror just about sums the whole thing up. The Bridge on the River Kwai, 1957 Based loosely on the experience of the prisoners of war who built the Burma Railway, this film won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. Alec Guiness is the British POW commander tasked with getting his men to build the towering bridge, giving them some focus, but hes oblivious to Allied plans to destroy it. The futility of it all evident in the final scenes as Nicholson realises the truth. Everyone whistle now. Gallipoli, 1981

Best include a few Australian films here. Starring Mel Gibson and Mark Lee, Peter Weirs movie provides a faithful portrayal of the lead-up to the battle on April 25. Its a coming of age film, for the soldiers and perhaps our nation. Also worth a look are Breaker Morant, The Odd Angry Shot, The Lighthorsemen and Beneath Hill 60. The Dirty Dozen, 1967 Im a sucker for a good ensemble cast and this was one of my fathers favourite films. Lee Marvin is tasked with bringing together a bunch of rat bags and leading them on a virtual suicide mission against some high-ranking Germans. With great performances from Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland and Charles Bronson, The Dirty Dozen was a commercial success but reviewers were critical of its portrayal of American soldiers who didn't fit the stereotype. Black Hawk Down, 2001
I AM NOT A WITCH 

M, 93 minutes. Australian Centre for the Moving Image, until Monday, May 7.

Beginning with a tourist party stopping at a ramshackle Zambian zoo where those caged are purportedly witches, the debut feature of filmmaker Rungano Nyoni confidently declares itself as a bracing satire of dogma and discrimination, while also serving as a reminder that the illogical perpetually presents itself as the logical. When several minor incidents lead villagers to accuse an eight-year-old newcomer, Shula (terrific newcomer Margaret Mulubwa) of being a witch, the child is forced to accept the claims and is sent to a witch camp, which is at once a government reformatory and a lucrative work detail. Nyoni not only captures the absurdist processes of this world, with men invariably delivering verdicts on the women, she frames it with compositions that capture both the fierce spirit of her protagonist and the ludicrous situation she must make the best of. The white ribbons that are used to tether, and supposedly ground the witches, exemplify the bizarre infrastructure, while suggesting the long history of women being subjugated.

Oscar-winning documentary maker Alex Gibney: his new film No Stone Unturned features in the Irish Film Festival. Credit:Joe Armao

INDONESIAN FILM FESTIVAL

Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Thursday, April 26, to Wednesday, May 2

Shot through with evocative compositions, from menacingly framed interiors to wide-screen landscapes that can never quite contain the anger unleashed, Mouly Surya's sparse revenge tale is both a genre piece given regional specificity and one of the highlights of this year's Indonesian Film Festival. Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (3 stars, 18+, 93 minutes) begins with the widowed Marlina (Marsha Timothy) being visited at her hilltop farmhouse by Markus (Egy Fedly), who matter-of-factly tells her that he and his forthcoming friends plan to pillage her livestock and rape her that night. "Cook us dinner," he adds, emphasising the gendered power gap. But Marlina, who Timothy imbues with resourcefulness but no contrition, defends herself with bloody defiance. Even as Marlina seeks to report what happened  the police are just as uncaring  and is pursued by survivors, there are strands of everyday humour, mordant spirituality, and feminine solidarity as the island of Sumba carries on around her. Surya's film has been labelled a "satay western", but it's more emotionally complex than that as life and death find their own balance. iffaustralia.com
MOVIE: THE IMITATION GAME

***1/2

9.20pm, 9Go!

Apart from the occasional spot of speechifying, The Imitation Game does a splendid job of taking a very dry, very complicated subject (advanced mathematics, or, more specifically, one man's abilities therewith) and turns it into a cracking thriller. Benedict Cumberbatch is terrific as genius code-breaker Alan Turing  a more pared-back version of his Sherlock Holmes  and the scenes at Bletchley Park are both entertaining and gripping, even though we all know how this story ends.

Dinosaur v Whale.

DINOSAUR V WHALE

***1/2

7.30pm, SBS

No, not like Alien v Predator. Instead the thoroughly engaging story of the decision by London's Natural History Museum to replace their iconic central display  Dippy the Dinosaur  with the skeleton of a blue whale, held in storage for decades. Packed with information about everything from construction and conservation to the animal itself, the enthusiasm of the hordes of experts is infectious and the task awe-inspiring. David Attenborough provides a typically passionate, intelligent and humorous narration.
5am I go straight to my coffee machine, followed by a beach walk.

6am I blend up a smoothie with whatever is in my fruit bowl, plus some added greens and vitamin C powder.

7.30am At work, I snack on a bowl of paleo muesli and have another coffee while preparing myself for my day ahead. Noon With a busy work load, Uber Eats is my daily saviour. Today I opt for a "Green Goodness Bowl" with quinoa, green vegies and a boiled egg on top.

3.15pm Having landed back in Australia only a few days ago after spending 10 days studying at Harvard Business School in Boston, the jet lag is still going strong. I have one more coffee to see me through.

7.30pm I finally arrive home for dinner with my partner and children. I have a piece of grilled white fish with lemon, a beetroot salad and a glass of wine.

Dr Jo McMillan says:
ACT Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris has called for an investigation into workplace practices at Calvary Hospital, following allegations of systemic bullying and harassment.

The calls come following an investigation by The Sunday Canberra Times that revealed allegations of a toxic culture for hospital employees, with bullying rampant across multiple departments.

Calvary public hospital. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Both former and current staff at the hospital said those who raised concerns about bullying would often have the investigation turn on themselves, with false allegations of improper workplace conduct made up about them as part of a smear campaign.
We then flocculate the water which involves agitating the water and causing the "flocs" to float to the top in a sludgy froth. Depending on the source water quality, we will also dissolve air in the water to cause more suspended matter such as oil or solids to float to the surface. These solids are filtered through anthracite coal and sand.

This process includes a pre-treatment of alum and a polymer coagulant to encourage solid particles in the water that could host viruses and bacteria to group together as larger particles, making it easier to remove them.

Canberra is fortunate to have good water resources and great quality drinking water. The majority of our drinking water is sourced from protected catchments. It is filtered and disinfected at treatment plants. Icon Water's drop won the Water Industry Operations Association NSW and ACT Water Taste Test just last year.

For any nasties that have made it through, we disinfect using ultraviolet. To ensure your water remains clean on the way to your house we add chlorine and ensue the pH levels are balanced with lime and carbon dioxide.

The work continues all the way to your tap. When drinking water leaves a treatment plant on its way to your house, it must meet strict government requirements for quality. We test all around Canberra to ensure we're meeting these requirements.

Water from different areas can have different tastes and odours due to many factors including: the location the water is sourced from, the substances being treated, the treatment processes used and the age of pipes used to transport the water to your property. Taste and odour of drinking water is typically a personal preference based on what an individual is used to drinking. Do you need a filter? We believe that most customers do not need a domestic water filter because of the high standard of drinking water in the ACT.

In many cases, individual filters do little to improve household water supply. It may be claimed that water filters remove substances that are not even present in tap water.

However, for customers with special health requirements and in certain industrial applications, purpose-built water filters may be necessary. It is important in these instances that the filter is properly maintained.
Jacqui Brooker has spent months hiking mountains in and around Canberra to get ready to trek Kokoda, but that feat is nothing compared to her 12-year struggle with anorexia.

Now aged 30, Ms Brooker was just a teenager when she dropped half of her body weight while studying at university. She saw a GP who suggested she move back to Canberra to be closer to family, and to seek help.

Former anorexia sufferer Jacqui Brooker, pictured at the Jerrabomberra Wetlands, is preparing to trek Kokoda to raise awareness of eating disorders. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

In Canberra, a different GP told her to eat "a couple of buckets of chips and have a couple of beers" to put on weight.
As Canberra's greyhound racing industry prepares for its last meet next weekend, a program is under way helping those in the community transition into other professions.

Run by Woden Community Service, the Greyhound Transition Program involves offering support packages for people moving away from greyhound racing.

Canberra Greyhound club will hold its last race at Symonston on April 29. Credit:Melissa Adams

Among the support packages are short-term financial aid, free counselling and opportunities to retrain into a different industry.

The program also provides opportunities to rehome greyhounds.
The purchase of asbestos-contaminated homes and their removal was made possible after the ACT government received a $1 billion loan from the Commonwealth. The sale of remediated blocks is set to offset that cost but even considering that, the territory is expected to be in the red by at least $400 million. The resale price for the remediated block is determined by the Suburban Land Agency "based on independent market valuations". 62 Hawker Street, site of a former Mr Fluffy home, is selling for $1.025 million in Torrens. While a resident who very reluctantly sold their asbestos-affected home in Hawker Street remains completely shellshocked by the whole experience (and more on that later), those who remain in the street say they are keeping positive about its rejuvenation. Genoveva Fletcher, a nurse, has lived in the sunny street winding up towards Mount Taylor with her husband Charles and their two daughters for a decade. Their home has cleared Mr Fluffy blocks beside it and across the road.

"The clearing of the blocks went really well," she said. "What we're worried about is the rebuilding. That could be a nightmare." Mrs Fletcher said the cleared corner block beside her home could become a dual occupancy. They didn't have an issue without that, other than the height. "We're worried we might lose our sun and [view from] the deck,'' she said. But Mrs Fletcher said she was not concerned about the changing nature of the street.

"No, I don't think so. Who knows? It might turn out to be a good thing,'' she said. 50 Hawker Street, Torrens, with Mount Taylor in the background, was sold for $1 million. Mrs Fletcher was not surprised the blocks had such high price tags considering the location. The other blocks are in the high $700,000s and $800,000s. "It's close to everything and it's close to a very good shopping centre at Mawson,'' she said. "I love to walk and walk on Mount Taylor all the time. It's close to all the hospitals. It's just very convenient.''

Another Hawker Street resident, who did not wish to be named, said he was also positive about the new homes to be built on the street, where he has lived for more than 30 years, buying his house then for $150,000. Hawker Street in Torrens has nine Mr Fluffy blocks, the most of any street in Canberra. "Personally, I don't mind. It refreshes the area a bit," he said. "They are big blocks so a dual occupancy wouldn't be a problem. It'll just bring more young people in, I think." Another Hawker Street resident, who also did not want to be named, had lived on the street for almost 50 years. She was planning to put her home on the market to move into a retirement home.

She said people looking at the blocks "all wanted to talk about dual occupancies, because that's where the money is". Colliers International ACT won the $654,500 asbestos taskforce contract to sell the 400 former Mr Fluffy suburban blocks for the government. Colliers residential manager Josh Reid said the blocks were sought-after because they were in established areas. "It's obviously a fantastic opportunity for people to build their dream home in an area where they would otherwise not get that opportunity," he said. A former Hawker Street resident said he and his family reluctantly sold their large Mr Fluffy home for $1 million because they were at an age where rebuilding would have been unaffordable. They could not get any comparable home in the area "for under $1.5 million" so had been forced to other, outer suburbs in a smaller house.
"When you've got books, you've got hope. When times are bad, they're what you need because they're there whenever you need them."

Acclaimed Australian author Jackie French was in the process of giving away lots of hope on Saturday, donating more than 200 books to Tathra residents who lost their homes in devastating bushfires last month.

Australian author Jackie French is donating 200 books to a book drive for homes damaged by recent bushfires in Tathra. Credit:Dion Georgopoulos

Mrs French was in Canberra over the weekend and is one of many authors who have donated new books to the Book Love for Tathra drive organised by author Melissa Pouliot.

While the south coast town is in the process of rebuilding, Mrs French said the donated books would be a lifeline to many in the community.
The man accused of shooting dead 24-year-old Jacob Bell inside a unit north of Brisbane during the early hours of Friday has faced court and been remanded in custody.

Meanwhile, friends of the victim have paid tribute on social media after Mr Bell succumbed to a gunshot wound to his chest sustained inside a Petrie unit.

Jacob Bell died after being rushed to hospital in a critical condition. Credit:Facebook

The man accused of the crime, 21-year-old Luke Cunningham from Nundah, was arrested and charged with murder and burglary overnight after spending a day on-the-run.

He appeared in the Brisbane Arrest Court at Roma Street on Saturday morning where the case was adjourned until June 11 to be heard in Brisbane Magistrates Court.
A man aged in his 50s has died after a backyard explosion north of Brisbane on Friday evening.

A Queensland Police Service spokesman described the incident as an "industrial accident" after emergency services were called to the residence on Warner Road in Warner just after 5.30pm.

The man was "trying to separate hydrogen from water" when the explosion occurred, police said.

Paramedics, fire crews and police attended the scene but there was little they could do, with the man being declared dead at the scene.

A crime scene was not declared because the death was being treated as non-suspicious.
Two Taiwanese men face life imprisonment after they allegedly tried to hide 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in body-worn braces as they arrived at Brisbane Airport.

The two accused flew into Brisbane on separate flights on Thursday and Australian Border Force said officers noticed both were wearing braces strapped to their bodies.

ABF officers intercepted the 20-year-old man first and discovered he was travelling with a teenager on a later flight. Credit:AAP

It will be alleged authorities discovered a crystal substance was hidden within the braces and it returned a positive test result for methamphetamine.

Both men, aged 19 and 20, were arrested and charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug.
We tend to think of history as cast in stone  as solid as the plinths holding up the statues and monuments that dot our landscape like punctuation marks. The past often appears as a series of immutable facts that only need to be restated  and the monuments to be revisited  for them to be understood in much the same way as they were in the days that followed the events themselves.

So too with memory. The events we have lived through appear like news footage to be recalled from the archives, dusted off and replayed whenever the moment demands it, exactly as it happened on the day it was recorded.

By the end of the First World War, General John Monash was one of the most popular figures in Australia. Credit:Eddie Jim

And yet if there is one thing I have learned over 30 years as a reporter interrogating both history and memory, it is that they are infuriatingly slippery things, shot through with myth, legend and politics that conspire against getting to the truth of the matter.

Thats how it was with our documentary on Sir John Monash for the ABC. The aim was never to rewrite history, but to get a deeper understanding of a man who seems to have flattened into a paper-thin figure on a bank note. But just as importantly, we wanted to understand what Monashs story tells us about who we are today; about how we see ourselves as a nation, and about how we memorialise and understand war.
From meteors streaking across Russian skies to chainsaw road rage in Sydney, dash-cam video has been raising eyebrows in recent years. Meanwhile, between capturing countless hours of extremely mundane video, they occasionally fulfil their primary function: providing evidence for legal and insurance purposes in the case of collision.

While dash cams are illegal in some countries because of privacy concerns, it's all systems go here (except recording private activities without consent). Their increasing popularity is apparent with the March arrival of Australia's first car with factory-fitted dash cam, Citroen's C3 hatchback.

Uniden's iGO CAM 60: wide-angle.

I tested Uniden's iGO CAM 60 and Garmin's 65W. Common features that make incident video genuinely useful include: relatively high resolution; wide-angle lenses; time stamping; and GPS geotagging. Both can also automatically save video if the vehicle swerves or collides; record if the parked vehicle is bumped; and loop record so new video replaces old when the SD card is full.

Driver-assist features include warnings for speeding, frontal collision and lane departure. The latter didn't function well when testing the Uniden. This may have been due to it not being optimally positioned, which is challenging given optimal driver viewing is also important, and the mount's sticker only works once.
The US Attorneys Office of the District of Columbia initially charged 194 people arrested en masse at the inauguration. After a jury found the first six defendants not guilty, prosecutors dropped charges against 129, to focus on a core group of 59 demonstrators, alleging that they participated in the destruction of property, were among the protests organisers, or engaged in black bloc tactics - dressing in black and wearing masks - to conceal their identities. We always saw this as an untenable charge, abhorrent to US and international standards, says Amnesty International researcher Justin Mazzola. It really is a test case, a bellwether case, to see what happens with the other 59, because without direct evidence of criminal responsibility you could be potentially sentencing innocent individuals who are just expressing their thoughts." Elizabeth Lagesse and her fiance Michael Webermann are among the protesters still facing charges. They had just arrived from Baltimore when they were kettled by police and confined on the street, on a freezing January day, for 10 hours, together with around 200 others. They wore dark clothes, not black, and carried pink outfits in their backpacks for the womens march the next day. The Womens March in Washington, January 21, 2017. Credit:New York Times Lagesse is a postgraduate science student from a family of Trump-supporting Republicans. They dont agree with me, but theyre also completely flabbergasted by this whole thing, she says.

Webermann is an environmental activist and founder of Better Eating International, an NGO promoting veganism. They deny organising the protests, and consider themselves anti-capitalists but hardly hardcore anarchists. Prosecutors do not claim they destroyed any property. In theory, police responding to protests in Washington DC are constrained by the First Amendment Rights and Police Standards Act, which requires them to give demonstrators three warnings to disperse before arresting them for unlawful assembly. Officials have admitted that on inauguration day, officers did not abide by the acts provisions. Webermann says: Im not a conspiratorial or paranoid person, but the fact that they threw those protocols out of the window the day Donald Trump became President, and that theyre ridiculously over-charging people, and pursuing them  I think theres no way to read it other than this is a chilling effect, to say you protest in DC, dont expect it to go so well'. Michael Webermann and Elizabeth Lagesse, first and second from right, join Scott Michelman of the ACLU, far left, to hand in a petition urging the US Attorney's office to drop charges against the accused in the J20 case. Lagesse is one of six plaintiffs in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union that alleges police unlawfully arrested protesters, doused them with pepper spray, used excessive force including flash-bang grenades, concussion grenades and tear gas, and needlessly held them captive all day without providing food, water or toilet breaks.

She suspects one reason she still faces criminal charges is that if she is found guilty, it would make it easier for police to beat the civil suit. Police were using pepper spray, at times indiscriminately, and on people who posed no public safety threat and who were not disobeying any orders, says Scott Michelman, senior staff attorney at the ACLUs DC office, including a whole group of people who were outside the area where they had detained protesters, all of whom were doing nothing more than shouting let them go!. In body camera footage played in court at the first criminal trial, one officer at the inauguration protests tells his captain that police have been extremely wild with the spray. A protester receives help washing pepper spray out of his eyes on the night of US President Donald Trumps inauguration. Credit:New York Times I think the prosecutions are intended to do more than rewrite the rules of engagement with police, Michelman says. I think they are intended to chill political protest, by sending the message that if anyone in your area, dressed like you are, or with your views, breaks the law, you could be on the hook for it. Its designed to make people think twice before coming out to protest.

The bills being introduced in Republican-controlled state legislatures apparently share this intent. In Arizona, for instance, a protester convicted of unlawful assembly, usually a misdemeanour punishable by a fine, would face felony charges carrying jail time if he or she wore a mask at the demonstration. In Kentucky, under a proposed law, drivers hitting a protester blocking traffic could be exempted from criminal or civil liability for their injuries. Police face off against protesters occupying a bridge north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota in October 2016. Credit:New York Times In Wisconsin, anyone taking part in a public disturbance of three or more people could be charged with participation in a riot, punishable by up to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

In Minnesota, protesters convicted of unlawful assembly could be held liable for the entire cost of policing the march. Eight states have introduced critical infrastructure bills, drastically increasing penalties for trespassing near oil and gas pipelines, in an attempt to hinder environmental protests such as those at Standing Rock, where the Dakota Access pipeline passes through ground that is sacred to Native Americans. Few of these bills have been written into law yet: some have been defeated, rewritten and reintroduced and others are pending. US President Donald Trump speaks at his inauguration on January 20, 2017. Credit:New York Times Were not encouraging anyone to be optimistic, because too many are getting through, says Yoder. Its going to have a chilling effect in such a way thats not even noticeable, in that people who might want to protest are never going to if they feel like its going to be scary, or theres going to be repercussions. Considering going to a protest when you could get swept up in a crowd and receive a felony conviction is a terrifying prospect.

Lagesse and Webermann got engaged nine days before the inauguration, exchanging gifts in the Baltimore cocktail bar where they had their first date: a ring for her and a watch for him. They have since had to move to Washington DC, to be close to the court, and have put off their marriage indefinitely, partly because they dont have the energy or the money to host a party at the moment, and partly because they feel disconnected from all the friends who cant relate to the trauma of facing years in prison. Elizabeth Lagesse and Michael Webermann at a fundraiser for an animal rights group. Last June, prosecutors offered them a deal: plead guilty to engaging in a riot, a misdemeanour, and the more serious charge of inciting a riot would go away. The catch was it had to be both of them, and while Elizabeth was promised no prison time, Michael was not. Im glad I didnt accept it. I think the reason is Im stubborn, and when something grazes at my righteous indignation I dont give in very easily, and this is so incredibly unjust, Lagesse says. Theyre hoping to make an example out of us.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says North Korea will discontinue tests of nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles.

North Korea will discontinue tests of its nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles, the countrys leader Kim Jong Un said Friday, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The decision took effect on Saturday, April 21, according to the statement.

Progress being made for all! U.S. President Donald Trump said of North Koreas move in a tweet Saturday.

The countrys northern nuclear test site will be dismantled to provide a guarantee that the nuclear tests have ended, Kim said at a plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers Party of Korea (WPK) in the capital city of Pyongyang, according to the KCNA report.

North Korea will never use nuclear weapons or transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threats or provocations against the country, KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

The testing of nuclear weapons, intermediate-range missiles and inter-continental ballistic missiles is no longer necessary for North Korea, given that the countrys ability to mount nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles was verified as part of the nuclear weapon development program, Kim explained.

Accomplishing the buildup of the states nuclear arsenal in less than five years proves the success of the WPKs decision to push forward simultaneously with both economic construction and the buildup of the nuclear force, Kim said.

In the future, the country will concentrate all its efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving the peoples standard of living by mobilizing all human and material resources in the country, he added.

North Korea will facilitate close contacts and active dialogues with neighboring countries and the international community to promote peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the world, Kim said.

China welcomed North Koreas decision to end testing and said it hopes North Korea can resolve other countries concerns through dialogue, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement on Saturday.

Kim visited China in late March, his first since he came into power, and is due to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27 to conduct the first bilateral peace talks since 2007.

Contact reporter Lin Jinbing (jinbinglin@caixin.com)
State Bank of India has released an employment notification calling out for aspirants to apply for the post of Probationary Officer. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 42020. The last date to apply for the government job is May 13, 2018.

Bank Of Baroda Recruitment 2018 For 424 Vacancies

State Bank Of India Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details

CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Post Probationary Officer Organisation State Bank of India Number Of Vacancies 2000 Educational Qualification Graduate in any discipline Age Limit 21 to 30 years Skills Required Banking skills Salary Scale INR 23700 to INR 42020 Job Location India Industry Banking Experience Freshers can apply Application Start Date Apr 21, 2018 Application End Date May 13, 2018

Also Read: Bank Of India Recruitment 2018 For Officers

How To Apply For SBI Recruitment 2018

In order to apply for SBI Recruitment 2018, follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on the detailed advertisement link for SBI PO. Read the details on the PDF file carefully.

Step 2: Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link that reads, Apply Now.

Step 3: You will be directed to the IBPS page.

Step 4: Click on the button that reads, Click here for New Registration.

Step 5: A pop-up screen with important points to be noted will be displayed on the screen. Read them carefully and click Continue.

Step 6: Fill your details in the fields provided on the registration form.

Step 7: Enter the captcha code.

Step 8: Click Save & Next button and follow the subsequent pages.
Photo: YouTube

Police are asking business owners in southwestern Ontario to evaluate the benefits of having an ATM following numerous thefts of the machines from gas stations, restaurants and convenience stores.

Thieves have targeted 58 businesses in the Brant, Waterloo, Hamilton, Owen Sound and Niagara areas since January 2017, Ontario Provincial Police said Friday.

The thieves usually hit sometime between midnight and 5 a.m., ramming a stolen vehicle  usually a pickup truck or SUV  through the front entrance or windows of the building, wrapping a chain around the ATM and ripping it from the business, police said.

"These guys are driving these trucks right into these businesses, right through the windows  plate glass windows and doors  and it's not hard to break glass with a truck," said OPP Sgt. Dave Rektor.

"Everybody has these machines with lots of money in them and they're easy targets for thieves," Rektor said.

Damage to a single building ranges from $20,000 to $250,000 and in some cases has left it structurally unsound, OPP said.

The loss of the ATM averages about $10,000, plus repair costs and loss of revenue while the store is closed, police said, while the average profit from an ATM is approximately 20 cents for every $20 dispensed.

OPP are encouraging business owners with an ATM to report any suspicious activity.

"It's hit and miss, there's no predictor of where they're going to hit next," Rektor said.

But police aren't telling business owners not to have ATMs and are providing them with information to help prevent thefts, he said.

"We're just saying you're going to need to be a lot more vigilant and expect trouble on your doorstep if you do have them," Rektor said.

Police also are asking owners of pickup trucks and SUVs to ensure their vehicles are locked at all times and the keys aren't left inside.

"A lot of the pickup trucks that we're dealing with (in the ATM thefts) are stolen, keys left in them, and it's just a big recipe for disaster," Rektor said.
Photo: Twitter

An Afghan official says that at least six local police were killed when a group of Taliban fighters attacked and overran their checkpoint in northern Sari Pul province.

Zabi Amani, spokesman for the provincial governor, said Saturday two other policemen were wounded in the late Friday night attack.

Amani said reinforcements arrived and a sporadic gun battle is still underway in Sayad district. He added that three Taliban fighters were killed and two others were wounded in the battle.

Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban have increased their attacks in the province of late. Last week, Taliban killed 11 Afghan paramilitary forces in Sari Pul.
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Not just the Rothchilds, NWO Globalist readhistory

lop guest

User ID: kaput

04-21-2018 02:47 AM











Post: #1 Not just the Rothchilds, NWO Globalist

Advertisement



Look up the 13 families



Look up the Black Nobility (Vatican) families, Austrian Nobility, British Royalty, they are all working together at the top



The Roman Emperor

look at coats of arms, knighthoods ect, these families still exist and hold the majority of land and wealth globally, its old money

They are your overlords



Did you know the British Royal Family is German?



Please research who created globalist organizations like the EU, NATO, IMF, World Bank, UN



They create WORLD WARS, their banks in Switzerland funded both sides of the wars. Sabotage all politics, trade, business, control heads of state and all intelligence agencies directors.



They use wars to thin competition "Serfs" for cannon fodder, they do so to get people to want global organizations like the UN



They create tax collector organizations and form heavy taxation like income tax so you cannot gain wealth



The Kings Tax



They run all big governments and hate small government, because it less control with their chain of command



The world is a stage and they are fooling you with all the politicians that are actors. If any politicians with power that goes against them they will kill them like JFK.



Many of your politicians and billionaire business owners take titles of nobility from them like Bill Gates, they are Knighted with Sir, etc



All laws stems from Roman Law, Maritime international law, many lawyers and judges take title of nobility



The police and military ware their symbols and / or colors to represent control by them.



You only make money if you are with them, they will destroy your small business if you are not part of them.



They run the market makers firms that control stock prices and are the largest shareholders of Blackrock - the largest investment fund. They also control all member banks of the Federal Reserve and global banks too...From Austria, Germany, England, France, Spain, Luxembourg etc



They use knighthoods and secret societies like Freemasonry, Knights of Malta etc to control politicians and business owners



The founding fathers of America fought against the King of England and the Roman Emperor at the time of the Revolutionary War



They never wanted a strong centralized Federated government like Washington D.C., because they knew it would be corrupt and controlled by these international banking families again.

They wanted power held in local communities and states

They wanted separation of church and state because they knew the Roman Emperors, Popes ect would use religion to gain control of power in the country

Unfortunately the Catholic Church and Romans Emperor gained control via Georgetown University and setup Washington D.C. as their obelisk monument points to their control over the people again

They wanted taxation with consent of the people, voluntary taxation with representation not a pay up tax system or we take your property or threat of imprisonment via force, debtor jails ect...Only a King, Tyrant, Mafia, or Overlord etc would threaten harm upon any individual or you for your hard earned income

This is consider servitude and slavery by the State, Tyrant



The Sons of Liberty and founding fathers in Boston, Philadelphia etc fought to create the Constitutions because they knew these tyrant royalty and nobility banking families would try to gain control again to create their NWO Oligarchy, Roman Empire over the people again

to enslave the serfs globally



Only a Tyrant, King, Royalty would threaten to take away your free speech and the right to defend yourself with the right to bare and keep arms



A speech zone is this, or any law established to take any form of arms from any person



Remember to teach others and share knowledge and vote them out of power when ever you have the opportunity



They create all forms of oppressive political parties, idealism, and prefer heavy collectivism to divide and conquer the people, get the masses to fight each other and not focus on them at the top..they will call it fascism, socialism, communism, liberalism to divide and conquer you



They love to have the monopoly on violence within government and law enforcement.



They hate a united populace, unions ect



they will bribe politicians, create false flags, use order out of chaos, spread disinformation, do whatever they have to control the masses and opposition



They hate libertarian ideas, personal liberty, the individual rights, etc



Stop being a part of their oppression, if they try to bribe you, take the money and run

;) You people really need to study History to understand the royalty and nobility families that rule over you globally via the Switzerland banking cartelLook up the 13 familiesLook up the Black Nobility (Vatican) families, Austrian Nobility, British Royalty, they are all working together at the topThe Roman Emperorlook at coats of arms, knighthoods ect, these families still exist and hold the majority of land and wealth globally, its old moneyThey are your overlordsDid you know the British Royal Family is German?Please research who created globalist organizations like the EU, NATO, IMF, World Bank, UNThey create WORLD WARS, their banks in Switzerland funded both sides of the wars. Sabotage all politics, trade, business, control heads of state and all intelligence agencies directors.They use wars to thin competition "Serfs" for cannon fodder, they do so to get people to want global organizations like the UNThey create tax collector organizations and form heavy taxation like income tax so you cannot gain wealthThe Kings TaxThey run all big governments and hate small government, because it less control with their chain of commandThe world is a stage and they are fooling you with all the politicians that are actors. If any politicians with power that goes against them they will kill them like JFK.Many of your politicians and billionaire business owners take titles of nobility from them like Bill Gates, they are Knighted with Sir, etcAll laws stems from Roman Law, Maritime international law, many lawyers and judges take title of nobilityThe police and military ware their symbols and / or colors to represent control by them.You only make money if you are with them, they will destroy your small business if you are not part of them.They run the market makers firms that control stock prices and are the largest shareholders of Blackrock - the largest investment fund. They also control all member banks of the Federal Reserve and global banks too...From Austria, Germany, England, France, Spain, Luxembourg etcThe founding fathers of America fought against the King of England and the Roman Emperor at the time of the Revolutionary Warbecause they knew it would be corrupt and controlled by these international banking families again.because they knew the Roman Emperors, Popes ect would use religion to gain control of power in the countryUnfortunately the Catholic Church and Romans Emperor gained control via Georgetown University and setup Washington D.C. as their obelisk monument points to their control over the people againnot a pay up tax system or we take your property or threat of imprisonment via force, debtor jails ect...Only a King, Tyrant, Mafia, or Overlord etc would threaten harm upon any individual or you for your hard earned incomeThis is consider servitude and slavery by the State, TyrantThe Sons of Liberty and founding fathers in Boston, Philadelphia etc fought to create the Constitutions because they knew these tyrant royalty and nobility banking families would try to gain control again to create their NWO Oligarchy, Roman Empire over the people againto enslave the serfs globallyOnly a Tyrant, King, Royalty would threaten to take away your free speech and the right to defend yourself with the right to bare and keep armsA speech zone is this, or any law established to take any form of arms from any personRemember to teach others and share knowledge and vote them out of power when ever you have the opportunityThey create all forms of oppressive political parties, idealism, and prefer heavy collectivism to divide and conquer the people, get the masses to fight each other and not focus on them at the top..they will call it fascism, socialism, communism, liberalism to divide and conquer youThey love to have the monopoly on violence within government and law enforcement.They hate a united populace, unions ectthey will bribe politicians, create false flags, use order out of chaos, spread disinformation, do whatever they have to control the masses and oppositionThey hate libertarian ideas, personal liberty, the individual rights, etcStop being a part of their oppression, if they try to bribe you, take the money and run;)
















Franklin Graham Responds to Wheaton Meeting on Evangelicalism: 'We Shouldn't Get Sidetracked' 20 April, 2018 by Samuel Smith/CP , |

Days after some 50 evangelical leaders gathered at Wheaton College in Illinois to discuss the state of evangelicalism in the Trump era, prominent evangelist Franklin Graham decided to weigh in on "what is evangelical?"

As the meeting, which took place Monday and Tuesday, did not include Graham or several other conservative evangelical leaders who have engaged with the Trump administration, Graham took to his Facebook page to say:

"Recently some people have had discussions about the state of evangelicalism today, almost referring to it as a politically-related term. I can't speak for others, and I'm certainly not a spokesperson for any kind of evangelical movement, but I can tell you what I believe.

"I believe in God. I believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. And I believe in the Holy Spirit," Graham said. "I believe my God is three-in-one. I believe that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to this earth to take our sins. That He died on a cross and shed His blood for all the sins of mankind. I believe He took our sins to the grave, and I believe in the resurrection. God raised Him to life on the third day, and I believe He is coming again. This is God's Gospel."

Graham, who is president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, explained that Jesus commanded His followers to "go into all the world and proclaim the gospel."

"I believe without Christ, a soul will be lost, condemned to hell for all eternity. This should motivate all of us to share the Good News of God's love to a sick, dying, and compromising world," he stressed. "I am called and committed to preaching this message as long as I have breath or until the Lord returns."

While many today who don't know the true definition of evangelical increasingly view the term in a political context, Graham reminded Facebook users that the word's connotation is completely based on a theological meaning.

"Evangelism is simply reaching the lost with this message," he argued.

"We should be concerned about how we can reach more, and not get sidetracked.

Read more about evangelicalism on The Christian Post.
Authorities have closed more than 7,000 churches across Rwanda, including 714 in the capital city of Kigali, in the span of two months for failing to comply with health, safety, and noise regulations.

Underscoring the seriousness of the campaign, a lightning strike killed 16 worshipers and injured 140 at a Seventh-day Adventist church that had not installed a mandated lightning rod.

Lawmakers are now debating new regulations in an attempt to prevent fraudulent behavior among the East African nations mushrooming churches.

President Paul Kagame welcomed the shutdowns but was stunned at the scale: 700 churches in Kigali? he said during a government dialogue in March. Are these boreholes that give people water? I dont think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories? This has been a mess!

Kagame said his country doesnt need so many houses of worship, explaining that such a high number is only fit for bigger, more developed economies that have the means to sustain them.

Many church leaders disagree, and six Pentecostal pastors were arrested for organizing protests. Rwandan authorities maintain the churches were in such poor physical condition that they threatened the lives of churchgoers.

The majority are small Pentecostal gatherings. Many are shepherded by charismatic preachers who draw followers with promises of signs and wonders. Often, such churches meet in houses, tents, or crude structures that lack adequate water systems. They often blast sermons down streets through megaphones and loudspeakers.

The existing law on civil society organizations permits Rwandans to open churches and register after a period of months and doesnt require pastors to go through ...

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In 2020, we were the church on our heels. A global pandemic shut down much of our world. But the church has been on the move since it was birthed; it will continue to be on the move until God makes all things new.
Last night, Willow Creek Community Church made a promise to its members following the early departure of its founder and senior pastor, Bill Hybels.

Even though Bill is no longer in his role, our work to resolve any shadow of doubt in the trustworthiness of [Willow] is not done, the churchs board of elders told members in a Friday evening letter. With the benefit of hindsight, we see several aspects of our past work that we would have handled differently, and we have identified several areas of learning.

Last week, Hybels retired six months early after 40 years as leader of Willow Creek, calling recent allegations against him a distraction for the megachurch and its ministries. Hybels denied any wrongdoing. He did admit regretting that he first responded to the allegations with anger.

Yesterday, the elders similarly expressed regret in the way the church handled the allegations.

We have at times communicated without a posture of deep listening and ...

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So, the New Yorker thinks Chick-fil-A doesn't belong in New York and a U.S. Senator thinks Mike Pompeo doesn't belong as the Secretary of State.

Anyone nominated to be the Secretary of State for the United States of America should expect tough, serious questions in the confirmation hearings. After all, this person is in charge of implementing the nation's foreign policy. They'll represent our nation to the rest of the world, lead sensitive and tense negotiations, and manage a $40 billion budget. The peace of the world is at stake.

But the question New Jersey Senator Cory Booker asked Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo last week was, "Do you believe that gay sex is a perversion?"

Thankfully, Mr. Pompeo, an evangelical Christian, kept his cool and stood his ground.

Here's how it went:

Senator Booker: "Is being gay a perversion?"

Pompeo: "When I was a politician I had a very clear view on whether it was appropriate for two same-sex persons to marry. I stand by that.

Booker: So you do not believe it's appropriate for two gay people to marry?

Pompeo: I continue to hold that view.

Booker then expressed concern for married gay State Department employees, to which Pompeo replied, "I believe we have married gay couples at the CIA. I treated them with the exact same set of rights."

Then Booker asked: "Do you believe that gay sex is a perversion?"

Well, there you have it. Politics as farce.

I think Mr. Pompeo did well in his response. He was respectful and tried to keep the hearing focused on, you know, how he'd manage the nation's foreign policy.

Some friends and I talked about how we might have answered differently. I might have asked the Senator from New Jersey whether he thought Barack Obama was qualified to be the first African American President in 2008, since he then stated publicly that marriage should be between one man and one woman.

Or I might have simply replied, "Are there any other sex acts you'd like to discuss in relation to foreign policy, because if so, I don't seem to be as educated on them as you are."

Ironically enough, Senator Booker also grilled Pompeo about his attitude toward Muslims, because after all, as Secretary of State he would be "dealing with Muslim states on Muslim issues." As one of my friends pointed out, has Senator Booker read up on Muslim teaching about homosexuality and how Muslim nations treat homosexuals? Does the good Senator see any tension there?

We've talked for years on BreakPoint about how the freedom of religion, the right to order our public lives according to our deeply held beliefs, is being reduced to freedom of worship, the idea that you can only hold such beliefs in the confines of your home, house of worship, or your own head. Apparently for Senator Booker, even that isn't good enough.

In an inquisition reminiscent of the grilling Bernie Sanders and Diane Feinstein gave to a Catholic judge last year, Senator Booker this year essentially said that believing historic Christian teaching on sexuality makes one unfit for public office in the United States. Of course, that would make about half the country unqualified.

Senator Booker's Facebook announcement that he would vote against Pompeo for these beliefs came the same day that a New Yorker article claimed Chick-fil-A was "creepy" and unfit for New York City because of the Christian origins of that company.

Senators like Cory Booker demand respect in these sorts of hearings, a respect that on this occasion he did not deserve. His laser-like focus on gay sex was beneath the dignity of the Senate and beneath the dignity of the occasion. It was indeed a farce.

Originally posted at Breakpoint.
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In a 1960 interview on Meet the Press, Martin Luther King, Jr. famously observed, "It is one of the tragedies of our nation, one of the shameful tragedies, that 11 o'clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours if not the most segregated hour in Christian America." While King was talking about race, today the same point might be made about music as churches increasingly segregate into "traditional" and "contemporary" services, with each offering a music and worship style that is tailored to a particular constituency.

This tendency to segregate congregations into various special interest factions, each with its own music and worship style, represents a sort of uneasy detente, an attempt to restore peace to congregations that have been divided by the so-called worship wars. Hymns vs. choruses; drums vs. organ; emotion vs. reverence. Now we don't need to choose sides and we don't need to seek a way to find a deeper unity: everyone can have the service thatthey like.

But that kind of resolution comes at a significant cost. To begin with, segregation seeks detente by sacrificing the diversity that is to characterize the church (1 Cor. 12:4-6). More fundamentally, it feeds into a consumer mentality that church exists to meet my needs rather than to equip me to meet the needs of others. This attitude was perfectly captured by a friend of mine who once said he'd stopped going to a particular church because he "didn't get anything out of the worship." But worship is about giving, not getting.

So if segregating the congregation into special-interest services isn't the answer, how might we begin to change attitudes on the nature of church and worship? In the remainder of this article, I'd like to suggest one approach that draws on what psychologists call the contrast effect. A contrast effect involves strengthening or weakening a perception by juxtaposing it with a contrasting state of affairs. For example, the first warm spring day after a long winter is unforgettable, precisely because it is contrasted with the spell of long bleak cold weather you just endured. That's the contrast effect at work.

With that in mind, I would like to suggest a contrast that would put our current worship wars into proper perspective. While I recognize that many people believe the worship wars are a great reason to argue with and divide from one another, I think our attitudes might change if we contrasted our current battles with the kinds of divisions that other churches face, and which they seek to overcome. With that in mind, allow me to present two contrasting Sunday mornings at 11 o'clock.

11 o'clock at a church in North America

Our first church is one of those typical North American congregations which has been divided by way of musical and worship styles. We join the service in progress:

As everybody rose to sing, Al stayed seated in the pew, arms crossed defiantly. He never stood during the choruses: driving drums, distorted guitar and vacuous lyrics. "They make it sound like Jesus is my boyfriend," he muttered darkly. "Everything sounds like it came straight off secular radio."

Al scanned the sanctuary. Granted, a number of new young families had started coming to church in recent months. But that seemed to be all this foolish young "worship" pastor cared about: "New, young families." Al made eye contact with Fred across the aisle. Fred was standing, arms crossed, with a scowl that could make paint peel. "I'll have to speak with Fred after church," Al thought. "We need to take action. It's time to get rid of that twit up there with his 'Jesus boyfriend choruses'."

11 o'clock at a church in Rwanda

We now turn to our second congregation. This church is in Rwanda, an African nation that suffered an infamous genocide in 1994 during which Hutus slaughtered 800,000 Tutsis in three months. Now ask yourself what would it look like for a church composed of Hutus and Tutsis to find unity in the shadow of that unspeakable horror? Again, we join the service in progress:

Emmanuel always felt the pain, especially at Easter. It had been over twenty years since his wife and children had been massacred in the genocide. People had said that the pain would lessen over time. Emmanuel had believed them for a while. But he didn't any longer. Every day he thought about his precious daughters. Today they would be young women, but instead they were cut down as innocent children...

Emmanuel looked around the congregation at the Hutu Christians is his midst. He'd never know all that they had done and failed to do during those dark months of terror. But he did know that as the killing continued, Paster Sebahive had refused to offer Tutsis sanctuary. Some reports suggested that Pastor Sebahive had done even worse things. Emmanuel couldn't be sure, but he had his suspicions. Even so, he also knew that Pastor Sebahive had long pleaded for forgiveness for his role. He had admitted that he had not done enough to help his Tutsi congregants. And since those bloody days, he had long been among the most active members of the reconciliation movement in the community. "Emmanuel," he had once said with tears in his eyes, "I will forever live with the consequences of my sins and failures. It is my great sadness that you must as well."

In that moment, so many years ago, Emmanuel had finally decided to forgive Pastor Sebahive for the things he'd done and the things he'd left undone. But it wasn't easy. Nonetheless, as Pastor Sebahive's deep baritone voice rose up from the congregation and out over the green misty hills of Rwanda with an impromptu rendition of "Amazing Grace," Emmanuel felt just enough strength to forgive for yet another day.

Conclusion

While my intention is not to trivialize the worship wars, nonetheless, when I consider the contrast of a Christian like Emmanuel seeking unity in the aftermath of genocide, I can't help but think that it is a real luxury that North American churches have the privilege to debate musical styles. Genocide vs. electric guitars: the contrast kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it? To sum up, when we find unity in Christ despite our differences  whatever those differences may be  we begin to live out the ministry of reconciliation to which we've been called (2 Cor. 5:11-21).

So let it be.
No more nuclear tests, says North Korea in 'sensational' announcement ahead of talks

North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, the North's state media said on Saturday, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea said that to create an 'international environment favourable' for its economy, it would 'facilitate close contact and active dialogue' with neighbouring countries and the international community.

It was the first time Kim directly addressed his position on North Korea's nuclear weapons programmes ahead of planned summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with US president Donald Trump in late May or early June.

The pledge to halt the development of nuclear weapons, initiated by his grandfather and continued by his father, would mean a significant reversal for the young, third-generation leader, now 34, who has staked his security on his nuclear arsenal and spent years celebrating such weapons as an integral part of his regime's legitimacy and power.

A testing freeze and commitment to close a test site alone would fall short of Washington's demand that Pyongyang completely dismantle all of its nuclear weapons and missiles.

But announcing the concessions now, rather than during summit meetings, shows Kim is serious about denuclearisation talks, experts say.

'The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test,' KCNA said after Kim convened a plenary session of the Central Committee of the ruling Worker's Party on Friday.

The North's official name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Pyunggye-ri site in northern North Korea is its only known nuclear test site, where all of its six underground tests were conducted, including the last, its largest-ever detonation, in September.

'We will concentrate all efforts on building a powerful socialist economy and markedly improving the standard of people's living through the mobilisation of all human and material resources of the country,' KCNA said.

Trump welcomed the statement and said he looked forward to a summit with Kim.

"North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Look forward to our Summit,' Trump said on Twitter.

'Progress being made for all!' he said in a later tweet.

South Korea said the North's decision signified 'meaningful' progress toward denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula and would create favourable conditions for successful meetings with it and the United States.

China, North Korea's sole major ally which has nevertheless been frustrated by its defiant development of weapons, welcomed the announcement saying it would ease tension and promote denuclearisation.

'The Chinese side believes that North Korea's decision will help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula,' a foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said in a statement.

Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe also welcomed the North Korean statement but said it must lead to action.

'What's important is that this leads to complete, verifiable denuclearisation. I want to emphasise this,' Abe told reporters.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have historically been the main targets of North Korea's anger.

'We're all looking for evidence that Kim is really serious about negotiations, and announcements like this certainly suggest he is, and that he is trying to make clear to the world that he is,' said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Fears of war

North Korea has said its nuclear and missile programmes are necessary deterrents against US hostility. It has conducted numerous missile tests with the aim of being able to hit the United States with a nuclear bomb.

The tests and escalating rhetoric between Trump and Kim raised fears of war until, in a New Year's speech, the North Korean leader called for reduced military tensions.

He sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics in the South in February, leading to warmer ties with the South.

Nam Sung-wook, professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul, said it was 'sensational' that Kim had personally declared plans to suspend nuclear development, but added that his remarks left a number of questions.

'It still does not seem clear if it means whether the North will just not pursue further development of its nuclear programmes in the future, or whether they will completely shut down "all" nuclear facilities. And what are they going to do with their existing nuclear weapons?' Nam said.

South Korean President Moon said on Thursday North Korea had expressed a commitment to 'complete denuclearisation' of the Korean peninsula, and had not attached conditions, but Washington had remained wary and vowed to maintain 'maximum pressure' on Pyongyang.

The United States said on Thursday that in the run-up to Trump's planned summit with Kim, countries should continue to put financial and diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang to surrender its banned nuclear weapons.

Many US officials and experts doubt Kim's sincerity about denuclearising, viewing the recent flurry of diplomacy as a ploy to win relief from economic sanctions.

Ordinary South Koreans were also cautious after the latest announcement.

'I don't think we can completely trust anything North Korea says because North Korea isn't a normal country,' said Kim Han-nuri, 23, out in Seoul on a sunny spring morning.

UN Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006 and extended over the past decade have aimed to deny it a considerable amount of international trade, banning critical exports such as coal, iron ore, seafood, textile while limiting oil imports.

That has threatened the policy of 'byungjin'  simultaneous military and economic development  that Kim Jong Un has adopted since taking power in late 2011.

'Easing tensions and cooperating with the international community is critical if Kim wanted to advance the economy,' said Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute think-tank south of Seoul.

Koh Yu-hwan, professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul, said he did not believe Pyongyang was ready to give up its existing nuclear weapons and missiles.

'Kim is just saying that now that the nuclear development is complete, he will put all the efforts toward building an economy,' Koh said.
Will President Trump visit UK this summer?

US president Donald Trump will visit Britain midway through 2018, possibly in July, British newspapers reported on Saturday, citing government sources in Washington and London.

A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Theresa May's office said officials were still working out the details of a visit by Trump after the Daily Mail, citing a British government source, said that dates in mid-July have been pencilled in.

Britain is keen to reinforce its 'special relationship' with the United States as May's government prepares to leave the European Union, a divorce that will shape the country's standing in the world, but Trump has yet to visit London. The Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed official in the Trump administration as saying the president was looking at a visit to Britain in 'late summer'.

Many British voters have said that if the US president comes to Britain they would protest on a range of issues. Plans for a full-scale state visit were reportedly downgraded last year over fears the protests would overshadow the event and that President Trump would embarrass the Queen. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson said then: 'I think Her Majesty the Queen is well capable to of taking this American president  or indeed any American president  in her stride, as she has done over six remarkable decades.'

The US Embassy in London was not immediately available for comment on the reports.

Additional reporting by Reuters.
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Page: 1 2 Avicii found dead! zakkeryzakk

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NEW YORK -- Tim Bergling, the Swedish DJ and electronic dance music (EDM) producer known as Avicii, was found dead Friday in Muscat, Oman, his publicist Diana Baron said in a statement. He was 28.

The statement said, "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii. He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given."

No more details about the death were provided. Oman police and state media had no immediate report late Friday night on the artist's death.

Avicii was an international pop star, performing his well-known electronic dance songs around the world for die-hard fans, sometimes hundreds of thousands at music festivals, where he was the headline act. His popular sound even sent him to the top of the charts and landed onto U.S. radio: His most recognized song, the country-dance mashup "Wake Me Up," was a multi-platinum success and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. On the dance charts, he had seven Top 10 hits.

But in 2016, the performer announced he was retiring from the road. He continued to produce songs and albums. "I know I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist," he said at the time.

"I will however never let go of music but I've decided this 2016 run will be my last tour and last shows. Let's make them go out with a bang!"

Avicii was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right, earning international hits, fame, awards and more like typical pop stars. He earned his first Grammy nomination at the 2012 show -- for a collaboration with Guetta. It was around the time he gained more fame for the Etta James-sampled dance jam, "Le7els," which reached No. 1 in Sweden.

He continued to collaborate with more high-profile acts, producing Madonna's "Devil Pray" and the Coldplay hits, "A Sky Full of Stars" and "Hymn for the Weekend." He was even part of Mike Posner's megahit "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," which featured the lyrics: "I took a pill in Ibiza/To show Avicii I was cool." The song was based off Posner's true story at an Avicii concert in Ibiza.

Avicii built a strong musical and personal friendship with Nile Rodgers, who called Avicii his "little brother" in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday.

"I'm shocked because I don't know medically what happened, but I can just say as a person, as a friend, and more importantly, as a musician, Tim was one of the greatest, natural melody writers I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant musicians on this planet," Rodgers said.

Music stars, including those who collaborated with Bergling, mourned him on Twitter. Avicii, EDM pioneer and DJ, found dead at 28EmailNEW YORK -- Tim Bergling, the Swedish DJ and electronic dance music (EDM) producer known as Avicii, was found dead Friday in Muscat, Oman, his publicist Diana Baron said in a statement. He was 28.The statement said, "It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii. He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given."No more details about the death were provided. Oman police and state media had no immediate report late Friday night on the artist's death.Avicii was an international pop star, performing his well-known electronic dance songs around the world for die-hard fans, sometimes hundreds of thousands at music festivals, where he was the headline act. His popular sound even sent him to the top of the charts and landed onto U.S. radio: His most recognized song, the country-dance mashup "Wake Me Up," was a multi-platinum success and peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. On the dance charts, he had seven Top 10 hits.But in 2016, the performer announced he was retiring from the road. He continued to produce songs and albums. "I know I am blessed to be able to travel all around the world and perform, but I have too little left for the life of a real person behind the artist," he said at the time."I will however never let go of music but I've decided this 2016 run will be my last tour and last shows. Let's make them go out with a bang!"Avicii was part of the wave of DJ-producers, like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and Swedish House Mafia, who broke out on the scene as lead performers in their own right, earning international hits, fame, awards and more like typical pop stars. He earned his first Grammy nomination at the 2012 show -- for a collaboration with Guetta. It was around the time he gained more fame for the Etta James-sampled dance jam, "Le7els," which reached No. 1 in Sweden.He continued to collaborate with more high-profile acts, producing Madonna's "Devil Pray" and the Coldplay hits, "A Sky Full of Stars" and "Hymn for the Weekend." He was even part of Mike Posner's megahit "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," which featured the lyrics: "I took a pill in Ibiza/To show Avicii I was cool." The song was based off Posner's true story at an Avicii concert in Ibiza.Avicii built a strong musical and personal friendship with Nile Rodgers, who called Avicii his "little brother" in an interview with The Associated Press on Friday."I'm shocked because I don't know medically what happened, but I can just say as a person, as a friend, and more importantly, as a musician, Tim was one of the greatest, natural melody writers I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some of the most brilliant musicians on this planet," Rodgers said.Music stars, including those who collaborated with Bergling, mourned him on Twitter. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 04:04 AM











Post: #2 RE: Avicii found dead!









Someone wake his bit*h ass up.



... oh, you cant, betcha he drank himself to death. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-21-2018 04:44 AM











Post: #3 RE: Avicii found dead!

who? 1337 is a god

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-21-2018 05:57 AM











Post: #4 RE: Avicii found dead!

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-21-2018 04:44 AM) who?

LIGAF,R? LIGAF,R? LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 07:10 AM











Post: #5 RE: Avicii found dead!

LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 11:34 AM











Post: #6 RE: Avicii found dead!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ-vjqDjJhc&t=0s









Two more may come up before beltane may 1st. Two more may come up before beltane may 1st. LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 11:58 AM











Post: #7 RE: Avicii found dead!

link to image: https://stullig.com/wp-content/uploads/2...DJ-bee.gif Uppity Me

Registered User

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04-21-2018 05:26 PM



Posts: 36,765









Post: #8 RE: Avicii found dead!

he drank a lot and had medical problems Quote: Les pauvres n'ont-ils des Euros ?

Alors laissez les pauvres 'sh*t' dans les rues Uppity Me

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04-21-2018 05:28 PM



Posts: 36,765









Post: #9 RE: Avicii found dead!

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-21-2018 11:34 AM) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ-vjqDjJhc&t=0s









Two more may come up before beltane may 1st.

Roberta Flack last night - live in Harlem was very sick



Roberta Flack Falls Ill At Apollo Theater, Rushed To Hospital

http://deadline.com/2018/04/roberta-flac...202373558/ Roberta Flack last night - live in Harlem was very sickRoberta Flack Falls Ill At Apollo Theater, Rushed To Hospital Quote: Les pauvres n'ont-ils des Euros ?

Alors laissez les pauvres 'sh*t' dans les rues LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 05:29 PM











Post: #10 RE: Avicii found dead!

lvld armani music aw, eh oh no music oh pffh oke LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 05:31 PM











Post: #11 RE: Avicii found dead!

I get allowance as 40 year old , younger then the universe bricks in sleepy 8 hour cycle LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 05:32 PM











Post: #12 RE: Avicii found dead!

I wont spend it on marijujan but i do momentarily LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 05:32 PM











Post: #13 RE: Avicii found dead!

dunno fy LoP Guest

lop guest

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04-21-2018 05:32 PM











Post: #14 RE: Avicii found dead!

still winter beer engineering

Banned

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04-21-2018 05:33 PM



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Post: #15 RE: Avicii found dead!

Don't do drugs - don't die from drugs at 28 Advertisement


















(Bloomberg) -- Stay away from romaine lettuce.

Thats the message from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after more than 50 people were sickened by eating E. coli-contaminated lettuce that came from the Yuma, Arizona, growing region.

The CDC issued its latest warning about the popular type of lettuce after new cases were reported in Alaska, expanding it to include whole heads, hearts, salad mixes and chopped romaine.

Yuma County is responsible for 90 percent of all leafy vegetables grown in the U.S., from November to March, according to the countys Chamber of Commerce. During peak production months, the areas nine salad plants each process more than 2 million pounds of lettuce per day.

The outbreak has sickened 53 people in 16 states, including 31 who were hospitalized, according to the agency. The CDC said five victims have developed kidney failure, though no deaths have been reported.

Unless the source of the product is known, consumers anywhere in the United States who have any store-bought romaine lettuce at home should not eat it and should throw it away, even if some of it was eaten and no one has gotten sick, the CDC said.

The CDC also said restaurants and retailers shouldnt sell or serve lettuce from the Yuma area.

To contact the reporters on this story: Craig Giammona in New York at cgiammona@bloomberg.net, Megan Durisin in Chicago at mdurisin1@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anne Riley Moffat at ariley17@bloomberg.net, Lisa Wolfson

2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Investigators are probing possible links between two macabre discoveries 150 miles apart, one on Lake Houston and the other near Calcasieu Lake in Louisiana, where the severed heads of two women were found in plastic bags near lakes and RV parks.

The unidentified victims, both white women with reddish hair and good teeth, are thought to be within the same age range and were found in similar surroundings about three weeks apart, investigators said.

In the Lake Houston case, two clean-up volunteers found a severed head in a large black plastic bag on March 24. They were working along FM 1960 East in Huffman and found the human head on rocks in a portion of the lake patrolled by the Houston Police Department. The Lake Houston Marina, an open access recreational vehicle park with residents and visitors alike, is adjacent to where the womans head was recovered.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences released an anthropological profile on April 5 that showed the Lake Houston victim was a woman between young adulthood and middle age, who was either white or Hispanic. She had reddish brown or auburn shoulder-length hair with 3 to 4 inches of very dark brown roots, and her eyebrows and eyelashes had either been permanently or semi-permanently tattooed, according to the MEs profile.

Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office investigator Jake McCain and HPD homicide investigator Michael Perez have acknowledged the similarities in the cases and victims, and agreed to keep each other updated on their respective findings.

The description of the remains found near Calcasieu Lake in Cameron Parish sounds real similar" to the Lake Houston case, Perez said earlier this month in a text message to the Houston Chronicle. But he added he "cant say much without actually meeting with detectives and seeing their crime scene photos.

Perez noted that dental records could potentially help identify the Lake Houston woman because she had really good teeth, a condition that likely ruled out drug abuse.

Perez and his partner, Andrew Barr, released information about a person of interest on April 6.

The officers are looking for a man in his early to mid-20s who was seen about 2:30 to 3 p.m. throwing a black plastic bag off the bridge near where the head was found, two weeks prior to the discovery.

The man, described as having short dark brown hair with long bangs, was seen getting out of the front passenger side of a teal or a bluish green Chevrolet Silverado extended cab truck. He is about 5-foot-4 to 5-foot-8 tall and has light skin. The truck was rusted and appeared to have been in several wrecks. The back left passenger window was missing and was covered by what looked like cardboard.

While HPD has already released a description of a person and vehicle of interest, a forensic artists sketch and an anthropological profile, Cameron Parish is waiting on forensics from Louisiana State Universitys forensics lab to determine more about the victim whose decomposition was more advanced. The analysis could take up to six months to complete, McCain said.

In the Cameron Parish case, a prison inmate doing clean-up labor found the severed head on March 1 in a small grocery bag in a grassy marsh next to Louisiana Highway 27, a couple of miles north of the Sabine National Wildlife Park headquarters. The site is about a mile south of a community of recreational vehicle parks in Hackberry, La., and less than a mile from Calcasieu Lake, whose tributaries appear to reach out to the marshes where the head was found.

Based on Louisiana state highway maintenance records, McCain said the last date the lawn was mowed in that spot was Nov. 30. Had the bag been there at the time, mowers would have probably noticed, he said.

Different agencies in Texas have contacted the Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office to determine if the head belongs to a missing person they are investigating, but the dates fail to fit the timeline of this person, according to McCain.

Preliminary forensic analysis determined the victim in Cameron Parish to be white, between 25 and 40, with auburn or brown hair 10 to 12 inches long. The advanced stage of decomposition bars visually determining any facial features, according to the Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office. She had no apparent trauma to her skull.

The condition of the teeth of the woman found in Cameron Parish was good, but were beginning to be affected from deterioration. McCain said X-rays determined the woman had undergone obvious dental work which included a couple of cavity fillings. He said the condition of her teeth made it unlikely she was a transient, but a missing persons dental records would have to first be submitted for cross referencing to be done.

Cameron Parish has no persons who have been reported missing.

McCain said the medical examiner in neighboring Calcasieu Parish has determined the womans remains were not consistent with the profiles of any of about a half dozen people reported missing there.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

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A gunman was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting at his wife in a Huffman home Friday night, authorities said.

Houston police were called out to a shooting call in the 400 block of Fir Ridge Drive, off East Lake Houston Parkway on the east side of Lake Houston, around 7 p.m. When they arrived, they learned a man allegedly shot at his wife's vehicle.

The man, 48, might have also shot at a neighbor's home during the incident, according to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

FIRED: Sheriff fires deputy who shot and killed unarmed man

No one was injured in the initial gunfire, police said.

The man wound up pacing near his pickup truck in the home's driveway, which is where he ultimately took his own life, Acevedo said.

"The sad part of this is that somebody lost a husband and a family lost a son," Acevedo told reporters. "I think the silver lining is that there were no innocent lives taken."

The wife, uninjured in the ordeal, is staying with family as investigators piece together the crime scene, Acevedo said.

The chief said the man was a well-known and successful hunter, which was some cause for concern for responding officers.

RESIGNATION: Sheriff's captain resigns following criminal misconduct allegations

"We were very concerned when we got here that he was known to have multiple handguns, and he was described as an accomplished hunter with long rifles," Acevedo said. "That causes concern for the neighborhood and the officers."

As officers arrived, the man allegedly fired several rounds  but the Houston officers did not return fire. He said that was a testament to his officer's restraint.

"Too often people who are intent on taking their lives force law enforcement hands on the phenomena that's called suicide by cop," Acevedo said. "Fortunately, he didn't do that, because that affects other peoples' lives."

The man was not immediately identified.

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.
Neil Bush shed a tear or two as the first guests trickled into the luncheon for A Celebration of Reading authors on Thursday.

He and wife Maria Bush chair the annual fundraiser benefiting the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation established by his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush.

In past years, his mother had arrived at the River Oaks home of hosts Terri and John Havens to pose for photos alongside her husband, former President George H.W. Bush.

This time, after Barbara Bushs passing on Tuesday, Neil Bush instructed his wife to give him a little kick if he became too emotional.

Initial tears aside, much of Thursdays midday gathering was the celebration of reading that its meant to be.

Its what Mrs. Bush would have wanted, Trish Morille, a longtime foundation supporter, said. The show must go on.

John Havens, owner of California spa and winery Cal-A-Vie, gave tours of the 200-year-old French chapel in the couples backyard. Patrons, including Cathy and Joe Cleary, took poolside photos with authors Jim Gaffigan, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Christina C.K. Kerley, Christina Millard and Clive Cussler.

I made a point to look for my pearls, said Terri Havens, wearing a multistrand necklace and pearl-accented heels, of the former first ladys signature accessory.

Then later, when Neil Bush rose to address the crowd, waterworks started again.

Mom slipped away with Dad holding her hand, surrounded by family, he shared, choking up at the memory.

But, Neil Bush added, my daughter, Lauren Bush Lauren, gave birth to a son this morning. And our newest daughter, Sarahbeth S.B. Bush, who married my son last month, is here with us.

Applause erupted, and the program resumed.

Pecan-crusted chicken and strawberry shortcake, Barbara Bushs favorite dessert, were served as the authors each shared a short anecdote.

I cant tell you how many people I brag to, Do you know Barbara Bush likes my book? Millard said.

Is that flag real? Gaffigan asked of the Havens framed artwork behind the stage. John Havens confirmed that the 13-star relic was authentic before inviting the crowd to tour his Astros arcade downstairs in the converted garage.

Terri Havens distributed bottles of Cal-A-Vies cabernet sauvignon, another luncheon tradition, as Neil Bush shouted instructions for the main event, A Celebration of Reading at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts later that evening, to guests en route to the valet.

And per his mothers instruction, the show went on.

Finding reason to celebrate

By dusk, lights from the stationed police cars flashed some four blocks away from the Hobby Center.

The evening Celebration of Reading event is always a hot ticket; in past years, J.J. Watt and former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have made surprise appearances.

And despite Thursday evenings top-notch lineup of esteemed authors, much of the activity downtown surrounded the passing of the former first lady and local literacy champion.

Inside on Zilkha Stage, VIP patrons paid their respects the Barbara Bush way: in navy blue, pearls and with plenty of laughter.

Morille and Julie Baker Finck, president of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, exchanged photos of unexpected memorials from across the country.

Last December, during the A Celebration of Reading author-announcement party hosted by Sue and Lester Smith, Barbara Bush gave Sue a three-strand, oversize pearl necklace from her collection. En route to Sarofim Hall for the program, Sue proudly gestured to the precious trinket as cameras flashed around her.

More than 1,900 filled seats for the 24th annual fundraiser, which by nights end raised more than $2.4 million, including a $150,000 surprise donation from the Jim McIngvale family.

Neil asked me to fill in for his mother and to keep things upbeat, former Secretary of State James A. Baker said in his opening remarks. I said I would try to fill her shoes, but I wouldnt wear the pearls.

Next, Ashley Bush spoke of her grandmothers love of gossip. In fact, she told me about my engagement before my fiance did.

Finck shared her Barbara Bush-given nickname, the Boss.

Coming from the Enforcer, Finck said, acknowledging Barbara Bushs own moniker, its quite a compliment.

Sarahbeth Bush, who recently married Pierce Bush in Colorado, followed to introduce the first author, Millard, after sharing her own anecdote.  Ganny taught all of her children and grandchildren that its OK to be strong, but its also OK to cry, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with her grandson.

Millard discussed the common denominator shared by the subjects of her three biographies on Theodore Roosevelt, James A. Garfield and Winston Churchill: voracious reading.

Later, Cussler revealed that his biggest regret was never having met Barbara Bush in person.

After Kerleys high-tech, TED talk-style presentation, Kasich and Gaffigan closed the show with hilarious personal stories from their youths.

Mrs. Bush always worried that the program wouldnt be funny enough, Finck shared earlier in the day. However lengthy  I have no idea how long Ive been up here, Gaffigan admitted midspeech  there was no shortage of laughs.

Dr. Russell Levinson, the former president and first ladys pastor for the past decade who will preside over the official funeral at St. Martins Episcopal Church, ended the evening on a poignant note. On Barbara Bushs final day, he read aloud Psalms 1:48 and the first two chapters of Little Women, anointed her head with oil and prayed with the family as she slipped away. A neighborhoodwide power outage occurred during her last hour; when the lights flipped back on, she was gone.

Mary Sarah, The Voice reality-TV contestant, performed The Climb before joining Victoria White, Marquist Taylor and the 35-member Houston Gospel Choir for a powerful rendition of Amazing Grace.

After the program, top-level supporters dined onstage or in the Grand Lobby with the authors and announcers. Festivities ended as they always do, with a good-natured albeit competitive book swap of the best-selling titles placed in each swag bag  just as Barbara Bush would have wanted.

amber.elliott@chron.com
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office leadership team has taken another hit with the Friday resignation of a jail captain for allegedly having a subordinate complete his Texas Commission of Law Enforcement online certification for him.

According to Sheriff Rand Henderson, he met with Capt. Ollie Coward Friday regarding the alleged incident. Ultimately, Henderson said he accepted Coward's resignation, effective immediately.

"(The allegation of the TCOLE certification) will be part of an internal investigation," Henderson said. "I'm concerned, and the investigation is not going to stop because he is retiring."

District Attorney Brett Ligon said his office received an anonymous complaint earlier this week from someone believed to be an MCSO deputy alleging criminal misconduct between a jail captain and a sergeant.

"We requested the MCSO review the initial allegations and make an initial inquiry to determine what individuals would be responsible, if any," Ligon said. "It is my understanding that today, Capt. Coward accepted the responsibility as being the individual named and has resigned from the sheriff's department, effective immediately. I have requested the Internal Affairs department at the sheriff's department turn their investigative findings over to the Texas Rangers.

"(The Texas Rangers) will bring those findings back to the DA's Office, and we will make an appropriate charging decision upon final review."

The announcement of Coward's retirement comes on the heels of Capt. Bryan Carlisle retiring earlier this week following an investigation into a domestic disturbance between Carlisle and his wife at their Conroe area home in August.

Ligon and Henderson declined to elaborate on what, if any, charges would be.

According to Conroe defense attorney Steve Jackson, Carlisle entered a plea of disorderly conduct, a Class C misdemeanor. Carlisle, who led MCSO's Executive Division, will receive deferred adjudication and will surrender his Texas Commission on Law Enforcement certification.

Carlisle was suspended March 22 in light of the investigation by the District Attorney's Office. Captain Kevin Ray also was suspended for unrelated reasons. That investigation is ongoing.

Henderson appointed Coward as jail administrator as part of his leadership team when he took office in January 2017.

Coward is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Marketing and obtained his Basic Peace Officer Certification from The University of Houston Downtown Criminal Justice Center, and graduated at the top of his class, according to Coward's bio on the MCSO website.

Coward joined the MCSO as a patrol deputy in District 2 and was promoted to sergeant in The Woodlands. He later was promoted to lieutenant and district commander over District 2, The Woodlands and the Town Center. He also served as special services lieutenant overseeing Recruiting, Crime Prevention, Crime Stoppers and Community Policing programs. Additionally, he supervised the COPPS unit that created the Citizens' Academy and drafted Montgomery County's current Alarm Ordinance.

Coward holds several licenses and certifications, including Master Peace Officer, Intermediate Jailer, Basic Instructor, Citizens' Academy Coordinator and Crime Prevention Inspector.
Two men were found shot to death Saturday morning in southwest Houston.

Houston police responded to a call for a drive-by shooting in the 14600 block of Buffalo Speedway before 4 a.m. and found a car just north of Fuqua with a dead man inside.

While checking the area, officers found a second man shot to death, a little to the east in a convenient store parking lot.

"It appears he might have been running away from the first car when he was shot," Lt. Larry Crowson told reporters.

Afterward, a black Nissan or Toyota was spotted speeding away.

"We're not exactly what the circumstances were of the shooting," Crowson said.

One man was taken in for questioning, according to police.

Homicide is investigating.
A man suspected of drunken driving was arrested early Saturday after crashing into the wall of a north Houston Walmart.

The driver crashed his pickup into shopping carts before hitting the wall of the store at North Freeway and Crosstimbers, according to authorities.
A deputy who shot and killed an unarmed man last month following a confrontation in north Houston was fired late Friday by Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.

The deputy, Cameron Brewer, was terminated for failing to follow the departments use of force policy when he shot and killed Danny Ray Thomas, 34, on March 22, sheriff officials confirmed. The officer was equipped with a Taser, but did not choose to use the electronic stunning device to try and subdue Thomas.

The fatal shot, fired about 20 seconds after Brewer ordered Thomas to get on the ground, can be heard on a recording of the confrontation. The officers dashboard camera did not capture video of the shooting, and his recently issued body camera was charging in the car when the shooting occurred.

Brewer had stopped his patrol unit to investigate an altercation at the intersection of Greens Road and Imperial Valley between Thomas and a passing motorist. Gonzalez has said Thomas was foaming at the mouth, and the video showed him walking in traffic with his pants down around his ankles.

When Thomas ignored Brewers commands to stop and continued walking toward him, Brewer fired a single gunshot that fatally wounded Thomas, who was unarmed.

Earlier this month, Thomass relatives sued the department, and Houston Police Department homicide detectives are still conducting a criminal investigation. The case is expected to be presented to a county grand jury for review.

Attorneys Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard, who are representing the slain man's family, lauded the sheriff's decision to remove Brewer from the force.

"The acknowledgment that this officer violated use of force policy when he killed a non-threatening innocent man who was mentally ill and who was committing no crime will enrage a Harris County jury," the lawyers said Saturday in a statement.

"Perhaps a jury's verdict will cause the sheriff's department to focus on training, supervision and monitoring its officers. The color of your skin and state of your mental health should not be factors in whether you live or die in an interaction with police."

The termination came after a thorough internal affairs investigation found Brewer did not adhere to the departments use-of-force policy, according to a news release detailing the termination. The policy calls for the use of force to be avoided if reasonably possible.

The brave men and women of the Harris County Sheriffs Office are called upon to make life or death decisions on a daily basis and we take that responsibility very seriously, Gonzalez said, in the release. We hold the communitys trust as sacred, and we will continue to support our deputies with clear policies and the valuable training they need to protect the lives of all our residents.

The Harris County Deputies Organization criticized Gonzalezs actions, even as civil rights groups including the Houston chapter of the NAACP and the Texas Organizing project praised his decision.

The disciplinary actions comes less than a month since the fatal shooting, after Gonzalez had earlier pledged a swift internal investigation into his deputys actions.

Brewer, a six-year law enforcement veteran, has worked at the sheriffs office since mid-2016. Previously, he had worked at the Precinct 4 Constables Office and for several school district police departments, according to state police licensing records.

The shooting outraged local civil rights activists and thrust Houston back into a national debate over police shootings of African-American men even as local law enforcement officials have touted efforts to reduce lethal incidents and increase transparency.

The shooting victim, Thomas, and the deputy are both African-Americans.

Reached by phone, Thomas sister, Markeeta Thomas-Smith, declined to comment.

Attorneys from the Harris County Deputies Organization defended Brewer and said they would be appealing his firing.

Sheriff Gonzalez has second guessed Deputy Brewers split-second decision, a union attorney said in a press statement. We do not agree with the decision of Sheriff Gonzalez to terminate Deputy Brewer.

Civil rights activists  some of whom have sharply criticized Harris County law enforcement in the past  said they were encouraged by Gonzalezs decision.

Tarsha Jackson, with the Texas Organizing Project, called the termination a step in the right direction.

Just knowing an officer has been terminated and hes being held accountable, this gives the community hope that eventually these type of incidents will cease, she said. This is evidence there is an administration that is willing to hold police accountable.

James Douglas, president of the Houston chapter of the NAACP, said he was proud of the sheriff.

Im not shocked, he said. I think it was the right thing to do  When law enforcement does what its supposed to do, we should recognize it.

Keri Blakinger contributed to this story.
After a two-hour SWAT standoff, Houston police arrested a man who allegedly assaulted officers before barricading himself inside a northwest Houston apartment complex Friday night.

Two officers working extra jobs at the Linda Vista Apartments around 7:45 p.m. spotted a man they knew had been banned from the complex.

"They knew he'd already had a trespass warning," Houston police Captain Dan Harris told reporters afterward.

But when police approached the man outside the 5500 De Soto apartments, he allegedly attacked the officers and ran into a friend's apartment along with his girlfriend.

"The officers told the man to come out and he refused," Harris said. "At that point per our policy we have a barricaded suspect."

So police called in a SWAT team, which spent the next two hours negotiating with the man, even after his girlfriend came out willingly.

SAD ENDING: Barricaded suspect found dead in Huffman home after shooting at wife

Eventually, the apartment's owner showed up and signed a consent form allowing police to go inside. There, the unarmed suspect surrendered peacefully.

No shots were fired and no one was wounded, according to police.

"The officers have a little bit of scraps but nothing serious," Harris said. Afterward, the officers went right back to work.

The suspect - whose name was not immediately released - was taken to jail for charges of evading and assault on a public servant.

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.

Keri Blakinger covers breaking news and prisons for the Houston Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter at @keribla.
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After being devastated by flooding from Hurricane Harvey and closed for nearly a year, St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in Spring is being helped in its recovery efforts with Irish tenor Emmet Cahills musical talent.

As the church gets closer to completing the repairs on the five buildings on its campus, it plans to reopen all of its buildings next month.

We are going to be finished and moved in by May 31, said Father Norbert Maduzia.

While the repairs were underway, a temporary church was set up on the front lawn of the campus to host services in November.

To help the church raise funds for its recovery, Irish tenor Emmet Cahill will headline a benefit concert on May 3.

Cahill said he has traveled to Houston area in past decade and saw the news coverage of Harveys damage to homes and buildings.

We dont get anything like that weather in Ireland. It was shocking to us to see the devastation that happened in the area, he said.

More Information Want to go? The concert will be on Thursday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Ignatius Loyola at 7810 Cypresswood Drive in Spring. Tickets can be purchased at www.emmetcahill.com/tour-dates/ or at the door. See More Collapse

All of the buildings on campus had water damage from high waters caused by record flooding, which was shared on a video posted to Facebook.

At first, services were hosted by Kleb Intermediate School and Klein High School before setting up a temporary church on the front lawn of the campus.

Maduzia said the reconstruction of the buildings cost more than $4 million and does not include replacement furniture and other items.

He estimated it could cost up to $1.5 million to purchase pews, books and other items.

A law office will be donating furniture to the church for its offices, he said.

While he said hes excited about the churchs recovery, Maduzia said some parishioners are still experiencing difficulties recovering from the floods.

Some parishioners are still living outside of the homes or on the second floor of their houses, he said.

Were still helping with whatever we can, Maduzia said.

Volunteer efforts have continued as some residents are returning to their homes with new furnishings.

Cahill said he hopes the concert will be able to provide some help for the churchs efforts.

It benefits the community and we get the locals behind it for a cause like this. We bring our music with us but also help people in the community, he said.

mayra.cruz@chron.com
New businesses opening at Creekside Village Green

The Howard Hughes Corporation has announced the newest additions to Creekside Park Village Green. Artisanat Home Decor, Burgerim Gourmet Burgers, Cupcakes & Bubbles and The Woodlands Allergy, Asthma & Immunization Center join the variety of service providers, retailers and restaurants at Creekside Park Village Green.

Artisanat Home Decor, which offers quality-handcrafted goods for home decoration as well as interactive artist workshops, opened its doors in early April. The workshops provide a means for connection with the community and an innovative way to experience art. The first store of its kind in the area, Artisanat provides a platform where artisans sell their handcrafted and high-end design products. Also, The Woodlands Allergy, Asthma & Immunization Center recently opened and serves children and adult patients. The center provides personalized, family-oriented care with state-of-the-art testing, treatment and education.

Coming this summer are Burgerim Gourmet Burgers and Cupcakes & Bubbles. Burgerim is an international, fast casual franchise, offering a unique approach to meals. Cupcakes & Bubbles offers fresh cupcakes and a selection of champagnes on tap, as well as cupcake decorating classes and wine tastings.

Creekside Park Village Green is located at 26400 Kuykendahl Road between Creekside Forest Drive and New Harmony Trail.

John Daugherty Realtors opens new office in The Woodlands

John Daugherty Realtors announced the formal opening of its new office in The Woodlands at 1950 Hughes Landing Blvd. and celebrated with a ribbon cutting. The new office marks the luxury brokerages continued focus on the dynamic Woodlands market. The new office in Hughes Landing occupies prominent retail space with street side access. Ample meeting spaces provide welcoming settings at the full-service luxury real estate brokerage buyers and sellers to stop by and visit about their needs.

Strong Firm announces attorney Brian Albert as shareholder

The Strong Firm, P.C. is has announced the appointment of attorney Brian Albert to the firm as shareholder. In his role, he is leading the business law firms business and governmental agreements practice area, along with various business development and client relations activities.

Brian Albert originally joined The Strong Firm in 2012 as a law clerk with prior professional experience at Baker Hughes and Hewlett-Packard in Houston. In 2013, he was promoted to associate attorney. In late 2016, he joined The Woodlands-based Waste Connections, Inc. as associate counsel, where he gained in-house experience in the handling of a variety of commercial and municipal transactions and litigation matters. He recently rejoined The Strong Firm in this key leadership role.

The Strong Firm, P.C. is a locally owned and operated business law firm founded in 2004 in The Woodlands, which specializes in all aspects of business law, including: real estate; oil, gas and energy; mergers, acquisitions and sales; business law and contracts; corporations, LLCs and partnerships; trusts and estate planning; commercial disputes; lending and borrowing; and trademarks.
The Woodlands Concert Band began in 2000 with a small group of 15 musicians who gathered in the band room at the John Cooper School. The band has since grown to nearly 90 members since its beginnings 18 years ago.

At the beginning years, co-founders Darryl Bayer and Guinn Unger tried to garner interest in what was the first community band in Montgomery County, said current Director Paul Worosello, who plays clarinet. A community band distinguishes itself by having less than 50 percent of members holding music degrees, he said.

Darryl Bayer placed fliers on the music stands of the pit musicians for The John Cooper Schools production of The Music Man, Worosello said. Many parents filled in the instrumentation (section) for the pit orchestra, and Darryl, along with Guinn Unger, hoped there would be enough interest to start the first community band in Montgomery County.

Worosello, who retired five years ago after 37 years of teaching at Klein Forest High Schoolwhere he was the director of bands and the chairmain of the Fine Arts Department, was contacted by a former student who told him about the opening to conduct the band, then comprised of 35 members. Worosello went to his first rehearsal with them and discovered the clarinet section was missing some players, so his first step was recruiting his wife, who had not played her clarinet for 30 years.

Its continued to grow, Worosello said of the band. We had to start waiting lists for certain instruments, which is a good problem. I think retirement would have been a whole lot harder without this outlet.

While the majority of band members come from The Woodlands, Worosello said there are members from Katy, Huntsville and the south side of Houston. The band conducts rehearsals at Christ Church United Methodist on Research Forest Drive, which they use at no expense.Worosello said the band members take pride in the variety of songs it practices and performs.

Theres so much literature to explore, Worosello said. As the band gets better, were able to explore different levels of literature.

The band is currently working on a piece called La Fiesta Mexicana by H. Owen Reed.

More Information Concert schedule Sunday, May 6 - 4 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church 5201 Spring Cypress Road, Spring Saturday, May 19 - 7 p.m. - Joint Concert with the Carrolton Winds Christ Church United Methodist 6363 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands Thursday, June 21 - 7:30 p.m. Woodlands Community Presbyterian Church 4881 W. Panther Creek Drive, The Woodlands Sunday, June 24 - 7 p.m. Christ Church United Methodist 6363 Research Forest Drive, The Woodlands Wednesday, July 4 - 8 a.m. Market Street, The Woodlands See More Collapse

Whats unique about (La Fiesta Mexicana) is its the first band composition that uses an expanded percussion section, Worosello said. Everything that was being written up to that point was using percussion that an orchestra would use.

Unfortunately, The Woodlands Concert Band was one of many regional groups affected by Hurricane Harvey last Augustthe band lost most of its music library due to flooding that occurred in the devastation of Hurricane Harvey.

We had two thirds of our library destroyed, Worosello said. We had 5 feet of water that went into the storage facility.

The band, which does not take money for performances and is funded mostly by donations, leaves an open instrument case for donations at the end of each performance in case anyone is interested in pitching in funds for items like percussion instruments, solo competitions where winners receive monetary awards and the lost sheet music.

Worosello said The Woodlands Concert Band consists of people from all backgrounds and vocations, including lawyers, a chair of the physics department at Texas Southern University and a CFO who is the bands newest tuba player.

"There are more community bands springing up everywhere comprised of adults who want to continue to play their horns, he said.

For more information on The Woodlands Concert Band, visit www.woodlandsband.org.
The Texas prison system has shifted more than 4,000 inmates out of solitary confinement over the past decade - but those who are still there are increasingly likely to be African-American, according to Texas Department of Criminal Justice data.

At the end of the 2008 fiscal year, 17.7 of the prisoners in administrative segregation were black; by the end of the last fiscal year, 24.7 percent were black.

Over the same time frame, the portion of administrative segregation inmates who are white decreased by 4 percentage points and the portion who are Hispanic dropped by just over 3 percentage points. Across all groups, the number of inmates in administrative segregation dropped.

Even as those shifts occurred, the overall prison demographics moved in the opposite direction. The portion of the prison population that is black was about 4 percentage points lower last year than it was in 2008, while a slightly larger fraction of TDCJ inmates are white or Hispanic.

READ MORE: Texas prisons eliminate use of solitary confinement for punitive reasons

Even though the percentage of black inmates in administrative segregation is on the rise, it's Hispanic prisoners who are most noticeably overrepresented there. The overall prison population was about a third white, a third Hispanic and a third black as of the end of fiscal 2017 - but roughly half the administrative segregation population is Hispanic, a long-standing trend possibly tied to gang affiliation.

Administrative segregation is used to house prisoners deemed a security threat due to gang affiliation, escape risk or other evidence of ongoing danger to staff or fellow inmates.

The prison system reduced its reliance on administrative segregation through the use of innovative programs like Gang Renouncement and Disassociation. And in September, TDCJ eliminated the use of solitary confinement for punitive purposes, a change that impacted roughly 75 inmates still being isolated for rule-breaking.

Charles Apple

A prison spokesman did not offer comment on the reasons behind the changing administrative segregation demographics.
Presidential brother Neil Bush -- putting aside remnants of a scandalous divorce, paternity questions and a scorned ex-wife -- married Maria Andrews Saturday night in the Memorial-area mansion of Rania and Jamal Daniel, longtime Bush family friends.

Close to 150 guests joined the newlyweds after a small family ceremony that included former President George Bush and Barbara Bush, parents of the groom. President George W. Bush and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush did not attend.
A reporter who was instrumental in calculating President Donald Trumps wealth has revealed recordings that show the businessman seemingly lied about his wealth.

Jonathan Greenberg was a reporter for Forbes magazine in the 1980s and part of the team that assembled its list of the wealthiest developers in New York, but now says that he was duped by Trump into making the magazine give him far more prestige than he warranted.

Greenberg wrote in the Washington Post Friday that Trump made the first list in 1982 with a reported worth of $100 million despite the fact that subsequent documents showed he was actually worth roughly $5 million at the time.

The reporter then counted how in subsequent conversations with Trump, his lawyer Roy Cohn and a person named John Barron who is believed to be Trumps alter ego. He said he was told repeated lies about how Trump owned large parts of his father Freds empire.

Greenberg released audio recordings of the conversations, including with Barron, that he said he had recently discovered when going back through his notes from the time.

Most of the assets have been consolidated to Mr. Trump, Trump allegedly said in 1984 as Barron, who had a stronger accent than the future president.

Barron said more than 90 percent of the ownership from his fathers dealings had been given to Donald Trump.

A will for Fred Trump revealed that he had kept legal ownership of his properties until his death in 1999.

The character of John Barron had previously been reported before, and the Washington Post previously published audio of Trump pretending to be spokesman John Miller.

Trump and Cohn at various points said he was worth anywhere from $500 million to $900 million, and Greenberg said these assertions were part of a calculation that led to Forbes saying in 1985 that Trump had $600 million.

The journalist pointed to the fact that documents from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission later showed Trumps actual net worth in the early 1980s, which has been repeatedly questioned up through the present day.

During the 2016 presidential race his campaign said that he was worth in excess of $10 billion, but he has refused to release his tax returns.

Greenberg wrote that he was previously proud of having ignored Trumps inflated claims of wealth and gone with smaller figures, but now realizes the statement were much better crafted lies than I thought and made him ignore the real, much tinier sums.

You know, he really - it shows what he did to the media or journalists early in his career, he also did to the banks. He lied and deceived to get his net worth up to borrow money, which led to the first bankruptcy and the collapse of $3.5 billion that he borrowed and then collapsed. And he also has done (it) as president, he told CNN Friday morning.

CNN host Chris Cuomo also recounted that while a reporter at ABC he helped report a net worth for Trump based largely off of what he had said, and that Trump kept increasing the amount every time they spoke on the phone.

The White House had not responded to the Greenberg report as of Friday morning.
Energized For STEM Academy Inc., an organization run by NAACP Houston Branch President James Douglas and former Houston ISD trustee Paula Harris, has been selected as the potential partner to run 10 long-struggling HISD schools at risk of triggering major state sanctions this year.

HISD trustees are scheduled to vote Tuesday on negotiating and executing a contract with Energized For STEM Academy, which already runs seven in-district charter schools in HISD, to take over operations of the 10 schools ahead of the 2018-19 school year, according to a public meeting notice posted Friday. District officials havent released terms of a contract, but its expected Energized For STEM Academy would be responsible for hiring, governance and operations at each school.

District officials have recommended temporarily surrendering control over the 10 schools as part of an effort to stave off sanctions due to chronically low academic performance. In exchange for relinquishing control, HISD would get a two-year reprieve from a potential state takeover of the districts locally elected school board or forced campus closures.

HISD officials didnt return calls seeking comment Friday night. They provided no advance information about the potential arrangements with Energized For STEM Academy.

Douglas, who has previously served as president of Texas Southern University and helped form Energized For STEM Academys governing board in 2008, said hes been in discussion with HISD leaders about the arrangement for three weeks. A contract hasnt been drawn up, and many details will be worked out in the coming days ahead of an April 30 deadline to submit partnership plans to the Texas Education Agency, Douglas said.

We know we have to do in a few days what normally would take months to do, Douglas said. But thats what has been handed to us, and thats what we have to deal with. We cant waste time worrying about what we need.

HISD administrators recommended about 2  months ago that the district consider partnerships with outside organizations for some of the 10 schools. Administrators later amended their recommendation, suggesting partnerships at all 10 campuses: Blackshear, Dogan, Highland Heights, Mading and Wesley elementary schools; Henry Middle School; Woodson PK-8; and Kashmere, Wheatley and Worthing high schools.

Until Friday, HISD leaders hadnt named any potential organizations under consideration for partnerships. To date, no HISD administrator has spoken to the media or distributed information about Energized For STEM Academy.

Energized For STEM Academy operates one early childhood campus, one elementary school, three middle schools and two high schools. About 90 percent of its student population is deemed economically disadvantaged.

The groups 1,880-student elementary school, by far the charters largest student body, scored below district averages on state standardized tests in 2017. However, its middle schools all scored near or above HISD averages, and its high schools reported exemplary academic results.

Six of the networks seven schools have met state academic standards each of the past five years. One middle school, the 200-student Energized For Stem Academy Central, was rated improvement required in two of the past five years.

A three-person governing board  Douglas, Harris and Missouri City dentist Opal Brandy  is responsible for overseeing operations at all Energized For STEM Academy schools. The trio would likely assume governance responsibilities over the 10 HISD schools under consideration for partnerships. A head of schools, Lois Bullock, has collaborated with HISD to operate in-district charter schools since 1998.

We have the skillset in our arsenal, said Douglas, who has also served as president of the NAACP Houston branch. We have people who have managed major institutions.

Energized For STEM Academy leaders would likely have to win over some community members skeptical of the arrangement, particularly given the short time frame for executing a plan. Douglas said building trust would be key to ensuring a smooth transition. He also hopes to increase parent engagement as a way to boost academic performance.

When you see our plan, its going to be very, very comprehensive, Douglas said. We think we need to listen to the people in the community and provide that kind of connectivity.

Douglas said Energized For STEM Academy leaders havent made final decisions about how current staff members would be evaluated for retention.

Were not going to go in and fire everybody, Douglas said. But we are going to make an assessment, and those people who have the ability to perform, were going to keep.

HISD officials are arranging partnerships under a law passed in 2017 known as SB 1882. Texas Education Agency officials will review HISDs partnership plans and contract to determine if they meet terms of the law and implementation rules. A decision is expected no later than early June.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com

twitter.com/chronjacob
Yolanda Terence was panicking.

The car was long gone, the first floor of her Bear Creek home still in repair. But Hurricane Harvey was supposed to have spared the pearls.

They were nowhere to be found.

The 59-year-old adored everything about Barbara Bush - the first ladys mission to fight illiteracy. Her loving embraces of strangers of all kinds. Her warmth. And the pearls.

Terence - better known as Yogi - had a bracelet. And they were integral to the last tribute she had planned for her role model.

Eventually, she found them Saturday morning hidden in the bottom of a dresser drawer that had to be moved upstairs after Harvey. She fastened them on her left wrist to polish off her blue outfit -Bush's favorite color.

She had never met Bush. But like many others gathered in Memorial Park, the late first ladys life felt familiar. She reminded Terence of her mother, and of the duty she has to raise her seven grandkids with love and kindness.

Shes what we need more of, Terence said at the park, which flanked the route Bushs funeral procession took to her burial in College Station. She led others to want to be better, and I want to be just like her.

We may not all be Barbara Bush, she said. But we can all try to be like Barbara Bush.

Nearby, a woman in a blue dress stood solemnly with a bouquet of yellow daisies. She barely spoke English, but knew what people meant when they pointed to the pearls wrapped around her neck, greeting each compliment with a smile and a thank you.

Pattie Kerr, meanwhile, skipped the pearls in favor of running shoes and a sweatshirt. She, too, was inspired by Bush, who used to shop at the same Tanglewood grocery stores as Kerr.

She never acted like a celebrity or anything, Kerr said. She went to Sams Club and ate at Fuzzys Pizza. How awesome is that?

Kerr met the Bush family a handful of times. But she talks about them like theyre old friends.

She made you feel like you were the most important person in the world to her, Kerr said. Now I feel like a piece of Houston is gone. But she left behind so many gifts for us.

Soon after, a procession of police officers made their way down Memorial Drive.

Terence quickly put down her crossword puzzle and shuffled to the roads median.

One car went by, then another.

Then, around the bend, came a long, black hearse.

Terence nearly lost her breath.

In stunned silence she watched the car moved toward her, greeting Bush with a delicate, blown kiss as she passed a few feet away - a final goodbye to her icon and role model.

Then, the cars disappeared out of view. Terence pulled a napkin from her blue jacket and dried her eyes, her pearls dangling from her wrist.

I just wanted to say goodbye, she said.
SAN ANTONIO  The truck driver who transported dozens of undocumented immigrants from Laredo to San Antonio in a sweltering tractor-trailer, resulting in the deaths of 10 people, was sentenced Friday to two concurrent life sentences without parole.

The judge equated the actions of the driver, James Matthew Bradley Jr., to torture.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost loved ones, Bradley, 61, of Louisville, Ky., said in a jailhouse video statement his public defenders played in court. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would. There is not a day or night that goes by that I dont relive that scene.  I am so sorry it happened.

Bradley pleaded guilty in October to two counts of conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants for profit, resulting in death.

Last July, Bradley was found with 39 immigrants in his tractor-trailer in the parking lot of a Walmart on San Antonios South Side. Eight were already dead when police arrived, two more died later at area hospitals, and the rest were hospitalized for treatment of heat-related injuries, some so severe that they had to continue getting kidney dialysis months later.

Federal prosecutors played a portion of video taken by the body camera of San Antonio police officer Hector Ybarra, and it showed bodies on top of one another. Some were lifeless; others barely moved and moaned and groaned. One survivor stumbled as he tried to help his fellow immigrants  among them his brother who died.

Ybarra, one of the first to respond, and a federal agent testified Friday about the grisly scene, where urine, feces, vomit and blood flowed or stained the inside of the trailer. The stench was overwhelming.

Ybarra said he offered water to the people inside but could hear only moans and groans and  like he was trained  poured water on the back of survivors necks to help cool them down. He checked for pulses as he went farther into the trailer.

As I got to the (front) of the trailer, it was increasingly hot and humid, Ybarra testified. Along with all my gear, all (the) urine and feces, and vomit, I ended up throwing up myself, twice.

Ybarra had to step out of the trailer to compose himself.

Survivors told investigators there may have been more than 70 migrants and up to 200 in the trailer at one point, though many left in passenger vehicles that followed the trailer into the Walmart parking lot after Bradley called the smugglers.

Homeland Security Investigations special agent Cory Downs choked back tears as he recounted what he saw and learned during the investigation. He said the immigrants were told that, as soon as Bradleys tractor-trailer left Laredo, the cooling system in the trailer would turn on. But it never did because it was broken, something Bradley knew, and those inside realized by the time the truck passed a checkpoint just north of Laredo.

Officials later confirmed that an X-ray machine at the Border Patrol checkpoint was not working the night Bradleys rig went through with its human cargo.

They tried to cut holes (in the trailer) with what they had, keys, a knife, a Leatherman, Downs testified. Someone tried to claw their way through (the trailers wall). There was blood everywhere. You could tell they just shredded their hands, or whatever they used.

At one point, the migrants trapped inside began hallucinating that they thought they saw someone with an oxygen mask and started dogpiling trying to get access to the air holes.

Bradleys lawyers argued that his lack of education left him vulnerable and that he was duped by professional smugglers. Bradley dropped out of school by sixth grade and learned to drive a commercial truck from truckers while he hitchhiked around the country, the defense lawyers said.

In his early 20s, he paid a $54 fee to get his license but was never required to take a test for it, one of his lawyers told Senior U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra.

But prosecutor Christina Playton countered that Bradley knew what he was doing because rather than call 911, he instead called an acquaintance and one of the smugglers in the chain. Court records show he was paid $5,600 by the smugglers.

Playton also played a videotape of investigators talking to Bradley, who claimed he did not know he was hauling immigrants.

Why would you get in a refrigerated trailer? Bradley said. Why would anybody put them in there? Its airtight.

Playton said despite his IQ of 69, Bradley chose to become a willing participant.

It was death, but not just death; it was extreme and inhumane suffering, Playton said.

Ezra rejected a request by Bradleys assistant public defenders, Alfredo Villarreal and Kim Stevens, for a sentence of 63 months. The judge found the appropriate recommended guideline range was 360 months to life in prison on each count.

The judge said ranchers dont even treat their livestock as horribly as Bradley did and that his human cargo suffered in unspeakable heat  that it could only be equated with torture.

The defendant was fully aware of the conditions in that trailer, Ezra said. He knew there was no cooling in trailer, and he provided them with no water. The result was predictable and tragic.

U.S. Attorney John Bash said afterward that the sentence should serve as a warning to other smugglers and to certain U.S. employers.

Im talking about businesses knowingly hiring hundreds of illegal aliens; you are creating the economic incentive to subject people to exploitation and death, Bash said. That needs to stop, and were going to be looking at it very closely to figure out how we can eliminate the incentive to bring illegal aliens, to smuggle them here in these conditions, by going after employers who are knowingly, and in violation of federal law, hiring unlawful aliens.

Shane Folden, special agent of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio, said that of the surviving immigrants, 15 were deported and 14 remain in deportation proceedings.

Besides Bradley, Pedro Silva Segura, 47, an undocumented immigrant who lived in Laredo, pleaded guilty in the case. He is set for sentencing in June. No one else has been charged.

Guillermo Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | gcontreras@express-news.net | @gmaninfedland
In honor of 4/20, the unofficial marijuana holiday that falls on April 20, CNBC's Jim Cramer took a look at the state of the red-hot bull market in marijuana.

"[It's] the hottest sector of the economy that remains totally illegal according to the federal government," the "Mad Money" host said on Friday.

So far, 29 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. have legalized medical marijuana, and nine states and D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana. As related businesses in those states flourish, they have also created new ways to invest in the marijuana industry.

"So while I may not be a cannabis connoisseur ... and I don't know the best way to tell you to get baked, I can absolutely help you figure out how to play the booming bud industry," Cramer said.

But even as marijuana investing grows in popularity  research firm Cowen estimates that the U.S. cannabis market could be worth $75 billion by 2030  Cramer wasn't sold on the trend.

"The issue is that there's been a huge, cryptocurrency-like run in this group and it's making most of these stocks too expensive for my taste," the "Mad Money" host said.

Even so, Cramer acknowledged the legitimacy of the marijuana business. Numerous studies have touted the benefits of medicinal marijuana, and the Food and Drug Administration will soon weigh the approval of the first cannabis-derived drug on the U.S. market.

Lawmakers are also turning positive on the plant. On Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a plan to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level.

Last week, former Speaker of the House John Boehner announced he would join the advisory board of privately-held marijuana company Acreage Holdings, telling CNBC in a statement that his "thinking on cannabis has evolved."

"Of course, the Trump administration has very different views, especially our very old-school Attorney General [Jeff Sessions]," Cramer said. "Sessions is not a fan of the marijuana industry and that makes investing in these stocks inherently more risky than investing in something that's less legally murky."

At this point, most marijuana companies are based in Canada, where medical marijuana is federally legal and recreational legalization is on its way.

But most of their stocks trade "over the counter," which Cramer said makes them illiquid, highly volatile and too risky for him to recommend.

He pointed to three Canadian marijuana growers: Aurora Cannabis Company, Canopy Growth Corp. and Aphria. With the rise of marijuana-themed exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, all of their stocks have soared to "extreme" valuations, Cramer said.

Experts estimate that the Canadian market could be worth $9 billion in several years. But Aurora, Canopy and Aphria are currently worth $3.8 billion, $4.7 billion and $1.85 billion, respectively, all "very optimistic" valuations considering the research at hand, Cramer said.

"Here's the thing: legalization is horrible for pot pricing," the "Mad Money" host said. "When states legalize, prices fall through the floor. I mean, it's a plant, for heaven's sake. The fact that it's against the law is the only thing that makes it expensive, so if you're betting on the state of the industry several years down the line, you really should bake that into your numbers."

Cramer wasn't even sure about the seemingly stable Cronos Group, a diversified international cannabis producer with the first pot stock to be listed on a major U.S. exchange.

"It's too risky for me to recommend to you," he said, noting that the company only generated less than $5 million in revenue in 2017 but its stock is currently valued at $1.3 billion.

For investors seeking some green, Cramer recommended the stocks of British drug company GW Pharmaceuticals, which develops cannabis-derived medications, and Constellation Brands, an alcohol company with a nearly 10 percent stake in Canopy Growth.

"The bottom line? When you're dealing with a controlled substance, you always need to play it safe," Cramer concluded. "So when it comes to investing in the marijuana stocks, most of them are way too dank for me. They're downright bubblicious, which is why only GW Pharma and Constellation Brands have my blessing because I don't want your money to go up in smoke."
A Southwest Airlines jet sits on the runway at Philadelphia International Airport after it was forced to land with an engine failure, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 2018.

"Aviation makes driving look like an act of suicide," said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at aviation analysis firm the Teal Group. The U.S. Department of Transportation last October said more than 37,000 people were killed on the country's roads in 2016. Traffic deaths overall and pedestrian fatalities had each increased from a year earlier.

The some 20-minute ordeal was horrific, but fatal accidents have become exceedingly rare. Riordan's death marked the first fatality from an accident aboard a U.S. airline since 2009, when a Colgan Air plane crashed near Buffalo, N.Y., killing 44 passengers and a person on the ground.

Capt. Tammie Jo Shults, a former Navy fighter pilot , expertly guided the jet to an emergency landing in Philadelphia, bringing the plane down quickly to prevent further injuries after the cabin depressurized.

The mid-air engine failure shortly into a Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas this week may have shaken even seasoned travelers. A fan blade from one of the Boeing 737-700's engine's broke lose, sending shrapnel flying, while the plane was flying above 30,000 feet. One of its windows blew out, and a passenger was partially sucked out of the opening.

But plane crashes and fatal accident rates have declined, even as the number of flights and passengers have hit record highs, a trend industry analysts chalk up to higher safety standards, better maintenance, safer equipment and more training.

U.S. airlines have carried close to 7 billion people since the Colgan Air crash through this past January, on more than 80 million flights, according to the Department of Transportation. That was without a passenger death due to an accident or incident. (The figures do not include on-board passenger deaths due to health problems.)

Fatal crashes had been more common in previous decades, data from the National Transportation Safety Board show.

"Crashes were happening for every damn reason you could imagine," said Kevin Michaels, managing director of AeroDynamic Advisory, an aviation consulting firm. "There were crashes all the time."

But crashes have prompted changes in regulations and safety, although years often pass before the rules are introduced. More than four years after the crash Colgan Air Flight 3407, the Federal Aviation Administration announced an increase in the number flying hours required to fly for a commercial passenger or cargo airline as a first officer to 1,500 from 250 hours. A lack of pilot experience was cited in the crash.

In 1996, a fuel-tank explosion downed TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747 bound for Paris from New York. All 230 people aboard were killed. Twelve years later, the FAA issued a requirement to install equipment that pumps nitrogen into fuel tanks to reduce oxygen and as a result, potential explosions.

The fatal engine failure aboard Southwest Flight 1380 on Tuesday, which came just days after a report on news program "60 Minutes" criticizing the safety record of budget carrier Allegiant Air, sparked some relatively quick action.

The engine's manufacturer, CFM International, a joint venture of General Electric and France's Safran Aircraft Engines, issued a service bulletin, calling for more stringent, ultrasonic checks of some CFM56-7B fan blades. The FAA made these checks mandatory for some engines shortly afterward in an "emergency" order, depending on how many times they've been used.

Southwest said its current maintenance program "meets or exceeds the requirements" set in the FAA's emergency order, issued Friday.

The National Transportation Safety Board is in the early stages of its investigation of the incident but is focusing on how a fan blade of the engine, a type that powers more than 6,000 aircraft worldwide, broke off.

Other challenges for airlines and regulators remain, even though the number of fatal accidents had declined in recent years. One issue is preventing injuries, or even death.

Airlines have struggled to inform passengers of safety procedures. A photo from Flight 1380 showed passengers wearing oxygen masks over their mouths, but not their noses as flight attendants instruct. Emergency evacuations on other flights showed passengers stopping to reach for luggage or filming videos.
You could be subject to new tax reporting requirements.

Some 9 million U.S. citizens live abroad as of 2016, according to the State Department.

David Neil Madden | Getty Images

Kelly Hayes-Raitt traded Los Angeles for a small lakeside town in Mexico and life out of a suitcase  and she's planning on retiring that way. "I love my house in Santa Monica, but I don't see myself living there again," the 56-year-old writer said. "I'm not sure I can afford it." She house sits for an expatriate couple, spending half the year in Ajijic, Mexico, just south of Guadalajara. Hayes-Raitt, author of "How to Become a Housesitter: Insider Tips from the HouseSit Diva," splits the remainder of her time looking after others' homes in southeast Asia and Europe. She is among the 9 million American citizens who reside overseas, according to the State Department. Nearly half a million receive Social Security benefits while residing in foreign countries.

Kelly Hayes-Raitt on the shore of Mexico's Lake Chapala, where she housesits every spring. Tom Nussbaum

U.S. retirees love Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama  the three are among the top-ranked retirement destinations, according to International Living's Annual Global Retirement Index  largely because of low costs, accessible health care and beautiful vistas. However, accountants warn that would-be expats pause and take inventory of their finances before they leave. Failure to weigh the tax impact of a move overseas could mean you'll be on the hook for an unexpected bill from Uncle Sam, your home state or the tax authority in your new country of residence. "It's all one big equation," said Douglas Ralph, a CPA with Greenback Expat Tax Services. "Maybe it will be cheaper to live in Spain, but some of these countries have wealth taxes and different property taxes that arise from owning condos," he said. "These things crop up." Here's where to begin if you'd like to clean up your taxes before you board that flight.

Know the local rules

Roger Wright | Getty Images

Before you choose your destination, dig into the tax system there. The U.S. has tax treaties with some foreign nations, which may give residents of those places a tax break in the form of lower rates or certain exemptions. This isn't always the case. "Though there may be U.S. tax benefits associated with your residence abroad, a country that operates on a residency-based tax system may charge a high tax on your income simply because you live there," said Katelynn Minott, a CPA with BrightTax.

Understand U.S. federal taxes

A couple look at Alfama, one of the city's historic neighborhoods, from the Miradouro de Santa Luzia in Lisbon, Portugal. Horacio Villalobos | Getty Images

Get to know how U.S. tax laws will apply to your streams of income. For instance, the foreign earned income exclusion allows you to exclude up to $104,100 in overseas income in 2018. That doesn't apply to retirement income, however. "A common misconception we hear is that pension benefits can be excluded from U.S. taxable income via the foreign earned income exclusion, and this is not the case," said Minott. Your worldwide income, plus up to 85 percent of your Social Security benefits, may be subject to federal income taxes  regardless of where you live. U.S. citizens residing in a handful of countries are exempt from federal taxes on Social Security, including Canada, Egypt and Israel.

Cut your ties

Alberto Alvarez / EyeEm | Getty Images

If your U.S. state of residency is a high-income tax locale, prepare for a fight on the way out. A common stumbling block for retirees who want to move to foreign nations is ensuring that they've slashed ties with their former state of residency. Failure to make a clean break may mean that your home state will continue to consider you a resident and will hit you up for taxes  even if you're living off your retirement savings in Costa Rica. If you have a home in a high-tax state, consider selling it. Surrender your driver's license and voter's registration card so that you can show your state that you're out. "If I move my domicile to Spain, I'm sticking to it," Ralph said. "But the state can come around and say you left these Virginia pieces that imply you might want to come back someday." Hayes-Raitt decided to maintain her home in California, which she now rents out. She still pays taxes there, too, but she doesn't regret it. "My income isn't much, so it's almost a moot point," she said. "I like coming home to vote and my health care is based in the U.S." It doesn't hurt to maintain a U.S. mailing address. Consider signing up for a mail forwarding service. Some companies will also send you scanned images of your correspondence so that you have real-time access to your mail.

Learn about foreign accounts

Canary Islands, Spain marcoisler | Getty Images

Do your homework on opening foreign bank accounts if you'll need one for spending  and make sure you know how those banks treat U.S. citizens. Americans who hold accounts abroad are subject to additional reporting requirements. They need to file a report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts or FBAR with the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. They must also file additional reports with the IRS as they submit their income tax returns. If you deliberately fail to file an FBAR, you could face a penalty: the greater of $100,000 or 50 percent of the balances in your foreign accounts. Meanwhile, individuals who fail to file Form 8938 with the IRS  the statement of specified foreign financial assets  could be on the hook for a penalty of up to $10,000 for failure to disclose and a potential maximum penalty of $60,000. Foreign financial institutions are also required to report on assets held by U.S. account holders as part of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act or FATCA. As a result of the additional compliance requirement, foreign banks have shied away from U.S. clients  and there are U.S. banks that don't want their clients to reside overseas, said Minott. "It's important to understand whether your U.S. bank allows you to keep operating your mutual funds and continue trading while you're abroad," she said. "We've seen foreign banks freezing assets and shutting out U.S. clients."

Find your overseas tax pros

Nigel Pavitt | Getty Images
Jason Duff, based in Bellefontaine, Ohio, says hes already seeing price increases in the wake of steel and aluminum import tariffs. But, he supports the Presidents goal of evening the playing field when it comes to trade.

As the threat of a trade war continues to loom, Main Street businesses across industries and political leanings are beginning to feel the potential ramifications.

For Alice Reed, a fallout with China might mean make or break for the farm that's been in her family for more than 100 years. Off the Grid! Reed's Green Growers, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, grows corn and soybeans and relies on an export partnership with China. A 25 percent tariff levied on soybeans by the world's largest economy has her on edge, at a time when she says the agricultural economy at home is already struggling.

"We are pretty afraid," Reed says. "Corn prices have dropped in the past few years, and this soybean tariff will make our bottom line drop even further. It puts our family farm in peril  we will be in big trouble paying for our property taxes, paying for the seed and fertilizers. Our business will be in jeopardy."

Reed says she supported Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election cycle, fearful of what President Donald Trump's policies might mean for Main Street. As a farmer in a red state, she was outnumbered  surrounded by others who believed his ideals would revive American business.

"Now they're starting to wonder if this is really going to happen, or if we will be in big trouble," Reed says of her fellow farmers. "We are a small business, we stand for American ways, and we sure hoped that he would help out the small guy instead of harming us. We are hurting down here.

"We hope he can come through and help us," she says of Trump.

The premise of evening the playing field in trade relations was one of the reasons independent voter Jason Duff says he supported the president in 2016. The owner of Bellefontaine Ohio Properties Ltd. invests in and renovates small businesses in his company's namesake town. He felt Trump would fight for American businesses.

"My initial response to the tariffs was that I'm pleased that we're trying to balance things out. In 2017 we had a trade deficit of $375 billion with China  that's a lot of money," Duff said.

But in the wake of the 25 percent tariffs on steel and 10 percent tariffs on aluminum the Trump administration imposed last month on certain products, Duff said he's already seeing price increases from vendors, making planning ahead more difficult.

"Our whole business is a short-term challenge. We want to see things to be fairer, we also want to see manufacturing jobs come back to places like my town in Ohio," he said. "We also appreciate certainty, but right now there is greater uncertainty in the market, and it's difficult for me to plan and take initiative, and take on risk in doing future projects."

Lindsay Walters, White House deputy press secretary, said in a statement, "China's unfair trade practices are an enormous threat to the long-term health of the American economy and they have been especially harmful to small businesses. ... In the long run, the actions taken by the USTR and the President will benefit the entire U.S. economy by ending China's predatory practices, including forced technology transfer, the theft of intellectual property, and import substation policies designed to take away market share from foreigners."

Meanwhile, small business advocates have been mixed on the tariffs. The conservative lobbying group the National Federation of Independent Business found trade and exporting in particular ranked number 75 out of 75 issues polled in its latest "Problems and Priorities" poll from 2016. But the nonpartisan National Small Business Association and the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council have been more pointed in criticizing Trump's policies. In fact, the SBE Council recently testified before Congress urging for free trade and the "strengthening, not undermining" of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

As the political back and forth on tariffs continues, Duff says he is watching "every penny" his small business spends. Back in Lincoln, Reed says they're hopeful, but bracing for the worst.

"We are hoping that things get better and that this cycle goes away instead of increases. Usually, the farm economy is the first to feel these effects, and we are going to feel it here at home," she says.
President Donald Trump has questioned the legality of the special counsel, who is conducting a probe into Russia interference in the 2016 presidential election, alleged collusion by the Trump campaign and obstruction of justice.



Trump suggested special counsel Robert Mueller's probe was prompted by classified information illegally leaked to press by former FBI director James Comey.



Trump Tweet

Comey, who was fired by Trump, wrote detailed memos of his interactions with the president. In testimony before Congress last year, the former FBI director said he asked a friend to share content from the memos with the press, in the hopes it would lead to the appointment of a special counsel.

Comey's memos reportedly contained information that is now considered classified, prompting a review by the Justice Department's internal watchdog.



Trump has reportedly considered firing special counsel Mueller at least twice last year, and has repeatedly slammed the Russia probe as a "witch hunt." Earlier this month, White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said the president "certainly believes he has the power" to fire Mueller.

But as of late the president seemed to back off his attacks on Mueller and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who oversees the Russia investigation. According to a report by Bloomberg, Trump told confidants that he does not want to fire Rosenstein or Mueller right now.
The British already have a foothold in the manufacture of small satellites. Now they are moving quickly to build the rockets necessary to launch them.

The United Kingdom Space Agency, working with British companies in the sector, has established how intends to grow its 6.5 percent stake in the $350 billion space economy over the next 12 years.

"We want to get to a place where the U.K. has 10 percent of the global space economy by 2030 and we're working in partnership to deliver it," Claire Barcham, the director of the agency's satellite launch program, told CNBC at the 34th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

A 10 percent stake could be worth more than $109 billion in 2030, according to Bank of America last year.

To achieve that growth, UKSA is working to attract rocket companies which specialize in launching small satellites, Barcham said. The U.K. currently produces about 44 percent of the world's small satellites and has extensive facilities to operate those satellites once active. But Britain lacks any spaceports or launchpads to put the satellites in orbit.

"The one bit that we're missing is the launch," Barcham said, adding that UKSA wants "to use launch capabilities to make the U.K. the European hub for small satellites."

In the next couple of months, the agency is expected to announce funding grants worth millions for the development of launch facilities.

"We're conscious of the need to move quickly. There is a lot of focus on the crystallization of demand from 2020 on," Barcham said.
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A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey

This book starts in a ridiculous tone of voice. If the author is as naive as he makes himself sound in his opening lines, it is not surprising he was unable to cope with Donald Trump. For James Comey begins by running himself down in words which could have been lifted from a Craig Brown parody:

Who am I to tell others what ethical leadership is? Anyone claiming to write a book about ethical leadership can come across as presumptuous, even sanctimonious. All the more so if that author happens to be someone who was quite memorably and publicly fired from his last job.

Comey was Director of the FBI until the afternoon of 9 May 2017, when he was addressing staff at his organisations Los Angeles branch and happened to notice, on television screens at the back of the room, the words COMEY RESIGNS.

He stopped in mid sentence and said: Thats pretty funny. Somebody put a lot of work into that one.

But no sooner had he resumed his speech than the message on all three screens, showing three different news stations, changed to COMEY FIRED.

The Director retired to a private room and established, with a certain amount of difficulty, that he had indeed been fired, even though the President had repeatedly assured him he was doing an excellent job.

Here is a second reason, as Comey recognises, for approaching his memoir with a degree of scepticism. It could merely be an act of revenge, in which he allows himself to be dragged into an exchange of insults by the President, who with characteristic magnanimity denounced him, as this volume was about to appear, as a slimeball.

The book is actually much better than that. It is a pity that Comeys editors allowed him to clutter it with quite so many references to ethical leadership, so it reads at times like a self-help manual, though one suspects a great deal more of that sort of stuff was removed.

Again and again, the author feels impelled to make grand moral statements, interspersed with reflections on how to be a great leader. These statements are not wrong, but are delivered in such an innocent tone that one cannot help feeling the speaker lacks the subtlety needed to navigate the politics of law.

But for readers on this side of the Atlantic, there is also some value in being shown how explicit, and serious, the Americans like to be about moral questions. That is part of the American tradition. As one walks round the middle of Washington, one finds the very buildings inscribed with uplifting maxims.

And by the end of Comeys book, he has earned our respect. For here is a lawyer, and public servant, who does not think it is good enough to allow ones principles to be implicit in ones behaviour. Comey is an altogether more explicit kind of character.

He is also rather tough. In his view, justice depends on people knowing they must tell the truth or else suffer terrible consequences:

There was once a time when most people worried about going to hell if they violated an oath taken in the name of God. That divine deterrence has slipped away from our modern cultures. In its place, people must fear going to jail. They must fear their lives being turned upside down. They must fear their pictures splashed on newspapers and websites. People must fear having their name forever associated wth a criminal act if we are to have a nation with the rule of law. Martha Stewart lied, blatantly, in the justice system She had to be prosecuted.

Comey was the United States Attorney, or chief federal prosecutor, in Manhattan, responsible for the celebrated case which resulted in Stewart going to jail. He also conducted many successful Mafia prosecutions in New York.

He goes to Washington, and describes the extreme difficulty of remaining independent, devoted to upholding and enforcing the law without fear or favour, in an atmosphere of ferocious and unscrupulous partisanship. Just before the 2016 presidential election, he decides the FBIs investigation into Hillary Clintons emails must be reopened because new evidence has come to light, and that he must announce this reopening, or will be accused, after her victory, of favouritism towards her.

It is certainly a hard decision to make, with no course of action which lacks disadvantages. But one cannot help feeling his determination to avoid looking partisan led him into a course of action which handed an unfair advantage to Trump.

Fiat justitia ruat caelum  let justice be done though the heavens fall  is the Comey way, The heavens do not fall, but Trump wins the election.

Comey, though a registered Republican, was appointed Director of the FBI by Barack Obama, and had by then served just over three years of his ten-year term. He is interesting on Obama, who in his experience observes all the constitutional proprieties and is exceptionally good at listening to what other people are saying.

He is fascinating on Trump, to whom the last quarter of this 280-page book is devoted. He meets him for the first time in early January 2017, in Trump Tower, where along with other intelligence leaders, he has to brief the President elect about Russian actions during the presidential election, and to warn him of unsubstantiated but already widely circulated allegations that Trump was vulnerable to Russian blackmail, because on a visit to Moscow in 2013 he had been filmed watching prostitutes urinating on a hotel bed in the presidential suite of the Ritz-Carlton which had been used by the Obamas on their visit there.

He finds at once that Trump is determined to dissolve the distinction between intelligence gathering and politics:

As I was sitting there, the strangest image filled my mind. I kept pushing it away because it seemed too odd and too dramatic, but it kept coming back: I thought of New York mafia social clubs, an image from my days as a Manhattan federal prosecutor in the 1980s and 1990s. The Ravenite. The Palma Boys. Cafe Giardino. I couldnt shake the picture. And looking back, it wasnt as odd and dramatic as I thought it was at the time. The Italian Mafia, as noted earlier, called itself La Cosa Nostra  this thing of ours  and always drew a line between someone who was a friend of yours, meaning someone outside the family, and someone who was a friend of ours, meaning an official member of the family. I sat there thinking, Holy crap, they are trying to make each of us an amica nostra  friend of ours. To draw us in. As crazy as it sounds, I suddenly had the feeling that, in the blink of an eye, the president-elect was trying to make us all part of the same family and that Team Trump had made it a thing of ours.

He is deeply embarrassed by Trump, and has no idea how to deal with him, but is on his guard, and soon resolves to write contemporary accounts of their conversations, which he shares with senior colleagues at the FBI.

On 27 January 2017, Trump invites Comey to dinner at the White House. To Comeys dismay, it is just the two of them:

The head of the FBI could not be put into the position of meeting and chatting privately with the President of the United States  especially after an election like 2016. The very notion would compromise the Bureaus hard-won integrity and independence. My fear was that Trump expected exactly that.

Trump says he has heard great things about Comey, but asks if he wants to keep his job, and observes that he could make a change at FBI if he wanted to. Comey interprets this as an effort to establish a patronage relationship.

Comey says he certainly wants to go on doing the job, and will be reliable, not in the sense of supporting a particular side, but because he can be counted on to tell the President the truth. He argues that it is in the Presidents best interest for the FBI and the Department of Justice to be seen to be independent of the White House, especially when, as often happens, prominent members of a presidential administration are under investigation.

Trump is not pleased by this reply. He says: I need loyalty. I expect loyalty.

Comey remains silent. He is reminded of Sammy the Bulls Cosa Nostra induction ceremony:

I was determined not to give the President any hint of assent to this demand, so I gave silence instead I stared again at the soft white pouches under his expressionless blue eyes.

As Comey cannot resist adding, Ethical leaders never ask for loyalty. Later in the meal, when Trump renews his demand for loyalty, Comey says: You will always get honesty from me. Trump replies, after a pause: Thats what I want, honest loyalty.

With that uneasy compromise, the meal ends. But Trump has not got the submission he wants, and a few months later, in a blizzard of awful behaviour, he fires Comey.

Comeys contemporaneous accounts of these conversations are in the public domain, and he has been interviewed by Robert Mueller, who was Director of the FBI from 2001-13 and is now the Special Counsel charged with investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election campaign. As Comey writes:

I dont know whether the Special Counsel will find criminal wrongdoing by the President or others who have not been charged as of this writing. One of the pivotal questions I presume that Bob Mueller is investigating is whether or not in urging me to back the FBI off our investigation of his National Security Adviser and in firing me, President Trump was attempting to obstruct justice, which is a federal crime.

Comey has written an impressive book about the incompatibility of the values epitomised since the start of the Republic by George Washington  restraint and integrity and balance and transparency and truth  with Trumps unethical leadership.
Bradley Horsley is a student at Kings College, London.

Free markets are great! This is essentially the election slogan that many, if not most, Conservative activists would like to campaign under. Albeit in a more jazzed-up, election-winning format.

How to brand this message was a topic of a recent conversation in which I took part. In todays world of social media-friendly memes and GIFs, it can often be hard to get across an argument. Rather, social media often causes an oversimplification of issues and instead aims for peoples hearts, not their heads. As we sat there discussing these issues, I realised that the answer was right under my nose. I should have noticed, too: its hoppy aroma was hard to miss. My pint of Trumans Roller IPA, and Craft Beer in general, I thought, could provide the solution.

It is spreading across the country, out from smaller brewers into trendy East London haunts and even the local village pub. Unlike the big brand lagers, each brew is made in smaller quantities and aims to be different. Some are more bitter; others lighter; some are darker, others aim to be hoppier. Essentially, these beers offer more choice to the consumer.

The Conservative Party cant directly claim responsibility for the birth of the craft beer revolution. The barley seeds had been sewn long before we entered government in 2010. Yet it was the product of one of our core beliefs: that lower taxes are better for society.

After 25 years of campaigning by the Society of Independent Brewers, Gordon Brown introduced a progressive beer duty in his 2002 budget. Breweries which produced less than 880,000 pints a year could see a discount of 50 per cent on their tax bill with a sliding scale of relief available for those who grew beyond this.

In a world of Jeremy Corbyn, and his easy, yet expensive and often ill thought-out solutions, talking in the abstract about the benefits of lower taxes often means having to fight off claims that lower taxes only benefit billionaires. So here is a great example for social media and on the doorstep. The economy benefited; low taxes meant more small businesses; the number of brewers in the UK has grown from 500 to 2,000, including the relaunch of Trumans Brewery in East London. Consumers benefit, too  more choice and better beer.

The upcoming local elections may worry some. The media rhetoric seems to be that the bearded hipsters in Shoreditch and Islington may lock us out of London for a generation. But there is hope. There are messages we can put across. We just have to reassure peoples faith in capitalism with practical examples. Remind them that life in a socialist state could never produce the products we love or allow people to turn their passions into a career. While under the teetotal Corbyn, who knows if alcohol would be permitted at all.

If youre still unsure about how conservative these craft brewers are, look to BrewDog  the UKs largest, still independent craft brewery. Despite, or perhaps because of, all their punk and rebel branding theyre as Thatcherite as a company can be. Rather than floating directly on the stock exchange, the Punk IPA producers have sold shares to those who love their beers. Of this Equity for Punks scheme, Mrs Thatcher have would been proud: this is her share owning democracy in action. She may have had limited success in her endeavors, but the free market promises to continue her good work.
The EU referendum and its aftermath have seen a role reversal in the Commons. Former Ministers who backed Remain, lifelong loyalists to the Party orthodoxies, have gradually learned to operate as dissidents and occasional rebels: Stephen Hammond, Dominic Grieve, Nicky Morgan, above all Ken Clarke. Former backbenchers who supported Leave, some of whom have never held Ministerial office, are suddenly the new Party establishment, fully supportive of the Governments EU negotiation aims as first set out by Theresa May: So it is not going to a Norway model. Its not going to be a Switzerland model. It is going to be an agreement between an independent, sovereign United Kingdom and the European UnionWe are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again. And we are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Senior Brexiteers and other longtime Leave backers have expressed concern from time to time. In January, in the wake of the Prime Ministerss interim deal with the EU, Theresa Villiers warned that the direction of travel seems to have gone in only one single direction: towards a dilution of Brexit. In March, Jacob Rees-Mogg said, during the aftermath of the agreement about transition, that this agreement gives away almost everything and it is very hard to see what the Government has got in return.

But, by and large, the committed Eurosceptics in the Commons have done what establishments do: namely, to operate behind the scenes  lobbying Ministers, warning Whips, using the Partys internal mechanisms to make their views known. Downing Street is keen to keep it that way. So it is that pro-Brexit partisans are being asked by the whips to keep shtum, or at least muted, during next Thursdays Commons debate on the Customs Union. Let pro-Customs Union Tories huff and puff, the Brexiteers are being told. Let them talk themselves out. Nothing will change , as the Prime Minister would put it. Post-Brexit, the UK wil leave the Common Commercial Policy and Common Commercial Tariff, and gain the right to negotiate and sign trade deals.

Those strong Eurosceptics are not so sure. The Governments Customs Union defeat in the Lords may have been expected in Westminster, but it has reminded Leave supporters of what they are up against. There is no continuity Vote Leave campaign. By contrast, there are lots of noisy former and present Remainers. Their impact is greater in the Westmister Village than outside it  but that village is where most MPs spend a lot of their time.

What might be called the Official Wing of the former Remainers recognises that Brexit is set to happen. So it is now concentrated on what it believes will limit the damage. Originally, its aim was to stay in the Single Market. The idea wont fly because Labour wont back it: too many of the partys northern and midlands MPs are worried, quite rightly, that continued Single Market membership would be incompatible with a proper system of immigration control. So the Official Wing has fallen back on continued Customs Union membership, or something so like it to make no difference. Hence the Governments defeat in the Lords this week. Hence Thursdays debate  and pro-Customs Union amendments when the Trade Bill comes to the Commons. The aim is to wear the Government down.

The EU knows this  hence the timing of its rejection of Mays Customs Union ideas. It is piling on the pressure  particularly over the UK-Ireland border by rejecting the Governments ideas for resolving most of the big potential problems through waivers and technology. It hopes that influential officials, such as Olly Robbins, Mays Brexit adviser, will be less committed to leaving the Customs Union than many Tory politicians. Even some pro-Leave Ministers are saying sadly that there is no Commons majority for leaving that union.

This site is sceptical of whether Brexiteers would really reject any agreement that the Government eventually reaches, however unsatisfactory they may find it. Conservative MPs are unlikely to take collective action that might risk the emergence of a far-left Labour Government  whatever the Fixed Terms Parliament Act may say. And the committed Leavers are unwilling to take the blame for ousting a leader in whom committed Remainers also have no confidence as a future election winner. But if Downing Street is counting on detestation of Corbyn, plus a lack of support in the Commons for No Deal, to stay the formers hand, it should think again. For some of those Brexiteers, the collapse of Mays position would be a bridge too far.

Im not saying that there would be an organised push, but the letters would just go in to Graham Brady, one senior pro-Leave backbencher told this site yesterday. The sense is that in these circumstances some Brexiteer MPs have had enough  not necessarily as an organised collective, but certainly as angry individuals. If theres a cave-in on the Customs Union, I think there will be aleadership challenge, said another. Perhaps its just talk: after all, there was talk of a challenge to David Cameron for most of the Coalition years.

But Brexit is a wild card. And while staying in the Customs Union, or joining a customs union, might not be a breach of the letter of the referendum, it would certainly be one of its spirit. Then there are the complicated cross-currents of the ambitions of future leadership aspirants. We suspect that Number Ten is under no illusions about the fragility of the position. There is a danger of mistaking silence for consent.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Cosplayers gather at the Army, Navy, and Airforce Club for the Sakura Cherry Blossom Cosplay on April 14, 2018, to dress as their favourite characters.

The event has grown since their first gathering on Halloween 2 years ago to now be a group of 25 people with well put together costumes from any source they desire.

The event is held in anticipation of the Cornwall Area Pop Event at the Benson Centre next weekend and is a way to celebrate the coming of Spring.

Gathering people with similar interests in a close-knit group allows for a judgment-free environment for those who are anxious about dressing in costumes in public.

The organizer of the event, Britteny Bracey, came dressed as Cutiepie Karuta from the Vocaloids and truly brought the spirit of Cosplay.

I am just glad we get to help the community, and its not a bundle out of our pockets just to go enjoy ourselves. I really think it helps people who have anxiety and its a small event to start the things they want to do, said Britteny.

The $5 entry fee allowed patrons to be entered into a draw for prizes, food, and photos as well as enjoy the company of like-minded individuals.

Sierra Lalonde-Luscombe came to the event dressed as Gumi from the Vocaloids.

It lets me be someone Im not and it is also something really fun to do because it lets me express my self, said Sierra.

In June, the group plans to do a similar event with the theme of Alice in Wonderland.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Cornwall Fire Services were called to a residence on Carleton St. at around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 19.

Fire Services were quickly on the scene of the fire at 216 Carleton St. and contained the fire to one apartment in a four unit building.

Thirteen firefighters fought the blaze and quickly put it out. Cornwall Fire Services are reporting that the blaze was started by a cooking related incident.

Fire Chief Pierre Voisine credits the fact that there were no injuries to working smoke detectors.
Hamburg-based TUI Cruises is celebrating its 10th anniversary on April 22. TUI Cruises was founded in 2008 as a joint venture between the tourism group TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Cruises.

While established in 2008, TUI Cruises has been sailing since 2009 and presently has six ships with a berth capacity of 14,784 and an estimated annual passenger capacity of 511,854, according to the 2018-2019 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

On May 11, 2018, TUI will christen the new Mein Schiff 1 Hamburg, the latest addition to its six-ship fleet. The new Mein Schiff 2 is currently being built in the Finnish Meyer Turku shipyard and will enter service in 2019, while the original Mein Schiff 2 will be renamed and remain in the fleet.

Marking the anniversary, Mein Schiff 7 has been announced for delivery in 2023.

Since its launch with the Mein Schiff 1, which was the former Celebrity Galaxy, the brand added the Mein Schiff 2, the former Celebrity Mercury, before embarking on a newbuild program. The original Mein Schiff 1 has since been transferred to sister company Marella Cruises, hence the introduction of a new Mein Schiff 1 this spring.

According to a prepared statement from TUI, the Mein Schiff fleet has welcomed around 2.2 million guests and the six ships have sailed to more than 200 ports, covering about 1.8 million miles, during its first 10 years.

The brand also claims to have new industry standards with its premium all-inclusive concept and has established itself in Germany as the leading premium brand in the volume segment.

I am looking forward to the next 10 years of TUI Cruises. We have big plans, said Wybcke Meier, CEO, in a prepared statement. Of course, we also want to celebrate this with our guests. We have planned various activities that guests can look forward to.
The 2018 Halifax cruise season will officially start Sunday, April 22, at noon with the arrival of Fram, a Hurtigruten vessel. She is scheduled to berth at Pier 23 in the Halifax Seaport District.

With 200 scheduled vessel calls carrying approximately 300,000 thousand cruise guests during the 2018 season, the Port of Halifax said it is preparing for another record-breaking year.

Highlights include: Ten scheduled inaugural calls, starting with the arrival of the Norwegian Bliss on April 30. This will be the first North American call on the maiden voyage of the new ship. The Disney Magic will make three calls in September and October, and the Queen Mary 2 will make one call in October.

October 9, 2018 is expected to be the busiest day with over 11,000 cruise passengers on five vessels
HARTFORD  Democrats and Republicans pitched two dramatically different visions Friday for how the state should spend a nearly $20 billion state budget in fiscal year 2019.

As the state looks toward billions in future deficits, small windfalls in recent months  mostly due to one-time revenues  had both parties considering higher spending in some areas. But how and where they directed funding diverged greatly.

Democrats suggested increasing gross state spending by $146 million over the more restrained, revised budget proposed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy in February.

We should be creating a budget that creates hope and opportunities for all people in Connecticut, said Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, chair of the legislatures appropriations committee.

The Democrats biggest increase is nearly $100 million more in education funding. Their budget would launch a Free 2 Start program that aims for free college tuition to all Connecticut students at state universities and colleges. Funding in fiscal 2019 provides tuition for 3,200 incoming college freshman.

Their plan also eliminates transportation rate hikes and keeps bus and train services at current levels. It funds $4.3 billion in road projects, which will help economic development and maintain jobs for construction workers, Democrats said. Meanwhile, it keeps the statewide car tax mill rate topped at 45.

After contentious debate, the legislatures budget committee voted Friday afternoon to send the Democratic budget to the House floor in a party line vote. Only House members were permitted to vote on the proposal.

Future passage of the Democrats plan may be rocky. Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, said she might vote against her party's proposal in the hopes of arriving at a bipartisan budget, like that passed in October.

Republicans called Democrats proposal a spending spree Friday. Free tuition is a good idea, said Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, but not when the state is strapped.

The Democrats budget is an election year political ploy, Fasano said.

Republicans heralded their budget proposal as the road to economic predictability and sustainability.

It failed to win any Democratic support so did not advance out of committee. Elements of the Republicans budget may surface later as legislators negotiate the final budget bill, party members said.

Republicans proposed spending $461 million less total gross than the Democrats plan, reducing spending in fiscal year 2019 by 6 percent compared with the amount planned in the October two-year budget. The Democrats budget is a 4 percent reduction compared with the original appropriation.

The two parties budgets both restored some funding for the Medicare Savings Plan, school health clinics and Department of Social Services Hispanic programs. They increased municipal and education grants to towns. They reduced cuts to the Care 4 Kids preschool program and retired teachers health care.

Both plans cut tens of millions from the Department of Social Services and Department of Children and Families budgets.

But Republicans more austere plan would have eliminated the states current $321.5 million deficit, they said. It paid down the states unfunded liabilities up front by giving $400 to $600 million to the State Employees Retirement Fund, Teachers Retirement Fund and Retired Teachers Health Fund.

Money paid to those accounts would come from the states rainy day fund, which is intended to protect the state in economic downturns. The fund has specific caps that limits how it can be used, but Republicans said they would later change the limits so the money could be put toward pensions.

Due to higher than predicted revenues this spring and millions in capitol gains realized in December, the rainy day fund is projected to hold $1.2 billion this year, the Office of Policy and Management said.

Democrats disapproved. Malloy compared shifting money from the rainy day fund to pensions to teenagers who refuse to save their money.

This is like spend as much as you can when you have it, he said.

Republicans would achieve other savings in their plan by, in part, privatizing the Department of Mental Heath and Addiction Services and some Department of Motor Vehicles services and reducing grants to Hartford allocated to help the city pay off its debts, they said.

Other cuts, particularly those to Department of Labor programs helping disabled, unemployed or formerly incarcerated individuals, drew criticism from Democrats in the committee.

Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, called the cuts a disservice to the state.

Tough choices are necessary to bring Connecticut back to fiscal health, countered Rep. Fred Wilms, D-Norwalk.

Our state is running out of options to control costs and pay down unfunded liabilities without drastically cutting services, he said. Any additional revenue has to be used to ensure Connecticuts fiscal sustainability for the long term while protecting local education and making necessary investments in transportation.

If an agreement cannot be reached before the session ends in two and a half weeks, legislators could also choose not to pass a new fiscal year budget and use the plan they laid out in the biennium budget passed in October.

Malloy warned lawmakers of the dangers of inaction in a letter Friday. Without new revenue, the state could not afford planned transportation improvement projects and would have to reduce train and bus services, he said.

The state Comptrollers office said Friday it is projecting a deficit this year of $363.5 million, an increase of $170.8 million from the level reported in March.

About $150 million of the change is due to the states assumption that reimbursement from the federal government for hospital rate increases and supplemental payments will be delayed.

Connecticut faces deficits of $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2020, $2.7 billion in 2021 and $3.2 billion in 2022.

emunson@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson
DANBURY  About 40 Western Connecticut State University students have fallen ill from what appears to be a virus, a statement released Friday evening said.

The students came down with symptoms Thursday and Friday, said Director of Community Relations and Public Affairs Paul Steinmetz.

The symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea, but we havent identified the source of the illness, Steinmetz said Friday. We are working with the Department Public Health and the Danbury Health Department.

Campus email messages have been sent out to all students and social media posts have been posted to inform students about the outbreak, Steinmetz said.

The school encourages any students exhibiting symptoms to see their primary care physician, visit an urgent care facility to a hospital emergency room. Steinmetz urges students to request tests to indicate if theyre ill from a virus.

We are conducting a deep clean of our Westside campus, where the illnesses are concentrated, Steinmetz said. This deep clean will include sanitation of all common areas. The Westside cafeteria and other common areas will be closed for cleaning for the weekend.

Extra buses will be provided to take students to the Midtown cafeteria throughout the weekend.

Students are reminded to properly wash their hands before handling or consuming food and not to share food or drinks with others. If a student vomits in their dorm room, they can contact housing and residential life staff to assist with cleaning.

The Connecticut Department of Health recommends students that experience the symptoms of this illness, and also work in day care centers, health care institutions or food service establishments, refrain from returning to work until 72 hours after their symptoms resolve.
BRIDGEPORT  The man supporters call one of the most competent department heads in City Hall  John Ricci, head of public facilities  is leaving.

Ricci, a handful of sources said Friday evening, has told Mayor Joe Ganim that he will leave his job in June.

The news was met with shock and sadness as word spread in the administration.

I am devastated, said another Ganim appointee. He will be sorely missed.

Neither Ricci nor the mayor could be immediately reached for comment and it was not clear what prompted Riccis decision.

Ricci has had a lengthy career in municipal government. He was once a mayoral chief of staff, then for decades managed Bridgeports airport. That came to an end in 2013 when then-Mayor Bill Finch fired Ricci.

The firing came after Hearst Connecticut Media reported on Riccis involvement in a controversial driveway project related to safety upgrades at the airport. Riccis supporters at the time said Finch, who accused Ricci of failing to disclose a conflict-of-interest, made him a scapegoat.

Ricci filed a lawsuit and ultimately was allowed to retire.

Ricci then got his revenge on Finch by helping Ganim, who was mayor in the 1990s until convicted of corruption, defeat Finch in 2015s Democratic mayoral primary. After Ganim won that years general election, the returned mayor put Ricci in charge of the public facilities department.

Most recently Ricci was given the job of cleaning up the Ganim administrations messy rollout of controversial, camera-equipped parking meters. The equipment was installed downtown last year and Ricci has been working on replacing the new meters with ones that do not have cameras.

Ricci has been generous to Ganims gubernatorial campaign, giving the maximum $3,500 contribution as well as, according to a public finance report, paying hundreds of dollars worth of postage that was later reimbursed.
Bill Clark | Getty Images

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth has regularly made history throughout her political career. The Iraq War veteran was the first Asian-American woman elected to Congress in Illinois, the first disabled woman to be elected to the United States Congress, the first member of U.S. Congress born in Thailand and as of this month, became the first sitting senator to give birth while in office.

Ahead of her first vote since her daughter Maile Pearl was born, Duckworth put forth the first bill of its kind that would allow babies on the Senate floor, which, despite questions from older members of the governing body -- notably Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch asking, What if there were 10 babies on the Senate floor? -- was passed unanimously, with support from both sides of the aisle.
According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations are registered in the United States. However, during most of my career in real estate private equity, had someone had told me that Id leave that world to oversee the not-for profit NHP Foundation (NHPF), developing low-income housing, I wouldnt have believed it.

Related: 3 Nonprofit Founders Who Are Inspiring Entrepreneurs

But being involved with a nonprofit helping people in desperate need wasn't alien to me, either. For a number of years, I had been on the board of Project Hope, which operates a shelter and provides services for homeless women and children in Boston. There, I'd found it highly gratifying to help raise women out of poverty and find them work and affordable housing.

That's why the foundation's approach made me reflect back on the positive impact made by Project Hope. I could use my prior experience to address the critical shortage of affordable housing for people in need.

However, like many executives transitioning to the nonprofit world, I knew I couldn't make this decision lightly; I needed to bring my A-game. The organization Nonprofit HR notes that, Nonprofit sustainability occurs when a nonprofit attracts and effectively uses enough, and the right kinds of money necessary, to achieve [its] long-term outcome goals. Overall, sustainability comes from achieving talent sustainability, the article said.

As for my own transition to the nonprofit sector, the question was, could I parlay my experience and acumen to bring in the right talent to manage millions of dollars worth of complex private-public partnerships, resulting in thousands of affordable rental units for the working poor, families and seniors?

I finally decided that the answer was yes.

What happened when I made the move to the nonprofit world.

For the nine years I've spent so far at NHPF, I've found it both challenging and rewarding overseeing an organization providing quality housing for those in need. And, finding and retaining a smart inter-generational team with experience in housing and other industries has been key.

Related: When It Makes Sense to Turn a Passion Project Into a Nonprofit

We are continuously creating innovative ways to increase our nations supply of housing and to bring a robust array of services to improve the lives of our residents. Because of federal regulations, we also get to reinvest our net income and development fees in new projects.

Affordable housing truly is an impact investment -- a term that covers any socially meaningful investment. We make the most of available government programs and incentives to create affordable units, even as we provide a return to our social impact financial partners.

I'm hardly alone in this: The opportunity to pursue a passion without sacrificing a meaningful business role and salary has been the impetus for other business leaders to swap careers. The impact investing industry, after all, is a $114 billion sector, and success stories abound:

Katy Sherrat

While leading global projects for management consultancy Accenture, Katy Sherrat began volunteering for Back on My Feet, a national organization operating in 12 major cities coast to coast combatting homelessness through the combined power of community support and essential employment and housing resources.

Sherrat became connected because Accenture had a workforce development partnership with the nonprofit. After a few months of volunteering and after almost 10 years in corporate/private industry, Sherratt was given the opportunity to join the executive team at Back on My Feet.

I jumped at the chance, Sherrat told me; and six years later, she holds the title of CEO and has had a tremendous impact on the organizations success. Since she was appointed to her leader post, the organizations programming has increased by more than 75 percent, and funding has increased by over 50 percent. Said Sherrat: We are particularly proud that Back on My Feet has gone from early-stage startup to sustainable organization and is now a leader in the workforce development and homelessness services space nationwide.

Bill Henson

After a successful 32-year investment banking career, Bill Henson, a decade ago, made the transition to inner city education, initially joining the board of Cristo Rey New York High School, a private Catholic college preparatory high school that educates children of all faiths.

For the last seven years he has served full-time as president of Cristo Rey Brooklyn HS, which educates minority students, mostly immigrants or first-generation Americans of modest means. Although all families contribute something to the cost of their child's education, the school 's innovative Corporate Work Study Program covers most of it. All students work one day per week in real jobs at companies like American Express and JPMorgan Chase, with their earnings going to the school.

Henson told me he fell in love with the Cristo Rey mission and model "of a hand up, not a handout." He said he knew he could translate his corporate experience and connections to provide tangible benefits to his young beneficiaries. The proof is in the results: Cristo Ray kids from low-income neighborhoods like East New York, Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush and the South Bronx are attending college at Princeton, Duke, Cornell, Georgetown and other prestigious institutions.

Is the nonprofit world right for you?

There are as many paths to passion and profitability as there are professions. But I believe that there are some simple things to know whether as a socialpreneur you could help make a positive change:

1. Decide whether you have the passion for a nonprofit organizations. While their salaries and bonuses have to be competitive to get the talent they need, these operations typically run differently. There are rules of governance for a nonprofit or not-for-profit (there are small legal differences, but the terms can be used interchangeably) that are different from those of a for-profit company; someone new to these enterprises will have to get to know them.

2. Get immersed in the industry youre entering. Whether founding a nonprofit or considering joining one, get educated about the various options where talented people can find rewarding careers. Start by volunteering, to get a hands-on experience. But also read books and articles by experts in the field, particularly those on aspects of social impact investment. Sign up for industry trade subscriptions (many are free for a trial period), and set up Google Alerts to stay on top of daily industry news.

3. Network with others in the field. Look for contacts on LinkedIn and other sites to reach out to and chat with, as well as relevant group discussions to join. Do research online or among trade publications to find topical webinars, local events or professional seminars to attend, in order to mingle with like-minded individuals. Find ways to discuss career opportunities with management people in nonprofits whose missions interest you.

4. Appreciate the mission and the steps it will take to accomplish it. Correcting societal ills or achieving specific outcomes by working collaboratively can make for an extremely rewarding career, but these missions require long-term thinking and strategy. Embrace the process and be part of the team that creates a plan, with benchmarks and course-corrections when necessary, to help the organization advance.

Related: Should You Structure Your Business as a Nonprofit?

5. Become an evangelist for your cause. Passion ignites more passion. Once youve embarked on the path toward "socialpreneurism," share it with the world. Post to social sites, pen articles, offer to speak at gatherings. "Mission" has its own rewards. Reach out to acquaintances and strangers alike to interest them in your cause. You never know what doors you might open.

Related:

Want to Parlay Your Passion Without Losing a Paycheck? Think About Running a Not-for-Profit

Charity to this Indian NGO is the Wedding Gift for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

5 Reasons Social Responsibility Is a Step in the Right Direction for Small Business



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
For Subscribers Local leaders largely silent about district attorney situation

With the exception of one Somerset attorney, locals have been silent about whether DA Jeff Thomas should step down as his court hearings approach.
With income tax department tightening its grip over salaried taxpayers this year, the focus of the annual narrative has shifted to this one question - how safe are the tax-saving methods? Also, salaried people are worried whether filing I-T returns has become tricky with a few new additions to the form.

Here is all that you need to know:

Salaried class under watch

According to a PTI report, the department has cautioned the salaried taxpayers against under-reporting of income or inflating deduction while filing their returns. Taxpayers indulging in such practices will be prosecuted and their employers will be asked to take action against them, as this will be treated as tax-evasion. Government employees are also on the radar.

Why this time

Earlier this year, the I-T department busted a racket run by a Bangalore-based chartered accountant that helped staff of about 50 companies file false tax returns. The companies included IBM, Vodafone, Infosys, ICICI Bank etc. According to a Business Standard report, the CA filed "nearly 1,000 returns with loss from house property, aggregating to loss claim of Rs 18 crore". The probe now rests with the CBI.

Salaried people will have to show more salary breakups

Until last year, the taxpayers had to mention the taxable income in ITR1 and income from property in ITR4. From this year, the salaried people will have to provide a detailed breakup of the income from salary: the taxable and non-taxable allowances. These details are on Form 16, which the employers issue to the employees. However, these breakups could have been available to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) as the employers submit the same details of TDS.

ITR1 is not for NRIs anymore

Again until last year, NRIs could also use ITR1. But from this year, this form will be used by only those who qualify as a resident of India whose total income (from salary and other sources, including one house property) is up to Rs 50 lakh. Those who have a foreign bank account or any foreign transactions have been moved to ITR 2. Also, salaried people with an income exceeding Rs 50,000 will have to fill up ITR2.

The other six forms, which are not for most of the salaried people, have also undergone a few changes. Disclosure of gender has been done away with, while disclosure of income earned from carbon credits have been made mandatory. Political parties will have to make a declaration whether it has received any cash donation in excess of Rs 2,000.

Also read: Why I blame this government of 'two-and-a-half persons' for cash crunch
On April 20, Opposition leaders submitted a notice for the impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra, to vice-president Venkaiah Naidu. The move is unprecedented since no CJI has has ever faced impeachment in the country. Seven opposition parties, led by the Congress, submitted the petition with 71 signatures to the vice-president.

Here are the charges listed by the opposition parties:

1) The facts and circumstances relating to the Prasad Educational Trust case show prima facie evidence suggesting that chief justice Dipak Misra may have been involved in the conspiracy of paying illegal gratification, which at least warrants a thorough investigation. The facts and circumstances relating to the Prasad Educational Trust case show prima facie evidence suggesting that Chief Justice Dipak Misra may have been involved in the conspiracy of paying illegal gratification, which at least warrants a thorough investigation.

The above allegation takes us back to the medical admissions scam case in which CJI Misra came under scanner. The Central Bureau of Investigation intercepted various phone calls where the middleman boasted of getting favorable orders from the Supreme Court.

Kapil Sibal acknowledged that there are only innuendos and no direct reference to the CJI in those call records. The Congress and other opposition parties are not pointing to any judicial order, but rather what the CBI had earlier alleged.

The medical admissions scam was the beginning of the storm in Supreme Court. The CJI eventually denied permission to the CBI to take action against justice SN Shukla of Allahabad High Court. He, however, was later found guilty of misconduct by an internal probe panel.

After the findings of the in-house panel, the CJI recommended to the president of India that justice Shukla be impeached. There have been repeated demands for an in-house panel inquiry into the medical admissions scam which have not found any favour with the CJI's office.

2) That chief justice Dipak Misra dealt, on the administrative as well as judicial side, with a writ petition which sought investigation into a matter in which he too was likely to fall within the scope of investigation since he had presided over every bench which had dealt with the case and passed orders in the case of Prasad Educational Trust, and thus violated the first principle of the Code of Conduct for judges.

3) That chief justice Dipak Misra appears to have antedated an administrative order dated 6 November 2017, which amounts to a serious act of forgery/fabrication.

It was back in November last year that the medical admissions scam knocked the doors of the Supreme Court as an NGO lead by Prashant Bhushan filed a PIL. Although a similar plea filed by Bhushan was listed before another bench, he made a mentioning before justice J Chelameswar that the role of Supreme Court judges in medical admissions scam be probed.

It was also argued that the CJI should not head the bench since he is under scanner. Justice Chelameswar passed an order on the same day that the matter be listed before a bench of five judges. During this hearing on November 9, while justice Chelameswar was hearing the matter in court, a note was handed over to him.

It is alleged that the note, dated November 6, stated that urgent mentioning of all matters was being done only before the bench headed by CJI. It was an administrative order. The allegation is that this note was prepared earlier and issued later and hence it's an abuse of administrative powers of the CJI.

Mentioning is a procedure of the Supreme Court whereby advocates make request to the CJI to list matters on an urgent basis, or adjourn a matter. The mentionings are made before the CJI or before second senior-most judge if the CJI is sitting in a constitution bench.

That day when Prashant Bhushan made a mentioning, CJI Dipak Misra was sitting in a constitution bench. On the very next day, asserting his power as the master of roster, CJI Misra constituted a five-judge bench which passed an order overturning the order by justice Chelameswar. Justice Chelameswar has gone on record to say that there was no reason for his order to be overturned.

It is important to mention that these PILs were eventually heard by the bench of justice Arun Mishra and dismissed with a cost of Rs 25 lakh. It is the same bench which was supposed to hear the judge Loya case earlier. In all likelihood, this is the same bench which the four judges called "preferred bench" for "selective assignment" of sensitive cases.

4) That chief justice Dipak Misra acquired land when he was an advocate, by giving an affidavit that was found to be false and, despite the orders of the ADM cancelling the allotment in 1985, surrendered the said land only in 2012 after he was elevated to the Supreme Court.

It has been further alleged that justice Misra kept the land and gave it away only after he was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2012. Submitting false affidavits is not only an improper conduct for an advocate, but is a serious charge on any judge reflecting on his professional character and conduct.

5) That chief justice Dipak Misra has abused his administrative authority as the master of roster to arbitrarily assign individual cases of particular advocates in politically sensitive cases to select judges in order to achieve a predetermined outcome.

This allegation takes us back to the controversy around the term "master of roster". The four judges in their press conference in January alleged that the CJI is abusing his administrative powers and selectively assigning cases to a particular bench to get favourable orders.

The underlying allegation is of an interference from the executive. In the press conference, the four judges acknowledged that the assignment of judge Loya case to the bench of justice Arun Mishra was one of the flashpoints.

Also read: Death of judge Loya: Questions that remain unanswered
Congress-led Opposition parties move to impeach the chief justice of India, Dipak Misra, marks a new low in our politics. Its symptomatic of institutional collapse.

The erosion of institutions - Parliament and Supreme Court in particular, which has been an act in motion - has led to a denouement in the unprecedented notice for CJIs impeachment or removal.

Political parties and the bitter competitive race for 2019 Lok Sabha election have contributed to the erosion of Parliament as well as the higher judiciary.

The BJP and the Congress in particular have turned Parliament and the Supreme Court into playgrounds for maintaining their hold on power and for edging out one another in the race.

The notice for impeachment motion submitted to the Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu is not an outcome of concern over judiciary or misbehaviour on part of the CJI as Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kabil Sibal said. Its a consequence of the political game being played out in the corridors of Parliament.

There are two reasons why the impeachment motion is the nadir. One, the notice for motion lacking requisite number in Parliament to impeach the CJI speaks of hidden political agenda.

One could understand if the seven parties - Congress, NCP, CPI, CPI(M), SP, BSP and Muslim league - had the number or were close to the number needed to pass the impeachment motion if accepted. But thats not the case.

Two, the malaise of institutional breakdown under the ruling BJP government has become so grave that a drastic measure like impeachment of CJI is being justified.

Opposition leaders and some jurists outside parties such as Prashant Bhushan have justified the move as the last resort under the provisions of the Constitution to arrest the decline in the Supreme Court.

Its one of the worst moments for the judiciary, Parliament as well as the nation since the Emergency. For this, the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is no less responsible

On the one hand, judiciarys credibility is under attack. The Supreme Court stands divided with senior judges venting their disappointment over conduct of CJI in the public.

Four senior judges - justices J Chelmeshwar, Ranjan Gogoi, Kurien Joseph and Madan Lokur - went public in January in an unprecedented step to hold a press conference to express their express their grievances against CJI Misra. Instead of maintaining a discreet distance from the affairs of the Supreme Court, political parties have been on fishing expedition in the troubled waters.

On the other had, the government - Modi in particular - has shut down all channels of communications with the Opposition that has resulted in the paralysis of Parliament.

The logjam in Parliament, passing the annual Budget without discussion, stonewalling the move on no-confidence motion and many such instances are indicators of steep decline of Parliament.

The incidents of rapes of a minor in Kathua and its politicisation along communal lines by the BJP and shielding of rape accused, BJP MLA, in Unnao add to the chaos and decline of order in public life.

The Modi government appears unconcerned and least inclined to work to restore the credibility of Parliament, judiciary and renew faith of the common people in the highest institutions.

Opposition though seeking for unity against Modi, is also divided. The division has come out in the open over the impeachment issue.

Senior Congress members, including some top legal minds such as P Chidambaram, Salman Khusheed, Ashwani Kumar and Veerappa Moily, have distanced themselves from the impeachment move.

Above all, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, the moral guide and philosopher of the Congress, has also not signed the notice for motion. He is opposed to seeking removal of the chief justice in principle.

Parties such as the TMC, the DMK and the RJD too have distanced themselves from the move with their members not signing the impeachment motion.

It proves that the decision to seek removal of CJI Misra has been planned and moved by the Congress and a section of Opposition with clear intent of embarrassing him. It has been brought with the purpose of ensuring that CJI Misra is left with no option but to recuse from work or resign before he retires on October 2 this year.

The purpose seems to be to delay the verdict in crucial cases such as Ayodhya dispute being heard by justice Misra. Sibal has argued in the court for the controversial case to be kept in abeyance till the 2019 election.

Whether or not Venkaiah Naidu accepts the motion, it will be untenable for justice Misra to continue in office after a decision by him.

He can continue till his retirement in two possibilities. One, if Opposition parties withdraw their motion. Two, if Naidu sits over the notice for the time till justice Misra is close to demitting office.

In all likelihood, the CJI will be retiring by the time the complex and time-consuming process is taken up.

The Rajya Sabha chairman will be required to constitute a three-member committee of judges that will frame charges against justice Misra if the notice is accepted. Investigations into the allegations will follow after that.

In the case of its rejection, Opposition parties will be at liberty to move the Supreme Court in an appeal against Naidus decision. In both such eventualities, the CJI will have to give up SC responsibilities if he is in office until then.

Thats what the Congress and six other Opposition parties seeking CJIs impeachment want. They want justice Misra to go in embarrassment and use their victory as a political weapon against Modi

Whether or not the Supreme Courts decision in judge BH Loya death case is the trigger for impeachment notice is a matter of conjecture.

However, its a bit more than mere coincidence that the impeachment notice was given on the day after the Supreme Court dismissed the plea for inquiry into the Loya death case.

In response, finance minister Arun Jaitely has attacked the Congress for using impeachment as a political tool. Jaitely has said, It is an attempt to intimidate a judge and send a message to other Judges, that if you dont agree with us, fifty MPs are enough for a revenge action.

In the run-up to the 2019 elections, the die is cast for the country to experience one low after another with institutions such as Parliament, judiciary and Election Commission being repeatedly dragged into it.

Also read: The awkward moment when Modi faced hard home truths in London
Across India, April marks the beginning of vaisakh, Bohag Bihu and other similar festivals to celebrate a bountiful crop. In South Bengal's Lalgarh (West Midnapore), drum beats and revelry celebrated a different and bloodier bounty. The harvest was of hundreds of wild creatures  pangolins, jungle cats, jackals, wild boar, monitor lizards, porcupines, black-naped hare (all ostensibly protected by law) beaten, bludgeoned, speared to death by mobs of some 5,000 inhumans.

The prized trophy was that of the rare, wild animal  dont miss the irony  we call the Royal Bengal Tiger.

Such a long journey

Little is known about the origins of the Lalgarh tiger, a male who had ventured out from his forest of birth  perhaps Similipal Tiger Reserve, 200km southward in neighbouring Odisha; or it is possible he was a refugee from Palamu, a sanctuary no less than 400km northwest to Lalgarh.

The Lalgargh tiger. Photo: West Bengal Forest Department & WWF India

The tigers presence  pugmarks  was first noticed on January 31, 2018, and a month later on March 3, and confirmed by strategically placed camera traps.

It wouldnt have been an easy journey, even (or is it especially?) for the worlds most powerful predator. Who knows what drove the tiger out of its reserve. Maybe his home forest, Simlipal or Palamu werent sufficiently secure. Even forests reserved for tigers are rife with threats  traps that lie on unsuspecting paths, trains and vehicles that kill, canals and roads that splinter habitat.

It could be that he was young (as speculated earlier, but post-mortem reports place his age to be 10-12, which is past a tigers prime), and looking to carve out his own territory, and find a mate. Pretty much like young men (and women) who venture out of the cocoon of their homes to make a living, a home, and their own family. Maybe he was old, and ousted by a young male in a fight over scarce resources, and territory.

A thing of rare beauty. Photo: West Bengal Forest Department & WWF_India

It is instinct that dictates a wild cats urge to roam; the tiger is a wide ranging animal that must spread its genes over a large area to ensure a genetically robust population. It is unrealistic and naive to confine wildlife within small pockets deemed as Protected Areas. Animals dont know boundaries  a product of Homo sapiens, which we expect the wild to understand and obey; even as we ourselves dont.

In his long journey, the tiger would have swum through rivers and canals, dodged trains and trucks, crouched in shrub and fields, travelling and hunting mainly in the night to remain invisible. The landscape he traversed  Odisha or Jharkhand, and into South Bengal is densely populated, with only patchy green cover. The magnificent Sal forests that once clothed this region have been cleared and mined extensively over the past decades. The tiger finally settled in the fragmented forests of Lalgarh, but it was only to be a brief refuge.

Reclaiming Lalgarh

Though the dense sal forests of Lalgarh once supported tigers, there have been no records in the past century, none exist in the regions living memory.

The tiger had walked in to reclaim its fractured domain, but there was no joy in its return. Villagers feared for their safety, and the loss of cattle. The tigers official guardians, the forest department was  unofficially  equally unwelcoming, apprehensive of the safety of both people and the animal. Hassled by its responsibility: What were they to do about a tiger, stranded in a fragmented forest? It was, possibly, a tiger without a future. Unless it could be tranquilised and translocated into a safer reserve  but this resulted in an unholy squabble.

Bludgeoned. Photo: Human and Environment Alliance League

While West Bengal clearly did not prioritse the tigers safety, there was a marked reluctance to translocate it to another state. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee did not throw her weight behind the animal, only commenting that the tiger seems to have lost its way and asked forest officials to ensure that it does not stray into human habitat. The idea was to take it to the rescue centre at Sundarbans, or a soft-release in Buxa in North Bengal, but this was equally problematic. Buxa Tiger Reserve is bereft of tigers, and rife with threats, and a multitude of cattle.

The forest department was advised to shift it to its likely home range in Odishas Satkosia, but there was, again, the vexing issue of borders.

Though there were no concrete plans on the way ahead, drones were deployed, tranquilising teams were dispatched and, cages with live bait placed, drones deployed to locate and capture the animal. But the tiger remained elusive, one of the staff monitoring on ground called it  irony again  a survivor.

In the two months in Lalgarh, the tiger largely contained itself within the 30-odd km of patchy forests, says Ravi Kant Sinha, the chief wildlife warden of West Bengal. It avoided going into surrounding villages, didnt attack people  unless harassed. It mainly survived on wild prey, only hunting rarely feeding on livestock, but only those grazing inside the forest.

The hunt

The tiger was killed on April 13 when feeding on a wild boar  its natural prey  at Baghghora forest in Lalgarh. A mob of 500 people surrounded it  the tiger was beaten, the final, fatal blow a spear that pierced through its skull.

This was the tigers first death.

The second death followed soon after, when its carcass was hailed as a trophy, celebrated by the crowds, which danced to drum beats, jostled to take selfies, revelled in the machismo of having killed the tiger.

The tiger was the pinnacle of a hunting frenzy, which is being passed off as an annual ritual.

But there is nothing traditional about this ritual, stresses Meghna Bannerjee, lawyer, environmentalist and member of Human and Environment Alliance League, who, along with her colleagues, has been documenting and working for the past two years to prevent such mass hunting. There are atleast 50 days every year when such shikar utsavs are celebrated, where organised groups of men are out for drunken revelry, and destruction. Anything that moves is killed, and in 2016 we recorded over 2,000 dead animals  all listed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, included Schedule I animals like pangolins, wolves and monitor lizards. There were so many birds and snakes, we lost count of both number, and species. The flesh was cooked openly, many transported in trains to be sold in the market, skins of wild cats and monitors were sold, fuelling illegal wildlife trade. Adds a forest official, The hunters were not all tribals or local villagers, but people pour in from neighbouring villages and states to join in the fun.

A manmade tragedy. Photo: Assorted Wildlife Human and Environment Alliance League

Last year, at another location Howrah, the booty included fishing cats, an endangered, rare species, and also the state animal of West Bengal.

A forest official points out that the hunters are not all tribals or local villagers, but people pour in from neighbouring villages and states to join in the fun.

In 2018, the tiger added to the thrill. Hundreds of villagers were inside the forest since morning, but as news of the kill and fresh pugmarks spread  besides weapons, the hunters were equipped with mobile phones  there was a fresh influx into the forest.

This recurring, illegal carnage of rare, endangered wildlife has been documented and reported in the media but there has been no effort on the part of authorities to prevent it. Though forest officials  both at the state and district level  were informed in advance, no preemptive measures were taken to stop the slaughter despite the presence of the national animal.

Tiger of a lesser God

Forest officials claim helplessness. Admittedly, there are serious systematic issues. Sinha says a key limitation is lack of manpower. We have 60 per cent staff shortage, how do we stop thousands of people with a handful of  unarmed  men? Foresters who tried to stop the killing were gheraoed, three staff members, including a woman officer, were injured and admitted to hospital. Their vehicles were attacked. Tragically, earlier in March, two forest staff employees on duty to monitor the tiger accidentally fell asleep  shortage means that staff sometimes put in duty 24x7  and suffocated to death in their vehicle.

Another disadvantage is that Lalgarh forest is a territorial division where the focus is on social and commercial forestry. The staff is also not trained, oriented or equipped to monitor and protect wildlife. We had moved a proposal in the last State Board for Wildlife meeting to make this area a wildlife division since it has endangered species like wolves, elephants, leopards, but this was denied.

So the Lalgarh tiger died again  a victim of apathy and systematic failure.

The jungle cat. Photo: Human and Environment Alliance League

While the limitations of the forest department are appreciated, what is lacking here is a sustained effort over time to stop this practice, and coordination with police and other departments, essential to contain mobs. Sources say that the police failed to provide adequate support, or take preemptive action like enforcement of Section 144, Code of Criminal Procedure, to restrain thousands from entering into the forest to hunt. While the forest department is accountable, equally the responsibility lies with the state administration.

The scale of hunting is enormous, an off-take we can ill-afford. Unless those responsible for killing the tiger, and the other wildlife, are booked and stringent action taken as per Wildlife (Protection) Act; this will set a precedent that wildlife criminals are above the law.

No country for the wild. Photo: Human and Environment Alliance League

What this tiger also highlighted is the vulnerability of tigers outside Protected Areas (PAs). About a third of Indias tigers  2,226 as per the 2014 census, are outside of reserves, and here, while the animal is protected, the land it occupies, isnt. Forests outside Protected Areas and corridors that serve as crucial linkages between reserves are vulnerable  and criss-crossed heavily by highways, railway lines, mines, industry and other development and infrastructure projects.

This tiger was the child of a lesser God, caught in an administrative conundrum, with little staff, and no funds dedicated for its protection.

No one killed the Lalgarh tiger

The FIR that was finally lodged in the tiger killing case named no one  even though the initial complaint had listed two accused, Badal Hansda and Bablu Hansda, who were injured by the tiger when they allegedly attacked it. The Telegraph reports that one of the accused, Bablu confessed that a spear thrown by us hit the tiger near its shoulder. It came charging and lunged at me".

Highly placed sources revealed that there was pressure from the chief ministers office both to the police and forest departments to go soft on the mass hunting, and those involved. In fact, according to a report in Times of India, a Trinamool delegation led by district president Ajit Maity offered flowers, sweets and full support to the accused, Badal at Midnapore Medical College  where they were admitted.

The Lalgarh tiger died a thousand deaths. The state had failed the hunted  Royal Bengal tiger, and stood by its hunters.

Also read: How a photo exhibition is seeking to save our fragile Himalayan waters
It has been about four months since the gruesome rape and murder of the 8-year-old from Kathua, came to light. As the chilling details about what transpired in the five days when she was held in captivity began to emerge, it almost felt like humanity, as we know it, had been pushed to the point of no return. What could have possibly justified such barbarity? Why did a section of people try to rationalise the heinous crime? In what way could a religion, if reports are to be believed, sanction rape as an instrument of revenge?

While we try to look for answers to these questions, let us commit the little girl to memory. Let us not forget those innocent, haunting eyes. Let us not forget that purple dress with beautiful yellow flowers. Let us not forget how the chirpy little bird fell victim to the vultures of flesh.

She revealed the bigotry which pervades our minds

Even before the dust settled, alternate narratives began to surface from the realms of those who consider themselves literate. The Jammu Bar association demanded an impartial CBI inquiry because the caged parrot would obviously not aid and abet a cover-up. They even went to the extent of blaming the mainstream media of turning a property dispute into national outrage. It was just a murder, they said, not rape  as if killing a child and sparing her the ordeal of a sexual assault was any less vicious.

We, as a nation, failed you. Photo: Reuters

Charge sheets were stopped from being filed, forensic evidence was discarded, the integrity of the investigative officers was questioned and every trick in the book was used to discredit the victim and provide legitimacy to the accused. Whats unfortunate was that all of this came from a set of people who were technically supposed to uphold and defend the constitutional principles.

But then, who cares for mere technicalities when emotions run amok?

How their conscience overlooked the sheer savagery of the crime is beyond my understanding. Clearly, it wasnt their little girl. It was someone elses. She could very well serve as collateral damage in a concocted fight.

She held a mirror to evil leadership

For the first time in Indian history, two ministers of the ruling party walked hand in hand with the family of the accused, protesting their arrest. The tricolour was ferociously waved to signify that this was an issue of (toxic) nationalism. Not only was no action taken against the erring ministers but it is now being said that their forced resignations might be reversed too. Patriotism is indeed a criminals best defence.

As if this werent enough, borrowing a leaf from the book of his predecessor, the prime minister chose to maintain a deafening silence. After a few days, he made an ambiguous statement about women safety and justice but his Mann ki baat soliloquy failed to either address the specifics of the case or list concrete steps to deal with the raging issue. To top it, many other members of his Cabinet, including a very vocal Yale diploma holder, donned the cloak of sheer indifference.

Some even went on to trigger a competition between a Hindu rape and a Muslim rape, as if one was less vile than the other. That none of these rapes should have happened in the first place seemed to be of least concern to anyone.

After all, the little girl was not Nirbhaya, another victim for whom prominent members of the present dispensation had taken up the cudgels in 2012. Neither was she a political tool who could conveniently be used as a medium to reap electoral rewards. Condemnation came easy when the current lot was in the opposition.

When in government, conspiracy was a good way to shove each one of their failings down peoples throats.

She laid bare the fault lines which trigger divisions in our society

To say that religion had nothing to do with this horrific crime would be a gross misreading of the case. The simple fact that the child was raped inside a temples premises was enough proof to determine that the act was meant to send out a message to the other. Comply or face the consequences. Moreover, the defence of the accused was organised by an entity called the Hindu Ekta Manch  which, going by its name, doesnt sound very secular.

Surprisingly, this was not an all-male group. Quite a number of women too marched in tacit support of the rapists. Defending their own was evidently a greater priority than justice. How could they let their sons, brothers and husbands be arrested for a crime they may have committed? Clearly, they were worthy of benefit of doubt. The little girl must have instigated them. Otherwise, they were good men. Polite until provoked.

Quite recently, the flimsy explanations of these rape apologists have been picked up by a couple of news channels, which, either due to complete devotion or because of their shareholding structure, act as a public broadcaster of government propaganda.

They have begun to use this crime as a tool to malign a community and acquit another. As far as the eye can see, this nexus is huge and the constant efforts being made to poison the minds of a vulnerable population are very real.

Once again, she has forced us to think

In a fit of anger and rage, everyone seems to be demanding capital punishment for the rapists. While the thought of trading violence for violence sounds ideal, the threat of being killed by the system has never proven to be an effective deterrent. If it was, there would be no murders.

More importantly, capital punishment is meant to be curative. It comes into the picture only after the crime has taken place. However, if we, as a society, need to get rid of rape culture, we need to think along the lines of prevention and as bizarre as it may sound, this must begin at home.

When a father tells his daughter to dress properly, he reinforces the notion that inappropriate clothing arouses passions. When a mother teaches a girl to choose kitchen over workplace, she inadvertently helps her serve patriarchy. When a man uses Choodiyan pehen rakhi hain kya as a way to signify inaction, he impresses upon others that the hands that wear bangles are weak. When a boy chooses to speak a language laden with expletives referring to women, he subtly strengthens the annals of chauvinism. When a film propounds a hypermasculine Bhai whose heroines are nothing more than sidekicks, it consolidates the idea of objectification. And these are just a few examples of everyday discrimination. Subtle but deep.

Until we cleanse our minds and homes of these embedded prejudices, rapes would continue to be used as a medium to exercise power over the female body; a way to teach them a lesson; a method to enforce conformity.

As a more macabre crime occurs, we will probably forget the little girl and move on. She would just be relegated to the deep, dark portals of social media and be remembered as a top trend on a major pornographic website. Justice for her might arrive someday but it would do nothing to stop her muffled cries, ease the pain of her last moments or compensate for a life brutally cut short.

Dear child, as painful as it is to hear, you were perhaps a little less than Indias daughter. You were Indias shame. You didnt die of your own accord. We, as a nation, failed you.

And for that, no apology will ever be enough.

Also read: The awkward moment when Modi faced hard home truths in London
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Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (China) Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Israel) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (NZ) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Proprietary) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (Singapore) Pte. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb (Taiwan) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb (West Indies) Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb A.E., Bristol-Myers Squibb Aktiebolag, Bristol-Myers Squibb Argentina S. R. L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Australia Pty. Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Axia Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb B.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Belgium S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Business Services Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada Co., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada International Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Delta Company Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Denmark Filial of Bristol-Myers Squibb AB, Bristol-Myers Squibb EMEA Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Egypt LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Epsilon Holdings Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Ltda., Bristol-Myers Squibb Farmaceutica Portuguesa S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb GesmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb GmbH & Co. KGaA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holding Germany GmbH & Co. KG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings 2002 Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Germany Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Pharma Ltd. Liability Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Ilaclari Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb India Pvt. Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Company Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb International Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Investco L.L.C., Bristol-Myers Squibb K.K., Bristol-Myers Squibb Kft., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg International S.C.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb MEA GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb Manufacturing Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Marketing Services S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb Middle East & Africa FZ-LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Norway Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Nutricionales de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb Peru S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (HK) Ltd, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma (Thailand) Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Holding Company LLC, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma Ventures Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceuticals Unlimited Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Polska Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Products SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Puerto Rico/Sanofi Pharmaceutical Partnership Puerto Rico, Bristol-Myers Squibb Romania S.R.L., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.A.U., Bristol-Myers Squibb S.r.l., Bristol-Myers Squibb SA, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Holding Partnership, Bristol-Myers Squibb Sarl, Bristol-Myers Squibb Service Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Services Sp. z o.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Spol. s r.o., Bristol-Myers Squibb Theta Finance Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Trustees Limited, Bristol-Myers Squibb Verwaltungs GmbH, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Colombia S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Costa Rica Sociedad Anonima, Bristol-Myers Squibb de Guatemala S.A., Bristol-Myers Squibb de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Bristol-Myers Squibb/Astrazeneca EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Pfizer EEIG, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership, Bristol-Myers de Venezuela S.C.A., CHT I LLC, CHT II LLC, CHT III LLC, CHT IV LLC, CR Finance Company LLC, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals, Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., Celem LLC, Celem Ltd., Celgene, Celgene A.B., Celgene AS, Celgene Ab (Finland), Celgene Alpine Investment Co. II LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. III LLC, Celgene Alpine Investment Co. LLC, Celgene ApS, Celgene B.V., Celgene BVBA, Celgene Brasil Produtos Farmaceuticos Ltda., Celgene CAR LLC, Celgene CAR Ltd., Celgene Chemicals Sarl, Celgene China Holdings LLC, Celgene Co., Celgene Corporation, Celgene Distribution B.V., Celgene EngMab GmbH, Celgene Europe B.V., Celgene Europe Limited, Celgene European Investment Company LLC, Celgene Financing Company LLC, Celgene Global Holdings Sarl, Celgene GmbH [Austria], Celgene GmbH [Germany], Celgene GmbH [Switzerland], Celgene Holdings East Corporation, Celgene Holdings II Sarl, Celgene Holdings III Sarl, Celgene Ilac Pazarlama ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Celgene Inc., Celgene International Holdings Corporation, Celgene International II Sarl, Celgene International III Sarl, Celgene International Inc., Celgene International Sarl, Celgene K.K., Celgene Kft., Celgene Limited [Hong Kong], Celgene Limited [Ireland], Celgene Limited [New Zealand], Celgene Limited [Taiwan], Celgene Limited [UK], Celgene Logistics Sarl, Celgene Ltd, Celgene Luxembourg Sarl, Celgene Management Sarl, Celgene NJ Investment Co, Celgene Netherlands B.V., Celgene Netherlands Investment B.V., Celgene Pharmaceutical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Celgene Pte. Ltd., Celgene Pty Ltd, Celgene Puerto Rico Distribution LLC, Celgene Quanticel Research Inc, Celgene R&D Sarl, Celgene RIVOT LLC, Celgene RIVOT Ltd., Celgene RIVOT SRL, Celgene Receptos Limited, Celgene Receptos Sarl, Celgene Research Incubator At Summit West LLC, Celgene Research S.L.U., Celgene Research and Development Company LLC, Celgene Research and Development I ULC, Celgene Research and Development II LLC, Celgene Research and Investment Company II LLC, Celgene S. de R.L. de C.V., Celgene S.L.U., Celgene S.R.L., Celgene SAS, Celgene Sarl AU, Celgene Sdn Bhd, Celgene Services Sarl, Celgene Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Celgene Sp. Z.o.o., Celgene Sro [Czech Republic], Celgene Summit Investment Co, Celgene Switzerland Holding Sarl, Celgene Switzerland II LLC, Celgene Switzerland Investment Sarl, Celgene Switzerland LLC, Celgene Switzerland Sarl, Celgene Tri A Holdings Ltd., Celgene Tri Sarl, Celgene UK Distribution Limited, Celgene UK Holdings Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing II Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing III Limited, Celgene UK Manufacturing Limited, Celgene d.o.o., Celgene sro [Slovakia], Celmed LLC, Celmed Ltd., ConvaTec Divestiture, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals AB, Crosp Ltd., Delinia Inc., Deuteria Pharmaceuticals Inc., DuPont Pharmaceuticals, E. R. Squibb & Sons Inter-American Corporation, E. R. Squibb & Sons L.L.C., E. R. Squibb & Sons Limited, EWI Corporation, EngMab Sarl, F-star Alpha, FermaVir Pharmaceuticals L.L.C., FermaVir Research L.L.C., Flexus Biosciences, Flexus Biosciences Inc., Forbius, Galecto Biotech, GenPharm International L.L.C., Gloucester Pharmaceuticals LLC, Grove Insurance Company Ltd., Heyden Farmaceutica Portuguesa Limitada, IFM Therapeutics, Impact Biomedicines Inc., Inhibitex, Inhibitex L.L.C., Innate Tumor Immunity Inc., JuMP Holdings LLC, Juno Therapeutics GmbH, Juno Therapeutics Inc., Kosan Biosciences, Kosan Biosciences Incorporated, Linson Investments Limited, Mead Johnson (Manufacturing) Jamaica Limited, Mead Johnson Jamaica Ltd., Medarex, Morris Avenue Investment II LLC, Morris Avenue Investment LLC, MyoKardia, O.o.o. Bristol-Myers Squibb, Oy Bristol-Myers Squibb (Finland) AB, Padlock Therapeutics, Padlock Therapeutics Inc., Pharmion LLC, Princeton Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Receptos LLC, Receptos Services LLC, RedoxTherapies Inc., Route 22 Real Estate Holding Corporation, SPV A Holdings ULC, Seamair Insurance DAC, Signal Pharmaceuticals LLC, Sino-American Shanghai Squibb Pharmaceuticals Limited, Societe Francaise de Complements Alimentaires(S.O.F.C.A.), Squibb Middle East S.A., Summit West Celgene LLC, Swords Laboratories, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., Westwood-Intrafin SA, Westwood-Squibb Pharmaceuticals Inc., X-Body Inc., ZymoGenetics, ZymoGenetics Inc., ZymoGenetics LLC, ZymoGenetics Paymaster LLC, iPierian, and iPierian Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc.,      ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics.
Aviva plc provides various insurance, retirement, and savings products in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, France, Italy, Poland, and internationally. The company offers life insurance, long-term health and accident insurance, savings, pension, and annuity products, as well as pension fund business and lifetime mortgage products. It also provides insurance cover to individuals, small and medium-sized businesses for risks associated with motor vehicles and medical expenses, as well as property and liability, such as employers' and professional indemnity liabilities, and medical expenses. In addition, the company offers personal and commercial lines insurance products; long-term insurance and savings products, primarily for individuals. Further, it provides investment management services for institutional pension fund mandates; and manages various retail investment products, including investment funds, unit trusts, open-ended investment companies, and individual savings accounts for third-party financial institutions, pension funds, public sector organizations, investment professionals, and private investors. Additionally, the company offers asset management and protection insurance products. Aviva plc markets its products through a network of insurance brokers, as well as MyAviva platform. The company was formerly known as CGNU plc and changed its name to Aviva plc in July 2002. Aviva plc was founded in 1696 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Spartan Energy Corp. operates as an oil and natural gas exploration and production company in Canada and the United States. The company's principal properties include the southeast Saskatchewan properties, which consist of approximately 402,449 net acres of land focused primarily on conventional open-hole horizontal wells drilled on Mississippian oil plays, such as the Frobisher, Alida, Souris Valley, Tilston, Midale, and Ratcliffe formations; and west central Saskatchewan property that comprises approximately 37,633 net acres of land targeting the Viking formation. Its principal properties also include the Manitoba property that comprises approximately 2,765 net acres of land Waskada and Birdtail areas of southwest Manitoba targeting the Spearfish/Amaranth and Bakken formations; and Alexander property that holds approximately 20,788 net acres of land in Alberta. The company was formerly known as Alexander Energy Ltd. and changed its name to Spartan Energy Corp. in February 2014. Spartan Energy Corp. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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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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Allianz SE, together with its subsidiaries, provides property-casualty insurance, life/health insurance, and asset management products and services worldwide. The company's Property-Casualty segment offers various insurance products, including motor liability and own damage, accident, general liability, fire and property, legal expense, credit, and travel to private and corporate customers. Its Life/Health segment provides a range of life and health insurance products on an individual and a group basis, such as annuities, endowment and term insurance, and unit-linked and investment-oriented products, as well as private and supplemental health, and long-term care insurance products. The company's Asset Management segment offers institutional and retail asset management products and services to third-party investors comprising equity and fixed income funds, and multi-assets; and alternative investment products comprising infrastructure debt/equity, real assets, liquid alternatives, and solutions. Its Corporate and Other segment provides banking services for retail clients, as well as digital investment management services. Allianz SE was founded in 1890 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Amphenol: ARCAS Automotive Group (Luxco 1) S.a.r.l., AUXEL FTG, AUXEL FTG India Pvt Ltd., AUXEL FTG Shanghai Co., AUXEL S.A.S., Air LB International Development S.A., All Systems Broadband, Amphenol (Changzhou) Advanced Connector Co., Amphenol (Changzhou) Connector Systems Co., Amphenol (Changzhou) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Maryland), Amphenol (Ningde) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Qujing) Technology Co., Amphenol (Tianjin) Electronics Co., Amphenol (Xiamen) High Speed Cable Co., Amphenol Adronics, Amphenol Advanced Sensors Germany GmbH, Amphenol Advanced Sensors Puerto Rico, Amphenol Air LB GmbH, Amphenol Air LB North America Inc., Amphenol Air LB SAS, Amphenol Alden Products Company, Amphenol Alden Products Mexico, Amphenol Antenna Solutions, Amphenol Assemble Tech (Xiamen) Co., Amphenol Australia Pty Ltd, Amphenol Automotive Connection Systems (Changzhou) Co., Amphenol Bar-Tec, Amphenol Benelux B.V., Amphenol Borisch Technologies, Amphenol CNT (Xian) Technology Co. Ltd., Amphenol Cables On Demand Corp., Amphenol Canada Acquisition Corporation, Amphenol Canada Corp., Amphenol Comercial, Amphenol Commercial Interconnect Korea Co., Amphenol Commercial Products (Chengdu) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Commercial and Industrial UK, Amphenol ConneXus AB, Amphenol ConneXus Ou, Amphenol Custom Cable, Amphenol DC Electronics, Amphenol Daeshin Electronics and Precision Co., Amphenol EEC, Amphenol East Asia Electronic Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Amphenol East Asia Limited, Amphenol FCI, Amphenol FCI Asia Pte. Ltd., Amphenol FCI Connectors Singapore Pte. Ltd., Amphenol Fiber Optic Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Finland Oy, Amphenol France Acquisition SAS, Amphenol France SAS, Amphenol Germany GmbH, Amphenol Gesellschaft m.b.H., Amphenol Goldstar Electronic Systems (Baicheng) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Goldstar Electronic Systems (Yulin) Co. Ltd., Amphenol Holding UK, Amphenol Intercon Systems, Amphenol Interconnect India Private Limited, Amphenol Interconnect Products Corporation, Amphenol Interconnect South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Amphenol International Ltd., Amphenol Invotec Limited, Amphenol Italia S.r.l., Amphenol JET (Haiyan) Interconnect Technology Co., Amphenol Japan Ltd., Amphenol Kai-Jack (Shenzhen) Inc., Amphenol LTW Technology Co., Amphenol Limited, Amphenol MCP Korea Limited, Amphenol Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Amphenol Middle East Enterprises FZE, Amphenol Nelson Dunn Technologies, Amphenol Netherlands Holdings 1 B.V., Amphenol Netherlands Holdings 2 B.V., Amphenol Omniconnect India Private Limited, Amphenol Optimize Manufacturing Co., Amphenol Optimize Mexico S.A. de C.V., Amphenol PCD, Amphenol PCD (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Phitek Limited, Amphenol Printed Circuits, Amphenol Provens SAS, Amphenol RF Asia Limited, Amphenol Sensing Korea Company Limited, Amphenol Shouh Min Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Singapore Pte. Ltd., Amphenol Socapex SAS, Amphenol Sunpool (Liaoning) Automotive Electronics Co., Amphenol T&M Antennas, Amphenol TCS (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Amphenol TCS Ireland Limited, Amphenol TCS de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Amphenol TFC Fios E Cabos do Brasil Ltda., Amphenol TFC MDE Participacoes Ltda., Amphenol TFC do Brasil Ltda., Amphenol Taiwan Corporation, Amphenol Technical Products International Co., Amphenol Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Amphenol Technology (Zhuhai) Co., Amphenol Technology Macedonia Dooel Kocani, Amphenol Tecvox LLC, Amphenol Tel-Ad Ltd., Amphenol Thermometrics, Amphenol Thermometrics (UK) Limited, Amphenol Times Microwave Electronics (Shanghai) Limited, Amphenol Tuchel Electronics GmbH, Amphenol Tuchel Industrial GmbH, Amphenol Tunisia LLC, Amphenol USHoldco Inc., Amphenol-Borg Limited, Amphenol-Borg Pension Trustees Limited, Amphenol-TFC (Changzhou) Communication Equipment Co., Anytek Electronic Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd, Anytek International (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Anytek International Co. Ltd., Anytek Technology Corporation Ltd, Asia Connector Services, Berg UK Ltd., Blueline Product Limited, C&S Antennas, C&S Antennas Limited, CSA Limited, Casco Automotive (Suzhou) Co., Casco Automotive Group, Casco Automotive Singapore Pte., Casco Automotive Tunisia S.a.r.l., Casco Holdings Co. Limited, Casco Holdings GmbH, Casco Imos Italia S.r.l., Casco Logistics GmbH, Casco Products Corporation, Casco Schoeller GmbH, Casco do Brasil Ltda., Cemm Thome Corporation, Cemm Thome SK, Cemm-Mex, Changzhou Amphenol Fuyang Communication Equipment Co., ContactServe (Proprietary) Limited, East Asia Connector Services, Edwin Deutgen Kunstofftechnik GmbH, Ehrlich Werkzeug & Geratebau GmbH, FCI Besancon SA, FCI Connectors (Shanghai) Ltd., FCI Connectors Canada, FCI Connectors Dongguan Ltd, FCI Connectors Hong Kong Limited, FCI Connectors Italia S.r.l., FCI Connectors Korea Ltd., FCI Connectors Malaysia Sdn Bhd, FCI Connectors Sweden A.B., FCI Connectors UK Ltd., FCI Deutschland GmbH, FCI Electronics Hungary Kft, FCI GBS India Private Limited, FCI Japan K.K., FCI Nantong Ltd, FCI OEN Connectors Limited, FCI PRC Limited, FCI Taiwan Limited, FCI USA LLC, FCIs-Hertogenbosch B.V., FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna GmbH & Co. KG, FEP Fahrzeugelektrik Pirna Verwaltungs GmbH, Fiber Systems International, Filec Production SAS, Filec SAS, Friedrich Gohringer Elektrotechnik GmbH, GE - Advanced Sensors Business, Guangzhou Amphenol Electronics Co., Guangzhou Amphenol Sincere Flex Circuits Co., Guangzhou FEP Automotive Electric Co., Hangzhou Amphenol JET Interconnect Technology Co., Hangzhou Amphenol Phoenix Telecom Parts Co., Holland Electronics, Intelligente Sensorsysteme Dresden GmbH, Invotec Circuits Holdings Limited, Invotec Circuits Limited, Invotec Group Limited, Invotec Holdings Limited, Ionix Aerospace Limited, Ionix Holdings Limited, Ionix Systems Limited, Ionix Systems Ou, Jaybeam Limited, Jaybeam Wireless SAS, KE Elektronik GmbH, KE Ostrov  Elektrik, KE Presov Elektrik, Konnektech, Kunshan Amphenol Zhengri Electronics Co., LPL Technologies Holding GmbH, LTW Technology (Samoa) Co., LTW Top Tech (Samoa) Co., Lectric SARL, Martec Limited, Mocorp Holding A/S, Nantong Docharm Amphenol Electronics Co., PROCOM, PT Casco SEA, PerLoga Personal und Logistik GmbH, Piezotech, Piher Sensors & Controls S.A., Piher Sensors And Controls, Precision Cable Manufacturing Corp. de Mexico, Procom A/S, Procom Antennas AB, Procom France SARL, Pyle-National Ltd., RSI International Limited, S.C.I. Palin, SEFEE SA, SGX Europe SP. z.o.o., SGX Sensortech (IS) Limited, SGX Sensortech China Holdco Limited, SGX Sensortech China Limited, SGX Sensortech GmbH, SGX Sensortech SA, SSI Control Technologies, STEMFI SA, SV Microwave, Shanghai Amphenol Airwave Communication Electronics Co., Shanghai Amphenol Electronics Technology Co., Shanghai Tecvox Trading Co., Shenyang Amphenol Sunpool Automotive Electronics Co., Sine Systems Corporation, Skymasts Antennas Ltd., Societe dEtudes et de Fabrications Electroniques et Electriques, Spectra Strip Limited, TCS Japan K.K., TFC South America S.A., Tecvox Europe S.r.l., Telect, Telect Mfg., Telect de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Teradyne Connection Systems, Thermometrics Mexico, Tianjin Amphenol KAE Co., Times Fiber Canada Limited, Times Fiber Communications, Times Microwave Systems, Times Wire and Cable Company, U-Jin Cable Industrial Co., Zhongshan Feisaide Electromechanical Co., and i2s-sensors.
CAE Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, and supplies simulation equipment and training solutions to defense and security markets, commercial airlines, business aircraft operators, helicopter operators, aircraft manufacturers, and healthcare education and service providers worldwide. The company's Civil Aviation Training Solutions segment provides training solutions for flight, cabin, maintenance, and ground personnel in commercial, business, and helicopter aviation; flight simulation training devices; and ab initio pilot training and crew sourcing services, as well as end to end digitally-enabled crew management, training operations solutions, and optimization software. Its Defence and Security segment offers training and mission support solutions for defense forces across multi-domain operations, and for government organizations responsible for public safety. The company's Healthcare segment provides integrated education and training solutions, including surgical and imaging simulations, curriculum, audiovisual and centre management platforms, and patient simulators to healthcare students and clinical professionals. The company was formerly known as CAE Industries Ltd. and changed its name to CAE Inc. in June 1993. CAE Inc. was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Saint-Laurent, Canada.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Lennar: 360 Developers LLC, Alliance Financial Services Inc., Ann Arundel Farms Ltd., Aquaterra Utilities Inc., Arbor Mill Veteran Project 2018 LLC, Asbury Woods L.L.C., Astoria Options LLC, Autumn Creek Development Ltd., Aylon LLC, Azusa Associates LLC, B2 Milpitas LLC, BB Investment Holdings LLC, BCI Properties LLC, BMR Communities LLC, BMR Construction Inc., BMTD LLC, BPH I LLC, Bainebridge 249 LLC, Bay Colony Expansion 369 Ltd., Bellagio Lennar LLC, Belle Meade LEN Holdings LLC, Belle Meade Partners LLC, Black Mountain Ranch LLC, Blue Horizons Estates LLC, Bonterra Lennar LLC, Bramalea California Inc., Bressi Gardenlane LLC, Breton Park Lennar LLC, CAP IL 1 LLC, CL Ventures LLC, CML INACTIVE LLC, CML-MO HAF LLC, CML-MO HAF PARKING LLC, CP Block 6aS LLC, CP Block 8aS LLC, CP Block 9aS LLC, CP Center Apartments LLC, CP Center Garage LLC, CP Red Oak Partners Ltd., CP Vertical Development Co. 1 LLC, CP/HPS Development Co. GP LLC, CP/HPS Development Co.-C LLC, CPFE LLC, CPHP Development LLC, CalAtlantic Financial Services Inc., CalAtlantic Group, CalAtlantic Group Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Arizona Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Georgia Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Texas Inc., CalAtlantic Homes of Washington Inc., CalAtlantic Mortgage Inc., CalAtlantic National Title Solutions LLC, CalAtlantic Title Agency LLC, CalAtlantic Title Group LLC, CalAtlantic Title Inc., CalAtlantic Title LLC, CalAtlantic Title of Maryland Inc., Camarillo Village Park LLC, Cambria L.L.C., Candlestick Retail Member LLC, Cardiovascular Medical Specialists LLC, Carolina Blue LLC, Carson 175 LLC, Cary Woods LLC, Casa Marina Development LLC, Central Park West Holdings LLC, Cherrytree II LLC, Club Bonterra Lennar LLC, Coco Palm 82 LLC, Colonial Heritage LLC, Columbia National Risk Retention Group Inc., Commonwealth Incentive Fee LLC, Concord Station LLP, Coventry L.L.C., Creekside Crossing L.L.C., Crest at Fondren Investor LLC, DBJ Holdings LLC, DCA Financial LLC, DTC Holdings of Florida LLC, Darcy-Joliet L.L.C., Durrell 33 LLC, EL Ventures LLC, EV LLC, Eagle Bend Commercial LLC, Eagle Home Mortgage LLC, Estates Seven LLC, Evergreen Village LLC, F&R QVI Home Investments USA LLC, FLORDADE LLC, Faria Preserve LLC, Fidelity Guaranty and Acceptance Corp., Fidelity Land LLC, Fox-Maple Associates LLC, Friendswood Development Company LLC, GDI MANAGER LLC, Garco Investments LLC, Greystone Construction Inc., Greystone Homes of Nevada Inc., Greystone Nevada Holdings LLC, Greystone Nevada LLC, Greywall Club L.L.C., HCC Investors LLC, HPS Development Co. LP, HPS Vertical Development Co. LLC, HPS Vertical Development Co.-B LP, HPS Vertical Development Co.-D/E LLC, HPS1 Block 1 LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-1B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-2B LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3A LLC, HPS1 Block 48-3B LLC, HPS1 Block 50 LLC, HPS1 Block 51 LLC, HPS1 Block 52 LLC, HPS1 Block 53 LLC, HPS1 Block 54 LLC, HPS1 Block 55 LLC, HPS1 Block 56/57 LLC, HSP Arizona Inc., HTC Golf Club LLC, Hammocks Lennar LLC, Harbor Highlands Group LLC, Harveston LLC, Haverton L.L.C., Heathcote Commons LLC, Heritage Pkwy East Holdings LLC, Heritage of Auburn Hills L.L.C., Hewitts Landing Trustee LLC, Hingham Properties LLC, Huntley Venture L.L.C., Inactive Companies LLC, Independence L.L.C., Independence Orlando LLC, Isles at Bayshore Club LLC, KMC Real Estate Investors LLC, Kendall Hammocks Commercial LLC, Kentuckiana Medical Center LLC, Kingman Lennar LLC, LB/L  Duc III Antioch 330 LLC, LCD Asante LLC, LCI Downtown Doral Investor LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor GP LLC, LCI North DeKalb Investor LP LLC, LEN - Belle Meade LLC, LEN - OBS Windemere LLC, LEN - Palm Vista LLC, LEN BPT Investor LLC, LEN Mirada Investor LLC, LEN Notarize Investor LLC, LEN OT Holdings LLC, LEN Paradise Cable LLC, LEN Paradise Operating LLC, LEN-CG South LLC, LEN-Cypress Mill LLC, LEN-Ryan 1 LLC, LEN-Touchstone LLC, LENH I LLC, LENNAR HOMES OF TENNESSEE LLC, LFS Holding Company LLC, LH Eastwind LLC, LHI Renaissance LLC, LMC 10th & Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 144th and Grant Investor LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Holdings LLC, LMC 2401 Blake Street Investor LLC, LMC 360 Acoma Holdings LP, LMC 410 S Wabash Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Holdings LLC, LMC 808 Gateway Investor LLC, LMC 8th Avenue Apartment Investor LLC, LMC 990 Bannock Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Holdings LLC, LMC Axis Westminster Investor LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Holdings LLC, LMC Berry Hill Lofts Investor LLC, LMC Block 42 Holdings LLC, LMC Build to Core III Investor LLC, LMC Build to Core III LLC, LMC Burnside Holdings LLC, LMC Burnside Investor LLC, LMC Chandler and McClintock Holdings LLC, LMC Charlestowne Holdings LLC, LMC Charlotte Ballpark Developer LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Holdings LLC, LMC Cityville Oak Park Investor LLC, LMC Cobalt Holdings LLC, LMC Costa Mesa Holdings LP, LMC Crest at Park West Holdings LP, LMC Denver Gateway I Investor LLC, LMC Denver Gateway II Holdings LLC, LMC Development LLC, LMC Downtown Doral South Holdings LLC, LMC Durham Gateway Holdings LP, LMC Evans School Holdings LLC, LMC Gateway Investor LLC, LMC Gateway Venture LLC, LMC Gilman Square Investor LLC, LMC Horton Street Holdings LLC, LMC Huntington Crossing Holdings LLC, LMC Inactive Companies LLC, LMC Lakeside Holdings LP, LMC Leya Holdings LLC, LMC Living Illinois LLC, LMC Living Inc., LMC Living LLC, LMC Living TRS LP, LMC Millenia Investor II LLC, LMC NE Minneapolis Lot 2 Holdings LLC, LMC New Bern Investor LLC, LMC North Park Holdings LP, LMC Parkfield Holdings LLC, LMC Parkfield Investor LLC, LMC Righters Ferry Holdings LLC, LMC River North Holdings LLC, LMC Spring Street Investor LLC, LMC Stonewall Station Investor LLC, LMC Triangle Square Investor LLC, LMC Venture Developer LLC, LMC Verbena Holdings LLC, LMC West Loop Investor LLC, LMCFX Investor LLC, LMCPNW Marymoor Holdings LLC, LMI - Jacksonville Investor LLC, LMI - South Kings Development Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle Holdings LLC, LMI - West Seattle Investor LLC, LMI - West Seattle LLC, LMI Cell Tower Investors LLC, LMI City Walk Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale Investor LLC, LMI Collegedale LLC, LMI Contractors LLC, LMI Glencoe Dallas Investor LLC, LMI Lakes West Covina Investor LLC, LMI Largo Park Investor LLC, LMI Las Colinas Station LLC, LMI Naperville Investor LLC, LMI Pacific Tower LLC, LMI Park Central Two LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners Investor LLC, LMI Peachtree Corners LLC, LMI-JC Developer LLC, LMI-JC LLC, LMV 1640 Broadway REIT-DC LP, LMV 1701 Ballard REIT-DC LP, LMV 19H REIT-DC LP, LMV 2026 Madison REIT-DC LP, LMV 85 South Union REIT-DC LP, LMV ATown REIT-DC LP, LMV Annapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Apache Terrace REIT-DC LP, LMV Block 42 REIT-DC LP, LMV Bloomington REIT-DC LP, LMV Bolingbrook REIT-DC LP (DE), LMV Central at McDowell REIT-DC LP, LMV East Village I REIT-DC LP, LMV Edina REIT-DC LP, LMV Fremont WS I REIT-DC LP, LMV Glisan REIT-DC LP, LMV Grand Bay REIT-DC LP, LMV II Grand Bay Pod V Holdings LP, LMV II Kierland Holdings LP, LMV II NoMo Holdings LP, LMV II Venture Developer LLC, LMV II Wynwood Holdings LP, LMV Kirkland REIT-DC LP, LMV Little Italy REIT-DC LP, LMV M Tower REIT-DC LP, LMV Millenia II REIT-DC LP, LMV Milpitas REIT-DC LP, LMV NE Minneapolis REIT-DC LP, LMV Oak Park REIT-DC LP, LMV One20Fourth REIT-DC LP, LMV QR Build to Core Manager LLC, LMV Rio Bravo REIT-DC LP, LMV Scottsdale Quarter REIT-DC LP, LMV Tysons REIT-DC LP, LMV Vallagio III REIT-DC LP, LMV Victory Block G REIT-DC LP, LMV Warren Street REIT-DC LP, LNC Communities II LLC, LNC Communities IV LLC, LNC Communities V LLC, LNC Communities VI LLC, LNC Communities VII LLC, LNC Communities VIII LLC, LNC Pennsylvania Realty Inc., LNC at Meadowbrook LLC, LNC at Ravenna LLC, LS College Park LLC, LS Terracina LLC, LV Opendoor Investor LLC, LV Opendoor JV LLC, LW D'Andrea LLC, Lagoon Valley Residential LLC, Lakelands at Easton L.L.C., Legends Club LLC, Legends Golf Club LLC, Len - Little Harbor LLC, Len FW Investor LLC, Len Paradise LLC, Len-Angeline LLC, Len-Hawks Point LLC, Len-Land LLC, Len-Land West LLC, Len-MN LLC, Len-Verandahs LLP, LenCom LLC, LenFive LLC, LenFive Opco GP LLC, LenFive Sub III LLC, LenFive Sub LLC, LenFive Sub Opco GP LLC, Lenalto CMBS LLC, Lencraft LLC, Lennar Aircraft I LLC, Lennar Arizona Construction Inc., Lennar Arizona Inc., Lennar Associates Management Holding Company, Lennar Associates Management LLC, Lennar Avenue One LLC, Lennar Berkeley LLC, Lennar Bevard LLC, Lennar Bridges LLC, Lennar Buffington Colorado Crossing L.P., Lennar Buffington Zachary Scott L.P., Lennar Carolinas LLC, Lennar Central Park LLC, Lennar Central Region Sweep Inc., Lennar Chicago Inc., Lennar Cobra LLC, Lennar Colgate Urban Renewal Development LLC, Lennar Colorado LLC, Lennar Colorado Minerals LLC, Lennar Commercial LLC, Lennar Communities Development Inc., Lennar Communities Inc., Lennar Communities Nevada LLC, Lennar Communities of Chicago L.L.C., Lennar Concord LLC, Lennar Construction Inc., Lennar Cory Road LLC, Lennar Courts LLC, Lennar Developers Inc., Lennar Ewing LLC, Lennar Financial Services LLC, Lennar Flamingo LLC, Lennar Fresno Inc., Lennar Gardens LLC, Lennar Georgia Inc., Lennar Greer Ranch Venture LLC, Lennar Heritage Fields LLC, Lennar Hingham Holdings LLC, Lennar Hingham JV LLC, Lennar Homes Holding LLC, Lennar Homes LLC, Lennar Homes NJ LLC, Lennar Homes of Arizona Inc., Lennar Homes of California Inc., Lennar Homes of Indiana Inc., Lennar Homes of Texas Land and Construction Ltd., Lennar Homes of Texas Sales and Marketing Ltd., Lennar Homes of Utah Inc., Lennar International Holding LLC, Lennar International LLC, Lennar Lakeside Investor LLC, Lennar Layton LLC, Lennar Living LLC, Lennar Lytle LLC, Lennar MF Holdings LLC, Lennar MPA LLC, Lennar MPA WIP LLC, Lennar Mare Island LLC, Lennar Marina A Funding LLC, Lennar Massachusetts Properties Inc., Lennar Middletown LLC, Lennar Monmouth Redevelopers LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture GP Victory Block G Mezz LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II GP Subsidiary LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture II Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture LP LLC, Lennar Multifamily BTC Venture Manager LLC, Lennar Multifamily Builders LLC, Lennar Multifamily Communities LLC, Lennar Multifamily Venture DC LP, Lennar New Jersey Holdings LLC, Lennar New Jersey Properties Inc., Lennar New York LLC, Lennar Northeast Properties LLC, Lennar Northwest Inc., Lennar OHB LLC, Lennar PI Acquisition LLC, Lennar PI Property Acquisition LLC, Lennar PIS Management Company LLC, Lennar Pacific Inc., Lennar Pacific Properties Inc., Lennar Pacific Properties Management Inc., Lennar Plumsted Urban Renewal LLC, Lennar Point LLC, Lennar QR Build to Core GP LLC, Lennar QR Build to Core LP LLC, Lennar Realty Inc., Lennar Reno LLC, Lennar Riverwalk LLC, Lennar Sacramento Inc., Lennar Sales Corp., Lennar Sierra Sunrise LLC, Lennar Spencer's Crossing LLC, Lennar Sun Ridge LLC, Lennar Texas Holding LLC, Lennar Ventures LLC, Lennar West Valley LLC, Lennar Winncrest LLC, Lennar at Franklin LLC, Lennar at Jackson LLC, Lennar at Marlboro 79 LLC, Lennar at Monroe LLC, Lennar.com Inc., Longleaf Acquisition LLC, Lori Gardens Associates II LLC, Lori Gardens Associates III LLC, Lori Gardens Associates L.L.C., Lorton Station LLC, Lyons Lennar Farms LLC, Madrona Ridge L.L.C., Madrona Village L.L.C., Madrona Village Mews L.L.C., Majestic Woods LLC, Maple and Broadway Holdings LLC, Menifee Development LLC, Mid-County Utilities Inc., Miralago West Lennar LLC, Mission Viejo 12S Venture LP, Mission Viejo Holdings Inc., Motomic Diagnostics LLC, Multibank 2009-1 CML-ADC Venture LLC, Multibank 2009-1 RES-ADC Venture LLC, NC Properties I LLC, NC Properties II LLC, North American Asset Development LLC, Northbridge L.L.C., OHC/Ascot Belle Meade LLC, One SR L.P., PD-Len Boca Raton LLC, PG Properties Holding LLC, POMAC LLC, PT Metro LLC, Pace Drive Holdings LLC, Palm Gardens At Doral Clubhouse LLC, Palm Gardens at Doral LLC, Palm Springs Classic LLC, Palm Vista Preserve LLC, Patuxent Infrastructure Inc., Pioneer Meadows Development LLC, Pioneer Meadows Investments LLC, Plaza Condominium Ventures LLC, Portside Marina Developers L.L.C., Portside SM Associates L.L.C., Portside SM Holdings L.L.C., Portside Shipyard Developers L.L.C., Prestonfield L.L.C., Quail Roost Lennar LLC, RCCF GP II LLC, RCCF GP III LLC, RCCF GP IV LLC, RCCF GP LLC, RES-FL EIGHT LLC, RES-FL SEVEN LLC, RES-FL VISION ONE LLC, RES-FL VISION TWO LLC, RES-GA CASCADE LLC, RES-GA DIAMOND MEADOWS LLC, RES-GA KAP LLC, RES-GA SOUTHERN PLANTATION LLC, RES-GA THIRTEEN LLC, RES-GA TWELVE LLC, RES-GA WEST LLC, RES-IL ONE LLC, RES-NC ONE LLC, RES-PA LSJ LLC, RES-PA POM LLC, RES-TX BOULEVARD LLC, RH Insurance Company Inc., RH MOA BBCMS 2017-C1 LLC, RH MOA CF 2017-C8 LLC, RH MOA LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C4 LLC, RH MOA U 2017-C6 LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 CLASS B LLC, RIAL 2014-LT5 LLC, RL BB FINANCIAL LLC, RL BB INACTIVE LLC, RL BB-AL LLC, RL BB-FL ALHI LLC, RL BB-GA LLC, RL BB-GA RMH LLC, RL BB-IL LLC, RL BB-IN AA LLC, RL BB-IN KRE LLC, RL BB-IN KRE OP LLC, RL BB-IN KRE RE LLC, RL BB-MS LLC, RL BB-NC LLC, RL BB-OH LLC, RL BB-SC BROOKSA LLC, RL BB-SC CLR II LLC, RL BB-SC CLR III LLC, RL BB-SC CLR IV LLC, RL BB-SC CLR LLC, RL BB-SC CRRC LLC, RL BB-SC RACEDAY LLC, RL BB-TN BRISTOL LLC, RL BB-TN LLC, RL BB-TN RACEDAY TOWER LLC, RL BB-TX LLC, RL BB-WV LLC, RL CMBS Holdings LLC, RL CML 2009-1 Investments LLC, RL REGI ARKANSAS LLC, RL REGI Alabama LLC, RL REGI FINANCIAL LLC, RL REGI Florida LLC, RL REGI GEORGIA LLC, RL REGI INACTIVE LLC, RL REGI KANSAS LLC, RL REGI MISSISSIPPI LLC, RL REGI MISSOURI LLC, RL REGI NORTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI SOUTH CAROLINA LLC, RL REGI TENNESSEE LLC, RL REGI VIRGINIA LLC, RL REGI-AL HP LLC, RL REGI-AL VRC LLC, RL REGI-FL CRC LLC, RL REGI-FL ESH LLC, RL REGI-FL FT. PIERCE LLC, RL REGI-FL GDL LLC, RL REGI-FL ITALIA LLC, RL REGI-FL MRED LLC, RL REGI-FL RDI LLC, RL REGI-FL SARASOTA LLC, RL REGI-FL TPL LLC, RL REGI-FL VARC LLC, RL REGI-GA DRAD LLC, RL REGI-GA HAY DB LLC, RL REGI-GA MHU LLC, RL REGI-GA MPD LLC, RL REGI-GA RLR LLC, RL REGI-MO GMB LLC, RL REGI-MO MOSCOW MILLS LLC, RL REGI-MS Double H LLC, RL REGI-MS OCEAN SPRINGS LLC, RL REGI-NC CIL LLC, RL REGI-NC LITTLE WING LLC, RL REGI-NC MLD LLC, RL REGI-NC Mland LLC, RL REGI-NC RALEIGH LLC, RL REGI-NC SUGARM LLC, RL REGI-NM LLC, RL REGI-SC CTL LLC, RL REGI-SC LAKE E LLC, RL REGI-SC TDG LLC, RL REGI-SC TIG LLC, RL REGI-TN OAK LLC, RL REGI-TN SEVIERVILLE LLC, RL RES 2009-1 Investments LLC, RMF Alliance LLC, RMF Commercial LLC, RMF PR New York LLC, RMF Partner LLC, RMF SUB 1 LLC, RMF SUB 2 LLC, RMF SUB 3 LLC, RMF SUB 4 LLC, RMF SUB 5 LLC, RMV LLC, Raintree Village II L.L.C., Raintree Village L.L.C., Ral-Len BM LLC, Ral-Len LLC, Rannel Capital WeWork Series D LLC, Rannel Holdings LLC, Rannel Interests LLC, Rannel Investments LLC, Rannel Mortgage Investments LLC, Rannel Proprietary Investments LLC, Renaissance Joint Venture, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove II LLC, Reserve @ Pleasant Grove LLC, Reserve at River Park LLC, Reserve at South Harrison LLC, Rialto Commercial Mortgage Securities LLC, Rialto Credit Partnership GP LLC, Rialto Mezz Partners GP LLC, Rialto Mortgage Finance LLC, Rialto Partners GP II LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Debt LLC, Rialto Partners GP III - Property LLC, Rialto Partners GP LLC, Rialto RSSF GP LLC, Riverwalk at Lago Mar LLC, Rocking Horse Minerals LLC, Rutenberg Homes Inc. (Florida), Rutenberg Homes of Texas Inc., Rye Hill Company LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada Holdings LLC, Ryland Homes Nevada LLC, Ryland Homes of California Inc., S. Florida Construction II LLC, S. Florida Construction III LLC, S. Florida Construction LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve LLC, SC 521 Indian Land Reserve South LLC, SPIC CPCO Inc., SPIC CPDB Inc., SPIC CPRB Inc., SPIC Del Sur LLC, SPIC Dublin LLC, SPIC Mesa LLC, SPIC NC Fremont LLC, SPIC Otay LLC, SPIC Springs LLC, San Felipe Indemnity Co. Ltd., San Lucia LLC, San Simeon Lennar LLC, Schulz Ranch Developers LLC, Seminole/70th LLC, Siena at Old Orchard L.L.C., Sierra Vista Communities LLC, Silver Springs Lennar LLC, South Development LLC, Southbank Holding LLC, Spanish Springs Development LLC, St. Charles Active Adult Community LLC, St. Charles Community LLC, Standard Pacific 1 Inc., Standard Pacific Investment Corp., Standard Pacific of Colorado Inc., Standard Pacific of Florida, Standard Pacific of Florida GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Las Vegas Inc., Standard Pacific of Orange County Inc., Standard Pacific of Tampa GP, Standard Pacific of Tampa GP Inc., Standard Pacific of Tonner Hills LLC, Standard Pacific of Walnut Hills Inc., Standard Pacific of the Carolinas LLC, Stoney Holdings LLC, Storey Lake Club LLC, Storey Park Club LLC, Strategic Holdings Inc., Strategic Technologies LLC, Summerfield Venture L.L.C., SunStreet Energy Group LLC, SunStreet Manager LLC, TCO QVI LLC, TICD Hold Co. LLC, TIH Hold Co. LLC, Talega Associates LLC, Temecula Valley LLC, Terra Division LLC, Terra/Winding Creek LLC, The Baywinds Land Trust, The Bridges Club at Rancho Santa Fe Inc., The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe Sales Company Inc., The LNC Northeast Group Inc., The Oasis Club at LEN-CG South LLC, The Preserve at Coconut Creek LLC, The Vistas Club at LEN-CG South LLC, Titlezoom Company, Treasure Island Holdings LLC, Treasure Island Member LLC, Treviso Holding LLC, Two Lakes Lennar LLC, U.S. Home Corporation, U.S. Home Realty Inc., U.S. Home of Arizona Construction Co., U.S. Insurors Inc., U.S.H. Realty Inc., UAMC Holding Company LLC, UB 2018C14 MOA LLC, USH - Flag LLC, USH Equity Corporation, USH LEE LLC, USH Leasing II LLC, USH Leasing LLC, UST Lennar HW Scala SF Joint Venture, VII Crown Farm Investor LLC, Venetian Lennar LLC, Vineyard Land LLC, Vineyard Point 2009 LLC, Vista Palms Clubhouse LLC, WCI Communities, WCI Communities Inc., WCI Communities LLC, WCI Towers Northeast USA Inc., WCI Westshore LLC, WCP LLC, WIP Lennar OHB LLC, Waterview at Hanover LLC, West Lake Village LLC, West Seattle Project X LLC, West Van Buren L.L.C., Westchase Inc., Westchase Ltd., Westfield Homes USA Inc., White Course Lennar LLC, Wild Plum JV LLC, Willowbrook Investors LLC, Winncrest Natomas LLC, Woodbridge Multifamily Developer I LLC, Wright Farm L.L.C., and YLRichards4Acres 2015 LLC.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images(CHICAGO) -- Arieyanna Williams remembers being 9 years old and staring at the two bloody handprints on a wall near the front door of her aunts home in Chicago.

She pressed one of her small palms against the blood-stained concrete wall as a final goodbye to her father.

The night before, Williams was watching classic television shows with her mother while her four younger sisters were sound asleep. She was drifting to sleep when her mother received that frantic phone call from her aunt that forever changed all of their lives.

Her aunt told them the bad news: Williams father had been shot and killed.

We cried all night long, Williams said.

After being shot, Williams father tried to seek help from his sister and walked a block to her home where he collapsed at her front door, leaving the bloody handprints behind.

He later died in an ambulance from his wounds.

It felt very unreal, Williams told ABC News after she placed her hand on her fathers handprints.

Now 17 years old, Williams remembers her father, not as a man gunned down in a gang-related conflict, but as a man who loved her deeply.

He would always tell me he loved me, Williams said. He spent time with me and hed always make sure I had everything I needed.

And his death and those of her two uncles and others in her community have inspired her to advocate for peaceful solutions to conflict and for what she sees as the need for gun policy reform.

She turns 18 in a few months and is eager to vote for the first time in Illinois general election in November.

The only time you have a voice is when you get to vote, Williams said.

Life after death

For a while, she thought she had lost her voice, lost herself.

After my fathers death, I became angry, Williams told ABC News. I got into fights -- I felt alone.

Williams also wrote poetry as a way to give voice to her pain.

I often wrote about my father ... how he didnt get to see me grow up to what I wanted to be, Williams said. Id also write about my future.

Writing was also an activity she could do indoors -- it was often far too dangerous to play outside in her inner-city Chicago neighborhood where sometimes innocent bystanders were shot and killed in random acts of crime-related violence.

So she would stay safe within the walls of her home and play video games with her four sisters, sing karaoke and listen to her favorite boy band, One Direction.

As a freshman at North Lawndale High School, Williams wouldnt say much to anyone.

I would separate myself from everyone, Williams said. I didnt want to be there.

It wasnt until sophomore year that Williams life began to get better. She met the man she calls her guardian angel, Gerald Smith.

In his leadership development class, Smith took notice of the introverted, articulate teen who he praises as an "outstanding writer."

I recognized she had the ability to be a leader, Smith told ABC News. Ive been blessed with a gift to recognize leadership. I recognize it even when students dont see it themselves.

He introduced the Peace Warriors to me, Williams told ABC News of the group of minority students from Chicago who for a decade have been addressing issues of gun violence. I thought this isnt going to change anything for me, but Mr. Smith was persistent. He told me it could help me not forget about situations but help resolve my anger.

Smith eventually broke down all the walls Williams tried to subtly build and she joined the Peace Warriors.

Life as a Peace Warrior

After joining, I wanted to make friends, Williams said. We all bonded over our hurt and it made us family...thats the thing about Peace Warriors, were a family.

The Peace Warriors are a student based organization that seeks peaceful resolutions to conflicts using Dr. Martin Luther Kings non-violence philosophies. They work to serve as examples to peers in the hopes of decreasing violence in their community.

There are currently a total of 120 Peace Warriors at North Lawndale College Prep High School.

After joining the organization, Williams says shes seen a change in herself. She devotes her time teaching principles of peaceful conflict resolution in her school and surrounding schools in the Chicago area.

And through that work, she has found her voice.

Ive seen a difference in myself, Williams said. I feel like I was born to be a leader, but I didnt see it until joining the Peace Warriors.

Williams sees herself as a role model to the younger generation, including her four younger sisters -- one, a freshman at the same school is set to become a future Peace Warrior, according to Smith.

Smith also has seen a tremendous change in his once quiet student.

Shes quiet, but when she talks everyone listens," Smith said. "If you walk into a room you may not even notice her, but she is the heart of the Peace Warriors.

She and her fellow Peace Warriors found common ground with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students who faced tragedy in February after a gunman went on a shooting rampage, killing 17 people.

Williams said she walked into that March 3 meeting with the Parkland students, observed her surroundings and introduced herself. She didnt want to insert herself into conversation immediately but listened.

At first the conversation was tense, Williams said. They shared their stories and I sat there thinking were from two different worlds. We see this kind of stuff every day.

One Parkland student admitted she recognized her "white privilege" and wanted to use her platform to give the Peace Warriors representing Chicago and all inner cities across America a voice on a national platform.

Williams along with her Peace Warrior companions attended the March for Our Lives Rally in Washington, D.C. later that month. Williams did not take the stage but felt as though she was solidly represented by her friends.

I felt like they were speaking for me because we share the same story, Williams said. Its like we could cry because we finally got to say what we wanted to say - we were finally heard.

In response to the Parkland High School shooting, Illinois House members pushed measures for gun reform including setting the minimum age to possess a semiautomatic assault weapon at 21, a ban on bump stocks and setting a 72-hour waiting period for the sale of any assault weapon.

Amid her journey calling for peace against gun violence in her community and meeting with the students of the Parkland High School shooting, Smith took heed to Williams interest in policies.

I see her as a social activist and having a career in politics, Williams told ABC News. I see her ability to affect policy.

18 for 18

Williams will turn 18 on June 4 and she plans to use her platform to encourage other 18-year-olds in her community to get to the polls to vote.

What do they support? Stricter gun laws? Do they believe in nonviolent neighborhoods? Are they going to provide more jobs for the community to help decrease gang activity? Can they use the titles they hold to better our communities? Williams said. I want whoever I vote for to have the ability to listen and not be so influenced by money.

Williams has ideas stashed away on how lawmakers can improve their communities like more after-school programs, increased social media involvement, and more peace rallies and marches.

She also has a strong message for whoever will be voted in office.

If you dont see and hear us, you wont be running in the next election, Williams said. The next generation is us.

In the meantime, Williams is focusing on walking across the stage to get her hands on her high school diploma. She has Michigan State set on her mind as the college of her choice. There, she will study education in preparation to become a teacher.

She hopes to one day teach at North Lawndale.

Its all about going back where I came from and not forgetting where I came from.

Although graduation is not too far away, Williams' work as a Peace Warrior will continue.

Arieyanna is going to go places I cant even fathom, Smith told ABC News. She left a legacy here.

For Williams' the mission is unfinished and she is determined to see it through.

Students say Chicago will never see change, but I believe we will, Williams said. It takes one step at a time.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The following companies are subsidiares of Danaher: AB SCIEX, AB Sciex Germany GmbH, AB Sciex LLC, AB Sciex LP, AB Sciex Pte Ltd., Accu-Sort Systems, Acme Cleveland Corporation, Advanced Vision Technology, American Precision Industries, Applied Biosystems, Applitek NV, Aquatic Infomatics ULC, Aquatic Informatics, Armstrong Tools, BC Distribution BV, Beckman Coulter, Beckman Coulter Australia Pty Ltd, Beckman Coulter Biotechnology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Biyomedikal Urunler Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited [irketi], Beckman Coulter Canada LP, Beckman Coulter Commercial Enterprise (China) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter France S.A.S., Beckman Coulter G.m.b.H., Beckman Coulter Genomics Inc., Beckman Coulter Hong Kong Limited, Beckman Coulter Inc., Beckman Coulter India Private Limited, Beckman Coulter International SA, Beckman Coulter International Shanghai Trading Co., Beckman Coulter Ireland Inc., Beckman Coulter K.K., Beckman Coulter Korea Ltd., Beckman Coulter Laboratory Systems (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Beckman Coulter Limited Liability Company, Beckman Coulter Mishima KK, Beckman Coulter Nederland B.V., Beckman Coulter Nippon GK, Beckman Coulter S.L.U., Beckman Coulter Saudi Arabia Co.Ltd., Beckman Coulter Srl, Beckman Coulter Taiwan Inc., Beckman Coulter United Kingdom Limited, Beckman Coulter de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Beckman Coulter do Brasil Ltda., Beckman Finance ApS, Beckman Holdings Ltd., BioTector Analytical Systems Ltd, Biosafe S.A., Blue Software LLC, Cepheid, Cepheid AB, Cepheid Europe SAS, Cepheid GmbH, Cepheid HBDC SAS, Cepheid UK Ltd., ChemTreat, ChemTreat Inc., ChemTreat International Inc., Cispus Hong Kong Holding Limited, Cytiva, Cytiva BioProcess R&D AB, Cytiva Biotechnology (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Biotechnology (Hang Zhou) Co. Ltd., Cytiva Europe GmbH, Cytiva Sweden AB, Cytiva Sweden Holding AB, DH Europe Finance II Sarl, DH Europe Finance Sarl, DH Holding Italia SRL, DH Japan Finance Sarl, DH Life Sciences LLC, DH Netherlands BV, DH Technologies Development Pte Ltd., DHKAB Company AB, DTIL Ireland Holdings Ltd., Danaher (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Danaher Hong Kong Limited, Danaher Medical ApS, Delta Consolidated Industries, Devicore Medical Products Inc., Easco Hand Tools, Esko, Esko BV, Esko Finance BV, Esko Graphics BV, Esko Software BV, FHAB Company AB, Fluke, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, GE Biopharma, Gelman Sciences Inc., Gendex, Genetix Group, Gilbarco Veeder Root, Gilzoni Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Austria GmbH & Co. KG, Global Life Sciences Solutions Germany GmbH, Global Life Sciences Solutions Korea Ltd., Global Life Sciences Solutions Manufacturing UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions New Zealand, Global Life Sciences Solutions Operations UK Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd, Global Life Sciences Solutions USA LLC, Global Life Sciences Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd., Global Life Sciences Technologies Japan KK, Hach Company, Hach Lange Finance GmbH, Hach Lange GmbH, Hach Lange Sarl, Hach Sales & Services Canada LP, Hach Ultra Japan KK, Hach Water Quality Analytical Instru. (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., HemoCue AB, HyClone Laboratories LLC, Hybritech Incorporated, Hyclone Life Sciences Solutions India Private Limited, IDBS Group, IRIS International, Imaging Sciences International, Immunotech SAS, Immunotech Sro, Intabio LLC, Integrated DNA Technologies, Integrated DNA Technologies BVBA, Integrated DNA Technologies Inc., Integrated DNA Technologies Pte. Ltd., Iris International Inc., Joslyn Holding Company LLC, KVHG GmbH, KaVo, KaVo Kerr, Kaltenbach & Voigt, Keithley Instruments, Kipp & Zonen BV, Kollmorgen, Labcyte Inc., Laetus, Leica Biosystems Imaging Inc., Leica Biosystems Melbourne Pty Ltd, Leica Biosystems Newcastle Limited, Leica Biosystems Nussloch GmbH, Leica Biosystems Richmond Inc., Leica Instruments (Singapore) Pte Limited, Leica Microsystems, Leica Microsystems (UK) Limited, Leica Microsystems CMS GmbH, Leica Microsystems Cambridge Limited, Leica Microsystems IR GmbH, Leica Microsystems Inc., Leica Microsystems Limited, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Shanghai, Leica Mikrosysteme Vertrieb GmbH, Life Sciences Holdings France SAS*, Lifschultz Industries, Linx Printing Technologies, Linx Printing Technologies Limited, MDS Analytical Technologies, Marconi Data Systems, McCrometer Inc., Microtest, Molecular Devices, Molecular Devices (Austria) GmbH, Molecular Devices LLC, Navman Wireless, Navman Wireless OEM Solutions, Nihon Pall Ltd., Nihon Pall Manufacturing Limited, Nobel Biocare, OTT Hydromet Corp, Pall, Pall (Canada) ULC, Pall (China) Co. Ltd., Pall (Schweiz) GmbH, Pall Aeropower Corporation, Pall Artelis BVBA, Pall Asia Holdings Inc., Pall Australia Pty. Ltd., Pall Austria Filter Ges.m.b.h, Pall Corporation, Pall Europe Limited, Pall Filtersystems GmbH, Pall Filtration Pte. Ltd., Pall Filtration and Separations Group Inc., Pall France SAS, Pall GmbH, Pall India Pvt. Ltd., Pall International Sarl, Pall Italia Srl, Pall Korea Ltd., Pall Life Sciences Belgium BV, Pall Life Sciences Puerto Rico LLC, Pall Manufacturing UK Limited, Pall Medistad BV, Pall Netherlands BV Irish Branch, Pall Technology UK Limited, PaloDEX, Pantone LLC, Pelton & Crane, Phenomenex, Phenomenex Inc., Precision NanoSystems, QHC Ireland Finance Limited, Radiometer, Radiometer Basel AG, Radiometer K.K., Radiometer Medical ApS, Radiometer Medical Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Radiometer Turku Oy, Raytek, Reytek Corporation, SH Switzerland Finance Sarl, Sea-Bird Electronics Inc., SenDx Medical Inc., Shanghai AB Sciex Analytical Instrument Trading Co. Ltd., Sutron, Sybron Dental Specialties, TCIL Ireland Finance Ltd., Tektronix, Thomson Industries, Tianjin Bonna-Agela Technologies Co. Ltd., Trojan Technologies, Trojan Technologies Group ULC, VSS Monitoring, Videojet Do Brasil Comercio de Equipamentos Para Codificacao Industrial Ltda., Videojet Technologies (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Videojet Technologies Europe B.V., Videojet Technologies Inc., Viridor Waste Management Limited, Vision Systems Limited, Willett International, X-Ray Optical Systems Inc., X-Rite, X-Rite Europe GmbH, X-Rite Incorporated, X-Rite Switzerland GmbH, XOS, Yukon Hong Kong Holding Limited, and Zhuhai S.E.Z. Videojet Electronics Ltd..
HSBC Holdings plc provides banking and financial products and services worldwide. The company operates through Wealth and Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Global Banking and Markets segments. The Wealth and Personal Banking segment offers retail banking products and services, such as current and savings accounts, mortgages and personal loans, credit and debit cards, and local and international payment services for ultra high net worth individuals; and wealth management services, including insurance and investment products, global asset management services, investment management, and private wealth solutions. The Commercial Banking segment provides credit and lending, treasury management, payment, cash management, commercial insurance, and investment services, as well as commercial cards, and international trade and receivables finance services; and foreign exchange products, and capital raising and advisory services to small and medium sized enterprises, mid-market enterprises, and corporates. The Global Banking and Markets segment is involved in the provision of financing, advisory, and transaction services, including credit, rates, foreign exchange, equities, money markets, and securities services, as well as principal investment activities to government, corporate and institutional clients, and private investors. The Global Private Banking segment provides a range of services to high net worth individuals and families with complex and international needs. HSBC Holdings plc was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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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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The following companies are subsidiares of Whirlpool: 1900 Holdings Corporation, ADC, Aeradriatica S.p.A., Airdun Limited, B. Blend Maquinas e Bebidas S.A., BUD Comercio de Eletrodomesticos Ltda., BWI Products Limited, Bauknecht AG, Bauknecht Hausgerate GmbH, Bauknecht Limited, Beijing Embraco Snowflake Compressor Company Limited, Bill Page Orchestra, Bill Page Orchestra Inc., Brasmotor S.A., Brunson Place Properties, Brunson Place Properties LLC, CNB Consultoria Ltda, Cannon Industries Ltd., Centro de Desarrollo Tecnologico e Innovacion WHM S. de R.L de C.V., Comercial Acros Whirlpool, Comercial Acros Whirlpool S. de R.L. de C.V., Consumer Appliances Service Limited, Ealing Compania de Gestiones y Participaciones S.A., Elera Delaware, Elera Delaware Inc., Elera Holdings Corporation, Embraco Europe S.r.l., Embraco Eurosales S.r.l., Embraco Industria de Compressores e Solucoes em Refrigeracao Ltda., Embraco Luxembourg S.a r.l., Embraco Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Embraco Mexico Servicios, Embraco Mexico Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Embraco North America, Embraco North America Inc., Embraco RUS LLC, Embraco Slovakia S.r.o., Everest Campus, Everest Campus LLC., General Domestic Appliances Holdings Ltd, General Domestic Appliances International Ltd., Guangdong Whirlpool Electrical Appliances Co., Guangdong Whirlpool Electrical Appliances Co. Ltd., Haceb Whirlpool Industrias S.A.S., Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric, Hefei Whirlpool Enterprise Management Service Co. Ltd., Hoover Comercial Limitada, IRE Beteiligungs GmbH, Indesit Argentina S.A., Indesit Company, Indesit Company Beyaz Esya Pazarlama A.S., Indesit Company Beyaz Esya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S., Indesit Company Ceska S.r.o., Indesit Company Domestic Appliances Hellas Mepe, Indesit Company International Business S.A., Indesit Company Luxembourg S.A., Indesit Company Magyarorszag Kft, Indesit Company Nordics AB, Indesit Company Polska Sp. zo.o., Indesit Company Singapore Pte. Ltd., Indesit Company UK Holdings Ltd., Indesit IP S.r.l., Indesit International ZAO, Indesit Ireland Ltd., Indesit Middle East FZE, Indesit Ukraine LLC, Industrias Acros Whirlpool S. de R.L. de C.V., Industrias Acros Whirlpool S.A. de C.V, Jackson Appliances Ltd., Joint-Stock Company Indesit International, KitchenAid, KitchenAid Australia Pty Ltd, KitchenAid Australia Pty Ltd., KitchenAid Delaware Inc., KitchenAid Europa Inc., KitchenAid Global, KitchenAid Global Inc., KitchenAid Inc., KitchenAid Korea Limited, KitchenAid Promotions, KitchenAid Promotions LLC, KitchenAid Trading Co., KitchenAid Trading Co. Ltd., LAWSA S.A., MLOG Armazem Geral Ltda., Maytag Corporation, Maytag Limited, Maytag Properties, Maytag Properties LLC, Maytag Sales, Maytag Sales Inc., Maytag Worldwide N.V., Merloni Domestic Appliances Ltd., Nineteen Hundred Corporation, Polar S.A., Qingdao EECON Electronic Controls and Appliances Co., Qingdao EECON Electronic Controls and Appliances Co. Ltd., South American Sales Partnership, THC Assets Corporation, Up Points Servicos Empresariais S.A., Vitromatic S.A. de C.V., WCGP Nova Scotia Co., WHirlpool EMEA Finanace S.a r.l., Whirlpool (Australia) Pty. Limited, Whirlpool (B.V.I.) Limited, Whirlpool (China) Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (China) Investment Co., Whirlpool (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (Hefei) Trading Co., Whirlpool (Hefei) Trading Co. Ltd, Whirlpool (Hong Kong) Limited, Whirlpool (Japan) Co. Ltd., Whirlpool (Thailand) Limited, Whirlpool ASEAN Co., Whirlpool America Holdings Corp., Whirlpool Argentina S.r.l., Whirlpool Asia B.V., Whirlpool Asia Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Asia Inc., Whirlpool Asia LLP, Whirlpool Belux N.V./S.A., Whirlpool Bermuda Euro Ltd., Whirlpool Beyaz Esya Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S., Whirlpool Bulgaria Ltd., Whirlpool CIS Ltd., Whirlpool CR, Whirlpool CR spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool CSA Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Canada Co., Whirlpool Canada Co. (post 9/1/05 amalgamation company), Whirlpool Canada Holding Co, Whirlpool Canada Holding Co. (post 4/18/06 amalgamation company), Whirlpool Canada Investments S.a r.l., Whirlpool Canada LP, Whirlpool Canada Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Chile Limitada, Whirlpool Colombia S.A.S., Whirlpool Comercial Ltda., Whirlpool Company Polska Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Company Ukraine LLC, Whirlpool Croatia Ltd., Whirlpool EMEA S.p.A., Whirlpool Ecuador S.A., Whirlpool Eesti OU, Whirlpool El Salvador, Whirlpool El Salvador S.A. de C.V., Whirlpool Electrodomesticos S.A., Whirlpool Eletrodomesticos AM S.A., Whirlpool Enterprises, Whirlpool Enterprises LLC, Whirlpool Europe B.V., Whirlpool Europe Coordination Center, Whirlpool Europe Holdings Limited, Whirlpool Ev Aletleri Pazarlama Ve Ticaret A.S., Whirlpool Finance B.V., Whirlpool Finance Center Corp., Whirlpool Finance Luxembourg S.a r.l., Whirlpool Finance Overseas Ltd., Whirlpool Financial Corporation, Whirlpool Financial Corporation International, Whirlpool Floor Care Corp., Whirlpool France Holdings SAS, Whirlpool France SAS, Whirlpool Germany GmbH, Whirlpool Global B.V., Whirlpool Global Investments B.V., Whirlpool Greater China Inc., Whirlpool Guatemala, Whirlpool Guatemala S.A., Whirlpool Hellas S.A., Whirlpool Holdings Corporation, Whirlpool Home Appliances B.V., Whirlpool Home Appliances Limited Liability Company, Whirlpool Hungarian Trading Limited Liability Company, Whirlpool India Holdings Limited, Whirlpool Insurance Company, Whirlpool Insurance Company Ltd., Whirlpool Internacional S. de R.L. de C.V., Whirlpool International GmbH, Whirlpool International Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool International Manufacturing S.a r.l., Whirlpool Ireland Appliances Limited, Whirlpool Ireland Limited, Whirlpool Italia Holdings S.r.l., Whirlpool Italia S.r.l., Whirlpool Japan Co. Ltd., Whirlpool Japan Inc., Whirlpool Kazakhstan LLP, Whirlpool Latin America Corporation, Whirlpool Latvia S.I.A., Whirlpool Lietuva UAB, Whirlpool Ltd Belgrade, Whirlpool Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg S.a r.l., Whirlpool Luxembourg Ventures S.a r.l., Whirlpool MEEA DMCC, Whirlpool Magyarorszag Kereskedelmi Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Whirlpool Management Services S.a.g.l., Whirlpool Maroc S. a r.l., Whirlpool Mauritius Limited, Whirlpool Mexico Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Whirlpool Mexico S.A. de C.V., Whirlpool Mexico Ventures LLC, Whirlpool Microwave Products Development Limited, Whirlpool NAAG Holdings Corporation, Whirlpool NAR Holdings, Whirlpool NAR Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Nederland B.V., Whirlpool Nordic, Whirlpool Nordic A/S, Whirlpool Nordic AB, Whirlpool Nordic AS, Whirlpool Nordic OY, Whirlpool Oceania Inc., Whirlpool Overseas Holdings, Whirlpool Overseas Holdings LLC, Whirlpool Overseas Hong Kong Limited, Whirlpool Overseas Manufacturing S.ar.l., Whirlpool Peru S.R.L., Whirlpool Polska Appliances Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Polska Sp. z o.o., Whirlpool Portugal, Whirlpool Portugal S.A., Whirlpool Product Development (Shenzhen) Company Limited, Whirlpool Properties, Whirlpool Properties Inc., Whirlpool Puntana S.A., Whirlpool R&D S.r.l., Whirlpool RUS LLC, Whirlpool Realty Corporation, Whirlpool Romania S.r.l., Whirlpool S.A., Whirlpool SSC Limited, Whirlpool Slovakia Home Appliances spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool Slovakia spol. s.r.o., Whirlpool South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Whirlpool Southeast Asia Pte, Whirlpool Sweden Aktiebolag, Whirlpool Taiwan Co. Ltd., Whirlpool Technologies LLC, Whirlpool UK Appliances Limited, Whirlpool UK Pension Scheme Trustee Limited, Whirlpool Ukraine LLC, Whirlpool WW Holdings B.V., Whirlpool do Brasil Investements B.V., Whirlpool do Brasil Ltda., Whirlpool of India Limited, Whirlpool Osterreich GmbH, Whirlpool Osterreich GmbH, Xpelair, Xpelair Ltd., Yummly, Yummly Canada Ltd., and Yummly Inc..
Principal Financial Group, Inc. is a financial company, which offers financial products and services to businesses, individuals and institutional clients. It specializes in retirement solutions, insurance, and investment products through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals. It operates its business through following segments: Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Global Investors, Principal International, U.S. Insurance Solutions and Corporate. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement and related financial products and services primarily to businesses, their employees and other individuals. The Principal Global Investors segment provides asset management services to asset accumulation business, insurance operations, corporate segment and third party clients and also refers to mutual fund business. The Principal International segment offers pension accumulation products and services, mutual funds, asset management, income annuities and life insurance accumulation products. The U.S. Insurance Solutions segment operates through two divisions. Specialty benefits insurance division consists of gro

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Valvoline, Inc. is engaged in producing, marketing and supplying of engine & automotive maintenance products and services. The company operates through three segments: Quick Lubes, Core North America and International. The Quick Lubes segment provides services to passenger car and light truck quick lube market through company-owned and independent franchised retail quick lube service center stores and independent express care stores that service vehicles with valvoline products. The Core North America segment sells engine and automotive maintenance products in the United States and Canada to retailers, installers, and heavy-duty customers to service vehicles and equipment. The International segment sells engine and automotive products in more than 140 countries outside of the United States and Canada for the maintenance of consumer and commercial vehicles and equipment. Its products include motor oil, gear oil, pro-v racing and antifreeze and radiator. Valvoline was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Lexington, KY.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE).
The following companies are subsidiares of Sonic Automotive: AM GA LLC, AM Realty GA LLC, AnTrev LLC, Arngar Inc., Autobahn Inc., Avalon Ford Inc., Car Cash of North Carolina Inc., Cornerstone Acceptance Corporation, ECHOPARK: AM GA LLC, ECHOPARK: AM Realty GA LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EP Realty SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark AZ LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark CA LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Driver Education LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark FL LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark NC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark SC LLC, ECHOPARK: EchoPark TX LLC, ECHOPARK: Echopark Automotive Inc., ECHOPARK: SAI DS LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI DS Realty TX LLC, ECHOPARK: SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., ECHOPARK: TT Denver LLC, ECHOPARK: TTRE CO 1 LLC, FAA Beverly Hills Inc., FAA Capitol N Inc., FAA Concord H Inc., FAA Concord T Inc., FAA Dublin N Inc., FAA Dublin VWD Inc., FAA Holding Corp., FAA Las Vegas H Inc., FAA Poway H Inc., FAA Poway T Inc., FAA San Bruno Inc., FAA Santa Monica V Inc., FAA Serramonte H Inc., FAA Serramonte Inc., FAA Serramonte L Inc., FAA Stevens Creek Inc., FAA Torrance CPJ Inc., FirstAmerica Automotive Inc., Fort Mill Ford Inc., Franciscan Motors Inc., Frontier Oldsmobile-Cadillac Inc., Kramer Motors Incorporated, L Dealership Group Inc., Marcus David Corporation, Massey Cadillac Inc. (TN-MI), Mountain States Motors Co. Inc., North Point Imports LLC, Ontario L LLC, Philpott Motors Ltd., SAI AL HC1 Inc., SAI AL HC2 Inc., SAI Ann Arbor Imports LLC, SAI Atlanta B LLC, SAI Broken Arrow C LLC, SAI Calabasas A LLC, SAI Chamblee V LLC, SAI Charlotte M LLC, SAI Chattanooga N LLC, SAI Clearwater T LLC, SAI Cleveland N LLC, SAI Columbus Motors LLC, SAI Columbus T LLC, SAI Columbus VWK LLC, SAI Conroe N LLC, SAI Denver B Inc., SAI Denver C Inc., SAI Denver M Inc., SAI FL HC1 Inc., SAI FL HC2 Inc., SAI FL HC3 Inc., SAI FL HC4 Inc., SAI FL HC7 Inc., SAI Fairfax B LLC, SAI Fort Myers B LLC, SAI Fort Myers H LLC, SAI Fort Myers M LLC, SAI Fort Myers VW LLC, SAI GA HC1 LLC, SAI Irondale Imports LLC, SAI Irondale L LLC, SAI Long Beach B Inc., SAI MD HC1 Inc., SAI McKinney M LLC, SAI Monrovia B Inc., SAI Montgomery B LLC, SAI Montgomery BCH LLC, SAI Montgomery CH LLC, SAI Nashville CSH LLC, SAI Nashville H LLC, SAI Nashville M LLC, SAI Nashville Motors LLC, SAI OK HC1 Inc., SAI Oklahoma City C LLC, SAI Oklahoma City H LLC, SAI Oklahoma City T LLC, SAI Orlando CS LLC, SAI Peachtree LLC, SAI Pensacola A LLC, SAI Philpott T LLC, SAI Riverside C LLC, SAI Roaring Fork LR Inc., SAI Rockville Imports LLC, SAI Rockville L LLC, SAI S. Atlanta JLR LLC, SAI SIC Inc., SAI Santa Clara K Inc., SAI Stone Mountain T LLC, SAI TN HC1 LLC, SAI TN HC2 LLC, SAI TN HC3 LLC, SAI Tulsa N LLC, SAI Tulsa T LLC, SAI Tysons Corner H LLC, SAI Tysons Corner I LLC, SAI VA HC1 Inc., SAI VS GA LLC, SAI VS TX LLC, SAI Vehicle Subscription Inc., SAI West Houston B LLC, SRE Alabama  2 LLC, SRE Alabama  5 LLC, SRE Alabama  6 LLC, SRE California 10 LBB LLC, SRE California 11 PH LLC, SRE California  1 LLC, SRE California  2 LLC, SRE California  3 LLC, SRE California  4 LLC, SRE California  5 LLC, SRE California  6 LLC, SRE California  7 SCB LLC, SRE California  8 SCH LLC, SRE California  9 BHB LLC, SRE Colorado  1 LLC, SRE Colorado  2 LLC, SRE Colorado  3 LLC, SRE Colorado  4 RF LLC, SRE Colorado  5 CC LLC, SRE Florida  1 LLC, SRE Florida  2 LLC, SRE Georgia 4 LLC, SRE Georgia 5 LLC, SRE Georgia 6 LLC, SRE Holding LLC, SRE Maryland  1 LLC, SRE Nevada  2 LLC, SRE North Carolina  2 LLC, SRE North Carolina  3 LLC, SRE Ohio 1 LLC, SRE Ohio 2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  1 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  2 LLC, SRE Oklahoma  5 LLC, SRE South Carolina  2 LLC, SRE South Carolina  3 LLC, SRE South Carolina  4 LLC, SRE Tennessee 6 LLC, SRE Tennessee 7 LLC, SRE Tennessee  1 LLC, SRE Tennessee  2 LLC, SRE Tennessee  3 LLC, SRE Tennessee  4 LLC, SRE Tennessee  5 LLC, SRE Texas 10 LLC, SRE Texas 11 LLC, SRE Texas 12 LLC, SRE Texas 13 LLC, SRE Texas 14 LLC, SRE Texas 15 LLC, SRE Texas 16 LLC, SRE Texas 9 LLC, SRE Texas  1 LP, SRE Texas  2 LP, SRE Texas  3 LP, SRE Texas  4 LP, SRE Texas  5 LP, SRE Texas  6 LP, SRE Texas  7 LP, SRE Texas  8 LP, SRE Virginia - 1 LLC, SRE Virginia  2 LLC, SRM Assurance Ltd., Santa Clara Imported Cars Inc., Sonic 2185 Chapman Rd. Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Advantage PA LP, Sonic Automotive - 1720 Mason Ave. DB LLC, Sonic Automotive 2424 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive 2752 Laurens Rd. Greenville Inc., Sonic Automotive Aviation LLC, Sonic Automotive F&I LLC, Sonic Automotive Support LLC, Sonic Automotive West LLC, Sonic Automotive of Chattanooga LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nashville LLC, Sonic Automotive of Nevada Inc., Sonic Automotive of Texas LP, Sonic Automotive  1495 Automall Drive Columbus Inc., Sonic Automotive  1720 Mason Ave. DB Inc., Sonic Automotive  2490 South Lee Highway LLC, Sonic Automotive  3401 N. Main TX LP, Sonic Automotive  4701 I-10 East TX LP, Sonic Automotive  6008 N. Dale Mabry FL Inc., Sonic Automotive  9103 E. Independence NC LLC, Sonic Calabasas M Inc., Sonic Development LLC, Sonic Divisional Operations LLC, Sonic FFC 1 Inc., Sonic FFC 2 Inc., Sonic FFC 3 Inc., Sonic Fremont Inc., Sonic Houston JLR LP, Sonic Houston LR LP, Sonic Momentum B LP, Sonic Momentum JVP LP, Sonic Momentum VWA LP, Sonic Resources Inc., Sonic Santa Monica M Inc., Sonic Santa Monica S Inc., Sonic Walnut Creek M Inc., Sonic Wilshire Cadillac Inc., Sonic eStore Inc., Sonic of Texas Inc., Sonic  Buena Park H Inc., Sonic  Cadillac D LP, Sonic  Calabasas A Inc., Sonic  Calabasas V Inc., Sonic  Camp Ford LP, Sonic  Capitol Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Capitol Imports Inc., Sonic  Carrollton V LP, Sonic  Carson F Inc., Sonic  Carson LM Inc., Sonic  Clear Lake N LP, Sonic  Clear Lake Volkswagen LP, Sonic  Denver T Inc., Sonic  Downey Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Fort Mill Chrysler Jeep Inc., Sonic  Fort Mill Dodge Inc., Sonic  Fort Worth T LP, Sonic  Frank Parra Autoplex LP, Sonic  Harbor City H Inc., Sonic  Houston V LP, Sonic  Integrity Dodge LV LLC, Sonic  Jersey Village Volkswagen LP, Sonic  LS Chevrolet LP, Sonic  LS LLC, Sonic  Lake Norman Chrysler Jeep LLC, Sonic  Las Vegas C West LLC, Sonic  Lloyd Nissan Inc., Sonic  Lloyd Pontiac  Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Lone Tree Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Lute Riley LP, Sonic  Massey Cadillac LP, Sonic  Massey Chevrolet Inc., Sonic  Mesquite Hyundai LP, Sonic  Newsome Chevrolet World Inc., Sonic  Newsome of Florence Inc., Sonic  North Charleston Dodge Inc., Sonic  North Charleston Inc., Sonic  Plymouth Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Richardson F LP, Sonic  Sanford Cadillac Inc., Sonic  Shottenkirk Inc., Sonic  Stevens Creek B Inc., Sonic  Volvo LV LLC, Sonic  West Covina T Inc., Sonic  Williams Cadillac Inc., Stevens Creek Cadillac Inc., The Sonic Automotive Family Emergency Fund (SAFE), Town and Country Ford Incorporated, and Windward Inc..
Texas Pacific Land Corp. operates as a landowner in the State of Texas. Its surface and royalty ownership allow revenue generation through the entire value chain of oil and gas development, including through fixed fee payments for use of the firm's land, revenue for sales of materials used in the construction of infrastructure, providing sourced water and treated produced water, revenue from its oil and gas royalty interests, and revenues related to saltwater disposal on land. The company also generates revenue from pipeline, power line and utility easements, commercial leases, material sales and seismic and temporary permits related to a variety of land uses including midstream infrastructure projects and hydrocarbon processing facilities. The company operates through following segment: Land and Resource Management and Water Services and Operations. The Land and Resource Management segment focuses on managing oil and gas royalty interest and surface. The Water Services and Operations segment offers operators an unparalleled breadth of service across the majority of the Permian Basin. The company was founded in April 2020 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

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The following companies are subsidiares of TransUnion: Accupost Corporation, AppLock Limited, Auditz, Autolocator (Pty) Ltd., Beheer en Beleggingsmaatchapij Stivaco B.V., CIFIN S.A.S, [email protected] plc, Callcredit Data Solutions Limited, Callcredit Information, Callcredit Lead Generation Limited, Callcredit Marketing Ltd., Callcredit Public Sector Limited, Callcredit Spain S.L.U, Centro de Informacion y Estudios Estrategicos Empresariales S.A., Centro de Operaciones Servicios de Informacion Estrategica S.A., CheckMend Ltd., Coactiva Limited, Collection Africa Ltd., Confirma Sistemas de Informacion S.L., Credit Bureau of Carmel & Pebble Beach Inc., Credit Information Services Limited, Credit Information Systems Company Limited, Credit Reference Bureau (Holdings) Limited, Credit Reference Bureau Africa (Pty) Ltd., Credit Reference Bureau Africa Ltd., Credit Reporting Services Limited, Credit Retriever LLC, Crivo, Crown Acquisition BidCo Ltd., Crown Acquisition Consumer Ltd., Crown Acquisition MidCo Ltd., Crown Acquisition MidCo. 2 Ltd., Crown Acquisition TopCo. Ltd., DMWSL 617 Ltd., DMWSL 618 Ltd., DMWSL 619 Ltd., DMWSL 620 Ltd., DataLink Services, Datalink Services Inc., Decision Systems Inc., DecisionMetrics Limited, Diversified Data Development Corporation, Drivers History Inc., Drivers History Information Sales LLC, FT Holdings Inc., FactorTrust, FactorTrust Inc., GMAP Japan KK, GMAP Marketing Consulting Shangahi Co. Ltd, Healthcare Payment Specialists, INSDEC LLC, IS Resources Inc., Immobilise.com Limited, L2C Inc., L2C Inc., Link Marketing Inc., Link2credit Inc., Moussoro Participacoes Ltda., RTech, RTech Healthcare Revenue Technologies Inc., Recipero, Recipero Inc., Recipero Limited, Regional Data Systems Limited, RentPort, Rubixis, Rubixis Inc., Rubixis Technologies Private Limited, STS Vail Beheeren Administracion S. DE. R.L. DE C.V., Servicios y Asesoria S CO BC SA de CV, Signal, Soluciones de Informatica de Centroamerica (SICE) S.A., Source USA Insurance Agency Inc., Tenant ID Limited, Title Insurance Services Corporation, Trans Union Central America S.A., Trans Union Chile S.A., Trans Union Content Solutions LLC, Trans Union Costa Rica S.A., Trans Union Guatemala S.A., Trans Union Honduras-Buro de Credito S.A., Trans Union International Inc., Trans Union LLC, Trans Union Nicaragua S.A., Trans Union Real Estate Services Inc., Trans Union Software Services Private Limited, Trans Union de Puerto Rico Inc., Trans Union of Canada Inc., TransUnion (Mauritius) Limited, TransUnion (Proprietary) Ltd., TransUnion Africa (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Analytic and Decision Services (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Asia Ltd., TransUnion Auto Information Solutions (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Baltics UAB, TransUnion Brasil Sistemas em Informatica Ltda., TransUnion CIBIL Limited, TransUnion Colombia Ltda., TransUnion Consumer Solutions LLC, TransUnion Credit Bureau (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Credit Bureau Namibia (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Data Solutions LLC, TransUnion Digital LLC, TransUnion El Salvador S.A. de C.V., TransUnion Exchange LLC, TransUnion Financing Corporation, TransUnion Global Holdings LLC, TransUnion Global Holdings LP, TransUnion Global Technology Center LLP, TransUnion Healthcare Inc., TransUnion Holding Cyprus Ltd., TransUnion ITC (Pty) Ltd., TransUnion Information Group Limited, TransUnion Information Services Limited, TransUnion Information Solutions Inc., TransUnion Information Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., TransUnion Intelligence LLC, TransUnion Interactive Inc., TransUnion Intermediate Holdings Inc., TransUnion International Holdings LLC, TransUnion International UK Limited, TransUnion Kenya Limited, TransUnion Limited, TransUnion Ltd., TransUnion Marketing Solutions Inc., TransUnion Netherlands I B.V., TransUnion Netherlands II B.V., TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions Inc., TransUnion Reverse Exchange S de R.L. de C.V., TransUnion Risk Advisory Inc., TransUnion Risk and Alternative Data Solutions Inc., TransUnion Rwanda Limited, TransUnion S.A., TransUnion Soluciones de Informacion Chile SA, TransUnion Soluciones de Informacion S de R.L de C.V., TransUnion Teledata LLC, TransUnion UK Holdings Ltd., Tru Optik, TruSignal, TruSignal Inc., TrueLink, Trustev, Trustev Limited, Vail Holdings UK Ltd., Vail Systemen Groep B.V., Verifacts LLC, Visionary Systems Inc., Worthknowing Inc., eBureau, eBureau LLC, iovation Inc., iovation Ltd., and process benchmarking limited.
The following companies are subsidiares of Tenet Healthcare: 1 Subsidiaries of this entity in which Tenet Healthcare Corporation directly and indirectly held a 95% ownership interest at December 31 2020 are set forth in the table below., 25 East Same Day Surgery L.L.C., 300 PBL Development LLC, 45th Street MOB LLC, 601 N 30th Street I L.L.C., 601 N 30th Street II L.L.C., 601 N 30th Street III Inc., AHM Acquisition Co. Inc., AIG Holdings LLC, AIGB Global LLC, AIGB Group Inc., AIGB Holdings Inc., AIGB Management Services LLC, AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #3 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #4 L.L.C., AMC/North Fulton Urgent Care #5 L.L.C., AMI Information Systems Group Inc., AMI/HTI Tarzana Encino Joint Venture, APN, ARC Worcester Center L.P., ASC Old Co. LP, ASC of New Jersey LLC, ASJH Joint Venture LLC, Abrazo Health Network EP Clinical Services LLC, Abrazo Surgical Outpatient Center LLC, Advanced Ambulatory Surgical Care L.P., Advanced Center for Surgery  Vero Beach LLC, Advanced Regional Surgery Center LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Metairie LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Sarasota LLC, Advanced Surgery Center of Tampa LLC, Advanced Surgical Care of St Louis LLC, Advanced Surgical Concepts LLC, Advantage Health Care Management Company LLC, Advantage Health Network Inc., AdventHealth Surgery Center Celebration LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Mills Park LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Wellswood LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Center Winter Garden LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Centers Central Florida LLC, AdventHealth Surgery Centers West Florida LLC, Adventist Midwest Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Alabama Cardiovascular Associates L.L.C., Alabama Digestive Health Endoscopy Center L.L.C., Alabama Hand and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Alamo Heights Surgicare L.P., All Star MOB LLC, Allegian Insurance Company, Alliance Surgery Birmingham LLC, Alliance Surgery Inc., Alvarado Hospital Medical Center Inc., Ambulatory Surgical Associates LLC, Ambulatory Surgical Center of Somerville LLC, American Institute of Gastric Banding Ltd., American Institute of Gastric Banding Phoenix Limited Partnership, American Medical (Central) Inc., Amisub (Heights) Inc., Amisub (Hilton Head) Inc., Amisub (North Ridge Hospital) Inc., Amisub (SFH) Inc., Amisub (Twelve Oaks) Inc., Amisub of California Inc., Amisub of North Carolina Inc., Amisub of South Carolina Inc., Amisub of Texas Inc., Anaheim Hills Medical Imaging L.L.C., Anaheim MRI Holding Inc., Anesthesia Partners of Gallatin LLC, Arizona Care Network  Next L.L.C., Arizona Health Partners LLC, Arlington Orthopedic and Spine Hospital LLC, Arrowhead Endoscopy and Pain Management Center LLC, Asia Outsourcing US Inc., Aspen Healthcare, Atlanta Medical Center Inc., Atlanta Medical Center Interventional Neurology Associates L.L.C., Atlanta Medical Center Neurosurgical & Spine Specialists L.L.C., Atlanta Medical Center Physician Group L.L.C., Atlantic Coast Surgical Suites LLC, Atlantic Health-USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Avita/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., BBH BMC LLC, BBH CBMC LLC, BBH DevelopmentCo LLC, BBH Imaging Jasper LLC, BBH NP Clinicians Inc., BBH PBMC LLC, BBH SBMC LLC, BBH WBMC LLC, BCDC EmployeeCO LLC, BHC-Talladega Pediatrics LLC, BHS Accountable Care LLC, BHS Affinity LLC, BHS Integrated Physician Partners LLC, BHS Physician Performance Network LLC, BHS Physicians Alliance for ACE LLC, BHS Physicians Network Inc., BHS Specialty Network Inc., BT East Dallas JV LLP, BW Cardiology LLC, BW Cyberknife LLC, BW Hand Practice LLC, BW Office Buildings LLC, BW Parking Decks LLC, BW Physician Practices LLC, BW Retail Pharmacy LLC, BW Sports Practice LLC, Bagley Holdings LLC, Baptist Accountable Care LLC, Baptist Diagnostics LLC, Baptist Health Centers LLC, Baptist Physician Alliance ACO LLC, Baptist Physician Alliance LLC, Baptist Plaza Surgicare L.P., Baptist Surgery Center L.P., Baptist Womens Health Center LLC, Baptist/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Bartlett ASC LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Baylor Plano LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Blue Star LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Granbury LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Mansfield LLC, Baylor Surgicare at North Dallas LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Plano LLC, Baylor Surgicare at Plano Parkway LLC, Bear Creek Surgery Center LLC, Beaumont Surgical Affiliates Ltd., Bellaire Outpatient Surgery Center L.L.P., Berkshire Eye LLC, Bloomington ASC LLC, Blue Ridge/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Bluffton Okatie Primary Care L.L.C., Bluffton Okatie Surgery Center L.L.C., Bon Secours Surgery Center at Harbour View LLC, Bon Secours Surgery Center at Virginia Beach LLC, Bozeman Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Bozeman MOB LLC, Briarcliff Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Bristol Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Broad River Primary Care L.L.C., Brookwood - Maternal Fetal Medicine L.L.C., Brookwood Ancillary Holdings Inc., Brookwood Baptist Health 1 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 2 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Health 3 LLC, Brookwood Baptist Imaging LLC, Brookwood Center Development Corporation, Brookwood Development Inc., Brookwood Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Brookwood Garages L.L.C., Brookwood Health Services Inc., Brookwood Home Health LLC, Brookwood Occupational Health Clinic L.L.C., Brookwood Parking Associates Ltd., Brookwood Primary Care - Homewood L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Inverness L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Mountain Brook L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Oak Mountain L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care - Vestavia L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Cahaba Heights L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care Hoover L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Care The Narrows L.L.C., Brookwood Primary Network Care Inc., Brookwood Specialty Care - Endocrinology L.L.C., Brookwood Sports and Orthopedics L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Care L.L.C., Brookwood Womens Diagnostic Center LLC, C7 Technologies LLC, CGH Hospital Ltd., CHIC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CHN Holdings LLC, CHRISTUS Cabrini Surgery Center L.L.C., CHVI Tucson Holdings LLC, CML-Chicago Market Labs Inc., CRNAs of Michigan, CS/USP General Partner LLC, CS/USP Surgery Centers LP, California Joint & Spine LLC, Camp Creek Urgent Care L.L.C., Camp Lowell Surgery Center L.L.C., Captive Insurance Services Inc., Cardiology Physicians Associates L.L.C., Cardiology Physicians Corporation L.L.C., Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Associates L.L.C., Cardiovascular Clinical Excellence at Sierra Providence LLC, CareSpot of Austin LLC, CareSpot of Memphis LLC, CareSpot of Orlando/HSI Urgent Care LLC, Carmel Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Carondelet St. Marys-Northwest L.L.C., Cascade Spine Center LLC, Castle Rock Surgery Center LLC, Catawba-Piedmont Cardiothoracic Surgery L.L.C., Cedar Hill Primary Care L.L.C., Cedar Park Surgery Center L.L.P., Centennial ASC LLC, Center for Advanced Research Excellence L.L.C., Center for the Urban Child Inc., Central California Healthcare Holdings LLC, Central Carolina Physicians - Sandhills L.L.C., Central Carolina-IMA L.L.C., Central Jersey Surgery Center LLC, Central Texas Corridor Hospital Company LLC, Central Valley Quality Alliance LLC, Central Virginia Surgi-Center L.P., Centura Ventures Surgery Centers LLC, Centura/USP Colorado Springs Surgery Centers L.L.C., Chalon Living Inc., Chandler Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Endoscopic Surgery Center LLC, Chattanooga Pain Management Center LLC, Chesterfield Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Chesterfield Anesthesia Associates of Missouri LLC, Chico Surgery Center L.P., Childrens Hospital of Michigan Premier Network Inc., Citrus Heights ASC RE LLC, Clarkston ASC Partners LLC, Clarksville Surgery Center LLC, Coast Healthcare Management LLC, Coast Surgery Center L.P., Coastal Carolina Medical Center, Coastal Carolina Medical Center Inc., Coastal Carolina Physician Practices LLC, Coastal Carolina Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Coastal Endo LLC, Colorado GI Centers LLC, Commonwealth Continental Health Care Inc., Community Connection Health Plan Inc., Community Hospital LLC, Community Hospital of Los Gatos Inc., Conifer Care Continuum Solutions LLC, Conifer Ethics and Compliance Inc., Conifer Global Business Center Inc., Conifer Global Holdings Inc., Conifer Health Solutions LLC, Conifer Holdings Inc., Conifer Patient Communications LLC, Conifer Physician Services Holdings Inc., Conifer Physician Services Inc., Conifer Revenue Cycle Solutions LLC, Conifer Value-Based Care LLC, Conroe Surgery Center 2 LLC, Coral Gables Hospital Inc., Coral Ridge Outpatient Center LLC, Corpus Christi Surgicare Ltd., Covenant/USP Surgery Centers LLC, CreAtiv Management Company Inc., Creekwood Investors LLC, Creekwood Surgery Center L.P., Crown Point Surgery Center LLC, DH/USP SJOSC Investment Company L.L.C., DH/USP Sacramento Pain GP LLC, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Education & Research, DMC Harper University Hospital Premier Clinical Co-Management Services LLC, DMC Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, DMC Imaging L.L.C., Dallas Surgical Partners LLC, DeTar/USP Surgery Center LLC, Delray Beach ASC LLC, Delray Medical Center Inc., Delray Medical Physician Services L.L.C., Denton Surgicare Partners Ltd., Denton Surgicare Real Estate Ltd., Denville Surgery Center LLC, Des Peres Physician Network LLC, Desert Cove MOB LLC, Desert Regional Medical Center Inc., Desert Ridge Outpatient Surgery LLC, Desoto Surgicare Partners Ltd., Destin ASC RE LLC, Destin Surgery Center LLC, Detroit Education & Research, DigitalMed Inc., Dignity/Abrazo Health Network LLC, Dignity/USP Folsom GP LLC, Dignity/USP Grass Valley GP LLC, Dignity/USP Las Vegas Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Metro Surgery Center LLC, Dignity/USP NorCal Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers II LLC, Dignity/USP Phoenix Surgery Centers LLC, Dignity/USP Redding GP LLC, Dignity/USP Roseville GP LLC, Dignity/USP/John Muir East Bay Surgery Centers LLC, Doctors Hospital of Manteca Inc., Doctors Medical Center Neurosciences Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center Orthopedics Clinical Co-Management LLC, Doctors Medical Center of Modesto Inc., Doctors Outpatient Center for Surgery LLC, Doctors Outpatient Surgery Center of Jupiter L.L.C., EPHC Inc., EPIC ASC LLC, East Atlanta Endoscopy Centers LLC, East Cobb Urgent Care LLC, East Cooper Coastal Family Physicians L.L.C., East Cooper Community Hospital Inc., East Cooper Hyperbarics L.L.C., East Cooper OB/GYN L.L.C., East Cooper Physician Network LLC, East Cooper Primary Care Physicians L.L.C., East Portland Surgery Center LLC, East West Surgery Center L.P., Eastgate Building Center L.L.C., Effingham Surgical Partners LLC, Einstein Montgomery Surgery Center LLC, Einstein/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., El Mirador Surgery Center L.L.C., El Paso Center for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy LLC, El Paso Day Surgery LLC, El Paso Urology Surgery Center Curie LLC, Emanate/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Emanuel Medical Center, Emerson Surgery Center LLC, Encinitas Endoscopy Center LLC, Endoscopy Center of Hackensack LLC, Endoscopy Center of South Sacramento LLC, Endoscopy Consultants LLC, European Surgical Partners Ltd., Eye Center of Nashville UAP LLC, Eye Surgery Center of Nashville LLC, FMC Medical Inc., FMCC Network Contracting L.L.C., FPN  Frisco Physicians Network, FREH Real Estate L.L.C., FRS Imaging Services L.L.C., FSC Hospital LLC, FSH IT Services LP, First Choice Physician Partners, Flatirons Surgery Center LLC, Folsom Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Fort Bend Clinical Services Inc., Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate LP, Fort Worth Surgicare Partners Ltd., Foundation Bariatric Hospital of San Antonio LLC, Foundation San Antonio Borrower Sub LLC, Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center, Fountain Valley Surgery Center LLC, Franklin Endo UAP LLC, Franklin Endoscopy Center LLC, Fresno Surgery Center L.P., Frisco Medical Center L.L.P., Frontenac Ambulatory Surgery & Spine Care Center L.P., Frye Regional Medical Center Inc., FryeCare Boone L.L.C., FryeCare Morganton L.L.C., FryeCare Physicians L.L.C., FryeCare Valdese L.L.C., FryeCare Watauga L.L.C., FryeCare Womens Services L.L.C., GCSA Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Gamma Surgery Center LLC, Gardendale Surgical Associates LLC, Garland Surgicare Partners Ltd., Gastric Health Institute L.L.C., Genesis ASC Partners LLC, Geneva Surgical Suites LLC, Georgia Endoscopy Center LLC, Georgia Gifts From Grace L.L.C., Georgia Musculoskeletal Network Inc., Georgia North Fulton Healthcare Associates L.L.C., Georgia Northside Ear Nose and Throat L.L.C., Georgia Physicians of Cardiology L.L.C., Georgia Spectrum Neurosurgical Specialists L.L.C., Georgia Spine Surgery Center LLC, Glen Echo Surgery Center LLC, Golden Ridge ASC LLC, Good Samaritan Medical Center Inc., Good Samaritan Surgery L.L.C., Grapevine Surgicare Partners Ltd., Grass Valley Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Graystone Family Healthcare - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Great Lakes Surgical Suites LLC, Greater Dallas Healthcare Enterprises, Greater Northwest Houston Enterprises, Greenville Physicians Surgery Center LLP, Greenwood ASC LLC, Greystone Internal Medicine - Brookwood L.L.C., Gulf Coast Community Hospital Inc., HCH Tucson Holdings LLC, HCN Emerus Management Sub LLC, HCN Emerus Texas LLC, HCN Laboratories Inc., HCN Physicians Inc., HCN Sunnyvale Holdings LLC, HCN Surgery Center Holdings Inc., HDMC Holdings L.L.C., HMA/Solantic Joint Venture LLC, HMH-USP Surgery Centers LLC, HMHP/USP Surgery Centers LLC, HNMC Inc., HNW GP Inc., HNW LP Inc., HPI Holdings LLC, HPI North LLC, HPI Physicians LLC, HSRM International Inc., HSS Palm Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, HSS/USP Surgery Center LLC, HUG Services Inc., HUMC/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Hacienda Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Hagerstown Surgery Center LLC, Hardeeville Medical Group L.L.C., Hardeeville Primary Care L.L.C., Harlingen Physician Network Inc., Harper-Hutzel AHP Services Inc., Harvard Park Surgery Center LLC, Haymarket Surgery Center LLC, Hazelwood Endoscopy Center LLC, Health & Wellness Surgery Center L.P., Health Horizons of Kansas City Inc., Health Horizons of Murfreesboro Inc., Health Horizons/Piedmont Joint Venture LLC, Health Services CFMC Inc., Health Services HNMC Inc., Health Services Network Care Inc., Health Services Network Hospitals Inc., Health Services Network Texas Inc., HealthCorp Network Inc., Healthcare Compliance LLC, Healthcare Network Alabama Inc., Healthcare Network CFMC Inc., Healthcare Network DPH Inc., Healthcare Network Georgia Inc., Healthcare Network Holdings Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals (Dallas) Inc., Healthcare Network Hospitals Inc., Healthcare Network Louisiana Inc., Healthcare Network Missouri Inc., Healthcare Network North Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network South Carolina Inc., Healthcare Network Tennessee Inc., Healthcare Network Texas Inc., Healthcare Partners Investments LLC, Healthmark Partners Inc., Healthpoint of North Carolina L.L.C., Heart and Vascular Institute of Michigan, Heritage Park Surgical Hospital LLC, Hershey Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hialeah Hospital Inc., Hialeah Real Properties Inc., Hickory Family Practice Associates - Tenet North Carolina L.L.C., Hill Country ASC Partners LLC, Hill Country Surgery Center LLC, Hilton Head Health System L.P., Hilton Head Regional Healthcare L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional OB/GYN Partners L.L.C., Hilton Head Regional Physician Network LLC, Hilton Head Regional Physician Network  Georgia L.L.C., Hinsdale Surgical Center LLC, Hitchcock State Street Real Estate Inc., Holston Valley Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Holy Cross Hospital Inc., Home Health Partners of San Antonio LLC, Hoover Doctors Group Inc., Hoover Land LLC, Horizon Ridge Surgery Center LLC, Hospital Development of West Phoenix Inc., Hospital RCM Services LLC, Hospital Underwriting Group Inc., Houston Northwest Partners Ltd., Houston PSC L.P., Houston Specialty Hospital Inc., Houston Sunrise Investors Inc., Hyde Park Surgery Center LLC, ICNU Rockford LLC, Imaging Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., InforMed Insurance Services LLC, Integris/USP Health Ventures LLC, International Health and Wellness Inc., Irving-Coppell Surgical Hospital L.L.P., JFK Memorial Hospital Inc., JFP UAP Sugarland LLC, Jackson Surgical Center LLC, Jacksonville Endoscopy Centers LLC, Journey Home Healthcare of San Antonio LLC, KHS Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, KHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Kingsport Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Laguna Medical Systems Inc., Lake Endoscopy Center LLC, Lake Health Care Facilities Inc., Lake Lansing ASC Partners LLC, Lake Surgical Hospital Slidell LLC, LakeFront Medical Associates LLC, Lakewood Regional Medical Center Inc., Lakewood Surgery Center LLC, Lancaster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Lansing ASC Partners LLC, Lawrenceville Surgery Center L.L.C., Lebanon Endoscopy Center LLC, Legacy Warren Partners L.P., Legacy/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Leonardtown Surgery Center LLC, Liberty Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Lifemark Hospitals Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Florida Inc., Lifemark Hospitals of Louisiana Inc., Lone Star Endoscopy Center LLC, Longleaf Surgery Center LLC, Los Alamitos Medical Center Inc., Lubbock ASC Holding Co LLC, MASC Partners LLC, MCSH Real Estate Investors Ltd., MH Memorial City Surgery LLC, MH/USP Bay Area LLC, MH/USP Brazoria LLC, MH/USP Kingsland LLC, MH/USP Kingwood LLC, MH/USP Kirby LLC, MH/USP Main Street LLC, MH/USP North Freeway LLC, MH/USP North Houston LLC, MH/USP Richmond LLC, MH/USP Sugar Land LLC, MH/USP TMC Endoscopy LLC, MH/USP West Houston L.L.C., MH/USP Woodlands Parkway LLC, MSH Partners LLC, MSV Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MVH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, MacNeal Management Services Inc., MacNeal Medical Records Inc., MacNeal Physicians Group LLC, Magnetic Resonance Imaging of San Luis Obispo Inc., Magnolia Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Manchester Ambulatory Surgery Center LP, Maple Lawn Surgery Center LLC, Marion Surgery Center LLC, Mary Immaculate Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Mason Ridge Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mayfield Spine Surgery Center LLC, McLaren ASC of Flint LLC, Meadowcrest Hospital LLC, Medical House Staffing LLC, Medical Park Tower Surgery Center LLC, Medplex Outpatient Medical Centers Inc., Medplex Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Memorial Hermann Bay Area Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann Endoscopy & Surgery Center North Houston L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Endoscopy Center North Freeway LLC, Memorial Hermann Specialty Hospital Kingwood L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Surgical Hospital L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Brazoria LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Cypress LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Katy LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kingsland L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Kirby LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Main Street LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Memorial City L.L.C., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Northwest LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Pinecroft LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Preston Road Ltd., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Richmond LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Southwest L.L.P., Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Sugar Land LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Texas Medical Center LLP, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center Woodlands Parkway LLC, Memorial Hermann Surgery Center  The Woodlands LLP, Memorial Hermann Texas International Endoscopy Center LLC, Memorial Hermann West Houston Surgery Center LLC, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers II L.P., Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers III LLP, Memorial Hermann/USP Surgery Centers IV LLP, Memorial Surgery Center LLC, Memphis Urgent Care #1 L.L.C., Memphis Urgent Care #2 L.L.C., Merced Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Mercy/USP Health Ventures L.L.C., Metro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Metro Surgery Center LLC, MetroWest HomeCare & Hospice LLC, Metrocrest Surgery Center L.P., Metropolitan New Jersey LLC, Michigan ASC Partners L.L.C., Michigan Pioneer ACO LLC, Michigan Regional Imaging LLC, Mid Rivers Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Mid State Endo UAP LLC, Mid-State Endoscopy Center LLC, Mid-TSC Development LP, Middle Tennessee Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Midland Memorial/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Midland Texas Surgical Center LLC, Midwest Digestive Health Center LLC, Midwest Pharmacies Inc., Midwest Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Millennium Surgical Center LLC, Mobile Imaging Management LLC, Mobile Technology Management LLC, Modesto Radiology Imaging Inc., Monocacy Surgery Center LLC, Mountain Empire Surgery Center L.P., Munster Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Murdock Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, NHSC Holdings LLC, NICH GP Holdings LLC, NKCH/USP Briarcliff GP LLC, NKCH/USP Liberty GP LLC, NKCH/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., NKCH/USP Surgery Centers LLC, NMC Lessor L.P., NMC Surgery Center L.P., NME Headquarters Inc., NME Properties Corp., NME Properties Inc., NME Property Holding Co. Inc., NME Psychiatric Hospitals Inc., NME Rehabilitation Properties Inc., NSCH GP Holdings LLC, NSCH/USP Desert Surgery Centers L.L.C., NUCH of Georgia L.L.C., NUCH of Massachusetts LLC, NUCH of Michigan Inc., NUCH of Texas, Nacogdoches ASC-LP Inc., Name of Entity, National ASC Inc., National Ancillary Inc., National Diagnostic Imaging Centers Inc., National HHC Inc., National Home Health Holdings Inc., National ICN Inc., National Imaging Center Holdings Inc., National Medical Services II Inc., National Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., National Surgery Center Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Holdings Inc., National Urgent Care Inc., Network Management Associates Inc., New Dimensions LLC, New England Physician Performance Network LLC, New H Acute Inc., New Horizons Surgery Center LLC, New Medical Horizons II Ltd., New Mexico Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, New Salem ASC RE LLC, Newhope Imaging Center Inc., North Anaheim Surgery Center LLC, North Atlantic Surgical Suites LLC, North Campus Surgery Center LLC, North Carolina Community Family Medicine L.L.C., North Central Surgical Center L.L.P., North Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, North Fulton Cardiovascular Medicine L.L.C., North Fulton Hospitalist Group L.L.C., North Fulton Medical Center Inc., North Fulton Primary Care - Willeo Rd. L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Windward Parkway L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care - Wylie Bridge L.L.C., North Fulton Primary Care Associates L.L.C., North Fulton Pulmonary Specialists L.L.C., North Fulton Womens Consultants L.L.C., North Garland Surgery Center L.L.P., North Haven Surgery Center LLC, North Miami Medical Center Ltd., North Shore Medical Billing Center L.L.C., North Shore Medical Center Inc., North Shore Same Day Surgery L.L.C., North Shore Surgical Suites LLC, North State Surgery Centers L.P., NorthPointe Surgical Suites LLC, NorthShore/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Northern Monmouth Regional Surgery Center L.L.C., Northridge ASC RE LLC, Northridge Surgery Center L.P., Northwest Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Georgia Orthopaedic Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Regional ASC LLC, Northwest Regional Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgery Center LLP, Northwest Surgery Center Ltd., Novant Health/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Novant/UVA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, OCOMS Imaging LLC, OCOMS Professional Services LLC, OLOL/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Okatie Surgical Partners L.L.C., Oklahoma Center for Orthopedic and Multi-Specialty Surgery LLC, Old Tesson Surgery Center L.P., Olive Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Olive Branch Urgent Care #1 LLC, Ophthalmology Anesthesia Services LLC, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Orlando LLC, Optimum Spine Center LLC, OrNda Healthcorp, OrNda Hospital Corporation, Orlando Health/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., OrthoArizona Surgery Center Gilbert LLC, OrthoLink ASC Corporation, OrthoLink Physicians Corporation, OrthoLink Radiology Services Corporation, OrthoLink/ Georgia ASC Inc., OrthoLink/Baptist ASC LLC, OrthoLink/New Mexico ASC Inc., Orthopedic Associates of the Lowcountry L.L.C., Orthopedic South Surgical Partners LLC, Orthopedic and Surgical Specialty Company LLC, PAHS/USP Surgery Centers LLC, PDN L.L.C., PHPS Inc., PHPS-CHM Acquisition Inc., PHS/USP Health Ventures LLC, PM CyFair Land Partners LLC, PMC Physician Network L.L.C., PPRE LLC, PSS Patient Solution Services LLC, Pacific Endo-Surgical Center L.P., Pacific Endoscopy and Surgery Center LLC, Pain Diagnostic and Treatment Center L.P., Paley Institute Global LLC, Palm Beach Gardens Community Hospital Inc., Palm Beach International Surgery Center LLC, Palm Valley Medical Center Campus Association, Palos Health Surgery Center LLC, Paramus Endoscopy LLC, Park Cities Surgery Center LLC, Park Plaza Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., ParkCreek ASC LLC, Parkway Recovery Care Center LLC, Parkwest Surgery Center L.P., Patient Partners LLC, Peak Gastroenterology ASC LLC, Pediatric Surgery Center  Odessa LLC, Pediatric Surgery Centers LLC, Physician Performance Network L.L.C., Physician Performance Network of Arizona LLC, Physician Performance Network of Detroit, Physician Performance Network of South Carolina LLC, Physician Performance Network of Tucson LLC, Physicians Performance Network of Houston, Physicians Performance Network of North Texas, Physicians Surgery Center at Good Samaritan LLC, Physicians Surgery Center of Tempe LLC, Physicians Surgical Center of Ft. Worth LLP, Physicians Surgery Center of Chattanooga L.L.C., Physicians Surgery Center of Knoxville LLC, Piccard Surgery Center LLC, Piedmont ASC LLC, Piedmont Behavioral Medicine Associates LLC, Piedmont Cardiovascular Physicians L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina OB/GYN of York County L.L.C., Piedmont Carolina Vascular Surgery L.L.C., Piedmont East Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Piedmont Express Care at Sutton Road L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Rock Hill L.L.C., Piedmont Family Practice at Tega Cay L.L.C., Piedmont General Surgery Associates L.L.C., Piedmont Internal Medicine at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Physician Network LLC, Piedmont Pulmonology L.L.C., Piedmont Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care Center at Baxter Village L.L.C., Piedmont Urgent Care and Industrial Health Centers Inc., Piedmont/Carolinas Radiation Therapy LLC, Placentia-Linda Hospital Inc., Pleasanton Diagnostic Imaging Inc., Point of Rocks Surgery Center LLC, Practice Partners Management L.P., Premier ACO Physicians Network LLC, Premier ASC LLC, Premier Adult and Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Premier Endoscopy ASC LLC, Premier Health Plan Services Inc., Premier Medical Specialists L.L.C., Prince William Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Professional Anesthesia Services LLC, Professional Liability Insurance Company, Pros Temporary Staffing Inc., Providence/UCLA/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Providence/USP Santa Clarita GP LLC, Providence/USP South Bay Surgery Centers L.L.C., Providence/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Pueblo Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, R.H.S.C. El Paso Inc., RE Plano Med Inc., RHC Parkway Inc., RLC LLC, Reading Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Reading Endoscopy Center LLC, Reagan Street Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Surgery Center LLC, Renaissance Surgery Center LLC, Republic Health Corporation of Rockwall County, Resolute Health Physicians Network Inc., Resolute Hospital Company LLC, Resurgens East Surgery Center LLC, Resurgens Fayette Surgery Center LLC, Resurgens Surgery Center LLC, Rheumatology Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Richmond ASC Leasing Company LLC, Rio Grande Valley Indigent Health Care Corporation, River North Same Day Surgery L.L.C., Riverside Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Rock Bridge Surgical Institute L.L.C., Rock Hill Surgery Center LLC, Rockwall Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.P., Rocky Mountain Endoscopy Centers LLC, Roseville Surgery Center L.P., Roswell Surgery Center L.L.C., SCNRE LLC, SFMP Inc., SFMPE - Crittenden L.L.C., SL-HLC Inc., SLH Physicians L.L.C., SLH Vista Inc., SLPA ACO LLC, SLUH Anesthesia Physicians L.L.C., SMSJ Imaging Company LLC, SMSJ Tucson Holdings LLC, SPC at the Star LLC, SRRMC Management Inc., SSI Holdings Inc., Sacramento Midtown Endoscopy Center LLC, Safety Harbor ASC Company LLC, Saint Agnes/Dignity/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Saint Agnes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Saint Francis Cardiology Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis Cardiovascular Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Center for Surgical Weight Loss L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Billing Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital Medicare ACO LLC, Saint Francis Hospital Pro Fee Billing L.L.C., Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett Inc., Saint Francis Medical Partners East L.L.C., Saint Francis Medical Partners General Surgery L.L.C., Saint Francis Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis Quality Alliance LLC, Saint Francis Surgery Center L.L.C., Saint Francis Surgical Associates L.L.C., Saint Francis-Arkansas Physician Network LLC, Saint Francis-Bartlett Physician Network LLC, Saint Thomas Campus Surgicare L.P., Saint Thomas Surgery Center New Salem LLC, Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers II L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Saint Thomas/USP  Baptist Plaza L.L.C., Saint Vincent Physician Services Inc., Salmon Surgery Center LLC, Same Day Management L.L.C., Same Day SC of Central NJ LLC, Same Day Surgery L.L.C., San Antonio Endoscopy L.P., San Fernando Valley Surgery Center L.P., San Gabriel Valley Surgical Center L.P., San Martin Surgery Center LLC, San Ramon ASC L. P., San Ramon Ambulatory Care LLC, San Ramon Network Joint Venture LLC, San Ramon Regional Medical Center LLC, San Ramon Surgery Center L.L.C., Santa Barbara Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Santa Clarita Surgery Center L.P., Savannah Endoscopy Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Schertz Surgery Center LLC, Scripps Encinitas Surgery Center LLC, Scripps/USP Surgery Centers L.L.C., Seaside Surgery Center LLC, Shands/Solantic Joint Venture LLC, Shelby Baptist Affinity LLC, Shelby Baptist Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Shore Outpatient Surgicenter L.L.C., Shoreline Real Estate Partnership LLP, Shoreline Surgery Center LLP, Shrewsbury Surgery Center LLC, Sierra Pacific Surgery Center LLC, Sierra Providence Health Network Inc., Sierra Providence Healthcare Enterprises, Sierra Vista Hospital Inc., Silicon Valley Outpatient Surgery Centers LLC, Silver Cross Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Silver Cross/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Sinai-Grace Premier Clinical Management Services LLC, Siouxland Surgery Center Limited Liability Partnership, Solantic Corporation, Solantic Development LLC, Solantic Holdings Corporation, Solantic of Jacksonville LLC, Solantic of Orlando LLC, Solantic/South Florida LLC, South Carolina East Cooper Surgical Specialists L.L.C., South Carolina Health Services Inc., South Carolina SeWee Family Medicine L.L.C., South County Outpatient Endoscopy Services L.P., South Denver Musculoskeletal Surgical Partners LLC, South Florida Ambulatory Surgical Center LLC, South Fulton Health Care Centers Inc., SouthCare Physicians Group Neurology L.L.C., SouthCare Physicians Group Obstetrics & Gynecology L.L.C., Southeast Ohio Surgical Suites LLC, Southern Orthopedics and Sports Medicine L.L.C., Southern States Physician Operations Inc., Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Southwest Childrens Hospital LLC, Southwest Endoscopy LLC, Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Hospital LLC, Southwest Orthopedic and Spine Hospital Real Estate LLC, Southwestern Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Spalding Regional Medical Center Inc., Spalding Regional OB/GYN L.L.C., Spalding Regional Physician Services L.L.C., Specialty Surgery Center of Fort Worth L.P., Specialty Surgicenters Inc., Spinal Diagnostics and Treatment Centers L.L.C., Spine & Joint Physician Associates, Springfield Service Holding Corporation, St. Augustine Endoscopy Center LLC, St. Christophers Pediatric Urgent Care Center - Allentown L.L.C, St. Josephs Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Josephs Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, St. Josephs Surgery Center L.P., St. Louis Physician Alliance LLC, St. Louis Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Urology Center LLC, St. Lukes/USP Surgery Centers LLC, St. Marys Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, St. Marys Hospital Cardiovascular Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Hospital Surgical Co-Management LLC, St. Marys Levee Company LLC, St. Marys Medical Center Inc., St. Vincent Health/USP LLC, St. Vincent/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Stockton Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Subsidiaries of USPI Holding Company Inc., Suburban Endoscopy Center LLC, Summit View Surgery Center LLC, Sun View Imaging L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group I L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group II L.L.C., Sunrise Medical Group IV L.L.C., SurgCenter Camelback LLC, SurgCenter Northeast LLC, SurgCenter Pinellas LLC, SurgCenter Tucson LLC, SurgCenter at Paradise Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Deer Valley LLC, SurgCenter of Glen Burnie LLC, SurgCenter of Palm Beach Gardens LLC, SurgCenter of Plano LLC, SurgCenter of Southern Maryland LLC, SurgCenter of St. Lucie LLC, SurgCenter of White Marsh LLC, Surgery Affiliate of El Paso LLC, Surgery Center at Mount Pleasant LLC, Surgery Center at University Park LLC, Surgery Center of Atlanta LLC, Surgery Center of Canfield LLC, Surgery Center of Columbia L.P., Surgery Center of Coral Gables LLC, Surgery Center of Okeechobee LLC, Surgery Center of Pembroke Pines L.L.C., Surgery Center of Peoria L.L.C., Surgery Center of Richardson Physician Partnership L.P., Surgery Center of Santa Barbara LLC, Surgery Center of Scottsdale LLC, Surgery Center of Tempe Real Estate II L.L.C., Surgery Center of Tempe Real Estate L.L.C., Surgery Centers of America II L.L.C., Surgery Centre of SW Florida LLC, Surgical & Bariatric Associates of Atlanta Medical Center L.L.C., Surgical Clinical Excellence at Desert Regional LLC, Surgical Elite of Avondale L.L.C., Surgical Health Partners LLC, Surgical Institute Management LLC, Surgical Institute of Reading LLC, Surgical Specialists at Princeton LLC, Surgicare of Miramar L.L.C., Surginet Inc., Surgis Inc., Surgis Management Services Inc., Surgis of Chico Inc., Surgis of Phoenix Inc., Surgis of Redding Inc., Surgis of Victoria Inc., Sutton Road Pediatrics L.L.C., Sylvan Grove Hospital Inc., TENN SM LLC, TFPS IV L.L.C., TH Healthcare Ltd., TH International Services Florida LLC, THV Park Cities LLC, THVG Arlington GP LLC, THVG Bariatric GP LLC, THVG Bariatric L.L.C., THVG Bedford GP LLC, THVG Bellaire GP LLC, THVG DSP GP LLC, THVG DeSoto GP LLC, THVG Denton GP LLC, THVG Fort Worth GP LLC, THVG Frisco GP LLC, THVG Garland GP LLC, THVG Grapevine GP LLC, THVG Irving-Coppell GP LLC, THVG Lewisville GP LLC, THVG North Garland GP LLC, THVG Park Cities/Trophy Club GP LLC, THVG Rockwall 2 GP LLC, THVG Valley View GP LLC, TLC ASC LLC, TMC Holding Company LLC, TOPS Specialty Hospital Ltd., TPG Hospital LLC, TPR Practice Management LLC, TPS VI of PA L.L.C., TRMC Holdings LLC, TSPE LLC, Tamarac Surgery Center LLC, Tempe New Day Surgery Center LP, Templeton Imaging Inc., Tenet Business Services Corporation, Tenet California Inc., Tenet Central Carolina Physicians Inc., Tenet EKG Inc., Tenet El Paso Ltd., Tenet Employment Inc., Tenet Finance Corp., Tenet Florida Inc., Tenet Florida Physician Services II L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services III L.L.C., Tenet Florida Physician Services L.L.C., Tenet Fort Mill Inc., Tenet Global Business Center Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Bucks County L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Graduate L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Hahnemann L.L.C., Tenet HealthSystem Medical Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Nacogdoches ASC GP Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Philadelphia Inc., Tenet HealthSystem Roxborough LLC, Tenet HealthSystem St. Christophers Hospital for Children L.L.C., Tenet Hilton Head Heart L.L.C., Tenet Hospitals Limited, Tenet Network Management Inc., Tenet Patient Safety Organization LLC, Tenet Physician Resources LLC, Tenet Physician Services - Hilton Head Inc., Tenet Rehab Piedmont Inc., Tenet Relocation Services L.L.C., Tenet SC East Cooper Hospitalists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Gastrointestinal Surgical Specialists L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Island Medical L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Lowcountry OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet South Carolina Mt. Pleasant OB/GYN L.L.C., Tenet Unifour Urgent Care Center L.L.C., Tenet Ventures Inc., TenetCare Frisco Inc., Terre Haute Surgical Center LLC, Teton Outpatient Services LLC, Texan Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Texas Endoscopy Centers LLC, Texas Health Venture Arlington Hospital LLC, Texas Health Venture Baylor Plano LLC, Texas Health Venture Carrollton LLC, Texas Health Venture Centennial LLC, Texas Health Venture Ennis LLC, Texas Health Venture Fort Worth L.L.C., Texas Health Venture Granbury LLC, Texas Health Venture Heritage Park LLC, Texas Health Venture Keller LLC, Texas Health Venture Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Venture Mansfield LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano Endo LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano LLC, Texas Health Venture Plano Parkway LLC, Texas Health Venture Texas Spine LLC, Texas Health Ventures Group L.L.C., Texas Orthopedics Surgery Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical Center LLC, Texas Regional Medical in Sunnyvale, Texas Spine and Joint Hospital LLC, The 6300 West Roosevelt Partnership, The Ambulatory Surgical Center of St. Louis L.P., The Healthcare Insurance Corporation, The Healthcare Underwriting Company a Risk Retention Group, The Huron Corporation, The Outpatient Center LLC, The Southeastern Spine Institute Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., The Surgery Center at Jensen Beach LLC, The Surgery Center at Williamson LLC, The Tresanti Surgical Center LLC, Theda Oaks Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Center LLC, Titan Health Corporation, Titan Health of Chattanooga Inc., Titan Health of Hershey Inc., Titan Health of Mount Laurel LLC, Titan Health of North Haven Inc., Titan Health of Pittsburgh Inc., Titan Health of Pleasant Hills Inc., Titan Health of Princeton Inc., Titan Health of Sacramento Inc., Titan Health of Saginaw Inc., Titan Health of Titusville Inc., Titan Health of West Penn Inc., Titan Health of Westminster Inc., Titan Management Corporation, Titusville Center for Surgical Excellence LLC, Toms River Surgery Center L.L.C., Total Joint Center of the Northland LLC, Tower Road Real Estate LLC, Tower/USP Surgery Centers LLC, Treasure Coast ASC LLC, Trophy Club Medical Center L.P., True Medical Weight Loss L.P., True Medical Wellness LP, True Results Georgia Inc., True Results HoldCo LLC, True Results Missouri LLC, Tucson Digestive Institute LLC, Tucson Hospital Holdings Inc., Tucson Physician Group Holdings LLC, Turlock Imaging Services LLC, Turlock Land Company LLC, Tuscan Surgery Center at Las Colinas LLC, Twin Cities Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Twin Cities Community Hospital Inc., UAP Las Colinas Endo LLC, UAP Lebanon Endo LLC, UAP Nashville Endoscopy LLC, UAP Scopes LLC, UAP of Arizona Inc., UAP of California Inc., UAP of Missouri Inc., UAP of New Jersey Inc., UAP of Oklahoma Inc., UAP of Tennessee Inc., UAP of Texas Inc., UCC Tucson Holdings LLC, UMC Surgery Center Lubbock LLC, UMC-USP Surgery Centers LLC, USC/Norris Cancer Hospital, USP 12th Ave Real Estate Inc., USP Acquisition Corporation, USP Alexandria Inc., USP Assurance Company, USP Athens Inc., USP Atlanta Inc., USP Austin Inc., USP Bariatric LLC, USP Beaumont Inc., USP Bergen Inc., USP Bloomington Inc., USP Bridgeton Inc., USP Cedar Park Inc., USP Chesterfield Inc., USP Chicago Inc., USP Cincinnati Inc., USP Coast Inc., USP Columbia Inc., USP Connecticut Inc., USP Corpus Christi Inc., USP Creve Coeur Inc., USP Denver Inc., USP Des Peres Inc., USP Destin Inc., USP Domestic Holdings Inc., USP Effingham Inc., USP Encinitas Endoscopy Inc., USP Fenton Inc., USP Festus Inc., USP Florissant Inc., USP Fort Lauderdale Inc., USP Fort Worth Hospital Real Estate Inc., USP Fredericksburg Inc., USP Fresno Inc., USP Frontenac Inc., USP Gateway Inc., USP HMH Surgery Center at Shore LLC, USP Harbour View Inc., USP Houston Inc., USP Indiana Inc., USP International Holdings Inc., USP Jersey City Inc., USP Kansas City Inc., USP Knoxville Inc., USP Little Rock Inc., USP Long Island Inc., USP Louisiana Inc., USP Lubbock Inc., USP Maryland Inc., USP Mason Ridge Inc., USP Mattis Inc., USP Michigan Inc., USP Midland Inc., USP Midland Real Estate Inc., USP Midwest Inc., USP Mission Hills Inc., USP Montana Inc., USP Morris Inc., USP Mt. Vernon Inc., USP Nevada Holdings LLC, USP Nevada Inc., USP New Hampshire Inc., USP New Jersey Inc., USP Newport News Inc., USP North Carolina Inc., USP North Kansas City Inc., USP North Texas Inc., USP Northwest Arkansas Inc., USP OKC Inc., USP OKC Manager Inc., USP Office Parkway Inc., USP Ohio RE Inc., USP Oklahoma Inc., USP Olive Inc., USP Orlando Inc., USP Philadelphia Inc., USP Phoenix Inc., USP Portland Inc., USP Reading Inc., USP Richmond II Inc., USP Richmond Inc., USP Sacramento Inc., USP San Antonio Inc., USP Santa Barbara Surgery Centers Inc., USP Securities Corporation, USP Silver Cross Inc., USP Siouxland Inc., USP Somerset Inc., USP South Carolina Inc., USP Southlake RE Inc., USP St. Louis Inc., USP St. Louis Urology Inc., USP St. Peters Inc., USP Sunset Hills Inc., USP TJ STL Inc., USP Tennessee Inc., USP Texas Air L.L.C., USP Texas L.P., USP Torrance Inc., USP Tucson Inc., USP Turnersville Inc., USP Virginia Beach Inc., USP Washington Inc., USP Waxahachie Management L.L.C., USP Webster Groves Inc., USP West Covina Inc., USP Westwood Inc., USP Winter Park Inc., USP Wisconsin Inc., USP-HMH Surgery Center at Central Jersey LLC, USP/Carondelet Tucson Surgery Centers LLC, USP/SOS Joint Venture LLC, USPI Group Holdings Inc., USPI Holding Company Inc.1, USPI Holdings Inc., USPI Physician Strategy Group LLC, USPI San Diego Inc., USPI Stockton Inc., USPI Surgical Services Inc., Ulysses True Results NewCo LLC, Underwood Surgery Center LLC, United Anesthesia Partners Inc., United Real Estate Development Inc., United Real Estate Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners Holdings Inc., United Surgical Partners International, United Surgical Partners International Inc., Universal Medical Care Center L.L.C., University Surgery Center Ltd., University Surgical Partners of Dallas L.L.P., Upper Bay Surgery Center LLC, Upper Cumberland Physicians Surgery Center LLC, Urgent Care Centers of Arizona LLC, Utica ASC Partners LLC, Utica/USP Tulsa L.L.C., VB Brownsville LTACH LLC, VBOA ASC GP LLC, VBOA ASC Partners L.L.C., VHM Services Inc., VHS Acquisition Corporation, VHS Acquisition Partnership Number 1 L.P, VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 1 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 11 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 12 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 3 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 4 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 5 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 6 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 7 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 8 Inc., VHS Acquisition Subsidiary Number 9 Inc., VHS Arizona Heart Institute Inc., VHS Brownsville Hospital Company LLC, VHS Chicago Market Procurement LLC, VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan Inc., VHS Detroit Businesses Inc., VHS Detroit Receiving Hospital Inc., VHS Detroit Ventures Inc., VHS Harlingen Hospital Company LLC, VHS Harper-Hutzel Hospital Inc., VHS Holding Company Inc., VHS Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital Inc., VHS Imaging Centers Inc., VHS New England Holding Company I Inc., VHS Outpatient Clinics Inc., VHS Phoenix Health Plan Inc., VHS Physicians of Michigan, VHS Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Inc., VHS San Antonio Imaging Partners L.P., VHS San Antonio Partners LLC, VHS Sinai-Grace Hospital Inc., VHS University Laboratories Inc., VHS Valley Health System LLC, VHS Valley Holdings LLC, VHS Valley Management Company Inc., VHS West Suburban Medical Center Inc., VHS Westlake Hospital Inc., VHS of Anaheim Inc., VHS of Arrowhead Inc., VHS of Huntington Beach Inc., VHS of Illinois Inc., VHS of Michigan Inc., VHS of Michigan Staffing Inc., VHS of Orange County Inc., VHS of Phoenix Inc., VHS of South Phoenix Inc., Valley Baptist Lab Services LLC, Valley Baptist Physician Performance Network, Valley Baptist Realty Company LLC, Valley Baptist Wellness Center LLC, Valley Health Care Network, Vanguard ASC LLC, Vanguard Health Financial Company LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company I LLC, Vanguard Health Holding Company II LLC, Vanguard Health Management Inc., Vanguard Health Systems, Vanguard Health Systems Inc., Vanguard Holding Company I Inc., Vanguard Holding Company II Inc., Vanguard Medical Specialists LLC, Vanguard Physician Services LLC, Ventana Surgical Center LLC, Veroscan Inc., Victoria Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Virtua-USP Princeton LLC, WHASA L.C., Walker Baptist Affinity LLC, Walker Street Imaging Care Inc., Warner Park Surgery Center LLC, Watermark Physician Services Inc., Webster Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Wellington Endo LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture I LLC, Wellstar/USP Joint Venture II LLC, West Boca Health Services L.L.C., West Boca Medical Center Inc., West Boynton Urgent Care L.L.C., West Bozeman Surgery Center LLC, West Palm Healthcare Real Estate Inc., West Suburban Radiation Therapy Center LLC, Westgate Surgery Center LLC, Westlake Hospital LLC, Westlawn Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Center LLC, Westminster Surgery Centers LLC, White Fence Surgical Suites LLC, Willamette Spine Center Ambulatory Surgery LLC, Wilmington Endoscopy Center LLC, Wilshire Rental Corp., Winter Haven Ambulatory Surgical Center L.L.C., Wisconsin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Wymark Surgery Center LLC, and YNHHSC/USP Surgery Centers LLC.
The global financial environment is changing faster and more significantly than at any other time in recent history. Amid this financial evolution, there are organizations that claim to provide the best disruptive services but only one company holds the highest credibility and is trusted by clients globally. IS2CP Inc. (Ideal Solutions 2 Complex Problems) is a multi-faceted company providing services throughout the industry and a string of US government entities and huge multinationals. As it continue to grow, IS2CP says it now looks forward to working with select clients in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. IS2CP Inc. began as a closely-held family corporation in 1975 when it was engaged in tourism development and regional commodities trading. In the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, new investors brought in new capital and restructured the company (but retained all key staff). All accumulated debts were converted into equity. Utilizing its clean balance sheet, substantial asset base, regional and global expertise and contact network, IS2CP emerged as structured finance company and has had significant success in this space since then. Now, the company services leading organizations worldwide which include private industry such as but are not limited to structured finance, investment management, real estate development. It is also a registered US government contractor.IS2CP claims to have the highest credit rating available from Dun and Bradstreet. The company says it aims to be the preferred partner in structured finance programs for emerging markets that offer complex and innovative financial structures through the conventional funding sources that are not readily available to developing countries. IS2CP says it also seeks to create innovative financial products and tools that redefine the risk/reward profile to the client. Certain of these products are expected to be disruptive in the days to come. These products are straightforward, understandable by the client, supported by the major rating agencies, contained in terms of risk and exposure, and global in scope. IS2CP products offer relatively lower level investors (less than $50 million) the opportunity to invest in programs commensurate with those typically available only to the largest players, and to do so on a global scale. The IS2CP family of products is targeted to the well-defined investor, and there is a concerted effort to respond to specific pain-points that a given customer may have. These pain points will often be different for different customers leading to a customizable set of features for a given financial program. Led by senior staffs who have deep expertise in the financial space, and possess a track record of creating innovative tools and products optimized for inject fresh capital into specific financial markets, the team provides solid risk/return profiles for the investor.
KUWAITThe Philippine government on Saturday repatriated at least 100 undocumented Filipino workers from Kuwait under the amnesty program granted by the Kuwaiti government. A total 4,494 overseas Filipino workers were already brought home through the Assistance to Nationals Fund of the Department of Foreign Affairs, under the amnesty program extended by the Kuwaiti government. According to DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola, the government had spent at least P66.1 million for plane tickets, with some 300 no-shows worth about P5 million. On the other hand, P22.5 million was allotted for cash assistance. Meanwhile, the DFA said the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments were still working on a common date for the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to the Gulf state. Were working on a date this June, right after Ramadan and, hopefully, theyll come up with a common date, DFA Undersecretary Sarah Lou Arriola said. Theres no exact date yet because the Emir should also be available, she said, adding that once a date had been mutually agreed upon, the Kuwaiti government would then extend a formal invitation. Asked if the upcoming trip would be an official or state visit, Arriola said the country was hoping for the latter. Were hoping its a state visit because there had been an invitation like that but the date couldnt be settled, she said. Arriola extended her gratitude to the Kuwaiti government for being very cooperative with the Philippine government. The weekend flight, carrying more than 100 Filipinos on Saturday, was the third to the last flight the DFA was shouldering under the context of the Kuwaiti amnesty. While the amnesty is set to lapse on April 22, Arriola said the DFA would still assist Filipinos seeking help after the programs expiration.If they get arrested, you know because of the crackdown, we will assist them and bring them home, because we dont turn our backs on our nationals, she said. We asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already, if there are Filipinos arrested, tell us, so that we can bring them home, she added. Arriola said the Philippine government would still cover the plane tickets of Filipinos who would be deported once their papers were complete. Yes [we will shoulder], regardless of how long the process would take. Under the amnesty theres no arrest (but) there really is the danger of arrest after 22, and they will be forever banned by then, thats already deportation, she said. Of the more than 10,000 illegal Filipino workers in Kuwait, the DFA, through its Assistance to Nationals Fund had repatriated 4,494 persons, with about 400 more expected by Sunday. Were very thankful for (sic) the State of Kuwait for giving the amnesty program, for being cooperative with us, Arriola said. President Duterte earlier said he would visit the Gulf state to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on the protection of overseas Filipino workers in the country, following the murder of Joanna Demafelis and reported cases of maltreatment and abuses against Filipinos here. The first negotiation on the document took place in Manila last March. Arriola said the draft was still with the Kuwaiti government for review. Were still waiting for our Kuwaiti counterparts when theyre ready for the second round of talks, she said.
Canadian pots fans mark 4/20 'Weed' day

posted April 21, 2018 at 06:39 pm by AFP April 21, 2018 at 06:39 pm

MONTREALHundreds of young Canadians smoked weed on Friday, or day 4/20, to call for the legalization of marijuana. In Montreal, 300-400 people gathered Friday at 4:20 pm to fire up joints. 420, 4:20, or 4/20 is a code term in cannabis culture that refers to the consumption of weed, especially around the time of 4:20 pm, as well as smoking cannabis in celebration on the date April 20, which is 4/20 in US form. Similar scenes played out in Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa outside parliament, where lawmakers are to vote this summer on legalizing pot. It is a campaign promise of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, 46, who has acknowledged smoking weed.The bill was originally supposed to have been ready for the national holiday of July 1. But it has been delayed by work in legislative commissions. If it goes through, marijuana would be legalized in Canada this summer.

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Posted Saturday, April 21, 2018 7:45 am

The following statement was issue jointly this past week by presidents of Missouri Farm Bureau, Missouri Cattlemens Association, Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Pork Association and Missouri Corn Growers Association on the situation revolving around potential tariffs on agricultural trade with China:

Missouri is fortunate to be home to a host of agricultural products that are essential to feeding and clothing people around the world. Recent announcements by the Chinese to levy tariffs on United States agricultural products, including soybeans, pork, cotton, beef, corn, sorghum and wheat, are cause for serious concern to our industry. Farmers depend on international trade for nearly 20 percent of their overall income. Missouri farmers cannot afford to risk losing critical market share in China to our competitors, especially with net farm income projected to hit a 12-year low this year.

In 2017, the United States exported nearly $20 billion worth of agricultural goods to China. Soybean exports accounted for $14 billion of that total, and pork contributed $1.1 billion. In addition to importing other U.S. crops, China is the second-largest destination market for cotton at 2.5 million bales. The retaliatory threats from China are severe and broad-reaching across all of Missouri agriculture. As a top-10 producer of many agricultural commodities targeted for retaliation, Missouri is especially vulnerable to the crippling effects these tariffs will bring if implemented.

Chinas disregard for the customs of international trade cannot be ignored, but engaging in a trade war with China puts farmers and ranchers at risk. We urge the Trump Administration, United States Trade Representative, and our elected leaders to negotiate a solution that addresses the issue of intellectual property theft while protecting Missouris number one industry from devastating retaliation.
The current exception to fighting this good fight  at a great personal cost  seems to be Swara, who is still taking on trolls daily.

All of India may have reacted in rage to the Kathua and Unnao rape cases, but it takes a very brave kind of public figure to continue to ignore the huge cost of voicing an opinion.

Many shocked and appalled stars and filmmakers had hit the streets and taken to their social media handles to speak up against the incidents  everyone from Kareena Kapoor Khan to Huma Qureshi, Kalki Koechlin and Shah Rukh Khan protested with the hashtag #JusticeForOurChild.

But, while everyone else went back to their daily lives, actress Swara Bhaskar is still fighting off trolls. They dont seem to be tiring of harassing her  from urging people to not watch her upcoming movie Veere Di Wedding, to hurling vulgar abuse at her, these trolls wont let up. But, then, neither will Swara.

So far, days after she spoke up about the cases, the actress is still being subjected to vicious trolling, with people morphing images of her tweets mocking her intentions. Strangely, not many of her colleagues in the industry have spoken up in support of her.

Actor Prakash Raj, who has borne the brunt of malicious trolling, has lauded Swaras efforts. This is the tragedy of the country, he sighs. Those in the industry are also human. Today, when I stand for Swara, and she stands for me, were trolled equally. The point is that we should take things in our stride. Were happy that at least the common man is supporting us. For every one troll, we get a hundred others who support us.

He adds that being attacked by trolls is a given when you choose to speak up, like Swara did. I wish the industry took responsibility and gave us the feeling that were in this together. They should understand it can happen to them, too, he says.

Actress Mita Vashisht believes that this is the result of society having lost its bearings. Earlier, the devil stayed hidden in society. The filth in a human beings consciousness lived and died with the person. What is it today that allows this devil to show its face, to act out the bidding of its sick mind and have no fear? Thats what we have to introspect about as a nation, she asserts.

Writer and journalist Pritish Nandy is a little more sympathetic. Swara is brave and honest. I think many others in the movie industry too are brave and honest, and support causes like #MeToo, but have chosen not to come out and make statements because they dont want to enter or encourage the politics of gender strife. They stand up only when specific issues that matter to them are raised, he says.

Mita begs to differ, and says, I think actors and actresses are a very fragile lot and very worried about their careers. The idea being that your life is either a career or its nothing. Its a very limited worldview about life and even about ones job as an actor. So, why does anyone expect anything like sublimity from them?

The current exception to fighting this good fight  at a great personal cost  seems to be Swara, who is still taking on trolls daily.

Pooja Bhatt

Pooja Bhatt says, Trolls, an unfortunate reality, spew venom to provoke you. The ones who threaten harm should be reported and named. Like Mahatma Gandhi said, No one can insult me without my permission. I dont give nameless, faceless people the power and permission to insult me.

Big B mum on incidents

Amitabh Bachchan, brand ambassador of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, has barely managed to say a word about the horrific incidents in Kathua and Unnao. At a promotional event for his upcoming film, 102 Not Out, Big B was asked about attacks on women on a regular basis. He dismissed it saying, Iss vishay pe charcha karne ke liye mujhe ghinn aati hai. Iss vishay ko mat uchaliye [I feel disgusted discussing this issue, please dont bring it up]. Its terrible to even talk about it, he said. Social media has erupted in horror at the statement.
A still from 'Beyond The Clouds'.

Rating:

Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Malavika Mohanan, G.V. Sharada, Goutam Ghose, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Shivam Pujari, Amruta Santosh Thakur, Dhwani Rajesh

Director: Majid Majidi

I often find myself fighting derisive criticism from friends and family about how trivial, mindless and irritating Bollywood is. Though I know some of what they say is true, the fact that fatuous generalisations are delivered with smug disdain for desi commercial cinema, it gets my goat. Especially since the sole purpose of the bitchfest seems to be to establish the superiority of their own taste and all that is foreign, especially Hollywood.

Many other goats across the nation, I suspect, bristle at such idiotic self-satisfaction.

So, when a master filmmaker, honoured and celebrated at international film festivals and award ceremonies that have never looked at Bollywood seriously, makes a trip to India and takes it upon himself to make a film, we expect to be bowled over.



Majid Majidi doesnt bowl us over with Beyond the Clouds, a film he has written (story) and directed.

His Hindi-speaking film that is set in Mumbai is uneven  rising and dipping, almost in neat sequences.

Bad acting, awkward scenes, Bollywood cliches make it sink, but when its observing or playing with children  a Majid speciality  it sparkles and rises.

In between all this are some exceptional, memorable, piercing performances that should not be missed.

Beyond the Clouds opens with a camera slide  something it does often, at times to show us contrasts, at times to share with us the directors shock at the grime and human wreckage.

From a busy, no-pedestrian expressway highway, we move down, to the dark, dingy underpass where some families dwell. Its next to an open, dirty nallah.

Two boys  one with a tattoo and a backpack, the other with his curly hair tied high in a frizzy bouquet  going around on a bike dropping off small boxes of mithai.

Under the burfi is a thin sheet that hide pouches of some expensive drugs.

They go to the usual places  a handicraft shop, a nariyal paani wala  and then Amir (Ishaan Khatter) goes to collect his dues from a man called Rahul, who controls the drug distribution as well as a brothel.

Here too, in the brothel, the camera slides up, as if riding in a glass lift, observing haggling customers and hardened sex workers.

Amir barges into Rahuls office. Is curtly told to wait.

Standing outside, he watches Rahul inspect the mouths of girls to check for rotting teeth, and then he turns his gaze to a little girl who has stepped out of her room to let a woman finish her business.

These are the sights  dance of shadows, staring at wide-eyed, dark complexioned faces  Beyond the Clouds treats us to often.

A bit like how we fetishise white faces and golden hair, Majidis Beyond the Clouds looks at Indian faces lovingly, romances the dirt and grime, and then cinematographer Anil Mehtas camera goes a step further, insinuating that some sort of superior understanding and knowledge of this karmic universe bristles beyond their eyes.

Adding meaning and some deep interiority to faces that are cute but bland is a cheap trick that doesnt work. Ever.



Here let us, for a bit, ponder over foreign directors and the irritable Indian.

Many of us in India were underwhelmed by Slumdog Millionaire. And when Danny Boyles 2008 film won eight Oscars, many of us were like, Hain? Really! Whatever.

In a fair fight, Ram Gopal Vermas Satya (1998) would beat it hollow, and Mira Nairs Salaam Bombay! (1988) would give it real competition. Except, perhaps, in music.

Varanasi, haathis swaying and buffaloes squatting on tarred roads, snake charmers and their cobras, Dabbawallas, barbers under trees, sadhus, sadhus smoking chilams, naked babas, beggar children, dog-man sleeping together, ragpickers in mounds of garbage, gaudy girls in seedy dance bars, people hanging from trains, busses

India where the sublime and the heart-rending always in a sweaty clasp, is an India we see everyday.

So gawking foreigners clicking pictures that frame one part of our reality but pretend to be the whole irritates us no end.

Some of our irritation has to do with our own immunity to the dirt, poverty, corruption we have learnt to live with by, mostly, bypassing it.

We are inured to the unrelenting tragedy unfolding all around us. So it makes us uneasy when we are made to actually look at it and come up with a human reaction.

The other reason is that we have seen all this in our films in many varied ways  some super cool and impactful, some super idiotic and superficial, worth little more than framing a piece of Third World as still life.

So if a master is sending an invite, the least we expect is to be surprised.

But I digress. Amir demands the money Rahul owes him. This leads to the first twist, the first encounter with law, and takes Amir to his sister Tara (Malavika Mohanan) and thence to events that make lives spiral out of control.

Tara gets sent to jail and Amir has no choice but to nurse Akshi (Goutam Ghose), the man whose actions put Tara in jail, back to health so that he can give his statement.

Tara, meanwhile, takes on Chhotu (Shivam Pujari), son of her cellmate who is ill and facing death sentence.

This tangle of connections goes further, deeper when Akshis family  his wife (played by G.V. Sharada) and two daughters  arrive. They have no money, nowhere to stay and they dont speak Hindi.

Its in this setting, with Chhotu in jail, and Asha (Amruta Santosh Thakur) Tanisha (Dhwani Rajesh) in Amirs house that Majidis Beyond the Clouds begins to breathe.

The characters, stuck in spaces and situations designed to suck humanity out of humans, gently tug at our heart with an outpouring of it.

With a tiny rat and some crayons, Majidi tells the story of the resilience of human spirit, about empathy, about people who have been dealt the crappiest cards  a trail of jokers from a pack so skewed  and yet ready to share, play, help another live a little.

The plot is interesting, theres lots of humanity in Majidis telling, theres little drama. Just a new way of seeing the old.

But not all the sights and sounds that fill up the screen are refreshing.

The films music is by A.R. Rahman, and the little jig that the film gets to do is courtesy his own classic, Muqabala (from Kadhalan, 1994).

In the rest of the film, sadly, the sounds are all too familial and their use rather cliched.

The tabla that accompanies a chase sequence is mildly interesting till a sitar joins in to complete the trite circle of Hindi filmy sounds.

Similarly, the camera observes a lot  dhobi ghat, pigeons, slums, dirty open drains, brothels, thanas, jail  with the wonder of a first-timer. Majidi, perhaps, overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smell of Mumbai, wanted to capture it all  especially the excess, of filth, poverty, grime, traffic, noise, people, prosperity, spending, dearth, and of course large, naturally kohled eyes set in brown skin.

But Majidi shows his skills in a few sparkling moments that are unforgettable, like the fight sequence in Sewri mudflats, against the flamboyance of flamingos.

The kids  Shivam Pujari, Amruta Santosh Thakur and Dhwani Rajesh  are very good.

Malavika Mohanan is quite lovely, but quite bad.

Ishaan Khatter has a very pretty, expressive face and is very confident and very good.

He uses his face to excellent effect in emotional scenes, but also his body which, incidentally, grooves to Muqabala in ways thatll catch Prabhu Devas attention.

G.V. Sharada is absolutely excellent and I just cant get over her.

Her stillness is eerie, load-bearing, as if trying to contain a storm inside.

Watch Beyond the Clouds for Ishaan, watch it for Sharada, and watch it for those flamingos and Chhotus little rat.
Rating:

Cast: Mahesh Babu, Kiara Advani, Prakash Raj, Brahmaji, Sarath Kumar, Rao Ramesh, Sitara and others

Director: Koratala Siva

After the mega hit Srimanthudu, actor Mahesh Babu and director Koratala Siva comes together again in Bharat Ane Nenu. Mahesh dons the role of a Chief Minister in this film and the story that unfolds has occurred before the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Bharat Ram (Mahesh Babu), settled in the UK, has completed his graduation from the Oxford University, London. As his father Raghava (Sarath Kumar) passes away, he returns to Hyderabad. Raghava was the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. After the rituals, Bharat wants to return to the UK but party chief Varadarajulu (Prakash Raj) asks Bharat to take his fathers chair, as the Chief Minister, for the sake of the party.

Initially, Bharat does not agree to this, saying he does not know anything about public administration and politics but later, he decides to take the charge under pressure.

From day one, Bharat starts to reform the whole administration in a right way which irks Varadarajulu.

Meanwhile, Bharat, the young Chief Minister sees a girl named Vasumanthi (Kiara Advani) and falls for her. Later, she joins the CMs office as an employee, part of a young brigade.

On the other hand, Opposition leaders and Varadarajulu uses the CMs love track to topple the government. How Bharat faces all these pressures and bounces back again to prove the crooked nature of the Opposition leader and Varadarajulu is the crux of the story.

Director Koratala Siva had delivered three huge hits continuously and Bharat Ane Nenu is his fourth film. He always blends social message with commercial ingredients and proved this agenda in his earlier three films. In this film too, he highlights the social responsibility and accountability of elected people and local governance in an interesting way.

Creating political dramas are not that easy but Koratala Siva brings in a tad of humour through scenes in the Assembly and succeeds in capturing our attention through the quick decisions taken by the Chief Minister on regular problems such as traffic, the director also brings in the romantic thread of the Chief Minister in an interesting way.

The first half of the film is quite entertaining where the director includes the Chief Ministers conversation with his personal secretary, the officials, and how the CM tries to talk it out with his lover. The second half has some emotional scenes and the CMs media conference is the best portion in the film.

The Rayalaseema episode where the Chief Minister fights with the goons is another highlight. Koratala always boosts heroism in his films and in this film too, he takes Mahesh Babu into a new height. The director highlights issues such as traffic, education and the responsibilities of elected persons in an interesting way. Another good fact about Koratala is that he brings out intense performance from each actor. He had brought in a few political dramas like Okkadu and Leader but Koratala narrates this film in a new dimension.

When it comes to the performance, Mahesh Babu grabs the limelight. This is his best performance till now. His dialogue rendering is appreciable. In the first half, he plays a jovial role and in the second half, he has a more serious performance.

The scenes between Bharat and his personal secretary Brahmaji are hilarious and entertaining. Kiara Advani looks beautiful, glamorous and has performed well. Prakash Raj has once again proved that he is still the most dependable actor in Telugu cinema. Rao Ramesh as Kiaras father Dev Raj, the Opposition leader; Posani as a Minister and other actors like Prudhvi , Sitara and Jeeva have done their roles well.

As in all Koratala Siva films, cinematography is superb. Both cinematographers Ravi K. Chandran and Thiru have done a fantastic job and have captured all the scenes in a really beautiful sense. Devi Sri Prasad has once again done justice to songs and background score. Actually, his background score raises the tempo of the film and highlights some scenes.

Koratala Sivas has brought in some strong dialogues highlighting the educational system, traffic issues and other problems in a more thought-provoking manner and some dialogues are really entertaining. The action scenes are done well, especially in the theatre hall where Mahesh Babu takes on the Rayalasemma factionists.

Altogether, Bharat Ane Nenu is a intense political drama narrated interestingly by Koratala Siva. Koratala has handled the theme well. Mahesh Babus brilliant performance, the strong dialogues, superb songs, epic action scenes etc., are the highlights of this film.
Amidst all the allegations, mudslinging and press conferences over the last few days, the Sri Reddy saga has now become a battle of the film biggies and the sexual exploitation point she raised totally unaddressed by any of the these biggies.

After his brother Nagababu and relative Allu Arvind's consecutive press conferences failed to make much of an impact, actor Pawan Kalyan decided to jump into the fray himself. The actor-turned politician accused AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh for encouraging TV channels to broadcast the issue repeatedly in an attempt to defame him. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who has since owned up to instigating the actress against PK, was also the target of his ire.

However, unlike his army of fans who use foul language all the time, Pawan Kalyan chose to play the victim card and kept things polite. The most repeated line in all his tweets was, If I cannot defend the honour of my mother, I better die. One assumes he was referring to the abuses heaped on him by Sri Reddy, which TV channels replayed ad-nauseam.

He also made some bizzare statements (see box on left with RGVs replies).

Mega clan rallies behind Pawan Kalyan

There was high drama at the Film Chamber on Friday morning. After his emotional tweets on Thursday night, Pawan Kalyan, accompanied by his mother, made his way to the Film Chamber premises, where all his family members, fans and supporters had gathered.

Pawan held a meeting with advocates in the Chamber premises, looking stressed out, perplexed and restless for the entire duration. The actor apparently asked them to initiate action against RGV or that he would take it upon himself. Also, he asked them to explain their stand on the entire issue within a day. Around late afternoon, Pawan and his family members were asked to leave the premises due to security issues.

Ram Gopal Varma

Ram Gopal Varma hits back

Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma asks Pawan Kalyan valid questions on his tweets to AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

PK tweets: Hon CM, for these channels, legalisation of prostitutes is more important than special status to Andhra Pradesh. What is your priority as you control the media?

RGV: I am shocked that you are calling the unfortunate girls and boys, who are victims of the casting couch, prostitutes. This is far worse than what Sri Reddy said. Do you mean to say that just because he is close to your family, all the women who complained about the atrocities on your man, Vaakadu Apparao, are prostitutes? I have never heard anything more demeaning to women.

PK tweets: Interesting fact, The current dream team also has mothers, sisters and daughters. But, their women are safe and secure, while my poor fragile 70-year-old mother had to be abused for TRPs and political benefit

RGV: Whats more interesting is I dont understand how TRPs and political benefits can come to your opponents because of abuse? Do you mean to say that TV viewers and voters want to listen to mothers being abused? Is that how bad you think Telugu people are? If at all theres any political benefit in this whole issue, its only for you because you are dragging your mother into this to gain sympathy, which might convert to votes.

And, with regard to the so-called dream teams mothers, sisters and daughters, you can always unleash many of your fans on social media and you very well know that no one in the world can match their exemplary language skills. In comparison to their abuses, what Sri Reddy said will sound like a pure morning prayer.
Ever since actress Poorna got her head tonsured for her part in the Tamil film, Kodiveeran, she has been going easy on signing films. In fact, she started to get choosy with her roles because she wants to only take up roles that suit her hairdo, a bob.

After I got my head tonsured, I stopped taking up projects, and have been very choosy because my hairstyle doesnt suit every role. A few filmmakers even asked me to act with a wig, but I dont want to do that, she reveals. Surprisingly, Poorna is being approached for cop roles, too.

The makers of my current film Oru Kuttanadan Blog in Malayalam have approached me for a cop role because of my bob. Moreover, I have taken up the project because the film also features Mammooty sir. And, working with him is a learning experience.
Sri Reddys casting couch outing of the Telugu film industry seems to have all the bigwigs on tenterhooks. The topic has even superseded the movement for special status to Andhra Pradesh. While everyone agrees that the casting couch is a problem in the industry, they are saying that it is not right to tarnish the entire industry.

Recently, however, Sri Reddys movement seems to have been derailed, with many other issues riding on her expose. Two days ago, Ram Gopal Varma confessed in a video that it was he who instigated Sri Reddy to speak against Pawan Kalyan. He even said that he had offered Rs 5 crore to Sri Reddy on behalf of Suresh Babu to not proceed against his son, Abhiram. Then Naga Babu came out issuing a warning to anyone criticising the Mega family. Actress Jeevitha has sued womens activist Sandhya for accusing her on a TV channel. Then top director Koratala Siva issued a statement saying he was shocked to see his name feature in the Sri Reddy leaks. Producer Puppala Ramesh, too, asked for proof in Sri Reddys leaks. Top writer Kona Venkat has now asked for a thorough police enquiry into Sri Reddys allegations.

It is easy to say that there is a casting couch in the industry, but you cant generalise. You have to prove it. The Movie Artiste Association (MAA) should take a call and try to bring this issue to an end  Vishal Reddy, president, Tamil Movie Artiste Association

It looks like everyone is looking at cashing in on the expose, seeking publicity with their statements and in the process burying Sri Reddys original issue six feet under.

Tamil Movie Artiste Association president Vishal Reddy said the controversy was adversely affecting the industry. It is easy to say that there is a casting couch in the industry, but you cant generalise. You have to prove it. The Movie Artiste Association (MAA) should take a call and try to bring this issue to an end, says Vishal. I agree that Sri Reddy is being very brave in making the allegations, but she is pointing fingers at the entire industry, which is wrong, he says. He said if she presented proof, she would get all the support. Recently, actress Amala Paul spoke out on the same issue and we supported her and even filed a police complaint on her behalf, says Vishal.
Being powerful usually translates to being untouchable. This also seems to be the case with Nandamuri Balakrishna, one of the most powerful actors in the Telugu film industry. No stranger to controversy, Balayya, as he is fondly called, is notorious for his temperamental behaviour how can we forget his slapping spree and sexist remarks!

He walks away scot free each time considering he is the son of legendary actor NT Rama Rao, who was not only a powerful person in his community but also served as Chief Minister. As a result, Balayya too enjoys huge fan support. Not to forget, his brother-in-law is N. Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.

N.T. Rama Rao was considered to be a highly disciplined person and in his early days in cinema, Balayya too was disciplined. But thats a story of the past. Today, the actor is always in the news for the wrong reasons and thanks to his connections at high places, he manages to get away with it too.

Infamous acts:

Few years ago, Balakrishna went on a shooting spree at his home. He reportedly took his gun and shot at a producer. He even shot an astrologer. After a few days of high drama, the buzz surrounding the incident subsided. Interestingly, no one gave a case against the actor and the astrologers whereabouts are still unknown. At that time, YSR Reddy of the Congress was the Chief Minister and it is believed that Balayya walked away due to Chandrababu Naidu's influence.

Another time, a security guard of the actor was found murdered on the lawns of his home. The official version is that the guard was killed while fighting off two robbers who entered the home. There was no follow up about this suspicious case either.

The actors sexist comments caused a huge uproar with womens organisations demanding a case to be filed against him. He had reportedly said My fans will be happy if I kiss a woman or make her pregnant. Though he later apologised, no case was filed. Interestingly, people from the industry even dismissed his comments by saying thats how he usually talks.

A highly publicised incident was when the actor was caught on video slapping his assistant while shooting for Jai Simha. In the video, hes also seen forcing the assistant to tie his shoelaces. This viral video too didnt elicit any comments from industry bigwigs.

Notorious for slapping people, the next person he slapped was a party worker during an election meeting in Kurnool. In fact, in the last year he has been reported to slap fans or party workers at least thrice.

Interestingly, there are many who condone his behaviour. In fact, his supporters feel the slapping is a gift to the fans.

Netizens call him Loony

Actor-politician Balakrishna thought his dramatic speech in Hindi will shake the Prime Minister Narender Modi. Instead, not just the BJP cadre, but netizens too seriously suspect he has a mental issue!

AP CM Naidus brother-in-law and party MLA Balakrishna speaks like a lunatic. What is the kind of language he uses? Does he have sense? I think he needs to be treated for mental illness!

Sudhish Rambhotla, BJP

He had a Murder case against him for using revolver and in court his lawyers said he is mentally unfit (sic)

Pidi Media

PM said in London that abuse and criticism give him energy .. this guy took it very serious... dont suppose to take it so serious...everyone know that he is feku (sic) Kaishlesh Bank

He cant even speak Hindi fluently ..Nobody cares him to be honest... He holds the record of slapping most number of his fans for asking for selfies... Major apprehension is he doesnt speak with sense...

Ashwin
Abhishek Bachchan was recently trolled for living with his parents and he snapped back at the troll. He said he is proud to live with them. The Twitter user took a dig at the actor, who continues to stay with his parents, saying, Dont feel bad about your life. Just remember @juniorbachchan still lives with his parents. Keep hustling everyone. Not to forget Abhishek and Aishwaryas interview with Oprah Winfrey who wanted to know how living in a joint family works

While the Western approach of parting with your parents and having a place of your own does sound appealing, many still believe in living in the traditional way in India and its fine not to fly the nest as well.

Though its not mandatory to be living with ones parents after a certain age, there certainly are many pluses to it. Swarnalatha Iyer, a consultant psychologist, strongly believes that all three generations  the grandparents, parents and the children  are greatly benefited by it. Everyone acts as a buffer, thus a lot of stress gets reduced automatically. Joint families have a two-way support system  its a learning opportunity for the children who have both the parents and grandparents to guide them. For the parents who are new to child-rearing practices, its an additional boon as they have a constant flow of knowledge from the experienced ones and the grandparents find themselves helping out the younger ones with the various issues they come across in their lives.

Rhea Singhal, Founder, and CEO of Ecoware, too feels the same. Having experienced both a nuclear and joint family set up, I feel that joint families are a great way of transferring values and reinforcing them in the younger generation. But mutual respect and understanding are quintessential for the system to work.

However, many have the perception that living alone is superior. In the West, especially in the US, there is no concept of joint families or the family providing support to the children as they have an individualistic culture. On the contrary, ours is a collective culture  we often speak in terms of our welfare than mine. Sadly, now that people are downloading the concept of individualistic lifestyle and independence, they are not even willing to look into the benefits of living together, turning a blind eye to how this is affecting the older generations who are gradually looking at retirement communities as an option, shares Iyer, who feels that the strength of our culture lies in our families.

Adding to it Shahnaz Husain says, Indian culture is known for its joint family tradition. In fact, the family plays an important role in our lives and in developing our values. There was a time when nuclear families were rare. But even now, there are many who appreciate the advantages of a joint family. In fact, in this age of working women, a joint family provides a great deal of support, especially for young children. In difficult times, be it illness or financial hardships, family is always there to fall back on. Like many Indian traditions, the joint family system has also stood the test of time.

Although some people hold living in a joint family to opprobrium and view it as something that abates freedom, Adhishwar Mittal, Senior Business Analyst, EXL Services, believes that such concepts are figments of an unhealthy mind. I dont think living with your parents is wrong. Rather it provides you with the sense of happiness that comes from knowing you are taken care of. Since parents take care of us when you cant take care of yourself, it is our moral duty to do the same for them when they need us. I live with my parents and try to help my parents as much as possible, they still end up making my life easier by giving me a place where I can be happy.

Aman, who is working as a business developer, feels proud to be a member of a joyous joint family. I am blessed with the opportunity of living with my parents and grandparents. I could have moved out because of the punctilious traveling to my office but I chose to be with my parents. So I have learnt a great deal from them and Im still learning. I also feel the need to update them about this new generation, introducing them to the new technology and forthcoming trends.

Living together helps preserve family traditions. Artist D.P. Sibal feels, Its an opportunity to learn about family traditions and values. We are disciplined in a joint family, we live and learn a lot from each other. In a way, we can preserve our family traditions in a joint family.

From a psychological view, Iyer says there was always someone to fall back on in the times of crisis. Sadly, today there is a need for counseling as we have given up on our families. But lately many are getting back together as well.

Singing off Dr Rita Bakshi, from International Fertility Center, shares, Joint family is a mutual consentment, wherein there is a greater depth of generations as compared to a nuclear family. It is customary in India for successive generations to live under one roof. I have seen cases where the family living with a joint family is always strong as they get a helping hand to hold them and is unified in an everlasting bond. The emotional support is admirable and children are blessed with undivided attention, support and guidance from elders. Whereas, the elders too seek immense love and spend their old age peacefully and in contentment with the family.
'We had even informed the doctor several times about the lady in pain but it all went in vain. After a long wait when the woman went to the washroom, she did not notice that she lost her foetus there,' the relative added.(Photo: Representational | ANI)

Gurgaon: A five-month pregnant woman lost her foetus in the washroom of a hospital in Haryana's Gurgaon city on Friday.

She alleged that she was made to wait for treatment because she didn't have an appointment.

"Govinda's wife Sunita felt a sudden pain in her stomach and we rushed here to this medical care. We were asked to wait because we didn't have an appointment. Even after waiting for more than one-and-half hour we could not meet the doctor," the victim's relative told news agency ANI.

"We had even informed the doctor several times about the lady in pain but it all went in vain. After a long wait when the woman went to the washroom, she did not notice that she lost her foetus there," the relative added.

Hospital authorities accepted their mistake and admitted the victim to the hospital.
The girl told her parents that she could not tell her teacher about the incident since the teacher did not turn up. (Representational Image)

Raipur: A seven-year-old girl in Chhattisgarhs capital Raipur was allegedly sexually assaulted on the first day of her school.

The family of minor girl has alleged that she was sexually assaulted at her school  Raipurs Campion School on Wednesday. Though police have lodged an FIR, no arrests have been made so far. Police are examining the CCTV footage from the school.

The family says when the girl returned home after her first day at her new school, the mother noticed that the child's underwear was missing and spotted blood in her private parts.

"It was her first day at the school on Wednesday. She went to the school and we wanted to meet her at the school, but we weren't allowed to do so. While changing her clothes after she returned from school, my wife noticed blood on her private parts and she was not wearing undergarments," the girl's father told news agency ANI.

The girl told her parents that she could not tell her teacher about the incident since the teacher did not turn up.

The president of Chhattisgarh's child rights body spoke to the girl and a woman worker at the school. The Child Rights Commission said they will form a team and investigate.

"She(the girl) is saying that a 'bhaiyya' had allegedly molested her. The peon of the school said she threw away the child's underwear after she passed urine in it," Prabha Dubey, president of Child Rights Commission told ANI.

The latest incident of alleged child sexual assault comes amid a nationwide outrage over a series of cases of rapes and murders of children in various parts of the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a cabinet meeting on Saturday to discuss recommending death penalty for those found guilty for committing rape against minors.

(With inputs from ANI)
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The three accused have been arrested and the girl has been sent for medical examination. (Photo: Representational/File)

Kaushambi: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped in a village here by two youth, who have been arrested, police said on Saturday.

The girl was allegedly lured by a woman of her village to a secluded spot and handed over to the youth, who raped her on Friday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Pratap Kumar Gupta said.

On the complaint lodged the the victim's family, an FIR was registered, he said.

The accused were identified as Babloo Prajapati and Bhaiyan, and the woman as Savita Prajapati, the officer said.

They have been arrested and the girl has been sent for medical examination, the SP added.

Previously on Friday, a six-month-old girl, sleeping next to her parents outside the Rajwada Fort in Indore, was taken away and raped in an isolated basement.

The accused, 21-year-old Sunil Bheel who was spotted on a CCTV camera carrying the baby, was arrested.

Also Read: When will it stop? 6-month-old girl raped, killed in Indore basement

In Uttar Pradesh's Etah, a nine-year-old attending a wedding with her family was allegedly raped before being strangled on Thursday night.

Also Read: Minor raped again: Man drags 9-yr-old from wedding function, rapes and kills her

On Wednesday, a 10-year-old girl was similarly raped and murdered at a wedding in Chhattisgarh.

Also Read: 10-yr-old Chhattisgarh girl raped, head smashed with stone; youth arrested

In Surat, an 11-year-old was raped and murdered and then her body was dumped earlier this month. She had 86 injuries and was also brutalised with blunt objects.

Also Read: 9-yr-old Surat girl raped, body found with 86 injuries in cricket ground

The rapes and murders follow a disturbing trend emerging across the country even as it is trying to come to terms over the kidnapping, gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir in January.

These incidents of rape have shaken the conscience of India and have provoked mass protests across the nation and social media campaigns for justice and safety.

Amid nationwide outrage, the Union Cabinet is expected to clear an ordinance, or emergency executive order, to award death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age.

The meeting will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returns from a five-day foreign visit.

Also Read: Amid nationwide uproar, cabinet to bring in death penalty for child rape

The government plans to bring the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

(With agency inputs)
Based on the complaint, the police arrested the accused and booked them under various sections of the Juvenile Justice and POCSO Acts, while launching a manhunt for the victim's uncle and aunt. (Representational Image)

Bengaluru: The Puttenahalli police busted a prostitution gang and arrested its five members, including two women, who had forced a minor orphan girl into prostitution after sexually abusing her.

The police identified the accused as Asha, Jessica, Veeresh, Bharath, and Murali. The police are now on the lookout for the victim's uncle Sagai Raj and aunt Asha with whom the victim was living.

The victim's parents died in 2010 and she was living with her uncle and aunt at their house. Initially everything was fine but later, Sagai Raj and Asha saw the victim as a burden.

Recently, Sagairaj sent the victim to Asha, who runs a prostitution racket. The victim who was at Asha's house was repeatedly sexually abused by Asha's husband Veeresh before she was sold to their contact Jessica, who is also into flesh trade.

Jessica, the police said, would get many clients for the victim every day and subject her to torture if she denied or complained of pain. The ordeal ended when the victim managed to escape from the brothel and went to her relative's house in Villupuram in Tamil Nadu and narrated the incident. The relatives along with the victim approached Villupuram police and filed a complaint which was transferred to Puttenahalli police station under whose jurisdiction the incident took place. Based on the complaint, the police arrested the accused and booked them under various sections of the Juvenile Justice and POCSO Acts, while launching a manhunt for the victim's uncle and aunt.
Bengaluru: A techie got the shock of her life when she checked her Instagram account. She saw a message from an account and her nude videos. She rushed to city cyber crime police and lodged a complaint. After a detailed investigation the police arrested two of her friends, who worked at a private bank as deputy managers, had recorded the victims private moments.

The police said the accused Abhishek Kumar Jha (24), a resident of Murugeshpalya and hailing from Darbhanga in Bihar and his friend Gaurav Choudhary (26), a resident of Hongasandra and hailing from UP, created fake Instagram account and sent part of the video clip and blackmailed their colleague for two iPhone X mobile phones as ransom.

The police who had registered a complaint in this regard tracked the accused through the IP address and arrested them. Abhishek is a Deputy Manager with Kotak Mahindra Bank in Giri Nagar branch while Gaurav is a Deputy Manager at Bommasandra Branch. The police said that the duo were close friends of the victim and visited her occasionally. Recently, they had left a camera at her house in which her private moments with her boyfriend were captured.

The duo later created a fake Instagram Baby Ur Gone account and sent the victim a snapshot of the video. They threatened her to release the video on porn sites as well as to her parents if she did not get them iPhone X mobile phones.

However, the police arrested the accused on Thursday and booked them under the Information Technology Act and remanded them to judicial custody.
He alleged that they cheated him to the tune of Rs 25 lakh by assuring him of selling 40 acres of land at Thaiyur village.

Chennai: The State Human Rights Commission has directed a former DSP and two SI of District Crime Branch, Kancheepuram, to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh for harassing the petitioner five years ago.

In the petition R. Saravanakumar submitted that on August 27, 2013 he lodged a complaint with Chennai Police Commissioner against Ramakrishnan, Adam Basha and others. He alleged that they cheated him to the tune of Rs 25 lakh by assuring him of selling 40 acres of land at Thaiyur village. However, they sold the land with forged documents.

The complaint was forwarded to DSP, Anti Land Grabbing Cell, Kancheepuram. Angered over this Ramakrishnan and Adam Basha filed a counter complaint to H. Ramesh Babu, DSP, District Crime Branch, Kancheepuram.

On December 5, 2013, N. Nirmala Rani, SI, K. Rajendran of Special SI, District Crime Branch, Kancheepuram entered his house and threatened him and his son.

They forcefully took them in their vehicle. They were detained in the police station. Under the threat from the cops he handed over his three vehicles to Ramakrishnan and blank cheques. He sought action against the cops.

In reply, the cops stated that R. Saravanakumar making false allegations and not maintainable. Judge D. Jayachandran held that the cops violated the human rights of the Saravanakumar. Hence, he is entitled to receive compensation of Rs 3 lakh from three police. The judge recommended the government to initiate the departmental action against the police.
The police also opined that the ex-serviceman might have died at least 4 days ago.

Chennai: The city police retrieved the body of an ex-serviceman in a decomposed state from his apartment, on Friday. The deceased had been identified as Thirumalai Kumar of Police Quarters, West Mambalam. Thirumalai Kumar was an army man and he was living with his wife Kottaiyammal, who is a head constable attached to ICF traffic police.

As Kottaiyammal has been admitted to a hospital for her ailments, the other family members also stayed with her. But Thirumalai Kumar stayed in their apartment in the police quarters, the police said.

The police also said that the neighbours had noticed a foul smell emanating from the house and informed the Mambalam police. Upon entering the house, Thirumalai Kumar's body was discovered in a decomposed state, the police said.

The police also opined that the ex-serviceman might have died at least 4 days ago. They are yet to ascertain the cause of the death. Mambalam police have registered a case and are investigating.
The incident happened, according to police, when Ramkumar and his wife Pavithra (25) were talking on their balcony of their first floor apartment on Thursday night. (Representational Image)

Chennai: In a shocking and unfortunate incident near Chennai, a software engineer was electrocuted while trying to save a crow entangled in an electricity cable on Thursday night. The victim was identified as Ramkumar (28) of Meenakshipuram in Pallikaranai. He was a software engineer with CTS in Thoraipakkam.

The incident happened, according to police, when Ramkumar and his wife Pavithra (25) were talking on their balcony of their first floor apartment on Thursday night.

Pavithra is pregnant and is expecting twins. The couple noticed a crow tangled in the EB wire near their balcony that was fighting for life. Ramkumar decided to help the crow and tried to save it with a cleaning mop, police said. Ramkumar failed to notice wetness in the mop and touched the electricity cable with the mop. Although Ramkumar saved the crow, he was electrocuted due to the dampness in the mop. He was thrown out of the balcony and fell to the ground. Sadly, all of these happened in front of his wife, police said.

Hearing the cries of Pavithra, neighbours rushed Ramkumar to a nearby private hospital but he was declared brought dead by the doctors. Pallikaranai police retrieved the body and sent to Chromepet GH for an autopsy. Police have registered a case and are investigating.
Hyderabad: Rachakonda police in a major crackdown on the land mafia smuggling red soil and gravel by digging HMDA lands at Jawaharnagar and supplying to different parts of the city arrested 12 persons including two organisers.

DCP Malkajgiri Ch. R. Umamaheswara Sarma said that the suspects dug the soil from the lands and were selling it to needy people in the city. Officials from the revenue, geology department also participated in the operation.

Ten tippers and two earth moving machines were seized during the raids. According to police, G. Narsimha Reddy and his brother Srinivas Reddy, both residents of Alwal were involved in this illegal business for the past two years.

They deployed two earth movers in the land located behind the Army Dental College spread across around 200 acres. The two were digging the soil in the top layer and the gravel in the second layers. The mud was loaded into tippers and transported to other places.

In this manner, they dug soil for more than 15 feet deep in the area. Each tipper load of soil and gravel was sold for around Rs 5,000 in the market outside.

Based on a tip-off, cops conducted raids in the early morning and caught the suspects red-handed. Based on a complaint from HMDA officials, a case under charges of Criminal tress pass, theft and Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act was booked at Jawaharnagar Police station. Also, the arrested suspects were produced before the court.

Police sources said that though the illegal business was going on for a very long time, none of the concerned officials had any information or took any action on the suspects.
The blood-soaked body of the infant was recovered on Friday afternoon from the basement of the commercial building when a shopkeeper had gone there to open his shop. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Indore: A six-month-old girl, sleeping next to her parents outside the Rajwada Fort in Indore, was taken away and raped in an isolated basement some 50 metres away in the early hours of Friday.

The accused, 21-year-old Sunil Bheel who was spotted on a CCTV camera carrying the baby on his shoulder, also killed her once he was done. The blood-soaked body of the infant was recovered on Friday afternoon from the basement of the commercial building when a shopkeeper had gone there to open his shop.

The child's parents, balloon sellers, were sleeping on the street outside the Rajwada Fort in the city. The accused Sunil Bheel was known to the parents of the infant and was sleeping close to them, police said.

"The body of the infant was recovered from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area. The accused, Sunil Bheel, had kidnapped her early today morning when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort. The accused was sleeping close to the family," news agency PTI quoted HC Mishra, Deputy inspector-general of police, Indore saying.

The child's body had injury marks on the private parts and the head.

The police, while looking for clues, scanned the CCTV cameras in the area, which led them to the accused.

"The accused is seen carrying the infant in CCTV images of around 4:45 am today (Friday). He then took her to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping, and her body was recovered in the afternoon," Mishra said.

"The infant had an injury on her head. The accused probably threw her to the ground. We are going to arrest him shortly," he added.

The rape and murder follows a disturbing pattern emerging across the country even as it tries to come to terms over the kidnapping, gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir in January.

In Uttar Pradesh's Etah, a nine-year-old attending a wedding with her family was allegedly raped before being strangled on Thursday night.

Read: Minor raped again: Man drags 9-yr-old from wedding function, rapes and kills her

On Wednesday, a 10-year-old girl was similarly raped and murdered at a wedding in Chhattisgarh.

Also Read: 10-yr-old Chhattisgarh girl raped, head smashed with stone; youth arrested

In Surat, an 11-year-old was raped and murdered and then her body was dumped earlier this month. She had 86 injuries and was also brutalised with blunt objects.

Also Read: 9-yr-old Surat girl raped, body found with 86 injuries in cricket ground

The rapes have provoked mass protests across India and social media campaigns for justice and safety.

(With inputs from PTI)
The blood-soaked body of the infant was recovered on Friday afternoon from the basement of the commercial building when a shopkeeper had gone there to open his shop. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Bhopal: A six-month-old girl was abducted, raped and then murdered in Indore, police said on Saturday.

The accused Suneel Bheel, 21, committed the heinous crime early on Friday to avenge the snub he received from the victims mother. He was thrashed by irate mob outside the local court where he was produced on Saturday.

The incident, coming in the wake of national outcry over the Kathua gang-rape and murder case in which an eight-year-old girl was allegedly sexually tortured and murdered in Jammu in January, has left the state stunned and shocked.

The incident has shaken my soul. Our society must introspect, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

According to police, the accused, a relative of the victim, kidnapped her when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort and took her to the basement of a commercial building where he allegedly raped her and threw her on the floor leading to her death.

The footage of a CCTV installed in the locality caught him carrying the baby to the building and later coming out empty handed. Post-mortem revealed injuries in her private parts, head and face, police said.

According to police, the accused had come to meet the girls mother to seek her intervention to get his wife back. His wife, sister of the victims mother, deserted him.
The Sultan Bazar police arrested an interstate gang who were allegedly involved in cheating cases. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: The Sultan Bazar police arrested an interstate gang who were allegedly involved in cheating cases. The accused were identified as Niyaz Ahmed, 35, Raj Bahadur Maurya, 48, Santosh Tiwari, 36, Sagiroddin Shaikh, 65, Ansari Shakeel Ahmed, 54, and Amiruddin Ansari, 33.

The accused cheated a person saying that they were partners with Electric Motors at Rayalaseema paper mill in Kurnool and promised the victim that they would get him materials from that company at Rs 45 per kg and misappropriated an amount of Rs 25,96,000 by transferring it to their account said Ramesh Reddy, DCP East Zone.

The police recovered an amount of Rs 2,80,000 from the possession of the accused.
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According to the police, the victim identified as H. Eshwar, 35, working as an attendee in the office, received seven stab injuries in his stomach, resulting in a huge loss of blood. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: An employee working with the Office of Labour Commissioner at Chikkadpally, was brutally attacked by two unidentified suspects with knives in the parking area of the office on Saturday morning. According to the police, the victim identified as H. Eshwar, 35, working as an attendee in the office, received seven stab injuries in his stomach, resulting in a huge loss of blood.

ACP Chikkadpally D.V. Pradeep Kumar Reddy said family disputes are suspected to be the motive behind the incident. "Teams are on job to trace the suspects and know the exact cause, he said.
Salem had sought parole for 45 days to get married for a second time to Sayed Bahar Kausar. (Photo: PTI/File)

Mumbai: Navi Mumbai Commissioner on Saturday rejected 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict Abu Salem's parole application which he applied for his marriage.

Salem had sought parole for 45 days to get married for a second time to Sayed Bahar Kausar.

Salem is currently lodged Taloja jail for his role in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that had killed 257 and injured 713 people.

The Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court had last year sentenced convicts Karimullah Khan and Abu Salem to life imprisonment in the case.

On June 16, 2017, the court had convicted six people, including the mastermind of the 1993 serial blasts Mustafa Dossa and Abu Salem.

The court had earlier held that prosecution proved Salem was one of the main conspirators and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in earlier phase of trial under the Arms Act).

Salem, who was close to (Dawood's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court earlier said.

Co-mastermind Mustafa Dossa died of cardiac arrest at JJ Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted on June 28.

(With ANI inputs)
Students take part in a candle light march to protest against Kathua rape case, in Jabalpur on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Amid nationwide outrage over sexual violence against young girls, the Union Cabinet is expected to clear an ordinance, or emergency executive order, to award death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age.

The meeting will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returns from a five-day foreign visit.

Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the 2012 gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital.

Read: Centre to amend POCSO Act to provide death penalty for child rapists, SC told

Much of the anger was targeted against leaders of the ruling BJP who were seen to be protecting the rapists in both cases. It was amid this public anger that Union Minister Maneka Gandhi last week put out a video message that spoke about her intention to request the Cabinet to introduce death penalty for child rapists.

Also Read: 'Deeply disturbed' Maneka Gandhi to ask for death penalty for child rape

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also got called out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday. She called the gangrape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua "revolting" and hoped "Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister Modi pay more attention" to the condition of women.

Also Read: Pay more attention to women in India: IMF chief Lagarde advises PM Modi

The government plans to bring the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, news agency PTI quoted sources aware of the development saying.

As the POCSO law stands today, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" is life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed is seven years in jail.

After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, a provision of death penalty in case the woman either dies or is left in a "vegetative state" after rape was introduced through an ordinance which later became the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

On Friday, the government informed the Supreme Court that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age.

"An ordinance today is the best way to deal with the issue. An amendment bill will have to wait (till July) when the Monsoon session commences," PTI quoted a law ministry official as saying.

In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice. He said such incidents shake our sensibilities. I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice, he said.

Also Read: Our daughters will definitely get justice: PM amid anger over rape cases

In London, Modi had said, "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too." The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son, he said, adding that rape of a daughter is a matter of shame for the country.

Also Read: We ask daughters where they are going, must ask sons too: PM Modi on rape cases

(With inputs from PTI)
Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the 2012 gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday approved ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The Cabinet in its meet at New Delhi approved an ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age.

It has also decided to put in place measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, which is extendable to life imprisonment.

In case of gangrape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be life imprisonment or death sentence.

Earlier, as per the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) law, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" was life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed was seven years in jail.

Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, which is extendable to life imprisonment

Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital in 2012.

In a significant development, the Centre on Friday had informed the Supreme Court that it would soon amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 to provide for death penalty to the abuser in cases of aggravated sexual assault or rape against children.

Attorney General KK Venugopal made this submission before a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Kanwilkar and DY Chandrachud during the course of hearing on a writ petition filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava.

The counsel brought to the notice of the court that over one-lakh cases were registered under POCSO and only 11,000 cases had been disposed off. He also pleaded for death penalty to those who sexually assault children in the wake of the shocking rape of an eight-month-old infant by a youth in Delhi.

In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice. He said such incidents shake our sensibilities.

Also Read: Our daughters will definitely get justice: PM amid anger over rape cases

I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice, he said.
Senior IAS officer R Santhanam appointed to inquire in to the sex for marks scandal will investigate the arrested Nirmala Devi on Saturday.

Chennai: Senior IAS officer R Santhanam appointed to inquire in to the sex for marks scandal will investigate the arrested Nirmala Devi on Saturday. The investigations are on and member of public has given a complaint in connection with scandal and in a day or two the commission will inquire Nirmala Devi, Santhanam told reporters at Madurai. He also said that the investigation with the staff of Madurai Kamaraj University and the staff at Devanga Arts College in Aruppukottai will continue.

To help women complainants or students two women members are also included in to the commission, Santhanam said. Meanwhile the CB CID took Nirmala Devi under a five-day custody and also began their probe at Aruppukottai.

The cell phones confiscated fro Nirmala Devi and her regular phone and watsapp conversation history is probed. It may be noted that TN Governor Banwarilal has ordered an inquiry in to the issue and appointed Santhanam to head the inquiry commission.
India is likely to formulate a new marine litter policy to control dumping the plastic wastes in the open sea.

Chennai: After understanding the gravity of the marine litter problem, India is likely to formulate a new marine litter policy to control dumping the plastic wastes in the open sea, according to M.Rajeevan, union secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating National Centre for Coastal Research in Chennai on Friday, M. Rajeevan said, marine litter has become a very big problem. We are going to work with several countries including UK and US to understand the gravity of the situation, to assess the marine litter problem and also to help the government to make the policies for regulating it.

We have regulations for dumping wastes inland, but we dont have any regulations for the open sea. Marine litter has become the focus for many countries as scientists are saying that the marine plastic wastes will outnumber the fishes in the ocean in few years, he said. The ministry at present is formulating a project on marine litter.

He further said the ministry will set up six marine coastal observatories - three in the east coast and three in the west coast to observe the marine pollution and predict the water quality.

National Centre for Coastal Research and INCOIS will work on marine coastal observatories. Out of six observatories, two observatories will come by December 2018, he added.

INCOIS director Satheesh C.Shenoi said, West Bengal, Visakhapatnam and Chennai will have observatories on the east coast and Cochin, Mumbai and Gujarat will host observatories on the west coast. The exact locations for the observatories are yet to be finalised, he said.

The observatories will have buoys with high-quality sensors to assess various parameters. These observatories will help the forecasting of water quality in advance, he said.

Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management Project Directorate (ICMAM PD) is being upgraded as National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR). The new centre will focus on coastal research including the measuring the water quality and eco-system modelling. M.V. Ramana Murthy, director of National Centre for Coastal Research, and other senior scientists were also present at the event.
Liga's sister Ilze has been using social media for spreading the word. She also tweeted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday for help.(Facebook Screengrab/ Ilze Skormane)

Thiruvananthapuram: After more than a month of frantic search, the Kerala police have found a headless body of a woman hanging upside from a tree which they suspect to be that of a 33-year-old Latvian national, who went missing from Kovalam on March 14, 2018.

According to an NDTV report, the woman's sister identified the body on Saturday morning. However, the police are waiting for forensic reports for an official confirmation.

"Ilze Skromane, Liga's sister has identified the body this morning. But we still will be going ahead with a DNA test as well as a postmortem report, to confirm the identity," senior police officer Manoj Abraham told NDTV.

Liga Skromane, a resident of Ireland, has been missing from Kerala's Kovalam since March 14, 2018. Her husband Andrew Jordan (42) and her sister Ilze Skormane had been frantically wandering around the streets looking for Liga since she left.

Andrew, holding a poster of his wife's photo had also offered to give a reward of Rs 1 lakh for anyone who gives information about Liga or help find her.

Liga's husband and sister had also appealed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help them trace her.

Liga's sister had earlier in March alleged that it took at least five days for the police to act.

Liga, a well-travelled woman with Lativan passport had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on February 21 for Ayurvedic treatment of post-traumatic depression.

According to reports, she went to a beach in Kovalam, about 40 km from the state capital, on March 14, without informing her sister, who was accompanying her on India trip.

She went missing from the treatment center in Pothencode. Based on the inputs from the rickshaw drivers, it was learnt that she took a ride towards Kovalam beach.
The rise in storm waves of up to 11.5 feet is also expected to strike Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari coasts on Saturday and Sunday.

Chennai: Though the sweltering heat is crossing 36 degree Celsius this summer in the state, the rise in storm waves of up to 11.5 feet is also expected to strike Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari coasts on Saturday and Sunday.

Tamil Nadu Disaster Management and Mitigation Department along with Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Agency (TNSDMA) issued a warning to fishermen to keep away from Ramanathapuram and Kanyakumari coasts from 8.30 am on Saturday to 11.30 pm on Sunday. After an advisory issued to the district officials by TNSDMA, the officials are on high alert in both the districts.

K. Satyagopal, prinicipal secretary, Tamil Nadu Disaster Management and Mitigation Department said, Strong winds mainly from southerly-southwesterly direction with speed from of around 30-45 kmph off Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast has been predicted by Regional meteorological center. Fishermen and residents need to be careful of the high waves and residents have also been warned of expected flooding in nearby coastal areas.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said, "Coupled with heat and line of wind discontinuity, rains are possible in the north interior Tamil Nadu districts such as Erode, parts of Vellore, Thiruvannamalai, Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Salem and Kanyakumari. There are chances of hailstorm at some places too as there is intense heat in these areas.
The demonstrators were mostly Muslims and Sikhs calling for an end to 'religious persecution'. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: An anguished India on Friday demanded legal action from Britain against those who tore down an Indian flag at London during protests against PM Narendra Modis visit there on Thursday. New Delhi said Britain had regretted the incident at the highest level.

According to media reports from London, the Indian flag was torn down from an official flagpole for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) by some of the protesters. According to reports, an Indian journalist was also reportedly attacked during demonstrations organised by pro-Khalistan elements in London.

In a statement, the ministry of external affairs said, We are deeply anguished with the incident involving our national flag and assault on an Indian journalist at Parliament Square in London. The UK side has regretted the incident. The flag was immediately replaced. We expect action, including legal, against the persons involved in the incident.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday said that a separate new law awarding capital punishment to those found guilty of raping minors will soon be introduced in the state. It said that the draft law is being prepared.

J&K has its own criminal code called Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is not application in the state under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

Soon after the Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, approved ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age, Syed Naeem Akhter, chief spokesman of the PDP-BJP government and works minister, said, The draft law is being prepared.

He also said, The government reiterates the commitment made by the Chief Minister to bring in a law that provides for stringent punishment to sex offenders, especially child rapists. Steps are envisaged also to ensure speedy trials and disposal of such cases.

Amid nationwide outrage against the alleged gang-rape and murder of an 8-year-old nomad Bakarwal girl at Rasana in J&Ks Kathua district, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had on April 12 tweeted, We will never ever let another child suffer in this way. We will bring a new law that will make the death penalty mandatory for those who rape minors, so that little A****s case becomes the last.

She immediately got the oppositions backing on the issue.

Former Chief Minister and president of National Conference (NC), the main opposition party also sought strictest and most exemplary punishment for the culprits of the Rasana incident and asked for convening a special session of the State Legislature to take up the issue.

He had said, We demand a special legislative session so that it could, as announced earlier, propose a bill mandating the death penalty for such heinous crimes against children.

J&K has its own criminal code called Ranbir Penal Code (RPC). The Indian Penal Code (IPC) is not application in the State under Article 370 of the Constitution of India. However, the RPC was made on the lines of IPC prepared by Thomas Babington Macaulay.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Forensic Science Laboratory (DFSL) has confirmed that the vaginal swabs of the Kathua gangrape-and-murder victim matched with that of the accused. The legal experts say that the evidence is a jackpot for the Crime Branch of the J&K police which after investigating the case filed two separate charge sheets against the eight accused in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) at Kathua recently.

The official sources in winter capital Jammu said that the DFSL examined 14 packets of evidence  containing vaginal swabs, hair strands, blood samples of four accused, viscera of the victim, her frock and salwar, simple clay, and blood stained clay  sent to it between March 1 and 21.

A senior FSL official according to the report said the lab tested the samples and found them positive for rape. It also confirmed that the DNA samples of the accused matched those collected by the police.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mufti has welcomed the Union Cabinets decision saying it would go a long way in curbing the level of harassment against women and girl child in the country.

He also welcomed other stringent amendments brought in relevant laws by the Union Cabinet to ensure speedy investigation and trial of rape cases and administering deterrent punishments to the convicted.

She called for social mobilization to ensure deterrence to those who indulge in heinous crimes against women besides undertaking general awareness about respecting women and their rights and ensuring girls an environment free from harassment, coercion and crimes against them.

Mufti reiterated her resolve that her Government intends to bring similar laws in the state to put an end to crimes against women.
Alappuzha: A fast track court in Alappuzha on Saturday sentenced a former local secretary of the CPI(M) to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009.

The Alappuzha Fast Track Court Judge, Anil Kumar, pronounced the verdict on Saturday morning.

The court found that R Baiju was the main conspirator in the case and awarded the death sentence to him.

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on December 9, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left government's scheme to promote such products.

However, Divakaran refused to buy them, saying they were priced too high, leading to a heated argument. He was then hit on the head and suffered serious injuries. He succumbed at a hospital after a week.
According to sources, a constable and a head constable working with Nakrekal Police station had collected the 'bribe' from a person in connection with a case.

Hyderabad: A video clip of a cop receiving bribe from a person in Nalgonda district went viral. The video was shot by another cop, who had differences with the former in sharing the amounts.

According to sources, a constable and a head constable working with Nakrekal Police station had collected the 'bribe' from a person in connection with a case. But while distributing the amount among themselves, the two had differences in opinion.

While one person received the amount from the person in connection with the case, an unidentified person shot the whole episode on his mobile.

After one of the two cops was transferred out of Nakrekal Police station, the other cop released the video of the former receiving the bribe and it went viral very soon on social media.

Acting on the incident, top cops of Nalgonda had ordered an inquiry and are awaiting a report, after which an action is likely to be taken on the cops at fault.
Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi had fled the country after the alleged bank fraud came to light. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: Punjab National Bank (PNB) on Saturday moved Hong Kong High Court against the disgraced jeweller Nirav Modi accused in the PNB loan fraud case.

The bank has also decided to approach the courts of other countries where Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi have assets and businesses.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), had earlier in April claimed to have traced Modi in Hong Kong and submitted a request to the authorities for provisional arrest of the disgraced jeweller.

Also Read: India awaiting Hong Kong's response on Nirav Modi's arrest in PNB fraud case

Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson of the MEA had said that India has requested the Hong Kong authorities to surrender Nirav Modi based on the extradition agreement for surrender of fugitive offenders signed between the two sides in 1997.

Meanwhile, China had said that Hong Kong can accede to India's request to arrest fugitive Indian diamond merchant Nirav Modi based on local laws and mutual judicial assistance agreements.

Also Read: Hong Kong can take decision on Nirav Modi's arrest: China

Modi and Choksi had fled the country after the alleged bank fraud came to light. Their passports were revoked on February 23, 2018 after they failed to respond to show cause notices issued to them by the MEA on February 16.

A special CBI court in Mumbai has also issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against Modi and Choksi.

In February, this year, the second largest public sector bank PNB had detected fraudulent transactions at the Brady House branch. The biggest ever banking fraud of more than Rs 13,000 crore was allegedly committed by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connivance with some PNB officials.

(With PTI inputs)
Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital in 2012. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday approved ordinance to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The Cabinet in its meet at New Delhi approved an ordinance to be promulgated to provide for stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape particularly of girls below 16 years age and below 12 years of age.

It has also decided to put in place measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.

The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months. The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months, the officials said.

A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed. There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years, the officials said.

It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, which is extendable to life imprisonment.

In case of gangrape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be life imprisonment or death sentence.

Earlier, as per the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) law, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" was life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed was seven years in jail.

Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, which is extendable to life imprisonment.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will stand amended once the ordinance is promulgated after the approval of President Ram Nath Kovind.

Enhancing the powers of the judiciary to provide stringent punishment in rape cases, the Cabinet approved a number of measures, such as strengthening the prosecution, besides setting up new fast-track courts in consultation with the states and high courts concerned.

New posts of public prosecutors will be created and special forensic kits for rape cases given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, the officials said.

The National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders. This data will be regularly shared with the states and the Union territories for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents of sex offenders by the police. The present scheme of 'One Stop Centres' for assistance to victim will also be extended to all districts in the country.

Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital in 2012.

In a significant development, the Centre on Friday had informed the Supreme Court that it would soon amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012 to provide for death penalty to the abuser in cases of aggravated sexual assault or rape against children.

Attorney General KK Venugopal made this submission before a Bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Kanwilkar and DY Chandrachud during the course of hearing on a writ petition filed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava.

The counsel brought to the notice of the court that over one-lakh cases were registered under POCSO and only 11,000 cases had been disposed off. He also pleaded for death penalty to those who sexually assault children in the wake of the shocking rape of an eight-month-old infant by a youth in Delhi.

In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice. He said such incidents shake our sensibilities.

Also Read: Our daughters will definitely get justice: PM amid anger over rape cases

I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice, he said.

(With PTI inputs)
Ballari: Just a couple of months ago, in mid-February when Congress president, Rahul Gandhi kick-started his poll campaign here, the mood in the party was upbeat about it prospects in the ore rich district of Ballari.

But since the announcement of its candidates - former BJP MLA, B S Anand Singh from Hosapete, independent legislator, B Nagendra from Kudligi and former JD(S) legislator, Bheema Naik from Hagaribommanahalli- things have taken a turn for the worse, and the Congess is now facing a serious rebellion within its ranks.

While district in -charge minister, Santosh Lad continues to claim the Congress will win all nine seats in the district, the fact that the three imports from other parties have received tickets has angered several loyal party workers. The first banner of revolt was raised by sitting Congress MLA, B M Nagaraj of Siruguppa constituency, who was passed over for a political novice, Murali Krishna, nephew of Mr Nagendra. The MLAs supporters took to the streets and openly held Mr Santosh Lad responsible for denying him the ticket. Other choice of candidates too has angered the party workers. Going by Congress insiders, the opinion of senior leader, Mallikarjun Kharge was not taken into consideration in selection of candidates and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cleared the names proposed by Mr Santosh Lad instead, angering many in the party.

Taking advantage of the dissent within the Congress, both the BJP and JD(S) are trying to lure their disgruntled elements with offers of tickets. While former legislator,Gali Somashekhar Reddy is the BJPs candidate for Ballari city, the party is expected to field five-time Congress legislator , N Y Gopala Krishna, who was denied a ticket by the party, from Kudligi (ST) constituency.The JDS is hoping to win the prestigious Ballari city constituency by fielding mining and steel industrialist, Hothur Mohammed Iqbal against Congress legislator, Anil Lad.
Balakrishna, who is also the brother-in-law of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was talking at an event organised by the CM on Friday. (Photo: File)

Vijayawada: The political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its former ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP) hit a new low after film star and Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi caling him a "cheat" and a "traitor".

He said the PM had 'betrayed' Andhra Pradesh.

"The war has started now..the Prime Minister has betrayed Andhra Pradesh. He is indulging in murky politics in the state, despite the fact that BJP will not win a single seat in the state," he said.

Balakrishna, who is also the brother-in-law of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was talking at an event organised by the CM on Friday.

Also Read: AP special status: CM ends fast, says NDA-BJP can't play politics always

In a scathing attack on Modi, Balakrishna said "Modiji, Andhra Pradesh is not Gujarat. Your hukumat (rule) doesn't work here. The Telugu people are courageous. They showed their power when the Congress government in Delhi tried to pull down NTR government in 1984."

"Not only are the people of Andhra but the entire India is against you right now. I am telling now that you are a gaddar (traitor), a namak haram (cheat). Come outside and meet people. Talk to them or they will chase you, beat you, wherever you go. You cannot escape even if you go and sit in a bunker," he added.

Chandrababu Naidu, who turned 68 on Friday, had organised an event where he observed a one-day hunger strike against the 'Centre's non-cooperation with the state'.

Following the comments, Telangana BJP MLC N Ramachander Rao on Saturday filed a police complaint against Balakrishna alleging he used foul language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech in Vijayawada on Friday.

In a related development, BJP floor leader in the Andhra Pradesh assembly Vishnu Kumar Raju submitted a memorandum to Governor ESL Narasimhan against Balakrishna's 'derogatory' remarks and sought approrpriate action against him.

The BJP had taken strong exception to the actor-MLA's outburst and had demanded an apology.

"He should wash his mouth with acid. Balakrishna's speech indicated that he has gone mad. He should be housed in a mental hospital," state BJP spokesman Satyamurthy said in a statement.

The TDP had recently walked out of the BJP-led NDA after the Centre rejected its demand for according special category status.

(With PTI inputs)
Hyderabad: The prescription of plant-derived cannabidiol medicine, Epidiolex, for epilepsy, has been recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration Committee, which is a major boost for the industry.

The medicine can be used to treat seizures associated with childhood epilepsy. The chemical ingredients of cannabis are called cannabinoids. There are two main therapeutic components, which are tetraphydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Dr Sai Kumar Katam, senior pharmacist explained, THC produces psychotic and euphoric effects.

But CBD is found to have a medicinal effect on the body and does not produce these effects. It is found to have a positive effect on the neurons and that is why it has been approved. This will now pave the way for two other drugs which are under clinical trials.

However, in India, under the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the use of cannabis is restricted. Dr Jean Jacob, senior palliative care physician explained, The mainstream use of cannabis-derived drugs is not possible as it is illegal in India. It is used only for certain purposes during religious ceremonies. Hence, for India to begin using this drug requires a change in the legislation. Dr Vijay K, ayurveda doctor explained,

The approval indicates that there is scope for medicinal cannabis. Ayurveda had uses for these ingredients, but after the ban by the government, the use of these have been restricted. Hence, it does open the horizons for many of the drugs which used this chemical.
Hyderabad: The Central government has told the Supreme Court that the practice of female genital mutilation is a crime under existing laws. This has come as a surprise to the Dawoodi Bohra community which has been practicing this ritual since ages.

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal has told the Supreme Court that it is a crime which is punishable with imprisonment of seven years under the existing law.

The plea against FGM was made by Adv. Sunita Tihar who has said that it must be declared illegal and inhuman.

Presently, only the Dawoodi Bohra community members are practicing this ritual. In U.S., and U,K too, it has been declared illegal.
The civic body, however, fixed special rates for hoardings on Metro pillars, despite the HMRLs request to levy charges at par with conventional hoardings, claiming that charges for displays on these central dividers are too high. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: A dispute has arisen between Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) over a reduction in hoarding rates, which the GHMC has not agreed to despite several requests from HMRL and the state government. Earlier, GHMC had sent a demand notice to HMRL covering three financial years, asking the latter to immediately clear its dues. However, HMRL has said the dues will be cleared only once rates have been reduced.

On April 4, 2016, the HMRL selected 876 piers out of a total of 2,700 to display advertisements and requested GHMC to issue a relevant demand notice. The civic body, however, fixed special rates for hoardings on Metro pillars, despite the HMRLs request to levy charges at par with conventional hoardings, claiming that charges for displays on these central dividers are too high. However, GHMC commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy has said the rates cannot be reduced, citing a special committee constituted to examine the matter.

According to available data, GHMC has requested HMRL to clear pending dues amounting to Rs 5.59 crore. Responding to demand notices, HMRL paid Rs 1.25 crore on March 24 under protest, requesting a reduction in special charges. The dispute is principally concerning the levying of charges on S category hoardings on Metro piers, where HMRL has been requesting GHMC to charge conventional rates.

The corporation has been charging Rs 3,000 per sq m for S category hoardings, Rs 2,750 for A category, Rs 2,500 for B category and Rs 2,250 for C category hoardings on central dividers, whereas the conventional rates are Rs 1,500 for S category, Rs 1,350 for A category, 1,200 for B category and Rs 850 for C category.

Additionally, GHMC has also written to the state regarding early payment of property tax pertaining to constructions and site development as per the agreement with HMRL and Larsen & Toubro (L&T). As per latest assessments, HMRL owes the civic body Rs 7.63 crore. In a letter to HMRL, GHMC has also stated that the government will take a decision on whether to levy service charges on L&T Metro for utilising municipal facilities, in accordance with a SC order.
Hyderabad: BJP MLC and BJP president Hyderabad unit N. Ramchander Rao has lodged a complaint against actor turned Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna for his derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a deeksha programme in Vijayawada on Sunday.

The complaint was lodged at the Osmania University police station. At Jubilee Hills, party activists lodged a complaint against the actor for his comments against the PM.

Rao sought action against Balakrishna for the latters use of alleged abusive language against the Prime Minister of India and indecent lewd gestures, attempts to incite violence and hurt the sentiments of the Nation.

ACP Kacheguda J. Narsaiah said that they received a complaint and it has been forwarded for legal opinion. As per the directions from the experts and after verifying the contents of the complaint, we will proceed. he said.

In his complaint, Rao stated that while expression of grievance in a public forum is the right of any individual, there is a certain decorum which needs to be maintained in articulation, especially when the grievance involves Constitutional functionaries and people with eminence. Contemptuous and abusive language in any form constitutes a crime and such language, specially directed against the PM is indeed a greater crime. The words used by Balakrishna against the PM are not acceptable, he said in the complaint.

He demanded a case to be registered under Sections 153A and 506 of the IPC and demanded the actor be arrested immediately.

Security beefed up at actors home

Scores of BJP activists thronged to actor Balakrishnas residence at Jubilee Hills on Saturday protesting his derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Dharm Deekhsha programme in Vijayawada on Friday. Cops who had anticipated trouble, had beefed up the security at the residence from Saturday morning, due to which they foiled an attempt to lay sieze to the house by the BJP activists.

The situation turned tense with BJP cadres raising slogans against the actor.

The angry activists even obstructed the actor who was leaving his residence in his car, but cops came to his rescue and cleared the route.

Meanwhile, traffic on roads connecting Jubilee Hills came to a standstill for an hour and cops had to divert the traffic till normalcy was restored. ACP Banjara Hills K. Srinivas Rao said that around 40 workers were taken into preventive custody while protesting at the actors house and raising slogans. The situation is now normal, but additional security continues to be in place as a preventive measure. said the ACP.
he students were on an indefinite hunger strike when they were picked by the police from the Gachibowli campus. (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Students of National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM) continue their protest despite 65 students being detained by the police force on Saturday morning. The students were on an indefinite hunger strike when they were picked by the police from the Gachibowli campus.

Nearly 30 female students were detained for two hours and the male students were released only in the evening. The protest demanding the resignation of the institutions director has been ongoing since past 12 days.

The students began their hunger fast on Wednesday. Although it was a relay hunger strike, the students decided to fast indefinitely on Friday after their repeated demands fell on deaf ears.

Students claimed that the inaction from the management and the governments side was affecting their future as the dates for final year exams and practicals are yet to be declared.
The police team tracked the fake hartal calls to two WhatsApp groups Justice for Sisters and Voice of Youth.

Malappuram: The police on Saturday arrested five admins, including a former RSS worker, in connection with the hoax hartal call on April 16, protesting against the rape and murder of the Kathua girl.

The special investigation team constituted by Malappuram district police chief Debesh Kumar Behra also interrogated a 16-year-old boy from Tirur at the Manjery police station in connection with the incident. He was the admin of one of the WhatsApp groups.

Mr Behra told reporters that more people would be arrested soon. The involvement of all the accused arrested has been confirmed, he said and added that it was the juvenile who coordinated the campaign in Malappuram district. The juvenile would be taken into custody after consultation with the child welfare authorities, he said.

The police team tracked the fake hartal calls to two WhatsApp groups Justice for Sisters and Voice of Youth. The culprits have WhatsApp groups of the same name in all the districts in the state through which the hartal call spread fast. The police also seized 26 mobile phones. The messages had reached 6.5 lakh people through the social media.

Those arrested were identified as Amarnath Baiju, 20, of Thennala, Kollam, who is suspected to be the creator of two WhatsApp groups, and Thiruvananthapuram natives, M.J. Syril, 22, Sudheesh, 22, Gokul Shekhar, 21, and Akhil, 23, of Venniyur in the district.

According to the police, Amarnath, with the help of other accused, weaved out district-level networks which unleashed an aggressive campaign for the hartal. Later, various political parties also joined the campaign which turned violent at various parts.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday directed officials to ensure the distribution of electronic pattadar passbooks and cheques for Rs 4,000 per acre sop to over 58 lakh farmers across the state within a week from May 10.

He asked officials to extend the sop to all farmers of the assigned lands, RoFR pattadars, non-tribals cultivating land in the agency areas and all other pattadars. The Chief Minister suggested that the ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and other local body representatives should be made stakeholders in the distribution programme.

Mr Rao held a meeting at Pragati Bhavan with ministers, district collectors and senior officials to review the arrangements for distribution. We have taken up a responsibility which no government in the country, or for that matter, in the world has ever undertaken. Nobody till date has ever made any attempt to survey all the lands, issue new passbooks and provide financial assistance as an investment support. Hence, we have no previous experience. We have formulated these schemes on our own. Therefore, we will be implementing the programme with a lot of caution and care. We have to prepare the action plan with vision, Mr KCR noted.

We have to distribute 58 lakh passbooks and cheques. We have made arrangements for the farmers to get cash for their cheques from the banks, the moment they present them in the banks. We have set aside `12,000 crores in the budget for this scheme. We have arranged `6,000 crore for the first phase of financial assistance to be distributed for the monsoon crops. This money is kept in the banks. The banks should pay cash to the farmers once the farmer presents the cheque in the bank, or else action will be taken against the erring banks. Farmers should have cash on hand before the onset of the monsoon. This is the reason why we are launching the programme in May, KCR explained.

In case a farmer is not able to collect the passbook and cheque in the gram sabha during the prescribed dates, arrangements for issuing them at the Tahsildar's office later will be made. In case the financial assistance given to a farmer is more than Rs 50,000, then two cheques for values lesser than Rs 50,000 each will be issued. Those receiving the passbooks and cheques are expected to collect receipts. Grievance cells will be formed to listen to those who may have any problems. Programmes will be organised in village schools and arrangements for police bandobast will be done. Collectors should have meetings with the bankers to ensure that cash is given only once the cheques are presented. Bankers have also been informed in no uncertain terms that action will be taken against them if they fail to pay cash for the cheques. Some farmers claim to not need financial assistance and the amounts allotted to them can be deposited in the account of the farmers coordination committees, Mr Rao said.
Hyderabad: The Telangana state government has ordered the Telugu film industry to put an immediate end to the ongoing tussle in public and sit across the table to resolve the issues amicably. The government has specifically asked the industry members not to approach the media first with their grievances. Instead they were requested to bring the issues to the notice of the state government first by lodging a complaint.

The government announced that a complaint cell would be set up in the TS Film Development Corporation to enable people from the film industry to complain on any issue.

Cinematography Minister Mr Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Saturday held a meeting in the Secretariat with the representatives of Telugu film industry to discuss the ongoing controversies surrounding Tollywood.

In the meeting it was decided to constitute a high-level committee with representatives from the film industry and the government to suggest measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents that are being witnessed in industry currently. The committee would be asked to submit its report within 15 days.

Mr Yadav urged people in the film industry, especially women, to register complaints with police or She Teams in case of any harassment and the government would take stringent action against the offenders. The minister also asked producers to scrap the coordinator system that existed now between producers and artistes/workers and make direct payments.
Vijayawada/Rajahmundry: A day after Nandamuri Balakrishnas outburst against PM Modi, the BJP carried out protests against the actor and Telugu Desam MLA and burnt his effigies across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Speaking to newsmen, BJP MLC, Somu Veer Raju raised serious objection to the tone and tenor of aspersion cast on Mr Modi during the CM Naidus Dharma Porata Deeksha held recently with a demand for according special category status. He alleged that when the legislator was using such uncivilised language, the CM was seen smiling instead of condemning it.

The situation was no better in Nellore as tension prevailed at the Trunk Road when BJP and TD cadres came to blows after the saffron party men set fire to the effigy of film star Balakrishna near the Gandhi statue on Saturday.

Activists of both the TD and the BJP came face to face when the former came to perform an abhishekam to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi to mark their protest against the Centre for not granting the special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Unable to bear the sight of them torching the effigy of Balakrishna, the TD men led by Kuvvarapu Balaji and Thane Masthan attacked the BJP cadres and the latter also retaliated, though their numbers were less. As many as eight BJP men were injured in the melee and they were rushed to Jayabharat Hospital for treatment.

In Visakhapatnam, leaders and activists of BJP led by Visakhapatnam North MLA, P. Vishnu Kumar Raju, and MLC P.V.N. Madhav, on Saturday, met the Governor of AP and Telangana ESL Narasimhan in the city, seeking action against Balakrishna.

Vishnu Kumar Raju and Madhav submitted a memorandum to Mr Narasimhan, who is in Visakhapatnam city, and they requested the Governor to take appropriate action against Balakrishna for his objectionable and unparliamentary language and use of gestures denigrating the PM during the Dharma Porata Deeksha in Vijayawada on Friday.

In their memorandum, the saffron party leaders mentioned that Balakrishna defamed PM Modi and his speech transgressed the limits of decency as it also included a threat against Modi, they added.

Being an MLA, Balakrishna should speak in decent language, but what sort of language has he used, they pointed out. Besides dismissing Balakrishna from his MLA post, the Chief Minister should also arrest him for making derogatory remarks while holding a public office.

Tirupati was also not without response to the comments by Balakrishna, and here, senior BJP leader and former TTD board member, Mr Bhanu Prakash Reddy, approached police and complained about Nandamuri Balakrishna at the SP office in Tirupati on Saturday.

The BJP leader has requested the police to take action against the Hindupur Legislature. Speaking to media persons, Mr Bhanu slammed Balakrishna, claiming that, "Balakrishna just spoke like a drunkard, everyone knows he has mental disorders. Anyway we are going legally and will put him behind the bars. He has to express an open apology to the Prime Minister."
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: United Nurses Association (UNA) will go on an indefinte strike from April 24 to demand the implementation of the revised salary as per the revised draft notification issued by the government.

The decision to strike work was taken after the talks with labour commissioner failed on Saturday.

The indefinite strike from April 24 will paralyse the health care services in private hospitals. The association has also urged the government to resolve the strike of nurses at KEM Hospital Cherthala.

The UNA accused the Minimum Wages Advisory Board of sabotaging the draft notification on related to revised salary including minimum wages. It said the labour department was also adopting an indifferent attitude.

Earlier this month the High Court had observed that the government was entitled to raise the minimum wages for nurses by issuing a notification. The court had rejected the plea by managers of private hospitals which said that the minimum wages of Rs 20,000 proposed by government, if implemented, would impose huge burden on their hospitals.

UNA president Jasminsha said the government had failed to rein in the private hospital managements. He said the nurses would take out a long march to press for their demands.
Chennai: In a major boost to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution, Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday inaugurated a record of 45 power substations installed across Tamil Nadu at a cost of Rs 1,122 crore.

According to secretariat sources the new substations will bring down the power outage in tier one cities and in rural areas. Particularly south Chennai, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Tiruppur will benefit from the new facilities reducing the number of complaints related to voltage fluctuations and power cuts.

Further the commissioning of 110/22 Kilowatt sub stations will improve the efficiency in power distribution and also cater to the growing domestic power requirements. With the state looking for more new sub stations and modernisation the power wastage is being reduced and the state is also gaining through the solar power panels being installed at government and private properties.

In another inaugural event, Palaniswami through video conferencing inaugurated a sprawling modern state guesthouse at a cost of Rs 25.54 crore at government Omnadurar estate. The new facility equipped with solar power supply and a water purification plant is constructed with 40 rooms.

The state of the art three-storied building has two conference halls and four board rooms to engage official meetings. Sprawling lawn and retiring rooms for the drivers are the additional attraction in the new building. Senior ministers D Jayakumar, P. Thangamani and chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan also took part in the event.
Hyderabad: AICC President, Rahul Gandhi, has agreed to take part in the ongoing bus yatras being conducted by the Congress in districts to expose the failures of the TRS government. This was disclosed by TPCC chief, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, in Delhi, on Friday. Mr Reddy, along with expelled party MLAs, Komatireddy, Venkat Reddy, and SA, Sampath Kumar, met Mr Gandhi in Delhi and briefed him about the political developments in Telangana and about the High Court orders cancelling the expulsion of MLAs.

"Rahul has appreciated the efforts of the TPCC for successfully organising bus yatras in districts and exposing the failures of the TRS government on all fronts during the past four years. He told us that he wants to take part in these bus yatras soon. The schedule of his visit will be finalised in consultation with party high command," Mr Uttam said.

Mr Gandhi praised the expelled MLAs for successfully fighting the legal case against the state government. "Rahul Gandhi said that the High Court suspending the expulsion of party MLAs has saved democracy in Telangana. He asked us to fight against the undemocratic functioning of the TRS government," Mr Reddy said. Mr Gandhi has expressed his complete support for all the agitation programmes to be taken up by TPCC at any level, he added.

Mr Gandhi also asked TPCC to work hard to bring the Congress back to power in Telagnana by taking up issues concerning the people and applying pressure on the TRS government to fulfill it's poll promises. Earlier, the expelled MLAs submitted a High Court order copy to the Election Commission of India. They complained against the TRS government for expelling them from the membership of the Assembly unilaterally and undemocratically, and urged the EC to initiate stringent action against the TRS.

Mr Komatireddy said Mr Gandhi's words of encouragement inspired them to take on the TRS government with more energy on its anti-people and anti-farmer policies. He vowed to continue his struggle against the TRS government by taking up a pada yatra across the state.
Bengaluru: In a scathing attack on the Siddaramaiah government, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday described it as the "most corrupt" administration the state has ever seen. People would teach a lesson to the chief minister whose intention was to "finish off" JDS, he said.

The JDS supremo claimed that Siddaramaiah was "staring" at defeat in his own constituency of Chamundeshwari in Mysuru in the May 12 assembly polls. Gowda, in an interview to PTI, dismissed speculation that the polls might throw up a hung assembly.

He maintained that JDS' alliance with Mayawati's BSP and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had only brightened the JDS' electoral prospects. "If Siddaramaiah has to contest from a particular constituency, he has to nurture it. He did not," Gowda said. "He just began paying visits to Chamundeshwari for the last three months. This will not work. Defeat is staring at Siddaramaiah's face," he said. Gowda said people vote for leaders who keep society together and do not divide as Siddaramaiah had done by proposing a separate religious minority tag for Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats. He claimed Siddaramaiah's attempts to contest from two constituencies had created a negative perception about him. "Siddaramaiah's attempts to contest also from Badami constituency, have created a public perception that the CM is not confident of winning Chamundeshwari seat. Our candidate, G T Deve Gowda, is a formidable candidate. He will defeat him," he said. The Congress has announced that Siddaramaiah would contest from Chamundeshwari, amid reports that he is still keeping the option open to contest from Badami in north Karnataka, which is perceived to be a safer seat. Reports suggest Siddaramaiah would face a tough battle in Chamundeshwari, with JDS going all out to scuttle his chances.
Hyderabad: To expand the party in the South, the BJP is trying to include as many political parties it can directly or indirectly into its fold. For this, it is not missing out any chance.

In Karnataka, the BJP has a secret pact with the Janata Dal(S) headed by former prime minister Deve Gowda, according to speculations in the political parties. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had also alleged the same.

Political circles in Karnataka comment that JD(S) is nothing more than the B team of the BJP. According to speculations in political circles, to ensure the defeat of Mr Siddaramaiah and his son Yathindra, the BJP and the JD(S) have a secret pact. In Telangana it is emerging that there is a pact between the TRS and the BJP.

In Tamil Nadu, after J. Jayalalithas death, the BJP is trying to turn the political situation in its favour. Not only has the ruling AIADMK become a BJPs friendly party but Rajinikant who is yet to launch his party is clearly in favour of the BJP.

The BJP successfully ran its Mission 275+ in the last general elections with an aim to win a majority on its own. Roping in local parties, seem to be part of the BJPs game plan for 2019 polls.
Hyderabad: To expand the party in the South, the BJP is trying to include as many political parties it can directly or indirectly into its fold. For this, it is not missing out any chance.

In fact, except in Karnataka, the BJP has no base in other southern states to come to power on its own. After its fallout with the Telugu Desam, the BJP is now exploiting the rift between Pawan Kalyan and Chandrababu Naidu.

The BJP has come out in support of Kalyans imaginary rants against Naidu. Pawan Kalyan had alleged on Friday that to defame him and abuse his mother, a conspiracy has been hatched and that a Cabinet minister is also involved in this. The BJP to please Pawan Kalyan has demanded a high-level probe headed by a retired High Court judge on the allegations by the actor

The BJP has set aside the strong remarks made by Pawan Kalyan who had made strong remarks against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for denying Special Category Status to AP. The BJP follows the enemys enemy is our friend policy.

Former minister and BJP MLA P. Manikyala Rao said: Since a Cabinet minister has been mentioned in the allegations made by Pawan Kalyan, the government should order a high-level probe by a retired High Court judge or by the police and prove that the government is clean and that no minister is behind the slander as alleged. The government should also take action against those involved in the conspiracy, if found guilty.
Udupi: In a first, Sri Lakshmivara Teertha Swamiji of Shirooru Math, one of the eight Maths established by Saint Madhwacharya, the proponent of Dwaitha philosophy, entered electoral politics by submitting his nomination papers in this temple town on Saturday.

The seer originally sought a BJP ticket, but chose to contest as an independent, in the wake of the party's decision to field K Raghupathi Bhat, who also belongs to the same Shivalli Madhva community like the seer. Interestingly, he offered pooja to Goddess Mahishamardhini at Kadiyali, at a temple located about two km from the famous temple of Lord Krishna, before submitting his nomination papers.

The seer told the media: "I am filing nomination as an independent candidate and I am confident of winning. I will not withdraw my nomination. If Mr Modi and Mr Amit Shah try to convince me then I will think about it. If I win as independent candidate then I will support Mr Modi."He said he had started campaigning in Udupi though he was a supporter of the BJP and had voted for the party for several years.

Sources in the local unit of BJP said the seer had differences with Mr Bhat over some business related issues and therefore took a decision to contest the polls. "It is his anger against Mr Bhat which has made him to contest the election. The party will try its best to convince him. We are hopeful that he will be convinced and withdraw his nomination. If he contests the election then it will impact our party. He is from Shivalli Brahmin community and so is Mr Raghupathi Bhat. Not only the community votes but also Hindu votes and BJP votes will be divided. Even if the swamiji gets just 2000 votes, it will definitely damage the prospects of our party," sources added.

Meanwhile, Mr Raghupathy Bhat told the media he would meet the seer and convince him to withdraw his nomination papers.
Conspiracy theorists are hard at work to identify the drivers behind the ongoing cash crunch, that has left the automated teller machines (ATMs) in cities and towns across large parts of the country dry.

Conspiracy theorists are hard at work to identify the drivers behind the ongoing cash crunch, that has left the automated teller machines (ATMs) in cities and towns across large parts of the country dry. There is much finger pointing between the Reserve Bank of India and the commercial banks, both private and public sector, each accusing the other of being responsible for inefficient operations.

The banks allege that the supply of high-value notes has dried up, possibly due to a shortage of imported printing ink at the currency press in Nashik. Alternatively, this could be a covert attempt by the government to correct a problem dating back to the November 2016 demonetisation  the incomprehensible introduction of a Rs 2,000 note to replace the Rs 1,000 note as a measure to reduce black money.

Phasing out the offensive new high-denomination note and stepping up the printing of new Rs 500 and Rs 200 notes instead is a more obvious and welcome blow against black money. But why hasnt it happened already? If Rs 70,000 crores worth of such notes can be printed in just one month, the entire stock of Rs 2,000 notes can be substituted in just 10 months?

The Reserve Bank, unconvincingly, denies that there is any cash crunch and alleges the inefficiency of banks in properly allocating the available cash. Could this be a surgical strike by the banks and ATM service providers who have got unsettled by the criminal investigations into fraud or are upset with the March 2018 decision of the RBI to end the incentives for installing cash recyclers and ATMs for low-value notes? Was it their intention to embarrass the government by engineering a cash crunch to coincide with Prime Minister Narendra Modis visits to Sweden and the UK for the Commonwealth Summit? Possible, but far-fetched.

The most plausible reason is that the economy is reverting to its pre-demonetisation levels of cash held by the public. The big stick and carrots embedded in the Goods and Services Tax to incentivise the switch to banked transactions are not widely experienced yet. Small businesses may be unviable with a tax load. Expectedly, 60 per cent of the Rs 2,000 notes in public circulation, valued at Rs 4.3 lakh crores, are used as floating cash reserves.

A repeat demonetisation exercise could get them into the banks. But on balance demonetisation has more economic downsides than upsides in the Indian context.

The cash-based supply chain of goods and services is a subset of the demand for cash contributions, related to electoral politics. Highly contested elections are scheduled for mid-May in Karnataka and later this year in several other states. Cash resources will be needed to buy SUVs, print advertisements and motivate the lethargic population to vote.

Oddly, there is not a peep out of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that election spending remains within the implausibly tight limit of Rs 20 to Rs 28 lakhs per candidate for Assembly elections. The EC has adopted an end of the pipe strategy. The intention is to catch the crooks once they show their hands via excess expenditure. A more proactive EC could have recognised the red flags of unusually high cash withdrawals unearthed by the media. It could have directed the Karnataka government to report on the ensuing potential for subversion of the code of conduct and the measures being taken to heighten border vigilance, to clamp down on cross-border transfers of cash. One can imagine former chief election commissioner T.N. Seshan diving through this open door for enhancing the regulatory ambit of the ECI. But todays election commissioners appear to be content, at least overtly, with a narrower definition of their mandate, strictly as per the law.

To speak the truth, the glory days of Indian regulatory institutions are over. Even the RBI, the first to be legislated into existence in 1934, is going through strained times. Demonetisation had spread the apprehension that the RBI was led by the nose from North Block in New Delhi.

The extent of wilful defaults in the bad loans of public sector banks, often the consequence of ever-greening of impaired assets and plain fraud, also points a finger at the RBI for exercising inadequate oversight.

RBI governor Urjit Patel had appealed to the government through a public address on March 16 to bring public sector banks into a uniform regulatory arrangement as applicable to private banks. Domestic and international professionals support the broad thrust of a uniform regulatory arrangement for all banks. But the subsequent expose of the yawning deviations in ICICI Bank and Axis Bank from gold-standard board governance have cut the ground from under the governors feet.

Mutual funds are upbeat about the prospects for equity investment in private banks. But the average person is inclined to quietly diversify away from private banks to the safe haven of public sector banks. Private insurance and healthcare are similarly perceived as being exploitative of the average consumer.

It does not help that the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill 2017 was worded so ambivalently that it fanned a deep seeded fear of savings deposits being sequestered as equity for resolving bankruptcy. Finance minister Arun Jaitley has been at pains to assure people that deposits up to Rs 1 lakh per account will remain guaranteed.

But ministerial assurances provide very little comfort when elections are around the corner.

A common thread across these turbulences is uneven support from the government for beleaguered institutions and the absence of informed participation, quite unlike in the GST Council. RBI governor Patel bravely sat out the storm around the hasty implementation of the questionable policy option of demonetisation. But the Pandoras box of crony capitalism has taken its toll. These are challenging times. Deeper bench strength, within the government, of trusted fiscal and financial expertise would help.
The significance of the date cannot be missed. It was on the anniversary of the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion  when Fidel Castros forces defeated the US-backed rebels  that Cubas new President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, was formally elected as President on Thursday. It is arrestingly interesting that he is the first man in about 60 years who is not a Castro and who is heading the Caribbean island. Even today Cuba looks like a sepia picture from the ages with automobiles from the classic era, known elsewhere as vintage and buildings as well from ages ago. The new President promises to keep Cuba on the path of the revolution although young Cubans may want something quite different as they tasted some changes in the regime of Raul from the Castro dynasty that ran for 12 years, including opening up of the country to the private sector in a limited way.

The new President has a lot on his plate in his balancing act between sustaining a functioning state that delivers services and looking for economic progress by opening up more to the world. A Trump in the White House is not exactly good news either as the historic diplomatic opening with a United States under Barack Obama in 2015 has been closed abruptly. Of course, with Raul still in the background as party president and likely to be peeping over his shoulder, Mr Diaz-Canel has to strike a path that will be conservative and yet be a reformist in the path shown by Raul. A deliberate path towards economic reform is what is being predicted although the President is a known votary of Internet on the island as a concession to modernity. Interesting times are ahead for the tiny piece of Latin America as a youthful generation seeks change.
The verdict on Thursday of the three-judge Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Dipak Misra in the deeply contentious case of the death of a Maharashtra district judge, Brijgopal Harkishan Loya, who was presiding over a matter before the CBI court in Mumbai in which present BJP president Amit Shah was the prime accused, raises uncomfortable questions.

This is because the deliberative quality of the judicial output does not appear to be of an elevating nature. Also, the language of the court used against the petitioners, as well as eminent members of the Supreme Court bar, borders on the unseemly.

The bench has pretty much said that the petitioners have tried to scandalise the top court for political reasons and would ordinarily attract criminal contempt. This is regrettable in the context of a subject which has been under discussion across the country, as well as in the Supreme Court itself. This was apparent at the January 12 press conference of the four most senior judges of the apex court, which hinted at bench-fixing to hear the Loya matter.

The petitioners in the case, the Bombay Bar Association and others, had urged the instituting of a probe into the death of Judge Loya in November 2014. Clearly, they harboured suspicions of foul play, but they were not accusing anyone of illegality, leave alone murder. They were placing their faith in the system to have a transparent investigation.

The circumstances of the death  arising from Judge Loyas work at the time of his death  were unusual. In the Sohrabuddin-Prajapati fake encounter case in which the present BJP president was the main accused, the Supreme Court had directed that in the CBI court the same judge would be kept on till the end.

This instruction was violated.

When Judge Loya, with a reputation for probity, was brought into the case next, it was alleged that he had been offered a `100 crore bribe, and he apparently realised that some quarters were playing for very high stakes. After his sudden death in Nagpur, where he had gone along with four other judges for a wedding, the new judge discharged Mr Shah from the case straightaway. The CBI  the caged parrot  chose not to appeal.

The information in the public domain also raises a host of other questions, including on the cause of the judges death, the possibility of manipulating the post-mortem exercise, and others. Heavens would not have fallen if the Supreme Court had ordered an impartial probe. Rejecting the probe demand as motivated in a deeply sensitive case can lead to unsavoury inferences.

Surprisingly, in deciding this case, the bench relied mainly on the statement of the four judges  who were in Nagpur with Loya  before Maharashtra state intelligence, and noted that this had a ring of truth. This is a shocking stance in the absence of cross-examination.
Prince Charles, heir to the throne is a possible successor but there is no hard and fast constitutional requirement or tradition that he should automatically assume the role. (Photo: Twitter | @britishroyals)

Realists live with realitys

discomforts

Fantasists with the minds deceits

Realists inherit lifes hard hurts

Fantasists their due receipts..



 From The Cry of the Dead Dodo by Bachchoo

The heads of Commonwealth nations meet this week in London. They will, undoubtedly, discuss trade deals after Britain leaves the European Union, if it does. The other topic will be the succession to the Commonwealths headship as the Queen is in her 90s. Prince Charles, heir to the throne is a possible successor but there is no hard and fast constitutional requirement or tradition that he should automatically assume the role. There may be other nominations, some of them seeking in a much-altered world to shift the focus of the ex-colonies from the ex-colonial centre.

In the same week, two revelations have surfaced in the British and international media. The first, which should be, and is embarrassing for Britains Home Office and in particular for Theresa May.

In the 1950s and early 60s, when the West Indies were still part of the British Empire and its people imperial subjects of the crown, a migration of families from these Caribbean Islands came to Britain to take up low-paid or difficult jobs that the British working class had abandoned. A health minister at the time, one Enoch Powell, advertised for nursing and menial hospital staff to come over to Britain and the Caribbean population responded.

The migrant families had young children who arrived on Empire passports on a ship called the Empire Windrush and they have since been dubbed the Windrush generation.

These children are now in their 60s and 70s, having lived since their infancy or childhood in Britain assuming they were British citizens. Recently, under the home ministership of Ms May and of her successor Amber Rudd, the immigration services of Britain have traced these Windrush arrivals, challenged them to prove their right to stay in Britain, taken some of them away to detention camps for illegal entrants and threatened some with deportation.

The one way that the Windrushers could prove their right to remain would have been through the records of arrivals at the ports on which they alighted. These records were, for reasons unexplained, destroyed in 2010 under the then home ministership of Ms May.

I arrived in Britain on an Indian passport in the mid-1960s. There was no requirement for me to have an entry visa at the time.

In the mid-1980s, the home office wrote to me, saying I was entitled to have a British passport and if I wanted to retain the Indian one, I would have to live in Britain with periodic leave from the home office. I took the British passport option. It wasnt, for some unknown reason, offered to the Windrush generation.

Its possible that the complaints from the potential deportees to their MPs brought Parliaments attention to the state of affairs this week. Parliament debated it and several of the Windrushers talked of this unexpected occurrence and Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth countries were given space in the media to react.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd immediately apologised in Parliament, admitting she didnt know how many, if any, of the Windrushers had already been deported and assured the world that the status of all of them would be regularised.

This is just and welcome. It should be the end of the blundering, petty affair, assuming, of course, that it was a bureaucratic oversight. Again, the unfortunate coincidence is that the news of this intrusive and distressing circumstance surfaced in the week of the 50th anniversary of one of the most notorious speeches in recent British history repeated in the media today.

In 1968, when the Windrush generation was firmly ensconced in servicing the hospitals, buses, trains and factories of Britain the same MP, Enoch Powell, a brilliant orator in his own right, made this theatrical speech. He wasnt using his skills as Henry Vth did at Agincourt (at least, in the Shakespearean version) to encourage his troops to fight the French. Neither was it Churchills rhetoric about fighting the Nazi peril on the beaches and streets.

Mr Powell was calling on the British nation to recognise the peril that threatened Britain through the presence of immigrants. It was a naked call for the sort of action that a fascist government might have taken. Mr Powells speech resulted in some threat and some friction in the ensuing weeks and years but it led to his having to migrate as a member of Parliament from the largely industrial working-class constituency of Wolverhampton to virtual exile and obscurity as an MP for a Protestant constituency in Northern Ireland.

The second revelation of this Commonwealth conference week is that Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammed. The claim was first put forward by the very scholarly and respectable genealogists of the recording journal Burkes Peerage. It would be possible but tedious, gentle reader, to reproduce here the 42 stages of succession from the Prophet to the Queen  like the Old Testaments so-and-so begat hoojamflit who begat whatsanozzle .. Lets just say that the Umayyad caliphate carried Muhammads direct line to Morocco, thence to Spain, Portugal and by marriage to the Duke of Cambridge, grandfather of Edward IV of England.

This is fantastic news. Had Mahatma Gandhi known about it would he have, instead of stimulating the Khilafat movement to restore the Ottoman Emperor to be the Caliph, championed the claim of George Vth? Who can say?

Or if Jinnah knew that Mountbatten had the Prophets blood in his veins, would he have approached the abolition of the Raj so ardently? Again, shrugs!

And if Henry VIII had known he was part of the Prophets family would he have declared a Protestant Christian kingdom? Richard, the Lion Heart, the crusader?  Oh! hang on, was that before Edward IVth, sorry. In a future column, dear reader, I shall trace my direct descent from the Prophet Zarathustra, through my great, great, great etc. 99 times grandmother, Bepsi Kohla.
The new line up of refrigerators and air-conditioners that are coming up are equipped with advanced technology that enables faster cooling, power conservation, durability and great design.

Considering Indias tropical climate and scorching summers, air-conditioners and refrigerators are no more a luxury, but a bare minimum necessity in every household. Additionally, consumers look forward to low electricity bills, regular power supply and voltage fluctuation control and, therefore ACs and Refrigerators that can meet these consumer expectations will be the most preferred buys this summer. With technological advancements and meaningful customer-centric innovations at the fore, everything is going to be smart and intuitive including consumer electronics.

When in talks with Rajeev Bhutani, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India, he highlighted our concerns with staying cool while still saving on power bills. Bhutani says that you dont need to be stingy when it comes to comfort. There are many brands out there that cater to energy efficient home appliances and we should make the right choice depending on the home and family requirements. Bhutani gives us some tips on how to choose the right cooling appliances to be a smart consumer of electricity while still being comfortable and responsible on the environment.

In terms of things to keep in mind, while buying ACs and refrigerators, its better to keep it simple. So, start with the star ratings i.e. higher the rating, higher will be its energy efficiency and lower will be the electricity bill. Also, going for the trusted and a well-known brand with vast and easy accessible after sales support and service is another wise decision, considering the brand value and life expectancy of the product. Similarly, cooling capacity, noise levels and warranty offered are some of the other aspects to consider while making a purchase.

The new line up of refrigerators and air-conditioners that are coming up are equipped with advanced technology that enables faster cooling, power conservation, durability and great design. They combine innovation with advances in technology to deliver optimal performance. A key feature worth mentioning is solar power compatibility, which will go a long way in energy conservation in line with the Indian governments efforts to promote solar power.

For refrigerators, space is a major aspect to consider while making a purchase decision, given the size of modern homes and increasing need of storing maximum number of food items in the fridge. Similarly, for ACs, optimal cooling capacity in terms of tonnage is an important aspect to consider.

Companies are increasingly focusing on Make for India innovations and, a strong and well entrenched channel distribution strategy, in order to penetrate the market in a better manner. In the refrigerator category for example - India has a large vegetarian population for whom the freezer section was not very purposeful; convertible refrigerators like 5-in-1 and 3-in-1 enhanced the utility of this space for such consumers as they can now use their freezer space for normal refrigeration and vice versa. Consumers can convert their refrigerator to suit their different needs with a touch of a button.

The Convertible 5-in-1 comes equipped with 5 modes: Normal Mode (Fridge On /Freezer On), Extra Fridge Mode (Converts the Freezer to Fridge giving extra space), Seasonal Mode (Switches of the Freezer while keeping the Fridge on when the consumer does not need the freezer with energy saving up to 64%), Vacation Mode (Keeps only the Freezer on to ensure food is preserved when the consumer is on vacation with energy saving up to 55%) and Home Alone Mode (Uses the Freezer as a mini fridge while shutting off the main fridge saving up to 75% in energy).

The convertible twin cooling refrigerator maximises performance without adding onto your electricity bills. Additionally, there are other technologies available in the market, such as Power Cool & Power Freeze which provides 31% faster cooling & ice-making. Then there is Home Inverter powered refrigerator which tackles low electricity supply, so that customers dont need to worry about their food going stale during a power cut.

Likewise, there are stabilizer free refrigerators which prevents against voltage fluctuations. The Digital Invertor technology helps save up to 57% energy and also lets out less noise. Many refrigerators also come with on-demand adjustable extra storage space which is a great boon for todays customers who wants minimalist gadgets with maximum functionality.

Like refrigerators, there are a myriad of new technologies that are coming up in the AC category. Owing to the increasing need for energy efficiency and rising electricity costs, Air-Conditioner (AC) buyers are fast adopting Inverter ACs. The complete transition from on/off AC to inverter AC is expected to happen over the next 1-2 years.

The AC industry has grown considerably over the past few years and from a luxury product, ACs today have become a basic necessity. Inverter AC segment has witnessed a 100% growth this year - with more than 40% contribution as compared to 15% in 2016. It is further expected to reach to around 60-70% or more in 2018, with all players shifting their focus to inverter technology.

Off late, another very unique concept in air conditioning emerged, which changed the way how consumers perceive the way ACs operate and the technology is called the Wind-Free technology (developed by Samsung). It provides ambient conditions by maintaining comfortable room temperature by gently and evenly dispersing cold air through 21,000 micro air holes.

The worlds first Wind-Free Air Conditioner is designed to provide unparalleled cooling comfort while guaranteeing optimum energy efficiency. The two-step cooling system works by first lowering temperatures in Fast Cooling Mode and then automatically switching to Wind-Free Cooling Mode creating still air once the desired temperature is achieved. This approach also reduces energy consumption by up to 72%, as compared to the Fast Cooling mode.

As we move forward, several new technologies will make inroads into the AC and refrigerators space, much of which would be powered by IoT, AI and the like. The future is poised to be quite different from what it is now.

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Facebook has been at the centre of controversy over suspected Russian manipulation of the 2016 US presidential election via its platform.

Facebooks attempt to limit the fallout from a massive data breach hit trouble in Germany on Friday as a privacy watchdog opened a case against the social network and politicians accused its bosses of evasion.

The social network has been at the centre of controversy over suspected Russian manipulation of the 2016 US presidential election via its platform, and the leak of personal data of 87 million users to a political consultancy that advised Donald Trumps team.

A German data privacy regulator said it was opening a non-compliance procedure against Facebook in relation to the data leak to the consultancy, Cambridge Analytica, that was exposed a month ago. The city-state of Hamburgs Data Protection Commissioner, Johannes Caspar, notified Facebook in writing that he had opened a probe into suspected data abuse. The case could lead to a fine of up to 300,000 euros ($370,000).

First we will seek a statement from Facebook and then hearings will begin, said Caspars spokesman, Martin Schemm.

Such a fine, if imposed, would only be a pinprick for Facebook, which recorded revenues of more than $40 billion last year. But the case marks a warning shot ahead of the introduction of tougher privacy rules across the European Union on May 25 that foresee penalties of up to four percent of worldwide revenues for serious violations.

We remain strongly committed to protecting peoples information, a Facebook spokeswoman said in response to news of the probe. We appreciate any opportunity to answer questions by data protection authorities.

Charm defensive

Facing a hostile audience, a Facebook executive earlier met German lawmakers and repeated apologies by CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the Cambridge Analytica leak.

What happened with Cambridge Analytica represents a huge violation of trust, and we are deeply sorry, Joel Kaplan, vice president for global public policy, said according to the text of his prepared remarks.

Kaplan said Facebook would roll out a new view ads feature, designed to make political advertising more transparent, in time for a regional election being held in the German state of Bavaria in October. Social media experts say Germanys parliamentary election last September was less affected by the spread of fake news than the US vote, where Trump pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory.

Yet the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was able to capitalise on a wave of discontent with an active campaign on social media, winning seats in parliament for the first time as Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democrats polled poorly.

The Bavarian party closely allied to Merkels conservatives is seeking re-election in October. Its leading figure in the federal government, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, is taking a hard line on immigration in a bid to squeeze the AfD vote. Lawmakers came away dissatisfied from the closed-door hearing, saying Facebook executives had failed to give clarity on how widespread the illicit harvesting of data using Facebook apps had been.

We just experienced another slice of Facebooks salami tactics, said Thomas Jarzombek, the Christian Democrats digital policy spokesman. Tabea Roessner of the opposition Greens said the hearing had shown Facebook was still in business as usual mode. That disrespects those affected, she told the Handelsblatt daily.

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During the time the six officers were giving chase, Prasad pulled a gun from his waist area, pointed it in the direction of the officers and it appears he fired at least one round. (Representational Image)

Washington: An Indian-American teenager, wanted on a felony firearms possession warrant, was shot dead by a California police after he opened fire on them, officials said.

The individual, identified as Nathaniel Prasad, 18, was shot dead on April 5, according to an investigation report released by the Freemont Police Department on Thursday. He was wanted on a felony probation warrant and a misdemeanour evading arrest warrant for fleeing from a Fremont School Resource Officer on March 22.

On April 5, the Fremont Police Department's Street Crimes Unit identified Prasad as a passenger in a vehicle that was being driven by a female in Fremont area. The vehicle was known to be associated with Prasad. Soon the information was broadcast over the police radio about the vehicle and the active warrants and requested marked patrol units to assist with a traffic stop.

Thereafter, two patrol officers responded to the area, activated their emergency lights and siren, and stopped the suspect vehicle just prior to the intersection of Fremont Blvd. and Nicolet Ave. According to the investigation report, the driver of the vehicle stopped and Prasad fled from the right passenger side of the car on foot.

One of the patrol officers followed Prasad to the rear of a nearby petrol station. The officer soon stopped his vehicle and quickly got out to confront Prasad. Prasad pulled a firearm from his waist area and it appears that he fired one to two shots in the direction of the officer, police said. The officer drew his duty weapon, returned fire and broadcast over the police radio that the suspect had a gun.

Prasad ran back toward Fremont Blvd. This interaction was captured on video surveillance and was corroborated by statements of the involved officer and witnesses at the scene, the local police said in a statement. Additional police officers were rushed to the scene.

During the time the six officers were giving chase, Prasad pulled a gun from his waist area, pointed it in the direction of the officers and it appears he fired at least one round.

This interaction is corroborated by the statements of the involved officers, statements of witnesses, the body worn camera footage and in-car camera footage of the event," the report said.

In response, the officers shot in the direction of Prasad, striking him several times, causing him to fall, it said. "On the ground, Prasad still had the weapon in his hand and officers fired additional rounds, the report said.

Fremont Fire paramedics who arrived on the scene announced Prasad was deceased shortly thereafter. No officers were injured during the incident, the police said.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Prasad's mother. She was transported back to the Fremont Police Department where she provided a statement to investigators. The firearm in Prasad's possession was a .22 caliber revolver. When officers examined the weapon at the scene, it had three spent casings and three empty cylinders. A records check revealed it was reported stolen. The recovery of the firearm from Prasad was captured via body worn camera and corroborated by witness statements.
China's foreign ministry said said the move would help ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and promote denuclearisation. (Photo: File)

Shanghai: China's foreign ministry said on Saturday it welcomed a move by North Korea to halt nuclear and missile tests, which it said would help ease tensions on the Korean peninsula and promote denuclearisation.

"The Chinese side believes that North Korea's decision will help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on its website. "China welcomes this."

Read: Ahead of summit with South, US, North Korea suspends nuclear, missile tests

Also Read: Trump hails Kims nuclear move as good news for the world

North Korea's state media said earlier on Saturday the country would immediately halt nuclear and missile tests and abolish a nuclear test site in a bid to pursue economic growth and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea is set for summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with US President Donald Trump in late May or early June.
The insurgents had agreed to the deal after intensified Russian shelling killed six people in areas near the town of al-Ruhaiba earlier this week. (Photo: File/AP)

Beirut: Syrian rebels began withdrawing from an enclave northeast of Damascus on Saturday and will go to northern Syria, state TV and a rebel official said, in a surrender agreement that marks another victory for President Bashar al-Assad.

The withdrawal will restore state control over the eastern Qalamoun enclave, some 40 km from Damascus.

Assad, backed by Russia and Iran, is seeking to wipe out the last few rebel enclaves near Damascus, building on momentum from the defeat of the insurgency in eastern Ghouta, which was the last major opposition stronghold near the capital.

State TV said rebel fighters and their families would be transported from eastern Qalamoun to Idlib and Jarablus, a rebel-held territory at the border with Turkey, with 3,200 militants and their families expected to leave on Saturday.

The spokesman for one of the rebel groups in eastern Qalamoun said the insurgents had agreed to the deal after intensified Russian shelling killed six people in areas near the town of al-Ruhaiba earlier this week.

This made the Free (Syrian) Army factions sit at the negotiating table with the Russian side and an agreement was reached the most important articles of which are the surrender of heavy weapons and the departure of fighters to the north, Said Seif of the Ahmad Abdo Martyr brigade said.

A first convoy of 10 buses had left Ruhaiba and was being searched in a nearby area before continuing to the north.

Humanitarian situation

Meanwhile, the Syrian military and its allies pressed the bombardment of a besieged enclave south of Damascus.

State TV footage showed clouds of smoke rising from the al-Hajar al-Aswad district, part of an enclave including the Palestinian Yarmouk camp that is held by Islamic State and other jihadist groups.

A commander in the regional military alliance that fights in support of Assad said jihadist positions were being targeted with all types of weapons.

Daesh positions are being targeted by Syrian army helicopters, the commander added, using an acronym for Islamic State.

UNRWA, the UN agency that cares for Palestinian refugees, has said it is deeply concerned about the fate of civilians including some 12,000 Palestinian refugees in Yarmouk and the surrounding areas.

Displacement continues with people moving to the neighbouring area of Yalda ... to escape the fighting. Some families are staying in Yarmouk, either because they cannot move due to the intensity of fighting or because they choose to remain, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said.

We dont have any numbers on how many people have moved but the humanitarian situation of those in both Yarmouk and Yalda is intolerable.

Although the conquest of eastern Qalamoun and the enclave south of Damascus will leave just one remaining besieged rebel enclave, north of the city of Homs, large parts of Syria at the borders with Jordan, Israel, Turkey and Iraq remain outside Assads control, however.

Anti-Assad rebels hold a chunk of territory in the southwest and the northwest, and Kurdish-led militias, backed by the United States, control an expanse of northern and eastern Syria.

Reporting by Tom Perry and Laila Bassam in Beirut and Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman; Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by William Maclean and Alexander Smith.
The Gujarat Police on Friday claimed to have solved the mystery behind gory incident of attack, rape and murder of a 9-year-old unknown girl.

"The Gujarat police have arrested the key perpetrator of the crime from a village in Ganganagar of Rajasthan and is being brought to Gujarat for further investigations," Pradeepsinh Jadeja, minister of state for Home, Gujarat, told media persons.

On April 6, Surat Police found the dead body of a 9-year-old girl thrown in the bushes in the Pandesara area of Surat.

The girl was found to have over 86 wounds on her body, including on her private parts. The autopsy report also revealed that the girl was raped and tortured for days before being killed.

This had led to a public outcry, with industrialist Anand Mahindra venting his ire on social media, saying that he was willing to volunteer as an executioner for the " brutal rapists and murders of young girls".

Giving details of the police investigations, the home minister said that over 400 police personnel from the Surat Police and Ahmedabad Crime Branch had worked together to solve this complicated case.

"The police carried out the technical analysis of mobile data and CCTV footage collected from a 3 km radius of the place from where the body of the young girl was found. During investigations, they noticed a black car moving around suspiciously in the area and this led to cracking the case," he said.

The findings have also lifted the veil on the identity of the girl as well as perpetrators of the crime.

All of them are said to have origins in Rajasthan. Earlier, the police believed that the girl was from either Odisha, West Bengal or Jharkhand.

A man from Andhra Pradesh had come forward claiming that the victim was his daughter. The Surat police even carried out a DNA test to verify his claims.

"We have also found the decomposed body of a woman on April 9-10, lying a few kilometres away from where we found the dead body of the girl. We believe that she is the mother of this child and would carry out a DNA test to establish the blood relations," Jadeja said.

The police have already registered a case of rape and booked unidentified accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said that Surat Police had arrested three persons in connection with the case.

"We would be appointing a special prosecutor to fight the case and run the case in a fast-track court to speed up the process," Jadeja said.
The NIA on Friday filed a chargesheet against Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son Syed Shahid Yusuf in connection with a terror funding case.

Yusuf, who was posted as an agricultural assistant in central Kashmir's Budgam, is accused of being involved in the transfer of funds from Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir via Delhi through hawala channels to spread terrorism.

The NIA arrested 42-year-old Yusuf, whom the agency claimed was linked to Hizbul Mujahideen, on October 24 last year and his bail plea was rejected last month. He is presently in judicial custody.

Officials said after the chargesheet was filed, district judge Poonam Bamba posted the matter for considering it on May 4.

The NIA had registered the case following inputs about the fund flow from Pakistan to trigger trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. The money was channelled through hawala route via Delhi.

The case involving Yusuf was registered in 2011 when the NIA arrested some persons, including Ghulam Mohd Bhat with Rs 21.2 lakh. The NIA claimed that Yusuf was "one of the several Indian contacts of Bhat" who had been in touch with him for receiving money transfer codes. It claimed Yousuf has received about Rs 4.5 lakh so far through eight international wire transfers.

According to NIA, Yusuf's involvement was found in collecting funds from a terrorist outfit in Saudi Arabia. He allegedly used to take directions from his father Salahuddin, who is declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State in June last year.
Police on Friday recovered the body of a woman, with her head severed, near Thiruvallam here leading them to suspect that it could be of a Latvian woman who went missing from Kovalam on March 14.

Police said members of 33-year-old Liga Skromane's family identified the body as hers, based on a preliminary examination, but are awaiting results of the forensic tests.

The decomposed body was found hanging from a tree, in a mangrove forest in Vazhamuttom.

"A confirmation on the identity of the deceased can be made only through a DNA test and other examinations. Since the body is decomposed, we won't be able to have a time frame for these procedures," Jayadev G, DCP (Law and Order), told DH on Saturday.

Liga's husband Andrew Jordan and younger sister Ilze were at Vazhamuttom on Saturday to identify the body.

Ilze said she would wait for the test results but it was likely that the body was her sister's since the clothes found on the body matched Ligas.

Liga, a Latvia national residing in Ireland, checked into an Ayurvedic healing centre in Pothencode here, with Ilze, in February.

On the morning of March 14, Liga hired an auto rickshaw to the beach town of Kovalam, about 30 km away.

Liga, diagnosed with post-traumatic depression, had left the wellness centre without her phone or passport.

Ilze and Andrew have been travelling to different parts of the state and using social media to trace Liga.

The police search had also moved to the neighbouring states. Earlier this month, divers of the Southern Naval Command led an underwater search operation in Kovalam.

A Rs 1 lakh reward was announced for those who could find her. Andrew has been raising the money on a crowd-funding platform. Liga is reported to have been living in Dublin for five years.
Delhi police has informed the Supreme Court that it has prepared a draft investigation report on the death of Congress MP Shashi Tharoor's wife Sunanda Pushkar in 2014.

The Special Investigation, after thorough professional and scientific investigation, has prepared a draft police report under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code and has sent the same to the prosecution department of the Government of National Capital Territory for legal scrutiny, it said in a status report.

As soon as the draft police report is received after legal vetting by the prosecution department, the same shall be submitted before the trial court for consideration and concomitant judicial proceedings, it added.

The FIR in the matter registered with Sarojini Nagar police station on May 1, 2015 is being investigated by the Special Investigation Team.

The response by the Delhi police has been filed on a notice issued by a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and A M Khanwilkar on a plea by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy for a court-monitored probe into the death of Pushkar in 2014. The court, however, had kept the issue of maintainability of the special leave petition open.

Swamy challenged the October 26, 2017 verdict of Delhi High Court dismissing his plea. The HC had called his plea a textbook example of a political interest litigation.

Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a five-star hotel in Delhi on the night of January 17, 2014.
Former Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit the BJP and asserted that he was taking "sanyas" from "party politics".

"I am severing all ties with the BJP. I am also bidding goodbye to party politics... which essentially means I won't accept any top post in any party or government," said Yashwant, while addressing the first convention of the Rashtra Manch, a non-political outfit he had floated in January this year.

"However, I will continue to work for the protection of democracy, which is under threat in the present dispensation. As a first step, I will unite all the non-BJP parties, although I won't join any political party," Yashwant said.

Flanked by Congress leader Renuka Choudhary, rebel BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, RLD leader Jayant Choudhary (son of Ajit Singh), TMC leader Dinesh Trivedi and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, Yashwant said that all the democratic institutions are today under grave threat.

"Even the Opposition is treated like an enemy. The Narendra Modi government does not want Parliament to function and blames Opposition for stalling proceedings in the House. When we were in the Vajpayee cabinet, we had clear instructions from the prime minister that the Opposition should be allowed to raise its voice and its concern should be addressed. In today's dispensation, its exactly the opposite approach," said Yashwant, who also held the portfolio of external affairs in the Vajpayee cabinet from 2002 to 2004.

Yashwant first became Union finance minister in the short-lived Chandrashekhar government in November 1990. He joined the BJP in the mid-90s.

At today's meet in Patna's S K Memorial Hall, Shatrughan lambasted the Centre, particularly the top BJP leadership, and compared it with "Alibaba and chalis chor" (Alibaba and the forty thieves), although he did not name anyone.

"When I went to meet an ailing Lalu Prasad in the hospital, I was told by my party colleagues that in this 'era of revenge politics', I may be punished for meeting a jailed leader. But I told the colleagues that Lalu has been a dear friend. And once a friend, always a friend. To this, I was told that I too may be put behind bars for hobnobbing with the Opposition leaders," Sinha said. He is the Lok Sabha member from Patna Sahib.

Rebel JD (U) leader Uday Narayan Choudhary, who was the Bihar Assembly Speaker from 2005 to 2015, also shared the dais with Yashwant Sinha.
Director General of Income Tax (DGIT), Investigation, Karnataka and Goa, has stepped up its surveillance and monitoring activities as part of enhanced alertness in the wake of Assembly elections on May 12.

The DGIT sleuths believe that currency notes seem to be flowing in poll-bound Karnataka.

So far, the sleuths have seized Rs 4.13 crore cash and 4.52 Kg gold Jewels valued at Rs 1.32 crore. Majority of the currency notes seized are in denomination of Rs 2000 and Rs 500.

Out Rs 4.13 crores, an amount of Rs. 4.03 crore is in these denominations.

"When people are finding it difficult to withdraw notes from banks and ATMs, seizure of high denominations is raising eyebrows," states a press release.

Bangalore city tops the list with Rs. 2.47 crore, followed by Bellari with Rs 55 Lakh.

A high level of alertness is being maintained in airports and railway stations added the release.

A person carrying Rs 16.5 lakh was intercepted at on one of the airports, but he failed to explain the source of the cash.

The sleuths seized Rs 37 lakh cash from his Mumbai premises.

In total, the sleuths have seized Rs 53.50 lakh unaccounted cash from him.

In one of the districts, a contractor had transferred Rs 55 lakh to a person who had withdrawn it.

The sleuths detained the duo and the contractor admitted to concealment of Rs 16 crore.

In another case, household articles worth Rs 9.51 crore intended for distribution was found in a warehouse near Mysore. During the investigation, it was established that the articles were meant for distribution.

The sleuths have informed the district election officer to initiate measures against the distribution of the articles.

In another case, Rs 50 lakh was seized from a private person.

The Income tax department has set up the 24x7 control room in Bengaluru to receive complaints.

It has also formed strike teams with statutory powers in all districts.

The department is keeping a strict vigil in all airports in Karnataka and Goa.

The Investigation Wing has collected contract payment details of the last quarter and is comparing with previous years' details to identify abnormal cases.

The sleuths are co-relating bank transactions and cash withdrawals.
Former ministers G Karunakara Reddy, S A Ramdas and sons of three sitting legislators, figure among the 59 candidates announced by the BJP in its third list for the May 12 Assembly polls.

The BJP has so far announced candidates for 213 seats and is yet to declare its nominees for 11 more including Varuna, Badami and Yeshwanthpur in Bengaluru.

Karunakara Reddy is the second among Reddy brothers to be given a ticket and will be contesting from Harapanahalli in Davangere district, a constituency he once represented.

Karunakara Reddy, who held the Revenue portfolio in the previous BJP regime, had to step down in 2011 following his name figuring in the Lokayukta report on illegal mining. Karunakaras younger brother G Somashekar Reddy has been given the ticket from Bellary City. Ramdas has been given the ticket to contest from Krishnaraja in Mysuru city. In 2014, a woman had lodged a complaint against Ramdas for cheating her. Late he had attempted suicide.

Former legislator K Raghupathy Bhat has been given a ticket to contest from Udupi. Bhat courted controversy after his wife was found dead in mysterious circumstances in a New Delhi flat.

Former MLA M P Kumaraswamy, who has been given the ticket from Mudigere (SC) had assaulted his wife in public at the Legislators Home in Bengaluru in 2016.

The Karnataka State Womens Commission had taken up a suo motu case against him. Kumaraswamy became violent after she accused him of having an affair with a

woman.

Children of three sitting legislators figure in the list. Govind Karjols son Gopal Karjol (Nagthan-SC), Ramachandra Gowdas son Sapthagiri Gowda (Gandhinagar, Bengaluru) and V Somannas son Arun Somanna (Arsikere) have been given the tickets.

The party has fielded a new face, Gopal Rao, to take on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Chamundeshwari. However, it has not announced the candidate for Badami, from where Siddaramaiah is expected to contest as his second seat. The BJP has also not announced the candidate for Varuna where Siddaramaiahs son Dr Yathindra is contesting, though BJP state presidents son B Y Vijayendra has been campaigning extensively in the constituency.

Interestingly, the party is yet to announce the candidate for Yeshwanthpur. There was speculation that MP Shobha Karandlaje may be given the ticket.

Migrants also figure in the list. Five-time Congress MLA N Y Gopalakrishna has been given the ticket to contest from Kudligi (ST) in Ballari district. Gopalakrishna quit the Congress after he was denied renomination from Bellary Rural.

Other prominent names in the list include actor Saikumar (Bagepalli).

New faces have been given the ticket: Bharath Shetty (Mangaluru City North), Vedavyas Kamath (Mangaluru City South) and Santhosh Kumar Rai (Mangaluru).

Sitting MLA and former Speaker K G Bopaiah has been finally given the ticket from Virajpet. His name did not figure in the first two lists.

The party has made one change in its first list. Former MLA Sampangi, who had been given the ticket to contest from the KGF has been replaced by his daughter S Ashwini.
This coming Thursday, members of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act, a bipartisan bill intended to protect the Department of Justices investigation into Moscows interference in our political process. Both of Utahs senators, Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, sit on this committee and give the Beehive State an opportunity to make a unified demonstration of its commitment to the rule of law.

It is no secret that special counsel Robert Muellers investigation has attracted the ire of President Donald Trump. Trump has called it a hoax and a witch hunt, but the probe has already yielded five guilty pleas and 22 indictments and appears to be rapidly uncovering additional evidence of the Kremlins attacks on our political system and other relevant criminal activity.

The presidents allies in Washington and the media have attempted to cast the special counsel as a Democratic endeavor intent on destroying Trump for partisan or personal purposes, but this is not the case. What should matter about Mueller is his decadeslong track record of honorable, effective and nonpartisan public service.

Despite what the president would have us believe, most law enforcement officials serve with honor and without partisan motive. We must not allow Trump to politicize their work. Mueller also happens to be a decorated Marine Corps veteran and a registered Republican. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed him to be director of the FBI and the Senate confirmed him unanimously, evidence of broad bipartisan respect for his professionalism.

We would be hard-pressed to find another public servant as qualified to perform this important national service as conscientiously as Mueller likely will, and we must allow him to do so free of interference from the president. As citizens, we need to know the truth about foreign efforts to divide and weaken us, and we must support the legal process that leads us to it.

Passage of the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act would be a step in this direction and signal our renewed commitment to the rule of law. In a political environment that has become dangerously polarized, the bipartisanship of this effort is significant in itself. It is a statement that, even at the nadir of our politics, we are still capable of uniting around the rule of law and the necessity of accountable leadership.

If the president continues his attempts to fire Mueller or other senior Department of Justice officials to impede the investigation, it is a clear indication that he considers himself to be above the law, something we and our elected representatives in Congress must reject.

This is modest but important legislation. It reinforces the presidents compliance with existing special counsel regulations, allowing Muellers removal only with for-cause justification and requiring judicial review of the evidence that supports it. Some argue that allowing a court to review a presidents personnel decision within the executive branch would be an unconstitutional limitation on his authority. However, if that were true, then the existing regulations for-cause requirement would already be an infringement.

According to the Supreme Courts 1988 decision in Morrison v. Olson, this is not the case; as the regulations governing independent counsels were ruled constitutional, there is significant legal precedent that the similar regulations governing the special counsel are also appropriate.

Moreover, as constitutional law expert Stephen Vladeck testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee last September, the fact that Congress lacks the power to impose any removal restrictions on anyone serving in the executive branch ... could have enormously deleterious consequences for the separation of powers. It would mean that the president has the unfettered authority to fire Department of Justice officials investigating his possible wrongdoing at will, including for corrupt purposes.

This would certainly invite an administrations abuse of power by crippling federal law enforcements ability to discover evidence of its wrongdoing. Not only is such information vital for accountability under the law, but it is indispensable politically as well. If presidents can conceal evidence of their own wrongdoing from law enforcement and voters, our ability to hold them accountable at the ballot box is severely impaired and our democratic process compromised. This is how freedom gradually slips away from those who once thought it guaranteed.

If Trumps continued reluctance to hold Moscow accountable for its aggression were not alarming enough, the guilty pleas and indictments rendered by the special counsel to date are ample evidence that this investigation must continue. We do not yet know its outcome, but we cannot impede its pursuit of the truth.

Both of Utahs senators have long track records of defending the rule of law. We are living through a uniquely dangerous moment in which our self-rule is threatened by those who would appropriate the peoples sovereignty and when the political pressures to accept it are abundant. I hope those who represent and lead us will face this challenge with courage by voting to maintain the presidents accountability and our liberty.
SALT LAKE CITY  A tax expert testified Friday he visited the Delta site of a purported solar energy facility, walked into a home and flipped the switch on and off, believing solar lenses were generating the power.

"I did not think it was connected to the grid," said Richard Jameson, a specialist in federal tax law who filed tax returns to the IRS on behalf of RaPower3 clients.

That company, IAUS, Neldon Johnson and Gregory Shepard are the subject of a federal complaint lodged in 2015 by the U.S. Department of Justice that alleges the business enterprise is nothing more than an "abusive tax scheme" that has cost the U.S. Treasury at least $50 million.

The case is now before U.S. District Judge David Nuffer in a trial expected to last at least two weeks. Federal prosecutors want repayment for the lost revenue due to energy tax credits and depreciation revenue they say was wrongly claimed.

They also seek to stop any further promotion of the lenses, which continues through tours of the Delta site, the company's online promises of tax credits and weekly local radio shows in which Johnson promotes the technology.

The Department of Justice asserts the lenses have never generated any power and never will.

"Defendants' solar energy scheme is clearly a complete sham. Defendants knew it was not generating income for customers for more than 10 years. Yet despite their clear knowledge that the system did not produce energy or income for customers, they continue to sell lenses, encourage customers to take purportedly related tax deductions and credits and deplete the U.S. Treasury," justice attorneys wrote in court filing.

Jameson testified Friday that he believed the home he saw at the Delta site was off grid, observing a nearby solar tower that looked to be powering a turbine producing steam.

"It was making a hole in the ground that would fry things. It was pretty hot," he said.

A cable not far from the turbine continued toward the house, he testified.

Under questioning from Department of Justice attorney Erin Hines, Jameson conceded it was only after Johnson was deposed for trial that he learned that the house was not being powered by the lenses.

According to his testimony, Jameson handled tax returns for many of the RaPower3 customers, assuring the IRS through "placed in service" letters provided by RaPower3 that the lenses met federal rules for tax credits and depreciation.

He did not personally verify they were in service, he testified, and said he had no personal knowledge that the lenses produced heat.

Jameson testified he wrote letters on behalf of RaPower3 customers to the IRS that his clients were not in the business of energy production but rather were leasing/renting tangible personal property.

Jameson took over clients from other tax preparers for RaPower3  in one case involving a preparer who refused business from RaPower3 clients because of its entanglement with the IRS.

In testimony Friday, he said he continues to represent RaPower3 customers and claim the renewable energy tax credits.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney Denver Snuffer Jr., Jameson said he believes the lenses qualify for tax benefits because they meet federal rules that they are in use or available to use or are being used for research and development, or in advertising.

He added he believed IRS employees or customers themselves got it wrong because they kept talking about "solar panels" such as those mounted on rooftops, and not solar process heat.

"The problem I had with the IRS employees is they did not fully understand the process," he said. "They don't produce electricity, they produce solar process heat."

The Department of Justice contends that while the solar lenses may be able to concentrate solar radiation sufficient to set wood smoldering, that alone is not sufficient to generate "solar process heat"  heat from the sun which accomplishes some useful function or application, according to court filings.
MUMBAI, India  When a Muslim man and his wife  born and raised a Hindu  fell in love after meeting online, they knew there would be trouble from their families. She left her home in south India last July and moved to Mumbai to get married, stating in an affidavit that she was converting to Islam.

Over the next few months, she continued to face pressure from her parents and filed a complaint with the local police against her father for threatening to kidnap her. At one point, unknown men even attacked the home of the couple, who, fearing for their safety, do not want their names used in this story.

In December, when the couple was out at a nearby mall, some men  suspected by the husband to be acting at the behest of his in-laws  picked up his wife and drove off with her in a car.

He registered a fresh case with the police and then filed a petition in the Bombay High Court through his advocate Hasnain Kazi, seeking that his wife be returned. They were reunited in early February, and her family has now started to come around.

This is a family matter. Society shouldnt interfere, said the husband. But political leaders have created an atmosphere that has affected our personal lives.

Such incidents are part of a wider pattern in India, where interfaith and intercaste couples are increasingly facing bullying, harassment, familial opposition and even death threats.

In February, a Facebook page calling for violence against more than 100 Muslim men who had married or were dating Hindu women was taken down after an online outcry. The same month, Ankit Saxena, a Hindu man, was killed in Delhi, allegedly by relatives of his Muslim girlfriend. Some of the alleged assailants were arrested later. In December, Hindu right-wing groups barged into an interfaith wedding celebration just outside Delhi. Such incidents have consistently been reported across states including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

Interfaith and intercaste couples have never had it easy in India, but since the Bharatiya Janata Party was elected in 2014, the atmosphere has become increasingly polarized. Government data recently made available in Parliament show that the number of incidents of interreligious violence in 2017 (822) was higher than in 2016 (703) and 2015 (751). These increases have been accompanied by growing anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Since the coming to power of the BJP there has been lots of talk about religion and caste, said Rajpalsingh Shinde, a Nashik-based lawyer who has helped more than 200 interfaith and intercaste couples get married. The atmosphere has become very divisive.

Shinde, a Hindu who faced opposition when he married a Buddhist, said anti-Dalit sentiment has also intensified in the past few years. (Dalits were once considered the lowest social group and were called untouchables.)

Many young people are getting frustrated, he said. Relationships are breaking, people arent able to oppose their families or society, they are getting depressed.

Sometimes interfaith couples commit suicide, driven by the pressure. And in India, which continues to be a highly stratified society, honor killings in interfaith and intercaste marriages have been reported.

In 2016 a band of young people in Maharashtra started the Sairat Marriage Group to help interfaith and intercaste couples. More than 200 people have approached them so far, and they receive at least 10 calls a month seeking help or counseling, says convener Harshal Lohakare. Our work has increased and our challenges have increased. Couples are more scared.

In 2016, in one of the most high-profile cases, a man from Kerala, KM Asokan, filed a missing-persons report after the disappearance of his daughter Akhila. When she appeared before the Kerala high court, she said she had changed her name to Hadiya and had chosen to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim man, but her father contended she had been indoctrinated.

Last May, the court annulled the marriage and handed over the daughters custody to her father. Though voluntary conversion is legal in India, it is often fraught with problems. Later the matter was taken to the Supreme Court, which set aside the annulment and ruled that Hadiya was an adult and the court couldnt decide the validity of the marriage.

The case raised the specter of the love jihad, the claim by some Hindus that Muslim men seduce Hindu women in order to convert them to Islam. The term was first widely used in 2009 when the Kerala high court ordered an inquiry into whether there was a large-scale conversion campaign. Police reports said that was not the case, but the phrase has in the past few years acquired a renewed currency.

Ever since 2014, the issue of love jihad has been resurfacing, said Pratik Sinha, co-founder of Altnews.in, which calls itself an anti-propaganda news site.

Altnews first published the story about the Facebook list on Hindu-Muslim couples on Feb. 4, and the page was taken down soon after. During volatile times, these kinds of lists can be misused and people targeted, said Sinha.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India said no one could interfere in a marriage between two consenting adults, while admonishing khap panchayats, or community groups that operate as quasi-judicial bodies and often rule on marriages. In an earlier judgment in 2011 the court had recommended suspension and investigation of high-ranking officials who failed to act against the perpetrators behind so-called honor killings.

We sometimes hear of honor killings of such persons who undergo intercaste or interreligious marriage of their own free will, it had then said. There is nothing honorable in such killings, and in fact they are nothing but barbaric and shameful acts of murder committed by brutal, feudal-minded persons who deserve harsh punishment. Only in this way can we stamp out such acts of barbarism.

But according to Sanjoy Sachdev, the chairman of Love Commandos, a Delhi-based organization helping couples who want to marry for love, these directives were never taken seriously by any major party. Political parties are not concerned about love, he said. The BJP gives election tickets (the opportunity to be candidate) to khap panchayat leaders. The Congress party says khaps are part of our culture.

Love Commandos says it has helped thousands of couples since 2010 and provides legal help and shelter for those who need it.

The group has faced threats, but Sachdev sounded undeterred. We want to shun violence with nonviolence, he said. We want to make this a peoples mission.

For some though, there might be happy endings despite the strife.

When my wifes brother found out about us, we got into a huge fight, because he said, What will people say?, said Nitin Kasar, 22, a man from the dominant Maratha caste group, who married a woman from a different caste last year. We knew people would have difficulty accepting an intercaste union. But our families have gradually come around.
The Air Force Times reported Thursday that the United States Air Force Thunderbirds have returned to training following the death of a pilot April 4 in a training exercise.

The Thunderbirds canceled three aerial shows following the pilots death.

"We are not currently canceling any shows past Columbus Air Force Base, but we stress that further cancelations are still possible. When we do resume our show season, well do so with the full faith and confidence of senior Air Force leadership that we are safe and ready to perform," Thunderbirds commander Lt. Col. Kevin Walsh said in a statement.

Utah's Warriors Over the Wasatch Air and Space Show featuring the Thunderbirds is scheduled for June 23 and 24.

According to the Air Force Times, Maj. Stephen Del Bagno died when his plane crashed at the Nevada Test and Training Range near Nellis Air Force Base. Del Bagnos plane, a F-16 Fighting Falcon, crashed during a "routine aerial demonstration training flight."

Del Bagno graduated from Utah Valley State College in 2005 and joined the Air Force in 2007, according to an Associated Press story published on KSL.com.

While our hearts are still heavy with the loss of our wingman (Del Bagno), we know hed want us back in the air and preparing to recruit, retain and inspire once more," Walsh said in the statement, according to the Air Force Times.

Admission to the Air and Space Show is free, and paid VIP tickets are also offered. Visit the show's website for more information.

Alongside the Thunderbirds' performance, the event includes displays from the United States Special Operations Command Parachute Team, a truck with three jet engines and a hang glider.
SALT LAKE CITY  Soon after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Brynna Dow's school was evacuated for a fire alarm.

As the Skyline High School sophomore and her classmates exited English class, their substitute teacher said, "Oh no, this just happened in Florida. I hope there's not a shooting here," Brynna recalled.

The teen said that moment was the most terrified she's ever been in her life.

"There was no reason why I should be that scared at my school, where I'm supposed to be able to feel safe," she said.

She was one of more than 200 students from the Salt Lake area participating in the Utah School Walkout at the state Capitol Friday. Many carried signs and listened to impassioned speeches as well as a song written by one young songwriter for those who had lost their lives.

The students also held a "die-in," lying flat on the cold concrete for 6 minutes and 20 seconds, the same amount of time in which the Parkland shooting occurred.

"I'm scared to think that my life could end in one second because of a gun," said Amanda Demelo, a Skyline High School sophomore.

The students chose the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre to say they're not giving up the fight for gun reform.

"We've grown up with the ability to have a voice," Giles Fielder, a Highland High School freshman, explained.

One of the organizers of the event, Ainsley Moench, said when she first heard about the Parkland shooting, she "just thought of it as another shooting before it really hit me that it was like 17 students that were killed that were my age."

"That really struck home with me.  This is the turning point," the Skyline sophomore said.

Highland High 11th-grader Maren Moffatt, another of the event's organizers, said the teens wanted to make their rally a "day of action" after the other events that were more for "raising awareness."

"I really feel like I'm in a peer group with students across the country, and we're the ones who are being affected, so we're the ones that have to make change," Maren said.

Kaela Peterson, a freshman at Highland High School, said anxiety about their safety can take away from her and her peers' ability to care about success in school.

"What if the school gets shot up today? They're not worrying what their test scores are going to be. We need to be focused on our education," she said.

The students carried signs with emotional slogans, such as, "Why doesn't pro-life exist outside of the womb?"

"Your silence is killing us," one student wrote. "Armed with education, not ammunition," another sign said.

While most at the rally pleaded for gun reform, Haydn Chambers took an opportunity to counterprotest.

The 11th-grader at the Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts carried a sign that said, "We will march until we disarm every American."

"It's sarcastic," he explained. Though he believes school shootings are a problem, he said the gun control measures his peers are rallying for are "authoritative" and "too big of a measure."

His opinion didn't appear too popular among those rallying Friday. When approached by the Deseret News, he was involved in a heated debate with several teens.

"I do think people attack me because when I was having a debate here, it was respectful, but still, they were constantly interrupting me," Haydn said.

With anxiety over his safety, fellow Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts student William Black said, "I just don't want to have to go through every day having the fear that I'm going to get shot," stating a common theme among the students at the rally.

Toward the end of the rally, student organizers read their mission statement of specific legislation they want lawmakers to enact.

Measures the teens ask for include banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; closing a loophole in background checks for those purchasing guns online or at gun shows; and adding mandatory waiting periods between the purchase and delivery of firearms.

They also want lawmakers to raise the minimum age to buy firearms to 21 and institute a red flag law, which would allow police to take weapons from those deemed a threat to public safety.

After the rally, many of the student participants sat down in front of a table set up at the base of the Capitol stairs to hear a group that included five state Democratic lawmakers answer previously submitted questions.

While the members of the Utah Legislatures minority party said they plan to work on the gun control measures sought by the students and others, they also urged action at the ballot box.

Voting is whats going to count. Because if you look at who votes, its people that are older. People that are younger dont vote, Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Millcreek, said.

Arent told the students they have two choices when it comes to dealing with the Republican-dominated Utah Legislature on gun control.

You can try and keep changing the minds of the people who are up there  legislators who dont support our positions  or you can change the legislators who are up there. And thats what we need to do, she said to cheers.

Leaders of the Legislatures GOP supermajority talked briefly about the need to address guns and school safety after the Parkland shooting, but the only step they took was forming a committee expected to make recommendations later this year.

House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, said any change takes time and advised persistence, especially when it comes to an issue like gun control.

You have to keep going until you win and thats not easy, King said, citing his experience as a Democratic lawmaker. We keep banging on the door. We keep raising our voices. We keep talking. We keep working. We do not give up. You cannot give up.

Contributing: Lisa Riley Roche
OREM  Astrid S. Tuminez, who was raised in poverty in the Philippines and went on to earn graduate degrees at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has been selected the next president of Utah Valley University.

The Utah State Board of Regents voted unanimously Friday to select Tuminez, regional director for corporate, external and legal affairs in Southeast Asia for Microsoft, as the university's seventh president. She is the first woman to hold the position.

"I'm dazed and amazed, and I want to thank all of you," Tuminez said following the vote.

Tuminez was a first-generation college student, who along with her six siblings, was raised by their 15-year-old older sister after their mother left when she was 5. She emigrated to the United States in 1982 and later became a U.S. citizen.

Being selected a university president "is in some ways overwhelming, but my life was completely transformed by education," she explained.

"I was raised in the slums of the Philippines and I was 5 years old when Catholic nuns offered me and my siblings a chance to go to school. So that changed the entire trajectory of my life, and that's what makes it so exciting for me to be in a university like UVU.

"This is a university that believes in the innate dreams and capacities of people and to build on that, to help each person make their own way but give them the skills and competencies so their chances of succeeding in life and having a good life are a bit better."

Tuminez was previously vice dean of research and assistant dean of executive education at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. While in those roles she trained more than 2,000 government officials and private-sector professionals in leadership and organizational change.

Her previous positions include senior consultant to the U.S. Institute of Peace, director of research at AIG Global Investment, and program officer at Carnegie Corp. of New York. She previously ran the Moscow office of the Harvard Project on Strengthening Democratic Institutions.

Tuminez said a friend in Utah told her about the opening at UVU.

"I was really intrigued by type of education that is being done here, the dual mission, which I thought was bold and experimental and also, really the right kind of approach in the 21st century. It addresses inclusion in a big way at a time when the world and societies are polarized and socio-economic differences are becoming bigger and bigger," she said.

Utah Valley University serves more than 37,200 students and is the largest public university in Utah. It is one of the few in the nation that offers a dual-mission model that combines the rigor of a teaching university with the accessible vocational programs of a community college

Daniel W. Campbell, chairman of the board of regents, said Tuminezs experience, vision, and dedication to student success will ensure that UVU continues to thrive in the coming years.

Dr. Tuminez has proven to be a dynamic leader across academic, nonprofit, public policy and corporate sectors. Throughout her storied career, she has focused on bridging gaps in education and opportunity to make a difference in peoples lives, which seamlessly aligns with UVUs institutional mission and core themes, Campbell said.

David L. Buhler, Utah's commissioner of higher education, said Tuminez rose to the top in the search for the next president of UVU.

She articulated a clear and compelling vision for UVU, and she understands the value of collaboration within Utahs system of public colleges and universities, he said.

Among the eight colleges and universities that comprise the Utah System of Higher Education, three others are led by women: University of Utah President Ruth V. Watkins, who was appointed in January; Noelle E. Cockett, president of Utah State University; and Deneece G. Huftalin, president of Salt Lake Community College.

Tuminez is the fourth.

"I think that speaks volumes about how far we've come. We've worked very hard. We've prepared ourselves and the preparation is very important. I think the opportunities are there. We have to be prepared. We have to be inspired and fearless and then step up when the opportunity comes. It's really, really important. It's not the work of one or two or three or four women. It's the work of all of us," she said.

Tuminez is married and has three children. She speaks English, Filipino/Tagalog, Ilongo, Russian and French fluently and has a working knowledge of Spanish, according to her curriculum vitae.

Tuminez's selection culminates a nationwide search for a successor to Matthew S. Holland, who was appointed president in 2009, the first president of the institution after it achieved university status in 2008.

Holland is stepping down because he has been called as a mission president by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to serve in the North Carolina Raleigh Mission starting in July.

Tuminez noted that Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church, was president of BYU when she earned her bachelor's degree in 1986, graduating as valedictorian, according to her vitae.

"I think I saw you (Matthew Holland) as a young man on campus," she said.

Tuminez vowed to honor what Holland has built at UVU "and build on it to help that legacy moved forward."
SOUTH JORDAN  Yuma Medina lost everything when she brought her two daughters to Utah three years ago.

She's tried hard to make things normal for them, but finances have always been an issue for the single mom.

"We're really poor people," she said Saturday. But she's feeling better about things now that she's working full-time on an assembly line at medical-device-manufacturer Merit Medical.

Medina, who fled Venezuela's dictatorship in 2015, recently saw a notice at work and signed her daughters, 7 and 11, up for vision screenings and eye exams offered by the company through a local organization Eye Care 4 Kids, for which she thought would be a nominal fee.

After they were fitted for new glasses, Medina nearly cried when she was told there would be no charge.

"With myself, because I wear glasses, too, I would have had to buy three pair of glasses," she said. "This will help me a lot."

Merit's CEO Fred Lampropoulos has helped to support Eye Care 4 Kids the last two years. The Midvale-based nonprofit outfits low-income school-age kids with glasses after they fail annual vision screenings at their schools. On Saturday, Eye Care 4 Kids parked its mobile unit in the parking lot at Merit headquarters in South Jordan and Lampropoulos asked them to not turn anyone away.

"Fred grew up in a struggling family and he remembers the community help given to him and his family," said Lampropoulos' executive assistant, Lacey Nash. "He's the kind of CEO who wants to make sure no employee is forgotten or struggling for any reason."

The traveling eye care van and its volunteer staff were able to help about 30 kids in five hours at Merit, but Nash said the opportunity will likely become a more regular thing, and hopefully at the company's offices in other cities, too.

"Taking care of our employees is our No.1 priority," said Louise Bott, Merit vice president of global human resources. "They are our greatest asset. They are our future."

Eye Care 4 Kids, which started in 2001 and functions entirely on grants and charitable donations, has served nearly 250,000 kids, some of whom return for new glasses year after year. It has grown to include clinics in eight states and mobile units in Utah and Nevada, which are scheduled to be at schools across the states and throughout Las Vegas up to a year in advance because of such high demand.

Founding partner and board-certified optician Joseph Carbone said too many children go without proper eye care because of the cost to their parents.

"If we can just get kids on the right path, where they're able to see and have the opportunity to do well in school, it makes a huge difference in their lives," he said.

It was no surprise that Medina's youngest daughter complained of headaches nearly every day before she got her first pair of glasses, as the experience was similar for Medina as a child and until she was able to have laser eye surgery in her hometown in Venezuela.

The glasses have helped quell the headaches, but also give the girls a sense of confidence as they continue to adjust to their environment.

Medina, 44, wants the best for her girls and said she is "happy to have the help."
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US Chipmaker Qualcomm started to cut jobs at its facilities in California in order to meet the company's promise to investors to cut costs by $1 billion. The San Diego-based wireless giant had planned to trim 1,231 jobs in San Diego and 269 at its offices in San Jose and Santa Clara in mid-June, Xinhua reported.

Workers were told of the layoffs on Wednesday. A company spokesperson was quoted as saying that this move, a reduction of full-time and temporary workforce, is a part of the cost reduction plan announced in January, and the company found it is necessary to support long-term growth and success after evaluated other plans.

According to the San Diego Business Journal, Qualcomm filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice with the state of California on Thursday stating 1,500 employees in the state will be terminated on or about June 19, 2018.

The regulation of the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration shows, a WARN notice must be given by the employer, "if there is to be a mass layoff which does not result from a plant closing, but which will result in an employment loss at the employment site during any 30-day period for 500 or more employees". The company pledged to cut costs earlier this year as part of its effort to fend off a hostile takeover attempt from chip rival Broadcom.

Earlier this year, there was an attempt by Broadcom to buyout Qualcomm, with the Singapore based chip-maker offering $103 bn for the company. Qualcomm rejected the deal, calling it an unsolicited offer. Broadcom increased their offer to $121 bn in a second bid, dropping it down to $171 bn. After rejecting various proposals, Qualcomm issued a statement that they would agree to a buyout provided Broadcom was to offer a fair price, which the company felt had not been the case so far. However, the Donald Trump administration blocked Broadcom's buyout on national security grounds, leaving Qualcomm investors frustrated by its lagging share price and poor financial performance relative to its semiconductor peers.
Nokia's income-tax dispute resolved, Chennai plant likely to be sold to Foxconn

The five-year-long dispute between the Income-Tax Department and Nokia India is finally coming to an end, with the latter agreeing to pay the tax demand of Rs1,600 crore and the former deciding to drop the additional demand of Rs10,000 crore.

Coinciding with the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sweden, where he attended the first India-Nordic Summit and also interacted with Finnish premier Juha Sipilia, the move will result in the Finnish multinational finally being able to sell its Chennai plant.

The Income-tax department had initially issued a demand notice for Rs2,500 crore in 2013 against Nokia. This was later reduced to Rs1,600 crore, but as the dispute continued over the years, the IT department slapped an additional Rs10,000 crore demand.

But, with India and Finland having signed a Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP), the dispute has now been resolved. Nokia has also agreed to pay Rs1,600 crore, while the IT department has dropped the Rs10,000 tax demand. Settling a dispute between two countries under the MAP means that all other pending proceedings are also dropped.

The Chennai plant was once one of the worlds largest mobile phone manufacturing facilities. It was shut down in 2014, leaving 15,000 employees jobless.

Incidentally, when Microsoft acquired Nokias global devices and services business, including some assets in India, for $7.2 billion about three years ago, it decided to leave the Chennai facility out of the agreement.

According to industry sources, Taiwanese contract electronic manufacturer Foxconn is likely to buy the Chennai plant from Nokia. Tamil Nadu government sources have confirmed that Foxconn  which also manufactures mobile phones for Xiaomi of China next to the Nokia plant in the state  has been in touch with the government on reviving the plant.
India may shut 1.36 lakh engineering seats and 110 engineering colleges

Nearly 110 engineering institutes across seven states have sought AICTE permission to shut down or reduce seats for lack of students, leaving more than 1.36 lakh seats in B.Tech and M.Tech streams vacant in the 2018 academic year.

Requests for closure of engineering institutions have been submitted from states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telengana, Chhattisgarh and Kerala. Requests for closure of engineering institutions have been submitted from states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telengana, Chhattisgarh and Kerala.

Another 639 institutes have requested the regulator to reduce their intake by 62,000 seats collectively and have sought NOC from the state governments. This move comes in the wake of AICTE imposing penalty on colleges with poor admissions over the last five years.

While the AICTE has not forced closure of these engineering colleges, it has granted permission for some engineering colleges for closure based on their request.

Engineering accounts for up to 70 per cent of the technical education seats in India. Management (MBA), pharmacy, computer applications (MCA), architecture, town planning, hotel management and applied arts and crafts add up to the remaining 30 per cent.

An investigation last year had found that there were no takers for 51 per cent of 15.5 lakh BE/BTech seats in 3,291 engineering colleges in 2016-17.

While lack of employability might have been one reason, the survey conducted in December last year found glaring gaps in regulation, including alleged corruption, poor infrastructure (including labs and faculty), absence of linkages with industry and a general absence of a technology ecosystem needed to foster technical education.

At the same time, AICTE has received 64 applications for the establishment of new institutes, with a proposed addition of 15,000 seats, while 247 existing colleges have applied for expansion, which would add up to 25,000 seats approximately.

While the enrolment in the engineering colleges is based on demand-supply condition, which is attributed to location of the institute, academic and research infrastructure and placement prospects are of prime importance.

Also, with the ministry of human resource development deploying highly qualified and motivated graduates recruited from IITs and NITs to teach in engineering colleges, colleges with poor infrastructure may be left out.

To improve the quality of technical and higher education in the backward areas of the country, the HRD ministry has recruited more than 1,200 highly qualified and motivated graduates from, including IITs and NITs, to teach in engineering colleges in states/UTs like Andaman & Nicobar, Assam, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand etc.

Each of the new faculty will be paid Rs 70,000 per month and the government is planning to spend about Rs375 crore in three-year period on this initiative. With this measure, more than one lakh engineering students in the most backward areas would be benefited with better quality education.

This is the first time that such a measure has been taken to improve the quality of education, a Ministry press release informed.
Citizens group launches `BoomCityDoomCity' campaign in Mumbai

A group of concerned citizens, including environmentalists and communication professionals, have come together to warn the general public and the authorities against the dangers that unplanned construction and continued destruction of the environment posed to Mumbai.

Participating in a media seminar at the Mumbai Press Club on the eve of the Earth Day, the group has launched a social communication campaign called `#BoomCityDoomCity, to project the stark reality of the plunder of the hills under the garb of quarrying and the large scale destruction of mangroves and wetlands in the name of development.

Mumbai and its surroundings will face a terrible environmental disaster if the all round wanton destruction continues, said Nandakumar Pawar, director of NGO Shri Ekavira Aai Pratishthan (SEAP), speaking at the seminar organised by Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), a body of communication professionals.

The Parsik Hill range in Navi Mumbai has already suffered an irreparable damage due to reckless quarrying with some hills facing the danger of extinction. The forest quarrying has been stopped and the department is on record complaining against massive violation of quarrying norms by unscrupulous operators in CIDCO area of Navi Mumbai, it was pointed out.

As much as 264.1 hectares has been mined against the permissible area of 138.07 hectares, the deputy conservator of forests, Thane, is reported to have said during a recent meeting of the district level environment assessment authority.

The Authority has ordered a joint study by forest department and CIDCO while according a conditional clearance to private companies for mining the hills in two hectares at Borivali village in Navi Mumbai even as a group of residents protested against quarrying of Parsik Hills in another area, Kharghar.

In yet another case, in Uran large-scale quarrying has been destroying the hills, apart from causing huge dust pollution, they pointed out.

We are aware that stone chips are needed for infrastructure. We are not against development, but our concern is it should not happen at the cost environment damage, said B N Kumar, chairman of governing council of PRCI, said.

Pawar said he recently drew the attention of CIDCO and forest officials to the fact that mangroves are being destroyed by dumping tones of debris. Large chunks of wetlands are also being reclaimed illegally in Uran area, he said.

Turning to the island citys mangrove crisis, he said the authorities ought to have planted over 93,000 saplings over 21 acres in Manori. Sadly, just about 20 per cent of these barely survived. At Charkop, the situation is even worse. Of the 86,400 saplings hardly 5 per cent survived.

Pawar claimed that the authorities manage to get a reprieve by courts by claiming that they will replant to make up for the mangroves destroyed due infrastructure development. In reality, they mislead the judiciary as mangroves are supposed to grow naturally as they are not replanted.

I am a fisherman by birth and I know the importance of mangroves, he said and remarked: Sadly these officers are either unaware of the basic facts or deliberately ignore environmental care. Mangroves survive only in mudflaps and where there are ideal conditions to grow and not in rocky area. This is common sense, he remarked.

Referring to quarry permission with conditions such as maintenance of green belt, prevention of dust and particle pollution and conducting of lung functional tests of workers, he said: it is anybodys guess as to what extent these will be complied with.

You do not need expert committees to study the ground realities of these areas, he said adding, A visit to Charkop or Manori will show you the mangrove tragedy, a drive on Sion-Panvel highway between Turbhe and Belapur is good enough to see the plundering of the hills on the left side, behind the Thane- Belapur industrial belt and come to Uran and we will show you the destruction of the nature in broad daylight.

Advocate Girish Raut of NGO 'Save Earth said thousands of mangroves have been destroyed for development in BKC and other parts of the city. Globally, several warnings have been issued against the dangers of global warming, which is irreversible. Yet the urban planners do not seem to realise the perils of destruction of the nature.

Himanshu Prem Joshi, under whose leadership a vast green belt has been developed on a garbage dump, said it is the duty of each and every citizen to be alert against the destruction of nature and the need to preserve it. The Bhavana Nature and Adventure Centre project at Andheri is a shining example of preserving the nature, he said.

The Girgaum Chowpatty floods and Mitthi River tragedy are still fresh in the peoples memory and we are yet to learn the lesson that we are not supposed to play with the nature, speakers pointed out.
Met warns of extreme weather conditions in most parts of the country

The weather bureau has warned of extreme weather conditions across the country, with Thunderstorm accompanied by squall and hail and gusty winds in many place in the north and the east and heat wave conditions in some northern parts of the country over the next few days.

It has also alerted fishermen of rough sea conditions along and off West Bengal-Odisha coasts as well as the west coast.

The Met office has warned of thunderstorm accompanied with squall and hail in isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and possibly in isolated places of Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal.

Thunderstorms accompanied with gusty winds are very likely at isolated places over Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, South Chhattisgarh and Kerala, according to the weather office.

Heavy rain is also very likely at isolated places over south Assam and Meghalaya and Mizoram and Tripura, it said.

The weather office also warned of strong winds with speed occasionally reaching 40-50 kmph with moderate to rough sea conditions along and off West Bengal-Odisha coasts and has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off these coasts.

Based on the forecast generated by INCOIS, moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely to prevail along the West coast of India and rough to very rough over southern parts of the West Coast and Lakshadweep area in the morning hours. Fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into the sea along and off these areas.

For tomorrow (22 April) the Met has warned of thunderstorm accompanied by squall and hail at isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim as also in isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal.

In isolated places over Telangana, Tamilnadu, interior Karnataka and Kerala, the Met said thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds are likely.

Based on the forecast generated by INCOIS, moderate to rough sea conditions are very likely to prevail along and off the West Coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Fishermen are advised to be cautious while venturing into the Sea along and off these areas.

Met said the heat wave conditions are likely to prevail in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on the following day, ie, Monday.

Based on the forecast generated by INCOIS, rough to very rough sea conditions are likely to prevail along and off the West Coast of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Sea along and off these areas, the Met release said.

On Thursday (24 April), the Met said thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds is likely at isolated places over Telangana.

Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail in some parts of Jammu and Kashmir Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, it added.
Prince Charles set to head Commonwealth as queen nears retirement

Prince Charles was approved as the successor to Queen Elizabeth II as head of the Commonwealth at a meeting of the groups heads of government in Windsor on Friday, BBC and other media reported.

There have been calls for the role to be rotated around the 53 member-states, most of which are former British territories, but in recent days the queen, the British government and other leaders have backed Charles. There have been calls for the role to be rotated around the 53 member-states, most of which are former British territories, but in recent days the queen, the British government and other leaders have backed Charles.

Queen Elizabeth on Thursday told leaders from the 53 member states that she wanted her eldest son to succeed her in the symbolic figurehead role.

Leaders travelled 20 miles outside London to gather at Windsor Castle for private talks, and agreed that Charles, heir to the thrones of 16 Commonwealth nations, should follow the monarch in the non-hereditary position, the BBC, Sky News television and the domestic Press Association news agency reported.

Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the UK on Friday and was no doubt present at the talks  India, a former colony that was once the jewel in the imperial crown, is very much part of the Commonwealth. But the Indian media so far is silent on this, and it is not known what stand, if any, Modi took.

The Commonwealth Secretariat, which carries out the organisations day-to-day work, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters and others. Prime Minister Theresa Mays office did not comment on the report.

The Commonwealth evolved out of the British Empire in the mid-20th century, and the queen has been its head since her reign began in 1952. Charles had long been expected to take on the role even though it is not strictly hereditary.

Following Queen Elizabeth's public call as she opened the group's summit on Thursday for potentially the final time, a series of Commonwealth premiers voiced their support Thursday for Charles as a figure of stability and continuity.

Queen Elizabeth, who turns 92 today, spoke of her own "extraordinary journey" since pledging to serve the Commonwealth for life when aged 21.

This weeks Commonwealth summit has seen thousands of delegates from across the globe descending on London, debating issues such as the environment, womens rights and trade. It was to end on Friday when May was due to speak at the time of this report.

"It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day, the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work," the queen said, referring to Charles.

British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, head of the Labour Party, said on Sunday that the role could go to a rotating presidency.

But British Prime Minister Theresa May gave her backing to 69-year-old Charles.

"The government supports the Prince of Wales as the next head of the Commonwealth. He has been a proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades," her spokesman said.

Britain has sought to use its hosting of the event as a chance to reinvigorate the loose alliance of countries, which have a combined population of 2.4 billion people, eyeing increased trade and global influence as it prepares to leave the European Union.

But the summit has been overshadowed by the embarrassing treatment of Caribbean migrants who came to Britain after World War II to help rebuild the country but have been caught up in a tightening of immigration rules.

The biennial meeting, taking place in Britain for the first time in 20 years, could be the last attended by the queen as she cuts back on some of her official duties. The next summit is due to be held in Malaysia in 2020.
Algorithm tool works to silence online chatroom sex predators

An algorithm tool developed by Purdue Polytechnic Institute faculty will help law enforcement filter out and focus on sex offenders most likely to set up face-to-face meetings with child victims.

The Chat Analysis Triage Tool (CATT) was presented last week by principal investigator Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar, assistant professor of computer and information technology, at the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts Conference in Anaheim, California.

Seigfried-Spellar said law enforcement officers are inundated with cases involving the sexual solicitation of minors  some interested in sexual fantasy chats, with others intent on persuading an underage victim into a face-to-face meeting.

CATT allows the officers to work through the volume of solicitations and use algorithms to examine the word usage and conversation patterns by a suspect. Seigfried-Spellar said data was taken from online conversations provided voluntarily by law enforcement around the country.

"We went through and tried to identify language-based differences and factors like self-disclosure," she said. Self-disclosure is a tactic in which the suspect tries to develop trust by sharing a personal story, which is usually negative, such as parental abuse.

"If we can identify language differences, then the tool can identify these differences in the chats in order to give a risk assessment and a probability that this person is going to attempt face-to-face contact with the victim," Seigfried-Spellar said. "That way, officers can begin to prioritize which cases they want to put resources toward to investigate more quickly."

Other standout characteristics of sexual predators grooming victims for a face-to-face meeting is that the chats will often go on for weeks or even months until a meeting is achieved. Those involved in sexual fantasy chatting move on from one youth to another quickly.

The project started as a result of a partnership with Ventura County Sheriff's Department in California.

Seigfried-Spellar said the research discovered tactics like self-disclosure is used early in a predator's talks with a potential victim.

"Meaning that we could potentially stop a sex offense from occurring because if law enforcement is notified of a suspicious chat quickly enough, CATT can analyse and offer the probability of a face-to-face," she said. "We could potentially prevent a child from being sexually assaulted."

Seigfried-Spellar worked in developing CATT with two co-principal investigators, associate professor Julia Taylor Rayz, who specializes in machine learning and natural language processing, and computer and information technology department head Marcus Rogers, who has an extensive background in digital forensics tool development.

CATT algorithms examine only the conversation factors and do not take the sex of either suspect or victim into consideration, at this time.

The project began with initial research done by Seigfried-Spellar and former Purdue professor Ming Ming Chiu. The exploratory study examined more than 4,300 messages in 107 online chat sessions involving arrested sex offenders, identifying different trends in word usage and self-disclosure by fantasy and contact sex offenders using statistical discourse analysis.

The trends determined through this research formed the basis for CATT. The research, "Detecting Contact vs. Fantasy Online Sexual Offenders in Chats with Minors: Statistical Discourse Analysis of Self-Disclosure and Emotion Words," has been accepted and will be published in the journal "Child Abuse and Neglect."

Initial plans are to turn the tool over to several law enforcement departments for a test run. Seigfried-Spellar said CATT could be handling data from active cases as early as the end of the year.

The conversation analysis provides the basis for future law enforcement tools as well, she said.

"What if there is a chat online and you don't know if you're chatting with an offender or someone who is 15 years old pretending to be 30," she said. "Maybe then, this tool can analyse the differences in an actual 13-year-old versus someone who is pretending to be 13 or an actual adult versus someone who is pretending to be an adult.

"So, you can then start trying to figure out, language wise, who this person is I'm chatting with."

At some point, she believes CATT could even teach officers to better portray a 10-year-old victim by perfecting constantly changing factors like language, emojis and acronyms.

"In these types of operations, our goal isn't to entrap people," she said. "In these, the offender is initiating, and as they do that, law enforcement is simply responding.

"If officers can respond in a way that speeds up the process, that gets the person off the street sooner compared to waiting eight months to allow a trust relationship to develop."
Dementia diagnosis linked to unnecessary medication use

A new international study led by University of Sydney has found that medication use increases in newly diagnosed dementia patients, particularly unnecessary or inappropriate medications.

Published today in Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, the longitudinal study of nearly 2,500 people was conducted in collaboration with Yale University and University of Kentucky.

The number of people living with dementia around the world is 50 million and in Australia is currently 425,000. This has significant cost implications for healthcare systems with recent estimates suggesting that dementia will cost Australia more than $15 billion per year. Dementia is currently the second leading cause of death in Australia.

"Our study found that following a diagnosis of dementia in older people, medication use increased by 11 per cent in a year and the use of potentially inappropriate medications increased by 17 per cent," said lead author Dr Danijela Gnjidic, NHMRC Dementia Leadership Fellow and Senior Lecturer from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Charles Perkins Centre at University of Sydney.

Potentially inappropriate or unnecessary medications included sleeping tablets, pain drugs, depression drugs and acid reflux drugs (proton pump inhibitors).

"These medications are typically recommended for short-term use but are commonly used long term by people with dementia," she said.

"A number of reasons may account for this, including inadequate guidelines, lack of time during physician patient encounters, diminished decision-making capacity, difficulties with comprehension and communication, and difficulties in establishing goals of care.

"These findings are of major concern and highlight the importance of weighing up the harms and benefits of taking potentially unnecessary medications as they may lead to increased risk of side effects such as sedation or drowsiness, and adverse drug events such as falls, fractures and hospitalisation.

"Further efforts are clearly needed to support better recognition of potentially inappropriate medications to minimise possible harms and warrants interventions to minimise such prescribing.

"For Australians living with dementia and their caregivers (who commonly are responsible for managing medications for people with dementia), the key is to communicate closely with general practitioners, pharmacists and other health professionals to make informed decisions and to practice good medicine management techniques to minimise the risk of side effects.

"Deprescribing unnecessary medications may improve an individual's quality of life and can reduce unnecessary healthcare cost."
It seems not all cars are created equal.

Standard features are a contentious issue in new car land; why some car makers offer features free of charge where others do not often befuddles the consumer.

Safety and infotainment features see the biggest discrepancies between brands. And what is often surprising is that luxury car brands often charge extra for features that are complimentary on mainstream vehicles.

Price seems to be no barrier for optional extras either, as even some of the most expensive cars on the market require you to chip in more for the right to sync your smartphone or warm your buttocks.

In Drive's eyes these optional extras should be complimentary.

Autonomous Emergency Braking

AEB is the buzzy safety tech of the last few years; ANCAP now demands that cars have it if they want a five star rating and most car makers are waking up to the fact that buyers want it, too.

The technology is one of the biggest contributors to reducing nose-to-tail accidents, which will not only reduce injuries but has the potential to lower insurance premiums, which seems like a win-win for all.

The active safety technology has trickled down from the top end luxury cars over the years and now features in cut-price models like the Kia Picanto city car which is priced from $14,190 before on road costs. And a lot of brands, such as Toyota, which have clipped on the safety tech for new model years are now adding it as standard across the range.

However, some brand's wait for the next-generation model or mid-life update to arrive before offering the crucial safety technology.

Hyundai is one such brand that is waiting until the mid-life update of the Tucson family SUV arrives to include AEB as standard across the range - it is currently only available only on the range-topping Highlander grade. A Highlander petrol costs around $15,000 more than the entry-level Active model, which is a big jump for those wanting AEB. Hyundai will soon remedy this situation when the refreshed model goes on sale in the third quarter of this year.

Mazda was commended at last year's Drive Car of the Year award for offering AEB as standard across all its mainstream passenger cars all the way up from its pint-sized 2 city car.

Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
The new tax structure will also change the prices of vehicles across the country. Prices of cars, SUVs and two-wheelers will increase or decrease depending on the city's tax rates. Cities like Bangalore or Mumbai, which have comparatively higher tax rates will see a reduction in vehicle prices. However, vehicles in other cities like Delhi with low tax rates will become more expensive.

The uniform tax proposal though will have its share of benefits. One of which is the inter-state transfer of used cars across the country. The new proposal will help change the current time-consuming procedure into a more streamlined process online.

As per the new proposal, owners will not have to pay any road tax while transferring their vehicles from one state to another. This rule though will apply to only those vehicles, which are over two years old or when the difference in the tax rates of the two states is less than two percent.

The Centre has set up a group of state transport ministers (GoM), who will address the concerns related to the transport sector, while also recommending reforms.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has already set up two central online databases: Vahan-4 and Sarathi-4. The Vahan-4 will be used for registering details of vehicles. While the Sarathi-4 gives access to authorities who can delete existing registration numbers or licenses and issue new ones after application.

The GoM has recommended three divisions for the road tax: eight percent for vehicles costing under Rs 10 lakh, 10 percent for vehicles between Rs 10 - 20 lakh and 12 percent for those above the 20 lakh prices.

The transport ministry has also proposed a One Nation - One Permit' structure for commercial vehicles. This proposal will ease the transfer of goods across the country. This could further lead to a decrease in the cost of commodities such as food etc.

Thoughts On The Uniform Tax Proposal

The uniform tax across the country once implemented, could see a reduction of people misusing the varying tax rates. It will discourage people to register their vehicles in lower taxed regions and use them in comparatively higher taxed cities.
A 51-year-old man who denied knowing that a car left in the garage at his home was stolen, had the case against him struck out at Dundalk District Court last week.

Kenneth Bromley of Allwinds, Dublin Rd, Dundalk had pleaded not guilty to knowing or being reckless as to whether the Volkswagen Jetta was stolen, but admitted a firearms offence, in relation to a starting pistol that was found during a garda search.

The owner of the car told the court last Wednesday that it was parked at her home, when she went to bed around 11.30pm on the 28th of June 2016 and when she woke the following morning, her then partner  a son of the defendant, told her the house had been broken into and the car was gone.

During cross examination by the defence solicitor, the witness confirmed that the kitchen window hadn't been broken, but had been removed and she agreed she had asked her partner to leave the house because of what happened.

She also confirmed that she had ended the relationship as a result.

The court heard the car was found in a garage at the defendant's home, when a search warrant was executed on the 11th of July.

After he was arrested, the defendant told gardai that his then 27-year-old son had left the car there about a fortnight before and the accused said he thought there was something wrong with it.

The defence solicitor stressed that his client did not believe the car was stolen, while in the witness box, under oath Mr. Bromley said I wouldn't have a stolen car.

Judge John Coughlan said he had a doubt and struck out the handling stolen property charge.

He applied the Probation Act in respect of having the starting pistol without a firearms certificate, after the court was told the accused had bought it in a market 15 years ago.

The defence solicitor stressed that there was nothing sinister about the item, which he said fires two pellets and is used to start races.
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By Jen Fela

We're celebrating a huge moment in the global movement for a plastic-free future: More than one million people around the world have called on big corporations to do their part to end single-use plastics.

Now we're taking the next big step. We're setting an ambitious new goal: A Million Acts of Blue.

What's an Act of Blue?

An Act of Blue is any action that helps to stop single-use plastic from being created in the first place. It's inspired by love for our amazing blue planet and the urgent need to protect our oceans, waterways, landscapes and communities. It aims to hold corporations accountable for the plastic pollution crisis they helped to create.

Our marine life shouldn't have to live in a sea of plastic.

Ways to create change in your community.



We've created a comprehensive guide to creating change in your community with several kinds of actions you can take. These range from learning and sharing your passion for this issue to passing legislation in your city. Get started today to create a plastic-free future!

1. Learn, share and join

The first step towards action is knowledge. Are you a member of a community group that is eager to learn more about how they can protect our oceans and communities? Maybe your child's teacher is looking for ways to teach kids about environmental protection? Our toolkit has powerpoints and tips for giving a presentationyou can even host a movie night!

2. Be heard in the media

If you want to make change in your community, start with local media! Local newspapers, blogs and magazines are a great venue for getting the word out. In the toolkit, we walk you through how to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and how to get it published.

3. Help create plastic-free supermarkets and restaurants

Nowhere is the dominance of single-use plastics and wasteful packaging more obvious than at the local supermarket. Make waves in your community by working to get a local supermarket to reduce their use of single-use plastics.

4. Get restaurants to ditch single-use plastics

Fed up with all the plastic straws and utensils at fast food places and cafes? Join the growing movement urging establishments to get rid of throwaway plastic products.

5. Lobby for local legislation

All over the world, towns, cities and villages are standing up for a plastic-free future by implementing local bans and laws restricting the use of throwaway plastic. Be part of this movement by working with your neighbors to get your local government to do the same.

6. Organize a local cleanup and #BreakFreeFromPlastic brand audit

Everyone loves a cleanup event, so why not take it to the next level? Get your community together to clean up a local beach, park, or riverbankbut don't stop there. Go through the single-use plastics collected and identify which companies produced them. Let's hold corporations responsible for their plastic waste!

7. Start a community group!

You don't have to go it alone. We have a lot of work to do, and we'll get a lot furtherand have more funtogether. Get some friends and neighbors together for a plastic-free future!

Greenpeace and MCS (Marine Conservation Society) Mull Beach Clean at Kilninian Beach with pupils from Ulver Primary School, Isle Of Mull. Greenpeace brought its ship the Beluga II on an expedition of scientific research around Scotland, sampling seawater for microplastics and documenting the impact of ocean plastic on some of the UK's most precious marine life.

Excited to get started? Check out the full Million Acts of Blue toolkit to find out more about how you can work in your own community to end single-use plastics.


Police seek man in relation to ongoing enquiry

The Manx police force is appealing for help finding a man in relation to an ongoing enquiry.

Officers from the Isle of Man Constabulary want to speak to Karl Cameron.

Police haven't released further details of the investigation.

Anyone who has seen him is asked to contact Police Headquarters or ask him to contact the police as soon as possible.
2018-04-20

Maeci

On 18 April 2018, Italian Chief Torpedoman Carlo Acefalo (1916-1940) started on his journey back home. Born in Monastero Vasco, Acefalo died on the Sudanese Musa Kebir Islet after the Italian submarine Maccale was sunk during World War II. He had been buried on the Sudanese island until his remains were found a few months ago, during an expedition to the African Country by Italo-Argentinian film director Ricardo Preve to shoot a documentary film on the Italian soldier titled Tornando a casa (Coming Home).

The Italian Ambassador in Sudan, Fabrizio Lobasso, explained: Today is a special day for the friendship between Italy and Sudan. We are proud and moved. The collaboration between the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, the Red Sea State and the Sudanese Embassy in Rome and the Italian diplomatic and consular authorities in Sudan has always been exemplary. We started from very far away but today, with the help of local authorities and the Italian Foreign Ministry, we are proud to be able to say that we did it: torpedoman Acefalo is starting on his symbolic journey back home to his loved ones.
One of the most frustrating and debilitating complications of diabetes is the development of wounds on the foot or lower leg. Once they form, they can persist for months, leading to painful and dangerous infections.

New research uncovers the role of a particular protein in maintaining these wounds and suggests that reversing its effects could help aid wound healing in patients with diabetes.

"We discovered that a specific protein, thrombospondin-2 (TSP2), is elevated in wounds of patients with diabetes as well as in animal models of diabetes," said Britta Kunkemoeller, a doctoral student at Yale University who conducted the study. "To determine whether TSP2 contributes to delayed wound healing, we genetically removed TSP2 from a mouse model of diabetes and observed improved wound healing. Our study shows that TSP2 could be a target for a specific therapy for diabetic wounds."

Kunkemoeller will present the research at the American Society for Investigative Pathology annual meeting during the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting, held April 21-25 in San Diego.

Diabetes currently afflicts nearly 26 million Americans, more than 8 percent of the population. Diabetic wounds are one of many complications of the disease.

Treatment for these wounds is mostly limited to standard wound care, such as moist bandages, removal of damaged tissue and footwear that reduces pressure on the wound. Despite these measures, the wounds often persist. In the most severe cases, it becomes necessary to amputate the affected foot or lower leg; diabetic wounds are the leading cause of amputations in the United States.

Most previous work on wound healing in diabetes has focused on the types of cells that are involved in wound healing such as immune cells, skin cells and the cells that form blood vessels. By contrast, Kunkemoeller's research focuses on TSP2, a component of the extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix is a meshwork that serves as the structural foundation for cells, like the scaffolding used in construction.

In addition to providing structural support, the extracellular matrix regulates processes that are important to wound healing, including the behavior of immune, skin and vessel-forming cells. TSP2 is a component of the extracellular matrix that influences how the matrix is formed, as well as the development and communication of other types of cells that grow within the matrix.

"Our focus on TSP2 therefore allowed us to study a single molecule that influences several wound-healing related processes," explained Kunkemoeller.

The team bred mice that develop type 2 diabetes but cannot produce TSP2. When the researchers induced wounds in these mice, they found that the mice without TSP2 healed significantly better and faster than other mice that had diabetes along with normal levels of TSP2.

They also analyzed the factors that influence how much TSP2 the body produces. That part of the study revealed that TSP2 production increases when blood sugar levels are higher, explaining why people with diabetes have higher levels of TSP2 than people without diabetes.

"Currently, our lab is developing engineered biomaterials derived from extracellular matrix that lacks TSP2," said Kunkemoeller. "Our plan is to apply such materials to diabetic wounds in mouse models in order to evaluate their efficacy. Going forward, additional research will focus on either preventing the production or inhibiting the function of TSP2 in diabetic wounds."

Britta Kunkemoeller will present this research on Saturday, April 21, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. in Room 2 (poster 414.3), San Diego Convention Center (abstract) and on Tuesday, April 24, from 2:30-2:45 p.m. in Room 4. Contact the media team for more information or to obtain a free press pass to attend the meeting.

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Image available.

About Experimental Biology 2018

Experimental Biology is an annual meeting that attracts more than 14,000 scientists and exhibitors from five host societies and more than two dozen guest societies. With a mission to share the newest scientific concepts and research findings shaping clinical advances, the meeting offers an unparalleled opportunity for exchange among scientists from across the U.S. and the world who represent dozens of scientific areas, from laboratory to translational to clinical research. http://www.experimentalbiology.org #expbio

About the American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP)

ASIP is a society of biomedical scientists who investigate mechanisms of disease. Investigative pathology is an integrative discipline that links the presentation of disease in the whole organism to its fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms. ASIP advocates for the practice of investigative pathology and fosters the professional career development and education of its members. http://www.asip.org

Find more news briefs and tipsheets at: https://www.eurekalert.org/meetings/eb/2018/newsroom.
Madrid, Spain: A seven-day course of antibiotic treatment for Gram-negative bacteraemia (GNB), a serious infection that occurs when bacteria get into the bloodstream, was shown to offer similar patient outcomes as a 14-day course, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) [1].

Researchers assessed several primary outcomes, including mortality and whether a patient was readmitted to the hospital or had to remain in hospital longer than 14 days. In the group of 306 patients treated with a seven-day course, 46%, or 141 patients, experienced these primary outcomes. In the group of 298 patients who received the longer treatment course, that figure was 50%, or 149 patients.

The findings of a 604-patient clinical trial presented by Dr Dafna Yahav from Tel Aviv University show that mortality rate and other outcomes are similar in the shorter treatment length. Additionally, the shorter treatment may allow patients to return to their everyday activity faster.

"In patients hospitalized with GNB and sepsis resolution before day seven, a course of seven antibiotic days was not inferior to 14 days, reduced antibiotic days and resulted in a more rapid return to baseline activity," Yahav said. "This could lead to a change in accepted management algorithms and shortened antibiotic therapy. Potentially, though we did not show that in our trial, it may lead to reduced cost, resistance development and adverse events."

GNB is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. It occurs when bacteria get into the bloodstream as a result of an infection (e.g. a urinary tract infection), surgery or the inappropriate use of medical devices (e.g. catheters). There has been little data available to physicians to assist them in assigning the most beneficial length of antibiotic treatment.

Yahav anticipates that healthcare workers will implement shorter treatment protocols based on these findings. "Shorter therapy had no proven disadvantages. As true for all trials, before physicians use our findings to lead their therapy they should verify that our results are valid for their patients. We included patients that were stable at time of randomization, mostly patients with UTI (68%) and with Enterobacteriaceae as the causative organism (90%)."

Yahav and last author Mical Paul assessed the outcomes for patients admitted to three hospitals in Israel and Italy between January 2013 and August 2017. They analysed 90-day outcomes for 604 patients, 306 patients received a seven-day course of antibiotics and 298 patients received the longer 14-day treatment. Patients with ongoing sepsis or cases where there was an uncontrolled source of infection were excluded from the study.

Additionally, the researchers examined a host of other patient outcomes, such as mortality at 30 and 90 days, whether or not the patient developed secondary infections, if they developed a Clostridium difficile infection that can be common after antibiotic treatment. Yahav's team also noted total number of days patients were treated with antibiotics, remained in hospital, their functional capacity, how long it took them to return to everyday activities, any development of resistance or other negative side effects of treatment.

Thirty-six patients on the shorter treatment course, or 11.8%, had died at the 90-day mark compared with 32 patients, or 10.7%, in the longer treatment group.

In the shorter treatment group, the number of antibiotic days was reduced significantly. Those who were part of the short-term treatment arm were treated a median five days compared with those of the long-term arm, which were treated for a median 12 days. This resulted in a reduction of 1,551 antibiotic days and, Zahav said, had the benefit of allowing patients to return to regular daily activities faster. Patients in the seven-day group were able to return to baseline activities in a range of zero to just over eight weeks. The 14-day group saw a slower return to baseline activities, within a range of one to twelve weeks.

###

Abstract no: O1120, Seven versus 14 antibiotic days for the treatment of Gram-negative bacteraemia: non-inferiority randomized controlled trial, session Clinical Trials, 16:00 - 18:00, Sunday, 22 April 2018, Hall Q

[1] The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). This year it will take place from 21 - 24 April 2018 in Madrid, Spain. At the world's largest congress combining the fields of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, researchers will present more than 3,000 regular and late-breaking abstracts with the latest findings and recommendations, which are set to help improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infection-related diseases. The congress offers almost 200 sessions, including keynote lectures, symposia, oral sessions, educational workshops and meet-the-expert session. ECCMID expects approximately 13,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

About ESCMID

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in Europe and beyond. The society promotes and supports research, education, training and good medical practice in infection-related disciplines with a special focus on antimicrobial resistance to build capacity throughout the world. http://www.escmid.org

Contact

Chantal Britt

ESCMID Communications Manager

ESCMID Executive Office

P.O. Box 214, CH-4010 Basel

Phone +41 61 508 01 57

Mobile +41 76 588 08 24

Email chantal.britt@escmid.org

http://www.escmid.org

Tara Giroud

ECCMID Communications Assistant

Mobile +41 78 705 79 85

Email taragiroud@gmail.com
Madrid, Spain: The antibiotic combination treatment piperacillin-tazobactam was significantly less effective than meropenem when treating potentially fatal bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by ceftriaxone-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae and should be avoided when treating these organisms, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) [1].

Researchers from the Centre of Clinical Research at the University of Queensland determined whether piperacillin-tazobactam, a penicillin-based combination therapy, was as effective for treating BSI as the commonly used antibiotic meropenem. Their hypothesis was that definitive therapy with piperacillin-tazobactam was non-inferior to meropenem.

While there was no difference between the two groups regarding subsequent infections of drug-resistant bacteria or C. difficile, the difference in mortality rate was significant. Twenty-three patients, or 12.3%, treated with piperacillin-tazobactam died by the 30-day mark compared with seven patients, or 3.7%, who had been treated with meropenem.

"The use of piperacillin-tatobactam as definitive therapy for bloodstream infections caused by E. coli or K. pneumoniae with non-susceptibility to third-generation cephalosporins was inferior to meropenem and should be avoided in this context," presenting author Dr Patrick Harris concluded in his presentation.

During the last 10 years the rate of carbapenem resistance has been increasing exponentially worldwide. Researchers urgently need reliable data from well-designed trials to guide clinicians in the treatment of antibiotic resistant Gram-negative infections. Physicians face a situation where meropenem, which is commonly used for bloodstream infection, is suspected of driving resistance to carbapenem, a highly effective antibiotic agent that is usually reserved for known or suspected difficult-to-treat multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections.

Bloodstream infections carry a high risk for morbidity and mortality. Such infections are common in the hospital setting and they often are difficult to treat because K. pneumoniae and E. coli, the leading cause of BSIs, have developed resistance to cephalosporins, a class of antibiotics originally made from fungi.

The team enrolled adult patients from 32 sites in nine countries - most patients were recruited in Singapore, Australia and Turkey. The study included 378 patients between February 2014 and July 2017. Healthcare-associated infections were the most common, accounting for more than half of the infections in the study group. Most infections, 60.9%, originated in the urinary tract before spreading to the bloodstream. And 86.5% of the cases were caused by the E. coli bacteria.

Harris's team examined the primary outcome for these patients, which was mortality at 30 days after the randomisation. Randomisation occurred within 72 hours of the initial blood culture.

The team also noted secondary outcomes, those consisted of the number of days for each patient to reach the resolution of the infection, the clinical and microbiological success at day four, any relapse of the bloodstream infection or a secondary infection with an organism that was resistant to the trial drugs or Clostridium difficile, which is another type of bacteria that may lead to life-threatening symptoms and is sometimes a side effect of antibiotic treatment.

###

Abstract no: O1121, The MERINO Trial: piperacillin-tazobactam versus meropenem for the definitive treatment of bloodstream infections caused by third-generation cephalosporin non-susceptible Escherichia coli or Klebsiella spp.: an international multi-centre open-label non-inferiority randomised controlled trial; session Late breaker: Clinical trials, 16:00 - 18:00, Sunday, 22 April 2018, Hall Q

[1] The European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) is the annual meeting of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). This year it will take place from 21 - 24 April 2018 in Madrid, Spain. At the world's largest congress combining the fields of infectious diseases and clinical microbiology, researchers will present more than 3,000 regular and late-breaking abstracts with the latest findings and recommendations, which are set to help improve diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infection-related diseases. The congress offers almost 200 sessions, including keynote lectures, symposia, oral sessions, educational workshops and meet-the-expert session. ECCMID expects approximately 13,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

About ESCMID

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in Europe and beyond. The society promotes and supports research, education, training and good medical practice in infection-related disciplines with a special focus on antimicrobial resistance to build capacity throughout the world. http://www.escmid.org

Contact

Chantal Britt

ESCMID Communications Manager

ESCMID Executive Office

P.O. Box 214, CH-4010 Basel

Phone +41 61 508 01 57

Mobile +41 76 588 08 24

Email chantal.britt@escmid.org

http://www.escmid.org

Tara Giroud

ECCMID Communications Assistant

Mobile +41 78 705 79 85

Email taragiroud@gmail.com
English businesses would benefit from a Swiss-style apprenticeship system that starts earlier and lasts longer, a report authored by Swiss experts has found. But not all English businesses agree that apprenticeships are a good thing.

Apprenticeships are a key part of the United Kingdoms governments plans to improve technical skills among young people and to ensure the country can meet labour market needs post-Brexit. Reforms include a new employer levy (see infobox), and the target is to create three million more apprenticeships by 2020.

In contrast, Switzerland has a long tradition of apprenticeships. Two thirds of school leavers opt to take this route, and the system has been singled out as one of the best worldwide by the OECD and researchers at Harvard.

Apprenticeship training in England  an effective model for firms? was published by the London-based Education Policy Institute (EPI), German think tank Bertelsmann Stiftung, and the JP Morgan Chase Foundation on April 6  the first anniversary of the levy. It was authored by Stefan Wolter, a leading economist at the University of Bern, and colleague Eva Joho.

England: apprenticeship situation

So far, the results of the levy are mixed: there is an increase in apprenticeships, but not for young people. Actually, this number is in decline because last year companies more or less used the money for what we would call in Switzerland continuous education or adult education. So, the goal of really supporting apprenticeships was not reached, Wolter told swissinfo.ch.

There is also a certain amount of scepticism among English businesses which see apprenticeships as an extra burden and cost, he said.

Using cost-benefit data from around 2,500 Swiss training firms as well as the UKs labour force survey, Wolters report looked at how the Swiss approach could work if applied to England. The aim was to simulate the outcome for a typical average English firm in one of the ten occupations selected for the report.

Simulation means: same number of hours of training as in Switzerland, same relative productivity of apprentices during the apprenticeship compared to skilled workers but with English market conditions like UK wages and wage structure, Wolter explained. We produced a result to show whether a company training an IT technician, cook or waitress could expect a net benefit after training.

Earlier and longer

The report found that employers and apprentices would indeed benefit from school leavers starting apprenticeships earlier and staying in them for a longer period. Currently 60% of English apprenticeships start at age 19, whereas most Swiss ones start age 15-16.

The chances for firms of breaking even at the end of the training period of an apprenticeship are the highest for three-year programmes, assuming that the apprentices are younger than 19 years, because minimum wages increase substantially afterwards, the report found.

Therefore, apprenticeships for young people as an alternative to school-based general education or school-based vocational training may produce the best outcomes from the perspective of firms.

Boosting skills

Among the reports other recommendations were: providing financial incentives for smaller firms to train apprentices and boosting the quality of apprenticeships overall.

How can you expect an English apprentice to have the same skills in the same occupation if a Swiss or German apprenticeship needs 3-4 years and the English one, a year? Wolter said.

There is also a difference in how the apprenticeship is carried out: in England an external training provider does the training and the firm offers work experience, Wolter said. In Switzerland  and in Germany, another country with a long apprenticeship tradition  the firm does more: the apprentice, although combining school and work, learns at least half of his or her skills on the job. The firm has a mandatory formal training plan.

Could you simply transplant the Swiss system to England? You could, but you would have to implement many changes to the system in England, Wolter said.

Our report only touches on a tiny piece of the whole jigsaw puzzle, but an important one: we say if English firms would do as Swiss ones they could under certain circumstances expect a net benefit; but we do not mention all the elements that need to be changed to get to the situation where an English firm is run like a Swiss one. So, our report should be seen as a first stepping stone towards the change of the system.

OECD: quality issues

Wolters report is not the only one to suggest changes are needed in England. An OECD report published on April 11 said that while England had committed itself to a very ambitious programme to develop apprenticeships, issues remained.

For one, English apprenticeships devote far less time to general education than other countries (50-100 hours over the course of their apprenticeship, compared with 400 hours over a range of subjects in Switzerland and Germany).

Apprenticeship workplace training was also deemed to be 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, concluded the OECD.

Employer levy The employer levy is a tax to be paid by UK employers with a payroll of over 3 million (CHF4.1 billion), set at 0.5% of their payroll. It is paid into a fund. Employers can then use this fund, to which the government adds an extra 10% in England, on apprenticeship training. Data gathered by the Open University found that of the 1.39 billion paid into the levy by English firms, just 108 million was withdrawn, which was interpreted as showing that employers were struggling with the new system. Anne Milton, the UK apprenticeships and skills minister, has defended the reforms, saying in the Telegraph newspaper that while it had taken some businesses longer to get going on their apprenticeship programmes using the levy, many others were forging ahead.
Almost every article published by swissinfo.ch containsa percentage, an age, an amount of money or some other figure.Heres a round-up of the most interesting statistics to appear in the past weeks stories.

Monday

1,231

The number of seconds it took for the head of the Boogg, a stuffed snowman, to explode in Zurich. The 20 minutes and 31 seconds (a relatively long time) traditionally means a poor summer.

Tuesday

52

The Montreux Jazz Festival will take placed for the 52nd time from June 29 to July 14. The line-up was announced on Tuesday, with headline names including Nick Cave, Jamiroquai, Van Morrison, N.E.R.D, Jack White, Chick Corea and Gilberto Gil.

Wednesday

996

Between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019, a total of 996 work permits can be issued to Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants, the government announced.

Thursday

1.20

As the Swiss franc weakens towards the threshold CHF1.20 exchange rate with the euro, the likelihood remains slim that Switzerlands central bank will alter monetary policy any time soon. On Thursday morning, one euro cost CHF1.198.

Friday

2,900

Thats how manymore requests there were for Swiss citizenship between May 2017 and March 2018in the city of Zurich compared with the same period the previous years. Thats a rise of 65% The reason? A letter sent to all eligible foreigners urging them to become citizens before the criteria became stricter.
Relations between Switzerland and the United States have improved under the Trump administration, Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer told Swiss public radio, SRF, on Saturday.

Maurer is heading a Swiss delegation, together with Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann and Thomas Jordan, Chairman of the Swiss National Bank, which is attending the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group spring meetings in Washington from April 20-22.

Maurer, a member of the conservative right Swiss Peoples Party,told SRF that relations with the US have clearly improved compared to the previous Barack Obama presidency, which was dogged by a long-running tax dispute and fines against Swiss banks.

Direct and improved contacts are possible between Switzerland and the US, which some people might be surprised about, he added: The image we get of a rancorous [US] president, for example, does not correspond to reality. Its quite remarkable and Switzerland benefits from it.

The IMF predicts an ongoing recovery of the world economy, with global growth of 3.9% in 2018.It expects the Swiss economy to be energized by the global recovery and reduced status as a financialsafe-haven. Swiss gross domestic product should reach 2.25% in 2018 before falling to 1.75% in the mid-term. The IMF, however, warns against greater protectionism, led by the US.

Maurer said Switzerlands export-driven economy should be able to resist such pressures thanks to it being highly diversified. We may be less affected than other states, even if such measures are effective, he declared.

The Swiss minister sees other problems: At the moment we are only talking about trade. But this protectionism also applies to services. And that almost worries me more, as we have no access to the European market.

Switzerland participated in a meeting of G-20 finance minister and central bank governors ahead of the IMF and World Bank sessions. This is extremely important, Maurer added.

I am trying to cultivate personal contacts, because it is always important for Switzerland as a small economy to have good contacts with the big ones, he declared.













SRF/sb






Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Bilbao in northern Spain on Saturday, urging better conditions for jailed members or collaborators of ETA just weeks before the Basque separatist group is due to disband.

Shouting Basque prisoners home and waving the red, green and white Basque flag, they called for ETA prisoners to be transferred to jails closer to the northern region from where they are, hundreds of kilometres away, and freedom for those who are ill.

The protest comes a day after ETA apologised to some of its victims for the first time for the pain caused by its decades-long campaign of violence for an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southern France.

It was the most comprehensive apology yet by the group that killed at least 829 people, which a mediator says is set to announce its dissolution in a historic declaration in early May, nearly seven years after declaring a permanent ceasefire.

While some victims denounced the apology as half-hearted, given it did not extend to those the group considered legitimate targets such as police or politicians, others insisted it was a major step towards reconciliation and healing wounds in the Basque society.

There have been calls for the Spanish government to take a step too by transferring ETA prisoners closer to the Basque Country, rather than keeping most of them in jails hundreds of kilometres away where their sometimes elderly relatives have trouble visiting them.

This is known as the dispersal of prisoners.

A large majority of ETA prisoners are also kept under the strictest first degree jail regime which only allows them out in the yard for three to four hours a day and bans them from getting leave.

Under Spanish law, this applies to inmates who are extremely dangerous or who cannot adapt to more lenient prison regimes, and lawyers defending ETA prisoners argue they do not fall under those categories and should be given better conditions.

On its Twitter feed, the pro-independence Basque party Sortu said: It is urgently necessary to abolish the dispersal, to let sick prisoners go home and to end the first degree (regime).

The Spanish government, however, has said it will not change its policy towards prisoners linked to a group that also carried out kidnappings and extortion.

Some 300 ETA members are imprisoned in Spain, France and Portugal and up to 100 are still on the run, according to the Social Forum, an association that is close to the families of prisoners.
French President Emmanuel Macron hopes an oak sapling that he will give his American counterpart Donald Trump next week will be planted at the White House as a symbol of lasting friendship, he told Fox News on Friday.

Macron, who arrives in Washington Monday for a state visit while transatlantic tensions persist over trade, Syria and Iran, said he was mindful of how France was the first international ally of American revolutionaries during their war for independence.

He said that the gift he is bringing with him to the state visit in Washington is part of a tree  I think a seedling in effect  from an oak tree in northern France, that he hopes will be planted on the grounds of the White House to symbolize the enduring friendship, Foxs Chris Wallace said after interviewing Macron.

The White House grounds are among the oldest continually maintained ornamental landscapes in the United States, and feature a wide range of trees, flowers and bushes that reflect the changing seasons.

An iconic 200-year-old magnolia tree planted by president Andrew Jackson was deemed too damaged to remain in place and major portions of the tree were removed in December.

The French leader arrives during a period of mounting legal woes for the US president. FBI agents raided his personal lawyers offices, and former FBI boss James Comey published a tell-all book depicting Trump pressuring him over the probe into his campaigns links to Russia before firing him.

But Macron, speaking in a sit-down interview with Wallace at the Elysee Palace in Paris, stressed he was not interested in weighing in on the scandals. He said he would not judge Trump over the investigations or other controversies.

The interview airs Sunday on Fox.
Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones, who has been under pressure over the death of a former colleague, announced Saturday he was stepping down after almost nine years.

Jones, 51, told a meeting of his Welsh Labour party that he had been through the darkest of times and did not want to put his family through any more.

He has faced months of questions over the way he handled allegations of personal misconduct against a member of his cabinet, Carl Sargeant.

Sargeant was sacked in November and just days later he was found dead, apparently having killed himself.

I intend  as Ive always maintained  to be here to give every answer to every question, Jones said Saturday.

But I intend to stand down in the autumn, allowing for a new first minister to take place by the end of this year.

The former lawyer has been first minister of the devolved government in Cardiff since December 2009.
Provo, UT - Police have arrested two people after a man was found dead in the closet of a Provo home.

Provo Police found the man's body at in a unit at CastleBrook Condos on April 13.

Investigators said 20-year-old Dallas Joe Juggert and 20-year-old Mary Loueze Mace are accused of hiding it there.

Utah County documents state Juggert called a relative and said the man had overdosed on April 7 and that he was scared to report it because they had been using drugs and he was trying to regain custody of his son.

He also told the relative he contacted someone who goes by the name "Cupcake," who has a "clean-up crew," to dispose of the man's body and any evidence.

Before that could happen, Juggert found out his roommate's father was coming to the house.

Police said the pair panicked and ran, leaving the man's body in the closet.

Thats where police discovered it before Mace and Juggert could return.

Officers found Mace and Juggert April 19 at the Valley Inn Motel at 1425 S. State St., where they had been staying, unbeknownst to the business.

Juggert had a copy of the room key from a previous stay.

At the room, officers spoke with Mace who gave them a false name and told them she was alone.

Officers asked her to prove no one else was there.

Mace wouldn't let the officers in but showed them video of the room on her phone which accidentally revealed Juggert hiding in the bathroom.

Investigators also found meth paraphernalia and marijuana in the room.

Officers arrested the pair for desecration of a body, obstruction of justice and drug possession.
Mert Firat smoked almost two packs of cigarettes a day for nearly 14 years.

I recommend everybody to quit whatever they are smoking, Firat said. I dont recommend people vape or smoke.

However, a San Antonio law designed to discourage tobacco use among teenagers will at least temporarily hurt Firats business, he said.

In January, City Council voted 9-2 to raise the legal tobacco buying age from 18 to 21, becoming the first Texas city to do so and joining more than 280 U.S. municipalities that have enacted similar laws.

Retailers and convenience store owners who depend in part on sales of cigarettes, chewing tobacco and other tobacco products decried the measure as damaging to their livelihoods. Firat, who co-owns the Smoke to Live chain of local vape and e-cigarette shops, said he anticipates sales will take a hit for about six months after the ordinance takes effect Oct. 1.

But Firat said he expects young tobacco users will adapt to the ordinance. Customers younger than 21 have told Firat they plan to send their parents to buy tobacco products for them, or travel to neighboring cities and counties that arent covered by the ordinance.

Everybodys going to get used to it, Firat said. I dont think theyre going to quit vaping.

Opponents have vowed to push state lawmakers to override the ordinance with new legislation. San Antonios tobacco ordinance goes beyond current state law, which prohibits retailers from selling tobacco products to anyone younger than 18 and penalizes minors for the use and possession of those items. Merchants who violate the San Antonio ordinance could face a maximum fine of $500, but the local law doesnt penalize young adults caught buying or using tobacco.

Such a push could spark another battle in the war between Texas lawmakers and cities over local control. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is already embroiled in a legal fight against the city of Austins rules on short-term rentals booked through services such as Airbnb and Austin-based HomeAway Inc. after state lawmakers failed to advance legislation last year preventing cities from regulating the industry. But legislators did manage to override Austin regulations overseeing ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.

Paul Hardin, Texas Food and Fuel Association president, said his organization plans to push lawmakers to pass similar legislation limiting cities ability to regulate the tobacco purchasing age when the Texas Legislature reconvenes in 2019.

Smoking is bad for you, but its all about personal choice, Hardin said. And youre right to make that choice as an adult.

Major retailers have been mum about how the regulations will affect their business. H-E-B spokeswoman Dya Campos refused to say how the ordinance would impact the San Antonio retailers tobacco sales but said H-E-B is working closely with the city on implementation of the city ordinance requirements in addition to the existing state requirements.

Representatives for Walmart and 7-Eleven Inc. did not return emails requesting comment. Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.  the Canadian parent company of Circle K that bought San Antonio-based convenience store operator CST Brands Inc. last year for $4.4 billion  refused to comment through spokeswoman Lisa Koenig.

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is spreading information about the ordinance to tobacco retailers throughout the city ahead of the Oct. 1 rollout, program manager Mario Martinez said. City health inspectors are visiting retailers to inform them of the new ordinance and what businesses that sell tobacco products must do to comply, Martinez said.

Tobacco sellers must display current state signage about the tobacco-buying age alongside city-provided signage updating the age; have employees sign a form showing they understand the ordinance; and continue checking customers IDs if they look like theyre younger than 27, Martinez said.

Starting in January, city health inspectors will conduct unannounced decoy visits to randomly selected retailers to make sure they are complying with the law, Martinez said. City officials also plan to issue a six-month report to track the ordinances effectiveness.

Metro Health also held a trio of meetings with tobacco retailers in March and April, he said.

The most common complaint? Sellers were concerned about losing sales to competitors in areas such as Alamo Heights and Olmos Park that havent raised the tobacco-buying age to 21, Martinez said. City Council members voted to push back the ordinances effective date from August to October to give San Antonio officials time to work with neighboring municipalities to pass ordinances of their own. Recently, Metro Health Director Colleen Bridger gave a presentation about the San Antonio law to the Alamo Area Council of Governments, which includes several mayors and representatives of municipalities in and around Bexar County.

They understand the importance of keeping tobacco out of young peoples hands and out of schools, Martinez said.

Sales of cigarettes have fallen dramatically within the past two decades. Tobacco manufacturers reported nearly 414 billion cigarettes sold in 2000, according to Federal Trade Commission figures. By 2016, that figure had fallen almost 42 percent to more than 240 billion.

Tobacco products accounted for about 34 percent of all in-store convenience sales in 2017  the largest of any product category  but only 17 percent of profit, according to figures from the National Association of Convenience Stores. Sales of cigarettes made up more than 28 percent of convenience stores sales last year, down from almost 37 percent in 2011.

But convenience stores saw an uptick in sales of other tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes and chewing tobacco, of more than 11 percent last year, the association said.

Still, major convenience store chains have had to shuffle their offerings to shield themselves from shifting tobacco sales.

CST Brands Inc. opted, in part, to offset declining tobacco sales by stocking freshly prepared food items and groceries at its stores. The company even established Corner Store Market, a separate brand specifically focusing on fresh food.

But the ordinance isnt spelling doom for some retailers. Jackie Walji, manager and co-owner of the Mellow Monkey smoke shop on Bandera Road, said most of her client base is made up of regulars who are older than 21. But she acknowledges she could lose some sales from 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds.

Im not going to feel it as much, Walji said.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated what signage retailers that sell tobacco must display when San Antonio implements its ordinance raising the tobacco buying age to 21 on Oct. 1.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated what signage retailers that sell tobacco must display when San Antonio implements its ordinance raising the tobacco buying age to 21 on Oct. 1.
Long before cascarones became a staple of Fiesta and were stocked by the millions at H-E-B stores, the springtime creations were made by Mexican and Mexican-American families gathered around kitchen tables throughout South Texas and for Easter Sunday celebrations.

Some still do.

Making them continues to be an exercise in patience. Long before Easter and Fiesta come around, eggshells have to be carefully chipped opened, washed and stored.

Months later, assembly begins when the shells are dunked in small containers filled with water and dashes of various food colorings.

They need to dry before the small cavities are ready to be filled with confetti. Then thin colored tissue paper is cut into small rounds to cover the openings. Dabs of glue will seal them.

As theyre produced, none of the symbolism may be clear, but its there. In each egg rests the promise of spring.

Long ago, Sister Rosa Maria Icaza of the Mexican American Catholic College told me cascarones have religious significance. They represent new life and the confetti is symbolic of the joy of the Resurrection.

Theres also history, or at least, historical theory, in cascarones. A San Antonio artist used to make some of the most decorative cascarones Ive ever seen, and in the mid-1980s, I brought one at a gift shop at the airport that came with a bit of his research.

The box said the first version of a cascaron might have come from Italy and by way of other countries and cultures. Another theory suggests Carlota, wife of Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, might have brought them to Mexico.

A researcher at the Institute of Texan Cultures also credited Italy.

Decorative eggshells might have been popular during the Renaissance, the researcher said, when they were filled with perfume or talcum powder.

A longer version of this column ran in Conexion in April 2014. eayala@express-news.net
As a young boy raised by his single mother and grandmother in 1970s France, Nordine Mohamedi always felt a deep connection to the United States. Thats because his father, who hed been told was killed in the Vietnam War, was an American soldier named John Wayne Nelson.

When I told my friends that, they laughed at me, he said ruefully. They said my mom told me a movie story.

For the longest time, about all his Algerian-born mother would tell him about his father was his name and that they met in 1965 while he was stationed at the now-closed Chateauroux-Deols Air Base in central France.

I always felt her sadness when she talked about my father, he said.

A 28-year search that involved letters to the Army, posts on military blogs and chat rooms and  what eventually struck gold  two DNA tests and help from people hed never met, led him finally to the father hell never meet and deep into the heart of Texas.

Finding the father Ill never know, and finding and meeting all his relatives who are now my relatives, has helped me understand myself better, said the 52-year-old journalist with French public television who, to honor his father, now goes by the name John Wayne Nelson Jr. He was in San Antonio recently with his wife Celine Pauilhac and their two young daughters to meet and host a number of relatives from the area.

For the first time, I really know who I am now, Nelson said.

A happy childhood

It wasnt until he started school as a child that Nelson (still known as Nordine), realized he was different from most of his classmates. They had a mother and a father. He had only a mother. And he lived with his grandmother in a Paris suburb while his mother worked as a waitress 150 miles away.

He says his childhood was happy, that his grandmother and mother (when she could visit), showered him with affection. But with his fair skin and blue-green eyes, he often felt he straddled two worlds, especially when visiting relatives in Algeria.

Each time, they would speak French to me, as no one could imagine that I could speak Arabic, he wrote in his self-published book about his search, How I Found My Dad in Texas. In France my birth country, numerous people were puzzled by my name, he continued.

As he was able to understand more, his mother revealed more details.

More features: President Ford's visit to San Antonio included culinary oops

She told me that, when she was three months pregnant, he was transferred to Germany, Nelson said. He knew hed eventually be sent to Vietnam so before he left he told her, If I survive, Ill return and marry you.

Although he took solace in the fact that his mother told him his fathers name, Nelson concedes he sometimes wondered if his mother was being completely truthful.

Who knows? he said with a shrug. A lot of American soldiers lied to French girls about their real name, whether they were married. Then you think, Could it have been rape?

Perhaps thats why he never seriously considered trying to track down his missing fathers U.S. origins.

Then, in 1988, his first daughter from his first marriage was born.

Finding father

When you become a father you realize what it is to be a father, he said. When Rachel looked into my eyes, I could see how she loves me, even as a baby, an infant. I thought, I never had that. So I decided to start looking for my father.

Where to begin? His mother refused to answer any more of his questions and did not help with the search. She died in 2000, and Nelson has no idea what else she might have known.

He didnt have a Social Security number for his father. A letter sent to the Army (a message in a bottle, he calls it) went unanswered. And in those pre-internet days, how would he even find a list of all the John Nelsons there were in the United States?

Later he posted on various military blogs and in chat rooms, looking to connect with anyone who was based at Chateauroux-Deols at the same time as his father. Some promising leads went nowhere. He met a woman online whod been born in Chateauroux but lived in the U.S. where, hed hoped, it would be easier for her to search. But she was unable to uncover anything useful.

By 2011 hed had enough and decided to stop searching.

Then his second wife Celine and Rachel bought him a genetic test kit as a birthday present.

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We never imagined it would lead to him finding his father, said his wife, who is also a French public television journalist. We only wanted to give him a global view of his origins. To confirm what his mother had always told him.

Not only did the results show he had relatives on this side of the Atlantic, they also connected him with two people in the U.S., Dan Dotson and Tina Zimmer, who were distantly related but, more important, conversant in the ways of genetic sleuthing.

Tina suggested he do another, more specific test with Ancestry.com and, within a few weeks, he got more than 10,000 matches, including 428 close matches, meaning fourth cousin or closer. A week later, Tina sent him an Ancestry.com link, not to his father, but to his grandfather, Perry Nelson, complete with a photo.

For the first time I was able to see a direct relative of mine, he said, pulling up the photo on his mobile phone, his eyes rimmed red with tears at the memory.

From there it was only a matter of time before Tina could track down Perry Nelsons four children, including John Wayne Nelson, born in 1946 Nelsons father.

I have five children, and every birth was emotional for me, said Nelson. But finding my father was a different kind of emotion. I was overwhelmed.

Once on the Ancestry.com website, Nelsons connection to the family was available for all to see. And the first more direct cousin to contact him was Amanda Canion, who lives in San Antonio and is his second cousin once removed.

Making more connections

Canion is an experienced genealogy detective and had recently helped her husbands cousin find his biological family. So she connected Nelson with members from both the Nelson and the Brady sides of his family.

To stay in touch with his more than 150 cousins from around the U.S. and Canada, he changed the name on his Facebook profile from Nordine Mohamedi to John Wayne Nelson Jr. in 2016, marking the first time he publicly identified himself that way. He is currently in the middle of legally changing his name in France.

Last year, during Nelsons first trip to Texas to visit relatives, he visited the small town of London, north of Junction, where his father was raised. He also went to his fathers gravesite, where he sprinkled dirt from his mothers gravesite in Colombes, France, that hed brought with him. He also took some dirt from his fathers grave to bring to Colombes.

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I had a mix of sadness and happiness when I was there, he said. I thought to myself, talking to my father, Im just here, right now, close to you. I just want to tell you how long it took me to get here.

As the saying goes, however, be careful what you wish for. As he communicated with his long-sought relatives, Nelson learned more about his father, including that he did not, in fact, die in Vietnam as hed always been told.

Yes, my father was wounded in battle and he was taken to Japan and then to North Carolina for treatment, said Nelson. He wasnt expected to survive.

Nelson Sr., did survive, only to be killed shortly after leaving the hospital while driving his Mustang on the streets of Fayetteville on Labor Day weekend, 1967.

He was making a left turn and was T-boned, said his cousin Shane Nelson, an Idaho resident who grew up in Texas and who has many fond memories of his uncle, Nelson Sr.

News reports at the time said that Nelsons three passengers, Timothy Beckman, Inge McMillan and Eve Adams, survived. Nelson has tried to find them all, but without success.

More enjoyable were the tales he heard about his dad from those who remembered him even if they were kids at the time.

He was really nice, especially to my sister. She was his favorite, recalled Shane Nelson of his sister Stacie. Hed come by and take us for ice cream.

Shane tells an uglier story about a run-in Nelson Sr. had with his own father, Clovis Nelson.

Uncle John was tough, but my dad was mean, he said. I remember once my father beat Mom up. Beat her bad. Uncle John put us in his Mustang and told us to stay there. Then he went into the house and beat the (expletive) out of Dad.

The family is already planning another reunion for 2020. Shortly before he and his family returned home to France, Nelson was asked if he would come back for it.

Absolutely, he replied without hesitation.

rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini
PUERTO RICO  Winding along the highway toward Aguada, the trees on this island look like its inhabitants: Suffering. Changed.

In some patches, it looks like someone took a sharpener and whittled the trees to stubs. In others, theyre broken in half, tumbling over each other in delicate balance. In more mountainous zones, uprooted trees lie upside down as if frozen or caught in a free-fall, threatening to slide onto the roads.

But if you turn off Highway 2 and onto a hilly road, youll find a clearing. And in it, an Earthship.

The gray, dome-shaped hut made up of recyclable materials and slathered in concrete rises from the brown earth in front of the hurricane-ravaged rain forest.

Lauralina Melendez, one of the lead volunteers at the site, inevitably can be found nearby. On a recent morning, she stood by the Earthships entrance, her dreadlocks piled on top of her head. Dirt caked her fingernails, tattoos decorated her arms and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. She was talking about one of her favorite subjects.

The idea is to keep building these bad boys all over the island, Melendez said. Theres tires. Theres trash. And theres more hurricanes.

Its been more than 200 days since Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory Sept. 20. After the storm cleared, residents emerged one-by-one from their homes. With wide eyes and pounding hearts, nearly 3.4 million American citizens gazed in horrified wonder at the wreckage of their land.

No light. No greenery. And for many, no potable water.

We can ride the storm, but what happens afterward, thats hard, said Melendez, an Aguada resident. Theres a loneliness. A lack of knowing where to go and who to stick to.

The Category 4 hurricane knocked down 80 percent of the utility poles, resulting in an islandwide blackout. About 43,000 residents still were without power before another islandwide blackout last week.

The suffering of the Puerto Rican people seems to be nowhere nearing an end, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz told national news outlets Wednesday.

The storm could cause an estimated $90 billion in damage, making it the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history, the National Hurricane Centers April report states.

Some 283 schools are expected to close, a result of hundreds of thousands of Puerto Rican families escaping to the mainland in refuge. Its also part of a larger strategy to save money during post-hurricane recovery.

Theres a mental health crisis. Since the hurricane, suicides have increased almost 30 percent, and calls to the governments suicide-prevention hotline more than doubled between November and January, compared with the previous year.

Theres a housing crisis. Government officials say as much as half of the islands homes lack deeds or official permits, often a requirement to apply for federal aid. The Puerto Rican government estimates the damage in housing alone costs $37 billion.

Homes with zinc roofs and schools with flimsy walls were flattened. Residents of poorer, rural areas had a harder time qualifying for aid, and those who were indirectly killed werent necessarily tallied up in the death toll.

While the governments official count of direct deaths is 64, a New York Times analysis estimated that number is at more than a thousand.

And Maria struck after the island already was spiraling toward a man-made disaster. The island filed for a form of bankruptcy last May, with more than $120 billion in debt and unfunded pensionsthe largest in U.S. history. And a whopping 43.5 percent of its residents were living in poverty, the U.S. Census Bureaus report last summer stated.

In the days and weeks after Maria, Puerto Ricans hustled to distribution centers and stood in line for hours to get bottles of water or tanks of gas. One islander said 21 of his chickens were killed, the wind pulling off their feathers until they were plucked clean, looking like they came from the supermarket. Another recalled seeing a golden arch lodged in a tree  a partial M from a broken McDonalds sign.

We literally got knocked back into the stone age, said Carlos Chaparro, an Aguada resident originally from Chicago.

In less-populated areas like Aguada, people commuted by hiking, carrying machetes to chop down trees and brush, slowly making travel along blocked paths more and more accessible with each slash at a tree.

The collective energy of survival  its crazy, Melendez said. When everybody is in survival mode, its so scary.

But the work of survival has slowly but surely become one of revival. On the western coast of the island in Aguada, the Earthships are rising  self-sustainable, sturdy huts that can serve as refuges during hurricanes in the rural communities that were slow to recover and receive aid in Marias aftermath.

In the central mountainous region of Jayuya, teachers and students are pooling resources between families to keep attendance rates up. Islandwide, residents have started Facebook pages to share water, food, fuel, information. Charities and government agencies from near and far are dropping in to test water, disperse more nonperishables or clean up the debris.

Even the greenery is poking tentatively from the earth. Vines and other new flora are wrapping themselves around the broken trees and stretching their leaves into the hot, humid sky.

In the weeks after the hurricane, Puerto Ricans would say: No estamos vivendo, pero estamos vivo. Were not living, but were alive.

Now theyre resurrecting the flags above their homes, donning shirts with images of their island, and scrawling ,Puerto Rico se levanta! or Puerto Rico rises! on street corners.

Were changing the way we live, the way we build, the way we think, and the way we take care of each other, Melendez said. And especially the way we rise from something like that.

Earthships rising

Barefoot children with leaves tangled in their unruly hair clambered around the Earthship campsite in Aguada one recent afternoon. They squatted around a small mound of wet earth. Savion Chaparro, 11, added a few twigs he discovered and Melendezs 6-year-old son, Poe Luna Melendez, carved out a small pool for water.

Its a little lizard Earthship, Poe said.

Why cant it be for insects? Savion asked. Poe grimaced  clearly insects were worse than lizards, in his opinion.

Some 20 feet away, the actual 17-foot-diameter Earthships were being built by a handful of unshaven, sunburned volunteers. One huts done, another is almost done, and theres three left to start.

In their finished state, the structures heat and cool through natural, thermal technology, harness energy from the wind and sun to generate electricity, and filter rainwater in a natural plumbing system.

The huts in Aguada will serve as an educational hub for environmental awareness, self-sustainability practices and hurricane-resistance preparation, Melendez said. She also hopes they will be spaces for other communal activities like woodworking and self-defense classes. The compound will serve as an emergency shelter in future hurricanes.

Our mission is to have centers like these around the island in forgotten pockets, where its not that the government doesnt want to come bring Tonita water and fix her roof, its just that before Tonita theres a bunch of other people to help, Melendez said, referencing a typical elderly resident. Everybody needs help at that time. So we cant rely on one organization to make that happen.

The huts were developed 50 years ago by Earthship Biotecture, a Taos, New Mexico, company that since has grown and developed its own nonprofit, Biotecture Planet Earth, that does humanitarian aid work. The idea for this kind of living was developed by the avant garde architect Michael Reynolds, also the companys founder and featured in the documentary Garbage Warrior.

The nonprofit operates on the belief that off-grid homes are especially helpful for those vulnerable to natural disasters. It has built Earthships  which serve as individual homes, community centers or school classrooms  in multiple foreign countries experiencing humanitarian crises, including Haiti, Nepal, Canada and the Philippines.

This is its first in Puerto Rico, and the company hopes to expand to other regions besides Aguada.

The large, cylindrical huts are made up of 300-pound tires packed with dirt and rocks. Mario Antunez, a local volunteer, said his team has rescued more than 100 tires that were headed for landfills to use for this project, adding that 18,000 tires are disposed of daily on the island.

In the space between the tires, debris from the hurricane is inserted as insulation and sealed with cement. Steel metal lath lines the bottom of the homes and the ceiling, which is layered with all kinds of insulation  from plastic bottles to dryer lint.

Our main goal is to use as much recycled material as possible, Antunez said.

Surrounding the arched entrance of the hut is a decoration of broken bottles, artfully arranged into like a work of stained glass pointillism. When the natural light shines through, a swirling, dotted color pattern reflects on the opposite wall.

In the morning all this is shining and its like a religious experience, Antunez said.

About 10 volunteers, mostly local but some from the mainland U.S., are slowly but steadily working on the Earthship. Theyre looking forward to the launch of Phase II in June, when international volunteers are expected to arrive and speed up the process. The nonprofit is raising money for the effort.

But until then, Melendez and other residents are doing what theyve been doing for months. They emerge from their blue-tarped homes in wide-brimmed straw hats and old T-shirts. They convene at the honey farm with the broken post-hurricane forest and the clearing they made in its center.

And together, they build something new.

Schools devastated

When the first drops of rain landed on the roof of Escuela Antonio Romero Muniz this year, Maria Cordero said her students began to cry.

They thought there was going to be another hurricane, the school principal said in Spanish. We all remain emotionally effected.

The town of Jayuya, located in the central, mountainous region of Puerto Rico, was hit hard by Hurricane Maria. Trees, brush and water filled and damaged Corderos school building  and the homes of those who frequented it.

There are 295 students at her elementary and middle school in Jayuya. And 84 of them lost everything in the storm.

Cordero and her teachers came up with those numbers right after Maria struck. She said they gathered at the school, split into teams and conducted a survey, hunting down every one of the pupils to see how their families had fared.

The kids opened up about their experiences. All that first week was about opening up about all of this, she said. It was emotional support for the kids, it was emotional support for their families.

The hurricane appears to have pushed an already strained school system over the edge. Puerto Ricos education department announced it will close 283 public schools due to shrinking enrollment. Meanwhile, Gov. Ricardo Rosello has a plan to overhaul education by paving the way for charters and private school vouchers.

Cordero worries about the invisible scars her children harbor, and how it will effect them in years to come. Her school only has one social worker, she said.

When it opened its doors Oct. 31  more than a month after the hurricane hit  she said her school was the first in the district to do so. Even then, students attended for only half-days, with no electricity and no water. Teachers taught in dark classrooms.

My chest felt so tight all the time. But I had to keep moving forward. I left early, early in the morning and came back late at night, Cordero said. There was no rest for us  not even during Christmas. We kept working.

Corderos school had no electricity till Jan. 2. She remembers the moment when they knew: the school bell rang. Everyone jumped up and screamed. The school bell hadnt worked for more than three months.

That was a joy, she said, saying that the kids cheered with heightened emotion.

It was like a party, she said. But I knew that when they got home there wouldnt be water and, sometimes, no light.

Cordero remembers when they first were able to serve hot food  the kids ate like never before. She still worries about who has enough food. Many survive on the fruit and vegetables off the land, she said. But many of the orange, coconut and banana trees were killed.

You get depressed. Knowing that things are tough for you and thinking that there are others that have it worse, she said.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and nonprofits came to their aid, first by helicopter and then by bus as the roads cleared. FEMA roped off a part of the school deemed unsafe, and then set up shop, offering food, water and other necessities to the community.

The storm wiped away all of the leaves and brush, leaving the large, grandiose mountains bare. Villages in the mountains that previously were hidden by the forest were suddenly laid bare. Cordero remembered thinking of some of those homes in the distance, and wondering if someone with food and water had managed to reach them.

This taught us that we have to look behind us, that there are others that need more than us. Theyre who we have to lift up, those people, she said. You cant unravel over what happened or what will happen. Youve simply fallen, and whats important is that you get up. The material comes and goes, but whats important is the human being.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
Three words are featured on the door of Jeff Wheatcrafts classroom: autonomy, mastery, purpose.

Those are things the STEM coordinator at Alamo Heights Junior School wants students to keep in mind as they go about designing science projects and completing their coursework.

But the trio of qualities could certainly be applied to Wheatcraft himself  on Friday, he won the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, alongside Andrea Lucas, a 4th grade teacher at Lamar Elementary School.

In his classroom, Wheatcraft at times uses his personal interests to inspire his students. In the spring, Wheatcraft, who recently took an interest in amateur storm chasing, tasks his students with predicting the weather. As part of the program, they learn everything from analyzing weather patterns and radar maps to building their own instrument pods to collect data.

Upon learning he had won, Wheatcraft said he was grateful for the work he gets to do on a daily basis, especially because of his students.

I believe in every kid, no matter what their background is, whatever people say their background might be, he said during a ceremony at Trinity University. I try to give every kid a chance.

While Wheatcraft spends much of his time stimulating his students curiosity and creativity, Lucas has found herself focusing heavily on the social and emotional needs of hers at Lamar.

She has even helped them deal with trauma. During Lucas first year at the San Antonio Independent School District campus, she taught two students who lost family members to gunfire. A handful of students in her current 4th-grade class have been held back a grade level. Others have had brushes with the foster care system or have suffered other family hardships.

At the beginning of each day, Lucas sits in a circle with her students for Tiger Time, during which she shares personal stories that they then respond to on paper and discuss with their peers. The goal of the sessions is to help them better handle challenges in their own lives.

Receiving the award, Lucas said she has tried to be a thoughtful and innovative educator for her students.

They really inspire and push me to be a better educator every single day, she said. They deserve the best.

The top educators of 2018 were selected from a group of 19 finalists from the San Antonio area who were nominated by their school districts for outstanding teaching in the 2017-18 school year. The finalists were assessed for their performance as a teacher, demonstration of leadership and commitment to community service.

Trinitys Department of Education has recognized the accomplishments of local educators since the 1981-82 school year, when it launched the annual contest. The two winners were awarded checks for $2,500, while the finalists each received $1,500.

Before the winners were unveiled, Sydney Chaffee, a humanities teacher at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Boston and the 2017 National Teacher of the Year, spoke of the importance of leadership in teaching.

Teachers need to have confidence in their abilities as leaders and remember that strong leaders dont all look the same, she said.

We need to see ourselves as leaders, Chaffee said. We can have influence far beyond our individual classrooms if we remind ourselves that we can define what leadership looks like, and that one persons actions can have far-reaching consequences.

Lauren Caruba is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | lcaruba@express-news.net | @LaurenCaruba
Barbara Pierce Bush, the wife and mother of U.S. presidents, was laid to rest Saturday following a funeral service in Houston where mourners affectionately remembered her as a tough but loving family matriarch who believed in helping others.

In a solemn ceremony lightened by frequent laughter and joyful hymns, a procession of American political icons, family members and friends honored Bush at the service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church on the city's west side.

As four former presidents looked on from the front row, including her beloved husband George H.W. Bush and eldest son George W. Bush, eulogists remembered Barbara Bush as the dedicated, resilient and sharp-witted cornerstone of a great American family.

Speakers recalled her love and compassion for all her family, her many friends, her countrymen  and her deep religious faith. About 1,500 people attended the 80-minute private service, which was followed by a private burial hours later at the Bush presidential library in College Station.

"She believed in and practiced the principles of honesty, tolerance, decency, courage and strength  and perhaps above all, humility," the Rev. Russell J. Levenson Jr., the church's rector, said in his homily. "She lived according to the mantra of the Bush family for many years: Don't get caught up in 'big me.'"

Barbara Bush died Tuesday at age 92 of complications from congestive heart failure and respiratory issues at her west Houston home. Her husband of 73 years, George Herbert Walker Bush, was by her side, having held her hand throughout the day. Her death set off a period of mourning throughout the Houston region and the country, as Americans celebrated the remarkable life of a local and national idol.

The day before the funeral service, thousands of people paid tribute Friday at a public visitation, where George H.W. Bush greeted mourners for a brief, yet poignant, part of the 12-hour procession.

Several of the nation's highest dignitaries attended Saturday's funeral, adding to a sense of reverence that filled the cavernous Gothic-style church. Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton and current first lady Melania Trump watched from one side.

They were joined by foreign leaders such as former British Prime Minister John Major and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Several immediate Bush family members were seated on the other side of the aisle, including George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. Representatives of other presidential families, past Bush administrations, members of Congress and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also attended.

The elder George Bush, wearing socks emblazoned with books in homage to his wife's devotion to literacy, dutifully watched from the center, often with his daughter Dorothy's hand stroking his back. His wife's casket, draped in fabric that matched the altar, rested nearly within arm's length.

President Donald Trump, who drew the sharp-tongued wrath of Barbara Bush during the 2016 presidential election, decided not to attend "to avoid disruptions due to added security," according to a White House statement. Multiple presidents have skipped funerals for first ladies in recent decades.

Trump tweeted Saturday morning that he would be watching the 11 a.m. service from his Mar-a-Lago estate. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn also did not attend  he was already overseas; she was recovering from surgery.

Barbara Bush met with staff in August 2016 to plan her funeral arrangements, and she had been offering input up until shortly before she died.

The service was punctuated with periods of emotion, beginning with a moving rendition of "My Country, 'Tis Of Thee" by the St. Martin's Parish Choir. Daughter Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch read an adapted passage on death from "Romeo and Juliet." Six of Bush's granddaughters took turns tearfully reading from Proverbs on the theme of motherhood, a role that Bush had lovingly filled.

"Her children rise up and call her happy," read one line, striking a chord, "her husband too, and he praises her."

Three eulogists  historian Jon Meacham, longtime friend Susan Baker and son Jeb Bush  each painted a portrait of a devoted mother with a no-frills attitude. They offered deeply personal reflections on themes that echoed in the days after her death.

Jeb Bush, who served two terms as Florida governor, recalled how his mother deemed her style "a benevolent dictatorship," wryly adding that it "wasn't always benevolent."

"We learned how to not take ourselves too seriously. We learned that humor is a joy that should be shared," he said. "We learned to strive and be generous and authentic from the best role model in the world."

Jeb Bush said his mother taught her children to "sit up, look people in the eye, say please and thank you, do your homework, quit whining and stop complaining, eat your broccoli  yes, Dad, she said that." (George H.W. Bush famously was not a broccoli fan.)

"The little things we learned became habits, and they led to bigger truths," Jeb Bush said.

Even in her 90s, Barbara Bush could instill fear in misbehaving her grandchildren. But "every grandchild knew their 'Ganny' loved them," he said.

Jeb Bush said his mother would not have wanted him to get "weepy." He spoke animatedly but choked up once, momentarily, when recalling how his mother stopped dying her hair when it turned white.

"She was beautiful," he said, "to the day she died."

After his eulogy, Jeb Bush stopped to lean over his dad. They each patted the other on the back.

Speakers frequently returned to Barbara's seven-decade marriage to the only man she ever kissed.

The eulogists read from letters George H.W. had written to Barbara, professing his love in youth and old age. The elder seemed to get choked up during one such reading.

Meacham, who authored a defining biography of George H.W. Bush, told of visiting the couple in recent months and asking about George's survival during World War II, when his torpedo bomber was shot down over the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese. Barbara remarked that George must have survived for a reason, and George, wheelchair-bound as he battles Parkinson's disease, slowly raised his left hand and pointed at his wife and said, "You were the reason."

"Barbara Bush was the first lady of the greatest generation," Meacham observed.

Here, among the church community that the Bushes had been a part of for more than 50 years, was an attempt to honor Barbara Bush in the manner she would have wished: with gratitude and with strength.

Born in New York City in 1925, Barbara Pierce met her future husband at a holiday party three weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was 16, he was 17. The couple married in January of 1945 and made their first move to Texas after he returned from the war and graduated from Yale University.

As George H.W. Bush's political career took off, and the couple had six children, Barbara Bush became the family rock.

"Barbara, the tough but loving enforcer, was the secret sauce of this extraordinary family," said Susan Baker, the wife of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

The family moved around, with George H.W. Bush rising from Houston-area congressman to CIA director, China envoy, vice president and finally president. By the end, they counted 29 different homes.

"Rather than bemoan their many moves, Barbara just laughed and said, 'One thing I can say about George: he may not be able to keep a job, but he's certainly not boring,'" Susan Baker said.

Still, their life was not without tragedy. In 1953, their daughter Robin died of leukemia at age 3. Barbara Bush was buried beside her at the family plot later Saturday, and speakers said she looked forward to being reunited with her in heaven.

Barbara Bush exuded fierce loyalty and practiced grace as her husband gained political clout.

Multiple speakers recalled how Barbara Bush helped shape the national discourse around HIV and AIDS when she visited a shelter for infected children and hugged them as well as an adult male patient in 1989.

"The images sent a powerful message, one of compassion, of love and of acceptance," Meacham said.

Barbara Bush's devotion to literacy also dotted each speech  her national literacy foundation has raised more than $110 million since its start  as did her kindness to many friends and acquaintances. Despite her immense public standing, she maintained an everywoman aura rooted in humility.

"Here in Houston," Levenson said, "we saw her at major galas, behind home plate at Astros games, praying here in the pews, catching up with a neighbor while pushing her own buggy in Walgreens."

The service, which ended with a blessing from the ninth Episcopalian Bishop of Texas, concluded with the hymn "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee." As the casket was wheeled up the center aisle, George W. Bush pushed his father's wheelchair behind it. Laura Bush walked beside them, and attendees waved or shook hands with the elder Bush as he passed.

All around him were people who loved his wife, his family. Rounding the corner, toward the church's exit, the elder Bush raised his hand to his forehead in a salute. As several grandsons helped carry the casket from the church's front doors to a waiting hearse under a gloomy sky, the extended family followed, gathering at the edge of the walkway. In the hours to come, George H.W. Bush would travel 90 miles by motorcade to the Bush presidential library on the campus of Texas A&M in College Station to bury his wife in a private ceremony.

In her final days, as she rejected any further medical aid to focus on comfort care at home, Jeb Bush said he asked his mother about dying, whether she feared the end. Closing his eulogy, he recited her response:

"Without missing a beat, she said, 'I believe in Jesus,' and he is my Lord and savior. I don't want to leave your dad, but I know I will be in a beautiful place."

Mike Snyder, Robert Downen, John D. Harden and Brent Zwerneman contributed to this report.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com

emily.foxhall@chron.com
Calling at City Hall for a charter-amendment election, surrounded by stacks of boxes containing the signatures of 100,000 registered voters across three petitions, fire union president Chris Steele this month repeated a refrain that also served as a slogan for his campaign to transform municipal governance here.

Let the people decide, he said, again and again.

But what if the people have no idea what theyre deciding?

This week, after requesting from the city a random sampling of the petitions Steele had delivered, I called some of the voters who had been persuaded in February and March to sign in support of significant changes to the charter, which serves as a local constitution. Of those who answered their phones and spoke candidly, almost none could recall the point of the petitions to which theyd lent their signatures.

I didnt understand exactly what was being proposed.  I would suggest that I signed it as much under a social pressure kind of situation, said Paul Marsh, a 60-year-old program manager who was approached by petition workers on February 22 as he was leaving the Julia Yates Semmes Library.

As I came out, I was basically, not berated, but certainly strongly encouraged to come talk to firefighters, he continued. I didnt feel like I had a good grasp of the situation. But I figured, hey, its firefighters. How bad can they be?

The document Marsh signed, Petition for a City of San Antonio charter amendment to facilitate voter use of the referendum process, sounded harmless enough. Its effect would be anything but.

Beyond making it easier to put city ordinances to a public vote, the amendment would remove restrictions on what issues are subject to a referendum, such as the appropriation of money, levying of taxes and setting public utility rates.

The result would be to empower voters to override their elected representatives on complex and critical issues. While that might sound enticing, the referendum process can wreak havoc on communities.

Marsh said he realized this after the signed the petition and learned about its real impact.

In retrospect, I dont think I would have signed any of them, he said. I learned more about them on (Texas Public Radio) after the fact, the fact that this was a major program being run by the union.

Herbert Scranton, 64, signed all three of the fire unions petitions. On Friday, he could recall the intent of only one of them: capping the salary of the city manager at 10 times that of the lowest-paid city employee. (The last would prohibit the city from going to court over labor agreements.)

I just thought it was kind of unfair that our city manager makes more money than our president, but we cant seem to fund our firemen, he said. Im trying to think what the other two were. It escapes me now. Im sorry. I just dont remember what the other two petitions were.

He said he signed the documents because his brother was a firefighter, so its kind of close to my heart.

Jacqueline Horrocks, 29, signed for a similar reason.

On March 1, Horrocks was at Bonnie Connor Park when she was approached by petition workers. She ended up signing the document that called for changing the referendum process  although she wasnt aware of that this week.

Honestly  I dont remember exactly what it was about, she told me. They were more concerned that the people were making more money than the firefighters. People who are elected.

Horrocks said she signed because she respects firefighters.

They do a lot for the community, she said. If theyre having issues in the community, I dont mind supporting them.

Margaret Tabor, 66, said she and her husband signed a petition on March 1 at the John Igo Library because we have several friends who are firefighters.

She could not, however, recall the purpose of the petition she had signed. (It was the one seeking to alter the referendum process.)

Well, they were asking for an increase in pay, I think, she said. They were asking for the health benefits to be improved.

In fact, the fire union has not asked for any of these things; it has repeatedly refused even to begin negotiating a new labor contract after its current agreement expired in 2014.

Instead, Steele is pursuing political ends that far exceed the unions duty to its firefighters  and exploiting the communitys innate respect for them in the process.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
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DARIEN  Five weeks after more than 600 Darien students staged a walkout to honor victims of a deadly shooting in Parkland, Fla., the teens again joined protesters nationwide on Friday to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.

But this time, they didnt return to class  nor did they have approval from administrators.

On March 14, a lot of students felt like they really couldnt share their voices, junior Kate Dempsey said as she walked more than a mile off campus to the Noroton Heights Metro-North train station, where she and 10 other students boarded a train for New York to join a demonstration in Washington Square Park. But now with this one they can say whatever they want, be as political as they want and be more radical with the approach.

According to organizers, roughly 60 students left class around 10 a.m. and gathered for a vigil in the high school courtyard. From there, around 30 students left campus altogether  some on foot, some in their cars  and made for the train as police watched.

As the students marched down Noroton Avenue, posters in hand, cars honked in support and police cruisers passed occasionally. A car full of student protestors with a megaphone passed, offering a ride to those on foot. Officers waited at the train station for the teens to see that they made the trip safely.

Junior Sophie Howard was among those walking out. She said she has been attending school in Darien since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 and has never been able to shake the fear that something terrible might happen.

I had that really intense feeling for months and months and I thought surely... someone will fix this, Howard said. Ive been waiting for years and nothing has happened. And the idea that there are children in Florida who experienced the same thing is untenable to me.

This time around, organizers said they faced opposition from administrators leading up to the walkout. As opposed to the March 14 walkout  for which the school scheduled 17 minutes in the day and exempted students from rules against cutting class  administrators warned students they would be punished for missing school. Principal Ellen Dunn was met with boos as she removed a banner hung by students that said Am I Next? WLKT TMrrW 10:00 am from the walls of the cafeteria on Thursday.

Everyone found that the administration was kind of being hypocrites because Ms. Dunn had sent out an email saying that we fully support your opinion, but also if you leave school youre going to be suspended. Of course we understand the liability of it, but its a weird double standard that they had set up, said Meaghan Dempsey, Kates sister.

Still, the students walked on undeterred.

Im not afraid of the repercussions, junior Nick Giotis said.

Calls to Dunn and Superintendent Dan Brenner were not immediately returned.

There were no planned demonstrations at Stamford public schools on Friday, but at King School, juniors Luke Buttenwieser and Jordan Kulick led the charge for their fellow classmates at 9:55 a.m. Students from the upper and middle schools were given the decision whether to participate and did not face disciplinary action for walking out.

The school also had an assembly Wednesday to explain the walkout, which was planned 19 years after the Columbine shooting in the Denver suburbs, where 13 people were killed by two students.

The event lasted about half an hour and was held on the Simon House lawn facing Newfield Avenue. According to Kings head of upper school, Marnie Sadlowsky, students reflected on gun safety and being active citizens. Kulick also performed a song written by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed on Feb. 14.

Its a teaching opportunity, Sadlowsky said. Its important it was student led. The students came to us and partnered with adults to participate in a day organized and led by students...I'm proud of how they used their voices. It give us hope for the future.

After hearing from about 20 student speakers, the students handed out voter registration forms.

We really came together as a community, Buttenwieser said. There are so many students who are dedicated to change. Real progress will be made, and we are the ones to make that progress. Democracy was in action today, and it was a beautiful thing.

justin.papp@scni.com; @justinjpapp1; 203-842-2586
Contributed Photo / Wilton Police Department / Contributed Photo

WILTON  The treasurer for the Wilton High School Parent Teacher Student Association was arrested and charged for embezzling more than $20,000 from the organization, police said.

Crismari Feliz, 42, of Wilton, was charged Wednesday with first-degree larceny, Wilton police announced Friday.
by Sean Fitzpatrick | Fri, Apr 20th 7:54pm EDT

John Henson has been ruled out for Game 3 against the Boston Celtics with a sore back. Tyler Zeller is the next man up and will probably start in his place with Thon Maker and Jabari Parker picking up minutes. (Gary Washburn on Twitter)
A farm company has has been fined 400,000 after a 19-year-old employee died when the tractor he was driving collided with a bridge.

Cambridge Crown Court heard that Harry Christian-Allan had been employed by G W Topham & Son for three weeks before the tractor and tandem-axle trailer he was using failed to negotiate a roundabout and struck the bridge on Rusts Lane, Alconbury on 1 August 2014.

He was transporting grain from the Partnerships farm in Eltisley to another one of its farms in Weighbridge,

The 19-year-old sustained major injuries and later died in hospital.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the trailer was fitted with drum type brakes that had not been correctly adjusted rendering them ineffective.

G W Topham & Son of North East Farm, Cambridge Road, Cambridgeshire, was found guilty after a trial of breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work.

The partnership was fined 400,000 and ordered to pay costs of 67,274.12.

'Could have been prevented'

Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Roxanne Barker said the defendant failed to implement and monitor safe systems of work.

This young mans death could have been prevented if the employer had managed the risks involved and ensured all work equipment was properly maintained, Inspector Barker said.

Many trailers are only used at harvest time and therefore this failure to maintain is likely to be widespread across the industry.

Farmers are therefore reminded to ensure that they adequately maintain all work equipment including any which is not in main-stream use.

Last year, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced their latest annual fatal injuries in agriculture report for Great Britain 2016/2017. 30 people were killed in agriculture, compared with 29 the year before.
French MPs have voted to ban vegan and vegetarian products from using terms enjoyed by their meat counterparts, such as 'sausage' and 'steak'.

The new law has been brought into force in France and will be enforced with a 300,000 fine.

The law was proposed by MP Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who argued that products such as soya steaks, vegan sausages and other vegetarian alternatives were misleading for consumers.

"It is important to combat false claims. Our products must be designated correctly: the terms of #cheese or #steak will be reserved for products of animal origin," tweeted Jean-Baptiste Moreau, a member of President Emmanuel Macron's political movement La Republique En Marche.

The measure was approved by French MPs on Thursday (19 April).

The US state of Missouri is also reportedly contemplating a ban on meat-related words in the sale of meat substitutes.

Last year, the EU's Court of Justice ruled that plant based products cannot use the word 'milk'.

The court said that plant based products cannot, in principle, be marketed with designations such as milk, cream, butter, cheese or yoghurt, which are reserved by EU law for animal products.
Rumours of Sonam Kapoor tying the knot with beau Anand Ahuja have been floating around for the longest of time. While there were various speculations about where the couple would get married, Geneva being the top bet, we told you a few days back that it will be in Mumbai only. And now we have some more news for you. We are happy and excited to share the official wedding dates of our #EverydayPhenomenal couple with you. A source close the couple informed us that Sonam and Anand are all set to tie the knot on May 6th and 7th in Mumbai. Post having grand wedding celebrations in Mumbai, the couple will host a lavish reception in Delhi which is also Anands hometown. The big fat wedding is expected to be attended by the whos who of the nation.The source also informed us that Sonam who is busy wrapping up the shoot of Veere Di Wedding will get back to work just three days after her marriage. And thats truly commendable!We are super thrilled and cant wait for the couple to tie the knot already. Heres to Sonam and Anand  cheers guys!
Hina Khan Bags Best Entertainer for Reality Show (Bigg Boss) Award

Hina Khan shared a few pictures and wrote, "Honoured with the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Excellence Award for Best Entertainer - Television ." - (sic)

Jennifer Winget Bagged Best Actress Drama Award

"I stand proud tonight with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award ... a nudge to edge me on on the path I am currently on. Humbled and Honoured at the same time. Couldnt be more grateful to my family of fans, friends and the fraternity. Thank you. Another good night indeed! :)" -(sic)

Karan Patel Won Best Actor (Male) Award

Karan Patel shared a picture (in which he was seen receiving the award) and wrote, "Honoured to recieve the #DadasahebPhalke #ExcellenceAward for #BestActorOnTelevision. @ektaravikapoor this would have not been possible without you ...! Love you Ektaaaa ." - (sic)

KSG Bagged Style Influencer of the Year Award

Karan Singh Grover, who bagged Style Influencer of the Year' award, posted a picture and wrote, " Thank you Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival! Here I come!" - (sic)

Lopamudra Raut Won Peoples Choice (Female) Award

Ex-Bigg Boss contestant Lopamudra Raut too, bagged an award. She shared the picture snapped with the award and wrote, "Very humbled and honoured to receive this Award ..!  thank you very much ! #dadasahebphalke #award." - (sic)

Rohan Mehra Bags Peoples Choice (Male) Award

Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actor and Ex-Bigg Boss contestant, Rohan Mehra shared a picture snapped with the award and wrote, "Truly honoured to win the Dadasaheb Phalke "People's Choice Award" 2018." - (sic)

Sumona Chakravarti Awarded Best Comic Performer of The Year Award

The Kapil Sharma Show actress, Sumona Chakravarti shared a picture and wrote, "Doing what you like is Freedom. Liking what you do is Happiness. I found both in my craft. Acting- my freedom & my happy space. I feel honoured & humbled. Thank you #DadaSahebPhalkeAwards for acknowledging my talent & hard work... My gratitude to the entire team cast & crew of #Comedynightswithkapil for having the faith in me. Thank you for Manju aka #KapilKiBiwi. Shukriya." - (sic)

Vikas Gupta Bags Break Through Artist Of The Year

Vikas Gupta posted a picture and wrote, "When you are conferred with an award named after the father of Indian Cinema #dadasahebphalke along with some very hard working, talented and amazing achievers in their respective fields all I feel is a a lot of #Gratitude." - (sic)

Prince Narula & Yuvik Choudhary Receives Best Couple of the Year Award

"After 12 years of a lot of learnings , achivements, successes and adventures . I experinmented with #bigboss and all these years of preparation came to help . Success in nothing but when preparation meets Opportunity . What is also amaizng is that I met some people I really adore and admire yeaterday. Thank you universe for being kind with this lost boy . Thankyou #Lostsouls "- (sic)

Prince Narula and Yuvika Choudhary bagged Best Couple Of The Year Award. Prince shared a picture snapped with Yuvika and wrote, "Thanku everyone for this lovely award ,Ye award ap sab ka hai humara nahe Ye ap Sab ke vje se hai thanku once again thanku god thanku mom dad thanku Dadasaheb phalke festival for dis award @yuvikachaudhary #gratitude #bestcouple #blessed #waheguru ." - (sic)
Orlando, FL - An FBI investigation of a New York child porn case led to the arrest of a Disney employee in Florida, who special agents say sent graphic images to another suspect in the New York case.

The investigation of the New York man, who is accused of exploiting two children, led FBI special agents to William Earl Barrett, 28, of Clermont, according to the investigation report.

FBI agents learned on March 22 that Barrett was sent child pornography to the suspect in New York, the report shows.

FBI agents interviewed Barrett on March 27 at the Orlando theme park where he was employed. Barrett works as a lifeguard at Disneys Caribbean Beach Resort, according to his Facebook page.

A Disney spokesperson said Barrett has been placed on unpaid leave pending the outcome of the charges.

Barrett told the agents he had a hard drive at his home in Clermont that contained videos and images of children being spanked, but said he didn't believe that was child pornography. He also admitted to sharing those images with the suspect in New York, according to the report.

The alleged crimes occurred between July 29, 2017, and March 27, 2018, in Lake County, according to the criminal complaint filed against Barrett. FBI agents found images on Barrett's hard drive matching those found in the New York case and traced Barrett's cellphone data on July 29, 2017, the day the images were sent, according to the report. The investigation showed that Barrett sent the images from Lake Buena Vista, Florida, while he was working, according to the cellphone data.

Many of the images found were graphic in nature and depicted more than spanking, according to the report.

Barrett was arrested by the U.S. marshals stationed in Orlando on March 30 and booked into the Seminole County Jail. He is charged with possession and is being distribution of child pornography and held without bail.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Union needs to be exempted from steel and aluminium tariffs announced by the United States in order to work with Washington on trade with China, France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday. 'We are close allies between the EU and the United States. We cannot live with full confidence with the risk of being hit by those measures and by those new tariffs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The European Union needs to be exempted from steel and aluminium tariffs announced by the United States in order to work with Washington on trade with China, France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Friday.

"We are close allies between the EU and the United States. We cannot live with full confidence with the risk of being hit by those measures and by those new tariffs. We cannot live with a kind of sword of Damocles hanging over our heads," Le Maire told a press conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings.

"If we want to move forward ... if we want to address the issue of trade, an issue of the new relationship with China, because we both want to engage China in a new multilateral order, we must first of all get rid of that threat," he said.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and 10 percent tariff on aluminium imports last month to counter what he has described as unfair international competition.

Le Maire said the EU's exemption from the tariffs should be "full and permanent."

The EU is seeking compensation from the United States for the tariffs through the World Trade Organization. Brussels has called for consultations with Washington as soon as possible and is drawing up a list of duties to be slapped on U.S. products.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Paul Simao)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
By Toby Sterling and Wendell Roelf AMSTERDAM/CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African retailer Steinhoff remains in a 'tough position' and is talking to creditors about restructuring debt, the company said on Friday at its first shareholder meeting since an accounting scandal was uncovered in December.

By Toby Sterling and Wendell Roelf

AMSTERDAM/CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South African retailer Steinhoff remains in a "tough position" and is talking to creditors about restructuring debt, the company said on Friday at its first shareholder meeting since an accounting scandal was uncovered in December.

Steinhoff, which runs chains such as Britain's Poundland, Mattress Firm in the U.S. and Conforama in France, is fighting for its survival after discovering holes in its accounts. The company's shares have lost more than 90 percent of their stock market value and assets have had to be sold to raise cash.

"The group has been engaging with its creditors across the debt clusters to create a window of stability and to develop a restructuring plan," the company said in a website presentation as it began a shareholder meeting in Amsterdam, where the firm is registered.

Steinhoff's total borrowings stand at 10.4 billion euros ($12.7 billion), racked up in an acquisition spree over the last decade.

Newly appointed finance head Philip Dieperink said the company had sufficient cash to meet its immediate needs but had technically breached some debt agreements and remains in a "tough position".

Steinhoff is trying to renegotiate its debt and will likely sell more assets as part of any restructuring plan, Dieperink said.

Shares in Steinhoff were up 1.9 percent at 2.61 rand in Johannesburg, valuing it at roughly 11 billion rand. Just four months ago, it was worth more than 200 billion rand ($16.5 billion).

'BURNING BUILDING'

Steinhoff has hired auditors PwC to investigate its problems and the accounting firm has gathered millions of records.

Steinhoff said initial findings from the probe, expected to be completed by the end of the year, have revealed that a pattern of transactions over "a number of years" led to a "material overstatement of income and asset values."

South Africa's Public Investment Corporation, which manages around 1 trillion rand in government employee pensions and was Steinhoff's second-largest shareholder, said it was worried about the time it would take to complete the investigation.

"The information was useful but we are worried about the process, it seems to be taking very long and before the PWC process is concluded we won't get audited financial statements and it seems that will only be by the end of the year," he told reporters in Cape Town after the meeting was streamed to an exhibition and trade show centre there.

There were dozens of protesters in Cape Town, led by civil servants union Public Service Union.

Shareholder rights group VEB is suing Steinhoff along with banks that prepared its stock market flotation in Frankfurt in 2015.

"Where was the governance? ... Where was the supervisory board?," said Armand Kersten of the VEB.

Steinhoff's chairwoman Heather Sonn said no current or proposed board members were implicated in the accounting irregularities, which date back to at least its 2015 accounts.

The company has reported its former chief executive Markus Jooste to the South African police over suspected corruption. Jooste was an instrumental figure in the company's rapid growth into a multinational vying with the likes of IKEA.

Former chairman and biggest shareholder, Christo Wiese, who is not accused of any wrongdoing, resigned shortly after the scandal broke.

"Typically when in a burning building you run out. Some stayed. We are happy some stayed in the burning building to help," Sonn told investors at the meeting.

"We want to uncover the truth, show the world what has happened, prosecute any wrongdoing and reinstate trust in the company."

($1 = 12.0875 rand)

(Writing by Tiisetso Motsoeneng; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Gangster Abu Salem's plea for a parole of 45 days to get married for a second time has reportedly been rejected by authorities on Saturday morning.

Gangster Abu Salem's plea for a parole of 45 days to get married for a second time has reportedly been rejected by Navi Mumbai Commissioner on Saturday morning. He had written to jail authorities on 16 February seeking parole to marry Sayed Bahar Kausar alias Heena.

#BREAKING -- Navi Mumbai commissioner has rejected parole application of 1993 Mumbai blasts case convict Abu Salem; he had sought the parole for getting married pic.twitter.com/jIcmE0RGgd  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 21, 2018

Salem, who was part of the Dawood Ibrahim gang, is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Salem, in his application, said he has been in jail for 12 years, 3 months and 14 days, and has never been out on any leave, reported Hindustan Times. The letter was sent to the divisional commissioner of Konkan division on 27 March with his background.

They sent the letter and their report on it to the Thane Police Commissionerate on 5, 11 and 16 April after verification of details. The letter then reached the Mumbra police station for further scrutiny, the Hindustan Times report added.

In his parole application, Salem had stated that he will stay at Heena's home in Mumbai during the leave period, The Financial Express reported. The two guarantors mentioned in the parole application were Mohammad Salim Abdul Razak Memon and Mohammad Rafique Sayyed, who said that they are Salem's cousins, the report added.

The police said it was not the first time that Salem had tried to get permission to marry the woman and had made many applications in the TADA court pleading that he be escorted to the registrar of marriages office in Mumbai, according to The Times of India.
A group of activists has appealed to DCW chief Swati Maliwal to end her hunger strike and reconsider her demand for capital punishment for rape of minors.

New Delhi: A group of activists has appealed to Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal to end her hunger strike and reconsider her demand for capital punishment for rape of minors, saying there is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty acts as a deterrent.

In an open letter to Maliwal, who has been fasting for the last nine days, the activists said they were deeply troubled by her demand for death penalty for rape of minors and noted that in her capacity as the chair of a statutory body, it is essential that she understands and engages with the in-principle opposition that many representatives of the women's movement have against death penalty.

"The issue of your demand for death penalty for rapists of minors that is being sought to be addressed by you is compelling us to raise some fundamental issues and concerns.

"There is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to rape. The most important factor that can act as a deterrent is the certainty of punishment, rather than the severity of its form," the activists said in the letter.

In fact, the demand for death penalty often takes the attention away from the gravity of the real issue, that of ensuring that institutions charged with responsibility to end violence, undertake systemic reforms and measures to dismantle patriarchal social norms that result in gender and other forms of inequalities, they said.

"As we know, in cases of sexual violence where the perpetrator is in a position of power conviction is notoriously difficult. The death penalty, for reasons that have already been mentioned, would make conviction next to impossible," they said.

The activists demanded that focus remains on ensuring the certainty and swiftness of punishment rather than the severity of punishment.

"Given the fact that death penalty is an issue that is informed by a core ethical persuasion that each individual comes with, we also appeal to you not to impose this as the key solution to sexual violence on minors on all partnering civil society organizations and individuals.

"This militates against the basic tenet of right to individual and collective freedom of thought as well as freedom to uphold one's conscience and personal ethics. We request you to review and reflect upon your position on this issue and to end your indefinite hunger strike at the earliest," they said.

The letter was written by Vrinda Grover, Kavita Krishnan, Indira Jaising, Annie Raja, Bharti Ali, Akhila Sivadas, Maimoona Mollah, Pamela Philipose and Sehba Taban among others
IANS

Using a new mobile application, soon to hit the market, farmers can now have their crop-related queries answered through a 'chatbot' and this does not work, by a live scientist.

'Aham' was built by a six-student team from Mumbai's Vivekanand Education Society's Institute of Technology in a software hackathon held on March 30-31.

The competition, organised by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) at 28 nodal centres, required students to build apps around topics allocated to them within 36 hours.

"Our app is basically a portal to give information of aromatic and medicinal plants. People have known about the cash crops like cotton, pulses, etc. but there is not much information regarding these crops. So, we built this app keeping this in consideration," Deepa Narayanan, a member of the team, which built the app to win the hackathon for Pune centre, told IANS.

The app stores information related to what kind of soil, weather, climate, and time of the year, would be suitable for a certain crop.

"The app has a geo-coded system which informs the farmers at which place which plant can be optimally raised. Since the farmers do not know about medicinal crops much, we have an 'advisory board' in the app, having two sections. It has got a chat app which is more like a robotic answering session. So, if a farmer speaks his query into the mic of the phone, the chatbot will answer.

"It may so happen that chatbot may not be able to answer a certain query, in such cases, the question will be diverted to a scientist. The scientist will answer the query in a real-time chatting session," said the third-year computer science student.

The app also has a tab for 'market-trend' which will let farmers know past and future demand for crops through pictorial graphs.

For the prototype, the team was asked to prepare an app for mint, a herb with medicinal qualities, by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). Similar proposals for several other topics were made by 27 central and 17 state ministries.

One of the important thing about the competition is that the apps may be adopted by these ministries or other governmental bodies, for use in their field of work.

Narayanan said the team is in talks with CSIR to adopt the app for its Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), but the things are yet to take shape.

"We are taking exams now and haven't spoken to the government in 15 days. We will take it up further after the exams," she said.

Even after last year's hackathon, organised by the AICTE, about 30 innovations were adopted by several ministries and departments.

"About 60 innovations were long-listed, out of which 30 had been finally adopted by the ministries. A total of 250 apps or portals were invented by the participants in that competition," an AICTE official told IANS.
Amit Shah on Saturday described the Union Cabinet's ordinance proposing death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years as 'historic'

New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday described the Union Cabinet's ordinance proposing death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below 12 years as "historic" and asserted that the law underlines the government's commitment to safety of women.

He said such a law will act as a deterrent to crimes against girls.

"I thank and congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the Cabinet for the historic ordinance on women's safety. I welcome the provision of death penalty for rape of any girl below 12 years and increasing punishment from 10 to 20 years if a girl below 16 years is violated," Shah said on Twitter.

The BJP chief said, "The Cabinet has also made provisions for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. This decision will act as a tough deterrent for such crimes and reflects the Modi government's strong commitment towards the safety and wellbeing of women," he said.

A meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, earlier on Saturday, approved an ordinance to provide stringent punishment, including death penalty, for those convicted of rape of girls below 12 years, amid a nation-wide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua and Surat and the rape of a girl in Unnao.

New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, officials said.

It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance.

The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment, they said.

In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convict's "natural life".

The punishment for gang rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict, the officials said.
Several poets, writers, theatre activists and journalists have boycotted Hindi daily Dainik Jagran's literature festival Bihari Samvadi.

Patna: Several poets, writers, theatre activists and journalists have boycotted Hindi daily Dainik Jagran's literature festival Bihari Samvadi on Saturday to protest against its repeatedly publishing a news story claiming the eight-year-old Kathua victim was not raped.

They have also appealed to fellow writers not to participate in the two-day event.

Bihari Samvadi, the first literature festival in Bihar, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on Saturday.

A Patna-based literary organisation Jan Sanskriti Manch has appealed to people to boycott the event.

"Response to our call is more than expected," Rajesh Kamal, a Hindi poet and writer, and convenor of Jan Sanskriti Manch, said.

Kamal said it was really disgusting that fake news was being used to change the narrative on a heinous crime.

Noted Hindi poet Alok Dhanwa has boycotted the event, besides Sanjay Kundan, a Hindi poet and author, who said: "I am not attending Bihari Samvadi to express my protest against the fake news published by it."

Nivedita Shakil, a Hindi poet and journalist, said it was shocking that a newspaper that published a fake news to falsify the Kathua rape case was even organising a literary festival like this here. "I have decided to boycott it."
A Union Cabinet meeting which was underway at Narendra Modi's residence in in New Delhi has approved an ordinance on amendments to the POCSO Act

The Union Cabinet on Saturday has approved an ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 to introduce the death penalty for rape of children younger than 12 years. The decision was taken a meeting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi.

#BREAKING -- Union Cabinet approves the ordinance on POCSO act, this means that the ordinance on death for child rapists approved | @_pallavighosh with more details #DeathForRapists pic.twitter.com/AWLXfmtlM3  News18 (@CNNnews18) April 21, 2018

The ordinance will now have to be approved in Parliament within the next six months.

The development is significant given nation-wide anger over child rape cases across the country. On Friday, the Centre, in a letter submitted to the Supreme Court, said that it has started the process to amend the POCSO Act to ensure maximum punishment of death penalty in child rape cases where the victim is under 12 years of age.

The Centre submitted its report while responding to a PIL, ANI reported. The next hearing is scheduled for 27 April.

The Act was framed to protect children from offences of sexual abuse, sexual harassment and pornography and to provide a child-friendly system for the trial of these offences. The move comes amid rising tensions over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district and the alleged rape of a minor in Unnao by a BJP MLA, among other instances.

Last week, Union minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, had said that her ministry will bring an amendment in the POCSO Act. Her statement came after Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had assured that her government would bring a "new law" on the same lines to punish the culprits.

With inputs from agencies
The ordinance which allows courts to award the death penalty to those convicted of sexually assaulting children aged below 12 also enhances the minimum sentence for rape from seven years to 10 years in jail

New Delhi: The ordinance which allows courts to award the death penalty to those convicted of sexually assaulting children aged below 12 also enhances the minimum sentence for rape from seven years to 10 years in jail.

The maximum sentence is life imprisonment.

After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, the minimum sentence for raping a woman was kept at seven years of rigorous imprisonment which could be extended to life in jail.

According to the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance, 2018 approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday, the minimum sentence for raping a woman will now be 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, "extendable to life imprisonment".

Life in jail means that the convict would not be released from prison till the end of his "natural life".

Once the ordinance is promulgated, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act will stand amended to make way for new provisions. The ordinance also proposes setting up new fast-track courts in states to try cases of child rapes.

New fast-track courts would be set up in consultation with the states/UTs and the high courts concerned. New posts would also be created for public prosecutors to ensure that cases do not fall flat and guilty do not go scot free, sources aware of the ordinance said.

As many as 524 fast-track courts are functional in the country, and the Centre is trying to sensitise state governments to set up more such courts to try cases related to women, children, the marginalised and senior citizens.

Of the 524 fast track courts, 183 are in Uttar Pradesh, 100 in Maharashtra, 39 in Tamil Nadu, 38 in Andhra Pradesh, and 34 in Telangana, according to the data quoted by the Law Ministry in Parliament.

The 14th Finance Commission has endorsed the proposal to strengthen the judicial system, including by setting up 1,800 fast track courts.

Setting up of subordinate courts, including fast-track courts, is the responsibility of state governments.

The 14th Finance Commission has urged state governments to use the additional fiscal space provided by it in the tax devolution to meet the requirements, including those related to strengthening the judicial system and establishing fast-track courts.
Rijiju's comments came a day after seven Opposition parties led by the Congress moved a notice for the impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra, accusing him of 'misbehaviour' and 'misuse' of authority.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju hit out at the Congress-led Opposition on Saturday for spearheading an unprecedented move to impeach the Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra.

Rijiju claimed the Congress does not trust the Indian Army, the Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court, Election Commission, EVMs, RBI, the prime minister or the president.

And since "people of India have lost faith in Congress Party, Congress doesn't trust people of India and it's institutions", he added.

They don't trust Army

They dont trust CJI

They dont trust SC

They dont trust EC

They dont trust EVMs

They dont trust RBI

They dont trust PMO

They dont trust President

And they saying

Democracy in Danger!! https://t.co/fheVWjM4we  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 21, 2018

Since people of India have lost faith in Congress Party, Congress doesn't trust people of India and it's institutions. https://t.co/mNjp4DCYIW  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 21, 2018

Rijiju's comments came A day after seven Opposition parties led by Congress moved a notice for the impeachment of CJI Dipak Misra, accusing him of "misbehaviour" and "misuse" of authority, in a series of tweets.

Leveling five allegations, leaders of the seven opposition parties had met Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, on Friday and handed over the notice of impeachment bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former MPs, who recently retired.

Rijiju had criticised Congress on Friday as well saying that had BJP censured the apex court verdict on judge BH Loya's death, the party would have created havoc.

"Just imagine, in place of Congress Party if BJP had criticised Supreme Court on the verdict in the judge BH Loya death case. The whole pseudo-secularists gang would have created havoc and told the whole world that judiciary in India is under severe threat," he had remarked on Twitter.

The Union minister continued to lambast Congress and said it crushed democracy in its six-decade-long rule.

"You ruled India for six decades during which you crushed democracy, suppressed oppositions, looted India, created largest poor people in the world... Now you have the audacity to talk about democracy, Dalits, tribals, Muslims, and women. Is India your private fiefdom?" Rijiju asked in another tweet.

The BJP on Friday lashed out at Congress over its move to impeach the CJI, dubbing it as an "intimidatory tactic" and "revenge petition" to target the Supreme Court after its verdict in the judge BH Loya death case exposed a "conspiracy of falsehood".

Accusing Congress of using impeachment as a political tool, finance minister Arun Jaitley, who is also a noted lawyer, said it is a dangerous event and a serious threat to judicial independence.

The fate of the motion for the impeachment of the Chief Justice of India rests with Naidu, who is likely to seek legal opinion before accepting or rejecting it.

A judge can be removed from office through a motion adopted by the Parliament on grounds of 'proven misbehaviour or incapacity'. The Constitution provides that a judge can be removed only by an order of the President, based on a motion passed by both Houses of the Parliament.

The process for removal of a Supreme Court judge has been mentioned in Article 124 of the Constitution and the procedure has been elaborated in the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968.

With inputs from agencies
What is most dangerous is that post Monday's hartal a sustained polarisation effort has commenced over social media with the so called torchbearers of both the communities.

Hartals (strikes) are not new to Kerala. But when a call for hartal over social media evokes an unprecedented response wreaking havoc across five districts of the state, leading to large scale violence in certain pockets that are dominated by one particular community, it certainly rings alarm bells for the state's law enforcing agency.

The Kerala Police are however not mincing their words this time round. The state police chief who is otherwise tight-lipped over sensitive issues has spoken out loud and clear.

"There has certainly been an attempt to inflame communal passions through the social media which had resulted in this hartal. We have enough evidence to believe that the aim was to create a communal riot like situation in the state. We cannot let this happen in Kerala at any cost and it will be dealt with an iron hand," said Lokanath Behera, Director General of Police, Kerala.

Even when the police chief claims that he would take all steps to not let a communal riot burst out in the state, what happened in certain pockets in Kerala on Monday was nothing short of it as the police clearly failed to preempt such a scenario.

Tanur, a little town in Muslim dominated Malappuram was the worst hit as rioters vandalised shops, stoned vehicles and burned tyres on the national highway.

Pictures of young men, with their faces half covered, stoning the policemen prompted people to draw similarities between Kerala's hartal and the protests witnessed in Kashmir valley.

North Kerala was on the boil like never before but with no one to take the blame for it. Perhaps for the first time in the state, there was a hartal without anyone to own the responsibility.

But the underlying narrative was all too evident. The brutal crime committed at Kathua on the eight year old had taken a completely communal colour. It was Hindu vs Muslim.

After the fire burned out, the state police had little doubts that the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its political arm the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), both Islamist separatist groups had ignited it.

"We have credible evidence to believe that the PFI and SDPI workers are the ones who led the violence at many places. There may have been others also involved. A lot of youth who had no political allegiance have also been arrested. But the whole thing was managed by these hardline groups. Once we track the origin of the message we will get to the bottom of it. A proxy server seems to have been used to spread the message around," a senior official who is investigating Monday's incidents told Firstpost.

According to the numbers released by the police 265 PFI/SDPI activists have been booked for rioting out of a total 951 who had been arrested till mid-week.

But what is baffling even for the police is another statistics. Out of the rest of 686 arrests made, 270 people swear allegiance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), 125 are CPM activists, 60 are Congress workers and around 235 have no direct political leanings.

Hameed Chennamangaloor, a sociologist and a political critic based out of north Kerala, explains this strange mix of protesters: "See we always thought that workers from other parties lose their cadre to the hardline groups. But this incident pan-Kerala actually shows that such hardline Islamist elements have successfully infiltrated the rank and file of major political parties in Kerala. They are forming sub groups inside these political parties, which will then take forward their radical ideology inside these mainstream political parties. It is a terribly dangerous slope that we are slipping off from."

Chennamangaloor says that this trend can only be arrested if mainstream political parties come forward to reject the radical outlook in strong terms. But with electoral ambitions in sight, hardly anyone would take that step.

Definite PFI imprints

To make more sense of the turn of events FirstPost talked to the top brass of the PFI and SDPI in Kerala.

While they are outright denying any such official call given for a hartal, both the organisations have not only shied away from condemning Monday's violence but are also, in spirit, supportive of everything that happened on the hartal day.

Naseeruddin Elamaram is the state president of the PFI in Kerala. Speaking to Firstpost from Kozhikode he puts across his own arguments defending the violence.

"What happened on Monday was a display of the anger of genuine people to the misrule of the Modi government in the last four years. Kathua rape is only the tipping point. See what all inhuman acts have happened in the last few years. Killing in the name of cow, love jihad, how can people tolerate all this? They will surely react. These protests were only a reflection of the existing situation," Elamaram told Firstpost.

When asked about the violence his cadre allegedly unleashed on the streets, Elamaram had a more bizarre take.

"Has there been any hartal in Kerala which has not seen violence? All political parties have unleashed violence before, why single this out? Just because the slogans were against the RSS?" asks Elamaram.

However his next argument is perhaps a definite give-away on the real ownership of Monday's violence.

When asked more on the anti-Hindu tenor of the hartals, Elamarum counters, "How is anti-RSS sloganeering anti-Hindu? Definitely this was an anti-RSS hartal, no doubt in that. Not a single slogan was against any community. I can vouch for it and unlike the news being spread, no Hindu establishment was attacked in the hartal."

The conviction in Elamarum's voice as he explains the exact nature of protests and defends them, further raises questions if PFI indeed planned, fanned, and tacitly supported the hartal. But PFI president's claim of the hartal being just an anti-RSS affair falls flat because as per eye witness accounts in many places small establishments owned by Hindus were singled out and attacked, something which even the Muslim League agrees to.

For instance in Tanur alone, the sloganeering was not only brazenly communal but bakeries and other shops belonging to Hindu community were attacked in particular, which the SDPI now claims is collateral damage of the protest.

"Calling the hartal anti-Hindu is only an attempt to colour it communal. This was a mass protest by youngsters who are very emotional, so naturally it became violent. Now the police have even arrested youngsters who have shared the hartal messages on Facebook and WhatsApp which is wrong. We will soon protest against it," claims Abdul Majeed Faizi, state president of the SDPI.

The SDPI may have its own narrative but ground reports from across all five districts in north Kerala, along with some pockets in the southern part, say that the tone of the hartal was highly communal, putting an entire community in the dock for the Kathua crime. Perhaps, this is why the DGP himself called it an attempt to create a communal riot.

Polarisation was the aim

Social observers say that it is a well concerted effort by extremist elements to divide the society among Hindus and Muslims and then fish in the troubled waters for their respective gains.

"It is beyond a doubt that this was indeed an attempt to hijack a sensitive issue like the rape of this young Muslim girl and create a narrative of Hindu vs Muslim so that certain separatist organisations can pursue their radical ambitions. What is alarming is that at every place the attack was targeted at one community," says CR Neelakandan, political commentator and convenor of Aam Admi Party in Kerala.

What is most dangerous is that post Monday's hartal the so called torchbearers of both the communities have started a sustained polarisation effort over social media. Groups across Facebook and WhatsApp have been spewing communal venom like never before, further drawing a line in an already divided society in Kerala.

"This so called self proclaimed hartal has immensely helped in dividing Kerala communally in the last few days. Especially in the post hartal period, it's the Hindu groups that are now hitting back. By doing such a violent hartal, these Muslim fringe groups have literally played into the hands of the Hindu fringe groups. Now it's a competition between the two, which could once again spill on to the streets," KM Shajahan, noted social activist and left ideologue told Firstpost.

Shajahan says that such polarisation could also get reflected in the electoral process in the near future. A consolidation of the Hindu vote bank in favour of the BJP could very well be a major fallout of such meaningless communal aggression.

Many believe that it could also be the reason the RSS failed to retort to the violence unleashed on Monday. A victim card in run up to the Chengannur by-polls could also help the BJP and the Sangh Parivar is well aware of it, which explains their silence.

CPM's soft stand on terror

The CPM goes soft against such radical elements, is an allegation that has been doing the rounds ever since the Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power in 2016.

But political pundits say that it is only a reflection of the red party's policy degeneration in terms of joining hands with anyone as long as it brings electoral gains.

"It was the Left which had been acting as a vanguard against communalism in Kerala for decades. From there the Left has succumbed to the whims and fancies of the communal forces, not only the Islamist but also the majority Hindutva forces. Apart from a few noises what has it done against fringe radical preachers like Sasikala teacher? Even the Opposition to RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat's flag hoisting ceremony was just a farce. So if the secular fabric of Kerala is lost tomorrow, the Left has a huge share of blame to take," Shajahan says.

Not only the political party, the Left intelligentsia too had been contributing heavily to the growth of Islamist separatism in the state.

"If you want to arrest communalism you need to condemn it outright. Instead, many of the Left writers and intelligentsia are acting as advocates for minority separatism to grow. They attend their seminars, programmes and end up legitimising their radical ideology which is not what Left parties and their ideologues should be doing," Chennamangaloor ads.

While the CPM continues to be in denial about their cadre crossing the fence, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) is a terribly worried lot.

That a party that had always took an anti-communal stand even in the period around Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, is now fading away to irrelevance and a lot of its cadre are opting for the more radical SDPI or Welfare party is also a matter of grave concern.

"The league is seeing this as a very dangerous development in Kerala. It is a trend that needs to be countered and we will be calling a meetings soon to address the issue," says KPA Majeed, General Secretary, IUML.

The BJP has meanwhile approached the National Investigating Agency to look into Monday's violence and take necessary action.

If sources are to be believed the central government too is shocked at the turn of events in Kerala. The urgent flying down of IB chief Rajeev Jain to meet the Kerala police chief is also an indication of ruffled feathers in New Delhi.
A fast-track court has sentenced a former local secretary of the CPM to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009

Alapuzha: A fast-track court has sentenced a former local secretary of the CPM to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009.

The Alapuzha fast-track court judge, Anil Kumar, pronounced the verdict on Saturday morning.

The court found that R Baiju was the main conspirator in the case and awarded the death sentence to him.

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on 9 December, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left government's scheme to promote such products.

However, Divakaran refused to buy them, saying they were priced too high, leading to a heated argument. He was then hit on the head and suffered serious injuries. He succumbed at a hospital after a week.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was killed during an encounter between Naxals and security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.

A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was killed during an encounter between Maoists and security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district, according to reports.

The encounter broke after troops of 212 Battalion of CRPF, 208 COBRA, and the Chhattisgarh Police were carrying out a search and cordon operation near Kistaram camp on Friday, ANI tweeted on Saturday.

The deceased, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Anil Kumar Maurya, was a native of Madhya Pradesh.

Sukma, considered one of the worst insurgency-hit regions of Chhattisgarh, has witnessed several dreaded attacks on security forces in the past, particularly during the summer when the rebels carry out an annual tactical counter-offensive campaign (TCOC).

On 13 March, nine CRPF personnel were killed after Naxals blasted their mine-protected vehicle using over 50 kilogrammes of explosives in Sukma.

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Raman Singh had said that he is ready to talk to Naxals  but only if their top leadership comes to the table.

Calling the fight against Naxals the "toughest fight in the world", he told IANS that Left-Wing extremists can claim dominance in only "15-20 percent areas" in just two districts  Bijapur and Sukma.

Earlier, Raman had claimed that Naxalism in Chhattisgarh was on its last legs, saying that Maoists are carrying out sporadic attacks in the state.

"This is a fight where our own people roam around wearing lungis and suddenly start firing. What will a jawan do under such circumstances? They (Maoists) keep themselves surrounded by women and children and innocent villagers. We can't do anything. We can't kill everybody," Singh had said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier said that the geographical spread of the LWE violence has reduced in India, and is now confined only to 30 worst-hit districts.

"There is no influence or negligible presence of LWE in 44 districts and most of the Naxal violence is confined now only to 30 worst-affected districts," Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba had told PTI, while crediting the Centre's a multi-pronged strategy involving security and development-related measures behind it.

With inputs from agencies
DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal, on the ninth day of her hunger strike, said she would continue her fast till the time the ordinance on the death penalty for rapists of children  which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday  is not promulgated

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal, on the ninth day of her hunger strike, said she would continue her fast till the time the ordinance on the death penalty for rapists of children  which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday  is not promulgated.

Welcoming the Cabinet's decision to approve the ordinance on the death penalty for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12, Maliwal, however, added: "Until something concrete happens, I will not give up. Until a system is there which ensures safety for the last girl, I won't give up."

"When the prime minister can suddenly bring an ordinance without anybody knowing, when he can implement such a big project, then why can't he do these few things? Till the time these are not done, my fast would not break," she said demanding the ordinance be immediately issued.

Maliwal has been on fast since 13 April, demanding death penalty for rapists of children after the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and other instances that took place recently.

"I am happy that though after nine days the Central government has taken the first step to hang rapists of small children within six months," she said and also appreciated the centre's plan to increase fast-track courts in the country that will help avoid delay in getting justice.

However, Maliwal wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on her other related demands.

She said just changing the law is not enough, more important is its implementation and even more important is raising the police resources and their accountability.

"If the police resources and their accountability is not increased in the country, then do whatever, rape would not stop," she said adding that the prime minister had the duty to determine the police resources and accountability.

She said for the last 10 years, Delhi Police has been demanding 66,000 police personnel but has not happened till date. The direct impact of this is borne by the public, she said. Police is only able to do the duty of VIPs, not of the public and most police stations have less than half of the strength, she said.

"Till the time this ordinance does not come and till the time the plan to determine the police resources and accountability is not brought forward by the central government, this fast would not be broken," she said.
Swati Maliwal, whose indefinite hunger strike to demand death for rapists of children continued for the ninth day on Saturday, said she would end her fast at 2 pm on Sunday

New Delhi: Delhi Commission for Women Chairperson Swati Maliwal, whose indefinite hunger strike to demand death for rapists of children continued for the ninth day on Saturday, said she would end her fast at 2 pm on Sunday.

"I'm ending the fast, but the struggle will go on," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said while announcing her decision.

Earlier in the day, she said that she would continue her fast till the time an ordinance on the death penalty for rapists of children below the age of 12  which was approved by the Union Cabinet on Saturday  is not promulgated.

Maliwal has been on fast since 13 April in support of her demand in the wake of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua in January and other similar crime elsewhere.

Welcoming the Cabinet's decision to approve the ordinance, Maliwal, said: "Until something concrete happens, I will not give up. Until a system is there to ensure safety of the last girl, I won't give up."

"When the prime minister can suddenly bring an ordinance without anybody knowing about it, when he can implement such a big project, then why can't he do these few things? Till the time these are not done, my fast will not end," she said and demanded the ordinance be immediately issued.

The DCW chief said: "I am happy that though, after nine days, the central government has taken the first step to (propose) death to rapists of small children within six months," she said and also appreciated the Centre's plan to increase the number of fast-track courts in the country to help avoid delay in justice in such cases.

However, Maliwal wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday on her other demands.

She said that just changing the law was not enough, its implementation was more important. Even more important was raising police resources and their accountability, she added.

"If police resources and their accountability is not increased, then do whatever, rapes will not stop," Maliwal said, adding that it was the Prime Minister's duty to determine police resources and accountability.

She said for the last 10 years, Delhi Police has been demanding 66,000 police personnel but nothing had happened till date. The direct impact of this is borne by the public, she said.

Police is only able to do VIP duties, not of the public and most police stations have less than half of the required strength, the DCW chief said.
Cities are drivers of economic growth and social progress. In democracies, cities engender exponential awareness of democratic rights.

Editor's Note: As the Indian Republic turns 70, Tufail Ahmad begins a journey through the country to examine the working of democracy at the grassroots level. Inspired by the French author Alexis de Tocqueville, who toured America and wrote Democracy in America, the author  a former BBC journalist and now senior fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute  will examine how sociological realities of India and the promise of democracy interact with each other in shaping the lives of the Indian citizen. This report is the fourth in a series called "Democracy in India".

Cities are drivers of economic growth and social progress. In democracies, cities engender exponential awareness of democratic rights and offer a bigger womb for the experience of individual liberties. On 19 April, a government official, speaking in Ahmedabad, noted that India is adding 10-12 million people to its urban population every year. By 2030, 40 percent of India's population or 600 million people will be living in urban areas which contribute to 75 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Speaking in the Constituent Assembly in 1948, Dr BR Ambedkar remarked: "What is a village but a sink of localism, a den of ignorance, narrow-mindedness and communalism?" For Indian democracy to secure individual freedoms, women's rights and cosmopolitanism  that can pull the country out of archaisms like tradition, religion and caste  projects such as Smarty City, Swachh Bharat and Amrut Mission on urban renewal must succeed. About 55 percent of nearly 1.3 billion Indians are below 25 years of age. This is a new population. Its democratic rights can be secured in cities better, though villages too must transform.

Throughout history, cities have been of different nature and scale. For example, Patliputra (now Patna) was known for administration, Madhubani as centre for arts, Bodh Gaya as religious centre and Nalanda for education, notes Dr Tarush Chandra, the head of the department of architecture and planning at the Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur. He also points out that cities, for example in the Middle East where religious orthodoxies rule, may not offer access to public. His point is valid. But in democracies, cities do offer greater access to the general public.

Sudhanshu Mandlik, head of the school of architecture and design at the ITM University of Gwalior, says that during the Gothic period of architecture, roughly 12-15th centuries, planners built dominating buildings under the shadow of which the individual stood small. The difference between the king and the subjects was vast, he says, adding that there was no role of architecture in creating public spaces. However, this changed during the Renaissance period when Leonardo da Vinci drew human bodies and the individual began emerging. Her rights became important.

"Before Renaissance, buildings dominated over the individual. During Renaissance, designers and planners began planning for the individual. Public plazas came up," Mandlik says. "Public plazas are crime free, open spaces where the general public can go without paying a fee," he says, citing examples of such public spaces as Queen's Necklace in Mumbai, Connaught Place of New Delhi and London's Piccadilly Circus. The emergence of the individual in the minds of the public in the West and as central to modern democracies is discussed in detail by Larry Siedentop in his book, Inventing the Individual: The Origins of Western Liberalism.

The first part of this series on the workings of democracy in India discussed how the individual is subjugated by the community due to the political parties' role in promoting caste and religion. So, while the individual  or the citizen  is defeated by caste and religion in villages, she emerges truly in the urban spaces of Indian democracy. Mostly, the cities are where inter-caste marriages are happening now, or among those who have studied in towns and returned to villages. This is because citizens can exercise individual rights and liberties to the maximum in cities, not in villages. Cities offer wider cultures for freedom and democratic rights.

Mandlik is of the view that now planners also consider the needs of women, children and the less-abled people. He cites how architects are designing for baby-feeding rooms in shopping malls, play areas for children, and barrier-free entry for the less-abled people in cities. This is possible because democracy in India has engendered greater awareness of rights of different segments of population, especially those who may be disadvantaged. Mandlik also asserts that shopping malls, convention centres and public libraries have helped reduce crime rates in different cities.

While villages empower the community such as caste, cities empower the individual. "Girls who come from rural areas to study in cities are conservative in attitudes. They do not participate effectively in class, whereas urban girls are daring and free," notes Kajol Soni, a student of MA in sociology at the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur. However, she also observes that villages too are now more aware about the need for education of girls, while this was not the case previously.

Mohit Verma, a classmate of hers, observes that in the past, boys and girls would sit separately in the classroom. But due to democratic awareness, such barriers in gender relations have dropped among the new generation. "We see now there is more gender equality," he says, adding that the new generation undergoes a totally new political socialization. Both Soni and Verma think that Bollywood movies such as Dangal and women winning medals in Commonwealth Games convey a powerful message to people about individual rights, especially of women being seen as individuals in public imagination.

However, in small and medium towns like Gwalior, girls and women do not find enough space for expression of progressive attitudes, but this is possible in big cities which offer more space for the empowerment of women, observes Jayant Singh Tomar, a professor of journalism at ITM University. Sometimes, legislative measures can spawn such change. Dr Alok Sharma, a professor of architecture at Madhav Institute of Technology and Science in Gwalior, notes that when the land ceiling acts were passed in India, kings and landlords lost their land to the public, and planners began to be influenced by the needs of the general population.

Cities have always existed. They have also been centres of exchange of ideas and sources of social change in the past. But in democracies, cities offer more freedoms to the individual. For example, the Indian Railways has been a source of social change since the 19th century, but it is due to greater democratic awareness of rights and needs of individuals that it is beginning to think of providing sanitary pads vending machines at railway stations now. Democratic socialization of citizens takes place through television, elections, sports, media, NGOs, schools, social media and debates in Parliament and state legislatures. While citizens become aware of their rights even in villages, it is more in cities that they can actually exercise their individual rights. Such democratic change emanates from the rights and liberties introduced in India through the Constitution.

Read Part 1: BJP, Congress prioritise community over individual, use caste and religion to enslave citizens

Read Part 2: Use of religion by ruling parties overwhelms secular character of Indian State

Read Part 3: Caste and politics continue to collide, sometimes violently, in a cyclical struggle for power

Read Part 4: Rule of law routinely trampled upon by politicians in power, who act like 'new kings'

Read Part 6: Despite caste and religious divisions, our democratic journey reflects silent revolution

Read Part 7: Country's polity vastly unaccountable to citizens despite relative success of democratic process

Read Part 8: Strong democratic process engendering surplus of free speech, empowering communities

The author is touring India to write a series on the workings of democracy. He is a senior fellow at the Middle East Media Research Institute, Washington DC. He tweets @tufailelif
The police is probing Chaudhary Lal Singh's involvement in charges of favoritism in supply of wood of the Cutch tree in excessive quantities to some factory owners, more than what was permissible under the rules.

BJP MLA and former Jammu and Kashmir forest minister, Chaudhary Lal Singh, who was forced to resign from the state government following his participation in a rally demanding a CBI probe into the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, is in fresh trouble. The police is probing his involvement in charges of favoritism in supply of wood of the Cutch tree in excessive quantities to some factory owners, more than what was permissible under the rules.

Police and forest department officials carried out raids at factories in Kathua and Samba on Friday and Saturday, following complaints that the former forest minister Lal Singh, along with forest department officials, resorted to favouritism, and that records were fudged to supply wood to factories.

The complaint was filed by one Ravinder Dhotra of Smailpur village of Samba, alleging that the forest minister, in connivance with forest department officials, favoured the factory owners and the wood collection from the local growers was higher than the permissible limit.

A case of cheating under Section 420 of the RPC has been filed at the Lakhanpur police station, and the police has seized documents related to the purchase of wood of the Cutch tree  also known as Acacia Catechu  by the factory owners from the growers.

Inspector general of police, Jammu, SD Singh Jamwal, said that a case has been registered and Lal Singh's involvement is being ascertained.

The raids came amid indications that Lal Singh and another BJP MLA and former minister, Chander Prakash Ganga, may be re-inducted into the Cabinet. This is despite a strong lobby that's pressuring the party against inducting the duo in light of allegations that they were involved in protests against their own government.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is holding a meeting on Monday in New Delhi to work out the details of the proposed reshuffle, party spokesperson Sunil Sethi had said. There is a likelihood that some ministers may be dropped, while "new faces would be inducted", he had confirmed.

Differences between alliance partners BJP and PDP have widened in the aftermath of the Kathua rape case and Lal Singh's involvement in the protests.

Minister of state for forest, Zahoor Ahmad Mir of the PDP, also said they are ascertaining complaints of Lal Singh's shareholding in some of the factories.

Officials said that there is a ban on felling of the Catechu trees which was enforced after a Supreme Court order in the case. The

prohibitory orders were however revoked by the apex court in 2015, following which some factories were opened in Jammu. The three factories which were raided in Kathua and Samba this week had started processing work in 2016, and each had made an investment worth between Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore on plant and machinery.

Forest department officials said they received a letter from the police seeking details about the government policy to issue licences and extraction of wood. Licences to the factories are being issued by the forest department which also charges Rs 20 per quintal as transportation fee for ferrying the wood from a private grower to the factory.

The government has set a limit on the sale of wood after the reckless felling of trees. In Kathua, the limit is 3,900 cubic metre each year, while it is 10,000 cubic metre in Jammu, officials said.

Jamwal said that the police has raided the factories and is ascertaining that whether the limit has been violated. The complaint

alleges that there were gross irregularities in violating the maximum limit.

In view of the reckless felling of trees, the government's revenue department also issues certificates for the extraction, and has

also demarcated the villages from which the wood can logged.

A senior official of the forest department said on anonymity that there was no minimum support price (MSP) for the wood and the price was decided by the contractors with the growers. A group of contractors sells the wood to the factories which is being

processed by them. The police and the revenue department have to jointly monitor the sale of the wood on the basis of the enumeration of plants, which Ravinder Dhotra has alleged, was not done.

The police is also looking at the laxity in sale of the wood which is also exported and whose extracts are used in the treatment of many diseases including Asthma and Bronchitis.

Despite repeated attempts, Lal Singh was not available for comments. Text messages on his phone went unanswered.
Kumar, who was flown to Ahmedabad on Monday for the narco analysis, gave a written objection to all the tests in front of the forensic psychologist.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the Gauri Lankesh murder case has hit a roadblock after the only arrested accused KT Naveen Kumar refused to undergo narco test after having consented to it earlier.

Kumar, who was flown to Ahmedabad on Monday for the narco analysis, gave a written objection to all the tests in front of the forensic psychologist, reported CNN-News18. The team, along with Kumar, will now return to Bengaluru.

The SIT probing the Karnataka journalist's murder case had obtained permission from the court for conducting the narco test on the accused in March. The court had sought Kumar's consent, as per procedure, for the tests. He said he was ready to undergo the narco test if there were no ill-effects on his health.

The New Indian Express quoted sources as saying that when Kumar was brought to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Gujarat and asked to sign his consent on some documents, he threatened to commit suicide if subjected to the test.

Kumar was taken into custody on 3 March by the Karnataka SIT for questioning. He hails from Birur town in Chikkamagaluru district, about 250 kilometres west of Bengaluru, SIT Investigating Officer MN Anucheth said.

Lankesh, 55, the editor of Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead outside her residence in the city's southwestern suburb by unidentified assailants on 5 September last year.

The state government had set up the SIT to probe the journalist-activist's killing.

With inputs from agencies
A highly decomposed body, which was recovered from Vazhamuttom near Kovalam in southern Kerala, is suspected to be of a Lithuanian tourist, who was reportedly missing since 14 March, the police said.

A highly decomposed body, which was recovered from Vazhamuttom near Kovalam, is suspected to be of a Lithuanian tourist, who was reportedly missing since 14 March, the police said.

The woman's body was recovered on Friday. The police identified the woman as 33-year-old Liga Skromane, who was visiting Kerala to seek Ayurvedic treatment for depression and had gone missing from Kovalam on 14 March.

Police commissioner of Thiruvananthapuram, P Prakash, said DNA and forensic tests would be carried out in the matter.

Liga's husband and sister, who arrived from Mangaluru on Saturday morning, saw the body and told the police that the shirt and hair were similar to that of the missing woman.

A report on NDTV said that though the woman's sister identified the body, the police is waiting for the forensic tests to be completed for an official confirmation.

"Ilze Skromane, Liga's sister, has identified the body. But we still will be going ahead with a DNA test as well as a post-mortem report to confirm the identity," senior police officer Manoj Abraham was quoted as saying in the NDTV report.

The police has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and launched a massive search to trace Liga. It has also announced a reward of Rs 2 lakh for anyone providing information about the missing woman.

Liga was staying at a private Ayurveda treatment centre at nearby Pothencode. She had come to Kovalam with her sister Ilzie on the morning of 14 March. She went missing soon after. A case was registered based on a complaint from the authorities of the treatment centre.

With inputs from PTI
An Indian Army jawan, who was injured in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri, succumbed to injuries at a military hospital in Jammu

Jammu: An Indian Army jawan, who was injured in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, succumbed to injuries at a military hospital in Jammu, a defence spokesman said on Saturday.

His death raised the number of persons killed in over 650 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the state this year to 31, including 16 security personnel.

Havildar Charanjeet Singh (42) suffered bullet injuries in the unprovoked Pakistani firing on army posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector on 17 April. He was evacuated and provided intensive medical care in a military hospital, the spokesman said.

He said Singh, hailing from Kalsian village of Nowshera in Rajouri district, succumbed to his injuries on Friday despite all out efforts by doctors to save his life.

Singh is survived by his wife Neelam Kumari, the spokesman said, adding that he was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty", he said.

The spokesman said the mortal remains of the soldier had reached his home for last rites and he will be given a farewell with full military honours later on Saturday.
Since the arrest of culprits in the Kathua rape case, it seems people with support of dubious groups and political parties are ready with a match stick.

Jammu: The city is sitting on a powder keg. Since the arrest of eight alleged culprits in the brutal gangrape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua, it seems people with overt and covert support of dubious groups and political parties are ready with a match stick to light up a communal fire in this highly polarised region of Jammu and Kashmir.

If you go by the mood on the ground, a large majority of people in Jammu are in favour of a CBI probe to bring out the truth in the nomad girl's brutal rape and murder while the minority, boxed into a corner by fear of majority backlash and uncertainty, is watching in anger, silently.

Two calves recently turned up dead under mysterious circumstances; one was shot in the head while anothers throat was slit, sparking communal tensions which forced the authorities to shut down internet in Jammu in order to stop rumor-mongering. Angry protesters clashed with forces and blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway for hours.

Such scenes are reminiscent of the 2008 Amaranth land row when Jammu imposed an economic blockade on Kashmir. This winter capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been polarised on religious lines on many occasions in past but today, the division is so clear that you can smell and hear it in the air.

After being named and shamed, the BJP sacked its two ministers, Chaudhary Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga, for participating in a rally organised by Hindu Ekta Manch, an outfit that has been protesting against the arrests made by the crime branch in the case. However, their resignation and subsequent outburst in public had created a sense of defeat among Dogras of Jammu, a minority in the Muslim majority state. They are arguing that if Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti could seek a CBI probe in Shopian rape and murder case, what is wrong if the people in Jammu make a similar demand?

No one in Jammu is supporting the culprits, Sanjeena Srivastav, a Jammu University student told Firstpost in the main campus. But what is wrong in handing over the case to a premier agency if people are raising questions over the way the state crime branch carried the probe?

While Congress, whose president Rahul Gandhi went to India Gate and held a candlelight vigil for Kathua's victim, the partys state president, GA Mir, openly questioned the crime branch in January. The tragedy is that many of its leaders were seen instigating the protesters. They were also behind the making of an outfit, Hindu Ekta Manch, which is at the forefront of demanding a CBI probe and defending the alleged culprits.

There are some people in Congress in Jammu who still want vitiate the atmosphere. But we will deal with them internally, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), Vice President and MLC, Ghulam Nabi Monga, told Firstpost.

Some people whom I wont name have been trying to support some elements who were trying to divide the state on communal lines but we wont tolerate it, Monga said.

In the Gole Market of Gandhi Nagar Market, Subash, a newspaper seller, says he is watching the situation turning from bad to worse in coming weeks and months, particularly before the elections of 2019.

Lal Singh is trying to achieve out of this tragedy what the BJP leaders from Jammu, who have no idea about politics, cant even think about. He is by birth a Congress loyalist and by default in BJP, and he knows this case has a potential to put the entire Jammu on fire. He will want to save his hide, he said.

Lal Singh, who addressed a series of rallies few days back, said in Bishna village that these people who had been thumping their chests and have become 'thekedaars' of the victim, are playing communal politics over the issue. Singh spoke at over a dozen rallies on Tuesday in solidarity with the alleged culprits and also to demand a CBI probe in the case.

The BJPs state spokesperson, Ashok Kaul, told Firstpost that the Congress and National Conference leaders were always out in open trying to polarise the community on the religious basis over the Kathua tragedy.

Congress ex-MLA Subash went and tried to inflame passions in Rasana. Congress and NC leaders were always working behind the scenes since the girls body was discovered. On every occasion, they have been trying to suggest that the state government was doing nothing and its probe was faulty, he said.

Kant Kumar, secretary, Hindu Ekta Manch, is a Congress leader and former sarpanch. BS Salathia, president, Jammu Bar Association, is spearheading demands for a CBI probe. Salathia denied being a member of the Congress. Romi Sharma, of Chhan Dityal, is a Youth Congress president in Hiranagar. These footprints leave no doubt that the tragedy of an eight-year-old girl has become a treasure for petty politics.

Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh told Firstpost on the sidelines of a press conference that there were elements from outside who were trying to vitiate the atmosphere in Jammu.

We have done in last three years what the Congress could not do in forty years. And it is true they are communally polarising the Jammu region in collusion with few people outside India. We need to understand and defeat their politics of communalism, Singh, a BJP leader and former professor at Jammu University, told Firstpost.

I think we have succeeded in stopping them, he added.

But the situation in Jammu as well as Kashmir suggests otherwise. With the trial of the eight accused beginning at a court in Kathua amid demands of a CBI probe, and the J&K government promising swift justice, tensions are only going to go up. Mufti must ensure the situation doesnt go out of control but can she first rein in the leaders of the BJP, the partners in her government?
The persistent communal divide between Muslims and Hindus in Jammu has already thrown life out of gear in the city.

The Hindus and Muslims in Kathua would often fight over cow slaughter and the grazing of cattle in the forest areas before an eight-year-old Gujjar girl was raped and murdered in Rasana.

Interviews with local residents, father of the deceased girl and some police officials revealed that after the body of the girl was recovered the Hindus didnt allow the burial in a graveyard and protests by Muslim families lead to migration of some Hindus from Rasana.

The persistent communal divide between Muslims and Hindus in Jammu has already thrown life out of gear with authorities shutting down the mobile internet services on Tuesday to prevent disturbance as the disgraced BJP MLA and former minister, Lal Singh Chaudhary, took out a rally in support of CBI probe in the case.

Now the broken and narrow road that leads to Rasana through the bushes is being guarded by policemen and the entry of outsiders to the village is being monitored.

In the heinous crime which has triggered a furious reaction from Hindus and Muslims from Kashmir and other parts of India, the Gujjar girl was held captive in a temple before she was raped and murdered. The chargesheet which has been filed by the Crime Branch (CB) of Jammu and Kashmir Police in the case reveals that "During the 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 in registration of various FIRs and counter FIRs at different adjoining police stations in 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."

The CB has further revealed that the "hair strands recovered from the temple" matched with the DNA profile of victim, "which confirmed that the victim was kept in captivity at Devisthan which is exclusively manned by accused Sanji Ram."

The CB has alleged that the accused Sanji Ram had a plan to evict the Gujjars from the area due to which he got the girl raped and murdered and was assisted by some police officials to cover up the crime. The CB charge sheet has further revealed that Sanji would pitch the local Hindus against the Gujjars and ask them not to provide the land for grazing to them. He used to make Gujjars pay fines for grazing the land in the forest.

"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 1,000/- was taken from him as fine for releasing the goats. Apart from this, he had also charged Rs 1,000/- as fine from Mohd. Yousaf Bakarwal for grazing his cattle in the forest pasture situated near his house (sic)," read the Crime Branch charge sheet.

Adoptive father of the deceased girl said that after her body was recovered on 17 January the local Hindus protested and didnt allow them to bury the girl. He said that the land for the graveyard was purchased by the Muslim Gujjars from some Hindus, who however threatened that they will take it back. He said that they had to bury the body in another village, where the Gujjars live, late in the evening.

Police officials who have been deployed at Rasana, however, said that after the rape and murder of Gujjar girl, some eight to nine Hindu families moved to a nearby village due to protests by local Gujjars but were later brought back to the area by the authorities.

Earlier, girls father said, the local Hindu population would object to the grazing of their cattle in the forest area and also refuse to sell the fodder to the Muslims. He said that his family and the other Gujjars were forced to migrate early after the protests by Hindus.

On Tuesday, hundreds took part in the rally in favour of a CBI probe in the case, which was taken out from Jammu city to Kathua by Lal Singh and the protesters took exception to the fact that the case was investigated by a police officer from Kashmir.
Police said the protesters tried to forcefully shut shops and pelted stones when they tried to intervene, forcing them to make a lathi charge to bring the situation under control at Kyathamaranahalli area.

Bengaluru: A protest against the Kathua gangrape incident turned violent at Mysuru on Friday, with police making a lathicharge to bring the situation under control.

Police said the protesters tried to forcefully shut shops and pelted stones when they tried to intervene, forcing them to make a lathi charge to bring the situation under control at Kyathamaranahalli area.

"Some groups tried to forcefully shut businesses, so police intervened. There was some resistance from them as they pelted stones at us. So we lathicharged them and used tear gas to disperse the crowd," Mysuru Police Commissioner Dr A Subramanyeswara Rao told PTI.

He said police would make arrests and added that prohibitory orders had been imposed for 48 hours in the area.

BJP Lok Sabha member from Mysuru Pratap Simha alleged that the protesters ransacked some shops, barged into several houses and pelted stones at women and children and police remained a 'mute spectator'.

The brutal rape and murder of the eight-year-old in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua on 10 January has sparked national outrage.
A man arrested for allegedly raping and killing a four-month old infant was on Saturday assaulted by people when he was being taken to a magisterial court.

Indore: A man arrested for allegedly raping and killing a four-month old infant was on Saturday assaulted by people when he was being taken to a magisterial court, officials said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) BPS Parihar said the accused did not sustain any injury in the attack.

Amid outrage over the rape-murder of the infant, the State Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh has asked lawyers here to not appear for the accused, Naveen Gadge, who was remanded in police custody for two days by the court.

"We had a hard time protecting the accused. When he was being taken to the court, he was attacked and slapped (by people present there). The same thing was repeated when he came out of the court," Inspector Avinash Singh Senger of Sarafa police station said.

"Some women did run with slippers to beat him but we protected the accused. He did not sustain any injury in the attack," Parihar said.

State Bar Council of Madhya Pradesh (SBCMP) member, Sunil Gupta, has appealed to Indore advocates not to plead for Gadge, Indore District Bar Association President PC Malviya said.

However, Malviya said that they had not adopted a resolution in this connection yet.

Gadge, who is a cousin of the victim's mother, was arrested late last night from the city, a police official said.

On Friday, the police had detained three-four people in connection with the crime and had identified the main suspect as someone else.

But on Saturday, Indore Deputy Inspector General HC Mishra told reporters that the police department had found Gadge as the accused in the case after a thorough investigation.

Police has released the person detained earlier after questioning, he said.

Detailing the sequence of events, the senior police officer said Gadge's wife separated from him a few days ago.

"On Thursday night, he went to the girl's mother and asked her to persuade his wife to return to him. However, an altercation broke out between them and he was told to leave," Mishra said.

Early Friday, Gadge returned to the family, which earns its livelihood selling balloons, when they were sleeping under an open space near the historic Rajwada Palace, and abducted the girl, the DIG said.

"CCTV images show he carried the baby on his shoulder and took her to the basement of a commercial building, around 50 metres away from where her family was sleeping," Mishra said.

After raping the child, he threw her on the ground from a height and she died, he said.

Her body was found in the basement on Friday afternoon.

The post-mortem of the girl, conducted at the state-run MY Hospital in Indore, suggested she might have been raped before being killed as her private parts bore injury marks, a source said.

Mishra also said the department had suspended a policeman attached to Sarafa police station for alleged dereliction of duty.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Trilok Singh Varkadhe has been accused by the girl's family of not registering a complaint when they approached him.

"When the worried parents came to the police station on Friday morning to file a complaint about their missing child, the ASI turned them away and asked them to come in the afternoon when the inspector-in-charge would register an FIR," DIG Mishra said.
The Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested one person for allegedly raping and killing a six-month-old girl in Indore.

The Madhya Pradesh Police has arrested one person for allegedly raping and killing a six-month-old girl in Indore. The police recovered the blood-soaked body of the infant from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area on Friday after getting information that it had been lying unattended.

Indore: Girl under one year of age killed after allegedly being raped in MG Road police station limits. Police reached the spot after getting information that a child's body is lying unattended with blood spots around it. One arrested #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/FSvno5Mwr4  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

The police identified the accused as Sunil Bheel (21) and said that CCTV footage showed that he was seen carrying the infant on his shoulders at around 4.45 am on Friday. The post-mortem of the infant, which was carried out at the state-run MY Hospital, suggested that she might have been raped before being killed as her private parts bore an injury mark, a source said.

"The body of the infant was recovered from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area. The accused, Sunil Bheel, had kidnapped her early on Friday morning when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort. The accused was sleeping close to the family," said HC Mishra, deputy inspector-general of police, Indore.

The accused and the infant's parents knew each other and were in the business of selling balloons, Mishra said.

"The accused is seen carrying the infant in CCTV images of around 4:45 am on Friday. He then took her to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping, and her body was recovered in the afternoon," he said.

"The infant had an injury on her head. The accused probably threw her to the ground. However, only the post-mortem report will verify if she died due to this or whether she was smothered," Mishra said.

Mishra was quoted as saying by ANI that the victim's family didn't name the accused as a suspect since he is the victim's uncle. "Initial suspects were ruled out by special investigation team (SIT) and the victim's uncle was arrested. The accused had an argument with victim's mother after which he committed the crime," he said.

The incident comes when the Centre is in the process to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012, in wake of the rising incidents of child rape cases. The amendment will ensure maximum punishment of death penalty in child rape cases where the victim is under 12 years of age.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted saying that the incident has "shocked his soul". "The administration has taken the quick action and arrested the accused. We will ensure that he gets severe punishment at the earliest," he said.

    ,                                                   ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 21, 2018

On Friday, Chouhan voiced his support for the demand for stricter punishment for rapists. "Madhya Pradesh is the first state to introduce death penalty for rape of minor girls. I welcome the decision of central government to amend the POSCO Act to this effect," he had said in a tweet.

With inputs from PTI
The media is expected to comply with an array of laws and guidelines while reporting on rape cases. Here are the major ones.

In the course of debates on gender-based violence, one aspect that is often hotly discussed is the role of the media in reporting such crimes. While media reporting can play a part in ensuring justice in some cases, it can also at times put the victim or her family at risk, or end up further stigmatising her.

For this reason, the media is expected to comply with an array of laws and guidelines while reporting on rape cases. Some of them are as below:

Indian Penal Code

Section 228A of the IPC prohibits publishing the name of the victim/survivor in rape cases. This includes all categories of rape cases, including gang-rape, rape by a man with his wife during separation, rape by a public servant of a woman in his custody, etc.

In some circumstances, the law allows for disclosing the name of a rape victim. Names can be revealed in specific cases if the concerned police officers issue such a written order, or if the survivor states in writing that her identity can be revealed. An example of the latter was Suzette Jordan, who was raped in Kolkata after she went to a nightclub. While she had earlier been referred to in the media as the 'Park Street rape victim,' she later stated that she did not wish to remain anonymous. In an interview with Firstpost, she had said, "I need to fight as I am, not behind a mask, not behind a screen, not behind a blurred image."

In cases in which the victim is dead, her next of kin can allow her name to be revealed by making a written statement to that effect to a registered welfare organisation. After the 16 December 2012 Delhi gangrape, the victim was referred to in the media by a number of pseudonyms, some of them being 'Nirbhaya' and 'Amaanat.' However, three years after the crime, the victim's mother stated that she wanted her to be identified by her name  Jyoti Singh.

POCSO Act

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 also includes provisions prohibiting the media from revealing the identity of child victims/survivors of sexual abuse. These provisions are not merely restricted to the name of the victim, but also extend to any other details which can end up revealing her identity.

Section 23(2) of the POCSO Act states:

"No reports in any media shall disclose, the identity of a child including his name, address, family details, school neighbourhood or any other particulars which may lead to disclosure of identity of the child."

Guidelines issued by media bodies

Section 6 (ii) of the Press Council of India's "Norms of Journalistic Conduct" deals with the requirement to withhold the name of rape survivors from media reports. The guideline says that in such cases, the names, photographs of the victims or other particulars leading to their identity shall not be published.

Similar guidelines were also framed by the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) in the year 2013. The authority was then chaired by the former chief justice of India JS Verma, who had also chaired a committee to recommend changes to the law after December 2012 Delhi gangrape. The NBSA had said that news channels should ensure that no survivor is featured in a news report or programme without concealing her identity, as per a report in Outlook. The authority has further stated that news channels should particularly exercise sensitivity when revealing some details can have the effect of re-traumatising the survivor.
The Kathua and Unnao rape cases were not politicised by the public, but by the various politicians and their supporters who came out in support of the accused in the first place

By Sharanya Gopinathan

Speaking at Central Hall, Westminster in London on 18 April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was much more voluble on the subject of rape than he has been in recent times on Indian soil, despite calls over the last two weeks demanding a meaningful statement from him on the political reactions to the Kathua and Unnao rapes.

Whilst speaking at an "unscripted" public meeting called Bharat ki Baat, Sabke Saath (if we roll our eyes any harder they may fall out and re-surface halfway across the world) Modi revealed the secret of his "fitness"  consuming two kilogrammes of criticism daily (har har har ya Modi). Among other random things (like parents should ask their sons where they are going when they go out, presumably to stop them when they announce their intention to rape?), he also made a very telling statement that had everything to do with the times.

He said that "rape is rape, be it now or earlier", and that rape shouldn't be politicised.

Its clear that Modis talking about the Kathua and Unnao rapes and the unique reactions to them because thats all anyones been talking about over the last few weeks.

Unlike the December 2012 Delhi gangrape, the reason these two cases blew up in the media just now was not their horror, the unfairness, the minority status of the victims, or anything else. The Kathua gangrape and murder took place three months ago in January 2018 while the Unnao case took place way back in June 2017. It didnt take us all these months for the horror to sink in or anything: the massive public outpouring of disbelief and rage right now is a reaction to the uniquely political reactions these rapes spawned.

Indias "rape problem" is often a lot like the USAs "gun problem". After every school or mass shooting in the US, politicians there act as if an inexplicable force of nature has swept through the area, a tsunami that can merit no tangible response or solution other than morosely chanting thoughts and prayers. When politicians say, Dont politicise the incident, theyre neatly washing their hands of any responsibility for perpetuating the laws, the patterns, and the systems that allow for gun violence to happen, and of the expectation that politicians will do something meaningful about it.

This is pretty similar to how politicians usually deal with rape in India: like a tsunami that no one can reasonably account for, rape cases have swept through the nation. But you see, in the cases of Kathua and Unnao, we suddenly had BJP politicians praising, congratulating and supporting the tsunami: the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh clearly did everything in his power to stop or delay the arrest of MLA Kuldeep Sengar, even conferring with him privately in his office the day the victims father was murdered in police custody.

Several sitting BJP ministers publicly spoke out in favour of Sengar, while the prime minister maintained an admirable silence on the issue until after the accused had finally been arrested with great difficulty (making Modis late-Lateef statement that the culprits would be punished totally redundant, non-controversial and fairly obvious).

Kathua famously saw month-long protests invoking nationalism and the national flag, held in support of the alleged rapists with two sitting BJP ministers in attendance. After they were asked to step down from their posts, they told reporters that they had been told to attend the protest by party higher-ups. One of the police officers investigating the case also told reporters that the supporters of the rapists appealed to her caste and religious identity, and those of the victim and accused, to convince her not to pursue the case adequately.

So, the reason the public is performing the taandav on these rapes is not because of how deeply we registered the horror, but actually because no one could believe that a political party, particularly the Hindu nationalist one in power at the Centre, was doing so much to appreciate, protect and harbour rapists based on their religion and political affiliation. This was not a case that was politicised by the public. It was the various politicians and their supporters who politicised the case in the first place.

That being said, what does it mean not to politicise rape? Can rape ever be apolitical, and what are we trying to achieve by saying that it isnt and shouldn't be?

Its not just about the 1960s second-wave feminist rallying cry that the personal is political (a phrase about which Gloria Steinem once said that any one person claiming authorship to would be like someone claiming responsibility for World War II).

Rape is inherently political because, as feminists riding across the waves starting with Susan Brownmiller in her 1975 work Against Our Will, have been saying over and over, rape is not about sex, but about power. Its inequalities between the sexes, between religions, castes, classes and within families and social structures that create the situations in which rape can occur. And one academic (and when you think about it, really utterly logical) understanding of politics is that it is simply the exercise of power.

Its also various manifestations of these forms of power that allow for rapists to get away with what they do, or, that make the path of different rapists different from each other. Jyoti Singhs rapists, for example, were swiftly hanged thanks to a decision by a speedily formed special court; the chief minister of Kerala actually once made a thinly-veiled statement in support of Malayalam actor Dileep when his name started to (correctly) crop up in reports around the abduction of a Malayalam actor in February 2017; and the rape and abduction case against Swami Chinmayanand has been withdrawn by Yogi Adityanaths government in Uttar Pradesh. Clearly aware of where the tides could change from, the victim in the last case has written to the President to raise objections against this move by Adityanath. Rape and the treatment of rapists are clearly both about power and politics.

Power, or the sorting of society on the basis of it, is also why some rape victims are treated entirely differently from others. Many people say that the December 2012 Delhi rape case struck a chord with a country because the victim was a young Hindu woman. The reaction (or lack thereof) to the rape and murder of the Dalit student Delta from Rajasthan, in comparison, does give you reasons to think this may be true. It speaks volumes that the Kathua rape and murder case victim, an eight-year-old Muslim girl who hadnt yet lost her milk teeth and didnt know the difference between right and left, wasnt the "perfect" rape victim in the public imagination. If the rape of an eight-year-old girl (who was chosen as a victim by Hindu men in order to drive the rest of her Muslim nomadic tribe out of the area) can prove contentious to many, and it did prove so only because of her religion and that of her rapists, you can be sure that rape and the reactions it breeds are about power and power differentials too.

The Kathua rape and murder case, of course, isnt the only time rape has been used overtly as a coercive or political tool. Far from it: people from any war zone across the world, and within our own country, like the states in which the notorious AFSPA is in place, will tell you that rape has always been a political tool, wielded with impunity by those in power to lay claim over the bodies of the women theyve conquered.

Its one of the terrifying aspects of Islamic State's actions in West Asia and its beliefs about Yazidi women, it's also the whole premise of the randomly controversial movie Padmaavat, and the name for the act in its specificity is "wartime sexual violence". Its expected (and proven) that rape shoots up in militarised zones where power is perhaps the most unequal and skewed, and, is the reason why we read about UN Peacekeepers committing mass rapes in the conflict zones theyre deployed in.

So, when we are asking for rapes not to be politicised, what are we getting at, what are we trying to achieve with this noble-sounding objective? Power and politics (is there even a real difference between the two?) are inherent to a comprehensive understanding of rape, from what allows it, to the way the victim and perpetrator are treated afterwards. While the reactions to the Kathua and Unnao rape cases have been quite uniquely political, thanks to the actions of several members of BJP and right-wing groups linked to it, perhaps, were missing the bigger picture here when we think rapes shouldnt be politicised. Rapes are already political, and its up to us to engage with it in terms that will actually address this at the root.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online women's magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between
Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, who was acquitted in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, on Saturday said that she has not yet thought about joining active politics, but will continue to remain a BJP worker.

Ahmedabad: Former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani, who was acquitted in the 2002 Naroda Patiya massacre case, on Saturday said that she has not yet thought about joining active politics, but will continue to remain a BJP worker.

"Truth always wins," she said on her acquittal on Friday, which came nearly a decade after she was made an accused in the case in which 97 people were killed by a mob.

"I am a BJP worker, I was a BJP worker and will continue to remain a BJP worker. I have not thought about it (joining active politics), as the court judgement came only on Friday. I am a party worker and will continue to remain so," Kodnani told a local TV news channel.

The former three-time MLA said she got the support of her entire family, which gave her "strength to pass through the difficult times".

"Time was put me to the test. This is how I see it. And I have managed to sail through difficult, testing times," she said.

On leaders of the ruling BJP welcoming her acquittal, she said, "I am a BJP worker and, therefore, it is natural for the party's senior leaders and well-wishers (to wish me after the verdict)," she said.

A gynaecologist by profession, Kodnani was elected as an MLA three times from Naroda constituency in Ahmedabad  in 1998, 2002 and 2007  and became the minister for women and child development in the Narendra Modi government in Gujarat in 2007.

She was made an accused in 2008 in the Naroda Patiya and Naroda Gam massacre cases by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the post-Godhra riots cases.

In August 2012, a special SIT court sentenced her to 28 years in jail for her role in Naroda Patiya case. She had been arrested in March 2009, but was out on bail since July 2014.

In 2017, on her application in a special SIT court hearing the Naroda Gam case, BJP chief Amit Shah had deposed as her defence witness. He had told the court that on 28 February, 2002, when the massacre took place, he saw Kodnani in the state Assembly and then at Sola civil hospital, but had no idea where she went after that.

The Naroda Gam case is still being heard by the special court, in which 11 persons of the minority community were killed.

While acquitting Kodnani on Friday, the Gujarat High Court upheld the conviction of former Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi in the Naroda Patiya riots case.

The high court said the statements made by witnesses regarding Kodnani's role were contradictory. No prosecution witness mentioned that she talked to them at the relevant time, the high court noted.

The trial court had convicted her for a criminal conspiracy under section 120 (B) of the IPC, but the evidence didn't establish the charge, the high court said.

A mob killed 97 people, most of them from a minority community, in Naroda Patiya area of Ahmedabad on 28 February, 2002, a day after the torching of the Sabarmati Express at Godhra which triggered state-wide riots.
A mentally disturbed woman allegedly beheaded her child, chopped his body and was found sleeping with it in outer Delhi's Aman Vihar area.

New Delh: A mentally disturbed woman allegedly beheaded her child, chopped his body and was found sleeping with it in outer Delhi's Aman Vihar area, police said on Friday.

They said that the woman had decapitated her son's head using knives and mutilated the body using bricks.

The incident happened late on Thursday night, when the baby was with his mother. His two sisters, aged seven and two, were at their grandfather's residence, the police said. The boy's father was out for work.

The woman had also inflicted injuries to herself and she is currently admitted to a hospital, they said.

When the father returned home late in the night, he found his wife sleeping with the body of the infant. The boy's father said that when he reached home, his wife did not open the door.

"I sensed something wrong and broke open the door. There was blood all around and my son's head was lying on the floor while my wife was holding his body in her lap," he said.

The boy's father said that his wife had earlier killed their two-month-old son four years ago but they had not informed the police at that time keeping the woman's mental condition in mind.

He said that he had sent his daughters to their grandfather's house nearby to keep them safe.

The woman had been undergoing treatment at Lady Hardinge for mental health issues, the police said.

Meanwhile, locals alleged that the woman had killed her son under the influence of a godman but her husband denied it even as the police said that further investigation is underway.
Rajnath Singh said attempts were being made to 'defame' the government, and slammed the Opposition while apparently referring to the Supreme Court's judgement in the judge BH Loya death case

Silvassa: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said attempts were being made to "defame" the government, and slammed the Opposition while apparently referring to the Supreme Court's judgement in the judge BH Loya death case.

Addressing a gathering at Silvassa, the capital of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH), Singh said the NDA government wants to take all political parties along for the development of the country.

"We want to make India a healthy, clean, and developed country, a powerful nation, and want to see India as the leader of the world. And we need blessings of all of you for this. Our government is constantly working in this direction. But there are repeated attempts by some people to defame our government by talking nonsense," Singh said.

"You saw the court's verdict on Thursday. When I say our government wants to develop the country, it wants to do so not on its own but by taking all political parties along," he said, apparently referring to the Loya case ruling.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed pleas seeking an independent probe in the alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge BH Loya, ruling that the judge died of natural causes.

Singh was here to inaugurate a host of development projects, worth Rs 120 crore in all.

He said he was happy to see that the decisions taken at a July 2017 meeting of the advisory committee of DNH in New Delhi were being implemented well.

With proximity to Mumbai, the "film city," there was a potential for DNH to get a special status to attract movie-makers, he said.

"There is huge potential for industrial development. It is because I believe that tariffs here are lower than most states, and single-window system is also available," Singh said.

Silvassa will soon get medical and engineering colleges, and talks were underway with the Union Human Resource Development Ministry for setting up a university, he said.

Singh also laid the foundation stone for a bridge over the Daman Ganga river during his visit.
There will be no bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and their Pakistan counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meets to be held in Beijing

Beijing: There will be no bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with their Pakistan counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meets to be held in Beijing, official sources said.

"There will be no meetings with their Pakistan counterparts," official sources in Beijing told PTI, ruling out any planned meetings between the Indian and Pakistani ministers.

Swaraj who arrived in China on Saturday will take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the SCO to be held on 24 April.

The same day Sitharaman will take part the SCO defence ministers meeting.

The meetings, which are part of the preparations for the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June, have become prominent as they are the first such meetings after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member group last year.

Both events are to be attended by the respective ministers from Pakistan. A host of issues including that of regional security and counter-terrorism are expected to figure in the meetings.

Relations between India and Pakistan turned frosty after the Pathankot terror attack in January, 2016 and another strike by terrorists on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September that year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security, counter-terrorism and related issues.

The organisation consists of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said on Friday that issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the SCO foreign ministers' meeting.

"We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field. Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception," she said and defended Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as "terror export factory" at an event in London recently.

So the upcoming meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues, along with major international and regional issues, Hua said.

While Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit, officials say Pakistan is expected to be represented by its President Mamnoon Hussain as its Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had recently attended the Boao Forum for Asia in the Chinese city of Boao.
Two more prosecution witnesses on Friday turned hostile in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases, taking the number of witnesses who didn't support the CBI's case to 52.

Mumbai: Two more prosecution witnesses on Friday turned hostile in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati alleged fake encounter cases, taking the number of witnesses who didn't support the CBI's case to 52.

The court in Mumbai has examined 76 witnesses so far.

Rafique Hafiz and Firoze Khan, deposing before Special Judge SJ Sharma, said they had not given any statement to the CBI, contrary to the agency's claim.

They said they had visited the agency's office only once and the CBI had taken down their names and addresses.

Special public prosecutor BP Raju then declared them hostile.

According to the CBI, Hafiz and Khan had said that they were arrested in a murder case (both were acquitted later), and Prajapati, who met them in a Rajasthan jail, told them that he and Sheikh were going to extort Rs 20 crore each from RK Marbles and Sangam Textiles.

However, Gujarat Police officer Abhay Chudasama picked up Prajapati, Sheikh and Sheikh's wife Kausar Bi. All three were brought to Ahmedabad on 24 November, 2005, where Chudasma and IPS officer DG Vanzara assured them that they were arresting Sheikh only under political pressure, Prajapati told the two, according to the CBI.

The police officers had told Sheikh that he would soon get bail, the agency said, citing the two witnesses.

Prajapati further allegedly told Khan and Hafiz that that out of crores of rupees received from RK Marbles and Sangam Textiles, the police got a very meagre share while a major chunk went to then Rajasthan home minister Gulabchand Kataria, according to the CBI.

Chudasama, Vanzara and Kataria have been discharged from the Sheikh encounter case.

Prajapati allegedly also told the two, the CBI said, that Vanzara and Chudasama were paying his jail expenses and legal fees.

Though he was an eyewitness to Sheikh's encounter, he was afraid to speak out as he apprehended threat to his life, he allegedly told the duo.

However, as per the testimonies of the two witnesses on Friday, they had given no such statement to the CBI, which is a setback to the agency's case of fake encounters.

Sheikh, an alleged gangster with terror links, and his wife Kausar Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad from Hyderabad on their way to Sangli in Maharashtra in November 2005.

According to the prosecution, Sheikh was killed in a staged encounter. Kausar Bi, who disappeared, was also killed.

Prajapati was allegedly killed by police at Chapri village in Gujarat's Banaskantha district in December 2006.
Human rights activists and Dalit leaders worry that the apex court's ruling will lead to an increase in atrocities committed against Dalits and other religious minorities

On 20 March, the Supreme Court had laid down new guidelines that would protect people  including both public officials and private individuals  from immediate arrest under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leading to widespread protests across the country. Nine people lost their lives as protests turned violent in many places.

Human rights activists and Dalit leaders worry that the apex court's ruling will lead to an increase in atrocities committed against Dalits and other religious minorities. This belief is not unfounded. In fact, crimes committed against Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the country increased by over 71 percent between 2006 and 2016 according to data available with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

VB Ajay Kumar, director of RIGHTS, a Thiruvananthapuram-based non-profit organisation, said, "The Supreme Court is clearly diluting the Act, which will worsen the situation for Dalits. The government should intervene and find a solution."

Talking on similar lines, writer and Dalit activist Sunny M Kapikkad, who believes that a rise in Hindutva forces is a major reason behind an increase in atrocities committed against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the country, also said that the Supreme Court ruling will worsen the situation for Dalits in the country.

"They (Hindutva outfits) see it (atrocities against minorities) as a permissible thing. They see it as the right thing. They don't see it as a crime. It's only a crime according to the Indian Penal Code, but not one according to their 'traditional code'," he told Firstpost.

The apex court, which on 20 April agreed to hear the Centre's review petition in the case, had in its earlier order said that it was aimed at protecting innocent people, but does not undermine the rights of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. A Supreme Court bench observed that the "act cannot be converted into a charter for exploitation or oppression by any unscrupulous person or by the police for extraneous reasons against other citizens, as has been found on several occasions", and that it is necessary to "express concern that working of the Atrocities Act should not result in perpetuating casteism".

A petition from the BJP-ruled Centre requesting review and suspension of the order was declined by the apex court.

Kumar said that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act should be taken out of the purview of the judiciary and included in the 9th schedule of the Indian Constitution, which was introduced in 1951 to abolish the Zamindari system and make provisions for socially and economically communities.

"In the last decade, Hindutva followers, guided by a Brahminical mindset, have succeeded in creating hatred against lower castes and other religious communities. That's why we see more supporters of people committing atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes," Kapikkad said.

Records show a 25 percent increase in atrocities committed against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in a single year in Uttar Pradesh in the period between 2015 and 2016. Fourteen percent of 40,743 crimes registered against Scheduled Castes in the country in 2016 were from Bihar and 12.6 percent from Rajasthan. Schedule Castes, including Dalits, comprise 16.6 percent of India's population, according to the 2011 Census.

Blaming Hindutva forces for crimes against Dalits and other religious minorities, Kavita Krishnan, a member of the central committee of the CPI-ML, and editor, Liberation, said the BJP and the RSS "believe in the Manusmriti and not the Indian Constitution", and hence the rights of religious minorities are being abused.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches in the book Social Harmony preach a harmonious integration of the Hindu caste system and hatred towards Muslims, rather than the annihilation of caste and Hindu-Muslim unity," Krishnan said. "Modi's article on Golwalkar refers to Ambedkar as a 'modern Manu'. No wonder the Modi regime has emboldened feudal forces to sharpen attacks on Dalits."

Krishnan said the Una incident, attacks on the Bhim Army, the government's complicity in the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, and vicious attacks by RSS and BJP outfits on Dalits protesting against the dilution are examples of these attacks.

However, Rupesh Kumar, a Kerala-based Dalit activist, is positive about the betterment of Dalits in the country. "I agree that the rule and rise of Hindutva is an important factor. But at the same time, we now question inequality, particularly in Kerala," he said. "Many in our community now have the courage to question inequality. Those days of feudalism are gone. We don't budge and why should we? We have our own identity and culture which is more progressive and democratic than several others," he added.

Kumar feels that the rise in number of atrocity cases may be a result of this new-found courage, as more people are now registering complaints.

"Nowadays, crime records have a separate column to list out false cases or the misuse of any Act. The government should consider that and maintain the status quo of the (Atrocities) Act," Kumar added.

The author is a member of The NewsCart, a Bengaluru-based media startup.
Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday on a four-day visit during which she will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi

Beijing:External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday on a four-day visit during which she will hold talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Swaraj is due to meet Wang on Sunday.

This is their first meeting after Wang was elevated as state councillor last month which makes him the top diplomat of the country in the Chinese hierarchy.

He also continues to be foreign minister.

Their meeting is part of efforts by the two countries to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve relations, official sources told PTI.

Following the Dokalam standoff last year both countries increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels.

Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.

Both sides also held the 11th Joint Economic Group meeting and the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).

Besides meetings between officials from the two foreign ministries, both sides also held working mechanism meetings on border affairs and cross border rivers as well disarmament and non-proliferation dialogue in which India's entry into NSG was discussed.

Swaraj will take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the eight-member SCO on 24 April. She along with other foreign ministers of the group would call on Chinese President Xi Jinping on 23 April, and will leave for Mongolia the next day.

This is the first meeting of the group after India and Pakistan were admitted into the SCO last year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security and counter terrorism and related issues.

The organisation is comprised of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

A host of issues, including regional security and terrorism, would be discussed at the meeting which is a preparatory meet ahead of the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June with Prime Minister Narendra Modi also scheduled to take part in it.

Also, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will arrive in Beijing on 23 April to take part in the SCO defence ministers' meeting to be held the next day. Swaraj and Sitharaman would be in Beijing around the same time to attend their respective meetings.

Sitharaman is also expected to meet her Chinese counterpart Lt Gen Wei Fenghe.
In this story, we see how violence is used as the ultimate tool of intimidation against assertive women leaders in grassroots Tamil Nadu politics

-By Bhanupriya Rao

Urapakkam, Tamil Nadu: Even by normal standards of violence in Tamil Nadus panchayat politics, the events of 29 March, 2001, were troubling. Menaka, 35, the feisty dalit president of Urapakkam panchayat near Tambaram, a Chennai suburb, was hacked to death right in front of her office in daylight.

It was 11.30 am, when a gang of four men, armed with long knives, barged into her office. While one stood guard at the door, the others slashed her neck, head and face. She was dead before her brother Nehru could rush to her defence.

Menakas murder shook panchayat politics and rural governance in Tamil Nadu, especially members of the Tamil Nadu Women Panchayat Presidents Federation. But it hadnt been entirely unexpected.

Menaka had been getting death threats from her political rivals for quite some time, said Kalpana Satish, who has trained members of the federation in leadership and was Menakas friend. She had talked to some of us in the federation and we had advised her to file a First Information Report (FIR) at the local police station. She did, but no action was taken.

Menakas murder, at first, appeared to be linked to political rivalry. She was handpicked by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party chief K Karunanidhi to contest the state assembly elections from the Tiruporur constituency in 2001. The party veteran had seen her rising popularity as a gram panchayat president. She had been allegedly getting death threats from rival DMK activists, including one GNR Kumar.

A deeper probe conducted by a fact-finding committee instituted by the federation found that real estate mafia which had been eyeing prime properties in Urapakkam had orchestrated the murder. Menaka had resisted these overtures which began when the village was developing into a satellite real estate hub for Chennai.

Instead, she redistributed 36 acres of village land among the poor.

This land belongs to us, our people. Why should outsiders lay claim to it?, she declared, recalled Satish. Do what you want, I will redistribute this land.

Kumar, who was arrested later in connection with her murder, had been colluding with the real estate groups, found the fact-finding committee.

In the first three stories in this series on women in grassroots governance in Tamil Nadu, we saw how women were navigating gender prejudices, systemic issues like sparse resources and rigid caste structures to deliver governance in their communities. In this story, we see how violence is used as the ultimate tool of intimidation against assertive women leaders.

Violence against women in grassroots politics began in 1997, a year after after 33 percent seats were reserved for them and they began to participate actively in rural governance.

Leelavathis story: The first assault on a woman leader in local politics

On the morning of 23 April, 1997, K Leelavathi (40), a corporator of the Madurai Municipal Corporation in southern Tamil Nadu with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), was hacked to death in daylight in a bylane of Villapuram, her constituency.

A weaver who lived in a small one-room tenement in Madurai, Leelavathi contested elections on the promise of bringing drinking water to the poor of Villapuram.

In the first year of her tenure, she got a water pipeline laid. However, drinking water is scarce in the summer months from April to June and the corporation had to arrange for water tankers to service the community.

An organised water tanker mafia operating in the area was charging Rs 5 to Rs 10 per pot of water, though it was supposed to be given free by the corporation as per law.

Leelavathi challenged this water mafia and was murdered soon after.

Leelavathi was bold. She faced open threats from these goons who had links to the then DMK government, recollected Vivekanandan, then a professor at PMT college, Madurai, and part of the local CPI (M) unit. She lodged complaints with the local police but they did nothing.

All of Madurai was shocked.

She was not a big politician with questionable dealings, said Vivekanandan. She was a modest and hardworking party worker, who lived in a 1010 sq ft room, and was fighting for peoples rights.

Women political leaders are easy targets for political violence, especially if they belong to marginalised sections of the society such as scheduled castes and tribes and have few or no assets.

Backlash for breaking the gender barrier in politics

Much of the backlash against women leaders in Tamil Nadu can be traced to the fact that they shook up male dominance in politics. Even J Jayalalithaa, the former chief minister and one of the most popular leaders in the state, was subject to verbal and physical assault in the state assembly for questioning the then chief minister K Karunanidhis budget speech in 1989.

The first local body elections in 1996 following the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, held after a gap of 20 years, were largely uncontested. Women, who for the first time could hold elected positions from seats reserved for them, were usually selected by the village elders on the basis of their education, family background and so on.

Rani Sathappan, the former president of K Rayavaram panchayat in Sivagangai district, was part of the first cohort in 1996. She vividly remembered the day 10 men from her village came to her house to inform her that she should contest because she came from the right family.

I was petrified. I refused, she said, seated in the living room of her home in Karaikudi in southern Tamil Nadu where she later moved. They came back again after a few days and told me that I could not disrespect the will of the elders. I had to agree.

The early years of female involvement had been empowering and mostly trouble-free. In 1996, there was little awareness about panchayat institutions and the powers of the president, even though they were designated as executive authority, giving them financial powers to sign cheques.

In the first period between 1996-2001, women were conducting gram sabha meetings without many obstacles, recalled Satish. Everyone, including family, village elite men and even party cadres thought: Let her go. It is an honorary position after all. What can she do?

But these were seminal years, when women were learning the ropes of administration and governance, attending trainings conducted by NGOs and universities such as Gandhigram Rural University. They were meeting with bureaucrats at all levels, travelling as far as Chennai to meet the commissioner of rural development. This was also when they were organising themselves into the federation, a state-level network of women panchayat presidents.

Women were signing cheques and getting development funds for roads, water and bridges  infrastructure no one had seen in 50 years.

All this did not escape the notice of those who saw their status quo being challenged by women, said Satish. It was particularly irksome if it was a dalit woman challenging the rigid, established caste hierarchy.

By the second round of panchayat elections in 2001, it began to dawn upon the upper caste male elite with political aspirations that women leaders had enough powers to make a real difference.

This was also the time when money started entering the election process and political parties started participating in rural governance.

People who were spending Rs 3 lakh in 2001 began spending upto Rs 7 lakh by 2006, said G Palanithurai, professor at the Rajiv Gandhi Center of Panchayat Raj Studies, Gandhigram Rural University. Before the elections were postponed in 2016, people were ready to spend upto Rs 27 lakh.

This also meant that money spent on elections had to be recovered. Corrupt practices grew in gram panchayat works where fixed percentage commissions became the norm. Dominant caste vice presidents took to forcing dalit women presidents into parting with these commissions, as we reported earlier.

What also became problematic was the power Panchayat heads had to deal with land-related issuesgrant permission to corporate groups to set up factories, remove illegal encroachments from commons or approve land allotment to real estate groups.

Panchayat presidents in Tamil Nadu have the power to grant or reject permission to set up industry within the remit of the gram panchayat, as per Section 160 of the Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act, 1996.

It was these powers that caused the most antagonism.

Land and sand: The most dangerous issues

Sand and land are two dangerous issues in Tamil Nadu, said Palanithurai. In Chennai suburbs alone, more than 60 panchayat presidents have been killed so far for land deals.

Jothimani Sennimalai (42), the former councillor of Gudalur west panchayat in Karur district, knows this danger well. She fought a long and protracted legal battle in the Madurai High Court against sand-mining in Amaravathi river in Karur. She was abused and threatened by miners but got marched ahead with unflinching support from the community.

P Krishnaveni, the dalit head of Thalaiyuthu panchayat in Tirunelveli district who featured in our 2017 series on women panchayat presidents, had a narrow escape. She had taken powerful castes that had encroached on Poromboke (village common land) that she reclaimed. She had also rejected India Cements bid to set up a polluting cement factory in her village.

In 2011, she was attacked by 15 men, barely 200 metres from her home. Krishnaveni survived, but it took her months to recover.

In a highly corrupt system, the village administrative officer (VAO), a revenue department official, and the panchayat president often collude to convert government land into private property by fudging land records, said Satish. This is the reason our federation fought for the powers to summon the VAO for information on land records and deals.

Why women leaders, especially dalit, are vulnerable

Are women leaders more vulnerable to violence than men?

When you take on powerful vested interests, men and women are equally vulnerable, said Jothimani Sennimalai. But there is a general perception that women wont fight back, that they will back off in the face of physical threat.

There is also the difference between how men and women build networks and alliances at work.

Men travel more out of their villages, meet district secretaries and other functionaries of political parties and get information that helps them see the big picture, explained Satish. Women are largely confined to their immediate surroundings, their own villages, and hence miss the complex power networks in force.

Training for women leaders is focussed on laws and compliancehow to maintain accounts, implement government schemes, what are the structures of bureaucracy and how to access them. Crucial aspects of politicsthe power networks, the nexus between big capital, industry and politicsthese are not a part of the lessons.

So Menaka believed that all the death threats were from political rivals, while actually they had come from fellow party activists of the DMK. What she had not figured out was that the real estate mafia was working with party activists to get control of the land she had chosen to redistribute to the poor.

She thought it was the MLA ticket that was the reason for the disgruntlement among party activists, said Satish. She missed the bigger picture and so did we.

Krishnaveni, on the other hand, saw the clear link between her resistance to the capture of land resources and the threats to her life because she had been active in the dalit rights movement in Tirunelveli. That still did not protect her from the near-fatal attack.

Dalit women leaders are particularly prone to abuse, threats and physical attacks. This is particularly true of those with no wealth or assets and are dependent on employment on farms owned by dominant castes.

It has also been seen that women leaders from upper castes are able to build better alliances that cushion them from physical and verbal abuse. But as our earlier story pointed out, poor dalit women get no support at allfrom within or outside their communities.

These women have borne the brunt of caste oppression and have greater stakes in resource distribution than dominant caste women, said Satish. They want change, here and now. This leaves them more vulnerable.

Communities are okay as long as women leaders tackle what are considered soft issueschild marriage, microcredit, toilets, water and so on. They are expected to be reformists but not rebels.

Women cannot be seen allocating land to the landless. Women cannot take on powerful corporate interests, said Satish. These are hard issues. There is a clear demarcation on what to touch, what not.

Where are the safe spaces for women leaders?

A few months before the attack on Krishnaveni, activists of the Arunthatiyar Human Rights Forum in Tirunelveli district had written to the department of rural development and panchayati raj in Chennai and to the Tirunelveli district administration, seeking protection for dalit panchayat leaders.

The administration did nothing, even though we had written explicitly that Krishnaveni and another dalit woman president were prone to physical attacks, said Bharatan, who heads the Human Rights Council in Tirunelveli. We had identified 10 such dalit panchayat presidents and asked for protection.

In all three instances of attacks featured in this story, women leaders had lodged FIRs, but were given no effective protection.

When Krishnaveni was in the hospital, the Tirunelveli superintendent of police (SP) had visited and offered her Rs 50,000 as compensation.

When I asked you for protection, you paid no attention, she had told the SP. These Rs 50,000 are of no use to me. I want my attackers arrested.

Even political parties fail to protect vulnerable women leaders. The DMK, for instance, treated the threats to Menakas life as a local problem.

Krishnavenis attackers were never arrested. Kumar, who was arrested for Menakas murder after pressure from federation leaders, was later acquitted.

After Menaka was murdered, the federation petitioned the Rural development minister to allow dalit women leaders the license to bear arms, extending the provision that exists in the SCs and STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The system itself is so threatening. There are no safe spaces for women leaders, especially the ones who challenge powerful vested interests, said Satish. In such a climate, mobilising women leaders for political action and expecting them to function independently is unrealistic.

More fundamental structural reforms are crucial for women leaders, especially dalits, to function without fear. Women need more productive resources, like productive land, under their control for gain a modicum of economic independence, added Satish. With greater economic security and education, they can build better alliances that can protect them and replace the oppressive structures.

Urapakkam today is a sprawling real estate hub, barely recognisable from 2001, when it was a quiet hamlet. Urapakkam is a town built on the blood of Menaka, who fought for the landless poor, is how Kalpana Satish summed up its place in the history of womens leadership in Tamil Nadu.

Rao is a co-creator of GenderandPolitics, a project which tracks womens representation and political participation in India at all levels of governance.
Biplab Deb has demanded additional financial support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete the poll promises made to the people of the state

Agartala: Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb has demanded additional financial support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete the poll promises made to the people of the state.

On Friday, Deb met Nripendra Misra, principal secretary to Modi at the Prime Minister's Office in New Delhi to place the demand, an official statement said.

"Some promises have been made to the people of the state. Fulfillment of all these promises can be possible with additional financial support from the Centre as the state government is passing through very difficult financial position," the statement, issued by the office of the chief minister, said.

Deb sought additional funds for filling up 12,222 vacant posts of school teachers, introduction of the 7th central Pay Commission recommendations for state government employees, setting up a central agricultural university and a super-specialty hospital like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Tripura.

The chief minister also requested the Centre to allow one-time relaxation in educational and professional qualifications for teachers in Tripura, the release said.

Apart from funds, Deb demanded a CBI inquiry into the killings of two journalists in 2017. On 20 September, TV journalist Santanu Bhowmik was hacked to death while covering a political event at Mandai in West Tripura, about 30 km from Agartala.

The other journalist, Sudip Dutta Bhowmik, was shot dead inside the headquarters of Tripura State Rifle"s 2nd battalion at RK Nagar, about 15 Km from Agartala, on 21 November.

The BJP-IPFT government resolved in the first meeting of the council of ministers in March to hand over the investigations to the CBI.

The statement said Mishra gave a patient hearing to Deb and assured to implement the demands after proper examinations.

After the first BJP government in Tripura came to power in March, it was sanctioned Rs 2,587 crore central funds for development projects and schemes such as housing, education and rural jobs.

Deb had said last month that Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has promised Rs 12,000 crore for six national highways in the state.

According to the BJP, Tripura is reeling under a deficit of Rs 11,355 crore, accumulated during the 25 years of Left Front rule.
Terming the Unnao and Kathua rape incidents as 'despicable, regrettable and condemnable', Tripura governor Tathagata Roy on Friday said targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi with regard to the two cases was a 'concerted slur'

Kolkata: Terming the Unnao and Kathua rape incidents as "despicable, regrettable and condemnable", Tripura governor Tathagata Roy on Friday said targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi with regard to the two cases was a "concerted slur" and he cannot be held responsible for such incidents.

"What has the prime minister got to do with the rape cases that took place in Kathua and Unnao? Law and order is a state subject. What extent can the prime minister be responsible?

"In my personal view, there is a cabal consisting of ISI, a number of Lutyens Delhi journalists and the so-called secular group, who have joined to lay the blame for these rape and murders at the door of the prime minister. Is this the first rape-murder case that is taking place in the country? It is a concerted slur and vilification campaign with the elections not very far away," Roy said.

"The incidents of Unnao and Kathua are despicable, regrettable and condemnable. Having said this, can you tell me, how this government or any government could have prevented them (two incidents)?

"Whoever has justified the accused is equally condemnable," he said.

Noting an accused is not guilty but has to be proved guilty in a trial court, Roy said that if there is prima facie proof of guilt, whoever supports the accused that is as condemnable.

According to him, politicisation of these two incidents has been "done by the so-called Opposition".

"I condemn the incidents of Unnao, Kathua and Surat. With equal verve, one should also condemn slaughter of 3,000 Sikhs. Why are they politicising the Unnao case?" Roy said.

When a journalist pointed out that the Unnao incident has taken place when the BJP is running Uttar Pradesh government, Roy said "In Tripura, a BJP ruled state, there was an incident of rape of a minor girl in Dharmanagar and five Muslim boys were accused. Who is talking about that? It does not matter who is ruling."
Swami Lakshmivara Thirtha, chief of the Shiroor mutt, one of the eight mutts in Udupi, has alleged that Madhwa mutt swamis who take strict vows of celibacy have wives and children or mistresses

Ascetism be damned. Celibacy double damned. Contesting elections is the new spirituality. So is having a family on the side, according to one of the heads of the eight (Ashta) Udupi mutts set up by Madhwacharya, the 13th Century founder of the Dwaita (dualism) school of philosophy.

Swami Lakshmivara Thirtha of Shiroor mutt (the mutts are named after the village where they were originally set up) has stirred trouble for the Madhwa Brahmin community, particularly the swamis of the eight mutts, by claiming in a TV interview that he, as well as some of the other swamis, had families.

Demands to remove the Swami from his post arose almost immediately. The council of Ashta mutt swamijis along with seniors and scholars of the small one-lakh strong but tradition-bound community of Madhwa Brahmins are considering ways to force the swami out. One option being considered is called dwandwa, or pairing, wherein the Shiroor mutt administration will be handed over to another mutt till this matter is resolved.

Our first lesson when a shishya is taken is to renounce worldly pleasures," said Ramakrishna Acharya, a well-known scholar of Madhwa Radhdhanta (texts explaining the Madhwa philosophy).

Asked Prasad Rao, former President of the Bengaluru-based Akhil Bharata Brahmin Maha Sabha says that Lakshmivara should step down immediately.

The swami, who has admitted that he has a family, is not a sanyasi, so how can he be a muttadhipati. The right thing for him to do is relinquish his muttadhipati status and make way for a sanyasi to take up the mantle." The Shiroor muttadhipati, however, is unmoved by such arguments.

Controversy over asceticism and celibacy is not new to the Ashta mutts. But in the past, the swamis who violated these edicts quit their posts on their own. A junior swami of Pejavar mutt had eloped with the daughter of a former MLA and migrated to America in 1982 while the 'singing saint' Vidyabhushana of Kukke Subramanya mutt had relinquished the peetha in 1999.

They relinquished their posts honourably, said Raghupathi Thantri Jalancharu, a respected elder of the Madhwa Brahmin community.

Swami Visvesha Thirtha, the senior religious leader of the Pejavar mutt, told this correspondent that contesting elections is Lakshmivara's constitutional right and totally his call.

However, it is still not certain that the swamiji will contest. I had decided to contest only had I got a BJP ticket, said Lakshmivara. But the state party leadership has not responded to his request. The swami, however, has not lost hope as the party is yet to name the Udupi candidate.

But more serious than contesting elections, are Lakshmivara's allegations of other swamis having families. "Casting aspersions on the other seven swamis has hurt the council of the Ashta mutts which cannot be tolerated. The council has given him a notice to which he has not replied satisfactorily. The swami of Sode mutt which is the dwandwa (paired) mutt of Shiroor mutt can take action in such circumstances, Visvesha added.

Traditions, oral and written as explained in the teachings and writings of Madhwacharya, have guided the decision making of modern muttadhipatis. Which in itself has led to other controversies in the past, like in 2017, when the former junior swami of Pejavara mutt Vishwa Vijaya had filed a lawsuit against the Ashta mutts demanding a written constitution.

Vishwa was ousted by the Ashta mutts 30 years ago for undertaking a foreign tour, and is now questioning why Sugunendra Thirtha, head of the Puthige mutt, who has taken the Madhwa philosophy abroad and set up Krishna temples in various cities across the United States, Canada, and Australia, is continuing in his post when it is considered absolute sacrilege for a swami of Udupi Madhwa lineage to set foot on a foreign soil.

In this latest controversy unleashed by Lakshmivara, the allegations that some swamis in the mutt are violating their vows of celibacy has angered the Ashta mutt council. It has also raised serious concerns among the larger Madhwa Brahmin community over the perceived 'degeneration' in the conduct of the Ashta mutt swamis.

The Madhwa community elders are now studying the conventions in Advaita (Adi Shankara) and Vishista Advaitha (Ramanujacharaya) texts for guidance. They are also seeking legal opinion on filing a public interest litigation against the Shiroor mutt for breaching the trust of the followers of the Shiroor mutt, in particular, and Udupi lineage of Madhwa Brahmins, in general.

Other Brahmin organisations like the Krishna Prajna Prathistan, Akhila Bharata Madhwa Maha Mandala and Yuva Brahmin Sabha have written to the senior swami of Pejavar mutt enquiring how the council of Ashta mutts will tackle the tricky situation.

We have no doubt that the council will do its best, but the best is not enough, said an office bearer of the Madhwa Maha Mandala. The way the swamis conduct the Ashta mutt affairs is under a cloud and coming generations will start suspecting the entire system," he added.

The author is a Mangaluru-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters
Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the death of a CRPF jawan from Amethi district in an encounter with Naxalites in Sukma district of Chattisgarh

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the death of a CRPF jawan from Amethi district in an encounter with Naxalites in Sukma district of Chattisgarh.

The chief minister condoled the death of Assistant Sub-Inspector Anil Kumar Maurya, who hailed from Amethi, in a gun battle between the security forces and Naxalites, and has announced an ex gratia of Rs. 25 lakh for his family, a government spokesman said.

He also asked the minister in-charge of Amethi to personally visit the family and offer condolences on behalf of the government, the spokesman said.

The gunfight took place on Friday night and lasted around half-an-hour.
Taking his party's fight against the Congress to the Gandhi family's home turf, BJP president Amit Shah held a public rally in Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's constituency Raebareli, where he said that BJP would free Raebareli and Amethi of 'family rule'

Taking BJP's fight against Congress to the Gandhi family's home turf, party president Amit Shah held a public rally in Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's constituency Raebareli, where he said that BJP would free Raebareli and Amethi of "family rule".

Shah addressed the rally in Raebareli on Saturday, where party workers from neighbouring areas including Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constituency Amethi, attended the programme.

Though the Bharatiya Janata Party swept Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 General Elections to Lok Sabha, BJP lost both Raebareli and Amethi to Congress. Shah's efforts in Raebareli, which include meetings with party workers to review the BJP's preparedness for the 2019 general elections, seem to be an effort to wrest Raebareli and Amethi from the Opposition party.

At the rally, Shah also referred to the upcoming 12 May Karnataka Assembly Election, where he spoke of his confidence that the saffron party would put up a good show in the state. "I have just returned from Karnataka, the mood is clearly in the favour of BJP," the BJP chief said. Shah was referring to his two-day visit to Karnataka that started on 12 April.

BJP, which came to power for the first time in the southern state in 2008, lost to Congress in the May 2013 Assembly elections after BS Yeddyurappa had parted ways and formed the Karnataka Janata Party. Yeddyurappa had returned to the party a year later and had won from the Shivamogga Lok Sabha seat in the May 2014 General Elections to Lok Sabha.

The Raebareli rally saw BJP leaders relentlessly criticising Congress for failing to do enough for Raebareli and Amethi constituencies.

"Congress fooled people in the name of development," Shah said at the rally. "It was the Narendra Modi government which pushed development in Uttar Pradesh and Raebareli," he added.

Shah asserted that Raebareli's people sent several "big leaders" to Delhi, but they did not bring any development to the area. "Raebareli has seen 'parivarvad' (family rule), and not development right since Independence," Shah said.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who also spoke at the rally, said Congress failed to bring development to Raebareli and Amethi. "People of Raebareli and Amethi are suffering under Congress," Adityanath said.

The party, under Modi and Shah, has been making a determined bid to wrest Amethi from Congress. It pitted Union minister Smriti Irani against the Gandhi scion in Amethi in the last Lok Sabha elections. Irani, who has been regularly visiting Amethi and has taken various developmental initiatives there, is likely to be the party's candidate from the constituency in the next general election as well.

UP BJP general secretary Pankaj Singh also fired a salvo against the Opposition party, saying the Congress chief must answer as to why the people in the constituencies represented by him and his family members in the Parliament were crying for basic amenities even after so many years of Independence.

"The BJP government in the state under Adityanath is working on the 'sankalp' (pledge) of ensuring availability of electricity and water supply and construction of better roads in the village. When they (Congress) were in power, they had never felt it appropriate to answer to anyone," Singh also said to PTI.

Shah and Adityanath also spoke of the slew of schemes the government has implemented for Uttar Pradesh. "Adityanth restored law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, which was notorious for goons and guns," Shah said at the rally. He also said that the chief minister had managed to make the state "pothole-free".

The BJP leaders also urged Congress to apologise for its "accusations" against them. Shah said that Rahul owed them an apology after the Mecca Masjid blast verdict.

"I ask Rahul, you tried to defame Hindu culture by claiming about saffron terror, now you should apologise to the nation. Asmeeanandji has been cleared of the charge," Shah said in Raebareli. Adityanath also said that both Sonia and Rahul should apologise to Shah for their allegations on him in the Justice Loya case.

Shah also spoke of the minor fire that had broken out at the venue of the public meeting. "When something big is about to happen some obstacles do come on the way," the BJP chief said about the incident. The fire, which was brought under control in a short time, broke out due to an electrical short-circuit near the media enclosure, officials had said.

With inputs from agencies
The BJP has released its third list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly Election. Chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa has been named in the list.

Bengaluru: The BJP is letting the cat out of the bag slowly. Ticket aspirants and local leaders are left guessing only in 11 constituencies now, as the party's third list comprising of 59 candidates has been released. BJP voters have been disappointed in two major constituencies  Udupi and Krishnaraja in Mysuru.

Former Udupi MLA Raghupathy Bhat has had rough phases in his political career on two counts  the mysterious suicide of his wife Padmapriya in 2008, and later, a sleazy video that went viral in the early days of social media. There were also rumours involving SA Ramadas, who was the Krishnaraja MLA in 2008, 1999 and 1994, that he had illicit relations with a woman named Premakumari, and then abandoned her. The BJP's decision to award tickets to these two candidates is bound to place core voters of the party in a dilemma.

However, we might be left with no other choice, but to vote for them if we want footprints of Modis governance in Karnataka, reason voters on several WhatsApp groups that are abuzz again after the release of the BJPs third list.

The BJP's choice of candidate in Udupi doesnt promise a shift in favour of the party. This shift could have happened had it succeeded in bringing incumbent MLA Pramod Madhwaraj into its fold. If Madhwaraj would have moved from the Congress to BJP, the latter would have benefited by having fielded the only candidate from the Mogaveera community with a strong presence not just in Udupi, but all along the coast in Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada. Such a move could have united the Mogaveera in favour of the BJP in the coastal region. However, this was not to be.

Election watchers as well as ordinary voters remember how the BJP came to power in 2008  through "operation Kamala"  bringing MLAs from different parties into the saffron party's fold. In 2018, when the Reddys of Ballari are trying to make a comeback, the BJP has already started a similar process.

In the third list, Gali Karunakar Reddy has got a party ticket to contest from Harapanahalli assembly constituency against Congress MP Ravindra.

The Reddy brothers have begun Operation Lotus well before the election this time, having managed to lure their political rival NY Gopalkrishna into the BJP. He will contest from the Kudligi Assembly constituency against the Congress Raghu Gujjal. Also, Gopalkrishna has represented the Monakalmuru Assembly constituency thrice from the Congress. Therefore, his absence there will certainly make matters easier for B Sriramulu, whom BJP placed in the contest for this Chitradurga seat.

BJPs chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa also has been named in the third list. Among his followers who have been allotted tickets this time are SI Chikkanagoudra from Kundagol, Neharu Olekar from Haveri, B P Harish from Harihar. These three leaders had contested from the Karnataka Janata Paksha in 2013.

Chandrasekhar Gokak, a former bank employee who resigned to contest as a BJP candidate from Hubli (SC) constituency, has been chosen to contest for the seat owing to his association with the cadres and philanthropic activities of the RSS.

The BJP has also fielded cine actor Sai Kumar, who belongs to the Balija community. The Balijas constitute a major chunk of the electorate in the border constituency of Bagepalli, Chikballapur district, which is also Kumars native region. A renowned Telugu actor, Kumar had unsuccessfully the contested 2008 elections on a BJP ticket. The dialogue king has earned a large fan base in most parts of Chikkaballapur, where there is a large number of Telugu speakers. Since most of Bagepalli constituency borders Andhra Pradesh, Telugu culture may influence voters and Sai Kumars presence in the field has given a new twist to the elections in the border areas.

Continuing its "Operation Kamala" across other regions in the state, the BJP has recently roped in former Congress MLA Amaresh. The party has fielded him from Mulbagal. Amaresh was a protege of Kolar MP and former minister of state KH Muniyappa.

Both Muniyappa and former MLA Y Sampangi have fielded their daughters Roopa and Ashwini, respectively. They had both contested the ZP elections too, and Ashwini emerged the winner. The move comes after BJP had distanced itself from Sampangi who was caught accepting a Rs 5 lakh bribe in 2009. He was denied a ticket from Kolar for this reason. However, his mother, Ramakka, got the ticket and won 2013 elections against her JD(S) opponent M Bakthavatchalam, garnering almost double the votes as he did. Now it is his daughter Ashwinis turn to keep the constituency in the hold of her family.

Chamundeshwari, the constituency named after the Goddess that presides over Mysuru, is getting ready for a David versus Goliath battle. Chief Minister S Siddaramiah and JD(S) leader G T Devegowda  both titans in their own right  are pitted against each other. The BJP has decided to field a lesser known candidate, Gopal Rao, who has not contested an election of this magnitude earlier. The BJPs move may be targeted at defeating Siddaramaiah.

Contributions by Shivarjanjini S, Basavaraj Maralihalli, Ranganath Krishnaswamy, Y Maheshwar Reddy, Ravi Naraboli and M Raghuram, who are all members of 101reporters.com, a pan-India organisation of grassroots reporters.
It was mildly amusing and overwhelmingly distressing to note the Congress position itself as 'democracy's saviour' while moving to strike a fell blow to it.

Had it not been such a tragic day for democracy in India with grave implications for its future, 20 April, 2018 could have gone down in history as a day of dark humour. There is an element of amusement attached to the phenomenon of the devil quoting from the scripture. It stretches our credulity even as it horrifies us.

It was mildly amusing and overwhelmingly distressing to note the Congress position itself as "democracy's saviour" while moving to strike a fell blow at its very roots by bringing an arbitrary impeachment motion against the Chief Justice of Supreme Court. The mala fide attempt doesn't stop at being a "revenge petition", as Arun Jaitley has described it in a blog post.

Congress invoked the "independence of the judiciary" and waxed eloquent on the need for it to "stand firm, independent of the executive, and discharge(s) its constitutional functions honestly, fearlessly and with an even hand" for "democracy to thrive".

Wise words, purportedly aimed at cloaking its base attempt in the guise of a higher ideal. And profoundly ironical. Congress bets on short public memory but forgets that history is indelible. Its six-decade rule is fraught with repeated attempts to harm judicial independence, interfere with its functions and undermine democracy. These crocodile tears fool no one.

It took a landmark verdict by a 13-judge bench of the Supreme Court (7-6 in favour) on 24 April, 1973, to uphold the primacy of the Constitution in the Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala case where both judicial independence and the Constitution's supremacy came under attack from the Indira Gandhi government. As it had done during the Emergency and now while moving to impeach the CJI, the Congress tried to diminish the authority of the judiciary after being at the receiving end of a series of adverse verdicts.

As senior advocate of the Madras High Court Arvind P Datar recalled in an article for The Hindu in 2013, Indira Gandhi was "smarting under three successive adverse rulings". In 1967, in the Golaknath case, the Supreme Court ruled that the Parliament could not amend or alter any fundamental right. Another adverse judgement came two years later in a case relating to nationalisation of 14 banks (the right to nationalisation was upheld) and in 1970, the Supreme Court delivered another ruling against Gandhi's abolition of privy purses.

"Smarting under three successive adverse rulings, which had all been argued by NA Palkhivala, Indira Gandhi was determined to cut the Supreme Court and the High Courts to size and she introduced a series of constitutional amendments that nullified the Golaknath, bank nationalisation and privy purses judgments. In a nutshell, these amendments gave Parliament uncontrolled power to alter or even abolish any fundamental right," writes Datar in his article. Kesavananda Bharati, the head of a mutt in Kerala, had challenged these amendments in the Supreme Court leading to the landmark judgement where the Supreme Court held that "Parliament could amend any part of the Constitution so long as it did not alter or amend 'the basic structure or essential features of the Constitution'."

Speaking to Times Now on Thursday, senior advocate Harish Salve said: "We were young college students when the Kesavananda Bharati verdict came. And the then party in power superseded three of the senior-most judges because they decided the case one way. But they didn't hide their motive they said we are superseding because these judges are not in sync with the though process of the government in power. My late guru Mr Palkhivala wrote a small book on this and its name was: A Judiciary Made To Measure. [Pause]. For me, this is deja vu"

Let us take a moment to consider that a party which enjoys such a track record in "upholding the independence of judiciary" has now moved an impeachment motion against the CJI because it ostensibly could not digest an adverse verdict, and in so doing has sought to cloak its manouvre under the garb of high morality. Rich.

It is in this backdrop that we may consider the series of tweets on Saturday by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju against Congress's motion to impeach the CJI.

They don't trust Army

They dont trust CJI

They dont trust SC

They dont trust EC

They dont trust EVMs

They dont trust RBI

They dont trust PMO

They dont trust President

And they saying

Democracy in Danger!! https://t.co/fheVWjM4we  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 21, 2018

You ruled India for six decades during which you crushed democracy, suppressed oppositions, looted India, created largest poor people in the world.. Now you have the audacity to talk about Democracy, Dalits, Tribals, Muslims, Women

Is India your private fiefdom? https://t.co/fheVWk3FnM  Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 20, 2018

There is very little chance for the motion  which stands on flimsy ground  to succeed, given the arduous process and the Opposition's lack of numbers. It satisfies none of the two basic conditions on which such a drastic step may be based: CJI's "incapacity" or "proven misconduct". Such a motion had never been brought in the past against an acting Chief Justice of India, and in none of the five cases where an impeachment procedure was invoked against Supreme Court and High Court judges has it been successful.

It is by now quite clear that this is Congress's cynical ploy fashioned to meet multiple political ends (see this columnist's earlier piece).

There could be two sets of repercussions for this ill-conceived move  procedural and political  both severe and in both cases, the institution of the judiciary will suffer an irreparable blow to its moral authority.

Procedurally, it is up to the Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu to admit the motion. Naidu, who is now in an unenviable position, will be faced with twin dilemmas. If he admits the motion and places it before the Parliament, CJI Dipak Misra will be under tremendous pressure to withdraw from work. His reputation as a judge of the Supreme Court and the moral authority as the CJI  the first among equals  will take a hammer blow regardless of whether the motion proceeds or not.

If Naidu refuses to admit the motion, he will face a barrage of criticism from the Opposition, a section of the media and lawyer-activists that he has "failed to remain neutral." It is also possible that the Opposition in this case will approach the Supreme Court and the CJI will be asked to recuse himself from taking up a case that pertains to his impeachment.

In their report in The Print, Maneesh Chhibber and Divya Narayanan write that in the event Naidu rejects the motion, following which a writ is filed in SC and the CJI is forced to recuse himself, it should be heard by the Bench headed by the second senior-most judge  Jasti Chelameswar. But, here is where the problem lies: Justice Chelameswar was one of the four top judges of the apex court to come out and hold a press conference against the conduct of CJI Misra. Ditto for the next three in order of seniority  Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Kurain Joseph and Madan Lokur, who were also present at the presser."

Since the CJI is the Master of the Roster, it is unclear who will decide on the composition of the Bench. We are on uncharted territory. Former judges are of the opinion that during the time that the Vice-President takes in deciding on the next court of action, the CJI is under no obligation to suspend himself from work.

The Hindu quotes former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan as saying that CJI Misra remains unaffected by the impeachment move of the Opposition parties. Former Solicitor-General of India Mohan Parasaran told the newspaper: Just because a motion is moved, why should he [CJI Misra] actually cease to do his work. Otherwise, tomorrow any 50 MPs can sign an impeachment motion and hold the judiciary to ransom.

However, even if the CJI reports to work, he will be under unbearable pressure to discharge his duties and his verdicts will lack the moral authority that accompanies every judicial verdict. It is here that the Congress's move will strike a devastating blow to the credibility of the Supreme Court and the office of the CJI. If, for instance, a Bench headed by him delivers a verdict in favour of the Aadhaar project, that may be interpreted as a move to please the government. Ditto in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case. We now begin to understand the true import of Congress's motive.

Finally, the timing of the Congress's impeachment motion violates the core principle of judiciary in a democracy  that a judge cannot be forced out of office for delivering an unpalatable verdict. As Arghya Sengupta, research director of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, writes in Hindustan Times, "by choosing to bring an impeachment motion, not at the time, or at any other time, but when faced with an adverse judgment to which the CJI was a party, the most core principle of judicial independence has been breached  that a judge cannot hold his tenure based on the rightness or wrongness of his judgment."

Regardless of the motion's fate, Congress has let loose the dogs of anarchy in our democracy for narrow political ends. It is difficult to see how the judiciary, that derives its moral legitimacy primarily from public trust, can recover from this low blow.
Congress leaders are beginning to admit that Siddaramaiahs adventure, which from the outset was thought to be a gamble fraught with political risks, might not pay off to the extent they had hoped, and may even backfire

When Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah decided to turn upper caste Lingayats into a separate minority religious community on 19 March, it was hailed as a brilliant masterstroke that would have made Machiavelli proud.

The move was intended to splinter the Lingayat vote base of BJP, but a month later, Siddaramaiah and his Congress are not sure what impact it will have on the party in the Assembly election three weeks from now. In fact, indications are that Siddaramaiah is nervous about whether the whole thing will boomerang on the party.

Siddaramaiah thought that the promise of benefits that come with a minority religion status would make a significant section of the Lingayats grateful enough to back the Congress. The community, to which BJPs Karnataka president and chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa belongs, accounts for anywhere between 10 to 17 percent of the population. It has a significant presence in about 100 Assembly constituencies  about 70 of them in the northern Karnataka  of the states 224 seats.

During the one month since the Siddaramaiah government took the decision, there has been feedback from the ground  surveys, internal assessments by parties and anecdotal evidence  which suggests that the average Lingayat is not exactly dancing with joy about it. How the Lingayats would vote in the end is still anybodys guess, but Congress leaders are beginning to admit that Siddaramaiahs adventure, which from the outset was thought to be a gamble fraught with political risks, might not pay off to the extent they had hoped, and may even backfire.

The most notable reaction from the Lingayats is that the whole thing is an election gimmick aimed at dividing their community and vote. The awareness among them that the states decision has no meaning unless it is ratified by the Centre is gaining ground. Other responses reveal scepticism over the benefits that would accrue to them if and when Lingayatism is recognised as a minority religion. There is also utter confusion among some over what all this means.

The suspicion that Congress might be seen as a party that divides Hindus  which is what BJP says the offering of minority tag to Lingayats amounts to  is also gaining strength within the ruling party. Besides, Congress, despite public claims to the contrary, is apprehensive of the impact Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have in his final leg of campaigning in areas that include Lingayat-dominated northern Karnataka. The memories of Modis last-minute coup in Gujarat Assembly election four months ago are still fresh.

The possibility of the pampering of Lingayats leading to consolidation of some other castes, or at least sections of them, behind the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), as argued in this article is also not being ruled out in Congress circles. The ruling party and its senior leaders now concede that they are simply not in a position to gauge the mood of Lingayats, three weeks before polling day.

In the circumstances, Siddaramaiah is doing the only thing he can: switch to a silent mode as far as the minority religion status for Lingayats is concerned. See for instance the Facebook post by Siddaramaiah on Basava Jayanti on 18 April. He paid glorious tributes to Basaveshwara, the 12th-Century founder of the Lingayat faith. He said he had taken oath as chief minister on Basava Jayanti day in 2013, ordered that Basaveshwaras photos be put up in government offices and even based his "Karnataka model of development" on the ideas of Lingayatisms founder.

Its fascinating, exhilarating and invigorating to know that Siddaramaiah swears by the ideals of Basaveshwara. By saying such sweet things he even manages to look like an oasis of profound wisdom and sanity in the wild desert of stupidity thats called politics. But Congress leaders dont miss the fact that when Siddaramaiah said all this he chose not to utter a single word about giving Lingayatism the label of a separate religion that his government had decided on a month ago.

Amit Shah has nothing to say either

Its not just Siddaramaiah who is clammed up on the issue of separate Lingayat religion. Even BJP president Amit Shah, who waxes eloquent on sundry issues targeting Siddaramaiah, is at a loss for words on the issue.

It has been said that silence speaks volumes. But the silence of both Siddaramaiah and Shah speak different things. In Siddaramaiahs case, it means that he wants to minimise the damage or the backlash that Congress attracts from other communities by appearing to mollycoddle the Lingayats. It means that its better to be safe than sorry.

Wheres Shah hops from one Lingayat mutt to another, seeking the blessings of the communitys seers, but saying nothing about a separate religion that the chief minister dangled. Shahs silence means: We never said anything about it, did we?

Thrown into a fix by Siddaramaiahs decision in the first place, BJP has never taken a categorical stand on whether the Lingayats must have a religion of their own or not. The party is not in the position to either support a separate religion or oppose it, and so opts for silence except to say that Siddaramaiah is breaking up Hinduism.

The only ones who will  and must  speak up on the subject are Lingayats themselves, and they will do so on 12 May by pressing the buttons of their choice on EVMs.
The suspense over Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah contesting from two constituencies in the 12 May Assembly elections has deepened further, though he said he would leave the final call to the party high command

Bengaluru: The suspense over Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah contesting from two constituencies in the 12 May Assembly elections has deepened further, though the Congress leader maintained he would leave the final call to the party high command.

An official tour programme circulated by the Chief Minister's Office said Siddaramaiah would file his nomination from Badami in north Karnataka on 23 April. But soon thereafter, the programme list was withdrawn with a message that the schedule for 23 April would be issued separately.

Siddaramaiah, who has already filed his nomination from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru, has been saying that he was under pressure from local party leaders in Bagalkote and Vijayapura districts to contest from Badami, but would leave the final decision to the Congress high command.

Since the last few days, Siddaramaiah has been saying that he was under pressure from local Congress leaders to contest from Badami, as it would benefit party's performance in the northern parts of the state.

Siddaramaiah had been camping in Mysuru since Monday and has dedicated his entire schedule for campaigning in Chamundeshwari and Varuna, constituencies from where he and his son Yatindra are Congress candidates. He returned to Bengaluru on Saturday.

Siddaramaiah restricting his campaign to two constituencies has fuelled speculations that he was unhappy that the party central leadership had not allowed him to contest from two constituencies.

The Congress in its list of candidates for 218 seats as announced on 15 April, had named Dr Devraj Patil as its nominee from Badami. But issuing of B-form (required to be filed by a political party mentioning name of its approved candidate) to Patil has been put on hold.

Siddaramaiah's reported wish to contest from two seats was said to have met with stiff opposition from veteran party leaders Mallikarjuna Kharge and Veerappa Moily, after which it was decided to field Patil.

Fielding Patil has led to internal squabbling within the local unit of the party, with many, including sitting MLA Chimmanakatti, opposed to it. Chimmanakatti has said if the chief minister is not contesting, he should be the candidate.

Badami, with a strong Kuruba presence, the community to which Siddaramaiah belongs, was seen as a second safe option for the chief minister, as reports have suggested that the battle in Chamundeshwari will not be an easy one for him. Siddaramaiah has won five times and tasted defeat twice at Chamundeshwari.

In 2008, he had contested from Varuna constituency in Mysuru, but that has now been allotted to his son this time. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Siddaramaiah said he had conveyed to the high command his desire to contest only from Chamundeshwari constituency.

"I have told the high command that I will contest from Chamundeshwari and not from two constituencies. However, the people of north Karnataka are pressuring the high command that I should contest from north Karnataka too," he said.

The chief minister said he has not taken any decision and he will go by the decision of the high command.
Two more Congress legislators resigned from their posts in the party's Punjab unit as resentment grew among MLAs for being denied a ministerial berth in an expansion of the state Cabinet

Chandigarh: Two more Congress legislators resigned from their posts in the party's Punjab unit on Saturday as resentment grew among MLAs for being denied a ministerial berth in an expansion of the state Cabinet.

Surjit Singh Dhiman, the MLA from Amargarh in Sangrur district, and Nathu Ram from Balluana in Fazilka, tendered their resignations from party positions to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Sunil Jakhar.

The resignation came just hours before the swearing in here of the nine new ministers, whose names were announced on Friday after a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Another party legislator, Sangat Singh Gilzian, resigned on Friday from All India Congress Committee (AICC) and as a PPCC vice-president over the issue.

Nathu Ram quit as PPCC general secretary, saying the party had ignored his Dalit community.

Surjit Singh Dhiman's resignation from the PPCC vice-president's post was announced by his son Jaswinder Dhiman. He is from the backward classes and said they were "ignored".

"Dalits are feeling humiliated by being denied a ministerial slot in the cabinet expansion," Nathu Ram said.

"Dalits account for 34 percent of Punjab population and if we are to consider this percentage, at least five ministers should be Dalits in the cabinet," he said.

Jaswinder Singh Dhiman said "not a single minister" belonged to backward classes.

"Out of the backward class population in the state, 14 percent belong to Ramgarhia community. At least one person belonging the to the backward community should have been given the post," he said.

The chief minister, however, denied any "unfairness" in the selection of the new ministers.

Amarinder Singh said adequate representation had been given to all sections and regions, with seniority being the key criteria.

"There were no swollen faces in the party, as the media chose to call them," he said while responding to questions from journalists in an informal chat after the swearing-in ceremony at the Raj Bhavan in Chandigarh.

He said the focus had been on striking a regional and caste balance to ensure the holistic development of the state. Besides the resignations, two other Congress MLAs today expressed disappointment over the Cabinet expansion.

Khanna MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli, who is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, said "old and traditional" families that have won elections for the party should have been considered for Cabinet berths.

"I meet all the criteria for becoming a minister but a junior person has been inducted. I fought three elections and won twice," said Navtej Singh Cheema, the MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.

Cheema said he was disappointed that the Doaba region was "ignored."

"Only one ministerial berth has been given to Doaba (Sunder Shan Arora) and that too represents the Kandi area. The main Doaba region comprising Jalandhar and Kapurthala, which is known as the NRI belt, is completely ignored," Cheema said.

"Whenever Congress won seats from the Doaba region, it formed the government," he said.

He said the party picked three ministers from one district but had ignored Doaba.

With the induction of Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa in the Cabinet, Gurdaspur district now has three ministers.

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian) and Aruna Chaudhary (Dinanagar) already represented the district in the ministry.

Amritsar also has three ministers now with the induction of OP Soni (Amritsar Central) and Sukhbinder Sarkaria (Raja Sansi). Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East was already a minister.

Cheema said he could not understand why his name was "dropped at the last moment" and will take up the matter with the chief minister.

Meanwhile, Kotli argued in favour of Punjab's "traditional" families. "Old and traditional families that have been winning continuously and worked hard for the party should have also been considered," he said.

Kotli's grandfather Beant Singh was chief minister and his father Tej Partap Singh was a minister in previous Congress government.

Later, the chief minister told reporters that with four Dalit ministers already in the Cabinet, more members of the community could not have been accommodated. He assured that all Congress MLAs who had not found a place in the ministry will be inducted into the various boards and corporations.

The ministers' portfolios will be announced on Sunday, he said.
Over the past few months, Sinha had become a dissident voice within the BJP, criticising the central and BJP-ruled state governments' economic policies and governance.

Veteran politician and former Union minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday announced his plan to exit BJP and made it clear that he will not be joining any other political party for the moment. "I end all my ties with the BJP," he said during an Opposition rally in Patna.

While Sinha's Saturday announcement was unexpected, it wasn't surprising. Over the past few months, Sinha had become a dissident voice within the BJP, criticising the central and BJP-ruled state governments' economic policies and governance.

Sinha had also launched a political platform 'Rashtra Manch' recently to take on the NDA-led Central government. Some of Sinha's top remarks against the Narendra Modi government  some of which he also highlighted on Saturday to justify his sudden exit from BJP  were on demonetisation, Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the recent cash crunch in ATMs. Here's a look at few of them:

On cash crunch

On Thursday, Sinha voiced his concern in a television interview over the cash crunch in ATMs that reportedly hit several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka.

Calling it a case of "complete mismanagement" on the part of both the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the government, Sinha said the magnitude of the crisis is huge and the RBI did not have a backup plan to deal with such a situation.

"From the information which is tumbling out every day, it would appear that not only the crisis is widespread...the magnitude of the crisis is huge," Sinha said.

On the state of economy

In September 2017, Sinha, who was finance minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, told reporters that he won't remain silent on national issues.

"There was a constant downfall in the economy but I did not speak. We cannot blame the previous government any more because we have been in power for 40 months and got full opportunity to correct things," he said.

He also advised the Modi government that if people like former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former finance minister P Chidambaram speak on the economy, it should listen to them.

On GST and demonetisation

Sinha has been a constant critic of demonetisation and GST since the time of their introduction in the public system. While delivering a speech at a Pune-based organisation in November 2017, Sinha said the implementation of the GST in India was a "textbook example" of how it should not be introduced.

"The GST is the best indirect tax regime globally and there is no doubt about it and that is why it is adopted in most of the countries. But the way GST was implemented in India is a textbook example of how the tax reform should not be implemented anywhere," he said, adding that the rolling out of the tax should be a case study at Harvard and other universities.

Speaking on demonetisation at the same event, Sinha said that the rich people did not suffer any hardships and it was the poor who stood in the queue and lost their lives.

In the same month, Sinha compared Modi to the 14th-Century Sultan of Delhi, Mohammad bin Tughlaq. "There were many 'shahenshah' (emperors) who brought their own currency. Some even kept previous currency in circulation while introducing the new one. But, there was a shahenshah 700 years back, Tughlaq, who introduced his own (currency) while discontinuing the old currency," he said at a function in Ahmedabad.

"Thus, we can say that demonetisation was done 700 years ago. Though Tughlaq is infamous for shifting his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad, he has also done demonetisation," Sinha had said.

On governance

After the four senior-most Supreme Court judges came out publicly against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in January, Sinha urged his then BJP colleagues and ministers to "get rid of their fear" and "speak up for democracy".

He also compared the prevailing atmosphere in India to the Emergency in 1975-77. "Like the chief Justice of India in the Supreme Court, the prime minister is also first among equals in the government and his Cabinet colleagues should speak up," he said at a press conference.

He also claimed that he was "personally aware of the fear in which members of the Cabinet in this government are working, and that also is a threat to democracy".

On Kashmir issue

In an October interview to The Wire, Sinha attacked the government over its policies with respect to Kashmir, and remarked that "India has lost people of the Valley emotionally".

"I am looking at the alienation of the people in Jammu and Kashmir. That is something which bothers me the most We have lost the people emotionally You just have to visit the Valley to realise that they have lost faith in us," Sinha said.

Sinha also said that he has sought an appointment with Modi to discuss the issue ten months ago and was "hurt" as it did not materialise.

"I am hurt. I am absolutely hurt. That you ask for time, 10 months have gone by Let me tell you, ever since I have been in public life, no prime minister of India, starting with Rajiv Gandhi, has ever said no to a meeting I have sought no prime minister has said to Yashwant Sinha, I dont have time for you. And this is my own prime minister who has treated me like this," he said.

On allegations against Jay Shah

In October 2017, Sinha criticised the Centre for defending BJP chief Amit Shah's son Jay over allegations hurled against him and said it thus lost its high moral ground.

"The manner in which a Central minister jumped into the fray... He is a central minister, not a chartered accountant of Jay Shah," Sinha told NDTV.

Sinha also criticised the government for allowing Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to take on the case of Jay Shah. "These were avoidable and should not have happened. The very special circumstances in which the additional solicitor general has been cleared to defend the concerned person also raises some issues and that was also to my mind avoidable.

"Looking at all these, therefore, perhaps the high moral ground that we had occupied all these months and years somehow appears to have been lost," said the former finance minister.

Jay Shah's company has reportedly recorded a turnover of Rs 80 crore in 2015 after showing just Rs 50,000 the previous year.
Dissident BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit the saffron party, saying that he was doing this to save democracy.

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Again, earlier this week he had written an open letter to BJP MPs asking them to challenge the leadership before the next elections so that correctives could be taken.  IANS

In 2017, Sinha had created a political storm with an article in the Indian Express claiming that the Indian economy was poised for a hardlanding after demonetisation and GST.

Sinha, who was Finance Minister and External Affairs Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, attended the meeting of the Rashtra Manch along with BJP MP Satrughan Sinha, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress leader Renuka Choudhary and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh.

Sinha had said he had been trying for an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had sent numerous letters to him, but failed to elicit a response, something that prompted him to float a political action group called 'Rashtra Manch'.

Ironically, Yashwant Sinha in February had said, "Why should I quit the BJP? I had toiled hard during 2004-14 when the UPA was in power. Let the party throw me out if it wants."

In February, Yashwant Sinha had said he had no intention to quit BJP

#BREAKING -- Yashwant Sinha quits BJP. The leader said, I end my all ties with BJP, will not join any political party. I will fight for democracy pic.twitter.com/TWY6b4Jfyc

Earlier in March, Yashwant Sinha had met Shatrughan Sinha, Arun Shourie and Mamata Banerjee and had praised the TMC chief's efforts to stitch an anti-BJP alliance.

Again, earlier this week he had written an open letter to BJP MPs asking them to challenge the leadership before the next elections so that correctives could be taken.  IANS

In 2017, Sinha had created a political storm with an article in the Indian Express claiming that the Indian economy was poised for a hardlanding after demonetisation and GST.

Sinha, who was Finance Minister and External Affairs Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, attended the meeting of the Rashtra Manch along with BJP MP Satrughan Sinha, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress leader Renuka Choudhary and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh.

Sinha had said he had been trying for an audience with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and had sent numerous letters to him, but failed to elicit a response, something that prompted him to float a political action group called 'Rashtra Manch'.

Ironically, Yashwant Sinha in February had said, "Why should I quit the BJP? I had toiled hard during 2004-14 when the UPA was in power. Let the party throw me out if it wants."

In February, Yashwant Sinha had said he had no intention to quit BJP

Dissident BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Saturday quit the saffron party, saying that he was doing this to save democracy, which he said was "under threat".

"I end all my ties with the BJP," Sinha reportedly said at an event with Opposition parties in Patna.

Sinha also blamed the Modi government for the Parliament logjam. "I have said this publicly: When Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister, we were all instructed that the Parliament should run. We were told that the Opposition should be given the opportunity to raise whichever issue they want," Sinha said.

"Did the prime minister ever unite the leaders of the Opposition parties and talk to them? The government is not concerned about this issue. The government was very happy that the Parliament wasn't running," he further said.

"In democracy, there is nothing more important than a proposal for confidence or no confidence in the government...Instead, the Speaker said that she could not count 50 MPs," Sinha added.

Sinha said that he will not have ties with any other political party. "I will not have any ties with party politics. I will not become a member of any other party. For saving democracy, we will start a revolution," he said.

He also said that he "won't sit tight when there is a crisis in the country...News reports against the government are killed."

Sinha had formed 'Rashtra Manch' on 30 January, saying that it will be an apolitical forum to highlight the "anti-people" policies of the Centre. Leaders from the Congress and other Opposition parties had joined the event.

With inputs from agencies
Reuters

China has long pushed the development of top-end semiconductors as a key strategic objective. Now, as a trade war with the United States looms, a government decision to accelerate the development of the domestic chip industry underlines how far those goals have fallen short.

Senior Chinese officials are increasingly concerned about stalling efforts to improve domestic chip design, seen as critical after a series of failed outbound deals, according to two industry insiders familiar with the matter. Closing the quality gap with US chipmakers has become a matter of urgency in Beijing.

Senior government officials met this week to discuss how to speed up chip development in light of brewing trade tensions with the United States, Reuters reported on 19 April.

China has made chip development a key plank of its Made in China 2025 drive to bolster its strength in technology against more developed rivals in the United States, Japan, and Europe. The government wants local chips to make up at least 40 percent of Chinas semiconductor needs by the middle of the next decade. However, Chinese chipmakers are struggling to hit key targets, industry insiders say.

Domestic chipmakers have been stymied by the blocking of a series of chip-related deals overseas, and are having trouble attracting talent and overcoming technical hurdles in developing higher-end domestic chips.

A Chinese deal for the US semiconductor testing company Xcerra Corp was shot down by a US national security panel in February, while the $1.3 billion acquisition of the US chipmaker Lattice Semiconductor Corp was blocked in 2017. There was earlier a belief that the technology would be easier to develop, or that it could be acquired from overseas, said a supplier to one of Chinas top state-backed integrated circuit chip firms. Now were seeing that its not the case.

The projects are efficient and there is a lot of funding support, the person added, but there are more problems to solve than they initially thought. These delays came into sharp relief this week after the United States imposed a seven-year ban on sales by American companies to the Chinese phone maker ZTE Corp, a move that threatens to cut off its supply chain.

ZTE, which relies heavily on US chips, said on 20 April that the ban was unfair and threatened its survival. Interviews with half a dozen China chip suppliers, business groups, investors, and analysts suggest that despite heavy investment and rhetoric, China is behind schedule in developing high-end chips, or integrated circuits. China has made more progress on lower-end chips, people said.

The reason why chip technology has experienced such limited progress despite years of advocacy is that the Chinese system has not yet formed a key driving force for it, Chinas Global Times newspaper said in an editorial on 20 April.

The countrys leaders, rattled by the trade frictions with the United States and the ZTE case, are now looking to double down on investment into research and development of domestically-designed chips, the two people said. The state-backed National Integrated Circuit Investment Fund will step up spending on domestic chip design versus other areas such as financing overseas deals, the people added.

The Big Fund, which closed a new round of funding worth an estimated $32 billion last month, will dedicate around a quarter of the new funds to integrated circuit design, they added. One design challenge faced by Chinese companies is catching up in a short timeframe with rivals who have been developing increasingly complex technology for decades.

Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Integrated Circuit Investment Fund did not respond to faxed requests for comment on 2o April. The US regulators have cracked down on acquisitions of overseas semiconductor assets by Chinese state-backed companies, an effort spanning the Obama and Trump administrations, over fears that Beijings state-subsidized efforts would undermine US supremacy in semiconductor technology.

China says the aggressive policy is needed to reduce dependence on foreign-made chips. China imported $227 billion worth of integrated circuits in 2016, more than for imports of crude oil, iron ore and primary plastics combined. These chips go into smartphones, computers and other electronic devices, as well as high-end industrial and military products.

Beijing is now seeking to relieve pressure on priority chip products by cutting corporate taxes for up to five years, officials said this month. Companies are also spending heavily to tap foreign resources as well as engineers from overseas competitors, analysts say.

Its not uncommon for engineers to get a salary that is five times what they are paid in Korea or Taiwan if they work in China, said a Korean chip engineer who now works in China with the domestic semiconductor industry.

The bonuses are large and if you can recruit others there are very big incentives, the person said. He declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. Jeter Teo, Taipei-based research director at the tech analytics consultancy Trendforce, said China was aggressively looking to attract talent, though still had less than half the 7,00,000 semiconductor experts it needed to really compete.

While China has managed to attract many experts in the semiconductor field, analysts say, others are deterred by clauses in some contracts limiting job mobility and the challenges of moving families to China.

There is no doubt companies will catch up eventually, the Chinese chip supplier source said, referring to Chinese firms. But they must develop at double the speed of overseas companies, otherwise they will always be a generation behind, the source said.
tech2 News Staff

Photo management platform SmugMug said on 20 April that it has agreed to buy image and video-hosting website Flickr for an undisclosed amount.

Flickr will continue to operate as a separate entity after the deal closes, SmugMug said.

Uniting the SmugMug and Flickr brands will make the whole photography community stronger and better connected, SmugMug chief executive Don MacAskill said in a statement. Together, we can preserve photography as the global language of storytelling.

Despite the growth of Instagram and Facebook, Flickr has tried to maintain its position on the internet. According to a report by USA Today, MacAskill said that Flickr has survived through the 'thick and thin' with the changes on the internet.

Flickr reportedly saw a decrease in the number of users as compared to its heydays. In March it was reported to have 13.1 million unique visitors which was a rise from 2017 where it had 10.8 million users. Verizon bought Yahoo Incs core business for $4.48 billion last year and the acquisition included Flickr, among other web properties. On Twitter, Flickr tweeted about the acquisition.

Together is where photographers belong! Were thrilled to announce that Flickr will be joining @SmugMug to create the worlds best home for photography. Learn more: https://t.co/Jtm6f460IN #photogether pic.twitter.com/N8EF7CG2rq  Flickr (@Flickr) April 20, 2018

Flickr was founded in 2004 which was a common platform for people to share their photographs. A lot of dedicated Flickr users are calling this acquisition, yet another change to #MakeFlickrGreatAgain. Last time we saw that hashtag was when Marissa Mayer had just taken over as Yahoo CEO in 2012. Flickr has been loved by its community and the fact that it still has managed to stay afloat, in an age of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, speaks volumes about its community. A lot of users have high hopes from SmugMug to give Flickr the attention that it deserves.

Something about second and third acts in American life, but Online #MakeFlickrGreatAgain https://t.co/CE6CNz6lWw  J T. Ramsay (@jtramsay) April 20, 2018

Everyone is excited about SmugMug bringing back Flickr because it reminds us of a time when we thought the internet was gonna be a good thing.  Dave Pell (@davepell) April 20, 2018

Wow, this news is timed well, as I was just seriously considering abandoning Flickr after 14 years and 7,156 photos. Perhaps Ill stick around a little longer now to see what the new owners might do with it. https://t.co/Fv4gRAhTFD  Brian Sawyer (@briansawyer) April 20, 2018

With inputs from Reuters.
tech2 News Staff

Google Photos is the go-to photo storage app for Android users (and some iOS users as well). Its Auto-Awesome feature keeps surprising you with AI-powered photo edits as well as movies.

Google wants to give Android users a lot more control over the video editing capabilities of the app. And to that effect, there is a more powerful movie editor coming soon to the Photos app.

According to a report in Android Police, Google is adding a powerful movie editor feature in the updated version of Photos. According to the report, the new movie editor has a white colour scheme. In the older movie editor, the videos were presented in a carousel form with the video currently being worked on in the centre. In the new editor, the video undergoing editing will be placed at the top of the screen and the selected clips will appear below it, along with a visual cue to the trimmed portion from each clip.

The report states that it makes editing process faster as you do not have to open each clip in a different screen. The sliders are presented to you up front, so it's easy to adjust them according to your preference without jumping in and out of screens.

You also get additional features on clicking on the three-dot menu, options such as moving a clip up or down, hiding trimmed portions, inserting clip, duplicating a clip and so on.

Music is added in the same way as it was added in the previous editor, where you click on the music icon and select the music according to your preference.

Android Police states that there aren't any Instagram-style themes which enable you to intentionally style your videos with special filters. Text and other overlay addition feature is missing. Both these issues can be resolved by using other third party apps which let you do that, and then re-inserting those clips in Photos movie editor. But that is a round-about way of going with things.

The feature will be rolling out gradually to the Android app of Google Photos.
Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []
tech2 News Staff

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered all the questions that were posed to him by the Senate and House committees over ten hours. He also promised a lot of things. But there were no questions asked about the surveillance companies which are harvesting Facebook data according to a new report.

A secretive surveillance company founded by an ex-Israeli intelligence officer has been building a database of Facebook photos for over five years. According to Forbes, who broke the story, this company is building a massive facial recognition database by harvesting photos containing faces from social networks such as Facebook, YouTube and many other websites.

The report states that a facial recognition service called Face-Int is owned by Israeli vendor Verint, which acquired another surveillance company called Terrogence in 2017. Both Terrogence and Verint are suppliers of bleeding edge tech to US government as well as the NSA, the US Navy and many other intelligence agencies.

Terrogence stated on its website that it harvested data from online sources such as YouTube, Facebook as well as open and closed forums from around the world. The company also scoured through over 35,000 videos and photos of terrorist camps, motivational clips and terror attacks to help identify faces. It helps intelligence agencies and law enforcement with combating terrorism online. Terrogence has harvested a lot of data from Facebook, just like Cambridge Analytica claims the Forbes report.

According to Jennifer Lynch, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), if the facial recognition data has been shared with the US government then it amounts to threatening free speech and the privacy rights of online users. She said that since facial recognition technology is not 100 percent accurate, it could very well lead to misidentification of people as terrorists or criminals.

The report gives no clarification as to how exactly Face-Int acquires facial data but says it's similar to the project that was run by NSA as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden. According to that, the intelligence agency had gathered 55,000 facial recognition quality images online.

Facebook does use facial recognition techniques using computer vision, to help you with tagging friends, or notify you if your face comes up in some random photograph without your knowledge. According to Facebook, if Terrogence indeed used Facebook facial data then that is in violation of its policies, which prohibits the use of such data from Facebook to be used for surveillance purposes. A Facebook spokesperson said that it hadn't come across any apps operated by Terrogence.

The fear that the report expresses is that apart from feeding government and intelligence agencies with facial data, Terrogence's operations may also enable private individuals to be put on blacklists without being given any explanations.

"A lot of those problems could intensify if you have a bunch of private quasi-vigilantes making their own blacklists of all kinds," said Jay Stanley, a senior political analyst at the Americal Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This is particularly alarming because Verint recently launched a facial recognition product called FaceDetect which promised to identify individuals regardless of any facial obstructions, suspect ageing, disguises and helps operators immediately add suspects to watch-lists.

While Facebook has promised that it is taking a lot of steps to ensure user photos stay protected, ACLU and other privacy advocacy groups want to see more.
Reuters

Twitter Inc said on 20 April 2018 that it has banned ads from Moscow-based Kaspersky Lab, saying that the cybersecurity companys business model conflicts with advertising rules and citing US government claims that Kaspersky has ties to Russian intelligence agencies.

Twitter confirmed the ban in an email to Reuters after Kaspersky Lab co-founder Eugene Kaspersky disclosed the development in a blog post on 20 April, saying that the company learned of the ban in early January.

The ban follows charges by Washington that Kaspersky Lab has close ties to intelligence agencies in Moscow and its software could be used to enable Russian spying, which prompted the Trump administration to ban its products from US government networks.

Kaspersky Lab has repeatedly denied those allegations, saying it will open up its code for inspection so that experts can hunt for vulnerabilities in its products that could be exploited by intelligence agencies, and it has asked a US federal court to overturn the US ban.

Eugene Kaspersky said in his blog post that he was surprised by Twitters ban and asked the company to reconsider.

We havent violated any written, or unwritten, rules, and our business model is quite simply the same template business model thats used throughout the whole cybersecurity industry: We provide users with products and services, and they pay us for them, he said.

The Russian company said in an emailed statement that Twitter was the only social media company to ban its ads.

But other social media companies have taken action on Kaspersky Lab.

Facebook Inc in January told the US Congress that it had removed Kaspersky Lab last October from its list of anti-virus offerings to users who go to the social media site from a computer that may be infected with malicious code.

When asked to explain its ban, Twitter said in an email, This decision is based on our determination that Kaspersky Lab operates using a business model that inherently conflicts with acceptable Twitter Ads business practices.

Twitter also said it was responding to a US Department of Homeland Security warning of a threat to national security posed by Russian government access to Kaspersky products.

It is rare for Twitter to ban specific advertisers, though it has imposed restrictions on broad categories of advertising. In October, the social network accused Russian media outlets Russia Today and Sputnik of interfering in the 2016 US elections and banned them from buying ads.

Last month, Twitter said it would prohibit cryptocurrency advertising to avoid giving publicity to potential fraud. Twitter more frequently removes ads on a case-by-case basis, although enforcement is uneven.

Last year, Twitter removed a video ad from Republican US Representative Marsha Blackburn, saying a remark she made about abortion was inflammatory. Twitter later reversed the decision.
A gunman carrying a shotgun in a guitar case opened fire at a Florida high school, wounding one student as other students and teachers piled desks and cabinets against classroom doors to make barricades

Fort Lauderdale: A gunman carrying a shotgun in a guitar case opened fire at a Florida high school, wounding one student as other students and teachers piled desks and cabinets against classroom doors to make barricades. The 19-year-old suspect was later arrested and apologised as he was led away in handcuffs.

Ironically, Friday's shooting at Forest High School in Ocala happened on a day planned for a national classroom walkout to protest gun violence. A 17-year-old boy was taken to a hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening wound to his ankle.

The suspect, Sky Bouche said "sorry," followed by "it doesn't matter anyway" to reporters as he was led from the school in handcuffs by several deputies. Authorities said Bouche was a former student at the school. "I didn't shoot anyone," he said to reporters. He ignored most of the other questions until asked what he'd say to the victim. That's when he said, "Sorry."

The shooting comes just over two months after a gunman killed 17 people and wounded 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nikolas Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted in that Valentine's Day shooting.

It also coincided with a nationwide student walkout to protest gun violence on the anniversary of the 1999 massacre at Colorado's Columbine High School. The Ocala school had planned its version of a walkout, students said.

Chris Oliver told the Ocala Star-Banner that his 16-year-old son, a Forest student, told him the shooting happened near his classroom. The boy told Oliver the shooter stood in a hallway and fired at a closed classroom door. The shooter then dropped the weapon, ran and tried to hide, the boy told his father.

Craig Ham, deputy superintendent of Ocala schools operations, said the gunman carried the shotgun in a guitar case into the school by blending in with students. Ham told reporters the shooter fired at the bottom of a locked classroom door, and pellets struck the victim in the ankle.

Jake Mailhiot's psychology class had just begun on Friday morning when school officials announced a "code red" alert over the intercom.

"You could hear in their voice that this wasn't a drill," the 16-year-old junior said. Prepared for such alerts, students and teachers leapt into action to barricade the classroom's one door and block the door's window. "Our teachers started pushing file cabinets and desks toward the door, and a few friends and I joined in," Mailhiot said. "We also started tying together some jackets to hang out the window, in case we needed another way out."

In a photograph Mailhiot shared on social media, the classroom door is invisible behind a tall pile of furniture. Mailhiot said about 15 people in the classroom waited over 30 minutes to be evacuated by Ocala police. They were instructed to leave with their hands up, he said.

Marion county sheriff Billy Woods praised the quick response by the school resource officer, as well as school personnel and first responders.

In the Parkland shooting, school resource officer Scot Peterson retired amid accusations that he didn't do enough to confront the Stoneman Douglas gunman.

The Forest resource officer, Marion county sheriff's deputy James Long did not hesitate. "He went right in," Woods said at a news conference. Woods said Long heard a "large, loud banging sound" and immediately responded.

The sheriff said the Bouche wasn't injured, wasn't fired at and was arrested without resistance. "Marion county does everything to protect their children," Woods said.

Afterward, all students were taken by bus with a police escort to First Baptist Church of Ocala, where parents gathered to pick them up, officials said.

Rachael Carter was at the church waiting to be reunited with her daughter, a 10th-grader who turned 16 this week. Carter's pastor called her when he saw a post on social media. "I'm shaking like a leaf in a hurricane," Carter said. Forest High has an enrollment of more than 2,000 students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran deal and the situation in Syria when they meet each other next week, a senior US official has said.

Washington: President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran deal and the situation in Syria when they meet each other next week, a senior US official has said.

Macron will arrive on Monday for a three-day state visit and Trump and First Lady Melania are throwing a red carpet to welcome the French president.

During the visit, the two presidents are expected to discuss the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by the US and other world powers and Iran, the official said.

The deal lifted economic sanctions on Tehran, and in return put limitations on its controversial nuclear energy programme.

Trump has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal and has set a 12 May deadline to make a decision on the accord, which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The official said Trump was not yet ready to make a final decision but that the nuclear deal would definitely be an important part of the discussions during his meetings with Macron.

"It's difficult to say what degree of detail the two presidents will go into, because based on the president's statement back in January, there's a deadline of around mid-May before he has to make a decision," the official said.

"The Europeans, the E3 in particular, have been working hard on trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Iran's ballistic missile program, for example; the sunset clause; and the JCPOA, and so on. That work is not quite done yet. So I think the time to really have the final discussions and for the president to be ready to make the decision will be mid-May," the official said.

Noting that the United States works closely with France to combat terror around the world, the official said Trump and Macron will also discuss recent joint operations in Syria in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on 7 April as well as broader issues relating to Syria and West Asia.

"These would include Iran's malign influence in the region; and also France's leading role in the NATO and in global counterterrorism operations more generally, including in the Sahel, where France takes the leading role," the official said.

Macron's state visit will include, on 23 April, a tour of Mt Vernon and a private couples dinner, the official told reporters.

The tour would celebrate the "close and continuing" ties between the two countries, which have been a strong and reliable ally to each other.

"President Trump is eager to host the Macrons for this special event as he remembers, fondly, the dinner the couples shared together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day that was last July in 2017, the official said.

On 24 April, Macron will meet with Trump in the White House for a one-on-one session in the Oval Office. That will be followed by an expanded working bilateral meeting between the French and US delegations.

The bilateral meeting will include the vice-president, the acting secretary of state, the secretary of treasury, the secretary of defence, the secretary of commerce, the White House chief of staff, and the national security advisor.

The visit has three themes: friendship, trade partnership, and the fact that France has been "a strong and reliable" ally of the US.

"President Trump is continuing the legacy of French-American cooperation that stretches back to America's independence, and is working with President Macron to build upon the already strong ties between the United States and France," the official said.

France is the United States' third largest trading partner in Europe, and averages over $1 billion in commercial transactions every day.
Thousands protested along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel in a fourth straight Friday of mass demonstrations and clashes, with four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces.

Gaza City: Thousands protested along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel in a fourth straight on Friday of mass demonstrations and clashes, with four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces.

Gazans also flew dozens of kites near the border fence, in some cases carrying Molotov cocktails and one with a swastika painted on it, in a new tactic that sparked at least two small fires in Israeli territory this week.

Israeli army gunfire killed a 15-year-old boy and two young men, aged 24 and 25, in northern Gaza, rescue workers said, and a 29-year-old Palestinian was shot dead in the south of the coastal enclave.

The latest deaths brought to 38 the toll of those killed by Israeli forces since 30 March, with hundreds of others also wounded by gunfire, according to Gaza's health ministry. On Friday alone, 440 protesters were wounded by gunfire or needed treatment for tear gas inhalation, the ministry said.

Israel says it has only opened fire when necessary to guard its border and prevent violence, but no Israelis have been wounded and its open-fire rules have come under scrutiny.

With the protests seen by Israel as posing a challenge to its security forces, military aircraft dropped leaflets in the border area early Friday warning against approaching the fence.

Referring to the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip, the leaflet said: "You are participating in violent riots. The Hamas terror organisation is taking advantage of you in order to carry out terror attacks." It added: "Stay away from the fence and do not attempt to harm it; avoid using weapons and committing violent acts against Israeli security forces and Israeli citizens." The number of protesters on Friday was lower than the previous three weeks, but still in the thousands.

Both Palestinians killed were shot east of Jabaliya in the north of the Gaza Strip, the health ministry said.

Among the thousands gathered to protest, at least hundreds were approaching the fence and throwing stones and burning tyres, an AFP correspondent said. Israeli forces were using tear gas in addition to live fire.

Israel's military said some 3,000 Palestinians were involved in "riots, attempting to approach the security infrastructures, burning tyres adjacent to it and attempting to fly kites with burning items attached".

"Several kites crossed into Israel and were extinguished when required." It said in the statement that "troops are responding with riot dispersal means and are firing in accordance with the rules of engagement." Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said while touring the Israeli side of the border on Friday: "The thing that the other side must understand is that there is a determined and skilled army here." He added that "behind it stands a determined people that is backing up the army."

'No place for you'

Tens of thousands have gathered on previous Fridays as part of the protests near the border. The protests are meant to last six weeks, but peak on Fridays. A smaller number have approached the fence and thrown stones or rolled burning tyres toward Israeli soldiers on the other side.

Israel says firebombs and explosive devices have also been used.

Israel has pledged to stop damage to the fence, infiltrations and attacks, and alleges there have been attempts at all three.

It accuses Hamas, with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, of using the protests as cover to carry out violence.

Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to soldiers.

The European Union and UN chief Antonio Guterres have called for an independent investigation into the deaths, but Israel has rejected it.

The protests are calling for Palestinian refugees to be allowed to return to their former lands now inside Israel.

More than 7,00,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel.

Israelis say allowing the so-called right of return would mean the Jewish state's destruction.

Protest organisers officially labelled the latest protest in support of "martyrs and prisoners," but on social media some Palestinians dubbed it the "Friday of Kites." Gazans pinned notes to some of the kites telling Israelis "there is no place for you in Palestine."
Islamic State militants agreed to give up their last pocket in Damascus, as Syria's government seeks to retake the entire capital and its surrounding areas for the first time since 2011.

Beirut: Islamic State militants agreed to give up their last pocket in Damascus on Friday, state media reported, as the government seeks to retake the entire Syrian capital and its surrounding areas for the first time since 2011.

The capitulation followed a week of escalations by pro-government forces against the Islamic State-held Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood and Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus.

Pro-government forces bombed the two areas and blanketed them with artillery fire in a crescendo of violence captured by the state-affiliated Central Military Media outlet on Friday.

The UN's refugee agency warned that the spiraling violence was a threat to 12,000 Palestinian refugees still there  Palestinians who came to Syria since 1948, and their descendants.

Militants were given the option to stay and reconcile with the government or leave on buses to Islamic State-held territory in the eastern Syrian desert, SANA state news agency said. It did not say when the relocations would begin.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported the militants had accepted the deal.

But government airstrikes on Yarmouk resumed on Friday evening, putting the fate of the agreement in question.

In 2012, Syrian rebels and army defectors pushed pro-government forces out of Yarmouk in response to a spiraling crackdown by state security services against anti-government protests.

Pro-government forces, including Palestinian factions, responded by putting the camp under siege, eventually cutting off food and water by 2014, and bombing and shelling it continuously.

Residents trickled out to neighboring areas, and the camp's population dwindled from an estimated 200,000 people to a few thousand on Friday, not including the Islamic State militants, who took over the camp following a battle with rebels in 2015.

Earlier on Thursday, the Damascus-based Palestinian official Khaled Abdelmajid said the government was giving the hard-liners two days to leave Yarmouk and Hajar al-Aswad, leaving the government with control of the two neighbourhoods.

That initial deal appeared to have collapsed. It was not immediately clear why.

Also Friday, the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State group announced the capture of a Syrian-born German Islamic State operative previously tied to a 9/11-linked jihadist cell.

US colonel Ryan Dillon said the coalition's local allies in Syria captured Mohammed Haydar Zammar in northeast Syria about four weeks ago.

Zammar, a Syrian-born German, was a key member of a Hamburg jihadist cell that included three of the 11 September suicide pilots. Dillon said Zammar was in custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syria's central government has taken back control of dozens of towns and villages around the capital in recent weeks following a ferocious military campaign against rebels in the eastern Ghouta suburbs.

That campaign ended in allegations of a chemical weapons attack that activists say killed more than 40 people in Douma, the largest town in that area.

Rebels in Ghouta surrendered their towns in quick succession, then handed over a separate town, Dumayr, further afield from Damascus, this week.

The UN's humanitarian arm, OCHA, said more than 55,000 fighters and civilians were bused out of the Damascus region to rebel-held areas in north Syria in recent weeks.

UN officials and human rights groups say the evacuations amount to forced population displacement and may be a war crime.
North Korea announced on Saturday it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington

Seoul: North Korea announced on Saturday it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington, but stopped well short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related component parts.

The new policy, which sets the table for further negotiations when the summits begin, was announced by leader Kim Jong-un at a meeting of the North Korean ruling party's Central Committee on Friday and reported by the North's state-run media early on Saturday.

Kim justified the suspension to his party by saying that the situation around North Korea has been rapidly changing "in favor of the Korean revolution" since he announced last year his country had completed its nuclear forces. He said North Korea has reached the level where it no longer needs to conduct underground testing or test-launching of ICBMs.

He added that the country would close its nuclear testing facility at Punggye-ri, though that site was already believed to have been rendered largely unusable due to tunnel collapses after the North's test of what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb in 2017.

The announcement is seen as an opening gambit aimed at setting the tone for talks ahead of Kim's summit with South Korean president Moon Jae-in next Friday and US president Donald Trump in late May or early June.

Trump almost immediately responded with a tweet saying, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!" He added that he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim.

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

South Korea's presidential office also welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the announcement too but was a bit more guarded in his reaction.

"What is crucial here ... is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles," he said. "And I will keep a close eye on that."

Some analysts believe that rather than denuclearising, Kim feels he is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is hoping to achieve tacit recognition that his country is now a nuclear power. They believe he wants engage in talks and make some concessions around the edges that would convince Washington and other countries to ease sanctions on his struggling economy.

In his speech at the party meeting, Kim praised his nuclear policy as "a miraculous victory" achieved in just five years. A resolution passed after his speech also stressed that the country had successfully achieved its goals of obtaining a viable nuclear force and suggested it intends to keep that force  at least for the time being.

Using the acronym for North Korea's official name, it said the North would "never use nuclear weapons nor transfer nuclear weapons or nuclear technology under any circumstances unless there are nuclear threat and nuclear provocation against the DPRK."

"This was a smart move by Kim," said Vipin Narang, an associate political science professor and nuclear proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Although it largely formalises previous pledges on the moratoria from last November and March, it still leaves a lot of wiggle room for circumventing the pledges in the future, and nothing in there is irreversible. And nothing in there mentions denuclearization, of any variety."

Narang noted that North Korea has already conducted as many nuclear tests as Pakistan and India, and may indeed not need to conduct any more underground testing.

"The aim of this, in my view, is to make it exceedingly difficult for Trump to say the North is uninterested in talks and walk away," he said. "Kim is doing everything he can now  in a reversible way, mind you  to ensure the summit happens. Because that's his ultimate victory."

Tossing out another nugget that could be used at the summits, Kim stressed at the party meeting his desire to shift the national focus to improving the country's economy, which has been hit hard by international sanctions and the "maximum pressure" strategy pushed by Trump.

The announcement ends what had been an ominous silence from Pyongyang regarding the stunning diplomatic moves Kim has been making since the beginning of this year, including his first summit, with Chinese president Xi Jinping, last month.

It also gives the best idea yet of what Kim intends to bring with him in his summits with Moon and Trump.

Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearisation" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

Some important items were also left off the North's resolution, suggesting either that the North isn't willing to go that far or that it wants to wait and see how much it can gain by further concessions once actual talks begin.

It did not announce a moratorium on short- or mid-range missile launches or ground-based engine testing. It also did not suspend the production of more fissile material to build additional warheads, or the production of the longer-range missiles, which are Washington's primary concern.

At the height of Pyongyang's standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.

That kind of test would also not be included in the suspension.
The EU's foreign affairs chief said that North Koreas announcement to stop nuclear tests was a positive step and called for an 'irreversible denuclearisation' of the Asian country

Brussels: The European Unions foreign affairs chief said on Saturday that North Koreas announcement to stop nuclear tests was a positive step and called for an "irreversible denuclearisation" of the Asian country.

North Korean state media said earlier on Saturday the country would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site.

The North Korean move is a positive, long sought-after step on the path that has now to lead to the countrys complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation, Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

North Korean state media quoted the leader Kim Jong-un as saying that the country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing nuclear weapons.

The announcement was made before Kim Jong-uns planned summits with South Korean president Moon Jae-in next week and with US president Donald Trump in late May or early June.

Mogherini said the two forthcoming summits were opportunities to build confidence and bring about additional, concrete and positive outcomes.

She offered EU support to the talks in any way possible, including through sharing our own experience of negotiations for denuclearisation.

Mogherini said the EU position on North Korea remained at this stage unchanged, combining sanctions with open communication channels.
Russia's foreign minister said on Friday that the US sought out and respected Moscow's positions in Syria when it launched its air strikes last week.

Moscow: Russia's foreign minister said on Friday that the US sought out and respected Moscow's positions in Syria when it launched its air strikes last week.

Lavrov noted that despite the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington, the US made sure it didn't harm any Russian personnel and positions during the strikes against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad following a suspected chemical attack on the town of Douma.

"We told them where our red lines were, including the geographical red lines," Lavrov told Russian state television. "The results have shown that they haven't crossed those lines."

Moscow had warned the US before the strike that it could hit back if the US actions jeopardize Russian servicemen in Syria, and the allies had given Russia an advance warning to make sure no Russians were in the line of fire.

Lavrov also revealed that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of visiting each other's country when the US president rang up his Russian counterpart in March to congratulate him on his re-election.

Lavrov said that Trump indicated he could make a reciprocal trip to Russia if Putin was able to accept his invitation to the White House.

Previously, both the White House and the Kremlin had only revealed that Trump had invited Putin to the White House during the same call on 20 March.

Lavrov says the Trump administration hasn't followed up on the offer and Russia has urged the US to discuss specifics about such a meeting.

He added that Russian officials "don't want to be too obtrusive, but don't want to be impolite." "Putin is ready for such a meeting," Lavrov said.

Moscow's hopes for better ties with Washington under Trump have withered amid the ongoing investigations into the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

Russia-US relations have sunk to post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

In recent weeks, tensions have risen further over the March poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter, which Britain has blamed on Russia.

The US, Britain and other western allies responded by expelling over 150 Russian diplomats, and Moscow, which has fervently denied the British accusations, responded in kind.

Further stoking tensions was the purported chemical attack in Douma on 7 April. That prompted the US, Britain and France to launch a missile strike on Syria. Russia condemned the strike on its ally as an "act of aggression." The Pentagon said that all 105 missiles fired at three Syrian chemical facilities reached their targets, while the Russian military said Syrian air defenses downed 71 out of 103 US missiles.
The UN Security Council met in a secluded farmhouse on the southern tip of Sweden on Saturday in a bid to overcome deep divisions over how to end the war in Syria.

Backakra: The UN Security Council met in a secluded farmhouse on the southern tip of Sweden on Saturday in a bid to overcome deep divisions over how to end the war in Syria.

In a first for the Council, which normally holds its annual brainstorming session in upstate New York, the 15 ambassadors and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were this year invited to hold an informal meeting in Backakra by Sweden, a non-permanent member of the body.

The United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is expected on Sunday.

The farmhouse is the summer residence of Dag Hammarskjold, the United Nations' second secretary-general who died in a plane crash in Africa in 1961.

Situated in the heart of a nature reserve, just a stone's throw from the Baltic Sea, the farmhouse consists of four buildings around a courtyard and has been completely renovated in recent years.

The southern wing serves as the summer residence for the Swedish Academy which awards the Nobel Literature Prize.

With both New York and Damascus thousands of kilometres away, the Council is exploring "the means to strengthen and make more effective United Nations peacekeeping missions," the Swedish government said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed the decision to hold the meeting in Sweden, "where there is a long tradition of peaceful conflict prevention and resolution".

But as she arrived in Backakra on Saturday morning, she warned against being too hopeful the Syrian issue would be resolved over the weekend.

"Hopefully there will be some new ideas on the table and I think itll be on those tracks: the humanitarian situation, the chemical weapons," she said.

But "not even the beautiful settings like these can solve all the problems", the minister added.

The country's deputy UN Ambassador Carl Skau said the idea was to foster dialogue and "relaunch momentum" with "humility and patience", a week after the air strikes by France, Britain and the United States against the Syrian regime.

"It's important for the council's credibility," Skau told reporters in New York.

While the war in Syria is not the only topic of the deliberations, it is high up on the agenda because it was an issue that divided council members deeply in recent months.

Skau said Backakra was a "fitting and inspiring venue" to reconnect with the power of diplomacy.

"It's a place to roll up our sleeves, take off our jackets and ties and come up with some real and meaningful ways forward," he said.

'No excessive hopes'

The air strikes by the three Western powers on 14 April targeted three sites, which the countries argued were used by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapons programme.

Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons in an attack a week earlier in Douma, the last rebel stronghold near Damascus.

Assad and Russian allies have denied that Syria was responsible for the attack, which according to rescuers, left more than 40 people dead. But the Western powers insist that the Syrian regime had crossed a red line.

The air strikes, conducted without a Security Council resolution, have led to fierce tensions between Russia and the other permanent council members, the US, France, Britain and China.

Moscow has used its veto on the council 12 times since 2011.

A fact-finding mission from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the Syrian town of Douma is currently held up in Damascus.

"Of course itll be great to find a way to allow the OPCW to work and to have access (to the site)... to be able to have control and attribute responsibility" for the attack, Wallstrom said Saturday.

Some non-permanent member countries of the council have been critical of the trip to Sweden.

With the conflicts the council has on its table, including the one in Syria, it is abnormal that the council would travel so far, said one ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"What will happen if something bad happens?" the ambassador asked.
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In case you haven't noticed, the legal marijuana movement is creating quite the buzz on Wall Street. Since the start of 2016, a number of the largest pot companies by market cap have seen their share prices rise by more than 1,000%.

What's the buzz behind pot stocks?

Why all the hoopla, you wonder? It has to do with a combination of rapidly growing sales, a consistent shift in the public's opinion on cannabis, and a "marijuana first" expected out of Canada later this year.

In terms of sales, the North American legal cannabis industry tallied $9.7 billion in revenue in 2017, up 33% from the previous year, according to research firm ArcView, in partnership with BDS Analytics. Moving forward, this duo is projecting a compound annual growth rate of 28% through 2021, with sales reaching as high as $47 billion by 2027.

As for the perception of pot, more Americans than ever now favor its legalization. Five separate polls over the trailing year  CBS News, Gallup, Fox News, Pew Research Center, and the independent Quinnipiac University  have all shown support ranging from 59% to 64% for legalizing cannabis. Quinnipiac's August survey also showed overwhelming support (94%) for the idea of green-lighting medicinal marijuana in the United States.

Finally, there's a lot of excitement surrounding bill C-45 in Canada. The Cannabis Act, as C-45 is better known, is expected to result in recreational pot being legalized in Canada by this summer. This would make Canada the first developed country in the world to have legalized marijuana, and it could pave the way for $5 billion or more in annual sales.

Legal cannabis is going virtually nowhere in the U.S.

Within the United States, however, the legal cannabis industry is stuck in neutral, at least at the federal level. Despite almost three-fifths of U.S. states having legalized pot in some capacity -- including nine states that approved recreational marijuana  and five national surveys demonstrating strong support for legalization, the federal government has dug in its heels.

Currently a Schedule I drug, cannabis is wholly illegal, putting it on par with LSD and heroin. Furthermore, it's considered highly prone to abuse, and isn't recognized as having any medical benefits as a result of its federal scheduling.

This scheduling can make life exceptionally difficult for patients and/or marijuana-based businesses in the United States. For instance, businesses often struggle to access basic financial services, which can include something as simple as a checking account. Since financial institutions report to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the FDIC is a federally created entity, the belief is that under a strict interpretation of federal law, financial institutions that offer financial services to pot businesses could be fined or criminally charged.

Why won't Congress budge? Primarily because there are a handful of benefit-versus-risk concerns that can only be answered through long-winded studies. Without this data, lawmakers have little incentive to change marijuana's classification, short of being voted out of office on account of their view of cannabis. These concerns typically revolve around keeping adolescents away from pot, as well as ensuring that drivers under the influence of cannabis are dealt with harshly.

This isn't going to help the legal pot industry's case for legalization

This past week, however, an online survey conducted by the Colorado Department for Transportation (CDOT) revealed that the concerns of lawmakers may indeed be valid.

Back in February, CDOT launched a campaign known as "The Cannabis Conversation" to gather information and feedback on cannabis use and behaviors within the state. As a reminder, Colorado was among the first two states (along with Washington state) to have voted to legalize recreational marijuana back in November 2012. Last year, the state racked up $1.49 billion in combined medical and recreational pot sales.

The survey, which was taken online by more than 11,000 anonymous marijuana users and non-users, showed that 69% of the cannabis users admitted to driving high within the past year. What's more, 27% of pot users admitted to driving high almost daily.

Just as interesting were the responses to questions regarding the perception of driver impairment. Just over a third of the respondents (34%) suggested that consuming cannabis doesn't impact their ability to drive, with another 10% intimating that it makes them drive better. That's close to half of all participants in this survey under the impression that using cannabis is essentially a non-factor behind the wheel.

However, studies conducted by the National Institute on Drug Abuse have found that "marijuana significantly impairs judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time, and studies have found a direct relationship between blood THC [tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component of cannabis] concentration and impaired driving ability."

In other words, Colorado cannabis users are setting a poor example that's only likely to cause Congress to dig in its heels even more on the drug's current scheduling.

An intriguing technology that's still in its infancy

What this study also demonstrates is the growing need for tools that law enforcement can use to detect impairment, beyond just visual tests.

One of the biggest issues with cannabis use is there are no "line in the sand" figures that law enforcement can reference compared to, say, alcohol use. With alcohol consumption, law enforcement can use a breathalyzer to determine a person's blood alcohol content (BAC). If a person's BAC is 0.08% or higher, that's an arrestable offense. There are no clear impairments levels for cannabis use, which makes enforcing the law somewhat of a gray area.

Making matters even more difficult, cannabis metabolizes through the system differently than alcohol. The THC found in cannabis can remain in a person's system for days or weeks after use, which makes deciphering recency of use difficult for law enforcement.

The solution might just be a number of next-generation dual breathalyzers that can be used for alcohol and cannabis consumption. Most importantly, they can be used to determine recency of use, which would be critical in terms of keeping our roads safe. Admittedly, this is a technology that's still in its infancy, albeit a few developers have tested their product in the real world. Nonetheless, marijuana breathalyzers aren't yet ready for mass adoption by police departments. Until they are, I doubt Congress alters its scheduling on cannabis.

For the investing community, this means a suggested and ongoing avoidance of U.S.-based pot stocks. While all marijuana stocks come with their own unique set of risks, Canadian cannabis stocks present a far more favorable long-term view for investors than U.S.-based ones, mainly as a result of the expected legalization of adult-use pot by this summer. If you want to roll the dice on the cannabis industry, I'd strongly advise you to examine stocks north of the U.S. border.
The highly anticipated Perfection Sale of world-class pedigree dairy cattle at Shrewsbury Market, Shropshire, at the weekend (21 April), saw bidding peak at 22,575 with a new record average of 4,600 set for a dairy collective sale.

A packed ringside of buyers was treated to a dairy breed spectacle as more than 50 live animals strutted down a catwalk, with flash lighting and a smoke machine.

The event was the brainchild of young breeders Richard Bostock, James Doherty and Tom Lomas, who said the sale would be something never seen before in the UK  and they didnt disappoint.

Auctioneer Jonny Dymond said: It was a fantastic sale. [There was] a great turnout and great atmosphere and it was a real privilege to conduct a sale with such fantastic support from breeders all over the UK.

Sale leader at 22,575 was the maiden heifer Tynevalley Rubi A Bambi from C&R Baty and family, Nantwich, Cheshire. This January 2018-born Mr Rubi Agronaut heifer boasts a PLI of 737  fifth-highest in the world and the second-highest ever to sell. Her dam is Tynevalley Supershot Bambi, which sold for 23,000 in the German Masters sale. Buyer was Messrs Robertson, Ashlea Farm, Bristol.

Second top price of the day, and the highest-priced embryo package, was six sexed IVF embryos from Rosiers Blexy Goldwyn EX96, sired by Maverick Crush and Blondin Raptor. They sold for 3,203 each  a total of 19,215  to a syndicate of T Lomas, M Roberts, R Tomkinson, M Nutsford and R Lloyd.

Selling for 17,850 was the first lot into the ring: Riverdane Aikman Ghost Red VG89 from M Nutsford, Middlewich, Cheshire. This four-year-old is by Gen-I-Beq Aikman and is out of Riverdane Roses Ghost Red VG85. She is currently giving 45.8kg daily at 4.59% fat and 3.25% protein and sold in-calf to Woodcrest King Doc. Buyer was NJ and LC Sercombe, Lutterworth, Leicestershire.

Selling for the top price so far was the first lot Riverdane Aikman Ghost Red VG89 at 17,000gns @PerfectionCSale #teamdairy pic.twitter.com/LAvXMSeSAi  Farmers Weekly (@FarmersWeekly) April 21, 2018

Just shy of this and selling in absence to South African bidder Martin Voight for 16,800 was the January 2018-born heifer calf Bel Bag2 Capi-Margot from Bel Holsteins, Buriasco, Italy. Sired by Oh-River-SYC Byway, her dam is Du Bont Vent Inkapi Ex90, who won intermediate champion at Swiss Expo and Cremona in 2016.

Making 11,550 and selling to Peter Prior of Designer Holsteins, Essex, was VeTech Atwood Elegance 2 from VeTech Holsteins, Strandhead Farm, Mauchline, Ayrshire. She is sired by Atwood and is believed to be the only animal in the world bred from three generations of dams classified Ex96.

Two more lots surpassed 8,000.

The first, at 8,610, was the pick of four maiden heifers bred from the multiple prize-winning Peak Goldwyn Rapsody Ex97 and sired by Mogul, from the stable of Bill Naden, Sterndale, Buxton. Rapsody is the three-times Dairy Expo grand and supreme champion and has won grand champion at AgriScot and UK Dairy Expo in 2014 and 2018. Buyer was Lewis Pearson, St Brides, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

Next, at 8,400 was the lot before this: Troutbeck Absolute Irene Red 3 from Philip and James Mattinson, Wigton, Cumbria. Sired by Apples Absolute Red, this maiden heifer is out of Schrago Italia Indiana Ex93. Buyer was Glasson Holsteins, Portadown, County Armagh.

Averages: 55 live lots, 4,600; 28 embryos, 1,110.

(Halls, Shrewsbury)
Apple iPhones rose to 37.5 percent of total smartphone value: IDC News oi-Priyanka The competition to Samsung from Huawei helped to revitalize the top end of the Android market, and in Europe sales of Android phones above $700 (619 in 2017) were up by a fifth from 2016.

According to a new report by IDC, EMEA ( Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) mobile phone market saw smartphone volumes fall for a second year in 2017.

"Looking at the European market of the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland, consumers are spending more money on phones even as they buy them less frequently. This is true of countries in both Western and Central Europe," said Simon Baker, program director of mobile phone research in IDC CEMA.

Apple managed to stand out in a difficult market, commented Susana Santos, senior research analyst at IDC Western Europe.

The report said that the premium iPhone X was only launched in November but added some $4.3 billion to Apple sales in the European market across the year, over a sixth of the annual Apple total. Sales in the more affluent Western European countries were overall flat, though Germany stood out, but overall in EMEA the shipment value of Apple iPhones rose to 37.5 percent of total smartphone value, on sales of 57 million iPhones across the year, up from 34.2 percent of the market value and 54.8 million iPhones in 2016.

Furthermore report said that the competition to Samsung from Huawei helped to revitalize the top end of the Android market, and in Europe sales of Android phones above $700 (619 in 2017) were up by a fifth from 2016.

But there was a trend to keep older premium models in production at lower prices to keep volumes buoyant as consumers looked for better value in their phone purchases. Samsung continued to dominate Android sales in EMEA and in 2017 held on to a two-fifths share, while Huawei's challenge slowed, with the Android share only slightly above that of the previous year at 13.4 percent. The relaunch of the Nokia brand by HMD saw it reestablish itself in many of the countries of old Nokia strength; over half of its global smartphone sales were within EMEA.

IDC pointed out that while the decline in the smartphone market has already been evident in the more developed markets of Western and Central Europe, many of the emerging markets of EMEA are now seeing the same contraction, even though many are far from saturated by smartphones.

Despite the regional market being dominated in demographic terms by Africa's 1.2 billion population, in 2017 there was no increase in the entry-level segment of the smartphone market. This has been to the detriment of several smartphone players, among them Alcatel and Lenovo, which had targeted the entry-level and saw their positions suffer during the year.

It said that feature phones are no longer in rapid decline. Not only are they showing a strong resurgence in Africa, their sales volumes are falling more slowly than before across Europe.

While the Middle East market is still subdued in the aftermath of the oil price drop, the market in Russia has risen back up to near the same dollar value as before the 2014 ruble slump despite the lower exchange value of the local currency.

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North East gets 25 new Moto Hubs, including 15 in Guwahati News oi-Priyanka Motorola also advanced its retail footprint in the southern market by announcing 100 Moto Hubs across Tamil Nadu with 50 Moto Hubs in Chennai and 100 new Moto Hubs in Karnataka.

With an aim to increase its market share in the Indian market, Lenovo-owned Motorola today announced further expansion of their retail presence and entered Northeast region with the opening of 25 new Moto Hubs, including 15 Moto Hubs in Guwahati.

"We have been expanding our retail presence across the country and now entering the North-East region with our first Moto Hub stores. With the concept of Moto Hubs, we are giving smartphone lovers a fresh retail experience where they can interact and engage with the brand prior to the purchase. We will continue to enhance our retail presence significantly to ensure that we are present where our customers want us to be," Rohit Khatter, Sales Operations Head, Motorola Mobility India said commenting on the launch.

Meanwhile, the company has also announced the launch of its Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus, and Moto G6 Play in Brazil. However, Moto has not yet revealed that when these products will be available in the country.

To recall Motorola advanced its retail presence in Andhra Pradesh with 50 new 'Moto Hubs' across top 12 cities and 50 new Moto Hubs across top 8 cities in Telangana. It also announced its entry in Madhya Pradesh with the opening of 60 Moto Hubs across Bhopal, Indore, and Jabalpur this month.

Furthermore, Motorola also advanced its retail footprint in the southern market by announcing 100 Moto Hubs across Tamil Nadu with 50 Moto Hubs in Chennai and 100 new 'Moto Hubs' in Karnataka across top 8 cities out of which 50 will be in Bengaluru. In addition to this, it also announced the opening of 50 new Moto Hubs in Mumbai and 25 Moto Hub stores in Kolkata respectively. Motorola commenced the year 2018, with the opening of 50 new Moto Hubs in New Delhi.

Motorola has also collaborated with Poorvika Mobiles across 43 cities in Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and Karnataka and with Big C and Lot Mobile stores across 55 cities in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to provide retail access to consumers.

Moto Z2 Force Unboxing and First Impressions

All Moto Hub stores house the entire portfolio of Motorola devices, including moto e4, moto e4 plus, moto c, moto c plus, moto g families including moto g5s plus, moto g5s, moto g5 plus and moto g5 as well as moto z franchise and moto mods along with Motorola accessories like on-ear and in-ear headphones, moto shells and covers.

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Samsung Galaxy Zero will be truly bezel-less; concept video out News oi-Vishal Kawadkar Samsung bets big on the bezel-less smartphones.

Samsung definitely has a lot of tricks hidden under its sleeves, and the Galaxy Zero might be another one of those. A YouTube channel called 'Science and Knowledge' in its new video showcased Samsung's concept smartphone. Well, this goes without saying that this is an imaginary design, and not a leak or rumor.

The concept has been designed by Dusan Djokic that shows a truly bezel-less smartphone which looks futuristic with an interesting design overall. As seen in the video, the phone's front camera is inside the display itself, while the earpiece is on the top in the form of a micro notch. The frame is made of metal with the display sporting rounded corners.

On the rear panel, there's a dual camera setup aligned horizontally with the LED flash in between. The SIM card tray is placed on the right side of the smartphone, while other buttons are placed on the left side. The loudspeaker is on the lower-left corner of the phone. A Type-C USB port is located on the bottom of the device, and the video also shows a pair of wireless headphones.

The designer also envisions few specifications of the device such as 6-inch QHD+ (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED display which will be protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and IP68-certified for water and dust resistance. It is said to run Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 processor which is yet to see the light of day.

The smartphone will be backed by 6GB of RAM with 128GB and 256GB storage options. It will come equipped with 23MP dual cameras with f/1.6 lenses here with OIS and PDAF. For selfies, the device will have a 20MP snapper with f/1.7 aperture lens. The Galaxy Zero will draw power from a 4500mAh battery and will have support for Qualcomm's Quick Charge 4.0 fast charging.

Samsung Galaxy S7: Private Mode, Do Not Disturb, Smart View, Always On Display Explained

According to a report by The Bell, Samsung has also shared its plans to launch a foldable smartphone with some of the parts manufacturers. If the report is to be believed, the production will start in November this year. These parts will only lay the foundation of the phone, instead of shaping up its design.

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Walmart to buy controlling stake in Flipkart next week: Report News oi-Chandrika Interestingly, Sachin and Binny Bansal, founders of Flipkart, are also likely to sell their stake as part of the deal.

Walmart Inc may seal a deal to buy more than 51% stake in Indian e-commerce platform Flipkart in the coming week, reports Reuters citing two sources familiar with the matter. The US-based retail giant has been planning to acquire controlling stake in Flipkart to take on Amazon in the Indian market, where the e-commerce industry is expected to grow to $200 billion in the next 10 years.

SoftBank Group, which is one of the main investors of Flipkart, was not keen on selling a part of its stake. According to the report, the Japanese firm earlier believed Walmart's offer to buy the existing shares at a valuation of $12 billion was not worth it. However, the conflict between SoftBank and Walmart has now been solved, claims one of the sources.

At the moment, it's unclear whether or not SoftBank has agreed to sell some of its shares in Flipkart. Flipkart's value will be increased to at least $18 billion after Walmart buys the equity.

Previous reports suggest Walmart is done with due diligence on Flipkart and has made a proposal to acquire 51% or more for between $10 billion to $12 billion. Besides this, another source claims a deal is made, but things will not get finalized before the first week of May.

Rumors have it after Walmart buys the shares, some of Flipkart's current investors like US hedge fund Tiger Global Management, South African tech investor Naspers and venture capital firm Accel may cut ties with the company.

Interestingly, Sachin and Binny Bansal, founders of Flipkart, are also likely to sell their stake as part of the deal, says one of the sources. As of now, neither Walmart nor Flipkart has issued any statements on this. SoftBank has declined to make any comments as well.

Earlier this month,Indian Cellular Association (ICA) accused some e-commerce platforms including Flipkart of violating foreign direct investment (FDI) rulesas they offer direct and indirect discounts on mobile devices and other products through intermediaries or partner companies.

InFocus Vision 3 Pro first impression

ICA representatives alleged that the companies were bypassing rules under Press Note 3 on FDI by holding inventory and influencing the prices of electronic goods.

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Windows 10 S security flaw disclosed by Google regardless of Microsofts objection News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The security flaw in Microsoft Windows 10 S allows the users to potentially run an arbitrary code to jailbreak that we earlier mentioned is the locked-down operating system.

We all know about the recent security flaws Meltdown and Spectre that had infected most of the devices available today. Following that, most of the companies started rolling out security updates for their devices. The researchers from GPZ (Google's Project Zero) were the ones who discovered these security flaws. Now, GPZ researchers now have made an announcement that they have found that the Microsoft's Windows 10 S suffers from a 'medium severity' which results in a lock-down of the operating system caused by a user. The reason why this happens is that the security flaw in Microsoft Windows 10 S allows the users to potentially run an arbitrary code to jailbreak that we earlier mentioned is the locked-down operating system.

As per some sources from the web, it seems like there is no remote code to exploit the flaw at the moment which points that the hackers will need physical access to the devices in order to unlock the OS. The report further suggests that on the basis of how the Windows 10 S verifies the identity of high-privilege components, the vulnerabilities stem from.

Further, as per the technical note from GPZ mentions that:

"When a .NET COM object is instantiated the CLSID passed to mscoree's DllGetClassObject is only used to look up the registration information in HKCR. At this point ... the CLSID is thrown away and the .NET object created. This has a direct impact on the class policy as it allows an attacker to add registry keys (including to HKCU) that would load an arbitrary COM visible class under one of the allowed CLSIDs. As .NET then doesn't care about whether the .NET Type has that specific GUID you can use this to bootstrap arbitrary code execution by abusing something like DotNetToJScript".

Google and Microsoft seem to be in a state of conflict on the public disclosures of the vulnerabilities. Google is claiming that it had notified Microsoft regarding the security flaw on January 19th. Microsoft had 90-days to release the patch up for the flaws, which the company failed to deliver on. It is being reported that Microsoft had also asked for a 14-day deadline extension as well promising to roll out the patch with its upcoming Redstone 4 update, but Google once again turned Microsoft down stating the lack of a specific ETA, leading to the

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The world has come a long way since the 1970s.

The changes to air quality, natural resources and water have remarkably improved over the last four decades, since the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency on Dec. 2, 1970, according to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

But, prior to the EPA establishment, a Wisconsin senator shaped the way for what we now celebrate worldwide on April 22  Earth Day.

On April 22, 1970, Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin started what would later be referred to as an environmental revolution, the DEEP said.

Millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development, on April 22, 1970, according to Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network.

To be more specific, 20 million people took to the streets on April 22, 1970, in the countrys first organized activity for the environment.

The events of that day have had a permanent impact on public opinion regarding the importance of the environment, the DEEP said.

Now, annually, there are Earth Day celebrations and events in nearly 200 countries around the world, Rogers said.

From 1970 to 2015, national emissions of the six most common air quality pollutants have dropped an average of 70 percent, the DEEP said.

This progress reflects efforts by state, local and tribal governments; EPA; private sector companies; environmental groups working together for clean air, the agency said on its website.

When it comes to natural resources available to wildlife, Connecticut has adapted.

Ospreys, found in various areas from Alaska to New England, the sea bird prefers building their nest in large branches of dead trees. As storms and industrial and economic development moved into these areas, many of these trees were eliminated.

Some ospreys began to build their nests on the ground, the DEEP said.

To make up for the loss of nesting opportunities, nesting platforms were established and has been key to the recovery of the osprey population.

Water quality protection measures have also improved, specifically in Connecticut.

Not only are the states water resources used as drinking water supply, but theyre also used as habitats for fish and wildlife.

Thanks to Connecticuts many water quality protection measures, such as the CT Water Quality Standards, our waters are now better protected to support these uses, the DEEP said.

President Richard Nixon said it best, in an address to Congress about forming the EPA: The Congress, the Administration and the public all share a profound commitment to the rescue of our natural environment, and the preservation of the Earth as a place both habitable by and hospitable to man.
As the nation says goodbye to former first lady Barbara Bush, a champion of literacy and family, we look back at some of the times she and George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, were in Connecticut. President Bush was the son of Connecticut Sen. Prescott Bush and spent his childhood in Greenwich. Bush also attended Yale University in New Haven. Barbara herself was raised in Rye, N.Y. She met George Bush in 1941 at a Christmas dance at the Round Hill Country Club in Greenwich.

The first President Bush came to Ansonia in August of 1992 and The New York Times reported the following: President Bush came to this depressed one-time manufacturing center this afternoon, said thanks for a great send-off to the thousands of people who had waited hours in a sweltering stadium, and promptly left, the blades of his helicopter flattening the ball field grass in a moment of Presidential pomp. It was the biggest thing to happen to Ansonia in a long time, yet it hardly seemed enough for the many people who have lost jobs here and have not been able to find new ones.
The LG G7 ThinQ will become official on May 2. A steady flow of leaks has recently emerged about it, and one detail was pretty worrying: the G7 was said to have an extra button on the side for some AI features. Naturally, many people assumed it would develop its own virtual assistant like Samsung did with Bixby, and then force it upon people.

Today a new report claims that won't be the case, and instead the new button is meant solely to provide access to the Google Assistant. In an Android world that needs less duplication of features from OEMs, not more, this is definitely a welcome development, if true.

The Assistant button will be on the left side of the phone, just like Samsung's Bixby button. Also emulating what Samsung's done, LG will not let you reassign the key to any other function.

LG is also going to give up on its traditional power button / fingerprint sensor combo on the back, and put a dedicated power key on the right side. The fingerprint button will remain on the rear.

The new Google Assistant button ties in nicely with LG's newfound AI focus, which debuted on the V30S ThinQ. The ThinQ name itself is in fact AI-related. The G7 will come with custom LG commands for the Assistant.

Past leaks have revealed that the G7 will have a 6.1-inch notched 19:9 MLCD+ touchscreen, the Snapdragon 845 chipset at the helm, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage.

Source | Image source
If you are in the US, and are looking to purchase a dual SIM variant of Samsung's Galaxy S9 smartphone, here's a deal for you: a Top Rated Plus eBay seller is offering the device for $660.

Keep in mind the variant on offer is global one, meaning it comes with the Exynos chipset (US models, in case you aren't aware, are powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC).

List of color options include black, gray, purple, and blue, but currently only the black model is available (all other are out of stock). There's no information on when the deal ends, and as for availability, the list just says "limited quantity available."

Source | Via




Haiti - Politic : The Government of Haiti and the UN strengthen their partnership





This week, the Government and the United Nations System in Haiti convened the 2017-2021 Sustainable Development Framework (CSD) progress review meeting, which guides Haiti's partnership with the United Nations in support of the country's national development priorities. This initiative is part of Haiti's strategic goal of becoming an emerging country by 2030 and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) signed by 193 countries.



Under the leadership of the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation (MPCE), this review aimed to ensure a continued UN dialogue with national authorities, by showing progress and ensuring alignment with the national priorities of Haiti's Strategic Development Plan (PSDH).



Also involved in this dialogue process were national authorities, specialists from different ministries and representatives of civil society and the private sector, paying particular attention to the voices of young people and the most vulnerable groups.



Recall that the 2017-2021 sustainable development framework signed on June 30, 2017 by the Government and the United Nations country team in Haiti was made operational through the 2017-2018 joint work plans set up for each of the five priorities pillars : poverty reduction and employment, basic social services, gender equality and protection, resilience, and governance.



This UN partnership with Haiti, one of the founding nations of the United Nations, recognizes the leadership and responsibility of Haitian institutions and people as key actors in their development.



In her speech, Marie Greta Roy Clement (Minister of Health), representing the Minister of Planning, said that this first review of the CDD is also a guarantee for a better coherence of the interventions of the United Nations agencies through the CDD and joint work plans "The development of joint work plans, the integration of MPCE focal points and sectoral focal points into the results groups of UN agencies are important tools and mechanisms for successful implementation. of the 2017-2021 CDD," concludes Minister Clement.



For his part, Mamadou Diallo, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, emphasized that the UN family in Haiti (including 19 agencies, funds and programs and Minujusth) remains alongside Haiti in a context that offers an opportunity for Haiti to move towards development "The progress made by Haiti in terms of stability, as well as the current transition to the passage of a presence of the United Nations other than peacekeeping operation, offer a window of opportunity to advance towards the goal of Haiti, to reach at the horizon 2030 a status of emerging country. The United Nations has many reasons to be grateful to Haiti as a founding member and signatory of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and we remain committed to Haiti to support its development priorities."



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24107-haiti-un-annual-review-of-the-status-of-development-assistance.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2018/04/21 | Source

Added final episode 16 captures for the Korean drama "Queen of Mystery Season 2" (2018)

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Directed by Choi Yoon-seok-II, Yoo Yeong-eun-I

Written by Lee Seong-min-II

Network : KBS

With Choi Kang-hee, Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Da-hee, Park Byung-eun, Kim Hyun-sook, Kim Won-hae,...

16 episodes - Wed, Thu 22:00

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"Queen of Mystery" tells the story of a prosecutor's wife who's always dreamed of being a detective. After actually solving a case, she ends up in an unlikely crime-fighting duo with a young police captain.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2018/02/28

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The 'Beast from the East' hit the country hard but saved many from the rigours of sleeping rough

The "Beast from the East" can be credited with getting 60 long-term rough sleepers off Dublin streets and into stable accommodation, according to the Peter McVerry Trust.

The effort made by the Dublin Regional Housing Executive (DRHE) in conjunction with the trust during Storm Emma in late February and early March was partly responsible for the 40pc decline in the number of rough sleepers in the capital, said charity chief executive Pat Doyle.

The number of rough sleepers in Dublin dropped from a record of 184 last winter to 110 this spring.

It was the largest decrease on record, according to new figures from the Department of Housing, released yesterday.

"The reduction is a clear result of a high intensity and assertive programme of engagement with people sleeping rough to encourage them into housing," Mr Doyle said.

Privilege

"The extreme weather events at the time of Storm Emma saw a major mobilisation of resources involving the DRHE and Peter McVerry Trust to get people off the street.

"That response meant that we brought people who wouldn't normally access shelter into a professional environment where we could assess and engage with them over a period of days," he said.

"It was a great privilege for us because we were able to make sure that for those who came into St Catherine's homeless shelter during the snow, we were able to prioritise the most vulnerable, those who needed care the most, to make sure they didn't have to go back out.

"Ultimately, it allowed us to secure new accommodation for an additional 60 people who would normally have slept rough in Dublin," he added.

There were about 30 rough sleepers in Dublin - including 16 in the inner city - who refused to take shelter during the storm for a variety of reasons, including fear of thefts, drug taking and violence at homeless shelters.

But outreach teams working with Focus Ireland and the Peter McVerry Trust worked round the clock to ensure that those rough sleepers who needed a bed during the storm got one.

A spokeswoman for the DRHE said there was "a concerted effort by DRHE and other service providers to be more assertive and stress 'you really need to get in' to rough sleepers", she said.

Many of those rough sleepers are now living in secure, stable accommodation at the charity's three new hostels.

They include one in Inichore and two on the North Circular Road known as supported temporary accommodation, in which social workers and others provide ongoing assessment and referral for medical, addiction and mental health issues.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy, who released the new rough sleeper figures during a tour of the trust's new hostel on North Circular Road, said the drop in numbers was encouraging.

"Still, there's more to do because we still have many people sleeping rough," he said.
Aneta Petrova, pictured with her son David, has been awarded 17,000

A woman has told how she was left "broken" after suffering a miscarriage and being summarily sacked days later by her employer while on sick leave.

Aneta Petrova (37) spoke about her ordeal yesterday after the Labour Court ordered her former employer, chicken producer Western Brand Group, to pay her 17,000.

It found that she was unfairly dismissed from the company's chicken processing plant at Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo.

Ms Petrova said that she cried down the phone when told by a Western Brand representative that she lost her job because she was "sick for too long" on December 29, 2015.

"I cried on the phone because I felt guilty, because I lost a job I was looking for for a year," she said.

"I didn't realise that this was real and was happening - and then when I saw the P45 I cried even more."

Grieving

Just 12 days earlier, Ms Petrova had been rushed to hospital after fainting at home and subsequently had a miscarriage at hospital as a result of having an ectopic pregnancy.

"It was the most sad time. I was grieving - every woman who has been through this, we all grieve," she said.

"You feel guilty that you didn't keep this baby - you feel terribly, terribly broken.

"And to top it off, just to lose a simple job like that for a reason like this, I couldn't understand it."

Ms Petrova said she did not know she was pregnant when rushed to Mayo University Hospital on December 17, and believes now that she was seven weeks pregnant when she miscarried.

"I was devastated because of my age. I'm old for having children, and I was told that because of my medical history that I probably won't have children. I had the saddest Christmas of my life that year," she said.

"I was really, really in a bad emotional condition. Physically Western Brand traumatised me in the manner in which they sacked me.

"This shouldn't happen to anyone. I didn't do anything wrong at Western Brand."

Ms Petrova has a masters degree in European law and a degree in economics, and speaks English, Russian, German and Spanish.

Ms Petrova left Bulgaria for Ireland for love rather than economic circumstances.

She left behind a good job in the country, training medics to operate medical equipment, to be with her boyfriend, Stephan, in Ballyhaunis.

"I was asked why someone so highly qualified was trying to get a job in a meat factory, but it is a job that puts bread on the table," she said.

Ms Petrova said that there were many highly educated overseas workers like her on the production line at Western Brand.

She was earning 8.65 an hour and the treatment she endured, being summarily dismissed over the phone by her employer, gives a glimpse of the difficulties faced here by some migrant workers.

Conor O'Dwyer, of O'Dwyer Solicitors in Ballyhaunis, represented Ms Petrova in the case.

"Many migrant workers are often so fearful of losing their jobs that they endure appalling conditions rather than seek to vindicate their rights," he said yesterday.

Ms Petrova added: "Here in Ireland, Irish people often say 'it is not too bad', but it is really bad.

"If they were in my shoes, they would feel terribly bad, like I did."

Ms Petrova said that when she told Irish friends in 2016 of her dismissal, "they strongly advised me not to do anything - to move on with my life and to get another job".

"I didn't listen to them - I believe what happened to me is not right. It would be outrageous not to do anything about it," she said.

At the Labour Court, the Western Brand Group pleaded that it did not realise Ms Petrova was pregnant or that she had suffered a miscarriage at the time of her dismissal.

It said that her medical certificates confirming the miscarriage were not seen by payroll before the call was made to dismiss her on December 29.

The company said that after finding that Ms Petrova had suffered a miscarriage, it subsequently apologised and said that she could reapply for her job when she returned to full health.

However, the Labour Court found that Western Brand did know about Ms Petrova's pregnancy and miscarriage at the time of her dismissal.

Happily, Ms Petrova gave birth to a baby boy, David, 11 months ago "after a hard and complicated pregnancy, but thank God we are here, he is growing up and we are happy".

Consequences

Ms Petrova is now back sending out CVs looking for work once more.

She has yet to receive the 17,000 award from Western Brand.

"I am not done with Western Brand - I am not ready to turn the page on Western Brand," she said.

The most recent accounts for the highly successful firm show that the 17,000 award would represent little more than loose change for the family-operated company.

In 2016, Western Brand enjoyed revenues of 101m and recorded profits of 9.6m.

At the end of 2016, the company was sitting on accumulated profits of 37.99m.

The firm's directors, Eugene Lannon, Claire Lannon and Jack Lannon, shared pay of 736,623 in 2016, which included 400,000 in pension payments.

"The 17,000 is not going to change my life. It is not a $12m jackpot but it would be very welcome," Ms Petrova said.

"It was never about the money, it was about not allowing Western Brand to be able to treat a worker in the way I was treated and face no consequences".
A cartel-linked crimelord was yesterday jailed for 18 years for an attempted feud-related murder in the Netherlands.

Naoufal Fassih (37), a Dutch citizen of Moroccan origin, is considered one of Europe's most serious organised criminals and has been closely linked to the Kinahan cartel for years.

He was busted in a special operation by gardai in a Kinahan safe house on the capital's southside more than two years ago.

When gardai arrested him in an apartment in the Baggot Street area, he was in possession of luxury watches worth more than 40,000, cash, mobile phones and "other items that can be linked to criminality".

He was extradited back to the Netherlands last year in a secret operation and has been on remand in a high-security Dutch jail ever since.

While on remand in Mountjoy Prison, authorities uncovered a sinister plot to murder Fassih in January of last year, which ultimately led him to being transferred to high-security Portlaoise Prison.

Assassination

The Dutch extradition request for the attempted murder charge was issued in September 2016, and relates to a botched assassination in an Amsterdam suburb on November 15, 2015.

The Dutch authorities have now proved Fassih paid 8,000 to the would-be assassin and gave instructions on how to carry out the killing.

He was part of a gang that fired 36 shots at a man in his car.

The victim survived, despite being hit six times.

"The victim was gravely injured, but survived the shooting," Dutch prosecutors said in a statement yesterday.

"In the months that followed, five people were arrested: the two shooters, the chauffeur of the flight car and two spotters who prepared the attack.

"These five were sentenced last year to 20 years of prison."

In its judgment yesterday, the Dutch court explained Fassih's lengthy sentence.

"The court finds that he was indeed the one who directed the murder command from Ireland," it said.

"The encouraging messages he sent to one of the spotters show how eager he was to have the victim killed, and it did not matter to him if it happened on public roads, possibly with danger to others."
Ioan Artene Bob (49) died of his injuries at Tallaght Hospital

A homeless man charged with the murder of a Romanian man in a Tallaght park last week, is a "serious flight risk", a court has heard.

At Tallaght District Court yesterday, Judge Patricia McNamara remanded Feri Anghel (38) in custody, to appear before Cloverhill District Court next Friday, April 27.

Mr Anghel, of no fixed abode, is charged with murdering Ioan Artene Bob at Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, on April 13, 2018.

Mr Bob (49) died in Tallaght Hospital on April 13 after he was found seriously injured, but alive, by a passer-by in Sean Walsh Park, just before 8am that day.

The emergency services were alerted and he was treated by paramedics before being taken to Tallaght Hospital.

Mr Bob had lived in Ireland for the last three years.

He worked in construction and had a partner and an eight-year-old son in Romania.

Yesterday morning, Mr Anghel appeared in custody before Judge McNamara.

The Romanian national, who has short black hair and a prominent black beard, wore a black hoodie.

Sergeant Shay Palmer told the court that he arrested Mr Anghel at 10.16pm on Thursday night at Tallaght Garda Station.

He said that at 12.20am yesterday morning, Mr Anghel was charged by Sergeant Brian Norton. He said Mr Anghel replied "no" to the charge.

Sgt Palmer added that as Mr Anghel was charged with murder, bail was not available in the District Court.

Serious

Mr Anghel's solicitor, Richard Young, told Judge McNamara that his client could provide an address.

However, Sgt Palmer said that he was not satisfied with the address.

"I believe he is a serious flight risk given the nature of the charge," he added.

Judge McNamara remanded Mr Anghel in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on April 27.
A sister of missing woman Jo Jo Dullard, who tirelessly campaigned to highlight her disappearance and bring her killer to justice, has died. She had been diagnosed with liver cancer last Christmas.

Mary Phelan never gave up her 23-year-long search for her younger sister Jo Jo, who disappeared without trace on November 9, 1995, while hitch-hiking home to Kilkenny from Dublin.

She had called a friend from a phone box in Moone, Co Kildare, telling her a car had stopped nearby, but she was never seen again.

The 21-year-old's high- profile case became part of Operation Trace, set up in October 1998.

Mary (67), from the village of Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny, passed away at her home early yesterday, with her husband Martin, son Melvin and daughter Imelda, along with her sisters Kathleen and Nora, at her side.

Her funeral notice reads that Mary is "finally at peace with her sister Jo Jo".

Family friend and Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness said: "It's very, very sad that Mary has passed away. She was an amazing woman. She did so much for everyone. It's just so sad for Mary and her family that she never got closure on what happened before she passed away."

Justice

During her fierce campaign for justice, Mary travelled to the US where she met Hillary Clinton. She repeatedly said that gardai had information on a man she believed was a suspect.

A national monument to missing people, at Kilkenny Castle, featuring the handprints of family members of the missing, was commissioned by a trust established by Mary in 2002.

Mary will be laid to rest on Monday following Mass at the Church of the Holy Cross, Cuffesgrange.
Legacy of a lynching: State panel, victim's relatives revisit slaying

"Everyone has to be open and vulnerable to be honest about how their history affects how they respond to situations today," says NAACP leader.
New Delhi : Central intelligence agencies have raised security concerns over settlement camps for illegal Rohingya immigrants in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, alleging that these are on encroached state government land and will encourage afurther influx of illegals.

Stating that the camps housing around 130 illegal Rohingya have come up in Hardaha, Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district bordering Bangladesh despite the Centres advisory asking states to identify such squatters for deportation, an officer said the settlement showed West Bengal government was heedless in controlling or checking the illegal entry of Rohingyas into Indian territory. Establishment of camps near the border has serious security implications.

It is highly likely to further encourage and facilitate human trafficking/illegal entry of Rohingyas into Indian territory, an intelligence officer pointed out. The officer claimed setting up of Rohingya settlements had created a sense of unease in the local community in Baruipur, which has been aggravated by enthusiasm exhibited by a section of the local leadership towards the illegal immigrants.

The camps, the central security agencies informed the home ministry, were erected with the help of Kolkata-based NGO Desh Bachao Somajik Committee run by local resident Hossain Gazi, allegedly with financial support from a Hyderabadbased charity. The latter, which goes by the name Salamah, is reported to have contributed Rs 4 lakh to Gazi for settling the Rohingyas.

As per assessment of central security agencies, camps housing illegal migrants are thriving in the district due to the indulgent attitude of local leaders belonging to the ruling Trinamool Congress. The location of camps on government land is a case in point, said an officer. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has earlier made known her soft approach towards Rohingyas. We do support the United Nations appeal to help the Rohingya people, she had tweeted last year. Banerjee was also quoted as saying: Let the government take steps against those who have terror links.We need to distinguish between terrorists and commoners.

Many of the settlers in Baruipur camps reportedly hold UNHCR refugee cards. Interestingly, the Centre does not recognise the cards, maintaining that regulating entry or stay of foreigners is a countrys sovereign right. Last August, the home ministry issued an advisory to states to sensitise their law enforcement and intelligence agencies to take prompt steps for identifying the illegal migrants and initiating their deportation process. According to last years estimates, around 40,000 Rohingya Muslims were illegally settled in India.

Source : TOI
One of the big benefits and one of the things that the Netflix team was quick to acknowledge, and we requested both as a chamber and as a city, was Youre welcome to film here, were happy to have you, but dont make us a generic wine town. Theyre actually going to brand us, were going to be Calistoga in the movie, Canning said. That was important to us, but were very warmed by the fact that it was important to them.

Crews will be in Napa Valley filming for two weeks at three vineyards, with some driving shots throughout the valley, and the film will be released sometime in the fall or winter, Valenti said.

The comedy that will star Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and other Saturday Night Live stars will be in Calistoga for two days of preparation and one day of filming. The story is about a group of women celebrating a 50th birthday that heads to wine country to celebrate.

The disruption will include restricted traffic flow and parking.

Lincoln will be closed from Cedar Street to Fair Way starting Friday, May 4, at 9 a.m. until Saturday, May 5, at 2 a.m. Law enforcement patrols will assist in rerouting traffic and safety. Washington Street will remain open.
On April 18, Miguel Diaz-Canel was sworn in as the new Cuban president. The transition is a landmark for the island nation, where for the first time in six decades a Castro will not be in command. It will also shift the mental landscape of a region which  even as memories of Latin dictators and Yanqui imperialism fade  can still swoon to the revolution that was.

No one expects Cuba to radically change course. Although Raul Castro is officially stepping aside, hell go no further than the top slot at the Cuban Communist Party, where eminence grise is the new khaki. And dont expect a truce in the sexagenarian feud between Havana and Washington, which has only escalated under Donald Trump.

Yet Cuba and the US also are bound by strategic interests that have remained remarkably solid despite the continuing vitriol over the Florida Strait. Even as public diplomacy festers, in recent months shared policy initiatives, technical cooperation pacts and binational task forces have survived and, in some cases, even strengthened.

Its not just the emergency ops, such as the joint rescue mission earlier this month by the US Coast Guard and the Cuban Border Guard to intercept a boatload of Haitian refugees drifting off the coast of Cuba. Both nations touted the heroics of the islands fire brigade, which in February swooped down to help stop a wildfire that threatened the US military base in Guantanamo  a remarkable gesture given how the gringo outpost has long chafed on Cuban pride.

Cuba and the US have long coordinated to patrol the maritime borders, and dousing the Guantanamo fire was only possible because of two decades of joint natural disaster response drills by US troops with the Cuban militarys Frontier Brigade.

Transnational crime also has drawn the Americas signature enemies closer. Although neither side flaunts it, Havana and Washington have collaborated for more than two decades to interdict drug shipments, human traffickers, cross-border crime cartels, money launderers, and more recently even Medicare cheats. US authorities say Cuba could do more to prosecute international outlaws. Yet the 16-country Financial Action Task Force of Latin America recently acknowledged Cubas efforts to identify terrorist groups and starve them of assets as complete and consistent.

Cuba used to be an incredible blind spot in the Caribbean and so a safe haven for international criminals, William LeoGrande, a professor at American University, told me. The joint crackdown has forced traffickers to shift routes, and that success is one reason so many security professionals have been arguing against rolling back the Obama-era policy of approximation with Cuba.

Geoff Thale, a Cuba expert at the Washington Office on Latin America, agrees. There have been six separate technical exchanges between Cuba and the US in the last year or so, Thale said in an interview. Despite the chill of the Trump administration, its clear the US Coast Guard, Southern Command, and the Drug Enforcement Administration all believe that Cuba is an important barrier to crime.

This isnt capitulation to Washingtons agenda, but the same strain of pragmatism that has driven Cuba to embrace some reforms of its shambolic economy. As Cuba reintegrates into the global economy and engages with countries in its own hemisphere, it understands the growing risks of money launderers and international crime groups, said Thale. So its in their interest to rein this in.

Some clear-thinking officials in Washington also have taken note. Theres a growing awareness that a stable, functioning Cuban government is an important force for hemispheric stability, sociologist Bernardo Sorj, a Latin America scholar at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told me. Though theres little love lost between the two countries, the question is what will happen tomorrow if Cuba destabilises.

More than neighbourly good will, US-Cuban cooperation speaks to a broader awareness of the challenges of hemispheric security  one that has weathered years of the brute diplomacy that so many of the regions ideologues have favoured, and which threatens to rear up again.

Beating world-class criminals will be just as daunting as reinventing the New Worlds oldest command economy. But the US and Cuba share too many interests and vulnerabilities to indulge the hoary antagonisms of last centurys quarrel.

@BloombergView

The views expressed are personal
In what is being seen as an indictment of the state bureaucracy, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that sometimes the way bureaucrats fought, it appeared as if it was India-Pakistan war.

The chief minister said this while addressing the bureaucrats on occasion of Civil Service day at the Academy of Administration in Bhopal on Friday. Top bureaucrats of the state, including the chief secretary Basant Pratap Singh, the DGP Rishi Kumar Shukla were present.

The chief minister went on to say that this estrangement between different groups of bureaucrats affected work and was not good for development. He advised all the officers to leave their ego and work as a team, and added that all news of groupism among officers was not good.

The chief ministers words are being read in the context of the tug-of-war going on at present between the IAS and the IPS lobby over introducing police commissioner system in Indore and Bhopal, which would entail giving certain magisterial powers now vested with the district magistrate to the police. The IAS lobby is against introducing this system, arguing that it would vest too much power in the hands of the police.

The chief secretary Basant Pratap Singh sought to play down the differences between the different streams of bureaucrats. The chief minister said it in lighter vein. See, the DGP and I go in the same car. Do India and Pakistan go in the same car? he asked. He denied that there was any groupism between officers of different departments and said work was going on normally.
After a beautiful drive from Mangalore to Manipal, chef Vikas Khanna, in a cream kurta pyjama, is exhausted because of his tiring schedule. As I try directing the driver towards the museum that weve come to explore, Vikas interrupts, and directs him to The Udupi Shri Krishna Matha, about a 20-minute drive from Manipal. I wonder why, at 5am, we are doing a detour. Vikas senses my curiosity, and smiles, I find solace here.

Starting the day on a spiritual note, Vikas basks in the purity and sense of peace that Sri Krishna Matha offers. He mentions, People said I had found my Golden Temple here.

Going down the memory lane of his college days, Khanna insists we have breakfast at the Mitra Samaj eatery within the Matha complex. It is really the best breakfast you can have! he says, and we indulge in some idli with sambar and kesari halwa. He was clearly right about the delicious meal!

The Museum of Culinary Arts at Manipal is the fruit of Vikas five years of dedication (Prabhat Shetty)

We feel sluggish after the meal, but as exhausted as he may be, Khannas eyes light up as our Innova stops in front of the Museum of Culinary Arts. He beckons me to listen to his first anecdote and Im just as excited as he is when he gets out of the car and, all energised, and ready to take us for an exclusive tour to show off the fruit of his five years of dedication to put together this culinary wonder.

People say I have an antique French pot. but in India, we think of utensils as mere bartans!

I follow Khanna as we walk into the museum that is designed to look like a pot from the Harappa Civilisation era. I gape when he informs me that the museum has 1,600 culinary items, offering insights into the way grains were stored, food was cooked, and the metals that were used to make the vessels in India.

Khanna shows me a 32-piece metallic picnic set that he got from a royal family. In my life, I have gotten a second chance for many things. Similarly, these utensils are also getting a second chance to showcase the legacy they hold. They will not be melted or sold or broken, they will simply stay like this, he says, as he shows off a seven-feet-long grain holder that he got from the interiors of Himachal Pradesh.

Seventeen-year-old Vikas was first rejected after being mocked by the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA) in Manipal, but his passion made them reconsider their decision and thus, he decided that a second chance for utensils should also be at his alma mater.

The Melting Pot

Khanna has been collecting utensils for almost 20 years, and has spent the last five years wholly dedicated to this unusual museum. But who puts together a whole museum of utensils and why, I ask him. Passion to preserve dying culture, he says, and goes on to explain, I noticed how, over the years, my grandmother and mother discarded the large cooking vessels and utensils used for special occasions. I felt that one day, all this would be lost forever. So I started keeping several of these items, he says.

The Museum of Culinary Arts, in Manipal, has 1,600 culinary items (Prabhat Shetty)

The thought behind these utensils, he talks as I look intently at some big vessels that were probably used for community cooking, is that Indian cultural preservation needs to go beyond textiles and jewellery. I nod, and he adds, Usually, only Indian textiles and jewellery are showcased at exhibitions, but for the first time a separate section on kitchen utensils will be introduced soon. Our utensils are an important part of our history and culture, and now people are actually contributing items to the museum from their family treasures.

However, what saddens me is the fact that when someone says I have an antique French pot, we say, wow!, but when we say bartan (utensil), everybody thinks you bought it from a kabadi ki dukaan (second-hand goods shop), he shrugs.

Khannas desire to give back to his alma mater is evident in his food and books, as well as the museum. This place witnessed my journey from an unsure, clueless boy to a man who dared to dream big, he says. Thats why I keep coming back to Manipal for inspiration. I love the red soil here, the cuisine that inspired me to create a few amazing dishes, and the prasadams and grains that inspired me to write some of my books.

As a student, I was weak in English. My professor put me on duty at the cafe to help me gain confidence 

He pauses and looks around, taking in the massive change Manipal has gone through since his clueless boy to college student and now Michelin-star chef days. Im happy with the change. It shows that more people are aware of this place and the amazing influence it can have on their lives.

Now its time to slip back to 1991, and the places in and around Manipal that made Khanna what he is. He spills the beans on the best Manipal has to offer

The courtyard in the Sri Krishna Matha where the produce is stored for the daily meals of rice, sambar and payasam (Prabhat Shetty)

Respite at Tiger Circle

Tiger Circle was the only place in the 1990s that offered students at Manipal some respite from college. It had a private cinema hall, and a few eateries. Most students would study the whole night and then come here in the morning to eat bun maska omelette, says Khanna. That was my favourite too. Another good eating joint here was the Manipal Canteen, but it has now been replaced by a mall.

Kamath Cafe for small breaks

Just across the road from Khannas college is Kamath Cafe, a popular fast food joint. The owner clearly recognises Khanna. My class was on the top floor, says Khanna, pointing to a window from across the road. And then I would come down to Kamath Cafe for tea or their famous grape juice which was refreshing.

Big Daddys to the rescue

While most South Indians at the college were happy with canteen fare, most of Khannas North Indian classmates wanted more options. Hence the popularity of Big Daddys, that offered burgers and sandwiches. Pocket money was quite meagre, so many of us worked part-time, says Khanna. I used to work in the kitchen there for Rs 50. But Big Daddys has now been replaced with swankier joints.

The kitchen in Sri Krishna Matha Vikas has spent many Sundays helping in preparing prasadam (Prabhat Shetty)

Humble beginnings at Sri Krishna Matha, Udupi

Khanna found solace here where he needed it, and also learned the art of sculpting in wood and stone. I used to go there every Sunday morning by bus and volunteer in the kitchen, cooking the simple prasadam that was offered to devotees, he says. This is the place where sambhar was invented, he adds.

Lessons from Cosmo cafe

Close to the college is the Fortune Inn Valley View hotel run by the WGSHA. Cosmo Cafe at the hotel serves as a training ground for students. Khanna would be stationed there often, which he found upsetting. One of my professors, Mr Tharakan, would put me on duty for the maximum number of days, he says. I was weak in English and found it difficult to communicate. In 2011, he told me that he did it deliberately so I could gain confidence.

Today, the same professor is serving as the Dean of Le Cordon Bleu at GD Goenka University and he honoured me with a doctorate recently.

Follow@VeenuSingh12 on Twitter

From HT Brunch, April 22, 2018

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This is the time of year when newspapers and magazines like to recommend what they coyly term beach reads. As in fluffy, wispy books that dont demand much of you, so you can idly read them as you drink another mojito or pina colada by the sea or poolside.

These books will go well with whatever sugary drink you choose to drink as you dry off after a swim

Well, the books that I am about to recommend for your summer reading are nothing like that. No, no, dont be scared. They are not thick, dense tomes that will leave you bored or just depressed. Not at all. These are books that tell a cracking good story, that will keep you entertained and engaged until the last page, and will go perfectly well with whatever sugary drink you choose to drink as you dry off after a swim. So, read on  and then read up. And have a great summer break!

The Only Story by Julian Barnes

Yes, youre quite right. The Only Story (worth telling) is a story about love. More specifically, it is about a May-December romance between Susan, a woman of 48 and Paul, a boy of 19, related in retrospect by the old man he becomes. The first section is related in the first person by Paul. In the second section, the narration shifts to the second person as things begin to unravel. And the third and final section segues effortlessly into third person as Paul looks back on life. As a study of young love, it is heartbreakingly accurate. As a memoir, it is unbearably poignant. And as a novel, it is quite brilliant. But then, you would expect nothing less from Julian Barnes.

Lullaby by Leila Slimani

If you are a parent of young children, you might find that this gory tale of a nanny who snaps and kills her young charges (no, that doesnt merit a spoiler alert, the fate of those two kids is apparent from the start) cuts a little close to the bone. But if you can power through, you will be rewarded by a book that is a work of dark beauty, with the slow breakdown of the nanny  and the events that contribute to it  laid out in excruciating detail. It makes for difficult reading sometimes, but who said good literature has to be easy?

Tangerine by Christine Mangan

The best way to describe this book is as a refashioning of Patricia Highsmiths The Talented Mr. Ripley with an all-female lead cast, as seen through the camera lens of Alfred Hitchcock. The novel is set in Tangiers (hence the title, Tangerine) that serves as the location of a reunion of two college mates. Alice Shipley is the young wife living there with her husband, when her old friend Lucy Mason (with whom she had a messy falling out) drops in unannounced. The story is told in the alternating voices of Alice and Lucy, neither of whom is an entirely reliable narrator. That sets up the shifting sands on which this novel rests, leaving the reader bewildered and enthralled in turn.

Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday

As debut novels go, this one is unexpectedly assured, pulling together two narrative strands that seem entirely unconnected until we come to the very end. The first story is that of a young woman in her 20s who works in publishing and falls into a love affair with a famous writer in his 70s, Ezra Blazer (Halliday herself had an affair with the much older Philip Roth when she was around that age; so there is no escaping the autobiographical allusions). The relationship is, by its very nature, asymmetrical (hence the title, one assumes) and we can tell at the beginning itself that it wont end well. The second story is that of an Iraqi-American who is stopped at immigration in London on his way to Iraq, and who tells us his story in flashback. How do these two halves make a whole? Well, youll have to read the book and find out.

An Ordinary Mans Guide to Radicalism by Neyaz Farooquee

The subtitle best summarises what this memoir is about: Growing Up Muslim in India. The book is sparked by the Batla House Encounter in 2008, which took place only a few doors away from where the author  a student at Jamia Millia Islamia  lived in those days, and how those events affected him. It is from this starting point that Farooquee goes back and forth in time to tell us his story, which begins in a small village in Bihar, from which he is sent forth to study and live in Delhi as a small boy. Written in a simple yet lucid style, this book is required reading for those who want an insight into what it means to grow up Muslim in India.

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

This psychological thriller  as is evident from the title  owes a lot to the oeuvre of Alfred Hitchcock. The protagonist is yet another unreliable narrator (they seem to be highly popular these days), child psychologist Dr Anna Fox, who has become agoraphobic after an accident and spends her entire time locked up in her apartment. She spends her time taking pictures of her neighbours until one day she witnesses a murder in a facing apartment. The problem is that no one will believe her; and she is not entirely sure she believes herself. So far, so Hitchcockian you might say. But then, Finn delivers a final twist that you never see coming. And I guarantee, it will leave you winded  and wanting to read the book all over again to see what you missed.

From HT Brunch, April 22, 2018

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Her fingertip flits across imaginary points on the wooden tabletop as Savi Munjal maps the route of her road trip to offbeat parts of Europe We start in Bucharest, Romania and drive to Romanias medieval villages such as Sighisoara, Biertan, and Busteni. From there, we fly to Belgrade (Serbia) to learn about its communist past, acquaint ourselves with its culture and crazy nightlife, she says, pausing at the invisible semi-circle before darting forward again. Then we fly to Montenegro to live the slow life in a little apartment facing the beach for a month or so. Thats the part Im most excited about. Living in a country for an extended period of time gives us the chance to understand its quirks, culture and make friends in a new part of the globe, she elaborates.

Her husband and co-traveller, Vidit Taneja, says, In the first week of January we went to Bali, March was meant for Kerala and for almost a month now we are on a road trip in Romania and Montenegro.

The couple, currently in Europe, has been driving around Romania for 10 days, spent a few days in the Serbian capital of Belgrade followed by Montenegro.

Savi shocks the streets of Romania in pink; Sunglasses, Ray-Ban; top, H&M; skirt, ASOS; shoes, Primark

For Savi, 33, and Vid, 35, who currently are on a round-the-world tour, this is all in a days work. Since 2013, they have been sharing their journeys and stunning photographs along with information such as when to go, what to pack and how to manage the budget on their travel website bruisedpassports.com.

In June 2015 they quit their jobs in the UK (Vid was a business analyst; Savi an academic) to live out of suitcases and become full-time travel bloggers.

In the last 10 years, this cool couple has been to over 85 countries across the world. Weve been to almost all countries, says Savi, her head tilted backwards, eyes scanning the restaurant ceiling clockwise as she goes over the world map in her mind. Weve been to North Africa, Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia. But we havent explored West or Central Africa, she says turning to Vid, who nods.

While driving in Iceland, the couple stopped following the GPS and discovered a rare picnic spot

Though they have been married for 10 years, Savi and Vid have been together for over a decade. They met in school in Delhi (we were good friends) and started dating in college when Savi was in Delhi and Vid moved to Singapore. But only after they got married did they start seriously indulging their wanderlust. We made a pact that every month, we will travel to someplace new, says Vid.

The couple has saved up enough to sustain this dream. Their website gets over a million visitors annually. Vid takes up freelance photography assignments, while I occasionally freelance as a travel writer, says Savi.

It takes less than five minutes and a pen and a piece of paper for them to make a list of their 11 favourite travel experiences. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Star gazing across the salt desert (Salar de Uyuni , Bolivia)

The couple drove across Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia in their SUV with food and oxygen cylinders; (On Savi) top and shawl, Peru local market; tights, Adidas. (On Vid), sweater, Zara; bottoms, Peru local market

It takes a while to get used to the surreal landscape of Salar de Uyuni, the worlds largest salt desert, in Bolivia. Naturally formed tiles of salt crust seem to run on endlessly. During winter rains, it gets covered with a light sheet of water that reflects the cloudy skies, turning the flatland into a giant mirror. There are no shops or people or roads. We just drove across barren land in our SUV with food and oxygen cylinders because of the high altitudes [nearly 12,000 feet above sea level], says Savi, of their three-day guided excursion. They checked into Tayka Hotel de Sal  a hotel fashioned out of salt blocks and wood. It was -20 degrees outside, but it was such a gorgeous night sky. We saw millions of stars and the Milky Way. We could not get enough of the incredibly clear sky. There was no light pollution, Savi says.

2. Falling in lavender love (Mt Cook National Park, New Zealand)

Vid and Savi discovered fields of purple lupines in New Zealand, something they hadnt read about before; (On Savi) crop top, Forever 21; skirt, Vintage; (On Vid) shirt, ASOS; jeans, Topman

It was the 18th day of their three-and-a-half-week long road trip through New Zealand and Savi and Vid were headed to the Mt Cook National Park in the south of the island via Lake Tekapo. The road wound along the rugged terrain with the turquoise blue of the lake set against the sapphire sky, and the snowy peaks of southern Alps in the distance framing the picture perfect beauty of the region. Then out of nowhere, massive fields of purple lupines rolled into their view, bringing their silver Hertz to a halt.

We hadnt read about it anywhere, says Vid The Mt Cook area is famous for its lakes and panoramas but we loved the random fields of flowers along the way, says Savi.

3. Zebra crossing (Zululand, South Africa )

Dozens of zebras with bright and shiny coats in Zululand, South Africa

The first zebra sighting was unexpected. As their 4X4 made its way through the grasslands of Hluhluwe Imfolozi National Park in Zululand, a lone zebra ran out of the tall golden grass and jumped in front of their car. Before this, we had only seen zebras on TV or in pictures, says Vid, of the time they took a 4,400 km road trip through South Africa.

Over the next two days, we saw dozens of zebras in the wild but each time was more special, says Savi. They were just so pretty. Their coats were so bright and shiny, they looked like they had been freshly painted.

They also spotted a number of other animals on this guided tour: elephants, lions, leopards, blue wildebeest, giraffes, warthogs, cheetahs and a hostile black rhino. We also saw some rhinos and one of them was quite aggressive, recalls Vid. When it saw us, it walked towards our vehicle and stopped 10 metres away. Then it started peeing all over to mark its territory.

4. Walking by the great ocean (Victoria, Australia)

The Great Ocean Walking Trail in Australia goes through two national parks, rugged forests, high cliffs and beaches; (On Savi) tights, Adidas; T-shirt, her own; (On Vid) T-shirt, his own; trousers, Topman; backpack and hiking gear, Great Ocean Walking Trail

An 80-km, four-day hike through parts of the Great Ocean Walking Trail, along the Great Ocean Road on the south-west coast of Australia, is not as daunting as it sounds. Especially if the hikers are ferried back to their lodgings every day and treated to gourmet food and foot spas. It was more of a glamping (glamorous + camping) thing. We would come back to this tiny lodge in the middle of the forest and were in a small group accompanied by a professional bushwalker, says Vid. The walking trail took them through two national parks, through rugged forests, past rivers, high cliffs and beaches. We saw kangaroos, koalas, even snakes and leeches, some stunning cliff-top and coastal panoramas along the way. The trail ended at The Twelve Apostles, which are naturally formed limestone stacks on the shore of the Port Campbell National Park.

5. Doing in Taiwan as the Taiwanese do (Hengchun Township, Taiwan )

Savi and Vid went to Taiwan to shoot a TV series with Discovery Channel

It is hard to experience a culture if you do not know the language. However, this was hardly an issue when Savi and Vid went to Taiwan to shoot a TV series with Discovery Channel. Most of the crew grew up in Taiwan. So they showed us small villages, beach towns, and historical cities that wouldnt ordinarily feature on tourists radars, says Savi. A lot of them would have been inaccessible otherwise because English isnt widely spoken in Taiwan.

In one such little-known place, the Hengchun Township, they met a 94-year-old grandmother who is working to save the moonlute, an old Taiwanese instrument that is slowly fading into obscurity. She runs a school where kids can learn how to play the moonlute, says Savi. We visited this school and took a shot at learning it. The grandma sang traditional songs for us about everyday situations  guys teasing girls, the mother-of-the-bride advising her daughter  and the crew translated them for us.

6. Relishing the ritual of Hanami (Tokyo, Japan )

Cherry blossom trees by the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko in Japan; Savi wears a floral maxi dress from ASOS

As the bullet train makes its way deeper and deeper into the Japanese countryside, you see entire villages strewn with powder-pink petals. And be warned that hordes of tourists in Tokyo make it impossible to truly relish the ritual of hanami (read savouring the transient beauty of the flowers by meeting up with friends and family under the shadow of cherry blossom trees). But here, by the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko, the blooms, framed by the iconic Mt Fuji, are simply resplendent.

Before this, we had only seen Japans cherry blossom season on TV or in pictures, says Vid, of the time they took a three-week trip in Japan  I always thought it was overhyped, but it was on that day that I realised it wasnt, it was worth every ounce of the effort, adds Savi.

7. Savouring the solitude of Iceland in winter (countryside, Iceland)

Vid and Savi enjoy a moment on their winter road trip in Iceland; (On Vid) jacket, Woolskin, beanie, Primark, sunglasses, Ray Ban; jeans, Topshop; boots, Zolando; (On Savi) jacket, Icewear; beanie, Primark; sneakers, Nike

While driving in Iceland in December, Savi and Vid decided to explore the countryside and discovered a quaint picnic spot on a rare sunny day. We disobeyed the GPS and stopped our car in a clearing surrounded by waterfalls and snow-covered mountains says Savi. Amidst the snow-clad panorama we happily munched on a languorous lunch, and huddled in our car, watching a movie and waiting for the Northern Lights to show up.

Before they knew it, the sky was coloured green with dancing lights, flitting from one end of the sky to the other.

8. Dashing through the snow...(Lapland, Finland )

(On Savi) dress, Primark; hat, ASOS, sunglasses, New Look; sandals, boutique in London; (On Vid) shirt, Zara; jacket, Zara, trouser, ASOS

Lapland, the land of Santa Claus, is a vast expanse of luminous white, scrawled with snow-covered pine trees, frozen lakes, reindeer farms and ski resorts. During a reindeer sleigh ride through its frosty forests, Savi and Vid met Pentti, a reindeer herder. I had never seen such kind eyes in a face, says Savi. He took us to his farm and tepee. His wife passed away some years ago, so now he lives alone on his farm with 20 reindeer. He speaks to his reindeer like they are his kids.

Vid adds, His nearest neighbour is five miles away. So he has no human contact and these are his only friends. While they made pancakes over a fire inside Penttis tepee, he told them tales of the Northern Lights, and of his own travels.

9. Nesting in Bali (Ubud, Bali)

A snapshot of stunning Bali

The original plan of the couple was to spend a few days in the islands, a week by the beach and photograph its legendary sunrises and sunsets.

Bali, after all, is home to lush paddy fields, warm people and apart from being a convenient pit stop on the way to Australia. Thats how Savi and Vid landed there the first time. But they never made it to the beach on their first trip  Ubud, nestled in the highlands of Bali, had them smitten. Having spent over six months in Ubud over the past two years, they call it their second home now.

Its my version of Utopia, but find it hard to explain why I enjoy life in Ubud so much, says Savi with the biggest smile on her face. Vid chimes in: Its the fluidity  our life in Ubud is a mish-mash of working online, relaxing massages, sumptuous organic meals, wellness programmes and bike-rides along dusty alleys. It truly gives our minds a chance to unravel.

10. Flying over the Nazca Lines (Nazca, Peru)

A romantic getaway amidst Peruvian vineyards in Ica, Peru; (On Vid) T-shirt, Forever 21; trousers, New Look, throw and dreamcatcher, local market in Peru; (On Savi) dress and wreath, local Peruvian market

It was a good thing he skipped breakfast that morning, Vid thought as the tiny plane took another plunge sideways so that its four passengers could get a better view of the figures etched on the ground below.

The oxygen supply wasnt very good, recalls Vid. When we flew over the Nazca lines, the pilot made such drastic turns that my stomach started churning.

At Ica, the gateway to Nazca Lines, be prepared to be stunned by hundreds of massive lines shaped like animals and even an astronaut

The shallow white lines cutting through the reddish landscape of the Nazca desert turned out to be beautifully crafted figures of colossal proportions. The lines formed hundreds of geometric designs and creatures like a monkey, a hummingbird, a spider.

These geoglyphs were built by the ancient Nazca people between 500 BC and 500 AD. None of the natural disasters have managed to erase the lines, says Savi. There is a lot of mystery surrounding the Nazca lines.

11. Picnicking in the Baltic Woodlands (Tallin, Estonia)

Riga in Estonia is rich in urban culture; (On Savi) dress, Primark; hat, ASOS, sunglasses, New Look; sandals, boutique in London; (On Vid) shirt, Zara; jacket, Zara, trouser, ASOS

While driving to Estonias capital Tallin, during their road trip through the three Baltic states, Savi and Vid decided to explore the countryside and discovered a quaint picnic spot. We randomly stopped our car in a clearing surrounded by tall pine trees, says Savi. We went picking wild berries, flowers and mushrooms. The lack of crowds or tourists complimented the beauty of Estonias forests for the couple.

Perspective photography is a technique that employs an optical illusion to make an ob ject appear away, closer, larger or smaller than it actually is. On the cover, the faraway figure of the guy looks like its being crushed by her foot. Bonus tip: its also a great way to get group selfies. Just take three steps forward and allow your head to be on the edge of the camera frame

From HT Brunch, April 22, 2018

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Underdogs tend to punch above their weight. They try that much harder, go the extra mile, just to get noticed. Thats whats happening at Volvo these days. The little known Swedish luxury brand has been living in the shadow of the German triumvirate, Audi, BMW and Mercedes, for far too long but it now wants to step into the spotlight. But to do that, it first has to transform itself from a left-field brand, known for its safe, solid but boring cars, to one that is younger, trendier and at the cutting edge of the latest tech, to catch the attention of new age buyers.

That transformation has well and truly begun driven by Volvos Chinese owners, Geely. The new Volvo XC60 is one of the products of that change. This mid-sized luxury SUV is so far removed from the previous model that its hard to imagine it has come from the same manufacturer. More importantly, the XC60 has rattled well established rivals by winning a string of accolades including the 2018 World Car of the Year award. So, is it that good then?

Scandinavian cool

From the look of it, the XC60 doesnt come across as a typical, in-your-face, imposing SUV but has a chunky, upright stance to give it enough road presence a typical SUV buyer would seek. Theres enough bling by way of chrome highlights on the grill, bumpers and side skirts, whilst the L-shaped tail lights are a long standing Volvo signature.

The highlight of the cabin is the brilliant seats, which have long been a Volvo USP

Its the interiors that stand head and shoulders above the competition. The cabin oozes Scandinavian style with its light and airy ambience that feels refreshingly different from other luxury SUVs. The choice of materials is again top class and the unlacquered wood, chrome and black piano finishes are all used to good effect. The highlight of the cabin, though, is the brilliant seats which have long been a Volvo USP. They are superbly sculpted, orthopaedically designed and finished in high-quality leather. The Volvo XC60 offers decent all round space, but is best for four adults though five can be squeezed in. One has to remember that this is a fairly compact SUV and if acres of space is your criterion you need to look elsewhere. Getting into the rear, youll notice the doors dont open wide enough, which can be inconvenient for elderly people.

The XC60 is sold in only the D5 Inscription trim variant, which is loaded to the gills. It gets ear-blowing Bowers & Wilkins sound system, air-suspension, a heads-up display and headlights that bend, which is useful around corners.

Shiny and safe

Volvo has built its reputation by building safe cars, so theres no holding back on safety equipment in the XC60. Apart from the six airbags on offer, you get a host of radar-based driver aids that automatically brake or steer the car to avoid a potential accident.

Taking pride of place on dashboard is a 9-inch touchscreen thats almost devoid of hard buttons. Given Volvos obsession with safety, this stands out as odd because to operate the infotainment system, you have to momentarily take your eyes off the road. The large screen is a fingerprint magnet too and needs to be wiped clean constantly.

Apart from the six airbags on offer, you get a host of radar-based driver aids that automatically brake or steer the car to avoid a potential accident

The XC60s 2-litre diesel puts out a class best 235hp, so performance expectedly is very good. Put your right foot down and theres a strong build up of power whisking you to shockingly fast speeds without you even noticing it. Its a fairly refined engine but by no means the benchmark and sounds a bit coarse when revved.

While performance is sprightly, the handling really isnt in the same vein. This isnt a very sporty or involving car and relaxed best describes how this Volvo drives.

Volvos typical customers are a relaxed and chilled out lot, though they must be working hard to afford an XC60! What wont be too hard is finding customers for this car. Priced at Rs57.9 lakh (ex-Delhi), the XC60 is expensive, but when you factor in all the equipment and features, and if Volvos relatively small sales and marketing team isnt a deal-breaker, the new XC60 is all the mid-size luxury SUV youll need.

Hormazd Sorabjee is one of the most senior and much loved auto journalists in India, and is editor of Autocar India

From HT Brunch, April 22, 2018

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Parag Pathak, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, won the John Bates Clark award for contributions from a young economist.

Pathak, 37, was honored for his work on market design and education policy, the Nashville, Tennessee-based American Economic Association said on Friday in a statement on its website. It said his work blends institutional knowledge, theoretical sophistication, and careful empirical analysis to provide insights that are of immediate value to important public-policy issues.

His studies in Boston provided partial evidence that charter schools boosted educational attainment and have been central in the debate on expanding access to the schools, the AEA said.

The studies also add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that urban charter schools have the potential to generate impressive achievement gains, especially for minority students living in high-poverty areas, the association said.

Started in 1947 as a biennial prize, the award is now being given annually to an economist under 40 years old working in the U.S. who is judged to have made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge, according to the association.

Past winners of the accolade include the late Nobel laureate Milton Friedman; New York Times columnist and City University of New York professor Paul Krugman; and Lawrence Summers, a former Treasury secretary and ex-director of President Barack Obamas National Economic Council. Data compiled by Bloomberg show that recipients of the medal have almost a one-in-three chance of eventually winning the Nobel Prize in economics.
The body of a 16-year-old boy, who was bludgeoned to death, was recovered from Greater Noida on Friday, four days after he went missing from Ghaziabad. The police apprehended the victims 17-year-old friend, who had allegedly conspired with two others to abduct the boy and demand ransom from his parents.

The police said on Friday they have arrested the prime accused in the murder  19-year-old Virat Sharma, a resident of Vijay Nagar in Ghaziabad. The third accused, 19-year-old Vishal, also from Vijay Nagar, remains absconding, police officials said.

The victim, Ayush Sharma, was a student of Class 9 in St Francis School, Indirapuram.

Police officials said the minor accused, a Class 10 student at school in Indirapuram, had recently become friends with the victim.

The minor accused was also friends with Virat and Vishal, they said.

When the three accused met Ayush on April 10, they discovered that he belonged to an affluent family and hatched a plan to extort the money from Ayushs parents, the police said.

Virat had to repay a loan of Rs 2.3 lakh. After the four met at Indirapuram on April 10, Virat saw that the victim came from a well-off family and hatched a plan to extort money from the victims family. The three then met Ayush again on April 13 and sought his help in converting some computer files to PDF format. Since the victim was passionate about IT, he accepted the offer, said Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, Ghaziabad.

On April 16, the three suspects met the minor accused at Vaishali Metro station and took him to Greater Noida on a motorcycle.

We took him to Greater Noida at an isolated location. We had put some sleeping pills in his cold drink and he got drowsy. However, when I asked him to call his father, he refused. An altercation ensued, said Virat Sharma, the prime accused. He sustained injuries to his head and got unconscious. We were afraid that our plan would be revealed, so we bludgeoned him to death, the prime accused added.

When Ayush did not reach his home that night, his family approached the police the next day. An FIR was lodged against unidentified persons at the Indirapuram police station.

An investigation revealed that the minor accused had allegedly called up Ayush on his mothers cellphone at 1.37pm on the day of his disappearance. He was brought in for questioning on Friday.

According to what the police told us, the suspects met my son and asked him to get some money from me. When he declined, they offered him a cold drink laced with sedative. I never received any ransom call from the accused. I tried calling my sons cellphone and the number that had called on my wifes cellphone. Both the mobiles were switched off. The next day we approached the police, said Pramod Sharma, the victims father.

The victim had once saved the minor accused during a tussle with some boys, so they became friends since... The three had not initially planned on the murder, but the victim got injured during the fight. So, they killed him out of fear, SSP Krishna said.
In November 1988 I moved from Bangalore to Delhi, to take up a job at the Institute of Economic Growth. The next general election was a year away, and the incumbent government was in trouble. Investigation into the Bofors scandal was gathering pace, and fingers were being pointed at people close to the Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. Just the previous month, Rajivs confidant-turned-rival VP Singh had formed the Janata Dal, seeking to bring together all Opposition parties on a common anti-Congress platform.

Earlier this month I was in Delhi, this time as a visitor. The mood was eerily similar to that in November 1988. Once again, with a year to go before the general elections, a majority government headed by a once admired PM was mocked and derided by those who had once supported it. A scholar who had enthusiastically welcomed Narendra Modis victory in May 2014 had now turned very hostile to the government. He thought it had lost its legitimacy so completely that it would not win more than 120 seats whenever the elections were held.

Narendra Modi and Rajiv Gandhi belong to different generations. They were reared in very different social circumstances. And no parties could have more different and indeed opposed histories than the BJP and the Congress. And yet, in terms of Indias democratic history, there are some significant similarities between these two PMs.

The first similarity is that both tried to carve a distinct space for themselves in their partys history. This was easier for Rajiv, who of course had joined the Congress only three years earlier. After becoming PM he critiqued the cronyist culture of the Congress, and went so far as to indict previous Congress governments for corruption (as in his remark that only 15% of development funds actually reached the poor).

Modi, on the other hand, had to work much harder to re-brand himself, since he had been in politics for decades already. Yet he did so with quite spectacular success. The longer the time that elapsed since the Gujarat riots of 2002, the more easily was he able to persuade potential voters that (a) he had no personal culpability in the violence; (b) he had since focused relentlessly on development and development alone. Given Modis own past and his partys own history, it is noteworthy that the 2014 election campaign did not foreground Hindu pride. Further, because he had spent so long as chief minister of Gujarat, Modi was able to present himself as an outsider to the world of intrigue and innuendo that is Lutyens Delhi.

The second similarity is that both appealed above all to the young. Once more, this was easier for Rajiv since he was so young himself. Although he was past 60 himself, Modi adroitly targeted the much older PM, Dr Manmohan Singh during his campaign, and by focusing on job creation was to able to bring many young voters to his side.

The third similarity is that, by offering themselves as candidates who exuded hope, both were able to achieve comfortable majorities in the Lok Sabha. Rajiv got more than 400 seats in an election held soon after Indira Gandhis assassination. Modi had no such sympathy wave to help him; but he was able to get his party 282 seats, and with the allies providing him some 50 more, his government likewise had a comfortable cushion in Parliament.

The fourth similarity is that, once they were elected PM, both Rajiv and Modi centralised almost all power with themselves. Examples of this in our current PMs tenure are numerous and easy to remember; but for the young and those with fading memories I might recall how Rajiv effectively sacked both a foreign secretary and the chief minister of a major state at press conferences. More substantively, like Rajiv, Modi largely (and often wholly) disregards his own MPs and his own Cabinet in the framing of policies of vital importance to the nation. Rajiv tried to run the country with the help of a set of old friends and loyal officials; Modi has followed pretty much the same template.

It is this lack of a wider consultation that helps explain why Rajiv fell so fast from such a high perch. It is said a week is a long time in politics; and much can happen in the weeks that remain until the next general election. It will be for future historians to judge whether Kathua and Unnao will be to Narendra Modi what Bofors was to Rajiv Gandhi. But there is no doubt that the halo around the PM has been decisively punctured. For months already he has been subject to satire on social media; and now, after the complicity of his partys legislators in the making of these terrible tragedies, satire is rapidly turning to anger, even in circles considered to be the BJPs core constituency. A young entrepreneur told me recently in Coimbatore that in his professional WhatsApp group, at least 80% were critical of Modi.

From 400-plus seats in 1984, Rajivs Congress fell to a mere 197 five years later. No one can predict how far, the fall will be for Modis BJP from its 2014 tally of 282. Yet the parallels are striking indeed. Many people who were not traditional Congress voters saw hope for Rajiv in 1984; many past critics of the BJP voters saw hope for Modi in 2014. With so much goodwill behind him, Rajiv threw away the chance to take the country forward; and it increasingly seems that Modi has done the same.

Ramachandra Guhas books include Gandhi Before India

The views expressed are personal
Elaborate arrangements are being put in place so that pilgrims visiting the Chardham could be provided prompt medical aid for hypothermia or heart-related problems they might develop while negotiating the tiring uphill trek to the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Yamnotri, officials said.

The annual pilgrimage to the Chardham comprising the four fabled Himalayan shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamnotri in Uttarakhand began on April 18.

Last year, some 39 pilgrims died while trudging up to the twin Himalayan shrines, Dr Saroj Naithani, chief medical officer (CM), Rudrapryag said, referring to Kedarnath and Yamnotri.

She is supervising medical facilities being put in place on the 16 km mountainous trekking route from Gaurikund to the Kedarnth shrine.

Out of 39 casualties, some died after they fell off mules into the deep gorge while being ferried to the shrine but most of them were lost to the complications like hypothermia and cardiac arrests, Naithani said. Incidentally, most these deaths took place during the monsoon season.

Pilgrims died because they suffered from hypothermia as they were caught in the rains. Later, they died of cardiac arrests, She clarified.

This year elaborate arrangements had been made to ensure that not a single pilgrim dies owing to such reasons.

As part of the arrangement several teams of doctors, specialists, paramedic staff are being deployed on the 16 km trek to Kedarnath, Naithani said.

Besides, members of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) would be available on the yatra route so that they could immediately shift the patients suffering from cardiac arrests to low altitude areas for an immediate relief.

Some 17 Medical Relief Posts (MRPs) had been set up on the steep trek to the Chardham. Each of these MRPs would be manned by physicians, paramedic staff besides being equipped with medical gadgets like electrocardiograms, glucometers (to check sugar levels in diabetics), blood pressure checking machines and oxygen cylinders etc.

Besides, a list of dos and donts had been put up in all 15 helipads in the Kedarnath area.

The system is meant for high-end pilgrims who air dash to a high altitude area like Kedarnath without getting time to acclimatise to the rarefied air, she said.

For the pilgrims trudging up to Kedarnath, the Public Address System (PAS) would be set up so, they could be communicated the dos and donts.

Similar arrangements are being made on a six km trek to the shrine of Yamnotri. We are not permitting the pilgrims who are obese or suffer from health problems like high blood pressure to trek to the shrine without a proper screening, Uttarakashi District Magistrate Ashutosh Chauhan said.

Stocks of life saving medicines and facilities like oxygen cylinders are available with physicians deployed on the trekking route to Yamnotri, so that a prompt medical aid is available to pilgrims in case of emergency, the official said.

Besides, teams of SDRF and home guards had also been deployed on the yatra route.

In case of an emergency like pilgrims feeling discomfort or suffering a heart attack those Jawans will rush them to low altitude areas for an immediate relief, Chauhan said.

Besides, JCB machines have also been parked on the yatra route so that in case of landslides it could be cleared of debris, Chauhan added.

ATMs to be filled with cash soon

All cashless ATMs in the fabled religious circuit would be replenished soon to ensure that pilgrims face no cash crunch during the ongoing Chardham yatra, tourism minister Satpal Maharaj said.

There are reports that most ATMs in the Chardham (four shrines) and also on the routes connecting them are cashless So, cash will be supplied to all the ATMs by helicopters, which will be pressed into service soon, he said, adding that officials had been issued directions.

A request would soon be put in to the Reserve Bank of India to ensure an early supply of cash to the ATMs in the Chardham.

Resolving the issue of cashless ATMs is our top priority because pilgrims while travelling by road to the Chardham will have to use cash for payments instead of digital mode of payments like paytms, said the minister.
St. Helena Mayor Alan Galbraith has taken a different position. He announced in a letter to the Napa Valley Register that he supports Measure C.

St. Helena is served by Bell Canyon Reservoir in the mountains east of the city. Galbraith wrote that he is concerned about water quality. He thinks the stream development setbacks required by Measure C are essential to protecting the reservoir.

Another debate is about whether Measure C is needed to help the Napa River.

Streams from the hills drain into the Napa River, which provides habitat for Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The Napa River is on Californias list of impaired water bodies for sediments, pathogens and nutrients, though the state has recommended a delisting for nutrients.

Davie Pena at the Feb. 27 Board of Supervisors meeting talked about the Rutherford Reach project. This project saw landowners restore a 4.5-mile section of the Napa River to a more natural state with flood plains, which reduces erosion.

We took out more sediment out of the Napa reach in Rutherford than was recommended for the whole reach of the Napa River, Pena said. It was all supported by wineries and individuals. It was all voluntary  This is the way we should do it, not by initiative.
Newly appointed Congress in-charge of Uttarakhand Anugrah Narayan Singh would be reaching Haldwani on Sunday from Bareilly with view to rejuvenating the party in the state.

He will also chalk out the strategy for participation of Congress activists from the state in Congress president Rahul Gandhis rally on April 29 in New Delhi.

This would be his first visit to Uttarakhand after taking charge and he would return for Delhi on Sunday evening.

Congress state president Pritam Singh, former chief minister Harish Rawat and leaders from Kumaon region would be attending the meeting that would be held at the Sawaraj Ashram Haldwani.

The visit has enthused Congress workers in Kumaon region where the party has been reduced to a dismal position in the state assembly polls.

Congress activists said the visit would give a boost to the party in the region and rejuvenate its workers who are still smarting under the defeat.

Sumit Hridyesh, who is the chairperson of the Haldwani Mandi Parishad, said the Congress state in-charges visit is very important as he would be lifting the morale of the workers and urging them to work hard for achieving the goals.

The central and state governments have failed miserably on all fronts and the Congress state in-charge would be telling the party activists that the time was ripe as the people were looking up at the Congress with great expectations, he said.

Khajan Pandey, who is the state general secretary of the Congress, said a large number of activists would be going from Uttarakhand to Delhi to take part in the rally of Rahul Gandhi for making it a success.
With the opening of the portals of the holy shrines at Kedarnath and Badrinath in the Garhwal hills, the Uttarkahand police have decided to deploy special tourist police personnel at strategic places along the Chardham pilgrimage route.

This apart, tourist police personnel will be deployed at other prominent tourist town like Rishikesh and Haridwar to help pilgrims-tourists to know about the shrines and tourist spots in the region, a top official said.

Apart from police duty, the personnel will also provide security for pilgrims and tourists visiting the hill state and make their visit convenient and memorable, said deputy inspector general of police (Garhwal range) Pushpak Kumar Jyoti.

Special uniform will be provided to the tourist police personnel to give them a distinct look so that pilgrims and tourists can easily identify them, he said.

The main objective of deploying tourist police is to provide security as well as assist pilgrims and tourists in easier access to the Char Dham and other religious shrines, places of spiritual importance, local temple and tourist spots.

More in the role of guides, the tourist police personnel will work and provide updates about the weather conditions, route diversion and road blockades.

In times of any disaster threat, especially during the monsoon, when landslides and road connectivity gets affected on the Char Dham routes, the tourist police will also help in monitoring incidents and other natural calamities, Jyoti said .

Tourist police personnel will also inform pilgrims about blocked roads or status of its opening, apart from sensitive land slide zones and the nearest lodging-medical facility available.

A total of 51 posts have been made for deploying 127 tourist police personnel in the Garhwal region for the Char Dham pilgrimage.

A central control unit, which will work in coordination with the civil police, tourist department, weather department, border road organization, public work department and state disaster response force, the tourist police personnel will be provided information through bulk mobile message service and wireless.

Selected personnel from the civil police, who are well versed in English and other languages have been given preference to enroll in tourist police force.

Teerth Maryada Raksha Samiti conveyor Sanjay Chopra, welcoming the deploying of tourist police personnel as a landmark decision, said it will be a big help in assisting pilgrims, especially during bad weather conditions and the monsoon.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals personal secretary, Bibhav Kumar, was questioned for the second consecutive day on Friday by a police team that is probing the alleged assault on chief secretary Anshu Prakash.

Harendra Kumar Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (north), said Kumar was confronted with Vivek Kumar, an Aam Aadmi Party functionary who serves as the mediatory between the party legislators and the chief minister.

The personal secretary was avoiding answering many questions on Thursday. When we examined him in Kumars presence on Friday, he divulged many details about that incident and providing a lot of electronic evidences, said the officer.

He said the five hours of the questioning on Friday suggested that the meeting during which the alleged assault happened was well-orchestrated. There were no plans to question the personal secretary in the immediate future, said the officer.

The AAP, meanwhile, alleged that on the pretext of questioning, the Delhi Police were continuing to harass the party MLAs and close aides of the chief minister.

The Delhi Police has shamelessly reached its new low and is a tool in the hands of the central government to settle scores, alleged Saurabh Bhardwaj, AAP spokesperson.
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has written to prime minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the problems created by the dismissal of advisers to Delhi ministers.

Sisodias letter specifically talked about Atishi Marlena, the adviser to Sisodia on education-related matters.

The Delhi governments general administration department (GAD) had on Tuesday cancelled the appointments of nine party members working as advisers and consultants to the Delhi cabinet.

The order, which cited a home ministry letter, drew sharp criticism from the governments political executive, which alleged the move was aimed at derailing the good work done in the past three years.

You dont become big by destroying someone using all tactics. By removing Atishi Marlena as the adviser to the education minister, you have not just tried to destroy me but also the future of Delhis children. I have one question to you, if you cannot give us something then at least dont stop what is happening, Sisodia said.

Sisodia pointed out the steps taken by the government to improve the education system in the city and said these measures were conceptualised and implemented with the help of Marlena.

She has been working with me as the adviser to the education minister for three years and was taking a salary of Re1 per month. What signal do you want to send by dismissing such a patriotic and educated woman, who was working for the education of children? Sisodia asked.

Sisodia said that it was not necessary that education ministers and directors are experts on education or have an experience in the field of education. That is why we kept Atishi Marlena as an adviser, he said.

Marlena holds a degree in education from Oxford and has taught as a teacher in a private school.
A Delhi-based IT professional who had gone on a trekking trip to Himachal Pradesh was found dead in Parvati Valley of Kullu, over 40 days after he went missing. The father of the 23-year-old engineer who works in Gurgaon has hinted at a conspiracy behind the death.

Aman Awasthi, a resident of Rohini, had left Delhi on March 1 to trek in Kullu district but he lost touch with his family after March 7. His father, Ram Kumar, has been camping in the state since Aman went missing. After a frantic search, his body was found from Malana, a village notorious for its links with drug suppliers.

I am doubtful about the entire sequence of events and want an investigation to be conducted in this matter as it is not a simple accident, Kumar said.

Awasthi had taken to trekking recently following in the footsteps of his 54-year-old father, an avid trekker himself. He had left Delhi on March 1 and we have been in touch till March 7. He also asked me for some money and I transferred Rs 7,000 to his account. However, his phone was switched off after that, Kumar said.

Meanwhile, Kumar got a message on his phone that his SBI ATM card, which was with his son, had been swiped. This helped him reach Malana where the card had been swiped. I went to the homestay where my son had been lodging. His mobile phone, clothes, wallet and other items were with the owner, he said.

Kumar met senior officials and chief minister of the state, and pleaded his case. Intervention from the top, he claims, forced the officials to press larger teams into the search operation.

I have not reached Shimla to receive his body. I am sad but I want justice for him, Kumar said.

Kullu superintendent of police Shalini Agnihotri confirmed the sequence of events. Aman Awasthi started from Delhi to Manali on March 1 and last contacted his family on March 7. Aman last spoke to his father who transferred Rs 7,000 to his bank account. A local man was also engaged for searching the missing trekker. The body has been sent for postmortem, the Kullu SP said.

Agnihotri also informed that the dead body of another missing trekker from Delhi was recovered from Hamta Pass area of Manali of district on Tuesday. Police said Akhil Chadda had been missing since April 10 and teams were searching for him. Police said the teams had earlier recovered Akhils trekking stick and bag. Police said the cause of his death could be ascertained after the postmortem report.
The Uttar Pradesh police roped in psychology department of the Lucknow University (LU) to prepare a comprehensive strategy to tackle crime against women and how teachers can proceed with counselling of victims.

Besides LU, the UP police is seeking the assistance of experts from other state universities too.

Faculty members of LUs psychology department held a meeting on April 19 to discuss the issue of crime against women under the chairmanship of director general of police OP Singh.

Head of LUs psychology department Madhurima Pradhan, professor Pallavi Bhatnagar, and assistant professors Megha Singh and Archana Shukla were present in the meeting.

Whenever we talk of womens safety, there are four levels at which we can work  prevention, protection, early intervention and rebuilding the lives of victims/survivors, Pradhan said.

We will hold a meeting with all faculty members to discuss how we can proceed with the counselling of victims. We are happy that state police asked for our support to solve the problem that confronts the society, she said, adding it was a welcome step as things would change if everyone joined hands to deal with problems facing the society.

Additional superintendent of police and state police spokesman Rahul Srivastava said: The state police will sign an MoU with Lucknow University and other universities to provide counselling and assistance to victims as well as to devise outreach programmes across the state.

He said at prevention level, school outreach programmes could be organised for gender sensitisation and respect for the self-esteem of opposite sex. Community awareness and mobilisation programmes can be organised to utilise community resources to provide a safe environment for women, said Srivastava.

A faculty member of the department Manini Srivastava said counselling sessions could be organised at rehabilitation level to help victims deal with the trauma.

Counselling sessions can be organised for family members so that victims are handled sensitively. Relevant research projects can be designed by the department involving interagency cooperation to develop a better and safer world for women, she added.

High points of the meeting

The collaboration is at inception stage. There is a need to be proactive in terms of some preventive intervention for crime against women and girls.

At macro level, awareness and sensitisation in the community, particularly of change agents like parents, teachers and media is required.

Counselling of girls who have gone through pain and trauma of sexual abuse is the need of the hour along with counselling of caregivers. Concerns will be more crystallised and concrete by the next meeting.
Lets face it, we are bombarded with advice from all sides on how to eat healthy and exercise to stay fit or lose weight. But after the trial period, it can seem like a chore to shop for superfoods or hit the treadmill regularly.

Lifestyle changes need not always be time-consuming, or require you to splurge. Instead, you need to focus on setting small, tangible goals over the long run. Dr Deepti Bagree, nutritionist and Head of Department-Healthcare, at RESET: Holistic Living Concepts, Mumbai, suggests 10 simple tweaks to your daily routine to feel healthier:

Chew your food well

This is the easiest and most effective way to conquer gut issues. 70% of our immunity lies in our gut. So better the digestion, healthier is the gut. Due to a fast-paced lifestyle, we rarely pay attention to chewing food, but this important habit can help resolve digestive issues like flatulence, burping and indigestion. Remember, digestion starts right from the mouth and just chewing food thoroughly and being mindful of what you eat can help food become your greatest medicine.

Replace regular tea with green tea, and kombucha tea which are rich in antioxidants. (Shutterstock)

Go off white poisons

A simple change in your kitchen ingredients can help you manage blood pressure or blood sugar fluctuations. Just say no to white sugar, salt, and refined flour. Instead, switch to healthier options, such as pink salt/rock salt, organic jaggery, and unpasteurised honey or manuka honey. You dont even have to compromise on the taste.

Healthy beverages

You can also replace regular tea with green tea, and kombucha tea which are rich in antioxidants. Fermented tea also helps healthy gut bacteria to flourish. You can also replace regular milk with coconut or almond milk to overcome lactose intolerance and reduce inflammatory foods going in the system.

Its important to hydrate before, during and post a workout to replenish lost electrolytes. (Shutterstock)

Make the plate colourful

Add dark-coloured fruits and vegetables to your meal to boost levels of antioxidants. Such foods combat cellular damage caused by free radicals and produced during various body processes. Having salads 30 minutes prior to major meals can also curb appetite and make weight loss goals easier to achieve along with adding roughage to the food to help better excretion of waste.

The art of drinking water

Drinking water at the right time and quantity is crucial for good health. Water should never be drank immediately after a meal. Instead, a gap of 45 minutes to an hour should be maintained as drinking water immediately afterwards prevent absorption of nutrients. Its also important to hydrate before, during and post a workout to replenish lost electrolytes.

Similarly, detox water (water infused with fruits or herbs) can flush toxins, keep the body adequately alkaline, control flatulence, acidity, and prevent indigestion. These detox drinks can be sipped through the day to add to your total water intake.

Just 10 minutes of chair workouts can help you stay active, as well as avoid aches and pains that arise from sitting for long. (Shutterstock)

Stay fit while travelling

For individuals who travel frequently, its important to stay fit and not deviate from the fitness routine. Stick to general guidelines like using the wait time at the airport to walk around, not leaving home without eating a meal so that one doesnt feel tempted to eat at food counters and following the GPRS mantra (grilled, poached, roasted steamed/stir-fry) while ordering food at restaurants.

Do chair workouts at work

If you start early for work and are tired by day-end to hit the gym, learn some easy chair workouts to practice while you are sitting in office. Just 10 minutes of this will help you stay active, as well as avoid aches and pains that arise from sitting for long, as well as improve circulation and posture. Stretches like shoulder rotation, arm rotation, ankle rotation, and push-ups done keeping the desk as support is a great way to stay active.

Keep a gap of two hours between dinner and sleep to avoid acidity, heart burn and acid reflux. (Shutterstock)

Walk after your meal

For those who dont find time for physical activities, walking 10 minutes after each meal can help you get fit. On an average, we eat 5-6 meals a day, so walking 10 minutes 5-6 times would make it to 50-60 minutes of total activity in a day, which will keep you healthy, improve digestion, and keep joints supple.

Keep a gap between dinner and sleep

Keep a gap of two hours between dinner and sleep to avoid acidity, heart burn and acid reflux. Meals that are eaten close to bedtime can affect quality of sleep as foods rich in proteins, spices, and oil interfere in deep sleep and may lead to chain reactions that cause fat storage. So to stay healthy, eat a light dinner.

Learn to de-stress

Try Pranayama or deep breathing, take up a hobby, go on a short vacation or meet friends to de-stress. De-stressing helps in lowering stress hormones, soothing nerves and relaxing tense muscles. Organs like the heart and intestine are also muscles, so stress can impact them in the same way as other skeletal muscles. Simple deep breathing exercises are a great way to feel fresh and get vital oxygen.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
The Gurugram administration has asked police to register a case against the landowner and probe the slum fire in Ghasola village in which more than huts were burned to the ground. The fire broke out on Saturday morning.

Sanjeev Singla, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Gurugram, said that a probe has been initiated against the people who had built illegal huts on the land which had been acquired by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda).

Singla was among the first officials to reach the spot, as he spotted smoke billowing out near Vatika crossing on Sohna Road. I was on my way to attend an event at the Haryana Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) when I noticed smoke coming out near the crossing. I decided to turn my car towards the spot, as I realised that a fire had broken out. When I reached the slums, I found that a massive fire had engulfed the cluster. I saw small LPG cylinders blowing up.

Read I Gurgaon: Six-year-old boy killed in slum fire in DLF Phase-1

Singla said that a prompt response by fire fighters and evacuation by officials of the district administration helped avert a disaster.

After the fire was doused, we met the people who were looking frantically for their children. A team was formed to search for the missing children and they were eventually rescued and reunited with their families, Singla said.

Residents who lost their huts and belongings in the fire have been sheltered at a nearby government primary school. Officials said that the process of rehabilitating the victims is already under way and a water tanker and mobile toilets have also been arranged for them near the school.

We have provided food and shelter for the victims. They were served lunch at a government school and proper arrangements have been made to ensure that their needs are catered to till such time they are rehabilitated. They will be provided free meals till they are shifted to an alternative location. We will not compromise on their welfare, Singla said.
The Gujarat high court on Friday reversed a special SIT court order and acquitted former state minister Maya Kodnani, described by the latter as one of the principal conspirators and a kingpin of the Naroda Patiya communal riots.

Kodnani, who was sentenced to 28 years of imprisonment in 2012, was acquitted and can now walk free because of the benefit of doubt granted to her by the high court.

So what changed in the six years between the 2012 order of the special SIT court order and the HC verdict on Friday ?

Lawyers for the accused and the victims agreed that while there had been no change or addition to the material evidence in this case in the last six years, the HC considered the statements made before the first investigation agency that probed the riots  statements that the special court had discarded.

The benefit of doubt was largely due to the delay in naming Kodnani; her name was not mentioned as one of the accused after the riots in 2002, but only figured in 2008.

Read | Disappointed with verdict, Naroda Patiya riot victims to move Supreme Court

The special court was set up to hear the Supreme Court-commissioned special investigation teams probe of the Naroda Patiya massacre, where 97 died. It is considered one of the most violent incidents of the 2002 riots .

The high court pointed out that the delay of six years in recording statements against Kodnani gave her the benefit of the doubt. While there were 11 witnesses, who had deposed against Maya-ben before the SIT in 2008, none of them had mentioned her in their earlier statements after the riots in 2002, said advocate Hardik Dave, who was one of Kodnanis lawyers.

Dave added that the court, while pronouncing the verdict, observed that none of the police officials present at the site and who deposed before the SIT had ever mentioned Kodnani.

 A coach of a train, carrying Hindu pilgrims, burns in Gujarats Godhra. (REUTERS FILE)

The special public prosecutor for the government, Prashant Desai , said that the court had pointed to too many intervening incidents between 2002-2008 that made it hazardous to rely on such statements of the victims.

In the case of Babu Bajrangi and the two other convictions, the court has relied on police statements against them but this was absent in Kodnanis case, he added.

The 11 witnesses who had deposed against Kodnani in the special court had pointed to her instigating and ordering the mob. The special court had in no uncertain terms named her a kingpin of the riots, relying on the statements by the witnesses.

The high court verdict is highly questionable because it seems to be granting Kodnani a leeway because her name was not mentioned in the statements recorded by the state police, said Shamshad Pathan, an activist with Jan Sangharsh Manch and a lawyer, who represented the victims in the special court.

Mihir Desai, the advocate for the victims in the HC, said they would appeal against the judgement . Why would the police officers depose against a high ranking minister ? Kodnani was made a minister post the riots. I am disappointed with this acquittal, said Desai. He added that the SIT was set up after riot victims moved the SC ,saying they did not trust the states probe.

This is what we have observed in every riot case of 2002.. the foot soldiers get convicted while the political masterminds and instigators get acquitted. There will be an appeal against this judgement, said Nirjhari Sinha, wife of late civil rights activist and lawyer, Mukul Sinha.
Days after the acquittal of Swami Aseemanand in the Mecca Masjid blast case, BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over the partys attempts to defame Hindus in terror cases.

Shah asked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to apologise for remarks made by Congress leaders over saffron terrorism.

I want to ask Rahul Baba, your leaders have talked about saffron terrorism...you need to apologise...decide how low you can stoop, Shah said while addressing a public meeting in Rae Bareli.

The BJP took its fight against the Congress to the Gandhi familys pocket borough in Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituency of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, with Shah saying his party would rid of parivarvad and take it on the path of development.

Rae Bareli has seen parivarvad (dynastic politics) ever since Independence till this day and no development...I have come here to make it clear that the BJP will free Rae Bareli of parivarvad and will start the campaign from today itself for taking it on the path of vikasvad (development), he said.

The Congress and its top leadership have ruled in Uttar Pradesh and Rae Bareli for years but the bhumi pujan (ground breaking ceremony) of community health centre and primary health centre was carried out only lately and the Yogi Adityanath-led state government has done a lot for the constituency...now with some Congress leaders here joining the BJP, it is our responsibility to develop it by leaps and bounds, he said.

We will develop it as an ideal constituency and a model district, he said, virtually blowing the BJPs election bugle with the Lok Sabha polls barely some months away.

Read | Amethi will be as developed as Singapore, California in 15 years: Rahul Gandhi

He said before the Yogi Adityanath dispensation assumed office, Uttar Pradesh was known for goonda raj and bad law and order.

...Yogi government has established rule of law, he said.

Shah said he wanted to tell Rae Bareli people that he had been touring all over the country and I can say Narendra Modi government will come back with a bigger mandate in 2019.

Exuding confidence that the BJP will win the Karnataka assembly election, he said, The BJP will have its 16th state government in the country after May 15.

Though the BJP swept Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 general election, the BJP lost both Rae Bareli and Amethi to the Congress.

Barring three exceptions -- 1977, 1996 and 1998 -- Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952.

This time the BJP is out to test Rae Barelis love for the Nehru-Gandhi family currently represented by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, a four-term MP. Amethi is represented in Parliament by Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Fire at venue

Earlier, a minor fire broke out at the venue of the public meeting, triggering panic and commotion in the audience.

The fire, which was brought under control in short time, broke out due to an electrical short-circuit near the media enclosure, officials said.

Shah and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath were present on the dais at the time of the incident.

State BJP chief Mahendranath Pandey was addressing the gathering when smoke and sparks were noticed. Because of the fire, the programme was stopped for a while.
Shes calling for regulation without infringement. To her that means a ban on bump stocks, raising the minimum age for purchasing assault weapons, requiring background checks on gun sales and required training courses for anyone buying a firearm. And, she said, the government should help fund these mandatory training courses.

Most of us might not have a right to vote, but we do have a voice, Johnson said. A voice that can influence elections.

Johnson said that since the Parkland shooting, shes been carrying a bullet-resistant Kevlar panel in her backpack. Her dad gave it to her, she said.

Its better to be safe than sorry, she said. Id rather have a hole in my backpack than in my body.

By fifth period what she was doing was getting around and a few more students joined her.

If I didnt see her out here at lunch, I wouldve never known, junior Shelby Wesner, 17, said. If she had known, Wesner said, she would have been out there all day with Johnson.

(We have to) speak up for what we believe in, she said. She made her own slapdash sign: #NEVERAGAIN Fear has no place in schools.
BJP national president Amit Shah on Friday congratulated Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das, state party chief Laxman Gilua and party workers for the massive victory in the elections to the municipal corporations, nagar parishads and nagar panchayats.

The BJP swept all the five municipal corporations for the posts of mayor and deputy mayor, polls for which were held on party lines for the first time in Jharkhand last Monday.

Heartiest congratulations to Chief Minister @dasraghubar ji, state part chief Laxman Gilua ji and all the party workers of the state on the magnificent victory in the Jharkhand Municipal Corporations, Nagar Parishad and Nagar Panchayat elections, Shah tweeted in Hindi.

He also thanked the voters for reposing their faith in the BJP.

Elated over the poll results, CM Das said it is a victory of the politics of development of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The people of the country have enormous faith in the leadership of the Prime Minister, Das said.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Saturday announced the launch of his most ambitious political project yet  Mission Rae Bareli.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha constituency of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Shah unveiled the BJPs plan to launch a campaign to win Rae Bareli, similar in scale to the one launched in adjacent Amethi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

We will end parivarvaad (dynastic rule) in Rae Bareli and usher in vikasvaad (development), Shah said, adding that before his party comes to seek votes for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it would present a model Rae Bareli before the voters to showcase its intent to transform this Congress bastion.

Shahs parivarvaad jibe has a context. Barring three exceptions -- 1977, 1996 and 1998 -- Rae Bareli has stood with the Congress since 1952, electing members of the Nehru-Gandhi family from Feroze to Indira and Sonia to the Lok Sabha.

Taking on the Congress chief over his recent remark that truth will catch up with Shah one day after the Supreme Court ruled against the need to probe Judge BH Loyas death, the BJP chief said, Modijis government stands for truth and justice. Today so many leaders of the Panchavati family joined the BJP because the party stands for truth, Shah said.

Indians are deeply intelligent. Most Indians, including those in the BJP instinctively understand the truth about Mr Amit Shah. The truth has its own way of catching up with people like him, Gandhi had tweeted after the SC decision on Judge Loya.

Shah used Rae Bareli as a stage to respond to Gandhi. Referring to the recent acquittal of all the accused in the Mecca Masjid blast, Shah demanded an apology from Gandhi over remarks by Congress leaders alleging the prevalence of Hindu terrorism in the country and accusing him of stooping too low for political gains. We will continue to seek the Congress apology on the Hindu terror remarks, Shah said.

Saturdays rally was organised by Congress member of the UP legislative council Dinesh Prarap Singh. Singh and his brother Awadhesh, a Rae Bareli zila panchayat chairman, joined the BJP in presence of Shah and UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath. Dineshs other brother Rakesh Singh, the Congress legislator from the Harchandpur assembly segment of Rae Bareli, however didnt join the BJP, ostensibly to escape disqualification under the anti-defection act, BJP leaders indicated.

The BJP is now sure to put up a strong candidate in Rae Bareli to rattle the Gandhis even further, a party leader who shared the dais with Shah said.

Earlier, a short circuit close to the dais created a commotion and the rally had to be temporarily suspended .

However, the situation was quickly brought under control by the police and BJP volunteers. Soon after the rally resumed, Adityanath launched a veiled attack on the Congress..

I was thinking of this short circuit and felt how the Congress has been behind most conspiracies, right from the one launched to defame Shah to the recent campaign after the court verdict on Judge Loyas death, Adityanath said.

Shah however saw a silver lining in the minor disruption in the rally caused by the short circuit.

I guess there are obstacles ahead of all auspicious things. This is a good sign. Despite the short circuit the rally went on as scaheduled, Shah said.
Massive siltation in the Ganga is posing a flood threat to Bihar, and the state government has flagged the issue to the central government, seeking immediate action.

This issue was raised during the meeting of the first conference of eastern states on water resources held in Kolkata last week.

According to representatives from the Bihar government at the conference, siltation is being reported in the Ganga along its entire length of 445 km in Bihar. They added that as a result, the ability of the river to drain water has diminished, posing a flood threat to the entire state.

The representatives said that this has been corroborated by two technical reports by experts presented in conferences in Patna in February 2017 and in New Delhi in May 2017.

According to officials in the Union water resources ministry, a committee under former central water commissioner AB Pandya, which has experts from the ministry, IIT-Roorkee and NIT-Patna, and representatives of Bihar has been asked to look into the matter.

A committee which was formed by the ministry of water resources a few months back is looking into the issue and a decision will be taken after it submits a report, said a senior official in the ministry. HT learns that a report is yet to be finalised.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had first raised the Ganga siltation issue in his Independence day address in August 2016. The CM had then blamed the Farakka dam for making the Ganga shallow. Farakka is a barrage across the Ganga, located in Murshidabad district in West Bengal, roughly 16.5 kilometer from the border with Bangladesh.

Floods in Bihar are a recurring disaster in which human lives, livestock and property get destroyed every year . In 2017, floods affected 19 districts of North Bihar, killing 514, and rendering hundreds of thousands homeless.

Bihars fears are not unwarranted. The situation is getting worse due to siltation every year, said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers & People who was part of the committee formed on the issue. Chief minister Nitish Kumar had last year called a meeting of international experts on the issue and every one was of the opinion that some serious de-siltation measures have to be taken or there needs to be a rethink about the Farraka Barage.
A day after actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna allegedly made offensive remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lodged a complaint against him with Hyderabad police.

In his complaint filed at Osmania University police station on Saturday, BJPs Hyderabad unit president N Ramachander Rao said Balakrishna had made cheap and offensive comments against the PM at Vijayawada.

Balakrishna had made the remarks on Friday while addressing a gathering at the hunger strike taken up by his brother-in-law and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, according to Rao, a member of the state legislative council.

He requested the police to initiate action against Balakrishna, son of legendary actor and former chief minister NT Rama Rao, for hurting the sentiments of people and inciting people against the government.

Inspector G Jagan of Osmania University police station said appropriate action would be taken after going through evidence, including video clippings provided by Rao.

The BJP also urged Governor ESL Narasimhan to dismiss Balakrishnas assembly membership. A BJP delegation led by the partys floor leader in the assembly, P Vishnu Kumar Raju, submitted a memorandum to the governor, demanding Balakrishnas ouster.

Raju later said, What kind of language was he using? How dare he give a call to people to chase and beat the Prime Minister?

Balakrishna, who represents Hindupur assembly constituency in Anantapur, had accused Modi of playing politics to attack the TDP, which walked out the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre last month over denial of special status to Andhra Pradesh. He accused the PM of betraying and cheating Andhra Pradesh.

Following his remarks, BJP activists took out protest rallies in different parts of the state demanding action against him. In Nellore, TDP activists and BJP activists clashed while taking out rallies against each other.

Asked about the complaint to the police against Balakrishna, TDP spokesperson Jupudi Prabhakar Rao said BJP leaders in the state should understand the spirit of his comments in their entirety, and not just a few harsh words which he had uttered to express his anguish.

BJP leaders from our own state are not bothered when Modi does injustice to the state, but lodge a police complaint. They do not show any concern when the chief minister takes up fast on his birthday, seeking justice for the state. But they get offended when an MLA says a few words in anger. It is unfortunate, he added.

Despite repeated attempts, Balakrishna could not be reached for comment.
The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the promulgation of an ordinance that seeks to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children below 12 years.

The Cabinet cleared the amendments to the Criminal Law ordinance 2018, a senior government official confirmed, adding that it will come into force once President Ram Nath Kovind approves it, which should take a day or two.

The move comes against the backdrop of nationwide outrage over the brutal rape of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Currently, the maximum punishment for aggravated sexual assault on minors under the POCSO Act is life imprisonment. The law came into force in 2012 and deals with sexual offences against those below 18 years. The Indian Penal Code, however, prescribes death penalty for gang rape.

Other provisions included in the ordinance are for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases not more than four months together, an increase in the minimum quantum of punishment for rape convicts and the scrapping of anticipatory bail if the victim is a minor.

The ordinance also requires the National Crime Records Bureau to maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders, data of which will be shared with states and Union territories for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

The government has also decided to implement a series of measures, including new fast-track courts to try rape cases, to supplement legal provisions.

On Friday, the government had informed the Supreme Court that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age.

Referring to the Unnao and the Kathua rape cases, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that such incidents shake our sensibilities and no criminal will be spared and our daughters will get justice.

Recently, the Rajasthan government had approved a bill seeking death penalty for those convicted of raping girls under 12 years of age. Two other BJP ruled states  Madhya Pradesh and Haryana  have also given the go-ahead for a similar proposal.
India will have a database of sex offenders for the first time, a move officials said will help check a spurt in crime against women and children.

The sex offenders registry will have profile and personal details, including residential address, fingerprints, DNA sample and PAN number, of not only convicted offenders but also of those accused of such offences, said a senior government official who did not want to be named. Juvenile offenders will be included in the database.

The database, however, will not be open to public. Only law enforcement agencies will be able to access it, the official added.

The decision on the database was taken on Saturday during a Cabinet meeting that also approved promulgation of an ordinance allowing courts to pronounce death penalty to those convicted of raping children below 12 years.

The stringent measure came amid nationwide outrage over a series of fatal sexual assaults on minor girls, including the highly-publicised rape-and-murder of a minor in Jammu and Kashmirs Kathua.

The National Crime Records Bureau will maintain the database, which will be shared with states and union territories for tracking, monitoring and investigating, including verification of antecedents by police.

For instance, before hiring a domestic help, a prospective employer can get his antecedents verified by the police. Even now, one has to get a police verification done before hiring a domestic help, said the official.

Stuti Kacker, chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said it is a good idea to have a database and profile of such offenders, especially child sexual offenders.

There have been instances in recent past where law enforcement agencies, during investigation, found that a particular accused was a repeat offender. If there is a database, law enforcement agencies can issue a note of caution. Globally, many countries including UK, US, Canada and Australia, have such database of sexual offenders but only the US has a national website of sex offenders, which is open to the public.

Legal experts working on privacy matters, however, are against the governments move and said maintaining a sex offenders registry can prove detrimental.

Many international studies have shown that instead of preventing repeat offences, maintaining such a database has an adverse affect as person accused of sex crime does not have any incentive to reform. His identity as a rapist is established for life even after he has completed his sentence, said Apar Gupta, a lawyer who works on privacy issues. Having a national database of sex offenders has been in the works for a while now.

The Union women and child development (WCD) ministry has been pushing for a sex offenders registry for over two years now. The project was expedited following the spate of sexual crimes against women and children and the growing clamour for deterrent measures. We had written to the Union home ministry way back in 2015 to maintain a sex offenders registry, said a senior WCD ministry official.
Major changes to the politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) are set to be unveiled at the 22nd Party Congress in Hyderabad on Sunday, according to senior party leaders.

Ashok Dhawale, the CPMs face in Maharashtra and the brain behind the Long March by the farmers this year, is expected to be elevated to the politburo, as a reward for his organising skills. The march from Nasik to Mumbai not just highlighted the plight of the farmers but became a major political issue on which to take on the ruling National Democratic Alliance government.

AK Padmanabhan, the president of the partys trade union, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), may be removed from the politburo, according to insiders, who declined to be identified. If it happens, it will be after decades that CITU wont have two representatives in the top body. If Padmanabhan exits, only CITU general secretary Tapan Sen will represent the organization in the politburo.

The outgoing Central Committee will meet on Sunday to decide the new panel, former CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said on Saturday.

The politburo is a group of select leaders who takes the day-to-day decisions of the party. It is answerable to the Central Committee, the apex executive body equivalent to the Working Committee in the Congress party. Currently, it has 16 members. It has two women and three minority members but no representation from scheduled castes or scheduled tribes.

The CPM, which has a roadmap to highlight Dalit and tribal causes, faces a unique problem of never ever having a Dalit member the politburo. Amid allegations that it is an upper-class club,senior leader Brinda Karat said, We are aware of the issue. Certainly we are careful about the social composition of the organization.

Party insiders added that SR Pillai, the Communist ideologue from Kerala, is on a sticky wicket but may survive as he enjoys support from Prakash Karat and the powerful Kerala lobby.

He should have been out but dont know what will happen, said a Central Committee member.

West Bengals representation in the politburo may go up by one if a Central Committee face who has been stationed in Delhi for the past many years is added to the politburo. If it happens, a party leader pointed out, Yechurys hands will be strengthened.

A section of the party has also demanded that G Balakrishnan (from Tamil Nadu) should be removed and in his place, the newly appointed secretary of the Tamil Nadu unit, Nandu Balakrishnan, be included. Andhra Pradesh unit head BG Raghavalu will be asked to move his base to Delhi.

But all eyes will be on the election of the general secretary. Yechury, after his victory on the political-tactical line, is set to get a second term. Vut a section is not ruling out the possibility of the Kerala lobby pushing for a surprise candidate at the last moment.

A major rift in the party was avoided on Friday with the partys political tactical line accommodating an understanding with the Congress for the 2019 general elections, as demanded by Yechury.
An assistant sub inspector (ASI) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed by Maoists in an encounter on Friday night in south Sukma.

As per the police, the skirmish took place in a jungle under Kishtaram police station limits when troops were conducting a combing operation.

The deceased, ASI Anil Kumar Maurya of CRPFs 212 battalion deployed in South Sukma, died in the encounter which took place on Friday evening. The CRPF jawans were in a combing operation when the encounter took place deep in the jungles, said Bastar DIG, Sunderaj P said.

Maurya hailed from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.

On March 13, nine COBRA troopers on board a mine-protected vehicle (MPV) were killed when suspected Maoist rebels detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the same area under Kishtram police station limits.

South Sukma is Maoist hotbed in Bastar region where Maoists Battalion number 1 operates which is headed by Maoist leader Mandvi Hidma.
Politicians in Karnataka are angry at Election Commission officials for clamping down on things they feel are well within the rules  canteens, Gandhi caps, even wall paintings,

In Mandya, popular subsidised canteens have had to take down their signboards because they carry the pictures of politicians.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah set off a canteen war when he announced the governments decision to open subsidised canteens across the state called Indira Canteens, modelled on Tamil Nadus Amma Canteens.

Janata Dal (Secular) leader TA Saravana had even beaten the government in the race by opening a Namma Appaji Canteen in the state capital in honour of former prime minister and party supremo HD Deve Gowda on July 28, last year days ahead of the official launch of the Indira Canteens on August 15.

These canteens spread outside the capital as well, with JD(S) leaders opening two Appaji Canteens in Mandya, months before two Indira Canteens were opened there. This inspired a street food vendor to open his own canteen named after his favourite film star, Congress leader Divya Spandana; he called it Ramya Canteen after her stage name.

Raghu, who runs the Ramya Canteen, strategically located near the district hospital, said since chief election commissioner OP Rawats announcement of the polling date for the state polls on March 27, his canteen has had to close down in the evening. The reason: it has been found to be in violation of the poll code because the signboard has a picture of Ramya.

Till even a month ago, the dinner service was the best time for business, Raghu said. I cannot run a canteen with a board.

He is also upset because he isnt part of any political party, merely a fan of the former actor.She hasnt even visited this canteen once. But I gained some popularity by naming my eatery after her.

Meanwhile, Saravana of the JD(S) said that while the Indira Canteens in Bengaluru have not had their signages covered, the Appaji Canteens have been told to do this. I told them this was unjust but they said that because Indira Gandhi is not a living politician her portraits need not be taken down, he said.

A senior official in the state Election Commission office, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the rules stated clearly that photos of deceased leaders could be allowed but not of living ones. If they are offering food for free, however, this is a violation of the poll code, the official said. All the canteens charge people for their meals.

There are other reasons why candidates are angry with the EC. With the poll panel deciding to have photos of candidates on electronic voting machines for the first time in the state, some leaders are unhappy with some of the rules surrounding the photos.

In Aland constituency in Kalaburagi district, Congress candidate BR Patil is annoyed that he cannot submit a photo where he is wearing a Gandhi cap, which he says he has always used.

My supporters associate me with the Gandhi cap, and they might not recognise me without it, Patil said. I understand that the authorities want to ensure that the face of the candidate should be prominent and clearly identifiable, but what if voters associate us with certain apparel?

Patil said the Gandhi cap was not communal attire and had been part of politicians uniform since before independence. He urged the EC to be pragmatic.

A second state EC official who asked not to be identified said that the idea is just that -- clear and easy identification. We are just implementing these rules keeping the interests of voters in mind.

The Bharatiya Janata party submitted a memorandum to EC officials earlier this month, protesting the decision to cover up wall paintings of the partys lotus symbol (painted on the walls of party workers).
Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha who ended his association with the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday, said he will launch a movement for the restoration of democracy as it is vital for the country, its people and their freedom.

During the meeting of Rashtra Manch which he launched earlier this year, the 80-year-old leader said: We need to ponder over countrys situation or else nation will not forgive us for keeping silent on all round deterioration, the 80-year-old leader said.

Here are some of his statements against the Centre:

June 24, 2014: .All those who are above the age of 75 were declared brain dead on May 26, 2014. (On BJPs decision not to give ministerial position to leaders over the age of 75) .

November 24, 2017: The way GST was implemented in India is a textbook example of how the tax reform should not be implemented anywhere.

September 27, 2017: The prime minister claims that he has seen poverty from close quarters. His finance minister is working over-time to make sure that all Indians also see it from equally close quarters. (In an article in The Indian Express)

November 30, 2017: Agri production has declined sharply, manufacturing has fallen, construction is down; yet wait to see how we go gaga over this figure of growth.

30 December 2017: Our national policy is not to talk to Pakistan yet our NSA clandestinely meets his Pak counterpart in Thailand.

8 December 2017: The style of campaigning in Gujarat elections marks a new low in our politics. (After the PM claimed Pakistan conspired with Congress to influence Gujarat elections)

January 13, 2018:.Every citizen who feels for democracy should speak up. I will ask party (BJP) leaders and senior cabinet ministers to speak up. I will appeal to them to get rid of their fears and speak up. (After four Supreme Court judges held a press conference to question the allocation of cases by the chief justice)

April 3, 2018: He cannot fire me because he is scared. (As demands grew within the BJP to sack him)
Eight months after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia ended in the death of a counterprotester, the loose collection of disaffected young white men known as the alt-right is in disarray.

The problems have been mounting: lawsuits and arrests, fundraising difficulties, tepid recruitment, widespread infighting, fierce counterprotests and banishment on social media platforms. Taken together, they've exhausted even some of the staunchest members.

One of the movement's biggest groups, the Traditionalist Worker Party, dissolved in March. Andrew Anglin, founder of the Daily Stormer, the largest alt-right website, has gone into hiding, chased by a harassment lawsuit. And Richard Spencer, the alt-right's most public figure, cancelled a college speaking tour and was abandoned by his attorney last month.

"Things have become a lot harder, and we paid a price for what happened in Charlottesville. . . . The question is whether there is going to be a third act," said Spencer, who coined the name of the movement, which rose to prominence during the 2016 presidential campaign, advocates a whites-only ethno-state, and has posted racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic memes across the internet.

Overall, the number of neo-Nazi groups increased in the United States in 2017, from 99 to 121, according to a Southern Poverty Law Center report released this year. That number is likely to decrease this year, said Heidi Beirich, who co-wrote the report. SPLC did not group alt-right organizations together, but some of the neo-Nazi groups were an outgrowth of the movement.

"Imploding," is how Beirich now describes the alt-right. "The self-inflicted damage, the defections, the infighting is so rampant, it's to the point of almost being pathetic."

Even so, there is little doubt that white supremacy remains a potent force that is likely to emerge again as a political one - if not as the alt-right, then as something else. Racial animus remains an entrenched aspect of American life.

The alt-right "is on a downward spiral, but it doesn't mean they're going to disappear, and that they're not going to regroup," said Marilyn Mayo, who studies hate groups for the Anti-Defamation League's Center on Extremism. She said one large group called Identity Evropa - which targets college-aged men, is less extreme in rhetoric and has turned away from the alt-right label - has grown recently.

"March was a phenomenal month for Identity Evropa, perhaps our best month," group spokesman Darren Baker said.

Chris Schiano, a reporter for Unicorn Riot, a decentralized nonprofit media organization that has leaked internal correspondence among alt-right members, called the alt-right "basically done." It could resurface if it falls out of public view and organizes under newer, younger leaders, he cautions, but they haven't "gotten much traction yet."

"The overall level of racism in U.S. society hasn't improved, it's just that the organizing space for these types of networks" has largely been depleted, said Schiano, whose group rose out of Occupy Wall Street and documents social protests. "So the latent potential won't go away unless society becomes less racist."

Three percent of Americans surveyed this winter as part of a Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll said they support the alt-right or white nationalist movement.

The zenith of the alt-right - Charlottesville's Unite the Right rally - also appears to have been the moment of its decline, according to hate-group experts and members of the alt-right, most of whom were predicting a surge in membership at the time.

The death of Heather Heyer, 32 - killed in Charlottesville when a young alt-right member allegedly plowed his car into her - and President Donald Trump's reluctance to disown white nationalism focused a degree of scrutiny on the movement that it hadn't known until then. People started being fired from their jobs. Families disowned their children. Fundraising websites dropped people associated with the alt-right, making it difficult to raise money. Reporters covered every misstep.

Chris Cantwell, a white nationalist radio host featured in a Vice video on the march viewed by millions, wept on camera in a video he posted to the internet, proclaiming himself "terrified" after Charlottesville police issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of using tear gas in the protest. The Daily Stormer was dropped by its web-hosting company.

Some members have given up on the movement entirely. "I got to go back to my normal life," Connor Perrin, who drove all night from Austin to Charlottesville to protest what he saw as the oppression of white men in the United States, said in an interview late last year. "I'm focusing on working and being normal. . . . My mom is like, 'Stop being alt-right. You're going to get yourself in trouble.' " He later added: "We lost."

Others said they were told they weren't extreme enough for the movement. "I was unofficially kicked out because I had sex with a half-Japanese girl, and they didn't like that," said Jack, 18, of Aurora, Illinois, who spoke on the condition that his last name not be published. "With white nationalists, you're never white enough."

There has long been infighting in the white supremacist movement. The National Alliance, which for decades was the country's best organized and perhaps most powerful white supremacist group, succumbed to infighting and a rapid decline following the death of its leader, William Pierce, in 2002. The history of the Ku Klux Klan, too, is one of infighting and internal turmoil.

What separates the alt-right movement from older groups like these, however, is that its members are internet natives. They riff off contemporary culture and politics and understand the power of leavening hate with attempts at humor, which makes their messaging and memes more palatable to disillusioned suburban white kids who spend a lot of time online. Their ideas have infected the mainstream.

"We're not going back to a time when no one had heard the word 'alt-right,' " Spencer said. "We're not going back to a time when no one had heard of an ethno-state. It's in the discourse."

But in the same way the internet was a boon for the alt-right, enabling rapid mobilization, fundraising and a sense of community, it also has thrown up roadblocks to the movement's progress. After alt-right members started getting booted from Facebook and Twitter, they relocated to alternative social media platforms, such as Gab, where they weren't likely to encounter, let alone radicalize, people they call "normies," who use more mainstream outlets.

Participation and enthusiasm appear to have slowed since. Several street rallies have been sparsely populated by white supremacists - but overwhelmingly attended by counterprotesters - and by the time Spencer ended his college speaking tour, few supporters were coming to his speeches.

And for Stormfront, a large white-supremacist online forum whose threads were read by some alt-right members, few were donating money. "It's that time of month again, when the big, scary bills hit," wrote site creator Don Black, whose wife, according to site members, has stopped financially supporting the forum, and whose son, Derek, has rejected white supremacy. "Our contributions have once again totaled less than $2000, which is not enough to cover our basic server and radio bills, and this month we no longer have enough personal money to make up the difference."

The Traditionalist Worker Party, which at its height operated in at least eight states and had about 1,200 paying members, according to its leaders, also collapsed last month. It was perhaps the most institutionally organized of all the groups comprising the alt-right. It had a clear hierarchy - paying members reporting to regional commanders, who in turn reported to the top leaders living in a trailer park in Paoli, Indiana, where everything came apart last month.

The dynamic between co-founders Matt Parrott and Matthew Heimbach has always been unconventional. Heimbach is married to Parrott's stepdaughter from a former marriage, and the two men lived in neighboring trailers, where they promoted traditional gender roles in addition to white-supremacist beliefs.

But according to a police report obtained by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Heimbach and Parrott's wife began sleeping together. In early March, the two told Parrott and Heimbach's wife that the three-month affair was over, but Parrott didn't believe it, so he concocted a plan to catch them. Heimbach and Parrott's wife fell for it, while Parrott was outside, standing atop a box, looking in from the window. Then the box broke, and, cover presumably blown, Parrott went to confront Heimbach, who allegedly choked him. Parrott lost consciousness, then fled to Walmart, where he called police, who reported that Heimbach later violently grabbed his wife's face.

Heimbach was charged with felony domestic battery, the Traditionalist Worker Party disintegrated, and Parrott, speaking on the phone earlier this month, sounded different from the triumphant white supremacist who in the days following the Charlottesville rally had promised that he and the alt-right were here to stay.

"I'm unplugged from politics," Parrott said. "I'm done. I'm out. I don't want to be in The Washington Post anymore. I don't care to have this humiliating and terrifying ordeal be more public than it already is. . . . There is no more Trad Worker."

Heimbach, citing the advice of his attorneys, declined to comment.

The group's website was removed. Some members said they were out. Others said they wanted to start something new. Another group, called Nationalist Initiative, soon coalesced online, heralding a new brand.

"TWP failed," it said in a tweet this month to its 68 followers. "What comes from the ashes?"
Its going to be business as usual for Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in the week that starts April 23, according to the list released by the Supreme Courts registry on Saturday.

On Friday, the Congress and six other parties submitted notice of a motion for the removal of the CJI to chairman of the Rajya Sabha M Venkaiah Naidu. This is the first such notice ever presented against a CJI. The notice was signed by 71 MPs, although seven of them have retired from he upper house since signing it. Naidu is yet to take a call on admitting the motion.

Government officials said on Saturday that the Congress had flouted Rajya Sabha rules by going public with the notice of a motion that was yet to be admitted in the house.

The CJI hasnt publicly responded to the notice.

Interestingly, while the list is drawn by the registry, the cases are allocated to particular judges and benches by the CJI exercising his powers as the master of the roster.

In the week ahead, the CJI will be hearing some important cases.

On Tuesday, April 24, a five-judge bench led by Misra will continue hearing the hotly contested Aadhaar case in which over 35 petitions have challenged the governments contentious project.

Besides Aadhaar, the CJI is also hearing a petition seeking a transfer of the case of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmirs Kathua to Chandigarh.

In his petition, the father of the child victim has expressed fears of not getting a free and fair trial in Kathua.

Earlier this month, the Kathua Bar Association tried to prevent the police from filing a chargesheet in the case.

The CJI is also part of a three-judge bench that resume hearing in the contentious Ram Janma Bhoomi dispute. This bench is expected to decide whether the case has to be referred to a larger bench or not.

As per the roster, a five-member bench led by the Misra is also to hear the controversial issue of the ban on the entry of women between 10 and 50 years of age in Keralas Sabarimala temple.

The same five-judge bench will also hear a legal question on whether a Parsi woman would lose her religious identity if she marries a man from a different religion.

The CJI is also set to hear, as part of a three-judge bench, a petition that seeks reading down of section 377 of the Indian Penal code that criminalises same-sex relations .
The Indian and Pakistan armies traded heavy fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district on Saturday, defence officials said.

Defence Ministry sources said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked heavy firing on the LoC in Kerni sector of Poonch.

Our troops retaliated effectively and strongly. No report of any casualty or damage has come from our side so far, a source said.

(This story has not been modified from its original version.)
A fast track court on Saturday sentenced a former local secretary of the CPI(M) to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009.

The Alapuzha Fast Track Court Judge, Anil Kumar, pronounced the verdict this morning.

The court found that R Baiju was the main conspirator in the case and awarded the death sentence to him.

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on December 9, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left governments scheme to promote such products.

However, Divakaran refused to buy them, saying they were priced too high, leading to a heated argument.

He was then hit on the head and suffered serious injuries.

He succumbed at a hospital after a week.
After excerpts of the first report by the Forensic Science Laboratory (dated 30 January) in the Kathua rape and murder case started circulating, claiming that no spermatozoa were detected, the Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police issued a statement citing medical experts that a sexual assault had indeed happened.

The Kathua case, where an eight-year old was allegedly raped and murdered, has roiled the country, forced the government to approve an executive order punishing rapists of girls under the age of 12 with death, and polarised the state.

The FSLs report was based on samples received on January 24 and says that the vaginal smear of the victim didnt have any spermatozoa.

In a statement, the Crime Branch said on Saturday: It is to place on record that on the strength of opinion furnished by medical experts, it has been confirmed that the victim was found subjected to sexual assault by the accused. The medical expert has also opined that hymen of the victim was not found intact.

The Crime Branch added that it was on the basis of medical opinion that it had added the charge of gang rape to the case. It also said that medical opinion has established beyond doubt that the victim was held in captivity and administered sedatives and her cause of death was asphyxia leading to a cardio pulmonary arrest.

Separately, according to media reports, the Delhi Forensic Laboratory, which analysed 14 batches of evidence, found enough evidence to establish the presence of the victim as well as some of the accused in a temple where the former is believed to have been held captive.

A total of eight people, including four policemen have been arrested in the case so far. Two of the policemen have been arrested for allegedly attempting to destroy evidence.
It was a busy Saturday for advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava whose Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in January demanding death penalty for child rapists played a crucial role behind the Centres decision to bring in an ordinance allowing courts to pronounce death penalty to those convicted of raping children below 12 years.

Srivastava had filed the PIL in his personal capacity seeking justice for an eight-month-old girl who was brutally raped by her 28-year-old cousin in Delhi.

I read about the case in newspapers and went to see her. It was a heart-wrenching experience. Her parents are daily wagers and could not afford her treatment. I decided then that I will move the Supreme Court seeking justice for her. The only punishment for a crime of such depravity can be death, said Srivastava, a gold medallist from Campus Law Centre, Delhi University.

It was following his PIL that the SC set up a medical board to examine the girl and directed authorities to ensure proper treatment.

The girl survived due to his intervention and her family cant thank him enough.

Inundated with calls from well-wishers, friends, and family, Srivastava told HT that it was a chance encounter with former Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia that made him quit a well-paying law officers job in the government sector and join litigation.

Justice Kapadia had come to the Indian Law Institute convocation in 2012. I was the topper that year. While giving me the gold medal and certificate, he told me that young people like me should fight for the marginalised sections of the society, he said.

Srivastava quit his job as a law officer in Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited soon after. In 2014, he started his own practice.

He filed his first PIL in July 2017, seeking termination of pregnancy of a 10-year-old girl who was raped by her maternal uncle in Chandigarh. The Chandigarh district court had denied permission to the girl to abort. Srivastava could not help much as by the time the medical board constituted by the court examined the girl her pregnancy was at an advanced stage.

But the attention that the case generated ensured that the girl who gave birth to a daughter was adopted by a couple from Maharashtra. This was a big relief for the girl as her parents had refused to take the child home, he said.

With two young daughter of his own, Srivastava said that he cant stop himself from taking up cases involving young victims of heinous crime like rape. As a father, I feel for the parents of these children. I wont be able to forgive myself, if I look the other way, he said.
The unprecedented move by the Congress-led opposition to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra smacked of political overtones rather than any misbehaviour and misuse of authority, and it might not succeed in Parliament, constitutional experts felt on Friday.

Levelling allegations, leaders of the seven opposition parties met vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and handed over the notice of impeachment bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former MPs who recently retired.

The move, which came a day after an apex court bench headed by the CJI rejected the pleas for a probe into special CBI judge BH Loyas death, was termed motivated and political by eminent jurists such as Soli Sorabjee, former high court judges SN Dhingra and Ajit Kumar Sinha and senior advocate Vikas Singh.

Sorabjee, who was attorney general during the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, made a scathing attack on the oppositions decision to go for impeachment of the CJI, saying, This is the worst that could happen to the independence of the judiciary.

He said Fridays event would shake the confidence and faith of the people in the judiciary.

Sorabjees view was shared by Justice Dhingra, who said it is an attempt to gain political mileage.

Apparently referring to the controversial January 12 press meet by four senior-most apex court judges -- J Chelameswar, Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph -- who raised issues that were reflected in the impeachment notice, he said discontent among the judges of the top court did not justify the move.

The impeachment notice is motivated and the MPs want political mileage knowing that they do not have the numbers to impeach the chief justice. Discontentment among judges does not mean you initiate the process of impeachment. Discontentment is a part of life, the former judge said.

Justice Sinha and senior lawyer Vikas Singh termed it a sad day for the judiciary and just a reaction to Thursdays verdict of the Supreme Court dismissing the petitions for a probe into alleged mysterious death of judge Loya, who was hearing Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

Terming it a sorry state of affairs, Sorabjee told a TV channel that there was no ground to impeach the CJI and the judiciary should sort out its problems itself without allowing politicians to get into them.

This is the worst thing that could happen to the independence of the judiciary. Please dont affect the public faith in the judiciary, he said.

Reactions poured in after the opposition parties moved impeachment notice, accusing the CJI of misbehavior and misuse of authority.

Coming out in support of Justice Misra, Sorabjee said a judge cannot be impeached merely because of error of judgement.

The chief justice is not above the law. He can be impeached but on what ground? If you start an impeachment motion against the CJI on the ground that a certain order of his is wrong, then the very independence of judiciary will be at stake. You are dealing with the chief justice. There should be solid cogent substantial grounds for doing so, he said.

If you dont agree with an order, you impeach him? This has set a very bad precedent and I am totally against it. I am very distressed that it happened in our country, the former AG said.

On the issue of allocation of benches by the CJI, Sorabjee said, After all he is the master of the roster. He knows which case should be sent to which bench. I dont understand how any judge can say that certain cases should be allocated to me or us unless you find there is a definite policy.

Vikas Singh also said the allegations levelled against the CJI were not serious enough to impeach him.

It is a sad day as it comes a day after the judge Loya judgement delivered by the Supreme Court. There are not even serious allegations, still the notice has been moved. It is dangerous as such frivolous motions can be carried out if they (MPs) had the numbers to impeach a judge, he said.

Agreeing with him, Justice Sinha said, The issues have been going on for the last one-two months and got revived yesterday with the judgement of the apex court in judge Loya matter. This (impeachment move) prima facie appears to be a reaction by the people, who want to impeach the judge, because of yesterdays verdict.

An impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha has to be supported by at least 50 MPs, while that in the Lok Sabha should have the backing of 100 MPs.
Yashwant Sinha who has been at loggerheads with the BJPs top brass ended his association with the party on Saturday but not his battle with the ruling dispensation.

A bitter critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his style of governance, Sinha said in Patna that he was taking this step to save democracy, which he said was under threat with the government undermining democratic institutions.

I am taking sanyas (retiring) from party politicsI am not going to be a member of any other political party, Sinha, whose son Jayant Sinha is the Union minister of state for civil aviation, said at a meeting of Rashtra Manch which he launched earlier this year.

Rashtra Manch was launched by Sinha in January along with BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, another detractor of the Modi government.

In January, Sinha had said he would not quit the BJP, but dared the party to throw him out if it so wished. He along with Patna Lok Sabha MP Shatrughan Sinha and former Union minister Arun Shourie have been trenchant critics of Modi.

A former Union finance and external affairs minister, Sinha said being a citizen of India was a bigger thing than being a BJP member.

Ever since he was sidelined along with Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, he has clashed with the government at regular intervals. While Advani and Joshi are MPs, Sinha did not contest the 2014 elections. His son and civil aviation minister Jayant Singh contested from the seat he used to represent  Hazaribagh in Bihar.

His frequent criticism of Modi and Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, often prompted BJP supporters to take pot shots at him that he was an 80-year-old job aspirant who was bitter for not landing the finance ministry portfolio.

The latest provocation for Sinha to quit the party was the washout of the second half of the Budget session of Parliament.

On Saturday, he accused the BJP of disrupting the Parliament session to not allow the opposition to bring a no-confidence motion. He also dismissed the claims made by Prime Minister Modi that it was the opposition which had disrupted Parliament.

Sinha also took a swipe at Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan for not calling for voting on the no-confidence motion raised by the opposition which he said was amounting to mocking of democracy.

He also accused Prime Minister Modi of reducing the duration of Lok Sabha session to campaign for the upcoming Karnataka polls. It has never happened in any part of the country.

Last September, Sinha had severely criticized the governments economic performance in a hard-hitting opinion piece, insisting that the economy was virtually in a freefall and was headed for a head landing.

In January when he launched the Rashtra Manch, he had alleged that the government was targeting those who do not fall in line with it.

Investigating agencies are being used against people who think differently. Due to this, outside of the BJP, an atmosphere of fear is prevailing in the entire country, he had alleged.

He had also criticized the government for failing to address unemployment, education-related woes and farmers problems since it came to power.

Sinha, who joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1960, held several posts during his 24-year tenure before resigning from service to join the Janata Party. He was appointed All-India General Secretary of the party in 1986 and was elected member of the Rajya Sabha in 1988.

When the Janta Dal was formed in 1989, he was appointed its General Secretary. He worked as Minister of Finance from November 1990 to June 1991 in Chandra Shekhars Cabinet.

He joined the BJP in the mid-1990s and became the national spokesperson of the BJP in June 1996.

He was appointed finance minister in March 1998. He was appointed as Minister for External Affairs on July 1, 2002. In the Lok Sabha elections of 2004, he was defeated in Hazaribagh. He re-entered the Parliament in 2005.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had a wonderful meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed multiple aspects relating to bilateral cooperation as well as other global issues with her.

Modi met Merkel during a brief stopover in Berlin after wrapping up his visit to the UK where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders.

It was the third and last leg of Modis three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.

Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues, Modi tweeted.

The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that Modis visit demonstrates Indias mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership.

Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting, Kumar said in a tweet.

The visit demonstrates the commitment by the two countries to maintain the momentum of high level exchanges, according to Indian officials.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since Merkel began her fourth term as German chancellor last month.

Modis meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeiers trip to India last month, which focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Germany is Indias largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.

In 2016-17, the bilateral trade turnover was USD 18.76 billion, with India exporting goods worth USD 7.18 billion to Germany and importing German products worth USD 11.58 billion, according to German media.
In another sign of the restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations between India and Nepal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Kathmandu and Janakpur on May 11, according to two Nepali officials, one Indian official and one political leader involved with planning the visit.

Modis visit, which is at the planning stage, would come a little over a month after Nepals new Prime Minister KP Oli visited Delhi between April 6 and 8 on his first foreign visit after being elected.

Apart from Kathmandu, Modi is expected to travel to Janakpur, an important religious centre in the Tarai plains, close to the border with Bihar, and where Lord Ram was supposed to have wed Sita according to the Ramayana.

An official in the Nepal government said: We have been asked to make preparations for his (Modis) Janakpur visit. It has been long due. Modi was supposed to have visited Janakpur in November 2014, when he went to Nepal to attend the SAARC summit, but this did not materialise because of objections from sections of the Nepal government.

This will be Modis third trip to Nepal in his tenure, but the first after the promulgation of the new Nepali constitution in 2015, which India had noted and not welcomed. This had generated deep bilateral discord. India was seen as supporting the Madhesis of the plains, who were unhappy with the constitution and had blocked the border in protest to cripple supplies to Kathmandu. The move had also generated a nationalist backlash in Nepal. K P Oli, who was serving his first term as Prime Minister then, had taken a strong position against Delhi and deepened ties with Beijing.

Oli lost power soon after and blamed external forces for his ouster.

But ties between India and Nepal have improved over the past two years. India reached out to Oli after his election earlier this year, and the Nepali leader reciprocated.

An interlocutor involved in backchannel talks, who asked not to be named, said: India has to engage with the elected government of Nepal. Oli has said categorically he will not allow Nepali soil to be used against Indian interests. His India visit was successful and interactions here went well. By paying a reciprocal visit, Modi wants to maintain the momentum in ties and truly put past differences behind us.
Jasphool Singh, 63, who runs a non-government organisation (NGO) in Haryanas Rohtak region since 1983, recalls the days in the early 1990s when he employed Jaswanti Devi. She now stands convicted of shocking sexual and physical abuse of inmates inside Apna Ghar, a shelter home that she ran later, which came to light in 2012. Though I was not in need of staff as such, I gave her the job to draft project reports and other small, clerical works, he said.

I gave her the job on the recommendation of a local Red Cross official, seeing her apparently poor financial situation, he added.

She left his NGO a year later, and in 1995 set up her own, Bharat Vikas Sangh, that started Apna Ghar shelter home in a middle-class locality, Shrinagar Colony, in Rohtak. Many of her acquaintances recall that soon after forming her own NGO, she fast developed contacts in the power corridors. Jasphool said that months before her arrest, she had met him at a public function: Sitting next to me, she was bragging how politicians and officers visit her regularly.

She originally belonged to Bahu Akbarpur village of Rohtak; her grandfather used to ferry passengers in a horse carriage (tonga), while her father, after retiring from military service, got attached to a religious sect. As per the report of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), she was the second wife of a man named Prem Singh Narwal, whom she later divorced.

A then member of the NCPCR, Vinod Kumar Tikoo, who raided Apna Ghar premises on May 9, 2012, and got her arrested, said her office wall was full of pictures showing her with politicians. She even began dropping names of high-profile people during the raid. More than 100 inmates were rescued following the raid, and what came out was horrifying sexual exploitation of minor, adult, even physically challenged, girls. The matter was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a report of a high court-appointed committee.

Jaswanti was not alone in her misdeeds; her daughter Simi, son-in-law Jai Bhagwan, brother Jaswant, driver Satish and three employees were part of the crime too.

Was feted, funded

Before the horror came to light, she was even nominated as a member of the local juvenile justice board. Months before her arrest, she was feted with the prestigious Indira Gandhi Mahila Shakti Award by the Haryana government.

Her NGO was being funded by the state and central govenrments for 13 programmes. Besides running the destitute home, the Apna Ghar complex also housed a Mahila Awaas (Womans Shelter Home) for the mentally challenged; it was also the premises for a creche programme, a vocational training programme, besides a family counselling centre and a runway couple home. It was also involved in a state-level campaign against human trafficking. As result, she had more than 100 inmates, mostly girls and women from their tender years to old age.

Another social worker from Sonepat, Om Parkash Dahiya, said she often approached him for technical assistance in government projects. She was hardworking and bold in her approach, and used her networking skills well to get close to people who mattered most in the power circles. The fact that she came from the dominant Jat community helped her get close to key leaders too, said another old associate who refused to be named.

Advocate Anil Malhotra, who headed the HC-appointed special investigation team, said Jaswantis case was a horror story. I along with other members literally broke down while interviewing the victims. Given the gravity of the offences, punishment to be imposed on Jaswanti and her kin should be exemplary, he said.

Not alone

The quantum of punishment is set to be pronounced on April 24 by the special CBI court that on April 18 convicted nine of the 10 accused.

Jaswanti was not alone in her misdeeds; her daughter Simi, son-in-law Jai Bhagwan, brother Jaswant, driver Satish and three employees were part of the crime too. They have been convicted for offences of rape, miscarriage, immoral trafficking, physical assault, and unlawful forced labour. Another woman named Roshni has ben convicted for buying a newborn.

There were 121 prosecution witnesses who were examined during the trial while the defence counsel produced 26 witnesses. Evidence of three of 10 inmates who were allegedly raped was crucial as they had not just identified the accused, but even narrated the horror.
The UP Sainik School in Lucknow lost its all-boys institution tag on Friday when it admitted 15 girl cadets for the first time in 57 years.

Principal Col Amit Chatterjee said the girl cadets, who have a dream to join the countrys armed forces, formally attended the first lesson.

The girls have been admitted from class 9 as against the norm of admitting boys from class 7 as authorities felt that girls of this age will be mature enough to cope with the sainik environment.

After addressing the cadets, Col Chatterjee expressed confidence that in the coming years, they would bring laurels not only to the institution but to the nation, by contributing immensely as defence officers.

With beaming smiles and lit-up eyes, the girls did not miss the opportunity to climb on the two Vijayanta tanks kept as trophies at the entrance of the 57-year-old institution, the first army school to be opened in the country. Later, 27 other such schools were established across India.

We are among the first of 28 Sainik Schools and 5 military schools that allowed enrolment of girl cadets from the 2018-19 academic session, Col Chatterjee said.

A joint effort was made by the UP government and the school administration to reach this historical decision and facilitate girl students to get defence training, he said.

The newly admitted girl cadets of UP Sainik School in Lucknow march in the school premises on Friday. (Deepak Gupta/HT)

Girls Excited

This is indeed incredible that my childhood fascination has become a reality, said Parul Pal, a girl cadet who hails from Orai.

This is a beginning of a new era of this glorious institution and I belong to the first batch, she said.

Her brother, Sumit Pal graduated from this school as the best cadet in 2016.

For her classmate Anubhuti Singh, it is a whole new experience. Shubhangi Chahal of Meerut, too, was extremely happy to get admission.

There are 15 girl cadets in the school. (Deepak Gupta/HT Photo)

There are nearly 450 cadets of which 15 are now girls and the remaining boys, school headmaster Lt Col Vijay Rana said.

The UP Sainik School is named after martyr Captain Manoj Pandey.
Susheela tears up at the mention of her husband Yogesh, who committed suicide on February 28.

The 50-year-old farmer of Rampura village in Karnatakas Mandya district had taken Rs 3 lakh in loans from banks and money lenders, but inadequate rains forced him to leave his one-acre land fallow, resulting in a debt.

The farm loan waiver offered by the state government had a provision to write-off only Rs 50,000, and that too, only if taken from state cooperative banks.

When Yogesh consumed poison on his farm on the fateful night, Susheela had no inkling of him taking the extreme step.

Mandya is one of the richest agricultural districts in the state, but three years of inadequate rainfall, a fractious fight with neighbouring state, Tamil Nadu, for limited Cauvery river water, ever-increasing fragmentation of agricultural lands, high input costs, low procurement prices for sugarcane, lack of prompt payment of dues from sugar factories and farmers inability to move away from water-intensive sugarcane crop all have contributed in breaking their backs.

The state governments decision last June to waive Rs 8,165 crore worth of farm loans taken from cooperative banks significantly did not include public sector nationalised banks and limited the amount to Rs 50,000.

However, in Yogeshs case, like in many others, institutional loans formed a fraction of their debts, as most had continued the practice of accessing credit from private money lenders.

As a result of this, and the failure of crops, around 200 farmers committed suicide in Mandya in 2015 and 2016, the highest among districts in the state according to state crime records bureau.

Locals say another 70 have joined this list in 2017, and it was lower only because of copious rains.

In the case of 60-year-old Chikkanna, the sugarcane crop on his half-acre plot in Uppara Doddi village had failed.

I was sitting at a nearby tea stall, when my daughter informed me that he had hung himself from a tree in our backyard, recounts his 40-year-old son, Chikkamadhu.

Chikkanna had loans worth Rs 3 lakh, of which Rs 1 lakh was taken from a public sector bank and the rest from private money lenders.

All the families said the governments decision was futile. Our crops are failing. The money lenders go around the village announcing that we are defaulters, to insult us. Living in the village under such circumstances becomes impossible, Chikkamadhu said.

The state governments loan waiver had triggered a slug fest between the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and the Janata Dal (Secular), with the government insisting that loans taken from public sector banks should be waived by the central government.

The BJP had insisted that all waivers had to be borne by the state government, and the JD(S) blamed both parties for the situation, with its chief ministerial candidate HD Kumaraswamy promising a complete loan waiver if his party emerged victorious in the polls.

T Yeshwanth of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha said this dispute did little good for farmers. The three political parties have been unable in the past to address agrarian distress and continue to be oblivious to the phenomenon of private loans, which continue to form a majority of debts because of their easy availability.

Maddur is at the tail-end of Mandya district, through which the Cauvery flows. While the Supreme Courts verdict increasing Karnatakas share of the water was welcomed, Yeshwanth said the problem in this region, which was the sugar belt of the state till recently, was the inefficient distribution of water.

By the time the water reaches this part, there is little left because it is used by people along the river upstream. So, while on paper there is an increase in water allocation, without better water management, this might have little impact on the ground.

In all, around 4,300 farmers committed suicide in the state between 2013 and 2016, according to the state crime records bureau, a claim disputed by the agriculture department.

According to a senior official of the agriculture department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, over this period, there were 2,107 genuine cases of suicide.

With about three weeks to go for the May 12 assembly elections, farmers in Mandya district, which accounts for seven of the 224 seats in the state, said there was little choice between the three parties.

Chikkamadhu said this was clear if one looked at how the parties were busy blaming each other, paying little attention to the issues they faced. Are they even interested in listening to us? he asks.
Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha, who has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government at the Centre, announced on Saturday that he will end his long-time ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Stressing that democracy is in danger, Sinha said in Patna he will launch a movement for the restoration of democracy as it is vital for the country, its people and their freedom.

I am taking sanyas (retiring) from party politicsI am not going to be a member of any other political party, Sinha, whose son Jayant Sinha is the Union minister of state for civil aviation, said at a meeting of a group he launched earlier this year.

Sinha had in the recent past launched a tirade against the Centre, especially its economic policies, after the governments November 2016 move to scrap old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes.

In January, Sinha and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, another detractor of the Modi government, launched the Rashtra Manch, which saw the participation of a number of politicians.

Its Saturday meeting was attended by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Congress leader Renuka Choudhary and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh alongside Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha.

We need to ponder over countrys situation or else nation will not forgive us for keeping silent on all round deterioration, the 80-year-old Sinha said.

Born on November 6, 1937, Sinha was influenced by Jayaprakash Narayans socialist movement of the mid-seventies.

Between 1980 and 1984, Sinha was joint secretary in the ministry of surface transport.

He eventually resigned from the Indian Administrative Service in 1984 and joined active politics as a member of the Janta Party. He was appointed all-India general secretary of the party in 1986 and was elected member of the Rajya Sabha in 1988.

When the Janta Dal was formed in 1989, he was appointed its general secretary. He worked as minister of finance from November 1990 to June 1991 in Chandra Shekhars Cabinet.

Sinha became the national spokesperson of the BJP in June 1996 and was appointed finance minister of India in March 1998.

(With agency inputs)
About two months after tigress ST-5 went missing from the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) and intensive combing operations were taken up to search the big cat, the forest department on Saturday said that the tigress is likely to be dead and an FIR will be filed soon.

For investigation purposes we are presuming that ST-5 is dead. In case, it is found alive, we will file an FR (closure report), said G Vishwanath Reddy, chief wildlife warden, Rajasthan.

Gobind Sagar Bhardwaj, the chief conservator of forest (CCF) and field director, STR, said, Orders have been issued for registering of FIR against unknown persons under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 to conclude what happened to the tigress. An officer of the rank of assistant conservator of forest will carry out the investigation, he added.

A meeting of the standing committee of the Rajasthan State Wildlife Board was held in Sariska on Saturday. Issues about STR such as staff crunch, radio collars for all tigers, strengthening of monitoring and implementation of the recommendations of the VP SIngh committee were taken up in the meeting.

Former Rajasthan director general of police Ajit Singh is the chairman of the standing committee. Other members are Valmik Thapar, Dharmendra Khandal, Girish Kushwaha and Charles Ratnaswami. The standing committee was formed to manage the day-to-day issues as the State Wildlife Board, which functions under the chief minister, meets twice or thrice a year.

The forest department officials have also expressed unhappiness over the Wildlife Institute of Indias (WIIs) uncooperative attitude. In three letters written by Bhardwaj to the WII, the department had sought experts to help trace the missing tigress. However, there was no response from WII, said Bhardwaj.

In his latest letter to the WII director dated April 20, 2018, the CCF has alleged that the WIIs monitoring teams misinformed the Sariska administration, which led to delay in registering of FIR and subsequent investigations.

Bhardwajs wrote if a timely concluding opinion about the ST-5 tigress had been conveyed by the WII, then it would have saved the forest department and the state government from embarrassment in reporting about the status of the missing tigress.

In addition, he said that a WII team gave its professional opinion on Friday in the presence of CS Ratnasamy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, and Valmik Thapar, both members of standing committee of Rajasthan Wildlife Board.

Your experts stated that the reality behind the intermittent signals could be from signals of ST 13, but not ST 5. The reason your experts quoted behind this was very close frequency of radio signal of ST 13 and ST 5 viz. 150.150 MHz and 150.100 MHz respectively, read the CCFs letter.

The last pugmarks of the tigress were reported on February 24, 2018, while the last photographic evidence of the same was obtained on January 19. The radio collar on the tigress was installed by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and was being monitored by its team. As per the information provided by the team, the collar was functional till February 7.

However, on March 28, the monitoring team of WII gave a message about the receiving of radio signal of ST-5 and reported receiving intermittent signals of the tigress till April 17. The STR administration wrote thrice to the WII earlier this month requesting them to send experts who would help them in locating the tigress but the experts were never sent.

The WII is being paid by the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA) under an MoU to protect and conserve tigers in STR. But the institute is facing criticism for negligence.
Rajasthan, which is facing power shortage due to scarcity of coal, is at present using ad hoc measures to tide over the crisis and revive the thermal units that had to be shut down due to technical reasons.

Earlier this week, there was power shortage of about 4,000 MW that prompted the discoms to announce a power cut schedule. However, the decision was withdrawn after a 600 MW unit of Adani Corporation started production and the discoms also managed to revive 250 MW in Suratgarh and some other units that had tripped.

With the onset of summer, the states daily demand of electricity has surged to about 15,000 MW, while the coal stock in power plants in the state is in critical state. At present, around 5,000 MW power of coal based electricity is being produced in Rajasthan while other sources including hydro, solar and wind contribute to the rest.

The Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (RUVNL) is purchasing power from the exchange and has also received 600 MW from its quantum of URS (un-requisitioned surplus power). A 600 MW thermal unit in Kalisindh is also expected to go on stream soon.

We are somehow managing the situation but ideally would like a regular supply of coal. Many coal-based power plants in Rajasthan are running short of coal, while on an average they should have a critical stock for 20 days. While some more units will be revived soon, in the meantime we are purchasing power from the exchange and also using URS, RUVNL managing director R.K Srivastava said.

Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam officials are blaming delay in transportation of coal by Coal India Ltd for the shortage. The large capacity power plants in Chhabra and Kota are reeling under the delay in supply by the Coal India limited. The situation is better in some other power plants such as Kalisindh that are supplied coal from Chhattisgarh. "The power ministry officials have held meetings with Coal India officials in New Delhi, but there is no clarity as to when the normal supply will be resumed," an RVUN official said.

Rajasthan is heavily dependent on thermal plants to meet its power demand. There are eight coal based power plants across the state, and the only power plants (Barsingsar and Rajras) that are based on lignite coal generated domestically in the state are functioning properly apart from the one in Kalisindh that is supplied coal by Chhattisgarh.

The condition of coal stock in the plants is almost same since last 8-10 months, however, that time it was being managed easily as the power demand was less.
Their first battle won on Friday with Calcutta high court directing State Election Commission (SEC) to extend date of submission of nomination papers by a day, Bengals opposition leaders expressed the apprehension that there may be repeat of the violence, witnessed throughout the nomination period between April 2 and 9, on the new date the poll panel would announce.

We are apprehensive of further violence on the new date of the nomination. Violence may be unleashed both on the day of nomination as well as on the days preceding it to intimidate opposition candidates, said BJP state president Dilip Ghosh.

Read: Amit Shahs strategy: BJP treating Bengal rural polls as quarter-final match before 2021 assembly election

We have about 10,000 nominations ready for filing on the additional day. Well try our best, but are not sure how many of the candidates will ultimately manage to brave the ruling partys muscle, Ghosh said.

Sujan Chakraborty, leader of the Left legislative party in the Assembly, echoed Ghosh. The government vehemently opposed in the court our appeal for central paramilitary forces since they have the sinister plan of using the police to fulfil its purpose. We anticipate violence on the day of nomination and even on the days leading to it, Chakraborty said.

We welcome the courts order. But unfortunately the order does not mean that the ruling party will not indulge in violence once again to stop opposition candidates. There will be another day of nomination and another day of violence the likes of which we have seen between April 2 and April 9, said state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

Read: Man who lost wife in 2013 Bengal poll violence campaigns for peace

The leaders also said intimidation will continue during the period of withdrawal of nomination.

It is due to this fear that all opposition parties, including BJP, CPI(M) and Congress, demanded before the court that online submission of nomination papers be allowed. The court rejected this plea.

Earlier, the SEC ruled that nominations could be submitted to the sub-divisional offices instead of block development offices. SDO offices are preferred over BDO offices because these are generally located in towns.

Opposition leaders earlier alleged that as many as 27% (13,197) of the total 48,650 gram panchayat seats in the state recorded single nomination, ensuring uncontested victory for ruling party candidates.

Read: Bengal panchayat poll nomination extended by a day, voting dates may change

This is a leap from earlier years. In 2003 rural polls, the Left Front won about 11% of seats uncontested, while in 2013, Trinamool Congress won about 10.5% seats without contest.

After the last date of nomination (earlier schedule) it became clear that Trinamool Congress won two zilla parishads (districts councils), Birbhum and Bankura, without contest.

This data is now likely to change as opposition parties will now get a fresh opportunity to field its candidates.

Six lives were lost and about a hundred suffered injuries in violence during the period of submission of nomination papers.
Two men were arrested by the South 24 Parganas district police on Friday on charges of carrying meat retrieved from carcasses of dead animals left to decompose in a dumping ground in Budge Budge. They allegedly used to make money by selling the skin and meat of dead animals.

On Thursday, some residents of Subhas Udyan area in Budge Budge (about 28 km from Kolkata) caught Raja Mullick, a casual worker of the local municipality and Vincent Simon, a taxi driver, while some meat and animal parts were being smuggled out in the taxi.

Local people alleged that meat retrieved from dead animals was being regularly supplied to hotels and restaurants in Kolkata. This immediately triggered panic and rumours, prompting the police to initiate probe. Carcasses of all kinds of animals, including cow, pig and dog, are dumped in the ground.

Police interrogated Mullick, Simon and three others. Acting on their statements, police conducted raids at several street markets in the Sealdah and Rajabajar areas of central Kolkata. However till Saturday no evidence to prove that meat from dead animals was being supplied to hotels and restaurants was found. Also, nobody was reported to have fallen sick.

The investigation has so far revealed that some people used to steal carcasses principally for the skin. If any of these carcasses were fresh they used to sell the meat in some street markets. So far we have found no evidence to suggest that any of this meat was supplied to hotels and restaurants, Tapas Sinha, officer-in-charge, Budge Budge police station, said.

Police have however found that fishery owners regularly buy meat from these markets to feed catfish.

The police are now trying to find out if any of these shopkeepers ever mixed any meat retrieved from the carcasses in Budge Budge with fresh meat supplied from slaughter houses.

On Friday and Saturday, Kolkata Municipal Corporation employees collected samples of mutton and chicken items as well as samples of raw meat from a few eateries in Sealdah market. These will be tested at KMC laboratories.

Though there was no specific information or complaint, the Kolkata civic body started acting on its own after Fridays arrests. This was done because last month the city woke up to rumours that chicken meat soaked in chemicals used for preserving dead bodies were being sold in the markets. However, repeated raids yielded no proof.

The discovery in Budge Budge was an accident. One of the wheels of the taxi fell in a deep pothole and the driver asked some locals to help. When the vehicle didnt nudge after much pushing, the locals decided to empty the luggage compartment where the meat was kept, said Gautam Dasgupta, vice chairman of Budge Budge municipality.

Mullick, the casual worker of the civic body, used to get Rs 100 for every tipoff. He used to keep an eye on the dumping ground. His job was to pass on the information every time a carcass was dumped.
In a move aimed at modernising policing and combating crime effectively, the Uttar Pradesh police will soon set up State Bureau of Police Research and Development on the lines of Central Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).

The state bureau will do research and analyse different crime patterns, frequency, target groups and vulnerable areas of different type of crimes, said OP Singh, UPs director general of police (DGP) on Friday.

He said the research will help the police personnel in understanding the pattern and take preventive measures accordingly.

Singh said he held a meeting with director general of BPR&D AP Maheshwari and other senior officers of the state on Thursday to chalk out the plan for setting up the state police research and development wing.

He said the DG of BPR&D has assured to give all assistance and support.

Moreover, he has proposed a plan to also set up regional training centre of data analytics for BPR&D, he added.

He said the proposal will be soon be send to the state government. He said additional director general (ADG), rules and manuals, Jasveer Singh has been asked to chalk out the details of the proposal as soon as possible.

Senior officials of other police units like technical services, UP 100, Anti-Terror Squad and Special Task Force will also be roped in to develop an effective plan.

The DGP said the state police have several wings, like UP 100 (police emergency response centre) where different types of complaints are received 24X7. Similarly, hundreds of complaints pour in at 1090 (Women Power Line), a helpline for women in distress and UP police twitter services daily.

The DG BPR&D said the crime data collected from different sources and nature of complaints will be helpful in research and derive preventive measures accordingly.

POLICE UNIVERSITY ALSO ON THE CARDS

The UP DGP said the discussion to set up state police university on the lines of Raksha Shakti University in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) is also under way.

The university will offer courses in policing, crime and criminal psychology. The police university will not only cater to those who don the khaki but anyone willing to gain knowledge or build a career in related fields. The plan to set up the university was floated by the then DGP Sulkhan Singh in November, 2017.

Director of Raksha Shakti University had also visited Lucknow to give a presentation in this connection.

DIGITAL FRIENDS OF UP POLICE

DGP OP Singh said that UP police will soon launch separate twitter handles under the title of digital friends of UP police to reach out to UP residents living in different countries.

The social media account will make NRIs aware of different achievements and services rendered by UP police.

The DGP said he got this idea after meeting an NRI Supriya Broadbent living in London and her husband Mark Broadbent on Friday. He said Supriya, who is tax consultant in London, appreciated the state police twitter service through which problems of several NRIs were solved.

Singh said Supriya has been made the coordinator for London chapter of UP police twitter handle. He said she has assured that she will assist the state police in propagating their best services and achievements and add more and more UP residents staying there. He said the twitter handle will also be used to solving problems of UPites living in London. He said separate twitter handle will be created for different countries and one coordinator each will be made for it as per the requirement.
A girl student of a central government run co-educational school in Lakhimpur, Uttar Pradesh, has accused a male teacher of running his hands all over her body from waist to leg and even touching her private parts. The school principal said an inquiry had been ordered.

After the girl registered the complaint, more girls from the same school have approached the police, claiming that the teacher used to touch them inappropriately.

In a letter to the principal, the victim girl alleged this incident took place on April 17. As the teacher was not teaching anything, I was drawing something on a sheet of paper, she wrote in her complaint penned in Hindi.

As the teacher saw me drawing, I tried to hide the sheet under the bench. The teacher put his hand under the bench. He groped my private parts, running his hand all over my body from waist to leg, she said.

Her letter reads, I was scared and started crying. Other girls came forward to console me. The teacher said to one of the girls who was sympathising with me, Tum bahut netagiri mat dikhao (do not try to act like a leader). And thereafter he left the classroom.

When contacted, the principal said she had ordered a probe. Both accused teacher and victim girl were in the school on Friday, the principal confirmed.  I too am a woman and I will never compromise with the safety and security of my students, specially girls. I have reported the matter to higher authorities for action, she said.

Circle officer of Mithali, Pradeep Singh said no such incident had been reported to the police so far. He said appropriate action would be taken if school authorities approached police with a complaint.

The school is a fully residential, co-educational institution affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi and is governed by an autonomous body under the Department of Education and Literacy, Ministry of HRD, Government of India.

The incident has again exposed the vulnerability of school kids. In February 2018, a private school teacher in Manpada, Dombivli, was booked after a Class six student filed a molestation complaint against him.

In February 2018 , a dance teacher of a prominent girls school in West Bengals capital Kolkata was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually harassing a Class 2 student for six months, police said. The accused was charged under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the girls mother lodged a complaint with the police.
The UP food commission has delivered 118 decisions in the past one year, but has been unable to enforce any of them. Reason: The state government is still to acknowledge the constitutional importance of the body that was constituted following directives of the Supreme Court, said commission members at a press conference in Lucknow on Friday.

Speaking to HT, president UP food commission Nand Kishore Yadav said, Our decisions are not making any impact as the state government does not understanding the constitutional importance of the commission. Why will people come and appeal to the commission when its decisions are not implemented by the government?

Another member DC Mishra said, The sate government is distributing wheat at Rs 2 / kg and rice at Rs 3 / kg, but there have been reports of food items reaching the black market. There have been at least seven big cases of food items being diverted in the state capital. Following complaints, the commission recommended an inquiry by the enforcement directorate within a time period of three to six months. The commission also recommended suspension of licences of around 90 rations shops in the state, but nothing has been done.

Commission member Saroj Prasad, also wife of head of SC/ST commission Brij Lal, told HT,  The commission has recommended action against big ration mafias such as Sarvesh Pandey and Sonu, who are running over 80 fair price shops under different names. But the department has failed to act against them. There are godown in-charges who are controlling godowns for 20 years. These people need to be transferred. The commission has become a toothless body due to the state governments neglect.

Commission members also voiced their frustration for not being given adequate staff to work with at their Lucknow Haat office in Vibhuti Khand.  We dont have any clerical staff , no class IV worker. So, we have to do all the clerical work ourselves, said member M Ismail Khan.

The commission members demanded action from the government on the issues they were facing.
If only Nixon could go to China, as the saying goes, then maybe only Republicans can legalize weed.

Marijuana has now been legalized for medical use in many states  only Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota still prohibit use in any form. Nine states allow recreational marijuana use, and 13 others have decriminalized recreational use to some extent. Meanwhile, public support for legalizing the drug continues to grow and is now firmly in majority territory.

Unsurprisingly, weed has become big business  sales in Colorado alone now top $1 billion a year. A study by data analytics firm New Frontier Data recently estimated that if marijuana legalization went national, it could generate more than $10 billion of tax revenue a year.

Theres just one problem: Cannabis is still illegal under federal law. During the administration of President Barack Obama, an uneasy detente existed in which the federal government agreed not to prosecute marijuana production, sale and use in states where it was legal. That effectively left things up to the states but left open the possibility that the federal government might reverse itself and crack down.
A spick and span, centrally air-conditioned waiting hall, beautiful patient registration counter, sturdy and attractive steel benches and a grand entrance area with a beautiful park in front.

This is how the Railways cancer hospital in Varanasi will look when it opens to serve public from the first week of May in a new avatar. This new look comes in just six months of take-over of the railway hospital by Tata Trust.

Now this 180-bed Tata Memorial Centre facility and will be called Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital (HBCH).

HBCH will have all treatment facilities that are available at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai. It will provide treatment and care to cancer patients of entire eastern region, who will now not have to travel to Mumbai for treatment, a manager of the hospital project, who doesnt wish to be named, said.

Tata Memorial Centre has already identified over 15 cancer specialists and over 50 nurses are being trained for cancer nursing.

Being re-built at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore, this world class hospital will be the first of its kind in eastern India, which includes UP, Bihar and several other states.

The railways cancer hospital take-over by Tata Trust in November last year came at the behest of Varanasi parliamentarian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The hospital will be equipped with facilities like pathology, hemato-pathology, nuclear medicine, microbiology, medical oncology, cytopathology, radiation oncology, radio diagnosis, surgery, palliative medicine, digestive diseases, transfusion medicines, intensive care units etc, the project manager said.

The ground floor of the hospital was handed over to Tata Memorial Centre at a function on Wednesday. The other two floors are almost ready and finishing touches are being given to them.

Initially it (hospital) will provide treatment for all types of cancer. But when Mahamana Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya (MPMMM) Cancer Centre at BHU becomes functional, this hospital (Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital) will treat patients of blood cancer and childrens cancers only, he said.

Construction of MPMMM cancer centre, to come up with an estimated cost of Rs 580 crore, is underway. It is likely to be functional by January 2019. The PM had laid its foundation in December 2016.
We are not treasure-hunters, says Rabindra Mohanty. What we usually find, and aim to find, are pottery shards, fossilised grains and bones of domesticated animals.

These are treasures of a different kind, given that they are between 2,000 and 200,000 years old. But it is, admittedly, not glamorous work. Because as hard as most archaeologists have it, Mohanty and his tribe have it harder because they are flying solo, freelancers working without the backing of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) or union ministry of culture.

Mohanty is one of about 300 independent researchers digging at the sites of ancient settlements across India. There is no exact count of how many non-ASI archaeologists are operating in the country. This figure is based on the applications we get for permission, says KK Muhammed, former regional director at the ASI. ASI gives excavation permissions to private players because it cannot excavate every site in India.

The independent archaeologists are typically students and professors of history, anthropology and archaeology and range in age from 20 to 65.

Because they are affiliated to universities and heritage foundations rather than the ASI, it can take up to two years to gather funding and get approval for a dig.

On site, infrastructure and labour are so scarce that they feel lucky if there is a shed with a roof where they can measure and record their finds. If not, they erect shanties using plastic or tarpaulin sheets. Most use measuring equipment out of a basic geometry box.

Excavating does tone your arms, laughs Mohanty, 65, a retired professor of ancient Indian history at Deccan College, Pune. And there is nothing like the excitement of finally finding a shard, a fragment or an ancient tooth after digging all day for weeks.

Mohanty has worked on 20 sites in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha over the past 26 years, usually with backing from Deccan College, which, along with the Sharma Centre for Heritage Education in Chennai, supports most of the independent excavations across the country.

It is easier to get permission if you are associated with a university, Mohanty says. You also get manpower  students and faculty  to help you in the field.

NOT RAINING MEN

Manpower is a serious issue when youre trying to unearth delicate fragments of history in the middle of nowhere. Usually, local daily wage earners are employed.

Unlike the ASI, though, we cant hire as many people as we want, because of the money constraints, says Vasant Shinde, vice-chancellor of Deccan College.

It also takes time to train the labourers to dig without damaging possible finds, adds Ramesh NK, 33. And time is money.

A Paleolithic hand axe found in western Odisha.

Ramesh, who has a Masters in anthropology from Keralas Kannur University, has been participating in digs in the north Malabar region for 11 years.

You have to allocate funds so carefully when all youve received is Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for a dig that will last 10 weeks and employ at least 25 people  from a cook to make meals on site to labourers, vehicles, digging equipment, material for shelters even basic material for preserving and cataloguing finds. It all adds up.

Securing funding can take so long that Ramesh prefers to go on explorations alone.

ASI does not sanction the digs if you are not associated with an organisation, he says. But exploration, where you just survey a site on the surface and look for objects in open fields or in forests, does not require permission.

Ramesh has explored and dug at 30 sites so far  the digging on Kannur university projects, the exploration by himself. This terrain is covered in thick forests and receives heavy rainfall. But hey, it is thrilling to put your hand into the soil and reach a tool that has remained untouched for thousands of years, he says.

Getting permission for a dig can take so long, that Ramesh NK sometimes prefers solo exploration of the surface area, which does not require permisison. I value every feather and tiny shard of pottery, he says. And it drives me crazy when people make archaeological finds by accident.

HOW ITS DONE

Where do you begin, when youre standing on ground that could be covering anything from Stone Age hand axes to Harappan-era homes?

Well, in order to get permission from the ASI, you have to submit a mission statement that explains why you think there might be a site of archaeological importance where you plan to dig; and what you expect to find there.

If the site is owned by an individual, you need their permission too before proceeding, says Amit Upadhyay, assistant professor of history and archaeology at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. Sometimes, the people living there do not trust you or you cannot speak their language. We had this problem when we were exploring the Tura region in Meghalaya.

Once you get the go-ahead, digging commences  a few centimetres at a time  usually on slots with an area of 4 sq metres. It will likely be several feet before you find anything. If you hit bedrock, you know theres nothing there, and start over.

If youre lucky, you begin to find bits of stone or metal that bear the imprint of human hands  tools, beads, arrowheads.

Equipment is hard to come by on independent digs, so measurements are often done using tools from a basic geometry box. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

Patience is a virtue you need if youre an archaeologist. We become friends with bugs, laughs Shantanu Vaidya, 33, an archaeologist currently working near Nagpur in Maharashtra. He has been a part of 11 digs over 4 years. The food may be crappy, you cannot browse social media websites and work can get repetitive. Sometimes we find one stone tool on the site and then nothing after that for days. There is also fear of wild animals.

For Ramesh, a childhood interest in stamps and stones grew to become a passion for history and later, prehistory. Do you know what annoys me most? Accidental archaeological discoveries, he says, with a big grimace. Made or ruined while someone was laying the foundation for a home or digging septic tank.

His most exciting discoveries have been a 10,000-year-old Megalithic cist burial monument in the Malabar region of Kerala (see graphic: Digging Deeper).

I value every feather and tiny shard of pottery, he adds, and I find it maddening that some people, though theyre not even looking for it, stumble upon ancient finds!

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE

Vaidya gets his first whiff of excitement from the earthy smell of recently excavated earth.

The excavators have to often sleep in tents and work for days in areas with no cellphone network. Dehydration, allergies and minor injuries are common. But, they say, there is nothing to compare with the thrilling of putting your hand into the soil and reaching a tool untouched for thousands of years.

Its almost always hot and uncomfortable, he says. You sleep in a tent on the site. Theres often no cellphone or data coverage; we have to use walkie-talkies to communicate with each other. But I do enjoy being disconnecting from reality and living in the past.

Tosabanta Pradhan, a post-doctoral fellow at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Punjab, misses the hearty meals of home.

Getting mud in your rice is not very pleasant. You also get burnt in the sun, dehydrated, get allergies and suffer minor injuries, he says. I have experienced every kind of climate through my 13 digs, but I have also seen flora and fauna, experienced the food and cultures of our country through my work. The best part discussing objects we have found, imagining what they must have looked like in their original form.

Credit for a find goes to the finder. But all finds must be catalogued and handed over to the local Collector, who will pass it on to the state government or the ASI.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FINDS

The finders keepers rule doesnt apply here, though you can always access it and get credit as the discoverer, says Anupam Sah, conservation consultant to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj museums conservation centre in Mumbai.

In the Malabar region of Kerala, independent archaeologists helped uncover a Megalithic structure that was probably a secondary burial site.

A majority of Rameshs findings, for instance, are at the Anthropological Heritage Museum of Kannur University and the ethnological museum at KIRTADS (the Kerala Institute for Research, Training and Development Studies of Scheduled Castes and Tribes).

Sometimes the finds are so valuable, that a site is sealed off by the ASI and thenceforth worked on only by its experts. Otherwise, the finds are taken to the institute that backed you, and studied there, says Shinde. The finds belong, by default, to the government of India, so you get no financial rewards or payment for uncovering them.

Most archaeologists teach to earn a living, Shinde adds.

Working at the sites is a relatively small part of the job, albeit the most important one. We spend a lot of time researching the artefacts we find, says Pradhan. Then we work to publish our findings and teach for semesters at colleges.

Back at Mohantys site in Talpada, Odisha, the archaeologist stands in a forest clearing amid abandoned trenches filled with muddy water.

When an independent dig is backed by a university, students often help out. Here some examine 2,000-year-old pottery shards and fossilised foodgrains in Talpada, Odisha. (Satyabrata Tripathy / HT Photo)

Its been a successful dig. Mohanty and his team of 13 have found 2,000-year-old bits of pottery, stone tools and carbonised foodgrains, as they expected to.

Students from colleges in Cuttack, Pune and Mumbai examine the finds with instruments out of a geometry box, in a small room with shattered window panes.

In a site as remote as this, we are grateful to have a shelter at all, says Kumil Behera, 28, a PhD student from Cuttack. He has spent eight months at the site, over the past two years, living in the tent settlement. There is one toilet for 20 people, with a broken lock. The meals are mainly rice and pickle.

The journey to the past is not easy.
Gangster Abu Salem, who is currently serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was denied parole to get married, a senior police official said.

On February 16, Salem wrote to the Taloja jail authorities, seeking parole for 45 days to get married to Sayed Bahar Kausar alias Heena in Mumbai under the Special Marriages Act.

Salem, in his application, said he has been in jail for 12 years, 3 months and 14 days, and has never been out on any leave. The letter was sent to the divisional commissioner of Konkan division on March 27 with his background. After verifying the details, they sent the letter and their report on it to Thane police commissionerate on April 5, 11 and 16, from where it reached the Mumbra police station for further scrutiny.

The police recorded statements of Heenas family.

Salems application was forwarded to the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, the competent authority to process such pleas, the police official said.

The Divisional Commissioner rejected the extradited gangsters application three days ago after receiving a negative report from the Thane Police Commissionerate.

In his application, Salem had stated he would stay at Heenas home in Mumbra during the parole period. The two guarantors for Salem were Mohammed Salim Abdul Razak Memon and Mohammed Rafique Sayyed, who say they are his cousins. Heena, her mother and Rafique Sayyed recorded their statements at Mumbra police station on Thursday and Friday.

Heena was in the news for allegedly travelling with the gangster from Mumbai to Lucknow in 2014. An inquiry found that her mobile location matched with that of Salem but Heena said her SIM card was being used her by grandfather.

Salem was first married to Mumbai-based Sumaira Jumani and later linked to actor Monica Bedi, who was extradited with him from Portugal.

(With PTI inputs)
A sessions court has refused to grant bail to Anwar Bagwan booked in connection with a case registered against alleged members of Indian Mujahideen for waging a war against the nation in 2008.

Bagwan who is also being prosecuted in connection with the Ahmedabad serial blasts case, had claimed that he is innocent. He claimed that he is a doctor and was falsely implicated in the case.

The defence had claimed that he has been in jail for a long time and his further custody is not required. The prosecution objected the bail claiming he was in charge of the Primary Health Centre in Jogwadi, Pune, and played a major role in this crime. The prosecution claimed that Bagwan has also undergone terrorist and Jihadist training.

The prosecution also said Bagwan took an apartment on rent in Pune on the instructions of Riyaz Bhatkal and Ikbal Bhatkal. Furthermore, he is alleged to have procured sedatives and anaesthetic drugs from the pharmacy of KEM Hospital, Pune, in his name and also from the Primary Health Centre. Those drugs were used for training the Indian Mujahideen operatives in kidnapping targets with the objective of acquiring ransoms, the prosecution said.

After hearing both sides, the court observed that it cannot be said that he is not guilty of the offence at this stage or that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail. Considering serious charges against the accused which relates to the security of the nation, it is not desirable to release the accused on bail even though he is behind the bars for about nine years, the court observed while rejecting his bail.
The citys civic authority has come under fire once again for failing to act against fire safety and health violations at an eatery. A fire incident at one of Juhus popular cafes on Wednesday night, third one in the past three years, has left residents in fear.

Residents had complained that VJ Cafe, located in a residential building near Mithibai college, is a nuisance and a fire hazard to everyone. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has failed to take strict action despite multiple minor fire incidents and written complaints from residents.

Its premises are unclean and unhygienic and there are gas cylinders lying outside the kitchen. A few days ago, flames came up to our bedroom on the first floor, said Neelam Shelat, who lives right above the cafe.

BMC officials confirmed that the eatery has been running without a license from the health department. According to an official of the department, who spoke on terms of anonymity, the cafes application for license was cancelled owing to violations.

We had sent an inspection report and a notice to shut down the cafe. We had even confiscated their goods and gas cylinders three times since last month. However, it has reopened once again, said the official, adding that BMC has taken the owner to court.

Vaibhav Jain, owner of the VJ franchise with 15 outlets in Mumbai, distanced himself from the issue, saying that he shut down the Juhu establishment owing to problems with licenses.

Meanwhile, Rohan Rambhiya, who had been running the cafe in the name of the franchise, said, I had changed the cafes name to Romeos seven months ago. However, it has been closed since March 31. A fire compliance certificate was not needed because we only sold ready-made food and milkshakes.

A fire official in the know of the matter said that the fire on Wednesday night is likely to be caused by a short circuit in the exhaust fan.

He further admitted, The eatery had not been checked by the fire brigades new inspection cell due to shortage of staff. We are checking if the structure had been issued a fire compliance certificate before.

BMC demolished Worli cafe

A 10-year-old unauthorised eatery at Worli Sea Face has been demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The civic body said that the ground plus one Cafe Sea Face had opened up illegally in 2007.

The eatery had been running without any permissions from BMC. Civic officials said that after Bombay high court lifted a stay order on the demolition of the structure, BMC went ahead and took action.

The seafront eatery had a built-up area of 1,500 sq ft on the first floor. The action was taken by 40 civic officials with police officials for protection, said assistant municipal commissioner Devendrakuamar Jain.
On March 23, the day when the Maharashtra government issued a notification to ban plastic items, a thousand plastic manufacturing units across Maharashtra, claimed manufacturers, downed their shutters. In addition, the state governments ban on plastic items abruptly rendered lakhs of industry workers without a source of livelihood.

According to the All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA), more than 4 lakh workers, male and female, were employed by about 2,150 manufacturing units in the state.

After the plastic ban notification last month, four manufacturing units in Mulund were shut down, leaving almost 500 employees jobless.

While many workers who had migrated from states such as Uttar Pradesh returned to their native places, others have taken up odd jobs elsewhere. The rest are still unemployed.

Ramesh Saroj, 35, who worked in one of the manufacturing units at Ramgopal Industrial Estate in Mulund, said, I used to load and unload goods for a monthly salary of Rs9,000 to Rs10,000. Now, I have no source of income to provide for my family of four. Priya Waksavre, 25, one of the 50 women who had worked in Mulund, now works for a pharmaceutical company. I earn half of what I used to. It was very difficult to find another job, she said.

The ban has equally affected owners and traders. The data from AIPMA revealed that 10% of the total plastic goods had been banned, which means that products worth Rs5,000 crore will be wiped from the market.

Some factory owners said they were moving their units to Gujarat  an onerous task, they noted.

Pramod Pareek, who had employed 1,213 workers in Vapi, said, I could not sell back the raw material. The final product has been lying in my godown, and traders have not paid us for a month. Despite this, I had to give my employees their monthly allowance. In a month, I have lost Rs2lakh-Rs3lakh.

Jagannath Kamath, president of the Plastic Manufacturers Social Welfare Association (PMSWA), said the state should have at least given enough time to manufacturers to repay loans; workers to find other jobs; and citizens to switch to alternatives.

Teething trouble over alternatives

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to enable womens self-help groups (SHG) to produce alternatives to the banned plastic products. It has registered 48 SHGs to produce bags made of cloth, paper and other bio-degradable items.

The switch faces challenges, if not insurmountable. SHGs, set up by NGOs and through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, need financial and marketing aid from the government.

A month after the ban, the BMC is still dragging its feet over setting up stalls to sell environment-friendly bags in markets as promised. Surekha Bandiwadekar, head of a SHG, Shivshakti Mahila Bachat Ghat in Dadar, said, We have sold only 3,000 cloth bags in four months. People are unaware and unwilling to buy expensive bags. We need a specific place to sell our products. Making cloth bags is not a profitable business.

Cloth bags cost between Rs10 and Rs30 apiece. Rushali Zagade of Stri Shakti Mahila Samaj Vikas Sanstha, another SHG, said alternatives needed to be attractive and affordable. SHGs need financial support from the government for production, employee training as well as spreading awareness.

According to assistant municipal commissioner (planning) Sangita Hasnale, the BMC will conduct awareness drives including a Rath Yatra in May. Self-help groups will get stalls in all markets soon and will also get help with publicity. We are yet to get sanction on subsidised loans for 500 SHGs, she said.
As some private medical colleges continue to deny admission to students pursuing post-graduation (PG) owing to a dispute over fees, medical education and drugs minister Girish Mahajan revealed that the government had offered to allow institutes to charge four times the regular fees for management quota students.

The colleges refused the offer and insisted on being allowed to charge five times the fees instead, said the minister.

The representative of a private medical college in Pune contradicted Mahajan, saying that the government never made such an offer.

The government officials had allowed for a 1:3:5 formula for fees, wherein students receiving 35% of the seats reserved for management quota get charged three times the fees and students receiving 15% of the seats reserved for non-resident Indians (NRI) get charged five times the fees. But the colleges refused to accept this. So instead, the government proposed a 1:4:5 formula, which was also rejected by them, Mahajan said.

Earlier this week, the government gave an ultimatum to the institutes to either participate in the common admission process (CAP) or have their seats left vacant. While the institutes were asked to respond by Friday, they sought more time from the authorities.

A representative of a private medical college claimed that the government never made such a proposal to the colleges. He, however, added, It wont make much of a difference in the fees.

HT couldnt reach Kamal Kishore Kadam, president of Association of Management of Unaided Private Medical and Dental Colleges.

The colleges plan to respond to the government by Monday.

Meanwhile, the states directorate of medical education and research has begun the second round of admissions for the seats left vacant in the first round. As of Tuesday, 208 out of 400 PG seats at private institutes were filled.
A 24-year-old chartered accountant belonging to an affluent Jain family from Mumbai on Friday embraced monkhood by renouncing his career and family business worth over Rs 100 crore.

Mokshesh Sheth, who managed his familys business for two years after becoming a CA, gave up all the earthly possessions and aspirations to became a Jain monk at a ceremony held in Gandhinagar on Friday, his uncle Girish Sheth said.

From today, Mokshesh, the eldest son of Mumbai-based businessman Sandip Sheth, will be known as Karunapremvijay Jee, he said.

Our family originally belongs to Deesa town of Banaskantha district (in Gujarat) and is now settled in Mumbai. We are into aluminium business and have a factory in Sangli. Mokshesh handled the operations for two years after becoming a CA in his first attempt, said Girish Sheth.

Mokshesh ran the business successfully and the turnover (at present) reached over Rs 100 crore, he claimed.

On Thursday, 12-year-old Bhavya Shah, son of a millionaire diamond merchant in Surat also embraced monkhood.

Talking to reporters before becoming a Jain monk, Bhavya said he was happy to leave behind his luxurious life.
In the wake of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammus Kathua district, which has generated a heated debate for implementation of harsher punishment for such heinous crimes, senior advocate Rizwan Merchant announced a panel of women lawyers who will take up rape cases across Maharashtra. The group will also approach the state and write to the Prime Ministers Office to consider castration as a punishment for those found guilty of rape.

Merchant announced Harmony Brigade while addressing a congregation organised by Harmony Foundation, a social organisation, of schoolchildren at St Xaviers College. Sharing the news in the presence of retired Bombay high court judge Abhay Thipsay, former Mumbai police chief MN Singh and others, Merchant said the panel, working pro bono, will also aid investigating agencies so that crucial evidence is not lost.

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is the same as it was in 1984, save some changes in the procedures. The FSL lacks infrastructure to perform important tests on time, he added.

He also said the group will write to the PMO and the state, suggesting options of surgical or chemical castration, which is legal in a few countries, for those found guilty of rape.

Reduction in time taken to complete the judicial process and expediting cases in fast track courts is the need of the hour, Merchant said.

Talking about death penalty, Thipsay said deterrence has its own limitations.

The actual deterrence is the certainty of being caught and not just the extent of punishment. Even after the amendment, to increase punishment to death, the NCRB data shows the cases [crime against women and children] have increased.

While Singh maintained that he is against cruel punishments, be it castration or death, he said if the law recognises the punishment and court awards the same to the convict, we must respect the decision. Singh, however, called out the political class for turning rape cases into a slugfest.

India has become a sick society. The political class has become a threat to civil society as they engage in communalism. Only a few are secular in beliefs and their deeds, Singh said.

Speaking at the event, Trisha Shetty, social activist and founder of She Says, a womens rights organisation, put the onus on those in the government and urged citizens to take a stand and question those in power. She said death penalty is not the solution in cases where the perpetrator is related to the survivor, as fear of losing their relative to death may prevent action.

The students also shared their views, calling for a change in rape-culture and a need to educate and empower women.
The Shiv Sena on Saturday opposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) decision to appoint two consultants (called project management consultants) for the citys proposed coastal road project.

The two consultants will be paid Rs120 crore. After civic chief Ajoy Mehta informed the BMC general body that the administration will appoint the consultants within the next two to three weeks, leader of the house Vishakha Raut opposed the decision citing that the tenders had overstepped their deadline and would need to be floated again. Raut said, The administration cannot appoint the consultants as the tenders that appointed them have expired.

This is not the first time that the Sena has opposed the appointment of the two consultants. Senas Yashwant Jadhav who is the committee chairman also rejected this proposal in the standing committee meeting on Wednesday.

The BMC administration had proposed to appoint the two consultants on March 9 and had submitted the proposal to the standing committee for approval. The committee did not take up the issue for discussion in the mandated period of 30 days. The proposal was then deemed passed, as per procedure. Following this, on April 18, the ruling Shiv Sena took up the proposal in the standing committee and rejected it.

A senior civic official said, Senas rejection of the proposal in the standing committee did not stand ground because the proposal was deemed passed in the same committee. Now the civic chief can appoint the consultants considering the standing committee passed the proposal by default.

Mehta on Saturday informed the house about the appointment of the consultants as per procedure. The official added, Contrary to Senas claim that the tender has expired, the administration had secured an extension to the deadline. Even though the Sena opposed it in the house, standing committee is bound by law. We will appoint the consultants within two or three weeks. Their work will start when the overall work of the coastal road starts.

The work of these two consultants includes overseeing the routine construction work of the first phase of the coastal road, from Princess Street flyover to Worli. They will work under the general consultant appointed by the civic body.
Instead, the county should encourage the rebuilding of homes that were lost to last years wildfires, Dillon said. Many of those were small homes and second units that provided workforce housing, she said.

Measure C

Perez said he supports Measure C, the ballot initiative that would increase stream setbacks and limit the acreage of oak woodlands that could be converted to vineyards.

He said the existence of Measure C indicates a lack of leadership in county government. Initiatives, while not ideal, are a last resort when communities feel theyre not being listened to by those that are in control of what theyre trying to correct, he said.

Had the county been more proactive in regards to addressing the issue of our watersheds and our water quality, Measure C would not exist, Perez said, noting that the planting out of the valley floor has created more pressure to plant on the hillsides.

Dillon said shes neutral on Measure C, but if that ordinance came to us at the Board of Supervisors Id send it back to staff to be reworked.
The transport authority for Mumbai recently accepted the proposal to issue autorickshaw permits to three drivers with a criminal record, even without receiving their police verification certificates (PVC).

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA), chaired by state transport secretary Manoj Saunik, took the decision on the proposal moved by Andheri regional transport office (RTO), in its recent meeting.

Andheri RTO had already issued letters of intent for the three drivers but it had put the registration of the vehicles on hold.

The transport department rule mandates that drivers should have a good moral character and not have a criminal record in the past one year. They are also supposed to produce a PVC upon which they would receive the letter of intent.

The Andheri RTO had put the registration of autorickshaws belonging to Ahmed Hussain, Prakash Surve and Imran Sheikh on hold, as their cases are pending at Nirmal Nagar, Oshiwara and DN Nagar police stations, respectively.

Several RTO officials said the move may set a wrong precedent. However, Saunik said that as such cases are scrutinised before MMRTA, it wont lead to many seeking such exemptions.

One case has been closed and the other two are minor offences with no conviction. This wont open floodgates because such cases can be cleared only by MMRTA, which has senior police officers as its members. Their advice was taken before reaching a decision, said Saunik.

MMRTAs proposal states that Hussain has been booked under sections 279 (rash driving) and 338 of the Indian Penal code (IPC), Surve under sections 325 (causing hurt), 504 (breach of peace) and 34, and Sheikh under section 353 (deterring government servant from duty), 332, 504 and 34. It further says the case against Hussain has been disposed of.

RTO officials questioned how can Andheri RTO issue a letter of intent to drivers without a PVC. Ideally it should be issued only after producing all required documents, said an RTO official.

The guidelines state that a taxi or autorickshaw permit applicant should produce a PVC from a police station, in whose jurisdiction they are staying, stating that no cognizable offence is registered against them in the past one year, said an official.

According to MMRTAs proposal, RTO will obtain an affidavit from the drivers, stating they will themselves surrender their permits in case they get convicted. An officials said RTOs dont have a system to keep a tab on such criminal cases and the police dont report it to them. It is foolish to expect the drivers will surrender permits, he said.

According to RTO officials, in the recent past, the city has witnessed several criminal cases, including molestation of female passengers from auto drivers. The RTO office moved the proposal under pressure from an autorickshaw union leader, said another RTO official.
One in four children spend four hours a day looking at screen of televisions, laptops and mobile phones, found a survey conducted by doctors of a city-based childrens hospital.

Doctors interviewed parents of 70 children who had walked in for consultations. Of these, 41 were under five years of age and others were between five and 18 years.

A team of paediatricians, neurologists, neuro-oncologists from Narayana Health SRCC Childrens Hospital conducted the survey during an eye check-up camp at the hospital. The findings, doctors said, gives an idea about the growing problem of increased screen time among children.

Dr Puja Mehta, paediatric neurologist, at the hospital, who was a part of the team, said, Most children wake up by 8am. After they are back from school, they have about six to eight hours till bed time, out of which they are spending nearly half of the awake time on screen, Mehta said.

While there are no formal guidelines on screen time for children in India, the American Academy of Paediatrics recommends there should be no screen time for children under the age of 18 months, said Sujata Mushrif, consultant paediatric haemato oncologist at the hospital.

In our survey, we found that many children, under the age of 18 months, were spending time on mobile phones, she said. 

Doctors said there are a range of medical concerns that come with increased screen time. Dr Anaita Hegde, a city-based paediatric neurologist said adequate number of studies have shown that increased screen time releases certain chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain which result in addiction. These studies suggest that the addiction is same as what one would get while gambling, she said. She added that increased screen time also leads to anxiety problems and depression later on in life.

Doctors advised parents to keep screen time of children limited to what is recommended by the American Academy of Paediatrics.

Nutrition is another concern when it comes to increased screen time. Parents often keep the TV on while feeding their children. It either leads to over-eating or in case some children, they become picky eaters, Hegde said. The survey found 50% of the children watched television while having their meals. Nutrition-related problems are also correlated to increased screen time, doctors said.

IS YOUR CHILD GLUED TO THE SCREEN? HERES HELP These are some recommendations given by American Academy of Paediatrics For children younger than 18 months: Avoid use of screen media other than video-chatting. For children between 18 and 24 months: Parents who want to introduce digital media to teir children should choose high-quality programmes and watch it with their children to help them understand what theyre seeing For children between 2 and 5 years: Limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high-quality programmes. Parents should co-view media with children to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them For children 6-year-olds and above: Place consistent limits on the time spent using media, and the types of media. Make sure media does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviours essential to health Designate media-free times together, such as dinner or driving, as well as media-free locations at home, such as bedrooms Communicate about online citizenship and safety, including treating others with respect online and offline
The plan for operating regional flights from Hindon airbase, as part of the regional connectivity scheme (RCS), is progressing at a fast pace.

The officials of the Ghaziabad district administration said on Friday that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has already floated tenders for the project.

District magistrate Ritu Maheshwari attended a meeting with state government officials and said a decision will soon be taken on the 19,000 square metres of land needed for constructing a major road to the project area.

The AAI has already floated tenders for terminal facilities. The airports authority has also approved the rate for leasing land near the airbase and we had forwarded this to the state government. The state government has already approved the lease rate. A decision will soon be taken on whether the land for the road will be acquired or taken on lease from farmers, Maheshwari said.

The e-tenders, for the construction of a pre-engineered airport terminal building and associated works on a design-and-build basis, have been floated by AAI. The project is estimated to cost 45.4 crore with a completion time frame of four months.

The officials, in an earlier meeting with the UP chief secretary, had finalised a rate of 200 per square metre a year to lease nearly 7.5 acres. This is required for developing terminal facilities near the Hindon airbase.

The procurement of land on lease is vital to the project as the regional connectivity scheme will help operate flights from Hindon, thereby easing the burden on the already congested Delhi airport.

The land will be used for constructing entry/exit points and a waiting area for passengers. Only the runway of the airbase will be used for the flights.

The facility is intended to meet a demand of 200 peak hour passengers.

However, some of the farmers have not yet agreed to the rate finalised by the UP government and the AAI. The negotiations reached a deadlock after farmers quoted a lease rent price of 1.5 crore per annum while the AAI quoted 10 lakh per annum, officials said.

The rate finalised for lease are not acceptable to us. My family has nearly 25 bighas of land, which is required for

the RCS project. We are yet to agree to lease our land for the project, Abhishek Garg, a landholder, said.

According to officials, 90% of the land identified in Sikandarpur belongs to farmers while the remaining 10% is with UP Awas Vikas, a state government agency. Officials said an additional 35 acres will be required for future expansions.

The additional piece of land, which is being considered, will be used for development of a full-fledged civil enclave, including apron facilities.
A mans body was found on Saturday hanging from a tree in the Sector Beta-1 Park in Greater Noida, police said.

The deceased was identified as Ramanand Tiwari, a resident of Kanpur. He was staying at a rented accommodation and used to work in a company in Greater Noida, they said.

His body has been sent for post mortem.

Police said whether it was suicide or murder would be known once the post mortem is completed.

In Naya Gaon in Noidas Phase-2 area, a man allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a ceiling fan at his house, police said.

The deceased was identified as Sanjay, a resident of Aligarh.

Police said when his wife returned home after work, she found his body hanging from the fan.

She informed the police and the body was sent for post mortem, they said.
A few weeks before a Supreme Court-led investigation led to the conviction of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and minister Mayaben Kodnani in 2012, I was in Naroda Patiya, speaking with eyewitnesses who had stood firm for 10 long years. They had been threatened and intimidated for naming the minister.

They gave graphic descriptions of that day in February 2002, when their nondescript neighbourhood in Ahmedabad resembled a gigantic bonfire. Mobs had gathered at Noorani Masjid, located on the main road, and then roamed its labyrinthine bylanes, shouting Jai Shri Ram slogans and brandishing swords and trishuls (tridents).

Among the 97 Muslims that the fire devoured were Shakeela Banos mother, two brothers, a sister-in-law and a young niece and nephew. Bano remembered the children being flung into the blaze. She and many others told the special court about Kodnanis alleged role; of how she allegedly came to the area and exhorted the crowd to kill Muslims. They claimed she oversaw the distribution of swords and trishuls and assured the crowd that there would be no police enquiries against them.

 A coach of a train, carrying Hindu pilgrims, burns in Gujarats Godhra. (REUTERS FILE)

The police didnt name her as an accused but the apex-court driven Special Investigation Team said it found evidence of her involvement  including call logs of her being in touch with the other Patiya accused.

The victims families led wretched lives for 10 years until judge Jyotsana Yagnik delivered her judgment in 2012, convicting Kodnani and sentencing her to 28 years in jail. Detailing the ministers alleged role, the judgment called her the kingpin of riots.

Kodnani has now been exonerated by the Gujarat high court. Survivors such as Bano remain at the mercy of their neighbours, who have continued to threaten them for naming their Hindu neighbours. Patiyas residents had, in the worst form of betrayal, turned on their own.

Communal riots are like cancer on constitutional secularism and the incident in Naroda Patiya was a black chapter in the history of the Indian Constitution, special judge Yagnik had observed. Her words had gone a long way in assuaging the wounds of Patiyas survivors but today, the high court overturned the conviction, saying the witnesses were unreliable and that none of them had named Kodnani when the case was first registered.

India has a spectacular record of not delivering basic justice when it comes to brazen riots, carried out in broad daylight, be it Delhi or Ahmedabad. Who killed 3,000 people in Delhi and 1,000 in Gujarat? Can it be that the guilty are only petty foot soldiers? Did political exhorters have nothing to do with 1984 or 2002?
There is much about the Supreme Court that requires reform. Equally, there is much about the actions of the incumbent Chief Justice of India that may be disquieting. Particularly, the allegation by the four senior justices in their press conference in January about questionable bench selections by the CJI, his continuance on a bench to hear a matter relating to medical college admissions where his involvement, rightly or wrongly, had been insinuated, and his studied silence on these issues, are grave provocations that might impel a concerned Parliament to act to restore the dignity of the court.

Such action might have taken many forms  a law to curb the powers of the court and the method of case allocation by the CJI, might have been an option. But when seven opposition parties unite to bring an impeachment motion against the CJI in the aftermath of the judgment dismissing the plea for a judicial probe into the death of judge Loya, who was presiding over a case in which the BJP party president was an accused, the conclusion is inescapable  the court is now a plaything of politicians for electoral gains.

On the face of it, the charges levelled by 71 MPs (seven of the signatories have since retired) against the CJI are serious. An impeachment motion, if initiated in January, may have evoked sympathy as a desperate attempt to institute an inquiry and hold the court accountable to the standards it expects of others. But by choosing to bring an impeachment motion, not at the time,or at any other time, but when faced with an adverse judgment to which the CJI was a party, the most core principle of judicial independence has been breached  that a judge cannot hold his tenure based on the rightness or wrongness of his judgment.

Impeachment, in constitutional law and history, is the apogee of accountability measures, to be used as a last resort by the people against holders of high public office. It is the practical application of clergyman Fullers dictum be ye ever so high, the law is above you, a grand inquest as former Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist described it. American politicians, at the height of their petty squabbling when the two-party system was taking root, understood its significance. In the only instance of impeachment of a US Supreme Court justice till date, in 1804, Justice Samuel Chase was sought to be impeached for his politically motivated judgments. Even though on facts it was clear that he was politically biased on the bench, the Senate, by a bipartisan majority, refused to confirm the impeachment. The principle  that no judge can be sacked for his judgment  was firmly established.

It is this principle, accepted as canonical in democracies the world over, that has been questioned in India today. This isnt altogether a surprise  our politicians trysts with impeachment so far have been mixed. That only one impeachment motion (of justice V Ramaswami) has been voted on by both Houses of Parliament, is testament to their wisdom and restraint; equally the fact that in that singular instance, despite an independent inquiry committee having concluded that the judge had engaged in proven misbehaviour, the Congress party issued a whip to its members to abstain, thereby defeating the impeachment, showed how unprincipled and self-serving politicians could be.

The initiation of the impeachment motion against CJI Misra will undoubtedly entrench the latter narrative. When the dust has settled, the actual charges against the CJI will pale into insignificance in comparison with the principle of judicial independence that was incontrovertibly compromised. Restoring the credibility of Parliament to assure the country that reform of the court is possible, without making it a pawn in a political minefield will be arduous, matched only by the measures needed to set right the missteps of the CJI that has brought the court to the brink. For both these ends, playing fast and loose with the Supreme Court for political gains must stop. One would have hoped that having lived through the Emergency, our politicians might have known better.

(Arghya Sengupta is the research director of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, a New Delhi-based think-tank. Views are personal)
Reading recently about the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, vigorously wooing the automobile industry to establish a manufacturing hub in his state, I remembered a remark made by economist Arvind Panagariya when he was the vice-chairman of the Niti Aayog. He wondered why so much effort was made by governments to woo industries, which were no longer labour-intensive. He was well aware that industrial manufacturing generates jobs well beyond the factory floor and its spin-offs benefit local economies and spread wider than them. Nevertheless the fact is that there are economic activities which would pay far richer dividends in creating sustainable employment if governments paid as much attention to encouraging them as they do to the businessman they invite to their investment jamborees.

I think in particular of what are often known as craft practices. They are the second-largest employer after agriculture, some estimate that they employ as many as 200 million people. But for far too many of those people their crafts do not provide an income which sustains them adequately or guarantees security.

Indias crafts people are unique in the world for their variety, their skills and the beauty of their products. That beauty was on display at a recent exhibition of textiles in Delhis Crafts Museum. Gorgeous would be an inadequate adjective to describe the textiles, which were part of the collection of the late Martand Singh, the leading authority on Indian textiles and the techniques of Indian weavers. He had put the collection together by researching and documenting the textile skills, which were still surviving and then commissioning work from the weavers he discovered.

Between 1981 and 1991, Mapu, as he was called, initiated a series of textile collections, which led to the revival of weaving communities and a new interest in textile art. The exhibitions were called Vishwakarma, the god who is the patron of artisans. Speaking at the conclusion of this exhibition of Vishwakarma textiles Ashoke Chatterjee, former director of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and former President of the Crafts Council of India, said: Vishwakarma is now in crisis.

The crafts industry is being buffeted by competition from manufacturing, declining demand, lack of marketing skills and resource crunches. Inevitably the blame for all these deficiencies is often put on the government. Chatterjee did complain that the government habitually ignored the crafts industry. As an example, he pointed out that the government had not consulted the crafts community over GST. But Chatterjee also believed: We, the crafts community, have to make a strong argument for crafts. We have to create demand and livelihood.

Talking to weavers in a village just outside Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, I was convinced that there was much the government could do to create demand and livelihood for crafts workers. The weavers complained that none of the government institutions established to promote handloom textiles helped with marketing, so demand for their cloth was declining. In fact, the government was doing the opposite, apparently by providing subsidies to purchase powerlooms.

Barabanki weavers were in the hands of middle-men who would pay as little as Rs 20-25 for a gamcha. With the whole family weaving, the households monthly income would only be between 6-10,000 rupees. The weaver families used to buy cotton from local farmers and spin it for themselves but the farmers have switched to cash crops and the weavers have to buy expensive mill spun cotton. The only help reaching the weavers was coming from an NGO called Digital Empowerment Foundation. They had a small resident team devising methods of marketing the weavers cloth digitally.

For all their disadvantages handloom weavers still produce millions of metres of cloth each year. The crafts industry as a whole has enormous potential to expand. The crafts community needs to create awareness of the scope and richness of Indian products to create demand. Governments have to promote crafts as vigorously as they promote manufacturing industries.

If they fail, there will be no weavers to be inspired by Mapus collection and Indias second largest job provider will wither and die.

The views expressed are personal
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on Friday announced that a three-member panel will investigate the visa recommendation of a Sikh woman from Garhshankar (Hoshiarpur) who converted to Islam and married a man in Lahore while on an SGPC-coordinated pilgrimage in Pakistan.

The panel has been asked to give its report within five days. It will check who recommended her name and how she approached that official or member, said SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, who was in Bathinda for an executive boy meeting of the prime Sikh organisation. He said the Sikh organisations of Pakistan have also been contacted.

A senior SGPC official, meanwhile, said to HT on the condition of anonymity that the woman, Kiran Bala who is now Amna Bibi, managed to get the visa upon recommendation from a junior SGPC official who is close to a former minister. That SGPC official is posted at the Golden Temple and is out of the country these days, said the SGPC functionary who was privy to the process. Already, SGPC members from her area have claimed they did not recommend her name.

Must read | Knew of affair, says family of Punjab woman who converted, married in Pakistan

Also, Longowal said, the SGPC will further tighten the norms to select persons to be part of any jatha (group) on pilgrimage to Pakistan. Terming the incident unfortunate, Longowal, during his visit for the SGPC executive committee meeting at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo near Bathinda, told reporters that the governments of both India and Pakistan should ensure that any Sikh pilgrim who visits Pakistan should come back with the jatha. He added that the SGPC will help the womans family in whatever way they will ask.

Were shocked to know of her pilgrimage plan

Meanwhile, the womans mother-in-law in Garhshankar, Krishan Kaur, told HT over the phone, The local police called us around a week before the jatha left for Pakistan (for the April 12-21 visit). The cop on the line told us that Kiran had applied for a visa to Pakistan. She was in Delhi at her parents home. We immediately called her over the phone to ask to clarify. But she convinced us finally.
The Sikh jatha returned after visiting Sikh holy shrines in Pakistan on Saturday but without one of its members, Kiran Bala, now Amna Bibi, who embraced Islam and married a Lahore man.

The 717-member jatha, led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive member Gurmeet Singh Booh, left for Pakistan on April 12 to celebrate Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib.

Bala, a Sikh woman from Garhshankar in Punjabs Hoshiarpur district, who was part of the jatha, went missing while on a pilgrimage and later it was found that she married a Muslim on April 16.

She was married to a mechanic, Narinder Singh, who died in a road accident in 2013, and has left behind her three children, aged 6, 8 and 12, with whom she lived at her in-laws home here.

It was being said that the Pakistani authorities might deport her as her visa was to expire on Saturday, but following the Lahore high court direction to the interior ministry to decide on her application for Pakistani citizenship and extension to her visa in 30 days, she was allowed to stay there.

After celebrating the foundation day of the Khalsa Panth, we went to Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak, on April 15 and stayed there for two days. The next day, we paid obeisance at Gurdwara Sacha Sauda and then visited Sikh shrines in Lahore. On April 19, we visited Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Narowal, said Booh on arrival at the railway station.

When asked about Kiran Bala, he said: There was tight security arrangement at Gurdwara Panja Sahib and it was not possible for anyone to flee. But the pilgrims got relaxation on arriving at Nankana Sahib. We learnt about her move when we reached Lahore.

Booh also endorsed Pakistans clarification on accusations made by India that the Sikh pilgrims were denied consular access in Pakistan.

On arriving at the Attari railway station after visiting Sikh shrines in Pakistan, Booh said: Sikhs in Pakistan were protesting against the controversial movie, Nanak Shah Fakir, at Gurdwara Panja Sahib. To prevent any untoward incident, officials of the Indian consulate were not permitted to meet us.

But the next day, they met us at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, he said, adding: The arrangements there were up to the mark. We are impressed by their hospitality.

According to the ministry of external affairs, the Indian high commissioner to Pakistan was asked to return from Gurdwara Panja Sahib for unspecified security reasons on April 14.
GARHWA A head constable of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) died after a jawan opened fire on him in Jharkhands Garhwa district on Saturday, police said.

The accused was arrested from Garhwa-Majhiaon road when he was trying to flee. The firearm and live ammunition used in the crime seized.

The accused jawan, Yukti Narayan Singh aka Dara Singh from Majhiaon, confessed to have opened fire on Afroj Shamad, the head constable who belonged to Munger in Bihar.

A personal dispute is suspected to be the reason behind the murder, said Garhwa superintendent of police Md Arshi. The accused was a short tempered man and he lost cool over some minor dispute, the SP added.

The incident occurred on the Namdhari College premises where the district administration had set up a counting centre for the urban local body election that concluded on Friday. IRB forces had been deployed there to provide security cover to the strong room.

When the forces were preparing to leave the college around 6.15 am on Saturday, the jawans and officers heard sounds of several rounds of gunshots, and found Shamad wounded by bullets and bleeding. He died on the spot.
Allu Arjuns upcoming patriotic drama Naa Peru Surya is one of the most awaited Telugu big ticket film. Originally slated to release on April 27, the film was postponed after Rajinikanths Kaala was confirmed to release on the same day. The makers of Naa Peru Surya pushed the release by a week. On Friday, it was announced that the film has been cleared by Central Board Film Certification (CBFC) with U/A certificate.

Arjun plays the role of a soldier army with anger issues in the film. Director Vakkantham Vamsi is known for his contribution as a writer for hit films such as Kick and Temper. Apparently, Vamsi was supposed to make his directorial debut nearly two years ago when a leading star promised to work with him. Unfortunately, the project never took off and Vamsi had to wait. Finally, when he pitched the story to Arjun, the actor immediately agreed to do the project.

Also starring Anu Emmanuel, Arjun Sarja, Sarath Kumar and Thakur Anup Singh, the character essayed by Arjun in the film required him to shed weight and he worked with a US-based trainer for close to a month to achieve the desired look. The film has music by Bollywood composer duo Vishal-Shekhar.

Megastar Chiranjeevi, who is currently busy shooting for upcoming period drama Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, last week made a surprise visit to the sets of Naa Peru Surya.

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Director Ravi Jadhav admits he always knew the subject of his Marathi film Nude would spark controversies but that his loyal Marathi audience would stand by him. I have been working on this film for two years now. When I chose to make it, I knew deep down that something will happen. But, I trusted by Marathi audience. I knew they would stand by me and support my work. They are well aware of such subjects and Marathi theatre and films have been experimental since the beginning. Finally, my patience has paid off and despite several allegations controversies and issues, the film is releasing, says Ravi, who gets anxious before every release as he treats every new film like his first one.

The film was first dropped from the International Film Festival Of India (IFFI) in November 2017 citing various reasons. Then, the Central Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) set up a special jury presided by actor Vidya Balan to view the film. It was then passed without any cuts and given an A certification. Honestly, I prefer to be silent. Initially, I wasnt clear of what happened. Everything was hearsay. I was shooting for another project. Moreover, my son was unwell at the time. However, everything settled down eventually. I am thankful to Prasoon Joshi who intervened and helped me out.

A still from Ravi Jadhavs film Nude featuring Kalyani Muley in the lead (HTPHOTO)

Now, a writer has made allegations of plagiarism on the actor-director and the issue is in court. Ravi says, I cant say much because now it is a legal issue. However, it is very sad that an artiste and an alumnus of JJ School Of Art, who is making a film revolving around art is being accused of copyright issues. This subject has been close to my heart since I was a student. However, I had to wait to make the film. To touch a topic like this, you have to have conviction and a say. Today, after five films, I do have a say in the industry and producers trust me to handle sensitive issues, just like my previous films.

Ravi adds that these things affect him and it does stress him out. But no matter what trouble I go through, it wont stop me from making films with realistic subjects. Nude is a film about a mothers journey to make life easy for her son. It is an inspiring story based on true incidents. The world of nude artistes exists. We were just not aware.

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Sai Pallavi, who rose to fame with Fidaa and Premam is eagerly awaiting the release of her maiden Tamil film , a woman-centric horror drama thatll touch upon the issue of abortion. On Saturday, it was officially announced that the film has been retitled Diya, changing from the original title Karu, confirming the release date as April 27. Announcing the new title via a poster, the makers didnt reveal the reason behind the change of the title. In the film, Sai Pallavi plays a doctor.

Directed by AL Vijay, the film will explore the relationship between a mother and her four-year-old daughter. It is an intense subject and focuses on the bond between a mother and her four-year-old daughter. Sai Pallavi essays the mother. The movie touches upon the issue of abortion and I cant reveal anything more at this point of time, Vijay had said in an interview to Deccan Chronicle, adding he was hell bent on working with Pallavi from the beginning.

Right from the beginning, I was very confident that Sai would be able to pull it off. I watched Premam as well as Kali. I loved her performance in both. She was very impressive in the latter. She has done a wonderful job in the film.

Pallavi, after impressing Telugu audiences with her own dubbing, will also dub in her voice for Diya, which will also release in Telugu as Kanam, and co-stars Naga Shourya. Apparently, Pallavi came forward to dub and Vijay feels itll enhance her role in the film.

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Twenty people were killed in an air strike by a Saudi-led military coalition in southwestern Yemen on Friday, residents said.

The attack hit a car transporting 20 passengers south of Taiz province, locals told Reuters. Six bodies had been identified but the rest were charred beyond recognition, they added.

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said it would investigate the report, but declined to comment further. We take this report very seriously, he said.

The coalition intervened in Yemens civil war in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthis who ousted the internationally recognised government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Houthis now control the capital Sanaa.

Coalition air strikes have repeatedly struck civilian targets while trying to target Houthi forces during the three-year war. The coalition says it does not target civilians.

Houthi fighters killed two people, including a woman, and wounded four others on Friday in an attack north of Taiz, residents and medical sources said.

The Yemen war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and driven the country to the verge of famine, according to the United Nations.
China on Saturday welcomed North Koreas decision to discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches, saying a nuclear-free Korean peninsula was in line with the common interest of the people in the region.

China, North Koreas neighbour and key economic and diplomatic benefactor, hoped that it will continue on the path of development.

The decision was announced by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the third plenary meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea on Friday, the Korean Central News Agency reported.

The DPRK will discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, Chinas official news agency, Xinhua, quoting the KCNA said.

The decision comes within a month of Kims unofficial visit to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping and top Chinese leaders.

China believes the decision made by North Korea will help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement.

A nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in the region are in line with the common interests of the people on the peninsula and in the region, Lu said, adding they are also the common expectation of the international community.

We hope that the DPRK will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards, said Lu.

He said China supports North Korea and the parties concerned to resolve their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to improve their relations.

It is hoped that all parties concerned will meet each other halfway,take concrete actions and make due efforts to achieve lasting peace and common development in the region. China will continue to play an active role in this regard, Lu said.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) has commended Bangladesh for sheltering Rohingya refugees and called for a halt to violence in Myanmar, restoration of normality and accountability of violators of human rights.

A 12-page communique issued at the end of the meeting on Friday set out the 53-member groups position on various issues, including security, trade, migration and climate change, and focused on the situation of Rohingyas in Bangladesh and the Rakhine state in Myanmar.

The communique said: Heads called for a halt to all violence, a restoration of normality, and accountability of the perpetrators of gross violations of human rights through and independent process of investigation.

They further called for the sustainable return of all such displaced Rohingya sheltered in Bangladesh to their rightful home in Myanmar under UNHCR oversight, it added.

Attended by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, CHOGM also called for action to address the root causes of the crisis, including through the immediate implementation of the Rakhine Advisory (Kofi Annan) Commissions recommendation.

The communique included a section on chemical weapons in the context of Britain, which takes over the groups chair for the next two years, engaged in a battle of attrition with Russia and Syria for alleged chemical attacks in Salisbury and Syria in recent weeks.

Heads opposed the use of chemical weapons under any circumstances and are committed to strengthening the effective implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention(They) stressed that the conduct of all investigations of any alleged use of chemical weapons must be in accordance with the provisions of the Convention, the communique said.

Speaking after the summit, Prime Minister Theresa May said: This is the first time that security has been a central theme of our leaders meetingEarlier this month the Assad regime violated international rules in the most egregious way by using chemical weapons in an indiscriminate and barbaric attack on its own people.

And while of a much lower order of magnitude, the use of a nerve agent on the streets of Salisbury here in the United Kingdom last month, is part of a pattern of disregard for those same global norms that prohibit the use of chemical weapons. The Commonwealth, she said had shown at the summit that it will play its part in a renewed international effort to uphold the global norms that say these abhorrent weapons should never be used.
President Donald Trump on Friday introduced a Pakistani mystery man who he claimed had unspecified documents that would help him counter the Democrats lawsuit against his campaign, WikiLeaks and Russia for alleged manipulation of the 2016 presidential election.

Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails, Trump tweeted on Friday soon after the DNC, or Democratic National Committee, announced it had filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan court.

The 66-page DNC lawsuit lists the Russian government; President Trump; his son Donald Trump, Jr; son-in-law Jared Kushner; one-time advisor Roger Stone; former campaign chairman Paul Manafort; WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange; former campaign worker George Papadopoulos, former campaign associate Rick Gates as defendants, besides several unnamed others.

The Pakistani Mystery Man mentioned in Trumps tweet is a nod to aggressive reporting in conservative media on Imran Awan, a Pakistani American computer technician.

Imran Awan, along with some family members, had done IT jobs for US lawmakers for several years. Imran, his brothers Abid Awan and Jamal Awan, as well as his wife Hina Alvi and friend Rao Abbas, were subject of a federal investigation. The investigators of the Inspector Generals Office had been quietly tracking the five IT workers digital footprints for months, according to a Washington Post report on the issue last year.

They appeared to be accessing congressional servers without authorisation, an indication that they could be reading and/or removing information, according to documents distributed at a meeting the investigators had in late September 2016 with leaders in the House of Representatives, the report had said.

Investigators arrested Imran Awan in July 2017 for an unrelated bank fraud. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, mentioned in Trumps tweet on Friday, was one of the lawmakers Imran had worked for. She chaired the DNC for much of 2016 election campaign cycle. The US representative from Florida had refused to sack Imran Awan until she was shown incontrovertible proof of his guilt.

But the case of the Pakistani Americans became a lightning rod for Conservative media outlets, which ran numerous stories alleging the family was spying for Pakistan, and that theory grew in the days after his arrest.

The Daily Caller, a conservative news media organisation co-founded by Indian American Neel Patel, was among those that ran articles about Imran Awan, often calling him the Pakistani mystery man. It sent reporters to Pakistan to investigate his antecedents, which, in the telling of the publication, unearthed links going right up to Pakistani intelligence.

One such despatch from its team in Islamabad on Wednesday said Awan had transferred a USB drive to a Pakistani senator and former head of a Pakistani intelligence agency. It had cited his fathers former business partner, Rashid Minhas, as the man behind the allegation.

The article, with the headline Pakistani Mystery Man: Awans Father Transferred Data To Pakistani Government, Ex-Partner Claims alleged that Awans father, Haji Ashraf Awan, had given data to Pakistani official Rehman Malik in 2008. Malik was chief security adviser to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and became interior minister in the government that took office after Bhuttos assassination.

After Imrans father deliver (sic) USB to Rehman Malik, four Pakistani [government intelligence] agents were with his father 24-hour on duty to protect him, the former business partner told The Daily Caller, without specifying the content in the USB.

But the Pakistani mystery man does not figure in an equally combative statement released on Friday by the Trump campaign, which called the Democrats lawsuit a sham. Reprising much of the attack line doled out by Trump, it threatened to use the opportunity to grant FBI access to the DNC server that was hacked by Russians.

The Trump campaign said it would question decisions of the Clinton campaign and the DNC, including Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
The White House has announced Mira Ricardel, a senior official in the department of commerce, as the next deputy national security adviser.

Ricardel has served three administrations and is currently undersecretary for export administration, heading the Bureau of Industry and Security. The bureau, on her watch, added seven Pakistani private companies to a list of entities barred from purchasing sensitive technology without a license, which they will be rarely granted.

That designation is likely to imperil Pakistan's ambition to join elite groups of nations that closely control trading in sensitive dual-use technology and nuclear equipment and fuel for a long time.

I selected her as deputy national security advisor because her expertise is broad-based and includes national security matters related to our alliances, defence posture, technology security, foreign security assistance, and arms control, National Security Advisor John Bolton said in a statement.

Her policy-making and interagency experience will make her a great addition to the National Security Council, he added.

Ricardel is known in Washington DC national security circles as someone who is favourably disposed towards India.

She is one of Boltons first senior-level hirings, and comes after a spate of departures from the national security team. Among them were Tom Bossert, homeland security advisers and leading White House expert on counter-terrorism, deputy NSA Nadia Schadlow, who wrote President Trumps national security strategy, and NSC spokesperson Michael Anton.

Ricardels resume includes stints as acting assistant secretary of defence for international security policy, and deputy assistant secretary of defence for Eurasia.

At the department of defence, she played a central role in building support for United States and coalition operations in Afghanistan following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the White House said in a statement.

Ricardel joined the Trump Transition Team as head of its defence wing, and after the presidents inauguration, joined the White House to lead the Office of Presidential Personnel, which is charged with staffing up nearly 4,000 federal government positions that need to be filled by every new administration.

Ricardel had also served Republican senator Bob Doles presidential committee as defence and foreign policy adviser, after seven years as legislative assistant for foreign policy and defence in the Senate Republican Leaders Office.

In between, Ricardel did a stint in the private sector, working for Boeing for nine years.
The Twitterverse appears to be concerned and maybe even a little bewildered over Kanye's latest tweet. Kanye West praised a known conservative commentator Candace Owens. For those who are unfamiliar, Owens is a political pundit that makes the rounds on Conservative airwaves where she provides right-leaning commentary to offset left-leaning or liberal remarks. Her twitter bio describes her, and I quote, as a "lover of toxic masculinity."

Kanye followed his endorsement of Candace Owens with another tweet that simply read "only free thinker." It's unknown whether Kanye is expressing conservative or merely commending disparate views in America. For what it's worth, his fans make up a fairly "liberal" umbrella and were displeased with his announcement. A few Twitter users even went out of their way to pull out Candace's record of "transgressions." Another well-followed Twitter user reminded fans that Candace was a Police Brutality Apologist.

News of his public endorsement rapidly made its way toward Owens who retweeted and then responded with pure elation. Candace confessed her admiration for Kanye, unmasking herself as an avid fan. She then suggested they take a private meeting to discuss their relative views. Stay glued to twitter, the storm has barely started.
It appears Kanye West is looking to expand the Yeezy business. On Friday, the Chicago native hopped back on his favorite platform, Twitter, and announced that he has plans to open three more Yeezy offices New York, London, & Wyoming, the latter of which hes been working on his new album at.

The Yeezy headquarters is currently based in his hometown of Calabasas, California. Earlier this week, Kanye West teased a Frozen Yellow version of the Yeezy Boost 700 and debuted a shit ton of never-before-seen Yeezy sneakers. He also just introduced an all black version of his Yeezy 700 shoe, which you can peep right here if you missed it earlier. Its unclear if these recent revelations are any correlation to needing the new office space, but Kanye is definitely taking the next step for his business expansion.

This of course all comes just a day after Kanye announced that we was dropping a 7-song album on June 1st, followed by a joint project with Kid Cudi the week later on June 8th.

Check out Yes tweet (below) and look for more information on his forthcoming albums to be on the way. Who's excited to hear what Kanye has been working on?
8 months later, we're finally learning what Kanye West, Kid Cudi and Takashi Murakami were up to in Japan. Last August, a photo of the two rappers with the legendary artist behind the Graduation cover and the "Good Morning" video sparked rumors of a collaborative Kanye and Cudi album. From then on, fans were convinced that the project was arriving on New Year's Eve, with many furiously refreshing the GOOD Music site instead of enjoying some champagne with friends on December 31st, only to find no sign of a project.

Earlier this week, those early conspiracy theories (that to be fair, were held up by a PageSix report) started to make a little more sense when Kanye announced that he and Cudi would release a project under the group name Kids See Ghosts in June. On Saturday, he teased some art related to the project that appears to be designed by Murakami, though it's unclear if it has anything to do with the official cover for the upcoming project. He captioned the posts, which include drawings of Kanye and Cudi, as well as a spray-painted logo, with "Murakami vibes." View them above.

The Kids See Ghosts album is not the only project Kanye is preparing to release in the near future. His follow-up to 2016's The Life Of Pablo will be shared June 1st, with the Cudi collab coming a week later on June 8th. Earlier this week, Kanye also shared release dates for GOOD Music artists Pusha T and Teyana Taylor.
Juvenile's "HA" lives on in 2018. The stop-start flow's DNA can be heard in the "AYE"-punctuated lines of the SoundCloud generation, but it's also being referenced much more explicitly on a regular basis. ManMan Savage's "Huh" is a prime example. Uniting the Atlanta rapper with city-mate Runway Richy as well as the buzzing West Coaster 03 Greedo, the track is a clear tribute to Juvie's class: "since Juvenile been 400 Degreez, huh?" However, the flow has been modernized with minimal trappy production that draws lines between Atlanta's current wave and the driving instrumentals of a young Mannie Fresh.

It's very clear that the song means a lot to Southern rap (the album 4x platinum, after all), as South Florida rapper Bruno Mali also did his own memorable remake of "Ha' on his excellent 2017 mixtape MADE.

Read our 2016 interview with ManMan Savage here.

Quotable Lyrics:

Catch a n***a down player

I don't miss a beat, huh

Walked in

I was Gucci'd down to the feet, huh

Ridin' 'round with that stick

In the front seat, huh

Bad bitch in the bathroom

Not to pee, huh

Went and got drop head

Just to feel the breeze, huh

Since Juvenile been 400 Degreez, huh




Michael Jackson's oldest is reportedly giving her family a lot to worry about since she posted a video on Instagram of her walking the ledge of a skyscraper. Page Six reports that one family member compared the stunt to Michael's infamous 2002 move of hanging his son Blanket outside of a window in Paris.

But this is worse than that because I still think Michael had control of Blanket and they werent nearly as high up as Paris is in this video, the relative told the publication. Shes lost it. She really has. The video has since been removed from her Instagram, but it saw Paris walking a ledge with cars a pedestrian barely visible from the view. The 20-year-old momentarily lost her balance and then fell into the arms of her rumored girlfriend Cara Delevingne.

Everyone saw that video, and even though we all knew that shes now OK, watching it was so traumatic that nobody wants to show it to either Katherine or Joe, the relative said of Paris paternal grandparents. The family thinks Paris is headed for a serious meltdown. There are no plans for an intervention soon, but the unnamed relative tells the publication that "everyone will regret it if she dies out there.
A gunman was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound after shooting at his wife in a Huffman home Friday night, authorities said.

Houston police were called out to a shooting call in the 400 block of Fir Ridge Drive, off East Lake Houston Parkway on the east side of Lake Houston, around 7 p.m. When they arrived, they learned a man allegedly shot at his wife's vehicle.

The man, 48, might have also shot at a neighbor's home during the incident, according to Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

FIRED: Sheriff fires deputy who shot and killed unarmed man

Now Playing: Texas News & Crime Video: Houston Chronicle

No one was injured in the initial gunfire, police said.

The man wound up pacing near his pickup truck in the home's driveway, which is where he ultimately took his own life, Acevedo said.

"The sad part of this is that somebody lost a husband and a family lost a son," Acevedo told reporters. "I think the silver lining is that there were no innocent lives taken."

The wife, uninjured in the ordeal, is staying with family as investigators piece together the crime scene, Acevedo said.

The chief said the man was a well-known and successful hunter, which was some cause for concern for responding officers.

RESIGNATION: Sheriff's captain resigns following criminal misconduct allegations

"We were very concerned when we got here that he was known to have multiple handguns, and he was described as an accomplished hunter with long rifles," Acevedo said. "That causes concern for the neighborhood and the officers."

As officers arrived, the man allegedly fired several rounds  but the Houston officers did not return fire. He said that was a testament to his officer's restraint.

"Too often people who are intent on taking their lives force law enforcement hands on the phenomena that's called suicide by cop," Acevedo said. "Fortunately, he didn't do that, because that affects other peoples' lives."

The man was not immediately identified.

Jay R. Jordan is a breaking news reporter at Chron.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan.
Sam Houston had strong feelings about temporizing

Look up the word temporize in the dictionary, and heres what youll find: 1. Avoid making a decision or commit oneself in order to gain time; 2. temporarily adopt a particular course in order to conform to the circumstances.

Larry Spasic, president of the San Jacinto Museum of History, told me that the museum has in its collection a bulky, leather-bound dictionary, well-used, that Sam Houston had in his possession for much of his life. If you turn to the T's, Spasic said, youll find that Houston scratched out the word temporize.

Not only did he mark it out, the museum president said, but in the margins he wrote, Out with it.

Spasic added: You can gain little insights into people through documents like that.

Read more: Gunshot victims in Brazoria knew to call Dr. Sofie

Agreed, but I wanted to argue with the expert. It seemed to me that in the crucial weeks leading up to the climactic events that Texas commemorates on this day, Houston was nothing if not a temporizer. Retreating eastward toward the Sabine with his quarrelsome, ragtag army, while panicked settlers fled Santa Annas minions in the so-called runaway scrape, Houston would seem to be equivocating, procrastinating, playing for time (all synonyms for temporizing).

More Information San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Reenactment Saturday, April 21 Festival is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Battle Reenactment begins at 3 p.m. San Jacinto Monument One Monument Circle, La Porte, Texas Admission is free. Off-site parking and shuttle service available at several lots along Independence Parkway. (Disabled parking available at the Battleship Texas parking lot at 3523 Independence Pkwy, La Porte) See More Collapse

Lately, Ive been reading "Lone Star Nation," Bill Brands immensely readable history of Texas. The UT-Austin historian describes a general who, in late March and early April of 1836, has almost lost control of his army. As Houston and his men trudge toward the Louisiana border, he receives a letter from David Burnet. Sir: The enemy are laughing you to scorn, the Texas president chides. You must fight them. You must retreat no farther. The country expects you to fight. The salvation of the country depends on you doing so.

Houston bridled at the criticism. I have, under the most disadvantageous circumstances, kept an army together. . . but I can not perform impossibilities, he wrote in his journal.

Houston could almost ignore the carping from afar, from people who werent even in the field, but his near-mutinous troops were harder to ignore. At San Felipe, when it became clear that Houston did not intend to defend Stephen F. Austins capital, two of his most influential men, Wiley Martin and Mosely Baker, simply refused to continue retreating. They had expected Houston to make a stand at the Brazos.

Houston faced a dilemma, either horn of which might gore him and eviscerate the revolution, Brands writes. To treat the Baker-Martin challenge as the mutiny it was risked rending the entire army; for all he knew, half his men would side with Baker and Martin against him. On the other hand, to acquiesce in their insubordination would certainly make discipline an even greater problem in the future.

Read more: Child in 1836 endured, prevailed after Runaway Scrape

Houston cleared a path for himself past both horns. He ordered Baker and Martin to guard the Brazos. Leaving a company with each of them, he took the balance of the army, about 500 men, to Groces Plantation upriver, where he rested and trained his soldiers and allowed the sick to recuperate. He borrowed time.

Constantly on the verge of falling apart, the army held together, even as Houston continued to retreat, until, suddenly, he changed his mind. Santa Anna had decided - without confiding in anyone, the Mexican general wrote - that the best way to end the rebellion was to decapitate it; he would seize the rebel government, itself beating a hasty retreat toward Harrisburg. He pulled some 750 dragoons, grenadiers and riflemen out of their regiments and dispatched them in pursuit of Burnet, Lorenzo de Zavala and other leaders of the newly formed Republic.

Houston, after being outnumbered all spring, discovered to his surprise that he now commanded a larger force than his rival. The army also had received two cannons, sent from Cincinnati via New Orleans and Galveston and dubbed the Twin Sisters, after the twin daughters of a Texas immigrant on the same ship.

As Brands recounts, many of the rebels took the cannons arrival as reason to attack, and when they suspected their leader was still inclined to retreat across the Trinity River, they were even more adamant about taking the fight to the Mexican army. A soldier years later recalled how Baker, standing within four or five steps of Houston, vowed that if Gen. Houston will not take us to meet the enemy, we will elect a commander who will.

Read more: Characters abound in Texas writer's family history

So was Houston temporizing?

Spasic, a great admirer of this man of strong convictions, insists that he was not. He contends that Houston was buying time, so that his men would learn to temper themselves and act like the professional soldiers they were not. In Spasics view, he knew what he was doing all along.

Historian Brands, also a Houston admirer, basically agrees. Over coffee in Austin a couple of days ago - actually Brands was starting his teaching day with iced tea - he described Houston as the only person involved on the Texas side who had any strategic sense. He was, indeed, moving his near-mutinous army toward that lawless and contested ground between the Sabine and Neches rivers, the vague border with the United States. He was hoping to draw his old friend and mentor, President Andrew Jackson, into a fight with Mexico.

The Battle of San Jacinto was not [Houstons] idea at all, Brands said. His troops decided to fight it, and he was clever enough to ride around to the front and lead the battle. He was counting on the ferocious anger of his men.

On this day 182 years ago, Houston called a noontime war council. Houston knew he couldnt delay long, Brands writes, given the belligerence of his troops and the inevitable approach of the rest of the Mexican army. . . . The Texan commander might wait a day, maybe two, but he couldnt wait longer than that without losing all hope of victory.

He didnt wait. At 3 in the afternoon, in the full glare of sunlight on a warm and humid day, Houston ordered his men into a column nearly a thousand yards across. They waited for a signal from the man now astride a white stallion. They saw him draw his sword. They began moving forward across the green savannah. They did not temporize.

djholley10@gmail.com

Twitter: holleynews
WASHINGTON  Telephone calls to the office of former Texas U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold are answered by a receptionist who answers, "27th Congressional District."

His Facebook and Twitter pages have gone dark, his press secretary has left, and media inquiries are referred to the House Clerk's House, which now supervises his office.

Two weeks after the Corpus Christi Republican abruptly quit rather than face an ethics panel vote on allegations of sexual harassment and misusing staff for campaign work, he has left a political void on the Texas Gulf Coast.

In his wake, the four-term congressman not only left behind an $84,000 tab for a 2015 sexual harassment settlement, but also what the Victoria Advocate, a leading newspaper in his district, calls "an election nightmare."

The timing of his resignation, just seven months before the Nov. 6 midterm election, has left state officials scrambling to fill his vacant seat for a short but critical time when the region is still recovering from 2017's Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall in Farenthold's district.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has the power to call special elections, is now considering using emergency powers normally reserved for disasters to short-circuit a series of federal and state laws that would normally require several months to hold an election and declare a winner.

"I am concerned that the combination of state and federal law makes it practically impossible to hold an emergency special election and to replace Representative Farenthold before the end of September," Abbott wrote in a letter Thursday seeking guidance from state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Complicating the process are rules for allowing candidates to file, printing ballots, counting absentee ballots and the possibility of a run-off election. Local election officials estimate the costs at more than $200,000, to be borne by the 13 counties that comprise the 27th district.

Meanwhile, Congress is expected to move forward in the coming months with legislative initiatives on immigration, border security, trade and spending  including, potentially, any additional disaster appropriations for Texas and other regions struck by natural disaster.

"It is imperative to restore representation for the people of that district as quickly as possible," Abbott wrote. "I am acutely concerned about this issue because many of the district's residents are still recovering from the ravages of Hurricane Harvey."

Paxton has yet to issue an opinion, which would not be binding. Meanwhile Abbott, as a former state attorney general, could hold his own counsel as well.

The dilemma was not totally unforeseen. Farenthold, who rode into Congress on a Tea Party wave in 2010, had been under an ethics cloud since 2014, when a 27-year-old former press secretary, Lauren Greene, hit him with a lawsuit about sexual harassment.

Though the suit was settled out of court a year later, it led to a House Ethics Committee investigation that laid largely dormant until late last year, when the #MeToo movement gathered steam and several other Farenthold staffers went public with their own accusations.

A series of revelations nationwide about leading men in business, politics and the media led to a push for greater transparency in Congress. That resulted in the public exposure of Farenthold's $84,000 taxpayer settlement with Greene, which had remained confidential since 2015.

Farenthold publicly agreed to repay the settlement in December, even as he announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018 to a fifth term. But until he suddenly announced his resignation on April 6  effective the same day  he had been expected to serve out the remainder of his term, which runs until next January.

Farenthold, maintaining his innocence, gave little explanation for his decision to resign, other than to say that in a video statement that "in my heart it's time for me to move along and look for new ways to serve."

To many Democrats, Farenthold's timing was telling. He had been told nine days earlier that an investigative panel of the Ethics Committee had scheduled a vote on his case for April 11  five days after he resigned.

According to the office of U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who has led efforts to reform sexual harassment policies in Congress, Farenthold also was told the vote would likely be to move forward with the case against him.

Farenthold's departure, however, ended the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction over the matter, foreclosing any possibility of a vote or any adverse action. But in announcing that it was dropping the matter last week, the full ethics panel  including Texas Republicans John Ratcliffe and Kenny Marchant  urged him "in the strongest possible terms" to uphold his promise to repay the U.S. Treasury the $84,000 paid out in the Greene settlement.

The Ethics Committee statement followed those of House Speaker Paul Ryan and National Republican Congressional Committee chairman Steve Stivers, both saying Farenthold should make good on his commitment.

In putting off any repayment over the past three months, Farenthold's office has said he was waiting on "advice of counsel" to see the fate of Speier's reform bill, which would overhaul the way staffers pursue harassment complaints against lawmakers.

Speier's bill was overwhelmingly approved on a voice vote of the House in February, but it has been bottled up in the Senate ever since. Though it would put the financial burden of any payouts on the lawmakers themselves, it would not be retroactive  raising questions of how it would be relevant to Farenthold.

The congressman, the scion of a wealthy family with deep political roots in Texas, has not pleaded financial hardship in the matter. A recent estimate by Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, put his net worth at $2.4 million in 2016, ranking him 120th in overall wealth in the House.

Campaign finance records also show that he has been able to dip into campaign funds to defend himself. He has racked up more than $61,000 in legal bills so far this year, leaving about $55,000 left over in his campaign account.

In the meantime, his offices in Washington, Corpus Christi and Victoria remain open for business, according to Erin McCracken, a spokeswoman for the House Administration Committee. Their services include casework and constituent service, she said, but not "voting representation."
WASHINGTON  The nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court will take their seats Tuesday morning to hear a case that could remake the political map of Texas.

Hidden in the legalese of interlocutory injunctions and statutory defects is this simple question for the justices to dissect: Did the Republican-led state Legislature purposely draw its last legislative and congressional boundaries to subvert the voting power of Latino and African-American voters?

The answer, expected by June, could influence the racial and partisan makeup of the states political districts, culminating a long, high-stakes legal battle that has the potential to turn Texas a little more blue.

A possible finding of voting rights violations also could force the Lone Star State back under federal supervision for future election disputes, a civil rights remedy associated with the states segregationist past. Texas only got removed from federal preclearance requirements in 2013. Restrictions requiring strict federal scrutiny of all elections had been in place since the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

GOP FEARS: Some Texas Republicans say Trump may hurt them, help Democrats in November

The Texas case thus could be in a position to break new ground and will be closely watched for that reason, said legal court analyst Michael Li, writing for the New York University Law School Brennan School of Justice.

Since the states political boundaries came under challenge after the 2010 census, the case has involved at least 10 different plaintiff groups, the Justice Department, two Texas governors and several alliances of African-American and Hispanic voters.

They silenced the voices of minorities at the ballot box, said Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa, accusing Republicans of stacking the deck by drawing lines to both pack together and separate people of color to dilute their voting strength.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, in a recent statement welcoming the Supreme Court review, called a lower courts decision invalidating parts of the current district maps inexplicable and indefensible.

State Republican Party Chairman James Dickey argued that Texas political boundaries were fairly drawn and that it would take some serious overreach to redraw them.

Questions of legislative gerrymandering  drawing oddly configured district lines for partisan advantage  have been around since the dawn of the Republic. But the issue has reached a political crescendo this year as the electoral maps of at least eight states have been involved in redistricting litigation.

This week, Texas will move to center stage as the Supreme Court takes up Abbott v. Perez, a gerrymandering case that adds a racial overlay to the usual partisan redistricting narrative.

The Supreme Court also has taken up closely-watched cases from Wisconsin and Maryland  both allege partisan gerrymandering, by Republicans in Wisconsin, and by Democrats in Maryland.

WHY IT WORKS: Texas incumbents rarely lose

Nobody knows where the high court is headed with this cluster of redistricting cases, though some analysts suggest that alleged racial discrimination might be easier to remedy than discrimination based on party affiliation alone.

The Supreme Court threw out a GOP-drawn congressional map in North Carolina last year on racial grounds. But in past court rulings, the justices have expressed deep reservations about wading into the battles between Democrats and Republicans.

When it comes to raw partisanship, few legislative exercises match the smash-mouth brinksmanship drawing political boundaries after each decades national census. Texas might have set a new standard in 2003 when then-U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Sugar Land led an unusual mid-census redistricting push. That battle saw outnumbered Democrats in Austin flee the state to deny their Republican counterparts a quorum in the Texas House.

DeLays gambit ultimately worked. The number of Republicans in the states congressional delegation went from 16 to 21, helping cement DeLays position in the House leadership. Since the 2010 census, new redistricting maps have helped the GOP win 25 of the states 36 current congressional seats.

The new maps, first drawn in 2011  and then again in 2013 under court order  are the starting point of the case now going before the Supreme Court.

Minority groups say both violate federal law.

Deja vu all over again

If theres a sense of deja vu in this case, its because the 2003 maps also wound up before the high court, along with questions about diluting the voting strength of minorities. But the 2003 redistricting largely held up, with adjustments being ordered only to the majority-Hispanic Texas 23rd congressional district, now represented by Republican Will Hurd.

The new Texas challenge reflects a continuing search for what Justice Anthony Kennedy once called a workable standard for curbing aggressive gerrymandering. The standard remains elusive. And it is Kennedy who, once again, may be a pivotal vote in the latest Texas challenge.

No matter what the court decides, legislative veterans say its hard to keep the politics out. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who chaired Texas legislative redistricting board in 2000, called it an inherently a political process, adding, Its just hard to know what alternative might be available.

One defense that might be used by the state is that it was pure partisan politics, not racial discrimination, that drove the configuration of the states current boundaries.

OPINION: Texans are in the mood to vote without meddling from anyone

The justices will be picking up the pieces from a pair of lower court rulings, including the decision of a three-judge panel in San Antonio which invalidated the boundaries of a pair of congressional districts and nine Texas House districts.

The congressional districts in question are District 27, centered on Corpus Christi, and District 35, a narrow stretch running from Austin to San Antonio - derisively called the fajita strip for its large concentration of Hispanics.

In addition to the two congressional districts, the case involves nine Texas House seats where a federal court ruled lawmakers diluted the strength of minority voters. Five of those districts are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.. Bell County, south of Waco, and Corpus Christis Nueces County each have two districts that could be redrawn pending the outcome of the case.

If the U.S. Supreme Court rules against Texas, it could mean the creation of three Latino state House districts, said Jose Garza, a voting rights attorney for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, one of the parties to the suit.

The number of districts that could be redrawn represents a small fraction of the 150 state house districts, although boundaries for nearby districts could be affected. However, the changes would not alter the balance of power in the Texas House where Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 2 to 1.

But even if the case doesnt alter Texas overall GOP partisan advantage, it could set the stage for reform in how lines are drawn.

People are really frustrated about politicians choosing their constituents, whether theyre Republicans, Independents or Democrats, said Rep. Rafael Anchia, Dallas Democrat who represents one of the districts subject in the lawsuit.

BATTLE FOR TEXAS: Obama, Texas GOP prepare for battle over 2021 redistricting

In Congress, Democrats believe that a more representative distribution of minority voters could help them win two or three more House seats. But that is a distant hope.

U.S. Rep. Republican Blake Farenthold, a Republican facing a congressional ethics investigation for sexual harassment, recently resigned the District 27 seat, though as currently drawn it is still considered a safe GOP district. Democrat Lloyd Doggett now represents the 35th congressional district, a safe Democratic seat.

Also contested was Hurds 23rd congressional district, though the lower courts said that one can stand.

Ripple effect

While the battleground may be limited, any changes to the districts under challenge also could have ripple effects in their surrounding districts if the courts require them to be redrawn.

The high court in September blocked the lower court rulings requiring that the challenged districts be redrawn for the 2018 elections, a temporary victory for Republicans who have defended the maps.

The challengers  including the NAACP and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus  hinge their case heavily on the states rapid population growth between 2000 and 2010, the bulk of which was Latinos and African-Americans. Texas gained four congressional seats from the 2010 census, but Democrats contend that the Legislatures newly-drawn districts intentionally diluted the voting strength of the states minority population.

Its important for the political process in Texas that ultimately they draw fair districts, which means that as the population changes and grows, the political jurisdictions reflect the people in those districts, said U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who represents a majority-minority district in central Houston.

IN PENNSYLVANIA: Court throws out congressional boundaries

The states GOP leaders have questioned in their court filings how the current interim maps can be construed as an unconstitutional when they were redrawn under court order. The plaintiffs have not come close to satisfying their burden of proving that the Legislature enacted the district courts own maps in a sinister effort to discriminate against minority voters, the state wrote in a brief submitted by Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller, former chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Cruz was the states solicitor general in 2006 and made the arguments for Texas that years redistricting case before the Supreme Court.

Lawyers for the groups alleging discrimination have sided with the lower court rulings that in revising their district boundaries, Texas lawmakers failed to remove the purported discriminatory taint from the provisional court-imposed plans. For example, they noted that that two congressional districts under challenge remained identical from 2011 maps to the 2013 court-ordered revisions.

In the States telling, there was a brief, shining moment in 2013 when Texas history reversed course and the Texas Legislature fell all over itself to conform state conduct to a federal courts provisional observations, the challengers said. The district court rightly saw through the 2013 masquerade.

Whichever way the court rules, the redistricting saga is unlikely to end soon.

The 2020 census is now less than two years away, which will begin the next redistricting battle.

Andrea Zelinski contributed to this report.

kevin.diaz@chron.com

twitter.com/diazchron
Racism is a white problem.

I know that many white people will instinctively and emphatically resist that observation. Theyll note the self-evident truth that prejudice is confined to no one culture or color. Having known more than a few African-American bigots, homophobes and anti-Semites, Ill be happy to concede the point.

But racism is more than prejudice. It is, rather, the system by which prejudice is encoded into the laws and customs of a society so that, to take an example not quite at random, two black men can be arrested for waiting quietly on a prospective business associate to arrive for a meeting at Starbucks.

People of color have no access to the system that allows that. So, while they must figure out how to live under racism, racism itself is not their problem. The system was built by and for white people; its up to them to dismantle it.

EDITORIAL: Racism is taught

Thats a truth white men and women often find difficult to process. Im reminded of something a white, Southern-born colleague wrote in 1995. The late Michael Browning and I were traveling the South doing interviews and visiting historic sites for a series of essays on race.

In Atlanta, we sat down with the Rev. C.T. Vivian, a former aide to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and he mentioned a question he said he asked white people in his racial justice seminars: Have you ever gotten down on your knees and asked God to forgive you for your racism?

The question struck Michael like an uppercut. Heres what he wrote: Vivian looks at me. The question is no longer rhetorical, but I do not reply. Southern irresolution: How, if I am as benevolent as I think I am, can black people see me as such a monster? Am I an inert part of some vast, weighty boulder of oppression? Do I injure blacks by breathing, and just being white?

Irresolution is a common response. So are defensiveness and denial, rationalization, justification and a kind of puffed-up indignation accessible only to the profoundly entitled and entirely clueless. Think of that look on Sean Hannitys face when he has to discuss, well, anything having to do with race.

OPINION: Millennials at Charlottesville protest show racism isn't dying out

What you are less likely to encounter when confronted by racism is white people who will own the problem, who will have the guts, humanity and humility required to confront it, assess it and resolve it. So this column is a standing ovation for Starbucks.

Last week, faced with the public relations disaster noted above, CEO Kevin Johnson did all the expected things. He said what happened was wrong. He issued apologies. He did the whole this-is-not-who-we-are routine.

Then, Johnson did something unexpected, announcing the closure of 8,000 company-owned U.S. stores on the afternoon of May 29 so that his nearly 175,000 employees can undergo training in preventing implicit bias. Given how difficult it can be to get white people to even acknowledge the reality of implicit bias, we ought not breeze past the significance of that.

OPINION: Let's move past the symbolism of race

Starbucks deserves credit for one of the most authentic and creative corporate responses in recent memory. One of the bravest, too, given the likely hit to the companys coffers the mass closure represents.

And as we are singing praises, lets spare a stanza or two for the white civilians at Starbucks who saw what was happening, whipped out their cellphones to record it and demanded answers from the cops. Nor should we forget those who showed up and showed out at subsequent protests.

One can only hope other white people are taking note. Other white institutions, too. Meaning coffee shops, yes, but also libraries, churches, supermarkets, gyms and police departments. Ultimately, after all, this is not a Starbucks problem, but an American problem. And until we face it, the next public relations disaster - or tragedy - is always just around the corner.

It would be good to see Americans - particularly white Americans - take ownership of that truth. To its credit, Starbucks just did.

Pitts is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Email at lpitts@miamiherald.com.
Grocery stores.

If you ask the candidates about the most important issues facing voters in Houston City Council District K, youll hear about flood control, public safety and a host of other subjects common to the entire city. Then, inevitably, the candidates end up talking about how some of the neighborhoods in this district need better grocery stores.

Shopping in decent supermarkets is something people who live around the Texas Medical Center on District Ks east side dont need to worry about, but its a serious political issue for voters in the underdeveloped neighborhoods on the districts west side. Thats a testament to the sprawling size of this district, which covers much of southwest Houston south of Brays Bayou all the way down into Fort Bend County, then stretches east to Highway 288 and north into wealthy enclaves near Rice University.

Voters who live in this district were represented by the late Councilman Larry Green, whose sudden death early last month left a sadly empty chair behind the horseshoe-shaped table in City Council chambers. Now, nine candidates are running in a special election to fill that seat.

EDITORIAL: Council Member Green's secret problem

Larry Blackmon, 68, has spent decades serving on various boards and advisory committees under the leadership of three Houston mayors. Martha Castex-Tatum, 48, is the director of constituent services in the late Councilman Greens office. Carl David Evans, 63, works for an accounting firm and serves as the president of a super neighborhood group. Pat Frazier, 58, is a politically active educator who ran for this office in 2011 and served on Mayor Sylvester Turners transition team. Anthony Freddie, 55, spent almost 30 years working in municipal government, including stints as an assistant to Mayor Lee Browns chief of staff and chairman of the Super Neighborhood Alliance committee. Elisabeth Johnson, 32, is a Texas Southern University graduate student whos about to graduate with a masters degree in public administration. Gerry Vander-Lyn, 68, is an accounting firm records management worker whos been involved in Republican politics for at least 50 years.

Two candidates didnt meet with the editorial board. Lawrence McGaffie, 30, is a disabled Army veteran who founded a nonprofit encouraging young people in low-income neighborhoods to become community leaders. Aisha Savoy, 40, works in the citys floodplain management office.

Castex-Tatum and Frazier are the stand-out candidates. Both of them have deep roots in the area, and theyre passionately familiar with the district. But Castex-Tatums breadth of experience makes her the better candidate for City Council.

ENDORSEMENTS: Our picks in the 2018 Democratic primary

As a top level aide to Green, Castex-Tatum can hit the ground running. Nobody will need to brief her on any of the arcane issues and myriad capital improvement projects Green worked on until his untimely death. Unlike any of the other candidates in this race, she already commands a detailed knowledge not only of whats happening in the district but also what city government is doing about it. For example, while other candidates offered our editorial board only vague notions about tackling flooding problems, Castex-Tatum specifically cited how improvements to a parking lot in the district made it more permeable for soaking up floodwaters.

Whats more, Castex-Tatum will bring to the council table a unique credential: Shes already served on a city council. She not only earned a masters degree in public administration at Texas State University in San Marcos, she also unseated a 12-year incumbent to become the first African-American woman elected to the San Marcos City Council.

ENDORSEMENTS: Our picks in the 2018 Republican primary

Castex-Tatum has been endorsed by a long list of professional, political and industry groups, including the Houston Police Officers Union, the Houston Professional Firefighters Association, the Houston Association of Realtors and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. Add the Houston Chronicle editorial board to the list.

We were also impressed by Johnson, who brings a youthful activism that breaks the traditional mold of a city politician, and we encourage her to run again.

Early voting in this special election begins Monday, April 23, and election day is May 5. Voters in District K cant go wrong electing Martha Castex-Tatum to finish Larry Greens term on Houston City Council.
Millennials are a constant topic of conversation in the business press - just search Millennials on Inc.com to see the variety of stories covering them. And often, they get a bad rap. Theyre said to be overconfident, dramatic, demandingand sometimes, they are. But Millennials also offer unique advantages difficult to find in other generations. Many successful leaders have found useful ways to engage Millennials, and their companies have thrived as a result.

YPO member Erik Fairbairn has found Millennials to be ideal hires. Fairbairn is the founder and CEO of PodPoint, the UKs leading provider of electric vehicle charging equipment. Since its founding in 2009, PodPoint equipment has charged over 50 million miles of electric vehicle driving. Similarly, Fairbairn has gotten unexpectedly impressive mileage out of his mostly-Millennial work force.

On an episode of my podcast YPO 10 Minute Tips from the Top, Fairbairn shared his advice on why Millennials can make great employees:

1. Theyre Mission-Driven

Ive always described PodPoint as a mission-driven organization, says Fairbairn. He explains, We believe that shouldnt damage the earth, and we want PodPoint everywhere you park for an hour or more. But its not until the third line of what PodPoint is about that you get into anything financial. And while he may not have meant to, this is what has made PodPoint attractive to Millennials. What weve found is that Millennials seem to really buy into having a career which makes an impact on a global scale, says Fairbairn. Millennials are motivated differently than other generations, so embrace their altruism! Identify a deeper mission in your work, or give them benefits that allow them to make a difference in their communities.

2. Theyre Loyal

Once youve tapped into the Millennial desire to have an impact, they can become loyal, dedicated employees. The number one reason PodPoint exists is that we think its important to solve the de-carbonization of travel, Fairbairn explains. To him, Millennials arent here necessarily for the money the previous generation was here for. Theyre really here because theyre having a positive impact. And when they see the difference theyre making, theyre more inclined to stay at that company. Weve ended up with an enthusiastic, young, team, beams Fairbairn. So company investments into Millennial development, while also in line with what they want, will also produce a big return for the company, which gets to retain the skills and knowledge theyve developed in their employees.

3. Theyre Blank Slates

I didnt set out to build a team of Millennials, Fairbairn explains. But no ones really built a of electric vehicle charging stations before. So we cant go and find someone whos got experience in the specific thing were doing. Millennials are young, and they dont have a lot of experience. But good leaders can make that work to their advantage. Instead of looking for specific skills, Fairbairn looked for reliable people he could trust, and who bought into the companys mission. Enter: Millennials. In addition directing to their enthusiasm, leaders can take these young people and mold them into exactly the employees they need.

4. Theyre Self-Directed

Fairbairn intentionally structured his company unlike many others. He explained, Its different from the hierarchical structure of bigger organizations, where everyone has a very specific role with a very specific way youre supposed to deliver. And that works for Millennials, who dont like being told what to do. Were totally objective-oriented, Fairbairn says. Were not interested in how you meet your objectives. So when you work, how you work, what you need to get the job done, your format, we really dont like to specify that. And Millennials are curious and comfortable with that ambiguity, Fairbairn claims, saying, We can say to Millennials, This is the problem we need you to solve, and then just leave them to go and do that. Effective leaders work to find methods of employee engagement and motivation that tap into exactly how an employee works best.
Avicii had been suffering from health problems severe enough to stop the Swedish musician touring.

The Swedish musician  real name Tim Bergling  was found dead on Friday in Oman at the age of 28. The cause of death has not been revealed.

A documentary titled Avicii: True Stories was released last year, detailing Berglings battle with his acute pancreatitis, initially brought on by excessive stress and drinking.

The DJ  known for hits such as Wake Me Up and Waiting for Love  had both his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014, leading to several cancelled shows.

Two years later, following a hit-laiden show at 2016s Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Bergling announced his official retirement from touring altogether.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter later that year, he gave a candid interview about how the electronic music scene was not for him.

Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Show all 16 1 /16 Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii: a pioneer of EDM DJ Avicii performs onstage during Rolling Stone Live SF with Talent Resources in 2016 in San Francisco Getty/Rolling Stone Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performing at the Palais Club in Cannes in 2010 Rex Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival held at The Empire Polo Field in 2012 Getty/Coachella Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii accepts the favorite electronic dance music artist award at the 41st American Music Awards in Los Angeles in 2013 Reuters Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs during the 22nd Annual KROQ Weenie Roast at Verizon Wireless Music Center in 2014 in Irvine, California Getty/CBS Radio Inc. Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs in 2013 to thousands at the Verizon Wireless Music Center Getty/CBS Radio Inc. Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs at Wynn Las Vegas @ Park City Live! during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Utah Getty Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs during the Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren Avicii Concert in New York in 2013 Rex Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii accepts the Favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist award onstage during the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles Getty Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs during mPowering Action, a global mobile youth movement at Grammy Week launch, at The Conga Room at L.A. Live in 2013 Getty/Tribal Brands Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performing at Brooklyn's Barclay's Center in New York in 2014 Reuters Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii backstage at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles where he won EDM Song of the Year Getty Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs at Pildammsparken in Malmo, Sweden, in 2016 Reuters Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs on the last day of the Rock in Rio Lisbon festival at Parque da Bela Vista in Portugal in 2016 EPA Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii plays his last ever set before retirement at Tennents Vital, Belfast, in 2016 Rex Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii on Table Mountain, South Africa, in January 2018 Reuters

Its been a very crazy journey, he continued. I started producing when I was 16. I started touring when I was 18. From that point on, I just jumped into 100 per cent.

When I look back on my life, I think: whoa, did I do that? It was the best time of my life in a sense. It came with a price  a lot of stress, a lot of anxiety for me  but it was the best journey of my life.

Recommended Musicians share tributes as Avicii dies aged 28

Berglings publicist confirmed the producers death in a statement: It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii.

He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.

The official cause of death has not yet been revealed.
The tallest church tower in the Netherlands paid tribute to Avicii yesterday, the Swedish musicians songs ringing out of the Dom Tower, Utrecht.

Avicii  real name Tim Bergling  was found dead on Friday (20 April) in Oman at the age of 28. The cause of death has not been revealed.

Malgosia Fiebig, the citys carillonneur, Tweeted following the announcement of Berglings passing, saying that they would play three of his songs on the carillon the next day.

Footage of the three songs  Wake Me Up, Without You and Hey Brother  playing out of the tower have since made their way online. Watch above.

Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Show all 16 1 /16 Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii: a pioneer of EDM DJ Avicii performs onstage during Rolling Stone Live SF with Talent Resources in 2016 in San Francisco Getty/Rolling Stone Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performing at the Palais Club in Cannes in 2010 Rex Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs at the 2012 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival held at The Empire Polo Field in 2012 Getty/Coachella Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii accepts the favorite electronic dance music artist award at the 41st American Music Awards in Los Angeles in 2013 Reuters Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs during the 22nd Annual KROQ Weenie Roast at Verizon Wireless Music Center in 2014 in Irvine, California Getty/CBS Radio Inc. Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs in 2013 to thousands at the Verizon Wireless Music Center Getty/CBS Radio Inc. Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs at Wynn Las Vegas @ Park City Live! during the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Utah Getty Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs during the Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren Avicii Concert in New York in 2013 Rex Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii accepts the Favorite Electronic Dance Music Artist award onstage during the 2013 American Music Awards in Los Angeles Getty Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs during mPowering Action, a global mobile youth movement at Grammy Week launch, at The Conga Room at L.A. Live in 2013 Getty/Tribal Brands Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performing at Brooklyn's Barclay's Center in New York in 2014 Reuters Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii backstage at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles where he won EDM Song of the Year Getty Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs at Pildammsparken in Malmo, Sweden, in 2016 Reuters Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii performs on the last day of the Rock in Rio Lisbon festival at Parque da Bela Vista in Portugal in 2016 EPA Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii plays his last ever set before retirement at Tennents Vital, Belfast, in 2016 Rex Avicii: a pioneer of EDM Avicii on Table Mountain, South Africa, in January 2018 Reuters

Berglings publicist Diana Baron confirmed the hit-makers death in a statement: It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii.

He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.

The official cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Dont say it, dont say the S word to describe them, pleads Katy Davidson. Id asked her how she tries to make oysters more appealing to people who only see them as one thing: snot  sorry Katy.

Also known as the Oyster Lady, Davidson has spent the past 12 years bringing oysters back to our plates and changing our preconceived (incorrect) conceptions of them.

Oysters, unfortunately, have a reputation for being slimy, slippery, salty and a hard to eat food. But theyre one of the most sustainable things to eat, and certainly the most sustainable to come from the sea.

Recommended Why farming oysters is sustainable and good for the environment

Theyre having a renaissance, Davidson says.

And they are. No longer are they confined to high-end restaurants, only for those who can afford them. Theyve been transformed into a beautiful accessible dish thats as Instagrammable as it is edible.

But it wasnt always this way. Go back 100 years and oysters were used as a cheap alternative to meats.

Nowadays, cooking with oysters has been all but forgotten. Much like pie and eel shops, they were once a favourable stalwart of the community. But today, youll be hard-pressed to find anywhere that serves them hot.

Created especially for London Oyster Week by the Wright Brothers are the chardonnay sabayon, red onion relish and olive oil dressed oysters (Toby Keane)

Oysters were once a poor mans food; a cheap source of protein most likely to be found in a beef pie. Using large oysters to substitute beef in a pie was a Victorian classic, but seems like culinary blasphemy now.

But as the character Sam Weller says in Dickens Pickwick Papers: Poverty and oysters always seem to go together.

And he was right. In the 19th century, oysters were sold on the streets  perhaps Britains first version of street food  where passersby snacked on them and public house goers bought them with a hefty pint of stout  another cheap alternative of sustenance.

The home of the oyster in the capital was Billingsgate Market, where an estimated 80 million bivalves were imported from Whitstable each year. That led to the depletion of stocks at the end of the 19th century and the end of the once huge oyster trade.

Native oysters are flatter and rounder and are harvested from April onwards (Toby Keane)

And thats how these once-cheap bivalves managed to climb the slippery pole and reinvent themselves as a sophisticated foodstuff: overfishing and the overconsumption of guzzling Victorians.

But here we are again: the molluscs are back in vogue and more importantly recognised as a sustainable food source.

But what most people dont know is that theyre eating them wrong, says Davidson. Deciding to open wide and throw back in one is absolutely not the correct way to eat an oyster.

Think of them like a fine wine, she says. Youd never knock that back in one, you want to take your time. And oyster producers, like any food producer who has taken years to refine their product, do not want you to just swallow it without properly tasting it.

Instead, if eating an oyster from a half shell you should first sip the liquor  the mixture of sea water and oyster juice. This gets your palate working, according to Davidson, and then you can give it a little chew and take in those flavours, ranging from nutty to rich butteryness and even a gamey flavour.

Carlingford dressed and smoked oysters are available from the Wright Brothers' restaurants (Toby Keane)

The only way I can think that people think this is the right way to eat them is when they were sold from barrels on the side of the road as a cheap source of protein, and as there werent any fridges, they probably didnt taste great, so that was the easiest way to eat them, she says.

Another driving force behind bringing the humble oyster back to life has been the Wright Brothers restaurants, a now five-strong mini chain spread out across London, with its heart in its first restaurant in Borough Market. The brother-in-law duo changed careers after meeting a Frenchman called Jerome, whose oysters were the best theyd ever eaten.

Even then, in 2002, oysters were still considered a delicacy in the finest of restaurants. But to the brothers, it wasnt apparent why they shouldnt be available to everyone and so they revived an old oyster farm in Cornwall, and then their first restaurant in 2005.

Robin Hancock, co-founder and one half of the Wright Brothers, says: There is a myriad of other factors that contributed to them: a number of freezing winters, the world wars, TBT (anti-fouling paint) and a disease that affected the native oyster population.

We started to change the perception of oysters being a luxury item for the few and to get everyone eating oysters. We now supply over five tons of oysters a week to the London market and the popularity is growing by 10 per cent year on year.

Traditionalists will be pleased to see oysters served at their restaurants with lemon, Tabasco or shallot vinegar, while more modern ways include poached, grilled or deep fried.

Just remember to chew. Once you do, youll never look back.

London Oyster Week runs from today until 29 April. For more information on events visit londonoysterweek.co.uk
Gamey meats, beef cooked with a pink middle, pastry and sponges are stalwarts of British cuisine.

Extraordinaire pie-baker Lesley Holdships trio of chicken, quail and pigeon is coated in thick, rich and buttery pastry, while her brightly coloured cake that uses a check pattern, and red velvet cake instead of the traditional pink, is wrapped in natural marzipan. The battenberg cake has been around for a long time; early recipes were known as domino cake, neapolitan cake and even church window cake in the early 19th century.

Recommended We should remember that St George was an immigrant

For a modern twist on beef wellington, try Emily Watkins pork and black pudding wellington that uses homemade stock

Heres three recipes to celebrate St Georges day.

Battenburg cake by Lesley Holdship

Prep: 30 minutes

Cooking: 40 minutes

Serves 8-10

For the vanilla cake

175g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

175g self raising flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the red velvet cake

200g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

100g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp red food colouring (bake stable)

150g buttermilk

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the icing

100g butter

100g cream cheese

400g icing sugar, sifted

800g natural marzipan

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line 2 900g loaf tins. For the vanilla cake, cream the butter and sugar until light and smooth. Then add the eggs one at a time. Mix really well until everything is incorporated.

Stir in the flour and vanilla and then beat well until fluffy. Scrape into one of the tins and get the cake into the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes until springy. Meanwhile, make the red velvet cake. First off, stir the flour, cocoa and baking powder together. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together and then mix in the eggs one at a time. Next, stir in the vanilla and red colouring. Add the flour and cocoa mix along with the buttermilk and beat well to combine. Stir together the lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda, pour into the cake batter and mix well. Scrape the mixture into the second tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Show all 20 1 /20 Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The bustling high street is packed with cafes and restaurants just a short stroll from the harbour Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The Greenbank is a popular hotel and restaurant destination in the seaside town Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Waters Edge restaurant offers relaxed fine dining with harbour views Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The homity pie with baby carrots, tenderstem brocolli and roasted onion puree is the perfect hearty dish for vegetarians, while the baked hake fillet with saffron, lemon and crab risotto is worth travelling for Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Breakfast in bed? Why not when youre on holiday Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The Greenbank is a four-star hotel with stunning rooms featuring seaside views Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The Working Boat, which can be found below the Greenbank is housed in a location that has had a pub on-site for more than 300 years Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Dollys Tea Room and Wine Bar is a must-visit, serving up afternoon tea, as well as cocktail teas served in a teapot and perfect for sharing Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Like many pubs and cafes in Falmouth, Dollys is 100 per cent pup-friendly, so bring your pets along. Hebe, the pear-wearing yellow labrador is a permanent fixture Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Let them eat cake: Dollys has a selection of delicious homemade cakes on offer Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea If you've got your heart set on a Cornish pasty, youll want to give the Dog and Smuggler Tuck Shop a go Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth is one of the most famous beaches in Cornwall and is one of eight to receive the Blue Flag Award 2017 Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Gylly Beach Cafe, which is open all year-round, sits over the sands of Gyllyngvase and offers fantastic views, as well as a diverse menu Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The Gylly Beach Cafe motto is good food takes a little longer and the roasted mackerel and squid burger proves it Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The Harbour View restaurant lives up to its name with a perfect vista Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea The chocolate panna cotta with Baileys cream and ginger crumble is a must-try dessert Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Chintz Wine Bar is truly one-of-a-kind with live music and distinctive decor. You wont want to miss it Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Gylly Adventures offers a number of activities from stand up paddle boarding to coasteering Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea Gylly Adventures also offers sunset sup yoga sessions Falmouth: A foodie haven by the sea With its stunning harbour and Blue Flag beaches, Falmouth sets itself apart from other seaside towns in Cornwall

Let both cakes cool completely. Make the icing by beating together the butter and cream cheese, then add the icing sugar. This is likely to create big clouds of sugar dust, so go carefully at the offset!

Take each cake and slice off a hefty bit from the top and cut a sliver from the bottom and sides. Cut each cake in two, making sure each piece is equal in size. Around 5cm square is about right.

Sandwich two opposite colours together side by side with some of the icing, then spread more icing over the top. Place the remaining two pieces of cake on top, alternating the colours.

Dust your work surface with icing sugar and roll out the marzipan until it is about the size of an A4 piece of paper. Spread a rectangle of icing on to the marzipan, about the size of the cake.

Sit the cake on top and ice the very top. Carefully lift the marzipan up over the cake using the palm of your hand to support the sides and then press it to the cake. Trim any excess so the seam is not too bulky. Roll the cake over so the seam is on the bottom, then trim any excess marzipan from the ends for a neat finish.

It is ready to serve, in thick slices, preferably with a cup of tea!

(John Holdship)

Three bird pie by Lesley Holdship

Prep: 40 mins, plus cooling time

Cook: 3 hours

Serves 8-10

220g lard

400g sausage meat

2 tbsp fresh curly parsley, chopped

300g pigeon breast

300g quail meat

300g chicken fillet

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground mace

Sea salt and black pepper

550g plain flour

1 egg

300ml good chicken stock

3 gelatine leaves, soaked in water

Turn the oven on to 140C. Lightly grease your mould with a little of the lard  I used a Silverwood country pie mould. If you dont have one, either use a 20cm springform cake tin or even a 2lb loaf tin.

Prepare your meats first so they are ready to go once you have made the hot water crust. Mix the sausage meat with the parsley, then thinly slice the breast meats. Keep them separate, but season each type with the spice and seasoning.

Next, melt the lard with 200ml water and a good pinch of salt until boiling. Remove from the heat and pour in the flour, mixing quickly using a round-bladed knife until it all comes together into a ball. Leave until it is just cool enough to handle. Cut the pastry in half, then cut one of the halves into 2 quarters. Take the larger half, lightly flour the work surface, and roll the pastry out a little just to get it started. Lay it in the mould and then use your fingertips to press the pastry up the sides, right to the top and over a little. The pastry needs to be around 1cm thick.

Divide the sausage meat, putting a quarter aside, and press the larger part over the pastry base, easing it up around the sides until it reaches the top too. This will take a little while. Enjoy it for what it is, dont rush! Next, layer in the breast meats, however you like  you can do stripes or blocks of colour, whatever you fancy! Really get the meat to the edges, pressing it all down with your hand. Get enough meat in the mould to dome above the top of the tin. Press the remaining sausage meat over the top.

Roll out 1 of the remaining pieces of pastry so it is just larger than the pie top, then gently transfer it to cover the meat. You can do this by rolling it on to a rolling pin and then unrolling it over the pie. Press the top and sides of the pastry together, then trim to leave a neat edge. Crimp if you fancy! Make a hole in the top. Roll out the remaining piece of pastry quite thinly, around half a cm, then cut it into leaves. Brush the back of each leaf with a little water and layer them over the top of the pie, covering it completely if you like and cover the hole, too.

Bake the pie for 2 hours. Whisk the egg and brush the pie all over, making sure not to miss anywhere, then bake for another 20-30 mins. Warm the stock with the herbs and then add the drained gelatine, swirling the pan to dissolve. Leave it to go completely cold. Once the pie has had a while to rest, remove a couple of the leaves carefully from the centre of the lid and reassert the hole. Very carefully pour in some of the stock  it will depend on how compacted the meats are as to how much stock you will get in, you may not fit in much.

Chill the pie for a good 4 hours, or overnight would be good, in the tin. Dont try to unhinge it too quickly, as the pastry may crack or break. Serve with big spoonfuls of chutney.

(John Holdship)

Pork and black pudding wellington by Emily Watkins

Prep: 25 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Serves 4

1 pork tenderloin

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves chopped

150g black pudding

150g minced pork

1 block of puff pastry

1 egg, beaten

For the pork and mustard sauce

2kg pork bones

1 pig trotter, split

2 large carrots, roughly chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig sage

2 litres chicken stock

Dijon mustard

100g butter

Start by making the sauce. Roast the bones, trotter and vegetables in the oven at 180C, turning them every 20 mins until lovely and golden, then tip into a stock pot and cover with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours. Drain off all the stock into a new pan and reduce until almost syrupy. Whisk in mustard to taste, then the cold diced butter.

Trim the sinew from the pork tenderloin. Season and sear on all sides on a medium high heat. Take out of the pan and set aside to cool.

Now prepare the filling. Place the mince, black pudding and thyme into a bowl and use your hands to mix well. Pull out a piece of cling film and spread the mix across it. Place the tenderloin on top and use the cling film to help roll it across, enclosing the fillet in the meat mix. Tie into a sausage and then chill in the freezer for 20 mins to firm up.

Roll out the puff pastry to fit the tenderloin sausage. Unwrap the pork from the cling film and place it on top of the pastry. Wrap the pastry around the pork, using some of the beaten egg to seal it. Glaze the wellington with the remaining egg wash. Place in the fridge to chill for at least half an hour.

Place in a pre-heated oven at 200C, and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Serve with the sauce and some fresh greens, such as savoy cabbage finished with some butter.

Recipes from boroughmarket.org.uk. Visit tomorrow for the market's St George's Day event (boroughmarket.org.uk/events/celebrate-the-feast-of-st-george)
Twitter stopped working around the world, with users in Europe, Asia and the US reporting problems.

Users said they were unable to see new posts on the site, with the problem lasting for around 20 minutes.

Timelines were filled with old posts, suggesting feeds weren't updating properly

Recommended Kanye West publishing philosophy book in real time on Twitter

Problems started shortly before 7pm BST, according to the site Down Detector.

There were concentrations of users reporting problems in the UK, Japan and in the north-east and California coasts of the US.

The issue did not appear to be affecting Tweetdeck, Twitter's own specialist client for the site.

Twitter has more than 300 million active monthly users with the US, Japan and UK the site's biggest markets.
Scandals provoked by accusations of antisemitism have become a recurrent feature of British politics. As the latest tumult subsides we have an opportunity to reflect on the issues that underlie these controversies and prepare the way for Labour and the left to do better in future.

One lesson of the last two weeks is that people who swear they are militant opponents of antisemitism in all its forms too often turn out to have friends  real friends, comrades, Facebook friends  who are happy to spread anti-Jewish slurs or imagine the basic facts of the Holocaust are up for debate. For this reason when Labour Party leaders insist there will be no place for antisemites in the party, their words dont measure up to the problem. Too many believe they face a handful of antisemites, a bunch of interlopers. Others acknowledge the problem is more widespread but then trot out evasive phrases about unconscious antisemitism or vaguely suggest we educate people to recognise antisemitic tropes.

The problems go deeper than Labour leaders have been willing to admit. Even though we conventionally associate antisemitism with the right and fascism especially, the political culture of the left has long been a source of antisemitism. A more recent development is that some avowed anti-racists are seemingly unable to recognise antisemitism when it stares them in the face. They dismiss it instead as a smear perpetrated by Blairites and Zionists.

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While the disciplinary reforms recommended by Shami Chakrabarti may help overcome these problems, the Labour Party requires more than denunciations and expulsions. It also needs reflection, education and, above all, leadership.

A helpful place to start is the important distinction between antisemites and antisemitism. We find it at the heart of George Orwells writing on the subject. In October 1948 Orwell wrote to his publisher, I think [Jean-Paul] Sartre is a bag of wind and Im going to give him a big boot. It was Sartres Portrait of the Antisemite (better known in English as Anti-Semite and Jew) which had provoked Orwell.

A protester blows through a shofar during an antisemitism demonstration held in Parliament Square (Getty)

Sartres book was organised around the idea that the antisemite was an identifiable type: bourgeois, reactionary, uncomfortable in the modern world. Orwell, by contrast, in his essay on Antisemitism in Britain, published in April 1945, presents a very different view. Antisemitism (not the antisemite), he insists, is present across all classes and is pervasive in British literary culture from Chaucer to Shakespeare to TS Eliot and Aldous Huxley. Antisemitism, Orwell proposed, is a shared problem, not a pathology confined to a particular type. He drew a striking conclusion from this insight: the starting point for any investigation of antisemitism should not be why does this obviously irrational belief appeal to other people? But why does antisemitism appeal to me?

Labour politicians would do well to emulate Orwells honest introspection and contemplate the movement to which they have given their lives. Doing so means coming to terms not only with Jews and antisemitism but also capitalism and race.

Antisemitism has been a recurrent feature of radical and socialist politics in Britain from William Cobbett to the present day. We find it in Chartism in the 1840s and in the pages of Keir Hardies Labour Leader, which in 1891 proclaimed that imperialist wars were being planned to suit the interests of hook-nosed Rothschilds. Jews were good when outcast, a long way away and suffering from Tsarist oppression. But many of the same socialists and radicals who protested against pogroms were first in line to pronounce the Boer War an expression of Jewish conspiracy.

An election campaign poster for Scottish socialist and Labour Party founder James Keir Hardie circa 1895 (Getty)

In failing to acknowledge this inheritance, Labour leaders disavow a painful and dishonourable aspect of the movements past. And as events in recent weeks have shown, these problems have not died away. Across the political spectrum protagonists continue to categorise Jews as good and bad. The habit is clearly visible on the left. Here, too often, Jews find that having the correct view on Israel/Palestine is a precondition for getting a hearing on antisemitism, or anything else.

A key feature of modern antisemitism has been the racialised projection of the Jew, an archetype which stands above and in conflict with the working class. Throughout the history of the left, certain anti-capitalist visions generated by socialists have overlapped and combined with this strain of antisemitism. What makes antisemitism particularly attractive and dangerous for the left is that it can appear oppositional. It provides an easy personification of oppression in the face of less tangible, global forms of domination.

Which takes us to the mural in Tower Hamlets, the cause of so much controversy last month. When asked to clarify its message in 2012, the artist Mear One insisted the mural depicted class and privilege, nothing more. But it is a vision of class stained through with modern antisemitism: a critique of capitalism in which the forces of global power are rendered Jewish.

Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Show all 14 1 /14 Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Israel and Palestine The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians; and theres one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but its like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Antisemitism in the Labour Party As Ive said, Ive never heard anybody say anything antisemitism-Semitic, but theres been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as antisemitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Naz Shah Its completely over-the-top and rude, but who am I to denounce anyone with all of that. It was wrong. I dont think she is antisemitic, it was incredibly rude but I dont believe she is an antisemite. When the NEC investigation is finished they'll say it was rude and over the top but they wont find any evidence that she actually hates Jews. Weve got to investigate all these charges and the context in which they are made. If she is antisemitic like the other three or four members weve found who are antisemitic, shell be expelled Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On other alleged antisemites in Labour That is part of the classic antisemitic thing about an international Jewish conspiracy  that is the reason we need to have an investigation. Ive got an open mind. Ive seen nothing to suggest to me that she is antisemitic. I wouldnt have supported her if I [thought] she was antisemitic Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On whether what Hitler did was legal, as stated by Naz Shah Thats a statement of fact  Hitler, Im sure, passed all those laws that allowed him to do that  its history  literally, Hitler was completely mad, he killed six million Jews. Shes not saying its legal to kill six million Jews: what they were doing in that country allowed them not just to kill six million Jews, kill all the communists, kill all the leftists like me, my father almost died when a Nazi sub sank his boat. I have no sympathy with Hitler Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On another alleged antisemite in Labour No, that is, and thats why shes been suspended or expelled. What Ive said is that in 47 years of the party in all the meetings Ive been in Ive never heard anyone say anything antisemitic. There are bound to be in a party of half a million people youll have a handful of antisemites, youll have a handful of racists. Youve managed to dig out virtually every antisemitic comment that Labour members have made out of half a million people. Ive never met any of these people. Theres not a problem. Youre talking about a handful of people in a party of half a million people. Jeremy Corbyn has moved rapidly to deal with them Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On Jeremy Corbyns response to the allegations He met with Naz and she agreed she would stand down while the investigation is going on. He called her in to see her. Theres been a huge investigation of virtually everything that anybody put on the internet  many of these people are quite new and recent members of the party that joined in the big influx. 300,000 new people came in Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On his meeting a man accused of antisemitism in London This is the man who called for Muslims around the world to donate blood after the attacks of 9/11 when he came to London I went with him to the Regents Park mosque where he said no man should hit a woman and you should not discriminate against homosexuals. So I cant equate what I heard him say he made no antisemitic statement while he was here in London. I dont investigate people. Ive simply said what I believe to be true which is that Naz was not antisemitic. She was completely over the top, very rude, but that does not make her an antisemite Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Manns comments He went completely over the top. I was actually doing a radio interview at the time that he was bellowing that Im a racist antisemite in my ear. Ive had that with John Mann before a few weeks ago screaming that I was a bigot down the phone. Im not an apologist for anyone who makes antisemitic statements. What Im saying is dont confuse antisemitism with criticism of the Israeli government policy Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On calling a Jewish journalist a concentration camp guard whilst Mayor of London I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On claims about Hitler and Zionism I cant tell if a journalist is Jewish or Catholic or anything. If a journalist is chasing you down the street at nine of clock at night you might be rude to them. Some people might have hit him! He said he was just doing his job. We went all the way to the High Court and the judge opened his judgement by saying I hope no one here is going to suggest that Mr Livingstone is antisemitic. We won the case Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On John Mann Id simply say to John Mann go back and check. Is what I say true, or is it not? The BBC, youve got a huge team of researchers, it will take just an hour or two to go back and confirm. I was asked a question, I answered it. I have never in 45 years since I won my first election, I have never lied. I have always answered the question Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On raising the issue if Hitler It lays you open to people smearing and lying about you. Ive always answered the questions put to me and that simple fact is weve had a handful of people saying antisemitic things in the Labour Party, theyve been suspended, some of them are on their way to being expelled, some of them have been expelled already Labour antisemitism row: What Livingstone said On people calling for him to be suspended All my usual critics  but the simple fact is I agree with them; there is no place for antisemitism in the Labour party. For them to suggest I am antisemitic is a bit bizarre considering we worked with Jewish groups and put on exhibitions about the scale of the holocaust, we worked with Jewish groups to tackling the scale of antisemitism back in the 1970s. Ive always opposed every form of racism whether its against black people or Jews. Im going to stay in the Labour party and continue to fight against all forms of racism and discrimination as I have my entire life

Everyone, including now Corbyn himself, recognises this. Yet for all the attention it received, one thing seems to have eluded almost all commentators: the mural not only depicts Jews and Jewishness, but places them in opposition to the pain and suffering of black and brown bodies.

The mural controversy illustrates the ambiguous position Jews occupy within contemporary anti-racist politics. If the left limits itself to a conception of racism which focuses solely on white privilege, it will continue to find it difficult to recognise Jews as its victims. Similarly, if European racism is understood only as a consequence of colonialism, we ignore the history of racialised exclusions within Europe itself. We need to place colonial racisms alongside antisemitism, and recognise how the two intersect and sometimes diverge.

American scholar and Pan-Africanist WEB Du Bois did just this when he came face to face with the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto shortly after the war. It was particularly hard for me to learn, said Du Bois of the rubble in Warsaw, that this was not even solely a matter of colour. These reflections by Du Bois remind us today that colour-coded definitions of racism cannot account for the history of antisemitism.

Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during a protest against antisemitism in the party (PA)

This difficulty is deepened by the relative success of Jewish integration in contemporary Britain. Predominantly a middle-class community, lauded by the political elite and with a growing tendency to vote Conservative, British Jews appear to be poorly positioned to evoke sympathy from those anti-racists who imagine that poverty, exclusion and racism always line up neatly together.

And then there is the question of Israel/Palestine, which has poisoned the Labour Party debate on antisemitism in recent years and continues to do so today. The great majority of British Jews feel an attachment to Israel, constituted as the Jewish state. This, of course, creates a further problem for those parts of the left invested in a distinction between Jewish identity and Zionism as a political ideology.

Attempts to fold Zionism into the history of European imperialism and settler-colonialism bring into sharp view the ongoing racism and injustice endured by Palestinians. At the same time, however, they obscure the fact that Zionism was in part a response to murderous racism experienced by Jews inside Europe. This tragic dynamic was captured powerfully by Hannah Arendt: The solution to the Jewish question merely produced a new category of refugees, the Arabs, thereby increasing the number of stateless and rightless by another 700,000 to 800,000 people. Israel today is a complex entity: while some focus solely on its democratic credentials, others point to its history of dispossession and occupation. It advertises its promotion of LGBT+ rights but remains a bastion of state-sponsored ethnic and religious privilege. Jewish statehood has generated a complicated history that sometimes makes it difficult for the left to even recognise antisemitism in Britain, let alone combat it.

The Labour Party requires more than denunciations and expulsions. It also needs reflection, education and, above all, leadership (Reuters)

Labour needs to learn and reflect on how racisms of different sorts have figured in its own past and continues to shape the present. It should be possible to decry global inequality and support justice for the Palestinians without likening Israelis to Nazis, invoking the Jews special conspiratorial power or holding diaspora Jews directly responsible for the actions of the Israeli state. The challenge for the Labour Partys leadership is to oppose racism unconditionally and without exception, including when its targets are Jews, most of whom do not support the party and who identify with the state of Israel.

There is also a challenge for the Jewish community, especially its leaders. Their alertness to antisemitism in Britain should lead them to provide greater support to anti-racist campaigns more generally. It might also allow them, even as they identify with Israel, to recognise and censure the racialised inequalities within and beyond its recognised boundaries.

In their different spheres, both the Labour Party and the leaders of the Jewish community should understand that anti-racism is not divisible.
A British teenager who "terrorised" some of Americas most senior intelligence officials after tricking his way into their email and phone accounts has been sentenced to two years in youth detention.

Kane Gamble was just 15 when he first targeted CIA and FBI bosses from his bedroom in Leicestershire, the Old Bailey heard.

Among material he accessed were documents  labelled extremely sensitive  about military and intelligence operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In one hack, he posted a message on the family TV of Jeh Johnson, secretary of homeland security: I own you, it said. In another, FBI deputy director Mark Giuliano became so spooked about his passwords being continually reset, he ordered specialist police protection.

Judge Mr Justice Haddon-Cave called Gambles crimes a nasty campaign of politically motivated cyber terrorism".

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Prosecutor John Lloyd-Jones QC said the 18-year-old's reign of terror  coordinated from his mothers home in Coalville  lasted from June 2015 to February 2016.

He began by impersonating his victims and conned call centres at communications giants Comcast and Verizon into divulging confidential information about them.

Among accounts he tricked his way into were those of then-CIA chief John Brennan, director of national intelligence James Clapper and deputy national security adviser Avril Haines.

After targeting Mr Brennan, Gamble posted anonymously on Twitter saying: "CIA set your game up homies.

Senior science and technology adviser John Holdren was harassed in a so-called swat" attack, when Gamble, having discovered his home address, made a hoax call to local police reporting an on-going crime.

The court was also told Gamble uploaded details of 20,000 FBI employees obtained from the US Department of Justice, with the message: "This is for Palestine."

And the youngster  who founded the now defunct Crackas With Attitude hacking group  even turned on the families of those he targeted. In a disturbing voicemail left for Mr Johnson's wife Susan DiMarco he was heard asking: "Am I scaring you?"

Mr Lloyd-Jones said aggravating features included the "invasion" of victims professional and private lives, as well as those of their families.

He said: "So many of the American witnesses attest to a drop in confidence in the use of portals, many of the agencies withdrawing their contributions, reducing the effectiveness in the wider law enforcement community in America."

William Harbage QC, for Gamble, said the defendant never meant to harm and traumatise people on an individual basis".

He said his actions were an unusual response to opinions he had read about US foreign policy in an online chat room.

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He said: In a naive, immature and childish way, he thought he could do something about it, he could make a nuisance of himself by targeting people in America and that would somehow get them to change US policy as a result of what he was doing from his bedroom.

"When members of the families were brought into it, he did not think through the consequences. The thought seems to have been 'I want to grab attention of the US government and getting the families involved is some way that will grab attention even more'."

He added the teenager was due to sit GCSEs in June and hoped to read computer studies at university and pursue a "useful" career.

Gamble, who is on the autistic spectrum, had previously pleaded guilty to eight charges of performing a function with intent to secure unauthorised access to computers and two charges of unauthorised modification of computer material.

He made no reaction as he was sentenced but his mother, who supported him in court, could be seen weeping.

The judge also ordered the seizure of Gamble's computers.
US president Donald Trump is planning on visiting the UK in the summer, it is reported.

Mr Trump has not visited the UK since he was elected to the White House in November 2016, with a potential visit to London to open the US Embassy in January not taking place.

The Daily Mail report a visit from Mr Trump has been pencilled in for July, while the Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed US official saying the president was looking at coming in the late summer.

Picture: (Getty Images /Pool / Pool)

Mr Trump cancelled a visit to the UK to open the new American embassy, criticising its move from Grosvenor Square in the prestigious Mayfair district of central London to an off location at Nine Elms, south of the Thames.

The president blamed the cost of the new embassy and its location south of the River Thames, saying it was a bad deal.

His cancellation prompted media speculation that reasons for the snub included that Mr Trump had been offended by perceived slights against him by UK public figures.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of endangering the so-called special relationship after he said the president had got the message from Londoners and would have been met by mass peaceful protests if he went ahead with the visit.

The president has endured a turbulent relationship with Theresa May since taking office, with the Prime Minister publicly criticising statements he has made on Muslims, terrorism and climate change.

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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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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. 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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

However, Mr Trump said he was grateful for the support from the UK and France when a coalition of the three countries conducted targeted air strikes in Syria last weekend.

PA
When Opelo Kgari was summoned to the Yarls Wood reception desk she didnt think much of it. She had been staging a sit-in protest with fellow detainees when her unit officer tapped her on the shoulder and said they needed to have a chat. She asked if it could wait until later, but was told it would only take 10 minutes.

This was far from the truth. Over the next 12 hours, she and her mother Florence were strapped in waist restraint belts, placed in two separate vans and  chaperoned by a dozen officers  driven to Heathrow to be forcibly removed from Britain  the country Opelo has lived in since the age of 13.

I went down to reception and she sat me in a little room, the 27-year-old told The Independent. Then another manager came in and she put on a pair of latex gloves. As soon as she came in with those on I knew what was happening.

I couldnt believe my unit manager had brought me there under false pretences. Just a few days ago we had sat together and talked about how we could improve the unit, and she was saying shed do everything she can to make things better.

And then a few days later shes been really sly and brought me into the situation the way she did. I felt so betrayed and angry.

Opelo had been in Yarls Wood for three months. She came to the UK from Botswana with her mother when she was just 13 years old. Despite going through the British education system, achieving good A-levels and developing aspirations to work in the UKs charity sector, she had been thrown into Yarls Wood.

Now she was facing deportation. Guards searched her and said she could make one phone call before she had to hand over her mobile phone. With fight still in her at this point, she refused, arguing that as she was still in the centre she still had the right to have her possessions. But when she saw her mum brought through the door, she realised she had to make that phone call as soon as possible.

I realised at that point that its absolutely pointless trying to argue with these people, and that the sooner I call my solicitor the better. I was only allowed to phone one number, so he was the only person I could call, she says.

I tried to argue the fact that my case is far bigger than just my solicitor. There are so many other people involved who can help me. But they said my solicitor was the only person who could help me. And that was the last time I could call anyone.

Opelo informed their solicitor as to what was happening. Shortly after the phone call, the removal team arrived: a group of 12 officers employed by Tascor, a Capita-owned company contracted by the Home Office to escort detainees to charter flights. Opelo found herself being searched again, this time more stringently.

We had our shoes taken off and we were searched right down to our socks, she said, her voice breaks. She pauses as she tries to hold back the tears. I find I can deal with a lot of it as best I can, but when I get searched  especially in the way that they did  it makes me feel so so small, and almost like a criminal, like Ive done something really wrong.

I broke down when she was searching me. She stripped me of the last bit of dignity that I thought I had.

As this was happening, Opelo saw that their possessions were being loaded into the vans: Officers had gone into our rooms and started chucking all our clothes and belongings into laundry bags. I recognised my gym bag and realised it was all of our stuff. Its really hard to deal with and figure out how best to cope with it except just go with it until its over.

Recommended Government thwarted in new bid to deport woman brought to UK as child

As she was wearing just a pair of leggings and a top, Opelo was told she could change into jeans, but two officers were required to go into the toilet with her. They turned their backs to her, but she wasnt allowed to close the door.

Opelo and her mother were then bound in restraint belts, which Tascor has the right to use following an individual risk assessment. Official Home Office guidelines state: It may be decided that the use of a waist restraint belt provides the most effective method of managing a safe escort.

Despite not trying to physically resist the removal, the women were placed in the restricted restraint belt, which meant their wrists were strapped to the waist belt, limiting their arm movement.

Theyre made of seatbelt material, but much thicker, Opelo recalls. They put it around you and on your wrists, so you cant really move, youre literally bound. I couldnt move my arms more than 30cm from my body. And it has handles on either side on your ribs so that the officers can physically move you if say you didnt want to walk. So they can pull you along.

At this stage, Opelo breaks down in tears.

I was already stripped of all dignity, so you just kind of go with it. But you just feel like youre not even a person anymore. They dont even treat you like a person, its like you dont matter to anyone. And the whole time my mum was saying thats my baby, dont treat her like that.

She and Florence were led into two separate vans, accompanied by six officers in each. As far as Opelo knew, the next time she would see her mum could be on a flight bound for a country she hardly remembers, away from everything she knows.

Opelo  who throughout her time at Yarls Wood has tried to maintain a friendly rapport with the officers there, blaming the Home Office for her situation rather than them  is sympathetic towards the staff removing her, explaining that they tried to have conversations with her in the van.

They really did try, but I had mentally shut down by this point she says. Bless the woman sat next to me. She was so, so lovely. But I just couldnt find it in myself to try. I think a lot of it stemmed from the way we were treated while we were still in Yarls Wood and handed over to them.

The vans arrived to the outskirts of London ahead of schedule, six hours before the flight was due to leave, so the removal team decided to park outside one of Tascors offices situated close to Heathrow until the time was more appropriate to go to the airport.

They parked the vans across from each other so they could all come out and talk to each other, but they had to remain in the van, Opelo remembers. We were there for a few hours just waiting. I had to stay in the van, separate from my mum.

Throughout the process, Opelo and Florences solicitors had been desperately trying to get an injunction from the courts to halt the removal. Three hours before the flight, Florence received a call saying they had succeeded. They would not be removed that day.

It was really good news, but they said that until the Home Office confirms they had to continue with the operation and take them onto security. Even though the judge had made a decision, they still had to wait on the Home Office, says Opelo.

But it felt like a massive cloud had just shifted, the mood shifted, the officers relaxed a little bit. They said it was such good news; they took the belt off me. They were really pleased that we didnt have to go through with it.

An hour later, the officers got confirmation of the injunction from the Home Office, and set off back to Yarls Wood, the women still in different vans. Due to bad traffic, they didnt get back until around 10pm, and then had to wait in reception for two hours.

We had literally left earlier in the day so I thought they should still have everything in place. But we sat and sat and sat. They had a TV so I put Made in Chelsea on  the most mindless show. I watched that and two other shows. Three other people coming in that night. After two and a half hours we got to go to our rooms, says Opelo.

They had to search everything again. The whole process took another 40 minutes again. So we didnt get back into our rooms until about 1am. I imagine a lot of money was wasted.

Since The Independent previously spoke to Opelo in February, at which point she had been in Yarls Wood for five weeks, there is a notable change in her demeanour. She maintains her ease of communication and is even able to laugh at times, but following the deportation attempt  the second she has been subjected to within a matter of weeks  the optimism and energy she had before has petered away.

Ive probably [had] one proper meal since Ive been back. I have no appetite. Apart from sending stuff off to solicitors, Im just in my room. My friend brought in some colouring books to take my mind of things, she says. Ive not been as talkative as I normally would be. One of the officers said I dont have a smile on my face anymore.

Its because I dont have much to smile about. Its really difficult now to find something to smile about. You have to find joy somewhere, but the situation just gets harder and harder. I sometimes feel like I cant carry on."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 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. 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PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. 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There is little doubt that Opelo  a confident and intelligent young woman who devoted her time to volunteering for UK charities before she was unexpectedly detained in Yarl's Wood  will have been damaged by her treatment by the Home Office over the last few months. The widespread public backing for her to remain in Britain is a source of hope, but regardless of her fate, what she has been through is likely to stay with her for years to come.

Im trying to keep it together. Ive decided not to see the psychiatrist in the centre because theres only one and other people in here who need it much more than me," she says. But I'm pretty certain that when I come out I'll need to see a well-trained professional to go over the last few months of what Ive been through. Its extremely naive to think it wont affect me.

Being here is just mental torture, and the Home Office does this so they can tire you out and wear you out. Its not okay to put people through this. No one should ever have to go through anything in this proximity.

A Home Office spokesperson said: Earlier this month, the court issued an injunction against the removal of Florence and Opelo Kgari although their immigration status remains unchanged. We have noted the injunction and are carefully considering its implications.

They said that they monitor the use of restraint by custody officers closely to ensure that the use of restraint is reasonable, necessary and proportionate, and operate a comprehensive complaints system if detainees feel that they have not been treated in accordance with Home Office standards.
The outcry over the Windrush scandal has unearthed the devastating effect of the governments self-proclaimed hostile immigration policies on some Caribbean migrants who were welcomed into the country before 1971.

While individuals from this group have been at the forefront of the story so far, it is becoming increasingly clear that the Home Offices inhumane approach to cutting immigration spans far beyond only those who arrived on the Windrush.

People from a plethora of nationalities and backgrounds in Britain have been stung by Theresa Mays hostile environment.

Here, some of these individuals tell The Independent how their lives were devastated when they were told by the Home Office  often in error  that they were no longer welcome.

Irene Kaali

(Irene Kaali)

Ms Kaali, who was born in Bradford and now lives in Carlisle, was told she was not eligible for British citizenship because her parents  who moved from Tanzania shortly before her birth  did not have indefinite leave to remain when she was born.

Despite the fact that she has grown up, studied and worked in Britain, the Home Office informed the 24-year-old that she had no automatic claim to British citizenship, and that if she wanted to apply, she would have to pay 1,163 plus an admin fee of 80.

For the first time, I truly know what it feels like to be segregated  cast out by the people I had trusted to protect me. I thought that we had moved on from any discrimination, yet here it is, still prevalent in 2018.

I felt extremely frustrated because the very same people werent doing anything to help. Nobody around me really understood first-hand how much of a profound effect it had on my life. Losing work opportunities and not being able to fully pursue the things I had been working towards for so many years left me feeling like my efforts were pointless.

To question yourself, your place in life and in this country, is a stress that I wouldnt wish on anyone.

Ahmed Sedeeq

(Ahmed Sedeeq)

Originally from Mosul in Iraq, where he was in danger due to being an atheist, Mr Sedeeq was in the final year of his computer science doctorate at the University of Sheffield when he was detained by visa and immigration officers during a routine reporting session at the Home Office on 18 December.

The 30-year-old had initially come to the UK on a student visa, but following miscommunication with the Home Office  which had reportedly told him his visa was still valid  he said he ended up overstaying it without realising. After public pressure, he was released and told he could apply for a visa  but the Home Office has since lost his application.

The fact that even when they released me the Home Office told me Im still subject to detention and deportation at any time is very daunting. And now, about three months after I applied for a discretionary visa and a fresh claim for asylum, it turns out they have lost my new asylum application.

I phoned them and they gave me the deadline of 18 May to submit the same papers. In the meantime, three days ago university sent me an email asking about my asylum and gave me until 9 May as a deadline. My lawyer is now having to write a letter to my university to explain the reason for the delay. I didnt expect the Home Office to lose a whole bunch of papers.

Its been really difficult to concentrate and get back to the mentality of doing research and study. Its very challenging. I feel frustrated. I get moments where I ask why myself why Im still fighting this, but theres nothing I can do. Ive done everything I can. Im using all the energy left in me.

Jay

Jay, in his twenties, has been repeatedly denied a British passport because of a lack of clarity over his mothers status

Despite being the son of a Windrush immigrant, Jay, who was born in the UK, was forced to declare himself as stateless after he was threatened with deportation by the Home Office.

Now in his 20s, the young man has been repeatedly denied a British passport because of a lack of clarity over his mothers status after she came from Jamaica as a child. It started when Jays foster parents discovered they were unable to get him a passport to take him on holiday. Ever since, Jay says has been fighting a constant battle to be recognised as British.

Jay has spent hundreds of pounds and sent dozens of letters over the years in attempt to secure his status, but it was only when The Independent reported it that the Home Office informed him that he would finally be recognised as British.

It made me feel very excluded from society. Its almost like you dont feel a part of what theyre a part of. This is a country where everyone is meant to feel welcome, and Im not illegal here, Im perfectly legal being here.

They said they were going to send me back to Jamaica. Ive never been to Jamaica. In order to stay here I had to declare myself as a stateless person. It feels embarrassing to be classed as a stateless person. The word alone  its very degrading.

Its hindered me a lot. There were certain trips that the school and the college would organise, which I obviously couldnt go on. I havent been able to meet certain business goals and compete in certain competitions to develop in my career.

Its made me feel very stuck and very isolated at times  very alone.

Eva Johanna Holmberg

Eva Johanna Holmberg (Queen Mary University)

Finnish historian Eva Holmberg, who works and pays taxes in the UK, was told by the government that she had one month to leave the country in what turned out to be an administrative error affecting scores of people.

The research fellow in British culture at Queen Mary University of London received a letter from the Home Office in August stating that the decision had been taken to remove her from the UK because she had failed to provide evidence that [she was] exercising Treaty rights.

It later emerged that she was one of around 100 EU nationals mistakenly informed by the Home Office that they were to be deported from the UK.

It is probably difficult to British people to understand how much emotional energy it takes for people to fight what must seem to them random deportation cases but were actually logical and intended outcomes of the hostile environment.

Most people have not had to deal with the Home Office themselves, dont know that you cant just phone them, or manage the situation in any easy way, unless like me you happened to have access to legal advice and resources, and friends who could help me get in touch with media.

It is easy for Theresa May or Amber Rudd to advice the Home Office to just deport people first and then deal with complaints after. They know very well how hard it is for people to fight a system that has been built to defeat them, especially if they dont have the time, money and support they need.

Opelo Kgari

Opelo Kgari, 28, has been issued removal directions twice and had them cancelled both times within hours of the flight time  an experience she said was traumatising

Despite the fact that 27-year-old Opelo Kgari has lived in the UK since she arrived from Botswana when she was 13, she and her mother Florence were detained in Yarls Wood removal centre at the end of last year.

Since then, the Home Office has attempted to remove the women twice, but was blocked both times by MPs and solicitors. Ms Kgari went to school in the UK and has volunteered in the charity sector throughout her adult life. She remains in Yarls Wood.

I dont have much to smile about now. Its really difficult now to find something to smile about. You have to find joy somewhere, but the situation just gets harder and harder. I sometimes feel like I cant carry on.

Im pretty certain that Ill need to see a well-trained professional when I get out of Yarls Wood to go over the past few months of what Ive been through. Its extremely naive to think it wont affect me.

Being here is just mental torture, and the Home Office does this so they can tire you out and wear you out. Its not okay to put people through this. No one should ever have to go through anything in this proximity.
Europes largest bank has announced it is to largely stop funding fossil fuel industries.

HSBC claims it is going green by all but ending future investment in new coal power plants, offshore oil rigs and arctic drilling.

It is the latest in a line of major financial institutions to make such a pledge with global giants ING and BNP Paribas both announcing they were to shun so-called dirty energy in the last 12 months. The World Bank has vowed to stop funding oil and gas extraction by 2019.

The shift comes as shareholders and customers concerned about climate change increasingly put pressure on businesses to ensure sure their actions align with the Paris Agreement, a global pact to limit greenhouse gas emissions and curb rising temperatures.

Daniel Klier, HSBCs group head of strategy, said: We recognise the need to reduce emissions rapidly to achieve the target set in the 2015 Paris Agreement, and our responsibility to support the communities in which we operate.

He added the corporation was making an exception for investment in coal-fired power plants in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Vietnam, where the industry is an energy lifeline for millions of people.

John Flint, HSBC chief executive, said: There are a very significant number of people in those three countries who have no access to any electricity. The reasonable position for us is to allow a short window for us to continue to get involved in financing coal there  if we think there is not a reasonable alternative.

The news was announced at a meeting of shareholders at the banks annual general meeting in London on Friday.

It is not the first time the bank has made green overtures. Last year, it committed to providing $100bn (71bn) of sustainable energy investment by 2025, and is planning to source all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

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

Greenpeace welcomed the move saying is showed fossil fuels were an increasingly toxic business proposition.

But it said there was still more to do. Last month, a report by a collection of environmental pressure groups found that big banks across the globe had actually increased their financing of fossil fuels industries to $115bn (82bn) in 2017.

Additional reporting by agencies
It seems to be a case of like father like son: Prince Charles has been engulfed in a race row after telling a woman whose mother was born in Guyana that she did not look like she was from Manchester.

The Prince of Wales  whose father Prince Philip is famed for his offensive gaffes  made the comment to writer Anita Sethi.

She said she was left stunned by the exchange.

I feel angry that there could be such casual ignorance in the corridors of power, she wrote in The Guardian.

Ms Sethi was meeting the royal at the Commonwealth Peoples Forum in London, where she was giving a talk on injustice.

After being introduced to the prince, she says he asked where she was from. When she replied "Manchester", he reportedly quipped "Well, you don't look like it", before laughing and walking away.

The claim came as the heir to the throne was chosen as the Queen's successor as head of the Commonwealth  a multicultural institution with member countries from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Ms Sethi said: Whatever the prince meant or didnt mean in our fleeting encounter, since it happened I have been through all the feelings  from shock to humiliation to rage.

She added: That the next leader of an organisation that represents one-third of the people on the planet commented that I, a brown woman, did not look as if I was from a city in the UK is shocking."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA 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. 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PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. 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She said the remarks were reminiscent of Charles father Philip who has made a number of casually offensive remarks down the years.

Most famously, during a state visit to China in 1986 he told British students: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed."

Clarence House declined to comment.
Failing to secure a free trade deal after Brexit will be disastrous for Britains 28bn processed food and drinks industry and must be avoided at all costs, a committee of MPs has warned.

In a new report they claimed that without access to European Union markets after the end of the transition period, in December 2020, exports of processed foods such as chocolate, cheese, beef, pork and soft drinks would suffer while UK consumers would face higher prices and less choice on the supermarket shelves.

The stark warning comes from the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, with MPs also saying that reversion to World Trade Organisation rules after withdrawal from the bloc would have a seismic impact on the countrys largest manufacturing sector.

The sector would undeniably suffer from reverting to WTO tariffs in the event of a no deal scenario, the MPs report states.

The committee added British participation in the single market and customs union had led to an over reliance on EU markets, which accounted for 60 per cent of the 22bn in processed food and drinks exports in 2017.

They said during their inquiry the committee did not hear any evidence that moving away from the current customs arrangements could be beneficial to UK manufacturers or consumers.

It echoes a similar warning from Sainsburys chief executive Mike Coupe, who last month said the supermarket would have to increase prices if any barriers to imports were introduced after Brexit.

Rachel Reeves, the Labour MP who chairs the committee, said: The success of the industry has been highly dependent on participating in the single market and customs union.

To ensure the continued success of our food and drinks industry, the government must provide clarity and certainty on our future relationship with the EU and seek continued regulatory, standards and trading alignment with the EU in the processed food and drink sector.

The report added that the industry, which employs 400,000 people  a third of them EU nationals  would undeniably suffer if Britain left without a trade deal and was forced to fall back on WTO rules.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

The EUs most favoured nation tariffs under WTO rules would be disastrous for UK exports and must be avoided at all cost, the committee said.

A no deal scenario would be unviable and unacceptable to the sector as, at least in the short term, the EU is the UKs main trading partner. It would also have serious repercussions for importers of UK products in the EU and the rest of the world.

The committee warned that if the UK tried to lower or remove tariffs on imports after Brexit, the consequences for British farming could be extremely serious while the impact on prices in the shops was likely to be very limited.

It said that Britain should remain as close as possible to EU regulations, warning that UK consumers would not tolerate any lowering of standards. It also urged the government to seek a deal on immigration to allow the industry continued access to EU labour  both skilled and unskilled  on which it is heavily reliant.
MPs will be able to force Theresa May to accept a fresh referendum on Brexit in a showdown vote as early as the autumn, a minister has conceded.

In a surprise admission, Steve Baker said the crucial vote on the exit deal would not  as expected  be a take-it-or-leave-it choice, because parliament can always seek to amend motions.

The Brexit minister agreed a possible amendment would be for parliament to only approve the withdrawal agreement struck with the EU subject to a second referendum.

It means MPs will have the chance to send the controversy back to voters before parliament has given its initial support and - crucially - with plenty of time before Britain leaves the EU, in March next year.

The revelation delighted supporters of a further referendum, who launched a high-profile cross-party campaign for the vote only days ago.

Theresa May has tried to pretend that any vote in parliament on a Brexit deal would be a take-it-or-leave it proposition, said Stephen Doughty, a Labour MP and Peoples Vote campaign supporter.

Now her own ministers have admitted thats not true. Parliament can, if it chooses, let the people have their say on the deal, and with public support for a Peoples Vote growing by the day, thats exactly what parliament should do.

Caroline Lucas, the co-leader of the Green Party and a backer of the anti-Brexit Best for Britain campaign, said that many MPs from across the political divide would wish to amend the motion.

Its now down to parliament to flex its muscles on this issue, and give people a say on this monumentally important decision, she said.

Mr Bakers admission came in evidence to a Lords committee investigating the nature of the so-called meaningful vote on the final deal, which will take place later this year, or early in 2019.

The prime minister, and other ministers, have repeatedly insisted that while MPs can reject the agreement reached with the EU, that would simply mean the UK crashing out with no deal at all.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

But Mr Baker, when asked if the motion would be amendable, told peers: I believe the position is that parliament can always seek to amend motions.

The minister was then asked specifically what would happen if an amendment requiring a fresh referendum was carried, replying: That would be an extremely controversial situation, of course.

Mr Baker acknowledged such an amendment could not be ignored, adding: We would be in the position where we would have to look extremely carefully at what the amendment precisely was.

And he held open the possibility of attempts to change the nature of the deal  which, if successful, would send the prime minister back to the negotiating table, it has been argued.

Clearly, the range of amendments that is possible is within the bounds of the imagination of all members of parliament, the minister said.

Speaking to the Lords constitution committee on Wednesday, Mr Baker suggested parliament had a duty to respect the referendum result and not to frustrate that process.

We will leave, there will not be attempts to stay in by the back door, there will not be an attempt to reverse the result, he insisted  but he admitted it was a political point, rather than a constitutional point.

Ms May has firmly rejected a further referendum, but some pro-EU Tories believe she could yet accept one if it appears the only way to keep her warring party together on Europe.

Similarly, although Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour does not back another referendum, he has left the door open to a change of mind.

There is also evidence that support is growing for a referendum on the Brexit deal, amid continuing confusion about both the planned transition period and the final agreement with the EU.

A recent poll for Best for Britain found that 44 per cent of people want a vote  a clear eight points ahead of the 36 per cent who reject a further referendum.

Opinion appears to be shifting as the negotiations remain bogged down on how to avoid a hard border in Ireland and with the details of a future trade deal unlikely to even be discussed until after departure day.

Strikingly, last month David Davis predicted that parliament would vote down the deal unless the trade terms were broadly agreed  but the EU has insisted there is no time before its autumn deadline.

The constitution committee was told the vote would take place as soon as possible after an expected autumn agreement in Brussels, and that it should be supported in the national interest.

If parliament backs that motion, it will be followed by a Withdrawal Agreement and Implementation Bill (Waib) to put the agreement into legal effect.

Some MPs believe the meaningful vote, secured in a revolt last December, should take place on the bill, rather than the motion, only then passing the regulations necessary to deliver Brexit.
Millions of voters feel politically homeless and would consider backing a new centre-ground party, a poll has revealed.

Almost half of those questioned in an exclusive survey for The Independent said both that they did not feel represented by any established party and that a new organisation would have a chance of winning their vote.

The BMG Research poll comes as Labour has moved to the left and the Conservative pursuit of Brexit has alienated some centre-ground voters, with new movements arising in a bid to fill the gap.

But in a blow for hopeful Remainers, EU withdrawal is not the issue that motivates people  with a majority of the public suggesting they would not vote for a new party simply because it was anti-Brexit.

The poll asked a representative sample of more than 1,500 people, To what extent, if at all, do you feel that any of the current political parties in the UK represent your views?

Overall, 40 per cent said they were very or fairly well represented and 19 per cent said they did not know.

But 41 per cent said they were not very well or not at all represented, indicating a significant number of voters who feel the main parties have moved away from them.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA 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

The survey then asked, If a new political party which pitched itself as sitting in the centre or centre ground of British politics formed and ran in the next UK general election, how likely would you be to consider voting for it?

Overall, 43 per cent said they would definitely or potentially consider backing the new party, while 35 per cent said they would not or would be unlikely to, with 22 per cent saying they did not know.

With the electorate at the last election at just less than 47 million people, it suggests almost 20 million voters may be amenable to a new group to some extent, more than voted for either of the two big parties in British politics.

Dr Michael Turner, head of research at BMG, said: This poll reveals the collective exasperation of the public when it comes to Westminster politics at this time. A whopping six in 10 people who identify themselves as in the centre-ground of British politics, say that they are not very, or not at all, represented by the current crop of UK parties.

It is no surprise then that centrists are most likely to say they would consider switching to something new, with 45 per cent saying they are likely to do so, should a new party pitch itself somewhere between Labour and the Conservatives.

 Renew: the new anti-Brexit political party

Earlier this year a new party called Renew was set up aiming to transform British politics, by taking a people-centred approach to recruiting candidates and setting policy.

More recently it emerged that another new political party with access to up to 50m in funding has been secretly under development for more than a year.

This poll reveals the collective exasperation of the public when it comes to Westminster politics at this time Dr Michael Turner, BMG Research

A network of entrepreneurs, philanthropists and donors, are behind the project which seeks to break the Westminster mould.

It is spearheaded by the multi-millionaire philanthropist and founder of LoveFilm, Simon Franks, who has set up a company, Project One Movement for the UK, as a likely vehicle for the party.

But while the gap may be there for a new political group, the first-past-the-post electoral system and the reluctance of mainstream politicians to switch allegiance makes it notoriously hard for new parties to bed in.

 'Not another one?': Brenda from Bristol's amazing reaction to the news of a General Election

Recent Labour divisions over Syria, antisemitism and the approach to Russia following the poisoning of Sergei Skripal has strained tensions in Jeremy Corbyns party however, with rumours that some of its MPs may be willing to jump ship.

One Labour backbencher told The Independent: Things have been very hard recently over issues that have really shone a light on areas of difference and people have questioned whether staying is the right thing to do.

There will come a moment when the decision has to be made, and itll probably come reasonably soon.
Home Office officials were urged four years ago to act on the growing problems facing the Windrush generation, it has emerged, including recommendations to create a specialist taskforce which was only set up this week.

It follows intense pressure on the government department and Theresa May over their handling of the Windrush scandal that has highlighted the plight of members of a generation of immigrants who arrived as British citizens in the mid-twentieth century.

This week both Amber Rudd, the home secretary, and the prime minister have personally apologised for the debacle, promising compensation for those affected and setting up a new dedicated team in the Home Office tasked with helping members of the Windrush generation prove their right to British citizenship.

But the government now faces renewed criticism after it emerged that a similar recommendation  the creation of specialist Home Office unit  was made in October 2014 while Ms May was in charge of the department as home secretary.

In a detailed report, published in October 2014 by the Legal Action Group, it was also warned that thousands of migrants who have been in Britain legally for decades were falling victim to the hostile immigration policies aimed at illegal immigrants in the UK.

The recommendations of the Chasing Status report also included maintaining applicants ability to work and claim benefits while their status is resolved.

It stated: The Home Office should consider mitigating some of the worst effects of status problems by issuing letters pending consideration, which would confirm eligibility to continue working and/or claiming benefits, and accessing other essential services, such as the NHS and rented accommodation, while their application is being processed.

Recommended National Archives could be Windrush immigration status lifeline

Recommending the establishment of a specialist unit, the report continued: Recognising that these cases require a specific understanding of the history of immigration control and how Commonwealth citizens have been affected, to establish a specialised case working unit with the Home Office, to which applications such as these will be directed.

When the report was originally published four years ago, it was carried in The Guardian and contained a comment from the Home Office, meaning officials were aware of its existence. It contained several anonymous case studies of the problems facing the Windrush generation.

The Labour MP David Lammy, who has been a leading campaigner for those members of the Windrush generation experiencing difficulties, told The Independent: It is utterly extraordinary that the Home Office was clearly aware of the impact that their pernicious policies would have, yet ignored all the warnings and impact assessments.

The apologies made by the home secretary and prime minister are merely crocodile tears given that they were fully aware of the human cost that their policies would have. Its time for a proper and independent review of our immigration policy and the hostile environment.

He continued: The government has tried to dismiss the Windrush crisis as a bureaucratic error or officials overzealously interpreting policy but in reality it is a direct result of the hostile environment policy introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 30 September 2021 The centrepiece One Thousand Springs by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota is seen ahead of the beginning of the Japan Festival, a celebration of the countrys plants, art and culture running from 2-31 October, at Kew Gardens in London PA 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

A Home Office spokesperson said: Illegal immigration impacts the whole of society, putting pressure on taxpayer-funded public services, leaving vulnerable people at the mercy of exploitative employers or landlords, and at worst fuelling the abhorrent crimes of modern slavery and human trafficking.

People from the Windrush generation are of course here legally. The home secretary has recognised the huge contribution they have made to our society, and has apologised unreservedly to them.

The vast majority will already have documentation that proves their right to be here. For those that dont, we have established a new dedicated team to quickly help them get the documentation they need and ensure this is resolved as soon as possible.

On Sunday Jeremy Corbyn is expected to tell Labours Welsh conference that Theresa May is personally responsible for the controversy by setting a deliberately unreachable bar with her hostile environment immigration policies.

He is set to tell the Llandudno gathering: Iits not as if they werent warned. At the time the Tories were pushing their hostile environment policy through parliament some of us, sadly far too few, warned about the consequences for those born in the UK and those born abroad alike.

So now were seeing those consequences in a string of harrowing human stories. Peoples lives ripped apart because of the personal decisions and actions of Theresa May and her government.
Thousands of people gathered on Saturday to mourn the former first lady Barbara Bush in Houston, Texas.

Notably absent was President Donald Trump, but first lady Melania Trump was among the 1,500 invited guests who joined Ms Bushs large family for a private, but televised, service at the St Martins Episcopal Church. The 90-minute service began at 11:00 local time [16:00 GMT].

Others in attendance included former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Recommended The matriarch of most powerful US first family in recent times

Ms Bush, who died at the age of 92 on Tuesday, had been married to the former president George HW Bush for 73 years and served as first lady from 1989 to 1993. She is survived by her sons former president George W Bush and former Florida governor Jeb Bush as well as children Dorothy, Neil, Marvin, brother Scott Pierce, former first lady Laura Bush, 17 grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

The elder Mr Bush is broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, his wife of 73 years, according to Jean Becker, chief of staff in the 93-year-old former presidents office. He held her hand all day today and was at her side when she left this good earth, Ms Becker said in a statement. Mourners joined in hymns as her other son Jeb and her friend Susan Baker, wife of former secretary of state James A Baker III, were chosen by Ms Bush herself to give eulogies.

She was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning, Jeb Bush said of his mother.

Now wheelchair bound, the 41st president and daughter Dorothy had greeted thousands of public mourners the previous day filtering through the church. Ms Bush was in a covered coffin with large bunches of brightly coloured flowers adorning. On Saturday, a white cloth emblazoned with a large yellow and gold cross covered her.

Six of her granddaughters, including the younger president Bushs twin daughters Barbara and Jenna, performed emotional readings from the Bible. Presidential historian and author Jon Meacham gave one of the eulogies as well and told a humorous story about the candid and confident Ms Bush.

 Barbara Bush shuts down people shaming her for being the First Lady

She was the first lady of the Greatest Generation, Mr Meacham said, referring to Mr Bushs service during World War II and Ms Bushs time working in a factory at the time.

They put country above party ... Good above political gain, the author said about the debutante from Rye, New York, who began her life in rural Texas oil country with Mr Bush 70 years ago. What followed were 29 different homes in 17 different cities and several political campaigns of her husband and sons. She and the former president also lived in Beijing when Mr Bush was the head of the US Liaison Office in the mid-1970s.

Stories were also told about Ms Bushs community service and her lifelong commitment to literacy issues in the US. She was also remembered for her embrace of a gay man infected with AIDS in 1989 at a Washington DC shelter.

Ms Bush was also known for refusing to colour her hair, often getting criticism for her personal appearance while Mr Bush was in the White House because she was such a contrast to her glamourous and fashion-conscious predecessor Nancy Reagan.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

It is customary for sitting presidents to attend the funerals of former presidents but not necessarily deceased first ladies. Mr Obama did not attend the funeral of Nancy Reagan in 2016, while Ms Obama did. It is partially due to the amount of security measures required for sitting presidents that may be disruptive to the family of the deceased.

Former president Jimmy Carter, also 93, and wife Rosalynn were unable to make the journey. A spokeswoman said that Mr Carter would be on a private trip overseas while Ms Carter is recovering from recent surgery.

Mr Trump is currently at his golf club and resort Mar-a-Lago in Florida, where he has been all week. Ms Trump attended Saturdays service on behalf of the first family, White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement. To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service, Mr Trump will not attend.

He did tweet his condolences, saying: Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day! He also tweeted a picture of her White House portrait.

Ms Bush was not a fan of Mr Trumps, who ran against her son Jeb in the 2016 election and frequently resorted to personal attacks on her son  calling him dumb as a rock  and other opponents. Known for not mincing words in public comments, Ms Bush said she was sick of him and commented that hes said terrible things about women, terrible things about the military. I dont understand why people are for him, for that reason.

Ms Bush will be laid to rest on the grounds of the George HW Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, next to her daughter Pauline Robinson Robin Bush, who died of leukaemia at the age of 3 in 1953.
Donald Trump has hinted he believes the probe into Russian interference in US elections is illegal, the latest in a line of thinly veiled attacks that critics say are aimed at undermining the independent investigation.

The US president fired off the astonishing suggestion in one of his infamous late night Twitter posts.

He claimed the special counsel probe looking into Moscows links with his 2016 campaign was set-up following an illegal media leak  and seemed to conclude that meant the whole process was illegitimate.

James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? [sic] he wrote. Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?

Mr Trump has repeatedly called the enquiry  led by Robert Mueller  a politicised witch hunt. But the new outburst appears to go further by suggesting it should be ended according to US law.

The claim came just a day after Rudy Giuliani  the combative former Mayor of New York  revealed he had joined Mr Trumps legal term and was aiming to bring an end to the enquiry.

Yet many have already dismissed the presidents tweeted conclusions.

The leak referred to was a memo which former FBI director Mr Comey wrote documenting a 2017 meeting with Mr Trump, during which the president allegedly asked him to drop an FBI investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Mr Comey revealed the memo to The New York Times after he was fired, apparently out of concern the president had tried to obstruct justice.

Just one day after the newspaper ran the story on 16 May, Mr Mueller was appointed special counsel by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

But Mr Comey has previously said the memo contained no classified information and was, therefore, not an illegal leak.

In testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee last June, he said: "If I write it in such a way that doesn't include anything of a classification, that would make it easier for us to discuss within the FBI, and the government, and to hold onto it in a way that makes it accessible to us."

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

Despite Mr Trumps continual criticism, the Mueller probe has evolved dramatically over the last year, and has resulted in a number of federal charges, indictments and pleas involving some of the presidents closest aides and some Russian operatives.

Earlier this month, in a surprising raising of stakes, the offices and homes of Mr Trumps personal attorney, Michael Cohen, were raided by investigators.

Prosecutors have not yet brought any charges specifically related to collusion.
In the rugged Sierra Maestra mountains near where Fidel Castro made his hideout as he led a guerrilla uprising in the late 1950s, Cubans say they are still grateful for the land reforms and modern amenities his leftist revolution brought. Fidel Castros younger brother, Raul Castro, 86, steped down as president this week. His successor is 57-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel, the first time Communist-run Cuba has had a leader born after the 1959 revolution.

In Santo Domingo, the hamlet closest to the Comandancia La Plata where the rebels had their military headquarters, locals say they owe much to the Castros revolution, despite an ailing economy that Rauls tentative market reforms have failed to fix.

I have a happy life: I have a place to farm; I have animals, says farmer Paulo Alvarez, 55, whose pigs, turkeys and chickens roam freely around his wooden hut, grunting and squawking. I thank the revolution for that. It was not like this before.

Fidel Castro, who ruled for decades before handing power to his brother and who died in 2016, nationalised many large agricultural properties after coming to power, part of a sharp leftwards turn that prompted many Cubans to leave the island and that sent relations with the United States into a long freeze.

Title to land was given free of charge to former tenant farmers, labourers and sharecroppers. Many farmers then joined together to work under the umbrella of state and cooperative farms. The Cuban government also brought medical facilities, schools and paved roads to remote places like Santo Domingo, a village of several hundred inhabitants nestled in the wooded mountains by a river.

Resident Luis Enrique Perez was able to train as an English teacher, although he gave up teaching because of the low salary. Despite the revolutions achievements in social indicators like education, much of Cubas population scrapes by on state wages, which at around 21 a month are a source of common grumbles.

Local official guide Luis Enrique Perez closes a window of the house where the late President, Fidel Castro, lived during the Cuban revolution (Reuters) (REUTERS)

Perez says he found better paid work as a guide at the Comandancia La Plata, which nowadays attracts visitors exploring Cubas political heritage.

I can make better money and also practise my languages with tourists, which is my passion, says Perez, as he points to the large bed where Fidel Castro once slept next to a window overlooking the surrou ndinrevolu tiong undergrowth.

Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Show all 15 1 /15 Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Mountains seen from La Plata, in the Sierra Maestra, Cuba REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Workers take a break as they build a house at a farm in the village of Santo Domingo REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Mechanic Dayan Nunes, 20, sits on a donkey in the village of La Merced REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains People watch the recording of an episode of the popular TV show Palmas y Canas in the village of Providencia REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Farmer Alexander Castillo, 37, talks to a friend at the doorstep of his home in the village of Santo Domingo REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains A horse stands in the mountains near the village of Santo Domingo REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains The village of Santo Domingo is seen in the Sierra Maestra REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Bananas are being prepared for lunch in the kitchen of a house in the village of Santo Domingo REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Farmer Luca Castillo, 84, poses for a photograph in front of his home in the village of Santo Domingo, in the Sierra Maestra REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains A chef sits in a food station during the recording of an episode of the popular TV show Palmas y Canas in the village of Providencia REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains People attend the recording of an episode of the popular TV show Palmas y Canas in the village of Providencia REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Hipolito Marrero, 83, smokes a cigar as he commutes on horseback in the mountains near the village of Santo Domingo REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Farmer Javier Tamayo, 55, rides his horse in the mountains near the village of Santo Domingo REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains Local official guide Luis Enrique Perez closes a window of the house where the late president Fidel Castro lived in the village of La Plata during the Cuban revolution REUTERS Castro revolution lives on in the Cuban Sierra Maestra mountains A boy raises the Cuban flag during a daily ceremony held at a school in the village of Santo Domingo, in the Sierra Maestra, Cuba Reuters

Adding a touch of authenticity, a 1950s American fridge stands in the main room with a bullet hole where it is says to have been hit by enemy fire while being carried up the mountains to the Commandantes hut. Raul did many good things to Cuba in the past 10 years, he says. He has changed the social life of the country, with cooperatives, private business, hotspots, internet, mobiles.

The younger Castro has opened up Cubas state-run economy to private enterprise in an attempt to boost growth and trim the state payroll. A surge in tourism over the past few years has fostered that fledgling private sector.

In Santo Domingo, private restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts have sprung up alongside the main road, where cows and horses saunter across nonchalantly in search of better pastures.

Cuba would be the best place to live in the world, says Perez, if state salaries were good enough.

Reuters
Police chased an unusual escapee through the streets of a Texas city on Friday after a miniature horse made a bid for freedom from a local stable.

Haltom City Police Department was called to reports of loose livestock on Beach Street on Friday evening.

Footage of the incident showed officers pursuing the adventurous animal by car, but failing to capture it.

Teenager Colble Caudle, who was riding along with police that evening, then tried a different tactic. The 17-year-old used his skills as a professional calf-roper and lassoed the escapee. Other locals also helped keep the horse under control.

Colby Caudle wins the award for best civilian ride out ever, the police department said in a statement on Facebook. Its not often we get a call for loose livestock running down Beach [Street] that turns out to be a mini pony.

Recommended Scottish island has more miniature horses than people

Even more rare when your rider just happens to be a competitive calf-roper who happens to have his lasso in his truck.

So if you hear stories today of a young man hanging out of a police Tahoe chasing a miniature horse and throwing a lasso like something out of bizarre movie last night ... It absolutely happened in Haltom City.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

It added in a later post: Sometimes it takes a village! A special thanks to Gilberto Martinez and his posse for helping us end a several mile horse chase the other night.

They ended up having our now famous mini horse chased right into them.

The miniature horse has now been returned to its owner.
A mother has been arrested in the US after her seven-year-old son turned up to school high on cocaine, it has been reported.

Teachers called paramedics after the youngster became drowsy and unresponsive at North Elementary School in Urbana, Ohio.

Hospital doctors discovered the class A drug in the boys system after running tests, according to local news channel WDTN.

His mother, who has not been named, was detained by police after she arrived at Urbana Mercy Health Hospital to collect the child  and was then herself found to be under the influence of cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.

She told the police the boy may have inhaled the drugs when he was left unattended before school. She is facing multiple charges relating to use and possession of drugs.

Benjamin Cash, a neighbour, told WDTN: It almost brings a tear to your eye. It's crazy. You got to be thankful for the good staff members and good teachers."

Another, Lee Ann Steed, added: A seven-year-old child should never even be around drugs. They shouldn't even know the word cocaine or any other substance. It's just not fair."
American consumers have been told to throw out any store-bought romaine lettuce as an E Coli outbreak has hospitalised dozens.

All types of romaine grown in a particular region of Arizona are at risk of spreading the disease, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said.

Regulators broadened a previous warning after people were sickened in Alaska, a state that is separated from Arizona by thousands of kilometres.

Infections have now been reported in 16 different states. The outbreak has rippled across the entire country, with cases registered on both coasts.

Unless eaters know their lettuce has not come from the Yuma, Arizona epicentre, authorities said, it is better to err on the side of caution and skip it.

This includes whole heads and hearts of romaine, chopped romaine, and salads and salad mixes containing romaine lettuce. If you do not know if the lettuce is romaine, do not eat it and throw it away, the health agency warned.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The same goes for eating at restaurants, the CDC said. Health authorities also recommend washing drawers and shelves that held romaine lettuce.

Some 53 cases have been reported since this strain of E Coli began spreading, with 31 people sent to the hospital. None of them have died.
Emergency inspections will be carried out on hundreds of aircraft worldwide after an explosion aboard a Southwest Airlines flight led to the death of a passenger.

The announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration comes after a woman was almost sucked out of a window on a flight from New York to Dallas on Tuesday, after an engine failure due to a fractured fan blade".

Metal fatigue was believed to have led to a piece of a fan blade coming loose, according to investigators, which then smashed through the engine casing. Debris shattered a passenger window, which in turn led to decompression.

The authority fears the same problem could happen to other aircraft with the same engine model, and have ordered for almost 700 planes to be inspected, about half of which are in the US.

In an Emergency Airworthiness Directive, the FAA said: Fan blade failure due to cracking, if not addressed, could result in an engine in-flight shutdown (IFSD), uncontained release of debris, damage to the engine, damage to the airplane, and possible airplane decompression.

It added that the unsafe condition is likely to exist or develop in other products of the same type design.

The Southwest flight in question was on a Boeing Model 737-700 airplane powered by CFM56-7B model engines.

The FAA has now ordered for all engines of this type with more than 30,000 total cycles to be inspected within 20 days.

Evaluating what went wrong aboard the ill-fated Southwest flight, the investigators said the failure led to the engine inlet cowl disintegrating and debris penetrating the fuselage causing a loss of pressurization and prompting an emergency descent.

Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 had 149 people aboard when it made an emergency landing in Philadelphia.

Oxygen masks descended as the passengers endured a terrifying rapid descent.

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

Banking executive Jennifer Riordan, 43, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was almost sucked out of her window when it shattered in mid-air. She was pulled back inside by fellow passengers but died from her injuries.

It was the first time in eight years that someone died in a fatal accident aboard a US airliner.

Robert Sumwalt, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), said the dangerous kind of engine breakup that occurred Tuesday  called an uncontained failure because pieces were shot out like shrapnel  should not have happened.

But he and other aviation experts have cautioned against drawing any broad conclusions yet about the safety of CFM56 engines or Boeing 737 jets.

CFM International says the engines are used on 6,700 planes around the world.

Uncontained engine failures are rare  there are about three or four a year, according to Mr Sumwalt.

It is not the first time an emergency of this kind has occurred.

A similar incident aboard another Southwest flight in 2016 also involved an engine fan becoming detached and was also associated with metal fatigue.

That plane also made an emergency landing but no one was injured.

Southwest issued letters of apology to passengers who were aboard Flight 1380. US media report that each was given a $5,000 cheque and a $1,000 travel voucher.

Southwest said in a statement earlier this week that it is accelerating its existing engine inspection program relating to the CFM56 engine family.

The accelerated inspections are being performed out of an abundance of caution and are expected to be completed over the next 30 days.

The accelerated checks are ultrasonic inspections of fan blades of the CFM56 engines.

In a further statement, they acknowledged the directive issued by the FAA, adding that their existing maintenance program meets or exceeds all the requirements specified in the Airworthiness Directive.

Additional reporting by agencies
Airlines have been ordered to inspect engine components implicated in a Southwest Airlines crash.

A directive from the Federal Aviation Administration (FCC) gave operators 20 days to inspect fan blades on certain engine types.

The call for additional inspections reflected information gathered from the investigation of Tuesdays Southwest Airlines engine failure, the FAA said.

Some 352 engines in the US and 681 engines worldwide would be affected, the agency said.

Investigators have been looking into the engine failure that forced Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia and caused the death of passenger Jennifer Riordan.

Ms Riordan died after being partially sucked out of a shattered window.

Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Jennifer Riordan died after being partially sucked out of a shattered plane window following an engine explosion. Reuters/AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Tammie Jo Shults, hero pilot of Southwest 1380, kept calm and saved her passengers. Kristopher Johnson via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Marty Martinez, left, appears with other passengers after a jet engine blew out on the Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 plane. Marty Martinez via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The window that was shattered after a jet engine of the Southwest Airlines airplane blew out at altitude Marty Martinez via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures A National Transportation Safety Board investigator examines damage to the engine. NTSB via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Jennifer Riordan, a 43-year-old mother-of-two. Facebook/Jennifer Riordan via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The Southwest Airlines jet sits on the runway at Philadelphia International Airport after it was forced to land with an engine failure. AFP/Getty Images Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Pennsylvania Game Commission employees recover a piece of the Southwest Airline engine covering that landed in Penn Township, Berks County. AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Tammie Jo Shults was hailed a hero by passengers. Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The window that was shattered. Marty Martinez via AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures A National Transportation Safety Board investigator photographs a Southwest Airline engine covering that landed in Penn Township AP Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures The exploded engine of Southwest Airlines flight 1380 during the flight from a passenger's window. Cassie Adams via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures US Navy Lieutenant Tammie Jo Shults in front of a Navy F/A-18A in 1992. US Navy/Handout via Reuters Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Damage to the Southwest Airlines plane after Jennifer Riordan died when the jet blew an engine at 32,000ft. PA Southwest Airlines engine explosion: in pictures Emergency personnel monitor the damaged engine. Reuters

Southwest confirmed this week that it had sent $5,000 checks and $1,000 travel vouchers to passengers who were on board.

 Simon Calder: Ryanair becomes world's safest airline after Southwest flight's mid-air tragedy

The National Transportation Safety Board said its on-the-ground inspectors would likely finish their initial work over the weekend. It asked any community members who had found fallen engine components to come forward, noting some pieces had already been provided.
The top Democrat in the Senate has introduced a bill to decriminalise marijuana across the US.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on 20 April  a day known for its celebrations of the psychoactive drug  that he would sponsor legislation to remove marijuana from the countrys list of scheduled substances, effectively decriminalising it at the federal level.

The time has come to decriminalise marijuana, Mr Schumer said in a statement. My thinking  as well as the general populations views  on the issue has evolved, and so I believe theres no better time than the present to get this done.

Recommended Trump says individual states can decide whether to legalise marijuana

Mr Schumers legislation would remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the US Controlled Substances Act of 1970, effectively reducing criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of weed.

The bill would also also establish funding streams for women and minority-owned marijuana businesses, and provide money for research into the public health effects of THC. The federal governments ability to regulate intrastate drug trafficking and marijuana advertising would remain unchanged.

In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Show all 26 1 /26 In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A man wears a marijuana leaf mask during the annual 4/20 cannabis culture celebration at Sunset Beach in Vancouver, British Columbia AP In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A lady smokes marijuana on Parliament Hill on 4/20 in Ottawa, Ontario Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies James Reed smokes a joint during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies People sign a 4/20 sign on Parliament Hill on in Ottawa, Ontario Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A woman smokes marijuana on Parliament Hill on 4/20 in Ottawa, Ontario. Polling released showed strong support in Canada for a government drive to legalise recreational use of marijuana, but many would like the proposed minimum age for consumption to be raised. Sixty-three percent of respondents told the Angus Reid Institute they support legalisation Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A man smokes marijuana during the annual 4/20 marijuana rally on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Reuters In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Demonstrators smoke marijuana during the '4/20 Santiago' rally in favour of legalisation in front of the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, as part of the Global Marijuana March which is being held in hundreds of cities worldwide Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies People play with a mock marijuana joint during a 4/20 party to demand legalisation and to celebrate marijuana culture outside the Senate building in Mexico City, Mexico Reuters In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Adam Eidinger, co-founder of DCMJ, hands out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalising marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Police arrest Rachel Ramone Donlan after she handed out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalising marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC AFP/Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Police arrest Rachel Ramone Donlan after she handed out free marijuana joints to DC residents who worked on Capitol Hill as part of the 1st Annual Joint Session to mark '4/20' day and promote legalising marijuana on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Thousands of people gather to smoke marijuana during the '420 Santiago'rally in front of the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies People attend the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Kevin Barron and Lasean Moore of Raleigh, North Carolina, share a joint during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Nic Ruhl takes a pull on a giant hand rolled joint at precisely 4:20pm MDT during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Various cannabis paraphernalia on display at a vendor's stall during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Mo Banez, of Austin, Texas, lights a joint during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies A man displays a large container of cannabis during the Denver 420 Rally at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado. The rally, held annually, is a celebration of both the legalisation of cannabis and cannabis culture. Colorado is one of twenty-six U.S. states along with the District of Columbia that has legalised the use of cannabis either recreationally or medically AFP/Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants lit up as the clock struck 4:20 for the local version of the traditional worldwide April 20 pro-marijuana events, known as '420' rallies Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli smokes a marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies Sitting in small groups on mats shaded by trees in the Rose Garden just across from the Knesset, participants lit up as the clock struck 4:20 for the local version of the traditional worldwide April 20 pro-marijuana events, known as '420' rallies Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli girl poses with a mock marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden, to celebrate 420 and to express their defiance of current laws Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies aelis pass around a marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden, to celebrate 420 and to express their defiance of current laws Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli smokes a marijuana joint in Jerusalem during a rally at the Rose garden, to celebrate 420 and to express their defiance of current law Getty Images In pictures: 4/20 Marijuana world rallies An Israeli smokes a marijuana joint in Jerusalem on April 20, 2017 during a rally opposite the Knesset to celebrate 420 and express defiance of current laws AFP/Getty Images

This legislation would let the states be the laboratories that they should be, ensure that woman and minority owned business have a fair shot in the marijuana industry, invests in critical research on THC, and ensures that advertisers cant target children, Mr Schumer said. its a balanced approach.

Don Murphy, the director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policies Project, said he welcomed the legislation, but admitted it had a low chance of passing Congress.

"The good news here is [this legislation] elevates the debate to a new level, he told The Independent. Thats what's so great about it: Not that its going to be passed and signed by the president, but the fact that were having this conversation.

 USA: Sanders calls for an end to federal marijuana prohibition

President Donald Trump indicated earlier this month that he may be open to letting states decide how to regulate marijuana for themselves. But his Justice Department has been inflexible on the issue, to the point of rescinding Obama-era guidelines that made it easier for states to legalise the drug.

Nine US states have already legalised recreational marijuana, and 29 have legalised it for medical purposes. Sales of legal marijuana reached $9.7bn in North America in 2017, according to a report from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, far surpassing estimates of how fast the industry would grow.

According to the latest survey from Pew Research Centre, more than 60 per cent of Americans favour legalising marijuana  an historically high level of support.
India is to introduce the death penalty for child rapists, in a move aimed at alleviating nationwide protests over a number of brutal and high profile cases.

Those found guilty of sexually assaulting children under 12 will now face execution, under a special ordinance issued by the government and set to be rubber stamped next week.

The change comes amid widespread outrage over the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and the alleged attack on an unnamed teenager by a politician in Uttar Pradesh.

The current maximum punishment for the crime is life imprisonment  although those found guilty of gang rape already face execution.

The new prosecuting guidelines have been set out in an ordinance by the India prime minister, Narendra Modi, and his ruling cabinet. It is set to be waved through by the president, Ram Nath Kovind, next week.

To become law, it will need to go before parliament within six months  but the punishment will be enforceable in the intervening period.

The country has been facing a growing crisis of sexual violence for some time, commentators say.

This week, thousands of protesters took to city streets across the country over the handling of the investigation into the Kathua case. Government officials, police and some members of Mr Modis ruling Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, have been accused of siding with the accused  eight men who are all Hindu  rather than the victim, who was a Muslim.

Earlier this year, meanwhile, a teenage girl tried to light herself on fire in front of the chief ministers house to protest at police inaction in her own case. BJP lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar was eventually charged with her rape last week.

The incidents come six years after the fatal gang rape of a young woman on a New Delhi bus caused shock and revulsion around the world and triggered massive street demonstrations across the country.

The government responded at the time by doubling prison terms for rapists to 20 years and criminalising voyeurism, stalking and the trafficking of women. Lawmakers also voted to lower the age at which a person can be tried as an adult for the most serious crimes from 18 to 16.

But the problem of sexual violence has remained, said New Delhi lawyer Abha Singh.

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

She told the AP news agency that capital punishment would be an increased deterrent. But she urged the government to set a time frame for bringing suspects to justice as Indian courts are notorious for delays, with more than 30 million cases pending.

She said: The conviction rate in rape cases in India was only 28 per cent, implying that 72 out of 100 suspects are going unpunished.
Aid workers are scrambling to train emergency response teams as the coming monsoon season looms over Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, threatening to bring potentially fatal flooding and landslides.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims are living in crowded camps in Coxs Bazar after fleeing sectarian violence in neighbouring Myanmar, where they have reported mass killings, rape and arson.

Hundreds of thousands will be at risk when the rains arrive later this month, said Dr Iftikher Mahmood, founder of the Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh.

Recommended Harrowing stories from pregnant Rohingya refugees revealed by midwives

Dr Mahmood, who grew up in Coxs Bazar, told The Independent the monsoon season there could be devastating and the Rohingya refugees could face a fatal mix of mudslides, floods and tropical storms.

Its location on the coast means Coxs Bazar is considered a high risk area in Bangladesh, which is already prone to severe flooding during the monsoon season.

More than 100,000 refugees will be threatened by landslides and floods in the coming monsoons, according to computer modelling by the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR).

In one mega-camp, Kutupalong, the population density is five times the recommended standard for refugee camps. The lack of space has forced the construction of shelters for refugees onto landslide-prone slopes and flood zones, putting over 102,000 people at risk in that camp alone.

Rohingya crisis in photos Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees are reflected in rain water along an embankment next to paddy fields after fleeing from Myanmar into Palang Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh November REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees scramble for aid at a camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Betel leaves cover the face of 11-month-old Rohingya refugee Abdul Aziz whose wrapped body lay in his family shelter after he died battling high fever and severe cough at the Balukhali refugee camp near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, December REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos An exhausted Rohingya refugee fleeing violence in Myanmar cries for help from others crossing into Palang Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh November REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Mohammed Shoaib, 7, who was shot in his chest before crossing the border from Myanmar in August, is held by his father outside a medical centre near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees try to take shelter from torrential rain as they are held by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugee children fly improvised kites at the Kutupalong refugee camp near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Smoke is seen on the Myanmar border as Rohingya refugees walk on the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos People gather under heavy rain around bodies of Rohingya refugees after the boat they were using to flee violence in Myanmar capsized off Inani Beach near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos The remains of a burned Rohingya village is seen in this aerial photograph near Maungdaw, north of Rakhine State, Myanmar REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees cross the Naf River with an improvised raft to reach to Bangladesh in Teknaf, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos A security officer attempts to control Rohingya refugees waiting to receive aid in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Hamida, a Rohingya refugee woman, weeps as she holds her 40-day-old son after he died as their boat capsized before arriving on shore in Shah Porir Dwip, Teknaf, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya siblings fleeing violence hold one another as they cross the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Palong Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh September Reuters

Dr Mahmood warned there is an extremely high risk of mudslides, which could wash away the flimsy bamboo and plastic shelters that house the refugees, and flooding from heavy rains could turn everything to slop.

He said: We have heavy rain around July and August. Everything is slop. People are underwater, houses are underwater, and also we get mudslides.

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims are living in crowded refugee camps in Coxs Bazar after fleeing sectarian violence in neighbouring Myanmar (Josh Estey/ EMC) (Josh Estey/EMC)

Dr Mahmood also said the vulnerable coastal area could be wracked by tropical storms and hurricane-force winds: There is no doubt, all these tents are going to be blown away at the first wind.

The refugees could also face outbreaks of cholera and other waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, and are at risk of pneumonia, which Dr Mahmood said can cause rapid deterioration, especially in women and children.

He added: Mudslides could be fatal, floods could be fatal and the tropical storms could be fatal, then went on to caution: Close to a million people are staying there, its extremely crowded. People are not going to be able to find a place to hide or take shelter.

Dr Mahmood warned there is an extremely high risk of mudslides which could wash away the flimsy bamboo and plastic shelters refugees live in (Josh Estey/ EMC)

In anticipation of the coming monsoon season, which the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said typically begins in April and peaks in July, the Hope Foundation is training between four and six emergency response teams, which will be comprised of 40 local staff who are used to responding to catastrophic weather.

Right now we are training about 40 people, but our goal is to have 80 to put together mobile medical teams ready to respond, Dr Mahmood said.

When the Rohingya refugee crisis broke out in August 2017, the Hope Foundation was one of the first organisations to mobilise to help those fleeing from Myanmar.

Quickly, we set up a bunch of clinics in the locations where there was heavy need, Dr Mahmood said. At that time not many international or national NGOs came around, so we set up some clinics and started working, primarily on reproductive health, emergency care and primary care, and also made partners with other organisations so we are working together.

The Hope Foundation for Women and Children of Bangladesh has been preparing for the coming monsoons by training emergency response teams (Josh Estey/ EMC)

Earlier this week Sheikh Hasina, Bangladeshs prime minister, said more international pressure needed to be placed on Myanmar to take back Rohingya refugees and ensure their safety.

After a repatriation deal between the neighbouring countries was delayed, Bangladesh raced to prepare new homes on an uninhabited low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal, called Bhasan Char, before the monsoons.

We are expecting to move those who are in a vulnerable place to the island, Ms Hasina said. Bangladesh can always be flooding and it does. The camps are very unhealthy. We have prepared a better place for them to live, with houses and shelters where they can earn a living.

Where they are living now, the monsoon season is coming up, there can be land erosions, accidents are taking place.

Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Show all 15 1 /15 Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Badiul Alam, 52, appointed as the manager of one grouping of refugees, shows the rifle-butt injury he sustained during his flight from Myanmar Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Abdur Rahim, 50, fled Myanmar with his family of seven. It took a month for them to walk to Bangladesh, carrying all their possessions on their shoulders. They havent yet found a place to put down their belongings after a gruelling journey Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Various refugee camps  Kutupalong, Balukhali and Moinerghona  have merged into one vast sprawl spread over many muddy hills that just a few months ago were a rolling green nature reserve Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps A Red Cross aid-worker supervises an aid distribution point on the edge of the Moinerghona camp, saying they have never known refugees anywhere in the world stand so patiently in line in such heat to be registered and receive aid without any tension or anger Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Last week the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a deal to return the Rohingya to Rakhine. But many worry that they will face further reprisals if they return, and there was no mention of what would happen to those who refused to go back Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps A quiet calm pervades the camps. Is it relief at being free from fear, or do feelings about the horrors witnessed remain suppressed? Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps The aid response is focused on providing food, water and shelter for people who fled with nothing Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps The effort is now well-organised and trucks delivering supplies move up and down the main road between Coxs Bazar and Teknaf all day long Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Only men are in the aid queue, as separate queues are often set up for men and women. Sixty-five-year-old Nur Ahmed wears his ID card which shows he has been formally registered to receive aid Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Ajmin Ara, 70, wanders around disorientated. She has lost her entire family and fled to Bangladesh alone; she is painfully thin/skeletal and very weak, but is receiving medical care from a small clinic set up to the side of the aid queue Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Its estimated that 620,000 Rohingya people have fled violence in Myanmars Rakhine State in the last three months. Many say they were doing their morning prayers or cooking food when their villages were attacked and they fled, often with only the clothes they were wearing Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Nur Asha, 47, sits quietly in the crowd until she can no longer restrain herself and her story comes out in a torrent: how she fled with her son when the military attacked her village but doesnt know where her other relatives are, how throats were slashed, how children were thrown into fires, how rice paddy fields were filled with bodies left for the dogs to eat Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Mohammed Sayed, 24, fled Myanmar about a month ago with his parents, wife and sister after their home was burnt down and many people in their village were killed Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Children flock around the queue and one boy has made a hat from an empty medicine package to shield himself from the heat, but other boys playing nearby tease him and knock it off his head and soon it is ripped to pieces Hope in Bangladeshs Rohingya camps Children who have fled with nothing make toy cars from empty bottles and kites from plastic bags. Despite the horrors they will have witnessed, children still laugh and play for the camera

Dr Mahmood, who used his own money to set up the foundation in 1999, said it gives primary and emergency care, with a focus on maternal reproductive health and womens health.

The Hope Foundation now provides a 24-7 hospital, more than 40 midwives, two gynaecological surgeons, an anaesthetist and 10 medical officers in the camps. Between September 2017 and April 2018, the foundation provided medical care for 137,010 refugees in total.

But with the coming monsoon season, Dr Mahmood called on the international community to provide more resources and help.

The international community has a lot of resources, funding and expertise, he said. With so many people at risk... I think that the international community should get more involved and put their resources together and send some help so we can handle it together.

He added: I request the international community to come along with more resources and help our government and the local people to build a robust response system so lives can be saved.

Last week, the UNHCR said conditions in Myanmar were not ready for the safe return of the Rohingya.

Both the United States and the UN have described the violence against the Rohingya as ethnic cleansing, an accusation Myanmar denies.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has finally broken his silence on what he plans to bring to the table during his summits with the South Korean and US presidents, and it does not have a whole lot to do with tossing out his hard-won nuclear arsenal.

Instead, Mr Kim appears to be manoeuvring towards his own big get  the chance to sit down with Donald Trump on an essentially equal basis as the head of a nuclear-armed nation. The end of North Koreas nuclear program, meanwhile, is not looking any closer than it was before.

Ending weeks of ominous silence from Pyongyang, Mr Kim laid out the new strategy at a meeting on Friday of his ruling partys Central Committee, that suspends underground nuclear tests and test-launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles. He also said the countrys nuclear test site at Punggye-ri, already believed to be essentially inoperable, will be closed and dismantled.

A television screen showing pictures of US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un at a railway station in Seoul (AFP)

North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of denuclearisation that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to keep pursuing nuclear development unless Washington offers iron-clad guarantees of its security and removes its nearly 30,000 troops from the Korean Peninsula.

This time around, Mr Kim seems to be more flexible than he had been previously regarding the troops. His latest statement also echoed Pyongyangs hope for security assurances and for the day when the world will have no nuclear weapons.

But it also unapologetically stressed that his country is now a nuclear power, and the message between the lines is that the United States should simply accept that and treat him as an equal.

Recommended North Korea announces it will stop nuclear tests and missile launches

Mr Kim praised his policy of developing nuclear weapons as a miraculous success. A resolution passed by the committee afterwards went on to explicitly state North Koreas promise to be a responsible nuclear power that would never use nuclear weapons unless there are nuclear threats and nuclear provocations against it.

Even so, the announcement, which also stressed Mr Kims desire to turn his focus to economic development, played very well in world capitals.

Mr Trump immediately took to Twitter to praise the announcement as very good news for North Korea and the World. Seoul and Beijing welcomed it. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a hard-liner on North Korea, tried to keep his response positive, though he stressed the need for vigilance to see what happens in the coming months.

For sure, Mr Kims tone has changed.

Escape from North Korea Show all 16 1 /16 Escape from North Korea Escape from North Korea Jeong Min-woo A hat belonging to Jeong Min-woo in Seoul. Min-woo is from Hyesan, on the border with China. He was a commissioned officer in the Korean People's Army, and left in his uniform. South Korean intelligence confiscated it, but he persuaded his North Korean military contacts to send him a new one. Reuters Escape from North Korea Jeong Min-woo Jeong Min-woo, 29, poses for a photograph in Seoul Reuters Escape from North Korea Kang Kang, 28, who wanted to be identified only by her surname, poses for a photograph in Seoul. The parents of Kang sent out a coat across the Chinese border after she reached the South in 2010. "I didn't ask my mother to send me this coat," said Kang. "But she knew I feel the cold easily and sent it to me. She sent some honey too, but it went missing on the way. The coat is made of dog fur. I don't know what kind of dog. In 2010, it cost about 700,000 North Korean won ($88 at the unofficial rate). It was really expensive. A North Korean friend went to China to pick it up for me. I liked this coat when I got it. I thought my mother must've spent quite a lot of money on it. Reuters Escape from North Korea Kang The dog fur coat belonging to Kang, "My father was a party officer. Our family had a car and we lived in a special apartment. Ordinary people couldn't afford to wear this kind of coat, not even soldiers. Commissioned officers could afford them. Border guards would wear them. It wasn't easy to buy this kind of coat, but as time went on, fake ones began to appear. The state often clamped down on this item. It's technically military supplies so the state monitored people who altered the design of the coat. I know just from looking at this coat that it's a counterfeit one, not the official version. The counterfeit ones look quite different from the original ones. Military officials preferred the fakes to the original because the design looked much better. The children of rich families would wear them. I look too chubby in this, so don't wear it here. I thought I could probably wear it if I altered it." Reuters Escape from North Korea Lee Oui-ryuk Lee Oui-ryuk is from Onsong, near the border with China. He defected in 2010, and brought his ID card with him. "I brought my ID with me when I left North Korea. Juche 95.11.7 (the date in the North Korean calendar, which equates to Nov. 7, 2006) is the date I was issued with my ID. It says here my blood type is "A", but I'm actually an "O." For the 23 years I lived in North Korea, I thought my blood type was "A." They wrote down my blood type without even doing a test. They just wrote whatever they wanted to. I was caught trying to defect to South Korea around Kim Jong Il's birthday. They strengthen border security just before and after that date." Reuters Escape from North Korea Lee Oui-ryuk "The bottom of the lamp is dark," as the saying goes, and I thought I'd be able to cross right under their noses. The soldiers shot at me as I tried to run away from the Tumen River. I managed to get away and hid, but someone reported me and I was caught. That's when I was taken to the bowibu (North Korean secret police) for three months of interrogation. The state ruled that I had tried to defect to South Korea, and I was sent to a camp for political prisoners. I escaped when they were transferring me to the camp. I hid and managed to make it to my big sister's house - that's when I grabbed these photos. I couldn't go home easily, so decided I had to hide in the mountains or somewhere remote. I needed my ID to move around without getting caught. and I took these 12 photos with me in case I wanted to look back and reminisce. I wrote on the back of them so as not to forget." Reuters Escape from North Korea Ji Sung-ho Ji Sung-ho, 35, from Hoeryong, near the border with China. He left North Korea in 2006 with a pair of wooden crutches. "I lived as a child beggar in North Korea. I was stealing coals from a train when I fell off and lost my leg and my hand. I had to bring the crutches with me. If I didn't have them, I wouldn't have made it here. The state doesn't help you in North Korea, and people who need crutches make their own. Mine are therefore not factory-made, so they're not perfect and break easily. I had several pairs of crutches but they all broke, and this was the last pair. I used these crutches for 10 years, until I was 25, when I arrived in South Korea. I would steal coal from moving trains and fall off, destroying my crutches. Or I would get beaten up by the police and they'd take and then break my crutches. When they broke, I would make new ones. When I had new ones, I could go back outside." Reuters Escape from North Korea Ji Sung-ho "When I first arrived in South Korea I thought about throwing them out. South Korea's intelligence agency gave me a prosthetic leg. My friends said I should throw the crutches out and not think about North Korea. They said I should show Kim Jong Il I was living a new life in South Korea and throw out everything I had from the North. Some asked if I got upset when I saw my crutches. But I couldn't just throw them out. To make my crutches, my friends had given me some wood that they had bought, and someone I knew in North Korea who had carpentry skills had made them. It was my father who added the final touches. There is a lot of love from my North Korean friends and family in these crutches. So I didn't throw them out. The South Korean government gave me some new crutches because the wood from my North Korean ones is hard and painful. But I still keep them, so as not to forget those memories." REUTERS Escape from North Korea Kim Ryen Hui Kim Ryen Hui, 48, is from Pyongyang. She says she never wanted to defect. In 2011, she says, a broker helped her go to China for treatment on her liver. But the broker tricked her, she said, and she ended up in South Korea. She is campaigning to return, which Seoul says would be against the law. "I miss my parents even more than I miss my daughter. They're everything to me. For the first few years, I couldn't even breathe properly when I thought of them. My little brother lives with them in Pyongyang now. My mother can't see out of one eye. The thing I fear the most is finding out they've passed away before I have the chance to go back. Reuters Escape from North Korea Kim Ryen Hui "My daughter and I have been writing letters and sending photos to each other. My cousin lives in China, so she's been sending them on. My daughter's name is Ri Ryon Gum. She was born on February 15, 1993. I don't want her to live out her life with me here. When she was young, she did taekwondo. She wanted to get involved in espionage operations against South Korea. She was so fearless. That's why she was doing taekwondo - to get involved in anti-South espionage. So I was really surprised to hear she became a chef. In a video of her I received, she explained why. She said that after I had left, she moved in with her father in Pyongyang and had been cooking for him. She said she decided to become a chef so she could fulfill my role at home. I was sad when I heard that." Reuters Escape from North Korea Lee Min-bok Lee Min-bok, 60, was a researcher at North Korea's Academy of Agricultural Science. He first tried to defect, unsuccessfully, in 1990. He eventually left North Korea in June 1991 and came to South Korea in 1995. His family sent him these diaries. "I have a bit of an academic side. According to Kim Il Sung's teachings, people are supposed to keep diaries. Everyone in North Korea should strictly follow Kim Il Sung's teachings, so I did as I was supposed to and kept a diary. Even though Kim Il Sung is a villain here, in North Korea he's above everything. We learned that he studied well and gave our lives purpose. I lived according to those teachings. I wrote these out of loyalty to the Leader. That was our ideology, and I lived my life in strict adherence to it. No one could think differently." Reuters Escape from North Korea Lee Min-bok "I got hold of these diaries 10 years after I arrived in South Korea. I had been sending money to my family in the North and they sent them to me. I didn't write any complaints in diaries. I would've been in big trouble if I did. My diaries are a record of my history in North Korea. I am thinking about turning these diaries into a book. I'd like to publish a book about how to change North Koreans' thinking when unification happens. These diaries show how North Koreans think and how their minds are constructed. People need to make these into a textbook, because they need proof. Talking is not as effective." Reuters Escape from North Korea Song Byeok Song Byeok was a propaganda artist. His father drowned trying to cross the Tumen river, in 2000. When the artist finally left North Korea in 2001, he brought photos of his family with him. "We left that August to find food," Byeok recalled, describing the first attempt. "We were from a town further inland, and we weren't sure where the river was high and where it was low. I didn't know at the time but the river was swollen because of the rainy season. I thought we had to cross it anyway. All I could think about was getting to China to buy food. I took off my clothes and tied them into a rope to strap us together. I told my father not to let go. As we approached the middle of the river, the strap felt lighter. I looked back and saw my father drifting away. I was devastated." Reuters Escape from North Korea Song Byeok "He was going under the water and couldn't get out. I rushed up to the (North Korean) border guards and asked them to save him but they just said why did I come out, why didn't I die too. They handcuffed me and took me away. It was Aug. 28. I was tortured by the "bowibu" (North Korean secret police) in Hoeryong, then jailed for four months in Chongjin prison camp. But after I was released from the camp I felt like I needed to survive and carry on living. Right before I tried to defect again, I went back home and grabbed my family photos. Even if I died trying, I thought, at least I would have this picture with me. I never found my father. After I came to South Korea, I went back to China in 2004 and held a memorial service for him by the river. My heart still aches." Reuters Escape from North Korea Baek Hwa-sung Baek Hwa-sung, 33, left Sinuiju, on the border with China, in 2003 and resettled in South Korea in 2008. He kept a diary as he defected. "In 2004, I started to write down all my thoughts in a diary. I didn't know if I'd get caught. I just wanted to let it be known where I was from, and where I wanted to go. After I left the North, I became very depressed, hiding in the mountains alone for a while. The people who were watching over me told me not to come down to the village and left me by myself in a mountain shelter. Alone, with no one to engage with or talk to, I felt like I would go insane. So I wanted to leave something behind in case I died there or got caught - that's why I started to write. Reuters Escape from North Korea Baek Hwa-sung "Alone in the mountains, I desperately sought something to talk to. That was my diary. My diaries are proof of my life's journey. I read them when I want to remember home. I can't return home, and I already have no memories of my hometown. But when I go through my diaries, there are notes which detail the vivid memories of that time. Sometimes I might forget my father's birthday, but when I go back to my diary, his birthday and my mother's birthday are there. My diaries are a record of my life. They prove I'm alive." Reuters

Just last year, about the only messages coming out of Pyongyang were vitriolic threats of merciless retaliation and warnings of the gathering dark clouds of nuclear war. Now Mr Kim is claiming he can be more magnanimous because a fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean Peninsula and the region, and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape, according to the Norths state-run media, which reported the announcement on Saturday.

There is also a lot of room for positive results to come from Mr Kims summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, set for next Friday, and Mr Trump, expected in late May or early June.

The North and South may agree to allow more reunions for families that were divided by the 1950-53 Korean War, and Mr Kim is reportedly open to releasing three Americans now in North Korean custody.

Experts point out that this is still Mr Kims opening gambit. It is possible he may be willing to offer more concessions once the real talking begins.

Kim Jong-Un just said, in effect, that North Korea is an arrived nuclear power and he will give up nukes when the rest of the world does, said Joshua Pollack, a senior research associate with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. I sense that Kim Jong-Uns commitment to denuclearisation has been greatly oversold.

AP
When a Rohingya refugee boat capsized on the Bangladesh coastline, photographer Damir Sagolj rushed to the scene and saw locals collecting the drowned and arranging their bodies next to the road. In the torrential night-time rain, the sheets that covered them clung to the bodies.

You couldn't see how many were under the sheets, but what I could see was that most were children, Sagolj said. The photograph he captured was one of a series awarded the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography on Monday, described by the judging committee as shocking photographs that exposed the world to the violence Rohingya refugees faced in fleeing Myanmar.

Rohingya refugees scramble for aid at a camp in Cox's Bazar (Reuters) (REUTERS)

The latest crackdown by authorities and Buddhist civilians against the Rohingya population in Myanmars Rakhine state created a mass exodus of more than 600,000 Rohingya men, women and children who fled their homes at the end of 2017.

The refugees have reported killings, rape and arson on a large scale, and senior United Nations officials have described the violence against the Muslim Rohingya population as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar has denied ethnic cleansing or systematic human rights abuses, saying it waged a legitimate counter-insurgency operation. The army has said its crackdown was provoked by the attacks of Rohingya militants on more than two dozen police posts and an army base last August.

Rohingya crisis in photos Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees are reflected in rain water along an embankment next to paddy fields after fleeing from Myanmar into Palang Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh November REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees scramble for aid at a camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Betel leaves cover the face of 11-month-old Rohingya refugee Abdul Aziz whose wrapped body lay in his family shelter after he died battling high fever and severe cough at the Balukhali refugee camp near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, December REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos An exhausted Rohingya refugee fleeing violence in Myanmar cries for help from others crossing into Palang Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh November REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Mohammed Shoaib, 7, who was shot in his chest before crossing the border from Myanmar in August, is held by his father outside a medical centre near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees try to take shelter from torrential rain as they are held by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) after illegally crossing the border, in Teknaf, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugee children fly improvised kites at the Kutupalong refugee camp near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Smoke is seen on the Myanmar border as Rohingya refugees walk on the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos People gather under heavy rain around bodies of Rohingya refugees after the boat they were using to flee violence in Myanmar capsized off Inani Beach near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos The remains of a burned Rohingya village is seen in this aerial photograph near Maungdaw, north of Rakhine State, Myanmar REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya refugees cross the Naf River with an improvised raft to reach to Bangladesh in Teknaf, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos A security officer attempts to control Rohingya refugees waiting to receive aid in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Hamida, a Rohingya refugee woman, weeps as she holds her 40-day-old son after he died as their boat capsized before arriving on shore in Shah Porir Dwip, Teknaf, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos Rohingya siblings fleeing violence hold one another as they cross the Naf River along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border in Palong Khali, near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh REUTERS Rohingya crisis in photos An exhausted Rohingya refugee woman touches the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal, in Shah Porir Dwip, Bangladesh September Reuters

Reuters has covered the plight of the Rohingya since 2012, but in 2017 it became clear that the scale of this exodus was far larger than previous migrations. For the next several months, a team of photographers, including Sagolj, Cathal McNaughton, Danish Siddiqui, Soe Zeya Tun, Adnan Abidi, Mohammad Ponir Hossain, and Hannah McKay, working under the direction of Asia Picture Editor Ahmad Masood, documented the journeys of refugees by sea on rickety fishing boats and over land through barbed wire and along other routes.

They also visited refugee camps to tell the stories of the new lives the Rohingya built and the scars they brought with them. While the size of camps expanded, one thing that never changed was the stories the refugees brought with them.

Mohammed Shoaib, 7, was shot in his chest before crossing the border from Myanmar (Reuters) (REUTERS)

The same horror stories of killings and rape and massacres that we were hearing when the first refugees started crossing in August and September, the exact same  if not worse  stories were being told three months after that, Sagolj said.

Even as the team captured images of the refugees at their most vulnerable  mourning mothers, scarred children, survivors of violent attacks  the journalists found that the refugees were surprisingly open. The photographers experienced almost no resistance from refugees as they photographed them and asked about their experiences. I had the impression that these people want everybody to know what happens to them, Sagolj said. They all really wanted their story to be told.

Reuters
Food producers in France will be forced to think of new ways to describe some of their vegetarian and vegan foods when they are banned from using terms such as vegetarian sausages, "vegetarian mince" and vegan bacon.

French MPs have voted to outlaw use of such vocabulary, claiming they mislead shoppers.

Firms will no longer be able to use "burger", "steak", "sausage" or fillet to describe foods that have no meat in them, such as "ham" slices or "chicken" pies that are made of soya or wheat.

The ban on such vocabulary will also apply to dairy alternatives.

The measure was put forward by MP Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who based his argument on a judgment last year by the European Court of Justice that soya and tofu products could not be marketed as milk or butter.

Mr Moreau, a farmer and member of President Macrons En Marche! party tweeted: It is important to fight against false claims: our products must be designated correctly: the terms #cheese or #steak will be reserved for products of animal origin!

Refusals to comply with the ban will lead to fines of up to 300,000 (264,000).

In Britain, reaction was divided. Some consumers wondered whether the French meat industry was feeling threatened by the rise in popularity of vegan food; others doubted that consumers would ever be confused.

One said: "This is ridiculous. I can tell you now no carnivore has ever bought veggie sausages or Quorn thinking they were buying meat."

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

Wendy Higgins, of Humane Society International, said: "Its a shame that instead of embracing vegan and vegetarian food, France has adopted a position of defensive paranoia. But ultimately it wont stop the rise of compassionate eating because the delicious, nutritious, Earth-friendly and ethical benefits will prevail regardless of what you call the products.

The French have long been highly protective of their language, with the Academie Francaise acting as the ultimate authority.
One of the worlds rarest species of bear has become even more endangered after park staff in Italy accidentally killed one of the animals.

Biologists in the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise had captured the young male brown bear and had injected him with an anaesthetic when he started having difficulties breathing. He could not be saved.

WWF, the environmental organisation, called for procedures for catching and sedating bears to be immediately reviewed.

We await the post-mortem results in order to clarify what happened, but this is without doubt a very serious loss, said WWF Italia.

This is a sub-species on the brink of extinction, reduced to a population of just 50 individuals.

The Marsican bear, Ursus arctos marsicanus, lives in the Apennine mountains and forests of central Italy.

The park rangers had been reportedly trying to capture and fit a radio collar to a large male bear nicknamed Mario, which has been raiding bee hives - but they caught the wrong one.

Park chiefs are now investigating what went wrong after the anaesthetic was given.

Antonio Carrara, the head of the park, said his staff were shocked by the death.

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

For us, the loss of a bear is really serious and we want to find out what happened, he said.

The park said later a post-mortem examination had ruled out a direct link between the anaesthestic and the cause of death, confirming the correctness and regularity of the procedures implemented by the park staff and the veterinarian in particular.

It said: The animal, therefore, had serious health problems, which cannot be assessed by the clinical examination at the time of capture, which determined the anaesthetic emergency and consequently the death of the animal.

Laboratory tests should establish the cause of death, the park added.

It is the second time in four years that an Italian bear has died accidentally under sedation. In 2014, a bear named Daniza also died after being anesthetised.
Israeli troops have shot dead two Palestinians during the latest border protests, after dropping leaflets over Gaza urging demonstrators to stay away.

Gazas health ministry said 40 protesters were injured after snipers opened fire as thousands of Palestinians took part in rallies for the fourth week amid heightened tensions in the region.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli military aircraft dropped leaflets warning Palestinians lives would be in danger if they did not keep away from the Israel-Gaza frontier.

In the past three weeks, 28 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli troops firing across the border fence during protests and marches led by Hamas, Gazas Islamic militant ruling group.

Hamas says the demonstrations are aimed at breaking up a crippling border blockade that was imposed by Israel and Egypt and pressing for the right of return of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to what is now Israel.

Israels military has troops are defending its border and that its snipers only target instigators. It has also accused Hamas of using mass protests as a cover for attacks.

In the latest protests on Friday, Israeli troops fired tear gas and live bullets as thick plumes of smoke rose into the sky from burning tyres set alight by demonstrators.

Most of the several thousands protesters gathered in five tent camps several hundred yards away from the border. Smaller groups advanced towards the fence, throwing stones, burning tyres and flying kites with burning rags.

The kites are reportedly part of a new tactic aimed at setting wheat fields on the Israeli side on fire. Most kites were stitched together in the colours of the Palestinian flag, although white kite bore the Nazi swastika.

Earlier, Israeli military aircraft had dropped warning leaflets, which according to Haaretz read: You are participating in violent disturbances. Hamas is taking advantage of you to carry out terrorist attacks. The IDF is prepared for any scenario. Stay away from the fence and do not attempt to damage it.

Israel has faced international criticism for its response to the mass marches. Rights groups have branded open-fire orders as unlawful, saying they effectively permit soldiers to use potentially lethal force against unarmed protesters.

White House envoy Jason Greenblatt, a member of President Donald Trumps Middle East team, said Palestinians in Gaza had a right to protest their dire humanitarian circumstances.

Organisers should focus on that message, not stoke the potential for more violence with firebombs and flaming kites and must keep a safe distance from the border, said Mr Greenblatt, adding that the cost of these demonstrations is too high in loss of life and injuries.

Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Show all 10 1 /10 Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian protesters flee from teargas AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Israeli soldiers stand as Palestinian protesters gather on the Israel Gaza border AP Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations A Palestinian is carried on a stretcher after being injured during the demonstration AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Israeli soldiers take aim as they lie prone over an earth barrier along the border with the Gaza strip in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Nahal Oz as Palestinians demonstrate on the other side commemorating Land Day AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian paramedics evacuate an injured man on the Gaza side of the Israel-Gaza border Reuters Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinians demonstrate with crossed-out posters depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, during a tent city protest near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian protesters flee from teargas AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Israeli soldiers shoot tear gas grenades towards the Palestinian tent city protest commemorating Land Day AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian protesters take cover from Israeli troops AP Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinians chant slogans as they attend a demonstration near the Gaza Strip border AP

The protests are to continue until at least 15 May, the anniversary of Israels 1948 creation.

Palestinians mark the day as their nakba or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands fled or were driven from their homes in the Middle East war over Israels founding.

On Thursday, organisers moved sit-in protest tents, each set up several hundred meters from the border, closer to the fence. Organisers said they will gradually move the camps towards the fence until 15 May, but have made conflicting comments about a possible mass border breach.

While Hamas and smaller Palestinian factions have taken a lead as organisers, the mass marches are also fuelled by growing desperation among Gazas two million residents.

The border blockade has trapped nearly all of them in the tiny coastal territory, gutted the economy and deepened poverty. Gaza residents typically get fewer than five hours of electricity per day, while unemployment has soared above 40 per cent.
International chemical weapons inspectors have collected samples of soil and human tissue from the Syrian town of Douma in an effort to establish whether such weapons were used in an attack there.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said it would now consider whether the team needs to make a second visit to the town where at least 40 people are thought to have died from the suspected gas attack.

The samples will be transported to the Netherlands and then on to the organisations designated labs for analysis.

The experts there will try to determine whether chemical weapons were used in the attack on 7 April, and if so, which.

The US, UK and France carried out joint missile strikes, as a result of the suspected attack, on sites that they said were linked to Syrian chemical weapons programmes.

The OPCW said that based on analysis of the sample results, as well other information and materials collected by the team, the mission would compile a report and submit it to the organisations member states.

The organisation is not mandated to conclude which side in the conflict used chemical weapons.

Inspectors had arrived in Damascus last weekend to examine the site of the suspected attack, but the team faced several days of delays after an advance security detail was fired upon on Tuesday.

A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson said that Moscow expected the inspectors to carry out an impartial investigation into all the circumstances of what has occurred, Russias Interfax news agency reported.

France had suggested that Syria and Russia were covering up evidence of a chemical attack.

The French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said on Friday that Russia was obstructing the inspectors access to the town.

He said it was likely that the obstruction was aimed at ensuring that proof of the attack disappeared.

But Russias foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, condemned the delay as unacceptable.

Moscow, whose forces in Syria back President Bashar al-Assads army, has denied that Syrian forces carried out the alleged attack.

The OPCW has been investigating use of toxic chemicals in Syrias civil war since 2014.

Meanwhile, Syrian rebels have started to evacuate three towns in the eastern Qalamoun region in the Damascus countryside, according to Syrian state media.

The evacuations are the latest in a string of population transfers around the Syrian capital that have displaced more than 60,000 people as the government reconsolidates its control.

Agencies contributed to this report.
In the deadly no-mans land of Gazas buffer zone, a small group of Palestinian protesters hidden by black smoke, braved Israeli sniper fire and reached the perimeter fence. Tearing a piece away they made it back to safety, holding their trophy.

The stunt was remarkable given the deaths of nearly three dozen protesters in recent weeks at the hands of soldiers firing across the border fence.

Since the start of the Great Return March four weeks ago, in which Gazas refugees are demanding the right to return to their lands now inside Israel, 32 unarmed protesters, including a child, have been killed by Israels sharpshooters ranged on the other side.

But this stunt was all the more remarkable given that those who carried it out were women.

Further up the buffer zone other women stood in front of protesting men, trying to provide cover for them against Israeli fire on Friday. One of the women, Taghreed al Barawi, said they did this because women are less likely to be shot at than men, although their sex has not protected the 160 or so women who have also been wounded during the last week of the buffer zone protests.

Yesterday four more unarmed Palestinian men were shot dead, as well as the 15-year-old boy.

For many of these women, though, the danger of being shot appears to hold little fear. Shireen Nasrallah, face wrapped in a keffieh to protect against tear gas, burned an Israeli flag and held it high.

Then the Israeli snipers called me on the speaker, saying, You, the woman with the keffieh, if you approach the fence again we will shoot you in the head. But I am not afraid and next time will burn their flag and raise ours.

Taghreen al Barawi said she had this feeling of strange courage as she got closer to the fence. She also spoke of being inspired by Ahed Tamimi, the 17-year-old West Bank teenager, currently being held in an Israeli jail after she slapped an Israeli soldier outside her home.

Pictures of women in the front line of an Arab uprising are not surprising at first sight  women played a lead role in the Arab Spring, and, as in the case of Ahed Tamimi, are increasingly in the forefront of West Bank protests too.

But in Gazas traditional Hamas-run society, as well as living under Israels siege, women are also subject to repressive social codes which mean spontaneous public protest by women is widely frowned upon.

Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Show all 10 1 /10 Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian protesters flee from teargas AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Israeli soldiers stand as Palestinian protesters gather on the Israel Gaza border AP Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations A Palestinian is carried on a stretcher after being injured during the demonstration AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Israeli soldiers take aim as they lie prone over an earth barrier along the border with the Gaza strip in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Nahal Oz as Palestinians demonstrate on the other side commemorating Land Day AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian paramedics evacuate an injured man on the Gaza side of the Israel-Gaza border Reuters Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinians demonstrate with crossed-out posters depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, during a tent city protest near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian protesters flee from teargas AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Israeli soldiers shoot tear gas grenades towards the Palestinian tent city protest commemorating Land Day AFP/Getty Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinian protesters take cover from Israeli troops AP Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations Palestinians chant slogans as they attend a demonstration near the Gaza Strip border AP

I would be Ahed if I could, was a cry heard from many Gaza women after the teenagers recent sentence was passed. She is strong, she is beautiful, she is courageous, said two veiled students, staring adoringly at Aheds portrait  wearing jeans, hair uncovered  on a wall outside Gazas Islamic University.

Also emblazoned on the wall were portraits of former Palestinian leaders including Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, and Ahmed Yassin, founder of Hamas.

It is not, however, only the social taboo which until now has prevented these women from protesting as Ahed did.

Since Israels decision in 2005 to withdraw its troops from bases inside Gaza, redeploying to the perimeter with a blockade at sea and control of the skies, it has been even harder for ordinary Palestinians to resist in the way Ahed Tamimi did.

A mural by artist Rafiq al Sharif in Gaza of Palestinian teenager, Ahed Tamimi, who was jailed for slapping a soldier in the West Bank (Sarah Helm)

In the days of the old intifada any Palestinian could land a stone on a soldier with no trouble, as the soldiers were in amongst them. Now we cant be like Ahed because we cant even see a soldier, never mind hit them with stones. We never get close enough to kick or punch. If only we could, a young man complained.

For those in Gaza this inability to see or hit back at the enemy has created a uniquely desperate despair, which has spilled out into the buffer zone protests of recent weeks. Perhaps for this reason, Hamas understood it could not hold back any protester and allowed women to protest too.

As the marches have continued and the death toll has risen, some in Gaza have withdrawn support for the uprising, saying the protesters are simply committing suicide by throwing themselves in front of Israels bullets.

But others, including many young women, are determined to continue until the climax on 15 May.

Recommended Israel shoots dead two Palestinians after dropping leaflets

What do we have to lose? We are dying in Gaza under siege. Why not die in the buffer zone protesting instead. At least theres a chance our message will be heard, said Intimah Saleh, 27, protesting with her mother who cooks food for those on the front line.

Asked whether she thought the women of Gaza would produce an Ahed Tamimi, she said: Of course. But we have many Aheds here.

And asked whether Ahed could be a future Palestinian leader, a group of teenage boys laughed and said: No. The Israelis will not allow it. Before that happens theyll make sure shes shot.
North Korea has said it will halt missile and nuclear tests, fulfilling a pledge made by leader Kim Jong-un ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump.

The promised cessation, reported by North Korean state media, represented another apparent concession as the country manoeuvres ahead of the landmark summit.

Mr Kim also said North Korea would be shutting down a test site.

South Koreas president earlier this week said Mr Kim had embraced denuclearising without demanding the withdrawal of US troops from the Korean Peninsula.He said it was "meaningful progress".

Mr Trump heralded the development on Twitter as very good news for North Korea and the World.

Big progress! Look forward to our Summit, he added.

On Saturday Britain also welcomed the news. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "A long term commitment from Kim Jong-un to halt all nuclear tests and ICBM launches would be a positive step. We hope this indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith.

"We remain committed to working with our international partners to bring about our goal of a complete, verifiable and irreversible de-nuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, and to do so through peaceful means."

Numerous other countries welcomed the announcement, including Sweden, which has strong diplomatic relations with North Korea and China, which is North Korea's main ally.

Margot Wallstrom, Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs said it was "good news" that progress was being made "to de-escalate and to defer from further bomb and missile tests."

But she added: "We have to keep the pressure up with the sanctions regime and everything else we are doing."

China's Foreign Minstry spokesman Lu Kang was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as saying that the move by North Korea, was a step on the path to peace and denculearisation of the peninsula, that it will help ease political tensions and also help economic ambitions.

"We hope that the DPRK will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards," said Mr Lu, according to Xinhua.

China reportedly hopes to help improve relations and resolve the concerns of all involved "through dialogue".

The Russian Foreign Ministry also welcomed the announcement and called on the US and South Korea to reduce their military activity in the region.

Other countries, including Japan, were more cautious with their responses.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said it was a positive development but added: "What is crucial here, however, is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles."

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said "verifiable steps" would be needed to ensure testing had indeed been halted.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas added that North Korea must "disclose its complete nuclear and missile programme in a verifiable way".

UN officials cautiously welcomed the news.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: "the path is open for the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

He wished the two Koreas "every success in their courageous and important task of resuming sincere dialogue leading to sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula."

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said the pressure that the UN had put on North Korea had worked as it allowed them to be isolated "until they had a good behaviour, and now we are seeing they want to come to the table."

But the move also functioned as an assertion of North Korea's negotiating position. Mr Kim said in a reported statement that tests were no longer necessary because North Korea had achieved its goal of developing a functional nuclear arsenal.

In proposing the talks and moving to suspend his nations displays of military prowess, Mr Kim pivoted sharply from his more aggressive stance in the preceding months.

North Korea Military Parade Show all 6 1 /6 North Korea Military Parade North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AFP/Getty Images North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AP North Korea Military Parade AFP/Getty Images

Pyongyang tested multiple intercontinental missiles, hurling two of them over Japan and offering evidence of its professed ability to strike the US mainland.

The country also tested a powerful nuclear weapons that experts believe was almost certainly a hydrogen bomb.

After those displays prodded the United Nations to impose layers of suffocating sanctions - and led Mr Trump to repeatedly threaten the use of military force - Pyongyang used the Winter Olympics in South Korea to abruptly shift tacks.

A delegation of North Korean athletes travelled across the border, accompanied by Mr Kims sister, and high-level talks between the two nations followed. South Korean officials then carried Mr Kims message to Mr Trump.

CIA director Mike Pompeo has since been dispatched to North Korea to meet with Mr Kim and lay the groundwork for talks.

 Donald Trump says he 'believes' North Korea leader Kim Jong Un about peace talks

Earlier this week, Mr Trump reiterated his administrations dual approach of pursuing diplomacy and maintaining maximum pressure with biting sanctions.

He also professed a willingness to abandon talks if they seemed to be leading nowhere.

If I think that it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we're not going to go, Mr Trump said. If the meeting, when I'm there, is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting.

Korean Peninsula."

Agencies contributed to this report.
Before the auction had even reached a dozen lots, it was clear that Heathrow Terminal 1 was more loved than weary passengers and staff might imagine. Britain's biggest airport was making money for old rope.

Auctioneer Adam Alexander declared lot 11  a short length of red velvet rope used for cordoning off a VIP area, together with two posts  sold for 900, more than a return air ticket to New Zealand.

Moments earlier, a small sign reading Gate 7 raised 1,050, or over 1,400 once VAT and the 16 per cent buyers premium was paid.

For what is believed the first auction of the contents of a large airport terminal, around 100 bidders gathered at a hotel close to Heathrow Terminal 5. Thousands more were registered to bid online.

Because no one was sure how much demand there would be for the entrails of an obsolete 1960s transport terminal, there were no reserve prices. But as soon as bidding began for Lot 1, a sign reading Welcome to Terminal 1, it was clear that the auction would raise hundreds of thousands of pounds.

As Mr Alexander got into his auctioning groove, the value of a piece of signage that would normally have ended up in a skip rose swiftly to 1,200. The buyer was Dennis Toko, a business consultant, who wanted it for his office in Kingston.

Soon afterwards, an online bidder paid 4,750 for a large and utilitarian clock that had hung in the main departures area. A row of four black leather seats from which travellers watched delays tick from minutes into hours sold for 800.

Terminal 1 opened in 1968 as the home of British European Airways, which merged with BOAC in 1973 to form British Airways. It was initially used for domestic and European flights, but in the 21st century handled some intercontinental flights.

The final flight from Terminal 1 departed in June 2015. The terminal has remained more or less intact, and the contents for sale were moved only the day before the auction by the organisers, CA Global Partners.

Before he started taking bids, Mr Alexander confessed: This is my first airport.

The magnitude of what we have to deal with on the property has been rather unique."

Juliana Semione, a PhD student from Nottingham, said: Im an aviation lover and so I thought it would be great to get a piece of history.

Heathrows always had a spot in my heart, because its been a gateway to the world for me. It was the first international airport I flew into, and Ive used it many times since.

The womens restrooms signs are quite cute.

Going, going  Bidders at the auction of the contents of Heathrow Terminal 1, including Juliana Semione (nearest camera) (Simon Calder)

Mr Alexander refused to be drawn on the prices that might be commanded. No way to know, on a sale like this, he said

A check-in desk, complete with scales and conveyor belt, sold for 3,000, while a pair of information desks went for 450 each.

Even a baggage trolley, with the slogan making every journey better, was an object of desire, selling for 250.

Almost three hours into the auction, a series of 10 original enamel-on-steel art works by Stefan Knapp, painted in 1959, came up for sale. They were sold for a total of 57,000

In keeping with the hierarchy of air travel, signs for Economy, Business and First Class went for 325, 375 and 600 respectively.

Future sales will be conducted for less portable items such as baggage carousels, escalators, airbridges and body scanners.
The Democratic Partys abrupt dropping of a multi-million-dollar lawsuit into the simmering cauldron that is the Trump-Russia affair took some folk by surprise.

Why risk complicating the life of special counsel Robert Mueller just when he may be getting to the endgame of his own investigation into all these allegations? Where did such a crazy idea come from anyway?

Watergate, thats where. In fact, scholars of that especially dark time, which eventually forced Richard Nixon from office, were asking a different question. How come the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which filed the suit against the Trump campaign, Wikileaks and the Russian Federation in a New York federal court on Friday, had taken so long about it?

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They were a lot quicker off the mark last time. It was 17 June 1972 when burglars in business suits were arrested in the offices of the DNC at the Watergate complex in Washington DC, as they attempted to place bugging devices and photograph documents in the hope of gathering damaging information on Nixons opponents. Just four days later the DNC swung into legal attack mode.

On 21 June, Lawrence OBrien, the then DNC chairman, announced a $1m lawsuit against the Committee for the Re-Election of the President. It would be a full two years before Nixon boarded Marine One for the last time, yet OBrien even then spoke of a developing clear line to the White House, from the arrest of the five burglars. This is not partisan, its patriotic  It is our obligation to the American people, he declared. Nixons campaign chairman, John Mitchell, was, naturally, unimpressed and labelled the suit another example of sheer demagoguery.

This time the DNC is merely peddling a left-wing conspiracy theory, or so declared Roger Stone, a Trump associate and one of those named as defendants along with a now familiar cast of characters. They include former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. NO proof or evidence, Stone wrote in a defiant email to Reuters.

Roger Stone advised Donald Trump during his presidential campaign and reportedly remains a confidant to Trump (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

It may not enlighten much, but the urge to compare Trumps legal peril with Watergate has been irresistible almost since the moment he fired his FBI Director, James Comey, nearly a year ago. (We have been hearing a lot from Comey lately, as you know.) I was in the room on 16 May when Senator John McCain did exactly that at a Republican Party dinner in Washington. Weve seen this movie before. Its reaching Watergate size and scale, he said. This is not good for the country. Afterwards he told me he hadnt meant to take the parallels quite that far.

But its always been hard not to recognise them. Both scandals began with burglaries and invasion of DNC property. Forty-five years ago, it was physical in nature  locks picked and door latches taped for easy escape. In 2016, as the new lawsuit makes clear, a cyber crime was reported. With gleeful enthusiasm, it alleges, the Trump campaign encouraged Russia and its intelligence community to break into the DNCs servers and telephone systems, this time to dig up anything that could hurt Hillary Clinton and thereby assist Trumps run for the highest office.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trumps campaign, Tom Perez, todays DNC Chairman, asserted in a statement. This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery.

The Watergate complex (AFP)

We may be short of reaching Watergate size and scale because we dont yet have anything to match the so-called Saturday Night Massacre moment of 19 October 1973, when the then special prosecutor Archibald Cox issued a subpoena for copies of tapes made by Nixon in the Oval Office and the president reacted by firing him. First he had to find someone in the Justice Department to carry out the firing and the first two candidates refused and resigned. They were Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus.

The threat of history repeating itself is what keeps Trump and his aides up at night. Some of it already has, including Fridays court filing by the DNC. But what terrifies his legal advisers more than anything else is Trump giving the process a huge nudge forward by falling into one very big and obvious Saturday-Night-Massacre trap by attempting to fire Mueller just like Nixon fired Cox.

That Trump would like to is no secret to anyone. Just last month he went after Mueller and his ongoing probe in one of his early morning Twitter rants. A total WITCH HUNT with massive conflicts of interest! he thundered. But the warnings of the dire consequences such an action would have continue to come at him from all quarters, including from Republicans on Capitol Hill. If he tried to do that, that would be the beginning of the end of his presidency, South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsay Graham recently predicted to CNN.

If Trump doesnt care to pay attention to history, then clearly the DNC and Tom Perez are. The lawsuit filed by OBrien all those years back may have come off as over-hasty and half-baked, but it worked. The DNC collected $750,000 from the Nixon campaign. On the day he left office.
Once upon a time in the land of Brexit All the best fairy tales are filled with colour characters, lots of tension, some plot twists and ultimately a happy ever after.

All the best fairy tales are filled with colour characters, lots of tension, some plot twists and ultimately a happy ever after.

There's no doubt that Brexit has many of these values, but the ending is a work in progress.

Ireland has offered our preferred way to let people sleep comfortably at night, but the UK doesn't like it.

In fact, Theresa May says she could never sign off on a deal that effectively saw Northern Ireland stay inside the EU for trade purposes.

But the UK prime minister hasn't been able to come up with an alternative that, in the words of Leo Varadkar, "cuts the mustard".

Britain's former ambassador to the EU Ivan Rogers went so far as to say that UK hopes of finding a technological solution to the Border issue were regarded as "a fantasy island unicorn model" in European capitals.

Various deadlines are on the table - but sources in the Irish Government are becoming increasingly bullish about June.

They say Mrs May doesn't have to hand over her final draft of the Border solution, but they want a clear direction of travel.

Expect to repeatedly hear the phrase "significant and measurable progress" over the coming months when ministers and EU representatives are asked their view on what needs to happen by June.

If that doesn't proceed then we will fall into 'crisis' mode very quickly because the plan is to have everything ready for the printers by October/November.

For all our history, the British aren't out to hurt us. Dublin believes they have engaged in self-harm and merely want to find some form of normality.

UK minister David Lidington will come here early next week to discuss the situation with Tanaiste Simon Coveney.

Mr Coveney will offer the UK all the tea and sympathy in the world while remaining firmly on the side of the EU.

On Monday week, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier will come to Dublin again. He's the man we really want to entertain.

Mr Barnier was keen for Ireland to allow the negotiators to move onto the 'future relationship' in recent months.

The Taoiseach agreed to this on the basis that the Irish issue would continue to be explored in the background.

Heavy work was done on the Irish question over Easter, but that has largely amounted to nothing.

"We've given 'the future' a chance but we can't let our issues go unanswered until October," a source said last night.

That means Mrs May has 10 weeks to stop this becoming an even more tragic tale.
Fodder being unloaded at the Port of Cork after the last crisis in 2013

Significant changes to its advisory programme will be required in the wake of this winter's feed shortages, the second major fodder crisis to hit the country in just six years, Teagasc has conceded.

However, industry stakeholders insisted this week that continued growth in the livestock sector was viable, despite the intense embarrassment that the recent difficulties have caused.

A Teagasc statement this week confirmed that its advisory programme will put a greater emphasis on getting farmers to complete a winter-feed budget each autumn so that winter feed requirements are better planned.

It has recommended to farmers to carry a reserve of one tonne of silage per livestock unit (fresh weight) on an annual basis to counteract years like 2012/2013 and 2018.

The state agency also suggested that its PastureBase Ireland facility - which monitors grass growth throughout the country - could be modified to assess feed reserves on grassland farms.

Both Teagasc and Department of Agriculture rejected suggestions that an over-emphasis on grass had somehow contributed to this winter's problems.

Expand Close James Keane, Teagasc Regional Manager, speaking at the Silage 75 event on John Quinn's farm in Cloone, Co Leitrim. Photo: Brian Farrell / Facebook

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Whatsapp James Keane, Teagasc Regional Manager, speaking at the Silage 75 event on John Quinn's farm in Cloone, Co Leitrim. Photo: Brian Farrell

"In any crisis it's important that an industry learns lessons from it and avoids it happening again. Although the 2018 fodder crisis was caused by the exceptionally low grass growth rates (and above normal rainfall), it's important that strategies are put in place to prohibit it occurring again," Teagasc stated.

However, it does not require a rethink on a grass-based system being optimum for Irish ruminant systems of production, Teagasc maintained.

"It's long been established that Ireland's competitive advantage in both ruminant meat and milk production is based on high utilisation of grazed grass per hectare. This is based on the fact that grazed grass is the cheapest feed available and when properly managed, high animal performance is obtained," it stated.

"While accepting this, it is important that adequate quantities of conserved forage are available over the indoor period and, where required, a level of concentrate is supplement to achieve target animal performance," Teagasc added.

Continued growth also remains on the agenda for the country's dairy processors, although they were forced to import thousands of tonnes of fodder for dairy and beef herds over the last fortnight.

Asked by the Farming Independent if the recent feed crisis would impact dairy processors' growth plans, Lakeland Dairies said it would not.

"In 2012 they [Lakeland Dairies suppliers] said they would supply an extra 8pc milk year-on-year and they have done that. They now tell us they will supply an extra 4-5pc per year for the next four years and we trust that," the co-op stated.

Dairygold was equally confident of continued growth.

Expand Close Teagasc advisor Donal Patton speaking at the Ballyhaise Agricultural College Open Day. Photo: Steve Humphreys / Facebook

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Whatsapp Teagasc advisor Donal Patton speaking at the Ballyhaise Agricultural College Open Day. Photo: Steve Humphreys

"Our member survey carried out in the summer of 2017 indicated that our member suppliers' ambition remains strong, with their collective intentions to grow both their herd size and milk supply," Dairygold said.

Meanwhile, Teagasc advisor, Pat Blackwell (Kilmallock) told farmers at a Limerick IFA county executive meeting that the late growth this spring will lead to a big reduction in the quantity of feed available for the coming winter on most farms.

"There is no fertiliser applied on most farms because the ground has been too saturated with water to travel, except they were to apply it with a bucket. Most farmers haven't even purchased fertiliser yet," he said.

"If this (2017-18 weather) is what we are facing for the future, we have to question the viability of farming in some regions of the country," Mr Blackwell said.

Amid concerns the weather events will become more frequent as a result of climate change, he pointed out it could spell the death knell for economic farming in some regions of the country.

Siobhan Kavanagh of Teagasc said improved grass growth this week will help to sort out fodder shortages in many parts of the country.

Soil temperatures are expected to reach 9C or 10C in many areas and grass growth rates of 40-45kgs/ha/day are forecast.

However, ground conditions in heavy soils remain poor, and Ms Kavanagh said farmers should continue to keep fodder in the feed mix where possible to allow paddocks time to build grass covers.

Expand Close Gordon Peppard (right), Teagasc Calf to Beef Programme Advisor, and Pat Bowden lead the way at the farm walk on Pat's holding in Lisdowney, Co Kilkenny PHOTO: Damien Eagers / Facebook

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Whatsapp Gordon Peppard (right), Teagasc Calf to Beef Programme Advisor, and Pat Bowden lead the way at the farm walk on Pat's holding in Lisdowney, Co Kilkenny PHOTO: Damien Eagers

However, parts of the country were hit by extremely heavy rainfall over the weekend.

Donal Mullane, Teagasc regional manager in Tipperary, said the rain had further saturated heavy ground and will necessitate the housing of cattle for a further week in parts.

According to Met Eireann, some drier and warmer weather will develop from tomorrow on but this is expected to be shortlived with unsettled conditions forecasted for the weekend and early next week.

Rain is on the cards for the west tomorrow morning, with the rest of the country set to have a mainly dry and bright day with highs of 14C to 17C. Thursday is also expected to be mostly dry and bright with highs ranging from 14C to 18C. Friday will be cooler with showers in northern counties but many places will be dry and bright. Saturday will be largely dry, with sunny spells in the east and scattered showers in the west. Sunday and the week ahead are due to be unsettled.
A New Holland tractor filled with teddy bears is set to make its way through Dublin city centre this Saturday in an effort to raise funds for Irish children's charity, the LauraLynn Children's Hospice.

Tractor enthusiast Jill Barrett will be at the helm of the tractor that will be accompanied by more than 60 bucket collectors on Dublin's Grafton and O'Connell streets from 9am-6pm on Saturday.

From Celbridge in Co Kildare, Jill decided to organise the fundraiser to mark the 10-year anniversary since she and her sister Louise embarked on a 32-county tractor tour for LauraLynn in 2008.

"We travelled more than 1,800km around the country and raised over 35,000 on the tour and held some events afterwards which meant we raised 115,000 overall," says Jill.

Since Jill's father was an agri-sales manager at Kelly's in Kilcock and a part-time farmer, Jill adds that it was only natural that she used a tractor as her means of fundraising.

"I drove around the yard at home as a teenager and my first tractor was a Ford 3000 that had no engine. New Holland has sponsored the TF 230 tractor that I'll use to drive in Dublin," she says.

Jill says she is not phased by the drive through Dublin city, despite the increased number of Luas lines and buses in the city centre.

"I'm up for the challenge. The maximum speed limit in Dublin is 30km/h and my tractor can only do 30mph so it shouldn't affect anyone. There's a new luas line and taxis and buses but I'm sure the tractor will come out on top and make headlines for all the right reasons," says Jill.

She chose to raise money for the charity in 2008 because she was struck by a documentary she saw at the age of 15 which showed the numerous children hospices across the UK and Northern Ireland but the Republic had none.

"There was a hospice in Belfast and Fermanagh and none in Ireland. I couldn't believe Ireland was so behind," she says.

"I also saw an interview with Jane McKenna on The Late Late Show who had lost two daughters Laura and Lynn to leukaemia and had set up the LauraLynn charity as a result, so I wanted to try and help raise funds."

While the LauraLynn Hospice eventually opened in 2011, Jill thinks it's more important than ever that fundraising efforts are made to make people aware of the charity.

"It's about raising awareness and reminding people of the vital supports it provides children and families all over Ireland when it comes to palliative care,"says Jill.

For more information, visit the Tractor Tour Facebook page. fb.me/tractorontour
The DAA will have to justify the nature and extent of car parking needed at Dublin Airport as it seeks permission to make more than 10,000 temporary car parking spaces near the airport a permanent fixture.

One of the parking sites extends over 25.1 hectares near the airport and contains 8,840 spaces.

The second parking site covers 10.6 hectares and has room for 2,040 cars.

The total number of off-site airport parking spaces comes to 25,425, and the number is within a cap of 26,800 spaces that was imposed as a condition for the construction of Dublin Airport's Terminal 2.

An Bord Pleanala has agreed with the DAA that the proposal to make the temporary car parking spaces permanent should be considered a strategic infrastructure project.

The DAA said that its rationale for a permanent permission for the sites is to "confirm its long-term use as part of the airport modal mix".

"Metro North will not remove the need for long-term car parking as the majority of passengers are from outside Dublin, or from the other areas of Dublin not served by the north-south axis of the Metro North," the DAA told the planning watchdog.
Ulster Bank will name British banking executive Jane Howard as its new chief executive officer, the Irish Independent can reveal.

It is understood Ms Howard, a senior executive with Ulster Bank's parent Royal Bank of Scotland in the United Kingdom, has been selected to run the UK government-controlled group's Irish unit.

She'll replace outgoing Ulster Bank CEO Gerry Mallon, who is due to leave the country's third biggest lender in July to become chief executive of Tesco Bank in the UK. The bank declined to comment.

The appointment of Jane Howard means two of the country's three biggest banks will be headed by women. That is a dramatic turnaround since last October, when Bank of Ireland's Francesca McDonagh became the first woman ever to head up a major bank here.

Ms Howard (pictured) is an RBS veteran and is currently managing director, Personal Banking, at the UK group, running the retail banking arm of the huge RBS/NatWest network in Britain and Northern Ireland - including the Ulster Bank business north of the Border.

In 2015, Ulster Bank split its operations into separate operations north and south of the Border. The Northern Ireland business is increasingly integrated into NatWest, while Ulster Bank in the Republic of Ireland has become a standalone business.

In her current role, Ms Howard has been the public face of controversial plans by RBS to radically cut the size of its branch network.

In December, the bank announced plans to close 259 branches and cut 680 jobs as it reduces costs and encourages customers to use online and mobile services.

In an interview at the time, Jane Howard justified the decision, saying customers are increasingly using mobile and online channels rather than bricks-and-mortar branches, and that RBS was responding to the shift in customers' behaviour.

"There will be some customers that will be really disappointed we are closing branches and I understand why. But it's important that we do respond."

As head of the RBS retail business in its home market, she's also had to defend the bank in British parliamentary committees, something that has also become a key task for bank chiefs here since the economic crash.

A key priority at Ulster Bank will be to recover the 15bn (17.1bn) cost to RBS of bailing out the Irish unit during the crisis.

Meanwhile, Ulster Bank announced the appointment of former Communicorp CEO Gervaise Slowey to its board of directors yesterday. Ms Slowey is an independent strategic consultant. She headed up Communicorp, which includes the Today FM and Newstalk radio stations, for four years until the end of 2016.

Before that she was an executive with advertising giant Ogilvy Worldwide. She is also currently an independent non-executive director of Eason PLC, and also regularly chairs senior level appointments for the Public Appointments Service.

The latest shake-up at Ulster Bank comes after Gerry Mallon's surprise announcement in January that he was leaving the bank after just a year and a half in the role. He had been headhunted from Danske Bank's North Ireland unit.
Bank of Ireland CEO Francesca McDonagh said the tracker scandal had been a key issue for her since taking charge

Bank of Ireland customers have been offered 130m in compensation and redress payments so far in relation to the tracker mortgage scandal and most have accepted, CEO Francesca McDonagh said yesterday.

The bank set aside 170m last year to cover costs linked to the overcharging scandal.

The issue was the first question raised from the floor of the bank's annual general meeting, held at UCD in Dublin yesterday.

A significant number of questions from the floor at the sparsely attended meeting also complained about the reduction of services in branches, especially the impact on older customers.

The AGM was newly installed Ms McDonagh's first shareholder meeting, and the last for outgoing chairman Archie Kane, who'll be replaced in that role by former Paddy Power CEO Patrick Kennedy, a long time non-executive director.

Ms McDonagh said understanding the tracker issue had been a key issue for her since taking up her role last October.

She said 9,300 customers had been directly impacted, including 3,200 who'd suffered "relatively small" issues around the rates they were charged on home loans.

A bigger cohort of around 6,000 customers had a right to a low-interest tracker deal but were not properly offered that option. Most affected customers have been contacted and offered compensation, Ms McDonagh said.

"As of last week we had contacted 97.5pc of all those affected," she said.

Earlier, in an interim management statement, Bank of Ireland said new mortgage lending increased by 33pc year-on-year in the first three months of 2018.

Customer loan volumes were 76bn at the end of March, with new lending volumes exceeding redemptions by 0.1bn during the first three months of 2018.
Dublin Councilor Eilis Ryan said Permanent TSB should not be allowed to brand itself as a cuddly bank thats helping out young people.

Demonstrators gathered outside the Ideal Homes Exhibition at the RDS Simmonscourt on Saturday to protest the event's main sponsors Permanent TSB.

The Campaign for Public Housing gathered to highlight the issue that Permanent TSB at the moment is seeking to sell 18,000 mortgage properties to a vulture fund, Independents 4 Change TD Joan Collins told Independent.ie.

We think this is absolutely horrendous, it shouldnt happen, the government should step in. Its 75 per cent owned by the government and owned by the people.

"Its absolutely scandalous that theyre selling off mortgages to vulture funds where theres no regulation to protect people in their homes, even if they are raging to pay back their mortgages over a period of time.

Campaign representatives said they vow to ensure that those attending the Ideal Home Show will be aware of the treacherous behaviour of Permanent TSB.

Dublin Councilor Eilis Ryan said Permanent TSB should not be allowed to brand itself as a cuddly bank thats helping out young people.

Cllr. Ryan said: Obviously the Ideal Homes Exhibition is a place where a lot of people who are buying their first home, or starting a new family go and I guess what we want to let people know is that TSB has not been a good lender.

Some of these people are homeowners who are facing eviction, thousands of them are tenants of landlords whose mortgages are in distress. And the landlord might lose the mortgage, but the tenant is the one who ends up being evicted.

Margaret Farrelly, a housing activist from Cabra said in a statement that the banks history with Irish citizens only adds insult to injury:Permanent TSB are one of the banks bailed out by the taxpayer, and are now literally throwing Irish citizens to the wolves.

The campaign wants the state to take ownership of all buy-to-let mortgages caught up in the TSB sell off and become the landlord of the tenants involved, according to Campaign for Public Housing representative Joe Mooney.

Its a win win-- securing the tenants homes, and expanding the public housing stock overnight, said Mr Mooney.

Permanent TSB was contacted for comment, but has not responded at this time.
Actress Natalie Portman has snubbed a prestigious prize known as the Genesis Prize, dubbed the Jewish Nobel, saying she did not want her attendance to be seen as an endorsement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Portman was due to receive the award in Israel in June and said in a statement that her reasons for skipping the ceremony were solely due to Mr Netanyahu  rather than a boycott of the entire nation.

News of Portmans decision to skip the event triggered an angry backlash on Friday from some in the countrys political establishment.

That was due to reports that Portman through a representative had told the Genesis Prize Foundation she was experiencing extreme distress over attending its ceremony and would not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel.

Portmans statement said her decision had been mischaracterised.

Let me speak for myself. I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony, she wrote.

Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance.'

She asked people to not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own.

Israel faces some international criticism over its use of lethal force in response to mass protests along the Gaza border.

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One Israeli lawmaker warned that Portmans decision is a sign of eroding support for Israel among young American Jews.

The Jerusalem-born Portman is a dual Israeli-American citizen.

The Oscar-winning actress moved to the United States as a young girl, evolving from a child actress into a widely acclaimed A-list star.

She received the 2011 best actress Academy Award for Black Swan, and, in 2015, she directed and starred in Tale of Love and Darkness, a Hebrew-language film set in Israel based on an Amos Oz novel.

The Genesis Prize Foundation said on Thursday that it had been informed by Portmans representative that recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to Portman, though it did not refer to specific events.

Since March 30, more than three dozen Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire, most of them in protests on the Gaza-Israeli border. Hundreds more have been wounded by Israeli troops during this time.

Israel says it is defending its border and accuses Hamas, a militant group sworn to Israels destruction, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of protests.

It has said that some of those protesting at the border over the past few weeks tried to damage the fence, plant explosives and hurl firebombs, or flown kites attached to burning rags to set Israeli fields on fire. Several Israeli communities are located near the Gaza border.

Israels right-wing Culture Minister Miri Regev said in a statement Friday that she was sorry to hear that Portman has fallen like a ripe fruit into the hands of BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) supporters, referring to the Palestinian-led boycott movement.

Natalie, a Jewish actress born in Israel, is joining those who relate to the wondrous success story of Israels rebirth as a story of darkness and darkness, Mr Regev said.

The Genesis foundation said it was very saddened by Portmans decision and would cancel the prize ceremony, which had been set to take place on June 28.

The Genesis Prize was launched in 2013 to recognize Jewish achievement and contributions to humanity. Previous recipients include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman and sculptor Anish Kapoor.
Not music to their ears: some retailers say they fear the resurgence in vinyl is too niche to sustain them. Photo: Damien Eagers

Dave Holland, the manager of Rollercoaster Records in Kilkenny city, has worked in the store for the past nine years - but it is in recent years that he has noticed a curious phenomenon.

Vinyl is a big part of the shop's offering and its typical customer falls into two distinct categories: one is that obvious demographic - people over 35, the older of whom will remember the days when vinyl was the only format in town; the other is a cohort of young people between the ages of 15 and 25.

"What's really noticeable," he says, "is the generation between 25 and 35 don't seem to buy physical music at all - or certainly not the way those older and younger are doing. They grew up with iTunes and streaming, and vinyl and CD seems to have passed them by."

Like anybody who works in a record store in 2018, Holland is happy to have loyal, returning customers but is especially pleased that even those who are digital natives - some young enough even to have been born after the iPod was introduced - are seeing the value in owning physical music, especially vinyl.

"Who would have predicted that 10 years ago?" he says. "And it's something that we're seeing right around the country, and it's very heartening."

If the death knell for the high street record store was sounded more than a decade ago, nobody seems to have told Holland or those other independent music-loving store owners who are successfully trading in 2018.

"The recession years were tough because people really were watching their spending," he says, "but they've been willing to treat themselves over the past few years."

The key for survival, he believes, is understanding that record shops are now catering for a niche audience and not the mass market of before. "Most people are streaming now," he says. "Spotify rules for them, but there's a minority of people who want to be able to hold an album in their hand and see the value of putting an album on the old-fashioned way and listening to it from start to finish."

But he says the pile-it-high model employed by there likes of HMV - who shut their Irish operation in 2016 - simply doesn't work. "There has to be an acceptance that for a lot of people, music is available to them on their smartphones whenever they want and they simply don't need to go to record shops. We have to face that fact, but also realise that there are people that still want to buy music and we need to work out the best way to cater for them."

Rollercoaster has devoted increasing space to vinyl over the past five years or so - "the market has definitely increased, year on year" - but two thirds of sales are CDs. "Nobody ever talks about CDs any more but they're still selling and new CDs are cheaper now than they ever have been.

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"Vinyl is more expensive, but I think people who buy vinyl records feel that the price is justified."

Clive Branagan is the vinyl buyer at Tower Records in Dublin.

"Vinyl has come back in a big way," he says, "but that doesn't mean that if you buy vinyl, you've no interest in streaming. Far from it - many of our customers use Spotify to 'sample' a particular album and if they really like it, they'll buy it on vinyl. Vinyl is a format that I love, but I think streaming is great, too. The two can go hand-in-hand."

While the Tower name may be famous the world over, the two Dublin stores are independently owned. The shop on Dawson Street is the biggest record store in the country and Branagan says he and his colleagues work hard to try to make the store appeal to music obsessives and casual browsers alike.

"Record shops are very different to what they were in the past, but I think big stores like ours are needed - and we need to be able to deliver something for everyone."

Tower may be proud of the rare vinyl it sells but it is not above putting a huge poster for the decidedly mass-market Now That's What I Call Music 99 in its front window.

Like many of its smaller rivals, Tower will be embracing Record Store Day today. Several live performances have been pencilled in and there will be a large selection of stock on sale.

The first Record Store Day took place around the world in 2007 in order to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store" and it has grown to be an important day in the calendar for people like Branagan.

"It also makes people stop and think about what they want from their towns and cities - if they want a record shop on their doorstep, they have to support it."

Dave Holland says Record Store Day brings many benefits but believes some record companies have leapfrogged on to it in order to sell dubious 'product' to people already supporting record shops. "The Frank Zappa in the basement-type album that's being sold for maybe 10 more than it should be," he quips. "It doesn't seem to be rewarding people who are into record stores to begin with."

For many, including Holland, the days of bricks-and-mortar stores only selling physical music are over. Other initiatives have to be explored and, under the vision of the store's owner Willie Meighan - who died last November - Rollercoaster promotes shows in Kilkenny and operates a record label. It brought out the latest album from much-admired Belfast band Malojian last year and, in June, it will

In Dublin, one of the most progressive stores, All City Records in Temple Bar, isn't just renowned for its carefully chosen stock but also for the All City record label. It released the latest David Kitt album, Yous.

But while the picture may be rosy for some, others are fearful that they will struggle to stay afloat.

The owner of a small Dublin record shop, who asked not to be named, says his store's future is far from secure. "It's ticking over," he says, "but I'd be lying if I said I was optimistic about the future.

"There's all this talk about the resurgence of vinyl, but it's still extremely niche and 90pc of the customers for vinyl are exactly what you'd imagine - blokes over the age of 40. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking them - and I'm very glad to have them - but there isn't a massive sign that lots of young people are spending money in record shops, certainly not mine." He believes the seismic changes to the way we consume music that have happened over the past 20 years have ensured that even devoted fans - people who would have spent a fair chunk of their disposable income on CDs in the past - have fully embraced the streaming age.

"One of the my best friends is about as serious about music as you can get, but he never buys physical product any more.

"He spends his money on hardware - high-end speakers, quality headphones, headphone amplifiers and listens to high-res audio streaming providers. He also can justify going to more shows because he's not buying albums any more.

"He got rid of his entire physical collection about two years ago - I bought a lot of it from him - and he says he hasn't missed it one bit. Maybe, I should get into the speakers business! But, in all seriousness, people like me would be in trouble if there weren't music fans out there who valued owning their music rather than renting it, which is the model that streaming is built on."

Holland is more optimistic. "I think the ren. There's a new Irish pressing plant [Dublin Vinyl] which is such a positive, especially for emerging Irish bands, and nobody would release an album anymore - irrespective of whether they're up-and-coming or long established - who wouldn't consider releasing on vinyl."

And the May Bank Holiday weekend will see the inaugural Vinyl festival - in honour of the much-loved format - take over Dublin's Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Speakers will include Bob Geldof, My Bloody Valentine's Kevin Shields and U2's sleeve designer Steve Averill.

"Vinyl isn't the be-all and end-all for record stores," Branagan adds, "but we're very glad that there's such renewed interest in it and anything that encourages people to go back into record shops again is a good thing."
Vinyl fans across the UK are spending the night queuing outside record stores in a bid to get their hands on limited edition releases.

Saturday marks the 11th annual Record Store Day with avid music fans and stores gearing up for what has turned into one of the industrys busiest days of the year.

Expand Close Album vinyl sales in the UK 1991-2017 (PA Graphics) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Album vinyl sales in the UK 1991-2017 (PA Graphics)

Dozens of reports of queues outside shops were shared on social media ahead of the opening of stores who have been inundated with a string of special vinyl records.

Everyone from Abba to Bob Dylan are celebrating RSD 2018 by issuing new vinyl while there are also re-releases from Arcade Fire, The Who, and AC/DC.

The queue has begun !

Good luck to everyone - weather looks good !

Doors will be open at 7 and we will be selling From 8@RSDUK #Huddersfield pic.twitter.com/3Bya1uc8ie  Vinyl Tap Records (@vinyltaprecords) April 20, 2018

Meanwhile American comedian Adam Sandler is also cashing in as he releases his 1993 debut album Theyre All Gonna Laugh At You! on vinyl for the first time ever.

Weve just said good night to the #RSD18 records... oh and the queue! Here they are enjoying their @FrielsCider 

Dont let their earliness put you off, weve ordered a lotttt of records! Plenty to go around!

See you bright and early tomorrow for RECORD STORE DAYYYY! @RSDUK x pic.twitter.com/EpOXqIjCR1  David's Music (@DavidsMusicLGC) April 20, 2018

In the UK more than 200 independent record shops will sell special vinyl releases to eager fans and host artist performances.

#RSD2018 queue at @BanquetRecords is slowly growing  I hope everyone brought sunscreen pic.twitter.com/PpufyHRQqX   Chibi Shibby  (@ChibiShibby) April 20, 2018

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Among those stores reporting queues on Friday night were Davids Music in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, who shared a photo on Twitter of five vinyl enthusiasts camped down for the evening.

Vinyl Tap Records in Huddersfield wrote: The queue has begun ! Good luck to everyone  weather looks good.

Sohos Sister Ray Records reported their queue had begun at around 6pm while VODMusic in North Wales reported their first overnight queues at 5.45pm.

Great to see Vod regulars Toni, Paul and Keith the first three in the queue at 5.45pm! @RSDUK @rsd @Megwam @BBC6Music pic.twitter.com/sv1haSej4P  VOD Music (@VODMusic1) April 20, 2018

Other stores in Stockton On Tees, Kingston, Shrewsbury and Glasgow also reported queues.

Record Store Day launched in the UK in 2008, a year after it had premiered in the US.

On Friday it was revealed a reissue of Radioheads album OK Computer had been the best-selling album in independent record shops since last years Record Store Day.

The album celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2017 and first topped the charts in the summer of 1997.

Some 82% of the albums sales in independent record shops over the last year were on vinyl.

The second biggest seller was the special edition of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, which achieved bumper sales in its 50th anniversary thanks partly to an enhanced anniversary release.

In third place was Ed Sheerans Divide, which dominated the charts in 2017, followed by LCD Soundsystems American Dream and Queens Of The Stone Ages Villains.

Independent record shops account for more than a quarter of the sales of 12-inch vinyl and more than half of the newly resurgent cassette market.
Irelands singing priest Fr Ray Kelly (64) wowed the judges of Britains Got Talent with his singing abilities last night.

The Oldcastle, Co Meath parish priest impressed Simon Cowell and the rest of the judging panel with his rendition of REMs Everybody Hurts.

Before he sang, Simon shared a joke with him: Let me ask you a question, do you do exorcisms?

Yeah we can work on David [Walliams] whenever you want. Do you want me to zap him now or later? Fr Ray joked.

Fr Ray told the judges of his recent success on YouTube. His version of Jeff Buckleys Hallelujah" at Chris and Leah OKanes wedding in Oldcastle went viral in 2014.

I was singing at a wedding at home in Ireland four years ago and it went viral on YouTube.

I said, my God, where did that come from, you know? For a guy 64 years of age, all of a sudden, to have this happen to you. I didnt know what was happening really.

The priest explained that he watches Britains Got Talent every year.

It has the edge on everything it offers you the chance to sing in front of the Royal family, so Im hoping that I get the BGT audience on my side tonight.

I thought maybe Id be the first singing priest to win Britains Got Talent, he added.

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He told the judges he chose the REM classic because: Its a song that#s near and dear to my heart. Being a priest you get in touch with a lot of pain, and a lot of joy and happiness as well so I suppose, its a song that I can [relate to].

Fr Ray took moved the judging panel with his performance, and he got a thumbs up from everyone.

Actor and author David Walliams described it as a beautiful performance.

While Alesha Dixon said: You just seem like the loveliest man. This is a beautiful audition. Well done.

Amanda Holden described his performance as brilliant and honest, and the whole congregation was behind you.

Simon admitted: I wasnt quite sure what to expect but this is one of my favourite ever auditions
A man who raped and sexually abused a young boy after working his way into the child's family home has been jailed for six years.

The 31-year-old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his now 18-year-old victim, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to four charges of oral rape and four of sexual assault on dates between July 2011 and March 2012 at the victim's family home in South West Ireland. He has 57 previous convictions but has never been charged with a sexual crime.

The court heard the abuse started when the boy was just 11-years-old.

Today Mr Justice Michael White sentenced the man to nine years in prison with the final three years suspended for that period.

Mr Justice White noted that the man seemed to have been quite immature for his age but couldn't say definitively whether he had ingratiated himself into the boy's family to groom the child.

He said it was disgraceful to have supplied the boy of such a young age with alcohol and added that he hoped the victim has overcome the huge impact this had had on his life.

The court heard earlier that the offences came to light after the boy confided in a friend when they were both in a care home. The girl convinced him to go to the authorities and he ultimately made a statement to gardai in August 2015.

At that time the victim had been identified as a child at risk having previously attempted suicide. He had gone to the care home voluntarily due to addiction to both drugs and alcohol, which he said the man had introduced him to when they first met.

The 18-year-old stated in his victim impact report that at the time of the abuse he was looking for an adult male figure and the man befriended him. He worked his way into our family home, he said.

He described himself as feeling confused and vulnerable at the time and said he kept running away from home. He said the man gave him drugs and alcohol and he used these to hide what he was going through.

I lost my young adult life, and my belief in myself, the teenager continued before he described his behaviour at the time as a cry for help.

He said he now was glad he looked for assistance and thanked the gardai and his mother for supporting him.

I hope I can begin my life now, the victim concluded in his statement.

A local garda told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that the boy texted the man in 2015 telling him he was going to expose him.

The man claimed he didn't know what the teenager was on about but when the victim replied you know what you did to me, he offered him cannabis to keep quiet.

Brendan Grehan SC, defending, told Mr Justice White that the defendant had engaged with the probation service who concluded in a report that he would need support and supervision when he was eventually released from custody.

Counsel pointed out that his client suggested to his probation officer that he found the company of younger people easier than dealing with adult company. He said the man was willing to comply with any conditions that the judge may wish to impose.

The garda agreed with Mr Grehan that his client never used any force on the child nor was there ever a threat of violence.

He accepted that the man is autistic and has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. He further accepted that the man admitted that he hung around with a lot of young people.
Gardai are appealing for information on two separate missing persons cases.

Gardai in Dun Laoghaire are trying to trace the whereabouts of Wiktoria Swierczynska.

The 17-year-old was last seen early on the morning of the April 20 in Carrickmines.

She is described as being 5 3 tall, of slight build and with long blond hair. When last seen she was wearing a green jumper, white polo shirt and black bottoms.

Anyone who has seen Wiktoria or who can assist in locating her is asked to contact Dun Laoghaire Garda Station on 01 6665000 or any garda station.

Meanwhile, Dublin man Michael Edmonds (63) is missing from Walkinstown, Dublin since April 11, 2018.

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Michael is described as being 5'11 in height, he is of medium build, with grey/dark hair and blue eyes.

Gardai say while it is unknown what he was wearing at the time of going missing he normally wears blue/dark jeans and a casual jacket. He has access to a 03 D registered silver Mitsubishi Galant.

Anyone who has seen Michael or who can assist in locating him is asked to contact Crumlin Garda Station on 01 6666200 or any Garda Station.

Earlier today gardai issued an appeal on behalf of the PSNI. Police in Northern Ireland were concerned for the welfare of a 38-year-old man who was reported missing this afternoon. He has since been located safe and well.
Up to 30 consultants are working in private hospitals in Ireland even though they do not have full specialist training, the Irish Independent has learned.

The doctors are fully qualified medics, many with years of experience, but they are not on the specialist Medical Council register, which signals they have completed higher training.

Patient safety concerns have recently emerged about the hiring of non-specialist doctors in consultant posts which it was believed was confined to public hospitals due to the problems in recruitment.

However, the Private Hospitals Association confirmed a significant number are employed in private hospitals also.

A spokesman for the association said it was now taking issue with claims by Health Minister Simon Harris that the number runs into hundreds.

Mr Harris claimed 650 consultants without full specialist training were on the medical register but 120 of these were working in public hospitals and the rest in the private sector.

But the spokesman said: "The Private Hospitals Association has written to the Minister for Health seeking an explanation to his recent assertions regarding the specialist register."

He said the vast majority of these doctors were already working in private hospitals before March 2008 when specialist training and registration became mandatory for employment as a consultant.

"The remainder are engaged in the process of joining the specialist register. Many of these consultants also hold public posts," he added.

A spokeswoman for Vhi Insurance said it had "not registered or paid professional fees benefit to any doctor whose name and details do not appear on the specialist register since 2009.

"If the consultant is not on the specialist register maintained by the Medical Council then he/she is not registered with Vhi Insurance and we will not pay either the hospital accommodation charges or the associated professional fees."

Dr Peadar Gilligan, president of the Irish Medical Organisation, said: "The high number of non-specialists working in consultant roles in Irish hospitals highlights the recruitment and retention crisis in the profession."

He added: "I have huge sympathy for the individual doctors working in these roles and I have no doubt that they are doing their very best for their patients but the numbers involved are simply unacceptable.

"This situation was entirely predictable given the difficulties the HSE is having in attracting applicants for consultant roles and the continuing high levels of emigration amongst newly qualified doctors.

"Each and every member of Government must take responsibility for the decisions made to unilaterally breach contracts and introduce a two-tier pay system."

The difficulty in recruiting doctors on the specialist register was linked to paying a new consultant recruited to a public hospital 30pc less than a colleague simply based on the date they were hired, he added.
Broken glass from the stolen car and inset, the letter from Liberty Insurance notifying the woman of her premium hike and loss of no claims bonus

A woman whose car was stolen says she feels she is being punished more than the thief after her insurance was hiked by 815 and she lost her no claims bonus.

Kasia Zielonka's Toyota Yaris was stolen from the car park of an apartment complex in Blackrock, south Dublin in March.

She notified her insurance company, Liberty Insurance, and received a letter saying her premium has been increased by 815.36 and her no claims bonus reduced to 0 years.

"It's ridiculous, I feel like I'm the criminal," Kasia told Independent.ie.

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"It wasn't my fault this happened but I feel as if I'm being punished for it."

Her premium was originally 691 before her car was stolen and she is now being quoted 1,506.36.

"I just think it is extremely unethical. What is the point in having insurance."

A garda spokesman said investigations into the theft are ongoing.

"Gardai in Dundrum are investigating the unauthorised taking of a vehicle from Park View, Stepaside, Dublin. This occurred between 8pm on 20/3/18 and 3:45pm on 21/3/18."

Earlier this week, a 48-year-old driver revealed how Liberty Insurance quoted him 19,368.26 to renew his 2007 1.6-litre Toyota Avensis.

Meath publican Brian Kelly Mr Kelly, who is a director of the suicide awareness voluntary group Save Our Sons and Daughters (SOSAD), was left scratching his head when Liberty told him that the huge premium was because of two outstanding claims against him.

"I'm in shock. Sure, who could afford to pay 19,000 for car insurance? You'd buy a new car for that," he said.

"I'm with Liberty Insurance 17 years and had nine years of a no-claims bonus intact.

"I've had two tips since Christmas 2016 on two separate occasions in Navan and Slane."

A spokesperson for Liberty Insurance said: "Liberty Insurance operates a pricing model where we offer our best price to customers based on their profile and our claims experience. Changes in risk details can result in prices increasing or decreasing, alongside any broader changes in price based on claims costs and market conditions."
Aneta Petrova with her Son David at home in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo. Photograph by Eamon Ward

A 37-year-old said she was left "a broken woman" after suffering a miscarriage and being summarily sacked days later by her employer while on sick leave two years ago.

Aneta Petrova was commenting yesterday on the Labour Court ordering that her former employer, chicken producer Western Brand Group Ltd, pays her 17,000 after finding that she was unfairly dismissed from the company's chicken processing plant at Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo.

Ms Petrova said that she cried down the phone when told by a Western Brand Ltd representative on December 29, 2015, that she lost her job because she was "sick for too long" .

"I cried on the phone because I felt guilty because I lost a job I was looking for, for a year," she said. "I didn't realise that this was real and was happening - and then when I saw the P45 I cried even more."

Just 12 days earlier, Ms Petrova was rushed to hospital after fainting at home and she subsequently had a miscarriage at hospital as a result of having an ectopic pregnancy.

"It was the most sad time," she said. "I was grieving - every woman who has been through this - we all grieve. You feel guilty that you didn't keep this baby - you feel terribly, terribly broken. And to top it off - just to lose a simple job like that for a reason like this - I couldn't understand it."

Ms Petrova, who is originally from Bulgaria, said she didn't know she was pregnant when rushed to Mayo University Hospital on December 17 and believes now that she was seven weeks pregnant when she miscarried.

Traumatised

"I was devastated because of my age - I'm old for having children - and I was told that because of my medical history that I probably won't have children. I had the saddest Christmas of my life that year," she said. "I was really, really in a bad emotional condition. Physically Western Brand traumatised me in the manner in which they sacked me. This shouldn't happen to anyone."

Ms Petrova has a masters degree in European law and a degree in economics and speaks English, Russian, German and Spanish. She left Bulgaria for Ireland to be with her boyfriend, Stephan, in Ballyhaunis. Ms Petrova was earning 8.65 an hour at her job in Mayo.

"I was asked why someone so highly qualified was trying to get a job in a meat factory, but it is a job that puts bread on the table," she said.

Ms Petrova said that when she told Irish friends in 2016 of her summarily dismissal "they strongly advised me not to do anything - to move on with my life and to get another job".

"I didn't listen to them - I believe what happened to me is not right," she said. "Irish people often say 'it is not too bad', but it is really bad."

Conor O'Dwyer, of O'Dwyer Solicitors, in Ballyhaunis, represented Ms Petrova in the case.

Before the Labour Court, the Western Brand Group pleaded that it didn't realise Ms Petrova was pregnant or had suffered a miscarriage at the time of dismissal.

The company subsequently apologised. However, the Labour Court found that Western Brand did know about Ms Petrova's pregnancy and miscarriage at the time of dismissal.

Ms Petrova gave birth to a baby boy, David, 11 months ago and is back sending out CVs looking for work once more.
Minister Kehoe and Vice Admiral Mellet being briefed as part of the multinational Exercise Viking in Custume Barracks

More than 200 Defence Forces personnel have taken part in a multi-national peace support exercise involving six countries.

The desk-top exercise, codenamed Viking, bolsters Ireland's policy of increased military co-operation with partner nations to tackle international humanitarian crises, ranging from genocide to civil war.

Visiting the Irish site for the exercise at Custume barracks in Athlone yesterday, Deputy Chief of Staff (operations), Major General Kieran Brennan said: "Ireland brings a huge depth of experience and knowledge to these exercises, having the longest unbroken record of peacekeeping service of any country in the world.

"The increasing complexity of modern peace support operations means we must continuously learn lessons from ongoing missions and research while working better with partners, diplomatic, military, NGO or police," General Brennan added.

The first Viking exercise took place in 1999 and Ireland has participated since 2001, with Viking becoming the largest of its type in the world on the last occasion in 2014.

A total of 2,400 personnel participated yesterday at the six sites in Ireland, Sweden Serbia, Bulgaria, Brazil and Finland under the Partnership for Peace banner.

They included representatives from 24 countries and 33 organisations.

The 200-strong team at Athlone were backed by 11 officers from six other countries, while 120 civilian personnel from the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Garda, NGOs and academia also took part.

An additional 12 Defence Forces personnel were based at the Land, Air and Maritime headquarters in Sweden.

Minister with responsibility for defence, Paul Kehoe, who also visited Custume barracks with Chief of Staff Mark Mellett, said: "Exercise Viking demonstrates the benefit of international co-operations.

"By working together with other countries, the Defence Forces can assist in conflict situations, as illustrated by today's exercise", Mr Kehoe said.

The exercise used the geography of Scandinavia, renamed as a fictional region, North Friendly Seas.

They tackled a scenario in a conflict torn country, called Bogaland, which had emerged from civil war and plunged into a humanitarian nightmare involving human rights abuse, poverty, fear of genocide and dependant on outside aid.

After a failed military offensive, an United Nations peace support operation was established and had started to stabilise the country.

Problems examined in Viking included refugees, returnees and internally displaced people, security reform, disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration, cyber defence, prevention of sexual violence and mass migration.
A body has been found in the search for Liga Skromane who has been missing in India for one month.

Liga, who is originally from Latvia but has been living in Dublin for the past five years, was last seen on March 14.

The 33-year-old had travelled to Kerala, India alongside her sister Ilze to take part in a wellness retreat on February 4.

According to local media reports, a fisherman discovered the body of a woman by the riverside in an isolated area near Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala.

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The grim discovery was made on Friday.

It's understood that Liga's sister Ilze and a friend are working with police to identify the body. A detailed forensic examination will be carried out to confirm the identity.

On March 14, Liga left the treatment centre and was last seen chatting to people at Kovalam beach. There have been no confirmed sightings of her since and she left her passport and phone in the resort.

Her husband, Andrew Jordan, from Swords, County Dublin, travelled to India when he heard of Liga's disappearance.

Last week, Ilze told Independent.ie that she thinks her younger sister is in trouble.

"Today, Liga is missing for one month. There has been no trace of her and the police have no leads."

She explained that Liga had been suffering from depression after a traumatic family experience last year and that the pair had decided to get away for a break.

"She was very depressed and wasn't sleeping so we came over to Kerala to take part in a six-week holistic Ayurvedic treatment. She had been responding well to the holistic treatments and was really engaging with the services.

"The last time I saw her was just before our 6:30am yoga class. She said she had a headache so she was going to walk on the beach instead but she asked me to ask the yoga teacher what time she could do a private session later so I know she intended to come back to the centre."

Ilze added that while Liga didn't take her phone, she did have enough money to get to and from the beach.

"I don't know what has happened to her but I can't stop thinking about it. I think she was taken by somebody or by a group. We started searching for her as soon as she went missing and it was very strange that nobody had seen her once she got to the beach. The beach is really busy and she's a tall, white girl so she would have definitely stood out."

Ilze added that she thinks Liga left the beach in a vehicle.

"The only way she could have left and not have been seen is if she left in some form of vehicle. I'm really concerned for her safety."

Ilze said that she will remain in India until her sister is found.

"My whole family is very worried. I can't leave her until I know what happened to her. Liga's boyfriend Andrew is coming out soon from Dublin to help search for her again. It's been so difficult but I'm very thankful to everyone who has shared our appeal looking for Liga online. It's nice to see how many people care in tragic times like this."
Rubbish strewn along the canal in Portobello after crowds gathered to enjoy Friday's sunshine. Credit: DJ Deece / Niall D'Arcy

A popular outdoor gathering spot was left in dire conditions after the warm weather on Friday.

One Dublin-based DJ captured photos of rubbish left along the canal at Portobello last night.

Images captured by Niall D'Arcy show bins overflowing with rubbish and items scattered along the pathway.

Bottles, cans, food wrappers, cardboard boxes, napkins and food waste were the remnants of Friday's soaring temperatures as hundreds gathered along the canal to soak up the sunshine.

The absolute STATE of the canal. What is wrong with people? Either put your rubbish in a bin or bring it with you pic.twitter.com/ctY9IQwNCN  DJ Deece (@DJDeece) April 21, 2018

Temperatures on Friday reached 18C degrees and many took advantage of the warmer-than-average April weather to eat and drink outdoors.

Local Green Party councillor, Claire Byrne, said more needs to be done to encourage people to clean up after themselves,

"It's great to see people out and about, finally, it's been a long and cold winter but leaving behind rubblish isn't right.

"The small number of bins along the canal aren't sufficient to deal with the excess rubbish that accumulate when people are outdoors enjoying the good weather.

"I just returned from a two-hour clean-up around the city, focusing on the Grand Canal, Royal Canal and the Dodder. That stretch is really clean now but we shouldn't have to rely on volunteers to keep our city clean.

"There's an issue with people not cleaning up after themselves. My mind boggles, I can't understand why they don't just do it. But, you do need to make it easy for people.

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"The council should be putting out additional bins during sunny periods to cope. We need to provide more infrastructure and we need stronger awareness campaigns.

"It's something I'll be bringing up at the Environment Strategic Policy Committee next Thursday."
It would be criminal to allow the controversy engulfing Communications Minister derail the abortion referendum, a People Before Profit TD has said.

Brid Smith told this weeks Floating Voter podcast that while Denis Naughten should be sanction for his interactions with a lobbyist, it should not put the Government at risk.

She describes the various elements of the story surrounding Independent News & Media (INM) in recent weeks as a tangled web.

Its a really complicated tangled web  but I know the average person out there hasnt a clue. They are completely lost about whats going on, she said.

The podcast, hosted by INMs Group Political Editor Kevin, also hears the views of political correspondent Philip Ryan and Irish Independent Legal Affairs Editor Shane Phelan.

Referring to phone contacts between Mr Naughten and a lobbyist working for INM in November 2016, Ms Smith says: Irish people need to be aware that this type of lobbying goes on all the time. It is really, really intense.

She noted that some senators had more than 700 representations in relation recent changes to the alcohol laws.

Asked whether she believes Mr Naughten should resign, the Dublin South Central TD replies: I think that to collapse the Government over this would be criminal before the referendum. We need to have that referendum. Weve waited so long to get it. Its really a very, very crucial moment for Irish politics.

But she adds that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar should hold the minister to account.

The panel also discuss the Eighth Amendment campaign to date and whether Housing Minister Eoghan Muprhy is too elitist to fix the housing crisis.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe's department has warned there is only "a set pot of money" for pay rises following a demand for hikes for public service recruits.

It was responding after senior union negotiator Tom Geraghty called on the Government to reverse pay cuts for new entrants in the next budget.

He said it should put money aside for increases for those recruited from 2011. They start on lower rates than their colleagues for two years before getting the same pay.

Reversing the cuts in the budget would cost more than 200m and the current pay deal says a review of the issue that is under way should not push up costs. Mr Geraghty is among union leaders who are due to meet Government officials to discuss the issue next Friday.

"While it is correct to say that no monies have been allocated to do this in 2018, I believe that Ireland's strengthening economic and Exchequer recovery means it should be possible to start funding it next year, rather than delaying until 2020 or beyond," he told delegates at Forsa's civil service division conference in Killarney, Co Kerry.

"That would require funds to be allocated in October's budget."

A department spokesperson declined to comment on Mr Geraghty's statement but said there was a "set pot of money" to fund the deal.
Think of the sharing economy and peer-to-peer plays like Airbnb and Uber come to mind  slick businesses aimed mainly at millennials.

But thats not always the case.

The Freebird Club is an Irish take on the theme, a social, travel and homestay club aimed at the over 50s.

Set up by Kerryman Peter Mangan (46), Freebird lists properties in 37 countries, but its as much about connecting people socially as renting rooms.

In fact, Mangans eureka moment came when he rented his own house in Killorglin  his father Owen, a widowed vet in his 70s, welcomed the guests and loved doing it.

A sociable Airbnb for silver surfers was born.

How does it work? Users sign up, search and book rooms (in Ireland, rates average at 30-50 a night, plus Freebirds 12pc fee). Members also pay a once-off fee of 25, submit photo ID and hosts are interviewed by phone.

Customer service is also available by phone, SMS alerts are sent as well as email, and members can nominate a buddy (e.g. a family member) to receive booking notifications as an added layer of reassurance.

Hosts are always at home, and they always interact with guests. Were not just about places, Mangan says. Were about people.

But the idea also makes business sense. Many older people have mortgages paid and time to spare. Now they have a sociable use for those spare rooms too.

Contact 01 691-3300 or freebirdclub.com.

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Fancy staying at Siobhans Place in Killarney? Or how about Louises apartment Sydney?

One of the first things youll notice about Freebird Club listings is how personal they are. Profile and property pix are amateur, descriptions free of PR bumpf (We are Wi-Fi free and enjoy speaking to each other and our guests, says one), and members list their interests, favourite movies and even their philosophy of life.

The idea is to create a community, to have members choose a companion for chats as much as a destination, and maybe even a lasting friend.

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By 2025, one third of Europes population is expected to be over 60, according to a UN report. Like everyone else, older and solo travellers are benefitting from todays cheap flights and technology  one reason for the growing popularity of companies like Travel Department (traveldepartment.ie) and Friendship Travel (friendshiptravel.com).

The Freebird Club differs in that its a peer-to-peer club, so read the T&Cs and familiarise yourself with its insurance, tax and legal advice (FAQ section) before signing up.

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Planes are hit by lightning more often than you think - but what actually happens when they are?

Its the moment youve never been waiting for.

You're tucked up under your airline blanket, nose in book, when, suddenly, a flash of bright light streaks through the aeroplane. You  well, the plane with you in it  has been struck by lightning. But do you need to panic, brace, or reach for a lifejacket?

In an incident this week, Air New Zealand flight NZ433, bound for Wellington, was struck and had to turn back to Auckland as a "precautionary measure" to undergo standard checks before returning to service.

Passengers were put onto a different plane and, despite assurances from the airline that lightning strikes are very common, some were reportedly apprehensive about heading back up into stormy skies.

So what actually happens when lightning hits an aeroplane, and why are they not seriously damaged?

Typically, a bolt will hit an extremity, such as a wing tip, or the nose, and the current will travel through the aeroplanes metal shell before leaving from another point  the tail, for example. And, according to Patrick Smith, pilot and author of Cockpit Confidential, a book on everything you need to know about air travel, planes are hit by lightning far more frequently than you might think.

An individual jet liner is struck about once every two years, on average, and aeroplanes are designed accordingly. Once in a while theres exterior damage  a superficial entry or exit wound  or minor injury to the planes electrical systems, but a strike typically leaves little or no evidence. You might not even notice it, he says.

Professor Mamu Haddad, professor and director at Cardiff University's Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, which works on understanding lightning strikes on aeroplane construction materials, explains further.

Modern aircraft, he says, are made from lightweight carbon composite covered with a thin layer of copper  Dreamliners and Boeing Airbus A350s have this construction  and act as very good Faraday Cages, meaning that the space inside the metal (ie where youre sitting)  is protected from electric currents.

Most important, he adds, is that the fuel tanks in the wings are not exposed to any lightning sparks  hence why the surrounding metal, structural joints, access doors, vents and fuel filler caps must be able to withstand any burning from a bolt of lightning, which can have temperatures of up to 30,000C.

Strikes are most likely to happen when a jet is passing through cumulonimbus (storm) clouds, between two and five kilometres (6,500-16,500 feet) from the ground. And, like Patrick Smith, Prof Haddad says that fliers need not be concerned.

Lightning can be up to 200,000 amps  at a low current people might hear noise, or see a flash of light through the window, but they wont feel anything," he said. "One effect on the aircraft body might be some local melting, where the lightning struck, but the aerospace industry is highly conservative, and testing so rigorous, that passengers arent at risk.

Rare though they may be, there have been a few fatal incidents involving lightning strikes, however. In January 2014, four charred bodies were reportedly pulled from plane wreckage in Indonesia after a light aircraft owned by Intan Angkasa Air was hit by lightning and crashed. Bambang Ervan, an Indonesian transport ministry spokesman, confirmed to an Australian news site that all four people on board the aircraft were killed instantly.

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In 2010, two people were killed when a Boeing 737-700 from Bogota was struck by lightning and split into three pieces as it landed at San Andres island in the Caribbean. At the time, aeronautical specialists explained that the lightning alone was unlikely to be the cause of the accident, but combined with a sharp change in wind direction, or an air pocket linked to lightning when a plane is near the ground, it could cause a crash.

Another serious case, resulting in 81 deaths, happened in 1963, when a lightning strike over Maryland caused a wing to explode on a Boeing 707 flown by Pan Am. The Federal Aviation Administration, the US equivalent of the Civil Aviation Authority, subsequently introduced changes to fuel tanks and discharge wicks aboard all aircraft.

But non-fatal incidents are far more common, thanks largely to modern safety measures. Famous cases include the flight taken by Francois Hollande, the French President, to crucial talks with Angela Merkel in Germany in 2012.

The presidential Falcon 7X was struck by lightning just four minutes into the flight; Mr Hollande eventually arrived in Berlin 90 minutes late, on a different plane.

Patrick Smith remembers having a close encounter with lighting when he was at the helm of a 37-seat aeroplane.

Lightning from a tiny embedded cumulonimbus cell got us on the nose," he says. What we felt and heard was little more than a dull flash and a thud. No warning lights flashed, no generators tripped off line. Our conversation went:

What was that?

I dont know.

Lightning?

Might have been.

Mechanics would later find a black smudge on the forward fuselage.

In other words, an incident is likely to be over in a flash, literally, leaving passengers on board to get back to that in-flight film. Its often those on the next flight who could be delayed, as the plane undergoes post-lightning safety checks.

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On Friday night I headed for An Tain gallery in the Town Hall where Dundalk Photographic Society were hosting their end of year exhibition and a huge crowd had turned out specially for the occasion.

I was only in the door when I met up Barry Kieran from Ravensdale who was chatting to Marie Berrill from Oaklawns. Barry is with the society and had three pieces on show and Marie told me she was just there to support the night and said the images were 'just class'.

After this I got talking to Mark Conroy from Dunmahon and Jessica O'Malley from Forkhill who said that Mark also had three on show and was delighted that the club had won the international award for the Photographic Society of America earlier in the year.

Not too long later I met up with Peter Rowland from Marlmount with his wife Amanda and kids Dillon and Niamh. Peter also had three on show and was a recipient of an award in the non-advanced section in the club. He said he'd been with the club for a while, took a break, but was now back with a vengeance.

After this I had the pleasure of meeting up with Frances Flynn from Wolfe Tone Terrace who was there with her mum Frances Snr from Legion Avenue and Thomas Gray from Manydown Close. They were awaiting the arrival of her dad Charlie at the exhibition because he had a few on show too. Making my way over to another group I then got talking to club secretary Paul Marry from Knockbridge who was there with his delightful wife Ann and mum Brigid. Paul had four photos on show and told me the club really are on the up and up, especially since they joined up with the Photographic Society of America four years ago and since then have entered and won divisions 4, 3, 2 and 1, which is a major accomplishment. He also said that new members are always welcome.

Not too long later I caught up with Darren Watters from Bay Estate and Finn Conroy from Parnell Park who told me they were there to support Finn's brother Mark and were very impressed with the quality on show.

I then headed over for a word with Tommie and Venessa Kelly from Ardee who told me that Tommie had five images on show and they were both thoroughly enjoying the launch night.

Under cover from the Tain photographers were Liam Duffner and Simon O'Neill both from Ard Easmuinn who told me they were intimidated by the quality on show!

I the caught up with photographer Peter Jasa from Slovakia who had a few images on show and was with girlfriend Tatanya Cirbusova who were very impressed with the exhibition.

Finally, before I departed I met up with photographer Arthur Carron from Market Street who was busy immortalising the occasion after returning home from his adventures in India, an image from which won him the best in show on the night.

The exhibition plays host to 98 excellent images and runs in An Tain until 27th of this month and is definitely worth a visit.
Record Store Day, a special day around the world for record collectors, is being celebrated here in Dundalk in Classified Records on Saturday May 21st.

The shop, located in McMahon Building, The Demesne, will open early at 9am on April 21st to facilitate those keen collectors who will be on the hunt earlier than usual.

The day will be soundtracked with great tunes on their instore turntables and with a panoramic vinyl collectors' community in the area as the shop's owner Neil Waters is keen to continue with this new tradition in local retail.

'For one day only every year, on the third Saturday of every April, the record collecting community gets a huge 'Christmassy' kind of treat,' he explains. 'For this one day, hundreds of records are made especially by the industry & made available in limited numbers through the various record labels. These are generally records of a mega-rarity variety and of special personal value; this gift being a thrill for even the most moderate record hunter.'

Among the exclusive records up for grabs this year are special releases by; David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, Bruce Springsteen, Rory Gallagher, PIL, The Cure, Miles Davis, U2, The Who, The Cure, Lalo Schiffrin, Prince, The Notorious B.I.G., Arcade Fire, The Streets, Gloria Gaynor and all kinds of compilations and soundtracks.

The advent of CDs, MP3s, streaming and downloading led to pronouncements that vinyl was dead, and while for a time, this seemed to be the case, but the format is now enjoying a revival in popularity.

'The modern, populist revival of 'vinyl' has been triggered by new generations being bamboozled by the wonder of a record spinning on a turntable. It's been cool since Edison got involved in the early patents of the Phonograph in 1877. It was cool in the 1st half of the 20th century, even when radio was introduced in 1920. It survived a Great Depression, a Wall Street crash and two World Wars, and finally the internet but people have always grouped together listening to music,' says Neil, whose passion for the format is indisputable.

'Yes, there are various ways to listen to music; none more so than today but records will always bewitch people. That's why after a twenty-year dark age, a supposedly obsolete format rose from its coma and charged out of the hospital all guns blazing,' he says.

The music loving public has lots of options when it comes to listening to music and many will check out albums on Spotify before deciding to splash out and buy a hard copy for their collection.

The role played by Classified Records in meeting the needs of the record collecting community and in hosting Record Store Day in previous years has led to the shop being invited to host a record stall at the independent record fair at the BBC6 Big Weekender at the Titanic Slipways in Belfast on weekend of May 25th/26t,' says Neil.

For all kinds of record collector, Record Store Day is a great opportunity for anyone looking to continue specialising their vinyl collection. "

'Since we opened our doors nearly three years ago, we've noticed subtle differences to the industry,' explains Neil. 'There's no real 'singles market' anymore - it's albums people want. It's the artwork, the packaging, the sheer physical size of it. We've seen people revive their once-dormant collections, we've got newcomers to the market, we've even had kids in as young as 10 or 11 buying records, influenced by their parents love of the medium. Aided by the digital age, propped up by a weight of history, the collecting records business is in very good health.'

Classified Records will be celebrating Record Store Day on Saturday April 21st, 2018, with doors opening at 9am. All records are embargoed and are subject to the rules of World Record Day release and cannot be revealed or reserved before April 21st.
Plant power pioneer, Alpro, is to host Ireland's first ever 'Alpro Planquet' in collaboration with Blackrock native Hazel Wallace doctor, personal trainer and food fanatic also known as 'The Food Medic.'

Dr. Wallace, has created two delicious Alpro inspired dishes for the menu that will give a full insight to just how much range and variation there is in eating plant-based.

Vicky Upton, head of Plant Power at Alpro, said: 'There's no doubt that plant-based eating is gaining momentum, and for good reason. This way of eating is good for people, and it's good for the planet - and the reality is that the way we're currently eating and producing food simply isn't sustainable, and we need to make a change. That's why we believe that the future of food is plant-based and we're committed to leading the charge.'

'The Alpro Planquet is the perfect way to bring this to life, inspiring guests to celebrate plant-based eating and demonstrating just how exciting and versatile eating plants can be.

Dr. Hazel Wallace, said: 'I'm keen to show the world just how easy eating more plants can be, and I am thrilled to be partnering with a brand at the forefront of spreading this message.'

'I am so excited to be involved in the first ever Irish Alpro Planquet and hope that by showing our guests how ultra-tasty and super simple plant-based meals can be, I can inspire them to eat more plants at home.'

Discover the power of adding more plants to your plate at the Alpro Planquet at No 57 South William Street, Dublin 2.

It will be open from 7am until 7pm from Tuesday, 24th April until Monday, 30th April, 2018. For further information on the Alpro Planquet visit @Alpro on twitter and Instagram.
On Saturday night I headed for Byrnes Lounge where a rather special reunion night was taking place. April 14th marked 40 years to the day when the St. Vincents Girls first held their Debs Ball and 50 ladies who had been part of that celebration, had had come together specially to make the occasion.

The group had met up earlier in the day for a tour of their old school to see what changes had taken place since the last time they were there and had found time to recreate their Debs photo from all those years ago. This was followed by a meal and a social night in Byrnes where I caught up with them and to say they were in great form would be somewhat of an understatement!

I wasn't too long in the door when I met up some of the organising committee who were Elizabeth Sloan from Dublin Road and Michelle Farrell from Greenwood Drive who told me that they, along with Moira Murtagh from Laurel Grove, Catriona Hande from Faughart, Gabrielle Tuomey from Lennonstown Manor, Fiona McKeown from Carrick Road and Sheila McDonald from Dublin Road had first met up in November with only the Debs photo from 1978 and set about contacting as many of them as they could. They used Whats App and Facebook to find their old schoolmates and everyone there on the night.

I then got talking to Moira Murtagh who told me about all the girls that hung round together for most of the time they were in St. Vincents called 'O.G.' and they included Siobhan McGuinness, Olivia Mathews, Catriona Hande, Deirdre McKeever, Breda Boland and the late Annmarie Carragher, were thick as thieves and most of them were there for the night.

I then headed or a table where I got talking to Sheila Rogers from Haggardstown, Michelle Callan from Redbarns Road and Catriona Hande from Upper Faughart who told me they had done the tour of the school, had got some great memories and were very impressed with the developments they'd made since they had been there, and were now making new memories for the next 40 year reunion!

I was lucky enough to meet Anna Dunne from Dromiskin who had been 'head girl' and still had her badge. She said it as a fantastic day and she was seeing people she hadn't seen in 40 years.

Next I headed over for a chat with Anne Flanagan from Dromiskin, Anne O'Reilly originally from Dublin Road but now a lecturer in the Dental Hospital and living in Dublin, Angela O'Donnell from Blackrock who said their classmates hadn't changed all that much and it was really easy to recognise all their old classmates.

They were sitting with Marina Ni Threafaigh originally from Blackrock now from Castleblaney who said it was her first time back in the school in 40 years and it hadn't changed that much but there were plenty of memories from the time, but she was really looking forward to the night with all her old school mates.

Next I got a word with Mary Shaw from Oaklawns who said it was her first time back too, there were many changes and she was still having a few problems recognising everyone but was looking forward to doing so.

After this I headed over for a chat with Gabrielle Tuomey from Lennonstown Manor who was sitting chatting to the girls' French teacher Mary O'Rourke who was delighted to see them all again and said she did recognise all of them. They were enjoying the company of Geraldine Traynor from Donabate, Maria McGeough from Kilkerley and Anne Kilgallen from Donegal who told me about the stipulation regarding their dressed on the night back in 1978 and how one of the head girls lost her position after the debs!

Not too long later I caught up with Rita Arthur from Newry Road who told me she had really enjoyed the tour with her old classmates and it was great to see them all again.

Also in her company was Margaret Marrett from Annagassan who said she was delighted that everyone was wearing their nametags and had really enjoyed the tour because there had been so many great changes made to the school.

Next I headed for a table where I caught up with Maria Richardson from Dunleer, Bernadette Sheelan and Teresa McGuigan from Cooley who told me they used to sneak out to the Downtown Club on Friday nights and sometimes the Bananna Club and stay with Moira Murtagh in Hughes Park, unknown to their parents!

After this I got talking to Una Muckian from St. Marys Road and Bernadette McCormack from Ravensdale who said the tour was fantastic and the night was getting better and better with all their old friends.

I headed over for a chat with Barrie Durnin from Blackwater Court who hadn't stood in the school in 40 years and was hugely impressed with many of the major changes made in the place, but some of it hadn't changed a bit! She went on to say the committee had done a great job getting everyone together for the night.

Finally, before I departed I met up with Siobhan Hamill from Castle Park and Fiona McKeown from Carrick Road who were delighted to be there and assured me it was going to be a great night with all their old friends there.
A man with his dog, a Border Collie, at the launch ofthe Border Communities Against Brexit new poster at Killen Bridge

Declan Fearon speaking at the launch of the Border Communities Against Brexit new poster at Killen Bridge

At almost exactly twenty years since the historic Good Friday Agreement was signed, local lobby group Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) launched a new campaign against the return of any post Brexit border.

The group, which was founded by people living and working on both sides of the border launched the new high profile poster campaign along the old Newry to Dundalk Road last week.

Spokesman Declan Fearon explained the importance of ongoing protests against any potential border., telling crowds gathered at the event:

'The ceasefire, and the peace talks which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement brought about enormous transformational change in the border communities of Ireland.

The withdrawal of the British army, with their hill top watch towers, their barb wire and all of their paraphernalia of war, opened up the towns and villages along the border to benefit socially and economically.'

He added that one of the major economic benefits was the billions of euro in financial aid that the North and Southern border counties received from the European Union.

'This economic prosperity cemented the peace by creating badly needed jobs and putting programmes in place to allow communities to reach across the religious divide.'

'However one of the most significant aspects of the GFA was allowing citizens to be Irish, British or both. It removed the thorny issue of Identity. Those who wished to be British could do so, while those who wished to be Irish could be as well,' said the BCAB spokesman, who also operates a business in the cross border area.

'Brexit and the Brexiteer's have brought about the ugly issue of identity politics again.'

'The island due to both jurisdictions belonging to the Customs Union and Single Market meant that the border in Ireland became a line on a map, people could travel, trade, work and socialise where ever they want.'

He added: 'Brexit is an attack on every aspect of the Good Friday Agreement.

But starkly its an attack on the freedom of people to travel, trade, work and socialise across this border'.

'Let us be very very clear. The current talks aimed at getting a solution to a frictionless border are not going to work.

Trusted trader, is for the big companies, the one's who can afford extra staff to process additional paper work, the small companies and sole traders will spend 4-5 hours in customs clearance queue's, pre-registration of vehicles cannot examine the contents of that vehicle.

This will be sold by more snake oil salesmen from the Brexit camp as a Soft Border. There is no such thing as a soft border.'

A soft border is a hard border by stealth,' said Declan

He added: 'The EU will not accept infringements, they will not accept illegal products such an inferior food being brought into their union across this border and rightly so.'

'So weeks or months after a Soft border is agreed, we will all wake up to a Hard border, with similar infrastructure such as border roads closed and customs towers on our main roads, those of us old enough know what that means.'

He said that the Border Communities Against Brexit group had argued that he Irish Government 'made a significant tactical mistake at the recent EU Council meeting to allow the British Government move to trade talks without a firm deal on the Irish Border.'

'So we call on all politicians to continue to lobby against Brexit, to insist that the North remain with the Single Market and Customs Union, and in particular the Irish Government must stand firm and be prepared to veto any deal which does Not deliver this.

The back stop agreed in December between Britain and the EU is the very least we will accept,'
Concerns have been raised by the farming community in north Louth about teenagers using scrambler bikes and on the Cooley mountains.

Louth County Council introduced bye-laws prohibiting the use of quads and scramblers on the mountains a number of years ago but local farmers and hill walkers have reported a number of incidents of these off road vehicles being driven on the open mountains in recent weeks.

IFA branch chairman Matthew McGreehan said he had been contacted by farmers who came across a group of teenagers riding scrambler bikes and quads at Moneycrockroe, above Ballymakellet.

'They followed the group across the border to Jonesboro where they disappeared but they seemed to be young teenagers.'

'This is causing a lot of concern in the Ravensdale area, particularly among sheep farmers and there have also been reports of off-road vehicles on the mountains above Carlingford,' he continued.

He explained that the use of quads and scramblers on the mountains was a worry for farmers as it can disturb sheep and damage the vegetation.

'Sheep can be frightened by these vehicles and it's a problem for sheep farmers putting one year old hoggets out to graze as it can scare them and they can run away for miles into other townlands.'

'It's also disturbing the peace for hill walkers as it can be quite intimidating for people out enjoying a walk to come across a group of teens on bikes or quads.'

Staff from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) section of the Department of the Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht confirmed to The Argus that they have recently received numerous reports of scramblers and quadbikes in the vicinity of the Carlingford Mountain Special Area of Conservation.

'The use of motorised off-road vehicles for recreational purposes is strictly banned within the Carlingford Mountain Special Area of Conservation and anyone caught by the NPWS or by An Garda Siochana may have their vehicles seized and face prosecution. The local Gardai have indicated that they will co-operate fully in order to stop this illegal activity,' said a spokesperson.

He pointed out that the use of motorised off-road vehicles such as scramblers, quads and 4x4s in areas such as the Cooley Mountains can cause extensive damage to the upland habitats. 'By tearing up the vegetation and breaking up the peat, the mountainside is exposed to erosion, which further damages the habitat. Indirect damage is also caused, where walkers are forced off existing trails onto adjacent, intact heath and blanket bog, by the presence of large puddles and ruts created by the bikes, widening the existing walking trails at the expense of the natural habitat.'
The tragic death of her five year old daughter from Cystic Fibrosis led Maureen McKeown to founding the Dundalk CF branch some 40 years ago.

Maureen, who was recognised for her extraordinary contribution to the cause at the recent Cystic Fibrosis Ireland conference held in Dundalk told the Argus how she came to be involved in the late 1970's.

'My daughter had passed away on Christmas eve 1964 from Cystic Fibrosis. She was only five years old.

At the time, there was very little information about the disease. I had no one to turn to,' she recalled.

Nearly fifteen years after her daughter's death, Maureen said she 'still needed to know more about what had happened to her,' and when she heard the national Cystic Fibrosis foundation were visiting Dundalk she went along.

'Myself and another local lady, Teresa Donnelly from Ravensdale, went to the meeting. They were looking at setting up a support group in Dundalk, so we decided to get involved.'

From small beginnings with just a handful of members, Maureen said they continued to fundraise locally, and provide information and support for parents of children with Cystic Fibrosis.

'The meetings were small initially, but gradually over the years there were more people getting involved, and I'm very happy now to see it is such an active branch.'

She added that the purpose of the local branch had 'always been to support people, to be a point of contact and information, and also to raise funds for more research into the condition.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system of about 1,300 children and adults in the Ireland (70,000 worldwide).

In the 1950s, few children with cystic fibrosis lived to attend primary school.

But huge advances over the last few decades in research and medical treatments, including in Ireland, have further enhanced and extended life for children and adults with CF.

Many people with the disease in Ireland can now expect to live into their 30s, 40s and beyond. People with CF in Ireland are increasingly going on to attend third level colleges, accessing employment, and living more independent lives, with the support of family and friends.

Indeed, the contribution of people such as Maureen and others involved in developing the local branch has led to a much greater awareness of the condition, and offered hoped to families in need of support.

At the annual CF Ireland conference held in the Crowne Plaza, Maureen was presented with a special award for her dedication over the last forty years.

She said she was 'really surprised, but delighted' to have been awarded at the event, with the honour conferred by the current chair of the Dundalk branch, Adie O'Hagan.
The community of Erris and the Irish Coast Guard have been jointly honoured at the 43rd Rehab People of the Year Awards, with special recognition for the four crew who lost their lives in the Rescue 116 tragedy. Broadcaster Bryan Dobson (second from right) presents (from left) John Gallagher, representing the Erris community, Chris Reynolds, Director, Irish Coast Guard, and Dr Keith Swanick, representing the Erris community, with a People of the Year Award at the 43rd Rehab People of the Year Awards 2018

Inquests into the tragic deaths of the crew of Coastguard Rescue 116 in March 2017 were opened and adjourned in County Mayo last week.

The inquests were adjourned as it emerged that Gardai investigating the Rescue 116 helicopter crash are preparing a file for the DPP to determine if there is any criminal culpability or negligence related to the crash.

The inquest into the tragedy opened in Belmullet, County Mayo, where coroner Dr Eleanor Fitzgerald heard evidence from a number of different agencies outlining the initial search operation and subsequent investigations.

Captain Dara Fitzpatrick, Dundalk native Captain Mark Duffy, winchman Ciaran Smith and winch operator Paul Ormsby died after their Irish Coast Guard helicopter crashed around 12km off the west coast.

Death certificates were issued for the four crew including Mr Smith and Mr Ormsby, after the coroner allowed evidence to be heard to formally declare them deceased as missing at sea.

Inspector Gary Walsh, of Belmullet garda station, also told the inquest that a file was being prepared for the DPP by Gardai in conjunction with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

This, Inspector Walsh said, is to determine if there is any criminal culpability or negligence in the case.

However, the senior investigator also said that there is a delay in the investigation as Gardai are still awaiting documentation pertinent to their inquiry.

The preliminary inquest also heard that the cause of death for Dara Fitzpatrick was drowning, while Mark Duffy passed away from multiple injuries.

Dr Fitzgerald adjourned the inquest until a later date to allow for the various investigations into the tragedy to be completed.

A preliminary statement into the crash was issued by the Air Accident Investigation last month, but a full report into the incident is not expected to be completed for a number of months.

Meanwhile the crew of Rescue 116, The Irish Coast Guard, the late volunteer member Caitriona Lucas and the community of Erris were honoured at the People of the Year Awards presented on Sunday night in the Mansion House.

The award recognised the heroic work by the men and women of the Irish Coast Guard who risk their lives to assist maritime and coastal communities, while the people of Erris were recognised for their contribution to the search for the missing crew of Rescue 116.

Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Operations Manager Gerard O'Flynn, said: 'Going above and beyond is the norm for members of the Coast Guard service.

'The fact that these men and women often put their own lives in danger to carry out their duties makes the search and rescue crews such a remarkable group of people.'
A special tour of King John's Castle last week saw local people get a unique insight into what lies hidden behind the historic walls.

The castle, which is currently undergoing extensive works, was opened for a few hours to some local groups, including Carlingford Tidy Towns and school children from the area for a tour.

Last year a 400,000 funding grant from Failte Ireland's Capital Grants Allocation was announced for the 12th century Carlingford castle, aimed at boosting its visitor experience and appeal to tourists as a key project within Ireland's Ancient East.

The office of Public Works have been leading the project which includes the provision of performance infrastructure which will allow for the castle to be used as a setting for cultural events.

It is also hoped to enhance the castle with better internal access, attractive landscaping and improved visitor facilities including information and interpretation.

The OPW have stated that the intention was to have the castle in summer 2018, but the date was dependant on 'all these works being completed satisfactorily.'

Once works are finished it is hoped to have the castle opened more frequently to visitors.

King John's Castle was built in the 12th century on what was described as 'a rocky outcrop overlooking Carlingford Lough.'

At the time, the castle dominated the Lough, the harbour and the developing town.

It was recorded as the first stone building built in Carlingford and under the shadow of the castle the town grew.

It is said that King John of England stayed here for a few days in 1210 AD.

The original Castle consisted of an enclosed D-shaped courtyard with two rectangular towers at the entrance.

The eastern part of the Castle was built in 1261 and this included a number of rooms and a great hall.
Bray native Redmond O'Toole will perform at Whale Theatre in Greystones on Sunday, May 6, at the finale of his Irish tour.

His programme exploits the full range of his unusual 8-string guitar and 'cello' style technique. The concert begins with transcriptions of JS Bach and Haydn before visiting Mexico and Spain for the music of Rodrigo and Ponce and ending with Carlo Domeniconi's masterwork 'Koyunbaba'.

O'Toole has been hailed as one of the most interesting players of his generation, renowned for his atmospheric performances and virtuosity.

Redmond has given recitals throughout Europe and the US at prestigious concert halls and festivals as soloist as well as with 'The Chieftains' and 'Dublin Guitar Quartet'.
A 16-year-old Dunlavin girl who has represented her county many times in singing competitions, has just released her first single 'Emilio'.

The song 'took off' when talented Amy Barrett first performed it on live radio back in 2015 and she's hoping that the public will again take it to their hearts now that she's officially released it.

'I was interviewed by Declan Meehan in the East Coast FM studio in Bray and played a new song "Emilio" live for the first time,' said Amy, who wrote the song when she was just 14.

'We put up a video on YouTube for family and friends but it took off. I was really surprised by the reaction. The lyrics are very simple but it seems to be catchy and one of those songs that sticks in your head.'

The radio appearance opened up a number of opportunities for Amy, including supporting 2018 Irish Eurovision entrant Ryan O'Shaughnessy and Kolumbus, who co-wrote Ryan's Eurovision song.

A suggestion that Amy should record Emilio came to fruition when she stepped into a recording studio last year.

'I recorded two songs with producer Mark 'Cappy' Caplice in Baltinglass,' she explained. 'Studio recording was a new experience but Cappy was very positive and encouraging. "Emilio" was then mixed by a very talented producer Cian Sweeney from 1,000 Beasts.'

'Emilio' has been available on iTunes, Spotify and other digital stores since Friday and Amy is hoping for a positive reaction to the song.

'I don't know what to expect,' she said. 'You are putting yourself out there when you release your own song. Songwriting is really subjective, like the singing competitions. Some people may love it and others may hate it but that's fair enough. You have to take a chance and have no regrets.

'I hope to get my second song 'Heartbreak' finished and mixed in the next few weeks,' she said.

Amy has represented Wicklow many times in both Scor na nOg and Community Games singing competitions and won all-Ireland gold for singing at the 2015 Community Games finals in Athlone with her sister Sophie. She is regularly asked to sing the National Anthem in Aughrim before county matches and club finals and plays camogie with the Wicklow minor team and the Donard-The Glen senior team.
Kathryn Ryan from the Firehouse Bakery, Zoe Woodward from Delgany Tidy Towns and Keith Scanlon from the Conscious Cup Campaign

Delgany village has recently become the first fully conscious cup destination in Ireland and the UK.

All cafes in Delgany now offer a discount on hot drinks to customers with reusable cups.

Every year, over 200 million takeaway cups are disposed of in Ireland and disposable cups are not always recyclable.

Delgany cafes are all in agreement that buying a reusable coffee cup is just one of many ways people can reduce and reuse, but sometimes they need that extra little push to make sure to use it. They believe a reusable cup discount does the trick.

Zoe Woodward from Delgany Tidy Towns was contacted by the Conscious Cup Campaign and, on hearing about what they were doing, decided that it would be the perfect campaign for Delgany to get involved with.

'Their goals are totally in line with the Delgany Tidy Towns ethos,' said Ms Woodward. 'It was an easy concept for us to get behind and the coffee outlets in Delgany were fully supportive of it when we spoke to them about coming on board.'

For one of the cafes, this was something they already had in place.

According to Patrick Ryan, owner of The Firehouse Bakery: 'This is something that we have done since we first opened our doors almost five years ago. Our philosophy for the bakery has always been to use the best ingredients, support local and that, no matter what we do, it had to be driven by passion for food and hard work and I guess this is just something that has extended across all areas of the business. Accepting reusable cups is a little thing but it is the little things that add up and the more we can all do no matter how small has to make a difference.'

Although some cups can now be recycled if composted correctly, it is always better to reuse than to recycle.

Woodward said: 'In the end, the power lies with the public to make the switch and show others how it's done. We've seen it happen with the change from plastic bags to reusable shopping bags now it's time for us to do the same with disposable cups.'
Four new schools will be built in County Wicklow over the next four years, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton, announced last week.

The announcement came following demographic exercises carried out by the Department into the current and future need for primary and post-primary school places and will be among 42 new schools built nationwide in that period.

Two new secondary schools, accommodating 1,400 students are in the pipeline: one in Wicklow town for up to 600 students and another in Kilcoole/Greystones, which will accommodate 800 students.

The Wicklow secondary school is expected to open next year, while the north Wicklow school has a opening date of 2021.

Two new primary schools will also be built.

Newtownmountkennedy, one of Ireland's fastest growing towns according to the last Census, is to get a new eight-classroom school which is expected to open in 2019.

There's good news too for the Woodbrook/Shanganagh area of Bray, which is due to have an eight-classroom school open in 2021.

A process will be run to establish parental preference for the patronage of each individual school and a key determinant of the successful patron will be the preferences of parents of pre-school children in that area. The patronage process for the schools due to open in 2019 is expected to take place this year.

Speaking at Friday's announcement, Minister Bruton said: 'If we want to be the best in Europe, we need to make sure that we are planning for future need and providing state of the art facilities for future generations. I am announcing these 26 new primary schools and 16 new post-primary schools today which, together with large-scale projects such as school extensions and projects under the Additional Accommodation Scheme, will serve to meet education needs over the next four years across the country.'

'Since 2011, we have created 122,000 new and replacement school places. We are now creating more school places than at any other period in the history of the State. In 2010, some 9,000 school places were created. In 2017, we built approximately 18,800,' said the Minister.
Newtownmountkennedy is to get a second primary school to cope with its ever-expanding population.

According to the last Census, Newtownmountkennedy is the fastest growing town in the county, experiencing a 17.6 per cent growth in population between 2011 and 2016. Population figures are due to again grow dramatically over the coming years with planning for close to 1,000 houses in the immediate area.

The new eight-classroom school was announced on Friday and will be in addition to the existing Newtownmountkennedy Primary School.

While Cllr Daire Nolan is delighted progress is taking place, he still believes that Newtown could do with a larger-scale primary school.

'Any movement regarding new schools has to be welcomed and the sooner it is established the better,' said Cllr Nolan.

'We have nearly 1,000 new houses planned for the area. Even if you only have one child for every three homes, you are still talking about hundreds of pupils. I don't know if you can ever have a school big enough but at least it is progress. Personally I don't know if eight classrooms will be big enough. I think Newtown could do with a minimum of 12 or 16 new classrooms. I'd like to think it will be constantly reviewed. Hopefully, when the new school is built, there will be enough room to allow for some future expansion.'

Cllr Shay Cullen is a member of the Newtown Forum, which plans to make representations to the Department about locations for the second school.

'When the new school is built, it will be full to capacity on its opening day. Therefore, it is critical that the build starts as quickly as possible.'

Cllr John Snell has been engaging with planners from Wicklow County Council over the inclusion of further lands zoned educational in the Newtownmountkennedy Local Area Plan 2018 to 2024.

'The current plan doesn't have enough sites zoned for education and the council planners said they would look at it. In the current plan, lands beside the existing school have been zoned to accommodate a second school further down the line but I think it would be bad planning to put another national school beside the current location,' said Cllr Snell.

'There are lands at Rossmore which could be rezoned to accommodate another school. Placing two schools beside one another in the same area will just cause mass congestion.

'Newtownmountkennedy's population is growing at such a pace that it actually justifies having its own secondary school as well,' said Cllr Snell.

Meanwhile, Newtown's primary school-going population could be looking forward to two modern facilities in the area, after the existing primary school was granted permission from Wicklow County Council last month to demolish part of its existing building and construct a single and two storey building, with 34 car parking spaces, 20 bicycle spaces, a new entrance/exit and play areas.

However, this decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleanala.
The popular Cor Mhagh Ealla (Mallow Community Choir) has issued an open invitation to the public to join them for three performances in Cork City next Sunday under the umbrella of the 2018 Cork International Choral Festival.

Following on from their recent success at Feis Maitiu Corcaigh, the ensemble and its accompanist, under the direction of dynamic conductor John Casey has been 'upping the tempo' in preparation for what promises to be a very busy day for its members.

The Choir's day will commence at 10.30am mass in the Church of the Resurrection, Farranree when they will perform a recital as part of the Festival's Church Interchange and Sacred Trail. From there the Choir will relocate to the atmospheric surroundings of St Finbarre's Cathedral where they will participate in National Open Church Music competition.

The pressure will be ramped down somewhat for their final performance of the day, which will see the Choir perform a selection of musical favourites from 5pm at the Clarion Hotel. Choir member Jude Corroon is urging people to come along enjoy the day with them.

"Our repertoire of contemporary and spiritual songs has been finely tuned and Sunday will provide us with a welcome opportunity to perform them," she said.

"We are extremely grateful for all the support from our Mallow and North Cork communities and invite you all to follow us across Cork City on Sunday for what promises to be a most wonderful day out."

Formed in 2001 on the initiative of a member of the Arts Alliance Mallow, Cor Mhagh Ealla is a secular four-part choir with around 50 members.

Since then the Choir has steadily built up its impressive repertoire, performing an eclectic mix of music to suit all tastes from traditional Irish, early sacred and spiritual music to swing and even songs by Billy Joel.

In addition to being placed in several national and international events, Cor Mhagh Ealla perform at charity and community concerts around the greater North Cork area.

They meet each Tuesday night at 8pm in the Mercy Centre, Mallow. New members are welcome and are taken on each January and September.

"While members take the business of singing very seriously we are equally determined to enjoy ourselves. The Choir has a warm and friendly atmosphere and our social agenda is very important to us," said Ms Corroon.

"If you are interested in joining us, please feel free to drop in any Tuesday evening and have a listen," she added.
The stunning Ballyhoura countryside will again host Ireland's oldest and most popular walking festival over the May bank-holiday weekend.

Now in its 23nd year, the Ballyhoura International Walking Festival attracts visitors from across the globe. As in previous years the festival will see guides from the Ballyhoura Bears Walking Club lead a packed programme of events catering for walkers of all ages, abilities and fitness levels.

Hardy hikers and gentle ramblers alike will be able to enjoy the company of local experts who will impart their considerable knowledge on a range of subjects including heritage, archaeology, history, flora and fauna.

Ballyhoura Country boasts some 1,500km of national loop walks and marked ways, including the historic Ballyhoura Way, with walks divided into three graded categories.

The 'A' walks will cater for very experienced hill walkers, the moderately paced 'B' walks for experienced walkers with the 'C' special interest walks ideally suited for families.

To see the full weekend programme visit www.visitballyhoura.com.
Team Millstreet calls on residents, community groups and businesses to come out and support a special clean-up effort in their local area on this Saturday morning.

Millstreet Tidy Town Association are co-ordinating the Team Millstreet Clean-Up, meeting in the Town Square at 9.45am and continuing to 1pm The organisers will provide pickers, bags and gloves in a great opportunity to give back positively to their beautiful town.Everybody is welcome including kids, schools, businesses, and community groups to get involved. Refreshments will be served afterwards in Millstreet GAA Community Hall.

Keeping Millstreet litter-free is a shared responsibility for all and paints a positive picture of the town to regular visitors. Millstreet will again enter the National Tidy Towns. The competition sees participating towns rated on all aspects of their local environment. It has been running since 1958 and each year attracts more than 700 communities who compete for a cash award and the title of Ireland's Tidiest Town in addition to category prizes.

Community School for Wear Your Waste initiative

Transition year students at Millstreet Community School host a Wear Your Waste project on Thursday, April 26, in the school library beginning at 7.30pm. Organisers have invited local national schools to support the venture. Participants are invited to create clothes and accessories using items that are going to be recycled. There'll be prizes and an independent judge to adjudicate on the selections.

Looking ahead, the annual Language and Culture Night takes place in Millstreet Community School on Thursday, May 10, at 7pm.

Aubane nod to Butter Road anniversary

The Aubane Social Club and friends are looking ahead to a celebration of the 270th Anniversary of the Butter Road at a special get together on Friday, May 18, in Aubane Community Centre.

Nostalgia is sure to surround the occasion marking the 56-mile link between Cork and Kerry in operation from 1748 after the granting of an Act of Parliament with the gentry of the time, opening up a route from developing Kerry with Cork City.

Castleisland's John Murphy undertook the 8,000 initial investment. In today's terms, that's worth millions.

Murphy had intended to obtain his outlay from tolls placed on travellers, carts and cattle.

Unfortunately, the plan failed to bear fruit; the venture wasn't viable during the early years yet the popularity of the route grew dramatically on the growth of the butter markets.

Indeed, the Butter Road developed towns and villages on the route from Killarney including Rathmore, Millstreet, Rylane and Tower, as merchants transported their products to the Cork Butter Exchange in Shandon Street.

And at the turn of the 1800s, the great Daniel O'Connell took to the route on his Catholic Emancipation venture whilst there were numerous stories relating to peasant life; superstitions to the Highway men often referred to Robin Hood figures that were associated with the famous road.

Butter became one of the main exports from Ireland to the West Indies and South America, mainly due to the mild climate and the many dairy farms in Ireland. One of the main butter roads ran in an almost straight line from Castleisland, Kerry, to the Butter Exchange in Cork City where the butter was auctioned off to the highest bidder. The peasant farmers travelled by donkey and cart, bringing their goods to market, and it was a long journey in all weathers. Over recent months, the Aubane Social Club have worked on a special get together on Friday, May 18, to celebrate the 270th Anniversary of the Butter Road.

The five-course meal will showcase the producers and eateries of the Butter Road Food Trail at a function in Aubane Community Centre.

Tickets at 27 each are available from Aubane Social Club members.

Scoil Lathairn course

The Scoil Laitairain three-week Irish Course will take place from July 2 to 20 in Cullen Community Centre, 10am to 3pm. The programme aims to promote the speaking of Irish through classes, singing, quizzes, dancing, games and sports. Further information is at 086- 3021503.

Daffodil Day thanks

Thanks to everyone who supported the recent coffee morning and street collections for Daffodil Day. The total raised at the coffee morning was 650. The street drive raised 4,994.

Clothes collection

Cloghoula National School's clothes collection. Unwanted clothes to be taken between 9.30am and 2.30pm.

Gramophone circle

Millstreet Gramophone Circle meet in Canon O'Donovan Centre Friday at 8.15pm. Presenter is Ivor Horton. All are welcome.

Lotto update

The Millstreet Parish lotto draw, hosted at the Bush Bar, saw the numbers 5, 11, 22, and 28 drawn and the jackpot was not won.

A 100 prize went to Patsy and Noreen. They were also the sellers and get 50 sellers prize. A 50 prize went to Breda Neilus, Minor Row.

20 each went to Eileen Egan, Liscarroll; Denis P Kelleher, Liscahane; John Murphy, Clara; John P McAuliffe, Annagloor; Gretta O'Sullivan, Killorglin; Hannah McSweeney, Carriganima; Michael. O 'Sullivan, Kilmeedy and Michelle O'Sullivan, Dooneen.

The Jackpot for this week is 4,200 and the draw take place at Corkerys Bar on Sunday night.

Looking ahead, the AGM of the Lotto Committee will be held at the Wallis Arms Hotel on Saturday, April 21, at 8pm
Cork Senator and member of the joint Oireachtas Agricultural committee, Tim Lombard, confirmed that over 1.5million has been allocated towards the introduction of a Fodder Import Support measure.

The measure will operate through the dairy co-operatives and will cover fodder imported by the co-ops from April 5 until April 30. Support under the measure will alleviate the cost to farmers of imported fodder by approximately one third.

Senator Lombard said: "This has been a long difficult winter, as well as a late spring, which has put great pressure on the whole farming community. This scheme announced by my Fine Gael colleague, the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine Michael Creed, will alleviate some of that stress by supporting the importation of up to 20,000 tons of fodder into the country.

"The actual beneficiaries will be farmers who urgently need supplies of fodder. The initial allocation will continue until 30 April, although the scheme will be kept under ongoing review until the current crisis is over."

Application forms, participating Cc-ops, and terms and conditions will be made available through the co-ops and on the Department's website. Farmers should contact their local participating co-op indicating their intention to purchase and the volume of fodder needed.

Senator Lombard previously called for co-ops to show solidarity with the farming community, and maintain milk prices, so that farmers might endure the current crisis.

"I've been speaking to farmers across the country, and it is obvious that this past winter has been financially, physically, and mentally taxing. Our farming community is under a great deal of stress at this time and it is important that we all work together to help mitigate the damage," he said.
Members of the intermediate award winning A Way With Words team from the Presentation College, Mitchelstown receiving their trophy from Kevin Curran of the LEO

Budding teenage boffins from across the North Cork region have been given the opportunity to pitch their business ideas at the regional final of a national competition aimed at finding the next generation of Irish entrepreneurs.

At the start of each school thousands of pupils from schools across the country are encouraged to take part in the Student Enterprise Programme with the help of their teachers and the support of the Local Enterprise Office.

The largest student enterprise programme of its kind in the country, its ongoing success over the past 16-years is firmly rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit of the participating young entrepreneurs. More than 600 students from 16 schools took part in the North Cork regional final held recently at the Mallow GAA Complex, all hoping to secure a place at the national final showcase at Croke Park on May 2.

Judges were charged with casting their expert eyes over each project and picking the winning ones across three categories that will represent the region in Dublin next month.

"Each of the panel were impressed with the standard of entry and agreed, given the sheer depth of talent on display, that picking winners was an extremely difficult job," said LEO business advisor Joan Kelleher.

After much deliberation pupils from the Presentation College in Mitchelstown won both the junior and intermediate categories with their 'Woodchucks' and 'A Way With Word's' projects.

The team from Scoil Mhuire in Kanturk scooped the senior category title with their 'Lonely Sock's' project.

Kevin Curran, head of enterprise with the Cork North & West LEO was quick to praise this year's entrants.

"Each year we are always blown away by the ideas and the business savvy that these students have acquired at such a young age. They really are a credit to their teachers and school staff who have helped to nurture this talent," said Mr Curran.

"We hope to see many of these excellent young students coming through the door of their local LEO in the years to come. We wish today's winners all the very best as they go on to represent their county Croke Park."
Cork County Hall marked its 50th anniversary on Monday and the celebrations will continue over the next number of weeks as a special exhibition will detail its history since it was completed in 1968.

It took three years to construct at a cost of 500,000 and was regarded as a striking architectural concept which had not been attempted previously in the country. At the time it was the country's tallest building at 64.3 metres, a record held until 2008.

On Monday, more than 500 people, of which many were retired staff , took a trip down memory lane when watching a specially commissioned video about moving into the building.

Mayor Declan Hurley said at the opening of the celebrations that Cork County Hall was built to serve the people of Cork ... "but this is also a building that has become a cherished part of the environment of Cork".

Chief Executive of Cork County Council Tim Lucey spoke of the changes which had taken place in the five decades of Cork County Hall but how the principle of public service has remained the same.

"Cork County Hall was built to provide a single destination for service provision. We continue to provide services in the way that suits the people we are here to serve. We are now online and able to transact with the people of Cork 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said.

Throughout the years the original distinctive concrete facade became severely eroded. An expansion scheme saw it replaced with an extra storey, extending Cork County Hall's height to 67 metres with a glazed pavilion offering panoramic views across Cork.

The exhibition, in the foyer, tells the story of the building designed by then-county architect Patrick McSweeney. Mr Hurley and council chief executive Tim Lucey also unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion.
It was a situation that no young person should ever have to encounter and one that has shocked parents in Mallow and across the country.

The discovery of an offensive list on a toilet door at Mallow's Davis College last week attracted huge national media attention and even Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has commented on the issue. After being informed about the list, the school followed up by offering support to all students to help them cope with the issue and the unwanted attention that it has generated locally, nationally and internationally.

Davis College principal Stephen Gilbert said the schools Social, Personal and Health Education teachers would be hosting discussions with each class on the subject and has encouraged all students to come to staff with any any concerns they may have "so we can support them in any way possible."

"The safety and well-being of all our students is our top priority. We are taking this issue extremely seriously, and immediately took steps to address it with both the affected students and student body at large," said Mr Gilbert.

"This work is continuing," he added. He confirmed that, while Gardai had been made aware of the issue, they were not carrying out an investigation because no formal complaint has been made.

"A formal complaint has not been made to the Gardai as this issue is being handled internally at present," said Mr Gilbert.

It is understood the school's internal investigation is focused on identifying who compiled the controversial list. This may take some time to complete as there are more than 800-students at the school. It is, as yet, unclear what action could be taken against those responsible if and when they are identified.

Last Thursday school management said the controversial list discovered in the boys' toilets, was the first incident of this nature at the school.

However, this was contradicted the following day by a schoolgirl who said in a radio interview that there had been two earlier lists of a similar nature.

In the wake of the girl's anonymous claim, the school issued a statement saying that "school management has now been made aware there were two other lists, and a thorough investigation is underway to investigate who may have been the author(s) of the list".

As the issue at Davis College was aired on national media late last week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the matter as "very worrying", making particular reference to the prevalence of easily accessible pornography in the social media age.

The Taoiseach said that he had every faith that management and staff at Davis College would treat the matter with the urgency it merited and take whatever action was deemed necessary.

"It does further emphasise the need to modernise and improve relationship and sex education in our schools. Minister [for Education] Bruton announced that we were going to this anyway," said Mr Varadkar.

"But, I think this really does emphasise that even more, especially in the age of social media and prevalence of pornography," he added.

Devastated pupils appeal for privacy amid controversy

The students who were named on the controversial list have said they were disappointed at the manner in which the issue was made public and have appealed for privacy.

"We would like to stress our disappointment in the media coverage in bringing this incident into the public domain, without considering the impact this publicity would have on us as individuals," they said in a joint statement released to media outlets.

The students said that after reporting the matter to school management they were happy with the discreet manner in which it was dealt with and that their privacy and dignity were kept intact.

"We greatly appreciate all the work and the support that the school has given us," they said.

"We were angered that people with no connection to the incident took it upon themselves to contact the media and speak about our situation. This has left us vulnerable and open to public opinion. We are devastated. We appeal for privacy."

A parent of one of the students directly involved also expressed anger at the manner in which the incident was made public.

"The minute the school was made aware of this incident they acted quickly to have this list removed and sat down with each of the students directly affected, including my daughter."

The concerned parent said that following a conversation with teachers, her daughter was ready to move on and put what she described as "this unpleasant incident" behind her.

"However, when we were made aware that a parent, not directly involved, was going to go on air to discuss this issue it was something that my daughter and I were categorically against."

Concerned that this would "open up old wounds" and put her daughter in the spotlight, they requested that the radio station not run a piece.

The parent said that their daughter and family do not want her personal life talked about across the various media platforms.

"This was something which was upsetting enough for my daughter at the time, and who is now distraught after hearing about it being talked about across the airwaves. While her name may not be mentioned, as you know in small communities, this type of information cannot be kept secret for long," said the parent.

They concluded by requesting that the privacy of her daughter, a minor, be respected and no more publicity be be given to an issue which was being handled effectively by the school.

Comment

Following the intensive media coverage of the controversial issue that arose in Davis College, Mallow, last week, school management have asked The Corkman not to report on the matter.

The school said that pupils undergoing exams are finding it difficult to focus on their studies amid the enormous media attention.

It is difficult for a newspaper to avoid covering the news, indeed it is our duty particularly when an issue of very considerable public concern is involved. However, we accept that the interests of pupils must also be taken into account and for that reason our coverage of the issue avoids the sometimes salacious details that have appeared in the media over the past week.

This is not a decision we have taken lightly. But the welfare of children must come first.

In a statement from Davis College, principal Stephen Gilbert said the safety and well-being of all their students was their top priority.

"We are taking this issue extremely seriously and immediately took steps to address it with both the affected students and the student body at large. The list was removed the minute we were notified of its existence and we spoke to each of the young ladies mentioned to answer any questions or concerns they had," read the statement.

"We encouraged them - as we encourage all our students - to come to us with any issues that may be of concern so that we can support them in any way possible."

Mr Gilbert said staff at the school would be engaging with pupils about the issue.

"There has been a spotlight nationally on this topic in recent weeks. In keeping with our ethos of caring for all our students and in light of public and media conversation, we wish to make sure this issue is addressed among all our our students," he said.

Mr Gilbert went on to say that the schools Social, Personal & Heath Education (S.P.H.E.) teachers would be facilitating discussions on the subject with every class in the school.

"We want students and parents to know that we will continue to provide a safe learning environment for our students. We remain available to all parents and students who may have concerns in relation to this issue."
A Cork pensioner who persistently raped his step-daughter from the age of 11 to 16, impregnating her twice, has moved to appeal against the severity of his 12-year jail term.

The 70-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 18 counts of raping and sexually abusing the woman on dates between 1974 to 1979 at their Cork home.

The complainant, now a 53-year-old woman, made a statement to gardai in 2013 informing them that the man moved into their home, after her father passed away, eventually marrying her mother.

She said her stepfather would take her out of her bedroom and onto the landing to have sexual intercourse with her three or four times a week.

She said she dreaded Sunday evenings when her mother went to bingo because her stepfather sexually abused her for the evening and on other occasions he raped her while her mother was downstairs.

She said the defendant never worked and was an alcoholic who drank all the money her mother brought into the house.

The Court of Appeal heard that the woman became pregnant aged 15. She lost one child and another was put up for adoption.

Sentencing the man to 14 years imprisonment with the final two suspended, Mr Justice Tony Hunt placed the offending on the highest end of the spectrum. Mr Justice Hunt chose 18 years as the headline sentence, but reduced this to 14 on account of the man's admissions, guilty plea and remorse. The final two years were suspended due to the man's age and medical issues.

Mr Justice Hunt had said rehabilitation was not a relevant concept in this case.

The man had already been serving a four year sentence, handed down in February 2015, for indecent assaulting the woman's siblings.

Moving to appeal the severity of his sentence today, the man's barrister Orla Crowe SC, submitted that the starting point of 18 years was too high.

Ms Crowe said she was relying heavily on a case known as 'RK', in which a sentence of 18 years with the final five suspended was reduced by the Court of Appeal to 12 with the final two suspended following an appeal.

Mr Justice Hunt had specifically referred to that case in his sentencing remarks stating that the present offending was "a notch above the 'RK' case".

Ms Crowe said her client's case was "on a par" with 'RK' rather than being a notch above. She asked the court to consider imposing a sentence on her client along the lines of 'RK'.

She said this case involved historical allegations which were more difficult to prosecute and her client's guilty plea was more valuable as a result of that.

She said one of the births occurred outside the realms of the indictment.

Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Imelda Kelly BL, said there was no evidence to suggest the man's sentence was out of kilter with other sentences because no comparator cases had been provided to the court, other than 'RK'.

Ms Kelly said the offending in 'RK' spanned a three-and-a-half year period while the offending in this case spanned five to six years.

Ms Kelly listed a number of aggravating factors present in this case, which weren't present in 'RK'. She said a fifteen-year-old had not been made pregnant in RK. There was an atmosphere in the household of complete fear, beatings and threats of violence. These allowed the offending to continue and were "mechanisms of control". There was no evidence of any of that in 'RK'.

Ms Kelly said the cases were clearly comparable and that there was no error in the sentencing judge's placement of this case "a slight notch above" having regard to the aggravating factors.

With regard to rehabilitation, Ms Kelly said there was no demonstrable evidence or proposals for rehabilitation put before the court and the fact the man was no longer drinking was an "involuntary consequence of his incarceration".

Reserving judgment, Mr Justice George Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice Alan Mahon and Mr Justice John Edwards, said the court would deliver its decision on April 27 next.
"Action must be taken to protect Fermoy Weir and it must be taken now."

That's the rallying cry from the Save Fermoy Weir action group, which has urged locals to turn out for a protest on Fermoy Bridge at 9am next Saturday aimed at once again raising awareness of the poor condition of the protected structure.

For many years the deteriorating condition of the landmark weir has exorcised the local community, with repeated calls for a major plan of works to be undertaken to protect it from the ravages of time and the River Blackwater.

Speaking to The Corkman Save Fermoy Weir spokesman Donal OKeeffe, who has been campaigning for more than a decade to protect the weir, said there was a growing sense of frustration within the local community that the issue had still not been resolved.

He said that while Cork County Council is responsible for the upkeep of the weir following the abolition of the former Fermoy Town Council, its condition had deteriorated alarmingly, particularly over the past two years.

"These was talk at one stage of simply demolishing the weir altogether, but what many people do not realise is that it is a protected and listed structure so it can not be removed," said Mr O'Keeffe.

"Therefore, the only option is to protect the weir and restore it to an acceptable condition. Unfortunately, securing the funding for a project on this scale has proven to be a major stumbling block and one that will get worse unless action is taken in the short term. If the weir is to be saved, this simply can not be put on the long finger any longer," he added.

Mr O'Keeffe said the weir had made an inestimable contribution to Fermoy over two centuries, most notably to its reputation as a salmon-fishing hub, pointing out that there is not enough water in its fish-pass during the Salmon migration season as a result of erosion caused to a breach in the weir over the past two years.

He described the publication of a temporary bye-law for public consultation by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) banning salmon fishing in the vicinity of the weir where salmon are becoming trapped at low water following a submission by a number of local clubs as a "step in the right direction."

Locals have been urged to email fermoybyelaw@fisheriesireland.ie to support the formal adoption of the bye-law. People have also been urged to sign a petition on the Save the Weir Facebook page calling for the remedial works to the weir and that a new salmon pass be built "immediately".

"We demand Minister for State Sean Kyne for the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment to act immediately by commencing all the necessary works to reinstate or repair the breach on the weir and build a new fish pass to protect these very vulnerable fish at this stage in their migration," reads the petition.

It said that the "valuable amenity" needed to be protected and that the potential loss of economic revenue for all river users, including all local sporting bodies and community groups, was "a very serious concern".

"We believe you, The Minister, can take immediate action under Section 115 and 116 of the 1958 Fisheries Consolidation Act," it concluded.

Mr O'Keeffe said it was vitally important that the local community give their support to the campaign to save the weir.

"I would urge people to support the protest on Saturday and to support our online campaign on Twitter and Facebook," he said.

"We are fed up with waiting, seeing our Salmon struggle and this beautiful amenity being gradually destroyed before our very eyes. The bottom line here is that action must be taken to save Fermoy Weir and it must be taken now."
Cork woman Vera Twomey, who rose to prominence during a two and a half year national campaign to secure medicinal cannabis to treat her young daughter's rare form of epilepsy, urged the Government to "take urgent action" and legislate on a licence to access medicinal cannabis in Ireland.

Her emotional speech was met with a standing ovation at the People of the Year awards, at which she received a top accolade.

Vera, who hails from Aghabullogue, pursued a determined campaign that encompassed protest walks, demonstrations, political confrontation and more than six months in the Netherlands accessing the treatment. Her determined lobbying efforts finally bore fruit for her eight year old daughter Ava's special licence to allow her to access medicinal cannabis. In accepting her award, she said: "We were let down by the government but we were never let down by the Irish people."

She called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was at the event to present an award, to move through legislation that would legalise medicinal cannabis for more people in Ireland.

"We want it now and you are the man to do it, and we want you to do it immediately."

She said that her daughter, Ava, now has the freedom to "live, to grow and to be happy with a brighter future."

She said: "Everyone deserves that right now, and into the future - not just seven people who have been granted licences in Ireland to date, but the thousands of other people who are watching here tonight, hoping and praying that legislation will be brought through to ease their suffering and their pain. We need legislation to access treatment properly. We do not want pain, we want our rights. We do not want the pressure, we need our medication."

Her speech left many in the audience crying and was met with a standing ovation. Ava, suffers from Dravet Syndrome, which causes severe, dangerous and frequent seizures - sometimes up to 500 a month. While she had taken pharmaceutical medication for all of her life, it had limited impact.

Eventually, Ava's parents - Vera and Paul after much research came to the conclusion that medicinal cannabis was the only remaining alternative for her.

Vera also said that it is very hard to watch other families suffering in similar circumstances to theirs.

"I know there are hundreds of people suffering in Ireland who could potentially benefit from medicinal cannabis. The Government now needs to legislate and put a framework in place on this important issue to ensure that other families do not have to go through the same ordeal," said Vera.

She said: "The Government needs to consider and listen to the wealth of knowledge from professionals both in Ireland and across the world on this issue. Ava has received the benefit of medicinal cannabis prescribed and overseen by consultants, which has improved her health dramatically. It is now time that people throughout Ireland also have the same option in a therapeutic and professional environment."

Ava made the plea after being honoured with a People of the Year awards organised by Rehab. The award to Vera in recognition to her motivating campaign, bravery and determined spirit was presented by Rob and Marian Heffernan.
A staggering sum of 23,800 was presented to Drogheda Homeless Aid this week, proceeds from the Lenten Lunches hosted at the St. Peter's Church of Ireland Hall.

Clive Bagnall, Honorary Treasurer of St Peter's (Church of Ireland) Lenten Lunches said, 'As ever we are deeply indebted to our sponsors, both food and cash, who have given so generously, but this year I want to pay a special tribute to the pool of 40 plus cross-community volunteers who made themselves available to the Lenten Lunches each Wednesday during Lent in aid of Drogheda Homeless Aid.

'Likewise, without the support of a wide section of the community who attended and enjoyed these lunches, we would not be able to present a cheque for 23,800 to Drogheda Homeless Aid. This figure is made up of 21,000 form the series of Lenten Lunches plus 2,800 from Marks & Spencers who appointed us as their charity of the year, giving a total of 23,800'.

Pamela Bagnall, organiser of St. Peter's Lenten Lunches added, 'Drogheda Homeless Aid do outstanding work within our community, providing succour and support not only to the homeless but also preventative support to those in danger of becoming homeless'.
Duleek Parish Choir presents 'All In The April Evening' in St Cianan's Church, Duleek this Friday 20th April at 7.30pm.

'All In The April Evening' is a musical journey and takes its name from the poem written by Dublin-born poet Katharine Tynan Hinkinson.

The poem is about the death of Christ on Good Friday, and it became more popular when it was set to music by Sir Hugh Roberton.

Admission is 10 for adults, 5 for children and 25 for families. All proceeds are in aid of vital church repairs.

Tickets can be bought at Duleek Parish Office, Duleek School, Xtra Clean drycleaners in Duleek and members of the choir.

AGM of Julianstown community association

THE Annual General Meeting of the Julianstown and District Community Association takes place on Tuesday 24th April 2018.

The meeting will be held in the Parish Rooms of the Church of Ireland, Julianstown at 8.00pm. All welcome.

Slan's beauty night

St. Finian's N.S. Dillonstown, Dunleer parents association are hosting a Beauty Night on Friday 20th April at 7.30pm in Slans Pub, Annagassan new back room. Hosted by professional Makeup artist Noelle Kirwan and Skincare Specialist Christina Hanratty. The night will consist of two makeovers (one teenager and one mature lady) and skincare talk and demo. Raffle on the night will include 2 makeup vouchers, hair and beauty hamper and much more. Admission 10. Finger food provided. All welcome.

Arthritis exercise classes

Arthritis Ireland Louth Branch Seated Exercise class every Monday at 7.00pm in Ballsgrove Community Centre - Cost 5

Aqua Aerobic classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 8pm and Fridays at 10:45am - Cost 5 Classes also available on Monday and Wednesday at 10:45am - Cost 7.50 . All the Aqua Aerobic classes are held in Integral Gym in Greenhills.

Walking Group meets at 11am every Saturday in Oldbridge House. Suits all levels.

For more information please call Eric 086 8311882 or Marie 087 6336580.
A 'raving alcoholic' who had a blackout after he arrived home intoxicated from a family funeral abroad assaulted a doctor in the emergency department of a hospital and obstructed a nurse and security guard when he woke up, a court has heard.

Martin Lesley (50), who was described by a judge as an "absolute brat" was given a five month suspended sentence for the offences which happened at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

He was warned by Judge John Coughlan at Drogheda District Court that if he even spits on the footpath within the next five months - he will serve the suspended sentence.

He was also ordered to hand over 500 for charity as part of his sentence.

The defendant, of Loughboy, Mell in Drogheda pleaded guilty to one count of assault and two counts of obstruction at A&E at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda on May 25 last year.

He has 21 previous convictions including two for assault and several for public order offences, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Dermot Monahan explained the defendant was drunk on the day as he had just returned from a family funeral in Germany.

"He had a blackout and woke up in the A&E department at the hospital. He had an issue with the doctor, a nurse and security guard," said Mr Monahan.

Mr Monahan said the defendant is a "raving alcoholic" who is attending meetings and making efforts to deal with his alcohol problem.

"I have given him a mantra to say to friends who invite him for drinks to tell them "I am a raving alcoholic," Mr Monahan told Judge Coughlan.

Imposing the five month suspended sentence, Judge Coughlan said: "I am going to solve his problems. This man is a brat."
A Termonfeckin GAA club is offering people all over the world to make their new home a local one!

St Fechin's are giving away a house as part of their fundraising campaign for a new community centre for the area.

Tickets, priced at 100, have gone on sale, but the launch will be taking place this Friday at Beaulieu.

It is envisaged that the sales will go worldwide as people aim to move into a fine 4 bedroomed new home in Castle Park, valued at up to 290,000.

There will be other prizes on offer, including a cruise.

The club have even launched a new website for the event - https://winafeckinhouse.com. where people can buy tickets.

People who buy a ticket before August 1 will be entered into a bonus draw to win five additional tickets.

The big draw will take place on Sunday 30th December 2018 in the Westcourt Hotel.

Tickets available in person at the following locations: Wogans Build Centre, North Road, Drogheda, Briscoes Electrix Ltd, Donore Road, Drogheda, Westcourt Hotel, West Street, Drogheda. The Design Gallery, St Laurences Gate, Drogheda, The Forge Field Shop & Coffee Shop, Termonfeckin, Termonfeckin Post Office, Dublin Meat Company, Dublin Road Drogheda.

You can also contact any member of the committee in order to buy from them.

'It has created a bit of a buzz,' stated Aidan Greene from the club. 'It's going to make a huge change to someone's life.'

The whole idea for a community centre was born about eight years ago but put on hold due to the recession.

There are a limited 8,000 tickets for the draw.

'35 years ago I organised a 100 draw to get a new gym for Greenhills school and I don't think it would have been there now had we not done that. Funds from this can make a huge difference to the fundraising,' he explained.
Twenty years on from the Good Friday there has been much discussion of the landmark agreement and its legacy in the last week.

The papers and television have been full of the men and women behind the agreement with swathes of coverage devoted to figures like Tony Blair, Bertie Ahern and Bill Clinton.

Whatever your opinion of Ahern, Blair and Clinton - given their tarnished legacies - the trio's role in the eventual success of the northern Irish peace process has to be acknowledged.

It is, as such, entirely understandable that they have featured prominently the 20th anniversary coverage of the historic agreement.

However, the focus on the a handful of key players has led to the unfortunate situation where others who played a vital role in securing peace have been largely ignored or even forgotten.

There are many but two of the most egregious omissions from the bulk of the anniversary coverage have been John Hume and the late Mo Mowlam.

Hume - who was a driving force behind the peace process from its earliest days - and Mowlan - who was instrumental in securing the final deal - were vital to the process and its arguable that the agreement may never have happened without them.

In the early 1980s Mr Hume - who was awarded a joint Nobel Prize with former UUP leader David Trimble for his part in the agreement - helped engineer secret talks between the British Government and Sinn Fein.

These talks greatly helped in preparing the ground for the to the Anglo Irish Agreement.

When that deal failed, in the face of Unionist opposition, Hume continued his efforts and the so called "Hume Adams Process" eventually resulted in the 1994 IRA ceasefire that provided the backdrop to the Good Friday Agreement.

While Hume brought the Republicans to the table it was Mowlam - renowned for her charisma and her plain speaking approach to politics and deal making - who helped persuade the more extreme wings of Unionism to embrace the peace process.

In one audacious gamble - aimed at keeping the faltering process from derailing entirely - Mowlam famously paid a unprecedented and dangerous visit to meet senior Loyalist terrorists - including the notorious Johnny Adair and Michael Stone - in the Maze.

One tale goes that as she worked to get Adair back onside Mowlam - who was battling cancer at the time - whipped off her wig to compare her bald head with Adair's and then sat on the jail floor smoking rollies with the UDA leader.

Sadly John Hume, now 81, is fighting dementia while Mowlam lost her life to cancer, aged only 55, in 2005.

Given that neither are available to discuss their part in the process one can perhaps understand how some journalists and commentators might have forgotten their importance in the face of Blair, Ahern and Clinton's many contributions.

It is an understandable but dreadful omission and one that deserves to be corrected.
Evidence of early Christian settlement in Swords is still visible for all to see in the heritage rich capital of Fingal but will be made even clearer with a very special exhibition at St Cronan's Pastoral Centre, this month.

An exhibition entitled, 'Early Christian Swords' will be held in St Cronan's Pastoral Centre, Brackenstown Road, Swords from Saturday, April 14 to Saturday, April 27.

The Swords area is steeped in history and it was an important centre for Christianity in the early days of the Irish Church.

Swords is probably best known historically as the temporary resting place of Brian Boru following his death at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. His body lay overnight in the church at Swords and later processed to Armagh where the High King was buried.

The exhibition will feature displays on St Colmcille's Monastery, Glasmore Abbey and The Nunnery, and the local Holy Wells of St Colmcille, St Cronan and St Werburgh.

The exhibition will also feature information on recent important archaeological findings in the Swords area.

These important developments include the discovery in 2003 of a previously unknown cemetery at Mount Gamble.

This previously unknown cemetery was in use from the arrival of Christianity in circa AD 550 until 1150.

There will also be displays on the recently rediscovered ecclesiastical complex in the Mooretown/Oldtown area, on either side of the Rathbeale Road.

Since 2010, Fingal County council has a Conservation and Management Plan in place for this area.

The plans include the establishment of four archaeological parks to preserve the historical sites.

The exhibition has been organised by an interested group from St Cronan's Parish, Brackenstown and the event co-ordinator, Paddy O'Byrne said the group thanked Courtney Deery Heritage Consultancy, who carried out the design and editorial for the exhibition. Having reviewed the project Fingal County Council and Creative Ireland awarded the maximum grant of 1,500.

The group is also thankful to Gannon Homes for their kind donation of 2,000 towards the cost of the exhibition.
Pupils at Bracken National School in Balbriggan wowed the audience with the performance of their show to mark the 10th anniversary of the school recently.

'Daltai Nua' told the fictional story of Darius, from the US, and Camila, who moved with her family to Balbriggan from Afghanistan, who were starting out at Bracken NS.

The show was written by John McCutcheon, who is a teacher at the school, and featured 20 children across all classes, as well as the school choir. Bracken NS is an Educate Together school that started as one room in the Bracken Court Hotel, before moving on to Sunshine House and, finally, to its current location at Castlelands.

The characters of Darius and Camilla were created to reflect the fact that 80% of pupils at Bracken NS are non-Irish. Both children become a part of the community and Darius even plays with O'Dwyer's, the local GAA club. Bracken NS first opened in September 2007 to deal with the lack of places for children at schools in the area at the time.

The first performance of 'Daltai Nua' was viewed by pupils during school hours and the second was for parents and the rest of the community that evening.

The teachers who organised the show were assisted by parents, who also helped out at the function after the evening show.

Principal Marian Griffin made a presentation to school secretary Jillian Arcaya during the evening function as she was the first ever employee of the school.
For the first time, Swords south has specifically been marked out by the Department of Education as an area in need of additional educational facilities and a new primary school will be established there by 2019, finally relieving a school place crisis at Holy Family NS.

Previously the whole of Swords has been treated as a single entity by the Department which has led to a school place crisis in the south of the town, around the River Valley, Ridgewood and Boroimhe areas.

That has left Holy Family NS in River Valley greatly oversubscribed but it seems relief for the area is finally on the way after the latest list of new schools to be established over the next four years includes a primary school, specifically for Swords south, to be opened by September 2019.

Cllr Duncan Smith (Lab) believes that school will be in the Fosterstown area which includes Ridgewood and Boroimhe, two of Swords largest estates.

Cllr Smith said: 'The announcement from the Department of Education that two new eight classroom primary schools for Swords should be welcomed, in particular, the announcement that a school will be built in Swords south.

'The greatest pressure on school places in Swords is in the River Valley area with Holy Family NS under great pressure every year. this is the first time the Department has identified Swords south as distinct from just Swords for a new school.

'Now the department needs to fast track this new school. I received the below response from Fingal County Council this week which indicates that the council are working to identify a site in South swords for a school site. This is an urgent priority.;

Recently, Cllr Smith asked the council where it stood in pursuing a site within the Fosterstown Local Area Plan land for a school.

The council said it was liaising with the Department of Education 'in relation to the identification of a suitable site to facilitate a new permanent primary school in the south Swords area'.

However, the local authority said: 'Due to commercial sensitivities relating to site acquisitions generally Fingal County Council is not in a position to provide further details at this time.'

Local Fianna Fail TD, Darragh O'Brien has said that the commitment to construct a number of schools in Fingal should be cautiously welcomed considered they have been previously announced and little movement made on their development.

Deputy O'Brien said Minister Bruton was setting out plans to build 42 new schools, despite not having delivered on previous school building commitments to date.

The Deputy said, 'I've been raising the urgent need for extra school places in Dublin Fingal in Dail Eireann for far too long now. I am glad that Fianna Fail's extensive lobbying for these schools builds had resulted in some progress on the need to extend school places in our area.'

He added: 'I am of course pleased to see any proposal to develop two schools for Swords, one in Donabate as well as a new secondary schools Swords and another in Malahide/Portmarnock. I am however, concerned that this is simply another announcement.'

Deputy O'Brien concluded; 'These new school building projects are critically needed but the real test of today's Government announcement will be the delivery,'
Excavations have taken place at the site of Fagan's Castle at Feltrim Hill - sparking renewed interest in the history of the location that is linked to Princess Charlene of Monaco.

The Fagan family were her ancestors and it is believed that an open invitation has been sent to her to visit the location the next time she's in Ireland. Her grandmother was a member of the famed family.

The site is not the subject of any proposed development and the testing of the site was requested by Roadstone Ltd. who own the site, in order to record, uncover, plan and date the remaining parts of the structure pre-dating Feltrim House (uncovered during a 2016 assessment phase).

Roadstone have said they'll maintain the ancient site and have even remarked "if a princess wants to see her ancestral home, we will clean up the entrance!'

Fagan's Castle has an extraordinary history. In the reign of Elizabeth I, it was the prison of the Earl of Desmond. It was also reputedly where James II spent a night when fleeing the Battle of the Boyne.

14th century pottery was found on the site during the works. In the future, it is hoped that more investigation can take place on the site to fully trace its outline.

The site investigation has also sparked great interest amongst the Fagan clan worldwide. The town of Te Kuiti in New Zealand is recognised as the sheep shearing capital of the world and has distinct Fagan links. A statue in the town honous David Fagan. There are other descendants in the USA.

The likes of the Kettles Heritage Society (KHS) and local man Eamon Madden of Feltrim Hill Residents have all battled to highlight the Fagan link to Feltrim.

Initial investigations some years ago found Feltrim House, a later structure, on the site.

The castle was destroyed in the years after the Battle of the Boyne as the Fagans has supported the Jacobites during the wars of the period. Feltrim House was built almost on the same site in the 1700s.

The Fagans influenced the building of Trinity College and planned the constuction of the Phoenix Park. They also built St James Terrace and the Grand Hotel in Malahide. Christopher Fagan was Lord Mayor of Dublin at one stage.

Down the years, members of the Fagan clan have requested to visit the site of their ancestors.

The Feltrim Hill area is also famed for being the birthplace of General Richard Montgomery, the first general killed in the American War of Independence as he led the battle of Quebec and was the homestead of Andrew and Thomas Kettle.
Fingal County Council's success in securing a 70 million loan facility from the European Investment Bank will be a 'game-changer' for the region over the next five years, according to the Chief Executive of Fingal Dublin Chamber.

Fingal Dublin Chamber, chief executive, Anthony Cooney recently sat down with the Fingal Independent to look at the economic future for the region and he says that more than any one measure in the short-term, the county's next five years will be shaped by that investment.

Mr Cooney told the Fingal Independent: 'I think that is a game changer for us, as a region. In fairness, we have a very progressive council and they have secured 70 million from the European Investment Bank and what that will do, is unlock 180 million worth of investment over a five year period on certain projects.'

Mr Cooney believes the investment will be particularly useful in driving tourism related projects forward and is particularly excited that the money be used to advance the Fingal Coastal Way, which is a project that will eventually provided a walkway and cycleway along much of the Fingal coastline.

The Chamber chief executive explained: 'It's predominantly about investing in economic development and tourism and some of the fruits of that will be seen in the short term. They are building a cycleway from Baldoyle to Portmarnock which is going ahead, this year. 'And then we are going from Malahide to Donabate over the estuary - that is being mooted again and is going ahead.

'That will be a huge boost, because if you go to Mayo or Waterford and see what they have there. The Greenway in Waterford is an absolutely fantastic project. It was a low-ticket item when it came to costs but the benefits are huge. I'm from Waterford and I see the benefits of it and I've been on it.

'It's fantastic - it's 46km from Waterford City to Dungarvan along a railway line, off the traffic and 7km goes along the river and it's absolutely fantastic. And when you think about what we are proposing here, we are going to have a cycleway along 88km of coastline. I cycle along the Skerries to Rush route as it is, albeit along the public road but it is already stunning so I think it will be a huge boost and things like that we need to get moving on.'

The Chamber chief executive is also behind using the funding to improve facilities at the county's many beautiful heritage properties.

He said: 'I think we have some great heritage properties like Malahide Castle and Ardgillan Castle and Newbridge House, as well as Shackleton Mills. I think the council are racheting up their efforts on those properties to really make them fit for purpose.'

He said in those properties, the county 'has a lot going for us' and the European investment funds will be able to advance projects at these properties quickly which might have been put on the long finger, if the loan facility was not put in place by the EIB and the council.
Guests at the launch of Lambay Whiskey onto the Irish market

A whiskey that was born on the Fingal island of Lambay has launched itself onto the Irish market and is choosing a very different route to market.

The Lambay Irish Whiskey Company launched itself onto the market in Howth recently and it's brand manager talked about the company's innovative approach.

Sabine Sheehan, brand manager for the whiskey company, explained: 'Our approach in the Irish market will be simple but challenging, geo-targeting consumers in key locations both in the on-trade and off-trade and driving brand awareness over the next three years.

'We are a small craft independent Irish Whiskey with a unique taste and are focused on sharing our Lambay Whiskey with the community of whiskey lovers around Ireland."

A maritime theme kicked off the evening with a short boat excursion towards Lambay Island courtesy of Dublin Bay Cruises followed by fine food, whiskey cocktails and live music afterwards in Howth Yacht Club.

Johnnie Cooke from The Restaurant, Brown Thomas, served delectable Lambay Whiskey infused dishes including fresh lamb from Lambay Island and sumptuous Lambay whiskey truffles. Guests enjoyed delicious Lambay Whiskey cocktails such as the recently recommended cocktail of the month from Chilled Magazine 'The Selkie'.

Music was provided by talented Skerries duo, The Finns, where they gifted each guest and performed their exclusive track, 'Lambay'.

Lambay Whiskey is also available for purchase and enjoyment in key locations within Dublin city centre including L Mulligan Grocers, Celtic Whiskey Shop, key premium off- licences and whiskey bars in Dublin , including Peters Pub, the Ragtrader, Sheehans, The Bank, and The Temple Bar. Locations such as Athlone, Kerry, Cork, Galway and Limerick will open over the coming months.

Lambay Irish Whiskey is a portfolio of Irish Whiskeys that bring a unique cognac cask finish to the Irish whiskey category. Created through a collaboration of leading family owned Cognac producer- Camus and the Baring Revelstoke Trust, the whiskeys are inspired by and named after the island of Lambay, Ireland, a private wildlife sanctuary owned by the Baring Family since 1904.
A Fingal farming family has picked up one of only eight awards at this year's Irish food Writers' Guild (IFWG) Food Awards.

The IFWG Food Awards celebrate food producers and organisations who create, make and share great Irish produce and products while helping to maintain Ireland's outstanding international reputation in food and drink.

2018 IFWG Food Award winner Jenny McNally of the McNally Family Farm, near Naul, has been selling her organic farm produce at Dublin markets, including Temple Bar's Saturday food market for more than 20 years.

Jenny has become a local food hero for many Dublin-based food lovers, thanks to the consistent quality and freshness and surprising diversity of the vegetables and leaves that are all grown at her north County Dublin farm.

The McNally Family Farm is very much a family affair. Jenny's husband, Pat and three of their five adult children are also employed full-time in growing and selling their farm produce, which is always picked the day before each market, ensuring the longest possible shelf life and highest possible nutrient density.

From heritage tomatoes to tomatillos, flowering sprouts and cucamelons to pineapple mint, the diversity of that produce is thanks to the encouragement of their dedicated market customers.

More recently, the McNallys have developed direct working relationships with some of the city's finest restaurants and cafes, such as Forest Avenue, The Fumbally and Assassination Custard, helping to forge a local food culture that showcases just what can be done with truly seasonal produce from small-scale sustainable growers.

The other award winners who were announced at a ceremony in Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud were Wildwood Balsamics range, Co. Mayo, Baltimore Bacon, Co. Cork, Connemara Smokehouse Smoked Mackerel, Co. Galway, Cockagee Pure Irish Keeved Cider, Co. Meath, Ferguson Family of Gubbeen Farmhouse, Co. Cork, Inagh Farmhouse Cheese (St Tola Irish Goat Cheese), Co. Clare and Community Food Award: Sligo Global Kitchen, Co. Sligo

The IFWG Food Awards are unique, as no one can enter themselves or their product into the awards and no company knows it has been nominated or shortlisted for an award. The Guild is the sole nominating and decision-making body.

McNally's is a family farm, who grow according to the Irish seasons. the family a large range of produce throughout the year, from potatoes, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach & cabbage to heritage tomatoes, cucumbers, sunflower shoots, catalogna greens, collard greens, cucamelons, gherkins, crown prince pumpkins & peppers. They have even tried their hand in growing aubergines, melons and hazlenuts.

The farm is organic and does not use chemicals on any of its produce, and haven't done so for the past 20 years. It sells directly to its customers, through Food Markets and Farm Shops, and all our produce is picked the day before each market, ensuring it's at its freshest.
A family with strong links to Rush are determined to move heaven and earth to raise funds for their teenage son to battle a rare form of cancer.

Nadia Vavro says her son Slavomir (Slav) needs life-saving treatment abroad and she has set herself the monumental task of raising 50,000 so he can get the best care available.

'We have to try everything possible to save our lovely boy,' says Nadia, who is originally from Slovakia and has previously lived in Rush before moving to Laytown.

'We have created a Go Fund Me page in hopes that we can focus on his care, and not the costs we are facing.'

13-year-old Slav, who is a pupil of Gormanston College, was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare skeletal muscle cancer, in late January.

'Slav developed sudden stomach and back pain just two weeks before the diagnosis. They even isolated him thinking it was TB but after an MRI and bone marrow biopsy, the cancer was found,' she told the Fingal Independent.

'I will never forget the doctor asking me if we could have a chat. I felt rooted to the spot and the only thing I could say was; 'this is too scary'.'

Slav was transferred to Our Lady's Hospital in Crumlin for further tests which showed that the primary location of the cancer was in the arch of his foot. However, it had spread to his spine and bone marrow.

Slav began chemo in Ireland on January 26 and it is scheduled for 27 weeks with additional maintenance treatment after. However, his consultant is giving the family a poor prognosis, as there is only one protocol for the disease in Ireland.

'As a mother you do not want to, and you cannot, tell your child that he has a cancer,' says the heartbroken woman, who has given up her job as a social worker to care for her son.

'Slav is always smiling, spreading a good energy around and he is grateful for every day. His classmates and fellow scouts keep him cheerful, but does not deserve this. There is no child on this earth who would deserve something like this.'

A GoFundMe page has now been started and many local groups are organising fundraising events to boost the funds, which are now standing at just over 10,000.

'We all pass fundraisers on the street every day but until it is our own child, we don't understand what it means. Everything else is meaningless,' adds Nadia.

'We want this fundraising to be as transparent as possible. All funds will go towards Slav's medical help and any remaining funds will go towards helping another child with cancer and their families.'

Slav's sister Michaela (23) and 15-year-old brother Vlad are also helping with fundraising efforts.

The family lived in Rush, for six years, and Rush Camera Club, where Slav's dad is a long-time member, is selling local prints in Tesco, Rush, on April 28 to help the campaign.

While waiting for advice on the best treatment to access abroad, the family is fundraising so they are ready to go, when called for.

'We are currently awaiting for the results of the genomic tests to come back, which might help us to identify the treatment abroad,' adds Nadia.

'Trials are available in New York or Texas, and we have been told a form of immunotherapy which is not in Ireland would be our only hope,' she added.

Slav is fighting the cancer bravely, but his mum says side affects of the chemo, like losing his hair, are hard on her teenage son.

She explained: 'As a mother, I would never be ready for all side effects and everything that we went and are going through. You are never ready for that.'

More information can be found on the facebook page Help for Slav (Rhabdomyosarcoma) or anyone wishing to donate can do so at https://www.gofundme.com/help-for-slav-rhabdomyosarcoma
A Gorey businessman has told Wexford Circuit Criminal Court that he received two telephone calls from a man threatening to kidnap and then kill his son, unless he handed over sums of cash totalling 7,000.

Lorcan Byrne of Lorcan Byrne Interiors, Bridge Corner, Gorey, was giving evidence in the trial of Ivan OConnor of Arklow Road, Gorey, who has pleaded not guilty to three separate charges.

OConnor pleaded not guilty before Judge Cormac Quinn to making two unwarranted demands with menace for sums totalling 2,500 and 4,500 respectively.

OConnor has also pleaded not guilty to causing criminal damage to Lorcan Byrne Interiours in February 2016 before a jury of seven men and five women.

Lorcan Byrne in evidence told the court that he received a telephone call on February 1 2016 from an unidentified male. Mr Byrne told Prosecuting Counsel Ms Sinead Gleeson the man on the phone demanded 2,500 in cash, and threatened to kidnap Mr Byrnes son if he did not pay the money.

Mr Byrne said the man on the phone did not identify himself, only saying that he was from a drugs gang. The man on the phone claimed that Mr Byrnes son was selling drugs and that he wanted money. After the call, Mr Byrne went to Gorey Garda Station to report the incident. Mr Byrne added that the telephone number used was recorded on his phone.

Two days later, said Mr Byrne, the window of his business premises was smashed, while he also received a second telephone call from an unidentified male.

Mr Byrne said a man with a Gorey accent demanded 4,500 and threatened to shoot his son if the money was not paid. This second phone call was also reported to gardai.

Mr. John Peart, SC instructed by Lana Doherty, Solicitor, appears for the defendant.

The trial continues today (Tuesday).
Anslem and Maryse Diaz with their son, Tristen Diaz and Blaise Cramer

Honorary consul for Sri Lankan to Ireland, Darina Allen, with Cathaoirlach Cllr Joe Sullivan and Garda Shannon Fahy

There was plenty of colour and culture at the Sinhalese New Year Celebrations in Gorey last week.

Members of the local Sri Lankan community marked the festival at Gorey Civic Centre with religious ceremonies, family activities, traditional foods, and colourful decorations.

They were welcomed to the civic offices by the Cathaoirleach of Gorey Municipal District Cllr Joe Sullivan and other fellow councillors.

The event began with a unique ceremony to mark the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year Celebration. A traditional fire dance was one of the many highlights and playing of traditional Sri Lankan Drums.

There was a traditional procession and ceremony during which children placed garlands around the dignitaries' necks. This was followed by a formal candle lighting ceremony, the raising of the Sri Lankan and Irish flags, and the playing of the national anthems.

The spectators were then treated to traditional dances from Sri Lankan dancers, as well as some Irish dancing.

Everyone enjoyed the festival, which included tasting of food at the Sri Lankan Food Experience event.

Since 2014, Wexford County Council has supported Gorey members of Ireland's vibrant Sri Lankan community to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, one of the important festivals in the Sinhalese calendar.

Celebrations are not over yet, as there will be a Meditation Event on Wednesday, April 18, at 6.30 p.m., in Gorey Civic Offices.
The transfer of the National 1798 Centre in Enniscorthy for sale to its new owner was approved after a lengthy debate.

News of the intended sale of the National 1798 Centre at Arnold's Cross was announced at the Enniscorthy Municipal District Council recently. Under the proposal the landmark building will be sold to Mr John Stafford of Slaney Farms, Tomnalosset, at a price of 325,000. Mr Stafford intends to use the building as a micro distillery which will produce artisan gin and vodka and which Wexford County Council hopes will continue to attract tourists. It will also create employment for four people initially.

At last week's Wexford County Council meeting Cllr Johnny Mythen referenced an article in the Enniscorthy Guardian in which the owner of the Castle nightclub - which forms part of plans for a tourist hub in the town centre where the 1798 Centre was to be located - said he would not be selling the property. Cllr Keith Doyle said he would prefer to see the 1798 Centre site being used. 'I have a great affinity to that site. I have watched the discussions about the site and we are also talking about another project in Enniscorthy so I would be voting for this because I don't want to stop another project which would be of benefit to the community and the whole ethos of tourism.'

Cllr Doyle said he would like to see a more concrete proposal about what the council plans for the tourism hub in the town centre. 'I know we are going to move the 1798 Centre over the next couple of years. On a temporary basis I would like to know where it's going to go. This is going to take place after it goes through planning so we do have to get our act together, even for a temporary site.'

Cllr Davy Hynes said: 'It's an iconic site, the only 1798 site in the county,' before being corrected by Cllr Pip Breen who pointed out that Boolavogue also has a national 1798 centre.

Cllr Mythen said it would be preferable to wait until the council had a permanent site for the centre to reopen.

Dirctor of Services for Economic Development Tony Larkin said: 'Postponing the sale until we have a permanent home isn't viable. This is a commercial development which is in planning permission. It will not be able to proceed (until the transfer is completed). A distillery and visitor centre is planned.'

Director of Services for the Arts John Carley said he could pull a finalised plan together for Enniscorthy in time for the May meeting of the local authority.

'I think a decision to postpone is a decision to kill the venture. The businessman involved is under pressure to get this over the line. He has had some delays already.'

Cllr Mythen said: 'I appreciate the dilemma this is causing but I think we should come up with a plan now. There is a huge display and it would require a massive building.'

Cllr Paddy Kavanagh said: 'I think this has gone on long enough. The person who has put this together as a business venture is being delayed. I don't think it is prudent to delay this any further. It will be a tourist attraction. In six months time we could be here again and we could have a building that is neglected. It's already mooted that the 1798 Centre will be accommodated in a tourism hub in the town centre. I think it needs to have a permanent home where we can enhance it and add to it to improve what is there. It's well-known that it is dated; school visitor numbers have dropped off over recent years. Rather than flog it to death we need to have a new approach.'

Cllr Doyle said consultants are being appointed, adding that he hopes they come back with 'something substantial' for Enniscorthy, adding that site closer to the town centre is perferable.

'We need to move this forward,' he said.

Cllr Kathleen Codd Nolan said Enniscorthy councillors agreed to ring fence the money raised from the centre's sale for the town, while Cllr Codd Nolan said a proper budget is needed once a suitable site is located.

CEO Tom Enright said discussions have been held with consultants and Failte Ireland about tourism in Enniscorthy and a funding submission is due to be made in December. He said a consultant will be appointed this month, adding that it will take between six and nine months for the consultancy work to be completed for a permanent solution to the 1798 centre. 'That will involve a new building. It will realistically take between two-and-a-half and three years between planning and funding. It's important to drive this on.'

Mr Enright said he was reluctant to find temporary accommodation for the centre, adding that there was no suitable building in the council's ownership in the town presently.

'I'm reluctant to open it on a temporary basis as I feel it would devalue it and make it unattractive and reduce its impact. We will put items into storage and reimagine the centre which offers a very good experience but it's for 20 years ago. It's a bit dated in terms of modern tourist expectations.'

Mr Enright said the council is advancing a number of projects for Enniscorthy town centre. 'We need people to come in off of the motorway into the town and any town that has a distillery and a tourist centre will attract visitors.'

He said the main tourism offering needs to be located in the town centre. 'If we want a commercial solution to this we need to move reasonably quickly. We are looking at our own properties in Enniscorthy. We open the district office, the old courthouse and the Athenaeum will need a permanent home. There's the Bank of Ireland building, Murphy Floods and the Dunnes property is for sale. There are a number of things happening on the property front. Our library is inadequate in terms of a modern library facilities so there are a number of challenges that we have.'

He said Enniscorthy councillor will be updated on the plans shortly.

When pressed on the need to have some of the 1798 Centre exhibits housed during this anniversary year, Mr Enright said some space could be found in Enniscorthy Castle.

Cllr Willie Fitzharris said: 'The 1798 Centre site hasn't worked. New Ross was very much involved in 1798 and contributed greatly to the building of it. Noone wants to see our 1798 history being lost. The site didn't work and we are just postponing the inevitable. There is no point in leaving an empty building there and being in danger of losing the sale.'

Cllr Kavanagh agreed, saying it would send out the wrong message to potential investors in the town.

Cllr Osiin O'Connell said: 'I appreciate it's of special experience to Enniscorthy but it's a national centre and there was a great amount of support from the diaspora and input from the state and county.'

Cllr Oliver Walsh said the bypass is opening next year. 'We need to do everything we can to ensure we encourage all projects in the town. I think we should have faith in both the CEO and the director that they will find a permanent home for the centre which is of huge importance to Enniscorthy.'

He said its new location in the town centre will bring more footfall.

Chairman Cllr John Hegarty said a month's delay won't impact the site's sale. Councillors voted by majority in favour of the transfer.
Members from Gorey Men's Shed worked together with Seal Rescue Ireland in Courtown to save the sanctuary as it was in need of urgent maintenance.

Operations Manager Melanie Croce said their floor had holes in it and it was quite dangerous for visitors.

'We bought the materials and they repaired the floor for us free-of-charge,' said Melanie. 'We could not be more delighted as the place is secure now for our customers.'

It took three-days to lay the new floor down in the education centre and gift shop, but members from Gorey Men's Shed are not quite done in the Seal Centre just yet.

'They have decided to help with the landscaping,' said Melanie. 'They are planning to plant some native flowers and have a eco-friendly landscape.'

Gorey Men's Shed member Donnacha Murphy said they are going to get more involved with the Seal Centre as they do terrific work.

The Men's Shed are always looking for new members to join. They meet every Tuesday from 11 a.m., until 2 p.m., Thursday from 4 p.m., until 9 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m., until 2 p.m. The non-profit organisation is based at Unit 7A, at the front of Gorey Business Park. For more information call Bob McCausland on 086 1027377
Another successful year was recalled at the North Wexford SPCA Annual General Meeting last week.

There was a large attendance in the Loch Garman Arms Hotel for the meeting.

They were told that a record of over 700 animals were re-homed in 2017. Thanks were sent to all the volunteers who help out at the kennels and cattery, and those who foster. Thanks were also sent to Gorey Veterinary Hospital for providing space for the kennels and cattery.

Chairman Joe Murray said they raised a total of 170,000 in 2017, and have spent 158,000 so far on new kennels and animal welfare.

'A big chunk goes towards vaccinations, spay and neutering, and other examinations or operations needed for a rescued animal,' said Joe.

At the meeting, NWSPCA committee discussed introducing an Education Officer. Eimear McGrath was appointed the role and will visit schools, clubs and organisations to give a talk on what it means to own an animal.

More than 30 people received an award for volunteering and fundraising throughout the year. NWSPCA also presented Seal Rescue Ireland in Courtown with an award for the hard-work they do.

The election of officers took place, with no resignations or changes. The committee is looking forward to another successful year in 2018.

The officers are: Chairman - Joe Murray; Treasurer - Teresa Kirwan; Secretary - Niamh Henley; Fundraising and Shop Manager - Tracy Smith; Kennels Manager - Stephen Whyte; Cattery Manager - Geraldine Kavanagh; Volunteers Manager - Sinead O'Connor; Fostering Manager - Rosie McKenna; Animal Welfare Inspectors - Millie Nolan, Aileen Travers, Ann Redmond and Gareth Whelan; Guest Rehoming Manager - Jenny Zain.
Mary Doran, MC on the night, with Sr Mary Crosbie, who opened the exhibition

There was a hive of activity in Carnew Community Care as many gathered to welcome Sr Mary Crosbie to open their fourth annual Art Exhibition.

Up until last year, Sr Mary, a sister of the Daughters of Charity, was the Manager of Carnew Community Care.

The members of the Carnew Community Art Group and Carnew Knitting Group created some colourful pieces for the exhibition, which is being held as an early fringe event for the All Ireland Confined Drama Final.

Sr Mary thanked the two groups and congratulated them on the wonderful Art Exhibition. She also thanked current Manager of Carnew Community Care Sr Josephine for welcoming her back and complimented art teacher Sinead Ryan for the great work over the year.

The Art Group meet on Friday mornings in Carnew Community Care. Committee member from the Art Group Mary Doran thanked St Josephine for providing the wonderful venue and for their support to the group at all times.
One of the most significant translations into English yet of the work of revered Irish poet Sean O Riordain was launched to acclaim at Eigse Michael Hartnett on Friday - the work of Kerry's Gabriel Fitzmaurice.

The launch of Milking the Sun/Ag Cru na Greine might just also represent the most attractive O Riordain collection - with each of the 12 poems accompanied by one of Gabriel's wife Brenda's vibrant paintings.

Professor of English at Notre Dame University Declan Kiberd launched the translation, which he described as having an extra 'fifth dimension':

"I always liked Fitzmaurice's translations - but these ones have an extra 'fifth dimension' - as if both poets together are more than the sum of their parts."

The poets were brought together back in the day at St Michael's College in Listowel, Gabriel told The Kerryman.

"I came across O Riordain first in 1965 when I was in St Michael's College, he was on the Inter Cert curriculum and I just fell in love with the poems immediately.

"I felt a lot of affinity with him. I was an only child and could relate readily to the concept of 'uaigneas' in his work; not loneliness as such but a kind of contentedness in my own company. He was an invalid who had TB; my mother was an invalid too, so there was a lot in common and his poetry became a huge influence on me.

"So much so that one of the critics of my first collection in 1989 spotted O Riordain's influence immediately."

The Baile Bhuirne native - who spent his summers in West Kerry - represented a modernising voice in the literature of the native tongue to the extent of finding himself derided by certain purist figures of the era.

"He was heavily criticised for not using Gaelic metre, which he didn't as he was deeply influenced by English poets like Hopkins and Eliot.

"I just tried to follow his metre and it was simply a joy to translate what are 12 of my favourite poems of his."

Gabriel admits to one favourite above all: Suile Donna (Brown Eyes).

It's a poem that was sparked by an encounter on Grand Parade with a woman O Riordain is believed to have been in love with from afar; one which demonstrates all the greatness of O Riordain's craft. Gabriel's translation is a poem anew in and of itself, like all the vibrant verses in both languages in this collection.

"The poems grow with you. When you're young you see things as a young person; now I'm older I see things in them with older eyes of course and Suile Donna certainly moves me on a deeper level now that I have grandchildren myself."
Tralee women Edel Lawlor is over the moon after her child therapy centre in Kilflynn won a 'Social Entrepreneur Accreditation' at the annual All-Ireland Business Summit in Dublin.

Edel, who works as a child and adolescent psychotherapist specialising in play therapy at her 'Expressive Play Centre' in Kilflynn, has over 22 years' experience working with children and families from a variety of different backgrounds. She's looking forward to her Croke Park trip this Friday where she will be presented with a medal and certificate of accreditation at a star-studded gala event with some of Ireland's top business entrepreneurs in attendance.

The accolade also means Expressive Play will contest the overall 'All-Ireland All Star Enterprise' final on the same day.

"I feel very humble and I am absolutely delighted to be accredited with social entrepreneurship with the All Stars," Edel said.

"As a woman, mother and professional, it means a great deal to me. Setting up my business in 2005 it was quite difficult as funding wasn't available for a private practice so lots of sacrifices were made."

"My family were so supportive and my daughters are very much involved in the centre and the creative ideas that make it so unique and different," she added.

Edel's acknowledgement comes after a very lengthy adjudication process and different stages of assessment. The All-Ireland Business Summit criteria identifies and recognises individuals that have distinguished themselves in the conduct of their business in the last year.

Expressive Play also received excellent recommendations for its work from local bodies like Recovery Haven, The Shannow Family Centre and Tulsa.

Edel said supporting families, particularly children, has long been a passion of hers. Opening her own centre was always a dream and to create an environment where families can come and feel welcome and safe is important.

"I feel very honoured to be part of a child's recovery in healing. Words really can't describe it. I have played with children who have been through the most traumatic experiences and still manage to smile. Play therapy is such a respectful medium to use with children. So much happens in the centre from fairy camps to professional workshops."
It can be hard to tell the photographs from the paintings, examining images associated with the work of Moyvane artist Tony O'Connor.

The jaw drops as realisation dawns you're looking at an image created by human hand. And it's Dublin where the jaws are to begin dropping in earnest as Tony launches his latest exhibition at The Doorway Gallery at 26 Frederick Street South (off Nassau Street).

The subject matter is exclusively of an equine bent of course; Tony is acknowledged as one of the greatest masters of the form in this country. He's gleaned his mastery the hard way - spending most waking hours studying horse anatomy through the medium of his materials.

The Crawford College Fine Art graduate is still based in Cork.

"Tony has a disciplined approach in his study of horse anatomy, and puts a great emphasis on technical execution. As with much of his work, the void of background and simplicity of the pieces serve to highlight the natural physical perfection of these animals. Anyone who appreciates classic elegance cannot but be drawn in," a spokesperson for The Doorway Gallery said. The show opens on May 3 next.
Asdee has lost a talented dressmaker and a great friend to all who had the pleasure of knowing her.

The death took place on January 19 of Kathleen ( Kit ) O' Connor, Carrigane, Asdee, after a short illness in Lystoll Lodge Nursing Home, surrounded by her loving family and caring staff.

Kathleen was born in Meen, Listowel in 1926, the eldest child of six to Tom and Ellen O'Sullivan (nee Flaherty). She went to Clounmacon primary school and after to Presentation Convent Listowel. Following this she undertook a four-year apprenticeship with a dressmaker in Listowel.

She met her husband Patsy Dan O' Connor in the early forties and married him in 1946, following which they moved to Carrigane and lived with Patsy's parents.

Times were hard back in those days and the only way into their house was along the strand.

They settled there on the small farm, milking cows and rearing a few pigs, while Kathleen did some dressmaking. Times were hard, they were happy and had a family of seven boys and one girl over a period of twenty three years. Kathleen was a talented dressmaker, making such garments as wedding dresses, bridesmaid's dresses, first communion dresses, dancing uniforms even a suit for one of her son's first communion along with everyday clothes for people from all over Kerry and west Limerick.

She was very much involved in parish fundraising in the sixties helping out with parish socials and sales of works run in local hall, the funds from which were used do up the church and build a new school.

Their lives were changed for ever in 1975 when their eldest son Donal was killed in a road accident. Kathleen never got over his loss and always said she never feared dying because she would be reunited with Donal.

Once the family was reared she and her sister Nell travelled to London on a number of occasions during the eighties to spend a week or so with her son Jim and his wife Noreen. Later, following the death of Patsy in 2002 she joined the active retirement in Asdee and Listowel. Again Nell and herself travelled all over Ireland three or four times a year.

Eight years after suffering the loss of her husband Patsy she buried her second son PJ in 2010. She still lived in Carrigane on her own until January 2017 when she moved into Lystoll Lodge Nursing home where she enjoyed her last year, remaining in good health until two weeks before she died.

Kathleen's funeral took place from Lyon's Funeral home, Derry, Listowel on Sunday 21st January to Asdee Parish Church, Funeral Mass was held on Mon 22nd at 11am and she was buried afterwards in Killehenny Cemetery, Ballybunion.

Kathleen is survived by her sons Tom, John, Jim, Tim, Micheal, her loving daughter Eileen, brother Tim, sister in laws, brother in law, grand children, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives, kind neighbours and friends.

A remembrance Mass for Kathleen and her two sons P J and Donal will take place on Sunday morning April 22nd at 9.30am in St. Marys Church, Asdee.
Bishop of Kerry, Ray Browne, was one of the guests in attendance at the Kerry Right to Life concert at the Friary in Killarney last Sunday.

He was joined by a large crowed to enjoy an evening of classical music in a unique venue and with some of Kerry's most talented classical musicians.

The concert was organised by Kerry Right to Life as one of their key events during the referendum campaign. A host of talented local musicians performed on the night, including Sorcha Trant from Killarney who is one of the talented Trant sisters. She was joined by Sorprano Laura O'Keeffe, also from Killarney, for the classical concert which was organised as a special evening by the Kerry Right to Life group.

Donations for the Repeal the Eighth referendum campaign for Kerry Right to Life were collected following the concert but it was not only a fundraiser but an evening of classical music for all to enjoy.

Also performing on the night were Maria O'Connor from Tralee and Jayden Lamcellari (Dublin) on cello and Paul Fitzgibbon, Tralee, on viola. Paul and Jayden will perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York later this year
Fianna Fail TD John Brassil is calling on the Government to take immediate political and diplomatic steps over the potential impact of US sanctions on the Russian-owned alumina plant at Aughinish.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar held private meetings with management at the site in Askeaton last week on the issue, vowing afterwards 'to do everything we can to assist the company, and to ensure that it can continue to operate as normal'.

The plant is part of Russian firm Rusal's global operations, one of the world's biggest metal producers, which is co-owned by giant conglomerate EN+.

Oligarch Oleg Deripaska is the main owner of EN+. He is now on a US Treasury sanctions blacklist, effectively prohibiting US 'entities' from dealing with Mr Deripaska and his operations. "I've asked Fianna Fail jobs spokesperson Billy Kelleher to seek a meeting with Minister Humphreys so we can do whatever we can diplomatically and politically to assist the plant and protect the 450 jobs there," Deputy Brassil said.
Timothy McGrath from Killorglin Community College with Mari Cahilane of BT and Dr Tony Scott, founder of the BT Young Scientist Exhibition, at a Science for Development event hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

An inspiring Killorglin student, who invented a water-purifying product to be used in developing countries, has been praised by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Conveney for his work.

Timothy McGrath from Killorglin Community College was among a number of students who were commended for their innovation, drive and enthusiasm in seeking scientific solutions to problems faced by the world's poorest people.

They attended a special function in Dublin at the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs last week. The occasion was organised by overseas development charity Self Help Africa, who brought together more than a dozen of the best student projects from this year's BT Young Scientist Expo that had sought to address challenges affecting communities in the Developing World.

These included a cooking water conservation system, a mobile phone app that detected glaucoma, and Timothy's project which aimed to help purify water. Timothy used genetic engineering to target bacteria which causes cholera, as a method for purifying water in third-world countries. His project sought to develop a micro-organism that feeds on the cholera bacteria, thus eradicating it.

The talented student even had to build his home-made microbiology and centrifuge machines to multiply DNA for the project. Timothy won the Science for Development Award, sponsored by Irish Aid, in January of this year at the BT Young Scientist competition, and he will now get to visit Africa as part of the winning prize.

Minister Coveney praised all of the exhibitors for their imagination and innovation and said that food waste, contaminated water, absence of electricity and inadequate food production were just some of the issues that scientific thinking could help to solve.
The possibility of installing benches around Sligo with a sound system to play WB Yeats' poetry was the subject of a motion at the meeting.

Cllr Marie Casserly asked the council to explore the possibility of commissioning a series of benches similar to the Chopin benches in Warsaw.

"The sound system is embedded in these benches, and if you press a button the bench will play one of Yeats' poems. There is nothing like this in Sligo or in Ireland and it would be good for Sligo to lead on it. With O'Connell Street set to be refurbished soon, it could be a good time to do it. Anything that brings people into the city centre is good. This would be unique," she said. Cllr Sinead Maguire said it was an "innovative" proposal which "could attract a lot of tourism to Sligo. It would add to the experience of the visitor."

Director of Services Dorothy Clarke said the importance of Yeats was acknowledged in the Tourism Strategy 2018-2023 and that the council would explore if it would be possible to incorporate this feature into street furniture in the future.
Seeking out the perfect backdrop for the perfect holiday snap to make your dearest and nearest that little bit jealous is all part of the fun on any trip to County Sligo.

Within a ten minute reach of Sligo town, you will find some of the the most inspiring landscapes to choose from along Sligo's walking trails and routes.

Whether it is a sunset selfie or a blue-sky instagram-worthy day, you really are spoilt for choice in terms of unique locations and settings.

From sunrises across Glencar Valley, to epic sunsets in Enniscrone or Strandhill, lake-water lapping on Lough Gill, and majestic Mullaghmore, the Wild Atlantic backdrop and mountains and lakes of Sligo provide some of the most unique photo opportunities in Ireland.

So, without further ado, here's our top five recommendations for Instagram-worthy locations along Sligo's great walking trails and routes:

1 ) Strandhill Beach Front

Capture a surfer catching the last waves of the day in Strandhill as the sun sets and rays of light spill across the beach front.

Get there early as it's one of the most popular locations on any sunny day.

2) Classiebawn Castle, Mullaghmore

The iconic castle set against the skyline of North Sligo takes in the unique tabletop mountain of Benbulben. Whether it's summer or winter when you visit, you are always guaranteed a truly unique photo opportunity.

3) The top of Knocknarea

Take the recently constructed Queen Maeve trail on one of those big blue sky days and you will get to see as far North as Sliabh Liag in Donegal and all across Sligo bay.

4) Slish Wood Along the Sligo Way

A newly built wooden trail brings you through the beautiful Slish Wood overlooking Lough Gill. From here you can look back towards Sligo town and Knocknrea mountain in Strandhill.

5) Barnaribbon along the Gortarowey Looped Walk at Benbulben

The most distinctive peak among the Dartry range, it was formed during the ice age by massive glaciers segmenting the landscape. You can get one of the most unique shots of Benbulben along this route.
Dromore West will this year host Pieta House's Darkness Into Light for the first time.

It becomes the fourth venue in the county to host the event, with Ballymote, Banada and Sligo town also hosting events.

The Pieta House, Centre for the Prevention of Self-harm or Suicide will be holding it's 10th Darkness into Light charity 5k walk on 12th May at 4.15 AM. This is Pieta House's flagship annual fundraising and awareness event.

Since the event started in 2009, in Dublin's Phoenix Park, with approximately 400 participants, Darkness Into Light has become a worldwide movement, doubling in size over the past 10 years.

In 2017, over 180,000 got out of bed at 4.15 am to share the light and help promote suicide prevention and to tackle the stigma that leads people to the doors of Pieta House centres across the country.

This year there are 187 venues hosting this walk, and Dromore West is 1 of 4 venues from County Sligo and is one of the 35 new venues for this year.

Darkness Into Light Dromore West will be starting from Dromore West Community Centre and participants are asked to gather at 3.45am.

Registration is now open online and anyone wishing to take part in Darkness Into Light Dromore West, can register by visiting www.dil.pieta.ie - alternatively you call into The Still Bar, Dromore West from 4pm on weekdays and 12pm Saturday and Sunday, where someone will be on hand to register you for the walk.
IT Sligo will host the fourth Sligo Engineering Expo next month which will aims to inspire future graduates and provide job opportunities.

The Engineering Expo is an exciting collaboration between IT Sligo and industry that provides an interactive, information sharing day which is open to the public and openly encourages public engagement throughout the event.

The Expo, which is headline sponsored by AbbVie, is a chance to see the superheroes of engineering display innovative, cutting-edge technologies to inspire future generations of engineers.

How do robots work? Are comic book heroes such as Iron Man really possible? Can a car transform? How is Virtual Reality used in the real world?

How are engineering technologies being used in industries such as Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Precision and Tool Making Engineering, Agricultural, Construction, ICT and Food Industries?

At the Sligo Engineering Expo, as well as interactive demonstrations, you will be able to gain career path information and talk with captains of industry, indigenous industry leaders and companies of all sizes from across Ireland.

Bernard Murray, Engineering Manager with AbbVie in Ballytivnan, said: "As a global company, we offer opportunities for engineers in automation, manufacturing, controls, quality, science and technology, metrology and validation disciplines at locations all over the world.

"Locally, we are mindful of the importance of connecting with Engineering Students at Sligo IT to offer them an understanding of the technologies and capabilities of our Ballytivnan site.

"Developing a pipeline of potential employees who would be suitable to join, support and optimise our work at all sites is critical to the future success of our organisation, clients and our patients.

"It is important we support the North West community where we can by ensuring we also have a local focus when we concentrate on identifying this future talent."

Some 45 industry representatives will be at the event, including SL Controls; Abbott; Kilcawley Construction; Ward Automation, JFC Manufacturing; Kuka Robotics; and GW Plastics. And IT Sligo students will also demonstrate final year projects in Mechanical, Mechatronic, Precision and Civil Engineering as well as Construction, Electronics and Computing.

Una Parsons, Head of the School Engineering and Design at IT Sligo believes the Expo is "a unique and a fantastic opportunity to see an extensive range of activities on show that include student projects, industry exhibits and a variety of interactive activities.

"This major event is aimed to inspire future engineers, showcase our graduates, provide job opportunities, and promote the extensive range of engineering and technology employment in the North West."

The Engineering Expo is fully supported by IT Sligo President, Dr Brendan McCormack, who said: "The Expo reflects the close working relationship between IT Sligo and employers in all aspects of engineering across the region and provides a real opportunity for forthcoming graduates to meet, discuss and engage with their future employers.

"It is particularly gratifying to see so many employers from the North West at the Expo, all wanting to employ our graduates - we are seeing employment opportunities for engineering graduates in the North West at a very high level this year."

The EXPO takes place at the Knocknarea Arena at IT Sligo on Thursday 3rd May from 10am to 7pm. Admission is free.
The Irish Water Boil Water Notice in place for consumers on the Lough Talt Public Water Supply could be lifted shortly.

That's according to Cllr Paul Taylor, who said it was his belief that the notice may be removed by the end of the month.

He was speaking following a motion from his Fianna Fail colleague, Cllr Keith Henry, which asked the council to write to Irish Water in an effort to find out why they came up with just a 40pc discount for business customers affected by users. He also asked that the level be increased, as the rate does not meet the additional costs incurred by businesses.

"We are now coming into the third month of the notice, and there is a cost associated with buying water and indeed a cost associated with dispersing of water containers," Cllr Henry told the meeting.

"Business owners in the area say it doesn't come close to covering the cost, particularly for those involved in the hospitality sector," he said. He also commended businesses locally on not passing the extra cost on to consumers.

Cllr Margaret Gormley said that the only remedy for this problem was "a new treatment plant or an upgrade" of existing facilities. "This needs to be solved sooner rather than later," Cllr Gormley concluded.
BreastCheck has been invited to Sligo to look at a number of sites which have been offered in the wake of its decision to relocate its mobile clinic to Collooney.

Local businessman, Finbar Filan says a number of local business people in conjunction with the local authority have suggested sites for the mobile clinic in the town.

BreastCheck has been asked for the specifications it requires and has undertaken to come and look at a number of suggested locations.

"It's amazing the amount of people who have come forward with offers of sites. A group has now been formed from these and suggested sites will be put to BreastCheck once we ascertain what specifications they are looking for.

"It's a service that is moving out of Sligo as things stand but we cannot let this happen if we are serious about growing Sligo.

"According the Ireland 2040 Plan that was launched here, Sligo is earmarked to become the capital of the North West and we should be retaining services, not allowing them to leave," said Mr Filan.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins will visit Ballisodare this Friday to perform the official naming ceremony of the 'Martin Savage Bridge'.

The ceremony is expected to get underway at 4.00pm.

The Cathaoirleach of Sligo County Council Councillor Seamus Kilgannon said he looked forward to welcoming the President to Ballisodare. "This is a very special occasion for the Savage family, the local community and our Council, and we are very grateful to President Higgins for travelling to County Sligo to perform this ceremony. I also want to pay tribute to the many people who are working hard to prepare the area and make the various arrangements necessary for the visit." The formalities will take place in a marquee erected in the Ball Alley on the Ballina Road.

The President will be welcomed by the Cathaoirleach Councillor Kilgannon, Chief Executive Ciaran Hayes, and Councillor Thomas Healy on behalf of the local organising committee.

The President will be introduced to local school children and community groups, followed by speeches by the President, Cathaoirleach and Rita Savage on behalf of the Savage family.

Music will be performed by Children from Scoil Mhuire and Iosaf and Ballisodare Foroige Club. The naming ceremony will take place on the bridge immediately afterwards.

The President will also visit Gaelscoil Chluainin, Manorhamilton on Friday. which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. He will visit the classrooms, survey the children's work and deliver a speech The school has been given a face-lift in advance of the much anticipated visit.

This is a momentous day for our Gaelscoil and for Manorhamilton and we appreciate all the hard work that the local community is doing to ensure that the town looks its best- flower displays, litter control and general clean-up. The Presiden't visit will be featured on RTE's Nationwide programme in the coming weeks.
Lorna Doran McEvoy, Laoughlin Deegan, who opened the festival; chairman Eamonn Doran, Kieran Tyrrell and Mary Doran at the opening of theAll-Ireland Confined Drama finals in Carnew

A large crowd gathered for the opening night of the All Ireland Confined Drama Finals at St Brigid's Hall in Carnew.

The All Ireland Finals are being hosted for the first time by the South Wicklow Drama Festival committee. Carnew-native Loughlin Deegan, who is the Playwright/Artistic Director of The Lir, opened the festival on Friday night.

There was a fantastic atmosphere for the Lislea Dramatic Players who were the first group to take to the stage. They put on an excellent performance of 'The Kings of the Kilburn High Road'.

Chairman of South Wicklow Drama Festival Eamonn Doran welcomed everyone to the opening night, and thanked people for their continuous support of the festival.

Before the performance, participants enjoyed a sit-down dinner in Colaiste Bhride Carnew as part of the fringe events, which are taking place throughout the festival.

The All Ireland Confined Drama Finals will finish up on Saturday, April 21, and tickets are still available for the remaining performances. The line-up is as follows: Wednesday, April 18 - 'No Man's Land', Schull Drama Group; Thursday, April 19 - 'Una Pooka', Sillian Players; Friday, April 20 - 'Bold Girls', Holycross/Ballycahill Drama Group; Saturday, April 21 - 'The Good Father', Glenamaddy Players.

For bookings call 087 6985275.
Members of Wicklow Lions Club and Grindelwald Lions Club from Switzerland gathering for dinner in the Lighthouse Restaurant in Wicklow town last Friday

Wicklow and District Lions Club played host to 20 visiting Lion members from Switzerland last weekend.

The guests arrived on Friday and stayed in Chester Beattys in Ashford for the weekend. The 20 members of the Grindelwald Lions Club decided to celebrate the election of Mani Schlappi as their President by coming to Wicklow.

There was already an association between Co Wicklow and Grindelwald. In 1858, Bray man Charles Barrington became the first ever person to lead a successful climb of the Eiger Mountain, part of the Bernese Alps overlooking Grindelwald.

Musician Sean Olohan of the Wicklow Lions also visited Grindelwald around a decade ago to perform live and wrote a song over there dedicated to Mr Barrington.

On Friday, the Swiss visitors were brought on a tour of Wicklow Gaol and rounded the day off with a meal in the Lighthouse Restaurant. They had a busy itinerary for the rest of the weekend, including a tour of the RNLI Lifeboat Station and a visit to Geraldine Mooney's sheep farm. They also enjoyed a few pints in Johnny Fox's, a literary tour of Dublin and a guided tour around the Guinness Storehouse. Pascal Burke of Wicklow and District Chamber of Commerce made a presentation to the Swiss Lions members, who in turn showed their generosity by donating 1,000 to the Wicklow Lions.
Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands attend the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume Of Luxembourg and Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg at the Cathedral of our Lady of Luxembourg on October 20, 2012 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg

King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain attend the Pascua Militar ceremony at the Royal Palace on January 6, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja Benito - Pool/Getty Images)

Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary pose with their twins Prince Vincent (R) and Princess Josephine (L) in front of Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen on the sibling's first day of school on August 15, 2017.

King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain receive Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and wife Nechama Rivlin for a Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace on November 6, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja Benito - Pool/Getty Images)

Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark arrives to attend the wedding between Prince Joachim of Denmark and Marie Cavallier on May 24, 2008 at the Mogeltonder church in Mogeltonder, Denmark. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway walk into dinner at the Royal Palace on day 3 of the royal visit to Sweden and Norway by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on February 1, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images)

Dutch Crown Prince Willem Alexander and his new bride Crown Princess Maxima Zorreguieta leave the Church February 2, 2002 following their wedding in Amsterdam, Holland. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

Princess Tessy Of Luxembourg and Prince Louis Of Luxembourg depart from the Religious Wedding Of Prince Felix Of Luxembourg and Claire Lademacher at the Basilique Sainte Marie-Madeleine on September 21, 2013 in Saint-Maximin-La-Sainte-Baume, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

Louis of Luxembourg kissing his wife Tessy in Luxembourg on September 29, 2006. (Photo by Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium visit the Wissekerke Castle on April 25, 2017 in Kruibeke, Belgium. (Photo by Olivier Matthys/Getty Images)

Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (R) and his wife Princess Sophie leave the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Amsterdam on April 30, 2013 following the investiture of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. AFP PHOTO / POOL / CARL COURT

Princess Tessy of Luxembourg and Prince Louis of Luxembourg celebrate National Day on June 23, 2013 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. (Photo by Mark Renders/Getty Images)

Prince Albert II of Monaco walks on stage with his wife Charlene,Princess of Monaco during the 2018 Laureus World Sports Awards show at Salle des Etoiles, Sporting Monte-Carlo on February 27, 2018 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for Laureus)

Thousands of people on the streets of Amsterdam and millions on TV screens watched the marriage of Dutch crownprince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima on 02 February 2002. The enchanting couple show their luck at the balcony of the Royal Palace at Damsquare where thousands of people are gathered. AFP EPA PHOTO ANP / OLAF KRAAK

As the royal wedding approaches, we take a look at some European royalty guaranteed to be on the guestlist. And their stories vary from inspiring to downright juicy.

Sweden

Queen Silvia and King XVI Gustaf

Expand Close Queen Silvia of Sweden and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden are seen meeting the people gathered in front of Solliden Palace to celebrate the 40th birthday of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on July 15, 2017 in Borgholm, Sweden. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Queen Silvia of Sweden and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden are seen meeting the people gathered in front of Solliden Palace to celebrate the 40th birthday of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden on July 15, 2017 in Borgholm, Sweden. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)

Gustaf ascended the throne in 1973 and within a year, Swedens modern monarchy stripped the role of any legislative powers. In 1976, he married Silvia Sommerlath, a German interpreter he met at the 1972 Olympics in Munich and after their wedding, she was named Her Majesty Queen Silvia of Sweden. Gustaf has the most influence over deciding who, if anyone, receives royal titles, what they are  and if they will be revoked (as was the case with his sister Christina who was removed from the royal house after marrying a non-Swedish man). He later established a practice of marrying outside nobility, which was followed by all three of his children.

Children: Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine

Expand Close (L to R) Crown Princess Victoria and husband Prince Daniel; Princess Madeleine and husband Chris O'Neill; Princess Sofia and husband Prince Carl Philip / Facebook

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Whatsapp (L to R) Crown Princess Victoria and husband Prince Daniel; Princess Madeleine and husband Chris O'Neill; Princess Sofia and husband Prince Carl Philip

The couple welcomed heir apparent Victoria in 1977, who wed personal trainer Daniel Westling in 2010 (they have two children); Prince Carl Philip in 1979 (he married reality tv star and model Sofia Hellqvist in 2015 (they have two children) and Princess Madeleine, who married British financier Christopher ONeill in 2013 (they have three children).

Denmark

Queen Margrethe. Her late husband Henrik, Prince Consort, died last month.

Expand Close Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark arrives to attend the wedding between Prince Joachim of Denmark and Marie Cavallier on May 24, 2008 at the Mogeltonder church in Mogeltonder, Denmark. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark arrives to attend the wedding between Prince Joachim of Denmark and Marie Cavallier on May 24, 2008 at the Mogeltonder church in Mogeltonder, Denmark. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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Margrethe has ruled the throne for 46 years, also acting as supreme authority of the Church of Denmark and Commander-in-Chief of the Danish Defence as part of her role, and she was the first female Danish monarch in centuries. She has been sitting in on meetings for the Council of the State since she was 18 years old; speaks five languages and has studied at four universities.

She married Frederik in 1967, who came to international prominence last year when he said he didnt want to buried next to his wife because she never made him king. It was later confirmed he was suffering with dementia and he died in February.

She resides at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Children: Crown Prince Frederik is married to Australian marketing consultant whom he met the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and they have four children together  Prince Christian, Prince Vincent, Princess Isabella and Princess Josephine.

Expand Close Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary pose with their twins Prince Vincent (R) and Princess Josephine (L) in front of Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen on the sibling's first day of school on August 15, 2017. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary pose with their twins Prince Vincent (R) and Princess Josephine (L) in front of Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen on the sibling's first day of school on August 15, 2017.

Prince Joachim has been married to marketing coordinator Marie Cavallier, whom he has two children with  Prince Henrik and Princess Athena. He was previously married to sales and marketing executive Alexandra Christina Manley and has two children with her, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix.

Norway

Queen Sonja and King Harald

Expand Close Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway arrive for a gala dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway on May 9, 2017 to mark the 80th Birthday of the King and Queen. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Queen Sonja and King Harald of Norway arrive for a gala dinner at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway on May 9, 2017 to mark the 80th Birthday of the King and Queen.

Last year, the couple celebrated both of their 80th birthdays and the ensuing celebrations earned them the title of most fun royals in the world by newspapers. Sonja, who wed the prince in 1968, had no royal connections but was an accomplished and educated woman with a degree in French, English and Art History from the University of Oslo (all the more impressive when you consider the decade it was). His decision to marry Sonja wasnt popular with his father, but Harald followed his heart and said he would refuse to marry anyone else if, effectively ending the Norwegian monarchy because he was the only heir.

The familys wealth is estimated at the lower end of the royal wealth scale at 10m, but theyre not exactly hurting.

Children: Crown Prince Haakon (he married single mother and waitress Mette-Marit Tjessem Hiby in 2001 and they have two children, she has a son from a previous relationship) and Crown Princess Martha Louise (she has been married to author Ari Behn for 16 years and they have three children).

Expand Close Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway attend the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill hosted by King Carl Gustaf XIV and Queen Silvia at The Royal Palace on June 8, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Princess Mette-Marit of Norway and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway attend the wedding of Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill hosted by King Carl Gustaf XIV and Queen Silvia at The Royal Palace on June 8, 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

It was Haakon's choice of future wife that proved controversial because her ex-partner, and father of her child, was in prison for drug related offences. Before her wedding,she delivered a heartfelt delivery on television apologising for the errors made in her "rebellious youth" and it wasn't long before she was embraced by the Norwegian people.

The Netherlands

Queen Maxima and King Willem Alexander

Expand Close Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands attend the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume Of Luxembourg and Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg at the Cathedral of our Lady of Luxembourg on October 20, 2012 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg / Facebook

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Whatsapp Princess Maxima of the Netherlands and Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands attend the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume Of Luxembourg and Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg at the Cathedral of our Lady of Luxembourg on October 20, 2012 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg

King Willem-Alexander wed Argentinian financial sales director Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002 after initially meeting in 1999 in Seville. Like Frederik above, he only introduced himself as Alexander and didnt reveal his royal status until he knew they would meet again. In the early days of their relationship, there was some public backlash due to the fact that Maximas father Jorge Zorreguieta was a high ranking politician involved in Argentinas brutal regime under President Jorge Rafael Videla.

She was embraced publicly by her husbands parents Beatrix and Claus and has been well regarded by the Dutch people for the last 16 years.

They reside at the Royal Palace of Amsterdam and cost the taxpayer 30m per year.

Children: Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands

Expand Close (L-R) Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands pose at a photocall during their ski holidays, in Lech am Arlberg, Austria, on February 26, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / APA / DIETMAR STIPLOVSEK / Austria OUTDIETMAR STIPLOVSEK/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp (L-R) Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands pose at a photocall during their ski holidays, in Lech am Arlberg, Austria, on February 26, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / APA / DIETMAR STIPLOVSEK / Austria OUTDIETMAR STIPLOVSEK/AFP/Getty Images

Spain

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia

Expand Close King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain receive Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and wife Nechama Rivlin for a Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace on November 6, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja Benito - Pool/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letizia of Spain receive Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and wife Nechama Rivlin for a Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace on November 6, 2017 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja Benito - Pool/Getty Images)

Felipe ascended the throne in 2014 after his father King Juan Carlos abdicated. He said his decision was based on timing, after his 76th birthday, and he was thrilled with the "transformation of Spain" during his reign, which included steering the country from Francisco Francos dictatorship towards a successful democracy.

Felipe wed television journalist Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano (who he reportedly sought out after seeing her on the news) in 2003 after keeping their relationship largely secret. Her early days in the family were reportedly rocky because she was the first non-noble blooded woman to be in line for the throne and she was also divroced.

During their 14 years of marriage, theyre regarded as down-to-earth and happily married. They live in Zarzuela Palace in Madrid.

Children: Sofia, Infanta of Spain and Princess Leonor

Expand Close King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain and their daughters Princess Leonor of Spain (L) and Princess Sofia of Spain (R) visit the Can Prunera Museum on August 6, 2017 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp King Felipe VI of Spain, Queen Letizia of Spain and their daughters Princess Leonor of Spain (L) and Princess Sofia of Spain (R) visit the Can Prunera Museum on August 6, 2017 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

Monaco

Prince Albert and Princess Charlene, Her Serene Highness

Expand Close Prince Albert II of Monaco (R) and Princess Charlene arrive to attend the 68th annual Red Cross Gala / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prince Albert II of Monaco (R) and Princess Charlene arrive to attend the 68th annual Red Cross Gala

Albert, the only son of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace (he has two sisters Caroline, Princess of Hanover and Princess Stephanie) met Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock in 2000 and they announced their engagement 10 years later. The run-up to their fairytale wedding wasnt without its drama when she was branded the runaway bride as it was reported she tried to leave the country before her trip up the aisle and was stopped by police at Nice airport and her passport removed. She later called the speculation categorical lies.

Albert is one of the worlds wealthiest royals, having ascended the throne in 2005 after his fathers death. He spends most of his efforts on environmental causes.

Children: Princess Gabriellea, Countess of Carlades and Jacques Honore Rainie

Expand Close Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Jacques of Monaco attend the International Rugby tournament Tournoi Sainte Devote at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on March 31, 2018. Valery Hache/Pool via Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Jacques of Monaco attend the International Rugby tournament Tournoi Sainte Devote at the Louis II Stadium in Monaco on March 31, 2018. Valery Hache/Pool via Reuters

Albert has two older children from previous relationships: Jazmin Grace Grimaldi and Alexandre Coste

Luxembourg

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg and Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg

Expand Close Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg attend celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the kingdom of The Netherlands on August 30, 2014 in Maastricht, The Netherlands. (Photo by Michel Porro/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg attend celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of the kingdom of The Netherlands on August 30, 2014 in Maastricht, The Netherlands. (Photo by Michel Porro/Getty Images)

Maria Teresa was born in Cuba before fleeing to New York City with her family during Fidel Castros rise to power. After moving from Spain to Switzerland (the family boasted an impressive personal fortune thanks to baking and business) where she studied political science and focused on womens and childrens issues. It was here that she met her husband and after their 1981 wedding, she moved, once again, but this time for good, to Luxembourg.

The more time we spent together it was more clear to us that we would spend our lives together, she said. Like most of the other courtships in this list, his parents reportedly were none too pleased at his choice of a non-royal partner, but they eventually relented. In 2002, she asked 15 journalists to the palace to tearfully discuss her difficult relationship with her mother-in-law, whom she accuses of calling her the little Cuban.

Children: The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg (married German bioethics researcher Claire Margareta Lademacher); Prince Louis Xavier Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg wed former soldier Tessy Antony in 2006); Princess Alexandra Josephine Teresa Charlotte Marie Wilhelmine of Luxembourg (27), and Prince Sebastien Henri Marie Guillaume of Luxembourg (26).

Of the above, Louis divorce with Tessy hit headlines last year and things turned messy and she was branded a gold digger.

Expand Close Louis of Luxembourg kissing his wife Tessy in Luxembourg on September 29, 2006. (Photo by Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Louis of Luxembourg kissing his wife Tessy in Luxembourg on September 29, 2006. (Photo by Alain BENAINOUS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Liechtenstein

Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein

Expand Close Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Princess Marie-Aglae of Liechtenstein attends the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume Of Luxembourg and Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg at the Cathedral of our Lady of Luxembourg on October 20, 2012 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein and Princess Marie-Aglae of Liechtenstein attends the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume Of Luxembourg and Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg at the Cathedral of our Lady of Luxembourg on October 20, 2012 in Luxembourg, Luxembourg

The wealthiest European royals with a net worth estimated at 4.5bn, a fortune which was earned independently through private banking and asset management.

Hans Adam, Furst von Liechtenstein, became prince and head of state in 1989 running a charitable organisation and gaining professional experience in banking. Despite maintaining sovereign status, day-to-day decisions are made by the government, as was decided in the 1980s.

By 1990, the country was a member of the United Nations, and in 2003, a referendum voted in his favour to grand him more political power in their principality.

He wed his distant cousin, Countess Marie Aglae Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau in 1967 and they reside at Vaduz Castle.

Children: Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (married to Duchess Sophie of Bavaria), Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein (married to American stylist Angela Gisela Brown), Prince Constantin Ferdinand Maria of Liechtenstein (married to Countess Marie Gabriele) and Princess Tatjana Nora Maria of Liechtenstein (married to Matthias Claus-Just Carl Philipp).

Expand Close Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (R) and his wife Princess Sophie leave the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Amsterdam on April 30, 2013 following the investiture of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. AFP PHOTO / POOL / CARL COURT / Facebook

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Whatsapp Prince Alois of Liechtenstein (R) and his wife Princess Sophie leave the Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in Amsterdam on April 30, 2013 following the investiture of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. AFP PHOTO / POOL / CARL COURT

Belgium

Queen Mathilde and King Philippe

Expand Close King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium visit the Wissekerke Castle on April 25, 2017 in Kruibeke, Belgium. (Photo by Olivier Matthys/Getty Images) / Facebook

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Whatsapp King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium visit the Wissekerke Castle on April 25, 2017 in Kruibeke, Belgium. (Photo by Olivier Matthys/Getty Images)

Phillipe ascended the throne in 2013 after his father King Albert abdicated for health reasons. He was an unlikely choice going back to the previous generation: he was born during his uncle Baudouins reign, but due to the fact that Baudouin had no children, the line of succession moved to his brother Prince Albert, Phillipes father.

Unlike most of the other entries in this list, Phillipes choice of wife is blue-blooded - Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz was a Countess before they wed in 1999. She was working as a speech therapist in Brussels before her royal wedding and speaks four languages.

Expand Close (FromL) Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Eleonore, King Philippeof Belgium, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Crown Princess Elisabeth pose during a ski holiday in Verbier, Switzerland, on February 12, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Yves HERMANYVES HERMAN/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp (FromL) Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Princess Eleonore, King Philippeof Belgium, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Crown Princess Elisabeth pose during a ski holiday in Verbier, Switzerland, on February 12, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Yves HERMANYVES HERMAN/AFP/Getty Images

Children: Princess Elisabeth (17), Prince Gabriel (15), Prince Emmanuel (13) and Princess Eleonore (10).
Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018, hosted by Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, and his wife Lucy Turnbull, at Australia House in London, Britain April 21, 2018. Alastair Grant/Pool via Reuters

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Australian High Commission in London to attend a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive to attend a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018, hosted by Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia, and his wife Lucy Turnbull, at Australia House in London, Britain April 21, 2018. Alastair Grant/Pool via Reuters

Meghan Markle leaves the Australian High Commission in London after attending a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Meghan Markle leaves the Australian High Commission in London after attending a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday April 21, 2018. See PA story ROYAL Harry. Photo credit should read: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Meghan Markle arrives at the Australian High Commission in London to attend a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Meghan Markle leaves the Australian High Commission in London after attending a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive at the Australian High Commission in London to attend a reception celebrating the forthcoming Invictus Games Sydney 2018. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Bride-to-be Meghan Markle looked luminous today when she stepped out with her fiance Prince Harry in London today.

Meghan, who is very much taking her own lead in the royal fashion stakes, chose to pair a green floral print summer dress with a black blazer and black shoes.

The dress is by British design house Self Portrait and retails at the price of 385 (440).

Their appearance comes just under a month ahead of their big day at Windsor Castle on Saturday May 19.

The couple ooked very much in love today as they attended a reception at Australia House in central London where they met Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife Lucy.

The royals were meeting Australia's first couple ahead of the Invictus Games in Sydney later this year.

More than 500 competitors - made up of sick and injured military and veterans - from 18 nations are expected to compete at the Invictus Games in Sydney between October 20 and 27.
Charlize Theron has become the latest Hollywood star to speak out over Harvey Weinstein, labelling those women coming forward brave and heroic.

She joins George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Kate Winslet, Dame Judi Dench, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ben Affleck in commenting on the allegations surrounding Weinstein.

The actress wrote on Instagram: The women who have spoken about their abuse are brave and heroic and although I didnt have a personal experience like this with Harvey Weinstein, I unfortunately cannot say Im surprised.

This culture has always existed, not just in Hollywood but across the world. And many men in positions of power have gotten away with it for far too long.

She added: We cannot blame the victims here. A lot of these women are young, just starting out in their respective fields, and have absolutely no way to stand up to a man with so much influence much greater than theirs. If they speak up, they are shut down and that could be the end of their career.

This is all a positive step forward in changing that culture, and these young women need to know that they have a support system should anything like this happen to them. And I want you all to know I support you.

Cumberbatch said in a statement: I am utterly disgusted by the continuing revelations of Harvey Weinsteins horrifying and unforgivable actions.

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We need to collectively stand up and support victims of abuse such as the brave and inspiring women who have spoken out against him and say we hear you and believe you. That way others may be emboldened by our support to come forward and speak.

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But we shouldnt wait until there are any more stories like this. We, as an industry and as a society at large need to play our part. There has to be zero tolerance of any such behaviour in any walk of life. We owe that to these womens bravery in coming forward.

On Tuesday Weinstein was accused of rape by three women while Hollywood actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow both claimed they had been sexually harassed by the film producer.

A statement released on Tuesday said any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied by Mr Weinstein.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has suspended nuclear testing and dropped his demand for US troops to leave South Korea as he prepares for a summit with President Donald Trump. Photo: AP

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has announced Pyongyang will carry out no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests and will shut down its atomic test site, the North's state media reported last night.

The declaration, long sought by the US, will be seen as a crucial step ahead of key leaders' summits in the coming weeks.

It comes less than a week before Mr Kim meets South Korean leader Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, and ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with US President Donald Trump.

"As the weaponisation of nuclear weapons has been verified, it is not necessary for us to conduct any more nuclear tests or test launches of mid- and long range missiles or ICBMs," Mr Kim told a ruling party meeting.

"The northern nuclear test site has completed its mission," he added at the gathering of the central committee of the Workers' Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

In a tweet late last night, US President Donald Trump said: "This is very good news for North Korea and the world - Big progress.'

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies.

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Mr Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, US, EU, South Korea and others.

Last year it carried out its sixth and by far its most powerful nuclear test, launching missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

Analysts said yesterday's announcement was significant but noted that the regime was not ruling out future tests.

The news came after Kim Jong-un reportedly dropped demands that US troops must leave the Korean Peninsula in return for giving up his nuclear weapons, potentially removing one of the biggest obstacles to a peace deal.

The US has about 28,000 troops stationed in South Korea, which has long been a thorny issue with the North Koreans.

However, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who meets Mr Kim at a summit on Friday, said the reclusive leader was now willing to give up the troops' removal as a precondition for denuclearisation.

"The North Koreans did not present any conditions that the Un ited States could not accept, such as the withdrawal of American troops in South Korea," Mr Moon said.

"They only talk about an end to hostilities against their country and about getting security guarantees," he said.

"It's safe to say that the plans for dialogue between the North and the United States could proceed because that has been made clear."

It emerged this week that US President Donald Trump had sent CIA director Mike Pompeo to Pyongyang over Easter to assess how genuine North Korea was in its recent overtures towards peace, and to lay the groundwork for a planned summit.
The US and French flags are displayed on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington (Alex Brandon/AP)

US President Donald Trump will look to pull off the ultimate charm offensive as he hosts French President Emmanuel Macron at a glitzy White House state dinner.

Wined and dined on multiple state visits during his tour of Asia last year, Mr Trump is paying it forward and celebrating nearly 250 years of US-French relations at the dinner on Tuesday.

Months in the making, it is the first state visit and first big soiree of the Trump era in Washington.

It sounds like what theyre planning will be spectacular, said Jeremy Bernard, who was White House social secretary in 2014, the last time the US feted a French president.

The White House has said little beyond the fact that dinner will be served, sticking to the tradition of trying to maintain an element of surprise for its guests.

In fact, Mr Macron will break bread twice with Mr Trump.

On Monday, the president and Melania Trump will dine privately with Mr Macron and his wife, Brigitte, at Mount Vernon, the home of Americas first president, George Washington, on the banks of the Potomac River in Virginia.

The White House said the setting will serve as a reminder of Frances unique status as Americas first ally.

Mr Trump ended his first year without receiving a foreign leader on a state visit, making him the first president in nearly 100 years to do so and heightening the stakes for Tuesday.

Dinner tickets are typically highly sought after by Washingtons political and business elite.

A few inklings of whos in and whos out already are known: Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund, is in, as are House Speaker Paul Ryan, and defence secretary Jim Mattis. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was invited, but his office said he is unable to attend.

In a break with tradition, Mr Trump invited no Democratic members of Congress or journalists, said a White House official familiar with the arrangements. But at least one Democrat will be in the crowd: The office of Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards confirmed his attendance.

Expand Close The US and French flags as seen through the portico of the West Wing (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook

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Approximately 150 guests will take their seats in the State Dining Room on Tuesday, making for a more intimate affair than those held by President Barack Obama.

Mr Obamas guest lists numbered into the hundreds, requiring that the event be held in a tented pavilion erected on the South Lawn because no room in the White House can accommodate that many people.

Most of the responsibility for executing a flawless celebration falls to the first lady and her staff, including such key details as what is served (Mr Trump likes wedge salads and chocolate cake) and poured into glasses, who sits next to whom, who performs after dinner and what the decor looks like.

One big moment is the first glimpse of the first lady in her gown. Fashion details are kept secret until the first couple steps on to the North Portico on Tuesday night to welcome their dinner guests.

Former first lady Michelle Obama often used state dinners to showcase the talent of up-and-coming designers. Some designers have cited mr Trumps politics in refusing to dress the current first lady, a former model.

Still, a likely choice would be Dior, the French design house whose fashions Mrs Trump often wears, or Herve Pierre, the French-American who designed her inaugural gown and other looks.

The last time a Republican president hosted his French counterpart was November 2007 when President George W Bush welcomed the newly divorced Nicolas Sarkozy.

When Mr Macrons limousine first pulls up the White House driveway on Tuesday morning, Mr Trump, the first lady, White House and administration officials, and hundreds of invited guests will be waiting on the South Lawn.

The pomp-filled arrival ceremony is for the man who became the youngest president in French history when he was elected in 2017 aged 39 on his first run for office.

The visit also offers Mr Macron his first Oval Office meeting and a joint White House news conference with Mr Trump. Theres also a State Department lunch hosted by vice president Mike Pence before Mr Macron and his wife arrive for the state dinner.
US president Donald Trump is planning on visiting the UK in the summer, it is reported.

Mr Trump has not visited the UK since he was elected to the White House in November 2016, with a potential visit to London to open the US Embassy in January not taking place.

The Daily Mail report a visit from Mr Trump has been "pencilled in" for July, while the Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed US official saying the president was looking at coming in the "late summer".

Mr Trump cancelled a visit to the UK to open the new American embassy, criticising its move from Grosvenor Square in the prestigious Mayfair district of central London to an "off location" at Nine Elms, south of the Thames.

The president blamed the cost of the new embassy and its location south of the River Thames, saying it was a "bad deal".

His cancellation prompted media speculation that reasons for the snub included that Mr Trump had been offended by perceived slights against him by UK public figures.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of endangering the so-called "special relationship" after he said president had "got the message" from Londoners and would have been met by "mass peaceful protests" if he went ahead with the visit.

The president has endured a turbulent relationship with Mrs May since taking office, with the Prime Minister publicly criticising statements he has made on Muslims, terrorism and climate change.

However Mr Trump said he was grateful for the support from the UK and France when a coalition of the three countries conducted targeted air strikes in Syria last weekend
Counter-terrorism police are building a case against persons of interest, who are believed now to be in Russia (stock picture)

Police and intelligence agencies in the UK have identified key suspects in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Counter-terrorism police are building a case against "persons of interest", who are believed now to be in Russia.

It is thought that a search of flight manifests in and out of the UK has yielded specific names in the hunt for the Skripals' would-be assassins.

Police have also drawn on CCTV footage.

However, counter-terrorism police will hit a diplomatic brick wall in trying to interview - let alone prosecute - the suspects.

Investigators privately admit the difficulties in bringing charges, while any demands made by authorities for access to the "persons of interest" will further ratchet up tensions between the UK and Russia.

Authorities believe Col Skripal (66), a Russian double agent who spied for Britain, was targeted at his home by a Kremlin-backed hit squad that smeared the Novichok nerve agent on his front door.

The emails of Yulia Skripal (33), who lives in Moscow, were monitored prior to her flight to the UK to visit her father, giving the hit squad notice of when he would be at home.

The decontamination of Salisbury began in earnest yesterday with cordons in place in nine "hot spots". Officials insisted the city is still safe for residents and visitors.
Two university student protesters have been killed in Nicaragua in clashes over a social security reform pushed by President Daniel Ortegas government, according to independent media reports.

Police did not immediately confirm the deaths, but images of the two young men were carried in local media and repeated on social networks.

They came a day after a police officer, a protester and a pro-government activist became the first confirmed casualties of the violence.

Dozens more are believed to have been wounded or arrested based on video broadcasts, in days of unrest the like of which has become rare in the Central American nation and which elicited a heavy-handed response.

The Nicaraguan state must fulfil its international obligations to ensure people can freely exercise their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful gathering and association, the UNs human rights office said in a statement.

Expand Close Masked protesters during a third day of violent clashes in Nicaragua (Alfredo Zuniga/AP) / Facebook

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The Organisation of American States issued its own statement of concern, while also calling on demonstrators to protest peacefully.

The clashes, pitting protesters opposed to the reforms against riot police and pro-government groups such as the Sandinista Youth, have rocked the capital, Managua, and half a dozen other cities over the last three days.

Some demonstrators carried heavy sticks or threw rocks as they faced off against armoured officers with batons and riot shields. One agent was wounded in the leg by a makeshift mortar on Friday in the capital.

Security forces have seized vehicles carrying provisions for the protesters, and at one point police invaded an area near Managuas Metropolitan Cathedral where the Roman Catholic Church had been collecting donations.

In response, protesters burned one of the famous tree of life sculptures that Mr Ortegas government has erected along numerous streets in the city.

A prominent umbrella organisation for Nicaraguan chambers of commerce condemned the violence, called for a peaceful march on Monday and urged authorities to respect freedom of expression.

Vice president, first lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo alleged that violent acts by government supporters were provoked by those opposing the reforms, who she said were in turn being manipulated by political interests seeking to take advantage of the crisis.

These moments are tragic and painful for all our people, for the entire country, Ms Murillo said.

The government said at least 28 police officers have been wounded in the violence, but has not released numbers of protesters hurt or arrested.

The demonstrations come after years in which the opposition claimed electoral fraud by the government, but without street protests reaching such magnitude or intensity.

This is the release of a series of troubles that have been building among the people, sociologist and analyst Melvin Sotelo said, and social security is the drop that overflowed the glass.

The government reforms increase income and payroll taxes and make changes to pensions to try to shore up Nicaraguas troubled social security system.
Natalie Portman has pulled out of the 'Jewish Nobel' prize ceremony in Israel because of her "extreme distress" over recent events in the country.

The American-Israeli actress said she did not feel comfortable attending public events in Israel after the state was criticised for firing on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza strip.

The Genesis Prize, dubbed the 'Jewish Nobel', recognises "outstanding achievement by individuals who have attained excellence and international renown in their chosen professional fields [who] embody the character of the Jewish people".

Previous recipients include former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, actor Michael Douglas, violinist Itzhak Perlman and sculptor Anish Kapoor.

When Portman, who was born in Jerusalem and holds dual Israeli and US citizenship, was announced as the 2018 recipient late last year she said was "proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage".

However, the Genesis Foundation said it had cancelled its ceremony in June after the Oscar winner pulled out.

Portman has largely avoided discussing politics

The actress's representative said that "recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel".

The statement did not refer to specific events, but the recent military response to Palestinian demonstrations on the Gaza- Israel border has provoked international condemnation.

It comes as two more Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces yesterday as mass demonstrations along the Gaza Strip entered their fourth day.

Gaza's health ministry said 83 more were injured. Protesters also flew dozens of kites, in some cases carrying Molotov cocktails, in a new tactic that had led to at least a couple of small fires in Israeli territory this week.

Portman's decision provoked heavy criticism from Israel's governing Likud party, with one politician calling for her to be stripped of her citizenship.

Culture Minister Miri Regev, referring to the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign claimed she had "fallen like ripe fruit into the hands of its supporters".

Israel has been criticised for its response to mass protests on the Gaza-Israel border, in which 36 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded by Israeli fire since March 30.

Israel said that it is defending its border and accuses Gaza's rulers, the Islamic militant Hamas group, of trying to carry out attacks under the guise of protests.
UK Prime Minister Theresa May thought she was the first world leader to congratulate Donald Trump after his inauguration, only to find that she had been beaten by Vladimir Putin.

The revelation was contained in memos written by James Comey, the former FBI director fired by Mr Trump.

His memos were made public yesterday after the FBI handed them over to several congressional committees.

In them Mr Trump also repeatedly protested his innocence to Mr Comey over allegations involving prostitutes during his visit to Russia in 2013.

"The president said the 'hookers thing' is nonsense but that Putin had told him 'We have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world'.

"He did not say when Putin had told him this," Mr Comey wrote.

Concerning the phone calls, Mr Comey described how he had dinner with Mr Trump at the White House on January 27, 2017, and the president was fuming about an incident earlier that day when he had met with Mrs May.

In the memo the identity of the first leader to call Mr Trump was blacked out as classified, but officials have now confirmed that it was Mr Putin.

"The president apparently discovered during his toast to Teresa [sic] May that XXX had called four days ago," Mr Comey wrote.

"Apparently, as the president was toasting, he was explaining that she had been the first to call him after his inauguration. Flynn [national security adviser Michael Flynn] interrupted to say that XXX had called (first, apparently)."

Mr Comey said that was when Mr Trump first learned of the call from Mr Putin and he "confronted" Mr Flynn, who replied that a return call to the Russian president was scheduled in two days' time.

That prompted a "heated reply" from the president who said that "six days was not an appropriate period of time" to return such a call.

"In telling the story the president pointed his fingers at his head and said 'the guy [Mr Flynn] has serious judgment issues'," Mr Comey wrote.

Mr Flynn was fired a few weeks later after misleading Mike Pence, the vice-president, about his own contacts with Russia.

In a separate memo, Mr Comey said that Mr Trump cleared the Oval Office of other officials, encouraged him to let go of the investigation into Mr Flynn and called him a good guy.

Mr Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is now co-operating with Mr Mueller's investigation.

The memos reveal that days before Mr Flynn's firing, the then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus asked Mr Comey if Mr Flynn's communications were being monitored under a secret surveillance warrant.

"Do you have a FISA order on Mike Flynn?" Mr Priebus asked Mr Comey, according to the memos, referring to an order under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Mr Comey said that he "paused for a few seconds and then said that I would answer here, but that this illustrated the kind of question that had been asked and answered through established channels".

His response is redacted on the unclassified memos.

Responding to the claims about Russian prostitutes, Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin's spokesman, said: "President Putin could not have said that, and did not say that, to President Trump."

Meanwhile, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said that Mr Trump had invited Mr Putin to the US during a phone call last month, and that Mr Trump indicated he would be glad to make a reciprocal visit to Moscow.

Mr Comey is currently on a book tour.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Trump accused him of "making lots of money from a third rate book (that should never have been written).

"Is that really the way life in America is supposed to work? I don't think so!"
Pittsburgh police are preparing for riots if US President Donald Trump fires Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating the Russia scandal.

Mr Trump and his supporters have repeatedly hinted that Mr Mueller could be dismissed if he continues to lead what they see as a "witch hunt", potentially igniting an already febrile political climate.

An email sent by the Pittsburgh police commander said "there is a belief" that Mr Trump will soon fire the special counsel, prompting "large-scale" protests within 24 hours.

At the same time, it emerged Mr Trump had strengthened his legal team, bringing in Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York and an experienced litigator, to bolster an operation weakened by a key resignation last month.

"I'm doing it because I hope we can negotiate an end to this for the good of the country and because I have high regard for the president and for Bob Mueller," Mr Giuliani told 'The Washington Post'.

The scale of the potential fall-out from the probe was revealed by a memo sent by the Pittsburgh police commander asking detectives to bring riot gear to work "until further notice".

"The protest would be semi-spontaneous and more than likely happen on short notice," Victor Joseph wrote in an email obtained by CBS News.

"Beginning Thursday, all major crimes detectives are required to bring a full uniform and any issued protective equipment (riot gear) with them to work until further notice."

Police officers said the move was a precaution and was not based on specific intelligence of the president's intentions.

Wendell Hissrich, public safety director, said police constantly evaluate and prepare for possible events.

In this case, he said, they had not assessed the credibility of the potential for disturbances, and "do not have any knowledge of the president's decision-making process".

The Russia investigation continues to cast a long shadow over the White House. In a statement announcing the hiring of Mr Giuliani, Mr Trump expressed his wish that the investigation wrap up soon.

"Rudy is great," he said. "He has been my friend for a long time and wants to get this matter quickly resolved for the good of the country."

The Russia investigation is expected to report its findings to deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein some time this year.

 Daily Telegraph, London

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): In a student-led study, one hour of mindfulness meditation shown to reduce anxiety and some cardiovascular risk markers.

It sounds like a late-night commercial: In just one hour you can reduce your anxiety levels and some heart health risk factors.

But a recent study with 14 participants shows preliminary data that even a single session of meditation can have cardiovascular and psychological benefits for adults with mild to moderate anxiety.

John Durocher, assistant professor of biological sciences, is presenting the work of a team of Michigan Technological University researchers about mindfulness meditation and its ability to reduce anxiety at the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting April 21-25 in San Diego, which is attended by approximately 14,000 people.

In Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Aortic Pulsatile Load and Anxiety in Mild to Moderately Anxious Adults, Durocher, along with fellow researchers Hannah Marti, a recent Michigan Tech graduate, Brigitte Morin, lecturer in biological science and Travis Wakeham, a graduate student, explains the finding that 60 minutes after meditating the 14 study participants showed lower resting heart rates and reduction in aortic pulsatile loadthe amount of change in blood pressure between diastole and systole of each heartbeat multiplied by heart rate. Additionally, shortly after meditating, and even one week later, the group reported anxiety levels were lower than pre-meditation levels.

Even a single hour of meditation appears to reduce anxiety and some of the markers for cardiovascular risk, Durocher says.

While its well-documented that meditation over the course of several weeks reduces anxiety, there have been few comprehensive research studies on the benefits of a single meditation session. Durochers team wanted to understand the effect of acute mindfulness on cognition and the cardiovascular system to improve how anti-anxiety therapies and interventions are designed.

Studying the physiological effects of mindfulness meditation

Durocher said the study hinged on a research design proposed by recent graduate Hannah Marti 17. Marti, who graduated from Michigan Tech with a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, will begin medical school in July at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Marti designed the mindfulness study to include three sessions:

An orientation session during which researchers measured anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and conducted cardiovascular testing by measuring heart rate variability, resting blood pressure and pulse wave analysis;

A meditation session that included repetition of the cardiovascular testing plus the mindfulness meditation20 minutes introductory meditation, 30 minutes body scan and 10 minutes self-guided meditationas well as repeating cardiovascular measurements immediately following meditation and 60 minutes after;

A post-meditation anxiety test one week later.

During a body scan, the participant is asked to focus intensely on one part of the body at a time, beginning with the toes. By focusing on individual parts of the body, a person can train his or her mind to pivot from detailed attention to a wider awareness from one moment to the next.

"The point of a body scan is that if you can focus on one single part of your body, just your big toe, it can make it much easier for you to deal with something stressful in your life. You can learn to focus on one part of it rather than stressing about everything else in your life."Hannah Marti

One participant in the study commented that following the session they were the least stressed theyd been in a decade.

Durocher says Marti was capable of designing such a study because of her experiences with research during her undergraduate studies at Michigan Tech and by securing support through two Pavlis Honors College and Portage Health Foundation internships.

She had some experience during the first internship so she could propose her own study for the second one, he says. I helped to make minor adjustments, but Hannah did much of this project on her own.

New avenues of research in the health sciences at Michigan Tech

The single session mindfulness meditation study and the NIH-funded study to come (see sidebar), are excellent examples of the emphasis on student participation in research at Michigans northern-most public university.

In Michigan Techs health science research programs, I want our students to get hands-on experience that they can carry into their futures, gaining experiences to advance their educational careers or their professional careers, Durocher says. When they go for an interview, they have something real to talk about, theres substance.

Marti says this has been her experience.

I had so much to talk about in my medical school interviews, she says. I didnt have to say I just helped the professor do this, because with Dr. Durochers help, I was able to do most of the research myself.

Case in point, Durocher notes that nearly 20 former students who participated in laboratory research with him have gone on to physical therapy programs, medical school or to pursue a research doctorate.

And just as important, after students move on to the next chapter of their lives, there remains the legacy of their involvement in research: research designs are used in future projects and upcoming students will carry the research forward.
Image: NASA website

Washington, Apr 21 (IBNS): In the American Southwest and in northwestern Mexico, more than half the annual rainfall often comes in the form of the torrential and unpredictable downpours of the North American monsoon.

As in monsoon seasons across the tropics, a summertime reversal of winds carries streams of moisture from over the oceans or, in this case, the Gulf of California and Gulf of Mexico, and unceremoniously dumps them on the sunbaked land.

Perhaps the least understood and most erratic weather pattern in the United States, the monsoon brings precipitation that is vital to agriculture and the ecosystem, but it also presents serious threats to life, limb, and property. Severe flash-flooding is common. Roads are washed out, NASA .

Miles away from the cloudburst, dry gulches become raging torrents in seconds.

The storms are often accompanied by driving winds, hail, and barrages of lightning strikes.

The monsoon is pretty nasty stuff, pretty ugly, says Ivory Small, science and operations officer for the National Weather Service at the San Diego Weather Forecast Office, noting a recent death during a flash flood in Mt. Baldy, just northeast of Los Angeles.

Smalls office is one of two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Forecast Offices benefiting from the Next-Generation Real-Time Geodetic Station Sensor Web for Natural Hazards Research and Applications project, funded by NASAs Earth Science Technology Office. The four-year project, intended to develop a network of sensors to provide advance warning of potentially dangerous weather and seismic events, kicked off in mid-2012, and a year later, the San Diego and Los Angeles/Oxnard Weather Forecast Offices were benefiting from more accurate monsoon forecasting.

The project takes advantage of the fact that scientific GPS calculations have to account for any signal delays caused by humidity. When we solve for position, we automatically have to solve for the delay caused by water vapor, says Angelyn Moore, research scientist with the Geodynamics and Space Geodesy Group at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Moore, the projects co-investigator, introduced the idea of including a meteorological product alongside the projects seismological plans and got the National Weather Service Forecast Offices involved.

Other partners include the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, which is tracking seismological events like tremors and earthquakes, and NOAAs Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, which has, since the early 2000s, provided half-hourly water vapor estimates from a nationwide GPS network to forecasters and for assimilation into NOAAs weather models.

Under the project, 37 GPS stations have been added to NOAAs meteorological GPS network in Southern California, outfitted with either onsite or nearby meteorological sensors.

The GPS stations calculate moisture indirectly based on how long it takes for the time-stamped signals from the GPS satellite network to reach them.

The signals are sent on two frequencies, which interact differently with the troposphere, where moisture resides, and the ionosphere, where ionic activity can also delay signals.

The charged ionosphere is dispersive, making the delay different for the two frequencies, whereas in the neutral, non-dispersive troposphere, the delay is the same for both. Under the hood, when we do the calculation, we can tell the difference between the two sources of delay, Moore says.

Combined with temperature and pressure data also collected at each site, the results are used to calculate what are known as integrated precipitable water (IPW) estimates, which are broadcast every half-hour, and Moore says the team is working to get the interval down to five minutes.

Technology Transfer

NASA wanted a technology developed by the Agency thats useful to somebody outside NASA, Moore says of the projects origins. She notes that NASA, and particularly the Earth Science Technology Office, has long worked to help the public predict and respond to natural hazards.

The entire project builds on a network of GPS stations installed in the 1990s for the study of seismic movement and later also used to gather some meteorological data. The geodetic modules developed by the team at Scripps calculate the IPW estimates onsite and transmit them, rather than sending raw data back to a central facility for interpretation. Each site individually computes its location and water vapor and transmits that directly, Moore says.

The system is still considered a prototype and a test bed for developing and demonstrating the technology, which is likely to later be more heavily integrated into local forecasters tools and NOAAs Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System.

Benefits

On the afternoon of July 18, 2013, weather balloon soundings indicated enough monsoonal moisture from the Gulf of Mexico had reached Yuma, Arizona, to cause heavy rains, but it had not, or at least not yet, arrived in San Diego. It was early in the monsoon season, which in Southern California runs from July until mid-September.

In meteorology, we try to determine how much rain we can get out of the atmosphere by looking at how much moisture is in the atmosphere, Small says. When we see IPW really start to go up on the GPS data, thats when we can make some decisions on how much rain were going to get and if we should issue a flash flood watch.

Whether that moisture is coming from the Gulf of Mexico or the Gulf of California, theres little warning due to scarce meteorological observations in Mexico.

Before the Earth System Research Laboratory started incorporating data from the meteorological GPS network, forecasters in Southern California relied on data from four weather balloon sites in San Diego, Yuma, Phoenix, and Las Vegas, which report twice a day. Now, though, there were five GPS stations along the Mexican border between Yuma and San Diego, transmitting data every half hour.

By the morning of July 19, the balloon sounding at San Diego showed the moisture had arrived, but it would have been difficult to characterize its movement and extent because no data were available yet from Yuma. Using the GPS dataset, though, forecasters were able to track moisture distribution in real time. Water vapor content began to spike around El Centro, California, between San Diego and Yuma, to levels higher than at either of those other cities.

Based on the information, a flash flood watch was eventually issued for the area, followed, indeed, by several flash flooding events carrying large rocks into the roadway, including two that trapped about 30 drivers on Route 78 northeast of San Diego and another that strewed debris across Sunrise Highway, just east of the city.

It definitely contributed to their ability to have situational awareness as to how vapor was moving around and to predict flash flooding, Moore says.

Small says the enhanced density of sensor sites and frequency of reports has demonstrably helped the office with its most important public safety function of issuing flash flood watches and warnings during fast-changing and hard-to-predict events like monsoons. We can let them know which days are not good days for hiking in the canyons and mountains in our deserts.

The offices warnings and forecasts go out to all local television and radio stations. Its a big hit with the forecasters, Small says of the new system.

Forecasters are now working with the project scientists to refine the interpretation of data and develop tools to use it, including the IPW tools being planned for a revision to NOAAs weather processing system.

Meanwhile, with the accelerometer sensors in the GPS network, which detect seismic motion, JPL and Scripps hope to demonstrate a technology that could save lives in the event of an earthquake.

india blThe ability to predict the arrival and intensity of the quake that follows a primary wave would leave between half a minute and a minute and a half, depending on a population centers distance from the quake, to shut down elevators and gas lines, bring bullet trains to a halt, cease any surgical operations, and otherwise take potentially lifesaving precautions, Moore says. There are a lot of things you can do if you have 3090 seconds.
New Delhi, Apr 21 (IBNS): After concluding his three-nation tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday returned to the country.

Modi was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the Delhi airport.

Sweden, the UK and Germany were the three nations where Modi had visited.

He had also participated in the Commonwealth Summit in the UK along with several other global leaders.

Modi, during his stay in the UK, met his British counterpart Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth.

His interaction with German Chancellor Angela Merkel was evident during his stay in Germany on Friday.
Raipur, Apr 21 (IBNS): A Central Rserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier was killed in an encounter with Maoists in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, according to media reports on Saturday.

Chhattisgarh Police and the CRPF personnel were carrying out a search operation in Sukma on Friday when a gun fight broke out between the security personnel and alleged terrorists.

The CRPF jawan lost is life during the encounter, reports said.
Patna, Apr 21 (IBNS) : Former Finance Minister and dissident BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha on Saturday announced his decision to quit the party, ending speculations over his sustained diatribe against the Narendra Modi Government.

Making the announcement in Patna, Sinha said he would not be joining any political party, but work towards protecting democracy.

I am declaring from this stage today that I am discontinuing my association with BJP...today I am ending all ties with the BJP," he said at an event, which was attended by several non BJP parties, including Congress, to discuss alternative political platform.

The meeting has been called under the banner of Rashtra Manch, floated by him and another rebel BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha, to discuss present political scenario and the future course of action.

Speaking at the programme, Sinha accused the government of not allowing the budget session in Parliament to run. I can say with full responsibility that the Indian government did not let the House run. "The government did not care that the Budget Session was being stalled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not call a single meeting with the Opposition to discuss their issues."

Attacking the government, Sinha said that the democratic institutions are being undermined, cites the press conference called by four senior judges of the Supreme Court. He also hits out at the government for the Election Commission.

Yashwant Sinha was external affairs minister under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ( 2002-04) and finance minister in the same government from 1998-2002 .
New Delhi, Apr 21 (IBNS) : The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance for death penalty to those convicted of raping minors below 12 years of age, media reports said.

The significant move came amid the nationwide outrage over the series of incidents of sexual assault of minor girls, including the one in Kathua.

Through this ordinance, the government amends the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012, allowing courts to award death penalty to those convicted for raping children below 12 years.

The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval

Presently under the POCSO Act, the maximum punishment for aggravated assault on minors is life in jail. The minimum sentence is seven years in jail.

Even while the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi met to discuss the issue, the rape and murder of an four-month-old infant in Indore sent fresh shockwaves across the country.
New Delhi, Apr 21 (IBNS): President of India Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the 17th convocation of the Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha in New Delhi on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Lal Bahadur Shastri was a national icon and an exemplar of simple living, sacrifice and virtue.

He was an embodiment of Indian values, and associated with the founding of the Vidyapeetha.

Students of this institution have the responsibility of imbibing his ideals in their everyday lives and spreading these in society.

The President said that the main purpose of education should be to build character and make a person sensitive and empathetic.

An educated person is one who has a sense of philanthropy and commitment to public interest.

The President said the Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeetha has established a healthy tradition of academics, research and publications in the past 55 years. He was happy that this Vidyapeetha has a modern science faculty and that students are studying contemporary topics like environmental sciences and human rights.

He was also happy to note that there is a Centre for Computer Applications as well.

He said modern technology should be used for the promotion of Sanskrit.

In this context, he commended the efforts of the Vidyapeetha.
New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): The arrival of pre-monsoon rains in southern Bangladesh has revealed an alarming level of risks for Rohingya refugees, United Nations humanitarian agencies said on Friday, warning that they do not have the funds needed to protect hundreds of thousands of desperate people once the rainy season begins in earnest.

The arrival of the rains marks the start of what is going to be an incredibly challenging period for the refugees and those working to support them, said John McCue, an official at the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM), in Coxs Bazar, where more than 700,000 refugees are living in overcrowded camps.

The worst is yet to come when cyclone and monsoon seasons hit in the coming weeks.

UN agencies and their partners have some heavy machinery and road clearing equipment, with more are expected to arrive. But humanitarian workers are facing severe shortage when it comes to other vital resources.

To date, just seven per cent of the UN migration agencys $182 million appeal for 2018 has been secured.

The grim reality is that most [refugees] are living under tarpaulins on highly unstable ground and are going to have to survive months of rain, floods, landslides and possible cyclones. They are in desperate need of support and protection and we simply do not have the funding we need to deliver a fraction of what is required, said Mr. McCue.

Impossible to predict at-risk areas

Furthermore, the sheer scale of the crisis and the short period of time in which it unfolded has had a major impact on the topography of the area.

Trees and vegetation had to be cleared to set up shelters and as a result ,it is now impossible to predict where the most severe weather-related damage will occur, officials say.

Conservative estimates suggest 120,000 people will be at grave risk from flooding and landslides when monsoon proper hits.

However, one thing is certain: protecting almost a million people from the life-threatening dangers of cyclones and other disasters far exceeds current financial resources and pledges.

Working flat out amid limited resources

In spite of the severe funding shortage, IOM and partners on the ground, including the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) are working flat out to prepare.

IOM is setting up sites across the camps stocked with emergency supplies to ensure that even if areas are temporarily cut off, people will still have access to aid. Teams of porters have also been readied to bring in supplies on foot, if roads are damaged.

UN agencies are also supporting the relocation of thousands of families from areas deemed most at risk and helping communities strengthen their resilience. They are also training refugees in first aid, search and rescue, and early warning systems as part of a cyclone preparedness programme.



UNICEF/Sujan




New York, Apr 21 (IBNS): Transforming pineapple skins into product packaging or using potato peels for fuel may sound far-fetched, but such innovations are gaining traction as it becomes clear that an economy based on cultivation and use of biomass can help tackle pollution and climate change, the United Nations agriculture agency said on Friday.

A sustainable bioeconomy, which uses biomass  organic materials, such as plants and animals and fish  as opposed to fossil resources to produce food and non-food goods is foremost about nature and the people who take care of and produce biomass, a senior UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) official said at the 2018 Global Bioeconomy Summit in Berlin, Germany.

This means family farmers, forest people and fishers, who are also holders of important knowledge on how to manage natural resources in a sustainable way, she explained.

Maria Helena Semedo, FAO Deputy Director-General for Climate and Natural Resources, stressed how the agency not only works with member States and other partners across the conventional bioeconomy sectors  agriculture, forestry and fisheries  but also relevant technologies, such as biotechnology and information technology to serve agricultural sectors.

We must foster internationally-coordinated efforts and ensure multi-stakeholder engagement at local, national and global levels, she said, noting that this requires measurable targets, means to fulfil them and cost-effective ways to measure progress.

With innovation playing a key role in the bio sector, she said, all the knowledge  traditional and new  should be equally shared and supported.

Although there is enough food being produced to feed the planet, often due to a lack of access, estimates show that some 815 million people are chronically undernourished.

Bioeconomy can improve access to food, such as through additional income from the sale of bio-products, said Semedo.

She also noted its potential contribution to addressing climate change, albeit with a warning against oversimplification.

Just because a product is bio does not mean it is good for climate change, it depends on how it is produced, and in particular on much and what type of energy is used in the process, she explained.

FAO has a longstanding and wide experience in supporting family farmers and other small-scale biomass producers and businesses.

Ms. Semedo, told the summit that with the support of Germany, FAO, together with an international working group, is currently developing sustainable bioeconomy guidelines.

Some 25 cases from around the world have already been identified to serve as successful bioeconomy examples to develop good practices.

A group of women fishers in Zanzibar are producing cosmetics from algae  opening up a whole new market with sought-after niche products; in Malaysia, a Government programme supports community-based bioeconomy; and in Colombia, a community is transforming pineapple skins into biodegradable packaging and honey into royal jelly  and these are just a few examples of a bioeconomy in action.

Together, let's harness the development for sustainable bioeconomy for all and leave no one behind, concluded Ms. Semedo.

FAO/Ezequiel Becerra
Seoul, Apr 21 (IBNS): In a major development, North Korea has announced that it will suspend nuclear and missile tests in the country, media reports said.

The country has also decided to shut down a nuclear test site, reports said.

The announcement was made by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," the Korean Central News Agency said as quoted by South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.

"The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear test," it added.

Meanwhile, in a significant development, South and Korean authorities are all set to set up a telephone line between the two leaders of the nation, media reports said.

The telephone line is installed to enable direct dialogue between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, as per media reports.

"The hotline between the leaders will be connected tomorrow and working-level officials will conduct a trial call," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom was quoted as saying by South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The two Koreas have agreed that President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will hold telephone talks before the summit, reported the news agency.

However, the date for the telephone talks between the two leaders has not been fixed so far.

The move has been made just days before South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are set to meet in person on Apr 27.
Kabul, Apr 21 (IBNs): At least six Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel were killed during a clash with Taliban terrorists in Sayyad district of northern Sar-i-Pul province of Afghanistan, media reports said on Saturday.

The deceased included three Taliban terrorists as well.

Governor Mohammad Zahir Wahdat told Afghanistan-based Pajhwok Afghan News the militants stormed a security check-post in the Toblaq area of the district late on Friday night.

At least six ALP men and three militants were killed, he told the news agency.

He said the ALP post remained under Talibans control and the three-hour firefight.

Following the arrival of reinforcement, the post was later taken into control by security forces.
Ottawa, Apr 20 (IBNS): Liberal supporters had been reportedly pushing the Canadian government to take radical steps to solve the opioid crisis, decriminalize the purchase of sex and increase the accessibility of free medicines.

These views were aired by about 3,000 registered Liberal supporters who attended a session on the protection of the environment and economy growth at the Federal Liberal National Convention in Halifax, Nova Scotia, today, media reports said.

In some cases, the federal government had been pushing back on a proposal to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of all drugs.

Currently we treat patients as criminals and harm the very people we want to save, Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith said at a workshop on health and social policy today. [Prohibition] doesnt work, Canadians continue to use drugs and Canadians continue to die.

Canada health minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor said a number of necessary steps had been taken by the federal government to deal with the opioid crisis, including easing restrictions on methadone and prescription heroin.

Canada and Portugal are two very different countries, she told reporters. Its not about adopting one model and bringing it to Canada, we have to look at what can be effective and efficient for Canada.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Ill admit that if you look closely enough  OK, maybe you dont even have to look all that closely  youll see dust bunnies. And sand tracked in on the porch. Oh, yeah, and fingerprints on the windows.

So, in other words, my house is not quite spotless.
The IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) website is not without flaws, allowing anyone with basic hacking skills to order food for free. Kanishk Sajnani, an Ahmedabad-based ethical hacker, recently demonstrated just how it's done.

You must be familiar with the 22-year-old boy when he broke into the online portal of Air India and just for Re 1, he booked a flight from Mumbai to San Francisco.

Kanishk Sajnani/facebook

Also read: Instead Of Duping Air India & Other Airlines, This Ethical Indian Hacker Decided To Help Them

Recently, thanks to the many loopholes in the IRCTC website, Sajnani was able to order food for a few bucks while travelling to Mumbai.

Interestingly, even though he informed the authorities of these anomalies, no one acted upon it for seven months. He even informed the officials that their other two websites IRCTC Tourism and IRCTC Corporate were also vulnerable. While anomalies for the e-catering website were rectified, the other two websites still remain exposed.

reuters

Realising the shortcomings in June 2017, the boy had informed the Chairman of the corporation on June 14 and the then Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on June 25. He had even tweeted the Ministry of Railways on July 5 but to no avail.

He then proceeded to order food from the website while travelling to Mumbai. He ordered kadhai chicken for Rs 1.3 that he paid online via MobiKwik, and ordered butter naan for Rs 6.12, paid via PayTm. The actual prices of these two dishes were Rs 163 and Rs 68 respectively.

reuters

He told Ahmedabad Mirror, I was waiting for IRCTC to take corrective action so that the flaw could not be misused. They repaired the breach on February 3, 2018.

Sajnani didnt eat the food instead gave it to a homeless person outside the Mumbai Central Station.

Using two mobile wallets proved that the problem lay with the website. Also, the website was not protected by HTTPS secure transfer protocol but was running only on HTTP.

Also read: This Group Of Ethical Hackers From Chennai Is Safeguarding Servers Across The World

So, basically, anyone with basic hacking skills can fool the IRCTC websites and order food by paying almost nothing. The self-taught hacker did his part; here's hoping the remaining websites are protected soon.
Daily subway commuters have a lot to complain about. Long waiting lines, jam-packed compartments, smelly co-passengers, delayed trains are just some of the difficulties they face. It's not easy to be a metro traveller, you need truckloads of patience.

AFP

Also read: A Giant Farm In China Breeds 6 Billion Cockroaches A Year For Cutting Edge Medicinal Research

But in China, it seems passengers have a little less complaining to do since their daily commute is a joyride. The Chongqing Rail Transit Line 2 in Chongqing in China not only transports people from point A to point B but also adds a thrilling experience to their travelling.

Which is nothing short of a roller coaster ride!

The tracks, for instance, are uncannily similar to those of a roller coaster tracks. On top of that, the train passes through an apartment building - yes, straight through it!

The video, posted by People's Daily, China gives us a glimpse into the adventurous journey.

Also read: Gusty Winds Unleash Havoc, Destroy 23-Storey Wooden Tower In China Within Seconds

Not sure how feasible this would be for India, but given China's mad technological wonders, we could be a tad bit behind in mastering this expertise.
India is one of the biggest developing economies in the world, leading to an exponential growth and difference in its lifestyle of men and women. While Indian society has evolved a lot in the past few decades, there still is a stark irony seen in the position of all women in India. Despite an urban section of the society is headed in the direction of increasing progress, the other section that is ruled by poverty still has not developed enough to let its women be educated.

In parts of the country, women are achieving all that they have not been allowed to achieve so far, while in other remote, less developed parts, women strive to even finish their primary education. This has caused a severe lack of awareness among them, especially regarding their health.

Age is a number

image: humans of bombay

This is when people like Suhani Jalota come in  to not just spread health awareness among them, but help them get educated, sustain their lives, and bring the real power in the hands of the ladies. Having studied economics in the US, Jalota has been helping women from the underprivileged section of the society since she was 15, has been volunteering for many social causes, working towards women empowerment in India and even has founded her own NGO called Myna Mahila Foundation, all this at a young age of 23!

And if we thought that was a lot to achieve, wait for this  she has met Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and also been invited to the Royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle  all because of her contribution towards uplifting the women. Her foundation is focused towards empowering women to speak about issues they are most afraid to discuss aloud just like the chatty Myna bird, Jalota told us.

Life-changing encounters

Image: Suhani Jalota

We employ women from urban slums in Mumbai to manufacture and sell affordable sanitary pads back into their communities, improving menstrual hygiene, providing stable employment she shared with us. She happened to meet Meghan Markle at one of the social functions when she was visiting India and had the opportunity to present her initiative to her. She had heard about it and when we met, she really liked the idea of spreading menstrual hygiene awareness among women and equipping them with nominal rate sanitary pads made by women, and for women, Jalota said.

After her meeting with Meghan Markle, the Myna Mahila Foundation being selected as one of the 7 charitable organisations that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to channel their wedding gifts and funds and for all her work. The Royal couple has decided that the guests who wish to gift them anything can donate the amount worth the gift for a noble cause. They have given us a platform so huge, I am extremely grateful that we were chosen for this, she said. Meghan later also visited one of her workshops in Mumbai and watched the women making low-cost sanitary pads themselves.

Image: The Royal Family/Facebook

Soaring ahead

While last year there was news that thousands of NGOs were banned from receiving any donations from foreign donors, there still are social service group like Jalotas that have no problems in taking their cause forward with the help for foreign donors. The NGOs, banned on various grounds that were unacceptable, faced this punishment.

Currently, Myna is tackling the very issue of menstrual hygiene management at its roots. Working within Mumbais slum dwellers communities, Myna is helping to raise awareness around menstruation and in bringing affordable sanitary products directly to the women in need, Jalota told us.

Image: Myna Mahila Foundation

She also shared that manufacturing low cost high quality sanitary napkins, more affordable than what is already present on the market and selling them on a door-to-door scheme, Myna is able to reach out to women who would usually not step out of their house, out of shame among other reasons, to go buy pads at a nearby chemist and start the conversation to break the taboo about periods, she said.
While Israel is being criticised for using brutal force against the Palestinian protesters from Gaza, who are agitating against the blockade that has been there for more than a decade now. According to various media reports Gaza has become one of the most inhabitable places in the world. Nevertheless, the resilient Palestinians are doing whatever they can to let the world know about their condition. There seems to be no dearth of innovation as they make use of almost all the available material to make protection masks for them. take a look.

1. Bottle With Cotton and Coal

Palestinian boy Mazen Al-Najar covers his face with a bottle, with cotton and coal, to protect himself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip.

Reuters

2. Plastic and an Onion

Palestinian woman Jehad Abu Mehsen coversher nose with a piece of plastic and an onion to protect herself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip

Reuters

3. Using Pomelo

A Palestinian boy covers his nose with part of a pomelo to protect himself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip.

Reuters

4. Using Onion

A Palestinian boy wears a mask with an onion to protect himself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border.

Reuters

5. Plastic Cup filled with Perfume and Cotton

A Palestinian demonstrator wearing a mask covers his nose with a plastic cup filled with perfume and cotton to protect himself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops.

Reuters

6. Cotton Clothes

A Palestinian girl wears a mask to protect herself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip.

Reuters

7. Bottle And An Onion

A Palestinian man covers his nose with part of a bottle and an onion to protect himself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip.

Reuters

8. Tire with Onions

A Palestinian demonstrator shouts as he carries a tire with onions during clashes with Israeli troops at a protest at the Israel-Gaza border.

Reuters

9. A Palestinian medic wears a mask to protect herself from inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops.

Reuters

10. A boy wears a mask to protect himself from inhaling tear gas during a protest at the Israel-Gaza border.

Reuters

11. A Palestinian demonstrator wears a mask with a tire during a protest.

Reuters
As of today April 20, Prisoners United reports that the jail administration has yet to enter into negotiations with prisoners on the 6th day of a hunger strike. On April 15th, prisoners began a hunger strike in protest of solitary confinement, grievance system negligence, and meaningless classification reviews, among other injustices.

Prisoners message via video: https://youtu.be/QoPxl2mpFGM Currently, the jail administration has yet to make any negotiations. As of today April 20, Prisoners United will be assessing day to day whether or not they will continue to strike but are prepared to strike for another seven days and/or until Sheriff Laurie Smith begins negotiations.Hunger Strikers have suggested that they understand that meeting demands will take time and that they would be content if everyone currently in Solitary Confinement/Administrative Segregation and/or classified as Maximum Security "Red Tops" be released from solitary and re-classified as Medium Security "Orange Tops" as a good faith effort to meet demands.On Monday April 23, a magistrate judge is scheduled to hold a mediation session on solitary confinement issues in Santa Clara County concerning the Chavez Vs. Santa Clara County Class Action lawsuit. The Prison Law Office which has taken on the suit is hoping to get some clarity from the countys position as they have not made any commitments.
Poland: police confiscate journalist's computer equipment AP - Sun Oct 3, 8:47AM CDT WARSAW, Poland (AP)  Police confiscated the computer equipment of a journalist working for a leading newspaper in Poland which has carried out investigations of the country's right-wing government. $SPX : 4,357.04 (+1.15%) $DOWI : 34,326.46 (+1.43%) $IUXX : 14,791.87 (+0.70%) DISCA : 25.74 (+1.42%)

Distribution problems, hesitancy slow Uganda vaccination bid AP - Sun Oct 3, 1:21AM CDT GULU, Uganda (AP)  The light bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered on and off, infuriating the technician in this remote Ugandan town as he checked the refrigerators filled with vaccine doses to confirm... $SPX : 4,357.04 (+1.15%) $DOWI : 34,326.46 (+1.43%) $IUXX : 14,791.87 (+0.70%)

Tesla reports stronger-than-expected Q3 sales AP - Sat Oct 2, 1:08PM CDT PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP)  Tesla says it delivered 241,300 electric vehicles in the third quarter even as it wrestled with a global shortage of computer chips that has hit the entire auto industry. $SPX : 4,357.04 (+1.15%) $DOWI : 34,326.46 (+1.43%) $IUXX : 14,791.87 (+0.70%) TSLA : 775.22 (-0.03%)

UK extends truck driver visa program as fuel crisis persists AP - Sat Oct 2, 11:00AM CDT LONDON (AP)  The British government has extended an emergency visa program for truck drivers as fuel shortages showed few signs of abating Saturday, particularly in London and the southeast of England.... $SPX : 4,357.04 (+1.15%) $DOWI : 34,326.46 (+1.43%) $IUXX : 14,791.87 (+0.70%)

USDA reports spark wheat rally Sidwell Strategies - Sat Oct 2, 8:32AM CDT 19-year low in wheat output and 14-year low in stocks

Corn Higher into Weekend Barchart - Fri Oct 1, 4:43PM CDT Friday s finish saw the board 4 3/4 to 6 cents in the black on the day. For the week, December corn futures traded with a 24 1/2 cent range and a net 16 3/4 cent gain. December was a net 2 1/2 cents... ZCZ21 : 541-4s (+0.88%) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.1834 (+0.48%) ZCH22 : 549-6s (+0.96%) ZCZ21 : 541-4s (+0.88%)

Soybeans Red into Weekend Barchart - Fri Oct 1, 4:43PM CDT Soybean futures closed the last trade day of the week with 5 1/4 to 9 1/2 cent losses. For the week, November soybean futures gave back 37 1/2 during a 55 cent range week. During the month of September,... XRG22 : 635.00s (+0.79%) RSX21 : 903.10s (+1.07%) ZSX21 : 1246-4s (-0.76%) ZSPAUS.CM : 11.9884 (-0.92%) ZSF22 : 1256-4s (-0.71%) ZSX21 : 1246-4s (-0.76%)
What Is an Affirmative Covenant?

An affirmative covenant is a type of promise or contract that requires a party to adhere to certain terms. For example, an affirmative bond covenant could provide that an issuer maintain adequate levels of insurance or deliver audited financial statements.

Affirmative covenants, which require an issuer to perform certain actions or meet specific benchmarks, may be contrasted with restrictive or negative covenants, which instead disallow the issuer from engaging in certain actions.

Key Takeaways Affirmative covenants are legal promises to engage in certain activities or meet certain benchmarks added to a financial contract that an issuer must follow.

Affirmative covenants are essentially protections for investors, if there are problems with the company the covenant calls for remediation.

In recent times, investors have taken a more lax attitude towards affirmative covenants.

Affirmative (or positive) covenants can be compared to restrictive (or negative) covenants, which require a party to cease or avoid doing something, such as selling certain assets.

Understanding Affirmative Covenants

A covenant attached to a financial instrument is a promise or indenture imposed on the issuer mandating that certain activities, thresholds, or milestones will or will not be carried out or met. Covenants in finance most often relate to terms in a debt contract, such as a loan document or bond issue stating the limits at which the borrower can further lend. If a covenant is broken, the lender typically has the right to call back the obligation from the borrower and/or face other predefined penalties. In bond agreements, both affirmative and restrictive covenants are used to protect the interests of both issuer and bondholder.

An affirmative or positive covenant is a clause that requires a borrower to perform specific actions. Examples of affirmative covenants include requirements to maintain adequate levels of insurance, requirements to furnish audited financial statements to the lender, compliance with applicable laws, and maintenance of proper accounting books and credit rating, if applicable. Additional examples of affirmative covenants include obligating the issuer to return the principal of a loan at maturity or maintain its underlying assets or specific collateral, such as real estate or equipment

A violation of an affirmative covenant ordinarily results in outright default. Certain loan contracts may contain clauses that provide a borrower with a grace period to remedy the violation. If not corrected, creditors are entitled to announce default and demand immediate repayment of principal and any accrued interest.

Affirmative Covenants and Leveraged Loans

In September 2017, Bloomberg ran an article about the lack of affirmative (or restrictive) covenants in many new offerings. The term covenant-lite has been used to describe several new leveraged loans. Without such protections, a firm could potentially rack up a significant amount of debt without regard for performance. The relaxed atmosphere for such terms has created the perception that a loan must be of poor quality if a borrower has to resort to covenants at all. Currently, several lenders do not even require that the issuer meet periodic performance goals (also known as maintenance covenants).

While bets of this nature are safer for larger and more established companies with regular cash flows (like blue-chip companies), some investors, for instance, are concerned about loans to middle-market borrowers. These companies have earnings under $50 million, giving them less wiggle room to recover from a costly error and increase their risk of default.

Examples of Affirmative Covenants

In a March 2018 report by Mayer Brown LLP on high yield bonds by German real estate companies, the firm noted that another player, the Luxembourg-based Corestate Capital Holding S.A. (S&P: BB+) joined the group of real estate companies issuing debt. These notes represent a junior portion of a firms overall capital structure. Unlike traditional high yield bonds, the notes issued by Corestate Capital would not be callable prior to maturity. At the same time, German law stated that they could not contain a full, traditional high yield covenant package. No limitations were to be placed on Corestate to restrict distributions from its subsidiaries. In addition, there is no affiliate transactions covenant.

Another example involves the case of apparel retailer J.Crew Group, Inc. Faced with declining sales and impatient lenders in 2017, the clothing retailer created an unregistered subsidiary to hold its intellectual property. The new subsidiary was then used as collateral to secure another loan for the company. As a result of J Crew's move, investors in companies began including a covenant known as the J.Crew blocker, which prevented companies from carrying out such moves in the future.
What Is a Minsky Moment?

Minsky Moment refers to the onset of a market collapse brought on by the reckless speculative activity that defines an unsustainable bullish period. Minsky Moment is named after economist Hyman Minsky and defines the point in time where the sudden decline in market sentiment inevitably leads to a market crash.

Key Takeaways Minsky Moment refers to the onset of a market collapse brought on by the reckless speculative activity that defines an unsustainable bullish period.

Minsky Moment crises generally occur because investors, engaging in excessively aggressive speculation, take on additional credit risk during bull markets.

Minsky Moment defines the tipping point when speculative activity reaches an extreme that is unsustainable, leading to rapid price deflation and unpreventable market collapse.

Understanding Minsky Moment

A Minsky Moment is based on the idea that periods of bullish speculation, if they last long enough, will eventually lead to crisis, and the longer the speculation occurs, the more severe the crisis will be. Hyman Minsky's main claim to economic theory fame was centered around the concept of the inherent instability of markets, especially bull markets. He felt that extended bull markets always end in epic collapses.

Minsky postulated that an abnormally long bullish economic growth cycle will spur an asymmetric rise in market speculation that will, eventually, result in market instability and collapse. A Minsky Moment crisis follows a prolonged period of bullish speculation, which is also associated with high amounts of debt taken on by both retail and institutional investors.

The term Minsky Moment was coined in 1998 by Paul McCulley, of PIMCO fame while referring to the Asian Debt Crisis of 1997. A dissection of the causes that led to this crisis put the preponderance of blame on speculators putting increasing pressure on dollar-pegged Asian currencies until they eventually collapsed.

Perhaps the most famous, or at least the most recent, crisis that brought Minsky Moment to the forefront, if for no other reason than as an example of the dangers of profligacy, was the 2008 financial crisis, also called the Great Recession. During the height of this crisis, a wide range of markets reached all-time lows, triggering a wave of margin calls, a massive selloff in assets to cover debts, and higher default rates.

Minsky Moment Catalysts and Effects

Minsky Moment crises generally occur because investors, engaging in excessively aggressive speculation, take on additional credit risk during prosperous times, or bull markets. The longer a bull market lasts, the more investors borrow to try and capitalize on market moves. Minsky Moment defines the tipping point when speculative activity reaches an extreme that is unsustainable, leading to rapid price deflation and unpreventable market collapse. What follows, as hypothesized by Hyman Minsky, is a prolonged period of instability.

As a hypothetical example, consider a market in the throes of a bullish surge that sees investors borrowing funds aggressively, often to the limits of their capabilities, to participate in the economic boom. If the market retraces slightly, which is normal market behavior, the valuations of their leveraged assets could decrease to the point where they might not cover the debts taken to acquire them. Lenders start calling in their loans. Speculative assets are hard to sell, so investors are forced to sell less speculative ones to satisfy the lender's demands. The sale of these investments causes an overall decline in the market. At this point, the market is in a Minsky Moment. The demand for liquidity might even force the country's central bank to intervene.

Is Another Minsky Moment Looming?

In 2017, several experts issued warnings of an approaching Minsky Moment in China as debt levels increased while equity market valuations maintained their bullish trend. The Chinese government has also issued warnings to investors of an impending Minsky Moment if debt levels continue to rise.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) joined the chorus in issuing global warnings of high debt levels that had the potential to result in Minsky Moment crises around the world. While this has not come to fruition yet, the warning signs are there. The U.S. has been experiencing an extended period of economic prosperity, debt levels are rising, and speculative activity is robust, although it does not appear to have reached the extreme levels that presage a Minsky Moment.
What to Know (and Do) If Youre Listed in ChexSystems

ChexSystems is a consumer credit reporting agency that tracks bank account activity. Learn how you can end up in ChexSystems and what to do ...
However, the move comes with a warning that the city faces crippling congestion unless it addresses its increasing transport demands.

It follows a special meeting of Cork City Council last night to discuss ongoing concerns about the new traffic arrangements on St Patricks St, which have been prioritising buses from 3pm to 6.30pm daily since March 27 as part of the 2013-agreed City Centre Movement Strategy (CCMS).

Despite early indications that some bus journeys were faster, traders said the ban has decimated afternoon footfall and trade.

In a detailed report last night, the councils director of services in the transportation directorate, Gerry OBeirne, said more than 100,000 vehicles enter the city a day, with many junctions operating beyond capacity. Two thirds of those vehicles do not stop on the island, but use it to travel north or south, he said.

After 3 weeks of controversy, the St Patricks St afternoon car ban has been paused (suspended) following a unanimous vote by #corkcc this evening #Cork pic.twitter.com/aoHD1RO84f  Eoin English (@EoinBearla) April 20, 2018

At the same time, the city is experiencing an historic surge in inward investment, said Mr OBeirne. There will be over 5,000 additional jobs in the city centre in the next 36 months.

It is critical for the future prosperity of the city for the related transport demands to be responded to in a managed way, he said.

In the absence of an effective response to the additional transport demands the city will experience crippling congestion and the potential for future growth and success will be significantly curtailed, said Mr OBeirne.

He said that since the car ban was introduced, bus journey times on the 208 route inbound from the west reduced by 13%, and by 28% inbound from the north. The 205 route also experienced reductions of up to 18%. And when concerns emerged about the impact of the ban, he said the council responded with parking incentives, boosting usage in the councils car parks by 13%.

Lord Mayor Cllr Tony Fitzgerald.

However, Lord Mayor Tony Fitzgerald then told councillors the initiative had created difficulties, and the council had listened carefully to the concerns voiced.

Councillors then voted unanimously to support his resolution to pause this phase of the CCMS until August 9 to allow for a comprehensive promotional campaign for the city, and a greater engagement to increase awareness of the CCMS.

Fianna Fail councillor Sean Martin called for independent consultants to be drafted in to help.

His party colleague, Tim Brosnan, revealed that, during the Part 8 planning process for this phase of the CCMS, no traders on St Patricks St made a submission.

Maybe it just passed them by. But we have to take some responsibility for that, he said.

Cork Business Association (CBA) CEO Lawrence Owens welcomed the vote.

We acknowledge that this was a difficult decision for the council, but it was the right one, he said.

It creates space and opportunity to sit down collectively, with all the stakeholders, and to take into account our customers views, and turn this negative into a positive. We must channel the energy of last three weeks into a positive message for Cork.

Cork Chamber President, Bill OConnell.

Cork Chamber president Bill OConnell, who called last weekend for the car ban to be given time, said he hopes the vote will provide space for sensible discussion ahead of an agreed recommencement.

There is a need for reflection on the lessons learned and for better-quality engagement and communication, he said.

However, UCCs Frank Crowley, an economics lecturer at UCC and a research associate at UCCs Spatial and Regional Economics Research Centre, warned of the long-term cost to the city of failing to introduce public transport priority measures.

The suspension of the measure has been made with no concrete evidence of any drawback other than the perceived negativity of the ban, which was driven largely by the CBA lobby, said Dr Crowley.

The costs of not progressing with such moves for improved public transport are considerable.

"Corks comparative advantage lies in the potential to have a liveable, healthy, and creative city over our competitors.

What has happened in this controversy is actually a resistance to that change and is in fact advocating the opposite of a liveable city model. Cork continues to be more car-dependent and continues to sprawl.
Slane publican Brian Kelly, aged 48, is now geared up to continue his charity fund-raising after a Co Kerry insurance firm came to his aid, enabling him to continue driving.

Mr Kelly hit the headlines last week after Liberty Insurance, with whom he had been a customer for 17 years, quoted him 19,368.26 to cover his 2007 1.6 litre Toyota Avensis for 12 months.
Irish troops withdrew from a UN camp 25km inside Syria in August 2014 after they and fellow UN peacekeepers came under sustained attack from al-Qaeda-linked Islamic extremists, amid a war in the region which has seen multiple factions fighting each other, including Islamic State (IS).

However, the Irish contingent did not leave until they bravely fought their way through the insurgent lines and freed 81 Filipino soldiers who had been under siege for three days.

It has now been revealed that some of the troops, who have since withdrawn to the relative safety of the Golan Heights, may be sent back to Syria.

The Irish troops are now mainly concentrated at Camp Ziouani (known in military terms as the Alpha side), which is on the strategic uplands of the disputed Golan Heights, between Israel and Syria.

There are currently 130 Irish Defence Forces personnel serving at that camp and they were first deployed in September 2013 to monitor the peace between the Israeli and Syrian soldiers  the latter have been tied up fighting against factions opposed to the rule of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.

While claim and counter-claim about his alleged chemical attacks on Syrian civilians continue to be argued between Russia and the western powers, the Defence Forces press office has revealed that Irish soldiers could move back deeper into Syria before the end of the year.

Some UN peacekeepers have managed to get back to Camp Faouar, 25km inside the Syrian border, and eight Irish Army personnel are already among them, including their force commander, Colonel Michael Dawson.

The Defence Forces Press Office (DFPO) said that since November 2016, the UN peacekeeping mission has commenced a phased conditions-based approach of incremental return to its original headquarters in Camp Faouar  a significantly more dangerous area than the Golan Heights.

The DFPO said the decision to move troops deeper inside the Syrian border is being based on continuous risk-assessment of the prevalent security conditions in that area of operations.

A spokesman said that troops from the Golan Heights were scheduled to return to Camp Faouar, but for operational reasons would not reveal the number who would be transferred to the base.

The spokesman said any movement of troops would be subject to the approval of minister of state for defence, Paul Keogh, and that certain infrastructural and security conditions are met at Camp Faouar.
Paul Foley, aged 38, with addresses at Comeragh Park, The Glen, Cork, and Lagan Grove, Mayfield, Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge that he did persistently make use of the phone for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to another, contrary to the Post and Telecommunication Services Act.

Foley also pleaded guilty to 13 counts of shoplifting. Judge Marie Keane imposed a total jail term of six months on him for all of the offences.

It is clear he is a prolific thief and a menace to businesses in the city, Judge Keane said yesterday.

Inspector John Deasy said that, after midnight on August 30, 2015, Garda Michelle Conway was on patrol when she received a call from the Garda control room of a report of a man with a shotgun in Lagan Grove, Mayfield.

On arrival at the scene, Garda Conway observed a marked patrol car driving into Shannon Lawn/Lagan Grove, said Insp Deasy.

Garda Conway then observed a male running from there onto North Ring Road. This male was dressed in black and had his face covered. He ran behind a bus shelter. Garda Conway approached this male, whom she knew as Paul Foley.

He did not have a weapon but on examination of his mobile phone, it was found that he had made a 999 call to gardai.

Diarmuid Kelleher said Foley left school at a young age and always found work. He said Foley travelled to America and worked there for a number of years but had to come home in his early 20s following the September 11 terror attacks.

The solicitor said it was only at this stage in Foleys life that depression and chronic heavy drinking became issues and he started stealing in a desperate effort to get money for drink.

He said the defendant had made efforts to get to grips with his problems through treatment programmes in the past but has always broken down and gone back on the drink.

To add to his woes, he fractured his patella in a recent accident at home, directly as a result of alcohol, when he fell on a stairs, said Mr Kelleher.
And so it was for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was one of the few people attending the picturesque christening of the MV Celine in sunny Dublin Port to peer over his sunglasses to check when the political weather was about to change.

In an event to underline how Ireland has put in place back-up plans to cope with Brexit, Mr Varadkar and other high-profile officials yesterday travelled to Dublin Port to climb aboard the MV Celine for its first official engagement.

Cheekily dubbed the Brexit Buster, the ship  which is the worlds largest roll on-roll off cargo vessel  will allow Irish exporters to send their products to mainland Europe while bypassing Britain, and thereby any potentially stifling Brexit trade tariffs in the process.

With the sun beating down, the water glistening in the picturesque harbour below, cello players performing, and the likes of John Sheahan of the Dubliners and Colm Mac Iomaire of The Frames entertaining invited attendees, the scene was a welcome alternative to the hot and heavy nature of Leinster House.

Only, as most good captains and any politician worth their salt knows all too well, even the calmest of seas can turn deadly in the blink of an eye.

With guests enjoying the sights and free champagne, Mr Varadkar stood on the port and observed his surroundings, took a breath, and prepared for the storm fronts approaching.

Pic: Conor McCabe

Asked about Communication Minister Denis Naughtens decision to swim out into dangerous waters by whispering sweet nothings, the Taoiseach spun the ships steering wheel like an expert and insisted the words were in fact just nothings and will not sink his patched-up coalition.

Queried on the latest referendum poll showing the gap is narrowing between the yes and no sides, he consulted his compass and felt a complete ignoring of the fact coupled with a welcome to the news that the yes side remains in front was the best course.

Full steam ahead, but then... iceberg ahead.

With the latest revelations that the EU has outright rejected Britains soft Irish border and Northern Ireland plans, and others describing them as fantasy island unicorn politics, Mr Varadkar doubled down with a warning the talks themselves could sink to the ocean floor by June unless progress is made.

Like a captain who believes they can blast through the icy waters and tame the ocean itself, Mr Varadkar talked tough yesterday in a bid to ensure Ireland gets to its planned destination safe and sound.

However, given the nature of what is at stake, it remains to be seen whether the decision will see his ship become the political equivalent of the QE2 or will suffer the same fate as the unsinkable Titanic in the months ahead.

Yesterday may have been sunny and serene, but dont underestimate the potential for Brexit to always rain on a parade.

Batten down the hatches, Captain Leo. Theres a storm a-coming.
Inspector John Deasy outlined the background to the alleged criminal damage offences for the purpose of Judge Marie Keane deciding on whether or not to accept jurisdiction to hear the case.

On October 9, 2017, from approximately 1am to 2.15am, Scoil Chroi Iosa on St Annes Road; Scoil Chroi Iosa Junior on Castle Road; Church of the Immaculate Conception; and Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, all in Blarney, were damaged by a male who sprayed graffiti on the walls and windows of the buildings.

Red and white spray paint was used and the graffiti referred to a member of An Garda Siochana in a derogatory manner.

The cost of the removal of the graffiti amounted to a total of 1,200.

After hearing the outline of the allegations, Judge Keane said she would accept jurisdiction to deal with the cases at Cork District Court.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, then asked for a copy of the prosecution statements so that the defendant could decide if he was pleading guilty or not guilty.

The solicitor said that if it was to be a guilty plea, time would be needed for compensation to be paid.

Leon Ahern, aged 19, with an address at 9 Ard Na Greine, Station Rd, Blarney, Co Cork, faces four separate charges of causing criminal damage.

The charges were adjourned until May 25.

The same defendant had a number of other cases adjourned to that date also.

He is charged with stealing three diamond rings with a total value of 2,500 at Cash Connectors, North Main St, Cork, on September 4 2017.

Mr Ahern is charged with having cannabis for his own use at Riverview Estate, Togher, Cork, on August 7, 2017, and having cannabis at his home for his own use on an earlier occasion, September 12, 2016.
However, the Department of Tourism has refused to say whether it believes the tourism authority acted appropriately by deleting all of Shaun Quinns emails after he left his position of CEO of Failte Ireland in December 2016.

Yesterday, the Irish Examiner revealed that there are no records of Mr Quinns emails around the time Donald Trump contacted then tourism Minister Leo Varadkar about a proposed wind farm in Clare in 2014.

Last month, during the traditional St Patricks Day visit to Washington DC, Mr Varadkar revealed that Mr Trump had called him in February 2014 to raise his concerns about the proposed wind farm, which was subject to a planning application for a site near Mr Trumps hotel.

Mr Varadkar relayed Mr Trumps concerns to Failte Ireland via an email to Mr Quinn, who was CEO until December 2016.

The Taoiseach released this email last month in response to opposition criticism that he had acted improperly in making representations on behalf of Mr Trump.

However, while this paper submitted a Freedom of Information request to Failte Ireland seeking all records relating to Mr Varadkars request, the documents did not contain any emails, letters, or memos written by Mr Quinn.

Shaun Quinn completed his tenure as CEO of Failte Ireland in December 2016. During the second quarter of 2017, his dormant email account was disposed of, said a spokeswoman.

It is operating procedure within Failte Ireland that all dormant accounts within the organisation are deleted and removed within three to six months of an employees departure. All primary records are held in the relevant areas of responsibility within the organisation.

Responsibility for the Freedom of Information Act lies with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. However, a spokesperson said the legislation does not compel bodies to retain documentation.

The FOI Act 2014 does not include any obligations in terms of keeping records for periods of time, said the spokesperson.

While the National Archives Act legislates for the retention of some records, a spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht said; Failte Ireland is not subject to the National Archives Act and does not have obligations under the Act.

This newspaper submitted queries to the Department of Tourism both by phone and in writing yesterday morning, asking if it issues guidelines to bodies under its remit on the retention of records and if it believes Failte Ireland acted appropriately in deleting Mr Quinns emails.

A department spokesperson said data retention policies are matters for agencies themselves.

The documents Failte Ireland released to this newspaper reveal that the tourism authority had made observations on the wind farm, and commissioned a planning consultancy to produce a report on the proposal prior to Mr Varadkars call with Mr Trump in February 2014.

The documents also reveal, however, that, on February 25, 2014  the day after Mr Varadkar had emailed Mr Quinn  Failte Ireland commissioned the same consultants to again assess the impact of the wind farm.
The alarm was raised around 10.15am yesterday when the man, who is on holidays here with his wife, collapsed moments after they had scaled the flight of steep, narrow steps leading to the Blarney Stone.

Blarney Castle staff, who are trained in first aid, gave immediate assistance. A member of the Blarney community first responders, who happened to be working nearby, was on the scene within minutes, followed by two ambulance crews and two units of the fire service.

The medics rushed to the top of the castle and administered CPR and used a defibrillator. They managed to revive the man at the scene but given the location, the mans critical condition, and the difficulties they faced in carrying him down the narrow steps, they decided to call in an airlift.

Members of Crosshaven coast guard unit also prepared a landing site in a nearby field.

The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, was on scene shortly after 11am.

The casualty was airlifted from the ramparts onto the aircraft, which then landed nearby before the casualty was transferred to a waiting ambulance.

He was taken to CUH, where his condition was described last night as stable.

Meanwhile, an ESB worker suffered multiple injuries when he fell some 20m from the electricity pole he was working on in Ballea, near Carrigaline, at around 1pm yesterday.

His co-workers rendered first aid at the scene before a rapid response doctor and paramedics arrived, and he was rushed to Cork University Hospital. His injuries were described as serious but not life-threatening.

Dr Jason van der Velde praised those who treated both casualties on the scenes.

These men are alive today because of the chain of survival  well-trained first-aiders, community first-responders; paramedics, and the coastguard all working together.
Every year on April 20, Algerian Berbers take to the streets to demand the independence of the mountainous Kabylie on the occasion of the anniversary of the Berber Spring, marking the bloody crackdown by the Algerian regime in 2001 killing at least 116 protesters.

The 2001 bloody events triggered the birth of a movement for the self-determination of the Kabylie region (known by its French acronym MAK) which continues to gain ground among the Kabyles in Algeria and in France where a large diaspora lives.

Several cities in Kabylie region commemorated the anniversary of the Berber Spring raising banners and chanting slogans for independence with a view to achieving economic equality and linguistic and cultural rights.

The MAK invokes a series of grievances the Kabylie region witnessed after the independence of Algeria. They blame the Algerian regime for seeking to eradicate their linguistic and cultural particularities by imposing an arabization policy coupled with economic marginalization.

The MAK was founded by Ferhat Mhenni, who leads a provisional Kabyle government in exile. The movement identifies itself as a pacifist movement seeking autonomy from Algiers as a prelude to founding an independent Kabylie state.

Human Rights Watch, EuroMed Rights, Amnesty International, and Front Line Defenders have condemned in the strongest terms Algerias discrimination against the Amazigh (Berber) minority and called for dropping all charges against Kamaleddine Fekhar, a leading human rights activist and his 40 co-defendants.

The Algerian regime has been accused by local and international rights NGOs for its involvement and impartiality in the inter-ethnic clashes that hit the ancient city of Ghardaia.
Speaking at an event in Dublin, the Taoiseach said he does not want to see a return to such bonuses which were prevalent in the Celtic Tiger era.

However, he admits that the Government may be unable to prevent a return of the payments in some banks which are privately owned.

The Governments position is that there shouldnt be bonuses for bankers and that we currently have a tax in place for such bonuses, said Mr Varadkar.

Having said that, there is a distinction between banks we control where we have a shareholding and those that we dont.

I wouldnt want to see us going back to bonuses.

Mr Varadkar was speaking after Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe confirmed he will look at allowing bonuses for the bailed-out banks for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis.

After the bailout, bonuses were effectively banned in Irish institutions with state involvement due to a super tax of 89% on the payments - effectively making them obsolete.

Mr Donohoes planned review will examine the caps on pay and bonuses. However, some banks are argue bonuses are needed to attract and keep senior bankers.

Yesterday, Bank of Ireland shareholders were in UCD for their annual general meeting. The State is the biggest shareholder in Bank of Ireland with a 14% stake. However, Mr Donohoe abstained from voting at the AGM, thus allowing the board to discuss the issue of bank bonuses.

At AIB, where the state has a 71% majority stake, executives want to offer a deferred annual share scheme to senior executives rather than pay cash bonuses. Under this scheme, bankers could be awarded their entire salary again in the form of shares.

Mr Donohoe said he will vote against this proposal on bonuses at AIBs AGM next Wednesday. Mr Donohoe said he recognises the right of the chairman and board to put the resolution forward.

However, I cannot vote in favour, he said.
Mr Varadkar said: I think we need to seriously ask whether a withdrawal agreement is possible at all after EU officials outright rejected Britains current plans as fantasy island unicorn politics.

In a clear escalation of tensions, Britains existing plans on how its promises to allow a soft Irish border while also treating the North the same as the rest of the UK were yesterday dismissed as unworkable by the EU.

In a detailed leak to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, EU sources said the current proposals suffered a systematic and forensic annihilation during a meeting with Britains lead negotiator, Olly Robbins.

In addition, EU sources also said the conclusion drawn was that none of the UK customs options will work, none of them, while Britains former EU ambassador Ivan Rogers said that Londons attempts to find a technology-based border solution have been labelled fantasy island unicorn politics by Brussels.

A Downing Street spokesperson has insisted Britain is sticking by its existing commitment to a soft Irish border and to treat the North the same as the rest of the UK, and that its technology border plans remain an option.

However, with the border and Northern Irish issues still central to the talks, Mr Varadkar yesterday raised the stakes significantly by saying that negotiations could be cancelled entirely unless a coherent plan is properly outlined by the end of June.

The Irish protocol [the December soft border deal which is the source of Britains current difficulties] is written down in black and white, and we believe it provides a solution that allows us to avoid a hard border, he told reporters in Dublin

Of course were open to alternative proposals that may come from the UK, but so far they havent really cut the mustard.

The deadline for concluding the withdrawal agreement is October, and after that it needs to be ratified by the European Parliament and the UK parliament for March next year.

But it is very much our view that we should have agreed the terms of the Irish protocol, the terms of the backstop, by June.

And if were not able to do that by June, well then I think we need to seriously ask whether a withdrawal agreement is possible at all.

Delighted to welcome Tanaiste @simoncoveney today in City Hall with our Chief Executive Ann Doherty and Lord Mayor @Tfitzgeraldcork #cork pic.twitter.com/TVy7BJRRl2  Cork City Council (@corkcitycouncil) April 20, 2018

At a separate event in Cork City, Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the Government remained rock solid in its soft border Brexit demands.

Asked by France2 TV last night about the growing stand-off, the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said that there are still difficulties, still a risk of failure in the Brexit talks, and that if there is no agreement there is a disorderly withdrawal.
Leo Varadkar continued to defend Mr Naughten, who has come under fire over a telephone call with an Independent News and Media (INM) lobbyist.

Mr Naughten admitted that he told an INM lobbyist he would likely refer its proposed takeover of Celtic Media to the broadcasting authority of Ireland.

This was two months before that decision went public, which the Opposition claims amounted to insider information. However, Mr Varadkar said yesterday he is satisfied with Mr Naughtens explanation, and instead hit out at Opposition parties.

He said: You know whats happening here, particularly when it comes to Sinn Fein, really is just old politics of the old sort, looking for a head without giving somebody a fair hearing, throwing mud in the hope something will stick to the Government.

Denis Naughten didnt do any favour for anyone; Denis Naughten didnt do any favours for INM, he didnt do any favours for Denis OBrien. In fact what he did was delay the merger by referring it to BAI, which I assume is not what they wouldve wanted him to do.

All he did was take a phone call from a lobbyist in which he indicated he would follow the law and be guided by his officials advice.

However, he went on to say that Mr Naughten perhaps should not have taken the call.

But in terms of what he actually said and in terms of what he actually did, he behaved entirely appropriately and Im satisfied with his explanation, he said.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy also backed Mr Naughten and said it would be impossible to say if he would have taken the call in similar circumstances.

In the work that we do, we get calls from lobbyists and sometimes [it] may not be until youre in the middle of a phone call until you actually know what its about, said Mr Murphy.

He said the last government introduced reforms on lobbying.

Now we have a registry of lobbyists, we have very important laws to make sure that people can have confidence in how their politicians, not just their ministers, but how any backbencher, any member of the Dail does their business, to make sure that when they are legislating and acting in accordance with their parliamentary duties that theyre doing that [for] the right reasons, he said.
From the Archive Still Waiting for an Apology

In December 2013, Win Tin talked to Dateline Irrawaddy about torture in prison, bringing former military regime members to account and the 1988 coup.

To mark the fourth anniversary of National League for Democracy co-founder U Win Tins death on April 21, we republish this interview with the long-time political prisoner, conducted by Irrawaddy senior editor Kyaw Zwa Moe. The interview, conducted in December 2013, concerns the imprisonment and torture of political activists (including himself) and U Win Tins view that Myanmars former military rulers, starting with ex-Military Intelligence chief General Khin Nyunt, owe the nation, former political prisoners  and even themselves  an apology. Also interviewed is Hnin Hnin Hmway of the Democratic Party for New Society.

The discussions were recorded for Dateline Irrawaddy and broadcast on DVB. The video, with English subtitles, can be found here. The following text is an English translation of the transcript of the discussions with Win Tin.

Kyaw Zwa Moe: Former Chief of Military Intelligence Unit General Khin Nyunt once said that he is not accountable for the arrests and imprisonments because he was just following orders and thus he cant apologize to anyone.

U Win Tin, you were arrested in 1989 by the Military Intelligence and underwent torture that resulted in loss of your teeth and you spent 19 years in prison. How do you want to respond to General Khin Nyunts remarks?

Win Tin: I met him by chance at the funeral of Guardian [journalist] U Sein Win [in November 2013]. He told me to let bygones be bygones. I didnt reply anything because there were many people around and I didnt want to argue with him. However, our brief meeting was photographed and the news spread across the media and online.

When the media interviewed me how my response would be on his remarks, I answered in three points. Point one is that these Military Intelligence personnel, including their seniors and those who ordered them, must apologize to us, former political prisoners, the people and also themselves.

Because what they did was wrong. Point two is to correct the wrongs and prevent any transgressions in the future. The intelligence personnel might still be active in current governance mechanisms, so we must prevent intelligence personnel from committing any such deeds; they must apologize and correct their transgressions.

Point three is related to rehabilitation of the former political prisoners, which is what we have been doing already. Those former generals with their enormous treasure troves, obtained either from the state or through their powerful roles, should consider contributing to the rehabilitation activities for former political prisoners or establish funds for that. These are the points I mentioned to the media. However, Khin Nyunt said, To whom should I apologize? in another case. So my response for that was first: The political prisoners, former intelligence prisoners, and exiles, and second: The people, and third: themselves.

KZM: Can you tell me about your experience of the interrogation and torture you endured in prison?

WT: They used a lot of torture methods and there are many people who have experiences like me. I want to tell you about an exceptional experience. They interrogated me on my first night in the prison. They interrogated me for six days and I had to scream when they tortured me. While they were doing this they wore masks, so that we didnt know who they were. I strongly objected to that because I am a politician and a leader of a political party. I lost all of my teeth within a year because of the torture. In 1991, when they started to release some prisoners, they had people with missing teeth receive implants and receive medical service. By then, I had no more teeth and I had to eat with just my gums.

KZM: Was the rice served in prison hard?

WT: The rice was hard and I couldnt even chew it with my gums. My suffering lasted for 7 years and they only implanted my new teeth in 1998. That was an exceptional experience. There might be people who underwent similar or much worse experiences then my own. No one can bear such torture and no one is willing to endure torture.

KZM: U Win Tin, who do you consider responsible for the [1988] coup? Was it General Khin Nyunt, Senior General Than Shwe, or Senior General Saw Maung? Was General Khin Nyunt the right hand man of General Ne Win at that time?



WT: I dont know what exactly was going on in the army at that time. But there is a word I always use in talking about the coup, which is that the bones will crow one day and tell the real story, because the truth cant be hidden all the time. It will be revealed one day. I didnt know what the military intelligence were doing back then, but now we are getting some picture of what they were doing from what they say now in the media from people like General Khin Nyunt, or the grandsons of U Ne Win who were just released from prison.

What we understand from these is that on September 17, one day before the coup, U Kyawt Maung and Colonel Tin Hlaing, I am not sure if it was him, put General Khin Nyunt in charge and they went to meet General Ne Win to present the [88 Uprising] situation and push for a coup. Ne Win replied them that they must inform the leaders before the coup as it is a military procedure and asked them to inform the leaders like Colonel Aye Ko, U Than Oo and Colonel Kyaw Soe. When they came back the next day after informing these leaders, General Ne Win asked them to do what they have to go and arrest who you need to arrest, even him if they have to. By saying this, General Ne Win gave them permission to arrest anyone they wanted and stage a coup. What I understand from this is that it was General Khin Nyunt who pushed for the coup and General Ne Win gave the order.

KZM: As you have lived through different ages like the Japanese occupation and the like, I would like ask: Do you consider the era of General Khin Nyunt after the 1988 coup the most terrible period in Burmese history?

WT: It can be said it was the most terrible, the cruelest and the worst period in our history. At the time of Japanese occupation, I was very young and I cant remember the atrocities of Japanese Kempeitai. What I can say is that I have lived through that era, [the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League] era and the following eras; so of all the eras I have lived, the era of the Military Intelligence Unit was the harshest, the most lawless, and the worst among all these eras.

When they put me on trial at the Military Court, they produced some witnesses whom I didnt know and they didnt know me either. I objected to that at the trial. When they brought me at the court, they handcuffed me tightly and I screamed. After sentencing me to 10 years, the military intelligence officers who were there called the judge to leave the trial for a while. When the judge came back, he added one more year to my sentence, because I screamed. The total sentences I received amounted to 21 years, not just 20 years. There were a seven-year sentence, a three-year sentence and an eleven-year sentence handed to me. And they reduced a year from my total sentence only later. The Military Intelligence Unit was behind the Military Court in sentencing me, including sentencing me to a year more for screaming at the court.

KZM: What about your experience U Win Tin? You had an operation while you were in prison?

WT: Let me explain a bit about what Ma Hnin Hnin Hmway just mentioned about sleeping on the concrete floor with just a mat. When I was in the interrogation camp it was January, during the winter. They didnt provide us mats. Because Ko Thet Khaing tried to commit suicide by slashing his veins with a blade the authorities tried to suppress the news for fear that they will face blames from superiors and told them that he used the bamboo slats instead.

As a result, they took all the mats from us to prevent any more cases like that. Thats why we had to sleep on the bare concrete floors. Although General Khin Nyunt said he was acting in accordance with the orders from above, he himself was among those who gave such orders to those below him. He must apologize for that as well. I went through operations for hernia and was hospitalized for heart problems and benign prostatic hypertrophy, but they delayed the operation many times. In January 1990, while I was suffering from hernia and lying in my bed, they just gave me some shots instead of sending me to the hospital. I suffered from these problems for five years and only in 1995 they sent me to hospital.

Than Shwe alone is not responsible for all these violations. Khin Nyunt and his underlings also played their roles in ignoring cases like these, as they wished us to die. So Khin Nyuint and others are responsible for these and they cant just blame the top man Than Shwe.

KZM: They played a major role in crushing political activists?

UT: They all are responsible.

KZM: There are 162 recorded cases of death in custody after 1988 as far as I know. And during the years 1988, 1989 and 1990, there were about 3,000 to 4,000 political prisoners. How many political prisoners do you think they held through their reign? Can it be about ten thousands political prisoners during their reign until 2004?

WT: I dont know about this statistically because I am not responsible for political prisoners affairs institutionally. But I always tell the media that there could have been about 10,000 political prisoners. And there will be hundreds of thousands of family members related to these political prisoners. Those who are responsible for these deeds must also take care of them and apologize to them. I am happy to see that my estimation of the numbers of political prisoners is close to the assumptions of institutions working for the affairs of the political prisoners.

KZM: There were people imprisoned from all walks of lives, starting from 14, 15 year-olds to educated doctors, lawyers, engineers to people like you who are political party leaders and journalists. Thats why some people are accusing them of committing crimes against humanity. What do you think about this accusation?

WT: Accusations like these emerged around 2009 in places like United States, at the United Nations and among human rights organizations. And they are suggesting to prosecute those responsible. Ive also commented that they committed crimes against humanity. By they I mean people like General Khin Nyunt, Than Shwe and even Thein Sein. He was also a member of that group that committed such crimes.

KZM: But he released many political prisoners under his administration.



WT: They cant compensate for their crimes so easily. It depends on the severity of the crimes. I think these two are not related. There were those in the international community who were working back to prosecute them in 2009, like Ko Aung Din from the US, and people in about 13 countries, including the US. The army knew that and they had to change their course or face the consequences. They benefited from the change they carried out and tried to free themselves from the accusations.

However, they are still responsible for what they did and they will still be recorded in history as those who committed crimes against humanity. History is not a judge and it cant give them any punishments. However, history will never forget what they did; their atrocious crimes against humanity will remain in history. Thats what I want to say.
From the Archive U Win Tin: Myanmars Revolutionary Journalist

U Win Tin, former editor of the Hanthawaddy News and senior leader of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party, speaks during a discussion in the title "Newspapers are telling the History" at Central Hotel Saturday, Oct.6, 2012, in Yangon, Myanmar. / The Irrawaddy

Four years to the day since Myanamr lost one of its leading intellectual figures, U Win Tin, The Irrawaddy looks back on his enduring legacy. A beloved democracy activist, journalist, founding member of the National League for Democracy and a former political prisoner, U Win Tin lives on as an emblem of persistence and bravery for those seeking true democratic change in Myanmar.

U Win Tin spent 19 years in prison for his opposition to the former military regime, but his principles never wavered. With this article from The Irrawaddy archives, originally published on the day of his death, we revisit what it was he stood for and his relevance today.

Burmese journalist U Win Tin was a true believer in democracy and press freedom. He never hid his disdain for the repressive military regime and continued to challenge Myanmars current nominally civilian government.

U Win Tin spent seven thousand nights in Rangoons notorious Insein Prison, but he had no regrets and continued to boldly carry the flag of democracy and helped keep the opposition movement alive. The dictators can only detain our bodies, not our souls, he once said while in prison.

The way he confronted Myanmars repressive rulers was so uncompromising and inspiring that the generals feared him, and with good reason. In Myanmar and beyond, many loved and respected the man who, together with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, has become a symbol of the countrys long struggle for democracy.

As I learned the news of his passing this morning I thought of his determination, intellectual steadfastness and the principles he upheld, and, most importantly, his contribution to the democracy movement.

Among his fellow political activists and contemporaries, U Win Tin stood out as a bit different and, though it was not his intention, he outshone many other opposition figures.

One reason for this was his unbending stance and sharp reading of the political situation during the repressive regime and the current democratic transition. He remained very critical and cautious of the ongoing political reformsa healthy and welcome approach in my view.

U Win Tin was always ready to express his opinions to the media, he was eloquent and precise, and unlike many other opposition members he didnt shy away from criticizing his party leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Devoted to Political Life

U Win Tin was never married, but devoted his life to books, newspapers and politics. Many adored him as an example of a completely selfless man who cared about Myanmars people and showed particular concern for the younger generation.

Even when he became older and suffered from increasing health problems, he would not bother people around him with his ailments; instead he would ask them to leave him while always thanking them for their visit.

Right up until the end he was quick to offer his witty or harsh criticism of the former junta leaders, the current government, while also occasionally criticizing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Last year, he said that the National League for Democracy (NLD) leader has been too reconciliatory toward the current government. Some of us would like to push the military into the Bay of Bengal, he told The Washington Post, She only wants to push them into Kandawgyi Lake, a reference to a lake in central Rangoon.

During my first visit back to Myanmar in 2012, I went to meet him and asked whether it was the right decision for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to enter the by-elections that year and enter Parliament.

He paused, looked at me with smile and said, You know she enjoys a Hollywood star status and she is a really popular figure.

After he was released from prison in 2008, we spoke on the phone and he outlined some of the differences between himself and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Suu Kyi is a VIP prisonerwe spent our times in dog cells and we were treated inhumanely. Our feelings and sentiments towards the generals is not the same as Aung San Suu Kyi. She always looked at them with some understanding and she sees the military as her fathers army. But we dont, he said.

Despite such frank remarks, he never expressed any doubt about Daw Aung San Suu Kyis leadership of the NLD and maintained she was the only political figure capable of leading Myanmar to democracy.

Nearly Two Decades Imprisoned

In 1989, U Win Tin was a journalist when he backed Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the leadership of the NLD that she had formed.

The same year he was thrown into prison under trumped up charges and accused of being a communist by the military regime that had taken power in a coup. He would spend almost two decades in prison.

I had a chance to speak with U Win Tin shortly before the 1988 uprising began during a literary talk of the kind that were regularly held in a discreet manner in the old socialist Myanmar of former strongman Gen Ne Win.

At a friends house in downtown Rangoon, some 30 writers had gathered to hear the bespectacled U Win Tin speak about the increasingly tense political situation.

I noticed he was outspoken but calm, and he voiced concern over the fate of Myanmars youths and students in those difficult times.

Looking back, Ive wondered if he foresaw the uprising at the time or that he would soon face decades in detention and become one of the most prominent and longest serving political prisoners in Myanmar.

The regime would later find out that it had been wrong to put the iron-willed U Win Tin in prison. Unable to break him physically or psychologically, the generals finally gave up and ordered him released in September 2008.

He continued to oppose them even then and refused to sign a form outlining conditions that he should follow upon his release. Prison officials dragged him from his cell and dropped him at his friends house.

While in prison, he was often visited by foreign diplomats, US congressmen, International Red Cross officials and UN Human Rights investigators. He became one of Myanmars most well-known political prisoners and reports of his ailing health regularly appeared in the international press.

Western governments, human rights organizations and press freedom groups repeatedly tried to intervene in order to free him. U Win Tin pressed on in spite of his health problems and maltreatment in prison, where he remained politically active.

In the 1990s, he asked Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to stay the course when the regime applied a divide- and-rule strategy against the NLD in order to pressure the party into joining a military-backed national convention to draft a new constitution.

At one point, he and his prison inmates secretly compiled an 83-page human rights report and smuggled it out through a visiting UN special rapporteur.

Enraged prison officials raided cells and dug up books, papers, news bulletins, two radios, and publishing materials. U Win Tin and dozens of political prisoners were punished with solitary confinement in tiny dog cells and received extended jail sentences.

His former inmates recalled how U Win Tin always encouraged them to unite and stand up against any unjust treatment imposed on them in prison.

Ironically, he also spent time with some members of the former regime who were imprisoned after Snr-Gen Than Shwe ordered a purge of U Khin Nyunts powerful Military Intelligence (MI) units in 2004. Several high-ranking MI officers, including one who had been in charge of U Win Tins case, were thrown into prison and shared a cell next to his.

Win Tin also spent time in prison with the grandsons of former dictator Gen Ne Win, who were convicted on high treason charges in the early 2000s by Snr-Gen Than Swhes regime. Late last year, when they were released, one of Gen Ne Wins grandsons immediately went to see the old political activist.

During a funeral in Rangoon in October, former spy chief U Khin Nyunt walked up to U Win Tin to shake his hand. U Win Tin showed no anger, but later told The Irrawaddy that the MI officers should apologize to the nation for what they had done.

U Win Tin was a keen, unrelenting government critic to the very end, intent on taking down all the obstacles on Myanmars long road to democracy.

Without his guiding light, its hard to imagine how the democracy movement will treat the many challenges ahead during this unpredictable democratic transition, where there are still many wolves in sheeps clothing.
Commentary A Day of Disgrace for Myanmars Already Tarnished Police Force

Beware police bearing tips / Cartoon by Nyi Htwe

What a disgrace for the Myanmar Police Department! On Friday, a court was told that two journalists arrested in December had been targeted in a police plan to entrap them by offering them secret documents.

Police Brigadier-General Tin Ko Ko allegedly threatened police officials with extrajudicial imprisonment if they did not arrest Reuters reporter Wa Lone after offering him purported secret officials documents, saying: If you dont get Wa Lone, you will go to jail.

The assertion was made as part of court testimony given by Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, a prosecution witness in the case against the reporters, on Friday morning.

The police captain was himself detained, along with Police Lance-Corporal Khin Maung Lin, on Dec. 12  the same day Wa Lone and his colleague Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested for illegally interacting with the Reuters reporters the previous month.

The reporters were arrested on the evening of Dec. 12 soon after receiving purported secret official documents from Police Lance-Corporal Naing Lin. Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko gave the junior officer secret documents from Battalion 8 with which to carry out his order to secure the journalists arrests.

Since January, the court has been holding hearings to decide if the detained journalists are to be charged under the Official Secrets Act, legislation enacted during the British colonial era. The journalists were investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslims in Inn Din village in Rakhine States Maungdaw Township during an Army clearance operation. The Army operation was launched after a militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, attacked police outposts in the area in August last year. Seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the killings of the Rohingyas, according to the military.

In fact, many people, including journalists, have suspected from the start that the two reporters were set up by authorities. Acting as a whistleblower, Capt Moe Yan Naing has now confirmed these suspicions.

The police captain told the court that Brig-Gen Tin Ko Kos actions were unethical and damaged the integrity of the country on the international stage. During a break in the hearing, he told reporters, I am revealing the truth because police of any rank have their own integrity. It is true that [the Reuters reporters] were set up.

Such a revelation of the truth by a police officer is quite rare in this country. Many will see the police captains actions as praiseworthy. But he has taken this step at great personal risk; something he clearly understands, as he appeared nervous when talking to reporters yesterday. The police captain could face unexpected consequences for his revelations against his supervisor, and perhaps even from the Home Affairs Ministry, which supervises the Police Department.

Soon after the arrests in December, the Home Affairs Ministry said it would take action against Capt Moe Yan Naing and LC Khin Maung Lin for their roles in passing government documents to the journalists.

Now we will have to wait and see how the ministry reacts to the revelations that the whole affair was a plot hatched by Brig-Gen Tin Ko Ko, a senior officer. Many wonder if the brigadier-general acted alone. Did some big fish order him to act?

All security forces in Myanmar retain infamous reputationsthe Police Department is not exceptional at all. This set-up of two journalists has brought more disgrace upon an institution that is already tarnished in the publics eyes.

Handling this issue is the responsibility of Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Kyaw Swe, who is an appointee of the military commander-in-chief.

Myanmar President U Win Myint has an important role to play here. In his inaugural speech on March 30, he said, I wish to urge the media sector, which serves as the ears and eyes of the public, to understand the seriousness of their duties and to hold in high regard the public sector that they serve.

Given the importance he appears to ascribe to the role of the media in society, President U Win Myint must not neglect this case. The countrys integrity will be further damaged if unethical or crooked officials continue to pursue this case, which violates any reasonable standard of ethics, accountability and responsibility.
The embattled au Domain Administration, the organisation that administers the Australian domain namespace, has suffered a further blow with the resignation of Nicole Murdoch, a director from the demand class.

A lawyer who works in matters around trademark disputes, Murdoch joined the board last year. She was against the move to .au, a decision taken by auDA that has caused some disquiet within the organisation.

But the move has had to be put off by at least a year, following the release of a government review that found the current management framework was no longer fit for purpose.

In a statement, Murdoch said she was reluctantly stepping away from the auDA board, due to an expanding workload which meant she did not have the time to address major challenges facing the organisation.

She said she had been named in the latest Doyles national report on Australias legal profession and listed in the Recommended category for Brisbane IP lawyers.

The Doyles ranking matched a growing number of IP matters Murdoch was handling now and she felt she was unable to devote the time needed by the board to address the findings of the government review.

My time with the board has been memorable and its no secret weve had healthy discussions around the table over some of the issues auDA faces," Murdoch said.

I regret that Im unable to devote the time needed to address these matters and for these reasons feel its better if I step aside.

Disquiet within the organisation's ranks in recent times has seen some members pushing for the ouster of chief executive Cameron Boardman and three directors over the decision to change Australian domains from .com.au and similar suffixes to .au.

Last week, chair Chris Leptos said the practices of several former auDA directors had been referred to the police in Victoria.

According to her LinkedIn page, Murdoch is a member of the Australian Information Security Association, Engineers Australia, the Australian Computer Society and the Intellectual Property Association of Australia and New Zealand.

She is also on the panel of pro bono lawyers for The Arts Law Centre, a 2015 auDA Names panel member and a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.

The government review also released its terms of endorsement for auDA and asked it to provide, within 30 days, an implementation plan to demonstrate how it would achieve compliance with these terms by April 2020.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said if this was not forthcoming, he would look to appoint some other entity to manage the .au namespace.
States and the federal government are increasing their scrutiny of cryptocurrencies in an attempt to bring more transparency to a market where buyers and sellers are anonymous and regulatory oversight is light.

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether, LiteCoin, and Ripple skyrocketed in value last year as investors sought to get in on what many see as the future of global currency  one that for trade and commerce knows no borders. Bitcoin generated massive hype among investors as its value surged more than 1,900% to nearly $20,000 last year, before tumbling back down below $11,000.

Today, it's valued around $8,500.

Earlier this week, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman launched a fact-finding inquiry into the practices and policies of cryptocurrency exchanges  the online platforms where cryptocurrencies are bought and sold.

Cryptocurrencies are created on blockchain distributed ledgers, peer-to-peer (P2P) electronic networks that are also used to dispense payments for all kinds of ecommerce. Those open P2P networks operate with no central authority, such as banks or governments. And the marketplace can be highly speculative and volatile.

"Currently, as it stands, cryptocurrencies are not really regulated and I am not seeing that change any time soon," said Marco Peereboom, new systems development lead at Decred, an open-source, blockchain-based cryptocurrency similar to Bitcoin.

"The real fear is that government will try to turn cryptocurrencies into what cryptocurrencies were designed to resist, but crypto is a global technology and no amount of regulation can stomp it out," Peereboom added.

Paul Brody, global innovation leader for blockchain technology at Ernst & Young, said thoughtful regulation could create more trustworthy ways of doing business through cryptocurrencies and P2P blockchain networks.

"Setting aside who wants what, the underlying blockchain technology is amazing and will have a huge positive impact. But it won't get there unless individual investors and companies have confidence in the system," Brody said. "No corporate CFO or sensible investor wants to park their money or do transactions in a system that isn't audited and where they could unwittingly find themselves facilitating illegal activity."

The technology that underpins cryptocurrencies, blockchain, can be open or run as permissioned networks where transcations can take place between pre-approved parties, such as companies in a supply chain.

Forrester Research Blockchain isn't a single technology. Rather it's an architecture that allows disparate users to make transactions and then creates an unchangeable record of those transactions.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency exchanges operate on open blockchain ledgers or networks, where anyone can transact anonymously with no central authority.

As part of a broader effort to protect cryptocurrency investors and consumers, Schneiderman's office launched the Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative and sent letters to 13 major virtual currency trading platforms requesting key information on their operations, internal controls and safeguards to protect customer assets.

The move, Schneiderman's office explained in a statement, hopes to increase transparency and accountability for the exchanges retail investors use to trade virtual currency, and seeks to better inform enforcement agencies, investors and consumers.

"With cryptocurrency on the rise, consumers in New York and across the country have a right to transparency and accountability when they invest their money. Yet too often, consumers don't have the basic facts they need to assess the fairness, integrity, and security of these trading platforms," Schneiderman said.

Initial coin offerings (ICO), a crowdfunding mechanism for companies similar to initial public offerings, raise vast amounts of capital from the sale of crypto tokens that in some cases offer no returns. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has increased its oversight of ICOs, arresting those involved in alleged money-raising scams.

Unlike stocks, which represent shares of a company, cryptocurrencies can have no intrinsic value in that there is no equity attached to them; they can also be repositories for sensitive personal information about investors and are tied to vast sums of real or government-issued fiat currency paid out for them, Schneiderman's office said.

Maersk A new blockchain-based, distributed electronic ledger could save the shipping industry billions of dollars a year by replacing a current EDI and paper-based system for tracking cargo and attaining approval from customs and port authorities.

Since 2014, hackers and thieves have stolen about $1.4 billion from cryptocurrency investors, according to a Wall Street Journal report. This year alone, hacks of two cryptocurrency exchange cost investors $700 million.

"ICOs in the USA are in deep trouble and something is going to give. At some point, companies or groups that performed ICOs are going to have a reckoning and have to deal with federal law," Peereboom said. "The real tragedy is the conflation of cryptocurrencies with ICOs. These things are not the same and inherently cannot and should not be regulated the same way."

Unlike cryptocurrencies, which are treated as assets by the IRS, and are virtually unregulated, ICOs are by definition securities because they pass the Howey test  precedence set by a Supreme Court Case that's used by the SEC to determine whether a financial transaction qualifies as an investment contract and thus is a security.

In response to government pressure, some companies have switched to calling their ICOs, initial security offerings (ISO), Peereboom said. That indicates they understand the regulatory implications and have registered their crowdfunding efforts with the proper government agencies.

Conversely, Peereboom said, cryptocurrencies are treated as assets by the IRS. "These are well-trodden paths and there really is no value in additional regulations," he argued.

The A.G.'s questionnaires ask the platforms for information in six major areas, including (1) Ownership and Control, (2) Basic Operation and Fees, (3) Trading Policies and Procedures, (4) Outages and Other Suspensions of Trading, (5) Internal Controls, and (6) Privacy and Money Laundering. The questionnaires also ask that platforms describe their approach to combating suspicious trading and market manipulation; their policies on the operation of bots; their limitations on the use of and access to non-public trading information; and the safeguards they have in place to protect customer funds from theft, fraud and other risks.

"The Attorney General's office will analyze the responses, compare them across platforms, and at the conclusion of this process, present what it learned to the public," the A.G.'s office stated.

Some countries have come down hard on ICOs and cryptocurrency exchanges. Last year, China banned ICOs and more generally has been cracking down on cryptocurrency exchanges and bitcoin mining, the process by which computers solve complex mathematical equations in order to generate bitcoin; it's an intensely energy-consuming process, especially when whole datacenters are dedicated to the process.

Regulations can have a "chilling effect" on business and individual investors who play by the rules, Peereboom said, which can push exchanges to a friendlier locale to continue business.

China's clampdown, however, led many of the exchanges to find new methods to operate using open-source blockchain to create exchanges hosted through cloud services such as Amazon Web Services.

Also on the horizon are so called DEXs, or Decentralized EXchanges, that will work much as Blockchain does, Peereboom said, thus making it impossible to shut down.

"These DEXs are going to enable two individuals to pseudo anonymously exchange crypto tokens without risk and without middlemen," he said. "The USA is a business friendly place and I dont believe heavy handed regulations will happen. Ultimately, the USA wants the jobs and tax revenues it can extract from this new technology."

Brody agreed.

"Reasonable regulations that protect investors, for example by ensuring accountability and effective disclosure requirements, can actually grow the market size by increasing investor confidence," he said.
What in the heck is going on?

The world of mobile and IoT operating systems used to be pretty stable and comprehensible. Suddenly, however, surprising events and weird changes have left everyone scratching their heads.

Here are the questions Im hearing about these operating systems  and the answers.

[ Further reading: How AR and VR will change enterprise mobility ]

Will Pixelbooks run Windows?

All of a sudden, Chromebook-using IT pros and developers are wondering whether Googles Pixelbook will soon dual-boot into Microsoft Windows.

A sharp-eyed Reddit user discovered some comments in the Chromium Gerrit thats leading some to speculate about a coming dual-boot feature. (Gerrit is a team code collaboration tool that integrates with Git.)

One comment references a Message string for AltOS picker screen, which offers two options: Chrome OS and Alt OS.

Raising the obvious question: What is Alt OS?

The very thin thread of evidence for a dual boot into Windows is a reference in the same commit to an internal Google document called go/vboot-windows.

Trouble is, Google offering Windows on Pixelbooks doesnt make sense. Google hardware exists to support Google software and services.

What makes a little more sense is Fuchsia OS as Alt OS. (More on Fuchsia below.)

Its also possible that Google wants to enable enterprises, schools and developers to more easily dual-boot in whatever OS they want to tinker with as a way to encourage such customers to try Chrome OS.

A number of experimental alternative OS projects are being worked on in the Linux community. They include GalliumOS, which is based on Xubuntu and is designed for Chrome OS devices specifically. However, GalliumOS itself contains a script that enables users to dual-boot Chrome OS and GalliumOS.

So the answer to the question of whether Chromebooks will run Windows is: Maybe, but probably not.

Does Google plan to replace Android and/or Chrome with Fuchsia?

I told you about Googles Fuchsia OS in December. Its an operating system built from scratch by Google.

While both Android and Chrome are based on Linux, Fuchsia is based on a Google-built Zircon microkernel called Magenta.

Google has been working on Fuchsia for some time, and its rumored to be coming out next year.

Today, the Pixelbook is the only device supported by Fuchsia.

The OS is conspicuously incomplete. But you can also check it out in a browser. As you can see, it looks very much like an OS designed to run on a smartphone. Its design is based on Material Design cards.

In a best-case scenario, Fuchsia could eventually replace Android and solve several of Androids most annoying problems.

First, its Zircon kernel could continuously update and patch all versions. Today, Android has a serious problem with OEMs, which tend to be slow with updates and version upgrades. Most Android phones run an old version of Android.

Fuchsia might run on all devices, replacing not only Android but also Chrome OS.

Another Fuchsia feature, called Ledger, synchronizes all Fuchsia devices owned by a single user, so a laptop, tablet and phone might all have the same apps, documents and data, and all would be synchronized.

Its possible that all apps on Fuchsia could run like Android Instant Apps, which would mean that apps would run without being downloaded or fully installed.

But all this is speculation. We really dont know where Google is going with Fuchsia.

Did Google shut down unauthorized Android devices?

The answer is: No.

Last month, however, Google started unceremoniously blocking access to its own Android apps and the Play Store on uncertified devices with firmware created after March 16.

In order to gain access to the apps, users with custom ROMs will have to register their phones on a whitelist each time they do a factory reset.

The move is intended to crack down on OEMs that fail to certify their phones while still using Google apps or encouraging users to download and use the apps.

In other words, Google is trying to discourage smartphone makers from existing in a gray area between the regular, licensed version of branded Android and the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) version, which is free to use but does not come with the Android branding or access to Google Apps and services.

Now companies will be forced to pick between the two.

Unfortunately, enthusiasts and companies creating or using custom ROMs are inconvenienced by the new policy.

Will ZTE be banned from using Android?

Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross this week banned U.S. companies from selling parts and software to Chinas ZTE for seven years. (The company was caught shipping telecom equipment to Iran and North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions, then lied about it, according to the Commerce Department. A settlement agreement was reached, then ZTE was caught failing to comply with the settlement.)

The news agency Reuters guessed that as many as 30% of the components in ZTE devices come from the U.S., including parts from Qualcomm. And, of course, ZTE devices run Android.

Replacing the U.S. parts with comparable parts from other sources is fairly easy. Replacing Android, not so much.

Googles Android apps, as well as Google Play and the Android app ecosystem, are licensed by contract with Google. The ban says ZTE is not allowed to participate in any way in any transaction involving any commodity, software or technology ... exported or to be exported from the United States, and that covers licensing.

Google and ZTE have been meeting to figure out if ZTE can somehow continue to use Android and the Play Store, despite the ban.

Its also unclear whether ZTE will be allowed to update and patch existing ZTE phones, according to Reuters, which creates a security threat to current ZTE phone owners.

The bottom line is that we dont know if ZTE will be banned from using Android, or even updating current ZTE phones.

Did Amazon just launch a lite Android web browser?

Amazon did launch an Android web browser, but its targeted at emerging markets where users are likely to have low-speed connectivity. So far, its available only in India.

There are a few odd things about Amazons lite browser. Bizarrely, the browser is called Internet.

Also, its available on the Indian Google Play store, but not on the Indian Amazon Appstore.

So, yes, Amazon launched a lite Android browser called Internet, but youll probably never use it.

Does Googles IoT platform exist yet?

Google has been working for some time on an IoT platform called Android Things.

Is Android Things here yet?

The answer is: Sort of. Google this week said Android Things Developer Preview 8 is feature complete, and a release candidate.

The actual release of version 1 of Android Things is imminent, and it will come in the form of an SDK for developers.

The expected benefit of Android Things is that creating functionality and apps for IoT devices will be fast and easier, and that the final product will be more functional and secure than todays average IoT gadget.

Does Microsoft sell Linux now?

The answer is: Yes!

Microsofts entire business has always been based on non-Linux operating systems, particularly Windows since the 1990s.

Microsoft this week announced a new IoT platform based on Linux called Azure Sphere.

The new OS uses a custom Linux kernel optimized for low-power devices.

Microsofts focus is security. A new cloud-based offering called the Azure Sphere Security Service handles certificate-based authentication for the platform. And Azure Sphere servers will monitor devices and traffic for security problems.

Let me say it again: Microsoft sells Linux now.

Will Apple ever unify iOS and macOS into a single operating system?

Microsofts got Windows 10 running on mobile ARM-powered devices. Google may unify mobile and desktop with Fuchsia. But what about Apple?

It seems as if Apple has been headed for unity between iOS and macOS for years, with macOS gaining mobilesque interfaces such as the Launchpad and iOS gaining desktopish features such as multitasking and folders.

Not so fast, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who said this week that merging iOS and macOS would require watering down one for the other. He said that if you begin to merge the two ... you begin to make trade-offs and compromises. ... I dont think thats what users want. That sounds like a no.

I remember when Apple used to tell us what users wanted.

In any event, Cook was specifically talking about a merger of the OSs. That doesnt preclude the promise of an internal project code-named Marzipan that would reportedly enable iOS apps to run on macOS.

The way to look at Marzipan is that, in the same way iOS developers can choose to make apps work natively on both iPhones and iPads, they would have a third option to enable them to work natively in macOS, supporting keyboards, trackpads and other desktop features.

Will iOS and macOS be merged? No. Will they work better together? Yes.

After what sugary snack will Android P be named?

Popsicle. (At least if this wallpaper released by Google this week is any guide.)

And there you have it: Clear answers to the questions that have arisen from the confusing events and changes happening in recent weeks to the world of mobile and IoT operating systems.
A new report, commissioned and funded by the European Union, has pointed out that the Algeria-backed Polisario front, is involved in the terrorist activities and arms trafficking that plague the Sahel-Sahara region.

The Polisarios conversion to terrorism has once again been confirmed by a damning report, elaborated by Project Safte, an international research project that investigates the access of terrorists to the illicit firearms trade.

The report, Illegal Markets and the Acquisition of Firearms by Terrorist Networks in Europe, highlights the documented connection between the separatist front and the jihadist groups swarming in the Sahel-Sahara powder keg, notably the MUJAO (Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa) and Ansar Dine (a creation of the Algerian intelligence services/DRS) based in the city of Gao, in northern Mali.

Long before the release of this new report, connection was established between the Polisario Front and Algerian terrorist Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a native of Annaba and a regular visitor to the corridors of the Algerian DRS. Links were also established between the separatist front and the terrorist Adnane Abu-Walid Sahrawi, a former soldier of the so-called Sahrawi Peoples Liberation Army. Also, Mauritania had seized arms and ammunition smuggled from Tindouf, the Polisarios headquarters in Algeria.

Project Safte explained that the links between the Polisario and terrorist groups were facilitated by the situation in Libya, and the inability of the central powers of some countries in the region to monitor their vast territories and their porous borders.

Taking advantage of the anarchy prevailing in Libya, where Polisario militias had fought alongside the army of the former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, with the blessing of the Algerian regime, the separatist front could divert large quantities of weapons and resell them, via Mauritania, to terrorist groups swarming in the Sahel-Sahara region.

The availability and circulation of weapons on the black market in the region has proliferated significantly after the fall of the Kaddhafi regime and the conflicts that followed in that country, notes Project Safte, noting that the Polisario Front has benefited from this situation and now has a surplus of armaments.

Yet, the Polisarios arsenal is not made up of Libyan weapons only. The bulk of this arsenal is provided by Algeria.

At present, the Polisario tries to sell its relatively large arsenal on the black market, a highly lucrative activity, stated the EU report, warning that the Polisario now has enough weapons to sell and supply the regional market.

Project Safte experts sounded the alarm: in the absence of a solution to the Sahara issue, the area is not invulnerable to arms smuggling and trafficking and some of these weapons will also end up in the European Union.

The report recalled in this connection that in 2015, Europol publicly declared for the first time that firearms from Libya, Syria and Mali were available on the European black market and that these countries could become major suppliers of illegal firearms to the EU.

Given the lucrative revenues of this trafficking, one can understand why the Polisario and some Algerian Generals are in no hurry to settle the artificial Sahara conflict, kindled by Algeria for over forty years.
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Maan News Agency |  

Gaza City (Maan)  Israeli forces shot and killed a 24-year-old Palestinian protester in Gaza on Friday afternoon, the second Palestinian to be killed during Fridays protests. The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the slain Palestinian as Ahmad Rashad al-Athamneh, 24. He was killed during protests along the border with Israel in the northern Gaza Strip. The ministry added that 40 Palestinians were injured with different wounds across the besieged coastal enclave. Earlier on Friday, 25-year-old Ahmad Nabil Abu Aqel succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head, which he sustained during protests in northern Gaza.

Over 30 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Great March of Return protests began on March 30. Among the dead were two minors and a journalist.Friday marked the fourth Friday of the massive nonviolent protests in Gaza, during which thousands of Palestinian refugees have taken to the heavily militarized borders with Israel to demand their collective right of return to their homelands.

The six-week protest is set to end on May 15th, the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, or catastrophe, when the state of Israel was created, leaving some 750,000 Palestinians and millions of their descendants as refugees.

Despite widespread outcry from international rights groups who have condemned Israels excessive use of forces against the civilian protesters, Israeli has maintained its open-fire rules for the Gaza border.

Syndicated by permission from Maan News Agency
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NBC is reporting that Mike Pompeo lacks the votes in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to have his nomination to be Secretary of State be favorably reported out of committee on Monday night. Democrats on the committee have expressed fears that Pompeo, a warmonger, will reinforce the worst tendencies of Trump. Pompeo has been director of the Central Intelligence Agency for the past year. He was tapped to succeed ousted former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, according to Trump, in large part because Tillerson was all right with the Iran deal negotiated by the UN Security Council in 2015. Fears that Pompeo might drag us into a hot war with Iran may also have swayed some Republican members of the committee, which has a GOP majority.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell still has the ability to bring a vote on Pompeo to the floor of the full senate, assuming he can bypass some procedural obstacles created by the virtually unanimous opposition of Democrats. My guess is that Pompeo would be voted in under those circumstances, and the committees opposition could end up being a hiccough.

It is, however, extraordinary for a Secretary of State nominee to be rejected by the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, especially when the Senate is dominated by the presidents party!

Here are some reasons that the Committee is right to have the severest reservations about Pompeo as Secretary of State:

1. Pompeo has openly stated that he intends to undermine the Iran Deal (JCPOA) . The Iran deal is perhaps the most successful piece of anti-proliferation diplomacy in history. The new secretary of state will have to see through negotiations with North Korea. Pyongyang will notice if Iran is actively punished, as Pompeo intends, for having cooperated on non-proliferation with the international community. Although Kim Jong Un has secretly met with Pompeo, he likely was taking his measure. If it becomes clear that if you do a deal with Washington on closing down nuclear enrichment, you will then be stabbed in the back by the likes of Pompeo, then North Korea will likely get cold feet.

2. Pompeo is confused between ISIL, a seedy terrorist organization that brutalized and over-taxed its captive population, and Iran. The Iranian government is authoritarian, but less so than Pompeos friends the Saudis (he gave a CIA honor to King Salman). Iran has parliamentary and presidential elections that are deeply flawed but still consequential. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy that imposes a thousand lashes on dissident bloggers for speaking out. Neither one is like ISIL. Someone who does not know the difference between ISIL and the republic of Iran should not be secretary of state.

3. Pompeo is a bigotted and fiery Islamophobe who has attempted to smear ordinary Muslim-Americans. It is not clear that he believes in their first amendment rights to freedom of religion. He is close to conspiracy theorist Frank Gaffney, a known hate purveyor against Muslim-Americans. Pompeo cannot work with the 56 Muslim-majority countries in the world, or with countries with substantial Muslim populations from Singapore to India, if he hates the Islamic religion and sees its law code as illegitimate (does he feel that way about Jewish halacha as well?)

4. Pompeo opposes gay marriage rights and slammed the Supreme Court decision (by a GOP-dominated court) recognizing those rights as a shocking abuse of power. He cant lead gay State Department personnel if he thinks they are perverts.

5. Pompeo is and has for long been in the back pocket of the Koch brothers big oil interests. The secretary of state has an important environmental impact. Even Rex Tillerson, former CEO of ExxonMobil, recognized the importance of the Paris Climate Pact. Pompeo will take orders from the Kochs to destroy it, and the earth along with it.

6. Pompeo is a conspiracy theorist who should not be making US policy. He spent millions of tax payer dollars on a phony investigation of the Benghazi tragedy that was designed to tear down Secretary of State Hillary Clinton because she was seen as a plausible future Democratic president. Pompeo continually and deliberately distorted the documents thrown up by the inquiry and knew very well that the secretary of state does not order military operations. Someone who thinks that is the secretarys mandate shouldnt fill those shoes.



Bonus video:

NJ.com: Cory Booker grills Mike Pompeo on views about Muslims and homosexuals
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / TheNewswire - April 20, 2018 - Nevada Clean Magnesium, Inc. (TSXV: NVM; Frankfurt-M1V; OTC Pink Sheets: MLYFF) (The "Company") today announced that it intends to raise up to $150,000 by way of a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of units ("Units") of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Unit. The Offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") final acceptance.

The Offering

The maximum Offering is for gross proceeds of up to $150,000. The Offering is not subject to any minimum aggregate subscription. Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of Nevada Clean Magnesium (the "Common Shares") and one Common Share Purchase Warrant (the "Warrants"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Common Share for a period of two years at a price of $0.07/share.

The securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance of the securities. The completion of the private placement and payment of any commission and fees remains subject to the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Proceeds from the Offering will be used for working capital.

About Nevada Clean Magnesium, Inc.

Nevada Clean Magnesium is focused on becoming a major U.S. producer and distributor of primary, high grade, low cost magnesium metal extracted from its 100% owned Tami-Mosi property located in North Central Nevada. Based on the Company's NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment Report published in September 2011 and amended in July 2014, the Tami-Mosi Project has an inferred resource of 412 million tonnes with an average grade of 12.3% Mg for a contained metal content of 111 billion pounds of magnesium using a 12% cut-off grade contained within a high purity dolomite block. For more information, please visit www.nevadacmi.com.

The technical portion of this press release was prepared under the supervision and review of James Sever, P. Eng., COO for Nevada Clean Magnesium. Mr. Sever is a non-independent qualified person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 standards.

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.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include that we will conduct and close a private placement and that we can become a a major U.S. producer and distributor of primary, high grade, low cost magnesium metal. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, including the Company's dolomite reserves may not be mined because of technical, regulatory, financing or other obstacles, the market price for magnesium may make our resources uneconomic, we may not be able hire and retain skilled employees, and other risks associated with being a mineral exploration and development company. We may not be able to close with interested investors on our intended private placement because of perceived risks or market conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release.

To Reach Nevada Clean Magnesium Please Contact:

Edward Lee, CEO at (604) 210-9862

For additional information please visit our website at http://www.nevadacmi.com or view our profile at http://www.sedar.com.

You may also follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
Weak states, porous borders and trafficking activities turned the Sahel into a safe heaven for terrorist groups. The terrorist attack on April 14 in Timbuktu by an Al Qaeda offshoot, the Group for the Defense of Islam and the Muslims, came to represent the capacity of the terrorist group to generate and carry out bloody attacks against heavily fortified facilities.

The attack targeted MINUSMA and Operation Barkhane, leaving a peacekeeper from Burkina Faso dead and several others wounded, including seven French soldiers and two Malian civilians.

This attack was prepared long ago by the terrorists. Its timing shows that it was perpetrated in retaliation for the actions led by Barkhane in northern Mali and the operations completed recently north of Timbuktu  said three-star general Bruno Guilbert who commands Barkhane since July 2017 in an interview with French Magazine lExpress.

Barkhane, Frances counter-terrorism force in Africa, has been deployed to fight terrorists in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mauritania.

The Group for the Defense of Islam and the Muslims, led by Touareg Iyad Ag Ghali, (said to have close ties in Algeria) has been restructured and renewed following our strikes in mid-February, he said, adding that the terrorist group was looking for a key event to reboot its operational capacity and demonstrate it through attacking international forces.

Barkhane commander explained that the scale of April 14 attacks showed new tactics, notably the use of suicide car bombing perpetrated by women.

It was a complicated attack combining direct shooting, RPGs, suicide attacks using multiple vehicles and deployment of fighters equipped with explosive belts who tried to push on through the inside of the headquarters, he said, noting that the terrorist however suffered a resounding defeat and had to flee.

The attack however shows an improvement in terrorist tactics particularly due to the connivance between the different terrorist groups in the Sahel, he explained.

He mentioned that Barkhane continues its crackdown on terrorists, citing February 14 operation against a high-level meeting of the Group commanded by Iyad Ag Ghali which killed his closest advisers.

But, he noted that despite the elimination of senior leaders, the terrorist group regenerates and attracts new recruits who join terrorist ranks out of opportunism rather than ideological adherence.

Four terrorist groups operating in the Sahel announced their merger into one group Jamaat Nasr Al islam wa Al mouminin (Group for the Defense of Islam and the Muslims) and pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda and its Jordanian leader Azarkawi in March 2017.

The four terrorist groups were brought together under the command of Iyad Ag Ghali, the leader of Ansar Eddine terrorist group based in Mali.

The merging groups are: Ansar Eddine, Al Mourabitoune- led by Algerian notorious terrorist Moukhtar BelMokhtar-, the Macina brigade, and AlQaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) led by another Algerian Abdelmalek Droudkel.

Regional experts explained that the unification of the four groups under the banner of Al Qaeda was in response to the rise of Daech (IS) in Libya and a fear of being overshadowed by it, notably after leaders of the Unity and Jihad in West Africa (known as MUJAO) broke away with AL Qaeda to join IS in 2015.
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Womens voices are finally being elevated on a national level to the prominence they deserve on workplace, political, and social issues.

But as a physician (and father of two adult daughters), Im concerned that women may not feel empowered to use their voices for their own health care. A 2015 survey found that only 22 percent of women in the United States possess health literacy skills, although health literacy is critical to achieve optimal outcomes. Other research suggests womens physical symptoms are more likely to be interpreted as due to psychological factors than are mens.

Unfortunately, these barriers may materialize at an early age. We recently surveyed young women between the ages of 15-24 regarding their reproductive health, mothers of women in this age group, and physicians, to better understand factors that might be contributing to the high rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cases of STDs are at an all-time high, with more than two million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis reported in the United States in 2016. Young people aged 1524 years acquire half of all new STDs, and alarmingly, one in four sexually active adolescent females has an STD.

These rates may be impacted if clinicians encouraged positive, non-judgmental dialogue about young womens health care. But our findings suggest that the medical community has much work to do to overcome communication obstacles and empower young women to take charge of their health care.

Young women arent well informed about sexual risk  and dont feel empowered to communicate frankly and honestly with their clinician. Young women cant safeguard their health if they dont know what or who to ask  let alone what to do with the information. Even though most young women have some knowledge of sexually transmitted infection and disease, many dont understand the risk of common STDs. Only about half of sexually active young women we polled say they have been tested for an STD  because they say they dont see the need. About one-quarter of young women dont feel comfortable talking about STDs to a doctor or nurse, and nearly one-third dont tell the truth to their provider about sexual activity.

One-quarter of physicians are uncomfortable with young womens reproductive health issues. One in four (24 percent) primary care physicians we polled agrees with the statement, I am very uncomfortable discussing STD risk with my female patients. Thats probably one of the key reasons that more young women say they learned about STDs in their sex ed and health classes at school than from their doctor.

Young women arent being screened according to medical guidelines. The worst possible result of young women not being empowered in their health care is that their care suffers for it. Half of the young women we surveyed claim their nurse or doctor has never asked if they want STD testing, despite medical guidelines that recommend testing all sexually active young women under age 25. And although many STDs do not cause any symptoms, only seven in ten doctors said they would order chlamydia or gonorrhea testing for a sexually active, asymptomatic young female patient.

Mothers may unintentionally quell communication between their daughters and physicians. Although parents (and especially mothers) play a vital role in health education and access to health care for minors and young adults, we found that mothers are sometimes a barrier to conversations on reproductive care for their daughters, at least when they are in the exam room together. Our survey found young women are far less likely to be truthful about sexual history or talk about STD testing when their mother is with them. Physicians must be attuned to this dynamic, discussing the need for STD testing separately with mothers, and requesting time alone with their patients for sensitive and honest conversations.

The most significant takeaway from our STD research is the importance of communication: through health education, in patient-physician interactions, and to ensure adherence to guideline-based care. Its clear these takeaways are transferable across the health care spectrum for young women. When we empower women at an early age to use their voices  to ask questions about their health, communicate honestly and fearlessly about their needs, and demand the services they deserve  they will soar to greater health, and greater heights.

Damian P. Alagia is medical director, womens health, Quest Diagnostics. For more information on Quests research on young women and STDs, please visit Talk About STD Testing.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Once the eminence grise behind Rick Santorums surprisingly viable 2012 presidential campaign, Friess is now wants to show the pols how to get things done. Photo: Brooks Kraft/Corbis via Getty Images

A lot of wealthy people who get heavily involved in politics do so to protect their business interests. Others pretty obviously think theyre smarter than the impecunious pols they back. This latter category of donors is always at risk to cut out the middleman and run for office themselves.

The latest to succumb to the let me show you how its done disease is investment manager Foster Friess, a GOP megadonor (as Politico calls him) who is now running for governor of Wyoming.

Friess last got national attention in March, when he offered to match up to $2.5 million in contributions to a youth-mentoring program in response to the Parkland massacre. But hes best known as the donor who propped up Rick Santorums 2012 presidential campaign, helping the sweater-vested cultural conservative maintain a primary challenge to Mitt Romney that came close to overturning the eventual nominees bandwagon. Along the way, Friess managed to attract some unwelcome attention for expressing views that made Santorum look downright forward-thinking. Asked about Santorums hostility to publicly subsidized birth control, the mogul said this:

On this contraceptive thing, my Gosh its such [sic] inexpensive, he added. You know, back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraception. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasnt that costly.

What the septuagenarian Friess considered a knee-slapper didnt go over that well with the gals. But after all, he wasnt running for office, was he?

But now he is. After mulling a challenge to GOP senator John Barrasso, Friess is now running for governor of his state. The incumbent, Republican Matt Mead, is term-limited and Friess is joining a field of four other candidates led by State Treasurer Mark Gordon. His money alone will keep him in the running.

One of the great things about being a rich businessperson running for governor as a Republican is that it supplies an insta-campaign platform, as Friess illustrates:

Im announcing that Im officially running for governor, Friess said. Its only going to be one term and Im going to donate my salary to charities that the people in Wyoming pick. There will be a little contest. I want to harness my ability to bring people companies because of the contacts I have around  mainly around the states, not so much around the world but in other places.

Who needs an expert on public policy if you can get someone who will hustle the state as an investment opportunity to his fellow job creators? And hes willing to finance a contest for charities with his own money! The one-term pledge may have something to do with the fact that Friess is 78 years old, but it reinforces his non-politician politician aura.

Perhaps Friess learned his lesson about homespun cowboy humor with the aspirin gaffe. And if he needs a testimonial, Rick Santorum would surely supply it.

He could even serve as an inspiration to other donors turned candidates. Nevadas Republican candidates for senate and governor should be grateful that the qualifying deadline for their states primaries has already come and gone. Casino baron Sheldon Adelson probably has days when hed prefer to cut out the middleman and run for office himself.
Suddenly in a peaceful mood. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea said on Friday that it would immediately and indefinitely suspend its nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile programs and close a nuclear test site where previous tests have been conducted, according to state-run media.

The dramatic announcement comes weeks before a planned meeting between President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. It was revealed this week that CIA Director Mike Pompeo had personally met with Kim Jong-un over Easter weekend, in the highest-level engagement between the two countries since 2000, to pave the way for the summit.

Trump has insisted that North Korea denuclearize altogether. Though many observers have doubted its incentives to do so, Fridays announcement may be a step in that general direction.

BREAKING: Kim Jong Un says our decision to SUSPEND NUCLEAR TESTS is part of the worlds important steps for nuclear disarmament and our republic will join global efforts to COMPLETELY suspend nuclear tests.  Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) April 20, 2018

But theres a big difference between suspending testing and actually getting rid of weapons. Many observers emphasized that the move amounts to little more than a cementing of promises North Korea had already made, and is easily reversible. Victor Cha, who came close to becoming the U.S. ambassador to South Korea before he was deemed too dovish, told Axios that this is not a denuclearization statement, it is a statement that DPRK [North Korea] can be a responsible nuclear weapons state.

In any case, the policy shift and general outlook on the Korean Peninsula is a dramatic change in course from just a few months ago. In August, in the aftermath of a North Korean nuclear test, President Trump threatened to destroy the country with fire and fury if it further provoked the United States. Trump and Kim then engaged in a war of words for months. On Friday, Trump gloated about his diplomatic success:
Happy weekend! Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Hours before Barbara Bushs funeral (which he is not attending), Donald Trump reminded the world that presidential means something very different than it did back when she was First Lady.

Reacting to a revealing New York Times story about his fixer Michael Cohen, the president lashed out at the story and one of its authors, Times reporter Maggie Haberman (initially misspelling her name as Habberman before correcting himself).

The New York Times and a third rate reporter named Maggie Haberman, known as a Crooked H flunkie who I dont speak to and have nothing to do with, are going out of their way to destroy Michael Cohen and his relationship with me in the hope that he will flip. They use....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

....non-existent sources and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family. Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

....it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I dont see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

The story in question details the typically respectful manner in which Trump has treated Cohen over the years: with gratuitous insults, dismissive statements and, at least twice, threats of being fired, according to interviews with a half-dozen people familiar with their relationship. Trumps contempt may come back to bite him, now that the legally imperiled Cohen will have a clear incentive to cooperate with authorities at the expense of his boss.

Though Cohen has repeatedly expressed undying loyalty to Trump, the presidents lawyers and advisers acknowledge that there is a strong chance he will cooperate with prosecutors.

The drunk, drugged up loser Trump was referring to is likely erstwhile Trump aide Sam Nunberg, who was quoted in the story. Nunberg recently went on a bizarre, one-day spree of TV appearances, during which he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.

This is at least the second time that the president has tried to downplay his relationship with Haberman, perhaps the best-known reporter on the Trump beat, who is known for having the presidents ear. It is still not a convincing routine.

Trump just tweeted, I dont speak to and have nothing to do with Maggie Haberman. pic.twitter.com/G3XnSFmE2X  Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) April 21, 2018

Saturdays tweets werent the presidents first angry dispatches of the weekend. Late Friday night, he accused former FBI Director James Comey of conniving to create the office of the special counsel, and, perhaps most egregiously, misspelling special counsel.

James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

Also, in a since-corrected tweet, the president appeared to confuse former Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who died in 2006.

Were in good hands, folks.
Lima, Apr 21 (AP) Authorities in Peru say at least two German tourists were killed and another 10 injured when their minibus went off the road and fell into a ravine in the Andes Mountains.

Highway police chief Jorge Castillo said rescuers were trying to retrieve the bodies of two male tourists trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle, which crashed shortly before reaching Chivay, a city 712 kilometers southeast of Lima.

Castillo said the accident occurred yesterday when the minibus was on a downhill curve. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed several tourists helping to carry people on stretchers.

The tourists were heading from Arequipa in Peru's southern Andes to the Colca Valley. In November, four German tourists died in another accident in Peru's Huancavelica region. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
As per the directions of the Rajasthan High Court, the trial court will announce its verdict in the case in Jodhpur Central Jail premises. (Photo Credits: PTI)

Jodhpur, April 21: The judgement in Asaram Bapu Rape Case is set to be pronounced inside Jodhpur Central Jail on April 25. The Jodhpur Police informed that the Rajasthan High Court had made all the necessary arrangements and Section 144 of CRPC will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30 as thousands of supporters/followers of Asaram would gather at the court premises from all over the country on judgment day. We appeal to public to follow the order. More than 4 ppl can't assemble in public, a statement by Jodhpur Police said.

To recall, the Rajasthan High Court earlier this week allowed the state governments plea that the trial courts judgment in the rape case against self-styled godman Asaram be pronounced in Jodhpur central jail. This decision was taken to avoid law and order trouble that his followers might create. The judgment will be pronounced on April 25.

Rajasthan HC made arrangements for judgement in #AsaramRapeCase to be pronounced inside Jodhpur Central Jail on 25 April. Section 144 of CRPC will be imposed in Jodhpur till April 30.We appeal to public to follow the order. More than 4 ppl can't assemble in public: Jodhpur Police pic.twitter.com/QZr1frmyHU  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

What is Section 144 of the Indian Penal Code

Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973 empowers a magistrate to prohibit an assembly of more than four people in an area. Joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon. Whoever, being armed with any deadly weapon, or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. According to sections 141-149 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the maximum punishment for engaging in rioting is rigorous imprisonment for 3 years and/or fine.

In 2013, a Surat-based girl filed a case against the self-styled godman, alleging sexual assaults between 1997 and 2006 while she was living in his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. The godman has faced trial under several sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. It must be noted that Asaram is in jail since August 31, 2013 after being accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at his ashram in Manai village near Jodhpur.

Reports inform that a division bench comprising Justice R S Jhala and Justice G K Vyas allowed the states petition seeking trial court proceedings inside the central jail on verdict day, as police anticipated a large assembly of Asarams followers in the city on April 25. According to a report by TOI, the high court directed Special Judge, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities), Jodhpur, to conduct proceedings in jail and also directed the superintendent, Jodhpur Central Jail, police commissionerate and the district administration to make arrangements for the proceedings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2018 10:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Agartala, April 21: The Tripura government has decided to remove that part of history syllabus which taught students about the communist leaders Vladmir Lenin and Joseph Stalin. Students of Tripura would be also be taught about the local culture in addition to syllabus in NCERT books. The move came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gained power in Tripura after ousting 25-year-old communist reign.

Speaking to India Today, Chief Minister Biplab Deb said, "For 25 years Red history (communism) was all that was taught in Tripura; the education system was destroyed." Deb further added, I have formed a high-level committee and we will soon have only NCERT education in Tripura so that students can compete in national-level recruitment exams. Textbooks will have more of Indian history. Instead of learning about Lenin and Stalin, our students will learn about the lives of Mahatma Gandhi, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose among others.

According to the chief minister, student should know stories of King Ashoka and his adoption of Buddhism instead of communist history. Sticking to his controversial statement that Internet and satellite communication existed in the times of Mahabharata, Deb clarified his stand He said that the names could have been different but technology did exist during that period. To support his point he said that how else could Sanjaya narrate the battle of Kurukshetra to Dhritrashtra hundreds of kilometres away from Hastinapur?

The chief minister also attacked those who trolled him for stating that technology existed during Mahabharata, he said that those against Indian culture are mocking and questioning him. Deb also blamed previous communist government for supporting China and Pakistan in the situation of conflict with India.

Speaking to India Today Deb said, The people questioning me today are the ones who have no faith in Lord Rama. So, why should I clarify anything to them? I believe in our culture and heritage and shall take if forward. It is there in our scriptures; it is a part of our belief." According to Biplab Deb, there was no Ashoka Stambh and Tri-Colour in the chief ministers office during communist rule.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2018 04:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, April 21: India will supply four Mi-35 attack helicopters to Afghanistan to fight against the Pakistan-backed Taliban. India has decided to help the war-torn nation to carry out its operations against Taliban, reported The Statesman, citing Afghan diplomatic sources. India is expected to directly purchase these Russian-made helicopters from Belarus. It would have taken a long time to procure the choppers if India were to place an order for their supplies.

According to Hindustan Times, Afghanistan, Belarus and India inked a trilateral pact for the refurbished Mi-35 helicopters in March, Afghan ambassador Shaida Abdali said in an interview. India had supplied four Mi-35 attack helicopters to Afghanistan in 2015-16 to strengthen Afghan forces.

According to sources, the decision to supply four more four more helicopters to Afghanistan was taken after the United States (US) and other key Western powers asked India to play a pro-active role in bringing stability in Afghanistan. Around 1,000 Afghan soldiers are already getting trained in Indian Defence institutions.

Afghanistan forces are mostly using Russian weapons, so United States has requested India to assist Afghanistan Air Force in combating terrorism. India and Afghanistan also propose to hold the next meeting of the strategic council between them to consider ways to enhance the fighting ability of the Afghan forces in Kabul, reported The Statesman. The last meeting was held in New Delhi last year. The US also has started implementing its four-year defence plan in Afghanistan as a result of this the strength of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) will be increased three-fold.

The air corridor established last year between India and Afghanistan to evade the problems being created by Pakistan for trade between has helped the two nations in increasing trade and commercial links, whereas trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has decreased substantially.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2018 11:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The omission of Laois from Failte Ireland's latest tourism plan is staggering on any number of levels.

The 2 million Failte Ireland brand plan for the midlands - Ireland's Hidden Heartlands - was launched amidst the customary fanfare last week, with the attendant promises of growth and jobs in the relevant areas.

The new plan is touted as being aimed at the midlands, but a midlands which curiously does not include Laois.

In fact the county looks destined to remain resolutely hidden under this Hidden Heartlands project.

Failte Ireland have justified the omission stating that Laois is best suited to Ireland's Ancient East.

The view has also been put forward that Laois is better off with a tourist brand associated with history.

While history does, of course, form a hugely important component of our tourism offering, are we content that our product should be limited to it.

Hardly. When it comes to promoting and selling the county no limitations of any sort should be entertained.

The largest influx of people to this county (or indeed any county) every year is for the Electric Picnic, which has no real historical theme.

Also ironic is the fact that in the same week that this Hidden Heartlands project was launched, Coillte confirmed that construction on Phase I of the Slieve Bloom Bike Trail will begin this May.

This 73km trail, costing in the region of 4 million, has the potential to generate huge tourism revenue over time for both Laois and Offaly. It also represents the progressive and creative use of our resources.

Furthermore, the Ancient East argument simply does not stand up when parts of Offaly and Westmeath will dually benefit from being part of it, and the Hidden Heartlands.

Of course one can see this as part of a pattern. Afterall, the record of funding that Laois has received for tourism has been paltry. Between 2007 and 2014 it has been only 93,000 from a total of 125 million.

And now in this latest initiative Laois has most defintely been left behind, protestations to the contrary notwithstanding.

At the recent launch of the Laois Tourism Strategy, a Failte Ireland representative publicly said it was important to realise the potential of Laois and the challenges it faced. But not important enough to merit inclusion in Ireland's Hidden Heartlands.
If you want your social message to be well received in Uganda, it increasingly makes sense to turn to artistes. Because of their popularity, artistes voices, faces and music are used in social campaigns that run in the media.

Last Friday PATH, under the USAID Advocacy for Better Health (ABH), lauded innovations in health using six celebrated Ugandan artistes. ABH is a USAID project that improves health especially among women and children.

The artistes were asked to compose 13 songs and perform during last Fridays official launch at Serena hotel Kampala, with advocacy messages on behavior change.

The artistes included Afrigo bands Joanita Kawalya, Golden bands Mesach Semakula, Dr Hilderman, Pr Wilson Bugembe, Rema Namakula and Ziza Bafana, who also recorded a joint advocacy song.

The launch was well received, with Victoria hall filled to capacity. And it took getting used to seeing Bobi Wine in attendance, this time as Robert Kyagulanyi, MP for Kyadondo East.

Still, a leopard does not lose its spots and the honourable MP later took to the stage as the guest artiste. Dr Chris Baryomunsi, state minister for housing, and Dr Francis Omaswa the executive director, African Centre for Global Change, among others, were in attendance.

The campaign dubbed Sing for Change seeks to sensitize the public about HIV/Aids, tuberculosis (TB) and social accountability.

According to Moses Dombo, chief of party, USAID ABH, the songs have been produced in both audio and video, mainly in Luganda with some parts in English to carry key messages.

Geoffrey Kayemba, who coordinated the musicians, said Sing for Change was their idea after they realized their music has potential to focus on more than just love songs.

Dr Hilderman chose to sing about tuberculosis (TB), one of the common opportunistic diseases among people living with HIV.

Hilderman said, I believe my work will transform the community; it is regrettable that Uganda is marked 18th among the worlds 22 high TB burden countries.

Rema Namakula was the last to perform and she chose to sing about maternal health and nutrition. The message was then sealed by Ziza Bafana, who jumped on stage with his energetic style of presentation, but uncharacteristically chose to play the keyboard as he sang, because he wanted the message to be well-received.

The launch also had a blood donation drive, as well as free HIV counseling and testing by TASO.

alfredodcho@gmail.com
With all the hoo-ha over Facebook and the the whole data business, I was reminded of something which had come to mind some time ago.

The use of pigeons in communications.

Part of my interest had been stoked by the early history of Reuters news agency and others in business to use the birds to spread news in the late 1800s.

Today, despite their downsides, and competition from the internet and email, possibly because of their drawbacks, pigeons have their uses. And could have more use still.

To a great extent, everyone must now know, deep down, and probably very shallow down, that posting/giving tens of thousands of pieces of data, much of it irrelevant on its own most of the time, into computers and phones and hitting the I agree button to move on to the next thing to appear on the screen without reading the conditions in very small print (especially on a phone), could be used, to invade their privacy, and more possibly more importantly, relieve them of their easily money.

Most are prepared to take the risk but, for many, that risk could be too high.

These days we exchange our privacy, potentially our freedom, for easy access around the world. I have to say, I love being able to talk to and see friends and relatives on another continent, but there are downsides.

We can never really trust handing over control to robots or that data in cloud is safe from competitors or random chance of loss.

So, I ask myself, rather than cloud cuckoo land, would not cloud pigeon land be something to explore for some, if not all?

It is worth paying tribute to the carrier pigeon, which have saved thousands of lives.

During World War II, a carrier pigeon was granted the Dickin medal in the UK, the equivalent of the Victoria Cross, after it brought news of a fallen plane.

In February 1942, an RAF bomber went into the sea 100 miles from home returning from a mission over Norway.

The crew could not radio an accurate position back to base but they had a pigeon called Winkie.

The RAF routinely brought carrier pigeons on flights.

Winkie made it home, knackered after a 120 mile flight, to Scottish, who told RAF in Fife, Scotland.

Winkie had no message attached but the RAF were able to calculate the position of the downed aircraft and the fliers were found, alive.

In 2004 the New York Times reported on an exhibition at the Musee de la Post e Montparnasse, Paris, called 'Pigeon Vole!"'(Fly, Pigeon!) dedicated to the carrier pigeon.

The article also noted drug traffickers continued to escape technological advances in surveillance by sending flocks of pigeons, each carrying ten grams of heroin, between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It reported the first message-bearing pigeon was released by Noah, he of the boat construction project.

Genghis Khan established pigeon relay posts across and Asia and much of Eastern Europe.

Charlemagne made pigeon-raising the exclusive privilege of nobility, most likely because he realised the benefit of the advantage.

There are companies offering pigeon carrying services today, and with all the worrying news which has come out about Facebook and data tracking, this could be the next booming business...

SEE ALSO: Free child car seat checks in Kildare in coming weeks
A new school for Naas moved a step closer with news that tenders are being sought for its construction.

Naas Community College will be built at a site at Millennium Park and the Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board has published tenders.

These seek expressions of interest from building, mechanical and electrical specialist contractors for the construction of the new school building.

Local TD and chair of Naas Community College James Lawless has confirmed the progress, saying it is very welcome news to the entire school community.

He said tenders have been published for the building of the new school. The Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board are now seeking expressions of interest from building, mechanical and electrical specialist contractors for the construction of the new school building.

Deputy Lawless said This is very welcome news to the entire school community. The tenders have been published and are expected to be closed at the end of May. From there we expect building to commence shortly afterwards.

He said there is a considerable demand for places in the school and this is a key part of the educational infrastructure for Naas and the surrounding areas. It will cater for 1,000 students.

Deputy Lawless said it will complement existing schools by placing a co-ed ETB (Education and Training Board) facility into the north Naas area to cater for students from all over the town but also places like Sallins, Kill, Johnstown and Rathmore.

I look forward to working with the school, the Department, and the KWETB to ensure that the project moves swiftly to the next phase when we will see construction commence.

SEE ALSO: Much loved teddy reunited with Naas boy after Leinster Leader appeal
World Bank senior economist for Uganda Richard Ancrum Walker says he is impressed with the public debate around proposed new taxes, including that on social media usage.



Addressing journalists in Kampala, Walker said that for long, public debate in Uganda has been about expenditures and not revenue mobilization. Walker said he is happy that this time, there has been a lot of public debate on the administration of revenues, which is crucial for Uganda.

Government is proposing Shs 100/day on social media

In the tax proposals for the financial year 2018/19, government intends to introduce new taxes including among others, the Shs 100 daily tax on social media usage, one percent charge on every mobile money transaction and taxing of savings and credit cooperative organisations (Saccos), among others.



Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) also wants banks to furnish it with customer details as one way of generating revenues, although the president has since halted the move. Also on the cards is a proposal to tax each international call at Shs 330.



The new tax proposals especially the 'social media tax' have generated public uproar, with most voices opposing it as "double taxation" on grounds that such social media users already pay taxes on the airtime and data, as well as on the smartphones.



In FY 2016/17, URA collected Shs 13 trillion which is less than half of the national budget of Shs 29 trillion. In order to cover the deficit, the government has to borrow externally and domestically, as well as sourcing from development partners.



The implication is that the borrowing increases the debt burden, as more and more monies are used to repay the debt, including more borrowing. In the current budget, nearly Shs 3 trillion is for debt repayment.



Reacting to the World Bank stance, political economist Prof Julius Kiiza, of Makerere University, agrees that the increased focus and debate on different sources and nature of government revenues is healthy and encouraging.



According to Prof Kiiza, the debate should be deepened to include government's double standards of providing generous tax holidays for so-called investors, while, as he puts it, "squeezing the daylights out of ordinary businesses and citizens who are already struggling".



Prof Kiiza says even without proposing new revenue sources, the government is already losing so much in revenues to dubious investors who, in addition to benefiting from tax exemptions, also use offshore dealings to fleece the country of lots of money.



He says the debate on resource mobilisation must also focus on the citizens holding duty bearers accountable for every single coin they collect and spend.



Writing in The Daily Monitor recently, economist Dr Fred Muhumuza of Makerere University, the new tax proposals are symptomatic of so much chaos in the country and that it is hard to determine what will happen when the proposed taxes take effect.



Dr Muhumuza wondered what could be the real intention behind the new taxes like the "WhatsApp" tax considering that such users are already taxed for buying airtime and data. He thinks the tax is more to do with curtailing freedom of information and expression.



According to Muhumuza, using the Internet is more of a production than a consumptive venture, and should be promoted.
For those who work at Makerere University and know Edward Kisuze, he was a care-free man  running a discreet extramarital relationship he knew was going nowhere.

Yet, this administrative assistant persisted with the dalliance; raising Rachel Njeris hopes of it ending in something more substantial. But when he reportedly decided not to advance this relationship to a more permanent status, Njeri threatened to expose Kisuze. She blackmailed him.

Rachel Njeri took and posted a picture of Edward Kisuze reportedly sexually harassing her

So, when he called her bluff, she sought desperate revenge on social media. Friends say Njeri, who graduated in January, could not have anticipated how her actions would affect their lives. She is now living in hiding, while Kisuze has had to endure a few nights in a Wandegeya police cell.

And for the administration at Makerere University, the timing is especially so off. Just a month ago, the university suspended Dr Swizen Kyomuhendo for having sex with a student, and after pictures taken of the couple in a Kampala lodge went public.

Slightly over a year ago, another lecturer, Prof Christopher Bakuneta, had also been caught in similar circumstances. Like Njeri, the woman found with Bakuneta initially claimed to have been raped, before amending her statement to indicate that it was a consensual liaison, leading to his release from custody.

Kisuze and Kyomuhendo are on suspension and under investigation, while Bakuneta is back at work. This seemed to affirm the suspicion in some circles that sexual predators are tolerated at Makerere.

This is why MasterCard Foundation officials in New York called to ask for a brief on the progress of investigations into sexual harassment crimes at Makerere. When the university vice chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, failed to provide satisfactory answers, the donors recalled a new tranche of funding that would have assisted 250 brilliant but underprivileged girls.

Officials at Makerere are worried that other donors are waiting to see what happens to Kisuze and Kyomuhendo. There could be financial ramifications for a university, already under stress resulting from the governments refusal to increase its annual subvention.

Sympathizers believe Kisuze should not be paying for the sins of academic staff, who prey on their students, since he is not a lecturer and was not in position to dole out favours to students in exchange for sex. However, they will not find favour in the university council which runs affairs at Makerere.

Council chairperson Dr Charles Wana Etyem and Nawangwe have publicly vowed to make an example of anyone caught up in sexual shenanigans that bring the universitys name into disrepute. Another council member, Dr Fred Tanga Odoi, who also heads the university convocation, says there is no excuse for sexual harassment at Makerere.

From a moral standpoint, a person in a position of authority should not prey on their junior, he told The Observer last week.

Sexual harassment is not only about sex, but it can include intimidation of the weaker sex; either of a student and a staff member or even between students or workers.

Odoi is still bitter about a matter he raised with the university management, years ago. A professor in the School of Education was reportedly regularly tapping the buttocks of a female sweeper in his office and Odoi was livid.

In my view, that matter was handled lightly  There should be no room for sexual harassment, he said.

The man is still working at Makerere, although he has since stopped the habit.

Where it started Odoi, who has taught history at Makerere for more than 15 years, says sexual harassment gained ground as the university started replenishing its staff 20 years ago.

Around this time, most of the old guard was retiring from service. We started getting younger lecturers into the system, yet these have not received any induction on how to handle situations with students, he said.

I believe that the university should also hold regular inductions for staff, so that they do not get caught up in such sticky situations. Students and junior staff should also avoid getting into situations in which they are likely to be compromised, he proposed.

I request students and some staff to rise above the low standards they exhibit and appreciate what they came to do at the university instead of getting caught up in these cases, he said.

Despite all this, Odoi is convinced that while Makerere is in the news, things could be rather worse in other universities.

At least Makerere has exposed these situations in the open and taken action. It even has a policy on sexual harassment and a disciplinary committee in place to deal with these problems, he said.

But you should be worried about those universities where you dont hear anything. I have been to some of them and I can assure you the situation is worrying.

mtalemwa@observer.ug
For people with tooth sensitivity, eating or drinking certain substances or those at certain temperatures causes discomfort or pain in their teeth. At least 40 million adults suffer from sensitive teeth in the United States, according to the Academy of General Dentistry.

The pain is often sharp and sudden, but it is temporary. Tooth pain occurs when stimuli, such as hot and cold, reach a tooth's exposed nerve endings, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Fortunately, sensitive teeth can be treated, and the condition can improve.

Causes of tooth sensitivity

There are no at-risk groups for tooth sensitivity. It can happen to anyone, according to Dr. Margaret Culotta-Norton, a dentist in Washington, D.C. and former president of the D.C. Dental Society.

"The most common symptom  is a sudden, sharp flash of pain when teeth are exposed to air, cold, sweet, acidic or hot foods," Culotta-Norton told Live Science. Some people may also experience tooth sensitivity from brushing or flossing their teeth.

Tooth sensitivity generally results from a layer of the tooth called dentin being exposed. The outside of each tooth is normally covered by a hard outer layer, called enamel or cementum, which protects that dentin  the softer, inner layer of the tooth. Enamel protects the crown, the part of the tooth that's visible above the gum. Cementum covers the dentin surrounding the root, the pointy part of the tooth that extends into the jaw bone, according to the American Dental Association. The gum also protects the root. If the enamel or cementum gets worn down or if the gum line has receded, then the dentin becomes exposed. "Cavities, cracked teeth, gum recession, enamel and root erosion all cause dentin to be exposed," Culotta-Norton said. "Dentin is connected to the nerve that triggers pain in sensitive teeth."

Dentin contains thousands of microscopic tubules, or channels, leading to the tooth's pulp, according to the Academy of General Dentistry. When exposed, these dentinal tubules allow heat, cold or acidic substances to reach the nerves inside the tooth, causing pain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Pain is the only type of response that the nerves inside teeth have, Live Science previously reported.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, some factors that contribute to sensitive teeth may include:

Brushing too hard or using a hard-bristled toothbrush. This can wear down enamel, causing dentin to become exposed, or encourage gum recession.

Gum recession. This often happens in people suffering from gum disease, including gingivitis . Gum recession exposes the dentin.

. Gum recession exposes the dentin. Cracked teeth. Cracks can become filled with bacteria from plaque and cause inflammation in the pulp of the tooth. In more severe cases, it may lead to abscess and infection.

Teeth grinding or clenching. This can wear down enamel.

Plaque buildup.

Long-term use of mouthwash. Some over-the-counter mouthwashes contain acids. If dentin is exposed, the acids can worsen existing tooth sensitivity and further damage the dentin layer. There are neutral fluoride mouthwashes available that might be a better option.

Acidic foods. These can encourage enamel reduction.

Dental procedures. Teeth may be sensitive after professional cleaning, root planing, crown replacement and other procedures. Usually the pain will disappear in four to six weeks.

Tooth sensitivity after a filing

Some people may experience tooth sensitivity after having a cavity filled, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Fortunately, tooth sensitivity following a filling should improve on its own within a few weeks.

Sometimes teeth become sensitive when biting down after a filling. This can happen because the filling is too high and prevents your bottom and top teeth from fitting together properly. In this case, the dentist may need to reshape the filling. If you get a metal filling and it touches another type of metal, such as a gold or silver crown, when you bite down, the contact between the two different metals may cause some pain initially, but it should subside.

If you have toothache-like pain after a filling and it doesn't go away, the interior of the tooth, called the pulp, may be severely inflamed. This inflammation is called pulpitis, according to the Merck Manual. If the inflammation is so severe that the pulp becomes necrotic, or starts to die, it may require a root canal, in which the damaged tissue is replaced with a filling of a rubber-like substance called gutta-percha or another material, according to the Academy of General Dentistry.

Tooth sensitivity after whitening treatments

Teeth-whitening treatments  done either in a dentist's office or using an over-the-counter product  contain harsh chemicals (hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) that remove stains, but they can also cause tooth sensitivity. When peroxide penetrates the enamel, it can temporarily irritate the tooth. Overuse of whiteners can also damage the enamel and gums, according to the American Dental Association.

Several studies have investigated ways to lessen pain after dentist-performed teeth-whitening treatments. A 2018 study in the journal Operative Dentistry found that patients taking acetaminophen/codeine before treatment did not reduce pain. A 2016 study in the journal Lasers in Medical Science found that irradiating teeth with low-level lasers after a whitening treatment reduced pain levels significantly compared with patients who did not receive any laser treatment. And a 2018 study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that applying a desensitizing gel before whitening significantly reduced tooth sensitivity after treatment.

Another potential solution is changing the formula of whitening products. A 2017 study published in the journal Clinical Oral Investigations found that reducing the acidity in bleaching gels resulted in significantly less pain with the same whitening results.

Tooth sensitivity treatment

"Sensitive teeth never completely disappear," Culotta-Norton said. "Symptoms may be less or even seem to go away for a while, but unless the reasons why a person's teeth become sensitive are completely eliminated the sensitivity will come and go."

There are several types of treatment available, and each dentist has his or her favorites that they are most likely to recommend, according to Culotta-Norton. She stressed that there is no single treatment option that works for everyone. "Proper diagnosis of the reason for the sensitivity is essential in treating sensitivity. If the reason for the sensitivity is addressed, the treatment chosen will be more successful in decreasing pain. If the dentist just treats sensitivity without addressing the reason for it the problem will continue and get worse," she said.

The following are some at-home treatments suggested by the Cleveland Clinic:

Desensitizing toothpaste. There are several brands of toothpaste for sensitive teeth that are available. Your dentist may recommend one, or you may have to try different brands until you find the product that works for you. Be sure to use fluoridated toothpaste for sensitive teeth, not tartar-control toothpaste. Try spreading a thin layer of desensitizing toothpaste on the exposed tooth roots before bed.

Use a soft-bristled toothbrush.

Avoid highly acidic foods.

Use a fluoridated mouthwash daily.

Avoid teeth grinding. Consider getting a mouth guard.

The following are some dental procedures that may reduce tooth sensitivity, according to the American Dental Association:

Bonding, crowns or inlays. These may fix a tooth flaw or decay that is causing sensitivity.

Fluoride gel.

Surgical gum graft. This will protect the root and reduce sensitivity if the gum tissue has eroded from the root.

Root canal. This is a last-resort treatment for severe tooth sensitivity that has not been helped by other methods.

Some dental procedures may help relieve tooth sensitivity, such as a crown, a gum graft or a root canal. (Image credit: Getty/LaylaBird)

Fluoride treatment for sensitive teeth

A review article published in 2015 in the journal Caries Research suggests that fluoride alone can't prevent tooth erosion, which can lead to tooth sensitivity. The authors suggest that treatments combining fluoride with polyvalent metal ions and some polymers may offer more protection. The authors said that more studies were needed to determine the efficacy of these additives.

In 2014, the FDA approved the use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to treat tooth sensitivity, according to the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD), a national oral health nonprofit. The topical treatment has long been popular in Asia and Europe and used to prevent pain and caries. A short-term 2011 clinical trial in Peru published in the Journal of Dental Research found that participants with tooth sensitivity who underwent topical SDF applications experienced significantly reduced levels of pain. The application of SDF results in a harder tooth surface, helping to prevent further decay. It also protects exposed dentin from potentially painful stimuli by partially blocking the dentinal tubules, according to a University of California San Francisco protocol for using SDF to treat cavities, published in the Journal of the California Dental Association.

Silver diamine fluoride treatments must be applied by a dental practitioner, according to the ASTDD. When applied over spots of demineralized (damaged) enamel or dentin, silver diamine fluoride results in a permanent black spot on the tooth. It does not stain healthy teeth, however. Silver diamine fluoride treatments arose out of the Japanese practice of tooth blackening, called ohaguro, in the 19th century, according to the journal Oral Science. People with silver allergies should not use this treatment.

This article was updated on May 18, 2021 by Live Science contributor Ashley P. Taylor.
A personal photo from Hans Aspergers files. This photo was edited for website template sizing, as well as for dust and scratch marks.

Hans Asperger, a pioneer in autism research whose name is used to describe high-functioning people with the disorder, had a previously unknown dark past that included sending children with disabilities to a "euthanasia" program run by the Nazi regime, according to new investigations into his long-lost files.

The new findings reveal that Asperger was far from a courageous defender of his patients against "euthanasia" by the Nazis, as many people thought. Rather, he benefited from his cooperation with the regime and "publicly legitimized race hygiene policies, including forced sterilizations," according to a study published online yesterday (April 19) in the journal Molecular Autism.

Asperger also used "remarkably harsh" language to describe his young patients, even compared with professionals at the same facility who had patients with more severe disabilities, study researcher Herwig Czech, a medical historian at the Medical University of Vienna, wrote in the study. [Beyond Vaccines: 5 Things That Might Really Cause Autism]

Hans Asperger (1906-1980) wrote about autism in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but it was Leo Kanner's famous 1943 paper that laid the groundwork for describing the disorder, which is now defined as a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a person's ability to communicate, interact and behave typically with others in social situations.

Despite Asperger's early work on autism, he was forgotten by history until 1981, when scientists rediscovered and publicized his work. His research became so well-known that the term "Asperger's syndrome" was used to refer to people on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum, who sometimes call themselves Aspies.

But in recent years, researchers started finding alarming clues about Asperger's behavior during the Nazi period in Austria, where he lived. These clues spurred the research of Czech, as well as Edith Sheffer, a senior fellow at the Institute of European Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, whose book "Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna" (W. W. Norton & Co., 2018) is due out May 1.

The new revelations are largely based on evidence that was long thought to have been destroyed during World War II: Asperger's personal files, political assessments by Nazi authorities and medical records from different institutions, including the notorious child "euthanasia" clinic Am Spiegelgrund, Czech said.

While Asperger never joined the Nazi party outright, he was a member of several groups affiliated with the regime, and was rewarded for his loyalty with career opportunities, Czech found. Moreover, case records from his Jewish patients reveal that "Asperger had an acute sense of their religious and 'racial' otherness and that anti-Semitic stereotypes sometimes found their way into his diagnostic reports," Czech wrote in the study.

However, Asperger's darkest actions revolve around his work with Am Spiegelgrund, where hundreds of children with disabilities were experimented on or murdered, Czech said.

For instance, in 1941 Asperger referred the "hopeless cases" of 3-year-old Herta Schreiber and 5-year-old Elisabeth Schreiber (no apparent relation to Herta) to Am Spiegelgrund, records show. Both little girls had mental disabilities and died of pneumonia not long after arriving at the clinic. In particular, Herta Schreiber was likely given barbiturates that ultimately led to her death, Czech found.

It's unclear whether Asperger, or the children's mothers for that matter, knew what awaited the children. "All we have to go by is Asperger's short note on Herta, in which he calls for her 'permanent placement' at Spiegelgrund  whether this was a conscious euphemism for murder or not, it is clear that he did not expect Herta to return," Czech wrote in the study. [11 Facts Every Parent Should Know About Their Baby's Brain]

Asperger was also part of a committee that reviewed the cases of 200 children in a psychiatric hospital, calling 35 of them "uneducable" and "unemployable," words that marked the children for "euthanasia," Czech found. It's challenging to know what happened to these children because the report doesn't list their names, but many of them likely died as a result of these damaging diagnoses, Czech said.

Moving forward

In spite of these discoveries, Czech said that people shouldn't consider Asperger's contributions to the field of autism to be tainted, nor should he be purged from the medical lexicon. "Rather, it should be seen as an opportunity to foster awareness" about the troubling conditions in which autism researchand Asperger's contributions to it arose, she said.

But Sheffer, the author of the new book, fervently disagrees.

"In light of this research, we should no longer use the term Asperger syndrome," Sheffer told Live Science in an email. "In medicine, eponymous diagnoses are granted to recognize individuals who first defined a condition as well as to honor their life. In my opinion, Asperger meets neither criterion."

Meanwhile, the term Asperger's syndrome is being phased out  not because of Asperger's past, but because psychiatrists say that it falls under the umbrella of autism spectrum disorders and should just be referred to as autism.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the American Psychiatric Association's guide for diagnosis, stopped including Asperger's syndrome in the DSM-5, which came out in 2013.

What's more, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is used by the World Health Organization, will likely drop Asperger's syndrome in the ICD-11, which is due out in 2019, Adam McCrimmon, an associate professor of educational studies at the University of Calgary, wrote in The Conversation.

Original article on Live Science.
A single meteor streaks toward Earth in this image from the night of April 21, 2012. Astronaut Don Pettit snapped this photograph from his perch in the International Space Station (ISS) during the 2012 Lyrid meteor shower. Behind the meteor, city lights outline the shape of Florida and the eastern Gulf Coast. Cuba and the Florida Keys are to the right.

Take a minute to look up at the stars this weekend, because two very, very special things are supposedly happening there. One is the annual observance of one of Earth's oldest-known meteor showers. The other is the apocalypse.

From late Saturday (April 21) to early Sunday (April 22), stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere have a chance to be dazzled by the Lyrid meteor shower, which has reliably lit up the sky with shooting stars every April for nearly 3,000 years. The shower will peak after the moon sets early Sunday morning. Look into the sky around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday, and you can expect to see about 15 to 20 meteors each hour.

Keep watching, because sometime on Monday (April 23), another cosmic display is scheduled to grace the heavens  and this one you definitely won't want to miss. According to professional doomsayer David Meade, that's when a rogue planet called Nibiru (or "Planet X") will crash into our solar system, ushering in an apocalyptic end of days as described in the Biblical "Book of Revelation."

(To be clear, Nibiru's appearance in the sky on Monday will be only a harbinger of the end, Meade told the tabloid Express; the actual destruction of the world won't occur until October, when Nibiru passes by Earth and causes most of the world's volcanoes to erupt simultaneously.)

Live Science doesn't want to tell you how to live your life, but if you have only enough time to watch one phenomenon in the sky this weekend, the Lyrids are definitely the safer bet. The annual meteor shower has occurred every April since at least 687 B.C., when Chinese astronomers remarked that they could see meteors "falling like rain."

Earth sees the Lyrids so reliably this time of year because that's when our planet passes through the dusty debris left behind by Comet Thatcher, which whizzes through our solar system once every 400 years. Thatcher was last observed in 1861 so, sadly, none of us will be around to see its next flyby in the 2200s  that is, if the world doesn't end first.

Nibiru, on the other hand, has been labeled a hoax by NASA, and there's not a shred of evidence for the planet's existence. Why does Meade think April 23 will nevertheless herald the rogue planet's arrival? Meade said that on that date, the sun, moon and Jupiter will align in the constellation of Virgo, echoing a passage in Revelation that refers to a "woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head" who will bring about a child that ends the world.

As Live Science previously reported, Meade used this same passage to explain that the world would end on Sept. 23, 2017 (which, researchers agree, it did not). If that history doesn't console you, consider that Jupiter will not even be aligned in Virgo on April 23. From Earth, the gas giant will actually appear to be in Libra.

Have fun watching the sky fall this weekend, however you choose to interpret that.

Originally published on Live Science.
One man was fatally shot and five others were wounded late Friday in San Franciscos Bayview district, police said.

Officers responded to the shooting around 11 p.m. near the intersection of Third Street and Quesada Avenue.
The Union Cabinet today approved a proposal to promulgate Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance 2018 that provides for confiscating properties and assets of economic offenders like loan defaulters who flee the country, sources said.

The Fugitive Economic Offenders Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on March 12 but could not be passed due to logjam in Parliament over various issues.

It seeks to confiscate properties of economic offenders - like Nirav Modi- who have left the country to avoid facing criminal prosecution.

The ordinance was approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sources said.

It will come into effect after the assent of the President.

The provisions of the ordinance will apply for economic offenders who refuse to return, persons against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for a scheduled offence as well as wilful bank loan defaulters with outstanding of over Rs 100 crore.

It provides for confiscating assets even without conviction and paying off lenders by selling off the fugitive's properties.

Such economic offenders will be tried under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ordinance defines a fugitive economic offender as a person against whom an arrest warrant has been issued for committing offence like counterfeiting government stamps or currency, cheque dishonour for insufficiency of funds, money laundering, and transactions defrauding creditors.

A fugitive economic offender is one who has left the country to avoid facing prosecution, or refuses to return to face prosecution.

According to the ordinance, a director or deputy director (appointed under the PMLA, 2002) may file an application before a special court (designated under the 2002 Act) to declare a person as a fugitive economic offender.

The application will contain the reasons to believe that an individual is a fugitive economic offender.

Besides, the application will have information about his whereabouts, a list of properties believed to be proceeds of a crime for which confiscation is sought, a list of benami properties or foreign properties for which confiscation is sought, and a list of persons having an interest in these properties.

Upon receiving the application, the special court will issue a notice to the individual, requiring him to appear at a specified place within six weeks. If the person appears at the specified place, the special court will terminate its proceedings under the provisions of the Bill.

Any property belonging to the fugitive economic offender may provisionally be attached without the prior permission of the special court, provided that an application is filed before the court within 30 days.

Appeals against the orders of the special court will lie before the High Court.
Emily Hillman looked at the people elbow-to-elbow at Thursdays Chefs for Shelterhouse and thought how it was their donations that helped her escape years of being sexually and physically abused.

These people give so generously to help people they dont even know, said Hillman, who attended the event at the Great Hall Banquet and Convention Center, along with her husband.

More than 1,100 people attended the annual event. Shelterhouse Executive Director Janiene Ouderkirk said each day she is amazed, humbled, grateful and thankful to the community for helping the organization.

I am feeling very blessed with our support from our community, said Ouderkirk, who has been executive director for nearly six years.

She barely had a chance to taste any of the foods while spending the evening talking to guests and thanking sponsors and vendors.

Shelterhouse, which serves victims of domestic and sexual violence in Midland and Gladwin counties, uses the fundraiser proceeds for operations. In 2017, the nonprofit answered 3,000 domestic violence and sexual assault calls  a 19 percent increase from 2016. It also provided nearly 5,000 nights of shelter  a 12 percent increase from 2016.

Ouderkirk recently announced the organization is building a new facility. Funds from the Chefs event solely goes for operation of the current facility. She said the current facility is 90 years old with six bedrooms and 17 beds. The new facility will include 12 individual suites, which will be designed to serve families who have experienced trauma.

This is a wonderful, amazing community, said Shelterhouse volunteer LeAnn Schwartz. She said chefs were clamoring to be included in the event.

Midland Brewing Co. was one of the new vendors. Austin Foco, Christopher Woods and Mark Miracle were working diligently to keep up with the demand. Halfway through the event, they had already served up 500 tacos and were down to only chicken tacos.

They didnt skimp on the meat or the taste, said Marc Hanford, as he bit into a taco.

Various business and individuals donated more than 200 items for a silent auction.

Nicole and Sylvester Liggins, of Saginaw, were first-time attendees.

Once we learned about it, we knew we had to come, Nicole said.

They were joined by friends Florian and Sheree Schattenmann, of Midland.

Sylvester Liggins said he loved the various ethnicities of food, noting the inclusion was comforting.

Guests were also entertained by Randy Swierzbins piano talents.

Midlanders Becky and Scott Tanis said it was an enjoyable evening while helping a great cause.

Employees from sponsor CPI Fluid Engineering, Auburn, were also enjoying the evening.

Im extremely excited at the level or participation, said CPI employee Michael Davis. This is a very important program in our community."

Jackie Thayer, of Freeland, was attending for a second time.

Its a wonderful cause and it does a world of good for our community, Thayer said. I applaud all the chefs here that donated all their time. In a world of all negative, this is a world of positive."

Tim Byers and Chad Moody have attended for years and watched the crowd grow.

It is wall-to-wall in here, Byers said.

The two men along with their wives, Sue Moody and Ann Marie Byers, have attended the event for 15 years. This year they raved about the chocolates, scallops and shrimp.

Attendees also raved about the Korean lettuce wraps from Midland Country Club and the Traverse City Pie Co.s mixed berry. People also clamored to the cream of asparagus soup at the Green Gourmet Cafe, made with coconut milk. There were also many returning for the lobster bisque from the Creek Grill.

I tried everything, and it was all amazing, said Sally Hemingway. All the chefs bring their A game to this event.

To learn more about Shelterhouse, visit www.shelterhousemidland.org.
The Democratic National Committee filed a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Friday against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and the WikiLeaks organization alleging a far-reaching conspiracy to disrupt the 2016 campaign and tilt the election to Donald Trump.

The complaint, filed in federal district court in Manhattan, alleges that top Trump campaign officials conspired with the Russian government and its military spy agency to hurt Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and help Trump by hacking the computer networks of the Democratic Party and disseminating stolen material found there.

"During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trump's campaign," DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement.

"This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for President of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency," he said.

The suit asserts that the Russian hacking campaign - combined with Trump associates' contacts with Russia and the campaign's public cheerleading of the hacks - amounted to an illegal conspiracy to interfere in the election and caused serious damage to the Democratic Party.

Senate investigators and prosecutors for special counsel Robert Mueller III are still looking into whether Trump associates coordinated with any Russian efforts. Last month, Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee said they had found no evidence that President Trump and his affiliates colluded with Russian officials to sway the election or that the Kremlin sought to help Trump - a conclusion rejected by the panel's Democrats.

In a statement, Trump Campaign Manager Brad Parscale said the Democrats' lawsuit was without merit and likely to be dismissed.

"This is a sham lawsuit about a bogus Russian collusion claim filed by a desperate, dysfunctional, and nearly insolvent Democratic Party," he said. "With the Democrats' conspiracy theories against the President's campaign evaporating as quickly as the failing DNC's fundraising, they've sunk to a new low to raise money, especially among small donors who have abandoned them."

The lawsuit echoes a similar legal tactic that the Democratic Party used during the Watergate scandal. In 1972, the DNC sued President Richard Nixon's reelection committee seeking $1 million in damages for the break-in at Democratic headquarters in the Watergate building.

The suit was denounced at the time by Nixon's attorney general, John Mitchell, who called it a case of "sheer demagoguery" by the DNC. But the civil action brought by the DNC's chairman, Lawrence O'Brien, was successful, yielding a $750,000 settlement from the Nixon campaign that was reached on the day in 1974 that he left office.

More for you The leaked Comey memos just blew up in Trump's face

Nick Akerman, a former Watergate prosecutor who specializes in computer-fraud cases, said he thought the Democrats' suit had merit and, despite predictions from Trump-allied lawyers, was unlikely to go away anytime soon.

"There is no way it's going to be dismissed," said Akerman, a partner in the New York office of the Dorsey & Whitney law firm. "At least not on the computer-fraud part of the case, which is really the heart of it. The Democrats have every right to bring this suit as they are aggrieved. My question is: What took them so long?"

If allowed to proceed, the lawsuit would give the Democrats a chance to seek internal documents and testimony from the Trump campaign to help them learn more about interactions with Russia during the race.

Parscale noted that the Trump campaign, too, would be allowed to conduct discovery. He promised that the campaign would use the process to probe management decisions at the DNC, as well as the party's involvement with commissioning the Trump dossier, a research document produced by a former British spy that alleged the Trump campaign conspired with Russia. Late Friday, Trump made a similar point, tweeting that the suit provided "good news in that we will now counter" for information from the Democrats including information from the party's servers about a range of topics including Hillary Clinton's emails.

Suing a foreign country may present legal challenges for the Democrats, in part because other nations have immunity from most U.S. lawsuits.

The lawsuit argues that Russia is not entitled to sovereign immunity in this case because "the DNC claims arise out of Russia's trespass on to the DNC's private servers . . . in order to steal trade secrets and commit economic espionage."

The suit seeks millions of dollars in compensation to offset damage it claims the party suffered from the hacks. The DNC argues that the cyberattack undermined its ability to communicate with voters, collect donations and operate effectively as its employees faced personal harassment and, in some cases, death threats.

The suit also seeks an acknowledgment from the defendants that they conspired to infiltrate the Democrats' computers, steal information and disseminate it to influence the election.

To support its case, the lawsuit offers a detailed narrative of the DNC hacks, as well as episodes in which key Trump aides are alleged to have been told Russia held damaging information about Clinton.

Russia engaged in a "brazen attack on U.S. soil" the party alleges, a campaign that began with the hack of its computer networks in 2015 and 2016. Trump campaign officials received repeated outreach from Russia, the suit says.

"Rather than report these repeated messages and communications that Russia intended to interfere in the U.S. election, the Trump campaign and its agents gleefully welcomed Russia's help," the party argues.

Ultimately, Trump's associates entered into an agreement with Russian agents "to promote Donald Trump's candidacy through illegal means," the suit concludes.

It does not name Trump as a defendant. Instead, it targets aides who, during the campaign, met with people believed to be affiliated with Russia. The aides targeted include the president's son Donald Trump Jr., his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, onetime campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Manafort's deputy during the campaign, Rick Gates.

Manafort and Gates were charged with money laundering, fraud and tax evasion in a case brought by special prosecutors last year. In February, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI and is cooperating with investigators. Manafort has pleaded not guilty.

The DNC lawsuit also names as a defendant the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU, which has been accused by the U.S. government of orchestrating the hacks, as well as WikiLeaks, which published emails stolen from the DNC, and the group's founder, Julian Assange.

Representatives for a number of the defendants named in the lawsuit, including the Russian Embassy, WikiLeaks and Assange, did not respond to requests for comment Friday. A Manafort spokesman declined to comment.

The lawsuit was also filed against Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidant who claimed during the campaign that he was in contact with Assange.

The Trump advisers and associates have denied assisting Russia in a hacking campaign. Stone has denied any communication with Assange or advance knowledge of the document dumps by WikiLeaks, saying his comments about Assange were jokes or exaggerations.

In an email, Stone rejected the suit as "a left-wing conspiracy theory dressed up as a law-suit."

A few prominent Democrats also criticized the legal action.

David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, tweeted late Friday that the filing was "spectacularly ill-timed" and could abet the White House strategy of portraying Mueller's criminal probe as partisan. "Everyone should chill out and let Mueller do his job," Axelrod wrote.

The DNC argues that the Russian government and the GRU's secret intrusion into the Democrats' computer systems violated laws including those that protect trade secrets, prohibit wire tapping and prevent trespassing.

The party said the Trump defendants committed conspiracy through their interaction with Russian agents and their public encouragement of the hacking, with the campaign acting as a racketeering enterprise promoting illegal activity.

The complaint was filed on behalf of the party by the law firm of Cohen Milstein.

The suit contains previously undisclosed details, including that the specific date when it is believed the Russians breached the DNC computer system: July 27, 2015, according to forensic evidence cited in the filing.

The analysis shows the system was breached again on April 18, 2016. The first signs that hackers were siphoning documents and information from DNC systems were spotted on April 22. The suit notes that four days later, on April 26, Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was informed by Josef Mifsud, a London-based professor, that the Russians were in possession of thousands of emails that could be damaging to Clinton.

The defendants in the suit include Papadopoulos and Mifsud, as well as Aras and Emin Agalarov, the wealthy Russian father and son who hosted the Miss Universe Pageant in Moscow in 2013. Trump, who owned the pageant, attended the event.

The Agalarovs played a role in arranging a meeting for a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower in New York in 2016, at which Donald Trump Jr. had expected to be given damaging information about Clinton.

Scott Balber, an attorney for the Agalarovs, said the allegations about his clients were "frivolous" and "a publicity stunt."

"They had absolutely nothing to do with any alleged hacking of any Democratic computer system or any interference in the U.S. election," he said.

Lawyers for Papadopoulos declined to comment, citing their client's ongoing cooperation with the special counsel.

"It is our hope that when all the facts are known, the plaintiff will voluntarily dismiss Mr. Papadopoulos from the complaint," said the lawyers, Thomas Breen and Robert Stanley, in a written statement.

The lawsuit also describes how the Soviet Union paid for Trump to travel to Moscow in the 1980s and alleges that his personal and professional ties to Russia helped foster the conspiracy.

The DNC's lawyers wrote that "long standing personal professional and financial ties to Russia and numerous individuals linked to the Russian government provided fertile ground for a conspiracy between the defendants to interfere in the 2016 elections."

The lawsuit also details the history of Manafort and Gates, who worked for Russia-friendly factions in Ukraine before joining the Trump campaign. Prosecutors have said Manafort and Gates were in contact in 2016 with Konstantin Kilimnik, a former linguist in the Russian army whom the FBI has alleged had ties to Russian intelligence.

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The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report.

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Video: The Democratic National Committee on April 20 filed a lawsuit against the Russian government, the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks.(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, R, has killed a controversial $68.5 million management contract that had been awarded to his transportation chief's former employer and was threatening to undermine a multibillion dollar plan to add toll lanes on the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270.

"I am not satisfied that our threshold for transparency has been met in this case," Hogan wrote in a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn.

Rahn said he would not participate in the new procurement process.

Rahn had waived the state's traditional procurement practices and overseen the selection of a group of firms that included HNTB Corp., a previous employer, and Parsons, which included a former top colleague of his when they both worked at the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Hogan and Rahn have put a premium on streamlining government bureaucracy as they pushed Hogan's traffic relief plan and other projects. But the process in this case was based on 10-page proposals, 90-minute presentations and 30 minutes of questions. It took just weeks to complete, not the more than 18 months officials say is typical.

Two of Maryland's top oversight officials raised concerns about the contract in interviews this week, and it was pulled from the agenda of the Board of Public Works, which must approve such deals. Comptroller Peter Franchot, D, - a member of the board, on which Hogan also sits - on Wednesday said that the public deserved "transparency and accountability" and questioned the contract.

The board's third member, State Treasurer Nancy Kopp, D, objected to the "very abbreviated process" and said Rahn's role gave "the appearance of a potential conflict of interest."

A Hogan spokeswoman did not answer questions Wednesday about whether Hogan had any concerns about Rahn's participation, or any regrets about his administration's use of the truncated process. But in a letter to Rahn released late Friday, Hogan said "a focus on speed cannot and should not ever come at the expense of the full and complete transparency that the taxpayers of Maryland expect and deserve."

"However unintentionally," Hogan said, the Maryland Department of Transportation's communications with the Board of Public Works and the public on this "never-before-used" procurement method "have lacked the clarity needed to ensure full faith in this process."

Rahn, who was the nonvoting chairman of the eight-person selection committee, had sought an ethics ruling after HNTB, Parsons and Maryland-based JMT were chosen as the general engineering consultant for the massive project.

The executive director of the State Ethics Commission offered his "informal view" that state ethics law did not prohibit Rahn from being involved because he no longer had any financial ties to HNTB. The official added that prohibitions on using a public position "for private gain or the private gain of another ... must be strictly adhered to."

Rahn on Monday strongly defended his participation, saying it was his responsibility as the state's top transportation official to be integrally involved in what promises to be a transformational, $7.6 billion road construction project.

That stance changed Friday.

"While all of our actions during this process were consistent with state law, policies and procedures governing this type of procurement, I nevertheless should have been more aware that this complicated process would give rise to questions," Rahn said in a statement. "To ensure complete public confidence going forward, I will not be involved in the new procurement process, which will be undertaken by the State Highway Administration."

Hogan, in his letter, said the $68.5 million award was "simply for a consulting contract to get the ball rolling while the department meets with stakeholders, holds public hearings, and does its due diligence in preparation for the larger procurement" to construct the highway improvements.

But in its justification for using the speedy procurement method - which included waiving a requirement that "all documents relating to the award of a procurement contract are to be made available to the public" - the state had argued the contract was a vital tool to oversee the broader project.

The companies were to serve "as an extension" of the government itself, and would have helped the state establish policies and guidelines governing the entire project, according to a project document. Maryland officials do not believe they have "enough information and experience" to even define the broad scope of services the companies would be hired to perform, the state said, which is why they needed a waiver from usual procurement rules.

Transportation Department spokeswoman Erin Henson said a new procurement is meant to address the Board of Public Works' questions "regarding this expedited and untested method of procurement." She said the highway administration "will be conducting the procurement as quickly as possible to keep the Traffic Relief Plan moving forward."
With the financial results of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys, the two big Indian IT giants (other than Wipro), out for the last quarter and the full year, analysts point out that TCS, the oldest Indian IT company seems to be better positioned with greater stability in its strategy and slightly ahead in terms of spending. In contrast, Infosys is still busy coping with internal changes.

"Both the companies - TCS and Infosys - have seen leadership changes but the results show that TCS is a little bit ahead of the curve and has not seen the kind of disruptions that Infosys has seen over the last few years. TCS has been able to stay focused in terms of strategy and identify its niche with the clients," said Sudin Apte, CEO & Research Director, Offshore Insights.

He further added, "One can argue that the pace of moving up in the value chain for TCS is slow but they have been able to identify spaces where they are getting volume and that is helping them to continuously engage with the clients and win deals."

"TCS is doing more spending in sales and marketing compared to Infosys. Also, automation is a much more stable story for TCS than the one with its ups and downs or flip-flops in the automation strategy at Infosys. All of these have been taking a toll on Infosys performance," Apte said.

Others expert also agree, in terms growth and investments, that TCS seems to be better positioned than Infosys. The difference between the two is marginal though every percent counts when the overall growth is low for the sector. But then, analysts also point out that one cannot ignore the fact that TCS, the largest IT company from India and one of its oldest, is growing faster at a significantly higher base.

Edelweiss in its report while pointing to the bigger message that the revenue acceleration is certain and that it is an important message for the sector, makes observations about the two companies and their quarterly numbers.

A report by the financial services company observed Infosys issuing a 6-8 percent constant currency revenue growth guidance in spite of it being just 5.8 percent in FY18 and TCS commenting positively on all segments and verticals.

"Even simple math suggests that without a meaningful contribution from BFSI and retail, which contributes 31.5 percent and 12.3 percent of TCS's revenues, the company clocked 11.7 percent USD growth and 7.2 percent constant currency growth. Hence, the chances of it touching double-digit growth are extremely high with a slight recovery in both these verticals which is anticipated by management as well," the Edelweiss report said.

They, of course, see this in the context that the "entire IT sector has strong tailwinds led by structural changes in the business mix with low growth legacy businesses losing proportion and getting replaced by high-growth digital businesses."

Others experts, referring to the BFSI segment and in terms of the outlook that the two companies have indicated for the next 12 months, said TCS sounds a bit more positive. This is based on talk of strong traction in Europe for the company and 'green-shoots' in the North American market, which had been slowing down till now.

The third important component of the results that many saw was in terms of the new investments required in the digital services space and the impact on margins. Some of the analysts think that TCS appears slightly ahead of the curve, having already made some investments and looking a bit more comfortable at protecting its margins.
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct issued sanctions against Bexar County Probate Judge Kelly Cross for, among other acts, calling a disabled man with infected wounds Mr Maggot or Maggot Man, comparing a disabled childs IQ to that of a ball point pen, and demeaning other mentally disadvantaged wards of the state.

The commission handed Cross a public admonition and instructed her to obtain one hour of instruction from a mentor, focusing on judicial demeanor and courtroom decorum.

Cross, a first-term Republican, won her March primary race with 64 percent of the vote, but faces attorney Oscar Kazen, a Democrat, in the November general election. In 2016, Cross fired Kazen as an associate probate court judge and replaced him with her staff attorney, Art Rossi, a fellow Republican.

None of this comes as any surprise, Kazen said Friday after reading the decision. I honestly think its just the tip of the iceberg. She has violated campaign laws  sued the county and insulted intellectually disadvantaged litigants and their families. It is an enormous embarrassment.

Kazen, who had presided over the countys mental health docket for nine years, said he once saw Cross angrily address an attorney in the hallway outside her courtroom and later went to speak to the judge privately about her behavior.

She just brushed me off, Kazen said. She does  (verbal outbursts) almost out of joy. It takes some time for every judge to mature on the bench and understand this gift of power over peoples lives that has been given to you. She does not understand this.

The commissions five-page ruling says it received an anonymous complaint on Aug. 12, 2016, alleging that Cross referred to a proposed ward (John Doe) as Mr. Maggot or Maggot Man during a proceeding in his guardianship case. Three witnesses provided written statements confirming that account.

Judge Cross told the commission she had no specific recollection of those statements but did not doubt their veracity. She defended her off-handed remarks as just a way to distinguish litigants among thousands that come before a judge.

Attorneys and other people talk to me about cases every day, she testified. They use the proper name, but I cant remember 4,000 names To differentiate one case from another, I might ask, Is this the maggot guy? Is this the rat lady case?The surnames dont stick.

Cross told commission investigators she only used such language in front of attorneys and other professionals appearing in her court, and not in front of the person being discussed, but Kazen and other attorneys familiar with her courtroom behavior say this isnt true. Probate court primarily handles wills, guardianships, eminent domain, mental health and estates.

The commission received another complaint, on Feb. 6, 2018, from San Antonio attorney Kathleen K.T. Whitehead providing affidavits from a number of her clients alleging a pattern of insulting or dismissive behavior by Cross.

Victoria and Eric Martinez, whose adult daughter was the subject of a guardianship proceeding, said Cross flippantly referred to their daughters low IQ. Her response: I wasnt speaking to them. I have no idea what they did or didnt hear. The conversation was not for them.

Another litigant, Lysa Curry, said Cross was rude and curt to her and Currys attorney and that Cross lacked compassion for my family and other families in this process. Cross said Currys attorney did not come to court prepared and that she not responsible for how attorneys interpret the mood of their clients.

Jennifer and Jo Trevino, serving as guardians of their adult daughter, told the commission Judge Cross yelled at their attorney, upsetting the couple and their daughter to the point that she had to be calmed down. Cross denied she acted inappropriately.

Judge Cross maintained throughout her appearance, wrote the commissions Judge Douglas S. Lang, that she is the victim of a conspiracy orchestrated by Ms. Whitehead and the Judges political opponents to ruin her reputation and her chances for re-election.and reiterated her deep commitment to the disabled communityand vehemently denied she would every knowingly disrespect or demean an incapacitated person appearing before her in court.

On Friday, Cross said in a written statement that she appreciated the commissions measured response to what I believe are politically motivated allegations against me. At times, my zealous commitment may have exceeded my skills at diplomacy

Last year, a survey of 419 attorneys practicing in Bexar County, asked to evaluate the countys 51 judges, ranked Cross last in all six categories - punctuality, hard work, following the law, temperament, impartiality and overall performance.

Bruce Selcraig is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. | BSelcraig@express-news.net
EDITORS NOTE  OWI means operating while intoxicated. DWLS means driving while license suspended. (MC) is for Judge Michael D. Carpenter. (L) is for Magistrate Gerald Ladwig. (B) is for Circuit Judge Michael J. Beale. (SC) is for Circuit Judge Stephen P. Carras. Sentences may vary based on previous offenses committed by the defendant. Some sentencings include other fees imposed by the state. Compiled by reporter Kelly Dame.

Beaverton

Joshua Richard Spann, 33, second- or subsequent-offense DWLS and no insurance on June 2, 2015, 31 days in jail, $175 fines and costs, vehicle immobilized (MC).

Freeland

Nolan Anthony Alexander, 18, fail to report accident on Jan. 6, $225 fines and costs, $5,700 restitution (MC).

Amanda Rae Christenson, 28, attempted third-degree retail fraud on Nov. 15, 46 days in jail with credit for one day, $150 fines and costs (MC).

Lake

Chad Allan Michalski, 36, second- or subsequent-offense DWLS on March 2, four weekends in jail, $400 fines and costs (MC).

Midland

Christopher Anderson, 36, East Gordonville Road, impaired driving on Jan. 1, 93 days in jail suspended with credit for one day, $600 fines and costs, six months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Scott Travis Gottler, 45, Raymond Street, student safety zone-residency violation from May 19, 2017 to May 26, 2017, $200 fines and costs, 18 months probation, comply with sex offender registration laws (MC).

Jammie Ann Katzer, 41, Tennessee Street, embezzlement of less than $200 from Dec. 8 to Dec. 12, 93 days in jail suspended with credit for one day, $600 fines and costs, six months probation, 40 hours community service, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, restitution left open (MC).

Connor James McLaren, 21, Novak Street, OWI on Dec. 3, 93 days in jail with all but 14 days suspended and credit for one day, $600 fines and costs, 18 months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, attend inpatient treatment program (MC).

Erasmos James Rodriguez, 34, Monroe Road, OWI on June 21, 2014, 60 days in jail with credit for time served, $125 fines and costs (MC).

Cali Anne Shoemaker, 27, Ottawa Court, second- or subsequent-offense DWLS on June 17, 45 days in jail suspended with credit for eight days, $125 fines and costs, six months probation (MC).

Tatyana Julia Verstraete, 24, Eastman Avenue, impaired driving on Dec. 19, 93 days in jail suspended with credit for two days, $450 fines and costs, three months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Mount Pleasant

John Cliffton Shoen, 42, allowing DWLS on Feb. 14, six days in jail with credit for two days served, $250 fines and costs (MC).

Saginaw

Bryan Edward Jackson, 35, second- or subsequent offense DWLS on Jan. 9, 26 days in jail with credit for time served, $75 fines and costs (MC).

Sanford

Jeffrey Allen Green, 51, OWI on Feb. 22, 93 days in jail suspended with credit for two days, $775 fines and costs, one year probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Edward Earl Hoyer, 42, impaired driving on Jan. 5, 93 days in jail suspended with credit for two days, $775 fines and costs, three months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Jerry Joseph Karas, 28, attempted second-degree retail fraud on Dec. 6, 90 days in jail with credit for one day, $125 fines and costs (MC).

Phillip Earl Wheeler, 48, wildlife conservation-general violations on Feb. 4, $220 fines and costs, $30 restitution (MC).

Shepherd

Cynthia Dawn Harvey, 46, attempted third-degree retail fraud on Jan. 19, 46 days in jail suspended with credit for one day, $450 fines and costs, six months probation, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars or Walmart, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Elsewhere

Riley David Hamilton, 68, Flint, DWLS on Oct. 14, two days in jail with credit for two days served, $125 fines and costs (MC).

Erasmos James Rodriguez, 34, Ohio, DWLS on June 15, 2014, 45 days in jail with credit for time served, $125 fines and costs (MC).
Parkside Library

by Richard Brandi

Architects Appleton and Wolfard designed eight modern libraries in the 1950s and 1960s for the San Francisco Public Library, the largest number completed by a single firm. The first, the Parkside branch at Taraval Street and 22nd Avenue, set the pattern for the rest. In the early 2000s, these buildings faced rehabilitation to bring them into compliance with current codes and ADA rules under a bond passed by voters in 2000. The upgrades did not alter their modern character significantly.

That is fortunate since the libraries are good illustrations of postwar architecture. Built in 1951, on a one-story open plan with lots of glass and brick, the Parkside was hailed as the "finest branch library in the country. . .light, spacious and comfortably quiet." (San Francisco Chronicle, October 28, 1951) The Architect and Engineer (March 1952) noted that it had "the appearance of a swank country club or a modern luxurious residence," and that "its gay turquoise, yellow and natural brick color scheme" gave it the look of "a refined night club."

Built on the edge of McCoppin Park, the building runs east and west along Taraval Street. Large windows on the north side provide ample light, while south-facing windows are angled at 45-degrees to the southeast to prevent the intrusion of harsh direct sunlight. The open plan featured a fireplace with reading lounge and an outside patio with landscaping by Lawrence Halprin. The library's cork floor and radiant heating were innovations for the time. The copper-hooded fireplace, along with furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames and Hermann Miller, evoke the warm feeling of a suburban living room.

The design was inspired by new needs as explained by city librarian Laurence Clarke: "These days a library must merchandise its services in much the same way that a successful bookshop operates... [W]e think we have the right approach at Parkside, efficiency, service to all, and a building people want to use." (Christian Science Monitor, January 7, 1951)

And people did want to use the new building. Attendance at the new Parkside Branch was double that of the previous facility that had opened in the mid-1930s in a rented one-story wood frame storefront at 1541 Taraval Street. Its success led to further library commissions for Appleton and Wolfard: the Marina (1953), Ortega (1955), Merced (1957), North Beach (1958), Eureka (1960), Western Addition (1965) and Excelsior (1966) branches.

Following the pattern of the Parkside, all the Appleton and Wolfard libraries look more like suburban homes than institutional buildings. Their signature detailsexposed brick or masonry walls, wood beams, large areas of glass, patios, fireplaces (except the Western Addition and Excelsior) and reading loungesgive the air of informality and provide the comforts of a post-war California tract home. Wolfard liked doing residential design, and that interest may have informed his library plans.

Educated at UC Berkeley, Harold Wolfard (1907-1977) received a master's degree in architecture in 1932, and was licensed in 1940. He joined Hyman and Appleton in the 1930s as a draftsman and later worked as an architect in the firm.

The firm of Hyman and Appleton had a long tenure in San Francisco. Samuel Lightner Hyman (1885-1948) and Abraham Appleton (1887-1981) were both educated at UC Berkeley and Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Their work included the Jewish Community Center, with Arthur Brown, Jr. (demolished), Sinai Mortuary, Hebrew Home for the Aged, the Visitation Valley School, and many homes.

In the 1930s, Hyman and Appleton also remodeled buildings, including the Crown Zellerbach building at 343 Sansome Street, in the Art Deco/Art Moderne idiom. Neither architect could be considered a "modernist," although Hyman's obituary (1948) says "of recent years he became absorbed in modern architecture."

Wolfard brought the modern aesthetic to the firm, which, shortly after Hyman's death, became Appleton and Wolfard. Robert Appleton, AIA, Abraham's son, joined the firm in 1950 after graduating from UC Berkeley in 1942 and receiving his architectural license in 1950. He worked on the branch libraries and remembers Wolfard as the lead designer.

Appleton and Wolfard also designed the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park and homes in St. Francis Wood, Sea Cliff, and other areas. Robert Appleton succeeded his father and worked with Wolfard until the firm closed in 1972.

The Appleton and Wolfard branches are essentially unaltered since their original construction, although in some cases the floors, lights, ceilings, and windows may have been repaired or replaced. Each of the Appleton and Wolfard branches were rehabilitated from 2002-2008. Generally, the rehabilitation plans called for upgrading the fire, electrical and seismic systems. Major alternations involved making the bathrooms, doorways and passages ADA accessible.

Some of the assumptions that informed library design in the early 1950s have changed. Space limitations limit the use of lounge seating although some comfortable chairs were incorporated in all the branches. The fireplaces are a non-conforming use for an assembly occupancy under present codes. A concern over theft prevents unfettered use of outdoor patios. Instead, libraries have become informal day care centers and community meeting places, both demanding more space.

At the Parkside, the need for more space changed the original look and feeling. Bookcases rose above the rear windowsill, breaking the clean lines of the original design. Bookshelves and computer tables cluttered what was once an open, spacious interior. Children's drawings cover the fireplace. The patio was seldom used; being on the north side it was often too cold to use for reading and there is no outdoor furniture. The Halprin landscape became overgrown and intruded on the patio.

On November 6, 2010, the updated and LEED Silver-certified Parkside Branch reopened to the public.

Contribute your own stories about the Parkside!
Grades are in, and the state of Texas gets an F when it comes to adequately funding public education. It also gets an F on the related subject of surging property taxes.

The budget crisis at North East Independent School District deserves the label of exemplary, but only as an exemplary example of a nonsensical and broken state system. One that again and again fails to meet standards. Clearly, improvement is required for Texas Byzantine school funding system.

You dont have to pass the STAAR test to see the problems here: Losing students to charter schools, the district faces a projected two-year budget shortfall of $29 million. It has identified only $12 million in cuts, including phasing out 117 teaching positions.

EDITORIAL: The state's war on public education hits North East ISD

State funding for education continues to fall, according to the states Legislative Budget Board. So, to fill the gap, NEISD officials are weighing a tax ratification election, which would raise property taxes. But it will also soon be kicking millions of property tax dollars to the state to support other districts.

Thats because NEISD will soon be a property-wealthy district, even though 46 percent of its students are on free or reduced-price lunch.

None of this makes much sense.

North East ISD is suddenly property rich, but roughly half of its students are poor. The district will likely need more property tax revenue to cover costs, but it will soon be sharing its property tax revenue with the state, which is failing to cover the education costs.

NEISD is pretty much the poster child of everything that is wrong with school finance, said state Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, who sits on the Texas Commission on Public School Finance.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of other poster children in the San Antonio region and across the state. San Antonio Independent School District faces a similar Grand Canyonish-sized budget hole. So does Judson ISD. Numerous other districts have passed, or are considering, similar tax ratification elections. In that regard, NEISD is just one of the gang.

But what sets NEISD apart is its size, roughly 65,000 students; more suburban location; and its reputation as a well-run district. Its no problem child.

COMMENTARY: Charter schools are public schools

Unlike some other local districts that are all-too-often in the news, NEISD is not a source of dysfunction, mismanagement or corruption. And yet, here it is, on a financial precipice.

The system is broke, Superintendent Brian Gottardy said. We were hoping the Legislature would fix it back in 2017.

And in 2015. And in 2013. And so on down the line all the way back to 1985 when the state made up more than half of education spending, again according to the Legislative Budget Board.

But instead of increasing funding to public education and changing the states formula, lawmakers continue to study the issue, even though the issue is crystal clear. The state hasnt maintained its fair share.

Or as Bernal said: It is disingenuous for anyone at the state level to talk about school finance like its a mystery. Its not.

So what are the consequences of inaction for a district like NEISD?

First, the district loses per-pupil funding when students opt for charter schools.

This would be fine in a competitive sense, but thats an incomplete view. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, for example, has pointed out that charter schools are still public schools. But what he doesnt acknowledge is that NEISD cant really cut its way out of the lost funding. Thats because the loss of students isnt concentrated to one school or location, Gottardy said. Its spread across the district, which makes it incredibly hard to consolidate schools or operations.

So, less funding for NEISD, but fairly similar costs.

But it doesnt stop there. The loss of students accelerates the district toward a property wealthy designation, which eventually means sending property tax dollars to the state. Thats because the formula is based on property wealth per student, Gottardy said.

The upshot is state policy that makes it impossible for districts like NEISD to even tread water. The system is so broken, its not even maintaining the status quo. In an educational setting, wed call that failure. But in Texas, its just constitutional.

jbrodesky@express-news.net
The primary races last month to determine who will replace retiring U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith in the 21st Congressional District attracted 22 candidates all told, 18 on the Republican side alone  numbers that pretty much assured runoff elections.

On the Democratic side, retired Army officer and entrepreneur Joseph Kopser faces Mary Wilson, a pastor and math teacher, most recently at Austin Community College. On the Republican side, its Chip Roy, a former chief of staff to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, against Matt McCall, who owns a medical supply business and has challenged Smith for his seat previously.

We recommend Kopser and Roy.

We recommended Kopser in the primary, and our reasons remain unchanged for the runoff. He is eminently qualified and offers a bit of everything for this traditionally conservative district. A graduate of both West Point and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, he is a Bronze Star winner for meritorious service and a successful entrepreneur who sold his company, RideScout, to Daimler AG, parent company of Mercedes and Car2Go.

Little separates Kopser and Wilson on fundamental issues that Democratic voters care about, but Kopser simply has the broader resume.

On the Republican side, we recommended Jenifer Sarver, a former aide to Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. We did this because it was clear that Sarver is better on some key issues than the man she sought to replace. She is no climate change denier and did not indicate knee-jerk support for her partys leader, President Donald Trump.

Republican voters went instead with Roy and McCall for the runoff, both of whom are more supportive of Trump. Roy got 27 percent of the vote, McCall nearly 17 percent.

We recommend Roy simply for the breadth of his government experience. A former chief of staff for Cruz, Roy served in the Texas attorney generals office and was a senior adviser to Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Most recently, he was vice president of strategy for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank.

We recommend Kopser and Roy in the runoff elections for the 21st Congressional District.
(Thumbs down) Houston lost one of our greats this week: former First Lady Barbara Bush passed away at age 92. Heres how you can honor her memory: Buy a book, give it to a library, read it to a child. Bush dedicated herself to fighting illiteracy across the nation. And if Houston is looking for more women to honor in statuary, the Barbara Bush Literacy Plaza at the downtown library would look nice with her image in bronze.

(Thumbs up) Break out the big foam thumbs, megaphones and all your D or R political paraphernalia, because Texas might actually have a competitive statewide race on our hands. The contest between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and U.S. Rep. Beto ORourke is, according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, too close to call. Not since Alan Steelman (look him up) have we seen such a heated Senate race.

(Thumbs down) So how is Cruz gunning for the hearts and minds of his Texas constituents? By serving up a big ol sloppy kiss for the man who called his wife ugly and claimed that his dad was involved in the Kennedy assassination. Cruz penned Donald Trumps entry for Times list of the 100 most influential people  a glowing review that calls the presidents antics great fun to watch.

Meanwhile, Texas businesses, ranchers and sorghum farmers continue to fret about a looming trade war, and thats no fun at all.

(Thumbs twiddled) Want to woo voters? Stick to fighting flooding. Thats why Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson was in Southside Place on Friday to talk about post-Harvey federal funds alongside Cruz, Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Rep. John Culberson.

But you know something is going wrong when even anti-flooding press conferences are met by protestors. Maybe its because entire swaths of the city were devastated by Harvey and these politicians decided to hold a press conference in a wealthy inner-loop enclave that didnt flood.

So why meet in Southside? Our thumbs are pointing to Carson wanting to go somewhere so rich that people dont bat an eye at spending $31,000 on a dining set.

(Thumbs up) Oh for the days when Texas was represented by men like Sam Houston. Well, today at 3 p.m. you can relive it all by watching a re-enactment of the Battle of San Jactino at the state historic site. Texas won its independence from Mexico 182 years ago today, and we commemorate it every year by celebrating San Jacinto Day. Get more info at www.sanjacinto-museum.org.

(Thumbs up) At what age do you tell a drain that it was adopted? But seriously, flooding is no laughing matter, which is why the city has implemented a program that lets Houstonians volunteer to keep their neighborhood drains free of garbage. Think of it like Adopt-A-Highway, but to make sure that the stormwater keeps flowing. Go to Houstonadoptadrain.org to sign up. You can even name your drain. The best so far: Messy Drain Boy, So Proud Of My Large Wet Drainage Son and, outside the Chronicle building, St. John Barned-Drain.

Okay, maybe flooding can be a little funny.

(Thumbs up) Congrats to the entire newsroom for being Pulitzer finalists this year in Breaking News for their coverage of Hurricane Harvey. If youre looking for some other drain names, they all deserve only the finest of iron grates.

(Thumbs down) The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup, and if you live in the East End, Maxwell House up your nose. A pungent caffeinated scent has long filled the air near the 16-story coffee plant formerly owned by Maxwell House and now run by Atlantic Coffee Solutions. Expect the air to clear soon  the plant is scheduled to close. Fears of lost jobs and inexorable deindustrialization aside, does this mean Metro will have to rename the Coffee Plant/Second Ward stop along the Green Line? Maybe they should do it like the drains and open naming rights to the public. Thumbs up if anyone names it the Caffeine Withdrawal Recovery Center/Second Ward stop.
Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez and Andrew White, son of the late Gov. Mark White, were the two left standing in a crowded field after last months Democratic primary in the governors race.

For the May 22 runoff election, we again recommend White as more qualified and likely to pose more spirited competition for Gov. Greg Abbott in the November general election. We believe the state is best served by competitive races up and down the ballot. They make for a more robust debate of all the issues facing the state.

On these there is little difference substantively between Valdez and White, but after interviews, we discerned that White has a better grasp of these issues. The successful Houston businessman simply speaks with more specifics on these topics.

ENDORSEMENT: Andrew White for governor

He wants to close loopholes in the states equal and uniform tax law that allow commercial interests not to pay their fair share of property taxes. He clearly understands that the states refusal to properly fund public education drives up the property tax bills for residents because school districts are then forced to up their tax rates to compensate. White would like to put a gaming measure on the ballot to raise more funds for education.

And he questions the value of the Legislatures commitment of state trooper resources to the border. It is indeed of dubious value.

His abortion views have caused concern in the Democratic Party. He says he is personally pro-life but, if elected governor, he will not advocate further abortion restrictions in Texas and said he respects Roe v. Wade as the law. This is nuanced, but we understand why it might not be as definitive as some would like.

Abbott avoided a runoff in his race with 90.42 percent of the vote.

Valdez, a former San Antonio resident, grabbed the larger slice of Democratic primary votes March 6. She got nearly 43 percent of the vote. White got about 27 percent. This doesnt necessarily mean she has the upper hand in the runoff because her 43 percent means 57 percent didnt vote for her.

We recommend that voters who didnt vote for either White or Valdez choose White because of his more studied understanding of the issues.

A previous version of this editorial misstated the first name of one of the Democratic candidates, Andrew White.
Much like the Spanish conquistadors before him, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni has discovered Texas. And similar to those 16th century explorers, Bruni seems content to ignore the people who actually live in the state.

Bruni, on consecutive Sundays in the Times  where all politics is national  opined about the supposed blue wave coming to Texas, vaulting Democrats to positions of power in November elections. He climbed aboard the Beto ORourke express April 7, extolling his affection for the admittedly charming and erudite Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Ted Cruz (who most decidedly will continue to hold the seat).

This past weekend, he suggested Texas may be the backbone of Democratic efforts to re-take the U.S. House of Representatives.

Bruni likely gathered such insight in deep conversations over Grays Papaya hot dogs with some Upper West Side folk still wondering how Hillary Clinton lost.

MORE REYNOLDS: Face the facts, Beto will lose

Bruni and his ilk, ensconced in liberal enclave cities in the Northeast and presuming to possess sophisticated knowledge of what matters in, say, Abilene, betray an ignorance of how people think south of the Red River.

Even ORourke, the El Paso congressman and newly-anointed fair prince of the Democrats, has said his party leaders dont understand Texas.

Back in August, Bruni proclaimed a love for Texas and said he visits several times a year (he also noted that Texas doesnt love him back, so there may be some truth to the statement). Maybe he counts Austin as representative of the state.

Well Frank, get on a plane and find some other Texans. Go get some coffee in a cotton gin outside Lubbock. Go to the Big Bend area (not Marfa!) and find an oilfield worker at K-Bobs. Go to the Cowboy Church in Kerrville, eat some barbacoa mixta in McAllen. You might come away with a different perspective. And amazement that you just ate a cows eyeball.

Most arguments that the Democrats will find resurgence this year stem from hatred of Donald Trump. A compelling case even for conservatives, who find the presidents Twitter madness and Russian enchantment troubling.

AIYER: Primary turnout reveals a blue wave aimed at Texas

And, sure, Democrats might pick up a spot or three in Texas, though mostly in local and county races around the bigger cities. But to beat a drum for Beto or dream of a reversal in 22nd Congressional District (where voters re-elected Tom DeLay 11 times) exposes a bit of cluelessness.

Indeed, there are weak spots for Republicans. The closer one gets to the Rio Grande, the bluer the water.

But even the 23rd Congressional District, where Texas first black Republican congressman (and Beto road-trip buddy) Will Hurd barely eked out two elections against Pete Gallego, has a more-than-decent chance to remain in GOP hands.

In a district that borders the border across its breadth, Hurd has likely made voters breathe a sigh of relief in his opposition to a Border Wall. And his ability to keep Trump at arms length.

To take the 23rd, Democrats plan to rely on a Latino voting bloc they cannot guarantee. Hispanics in that area may not like some Republican policies (not to mention a Republican president who throws racist epithets their way), but they also have a deep concern for church and family.

PARKER: With Texas primaries done, let the games begin

Bruni also touts Democratic chances in the 32nd Congressional District, which includes such (clearly not) liberal strongholds as Wylie, Garland and tony University Park within the city of Dallas. Pete Sessions has served as that districts congressman since 2002, when it was created. He faces a Democratic challenger this year, unlike in 2016 when the party couldnt attract a sacrificial lamb. But asking University Park to cast their votes to the left seems a bit like expecting Houstons River Oaks neighborhood to do the same.

And Bruni hasnt even touched the 7th Congressional District in west Houston  which says all you need to know about Democrats chances of defeating John Culberson, a man who sits in a seat once held by ur-Republican George H.W. Bush.

Texas, or at least Houston and the other megalopolises, had their blue wave moment in 2008, anyway. Voters of a certain inclination showed up in droves that, so not to miss their chance at voting for the first African American president. That turnout elevated a plethora of Dems to district judge seats and other positions, some of which the party has held since.

Expecting another surge of that magnitude, especially in a non-presidential election, just doesnt jibe with logic or what we know about Texas voters.

And theres the issue. The pundits who claim Texas will save the day for Democrats in Washington, or even that it will turn a paler shade of red, just dont understand Texas and the states constituents. Bruni provided some obvious examples of such sugarplum dreams.

Reynolds is a writer living in Houston.
A man who appeared before last weeks sitting of Longford District Court charged under the Road Traffic Act was convicted and fined 400 following a hearing into the matter.

Patrick Rhatigan, 13 Creevaghmore, Ballymahon, Co Longford appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes charged with being the holder of a licence to drive a small public service vehicle who did fail to notify the National Roads Authority (NRA) of the driving of such vehicle on August 13 last in Ballymahon town.



Outlining the evidence to the court, Mr Murphy on behalf of the NRA said that on the date in question, he was carrying out work on behalf of the roads authority when he came upon a public service vehicle that was being driven by the defendant.



The vehicle itself wasnt linked to the driver, added Mr Murphy, before pointing out that he then spoke to Mr Rhatigan.



He had a small badge displayed on the vehicle and told me that it was for hire.



When I spoke to him he asked me why I wasnt out catching the illegals.

Meanwhile and following his deliberations on the matter, Judge Hughes convicted the defendant and fined him 400 before bringing proceedings to a conclusion.
Gardai are appealing for witnesses and information following an armed robbery at the Bank of Ireland on Church Street, Strokestown yesterday afternoon, Friday, April 20.



Four men wearing balaclavas and gloves entered the bank at approximately 2.15pm and one man was believed to be armed with a handgun.



The raiders threatened staff and demanded cash.



They fled the premises after a short time with an undisclosed amount of cash and made their getaway in a black Audi A4 with UK registered number plates driven by a fifth man.



It is understood that they drove up Elphin Street, took a right turn and drove in the direction of Kilmore.



Nobody was injured during the robbery.

Next on #drivetimeRTE, @BarryLenihan has the latest on today's armed raid in Roscommon. Plus we hear from @EugeneMurphyTD, who is on the scene in Strokestown  Drivetime RTE (@drivetimerte) April 20, 2018

However, local Fianna Fail Deputy, Eugene Murphy, who was due to attend a scheduled meeting at the bank and arrived at the premises just minutes after the raid took place, informed the RTE Radio One Drivetime programme that bank staff were shaken following the terrifying ordeal.



Investigating Gardai are appealing for witnesses and information from any person who may have seen anything suspicious in the hour prior to the robbery and after the incident.



They are also appealing to any drivers who may have dash cams fitted to their vehicles to contact Castlerea Garda Station on 094-9621637, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda Station.

Also read: Minister Naughten insists 'he acted to letter of law' throughout INM bid to takeover Celtic Media
Last year, Medgadget spoke with BioSig Technologies about the companys PURE EP System for detection of cells that cause arrhythmias. PURE EP is a surface electrocardiogram and intracardiac multichannel recording system that acquires, processes, and displays high fidelity cardiac recordings required during electrophysiology studies and catheter ablation procedures. A nationwide survey of electrophysiologists in 2017 highlighted the noise reduction and overall signal clarity and accuracy as differentiating factors setting PURE EP apart from other electrophysiology signal recording and processing systems.

Mayo Clinics Dr. Samuel J. Asirvatham, a BioSig Scientific Advisory Board member has stated that, The dynamic range of the system is larger  likely will translate into better ability to see both large and small (frequency and amplitude) signals with similar resolution. This is a major problem with present systems, where in order to see smaller signals, we have to amplify the signals, and in doing so, we lose the ability to see larger signals without saturating these signals. Dr. Asirvatham has also highlighted the improved resolution and intuitive and flexible display options as other distinguishing factors of the PURE EP System.

When Medgadget spoke with BioSig last year, the company had just published the successful results of an animal study along with cardiologists and electrophysiologists from Mayo Clinic and Harvards Brigham and Womens. At the time, BioSig Founder and Executive Chairman Ken Londoner projected that, The PURE EP System will be rolled out to the leading centers in the United States starting next year [2018], since we expect FDA clearance towards the end of this year or early next year.

At the end of last month, BioSig submitted a 510(k) application to the FDA for approval of the PURE EP System. The submission identified BioSigs technology as a Class II medical device. Medgadget had a chance to catch up with BioSig to learn about progress the company has made in the last year and what the recent FDA submission means for the company.

Michael Batista, Medgadget: What are some important milestones BioSig has achieved since you spoke with Medgadget last summer?

Ken Londoner: We have reached a number of important milestones since the last time we spoke:

BioSig filed for FDA 510(k) approval on the 26th March.

BioSig completed a 2-year nationwide market assessment project in collaboration with Health Research International. Survey respondents rated all six features of the PURE EP System as being Very Helpful for their ablations, emphasizing overall noise reduction and improved signal clarity/accuracy as key benefits. The research has concluded strong future demand for PURE EP System and suggested robust pricing points at market launch.

BioSig engaged Sherpa Technology Group as our IP advisors. Sherpa is a leading advisory in Silicon Valley with a deep understanding of medical technology. Sherpa has been working on helping us assemble a robust patent portfolio around our core technology and solidifying our 10-year working relationship with Mayo Clinic.

BioSig expanded its team by appointing Joe Rafferty, Chief Commercialization Officer (CCO). Joe has more than 30 years of experience in bringing medical technology to market. BioSig also partnered with Chuck Austin, former Corporate Vice President, Global Supply Chain, and Management Committee member at Johnson & Johnson. Chuck has joined us on a consultancy basis to scale up our manufacturing and global business development efforts ahead of commercialization.

BioSig performed its 11th pre-clinical study at Mayo Clinic.

BioSig was once again featured in the The Journal of Innovations in Cardiac Rhythm Management. Their Innovations in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology: Challenges and Upcoming Solutions in 2018 and Beyond article features PURE EP System in the section dedicated to the novel ablation targets for the treatments of ventricular arrhythmias. The Purkinje Fibers section of the article talks about the importance of consistent visualization of Purkinje signals during the ablation procedures, which can be achieved through the use of high-pass filters of an advanced signal processing technology of PURE EP System.

BioSig opened an operational office in Austin, TX  a key location for med-tech companies.

BioSig raised approximately $9 million in premium-to-market equity investment in 2017. Continuing to raise capital without intermediaries allows the company to maintain appropriate alignment of interests between the business and our shareholders.

Medgadget: With FDA approval on the horizon, what are some of the next for commercializing BioSigs technology?

Londoner: Our PURE EP System is expected to launch in the United States in the first half of 2019 and be followed up with a foray into European markets. Joe Rafferty, our CCO, has a proven strategy of bringing cardiology devices to market. Upon receiving FDA clearance, we will start with a small number of highly strategic medical centers of excellence  the early adopters of our technology. These centers will provide the perfect base for collecting our first-in-man clinical data. We expect to expand our commercial efforts nationwide later in 2019.

Medgadget: What is the value for physicians and patients that BioSig is striving to achieve as the PURE EP System becomes available for human use?

Londoner: The PURE EP System has been developed together with the leading electrophysiologists in our country, who are not only outstanding surgeons, but also exceptional innovators. Our technology has been designed to address a very pressing, unmet clinical need. During the market assessment study that we completed last year, all of the surveyed electrophysiologists have agreed that the signal clarity is paramount to the success of ablation procedures. If we can improve the quality of clinical information that the surgeons receive in real time, they will be able to make better decisions for the patients. Over the years we have encountered many Afib (atrial fibrillation) patients. Afib is a very debilitating condition, which significantly affects the quality of life of those who suffer from it, and those who are indirectly affected by it, such as families and friends. Many of the people who shared their experience with us had to undergo 2-3 ablations, which did not improve their condition. As a result, many patients refuse further treatments. It is our goal to address that by giving better tools to the doctors.

Medgadget: Given the news that BioSig is bringing an innovative EP system to market, are you seeing any changes in your incumbent competitors or new players?

Londoner: Bringing medical technology to the market is a highly complex and lengthy process. Our own path to market has taken over 9 years, which isnt that long in comparison to many life science companies. In our years of experience, we have seen many companies entering the market. The key question is, however, how to sustain the market presence? To do so, a company must address a defined clinical need, have a large global market, have the support of key opinion leaders in their chosen space, develop a robust IP strategy, and be extremely diligent with their financing. That last point in particular can make all the difference between success and failure and is often overlooked by the founders. As an innovative company charting a long-term growth strategy, we always welcome the news about positive developments on the market  healthcare is everyones utmost priority, and if in the future we can partner with an excellent company to take our efforts to the next level, it will only be a good news for both the patients and the medical community.

Medgadget: You mentioned the low 6% penetration of ablation procedures in your last interview with Medgadgets. Is one of BioSigs goals to move the needle on this number and increase the number of patients who feel comfortable with and elect to have the potentially life saving procedure? If so, how do you accomplish that?

Londoner: Absolutely. It is our goal to improve the standards of care in electrophysiology and increase the number of patients, who can have their condition successfully treated during the first procedure. The key to this, as Ive said above, begins with giving better tools to the surgeons. To quote one of our longstanding Scientific Advisory Board members, electrophysiologists constantly need to choose between efficacy and safety. We will strive to raise the level of confidence while performing complex ablation procedures, which in turn should result in better clinical outcomes, shorter procedures and, ultimately, more patients seeking appropriate treatment.

Medgadget: Thank you for the update! Anything else to share?

Londoner: We strongly believe that the future of the market lies in the rapidly emerging field of bioelectronic medicine. As a company with a core competency in advanced signal processing technologies, we will strive to gain a market leadership position in this field over the next several years. The global bioelectronic medicine market is expected to reach $25.2 billion by 2021 from $17.2 billion in 2016, growing at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2016. We believe that our combination of skill, capital market expertise and global industry relationships will allow us to successfully navigate this rapidly evolving field.

Link: BioSig Technologies
by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, April 20, 2018

Well, that was fun!

The TV Blog rarely goes in for Week in Review columns, but this week truly merits a Friday recap.

We had a former FBI director on a media book tour and a porn actress both blasting the President of the United States on TV, and a news channel talk-show host who is outspoken in his support of the President being revealed as a mystery client of the President's attorney.

The latter revelation about Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity became grist for the chattering masses, whether they were rival TV personalities on the other news channels sensing blood in the water, or just ordinary folks congregating at Starbucks to drink coffee or just to use the restroom (it never hurts to ask, right?).

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The former FBI director, James Comey, got the week rolling on Sunday night when ABC gave him an hour of prime time to promote his new book about what it was like to be fired by Donald Trump. Around 9.8 million people watched, according to the overnights.

In the interview, we learned that when it is viewed up close, the skin on Trump's face has an orange tint, with a whitish ring around the eyes, according to Comey. He theorized that Trump gets fake tans and the white part around his eyes represents the outline of tanning goggles.

Comey also observed that Trump wears his ties too long, but everybody already knew that.

Comey's book, titled A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, was released on Tuesday. By Wednesday, Barnes and Noble was reporting that it was already the company's top-selling book in its stores and online.

Chalk one up for the power of a good old-fashioned publicity campaign in which TV played a big part.

Among other places, Comey was seen on The View just a day after the show welcomed another timely guest, Stormy Daniels, in what was billed as her first (and possibly only) live TV interview.

It was a friendly place for Stormy, who received a great deal of moral support from the women of The View and their studio audience. They applauded her wildly whenever she took a stand against bullying or declared her right, as just an ordinary working mom who happens to make porno, to gripe about President Trump's denials that the two had an affair.

She never mentioned or elaborated on the tale she told Anderson Cooper last month on 60 Minutes about how she playfully spanked Trump on his rear end with a rolled-up copy of his own self-named magazine.

Not asking about this was a missed opportunity for The View. Oh, well, no one talks about magazines anymore!

The combination of Stormy, Comey and Hannity represented a motherlode of subject matter for the news-and-talk shows, but the week's biggest story in television unfolded far away from all that.

It happened in network prime time -- Tuesday night on ABC -- as the Roseanne juggernaut solidified its position as network TV's most notable success story this season.

It was only the fourth episode of this relaunched old show's inaugural season (consisting of just nine episodes), but it is so welcome and so comfortable that it feels like it has been on a lot longer.

This week's episode drew a total audience of 13 million Tuesday night with a 3.4 rating in the demo (18-49). A week earlier, the total audience tally was 13.7 million -- enough to emerge as the top-rated regular series on network TV last week. Roseanne stands to achieve the same position this week.

While Roseanne started out four weeks ago with commentators and critics focusing on the title character's support of President Trump, the show has emerged as much more than that in the weeks since.

Her show succeeds because it is about something -- families, homes, everyday struggles, joys and disappointments. It is about life as it is lived by millions of Americans who feel they are underrepresented on television and by the media in general.

In its sitcom depiction of a fictional family, Roseanne has more to say about contemporary America for one half-hour a week than the entire gaggle of partisan blabbermouths and know-nothings on cable TV who have 100 hours a week to express themselves and say nothing.

Roseanne is a bona fide phenomenon, and on that basis, it is reasonable to label Roseanne Barr a genius, and one of the few in television today.
A new study investigates the relationship between autism, the immune system, gastrointestinal issues, and gut bacteria. The story is a complex one with many questions still remaining unanswered, but this latest project adds insight.

Share on Pinterest A new study examines the communication lines between gut and brain.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect 1 in 68 children in the United States.

Characterized by difficulties with socializing, and often accompanied by repetitive behaviors, this neurodevelopmental disorder harbors many mysteries.

Despite its prevalence and a glut of research, the causes behind ASD are still not fully understood.

Although ASD primarily impacts the brain, over recent years, links with other systems have become clear  in particular, gastrointestinal (GI) issues seem to occur more often in individuals with ASD than in the rest of the population.

In one study, compared with typically developing (TD) children, those with ASD were six to eight times more likely to report GI symptoms such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.

Other studies have shown that children with ASD who experience GI problems are more likely to have more severe symptoms of ASD. Also, treating the GI symptoms can sometimes relieve the behavioral and social symptoms of ASD.

Interestingly, behavioral issues are found alongside other conditions that impact the gut. For instance, people with celiac disease are more likely to have autism-like traits and other psychological symptoms. The gut and behavior seem tied together in some way.

According to many researchers, the GI issues that come with ASD might be due to two factors: firstly, inappropriate immune activation , causing inflammation of the tract; and, secondly, differences in the types of gut bacteria that are present.

However, the picture is still incredibly murky, and studies produce differing results, finding different types of inflammation and various changes in gut bacteria.
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"ANKL patients often had mutations in the STAT3 and DDX3X genes which points towards partly shared genetic background with other NK- and T-cell malignancies," says Professor Satu Mustjoki whose group initially discovered somatic STAT3 mutations in LGL leukemia.By comparing the exome sequencing data from ANKL patients to previously published datasets from NK/T-cell lymphoma patients, researchers also uncovered novel gene amplifications in the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. In some cases, the amplified regions in the genome also included the PD-L1 gene which has therapeutic potential. In other lymphoma types, tumors with amplifications in the PD-L1 gene have responded well to novel immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies.Researchers also aimed to discover novel potential drugs for the treatment of ANKL by testing the ability of over 400 different drugs to kill malignant and normal NK cells in cell culture conditions. Some potential drug candidates were discovered: NK cells were especially sensitive for drugs which inhibit JAK tyrosine kinases and anti-apoptotic BCL family members. JAK inhibitors inhibit the same signaling pathway in which genetic alterations were discovered in ANKL patients."JAK inhibitors, currently used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and some other hematological diseases, could potentially improve the treatment of various NK-cell malignancies," says MD/PhD student Olli Dufva who is the first author in the publication.Source: Eurekalert
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"Consistent use of daily anti-asthma drugs, generally steroids delivered by inhaler is lifesaving and the best way to prevent recurrent exacerbations and costly hospitalizations," she adds.According to some estimates, Arnold says, up to 60 percent of children with chronic asthma do not get or take their prescribed daily regimen of anti-inflammatory medication, which works to control and prevent asthma by reducing inflammation, swelling and mucus production in the airways. Not taking the prescribed medication regularly can lead to worsened asthma and more frequent asthma exacerbations.Previous studies have pointed to reasons for medication nonadherence, Arnold notes, but few have examined as many perspectives for the same patient as this one.For the study, a Medicaid managed care organization identified 88 children with asthma ages 7 to 17 years old who received care at two hospital-affiliated pediatric clinics in Baltimore, Maryland. To be eligible for the study, the children had to have visited the emergency department for an asthma exacerbation between March 2013 and May 2014 and had a prescription for a daily inhaled corticosteroid.The research team mailed all eligible families an invitation to participate in the study and be interviewed either in person or via telephone, with the option to participate in either Spanish or English. A total of 50 child-caregiver pairs ultimately participated in the survey, and 34 of 50 corresponding clinicians participated.Each child and caregiver pair answered the same set of questions separately, with a simplified version available for children under 12 years old. A total of 26 clinicians, including 21 resident physicians, one fellow, two attending physicians and two nurse practitioners who treated the children, completed an online survey.The research team conducted all interviews within 12 months of the child's emergency department visit for asthma.Every participant was asked to rate the frequency with which he/she believed various barriers to medication use applied to the child on a five-point scale from never to always.The suggested barriers included: medication runs out, forgetfulness, don't think they need it, worry about taking med every day, don't want to admit they have asthma, too much of a pain, embarrassed and friends say not to take it.Children and caregivers each completed the Asthma Control Test, a five-question test used to determine how well asthma symptoms are controlled, and all members of the triad (child, caregiver and clinician) reported the estimated number of doses taken by the child in a typical week. Of the children, 40 percent were female and 90 percent had non-Hispanic black caregivers. The majority (68 percent) of these caregivers had a high school education or less.Asthma Control Test scores (ranges from five for poor asthma control to 25 for complete asthma control) reported by children and caregivers averaged 14 and 18, respectively. Although 58 percent of children and 48 percent of caregivers reported that the child missed only one to two doses of medication each week, pharmacy records based on fills of daily vs. rescue medications showed that 60 percent had less than ideal medication refill frequency.All groups cited forgetfulness (82 percent children, 80 percent caregivers and 100 percent clinicians) and medication running out (65 percent children, 44 percent caregivers and 94 percent clinicians) as top barriers to medication adherence. However, children were more likely than caregivers to report medications running out as a reason, and clinicians were more likely than both groups to report it as a reason.Clinicians were also more likely than children to cite "being a pain to take" as a reason and more likely than caregivers to cite forgetfulness as a reason. Some children acknowledged being embarrassed to take their medication.Care triads were least likely to agree on whether inconvenience was a reason for noncompliance, with only 21 percent of triads agreeing. Similarly, only 27 percent of triads agreed about whether the child being worried about taking a medication every day was a reason for nonadherence.In interviews, the researchers noticed that children rarely "blamed" anyone else for missing doses, but caregivers discussed the child's forgetfulness and distractions. Clinicians mentioned potential lack of caregiver supervision or too much responsibility given to young children as barriers to medication adherence."Now that we know more about barriers to a child taking medication, we can take steps toward improving communication among all parties involved in a child's care and think of other ways to improve adherence," says Tina Cheng, M.D., M.P.H., co-director of Johns Hopkins Children's Center and an author on the paper.Cheng cautioned that surveys and self-reports are often weak ways of measuring medication adherence. But she said the findings point to opportunities for improving medication usage by focusing on augmenting supervision and education.Source: Eurekalert
From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
Nominated for this year's Billboard Music Awards (BBMA) in the 'Top Dance/Electronic Album' category, Tim Bergling aka Avicii had expressed his excitement and thanked the American music magazine for the nomination on 17 April. Three days later, in the afternoon, the man - who remains in contention of bagging one of the most coveted awards in the music industry - was found dead in Muscat, Oman.



The 28-year-old had already won two MTV Music Awards, one BBMA and earned two Grammy nominations in his professional career. But the nomination for this year's BBMA was special since the Swedish music producer was nominated for his six-track EP 'Avici (01)' - one that marked his return after a hiatus of two years.

Instagram/@avicii

However, to the ill fate of Avicii and sheer horror of his fans, the man who made billions jump to his tunes passed away on Friday, handing a fatal blow to the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) industry. The heart-breaking news was confirmed by Avicii's publicist Diana Baron in a statement that the young DJ was in Muscat when he died.



"It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," Baron revealed. "He was found dead in Muscat, Oman this Friday afternoon local time, April 20th. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given," she concluded.



While the cause of death has not been revealed and it also remains unknown why the musician was in Oman, Avicii's deteriorating health over the years seems to have potentially played a role in his early demise. Having suffered from acute pancreatitis owing, in part, to excessive drinking, Avicii had retired from performing live acts in 2016. He also had his gallbladder and appendix removed in 2014.

Instagram/@avicii

A documentary about his career - Avicii: True Stories - was also released in September 2017 which captured his final world tour and ongoing health struggles. "Everybody knows Avicii but very few people know Tim. I think this documentary really shows Tim's struggle and strength of character, Levan Tsikurishvili, director of the documentary, had said.



For someone who was often labelled as a pioneer of the Electronic Dance Movement, Avicii's sudden demise left the musicians across the globe shell-shocked. From popular DJs to iconic Pop artists, the music fraternity presented their condolences after coming to terms with the heart-breaking news.

Devastating news about Avicii, a beautiful soul, passionate and extremely talented with so much more to do. My heart goes out to his family. God bless you Tim x  Calvin Harris (@CalvinHarris) April 20, 2018

my sincerest and most heartfelt condolences to the friends, fans and families of @Avicii :( Banter aside, nobody can deny what he has accomplished and done for modern dance music and im very proud of him.  Goat lord (@deadmau5) April 20, 2018

I have no words.. RIP Tim   Eric Prydz (@ericprydz) April 20, 2018

Words can not describe how I feel right now..I am gonna miss you brother  pic.twitter.com/AjBgXi5gVR  Tiesto (@tiesto) April 20, 2018

Can't believe this, I'm gonna miss you so bad. From your first show where we played together, to all the amazing memories we shared. Thank you for changing the world with your amazing music and for being such an inspiration. I'm gonna miss you brother, until we meet again!  pic.twitter.com/FjJyLA5Ohc  Hardwell (@HARDWELL) April 20, 2018

Deeply shocked and can't believe that dance music has lost one of its icons today. Avicii's music changed the lives of so many people. He will be missed dearly. My sincere condolences to his family, friends & loved ones. May you find the strength you need in these difficult times pic.twitter.com/PLqYaiaLMd  Armin van Buuren (@arminvanbuuren) April 20, 2018

Shocked and saddened to learn of @avicii's passing. A humble and immensely talented artist. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones.  Above & Beyond (@aboveandbeyond) April 20, 2018

I'll need to put the @Avicii movie into my arsenal of guiding new talents. For those who only see/want the glamorous side of producing/performing. There's more to it. #RIPAvicii  Laidback Luke (@LaidbackLuke) April 20, 2018

We lost an absolute legend today #RIPAvicii you'll continue to live on forever in our hearts and through your music pic.twitter.com/mz7gNO0TzT  Cash Cash (@cashcash) April 20, 2018

Live a life you will remember #RIPAvicii Had some great memories recording and creating together   Travis Barker (@travisbarker) April 20, 2018

Wow, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to the man who really opened my eyes as to what my productions could one day sound like. @Avicii was a genius and a music innovator, and I can not believe he is no longer with us. RIP to the very best.  Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) April 20, 2018

Such sad news to hear about Avicii passing. Too young and way too soon. My condolences go out to his family, friends and fans x  DUA LIPA (@DUALIPA) April 20, 2018

Oh my god truly devastated for Avicii very very sad news way to young ... what a talent he was. rest in peace x  Liam (@LiamPayne) April 20, 2018

No words can describe the sadness I'm feeling right now, hearing about Avicii passing away....

Thoughts go out to his family and friends...  Zedd (@Zedd) April 20, 2018

I cannot express enough that @Avicii revolutionized dance music, and effortlessly. An unparalleled writer and one of my biggest inspirations will be remembered and missed for centuries to come. We love you Tim.   (@3LAU) April 20, 2018

At a loss for words...Rest easy brother  @Avicii  marshmello (@marshmellomusic) April 20, 2018

. @Avicii was talented and kind, and I was genuinely excited to see what would come next from him. His future most certainly should have been written beyond age 28. I am

heartbroken.

Rest easy Tim.  Kaskade (@kaskade) April 20, 2018

Can't really describe in words how sad I feel right now.. thank you for inspiring me and millions others. RIP @Avicii  pic.twitter.com/nthXoCiZqy  MARTIN GARRIX (@MartinGarrix) April 20, 2018

devastated at the news of @Avicii passing. working with him was one of my favorite collaborative moments. far too young. the world was a happier and fuller place with his presence and art. sending all my love to his friends and family. Xxdr  Imagine Dragons (@Imaginedragons) April 20, 2018

Rest easy Avicii, you inspired so many of us. Wish I could have said that to you in person x  Ellie Goulding (@elliegoulding) April 20, 2018
Back in the 70s, the birth of Disco brought the first-ever wave of club dance music into existence. The use of electronic sounds and constant percussive beats back then kickstarted the repetitive rhythms commonly heard in electronic music today. Artists like Kraftwerk and Donna Summer incorporated early electro and house, which eventually put the Electronic Dance Movement (EDM) into motion, during the late 80s till early 90s.



Emergence of raves, pirate radios and an upsurge in interest for club culture allowed electronic music to gain popularity in Europe. But, the acceptance of dance culture was yet to gain support globally and, despite the rise of both Electro and Chicago House music in European nations and the USA, mainstream media outlets and the record labels remained hostile to the new form of music.



If that wasn't enough, the governments in various countries ordered a crackdown on the wide-spreading rave culture after perceiving an association between EDM and drug abuse. The presence of EDM was now restricted and limited exposure during the 90s saw it getting rebranded as electronica in America - where artists like The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim became part of what soon became famous as the 'American Electronica Revolution'.

Twitter

Evolving, getting rebranded and fighting for survival, EDM was handed a new lease to life after Madonna brought the genre to popular music listeners through her 1998 track 'Ray of Light'. By the mid-2000s, EDM was rechristened as Electronic Dance Music after finally becoming a part of the popular culture. In the next ten years, the EDM circuit grew beyond anyone's imagination after being heavily influenced by live events.



By 2011, a 'new rave generation' was being led by the ever-changing EDM icons including the likes of Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and Deadmau5 amongst others. But, if you were to narrow down the list of the most influential artists whose diverse sounds led to the rebirth of EDM in the new era, Tim Bergling aka Avicii is arguably a name you can't afford to miss out.



After honing his skills as a member of the hallowed Laidback Luke Forums - a well-known breeding ground for young talent, Bergling further refined his craft while demonstrating his distinct deep house style. Using the stage name 'Avicii' which actually represents the lowest level of Buddhist hell, Bergling was pretty quick in releasing new music with distinctive sounds.

Instagram/@avicii

At the age of 21, Avicii released a new track 'Levels' which incorporated the vocal sample from the 1962 gospel-inspired 'Something's Got A Hold On Me' by Etta James and launched him into the mainstream. The track reached the top 10 in 13 countries and topped the charts in Hungary, Norway and Sweden. It eventually went platinum in the US and became a number one internationally.



In 2012, his collaboration with David Guetta for their track 'Sunshine' earned him a Grammy nomination under the category for Best Dance Recording. He collaborated with Madonna to produce 'Girl Gone Wild', while 'Superlove' turned out to be a by-product of his partnership with Lenny Kravitz.



After his collaborations began fuelling his desire to produce distinctive music, Avicii stunned everyone by foraying into an interesting world where country music and EDM were now set on collision course. His popular track 'Wake Me Up' that was released in 2013 was a testimony to Bergling's creativity while innovating new sounds.

Instagram/@avicii

Such was his rise to stardom that Avicii ended up on Forbes' 'Highest Paid DJs list' in 2012 and managed to rise to the No. 3 spot on the list by 2014. He had also etched his name in the history books after becoming the first DJ to headline the famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City.



His rapid rise to success meant that Avicii was now doing more live acts and spending a lot of time touring different parts of the world - an act which was soon going to take a toll on the Swedish musician. Despite his popularity and growth as an artist, Avicii shocked everyone after announcing he will no longer perform live acts, with his gig in Ibiza in August 2016 being the last.



The fact that he had acute pancreatitis owing, in part, to excessive drinking played a major role in his decision to retire from performing live acts. In fact, in 2014, he had also cancelled a series of tour dates in order to recover after getting his gallbladder and appendix removed.

Instagram/@avicii

Avicii's retirement did surprise a lot of people, but the fact that he was still making music in the studio was good enough for his fans who couldn't have really asked for anything more. Avicii had promised new music to his fans and that's exactly what the EDM icon delivered when he released his six-track EP 'Avici (01)' - first of a three-part studio album - in June 2017.



On 17 April, he was nominated for this year's Billboard Music Awards in the 'Top Dance/Electronic Album' category for what would eventually turn out to be his final EP 'Avici (01)'. Three days later, Avicii was found dead in Muscat, Oman with his publicist confirming the heart-breaking news.



He began making beats in his bedroom as a teenager; he became a producer and composer at the age of 17; he had first hit single at the age of 21 and a Grammy nomination a year later; he represented the sixth fastest growing company in Europe at the age of 26; he retired from performing live acts and, two years later, died at the age of 28.

Instagram/@avicii

There is no doubt that Avicii's downfall and eventual demise was as rapid as his rise in the music industry. But, during his brief run on the planet where he had limited time to make music, Avicii accomplished more than what many can only dream of achieving in an entire lifetime. If his collaborations with distinctive artists highlighted his creativity to break new ground, Avicii's decision to continue making music despite his health issues proved how committed he was towards his profession.



He is amongst the few electronic musicians who saw and eventually helped EDM move towards a more instrumental sound. At a time when many thought the genre had become too focused on 'dirty drops', a rare breed of artists like Avicii infused soul, funk, blues, folk and country influences into EDM in a bid to preserve the genre's considerable momentum.



Even though Avicii might have walked into the darkness, his legacy and contribution to EDM will always be remembered by music enthusiasts as they continue to witness the growth and evolution of the genre in years to come.
How far would you go to just meet your idol? For some people, there is no limit, as they will do anything for just a one-second glimpse.

When it comes to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, his fans will go to any lengths, as perfectly demonstrated by an incident from last night's IPL match. A lot of people don't get to meet their heroes, so instead of waiting, this one fan went and created the perfect opportunity for himself.

PTI

And, thankfully for all of us, it was caught on camera since it happened right on the ground for everyone to see. So basically, what went down was a fan rushed to the grounds when Dhoni was walking to the crease during yesterday's match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

As Dhoni was walking to take Suresh Raina's place, the fan breached security to just have a chance to touch Dhoni's feet.

Twitter

While a lot of celebrities would be furious at a security breach like this, especially in the middle of a match, Dhoni proved he really is Captain Cool as he calmly handled the situation and by the looks of it, the fan was not disappointed by his idol as he happily went back to the stand.

Dhoni's reaction probably made it all worth it for him, and I'm glad his hero did not disappoint him.

His heart-warming reaction has probably made everyone even bigger fans of him, and rightly so.

This is the thing that @msdhoni deserves....he is god for all #MSDians   Jaspreet Kaur  (@JaspreetTejay) April 21, 2018

It's so cool.

It really was.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Amanatidis had a courtesy meeting today with the Slovenian Ambassador to Greece, Anita Pipan.



The Slovenian Ambassador referred to the support her country showed for Greece during the economic crisis, stressed that Slovenia stands at Greeces side in handling the refugee/migration crisis, and referred to individual sectors in which the two countrys collaborate, including food safety and water resource management.



The Deputy Minister referred to the cooperation between the two countries, which is founded on historical ties and the two countries shared course as allies and partners. He also expressed interest in further development of the two countries cooperation in the culture and education sector, mentioning the potential for capitalizing on the common heritage of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first Governor of the independent Greek state, whose family lineage traces back to the city of Koper in Slovenia.
BAD AXE  Both population and the number of residents on public assistance in Huron County decreased in fiscal year (FY) 2016, with the amount of Medicaid recipients being the exception to this trend.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently released FY 2016 Huron County statistics, which were shared with the Huron County Board of Commissioners. Those 2016 statistics are the latest figures available.

Huron's DHHS Director Irene Waller said a spike in Medicaid cases in recent years  from 7,749 in FY 2012 to 8,887 in FY 2016  is a result of federal regulations that expand Medicaid coverage to children.

That is a good thing, said Waller, who also is DHHS director for Tuscola and Lapeer counties.

Huron County DHHS provides cash assistance through Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Family Independence Program (FIP), Food Assistance Program (FAP), Child Day Care, State Emergency Relief (SER) and State Disability Assistance (SDA).

Besides Medicaid, all services have seen a decrease in recipients since FY 2012. Waller also noted there has been a decrease in the number of county residents as well.

There were 31,481 residents in Huron County in 2016. Of that, 7,393, or 23 percent, of them were on public assistance, according to the report. Statewide, 26 percent of residents were on some sort of assistance, Waller said.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Huron Countys population in 2010 was 33,118

Waller added that in February, the countys unemployment rate was 6.9 percent, while the state average was 5.2 percent.

The number of Huron County children that the state says live in poverty decreased from 1,493 in FY 2012 to 1,153 in FY 2015.

Cash into Huron County through DHHS programs for FY 2016 totaled $59.6 million among all programs listed. Of that, $54.7 million came from Medicaid.

DHHS also handles complaints through Child Protective Services. Total complaints increased, while total assigned remained the same.

The majority of Medicaid recipients  35 percent  were aged, blind and disabled SSI residents. Pregnant women and children accounted for 29 percent. Aged, blind and disabled non-SSI were 15 percent of recipients. Family Medicaid recipients totaled 12 percent. MiChild recipients were 5 percent, and 4 percent were "other children under age 21."

SSI recipients have decreased from 901 in FY 2012 to 876 in FY 2016.

FY 2015 was the most recent year information was available for KidsCount, which shows there were 93 children ages 0-18 in Huron County families receiving SSI.

FIP recipients have decreased from 416 in FY 2012 to 189 in FY 2016.

The average FIP payment per family in Michigan in FY 2016 was $359 per month. Michigan families received nearly $100.8 million in FIP payments in FY 2016. Huron County families received $156,311.

FAP recipients decreased from 6,507 in FY 2012 to 4,838 in FY 2016.

FAP benefits decrease as income increases, according to the report.

This is a federally funded program, but administrative costs are shared equally between federal and state governments.

Huron County citizens received more than $4.2 million in FAP benefits in FY 2016.

In FY 2015, there were 1,241 children ages 0-18 in the county receiving FAP. That was 18.6 percent of the population.

Child Development and Care (formerly Child Daycare) decreased from 316 recipients in FY 2012 to 186 recipients in FY 2016. Huron County children received childcare services at a cost of $307,208 paid to licensed child care providers or in-home day care aides.

SER recipients decreased from 1,897 in FY 2012 to 559 in FY 2016.

SDA recipients decreased from 57 in FY 2012 to 36 in FY 2016. However, there was a six-person increase from FY 2015 TO FY 2016.

Children in foster care increased from 31 in FY 2012 to 59 in FY 2016, although the number decreased from 76 in FY 2015.

There were seven finalized adoptions in FY 2016. Thats up from three in FY 2015 and down from eight in FY 2012.
Authorities of the Ghana Gas Company has lauded governments efforts at synchronize all activities across the gas value chain.



The synchronisation has ensured that all the necessary tie-ins are done with relevant stakeholders in maintaining a world class facility tied around efficiency and effective service delivery that met international best practices.



Engineer Maxwell Kally, Senior Manager, Engineering and Maintenance of the Ghana Gas Company said this during a briefing exercise on the success chalked during the 24-day shutdown period for maintenance and repairs as well as expansion works on the facility to Journalists in the Western Region.



The maintenance, he said had helped to improve on reliable energy supply as well as built resilient infrastructure that would ultimately culminate to growth of businesses and larger industries.



We are ready to supply to any potential investor wishing to do business in the country, he said.



The period of the maintenance according of him recorded no lost time injury, adding that safety was cardinal in all the stages of maintenance.



Engineer Kally said great efforts were being made to ensure that direct connection from Western region to Tema And this we will do without any interruption to production.



The Maintenance Engineer said the company would continue to harness all tie-ins as a measure of saving the country time and cost. "We are also looking at channelling current flared gas to energy generation", he added.



He said the maintenance also gave room for the provision of new valves which would ultimately increase capacity.



Mr Kally lauded the contribution of the local team for a great work done and working within the stipulated time, great efforts is being made to ensure the participation of locals.



Mr Jaasu Yahaya, Safety Manager said the company was committed to safety and would therefore work in a manner that promoted safer communities and the environment.



He said the ability to do the maintenance work with little expatriate involvement was a marvel to partner companies like ENI and Tullow adding, We have demonstrated that though young in the industry, we are capable as Ghanaians to work in the industry. We observed all standard procedures in accordance with the EPA, we did not vent any gas, he added.



Mr Ernest Owusu-Bempah, Head of Corporate Communications said using locals to do the repair works had saved the country GH10million to be channelled into other areas of development.



The successful work done only goes to affirm that Ghanaians are capable, let build Ghana together, he added.





Source: GNA









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MIDDLETOWN  A First Amendment advocacy group is fighting a New Hampshire court order that sealed records in a suit filed by Nathan Carmans aunts to prevent him from collecting his mothers share of his multimillionaire grandfathers estate.

The New England First Amendment Coalition, which defends, promotes and expands public access to government and the work it does, is requesting the court provide an opportunity for an oral argument in support of unsealing the documents.

The court last month ordered all files in the case to be sealed, according to Attorney Justin Silverman, executive director of the Massachusetts-based NEFAC. A reporter from the Union Leader newspaper in Manchester, New Hampshire, objected to the order and filed a motion to unseal the documents March 29.

NEFAC supported the motion in an April 10 legal memorandum submitted to the court.

A probate appeal was filed last July by Valerie C. Santilli, executrix of Carmans grandfather, John C. Chakalos, and her sisters Elaine Chakalos and Charlene Gallagher. The suit asks the court to declare the 24-year-old former Middletown man their fathers killer.

Carman now lives in Vernon, Vermont. He is under investigation by state and federal authorities in the disappearance of his mother Linda, 54, in September 2016 after a boating accident that left him adrift at sea. After eight days, he was rescued off the coast of Massachusetts by a passing freightliner. His mother, who lived in Middletown, was never found and no charges have been filed in connection with her disappearance.

The Coast Guard said Linda Carman is presumed dead.

Police have also deemed him a person of interest in the murder of his wealthy grandfather, 87, who was shot to death at his Windsor home in December 2013, a month after his wife of 59 years died of cancer. He had gunshot wounds in his head and back, police said.

Family members have said Nathan Carman is on the autism spectrum.

Chakalos daughters filed a slayer action complaint in New Hampshire Probate Court last July, petitioning the judge under an inheritance law provision that prohibits a person who kills someone to reap monetary gain from the deceased.

An accounting of Chakalos finances filed in New Hampshire probate court last summer by attorneys for the executor of his estate indicated it has a balance of nearly $29 million. Carman stands to inherit $7 million, according to court documents.

Courts are presumptively open, Silverman said. We dont live in a country where there are secret trials. This is a probate court were dealing with. Generally speaking, we dont operate within secrecy in courts.

Audrey Young, the Chakalos familys spokeswoman, said the family had no comment on the filing.

Nathan Carman was unable to be reached for comment on Friday.

After considering NEFACs arguments, Silverman hopes the court will side with the publics right to know.

Theres public interest in the case thats extremely high, and theres a lot at stake, he said. The law is on our side, but it will be up to the judge.

The courts of New Hampshire have always considered their records to be public, absent some overriding consideration or special circumstance, attorney Gregory V. Sullivan said in a prepared statement on behalf of the coalition and Union Leader. Hes a member of NEFACs Board of Directors.

These documents arent open to the public and should be, Silverman said.

Privacy is not a sufficient reason to keep the records secret because the documents pertain to Carmans grandfather, who is deceased, Sullivan wrote. There is also no evidence that releasing the documents would interfere with the federal and state investigations into the grandfathers death, he added.

During an April 3 court hearing in Concord, New Hampshire, Carman represented himself after firing his attorneys some time in February.

Lawyers for Carmans family hoped to force him to turn over documents about a semi-automatic rifle he bought which was similar to one used in the death of his grandfather, according to the Associated Press.

Carman has granted very few media interviews but has sat down with ABC News on a few occasions. In the television program, 20/20 Lost at Sea: The Story of Nathan Carman, which aired last February, he denied sabotaging his boat.

All I can say is what happened, Carman told ABC News Correspondent Linzie Janis, who was looking for a reaction to allegations he purposely sunk the boat. The only way that I can speak out against them is to say what actually happened and thats what weve been trying to do.

In a subsequent interview, Carman tells Janis he received no emotional support once he arrived home from his ordeal at sea.

I was lost at sea, my mom died. It would be great to see people embracing you, saying, Were glad youre home, were glad youre alive, and also helping me to deal with my moms death. It hasnt been that.

She was a good person, a warm person, he said of Linda Carman. We did have a challenging relationship at one point in my life, but she was the only family I had.

Carman also expressed love for his grandfather, who had been like a father to him. His parents divorced while he was young and his father traveled from California to Middletown when Carman and his mother went missing.

There is no relation between my having been the last person, other than the killer, to see my grandfather alive and my having been on the boat with my mother when it sank, Carman told Janis.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@hearst

mediact.com or Twitter @cassandrasdis.
CONCORD, N.H.  A New Hampshire judge on Friday postponed a decision on whether to dismiss a lawsuit accusing a Vermont man of killing his millionaire grandfather, and possibly his Middletown mother, for the inheritance money.

Nathan Carman has been called a suspect in the 2013 shooting death of 87-year-old real estate developer John Chakalos in Connecticut, however no one has been arrested in the case. He also has been questioned about the day his boat sank last year near Rhode Island with his mother Linda Carman on board.

She is presumed dead.

Carman, who was not in court Friday, has denied involvement in either incident.

John Chakalos was a long time resident of Chesterfield, New Hampshire, and a well-known, active member of the community. He loved the home that he and his wife Rita had built and which they shared with the surrounding community every Christmas, Boston Attorney Dan Small of Holland & Knight, who represents the Chakalos family, said in a prepared statement Dec. 6.

The groundless claims and denials contained in Nathan Carmans response filing do not reflect reality, and we are confident the legal process will recognize this, he said.

His mothers three sisters filed suit in New Hampshire in July, noting Chakalos had New Hampshire driving and boating licenses and that he voted in the state. Filing a motion known as a slayer lawsuit, the familys attorney said the sisters are trying to prevent Nathan Carman from profiting from the murder of his grandfather.

Carman wants the lawsuit dismissed, saying his grandfather wasnt a resident of New Hampshire at the time of his death.

Attorneys for the sisters also are calling for additional documents related to the case to remain sealed. They argued in court that the documents could impede the investigation and bring unwanted media attention to anyone named in them.

Judge David King said he would take the request under advisement. He didnt rule on the request to dismiss the lawsuit, saying he would give the two sides several more months to collect information before returning to update him.

The family is very happy that we are moving forward with discovery in this matter, Small told reporters. There are a lot of questions without answers and a lot of answers without justice.

John Chakalos gave generously and consistently for many decades to the local library and police and fire departments, as well as charities that cared for New Hampshire families in need, Smalls statement continued. Throughout his life, John remained an active contributor to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church where he was raised, Small said.

In July, the sisters filed a lawsuit in New Hampshire accusing Carman of killing Chakalos and Carmans mother. Theyve asked a judge to block Carman from collecting money from his grandfathers estate. Chakalos left more than $29 million to his four daughters, including Carmans mother, and $7 million of that money could go to Carman.

Small has said all the evidence points to Carman as the killer. If the family wins the lawsuit, any money that would have gone to Carman would go to investigate the deaths, Smith said.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revealed that his administration is reviving the strength of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), which, under the Mahama government, was being strangled by debt.



According to President Akufo-Addo, of the GH1.2 billion debt we inherited, the equivalent of $300 million, we have paid, in the last 15 months, GH1 billion, the equivalent of $250 million.



He added that payments to service providers, since his government took office in January 2017, are current.



As a result, the Scheme is regaining its effectiveness, so that for a minimum amount, subscribers can have access to a wide range of medical services.



President Akufo-Addo made this known on Saturday, 21st April, 2018, when he delivered the keynote speech at the London School of Economics Africa Summit, on the theme Africa at Work: Educated, Employed, Empowered.



Addressing a packed gathering, President Akufo-Addo noted that the urgent responsibility confronting the continent is to make African countries attractive for African youth, and for them to see the Continent to see as places of opportunities.



It means we must provide education, quality education and skills training. It means our young people must acquire the skills that run modern economies, he said.



The President indicated that with the African Unions Agenda 2063, titled The Africa We Want, calling for an education and skills revolution to meet the human resource needs for inspiring Africas socio-economic development, he noted that the AU has, quite correctly, placed high premium on science, technology and innovation as critical ingredients to the achievement of Agenda 2063.



The provision of education for our young people should not become an ideological tussle. We should never have to make a choice between basic education or higher education. We should never have to rely on the World Bank or any other institution to decide for us where the emphasis should be in our education needs, the President said.



Whilst stressing that education is the key to Africas development, he noted that African countries must run their economies to be able to fund the education of African children.



We should not get into arguments with donor agencies about our priorities. We must set our own priorities, and we must accept that we should provide the funds to translate our plans into reality, he said.

The President continued, That is why, despite the bleak economic situation my government inherited, we decided to implement immediately the pledge we had made about providing Free Senior High School education. The most dramatic aspect of its implementation has been that 90,000 more students entered senior high school in September last year, the first term of the policy, than in 2016.



He was confident that if we stop being beggars, and spend Africas monies inside the continent, Africa would not need to ask for respect from anyone. We would get the respect we deserve.



President Akufo-Addo also revealed further that, in Ghana, whereas the indications are that the economic dividends are on the horizon, there are other areas where the nation is thriving.



The media in Ghana, he said, has come into its own, and what used to be called the culture of silence has been replaced with a cacophony that now worries some.



I have said it before, and I believe it bears repeating, I would much rather put up with a reckless press than a monotonous, praise-singing one. A democracy has no place for a media that does not keep public authorities on their toes, he added.



He stressed that I am a firm believer in a strong and vibrant media, and I have no doubt that it is a force for good, no matter how irritating and how irksome they can be and often are. They provide the avenue for the other point of view.



In concluding, he indicated that our success story and changed narrative come with building our economies that are not dependent on charity and handouts. Then we shall put an educated, employed and empowered Africa to work, and repudiate the recent culture of failure. We shall then take our rightful place in the world.

Source: http://presidency.gov.gh









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Shubham Agrawal

India has the highest population in the world for Technical Analysts/Traders using technical analysis. A search using Google Trends indicates that among the Top 10 city searches in the world, 9 are Indian cities.

The entry barrier to technical analysis is too low and concepts like Support/Resistance, Trendlines, Moving averages can be learned in as soon as in a couple of hours. Applying these techniques to individual stock/index charts of cash & futures may sound lucrative to many traders.

The success of these indicators have been deteriorating; however, these still remain the highest used patterns for trading.

But the question is - can the same concept be applied to Option Charts?

A simple answer to this would be NO. Lets learn some of the concepts behind Option Pricing to understand this better. Option prices are made up of four components:

Delta (the component of underlying)

Theta (the component of time)

Vega (uncertainty premium)

Gamma (momentum of the delta)

These components will keep affecting the option prices which make it a non-linear instrument.

By applying technical analysis on Option charts what traders are generally accounting for is only Delta (sensitivity to the underlying) whereas other components are equally important and may be more important for few strikes than others.

Lets learn some common behaviours and challenges in using Option Charts.

Often breaches of supports:

Option prices will have a natural negative slope due to the fact of Theta decay (as time passes by the premium of options will keep eroding). This will lead to supports getting breached more often despite the underlying staying firm.

The theta can affect the option prices significantly in even a short trading span of as low as 2 days. The closer the options are to expiry the more acceleration is evident in theta decay.

In the last week of expiry, options lose their premiums as high as 60% to the theta decay.

Increased Whipsaws:

The component of Vega (i.e. volatility/uncertainty) in option prices leads to large shadows in option prices which may often breach concepts like Moving averages/Trendlines etc.

This movement may not necessarily come from the underlying movement and due to increased uncertainty at times volatility spikes can drift the option prices higher which again cool off once uncertainty is less.

How can we use the beauty of Technical Analysis with Options?

To use the best of both worlds, one of the ways could be to adjust option charts for these Greeks and then apply technical analysis concepts on them but this can be very tedious for traders.

The second way to effectively use the best of them is to draw signals from technical analysis to trade options. Below are some of the common patterns with its implementations:

Short term directional breakout:

If the underlying is breaking out from an important level, the easiest and best in most cases trade would be to participate via. Single options i.e. Long Call / Long Put.

Directional trading for a slower expected movement:

In the cases where traders want to participate an already existing breakout where the movement is slow, getting some compensation of theta is most viable. Strategies like Bull call spread / Bull put spread can be the highest yielding ones with a favourable reward to risk.

Expected consolidation between support/resistance:

When a pattern of technical analysis deals with formations like Triangles, Wedge, etc. the easiest way to trade options are by deploying non-directional strategies like Butterflies, Short Straddles, Short Strangles, etc.

Expected breakout from a Mature Consolidation:

When a pattern of technical analysis is in its last wave, the predictability of a trend coming soon is visible but the direction is not equally confident. In such indications taking a Volatility, the strategy could be beneficial like Long Straddle & Long Strangle.

Summary:

Technical analysis is a great forecasting tool but can be effectively applied to linear assets, applying these to non-linear assets are a breach of concepts.

So either one needs to adjust the non-linear asset for linearity or the most effective way is to draw signals from underlying using Technical Analysis and apply them on options to amplify returns.

The author is CEO & Head of Research at Quantsapp Private Limited. The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert 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.
President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran deal and the situation in Syria when they meet each other next week, a senior US official has said.

Macron will arrive here on Monday for a three-day state visit and Trump and First Lady Melania are throwing a red carpet to welcome the French president.

During the visit, the two presidents are expected to discuss the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by the US and other world powers and Iran, the official said.

The deal lifted economic sanctions on Tehran, and in return put limitations on its controversial nuclear energy programme.

Trump has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal and has set a May 12 deadline to make a decision on the accord, which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The official said Trump was not yet ready to make a final decision but that the nuclear deal would definitely be an important part of the discussions during his meetings with Macron.

"It's difficult to say what degree of detail the two presidents will go into, because based on the president's statement back in January, there's a deadline of around mid-May before he has to make a decision, the official said.

The Europeans, the E3 in particular, have been working hard on trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Iran's ballistic missile program, for example; the sunset clause; and the JCPOA, and so on. That work is not quite done yet. So I think the time to really have the final discussions and for the president to be ready to make the decision will be mid-May, the official said.

Noting that the United States works closely with France to combat terror around the world, the official said Trump and Macron will also discuss recent joint operations in Syria in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on April 7 as well as broader issues relating to Syria and the Middle East.

"These would include Iran's malign influence in the region; and also France's leading role in the NATO and in global counterterrorism operations more generally, including in the Sahel, where France takes the leading role," the official said.

Macron's state visit will include, on April 23, a tour of Mt. Vernon and a private couples dinner, the official told reporters here.

The tour would celebrate the "close and continuing" ties between the two countries, which have been a strong and reliable ally to each other.

"President Trump is eager to host the Macrons for this special event as he remembers, fondly, the dinner the couples shared together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day that was last July in 2017, the official said.

On April 24, Macron will meet with Trump in the White House, mid-morning, for a one-on-one session in the Oval Office. That will be followed by an expanded working bilateral meeting between the French and US delegations.

The bilateral meeting will include the Vice President, the Acting Secretary of State, the Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of Commerce, the White House Chief of Staff, and the National Security Advisor.

The visit has three themes: friendship, trade partnership, and the fact that France has been "a strong and reliable" ally of the US.

"President Trump is continuing the legacy of French-American cooperation that stretches back to America's independence, and is working with President Macron to build upon the already strong ties between the United States and France," the official said.

France is the United States' third largest trading partner in Europe, and averages over USD 1 billion in commercial transactions every day.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said attempts were being made to "defame" the government, and slammed the opposition while apparently referring to the Supreme Court's judgement in the judge B H Loya death case.

Addressing a gathering at Silvassa, the capital of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (DNH), Singh said the NDA government wants to take all political parties along for the development of the country.

"We want to make India a healthy, clean, and developed country, a powerful nation, and want to see India as the leader of the world. And we need blessings of all of you for this. Our government is constantly working in this direction. But there are repeated attempts by some people to defame our government by talking nonsense," Singh said.

"You saw the court's verdict yesterday. When I say our government wants to develop the country, it wants to do so not on its own but by taking all political parties along," he said, apparently referring to the Loya case ruling.

The Supreme Court yesterday dismissed pleas seeking an independent probe in the alleged mysterious death of special CBI judge B H Loya, ruling that the judge died of natural causes.

Singh was here to inaugurate a host of development projects, worth Rs 120 crore in all.

He said he was happy to see that the decisions taken at a July 2017 meeting of the advisory committee of DNH in New Delhi were being implemented well.

With proximity to Mumbai, the "film city," there was a potential for DNH to get a special status to attract movie-makers, he said.

"There is huge potential for industrial development. It is because I believe that tariffs here are lower than most states, and single-window system is also available," Singh said.

Silvassa will soon get medical and engineering colleges, and talks were underway with the Union Human Resource Development Ministry for setting up a university, he said.

Singh also laid the foundation stone for a bridge over the Daman Ganga river during his visit.
The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD today said it was not in favour of the impeachment motion against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra.

"Impeachment notice against the CJI should be given on rare occasion. There is no point in demeaning the post of the CJI," BJD spokesman and Odisha government chief whip Amar Prasad Satpathy told reporters here.

Seven Opposition parties, led by the Congress, today initiated an unprecedented step to impeach the Chief Justice of India, moving a notice accusing him of "misbehaviour" and "misuse" of authority.

Leveling five specific allegations, leaders of the Opposition parties met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and handed him over the notice of impeachment bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former MPs, who recently retired.

Misra is the 45th Chief Justice of India and the third from Odisha to occupy the country's highest judicial post.

Earlier, Justice Ranganath Misra (21st) and Justice Gopal Ballav Patnaik (32nd) have held the post.
Tihar Jail

A Delhi court today directed the Tihar jail authorities to immediately move gangster Neeraj Bawana out of solitary confinement.

Special judge Tarun Sahrawat noted that confinement in regular prison setting for more than ten days has demonstrated negative health effects, and that even apologists of the practice agree that prolonged punitive solitary confinement presents considerable risk to inmates.

"I fail to understand as to why this applicant (Bawana) has been kept in separate confinement despite the lapse of an order issued by the competent authority," the court said.

In his application moved through advocate M S Khan, the gangster told the court that he had been kept in solitary confinement since October, 2017 which had caused him depression.

Also Read: Delhi gangster Neeraj Bawana on a hunger strike for a TV in his cell

The court directed the jail administration to shift him "immediately from his separate confinement to some other secured ward, so that he could move, talk and share company with co-prisoners".

The law officer, appearing on behalf of the jail authorities, said that the accused was shifted to a high-security ward to keep him away from other prisoners as he was a "dangerous prisoner".

A Delhi court had in 2016 acquitted Bawana for trying to kill a policeman in a 2015 shootout, but held him guilty of possessing arms illegally.

The Delhi Police's Special Cell had earlier charge sheeted the gangster and nine others, including ex-MLA Rambeer Shokeen, for allegedly running an organised crime syndicate in the Delhi-NCR region.

The force had also filed a charge-sheet against Bawana's elder brother Pankaj Sehrawat and other members of the syndicate under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act.
Following the ban on letter of undertakings by the Reserve Bank that has hurt credit flows to trade, commerce minister Suresh Prabhu today said he has called a bankers' meeting to iron out "impinging issues".

"I want to call a bankers' meeting soon and ensure that bankers and exporters talk to each other," he said at exporters lobby Fieo event.

"We must work for the sectoral issues, which are impinging export growth. The banking system has actually lent enough to exporters in the past" we will have a banking system and exporters' interaction soon," he told reporters later.

It can be recalled that following the close to Rs 13,000 crore PNB scam involving diamond trader Nirva Modi and his uncle Mehul Choski, which took place using fake LoUs, came out in the open in February, the Reserve Bank had banned LoUs towards the end of the month, which has impacted exim trade.

He said without going into the definition of the priority sector lending, we need to understand that credit flow to exporters is the "most priority sector".

GST refund delay is another issue and assured the trade that he will go to the finance ministry to resolve the issues.

With US protectionist posturing creating a question mark over the future of the World Trade Organisation, Prabhu said it is in our collective interest to save the global trade watchdog.

He said after blaming us for our stiff position for long, the world now has taken note of our contribution to "save" the WTO to ensure that world trade thrives.

Prabhu said he is "not happy" with the over 9 percent export growth, a multi-year high, to USD 302 billion posted in FY18 saying a we need to do more starting with a clear strategy on what to do.

He said we must go beyond the traditional segments and into newer geographies as well to achieve more exports, he said, adding for the first time, government is planning trade facilitation offices abroad.

Prabhu said his ministry is creating a logistics digitalisation plan and he has sought help from Singapore and the UAE for the same.

Sounding concerned over the "standstill" in Goa, he said mining is a very important activity and exhorted all for responsibly carrying out the activity.

On the much-delayed free trade agreement with European Union, Prabhu said he has prepared a checklist of things to be followed, which will act as a standard operating procedure before any pact is signed.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watches the launch of a Hwasong-12. (KCNA via Reuters)

China today said it welcomed North Korea's decision to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, with Pyongyang's chief ally saying the move would help promote denuclearisation in the flashpoint region.

"China believes the decision to stop nuclear tests and focus on developing the economy and improving people's living standards will help further ease the situation on the Korean peninsula and help to promote the process of denuclearisation and attempts to find a political settlement," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a statement.

"China will support North Korea ... (to engage in) dialogue and consultation with the relevant parties." The surprise announcement comes less than a week before the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of an eagerly-awaited encounter with US President Donald Trump.

However, Kim gave no indication Pyongyang might be willing to give up its nuclear weapons, or the missiles with which it can reach the mainland United States. For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.
China on Saturday welcomed its close ally North Korea's decision to discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches, saying it could ease tensions in the Korean peninsula.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un announced the decision at a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) on Friday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The announcement came ahead of the North Korean leader's planned summit meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said in a statement that it would help ease the situation and promote the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula as well as a political settlement of the peninsula issue.

A nuclear-free peninsula and lasting peace in the region are in line with the common interests of the people on the peninsula and in the region, he said, adding that these are also the common expectation of the international community.

"We hope that the DPRK will continue to achieve results in its economic development and improvement of people's living standards," Lu said.

China supports the DPRK and the parties concerned to resolve their respective concerns through dialogue and consultation, so as to improve their relations, he said.

It is hoped that all parties concerned will meet each other halfway, take concrete actions and make due efforts to achieve lasting peace and common development in the region, Lu said.

"China will continue to play an active role in this regard," Lu said.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea's official name) will discontinue nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic rocket test-fire from April 21, the North Korean news agency said.

The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of nuclear tests, it said.
Islamic State militants agreed to give up their last pocket in Damascus today, state media reported, as the government seeks to retake the entire Syrian capital and its surrounding areas for the first time since 2011.

The capitulation followed a week of escalations by pro-government forces against the IS-held Hajar al-Aswad neighborhood and Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus. Pro-government forces bombed the two areas and blanketed them with artillery fire in a crescendo of violence captured by the state-affiliated Central Military Media outlet today.

The UN's refugee agency warned that the spiraling violence was a threat to 12,000 Palestinian refugees still there - Palestinians who came to Syria since 1948, and their descendants.

Militants were given the option to stay and reconcile with the government or leave on buses to IS-held territory in the eastern Syrian desert, the SANA state news agency said. It did not say when the relocations would begin.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group reported the militants had accepted the deal.

But government airstrikes on Yarmouk resumed this evening, putting the fate of the agreement in question.

In 2012, Syrian rebels and army defectors pushed pro-government forces out of Yarmouk in response to a spiraling crackdown by state security services against anti-government protests.

Pro-government forces, including Palestinian factions, responded by putting the camp under siege, eventually cutting off food and water by 2014, and bombing and shelling it continuously.

Residents trickled out to neighboring areas, and the camp's population dwindled from an estimated 200,000 people to a few thousand today, not including the IS militants, who took over the camp following a battle with rebels in 2015.

Earlier on Thursday, the Damascus-based Palestinian official Khaled Abdelmajid said the government was giving hard-liners two days to leave Yarmouk and Hajar al-Aswad, leaving the government with control of the two neighbourhoods.

That initial deal appeared to have collapsed. It was not immediately clear why. Also Friday, the U.S.-led international coalition against the Islamic State group announced the capture of a Syrian-born German IS operative previously tied to a 9/11-linked jihadist cell. U.S. Col. Ryan Dillon said the coalition's local allies in Syria captured Mohammed Haydar Zammar in northeast Syria about four weeks ago.

Zammar, a Syrian-born German, was a key member of a Hamburg jihadist cell that included three of the September 11 suicide pilots. Dillon said Zammar was in custody of the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Syria's central government has taken back control of dozens of towns and villages around the capital in recent weeks following a ferocious military campaign against rebels in the eastern Ghouta suburbs.

That campaign ended in allegations of a chemical weapons attack that activists say killed more than 40 people in Douma, the largest town in that area. Rebels in Ghouta surrendered their towns in quick succession - then handed over a separate town, Dumayr, further afield from Damascus, this week.

The U.N.'s humanitarian arm, OCHA, said more than 55,000 fighters and civilians were bused out of the Damascus region to rebel-held areas in north Syria in recent weeks. U.N. officials and human rights groups say the evacuations amount to forced population displacement and may be a war crime.
US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) conducts strike operations while in the Mediterranean Sea which US Defense Department said was a part of cruise missile strike against Syria on April 7, 2017. (Reuters)

Russia's foreign minister said today that the US sought out and respected Moscow's positions in Syria when it launched its air strikes last week.

Lavrov noted that despite the escalating tensions between Moscow and Washington, the US made sure it didn't harm any Russian personnel and positions during the strikes against the regime of President Bashar Assad following a suspected chemical attack on the town of Douma.

"We told them where our red lines were, including the geographical red lines," Lavrov told Russian state television. "The results have shown that they haven't crossed those lines." Moscow had warned the U.S. before the strike that it could hit back if the U.S. actions jeopardize Russian servicemen in Syria, and the allies had given Russia an advance warning to make sure no Russians were in the line of fire.

Lavrov also revealed that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin discussed the possibility of visiting each other's country when the U.S. president rang up Russian counterpart last month to congratulate him on his re-election.

Lavrov that Trump indicated he could make a reciprocal trip to Russia if Putin were able to accept his invitation to the White House. Previously, both the White House and the Kremlin had only revealed that Trump had invited Putin to the White House during the same call on March 20. Lavrov says the Trump administration hasn't followed up on the offer and Russia has urged the U.S. to discuss specifics about such a meeting.

He added that Russian officials "don't want to be too obtrusive, but don't want to be impolite." "President Putin is ready for such a meeting," Lavrov said.

Moscow's hopes for better ties with Washington under Trump have withered amid the ongoing investigations into the alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Russia-U.S. relations have sunk to post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. In recent weeks, tensions have risen further over the March poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter, which Britain has blamed on Russia.

The US, Britain and other Western allies responded by expelling over 150 Russian diplomats, and Moscow, which has fervently denied the British accusations, responded in kind.

Further stoking tensions was the purported chemical attack in Douma on April 7. That prompted the U.S., Britain and France to launch a missile strike on Syria. Russia condemned the strike on its ally as an "act of aggression." The Pentagon said that all 105 missiles fired at three Syrian chemical facilities reached their targets, while the Russian military said Syrian air defenses downed 71 out of 103 US missiles.
Tuxes, cocktail dresses and a few adventurous dance moves were spotted at the event. So too were hundreds of the industrys top professionals, who eagerly anticipated the announcement of this years lucky winners, which included Andy Anastasiou from SGE Financial Inc., who took home The First Source Award For Commercial Mortgage Broker of the Year.

Overall, the awards cut a wide swath across the mortgage industry, with winners in 21 categories drawn from all over Canada. It was produced by Key Media International, the publisher of Canadian Mortgage Professional.

"We're beyond excited and so happy. It's such a great group of competitors, such an amazing night and we're very, very proud," said Mortgage Outlet's Elan Weintraub, who won Best Newcomer Mortgage Brokerage.

It was a night of rapturous celebration, especially for Kathy Gregory, who took home The Transunion Award For Lifetime Achievement in the Mortgage Industry.

See the full list of 2018 Winners and Finalists on www.canadianmortgageawards.com.
Beckham Oldenettel is making a name for himself in the world of books.

The 6-year-old book collector from Jacksonville was honored this week by the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service for his three-year effort to gather and distribute childrens books around central Illinois.

The mission of Beckhams Bookshelf is to put books into the hands of children to enjoy at home. In the past three years, Beckham has distributed 5,038 books to children at elementary schools and hospitals, and to organizations serving children.

When my older brother, Kellon, was collecting and distributing socks, I decided to start my own community service project of collecting childrens books, said Beckham, the son of Mike and Lori Oldenettel. Whenever kids have nothing to do, they can grab a book and start reading. I believe books are important because they help you learn things and can bring you happiness.

For his efforts, Beckham received a Governors Volunteer Service Award trophy Wednesday at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. It was part of the National Volunteer Week festivities and also a signature event of the Illinois Bicentennial Commission. Twenty-five Illinoisans, including Beckham, and five businesses received a volunteer service award.

It was a fun experience to see the Old State Capitol and to meet other award winners, Beckham said.

Beckham talked about receiving the award when he visited kindergarten teacher Jane Hendersons class Thursday at Salem Lutheran School in Jacksonville.

Beckham told the kindergartners about the experience and then read All By Myself, a book by Mercer Mayer, to the class.

Im pleased that Beckham is wanting to share his love of books by taking it to the next level and now wanting to read to children, said his mother, Lori Oldenettel.

Beckham said he plans to continue collecting and sharing books with children.

Greg Olson can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1224, or on Twitter @JCNews_Greg.
FIELDON  The Illinois Department of Transportation is planning to close Eldred Road on Monday to all traffic from north of Illinois Route 16/100 for approximately one mile.

This lane closure will be in place on Monday, April 23, and all lanes will be open to traffic by Tuesday morning, April 24. This road closure is necessary to replace a cross road pipe culvert. Work is being completed by the IDOT Jerseyville Maintenance Yard.
Sinohydro deal has turned out to ...
Associated Press Writer

The former wife of President Bush's brother has settled a slander case accusing her of spreading rumors that Neil Bush fathered a child with his mistress-turned-wife.

Paternity testing ordered in the case filed by the boy's father last year showed Neil Bush did not father the boy, then 3.

Sharon and Neil Bush divorced in 2003 after 23 years of marriage. Neil Bush then married Maria Andrews Bush. She was formerly married to the boy's father, Robert Andrews.

State District Judge Randy Wilson's court confirmed Monday the case had been settled. A final judgment had not been issued and the terms of the settlement were not immediately available.

Sharon Bush's attorney, David Berg, declined to comment Monday. Dale Jefferson, the attorney for Robert Andrews, did not immediately return phone messages left at his office and on his cell phone Monday by The Associated Press.

Robert Andrews has said Sharon Bush left him no choice in 2003 but to sue to set the record straight. He was seeking $950,000, a written apology from Sharon Bush, and a portion of any future book advances or royalties she receives.

Robert Andrews, whose DNA matched that of the boy, had claimed the rumors harmed his son.

Berg has denied that Sharon Bush spread rumors about the boy's paternity.

Andrews alleged Sharon Bush felt "anger and bitterness" over the breakup of her marriage to Neil Bush and blamed Maria Andrews. As a result, the lawsuit alleges, Sharon Bush lied about the lineage of the "helpless toddler."

Sharon Bush says Robert Andrews drew attention to himself through the lawsuit and says his actions are the "sole cause of any injury to the child."

During last year's paternity testing, Andrews, the boy and Neil Bush all submitted DNA samples to a private Houston lab picked by Sharon Bush's attorneys.

Maria Andrews Bush once worked as a volunteer for former first lady Barbara Bush. She married Neil Bush last March during a small ceremony attended by Barbara Bush and former President George H.W. Bush.

Neil Bush, who did not immediately return a phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment Monday, first began seeing Maria Andrews in early 2002.

During the divorce, Neil Bush said he had admitted his infidelity to Sharon Bush and described the union as "broken" and "loveless  for a long, long time."

Sharon Bush told the judge during the divorce that she didn't want the marriage to end and asked that DNA testing be done on the child.

"I believe in working through a marriage," she said.
A former Mexican governor has been extradited from Italy to Texas to face several federal charges including drug trafficking and money laundering, U.S. officials announced late Friday.

Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, 61, who was arrested in Italy last year, was handed over to U.S. authorities Friday morning in Italy and arrived in Houston on Friday afternoon. Yarrington, who served as governor of the state of Tamaulipas from 1999 to 2005, was sought for several years in Texas, where hes accused of laundering drug or other illicit proceeds in properties in San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley.

In 2012, a federal grand jury in Brownsville indicted Yarrington on charges of drug trafficking conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, racketeering and bank fraud. In an indictment against Yarrington and Mexican businessman Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 61, prosecutors allege that Yarrington used the Tamaulipas state police force to collect bribes from drug traffickers, took kickbacks from state contractors and eventually laundered millions of dollars in Texas through real estate purchases.

In 2007, Yarrington negotiated a truce between the Tamaulipas-based Gulf Cartel and the rival Beltran Leyva smuggling organization to use a seaport in the neighboring state of Veracruz, according to the indictment. In exchange, prosecutors allege, Yarrington received a percentage of each load of cocaine snuggled through the port.

As part of that case, prosecutors seized an airplane and real estate across Texas, including a South Padre Island condo held in the name of a campaign worker and houses in Kyle and McAllen that were in the name of his girlfriend, Sindy Chapa, a former Texas State University professor.

Prosecutors also alleged that dirty money from Tamaulipas was laundered through the purchase of 46 acres of undeveloped land on La Cantera Parkway in San Antonio, near Six Flags, but they eventually reached a settlement with the owner to sell the property and take only $1 million.

The Yarrington matter is part of a joint investigation between several federal agencies and prosecutors in the Western District of Texas, which includes San Antonio and West Texas, and the Houston-based Southern District of Texas, which stretches to the Rio Grande Valley.

HSI aggressively pursues transnational criminal organizations that pose a threat to the U.S. national security, to include corrupt public officials who use their position and influence to further the illicit activity, said Shane Holden, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio. HSI is committed to upholding the rule of law and investigating those involved in criminal activity and bringing the illicit gains of these crimes to the U.S.

Despite reports that he was living in Mexico, Yarrington remained a fugitive for years, prompting some members of Texas congressional delegation to demand that the Obama administration pressure Mexico for the former governors extradition. In 2016, Mexico announced that it was offering a 15 million peso reward, about $800,000, for his arrest on charges that had been filed in 2012.

Yarrington is scheduled for an initial court appearance Monday afternoon in federal court in Brownsville, U.S. officials said.

The extradition of former Tamaulipas Governor Tomas Yarrington comes as no small feat; it has come after years of hard work and dedication by the Department of Justice, the Department of State, and the international community, in their relentless dogged pursuit of those engaged in narco-trafficking, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, said in a statement Friday. I commend the Department of Justice, the Department of State, and the international community on the extradition, and I look forward to seeing Mr. Yarringtons case resolved in the United States courts. Let it be known that absolutely no one is above the law, and the United States must continue to ensure that justice is served.

According to a news release from Italian police last year, officials there acting on information from the U.S. Homeland Security Department and Interpol located Yarrington in the town of Paola on the Tyrrhenian Sea, where hed apparently been living for several months under a false name. Italian police followed him to Florence, where they arrested the former governor near the citys historic center.

Tamaulipas current governor, Francisco Garcia Cabeza de Vaca, said in a statement that Yarrington will be finally presented to the courts to answer for the crimes committed against the Tamaulipas residents.

We trust that this case will become an exemplary precedent so situations like this do not happen again in states like ours, which until now suffer the consequences of the complicity of governments with organized crime, Garcia said. For its part, the Government of Tamaulipas endorses its unwavering commitment to continue fighting corruption and impunity that have so damaged the finances of the State and the safety of the resident families of Tamaulipas.

Guillermo Contreras is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | gcontreras@express-news.net | @gmaninfedland
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
While San Antonio continues to be a great home and fantastic partner for the military, the city lacks one major asset  a nonstop flight from San Antonio International Airport, or SAT, to Washington-Reagan National Airport, or DCA.

Active-duty military personnel and their families will be closely watching the debate on the Federal Aviation Administration bill in the coming days. A bipartisan amendment will be offered that will lead to more efficiency in training programs and quality of life. It proposes allowing an airline the option to provide nonstop service from San Antonio to Washington-Reagan National Airport, which would be a tremendous benefit to Joint Base San Antonio, providing a positive impact on the community and military partners that call it home.

San Antonio proudly boasts the moniker of Military City, USA. Our nations armed forces have been intertwined with San Antonio and our citys rich history with an uninterrupted military presence for 300 years.

In that time, Joint Base San Antonio has grown to be the largest Joint Base in the Department of Defense. It is home to more than 80,000 military and civilian professionals performing critical national security missions in cybersecurity, intelligence, aviation, medical, homeland defense and more. If this were not enough, the Alamo City is home to San Antonio Military Medical Center/Brooke Army Medical Center, the premier global medical institution in the Department of Defense, and the DoDs only Level I trauma center. The Audie Murphy Memorial VA Hospital, along with the Kerrville VA Medical Center, serves the nations largest active and retired military populations.

Still not convinced? San Antonio is also home to NSA-Texas  the only major National Security Agency center in Texas, providing intelligence and cybersecurity to all departments and agencies of our national government.

This lack of a nonstop flight is no fault of the airport or the city, and it is certainly not from a lack of their effort. It is due to an antiquated federal rule established in 1966 (49 U.S. Code S 49109). The regulation establishes a perimeter of 1,250 miles around the airport that prevents flights originating from beyond 1,250 miles from flying nonstop into DCA. SAT is 1,381 miles from DCA  131 miles beyond the perimeter  therefore preventing a direct, nonstop flight originating from SAT into DCA.

Our large military community would greatly benefit from nonstop service to DCA. This access is a key link to the federal government and the impact JBSAs missions have on our national defense. Official military travel to DCA is a significant contributor to the 128,000 passengers who currently fly to and from DCA from SAT each year.

JBSA leadership and service members understand the sensitivities associated with adding capacity to DCA. However, this nonstop route would allow the military to save time and money for the taxpayer. A nonstop route would save up to a half-million man-hours that could be spent on critical national security needs.

This proposed change in law would not require anyone to do anything. It would simply allow airlines the freedom to choose the nonstop service to San Antonio if the demand merits such.

Airport executives have indicated that several airlines have expressed a desire to serve the DCA market. Why not give them the freedom to do this, while also doing something helpful for the largest military community in the United States?

Communities near Reagan National have historically opposed any new flights to this airport. We are respectful of their concerns. This amendment does not add a single new flight. Understanding the sensitivities involved, we believe the language in the current amendment submission to be a win-win. Allowing an airline the option to make a market-based decision to swap an already existing slot from within the perimeter for one outside continues to address the traffic concerns for DCA while allowing airlines to capitalize on a viable San Antonio market.

Few issues are bipartisan in Washington, D.C., these days. This amendment has a strong bipartisan list of co-sponsors. We are grateful for their hard work and hope members of Congress will join in supporting Military City, USA, and saving the military time and money that could be better used to defend our freedoms.

Lt. Gen. Steven Kwast is commanding general, Air Education and Training Command at Randolph Air Force Base. He is the senior United States Air Force commander within Joint Base San Antonio.
Mike Leary, editor of the San Antonio Express-News, announced Friday he would retire May 18, ending a 46-year career in journalism.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who has led the newsroom since August 2012, said he is retiring to travel and spend more time with his five grandchildren. Leary, 69, said he hopes to go to Antarctica, the only continent he hasnt visited.

One of the things I wanted to do, like my father, was be the editor of a newspaper, and Ive certainly done that and had a great time, Leary said. Ill really miss the staff and the camaraderie.

Express-News Publisher Susan Lynch Pape said Learys commitment to quality and to really that daily focus on content that is important to the community is something that he has really enriched us with.

Leary had been discussing his retirement for more than a year, she added, and wanted to finish some of the special projects he had started, such as a series on San Antonios 300th anniversary.

Leary, whose father owned a weekly newspaper in a small town in Wisconsin, started his career at the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1972. He was a foreign correspondent for the newspaper in Europe during the collapse of communist regimes, and he was present at the fall of the Berlin Wall.

At the Inquirer, Leary directed and edited a series on school violence, Assault on Learning, which won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize gold medal for public service. It is considered the highest honor in journalism. The stories used print and video to detail pervasive student-against-student violence in Philadelphia schools, leading to safety reforms.

He was the Inquirers deputy managing editor of news and investigations when he left to join the Express-News in 2012.

During his time at the Express-News, the newspaper published articles taking in-depth looks at abuse in the military; ; immigration and border security; and ; San Antonios surging population growth. Leary also cited the newspapers watchdog journalism on public spending by entities such as the San Antonio Tricentennial Commission and Centro San Antonio.

San Antonio is a city where our local stories are significant national and foreign stories quite often, Leary said. Even our 300th anniversary story is a big story because San Antonio is one of the most important cities in the country in terms of shaping who we are as Americans.

The Express-News received numerous state and national journalism honors during Learys tenure, including the prestigious National Headliner Award this year and the Sigma Delta Chi Award last year for coverage of breaking news. Its photographers were twice named finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, in 2018 and 2015, for work done the previous years.

Under Leary, the newspaper also created ExpressNews.com for subscribers, named the best website in 2017 and 2016 by the National Headliner Awards. It published books commemorating the newspapers 150th anniversary and describing major moments for the Spurs. Another book about San Antonios history is on the way.

Newspapers are at an interesting and difficult transitional period. But I think the Express-News has really, in many ways, been on the cutting edge on what we need to do in the future, Leary said. The fundamental thing I was always interested in was the quality of the journalism, however we deliver it. Thats what I think people have to remember  that you can deliver things all sorts of ways, but high-quality journalism should not change.

Reflecting on Learys time at the Express-News, Pape called him the most interesting man I have ever met, recalling his sharp memory and breadth of experience.

He has been a great teacher for me, as far as deepening my understanding and involvement in understanding the journalism and the importance of the content that we produce every day, Pape said.

A national and internal search will be carried out for a new editor-in-chief, Pape said.

Meanwhile, Managing Editor Jamie Stockwell will continue to run the day-to-day operations of the newsroom.
Maya Henry has gone from a darling debutant to a Dolce & Gabbana model from San Antonio.

The 17-year-old daughter of San Antonio's high-profile injury attorney, Thomas J. Henry, became a social media sensation after her $6 million quinceanera made national news in 2016.

FLASHBACK: When Pitbull and Nick Jonas played Henry's lavish San Antonio quinceanera

She now stars alongside her family in the YouTube-based reality series, "Hangin' with Los Henrys," which follows the well-appointed clan throughout their extravagant San Antonio lifestyles.

If there's a exclusive party or fashion show in the Alamo City, Maya Henry is usually there.

But last week she was the star of the show when she opened the Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Alta Sartoria Show in Mexico City, with Sophia Loren in attendance.

RELATED: Thomas J. Henry's family responds to critiques to new series

Maya Henry wore a pink, embroidered Dolce & Gabbana gown with a floral headpiece.

See front-row photos of the glamorous night in the gallery above.

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye


NORWALK  Norwalk Animal Control and the town clerks office are hosting the 14th annual rabies vaccination clinic during the first weekend in June.

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on June 3, residents and non-residents can have their pets vaccinated against rabies for $20.
Lawmakers want to find a way for state property owners to be able to continue to deduct all state and local taxes from their federal taxes.

When President Donald Trump signed tax reform into law in December, it included a $10,000 cap on how much a taxpayer can write off in the amount that they pay in state and local taxes.

The move was seen as a Republican jab at high-tax blue states that have spent decades relying on the federal deduction to soothe the sting of high local income and property taxes.

But tax reform still allowed an unlimited deduction for charitable giving. Using that, state Rep. Jonathan Carrolls bill would allow for charitable donations to the Illinois Education Excellence Fund to be fully deductible. The bill passed the House this week.

We have to find a solution to bring more tax relief to the people of Illinois and this is an option to do that, he said.

Carroll, D-Northbrook, couldnt say if the idea would be rejected by the Internal Revenue Service.

State Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, thought it surprising that lawmakers are now suddenly concerned with taxpayer burdens.

Youre spending an awful lot of time trying to lower taxes on the people you just tried to raise taxes on last year, he said.

Reick, a tax lawyer, added that the use of Carrolls fund could trigger audits and penalties as well.

State Rep. Peter Breen, R-Lombard, has a similar plan that would be tied to existing state programs. In questioning Carroll on Wednesday, he said its wrong to give taxpayers the impression that theyll be able to fully deduct state and local taxes.

Im in favor of doing this, but my problem is Im not in favor of giving the people of Illinois false hope, he said.

The IRS forbids any tax deduction that gives a net benefit to the owner.
NORWALK  State Police are searching for a gray 2007 Ford Fusion with Connecticut plates suspected to be involved in a robbery at a rest stop on the Merritt Parkway, according to dispatch reports.

Police described the people involved at the New Canaan rest stop on the southbound side of the parkway as three Hispanic males. No weapons were displayed during the robbery.
A man was found dead Saturday afternoon in a Houston bayou, according to police.

Police responded to a possible drowning call just after 12:15 p.m. in the 6200 block of the Gulf Freeway service road.

Initial reports alerted first responders to an unconscious person in Brays Bayou. Later, homicide detectives responded to the scene as well. He appeared to have stab wounds in his back, police said.

Police are still investigating how the man died.
When his moment of glory came, Jerry took his time.

On his way to being crowned El Rey Fido XVI on Saturday morning, the mixed breed rescue dog with an endearing underbite slowly sidled toward the front of the standing room crowd that was anticipating his coronation. He paused for pets. He walked in a circle, looking around at all the expectant faces.

Jerrys owners, Jill Rosenthal and her husband, Alamo Heights Mayor Bobby Rosenthal, had raised $30,000 to secure him the top title, but the dog seemed more interested in the multitude of unusual sights and smells around him at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel. Eventually, the emcee called his name to get his attention. Jerry, adorned in sparkly plum robes emblazoned with his new title, sat for his treat.

Hes gotten a little cocky with this. Hes gotten a little confident with this whole role of being the king, Bobby Rosenthal said.

The 16th annual El Rey Fido competition, now in its fourth year as an official Fiesta event, raised more than $50,000 for the San Antonio Humane Society. The crown goes to the top fundraiser, and the four runner-ups populate the Royal Court.

This years court featured a diverse group of pooches.

There was Squish, the brindle whippet mix whose semicolon face made him a social media star.

Im really proud of him, said Danielle Boyd, the veterinarian who rescued him, after he made his onstage debut.

There was Ellie, a black Chihuahua mix with the softest coat in all of San Antonio, per Humane Society staffers.

There was Alexandra, a Lab-Pointer mix who was rescued after being abandoned in a park as a puppy. She now salivates for string cheese and has completed a 5K race.

And there was Sam, a very spoiled Pembroke Welsh Corgi who moved to San Antonio from Fort Worth so his owner, Brenda Gutierrez, could attend the University of Texas at San Antonio. While he waited to make his grand entrance, Sam let out a few barks as he looked up at the bag of treats in Gutierrezs hands.

Plenty of other good dogs joined in for the celebration.

Rosette, a 13-year-old Bichon Frise, reposed in a stroller beside owner Cheryl Trevor, an accountant who has designed the bedazzled royal garb for the competition for more than a decade. Heidi, an 11-year-old Miniature Schnauzer, sat patiently on her owners lap but also showed her range, completing tricks in response to commands in Swedish.

The crowd also included hopefuls for next years competition, such as Bella, a West Highland White Terrier who wore a floral dress to match her owner, Amanda Infante.

Nancy Henderson attended with her Shih Tzu, Pandy, in tow. Henderson comes to the coronation every year to show her support for the rescue organization.

We do what we can to support those that take care of our animals, she said.

Lauren Caruba is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of her stories here. | lcaruba@express-news.net | @LaurenCaruba
San Antonio police are trying to determine why three men engaged in a gunfight early Saturday morning on the South Side that left Andrew Martin-Jimenez, 19, dead, according to a news release.

After receiving a report of a shooting, officers responded to a parking lot in the 1000 block of Poteet Jourdanton Freeway at 1:15 a.m. Police say they found two males, one with several gunshot wounds to his arms. The unidentified 21-year-old was transported to University Hospital in stable condition.
Bexar County deputies arrested Tejano music star Eddie Gonzalez for failing to pay child support, a Bexar County source says.

Gonzalez now faces a charge of contempt of court. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

RELATED: 2 more suspects charged in raid at downtown San Antonio apartment complex

Few details on Gonzalez's arrest were immediately available. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on Gonzalez's arrest, other than to say they executed the arrest warrant issued from the Texas Attorney General's Office.

According to a post on the Tejano Explosion Facebook page, Gonzalez was scheduled to perform in San Antonio on Thursday.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
John Davenport /San Antonio Express-News

Monday is the deadline for Texans to register to vote if they want to cast a ballot in the May 22 primary runoff election, according to the Secretary of States Office.

Those who voted in the March 6 Republican or Democratic primary elections cannot change parties. If they vote again in the May 22 primary runoff, they must cast ballots in the same party as they did six weeks ago.
MOSCOW  In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin was re-elected for another six-year term, which will end in 2024. Overt opposition to the West has become one of the main characteristics of his presidency.

Putin has markedly cooled the Russian relationship with the United States. That occurred, first, when Russia involved itself in the Ukraine conflict and with the Crimean annexation. Second was his attempt to influence the U.S. presidential election in 2016.

Russia now formally starts a new political period.

Will this mean an end or an escalation of this conflict with the United States?

Bet on escalation.

Several factors dictate this.

OPINION: Panic in the White House because of Trump and Putin

Many external factors influence Putins foreign policies. But, in these next six years, the main impetus for Russian strategy abroad will be Russias internal politics. This figures into relations between the U.S. and Russia because he believes the U.S. will try to manipulate these internal politics.

This term is likely to be Putins last. He can stay in power, but he is not likely to do so as president. That means he needs to find a successor.

Heres a key internal situation that will dictate this choice: This person will have to be able to guarantee safety for him and his family after his presidency ends.

Putin once was such a successor himself. At the end of the 1990s, he took over from the aging and ailing President Boris Yeltsin.

RELATED: Trump's strange political dance with Putin

Putin, 60, knows firsthand how difficult this process of selection can be.

At the time, he had to compete for Yelstins trust. Yeltsins choice of Putin was unexpected. He was chosen because nobody believed that a modest civil servant from St. Petersburg could become independent and strong enough to oppose the same men who brought him to power.

But that is precisely what occurred.

In choosing his successor, Putin will remember his own experience and be extremely cautious. At the moment, there is no obvious choice. Its likely he will spend the next few years selecting a few candidates from his administration or his staff.

The one among them who will be able to assure Putin of his obedience will become the next president.

This is not the only internal factor Putin has to consider. There could be political challenges. Russian political opposition is now weak, but one of its leaders, Alexey Navalny, seems to be gathering more and more supporters.

He claims already that around 30,000 followers monitored this presidential election to prevent manipulations. In the next few years, if he is lucky, Navalny can attract more people who share his ideas. And new opposition figures can emerge, smelling blood because they sense the end of Putins power.

RELATED: U.S. and Russia could act, not just pretend, in Syria

Putin will figure that such opponents will be dangerous not solely because of their influence but because of who supports them.

Putin tends to suspect that every major opposition event in his country is orchestrated by the United States.

For example, in 2011 and through 2012, when thousands of people gathered in Russia for demonstrations against his regime, Putin accused Hillary Clinton of helping organize these groups.

The same charge arose in Ukraine in 2014. Putin believes the protesters were controlled by Washington.

During the Arab Spring, the Kremlin was also certain that this wave of both violent and nonviolent demonstrations in North Africa and the Middle East was U.S.-inspired.

These same thoughts will remain as Putin plans for the future. He will fear that foreign influence will cause people to take to the streets and that it will encourage political opposition leaders to demand changes to the regime. And the risks increase twofold during a transition of power.

Many Russians either like Putin or dont see an alternative. But this doesnt mean they will easily trust his chosen successor. There is a generational issue involved.

The Kremlin is a longtime practitioner of propaganda. In the past 18 years, it has managed to make citizens believe a number of things beneficial to Putin.

But as another generation comes of age, the political dynamics could change. The young access alternative points of view with the help of the internet. That means the so-called Putins generation, those who were born when he first came to power, may have a surprise for him. They will have their own views on the future of Russia.

So, in this next term, look for Putin to try to block any such future activity. And he will again obsess on his belief that foreign influence is at work. He will believe the U.S. to be the main author. Consequently, poor relations between the two countries also will be a constant.

Because of Putins paranoia, Russian confrontation with the U.S. will only end when Putin is no longer in power. And that is why the current conflict in Syria is likely to go from bad to worse. Putin will believe he has nothing to lose.
A 44-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayos Mzilikazi suburb was on Thursday found hanging on tree near Madamara shops after he allegedly committed suicide on his third attempt on his life.

Nelson Ndiwenis family said he was suicidal and had been contemplating killing himself for the past five years.

Family sources told this publication that the man committed suicide after failing to contain pressure from some members of the family over his failure to get a job and bring food home.

According to the family members this was not the first time that Ndiweni had attempted suicide.

He has tried it on two previous incidents but all of them failed, said the family member.

At one time he tried to hang himself and on another consumed rat poison all of them failing but this time he was very lucky it succeeded, he said.

Efforts to get a comment from nearby Barbourfields Police were unsuccessful.

Zimbabwe is currently wriggling in an economy with over 95% unemployment with an average family surviving on $1 per day.

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The Zanu PF national political commissariat has released names of all aspiring candidates in the forthcoming primary elections to be held on the 29th of this month.

The Zanu PF National Political Commissar Retired Lieutenant General Engelbert Rugeje said the party has allowed members to exercise their democratic rights by voting candidates of their choice.

The primary elections have seen the party relaxing rules on the applicants willing to participate.

Of interest are 20 candidates who are battling it out in Mt Darwin South constituency.

Cde Rugeje revealed that the decision by the leadership to allow the populace to select their preferred candidates is the basis for democratic elections in Zimbabwe.

He has indicated that the party has put up an arrangement where all the aspiring candidates in the primary elections will campaign at one venue with each one of them given an opportunity to sale him or herself to the electorate.

Cde Rugeje said this was done to ensure no candidate denigrate other candidates in a move that will foster unity among the Zanu PF members.

Apart from Mt Darwin South constituency which had 20 candidates, Zvimba North submitted a total of 14 candidates making it the second constituency with the largest number of aspiring legislators.

While some constituencies had so many candidates, other candidates in other constituencies were not contested and these include Buhera North, Bindura North and Matabeleland North constituency among others a development which shows popularity of the sitting legislators in these areas.

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Best Legacy College of Education (BELCOED) is one of the best private College of Education offering Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programs in Nigeria. For interested persons and prospective students, these are the courses offered at BELCOED and Best Legacy College of Education school fees.

Best Legacy College of Education (BELCOED) is a teacher education institution that is designed to train skillfully future teachers and help every would-be teacher to discover their innate potential. The institution is fully accredited by the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

Best Legacy College of Education is located in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. They offer fully accredited Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programs with the objective of producing highly qualified professional teachers. Here is a list of courses/programmes in education that you can undertake at BELCOED.

READ ALSO: Yabatech part time school fees

List of courses offered at Best Legacy College of Education

Best Legacy College of Education courses offered include:

School of Arts and Social Sciences

History/Yoruba.

Christian Religious Studies/Yoruba

Christian Religious Studies/Social Studies

Islamic Studies/Yoruba

Islamic Studies/Social Studies

Economics/Geography

Economics/Political Science

Economics/Mathematics

Economics/Computer

Social Studies/Political Science

Social Studies/Geography

Social Studies (Double Major)

Pre-NCE Courses in all the Arts and Social Sciences Subjects

School of Education

Primary Education Studies/Christian Religious Studies

Primary Education Studies/English

Primary Education Studies/Islamic Studies

Primary Education Studies/Social Studies

Primary Education Student/Yoruba

Primary Education Students/Mathematics

School of Languages

English/Yoruba

English/Christian Religious Studies

English/Islamic Studies

English/Social Studies

English/History

English/Social Studies

Yoruba/History

Pre-NCE Courses in the Language Subjects

School of Science

Biology/Chemistry

Biology/Geography

Physics/Computer

Physics/Chemistry

Mathematics/Physics

Mathematics/Computer

Pre-NCE Courses in all the Science Subjects

School of Vocational and Technical Education

Business Education (Double Major)

Agricultural Education (Double Major)

Best Legacy College of Education school fees

Concerning Best Legacy College of Education fees, we do not have any information, and you cant find it online either. It seems the only way to get that information is when you are processing admission into the school or maybe from someone who is attending or attended the institution. You can contact the school for the information about the school fees.

You can learn more at www.belcoed.edu.ng. These are the phone numbers posted on their website through which you can contact the school: +2348134658193, +2348134833608, +2348039181475, +2347019772272.

READ ALSO: Crescent University school fees

Source: Legit
- Two Boko Haram commanders and one of the physician have surrendered to the Nigerian Army

- The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, said a woman leader of the insurgents group and three children also surrendered

- Nicholas also said that the military initiated contact with the insurgents to encourage them to surrender

Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, said two Boko Haram commanders and the insurgents physician have surrendered to Nigerian Army.

He made the disclosure when he presented the surrendered insurgents in Maiduguri.

Nicholas said a woman leader of the insurgents group and three children also surrendered to the troops at Kumshe in Bama Local Government Area of Borno.

READ ALSO: Police promote EFCC chairman Magu, 17 others

He added that the insurgents voluntarily surrendered, noting that the move was acceptable under the Safe Corridor Scheme initiated by Federal Government to encourage the insurgents to lay down their arms.

The theatre commander explained that the military initiated contact with the insurgents to encourage them to surrender, adding that more insurgents had indicated their interest to lay down their arms.

He said: we had a contact group and two insurgents commanders, a local doctor and their women leader and their children surrendered to the troops.

We gave them clothes, food and med*cation and assured them of safety: we are not killing anybody.

Our duty is to protect lives and property, we call on the insurgents in the bush to come out, surrender and join the peace building process.

He pointed out that the surrendered insurgents would be engaged in deradicalisation, rehabilitation and skill acquisition training programme for possible integration into the society.

In their submission, Ali Musa, the insurgents physician, said he conducted surgical operations such as bullet extraction, appendix, treatment of wounded insurgents, ante natal and post-natal services in the camp.

Ali said he was indoctrinated and misled by the sect leaders, adding that the sect activities had damaged his life.

Umar Ibrahim, one of the insurgents commanders, said he surrendered voluntarily as he became fed up with the groups inhuman activities.

Ibrahim disclosed that hundreds of insurgents were willing to surrender to the troops but their leaders prevented them from doing so.

We were told that the army will kill us and feed on our flesh when we surrender. The sects leaders also planted landmines to stop us from coming to the troops.

Many insurgents are willing to surrender in view of the fact that we are against the destructive ideologies propagated by the sect.

We hardly feed, people are starving due to the lack of food in the camp. We want peace and we want to join in building peace in our country, we ask Nigerians to forgive us, he added.

Ibrahim called on other insurgents to surrender and commended the military for taking care of them.

PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app

Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigerian army shared pictures of high ranking Boko Haram terrorists killed by soldiers during aerial bombardment on their hideout.

The pictures were shared by army spokesperson, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, on Saturday, September 9.

He wrote: "Please recall that in our release of Tuesday 4th September 2017, we informed you that some senior Boko Haram terrorists commanders were neutralized last week Friday, 1st September 2017, during aerial bombardment on their hideout.

Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram on Legit.ng TV.

Source: Legit
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Nigerias Ms Bola Adesola, Chief Executive Officer and managing director of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, to serve as vice-chair of the Board of the UN Global Compact.

Also appointed with Adesola is Mr Paul Polman of the Netherlands, Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, to also serve as Vice-Chair of the Board of the UN body, the UN announced.

Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on Chief Executive Officers commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals.

READ ALSO: Saraki distances self from N10bn fraud allegation

The secretary-general is pleased to confirm that Bola Adesola of Nigeria, chief executive officer and managing director of Standard Chartered Nigeria and Paul Polman of the Netherlands, chief executive officer of unilever, will serve as the two vice-chairs of the Board of the United Nations Global Compact, the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Ms Adesola and Mr. Polman succeed out-going United Nations Global Compact Board Vice-Chair, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, former chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies and of Anglo American PLC.

The secretary-general extends his great appreciation to Sir Mark for serving in the position for the past 10 years and shepherding the United Nations Global Compact into a new era, the UN said.

Both Adesola and Polman had served on the Board of the United Nations Global Compact previously.

They would bring to the position a wealth of experience in the private sector, in the corporate sustainability space and specifically with the United Nations Global Compact itself.

Adesola had served as chief executive officer and managing director of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd since 2011.

She has over 25 years of banking experience, including at First Bank of Nigeria and at Citibank.

Adesola holds degrees from Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, as well as a law degree from the University of Buckingham.

Polman had served as chief executive officer of Unilever since 2009.

Prior to joining Unilever, he worked at Nestle S.A., and at Proctor and Gamble, where he spent 26 years.

Polman holds degrees from the University of Groningen and from the University of Cincinnati.

As Chair of the Board of the United Nations Global Compact, the Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with Ms Adesola and Mr Polman.

Along with United Nations Global Compact Executive Director, Lise Kingo, as they lead the United Nations Global Compact, the entry point for business within the broader United Nations system, the UN stated.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that President Muhammadu Buhari said that many Nigerian youths laze about with the notion that the country is oil-rich.

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He said this at the commonwealth business forum in Westminster on Wednesday, April 18, the president said a lot of Nigerian youths have not been to school and expecting to get things free of charge.

President Buhari on 2019 presidential election: will you vote for him? | Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- Former president of South Africa Jacob Zuma has become a father again

- The 76-year-old man who is father to 22 children welcomed his newborn with a 24-year-old lady

- Jacob Zuma fathered his 22 children with at least 11 women and he is reported to be planning a marriage with another woman

Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa has welcomed a baby with a 24-year-old lady. The former president reportedly became a father again after the lady delivered at an hospital in Durban, South Africa, last week.

According to News24, Zuma who already fathered 22 children with at least 11 women became a father again at age 76. It was gathered that the former president had gone to the hospital on Thursday, April 12, to visit the mother and child.

News24 reported that the maternity ward of the hospital had been cleared off during Zuma's visit. An employee at the hospital said: "Yes he was here last week. I saw him with his security. I do not know why he came through."

76-year-old Jacob Zuma fathers a child with a 24-year-old Photo source: CNN/News24

READ ALSO: This teen takes his ageless mom to prom since she never attended her own

It was also reported that a relative of the ex-president had disclosed that Zuma was planning a wedding with a lady identified as NonKanyiso Chonco.

The relative identified as Ray Zuma had, however, refused to reveal if Chonco was the same woman who delivered ex-president Zuma's newborn baby.

He said: "I can't see why you are interested. When he was still the president, you [the media] were terrorising him, and now you are all of a sudden interested in him."

Ray Zuma also stated that the wedding date has not been set. He said: "No date has been set yet. Both families must come together to decide on the date. We are still in the pre-nuptial phases of the process."

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However, Jacob Zuma's son, Edward, while addressing the delivery news refused to give any confirmation. He said: "We are not going to respond, or entertain any of that nonsense."

The 76-year-old ex-president was in office from May 2009, to February 2018. He was succeeded by Cyril Ramaphosa.

Nigeria News: Aisha Buhari Backs President Husband | on - Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
The Nigerian Army is to launch Operation Last Hold in Borno north and Lake Chad region to restore socio-economic activities in the areas, as well as to fast track return of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Punch reports that chief of training and operations, Maj. Gen, David Ahmad, announced this on Friday, April 20, at a news conference.

READ ALSO: Culture shock: White men on visit to Ooni seen sitting as others kneel down to greet monarch (photo)

Legit.ng gathered that Ahmadu said that Last Hold, which would commence on May 1 and to last for four months, was intended to facilitate the clearance of the Lake Chad waterways of sea weeds and other obstacles obstructing the movement of boats and people across the water channels.

He said: It will also ensure the destruction of Boko Haram terrorist camps and strong points in the Lake Chad Basin. The operation will also facilitate the rescue of hostages.

The operational end-state of Operation LAST HOLD is the total defeat of the Boko Haram terrorist sect.

Strategically, the conduct of Operation LAST HOLD will facilitate the restoration of fishing, farming and other economic activities in the Lake Chad Basin.

Additionally, it will facilitate the relocation of Internally Displaced Persons from camps to their communities."

Also speaking, Maj. Gen. Nuhu Angbazo, the chief of military/civil affairs said during the duration of the operation, Nigerian army Engineers would make blocks using compressor machines and assist in building new homes for IDPs at their various towns.

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According to Angbazo, the army will cooperate with state governments and ministries of agriculture to assist in land clearing for planting during the planting season. (NAN)

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Nigerian army on Friday, April 20, called on displaced farmers in Borno to return home to enable them cultivate their farmlands.

Nigerian Air Force operations against Boko Haram - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Newspaper
- A recent comment by President Muhammadu Buhari suggesting Nigerian youths are lazy is still generating reactions

- The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, says the president was misquoted out of context

- He also stated that critics of the Buhari administration are inciting young Nigerians against the president

The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, has reacted to the ongoing outrage over comments by President Muhammadu Buhari, suggesting majority of Nigerian youths are lazy.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, April 20, at the sidelines of the ongoing African Drum Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun state, Alhaji Mohammed said the president was quoted out of context.

Lai Mohammed said the president has passion and concern for Nigerian youths. Photo source: Twitter

READ ALSO: Group replies President Buhari on jobless youths comment

He stated that the president has passion and concern for Nigerian youths, as opposed to what the critics of his administration want the people to believe.

He dismissed reports quoting President Buhari as describing all Nigerian youths as lazy and always waiting for free things.

He noted that the current administration had invested in the youth with some of its programmes.

His words: Some people have just made it their full-time job these days to scrutinise and twist whatever the president says out of context.

I wonder how a government that has employed 100,000 unemployed graduates and also feeds about 7.5 million people daily could be tagged anti-youth.

Our social investment programmes have continued to generate jobs and create opportunities for our teeming youths while our empowerment programmes have been providing soft loans to over 400,000 youths.

This is a government that is so concerned and passionate about youth development and it is not right for people to begin to quote Mr. President out of context and thereby incite the youths against the government.

Meanwhile, the deputy national publicity secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to apologise to Nigerian youths over his comments.

In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Thursday, April 19, the APC chieftain said the president's comment cannot be justified because the government has not given the youth opportunity to serve, hence there was no need to demarket them at an international event like Commonwealth Business Forum.

Nigerian youths reply to President Buhari over 'lazy' comment on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- The deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, has said that the recent intrusion of thugs into the chamber was a lesson to be learnt in terms of Nigeria's security

- Ekweremadu promised Nigerians that a repeat of the development will be avoided

- The president of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA), Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, commended the Senate's proactive stance and method of addressing the incident

Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy president of the Senate, on Friday, April 20, said that the attack on the Senate which happened on Wednesday, April 18, was a huge lesson to be learnt when considering Nigeria's security system.

Ekweremadu made this statement in his speech to the leadership of the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) which paid a solidarity visit to the Senate. He stated: It is an embarrassment to Nigeria before the international community for someone to drive all the way into the National Assembly Complex, enter the hallowed chamber and cart away its symbol of authority, The Guardian reports.

READ ALSO: President Buhari departs London for Abuja after CHOGM 2018

It shows a breakdown of security and it is a setback to Nigerias drive for foreign investment, because no one would be ready to invest money in such a system. So, it is a lesson that we cannot keep doing the same thing with our security system and expect a different result.

It is also an irony that the people involved would organise armed bandits to rob the Senate of its mace, since they understand the implication of what they have done.

As a parliament, we will ensure that this does not happen again and insist that all the actors behind the drama are brought to book.

The deputy Senate president urged NPSA to assist the country to revamp its governance and security structures, in accordance to other federal systems.

Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, the leader of NPSA, said the association was at the National Assembly to partner with the Senate and decry Wednesday's development. Okolie said: Our association is non-partisan, but we must speak the truth, stand by the truth, and protect the truth.

Any group or person that perpetrated what we saw live on national television needed to have his/her head examined. A normal person cannot come here and desecrate the National Assembly, let alone infringe on the mace. It was not really an assault on the National Assembly, but the entire people you have been mandated to represent.

The desecration of this hallowed chamber is so grave an event that it calls for an immediate national action to avert a recurrence and to bring the culprits, whom we regard as bandits, to book.

We are here to join other progressive forces in this country to demand justice. We demand the immediate prosecution of the actors involved. This matter goes beyond the cliche of being on top of the situation.

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We want to see people we put in this place as our representatives conduct their affairs in a manner devoid of any intimidation or any fear, so that the best will come out of this hallowed chamber.

Okolie praised Ekweremadu and the entire Senate for their mature handling of the incident, adding that it was instrumental in averting a national crisis.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that some Nigerians in the diaspora had condemned the Nigerian Senate over its call for the sack of all service chiefs.

These Nigerians under the aegis of Nigerians in Diasporas Monitoring Group (NDMG) said the call by senators was a ploy to separate the president from his appointees who were diligent. They also dismissed the state of insecurity on which the lawmakers predicated their call as a smokescreen.

Street gist: Should the Nigerian senate be scrapped? On Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- The chairman of Ezeagu local government in Enugu, Chukwudi Ezinwa, has promised to provide electricity supply for residents within his council area

- Ezinwa said that the availability of electricity in the area will handle adequate supply of water for the people

- He assured the residents that his administration will make sure the issue of education is properly addressed

Chukwudi Ezinwa, the chairman of Ezeagu local government in Enugu state, has said that his priority is to provide electricity to all households in the council area.

Ezinwa made the promise in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, April 21, in Enugu.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: KADSIECOM building gutted by fire in Kaduna

According to him, he has made contact with the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) and other rural electrification agencies and partners on how best to achieve this within record time.

Ezinwa stated: My foremost priority now is to improve the infrastructure of the council area, especially the extension of electricity from one community to another.

This will ensure that areas not currently energised in the council area would be energised with electricity so that the lives of rural dwellers can be touched.

Ezinwa said that with constant electricity, the issue of pipe-borne water would be tackled as there would be electricity to power generating sets in mini-water schemes in the council area. The chairman said he would also focus on staff welfare and education during his two-year tenure.

He said that there must be a harmonious relationship between the government and its staff because the workers, being the creator of the wealth, must work hand together with the government to move the administration forward.

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He remarked: No government can survive without taking adequate care of its staff. Another area of importance to my administration is education. Most of the primary schools in the council area are dilapidated.

They need effective renovation for us to put them to normal shape so that pupils can go back to the classrooms and learn like their counterparts in the cities.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that there would soon be good news for electricity consumers as a House of Representatives ad-hoc committee was planning to check excessive electricity charges being levied on consumers by distribution companies (Discos) in the country.

Legit.ng gathered that the committee on Thursday, March 22, said it would meet with community development associations (CDAs) in different geo-political zones in the course of its assignment.

Nigerian electricity crisis explained - On Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- A total of 23 suspected cultists have been arrested by the Nigerian army while 15 suspected pipeline vandals were also arrested

- The army said the suspects engaged in a shootout between the troops of 174 Battalion

- The suspects were said to be members of "Eiye" confraternity

The Nigerian army on Saturday, April 21 said that it arrested 23 suspected cultists, who were conducting physical training for new recruits, initiation and planning for robbery and kidnap activities.

The army also said that it arrested 15 other persons suspected to be pipeline vandals and recovered 31 jerry cans of refined petroleum products in the process, NAN reports.

Legit.ng notes that Major-Gen Enobong Udoh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division of the Nigerian army, made this known at a news conference at the 174 Battalion, Ikorodu area of Lagos.

READ ALSO: Warehouse belonging to NEMA destroyed by fire in Lagos

Udoh was represented by the Brigade commander, Brig-Gen Moundhey Ali.

He said: In continuation of the crackdown on criminal elements and cultists in and around Lagos and Ogun states, the troops of 81 Division arrested 23 suspected cultists in Ikorodu area on April 16.

Over 50 suspected cultists from Eiye confraternity were conducting physical training for new recruits, initiation and planning for robbery and kidnap activities.

Their arrest was preceded by a shootout between the troops of 174 Battalion Ikorodu and the cultists after which, 23 of the suspected cultists were arrested while others escaped."

The GOC said that two of the suspects sustained gunshot wounds, adding that one of the suspected newly-recruited cultists died as a result of injuries inflicted on him during the cult initiation.

Items recovered from the suspects include one locally-made double barrel pistol, five live cartridges, five machetes, four jack knives, two table knives, three locally-fabricated axes with nail-like edges and five mobile phones.

Also recovered from them are one parcel containing substance suspected to be Indian hemp. Others are two ATM cards, eight identity cards, nine passport photographs, packets of condom, rings and a variety of charms."

The GOC further said that while on anti-bunkering patrol along Imoro Creek in Ikorodu, troops discovered sabotaged points along the NNPC pipeline including a loading area in the Creek for siphoned products where eight suspected vandals were arrested.

He added: Items recovered from them include; 10 vehicles, 31 Jerry cans loaded with refined products, 77 empty Jerry cans, three coolers, nine mobile phones and substances suspected to be hard drugs. Another set of 1,320 empty Jerry cans were also discovered and destroyed."

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that at least 8 suspected cult members, vandals and a drug peddler were apprehended by troops of the Nigerian army currently taking part in the Operation Python Dance exercise in the southeast.

The development was made public by Colonel Sagir Musa, deputy director, army public relations, on Friday, October 6, 2017.

Police parade over 50 suspected cultists in Lagos - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
Adam Ashton of the Sacramento Bee reported that on Friday, CalPERS has decided to review the claims that its recently-hired Chief Financial Officer Charles Asubonten made on his resume. While this is an overdue development, the tenor of this story leaves open the question as to whether the inquiry will be far reaching enough.

As well discuss, the reasons for harboring doubts about the probe are:

Ashtons article referred only to misrepresentations on Asubontens resume, when he also appears to have made them on his Form 700 and his employment application. The last two are particularly serious, since both documents are filed under the penalty of perjury. We obtained a heavily-redacted version of Asubontens employment application via a Public Records Act request. We have embedded the document at the end of this post. Despite how much is hidden, one section is at odds with what former executives at one of his employers told us during our earlier research into his resume. Asubonten depicted one of his references as the CEO of Palabora Mining Company, one of his former employers. That individual never held any such role and was never a superior of Asubontens. It is hard to see this and an accident, since in a vetting process, applicants provide the names of people who can assess their performance, such as a boss or a client executive. Such a brazen misrepresentation should in and of itself be grounds for termination. Asubontens credentials for the CFO role are so weak that several individuals who know CalPERS speculated that he must have had a patron. Some evidence suggests CEO Marcie Frost pushed his candidacy. She has also stuck her neck out quite far in defending him in light of the considerable evidence of not just one but multiple misrepresentations on documents provided to CalPERS and the State of California

Well give a brief recap of the Sacramento Bee article before turning to these issues.

Sacramento Bee on CalPERS Review of Asubontehs Claims

The SacBee story gave credit to Naked Capitalism and linked to our site, but only made an oblique reference to what almost certainly precipitated CalPERS action, which was a report by Los Angeles Times reporter Mike Hiltzik, Questions about new CalPERS CFOs background and experience should be taken seriously by the pension fund, which ran online on Monday and on the front page of the business section on Wednesday. Not mentioning that the Los Angeles Times reviewed our account and did independent reporting has the effect of downplaying the seriousness of the allegations about Asubontens resume.

Ashton also failed to mention that Asubontens Form 700, filed under penalty of perjury, appears to be non-compliant. Is his silence due to the fact that CalPERS plans to avert its eyes from this issue?

We strongly urge you to read the article in full. Key sections:

The nations largest public pension fund is reviewing its decision to hire its chief financial officer following a report on a financial news blog that suggested he embellished details in his recent work history on his resume, CalPERS said on Friday The review follows an April 11 analysis by the blog Naked Capitalism that challenged CalPERS Chief Financial Officer Charles Asubontens resume. It asserted that he exaggerated his role at a South African mining company a decade ago and that he misrepresented his work experience after his contract with the mining company expired Asubonten falls dramatically short of CalPERS required professional competencies. Not only has he not worked for ten years in a large pension fund or financial firm overseeing complex operations, he has no financial institutions experience whatsoever. Running what was at best a microscopically small private equity business does not qualify. Nor does having been the chief financial officer at two mining sites, Webber wrote. Board President Priya Mathur said Frost is handling this matter with all due diligence and sensitivity. What I have seen of Charles performance is that he has been a very effective CFO since joining CalPERS.

It is not clear how Mathur could have seen enough of Asubontens work to have an informed point of view on his performance.

Further Misrepresentations on Asubontens Employment Application

Weve embedded Asubontens heavily redacted employment application below. We also e-mailed CalPERS on April 13, promptly after we received this clearly deficient response, demanding that CalPERS send a version of the form that showed all the information that was required to be disclosed. We have yet to receive a reply. The CalPERS response was so clearly short of what was required that we are considering litigation. 1

Page 3 of Asubontens employment application covers his time at Palabora Mining Company. Here are the misrepresentations:

Asubonten was not Chief Financial Officer or a Director through July 30, 2010. Both a court decision in South Africa and Palaboras annual reports show that his employment as CFO ended on December 31, 2009. The 2010 annual report shows that he did not attend a single board meeting in 2010 and he resigned from the board on July 8, 2010.

In the Duties Performed section, according to another Palabora executive committee member during Asutontens time there who also acted as Chairman of the pension fund, Asubonten greatly exaggerated his role. The management of the pension fund was a ceremonial position that was rotated among the members of the executive committee. All of the work of managing the pension fund was outsourced.

The only role the Chairman performed was to organize meetings of the outsourced managers/administrators with Palabora and Rio Tinto management and other stakeholders and coordinate other information.

It is inaccurate for Asubonten to state that he projected the benefit obligation (this is not credible as a claim, since that is done by actuaries, and Asubonten is not an actuary), or that he was responsible for the administration of plan benefitsresponsible for the planning and directing of the financial and investment management of the employee pension fund or was the.main plan administrator.

The employment application also contains a misrepresentation that we discussed at length in our post, CalPERS CFO Charles Asubontens Form 700 Violation and His Unduly Mysterious Private Equity Firm. We pointed out that his private equity firm not only had operated under different names and had no website, phone number or physical office connected with any of its too-many names, but that the address that Asubonten did provide was to a personal mailbox in a UPS Store in a strip mall. Worse, even that address was invalid because UPS would not have accepted mail delivered to the address Asubonten provided. Only mail in his personal name, with the mailbox number listed, would have been accepted.

Asubontens Bogus Reference

CalPERS needs to check the names Asubonten listed as supervisors on his employment application, which was you can see below CaLPERS has impermissibly redacted. This matters because Asubonten misrepresented a reference that CalPERS CEO Marcie Frost appears to have relied upon and failed to verify independently.

Through JJ Jelincic, Marcie Frost offered to have the CEO of Palabora contact me and reassure me about Asubonten after my posts ran.2 I found this to be peculiar since I had given both Asubonten and CalPERS had had ample time to correct any errors before I launched my series.

But even more bizarre was that the idea of speaking to the Palabora CEO was nonsensical. Asubonten left Palabora at the end of 2009. Palabora now has a Chinese CEO who worked previously in the steel busines. Most important, the South African court decision in Asubontens dispute with Palabora made clear that Asubontens personnel records were at Rio Tinto, not Palabora. So current Palabora management could not possibly have any information about Asubonten beyond what was in past company annual reports that were already available online.3

I called a contact who had taken interest in this situation to sputter about it. He too had been encouraged to speak to a Palabora CEOand he was not Chinese. He sent me the references CalPERS provided for Asubonten by e-mail:

Dennis Brazier

CEO

Palabora Mining Co.

+27 83 634 0758 Australia Peter Daniel

Sr. VP & Corp. Controller

Ford Motor Co.

313-729-6656 Gunter Dufey

Prof. Emeritus, Finance & International Business

Univ. of Michigan

+65 9654 7505 Singapore

The Australia bit is puzzling, particularly since Palabora never had operations in Australia and the number provided for Brazier is in South Africa (country code +27), not Australia (country code +61).

But the far more important part is that Dennis Brazier was never CEO, Managing Director, or even a board member of Palabora. Marcie Frost can only have gotten this information from Asubonten, and it is flagrantly false. Worse, the fact that she would try to fob off a bogus reference on me and an independent party shows she continues to rely blindly on information Asubonten has provided even after his honesty has come into question by virtue of anextensively-documented series of posts.

Dennis Brazier was only general manager  Copper Processing from August 2004 through all of 2007 as Palaboras 2007 and 2008 annual reports show. The 2008 annual report does not list Brazier as part of the management of Palabora but does describe Bill Scheding as having been appointed General Manager  Copper Processing and Magnetite business in October 2008. This is consistent with Dennis Braziers LinkedIn profile, which show him joining Palabora in January 2001 and rising through the ranks to his promotion to General Manager of Copper Processing in August 2004, a position he held though June 2008, when he left for Union Copper. LinkedIn also shows Brazier as back in South Africa, and the phone number for him is from South Africa.

Brazier as the General Manager of Copper Processing was part of the then seven member executive committee of Palabora. However, he would likely have been less influential than committee members like the Managing Director and Asubonten, both of whom were also board members.

Consider what this means. Asubonten and Brazier together are misrepresenting to CalPERS that Brazier was the CEO of Palabora. The only reason one can fathom for such a con is that Asubonten needed a reference from Palabora that was better than anyone who actually supervised him would provide, and for whatever reason, Brazier was willing to go along.

Bear in mind that if Asubonten listed Brazier on his employment application as his supervisor, that is perjury, a felony in California.

It is also worth noting that CalPERS due diligence is so wanting that the phone number it gave for Peter Daniel at Ford is out of service.

Is Marcie Frost Asubontens Sponsor?

Both experts we contacted while preparing our series on Asubonten, as well as readers in the financial services industry all regarded Asubontens qualifications to be CFO as sorely lacking. Several speculated that Asubonten must have had a backer even to be considered seriously for the CFO position. Some thought he might have had allies in the California Democratic party, but Asubonten does not appear to have been a meaningful donor or been involved in fundraising. Another track in could have been the unions, but Asubonten does not appear to have connections there either.

The only trail we have identified so far is via Marcie Frost. That does not necessarily mean she was his main backer, but there is reason to think she pushed his candidacy along.

Mike Hiltzik reported that Asubonten had been on search firm Heidrick & Struggles initial list of candidates, but Hiltzik stressed that its not clear whether Hedrick & Struggles interviewed him or did any resume vetting. Recall that CalPERS had first chosen board member Richard Gillihan for the post, only to have him withdraw after CalPERS and Gillihan realized his taking the position would violate conflict of interest laws that prohibit California government officials from profiting from contracts they made (Gillihan had been involved in approving the pay level for the job).

CalPERS then brought the search in house.

In May 2017, when the first round of the search was on, CalPERS and CalSTRS hosted a diversity forum. Asubonten attended and approached JJ Jelincic. Asubonten mentioned that he was down to his last business card. Jelincic referred Asubonten to Marcie Frost, since Frost, unlike Jelincic, was involved in hiring. Asubonten mentioned this incident later to Jelincic as if it were significant.

Mind you, this does not mean much by itself. However, we were stunned by how Frost has handled the controversy. She not only choose to speak directly to the Los Angeles Times about Asubonten, but she did a joint call with Asubonten. Merely speaking to the press about an employee in hot water is a very risky move. The usual play is to have either the communications department or an outside PR firm handle the messaging. If the institution wants to show more support, they have a senior executive provide a short statement. For a CEO to speak to a reporter directly, about a personnel matter, gives their personal backing in away that is is hard to retreat from later, both psychologically and practically. Even more astonishing, Frost did so when it was clear that no one on her team evaluated any of Asubontens reassurances after our stories ran.

Frost then doubled down on that error by making the phone call to the Los Angeles Times jointly with Asubonten. That makes her a party to any misrepresentations he makes to the reporter. As we described in detail in our most recent post on Asubonten, he told a whopper. Asubonten claimed hed never really been unemployed and that a 28 month employment gap on his resume was taken up by a failed effort to buy Palabora. We described why the time lines dont come close to supporting his story.

Asubonten has played CalPERS and Marcie Frost for fools. The biggest favor Frost can do for herself is distance herself from Asubonten as much as possible First and foremost, she should recuse herself entirely from the investigation into his misrepresentations and authorize the team tasked to this affair to do a serious job. Asubonten has told far too many verifiable falsehoods for him to be a sound choice for any executive position, least of all for one responsible for banking relationships. If Frost does not cut her losses, Asubonten will pull her down with him.

_____

1 From our e-mail:

Dear Ms. Ramirez, Thank you for sending me the document you attached. However, CalPERS response is patently non-complaint with the requirements of the Public Records Act. Moreover, the citations used as a pretext for withholding information that is subject to disclosure are obviously not applicable, to the degree that any independent and informed party reviewing CalPERS response, such as a judge, a journalist, or the First Amendment Coalition, would deem it to be in bad faith. Section 6254 (c) does not apply by virtue of resumes and employment applications having been deemed repeatedly by California courts to be non-sensitive, non-protected information. In Eskaton Monterey Hospital v. Myers, 134 Cal. App. 3d 788, 794, 184 Cal. Rptr. 840 (1982), the court found that information as to the education, training, experience, awards, previous positions and publications of the (employee) . . . is routinely presented in both professional and social settings, is relatively innocuous and implicates no applicable privacy or public policy exemption. Moreover, the court held that job applications and resumes of those chosen for the job are not exempt from disclosure. Specifically, Braun v. City of Taft, 154 Cal. App. 3d 332, 347, 201 Cal. Rptr. 654 (1984) applied the Hill test in determining whether disclosure was required under PRA; cf. Versaci, 127 Cal. App. 4th at 818; and applying three-part determination that: (1) the document sought constitutes a personnel file, medical file or other similar file; (2) disclosure would compromise substantial privacy interests; and, (3) the potential harm to the privacy interests outweighs the public interest in disclosure. First, the information in this application does not rise to the level of substantial privacy interests, save a very limited number of data fields, such as Mr. Asubontens Social Security number and his earnings history. In fact, in Braun, 154 Cal. App. 3d at 347, the court recognized that the personnel exemption was developed to protect intimate details of personal and family life, not business judgments and relationships. Thus virtually all of the redactions, such as of former supervisors and reasons for leaving previous jobs, are not intimate details but information about Mr. Asubontens professional life and cannot be withheld. Second, the third test overwhelmingly favors disclosure given the general importance of verifying the accuracy of applications provided by holders of senior CalPERS positions, and even more so in the case of Mr. Asubonten, given concrete evidence of multiple misrepresentations on the resume he submitted to CalPERS. Third, the overwhelming majority of information that has been redacted is public and/or has been presented by Mr. Asubonten, confirming that he does not regard it as sensitive. For instance, the names of Mr. Asubontens supervisors at Mopani Copper Mines, Palabora Mining Company, and DTE Energy are already public via annual reports, articles, listings on websites, SEC filings, and/or court records. The past supervisors would have made their job titles and work history public on LinkedIn and other social media, and as Eskaton Monterey Hospital v. Myers held, is therefore also subject to disclosure. Any current work phone numbers or e-mail addresses of those past supervisors is also not protected, since those phone numbers are under control of their employers, are routinely disclosed on business cards and e-mails, and may be reassigned by the employer at any time. Only home phone number of previous supervisors could be deemed to be their private information. Mr. Asubontens reasons for leaving Mopani Copper Mines and Palabora Copper Mines have also been made public by those employers, as we have discussed in recent posts on our website, with supporting embedded documents, accounts, and/or links to public documents. Mr. Asubontens home addresses from 2013 to present are also in the public domain, as is his date of birth (11/04/1962 per cubib.com) and even his signature (see numbered page 24: http://www.palabora.com/documents/annual_report_2008.pdf). Mr. Asubonten has also disclosed that he is fluent in French, meaning he does not regard his language skills as protected information. The effort to invoke attorney-client privilege (sections 6254 (k) and Evidence Code 1040) is obviously in bad faith. The application was submitted before Mr. Asubonten was hired and hence could never be attorney-client privileged information since it is impossible for him to have been a client of CalPERS prior to his becoming an employee on October 2, 2017. We discussed the balancing test (Section 6255) above, but we also separately note that invocation of this section is virtually never affirmed by courts, and we are prepared to challenge the overreaching and unwarranted redactions in court. There is an obvious, indeed, overwhelming case for full disclosure of Mr. Asubontens application save the very few instances of protected information like his Social Security number. Finally, Section 18934 is obviously not applicable by the fact of your having sent even a redacted application. By sending the document, you have conceded this section is not germane. Please send me a compliant response to my Public Records Act request promptly. Thanks for your help. Susan Webber

2 I never heard from him.

3 Since title of the most senior manager at Palabora when Asubonten worked there was Managing Director, not CEO, as you can see in the relevant annual reports, Frost didnt seem to be referring to relevant executives (and thats before you get to the fact that Id already contacted them).
A Metaphor for the Planet Baffler. Important.

Kangaroo Dies After Visitors At Chinese Zoo Hurl Rocks To Force Her To Jump Huffington Post

Sea Nomads Are First Known Humans Genetically Adapted to Diving National Geographic

Government Accidentally Releases Documents on Psycho-Electric Weapons Popular Mechanics. This should not be news. Not long after the USSR fell, one of its prominent scientists wrote a book about the governments parapsychological research program, which was investigating things like mind control and long-distance messaging. They concluded that there were people with real psychic abilities, vastly above random, but still not reliable enough to use for military purposes. The book said the US has a similar research problem.and not the one later described in The Men Who Stare at Goats, which may well have been the DoD funding some cranks to provide cover for their serious programs.

These floating buildings are made from thousands of plastic bottles that can withstand flooding Business Insider (David L)

Americas nuclear headache: old plutonium with nowhere to go Reuters (EM)

Department of Justice reportedly investigating AT&T and Verizon over collusion against eSIM technology The Verge

Impossible Burger draws environmentalists ire AdAge (David L)

China

Bike Share Oversupply in China: Huge Piles of Abandoned and Broken Bicycles Atlantic (furzy). You have to look.

North Korea

Indias grand data system: a greater disaster than Facebook? Asia Times

Europe in diplomatic push to ease Russia sanctions Financial Times

Brexit

This is the United Kingdom for Gods sake, not some third world banana republic where the organs of state are in hock to some sort of kleptocracy https://t.co/NpSSc0TVNh pic.twitter.com/PMA1AZlNs8  Nicholas Shaxson (@nickshaxson) April 20, 2018

Zimbabwes Mugabe summoned over alleged diamond looting Los Angeles Times (furzy)

Myanmar police set up Reuters reporters in sting-police witness Reuters (furzy). Wowsers.

Syraqistan

Imperial Collapse Watch

Bomb Them Over There So We Cant Build Our Communities Here Ghion Journal (UserFriendly)

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Trump Transition

DNC sues Russia, Trump campaign and WikiLeaks over alleged election interference The Hill. UserFriendly: Just fucking shoot me.

Democratic National Committees Lawsuit Against Russians, Wikileaks And Various Trump Associates Full Of Legally Nutty Arguments Techdirt (furzy)

.@TheDemocrats suing @wikileaks for costing them the election is like an armed robbery convict suing a security camera company for getting them arrested.  Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) April 20, 2018

Hillary Clinton on Election Night: They Were Never Going to Let Me Be President Daily Beast. Furzy: They who?

Two Comey Memos Shared With Friend Are Under Scrutiny Wall Street Journal

Cuomo Team Pressed Officials to Skip Protest of His Pressure Tactics New York Times (UserFriendly)

Beyond Starbucks: How Racism Shapes Customer Service New York Times

Apple shares slide 7% in two days on iPhone fears Financial Times

Why undertakers are worried Economist

The SECs Regulation Best Interest is in the best interest of Wall Street, not retirement savers and other investors Economic Policy Institute

Now Even a Fed Dove Homes in on the Everything Bubble Wolf Richter (EM)

Class Warfare

Due Process: Lamenting the death of the rule of law in a country where it might have always been missing. Lewis Lapham (witters)

Antidote du jour. MGL: Sandhill cranes in late August on reserve near Homer, AK. Kenai Mountains are seen across Kachemak Bay.

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
The Knockmealdown Crossing, organised by the Peaks Mountaineering Club, was a day of great memories.

The Challenge walk got off to an early start in good weather, with nearly 50 self-navigating walkers tackling the full length of the Knockmealdown range.

The lure of Eileen Condons legendary stew and apple pie at the hall in Newcastle spurred them on and the first of the super fit mountaineers crossed the Melleray Road checkpoint a few minutes after 1pm.

There was a steady stream of walkers for the next few hours, as each challenge walker was logged at the various checkpoints and finally at the finish in Newcastle.

The two led walks were also very well supported, with over 100 walkers on the Knockmealdown Range.

The nasty shower that fell in the afternoon wasn't a hindrance, as all the gear that the experienced mountaineer wears ably dealt with the vagaries of the Irish weather.

The scene at Newcastle Community Hall was all action from the 6.30am start to the 7pm finish, and all staffed by the Peaks Club volunteers.

Food was served, walkers logged off the mountain and certificates of participation signed and presented to everyone who took part.

The Peaks Club thanks all who gave voluntarily of their time, skills and vehicles, as well as the landowners who facilitated the club in this great event of fitness and community involvement.

Bualadh Bos to all.
NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller thanked Denmark for its contributions to NATO during a visit to Copenhagen on Friday (20 April 2018)

Addressing students, faculty staff and members of the public at the University of Copenhagen, Ms Gottemoeller outlined how NATO has been dealing with the challenges posed by terrorism and violent extremism, and a more aggressive Russia in recent years and discussed preparations for NATOs upcoming Summit meeting in July.

In relation to fighting terrorism, the Deputy Secretary General highlighted NATOs efforts to project stability and its role in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Recognizing that much remains to be done in relation to conflict and instability in the Middle East, Gottemoeller highlighted the successes that have been achieved by NATO as well as through the broader international effort that has significantly diminished ISIS.

Speaking about NATOs efforts to deter and defend against a more aggressive Russia, the Deputy Secretary General highlighted the four battlegroups that have been deployed in the Baltic States and Poland, thanking Denmark for its contributions in Estonia. Recognizing that these battlegroups represent a crucial deterrent element, Gottemoeller explained that NATO is now focused on how it would reinforce NATO forces in the East of the Alliance in the event of a crisis. This includes the adaptation of the NATO Command Structure to ensure it is fit for purpose and discussions on military mobility  an area of work that NATO is pursuing in cooperation with the European Union.

Turning to how threats have shifted in recent years, Gottemoeller noted the increase in the use of asymmetric or hybrid tactics including cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns. While spreading in virtual space, these methods can have significant consequences in the real world and have become a regular part of conversations about how to ensure security and stability in the 21st century. NATO has already recognized cyber as a domain of operations alongside land, sea, and air.

The Deputy Secretary General concluded her remarks by encouraging students to consider how new technologies pose opportunities when it comes to collective security. We must think seriously about what some of the benefits of these new types of technology might be.

During her visit, the NATO Deputy Secretary General met with the Minister of Defence and of Nordic Cooperation Claus Hjort Frederiksen and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen. She also took part in a seminar on Danish Foreign and Security Policy Strategy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and paid her respects at the Monument for Denmarks International Effort since 1948.
Police are searching for a man accused of sexually assaulting a teen in Berkeley.

The incident was reported between 11 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday on the 1500 block of Addison Street. Police said the victim was walking when she was grabbed from behind. The victim said the suspect covered her mouth and pressed a gun into her side while telling her not to scream, according to police.

The man then walked her eastbound on Addison Street and into a side yard of a residence, where he sexually assaulted her, police said.

The suspect is described as a man in his 30s, standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, medium build. He was last seen wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Anyone with information should contact the Berkeley Police Department at 510-981-5716.
The nations largest, single-day corporate volunteer effort by NBCUniversal and Comcast is set to take place Saturday across the nation.

On Comcast Cares Day, Comcast NBCUniversal engages around 100,000 volunteers at 1,000 community improvement projects around the world, including ones in the Bay Area.

NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 employees, family and friends volunteered at Sylvandale Middle School and nearly 1,000 Northern California Comcast-NBCUniversal employees worked alongside Paradise High School students.

Over 200 Paradise High School seniors returned to campus today for the first time since the Camp Fire broke and were surprised with laptops as part of the 18th annual Comcast Cares Day.

On Nov. 8, 2018, the lives of Paradise residents were changed forever when the Camp Fire destroyed most of the city, killing 86 people, destroying nearly 14,000 homes and numerous businesses and burning more than 150,000 acres. Thankfully, and perhaps miraculously, the structure of Paradise High School was mostly spared. Still, due to safety hazards and other concerns, classes were moved to a temporary location in Chico and plans remain underway for a full return to the Paradise campus in time for the new school year this Fall.

Comcast Cares Day began in 2001, and has since become one of our companys best traditions. Fueled by our employees passion for giving back, Comcast Cares Day is now the largest single-day corporate volunteer effort in the nation. Comcast Cares Day has also gone global, with our NBCUniversal colleagues hosting projects in more than a dozen countries overseas.



Click here to learn more.
2018 seems to be the year of challengers to longtime incumbents in Massachusetts.

Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim says he would bring a fresh perspective to the Secretary of State's Office. Fellow Democrat William Galvin, in office for 24 years, says it's his expertise that has made Massachusetts a leader on voting rights.

"There are certainly some folks who have said, 'Gee, that's a tall mountain to climb," Zakim said.

The 33-year-old city councilor knows he raised some eyebrows when he announced he would challenge six-term Secretary of State Bill Galvin. But Zakim feels strongly that the time has come for new leadership.

"Focusing on voting rights and making Massachusetts a more open and inclusive system," Zakim said, "unfortunately, we have fallen behind."

Zakim says other states have already enacted election day registration, automatic voter registration, weekend voting and expanded absentee voting.

"The only reason Massachusetts is so far behind has been a lack of leadership and political will," he said.

"That's ridiculous," Galvin argued. "I've been at every hearing. He's been at none."

Galvin, 67, says voter registration is one of the hallmarks of his 24-year administration.

"We register online, we register by mail, we go out to sites, we pre-register 16-year-olds," Galvin listed.

Zakim says he would be a more progressive, stronger advocate.

"Secretary Galvin continues to appeal a court decision that struck down our 20-day registration deadline in Massachusetts," Zakim said.

"The 20-day rule is not about the 20 days," Galvin countered. "It's about the judge's ruling that we can have no deadlines of any kind."

Galvin says many proposals, like election day registration, require extra money for cities and towns, as well as close relationships with the legislature that he has spent years cultivating.

"You can't simply say, 'Well, let's put out a press release or a resolution from the city council.' That doesn't do anything," Galvin said. "I might add, I've been out there before Mr. Zakim arrived. When he was still concealing his candidacy, fooling the voters of the Back Bay saying he wanted to stay on the city council."

"Fresh ideas are important," Zakim said. "That's one of the things I'm talking about."

Zakim is not happy with the date Galvin set for this year's primary  Tuesday, Sept. 4. That's the day after Labor Day, the earliest a primary has ever been scheduled in Massachusetts.

Zakim has challenged Galvin to six debates. Galvin has not yet accepted.
Chicago White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar is in critical condition at a Chicago hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage, and teams are offering their thoughts and prayers as he is treated.

Farquhar suffered the hemorrhage after pitching in the sixth inning of Friday night's game against the Houston Astros. He was rushed to a local hospital, and is in critical, but stable, condition after the scary incident.

After the White Sox made the announcement, teams and players immediately wished him well and offered positive thoughts and prayers:

Sending positive thoughts to the Farquhar family and the White Sox organization.



Get well soon, Danny.  Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 21, 2018

The White Sox say they will provide more information on Farquhar's condition as it becomes available.
The emergency room at MidState Medical Center was locked down after a patient showed up with a white powdery substance on him Friday evening.

DEEP officials said crews were called to the hospital after a patient with chest pains arrived at the emergency room around 5:20 p.m. with a white powdery substance on him and packages of it in his pocket.

Police said three of the nurses treating him reported starting to feel sick. The patient and the nurses were all quarantined.

Firefighters and police responded and locked down the emergency room. After testing officials determined the substance was sodium bicarbonate - commonly known as baking soda. The substance is not dangerous and the emergency room was reopened.

The patient and nurses are being treated and are expected to be OK. It is not clear what made the nurses sick, MidState officials said.

Patients were redirected from the emergency room to the Hospital of Central Connecticut during the lockdown. Patients in the main facility of the hospital were not affected, police said.
Rick Lavrado watched as $7,200 in charges hit his bank account minutes after placing an order online.

The Stratford resident placed an order on AllPosters.com in October 2017 and paid for it with his debit card. Lavrado expected the cost of $189.66 to be deducted from his account. When he checked his bank statement, he saw 38 withdrawals of $189.66 from AllPosters.com, totaling $7,207.08.

The company blamed a technical glitch and promised to put the money back into Lavrados account.

Four days later, the money was back - the company refunded him for everything but the shipping cost of the original order. But as a result of the error, Lavrados bank account was overdrawn by $4,000, causing two checks to bounce and $74 in overdraft fees.

Lavrado told NBC Connecticut the company agreed to repay him for the overdraft fees and he faxed over a copy of his bank statement. But he said he didnt get a response.

Lavrado waited several months for a response, then decided to contact NBC Connecticut Responds.

NBC Connecticut Responds reached out to Art.com Inc., the company that runs AllPosters.com.

In response to our inquiry, a spokesperson said Lavrados request for a reimbursement of his overdraft fees was overlooked due to an internal communication error.

We want every customer experience to be a great one, and sincerely apologize to any of our customers who were inconvenienced by this error. We have taken action to ensure that it does not happen again, the spokesperson said.

The company is sending Lavrado a check for $74 to cover the overdraft fees, along with a $100 gift card.
Western Connecticut State University in Danbury will be closed Monday after approximately 100 students fell sick during a "viral-like outbreak" last week that state health officials have determined to be norovirus.

In a release sent out Sunday night, the president of the university said the school will be closed Monday in response to the outbreak.

"Although we are aware of a limited number of affected students, based on our discussions with the Connecticut Department of Health, the Danbury Department of Health, Danbury Hospital and the WCSU Director of Health Services, we have decided this is the best and most conservative course of action to protect our university community from infection and spread of disease," WCSU president John Clark wrote in an emailed statement.

Monday's closing will give staff time to consult with state and city health officials to determine what the next steps will be and allow maintenance crews to continue to sanitize all areas of the campus.

"While the latest data we have about the disease is encouraging, we want to make doubly sure that the university is safe and secure for all before re-opening," Clark said.

The school tweeted Friday night that it was investigating a viral-like illness that broke out on both campuses.

Students complained of symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhea and the school is encouraging anyone experiencing symptoms to go home if possible and see their doctor or visit an urgent care or a hospital emergency room for treatment and ask to be tested for a possible virus.

Students are encouraged to wash their hands before eating or handling food, and to avoid sharing food or drink with others. Any students who vomit in their dormitory should contact Housing or Residence Life staff to help with cleanup.
His daughter standing behind him, former President George H.W. Bush sat at the front of the cavernous sanctuary of St. Martin's Episcopal Church. He gazed up at the rose-draped casket holding his wife of 73 years.

After a few moments, an aide came forward to help Bush with his wheelchair, turning it so he faced the rest of the sanctuary. A string of mourners began to approach: adults and children, many of the women wearing his wife's favorite color, blue, and trademark pearls. He offered his hand and smiled as people shook it.

By Friday evening, officials said around 2,500 people stopped by to pay their respects to Barbara Bush, wife of the nation's 41st president and mother of the nation's 43rd. Among them was Houston social worker Varney Johnson, who like other mourners said he wanted to honor her work supporting literacy. "This woman dedicated her life to educating children," he said.

Barbara and George Bush were married longer than any other presidential couple when she died Tuesday at their home in Houston. One of just two first ladies to have a child elected president, Barbara Bush was widely admired for her plainspoken style and her advocacy for causes including literacy and AIDS awareness.

A hearse containing the former first lady's casket arrived before daybreak at St. Martin's, which is the nation's largest Episcopal church. Her body was to be in repose from noon until midnight. A spray of dozens of roses covered the closed light-colored metallic casket.

The 93-year-old former president arrived at the church shortly after the viewing opened, accompanied by daughter Dorothy Bush Koch. He hadn't been scheduled to visit, but he decided to go after watching video from the church, said family spokesman Jim McGrath. Bush shook dozens of hands and stayed for about 15 minutes.

"I think he was very touched by all of the people who were taking the time out of their lives," McGrath said. "It was just a natural inclination for him."

Lucy Orlando was one of the more than 100 people in line well before bus service began from a separate location to the church. Originally from Haiti, the 74-year-old Orlando had traveled from Weston, Florida, and said she has admired Barbara Bush for years, including for her work promoting literacy .

"She was a very sweet lady and she loves people," said Orlando, who was carrying a gray suitcase containing framed photos of the couple and members of their family, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura.

Jessica Queener, who works in special education and wears a cochlear implant to help with hearing loss, said Barbara Bush's work in education and helping people with disabilities "really resonates with me on a personal level but also professionally." In Houston for work from Washington, D.C., Queener and her husband decided to attend the public viewing, saying she also credits the former first lady for being a positive influence when her husband signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

Barbara Bush's funeral will be held Saturday behind her husband's presidential library at Texas A&M University, about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Houston. The burial site is in a gated plot surrounded by trees and near a creek where the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953, is buried.

In a statement released Friday, the family said Barbara Bush had selected son Jeb to deliver a eulogy along with her longtime friend Susan Baker, wife of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, and historian Jon Meacham, who wrote a 2015 biography of her husband.

Some 1,500 guests were expected to attend, including first lady Melania Trump, former President Bill Clinton and his wife, Hillary, and former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.

"Whether you're Democrat or whether you're Republican, whether you're young or old, she is the matriarch of America," said 52-year-old Houston resident Jamie Sumicek. "That's what moved me to visit."

The White House said Friday that President Donald Trump would not attend "to avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service."



"Today" correspondent Jenna Bush Hager remembered her grandmother on the show Thursday, reading a letter she wrote in remembrance of Barabra Bush.



"When we lost you, we lost one of the greats. You were our family's rock, the glue that held us together," she read. "I hope you know in your final days how many people prayed for you, how many people told me they loved you."



Hager revealed that her grandmother wrote "I am watching you. I love you." in one of the last emails she wrote to Hager.



"Well, Ganny, we have spent our lives watching you," Hager continued reading from the letter. "I am filled with gratitude because you were ours."
A South Texas man who pleaded guilty to stealing $1.2 million worth of fajitas with taxpayer funds was sentenced Friday, a report says.

Gilberto Escamilla, 53, a former employee of the Cameron County Juvenile Justice Department, was arrested in August after a food service driver called the department's kitchen to notify employees of an 800-pound delivery of fajitas, according to the Brownsville Herald.

The kitchen employee told the driver that the juvenile department does not serve fajitas, but the driver told her that he had been delivering fajitas there for the past nine years.

Escamilla was fired the next day.



Authorities later found packages of the stolen food in Esamilla's refrigerator. Prosecutors said he took $1,251,578 of fajita orders and delivered them to his own customers, according to the report.



Escamilla has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for theft by a public servant. Prosecutors said they wanted to send a "strong message" to public employees.



It was selfish. It started small and got bigger and out of control, Escamilla said while testifying, the report said. It got to the point where I couldnt control it anymore.
A San Diego research institute has been awarded a $1.3 million federal grant to fund critical research for families devastated by Alzheimer's Disease.

Inside the Conrad Prebys Center For Chemical Genomics researchers hope to zero in on specific chemical compounds that could be part of new medicine to slow the progression of the disease.

The National Institutes of Health awarded the funds as a three-year grant.



This research is vital for San Diego County as recent studies suggest the number of local residents 55 and older with dementia is expected to increase 36 percent by 2030.

There are no known cures and no disease-modifying therapies, according to researchers.

Thanks to the Alzheimer's Project, a county-led initiative and it's research spin-off Collaboration 4 Cure - local companies and philanthropists have worked together over the past few years with great success.

They've zeroed in on a specific gene that seems to be problematic.

Right now with the help of drug screening robots, these researchers are testing more than a million chemical compounds hoping to find specific ones that can attack that problematic gene and help families dealing with dementia.

Participating with Sanford Burnham Prebys in C4C are The Salk Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, J. Craig Venter Institute and the University of California, San Diego.



Right now Alzheimer's Disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States but, in San Diego County it is the third leading cause of death, according to the County Health and Human Services Agency.
MANY CELEBRATIONS, as wonderful and lively and meaningful and moment-adorned as they are, are just passing through the annual calendar. No sadness, no tears, no sighs: The occasion will be back, in another 364 days, or 51 weeks, and the fun can start all over again. But the magical (but science-based, of course) fact about International Dark Sky Week, which returns each spring, is this: The night sky, which the week celebrates, doesn't roll up and get stowed in storage for another year after the observance wraps. There are still nights, spoiler alert, at the end of each and every day, and if you didn't get your fill during the multi-day spring festivity, you can find your dark sky wonder, well, on any evening of the year. True, you'll want to find the darkest sky you can, which may mean moving away from the lights that illuminate your neck of the woods, er, city, but that can be done. And consider that California is lush with lovely, low-lit...

NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS, which are astounding places for communing with the cosmos after the sun says farewell each day. Want to commune with the cosmos among other people who love astronomy, the universe, and being in nature? International Dark Sky Week is on now, through April 21, 2018, but the Dark Sky Festivals that pop up in some of our largest national parks are set for summertime, like the one headed for Lassen Volcanic National Park over the first Friday and Saturday of August 2018. To find out more about the mission behind International Dark Sky Week, start here, and to discover ways to mark the luminescent, see-the-stars moment, visit this page.
Divers in the High Desert spent hours searching the California Aqueduct Friday, hauling up several cars that were submerged in the cold water.

The dive team located and recovered a total of three and a half cars in the Hesperia aqueduct.

At least one the vehicles may have been there for a decade at the aqueduct at 15253 Ranchero Rd.

There are several reasons why the San Bernardino County Sheriffs dive team began pulling vehicles out of the aqueduct between the 395 and Interstate 15.

"When the vehicles are going in the water like that, they're dumping toxic chemicals into the water -- the gasoline, the oil -- and sometimes they're sitting in there for several years, said San Bernardino County Sheriffs Cindy Bachman.

They are also being pulled out because many of them are stolen, like a Ford F-150 that was barely recognizable.

It was taken back in 2008, and deputies say it was most likely picked for parts and dumped in the aqueduct. But not all of the vehicles are stolen.

"People are either distracted or they fall asleep, Bachman said of other cars that have been crashed into the aqueduct.

Deputies say a young man fell asleep at the wheel back in February and nearly died from the cold water after plunging in.

"He had ice in his clothing so he's extremely lucky that he survived, Bachman said.

Deputies say drivers need to be extra careful, especially when they are near water sources like aqueducts.

"It's dangerous for even the best swimmers. Our divers have to get the state to slow down the water so they can get in, Bachman said.

Even with the water slowed down, divers have to be extra careful as they navigate underwater.

For divers, it isnt just about recovering vehicles: its also about training for situations when lives are at stake.

When it comes to emergency situations, if they are in a rescue, they have some experience of being in this type of water and they're able to do it safely, she said.

Deputies also want to warn people who fish in the area to stay far away from the waters edge.

Once someone falls in, its incredibly difficult to get out.
As YouTube has ramped up its efforts to identify Russian propaganda, one channel has managed to evade the company's flagging system: ICYMI, a millennial-focused channel that's part of the same entity as Russian government-funded Russia Today.

In ICYMI's bright and bouncy videos, former RT reporter Polly Boiko offers diatribes about recent news stories, such as the poisoning of U.K. double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter. The videos have slick graphics and poppy music, and users having no clear way of knowing about the videos connection to Russias media efforts, NBC News reported.

YouTube has been implementing a new policy to place banners on videos that indicate the channel "is funded in whole or in part by the Russian government." ICYMI does not have that banner. With its content looking like other popular, youth-oriented media, ICYMI showcases the increasing complexity of Russias efforts to spread its talking points across the internet and avoid YouTube's efforts.

YouTube declined to comment on specific channels. And an RT spokeswoman said that it is solely the choice of YouTube to put disclaimers on channels and that "we dont always agree with their selective classification of some channels with certain prejudicial language."
What to Know The vote of no confidence will be held by the Broward Sheriffs Office Deputies Association.

The vote comes as Israel and his agency have been heavily criticized for their response to the Parkland school shooting.

Seventeen people were shot dead in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HIgh School.

Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel will face a no-confidence vote following numerous failures that have "crushed morale through the agency," the Broward Sheriff's Office Deputies Association said.

The move comes as Israel and his agency have been heavily criticized for their response during and after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in which 17 people, mostly teenage students, were shot dead.

In a statement, the deputies association said it scheduled the vote after "many instances of suspected malfeasance, misfeasance, failure to maintain fiduciary responsibility by the Sheriff, failure to properly investigate possible criminal conduct by members of his senior command staff and the lack of leadership that has crushed morale through the agency."

The president of the deputies association, which is represented by the International Union of Police Associations trade union, said the no-confidence vote lasts up to a week. Members of the association can vote electronically, while non-members can vote in person at its headquarters.

The vote would be a largely symbolic move that would not relieve the sheriff of his duties if passed. The starting date of the vote has not yet been revealed.

In response, BSO said that Jeff Bell, the president of the association's Local 6020 chapter, told Israel during a recent phone conversation that with the Parkland tragedy being prevalent in news coverage, that it would be an opportune time to settle contract issues.

It is unfortunate and appalling that the IUPA union boss  in the midst of ongoing labor contract salary negotiations  is trying to use the Parkland tragedy as a bargaining tactic to extort a 6.5 percent pay raise from BSO through this vote of no confidence ploy, Israel said in a statement.

Bell said Israel has "gone into hiding mode ever since he got humiliated," referring to criticism Israel faces.



The association president also criticized Israel's quick condemnation of the school resource officer who the sheriff said did not run into the school as the shooting occurred.



"You always wait for all the facts to come out first in case," Bell said. "He violated that trust between the deputies and the sheriff ... he should have our back at all costs unless were proven to be wrong."

The president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #53, Eddison Ricketts, sent a letter to Israel saying his group has "complete confidence" in the sheriff.

Ricketts said the group had ratified their CBA with the department and looked forward to working with Israel.

BSO has about 5,300 employees and the association represents about 1,300 of them.
What to Know The teen suspects were searching the 9900 block of SW 157th Street in Miami for unlocked cars to burglarize.

After the homeowner chased the suspects and called police, officers were able to take one suspect into custody.

When Anthony Denito saw two suspects running away after burglarizing cars in a South Florida neighborhood, the homeowner didnt hesitate to act.

The two teenagers were caught on Denitos security cameras searching for unlocked vehicles to steal from, he said. Video footage captured both suspects on April 20 riding a bike in the 9900 block of SW 157th Street in Miami, then returning to the scene around noon to hunt for unlocked cars.

One teen is caught on camera trying to open a neighbors car door. After an unsuccessful attempt, the other suspect walks into Denito's driveway, checking the doors of a black Cadillac. In broad daylight, the suspect finds the passenger side unlocked and leans inside. The suspect then opens the trunk of the car and snatches a few items.

Denito said he only saw both suspects on camera as they were leaving the scene. Suspecting the teens were up to something, Denito went outside and asked them what was going on.

One teen said: "We didn't steal anything," and went running, according to Denito.

At that point, Denito said he hopped into his car to chase after both suspects. He called police and caught up with one of the suspects just a few blocks away. By that time, police had arrived, and Denito and the officers were able to block the suspect in with their cars. The suspect was then taken into custody.

Denito said the other suspect jumped a fence during the chase and got away. Police are actively searching for that second suspect.

Detectives say the teenagers also attempted to break into the police car parked across the street. They are asking anyone with information about the incident to call 305-471-TIPS (8477).
Questions of corruption continue to swirl from within the walls of the North Bergen Housing Authority as more subpoenas have been issued to multiple tri-state towns, including an additional one Thursday to the housing complex from federal prosecutors in New Jersey.

As first reported by the I-Team, full time Security Director Geoffrey Santini was fired last month amid no-show job allegations, possibly stemming from Santini running his animal control business, which operates in six different New Jersey towns.

Initial reports also questioned Santinis use of the Chevrolet Tahoe issued to him by the NBHA. The Tahoe was often found double parked outside New Jersey Animal Control and Rescue in West New York.

It is a dual investigation, administrative and potentially criminal from the federal side, said Gerald Sanzari, Executive Director at the North Bergen Housing Authority.

Sanzari also hired independent counsel Mark Tabakin to investigate the concerns raised in the I-Team report.

He's uncovered a lot of things,  Sanzari said. As well as the federal investigation that is being done by by IG's office.

Santini also works as a part time constable in Hudson County and public records acquired by NBC 4 show he is a part time aide to Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Vanieri. Yet, according to multiple sources, Santini was also head of security at the Renaissance Building, which is next door to the housing authority and managed by the NBHA. Santini received additional pay to his $81,000 a year salary as security director for the housing authority.

Additional records show Santini has another job. Records obtained the I-Team revealed Santini is also working as a part time health inspector in Weehawken.

As for Santinis animal control contracts with multiple towns, some are now finding ways of canceling their agreements with Santini and his animal control business. Just yesterday, the Bayonne City Council agreed to end its $87,000 annual deal with Santini.

His contract will be terminated as of May 14th, 2018, said the Bayonne Corporation Counsel Jay Coffey to the Hudson County View.

But the Township of North Bergen, where Santini has close ties to Mayor Nicholas Sacco, still maintains its animal control contract for $160,000.00 per year.

In February, Mayor Sacco admitted to knowing Santini for years and told Jonathan Dienst that a little scrutiny never hurts.

"You are doing an investigation," he said to the I-Team. "Housing authority is doing an investigation. Hopefully everything is settled fine. Again, authority has to do what it has to do.

Louis Zayas, a lawyer for Santini has not returned our phone call.

However, Zayas told the Hudson County View that Santini plans to sue the housing authority for wrongful termination.

The U.S. attorney's spokesman for New Jersey is not commenting on the office's investigation.

The internal report on the corruption allegations being complied by Tabakin could be released as early as next week.

Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the subpoenas were issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York. The subpoenas were issued by the District of New Jersey.
What to Know "Smallville" actress Allison Mack was arrrested by the FBI on Friday

She faces charges in connection to the case against Keith Raniere, founder of a group called Nxivm

Authorities allege Raniere ran the group as a sex cult; Mack has been widely described as a key associate of his

A television actress best known for playing a young Superman's close friend pleaded not guilty Friday to sex trafficking after federal prosecutors said she worked as a slave "master" recruiting unsuspecting women to a cult-like group led by a man who sold himself as a self-improvement guru to the stars.



Actress Allison Mack recruited slaves into a pyramid scheme for the benefit of alleged sex cult leader Keith Raniere, federal prosecutors said in an indictment unsealed against her Friday.

Mack, 35, starred in the CW series "Smallville" and has played minor roles since the series ended in 2011. But authorities said she was a major player in Raniere's cult-like organziation called NXIVM (pronounced Nex-i-um), helping to recruit unsuspecting women for what was purported to be a female mentoring group.

But "the victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor," according to federal prosecutors.

"Mack and other ... masters recruited ... slaves by telling them that they were joining a women-only organization that would empower them and eradicate purported weaknesses the NVIVM curriculum taught were common in women," prosecutors said.



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Prosecutors said Friday that Mack stood at the level directly below Raniere in a pyramid scheme called DOS, into which she recruited fresh slaves. The government alleges that Mack forced those slaves to have sex with Raniere in exchange for what were described as "financial and other benefits."

Prosecutors said she required women she recruited to engage in sexual activity with Raniere, who paid Mack in return.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Kim Penza said in court that that "under the guise of female empowerment" Mack "starved women until they fit her co-defendant's sexual ideal."

In a letter attributed to Raniere -- who was arrested in Mexico and returned to the United States last month -- previously posted on a website related to NXIVM, he denied the practices were sanctioned by the self-described self-help group.

The complaint against Raniere - known in the group as "Vanguard" - said that many victims participated in videotaped ceremonies where they were branded in their pelvic area with a symbol featuring Raniere's initials.

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"During the branding ceremonies, slaves were required to be fully naked, and the master would order one slave to film while the other held down the slave being branded," the complaint says.

Raniere left the United States late last year after The New York Times reported the stories of some women who defected from their secret sorority and the government began interviewing potential witnesses. He sought to cover this trail by using encrypted email and ditching his phone, court papers say.

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Both Raniere and Mack face charges of sex trafficking, sex trafficking conspiracy and forced labor conspiracy, for which they could receive 15 years to life in prison.

Mack's "Smallville" co-star Kristin Kreuk says she was involved with one of the group's self-help programs but left about five years ago. She wrote on Twitter last month that she didn't experience any "nefarious activity" and was "horrified and disgusted" by the allegations.



She entered her plea and was remanded to custody after Judge Cheryl Pollak refused a request from Mack's lawyers to release her without bail. A bail hearing will be held Monday.


A sea of young fists raised into the clear Manhattan sky capped an anti-gun rally Friday in a Manhattan park as students lifted their angry voices on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

Several hundred youths gathered at noon in downtown Washington Square Park, chanting "the NRA has got to go!"

They joined nationwide school walkouts on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting that left 13 dead and more than two months after 17 were killed at the high school in Parkland, Florida.

"Nineteen years ago, we all thought something must and will change so that other communities would not have to endure such grief, fear and life-altering trauma," said Amalia Fernand, who was a senior at Columbine during the attack. "Unfortunately and incomprehensibly, the change has been so much further in the opposite direction than any of us could have ever imagined."

Jonathan Green, a sophomore at New York's LaGuardia High School, noted that since Columbine, there have been dozens of mass shootings in the United States - in schools and churches and concerts and movie theaters.

"And after every shooting, politicians tell us, now is not the time, send their thoughts and prayers and then drop the issue after a week," Green said.

Fernand said that Columbine students did not have the benefit of social media that now fuels the youthful protest movement, which Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, called "the most successful protest in the history of America."

She told the roaring gathering why.

"It is your voices, it is your passion, it is your pain, it is your truth to power that is going to make the difference," she said. "You are holding Congress accountable. You are calling B.S. every time they say they can't change the law."

In upstate Albany, students participated in a 13-minute lie-down outside the New York state capitol - one minute for each person who died in the Columbine school shooting.
Police say a woman and a man were killed and another man wounded by gunfire in north Philadelphia near Temple University's main campus.

Officers responding to the area early Saturday after a report of a person with a gun found a 20-year-old woman on the street with a gunshot wound to the back. She was taken to Temple University Hospital and pronounced dead shortly before 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

A 21-year-old man was taken to the hospital by emergency responders with a gunshot wound to the head. He was reported in critical condition and police say he succumbed to his injuries shortly before 9:30 a.m. Saturday. A 21-year-old man is listed in stable condition at Hahnemann University Hospital with a gunshot wound to his right leg. No arrests were immediately reported.
Temple University has suspended a men's fraternity as police investigate three alleged sexual assaults and underage drinking during social events at the fraternity's house.

Temple police issued a bulletin Friday saying they had received "multiple credible reports" of various alleged crimes at Alpha Epsilon Pi events. The alleged acts reported included sexual misconduct, sexual assault, drug use and underage drinking.

Alpha Epsilon Pi has a house directly off Temple's campus at Broad and Norris streets in North Philadelphia.

Capt. Mark Burgman, head of the Philadelphia Police Department's Special Victims Unit, said three victims came forward this month reporting they were sexually assaulted. Two of the victims are 19-year-old Temple students, Burgman said.

The first incident happened in February at the fraternity house. Burgman said that case was referred to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office on Friday. No charges have been filed in the case.



In the second incident, which happened in March and is still under investigation, Burgman said a female student said she attended a party and was given several drinks. She blacked out and later awoke in bed with one of the fraternity members, he said.

A third victim came forward to Temple police in recent days. Burgman said he didn't have details about that incident, but expected detectives to speak with her soon.

In a statement posted to the chapter's Instagram page on April 1, the chapter said members are "appalled by these allegations" and vowed to cooperate with the investigation.

"Let us make this 100% clear: we have absolutely no knowledge of the actions alleged about our chapter. If we determine that one of our members is responsible  or even has knowledge of who internally or externally is responsible  we will deal with them to the full extent of our powers," the statement read in part.

The national fraternity said Friday that it stopped all activities at the chapter three weeks ago.

"We are aware of the rumors and the nature of the investigation by Temple University Police and the local authorities and continue to cooperate fully with both," fraternity spokesman Jonathan Pierce said in a statement.



"The University has asked us not to conduct our own investigation and, to date, we have received no other official notice from the University. We are, obviously, very concerned about these allegations as they have no place in Alpha Epsilon Pi."

Temple police said they're assigning additional patrols to the area around the fraternity house. A Temple University spokesman declined comment on the investigation.

The Alpha Pi chapter of the fraternity was chartered at Temple in 1956, according to the fraternity's website. The fraternity's mission is to "develop the future leaders of the worlds Jewish communities."

Alpha Epsilon Pi's suspension at Temple comes on the heels of a high-profile suspension of a different fraternity at Syracuse University. The Theta Tau fraternity was sidelined after a video surfaced from an alleged chapter event that featured racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic statements and actions.


Philips Lighting says it is laying off 160 people in Fall River and sending 100 jobs to Mexico.

The announcement comes just a few years after the company expressed its commitment to its turbine manufacturing facility in Fall River.

The company will beginning transition jobs away from Fall River in the summer and fall and finish moving jobs to Monterrey, Mexico early next year.

Philips Lighting will continue employing about 55 people at the facility who work in commercial roles, including those who work in sales, marketing, order management, IT and finance.
A man from Central Falls, Rhode Island, is facing multiple charges after detectives found more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography at his home.

According to NBC affiliate WJAR, police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Jose Cortes. He was ordered held at his initial court appearance on Thursday.

Prosecutors said Cortes took explicit photos of a toddler involved in a sex act, WJAR reports. Detectives say they found the pornographic images and videos on storage drives in his home.

According to the report, prosecutors said they began their investigation in November when the toddler's mother told police that one of Cortes' friends told her about the photos.

Cortes is charged with producing and possessing child pornography. It is unclear if Cortes has an attorney.
One day after a chain reaction crash at a gas station in Brockton, Massachusetts, a woman has died, authorities announced Friday.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said the victim, a 54-year-old woman whose name has not been released, declined medical treatment after the crash Thursday morning. She later went to Brockton Hospital before being transported to Beth Israel Hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Police responded shortly before 10:30 a.m. Thursday to the intersection of Main Street and Perkins Street, where a GMC Yukon crashed into the victim's car, then continued into the parking lot of Gas Depot. He hit a light pole, and his truck can be seen on camera bumping and shaking a gas pump before hitting another car stopped at the gas station.

The Yukon's driver, who has not been publicly identified, was cited for a traffic violation.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.


Charity skydive boosts faith of retiring Sprowston Christian Charity skydive boosts faith of retiring Sprowston Christian

Marilyn Hood from Wroxham Road Methodist Church jumped out of a plane last month and raised 1,500 for MIND to celebrate her pending retirement. Here Marilyn writes about how God spoke to her in the clouds.

On March 31 Marilyn Hood from Sprowston retired from her job as a Senior Accounts Technician in the Norwich office of insurance company Marsh.



To celebrate her retirement Marilyn decided to do a tandem skydive to raise money for mental health charity MIND. Marilyns son Martin was inspired to join her in the feat and complete his own skydive in aid of the Hebron Trust.



On Tuesday March 13 Marilyn and Martin both jumped out of the plane at a height of 13,000 feet. As Marilyn travelled through the sky she felt God was speaking to her with some transformative words. Here Marilyn writes about the experience.


BRIDGEPORT  Joe Ganim boasts about the dozens of Democratic town committees he has visited as he vies to be the next governor.

He certainly has a passion for campaigning and holding elected office. But is that all that drives him?

Bridgeports mayor sometimes seems to be either out of step with  or just not all that enthusiastic about  some progressive issues that fire up the base he would need to turn out for a crowded primary and a competitive general election against a Republican.

There was Ganims initial wait-and-see approach to divisive Republican President Donald Trump when the New York City business mogul  whom Ganim got to know when the mayor first ran Bridgeport in the 1990s  won the White House in November, 2016.

My sense is, youve got a good man there, Ganim said.

There was Ganims successful effort to water down a movement for Bridgeport to join Hartford, New Haven, New York and San Francisco as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. Ganim called that terminology divisive.

Critics accused Ganim of failing to take tougher steps to hold his police department accountable after a rookie officer shot and killed 15-year-old Jayson Negron last May. That cop was cleared of wrongdoing by a state probe.

Most recently, though Ganim supported the nomination of Andrew McDonald to become not just chief justice of Connecticut but the nations first openly gay chief justice, he did not seem all that perturbed when Republicans blocked it in late March.

Some state Democrats were quick to vent their anger on social media. Luke Bronin, Hartfords mayor who was at the time exploring a bid for governor, decried the process as a new low in Connecticut politics.

In contrast, Ganim was tweeting: Did you know March was Caffeine Appreciation Month? Make sure you drink lots of coffee to round out the month! #WeliveonCoffee #CaffeineisLife.

So what does Ganim stand for in these tumultuous political times, and is it enough to excite fellow Democrats?

To get a Democratic nomination ... a Democrat has to appeal to the base, said Ronald Schurin, a political science professor at the University of Connecticut. (That base) is not going to be courted with talk of how Donald Trump is really a good guy.

Retiring two-term Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is the most unpopular state chief executive in the nation, according to a recent Morning Consult poll, making it easier for a Republican to succeed him.

But for Trump, this would be a walk for the Republicans, said one Democrat involved in statewide and Bridgeport politics. So, this person said, the party may need a candidate willing to carry a flag for a cause ... to get excited.

Hes a pragmatic politician, the source said of Ganim. Hes not going to get in Trumps face. Hes not going to pick fights to pick fights. ... It might be a missing feature of Ganims candidacy.

Not as sexy

I am very socially progressive, Ganim said in an interview for this story. Im certainly prudent on finances.

The latter self-description is what Ganim often touts on the campaign trail: His combined 14 years as mayor  1991 to 2003 and 2015 to the present  qualify him as the candidate best suited to straighten out Connecticuts finances and economy.

In opposing the sanctuary city designation, Ganim fretted about a possible loss of money from the Trump administration. Bridgeport, with its high tax rate of 54 mills, needs all of the state and federal aid it can get.

Edward Marcus, a former state Senate majority leader and one-time head of Connecticuts Democratic Party, was an early supporter of Ganims bid for governor.

Marcus called Ganim a good Democrat who can rouse crowds.

I hate to put labels on anybody, but if you want to call him moderate its OK, Marcus said. I think he has a feel for the needs of just ordinary working people as well as people not fortunate enough to be working, and thinking of ways to get the economy moving and creating jobs.

Its not as sexy, Ganim said. But at bottom, what I think is a priority.

If that amounts to a statewide campaign strategy  focusing on bread-and-butter issues rather than partisan red meat  it echoes Ganims 2015 mayoral comeback. Convicted of corruption in 2003, he successfully appealed to voters for a second chance and ousted two-term Mayor Bill Finch in the 2015 Democratic primary.

Finch made Bridgeport a hub of conservation and green industry, and was passionate about those issues.

Ganim ran on holding the line on taxes and making the city safer. Though he has come around to the economic benefits of Finchs green legacy  and taken related trips to Denmark and Ecuador  Ganim is not the outspoken environmental advocate and wonk Finch was.

Cunning

When it comes to Trump, Ganim now distances himself from the president and defends his positive 2016 comments as those of a big city mayor optimistic the then-incoming administration would focus on urban infrastructure.

Theres little or nothing generated by the White House thats been consistent with what I hoped wed get, Ganim said, adding Trump seems focused on failed, misdirected, inhumane policies and this crazy notion of putting guns in the hands of teachers.

Gun control is one area Ganim quickly claims as his cause. He often notes how when he was first mayor in the 1990s Bridgeport sued  unsuccessfully  gun makers, dealers and trade organizations.

The mayor and gubernatorial candidate has recently announced he favors legalizing the sale of recreational marijuana and supports state legislative efforts establishing pay equity and requiring high schools teach about the Holocaust and genocide.

Lisa Parziale is a former Bridgeport City Council president who worked with Ganim when he was first mayor, supported his return to office, and has since become a critic.

He has no burning passion for any cause, Parziale said. He just loves holding an office. The attention. The power. ... If (an issue) benefits him to get behind it, he will get behind it. Hes a very, very cunning man.

So, for example, before Bronin exited the gubernatorial race, Ganim criticized state aid for Hartford. But during a recent campaign visit to the capital city, Ganim, The Hartford Courant reported, softened his rhetoric to woo that citys Democrats.

A Connecticut agenda

Ganim said it is easy for politicians to latch on to any cause using free social media, particularly during a primary.

Its really not my schtick. ... It may move the dial on the emotions of people on a partisan basis, but (not) as far as laying out an agenda for Connecticut, he said.

Told how another Democratic gubernatorial competitor  Susan Bysiewicz  tweeted about the ongoing probe of Trumps campaign, Ganim recalled campaigning before the advent of social media.

If it was 20 years ago, doing paid TV ads, I doubt shed do a paid ad saying, Lets support the special prosecutor,  he said. People would be much more deliberative on what they want to connect (with voters) on.

Ganim agreed a governor can have a national bully pulpit, but said he would make sure Connecticuts house is in order first.

Maybe it is wise of Ganim to not be more outspoken. UConns Schurin believes Democrats want candidates to take strong positions, but they want that passion to be genuine rather than to grab headlines.

Some progressive Democrats already harbor negative or at least circumspect views of Ganim.

Malloy was twice cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party. Lindsay Farrell, that groups executive director, said Ganim is welcome to seek the endorsement but, This party does not endorse candidates who have stolen from the public ... Joe Ganim has not shown us that he is interested in the progressive vote.
Wells Valley Cat Rescue in New Milford will play host to a Paw-sta Dinner April 24 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The dinner, which will take place during the Give Local campaign, will take place at the United Methodist Church, 68 Danbury Road (Route 7).
Kent Memorial Library will present The Ghost Net: An Environmental Musical of the Sea by the Grumbling Gryphons Traveling Childrens Theater April 21 at 2 p.m.

The program, to be held at town hall on Kent Green Boulevard, is being held in recognition of Earth Day.

The event is co-sponsored by the librarys parents committee and the Kent Park and Recreation Department.

Written and directed by Leslie Elias, this play was researched and developed in cooperation with marine biologists and environmentalists dedicated to protecting marine wildlife.

Humor and music abound in this timeless story of a brave young girls fantastic voyage into the sea where she befriends sea creatures, encounters manmade hazards and helps the sea animals battle the perils of pollution.

A professional cast of four will portray 30 different characters.

Dale Adams, jazz keyboardist and musical director from Harwinton, will provide live music.

Masks, costumes and scenery are designed and created by Ellen Moon of Cornwall Bridge and Jude Streng of Falls Village.

Prior to the show, Grumbling Gryphons actors and the director will conduct pre-performance drama, music and dance workshops from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. to train children for group parts in the show.

Children will learn the parts of manatees, clams, electric eels, trash creatures, tropical fish and more.

The Ghost Net: An Environmental Musical of the Sea premiered in 1990 as part of an environmental expo, The Visit of the Mimi held at Captains Cove Seaport in Bridgeport, which thousands of school children attended.

With the invaluable input by marine biologist Barbara Whitman and other environmental educators, Elias created a play that has served as a powerful vehicle for promoting awareness of our planets rapidly depleting oceans and endangered marine life.

Since 1990 the show has toured the United States, has received positive reviews.

Sixty of the ocean costumes were featured in New York Citys 25th Anniversary of Earth Day

In Florida, The Grumbling Gryphons were instrumental in helping to get Amendment Three passed, which enforced the banning of net fishing.

The Ghost Net was chosen to be the kickoff event for New Englands Coast Weeks as part of National Beach Cleanup Campaign.

For information and RSVP to the workshop, call 860-927-3761.
A $2 million investment is the latest step forward for the biomedical startup CNine Biosolutions LLC, which is headed by former University of Alabama at Birmingham postdoctoral fellow Theresa Schein, Ph.D., and retired UAB microbiology professor Scott Barnum, Ph.D. This funding comes from a Denver angel investor group.

The two entrepreneurs are using technology they developed at UAB to create a rapid and simple test to distinguish bacterial meningitis from meningitis caused by viral infections. The technology is licensed from the patent holder, UAB.

"Viral meningitis generally is not serious and often is treated symptomatically," Barnum said. "In contrast, bacterial meningitis requires immediate intervention and treatment with antibiotics because of the serious and potentially life-threatening nature of that infection."

The existing gold-standard to detect bacterial meningitis gives 10 to 30 percent false negatives, and its laboratory tests, along with a one- or two-day hospitalization for the patient, are expensive, Schein and Barnum say.

The $2 million investment to CNine comes as two milestone payments. The first, already achieved, is $400,000 for development of its lateral flow immunoassay to measure levels of an immune complex called soluble membrane attack complex, or sMAC. The second milestone of $1.6 million will be upon submissions to the Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to conduct a clinical trial of the test.

The membrane attack complex, formed from immune proteins naturally present in blood, kills bacterial pathogens by making holes in the bacterial membrane. sMAC levels increase in response to an active bacterial infection, and the complex can be measured in cerebral spinal fluid. This fluid already is collected via spinal taps in the standard screening for bacterial meningitis, so portions of that fluid could be used in a clinical trial.

"Things are looking very good," Schein said of CNine's progress. Schein is the chief executive officer and co-founder of CNine.

"Our test is in development, and we should have a prototype device this year," said Barnum, co-founder of CNine and its chief scientific officer.

Funding streams

CNine refers to one of the complement proteins, C9, that makes up a majority of sMAC.

The company was formed on paper in 2013 and got $250,000 seed funding from the Children's of Alabama Impact Fund, a special donor fund supported by the community for leading edge initiatives, in 2015. At Children's, Schein and Barnum worked with James Johnston Jr., M.D., an associate professor in the UAB Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery. Johnston treats patients at Children's of Alabama and consults with CNine as chief medical officer.

In a 2016 study of children with brain shunts published in JCI Insight, the trio showed that their investigational biomarker outperformed the current "gold standard" test for detecting bacterial infections in the shunts.

Working with data from that study, CNine then secured a $350,000 Lab to Marketplace, Small Business Innovation Research grant, or SBIR, from the National Institutes of Health. The NIH SBIR program funds early-stage businesses that are trying to commercialize innovative, and potentially lifesaving, biomedical technologies.

The SBIR grant allowed Schein to leave UAB in April 2017. CNine signed a license agreement with UAB in August, and Barnum left UAB in October when CNine found its Denver investors.

Landing CNine's latest level of funding was a challenge. "It's difficult," Schein said. "You knock on a lot of doors. But the saying that 'money begets money' is true. After the SBIR grant, people were more interested in investing."

In their pitch to the Denver investors, Schein stressed the humanitarian angle, noting how the test can be used throughout the world, especially in lesser developed areas of sub-Saharan Africa, India and Asia. "It's quick, easy to use and does not need refrigeration," she said. "And in the U.S., it will mean health care cost savings."

The CNine executives say they plan to sell their technology to a diagnostics company if they succeed with their FDA approval.

Steppingstones

Schein and Barnum say Douglas Ayers, Ph.D., a marketing associate professor in the UAB Collat School of Business, taught them some basics that helped get CNine off the ground.

"Our ability to pitch to investors really started with Doug and his class at UAB," Barnum said. "That gave us the ability to write a business plan and tell our story. Without that start, we couldn't have done it."

At Collat, Ayers teaches the three-hour MBA 673 course, "Planning and pitching a new business concept," that is part of Collat's certificate program for technology commercialization and entrepreneurship. The class covers all the steps to transform technology-based intellectual property into a new technology venture.

"The focus is on writing a business plan, and helping students understand how the investment community will look at their idea," Ayers said. "Theresa and Scott were already working on their startup. They were the best kinds of students to have -; they were there to get something out of it."

Schein says assistance from Erik Schwiebert, Ph.D., CEO and chief scientific officer of DiscoveryBioMed Inc., a Shelby County life sciences and biotechnology company, has also been invaluable. This includes mentoring Schein in her role as CEO and connecting CNine with other business support in Birmingham.

"Erik set us down in front of our first potential investors," Schein said. "We can't sing his praises enough."

Schwiebert, a former UAB researcher who launched DiscoveryBioMed about 11 years ago, informally aids several startups, including CNine. "We are advising Theresa and Scott," Schwiebert said. "My CFO does bookkeeping for them."

Ecosystem

Schwiebert says he is helping create an ecosystem where newly launched biotechnology companies can piggyback on more established companies. "I'm spending a lot of time helping folks like that get going," he said. The assistance includes a service to help small startups write SBIR applications for funding.

For seven years, Schwiebert taught or directed two courses in technology entrepreneurship like the one that Ayers now teaches. He had taken similar classes taught by a former business professor when he was a UAB faculty member and found them invaluable.

Schwiebert worked to resurrect the classes after that early teacher left. He says the classes that worked best were ones with a mix of students -; engineers, health sciences researchers and business majors.

"It's incredibly important," Schwiebert said, "that these classes continue at UAB, for faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students."

Teleconferencing

To run CNine, Schein and Barnum work out of their homes, connecting with vendors, consultants and investors via the internet. Schein has moved to Kodiak Island, Alaska, where her husband is a regional pilot, and the couple cares for their 1-year-old toddler. Barnum lives in the Forest Park neighborhood of Birmingham.

Their virtual offices recently featured a teleconference call across five time zones connecting participants in New York, San Diego, Texas, Maryland, Denver, Birmingham and Alaska.

"Our path has been both exciting and challenging," said Schein, who also earned her Ph.D. at UAB. "It's very rewarding -; you never want to look back and say, 'What if?' Even when the problems seem unsolvable, I remember to be happy with what we've done and where we are now."
Indore: There seems to be no end to Indias rape shame, with each case more chilling that the other and leading to a louder chorus for tougher action.

The latest case has been reported from Madhya Pradeshs Indore where a four-month-old infant was raped and killed allegedly by a 21-year-old man in Rajwada area.

The shocker came to light on Friday after the blood-soaked body of the baby was recovered from the basement of a building, following which the infant was taken to state-run MY Hospital. The girl bore injury marks on her private parts and head.

A report in Times of India said policemen who conducted preliminary examination of the infants body and the crime were nearly moved to tears.

The report added that Sub-Inspector Trolik Singh Varkade of Sarafa police station was suspended for failing to inform seniors of the heinous crime in his area.

Sources told News18 on Saturday that the postmortem confirmed rape.

A CCTV footage shows the accused, said to be a relative of the family, carrying the girl on his shoulder at around 4.45 am on Friday.

"The body of the infant was recovered from the basement of a commercial building in Rajwada area. The accused had kidnapped her early on Friday morning when she was asleep with her parents outside the Rajwada Fort. The accused was sleeping close to the family," said HC Mishra, deputy inspector-general of police, Indore.

The accused and the infant's parents knew each other and were in the business of selling balloons, Mishra said.

"The CCTV images show that he took the girl to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping, and her body was recovered in the afternoon," the police officer said.

"The infant had an injury on her head. The accused probably threw her on the ground," Mishra said.

Expressing solidarity with the victims family, the Indore Bar Association has decided not to represent the accused in court. Speaking to News18, the associations president Dinesh Pandey added that the infants family would be offered free legal service to get the accused hanged in one month.

Taking to Twitter after the shocking crime came to light, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said he was shaken to the core.

    ,                                                  ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) April 21, 2018

Senior Congress leader and former CM Digvijaya Singh tweeted that it was the "height of barbarity".

                        ?         digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) April 21, 2018

(With inputs from PTI)
Jammu: An Army jawan, who was injured in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, succumbed to injuries at a military hospital here, a defence spokesman said on Saturday.

His death raised the number of persons killed in over 650 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the state this year to 31, including 16 security personnel.

Havildar Charanjeet Singh (42) suffered bullet injuries in the unprovoked Pakistani firing on army posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector on April 17. He was evacuated and provided intensive medical care in a military hospital, the spokesman said.

He said Singh, hailing from Kalsian village of Nowshera in Rajouri district, succumbed to his injuries yesterday despite all-out efforts by doctors to save his life.

Singh is survived by his wife Neelam Kumari, the spokesman said, adding that he was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty", he said.

The spokesman said the mortal remains of the soldier had reached his home for last rites and he will be given a farewell with full military honours later in the day.
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

It has also been decided to put in place a number of measures for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases.

The move comes against the backdrop of the alleged rape and murder of girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently. The rape of a minor in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district allegedly by a BJP MLA had also outraged the nation.

The ordinance would be now sent to the President for his approval.

The government said that with the ordinance, it hopes to instil a sense of security among women and especially young girls in the country.

Here are the main features:

Stricter punishment

 Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

 In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that persons natural life.

 The punishment for gang rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for rest of life of the convict.

 Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided - minimum 20 years imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life or with death.

 In case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence.

Speedy investigation and trial:

 Investigation of all cases of rape has to be mandatorily completed within 2 months.

 Completion of trial of all rape cases has to be necessarily completed in 2 months.

 Six months time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

Restrictions on bail

 There will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

 The court has to give notice of 15 days to Public Prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age.

Strengthening the courts and prosecution

 New Fast Track Courts will be set up in consultation with States/UTs and High Courts.

 Creation of new posts of public prosecutors and related infrastructure in consultation with States/UTs.

 Special forensic kits for rape cases to all Police Stations and hospitals.

 Dedicated manpower will be provided for investigation of rape cases in a time bound manner.

 Setting up special forensic labs in each State/UT exclusively for rape cases.

 These measures will form part of a new mission mode project to be launched within 3 months.

Sexual Offender Database

 National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders.

 This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

Victim Assistance

 The present scheme of One Stop Centres for assistance to victim to be extended to all districts in the country.
Mumbai: Gangster Abu Salems plea for 45 days parole to get married for a second time was rejected by authorities on Saturday morning.

Salem, who is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, had written to jail authorities on February 16, seeking parole to marry Mumbai-based Sayed Bahar Kausar alias Heena.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Salem had mentioned in his plea that he was planning to tie the knot on May 5. He had reportedly said that he would be staying at Kausars home in Mumbra for the duration of the parole. The plea for parole mentioned Mohammed Salim Abdul Razak Memon and Mohammed Rafique Sayyed, believed to be his cousins, as guarantors.

Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005, was last year sentenced to life imprisonment by a special TADA court for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

Besides the March 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Salem has already been sentenced to life in February 2015, in the builder Pradeep Jain's murder case of March 7, 1995 at Juhu.
New Delhi: In an emotional appeal before journalists in the city, Dr Shabista Khan on Saturday appealed for the safety of her husband Dr Kafeel Khan, who has been lodged in Gorakhpur prison for the last eight months.

My husband is a heart patient, his blood pressure is running high, he is also suffering from depression. Who will bear the responsibility if something happens to him, asked Dr Shabista Khan.

Dr Kafeel is among the nine accused in the BRD Medical College and Hospital case involving death of 63 children in Uttar Pradesh, including infants, in August 2017 due to disruption in supply of oxygen to the medical college owing to non-payment of dues to the vendor.

He, along with three other doctors, has been lodged in Gorakhpur prison for the last eight months, while the trial in the case has not even started.

Dr Shabista and other family members and friends of Dr Kafeel Khan alleged that there has been a deliberate attempt to make scapegoats of innocent doctors whose bail hearings are deliberately being forestalled.

She said that her husband was being treated like a criminal.

Its as if he, who worked everyday from 7 in the morning till 9 in the night to save lives of children in Gorakhpur and came to work that fateful day despite being on leave, has committed some ghastly crime. Like an animal he has been pushed into a confinement which is meant for 60 people, where 138 inmates are right now lodged. It is his ninth month in confinement and his trial hasnt even begun, said Khan's wife.

From his jail cell, Dr Kafeel Khan recently penned a letter recounting the torrid last nine months of his life.

I yelled/screamed to everyone to focus on saving lives. I cried, actually everyone in the team cried to see the havoc created by the administrative failure to pay the dues to the liquid oxygen suppliers  resulting in such a grave situation, a media organisation quoted him saying in the letter.

He has described his life in prison as hell, where 150 prisoners are cramped in one room, with millions of mosquitoes at night and thousands of flies in the day. Trying to swallow food to live, bathe half-naked with shit in the toilet with a broken door. Waiting for Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday to meet my family.

Dr Shabista said she was now planning to file a petition in the Supreme Court seeking bail for her husband.
Thiruvananthapuram: The body of a woman, suspected to be of missing Latvian tourist Liga Skromane, was found in a decomposed state near Kovalam.

The body was found in the bushes close to the river with its head severed. Police say Liga sister, Ilze, has claimed the clothes on the body as that of the missing 33-year-old. Officials will be conducting a DNA test to confirm the identity of the body.

The body is said to be 30 days old and the reason for death can only be ascertained after the post-mortem report is received.

Liga had come to Kerala on February 21, along with her sister Ilze, to receive Ayurveda treatment for her depression. She went missing on March 14 and was last reported to have taken an auto-rickshaw ride to Kovalam beach. She was not carrying her passport or mobile at the time.

Liga's husband Andrew Jordan and her sister have been frantically searching for her and had printed missing posters announcing a reward for information.

The family initially raised a hue-and-cry saying that the Police was not taking swift action, following which a Special Investigation Team was formed. The family also reached out to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
New Delhi: Over 600 academicians and scholars from India and abroad have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express their deep anger and anguish over the events in Kathua and Unnao and said that his assurances of justice for the victims were wholly inadequate, platitudinous, and non-specific.

Endorsing the sentiments expressed by 49 former bureaucrats, who too had written an open letter five days ago, the academicians said that that there was an undeniable association of violence with the ruling dispensation.

The letter has been signed by 637 academics from India, Australia, USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, UAE, Ireland, Canada and a few other nations.

PM Modi had last week in a delayed response over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua and the rape of a teenager allegedly by a BJP MLA in Unnao said that the culprits would not be spared. Later, in London, he insisted that rapes should not be politicised.

The academicians said they were dismayed particularly by the aftermath of the events in Kathua and Unnao, over the efforts, in both cases, of those administering the relevant states to protect the alleged perpetrators of these monstrous crimes, over the subsequent profoundly distasteful efforts of rationalisation, deflection and diversion that have been so much in evidence in the reactions of your partys spokespersons in the media; and finally over your own prolonged (and by now familiar) silence.

Several BJP members have spoken out in favour of the rape accused BJP MLA from Unnao Kuldeep Singh Sengar, while in Kathua, month-long protests invoking nationalism and the national flag were held in support of the alleged rapists with two sitting BJP ministers in attendance. When they were asked to resign from their posts after anger mounted, they said that they had been told to attend the protest by higher-ups in the party.

The letter added that Kathua and Unnao were not isolated incidents. Instead, it pointed out that there has been a pattern of repeated targeted attacks on minority religious communities, Dalits, tribals and women, in which rape and lynching have been employed as instruments of violence by gau rakshaks and others.

Citing incidents of violence, Dadri in Uttar Pradesh (2015), Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir (2015), Bijapur and Sukma in Chhattisgarh (2015-16), Harda in Madhya Pradesh (2016), Latehar in Jharkand (2016), Una in Gujarat (2016), Rohtak in Haryana (2017), Delhi (2017), Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh (2017), and now Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh (2018), they said that most of these events occurred in BJP ruled states and all of them were after the BJP assumed power at the Centre.

This is not to associate violence exclusively with your party and with state governments presided over by your party. But there is an undeniable association with the ruling dispensation, the letter says.

The letter further adds that there is little evidence that the government has provided any assistance to vulnerable sections of the society or implemented any preventive measures aimed at discouraging blatant breaches of the rule of law.

The academics also quoted the Allahabad High Courts observation in the Unnao rape case wherein it said: If this is the conduct of the police in the state, whom will a victim approach to register a complaint? If this is the stand you are repeatedly taking then we will be forced to observe in our order that law and order has collapsed in the state.

We send you this letter because it is our duty to do so; so that we are not guilty of silence; and so that callousness and cowardice might finally draw the line at the broken body of a little girl and the rape of a young woman, they added.
New Delhi: Two people were arrested on Saturday for duping nearly 5,000 people by investing their money in bitcoins and fleeing away with the amount.

The matter came to light after several investors filed a complaint against a trading portal, following which the Cyber Crime Cell of Delhi police swung into action and arrested two Haryana residents, Deepak Jangra (37) and Deepak Malhotra (56).

Accused Deepak Jangra (in grey t-shirt) and Deepak Malhotra (in black) along with police officers

During interrogation, Jangra revealed that he got the idea for the multi-level marketing scam from GainBitcoin website, which allegedly duped 8,000 investors of about Rs 20 billion in Maharashtra. The scheme guaranteed 10% monthly returns for 18 months.

Jhangra had founded a company with Malhotra in Delhis Netaji Subhash Place in December 2016 and organised meetings and parties in various five star hotels to interact and attract investors to the scheme.

They falsely claimed that their trading portal is operated from US and asked investors to buy bitcoins from the different portals or the investment was taken in cash. The currency was then transferred to their website www.bitmineplus.org.

The accused offered returns to the tune of 12% in a month by virtue of international trade and bitcoin mining through their web portal, a police officer said.

Initially, the investors got the due returns in the form of bitcoin and the withdrawal was also made by various investors. This helped in building confidence of the investors and in return they got more investment from the new and existing clients, said DCP Aynesh Roy, who supervised the investigation team.

Roy further said, After a few days, the returns were stopped by the company as there was no mining or trading platform of the company. The whole scheme was to get the investment with the predesigned motive to cheat.

To trap the investors further, Jhangra developed his own cryptocurrency, and called it BMP. The duo planned to shift the investors to their own cryptocurrency and, therefore, he got the prices of BMP manipulated.

The scheme could last for only a few months before the bubble busted and the investors started questioning about the promised returns, said police.

The investigators, led by additional DCP KPS Malhotra, found a total 5,000 IDs, who invested in the scheme. They all have been duped by the accused.

Unable to return their money, Jangra absconded with his family in February 2018. Police said that the investigation in the fraud is underway. They might interrogate more people and more arrests could be made.
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad on Friday filed a charge sheet in a court in Ankleshwar town of Bharuch district against two suspected ISIS operatives who were arrested last year.

While the accused, Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala and Ubed Ahmed Mirza, were held on charges of planning a lone wolf attack on a Jewish synagogue in Khadia area, the charge sheet claimed that they had also planned attacks on the Jewish community in Mumbai.

They wanted to carry out the attack in Mumbai as more Jews lived there compared to Ahmedabad, claimed the over 1,500 pages charge sheet, filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate R D Mehta.

The charge sheet was filed in Ankleshwar as one of the suspects was held from there in October last year.

While Stimberwala worked as a laboratory technician at a hospital in Ankleshwar, Mirza was a lawyer practising in the Surat district court.

Both were "highly radicalised by the Jehadi ideology of the Islamic State and actively planning lone wolf attacks on Jews", it claimed.

Abdullah el-Faisal, a radical preacher based in Jamaica, and suspected ISIS handler Shafi Armar were shown as "absconding" in the charge sheet.

The arrested duo were in touch with el-Faisal and Shafi Armar to plan attacks on Jews in India and conducted a recce of some of the targets.

They were even planning to send radicalised youths outside India to take part in terrorist acts, the charge sheet said.

Though Stimberwala and Mirza tried to procure weapons through their contacts in Delhi and Lucknow, they failed, said the charge sheet.

Apart from planning a lone-wolf attack on the synagogue in Khadia area here, for which Stimberwala conducted a recce, they also thought of carrying out attacks in Nariman Point area in Mumbai to maximise the impact as a considerable number of Jews live there, it said.

Both have been charged with IPC sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 121-A (sedition) and 125 (waging war against any Asiatic power in alliance with India). They were also booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

As per the FIR lodged in October, both the accused were under the influence of El-Faisal, who was convicted for spreading hatred in the UK and deported to Jamaica.

El-Faisal was subsequently detained in Jamaica on the charge of persuading youths to travel to Syria to take up jihad, the FIR had said.
Kathua (J&K): Lawyers representing the accused in the Kathua rape-murder case on Friday claimed that they were restricted from meeting their clients by the district jail authorities.

The Crime Branch had arrested eight persons, including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a head constable, over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl belonging to the nomadic Muslim Bakerwal community in Kathua.

We had come to the district jail Kathua to meet our clients this morning. We wanted to meet our clients and prepare the line of defence. It is a legal right to meet one's clients, but we have not been allowed to meet them," advocate Aseem Sawhney told reporters in Kathua.

Sawhney, pleading the case for policeman Tilak Raj and others, said he was restricted from meeting the accused personally.

The lawyers also alleged physical torture of their clients at the hands of the police.

We suspect that our clients were subjected to third degree treatment," they said.

A K Sawhney, another lawyer representing the arrested persons in the case, alleged that the Crime Branch failed to provide copies of the charge-sheet to his clients.

Jammu has been tense since the brutal rape and murder of the minor girl.

The Bar Association has opposed the arrest of the eight persons in the case, alleging "targeting of minority Dogras". Some of the arrested reportedly belong to the Hindu Ekta Manch, a right-wing group.
New Delhi: Following the huge outrage over the gang-rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, the Union Cabinet on Saturday approved the promulgation of an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

The ordinance will now have to be replaced with an amendment bill in Parliament within the next six months.

Heres a look at what the new rules entail:

 Minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of 7 years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

 In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which shall mean imprisonment till that persons natural life.

 The punishment for gang rape of a girl under 16 years of age will invariably be imprisonment for rest of life of the convict.

 Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided - minimum 20 years imprisonment or imprisonment for rest of life or with death.

 In case of gang rape of a girl below 12 years, punishment will be imprisonment for rest of life or death sentence.

 Time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within 2 months.

 Time limit for completion of trial of all rape cases has also been prescribed and it has to be necessarily completed in 2 months.

 6 months time limit for disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

 It has been prescribed that there will be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years.

 Special forensic kits for rape cases to all Police Stations and hospitals.

 Dedicated manpower will be provided for investigation of rape cases in a time bound manner.

 National Crime Records Bureau will maintain a national database and profile of sexual offenders.

 This data will be regularly shared with States/UTs for tracking, monitoring and investigation, including verification of antecedents by police.

 It has also been provided that court has to give notice of 15 days to Public Prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age.

The move comes against the backdrop of the rape and murder of minor girls in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and Gujarat's Surat district recently. But even while the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the issue, the rape and murder of a four-month-old infant in Indore sent fresh shockwaves across the country.

The ordinance was signed within hours of Modis return from his five-day foreign tour.

The Cabinet also reportedly cleared the Fugitive Economic Offenders Ordinance, which will let the government confiscate pthe roperty of economic offenders who flee the country.

The government had made its intention on the ordinance apparent on Friday. In a letter submitted to the Supreme Court, the Centre had said that it had started the process to amend the POCSO Act to ensure maximum punishment of death penalty in child rape cases where the victim is under 12 years of age.

Outrage poured from international and national quarters after the horrific details of rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl were reported. The huge public anger was not just against the crime itself but the purported involvement of two senior BJP lawmakers, who were later sacked, to shield the accused.

After being repeatedly challenged to speak on the issue, PM Modi finally broke his silence on April 13, nearly three months after the victims dead body was found in Rasana, Jammu on January 17.

Even after the BJP acted against these leaders, there has been a huge anger against the frequency with which these incidents are being reported across the country.

Over the last couple of days, rape and murder of children 12 years old or younger has been reported from four other places in the country  two from Etah, one from Surat, one from Chhattisgarh and another from Odisha.

Following pressure by the opposition, Maneka Gandhi, the Union minister for Women and Child Development, was the first cabinet minister in Modi government to propose changing the law last week. The proposal was made by the Home Ministry on Saturday.

Reacting to the developments at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, Trisha Shetty, lawyer and founder of an NGO Shesays, an NGO working against sexual abuse, said, What we need is swift justice and not da eath penalty. Government and judiciary must ensure that the fast track courts are really working. So far all politicians and governments have failed us in this aspect.

Shetty is not the only activist, several others have also argued against awarding death penalty in similar rape-and-murder cases.

Experts often point out the low conviction rate in such incidents. On an average only 3 out of 10 men charged with raping minors are convicted. The remaining 70 per cent people walk free. This meant that 5,700 people accused of raping minors were acquitted while only 2,241 were convicted in 2015.
New Delhi: Even as a number of leaders have advocated death penalty for rape of girls aged below 12, child rights activists across the country have come out against the government's decision to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for this purpose.

The Union Cabinet on Saturday approved an ordinance to allow courts to award death penalty to those convicted of raping children up to 12 years of age.

The criminal law amendment ordinance seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

"In a country where there is no certainty of conviction, this government wants to bring in more stringent laws. In a country where most rapes are perpetrated by family members, invoking death penalty will only increase the chances of acquittal.

"Most of the cases will not be reported. There is a reason why the death penalty for child rape exists in only about 13 countries or so, most of them Islamic," said Bharti Ali of HAQ centre for child rights.

According to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau, 95 per cent of the rapes are committed by family members. The conviction rate in cases of rapes of women is around 24 per cent. It is 20 per cent under the POCSO Act.

"I believe that the only deterrent in rape cases is conviction in not more than 90 days. Worldwide we have seen that more than strict punishment, it is speedy justice that works as a deterrent.

"I fear that with the death penalty, most people will not report child rapes, as in most cases the accused are family members. The conviction rate will come down further," Vinod Tikoo, a former member of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, said.

According to a recent study by Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, it would take the courts two decades to clear the backlog of cases related to child sex abuse.

Activists say the government should focus more on strengthening the existing laws, ensuring safety of victims and witnesses, speedy trials, and awareness generation.

"We already have the death penalty for several offences and that has not led to any deterrence. If we are looking to create a deterrent, then we have to create it where it works.

"Creating a supportive and enabling environment for the victim to report the crime on their terms, effective and meaningful victim and witness protection, sensitive criminal justice system - including courts, legal aid and police, rehabilitation and ensuring certainty of conviction of the accused are among the areas which will generate deterrence," said Ananth Kumar Asthana, advocate and child rights activist.

The government's move to amend the law to award the death penalty for rape of girls aged below 12 comes amid a nationwide furore over the brutal rape of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, the alleged rape of a minor in UP's Unnao by a BJP MLA, and other incidents of sexual violence reported from different parts of the country recently.

Union minister of Women and Children Development Maneka Gandhi had few days ago asked her department to work on a proposal to amend the POCSO Act to bring in the provision of the death penalty for the rape of a minor below the age of 12 years.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal has been on a hunger strike at Samta Sthal in Delhi demanding death penalty for rapists.

Countries which have the provision of the death penalty for raping minors include China, Qatar, Sudan, UAE, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Bangladesh and Kuwait.
Jaipur: Twenty-one people in Rajasthans Churu district had to be admitted to a hospital after a foreign pharmaceutical company allegedly tested drugs on them. The drugs were not cleared for human testing and were meant to be tested on animals, a preliminary investigation has revealed.

Those who were drug-tested are labourers from Bidasar and nearby villages in Churu. A victim told News18 that the company had paid Rs 500 per person in exchange for participating in the illegal drug trial.

They were administered the drug on March 19, following which their health worsened.

State health minister Kali Kadam Saraf has ordered a probe into the case. He described it as a serious matter and said that he has instructed the principal secretary of medical health to investigate it. We will take strong action against those responsible for it, said the health minister to news agencies.

As per rules, any trial of a new drug has to be first done on animals. It is done to understand the safety and proper dosages of new medicines and treatments before clinical trials on humans can be held.

It is an expensive step for drug companies who must prove to regulatory authorities that treatments have no dangerous side-effects in order to bring them to market.

According to a report by the Confederation of Indian Industry, companies save up to 60 percent by undertaking the different phases of testing a new drug in India as compared to developed countries.

As per the law, the subject of a trial or his family must be given copies of the patient information sheet, consent form and a clinical trial liability insurance policy. Clinical trials can be done only if the patient is ready.

For clinical trials, the hospital has to get permission from the clinical ethical committee first. There are supposed to be nine people, including doctors, lawyers, social workers in the committee.

Also, if a person is to be tried, he should be a patient related to that disease. Before the trial, the doctor, the company's officer has to give the patient all the information about that medicine.
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday denounced Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about domestic issues on foreign soil and said he is coming back "empty-handed" from the UK which has given shelter to fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said one may have a deep dislike for the Congress or the Gandhi family, but speaking about domestic issues on foreign land does not befit anybody.

The regional party said Modi should follow the advice of his predecessor Manmohan Singh and speak more often.

"(Former PM) Manmohan Singh has advised Modi to speak more often and to speak on time. He has also said that Modi's advice to him when he was the prime minister is now applicable to him as well," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

The former PM was quoted as saying that Modi should follow the advice he gave him when he was in office - that is to speak more.

"The advice given by Manmohan Singh is only fair. Except for bhakts (Modi supporters), who are flying in the air, the whole country feels the same.

"However, what Manmohan Singh said was only a half-truth. Modi may become a 'mauni baba' (mute spectator) in India, but he talks abroad," it added.

The Marathi daily said Modi probably thinks it's better not to speak in his own country as he feels nauseated with the happenings here.

Taking a jibe at Modi, the Sena said if one wants to see the PM speak, the country's capital will have to be taken to London, New York, Tokyo, Paris or Germany.

If that is not possible, like, in movies, a "set" of national capitals would have to be constructed in foreign

locales, the Sena publication said.

"The PM has spoken about rape cases (in India) in London. This is part of his sensitive mind. He is emotional and there are sparks in his mind against injustice, and we are seeing the sparks turn into flames on foreign land."

"Is it right for the prime minister to speak on an issue like rape on foreign land? Why speak about the insulting incidents abroad?

"Why should a picture of prevalent corruption, rape incidents and an insecure country should be painted outside?" it questioned and added that on a visit to Japan, Modi had spoken about black money and corruption in India.

"You may have enmity with the previous regime. You may also have a deep enmity with the Congress or the Gandhi family... Speaking about the incidents occurring in the country on foreign land does not befit anybody," the Sena said.

Diamond trader Nirav Modi looted the country and fled, and Mallya is in London itself, but "our prime minister goes to the country that has given him shelter and comes back empty-handed", it said.

Nirav Modi is a key accused in the multi-crore PNB scam, while Mallya is wanted in a loan default case.

"However, bhakts do not want to comment on this. Now, Manmohan Singh has started speaking, while Modi has become mute. This can only be considered as revenge taken by fate against the BJP.

"Rahul Gandhi (Congress chief) asks for a mere 15 minutes to silence Modi. This is a proof that Modi has become like Manmohan Singh," the Sena said.

The party is part of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and also in Maharashtra.
Cast: Ishaan Khattar, Malavika Mohanan, Goutam Ghose, Tannishtha Chatterjee, GV Sharada, Amruta Santosh Thakur, Shivam Pujari

Director: Majid Majidi

Iranian master Majid Majidi, whose Oscar-nominated film, 1997s Children of Heaven, remains one of the most affecting stories about sibling love and the innocence of children, uses the bustling landscape of Mumbai as the setting for his new film Beyond The Clouds. This is a moving redemption saga about a poor brother and sister faced with difficult circumstances, but the predictable plotting robs the film of any surprise.

Ishaan Khatter stars as Amir, a street-smart fellow who works as a drug runner, whizzing about in the Mumbai traffic making discreet deliveries, even as he nurses dreams of saving enough cash to make a better life someday. When he runs afoul of his employer, it leads to a chain of events that culminates with his sister Tara (Malavika Mohanan) being thrown into jail for nearly killing a man who tries to rape her.

Clearly fascinated by the sights and sounds and smells of Maximum City, Majidi and cinematographer Anil Mehta serve up an evocative tableau that is at once familiar yet unmistakably exotic  a foot chase through Dhobhi Ghat, a fight scene in the flamingo-occupied mudflats along Sewri jetty, a sweet moment involving an innocent child in a Kamathipura brothel, and Holi being celebrated on the streetsall set to AR Rahmans mostly familiar score.

Like his strongest films, Beyond The Clouds works best when Majidi puts children on the screen. Taras bond with a little boy whose ailing mother shares the jail cell with her is genuinely tender, and Amirs tentative relationship with a family he is saddled with yields some of the films most touching moments.

The films overarching themes  the importance of compassion in an unforgiving world, and family being what you make of it  are noble but simplistic, and are communicated in broad strokes. All cinema is manipulative, but Beyond The Clouds is sentimental to a fault, practically choking the lump out of your throat. It doesnt help that the story beats are entirely predictable; you know exactly what choices the characters will make, and how things will pan out in the end.

Luckily for us, the film packs consistently strong performances, especially from Ishaan Khattar whom the camera clearly loves. He reveals reserves of both confidence and vulnerability, allowing us to be invested in Amir from early on. My other favorite is veteran actress GV Sharada who plays the aged mother of a key character, and who enters Amirs orbit representing conflict. She delivers a mostly quiet but deeply sensitive performance that breaks your heart.

Ultimately the film offers comfort in the familiarfor those that seek it. Its Majid Majidi-lite at best; a bittersweet, inoffensive drama that runs, but never flies. Im going with a generous three out of five.

Rating: 3 / 5

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After facing a backlash from the Isreali government over canceling her attendance in Isreal's prestigious The Genesis Prize, Natalie Portman clarified her decision on her Instagram. The Academy winner explained that her decision of not accepting in person the $2 million prize, known as the Jewish Nobel, after a day of speculation in the media that she was turning down the prize because she was joining the movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel. The prize foundation had announced Portmans decision not to attend the ceremony on social media.

"Israelis lament Natalie Portman dropping out of Genesis Prize"https://t.co/uDPzoNvE3b The Genesis Prize (@TheGenesisPrize) April 20, 2018

She post read, "I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony,"

"Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation, she said. I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance. Israel has created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust. But the mistreatment of those suffering from todays atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power.", she further added.

Credit: @ Natalie Portman

Israel has drawn international criticism for its response to Palestinian protests on the Gaza-Israel border during the last three weeks, in which its troops have killed 35 Palestinians and have wounded hundreds.

Government ministers said Portman appeared to have been manipulated by the Palestinian-led international campaign to boycott Israel.

The foundation that awards the Genesis Prize quoted a representative for Portman as saying: Recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel.

The statement on its website gave no further details of her reasons. Portmans publicist in Los Angeles did not immediately respond to an email seeking further information.

The foundation said it admired Portmans humanity, and respects her right to publicly disagree with the policies of the government of Israel.

However, we are very saddened that she has decided not to attend the Genesis Prize Ceremony in Jerusalem for political reasons. We fear that Ms. Portmans decision will cause our philanthropic initiative to be politicised.

Israels culture minister , Miri Regev, said Portman was supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which aims to isolate Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.

I was sorry to hear that Natalie Portman fell like a ripe fruit into the hands of supporters of the BDS, Regev said.

Minister of Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan expressed disappointment at Portmans cancellation, and his office issued a statement saying she had been duped by Hamas propaganda.

In a letter to the actress, the ministry said: Sadly, it seems that you have been influenced by the campaign of media misinformation and lies regarding Gaza orchestrated by the Hamas terrorist group.

Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, denies Israels claims that it is using the protests as cover to launch attacks on the border and on Israeli troops.

Erdan invited Portman to Israel to tour the Gaza border and to meet Israeli families there, saying the media had distorted the truth and portrayed the recent riots on the Israel-Gaza border as peaceful demonstrations, and Israels response as disproportionate.

The daily protests, dubbed The Great March of Return, began on March 30 along the Israel-Gaza frontier, reviving a longstanding demand for the right of return of Palestinian refugees to towns and villages from which their families fled or were driven out when the state of Israel was created.

Israel has stationed sharpshooters to stop attempts by Palestinians to breach the 40-km (25-mile) border or sabotage the security fence. Troops shot and killed four Palestinians on Friday.

Erdan said the Israeli military response was proportionate, careful, and in line with international law, adding: the great majority of those killed by Israeli fire have been members of Hamas and other terrorist groups.

The Genesis Prize has been awarded since 2014 to individuals for excellence in their professional fields and who inspire others through their dedication to the Jewish community and Jewish values.

Previous winners have included former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, sculptor Anish Kapoor, violinist Itzhak Perlman and Hollywood actor Michael Douglas, all of whom donated their prize money to charitable causes.

Portman was born in Jerusalem and moved to the United States at age three. She won the Best Actress Oscar in 2010 for her role in Black Swan.

(With Inputs from Reuters)
Mumbai: With just three days left for the teaser release of Sanjay Dutt's biopic Sanju, Bollywood showman Subhash Ghai said the film is going to be amazing and a very big blockbuster.

Rajkumar Hirani is going to release the teaser of his much-awaited film on April 24 morning.

He, however, has already shown the teaser to Ghai just a few days ahead, and reacting to the first glimpse that he obviously enjoyed, the Bollywood showman said, "I have watched the teaser...and I think it's going to be an amazing film...because of the way Ranbir Kapoor has acted in it as Sanjay Dutt. It is really good."

"The way Rajkumar Hirani has narrated and brought the characters onscreen, I was shocked, amused and amazed with that.

"He is a master craftsman, director and he knows his job very well. So I am really eager to see the film as soon as possible," Ghai added building up to the moment.

Ghai was interacting with the media, along with Hirani at the 5th Veda Session organised by Whistling Woods International Film Institute where the "PK" director guided students on Friday here.

Ghai, who directed Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit in Khalnayak (1993) and with the pair reuniting after all these years for Dharma Production's upcoming "Kalank", the showman when asked about how he was able to create the chemistry between the two, said, "We didn't try to create chemistry while working with them.

"I think script, characterisation and director of the film develops a chemistry because before that we are also not able get the idea about how the end result of the film will be.

"People never thought there will be chemistry between Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar in 'Saudagar'. So we do not know, as finally, what appears onscreen can be called chemistry."

On whether he would again like to direct Sanjay Dutt in his film, Ghai said: "Yes why not? Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) is very dear to me as a person, family member and as an actor.

"He is very natural actor. Only thing is that, you have to give him right kind of role which will suit him. I think that is important thing for us so, whenever I have script for him, I will be first person to approach him."

Sanju is a biographical drama, written and directed by Rajkumar Hirani and produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film is based on the life of actor Sanjay Dutt, with Ranbir Kapoor portraying the role.

It is set to be released on June 29.
On February 9, 2001, a group of terrorists surrounded three dhoks (mud huts) at Kot Charwal in Rajouri district of Jammu region.

The dhoks were bolted from outside, set on fire, and grenades lobbed through a hole hammered through the roof. When the embers had cooled and the ash brushed aside, 15 bodies were found, seven of whom were children. All of them belonged to the Bakarwal community. The trigger for this massacre was the formation of the first all-Muslim Village Defence Committee (VDC) by the Gujjar-Bakarwal community in December 2000.

Militancy erupted in Kashmir in 1989, but it left the Jammu region relatively untouched for the first three years. The first major terrorist strike in Jammu occurred when 17 Hindus were pulled out of a bus and shot dead in Doda district in August 1993. When a series of bomb blasts rocked Jammu city in 1994 and 1995, it was obvious that the terrorists were specifically targeting the Hindu community.

By 1996, militancy had spread to the Muslim-dominated border districts of Poonch and Rajouri. These two districts have a high percentage of the Muslim Gujjar and Bakarwal community. In the initial euphoria for Azadi, the Gujjars and Bakarwals provided recruits and guides to the foreign terrorists who were infiltrating from Pakistan and had established a base in this area.

However, the extreme ideology of Pakistani terrorists did not resonate with the local culture. Fed up with excesses of the terrorists, which included the sexual exploitation and killing of Muslim girls on suspicion of being informers, the villagers of Kot Charwal formed the first all-Muslim VDC. Furious, the terrorists attacked Kot Charwal.

After this massacre, more Gujjars and Bakarwals entered the fight against terrorists. In 2002, Tahir Fazal Choudhary of Marrah village, along with a number of Gujjars working in Saudi Arabia, decided to return to their homes. They had received letters from their families complaining about the brutality and harassment by Pakistani terrorists who had established their dominance in the higher reaches of Pir Panjal. It was in this area, commonly known as Hill Kaka, that the Army launched one of the biggest operations in 2003  Operation Sarp Vinash.

The success of Operation Sarp Vinash was in no small measure due to the support of people like Tahir Fazal and other residents of the twin villages of Marrah-Kulali who provided intelligence to the Army and fought by their side. They also paid a heavy price for this support.

One year later, terrorists sneaked into Teli Katha village in the upper pastures of Hill Kaka and opened fire on the sleeping Gujjar families as retribution against the locals who had participated in Operation Sarp Vinash. There were 12 deaths, including five children. The toll would have been higher if some of the VDC members who were present had not resisted and fired back.

In his article, Ethnic Defection in Civil War, Stathis N. Kalvas defines ethnic defection as a process whereby individuals join organisations explicitly opposed to the national aspirations of the ethnic group with which they identify and end up fighting against their coethnics.

He goes on to say that the process of ethnic defection is extremely consequential even when the numbers of defectors remain relatively small. This is so, because ethnic identity ceases to be a reliable indicator of pro-ethnic rebel behaviour. Accordingly, ethnic rebels are forced to resort to violence against members of their own ethnic group, so as to deter further defection. The resulting intraethnic violence undermines the ethnic rebels claim that they represent the true will of the entire group. In short, ethnic defection matters, because it destroys precisely those elements that make ethnic identity so important for collective action in the first place.

Once the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities had turned against the terrorists, it was only a matter of time before the lack of local support became a severely limiting factor in the ability of terrorists to survive south of Pir Panjal.

Thereafter, the security forces killed and drove out the terrorists from Jammu region. The 2014 'Crime Gazette' of the Jammu and Kashmir police stated that there was not a single active militant in the Jammu, Udhampur, Reasi, Poonch, Doda and Samba districts.

It is true that there have been many significant contributions by the Army, police and local civil society groups in turning back the arc of terrorism from Jammu. It is also true that in the initial years, the Gujjars and Bakarwals provided substantial support to the terrorists, and that there is still some suspicion about Bakarwals working as guides along the Line of Control.

However, a key importance of their contribution lies in the fact that it demolished the narrative that the Muslim community was being so badly suppressed in Jammu and Kashmir that it would rise up as one against the Indian state and support terrorists coming from Pakistan.

In the current age of the new media, it is only today's headline that has any meaning. And the social media, with us as its warriors, can amplify this headline to take on a life of its own. Post-truth is the new reality and in this daily media assault, the past is almost forgotten.

This piece is a small attempt to remember history.

(The author is former Northern Commander, Indian Army, under whose leadership India carried out surgical strikes against Pakistan in 2016. Views are personal.)
Lucknow: BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday launched a full-throated attack on the Congress and the Gandhi family at the partys bastion of Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, vowing to end dynasty politics.

Addressing a public gathering in Raebareli, the Parliamentary constituency of Sonia Gandhi, Shah alleged that the Nehru-Gandhi family has not done anything for the people of Raebareli and Amethi.

Raebareli has been seeing dynasty politics post-independence. I am here to reassure you that BJP will make you free from the clutches of dynasty politics. Congress party has just cheated the people of Amethi, Raebareli in the name of development. What Congress cannot do in last 60 years, the BJP government will do in five years, he said.

The BJP President along with UP CM Yogi Adityanath and other senior BJP leaders had come to Raebareli for the official joining of MLC Dinesh Pratap Singh, who recently resigned from Congress and was considered close to Gandhi family.

The Narendra Modi government has done development of the state in real terms and till now has given more than Rs 8 lakh crore for development. People have given responsibility to BJP for development of the state in 2017. Previously Uttar Pradesh was known for hooliganism and lawlessness, as soon as Yogi Adtiyanath came into power the law and order situation started improving, Shah said.

The Congress president Rahul Gandhi had accused of Saffron terrorism, but Aseemanand was freed by court in Mecca Masjid Bomb Blast by the court, now Rahul Gandhi he should apologize to the country for defaming Hindus, he added.

Shah was accompanied by UP CM Adityanath who also raised the questions on Congress. The Congress has raised questions on the judiciary of our country over Justice Loyas death, now after Supreme Courts decision, Congress stands exposed. The Nehru-Gandhi family have not done anything for people of Amethi and Raebareli. We (BJP) are doing development of the state without any bias, he said.

The BJP seems to be making inroads in the Gandhi bastion of Raebareli with the former Congress MLC from the region joining BJP with supporters ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. The BJP with no big name of its own in Raebareli, will now be equipped with a powerful political name of Singh ahead of 2019 polls. Singh, it is said, was handpicked by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
New Delhi: A group of 50 former IITians have formed a political outfit, Bahujan Azad Party, dominated by members of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Class category. Party members say that they aim to uplift the marginalised community in a manner that no other political party could.

All set with a poster which has pictures of B R Ambedkar, Subhas Chandra Bose and A P J Abdul Kalam, among others, the party has already begun a social media campaign. As they await the nod from the Election Commission of India, three of Bahujan Azad Partys members spoke to News18.

My name is Naveen Kumar, a B.Tech graduate from IIT Delhi. SCs dont want soap and oil, give them their rights and quota.

Through my politics, I will fight for equal distribution of resources. There should be reservation in the government sector, private sector and in higher judiciary according to the number of SCs, STs and OBCs. I will fight for the implementation of Sachar committee report for minorities and for justice (social, economic and political). A lot of work needs to be done for women's ultimate empowerment i.e. financial independence.

It is sad but true that politicians who belong to SC/ST communities are nothing but parasites. They are slaves of mainstream parties like BJP and Congress. This is nothing but the result of 1932 Poona Pact. I am committed to Dr BR Ambedkar and Jyotiba Phules mission, we will work for the downtrodden. The BJP and Congress are trying their best to keep Bahujan communities away from quality education and that is why education in government schools is getting worse and private schools fees are sky high. We are not vote banks.

The dilution of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 was a Manuwadi move, based on injustice. It has been passed by the Brahamanical judiciary. Brahmanism is all about inequality and this move is even more detrimental than the abolition of reservation in promotion.

The BJPs governments attempt to bring an ordinance into the quota in government job promotion is nothing but a crafty move. They can only give soap and oil  a shameful act by current UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath  to the downtrodden and never give the rights, representation and respect they deserve.

My Name is Vikrant Vatsal, a B.Tech in Biochemical Engineering from IIT Delhi, and I demand 60% quota for OBCs.

I wanted to be a social reformer. Since childhood, I have faced discrimination in my society. When I was in Class 6, a Brahmin man stopped me from drinking water from a hand pump because I am a Solank. He told me that a lower caste can't drink the water here. I am still haunted by that incident. It is then that I decided to eradicate this Manuwadi system, which is based on inequality and injustice. My father used to sell handkerchiefs on the street, I had to work very hard to make myself strong with education. I was the 10th, 12th Board state topper and went to IIT but radical change comes with politics.

I support the Patidar agitation, it is the governments failure that they are not disclosing the caste-based census. I do support representation based on the ratio of population in each and every sector (education/ jobs/ media/ judiciary). I demand 60% reservation for OBCs.

Bahujan Azad Party's Poster

OBC Politics in UP, Bihar is all about Yadav and Kushwaha. There is polarisation of the Muslim-Dalit equation against BJP. Even if half the OBCs are manipulated against the BJP, I can personally guarantee that the party wont be able to get a single seat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls from UP and Bihar. OBCs are silent about the indirect removal of reservation through privatisation, they are not demanding anything in this government. There is an anti-reservation sentiment among the so-called upper caste people. With the dilution of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, there is a chance of OBCs shifting away from BJP.

There is a significant effect of Hindutva propaganda by the RSS/BJP on OBCs. This community is not politically united as compared to SCs, STs and minorities. I think, due to lack of information, many OBCs are opposing reservation in education or government jobs. The general category has influence on them here. OBCs have this false view that only SCs and STs are getting reservation advantage. This confusion gives the present government strength to manipulate reservation at various levels. OBCs feel SCs and STs are their enemies and this works in favour of the upper caste. I found more landless people in OBCs as compared to SCs and STs but they are not angry. They feel at least they are not untouchable.

Among SCs, there is zero orientation towards Hindu religion. But OBCs have faith in Hinduism. I find the blind religious inclination of OBCs as the biggest challenge. They forget their actual mainstream problems like representation in the pillars of democracy  politics, judiciary, administration and the press.

My name is Sampath Kumar Banoth, M.Tech from IIT Kharagpur and PhD from IIT Roorkee. STs are an asset and not liability to the nation.

I entered politics to make Bahujan communities an asset of the nation and not a liability. Its been 70 years of independence, still, our citizens are forced to stay in the forest, be manual scavengers, and have no representation or resources. Around 90% of the country still needs a support, a hope and a voice to represent them. I cant promise you that I will be the one but I will try to be. We are here for good politics.

Till date, I have never seen a leader raise his/her voice for ST issues. We are vote banks in the political system. I respect those who worked for us but even if someone tries to be with us he is appropriated by other parties. This leads to their extinction.
New Delhi: The ordinance providing stringent punishment, including death penalty, for raping girls below 12 years, was on Saturday hailed by the BJP as "historic", even as the opposition parties asked why it took so long for the government to bring the measure.

The BJP and its chief Amit Shah said the step confirms the Narendra Modi government's commitment to ensuring safety of women.

He said, "I thank and congratulate PM Narendra Modi as well as the Cabinet for the historic ordinance on women's safety. I welcome the provision of death penalty for rape of any girl below 12 years and increasing punishment from 10 to 20 years if a girl below 16 years is violated."

Congress leader Salman Khurshid said this is a sensitive issue and incidents that have taken place are shameful.

"We need to address the root cause of such crimes as there is a limit to which judiciary can help," he said.

CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said death penalty is to be given in the rarest of the rare cases, but in principle her party is against capital punishment.

She, however, said the actual problem is not that there is no death penalty for rape of minors, but the issue that those in the government are "defending" rapists.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh welcomed the decision and said such a step is the need of the hour.

"Am all for Death for Rapists of minor children. Such men deserve no mercy and I welcome the Ordinance passed by the Union Cabinet today. Exemplary and deterrent punishment is the need of the hour," he said on Twitter.

Shah tweeted, "The Cabinet has also made provisions for speedy investigation and trial of rape cases. This decision will act as a tough deterrent for such crimes and reflects the Modi government's strong commitment towards the safety and wellbeing of women."

The BJP chief asserted that it will act as a deterrent to crimes against women.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said on Twitter, "Death for Child rapists is a welcome decision by PM @narendramodi ji. This ordinance will be a strong deterrence to potential offenders of this heinous crime against children. @BJP4India Govt. is committed to ensure protection and justice to each and every daughter of India."

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said while the party welcomes any severe measure to ensure that the accused in such crimes are brought to book, and justice is meted out to the victims.

"What makes me question the intent of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Modi government is that why did it take them so much time to reach to this conclusion that a stricter law and stricter punishment would bring in the desired change," she said.

BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said it is a "very historic day" as the government has fulfilled the demand which was being made for a long time.

Everybody, not just women but men also, believe that such crimes need to be punished in the stringent possible manner, she told reporters here.

"We have come to know that the ordinance is suggesting very serious punishment, including death penalty, to those convicted for raping girls below 12 years of age. Today is an occasion where we would like to thank the government and Prime Minister Modi for acting swiftly," Lekhi said.

She said, "Today is the day when we must discuss all the positive initiatives brought by this government to empower women and decrease the drudgery in their lives."

"This is an occasion worth celebrating... There are certain psychopathic elements in the society who need to be handled very firmly," the party spokesperson said.

The BJP leader also talked about the construction of toilets across the country to help maintain dignity of women and ensure their safety.

Karat said, "In principle, my party, the CPI (M), is against death penalty. The actual problem is not that there is no death penalty for child rape. The actual issue here is those in government are defending the rapists."

In Hyderabad, where the party congress is being held, she said, "This is to divert the attention from the grievous nature of the assault on basic judicial processes, where even the lawyers try to stop the police from filing charge sheet. The government is trying to bring this (ordinance) in. We want certainty of punishment."

The Cabinet today approved the ordinance, amid a nation-wide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua in Jammu region and Surat in Gujarat, besides the rape of a girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao.

New fast-track courts will be set up to deal with such cases and special forensic kits for rape cases will be given to all police stations and hospitals in the long term, according to the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance cleared by a Cabinet meeting chaired by the prime minister.

It stipulates stringent punishment for perpetrators of rape, particularly of girls below 16 and 12 years. Death sentence has been provided for rapists of girls under 12 years, officials said quoting the ordinance.
Visakhapatnam: BJP party workers met the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E S L Narasimhan here on Saturday and demanded action against TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna for his "derogatory" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The memorandum was submitted by Visakhapatnam North MLA P Vishnu Kumar Raju and MLC P V N Madhav to the governor, seeking action against Balakrishna for his "unparliamentary language" against Modi during Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's 'Dharma Porata Deeksha' yesterday.

This comes after Balakrishna lashed out at Modi at the rally yesterday, calling him a 'cheat' and 'traitor'.

"Not only are the people of Andhra but the entire India is against you right now. I am telling now that you are a gaddar (traitor), a namak haram (cheat). Come outside and meet people. Talk to them or they will chase you, beat you, wherever you go. You cannot escape even if you go and sit in a bunker," he said, adding that the "war has begun".

Raju and Madhav told reporters that Balakrishna, Hindupur MLA, should be arrested for his "derogatory" remarks against the Prime Minister.

Besides dismissing the actor from his MLA post, the Chief Minister should also arrest him for making derogatory remarks while holding a public office, they said.

Hitting out at Naidu, the BJP leaders said Naidu was also culpable as he did not intervene immediately and restrain the actor from making derogatory remarks against Modi.

They termed the Dharma Porata Dheeksha as "Adharma protest."

Meanwhile, BJP workers burned an effigy of the actor in front of the Kakinada district collectorate.

They also shouted slogans against Naidu.

Naidu, who turned 69 yesterday, chose not to celebrate his birthday and sat on a 12-hour fast instead to protest the alleged injustice meted out to the state due to the "non-implementation" of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Balakrishna, who is also brother-in-law of the Chief Minister, had lashed out at Modi, saying he had "betrayed" Andhra Pradesh.

The BJP took strong exception to the actor-MLA's outburst and demanded an apology.

The TDP had recently walked out of the BJP-led NDA after the Centre rejected its demand for according special category status.

(With PTI inputs)
Bengaluru: Bengaluru may be Indias science, tech and innovation city, but in elections, the only thing that matters in the countrys third-most important city is the caste and religion of candidates.

The caste factor, which takes a backseat after polls, always becomes an important issue during every election. Be it Assembly or Lok Sabha elections or even corporation polls, caste decides the tickets for candidates. The Congress, BJP and JD(S) deftly play the caste card to win votes in the state capital.

The current Assembly election is no different from the previous ones and all three parties have carefully selected candidates keeping the caste arithmetic in mind.

The city has 28 Assembly seats in the city corporation or Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits and has eight more seats in the outskirts. Except for 3-4 seats, caste or religion of the candidates has been the deciding factor in this election.

The ruling Congress has fielded Roshan Baig and Zameer Ahmad Khan from the Muslim-dominated Shivajinagar and Chamarajpet seats, respectively. Another Muslim MLA, NA Haris, is likely to get re-nomination from Shantinagar considering the fact that his constituency has a large number of Muslims and Christians.

Senior minister KJ Georges constituency Sarvagna Nagar also has a large number of Muslims and Christian votes, and the Congress fields only a Christian from there.

Basavanagudi, Malleshwaram, Jayanagara, Rajajinagara, BTM Layout, Byatarayanapura, Vijayanagara, Govindarajanagara, Mahalakshmi Layout and Yeshwantpur are known as upper caste seats. All major political parties field only Brahmins, Vokkaligas or Reddys from these constituencies.

The Other Backward Classes (OBCs) also get the chance to try their luck from the seats where they are in substantial numbers. Scheduled Castes (SCs) contest from the seats reserved for them.

Many progressive citizens of Bengaluru have tried to break the stranglehold of caste in the city polls and have failed miserably in the past. Some of them had contested as Independents and lost badly because of no caste support.

It is foolish to believe that caste decides everything in rural areas and that the big city people are above caste and religion. Actually, they are more casteist and back their religion in big cities. A closer look at the candidates proves one thing  no caste or religion backing, no chance even if you are the best candidate, said Mathew Anand Paul, Bengaluru-based political analyst.

But well-known civic issues activist Ravi Krishnareddy disagrees with the theory. Ravi, a former state leader of the AAP and a US-returned technocrat, is contesting as an Independent from Brahmin and Vokkaliga-dominated Jayanagara Assembly seat in south Bengaluru.

Speaking to News18, he said, Except a few seats, voters of Bengaluru are above caste considerations. They will definitely go beyond their caste and religion to vote. But the political parties have stereotyped it. They still believe that the people vote for their caste. It is a misconception and we want to change that.

Dinesh Gundurao, four-time MLA from the city and working president of the state Congress, feels that a lot of people have moved away from caste and religion these days. People vote for good candidates or at least who they think are good in many seats. Not all vote on caste lines. But caste also plays a role. It is a reality and we cant escape from that, he said.

Interestingly, Dinesh is one of the very few politicians who has actually proven that even without a major caste backing, one can win an election. The son of late chief minister R Gundurao and a Brahmin, Dinesh has won four consecutive elections from Gandhinagara Assembly seat in central Bengaluru. This seat has only a few thousand Brahmin votes and that has not come in the way of his successive victories.

The economic boom in Bengaluru has attracted millions of people from all parts of India in the last 25 years and many of them are registered voters in the city. Local politicians argue that these outsiders vote based on personal beliefs or ideology rather than castes as they dont belong to any local castes or sects in Karnataka.
Voters pose outside a polling booth in Karnataka.



People were seen standing in queues to cast their votes in the early hours itself, factoring in that the temperature may go up later in the day. Also, it has been raining in different parts of south interior Karnataka for the last couple of days during the evening hours.



Senior citizens were seen in good numbers standing in queues at various polling stations to cast their votes early.



State BJP chief and party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, and Pradesh Congress Committee G Parameshwara were among the first to cast votes in Shikaripura in Shivamogga and Yaggere in Tumakuru respectively.



Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda along with wife Chennamma cast their votes at Paduvalahippe in Hassan district. Film actors Ramesh Arvind, Ravichandran, also scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were among the prominent personalities to cast their votes early today.



There are reports about delay in polling due to some technical issues with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) from different parts of the state.



Election for the Jayanagara seat in Bengaluru has been countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA BN Vijaykumar.



The Election Commission has also deferred the polls for Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency to May 28 after a massive row erupted over a large number of voter ID cards being found in an apartment.



Suspecting something fishy, both Congress and BJP have pointed accusing fingers at each other in the matter. "Today people of Karnataka are standing in queues to create history & show the nation the way to liberal, progressive, peaceful & compassionate politics & governance. I thank them for their support & wish them well," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted.



Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and and over 200 women. The total voters including service electors according to the 2018 final rolls are 5,06,90,538, of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters.



Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the state, of which 12002 have been designated as "critical", with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty. Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm.



"82,157 people have been deployed for poll duty that includes DSPs, home guards and civil defence, and forest guards and watchers," Karnataka DGP Neelamani N Raju said. This also includes about 7,500 personnel from states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Kerala and Goa, she said, adding, central forces have been deployed.



One among the interesting aspects of this election is that four candidates who have served as Chief Minister of Karnataka are in the fray-- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah (Chamundeshwari and Badami), B S Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura), H D Kumaraswamy (Chennapatna and Ramanagara) and Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central.)
Bengaluru: Ending suspense over contesting from a second constituency, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would file his nomination from Badami in north Karnataka on April 24 for the May 12 assembly polls.

Siddaramaiah has been maintaining that his desire was to contest from Chamundeshwari in Mysuru but he was under pressure from local party leaders to be in the fray from Badami, as it would boost the Congress' prospects in north Karnataka.

The chief minister would file his papers on April 24 between 2 and 3 pm, officials at the CM's office said.

Earlier an official tour programme circulated by the chief minister's office had said Siddaramaiah would file his nomination from Badami on April 23 afternoon but it was withdrawn, deepening the suspense.

Siddaramaiah, who has already filed his nomination from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru, has been saying he was under pressure from local party leaders in Bagalkote and Vijayapura districts to contest from Badami but would leave the final decision to the Congress high command.

Siddaramaiah has been camping in Mysuru since Monday. He has dedicated his entire schedule for campaigning in Chamundeshwari and Varuna, constituencies from where he and his son Yatindra are candidates respectively.

Soon after the announcement, Siddaramaiah tweeted a reply to BJPs P Muralidhar Rao and said that leaders with pan Karnataka appeal do not fear any part of the state. People will decide my fate in both the constituencies, you dont worry about it, he wrote after Rao said that Siddaramaiah was afraid of losing in Chamundeshwari which is why he is contesting from two seats.

An official tour programme circulated by the CMO had said Siddaramaiah would file his nomination from Badami but it was later withdrawn. (Photo: News18)

He returned to Bengaluru on Saturday. Siddaramaiah restricting his campaign to two constituencies has fuelled speculations that he was unhappy that the party central leadership had not allowed him to contest from two constituencies.

The Congress in its list of candidates for 218 seats announced on April 15, had named Dr Devraj Patil as its nominee from Badami. But issuing of B-form (required to be filed by a political party mentioning name of its approved candidate) to Patil has been put on hold.

Siddaramaiah's reported wish to contest from two seats was said to have met with stiff opposition from veteran party leaders Mallikarjuna Kharge and Veerappa Moily, after which it was decided to field Patil.

Fielding Patil has led to internal squabbling within the local unit of the party with many including sitting MLA Chimmanakatti opposed to it. Chimmanakatti has said if the Chief Minister is not contesting, he should be the candidate.

Badami with strong Kuruba presence, the community to which Siddaramaiah belongs, was seen as second safe option for the Chief Minister as reports have suggested that the battle in Chamundeshwari will not be an easy one for him.

Siddaramaiah has won five times and tasted defeat twice at Chamundeshwari, from where he has been announced as the candidate.

JDS has vowed to defeat Siddaramaiah while the BJP's candidate in Chamundeshwari is considered a lightweight, amid allegations that there was a tacit understanding between the two parties. He has been representing Varuna constituency in Mysuru since 2008, which has now been allotted to his son.
Chandigarh: Three Congress legislators have resigned from their posts in the party's Punjab unit as resentment grew for being denied a ministerial berth in the expansion of state Cabinet.

Surjit Singh Dhiman, the MLA from Amargarh in Sangrur district, and Nathu Ram from Balluana in Fazilka, tendered their resignations from party positions to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Sunil Jakhar.

The resignation came just hours before the swearing in Chandigarh of the nine new ministers, whose names were announced on Friday after a meeting between Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

Another party legislator, Sangat Singh Gilzian, resigned on Friday from All India Congress Committee (AICC) and as a PPCC vice president over the issue.

Nathu Ram announced that he has resigned as PPCC general secretary because the party had ignored the Dalit community.

Surjit Singh Dhiman's resignation from the PPCC vice president's post was announced by his son Jaswinder Dhiman.

Nathu Ram represents the Dalit community and Dhiman is from the backward classes.

"Dalits are feeling humiliated by being denied a ministerial slot in the cabinet expansion," Nathu Ram, a two-time MLA, said.

"Dalits account for 34 per cent of Punjab population and if we are to consider this percentage, at least five ministers should be Dalits in the cabinet," he said.

Surjit Singh Dhiman's son said the party had "ignored" the backward classes.

"Not even a single minister belongs to backward class in the cabinet. Out of the backward class population in the state, 14 per cent belong to Ramgarhia community. At least one person belonging the to backward community should have been given the post," Jaswinder Dhiman said.

Besides the resignations, two other Congress MLAs on Saturday expressed disappointment over the Cabinet expansion.

Khanna MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli, who is the grandson of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, said "old and traditional" families that have won elections for the party should have been considered for Cabinet berths.

"I meet all the criteria for becoming a minister but a junior person has been inducted. I fought three elections and won twice," said Navtej Singh Cheema, the MLA from Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.

Cheema said he was disappointed that the Doaba region was "ignored."

"Only one ministerial berth has been given to Doaba (Sunder Shan Arora) and that too represents the Kandi area. The main Doaba region comprising Jalandhar and Kapurthala, which is known as the NRI belt, is completely ignored," Cheema said.

"Whenever Congress won seats from the Doaba region, it formed the government," he said.

He said the party picked three ministers from one district but had ignored Doaba.

With the induction of Dera Baba Nanak MLA Sukhjinder Randhawa in the Cabinet, Gurdaspur district now has three ministers.

Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian) and Aruna Chaudhary (Dinanagar) already represented the district in the ministry.

Amritsar also has three ministers now with the induction of O P Soni (Amritsar Central) and Sukhbinder Sarkaria (Raja Sansi). Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East was already a minister.

Cheema said he could not understand why his name was "dropped at the last moment" and will take up the matter with the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Kotli argued in favour of Punjab's "traditional" families.

"Old and traditional families that have been winning continuously and worked hard for the party should have also been considered," he said.

Kotli's grandfather Beant Singh was chief minister and his father Tej Partap Singh was a minister in previous Congress government.

But he added everyone will accept the decision taken by the party high command and Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leaders on Saturday met West Bengal Election Commissioner AK Singh and requested him to conclude the Panchayat Polls before Ramzan, saying Muslims may find it difficult to votes due to fasting.

TMC general secretary Partha Chatterjee and senior leader Subrata Bakshi met the Election Commissioner AK Singh around 2 pm on Saturday to make the request.

This comes after the Calcutta High Court asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to extend the deadline for panchayat poll candidates.

They also appraised him about the extreme heat across the state and how this could cause more problems for voters if the poll process is further delayed, Chatterjee said.

The HC decision requires the SEC to reschedule panchayat elections that were earlier to be held on May 1, 3 and 5 and could push the poll dates to the Ramzan period.

Addressing the media people, Partha Chatterjee, said, Today, we met the Election Commissioner and shared our issues related to poll. We told him that TMC dont want Panchayat poll during the Ramzan period.

I also told him to consider the weather condition as there could be rains or extreme heat in some parts of Bengal. Therefore, we requested him not to delay the process further and conduct the poll before the Ramzan, he added.

TMC leaders attended the meeting as a part of all-party meeting called by the Election Commissioner to discuss pool related issues. Leaders from other political parties including CPI (M), Congress, Forward Block, RSP attended the meet separately with the Election Commissioner except the BJP.

There was a confrontation between the BJP leaders led by Mukul Roy and the Kolkata police because they were not allowed to enter the Election Commission office. Police told them that only two representatives from each political parties are allowed and the BJP delegation had five.

However, BJP leader Mukul Roy claimed that there is no such restriction and they have informed Singh over phone and via e-mail that five representatives from BJP will meet him. Then, he raised no issue but when we reached, we were not allowed to enter the election commission office. Today is a black day in democracy, Roy said.

As per Calcutta High Courts order, the state election commission is bound to meet all the collective stakeholders of the political parties before finalizing the dates of Panchayat poll and last date of filing nomination. Today, we boycotted the meeting and submitted a written complaint to the Registrar of the Calcutta High Court. Before meeting us the election commission cannot finalize the dates, he added.

When asked to comment on BJP boycotting the EC meeting, Chatterjee said, It was clearly mentioned that only two representatives from each party will meet the EC. They (BJP) are intentionally trying to delay the poll process.

CPI (M)s Robin Deb said, We requested the EC to ensure safety of candidates so that they could file their nominations. If we face problem in filing the nominations, then again we will approach the court.

The state government was in favour of early poll before the Ramzan period as this could create problem before the Muslim community in Bengal. Many feel that the new dates of the panchayat poll could be crucial as there are chances that the Muslim vote percentage could decline.

It is likely that the SEC will now announce the fresh polling/filing of nomination dates on Monday.
Patna: Disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Saturday stood alongside former BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha as he quit the party, praised opposition leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav but made it clear that he would not go anywhere.

Addressing the first convention of Rashtriya Manch (National Forum) in Patna, Shatrughan described jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad as a mass leader and also praised his son Tejashwi Yadav for his leadership qualities.

Amid doubts over his own political future, he described Lalu as his best friend and said that he hoped the former Bihar Chief Minister would be released from jail soon. He also said that he felt democracy would remain safe in the hands of leaders like Tejashwi.

The actor-turned-politician has previously hinted that he may contest the next Lok Sabha election on a different party ticket, saying leaders like him were "unfairly treated" from the day the Modi government was formed.

But he made clear on Saturday that he would not quit the party. There were rumours that I would quit the party. But I am clarifying that I am here to stay and I am not going to go anywhere, he said.

He also described Yashwant Sinha in glowing terms said that his sacrifice has been exemplary. Sinha has said that he would not be joining any political party, but work towards protecting democracy.

The convention of Rashtriya Manch was held at Sri Krishna Memorial Hall at Patna. Congress Renuka Chowdhury, AAP leaders Sanjay Singh and Ashutosh, Tejashwi Yadav were also present at the event.
New Delhi: Former finance minister and BJP veteran Yashwant Sinha has announced his decision to quit the party, ending months of speculation during which he made scathing comments against the Narendra Modi government.

Making the announcement in Patna, Sinha said he would not be joining any political party, but work towards protecting democracy.

Sinha took parting shots at the Modi government, saying it did not let Parliament run during Budget Session.

I can say with full responsibility that the Indian government did not let the House run. The government did not care that the Budget Session was being stalled as the PM did not call a single meeting with the opposition to discuss their issues, said Sinha.

Earlier this weeek Yashwant Sinha had said that he would lead a meeting of non- BJP parties, including the Congress, to discuss alternative political platform on April 21 in Patna.

Targeting the government over the cash crunch issue, Sinha targeted finance minister Arun Jaitely accusing him of gross financial mismanagement.

"All clarifications made by the minister and the government are false. Currency printing is directly related with GDP growth but the government completely failed to explain on this account. Sudden shortage due to excess withdrawal theory is wrong," he said.

Yashwant Sinha had held the Finance and External Affairs portfolios in Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet between 1998 and 2004.
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A British teenager who accessed the email accounts of top US intelligence and security officials including the head of the CIA was sentenced to two years in prison today. Kane Gamble, 18, founder of Crackas With Attitude, will serve his sentence in a youth detention facility. "This was an extremely nasty campaign of politically motivated cyber terrorism," Judge Charles Haddon-Cave said at the sentencing at London's Old Bailey criminal court. "The victims would have felt seriously violated," Haddon-Cave said, adding that Gamble had "revelled" in the attacks.

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Gamble was accompanied by his mother in court. He was 15 and 16 when, from his bedroom in Coalville, central England, he managed to impersonate his targets to get passwords and gain highly sensitive information. He impersonated then Central Intelligence Agency chief John Brennan in calls to the telecom companies Verizon and AOL. Several sensitive documents were reportedly obtained from Brennan's private email inbox and Gamble managed to get information about military and intelligence operations in Iran and Afghanistan.

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"It also seems he was able to successfully access Mr Brennan's iCloud account," prosecutor John Lloyd-Jone said earlier. Gamble called AOL and initiated a password reset, and took control of the iPad of Brennan's wife. Gamble also targeted then US secretary of homeland security Jeh Johnson and made calls to his phone number. He left Johnson's wife a voicemail saying "Am I scaring you?" and managed to get a message to appear on the family television saying: "I own you". Other targets included then US president Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser Avril Haines, his senior science and technology adviser John Holdren, and FBI special agent Amy Hess.

Gamble gained extensive unauthorised access to the US Department of Justice network and was able to access court case files, including on the Deepwater oil spill. The British teenager gave some of the material he managed to access to WikiLeaks and boasted that he had a list of all Homeland Security employees. Gamble was arrested at his home on February 9 last year at the request of the FBI. He claimed he was motivated to act out of support for the Palestinians, and due to the United States "killing innocent civilians", the prosecutor said.

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Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is all set to launch its most-awaited flagship  the OnePlus 6 soon. Just like the previous OnePlus smartphones, the OnePlus 6 will also be an Amazon India exclusive and a dedicated registration page will go live on April 22 at 12:00 am, the company said in a statement. Interested customers can select 'Notify Me' option on the e-commerce website after which they will be notified about all the updates related to the launch, availability, pricing, offers and more. According to a recent report on the internet the device will launch for Rs 39,999, while a report from the past had revealed that the pricing of the OnePlus 6 could start from Rs 34,000 for the 64GB storage model, while the high-end version of the phone with 128GB of internal storage for Rs 39,000. Based on the recent rumours and the teasers released by OnePlus, the OnePlus 6 will be sporting an iPhone X-like notch design.

Also Read: Cyber Terrorism: Teen Gets Two Years Jail For Accessing CIA Head's Email Account

In a tweet on Monday, OnePlus hinted at the water resistance feature being present on the OnePlus 6. The tweet read, "Don't you just hate it when you have to stop using your phone when it rains? So do we ;)." Attached was a video of falling raindrops. The teaser, however, does not reveal the level of water resistance on the smartphone. It can be safely assumed that the OnePlus 6 will feature an IP67 water resistance, considering that it is the industry norm for Android flagships.

Dont you just hate it when you have to stop using your phone when it rains? So do we  pic.twitter.com/QEnOdm3Xtk OnePlus (@oneplus) April 16, 2018

Earlier, a poster revealing the specifications of the OnePlus 6 had been posted by OnePlus. As per the image, the OnePlus 6 will be carrying an 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Another tipster on Twitter, Roland Quandt, had spotted the listing of the smartphone on a Wi-Fi certification website. The April 2 listing confirmed an Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Qualcomm's latest WCN3990 Wi-Fi modem.

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To recall, OnePlus on Thursday announced a partnership with Marvel Studios to celebrate its 10th anniversary with the film "Avengers: Infinity War" which arrives in theatres on April 27. According to media reports, OnePlus is teaming with Disney with a special "Avengers: Infinity War" edition of the forthcoming OnePlus 6. Celebrating its third anniversary in India, OnePlus in December 2017 introduced OnePlus 5T "Star Wars" special edition smartphone in collaboration with a science-fiction film "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" for Rs 38,999.

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Banda Aceh (Indonesia): A group of amorous couples and alleged sex workers were publicly whipped for breaking Islamic law in Indonesia's Aceh on Friday, just a week after the province pledged to move the widely condemned practice indoors.

More than a thousand people, including dozens of tourists from neighbouring Malaysia, jeered and screamed abuse at the group as they were flogged outside a mosque in the capital Banda Aceh.

The three men and five women -- who included several college students -- were found guilty of violating religious law by either showing affection in public or for offering sexual services online, officials said.

Aceh is the only province in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country that imposes Islamic law and flogging is a common punishment for a range of offences -- from gambling, to drinking alcohol to having gay sex or relations outside of marriage.

The conservative region on the northern tip of Sumatra island passed a regulation a week ago that would see criminals whipped only behind prison walls. It was not clear when the new rule would come into effect.

The move was in response to a wave of international criticism over the practice, which has included flogging members of the region's LGBT community and, in some cases, non-Muslims.

Rights groups have derided it as cruel and last year President Joko Widodo called for an end to public whippings in Aceh.

Around 98 per cent of the province's five million residents are Muslims, subject to religious law, including the public whippings which came into practice around 2005.

The new rule has generated protests from conservative groups who see public whippings as having a strong deterrent effect on crime.

Banda Aceh's deputy mayor Zainal Arifin said today's flogging was not an act of defiance against the new rules.

"We understand that the regulation has not yet come into effect and the prison is not yet ready to (host floggings) so that is why we are still doing it" in public, he said.

"Until the new regulation is officially in place we will carry on as usual."
Washington: An Indian-American teenager wanted on a felony firearms possession warrant was shot dead by a California police after he opened fire on them, officials said.

The individual, identified as Nathaniel Prasad, 18, was shot dead on April 5, according to an investigation report released by the Freemont Police Department on Thursday. He was wanted on a felony probation warrant and a misdemeanour evading arrest warrant for fleeing from a Fremont School Resource Officer on March 22.

On April 5, the Fremont Police Department's Street Crimes Unit identified Prasad as a passenger in a vehicle that was being driven by a female in Fremont area. The vehicle was known to be associated with Prasad. Soon the information was broadcast over the police radio about the vehicle and the active warrants and requested marked patrol units to assist with a traffic stop.

Thereafter, two patrol officers responded to the area, activated their emergency lights and siren, and stopped the suspect vehicle just prior to the intersection of Fremont Boulevard and Nicolet Ave.

According to the investigation report, the driver of the vehicle stopped and Prasad fled from the right passenger side of the car on foot. One of the patrol officers followed Prasad to the rear of a nearby petrol station. The officer soon stopped his vehicle and quickly got out to confront Prasad.

Prasad pulled a firearm from his waist area and it appears that he fired one to two shots in the direction of the officer, police said. The officer drew his duty weapon, returned fire and broadcast over the police radio that the suspect had a gun. Prasad ran back toward Fremont Blvd.

This interaction was captured on video surveillance and was corroborated by statements of the involved officer and witnesses at the scene, the local police said in a statement. Additional police officers were rushed to the scene.

During the time the six officers were giving chase, Prasad pulled a gun from his waist area, pointed it in the direction of the officers and it appears he fired at least one round. This interaction is corroborated by the statements of the involved officers, statements of witnesses, the body-worn camera footage and in-car camera footage of the event," the report said.

In response, the officers shot in the direction of Prasad, striking him several times, causing him to fall, it said. "On the ground, Prasad still had the weapon in his hand and officers fired additional rounds, the report said.

Fremont Fire paramedics who arrived on the scene announced Prasad was deceased shortly thereafter. No officers were injured during the incident, the police said.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Prasad's mother. She was transported back to the Fremont Police Department where she provided a statement to investigators. The firearm in Prasad's possession was a .22 calibre revolver.

When officers examined the weapon at the scene, it had three spent casings and three empty cylinders. A record check revealed it was reported stolen. The recovery of the firearm from Prasad was captured via body worn camera and corroborated by witness statements.
Dubai: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday Iran's atomic agency was ready with "expected and unexpected" reactions if the United States pulls out of a multinational nuclear deal, as US President Donald Trump has threatened to do.

"Our atomic energy organisation is fully prepared ... for actions that they expect and actions they do not expect," Rouhani said, without elaborating in a speech carried by state television, referring to a possible decision by Trump to leave the accord next month.

The deal reached between Iran, the United States and five other world powers put curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump has called the agreement one of the worst deals ever negotiated. In January he sent an ultimatum to Britain, France and Germany, saying they must agree to fix what the United States sees as the deal's flaws or he would refuse to extend the critical U.S. sanctions relief that it entails.

U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said on Thursday Washington had been having "intense" discussions with European allies ahead of the May 12 deadline, when U.S. sanctions against Iran will resume unless Trump issues new waivers to suspend them.

Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other parties respect it, but will "shred" the deal if Washington pulls out.

"Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehran's reaction to America's withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant," Iranian state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying in New York.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Rouhani said his government intended to prevent instability in the foreign exchange market after a possible Washington exit from the nuclear accord when the central bank this month slapped controls on markets.

"This was a preventative blow against any American decision on May 12. They fully hoped to ... cause chaos in the (foreign exchange) market. I promise to the people that the plot of the enemy has been thwarted, and whether or not the nuclear deal remains in effect, we will have no problem," Rouhani said.

On April 9, Iran moved to formally unify the country's official and open market exchange rates and banned money changing outside of banks, after its currency, the rial, plunged to an all-time low on concerns over a return of crippling sanctions.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Rouhani, a pragmatic cleric who has advocated expanding social freedoms, criticised moves by his powerful hardline opponents to restrict access to social media, including blocking access to the popular messaging app Telegram.

"Some people dislike social media, and don't like people to have information, and they say people sleep better if they are totally uninformed," Rouhani said, without naming anyone.

Iranian media said this week that government bodies were banned from using Telegram after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's office said his account would shut down to protect national security.

In January, Iran temporarily blocked Telegram, with an estimated 40 million users in Iran, as security forces sought to contain anti-government protests in more than 80 cities.

Many Iranians kept accessing Telegram then, using virtual private networks (VPNs) and other tools to bypass government filtering.
Tokyo: Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday cautiously welcomed North Korea's pledge to halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches but its defence minister warned Tokyo will continue to put maximum pressure on Pyongyang.

"We welcome it as a forward-looking move... but an important thing is whether the move will lead to the complete abandonment of missile and nuclear developments in a verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe told reporters. "We want to watch it closely."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged Saturday his country would halt nuclear tests and intercontinental missile launches, a move welcomed by US President Donald Trump and South Korea.

But Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera said earlier that Japan "can't be satisfied", because Pyongyang did not mention giving up short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. Onodera said Tokyo would persist with its policy of putting pressure on Pyongyang so that it ultimately gives up its "weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms and missiles".

Japan, a close US ally in the region, is in the direct firing line of North Korean missiles and saw two fly over its territory in 2017, sparking outrage and raising tensions to fever pitch.

Japan's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso also voiced scepticism. "(North Korea) has made a lot of promises and we paid money on the condition that they will give up experiment sites, but they continued," Aso told reporters in Washington, referring to Pyongyang's nuclear programme.

The North's declaration, long sought by Washington, comes less than a week before Kim meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.

Earlier this week, Abe held talks with Trump in Florida and displayed a united front on North Korea, including on the issue of Japanese abductees taken to North Korea, a major domestic issue.
Seoul: North Korea said Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States. There was no clear indication in the North's announcement if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

The North rather expressed confidence about its nuclear force, which leader Kim Jong Un declared as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead and flight tests of three intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Some analysts believe Kim is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is unlikely to accept a significant cut of his arsenal or go significantly beyond freezing a nuclear program. South Korean and U.S. officials have said Kim is likely trying to save his broken economy from heavy sanctions.

After the announcement Saturday about testing, President Donald Trump tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!"

He also said he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with Kim.

South Korea's presidential office welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the peninsula. Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang, and Washington.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

The North also vowed to actively engage with regional neighbors and the international community to secure peace on the peninsula and create an "optimal international environment" to build its economy.

The announcement came days before Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

A separate meeting between Kim and Trump is anticipated in May or June.

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee, which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies. The Korean Workers' Party Central Committee declared a "great victory" in the country's official "byungjin" policy of simultaneously pursuing economic and nuclear development.

The committee unanimously adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and "groundbreaking improvements in people's lives."

"To secure transparency on the suspension of nuclear tests, we will close the republic's northern nuclear test site," the party's resolution said.

The official news agency quoted Kim as saying during the meeting: "Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons.

"We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this, the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission."

Seoul says Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons. But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearization" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

South Korean scientists have questioned whether the North could continue conducting underground nuclear detonations at its mountainous test site in Kilju in the northeast due to a series of earthquakes that were likely triggered by the activity, suggesting it's too unstable for further bomb tests.

At the height of Pyongyang's standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.
Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared an end to the nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests that sent tensions soaring on the peninsula, in the region, and beyond.

The move, enshrined in a decision by the ruling Workers' Party, comes ahead of a summit with the South's President Moon Jae-in next week, and with a much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump due later.

But it is only one step in a complicated sequence of moves that has a long way to play out. Here are some questions and answers on the latest developments.

Does this mean Kim will give up his arsenal?

Not in the slightest. Kim explicitly said that the possession of nuclear weapons was "the firm guarantee by which our descendants can enjoy the most dignified and happiest life in the world".

The North also reserved itself the right to use atomic weapons if there were "nuclear threats and nuclear provocations" against it -- a threshold that falls short of an attack.

"I dont see how North Korean statement constitutes a step toward denuclearisation," tweeted Christopher Green of the International Crisis Group. "It is a moratorium on testing, but recommits North Korea to nuclear weapons status."

Why is this announcement being made now?

Pyongyang's declaration comes less than a week before the inter-Korean summit, and it has been on a charm offensive for months with the South's Winter Olympics triggering a diplomatic rapprochement on the peninsula.

Kim first declared the completion of the country's nuclear force at the beginning of this year, and the North appears to believe last year's technological advances put it into a position of strength from which to negotiate.

At the same time analysts say it has been rattled by the belligerent rhetoric of the Trump administration, and according to diplomats sanctions are having an increasing impact on the economy.

The declaration of an end to testing has long been demanded by Washington, and will be seen as a confidence-building measure ahead of the talks.

Jon Wolfsthal, director of the Nuclear Crisis Group, said: "The DPRK is really eager both to ensure the summit happens and, if it fails, to build the case now that they bent over backwards to be reasonable."

Will there be a deal?

Trump warned last week that he would call off the Kim summit if it was unlikely to prove "fruitful".

But what an ultimate deal over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons might look like, and what it will demand in the form of security guarantees, remains deeply unclear.

And we have been here before  there have been declarations of a moratorium on testing, negotiations and even agreements in the past, but they have ultimately foundered sooner or later.

How significant is closing Punggye-ri?

All but one of the North's nuclear blasts have been carried out under Mount Mantap at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in the northwest of the country, with landslides and earthquakes after the last blast leading to speculation it was suffering from "tired mountain syndrome".

Closing Punggye-ri does not preclude the use of other locations, or even atmospheric nuclear tests, MIT political scientist Vipin Narang pointed out.

But David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security said the declared intention to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing was highly significant, opening the way to the US seeking access to the site.

"Transparency is critical and a key concession, if sincere."

How powerful is Pyongyang's arsenal?

Monitoring groups put the size of Pyongyang's sixth and last atomic blast in September at 250 kilotons -- 16 times the size of the US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945 and the kind of yield generated by a hydrogen bomb.

In a 2016 defence white paper, Seoul estimated the North had 50 kilograms of plutonium -- reportedly enough for about 10 bombs, and US estimates of its bomb numbers are said to be significantly higher.

The Hwasong-15 ICBM Pyongyang tested in November has an estimated range of more than 13,000 kilometres (8,000 miles), analysts say, bringing the whole of the US mainland within range.

There are still questions over its capabilities -- it has not demonstrated targeting abilities, miniaturisation of a warhead, or the re-entry technology needed to survive coming back into the Earth's atmosphere. But it claims to have mastered all three.

And whenever it holds a military parade, it puts scores of missiles and giant launchers on show rolling through Kim Il Sung square.
Washington: President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran deal and the situation in Syria when they meet each other next week, a senior US official has said.

Macron will arrive here on Monday for a three-day state visit and Trump and First Lady Melania are throwing a red carpet to welcome the French president.

During the visit, the two presidents are expected to discuss the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by the US and other world powers and Iran, the official said. The deal lifted economic sanctions on Tehran, and in return put limitations on its controversial nuclear energy programme.

Trump has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal and has set a May 12 deadline to make a decision on the accord, which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

The official said Trump was not yet ready to make a final decision but that the nuclear deal would definitely be an important part of the discussions during his meetings with Macron. "It's difficult to say what degree of detail the two presidents will go into because based on the president's statement back in January, there's a deadline of around mid-May before he has to make a decision, the official said.

The Europeans, the E3 in particular, have been working hard on trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Iran's ballistic missile program, for example; the sunset clause; and the JCPOA, and so on. That work is not quite done yet. So I think the time to really have the final discussions and for the president to be ready to make the decision will be mid-May, the official said.

Noting that the United States works closely with France to combat terror around the world, the official said Trump and Macron will also discuss recent joint operations in Syria in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons on April 7 as well as broader issues relating to Syria and the Middle East.

"These would include Iran's malign influence in the region; and also France's leading role in the NATO and in global counterterrorism operations more generally, including in the Sahel, where France takes the leading role," the official said.

Macron's state visit will include, on April 23, a tour of Mt. Vernon and a private couples dinner, the official told reporters here.

The tour would celebrate the "close and continuing" ties between the two countries, which have been a strong and reliable ally to each other. "President Trump is eager to host the Macrons for this special event as he remembers, fondly, the dinner the couples shared together in the Eiffel Tower on the eve of Bastille Day that was last July in 2017, the official said.

On April 24, Macron will meet with Trump in the White House, mid-morning, for a one-on-one session in the Oval Office. That will be followed by an expanded working bilateral meeting between the French and US delegations.

The bilateral meeting will include the Vice President, the Acting Secretary of State, the Secretary of Treasury, the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of Commerce, the White House Chief of Staff, and the National Security Advisor.

The visit has three themes: friendship, trade partnership, and the fact that France has been "a strong and reliable" ally of the US. "President Trump is continuing the legacy of French-American cooperation that stretches back to America's independence, and is working with President Macron to build upon the already strong ties between the United States and France," the official said.

France is the United States' third largest trading partner in Europe, and averages over USD 1 billion in commercial transactions every day.
China counters India's 'terror export factory' remark on Pakistan

Beijing : China on Friday defended Pakistan against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that Islamabad was a "terror export factory", saying the country must be supported in the fight against "terrorism".



Beijing also hinted the issue of terrorism will be on the agenda of discussion at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) when the eight-member block, joined by India and Pakistan last year, holds its annual meeting at Chinese city Qingdao in June.

At an event in London on Thursday, Modi said India will not tolerate those who export terror.

"When someone has put a terror export factory in place, attacks my people, has no power to fight a war so attempts to attack behind the back... in such a case Modi knows to how to give a reply in the same language," the Indian leader had said in an obvious reference to Pakistan.

Asked about Modi's remark, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: "Terrorism is an enemy faced by all. The international community should work together to combat terrorism."

"Terrorism is an enemy faced by all. The international community should work together to combat terrorism. The international community should also support the efforts of Pakistan in fighting terrorism and cooperate with it," Hua added.

China always comes to the rescue of its "all-weather ally" Pakistan when it is pilloried for sheltering terrorists. Beijing has invested over $50 billion in various infrastructure projects under its ambitious Belt and Road programme.

Asked if the issue of terrorism will be discussed at the Foreign Ministers' meet of the SCO, Hua said: "As for the Foreign Ministers' meeting on terrorism, I believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in the field."

India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will arrive in Beijing on Saturday and attend the foreign ministerial-level meeting of the SCO on Monday.

However, Hua said the security issues will be the agenda of the main SCO meet in June, which will be attended by Modi.

"Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception. So the upcoming Prime Minister's SCO meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues. All participants will uphold the SCO spirit to take forward the development of SCO," Hua said.

(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at sharmagaurav71@gmail.com)
DANBURY  A city health department official used a bucket to contain a fire across the street from his home Friday night until firefighters arrived, officials said.

Firefighters were called to a fire that broke out on the back porch of a home on Jefferson Avenue just before midnight, James Gagliardo, of the Danbury Fire Department, said in a release. The fire was contained to the back of the house and quickly extinguished when crews arrived, he said. Officials said nobody was found inside.
China has military facilities on disputed islands in the South China Sea and is now capable of controlling the South China Sea, according to the admiral slated to be the next Pacific Command chief.

Admiral Philip Davidson told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US military urgently needs hypersonic and other advanced weaponry to defeat Chinas Peoples Liberation Army in a future conflict.

China also is weaponizing space with missiles, jammers, and lasers capable of killing satellites, key American military power projection tools.

The four-star admiral said if confirmed to lead the Pacific Command, he will carry out a buildup of Navy, Army, and Air Force forces in the region to confront the growing threat posed by China, in addition to continuing dangers from North Korea.

China has conducted seven tests of a hypersonic glide vehicle fired atop a ballistic missile that travels and maneuvers at speeds of 7,000 miles per hour or greater. The high speeds and maneuverability make the missiles very difficult to target and counter with missile defenses.

Russia also is developing hypersonic missiles.

Nextbigfuture notes that any US arms race in hypersonic weapons, railguns and lasers is not assured of creating a technological advantage over China. China currently has the financial and technological resources to match US advances in this area.

China has the dredging and construction capability to expand from about seven fortified islands to about 200 fortified islands.

Geographically the South China Sea can be targeted by Chinese missiles and railguns on the mainland and across the fortified islands.

It is relatively low-cost for China to build up the islands and to put relatively inexpensive missiles around them.

The US would have to come up with some other means to change the equation. Fighting right beside China provides too many geographic and other advantages that are beneficial to China.
NEW HAVEN  Community activists say it is time for the city to adopt a sanctuary city ordinance, enshrining into law work that began a decade ago.

Following the introduction of municipal ID cards in 2007, an idea that stemmed from local immigration activism to allow documentation for undocumented residents, then-Mayor John DeStefano Jr. also issued an order to police forbidding them from inquiring about the immigration status of people reporting crimes, effectively a dont ask, dont tell order.

Kica Matos, a former executive director for Junta for Progressive Action and longtime community activist, said undocumented immigrants were were seen as walking ATMs in a documentary recalling the activism leading up to the development of the ID cards and subsequent retaliatory U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.

Immigrants, unable to establish bank accounts without proper identification and fearful of potential repercussions of going to police, often were victims of unreported crimes.

The designation sanctuary city, DeStefano said, was given to New Haven by federal departments, not something the city claimed for itself.

Although New Haven officials maintain sanctuary city policies, the exact meaning of the term sanctuary city has been debated, and activists and community members are now pushing to put a law on the books.

The activists, which include representatives from Unidad Latina en Accion, the Yale Law School and Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, are shooting for 2,000 signatures on a petition for the Board of Alders to consider an ordinance that would extend the police order to all city employees and officials, limit city communication with immigration authorities to only what is required by law and to refuse to waste city resources detaining people based on requests from ICE absolutely.

This is not just about saying we support (sanctuary city policies), but taking action, said Unidad Latina en Accion organizer Fatima Rojas.

Before an audience of about 50 people at Yale Universitys La Casa Cultural, the universitys Latino community center, Thursday, four undocumented residents shared, in Spanish, stories of their struggles, many drawing parallels between the situations from which they fled their home countries and the way they are treated in New Haven.

One woman who arrived to New Haven after fleeing Guatemala as a child said she was intercepted by immigration authorities en route.

They give us food as if we were dogs. They didnt give us blankets, she said.

Another woman said she had three family members killed in Honduras while caring for her children in New Haven.

Its hard, because I have two children and I cant do anything, she said.

Another woman said she was now stuck between a rock and a hard place after leaving Mexico to find more opportunities for her sick mother but now raising children in New Haven.

I couldnt stand to see my mom sick, she said. As soon as I got here, I started working.

Now, she lives day to day, she said, sending money to Mexico where her mother is now living healthily.

They told us its an American dream, and its not true. They do the same things here, she said. They dont respect our rights.

The final speaker said her life was destabilized by the government response to non-violent protests in the Mexican state of Oaxaca in 2006, and one of her enduring memories is the community closing its doors to the people on the streets. Today in New Haven, she said, she feels the same way.

The fight is here and there. Its everywhere, she said.

Valerie Comenencia Ortiz, a Yale Law School student, said the potential loss in federal funds being threatened is negligible to community safety. When President Donald Trump made the threats against sanctuary cities, New Haven was not mentioned. On Thursday, a federal appeals court in Chicago upheld an injunction, prohibiting the government from withholding public safety funding from municipalities contingent upon cooperation with ICE.

The Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Illinois on Thursday upheld an injunction stemming from a lawsuit brought by the city of Chicago.

The Attorney General in this case used the sword of federal funding to conscript state and local authorities to aid in federal civil immigration enforcement, Judge Ilana Rovner wrote in the opinion, joined by Judge William Bauer. But the power of the purse rests with Congress, which authorized the federal funds at issue and did not impose any immigration enforcement conditions on the receipt of such funds.

We have a lot to gain from the protections in this ordinance, and we have very little to lose, Comenencia Ortiz said.

City spokesman Laurence Grotheer said in an email that the city is unaware of any proposed ordinance on this topic under consideration by the Board of Alders.

Although the decade-old ID card program originated under DeStefano, current Mayor Toni Harp has announced herself as an advocate for sanctuary cities, making headlines this year after boycotting a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House over his threats to sanctuary cities.

Thirty people were arrested in subsequent ICE raids in the immediate aftermath of the establishment of the ID cards in 2007, some of them without warrants. ICE reportedly forced open doors and separated mothers from children; 11 of those arrested were later awarded a $350,000 settlement to split and were not deported.

Several New Haven churches have offered sanctuary to people in the state facing deportation recently, including New Haven resident Nelson Pinos Gonzalez and Meriden resident Marcos Reyes Alvarez in First and Summerfield United Methodist Church and Norwalk resident Nury Chavarria in Iglesia de Dios Pentecostal Church. Immigration and Customs Enforcement guidance instructs agents to avoid sensitive areas such as churches and schools.

brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com
EAST HAVEN  Police apprehended an adult and a juvenile male late Thursday night after a stolen car chase that ended in a crash, according to a police press release.

New Haven police had pursued a stolen gold GMC Yukon with New York plates almost to the East Haven town line, the release said, and then relayed a description and last known location to East Haven officers.

An East Haven officer spotted the vehicle as it turned onto Charnes Drive and observed it speed through a stop sign and pass cars in a no-passing zone, the release said. The officer tried to make the motor vehicle stop in the area of Foxon Hill Road, but the vehicle continued westbound on Foxon, driving recklessly and crossing Quinnipiac Avenue onto Smith Street in New Haven, the release said. The Yukon tried to elude police by entering the Sunset Ridge Apartments, 341 Smith Ave., the release said, and proceeded to drive recklessly through the parking lot, eventually encountering a narrow portion of the lot with no outlet. The vehicle continued straight into a wooded area, traveled down an embankment and struck a tree, the release said.

With the assistance of the New Haven Police Department, East Haven officers apprehended Noel Adon, 2 Bouchet Lane, New Haven, and a 17- year-old juvenile, the release said. Both individuals were transported to the hospital for evaluation. Once they were released, they were brought to the East Haven Police Department where they were processed, according to police.

Adon was charged with second-degree larceny, engaging police in pursuit, reckless driving, interfering with a police investigation, and operating without a license. Adon was held in lieu of $10,000 bail and is scheduled to appear May 2 in New Haven Superior Court.

The juvenile was issued a juvenile summons charging him with second-degree conspiracy to commit larceny and interfering with a police investigation. He was given a juvenile court date of May 2.
Gamers planning a trip to Panama City may just want to book a stay at the local Hilton hotel. Alienware has teamed up with the hotels management to create a gaming-themed room that is awesome enough to bring tears to the eyes of gamers who cant bear the thought of a day away from their preferred battle royale title. The cost for such gaming-room luxury? US$349 a night.

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An Alienware Room has opened at the Hilton hotel in Panama City, and it is practically guaranteed to offer a pleasant, if not necessarily restful, stay for gamers. Apart from the fact that the Alienware logo can be seen on everything from the pillows and the walls to even the tissue dispenser, the room is also stocked to the gills with the hardware products that the Dell-owned subsidiary is renowned for. So what does Room 2425 at the Panama Hilton offer for its visitors?

An Alienware desktop PC powered by an Intel Core i7-8700 chip with 32 GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti to make those graphics truly pop.

A 65-inch 4K OLED TV.

An Alienware 15 laptop with an i7-7700HQ and 32 GB RAM supported by an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU.

A 34-inch Alienware 4K curved gaming monitor.

A pair of Xbox One Elite controllers.

An Oculus Rift headset.

A huge gaming chair that will possibly make you weep with happiness as soon as you see it.

Naturally, all this extravagant hardware is accompanied by the typical bells and whistles (well LED lighting in this case). The room even has two beds, a bathroom, and a shower  but who cares about those sorts of things when you can be blazing glorious trails on a 65-inch 4K OLED TV?

It costs US$349 a night to stay in Room 2425. Chicken dinners cost extra.


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NORRISTOWN, Pa.  Jurors at the Bill Cosby sexual assault retrial were shown documents Friday that his lawyers said demonstrated that he could not have assaulted Andrea Constand in January 2004, as she says, because he was traveling.

Debbie Meister, a personal assistant at Mr. Cosbys production company, SAH Enterprises, explained documents that outlined how Mr. Cosby traveled in his private jet on several occasions in January and that none of the trips went in or out of a Philadelphia-area airport.

The defense hoped to convince the jury here at the Montgomery County Courthouse that the travel schedule meant Mr. Cosby was out of town during the time period when Ms. Constand says he drugged and assaulted her at his home outside Philadelphia.

Whether the encounter occurred in January 2004 is important because, beyond Ms. Constands credibility, there is the issue of a 12-year statute of limitations for filing charges. Mr. Cosby was charged in December 2015, so if the encounter had happened much earlier than January 2004, he could not have been prosecuted under Pennsylvania law.
Tesla is already under scrutiny because of its uncertain financial outlook, troubles producing a new model and safety questions about its driver-assistance technology.

Now it is coming under fire on a new front: workplace injuries.

Californias job safety watchdog said Friday that it was investigating a recent incident at the automakers factory in Fremont that left a worker hospitalized with a broken jaw.

It said the man, a 30-year-old millwright employed by a subcontractor, had been hit by a skid carrier, a piece of equipment used to move a vehicle through the assembly process.

The state agency, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, has six months to issue citations for any violations of workplace safety regulations.
54A: I thought of mythology first when looking for an entry for Passage between life and death, thinking of Charon and the river Styx or some other legend; GREAT DIVIDE made me think of another old song, this one by the Band. I think this metaphor can have other meanings, but The Last Waltz is full of mortality imagery. Still great music though.

58A: The names Obergefell and Hodges didnt resonate with me, and the subject of their Supreme Court case, GAY MARRIAGE, is actually a puzzle debut. This ruling is pretty recent, 2014. If that had been part of the clue I might have gotten it.

8D: I love watching people sign to one another; there is a school for the deaf on my daily subway route and I often watch people have lightning-fast, expressive conversations in American Sign Language. I was not in tune to the strong feelings that people have about ASL versus reading lips and speaking, which are skills taught by an ORALIST. Anne Sullivan, Helen Kellers teacher, was one, and this school of thought was encouraged generations ago by Alexander Graham Bell, among others. Today the key concept seems to be that people be allowed their choice in communicating.

13D: There was a pair of interesting gestures clued in the downs today. This one, Words accompanying a raised hand, maybe, conjured volunteering or taking attendance to my mind, but its referring (most likely) to someone who might be caught in an undertow or maybe quick sand, whose raised hand might be waving frantically to indicate I NEED HELP.

32D: This was the other gesture, Punch the air. Im unashamed to admit that I thought of a particular reality show that shows up everywhere when summer starts to roll in, Jersey Shore, and their fist-pumping celebratory dance moves. This is a discipline rather than a goof, to SHADOW BOX.
Powering through a lunchtime run by himself on Friday, John Hendy was excited by Mayor Bill de Blasios announcement minutes earlier that cars would be banned from Central Parks scenic drives starting in June.

Youre always looking out. Am I going to get hit? said Mr. Hendy, 57, who works in information technology for a financial services firm on Madison Avenue.

Mr. de Blasio said he had parkgoers like Mr. Hendy in mind when he made the decision to close the drives below 72nd Street to vehicles beginning on June 27, the day after public schools close. Those drives are currently open to traffic during limited hours.

This park was not built for automobiles, Mr. de Blasio said during the announcement Friday in Central Park. It was built for people.
ALBANY  In her first major environmental proposal, Cynthia Nixon, who is challenging Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for the Democratic nomination, called on New York State to commit to 100 percent renewable energy sources by 2050, a benchmark that has been something of a Holy Grail for activists concerned about the warming of the planet as a result of the burning of fossil fuels.

Her announcement on Friday came just hours after the governors office had issued its own call for increased efficiency targets to right the devastating effects of climate change. Both moves seemed calculated to coincide with Earth Day on Sunday, but also as a means of upstaging the others initiatives.

Ms. Nixon called for a complete embrace of renewable energy, like that produced by wind, water or solar. Mr. Cuomo has, to this point, committed to 50 percent renewable energy by 2030.

Speaking to a crowd in Rockaway Beach, Queens, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Ms. Nixon said that action to prevent climate change cant fall victim to business as usual in Albany and a political system that caters to the needs of corporate donors over the future of New Yorks children.
A news release accompanying the data included a written statement from Mr. de Blasio that acknowledged no fault with the citys handling of such cases during his administration.

Far too long, survivors of sexual harassment had to suffer in silence, the statement said. Weve reviewed and overhauled our policies to send a loud and clear message of support to survivors.

Among other agencies, the parks department also had a relatively high number of cases, with 130 complaints filed between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2017. Of those, 59 were substantiated and at least 39 were found to be without substance, although the data for that category was not complete.

There were numerous gaps in the data provided by the city. For many agencies, the city provided only partial data, for instance, failing to indicate how many cases were substantiated. And it omitted some kinds of data, such as how many complainants brought their cases to federal or state investigators.

The news release said that all city employees will receive sexual harassment training over the next year. It also said that the city will release data annually and create a standardized system for reporting harassment.

The largest settlement identified by the city included a payment of $550,000 in a suit brought three women employed by the citys Human Resources Administration. In that case, a supervisor was accused of repeated assaults, including groping breasts and, in at least one instance, choking one of the women while she was at her desk. The women brought their complaints to more senior staff at the agency, which oversees much of the citys social services programs, but according to the suit their allegations were never addressed and the sexual harassment continued.

The city also reached a $500,000 settlement in 2015 with a police officer, who sued the city in federal court over harassment by her supervisor, a sergeant, accusing him of a yearslong pattern of harassment that included forcible touching, sexual insults and, at one point, taking a picture of his penis next to her face as she rested with a jacket over her head. The suit said the harassment was not limited to the sergeant and was not taken seriously by supervisors.

The sergeant told the female officer that he knows people on the job and that he was untouchable, according to the complaint. He retired from the force, according to the complaint.
Its been 60 years since anyone other than a Castro was at the head of the Cuban state, so the installation of Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez as president in Havana this week does rank as a symbolic moment. But not much more, at least for the moment.

Raul Castro, who handpicked this loyal apparatchik as his successor, remains at the helm of the Communist Party and the armed forces; his son runs the intelligence services; his ex-son-in-law runs the militarys vast business interests. In his first speech, Mr. Diaz-Canel vowed there would be no capitalist restoration and concluded with a slogan that has not roused the masses for some time now: Socialism or death! We will triumph!

Yet the history of Communist regimes suggests that once the revolutionary old guard passes on, change is possible. Raul Castro, the late Fidel Castros younger brother, is 86, and there is no certainty that his kith and kin can carry the torch once hes gone, especially since the flame is flickering.

In his 10 years as president, Raul Castro opened the economy a crack to private investment and private enterprise, but without lifting the states firm and onerous centralized control. The Soviet Union was no longer around to prop up the economy, and Venezuela, which for a time filled the void, descended into its own economic hell. And President Barack Obamas opening to Cuba has been partly reversed by President Trump. The result, according to a study by Richard Feinberg of the Brookings Institution, is a persistent stagnation that has left Cuba further and further behind the world on most fronts.
I was shocked, then saddened. Within a few hours of that harrowing suicide, the park had already moved on. The city, with the rest of the world, never stopped.

Image David S. Buckel argues in favor of gay marriage, in 2006 at the New Jersey Supreme Court in Trenton. Credit... Pool photo by Jose F. Moreno

At home I looked online to see how this mans desperate act, taken with the express purpose of drawing attention, was being presented in our click-based media landscape. His tortured message was there, but it was already being drowned out by other news, particularly the deafening noise from the presidents porn star feud.

It occurred to me that Mr. Buckel didnt have the banner headlines because what he did was so un-American. I dont mean in the patriotic sense. I mean in style and form. The extraordinarily painful way he took his life reminded me more of the Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives protesting Chinese rule. And then I read that Mr. Buckel had himself alluded to Tibetan monks in his note.

How do Americans kill themselves when they want to get attention? Just look at gun-related massacre after massacre, in which legally armed monsters take the lives of innocents, ensuring they get every front page and top-of-the-hour story, before turning the guns on themselves. In Parkland, Fla., in Las Vegas, and on and on. And so their messages of nihilism, of pure evil, spread.

Whatever underlying depression or personal issues drove David Buckel to do what he did, he, too, had a message. He wrote in his suicide note: Most humans on the planet now breathe air made unhealthy by fossil fuels, and many die early deaths as a result  my early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves.
Last weekend, we were inspired to highlight our favorite pieces on relationships. Now we are hitting another hot topic: money. Here is a collection on wealth, or the lack of it, and what it all means.

Image Credit... LM Otero/Associated Press

First, well get philosophical. Simon Critchley writes that the curious thing about money is how something so real can at the same time be so illusory.
Thats a point that Israels restless critics could stand to learn. On Friday, Palestinians in Gaza returned for the fourth time to the border fence with Israel, in protests promoted by Hamas. The explicit purpose of Hamas leaders is to breach the fence and march on Jerusalem. Israel cannot possibly allow this  doing so would create a precedent that would encourage similar protests, and more death, along all of Israels borders  and has repeatedly used deadly force to counter it.

The armchair corporals of Western punditry think this is excessive. It would be helpful if they could suggest alternative military tactics to an Israeli government dealing with an urgent crisis against an adversary sworn to its destruction. They dont.

It would also be helpful if they could explain how they can insist on Israels retreat to the 1967 borders and then scold Israel when it defends those borders. They cant. If the armchair corporals want to persist in demands for withdrawals that for 25 years have led to more Palestinian violence, not less, the least they can do is be ferocious in defense of Israels inarguable sovereignty. Somehow they almost never are.

Israels 70th anniversary has occasioned a fresh round of anxious, if not exactly new, commentary about the rifts between Israeli and Diaspora Jewry. Some Diaspora complaints, especially with respect to religion and refugees, are valid and should be heeded by Jerusalem.

But to the extent that the Diasporas objections are prompted by the nonchalance of the supposedly nonvulnerable when it comes to Israels security choices, then the complaints are worse than feckless. They provide moral sustenance for Hamas in its efforts to win sympathy for its strategy of wanton aggression and reckless endangerment. And they foster the illusion that theres some easy and morally stainless way by which Jews can exercise the responsibilities of political power.

Though not Jewish, Adam Armoush was once one of the nonchalant when it came to what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century. Presumably no longer. For Jews, its a painful, useful reminder that Israel is not their vanity. Its their safeguard.
Our research suggests that this belief  that a nonwhite person cannot or will not be a legitimate customer  can indeed worsen discrimination in service delivery. In a follow-up study, we emailed nearly 2,000 hotels and made a similar inquiry about local restaurants. But this time, in addition to varying the race of the inquirers, we varied whether they made clear their intention to stay at the hotel. Indeed, making customer status explicit helped reduce discrimination against minority people. These results are in line with the recent incident at Starbucks: We see that service workers do not apply the rule that every person is a potential customer deserving the same level of service.

Achieving consistency in customer service is no easy feat. Good customer service could mean something different to every patron and every employee. As the sociologist Philip Selznick wrote, employees are wholes, not just roles. This applies to customer service. People bring their whole selves to work  including their unique experiences, backgrounds and world views.

While well-designed racial bias training is certainly a positive step forward and an important public statement, research on the long-term effectiveness of such training is mixed at best. Instead of relying primarily on trainings to remedy bias, if they truly want to transform the way they serve customers, companies need to make structural changes. For instance, they should standardize scripts and provide employees with specific protocols for managing these situations. Such efforts can institutionalize norms of behavior for employees when they interact with customers.

But even before putting new processes in place for employees to follow, companies must systematically assess the current state of their customer service. We encourage businesses to begin by conducting internal audit studies of customer service. Many of the service behaviors we discussed are subtle. To detect bias in these behaviors requires quantifying different aspects of customer service and comparing treatment quality across a range of customers. After all, a store manager may conclude that an employee is doing a great job upon hearing him say Have a great day! to an Asian customer but not recognize that the same employee says Have a great day! You should come back and try our new blonde cappuccino, with soy! to a white customer. It is only after identifying these disparities that companies can develop targeted interventions to combat biases.

We urge companies not to stop at racial bias training. Structural changes in how service is delivered are necessary. Large corporations especially have the opportunity  and even an imperative  to be part of the solution.
NATIONAL

An article on Friday about Puerto Ricos financial situation since Hurricane Maria misstated the amount of debt the territory has accumulated. It is more than $70 billion, not more than $70 million.



An article on Friday about memos made by the former F.B.I. director James Comey documenting his interactions with the president rendered a date incorrectly in quoting one of Mr. Comeys notes. He wrote that he typed the notes upon exiting Trump Tower on 1/6/17, not 1/5/17.



An article on Thursday about a settlement between American Media Inc. and Karen McDougal, a former playboy model, described incorrectly one provision of the agreement. Under the deals terms, A.M.I. has the right to up to $75,000 of the profits from any deal Ms. McDougal makes in the next year for her story about an affair she claims to have had with Donald J. Trump before he became president. The provision does not apply to any deal made after that.

BUSINESS DAY

An article on Friday about damaged engines on multiple Southwest Airlines planes misstated the type and frequency of inspections of the engine of an American Airlines Boeing 767 that failed in 2016. According to a National Transportation Safety Board report, the inspections used eddy current and fluorescent penetrant techniques; they were not visual inspections. The article also misstated the last time an inspection of the engine was conducted. According to the report, the last inspection was conducted in 2011, not between flights.
If approved, the plan would have closed detention facilities that are designed to house families and replaced them with separate shelters for adults and children. The White House supported the move and convened a group of officials from several federal agencies to consider its merits. But the Department of Homeland Security has said the policy was never adopted.

Children removed from their families are taken to shelters run by nongovernmental organizations. There, workers seek to identify a relative or guardian in the United States who can take over the childs care. But if no such adult is available, the children can languish in custody indefinitely. Operators of these facilities say they are often unable to locate the parents of separated children because the children arrive without proper records.

Once a child has entered the shelter system, there is no firm process to determine whether they have been separated from someone who was legitimately their parent, or for reuniting parents and children who had been mistakenly separated, said a Border Patrol official, who was not authorized to discuss the agencys policies publicly.

The idea of punishing parents who are trying to save their childrens lives, and punishing children for being brought to safety by their parents by separating them, is fundamentally cruel and un-American, said Michelle Brane, director of the Migrant Rights and Justice program at the Womens Refugee Commission, an advocacy group that conducts interviews and monitoring at immigration detention centers, including those that house children. It really to me is just a horrific Sophies Choice for a mom.

Mirian has pinballed across Texas, held at various times in three other detention centers. She is part of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of many immigrant parents seeking to prohibit family separations at the border.

Her sons name, along with Mirians surname, are being withheld for their safety. But in a declaration she filed in that case, she said she was never told why her son was being taken away from her. Since February, the only word she has received about him has come from a case manager at the facility in San Antonio where he is being held. Her son asked about her and cried all the time in the days after he arrived at the facility, the case worker said, adding that the boy had developed an ear infection and a cough.
Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri was accused on Friday of illegally obtaining a donor list from a charity he founded and using it to raise money for his 2016 campaign, a new blow to Mr. Greitens in a deepening political and sex scandal that has threatened his grip on the governors office.

Kimberly Gardner, the St. Louis circuit attorney, charged Mr. Greitens with one felony count of tampering with computer data in connection with the donor list.

Mr. Greitens, a Republican who was first elected governor in the 2016 race, already was facing a different felony charge, invasion of privacy. In January, he admitted that he had a sexual relationship with his former hairdresser while he was married. The woman has told a legislative committee that Mr. Greitens took a nude or seminude picture of her without her consent, then threatened to make the image public if she told anyone about their affair.

The new felony charge dates back to actions prosecutors say took place in April 2015, when Mr. Greitens, a former Navy SEAL, was running for governor and serving on the board of directors for The Mission Continues, a veterans charity that he founded. According to the charging document, Mr. Greitens directed an employee of the charity, identified only as K.T., to take a list of donors from the charity.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, vowing to play an influential role in the 2018 midterm elections, was blunt on Friday about the stakes for the Democratic Party.

If Democrats control either the House or the Senate, Trumps agenda is dead, Mr. Sanders said during a conversation with New York Times reporters and editors.

At this critical moment ahead of hundreds of House and Senate primaries, Mr. Sanders also argued that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and other national party organizations are not doing enough to support liberal grass-roots candidates who are running against Mr. Trump and backing a progressive agenda.

The establishment Democrats are still, I think, looking toward candidates who can self-fund, said Mr. Sanders, a progressive independent who had enormous success raising about $230 million in mostly small-dollar and online donations during his 2016 presidential bid.
WASHINGTON  For days, top Republicans in Congress demanded the release of James B. Comeys memos about President Trump, threatening Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, with a subpoena if he failed to share the highly anticipated documents written by the former F.B.I. director.

But if Mr. Trump and his allies believed that Mr. Rosensteins refusal would deliver a pretext to call for his firing, as Democrats asserted, his decision to quickly release all the memos late Thursday night foiled that plan. The memos leaked to reporters hours after being delivered to lawmakers in both parties.

And the seven memos, in which Mr. Comey methodically documented his interactions with the president in real time, did little to help Republicans undermine Mr. Comeys credibility or expose contradictions with his best-selling, tell-all book. Taken together, the 15 pages of detailed notes largely back up the stories that Mr. Comey told in congressional testimony, in the pages of his memoir, A Higher Loyalty, and during numerous television and radio interviews.

Im not quite sure how this improved the strategic posture of those who want to dismantle the special counsel investigation, said Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland. This is a tactic that has backfired. From what Ive seen of the Comey memos, they bear out completely the authenticity of his reports and his own credibility.
LONDON  The British police have identified suspects in the nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter, and the suspects are believed to be in Russia, the newspaper The Daily Telegraph has reported, citing unnamed security officials.

Investigators have settled on persons of interest by scanning passengers on flights in and out of Britain, the newspaper reported. They have also gathered information from surveillance footage in the town of Salisbury, England, where the crime occurred, by zeroing in on car license plates.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police would not comment on the report, saying only that the police are not discussing specific lines of inquiry.
That hairdo might be the worst cover-up in political history, someone snipes in The Hellfire Club, a time-warping political thriller by the CNN anchor Jake Tapper. The year is 1954, and the book is crammed with high-profile political figures of the McCarthy era. The spirit of the times is menacing. (Has anyone actually gotten a look at the naval records of PT-109? It seems like too much of whats in the news media is spoon-fed to journalists by various government factions with agendas.) In Tappers view, it aligns all too well with the atmosphere today.

As a newsman, Tapper can be tough and quick. Hes the guy who recently said, Go home, 2018, youre drunk, delivering the savviest analysis of the year thus far. As a nonfiction writer, hes shown a wide range of interests, with subjects including a deadly battle in Afghanistan (The Outpost) and Jesse Venturas wrestler-to-governor transformation (Body Slam).

As a novelist, he makes the rookie mistake of loading every interesting fact he could muster into a plot that can barely support the weight. The first part of the book is devoted to a parade of Washington cameos. It begins with a thrillers pro forma opening: Charlie Marder, newly minted congressman, wakes up drunk and muddy in Rock Creek Park with the following accouterments: tuxedo, dead cocktail waitress, wrecked Studebaker and high-powered lobbyist to help him escape the crime scene. Charlie, a war hero and former college professor, doesnt wonder whether theres anything fishy about this situation.

Cut to a big night at the theater, where everyone whos anyone in Washington shows up. Herbert Hoover smells like mothballs. The Kennedys. The Nixons. Isnt that Joe Alsop? Where the devil is Kefauver, anyway? In short order, all of these famous figures  minus the Nixons, but plus Lyndon B. Johnson, Roy Cohn, Margaret Chase Smith and even President Eisenhower  will be on cozy terms with Charlie, a new guy whose integrity makes a big impression. That is, until the pressures of political reality start leaching that integrity away.
A huge oil spill. A river catching fire. Lakes so polluted they were too dangerous for fishing or swimming. Air so thick with smog it was impossible to see the horizon.

That was the environmental state of the nation 50 years ago. But pollution and disasters prompted action. On April 22, 1970, millions of people throughout the country demonstrated on the inaugural Earth Day, calling for air, water and land in the country to be cleaned up and protected. And that year, in a bipartisan effort, the Environmental Protection Agency was created and key legislation  the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act  came into force.

Now, the Trump administration has made eliminating federal regulations a priority, and an increasing number of environmental rules are under threat.

Heres a look at five environmental disasters that shifted the public conversation and prompted, directly or indirectly, lawmakers to act.
I definitely wanted to get to know her better on a personal level, Mr. Lin said. He was attempting to do just that when the train doors opened at her Bergen Street stop, and Ms. Morgenshtern got off.

Ill just ask her next time, Mr. Lin remembered thinking.

The following month, Mr. Lin returned to the session only to learn that Ms. Morgenshtern was not there. I didnt know what happened to her, and the only person who had her contact information was our volunteer project organizer, and all of that was kept private, Mr. Lin said. Being a single man in New York, I was used to the ups and downs of dating, and I thought it was a lost opportunity.

In April 2016, Ms. Morgenshtern finally resurfaced at the cooking class. Since five long months had passed, Mr. Lin felt it best to keep the heat out of the kitchen. I didnt say anything to her about missing her or about how I was feeling, he said.

The following month, she invited him, along with other friends, to a bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to watch the Kentucky Derby. (By now, they were both unattached.) I remember thinking, Uh-oh, am I getting friend-zoned? Mr. Lin recalled. So I politely declined and suggested one-on-one drinks instead in the coming week.

Ms. Morgenshtern accepted, and only then did she realize that Mr. Lin had romance on his mind. I tend to be oblivious about these things, she said, laughing.

After visiting a few bars, they shared a first kiss in front of the McDonalds outside the Delancey Street subway station. It was the most romantic kiss in the least romantic spot, Mr. Lin said.
A mail carrier in Brooklyn stashed about 17,000 pieces of undelivered mail for more than a decade because he was overwhelmed by the amount he had to deliver, the authorities said.

The carrier, Aleksey Germash, told investigators he made sure to deliver the important mail, according to a complaint filed in federal court.

Mr. Germash, a Postal Service employee for more than 16 years, was charged with detaining and delaying mail on Thursday.

The services Office of Inspector General received a tip this month about a Nissan Pathfinder parked in Brooklyn with mailbags stuffed inside. When Postal Service agents visited the location, they found 20 blue post office bags packed with undelivered mail inside the vehicle.
The news that Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, met in secret with North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, over the Easter weekend has renewed hope that one of the worlds most dangerous standoffs might be resolved without war. On Saturday, in fact, Mr. Kim announced that he would halt nuclear tests. Mr. Pompeos trip was surprising for many reasons: he went personally, it was kept a secret and it was revealed at a time when others were questioning his fitness to become secretary of state.

But it says something about Americas place in world affairs that at least one aspect of the trip was no surprise at all: that Americans are deeply, centrally involved in a dispute involving two sovereign countries thousands of miles away from Washington.

Of course, theres a good historical reason. Under American tutelage, South Korea eventually evolved from a desperately poor autocracy to one of the wealthiest democracies on the planet. American taxpayers continue to spend billions of dollars a year to help maintain regional security. A similar process played out in other parts of Asia and in Europe, where the American security umbrella, including tens of thousands of military personnel, provided room for those countries leaders to build strong democracies and economies.

American leaders argued that such policies served the cause of global peace and security. They also reasoned that the substantial costs would be tolerable. And, so long as American productivity and workers wages were rising, it seemed that Uncle Sam could ensure a decent standard of living at home and security around the world.
Or maybe theres just something about my neutral expression that comes across as seeming worried or displeased. People have asked if there was something wrong when I was feeling just fine. To compensate, Ive found myself smiling forcefully when socializing with strangers, wanting to assure them that they dont have to worry. That Im O.K.

Perhaps my annoyance at being told to smile depends on who is doing the asking, and why. Which leads to my experiment: I stopped smiling at people for a day and gauged reactions, including my own.

I didnt smile when I passed strangers in the office hallway. The clerk at the post office didnt smile, so I didnt feel bad about not smiling back. It was more difficult at the gym, where the front desk employees smiled and recited the same welcome and goodbye lines to members as they came and went. I wanted to smile at them, but instead, I pressed my mouth into a straight line. I felt as if I was being incredibly rude, as if Id betrayed a social contract. Forcing myself to not smile, it turned out, was even harder than forcing myself to smile.

Im trying not to smile, I told a friend when I met her for dinner. But I was glad to see her, and couldnt keep up the ruse for too long. On the subway ride home, where my fellow passengers were avoiding one another or nodding off, the only person smiling was a man watching a video on his phone.

I held the elevator door open in my building for a woman with a baby carriage, and we squeezed into the narrow space together. We nodded hello as she spoke to her child in Spanish. It was the end of a long, cold day, the news headlines both depressing and alarming, and my neighbor met my eyes as we stifled yawns at the same time. For a moment I forgot about the experiment and it leapt out without thinking: I smiled. Not an obligatory smile, not a coerced one, but a moment of sincere connection.

She smiled back.

And I felt good.
When a police officer in Cambridge, Mass., punched a black male Harvard student in the stomach multiple times while subduing him this month, the nation was reminded yet again of how quickly confrontations between the police and civilians can intensify beyond what the situation seems to call for. (The student was naked in public and apparently behaving erratically.)

Much of the recent conversation about police violence in the United States has focused  quite rightly  on concerns about racism and the flagrant abuse of power. But even when law enforcement seems to be acting in good faith, there is a concern about escalation. According to a recent survey by the Police Executive Research Forum, American police academies put too much emphasis on weapons, tactics and legal statutes and not enough on psychology and communication. How can police officers be better trained to remain calm and defuse tense situations?

An unexpected model comes from the field of health care, a profession that has found ways to address the incidence of violence in encounters with those it aims to serve. Hospital workers often come into contact with volatile people: agitated drug users, panic-stricken accident victims, the hysterical parents of sick or injured children and so on. Those workers report nonfatal violence-related injuries at many times the rates of members of other occupations, including law enforcement (though police officers have higher rates of fatalities).

Because health care professionals are not permitted to attack, shoot or otherwise harm patients, they have been forced to develop techniques for de-escalating potentially violent situations. In 1991, for example, Massachusetts General Hospital hired the security expert Bonnie S. Michelman to revamp its security programs. Ms. Michelman made infrastructure changes like installing closed-circuit TV and silent alarms. More important, she started teaching a de-escalation course to hospital staff members, showing them how to detect early signs of agitation and pre-empt aggression. Within a few months the hospital had reduced by more than 80 percent the number of incidents requiring physical restraint.
The Senate is supposed to be the staid chamber of Congress.

But just as nobody got that message to the Republicans in Alabama who rallied around Roy Moore, no one has filled in the Republicans in West Virginia who have taken a shine to Don Blankenship.

Blankenship is running in a primary there for the chance to go head-to-head in November with Senator Joe Manchin, the Democratic incumbent, whose seat Republicans were once confident they could snatch. President Trump won the state by 42 points.

But Blankenship, a former coal magnate, has serious blemishes. Make that pocks. Actually, gaping, oozing sores: He served a year in federal prison for conspiring to violate safety rules, after 29 of his miners died in a 2010 explosion. Hes campaigning while on probation.

Oh, and his company settled a lawsuit that accused it of contaminating West Virginians drinking water even as he installed a pristine private supply of water for his own home. Hes a knight in toxic armor  and certainly not the Manchin-slaying hero that party bigwigs had in mind.
What to do with my hands? Would it be more dangerous to leave them in my pocket, letting the officers wonder if I had a gun? Or to take them out and risk appearing to pull out a weapon? I could imagine the officers statement after shooting or assaulting me: I feared for my life. I opted to very slowly pull out my hands and let them swing by my sides. Gloveless, they hurt from the cold.When I finally turned the next corner, the cops slowed and glanced my way but kept walking. I sighed in relief.

My fear was not irrational. Although a federal court ruled the New York Police Departments stop-and-frisk practice unconstitutional in 2013, over 80 percent of people stopped by the police are black or Latino, while members of these groups make up less than 60 percent of the citys population. The department has received more than 1,500 complaints of racial profiling since 2015.

My fear was also related to a problem much bigger than what happened at Starbucks  a problem the anti-racial bias training the company has scheduled for its employees cant even begin to address. The police in this country have long been empowered to respond to white anxiety about the very presence of black people. The 1863 Ordinance to establish patrols for the police of slaves in the Parish of St. Landry is an early example. Every free white male person, having attained the age of 16 years and not above the age of 60 years, who shall reside in the State of Louisiana and Parish of St. Landry, shall be bound to do patrol duty within the limits of the patrol district in which he resides, it read. This piece of legislation allowed white men to directly police black people.

When emancipation finally came, so did the Black Codes and Jim Crow. As Carol Anderson wrote in White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide, the Black Codes created a world in which, for African-Americans, self-sufficiency itself was illegal, as blacks couldnt hold any employment besides laborer or domestic, and they were banned from hunting and fishing and thus denied the means even to stave off hunger. At the same time, If African-Americans refused or could show no proof of gainful employment, they would be charged with vagrancy and put on the auction block, with their labor sold to the highest bidder. If the police didnt see the crime  working, not working, fishing, hunting  firsthand, all it took to derail a black persons day (and in some cases, life) was a white person making a report, and this happened often.
The class-action lawsuit and thousands of personal injury claims that followed were, in many ways, a triumph for the plaintiffs. In total, DuPont and its spinoff company Chemours wound up paying more than $1 billion as a result of the litigation. Yet in the more than two years I have been writing about these chemicals, the crisis that at first seemed limited to those two specific compounds has turned into a much larger and messier conundrum. Thats because, while they were phasing out PFOS and PFOA, many of the companies were also phasing in replacement chemicals that recent research in lab animals has shown pose some of the very same problems. Its unclear what these chemicals will do to people, which is precisely the problem.

When DuPont introduced GenX, in 2009, the company promoted it as a sustainable alternative to PFOA. The new chemical, which is based on a chain of six rather than eight carbons, does exit the human body more quickly than PFOA. But like PFOA, GenX is a forever chemical, expected to persist on the planet long after humans are gone. According to studies DuPont submitted to the E.P.A., GenX had many of the same effects on lab animals that PFOA did, including changes in the size and weight of animals livers and kidneys, alterations to their immune responses and cholesterol levels, weight gain, reproductive problems and cancer.

I found those studies about GenX in an E.P.A. database almost two years ago. Since then, GenX has been detected in the drinking water of more than 200,000 people in North Carolina. Their water comes from the Cape Fear River, where another factory first owned by DuPont and later Chemours emitted its chemical waste for years. GenX has also recently been found in the groundwater near the same West Virginia plant that caused the PFOA contamination. Testing is underway to see whether it is also in drinking water there.

While researchers are now turning their attention to the health effects of GenX, it will take years to amass enough information to fully understand it. Even if scientists were to quickly catalog its effects, GenX is only one chemical. Recent water testing near the same Chemours plant in North Carolina found that GenX made up a small portion of the PFAS chemicals. Other related compounds have yet to be named, let alone studied or regulated.

Up to this point, we have treated these mystery chemicals with a bizarre optimism: that despite the similarities, somehow they wont cause the same problems that their close relatives do. Combined with our longstanding federal policy of requiring definitive proof of environmental dangers before taking action, this way of thinking has led to lots of regrettable substitutions. One is underway now as the Department of Defense is phasing out firefighting foams containing PFOS and PFOA, which have caused contamination near military bases and airports, and phasing in foam that contains other PFAS chemicals.

Firefighting foam that doesnt contain any of the PFAS chemicals, which a growing number of entities around the world are beginning to adopt, is part of the solution. The approach Washington State is taking  banning the entire class of compounds, instead of just one  presents another. Washingtons new laws wont make it any easier to clean up the extensive mess weve already made. Nor can they undo the exposure people have already had or address the health problems that has caused. But by tackling the whole class of dangerous compounds together, the state has shown a way out of the endless contamination cycle for the rest of us, who keep hoping for the best and getting the worst.
Put aside Russian collusion for a moment. Press pause on possible presidential obstruction of justice. Forget Stormy Daniels. The most significant recent development involving the president may be that the special counsel, Robert Mueller, has subpoenaed Trump Organization business records as part of his inquiry into Russian interference in the presidential election.

Those documents  and records recently seized by the F.B.I. from the presidents personal lawyer Michael Cohen  might answer a question raised by the presidents critics: Have certain real estate investors used Trump-branded properties to launder the proceeds of criminal activity around the world?

We pored over Donald Trumps business records for well over a year, at least those records you can get without a badge or a subpoena. We also hired a former British intelligence official, Christopher Steele, to look into Mr. Trumps possible ties to Russia. In that 2015-2016 investigation, sponsored first by a Republican client and then by Democrats, we found strong indications that companies affiliated with Mr. Trump, then a presidential candidate, might have been entangled in foreign corruption.
Its easy to sense that you could be doing more financially to help educators and students. Its harder to know how to go about it.

When The Times asked teachers in the United States to tell us about conditions in their schools, 4,200 responded with often disturbing descriptions of dilapidated classrooms, inadequate supplies and out-of-pocket expenses for necessities. In response, many of our readers asked, What can I do?

Theres plenty you can do, even if you have only a few dollars to spare.

Help individual teachers

Teachers across the United States use DonorsChoose.org to raise money for individual projects that wouldnt otherwise be funded by their schools. Some have sought money for technology upgrades, classroom basics (like notebooks and paper), and creative ideas you most likely wouldnt have thought of.

The website allows you to find projects in your area. If you prefer, you can instead sort by factors like urgency, economic need and a projects distance from its funding goal.
How did I feel when he came out? It was a bit like finding there was an unopened birthday gift that had been hidden under a couch for years. Learning something new about your child means there is something else to love. It is truly a gift.

Finding out that Oliver is gay was no different than finding out my other son is obsessed with The Lord of the Rings. To me it was both big and no big deal.

Later I had a fleeting thought about not having grandchildren, and then reminded myself that there was always adoption or assisted reproduction technologies. And how no one knows if her heterosexual child will grow up to want children or struggle one day with infertility.

I also reminded myself that this wasnt about me.

Olivers love for the L.G.B.T.Q. community is something to behold. (For any reader wondering, the Q can stand for either queer or questioning.) He is so proud of being gay that I struggle to think of a personal trait that makes me similarly proud. Naively, I didnt worry much about the impact of his coming out because we live in the San Francisco Bay Area. But even if we didnt, there would be no point in trying to keep Oliver quiet.

Oliver and I speak a lot about coming out and what it means for him to be gay, thanks in large part to everyone who has come out before him. Seeing versions of himself on screen  as in the show Glee and, more recently, the movie Love, Simon  has done more to strengthen his sense of self than any conversation with me could have. The power of representation is something to behold.
She declined to comment on the sale further than her introduction to the auction catalog, in which she writes movingly that it all began with the Victorian mahogany armchair her father bought for Ms. Plath, originally covered in a coarse, shiny black fabric worn through at the front edge of the seat, which she remembers scratching the backs of her legs as a child. Once she was an adult, she had the chair reupholstered in pink, for her bedroom.

It recently occurred to me that this chair would vanish into the mass of other furniture I own, and become invisible, as would the jewelry, when one day I was in no position to explain their provenance, Ms. Hughes writes. If I wished to sell some items, then others would have to go too, because presented together, they made up a snapshot of a mutual history.

And so they went: Ms. Plaths heavily underlined thesaurus ($19,491); her battered gray leather wallet stuffed with ID cards ($12,403); her Joy of Cooking, with Ted likes this, scrawled next to a recipe for breaded veal slices ($6,201); a yellow checked summer frock ($1,417); the Victorian armchair ($1,599).

The top lot was Ms. Plaths signed prepublication copy of her autobiographical novel, The Bell Jar, which first appeared in Britain in 1963, a month before her death, and today is a staple of high-school English classes. It sold to an anonymous buyer for $124,150.
In other states, like Kentucky and Iowa, felons who serve their full sentences, including parole, must apply to state officials in order to regain their right to vote. It is not automatic. Florida is similar, only there, convicted felons must wait at least five years after serving their full sentences before they can apply. (Felons voting rights in Florida have been the subject of a high-profile court battle in recent months, and residents there will vote on the issue this year.)

Other states where felons may have to apply to regain voting rights, often depending on the severity of the crime, are Wyoming, Nevada and Delaware.

Prison, parole or probation?

In most states, felons cannot vote while they are in prison but can regain their voting rights after they are released (as in Massachusetts and Hawaii), after they complete their parole (as in Colorado and Connecticut), or when they are no longer on parole or probation (as in New Jersey and Texas).

California relaxed its rules a little in 2016. Convicted felons sentenced to county jails there can now vote while in custody, but the shift did not apply to those who were sentenced to a state or federal prison.

And there are two states that do not revoke criminals right to cast a ballot: Vermont and Maine. There, felons can vote even when they are behind bars.
Ms. Sanchez said the glut of Democratic candidates remained concerning across California, and acknowledged having lobbied the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to back Mr. Cisneros. National leaders, Ms. Sanchez said, had a role to play in terms of trying to talk to nonviable candidates and urging them to be team players.

Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman for the committee, said the group was taking action in California because voters deserve to have a Democrat on the ballot in November.

Any decision to get involved in these races is toward that goal and based on intelligence from the ground in California, extensive data and partnerships with as many local allies as possible, Ms. Kelly said.

In the 39th District, Democrats went beyond prodding underdogs like Ms. Tran, 52, to stand down. Mr. Thorburn said the D.C.C.C. presented him with polling that suggested attacks on his finances and business record would be damaging in the general election  data Mr. Thorburn dismissed out of hand. He said the committee clearly indicated its preference for Mr. Cisneros.

Mr. Thorburn, 74, is now the most unsettling rival for Mr. Cisneros and national Democrats, pairing a pointed ideological message with a personal fortune to spend on advertising. Deriding Mr. Cisneros as a wishy-washy newcomer to the party, Mr. Thorburn said he would strike back hard if the committee were to attack him, as it did Ms. Moser.

Im much more of a fighter than the national party, Mr. Thorburn said, warning: If they do something like they did in Texas, we would come back guns blazing.

Mr. Cisneros has won over important state groups, including the muscular California Labor Federation. But his campaign office, at a strip mall in Brea, about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, showcases his national allies: One wall boasts an enormous sign from the gun-control group Giffords, which supports him, while another displays photographs of Mr. Cisneros with Barack and Michelle Obama.
The Beverly Hills lawyer who represented two women who were paid in 2016 to keep quiet about their alleged affairs with Donald J. Trump has been drawn into the federal investigation focused on Michael D. Cohen, Mr. Trumps longtime lawyer and fixer.

That lawyer, Keith M. Davidson  who finalized another legal agreement with Mr. Cohen in recent months  was contacted by federal authorities in the wake of this months raid on Mr. Cohens Manhattan office and has shared records with investigators, a spokesman said.

Mr. Davidson has been contacted by the federal authorities regarding the Michael Cohen probe in the Southern District of New York, the spokesman, Dave Wedge, said on Friday. Mr. Davidson was asked to provide certain limited electronic information. He has done so and will continue to cooperate to the fullest extent possible under the law.

Mr. Davidson has reached multiple agreements with Mr. Cohen  one of them negotiated in late 2017, when the men brokered the silence of a Playboy model who had had an affair with a major Republican donor and Trump ally. Mr. Cohen also referred business to Mr. Davidson after their earlier dealings leading up to the 2016 presidential election.
WASHINGTON  The European Union and Mexico on Saturday announced a major update to their existing free trade pact signed nearly two decades ago, a development that will allow almost all goods, including agricultural products, to move between Europe and Mexico duty-free.

The deal, which has yet to be formally signed, is expected to increase trade in dairy, pork, services, digital goods and medicines between the economies. It will also give Mexico greater access to an advanced consumer market, as negotiations with the Trump administration over the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement still appear to be on uncertain ground.

And it sends a message to Mr. Trump that some of Americas closest trading partners are moving ahead with deals of their own  potentially leaving American exporters on the losing end in foreign markets.

In its announcement, Mexico said the agreement would help modernize its existing commercial relationship.
WASHINGTON  He has a reputation as a principled lawyer. He has worked for both Republican and Democratic attorneys general. He has a jugular instinct in courtroom battles but a distaste for political ones.

Now Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, is confronting the political fight of his career. Amid sustained criticism by President Trump and rumors that he will be fired, Mr. Rosenstein is also maneuvering to defuse demands by Republicans in Congress that Democrats say are aimed at ousting him from his job  and from his role as protector of the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III.

So far, he appears to be succeeding. But in trying to deflect those attacks, some say, Mr. Rosenstein has risked eroding the Justice Departments historic independence from political meddling. The consequences could persist long after he and the rest of the Trump administration are out of power.

A small but influential group of House Republicans has demanded greater access to sensitive documents related to some of the F.B.I.s most politically charged investigations into the Trump campaign and Hillary Clintons handling of classified emails. Should Mr. Rosenstein fail to comply, they have threatened to subpoena him, hold him in contempt of Congress or even impeach him.
Where will our country find leaders with integrity, courage, strength  all the family values  in 10, 20, or 30 years? Barbara Bush was the matriarch of the most successful political dynasty of the modern era. She was the first lady of the United States. The wife of a president. The mother of another president. The mother of a governor of a state. And she was for a long time, in the American psyche, sort of the picture of a maternal figure. Shes the most popular woman in America and maybe in the whole world. Or at least up there with Mother Teresa. But she was a much more interesting and sophisticated player than that. She was witty, sometimes acerbic. Smart and sharp. When I was campaigning for governor, I would tell people of Texas I had my daddys eyes and my mothers mouth. You should be so lucky. Barbara Bush was not a political player in the sense that Hillary Clinton was. She didnt shape policy. She didnt screen staff the way Nancy Reagan did. She had a smart ear for politics, and long before we had social media or sophisticated data-mining programs for politics, we had Barbara Bushs Christmas card list. Everyone her husband met through business, through friendship, through civic activities, she would make sure to get their contact information. She kept a very thorough file of people to send Christmas cards to every year. It literally grew to be thousands and thousands of names and addresses. And in effect that was the first direct-mail list for the Bush family. This would become the base of their political operation. The next first lady of the United States. Come on up, sweetie pie. Come on up. Barbara Bush had one of the most extraordinary marriages in presidential history. They not only stayed married, but stayed strong partners all the way to the end. Thank you very, very much. ... Sweetie. Literacy was one of Barbara Bushs biggest issues. She cared a lot about that and she spent a lot of time on that. She also spoke out on issues like AIDS. And made clear that she was for abortion rights, even though that was against her husbands political positions. However you define family. Thats what we mean by family values. Barbara Bush was a strong supporter of her children, obviously. But she was also very honest when she thought that they were biting off more than they could chew. When George W. told her that he wanted to run for governor of Texas, she told him flatly, No, you shouldnt do it. Youre going to lose. She turned out to be wrong. Similarly, when Jeb Bush started making noises about running for president in 2016, she publicly said she didnt think that was necessarily a good idea. Didnt we have enough of Bushes at this point in public life? She later, of course, recanted and said, of course she supported Jeb. And she was out there on the trail for both of her boys. But we have other children. Maybe were going to have the first girl president. Who knows? Mom, I hope youre not announcing your candidacy. Oh yes. She drew a lot of admirers across the country for her straightforward, but always honest, way of dealing with the role that she had been assigned by history. Who knows? Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps and preside over the White House as the presidents spouse. And I wish him well.
Mr. Pompeo raised the issue of the detained Americans, according to a senior official. But much of his one-day visit was devoted to logistical issues, like the venue and date for a meeting, which is expected in late May or early June. The lack of involvement by the White House or the State Department, another official said, has limited the amount of substantive preparation for the meeting with Mr. Kim.

General McMasters hawkish successor, John R. Bolton, is another wild card. Two weeks before he was recruited as national security adviser, he said a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Kim was useful only because it would inevitably fail, and then the United States could move swiftly on to the next phase  presumably a military confrontation.

It could be a long and unproductive meeting, or it could be a short and unproductive meeting, he said on Fox News.

Since entering the White House, however, Mr. Bolton has stuck to a traditional definition of his job, brokering proposals to present to Mr. Trump, officials said. Even among officials who worry about war, there is sympathy for his view that failing quickly would be valuable. The United States, they said, should flush out Mr. Kims intentions before he has another six months or a year to master intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Mr. Boltons presence has also not stopped Mr. Trump from praising Mr. Kim and voicing optimism  even excitement  about their looming encounter. On Friday, he tweeted, North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Look forward to our Summit.

The administration viewed Mr. Kims statement about halting nuclear tests as more intriguing than his acceptance of a continuing American troop presence because he made it to his own people. Still, they noted his unwillingness to rule out short- and medium-range missiles, which they said could divide Japan from the United States.

Officials also acknowledged the challenge of staying in sync with Mr. Moon, who is acting as a mediator between the United States and North Korea and who is deeply invested in ending years of estrangement between the North and South.
The deputy was not wearing his newly issued body camera, so what happened next was not captured in the video released by the sheriffs office. But the sound of a single gunshot could be heard, and Mr. Thomas was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Deputy Brewer, who joined the sheriffs department in 2016, was placed on administrative duty after the shooting, pending an internal affairs investigation. In its statement on Friday, the department said that Mr. Thomas was behaving erratically but that he was unarmed. Although Deputy Brewer was carrying a Taser, he did not use it before shooting Mr. Thomas, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has said.

The brave men and women of the Harris County Sheriffs Office are called upon to make life-or-death decisions on a daily basis, and we take that responsibility very seriously, Sheriff Gonzalez said in the statement. We hold the communitys trust as sacred, and we will continue to support our deputies with clear policies and the valuable training they need to protect the lives of all our residents.

Deputy Brewer did not respond to a phone call seeking comment on Friday. A spokeswoman for the Houston Police Department said on Friday that the department was still investigating the shooting.

The Harris County Deputies Organization expressed condolences to Mr. Thomass family but said in a statement that it stood behind Deputy Brewer. Sheriff Gonzalez has second-guessed Deputy Brewers split-second decision, it said. We do not agree with the decision of Sheriff Gonzalez to terminate Deputy Brewer.
SEOUL, South Korea  For as long as Kim Jong-un has been North Koreas leader, he has called for the simultaneous pursuit of nuclear weapons and economic growth with the aim of making the nation a great socialist nuclear power.

On Saturday, however, Mr. Kim abruptly announced he was retiring his signature policy, known as byungjin, or parallel advance.

The strategy has been at the center of his governments propaganda and is enshrined in the charter of the governing Workers Party. But Mr. Kim said it was now time to adopt a new strategic line and focus the nations resources on rebuilding its economy.

As for nuclear weapons, he essentially declared that mission accomplished, saying North Korea no longer needed to test long-range missiles or atomic bombs and would close its only known nuclear test site. The byungjin policy, he said, already had achieved a great victory  an arsenal capable of deterring the nations enemies.
Erdogan is a little bit out of control  hes picking a lot of fights and there is a lot of uncertainty about how far hes prepared to go, said Nikos Tsafos, who researches the politics of the Eastern Mediterranean at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

The odds of something going wrong are increasing on a weekly basis, he said.

The border issue has its roots in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I, and in subsequent international treaties that gave many islands that had once belonged to the Ottoman Empire  including Kastellorizo, the nearest permanently inhabited island to Ro  to other European powers.

Today, Turkey  which was formed from the rump of the Ottoman Empire  does not contest Kastellorizos sovereignty. But the government feels it is unfair that Greece should have the right to potentially exploit energy resources in parts of the Mediterranean seabed that lie within sight of Turkey but many hundreds of miles from the Greek mainland.

At the fundamental level, there is a different perception of how the Aegean Sea should be treated, Mr. Tsafos said.

Other recent developments have compounded the decades-old disagreement. Talks have broken down over the status of the island of Cyprus, which is divided between a Greek-backed and internationally recognized state in the south, and a Turkish-backed breakaway state in the north.

Greece declined to extradite eight Turkish servicemen who had fled following a failed coup in 2016; and the Turkish government has arrested two Greek border guards, seemingly in response.
PARIS  An Algerian womans refusal to shake hands with male officials at a French naturalization ceremony is sufficient grounds for denying her citizenship, Frances top administrative court has ruled.

In its decision  issued on April 11 but reported only this week  the court, known as the Council of State, said that the womans refusal in a place and at a moment that are symbolic, reveals a lack of assimilation.

The woman, who has not been identified, married a French citizen in Algeria in 2010 and filed for French citizenship five years later. At her naturalization ceremony in 2016 in Grenoble, in southeastern France, the woman refused to shake the hands of a local state official and of a local elected official, both male, citing her religious convictions.

The ruling did not specify the womans religion, and it did not identify her as Muslim. Some practicing Muslims believe Islam does not permit physical contact with a person of the opposite sex, with the exception of immediate family members.
ROME  For the past year, small jars of cannabis flowers have been flying off the shelves of Italian specialty shops: a phenomenon thats described as a green gold rush.

The hemp flowers  with names like K8, Chill Haus, Cannabismile White Pablo and Marley CBD  are sold under the tag cannabis light because their level of the psychoactive compound that makes people high is a tiny fraction of that typically found in cultivated marijuana.

But theres a catch. The aromatic hemp flowers must not be smoked or eaten. Seeds, should there be any, must not be cultivated. As the jars labels sternly specify, the products are for technical use only and not for human consumption. Instead, they are sold  as countless salesclerks will explain with a nudge-nudge, wink-wink smile  as collectors items.

Such is the current, perplexing status of legal cannabis in Italy.

Italys cannabis mania, as it has been called, exploded after a December 2016 law regulating hemp production went into effect, a series of norms meant to help revive a crop that was once widely cultivated in the country. In the 1940s, Italy was said to be the worlds second-biggest producer of industrial cannabis, after the Soviet Union. (Statistics for China, also a major producer, do not exist.)
SALFORD, England  Like the majority of voters in this gritty part of northern England, Alan Wood voted for Britains withdrawal from the European Union largely, he says, because of immigration.

But lately, as he watches his governments stumbling efforts to negotiate departure, Mr. Wood has begun to suspect that Britains economy will suffer, questioned how he will be affected and wondered whether he made a mistake.

I honestly dont know whether it is right or not, he said, munching a meat pie and fries at Yum Yums cafe.

I didnt realize how big it was going to be, added Mr. Wood, 54, a dog trainer, conceding that if there were another vote, a lot of people would change their minds and vote to stay this time.
The international monitoring group investigating a suspected chemical weapons attack on a Syrian town said its experts had finally been able to visit the site on Saturday after repeated delays and they collected samples for analysis.

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said its experts had reached the Damascus suburb of Douma a week after they arrived in Syria.

The O.P.C.W. will evaluate the situation and consider future steps including another possible visit to Douma, the organization said, adding that its experts had taken samples for analysis in connection with allegations of chemical weapons.

Western nations have accused President Bashar al-Assad of Syria of an April 7 chemical weapons attack on Douma that killed 43 people. The United States, Britain and France carried out airstrikes a week later on military targets to punish Mr. Assad for what they called his repeated violations of the treaty banning chemical weapons.
Saudi security forces shot down a small recreational drone flying in an unauthorized space in the capital Riyadh on Saturday, according to the kingdoms state news agency.

The Saudis put out the statement from the Riyadh police after a flurry of unconfirmed rumors spread on social media of clashes and gunfire near the royal palace and a possible coup.

The report said a remote-controlled toy aircraft was flown into a security cordon in the Khuzama neighborhood of the city around 7:50 p.m. The report gave no information about who had been controlling the drone and said police were investigating the incident.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have used armed drones in attempts to target the Saudi capital before and have also fired ballistic missiles into the country. The Saudis are at the forefront of a coalition that has been waging a war in Yemen against the Houthis, claiming they are backed by its regional rival Iran.
Our economic growth is powered by combination of legacy industries and start-ups: PM Modi

After Modis terror export factory comment, China jumps to Pakistans defence

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Pakistan as a terror export factory, China has come in defence of its all-weather friend and called the international community to support its counter terrorism efforts.

"Terrorism is the enemy faced by all. The international community should work together to fight against it," foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a media briefing in Beijing when asked about China's response to Modi terming Pakistan as a "terror export factory" during a speech in London.

"We hope the international community could support the efforts made by Pakistan in counter-terrorism and forge effective cooperation with it in that regard," Hua said putting up a strong defence for China's all-weather ally.

While speaking at the 'Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath' programme at the iconic Central Hall Westminster in London on Wednesday, warning Pakistan, Modi had said India will not tolerate those who export terror and will respond to them in the language they understand, referring to the 2016 surgical strikes conducted across the LoC.

"When someone has put a terror export factory in place and makes attempts to attack us from the back, Modi knows how to answer in the same language," he had said.

Hua's comment also came ahead of the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here, to be held early next week.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is arriving in Beijing on Saturday to take part in the meeting to be held on April 24. She is due to meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday.

Separately Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too will attend the SCO Defence Ministers meeting on the same day.

These are the first meetings of the SCO after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member group in which China and Russia plays an influential role.

Both events are to be attended by the respective Ministers from Pakistan. SCO consists China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Modi is also due to attend this year's SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June.

Hua said issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers.

"We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field. Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception," she said.

"So the upcoming SCO Foreign Ministers meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues, major international and regional issues and all the participants will uphold the Shanghai sprit to consolidate more consensus and to move forward the development of the SCO," she said.
BJP lashes out at Yashwant Sinha, calls him 'Congress puppet'

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

New Delhi, Apr 21: Hours after Yashwant Sinha announced that he has quit the BJP, the party accused him of acting at the Congress' behest. BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said that the party gave Sinha a lot of respect and importance, but added that they were not surprised by his announcement.

Baluni said Sinha's comments and writings made it clear that he was no longer in the organisation and was acting at the Congress' behest.

"It was clear from his comments and writing that he was no longer in the BJP. The party gave him a lot of respect and important positions but his conduct has been improper. His comments sounded more like that of a Congress leader or somebody working at the behest of the opposition party," BJP spokesperson and national media head Anil Baluni said. The party is not surprised by Sinha's announcement, he said.

Yashwant Sinha has formally quit BJP today. However, his latest viewpoints as well as interviews on TV channels did indicate that he was no more a BJP member rather a puppet of Congress. Though he has quit today, in his mind he had left the party long back: Anil Baluni, BJP pic.twitter.com/Du18dHTLBn  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018

80-year-old Sinha today said in Patna that he was quitting the BJP and would no longer be a part of party politics. Sinha held finance and external affairs portfolios in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government but was sidelined after Narendra Modi and Amit Shah came at the helm. He has been publicly opposing the Modi government's economic policies and style of functioning.

In a newspaper article, Sinha had criticised Arun Jaitley over what he called the "mess the finance minister has made of the economy" after which Jaitley hit back calling him "a job applicant at 80 years" who has forgotten his record as finance minister. In a no-holds barred attack, Sinha had also said that demonetisation had proved to be an "unmitigated economic disaster" and that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was "badly conceived and poorly implemented." He had also deprecated the Centre's handling of Kashmir.

"Everybody in the BJP is living in fear. We are not," Sinha had said while "Rashtriya Manch" (National Forum) on January 30 as an "apolitical forum" to highlight the alleged"anti-people" policies of the Centre. Sinha today alleged that democracy was "under threat" under the present government and that he would launch a strong movement to "save democracy" in the country.

PTI

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Story first published: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 21:47 [IST]
Three including two Congress leaders beaten up on suspicion of being child-lifters in MP

Cabinet set to make child rapes punishable with death

India

oi-Staff

By Oneindia Staff Writer

The Union Cabinet will take up two draft ordinances, one of which would prescribe capital punishment to those convicted of raping children below the age of 12. The other ordinance would deal with provisionally attaching the property of suspected economic offenders who have left the country to escape trial.

The move to seek the death penalty in rape cases in which children are the victims comes in the wake of a nation-wide outrage post the Kathua and Unnao rape cases. On Friday three more such instances were reported from Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Odisha.

The ordinance pertaining to the economic offenders comes in the wake of the likes of Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya fleeing the country in order to avoid trial. Both these persons had fled the country while leaving behind crores of Rupees worth of debt.

The Cabinet has decided to take up this matter on an urgent basis since the Parliament is not in session. There is an urgency involved and hence the Cabinet is meeting on Saturday to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POSCO) Act, officials said.
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

Congress Lingayat leaders Vinay Kulkarni and MB Patil face similar challenges

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

Ministers Vinay Kulkarni and MB Patil, who came to prominence with the issue of separate religion for Lingayat community in Karnataka, are facing similar challenges in their respective constituencies in the assembly elections.

Vinay Kulkarni, who belongs to a Lingayat sub-caste Panchamsaali, will be facing a tough challenge from the BJP candidate Amrut Desai in Dharwad assembly constituency. Amrut Desai had joined the BJP from JDS during the last general election. Amrut Desai belongs to Sadar Linagayt another Linagayat sub-caste. His family has a reputation in Dharwad rural area.

In the 2013 assembly election, Amrut Desai was in second place against Vinay Kulkarni. Owing to the division of Lingayat and traditional vote base between BJP and BS Yeddyurappa-led KJP, BJP MLA Seema Masuti was pushed to third place.

BJP believes Desai's family name, his caste and party name will pose a challenge for Vinay Kulkarni. However, there is a problem for the saffron party. Former BJP MLA Seema Masuti, who is also a Lingayat leader, may rebel against the party's decision to field Amrut Desai and may contest as an independent candidate. It may be recalled that Seema Masuti had defeated Vinay Kulkarni in 2008 assembly elections.

At this juncture, it is difficult to say whether only caste will play a vital role as both the leaders are Lingayat. BJP may say that traditional votes be consolidated for the since BS Yeddyurappa back to the saffron fold, but Seema Masuti's rebellion may hamper Amrut Desai's prospects. Certainly, there is a direct fight between the BJP and Congress.

On the other hand, another Congress leader MB Patil has similar challenges in Babaleshwar constituency in Bijapur district. MB Patil belongs to a small Lingayat sub-caste called as Koodu Vokkaliga, which is numerically not dominant in the Lingayat community.

His opponent from the BJP Viju Gowda Patil, like Amrut Desai, has joined the BJP from JDS. Viju Gowda Patil had lost against MB Patil by mere 2000 votes in the last assembly elections. He belongs to Lingayat sub-caste Panchamasaali. This sub-caste has 70,000 votes in the Babaleshwar constituency.

However, MB Patil has an advantage over Viju Gowda Patil. Panchamasaali community pontiff, Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamiji of Kudalasangama, one of the predominant pontiffs demanding separate religion for Lingayats, has assured his support to MB Patil.

Angered by the move, heads of various Veerashaiva Mutts in the state openly declared war against the party. They called upon the people to defeat chief minister, Siddaramaiah, minister MB Patil, and five other ministers including Vinay Kulkarni, who worked together to break the community.

The Lingayat issue has made the people keep their fingers crossed. Lingayat votes are likely to be divided in this elections in both of these hotly contested elections. It is upto the candidates to capitalise on their party name and work they have done in their constituencies.
'If Congress isn't doing anything, we can't be sitting ducks': TMC attacks grand old party

Amit Shah's residence is new centre of anti-Dalit politics: Congress on Singh-Shah meeting

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

Congress worker murder: Kerala CPI(M) leader awarded death sentence; 5 get lifer

India

pti-PTI

Alapuzha (Kerala) April 21: A fast-track court in Alapuzha sentenced a former local secretary of the CPI(M) to death and awarded life imprisonment to five others for the murder of a Congress worker at Chertala in 2009.

The Alapuzha Fast Track Court Judge, Anil Kumar, pronounced the verdict this morning.

The court found that R Baiju was the main conspirator in the case and awarded the death sentence to him.

The prosecution case was that Baiju and the others went to the residence of Divakaran on December 9, 2009, to sell a coir product as part of the then Left government's scheme to promote such products.

However, Divakaran refused to buy them, saying they were priced too high, leading to a heated argument.

He was then hit on the head and suffered serious injuries. He succumbed at a hospital after a week.

PTI
End game begins as Dawood Ibrahim prepares will

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Dawood Ibrahim has prepared a will. The same was readied by his lawyers and this revelation was made by his brother Iqbal Kaskar who is being interrogated by the Anti Extortion Cell in Mumbai in connection with an extortion case.

During his interrogation, Kaskar said that Dawood has named all his near ones in the will. Kaskar's name also figures in the will, according to the investigation. The will he said was prepared in 2014 itself and has also the name of his brother Anees in it.

The preparation of a will is an interesting development as there are concrete reports that suggest that Dawood is not in good health. A large part of his business is now being handled by Anees.

There was trouble in gangsters' paradise recently following the killing of Chhota Shakeel. Dawood is said to be depressed after he realised that Anees had a hand in it and this was part of a larger succession plot. Further the fact that Dawood's son shunning his father's business and turning a maulana has depressed the don further.
Masarat Alam will remain a non-starter in J&K thanks to Centres zero tolerance towards separatism

Havildar injured in April 17 ceasefire violation in Jammu and Kashmir martyred

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

An Army jawan, who was injured in Pakistani firing along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on 17 April, succumbed to injuries at a military hospital in Jammu on Saturday.

Havildar Charanjeet Singh had suffered bullet injuries in the unprovoked Pakistani firing on army posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector.

Singh, hailing from Kalsian village of Nowshera in Rajouri district, succumbed to his injuries yesterday despite all-out efforts by doctors to save his life. His death raised the number of persons killed in over 650 ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the state this year to 31, including 16 security personnel.

Army Spokesperson said, "Singh is survived by his wife Neelam Kumari, the spokesman said, adding that he was a brave and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty.'

Two soldiers were killed as Pakistani army violated ceasefire in Sunderbani sector along the Line of Control (LoC) on April 10. In the exchange of fire, Rifleman Vinod Singh and Rifleman Jaki Sharma were grievously injured and succumbed to their injuries.

(With PTI inputs)
Hyderabads father-son duo to embark on a 17,000 km motorcycle ride to spread peace, happiness

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Hyderabad, April 21: On April 28, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts will embark on a 17,000 km journey in a period of 55 days from Guwahati. The group led by Hyderabad-based father-son duo wants to spread the message of peace and happiness during their journey as they travelled across two continents.

A total of six riders-- two from Hyderabad, two from Ahmedabad, one from Jaipur and one from Coimbatore--will begin their "epic journey" from Guwahati next week and ride along the historic silk route to reach their ultimate destination--London stated a report by NDTV.

"Through the journey, which will take 55 days, the bikers will pass through 16 countries including Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan before reaching the United Kingdom," added NDTV.

The bikers have been preparing for a quite some time now to take up the arduous journey and fulfill their mission of "universal brotherhood".

"We are six riders from India including my son Rakshit and I. Both of us will start from Hyderabad on April 24 and meet the rest in Guwahati on April 28. Together we will pass 16 countries and finally reach London after 55 days of travel, out of which 42 days will be for rest," GV Prasad, a Hyderabad-based businessman, told ANI.

"A father-son duo from #Hyderabad has embarked on 55 day trip to the UK on motorcycles. The purpose of their ride is to spread the message of peace & happiness across the countries," tweeted ANI.

A father-son duo from #Hyderabad has embarked on 55 day trip to the UK on motorcycles. The purpose of their ride is to spread the message of peace & happiness across the countries. pic.twitter.com/gaQSf6Q72D  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2018

"We will be visiting places like of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand & China. We will talk to the locals, sit with them, and share things with them. We will also be going to Scotland from London," added Prasad.

GV Prasad, one of the bikers said, We will be visiting places like of Myanmar, Laos, Thailand & China. We will talk to the locals, sit with them, and share things with them. We will also be going to Scotland from London. pic.twitter.com/EQFXqWBbcM  ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2018

We wish the bikers a happy and successful journey.
Impeachment of CJI: Fissures in Congress out in the open?

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

New Delhi, April 21: On Friday, the Congress-led seven opposition parties took an "unprecedented" step by handing over the notice of impeachment of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra--bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former MPs, who recently retired--to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

The move created ripples in the judiciary and political echelons of the country. While the Congress stated that the step was taken to "protect the independence of the judiciary", the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) called it a "revenge petition" to score political points ahead of the 2019 General Elections.

The Congress has publicly admitted that it was a risky move as they don't have the numbers but hopeful of garnering support in the coming days against the incumbent CJI. In the entire process of impeachment move of the CJI, just a day after the Supreme Court rejected a bunch of petitions seeking an independent investigation into the death of Judge BH Loya, the team Congress does not seem to be standing united in the matter.

First, the notice did not bear the signatures of two veteran Congress leaders--former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, and former finance minister P Chidambaram, who is a Lok Sabha MP.

The Congress, however, downplayed it saying the party did not want to involve its senior leaders in the issue. Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Kapil Sibal rejected insinuations that there was a "division" within the Congress over the issue and there was no consensus among the opposition parties.

On the issue whether consensus eluded the opposition parties on the issue, Sibal said: "there is a consensus". To a question that Manmohan Singh was reportedly opposed to the decision, Sibal said that "this is absolutely false. This is not true at all. From the very beginning, this is a very serious issue."

"It is not instant coffee... The decision was required to be taken after serious and well-thought discussion. Since the issue dealt with the Constitution, we have deliberately not included Dr Manmohan Singh as he is a former PM. With regard to some others, whose cases are going on, we did not wish to embarrass them," Sibal told reporters.

The division within the Congress was clearly seen when senior Congress leader and former law minister Ashwani Kumar openly said that the "petition for impeachment of CJI should have been avoided".

"I would not like to get into the merits of the controversy, I am on a larger principle and the larger principle is that impeachment is the extreme remedy and that to against the CJI, which is an unprecedented move. This move could have been avoided," Kumar said.

"If I would have been a member of parliament and had I been given this paper to sign, I would not have signed the impeachment motion," he added. The seven opposition parties led by the Congress accused CJI Misra of "misbehaviour" and "misuse" of authority. They have levelled five specific allegations against the CJI.

This is the first time that a notice of impeachment against a sitting CJI has been moved, even though previously there have been three cases of impeachment motions against apex court and high court judges in the last 25 years.

Opposing the impeachment motion, former Attorney General, Soli Sorabjee, said: "this is the worst thing that could happen to the independence of the Judiciary". Senior advocate and former law minister Ram Jethmalani said he did not believe in any allegations against the CJI. "The CJI impeachment motion is propaganda; propaganda by those who've ignored the law," Jethmalani added.

However, founder of the Swaraj Abhiyan party and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan asked, "What is the option when you have a situation where the CJI is abusing his power as master of the roster?"
Karnataka Elections 2018: Why V Somanna's son isn't campaigning in Arasikere?

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

BJP workers from Arasikere constituency are worried as the party candidate Dr. Arun Somanna, the son of senior BJP leader V Somanna, hasn't begun his campaign. The party workers want BS Yeddyurappa to resolve the issue soon. Dr. Arun Somanna's was given ticket contest from Arasikere in the third list released by the BJP on Friday.

There are contrasting reports about the reason for Dr Arun Somanna's absence in the assembly ahead of the assembly elections. According to a private television report, V Somanna is upset the BJP leadership for not allowing him to contest from Hanur assembly constituency. He has been given a ticket to contest from Bengaluru's Govindaraj Nagar.

Govindaraj Nagar is going to be tough for Somanna as the sitting Congress MLA Priya Krishna is a strong contender. Govindraj Nagar Assembly constituency in West Bengaluru has the honour of sending to the state Assembly the youngest MLA- Mr Priya Krishna- not once but twice in 2009 and 2013. Mr Krishna is also one of the richest politicians in Karnataka.

Mr Krishna made his debut in the Lower House defeating V.Somanna of the BJP about a decade ago. Somanna had to vacate the seat after he defected from the Congress to the BJP but lost to Mr Krishna in 2009.

According to the other report, V Somanna is reportedly not interested in fielding his son from Arasikere as it is difficult for him to campaign in two constituencies simultaneously.

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
Mahadayi water dispute: Farmers to seek euthanasia from President

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Over 700 farmers protesting over Mahadayi water dispute in Naragund to leave for Delhi from Karnataka's Hubballi on 25 April. They will hold a 3-day protest in New Delhi and seek euthanasia from President Ramnath Kovind.

In a press conference held in Hubballi, farmer leaders said, "Every politician takes benefit of the issue but does nothing on it. We've decided to boycott polls.'

The movement for Mahadayi river completed 1000 days of protest on April 10th. The Raita Sena members took out a rally from the Mahadayi movement stage from the town outskirts to the statue of Naragund king Babasaheb under tight police protection. It was a pitiful sight to see a gathering of 150 people. Veeresh Sobaradmath spearheading the movement bathed in water mixed with cow dung to express displeasure with the Centre and the state governments.

Raita Sena leaders in Nargund- the bastion of movement for Mahadayi river water- are not entertaining politicians in the run-up to assembly elections. The leaders are committed to keeping this issue apolitical till the objective of the movement is achieved. Most importantly, they decided to boycott activists from the forum who want to contest the election.
Mumbai police rejects Abu Salem's parole request

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Mumbai blasts case convict Abu Salem's parole application has been rejected the by the Mumbai police on Saturday. Navi Mumbai Commissioner has rejected parole application of gangster Abu Salem who had sought the parole for his wedding.

According to reports, On February 16, Salem had written to the Taloja jail authorities seeking leave to tie the knot with Sayed Bahar Kausar alias Heena on May 5. In his application, Salem said that he has never been out on any leave in last 12 years, 3 months and 14 days. His letter was sent to the divisional commissioner of Konkan division on March 12.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, Abu Salem had reportedly said that he would be staying at Kausar's home in Mumbra for the duration of the parole. The plea for parole mentioned Mohammed Salim Abdul Razak Memon and Mohammed Rafique Sayyed, believed to be his cousins, as guarantors.

Meanwhile, Delhi's Patiala House Court deferred pronouncement of order to 28th April 2002 extortion case against Abu Salem.

Salem was last year sentenced to life imprisonment by a special TADA court for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Besides the March 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Salem has already been sentenced to life in the builder Pradeep Jain's murder case of March 7, 1995, at Juhu.
NIA details Hizbul chiefs sons terror activities in the Valley

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Syed Shahid Yusuf, the son of Hizbul Mujahideen chief, Syed Salahuddin has been charged with indulging in activities that promoted terrorism in Kashmir. Yusuf who is a government employee in Budgam town of central Kashmir was arrested on charges of receiving money through international wire transfers in a bid to cause unrest in the Valley.

The NIA chargesheet has alleged that Yusuf had hatched a conspiracy to received funds from Pakistan through hawala channels to spread terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. The NIA has accused him of committing various offences punishable under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

42-year-old Yousuf was posted as an agricultural assistant in Budgam town of central Kashmir when he was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on October 24 last year. He is currently in judicial custody. His bail plea was dismissed by the trial court here on March 7.

The NIA charge sheet was filed under sections 13 (punishment for unlawful activities), 17 (punishment for raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 21 (punishment for holding proceeds of terrorism), 38 (membership of a terrorist organisation) and 39 (support given to a terrorist organization) of UAPA.

The final report also accused him of hatching a criminal conspiracy, punishable under section 120-B of Indian Penal Code.

The agency said the case was registered on the basis of information regarding funds from Pakistan being sent to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi to spread terrorism.

The NIA had earlier alleged that the accused had links with proscribed terrorist organisations like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. It has claimed that Yousuf had received a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh through eight international wire transfers.

The agency, which had in 2011 arrested several persons including one Ghulam Mohd Bhat with Rs 21.2 lakh, alleged that Yousuf was "one of the several Indian contacts of Bhat" who had been in touch with him for receiving money transfer codes.

It had alleged that Yousuf's involvement was found in collecting funds from a terrorist outfit in Saudi Arabia as well as from other accused on the directions of his father, Mohd Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, the self-styled supreme commander of the Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen.

Syed Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State in June last year.

The NIA had registered two other cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May 2017. It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Salahuddin in the April 2011 case.

In the latest case, the NIA arrested various people including some close relatives and aides of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani.
Not quitting BJP, I am here to stay: Shatrughan Sinha

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

With former finance minister Yashwant Sinha having quit the BJP, all eyes were on another dissenter Shatrughan Sinha. Both Yashwant Sinha and Shatrughan Sinha have on several occasions strongly criticised Modi-led government's decisions openly.

"There were rumours that I would quit the party because I had not been given the ticket. But, I am clarifying it today that I am here to stay and I am not going to go anywhere," media reports quoted Shatrughan Sinha as saying in Patna.

Shatrughan Sinha was a Union Minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government. He has been with the BJP for a long time. Since PM Modi came to power in 2014, it was being said that the actor turned politician was kept away from party affairs. This seems to have irked Shatrughan. The BJP also did not involve Shatrughan in the campaigning for Bihar polls last year.

When Nitish Kumar severed ties with BJP and formed an alliance with the RJD and Congress ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Shatrughan Sinha had praised Nitish, leaving the BJP fuming. Recently, he met Lalu Yadav's sons Tejashwi and Tej Pratap, and praised them. Both Sinhas have even jointly attended several events and spoken against the Centre.

Yashwant Sinha quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday (April 21). The leader said he will end his ties with the BJP and will not join any political party

In a public function held in Patna, Sinha said, "Today I am taking 'sanyas' from any kind of party politics, today I am ending all ties with the BJP. I will fight for democracy."

Attacking the government, Sinha said that the democratic institutions are being undermined, cites the press conference called by four senior judges of the Supreme Court. He also hits out at the government for the Election Commission.

[Yashwant Sinha quits BJP, says 'he will fight for democracy']

Sinha was Minister of Finance (1990-1991 under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and March 1998 - July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Minister of External Affairs July 2002 - May 2004). His son Jayant Sinha, a consultant and investor, won the 2014 elections for the Hazaribagh constituency and is currently serving as Minister of State for Civil Aviation in Narendra Modi's cabinet.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 17:33 [IST]
PNB, UCO Bank and two others fine for violation of KYC norms

PNB moves Hong Kong High court against Nirav Modi

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Punjab National Bank on Saturday moved Hong Kong High court against diamantaire Nirav Modi accused in Rs 13,600 crore scam. PNB will also approach the courts of other countries where Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi have assets and businesses.

Last week, China said that Hong Kong, which is a Special Administrative Region (SAR) within China, can consider India's request to arrest the PNB fraud accused based on local laws and mutual judicial assistance agreements between Hong Kong and India.

India has reportedly sought Modi's arrest under the 'Surrender of Fugitive Offenders Agreement' with Hong Kong.

While Hong Kong could act on India's request, it is not yet clear whether Modi stayed put in the former British colony where he has a diamond store besides the one in Beijing, reported PTI.

(With PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 17:48 [IST]
Rahul Gandhi defamed Hindu culture by talking about saffron terror': Amit Shah

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

BJP president Amit Shah launched a scathing attack on the Congress in Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. In a rally, Shah said vowed the free Rae Bareli from dynasty politics, adding "Congress has fooled the people of Rae Bareli". Rae Bareli has remained a Congress stronghold decades.

"Raebareli's public sent several big leaders to Delhi but there was no development here," Shah said.

Despite a hectic schedule due to the Karnataka election campaign, the BJP president visited Rae Bareli days after Sonia Gandhi visited her constituency this week after a gap of nearly two years. There are talks that Sonia's absence from Rae Bareli for almost two years has led to disillusionment among local Congress leaders who are said to be planning to join the BJP.

Shah also took on the Congress for allegedly persecuting the right-wing activists during its regime.

"I ask Rahul Gandhi, you tried to defame Hindu culture by claiming about 'saffron terror', now you should apologise to the nation. Asmeeanand ji has been cleared of charge," Shah said.

A war of words has erupted between the BJP and the Congress after a court acquitted right-wing activist Swami Aseemanand and four others in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case. While the BJP claimed that the verdict has exposed the opposition's party's "appeasement politics", the Congress raised questions on the functioning of the National Investigation Agency.

Former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had in January 2013 at the Jaipur Chintan Shivir of Congress party accused the BJP and the RSS of promoting "Hindu terror" through its training camps, but later he expressed regret over his remarks after the BJP created uproar.

Short circuit and fire during Amit Shah's rally:

Close to the dais from where Shah was speaking, a small fire erupted due to short circuit. Although it was a minor incident with no injury to anyone, Shah said that when something good is about to happen, then obstacles do come.

"Yogi Ji's govt has contributed towards the development of UP. A while ago there was a short circuit here, all media channels were showing smoke. When something good is about to happen some obstacles do come. It's a sign that something big is about to take place in Raebareli," he said.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 16:36 [IST]
Why April 21 is observed as Civil Services Day in India

India

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

Today, April 21, is commemorated as the Civil Services Day in India. The Government of India observes this day every year as one dedicated to the civil servants since it was on this day in 1947 when Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, independent India's first home minister, had addressed the soon-to-be independent country's first batch of civil servants at Metcalf House in Delhi. In his speech, Sardar Patel had referred to the bureaucrats as the "steel frame of India".

April 21 is thus remembered as the day when the civil servants dedicate themselves to the cause of the country's people and renew their commitment to people's service and excellence in work.

The day is being observed regularly since the function held in Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi in 2006.

On this day, districts and implementing units are conferred the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration for carrying out priority programme and innovative work. Officials from districts across the country take part in the award scheme, making it a long and large process.

On this day, civil servants from various corners of the country come together and meet each other and learn from each other's experiences of working in the public domain.

The prime minister hands over the awards comprising a medal, certificate and a cash amount for individuals as well as groups and organisations.

In 2017, PM Narendra Modi presented 12 awards including 10 under five Priority Programmes and two under Innovation category. These awards were conferred in three categories - the first consisting of the eight north-eastern states and three hill states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir; the second featuring the seven Union Territories and the third comprising the remaining 18 states.
India should be open-minded about dealing with the Taliban: Yashwant Sinha

Yashwant Sinha has the following advise for PM Modi on Taliban and Afghan crisis

Yashwant Sinha quits BJP, says 'he will fight for democracy'

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Yashwant Sinha, former Finance Minister and a critique of the PM Narendra Modi government, quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday. The leader said he will end his ties with the BJP and will not join any political party, according to news agency ANI.

In a public function held in Patna, Sinha said, "Today I am taking 'sanyas' from any kind of party politics, today I am ending all ties with the BJP. I will fight for democracy."

Sinha said, "The budget session was so small that it created history as it was the smallest. I say this with full responsibility that the Indian government did not let the house run."

Attacking the government, Sinha said that the democratic institutions are being undermined, cites the press conference called by four senior judges of the Supreme Court. He also hits out at the government for the Election Commission.

He announced the decision a day after lambasting the BJP and the Narendra Modi government. In an opinion piece in The Indian Express, Sinha appealed to the BJP lawmakers to stand-up and question the top leadership.

Sinha was Minister of Finance (1990-1991 under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and March 1998 - July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Minister of External Affairs July 2002 - May 2004).

His son Jayant Sinha, a consultant and investor, won the 2014 elections for the Hazaribagh constituency and is currently serving as Minister of State for Civil Aviation in Narendra Modi's cabinet.

More details are awaited.
North Korea announces to stop nuclear tests: A timeline of events

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

The news of North Korea shutting down its atomic test site and stop testing nuclear weapons and launching of intercontinental ballistic missiles on Saturday, April 21, left the international community elated.

How Pyongyang's nuclear programme advanced through all these years? Here is a timeline of the events:

1985:

North Korea signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT.

1993:

When the International Atomic Energy Agency sought that its inspectors be given permission to visit North Korea's two nuclear waste storage sites, Pyongyang threatened to quit the nuclear treaty though it did not do so eventually.

1994:

Pyongyang entered an agreement with Washington, pledging to freeze and discard its old nuclear reactors in exchange for aid to set up two new light-water nuclear reactors.

2002

In January, the then US president George W Bush dubbed North Korea as a member of the "axis of evil" along with Iran and Iraq saying the three countries posed a grave danger by seeking weapons of mass destruction. Later that year, the Bush administration said North Korea acknowledged running a secret nuclear weapons programme breaching the 1994 pact.

2003

North Korea bids adieu to NPT and the US soon confirmed that it reactivated a five-megawatt nuclear reactor which was capable of producing plutonium for the cause of armament. In April 2003, Pyongyang declared it possessed nuclear weapons.

2005

Pyongyang tentatively agreed to stop its nuclear programme in lieu of which countries like the US, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea would provide it energy and extend other economic cooperation.

2006

North Korea test-fired long-range missiles, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution seeking it to stop the programme. In October, Pyongyang claimed to have tested its first nuclear weapon successfully. This saw the UN imposing a number of sanctions on the hermit kingdom.

2007

North Korea agreed to shut its main nuclear reactor for an aid package amounting to $400 million. In September, North Korea signed an agreement at a six-party meeting in Beijing, promising to dismantle its nuclear weapons facilities. But it missed the deadline.

2008

Pyongyang destroyed its water-cooling tower at Yongbyon nuclear facility. In December, six-party talks in Beijing broke down as North Korea refused to allow international observers to visit its suspected nuclear facilities.

2009

North Korea declared it had conducted its second nuclear test. The UN Security Council imposed more sanctions on the country.

2010

A report is published by a professor of Stanford University saying North Korea has established a new nuclear enrichment facility.

2011

US and North Korean delegates met in Geneva to resume the six-party nuclear talks. Kim Jong-un succeeded his father Kim Jong-Il as the leader of North Korea in December.

2012

The US announced that North Korea agreed to a moratorium on launching long-range missiles and nuclear activities at its major nuclear site in lieu of food aid.

2013

North Korea announced that it would continue with its nuclear tests and long-range rocket launches and they would lead to an "upcoming all-out action" against the US - "the sworn enemy of the Korean people".

In February, North Korea conducted its third test and the first under Kim Jong-un. The UN imposed more sanctions on Pyongyang.

2014

North Korea warned about a more nuclear test. It consequently fired shells across the sea border with neighbour South Korea. Seoul retaliated with shells and deploying fighter jets to the border.

2015

A North Korean think tank head said in an interview that Pyongyang had the missile capacity to hit mainland US and would not hesitate to do it in Washington "forced" it. North Korea also said it had the ability to develop nuclear missiles. The worst news came in December that year when North Korea said it had developed a hydrogen bomb.

2016

North Korea said it successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb test though the US responded by saying it did not verify whether the test was successful. Soon after, North Korea said it had developed miniature nuclear warheads that can be fitted on ballistic missiles. In September that year, Pyongyang claimed to have detonated a nuclear warhead.

2017

Kim Jong-un declared on television that North Korea was not far from testing an intercontinental ballistic missile. The US retaliated saying its military would gun down any North Korean missile fired at it or any of its allies. In July, North Korea said it conducted its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile successfully and it could hit any target anywhere in the world.

Soon after, Pyongyang threatened that it would strike the heart of the US if the latter tried to topple Kim as its supreme leader, the country's state media said. In August, the North Korean military was checking its operational plan to hit areas around the American territory of Guam with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic missiles, state-run media KCNA said.

US President Donald Trump threatened that if Pyongyang continued to threaten the US, it would face "fire and fury like the world have never seen". In his speech at the UN in September, Trump vowed to "totally destroy" North Korea. He also called Kim the "little rocket man". Also in September, North Korea carried out its sixth nuclear test, causing a 6.3 magnitude quake. US and South Korean officials apprehended that North Korea was on its way to launch a nuclear weapon on a long-range ballistic missile.

2018

Trump threatens Kim with a retaliatory nuclear strike. But peace started to make an appearance this year as the White House said the Trump administration might be willing to hold talks with North Korea.

South Korea said North Korean authorities agreed to give up nuclear programmes and engage in peace talks. South Korean national security chief Chung Eui-Yong announced in the US that Trump accepted an invitation to hold one-on-one talks with Kim.

Kim was seen paying a secret visit to China to meet its president Xi Jinping and then the two Koreas began their summit which was set to culminate into the talks between the top leaders of the two countries. North Korea then came up with its announcement on April 21 ahead of Kim's proposed talks with Trump in May end or early June.
Russia interference in 2016 polls: Democrats file lawsuit

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

At a time when US President Donald Trump is trying hard to settle the probe into the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election in the US fast and his legal team also included former New York mayor Rudi Giuliani towards that aim, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) filed a lawsuit against the Trump campaign, Russian government and also Wikileaks alleging a widespread collusion to influence the outcome of the 2016 election.

The lawsuit, worth multimillion dollars, was filed on Friday, April 20, in the federal court in the southern district of New York. It alleged that senior men within Trump's campaign conspired with the Kremlin in a bid to scuttle Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who was known to have worse relation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The complaint also sought damages for the hacking of DNC's servers.

In a statement, DNC president Tom Perez accused Russia of launching an all-out assault on the American democracy during the 2016 presidential campaign and finding a "willing and active" partner in the Trump campaign. He also termed it as an "act of unprecedented treachery".

Among the defendants are Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Junior; son-in-law and senior aide Jared Kushner; Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates and also former member of the foreign policy advisory panel to Trump's campaign George Papadopoulos. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and Trump's longtime friend Roger Stone who communicated with Wikileaks that published emails received from hacking of both DNC and Clinton's campaign chair John Podesta were also on the list. Russian billionaire family members Aras and Emin Agalarov were also mentioned as defendants for serving as potential conduits between Trump and Russia.

Trump himself has called the allegations a hoax created by the Democrats and refused there was any collusion. He also termed special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russia's alleged meddling as "with hunt".

Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Congress have conducted separate inquiries into the charges of Russia's interference in the US election of 2016.

The Trump campaign arm called the latest lawsuit "frivolous" while the White House did not comment on it.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 21, 2018, 15:58 [IST]
SAUGATUCK, MI -- In 1879, Susan B. Anthony, founder of the National Women's Suffrage Association, was invited to stay at the home of Tamar Moore, the wife Horace Moore, a lumber mill operator who whose company was based in this village along the Kalamazoo River.

Anthony, who was scheduled to speak at the Powers Opera House in Grand Rapids later that spring, accepted Moore's invitation.

"She was here for at least a month. She wrote some of her women's rights papers here," says Toni Trudell, owner of the Park House Inn.

Trudell has dedicated a suite for Anthony in her bed and breakfast inn at 888 Holland Street. Trudell, who has owned the inn for the past 14 years, she recently put it on the market for $899,000 with Realtor Greg Smith of Coldwell Banker Woodland Schmidt Saugatuck.

"This was a dream I had when I was in the corporate world," said Trudell, a Detroit native who moved to Saugatuck in 2004. "I'm newly married and I'm ready to retire."

Horace Moore built the house in 1857 as a wedding present for his bride, who refused to leave Vermont unless there was a house waiting for her, Trudell said.

"You have wood, build a house," she reportedly instructed Moore, who proceeded to build the biggest house in town. Moore included a bunkhouse wing with 16 bedrooms to house the 100 lumberjacks and sawyers who worked for him.

Trudell says Anthony's accommodations were sparser than the suite that currently bears her name. "She probably had a very little room with a little cot to sleep on."

During her stay, Anthony staged a rally at the town's Odd Fellow's Hall -- now a Kilwin's Chocolates shop. The townspeople closed six of the town's 14 bars as a result of her lecture, according to local newspapers.

The Park House Inn now has nine guest suites. Unlike the original house, whose 16 bedrooms housed up to 100 workers with no indoor plumbing, heat or electricity, every bedroom has its own bathroom and fireplace. Several of the rooms have hot tubs outside their doors or large whirlpool tubs.

The old house has seen dozens of changes during its history, It has been as a single-family home, a boarding house, a restaurant and a bed and breakfast. For a time, it also provided student housing for the famed Oxbow School of Art and Artists Residency.

Some of home's original elements remain 161 years later, including the "heart pine" flooring that Horace Moore installed from the trees he felled on the property in 1857.

The floor planks are still held in place by iron nails forged by the local blacksmith. The thick plaster walls, made with horse hair, are still standing -- and occasionally playing havoc with cell phone signals, Trudell says.

The iron stair rail to the second floor also is the product of the local blacksmith shop. The French doors leading to the front porch also are original to the house, Trudell said.

Today, guests are greeted by a wrap-around porch and sunny reception room.

The guest dining room has a long table with extra room in the parlor next door. The original front parlor has been divided to include a bedroom suite on the ground floor and a hot tub on the porch outside.

The suite named for Anthony includes a queen-sized bed, a hot tub on the porch and its own bathroom suite.

Upstairs, the rooms also include the home's original flooring, each with its own full bathroom. A spiral staircase leads to a third floor suite with two bedrooms for families or small groups. The ceilings on third floor rooms feature roof beams that are original to the house.

Behind the dining room, there's a large kitchen with commercial appliances to create gourmet breakfasts for the guests. The room also includes a broad desk from which Trudell manages the inn.

Behind the kitchen, there's a comfortable owners suite, part of an addition that was built in 1987.

This is one in a series of articles we have published about High-End Homes in West Michigan. Here are similar articles we have published recently:




Guwahati : One person was killed and three others were injured while clash between two groups over property dispute in Assam's Kamrup district.





The incident took place at at Bidyanagar area near Nagarbera, where two groups clashed among themselves following a dispute over property.





According to the reports, the incident happened on Thursday evening where a person named Jahidul Islam had received severely injuries after a group had attacked him by sharp weapons and he was admitted at Guwahati Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed his injuries.





The situation turned violent after news spread out that Jahidul died at GMCH.





During the clash, three more persons were injured and agitated mob set fire at the house of Akkas Ali.





Kamrup district police had immediately rushed to the area and brought the situation under control and arrested three persons in connection with the group clash.




New digital release of Here Comes The Flood!





The Security Project has once again reinvented itself, this time with vocalist Happy Rhodes. Together with Jerry Marotta (drummer from Peter Gabriel's first five records, Trey Gunn (King Crimson), Michael Cozzi(Shriekback) and NY keyboardist David Jameson, the group continues reimagining the early work of Peter Gabriel (and also on this disc - Kate Bush), but with Happy's impressive four-octave vocals adding an entirely new dimension.





The band's latest digital release of the classic Peter Gabriel song Here Comes The Flood is now available. This follows on the heels their last live album CONTACT released in November - material culled from their US and Japanese tours.





The Security Project live is a beautifully reverential and creative reinterpretation of these Peter Gabriel classics!  Kevin Killen, engineer of Gabriel's So record





The Security Project will be on tour in the North East USA and Canada with dates in May and June.





May 24, 2018 Bearsville Theater - Woodstock, NY

May 25, 2018 The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) - Natick, MA

May 26, 2018 Sellersville Theater - Sellersville, PA

May 27, 2018 The Heights at Brother Vic's - South Salem, NY

May 31, 2018 Lovin Cup - Rochester, NY

June 1, 2018 The Garrison - Toronto, ON, Canada

June 3, 2018 Petit Campus - Montreal, QC, Canada





Great to see some of the original members doing it the right way.  Steve Hackett





The Security Project:

Happy Rhodes - Lead Voice

Jerry Marotta  Drums, Vocals

Trey Gunn  Touch Guitar, Vocals

David Jameson  Keyboards, Eigenharp

Michael Cozzi  Guitar, Vocals





Scorching reviews:





The Security Project expertly reimagines Peter Gabriels groundbreaking early output, creating an immersive experience both in performance and on its debut release Live 1. The group goes far beyond conventional tribute band territory, infusing the songs with new arrangements and elements while staying true to the spirit of the material. Gabriel enthusiasts across the board will be taken by the bands high-octane approach full of drive, determination and energy.  Anil Prasad, Innerviews





What Security Project does is accomplish what's been too long in coming: positioning Peter Gabriel's music as repertoire. It's clear that while the band treats Gabriel's music with no shortage of reverence, it's also about a more open-ended approach to the music.  John Kelman, All About Jazz




Dawn, April 21, 2018

PANDIT Jawaharlal Nehru would never have won a popularity contest in Pakistan quite simply because he did his best to oppose our countryas creation. But nowhere is he reviled more than in Indiaas current ruling circles and among those whose loyalty they command.

The accusations against Nehru are often breathtaking: that he was degenerate and dissolute; born in a brothel and eventually died of syphilis; impregnated a Catholic nun; claimed to be a Kashmiri Pandit but secretly ate onions; and from age 19 onwards would be drunk every day starting at 9 am. As with Americaas alt-right which insists that Barack Obama is a closet Muslim, Hindutva activists allege that Nehruas grandfather was GhayasA-udAdin Ghazi, a Muslim kotwal serving the Mughal court.

If only anonymous internet nutters were making such attacks, they wouldnat matter. But a concentrated attack by BJP-RSS sarsangchalaks is leading to the steady purge of Nehru from Indiaas history books. Betwa Sharma reported in 2016 that students of Class VIII in BJP-ruled Rajasthan are no longer learning that Nehru was Indiaas first prime minister or that Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist, assassinated Mahatma Gandhi. Nehruas iconic tryst-with-destiny speech has already been removed from school syllabi and textbooks in some states, reminding one of how Jinnahas famous Aug 11, 1947, speech was adisappeareda in the Ziaul Haq era.

This campaign of personal vilification against Nehru is, in fact, a proxy war against the concept of India as a secular entity. Of course, here in Pakistan we never for a moment believed Nehru when he declared Indiaas intent to become a pluralistic, liberal, syncretic state whose strength would lie in diversity. For us, all these were just fine words justifying Hindu majoritarianism under the cloak of democracy. Only now that the BJP controls India with a viciously communal agenda have some Pakistanis realised what loss of secularism a even imperfect secularism a actually means.

But irrespective of what Muslims and Pakistanis may have thought in the past, or perhaps still think, the RSS always took Nehru at his word. It both feared and hated him for it. In particular, it has never forgiven him for banning the RSS after Gandhias murder and for fiercely opposing a Hindu rashtra (state). One Hindutva activist wistfully writes that had Nehru handed over charge of India after Independence to the deserving sanghis, India would have aattained ram rajya by now, with a hundred crore people chanting ahanuman chalisaa a dozen times a daya .

Nevertheless, there are paradoxes and contradictions that Hindutva cannot escape as it seeks to banish Nehru. All Indians, including right-wingers, take great pride in their countryas scientific achievements. But imagine for a moment that Narendra Modi, not Jawaharlal Nehru, had been Indiaas prime minister in 1947. What might have todayas India looked like in scientific terms?

Instead of being noted for its exceptional space programme (Mangalyaan!) and brilliant string theorists (Ashoke Sen!), India would have become a garbage dump for every kind of crackpot science. Medical research would have concentrated on medicines made from cow urine and cow dung, the celibacy of peacocks would be under intense scrutiny, astrology would be taught in place of astronomy, and instead of teaching actual mathematics there would be Vedic mathematics. As in Pakistan, Darwinian evolution would be considered heretical and destructive of religious faith.

Nehruas stamp upon Indian science can be seen across the length and breadth of India in the form of dozens of scientific institutes and universities that owe to him. India is probably the worldas only country whose constitution explicitly declares commitment to the ascientific tempera a a quintessential Nehruvian notion formulated during his years in prison. Briefly: only reason and science, not holy scriptures, provide us reliable knowledge of the physical world.

I was able to see the huge difference that Nehru had made to his country while on a speaking tour in 2005 before audiences in about 40 Indian schools, colleges, and universities in seven cities. Without Nehru there could never have been the huge and palpable mass enthusiasm for science. This was manifested in the many science museums within a single city, and countless scientific societies working to spread understanding of basic science among ordinary Indians. I do not know how much of this has changed under Hindutva. But most definitely not even a fraction of such enthusiasm was visible then, or can be seen now, in Pakistan.

Nehru must also be credited with keeping a lid on his generals. In a democracy the army should be subordinate and answerable to civilian authority, not the other way around. And so, immediately after Partition, Nehru ordered the grand residence of the army chief to be vacated and instead assigned to the prime minister. This move carried huge symbolism a it said clearly who was boss.

When Ayub Khanas coup across the border happened in 1958, it led to rules that further diminished the role of the Indian army in national affairs. Gen Cariappa, who had retired but praised the coup, was told to shut up. Officers, serving or retired, were strongly discouraged from commenting on matters related to public affairs and economics a and particularly their pensions and retirement benefits. There was no concept of army owned enterprises and businesses.

All this could now be changing. Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat, known for his bellicosity, has broken with the armyas tradition by freely commenting on many foreign policy matters a the Rohingya refugee problem, how India should deal with the Doklam crisis with China, and the need to call aPakistanas nuclear bluffa . Time will tell whether Rawat is an exception or, instead, the new rule characterising an interventionist army. Ominously for Indian democracy, criticising the army chief is being described by its media as anti-national.

How much of Nehruas India will be undone by Modi and his cronies remains to be seen. A demoralised and broken Congress opposition means that they are here to stay for long.

Meanwhile, it is becoming easier by the day for Pakistan to recognise its mirror reflection across the border.

The writer teaches physics in Lahore and Islamabad
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From Consortium News

Haneen Zoabi is a member of the Israeli Knesset and the first woman elected to the Israeli Knesset on an Arab party list. She's an unrelenting advocate for equal citizenship rights for the Palestinian citizens of Israel, and despite repeated attacks of all kinds, she remains unrelenting in her call for an end to Israel's occupation of Palestinian Lands.

Zoabi considers herself a straight up feminist. She says "real feminism must acknowledge the discrimination against Arab women in Israel, and real feminism must know to identify with and struggle alongside them, at the national, civil and social levels."

Zoabi joined forces with the Balad Party a year after it was founded in 1997. A key guiding principle of the Party is to maintain a one-third quota for women candidates. The party advocates for the rights of Palestinians, legally designated as "Arab Israelis." Zoabi has been banned from the Knesset five times for taking strong stands in support of Palestinian rights.

Bernstein spoke to Haneen Zoabi on April 17th in Berkeley California at the Flashpoints studios of Pacifica Radio/KPFA

Dennis Bernstein: We are honored to have in the studio a member of the Israeli Knesset, Haneen Zoabi. She tells me she has been suspended from that body five times but she is back again, trying to make lives more livable for Palestinians in the state of Israel. What went through your mind, Haneen Zoabi, when you got first-hand reports of the killings along the border fence?

Haneen Zoabi: Palestinians have long been suffering from the siege. Almost daily, bombers fly over Gaza. Israel wants to break the will of the Palestinians, to prevent Palestinians from fighting for their freedom. I would describe the Palestinian struggle as an heroic one. After 11 years of siege, 75% of children in Gaza suffer from anemia. Fisherman are shot on a weekly basis. Farmers coming to work on their land are shot. Employment rates and poverty rates are extremely high. 95% of the water is unsafe to drink. The United Nations has determined that the living situation in Gaza is not suitable for human life.

But the Palestinian people do not want to die a silent, slow-motion death under the siege. If Israel is determined to kill them and continues to evade accountability for this crime, the Palestinians will die struggling for their liberation. This terrible, indiscriminate killing we are seeing now at the border is meant to deter others from struggling. This is the plan for Gaza: either to let it die slowly or to inflict more and more suffering, without breaking the silence concerning the siege. 70% of the inhabitants in Gaza are refugees Israeli expelled from their homes and villages in 1948. They want freedom and they want to return home.

DB: Some people have compared the lives of Arabs inside Israel with the lives of Blacks living under Jim Crow.

HZ: First of all, most people don't understand the meaning of being a Palestinian and being a citizen of Israel. First of all, we didn't choose to be Israelis. It was Israelis who immigrated to our homeland and established here a Jewish state. It was in order to be recognized in the UN that Israeli granted citizenship to those Palestinians who remained in their homeland. We who remained in historical Palestine continue to struggle for our people's rights -- the right to return and an end to the occupation. Israel doesn't perceive us as citizens, they perceive us as obstacles to the Jewish state. The purpose of having a Jewish state is to give privileges to Jews at the expense of Palestinians. There are 95 racist laws on the books in Israel today. As a Knesset member, I have been suspended five times because of my political views and for speaking out against these racist laws.

DB: What sort of things got you suspended?

HZ: I participated in the Freedom Flotilla to break the siege of Gaza in 2010, when Israel killed nine Turkish activists in an act of piracy on international waters. For daring to be a part of this flotilla I was labeled a traitor. Since last year, Israel has now passed a new law which gives the Knesset the ability to permanently suspend any Knesset member. Our struggle for freedom and democracy clashes directly with the concept of a Jewish state. We cannot struggle for our equality within this construct.

DB: To be clear, you are calling for a one-state solution. For one person one vote.

HZ: I am calling for a state which represents all of its citizens. For Israel, this struggle for democracy is a strategic threat. Equality and justice are strategic threats. As a member of the Knesset, I am asked to be loyal to racism, loyal to apartheid laws, loyal to my oppressor. In Arab schools, we cannot study our own history, our own literature. We cannot control our own textbooks. We learn that we don't have any special relation to our homeland. We pay taxes so that our children can learn how inferior we are in our homeland. We must thank Israel every day for not expelling us in 1948.

Citizenship in Israel is not something that is meant to empower us. In a poll conducted three or four years ago, 65% of Israelis said they would like to be perceived as part of the West and not as part of the Middle East. If you don't want to be seen as part of the Middle East, if you don't want to respect the history and the culture, why did you come here? You hate my language, you destroy over 500 villages and cities, develop over 700 cities and villages for the exclusive use of Jewish citizens. You came here without any respect for my identity or my history. You came not to live beside me but to replace me. Our response to this position is so democratic, so simple, so humanitarian: to decolonize the regime and to decolonize the people of Israel. It is not only a battle for equality, it is also a vision that frees the Israelis from their colonialist perceptions.

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From Philly.com

It's kind of trivial, perhaps, but one of my favorite odd facts about the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom -- the epic event that produced Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech -- is that not one but two college kids in the bobbing sea of faces crammed around the Reflecting Pool listening to King's immortal words would grow up to become U.S. senators many years later.

One future senator would -- over the course of his 50-year-long, 1000-1-shot rise to political prominence -- remain remarkable true to the expansive vision of that 1963 march, with an almost annoyingly loud but consistent, laser-like focus on expanding economic opportunity and fighting for the working classes.

The other young man in the shadows of MLK grew up to become Mitch McConnell.

Unlike the young Bernie Sanders, McConnell must have been taking a dip in the Reflecting Pool or even dozing off when King said that "with this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood." To the contrary, the Kentucky Republican has risen to the pinnacle of U.S. power, as Senate majority leader, by turning up those "jangling discords" to a nearly deafening level -- with no moral or ideological compass other than following the Big Money that promises political power in our warped 21st century, with a win-at-all costs mentality that crushes norms of basic democracy that had survived for a couple of centuries. It is Mitch McConnell, more than anyone else in Washington, who has turned the notion of comity into comedy.

The latest episode in McConnell's sad odyssey came this week, when senators from both parties started circulating a bill that would curb the power of the executive branch -- now in the person of one Donald John Trump -- to fire a Justice Department special counsel such as Robert Mueller, who is probing the events surrounding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the possible role of all the president's men and women, including perhaps Trump himself.

Click Here to Read Whole Article
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Sahra Wagenknecht

(Image by dielinke_nrw) Details DMCA



Madam President, dear colleagues:

Foreign Minister Maas, last week the world was probably as close to the threshold of a hot war as it has been for decades. If you needed proof that the US is ruled by an insane gambler, Trump proved it with his famous tweet: "Get ready Russia ...", a de facto declaration of war by one nuclear power to another proclaimed to the world by Twitter. It sometimes feels like a bad science fiction movie. But if this bad movie starring Donald Trump has a bad ending we will not be able to just get up and leave the theater, because there will probably be no theaters left in Germany and Europe.

We must stop this continual violation of international law. That, damn it all, is our job, and it is your job as the government of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Of course we supported and gave the Chancellor credit when she publicly stated that Germany would not participate in the military strikes. But how do we know that our reconnaissance Tornados in Jordan have not provided data for the attacks? We are in the middle of it all, also with our AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft in Turkey. Therefore, if you do not want Germany to continue participating in this escalating war, then pull the German military out of this powder keg. Bring our soldiers back home! That should be the order of the day.

Of course poison-gas attacks are a war crime, and war crimes must be punished. There is the Hague Tribunal. But first it has to be determined if there was such an attack. And when even the US Secretary of Defense says we do not know if chemical weapons were used, or if so by whom, when the [OPCW] inspectors charged with investigating precisely those questions are just about to arrive in the country, and that country is then bombed with a hundred cruise missiles, that is not appropriate and necessary action, but an act of war and aggression contrary to international law, and nothing but that.

And then the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr Rottgen, informs us - I quote him verbatim - that "the application of the rule of law ... principles ... to international relations ... is really nonsense." I do not know if Herr Rottgen speaks for the government, but if so we must ask if our government believes that might makes right, that the country with the strongest weapons and nuclear arsenal has the right to drop bombs all over the world in pursuit of its own economic interests. Is that really your opinion?

Mr. Maas, what you just said sounded different, but it is in complete contradiction to what has happened in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and now Syria. What has all this achieved? How much suffering, how many deaths, how many crimes have been caused by this irresponsible policy?

Even if what you just said, Mr Maas, sounded much more moderate than what you have said in recent weeks, I really have to say that you as the new German Foreign Minister have taken on the saddest role in this whole tragedy.

We in The Left party could never have imagined that we would want to have Mr. Gabriel [of the Social Democrats, SPD] back as Foreign Minister.

Although German foreign policy under Gabriel was a far cry from Willy Brandt's policy of detente, Mr. Maas now seems determined to rid his party [the SPD] of the last remnants of Brandt's Ostpolitik.

What did Mr. Maas have to say when Trump made his "Get ready Russia" tweet? He said: "Russia is acting ... increasingly hostile." Perhaps you got something mixed up, Mr Maas. The day before the attack, you said Germany might participate in this madness, and then you had to be corrected by the Chancellor.

Well, I have to say that if this is to be the SPD foreign policy in the future, then I really wonder why you still call your party headquarters the "Willy Brandt House."

I think, Mr Maas, you really should do something about that. Your party congress will take place soon. Why not propose to rename your headquarters the "Donald Trump Tower"? At least that would fit in with your policy.

What true social-democratic foreign policy looks like - and I wish it would get some support here again - could be seen in the British House of Commons, where Labor party leader Jeremy Corbyn not only told the head of his government that she is accountable to Parliament and not to an out-of-control US President, but also, and most importantly, stated the fundamental truth that bombs do not save human lives or create peace.

Mr Maas, yes, you said here that weapons should not replace negotiation. But if you don't want weapons to do the talking, then stop delivering weapons to this region!

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Today, April 20, 2018, Senator Tim Kaine told an audience at the U of Virginia that missiles into Syria were illegal because not authorized by Congress, leaving everyone to imagine Congress could have made such a thing legal. Kaine gave a long speech on the legality of war without ever mentioning that it is illegal. So I asked him, and he admitted as much. He offered no way in which Congress could have made the missiles legal. He claimed wars are legal if a puppet "invites" you, a claim not supported by written law and not relevant to attacking Syria.







The fact is that the same line of text that gives Congress the war powers in the U.S. Constitution also gives it the power to hire pirates -- except that everybody admits you're not supposed to do that. War also was banned, first and in its entirety by the Kellogg-Briand Pact, second and with limited exceptions not met by any recent wars by the UN Charter, as I pointed out to Senator Kaine.



Kaine is to be applauded for opposing Pompeo and for opposing war on Yemen. I hope he will actively pursue THOSE causes.




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By Dave Lindorff

At a time when we have over a millions young high school and college students march in the streets demanding a ban on assault-style semi-automatic rifles, and an end to mass shootings, as well as continued protests over police shootings of unarmed and all too often black or latino young people, it might seem trivial to see a wave of national outrage over an incident at a Philadelphia Starbucks shop involving two black men who were arrested by police for refusing a manager's order to leave because they weren't buying anything.

But when you look at the story closer it becomes clear that, as horrible as the Starbucks manager at this one store, and Starbuck corporate management, have been shown to be, this ugly incident really is also about the more serious issue of the increasingly militarized and authoritarian behavior of our nation's police -- a problem which we as a society have come to accept as normal.

After the manager called 911 and reported that two men were refusing to leave her store, Philly's Finest raced to the scene, apparently in force with between six and eight officers converging on the location by car and bike. Most of those who showed up were white, including a supervisor whose presence indicated the cops were expecting trouble.

News reports say the police "politely" asked the two men to leave three times. According to police accounts the officers said the two men responded "defiantly" by refusing to leave. For their part, the two men say the police just came in and told them they had to leave, not making any effort to determine what the issue was. When the men questioned that order, they were then arrested, cuffed, and, without being even read their Miranda rights, were taken to the station where they were held for 8 hours, until 1:30 am when they were released because the city's progressive new District Attorney, Larry Krasner, learning of the case, said there was no evidence they'd committed a crime. According to Lauren Wimmer, a pro-bono attorney for the as yet unidentified two men arrested, police had been considering a charge of "defiant trespass" against them.

The "defiant" part means that the accused were challenging the police officer's right to remove them, instead of passively responding to an order to leave the premises. The addition of the term "defiant" to their "trespass" charge could have made their "crime" carry a penalty of anywhere from 90 days in jail and a $300 fine to up to five years in jail. These were not, in other words, minor arrests by the time the police decided to take the two men in"

For the rest of this article by DAVE LINDORFF iin ThisCantBeHappening!, the uncompromised, collectively run, six-time Project Censored Award-winning online alternative news site, please go to:www.thiscantbehappening.net/ node/3872

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sacw.net - 21 April 2018

Women in Jammu and Kashmir have been living in an unendurable atmosphere for a while now created by the acrimonious implementation of draconian laws. Indian paramilitary forces, militants, and mercenaries have unleashed indiscriminate violence in the state, which has metamorphosed the legendary beauty of Kashmir into an intolerable inferno of bottomless perdition.

The law of the jungle, which prevails in several parts of the state, leaves no scope for rehabilitation of the victims of violence. The desecration of the political, social and cultural landscape looms large over the lovely face of nature in its pure majesty. The grievances of the lacerated hearts of those brutalized are, inevitably, not redressed. The unalloyed purity of nature and the spiritual illumination it inspires have, therefore, been tarnished.

Attempts to drown the voices of progressive women into oblivion became more frequent with the onset of militancy and counter-insurgency in 1989a90. Can the political and social exigencies of the women of J & K be addressed in more nuanced and purposeful ways?

Asymmetrical gender hierarchies legitimized by the forceful dissemination of militarized and fundamentalist discourses portend the debasement of women.

The brutalization and ruthless murder of eight-year old Asifa in Kathua district of Jammu province was the snuffing out of a young life who might have gone on to do wonderful things. Little Asifa belonged to the nomadic Bakharwal Muslim community of Jammu, which has, historically, been socioeconomically marginalized. The innocent child was kidnapped, held in captivity, and raped at the behest of a 60-year old Hindu resident of Kathua district who feared that growing Bakharwal settlements in the area would change the demographics of that part of the state, reducing the Hindu population to a miniscule minority. So what better way to instill fear in a people and drive them off the land?

The site of Asifaas defilement and ruthless murder was a local Hindu temple. She was deployed as a pawn on the chessboard of regional and communal antipathies, which is simply pathetic!

I have always maintained that in India, the Congress stealthily does by night what the BJP does in broad daylight. And sure enough, the President of the Jammu High Court Bar Association, which is playing a highly reprehensible role in defending those responsible for the brutalization and murder of little Asifa, is affiliated with the Congress Party.

In addition, former BJP minister Lal Singh continues to perpetuate divisive politics by categorising women along caste and religious lines. How in the world can he justify the barbarity of little Asifas brutalization and murder!

The polarising rhetoric deployed by BJP bigwigs in the Jammu province of the state has portrayed the nation as an invention that breeds relentless hatred. Their myopic vision renders the nation all the more threatening because the belligerent politics leading to its construction is internecine and does not bind Muslim to Hindu or Bengali to Kashmiri but rather sunders Bengali from Bengali and Kashmiri from Kashmiri. Such an irregular politics polarises these ethnic groups into Hindus and Muslims who are required to disavow their cultural, linguistic, and social unities. Such short-sightedness will prove even more detrimental to the constitutional integrity of India.

The ruling political party in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a womenas wing that claims that the image of woman as powerful mother underlines economic independence for women and reinforces her strength and courage of conviction to sacrifice for the family. The BJP vociferously campaigns for women in parliament and the judiciary. The women members of this political party argue that they could never identify the modern Indian woman with the liberated woman of the Western world. On the contrary, they campaign for reverting to a mythic past where women were purportedly equals in society. In doing so, the womenas wing of the BJP makes an ardent attempt to reconstruct history in order to inspire the kind of politics that present-day nationalism requires. However, the most barbaric acts against women are justified as means to restore the lost dignity of a caste/ community, which the Asifa case has made clear as day.

And in practice, gender violence is a consistent feature of the riots and political thuggery that spasmodically grip the subcontinent. The wretchedness of the crime committed against Asifa bears testimony to the intersecting notions of family, nation, and community. The horrific stories of women that are in most instances attributed to folklore underscore the complicity of official and nationalist historiography in perpetuating these notions. I might add that the feminization of the ahomelanda as the amotherlanda for which nationalist are willing to lay down their lives serves, in effect, to preserve native women in pristine retardation.

Asifa could have belonged to any region, any community, and/ or been anyoneas child. She was a young girl who deserved to live with dignity, grow, reach her potential, and thrive to the fullest.

That in and of itself is reason enough to evoke my sympathy and strongly condemn the wretchedness of those who are leaving no stone unturned to deny her justice.

It is high time we learned to see girls/ women as individuals in their own right, not merely as repositories of communal and traditional values.

Unfortunately, politicians in the Kashmir province of the state are guilty of deploying Asifa as a pawn as well to whip up anarchy, leading to the closure of educational institutions with students taking to the streets to protest the incident. A mainstream movement or a militant nationalist movement must have the foresight to pay attention to whether the legislation and execution of political, economic, and social policies and programs in contemporary Kashmir is successfully addressing womenas as well as menas experiences and concerns. Otherwise political and religious rhetoric doesnt go beyond the rhetorical.

Dr. Nyla Ali Khan
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From Gush Shalom

TWO DAYS ago, the State of Israel celebrated its 70th birthday. For days we heard about nothing else. Innumerable speeches full of platitudes. A huge festival of kitsch.

Everyone agreed: It was an historic moment, when David Ben-Gurion got up in a small hall in Tel Aviv and declared the foundation of the state.

Everybody still alive from then was asked this week: Where were you at that moment? What did you feel, when history knocked on the door?

WELL, I was alive. And I did not feel anything.

I was a soldier in the new army, which was not yet called "Israeli Defense Army" (its official name in Hebrew). My company had a small encampment of pup tents in Hulda, a kibbutz south of Tel Aviv.

We were to attack an Arab village called al-Kubab, near the town of Ramleh, that night. Stiff resistance was expected, and we were making all kinds of preparations, as soldiers do before a battle, when somebody ran up and shouted: "Quick, Ben-Gurion is declaring the state in the dining hall!" In the dining hall of the kibbutz was the only radio in the vicinity. Everyone ran there, including me.

Frankly, I did not give a damn about the declaration. We were in the middle of a desperate war -- desperate for both sides -- and we knew that the fighting would decide whether our state would come about or not. If we won the war, there would be a state. If we lost he war, there would be no state and no we.

A speech by a politician somewhere in Tel Aviv would make no difference whatsoever.

But I was curious about one detail: what would the new state be called? There had been several suggestions, and I wanted to know which one was accepted.

When I heard the word "Israel," I left the dining room and returned to cleaning my rifle.

The fierce battle, by the way, did not materialize. When we attacked the village from two sides, the inhabitants fled. We entered empty houses, with the food still warm on the tables. The inhabitants were never allowed to return.

The next morning my company was transferred to the south. The Egyptian army was entering Palestine, and we were to stop them before they reached Tel Aviv. But that is another story.

DAVID BEN-GURION, whose voice I had heard that afternoon on the radio, has by now become the national hero of all times, the man who created the State of Israel. This week a documentary about him was broadcast on television.

The director, Raviv Drucker, an excellent journalist, has produced a very good film. It shows Ben-Gurion as he really was, with all his good and bad points.

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The United States of America considers military presence around the world as one of the key tools for ensuring national interests. The Pentagon has a huge amount of military bases and various facilities outside the national territory in more than 30 countries. Besides, US military instructors carry out training missions for local armed units of dozens of foreign states while the US special operations forces operate in more than 80 countries. The maintenance and expansion of military facilities network as well as conducting operations abroad in 2018 will cost the US taxpayer $89 billion, $23.2 billion more than the year before. However, financing global military presence isn't the main challenge the US DoD is facing. A much more complicated task is to bring the foreign units to strength with physically and mentally healthy personnel as by September 2018 the Pentagon needs to enlist over 80,000 volunteers. Meanwhile, last year's bar of 69,000 recruits was achieved with great difficulty.

After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, in New York, the American nation was ready to support any anti-terrorist initiative of the White House. Young people actively joined the ranks of the armed forces being ready to go to the Middle East and Central Asia to take revenge on extremists for the daring attack. Moreover, as the New York Times has noted, since 2002 young people from the well-of American society have joined the military service. They had high school degrees more often and scored higher on qualification tests compared with the period before "9/11". The situation dramatically changed in 2005 when the bodies of American soldiers began to arrive from Iraq. At this time, the Pentagon had to face a massive shortage of volunteers and a reduction in their quality and only the 2008 financial crisis forced the Americans who lost their source of income to flee from poverty and hunger in the armed forces.

Nowadays Americans do not feel an imminent threat. In these conditions, the Pentagon has fewer arguments to attract new recruits. Potential soldiers fear the prospect of an infamous death in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan or some unknown African or Latin American village. This situation forces the Pentagon to resort to various tricks. According to USA Today, starting August 2017 people with a history of "self-mutilation," bipolar disorder, depression and drug and alcohol abuse are able to join the Army.

Journalists from Newsweek indicate serious physical-health problems among the recruits, especially from southern states. A significant number of candidates are obese and unable to undergo a basic physical-training course. All this inevitably leads to deterioration in the combat training of personnel and reduction in the fighting capacity of troops as well as growth in crime among servicemen and most importantly it increases casualty rates in combat missions, special operations, and daily activities. Military Times reported that in 2017 the number of servicemen killed overseas has increased for the first time in six years. According to the DoD official data, the death toll increased from 26 to 31 servicemen, not including 17 sailors killed in two separate ship collisions.

It is quite obvious that in these conditions Washington is not interested in revealing losses among American servicemen and Defense Department contractors to the general public, especially in the US. That is why the military leadership uses a whole range of administrative and legal measures. For the high-risk missions, the DoD tends to hire private military companies (PMCs) or deploy units formed mostly of non-citizens.

Formally the Pentagon has the right not to include casualties among the foreigners and PMC members into official statistics. It also produces a feeling that American soldiers are safe and sound while only some abstract mercenaries die in war zones. According to researchers from George Washington University, between 2001 and 2010 5,531 US troops and 2,008 PMC contractors were killed and 16,210 and 44,152 wounded in combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. So the total number of US casualties exceeded 7,500 while an incredible figure of 60,362 represents the final injuries count.

A common practice is the concealment of losses. The DoD representatives usually come out with an official statement after the information has already become available to the general public via social networks, monitoring organizations or the mass media. In this case, it is worth mentioning that recently there has been a tendency for intervention in the work of independent observers.

In 2015 an international security specialist and a former Guardian writer Nafeez Ahmed published an investigative report in which he reveals that an allegedly independent anti-war monitoring group Iraq Body Count is largely funded by the US administration and DoD contractors. While by the end of 2017 The Daily Caller and some other news outlets reported that the Pentagon imposed a restriction on public release of information about U.S. war efforts in Afghanistan. Only three months later DoD admitted that it was a mistake, blaming "human error" for the order.

The attempt to limit public access to the Afghan operation comes as a result of a very limited success in this country. Furthermore, American citizens continue to die there. According to official statistics since the start of Operation Freedom's Sentinel (January 1, 2015 -- present) the US Armed Forces had 47 military casualties. Meanwhile, according to iCasualties, 51 American servicemen were killed in Afghanistan during the same period of time. As a rule, the reason for official recognition of losses by the Pentagon is the "leakage" of information about the incident into the mass media. For example, DoD officially confirmed the death of Army Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin in the Afghan province of Nangarhar on January 3, a day after Stars and Stripes wrote about it. He was killed on January 1.

To a certain extent, the habit of concealing the casualties until the last moment is in some kind of an indicator that any nameless dead American outside the country is in one way or another related to the Defense Department. At least such a conclusion appeals to the US citizens who were killed during the terrorist attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. One of the victims was Glenn Selig, spokesman for Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates. This information was provided by a representative of the Selig Multimedia company founded by Glenn. The identities of other Americans are carefully concealed under the pretext of "respect for the feelings of the families of the dead". Taking into consideration that Selig was a high-ranking official the remaining three could well be SOF operatives, DIA officers or even CIA agents.

When the fact of death can't be kept off the records, DoD officials often resort to methods of direct data manipulation. In particular, non-combat casualties can be excluded from the general casualties list. For this purpose even if the accident occurred during the combat mission it is often categorized as non-combat until the end of the investigation, which can last more than a year.

Disclosure of the information about American citizens killed overseas carries another threat to the Pentagon -- the disclosure of the US military activity in the regions where the operations with their participation aren't officially conducted or the stated goals don't coincide with the real ones. "Since 1952, we've been conducting missions unknown to the general public and, sometimes, to the conventional forces," said retired Maj. Gen. Simeon Trombitas, chairman of the Green Beret Foundation.

Most likely during one of these "unknown" operations on October 4, 2017, four US Army Special Forces Troops were killed in an ambush near the settlement of Tongo Tongo, Republic of the Niger. The first mass-media reports on the day of the incident stated three Green Berets were killed and two wounded in the course of a routine joint training mission with Nigerian forces. Two days later the body of the fourth soldier was found and Reuters' anonymous source reported on a possible connection of the attackers with the Islamic State. It took the US president Donald Trump 12 days to comment on the incident and immediately got him in the center of a scandal being accused of a disrespectful attitude towards the family of the killed serviceman.

Despite this grand fiasco, the focus of media attention quickly shifted back to the incident itself. It was due to the release of an IS propaganda video based on one of the Green Berets' helmet-camera footage. In the public, expert and political circles of the United States intense debates arose about the nature and the scope of American intervention in Africa. As a result, some press outlets acquired information that the Special Forces unit carried out a task of hunting down one of the local IS leaders Doundou Chefou. Besides, it turned out that the mission in Niger which became a surprise for the majority of American political establishment is a part of the Pentagon's large-scale anti-terrorist campaign on the African continent. Within its framework, US military forces are deployed in Chad, Somalia, Libya, Cameroon and several other African countries.

Disguising clandestine operations as training missions is one of Washington's favorite methods but not the only one. In order to avoid direct accusations of espionage and interference in the internal affairs and other unlawful activities in other countries, the US intelligence agents use non-governmental and non-commercial organizations as a cover. On December 20, 2015, a US citizen Liza Akbari was killed in Afghanistan's capital.

According to the official data from the State Department, she was an employee of the aid agency World Vision and a USAID contractor. It is worth mentioning that Israel accused the employees of this NGO of espionage and sabotage activities and cooperation with the Palestinian Hamas group. Besides, the assassination of Akbari became the fourth case of an attack on World Vision members since 2010. Another evidence that suggests that the death of a US citizen was not an incident became a report by the head of the Kabul Police investigation department who had claimed the murder was planned and committed using a silenced weapon.

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From Consortium News

What happens when an unthinkable war meets an unbeatable case of war fever? Thanks to Russia-gate, unsubstantiated reports about the use of poison gas in Syria, and a slew of similar factoids and pseudo-scandals, the world may soon find out.

In saner times, including during the Cold War at even its most heated, political leaders knew not to push a conflict with a rival nuclear power too far. After all, what was the point of getting into a fight in which everyone would lose?

Cooler heads thus prevailed in Washington while more excitable sorts were shipped off to where they could do no harm. This is what kept the peace during the U-2 affair, the Berlin Wall, and the Cuban missile crisis and what promised to continue doing so even after the advent of American "unipolarity" in 1989-92.

But that was then. Today, the question is no longer how to avoid a fight that can only lead to catastrophe, but how to avoid a showdown with a country that "in the past four years has annexed Crimea, intervened in eastern Ukraine, sought to influence the American election in 2016, allegedly poisoned a former Russian spy living in Britain and propped up the murderous government of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria," to quote the bill of indictment in a recent front-page article in The New York Times.

Given that the list of alleged atrocities expands with virtually each passing week, the answer, increasingly, is: no way, no how. Since Russia is bent on spreading "conflict and discord" throughout the west -- if only in the eyes of the U.S., that is -- confrontation grows more and more likely.

A Very American Coup

This is despite the fact that the offenses cited by the Times are each more complex or dubious than the "newspaper of record" is willing to concede. The annexation of the Crimea, for instance, was a response to a US-financed, neo-Nazi-spearheaded coup in Kiev in February 2014 that caused the rickety Ukrainian state to collapse and sent Russophones in the east fleeing for protection into the arms of Moscow. After investing more than $5 billion to steer the Ukraine in such a disastrous direction according to then-Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, the US blamed Russia for the consequences. (See quote beginning at 7:42) As for charges of interference in the 2016 election, the Times itself noted back in January 2017 that the formal CIA-FBI-NSA "assessment" blaming the Kremlin was notably bereft of factual back-up. As the paper put it:

"[T]he declassified report contained no information about how the agencies had collected their data or had come to their conclusions. So it is bound to be attacked by skeptics and by partisans of Mr. Trump, who see the review as a political effort to impugn the legitimacy of his election."

Quite right. But now evidence-free assertions are accepted as fact while anyone who says otherwise is ignored or shouted down. Questions linger with regard to the March 4 poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, most notably why a supposedly ultra-powerful nerve agent would not take effect for more than seven hours. (Someone supposedly smeared the nerve agent on the front door of Sergei's home in Salisbury, England, which he and his daughter left around nine in the morning. Yet it was not until 4:15 p.m. that they were found incapacitated on a park bench after visiting a pub and eating at a local restaurant.)

As for "the murderous government of President Bashar al-Assad," such talk would be silly if the consequences weren't so dire. After all, it wasn't Assad who flooded Syria with tens of thousands of jihadis bent on massacring Christian, Druse, Alawites, and secularists. To the contrary, it was the U.S., Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the other Arab Gulf states. As a now declassified Defense Intelligence Agency report noted back in August 2012:

-- "The Salafist[s], the Muslim Brotherhood, and AQI [i.e. Al Qaeda in Iraq] are the major forces driving the insurgency";

-- "The West, Gulf countries, and Turkey support the [rebel] opposition";

-- "If the situation unravels further, there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in eastern Syria";

-- "...[T]his is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition [i.e., the US, Turkey, and the gulf states] want in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion...."

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From Smirking Chimp



Will #Trump kiss off his #AmericaFirst and go to war?

(Image by kennethkonica) Details DMCA



This coming Monday, April 23, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is set to review a bill that would virtually give President Donald J. Trump a blank check to wage war anywhere in the world any time he pleases.

The Constitution places the power to declare war exclusively in the hands of the Congress. However, for the past 75 years, Congress has allowed that power to drift toward the executive branch.

The new bill, should it pass, would effectively make the transfer of the war power from Congress to the president complete. It is hard to imagine a worse time in American history for this to happen.

Why Only Congress Has the Power to Declare War

The framers of the Constitution were well aware of the dangers of placing the power to declare war in the hands of the president. Delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention overwhelmingly rejected South Carolina delegate Pierce Butler's proposal that the president be given the power to start a war, according to James Madison's notes on the congressional debates. George Mason said he was "against giving the power of war to the executive" because the president "is not safely to be trusted with it."

The framers of the Constitution therefore specified in Article I that only Congress has the power to declare war. Article II states, "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States." Those articles, taken together, mean the president commands the armed forces once Congress authorizes war.

In spite of its exclusive constitutional power, Congress has not declared war since 1942. After that time, starting with President Truman, a series of US presidents committed American troops to hostilities around the world without waiting for Congress to act. Following the debacle in Vietnam, Congress enacted the War Powers Resolution in an effort to reclaim its constitutional authority to decide when and where the nation would go to war.

The War Powers Resolution allows the president to introduce US Armed Forces into hostilities or imminent hostilities only after Congress has declared war, or in "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces," or when there is "specific statutory authorization," such as an Authorization for the Use of Military Force.

The 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force

Congress enacted Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) in 2001 and 2002, which were directed at al-Qaeda and Iraq, respectively. Although these authorizations were limited, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump have all used them to justify attacking or invading whatever country they wished.

In the 2001 AUMF, Congress authorized the president to use military force against individuals, groups and countries that were seen as having supported the 9/11 attacks. Congress rejected the Bush administration's request for open-ended military authority "to deter and preempt any future acts of terrorism or aggression against the United States."

Nevertheless, the 2001 AUMF has been used to justify at least 37 military operations in 14 countries, according to the Congressional Research Service. Many of them were unrelated to the 9/11 attacks.

Bush utilized the 2001 AUMF to invade Afghanistan and initiate the longest war in US history, which continues unabated. Obama relied on that AUMF to lead a NATO force into Libya and forcibly change its regime, creating a vacuum that ISIS moved in to fill. Obama invoked the same AUMF to carry out targeted killings with drones and manned bombers, killing untold numbers of civilians. And Trump is relying on that AUMF as justification for his drone strikes, which have killed thousands of civilians.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California), the only member of Congress to vote against the 2001 AUMF, was prescient. In July 2017, Lee said, "I knew then it would provide a blank check to wage war anywhere, anytime, for any length by any president." Lee told Democracy Now! in 2016 that she knew the 2001 AUMF "was setting the stage and the foundation for perpetual war. And that is exactly what it has done."

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Algorithmic Trading Market Driving Factors, Industry Analysis, Investment Feasibility and Trends, Outlook -2022

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Market Study Report.com present the report on Global Algorithmic Trading Market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2017-2022.Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Global Algorithmic Trading Market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.This report studies the Algorithmic Trading market, Algorithmic trading is a method of executing a large order (too large to fill all at once) using automated pre-programmed trading instructions accounting for variables such as time, price, and volume to send small slices of the order (child orders) out to the market over time.Get Sample Copy on this Report:Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:Virtu Financial, KCG, DRW Trading, Optiver, Tower Research Capital, Flow Traders, Hudson River Trading, Jump Trading, RSJ Algorithmic Trading, Spot Trading, Sun Trading, Tradebot Systems,IMC, Quantlab Financial, Teza Technologies.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico), Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.), Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa).Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoInvestment banks, Funds, Personal Investors.There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Algorithmic Trading market.Chapter 1, to describe Algorithmic Trading Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Algorithmic Trading, with sales, revenue, and price of Algorithmic Trading, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Algorithmic Trading, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Algorithmic Trading market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Algorithmic Trading sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Objective of Studies: To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyses the Algorithmic Trading market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porter five force analysis etc. To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Algorithmic Trading market. 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 application, product type and sub-segments. 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.More Report At:Related Report:EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Algorithmic Trading Market 2017 Forecast to 2022This report studies the Algorithmic Trading market, Algorithmic trading is a method of executing a large order (too large to fill all at once) using automated pre-programmed trading instructions accounting for variables such as time, price, and volume to send small slices of the order (child orders) out to the market over time.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:
Advanced Driver Assistance System Market Opportunities, Key Growth Factors, Ongoing Trends, Industry Perspective and Forecast to 2024

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Market Study Report.com present The report on Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) Market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2017-2024.Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) Market Research Report for the period of 2017-2024 that shows the growth of the market is rising at a 13% CAGR to 2024.Global ADAS market share is led by park assist systems due to increasing adoption particularly from aftermarket. Faster parking and reduced curb strikes are among key properties supporting the product demand. Rising demand from passenger and commercial vehicles particularly for forward collision warning functions has enhanced the industry growth.Shifting preference for sensing systems in automobiles to avoid road accidents has enhanced the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) demand. As per WHO, global road traffic deaths reached 1.25 million in 2015. Increasing consumer awareness pertaining to travel safety and security will propel the industry growth. Stringent government regulations for vehiclesafety to ensure public health security will support the product demand.Get sample Copy of this Report:Effective safety functions in steering, braking, monitoring and warning are key properties driving the industry demand. In addition, increasing adoption of ADAS to enhance economy and comfort with functions including monitoring blind spots and parking assistance will support the product demand.Image sensors dominated the industry share contributing over 33% of the ADAS market revenue in 2016. Evolution of modern computer vision analysis system with effective object identification will support the product penetration. Strong outlook for image sensors in auto high beam, blind spot detection, lane departure warning systems, night vision and surround view systems will support the business growth.HCVs are anticipated to witness growth over 14% up to 2024. Necessity for speed constraints to ensure safety among HCVs has enhanced the product scope. Regulatory compliance promoting advanced sensor usage including lane departure warning systems and AEBs will fuel the industry demand.OEMs dominated the global ADAS market share and are anticipated to remain dominating in forecast timeframe due to increasing adoption of safety standards. Increasing preference for safety systems among manufacturers to improve brand identity and ensure travel security will support the demand.OEMs are focused on strategic partnerships and collaborations with technology providers including sensors and other semiconductor suppliers.Europe ADAS market will witness CAGR over 14% up to 2024. Government regulations mandating installation of safety systems in vehicles will support the industry growth. Institutional initiatives including Euro NCAP to promote driving assistance systems will drive the product penetration. In addition, presence of key automobile manufacturers provides a positive outlook for the regional demand.Autoliv, Bosch, Continental, Delphi Automotive, Denso, Harman International, Hyundai Mobis, Mobileye N.V., Nvidia Corporation and TRW Automotive are the key players in the ADAS market. Mergers & acquisitions, new product launches, collaborations and supply agreements are among major strategies adopted by industry participants. For instance, in 2017, Delphi announced the acquisition of NuTonomy, an autonomous driving start-up to enhance its market foothold.More Report At:Related Report:Global (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa) Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market 2017 Forecast to 2022Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are electronic components installed in vehicles, which present an intelligent driving experience to the driver. These systems comprise of unique sensors such as ultrasonic, image, RADAR, LiDAR, infrared and LASER. Deploying ADAS to enhance comfort levels and ensure safety and security on road is the majorly growing trend within the automobile sector. The implementation of ADAS has been considered as a revolution as it provides dynamic features such as adaptive.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:More Report at:
Mobility as a Service Market Outlook | International Top Key Players  Uber, Didi, Lyft, Gett, Mytaxi(Hailo), Ola Cabs, BlaBla Car, Careem, Grab Taxi, Kako Taxi, Addison Lee, Meru | Estimated to Grow High CAGR | Forecast till 2025

Mobility as a Service Market

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Mobility as a Service is a new means of transportation system has broader scope to transform the way we choose the transportation medium to travel from one place to another and provides an opportunity for policy makers to secure benefits to improve the travelling experience of the people.The study indicates that Mobility as a Service has generated high travel demand on transport networks and Mobility as a Service Provider has managed the mobility needs of both workplaces and employees that may support a reducing the traffic in peak hours. It describes a shift away from personally owned modes of transportation and towards mobility solutions that are consumed as a service.Premium Sample Report Available atThis report studies the global Mobility as a Service (MaaS) market, analyzes and researches the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeUberDidiLyftGettMytaxi(Hailo)Ola CabsBlaBla CarCareemGrab TaxiKako TaxiAddison LeeMeruIngogoFlywheelEasy TaxiGocatchViaYandex TaxiLecab99TaxisMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaThe regional scope of the study is as follows:- North America, United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Europe, Germany, France, UK, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Central & South America, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Middle East & Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Rest of Middle East & Africa.Market segment by Application, Mobility as a Service (MaaS) can be split intoBelow 25 Years25-40 YearsAbove 40 YearsThe study objectives of this report are:To analyze and study the global Mobility as a Service capacity, production, value, consumption, status (2013-2017) and forecast (2018-2025);Focuses on the key Mobility as a Service manufacturers, to study the capacity, production, 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.Key StakeholdersMobility as a Service ManufacturersMobility as a Service Distributors/Traders/WholesalersMobility as a Service Subcomponent ManufacturersIndustry AssociationDownstream VendorsComplete report on Global Mobility as a Service Market Size, Status and Forecast 2025 is spread across 109 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 Mobility as a Service Market Research Report 20182 Global Mobility as a Service Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Mobility as a Service Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)4 Global Mobility as a Service Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2013-2018)5 Global Mobility as a Service Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Mobility as a Service Market Analysis by Application7 Global Mobility as a Service Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Mobility as a Service Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Mobility as a Service Market Forecast (2018-2025 )13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixKey questions answered in the report:What will the market growth rate of Mobility as a Service market in 2025 ?What are the key factors driving the global Mobility as a Service market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis of top manufacturers of Mobility as a Service market?Who are the distributors, traders and dealers of Mobility as a Service market?Who are the key manufacturers in Mobility as a Service market space?What are the Mobility as a Service market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global Mobility as a Service market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by types and applications of Mobility as a Service market?What are sales, revenue, and price analysis by regions of Mobility as a Service market?What are the market opportunities, market risk and market overview of the Mobility as a Service 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 Market ReportsPune  Indiasales@businessindustryreports.com+19376349940
E-Liquid and E-Juice Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024

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E-liquid and e-juice is a substitute for tobacco used in conventional cigarettes. This liquid content is filled in personal vaporizer and electronic cigarettes. These contain low quantity nicotine as compared to conventional tobacco smoke. The major ingredients used in the e-liquid are nicotine, glycerin, glycol, propylene, and flavorings. However, some e-liquid products do not contain nicotine, propylene glycol or flavors. Increasing adoption of e-cigarettes to reduce or quit tobacco smoking is increasing the demand for e-liquid and e-juice market. Moreover, increasing awareness about the advantages of e-liquid smoking as compared to tobacco smoking is increasing growth of the e-liquid and e-juice market over the forecast period. Additionally, changing lifestyle and increasing health awareness have increased the demand for e-cigarette devices, in turn fueling growth of the market for e-liquid or e-juice. The rising awareness about lung cancer cases, owing to tobacco smoking is increasing the demand for e-cigarette devices. According to American Cancer Society, around 222,500 new lung cancer cases were reported in the U.S. in 2015, of which 116,990 were men and 105,510 were women. Increasing incidence of lung cancer cases due to tobacco smoking, is inadvertently fueling demand for e-cigarette devices, and thus, fueling growth of the e-liquid and e-juice market globally.Request a sample copy of this report:Increasing trend of quitting tobacco cigarette and increasing popularity of flavor e-liquid such as bubble gum, cola, chocolate, mint, menthol, and fusions of other fruits have increased the popularity of electronic cigarette devices. This trend is projected to provide continuous growth opportunities to market players in the global e-liquid and e-juice market.Global E-liquid and E-juice Market Outlook  Asia Pacific holds the largest market share of the global e-liquid and e-juice marketOn the basis of geography, the global e-liquid and e-juice market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds a dominant position in the global e-liquid and e-juice market in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Increasing healthcare awareness is increasing growth of the market in this region. The U.S. and Canada are the major countries, driving major market growth in North America. Additionally, the market in Asia Pacific is expected to hold the largest share over the forecast period. South Korea, China and Malaysia are some of the major countries which drives the e-liquid and e-juice market in Asia Pacific region. Due to increasing disposable income, changing lifestyle, and rising awareness regarding health concerns among the populace in the region.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Key Companies of the Global E-liquid and E-juice MarketSome of the key companies operating in the global e-liquid and e-juice market include Black Note, Breazy, Crystal Canyon Vapes LLC, eLiquid Factory, Halo, Henley, Highbrow Vapor, Mig Vapor LLC, Mt Baker Vapor, Strix Elixirs, Vape Dudes, VaporFi, Inc, Virgin Vapor, VistaVapors, Inc., VMR Products LLC, and ZampleBox, LLC. Increasing innovation of new flavored e-liquid products is a major marketing strategy deployed to increase foothold in the global e-liquid and e-juice market. For example, in October 2016, VaporFi, Inc. announced the successful launch of an apple pie e-liquid flavor.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:
Wound Care Biologics Market - Global Industry Insights, and Forecast to 2025

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Wound Care Biologics Market  Experience the Power of Effective HealingWound care biologics are bioengineered products used for non-healing wounds of the lower extremity. Demand for wound care biologic products is expected to increase significantly as early intervention of diabetic ulcer can prevent severe complications such as infection, hospitalization, and amputation. Wound care biologics market is expected to gain significant traction, as the commercially available skin substitutes have clinical and experimental evidence of efficacy in wound healing.Request a sample copy of this report:The global wound care biologics market was valued at US$ 1.2 billion in 2016 and is expected to exhibit a robust CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period (20172025).High prevalence of diabetes is expected to aid in growth of the marketThe wound care biologics market is expected to gain significant traction, with rise in global prevalence of diabetes, as diabetic patients are prone to developing diabetic ulcers. According to the Global Diabetes Community, 2017, an estimated 422 million adults are living with diabetes globally, and this is expected to increase to 642 million by 2040. Also, according to the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 2016, increasing number of diabetic patients has led to increased burden of diabetic complications, where peripheral neuropathy, foot ulceration, and Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) is twice as common for diabetic patients as compared to non-diabetics, affecting 30% of the diabetics aged 40 years and above. The Advances in Wound Care Journal, 2015, also stated that 15%20% of the diabetic population is likely to develop chronic, non-healing foot wounds. Thus, wound care biologic products provides patients with a cost effective option for managing chronic wounds, thereby reducing economic burden of the patients.However, high cost of skin substitutes and related biologics is a major hindrance for growth of the market. For instance, according to the Advances in Skin Substitutes Journal, 2014, cost for each 1% body surface area covered with Epicel, is estimated to be over US$ 13,000. This in turn, leads to increasing adoption of alternative and cost effective wound care products, which is expected to negatively affect growth of the market.Asia Pacific market to exhibit fastest growth over the forecast periodAsia Pacific is expected to exhibit significant growth in the global wound care biologics market over the forecast period. This is owing to high prevalence of diabetic patients in Asian countries. According to the Indian Diabetes Research Foundation, 2016, around 60% of the worlds population suffering from diabetes lives in Asia, with around one-half in China and India combined. The Foundation also states that Western Pacific reported over 138.2 million people suffering from diabetes, the number for which is expected to rise to 201.8 million by 2035.Moreover, rising medical tourism in Asia Pacific is a major driver for growth of the market. The number of foreign patients is increasing, owing to affordable treatment facilitates at hospitals for wound care management. According to the survey by Brink Global Risk Center, 2017, around 4 million medical tourists traveled to India for health care services, 3.5 million foreign patients travelled to Thailand and 900,000 patients to Singapore in 2016, with the number expected to grow by 10%14% by 2020.Ask for customization:Increasing incidence of chronic wounds and ulcers to accelerate the market growthChronic wounds have a significant impact on the health and quality of life of patients and their families, causing pain, emotional stress, restriction on daily activities, depression, distress, and anxiety, with prolonged hospital stay and chronic morbidity. According to the Advances in Wound Care Journal, 2015, chronic leg and foot ulcers last for around 12 months on an average, with recurrence affecting up to 65% of patients, leading to loss of function and decreased quality of life. It is also a significant cause of morbidity. Rising incidence of traumatic events such as accidents and fire accidents causing burns, systemic illness, antibiotic resistant, chronic disease, surgery, and impaired mobility are the prevailing factors resulting in increasing incidence of chronic wounds. The World Health Organization (WHO) also states that burns are the leading cause of morbidity, including prolonged hospitalization, disfigurement, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, these factors are expected to be major factor aiding ion growth of the market over the forecast period.Major players operating in the global wound care biologics market are Smith & Nephew Plc., Organogenesis, Inc., Integra Lifesciences Holdings Corporation, Skye Biologics, Alphatec Holdings, Inc., Solsys Medical LLC, Amino Technology LLC, and Osiris Therapeutics, Inc.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:
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Greetings! I am a political scientist , specializing in International Relations , my research and teaching focus on ethnic conflict and civil-military relations . I watch way too much TV, and I like movies as well so I tend to write about both and find IR stuff in pop culture. I rant alot about American politics and sometimes about Canadian politics. I like to take ideas I once learned a long time ago and apply them to whatever strikes my fancy.


Clostridium Difficile Diagnostics and Treatment Market  Global Insights 2025

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Clostridium difficile is a disease caused by bacteria. Symptoms of the disease includes diarrhea, nausea, colon inflammation, and others. Clostridium difficile infection affects older adults, and according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015, clostridium difficile infection is the most common healthcare-associated infection. Furthermore, frequent use of antibiotic medication is also responsible for clostridium difficile infection, as antibiotics kill normal flora (good bacteria) and allow for multiplication of C. difficile bacteria. Common symptoms of clostridium difficile infection include watery diarrhea, dehydration, fever, nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Life threatening symptoms of the disease includes abdominal distension, severe abdominal pain, and profuse diarrhea. Clostridium difficile infection management includes diagnosis of the infection using various tests and medication therapies using antibiotics such as Vancomycin and Fidaxomicin.Request a sample copy of this report:Rising prevalence of clostridium difficile infection is expected to boost growth of the market over the forecast periodIncidence of clostridium difficile infection has been witnessing an increase in the recent past, due to clostridium difficile infection recurrence and antibiotic resistance. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2015, around half a million people in the U.S. suffer from clostridium difficile infection in a year. Moreover, according to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), an estimated 37,900 patients were suffering from clostridium difficile infection in Canada in 2012. A review and meta-analysis of studies published in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2016, conducted in China between 2010 and 2016 showed significant incidence of clostridium difficile infection in China. Furthermore, according to Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System 2017 Report, clostridium difficile infection may be a consequence of commonly prescribed antibiotics for unrelated infections. According to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2015, antibiotic resistant bacteria are highly prevalent in G7 countries. This high presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria may lead to increasing incidence of the infection, which in turn is expected to aid in growth of the global clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market.The global clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market was valued at US$ 1,272.2 million in 2016 and is expected to witness a robust CAGR of 8.2% over the forecast period (20172025).Robust pipeline of various therapies is expected to boost growth of the clostridium difficile treatment market over the forecast periodStandard antibiotic drugs such as metronidazole, Vancomycin, and Fidaxomicin have been used for the treatment of clostridium difficile infection (CDI) since the recent past. Currently, there is no alternative therapies apart from antibiotics available for the treatment of clostridium difficile infection and only option available is surgery (in severe cases), fecal microbiota transplant, and probiotics in case of recurrent clostridium difficile infection. However, Manufacturers such as Rebiotix, Inc., Synthetic Biologics, Inc., Da Volterra, Crestovo LLC, and Immuron Ltd. have various microbiome therapeutics (new class of drugs) in pipeline for clostridium difficile infection indication. Rebiotix, Inc. has RBX7455 capsule in Phase 1 clinical trials, Synthetic Biologics Inc. has SYN-004 (ribaxamase) in Phase 2 clinical trials, and Da Volterra has DAV132 in clinical trials for antibiotic induced clostridium difficile infection. If these drugs show success in clinical trials, it could provide an alternative therapy for conventional antibiotics for treatment of the disease. Furthermore, probiotics are also gaining traction as they allow growth of natural flora through restoring natural balance of bacteria in the gut. Manufacturers such as Pfizer, Inc. and Valneva are working on developing novel vaccines for the treatment of CDI. For instance, Pfizer, Inc. has recombinant TcdA and TcdB PF-06425090 vaccine in phase 2 trial and Valneva has VLA84 in phase 1 trial.Ask for customization:Some major players operating in the clostridium difficile diagnostics and treatment market include Roche AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Merck & Co., Pfizer, Inc., Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Alere, Inc., Trinity Biotech, Summit Therapeutics, Baxter International Inc., Sanofi S.A., Novartis AG, and AstraZeneca Plc.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:
New Report By CMI: Hepatitis C Drugs Market

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Hepatitis C virus is a blood-borne virus that infects liver cells, resulting in illness that ranges from mild and transient effects such as easy bleeding, fatigue, yellow discoloration of skin and eyes, and others to chronic and serious life-threatening conditions such as liver cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure. Hepatitis C virus is transmitted through needlestick injuries, organ transplant from a carrier, sexually or from infected mother to fetus. Globally, hepatitis C virus exists in six distinct forms based on its genotypes amongst which Type 1 is the most common form representing around 60 -70 per cent of global infections. Hepatitis C is diagnosed by blood tests for estimating viral load and genotyping, and liver damage tests such as magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), transient elastography, and liver biopsy. Antiviral drugs, which inhibits protease or polymerase enzyme of virus is one of the treatments available for infection caused due to hepatitis C. Currently, no vaccines are available for the prevention of hepatitis C virus and this provides scope for the market players to expand their company portfolio.Request a sample copy of this report:Hepatitis C drug market DriverAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2017, around 71 million people were infected by chronic hepatitis C worldwide. Furthermore, WHO considers Eastern Mediterranean and European regions to be the most affected regions with the prevalence rate of 2.3% and 1.5% respectively. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 2.7 million to 3.9 million people in the U.S. suffer from hepatitis C. This increasing prevalence of hepatitis C will drive growth of hepatitis C drug market. Furthermore, this blood- borne virus is easily transmitted by sharing injection equipment, transfusion of infectious blood, sexually or from infected mother to infant, which will further propel growth of hepatitis C drug market.The governmental initiatives for patients to receive expanded drug coverage is also expected to drive growth of the market. For instance, in 2018, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of Ontario announced that all patients are eligible for Ontario Drug Benefit (ODP) irrespective of severity of their disease. In the same year, Thunder Bay group, HIV / AIDS / hepatitis C education and support services provider, expanded its access to medicines, as a result of successful negotiations between the provinces and drug manufacturers.There are significant number of drugs available for Hepatitis C over the past few years and is expected to increase over the forecast period due to large number of drugs in pipeline. Hepatitis C drug market is revolutionized by direct acting antivirals (DAAs), which aid in the development of highly effective, INF-free hepatitis C drug regimen in contrast to standard treatment. The pipeline consists of dual as well as triple DDA combinational therapy against hepatitis C virus. A combination of drugs is more effective for the treatment of hepatitis C as compared to single regimen. For instance, in 2016, Gilead submitted a new drug application to the U.S. FDA for the fixed-dose combination SOF/VEL/voxilaprevir for treatment of HCV genotypes 16. Moreover, in January 2017, EMA granted assessment of SOF/VEL/voxilaprevir combination. Furthermore, in 2017, the U.S. FDA approved AbbVies Mavyret, a combination of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir for the treatment of hepatitis C. Hepatitis C drug market is hindered due to high medication cost and denial for Medicaid patients.Ask for customization:Hepatitis C Drug MarketThe major players in hepatitis C drug market include Merck & Co. Inc., Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Roche, Gilead Sciences Inc., AbbVie Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Bristol-Myers Squibb.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:
Body Composition Analyzers Market Global Outlook and Opportunity

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The proportion of water, protein, mineral, and fat, in the human body, aids in determining the health of an individual. To measure these, devices such as body composition analyzers are used in fitness centres and hospitals, for weight control. This equipment can be used in screening of certain diseases and conditions related to body weight and composition. Apart from this, it is also used in monitoring and prevention of conditions caused by excessive fat deposits such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cholelithiasis, and fatty liver.Request a sample copy of this report:Furthermore, it aids in monitoring body composition changes in individuals, and to assess the effectiveness of nutrition and exercise programmers, both for health and physical fitness especially among obese population. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), 2017, the worldwide prevalence of obesity nearly tripled between 1975 and 2016. This increasing prevalence of obesity and increasing government initiatives to create awareness about obesity and its health issues related to obesity are factors expected to propel growth of the market.Body Composition Analyzers Market DynamicsNew product launches through increasing R&D activities by key market players is expected to aid in growth of the body composition analyzers market. For example, InBody Co., Ltd. is one of the key players on the market that is engaged in manufacturing body composition analyzers. In October 2017, InBody Co., Ltd. launched band 2, which is fusion of body composition analyzers and fitness trackers. Integration of technologies such as Bluetooth wireless technology, BMI indicator, and past record tracker are expected to aid in increasing adoption of these devices. Furthermore, SELVAS Healthcare launched next generation body composition analyzer, ACCUNIQ BC380 with innovative software technologies and better product design, UI screens and result sheet in comparison to its old models. In addition to this, in 2015, this same company changed its name to Jawon Medical Co., Ltd. through a merger with HEAMS International, and launched two new products named X-SCAN PLUS 970, a body fat analyzer and COZY-930 Candy 5 HD II, a body composition and body water monitoring system.According to WHO, 2016, 13% of the global population was overweight, which comprises 11% of men and 15% of women. Furthermore, according to OECD's Obesity Update 2017 report, obesity rates of the U.S. was 38.2% and ranked the first, while Mexico ranked the second with 32.4%. Obese population is more prone to metabolic as well as weight related disorder such as osteoarthritis, heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure etc. Overweight and obesity as well as their related diseases are largely preventable. So awareness for weight related health issues and governmental initiatives for healthier life will aid in growth of body composition analyzer market. Increasing prevalence of obesity is one of the major factors fuelling growth of body composition analyzer market. However, high cost of the devices is expected to be a major factor hindering growth of body composition analyzers market.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Body Composition Analyzers Market - CompetitorsKey players in the global body composition analyzers market are Omron Corporation, Beurer GmbH, Tanita, InBody Co., Ltd, GE Healthcare, SECA, AccuFitness LLC, and Selvas Healthcare lnc. (Jawon medical Co. Ltd.).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:
Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market Report By CMI

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Non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices measures blood glucose levels in patients suffering from diabetes, without puncturing the skin, or causing pain or trauma. The frequent change in blood glucose levels in diabetic patients has to be tracked by the glucose monitoring device. Glucose monitoring devices can be invasive or non-invasive but the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices market is increasing due to the need of an economic, compact, painless and convenience for the patients to use. Non-invasive glucose monitoring holds great promise for improving diabetes management by providing better and pain-free blood glucose measurement leading to expansion of non-invasive blood glucose monitor market in the forecast period.Request a sample copy of this report:Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market DriverThe global non-invasive blood glucose monitoring devices market is expected to be boosted by the increasing diabetes prevalence. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2014, diabetes mellitus is a worldwide epidemic disease affecting 422 million people and seventh leading cause of death in US. The glucose concentration of diabetic patients fluctuates significantly throughout the day which can lead to serious consequences like kidney failure, strokes, heart attacks, high blood pressure, blindness and coma. These demand the technologically advanced devices for frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels. Moreover, the invasive techniques of blood glucose monitor are painful and expensive as compared to non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device, this makes non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device as the device of choice amongst the patients. Furthermore, the high percentage of prediabetes patients, a condition were blood glucose levels are high but not sufficient to detect the diabetes, will also propel the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market in the forecast period. According to NIDDK, in 2015, 33.9% of US adults are estimated to be prediabetes, at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.Traditional glucose detection device based on electrochemical sensors which requires a small amount of blood sample by finger pricking makes the method inconvenient and painful, which demanded emergence of non-invasive blood glucose monitor device. Currently, non-invasive blood glucose monitors are under great technological advancement to overcome this challenges in currently available glucose monitor. For instance, in March 2018, Nemaura Medical Inc. developing the wireless sugarBEAT, a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system, received positive results from European clinical trial program which makes a significant milestone towards commercialization of sugarBEAT in the UK, followed by other territories upon achieving CE approval. Furthermore, research institutes and universities are also engaged in developing novel non-invasive blood glucose monitor device. For instance, in February 2018, the researchers from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) developed a smart lens. The smart lens has inbuilt pliable, transparent electronic glucose monitor which can detect the glucose levels using tears of eyes. Moreover, in same year, Glasgow University developed a wearable sweat-monitoring sensor which uses pH levels of patients sweat. Furthermore, rapid advancements in smart-watches and smartphones will also propel the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market.To get detailed table of content (ToC), please click:Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market - CompetitorsThe major players for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring device market are Abbott Laboratories, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Integrity Applications, Inc., Bayer Healthcare, Pendragon Medical, Animas Technologies, Omron and OrSense.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:
Alzheimers Drugs Market - Young Prospect for Aging Patient

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Alzheimers is a form of dementia, which affect behavior, thinking, and memory of patient. The progression of disease is slow and it degrades neurons associated with learning part of cerebrum. It is most common and largest form of dementia (more than 60%), which is observed in people of age 65 and above. Accumulation of protein called as beta amyloid in spaces between nerve cells due to genetic mutation is major cause of Alzheimer. Although Alzheimers disease is not treatable, symptomatic treatment is followed in all cases. Research is being carried out to develop treatment centered on the role of beta-amyloid in Alzheimers disease.The global Alzheimers drugs market was valued at US$ 7 billion in 2016 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 9.5% over the forecast period (2017 - 2025).Request a sample copy of this report:Increasing prevalence of Alzheimers disease to drive growth of the Alzheimers drugs market worldwideIncreasing prevalence and incidence of Alzheimers disease worldwide is expected to drive the growth of Alzheimers disease therapeutics market. According to World Alzheimer Report in 2016, an estimated 46.5 million people were suffering from Alzheimers disease and the number is projected to reach 50 million by 2017, every three second there is new patient of Alzheimers disease worldwide.Increasing age and aging global population are major risk factors for Alzheimers, which increase the disease incidence and provide growth opportunity for Alzheimers treatment market. For instance, according to World Population Prospects (WPP) published by United Nations in 2017, an estimated 962 million people are of age 60 or above, which accounted for 13 per cent of the global population. The number is projected to reach 1.4 billion by 2030, growing with annual rate of 3 percent. Europe currently has highest geriatric population (25% of population), Asia Pacific had geriatric population of 547 million people and it is projected to reach 900 million by 2025, therefore these regions have potential opportunity for growth of the market. India has more than 1 million cases of Alzheimers disease annually. North America holds dominant position in the Alzheimers disease therapeutics market with estimated 5.5. Mn patients in 2017. The robust healthcare infrastructure in the region, and the region being an early adopter of novel technologies, positions it as a major market for Alzheimers disease.Large number of undiagnosed patients and revised diagnostic guidelines to propel growth for Alzheimers drugs marketPeople suffering from early stage of Alzheimers disease with some dementia do not have appropriate access to the healthcare infrastructure to diagnose and treat the disease. For instance according to World Alzheimer Report in 2016, only around 50% patients suffering from dementia undergo diagnosis. The rate of underdiagnoses is 10% in low and middle income economies, therefore, this is expected to propel growth of Alzheimers drugs market. As of 2011, there were no standard guidelines for diagnosis of disease. Currently, biomarker tests involving amount of beta-amyloid in the brain, which can be visualized in positron emission tomography imaging are under research to diagnosis develop treatment for Alzheimers disease. Currently, there is no curative therapy available for Alzheimers disease. However, drugs for Alzheimers therapy are in pipeline, which are expected to launch in near future, which in turn is propelling growth of Alzheimers disease therapeutics market.Ask for customization:Key players operating in Alzheimers drugs market include Pfizer, Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutical, Novartis International AG, Eisai Co. Ltd., Lundbeck A/S and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd., Other prominent players whose products are under clinical trials are Eli Lilly and Company, TauRx Pharmaceuticals Ltd, VTV Therapeutics, Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., AstraZeneca plc, and AC Immune.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:
Ebola Vaccine Market - Global Industry Insights, and Opportunity Analysis, 2025

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Ebola virus disease (EVD) causes viral hemorrhagic fever. It is a life threatening disease, which is spread to humans from animals. Direct contact with body fluids of infected person is one of largest causes of spread of this infection. Symptoms of Ebola disease include high fever, vomiting, sore throat, diarrhea, headache and muscular pain, and in few cases, internal or external bleeding. Although, there is no cure for Ebola virus disease, symptomatic treatment such as maintaining electrolyte balance, imagining required oxygen level, and treating infectious condition might help in improving patients health. Most of vaccines to prevent Ebola virus disease are under different developmental stage.Request a sample copy of this report:Increasing number of Ebola cases in affected regions and new vaccine development for this are expected to be factors driving growth of the marketIncreasing mortality rates due to Ebola is expected to be a major factor for growth of the market. According to World Health Organization, in January 2018, around 50% people infected with EVD, have died. African countries such as Siberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Mali, Nigeria were affected with EVD. In 201416, outbreak in West African countries such as Siberia, Leone, and Guinea, lead to deaths of around 11,300 individuals. Some cases were observed during 201416 outbreak in the U.S., Spain, Italy, the U.K. among people that travelled to affected African countries and people who came in contact with infected patients. In May 2017, WHO declared outbreak of EVD in Democratic Republic of Congo. There is still fear about potential outbreak of EVC in vulnerable regions of Western Africa which earlier faced EVD outbreak due to gaps in public health infrastructure.Various institutes and pharmaceutical companies are focusing on developing vaccines against EVD.According to study published in the journal, The Lancet, in December 2016, rVSV-ZEBOV also known as V920 vaccine, which is jointly developed by Newlink Genetics and Merck and Company, was found to be effective in protection against EVD in phase three trial. rVSV-ZEBOV uses strain of Zaire Ebola virus. Merck is planning to file for final marketing approval of its EVD vaccine with the U.S. FDA in 2018. Moreover, it produced 3,00,000 vaccines, in case of fresh outbreak in vulnerable regions. Various key players are focusing on developing vaccines for EVD, in order to expand its market share. For instance, GlaxoSmithKline developed CAd3-ZEBOV vaccine, derived from chimpanzee adenovirus and was tested by National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Disease, which started its phase three trials in February 2016. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Ad26-ZEBOV is an experimental vaccine under development and currently in phase one. In 2014, Novavax Inc. developed Ebola vaccine by using its proprietary recombinant technology.Ask for customization:GAVI is an international organization (global Vaccine Alliance) paid US$ 5 million to Merck & Company in 2016 for procurement of the vaccine (V 920 vaccine). Key players in the global Ebola vaccine market are Merck and Company, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novavax Inc.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:
Vetiver Oil Market, by Application and Geography - Global Trends and Forecast till 2025

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Vetiver oil is an essential oil that is extracted through steam distillation of vetiver roots. The vetiver plant is found in India, Haiti, and Indonesia. It has a soothing and stabilizing scent, which increases its utilization in fragrances, and is further used as a major constituent in approximately one-fifth of all fragrances. The oils soothing and calming aroma has led to its increased adoption as a complementary treatment for anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders, including ADHD and PTSD. Among applications, the pharmaceutical segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the market, owing to its sedative, nervine, and antiseptic properties. Moreover, vetiver oil can be used as a pest repellant in conjunction with other essential oils.Sample Copy of This Report @Low quality and quantity of raw materials used for the production of vetiver oil is the major factor restraining growth of the vetiver oil market. Harvesting the crop at inappropriate times reduces the quality and value of the vetiver roots. Rampant premature harvesting of roots practiced by farmers in Haiti is mainly due to poor financial conditions of farmers in the region.North America and Europe accounted for a major share in the global vetiver oil market, in terms of revenue, in 2016. North America held a share of 30.9%, in terms of revenue, followed by Europe (37.2 %). The dominance can be attributed to a highly developed and mature market for fragrances in these regions. Asia Pacific was valued at US$ 9.0 million in 2016 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 16.45%, to reach US$ 34.17 million by 2025. Growing demand for vetiver oil in Asia Pacific due to rising consumer awareness coupled with growing demand for fragrances has augmented the market growth. Moreover, increased utilization of vetiver oil as flavoring in pan masala and chewing tobacco has fueled the market growth. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, South Asia accounted for around 80% of the worlds chewable tobacco users.Latin America is also projected to be an attractive target region for sales of vetiver oil. This is attributed to a highly developed market for fragrances. According to ABIHPEC (Associacao Brasileira da Industria de Higiene Pessoal, Perfumaria e Cosmeticos), Brazil was the worlds largest market for sales of fragrances in 2016. However, the slowdown of Brazils economy affected sales of fragrances. The Brazilian economy shrank by 3.6% and 3.8% in 2016 and 2015 respectively. According to the International Monetary Fund, the Brazil economy is expected to bounce back and grow by 1% in 2017.Europe was valued at US$ 20.89 million in 2016. Increasing demand from the pharmaceuticals industry for treatment of mental health disorders has fueled the market growth. According to WHO, in 2014, around 83 million people were affected by mental health disorders in Europe. Moreover, high sales of fragrances in Western European countries has fueled the vetiver oil market growth.The global vetiver oil market was valued at US$ 56.34 million in 2016 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 13.71%, in terms of revenue, during 2017  2025.North America and Europe accounted for major shares in the global vetiver oil market, in terms of revenue, in 2016 and this trend is projected to sustain over the forecast period. The regions held a combined market share of 68.1% in 2016. In Asia Pacific, the lack of awareness among populace in rural areas of emerging economies and premium pricing are major factors restraining the vetiver oil market growth.Request For Customization @Major Players in the Global Vetiver Oil MarketMajor players operating in the global vetiver oil market include International Fragrance and Flavor Inc., Lluch Essence SL, UniKode S.A., Frager S.A., Robertet Group, Ernesto Ventos S.A., Floracopeia Inc., Fleurchem Inc., and Haiti Essential Oil Co. S.A.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.com
Lead Acid Battery Market Estimated to Record Highest CAGR by 2025

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Lead acid battery is considered to be the oldest type of rechargeable battery with its use spanning across industries. It has the advantage of supplying high surge current, as the cells have large power to weight ratio. High power to weight ratio and low cost makes lead acid batteries attractive for its use in the automotive sector. Lead acid batteries comprises of container, plates, cell, separators, and battery terminals.The increasing demand from various industries, such as automotive sector, telecom sector, uninterrupted power supply in oil and gas mining, manufacturing, and chemical is expected to the boost the growth of the lead acid batteries market globally. Moreover, the low cost of the batteries coupled with new developments and innovation in lead acid battery products is further expected to augment the market growth. However, environmental restrains, due to lead content and threat from substitute namely lithium-ion battery are the major restraints for the growth of global lead acid battery market.To get holistic sample of the report@Asia Pacific accounted for the largest market share in the global lead acid battery market, in terms of revenue in 2016 and this trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. The growing industrialization and globalization in this region is the major driver in the growth of market. Furthermore, the growth in automobile industry coupled with rise in the disposable income is further expanding the automobile sales, thereby augmenting the market growth for lead acid batteries. According to China Association of automobile manufacturers (CAAM), China witnessed a year on year of 6.2% from 2016 to 2017 in automobile sales. Moreover, the increased government expenditure in the retail sector has resulted in the growth of the various industries, such as construction, power, banking, and telecom industry, in turn fuelling the demand for lead acid batteries, owing to its efficient use as energy storage system. According to Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, the retail market in India is expected to nearly double to US$ 1 trillion by 2020 from US$ 600 billion in 2015, due to income growth, urbanization, and attitudinal shifts.North America accounted for the second largest market globally. The developed industrial sector in this region stands to be the major factor contributing to the market growth. The presence of leading automobile companies, which include Toyota, Ford motor company, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has augmented the demand for lead acid batteries. According to the International Trade Association, exports of automotive parts from the U.S has shown a steady growth from US$ 5 billion in 2012 to US$ 7.2 billion by 2015. Moreover, the developed telecom sector coupled with the increasing oil and gas related activities post the shale gas boom has propelled the need for power storage device hence, surging the demand for lead acid batteries in the region.To Get Discount on this Report @Based on the product, SLI lead acid battery is the largest segment in 2016 and is expected to show the same trend during the forecast period. SLI lead acid battery holds a revenue of US$ 26.80 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.39% from 2017 - 2025. The increasing use of SLI lead acid battery in electric vehicles, owing to its excellent cold cracking abilities in engine starting coupled with durability are the major factors contributing to market growth.Major Players in the Global Lead Acid Battery MarketThe major players operating in the global lead acid battery market include Johnson Controls, ATLASBX Co. Ltd, Exide Technologies, East Penn Manufacturing Co, Crown Battery Manufacturing Company, C&D Technologies, INC, GS Yuasa Company, and Leoch International Technology Ltd.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 UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Green Coatings Market, By Type , and Application - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Green coatings are eco-friendly paint coating with low volatile organic compound (VOC) content. Emission of VOC releases toxics in the surrounding air causing health problems, such as dizziness, headache, kidney damage, and harms the ozone layer. Development of sustainable products has gained importance over the past few decades, due to which manufacturers are focused on introducing eco-friendly products to the market. Manufacturers are aiming to produce high-performance coatings that have zero or low VOC with good durability. Application of green coatings in end-use industries and rising awareness regarding VOC emissions have contributed to the growth of the green coatings market globally.Request Sample Copy of This Report @Stringent government regulations have immensely driven the green coatings market globally. The first restriction on the emission of VOC was set up for Europe in 2003, which was termed as Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), which was put forward by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Since then manufactures are working to produce green coatings, in turn fueling the growth of the green coatings market. Increasing cost of raw materials further increases the cost of green coatings, which is the restraint for the growth of global green coatings market. High investment cost further hinders the growth of green coatings market globally.Water-borne coatings segment has proven to be the prominent segment of green coatings market, owing to its tremendous use in architectural and constructional activities. High solids coating segment is witnessed to gain traction, due to its increasing application in aerospace.Architectural coating segment has projected to have a significant growth rate in the global green coatings market, owing to increase in infrastructure spending in commercial and residential sectors.Green Coatings Market OutlookAsia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the green coatings market and is anticipated to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period, owing to the presence of major markets in the economies such as India, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The growth of green coatings market in this region is attributed to the growth of end-use industries namely architectural and automotive coatings in this region. The Make in India approach taken by the Government of India is expected to propel the growth of manufacturing sector, which is anticipated to drive the green coatings market over the forecast period.Europe holds the dominant position in green coating market, owing to the economic development and growing population in the economies such as Spain, Italy, and the UK. The UK National Infrastructure Delivery have planned infrastructure projects that include airports and seaports, which in turn is anticipated to fuel the green coatings market over the forecast period.North America is anticipated to witness a burgeoning growth in the green coatings market, owing to the presence of a large number of manufactures in this region. This is backed by the rising government regulations in this region. The Middle East and Africa are expected to have a significant growth in the green coatings market, owing to the rise in infrastructure industry in these regions.Various strategies are being put forward by coatings manufacturers, for instance, manufactures of paint are striving to enhance energy system by minimizing consumption of fuel and minimize waste. This is done with the use of renewable raw materials and product packaging improvement with materials that are recyclable and use of biofuel fuel in delivery trucks.To get detailed table of content (ToC) @Soy Bean Oil, Vegetable Oil, Castor Oil, and Milk Paint are some of the eco-friendly components, which are being introduced in the coating materials.The key companies operating in the global green coatings market include The Sherwin Williams Company, PPG industries, Akzonobel N.V., Axalta Coating System, BASF, Valspar Corporation, Kansai Paint Company Limited, Tikkurila OYJ, and Masco Corporation among others.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.com
Hyperlocal Services Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20172025

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Hyperlocal services refers to online business models that provide various products and facilities that rely on the platform of smartphones with GPS technology. The offerings include food delivery from restaurants, grocery from superstores or hypermarkets, logistic services, and home utility services such as electrical repairing, plumbing, carpentry, laundry, and personal tutors.Request For Sample Copy of this Research Report :Increased adoption of smartphones featuring internet connectivity is the prominent factor driving the industry growthAccording to GSM Association Intelligence report in October 2016, around 44% of the total smartphone users, had subscribed to internet connectivity which is projected to account for around 60% by 2020. Moreover, hyperlocal services market participants are increasingly enhancing search options and application support for better consumer experience. Proliferation of improved and secured mobile payment gateways such as, Android Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal, etc. has led to significant increase in consumer confidence for the application of mobile platform for transactions. These factors are expected to provide strong industry growth prospects through the forecast period.Large discounts on first purchase and competitive product offering costs are expected to present potential growth landscapeThe hyper local services market is characterized by the presence of large number of local players venturing for better business growth prospects. Moreover, some competitors have entered into significant private ventures offering capital investments to the start-ups for enhancing their presence through marketing and promotional activities for acquiring large consumer base. This has led to increased competition among the global and local players in the industry, in turn leading to frequent major discounts and competitive pricing strategies for consumer retention. Large savings on purchases and increased consumer convenience owing to easy accessibility to resources is expected to present solid growth prospects for hyperlocal services market.Grocery and food delivery segment dominated the global hyperlocal services market shareGrocery and food delivery segment participants perform the aggregation of local restaurants and superstores through smartphone applications and provide products on demand. This helps participants gain the trust of the local shops through online shopping. Moreover, owing to presence of large untapped potential consumer base and almost everyday requirements of foods and groceries will drive growth of these market segments.Expansion of product offerings to rural and remote locations is expected present consistent challenge over the forecast periodCatering to customers with best product quality with access to marginal profits is major challenge hindering the market growth. Increasing consumer base and business activity may also lead decline of the product quality that can result in loss of consumer retention. Industry is characterized with large number of global and local choices available in the industry, causing increased consumer volatility. Moreover, customer catering potential of these hyperlocal service market is limited to urban regions only. These factors are expected to consistently challenge the business growth of the players.Developed economies such as the U.S. and countries in Western Europe have witnessed major adoption of hyperlocal services and are leading the market in terms of revenue and consumer base. However, with the increasing proliferation of mobile devices in emerging economies such as China, India, Indonesia, and Brazil is expected to offer significant growth opportunities for market players over the forecast period.Industry is characterized by the presence of large number of players acquiring small hyperlocal services market shares. This is expected to continue over the forecast period, however, few industry participants have gained competitive edge over other participants. These participants include GrubHub, Just-Eat, Swiggy, Delivery Hero, Foodpanda group, BOXC, Shipster, and HelloFresh Group.Request For Table of Content of this 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 New Website:
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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.Request For Sample Copy of this Research Report :Requirement to improve overall business productivity in organizations will fuel the global enterprise network LAN equipment market demandsUrbanization 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 Table of Content of this 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 New Website:
Tool Steel Market: Moving Towards a Brighter Future

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Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Cardiac Monitoring System Market Report 2018 to its Large Report database.Tool Steel refers to a variety of carbon and alloy steels that are particularly well-suited to be made into tools. Tool steels are notable for their hardness, resistance to abrasion and deformation. Today, tool steel is widely used in various specific tool applications like dies, cutting, mold-making and hammers (personal or industrial).** 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 @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Tool Steel in Europe market, especially in Germany, UK, France, Russia, and Italy. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversVoestalpine, SCHMOLZ?+?BICKENBACH, Sandvik, Fushun Special Steel, BaoSteel, TG, Nachi-Fujikoshi, Qilu Special Steel , Hitachi, ERAMET, Universal Stainless, Hudson Tool Steel.Market Segment by Countries, coveringGermany, UK, France, Russia, Italy.Market Segment by Type, coversCarbon Tool Steel, Alloy Tool Steel, High Speed Tool Steel.Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoAutomotive, Shipbuilding, Machinery, Others.Get discount on this report :Table of Contents :1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Europe Tool Steel Market Competition, by Manufacturer4 Europe Tool Steel Market Analysis by Countries (2012-2017)5 Europe Market Segmentation Tool Steel by Type6 Europe Market Segmentation Tool Steel by Application7 Germany Tool Steel Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers8 UK Tool Steel Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers9 France Tool Steel Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers10 Russia Tool Steel Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers11 Italy Tool Steel Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers12 Tool Steel Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Tool Steel Manufacturing Cost Analysis14 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers15 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers16 Research Findings and Conclusion** If 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:
Steel Sandwich Panels Market Expansion to be Persistent During 2022

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Worldwide Market Reports added Latest Research Report titled Europe Steel Sandwich Panels Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 to its Large Report database.Steel is one of the most common engineering materials in the world. It is a fundamental resource used in a variety of industries. Sandwich structure is an optimum design for transferring bending loads and it can lighten the weight of structure.** 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 youRequest Sample Copy of the Business Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Steel Sandwich Panels in Europe market, especially in Germany, UK, France, Russia, and Italy. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, countries, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversKingspan, Metecno, Isopan, NCI Building Systems, TATA Steel, ArcelorMittal, Romakowski, Lattonedil, RigiSystems, Silex, Isomec, GCS, Zhongjie, AlShahin, Nucor Building Systems, Tonmat, Marcegaglia, Italpannelli, Alubel, Jingxue, Ruukki, Balex, Hoesch, Dana Group, Multicolor, Zamil Vietnam, BCOMS, Pioneer India, Panelco, Paroc Group.Market Segment by Countries, coveringGermany, UK, France, Russia, Italy.Market Segment by Type, coversEPS Sandwich Panels, PU Sandwich Panels, Glass Wool Sandwich Panels, PF Sandwich Panels, Other.Market Segment by Applications, can be divided intoBuilding Wall, Building Roof, Cold Storage, Other.Get discount on this report :Table of Contents :1 Market Overview2 Manufacturers Profiles3 Europe Steel Sandwich Panels Market Competition, by Manufacturer4 Europe Steel Sandwich Panels Market Analysis by Countries (2012-2017)5 Europe Market Segmentation Steel Sandwich Panels by Type6 Europe Market Segmentation Steel Sandwich Panels by Application7 Germany Steel Sandwich Panels Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers8 UK Steel Sandwich Panels Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers10 Russia Steel Sandwich Panels Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers11 Italy Steel Sandwich Panels Sales, Revenue, by Type, Application and Manufacturers12 Steel Sandwich Panels Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Steel Sandwich Panels Manufacturing Cost Analysis14 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers15 Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers16 Research Findings and Conclusion** If 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:
Digital Manufacturing Market trends research and projections for 2017-2025

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Increasing adoption of cloud-based digital manufacturing software is one of the key factor driving market growth. Venders are concentrating on reducing the cost of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), thereby trying to introduce cloud-based product lifecycle solutions in the market. Several PLM service providers are installing PLM on the cloud for end users. For instance, Wipro Limited, a worldwide information technology, outsourcing, and consulting firm, is offering cloud-based PLM services to Siemens PLM Software solution, Teamcenter. Such services help electronics manufacturing organizations to install Teamcenter on the cloud with the help of Infrastructure as a Service.Digital manufacturing is a process of improving the manufacturing process of the product from virtual to physical world. Increasing adoption of cloud-based PLM software is projected to increase the demand for digital manufacturing specific applications. This will enable the manufacturing plants to access the PLM software from remote areas as well. Technomatix and Manufacturing 360 are applications that are used in the iOS and Android gadgets respectively. Furthermore, increasing adoption of internet of things in manufacturing industries fuels market growth globally. According to Coherent Market Insights, over 42 billon devices are projected to be connected to the internet by 2020. Moreover, the demand to reduce capital expenditure, shorten lead times, and high productivity is expected to increase the demand for digital manufacturing in various verticals.Ask for detailed Sample of this Research Report @The increasing sales and R&D investment in automotive industry globally provide significant growth opportunity to the global digital manufacturing market. According to Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, in 2016, around 98.8 million units of vehicles were sold worldwide up from 89.7 million in 2015. Moreover, according to Coherent Market Insights analysis, US$ 94.2 billion was spent on automotive R&D in 2016 up from US$ 91.5 billion in 2015. The implementation of digital manufacturing in the automotive production process smoothens the flow of plant and product data during various process. Furthermore, digital manufacturing authenticates automation and robotics programs and accelerates the factory manufacturing process. Also, the implementation of digital manufacturing provides real-time access to the product lifecycle information to the administration.Digital Manufacturing Market Outlook  North America holds the largest market shareOn the basis of geography, global digital manufacturing market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America held the dominant position in the global digital manufacturing market in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The U.S., Mexico, and Canada are the three major economies, which contribute to the swift growth of market in the region. The increasing R&D investment in the aerospace & defense and automotive sectors in the U.S provides immense growth opportunity to the digital manufacturing market. In 2016, the U.S invested US$ 14.3 billion in R&D in aerospace & defense industry up from US$ 14.1 billion in 2015. Similarly, for R&D in automotive sector, the U.S. spent US$ 39.6 billion in 2016 up from US$ 37.5 billion in 2015. Moreover, the Asia Pacific digital manufacturing market is projected to grow the highest CAGR over the forecast period. Increasing demand for innovative products among end users segments boosted the growth of market in this region. India, China, and Japan are some of the major economies driving the growth of digital manufacturing market in this region.Digital Manufacturing Market PlayersSome of the key players operating in the global digital manufacturing market include Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, Mentor Graphics, PTC, and Siemens PLM Software. The new product launch is one of the major strategies for the market leaders to increase their market presence. For instance: Autodesk Inc. an America based software company have officially announced that they have launched a Netfabb 2017, a comprehensive toolkit for additive manufacturing professionals.Request for Table of Content of this 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 :
Wind Turbine Inspection Services Market trends research and projections for 2017-2025

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According to Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the total installed capacities of these farms was over 485 GW is expected to surge significantly over the coming years. According to Coherent Market Insights analysis, the total installed capacities would increase over double the installed capacities in 2016, by 2025. Turbines are highly crucial components for the energy generation and comprise number of smaller components that includes gearbox and generator, which are necessitated to be serviced and inspected on regular intervals to safeguard the optimal efficiency and performance. Thus, to ensure longevity and accurate information regarding the energy generation, farm contractors and operators are expected to drive the service industry requirements.Ask for detailed Sample of this Research Report @Inspection drones incorporated with advanced monitoring equipment and artificial intelligence is expected is among the key trend gaining traction in the industry applicationsWind turbine examination drones are small sized unmanned aerial vehicles that are utilized to accumulate information and images for the assessment, monitoring, mapping, and analysis of blades, towers and nacelles. Conventional methods for the examination includes the employment of specific teams suspended through cables and rope supports, using field telescopes and binoculars for the task. In conjunction with the human life risks, the method has several limitations such as difficulty to access some areas, exclusion of blade defects assessment invisible to the naked eye. Elimination of these drawbacks through utilization of these drones is expected to present considerable growth prospects for this market.Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in these drones to reduce the workflow errors and enhance detailed analysis within few hours is among the key trends gaining traction in industry. However, stringent regulatory standards against the use of these drones in some major economies such as FAA regulations in the U.S., regulations regarding VLOS and BVLOS and other regionally distinct regulations will present considerable growth to the drone adoptions.Noise pollution and threat to wildlife, specifically flying creatures such as bats, birds, etc., are some of the major drawbacks that may hamper the industry growth rateThese energy sources cannot be used to meet the base load demands, without the additional investments for the energy storage. However, this may add up to the initial high investment required which is considerably higher in comparison to establishment of conventional energy plants. These factors are expected to consistently hinder the adoption of these means to generate the energy which will consequentially negatively impact the wind turbine inspection market growth.Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the overall industry growth through the forecast periodChina contributes to over 37% of the global installed units for the power generation accounting for over 168.73 MW in 2016, as per the GWEC. India contributed to the worlds fourth largest installed units. High deployments in these major emerging economies in the region is expected to attract significant investments in these economies. Other major attractive economies for the wind turbine inspection services include the U.S, Germany, Spain, UK, France, Canada, and Brazil.Chief industry participants include Intertek Group Plc., UpWind Solutions Inc., Technical Wind Services Ltd., INVISO Services Ltd., Cenergy International Services LLC, UL International GmbH, ASC Engineering Service, Advanced Cleaning Technology Ltd., MISTRAS Group Inc., Midwest Underground Technology Inc., and MFG Energy Services.Request for Table of Content of this 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 :
Container-as-a-Service Market trends research and projections for 2017-2025

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On the basis of deployment, public cloud holds the largest share of the CaaS market. The increasing demand for storage and computing resources has helped fuel the demand for public cloud in the CaaS market. In addition to this, the hybrid cloud also plays a major role in an organization for the management of infrastructure. Moreover, the increasing adoption of advanced container platforms in various organizations have led to the implementation of the hybrid cloud model with full infrastructure. The hybrid cloud usage is rising due to the increasing micro service and management service data environment, as they provide better flexibility, security and scalability.Containers as a Service (type of container-based virtualization) is an emerging technology in which vendors provide a complete framework to the users for managing and developing containers and applications. CaaS is majorly designed for IT developers to manage and run applications. The key factor fueling growth of the market is the increasing utilization of micro services. The rise of DevOps technology and containerization have helped revolutionize enterprise applications. However, some factors such as portability issues between severs, lack of tools required to manage and monitor the container, hinders growth of the CaaS market.Ask for detailed Sample of this Research Report @On the basis of application type, the IT & Telecom application holds the largest share in the global CaaS market. The CaaS is highly used by the IT developers and IT department to develop secure containerized applications.Container as a Service Market Outlook  North America holds the largest global container as a service market.On the basis of geography, global container as a service market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America held a dominant position in the global CaaS market in 2016, and is estimated to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Increasing demand for managed data centers, virtual private cloud services, and advanced technology accessibility have led to an increasing demand for CaaS market in this region. Moreover, the presence of IT companies such as Microsoft Corporation, Google, and Amazon Web Service in the North American countries have also provided immense opportunity for growth of the market. In addition to this, the Asia Pacific CaaS market is estimated to grow with the largest CAGR during the forecast period. The increasing IT & telecom industry in the Asia Pacific region has led to an increasing demand for the CaaS market here. China and India are the major countries driving growth of the CaaS market in Asia Pacific. The increasing demand for infrastructure services and distributed storage management by various venders have also provided immense opportunity for growth of the CaaS market in this region.Key Companies of Global Container as a Service MarketAmazon Web Service (AWS), Cisco System, ContainerShip, CoreOS, DH2i, Docker Inc., Giant Swarm, Google, HPE, IBM, Joyent, Kyup, Mesosphere, Microsoft, and SaltStack, VMware Inc. are some of the key companies of the global container as a service market.Request for Table of Content of this 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 :
The Great Lakes Bay Economic Club monthly luncheon on Monday will include speaker Reiner Roghmann, vice president of operations for Canada and USA North as well as site director of Michigan Operations.

Roghmann will discuss the DowDuPont merger and what it means for the Great Lakes Bay Region. The luncheon is open to both members and non-members.
The Dow Chemical Co. and MidMichigan Health were among the companies that last year invested $268 million in job-boosting projects in Bay County. Bay Future Inc., the public-private economic development agency, highlighted these and other 2017 accomplishments during its recent annual meeting.

Led by President/CEO Trevor Keyes, Bay Future played a prominent role in securing this business investment that created or secured 411 jobs, including more than 300 skilled worker positions.

"Bay Future is doing a great job under Trevor's guidance," said Auburn Mayor Lee Kilbourn, a member of Bay Future's Board of Directors. "There is a lot of interest in the Great Lakes Bay Region. While we would love to get every company that shows interest, we are getting some good ones, and Trevor is working hard with new companies that are interested. Great things are still to come."

"None of this investment and job creation happens without the catalog of high quality and world class companies that call our community home," Keyes said. "We are extremely fortunate to live, work, worship, and play in a community that understands the importance of partnership and growth."

Dow Chemical is establishing a $100 million Innovation Center at the Heritage Dow Corning Campus in Williams Township. When completed, the facility will house more than 200 scientists and engineers who will focus research and development activities on advancing solutions for home and personal care products, officials said.

MidMichigan Health also expanded its business blueprint in Bay County in 2017. The company is currently constructing a more than 19,000-square foot facility in Bangor Township. It will house primary and specialized care providers, offering services such as exams, therapy, radiology, and other services.

"Some of our largest and most steadfast companies made huge investments in our community, further cementing their commitment to our region," Keyes said. "2017 was a fantastic and big year for Bay Future Inc. and the Future is Now Campaign. This year, we are happy to report that through our second year we have exceeded the second- and third-year projections for capital investment and job creation."

The three-year plan aims to create 600 new jobs and secure $300 million of new capital investment in Bay County.

"Our target of 200 new jobs each year is not just any job," Keyes noted. "Living wage, sustainable working jobs. Jobs you can raise a family on, jobs that afford you the means in which to buy a new car, or a new house. Jobs that pay $19.25/hour, or $40,000 per year."

Other major projects getting underway locally last year include an industrial park in Williams Township, a new full-service living community in Bangor Township, and Consumer Energy's ambitious $27 million plan to return the site of its former J.C. Weadock Plant, on the mouth of the Saginaw River in Hampton Township, to a Brownfield, making it available for future reuse.

In addition, Bay County businesses secured over $12 million in government contracts -- more than 10 times more value than secured contracts in 2016.
An organization working to make a difference in the community by operating a ministry inside the Midland County Jail is hosting its second annual fundraising banquet.

The Forgotten Man Ministries, led in the jail by Chaplain Bill LaClair, is hosting the banquet at 6 p.m. May 1 at the Great Hall Banquet & Convention Center, 5121 Bay City Road. Testimonies and other speakers, including those who have participated in the program as well as the organization's executive director, Bill Cariano, will give a glimpse of how the ministry works.

LaClair has served as chaplain at the jail since the fall of 2016, and said the program is growing.

"We've been pretty busy," he said, adding there is now a chaplain for female inmates, and plans for a mentoring program. He also is looking for an assistant chaplain to work with the male inmates.

LaClair, who works part time, and a host of volunteers walk inmates through Bible studies, as well as host Sunday services for inmates. He also is responsible for building support through area churches.

For now, the men's Bible study consists of 18 inmates. There's also other groups of inmates who are not involved in the Bible study but meet nightly to pray together before lockdown, which has left an impression on LaClair.

"Absolutely," he said of the program making a difference inside the walls of the county jail. "That's just as encouraging as anything."

LaClair also is building relationships with the jail staff.

"The staff has been getting used to me being there," he said, adding new leadership at the jail has been excellent to work with.

About 140 people attended last year's banquet, mostly from churches as well as ministry volunteers at the Freeland Correctional Facility. Area businesses also have contributed to the banquet, LaClair said. There are no tickets, and donations will be taken at the end of the program.

"Just seeing the whole community coming together for the same purpose is just encouraging to me," he said.

Forgotten Man Ministries is a nondenominational ministry that ministers in jail of 34 Michigan counties, and has served more than 50,000 inmates in about 50 years through Bible study courses.

Part of LaClair's work is gaining support and donations are always welcome. To do so, go to www.forgottenman.org and specify Midland as the recipient.

To reserve a seat at the banquet, RSVP by April 23 at www.forgottenman.org
To the editor:

Given our president's latest proposal for "the wall," I propose we set up a sign on the U.S. side that says, "Welcome to West Berlin." How do we differ from the USSR after World War II on this one? Isolationism has never worked, just check presidents Wilson and Roosevelt before World War I and World War II.
Petoskey competes for four quarters with TC West, comes up just short
Though American Ballet Theatre principals James Whiteside and Isabella Boylston have long displayed their envy-worthy friendship on Instagram, this week the Cindies (their nickname for each other) offered viewers an even deeper glimpse into their world. While on tour with ABT at the Kennedy Center, the duo sat down in front of the camera to answer some questions from their fans via Facebook Live.

Starbucks in hand, they discuss their mutual love of food (particularly pasta and Japanese curry), the story behind the Cindy nickname and what its like picking up contemporary choreography versus classical. Boylston also delves into her experience guesting with the Paris Opera Ballet, her dream of choreographing an avant-garde ballet on Whiteside to a Carly Rae Jepsen song and best and worst Kennedy Center memories (like the time she fell onstage while doing fouettes at the end of La Bayaderes first act).

Whiteside, on the other hand, imitates a unicorn, talks about preparing for roles and creates a new middle name for Boylston. The twosome also offer heartfelt advice for aspiring professional dancers.

Check out the highlights in this video below; for the full 24-minute version, click here.
The second annual High Water Festival is finally here. Established last year by local duo Shovels & Rope, Charleston's signature music and arts celebration features more than 20 acts over a two-day span.

The event has been sold out for months now, so if you can't experience all the festivities in North Charleston's Riverfront Park in person, we've got you covered with live updates from all the most important moments. Check back here throughout the festival for all the latest Lowcountry vibes.

You can also watch the festival unfold in real time with live updates from Charleston Scene on Instagram.

SUNDAY, APRIL 22

9:34 p.m.  Band of Horses

Band of Horses, who live in the Lowcountry and just recorded an album locally with Charleston producer Wolfgang Zimmerman, were the headliners for Day 2 of the festival.

Among recent hits like "In a Drawer" and old favorites like "The Funeral," the band covered a Susto song, with an appearance by lead singer Justin Osborne on stage.

8:37 p.m.  Susto

Charleston band Susto took the stage between Shovels & Rope and Band of Horses. The hometown heroes have been touring the globe for latest disc "& I'm Fine Today." The local "Acid Boys," as they are known, played favorites from the early days and the new album.

@sustoisreal um...yeah.. hands down that set was the absolute highlight of @highwaterfest !!! You guys killed it! Face melts for us in the front row (and all rows behind us!)  see you in Chicago again soon, we hope!  Dawn Kink (@chiswiss65) April 23, 2018

5:15 p.m.  M. Ward

M. Ward is the solo project of Matthew Ward, who also plays in She & Him, an alt-pop duo with Zoey Deschanel.

3:53 p.m.  Tank and the Bangas

Tank and the Bangas won the 2017 NPR Tiny Desk Contest, and its theatrical members brought the highest energy of the entire day, maybe even the entire festival.

3:06 p.m.  Shovels & Rope

Local band and festival curators Shovels and Rope wore matching pink velvet on stage. Below, they pose for a pic uploaded by the Awendaw Green Instagram account.

2:11 p.m.  Valerie June

Singer/songwriter Valerie June took the stage at 1:45 for her 45-minute set. Her breakout record, "Pushin' Against a Stone," came out in 2013.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21

9:26 p.m.  Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Jason Isbell doesnt disappoint. @ High Water Festival https://t.co/ySuUsYmcjV  Alan Pierce (@oldmanpierce) April 22, 2018

With two Grammys recently under their belts, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit return to guitar player Sadler Vaden's hometown to headline Day 1 of the High Water Festival.

7:49 p.m.  Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile, known for hits such as "The Story" and "Every Time I Hear That Song," took the stage at 6:45 for an hour-long set.

As the evening progressed, crowds started to swell.

How have I not known about Brandi Carlile for this long? This woman has an amazing soul ... and wow does she rock. She also yodels during a rock number. Gotta see it to believe.#NewlyMintedFan here. #HighWaterFest. @brandicarlile @highwaterfest pic.twitter.com/IAYnQrdWSN  David Sawyer (@DavidMSawyer58) April 21, 2018

6:41 p.m.  The Wild Reeds

Harmony queens of The Wild Reeds took the Edisto stage just as the sun was casting magic rainbow glares across the lens.

6:27 p.m.  St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Catch an exclusive snippet of a live performance from St. Paul and the Broken Bones, a soul-based Birmingham Band. The group's second album, "Sea of Noise," was recorded in Nashville.

Other performers taking the stage tonight include The Wild Reeds, Brandi Carlile, Jeff Tweedy, and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit.

4:31 p.m.  The Shrimp Records Family Band

3:42 p.m.  The Old 97s

The Old 97s, a Dallas-based alt-country band, are the fourth act of the afternoon. By the time they took the stage, boaters had started to congregate near the banks of the Cooper River to catch some tunes.

Also, more performers from later in the festival continued to show up around Riverfront Park. Eddie and Clay White of Awendaw Green spent the afternoon hanging out with Sadler Vaden (right), the guitarist for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, which is headlining the festival Saturday night.

2:50 p.m.  Ian Felice, Nicole Atkins

By the time the third artist took the stage, dense crowds had begun to fill Riverfront Park. As prime real estate near the Edisto Stage was taken, people started to gather on a hill in the distance to snag some space and enjoy the ambiance.

Local band The High Divers also made an appearance in the crowd Saturday afternoon before their performance on Sunday, when they'll kick the day off with the first performance from the Stono Stage.

Local musicians from @thehighdivers and @HRband are here at #HighWaterFest !! THD play at 12:30 tomorrow on the Stono Stage pic.twitter.com/yuFOTslPaP  Charleston Scene (@chasscene) April 21, 2018

1 p.m.  Weaves

High Water's opening act is Weaves, a Toronto-based band, whose latest album "Wide Open" was released in late 2017.

The Post and Courier's Bryan Brussee contributed to this report.
Couple to kick off new plastic pollution campaign in Charleston next week
Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press.
Unexploded bombs, poison gas and barrels of radioactive waste  hundreds of thousands of tons of it  litter the sea bottom off South Carolina.

Detonating or setting any of it loose might be the unacknowledged threat from seismic blasts and oil-drilling pursuits being considered for offshore.

Where did it come from?

Pentagon ammo dumps.

As concern turns toward what fossil fuels might be harvested off the coast, the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce is making it known there are bigger than expected risks in the Trump administration's plans to open the region to oil and natural gas exploration.

"If we're going to go blasting on the bottom of the ocean, we ought to know what we're blasting," said Frank Knapp, the chamber president.

"This is serious stuff," he said. "Even the Department of Defense has said don't disturb it."

Another problem: Nobody appears to know for sure exactly how much is out there or exactly where it is.

'Get rid of your steel'

The heaps of unused munitions half-buried in the sands offshore are a legacy of World War II.

The dumping, carried out from the war years until 1970, took place all around the country after the military deemed the sea the safest place to dispose of it.

Queries to the Army about the status of the sites off South Carolina and whether they have been surveyed, were referred to the Navy. As of Friday, the Navy had not responded with any information.

But according to a 2009 Department of Defense report to Congress, more than 17,000 tons of different types of poisonous gas were dumped off the East Coast in the 25 years following the end of World War II.

Off South Carolina, the military also dumped about 800,000 tons of weapons and explosives.

The disposals start about 20 miles off Charleston, at two spots called the Baker sites, just beyond the farthest artificial fishing reef managed by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

On top of Baker, four sites just off the Continental Shelf  beginning about 50 miles off South Carolina  were among 50 sites around the country where tens of thousands of containers of radioactive waste were dumped, The Wall Street Journal reported this month.

The specific number of sites and tonnage of waste have not been revealed.

The unknowns are maybe the worst of the problem, said James Porter, a University of Georgia ecologist who studied underwater munition dumps off the Puerto Rican island of Vieques.

At the close of the fighting, the War Department sent out an order to base commanders, "Get rid of your field of steel," he said, meaning excess munitions. Also, it was common during the war years to hold target practice offshore.

Off Vieques, where more than a million of tons of munitions were dumped, Porter found every marine animal he tested was positive for some sort of carcinogen, or cancer-causing substance, that came from the munitions.

Onshore, he found "significantly elevated levels of cancer and several other types of chronic illnesses" among island residents.

"In the coastal zone, you have a special problem because (the dump) is out of sight, out of mind. That stuff is corroding and the casements have been breached," he said. "I'm frustrated that the military has not investigated these legitimate concerns of coastal residents."

The corroding containers also might well be polluting the waters and marine life with cancer-causing substances, endangering people who eat seafood.

The degree of risk

The entire program was kept so secret that the dumping from Navy ships often took place at night, according to a veteran of the missions and other information reported by the Tampa Bay Times. The radioactive waste alone was so poorly secured that the sailors afterward tested high for radiation.

The chemical warfare materials dumped off South Carolina, according to the Center for Non-proliferation Studies in Monterey, California, include:

8,050 tons and four railroad cars dumped intact with unspecified amounts poisonous gas bombs and mines  20 to 30 miles out.

1,507 1-ton containers of lewisite (an arsenic compound similar to mustard gas)  20 to 30 miles out.

63 1-ton containers of nitrogen mustard (chemical weapons derived from mustard gas)  20 to 30 miles out.

More than 20 tons of mustard gas bombs, projectiles, mines and bulk containers  20 to 30 miles out.

After the congressional report and wide media coverage, the Defense Department in 2016 reported the munitions don't pose significant harm when left in place. Trying to remove or clean them up would cause more harm and the potential health effects appear to be minimal, it said.

The report conceded there would be public health concerns if contaminated seawater is contributing to illnesses among sea life as well as seafood eaters and beach bathers, and that the munitions could potentially wash ashore.

It said those illnesses have been documented in the United States and abroad, but "they are relatively rare relative to the thousands of weapons dumped in the ocean," the report said. "Assessing the degree of risk is difficult because of a lack of information."

The Non-proliferation Center report suggested the reality could be far worse.

"There is little concrete data on how and to what extent CW (chemical weapon) agents may cause environmental harm," the center reported in 2017. "It is feasible, however, that the damage to primary producers in the marine environment, as well as the food webs of which they are members, could be substantial."

Several studies have been made but haven't determined the risk, the report continued. The studies did find the degradation of the containers and the spread of the chemicals "vary greatly between dump sites."

'Turn that rock over'

The bottom line in the exploration debate is simple for both Knapp and Porter.

"You should turn that rock over" and find out what's there, Porter said.

Knapp openly confirms his aim is to stop the oil and natural gas work and wants to crank up public opposition to sway federal lawmakers and regulators. But he said if the work goes ahead, he hopes to force the federal government or the exploration companies involved to mitigate the risk.

"The issue here is we don't really know where (the munitions) are," he said, adding even near the coast is suspect.

"In the early days they were relatively close to shore," he said.

Europe has its own approach. There, the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic is a multi-national group convened to identify the sites and stop threats to the marine environment.

Convention reports indicate there are about 900 encounters with the dumped material each year off the European coasts.

More than half are entanglements with fishing gear.

In 2005, three fishermen in the North Sea were killed when their nets pulled up a bomb that exploded on board, according to the convention.

The public comment period on the Trump offshore leasing proposal ended in March, but Knapp is filing the concerns as additions to comments he posted earlier. They will have a lot of company. More than 1.86 million people have commented on the leasing plans, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. BOEM will publish the comments and its assessment of them later this year, said spokeswoman Tracey Moriarty.

Porter said the munitions dumping isn't an issue that's going to stay buried.

"We're just scratching the surface of this problem," he said. "Mostly, we don't know what we need to know."
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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.
Jamie Lovegrove is a political reporter covering the South Carolina Statehouse, congressional delegation and campaigns. He previously covered Texas politics in Washington for The Dallas Morning News and in Austin for the Texas Tribune.
Passionate gun owners dominated testimony before the Legislature on Friday, making clear their opposition to a bill that proposes banning bump stock attachments for firearms.

JTM gun shop owner John Sablan was the first to testify, saying, "liberals are always quick to target guns, and fail to put the blame where it really belongs  on the perpetrator."

In closing he said, "every bill like this is an inch closer to the abolishment of the Second Amendment."

The audience broke into applause, setting the tone for the rest of the afternoon.

A bump stock makes use of a gun's natural recoil on discharge to increase the rate of fire, allowing a semi-automatic weapon to mimic the rate of fire from a fully automatic machine gun.

The device was used by the shooter who fired from a Las Vegas, Nevada, hotel into a crowd attending a country music concert in October, killing 58 and wounding hundreds of others.

Gunsmith Darryl Berse said, "banning bump stocks is not a solution, it's a Band-Aid." He said the real problem is mental health.

He pointed out that efforts are already underway at the national level to ban bump stocks and he called the bill redundant.

"If we're doing this on the federal level, why do we need to be doing it here?" he asked.

Bill 265-34 was introduced by Vice Speaker Therese Terlaje. It would prohibit the ownership of a bump stock, or "any other attachment or device used to increase a cyclic firing rate to mimic nearly continuous automatic fire."

The senator said the measure is aimed at helping limit the possibility of an incident of mass violence on Guam, and to support efforts to protect our schools by closing the gap in the law that allows the sale of these devices.

Gun owner Albert Silos zeroed in on page four of the bill, which would require the owner of a bump stock device to turn it into police within 90 days, without any compensation.

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"If you want ... the bump stock back from me, then you pay me for it," he said. "If you confiscate it from me, that is communism."

Bill 254-34 would also increase the penalties and fines for the illegal possession of a firearm.

The maximum jail term would rise from three years now to five, and the fine would increase from $1,000 now, to a maximum of $10,000.

'An emotional response'

"What's happening here is an emotional response," to recent mass shooting incidents, said disabled Navy veteran Gary Hikenbottom.

"The children that were killed (at a high school in Parkland,) Florida, were not killed by a bump stock, they were killed by an insane young man."

Rory Tenorio questioned how the bill would help improve safety at the schools.

"Why do we have to waste our time and effort and our limited tax dollars on something that may never happen?" he asked. The students, he said, "are not asking us to ban bump stocks, they're asking us to fix the bathrooms ... clean up our facilities and make them safe."

Testimony in favor

Among the few to testify in favor of the measure was Tano Lizama, who said he was a gun owner who supports the ban on bump stocks.

As a father, Lizama said, he understands the threat posed by bump fire stocks, but "I don't feel threatened that this will take away my gun rights," he said.

"I feel that the safety of the community outweigh the needs of gun owners on Guam to own a bump stock."
I have been asked a few times by close friends and family, how I can "defend criminals." The answer is not complicated, but first, I must poin Read more
The sacked chairman of the Board of First Guarantee Pension Limited (FGPL), Orlando Ojo, and his Vice, Chidi Duru, cannot continue to run the affairs of the company, the Appeal Court has ruled.

Messrs Ojo and Duru, who were removed as directors and members of the Board of Directors of FGPL on July 21, 2011 over alleged infractions in the operations of the company continued to insist on running the affairs of the company, including appointment of its legal counsel.

But, on March 26, the judge, Abdu Aboki, of the Court of Appeal, Abuja, in his ruling discountenanced the March 30, 2017 application by Mr Ojos FGPL Board notifying the court of its intention to change its legal counsel and service address.

The ruling, which was confirmed by two other justices, Emmanuel Agim and M. Mustapha, equally discountenanced any legal processes filed by Jude Okey & Partners, the law firm appointed by the Ojo-led Board to represent FGPL against National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

BACKGROUND

Following the alleged infractions in the operations of FGPL, PENCOM had exercised its regulatory authority on July 21, 2011 by compelling Messrs Ojo and Duru to resign their positions as executive Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of the company respectively.

The former officials were accused of invading the company premises on January 11, 2011 and making away with vital documents.

On August 12, 2011, an Interim Management Committee (IMC), consisting Issa Aremu (Chairman), Johnny Ojeaga (director) and Chima Akalezi (MD/CEO), was appointed.

The committee was charged with the responsibility of running the affairs of the company till when its shareholders would meet to reconstitute the Board of Directors.

OJO, DURU SUE

However, the Ojo-led FGPL Board had dragged PENCOM to the Federal High Court in Abuja to contest their removal from office.

On July 18, 2012, D.U Okorowo delivered a judgement restraining PENCOM from further interfering in the operations of the company, particularly removing its directors.

The Commission not only appealed against the judgement, it received a stay of execution order by a judge, G.O. Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Equally, PENCOM, through Olabisi Soyebo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) of Abdulahi Ibrahim & Co., filed a separate appeal challenging the judgement.

On May 19, 2015, the Court of Appeal in Lagos ruled that having been removed as a director of FGPL, Mr Ojo lacked the competence and legal authority to appoint legal counsel for the company. On April 5, 2017, the appeals were consolidated and adjourned.

To represent the FGPL, the IMC appointed a new legal counsel, George Ukaegbu, to take over the legal representation of the company at the federal and appeals courts.

IMC CONTESTS CHANGE OF COUNSEL

On December 21, 2017, Mr Ukaegbu filed a motion on notice on behalf of the IMC dated December 19 requesting the court to set aside a notice by the Ojo-led Board of FGPL for a change of counsel and address of service.

The notice filed by the Board was for the change of legal counsel from St. Dominic & Company, appointed by the IMC to Jude Okey & Partners.

But, the IMC challenged the action and denied appointing the law firm of Jude-Okey & Partner to represent the company in those capacities.

The new legal counsel appointed by the committee, Mr Ukaegbu told the court the March 30, 2017 legal process filed by the Ojo-led Board of FGPL was improper and defective.

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He said Mr Ojo who signed the notice of appeal was not valid, having resigned or removed as Chairman of the Board of Directors of FGPL by PENCOM since July 21, 2011.

Having ceased to be the Chairman of the company, Mr Ukaegbu argued the Ojo-led FGPL lacked the powers to appoint a legal counsel or commence legal actions in the company.

Besides, the committee said PENCOM had on August 12, 2011 replaced the former Board of the company with an interim management committee.

Mr Ukaegbus application was accompanied with a 24 paragraph affidavit containing a letter that conveyed Mr Ojos notice of removal from the Board of the FGPL.

Besides, the affidavit also contained a letter from PENCOM sent to the Registrar General of the Corporate Affairs Commission introducing the IMC of the company, along with committees resolution appointing Funmilayo Oluwo as the company secretary.

The affidavit of fact by some shareholders acknowledged the IMC as the only authorised management of the company.

The document also noted that Mr Ojo and his deputy, Mr Duru, were not connected with the management, running and supervision of the company since removal from office in 2011.

APPEAL COURT RULES

On March 26, 2018, Mr Aboki upheld all IMCs requests in its appeal of July 21, 2011 and granted the prayers to set aside the notice of change of counsel and address of service.

The judge also set aside all processes filed on behalf of FGPL by the law firm of Jude-Okey & Partners in appeal No. CA/A/428/2012 pursuant to the notice.

When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Ukaegbu for comments over the ruling, he said he had none.
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Patrick Obahiagbon, the inimitable Igodomigodo, would have described the invasion of the senate and consequent kidnap of the mace earlier this week in head-bursting vocabularies if he were still in the House. Perhaps, he would have decided not to flaunt too much grammar and simply revisit one of his viral expressions. And if indeed there were dramatic happenings in the polity that fit into Obahiagbons crincum-crancum (and) political higi-haga, the senate was where the materials were earlier this week. In fact, to be sure, the issues have all the trappings of an odoriferous saga cum gargantuan gaga!

Last week, SATIRE SATURDAY dwelled on the first part of a manual on how to fleece jobless Nigerian youths, especially in Lagos. The intent was to bring the second part this week but because Nigeria has a way of throwing up unexpected higi-hagas, the senate forced this column to suspend the second part and dwell on the Wednesday drama, hence the writer could be erroneously considered a part of the lazy lots.

Frankly, the coordinated invasion of the Senate by unknown thugs (remember unknown soldiers?) on Wednesday is condemnable in the strongest of terms. The consequent kidnap of the mace was quite embarrassing, if not totally disgraceful. Yet it is instructive to note that the suspended senator at the centre of the crisis, Ovie Omo-Agege, has denied knowledge of the invasion and stealing of the mace.

As conspiracy theories work, every detail surrounding the invasion and stealing of the mace points in the direction of the suspended senatorsome media outfits even went as far as reporting that he did lead the thugs, something I consider preposterous although there are no concrete evidences to proof that YET in law. In any case, following the senators denial, it is left for the authorities to look into the case and come out with findings, especially as a PREMIUM TIMES report even showed that the security operatives were part of the entire shenanigan. To avoid jumping the gun, one could as well await the details of the report.

The bigger issue is in the debate on the constitutionality or otherwise of the senates penchant for suspending elected lawmakers, as we continue to witness especially in this 8th assembly. While Nigerians remain divided on the suspension of Senator Omo-Agege, particularly because of the partisan concerns surrounding his suspension, it is important that we dispassionately debate this practice for sanity to prevail in the polity.

As a layman, I find the practice of suspending lawmakers based on the whims and caprices of power brokers in the house rather improper, largely because it denies a vast number of Nigerians quality representation as the constitution demands. It is more worrisome when these suspension orders are directed at lawmakers considered antagonistic to the interest of certain individuals in the hallowed chamber and not necessarily in the overall interest of the nation. But a laymans conjecture is no rule.

However, Femi Falana, has continued to argue, quite rightly, that it is unconstitutional for any legislative chamber to suspend or sack a member. The Lagos-based lawyer argued that ONLY a competent court of law can remove or suspend a member of the legislature whether at the local, state or federal government level. Mr Falana even cited the case of Dino Melaye, now a sidekick of the senate president, when he and others were suspended in 2011 as members of the House of Reps. Senator Omo-Agege, perhaps drawing inspiration from Falanas legal analysis, also made similar point.

The entire melodrama is worrisome because if the Senate, the highest lawmaking body in the country, is acting in contravention of the court, as the arguments launched against its serial suspension of members have shown, then there is fire on the mountain. Not even when, already, the executive has been serially accused, sometimes wrongly, of not obeying court orders; while the judiciary itself is going through reforms after years of rot.

Sad realities.

Yet it is not all gloom and doom, anyway; thanks to Nigerias Collective children of anger. In the wake of the recent invasion and stealing of the mace, with all available details pointing in the direction of Omo-Agege, Nigerian creative netizens brought Lagos geography into the discourse.

Agege and Mushin are two popular Lagos areas, relatively known for their enterprising people and, well, the violence of some other residents, especially in Mushin. Even though the Senators Delta name isnt pronounced the same way the Lagos area is pronounced, Nigerians, mostly Lagosians, still had a way of drawing parallel.

And the big question: if an Omo-Agege (meaning Agege resident in colloquial Yoruba) could be connected with the Wednesday incident, what would have happened if an Omo-Mushin was involved? I had a quick answer: perhaps we would be searching for the entire Senate Chamber as I type this!

In all, it is important that these issues are addressed hence our nation may descend into a system of government the Igodomigodo would have described as Kakitomoboplutocrcy!

SERIOUSLY SPEAKING: Congrats, Uncle Dapsy!

Last Friday, the Nigerian Institute of Journalism honoured the publisher of PREMIUM TIMES, Dapo Olorunyomi, with a Fellowship of the institution at its convocation ceremony in Ogba, Lagos. Uncle Dapsyas many of his friends, colleagues and numerous mentees of his own direct mentees like this writer fondly refer to himis a phenomenon in Nigerian journalism.

PREMIUM TIMES Publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi being honoured by the Nigeria Institute of Journalism (NIJ)

With over three decades experience in public advocacy, campaign for good governance, anti-corruption campaign and push for ethical journalism practice, the recognition is well deserved. Congrats, Sir, Uncle Dapsy!
As part of efforts to eliminate malaria in Nigeria, the Federal Government will be securing $300 million in new financing from the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and African Development Bank.

According to a press statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES, the commitment was made known on Friday during the African Leaders Malaria Alliance on the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018.

The meeting which held in Tanzania secured the commitment of 53 world leaders to halve malaria across the Commonwealth within the next five years.

The commitment followed this weeks Malaria Summit, where leaders from malaria-affected countries, businesses, donors and the international community made new commitments and urged leaders to get Ready to Beat Malaria.

According to the statement, the commitment from the Commonwealth has the potential to prevent 350 million malaria cases and save 650,000 lives. 90 per cent of global malaria cases and deaths occur on the African continent and the impact of this renewed focus to eliminate malaria will be felt across the continent.

Nigeria will be using the money as part efforts to elevate malaria on the national priority list.

An additional $18.7 million to was also pledged to leverage $37 million from the Global Fund to distribute 15 million mosquito nets and to support the local manufacture of essential malaria commodities.

Aside Nigeria, 11 other African countries in the Commonwealth affirmed their determination to eliminate malaria. These countries include, eSwatini (formerly Swaziland), Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Gambia, Uganda, Rwanda and Zambia.

Barnabas Dlamini, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of eSwatini representing the King Mswati III and Chair of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance said Africa as a continent has made significant gains against malaria.

He said the progress has been the result of the sustained commitment from African leaders and the international community but the gains made are fragile and there is no room for complacency.

Failure to sustain and indeed strengthen our efforts will have humanitarian effects as well as cost implications for our respective countries.

The Commonwealth has made a strong statement that it is ready to beat malaria. Lets recommit to work together as governments, development partners, the private sector and communities to eliminate malaria for good. Zero malaria starts with me and with you, he said

In addition, the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, in line with the African Unions (AU) Catalytic Framework to end AIDS, TB and Eliminate Malaria by 2030, committed to supporting member countries to introduce and strengthen the use of national and sub-national malaria scorecards and action trackers, with robust community engagement.

Aids logo

It also aims to support increased domestic funding from both the public and private sector; and to continue its work with Heads of State and Government in Africa to monitor progress towards this goal.

As for international commitments, the UK Government reaffirmed its commitment to spend 500 million a year through 2020-2021 and an extra 100 million commitment to the Global Fund.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also announced an additional $1 billion through 2023 to fund research and development to reduce the burden of malaria.

In addition, the Foundation pledged 50 million in matching funds against the UK Governments additional 100 commitment to the Global Fund.

Malaria is estimated to cost African economies $12 billion a year in direct losses. It is also estimated to cost the UK over 700,000 in lost trade.

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Malaria continues to be a major public health problem in 97 countries and territories in the tropics and subtropics.

Globally, approximately 214 million cases of malaria occur annually and 3.3 billion people in 106 countries are at risk of being infected. Approximately 438,000 deaths were attributed to malaria alone in 2015, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 90 per cent of all malaria deaths occur.

As a critical target of the Millennium Development Goals, in 2005, the World Health Assembly established a goal of reducing malaria cases and deaths by 75 per cent between 2005 and 2015.

Hence, over the past decade, there has been renewed interest in research and innovations in diagnostic methods, drugs and vaccines, and the development of control measures to eradicate malaria.

As a result, between 2000 and 2013, the incidence rates of malaria fell by 30 per cent globally, and by 34 per cent in Africa.

Malaria is one the endemic disease which has killed 400,000 babies and claimed so many pregnant women lives

In Nigeria

Nigeria suffers the worlds greatest malaria burden, with approximately 51 million cases and 207,000 deaths reported annually (approximately 30 per cent of the total malaria burden in Africa), while 97 per cent of the total population (approximately 173 million) is at risk of infection.

Moreover, malaria accounts for 60 per cent of outpatient visits to hospitals and led to approximately 11 per cent maternal mortality and 30 per cent child mortality, especially among children less than five years.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum, and the mosquitoes Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles funestus, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles moucheti are the major vectors that cause year-round transmission. Artemether-lumefantrine (AL) or artesunate + amodiaquine (AS + AQ) is the treatment regime adopted in 2004.

This devastating disease affects the countrys economic productivity, resulting in an estimated monetary loss of approximately N132 billion (~700 million USD), in treatment costs, prevention, and other indirect costs.

Since 2008, the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) in Nigeria has adopted a specific plan, the goal of which is to reduce 50 per cent of the malaria burden by 2013 by achieving at least 80 per cent coverage of long-lasting impregnated mosquito nets (LLINs), together with other measures, such as 20 per cent of houses in targeted areas receiving indoor residual spraying (IRS), and treatment with two doses of intermittent preventative therapy (IPT) for pregnant women who visit antenatal care clinics.

Due to these measures, the percentage of households with at least one LLIN increased to over 70 per cent by 2010, compared to only 5 per cent in 2008.

Level of coverage still a challenge

However, the way a country finances its health care system is a critical determinant for reaching Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

This is so because it determines whether the health services that are available are affordable to those that need them. In Nigeria, the health sector is financed through different sources and mechanisms.

The difference in the proportionate contribution from these stated sources determine the extent to which such health sector will go in achieving successful health care financing system. Unfortunately, in Nigeria, achieving the correct blend of these sources remains a challenge.

As Nigeria celebrates the World Malaria Day 2018, with the theme Ready to beat malaria the coverage of malaria in Nigeria is still far behind.

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World Malaria Day is an international observance commemorated every year on April 25 and recognises global efforts to control malaria.

Nigeria has 34,173 health facilities nationwide which include 30,098 primary health centres, 3,992 secondary facilities, and 83 tertiary facilities. The private sector constitute 33 per cent of all facilities in Nigeria, yet there is still a hole in our malaria coverage

Huge funds deployed over the years

Nigeria has benefited from support from various partners for malaria control. Currently, the largest funding partners are the Global Fund, the U.S. Government, and United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID).

Other key partners include the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the WHO. There is also corporate sector support for malaria control including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, Dangote Foundation, and telecommunication companies. The Global Business Coalition through the Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa is galvanising corporate efforts to support resource mobilisation as well as to leverage the strength of this sector.

The headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) is pictured in Geneva [Photo Credit: VOANEWS]

In 2014, Nigeria had three approved grants for malaria from the Global Fund, the latter two designating the NMEP as the Principal Recipient. In March 2015 the country and the Global Fund signed the New Funding Model (NFM) grant totaling to over $400 million for two years.

The approved grant for Nigeria under the NFM was $400,253,346 to cover the period of February 2015 to December 31, 2016. The fund was managed by the NMEP ($308,577,343) and the Society for Family Health ($91,676,003) as Principal Recipients.

As of the end of January 2016, $279,554,526 was committed to support various malaria activities, including procurement of malaria commodities. The Global Fund included a requirement that the Nigeria Government to provide $22.5 million as counterpart financing for ITNs; however, the counterpart finance is yet to be provided.

The current Global Fund agreement, signed in 2014, originally required the Nigerian Government to provide $45.7 million in counterpart funding for net distribution. When the Government failed to provide those funds, during grant extension negotiations in 2017, the Global Fund agreed to halve the amount required to $22.5 million.

Treated mosquito nets help prevent against malaria.

To date, the government has not provided this amount. The current Global Fund grant ended in December 2017, and unless Nigeria government funds are provided prior to that grant expiration, counterpart funding requirements will not have been met.

As of April, 2017, a non-costed extension was granted for the Nigeria malaria grant, as well as a one-year grant with a new Principal Recipient, Catholic Relief Services, to implement long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) replacement mass campaigns in six states and continue implementation of the other malaria program activities through December, 2017.

The extension and one-year CRS grant will maintain the scope and scale of essential malaria services in 2017 and will be funded through reinvestment of unspent funds within the current grant.

In terms of activities, the Global Fund grant supports scale-up of prevention and case management activities in line with the NMSP 2014-2020. The key interventions are to attain universal coverage of ITNs through mass campaigns and continuous distribution channels.

About 10 states were included in the project and Kogi, with a prevalence of malaria in children of under five years of age of 5 per cent, was replaced with Plateau State with the parasite in children under five years of age of 36 per cent. Support to Kogi State was phased out in 2017. The projected population of the 11 states to receive PMI (Presidents Malaria Initiative) support in 2019 is 57.8 million.

The PMI is a U.S. Government initiative designed to cut malaria deaths in half in target countries in sub-Saharan Africa. It was announced on June 30, 2005, when President Bush pledged to increase U.S. funding of malaria prevention and treatment in sub-Saharan Africa by more than $1.2 billion over 5 years (FY2006-FY2010).

A recent additional resource for the states is the Saving One Million Lives Initiative (SOML) Program-for-Results (PforR) Project. The objective of this US$500 million World Bank-funded project is to increase the utilisation and quality of high impact reproductive, child health, and nutrition interventions. Still, external funding does not cover all technical assistance and implementation support needs for all health facilities within these 11 states.

The World Bank

Roll Back Malaria

Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership was launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the World Bank.

Its goal was to provide a coordinated global approach to fighting malaria.The RBM Partnership is the global framework for implementing coordinated action against malaria. It mobilises resources for action and forges consensus among partners.

The UNICEF logo is pictured on a building in Geneva. [Courtesy: voanewscom]

The Partnership is made up of more than 500 partners, including countries where malaria is endemic, their bilateral and multilateral development partners, the private sector, nongovernmental and community-based organizations, foundations, and research and academic institutions. The Global Malaria Action Plan defines two stages of malaria control: first, scaling-up for impact (SUFI) of preventive and therapeutic interventions, and then sustaining control over time.

Coverage and Implementation

Nigeria began implementation of Presidential Malaria Initiative (PMI) in the fiscal year (FY) 2011. PMI began with support to three states (Cross River, Nasarawa, and Zamfara).

In 2012, PMI expanded to six more states (Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Kogi, Oyo, and Sokoto), and in 2013, added two more states (Akwa Ibom and Kebbi) for a total of 11 states.

A strategy review meeting held in April 2016 revisited the states for PMI support. States were selected based on malaria disease burden, coverage, presence of other donors, strength of state leadership, and security.

In 2016 2.7 billion US dollars was invested in malaria control and elimination, 74 per cent of the investment in 2016 was invested in some countries in Africa which are endemic of the disease larger percentage goes to the Sub-Sahara Africa where Nigeria is at the frontline.

Data shows that 76 per cent Nigerians lives in high transmission areas and 24 per cent in low transmission areas.

The Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey of 2014-2020 objective is to achieve universal coverage with Insecticide Treated Net (ITN).

Universal coverage on malaria elimination is defined as one ITN for every two persons. PMIs goal is to support the NMEP in achieving and maintaining its targets for ITN coverage and use, especially in PMI-supported states.

PMI supports free mass ITN campaigns every three years and strengthening continuous distribution channels that include antenatal care (ANC) and immunisation clinics, schools, and community-based distributions where feasible and cost-effective.

Since 2010, PMI has procured a total of 40.7 million ITNs for mass campaigns and continuous distribution, and distributed over 60 million ITNs, including over 24 million ITNs procured by other partners. From December 2013 to May 2017, the NMEP and its partners says it distributed 60.8 million ITNs through mass campaigns in 23 states, including over 26 million ITNs in all the 11 PMI-supported states of Sokoto, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Zamfara, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Oyo and Kogi.

Data from two Nigeria Malaria Indicator Surveys (NMIS) show ownership of at least one ITN in a household increased substantially from 8 per cent in 2010 to 69 per cent nationally in 2015. The average number of ITNs per household doubled from 0.8 to 1.6 (2015 NMIS). Eight of the 11 PMI supported states had higher ownership of at least one ITN per household than the national average.

An expert speaks

Ladipo Olabode Taiwo, a public health practioner scores the Federal Govenrment low on disbursement of funds to tackle the ailment and also on accurate data gathering on it.

There has not been any concise figure/amount released by Nigerian government for the funding of malaria elimination in the country, he said.

He also explained that the states that are not under the PMI coverage for malaria are taken care of by Global Fund.

He spoke about the poor health financing been practiced by the Nigerian Government.

If not for PMI, Global fund and other NGOs who have supported the country in the health sector, the country health sector would be nothing to talk about.

He said malaria data collection in Nigeria is not 100 per cent accurate, or representative of what is happening.

The reason is that most of the data are collect at the lower level, and the states has just 24 hours to check the data and validate them, and most states do not have a data bank with the Federal Ministry of Health.

Isaac Adewole, Minister of Health.

He however said there is a decline in the cases of malaria in Nigeria, as a result of the management which was set up by the National Malaria Elimination Program.

The year world malaria day is an avenue to orientate and educate the citizens that malaria is curable and preventable, so that every body will be ready to beat malaria, Mr Taiwo added.
Bamidele Omotowa is a Nigerian U.S.-based Chemist, Nuclear Scientist, and Co-Founder of Pearlhill Technologies. In this interview with Bunmi Fatoye-Matory, he speaks on how not learning to apply science to solve problems has left Nigeria behind its peers.

PT: Where were you born? And where did you get your early education?

Omotowa: I was born in Okoro-Gbede in Ijumu LGA of Kogi State, Nigeria. I attended Demonstration Primary School in Okene, St. Johns Anglican Primary School, Dekina, AbdulAziz Atta Memorial College (formerly, Government Secondary School), Okene, and graduated high school in 1979.

PT: And your tertiary education?

Omotowa: I studied Chemistry at the University of Ilorin graduating with a Bachelors degree in 1984, a Masters degree in 1988, and my doctorate degree in 1995. Professor Michael Adediran Mesubi was my supervisor and mentor. Everything good in my professional path that came later was because he gave me the opportunity to grow as a young researcher. He picked me as his lab assistant in my third year as a student in Ilorin.

He was a focused, visionary and capable first-generation Nigerian chemist. I learnt a lot from him.

During the study for my doctoral work, two things happened. I started working as an Assistant Lecturer in 1988, and then got promoted to Lecturer II in 1993. Between 1994 and 1995, I spent one and a half years at the University of Bath in England.

PT: What took you to the University of Bath?

Omotowa: The World Bank made available to the National Universities Commission some scholarship opportunities to improve the quality and capacity of young university teachers in Nigeria. I took advantage of this opportunity to do some of my doctoral work at Bath.

PT: What did you do at Bath?

Omotowa: I conducted a lot of my doctoral research there because we didnt have the facilities in Nigeria.

PT: Did you work with anyone in particular?

Omotowa: Yes, I worked with Prof Kieran C. Molloy, my British supervisor, with whom I published four papers in the field of Organometallic Chemistry. Afterwards, I returned to receive my Ph.D. degree and continued to teach at the University of Ilorin. I couldnt graduate at Bath because I couldnt afford the required tuition of about 30,000 pounds.

Before I left England, my supervisor, Prof Molloy, was very impressed with my progress and recognised my potential in chemical research. He encouraged me to apply to the Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Foundation for a post-doctoral Research Fellowship in a German University. He wrote a strong recommendation for me to accompany my application to the AvH Foundation. By providence, in the 1980s, Prof Molloy had worked with a much senior visiting fellow European, Prof Herbert Schumann, at an American university. By 1995, Prof Schuman was, perhaps, the third most published European scholar in Inorganic Chemistry.

Before I left England for Nigeria, Prof Molloy also wrote to introduce me to Late Prof Schumann (d. 2010) at the Technical University of Berlin.

In England, I submitted several applications to more than 80 advertised post-doctoral positions in the United States, with no success. However, although he couldnt immediately offer me a position in his group, Prof John Gladysz (then, of the University of Utah) kept in touch with me as a prospect. By this time, the staff remuneration, research capacity, and general prospects for university teachers were pretty poor in Nigerian universities. I got an offer of a teaching position at the University of Lesotho but Prof Molloy was of the opinion that taking up the position could be a dead end for my research career. So he put in a lot of effort to guide me through the application process to the Humboldt Foundation. He felt that was more appropriate to my scholarship.

PT: What was life and scholarship like in Berlin?

Omotowa: I had to learn German. I went to German school for four months. Before I got to Germany, all I knew of Germany was Hitler.

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It was not easy for the University of Ilorin to release me. There were many impediments put on my path because I had just got back from England. So I went on unpaid leave of absence for one year. I had the option to extend it.

PT: What made it difficult for you to work as a young Chemist in Nigeria?

Omotowa: Remuneration was low, the lab facilities were terribly inadequate, probably not more than $2,000 in worth. I couldnt commit my life to that. Our scholars in the department were first and second- generation scientists whose knowledge and ideas were becoming outdated.

Some structures in the university did not support the scholarship of young scholars because there were no opportunities for research and growth. I wanted to do more than teach. We had not figured out how to use science to solve our problems, like Korea and other newly-developed countries.

PT: Does Nigeria actually use its scientists? You were a student under many excellent Chemists in Ilorin?

Omotowa: We have a painful truncation of our progress. Many of our post-colonial elders studied Law, Theology and the Arts because the scholarships tended to favor those who wanted to study non-science courses. There wasnt much of a scientific community until 1966 when Nigeria sent its first students to study the sciences. That first generation raised the second generation of scientists at home in the 70s. The first generation did well. They were at par with other developing countries, like Korea.

But in a place like Korea, they were resilient, using science to solve their problems. In the early 70s Nigerian scientists were learning what everybody else was learning, they possessed the knowledge their international counterparts did.

Then the world moved on from knowledge to its application to solve respective national and local problems. We did not do this. When we had the oil boom, we could have done it. We had the Land Use Act in 1976, the Chieftaincy Act, and many other reforms that established our political governance and integration of nationwide restructuring but we omitted to develop an enduring Science Plan. There was no vision and policy to make Science a cornerstone of development in Nigeria.

At the 32nd plenary meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on October 13, 1977, General Obasanjo, as Head of State, addressed and logged Nigerias recognition of the potential role of Science and Technology for future differentiation of countries. However, perhaps it was his other emphasis on the place of the black Southern Africa that drew on our emotion. Nigeria expensed significant capital to host more than 16,000 guests in Lagos for the 2nd Festival of Black Arts and Culture (FESTAC) celebrations in 1977. Although, this was a welcome grandeur symbolic reversal of the transatlantic slave trade, we didnt find the right balance, and lost a window for kick starting a science policy.

All the other Nigeria policies and reforms of the 1970s have fundamentally advanced our nationhood. However, beginning with the Shagari government (1979-83), our economics, political governance, and social structures collapsed rapidly. Nothing was working. The economy was going down that government did not pay salaries or maintain national infrastructure. It was obvious that the draconian efforts of Generals Buhari-Idiagbon military administration of 1985 did not move the dial fast enough in the right direction.

It is still true today, as it was then, that science can advance our economics many times as our current oil revenue of less than $75 billion a year. By 1995, the universities were starved of funds, so I made a decision about my life.

PT: What did you do in Germany?

Omotowa: My research experience in Germany between January 1996 and December 1997 was very powerful and has placed that country in a special place in my mind. The Humboldt Foundation held the annual meeting of all current fellows in the country in Bonn during July 1-4, 1996. I had the honor of meeting and discussing freely with the then Germany President (1994-2000), Professor Roman Herzog, at the Presidential Villa Hammerschmidt in Bonn. I was in the company of other hundreds of visiting Humboldtians and their families. I thought wow, it was the knowledge taught to me in Nigeria that had brought me this far, yet I couldnt have met with my own President in Nigeria.

Later in the year, after my family had arrived from Nigeria to join me in Berlin, the Humboldt fellows and spouses in Berlin met with President Herzog again at the Presidential Bellevue Palace in Berlin for the Festival of Ideas.

At the festival, Germany decided on which of its young PhDs to support in the quest for new entrepreneurs that would compete favorably with the best internationally, particularly the U.S. I was taken aback. They were selecting young scientists who would help solve some scientific problems in industry, and make billions of dollars doing so. Now, I am an African. So, when I had a brief opportunity I asked Professor Herzog how I was relevant to this goal. I remember that the President told me that as a Humboldt fellow, I was one of the best in the world, and that I could recognize talent and potential when I saw it. Again, wow.

This reinforced the results of my first meeting with my primary host, at his university office a few months earlier. At that meeting, Prof Schumanns first comments to me were spoken in German, and afterwards he continued in English. I memorized what he said to me in German, and later looked up the meaning by translating with a German-English dictionary. It roughly translated as no one can stop you from your goals, except yourself. What you become at this point forward will depend on you.

As a further reinforcement of the prevailing culture, I saw a large banner on the wall of one of the lecture theaters at the Technical University on which was inscribed wer nicht Wagt, der nicht Gewinnt in bold print, meaning, nothing ventured nothing gained.

This is the German mindset that changed my approach. By now, I knew I had to be something and that I had to go for it. The stories of the people I met had touched me and changed my worldview.

The Berlin Wall between East and West Germany came down in 1985, a decade before I arrived in Berlin. Prof Schumann was born in Coburg, Bavaria in 1935, and was shaped by its history with pre-unification neighboring Thuringia.

Notably, after I had received a Humboldt Award in 1995, Prof Schumann called twice to my parents in Nigeria to ensure that I was planning to be in Germany. I was wondering why this German professor cared for me, a Nigerian. Well, he had an intractable University-Industry Collaboration project with Schering-Plough AG of Berlin to discover some new contrast agents for imaging diagnostics of the stomach.

On my arrival, I was made the lead investigator to be supported by a doctoral- and an undergraduate student. Biweekly, I had to present our findings and progress to industry officials in German language. We had to work very hard and know what we were doing. This level of scrutiny and deliberate progress was something I came to appreciate about their quality control principles. An independent group in the industry had to be able to reproduce our results and analyses by following our reports.

The topic they gave me was very challenging. They have been working on it for two years without solving it. At a point in December 1996, I traveled with my young family to my British PhD research supervisor at Bath. I asked him if he thought I would be able to accomplish my research task in Berlin. I wondered how he had described me in his recommendation, since Prof Schumann has such high expectations of me. Prof Molloy told me that if anyone can do it, itll be me. He gave some guidance on literature references in a related area of research.

Growing in confidence on return to Berlin, I got the result they wanted within eight days of getting back to work in December 1996. That achievement was patented instantly, and the accomplishment helped me to become more self-confident in my ability.

Prof Schumann received financial reward for this success that I brought about. I asked him if I would receive any bonus from it. He simply told me that it was only meant for people with German citizenship. With this development, I knew that I had to move on from Germany.

I reached out to Prof Gladysz at Utah and he suggested Prof Jeanne M. Shreeve at the University of Idaho as my potential host in the United States. Prof Schumann gladly provided excellent recommendation since we had published the results of my work in Berlin.

The University of Idaho appointed me as a Senior Research Scientist in September 1997. My family and I relocated from Berlin, Germany, to Moscow, Idaho in the United States in January 1998. At that time, as a scholar, the U.S. had categorized my status as one that required a release from the Nigerian government in order to have leave to extend my visa beyond two years. However, in addition to a Nigerian presidential waiver in 1999, all my professors in England, Germany, and the United States supported and recommended my application for the Permanent Resident status in the USA. That was how I started my American experience.
Nigerias National Assembly has paid out a total N6.6billion for purchase of exotic cars for its members, PREMIUM TIMES and UDEME can authoritatively report today.

Official documents obtained by this newspaper showed that the purchases were made by the three arms of the federal parliamentthe Senate, the House of Representatives and the management unit of the lawmaking arm.

Records show that the Senate is the biggest spender, purchasing a total N3.2billion worth of cars from 10 different contractors.

The lower chamber followed closely, acquiring N3billion worth of exotic cars in 17 deals.

The management of the National Assembly wrapped up the car procurement extravaganza, taking delivery of N430million worth of cars using five different dealers.

The contractors who supplied the exotic cars to the Senate include Lanre Shittu Motors (N900million), Mushin Motors (N152million), Sunstar Integrated Services Limited (N136.4million), Assamad Procurement & Services Limited (N401.2million), Kaffe International Investment Limited (N115.4million), and Stable Technology Limited (N123million).

The upper chamber also bought cars from Dua Creations Limited (N77million), Swiftcode Technologies Limited (N181million), Frontline Infasys Ltd (N91.3), and Lachoso Engineering Systems Nigeria Ltd (N55million).

For its own share of the car bonanza, the House of Representatives turned to Wadatu Global Company Limited (N145million), Bimfirst Multiventures Ltd (N50million), Vish Integrated Service Limited (N50million), Pimpex Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd. (N145million), 3 Brothers Concept Nigeria Limited (N400million), Ideki Services Limited (N100million), Braimuh Nigeria Limited (N250million), Mahasam Nigeria Limited (N500million), Unified Marketing Limited (N145million), Hydofield Services Nigeria Ltd. (N60million), A.A. Marmaro Nigeria Limited (N111.4million), Auto Beauty (N97million), Southern Contractors (N50million), Nwezei Merchandised Limited (N50million), and Assamad Procurement & Services Nigeria Ltd (N60million).

Other contractors who supplied vehicles to the lower chamber are MNM Construction Ent. Services Ltd. (N100million), Jaaniyat Inter Concept Ltd (N60million), PAN Nigeria Ltd (N160million), D.C. Okika Nigeria (N60million), Paki Intl Motors Ltd (N80million), Afric Capital Nigeria Ltd (N250million), Pranav Contracting Nigeria Ltd (N50million), Sure Delivery Nigeria Limited (N71million), Shazamzam Construction Ltd (N103million), Omatie Global (N366.1million), Bilmos Nigeria Ltd (N400million), and Clario View Nigeria Ltd (N52.5 million).

The federal legislatures management unit bought its own N430million worth of cars from Omaiauto Ltd (N21million), M/S Atlantic Authos Ltd (N100million), Bestline Nigeria Ltd (N50million), Alheri Nigeria Ltd (N150million) and Autonorths Nigeria Ltd (100 million).

Investigations by this newspaper show that 30 of these contractors are not registered on the Bureau of Public Procurements database of federal contractors, indicating they are ineligible to be given jobs or paid any money from the federal treasury. Seven of the 30 are not even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

This newspaper was able to establish that payments for the cars were made from an extra-budgetary N10 billion discreetly and curiously released to the National Assembly by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, under the guise of helping the lawmaking arm to settle its outstanding liabilities.

Two reliable sources in the National Assembly described the payments for the cars as a charade, saying they were made as part of arrangements to funnel bribes to some top officials of the National Assembly.

The National Assembly has its own block budget of N125billion from which it ought to pay for all its purchases and liabilities.

The illegal car procurements were made at a time Unicef said 10.5million Nigerian children were out of school due to what government blamed on lack of enough funds for the nations educational sector.

The purchases were also made at a time advocacy group, OneCampaign, said 2,300 Nigerian children under five die each day of preventable causes.

National Assembly

You can reduce this by providing at least one percent of Federal Governments Consolidated Revenue Fund for basic healthcare, the group said in an ongoing media campaign it is running.

Previous sprees

This is not the first time the eighth National Assembly under Senate President Bukola Saraki is engaging in illegal car buying spree.

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In December 2015, about six months after the inauguration of the Assembly, PREMIUM TIMES uncovered a plan by the lawmakers to buy cars worth N4.7 billion despite the harsh economic difficulty the country faced at the time.

The nationwide outrage triggered by that report did not stop the lawmakers from going ahead with the procurement.

In August 2017, the House of Representatives said it placed orders for N6.1 billion worth of new Peugeot 508 cars for all its 360 members.

President Muhammadu Buhari had vowed to stop the lawmakers from wasting scarce national resources on cars they were not entitled to.

Speaking during a presidential media chat, Mr Buhari vowed to fight the N4.7 billion car expenditure of 2015.

If I can turn down N400 million for the presidency that I do not need any new car because of the economy, I cant see the National Assembly spending that N4.7 billion to buy cars, on top of transport allowance they collect.

Mr. Buhari did not however succeed as the lawmakers went ahead to acquire the cars.

In November 2016, a Lagos-based lawyer and activist, Malcolm Omirhobo, sued the National Assembly over the purchase of the cars, and alleged a breach of the Public Procurement Act.

He also asked the court to decide Whether in the face of section 42 of the 1999 constitution, it is lawful for the defendants to use taxpayers money to purchase exotic and expensive cars considering the countrys economic situation.

However, the unfazed lawmakers continued with their plans. The case is yet to be decided.

In a previous reports on vehicle procurement by lawmakers, PREMIUM TIMES established that the practice remained an illegality as it violates the monetisation policy of the federal government.

How National Assembly Spent 6 Billion Naira on Vehicles

Under the policy, no vehicles should be purchased by any agency of government for use by officials.

Rather, public officers and political office holders are to receive 250 per cent of their annual basic salary as motor vehicle loans. But lawmakers have continued to benefit from the loan while also spending public funds on buying cars for themselves.

Weve done no wrong

Contacted by this reporter, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Abdulrazaq Namdas, denied knowledge of the latest deal.

Mr. Namdas said the House is at liberty to buy utility vehicles for members for the purpose of committee work.

Reminded that it is illegal for the National Assembly to buy cars for use of lawmakers in view of the monetisation policy, Mr Namdas claimed the vehicles bought were for official assignments.

Asked if it does not amount to waste of public funds for cars meant for committee assignments to be given to individuals, Mr. Namdas said If I am going for oversight, I cannot wait for my colleagues to give me lift.

Beneficiaries of the spree

The Senate spokesperson, Abdullahi Sabi, could not be reached to comment for this story. His known telephone line was not reachable for many days. A text message sent to the line is yet to be replied.

What Nigeria can do with N6.6 billion

The N6.6billion being spent on cars by our lawmakers is N1.4 billion higher than the proposed amount for purchasing ammunition for the battle-stretched Nigerian Army in 2018. The amount is also thrice the budget for books and teaching aids for all government-owned universities in the 2018 budget.

It is also N2.4 billion higher than total allocation made to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA). Nigerias financing of HIV/AIDS response, like other health sectors, is criticised by experts as grossly inadequate.

The expenditure on the vehicles equally outweighs total allocation to Nigerias premier anticorruption agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), in the 2018 budget proposal. It also outshoots the budgetary provision for the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs by almost N400 million.

The money can provide all the 77 federal government-owned universities, polytechnics and colleges of education with infrastructure or educational facilities worth N85.7 million each.

What Nigeria can do with N6.6 billion

At least 660 communities can also be provided with potable water, at an average of N10 million for a motorized borehole.
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On Friday, PREMIUM TIMES and UDEME exposed how the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, colluded to illegally funnel N10billion from the national treasury to our ever non transparent National Assembly.

After the story ran, both officials scrambled denials framed in manners meant to deceive and confuse Nigerians about the real issues raised in the report.

So the issues are clear and easy to digest, we have raised the questions below for the officials. We hope they will find time to answer them as a way of enlightening our readers on this matter.

1) Are you not aware that the National Assembly has its own N125billion budget which should fund its capital and recurrent expenditures, and from which it should settle all its liabilities? Given that this budget is always 100 per cent funded, being a statutory transfer from the treasury, why did you proceed to provide an extra illegal N10 billion to that arm of government?

2) You claimed the money was sourced from a certain N20 billion earmarked for payment of debts to local contractors. Why are you the one paying National Assembly contractors when that arm of government has a block budget to cater for its expenditures and liabilities? And why will you give 50 per cent of funds meant for all owed federal contractors to the National Assembly alone when those who built roads, schools, hospitals and supplied drugs to our clinics are yet to be paid?

3) At a time that federal contractors have abandoned road projects across the country due to non payment of their bills, making our roads death traps, why did you release N10 billion to the National Assembly to buy exotic cars, especially when your boss, President Muhammadu Buhari, has ruled that acquisition of cars by lawmakers is a violation of the governments monetisation policy and therefore illegal.

4) You released the funds without any due diligence. As chartered accountants certificated in England and here in Nigeria, is it right that you released that huge amount of money to a non transparent entity that the National Assembly is without asking the lawmakers to provide award of contract letters, Certificates of No Objection issued by the Bureau of Public Procurement and job completion certificates issued by the National Assembly?

5) Are you aware that at least 44 of the 82 contractors the National Assembly claimed it was owing are not registered on the National Database of Contractors, a database of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP). That means they are not eligible to be awarded federal contracts. Are you aware that even 17 of the 44 firms were not even registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)?

6) Are you aware that by colluding with the National Assembly to pay billions of public funds to unregistered contractors, you have violated our countrys Public Procurement Act, and that you deserve to lose your post and then be put on trial in accordance with the law?

7) Can you tell us why you violated the appropriation law by releasing N485 million for a project our budget provided N450million for? Has it anything to do with the fact that Senate President Bukola Saraki conceived the project and is handpicking contractor for its execution? Is it possible that you prefer to please Mr. Saraki at the expense of the Nigerian people?

8) You claimed you released the funds to the National Assembly after warrants were duly issued and approved by the Cash Plan Committee chaired by the finance minister. Can you please tell us in detail the process of approval of such warrants?

9) Unicef says 10.5million Nigerian children are out of school due to what government blamed on lack of enough funds for the nations educational sector. Advocacy group, OneCampaign, also says 2,300 Nigerian children under five die each day of preventable causes, a situation that can be addressed if the federal government provides at least one percent of Consolidated Revenue Fund for basic healthcare. In the face of this heart wrenching challenge, do you sincerely believe that illegally paying for exotic cars for our lawmakers should be your priority at this time?

Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris

10) Looking through the above questions, will you still say you did the right thing in the manner scarce public fund was passed to the National Assembly? Can you still confidently say you did no wrong?
For the first time in the history of the country, hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers making away with its symbol of authority, the mace.

The intrusion not fizzle out without reactions from within and outside the Senate.

The Senate also stepped down a bill which sought to re-order the 2019 election.

Tuesday`

 After consideration of a report by the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, the Senate confirmed Anthony Ojukwu as the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

 Senate urged the federal Government to seek international help to end killings in several parts of the country.

 The Senate resolved to transmit the Age Reduction Bill (Not Too Young to Run Bill) and 11 others to President Muhammadu Buhari for assent.

 The Senate summoned the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emiefele; the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali to give reasons for withdrawing $462 million from the Federation Account without the approval of the Senate.

Wednesday

 Thugs, who are believed to be working for a senator, Ovie Omo-Agege stormed the Senate chamber and stole the mace.

 The Senate resumed plenary with a replacement mace about an hour later.

 The Senate after resumption asked the Police and State Security Service (SSS) to recover the stolen mace within 24 hours.

 Senate spokesperson, Sabi Abdullahi, accused a senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, of leading the hoodlums.

 In connection to the theft of the mace, the Police on Wednesday afternoon arrested Mr Omo-Agege, at the National Assembly premises.

 The Senate dumped a new bill seeking a re-ordering of the election sequence.

 Deputy Senate President late Wednesday briefed the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, on the mace theft saga.

 The Federal Government directed security agencies to immediately swing to action to unravel circumstances surrounding the invasion of the Senate chamber by suspected hoodlums.

 I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers, forcefully taking away the mace and assaulted some of our Sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the days proceedings as slated in the Order Paper, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on mace theft.

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 Thank God I escaped kidnapping by unknown thugs who invaded the @nassnigeria today. I was pushed into one of the SUVs parked in front of the White House wing and attempt was made to drive me out of National Assembly Complex. I escaped by forcing the car door open and jumping out, a senator, Adeola Olamilakan tweeted on the mace theft.

Thursday

 A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory restrained the Nigeria Police, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation from arresting or threatening a senator, Ovie Omo-Agege.

 At about 11.50 a.m., a Deputy Inspector General of Police, Habila Joshak, handed over the recovered mace to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori.

 The Senate resolved to invite Police IG, Ibrahim Idris, DG DSS, Lawal Daura next week to brief the lawmakers on their investigation of the mace theft.
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The life and struggles of late anti-Apartheid icon Nomzamo Winifred Madikizela  Mandela came alive in Yola on Friday at the American University of Nigeria, which held a memorial service in her honor.

AUNs contingent of South African students organised the evening of solidarity songs, tributes, poetry recitations and personal recollections and was supported by expatriate and Nigerian members of the community.

AUN is home to several students from South Africa and many other African countries.

Drawing from South African mythology, a third year International & Comparative Politics major, Luyand Khanyile, said Winnie-Madikizela Mandela did not die but multiplied a reference to the popular ownership of the struggle she led against apartheid and injustice, and how those tribulations defined her life.

Other South African students, Jeremiah Sello Mafokoane, Ntuthuko Buthelezi, Kebone Mofokeng and Alex Gekpe, delivered stirring eulogies in honor of the Mother of the Nation.

Ms. Kebone, a Petroleum Chemistry major from Orange State, recited a poem for Winnie, from the work of Vangile Gantsho.

Paying his last respects, Provost of American University of Nigeria, Professor Muhammadou Kah, described Winnie as a formidable and phenomenal heroine, whose commitment, contributions, leadership and centrality to the resistance to Apartheid is second to none.

Provost Kah, who stood in for President Dawn Dekle, eulogized Winnie who he said represented the Peoples of South Africa to her death, spoke up against injustice regardless of who was in power; a brave, driven, courageous and selfless woman, who stood firmly and said No to oppression.

We all grew up seeing her as a symbol of hope, selflessness, courage, strength, passion, enthusiasm, dignity, with a huge capacity for leadership and a relentless quest and commitment for freedom for her peoples.

She never claimed to be perfect in her approach and tactics to activism and demands for the human rights of her peoples, especially when the heat was up and intense, and within the context of the brutality of the apartheid regime. She stood firm to the end! Indeed, her spirit lives on, and through you, she multiplies the globally acclaimed professor of Information Systems stated.

Other dignitaries who spoke were the Dean of Students Byron Bullock, who narrated a memorable encounter with the late activist in her hometown of Soweto and in Mr. Byrons native United States; and Assistant Professor of English Language and published author, Dr. Agatha Ukata, who rendered a rousing tribute in Winnies memory.
Last Tuesday, a Twitter user, Dolapo Pizzu, alerted Abayomi Shogunle, an Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Police Complaint Rapid Response Unit, that she had been arrested and taken to a police station at Igando, Lagos, for being in possession of a pepper spray.

Mr. Shogunle responded:

What are you doing with a pepper spray?

Pepper spray is an offensive weapon, Nigeria  Law prohibits going armed in the public.

With pepper spray used as self-defence weapon by most ladies in Lagos against sexual harassment, PREMIUM TIMES sought the opinion of lawyers on the illegality of its use.

Gani Faniyi of Gani Faniyi and Co Chambers:

It is like saying you are going around with a gun for your self defense there are certain things that are not allowed for you to carry about in self defence and in the category of this pepper spray you have just mentioned it will come by way of a weapon.

It is actually questionable and is not admissible in law. it is an offensive weapon and I can tell you that. I agree that you are entitled to defend yourself against anybody that assault you but the defense must not give you what I call self help.

It is just what is available and it must be minimal otherwise in the course of you claiming to defend yourself, you also might be committing a crime because if your defence is disproportionate to the attack you have taken the law into your own hands.

What is acceptable in civilised society is to report anyone to the security agencies and that is the function of the security agencies especially the police. However because the police cannot be present at everywhere. If you walk into my car and you see pepper spray and I say am using it for self defense, you would question the type of transactions I have that I already know I need a pepper spray very close to me which I can quickly use for defence from attackers.

This attitude is not permissible in law and is not defensible because there is also the suspicion of using it as a weapon on other people. It is against the law generally to go about with weapons like the fulani herdsmen do claiming its part of their culture and we have seen instances where it has been misused and that is one of the consequences of carrying about offensive weapons and to that extent it is not permissible under the law.

You would be surprised what some women would be using it for and it is not few of them. if it is allowed for a category of persons to carry weapons you would just see people using it in the negative sense and that is why I talked about public policy. Public policy is to protect the generality of the people against the minority that might be tasking society. There is a merit to granting self defence to not just women but all human beings because there is nobody that is immune to attack.

Roland of Golden Era Chambers:

If you have a weapon while going about, it means you are already anticipating an attack, you are preempting events. What is the degree of assault you envisage, and the weapon you have would it be commensurate to the degree of assault. So if you leave you house with a weapon it means there is already an intention.

Do you know pepper spray can also be deadly? Someone has asthma and you use it on the person, you have just killed the person. Your only self defence for now is your fist and this is to tell you our law is incomplete because in places like America, you are allowed to carry a gun for self defence in commensurate with the attack. But as far as Nigerian law is concerned, going around with pepper spray is unlawful.

Monday Ubani, Second Vice President, Nigerian Bar Association

It is the law that defines what constitutes a crime in Nigeria and not the Nigerian Police. Whether pepper spray will be termed illegitimate if handled by a civilian will be determined by the fact that it is grouped as a weapon (arms and ammunitions) whose possession must be by licence.

The question to ask is whether the pepper spray is so defined by the law in the land. If it is not so defined by the law, then police pronouncement is not sufficient to criminalize its possession by the citizens.

If it is proven that it is defined as arms and ambitions whose possession must be by licence; then any citizen that has it without license would be said to have committed a crime. I am not too sure that pepper spray falls into that category as arms and ammunition . I may be wrong.

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Wale Ogunade of Wale Ogunade Chambers

Generally it is an offence but it depends on how you go about it. It is an instrument for offence or defence but for ladies it is an instrument of defence. due to their vulnerability to the opposite sex and to me it is acceptable because there is a law that allows a form of self defence.

Police always have the right to arrest and investigate. There is no provision for self defence in the Constitution but it is in the Criminal Law and the Law of Tort. It is better you are harrassed and you feel protected than to leave yourself open because you dont want to be harrassed.

I advise Nigerians, particularly those with good intentions, to go about protecting themselves using the pepper spray particularly for ladies because I have seen ladies embarrassed and harrassed all over. The police arresting for that is not a big deal, Nigerians should ensure they feel safe. If people dont test the law, the law will not be there to avail the people and the police will continue to fall short. For example the issue of public protest, they now know people have the right to protest and even protect people protesting but before they only come to break it up.

What the law says

The Public Order Act states as follows:

8. (1) Any person who, while present at any public assembly or meeting or on the occasion of any public procession, has with him any offensive weapon or missiles, otherwise than in pursuance of lawful authority, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for 12 months without the option of a fine.

(2) For the purposes of this section, a person shall not be deemed to be acting in pursuance of lawful authority unless he is acting in his capacity as a police officer or as a member of the armed forces of the Federation or as a member of any corps recognised by law or as a member of a fire brigade established by law.

(3) In this section, offensive weapon or missiles includes any cannon, gun, rifle, carbine, machine gun, cap-gun, flintlock gun, revolver, pistol, air gun, air pistol or other firearms (whether whole or in detached pieces) bow and arrow, spear, cutlass, matchet, knife, dagger, axe, cudge, horsewhip or any piece of wood, metal or other material, or stone capable of being used as an offensive weapon or missile and includes tear gas, corrosives, inflammable substances or any other thing that is capable of being used to inflict or cause injury.

9. Except where otherwise specified, a police officer may without warrant arrest any person reasonably suspected by him to be committing an offence in contravention of any provision of this Act.
One of the major problems of the Nigerian health sector is the failure by government to implement existing laws and policies, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has said.

Mike Ogirima, the president of the association, stated this at a press briefing in Abuja.

He said Nigerias health and socio-demographic indices have kept declining because a series of laws, policies and conventions adopted were not being followed with the right implementation.

He listed some laws he said would have revolutionised healthcare delivery in the country had they been diligent implemented.

They include the National Health Policy 2004 & 2016; Healthcare Financing Policy & Strategy 2006; Recommendations of National Vaccine Summit 2012; Outcome of Presidential Summit on Healthcare Financing 2014 and the National Health Act 2014.

Speaking particularly about the Health Act, Mr Ogirima said it addresses most of the issues bedevilling the nations health sector.

The Nigerian government and the NMA have previously disagreed over the status of the National Health Act, a law that came into effect in 2016 to improve the access of Nigerians to health care delivery.

While the Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said the Act had been substantially implemented, the NMA President, Mr Ogirima, said that was far from the truth.

The National Health Act was signed into law in 2014, after 10 years of consideration. The Act aims to establish a framework for the Regulation, Development and Management of a National Health System; to achieve the Universal Health Coverage and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Mr. Ogirima on Tuesday further lamented that Nigerian doctors are leaving the country in droves.

He said it was against the backdrop of these challenges that the association will be holding its 58th Annual Delegates Meeting and Scientific Conference.

He said the event to be held between April 29 and May 5 will be a multi-stakeholder meeting that will present health professionals, NGOs, CSOs, government parastatals and political parties an opportunity to deliberate on the challenges of health care delivery in the country.

Mr. Ogirima said he will also leave office as the president of the association during the event.

I will cease to be the president of the NMA on Saturday 5th May 2018 when another president and national officers will be elected by the delegates, he said.

Chiedozie Achonwa, the NMA chairman in Abuja, said free medical outreach will be conducted during the conference.

500 people will be treated for free in Abaji General Hospital, Abuja.

The central theme for the NMA annual conference is Quality Healthcare delivery- an indicator of good governance.

The conference would also examine the following sub-themes:

Budgeting for/Financing Health in Poor Resource Settings: Nigerian Experience; Reversing Medical Tourism through Public Private Partnership in the Health Care System; and the National Health Act: Where Are we?

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President Muhammadu Buhari is the expected guest of honour while former President Yakubu Gowon will chair the occasion.
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The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has urged the Cameroonian authority not to send Nigerian refugees back to the Boko Haram violence they fled from.

Despite warnings, Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers who fled Boko Haram violence continue to be returned from Cameroon, UNHCR said, underscoring the need to accord international protection to those in need.

We appeal once again to the authorities in Cameroon to refrain from further forced returns and to ensure protection to those fleeing insecurity and persecution in Nigeria.

This is in accordance with Cameroons national and international obligations, UNHCR said.

Since the beginning of 2018, 385 Nigerians refugees and asylum-seekers had been forcibly returned from Cameroon, the majority of them in March, including 160 on April 10 and a further 118 a week later.

In total, the UN agency has registered some 87,600 Nigerian refugees in the country.

UNHCR said: The forced returns are in violation of the principle of no forced returns or non-refoulement.

They are also a significant setback to progress previously achieved by Cameroon in granting asylum to Nigerian civilians fleeing Boko Haram violence.

UNHCR also noted that it recognised legitimate national security concerns of states affected by the Boko Haram crisis, and stressed that it is important that refugee protection and national security are not seen as being incompatible.

Properly functioning screening, registration and asylum systems help safeguard host country security, it said.

UNHCR reiterated its support to the government of Cameroon to ensure that all those seeking international protection have access to efficient screening and registration procedures, as well as appropriate reception arrangements.

(NAN)
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The Nigerian Army on Saturday said its troops successfully repelled attack by Boko Haram insurgents at Gamboru-Ngala in Borno.

Texas Chukwu, the Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement said one insurgent was killed while several others fled.

Mr Chukwu said: troops of 3 Battalion on operation LAFIYA DOLE had successfully repelled Boko Haram terrorists attack at Gamboru Ngala, Borno State.

One Boko Haram terrorist was neutralised during the encounter while other members of the group fled following a superior fire power from the troops.

Unfortunately, one soldier lost his life during the attack.

Chukwu disclosed that the troops recovered one Rocket Propelled gun, seven tube, one Anti Aircraft gun, two AK 47 rifles and two empty magazines.

The army spokesman called on the people to cooperate with troops, provide useful and timely information to security agencies.

(NAN)
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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Elrufai, of lack of adherence to law and order and dereliction of duty, and declared him missing in the state.

The party said the governor breached the law by being absent from his duty post as the states elected governor.

The party frowned at the governor for leaving the state without transmitting power to his deputy as enshrined in the Constitution.

The governor has not been seen in public for about two weeks and there is no formal explanation from his aides about his whereabout.

The PDP Chairman Kaduna State Chapter, Felix Hyat, in a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary, Abraham Catoh, raised the concern over the governors absence.

He said the situation can bring chaos in the administration of the state.

For more than 11 days running, governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State has disappeared from public glare, without transmitting power to his deputy, the statement stated.

It also frowned at the APCs style of leadership in the state which is without recourse to Constitutional provisions.

We advise the APC- led Government to respect the tenets of our democracy so as to sustain the hard-earned democracy the PDP and other Nigerians fought to put in place for the betterment of a liberal society, Mr Hyat said.

The governors aide on media and publicity, Samuel Aruwan could not be reached to comment on the statement as calls to his phone were unanswered neither did he respond to a text message sent to him by the reporter.

The governor was last seen in public on April 5 during the KADINVEST Economic Summit held in the state.
Hundreds of teachers and other workers recently disengaged by the Kaduna State government on Friday rejected an entrepreneurial training organised for them in Zaria.

The angry retirees, who booed the officials that came for the training, said they were only interested in their entitlements.

The former workers, who were from Zaria, Sabongari, Soba and Giwa Local Government Areas, were among those disengaged after the state government conducted a competency test for primary school teachers.

Others were also retired as part of the state governments reforms toward re-positioning the local governments for optimum performance.

NAN also reports that the training, which was to be conducted at the Alhudahuda College, Zaria City, was to be supervised by Adamu Mansir, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The workers, who rejected all entreaties to get them into the training hall, said they had converged on the college because they thought they were to be paid their entitlements.

Adamu Lawal, a former teacher from Giwa Local Government, who spoke with NAN, said the workers were very surprised that government had yet to pay them their entitlements in spite of all promises.

We were suddenly and illegally disengaged from service; government promised to pay us our entitlements immediately after pushing us out, but that has not been done.

When they summoned us here, we thought they are going to tell us how to obtain our money. Now, they are telling us to sit for a training and be given loans.

We dont want loan; all we want is our entitlements. We dont want any training. Let them just give us what is ours and leave us lone, he said.

Another retiree, Yusuf Soba, from Soba Local Government, declared that the training was useless to him.

I initially collected the form but returned it to them when I was told that it was for a loan. I dont want the loan and I dont want the training.

A retired teacher from Zaria Local Government, Maryam Muhammad, said she rushed to the college because she was told that those retired would be re-absorbed into the civil service.

I came here because they said Gov. Ahmed El-Rufai wanted to recall the sacked teachers. I came in around 6 a.m. and was anxious for the good news only to hear a different story.

They are telling us to fill a form to collect a loan. A lot of us are already highly indebted and would not want to sink into further indebtedness. Let them pay us so that we can reduce out debts.

This an unfortunate situation. I feel so sad, she said.

Ruya Mathew, a teacher from Zaria Local Government, said that it was a disgrace that the Kaduna State Government was yet to settle the disengaged workers their entitlements.

Government owes us money and should pay up. Instead of doing that, they are asking us to fill form for loan after undergoing training. Government should settle our entitlements before any other action.

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Another retiree, Hassan Sarki Kofar-Doka, said the workers had accepted their disengagement from service but want their entitlements instead of the training and loans they were being offered.

We have agreed that government no longer need our services but it should pay us our retirement benefits. Where is this idea of loan coming from?

We dont want the loan. All we want is our entitlements. No more, no less, he said.

Another retiree, Salisu Ibrahim Mahmud, said that he honoured the invitation because he thought government had some support to offer the disengaged workers.

We are not happy, but we came here because we thought that government was considering some little support since they sacked us without prior notice. We have been told that we should go to class and be trained so as to qualify for loans. I dont understand that.

We want government to settle our entitlements. We dont want anything else. We want to settle our creditors because we have accumulated so much debts.

As for training, no one can teach us how to manage our resources. We can do that on our own, he said.

When contacted, the Sole Administrator, Zaria Local Government, Alhaji Tukur Abubakar, said that the essence of the meeting was to assist the recently disengaged workers.

We want to assist them with some training; we want them to learn some trades such as animal breeding, farming and other skills that interest them.

The essence is to help them to be self-reliant. Whatever is given to them after the training is a free starter pack.

We want to guide them so that they can continue from where we stopped, he said.

On the retirees attitude, he said that the people were too many because former workers from five local governments converged on Zaria for the exercise.

He advised the state government to narrow the meeting to individual local governments to ease the control of the crowd.

As you can see, nothing was done today because the people were so many. Even the security agencies were helpless, he said.

(NAN)
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The police in Akwa Ibom State have killed the leader of a criminal gang notorious for terrorising people in Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun local government areas.

The corpse of the gang leader, identified by his nickname Stainless, was displayed at the state police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, before journalists and Uyo residents.

He was reportedly responsible for several killings, maimings, raping, kidnappings, and arson in Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, told journalists in Uyo on Thursday.

Mr Ogunjemilusi said Stainless, whose real name is Isaac, was killed on April 18 during a joint operation between the police and other security agencies. He didnt, however, mention where he was killed.

The police commissioner said the late Isaac became the leader of the criminal gang when his predecessor, Akaninyene Jumbo, otherwise known as Iso Akpafid, was killed by security agencies.

With the latest success, police said they have effectively brought an end to the reign of terror of Iso Akpafid and his lieutenants in Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun, two of the four local government areas in the state greatly impacted by cult-related violence and killings.

We have chosen to parade his corpse to demystify his invisibility and re-assure the people of Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun of their safety, (and) to encourage those who have fled the area to return home, the police chief said, adding that security has also improved in Ikot Ekpene and Eket.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




Education Reporter

Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe.
By: Bloomex Canada

Media Contact

Heather Ireland

***@bloomex.ca

6132282727 Heather Ireland6132282727

End

-- Bloomex Canada is proud to announce being named the Official Floral Sponsor for Koffler Centre for the Arts in Toronto. The partnership will see Bloomex provide flowers for major events such as The Dorothy Shoichet Lecture Series with Fran Lebowitz taking place April 21- 22, 2018. They also outfitted the highly successful Koffler Couture event in December.The Koffler Centre for the Arts holds events, performances and discussions throughout the year, aiming to foster social justice, equality and inclusiveness while nurturing a passion for learning and understanding. Events are held around the city as well as the Koffler Gallery located on Queen Street West."We're so delighted to be partnered with an organization like Koffler Centre for the Arts," says Sue McDonald, PR and Corporate Sponsorship Manager at Bloomex Canada. "Koffler represents some of Canada's finest artists and provides excellent support for the Toronto community."The Koffler Centre of the Arts has a strong history of 40 years of excellence and innovation in arts and culture. Established in 1977 as part of the Bathurst Jewish Community Centre to enrich the cultural life of the city through arts education and exhibitions, the Koffler has grown to inspire and enlighten the Jewish community as well as the broader public of Toronto and beyond.Bloomex is the largest florist in Canada. Orders are taken and processed through the company's site at http://www.bloomex.ca or by phone, and then delivered to customers via local courier. In addition to flowers, Bloomex offers a variety of other gift items including plants, gift baskets, gourmet foods, sweets and treats, balloons and other items. The company serves Canada, the US, and Australia.
Company to Offer Premier Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Communities

Contact

Caitie Cunningham

Director of Marketing

***@raydianproperties.com Caitie CunninghamDirector of Marketing

End

-- Fox Trail Senior Living has announced that two of their Virginia communities will convert to residential care for seniors with memory needs. Fox Trail Senior Living, now called Fox Trail Memory Care Living, will transition properties in Orange, VA and Front Royal, VA in May 2018."When we acquired the four communities in Spring 2017, our intention was to provide premier personalized service in each community. As we acclimated to these neighborhoods, the need for dementia and Alzheimer's care solutions became clear," said senior vice president of special operations, Nancy Higgs.Both the Orange and Front Royal communities will feature a new secure courtyard and a new signature memory care program, encouraging physical activity, socialization, and memory strengthening programing for each resident."Fox Trail Memory Care Living is the largest provider of residential dementia and Alzheimer's care in New Jersey, and we are excited to bring our expertise and dedication to superior care to the residents of Warren County and Orange County," said Fox Trail Memory Care Living founder, Michael Eisele."Our care partners and team members are going through Department of Social Services and Alzheimer's Association approved dementia trainings. Additionally, we are working with the DDS to ensure all buildings meet or exceed all applicable regulations,"added, Nancy Higgs.The Front Royal and Orange communities are now accepting reservations for the May Grand Re-opening. Call 540.469.5130 or visit www.foxtrailseniorliving.com for more information or to schedule a visit or tour.Fox Trail Senior Living, a Marshall, Virginia and Ramsey, New Jersey-based senior living company, operates 19 communities located in the United States. Fox Trail Senior Living offers a full range of personalized senior living services, including assisted living, assisted living alternatives, and care for individuals with Alzheimer's and other forms of memory loss. To learn more about Fox Trail Senior Living and Fox Trail Memory Care Living, please visit: www.foxtrailseniorliving.com.
SHANGHAI, April 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ACL Airshop, a steadily growing leader in products and services for the global air cargo and airlines industry, has shown steady progress in the aviation industry's fastest growing region of the world, Asia-Pacific. In the past 5 years, the company has grown from a single station in Hong Kong to 14 stations in the region today, including a substantial ULD Repair Station at Narita Airport, Tokyo and an initial thrust into Delhi, India with a local partner there. ACL Airshop will continue expanding geographically to keep pace with rising industry trends, and invest for growth in each of its lines of business.

Over the past 35 years, ACL Airshop has become a leading worldwide one-stop shop for leasing, sales, repairs, and fleet control of Unit Load Devices ("ULDs") and cargo control products manufacturing for the aviation industry. Today the company operates around the world on six continents, at nearly all of the world's Top 50 air cargo hub airports. One of the unique aspects of the company's offerings is short-term rentals and leasing solutions for airlines' cargo products requirementsthat is where ACL Airshop has made its strongest reputation for Custom ULD Solutions. The company has also begun rolling out innovative Bluetooth tracking technology for its air cargo and airlines customers, an industry first .

Looking forward, ACL Airshop's Asia-Pacific growth plans include a major investment in a full ULD Repair Station at its existing operations in Hong Kong. ACL Airshop will keep expanding following airline customers' guidance for additional cities as we "Grow The Network." Further service enhancements for customers include offering low energy Bluetooth real-time tracking capability, an expanded Global Ops Center in Amsterdam, and ULD Control logistics management programs.

Pieter van Calcar, Managing Director for ACL Airshop's Asia-Pacific region, said, "We listen carefully to Customer signals about where and how to grow. Expansion in this region follows the burgeoning market trends here, boosted even further by e-Commerce." Attending the upcoming Cargo Facts Asia symposium in Shanghai, ACL Airshop's Chairman & CEO Steve Townes said, "Our network power is amplified by our investments in technology. This helps ACL Airshop be an even better partner for cargo control products to the over the 200 worldwide airlines we serve. Growth in the Asia-Pacific region is a strategic imperative for us."

For more information: www.aclairshop.com and www.rangeraerospace.com.

Forward Looking Statements: The Companies mentioned in this News Release from time to time may discuss forward-looking information. Except for factual historical information, all forward looking statements are estimates by the Companies' management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that are beyond the Companies' control and may cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations.

SOURCE ACL Airshop

Related Links

http://www.aclairshop.com


LONDON, April 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

British tech company, Reincubate will receive the Queen's Award for Enterprise this year, for the second year running. The award will recognise the company's innovation in building leading iOS data recovery and access product, Reincubate iPhone Backup Extractor.

In a world with increasing concern around tech companies collecting and selling personal data, Reincubate's products empower individuals to access data held on them by tech companies

With Europe's GDPR data protection law pending, Reincubate have pioneered technology that companies are now required to build and adopt to safeguard personal data (and have opened their own technology for others to build on)

GDPR data protection law pending, Reincubate have pioneered technology that companies are now required to build and adopt to safeguard personal data (and have opened their own technology for others to build on) Reincubate iPhone Backup Extractor was the world's first consumer tool (2008) for accessing iPhone data, and subsequently the first to introduce encryption support, iCloud access, and an API

Through the feedback of millions of users, Reincubate are rated one of the UK's top 10 most loved software companies by TrustPilot, with a near-perfect 9.7 out of 10

Aidan Fitzpatrick, CEO and founder of Reincubate, said: "Receiving the Queen's Award for Enterprise is an incredible testament to the hard work of our team. Our business is centred around research and development, and we are proud to be recognised for our innovative work as world leaders in app data access."

"Having spent a decade working to unlock data owned by individuals, but otherwise inaccessible to them, it is wonderful to see more public attention paid to the treatment of such data. Ever since creating the first version of iPhone Backup Extractor to recover my own data, I've been a passionate believer that access to one's data is not something that should be reserved for a technical elite."

About the Queen's Awards for Enterprise

The Queen's Award for Enterprise is granted to British businesses for outstanding achievement in one of four categories: international trade, innovation, sustainable development and promoting opportunity (through social mobility). They are the highest official UK awards for British businesses. Her Majesty the Queen grants the awards on the advice of the Prime Minister; they are announced annually on the 21 April, The Queen's birthday.

Winners of the award will meet The Queen and members of the Royal Family at a Royal Reception at Buckingham Palace later in the year.

Research of International Trade winners between 2012 and 2015 carried out by the University of Strathclyde, showed that 73% of respondents directly attribute increased international sales to winning a Queen's Award for Enterprise.

About Reincubate

Reincubate enables its customers to access data from their own apps and devices, which otherwise remains inaccessible. The company's mission is to democratise access to app data, so individuals and companies can do more with their own data on a transparent and ethical basis. Its vision is to help 10% of the world create value with their own data.

The company serves consumers, small businesses and law enforcement with the iPhone Backup Extractor. Reincubate's APIs for iCloud, iOS, and other mobile devices serve parental monitoring, CRM, insurance and compliance needs. The iPhone Backup Extractor allows users to examine data managed by Apple and many third-party apps (including Google, Facebook and Microsoft), both in the iCloud and on their device.

In 2017, Reincubate was awarded its first Queen's Award for Enterprise in recognition of its performance in international sales outside of Great Britain.

Contact information

For more information about Reincubate's services and products, please visit https://www.reincubate.com/about/

The free version of Reincubate iPhone Backup Extractor is available at https://www.reincubate.com/iphone-backup-extractor/

For press inquiries, please email [email protected]

SOURCE Reincubate
DALLAS, April 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) acknowledges the issuance of Emergency Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2018-09-51 by the Federal Aviation Administration to airlines operating CFM56-7B engines. The existing Southwest Airlines maintenance program meets or exceeds all the requirements specified in the Airworthiness Directive.

For photos and b-roll of the Southwest's ongoing ultrasonic inspections of CFM engine fan blades on our Next Generation Fleet, we invite media to visit swamedia.com for stills and video of our ongoing inspection process.

ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO.

In its 47th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 56,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 120 million passengers annually, in recent years. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. During peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 100 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest has announced its intention to sell tickets in 2018 for service to Hawaii, subject to requisite governmental approvals.

SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co.

Related Links

http://www.southwest.com


"Im not a foodie, insists Alan Batt, or Battman, as he is known in culinary circles. However, anyone looking at his oeuvre of food photography might be surprised that he counts a Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries as one of his favorite meals.

Batt, who began taking photographs professionally in 1981, boasts a varied career, with stints at his fathers sweater manufacturing company in Brooklyn and as a toy salesman in California. However, that line of work wasnt a good fit: I didnt have a standardized approach.

Its a description that might apply to other aspects of Batts life. After moving back to New York City in the 1980s, he wasnt sure what professional path to take, but felt drawn to photography. He began capturing the citys sights and selling the images as greeting cards.

From 1987 until 2004, 35 of Batts photos of the city were on display at the Empire State Building. Batt then went on to work as the lead photographer at the Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade and is the photographer behind the charitable New York City Firefighters Calendar.

In 2001, Batt reached out to New York chefs, asking to photograph their dishes. Then, in 2004, he hatched a new concept: he challenged 85 chefs to put their own spin on a classic dish. The result of this first project was The Great Bagel & Lox Book.

Batt has gone on to self-publish 12 additional collections of food photography and recipes. Among his titles are: New York Sweets, Summer in New York, Sandwiches of the World, and Soup. Releasing this spring is Master Chefs of France, a collection of recipes from renowned members of the Maitres Cuisiniers de France culinary organization. Batts book of sweet and savory recipes, Crossing Borders/Sweet Crossings, also publishes this spring.

As Batt meets chefs from restaurants and kitchens around the world, he makes a point to be nonintrusive; his photography equipment is modest in size and easily transportable. I dont bother them. I just tell them, I want to take a picture of your best dish, Batt says. Other than that, I schmooze with them.

After the shoot, Batt works with a small team of graphic designers and editors to finalize the recipes, many of which are appearing for the first time in print. Batt says he appreciates the low-tech aspect of cooking: I really like working with chefs because its all from them working with their hands. No computer. Its just all their creations.

Four years ago, Batt launched the website the Chefs Connection. In addition to serving as a showroom for Batts food photography and a virtual bookstore for his titles, the site provides a number of services for the cooking community, including chef profiles, a calendar of New York food events, and job listings. The site currently gets between 18,000 and 20,000 hits per month.

Sales of Batts recent books have averaged 7,00012,000 copies. He has also reached out to the New York community in a big way: each year, Batt launches a new book at the Great Gathering of Chefs. Profits from the event go to childrens charities. Batt has also started a line-cook training school, which is held at the Food and Finance High School in Manhattan. The free program trains unemployed individuals from low-income backgrounds to work in New Yorks kitchens.

For a self-described nonfoodie who runs a cookbook publishing enterprise and photography business, Batt has an enviable recipe for success. And he has straightforward advice for individuals looking to self-publish: Get lots of honest feedback. You dont need to hear the good stuff. You need the real, bad stuff. You also need a way to sell it. Social media is very successful if you have enough followers. Start working on it before you even have the book.

But, as anyone following a recipe knows, a cook can get all the ingredients right and still end up with a dish thats missing a certain je ne sais quoi. Along with people skills and entrepreneurism, the secret of Batts success may boil down to his nonstandard approach to life, and what can be found when the path forward isnt entirely clear. As Batt puts it, You never know where youll end up.
April brings domestic violence, dirty underwear, and dead fathers. To submit a first line, email booklifeeditor@booklife.com.

Keys to the Truculent Me by John Branning

This morning my sleep was ended not by the ringing of the alarm clock but by my wife Carol punching me in the nose.

Requiem by Lauren E. Rico

Watching my father die isnt nearly as entertaining as I thought it would be.

Djinn by Sang Kromah

Imagine not being able to tell whether its you or the person beside you whos schizophrenic.

What It Is by Kit Sergeant

Contrary to what my mother always taught me, its not really necessary to wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.

The End of the Curse by William Stanish

The Chicago fans had waited for one hundred plus eight years for the Cubs to banish demons, curses, and untold tears.

Practice Makes Purpose by C. Paul Schroeder

This is a book about how to love.
Susan Merrill Squier coedits Penn State University Presss Graphic Medicine series, which uses comics to address a broad spectrum of medical concerns. She says shes used to some skepticism about the initiative: One neurosurgeon, for instance, told her, I fail to see whats funny about illness.

But as Squier, professor emerita at Penn State, is quick to clarify, Theres a lot more going on here than the Sunday funnies. The series, which launched in 2015 with Graphic Medicine Manifesto, grew out of a collaboration among scholars invested in the narrative medicine movement, which incorporates storytelling techniques into health care. They recognized the immediacy of comics for telling human stories, Squier says, and proposed the line to unite people working in literature and history and in health humanities programs.

Ten titles have been published to date, many of them memoirs, including Peter Dunlap-Shohls My Degeneration: A Journey Though Parkinsons (2015) and Taking Turns: Stories from HIV/AIDS Care Unit 371 (2017), the reflections of nurse and comics creator M.K. Czerwiec, who is also a founding editor of the series. PWs review describes the latter book as heart-wrenching, adding that Czerwiec wrings hope from the honesty of her simple, cheerful cartooning style. The series also includes a prose collection, The Walking Med: Zombies and the Medical Image, which analyzes comics with medical themes and whose blood-streaked cover belies the scholarly work within.

The books have gained credibility with the establishment, Squier says. Its been fascinating to watch a culturally disparaged form turn hot as academics realize that these are great teaching tools.

Harvard Medical School librarian Matthew Noe, for one, has cotaught graphic medicine in a one-week intensive for third-year medical students. We read the comics, we talked about how they could help them connect to their patients, and then they created their own comics.

Beyond library and academic channels, Graphic Medicine titles have found a niche in bookshops with strong comics sections. Karen Allman, a bookseller at Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, is among those who hand-sell the series. The store has a strong medical and health market, she says. Were right by three hospital systems, and their staff comes in and shops, sometimes in their uniforms. The books are typically shelved with other nonfiction comics in the Graphica section, but Taking Turns, for instance, was cross-displayed on the shelf that promotes books on queer issues.

Allman says that while the primary readership consists of graphic novel fans, even customers who arent necessarily looking for comics have been receptive. Since the breakout of the prose title The Emperor of All Maladies, shes seen readers asking for more like it, no matter the format. When customers want a book about what nurses do, Ill pull out Taking Turns along with prose memoirs.

Forthcoming series releases include the anthology Graphic Reproduction (May), which looks at conception, birth, and reproductive rights, and features contributions by cartoonists including Alison Bechdel (Fun Home) and Carol Tyler (Soldiers Heart). Fall brings Escaping Wars and Waves: Encounters with Syrian Refugees by Olivier Kugler, a communication officer for MSF/Doctors Without Borders, and 2019s plans include Life Support by Judith Margolis, a graphic work on family caretaking written in the form of a Jewish prayer book.

Return to the main feature.
ROCK GETS INVITED TO PROM, DETAILS ON NEXT SHIELD DVD, WWE STARS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND MORE

WWE has an article on The Rock's responses to young girls who invited him to the prom.

Natalya's latest Calgary Sun column talks with Jinder Mahal about his Wrestlemania moment this year.

WrestlingDVDNetwork.com reported that the upcoming "The Shield: Justice for All" DVD WWE will release this July will feature each disc of the 3 DVD set focusing on one member of the group, including unreleased matches. The official synopsis:

"They were a united front against injustice The Shield was the most dominant group WWE has ever seen, and launched the careers of three of WWEs most successful superstars. As dominant as they were as a trio, Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins took WWE by storm, and each achieved incredible individual success. All three would go on to achieve the ultimate goal of being WWE Champion, and compete in some of the biggest matches in WWE history.

This set follows the journeys of Seth, Dean, and Roman as they compete with Legends like The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, John Cena, and Triple H. Hear from the stars themselves, as they discuss the impact The Shield days had on their careers, and how it helped drive and mold them into what they are today. Even when apart, their brotherhood remains strong and you never know when the Hounds of Justice might reunite again to help fight for a common goal.

This is the legacy of Rollins, Ambrose, and Reigns The Shield. See their greatest matches in this new collection from WWE Home Video."

Videos:

Time-lapse video of WrestleMania 34's set construction: WWE Exclusive, April 20, 2018

Sheamus & Cesaro play rugby in Cape Town, South Africa

"Woken" Matt Hardy finds South Africa "Exhilarating!"

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Spains Grupo Secuoya has ended a 100 million financing process that will allow the company to strengthen its local position and, above all, boost expansion across Latin America.

Through two credit lines of 65 million and 35 million, the group has secured the roll-out of its expansive strategy for the coming years.After several years working and consolidating our position in Chile, Peru and Colombia, Secuoya is focusing on growing across Latin America, tackling new projects and entering new territories such as Mexico, pointed out the Spanish media group through a release.As part of the strategy, the company created a Bogota-based Latin American business unit earlier this year The funding boost will enable Secuoya to carry on building its new production facility in Spain, La Ciudad de la Tele, which is expected to be done by the end of 2018.The financing process has been carried out by Global Bankers Capital as mandated lead arranger and Colorado Bankers Life as financing. The operation counted also on Beka Finance as adviser.
It is imperative that Americas fleet reach 355 ships within the next ten years. There is, in fact, a path to achieve this goal that is both achievable and affordable.

THE GLOBAL maritime system has begun to fray and tatter. American leadership wove together the threads of this fabricinternational laws, accepted norms, mutual security and free tradefollowing World War II. Now, after a generation of unchallenged U.S. maritime preeminence, things have changed. American maritime interests have evolved beyond simply protecting freedom of navigation. Resource exploration and securing undersea critical infrastructure have made the maritime domain more important than ever. Threats to those interests have also evolved, and are multiplying rapidly in number and sophistication. The United States faces not one, but two emerging naval powersRussia and Chinachallenging its maritime dominance.

Unfortunately, the United States has increasingly failed to uphold its maritime interests. The Navy battle fleet is the primary instrument used by the United States to secure and, if necessary, defend them. Yet the fleets size and condition reveal serious shortcomings. On the most basic level, the fleet averaged 740 ships in the postWorld War II era but currently stands at only 282 ships. Though our sailors and Marines remain second to none, the condition of the fleet has deteriorated as the need for naval power has far outstripped the supply of available ships. The results of this supply-demand mismatch are longer deployments; hundred-hour workweeks; and deferred, delayed and canceled maintenance and training. This long-term downward spiral in combat readiness has contributed to avoidable incidents such as the USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald collisions that recently resulted in the deaths of seventeen sailors in the western Pacific.

American maritime interests, threats to those interests and responses to those threats have changed and created a new context in which the United States must rebuild its naval power. The White House, the Pentagon and Capitol Hill need a renewed appreciation for Americas interests at sea and the seriousness of the emerging threats to them. Simply put, the United States must engage in a long-term, aggressive campaign to build a larger and more capable battle fleet in order to deter rising competitors, head off a potential arms race and prevent a destabilizing of the international environment. It is U.S. law that the Navy achieve its stated minimum force-structure requirement of 355 ships. The United States should meet this benchmark within ten years.

MARITIME INTERESTS are so embedded in our nations history that policymakers and the public often take them for granted. Even the vastness of the worlds oceans has seemingly diminished, given the ease of todays air travel and an internet that can connect far-flung places. Yet it is important to remember the significance of the oceans and inland freshwater Great Lakes for Americas economic prosperity. 39 percent of Americans, nearly 125 million people, live in counties that directly touch oceanic shorelines. Three million jobs are directly tied to the oceans or Great Lakes, and those jobs contribute $352 billion to the nations economic output. Nearly 80 percent of U.S. export trade by tonnage moves over water, and 90 percent of general cargo moves via container ships. The national maritime transportation system carried $1.5 trillion in cargo to and from American ports last year. Americas allies and partners also heavily rely on seaborne transportation. About 95 percent of the globes total commerce flows over the seas.

Protecting freedom of navigation is thus a paramount U.S. interest. This core interestmanifested in unimpeded transit in international waters and access to foreign ports for commercial tradehas endured since the republics founding. In fact, the abridgement of this core interest served as a predicate for both the American independence movement and the subsequent first defense of the new nation during the War of 1812. The United States was, then and today, a commercial trading nation.

Although freedom of navigation remains central, our maritime interests have evolved beyond simply securing the seas for commercial transportation. The seas are also at the center of resource exploration that has expanded in scope over time.

During the colonial era and into our first century, fishing and whaling were major sources of national income. Since then, technological improvements have opened new doors, allowing the United States to access more of the resources found in the oceans previously impenetrable depths. Today, energy and mineral resource exploration operations are conducted far off the nations shores in exclusive economic zones, which represent 3.4 million square nautical miles of ocean space. Drilling and bottom mining rigs now routinely operate thousands of feet below the surface, taking the nations interests outward and downward with them.

In addition to new sources of resource wealth, the bottom of the ocean has become layered with critical infrastructure. The first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid between Ireland and Newfoundland in 1858, and others have followed. Today, nearly 99 percent of international data moves via underwater cables. Taken together, these cables are hundreds of thousands of miles long and lie in depths as deep as some of the planets tallest mountains are high. Resources such as oil, natural gas and minerals flow through a network of underwater pipes and pumping stations that crisscross the continental shelf. The production capacity of this infrastructure is significant. Offshore rigs generate around 1.8 million barrels of crude oil a day.

Perhaps the most obvious, yet least appreciated, national interest at sea is the United States duty to uphold its obligations to allies. The United States is a signatory to a series of treaties negotiated following the devastation of World War II. These treaties have bound our nations security to some fifty other sovereign states. The number and structure of these alliances are a great source of strength for the United States, conveying a mutual approach to security that neither the United States nor its allies need ever fear fighting alone. The president, as commander in chief, and the Department of Defense, with all of its component services, are required to perform all actions necessary to preserve the security of allied nations as if they were the sovereign territory of the United States itself. It is a heavy burden, but one made more difficult by the fact that, with the exception of Canada, every treaty partner lies across an ocean.

While the Air Force and some light Army airborne elements can get to Europe, the Middle East or Asia by air, most Marine Corps and Army components can only go by sea. Their Humvees, artillery, tanks and logistics trucks are simply too large and too heavy to be carried in sufficient quantities by air to be able to amass a credible combat force rapidly on another continent. To accomplish this task, the U.S. militarys Transportation Command retains a fleet of transport ships to carry division and corps-strength elements to distant locations within one to four weeks of activation. This type of operation was carried out in support of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in 199091. Over a six-month period, Transportation Command assets were used to move over five hundred thousand troops and their equipment to Saudi Arabia to enable the removal of Iraqi forces from Kuwait. Conducting such an operation today, however, cannot be presumed with the same degree of anticipated success.

THE DESERT Storm campaign is a good point of departure to discuss emerging threats to Americas maritime interests. Allies, adversaries and certainly Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein were shocked by the speed and lethality of American forces. Many military analysts expected that the nearly 550,000 battle-hardened Iraqi soldiers would inflict significant U.S. casualties and prolong the ground war for months. Instead, U.S. forces suffered fewer than three hundred service deaths and quickly liberated Kuwait. The successful employment of new precision-guided weapons and an overwhelming hundred-hour ground offensive took center stage. These flashy components of the campaign, however, masked the American militarys continued dependence on unimpeded seaborne transport to move massive numbers of troops and equipment into large in-theater operating bases. Behind the scenes, nations such as Russia and China recognized how this dependence on access and freedom of movement could be a key vulnerability. Potential opponents know that deterring the American militarys projection of power requires restricting easy access to a combat theater and freedom of movement inside it. In other words, the lessons learned were to keep the Americans out and restrict their movement if they get in.

Following Desert Storm, both China and Russia began to put these lessons into practice by investing in antiaccess/area-denial, or A2/AD weapons, communications and intelligence systems. Primarily designed to deny access and freedom of movement, A2/AD systems have the ancillary effect of raising doubts in the minds of allies about the reliability of the American military in a crisis. Coming to the aid of an ally would mean having to brave highly lethal A2/AD weapons.

Chinese A2/AD modernization priorities include advanced mines, surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, stealth aircraft and antiship ballistic missiles. Two prominent examples are Chinas carrier killer DF-21D and DF-26 ballistic missiles, both capable of long-range strikes and equipped with maneuverable warheads. Even more troubling is Chinas development of hypersonic weaponsmissiles that can fly five times the speed of sound and at altitudes low enough to avoid most missile defenses. Chinese carrier-killer, hypersonic and other sophisticated weapons systems will be netted together with intelligence, communications and fire-control networks.

From a naval perspective, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is pursuing a mix of high-end and low-end ships and submarines. This strategy would allow the PLAN to spread out across the vast Pacific Ocean in sufficient numbers to locate and interdict U.S. ships. At the high end, China is investing in aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered fast-attack submarines and large surface combatants equipped with advanced radars, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) and surface-to-surface missiles. While Chinas high-end ships are designed to go toe to toe with their American counterparts in battle, Beijing is unlikely to close the United States technological head start. Therefore, China is aiming to close the capability gap by fielding mass quantities of low-end ships.

While the United States will not start buying frigates until the 2020s, China is building a new frigate every six weeks. Vast numbers of these low-end ships will increasingly patrol Chinas expanding front lines in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean regions. Backed by a growing arsenal of longer-range and more sophisticated air and missile weapons, the Chinese navy will have a highly capable and numerically larger maritime force by the middle of the next decade. If this situation comes to fruition, it could make the projection of U.S. naval power cost prohibitive in the western Pacific, undermining the credibility of our alliance commitments. Indeed, China currently calculates that western Pacific nationsSouth Korea, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and perhaps even Australiamay ultimately align with the Middle Kingdom.

As China develops a comprehensive suite of A2/AD capabilities, Vladimir Putins Russia is making a different strategic bet. Faced with a shrinking population and weak economy, Putin has chosen to invest in small numbers of advanced A2/AD systems that pack a tremendous punch. In the past decade, Russia has fielded a new SAM systemthe S-400 Triumfthat is highly maneuverable and lethal, with a 250-mile range. Whats more, Putins military has employed 1,500-mile Kalibr cruise missiles, recently launching them from a submarine in the Black Sea against targets in Syria. Russian Iskander surface-to-surface missiles are designed to block American entry into the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea or even the eastern Mediterranean.

From a naval perspective, Russia has always prioritized its submarine fleet. The newest Russian submarinethe nuclear-powered Yasen-class guided-missile submarineshould give U.S. naval planners pause. Extremely quiet, difficult to detect, and carrying a heavy load of torpedoes and antiship cruise missiles, one or two Yasens undetected in the Atlantic could effectively halt American efforts to provide relief to NATO allies. If Russia shared the noise-quieting techniques used on the Yasens with China, it could dramatically erode the United States technological advantage in the undersea realm.

Iran presents a different set of challenges. As a regional power, its naval operations are largely constrained to the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (although Iran has attempted to deploy some ships beyond its near seas). However, Iran directly overlooks the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 20 percent of the worlds petroleum passes. Hormuz is only twenty miles across at its narrowest point, and its shipping channel, where deep-draft tankers pass, is only a few miles wide. Assuring access to this maritime choke point is clearly a vital interest for the United States and many of its allies and partners.

Iran is developing low-end A2/AD capabilities to threaten access to Hormuz in a crisis. While the Iranian Navy is comprised of small frigates and diesel-electric submarines (purchased from Russia), Irans other maritime forcethe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navypresents the real A2/AD problem for U.S. naval forces.

The IRGC Navy specializes in small torpedo, missile and patrol boats. Operating in the relatively calm waters of the Arabian Gulf, IRGC fast boats could operate in large swarm formations, running in swiftly and cutting across the bows of American and allied warships. Swarming boat attacks could deter or overwhelm U.S. naval forces by sheer numbers, sacrificing many boats to get one technologically advanced ship. The swarm-boat scenario is a serious operational challenge: In 2000, the Arleigh Burkeclass destroyer USS Colewas nearly sunk by terrorists operating a simple motorboat in Yemen.

Just as our maritime interests have evolved, so have the threats to U.S. power projection from the sea. Our adversaries and potential opponents are racing forward to develop A2/AD capabilities to create maritime keep-out zones.

EITHER BY commission or omission, the United States is simply not upholding its maritime interests in the face of these emerging threats. The evidence is voluminous, such as our actions regarding China during the Obama administration, when the Navy reached its modern nadir of 271 ships. By not maintaining a credible and persistent naval presence in the South China Sea, the United States invited China to create a Great Wall of Sanda series of artificial islands that increasingly resemble military garrisons. The United States did nothing when China established a military cordon around the Philippine claim at Scarborough Shoal in 2012. The Philippines is a claimant to Scarborough, and Americas oldest Asian treaty ally. This inaction raised doubts about the United States reliability as a security partner.

In the absence of strong American sea power, Russia has also begun to assert territorial claims and advance its sovereignty in the Arctic, going so far as to plant a Russian flag on the bottom of the Arctic Ocean at the North Pole. Likewise, Russia has begun aggressive operations in the Baltic and Black Seas, seeking to intimidate U.S. Navy ships as well as those of allied and partner navies. The United States has offered no serious response to these provocations.

Lastly, despite a long-standing military requirement to maintain one carrier strike group continuously in the Arabian Gulf region, the ever-shrinking U.S. Navy has been forced to leave the region without a serious naval presence multiple times in recent years. Training and maintenance backlogs within the hollowed-out Navy have reduced the available carrier inventory to provide coverage to the Arabian Gulf. During these periods, Iran has ramped up its intimidation operations and actively sought to undermine the credibility of the United States and its partners in the region. In 2016, Irans Houthi allies in Yemen had the audacity to conduct an unsuccessful missile attack against a U.S. warship, USS Mason.

AMERICAS MARITIME interests are growing. This, in turn, complicates efforts to protect U.S. interests and confront new threats. The United States currently has a navy too small for the requirements of a great naval power. Following the Fitzgerald and McCain collisions, the secretary of the navy, Richard V. Spencer, commissioned a Strategic Readiness Review to identify the long-term causal factors that contributed to the rash of accidents in the western Pacific. The review concluded that the growing mismatch between the supply and demand of ships taxed fleet personnel and consumed material readiness at unsustainable rates. Too few ships fulfilling too many missions degraded the combat readiness of ships and sailors alike.

After the Cold War, the Navy battle fleet stood at 529 ships. Yet, on the eve of 9/11, the Navy had shrunk to 316 ships. Today, the Navy has 282 ships. Overall, the fleet size has been cut by about half over the past quarter century. The decline in supply has not been matched by less demand for naval power. The number of ships needed for operations has remained steady despite a smaller inventory of available ships, and the Navy has struggled to maintain eighty-five to one hundred ships underway at all times. Until the mid-1990s, when the fleet hovered around four hundred ships, it was possible to maintain this deployment cycle. However, the steps necessary to meet requirements for underway ships became extremely dangerous in the late 1990s. Fleet size declined to the 350-ship level before bottoming out at 271 ships in 2015. As shown by the Fitzgerald and McCain, it has become life-threatening to keep the necessary ships at sea without compromising maintenance, training and readiness certifications. The secretarys review described the situation as the normalization of deviation, or an institutionalized pattern of bending the rules to get the mission done.

The United States has critical national interests in eighteen maritime zones identified by warfighting commanders. These maritime regions range in size from the small Gulf of Guinea to the vast northern Pacific and from the northern Arctic Sea to the Indian Ocean.

Each zone requires a naval presence to uphold American interests. Some of these zones, like the Baltic Sea, require only a single American ship to protect and promote our interests, while others, like the Arabian Gulf, have a standing requirement for an aircraft carrier strike group comprised of six to eight ships, as well as permanently stationed coastal patrol boats. Because of ship maintenance, crew training and transit times, providing a naval presence requires three to four ships to keep one forward deployed. All told, the Navy needs a minimum of 355 ships to keep a naval presence on a credible and persistent basis, if the United States wants to maintain freedom of navigation, protect resources and undersea critical infrastructure, and uphold its alliance agreements. The Navy certified the 355-ship requirement in its 2016 Force Structure Assessment (FSA). According to the FSA, the true number of ships required by military commanders exceeds 650 ships. Importantly, achieving the 355-ship fleet is not just a Navy requirement; it is a matter of complying with U.S. law. Signed by President Trump in December 2017, the defense authorization bill for fiscal year 2018 includes the SHIPS Act, legislation establishing the 355-ship requirement as the national policy of the United States.

It is imperative that Americas fleet reach 355 ships within the next ten years. There is, in fact, a path to achieve this goal that is both achievable and affordable. Small investments now in ship maintenance and modernization could allow critical ships in the fleet to serve longer, notably among some advanced Aegis cruisers and nuclear fast-attack submarines. Additionally, there are some ships recently transferred to the inactive ready reserve force, also called the ghost fleet, that could be brought quickly back into our service rather than being transferred to the navies of foreign partners. Lastly, we can increase the new ship production rate on critical designs, such as the Virginia-class submarine, and accelerate the development of the Navys newest frigates, in order to bring these low-cost, multi-mission ships into the fleet in large numbers. The Navy has already begun this process by looking at mature foreign and domestic models, such as the Italian-designed FREMM and American-produced National Security Cutter, which have already been built and could easily be produced in numbers by American workers. These strategic approaches could convince both China and Russia that the United States is prepared to defend its interests at sea.

ALONE AMONG the services, the Navy is always deployed. In wartime, all of the services deploy. In peacetime, the Army and Air Force train and exercise but do not deploy persistently. However, the Navy, and its accompanying Marine Corps, deploy operationally twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a yearyear in, year out, in peace and in war. This is because the very presence of naval forces demonstrates American interests without having to intrude on another nations sovereignty. Naval forces convey the relative importance of American interests through ratcheting up or down the number of ships in a given theater. The Navys unique scalability, along with its ability to arrive and stay, or to make its presence known and then quietly move on, gives our commander in chief military and diplomatic options.

America cannot retreat from the seas. Its maritime interests are enduring and growing. Great wealth in the form of food stocks, minerals and energy resources lies beneath the waves that find their way to our shores. Additionally, access to lines of communication via the swiftest and most efficient routes across international waters, as well as maritime linkages to forty-nine transoceanic treaty partners, are of critical interest to the United States.

The threat to those interests is growing. Despite a brief postCold War respite of calm seas, the maritime domain is once again seeing rough waters as an arena of economic, diplomatic and military competition. China, Russia and Iran have invested heavily in ways to keep the U.S. Navy out of critical maritime regions. They are increasingly challenging American maritime interests and finding no response. The inability to respond is driven by a collapse in the size of U.S. naval forces over the past quarter century. Our adversaries and potential opponents see all of this as an indicator of overall national decline and an invitation to assume a larger role upon the worlds oceans. They have just begun what ultimately could become a financially and strategically disastrous naval arms race in an attempt to overmatch U.S. forces in their regions.

But if the United States were to reverse course quickly on its own shipbuilding plans and pursue a 355-ship fleet within a decade, it would revitalize the Navy and safeguard American national interests.

Roger Wicker is a U.S. senator and chairman of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower. Dr. Jerry Hendrix is the director of the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security.

This article appeared originally at The National Interest.
Agriculture could pull carbon out of the air and into the soil a but it would mean a whole new way of thinking about how to tend the land.
So-called friends of Taiwan in the United States are putting the island at risk as never before. The Taiwan Travel Act, passed unanimously by both houses of Congress, and signed by President Trump on March 16, 2018 without reservations, could gravely erode the distinction between the United States' official relationship with the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) and its unofficial relationship with Taiwan.
Athens, GA (30605)

Today

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.
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.
TORRINGTON  Charlotte Hungerford Hospital (CHH) recognized the continuing efforts, dedication and service of its volunteer corps at its annual volunteer awards ceremony at the Crystal Peak Banquet Hall during National Volunteer Appreciation week on April 18.

More than 160 junior and senior volunteers donated a total of over 14,000 free hours of service in 2017. This number is equivalent to approximately $335,000 worth of labor.

CHH volunteers, staff, leadership, administrators and members of the Hartford HealthCare Northwest Region Board of Directors attended the reception, held to recognize the important contributions made by volunteers. Hospital officials thanked them for sharing their time helping others. Levels of service in 1,000-hour increments were awarded to volunteers with pins.

A sampling of this years awardees included Allan Bado, John Bazzano, Peter Baker, James Seitz and Jacqueline Stefurak-Harms all with 1,000 hours of service, Erzbet Takacs with 2,000 hours of service, Mary Yorker with 5,000 hours of service, Daphne Bobinski with 7,000 hours of service and Edward Potter with 13,000 hours of service.

The theme of this year was Hands That Share, Hearts That Care. The afternoon ended with a visit from an Elvis impersonator, who entertained the group with great music.

I am amazed every day for the generosity each of our volunteers brings to our staff, visitors and especially our patients. We are so thankful for their kindness and countless hours they spend helping us. The number of hours donated is inspiring. said Shelli Rhoads, CHH Coordinator of Volunteer Services.

Volunteers serve the hospital as transport aides, TLC ambassadors, lab greeters, patient representatives and patient information and registration desk attendants.

They provide services for The Center for Cancer Care, Hungerford Emergency and Medical Care in Winsted, Hungerford Diabetes Center, CHH Emergency and Medical Center in Winsted, in the Hospitals Human Resources Department, Emergency Department, and Gift Shop.

For information on becoming a hospital volunteer, call 860-496-6349.
NEW HAVEN  An Ohio man waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty Friday to a fraud offense stemming from his role in a business email compromise scheme, which caused a company in Torrington to lose more than $500,000, according to a release.

Olumuyiwa Yahtrip Adejumo, 32, of Toledo, Ohio, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces up to 20 years in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced July 26, the release from the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Adejumo, his co-conspirator Adeyemi Odufuye and others targeted CEOs, chief financial officers, controllers and others at U.S. businesses using sophisticated cyber techniques to defraud the businesses.

Adejumo and his co-conspirators sent emails addressed to executives that appeared to be sent from the legitimate email address of the CEO or other executive from the business, with the intent of having the recipients send or wire money to bank accounts used by members of the conspiracy, the release said.

The investigation revealed that scheme participants controlled multiple email and social media accounts used in the scheme and, in certain instances, sent emails and attachments containing malware to the intended recipients. As a result of this scheme, victimized businesses have suffered more than $2 million in total losses, the release said.

In pleading guilty, Adejumo admitted that his participation in the scheme caused total losses of more than $100,000 to at least three victims in Ohio, Illinois and the District of Columbia, the release stated.

Odufuye is a citizen of Nigeria. He was arrested in the United Kingdom Dec. 19, 2016, where he was a student at Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. Odufuye was extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. and, on Jan. 3, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is detained while awaiting sentencing, the release said.
Armenian protest leader Nikol Pashinian says he will meet on April 22 with former president and current Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian after nine days of mass demonstrations against Sarkisians rule.

"I will meet Serzh Sarkisian to discuss the conditions of his resignation and of [a] peaceful transfer of power," Pashinian said on April 21 on his Facebook page in a video message.

He said the meeting is scheduled for Yerevan's Marriott hotel at 10 am (8 a.m. in Prague).

Sarkisian's office has not yet confirmed the meeting.

But earlier on April 21, Sarkisian said he sought a "political dialogue" with the protest leader.

I am deeply concerned about the inner-political developments. In order to avoid irreparable losses, I urge Nikol Pashinian to sit at the political dialogue and negotiations table. It should be done immediately, said in a statement posted on his website.

Pashinian met on April 21 with President Armen Sarkisian as protests mounted against the election of Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister in the Caucasus nation. The two Sarkisians are not related.

Serzh Sarkisian was named prime minister after his 10-year stint as president ended two weeks ago.

Opponents says the shift effectively makes Serzh Sarkisian a leader for life. In a 2015 referendum, backed by Serzh Sarkisian, Armenia transitioned to a new system of government that reduces the presidency's power and bolsters the prime ministers role.

Based on reporting by Reuters, Interfax, and AFP
On the ninth day of demonstrations in Yerevan on April 21, Armenian protesters confronted police and police detained more protesters in a cold and rainy capital. The demonstrators oppose a restructuring of the countrys governing system that has enabled Serzh Sarkisian -- the newly appointed prime minister -- to stay in power after his 10-year stint as president ended two weeks ago.



Opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian has rejected calls for dialogue with the government and called on Serzh Sarkisian to resign as prime minister.
YEREVAN -- Armenian President Armen Sarkisian met protest leader Nikol Pashinian on April 21 in Yerevan's central Republic Square, where thousands demonstrated for a ninth consecutive day against the countrys newly elected prime minister.

Flanked by bodyguards, Sarkisian shook hands with the opposition lawmaker, and the two men spoke for around 10 minutes, before the president left the square.

The president has earlier called for a dialogue to end street protests as demonstrators demand the resignation of Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian, who was named premier after his 10-year stint as president ended two weeks ago.

Opponents says the shift effectively makes Serzh Sarkisian a leader for life. In a 2015 referendum, backed by Serzh Sarkisian, Armenia transitioned to a new system of government that reduces the presidency's power and bolsters the prime ministers role.

Demonstrators in Republic Square chanted President, reject Serzh! as President Armen Sarkisian  who is not related to Serzh Sarkisian  spoke with Pashinian.

Addressing the rally later in the evening, Pashinian said that during the brief conversation with the president he reiterated the demand of protesters for the prime ministers resignation.

Pashinian said he told the president that he would only negotiate with the government the terms of Serzh Sarkisians resignation and a peaceful transition of power.

Amid a slow drizzle and cooler temperatures, demonstrators flooded into the streets on April 21, chanting slogans such as Make a stand, say no to Serzh.

Pashinian again rejected calls from Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian for immediate talks to end the protests, as police made dozens of arrests and threatened further action.

WATCH: Live video from RFE/RL's Armenian Service in Yerevan

Earlier on April 21, Prime Minister Sarkisian sought a "political dialogue" with the protest leader.

I am deeply concerned about the inner-political developments. In order to avoid irreparable losses, I urge Nikol Pashinian to sit at the political dialogue and negotiations table. It should be done immediately, he said in a statement posted on his website.

Pashinian, however, said that protesters were ready to discuss the terms of Sarkisians dismissal.

We do not want vendettas, we do not want revenge. We want the transfer of power to the people, Pashinian said.

Police said that by mid-afternoon, 70 people had been detained in different parts of the capital, while the Justice Ministry warned that officials have the right to disperse the protesters.

Hundreds have been detained in Yerevan in recent days as police seek to stop opposition supporters from blocking streets and paralyzing the capital.

Protesters also rallied in Armenia's second-largest city, Gyumri, and in Vanadzor, the third-largest city in the country of about 3 million people. Several protesters were detained in Vanadzor on April 21.

In Artashat, a town about 30 kilometers south of Yerevan, Arus Hakobian, a correspondent for RFE/RLs Armenian service, was assaulted while streaming live video of an argument between government loyalists and opposition supporters.

Hakobian said that police officers present during the attack, which left the correspondent with a bloody mouth, did nothing to prevent the violence:

Armenian authorities have repeatedly warned journalists to stay at a reasonable distance from the sites where police are carrying out their lawful actions.

On April 19, Tirayr Muradian, a reporter for the website of the Union of Informed Citizens, an NGO, was beaten up by unknown men and hospitalized with head injuries while covering the protests near the government building, despite identifying himself as a journalist.

The following day, Muradian was forcefully removed from the scene of a protest on a highway outside Yerevan where he said he was covering the event.

Police warned in a statement on April 21, as they have in previous days, that they would no longer tolerate the unlawful behavior of the organizers of the unlawful gathering and the persons guided by them.

PHOTO GALLERY by RFE/RL's Amos Chapple: Marches, More Arrests On Ninth Day Of Protests In Yerevan (click to view)

Photo Gallery: Marches, More Arrests On Ninth Day Of Protests In Yerevan On the ninth day of demonstrations in Yereva on April 21, Armenian protesters confronted police and police detained more protesters in a cold and rainy capital. The demonstrators oppose a restructuring of the countrys governing system that has enabled Serzh Sarkisian -- the newly appointed prime minister -- to stay in power after his 10-year stint as president ended two weeks ago. Opposition lawmaker Nikol Pashinian has rejected calls for dialogue with the government and called on Serzh Sarkisian to resign as prime minister. Share on Facebook

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During illegal assemblies, including marches, Nikol Pashinian and his instructors periodically and grossly violate some provisions of the RA Law on Freedom of Assembly, the statement said.

Video footage from April 20 showed men in plainclothes shoving protesters into unmarked cars. It was unclear whether they were police officers and whether those they apprehended were counted among those officially detained.

The United States has urged both the authorities and protesters to exercise restraint and avoid violence, and Russia has said that laws should not be broken.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) urged the Armenian authorities to protect and ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in the country.

Serzh Sarkisian stepped down as president when Armen Sarkisian -- his handpicked successor -- was sworn in on April 9 after being elected by parliament. On April 17, parliament elected Serzh Sarkisian as prime minister -- a post that is more powerful than the presidency following the referendum.

With reporting by Current Time TV, AP, Reuters, AFP, medusa.io
Origins And Evolution

In 1918, a German chemist named Fritz Haber won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for a method of extracting ammonia from the nitrogen in the atmosphere. The process made ammonia abundant and easily available. Habers discovery revolutionized agriculture, with some calling it the most significant technological discovery of the 20th century  supporting half of the worlds food base.

Fritz Haber is known as "the father of chemical warfare."

Carlos Coelho / RFE/RL

Fritz Haber is known as "the father of chemical warfare."

Carlos Coelho / RFE/RL

Haber was also a staunch German patriot who quickly joined the war effort at the outbreak of World War I. He was insistent on using weaponized gases, despite objections from some army commanders about their brutality, and treaties prohibiting their use. He personally oversaw the first use of chlorine gas at the front lines at Ypres. The next morning, he set out for the eastern front to deploy gas against the Russian army.

Chemical weapons quickly became a mainstay of warfare, public condemnation notwithstanding. They were employed by the militaries of Italy, Russia, Spain, and Japan, among others.
Irans President Hassan Rohani has criticized the morality police's use of violence against women failing to observe the compulsory Islamic dress code, state media reported on April 21.

Rohani said some believe that "promoting virtue and preventing vice" -- the morality police's stated mandate -- is done by going to the street and grabbing people by the collar.

"Promoting virtue will not work through violence," Rohani said in a speech aired on state TV.

Rohanis comments come after mobile footage went viral on Iranian social media showing a female member of the morality police beating a woman whose head scarf was not sufficiently covering her hair.

Rohani did not refer directly to the incident.

Iran's Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli ordered authorities on April 19 to investigate the incident, which prompted outrage on social media.

On April 21, lawmaker Tayebeh Siavoshi said that the female agent involved has been suspended from her job.

In December 2017, Tehran's police said they will no longer arrest women not observing the Islamic dress code imposed in the country following the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Based on reporting by AFP and AP
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says his country will freeze tests of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles and close down a nuclear test site, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reports.

"From April 21, North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles," Yonhap quoted North Korean state media as saying.

"The North will shut down a nuclear test site in the country's northern side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests," the official KCNA news agency said, according to Yonhap.

KCNA also said North Korea will join international efforts to halt nuclear tests entirely.

"As the weaponization of nuclear weapons has been verified, it is not necessary for us to conduct any more nuclear tests or test launches of mid- and long-range missiles or ICBMs," Kim told a ruling party meeting, KCNA reported.

"The northern nuclear test site has completed its mission," he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump reacted to Pyongyangs announcement with a Twitter post, calling it big progress! and saying it was "very good news for North Korea and the world," while the European Unions foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said in a statement that the halt was a positive step that was long awaited.

The British government added in a statement that it hopes the move indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith.

"A long-term commitment from Kim Jong Un to halt all nuclear tests and ICBM launches would be a positive step. We hope this indicates an effort to negotiate in good faith," the British government said in a statement.

"We remain committed to working with our international partners to bring about our goal of a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and to do so through peaceful means."

China, Pyongyang's sole major ally, even if it has been frustrated by its development of nuclear weapons, welcomed the announcement, saying it would ease tension and promote denuclearization.

"The Chinese side believes that North Korea's decision will help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula," a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said in a statement.

However, Japan said it was not satisfied with North Koreas announcement and said it would maintain political pressure on Pyongyang until it committed to the "ultimate abandonment of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear arms, and missiles."

"We can't be satisfied," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters in Washington, adding that Pyongyang did not say anything about "abandonment of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles."

Tensions have risen between Pyongyang and the United States, South Korea, Japan, and other countries over North Koreas testing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations resolutions.

In 2017, North Korea carried out tests of ballistic missiles, saying it had gained the ability to hit the U.S. mainland with nuclear weapons, although that was not confirmed by Western experts.

The U.S., European Union, the UN Security Council, and others have imposed crippling financial sanctions against North Korea.

Pyongyang had recently made conciliatory remarks toward the global community, raising hopes of a settlement to the crisis.
Russia has accused the United States of building a visa wall with the rejection of documents that would have allowed two ballet dancers from the famed Bolshoi Theatre to perform in New York City.

Russian prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and Italian solo dancer Jacopo Tissi were to perform at a Lincoln Center gala on April 23, but the two were refused visas by the U.S. government.

"This did not happen even during the Cold War," Russias Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website on April 21.

"But today, influential forces in the USA, preoccupied with trying to pressure Russia hard, do not stop at anything... They are trying to fence off Americans from Russians with a visa wall, as we've said before, making trips of our citizens to the USA practically impossible," it added.

Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre was not immediately available for comment, but Reuters quoted its press department as saying it did not organize the tour and had no information on the visa applications.

Several global issues have raised tensions between Washington and Moscow despite President Donald Trumps stated goal of improving relations between the two countries.

On April 20, the Kremlin said the United States was making it difficult for crews of Russian airline Aeroflot to obtain visas.

The U.S. intelligence community has accused Russia of a widespread cyberhacking and propaganda campaign aimed at influencing the 2016 presidential election vote.

The United States and Europe have slapped sanctions on Russia for its 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea Peninsula and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The U.S. military has assailed Russia for its support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and says it holds Moscow responsible for an alleged chemical weapons attack.

Meanwhile, the United States has said it supports Britain in a dispute with Russia over the March 4 poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury. Britain has blamed Russia for the attack.

Moscow has denied it interfered in the U.S. election, said it had nothing to do with the Skripal poisonings, and claimed the allegations of a chemical attack in Syria are false.
International experts from the global agency for the monitoring of chemical weapons have arrived at the site of a suspected April 7 gas attack in the Syrian town of Douma, Russias Foreign Ministry said.

Inspectors from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) arrived in Douma, near the capital, Damascus, in the morning on April 21, the ministry said in a statement.

"The security of the OPCW has been guaranteed not only by the Syrian side but also by the Russian command in Syria, the statement said.

The inspectors have been in Syria for a week but had been unsuccessful in their attempts to travel to the site.

The United States, France, and Britain blame the Syrian government for the attack and struck suspected Syrian chemical-weapons facilities one week later.

The Syrian government and its ally Russia denied responsibility for the attack that according to local activists and medical workers killed dozens of people.

Images that emerged in the hours after the attack showed lifeless bodies collapsed in crowded rooms, some with foam around their noses and mouths.

Douma was at the time under rebel control and facing a ferocious assault by Syrian government forces. Rebels surrendered the town days after the alleged gas attack.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and dpa
A Taliban attack in an isolated part of northern Afghanistan has revealed how vulnerable Kabul is when it comes to maintaining its electricity supply -- a weakness the Taliban now says it is exploiting in order to pressure the Afghan government on its demands.

In the predawn hours of April 14, Taliban militants fixed a land mine to the base of an electricity transmission tower in Baghlan Province on the north side of the Hindu Kush mountains.

When they detonated the mine, the giant metal pylon crashed to the ground, snapping the double-circuit power lines that carry imported electricity to Kabul from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Transmission of some 300 megawatts of electricity was cut, leaving Kabul with less than one-quarter of its normal supply.

It marked the fourth time within a month that Taliban fighters had knocked out Kabul's power with attacks along the 550-kilometer power-transmission route from Uzbekistan.

Each attack has employed the same guerrilla tactics that a U.S. Marine Corps textbook says were used in the 1980s by anti-Soviet mujahedin fighters to knock out Kabul's power by blowing up pylons along the transmission line to the nearby Naghlu Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that Taliban attacks on power-transmission lines will continue until the Afghan government starts providing electricity to areas under Taliban control in the northern provinces of Baghlan and Kunduz.

Electricity Rationing

In Kabul, where Muslim worshippers were awakening and preparing for morning prayers at the time of the latest attack, the impact of the small explosion on the other side of the Hindu Kush mountains was felt immediately.

Hopelessly undersupplied, the national power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) went into the electricity-rationing mode that had been a daily routine in Kabul a decade earlier before the war-shattered power grid was rebuilt with foreign aid.

For the next day and a half, while Taliban fighters with rocket-propelled grenade launchers kept repair crews from repairing the transmission line, electricity was cut for most Kabul residents.

Meanwhile, in Kabul's central business districts, supplies were rotated in a way that gave most companies less than an hour of power during the weekend.

Mohammad Alem, a 38-year-old shopkeeper in Kabul, was more than annoyed.

"During last two power outages caused by these attacks, the yogurt and fresh cream in my shop spoiled," Alem said. "It cost us dearly."

"Electricity is vital for us," Alem said. "Our business is dependent on electricity. If there is no power then the yogurt, cream, and cheese that must be kept cold is useless."

Impact On Businesses

Orangzeb, another frustrated Kabul resident, remembers a decade earlier when electricity was considered a luxury by many Afghans, and people in the capital were accustomed to days when there was power for just one hour.

Orangzeb said he does not want that situation to return.

"Even now, there is a gas problem every day in Kabul," Orangzeb said. "There are a lot of problems in Kabul. With these attacks on the transmission lines in the provinces we have a problem with electricity again in Kabul, too."

Bilal, also a resident of Kabul, said that periodic electricity cuts go hand-in-hand with the interruption of water supplies and cause "a lot of people to suffer" in the Afghan capital.

He said it also is hurting industrial, commercial, and manufacturing firms in Kabul.

Orangzeb, Bilal, and other Kabul residents told RFE/RL that the Afghan government should just heed militant demands to supply electricity to Taliban-controlled areas.

DABS chief executive officer Amanullah Ghalib said the national power utility is trying to do just that -- "prevent the destruction of more transmission towers" by speeding its efforts to distribute electricity to "all parts of Afghanistan."

"Unfortunately, the cooperation of people has diminished" in areas under Taliban control, Ghalib said. "This is the reason insurgents have destroyed these towers and are harming the power supply."

"We are trying to inform the people in provincial councils, clerics in the region, and tribal elders that our work has not stopped" in Taliban-controlled areas, Ghalib said. "Our development work is continuing in all areas of Afghanistan."

That work includes attempts to bolster Afghanistan's own power generation through the development of wind power and solar energy -- including a 15-megawatt solar plant being built in Kandahar by DABS and Afghanistan's private Zularistan Company.

DABS, which relies heavily on hydroelectricity for generating its own electricity supplies, also has been expanding capacity at the hydroelectric dams that were built across Afghanistan from the 1950s through the 1970s.

The most recent expansion was the launch on April 12 of a newly reconstructed power turbine at the Naghlu Hydroelectric Power Plant -- a facility built in the 1960s on the Kabul River with the help of the Soviet Union about 70 kilometers east of Kabul.

On April 11, DABS also activated a new transformer station to the north of Kabul in the Qale Surkh area of Parwan Province -- a development that brought electricity to about 2,000 residents in the Jabul Saraj district.

But that project also has highlighted issues other than militant attacks that have hampered the expansion of Afghanistan's power grid.

The new transformer station is part of a $60 million power-grid expansion funded by the U.S. government and overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).

The project aims to eventually expand Afghanistan's North East Power System to 1 million more people by linking a substation at Charikar near Bagram, across Parwan Province, to a newly built substation in neighboring Kapisa Province.

But the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said the broader project remains inoperable because of the "mismanagement of the contract" for building the new substation, 182 power towers, and more than 50 kilometers of transmission lines.

In a March 30 report, SIGAR said the U.S. Army engineers let construction by a private Afghan firm, Zwakman Nabizai Construction Company, go ahead before the Afghan government acquired the privately held land along the transmission line.

It said the contract also did not include a provision to connect the expanded power grid to either power station.

SIGAR also documented numerous cases where the Afghan construction firm failed to clear the transmission line route of houses, huts, barns, cattle sheds and other structures, or of trees and vegetation.

"Until all buildings and other structures along the transmission line route have been removed, USACE will not energize" the expanded power grid "because of safety issues," SIGAR said.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan.
A senior U.S. administration official has told reporters that President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron will discuss the Iran nuclear agreement at the White House when they meet next week.

In a briefing, the official on April 20 said Trump would also discuss other issues with the French leader, including the countries joint military strike on Syria conducted in retaliation for a suspected chemical-weapons attack near Damascus.

Macron is scheduled to be in the United States from April 23-25 and will address a joint session of Congress on his final day.

Trump has threated to pull out of the landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed by the U.S. and other world powers and Iran. The deal provided Tehran with relief from financial sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

Trump has set a May 12 deadline to either improve or scrap the accord, which was negotiated under his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Trump accuses Tehran of violating the spirit of the nuclear deal and called on European powers to "fix" what he says are the "terrible flaws" in the agreement. He wants new restrictions to be imposed on Tehran's nuclear and missile programs.

U.S. allies have urged Trump to remain in the deal, known as the JCPOA, saying it is the best way to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

"The Europeanshave been working hard in trying to address some of our most important or prominent concerns having to do with Iran's ballistic-missile program, for example, the sunset clause in the JCPOA and so on," the senior administration official said.

"That work is not quite done yet," the official added.

Robert Wood, the U.S. disarmament ambassador, said on April 19 that the United States was having "intense" discussions with Britain, France, and Germany ahead of the May 12 deadline when Trump must either sign a waiver or allow sanctions against Iran to resume.

Tehran has vowed to remain in the deal as long as the other parties respect it, but will "shred" it if Washington leaves.

"Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehran's reaction to America's withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant," Iranian state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying.

With reporting by Reuters and CNN
Mmmmm. Humiliation never tasted so good.

Those dining in restaurants in Uzbekistan should consider that their meal may have come courtesy of two men who just two years ago were among the most powerful people in the country.

I speak of Rustam Inoyatov, the former head of the National Security Service (SNB), and Rustam Azimov, the former finance minister. Inoyatov is now overseeing the fishing industry in Uzbekistan, and Azimov was, after being dismissed as finance minister, head of the poultry industry.

Their fall from power clearly is not a straight drop.

Inoyatov was the feared chief of the SNB from 1995 until January of this year. It is difficult to imagine the man who was responsible for imposing strict order over Uzbekistan for 22 years, and imprisoning thousands of people during that time, managing a fish farm, particularly since Uzbekistan is a double-landlocked country.

It is a long way from catching enemies of the state to catching trout, but there is some consolation as Inoyatovs fish farm co-managers will be Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Prosecutor-General Otabek Murodov.

Rustam Azimov was finance minister, or in other top ministry positions involved with Uzbekistans finances, from 1999 to December 2016. In January 2017, one of the tasks given to Azimov was overseeing the poultry industry at about the same time that new Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev got the idea that the solution to rural poverty was for the government to distribute chickens to families in remote areas.

In June 2017, Azimov lost his position as deputy prime minister along with his position as poultry tsar, and the chicken-in-every-yurt program was scrapped a couple of months after that.

And that means, if you order chicken and fish at a restaurant in Uzbekistan, youre actually ordering the Rustam and Rustam. Who knows? It could one day be Uzbekistans answer to surf and turf.

OK, I'm having a little fun here. But there are some serious points to be made.

First, since Mirziyoev took power after the announcement of the death of longtime President Islam Karimov in September 2016, Mirziyoev has been trying to show the world that Uzbekistan is not the repressive state, bad neighbor, and fickle partner the country had been under Karimov.

Mirziyoev smiles and speaks of friendship, cooperation with other countries, and a new openness.

It is so encouraging that many want to believe these are truly new days and better policies for Uzbekistan.

Maybe so. Im still waiting to see, but Im hoping it turns out to be true.

The two Rustams are not sympathetic figures, particularly former SNB chief Inoyatov. Bad things happened in Uzbekistan when they were in their high positions. Charges could be brought against them, and many would say they deserve to face justice.

But, of course, Mirziyoev was prime minister from 2003 until Karimovs death. His past is interwoven with those of Inoyatov and Azimov.

So, instead of facing justice, the two men have been humiliated. It is true that Inoyatov is still officially an aide to the president, but that is unlikely to last much longer.

Secondly, beware of that smile Mirziyoev so often has on his face.

After Karimov died, Mirziyoev and the two Rustams were seen as the most likely successors. At the time, I described Mirziyoev as more of a fist than a brain. As prime minister he had been so, reportedly slapping and beating subordinates, ordering every shingle removed from homes as punishment for those who failed in some way to fulfill a government task, and generally acting as an enforcer. He was pitiless, remorseless, and always a creature loyal to President Karimov.

As president, Mirziyoev appears to be much shrewder than I, at least, expected.

I made the point in an earlier blog post that Mirziyoev inevitably would have to do something to eliminate potential challenges from Azimov or Inoyatov, both of whom were at least as powerful as Mirziyoev at the time of Karimovs death.

Mirziyoev rid himself of both, and its possible he did so by playing them off against each other.

The day after his inauguration as president, Mirziyoev relieved Azimov of the finance ministers post. Azimov left his post as finance minister and later as deputy prime minister without any objections or resistance. Something was almost surely hanging over his head for him to so meekly depart from the political scene.

SNB chief Inoyatov certainly would have known a thing or two about Azimov that could have persuaded the longtime finance official that a quiet exit from politics was in his best interest.

In December 2017, a group called Open Source Investigations released a report titled Following Inoyatovs Money: The Multimillion Euro Mansion In Vienna.

It was strange that, until then, no word had ever gotten out about any of Inoyatovs financial dealings.

Credit to Open Source Investigations for their work, but someone, somewhere probably leaked this information.

As finance minister, Azimov likely had at least some idea of various officials transactions inside and outside the country.

Well probably never know for sure how Mirziyoev so successfully removed his chief rivals for power, but its worth considering he might be much craftier than expected. Its also worth considering he might not be the nice guy smiling in front of the cameras.

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL.
Ramirez, 30, had been a law enforcement officer for about seven years and Lindsey was 25 years old, the sheriff said. Ramirez was married and had children. Lindsey had a girlfriend. Authorities said they did not immediately know the shooters motivation. Gilchrist County Sheriff Robert D. Schultz III appreciated the two killed officers were the best of the best, referring to their integrity and loyalty. And they loved what they did. And were very proud of them, he said.

When other deputies responded to the restaurant, they found the shooter dead outside of a gunshot wound. It was identified as John Hubert Highnote, 59, of Bell, another town in the county. The suspect appears to have walked to the front of the business and shot both men without warning. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) said he was heartbroken by the shootings. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting. There were 128 law enforcement deaths in the line of duty last year, down from the 143 officers who died in 2016, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, a nonprofit group that tracks such deaths.
Using drug repurposing, a team of researchers led by animal biologists at Nagoya University has discovered compounds that can either shorten or lengthen the circadian rhythm in human cells. A hormone, also known as a common anti-aging supplement demonstrated period-shortening activities, and when it was fed to mice, jet lag symptoms were significantly reduced. Further screening of known bioactive compounds may lead to the discovery of other effective compounds that can treat circadian clock disorders arising from jet lag and shift work.

Nagoya, Japan -- A group of animal biologists and chemists at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (ITbM), Nagoya University, has used high throughput chemical screening of existing drugs and bioactive compounds to explore their effect on circadian rhythms, according to a study reported in the journal EMBO Molecular Medicine. The researchers have succeeded in identifying various hit compounds that can regulate the circadian rhythm in human cells, including a well-known anti-aging supplement that was able to reduce jet lag in mice.

The experiments were carried out through a joint research collaboration between researchers at ITbM, National Institute for Basic Biology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, and Kindai University.

Many frequent flyers who travel across time zones tend to suffer from jet lag, which is caused by a mismatch between external time cues (shifted day/night cycle) and their biological (circadian) clock. The circadian clock in humans has an approximate 24-hour rhythm, and the circadian rhythm plays an important role in regulating sleep/wake cycles, hormone secretion, and metabolism. Therefore, chronic disruption of the circadian rhythm arising from jet lag or shift work (circadian desynchrony) may lead to various symptoms, such as sleep disorders, obesity and an increased risk of cancer in the long term.

Although jet lag usually triggers a number of undesirable symptoms, effective drugs or supplements to cure it remain scarce at the moment. Most of the drugs discovered so far by circadian biologists that reduce jet lag in mice, require injection of the drug into a specific region of the brain, which is not very practical. Takashi Yoshimura, an animal biologist and Professor at ITbM, Nagoya University, decided to use a drug repurposing strategy, a technique to identify new functions for existing bioactive compounds, to search for compounds that can regulate the circadian clock and might be useful for the treatment of jet lag.

Developing of new pharmaceuticals is usually highly costly and time-consuming, which is proved by data showing that a single drug costs 2-3 billion USD and takes up to 13-15 years to reach the market on average. Therefore, drug repurposing is a popular approach to develop new drugs. Famous examples of drug repurposing include the redevelopment of minoxidil, originally launched on the market as a vasodilator, repurposed for hair growth, as well as sildenafil, an antihypertensive, repurposed for the treatment for erectile dysfunction and marketed as Viagra.

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"In 2015, we had reported the synthesis of a molecule with demonstrated period-shortening activities on mammalian circadian clocks discovered through a collaboration between ITbM's chronobiologists, synthetic chemists and theoretical scientists," says Yoshimura. "Unfortunately, this compound was rather toxic, which led me to think more about the safety of molecules. I then considered that drug repurposing would be a better approach to identify compounds that can be used to treat jet lag, as the toxicity and mode of action of existing drugs would have already been investigated."

The research group conducted high throughput screening of over 1000 compounds consisting of existing drugs, including those approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of USA, Europe or Asia, and drugs under clinical trial, to search for drugs that can regulate the circadian rhythm in mammals.

Circadian clock research has been ongoing for many decades and has led to the discovery of molecular mechanisms controlling the circadian rhythm, which was awarded the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Almost all of the cells in our body contain a circadian clock and are mainly controlled by a central circadian pacemaker, located in the hypothalamus of the brain. The circadian clocks contained in most tissues and cells are driven by transcriptional-translational feedback loops composed of circadian clock genes and proteins.

Two clock proteins, CLOCK (Circadian locomoter output cycles protein kaput) and BMAL1 (Brain and Muscle Arnt-like1) bind to each other to form a heterodimer complex, which then binds to a DNA sequence called E-box (CACGTG) located in the upper region of clock genes, Per (Period) and Cry (Cryptochrome), present in the genome. This activates the transcription and translation of Per and Cry genes, leading to the generation of clock proteins PER and CRY. PER and CRY proteins form a dimer, which then inhibits their transcriptional activators, CLOCK and BMAL1. Activation and inhibition by clock genes and proteins constitutes a transcriptional-translational feedback loop, which completes a cycle once a day, thus generating a 24-hour circadian rhythm in various physiological and behavioral processes.

The research team screened various drug libraries by setting up a system where they observed the daily transcription of the clock gene Bmal1 through monitoring of a bioluminescent rhythm using the firefly's bioluminescence (luciferase) gene. Each drug was added to a 384-well plate containing human cells (U2OS) transfected with the luciferase gene.

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As a result of high throughput screening of over 1000 existing drugs, the team found 59 hit compounds that affected the bioluminescent rhythm. Among these drugs, 46 compounds lengthened the circadian period, and 13 compounds shortened the period. These hit compounds contained bioactive molecules that are used as anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and contraceptive agents, hormones, vitamins, as well as for the treatment of diseases related to the central nervous system, digestive system, heart and skin. The results of their studies suggest that approximately 5% of the drugs currently on the market may have some effect on our circadian rhythms, depending on their dose and duration of administration.

"I was really excited to find hit compounds that had period-changing effects on human cells and wanted to test them immediately in mice to see if the drugs could relieve jet lag symptoms," says Yoshimura. "Many members in our group were hesitant though, as they thought that the effects observed in cells were too small, but I had no doubt that the results would translate from the cell level (in vitro) to the animal level (in vivo)."

For most travellers, flying west (e.g. from Asia to Europe), which delays the circadian clock, does not cause too many health problems. On the other hand, flying east (e.g. from Asia to America), which fast-forwards the circadian clock, forces people to wake up earlier than usual and tends to cause severe jet lag symptoms, such as fatigue and insomnia. Therefore, Yoshimura and his group decided to investigate circadian period-shortening compounds that will fast-forward the circadian clock and relieve jet lag symptoms when travelling east.

Among the 13 circadian period-shortening compounds that the group identified, the researchers focused on a steroid hormone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is commercially available as an anti-aging supplement in USA. In humans, DHEA is produced in the adrenal gland, gonads and brain, and is a precursor for testosterone and estrogen. DHEA is one of the most abundant circulating hormones in the blood stream, but its concentration usually decreases with age. This is why DHEA is sold as a supplement for anti-aging and for boosting metabolism.

Further investigation showed that DHEA shortens the period of the circadian clock in cultured human cells in a dose dependent manner. The team found that DHEA speeds up the circadian rhythm in human cells, as well as in cultured cells and tissues of mice. As previous studies have demonstrated the safety of orally administering DHEA in mice, experiments were carried out to test whether DHEA had an effect on the circadian rhythm of mice.

"When we fed DHEA mixed with powdered food to mice, we were surprised and pleased to find that DHEA shortened the circadian period in mice," says Katherine Tamai, a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Yoshimura's group who mainly conducted the experiments. "We then did a jet lag experiment where we placed the mice under light/dark conditions and then advanced the cycle by 6 hours, which is similar to a time shift encountered when travelling from Japan to Alaska. Jet-lagged mice that were fed DHEA appeared to recover and adapt to the new time zone faster than mice that were fed normal food. On average, mice fed DHEA recovered from jet lag in about 2-3 days, whereas mice without DHEA took about 5-6 days for their activities to readjust to the new light/dark cycle," she describes.

"I started this research in 2016, and being a biologist who worked mainly with fish, I was afraid at first to test the drugs out on mice, but Professor Yoshimura was very optimistic and confident that this experiment would work, and his persistence paid off," says Tamai.

The simple solution appears to be to take DHEA to cure jet lag, but one important issue is that the circulating levels of DHEA in mice and humans is different. The reason why DHEA may have been so effective in mice may be because the initial circulating concentration of DHEA is significantly lower in mice (approximately 15%) compared to humans. Also, extremely high doses of DHEA have actually led to lengthening of the circadian period. Therefore, further investigation is required to evaluate the actual effectiveness of DHEA for the treatment of jet lag in humans.

"Our studies have shown that DHEA probably acts primarily on the peripheral circadian clocks rather than on the master clock in the central nervous system, which has control over clocks in the entire body," explains Yoshimura. "In order to completely relieve jet lag, it is necessary to adjust both the central and peripheral circadian clocks. We envisage that DHEA may be effective when taken along with another drug that acts upon the central circadian clock."

Using drug repurposing, Yoshimura's group not only identified circadian rhythm changing drugs, but also succeeded in identifying genes that are involved in the regulation of the circadian clock. The group identified several tyrosine kinase inhibitors that affected circadian rhythms and found evidence suggesting that the ABL (Abelson murine leukemia) and BCR (breakpoint cluster region) protein kinases are involved in the regulation of the mammalian circadian clock. Tyrosine is an amino acid present in proteins that contains a hydroxyl moiety, and kinases are enzymes that catalyze phosphorylation (addition of a phosphate group) of various substrates in the cell. Hydroxyl, amine and carboxyl moieties in proteins can be phosphorylated, which modifies the proteins to switch them on or off for various functions.

Previous reports have shown that in a genetic abnormality called Philadelphia chromosome, fusion of ABL and BCR genes cause leukemia. However, the exact roles of these genes in the normal state have remained unknown, as genetic knockout of these genes is lethal. Yoshimura's group have screened existing drugs to discover that these enzymes for phosphorylation arising from ABL and BCR genes are involved in the regulation of the circadian clock, thus proving that chemical genetic approaches are useful for circadian clock research.

"We are currently expanding our chemical libraries and are now screening food additives and natural products to find compounds that can regulate the circadian rhythm in humans," says Yoshimura. "We hope to develop and be able to deliver new and safe compounds that can be taken orally to cure jet lag."
Despite the great successes of targeted cancer drugs and the promise of novel immunotherapies, the vast majority of people diagnosed with cancer are still first treated with chemotherapy. Now a new study by UCSF researchers using techniques drawn from computational biology could make it much easier for physicians to use the genetic profile of a patient's tumor to pick the chemotherapy treatment with the fewest side effects and best chance of success.

"Since 95 percent of cancer patients still get chemo, we realized we could make a major impact on cancer treatment by helping clinicians prescribe the right chemotherapy drug," said Sourav Bandyopadhyay, PhD, a professor of bioengineering and therapeutic sciences in UCSF's Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine and senior author on the new study.

Chemotherapies are potent toxins delivered into the bloodstream to kill tumor cells throughout the body by damaging DNA in rapidly dividing cells. However, these poisons can also do significant harm to other dividing cells such as those found in the stomach lining and in hair and nail follicles, as well as the blood and immune stem cells in the bone marrow. In addition, cancer cells' susceptibility to these agents varies widely, and tumors often develop resistance to drugs that initially seem effective.

There are more than 100 chemotherapy agents in wide use, but oncologists have very little information to guide their decisions about which of these drugs to use in a given patient. These decisions are typically guided by the drugs' average historical success rate for different types of cancer, rather than any understanding of how the chemotherapy drug will interact with the genetic profile of a specific tumor.

"We know very little about how gene mutations in tumor cells can change how a tumor might respond or not to certain chemotherapy drugs. Mapping these sorts of connections could make it possible to optimize which drugs patients get based on their tumor genetics," said Bandyopadhyay, a member of the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Quantitative Biosciences Institute.

Now -- in a paper published online April 17, 2018 in Cell Reports -- Bandyopadhyay's lab has systematically mapped connections between 625 breast and ovarian cancer genes and nearly every FDA approved chemotherapy for breast or ovarian cancer. Led by Hsien-Ming "Kevin" Hu, PhD, Bandyopadhyay's group developed a high-throughput combinatorial approach that allowed them to perform 80,000 experiments in laboratory dishes in a matter of weeks. The authors said their results, which they have made publicly available, constitute an invaluable resource to help clinicians predict which chemotherapies will be most effective against tumor cells with particular genetic mutations, and how to rationally combine therapies to prevent cancers from developing resistance.

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"We're trying to take a systems view of chemotherapy resistance," said Bandyopadhyay. "With rarer mutations in particular there aren't enough patients for large clinical trials to be able to identify biomarkers of resistance, but by considering all the different potential genetic factors that have been identified together in one study, we can robustly predict from experiments in laboratory dishes how cancers with different genetic mutations will respond to different treatments."

The team began by identifying hundreds of genes frequently mutated in human cancers: 200 implicated in breast cancer, 170 linked to ovarian cancer, and 134 involved in DNA repair, which is compromised in many types of cancer. They then mimicked the effects of such mutations in lab dishes by systematically inactivating each of these cancer-associated genes in healthy human cells, creating 625 different perturbations that mirrored distinct genetic mutations seen in real breast and ovarian cancers.

The researchers then exposed cells from each of these lines to a panel of 31 different drug treatments -- including 23 chemotherapy compounds approved by the FDA for breast and ovarian cancers, six targeted cancer drugs, and two common drug combinations. An automated microscopy system monitored the cells' health and recorded which groups of cells were killed, which survived, and which developed resistance when exposed to a particular treatment.

The resulting "map" of gene-drug interactions allowed the researchers to accurately predict the responses of multiple human cancer cell lines to different chemotherapy agents based on the cell lines' genetic profiles and also revealed new genetic factors that appear to determine the response of breast and ovarian tumor cells to common classes of chemotherapy treatment.

As a proof of principle, the researchers collaborated with Clovis Oncology, a biotech company based in Boulder, Colorado, which is running a clinical trial of drugs known as PARP inhibitors in patients with stage II ovarian cancer. Based on their gene-drug interaction map, the researchers predicted that mutations in two genes, called ARID1A and GPBP1, could contribute to ovarian cancer's ability to develop resistance to this class of drugs. Results from the clinical trial bore out these predictions: patients with these mutations were significantly more likely to develop resistance.

Bandyopadhyay's team has deposited the trove of data generated in the new study in a database maintained by the National Cancer Institute so that other researchers can mine it for information about drug combinations and derive new biological insights about the basis for chemotherapy's success or failure. The lab is also working with the Breast Oncology Program at UCSF to make this data part of an adaptive clinical trial called I-SPY, which lets researchers identify the most effective therapies based on patient molecular profiling, and is collaborating with members of the UCSF Institute for Computational Health Sciences (ICHS) to put these and other public data into a centralized database that clinicians can access through an app to help make the most appropriate treatment decisions.

In future, Bandyopadhyay says, better understanding how chemotherapy agents impact specific biological pathways should allow drug trials to focus on patients who are more likely to respond to the drugs being tested and enable clinicians to identify targeted or combination therapies for patients with a genetic predisposition to resistance.
Men under 50 who smoked were more likely to have a stroke, and their risk increased with the number of cigarettes they smoked, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.

An increasing number of young adults are suffering ischemic stroke, which is the most common stroke type. Tobacco use is on the rise among young adults. It is already established that the more young women smoke the greater their stroke risk; however, little is known about young men's stroke risk from smoking.

"The key takeaway from our study on men younger than 50 is 'the more you smoke, the more you stroke,'" said lead study author Janina Markidan, B.A., a medical student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

Researchers studied 615 young men (age 15-49) who had a stroke in the prior three years. Researchers compared the men with stroke to 530 healthy men in the same age range. They also categorized participants as never smokers, former smokers and current smokers. Current smokers were divided into groups based on the number of cigarettes smoked daily, 1 to 10, 11 to 20, 21 to 39 or 40 or more.

Researchers found:

Men who smoked were 88 percent more likely to have a stroke than men who never smoked.

Among current smokers, men who smoked fewer than 11 cigarettes daily were 46 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who never smoked.

But the heavier smokers, smoking at least two packs a day, were nearly 5 times, more likely to have a stroke than those who never smoked.

"The goal is to get these young men to stop smoking, however if they can smoke fewer cigarettes it could help reduce their stroke risk," Markidan said.

Researchers did not record the concurrent use of other tobacco products which could have affected results. They also did not control for factors such as alcohol consumption, physical activity or recall bias. However, similar findings in a Swedish study, suggested that there was not a major effect from recall bias.

Co-authors are John W. Cole, M.D., M.S.; Carolyn A. Cronin, M.D., Ph.D.; Jose G. Merino, M.D., M. Phil.; Michael S. Phipps, M.D.; Marcella A. Wozniak, M.D., Ph.D.; and Steven J. Kittner, M.D., M.P.H. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health funded the study.
Researchers reporting in Current Biology on April 19 show that male fruit flies find sex -- and more specifically ejaculation -- to be an inherently rewarding experience. The study is the first to show that the rewarding nature of ejaculation is conserved among animals, from flies and mammals. It also adds to evidence that manipulating sexual experience in flies affects their interest in consuming alcohol, the researchers say.

"Successful mating is naturally rewarding to male flies and increases the levels of a small peptide in the brain called Neuropeptide F," says Galit Shohat-Ophir of Bar-Ilan University in Israel. "Male flies that are sexually deprived have increased motivation to consume alcohol as an alternative reward."

Shohat-Ophir, along with the study's lead author Shir Zer-Krispil and their colleagues, in collaboration with HHMI Janelia Research USA, came to these conclusions by taking advantage of optogenetic tools. These tools enable researchers to genetically engineer fruit flies such that it's possible to activate particular neurons with light. In their studies, they used flies in which neurons expressing the neuropeptide corazonin (CRZ) could be switched "on" by exposure to red light. Earlier evidence shows that CRZ neurons in the fly abdomen trigger the release of sperm and seminal fluid. By examining flies in this way, the researchers were able to explore the rewards associated with ejaculation apart from other aspects of a sexual encounter.

"We wanted to know which part of the mating process entails the rewarding value for flies," Shohat-Ophir says. "The actions that males perform during courtship? A female's pheromones? The last step of mating which is sperm and seminal fluid release?"

To find out whether ejaculation produced an immediate pleasurable response, the researchers used an arena in which one side emitted a red light to trigger optogenetic activation of CRZ neurons and tracked where male flies chose to spend their time. Those experiments showed that flies showed a strong preference for the red light, implying that ejaculation in itself is a rewarding experience.

Next, they trained the flies to associate the red light and ejaculation with a particular odor. They then tested whether the flies preferred the scent that reminded them of that past experience of ejaculation. And they did.

After a few days of repeated activation of CRZ neurons, the fruit fly males had high levels of neuropeptide F in their brains, similar to males that actually mated with female partners. When those males were given the choice between liquid food and liquid food spiked with alcohol, they preferred the non-alcoholic food. In contrast, control flies and engineered males not exposed to red light preferred the alcohol.

"The principles by which the brain processes reward are extremely conserved in all animals; this is a really basic every day machinery that helps animals survive," Shohat-Ophir says. "Drugs of abuse use the same systems in the brain that are used to process natural rewards. This allows us to use simple model organisms to study aspects of drug addiction, including the interplay between natural and drug rewards and the connection between experience and the mechanisms that underlie the risk to develop drug addiction."

The researchers say they will continue to explore how information about ejaculation or successful mating reaches the brain. They also want to use their findings to further understand an individual's risk for developing an addiction, noting that addiction risk is influenced by a combination of molecular and neuronal mechanisms that influence the likelihood of progressing from initial drug exposure to repeated use.

"Our studies suggest that the state of the animal (i.e., undergoing successful mating or being rejected) affects the motivation to consume drug rewards," says Shohat-Ophir. "An analogy for reward states can be proposed in which a high-reward state is illustrated by a full 'reservoir' and low state by an empty 'reservoir.' One can speculate that vulnerability to addiction is related to the size of the 'reservoir' that needs to be filled, or to different sensitivity to changes in the reward levels."

This work was supported by the Israel Science Foundation and the Marie Curie Career Integration Grants.
Determining the presence of cancer, as well as its type and malignancy, is a stressful process for patients that can take up to two weeks to get a diagnosis. With a new bit of technology -- a sugar-transporting biosensor -- researchers at Michigan Technological University hope to reduce that timeframe down to minutes.

A collaborative team of chemists and engineers from Michigan Tech lays the groundwork for this vision in two new papers. In the Royal Society of Chemistry's journal Chemical Communications, the team explains the basic science behind multicolor probes that enable targeting of cancer-relevant fructose transporter, delving into the image-based detection of cancer cells. In the journal Biosensors, the team addresses applications for breast cancer detection and differentiating nonmalignant, pre-malignant and malignant cancer cells.

Two Michigan Tech researchers collaborated on the studies. Marina Tanasova, assistant professor of chemistry, and Smitha Rao, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, turned a 10-minute office meeting into a two-year collaboration built on a tiny fluorescent probe that seeks out the fructose transporter named GLUT5.

Cells need carbohydrates; facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs) bring nutrients in and out of cells. When metabolic swings kick in -- say, from cancer development -- the overall make-up of GLUTs change so that more or less GLUTs are active. Fructose transporters like GLUT5 are of particular interest because of the direct connection between fructose uptake and cancer development, which also changes as cancer progresses and becomes malignant.

In their Chemical Communications paper, Tanasova and Rao's team report on the design and validation of the fluorescent probes, called ManCous, to observe GLUT5 activity in a cell; they also document the multicolored fluorescence that distinguishes GLUT5-rich cells from those deficient in GLUT5. The follow up Biosensors paper, provides a proof-of-principle use of these probes as tools to assess and compare GLUT5 and metabolic activity of different cell types, including normal cells and different cancer subtypes.

"We came closer to a basic screening of cells' GLUT composition -- one that both detects cancer and distinguishes type," Tanasova says; adding that while the concept is elegant, developing the technology is not easy. "From basic science to application, there is a lot of transformation that has to happen."

By better understanding the science behind sugar transporters, the team is more equipped to build technology that captures an accurate and precise GLUT fingerprint of cancerous cells.

"This probe is like a Swiss army knife," Rao says, explaining that cancer detection is not the only use for the probe. "The more we learn about cancer through these probes, the more opportunities we have to apply them -- which means more chances to treat different cancers, hopefully cure them, and at least prevent their spread and maximize drug delivery."

What makes the probe so versatile is its ability to not only seek out and highlight cancer cells, but also to reveal the metabolic nuances of different stages of cancer development. While cancer generally gobbles up fructose, the GLUT5 and metabolic activity of nonmalignant, pre-malignant and malignant breast cancer cells do vary, which is what Rao, Tanasova and their team explored in the Biosensors paper. They found that ManCou probes allow for parallel analysis and quantification of GLUT5 and metabolic activity of cells just after a 10-minute incubation period. The notable differences in fluorescence intensity observed between normal cells and cancer cells, as well as different cancer types, provide important points of differentiation between different cell types and make these probes promising tools for cancer detection and diagnostics.

The research is still early on, but Tanasova and Rao have a clear vision for the project's next steps. The work is highly collaborative and built alongside the efforts of their co-authors, including doctoral students Srinivas Kannan and Vagarshak Begoyan, research scientist ?ukasz J. Weseli?ski, along with graduate students Joseph Fedie, Shuai Xia and undergraduate Alexis Ferrier.

The collaboration is ongoing. The team of chemists -- Tanasova, Begoyan and Weseli?ski -- plans to delve deeper into the world of fructose transporters to expand on what they've determined about GLUT5 and provide access to probes targeting other GLUTs. There is plenty of material to cover to visualize and quantify every GLUT transporter in the cellular membrane. The team of biomedical engineers -- Rao and Kannan -- focus on assessing numerous applications of these probes, including standard biopsy analysis and pushing the technology into clinical practice through the development of a point-of-care cancer detection device.

As Rao puts it, the team is shaping their Lego blocks so they can build down the road. Refining disease detection and treatment remains the driving force behind this interdisciplinary collaboration. The overarching idea continues to focus on taking sugar transporters and use them as a gateway to better understand the nature of cancer.
Fear of dismissal or of losing their authorisation keeps medical doctors trapped in their substance use disorders, and instead of seeking help they attempt self-treatment. This is shown by a new study from Aarhus University.

It is just as difficult for the individual medical doctor to ask for help with his or her substance use disorder as it is for their colleagues to help. A new study documents how the legal and social sanctions directed at medical doctors' substance use disorders (incl. alcohol, legal and illegal drugs) has a counterproductive effect and actually contributes to keep them trapped in their substance use disorders.

The study is based on interviews with twelve medical doctors who have previously had a substance use disorder at the time of the interview they had got rid of their substance use disorders.

"The doctors tell us that they feared losing their authorisation as a medical doctor or losing their job. The fear of sanctions has prevented them from contacting any treatment centres for many years. The majority of the medical doctors have instead attempted to treat their substance use disorders e.g. with Disulfiram (also called Antabuse) or other prescriptions, most often with a very short-lived effect or no effect," says PhD in Sociology and anthropologist at Aarhus University, Johanne Korsdal Srensen, who is in charge of the study.

The results have just been published in the International journal Addiction Research and Theory, and are one of several studies from Aarhus University focusing on medical doctors' consumption of substances and substance use disorders. The study is unique in an international context where qualitative studies of medical doctors' substance use disorders are merely non-existent.

Sedatives before surgery

Johanne Korsdal Srensen mentions that the workload can push doctors into a substance abuse. Exemplified by the surgeon whose hands sometimes shook so much when he had to operate that he felt compelled to take beta-blockers so he could be more relaxed in order to be able to make precise incisions. By taking performance-enhancing medicine the doctor made sure the patient ended up with the best possible result and that he himself climbed the career ladder faster. But in the long-term the consequence was a serious substance use disorder and he ended up losing his physician certificate and job.

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"The study documents how several of the medical doctors -- in some cases because of a high degree of work pressure and high expectations -- have initiated their substance use as a form of self-treatment," says Johanne Korsdal Srensen.

Doctors and others working in the healthcare system with access to medicine have a special work-related risk of developing substance use disorders. Nonetheless, substance use disorders by medical doctors is subject to a large taboo.

"Doctors who have a substance use disorders need help and attention from others, especially colleagues. Unfortunately, some colleagues have a tendency to cover up for one another rather than get involved in the substance use disorder. Colleagues tend to view substance use disorders as a rather private matter and therefore primarily an area non-intrusional, despite the potentially serious consequences for both the doctors in question and their patients," says Johanne Korsdal Srensen.

An ultimatum is needed

She emphasises that the reluctance to address the issue is a form of misguided consideration for a colleague with an abuse problem.

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"The medical doctors we interviewed paint a picture of only having one way out of the problem -- and that is relatives or colleagues confronting them with an ultimatum to begin professional treatment. The considerate thing to do is to intervene and preferably as quickly as possible, so that the damage to the person in question and their relations both privately and professionally is minimised as much as possible," says Johanne Korsdal Srensen.

The researcher hopes that the results can help to break down a taboo about medical doctors' substance use disorders.

"There is a need to look at how to open for more dialogue about the issues so that we can optimise help for those doctors who are affected by substance use disorder. Medical doctors and other health professionals with substance use disorders issues can be treated completely anonymously just like everyone else and thereby get a second chance workwise, "says Johanne Korsdal Srensen. All of the interviewed physicians recovered and the majority of them work as physicians by the time of the interview.

Johanne Korsdal Srensen has previously studied the scale of substance use disorders among medical doctors in a survey among 4,000 members of the Danish Medical Association. Here she found that 2.5 per cent of the respondents had a harmful level of alcohol consumption. A total of 19 per cent of participants were screened to have a 'risky' alcohol consumption -- that is to say a level of alcohol consumption that is potentially harmful and can cause alcohol use disorder.
Using a patient's skin cells to restore his vision? Thanks to a promising technique known as cell reprogramming, this science fiction scenario may soon become reality. The technique allows scientists to make stem cells from, for instance, a patient's skin cells. These stem cells -- known as induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells -- can be turned into almost any specialised cell type of the human body, including the cells we need to see.

Working with iPS cells has numerous advantages compared with other methods. For one thing, you use adult cells to make iPS cells, so you no longer need embryos. Furthermore, the reprogrammed cells have the patient's DNA, so the body will be less likely to reject them.

"Cell reprogramming is revolutionising medicine, yet surprisingly little is known about how it actually works," says stem cell expert Vincent Pasque, assistant professor at KU Leuven, Belgium.

Together with Kathrin Plath from UCLA, Vincent Pasque from KU Leuven led an international study into how adult cells reprogram to iPS cells. To investigate the different stages of the reprogramming process, the researchers separated male and female cells to examine them side by side.

The researchers discovered that female and male cells behave differently after the reprogramming process and that this is due to their different number of X chromosomes -- two in female cells and one in male cells.

Vincent Pasque explains: "In a normal situation, one of the two X chromosomes in female cells is inactive. But when these cells are reprogrammed into iPS cells, the inactive X becomes active. So the female iPS cells now have two active X chromosomes, while males have only one. We now know that this explains the different behaviour of male and female cells after reprogramming because, over time, female cells lose one of the two X chromosomes and start behaving more or less like male iPS cells."

The differences between male and female iPS cells are most pronounced for one of the key processes in the field of epigenetics: DNA methylation, a modification that changes the activity of a DNA segment without changing its sequence. The researchers found that DNA methylations are erased in female iPS cells but not in male cells.

"Our study also indicates that the path towards iPS cells involves the use of specific control switches on DNA called enhancers," adds Dr Constantinos Chronis from UCLA.

Vincent Pasque concludes: "Our results show that studying male and female cells separately is key to a better understanding of how iPS cells are made. And we really need to understand the process if we want to create better disease models and to help the millions of patients waiting for more effective treatments."
Amongst the countless fascinating plants and animals inhabiting the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, there are the spectacular "exploding ants," a group of arboreal, canopy dwelling ants nicknamed for their unique defensive behaviour.

When threatened by other insects, minor workers can actively rupture their body wall. Apart from leading to the ants' imminent death, the "explosion" releases a sticky, toxic liquid from their enlarged glands, in order to either kill or hold off the enemy.

Curiously enough, while these ants' peculiar behaviour was first mentioned in distant 1916, no new species have been formally described since 1935, due to insufficient evidence. Instead, scientists used to simply refer to them as the members of a remarkable species group -- Colobopsis cylindrica, better known as "the exploding ants."

That was until an interdisciplinary research team from Austria, Thailand and Brunei came together led by their shared fascination with these insects and their extraordinary mechanism of self-sacrifice (also called autothysis) in 2014. Thus, entomologists, botanists, microbiologists, and chemists from the Natural History Museum Vienna, Technical University Vienna, IFA Tulln and Universiti Brunei Darussalam together identified roughly 15 separate species of exploding ants, with one of them now described as new to science in the open access journal ZooKeys.

Aptly named Colobopsis explodens, previously nicknamed "Yellow Goo" for its bright yellow gland secretion, the new species has been picked as the model species of the group, after the scientists deemed it to be "particularly prone to self-sacrifice when threatened by enemy arthropods, as well as intruding researchers."

Being a "model species" means that the ant will serve as an important navigation point in future studies on exploding ants. Publications regarding their behaviour, chemical profile, microbiology, anatomy and evolution are currently in preparation, say the authors. In addition, there are several more new species expected to be described in the near future.

While minor workers exhibit the ability to "explode," the other castes have specialities of their own. For example, major workers (also called "doorkeepers") have big, plug-shaped heads used to physically barricade the nest entrances against intruders.

During a sampling trip to Brunei in 2015, project members Alexey Kopchinskiy and Alice Laciny even managed to observe queens and males on a mating flight. They sampled the first males of these ants ever to be seen.

The same expedition was used to record the ants' activity schedule and conduct the first experiments on food preferences and exploding behaviour.

While the exploding ants play a dominant role in rainforests, their biology still holds a number of secrets. The observations and experiments conducted on the newly described species have laid important groundwork for future research that will uncover even more details about these enigmatic explosive insects.

Watch this video to observe the behaviour of the exploding ants in various settings.
Our window into the cellular world just got a whole lot clearer.

By combining two imaging technologies, scientists can now watch in unprecedented 3-D detail as cancer cells crawl, spinal nerve circuits wire up, and immune cells cruise through a zebrafish's inner ear.

Physicist Eric Betzig, a group leader at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Research Campus, and colleagues report the work April 19, 2018, in the journal Science.

Scientists have imaged living cells with microscopes for hundreds of years, but the sharpest views have come from cells isolated on glass slides. The large groups of cells inside whole organisms scramble light like a bagful of marbles, Betzig says. "This raises the nagging doubt that we are not seeing cells in their native state, happily ensconced in the organism in which they evolved."

Even when viewing cells individually, the microscopes most commonly used to study cellular inner workings are usually too slow to follow the action in 3-D. These microscopes bathe cells with light thousands to millions of times more intense than the desert sun, Betzig says. "This also contributes to our fear that we are not seeing cells in their natural, unstressed form.

"It's often said that seeing is believing, but when it comes to cell biology, I think the more appropriate question is, 'When can we believe what we see?'" he adds.

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To meet these challenges, Betzig and his team combined two microscopy technologies they first reported in 2014, the same year he shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. To unscramble the light from cells buried within organisms, the researchers turned to adaptive optics -- the same technology used by astronomers to provide clear views of distant celestial objects through Earth's turbulent atmosphere. Then, to image the internal choreography of these cells quickly yet gently in 3-D, the team used lattice light sheet microscopy. That technology rapidly and repeatedly sweeps an ultra-thin sheet of light through the cell while acquiring a series of 2-D images, building a high-resolution 3-D movie of subcellular dynamics.

The new microscope is essentially three microscopes in one: an adaptive optical system to maintain the thin illumination of a lattice light sheet as it penetrates within an organism, and another adaptive optical system to create distortion-free images when looking down on the illuminated plane from above. By shining a laser through either pathway, the researchers create a bright point of light within the region they wish to image. The distortions in the image of this "guide star" tell the team the nature of the optical aberrations along either pathway. The researchers can correct these distortions by applying equal but opposite distortions to a pixelated light modulator on the excitation side, and a deformable mirror on detection. Over large volumes, the distortions change as the light traverses different tissues. In this case, the team assembles large 3-D images from a series of subvolumes, each with its own independent excitation and detection corrections.

The results offer an electrifying new look at biology, and reveal a bustling metropolis in action at the subcellular level. In one movie from the microscope, a fiery orange immune cell wriggles madly through a zebrafish's ear while scooping up blue sugar particles along the way. In another, a cancer cell trails sticky appendages as it rolls through a blood vessel and attempts to gain purchase on the vessel wall.

The complexity of the 3-D multicellular environment can be overwhelming, Betzig says, but the clarity of his team's imaging permits them to computationally "explode" apart the individual cells in tissue to focus on the dynamics within any particular one, such as the remodeling of internal organelles during cell division.

All this detail is hard to see without adaptive optics, Betzig says. "It's just too damn fuzzy." In his view, adaptive optics is one of the most important areas in microscopy research today, and the lattice light sheet microscope, which excels at 3-D live imaging, is the perfect platform to showcase its power. Adaptive optics hasn't really taken off yet, he says, because the technology has been complicated, expensive, and until now, not clearly worth the effort. But within 10 years, Betzig predicts, biologists everywhere will be on board.

The next big step is making that technology affordable and user friendly. "Technical demonstrations and publications don't amount to a hill of beans. The only metric by which a microscope should be judged is how many people use it, and the significance of what they discover with it," Betzig says.

The current microscope fills a 10-foot-long table. "It's a bit of a Frankenstein's monster right now," says Betzig, who is moving to the University of California, Berkeley, in the fall. His team is working on a next-generation version that should fit on a small desk at a cost within the reach of individual labs. The first such instrument will go to Janelia's Advanced Imaging Center, where scientists from around the world can apply to use it. Plans to create their own copies will also be made freely available. Ultimately, Betzig hopes that the adaptive optical version of the lattice microscope will be commercialized, as was the base lattice instrument before it. That could bring adaptive optics into the mainstream.

"If you really want to understand the cell in vivo, and image it with the quality possible in vitro, this is the price of admission," he says.
It sounds like a late-night commercial: In just one hour you can reduce your anxiety levels and some heart health risk factors. But a recent study with 14 participants shows preliminary data that even a single session of meditation can have cardiovascular and psychological benefits for adults with mild to moderate anxiety.

John Durocher, assistant professor of biological sciences, is presenting the work of a team of Michigan Technological University researchers about mindfulness meditation and its ability to reduce anxiety at the 2018 Experimental Biology meeting April 21-25 in San Diego, which is attended by approximately 14,000 people.

In "Mindfulness Meditation Reduces Aortic Pulsatile Load and Anxiety in Mild to Moderately Anxious Adults," Durocher, along with fellow researchers Hannah Marti, a recent Michigan Tech graduate, Brigitte Morin, lecturer in biological science, and Travis Wakeham, a graduate student, explains the finding that 60 minutes after meditating the 14 study participants showed lower resting heart rates and reduction in aortic pulsatile load -- the amount of change in blood pressure between diastole and systole of each heartbeat multiplied by heart rate. Additionally, shortly after meditating, and even one week later, the group reported anxiety levels were lower than pre-meditation levels.

"Even a single hour of meditation appears to reduce anxiety and some of the markers for cardiovascular risk," Durocher says.

While it's well-documented that meditation over the course of several weeks reduces anxiety, there have been few comprehensive research studies on the benefits of a single meditation session. Durocher's team wanted to understand the effect of acute mindfulness on cognition and the cardiovascular system to improve how anti-anxiety therapies and interventions are designed.

Studying the physiological effects of mindfulness meditation

Durocher said the study hinged on a research design proposed by recent graduate Hannah Marti '17. Marti, who graduated from Michigan Tech with a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, will begin medical school in July at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

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Marti designed the mindfulness study to include three sessions:

An orientation session during which researchers measured anxiety using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and conducted cardiovascular testing by measuring heart rate variability, resting blood pressure and pulse wave analysis;

A meditation session that included repetition of the cardiovascular testing plus the mindfulness meditation -- 20 minutes introductory meditation, 30 minutes body scan and 10 minutes self-guided meditation -- as well as repeating cardiovascular measurements immediately following meditation and 60 minutes after;

A post-meditation anxiety test one week later.

During a body scan, the participant is asked to focus intensely on one part of the body at a time, beginning with the toes. By focusing on individual parts of the body, a person can train his or her mind to pivot from detailed attention to a wider awareness from one moment to the next.

"The point of a body scan is that if you can focus on one single part of your body, just your big toe, it can make it much easier for you to deal with something stressful in your life. You can learn to focus on one part of it rather than stressing about everything else in your life," Marti says.

One participant in the study commented that following the session they were the least stressed they'd been in a decade.

Durocher says Marti was capable of designing such a study because of her experiences with research during her undergraduate studies at Michigan Tech and by securing support through two Pavlis Honors College and Portage Health Foundation internships.

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"She had some experience during the first internship so she could propose her own study for the second one," he says. "I helped to make minor adjustments, but Hannah did much of this project on her own."

New avenues of research in the health sciences at Michigan Tech

The single session mindfulness meditation study and the NIH-funded study to come (see sidebar), are excellent examples of the emphasis on student participation in research at Michigan's northern-most public university.

"In Michigan Tech's health science research programs, I want our students to get hands-on experience that they can carry into their futures, gaining experiences to advance their educational careers or their professional careers," Durocher says. "When they go for an interview, they have something real to talk about, there's substance."

Marti says this has been her experience.

"I had so much to talk about in my medical school interviews," she says. "I didn't have to say 'I just helped the professor do this,' because with Dr. Durocher's help, I was able to do most of the research myself."

Case in point, Durocher notes that nearly 20 former students who participated in laboratory research with him have gone on to physical therapy programs, medical school or to pursue a research doctorate.

And just as important, after students move on to the next chapter of their lives, there remains the legacy of their involvement in research: research designs are used in future projects and upcoming students will carry the research forward.
A new microchip technology capable of optically transferring data could solve a severe bottleneck in current devices by speeding data transfer and reducing energy consumption by orders of magnitude, according to an article published in the April 19, 2018 issue of Nature.

Researchers from Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of California Berkeley and University of Colorado Boulder have developed a method to fabricate silicon chips that can communicate with light and are no more expensive than current chip technology. The result is the culmination of a several-year-long project funded by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency that was a close collaboration between teams led by Associate Professor Vladimir Stojanovic of UC Berkeley, Professor Rajeev Ram of MIT, and Assistant Professor Milos Popovic from Boston University and previously CU Boulder. They collaborated with a semiconductor manufacturing research team at the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) of the State University of New York at Albany.

The electrical signaling bottleneck between current microelectronic chips has left light communication as one of the only options left for further technological progress. The traditional method of data transfer-electrical wires-has a limit on how fast and how far it can transfer data. It also uses a lot of power and generates heat. With the relentless demand for higher performance and lower power in electronics, these limits have been reached. But with this new development, that bottleneck can be solved.

"Instead of a single wire carrying 10 to 100 gigabits per second, you can have a single optical fiber carrying 10 to 20 terabits per second -- so about a thousand times more in the same footprint," says Popovic.

"If you replace a wire with an optical fiber, there are two ways you win," he says. "First, with light, you can send data at much higher frequencies without significant loss of energy as there is with copper wiring. Second, with optics, you can use many different colors of light in one fiber and each one can carry a data channel. The fibers can also be packed more closely together than copper wires can without crosstalk."

In the past, progress to integrate a photonic capability onto state-of-the-art chips that are used in computers and smartphones was hindered by a manufacturing roadblock. Modern processors are enabled by highly developed industrial semiconductor manufacturing processes capable of stamping out a billion transistors that work together on one chip. But these manufacturing processes are finely tuned and designing an approach to include optical devices on chips while keeping the current electrical capabilities intact proved difficult.

The first major success in overcoming this roadblock was in 2015 when the same group of researchers published another paper in Nature that solved this problem, but did so in a limited commercially relevant setting. The paper demonstrated the world's first microprocessor with a photonic data transfer capability and the approach to manufacturing it without changing the original manufacturing process-a concept the researchers have termed a zero-change technology. Ayar Labs, Inc., a startup that Ram, Popovic and Stojanovic co-founded, has recently partnered with major semiconductor industry manufacturer GlobalFoundries to commercialize this technology.

However, this previous approach was applicable to a small fraction of state-of-the-art microelectronic chips that did not include the most prevalent kind, which use a starting material referred to as bulk silicon.

In the new paper, the researchers present a manufacturing solution applicable to even the most commercially widespread chips based on bulk silicon, by introducing a set of new material layers in the photonic processing portion of the silicon chip. They demonstrate that this change allows optical communication with no negative impact on electronics. By working with state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing researchers at CNSE Albany to develop this solution, the scientists ensured that any process that was developed could be seamlessly inserted into current industry-level manufacturing.

"By carefully investigating and optimizing the properties of the additional material layers for photonic devices, we managed to demonstrate state-of-the-art system-level performance in terms of bandwidth density and energy consumption while starting from a much less expensive process compared to competing technologies," says Fabio Pavanello, a former postdoctoral associate from Popovic's research group who is a co-first author of the paper with both Amir Atabaki, a research scientist at MIT, and Sajjad Moazeni, a graduate student at UC Berkeley. "It took a major collaboration over several years by our three groups across different disciplines to achieve this result," adds Atabaki.

The new platform, which brings photonics to state-of-the-art bulk silicon microelectronic chips, promises faster and more energy efficient communication that could vastly improve computing and mobile devices. Applications beyond traditional data communication include accelerating the training of deep-learning artificial neural networks used in image and speech recognition tasks, and low-cost infrared LIDAR sensors for self-driving cars, smartphone face identification and augmented reality technology. In addition, optically enabled microchips could enable new types of data security and hardware authentication, more powerful chips for mobile devices operating on 5th generation (5G) wireless networks, and components for quantum information processing and computing.

"For the most advanced current state-of-the-art and future semiconductor manufacturing technologies with electronic transistor dimensions below 20nm, there is no other way to integrate photonics than this approach.," concluded Vladimir Stojanovic, whose team led some of the work, "All of the material layers used to form transistors become too thin to support photonics, so the additional layers are needed."
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been associated with military activities for as long as wars have been fought -- but this disorder was only named in the 1980s. A new Yale paper published April 16, 2018 in Chronic Stress documents a different kind of war -- a war of words -- that has been fought over the name of the disorder, and may have slowed clinical and scientific progress on the disorder.

The study looked back through 14 million newspaper articles between 1900-2016, and found trauma-related symptoms such as flashbacks, trouble sleeping, and severe anxiety were called different names after World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. Terms such as shell shock, war neurosis, and battle fatigue were used to describe symptoms that many soldiers experienced after returning home from war.

The Yale-led research team used a complex computer coding program to comb through the archives of the New York Times, Reuters, and Associated Press, and found that as each war came and went, a new term was used to describe the disorder now referred to as PTSD. They argue that the lack clear terminology may have slowed professional understanding, knowledge, and research into PTSD.

"Each (military) conflict basically had its own new name for what were really the same group of symptoms," said Adam Chekroud, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and the paper's first author. "For us, this was an opportunity to dig into the data, and to quantify this phenomenon."

The paper revealed that PTSD symptoms were known as shell shock during World War I, and irritable heart or soldier's heart during World War II. The term gross stress reaction was introduced in the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual in 1952, but was omitted in a second edition in 1968 during the Vietnam War.

It wasn't until 1980, with the publication of the manual's third edition, that the term PTSD was introduced to describe military trauma and non-war related factors, such as sexual abuse. "PTSD has existed forever," Chekroud said. "It's just a question of what we've been calling it."

Chadi Abdallah, MD, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Yale and the editor of Chronic Stress, said the history of disjointed terminology resulted in a 60-year delay in understanding traumatic symptoms experienced by veterans and others.

"Society finally recognized that many people were suffering from the same symptoms," he said. "(The study) provides objective measures to how society has reacted to this invisible wound of war."
The vast majority of measles cases in Europe were reported in unvaccinated patients, and children younger than two years old were at a higher risk of dying from measles than older patients, according to research presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

Presenting author Dr Emmanuel Robesyn of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm said they analysed data to support European states in reaching the recommended 95% two-dose vaccination coverage. It also set out to determine any possible differences between society's youngest individuals and older populations when infected with the disease.

The study examined all 37,365 measles cases reported to the ECDC from 1 January 2013 through 31 December 2017. The researchers found 81% of all reported cases were patients who were not vaccinated. Most cases were in Italy, Romania, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, with each reporting more than 5% of the cases. These countries also had the most cases that had not been connected with importation of the disease.

The study also noted that 33% of the patients were hospitalised and 11% had pneumonia. Most cases, 81%, involved those who were two years old and older. Of the remaining 19% share, 9% were one year old and 10% younger than one year.

The rate at which patients died from the disease highlighted the impact measles had on the very youngest populations. ECDC's analysis showed that one in 1,000 measles patients died, and of those, the greatest fatality was seen in the youngest cases. Cases in one-year-olds were six times more likely to die compared with cases of patients who were two years old or older. Cases in infants younger than one year were seven times more likely to die.

The findings are based on ECDC data collected in the most recent years in the EU/EEA, which can benefit communication efforts to tackle resurgence of measles in Europe.

The World Health Organization has set goals for the elimination of measles and rubella. One of the main actions to achieve those goals is to maintain high rates of sustained immunizations.
West Nile virus (WNV), which is transmitted via mosquito bites, reemerged and spread to new territories of Greece in 2017 following a two-year hiatus in reported human cases, according to findings presented at the 28th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID).

During this reemergence, in the summer and early autumn of 2017, researchers diagnosed 45 cases from blood samples and cerebral spinal fluid from 180 patients who had symptoms and signs that probably indicated WNV. Prof. Athanassios Tsakris, who is head of the Microbiology Department at the University of Athens Medical School, and his team of researchers analysed the reemergence and presented the findings.

The researchers diagnosed 26 patients, or 57.8% of the new cases, with WNV neuroinvasive disease. They characterized the remaining 19 patients, or 42.2%, with WNV fever. The age of patients diagnosed with the neuroinvasive disease ranged from 15 to 91, with a median age of 63. Elderly patients with underlying diseases were particularly affected. Of the five patients who died (19.2% of those with neuroinvasive disease), all were older than 70.

All new cases emerged from southern Greece and most were reported in regions that had not been affected before. Of the 45 confirmed cases, 40 were in new territories: 37 in Argos and three in Corinthia prefecture. One case was reported in Crete and the remaining four were reported from previously affected prefectures of northwestern Peloponnese. Researchers analysed geographical data of the areas affected by the virus and concluded that Greece's landscape, such as natural and constructed wetlands, seem to influence the transmission and rate of new cases.

Prof. Tsakris says: "The reemergence of WNV after a two-year hiatus of reported human cases and its subsequent geographic expansion in newly affected areas demonstrates that Greece provides the appropriate ecological and climatic conditions for WNV circulation. The virus has been established in Greece and disease transmission may continue in the future."

"Epidemiological surveillance, intensive mosquito management programmes and public education about personal protective measures are crucial to prevent WNV transmission, especially among susceptible population groups," Tsakris said.

"The risk of WNV transmission is complex and multifactorial; it concerns the virus, the vectors, the animal reservoirs, the environmental conditions and human behaviour. Preventing or reducing of WNV transmission depends on successful controlling vector's abundance or interruption of human-vector contact. Also, targeted WNV surveillance within mosquito populations may contribute to the well-timed detection of the virus prior to its emergence in equine species or human populations," Prof. Tsakris emphasizes.

WNV is transmitted to humans via infected mosquito bites. The transmission period is typically between mid-summer and early autumn when mosquitos are most active. Most people infected with WNV have no symptoms, but 20% develop West Nile fever, a flu-like illness that causes fever and body aches. Less than 1% of infections progress to diseases with sever neurological manifestations, such as aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and acute flaccid paralysis.

Prof. Tsakris explains that the dramatic decline in cases in the previous two years may be result of the mosquito management strategy, i.e. the timely and proper use of effective larvicides, which has shrunk the populations of adult mosquitoes, and the preventive measures taken by the community to limit their exposure to WNV. Still, WNV continued to circulate in Greek territories as it was demonstrated by serological testing of birds in 2015, he adds.

"Additionally, the development of immune response against WNV may have reduced human cases by depleting the susceptible human population. It is also possible that WNV caused infections that were asymptomatic, as occurs in approx. 80% of cases, or that remained undetected including neuro-invasive cases," Tsakris says. "Of course, climatic conditions cannot be excluded since virus replication rate within mosquitoes, as well as vector competence and population dynamic, are mainly weather dependent."

The first outbreak of WNV in Greece was recorded in 2010 and was considered to be the largest epidemic in Europe since the 1996 outbreak in Romania. Most outbreaks in western Europe have been caused by WNV Lineage 1. In eastern Europe, however, Lineage 2, which emerged in Hungary in 2004, has been responsible for human and bird mortality, particularly in Greece.
The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced additional fraud charges stemming from an investigation of Centra Tech, Inc.'s $32 million initial coin offering.

In an amended complaint filed April 20, 2018, the SEC charged one of Centra's co-founders, Raymond Trapani, in a fraudulent scheme related to Centra's 2017 ICO, in which the company issued "CTR Tokens" to investors. Earlier this month, the SEC and criminal authorities charged Centra's two other co-founders, Sohrab "Sam" Sharma and Robert Farkas, for their roles in the scheme.

The SEC's amended complaint alleges that Trapani was a mastermind of Centra's fraudulent ICO, which Centra marketed with claims about nonexistent business relationships with major credit card companies, fictional executive bios, and misrepresentations about the viability of the company's core financial services products. The amended complaint further alleges that Trapani and Sharma manipulated trading in the CTR Tokens to generate interest in the company and prop up the price of the tokens.

Text messages among the defendants reveal their fraudulent intent. After receiving a cease-and-desist letter from a major bank directing him to remove any reference to the bank from Centra's marketing materials, Sharma texted to Farkas and Trapani: "[w]e gotta get that s[***] removed everywhere and blame freelancers lol." And, while trying to get the CTR Tokens listed on an exchange using phony credentials, Trapani texted Sharma to "cook me up" a false document, prompting Sharma to reply, "Don't text me that s[***] lol. Delete."

The SEC's amended complaint, filed in federal court in the Southern District of New York, charges Trapani with violating and aiding and abetting Centra's violations of Section 5(a), 5(c), and 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The amended complaint seeks permanent injunctions, the return of allegedly ill-gotten gains plus interest and penalties, as well as bars against Trapani prohibiting him from serving as a public company officer or director and from participating in any offering of digital or other securities. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York today announced criminal charges against Trapani.
Enough.

The word echoed across the quad of Pittsburg High School on Friday as students gathered at 10 a.m. to decry gun violence in schools and on the streets, one of countless sites across the country where young people paused to remember the 13 victims who died exactly 19 years earlier in the mass shooting at Columbine High School.

Enough, said the signs the students carried. And Enough, said those who stepped up to the microphone, repeating the hash-tagged battle cry of a generation of young people spurred to action following the Valentines Day slayings of 17 teachers and students in Parkland, Fla.

The Day of Action was the latest in a string of youth-led demonstrations calling for increased gun control and a focus on school safety, a national movement launched by the survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting in February.

The protests, which included a national student walkout on March 14 and the March for Our Lives on March 24, have challenged politicians to take up the gun debate, to consider a ban on assault weapons and an increase in the age required to buy a gun, from 18 to 21.

We dont want to live in fear were going to get shot up before we graduate, said Roxana Ramos, 18, one of the organizers of the Pittsburg High rally.

Teenagers across the country marched to city halls or chanted in school courtyards Friday, in many cases with the support of school administrators and teachers.

Educators are united in saying No More to the gun violence that has senselessly injured or taken the lives of too many students and too many school staff members, some of whom have bravely sacrificed themselves to shield their students from harm, said Eric Heins, president of the California Teachers Association, prior to attending a walkout at a Richmond elementary school. Words and condolences from policy makers are not enough. Its time for common-sense gun laws.

Now Playing: Day of action Video: SFChronicle

At Pittsburg High, students held a 30-minute rally, with voter registration tables, speeches, chanting and a five-minute moment of silence as a few dozen teens participated in a die-in, lying on the ground in remembrance of their fallen peers.

Civics and economics teacher Stacy Poppinga watched the rally in the shade of a voter registration tent, where dozens of teens were filling out forms and vowing to vote in the first election they could.

Poppinga recalled that at the start of the school year many students believed they didnt have a voice, that their vote wouldnt matter. Shes seen that perspective shift as students watched the Florida teens draw the attention of elected officials from city council chambers to state legislatures and all the way up to the White House.

This is really important to them, that they feel they matter and are not forgotten, she said.

Senior Alex Torres, 18, said he had many sleepless nights in the wake of the Parkland shooting, with sleep eluding him until 5 a.m. as he thought about the Florida victims and the potential victims at his own school.

I was thinking about their lives, about how much they mean to us, but not to the system, he said.

On Friday, he stepped up to the microphone to read a poem written in the wake of those long nights and out of those dark thoughts.

It was called, A Poem to Assault Rifles.

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While the defenseless minors of America are put to pressure, the only number going up is our body counts, he read as he neared the end of the poem. And the number after that: bullets made. And the number after that: caskets made.

After reading the poem, Alex surveyed the 3,000 students in his school quad and the hours of planning to gather them there. After the Parkland shooting, he felt he had to do something.

Enough was enough.

It had to stop there, Alex said.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
SACRAMENTO  Tenant-rights advocates say they have enough signatures to ask voters to repeal a 1990s law that sharply limits cities ability to impose residential rent control, potentially setting up a multimillion-dollar fight at the ballot box in November.

The law, known as the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, allows landlords in cities with rent control  including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and several others in the Bay Area  to raise the price of a unit to market rate whenever a tenant moves out. It also bans cities from imposing any rent caps on units built after February 1995.

Advocates for repealing Costa-Hawkins say California cities with tight housing markets need more tools to limit soaring rents. They said they will turn in more than 565,000 signatures on Monday for the Affordable Housing Act, as their initiative is called. Once advocates submit the petitions, the secretary of state will have a month to determine whether they contain the 365,880 valid signatures of registered voters needed to put the measure on the November ballot.

We feel confident we will qualify, said Amy Schur, statewide campaign director for the Alliance for Community Empowerment, one of the groups behind the initiative.

Schur said she feels just as confident that the initiative will win voter approval in November, despite the deep pockets of the California Apartment Association and other opponents. Her group is largely bankrolled by Los Angeles activist Michael Weinstein, president of the $1.3 billion nonprofit AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has poured millions into previous ballot measures.

We expect to be outspent, Schur said. There is no doubt about that. But we have the voters on our side.

Supporters say that because Costa-Hawkins allows landlords to raise rents to market rates when tenants move out, many rent-controlled units are now unaffordable to anyone but the wealthy.

In Berkeley, the median rent for a new tenant is $3,500 a month, according to the real estate website Zillow. A studio in San Francisco costs on average $2,500 a month, while the average price of all apartment rentals in March was $3,433, according to data from RentCafe.

In Sacramento, where groups are pushing for local rent control, prices increased 7.2 percent year-over-year, with the average rent hitting $1,300 per month.

We need more housing that is affordable to be built, Schur said. That is slow and expensive. In the meantime, the only policy step that will address the severe displacement crisis in the short term is the expansion of reasonable rent control. There is no other way to keep people in their homes now.

If a repeal passes, vacancy controls would not automatically be imposed. Cities with rent control would have to decide individually. The same is true for imposing price caps on post-1995 construction.

Opponents say repealing Costa-Hawkins will scare off developers and thus freeze construction on much-needed housing. That will drive rents higher, they say.

Debra Carlton of the California Apartment Association said Costa-Hawkins was the right fix two decades ago to extreme rent control in some cities.

New construction had come to a near-halt, Carlton said in January as she urged state lawmakers to reject a bill that would have done the same thing as the ballot proposal  repeal Costa-Hawkins.

That bill died in its first committee vote, after an emotional hearing before hundreds of tenants and landlords. When the measure was defeated by a single vote, dozens of people who supported the repeal rushed the front of the hearing room, chanting pro-rent control slogans.

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Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, who co-authored the bill, said he still believes a legislative fix is better than the all-or-nothing approach of a ballot measure to repeal and replace Costa-Hawkins.

Tenants are suffering tremendously during this housing crisis, and many are one rent payment away from eviction, Chiu said. Tenants desperately need help. There is still time to do something in the Legislature, if there is the will.

The California Apartment Association, business and real estate groups  all of which came out in force against Chius bill  are expected to spend big to fight the ballot proposal.

Our job will be to educate voters that this will pour gasoline on the housing crisis by freezing construction of new housing, said Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Californians for Responsible Housing, the opposition campaign.

Maviglio said the campaign expects proponents to spend upwards of $30 million and that they are prepared to more than match that. Both campaigns declined to discuss what they expected to spend.

If the measure qualifies, its going to be a heated campaign and one of the most controversial on the ballot, which results in it being more expensive, Maviglio said.

Melody Gutierrez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez
After decades of notoriety for demonstrating one of social psychologys fundamental tenets  how morally pliable most people are  Philip Zimbardo is understandably tired of being associated with the darker sides of human behavior.

I really dont want to be permanently labeled Dr. Evil, Zimbardo said.

Yet the 85-year-old San Francisco psychologist, who taught at Stanford for 50 years and remains a go-to authority on topics such as shyness and the paradox of time as well as social coercion, knows that history has a way of flattening careers into one landmark accomplishment. For Zimbardo, that would be the 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment.

As is well known to anyone who studied the infamous experiment in a Psych 101 course, as a young professor, Zimbardo devised a mock jail in the basement of Stanfords Jordan Hall to study the psychology of imprisonment. Twenty-four volunteer students played the roles of guards and prisoners  until all hell broke loose (guards putting bags over prisoners heads, chaining their legs) and Zimbardo, the warden, abruptly cut the study short.

Ever since, his prison experiment has been cultural shorthand for proof of the permeable line between good and evil, that in depersonalized circumstances moral authority can crumble, turning anyone temporarily into a tyrant.

What is far less known to a public still fascinated with the debacle half a century later is that embedded within Zimbardos findings on the banality of evil was the kernel of a vastly more positive and, he believes, more broadly consequential idea, one that has consumed his attention for the past decade: heroism training.

If essentially good people are capable of evil, then cant any of us also be inspired and trained to act heroically, to resist negative social pressure? he asks. Cant the social habits of heroism be taught?

Zimbardo posed similar questions in a 2008 TED Talk. EBay founder Pierre Omidyar, who happened to be in the audience, urged Zimbardo to develop the idea, offering funding for a nonprofit to study and promote heroism.

The Heroic Imagination Project was launched in 2010 with a staff of 10 and an office in the Presidio, and started essentially from scratch, Zimbardo said.

There was nothing on heroism in psychological literature at that time, he said on a recent afternoon in the Russian Hill home where hes lived since 1975. I worked with a team of academics to develop six three-hour-long lessons on transforming passive bystanders into active heroes. And I said, OK, Im devoting the rest of my life to this. My only concern is running out of time.

Heroism science is now a burgeoning transdisciplinary field of academic research, extending into law, public policy, business and medicine, said Scott T. Allison, a University of Richmond professor of psychology and chairman of the Heroic Imagination Project Science Committee.

Phil goes all over the world promoting the cause, training people to adopt heroic mind-sets, Allison said. And the preliminary anecdotal evidence shows our training modules are working.

Put into action, this means people intervening in situations in which they used to remain passive: standing up to a bully, calling out wrongdoing at work, helping an injured or distressed stranger, or even interceding on someones behalf in a life-threatening situation.

The project has become a preeminent research and educational organization for hero training, offering workshops to high school and college-age students, educators and the general public in 12 countries to date.

Duke Downey / The Chronicle

This weekend, the project will convene the Hero Round Table, its first global heroism conference at the Marines Memorial Theatre in San Francisco. Among the participants: Pentagon Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg; Auschwitz survivor, psychologist and author Edith Eger; Dr. James Doty, director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education; 15:17 to Paris film star and real-life train-attack hero Anthony Sadler.

Ebullient and fast-talking, Zimbardo can relate recent stories about heroic actors from around the world. One gets the sense that he may be racing the clock to live down his negatively tinged legacy, but also that, at this late stage in his career, hes found a field of inquiry that keeps him on psychologys cutting edge  and is better aligned with his relentlessly upbeat personality.

Ive always been an extreme optimist, and a helper, he said. Growing up poor in the South Bronx, my mother always said, Your job is to make life happier for your brothers and sisters.

While the prison experiment looms large over his reputation, Zimbardo has managed to stay both academically relevant and highly regarded publicly over the intervening decades. Hes an expert in a staggering array of psychological phenomena, including time perspective, attitudinal change, de-individuation and shyness. Hes written 60 books and recently rewrote the eighth edition of his widely used textbook Core Concepts in Psychology.

He travels three months of the year, speaking to audiences around the world about what he calls my journey from evil to embracing the heroic. He returned recently from London to lecture a few days later to a group of Russian bankers at Stanford.

Looking back now, I see I should have been studying heroes much earlier. In my boyhood friend Stanley Milgrams (electric shock) experiments at Yale in the 60s, or in my prison study, of course we saw how relatively easy it is for the majority of ordinary people to be seduced into committing evil acts, he said. But there was always a minority of people I should have been focused on who resisted the pressures. Like Christina.

That would be Zimbardos wife, Christina Maslach. Back in 1971, she had just received her doctorate in social psychology from Stanford when she became disturbed enough by the behavior she saw during the prison experiment to persuade Zimbardo, then her boyfriend, to halt the study.

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There isnt a scientific explanation yet for why some people like Maslach seem more naturally ready to defend a moral cause, even at some degree of personal risk. Genes, family values and an empathy gene all have been posited, but social science is starting to back Zimbardos claims about the efficacy of training people to put their compassion into civic action.

A new study published in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology, surveying fourth- and fifth-grade children in Michigan after hero training, is the first empirical evidence for statistically significant changes in courageous action in schoolchildren, said Zeno Franco, a professor at Medical College of Wisconsin who has worked closely with Zimbardo since 2003.

Theres now research that shows that just learning about the bystander effect, about its existence, reduces bystander behavior, said Hero Round Table founder Matt Langdon, whos publishing a Heros Handbook aimed at young readers later this year. Hero training is very similar to CPR training. We hope you never have to use it, but if you do, we want you to be prepared.

The key to awakening everyones heroic instincts, Zimbardo said, is twofold: first, redefining who a hero is. We must debunk the myth of a heroic elect, he said, and instead promote the idea that heroes are ordinary people who take extraordinary action.

Second, its about having a growth mind-set  a popular psychology buzz phrase coined by Zimbardos famous colleague and former student, Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, for ones belief that our abilities and aptitudes arent static but can be developed over time. Heroism begins in the mind, with thinking of yourself as a hero, Zimbardo said.

People might think (Zimbardo has) done a 180 by turning to heroism from evil, but I dont think so, Dweck said. I dont see it as a sharp turn because in almost all of his past work ... hes seen people who resisted the group mentality, kept their bearing and acted in what wed call a heroic manner. Rather than changing his interest, hes turned the focus to them. Hes asking, Are they just an extraordinary few, or do all of us have that potential within?

As a hero builder, Im excited by this moment, seeing the start of strong heroic movements like the #MeToo women and the (Parkland) kids opposing guns, Zimbardo said. When one person stands up against injustice, dishonesty or fraud, its easier for others to take action, too. They remind us all that heroism is not an abstract concept, but a continual personal choice.

Jessica Zack is a freelance writer who contributes regularly to The San Francisco Chronicle.

The Hero Round Table: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $149-$249 (school and nonprofit discounts available). Marines Memorial Theatre, 609 Sutter St., S.F. www.heroroundtable.com/sf
Paul Mann wants to create a safe space for white men.

Mann, a white man who has spent years in the education industry, has begun leading workshops in San Francisco that encourage people in his demographic to explore feelings about race and gender and think about how to better assist women and nonwhites in their workplaces.

Most diversity training is inclusive of all races and genders. But Stepping Up, Manns program that began in January, is unusual because the workshops are designed for white men and led by a white man.

Its an approach that has inevitably stirred controversy. Its not something that Starbucks, for example, will pursue when it closes its stores in May for a half-day diversity training in the wake of the arrest of two black men at a Philadelphia coffee shop. And creating a safe space, a stated goal of Stepping Up, is a concept traditionally associated with people who feel marginalized or victimized.

But Mann says some white men are afraid of saying the wrong thing or worry theyll be put on the defensive  and Stepping Up allows them to express themselves openly and practice language without hurting anyone.

All this attention has been paid to tech companies not having enough women and not being racially diverse, Mann said. It just seems obvious to me that we are ignoring the whole half of the equation, which is white people and men.

Kim Scott, a former Google executive and author of the leadership book, Radical Candor, strongly disagrees with the approach, saying its important to learn from people with different backgrounds and perspectives.

I am glad they care enough to discuss the issue, Scott said. Im very sorry to hear that white men feel so fearful that they feel they have to have this conversation without inviting women and minorities to join.

Stepping Up, a for-profit business, held its first two public workshops this year. Each was attended by 12 men, who paid $100 to $300 based on their income. Those who made less than $60,000 could qualify for a scholarship. People of other genders and races havent attended his workshops, but Mann says hes open to having a conversation if they want to come. He has no more public workshops scheduled and is instead reaching out to technology companies, schools and education nonprofits to see if they are interested in Stepping Up workshops for their employees.

Before the recent workshops, men were encouraged to listen to or read material relating to race, like the podcast Seeing White, which discusses the history of whiteness. Together, they talk about racially charged incidents where they felt uncomfortable.

Tucker Hutchinson attended one of the workshops after hearing about it through a friend and called it a rewarding experience. Before attending, Hutchinson said, he would never have emailed a group of guy friends to discuss a passage about racial injustice. But recently Hutchinson and other men who went through Stepping Up got together to do just that. They ate roast chicken and vegetables, and talked about a passage from African American writer bell hooks book, The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love.

It felt fun, said Hutchinson, 32, chief operating officer for a Berkeley startup that markets overseas travel programs.

Mann, 37, was most recently a recruiter with Rocketship Public Schools, a network of charter schools. Fifteen years ago, he said, he wouldnt have thought of race as a major factor in peoples lack of opportunity; it seemed more of a socioeconomic or class issue. His thinking evolved after he worked in the education industry and learned through reading and from African American women friends.

During his work in Stepping Up, Mann recalled, a client told Mann about an incident in which an African American employee accused him of race-based favoritism. The clients initial reaction was that he had to defend himself. Mann says that in situations like these, people tend to think only one person can be right, but that perhaps in this case, they were both right.

Often, when people hurt others, they want to focus on the intent, but what really matters is the impact, Mann said.

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He may not have intended to cause harm, but he did, Mann said. Its important, once thats acknowledged, to listen, learn, apologize and make it right.

Mann says his workshop is for those who enjoy privileged status (white men are often in leadership roles in tech companies, for example) and want to use it to help women and people of color.

He recalled an instance in which his nonwhite students felt they were receiving different treatment based on their race, and he was able to speak on their behalf. Colleagues who were women and nonwhite had raised these issues with the program before, but their complaints were not taken as seriously until Mann spoke up.

Melissa Thomas-Hunt, a vice provost for inclusive excellence at Vanderbilt University, said Stepping Up could be the starting point for white men to have a larger conversation about diversity. Yes, I would love it if white men and white women were willing to say, I am comfortable in sitting in discomfort, she said. As human beings that is not where we are. It feels unrealistic to ask people to subject themselves to it.

Kourtni Marshall, a member and former co-chairman of the Black Googler Network, also sees how the program could be beneficial. If we can create a space, in whatever way, for people to genuinely investigate this stuff, especially from a seat of more empowered people to make further changes in their circle and friends  that is how we move further as a society, Marshall said.

Scott, the author and former Google executive, believes its important to open the conversation to everybody. Years ago when she was an intern, she said, the CEO of the company told her that he didnt know they let pretty girls be interns. She told the story to a group, and many women said they wouldnt know how to respond. An older white man offered a potential rejoinder: When you say something like that, it breaks my heart and it makes me think I wont be successful here.

There is increasingly this tendency for men and women to break into their separate spaces, Scott said. Were never going to sort this problem out unless we talk with each other.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
Flickr, the popular photo-sharing site that has long been part of Yahoo, will soon have a new owner  Mountain View firm SmugMug.

SmugMug, a rival photo-sharing site, said Friday that the companies will continue to operate as separate properties with the shared goal of providing photographers with both a place to fit in and a place to stand out. Flickr, with offices in San Francisco, has more than 75 million accounts, while SmugMug has millions of paying customers, SmugMug CEO Don MacAskill said.

We will move heaven and earth to thrill you and photographers everywhere, MacAskill wrote in response to a Twitter user.

MacAskill said in an interview that he intends to bring Flickrs staff  estimated at dozens of people  to SmugMug, and the company is looking for a San Francisco office that will help accommodate those employees.

We want them all, and I think they all want to come, he said. They are a great team.

The terms of the deal were not made public.

Yahoo acquired Flickr in 2005, an early Web deal that the search giant hoped would help revitalize it. But many observers felt that Flickr did not reach its full potential, losing ground to upstarts like Facebook and Instagram for social and mobile photo sharing. Longtime users complained that Flickr under Yahoo was slow to add features. Under former CEO Marissa Mayer, Yahoo sought to rejuvenate Flickr by promising more storage, but those efforts didnt seem to help Flickr regain lost ground.

There were also some snafus, like when Flickrs photo-categorizing software labeled some black people as apes or when Flickr pulled millions of photos from its online marketplace after photographers grew concerned that the company might not share revenue or notify photographers whose work was being sold through Creative Commons licenses.

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Flickr said that it is returning to the focus that made us the worlds trailblazing online photography community.

We are reinforcing our commitment to creators and making sure Flickr remains the best place for them to connect, to share, and to develop their passion, the company said.

Verizon purchased Yahoos Internet properties last year for $4.5 billion. It recently sold Polyvore, an online fashion site.

Wendy Lee is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: wlee@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thewendylee
Angry comments about racism now swamp the Yelp page for the Philadelphia Starbucks that had two black men arrested. Across its top are splashed historic photos of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists being dragged away by police from whites-only restaurants, juxtaposed against cell phone images and videos of the current-day men being handcuffed.

The Starbucks incident rekindled attention to Berkeleys Elmwood Cafe, which shooed away black comedian W. Kamau Bell in 2015. That, too, incited numerous disparaging Yelp reviews this week accusing it of racial profiling. The cafe abruptly closed early Friday and shuttered its website and social media accounts.

Outraged by reports of businesses behaving badly, netizens often take to Yelp to express their disgust with a tidal wave of one-star ratings and negative reviews. Its a perfect forum in a way: They can use Yelp as a megaphone to directly hurt a companys bottom line by deterring future customers. But for San Franciscos Yelp, the online vigilantism forces it to walk a tricky line in maintaining the integrity of its reviews without appearing to squelch free speech.

Our goal is to be transparent with the actions we take to protect the quality of content on our site, preserve consumers freedom of speech, and shield businesses from online harassment, wrote Yelp vice president Shannon Eis in a 2016 blog post. These media storms are complicated situations that create a dilemma for Yelp, but weve chosen to take a strong and consistent stance on managing them and the content they create.

Yelp flags controversial businesses that have drawn activists ire with a red-outlined box called Active Cleanup Alert, which says that its policy is to remove both positive and negative posts that appear to be motivated more by the news coverage itself than the reviewers personal consumer experience with the business. The box explains that Yelp will soon scrub non-customer reviews from the targeted pages, and suggests that people instead post thoughts on Yelp Talk, its open discussion forum.

Yelp revenge has become part of the narrative for high-profile hullabaloos. The Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the lion, bakeries that refuse to make cakes for gay weddings, and a Dublin, Ireland, cafe that required a doctors note for gluten-free requests all were inundated by indignant reviewers  most of whom had never patronized those businesses.

First Amendment experts said Yelp is justified in its approach.

For Yelp to help consumers make better choices in the marketplace, its completely legitimate to limit feedback to people who actually engaged with the vendors, said Eric Goldman, director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University. It wants consumers to talk about their personal experience with a business. Political protests dont answer those questions.

Likewise, Liz Woolery, senior policy analyst at the Center for Democracy and Technology, which works to protect civil liberties in the digital age, said Yelp appears to be striking a good balance.

They are being transparent about what they are doing, telling Yelp users whats happening and even giving a timeline for when reviews might come down, she said. They are not getting involved in whether they agree with the speech at issue, just saying the platform is for firsthand user reviews, and content that doesnt meet that criteria will have to come down. They are doing that in the interest of keeping Yelps purpose and character true.

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Yelp isnt the only site that has to struggle with this issue. Wikipedia entries and Amazon reviews at times have been taken over by people using them for social commentary or ribald humor.

But, experts said, online activists have multiple channels to express themselves. Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor and the whole range of social media all welcome people to express diverse viewpoints.

If Yelp didnt intervene, it would get many comments that are ill-informed at best, Goldman said. That might overwhelm experiences from actual consumers. If you have 100 reviews from actual consumers and 1 million from angry people who never engaged with the business, it makes it impossible to get a full picture. Thats a bad user experience.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
You know real estate is out of control when ...

A fire-blackened home in San Jose is up for sale at $800,000. Now a Fremont house thats condemned due to a leaky roof and mildew just sold for $1.23 million, $230,000 over the asking price. This pair of knockdowns are telling us what we dont want to hear. The housing crisis is getting worse to an absurd degree.

Calling them dumps is an insult to trash heaps. Each house is a teardown, meaning its the land thats up for sale. Whatever comes next will be more expensive, likely in the $2 million plus range. No wonder people sleep in tents and under freeways.

Real estate war stories get people talking. Maybe these two examples will get the Bay Area and the rest of California headed toward action. Sacramento just whiffed by voting down a plan obliging cities to build more dwelling units.

If that message stands, get ready for more million-dollar wrecks in your neighborhood.

Marshall Kilduff, editorial writer
ELKHORN SLOUGH, Monterey County  The sea otters frolicked, groomed one another, floated on their backs cracking crab or, in one pairs case, rolled around in amorous embrace in this marshy slough.

The whiskered creatures were entertaining, but Karl Mayer, the sea otter program coordinator for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, was more interested in the bed of eelgrass that his boat was hovering over. Specifically, he was interested in the effect the otters have had on the underwater plants.

The fast-growing population of otters, he found, has revitalized the eelgrass beds in the once-degraded waterway, which meanders from the headwaters in San Benito County through Moss Landing and flows out into Monterey Bay.

The otters eat the crabs that feed on the sea slugs that consume the algae that kill the eelgrass.

With fewer crabs, he said, the sea slugs proliferated and devoured algae, allowing the eelgrass to flourish. That, in turn, has reduced mud and erosion in the tidal creeks and channels, revived fish and invertebrate populations and increased nutrients in the estuary.

This is the largest bed of eelgrass, Mayer said as he slowly steered the inflatable boat toward a group of a half-dozen otters hanging out in and around the underwater greenery. This was less than half this size a few years ago. Its growing in places where it didnt even exist before.

Now Playing: Monterey Bay Aquarium scientist Karl Mayer explains how rescues sea otter pups have helped the Elkhorn Slough ecosystem Video: SFChronicle

The discovery of abundant eelgrass in a single slough may not sound like a watershed moment, but it is a major clue in the effort to save sea otters along the California coast, where large numbers are dying from shark attacks.

The deaths are happening in large part because the otters do not have enough kelp to hide behind, according to a study by the aquarium released in March.

As it turns out, though, otters have the same nurturing effect on kelp as they do on eelgrass, an insight Mayer thinks could lead to habitat improvements that might help the animals expand their range.

The rapid growth of the eelgrass is the unexpected result of a 15-year effort to save stranded and orphaned young sea otters, rehabilitate them at the aquarium and release them in the Elkhorn Slough refuge, where it was assumed they would be safe from predators.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

The largest tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay was mostly a muddy scoured-out channel when the program started in the early 2000s. Nobody anticipated that sea otters could revive it, but Mayer and his colleagues figured the habitat was suitable for sea otter releases because a small population of transient males was already living there.

Since the program began, 30 rescued otters have been affixed with radio trackers and released. Nine of the released females have since had 45 to 50 pups. The population in the refuge is now 140 and growing.

Its important because southern sea otters now occupy less than 25 percent of their historic range, which once stretched from Baja all the way along the West Coast to Canada, including a big population in San Francisco Bay.

Fur traders seeking their luscious coats killed hundreds of thousands of them starting in the 1700s. They were thought to be extinct in California by 1938, when a small population of about 50 was discovered near Big Sur.

In 1977, southern sea otters were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and an intensive effort began to help them recover. The frolicsome mammals now range from Half Moon Bay to Point Conception in Santa Barbara County, but the population has stagnated, with the count remaining below 3,000 for more than a decade.

The problem, marine biologists say, is that all the surviving sea otters are scrunched into a small area and there isnt enough food for them.

The aquarium study, which analyzed 725 otters that washed ashore between 1984 and 2015, found that many of the otters that ventured north or south were attacked by sharks. Thats because the kelp canopy on the periphery of their range had been devoured by sea urchins.

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.

The study, published in the journal Ecography, said the sea urchin population skyrocketed after the 2013 outbreak of a disease that killed off sea stars, the urchins primary predator. Without kelp cover, which exists throughout the rest of their range, sea otters, especially mothers and their pups, became sitting ducks for sharks, according to the study.

Along the open coast, kelp forests are essential for reducing vulnerability to white shark bites and providing reproductive females with habitat essential for rearing pups, said Teri Nicholson, an aquarium researcher and the primary author of the study, which Mayer co-wrote.

The nexus to Mayers Elkhorn rescue program is that the pups his team has been rescuing were often made orphans by sharks or abandoned by their starving mothers.

At first, aquarium biologists attempted to raise the rescued pups themselves, but the animals imprinted on humans and started approaching surfers and scuba divers once they were released. Then, in about 2003, the aquarium staff began pairing the rescued pups with captive female otters, eight of which have since acted as surrogate mothers.

Paul Chinn / The Chronicle

The number of animals in the slough is expected to grow to 145 this year when the pups currently being raised at the aquarium are released. Of the five surrogates that are still part of the aquarium sea otter exhibit, one of them, Rosa, has raised 14 pups.

All of the surrogate mothers have been highly protective of the introduced pups, Mayer said, keeping human contact with the pups to a minimum.

Mayer said sea otters eat urchins and, like they did with the eelgrass, could be used to restore kelp beds if ravenous sharks could be kept away. He believes it is his job, and the duty of the other researchers in the aquarium rescue program, to figure out how to reintroduce surrogate-reared sea otters outside their current range and help them do in the ocean what they did in Elkhorn Slough.

Cumulatively we have this unprecedented data set off all the otters that were released, Mayer said. They wound up being a really valuable tool from an ecological standpoint. They are a means of learning about the wild population ... and a mechanism by which sea otters expand.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite
The Santa Clara County judge who sentenced a Stanford athlete to six months in jail for sexual assault should be recalled  something that hasnt happened in California since 1932  to send a message about violence against women and judicial accountability, the leader of the recall campaign said Friday in a rare public debate.

An opponent countered that the real message of a recall of Judge Aaron Persky would be to Perskys fellow judges: Increase your sentences or risk losing your job, even as California struggles to reduce its huge prison population.

The effort to recall Persky, a judge since 2003, will be on the Santa Clara County ballot June 5 after his foes, led by Stanford law Professor Michele Dauber, submitted 95,000 signatures from voters. The flash point was his June 2016 sentence of Brock Turner to six months in jail after the former Stanford swimmer was convicted of three counts of felony sexual assault for digitally penetrating a woman who had passed out after drinking at a fraternity party in January 2015.

State law provided a maximum sentence of six years in prison. Persky said a prison term would have a severe impact on Turner, who had no previous criminal record, and also noted that the courts probation department had recommended a term in county jail rather than state prison. A state law passed in response to the case now requires at least three years in prison for the crime.

Perskys actions in the Turner case and several other cases show he does not understand violence against women and does not take it seriously, Dauber said at the debate in San Francisco, sponsored by the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association of Northern California. Judges in the state are elected, she said, and must be accountable to the people they serve.

But Ellen Kreitzberg, a Santa Clara University law professor representing recall opponents, said judges swear an oath to disregard public opinion and follow the law, and will be hard-pressed to keep their pledges if Persky is ousted.

Judges will be looking over their shoulder and think twice before they issue any decision on a controversial issue, Kreitzberg said.

She said unethical judges can be reined in by the states Commission on Judicial Performance, which looked into Perskys conduct and found no ethical violations. Dauber has called the commissions findings one-sided and biased.

The last recall of a California judge happened 86 years ago, when Los Angeles voters removed three judges who had been accused of taking kickbacks. In 1913, San Francisco voters recalled a judge, Charles Weller, after he set a low bail for an accused sex criminal.

Persky supporters drew a parallel to a more recent event that was not a judicial recall but a regularly scheduled state Supreme Court retention election in 1986. Voters ousted Chief Justice Rose Bird and Justices Cruz Reynoso and Joseph Grodin after a campaign that focused on their votes to overturn death sentences. It was the first time a justice of the states highest court had been removed since California adopted retention election in 1934, and it led to appointment of new justices who regularly voted to uphold death sentences.

Youre saying the same thing as the people who took out the three justices, J. Anthony Kline, a state appeals court justice in San Francisco, told Dauber during a question-and-answer period. Youre blind to the reactionary impact this is going to have on the courts of this state.

In response, Dauber said those who believe judges will be intimidated by a recall that focuses on the sentencing practices of a single jurist have a dim view of judicial intelligence and judicial integrity.

Kreitzberg, however, said she is already seeing judges ratcheting up their sentences.

Persky was not present at the debate, held at the Hayes Street Grill in San Francisco.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Increased exposure among pregnant women to a class of flame-retardant chemicals found in older furniture and other everyday consumer products is linked to lower IQs in their children, UCSF researchers found in a study that is certain to further ignite the debate over the chemicals.

Examining data from nearly 3,000 mother-child pairs from previous studies done around the world, the authors concluded that every tenfold increase in womens exposure during pregnancy to chemicals known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers, or PBDEs, was associated with a 3.7-point decrease in their childrens IQ.

The study was published Thursday in Environmental Health Perspectives, a journal supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. It comes a little more than a week after a San Francisco supervisor introduced legislation that would ban all flame-retardant chemicals from furniture, baby strollers and other childrens products sold in the city.

That proposal, an effort to bring down cancer rates and lessen developmental problems in children, was criticized by the chemical industry, which said flame retardants have for decades been instrumental in protecting people and allowing manufacturers to meet tough product-safety standards.

The UCSF study only evaluated exposure to PBDEs, which were phased out from use in new manufacturing since 2004 but remain in used furniture and other products.

The universitys team acknowledged that the difference in IQ scores related to chemical exposure might seem small. But such differences can necessitate increased services and support for children and heap personal and economic burdens onto families, said lead author Juleen Lam, an associate research scientist at UCSFs Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment.

Researchers also found a statistical link between PBDEs and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but cautioned that more studies are necessary to better understand the relationship.

While previous research on the chemicals has found similar health risks, the UCSF study provides the most comprehensive analysis of international data and the most definitive results, said co-author Tracey Woodruff, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences.

There are many, many, many couches out there that still have this flame retardant in them, Woodruff said.

A chemical industry representative, while noting that PBDEs have been banned for years, said Thursday that fire safety is important, and that consumers dont have to choose between it and their personal health. He said flame retardants used in todays products are subject to review by the EPA and other regulatory agencies around the world.

Flame retardants provide consumers with a critical layer of fire protection, and they help save lives, said Bryan Goodman, a spokesman for the American Chemistry Council. The major manufacturers of flame retardants have spent millions of dollars on research both before and after their products go on the market.

PBDEs and other flame-retardant chemicals are found in couches, computers, consumer plastics, mattresses, insulation and car parts, among other products. The chemicals can migrate into dust, endangering infants who crawl around on floors and people who eat at their computers, according to scientists.

The women in the study who had higher levels of PBDE exposure would have likely ingested the chemicals through food, dust or hand-to-mouth contact in their homes or other locations they frequented, researchers said.

The chemicals became common starting in the 1970s, after California imposed strict fire-safety regulations on manufacturers. The state acted largely in response to fires started by cigarettes, which were manufactured so they would continue to burn even if the smoker set them down  or fell asleep.

In recent years, health concerns related to the fire retardants have prompted state and international legislation to remove such chemicals from products. In California, legislators approved new fire standards in 2013 that allowed manufacturers to use nonchemical safety measures, but they stopped short of banning all flame retardants.

Despite a series of bans and phaseouts, nearly everyone is still exposed to PBDE flame retardants, and children are at the most risk, Woodruff said. Our findings should be a strong wake-up call to those policymakers currently working to weaken or eliminate environmental health protections.

Consumers, however, are already finding their own way to chemical-free home goods made in the Bay Area and beyond.

We have people who seek us out from all over the country because very few people sell or specialize in this, said Rowena Finegan, owner of Pine Street Interiors in Sausalito, which sells health-conscious furniture and other household items, including nontoxic glue. We have a lot of demand.

But it can be financially difficult for many families to buy their way out of chemical exposure, said Avery Lindeman, deputy director of the Green Science Policy Institute in Berkeley.

The good news is that the more studies there are like this, the harder it will be for decision-makers to ignore, she said.

In the meantime, Lindeman said, people can employ simple practices to reduce exposure even if chemicals are in their home, including washing hands frequently to reduce the transfer from hand to mouth.

The legislation introduced July 25 in San Francisco by Supervisor Mark Farrell would, if passed, make the city the first in the nation to ban all flame-retardant chemicals. Farrell said banning the chemicals would not only protect children and families, but firefighters.

Advocates for firefighters have linked flame retardants to what they call an epidemic of cancer cases in the citys station houses. Blood tests of 12 city firefighters in 2014 showed that all had high levels of dioxins, which are released when compounds in flame retardants catch fire.

While PBDEs are no longer used, Woodruff said, the lingering health impact should inform choices by public officials.

We should not be putting these chemicals that hang around a really long time into our products, she said. Maybe we should ask if theyre dangerous to our health before we put them in everything we use.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker

Reducing exposure

Experts say there are a number of ways for consumers to reduce exposure to fire-retardant chemicals:

Wash your hands frequently to avoid hand-to-mouth transfer.

Use a vacuum fitted with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.

Wet mop to reduce dust.

Check labels: Furniture with foam labeled California TB117 likely contains fire retardants, while TB117-2013 is less likely to contain the chemicals.

Consider wood furniture or furniture filled with polyester, down, wool or cotton.

Prevent young children from touching and mouthing items with fire-retardant chemicals, including cell phones and remote controls.
Lilia Scott was dismayed when she tried taking her 2-year-old daughter, Cybelle - who was sitting in a stroller - onto a J-Church train on a recent evening. Despite the train being almost completely empty, a Muni employee "assisting" passengers at the front door told Scott the stroller was a no-go.

"I told him, 'No, actually that's no longer the rule, and you should check with the Board of Supervisors on this,' " said Scott, a Sunnyside resident and, ironically, a transit planner in the South Bay. "He backed off at that point, but he still acted like he was doing me a favor."

The employee insisted Scott remove Cybelle from her stroller, fold the stroller, leave it near the driver and take seats several feet away.

We hate to use these words, but technically, the Muni employee was right.

The Board of Supervisors passed legislation in April urging Muni to make it easier for parents to take babies and toddlers in strollers on buses. For decades, the agency has left it up to drivers' discretion as to whether to allow strollers at all - and to require that the child be removed and the stroller folded up if it is permitted.

The agency has also prohibited parents from wheeling strollers onto buses using wheelchair lifts or ramped platforms. It has been a major pet peeve for parents in the city who have bigger fish to fry - like, say, affording a house or paying for pricey child care.

Last spring, Supervisors David Chiu and Sean Elsbernd proposed legislation telling Muni to allow babies to remain in strollers as long as they're not blocking the aisle, the wheels are locked and the kids are strapped in.

They also said Muni should allow wheelchair lift boarding for strollers. The legislation passed unanimously.

Ten months later, the changes are on the way, but like a Muni bus itself, they're still not here yet.

That means the gestation period for the new policy is longer than the gestation period for an actual baby.

Paul Rose, spokesman for Muni, said a Stroller Guideline Update is being circulated among Muni drivers, which is the same thing he said when we asked about it in July.

A miffed Chiu said Muni has "repeatedly assured me that they were fully implementing the new stroller policy. Their lack of follow-through is troubling."

Chiu said he promptly called Muni chief Ed Reiskin, who assured him the stroller policy was changed last year.

Rose then clarified that the agency decided to make the changes last year, but has been in "a transitional period" since then to study its effects. Formal implementation will happen March 1, he said.

If it's such a lengthy, confusing process to allow baby strollers with real, live babies in them onto buses, we shudder to think how long it will take City Hall to solve all those other issues driving families out of San Francisco.

Broken record: We told you last week how Mayor Ed Lee's newfound interest in reforming the beleaguered Housing Authority was like deja vu since Mayor Gavin Newsom said the same thing in 2007.

Turns out you could call it deja vu all over again - again. Former mayor and current Chronicle columnist Willie Brown told me after Lee's recent State of the City address that one of the first things he did as mayor was fire the agency's executive director and bring in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to take control.

The major issues back then included dire finances and major maintenance problems - the same two areas plaguing the agency now.

Brown blames it on slacker employees.

"Believe me, if you talk to the tenants, they will tell you how awful it is to have the Housing Authority as their landlord, because people who run it don't want to work there," he said.

He doesn't include Henry Alvarez - the director who's heading for the door after myriad Chronicle stories detailing alleged bullying and intimidation - in that category, however.

"I think Henry Alvarez is a good Housing Authority director," Brown said. "Unfortunately for him, the newspaper got him."

Fun fact: Supervisor Carmen Chu is heading for the assessor's office - and taking her seniority with her. She was appointed by then-Mayor Gavin Newsom in September 2007 to replace disgraced Supervisor Ed Jew.

In City's Hall's never-ending game of musical chairs, Chu will take over for Assessor Phil Ting, who was elected in November to the Assembly.

That will make Supervisor David Campos the board's senior member. He was elected to his seat in November 2008 and was sworn in the next month, about a month ahead of schedule, when his predecessor, Tom Ammiano, left early to join the Assembly.

Other supervisors elected in November 2008 but not sworn in until January 2009 - John Avalos, Eric Mar and David Chiu - are next in line seniority-wise.

As the senior member, Campos get his choice of seats in the chambers, parking spaces and offices. He said he'll move into Chu's office after she leaves because it has more windows, more light and a history of gay occupants. (Ammiano and Bevan Dufty used the office before Chu.)

"We're going to bring back some LGBT flavor to it," Campos said.

Quote of the week

"I'm going to dance salsa, and my wife is going to laugh." District Attorney George Gascon, on a Valentine's Day dance extravaganza at City Hall to raise domestic violence awareness
Some of the tiniest insects around joined some of San Franciscos tiniest humans this weekend for a day of creepy, crawly fun.

Randall Museums annual Bug Day was held Saturday, the first one since the space  owned by San Francisco Recreation and Park Department  reopened with $9 million worth in renovations.

Scores of kids and their parents descended on the childrens museum tucked up a hill in the Corona Heights neighborhood for a morning of science education.

This is one of our beloved events that weve been doing at the Randall, said Nancy Ellis, science curator at the the museum. Its really important for folks to understand how important insects are to humans.

The event featured movies ranging from A Bugs Life to Charlottes Web, and a variety of activities. For free, toddlers could take part in the Bug Olympics, flapping their make-believe wings and hopping over tiny obstacles. For $4, older kids could make their own insects at the wood shop.

But the honeybees were the headliners. A bee house tent attracted oohs and aahs from the kids every few minutes. At a nearby booth, they could taste local honey.

My son is loving it, said Katie OBrien of San Francisco, watching as her son, Archer, dipped a tiny wooden sample stick into the jars. Hes eating all the honey.

She held her 1-year-old daughter, CC, as Archer, 5, returned to the table to critique each flavor. The honey jars came from various neighborhoods in the city, so each had a unique taste, based on the flowers in the area.

OK, thats enough, buddy, OBrien said, as Archer came back to the honey table for seconds and thirds and fourths.

But soon, he fixed his eyes on the creatures that created it.

Mommy, I want to see the bumblebees, he announced before heading over to stare at the bugs in a glass box.

Another parent, Sarah Montoya, looked after her 1-year-old twin boys while her 2-year-old daughter, Walden, explored.

Walden loves nature, Montoya said. Fitting, because she was named after the eponymous pond from the Henry David Thoreau book.

She goes bug-hunting in our yard, Montoya said. She gets really excited when she finds ants.

It was all about the bugs on Saturday, but they werent the only animals there. Inside the museum the new-and-improved exhibits feature animals grouped together in habitats, with more open enclosures formed with transparent glass.

This all got redone, Chris Boettcher, the museum director, said as he walked through the facilities. In the old days, it was mostly cages.

Now, kids can see the California desert tortoise up close, for instance, along with the kangaroo rat.

As the day continued, the little ones had a chance to learn some fun facts.

For example, they learned hummingbirds flap their wings about 5,000 times a minute.

Tasting honey, they found out that pollen is the only source of protein for bee colonies.

At the wood shop, they discovered the three main body parts for bugs are the head, thorax and abdomen.

The reason for the Randall Museum is really to bring out the common thread of creativity in science and art, Boettcher said. Our main focus is having people learn things and do things, and learn by doing.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
In route news this week, Air Canada upgrades business class on transborder flights; United expands at SLO; Delta extends some European service to year-round instead of seasonal; WestJet drops three U.S. routes; Norwegian boosts winter capacity to the northeast U.S.; and Mexicos Volaris trims its schedule on two routes.

Air Canada has introduced a new premium cabin service called Signature Class on its wide-body international routes and will bring it to San Francisco-Toronto and Los Angeles-Toronto 787 overnight flights starting June 1, as well as Vancouver-Toronto 777 overnight flights, Vancouver-Newark and Vancouver-Montreal flights. Signature Class passengers will get lie-flat seats in the front cabin and service enhancements that include expedited check-in and security clearance, priority baggage handling and boarding, and access to Air Canadas airport Maple Leaf Lounges. Passengers connecting to international flights at Toronto Pearson can also gain access to the Air Canada Signature Suite at that airport. Signature service also provides enhanced in-fight dining options, improved wine selections, and espresso or cappuccino with dessert. Passengers will also get mattress pads for improved sleeping,

Speaking of Canada, Air Canadas rival WestJet is slated to discontinue three transborder routes this summer. According to Routesonline.com, WestJet will end its daily Dallas/Ft. Worth-Calgary 737 flights on June 27 and its daily Chicago OHare-Calgary 737 service June 28, along with its twice-daily Q400 flights between Boston and Montreal effective June 27.

United has expanded its operations at San Luis Obispo. The carrier recently boosted its SLO-Denver service from one flight a day to two and is increasing its total capacity at the central California coastal airport by up to 360 passengers a day with a changeover to larger aircraft. United is putting 76-seat, two-class E175s onto its routes from SLO to San Francisco and Los Angeles. San Luis Obispo is a popular tourist destination and home to the California Polytechnic State University, or "Cal Poly."

Delta announced that some of its seasonal summer routes to Europe will be extended to year-round status this year, although with reduced frequencies during winter months. The airline said that starting October 27, its new Los Angeles-Paris Charles de Gaulle service will operate three days a week through the winter, and its and LAX-Amsterdam flights will run four days a week. Both of those routes will begin this June. Its new Orlando-Paris service, which started last month, will also operate four days a week through the winter, and its Indianapolis-Paris service, which starts May 24, will continue through the winter with three to four flights a week. Deltas New York JFK-Lisbon route, which debuted as a summer-only service in 2017, will be extended through the winter this year with four or five flights a week beginning October 27.

When Norwegian Airs winter schedule begins on October 28, it plans to increase capacity to Scotland and Ireland from the northeastern U.S. To Dublin, Norwegian will operate twice-daily 737 MAX service from Upstate New Yorks Stewart International Airport and daily flights from Providence, Rhode Island. To Shannon, Ireland, Norwegian will offer daily service from Stewart Airport, up from two a week this past winter. And to Edinburgh, the carrier will offer daily service from Stewart, up from three flights a week this past winter.

Mexicos low-cost carrier Volaris is trimming its schedule in the U.S. From Los Angeles, Volaris ended service to Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco earlier this month and reduced its LAX-Mexico City schedule from two flights a day to one. And the carrier has temporarily suspended its daily San Antonio-Mexico City flights through June 30.

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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 men were arrested for allegedly stealing 2,000 feet of copper electrical wiring from the old Sutter hospital building in Santa Rosa, police said.

Michael Vernon Hayes, 50, Mark Richard Castillo, 58, and Perry Winston Garrison, 53, all of Santa Rosa, were arrested at the hospital building after Hayes car was seen and found to be full of stolen electrical wiring.

Ongoing incidents of theft and vandalism have been reported at the building, police said. The site closed in 2014 when Sutter moved its operations from 3325 Chanate Road to its current location on Mark West Springs Road.

Police said most of the reports were calls regarding theft of copper electrical wiring, taken from the main hospital building and an on-site power substation that supplies facilities still in use by Sonoma County employees.

Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at 7 a.m. Friday. The vehicle had been seen in the area before and belonged to Hayes, who was arrested at the hospital building after a search of his car turned up $3,000 of stolen copper electrical wire.

In Hayes car, police say they found tools for cutting and removing the wire, which was believed to have been taken from the main hospital building. Police arrested Garrison and Castillo near the power substation for their alleged involvement in the thefts.

The three men were booked into Sonoma County Jail on suspicion of burglary, vandalism, receiving stolen property, conspiracy and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Garrison also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
Berkeley police are searching for a man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl at gunpoint.

Between 11 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday, the girl was walking on the 1500 block of Addison Street when a man grabbed her from behind, Berkeley police Sgt. Andrew Frankel said in a statement.

The victim said the suspect covered her mouth and pressed a gun into her side while telling her not to scream, Frankel said.

She told police that the man, possibly in his 30s, walked her along Addison Street and into a side yard of a residence, where he sexually assaulted her.

The victim, whom Frankel described as a lone high-school-aged minor, sought help, and Berkeley police were notified. The department is investigating and seeking the attacker. No arrests have been made.

Sophie Haigney is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sophie.haigney@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SophieHaigney
Rafe Swan/Getty Image

A Vallejo elementary school teacher was charged with five counts stemming from his alleged attempt to meet up to have sex with a teenage girl, who was actually an undercover officer, the Contra Costa County District Attorneys office said.

Andrew Lund, a 36-year-old Vallejo resident, was charged with possession of child pornography, arranging to meet a minor for sex, enticing a minor online, sending harmful material to a minor and attempted lewd acts with a child by the Contra Costa County District Attorney.
HOUSTON  At the Episcopal church that has been her spiritual home for more than 50 years, former first lady Barbara Pierce Bush was celebrated at her funeral as one of the most beloved political matriarchs in U.S. history.

Bush, the wife of the 41st president and the mother of the 43rd, died Tuesday at her home in Houston. She was 92 and took her last breaths holding the hand of her husband of 73 years, former President George H.W. Bush.

As her silver coffin lay beneath a parchment in the center aisle of St. Martins Episcopal Church, some of the most powerful and famous political figures in the United States  including four of the five living former presidents  gathered to honor a woman who carried her own power and fame lightly.

We learned to strive to be genuine and authentic by the best role model in the world, Barbara Bushs son Jeb Bush, the former two-term governor of Florida, told mourners in his eulogy. The family called her Bar, Mother, the Silver Fox and, notably, the Enforcer, as she used her wit, humor and tough love to raise five children, 17 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

She called her style a benevolent dictatorship, Jeb Bush added, but honestly it wasnt always benevolent.

Jon Meacham, a presidential historian, said in his eulogy that he once asked Barbara Bushs husband, the former president, if he knew early on how resilient his wife would be. He and Barbara Bush had met shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor, in December 1941, at a dance in Greenwich, Conn. She was 16. He was 17.

Shes the rock of the family, the leader of the family, George H.W. Bush told Meacham. I kind of float above it all.

Nearly 8,000 people, from the rich and the famous to the working-class and the anonymous, came to St. Martins for a public viewing Friday and the private funeral Saturday.

On Friday, more than 6,200 people paid their respects at the viewing, filing past her closed coffin and pausing just long enough to bow their heads or make the sign of the cross. On Saturday, about 1,500 people attended the funeral.

Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George Bush attended, but not the current occupant of the White House, President Trump, whom Barbara Bush had criticized in television interviews during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Three former first ladies  Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton  joined the current one, Melania Trump, at St. Martins.

Manny Fernandez is a New York Times writer.
1 School shooting: One student shot another in the ankle at a high school in Ocala, Fla., on Friday, and the suspected shooter was taken into custody, authorities said. The injured student, a male, was taken to a hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury. Police said the suspected shooter is a former student at Forest High School. The shooting took place as students around the country walked out of classes to protest gun violence on the anniversary of the massacre at Colorados Columbine High School. Chris Oliver said his 16-year-old son told him the shooting happened near his classroom. The boy told Oliver the shooter was standing in a hallway and fired at a closed classroom door. The shooter then ran and tried to hide, the boy told his father.

2 Marijuana laws: Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, said Friday that he will introduce a bill taking marijuana off the federal list of controlled substances  in effect decriminalizing its use. His bill would let states decide how to treat marijuana possession. Under the measure, the federal government would still enforce laws against moving pot into states where its illegal and would still regulate advertising so it isnt aimed at children. Eight states, including California, and the District of Columbia now allow recreational use of marijuana, and a majority allow its use for medical purposes. The White House said last week that President Trump backs legislation to protect the marijuana industry in states where it is legal.
To strike Syria, or not to strike Syria.

As of Thursday evening, Donald Trump, our tweeter in chief, is keeping the world, the Russians and Syria's dictator-in-chief Bashar al-Assad guessing.

On Wednesday, President Trump said U.S. missiles "will be coming" to visit Syria in retaliation for its government's alleged use of chemical weapons on the Syrian town of Douma on April 7.

On Thursday, Trump hedged a little, tweeting that he "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!"

Later he tweeted, "We'll see what happens."

Trump being Trump, we won't know what will happen until he makes it happen.

Meanwhile, everyone in the media and politics has a different opinion about what we and our allies should or should not do militarily to punish Assad for his latest crime against humanity.

In some conservative and Republican circles, I've been hearing that old familiar question - "What would Ronald Reagan do?"

I like to turn that around and ask, "What did Ronald Reagan do? What did he do 32 years ago this week?"

On April 14, 1986 my father sent a powerful message to Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi, the leading international thug of the day, that made Qaddafi behave for the next two decades.

For years Qaddafi had been sponsoring terrorism against American troops and citizens around the world and also financing Muslim rebels in the Philippines, the IRA, Palestinian guerrillas and even the Black Panthers in the USA.

Increasingly tough economic sanctions on Libya and the freezing of its overseas assets didn't impress Qaddafi and on April 4, 1986 he ordered his terrorists to bomb a dance hall in West Berlin known to be frequented by American soldiers.

Nine days later my father got Qaddafi's full attention.

At 2 a.m. Libyan time, about 100 U.S. Air Force and Navy warplanes hit five military targets and "terrorism centers" in Tripoli and Benghazi.

My father's message to Qaddafi lasted less than an hour. But one of the targets U.S. planes obliterated - the most important one - was one of Qaddafi's homes.

Qaddafi and family were elsewhere, but he got the message my father wanted him to get - "We know where you and your family live and any time we want to take you out, we can."

If I could give advice to President Trump about what to do in Syria, it would be this:

If you think we need to do something in Syria to show Bashar al-Assad we do not approve of his use of chemical weapons against civilians, you have to make him feel it.

Taking out a Syrian airbase or blowing up some Russian planes on the ground is nothing, Mr. President.

You have to make Assad know we know where he lives and that any time we want we can take him out with a missile strike targeted at his morning grapefruit bowl.

We have eyes on the ground in Syria. We know which palace or home Bashar al-Assad and his family are staying in at any given time.

Blowing one of them up with a cruise missile at 2 a.m. will be a wake-up call Vladimir Putin's favorite dictator won't be able to ignore.

Michael Reagan is the son of President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Visit his websites at www.reagan.com and www.michaelereagan.com. Send comments to Reagan@caglecartoons.com. Follow @reaganworld on Twitter.
Carl Hall stopped in at his independent bookstore, Christophers on Potrero Hill, and was surprised to discover that the new James Comey book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, was selling like coldcakes. Hall, a loyal customer, was moved to buy a copy.

Store owner Tee Minot said people have been asking about the book, but not buying it, in contrast to the demand for Michael Wolffs Fire and Fury. I think people wanted the gossip of Fire and Fury, she said. I almost think there was too much of a media blitz for this book. All the juicy parts have already been excerpted or talked about on TV or in interviews. ... Probably some of the things Comey is talking about are incredibly on target. But we all know them already.

I checked a few places around town. In two days, Green Apple had sold 11 copies, a healthy number but nothing like Fire and Fury, which sold out of the first order in hours, said used book manager E.H. Mann. We literally had a wait list. Mann said that the response of Donald Trump himself may have spurred sales of the Wolff book. I think the White House came out stronger against the Fire and Fury book, and further in advance. They literally just started out after the Comey book less than a week ago.

In Laurel Village, closest perhaps to the neighborhoods that might include the largest (although small in S.F.) proportion of Trump supporters, manager Ingrid Nystrom also said the Comey book is doing well, but sales do not compare to those of Fire and Fury. The first hour we had Michael Wolffs book, we sold as many as weve sold (of the Comey book) for the last three days.

Why? Weve been hearing the Comey story for a while. Theres a gossipy-ness about the Michael Wolff book that makes it doubly horrifying and fun to read. With the Comey book, readers think, I am going to have that with a cup of coffee, she said. With the Wolff book, theyre going to have it with a cocktail.

Civic benefactor is such a dry term; how about San Francisco cheerleader? Native daughter Ellen Newman threw what she called a friendship party last week, and pals  board members, fundraisers, donors, spirit leaders, fellow San Francisco team members  with whom shed shared her love of the city gathered to toast her and attend a performance of her beloved Beach Blanket Babylon (which ended with its traditional big hat decorated with greetings to the hostess).

This was not a birthday party, it was said, but noting that shed been at every opening day and every spring training for the last 60 years, the Giants Larry Baer presented her with a jersey with a significant number on the back. And San Francisco Symphony maestro Michael Tilson Thomas sang his tribute to the tune of Hey, Look Me Over (Our Ellen Newman/ Shes superhuman ...).

Thomas said the next morning that when he and Joshua Robison arrived in San Francisco, Newman had swept them up, giving them a grand tour of the city, sharing its best views and sparkling places that were her favorites. There are big thoughts and big purposes in her mind, he said, but the way shes accomplished things is with a spontaneous joie de vivre. You cant learn that.

Education, health care, homelessness, housing, immigration, the environment: The issues are familiar, as sprawling as the state of California. Over heaping platters of chicken and halibut at lunch on April 16, a team from CALmatters  editor and CEO David Lesher, opinion columnist Dan Walters and political reporter Laurel Rosenhall  addressed the Monday Group, which convenes to hear speakers.

Lesher cited stats: 23 percent of Californians live in poverty, and 60 percent of the kids in public school qualify as poor. Walters talked about the effect of a two-step vote, primary before final, on the results; and Rosenhall tackled the role of special interest groups, the splits for instance, between pro-labor and pro-business Democrats.

The state of the state, as Jerry Brown prepares to step down: uncertain, and disquieting.

P.S.: Not afraid to count, Gar Smith received his copy of the June ballot and discovered 27 candidates for governor and 32 for senator. Most interesting-sounding name in the governors race: Thomas Jefferson Cares.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

If you keep cradling that ketchup bottle like a baby doll, you will definitely be sorry if the lid flips open.
Morton Cohen, a civil rights attorney and law school professor whose tireless devotion to the underdog helped improve treatment for mental patients, jail inmates and poor tenants, has died.

Cohen died April 12 of cancer in his Berkeley hills home. He was 82.

I represent what I consider to be powerless people, Cohen often said. Being a bridge between society and that invisible group of folks makes you feel like your life is useful.

Working pro bono  which is legalese for unpaid  Cohen filed many lawsuits on behalf of jail inmates, battling overcrowding and understaffing. His work led to the construction of new jails, including one in San Francisco. He also represented seniors and nursing home residents.

People with physical impairments and mental illnesses  he cared very much about how they were treated, said his longtime friend, retired U.S. District Judge Thelton Henderson. His clients couldnt pay him. He did it from the heart.

In 2012, Cohen successfully argued before a state appeals court that California counties must provide judicial hearings before administering drugs to some county hospital patients. The following year, he received the Jefferson Award recognizing his lifetime of work on patients and inmates behalf.

Even prisoners ... are given the right to autonomy before the state can forcibly treat them, Cohen said at the time, maintaining that mental patients who refuse medication are engaging their autonomy.

Much of Cohens story is told in the new movie 55 Steps, an account of his work on behalf of a San Francisco mental health patient. In the movie, Cohen is played by veteran actor Jeffrey Tambor.

Nursing home reform advocate Patricia McGinnis called Cohen the ultimate civil rights attorney, and said his courtroom victories were lasting legacies.

A native of Brooklyn and a graduate of New York University and of Harvard Law School, Cohen was a teacher at Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco for 44 years and was teaching until shortly before his death. He specialized in criminal law and evidence. Friends recall his devotion to his students and their careers, how his office door was always open to them and how he stayed in touch with countless students from decades past.

Before coming to the Bay Area, Cohen work for Legal Aid and for law offices that served poor clients around the U.S. In New York, he represented clients who had been illegally evicted and, in Los Angeles, he represented would-be renters who were denied apartments because of racial discrimination.

A passionate fisherman, Cohen cast his lines in rivers, lakes and oceans around the world and brought back his catches to his Berkeley home, where he kept two freezers for the purpose. Each year, he invited family and friends to a huge fish fry featuring what Henderson fondly recalled as beer and cheap wine and that years catch.

Cohen was also a runner, participating in local 10-kilometer races, and a fan of the symphony and ballet.

His wife of 54 years, kindergarten teacher and private school founder Harriet Cohen, said she met her future husband on a blind date and agreed to go out with him only after the two spent an hour on the phone discussing a book about World War II.

I was intrigued, she recalled with a smile. Who was this stranger whom I could discuss history and politics with?

His son, Thomas, said his father was always a champion for the underrepresented, and a man who wanted to change the system  and he did.

Cohen is survived by his wife; by his daughter, Laurel Cohen of San Jose; his sons, Edward of Vallejo and Thomas of Los Angeles.

A memorial celebration will be held April 29 in Berkeley.
SAN PABLO (BCN)

A candidate forum for California Assembly District 15, which includes the cities of Berkeley and Richmond, is slated to take place at the San Pablo Library Monday.

The forum is scheduled to run from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the library, 13751 San Pablo Ave. The principal sponsors are the Contra Costa Library and the League of Women Voters.

Democrat Tony Thurmond of Richmond presently represents the district, which encompasses the northern coastal East Bay. It is centered on Berkeley and Richmond, along with a good deal of Oakland.

The Contra Costa County Library is hosting the forum in partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Diablo Valley and the West County League of Women Voters, Contra Costa County Elections Department and Contra Costa Television.

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Detectives arrested a man on suspicion of stealing jewelry from three different customers' homes when allegedly working as a Comcast technician, sheriff's officials said Friday.

Christian Ivan Arias-Monroy, 31, of Redwood City, was arrested on suspicion of grand theft, elder abuse and petty theft and booked into the San Mateo County Jail Thursday, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
OAKLAND (BCN)

An Oakland man was sentenced today to 40 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting a 16-year-old acquaintance in East Oakland in 2012.

Kejuan Hill, who was only 17 at the time but is now 23, was convicted in February of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Charles Hill III, of Hayward, who wasn't related, in the 2500 block of Church Street, near the Eastmont Town Center, shortly after 10 p.m. on March 23, 2012.

Kejuan Hill admitted during his trial that he fatally shot Charles Hill but claimed he was just trying to play a prank on the other teen, didn't know the gun he was carrying was loaded and it went off accidentally.

Hill's lawyer, Christina Moore, told jurors in her closing argument that they should only convict him of involuntary manslaughter, saying that Hill "played what turned out to be an incredibly poor joke."

But Alameda County prosecutor Patrick Moriarty said Hill should be convicted of either first-degree or second-degree murder, saying, "This was not an accident" and alleging Hill "calmly executed a 16-year-old boy."

Kejuan Hill testified that he was at a party that night but left with a group of about 11 friends, which didn't include Charles Hill, after they heard that there would be a shooting at the party.

Kejuan Hill said two of his friends got into an argument because one of the friends was armed with what appeared to be a non-functioning gun and the other friend said that was stupid because it would leave them defenseless if there was a shooting.

Hill said one of the friends gave the supposedly non-functioning gun to him to carry and he believed it was incapable of firing because it felt light, as if it didn't have any bullets in it.

Hill said that when he and his friends walked away from the party they happened to run into Charles Hill, who he said was sitting on a curb while he was rolling a joint of marijuana.

Kejuan Hill said he pulled the gun on Charles Hill as a prank but then it suddenly discharged and killed his friend.

Moore said Hill didn't go to the police after the shooting because he grew up in East Oakland and people there distrust the police and that at the urging of his mother he fled to Kansas City, Missouri, where he got a job at a Denny's restaurant using his brother's name.

Acting on a tip, a U.S. Marshals Service-Kansas City Police Task Force arrested Hill at the Denny's on Oct. 26, 2015, three-and-a-half years after the fatal shooting.

Moriarty told jurors in the case that Hill's testimony "was completely untruthful" and his statement that he and Charles Hill were friends was incorrect because Charles' friends told authorities that the two teens weren't very close and one of them said Kejuan never liked Charles.

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272-6213

Defense attorney Christina Moore (510) 272-6600
BERKELEY (BCN)

A high school-aged minor was sexually assaulted by an adult male suspect in Berkeley late Thursday morning, police said today.

The girl was walking in the 1500 block of Addison Street near Sacramento Street when the man grabbed her from behind, according to police.

The victim said the suspect covered her mouth and pressed a gun into her side while telling her not to scream, police said.

The girl told police that the man walked her east on Addison Street into the side yard of a home, where he sexually assaulted her.

After she was assaulted the girl sought help and Berkeley police were notified and began investigating the assault, according to authorities.

The girl described the suspect as a black man, possibly in his 30s, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall with a medium build who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Police said officers and detectives have been at the scene to canvass the neighborhood for possible witnesses or homes with exterior video surveillance cameras.

Berkeley police said they are asking for the community's help in solving the case.

They said anyone who lives in the area and has surveillance cameras is asked to check if they have video footage of the assault. People who witnessed it or have information about it should call the Police Department's sex crimes detail at (510) 981-5716.

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 India government moving forward with the death penalty for child rape | Main | "Addicted to Incarceration: A Federal Judge Reveals Shocking Truths About Federal Sentencing and Fleeting Hopes for Reform" 

The title of this post is the title of this interesting new piece authored by I. Bennett Capers now available via SSRN. Here is the abstract:

In July 2017, the New York Times reported that Three Square Market, a Wisconsin based technology company, was asking its employees to have a microchip injected between their thumb and index finger. More than half of the employees consented to the implant, which would function as a type of swipe card. As one employee put it, In the next five to 10 years, this is going to be something that isnt scoffed at so much, or is more normal. So I like to jump on the bandwagon with these kind of things early, just to say that I have it.

What might the implanting of microchips portend for criminal justice issues? Might we one day implant chips in convicted felons, or arrestees? Or if not all arrestees, perhaps those released on bail? Indeed, at a time when many scholars and legislators are rethinking bail, might the availability of removable chips strengthen the argument against pretrial detention, and against money bail? And what are the implications for sentencing, especially algorithmic risk-based sentencing? Or perhaps a closer fit, what are the implications for releasing defendants who have completed their sentences and are eligible for parole?

At a time when the Court has given its blessing to civil commitment for sex offenders, how might the availability of microchips to monitor the coming and going of individuals  like a wireless fence  change the analysis? Finally, and perhaps most central to this essay, what are the possibilities when we couple the availability of microchips with access to Big Data? This short essay, written for the Big Data and Policing symposium issue of the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law, begins a conversation about these and other questions.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Officers arrested almost a dozen people in San Francisco in separate cases over five days early this month as the department continues to battle the epidemic of auto burglaries in the city.

Auto theft has long been a problem in San Francisco, and such crimes have increased over the last few years. In September 2017, police reported that these burglaries were up by 28 percent citywide year-over-year for the seven-month period from January to July.

Police said today they are combating auto burglaries through the strategic deployment of resources, increased responsiveness and expanded deployment of both patrol and undercover officers.

On April 2 around 1:45 a.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Grant and Filbert streets on a report of people breaking into vehicles, police said.

The suspects had fled, but officers tracked down four people who were allegedly involved in the burglary and took them into custody, police said.

Tyler McKinney, 26, of Berkeley; Christopher Wise, 28, of Sacramento; Robert Warren, 23, of San Francisco; and a 16-year-old boy were booked on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy, according to police.

In the second case, officers were patrolling the area of Church and 20th streets April 3 around 11 p.m. when they saw a car with paper plates. When they tried to stop the car, it sped off, colliding with another car at 25th and Church streets, according to police.

Officers found the alleged driver, Dominic Spears, 18, a transient, and arrested him and booked him at the San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of vehicle theft, one count of possession of stolen property and related offenses, police said.

In the third case, Troy Savoy, 20, of San Francisco, was arrested and booked at San Francisco County Jail April 4 on suspicion of second-degree burglary and related offenses.

Earl Jihad, 18, of Pleasant Hill, was booked on suspicion of second-degree burglary and related offenses, police said.

In the fourth case, Manuel Mills, 30, of Richmond, Taj Williams, 41, of Alameda, Savannah Jacobs, 25, of Richmond, were arrested and booked on suspicion of burglary and other offenses, police said.

In the fifth case, Troy Hawthorne, 34, a transient, was arrested and booked on suspicion of burglary and other offenses, according to police.

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SAN JOSE (BCN)

San Jose's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department wants to make one thing clear: there is no proposal in front of the City Council to arm park rangers, just a direction from officials to re-evaluate the duties of the park ranger.

A group of park rangers came to the parks department about 18 months ago with requests that included carrying a gun, parks spokeswoman Carolina Camarena said.

The gun request, which the coalition of rangers said would make them feel safer, was to be a stipulation if rangers were continued to be expected to protect the city's watersheds.

Camarena said that there were a few areas they would be more secure in if they were armed, but she did not name any further duties where guns would make them feel safer.

Watershed enforcement, an area that the 2017 Annual Report on the Park Ranger Program called out for improvement, is a result of the city being sued for the lack of clean watersheds, meaning that their rivers and creeks were deemed polluted, Camarena said.

Rangers now patrol 54 miles of watershed to prevent that pollution.

This is in addition to the "inherent dangers" of being a ranger, such as dying from falling rocks or trees or falling off of cliffs. These tragedies are the reason that many rangers have lost their lives on the job across the nation, Camarena said.

The annual report was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, at which time the parks department discussed how they've addressed the rangers' top three requests: better compensation, a structured career ladder and resources needed to do their job.

Camarena said since requesting improved pay, the park rangers have received a 9 percent increase as well as prioritized hiring, which increased the number of park rangers to 24.5. The peak number of staff the department has ever had was 27.3.

"In this report we discuss accomplishments but also look for goals and opportunities," Camarena said. "This is where the gun issue comes up."

Currently rangers are armed with body armor, handcuffs, batons and high-grade pepper spray. The potential to add a gun to that list is not being taken lightly by the city, Camarena said. Watershed protection is one of the more recently added duties.

The City Council voted unanimously to allow the parks department to review the park rangers' tasks as the department works with several agencies to take into account all pros and cons of arming rangers.

Some of these agencies include the city's police, fire, housing and environmental services departments as well as the unaffiliated Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Only one of the biggest cities in the U.S. arm their park rangers: San Antonio, Texas. Their park police aren't rangers, but serve under the general Police Department, Camarena said.

Mayor Sam Liccardo is not in favor of arming park rangers.

"If the problem is putting too many park rangers in dangerous circumstances, the answer is not arming them," Liccardo said this morning. "The answer is that our park rangers need to be doing less, and our police department should be stepping in."

Liccardo said that he and fellow officials have spent a lot of time grappling with the idea of use of force in general with the city's police.

He noted that they are "extremely" well trained, professional, well educated and equipped with body-worn cameras for accountability. They're also monitored by external analysts in the form of the Office of the Independent Police Auditor.

"All of those conditions would have to be true for me to feel even remotely comfortable about expanding the number of employees who would be armed," the mayor said.

In the meantime, as the park ranger's job description is reviewed, the city will be working to ensure that the park rangers are working safely by deploying police officers to the city's trouble spots.

"I think there needs to be a very honest conversation of what we don't have park rangers do, for example, citing individuals for drug possession," Liccardo said. "They ought to be getting on the phone and calling for backup."

Police Chief Eddie Garcia was not available today but a spokesperson from his office confirmed that he is also opposed to arming park rangers.

The Parks Peace Officer Association of San Jose disagreed with Liccardo's comments because they feel as though the park ranger hiring and training process mirrors that set forth by the California Police Officer Standards and Training.

"We have higher and more stringent standards than many CA police agencies and exceed both hiring and academy standards of most agencies nationwide," the PPOASJ said.

The PPOASJ stressed that they attend the same academy as armed National Park Service rangers that includes more than 700 hours of instruction.

"To say that we are not 'trained police' is misleading at best," the association said. "We are appropriately vetted for the high level of law enforcement that we perform. The difference is purely in name."

The PPOASJ believes that a key point is that rangers are currently tasked with law enforcement work, and so as long as they are they should be given the same tools as law enforcement. This includes tools for what some consider "low level" contacts like smoking, dogs off leashes or alcohol in prohibited areas.

"We support any level of reasonable oversight and would welcome additional auditing and accountability standards that are in line with SJPD and other law enforcement agencies," the association said.

###
SAN JOSE (BCN)

San Jose State University President Mary Papazian has responded to students from the school's Student Homeless Alliance after they called her out on Thursday regarding the university's housing crisis.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon in front of the university's Olympic Black Power Statue featuring social justice heroes and Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos, SHA students demanded that Papazian and her administration meet their demands of land, sanitation and security for displaced students.

According to the alliance, there are an estimated 300 students who are homeless at San Jose State. Some faculty members face the same conditions.

Some of the SHA's 18 active members have faced homelessness or had a hard time accommodating themselves to a lack of affordable housing surrounding the school, they said.

"President Papazian prides herself on being a president who places the well-being of her students at the center of her decisions," the SHA said in a statement. "SHA encourages her to live up to her own standard and extend those caring decisions to our students whose basic needs are not being met."

The group is looking to have the demands met as soon as they can so that they can develop free housing on campus, a sanctioned legal encampment on SJSU property and end the stigmatization and criminalization of houseless individuals.

"SJSU is in active discussions with community and regional stakeholders," Papazian said in a statement. "The student experience will guide our work. We welcome input from individuals and groups such as the Student Homeless Alliance."

Papazian went on to say she appreciates the group's efforts and encourages all students to engage in issues such as this one.

Papazian called the crisis "regional" and said that the university has acted on the situation recently by creating a program through the Student Affairs Division called SJSU Cares as well as secured a grant from the California State University Basic Needs Initiative to fund emergency housing services and a permanent food pantry.

SHA founder Gigi Bellanos acknowledged the school's efforts to try to provide resources to students facing homelessness but said that it was not enough. The advocacy group wants to work with the university, not against it, but they want to be heard.

"We want a seat at the table, every single time the administration talks about homelessness among students and housing instability, we want to be there," Bellanos said.

###
A Santa Cruz man was arrested on suspicion of shooting another person late this morning in unincorporated Watsonville, sheriff's officials said.

Miguel Castaneda, 39, was arrested after a shooting at Riverside Drive and Industrial Road sometime before deputies responded to the intersection at 11:38 a.m.
A judge Friday denied a bid by Ghost Ship warehouse master tenant Derick Almena's lawyers to have him released on his own recognizance as he fights the charges against him for his role in the fire that killed 36 people at the Oakland warehouse district in December 2016.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy's ruling was the second time he has declined to release Almena, 48, from custody in the case in which he and Ghost Ship creative director Max Harris, 28, face 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the blaze at the warehouse at 1309 31st Ave. in Oakland's Fruitvale district on Dec. 2, 2016.

At a hearing last August Murphy reduced Almena's bail from $1.08 million to $750,000 but declined to release him on his own recognizance.

Almena's lawyer Tony Serra asked for a second bail hearing Friday in the wake of an appellate court ruling earlier this year that said judges must take a defendant's ability to pay into account when bail amounts are set.

Serra said, "The amount of $750,000 is not bail for an indigent person such as Derick Almena, it's a pre-conviction punishment."

Serra said a defendant's "prospect of getting justice is enhanced" if he's out of custody and is well-dressed and healthy during his trial instead of being in custody, a circumstance that he said tends to make defendants look more haggard and guilty.

Serra also said if Almena were released from custody he wouldn't be a flight risk, wouldn't be a danger to society and would be willing to wear an electronic monitor.

But prosecutor Autrey James said Almena isn't good at following rules, alleging that the Ghost Ship warehouse was in violation of fire safety codes and didn't have a permit for residential use.

James said, "We're here because he (Almena) absolutely would not follow the law."

James also said he's concerned by Serra's statement that if Almena is released he would live in Lakeport in Lake County because that's three and a half hours away from Alameda County and he might not make it to court on time and it would be hard for authorities to monitor him there.

Murphy agreed that there would be "an issue of feasibility and predictability" if Almena lived in Lakeport during his trial and also said Almena's ties to Alameda County "are very tenuous."

Murphy said, "His family is not here, he doesn't have a job here, he doesn't have property here."

Taking those factors into consideration, Murphy denied Almena's motion to be released on his own recognizance and kept his bail at $750,000.

Murphy also held a bail hearing for Harris Friday but postponed making a ruling until May 11 to give Harris' attorneys more time to confirm that Harris would have a job and a nearby place to live if he were to be released from jail.

Samuel Geller, one of three lawyers who are representing Harris, said Harris displayed his character during the fire by rushing inside and rescuing at least a dozen people.

Geller, who said Harris isn't a flight risk or a danger to the community, said, "There would have been a higher body count if it weren't for Max Harris."

Almena and Harris face up to 39 years in state prison if they're convicted of the 36 involuntary manslaughter counts.

Their trial is scheduled to begin on July 16 and it was announced Friday that Judge Vernon Nakahara will preside over it.

Nakahara was appointed to the Superior Court bench in 1995 and retired at the end of last year but will handle the trial on a special assignment.

On May 11, in addition to Harris' bail hearing, Judge Murphy will hold hearings on motions by Almena and Harris to have the charges against them dismissed on various legal grounds.

Clouds of smoke rolled over an area of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park known as Hippie Hill as tens of thousands of people attended Friday's 4/20 event, the annual celebration synonymous with cannabis.

This year's celebration marked the first since California's legalization of recreational marijuana went into effect in January following the passage of a 2016 statewide ballot measure.

This year also marked the second that city officials worked with a private sponsor to provide chain-link fencing, increased police presence with extra additional private security guards, traffic control officers, portable toilets, extra trash, recycle and compost bins, vendors and live music.

Elora Dennis of Sonora said she decided to come to the festival for the first time to experience the "hippie atmosphere."

"I think it's very well organized. It's a nice day and everything seems responsible," Dennis said.

"It's amazing, I love it," said Minny Garcia of Vacaville. Garcia said she and friends drove part of the way, took BART into the city and then got an Uber ride to the park.

"It's nice. We've seen people walking around here picking up the garbage... it's been a great day," Garcia said.

San Francisco resident Dorothy Brand said although she's lived in the city since the 1960s Friday was her first time at the 4/20 event.

"Everything is very green and clean and it's very soothing to be here. Everyone is happy," Brand said.

"I'm here to smoke weed and smoke it around a group of people," said San Jose State University student Dylan Koster. "I think it's well organized. The staff are friendly, the police are friendly," he said.

On Wednesday, city officials unveiled a plan to clamp down on traffic backups, illegal parking and overflowing trash, which had been seen in previous years. City officials estimated that around 15,000 people would show up to Friday's event.

According to the event's sponsor, Haight Street business owner Alex Aquino, he and other local merchants raised about $200,000 to put on this year's event.

In previous celebrations, people have been arrested for offenses such as selling marijuana, public intoxication and resisting arrest. No arrests were made last year during the first officially sponsored event.

Also, San Francisco dispensary Apothecarium said Friday was one of their busiest days ever.

According to the company, which has three locations in the city, Friday they saw a higher percentage of women and seniors than past years.

Their most popular products sold Friday were pre-rolled marijuana joints, vaporizer pens and low-dose edible marijuana gummies, Apothecarium officials said.

The time 4:20 -- a.m. or p.m. -- has been associated with smoking marijuana since the 1970s and the date April 20 has become a counterculture holiday celebrating cannabis.

What was planned to be Notre Dame High School's walkout calling for stronger gun laws Friday morning turned into a sea of high school activists from several schools who came together at San Jose City Hall to show elected officials where the city's youth stand on the matter.

On this 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, teenagers from Notre Dame High School, San Jose City High School, Evergreen High School and Downtown College Prep El Primero rallied at City Hall starting around 10:30 a.m.

Chants of "This is what democracy looks like," "Protect kids, not guns," and "Enough is enough" filled the air between speeches from Susan Ellenberg, a candidate for supervisor, and Mayor Sam Liccardo.

The walkout, which was put together by Notre Dame junior Zaynab and senior Mashia, only came to life when planning began Monday, Zaynab said. The students figured it was better late than never.

The only Downtown College Prep El Primero High School student to show up at the protest, a sophomore named Natalie, got to City Hall early wearing a shirt that read, "Protect your people."

Natalie said that teachers at her school were telling students that the rally was only for teachers, which made her friends apprehensive and fail to go as they had planned. Administrators did not say anything to Natalie when she left.

The sophomore said she's been protesting like this "her whole life" and her parents were okay with it.

"Gun control is a big part of anything," Natalie said. "How am I going to feel safe walking into school if teachers are armed? I come to school for education, not to die on school grounds."

The protest started with Notre Dame High School students reading rules for a safe protest, stating that they were "entitled to freedom of speech but that doesn't mean we can block anyone from entering buildings."

The protest was not sponsored by any of the high schools and was completely student-led. There were no staff facilitating and Notre Dame High School, which had the most participants, was not immediately available for comment.

Ellenberg was invited by students, who introduced her with her accomplishments in social justice and education.

Ellenberg said that though the schools did not necessarily sanction the walkout and there could be consequences, this was a risk worth taking.

Zaynab said that Notre Dame High School students felt called to participate in the National School Walkout, calling those in attendance "the generation of activism."

These students are not waiting until they are old enough to vote to voice their opinion, Zaynab said. Nor should they, according to Liccardo.

The mayor thanked the students for having the conscience that some adults refuse to have in regard to gun control.

"We've got to do something to take back our neighborhoods, to take back our streets," Liccardo said. "Elected officials on Capitol Hill who are only hearing the voices of the NRA need to hear your voices, because you are the ones who are going to be taking this on for the next 40, 50, 60 years."

After the mayor spoke, students from Evergreen High School took turns on a megaphone announcing every victim from the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting three times, saying "Never again" between each repetition, followed by a moment of silence for each victim.

Students who had extracurricular classes were required to be back at Notre Dame High School by 12:15 p.m., but they plan to continue to demand stricter gun control.

"We are tired of sitting around and waiting for people to do something else," Zaynab said. "We're going to make change, and this is just one of the many ways. We are going to fight for any issue that affects people, that hurts people, that kills people."

San Jose's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department wants to make one thing clear: there is no proposal in front of the City Council to arm park rangers, just a direction from officials to re-evaluate the duties of the park ranger.

A group of park rangers came to the parks department about 18 months ago with requests that included carrying a gun, parks spokeswoman Carolina Camarena said.

The gun request, which the coalition of rangers said would make them feel safer, was to be a stipulation if rangers were continued to be expected to protect the city's watersheds.

Camarena said that there were a few areas they would be more secure in if they were armed, but she did not name any further duties where guns would make them feel safer.

Watershed enforcement, an area that the 2017 Annual Report on the Park Ranger Program called out for improvement, is a result of the city being sued for the lack of clean watersheds, meaning that their rivers and creeks were deemed polluted, Camarena said.

Rangers now patrol 54 miles of watershed to prevent that pollution.

This is in addition to the "inherent dangers" of being a ranger, such as dying from falling rocks or trees or falling off of cliffs. These tragedies are the reason that many rangers have lost their lives on the job across the nation, Camarena said.

The annual report was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, at which time the parks department discussed how they've addressed the rangers' top three requests: better compensation, a structured career ladder and resources needed to do their job.

Camarena said since requesting improved pay, the park rangers have received a 9 percent increase as well as prioritized hiring, which increased the number of park rangers to 24.5. The peak number of staff the department has ever had was 27.3.

"In this report we discuss accomplishments but also look for goals and opportunities," Camarena said. "This is where the gun issue comes up."

Currently rangers are armed with body armor, handcuffs, batons and high-grade pepper spray. The potential to add a gun to that list is not being taken lightly by the city, Camarena said. Watershed protection is one of the more recently added duties.

The City Council voted unanimously to allow the parks department to review the park rangers' tasks as the department works with several agencies to take into account all pros and cons of arming rangers.

Some of these agencies include the city's police, fire, housing and environmental services departments as well as the unaffiliated Santa Clara Valley Water District.

Only one of the biggest cities in the U.S. arms its park rangers: San Antonio, Texas. The city's park police aren't rangers, but serve under the general Police Department, Camarena said.

Mayor Sam Liccardo is not in favor of arming park rangers.

"If the problem is putting too many park rangers in dangerous circumstances, the answer is not arming them," Liccardo said Friday morning. "The answer is that our park rangers need to be doing less, and our police department should be stepping in."

Liccardo said that he and fellow officials have spent a lot of time grappling with the idea of use of force in general with the city's police.

He noted that they are "extremely" well trained, professional, well educated and equipped with body-worn cameras for accountability. They're also monitored by external analysts in the form of the Office of the Independent Police Auditor.

"All of those conditions would have to be true for me to feel even remotely comfortable about expanding the number of employees who would be armed," the mayor said.

In the meantime, as the park ranger's job description is reviewed, the city will be working to ensure that the park rangers are working safely by deploying police officers to the city's trouble spots.

"I think there needs to be a very honest conversation of what we don't have park rangers do, for example, citing individuals for drug possession," Liccardo said. "They ought to be getting on the phone and calling for backup."

Police Chief Eddie Garcia was not available Friday but a spokesperson from his office confirmed that he is also opposed to arming park rangers.

The Parks Peace Officer Association of San Jose disagreed with Liccardo's comments because they feel as though the park ranger hiring and training process mirrors that set forth by the California Police Officer Standards and Training.

"We have higher and more stringent standards than many CA police agencies and exceed both hiring and academy standards of most agencies nationwide," the PPOASJ said.

The PPOASJ stressed that they attend the same academy as armed National Park Service rangers that includes more than 700 hours of instruction.

"To say that we are not 'trained police' is misleading at best," the association said. "We are appropriately vetted for the high level of law enforcement that we perform. The difference is purely in name."

The PPOASJ believes that a key point is that rangers are currently tasked with law enforcement work, and so as long as they are they should be given the same tools as law enforcement. This includes tools for what some consider "low level" contacts like smoking, dogs off leashes or alcohol in prohibited areas.

"We support any level of reasonable oversight and would welcome additional auditing and accountability standards that are in line with SJPD and other law enforcement agencies," the association said.

A high school-aged minor was sexually assaulted by an adult male suspect in Berkeley late Thursday morning, police said.

The girl was walking in the 1500 block of Addison Street near Sacramento Street when the man grabbed her from behind, according to police.

The victim said the suspect covered her mouth and pressed a gun into her side while telling her not to scream, police said.

The girl told police that the man walked her east on Addison Street into the side yard of a home, where he sexually assaulted her.

After she was assaulted the girl sought help and Berkeley police were notified and began investigating the assault, according to authorities.

The girl described the suspect as a black man, possibly in his 30s, who is 5 feet 7 inches tall with a medium build who was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.

Police said officers and detectives have been at the scene to canvass the neighborhood for possible witnesses or homes with exterior video surveillance cameras.

Berkeley police said they are asking for the community's help in solving the case.

San Jose State University President Mary Papazian has responded to students from the school's Student Homeless Alliance after they called her out on Thursday regarding the university's housing crisis.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon in front of the university's Olympic Black Power Statue featuring social justice heroes and Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos, SHA students demanded that Papazian and her administration meet their demands of land, sanitation and security for displaced students.

According to the alliance, there are an estimated 300 students who are homeless at San Jose State. Some faculty members face the same conditions.

Some of the SHA's 18 active members have faced homelessness or had a hard time accommodating themselves to a lack of affordable housing surrounding the school, they said.

"President Papazian prides herself on being a president who places the well-being of her students at the center of her decisions," the SHA said in a statement. "SHA encourages her to live up to her own standard and extend those caring decisions to our students whose basic needs are not being met."

The group is looking to have the demands met as soon as they can so that they can develop free housing on campus, a sanctioned legal encampment on SJSU property and end the stigmatization and criminalization of homeless people.

"SJSU is in active discussions with community and regional stakeholders," Papazian said in a statement. "The student experience will guide our work. We welcome input from individuals and groups such as the Student Homeless Alliance."

Papazian went on to say she appreciates the group's efforts and encourages all students to engage in issues such as this one.

Papazian called the crisis "regional" and said that the university has acted on the situation recently by creating a program through the Student Affairs Division called SJSU Cares as well as secured a grant from the California State University Basic Needs Initiative to fund emergency housing services and a permanent food pantry.

SHA founder Gigi Bellanos acknowledged the school's efforts to try to provide resources to students facing homelessness but said that it was not enough. The advocacy group wants to work with the university, not against it, but they want to be heard.

"We want a seat at the table, every single time the administration talks about homelessness among students and housing instability, we want to be there," Bellanos said.

An Oakland man was sentenced Friday to 40 years to life in state prison for fatally shooting a 16-year-old acquaintance in East Oakland in 2012.

Kejuan Hill, who was only 17 at the time but is now 23, was convicted in February of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Charles Hill III, of Hayward, who wasn't related, in the 2500 block of Church Street, near the Eastmont Town Center, shortly after 10 p.m. on March 23, 2012.

Hill admitted during his trial that he fatally shot Charles Hill but claimed he was just trying to play a prank on the other teen, didn't know the gun he was carrying was loaded and it went off accidentally.

Hill's lawyer, Christina Moore, told jurors in her closing argument that they should only convict him of involuntary manslaughter, saying that Hill "played what turned out to be an incredibly poor joke."

But Alameda County prosecutor Patrick Moriarty said Hill should be convicted of either first-degree or second-degree murder, saying, "This was not an accident" and alleging Hill "calmly executed a 16-year-old boy."

Kejuan Hill testified that he was at a party that night but left with a group of about 11 friends, which didn't include Charles Hill, after they heard that there would be a shooting at the party.

Kejuan Hill said two of his friends got into an argument because one of the friends was armed with what appeared to be a non-functioning gun and the other friend said that was stupid because it would leave them defenseless if there was a shooting.

Hill said one of the friends gave the supposedly non-functioning gun to him to carry and he believed it was incapable of firing because it felt light, as if it didn't have any bullets in it.

Hill said that when he and his friends walked away from the party they happened to run into Charles Hill, who he said was sitting on a curb while he was rolling a joint of marijuana.

Kejuan Hill said he pulled the gun on Charles Hill as a prank but then it suddenly discharged and killed his friend.

Moore said Hill didn't go to the police after the shooting because he grew up in East Oakland and people there distrust the police and that at the urging of his mother he fled to Kansas City, Missouri, where he got a job at a Denny's restaurant using his brother's name.

Acting on a tip, a U.S. Marshals Service-Kansas City Police Task Force arrested Hill at the Denny's on Oct. 26, 2015, three-and-a-half years after the fatal shooting.

Moriarty told jurors in the case that Hill's testimony "was completely untruthful" and his statement that he and Charles Hill were friends was incorrect because Charles' friends told authorities that the two teens weren't very close and one of them said Kejuan never liked Charles.

###
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Clouds of smoke rolled over an area of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park known as Hippie Hill as tens of thousands of people attended today's 4/20 event, the annual celebration synonymous with cannabis.

This year's celebration marked the first since California's legalization of recreational marijuana went into effect in January following the passage of a 2016 statewide ballot measure.

This year also marked the second that city officials worked with a private sponsor to provide chain-link fencing, increased police presence with extra additional private security guards, traffic control officers, portable toilets, extra trash, recycle and compost bins, vendors and live music.

Elora Dennis of Sonora said she decided to come to the festival for the first time to experience the "hippie atmosphere."

"I think it's very well organized. It's a nice day and everything seems responsible," Dennis said.

"It's amazing, I love it," said Minny Garcia of Vacaville. Garcia said she and friends drove part of the way, took BART into the city and then got an Uber ride to the park.

"It's nice. We've seen people walking around here picking up the garbage... it's been a great day," Garcia said.

San Francisco resident Dorothy Brand said although she's lived in the city since the 1960s today was her first time at the 4/20 event.

"Everything is very green and clean and it's very soothing to be here. Everyone is happy," Brand said.

"I'm here to smoke weed and smoke it around a group of people," said San Jose State University student Dylan Koster. "I think it's well organized. The staff are friendly, the police are friendly," he said.

On Wednesday, city officials unveiled a plan to clamp down on traffic backups, illegal parking and overflowing trash, which had been seen in previous years. City officials estimated that around 15,000 people would show up to today's event.

According to the event's sponsor, Haight Street business owner Alex Aquino, he and other local merchants raised about $200,000 to put on this year's event.

In previous celebrations, people have been arrested for offenses such as selling marijuana, public intoxication and resisting arrest. No arrests were made last year during the first officially sponsored event.

Also, San Francisco dispensary Apothecarium said today was one of their busiest days ever.

According to the company, which has three locations in the city, today they saw a higher percentage of women and seniors than past years.

Their most popular products sold today were pre-rolled marijuana joints, vaporizer pens and low-dose edible marijuana gummies, Apothecarium officials said.

The time 4:20 -- a.m. or p.m. -- has been associated with smoking marijuana since the 1970s and the date April 20 has become a counterculture holiday celebrating cannabis.

###
A Vallejo elementary school teacher was charged in Contra Costa County Superior Court Friday with sending harmful matter to a minor and attempting to contact a minor for sex, Contra Costa County prosecutors said.

Andrew Lund, 36, a fourth-grade teacher at the K-5 Glen Cove Elementary School at 501 Glen Cove Parkway, was arrested Thursday at his Vallejo home by Vallejo police and members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force's Silicon Valley Chapter, Scott Alonso, spokesman for the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office, said.

Lund was charged with felony counts of sending harmful matter to a minor, contacting a minor for sex, attempted lewd act on a child and possession of child pornography in Solano County. He also was charged with a misdemeanor count of arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes.

The offenses occurred between April 7 and Thursday, according to the complaint.

Lund allegedly solicited the sexual contact during communication over the internet with an undercover investigator with the ICAC Task Force who was posing as a female minor, Alonso said. The complaint alleges Lund did not try to ascertain the minor's true age.

Lund allegedly possessed child pornography depicting a person under age 18 engaging in simulated sexual conduct.

Alan Clark, superintendent of the Vallejo City Unified School District, said in a Facebook post Thursday that Lund was arrested away from the Glen Cove school campus.

Lund is a "Teacher Leader" who assists with curriculum implementation and teacher training activities, and he is on leave until the investigation is completed "and we are able to take action based on the facts and the law," Clark said.

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office is asking anyone in Vallejo who might also be a victim to contact the office at (925) 957-2263.

###
 "Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if.... ....it means lying or making up stories" | Main | "Techno-Policing" 

April 21, 2018

India government moving forward with the death penalty for child rape

This new Bloomberg piece, headlined "India Approves Death Penalty for Child Rapists After Outcry," provides a useful reminder that the United States is not the only nation inclined to respond with punitive new laws in the wake of a high-profile horrible crime. Here are the basics:

Prime Minister Narendra Modis cabinet cleared an ordinance that imposes the death penalty on convicted child rapists. The amendment to the nations criminal law, which allows the death sentence in cases of rape of girls under age 12, was approved on Saturday, an official told reporters in New Delhi after the cabinet meeting. Once the president signs the ordinance, it will become a law. The government acted after the recent failure of Indias ruling party to act on the growing outrage over two brutal rapes risked eroding Modis support ahead of state and national elections. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres had urged authorities to act, according to the Times of India newspaper. The cabinet also raised the minimum sentence in cases of rape of a woman to 10 years from the current seven, and in the rape of a girl under 16 years of age to 20 years from 10. In a crime that shocked India, an 8-year-old Muslim girl in Jammu and Kashmir was kidnapped in January, drugged, held for several days in Kathua, was raped multiple times then murdered, local police said. In Uttar Pradesh, a state lawmaker from Modis Bharatiya Janata Party is accused in a June 2017 rape case in Unnao.

Of course, this particular punitive reaction to an awful child rape is no longer possible in the US: the Supreme Court ruled a decade ago in Kennedy v. Louisiana that the use of the death penalty as punishment for child rape is unconstitutionally severe and thus barred by the Eighth Amendment.

Interestingly, just the other day I was doing a little research on the death penalty for non-capital crimes and I came across one especially notable reaction to the Kennedy ruling. Here is the quote, and readers are welcome to guess who said it before clicking through to the link:

"I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for the most egregious of crimes," [this prominent federal politician] said at a news conference. "I think that the rape of a small child, 6 or 8 years old, is a heinous crime and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances the death penalty is at least potentially applicable, that that does not violate our Constitution."

April 21, 2018 at 02:04 PM | Permalink

Comments

Obama.

Obama in various ways is a moderate & it was somewhat laughable that he was made out to be some flaming leftie. His rhetoric at times, especially on a few issues, was stronger. But, even there, he was the "no red, no blue state" guy, promoting the idea of find some sort of middle ground in his rational fashion.

Posted by: Joe | Apr 22, 2018 12:02:55 AM

Stuppppidaggini. Even in United States it is extremely difficult to decide if an homicide is a death penalty eligible one and in this kind of crime there is a very hard evidence: a dead body.

Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Apr 22, 2018 8:19:54 AM

I contend, that legally, factually and morally, rape of a person, of any age, is, equally, repugnant.

Posted by: Dudley Sharp | Apr 22, 2018 8:35:37 AM

Ciao Dudu, how are you???? Still on the wrong side of history I see.

Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Apr 22, 2018 1:44:36 PM

Two things:

First, why does India's new rape law only apply to FEMALE children and, then only, if the convicted rapist is MALE? Does India think that it is okay to rape boys, but not girls? Rape is rape is rape! Moreover, you don't have to be male to commit a rape; all a female rapist would need would be some artificial device to forcibly penetrate a child's intimate parts to make it rape and to inflict the same suffering on the child victim as the way a human sex organ would have. Most U.S. jurisdictions define rapist and rape victim/survivor in gender-neutral terms; and this is the way it should be. India is still very backward when it comes to dealing with rape.

Secondly, doesn't making rape a capital felony simply give the green light for the rapist to kill his or her victim to prevent the victim's testimony in court? Besides, if one is going to get death for committing rape, then why not murder the victim? That would seem to be the thought of anybody who committed so horrible a crime that did not involve actual murder of the victim/survivor.

Posted by: william r. delzell | Apr 22, 2018 2:21:44 PM

william r. delzell, You are right. Even the Scotus understood it in Kennedy v Louisiana.

Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Apr 22, 2018 3:46:21 PM

Deizell:

Precisely the reason I opposed the death penalty for rape, even though I find it well deserved.

Posted by: Dudley Sharp | Apr 23, 2018 10:50:50 AM

For sheer destructiveness, the place I would support expansion of the death penalty is attempted multiple murder, particularly of the terrorist variety. Like people who tried but failed to destroy an airplane in flight, or the person who set a fire in a crowded Seattle gay nightclub.

Posted by: William Jockusch | Apr 23, 2018 10:39:48 PM

British authorities ruling Palestine hanged several members of the underground Zionist Irgun organization in the 1940s following their conviction on charge of bombing and other violent attacks. Menachem Begin, former Irgun leader and later Prime Minister of Israel, reportedly told a former British Government minister that the executions had galvanized his group, which subsequently hanged several British soldier in retaliation. Menachem Begin said the hangings got us the recruits that we wanted, and made us more efficient and dedicated to the cause  you were not sentencing our terrorists to death, you were sentencing a lot of your own people, and we decided how many

Amnesty International When the State Kills, ACT 51/07/1989 p. 19



Posted by: Claudio Giusti | Apr 24, 2018 7:41:29 AM

Post a comment
Mortgage adviser: Tom Banducci, Guaranteed Rate.

Property type: Condominium in Oakland.

Purchase Price: $447,500.

Loan amount: $434,000.

Loan type: 30-year fixed.

Rate: 4.25 percent (4.932 percent APR), 1 percent point fee.

Backstory: A first-time buyer in the East Bay wanted a condo close to BART so he could better manage his daily commute to San Francisco. Even with a gift from his grandparents, he could only afford a 3 percent down payment. Competing against cash offers and other buyers with 20 percent down is tough.

Luckily Tom Banducci had a solution: Guaranteed Rates Red Arrow Approval Express pre-underwrite program.

As a direct mortgage lender and broker, Guaranteed Rate offers many solutions for clients.

The Approval Express program gave Banducci the ability to offer the buyer a complete mortgage underwriting of his creditworthiness prior to making an offer. With a guaranteed one-day turnaround, Banduccis approval was in place in time to meet the midweek offer deadline.

When the approval came in, Banducci explained the underwriting conditions that needed to be satisfied to fund the loan and the client was comfortable making a non-contingent offer.

Having underwriting approval also allowed the purchase to close faster, so the buyers agent was able to offer a 17-day close of escrow.

Upon receipt of the offer, the listing agent contacted Banducci to discuss the fast close of escrow and better understand the strength of the offer.

Banducci explained the approval process and how Guaranteed Rate uses local appraisers and has their own condo review department.

The buyer was ecstatic to hear his offer was ratified and have escrow close a day early.

Tom Banducci,

Guaranteed Rate,

(415) 813-1354, tom.banducci@rate.com.
Every three years or so, Holly Hollenbeck starts getting restless. The principal of the Inner Richmonds HSH Interiors and her family buy a new home, remodel it and then start the process anew.

I love projects, Hollenbeck said. As soon as I finish a house, I get itchy to start something else.

Her latest venture rests on the corner of Scott and Grove streets, along Alamo Square Parks western edge in San Francisco. Original details like herringbone-patterned oak flooring, period hardware, hardwood wainscoting and stained glass abound throughout the six-bedroom Edwardian designed by architect Julius Krafft and completed in 1901.

Prior to the Hollenbecks 2014 purchase, the home belonged to the same family since the early 1970s. At the time, they were renting to a tech entrepreneur who was living with 10 other people, a chef and a yoga instructor.

Even though zoning allows the residence to be converted into condominiums, Hollenbeck said the prior owners preferred keeping it a single-family home.

It was important to sellers that I wouldnt gut the original details out or turn it into condos, she said. There was an emotional connection because its the home they had grown up in. The eldest daughter said her dad took a stained glass making class so he could repair broken pieces in the original stained glass windows.

Hollenbeck paid respects to the classical details while modernizing the homes infrastructure. The electrical, plumbing and ventilation systems all received upgrades, and the kitchen transformed into a gourmet paradise.

A pair of ovens and a gas range outfit the cooking space finished with Carrera marble counters and display shelving.

Hollenbecks touch sees vibrant colors and striking patterns paired with the homes traditional design elements.

In the formal dining room, designer wallpaper with a dramatic linear motif rests above the hardwood wainscoting and built-in china cabinet with leaded glass windows.

Special attention was also paid to the owners suite, which sits on the southeastern corner of the home and frames views of the park. The suite includes a dressing room and fireplace, as well as a spa bathroom with three-dimensional tile, a freestanding soaking tub and a marble shower.

Learn more at www. 701scott.com.

Listing agent: Neill Bassi, Sothebys International Realty, (415) 296-2233, nb@neillbassi.com.

Details

Address: 701 Scott St., Alamo Square, San Francisco.

Price: $6.3 million.

Features: Redesigned by Holly Hollenbeck of HSH Interiors, this six-bedroom corner house overlooks Alamo Square Park. Classical details like stained glass, herringbone-patterned oak flooring and hardwood wainscoting await inside the residence featuring a traditional floor plan. High-end appliances and marble counters outfit the contemporary chefs kitchen.
A Delta Airlines passenger allegedly threw coffee at her fellow passengers and assaulted a federal air marshal during a flight from London to Salt Lake City.

According to documents filed in a US district court Friday, 45-year-old Sarah Maria Beach was arrested on misdemeanor assault charges after she reportedly jumped on the back of an air marshal and "placed her hands on his head, neck, and jawline."

The charges also state that the woman ran up and down the aisle, toppled a drink cart, and even threw coffee on her fellow passengers during the incident.

London resident Martin Nicholls, a passenger on the plane, described the incident to NBC's Salt Lake City affiliate KSL.

RELATED: Plane passenger allegedly strangled people, called baby a 'slut' in mid-flight rampage

"At one point she stood up and she was drinking coffee and she literally just threw the whole thing, not the cup, the coffee, and it hit the ceiling, it was going down the walls," Nicholls said. "It went over probably about six or seven passengers, some, almost, to the other side of the plane."

RELATED VIDEO: Delta flight makes emergency landing after engine fire

Nichols also said that the woman started running up and down the aisle and toppled a beverage cart in the process.

"She literally sprinted down the end [of the aisle]. And I mean she's only a small woman, really," he said. "Everyone's becoming very concerned because, I thought, we're at 30-odd thousand feet over the sea. What if she tried to open the door?"

Beach was eventually subdued by flight attendants and the air marshal, who brought the woman to the back of the plane with him. The two sat next to each other for a while, and she was "initially calm with" him.

ALSO: Teen kicked off plane for throwing up

The air marshal escorted Beach to the bathroom twice without incident, but on a third visit, Beach allegedly assaulted the air marshal by jumping on his back and attempting to choke him.

After the outburst, she was handcuffed to a seat where she spent the remainder of the flight.

Beach was identified as an American citizen living in London who also uses the name Sarah Cullum.
GAZA CITY  Gazas ruling Hamas militant group said Saturday that a man who was gunned down in Malaysia was an important member of the organization, accusing Israel of being behind the brazen killing.

Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a loyal member and a scientist of Palestines youth scholars. It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made important contributions and participated in international forums in the field of energy.

Hamas initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been assassinated by the hand of treachery. But later its top leader accused Israels Mossad spy agency intelligence of killing him and threatened retaliation.

Ismail Haniyeh told the Associated Press Saturday that based on previous assassinations Mossad is not away from this disgraceful, terrible crime.

The Israeli government had no comment. Israel has a long history of suspected targeting of wanted Palestinian militants in daring overseas operations around the globe and has been linked to other assassinations as well, though it has rarely publicly acknowledged them.

Malaysian police said al-Batsh, 34, was gunned down early Saturday by two assailants who shot at least eight bullets from a motorcycle as he was heading to a mosque for dawn prayers in Kuala Lampur.

Malaysias deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government was looking into the possibility of the involvement of foreign agents in the killing.

Besides his Hamas affiliation, al-Batsh was also a cousin of Khaled al-Batsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group, who accused Mossad of the assassination, without providing evidence.

Though Hamas stressed al-Batshs scientific background, the funeral service of the Islamic movements militant wing suggested al-Batsh was actually one of its military commanders. At a mourning tent in the Gaza Strip, a banner described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing. Ten masked militants in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabaliya, the slain mans hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders.

Al-Batsh specialized in electrical engineering and worked at a Malaysian university. He had lived there with his family for the past eight years and was an imam at a local mosque.

However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in a Hamas drone development project.

Israel and Hamas are bitter foes who have fought three wars since 2008.

Fares Akram is an Associated Press writer.
JEBALIYA REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip  Israels defense minister said Saturday that Hamas leaders are the only culprits in continued bloodshed on the Gaza border, as the European Union and a top United Nations official made new demands to investigate shootings of unarmed Palestinians by Israeli soldiers, including the killing of a 14-year-old boy.

Avigdor Liebermans comments on Twitter came a day after four Palestinians, including the teen, were shot and killed by Israeli army fire from across the border fence, according to Gaza health officials.

More than 150 Palestinians were wounded Friday, in the fourth round of weekly Hamas-led mass protests in the border area.

The teen, Mohammed Ayyoub, was about 150 yards from the fence when he was hit, Gaza photographer Abed Alhakeem Abu Rish said. He said the boy was about to take cover when he was shot and fell to the ground, collapsing head first. The Israeli military says it is investigating the incident.

The latest deaths brought to 32 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in protests since late March. More than 1,600 have been wounded by live rounds in the past three weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The rising Palestinian casualty toll signaled that Israels military is sticking to its open-fire rules despite international criticism of the use of lethal force against unarmed protesters.

Israel has said it is defending its sovereign border, including Israeli communities on the other side. It has alleged that Hamas uses the protests as cover for attacks and for damaging the border fence.

Late Saturday, the military released photos and videos depicting what it has said it is trying to counter. In one image, young boys, under the cover of smoke, are seen charging the fence and uprooting part of it to allow for an infiltration.

The marches are part of what organizers have billed as an escalating showdown with Israel, to culminate in a mass march on May 15. The top Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said people should get ready for large crowds spilling across the border that day.

The latest killings sparked new demands by a senior U.N. official and by the E.U. for an investigation.

Nikolay Mladenov, a top U.N. envoy in the region, said on Twitter that it is outrageous to shoot at children.

Fares Akram and Karin Laub are Associated Press writers.
Page Content

Several months after it went into effect, California's new immigration law, AB 450, has many of the state's employers worried, according to attorneys and trade association representatives. Employers are concerned that the law places them in the middle of a dispute between the federal and state governments.

AB 450which is aimed at protecting immigrants' rightswas passed in response to President Donald Trump's administration and its crackdown on undocumented workers. The state law places severe restrictions on federal immigration agents' ability to enter the workplace and review employee records.

Attorneys and trade associations are preparing employers in the event that federal immigration authorities show up at their workplace. Businesses should take a number of steps to make sure they're ready for a visit by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. In addition, employers need to know about the California law's notice requirements and its restrictions on reverifying employment eligibility.



Key Provisions

Under AB 450, employers are prohibited from allowing federal immigration agents to enter nonpublic areas of a worksite without a judicial warrant.



The new law prohibits employers from allowing federal immigration agents to access, review or obtain employee records without a subpoena or judicial warrant. These restrictions don't apply to I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and other documents for which a Notice of Inspection has been given to the company.



Employers that receive a Notice of Inspection from the federal government must notify employees within 72 hours of receiving the inspection notice.



The state law prohibits employers from reverifying the employment eligibility status of current employees unless required by federal law.



The penalties for violating the first three provisions are $2,000 to $5,000 for a first violation and $5,000 to $10,000 for each subsequent violation. For the fourth provision, the penalty is up to $10,000 for a violation.



However, the state is facing a legal challenge. The U.S. Department of Justice is suing California, alleging that AB 450 and two other state laws make it difficult for the federal government to enforce immigration laws.



Confusion and Concerns



Because of the new California law, many employers believe they're caught between competing demands from the state and federal governments.



"I think they feel like they're in the crossfire between the two," said Bryan Little, director of employment policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Benjamin Ebbink, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Sacramento, said that when talking to clients last year about AB 450, they expressed worry and confusion and perceived it to be a no-win situation. Then in January, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra heightened their fears, Ebbink said. Becerra held a news conference, warning employers of harsh consequences if they violated the California law.

There's much confusion swirling around the issue of internal self-audits of I-9 forms, said Carl Shusterman, an immigration attorney in Los Angeles. If a California employer does a self-audit and reverifies current employees' work authorizations, then it might be fined by the state. But if the employer doesn't correct errors on I-9 forms, then it could face heavy fines imposed by the federal government.

[SHRM members-only toolkit: Complying with I-9 and E-Verify Requirements in the United States]

Another source of confusion involves determining who is considered an "immigration enforcement agent" under AB 450, said Karine Wenger, an attorney with Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy in San Diego. Does this include only ICE officers, or does it also include Fraud Detection and National Security (FDNS) inspectors? Her view is that ICE officers fall under this definition, but FDNS inspectors do not. Attorneys need clarification from Becerra, she said.

To deal with these types of concerns, attorneys and trade associations are trying to ensure that employers are ready for AB 450. For instance, Shusterman recently gave a seminar on this topic in Santa Barbara. He noted that one participant had many questions about reverifying old I-9 forms.

Little said his organization is educating agricultural employers about the legislation by putting on a webinar and writing articles.

Sharokina Shams, spokeswoman for the California Restaurant Association, said that her group has been informing businesses through its weekly newsletter and by posting information on its website.

However, Shams said that employers can prepare only to a certain point. Despite their best efforts to verify work authorization, businesses might have undocumented workers on staff and not even realize it.

"Ultimately, people who want to work provide identification, and employers accept that identification," Shams said. "They don't necessarily know there's a problem until ICE shows up at the door."

Tips for Employers

Employers should select an "immigration point person" to speak with ICE agents who arrive at the workplace, according to Ebbink. If ICE agents do arrive, staff should make sure that the agents remain in a public workspace, he added.

The point person should ask to see if the agents have the necessary documents. Be prepared to turn ICE agents away if they don't have those documents, said Christopher Olmsted, an attorney with Ogletree Deakins in San Diego.

Meanwhile, employers should conduct training on how to properly complete I-9 forms, he added.

In addition, Olmsted recommends that companies conduct self-audits of I-9 documents to ensure compliance with federal law. Identifying deficiencies on I-9 forms doesn't necessarily involve reverifying employment eligibility, he noted.

If an employer does an audit and finds that the information is incorrect, documentation is missing or someone isn't authorized to work, this can be corrected, and Jocelyn Campanaro, an attorney with Fisher Phillips in Denver. She noted that this wouldn't be a reverification.

Wenger agrees. "We strongly recommend internal audits of I-9s, especially in today's climate, where we're going to see an increase in raids and I-9 inspections," she said.

However, companies should always keep in mind AB 450's restrictions on reverifying work authorization. Olmsted recommends that employers seek the advice of legal counsel on issues regarding self-audits and reverification.

Toni Vranjes is a freelance business writer in San Pedro, Calif.
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Researchers at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University program the robot. Credit:Reuters video screen grab

A couple of engineers in Singapore have programmed two robots to assemble an IKEA chair.

This has been reported around the globe as news that presages the end of the world as we know it, with predictable headlines: Robots have done what no human can: assemble an IKEA chair in just 21 minutes; "We welcome our new robot overlords", etc, etc.

The difficulty of assembling IKEA furniture is a fruitful trope, but really, is it that hard? You only need one tool  which the underpaid Eastern European factory workers who put a flat-pack together never omit  and three different types of screw that will only fit in the hole they are meant for. You are about as likely to insert an IKEA hotdog in the wrong hole as one of their fasteners.

And the instructions come in a booklet of straightforward Esperanto-style pictograms  even the functionally illiterate can follow them.
An Australian producer and DJ who has toured with Avicii said the Swedish-born musician's death on Friday was a "shock" and a major loss to the industry.

Will Sparks, who supported Avicii during his shows in Sydney and Perth in 2014, said the news of the popular 28-year-old producer's death in Oman was "a tragedy".

Tributes have poured in after DJ and producer Avicii, born Tim Bergling, was found dead. Credit:AP

"It's a bit of a shock to be honest," Sparks said.

"We've lost one of the biggest innovators and producers. We wouldn't have done a lot of what we've done in music without him."
Peking Duck at Splendour in the Grass in 2017. Credit:Mitch Lowe "We just look funny," his buddy echoes. "You're allowed to laugh at this. And I'm into it. We're bringing smiles to the people. That's the main thing. People leave with a smile. It's good." For Australian festival pilgrims, it's been that way since Peking Duk's breakthrough track, High, hauled the Canberra DJ/hitmakers out of the club ghetto and into the mainstream charts in 2014. Aided by a series of inspired and, yes, often quite funny videos, the duo has since clocked up half a dozen singles that have each cracked platinum sales. Peking Duk, Reuben Styles (left) and Adam Hyde. The caramel popcorn shake is incredible, by the way. "My dude! You are the king of the shake!" Hyde calls to our host.

It's not surprising to learn this guy was the class clown as far back as he can remember. To his lingering indignation, he was "pretty much" invited to leave his first high school in Canberra at the end of year 10. "So I took that opportunity and I said 'yeah, f--- you, I'm outta here'," he says. "And if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you." Peking Duk, 2014. I think it was just that we were bored up there. He and Styles had already met at a local skateboard park, but it was during their first year at Dickson College they found the rapport that would seal their fate. "There were all these music rooms where you could just go in at lunchtime," Styles says, "just jam on beats on the laptops, or go into these little session rooms where there were amps and drums that anyone could go have a bash on  Adam made a hip-hop song every day."

Hyde and Styles met at a skateboard park. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer "Talking shit on a beat," Hyde nods. "It was fun." Musically, their influences were as broad as the tools at hand. But everything changed at a club night called Lot 33 in Kingston sometime in 2008 or '09, under the violent influence of masked Italian dance duo the Bloody Beetroots. Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles walk the red carpet ahead of the 2018 Australasian Performing Right Association music awards. "It was so, so sick," Hyde mutters.

"They became our gods," Styles says. "DJing, jumping around like maniacs  it was like, punk mentality but with electronic music. We became intrigued as to how they were creating those sounds in the studio." Hyde adds: "So we tried to emulate the sounds and the structures of those songs, day in, day out, at Reuben's and my house. For, like, a year straight. "And I guess we sort of got closer and closer and we banged together some original songs, slapped 'em on a CD and sent it to a local promoter." Half a dozen underground singles later, the duo was doing it tough on the American DJ circuit when High started to gain some traction back home, beyond the "sweaty club-head dudes" of their fan base. When they flew in for a gig in Perth, they were astonished to see a long line of mixed-gender and modish clientele winding down the block. "They looked very clean; happy teenybopper-type people," Hyde marvels. So we played the show and it was the craziest we'd ever done. People went ballistic."

High was the first tune accompanied by the kind of video that has greatly enhanced the Duk's essential hedonistic subtext. The narrative follows a gaggle of nine-to-five urbanites secretly convening in a forest to don animal skins and get primal. Imaginative variations on the escapist theme followed. Say My Name enlisted American actor Matt McGorry as a mono-browed and mulleted pick-up artist bad-dancing the streets of Manhattan. Stranger saw two street dogs imbibe a curious elixir to float in bubbles high above the metropolis. The pair's most recent video might be their most inspired yet. Starting with the promising line, "I wake up drunk again/the same as last weekend", Wasted is a single-shot affair that follows Hyde and Styles' transformation from gutter bums to Travolta-esque disco heroes, gate-crashing an empty club to perform their own cornball dance sequence. "I went over to Reuben's place the day before the shoot and we choreographed the dance in his lounge room, which was hilarious," Hyde says. "We did it in about 40 minutes. I was like, 'let's start with a kick', and Reuben was like, 'all right, sick'." "My mum actually used to do this dance because for the first 15 years of my life she was a Dyke on a Bike, out raging at Mardi Gras or whatever," Styles says. "You remember Dykes On Bikes?"

"Really? That was a thing? I always thought you were just calling her a dyke on a bike." "Well, she was, but she also did go to Mardi Gras every year." How the jazz-hands thing will play out on stage is a bit of an unknown, given Hyde and Styles have vowed to keep hold of their guitars and other instruments since that live rock'n'roll victory at Splendour last July. "I think it was just that we were bored up there," Hyde says of the decision to increase the degree of difficulty. "There's only so many times you can tell people to put their hands in the air and not feel like a dickhead." "Plus there's two of us and only one set of decks. That made us extra bored. It doesn't take long to press the button," Styles says.

"And we wanted a challenge at the end of the day. And it definitely was a challenge." "The fact that something can go wrong at any moment makes it so much more exciting." In the cool light of day, Hyde isn't shying away from his "death of the DJ" rhetoric. "It's already dying," he insists. "Big EDM [electronic dance music] culture is dead in the arse." "The culture of just pressing play on  I mean, you don't even put a CD in any more," Styles says. "You just put in an SD card in that fits in the little pocket of your jeans, then all four decks are all linked so you don't need to change the tempos anymore  you can just go bam-bam and it's all gonna pretty much play itself." "It's not sustainable," Hyde says.

"Cool techno in an underground club? That's dope," Styles says. "That shit is sick," Hyde agrees. "But the bro EDM culture, that whole f-----g thing, that's gotta go." "DJs have it f-----g easy," Styles decides. "DJs have it really f-----g easy." And so the transformation from digital dilettantes to full-scale axe-wielding rock stars would be complete  if not for one conspicuous absence. The album. The traditional benchmark of arrival has been touted for some time, as recently as Sony Music's latest press release for Wasted. But perhaps emboldened by the caramel popcorn shake, the artists strike a more revolutionary stance on the matter today.

"It wouldn't be the most cohesive album, that's for sure," Hyde says dubiously, reflecting on the range of styles they've mashed and hammered since the teeth-grinding club fodder of Bingo Trippin in 2011. "Also, in this day and age " He makes a face that tells the whole death-of-the-album story in the twitch of a moustache. Styles is similarly ambivalent about the prospect of a Peking Duk alnum. "We've got a lot of songs. It would be good to get heaps of them out but at the same time  I'm sure Ed Sheeran has nothing to worry about, but I don't know any songs apart from Shape Of You on that album. If he put each song out individually, everyone would know every one of them." A year on from that Splendour rebirth, the duo promises their live repertoire will have doubled when they hit big capital city venues on their Wasted tour in May. Following on from a recent APRA Award for Most Played Australian Work (Stranger), the new single is already hovering around 3 million Spotify plays. "We just wanna make it the best show anyone's ever seen. And we're actually confident that we can," Hyde says.
When it comes to women, engagement is more likely to be effective by tapping into a socially responsible call to action. For my money, if there were a local fund, either inside or out of superannuation, that allowed me to invest in the advancement of women, be that through the companies that had the most gender diverse boards or balance of women in senior leadership, then most likely Id be buying. Some of my friends detest the idea of a female-focused fund, and thankfully they have more than enough products to choose from. But even they recognise that if such a fund boosted engagement among women obtaining advice or in building wealth, then this could be a good thing. Many people want to see their money do good in the world. Providers of ethical investing products insist that women are more likely than men to opt for products, particularly funds, that are designed around socially responsible or positive impact factors.

Of course, its not just women that are interested in socially responsible female-focused financial products, its men, retirees and young people as well. Many people want to see their money do good in the world, they want to know that post the global financial crisis (GFC) exactly where their money is going and what impact it is having. The challenge for the finance sector is to employ more women into the influencing ranks of funds management and financial advice, and also to reorient from the typical customer of old to a customer with a new view of the world. In recent years, a range of financial products have emerged in the Australian market from those applying a gender lens to those that prioritise gender diversity. Weve also seen insurance and superannuation funds target women with added advice and education services for women.

Numerous financial services behemoths, including Australian Super have flexed their shareholder voting muscles to pressure companies on gender diversity, particularly on boards. But to date, we havent seen any Australian funds tap into that rising empowerment theme that in 2017 saw women become increasingly more vocal on matters of equality. Loading The #MeToo campaigns now extend beyond sexual harassment and violence, into an empowerment movement thats spreading across all sectors, including finance. Such movements create opportunity for fund managers and product designers to offer socially responsible impact investments to investors.

Were seeing this in the US, which arguably has much deeper and more liquid financial markets. State Street Global Advisors is one of the worlds leading asset managers and it has strategically positioned itself as both a gender diversity activist and a major go-to financial services firm for women. Last year, its Fearless Girl statue claimed headlines for starring down Wall Streets famous Raging Bull. State Street's fearless girl statue on Wall St. Credit:AP The stunt helped draw attention to its Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) SHE, which is one of the few funds with a socially responsible female thematic.

SHE, now two years old, is designed to invest in companies that employ women in high-level leadership roles. SHE underperformed the benchmark Morningstar Large Blend Index in 2017 with a total return of 19.68 per cent compared to 20.44 per cent. Companies ranking in the top 10 per cent in each sector are included in the portfolio, so long as each firm has at least one woman on its board or as chief executive. Another fund focused on women is the Pax Ellevate Global Womens Leadership Fund (PXWEX), now part of Impax Asset Management. In 2017 the fund outperformed the benchmark MSCI World (Net) Index with a 22.78 per cent total return compared to 22.40 per cent.

This fund invests in the highest-rated companies in the world for advancing women through gender diversity on their boards and in executive management. In both performance calculations outperformance is likely to be reduced by fees. The women-focused investment company founded by Wall Street veteran Sallie Krawcheck, Ellevest, also includes both the SHE Index and PaxEllevate in the mix of investment options offered to customers. Ellevest is focused on bridging the gender pay gap and recently launched the Ellevest Impact Portfolios, with five new funds that have an investment theme of advancing women globally. The new portfolios are in addition to its existing ETF Portfolios. Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and chief executive officer of Ellevest Financial. Credit:Bloomberg Unfortunately, Ellevest currently serves the investing needs of US clients only.

So whats holding Australia back? Performance, cost or demand? Its likely to be a bit of everything. One of the closest options to SHE is the BetaShares Australian Ethical ETF (FAIR) fund, which invests only in companies that have at least one female board director. FAIR has outperformed the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 over the past three years with a 7.9 per cent total return versus 3.8 per cent. I asked BetaShares if it would consider going a step further and develop an ETF that features companies where there are at least two women on boards, or perhaps 30 per cent women in leadership and board positions. BetaShares isnt ruling out such a move but says it all depends on whether applying such a screen results in a portfolio that is robust and also whether there exists sufficient demand in the marketplace for such a product from a wide variety of investors.

I also asked AustralianSuper if it would consider offering a similar product, but it said it has no plans to do so. The step might not be a difficult one to make given the increasing number of Australian companies improving their gender diversity policies. Currently most of the companies in the ASX top 20, have over 30 per cent women in board positions, according to the Financy Womens Index for the December quarter. The latest gender diversity report by the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) also shows that of the ASX top 200, there are 74 companies, which have reached or exceeded a key 30 per cent target. A milestone the AICD is pressing listed companies to meet by the end of this year. Theres no question that we have an evolving industry, which appears to be moving in the right direction on gender diversity. But we are missing an opportunity to engage with a wave of potential female investors, especially those who want to invest in women for the social good it can create.
The focus is on the smallest of details at the Australian War Memorial as preparations for Anzac Day ramp up, with as many as 60,000 people expected to attend this year's services.

About 150 staff and volunteers are working feverishly to set up, with much of the infrastructure needed for the biggest day on the war memorial's calendar put in place on Wednesday, ahead of last Thursday's full dress rehearsal.

Hamish Griffen and Rohin Ashkbar help set up for Anzac Day services at the Australian War Memorial. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

Australian War Memorial assistant director Anne Bennie said it was predicted up to 50,000 people would come to the dawn service, with as many as 10,000 at the national service later in the morning.

She said with events of this size, the biggest challenge was getting everyone on the same page.
Psychiatrists fear patients will withhold information vital to their care because their full psychiatric histories can be subpoenaed and aired in tribunal hearings.

Canberra-based psychiatrist Dr Ingrid Butterfield said two of her patients' records had been subpoenaed by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, at the request of the National Disability Insurance Agency, in the past month.

Canberra psychiatrist Dr Ingrid Butterfield, who is concerned about records subpoenas compromising patient care. Credit:Elesa Kurtz

The cases before the tribunal relate to the patients' disputes with the agency, which assesses eligibility for care under the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Dr Butterfield said her patients had been shocked to discover deeply personal information they had told her in confidence would be disclosed to others as part of the tribunal process.
Stickers belonging to an Australian neo-Nazi organisation that describes itself as "the Hitlers you've been waiting for" has been seen in various prominent locations around Canberra.

Multiple stickers belonging to the group Antipodean Resistance, which all contained the Nazi swastikas on them, were found in Civic on Friday.

Several stickers were found in locations around Civic on Friday Credit:Augustine Bamberry

The stickers described the group as a "21st century Hitler youth" and were found in locations such as City Walk, Ainslie Place as well as outside the Canberra Theatre Centre.

Canberra resident Augustine Bamberry said he removed several of the stickers after seeing posts about them on social media.
Shocking footage has emerged showing sheep dying in horrific conditions.

Growing up near Midland on the outskirts of Perth during the 1960s and 1970s, I endured the weekly stench from the local abattoir. It was the price we paid to get meat to population centres. My first job was in the local meat processing plant, working with people described as "salt of the earth, working class", who had historically toiled in appalling conditions because they had no choice.

Pressured by unions over postwar decades, Australian governments eventually stepped in to enforce decent standards for work and wages. Compelled by those who saw the immense cruelty involved, animal welfare laws were also imposed. Meat industry employers objected to red tape and higher labour costs, but community standards were enforced, most operators complied, and the worst operators eventually left the business.

Meat became more expensive, but it was a price worth paying. Not every cost and benefit is financial.

Thats how it is now with the live sheep export industry. Until recently, only those working on the ships knew how bad its conditions were, and those who spoke up lost their jobs. With the terrible non-financial costs and risks now visible, are we willing to pay the financial cost of banning live sheep exports?
Sixty-five people were charged with possessing drugs and three men were admitted to hospital with suspected overdoses after a dance party at Sydney Olympic Park on Saturday night.

More than 12,700 revellers flocked to A State of Trance which ran between 9pm Saturday and 5am Sunday.

Police charged eight people at the rave with supplying drugs, mostly MDMA, and 55 people with drug possession.
Mamdouhs brother Mohamed Ali Elomar is serving 21 years jail for his role in planning attempted terrorist attacks in Melbourne and Sydney in 2005. Mamdouhs son Ahmed was jailed for four years for assaulting a policeman at the 2012 riots in Sydneys Hyde Park, after carrying a sign that said our dead are in paradise, your dead are in hell. Then his son Mohamed, formerly a promising boxer, travelled to Syria to become one of Australias most infamous IS fighters, before he was killed in an airstrike in 2015. Terrorism headlines were hurting the Lifese business in 2014, shrinking revenue. But the Elomars found money in February that year to buy a timber operation called Cloudy Bay from the PNG Sustainable Development Program, a charitable trust part-run by Australians.

Managing $US1.3 billion in assets, PNG SDP funds local development projects with proceeds from the Ok Tedi mine that was once owned by BHP, which handed over its stake in return for immunity from environmental lawsuits. We commit ourselves to improving the quality of life of the people of Western Province, the program says on its website. The Elomars were joined by another Australian, 25 per cent shareholder Nick Roniotis, in buying the Cloudy Bay timber operation - including logging permits, production plants and a commercial building in Port Moresby - for 40 million kina, about $17 million at the time. They paid $6.5 million up front, but then defaulted on the rest. As they faced charges over the bribery in Iraq, the Elomars were negotiating hard over the PNG business to strike a new and unusual deal.

It would have allowed them to keep control of the company while receiving millions of dollars more than they ended up paying for it. The deal, signed last February, was meant to put an end to a murky dispute. PNG SDP could have taken back all of the timber operations assets, but it decided to forgive the $11 million debt in return for the Port Moresby property alone. On top of this, PNG SDP said it would pay the Elomars company $9 million. Once the property was transferred back to the development program and the money paid, both sides would relinquish any right to sue over the initial sale.

The deal was fair, according to PNG SDPs Australian chief executive John Wylie, because it compensated the Elomars for a massive theft on the timber operation. A former public servant and management consultant, Mr Wylie said the theft was committed by someone working within the development fund before the sale to the Elomars and was only discovered later. Physical assets were allegedly stolen and funds siphoned off to pay for personal expenses, including school fees in Australia. The validated quantum of the theft was much more than $9 million, he said. The alleged thief, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been reported to an anti-corruption body in Singapore, where the company was incorporated, Mr Wylie said.

The PNG authorities are in the process of being informed, he said. This is being done carefully through lawyers and has yet to be fully executed. Deeds sighted by The Sun-Herald refer not to a theft but disputes between the buyer and seller. Asked why the $9 million payment was to go to the Elomars personally, not the Cloudy Bay company, Mr Wylie said Cloudy Bay had given a written executed authority for it. How they divvied up the spoils, as it were - we didnt want to get involved in that. None of our business. The deal has yet to go through.

The Elomars former business partner, Mr Roniotis, claimed he was cut out of the $9 million payment. He launched action in PNGs National Court of Justice to have the sum paid to the timber company, not the Elomars venture. Mr Roniotis also questioned the idea of compensation for a theft, saying he and the Elomars conducted due diligence on the company before buying it and found nothing untoward. His lawyer, Stewart Levitt, has questioned the negotiations between PNG SDP and the Elomars, who at the time had been facing foreign bribery charges for more than a year. It would be extraordinary for the trustees of a public trust to want to continue to do business with people known to be facing serious criminal charges which had been widely reported, Mr Levitt said. The Elomars, who pleaded guilty to the Iraq bribery last July, will be first eligible for release in September next year. Their lawyer at the time of the PNG deal negotiations, Abdul Reslan, did not return calls.
On a day topping 30 degrees in tinder-dry bush at Haunted Point, Indigenous elder Sonny Timbery is showing a group of teenage boys how to light fires.

Firefighters from the NSW Rural Fire Service watch as the teenagers use firesticks made from bark to ignite leaf litter that has accumulated on a ridge above the Shoalhaven River.

Indigenous fire management techniques are being used at Bundanon, Arthur Boyds gift to the nation, on the NSW South Coast. Credit:Louise Kennerley

The flames catch quickly yet burn slowly, barely reaching knee-height, producing a plume of white smoke that wafts through the branches of towering spotted gums.

Mr Timbery points to the ground, which is alive with ants and beetles scuttling from the flames.
A high-rise cemetery in Brazil called the Memorial Necropole Ecumenica. Vertical graveyards are being considered in Sydney, too. Credit:supply

Sydney's major cemeteries are going medium-density, planning multistorey burial spaces above and below ground to provide urgently needed plots.

Executives at Australia's largest cemetery Rookwood said they were in early discussions to build a five-to-six-storey mausoleum before its existing facility fills up in 18 months.

This would use land unsuitable for burials, the administrator of the Rookwood General Cemeteries Reserve Trust Jason Masters said.

As populations increase around the world, planners are building massive cities of the dead underground and in the sky, such as the 100-metre-high cemetery Memorial Necropole Ecumenica in Santos, Brazil, and the medium-density buildings to house cremated remains in China. In Israel, they are building a 500-metre-long, beehive-style catacomb dug into the limestone beneath a cemetery in Jerusalem.
The last post: Wal Scott Smith prepares for his final Anzac Day as guardian of the Martin Place cenotaph. Credit:Dean Sewell

Last week, we published the heart-warming tale of Wal Smith, the long-standing guardian of the Martin Place Cenotaph in Sydney's CBD.

After almost eight decades of unbroken service, this Wednesday will mark Mr Smith's final year as guardian. The 96-year-old has decided to retire after turning out for one more Anzac Day.

People like Mr Smith epitomise all that is great about our city, and all that is good about remembering our military past. His long years of voluntary service, his respect and solidarity for our soldiers and their families. Above all his great dignity and respect.

And it's not just Mr Smith. These qualities are on display in abundance on Anzac Day, when Australia pauses to remember conflicts both ancient and modern.
A man remains in custody after allegedly murdering an acquaintance at a home north of Brisbane.

Luke Cunningham, 21, of Nundah, allegedly shot 24-year-old Jacob Bell in the chest just after midnight on Friday following a dispute.

Scientific and forensic police officers scoured the Petrie street on Friday as detectives searched for the gunman. Credit:AAP/Albert Perez

Mr Bell, who was visiting Cunningham's unit at Petrie, died a short time later in hospital.

Cunningham was charged with Mr Bell's murder, as well as enter dwelling and commit an indictable offence.
Hussein Haraco, who is originally from Somalia, came to Australia in 2001.

You probably havent heard his story because, by Mr Haracos own account, his was a very smooth transition. Which may be something of an understatement.

In the 17 years he has been in Australia, Mr Haraco has never worked for anybody  but he has employed many others.

Hussein Haraco, director of Haraco Pty Ltd. Credit:Chris Hopkins

With a PhD in economics, Mr Haraco quickly set about starting his own business. He imports food and drinks, deals in real estate, and runs a pizza and billiards parlour.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's promise to suspend nuclear tests and missile launches immediately has triggered a warning from Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop that the declaration cannot be trusted unless the rogue state proves it is willing to abandon its weapons program.

The North Korean announcement marked a surprising shift in policy by Kim ahead of his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in two weeks and a historic summit with United States President Donald Trump planned for late May or early June.

North Korea will have to make verifiable steps to show that it is genuine in abandoning its illegal nuclear weapons and ballistic missile testing and programs, Ms Bishop said in London on Saturday.

While we can cautiously note the statements, we need to see verifiable steps, because in the past North Korea has made promises and then failed to honour them.
The Greens have proposed a five-point plan to phase out live sheep exports, labelling the government's assurance about animal welfare "worthless" and arguing that Labor's proposal to suspend the trade immediately would create uncertainty for the sector.

The blueprint, which would offer financial assistance to farmers and seek to grow the trade of boxed and chilled meat, adds to a growing push by MPs across the political spectrum to end live sheep exports following revelations about the cruel and deadly conditions faced by the animals on journeys to the Middle East.

Shocking footage has emerged showing sheep dying in horrific conditions.

But One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has criticised the move to wind down the trade permanently, warning Australia would lose business to competitors and questioning whether boosted exports of processed meat could replace the lost economic activity.
The number of students attending private schools in Australia will flatline over the next decade, according to federal government projections, as more parents choose to keep their children in the public system.

Enrolments that were once growing at a rate of 20,000 a year will slow to as little as 3000 by the middle of the next decade, according to the projections, presenting a stark marketing challenge to the nation's private schools.

More parents are projected to keep their children in the public system in the next decade. Credit:Quentin Jones

Public school enrolments will also slow from their current boom, but will still grow faster than they did in the Howard years and up to 2011, a period when private school growth outstripped that of their public counterparts.

Of the 367,000 additional full-time equivalent students projected to be in schools by 2027, it is expected 288,000 - or 78.5 per cent - will be in government schools. At present, 65.6 per cent of the country's children are in the public system, which will inch up to 66.8 per cent by 2027 if the department's projections are accurate.
A kangaroo was stoned to death in a Chinese zoo - apparently for the same reason that a brown bear was once crushed to death by Russian videographers, and a shark in Florida was dragged behind a motorboat like a kite.

That is, to gratify a human.

The kangaroo - a 12-year-old female whose name is not known - was not hopping enough to amuse spectators at the Fuzhou Zoo in February, The New York Times reported, quoting Chinese media.

The kangaroo was not hopping enough to amuse spectators. Credit:Dean Osland

So someone picked up a rock. Or it might have been a brick or slab of concrete, Agence France-Presse wrote. In any case, it wasn't unusual for visitors to this zoo in south-east China to provoke the animals with projectiles.
The British Royal Family is a modern-day melting pot of pageantry, tradition, romance, fashion, celebrity and, of course, scandal. If you're a monarchist, or just a consumer of glossy mags, the House of Windsor is the perfect package. And I'm hooked.

1977 Wedgwood souvenir mug to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Credit:Alamy

For me, being pro-monarchy has always felt instinctual, rather than a deliberate choice. The royals first entered my consciousness in 1981, while I was shopping with my mother for shoes to match the canary yellow flower-girl dress I'd be wearing at my aunt's wedding. The sky was overcast and there was an added sense of haste that afternoon. Everyone wanted to get home in time to watch the wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

I scrapbooked it all  Charles and Di, then Andrew and Fergie. I just couldn't get enough. But despite this teenage ardour, I can't boast of a collection of royal memorabilia worthy of a current affairs story. You see, I discovered heavy metal and found the commemorative plates clashed with my posters of long-haired musicians and penchant for wearing black.

Nonetheless, my love for all things royal has endured. I've sobbed through every wedding, celebrated the birth of the future king with a high tea at home with my two-year-old (my second child shares a birth date with Prince George, you know) and applauded Prince Philip as one of the funniest and most un-PC buggers still breathing.
Nothing personal: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, left, meets locals at Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, after an incident where where a van struck pedestrians, in London, in June. Credit:PA However in 2018 anti-Semitism is now more commonplace, more conspicuous and more corrosive within the Labour party, she said. Labour supporters using the hashtag JCforPM [Jeremy Corbyn for Prime Minister] had called for her de-selection because she spoke at a rally against anti-Semitism, she said. They have called me Judas, a Zionazi and an absolute parasite, and they have told me to get out of this country and go back to Israel My party urgently needs to address this issue publicly and consistently, and we need to expel from our ranks those people who hold these views. Labour MP John Mann said Labour members who stand in solidarity with our Jewish colleagues were targeted by Momentum, a grassroots group within Labour that grew out of Jeremy Corbyns leadership campaign. There is explicit targeting of Jewish members of the parliamentary Labour party because they are Jewish. That is what is going on at the moment.

Mann said his wife had been sent a dead bird in the post by a Labour Marxist anti-Semite, and she had been threatened with rape after he took part in an anti-Semitism rally. It is constant, he said. There is explicit anti-Semitism, and then there is the bigger groupthe excusers of anti-Semitism, the people who say, This is something to do with who the leader of the Labour party is and challenging him. No, it is not. Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration organised by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism against alleged prejudice in the Labour Party, amid a row over the party's handling of claims of anti-Semitism. Credit:PA Mann said young Jewish party members were scared to go to meetings with him, because they were fearful that they will be intimidated and threatened. Labour MP Ruth Smeeth said she had been the target of a campaign of abuse, attempted bullying and intimidation from within my own Labour family.

She shared examples of the horrific abuse she received on social media, such as #JC4PM Deselect Ruth Smeeth ASAP. Poke the pigget all Zionist child killer scum out of Labour. And Dame Margaret Hodge said it feels as if my party has given permission for anti-Semitism to go unchallenged. Corbyn didnt speak in the debate  by parliamentary convention his Shadow Communities Secretary Andrew Gwynne led it. The next day Corbyn called Prime Minister Theresa May callous in parliament and had the debate thrown back at him. I will not take an accusation of callous from a man who allows anti-Semitism to run rife in his own party, May said.

Corbyns problem is more than silence or inaction. The debate was called in March after it emerged that in 2012 he had criticised the decision to remove a mural on a London wall that his spokesman later acknowledged had contained anti-Semitic imagery. Corbyn was also previously criticised for his membership of a private pro-Palestine Facebook group which regularly featured anti-Semitic material, which he claimed not to have seen. An investigation into allegations of anti-Semitism within Labour by human rights lawyer Shami Chakrabarti in 2016 was called a whitewash, and she then accepted a peerage from Corbyn and entered the shadow cabinet. Loading Corbyn Tweeted that the MPs who took part in this week's debate remind us of the urgent need to eradicate anti-Semitism from politics and society.

There is no excuse for abuse of any kind, he said. On Thursday Corbyn told the Press Association No anti-Semitic remarks are ever done in my name. I am totally opposed to it in any form whatsoever. We will deal with it, as our society must deal with it. Corbyn has insisted he is a militant opponent of anti-Semitism. However many of the attacks against Jewish politicians originate from pro-Corbyn groups.

On Wednesday Londons Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan challenged Jeremy Corbyn to walk the walk on tackling anti-Semitism within the party. He said the party should have acted much quicker on glaringly obvious cases such as his predecessor Ken Livingstone, who has claimed Zionists collaborated with Hitler. A number of Londoners of Jewish faith I spoke to are finding it very difficult because they genuinely believe the Labour party is not for them, Khan told the Guardian. Why? Because theyre Jewish and theres a perception that the Labour party has not dealt with the problems of anti-Semitism. You cant escape the fact they genuinely believe that. A senior Labour insider, who did not want to have her quotes attributed to her, said the rise in anti-Semitism was linked to Corbyns leadership because he has attracted fringe groups into the party. He has hung around with a lot of anti-Israel campaigners, she said. On the fringe a hatred of Israel attracts people with a hatred of Jews. There has been a blurring of those lines. (Anti-Semites) felt emboldened and found there werent any consequences, so it grew They started accusing anyone who raised anti-Semitism as somehow smearing Jeremy they saw it all through the prism of youre attacking Jeremy and shut down debate.

There are hundreds of backlogged cases of anti-Semitism the party has not dealt with, the insider said. At recent party conferences she had heard conspiracy theories involving Jewish bankers or controlling figures, she said  and even Holocaust denial and revisionism. Ive worked in and around the Labour Party for a very long time. To see it suddenly descend, to see a progressive party start believing and sharing anti-Semitic tropes and not believing them when they say theyre worried a lot of us feel like we are outsiders in our own party. It is a real, existential threat to the party, she said. Every week theres a [Labour] councillor somewhere saying something horrible about Jews. It eats away at what you should be. And it will have an impact in the polls because people feel uncomfortable with the party the way it is.
British Prime Minister Theresa May leads other Commonwealth leaders through Windsor Castle. Credit:PA

The United Kingdom is vowing to expand its role in the Pacific in a push for free speech and democracy alongside other Commonwealth nations at a time of growing concern over Chinas influence in the region.

The ambitions not only include new diplomatic posts and aid funding but the idea of encouraging commercial projects and possibly infrastructure funding.

Britains Minister of State for the Commonwealth, Lord Tariq Ahmad, said the UKs departure from the European Union would give it more scope to pursue its own aid funding and other policies in regions like the Pacific.

In an exclusive interview with Fairfax Media, the key British minister said the Commonwealth was under-leveraged and could play a much stronger role as a force for good in promoting democratic values and human rights.
In this illustration, a hot, dense, expanding cloud of debris gets stripped from neutron stars just before they collide.

COLUMBUS, Ohio  Giant, energetic explosions create mushroom clouds on distant neutron stars, and a new NASA telescope can watch them rise, cool and collapse in real time.

Astronomers had suspected the existence of these mushroom clouds for a long time. But even though the clouds may have shapes similar to the doomsday puffs resulting from nuclear explosions, the cosmic type had been far too faint and far away to make out in detail, NASA scientist Zaven Arzoumanian said during a talk Sunday (April 15) here at the April meeting of the American Physical Society. To older instruments, the explosions looked just like two mysterious blips in the light coming from distant neutron stars, which are the strange, tiny, ultradense remains of ancient stellar explosions called supernovas.

"There's a very rapid rise in flux [the brightness of the star as seen from Earth] and then a drop, and then it comes back and slowly fades," Arzoumanian said. "It didn't take much head-scratching before people figured out that what we're probably seeing is a mushroom cloud on a neutron star, rising and cooling to the point that it leaves the sensitivity range [of our existing sensors] and then falling back to the surface and reheating." [The 10 Greatest Explosions Ever]

But beyond those two blips appearing periodically in neutron-star observations, researchers hadn't been able to observe these mushroom clouds, technically called "photospheric radius expansion bursts," in much detail, Arzoumanian said.

That changed thanks to an X-ray telescope called the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), which was installed on the International Space Station in June 2017. The crucial point of this telescope  which looks something like a giant, swiveling security camera  is to probe the physics of matter at the core of those ultradense stellar remains. And it's also helping NASA develop a "galactic positioning system" based on neutron-star signals. But to accomplish those tasks, the device was made to be so sensitive that it can see those mushroom clouds bloom.

NICER doesn't see the mushroom clouds in the same way people do. It won't be producing any pretty, Hubble telescope-style photographs of the strange formations. But by carefully studying the graphs of changing light from these neutron stars, Arzoumanian said, astronomers can make precise measurements of the clouds' temperatures and sizes as they burst from the neutron stars' hard crusts.

Through this orbiting telescope, Arzoumanian's team has watched the clouds reach heights ranging from about 10 to 100 miles (15 to 150 kilometers) above the surfaces of neutron stars. That's huge. While the precise sizes of neutron stars aren't yet known  answering that question is actually one of the goals of NICER, and it could solve some deep mysteries about particle physics  they aren't believed to grow much larger than 40 miles (64 km) wide.

"So that's a tremendous amount of energy that's released on the surface of the star," Arzoumanian said.

His group has also managed to observe multiple explosions in a row on a single star. At one point, a star threw up mushroom clouds every 13 minutes or so for just under an hour, each one weaker than the last.

Arzoumanian speculated that the progressive weakening of the explosions was a result of the neutron star not having enough time to fully recover, thus causing less energy to burst into the atmosphere each time.

This is an early result from a project that could soon probe much deeper into neutron stars, which Arzoumanian called "the most outrageous objects that most people have never heard of." Live Science will be following NICER closely as more results come in.

Originally published on Live Science.
Pilot Matt Melnyk captured images of an electric-blue aurora in the sky April 20 while flying over Canada.

A moderate geomagnetic storm kicked up in Earth's skies Friday morning (April 20), bringing green and rare electric-blue auroras that stretched as far south as Indiana.

The space-weather news site Spaceweather.com reported that an "interplanetary shock wave" hit Earth's magnetic field at about 3:50 a.m. EDT (2350 on April 19 GMT), quadrupling the intensity of the flow of particles streaming from the sun toward Earth, called the solar wind. The incoming wave of material resulted in a G2-level, or moderate, geomagnetic storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). These types of storms can cause power grid fluctuations and have some impact on radio communications. [See Spectacular Photos of Auroras from Space]

See more

And they also cause enhanced auroras. This storm led to auroras possibly reaching through Canada and as far south as New York, Wisconsin and Washington state in the U.S., the SWPC said.

Spaceweather.com reported that auroras stretched as far south as six northern U.S. states in the Northern Hemisphere, and could also be seen in the Southern Hemisphere over Tasmania. (Auroras form near both the North and South Poles, although the northern ones are more well-known.)

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Pilot Matt Melnyk caught a view of electric-blue auroras streaking through the sky from 39,000 feet (12,000 meters) while flying over Canada.

The electric-blue aurora Matt Melnyk photographed while flying over Canada April 20, 2018. (Image credit: Matt Melnyk

He told Spaceweather.com, "I've been flying airplanes for 20 years and photographing aurora[s] for 10 years, but I've never seen anything like this before."

"Electric blue auroras!" he continued. "This was while on a red eye flight from Edmonton [Alberta] to Toronto around 4 am over northern Manitoba. Unbelievable sky. I was able to grab some hasty shots with a cell phone."

Auroras form as Earth's magnetic field guides charged particles released from the sun toward the planet's poles. They hit particles in Earth's upper atmosphere to produce bursts of light.

While green and yellow (and sometimes red) elements in auroras result when the charged particles excite the atmosphere's oxygen molecules, blue auroras can form when the particles from the sun hit charged nitrogen. The more particles there are streaming toward Earth, the more likely it is that brighter, more colorful auroras will form in the sky.

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Philip Granrud photographed an intense aurora near his house, he told Spaceweather.com. "The auroras were so bright, they could be seen inside the city of Kalispell, Montana," he said. "We could see auroras for most of the night [even through the glare of our urban lights]," he said.

Often, geomagnetic storms are caused by solar flares or coronal mass ejections (CMEs), when the sun releases large bursts of radiation or charged particles. In this case, NASA researcher Yari Coloado-Vega told Space.com by email that the storm was caused by a high-speed stream of particles flowing out of a hole in the sun's outer atmosphere, called the corona. Such holes are more common during the sun's less active phases.

Editor's note: If you caught a great aurora photo that you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, send photos, comments and your name and observing location to spacephotos@space.com.

A photo posted by on

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The story of the first U.S. women pilots to be tested for spaceflight is the focus of the new Netflix documentary "Mercury 13."

A famous scene from space history gets an unexpected twist in the first moments of "Mercury 13," a new documentary now streaming on Netflix.

"That's one small leap for a woman, another giant step for mankind."

That line, which comes across as both familiar and foreign, is delivered in a woman's voice with the archival footage of men walking on the moon. It underscores what might have been  and the overall theme of the one-hour, 18-minute film from directors David Sington and Heather Walsh. [Story of 'Almost-First' Woman Astronaut Appears Off-Broadway]

"It did not enter into my consciousness there was anything unusual about the fact it was twelve men who had walked on the moon," said Sington of his perspective while he was directing the 2007 documentary film "In the Shadow of the Moon" about the Apollo missions. "Of course, when I came across this story and was invited to do a bit of directing on the topic by my colleagues at Netflix, I quickly realized that I had made this assumption that it was just natural."

"But it wasn't natural. It was a choice that had been made," he said.

"Mercury 13," released by Netflix on Friday (April 20), tells the history of the U.S. women pilots who were privately put through the same medical, physiological and psychological testing as NASA's original, all-male Mercury 7 astronauts. Had history played out differently, one or more members of the Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees, or FLATs, could have joined the likes of John Glenn and Neil Armstrong onboard the United States' early flights into Earth orbit and onto the moon.

"I had never heard anyone give even an inkling of this, and that was something that interested me  a new take on a story you hear all of the time," said Walsh, who previously worked with Sington on the documentary TV series "Moon Machines."

"The story is not exactly new," Sington told collectSPACE.com. "There have been books about it and even some television made about it, but it somehow hasn't penetrated. The vast majority of people know nothing about this."

"I think that's quite telling," he said. "The story itself is seen as a bizarre little wrinkle, but in-of-itself it is bizarre that it is bizarre when you really think about it."

Key art for the new Netflix documentary "Mercury 13." (Image credit: Netflix)

Sington and Walsh filmed four of the surviving members of the Mercury 13  Gene Nora Jessen, Sarah Ratley, Wally Funk and Rhea Woltman  as well as the family members of two others. Their stories shaped the narrative presented in "Mercury 13."

"Having been green lit in October, we went out to interview all of the available Mercury 13 women who we could talk to without having any real agenda about what the film should be about," Sington said. "We determined we'd emphasize the things that the interviewees, our subjects, thought were important. Let them tell their story."

Their personal accounts turned out to be one of hope and disappointment. Although the women performed as well, if not better, on the extensive tests that qualified the Mercury astronauts for spaceflight, the "Women in Space" program led by the Lovelace Clinic never had NASA's endorsement and ultimately met its end with President Lyndon Johnson ordering to "stop this now."

The first American woman to fly into space, Sally Ride, did not do so until 1983  two decades after the Mercury 13 were rejected and Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. The first U.S. woman to pilot a spacecraft, Eileen Collins, flew in 1995 (Sington and Walsh also interviewed Collins for "Mercury 13").

"There is no doubt that the women could have done it, so there was no reason that women shouldn't have walked on the moon," said Sington.

"If you think about that moment when the whole world was looking and everybody was thinking about those men on the moon, how amazing it would've been if there had been a woman? That would have changed the temperature, the global thinking about men in a really profound way."

"That was a fantastic missed opportunity," he said.

Watch the official trailer for the Netflix documentary "Mercury 13" at collectSPACE.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2018 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.




Last weeks episode of SWAT, Armory, opened with a tease. Did you think the husband was going to walk in on his wife dead or kidnapped? Then you havent been watching this show as religiously as you should.

Shes not dead. No. Just having an affair, with one of our favorite SWAT officers.

Yes. Street is sleeping with a married woman. In his defense, he didnt know she was married.

You attract what you put out there, Chris tells him. Street probably didnt have the best role models in his parents when it came to relationships, so he may not always be making the best choices. Good thing Chris is there to help him change that.

Chris is awfully concerned about Streets dating app profile  and Streets personal life in general. Could Chris possibly be developing feelings for Street that go beyond friendship? Her body language as she almost flirts with him about it seems to suggest so.



Jessicas being interviewed and has to contend with such questions as, How does it feel to be the first female police captain in the history of swat? She answers with a simple, it feels right, and focuses more on the second part of the question, about making changes. One day people will focus less on the captains gender and more on the work shes doing, but that day is a long way off yet.

Hicks' distaste in the proposals comes out as he first ushers the reporter out of the room and then fiercely tells Jessica to do the puff pieces in her own time.



From being chewed out, Jessica has to switch into negotiator mode. Angel has taken a family hostage in the valley, and from the van Jessica speaks with him, keeping her voice calm as she tries to get him to let the family go and walk out.

While she negotiates, the team moves into place, getting visuals on whats happening inside the house. Jessica manages to talk Angel into letting one member of the family go, the son, but his parents are still held hostage.

Deacon throws his keys in, to make Angel believe theres a getaway car waiting for him, and immediately throws a grenade in after. The teams breaches the house, get the parents to safety, and arrest Angel.



All in a days work.



Michael Plank is back. He and Jessica are held in the armory by Angel, who freed himself of his cuffs while in custody at SWAT HQ. Its up to Hondo and the team to try and track down his abducted sister Abby before shes killed by the gang Angel said no to.Hondo has impeccable timing, and the team bursts in and saves Abby just as shes about to be killed.Luca, Deacon, and Tan cut the wire to the armory door, unlocking it.Jessica and Plank overpower Angel and manage to get him into position so the sniper can put a round in him.Having pulled the pin out of a grenade, Angel is ready to die, when Hondo brings Abby in, and the siblings have an emotional reunion.Later, Hicks apologizes to Jessica for his earlier words about the interview.she tells him.And she has a heart-to-heart with Plank too, who admits hes known loss, and tells her the story of how his fiancee was killed by stalker.I want to like him, because hes helping Jessica, but Im still not fully sold on his intentions, and Im still upset he caused Hondo and Jessica to break up. So Ill keep on side-eying him for now.And Streets date, who he got thanks to Chris fixing his online dating profile? She drives a Ducati. A girl after my own heart.Maybe I need to let Chris take over my dating profile tooThis weeks episode,, sees the team out on patrol  as they do once a month.Hondo takes a personal day to go visit his sister, and to try and move his father out to LA. Its an emotional episode for Hondo as he watches his fathers condition deteriorate, while clashing with him over whats best for him. His father was his hero growing up, but that relationship fractured when he walked out on Hondos mom.Shemar Moore nails the emotion as Hondo fights to get his father to understand and opens up to him in the process.Chris is requested by Mumford, which confuses her enough to get on the phone to Hondo. Hondo sees it as Mumford potentially trying to poach Chris to diversify his team. Throughout the episode Chris touches base with Hondo, and its nice seeing that bond, how much she respects his opinion, and how much he respects her.Mumford tells Chris, and hes not just referring to where she should keep her gun.At the scene of a shooting, he watches her calm down the victim of a shooting, and its clear he wants her for his team. But she struggles later when a suspect overpowers her and knocks her around. She has to walk through SWAT HQ with her wounds visible to all and keep her pride.Its hard for Chris to admit the male suspect was stronger than her.When the suspect threatens to take out a bus full of people, the team moves in to stop it from happening. They enter the bus, and Chris gets a little retribution when shes the one who overpowers and cuffs him.Her SWAT team has her back. Always. Chris is where she should be. But if Mumford needs a little diversity, Ericas a possibilityMeanwhile Tan is chasing a suspect over fences and through yards and okay, listen, LA folks, you need to start locking your doors. Let the last two episodes be a lesson.He loses his radio, and so begins the boys trying to get it back from a teenage girl who picked it up. Its a fun storyline in an otherwise emotional episode, with just the right amount of comedic moments to not disrupt the flow of the episode.Luca has a wonderful storyline this week as he stays at SWAT HQ to work with kids who are at risk. He recognizes the signs of dyslexia in one little girl, Kelli (played by Kenny Johnsons real-life daughter), because he was diagnosed at 14, and he offers to help her mother by taking Kelli to sit the simple test to find out. How much do I love Luca? SO MUCH. He looks like the proud papa in every scene with Kelli (no acting required), and breaks me with the delivery of one simple line:That was a whole lot of emotional storytelling in one episode, SWAT. But it was a wonderful episode, and possibly my favorite all season (although its tough, because I lovea lot too).




Happy weekend, everyone! Isn't it great to have a couple days a week without work and any particular need to move from your couch? Mmm. This is the life.



If you're on social media you've likely seen the many hints that have been dropped about the Shamy wedding this week! Including attendance by MARK HAMILL! Now, you may be excited to hear this, but I guarantee nobody's more jazzed than Mayim Bialik. Don't believe me? Watch this. Her reaction is hilariously sweet.



On that note, let's jump into this week's episode!



Everyone's on the rooftop, and Amy does a pigeon check of the perimeter before Sheldon can enter the scene. Of course. This is normal.



Sheldon comes rushing in, excited to look for planets!



Penny asks why Raj brought his own telescope when Leonard has one.





Apparently Leonard's telescope was originally used by George Shrinks. Penny says she once watched an episode ofin an apartment across the street using Leonard's teeny tiny telescope. Apparently Raj's is a better model.And so was the winner of the show! As a reality show addict, I sympathize with Penny. Everything's connected to something i've seen in one of those shows. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all.Long story short, they're going to look at Mercury with a great telescope, as explained by Sheldon to Penny. He clarifies that Mercury is in fact a planet. OK - just because she watches shows likedoesn't mean she can't be versed in things like math and science.... Well, they were never my strong suits. But there's still hope for Penny!Stuart then gets a notification that author Neil Gaiman tweeted about his comic book store, encouraging people in the area to check it out!Wow! I'm always happy when Stuart finds any joy in life. I'm tired of saying "poor guy" all the time. Good work, writers! The guys can't remember Neil coming into the store.They were having a debate on Wolverine when he visited, gave his two cents and was disregarded by the group. Ahh. The wrath of the obsession with fictional characters strikes again.The gang continues their planet watching night when Amy mentions that the Greek version of Mercury was worshipped in Athens by giant wooden phalluses. Amy's just a wealth of knowledge. A gold mine, if you will.Stuart declares that he's reached the double digits in Twitter followers! Sheldon asks if he's in the high-90s.I'm guessing more like 11 followers. 10 real ones, and then one fake account he made and followed himself from.Penny decides she wants to look through the telescope. She sees something fuzzy! Howard asks if it's her teenage years.That was a good one. Penny even admits it. She takes a picture of whatever it is she saw, and the group examines. Raj thinks it might be a comet! Stuart announces that a shooting star is already in their presence, as Patton Oswalt's brother retweeted him.Careful, Stuart. Don't let the fame get to your head or anything.The next day, Howard and Sheldon drop by the comic book store.Well, what theyis the comic book store. This place is rockin'! The tweet Neil Gaiman made brought in a lot of patrons. Sheldon's angry that the store no longer has funeral-esque vibes.Those were the days. That became years. Stuart tells Sheldon to sit down on the couch and read. He doesn't want to sit beside a stranger, but Howard points out that Sheldon attends Comic Con. Sheldon admits that he goes for the Wookiees that get their zippers stuck in their fur in the restroom.Yup. He went there. Sheldon asks for a comic and says he'll be on his way. They're sold out. He inquires if Stuart is trying to sell his soul.But for now, he'll continue livin' la vida loca.Later, Leonard gets a message that Sheldon's mad at Neil Gaiman. Guess he's still salty about the comic book store, and Stuart's success. Penny wants to know who Neil is. Doesn't matter, it's not them. Cheers to that! Raj walks in, excitedly sharing that the comet they saw hadn't been discovered before! Wow! Penny can't believediscovered a comet. Raj corrects, her sayingdiscovered it.Uh oh. The two go back and forth on whose name should be on the registration form, as Penny saw it but Raj brought the equipment and told her to take the photo. He then compares Penny to a monkey who was told to take a picture.He went. Penny kicks him out of the apartment. Jeez, that really was low of him. Personally, I side with Penny. She did witness it first. I suppose we'll have to see what plan Raj concocts to prove otherwise.Howard and Bernadette are getting ready to go out for date night, when their babysitter Stuart is MIA.Sales are still a boomin' at the store, and, hold your breath... There's a. I can't believe it either! Stuart won't be able to help out with the kids. Howard's frustrated, saying he was looking forward to their evening of dinner and romance. Bernie says they'll divide and conquer - she'll go for dinner, and he can engage in romance with his computer.Is anyone else having flashbacks to Howard's robotic arm situation from Season 4? Hang on while I go and wash out my brain.Meanwhile, Penny's done some research and it appears that she, in fact, is the one who should be credited with discovering the comet. She admits that she feels like because of her looks, people think that she doesn't know what she's talking about - and she's through with that. Leonard doesn't think this is true.And there's Exhibit A. Leonard tries to tell Penny that while he agrees with her, this could be huge for Raj's career - so perhaps she should just let him take the credit. Penny hates that idea, saying she's tired of having her big moments stolen by others. Like when she suggested California Pizza Kitchen for lunch at work, got no recognition, and then when Paul brought it up was praised. OK, someone taking my great food ideas pisses me off, too. It's a struggle! Leonard continues saying that she should just let Raj take the credit despite siding with her, and she calls him a people pleaser and storms off. C'mon Leonard, side with your lady! This isthan the science you do everyday!Sheldon's at the comic book store when he leans over to talk to Howard.Except... it's not Howard. He's standing behind Sheldon in another section. Howard asks if he needs to leave. Sheldon says he's ready to embrace change.Howard's rolling his eyes into the back of his head in his mind. Sheldon says it's true, since he's learned to accept that Amy changed her shampoo. I say this all the time, but praise Amy's heart.The two walk over to the cashier.How cool, Stuart's hired extra help now that his store's gaining momentum!Sheldon runs out of the building as if the walls were about to come crashing down. Because for him, they are.Later, Sheldon's back home and venting to Amy about his comic book store woes. He's about to compare the comic book store to. Amy's scared what Sheldon's going to say will offend a group of people. Hold on tight, friends.Amy's gulping it back while she still has a shred of her sanity. Sheldon says the comic book store is like Wakanda, and that the reason they keep the country a secret is because they don't want to spoil its purity and beauty. He feels like the magic of the comic book store has now been tampered with. Amy lets out a deep exhale, as what he said made sense! Hallelujah! Oh, and Sheldon's annoyed that Stuart has a girl working there now. But not because it's a girl - that she's a girl, and that she worksAmy can relate. She's a girl, and she's annoyed. Can we rewind to when Sheldon was somewhat coherent a minute ago? Amy advises him to think of the female employee as a friend he's yet to annoy the sh*t out of. Sheldon loves the idea, and then tells Amy she's wise smells like books.Well ain't that the sweetest thing you ever did hear! I hope someone tells me I smell like books someday.Leonard's at Raj's, trying to convince him to add Penny's name to the registration. Raj doesn't want to do that, as everyone at work thinks he's a hero - even going so far as to call him Captain Comet. Which beats his old nickname, Dr. Donuts.Okay, I personally think Dr. Donuts is pretty cool. Who doesn't want to be compared to a sweet and sugary dessert?! Leonard tells him to swallow his pride, and Raj starts to feel bad. Before he can get too down in the dumps, Leonard says he'll talk to Penny again.... There's no other response I can give this than WTF! He was so close to convincing Raj to share the title with Penny! Leonard's new nickname is Lenient Leonard.Back at the comic book store, Sheldon spots the new girl, Denise.He's got his angry face on. Howard says he spoke to her yesterday, and she seems to know her stuff. Sheldon takes that as a challenge, and goes up to get to get a recommendation. Within one minute, she finds his ultimate comic - World War I with dragons.He nearly melts onto the floor. Someone else in the store offers Sheldon another recommendation.Whaaaat? Neil Gaiman is back! Sheldon doesn't give him the time of day... again. He's too enthralled with Denise. And quite honestly, i'm sure happy he is. I hope Denise sticks around for future episodes. Denise says if Sheldon doesn't like the comic he can return it for a refund, but that he can't tell Stuart. What a gem!Leonard gets home from his failed attempt at changing Raj's mind. Penny immediately asks if he caved.Ye-up. Leonard says on the way back he realized that Penny's a strong, independent woman who can fight her own battles. Also, according to Katy Perry, she should roar. Penny thinks he's right, and decides to go and talk to Raj herself. Leonard tells her that she goes, girl!She hopes she never has to hear that phrase again. This may have been one of the sweetest Penny/Leonard moments i've seen.Bernadette walks into her dining room to see that Howard's prepared a surprise date night dinner for her! The guys are really stepping up their sweetness game this week. Bernie's touched, and Howard asks if she's going to get changed.What's wrong with sweats? Bernie says she can go nude, given nobody's around. Howard tells her to hold back, as they're eating soup. Good thing she stays clothed as before he can serve his lovely lady, Stuart arrives. Denise is at work, meaning he can babysit! He goes to wash up for dinner, and Howard yells that the can of soup is for him, and they're going out for dinner. Yes. Howard was going to make his wife canned soup for date night. Romance.Amy and Sheldon are eating dinner when Sheldon is going on and on about.... She goes to art school in Pasadena, knows everything there is to know about comic books, and recommended one that Sheldon loves. He simply can't stop talking about his new friend!This is where we've ended up. Denise wasn't sure Amy was real. Looks like she's had the full Sheldon Cooper experience! Amy tells Denise that she's going to teach her to pretend to love comic books. Denise says that'll be hard, as she really does love them.Amy's not taking no for an answer. I don't think Denise knew what she was signing up for when she started working at the store. Stuart comes with a lot of... baggage.Penny gets to Raj's, ready for war. He apologizes immediately, proceeding to say that he shouldn't have taken all of the credit, and that Penny's helped him achieve a lot - including the ability to speak to women.Penny's flattered. Raj then goes on a diatribe about how he could get in trouble at work.But, despite the apparent hell he's going to endure, he'll make things right. For Penny. Because he's altruistic. And has no ulterior motives. Not one.Penny quickly thanks him and leaves. Looks like his tactic with Leonard won't work on strong, independent Penny!Finally, Sheldon gets home to see Amy reading a comic book! Didn't see that one coming! She begins telling her fiance how Denise recommended it, and is about to dive into why she's enjoying the read when Sheldon cuts her off to say he'd like to take a break from comic book discussions.Sheldon doesn't come with an instruction manual.I loved that Penny discovered her inner strength in this episode, and that Leonard helped her on that journey. It felt like everything this week was very female-driven - girls taking charge is something we should be seeing in TV more often. Don't get me wrong, I love the guys and the many, many, many storylines centring around them. This just felt very refreshing. Also, i'm confused. Do the guys not know what Neil Gaiman looks like? Sheldon looked right at the dude when he was talking to Denise. Oh well, at least Stuart's store is flourishing! I hope this continues for him - he deserves to find success.Down below, let me know if you like that Denise is working at the store, if you think Raj will actually include Penny on the registration form for the comet, and what you'd make Stuart's Twitter handle! I'm dying to know what it is now. My guess is @StuartTweetsALot. Because, while waiting for customers all those years, I bet he tweeteda lot.




The Kennedy Curse was written by Lana Cho and directed by Holly Dale whose other credits include, all of theshows, andDales direction is terrific and helps to underscore the writing. We get lots more discussion of the fate/free will debate and a really outstanding guest performance from Grant Jordan.The episode begins in Wallingford, Connecticut on September 17, 1934. It seems like were going to get another episode full of lovely old cars and period fashion, but this episode doesnt play out that way at all. Instead of our team being the fish out of water, its John F Kennedy (Grant Jordan)! We get to see a side of JFK that is likely unknown to most people who only remember him as one of the greatest US Presidents who was assassinated  hence the curse.A young JFK is pulled into Mr Greers (Adam Pilver) office, and his friend Lem (Adam Cropper) wants to know what else Jack has been up to. He tells his friend hes about to find out  and this is really nice foreshadowing by the writers as JFK is actually about to learn a lot more about what hes been up to (from OUR perspective) when he gets filled in on his entire life. In the immediate future, of course, Greer pulls a gun on JFK, and Garcia (Goran Visnjic) burst in guns blazing to save JFKs life.We cut to discover that Lucy (Abigail Spencer) has been very sick from an infection from being injured in Salem in the last episode. Jiya (Claudia Doumit) has been looking after her. Jiya tells Lucy that the others have gone on a mission when Lucy asks about Wyatt (Matt Lanter). Jiya says shes sure theyre ok, and it might have been weird for Lucy to be going on a mission with Wyatt after Hollywood. She tells Lucy that Rufus (Malcolm Barrett) told her and she thought it sounded pretty romantic. Lucy points out that she didnt know Jessica (Tonya Glanz) was alive, but Jiya assures her that shes not judging. I really liked this scene between the two because you could see that theyve developed a friendship. Because most of the episodes are centered on the missions, we dont really get to see these friendships developing.Lucy gets up from her sick bed  promising Jiya no heroics  to get some tea, only to find Jessica in the kitchen. Lucy is about to beat a hasty retreat, but her desire for tea wins out. Its pretty clear that Jessica has no idea about Lucy. Jessica makes small talk about Lucy being an historian and then says that Wyatt told her that he wouldnt survive the missions without Lucy. Lucy insists its more the other way around. Lucy asks Jessica about being a bartender. Jessica tells Lucy that she and Wyatt have been together since senior year of High school  where they met. Ouch. High school sweethearts Jessica also tells Lucy that she and Wyatt have been in counselling for two years at least in her realityWhen Wyatt and Rufus return, they arent very happy about how the mission went with Garcia. Wyatt tells Denise (Sakina Jaffrey) that without Lucy, they were scrambling until they could figure out the target and they left Garcia behind. Wyatt assures Denise that theyll go back for him  but first they have a situation to deal with Apparently there was more than one sleeper agent, and Wyatt and Rufus were chased all the way back to the Lifeboat with an unconscious JFK. At least he has no idea where or when he is  or how he got thereWhen JFK wakes up, hes freaked out, but Wyatt quickly covers that they are private security, hired by JFKs father. He wants to know why his English teacher would try to kill him, and Lucy tells him that it was a kidnapping attempt. When JFK wants to speak to his father, Lucy again steps in and says she just talked to him on the phone and hes on his way.Despite what Lucy said to Jiya about being fine with the Wyatt/Jessica situation  that she was happy for him, we get a particularly awkward moment between the two when Wyatt comments that its hard to believe that this skinny kid grows up to bang Marilyn Monroe. Lucy tells him that Mimi Ofred  Kennedys intern and mistress  said that Kennedy had a way of making her feel like she was the only one who mattered  even when he was married to someone else Ouch! Lucy is clearly not happy, and Wyatt tries to sympathize saying he knows its difficult for her  and to make it even more awkward, of course, Jessica is suddenly there, interrupting their conversation. AwkwardLucy excuses herself to go and make John something to eat. Denise checks in with her in the kitchen, commenting that their secret bunker is getting really crowded. She also remarks that Lucys had a tough week. Lucy insists that shes on the mend, but Denise knows its more than that. Lucy looks a little startled  but Denise doesnt know about Wyatt, but she does know that Carol (Susanna Thompson) tried to have her hanged as a witch. And of course, that has to be weighing on Lucy too  though maybe not as much as the Jessica-situation. Its also clear that Lucy isnt much of a cook  or again, maybe shes just distracted, but who likes that much mustard on their sandwich?!?!?When she goes to deliver the sandwich, Lucy discovers that JFK has escaped out the tiniest ventilation shaft! Lucy is freaking out  if they dont get JKF back, there will be no Peace Corps, no civil rights act, no immigration reform, but there is nuclear war with Cuba!Wyatt steps up to organize everyone. Rufus and Jiya are set to monitor security and traffic cameras. Denise doesnt want to give him a car, but Wyatt points out that Rittenhouse will go after JFK. Denise leaves to run point from her office. Wyatt tries to tell Lucy to stay back and rest because shes injured, and Jessica volunteers to go in her place. Denise jumps in to say the missions are ones of national security and theyre dangerous. I loved the look on Abigail Spencers face when Jessica says that Lucy is just a teacher! She is SO not impressed! In fact, the whole team isnt impressed! But then Wyatt steps in and says the more eyes the betterDenise agrees, and then Lucy jumps up and says shell go too! I loved the look between Rufus and Jiya  those two are too cute! Denise tries to suggest that Lucy is still recovering, and Wyatt looks uncomfortable  and Jiya and Rufus are almost laughing! Jiya offers that the nearest building to them is a gas station.JFK arrives at the station, and Jordan does a good job registering the shock of going from 1934 to 2018! I loved him thinking the guy at the pumps on his Bluetooth was talking to him: Hey, baby! Its actually pretty impressive that he figures out that hes not in his own time  and doesnt freak out completely. And it really is in character for JFK to be distracted by a pretty girl So off her goes to Palo Alto with Sara (Tyler Clark), Kayla (Reina Hardesty), and Brandon (Michael R Fitzgerald).I loved that Jiya figured out that if they still knew that JFK became President in 1961, they must find him and put him back! Connor (Paterson Joseph) is suitably impressed. And then Rufus points out if anything does happen to JFK, they wont even know it because they wont know who he is! And then Jiya brings up her visions  she saw a man die and then he died. Rufus wants to call it a self-fulling prophecy and Jiya just wants to call it a prophecy. Meanwhile, Connor is all  visions? What visions???At the gas station, Lucy, Jessica and Wyatt arrive, and Lucy takes the lead. She says that theyll say John is her brother and hes off his meds. Wyatt wants to know who he should be. Lucy says a friend. Jessica wants to know why they dont just tell the truth. Lucy ask  what, that were looking for JFK? And then Jessica insists that if Wyatt is military, theyll answer his questions. She clearly thinks that Wyatt should be in charge. Lucy tells her that they usually try to keep a lower profiled than that, and Jessica wants to know why. Lucys only answer is a very lame  though hilariously delivered!  because!The Gas Station Clerk (Jared Wernick) refuses to answer Wyatt and isnt at all impressed by his military credentials. Interesting that Wyatt did take the lead when Jessica clearly expected it. Lucy steps in to plead for her brother. Lucy tells the Clerk that he suffers from delusions and paranoia, but that hell be fine once they get him his meds. The Clerk wants to know what meds, and Jessica actually jumps in and helps by naming an anti-psychotic (how did she know that!), and offering to call his doctor to verify! The Clerk tells them he left 40 minutes ago with some kids in a red BMW heading for Palo Alto.JFK is curious as to how they all know each other and is impressed when they say they all go to the same school. He explains that his school is very boring  very white. Its also clear that hes in pain, though he denies it. He confides in them that hes been kidnapped but cant go to the police. When his discomfort gets worse, he tells them he needs to get to a doctor. They take him to a hospital.Jiya and Rufus have tracked them to an area with a bar and a hospital. Jessica jumps right in to say she doesnt know much about JFK, but is positive hed go to the bar. Lucy, of course, actually knows all there is to know about JFK and that he suffered from health issues his whole life. Wyatt is skeptical, but Jessica says she thinks he should go with the historian on this one  after all, shes kept him alive this long  and then she smiles at Lucy. Shes clearly trying to be friends.Meanwhile, at Rittenhouse, it was fun to see Emma (Annie Wersching) have to admit that her mission also didnt go well, and they too Kennedy in the Lifeboat. Keynes (Michael Rady) wants to know if Lucy got involved. Keynes wants to prevent Kennedy from getting in the White House  he prefers Nixons politics as being more in sync with Rittenhouse goals. Carol, who has been physically melting into the background, steps forward to announce that she knows where they can find JFK. She also knows about Kennedys health issues  and more specifically too. Emma offers to take care of Kennedy herself. Keynes tells her that if she runs into Lucy and her pals, she should take them out too! Carol looks concerned.Its actually a nice segue to Denise being carjacked at a stop light as its Carol kidnapping her. Denise  Jaffrey  is hilarious when Carol says she wanted to talk to her  one mother to another  and Denise asks You couldnt just text, Carol? She confides that she was young when she got pregnant and wasnt planning on keeping her child. Unlike Lucy, Carol knew about her legacy from the time she was 15 and it was a burden. Carol tells Denise that Rittenhouse now wants Lucy dead, and she wants Denise to make sure that Lucy stays off any missions. Denise just laughs and suggests that Carol doesnt know her own daughter if she thinks thats an option! And just when we might have felt some sympathy for Carol, she threatens Denise, telling her it would be a shame if Denises kids had to grow up without a mother  it could also be Denises wife shes threatening too!Its hilarious to watch Connor get fed up with searching using computers  and stomp off to get drones  when Rufus points out what they usually have to settle for. Jiya and Rufus have another discussion about faith. She asks Rufus if he believes in something bigger out there. I loved them both agreeing that of course, there are extraterrestrials! Jiya feels like her visions are from a higher power  she has to be having them for a reason. Rufus insists that they are simply side effects of time travel. Rufus doesnt believe in a higher power, and if everything happens for a reason, whats the reason for JFK being assassinated? Jiya has no answer for that.Rufus tells Jiya that when he was a kid, that his mother would thank God for every good thing and when anything bad happen, it was because God had a reason and God has a plan. He watched his mother pray every night for God to take them out of their crappy neighborhood, but in the end, it was Rufus who got her out of there. He doesnt believe God exists. Forfans, this is the same existential discussion that Dean and Sam Winchester have all the time  Dean on Rufus position and Sam on Jiyas. Of course, on, theyve both actually met God knowConnor returns saying he cant get hold of Agent Christopher.As Lucy, Wyatt and Jessica arrive at the hospital, Wyatt and Jessica reminisce about a surfing trip to Hawaii they took when Wyatt ended up in the hospital with a concussion. This is a nicely blocked scene as they go from three across on the sidewalk, to Lucy having to fall behind when Wyatt doesnt leave enough room between him and a tree. In fact, if Lucy had kept going she would have slammed into the tree with her wounded arm  the arm she hurt on the mission he wasnt on to protect her. She is physically pushed out of the conversation  and verbally pushed out right from the start as she didnt even know Wyatt surfed and certainly doesnt share this memory with them. The camera zooms in on Wyatt and Jessica as he remembers that she never left his side for days. The camera than pans back out to include Lucy who is now much farther away from Wyatt.John is really impressed with modern medicine  it worked almost immediately! And then he actually tells Kayla the truth. He also proves hes as smart as he supposed to be by figuring out that there must be a time machine  and its likely at the bunker. He enlists Kaylas help to get him back to the bunker.When they check at the desk, they find out that Johns Aunt has already asked to see him. JFK has already left, but we get a really good fight scene with Emma and Wyatt. Lucy and Jessica rush in, and Lucy pushes Jessica out of the way, using a serving tray to beat on Emma. However, Emma gets a knife to Lucys throat  shes still wounded after all! Emma taunts Wyatt, wondering if Lucy is still as important now that hes got his wife back  and the penny starts to drop for Jessica. It drops all the way when Wyatt cant shoot  even though Lucy reminds him that Emma is Rittenhouses only pilot. And the penny drops all the way as Wyatt checks to make sure Lucy is ok when Emma pushes her into his arms instead of running directly after Emma.Hospital security (Freedom Bridgewater) takes Wyatt into custody, and Lucy slips him a paperclip. While they wait for him to escape, Jessica tells Lucy she saw how Wyatt looked at Lucy  and she knows. She tells her that she understands, he thought that she was dead  and he wasnt faithful to her before, so why would he be now? She also tells Lucy that she believes Wyatt has changed. Jessica was ready to divorce him, but seeing how he is now, she was ready to give him a second change  but she thinks he deserves that with Lucy  and she tells Lucy to say goodbye to him for her and Lucy stops her!Lucy tells Jessica about the telegram Wyatt sent in 1962 and stealing the Lifeboat to stop her killer from ever being born  and he even got Court Martialed! He risked his job, his freedom  everything  because he never stopped loving her  and all he wants is a chance to show her that. Its fun when Jessica is surprised to see Wyatt pull up and Lucy reminds her that she told her theyd been doing this awhile! Lucy is clearly her own worst enemy as her face is devastated when Jessica jumps into the car after Lucy herself has convinced her to.At the party, its clear that Kayla may not believe JFK  she tells her friends that her mother  a shrink  will be back the next day and she treats troubled kids like John all the time. She uses the excuse of it being dark  and hard to find a secret bunker. John manages to end up in a selfie before this, which makes it easy for Rufus and Jiya to find him through social media.Carol asks Denise if shes reconsidered. Denise says she has. She tells Carol about yanking her kids out of school after 911. There was no discussion, she just did it. Her son was angry. Carol says she gets it. She had to do whatever it took to make sure her kids were safe. But Denise tells her that she did what was right for her, not the kids. At some point, you have to let go Carol realizes that shes stalling and discovers that Denise has been chipped.Kayla looks John up on Wikipedia on her iPad, and John gets filled in on the Kennedy Curse. We, of course, also get filled in and a quick history lesson on the Kennedys. Jordan is simply excellent as he learns about his family members deaths and his eyes slowly fill with tears. Heres an actor to watch!Connor finds Denise unconscious  and with a gigantic bruise on her face  outside her own home. They did track her chip. She tells him about Carol  and that Carols point was to remind her that they both have families to lose.Kayla brings JFK a quarter  which has his face on it. Hes distraught over the knowledge of his brother Joes death  feeling unworthy to pick up the torch that his brother should have carried.I loved when Lucy realized that if they split up at the party, they could simply call each other on their cell phones! Wyatt finds JFK with Kayla. John is still suspicious, and Wyatt admits that they lied. When John says he just wants to go home, Wyatt says that they can do that  but then John runs. And the face on the coin turns into Nixon!Why John would appeal to Emma to help him is a mystery, but in the firefight that ensues, John covers Kayla with his own body, and Emma gets away in the confusion. Why not just gun down Lucy and JFK? Regardless, Kayla now believes JFK, and JFK tells her that she gives him hope for the future  inspiration for the Civil Rights Act perhaps.Rufus and Wyatt are ready to take John back. Rufus tells him that he cant tell anyone about the time machine  ever. But John is still shaken by the knowledge of his siblings deaths  and his own assassination. Rufus then tries to change fate again. He tells him not to go to Dallas on November 22, 1963. Lucy tells him that he might not be able to save everybody, but he is going to make the world a much better place. Lucy tells him he was one of the greatest Presidents of all time.Denise takes Lucy aside to talk to her. Lucy apologizes for her mother, and then asks if Denise thinks Carol was telling the truth. Denise asks if she means about her love or that Lucy has a target on her back. Denise says yes to both, and is very adamant about the danger from Rittenhouse. Lucy refuses to sit in the bunker while everyone else risks their lives. Denise tells her that shed be proud of her if she were her daughter. Lucy isnt quite sure how to take it  but she seems pleased.Garcia is not happy when he gets off the Lifeboat  they need to fix the seating problem! And of course he took out all three sleeper agents!Rufus is beyond eager to see if Kennedy served a second term, had more children, changed the world! Denise tells him that Kennedy was assassinate 2 years into office, and Rufus is aghast  he told him NOT to go to Dallas  but he didnt. He was assassinated in Austin. (And OKfans -this is funny because Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) grew up in Dallas  and now lives in Austin) Jiya just shrugs and says it was meant to be  but Rufus is clearly unhappy that he was made to hope  and you still cant change fate.Wyatt thanks Lucy for convincing Jessica to give him a second chance. They both say that they have no regrets about what happened. They essentially agree to be friends. Both seem wistful as they part, however. More sinisterly, we see Garcia lurking around the corner eavesdropping. Garcia seems to be taking his opening. He joins Lucy watching an old movie and offers her a beer, which she takes.I liked this twist on the regular fish out of time. This also provided some nicely subtle insights into JFK  his devastation over the loss of his sibling  all of whom he was close to  his love of reading and literature, his ill health, and his way with the ladies. Im still not sure what to think of the Jessica-Lucy-Wyatt triangle. I did like Denise taking Lucy under her wing  and I wonder what other lengths Carol will go to. Im really looking forward to Emma losing favor with Keynes. And of course, we have more of the fate/free will debate. What did you think of the episode? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
BRIDGEPORT  When some 20,000 West Virginia teachers walked off the job in February, some educators were sympathetic, others inspired.

For Phil Levine, a retired city art teacher, the job action took him back 40 years to when he walked a picket line outside Warren Harding High School before being carted off to jail for two weeks.

I emailed the West Virginia Education Association and said Go for it, said Levine, now 71 years old. Their pay is pathetic.

Former Bridgeport Schools Superintendent Jim Connelly said the Bridgeport strike became the catalyst for not only binding arbitration laws but stronger union and teacher rights.

Some class sizes shrunk. Specialists were hired. Teachers walked away with raises of 6 and 7.5 percent over two years.

It didnt bankrupt the city and didnt make salaries terribly higher, Connelly said. It was CEA flexing its muscles.

In those two weeks in September 1978, some 20 percent of the teaching workforce were hauled off in waves to Camp Hartell, a National Guard facility in Windsor Locks. Many in school buses.

Forty years ago, Connecticuts collective bargaining law did not include a timeline for a contract settlement. Teacher strikes  though illegal  were common. Over that decade, there had been more than 50 teacher strikes across the state. In Shelton, New Haven and Bridgeport it led to jailings.

Bridgeports strike was different. It lasted 19 bitter days, attracting worldwide attention. Most say it was what led to the states 1979 binding arbitration law which help put teeth into collective bargaining.

Under binding arbitration, when two sides cannot reach a contract settlement within a set time, a panel chooses between the final offer of both parties.

Although the law has been frequently revised, there has not been a teachers strike in Connecticut since then.

The Bridgeport strike put the teachers plight so much in the public eye that we never wanted to see it happen again, said Sheila Cohen, president of the Connecticut Education Association  the parent bargaining agent for the Bridgeport local. As we see what is now going on in the country, I just think it is so strange to be occurring around the 40th anniversary of the Bridgeport strike.

Then

Bernice Freeman  then Bernice Jackowski  was hired in 1971 with a starting salary of $8,100, which she considered comfortable for someone who was 22 and living at home.

Classroom conditions were another matter. There could be as many as 35 kids in her fourth-grade Winthrop School classroom, forcing her to scrounge for desks, chairs and supplies. There were no specialists  art, music and gym teachers  who could enrich the curriculum and provide classroom teachers with much needed planning and bathroom breaks.

More Information STRIKING TEACHERS OF 2018: West Virginia : Without a raise since 2014, teachers went on strike for nearly two weeks starting in February, until the state's legislature approved a 5 percent salary boost. Oklahoma: In March, Oklahoma's teachers' union demands for higher salaries were not met. The Legislature responded but not enough. Teachers struck for nine days before returning to class. They say their attention will turn to the ballot box. Kentucky : At the urging of the statewide teachers union, teachers walked off the job to march on the Capitol in Frankfort after the governor vetoed a bill to boost per-pupil funding. He also signed a pension reform bill that was unpopular with teachers. Arizona : After holding "walk-ins," where they held preschool rallies over the need for raises, Arizona teachers began voting this week on whether to walk out. Colorado: Teachers rallying for more pay walked out of class this week. See More Collapse

The teachers contract had expired and negotiations were ongoing. Pay was one of the major sticking points, with the city offering 5 percent increases. The union had proposed raises of more than twice that.

Things came to a head in 1978. After months of failed talks between teachers and the city, led by then-mayor John Mandanici, the union threatened a walkout and voted to strike.

Freeman had just become part of the local unions executive board as cooresponding secretary. She had been teaching six years and was admittedly naive.

Other people knew something big was coming down the line, said Freeman. Not she.

When the new school year started, only 36  a sliver of the citys more than 1,200 teachers  showed up for work. The school board was forced to close most of its schools.

City officials secured a Superior Court injunction. It was in defiance of that court order that teachers started being jailed on contempt charges beginning Sept, 12, 1978.

By then, Freeman, who was walking the line, had already received a certified letter, mailed to her parents home with a dozen stamps on it, telling her she would be fired and included a summons to appear in court.

Her parents, she said, were shocked that Mandanici, their next door neighbor, was going to put their little Bernice in jail.

Freeman couldnt believe it either. She was in the first wave of teacher arrests. By the time the strike was settled, 274 teachers would be jailed.

Freeman, sitting in a jury box with 12 other teachers that day, only half listened as a judge belittled them, she recalled.

They dragged us down the back of the courthouse handcuffed to take us to the van, Freeman said. I remember crying and one of the teachers, Jack Curry, saying: Dont let them see you cry.

The five male teachers were sent to New Haven Correctional Center. The females went to Niantic Correctional Institution where they were strip searched and deloused in what one teacher described later as a moldy, spider-infested shower.

At her retirement party in 2004, Freeman would joke that because of the union she never had lice. On that morning in 1978, she said she felt defiled, scared and humiliated.

But we all stuck together, Freeman said. I think it opened a lot of eyes.

The next day, the educators were sent to Camp Hartell. They would be joined by busloads of other striking teachers on a daily basis.

At Camp Hartell there were no bars on the windows, but there were bed checks, a regimented schedule and lights out at 10 p.m.

It had a barbed wire perimeter. If you broke rules or walked out, they said youd be sent to real prison, recalls Levine, who chronicled his time in watercolor drawings.

Teachers from other districts descended on Hartell to support the incarcerated educators whose numbers swelled the camp to capacity.

Some say the city finally settled the contract because there was no other place to put the striking teachers. Others speculate it was because Mandancis daughter, a teacher, was on the next list of teachers to be imprisoned.

A year after the strike, binding arbitration laws were passed.

Now

Gary Peluchette, now president of the Bridgeport Education Association, said other states striking over low pay, rising health costs and pensions would benefit from the binding arbitration laws established in Connecticut.

Our schools have been open and running 40 years (without a strike), Peluchette said.

There are 34 states that have binding arbitration in negotiating teacher contracts but to varying degrees. Some states where teachers have had strikes, like West Virginia and Arizona, have no collective bargaining statutes for public employees.

States like Kentucky are right-to-work states, said Cohen, where states can decide if workers can be required to join a labor union or keep a job.

Some teachers in those states are juggling six jobs to make ends meet, said Cohen. It reminds her of her first year in teaching in 1971, when she made more money bartending two nights a week in New Haven than her day job teaching in Orange.

While strong labor laws may curb strikes, some question if they lead to higher salaries.

Teachers in red states are striking because of their low pay, but that is not because their labor rights are weak, said Agustina Paglayan, whose studies include labor politics at the Center for Global Development in Washington, D.C. It is because those states have historically paid teachers poorly.

Striking is another matter. Paglayan said a study by Janet Currie of UCLA found that compulsory arbitration leads to a significant reduction in the probability of public-sector strikes.

I think if you really believe in something, and have people behind you, its really worth taking the risk, Levine said he would tell any teacher striking today.

No West Virginian teachers ended up in jail over their two-week strike which resulted in a 5 percent pay boost and provided the impetus for similar job actions in Oklahoma, Kentucky, Arizona and potentially Colorado.
Todays consumers value their time more than ever. With the proliferation of on-demand apps, there is virtually no need to wait in lines or even to leave your house if youre that much of a homebody.

Related: How 3 Top On-Demand Companies are Redefining the Industry

You know the drill: Amazon for your groceries, Netflix for date night, Handy for that light bulb you just cant reach and even on-demand car services to care for the car you hardly ever drive because you ride-share everywhere. Yeah, welcome to the future.

Yet, as with everything, change is constant. So, if you think todays adults require instant gratification, think about the high demands the next generation will have. For this reason, those building a business they hope will last should consider shifting from providing goods to providing ... services.

Spend money to buy time

A recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggested that people who spend money on time-saving services feel happier. "What we found is that people who spent money to buy time reported being almost one full point higher on our 10-point [happiness] ladder, compared to people who did not use money to buy time," wrote Elizabeth Dunn, an author of the study and a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. People from across the income spectrum benefited from buying time.

Related: Why On-demand Services Startups Are The Next Big Thing

One consumer expert has labeled this phenomenon the "do-it-for-me" movement. That expert is Scot Wingo, cofounder of ChannelAdvisor and CEO of Spiffy, an on-demand car care service. Wingo says that the future of consumerism is no longer do-it-yourself (DIY), but do-it-for-me, or DIFM.

DIFM

The do-it-for-me consumer mindset disavows DIY, Wingo told me in an interview. The DIFM consumer discovered the power of convenience through the on-demand economy and never looked back," he continued. "[These consumers] prioritize spending time with their kids or their hobbies over mowing the yard, cleaning the house or washing their cars. Importantly, the DIFM consumer is willing to spend money to save time."

Others are starting to agree. To research the future of the on-demand economy, I listened to an interview with Vikrum Aiyer aired on the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative podcast. Aiyer is the strategic communications and public policy lead for Postmates, Inc., the on-demand logistics and delivery platform.

During the podcast, Aiyer explained that Postmates had actually seen its retail partners increase their sales three to four times over their previous level once it -- the company -- started using on-demand delivery.

This goes well beyond food, because were actually servicing hardware stores and beyond," Aiyer told his interviewers. "And thats actually because of a new reach of their customer potential, in which geographically if they were located on one side of town, theyre now reaching customers at another side of town.

"This validates," he continued, "the thesis that the on-demand economy and automation are going to really change, and are changing, the way commerce is connecting communities."

The lesson for entrepreneurs

So how should entrepreneurs and business leaders respond? They should target consumers who are willing to spend money to save time. As entrepreneurs, we can use that information to shape marketing messages, ad copy, new products. Whatever product we're creating or selling, we should incorporate into it the fact that consumers are willing to spend money to save time.

When you look at GDP in the U.S., products or goods represents 20 percent of GDP, and services represent the other 80 percent, Wingo told me. Using those broad strokes, I think [the trend for] services go digital could be four times as large an opportunity as ecommerce.

"In the next five years, I think it will feel as archaic as using the Yellow Pages to have to call a service provider. Your phone will be the remote control for your life, and you will have a myriad of products and services available to you at your whim in a completely transparent and digital way.

While some detractors will argue that DIFM is a luxury exclusive to the wealthy, thats not actually the case. DIFM is beneficial for anyone who can benefit from time saved. We thought the effects might only hold up for people with quite a bit of disposable income, but to our surprise, we found the same effects across the income spectrum, Dunn shared.

Related: Why On-demand Start-ups have Failed in India

Giving consumers the ability to buy back an increasingly scarce resource -- their time -- is the future of consumerism. Sounds a bit like the sci-fi thriller In Time (lLOL), but in order for on-demand companies to move past the Uber of era, a huge market opportunity will consist of consumers looking for DIFM options.

"Moving people up on the ladder of life satisfaction is not an easy thing to do," Dunn said. "So, if altering slightly how people are spending their money could move them up a full rung, it's something we really want to understand, and perhaps encourage people to do."

Related:

Forget That Product You're Working On. What's Really Going to Sell in the Future Is ... Services.

Lincoln Debuts Uber-Like Service, But With Your Own Car

On-Demand Home Services - #3 Important Growth Strategies You Need to Know



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
The following article is based on excerpts of Javier Hasses book Start Your Own Cannabis Business. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Finding financing for a business is never easy. Even when small business loans are accessible, loan payments and interests can often be an unbearable burden for a startup.

Now, if finding money for a regular business is hard, getting a cannabis business funded is a lot more difficult. Despite the increasing number of financial institutions servicing the cannabis industry, credit is still very rarely available for marijuana businesses.

Image credit: Javier Hasse



"Getting funding for a cannabis business presents very unique challenges because you can't just get an SBA, or small business loan, and banks are not going to lend money to you either," Super Bowl champion and cannabis entrepreneur Marvin Washington told me during an interview for my book with Entrepreneur Media, Start Your Own Cannabis Business.

"Unless you are migrating, leaving your career at Wall Street or Silicon Valley -- which a lot of people have done, and have a nest egg, you will have to go through non-traditional routes to get your financing," he noted.

So, where exactly does an entrepreneur turn to for funding? Let's explore some important topics related to getting your cannabis cash in place.

Related: 9 Business Ideas for People Looking to Cash in on the Marijuana Boom

Seed capital and Series A raises

Your first (or seed) capital round will, more likely than not, be completed with money from family and friends or personal savings prior to your market debut. Understanding that this limits your options, this is the reality of the industry nowadays, since traditional funding options for cannabis startups can be hard to come by. However, there are some financial institutions willing to chip in on seed capital rounds; we'll look into them in the next section in this article.

The second (or Series A) round will possibly attract professional, third party investors and happen some time after your launch, after you have managed to accumulate a few pilot customers or regular customers.

"A seed round is aimed at building a product, service or technology; and getting some early traction, typically in the form of beta or pilot customers," Viridian Capital Advisors President Scott Greiper explains. "This will help you establish some reference cases. Investors will want references from clients in the future."

"A Series A round is for moving into normal operations and your initial scale-up: hiring more people, broadening your product line, ramping sales and marketing efforts, coming up with more distribution agreements, maybe even some initial PR, so you can get some articles, press releases and visibility."

Image credit: Javier Hasse



One final thing to notice is: while family and friends will take common stock from your company in exchange for their hard-earned money, professional investors will most often look for some kind of additional benefit.

"Early stage investors investing in startup companies typically invest in preferred stock. It's not common stock, which gets the to sit with every common shareholder; they have certain special rights like a dividend payment, interest payment ..." Greiper adds. "So, the early-stage entrepreneur should be raising his or her first tranches of capital in the form of equity and is likely to see preferred equity as the first type of professional money that is being offered."

Before going into the diverse funding alternatives available, we want to remind you to be careful with the way in which you choose to finance your company, to get comfortable with the fact that its valuation will be determined by others, and to reconcile with the idea of going to your friends and family for the first round of capital.

Related: Why Your Cannabis Business Is Failing, and How You Can Fix It

Funding alternatives

Taking into account that banks and traditional financial institutions tend to not offer loans to cannabis businesses for the time being, many cannabis entrepreneurs fall back on family members and friends for seed capital -- and this is probably the way to go at first. Nonetheless, not everyone is surrounded by affluent people willing to make risky investments. And, even among those who are, many would rather not mix their personal and professional lives.

Bellow you'll find some other common funding alternatives for the cannabis industry, which might either come in handy when raising seed capital or when looking for additional funds for your business after a friends and family round.

Not every one of them will be right for your business, though. The type of business you are trying to finance and the way you do it are intrinsically intertwined. So, here are the main types of investors pouring money into the cannabis industry:

Family Offices

Cannabis specific funds (and a couple hedge funds)

Angel investors

High net worth individuals

Musicians, athletes and other celebrities

Business accelerators and incubators

Industry-specific holding companies

Some of the most notable institutional investors in the cannabis industry are:

Ackrell Capital

Benchmark Capital

Canna Angels

Casa Verde Capital

Floris Funds

Founders Fund

Green Growth Investments

Greenfield Capital Partners

Ground Zero Ventures

Halley Venture Partners

Hamilton Investment Group

Hypur Ventures

Liquid2 Ventures

Mazakali

MedMen

Merida Capital Partners

Navy Capital

Phyto Partners

Poseidon Asset Management

Privateer Holdings

Salveo Capital

The ArcView Group

Tress Capital

Tuatara Capital

Viridian Capital Advisors

Related: How Will Businesses Handle Legalized Marijuana in the Workplace?

Learn a lot more about financing in the book Start Your Own Cannabis Business: A Step-By-Step Guide To The Marijuana Industry.

Listen to a discussion about raising capital and other challenges cannabis businesses face in Benzinga's daily trading show hosted by prop trader Dennis Dick and former floor trader Joel Elconin PreMarket Prep show from April 20.

Related:

Where to Find Funding for a Cannabis Business

Palantir's Data-Mining Software Was Used to Spy on JPMorgan Staff, and Company Terms Are Getting a Rewrite. 3 Things to Know Today.

Survey Finds Potheads Will Spend Freely on 4/20 and Might Go to Work, If They Have Jobs



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved
B enedict Cumberbatch called his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman pathetic for complaining about the attention from fans of the hit TV show.

Cumberbatch plays Sherlock Holmes in the BBC drama, while Mr Freeman portrays his assistant, Dr Watson.

When asked about a possible fifth series last month, Freeman said people's expectations are "not fun anymore."

In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Cumberbatch disagreed, labelling his colleague's unhappiness "pathetic".

When asked if fan fervour had spoiled his joy in Sherlock, he told the newspaper: "It's pretty pathetic if that's all it takes to let you not want to take a grip of your reality.

"What, because of expectations? I don't know. I don't necessarily agree with that."

Freeman said he didnt enjoy working on the series anymore due to the hype surrounding it.

Benedict Cumberbatch receives the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II 1 /6 Benedict Cumberbatch receives the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II Honoured Benedict Cumberbatch with his wife Sophie Hunter after receiving the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) from Queen Elizabeth II at an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace Anthony Devlin/PA 'Flattered' The Sherlock actor talks to the press after receiving the accolade Anthony Devlin/PA Presentation Cumberbatch is presented with his CBE from the Queen Yui Mok/PA New title The actor bows before the Queen as he receives the CBE Yui Mok/PA Proud Cumberbatch shows off his new title for photographers Anthony Devlin/PA Heading home The Oscar-nominated actor keeps hold of his medal as he heads home Anthony Devlin/PA

He told the newspaper: "Being in that show, it is a mini-Beatles thing. People's expectations, some of it's not fun any more. It's not a thing to be enjoyed."
A young man has been stabbed to death in the 39th fatal knife attack in London this year.

The 20-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene in north London in the early hours of Saturday morning, police said.

Scotland Yard said medics fought to save his life but he was pronounced dead at the scene in Roth Walk, Finsbury Park.

Another man, aged 21, was also found with stab wounds in nearby Seven Sisters Road and was taken to hospital in a non-life threatening condition.

He was later arrested on suspicion of murder, affray, and possessing an offensive weapon, police said.

In a post on social media, the victims sister made an emotional appeal for an end to the bloodshed on Londons streets after the killing in Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns constituency.

She wrote: My younger brother, my only brother got stabbed to death this morning. Guys this needs to stop. The pain Im experiencing is indescribable.

Another friend tweeted: Heart shattered in to a million pieces. Stabbings are just statistics until they happen to a loved one.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan posted online about the killing, saying he was "deeply saddened" by "another life unnecessarily lost to violent crime on our streets".

He said: "The Met Police are using extra City Hall resources to fight this scourge and to remove violent criminals and weapons from the streets.

"We are also working tirelessly with the Met Police, community and youth groups, health and education services, and local and national government on preventing young people getting dragged in to lives of violent crime."

Speaking at a St George's Day event in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon, Mr Khan urged anyone with information to come forward.

He said: "There is no honour in staying silent when you know something.

"There is no honour in allowing someone to carry a knife that can lead to harm being caused. All of us have a responsibility to help the police keep us all safe."

Islington councils leader Richard Watts added: Very sorry indeed to hear about the murder on the Andover estate last night. Im in touch with @MPSIslington, @jeremycorbyn and ward councillors. Thoughts clearly with the victims family.

The young mans death came amid a surge in violent crime in the capital which has seen Scotland Yard launch more than 60 murder inquiries so far in 2018.

A separate murder probe was under way today after a man died following an assault in Merton on Thursday night.

The 32-year-old was found collapsed in London Road but died in hospital on Friday night, according to police. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said police had been called to the scene of the stabbing in Finsbury Park at about 3am.

A 21-year-old male was found at the scene suffering from stab wounds, she said. He was taken to a north London hospital where his condition is not life threatening.

A short distance away at Roth Walk, N7, a second male, aged 20, was found suffering from stab wounds. Despite the efforts of medics, he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

Enquiries are under way to trace next of kin.

The 21-year-old injured male was arrested on suspicion of affray.
A murder investigation has been launched after a man died following a street fight in south London.

The 32-year-old was found collapsed in London Road, Morden, on Thursday night, police said.

He was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition but died on Friday night.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday and remains in custody in a south London police station.

The mans death came as a separate murder investigation was launched after a 20-year-old man was fatally stabbed in Finsbury Park.

He was pronounced dead at the scene in north London in the early hours of Saturday morning after being found with stabbed in Roth Walk.

Another man, aged 21, was also found with stab wounds in nearby Seven Sisters Road and was taken to hospital in a non-life threatening condition.

He was later arrested on suspicion of affray, police said.

Scotland Yard said its homicide unit was investigating the attack in Merton.

A spokesman said: Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 22:17hrs on Thursday, 19 April, after ambulance staff suspected that a man collapsed on London Road in Morden had been assaulted.

The 32-year-old man was taken to a south London hospital in a critical condition. He died at 23:45hrs on Friday, 20 April.

Officers have established that the victim was involved in a fight with a man in the street.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.

A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder on Friday, 20 April and taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.
T his CCTV footage shows the moment a shop keeper was left extremely shaken after being threatened by three raiders with wine bottles and a pair of scissors.

The men entered Premier Wines in Northenden, Manchester, and demanded cash from the register.

A staff member behind the counter was threatened with two bottles of wine and a pair of scissors that had been taken from a shelf.

The raiders then filled a green duvet cover with cigarettes and alcohol before they fled the store in Royle Green Road.

The raiders filled a duvet case with cigarettes and alcohol

The offenders sped off in a black 5 Series BMW car parked outside the store and later turned left on to Longley Lane towards the Gatley area.

Police are appealing for information about the raid which took place at about 2.45pm on Saturday March 17.

Detective constable Chris Clarke, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "This staff member was subjected to an awful attack and has understandably been left extremely shaken.

"We have released CCTV footage in the hope that someone who was there, and hasn't yet got in touch, will call police and share the information you have.

"If you witnessed three men acting suspiciously around this time, or have any detail that could assist our inquiries, then please contact police."
T wo men have been stabbed in broad daylight after a fight broke out outside a busy south London Tube station.

Emergency services rushed to the scene of the incident in Upper Tooting Road at about 6pm on Saturday.

They found found two men suffering from stab injuries near Tooting Bec Tube station.

Scotland Yard could not confirm how serious their injuries are.

Shocked witnesses posted on social media as the scenes unfolded on Saturday evening.

One person wrote: "Carnage in Tooting Bec, blue lights everywhere & main road closed."

Another added: "A person has been stabbed in the road next to the pub Im in in Tooting Bec."

Images posted on social media show a large swathe of the road cordoned off and emergency services vehicles at the scene.

The incident comes after a 20-year-old man became the 39th person to be stabbed to death in London this year.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene in Finsbury Park in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Upper Tooting Road was closed between Tooting Bec and Beechcroft Road while a police investigation was carried out.

A Met Police spokesman said: Police were called at approximately 6pm on Saturday, April 21 to reports of a fight in Upper Tooting Road at the junction with Noyna Road.

Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and found two males, no further details, suffering stab injuries.

Condition awaits. Officers from Wandsworth are on scene.
A top trauma surgeon has warned Londoners face a summer of carnage as youth violence rises across the capital.

Martin Griffiths, who works at the Royal London Hospital in east London, said the warmer weather would result in more bloodshed among youngsters.

He told The Times that treating children with knife and gunshot wounds had become the bread and butter of his job.

With more than 60 fatal stabbings and shootings in the capital this year, London was comparable to South Africa or inner-city United States, he said.

The latest murder victim was a 20-year-old man who was stabbed to death in Finsbury Park in the early hours of Saturday.

Two further men were stabbed in broad daylight outside Tooting Bec station in south London on Saturday evening.

And Mr Griffiths warned: "When it gets a few degrees warmer, it's going to be taxing. It's going to be difficult."

He told the newspaper: "I'm a trauma surgeon, not a paediatric surgeon... but we look after children now  that's what we do. Welcome to the new normal.

He added that the trauma team at the hospital were able to easily step up to last Junes London Bridge terror attack because of the regularity with which they now deal with life-threatening knife wounds.

He said: We handled a terrorist attack like we handle a busy Saturday night. That's a sobering thought.

Following the fatal stabbing in Finsbury Park, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "The Met Police are using extra City Hall resources to fight this scourge and to remove violent criminals and weapons from the streets."
P olice are hunting a man after a woman was followed into a narrow street before being forced to the ground and raped in a terrifying attack.

The 21-year-old was walking home from a night out wearing headphones when she was attacked in a mews street in north London.

She was physically assaulted multiple times before being tripped and raped, police said.

Detective Constable Alastair Semple said: "This was a horrific attack on a woman who was heading home after a night out with her friends.

The victim had attended a concert at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, where Australian metal band Northlane had been due to play, before leaving for a nearby pub.

One her way back from the pub in Camden High Street, she was attacked in Camden Mews in the early hours of Sunday, November 26.

After raping the woman, the suspect ran off in an unknown direction, according to detectives.

Police have now issued an e-fit of a man they want to speak to in connection with the attack.

He is described as white, aged 25-35, with dark hair and a moustache and possibly speaking with a Manchester accent.

DC Semple added: I would urge anyone with information to contact police and help us track down the person responsible.
T he Lyrid meteor shower will dazzle UK skygazers this weekend with a spectacular show of shooting stars.

Astronomers said hundreds of meteors with long, glowing tails will streak across the sky in a display that will reach its peak in London early on Sunday morning.

The rate of shooting stars from the Lyrids is about 18 meteors per hour between April 16 and 26 every year, but rare, short "outbursts" see rates of up to 100 per hour.

The Lyrids were documented as far back as 687 BC, making them the first ever of the modern meteor showers to be recorded.

When, where and how can I see it?

Experts claim the best day to watch the shower will be April 22 and the early hours of the morning are the best time.

According to Greenwich Observatory, the best places to watch the display are open areas, away from street lights.

The early hours of Sunday are the best time to watch / AFP/Getty Images

So Londoners' best chance of seeing the shower will be from one of the capital's large open spaces such as Richmond Park or Hampstead Heath.

The Lyrid was named after the constellation Lyra.

Lyrid Meteor Shower 2017

It is sparked when Earth passes through debris from the comet Thatcher.

Shards of debris vaporise as they meet the Earths upper atmosphere and create colourful flashes in the night sky.

Bill Cooke, NASA meteor expert, told Space.com that patience is key to catching a glimpse of the shower.
C arwyn Jones has announced he is to stand down as first minister of Wales.

The 51-year-old made the announcement at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno on Saturday.

Mr Jones acknowledged "the darkest of times" in recent months, referring to the death of assembly member Carl Sargeant.

Mr Sargeant is believed to have taken his own life four days after being removed from his role as cabinet secretary for communities and children while facing allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Carl Sargeant: The Welsh assembly cabinet member Carl Sargeant was found dead after being suspended / PA

After Mr Sargeant's death, Mr Jones referred himself to an independent inquiry over allegations of bullying at a senior level of the Welsh Government three years ago.

Former minister Leighton Andrews has said that Mr Sargeant was "unquestionably the target" of some of the behaviour.

Mr Jones previously told assembly members that any issues brought to his attention at that time were dealt with.

However leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies suggested Mr Jones may have "misled assembly members" over his knowledge of bullying in the Welsh Government.

Carwyn Jones shaking hands with Rhodri Morgan, who he succeeded as Labour Party leader in Wales / PA

His decision to stand down will bring to an end his nine-year stint as first minister.

Mr Jones told the conference: "In any normal political career, you expect to be put through the ringer, and even have your integrity challenged.

"I don't think anyone can know what these last few months have been like. No-one that is, apart from Lisa and the kids.

"They have carried me through the darkest of times. I have asked too much of them, and it is time for me to think about what's fair for them.

"And so, this will be the last Welsh Labour conference I address as party leader."

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood congratulated Mr Jones on his leadership and wished him and his family well.

She added: "Wales needs more than a change of leader.

We need a new government with the ideas, the values and the drive to build our nation into the successful country we know it could be.

Wales can and must be better than this  rearranging the deckchairs will not deliver the change we need."

Mr Jones said he is to stand down in the autumn.
T he Prince of Wales has been caught up in a racism row after a British woman claimed he joked that she "did not look" like she was from her home town of Manchester.

Anita Sethi said she was left feeling shocked, humiliated and angry following the incident during one of the many Commonwealth events staged this week in the run up to a major summit of Commonwealth leaders.

She has now questioned whether the heir to the throne should be the next head of the Commonwealth - a multi-cultural institution with member countries from areas like Africa, the Caribbean and Asia.

Her revelation came as the Commonwealth leaders unanimously agreed that Charles should follow in his mother's footsteps and lead the Commonweath.

Ms Sethi, a writer, said in an opinion piece penned for the Guardian newspaper that Charles had asked her where she was from when they met briefly during the Commonwealth People's Forum earlier this week in London, where she was a guest speaker.

When she replied "Manchester, UK" she said that he quipped "Well, you don't look like it!" and laughed.

The writer, whose mother was born in Guyana, wrote in the Guardian: "That the mooted next leader of an organisation that represents one-third of the people on the planet commented that I, a brown woman, did not look as if I was from a city in the UK is shocking."

Prince Charles, right, greets India's Prime Narendra Modi at a Commonwealth dinner, has been chosen to take over the lead after his mother / AP

She went on to say: "Of course, allegations of racism are not new for the Royal Family. The Duke Of Edinburgh has made numerous contentious comments; and only last year Princess Michael of Kent wore a blackamoor brooch while meeting Prince Harry's fiancee, Meghan Markle."

Philip's comments often led to controversy, but he was once branded a "national treasure" by the press for his inability to curb his off-the-cuff remarks.

During a state visit to China in 1986 he told British students: "If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed."
N orth Korea has said it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests ahead of a new round of negotiations with South Korea and the United States.

Pyongyang said it also plans to close its nuclear test site, although there was no clear indication if it would be willing to deal away its arsenal.

Leader Kim Jong Un declared the nation's nuclear force as complete in November after a slew of weapons tests that included the underground detonation of a purported thermonuclear warhead.

North Korea had also carried out flight tests of three intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Some analysts believe Mr Kim is entering the negotiations from a position of strength and is unlikely to accept a significant cut of his arsenal or go significantly beyond freezing a nuclear program.

South Korean and US officials have said Mr Kim is likely trying to save his broken economy from heavy sanctions.

After the announcement on Saturday about testing, US president Donald Trump tweeted,: "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!"

He also said he is looking forward to his upcoming summit with Mr Kim.

South Korea's presidential office welcomed North Korea's announcement as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearisation of the peninsula.

Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement that the North's decision brightens the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

The North also vowed to actively engage with regional neighbours and the international community to secure peace on the peninsula and create an "optimal international environment" to build its economy.

The announcement came days before Mr Kim is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

A separate meeting between Mr Kim and Mr Trump is anticipated in May or June.

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee, which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies.

The Korean Workers' Party Central Committee declared a "great victory" in the country's official "byungjin" policy of simultaneously pursuing economic and nuclear development.

The committee unanimously adopted a resolution that called for concentrating national efforts to achieve a strong socialist economy and "groundbreaking improvements in people's lives".

"To secure transparency on the suspension of nuclear tests, we will close the republic's northern nuclear test site," the party's resolution said.

The official news agency quoted Mr Kim as saying during the meeting: "Nuclear development has proceeded scientifically and in due order and the development of the delivery strike means also proceeded scientifically and verified the completion of nuclear weapons.

"We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this, the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission."

Seoul said Mr Kim has expressed genuine interest in dealing away his nuclear weapons.

But North Korea for decades has been pushing a concept of "denuclearisation" that bears no resemblance to the American definition, vowing to pursue nuclear development unless Washington removes its troops from the peninsula.

South Korean scientists have questioned whether the North could continue conducting underground nuclear detonations at its mountainous test site in Kilju in the northeast due to a series of earthquakes that were likely triggered by the activity, suggesting it is too unstable for further bomb tests.

At the height of Pyongyang's standoff with Washington and Seoul last year, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho told reporters the country could conduct an atmospheric hydrogen bomb test over the Pacific Ocean.
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Minister of National Defence Mihai Fifor participated on Saturday in Arad in the Land Forces Day celebrations organized at the Memorial to the Unknown Soldier.

"It is a great joy for me to be here today in Arad to celebrate - two days earlier, indeed - the Day of Romania's Land Forces, but I was keen on coming here because there is a double significance attached to the battalion in Arad, as an elite unit of the Romanian Army and as here in Arad we have the Romanian-Hungarian Joint Peacekeeping Battalion," Fifor said.

The DefMin spoke about military education, about the reopening of the Military Marine College in Constanta, as well as of the need to train an elite military corps.''We have greatly increased the number of openings in university education because we want to expand the selection base for future physician officers. We are very preoccupied to form an elite military corps capable of dealing with any challenges the Romanian Army will be facing," Fifor said.The minister announced that the first 36 Piranha armored carriers will enter the Army's fleet by the end of this year.''The first carriers will arrive in the country by the end of this year. This is a batch of 31 armored carriers produced in Switzerland, plus another 5 which will be assembled in the country, at the Bucharest Mechanical Plant. After that, all the others up to 226 will also be produced at the Bucharest Mechanical Plant. The carriers will be distributed to all the units in the country," Fifor explained, adding that the 191st Infantry Battalion in Arad is among the first units that will be equipped with this type of carrier.The Archbishop of Arad Timotei Seviciu also attended the ceremony, evoking the Romanian Army's battle tradition in defence of the homeland and the forerunners' faith, and talking about the Holy Great Martyr George, the Victory-Bearer, who is the patron saint of the Land Forces.Also present at the event held in Arad city's 'Avram Iancu' Square were Arad Prefect Florentina Horgea, deputy Dorel Caprar, Chairman of the Defence Commission, Brig. Gen. Dr. Nicolae Tonu, deputy commander of the 4th Infantry Division "Gemina", representatives of the Interior Ministry's devolved local units, reserve or retired military personnel.
PEPE ESCOBAR

Azerbaijan held a presidential election this month. Predictably, incumbent leader Ilham Aliyev won his fourth consecutive term with a Kim dynasty-esque 86% of the votes.

International monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) stressed widespread disregard for mandatory procedures, numerous instances of serious irregularities and lack of transparency; the Azeri electoral commission replied that such observations were unfounded.

Then the whole issue simply vanished. Why? Because, from a Western strategic perspective, Azerbaijans post-Soviet petro-autocracy is simply untouchable.

Much has to do with the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, facilitated by the late Zbigniew Grand Chessboard Brzezinski during the first Bill Clinton administration to bypass Iran. The BTC de facto unleashed the energy chapter of the New Great Game that I have called Pipelineistan.

Now, Baku is harboring great hopes for its new port at the desert wasteland of Alat (Your hub in Eurasia!), simultaneously connected to the West (Turkey and the European Union), the South (Iran and India) and the North (Russia).

Alat is also designed as a top logistics/manufacturing/connectivity hub of the New Silk Roads, aka Belt and Road Initiative. Its top strategic location straddles the BRIs central connectivity corridor; links to the newly opened Baku-Tblisi-Kars railway, connecting the Caucasus with Central Asia; and also links with the International North-South Transport Corridor that connects Russia to India via Iran.

Transportation corridors are all the rage. For Azerbaijan, oil and gas may only last up to 2050. So the priority from now on is to engineer the transition toward becoming a logistics hub; actually, the premier Caspian Sea hub.

Do (Caspian) opposites attract?

Bakus drive revisits and propels to the forefront the role of Pipelineistan and connectivity corridors in Eurasia integration. The overall picture may finally point to a third way, Europe-bound, for Caspian energy exports, for the moment mostly concentrated on Russia and China.

Turkmenistan is actively promoting itself this year as the heart of the Great Silk Road. Yet thats centered more on reviving Ancient Silk Road sites than on digital connectivity.

Still, Ashgabat did anticipate the BRI when the 1,800-kilometer Central Asia-China gas pipeline, from Turkmenistan to Xinjiang via Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, carrying 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year, was inaugurated in 2009.

Ashgabat and Moscow have had a tortuous spat that eventually led to Gazprom completely ceasing imports of Turkmen gas into Russia more than two years ago.

And thats how Beijing, and not Moscow, ended up being configured as Central Asias top energy customer  and trading partner.

Because of its idiosyncratic practices, Turkmenistan in the end never managed to diversify its export markets. It operated the switch from Russia to China but could not land the lucrative European market.

It has been a mantra in Brussels for ages now that the EU needs energy diversification away from Gazprom  even as member nations are incapable of agreeing on the mere lineaments of a common energy policy.

European companies at best are developing major oilfields in Kazakhstan. But on the blue gold Pipelineistan front, so far no gas from Central Asia is flowing to Europe.

The traumatic experiences of the past are epitomized by the Nabucco soap opera  a pipeline from Turkmenistan via the Caspian to Turkey and beyond that in the end will never be built.

Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are actually stiff competitors on opposite shores of the Caspian. Baku was delighted with Nabuccos failure because that boosted the prospects of its own gas from the sprawling Shah Deniz field hitting Europe. The key Nabucco problem was the mystery surrounding Turkmenistans real gas-production capability, considering that most of its gas is now directed toward China.

A complicating factor is that any pipeline that crosses the still legally undefined Caspian (is it a sea or is it a lake?) is also not exactly welcomed by either Russia or Iran.

Gazprom has its own plans to increase its share of the European market via Nord Stream and Turk Stream. Iran would aim finally to crack European markets via a possible pipeline from the massive South Pars field in cooperation with Qatar, a revamped version of the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline that was one of the key reasons for the war in Syria.

TAP meets TANAP

So in the end the only realistic Pipelineistan gambit in terms of Caspian gas connections to European markets is bound to be the small, 4,5 billion (US$5.55 billion) Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), carrying 10bcm of gas a year from Baku.

TAP, only 878km long (northern Greece 550km; Albania 215km; Adriatic Sea 105km; southern Italy 8km), is supposed to come online by March 2020.

TAP will be a sort of extension of the way more ambitious, $8 billion Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which will ship gas from Azerbaijans Shah Deniz 2 to western Turkey, as configured by the so-called Southern Gas Corridor. TAP and TANAP will connect at the Greek-Turkish border.

Its enlightening to compare how Azerbaijan is betting on Europe while Turkmenistan bets on China.

And then theres Kazakhstan  which deploys its own, branded, multi-vector foreign policy involving Russia, China, the US and the EU.

At the same time that Astana is a key node of the BRI, a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and a member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), it welcomes investment from EU majors and US oil giants.

Going forward, the trend is Beijing enjoying a strategic advantage as the top trading partner of every Central Asian stan except Kazakhstan, while Moscow maintains its multiple roles as security provider, trading partner, source of foreign investment, employer to millions of Central Asian expats, and Soft Power Central (Russian is the lingua franca in Central Asia, and Russian TV and culture are ubiquitous).

And this will all play within the framework of interpolation between BRI and the EEU.

But what about Iran and Turkey in the Big Picture?

Azerbaijan, as a Caspian nation, maintains deep ethnic and linguistic links with Turkey. Yet Baku prizes secularism in an Ataturk vein  which sets it at odds with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans Islamic-tinged neo-Ottomanism.

The major complicating factor is that Ankara and Moscow are collaborating on Turk Stream  in essence a Pipelineistan move from Siberia to Europe under the Black Sea directly competing with Azerbaijans own gas exports.

Iran for its part deploys ample cultural and linguistic influence all across Central Asia. In fact Persia, historically, has been the top organizing entity across Central Asia. Iran is as much a Central Asian power as Southwest Asian (what the west calls the Middle East).

But in a BRI environment shaped by the building of roads, railways, bridges, tunnels, pipelines, and fiber-optic networks, the real game-changing player in Central Asia will continue to be China  allegedly more than Turkey, Iran and Russia.

Chinese companies already own roughly 25% of Kazakhstans oil production and practically all of Turkmenistans gas exports. And they have their sights on Baku as a major BRI node.

Call it a sort of digital revival of the Tang dynasty, when Chinese imperial influence extended across Central Asia all the way to northeastern Iran. Any bets on the Caspian soon becoming a Chinese lake?

atimes.com
Notwithstanding all the praises sung to the German-US partnership, often described as a bedrock of the transatlantic relationship, the new German government is trying to stand up to pressure from the US. It has to. The country has been hit hard by the Russia sanctions and is looking to end them.

Chancellor Angela Merkel will visit Washington on April 27  her first top-level meeting since she was reelected for her fourth term in March. Potential exemptions from the US sanctions against Russia will be one issue on that agenda. The US Treasurys new sanctions list was released on April 6. Germany wants to shield its business community from a big financial blow, with a waiver on restrictions granted to German companies such as Daimler and Volkswagen, the engineering giant Siemens, the software maker SAP, the Deutsche Borses securities firm Clearstream, etc. The blacklist makes German banks hesitant to provide funding for the Nord Stream 2 gas project that is under construction and scheduled to be operational in 2020.

Germany paid lip service to the US, UK, and French air strikes against Syria that were delivered on April 13. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said he wants to maintain a dialog with Russia, as he believes the Syrian conflict cannot be resolved without Moscow. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has warned against demonizing Russia. He claims that his country has played a historical role in maintaining that dialog. He has urged that Russia and its people not be portrayed as an enemy.

Germanys Europe Minister, Michael Roth, wrote in a Die Welt article that the EU should work to reduce tensions with Russia. He warned that anti-Russian reflexes were dangerous. The leader of Germanys Social Democrats, Andrea Nahles, also stressed the importance of Russias role in the Syrian conflict. The partys rank-and-file oppose the hard-line position on Russia. Angela Merkel aligned herself with them, questioning the effectiveness of the sanctions policy. The view is widely shared by the public. For instance, 69% of Germans opposed the decision to expel four Russian diplomats in the wake of the Skripal affair. Eighty-six percent of Germans believe the West should make more of an effort to improve ties with Moscow.

Germany has led the European opposition to US sanctions that could penalize Western companies for doing business with Russia, especially the sanctions that threaten Nord Stream 2  the project Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz openly supports despite US pressure. On April 16, the European Union foreign ministers supported sanctions against Syria, but not Russia, carving out a stance distinct from that of the United States.

China stands tall. Russian-Chinese trade is expected to top $100 billion this year. According to Gao Feng, the spokesman at the Ministry of Commerce, that relationship will not be affected by the external environment.

Turkey could face US sanctions for the purchase of a Russian S-400 air-defense system. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell said so during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. Turkey has vulnerabilities America could exploit; for instance, it could suspend shipments of technological equipment, thus freezing the operations of Turkish airports. Or it could hit back at banks that were involved in the deal. The planned purchase of 120 F-35 fighters might never take place.

Some nations have already lost. Japan has stopped buying aluminum because it cannot pay for it, due to the American sanctions. The payments were made in US dollars. Russia accounted for about 15% of Japans aluminum imports. The sanctions enacted by the US last week immediately stung Australia, a very close and faithful American ally. The new sanctions on Russia hike oil, aluminum, and other commodity prices, hurting US allies and benefiting Russia. With higher profits it will become stronger and more influential, while many of those who are blindly following Washingtons instructions will suffer and find themselves less able to contribute to NATOs overall expenditures and other plans related to the Wests activities aimed at curbing Moscows influence.

Russia does not appear to be feeling the sting of the sanctions, as it is staying the course while the American allies are losing out. Washingtons relationship with them is becoming more and more complicated, as resistance to the policy of sanctions keeps on growing. Perhaps it is the wish to demonstrate a willingness to be tough on Russia, coupled with the realization that that policy is futile and backfiring that is making President Trump seesaw back and forth from announcing new sanctions one day to suddenly hitting brakes the next.

It looks like the president will have a hard time on April 27. Ms. Merkel will speak not only about the role being played by Germany but also Europe. Shell raise very complicated issues. The Russia sanctions are hitting the allies, who are increasingly wary of Washington as it tries to make them buy its own shale gas instead of the cheaper Russian product. The growing resistance to the American sanctions policy will inevitably widen these cracks in the Wests much-vaunted unity, while Russia continues its policy of reasserting itself. The only tangible result of the sanctions imposed on Russia for supporting Syria is the latest plan to supply that country with more sophisticated weapons, such as an S-300 air-defense system. By imposing more and more sanctions on Russia, the US seems to be acting like its own worst enemy.
When Americas top thinking mans journal fails to consider at least one possible alternative as to who may have been responsible for the latest alleged chemical attack in Syria, aside from the Assad regime, then we may conclude that the entire mainstream media complex is receiving its marching orders from above.

In an April 14 article in the erstwhile prestigious New Yorker magazine (Russias Madman Routine in Syria May Have Averted Direct Confrontation with the U.S., For Now), author Joshua Yaffa singlehandedly proves there is absolutely no straying from the government-approved narrative that Syrian President Bashar Assad is guilty of carrying out an alleged chemical attack in Douma on April 7. He also manages to pull Russia into the elaborate conspiracy theory, which is now accepted as bona-fide truth in the Western world.

Moscow welcomes Assads defeat of the rebels, and has little concern for how he achieves it, but the use of chemical weapons is an embarrassment and source of unwelcome consequences for the Kremlin, Yaffa writes with breathtaking arrogance, refusing to entertain the much more likely scenario that the rebel terrorists were responsible for the purported attack. One unresolved question is whether Russia  got assurances from Syria that it would refrain from using chemical weapons in the future.

For any person with even a limited amount of critical thinking skills, this cannot be considered objective and impartial journalism in any sense of the word. Yet it is a prime example of what Western readers are being force-fed on a daily basis: Assad is guilty of carrying out a chemical attack on innocent civilians, nothing else to look at here, please move along [Thus far, there has been one notable exception to this rule, which has not been picked up by the US media, and never will be. Robert Fisk, a veteran British reporter of the Middle East, traveled to Douma for a first-hand account of the alleged attack for The Independent. After a lengthy fact-finding trip, which included interviews with numerous witnesses and medical staff, Fisk revealed what so many people had suspected: there was no chemical attack. The event was entirely staged by the notorious White Helmets 'rescue group'].

Consider the way UK broadcaster Sky News cut short Major-General Jonathan Shaw, a formerly high-ranking British Army officer, as he attempted to question what motive Bashar Assad would have had in carrying out a gas attack at this crucial juncture.

The debate that seems to be missing from this is What possible motive could have triggered Syria to launch this chemical attack at this time in this place? Shaw ventured to ask. "The Syrians are winning, dont take my word for it, take the American militarys word for it.

At that point, the interview was quickly terminated for a commercial break. Needless to say, Sky News and other Western media wont be inviting Shaw back for his expert analysis anytime in the near future.

As if this even needs to be said, the function of the media is not to parrot the government line, but to challenge it every step of the way  and even more so when the consequences of failing to do so could result in the outbreak of a major conflict, possibly even World War III. Apparently that is a risk the useful idiots of the Western mainstream media are willing to take.

In reality, to call these journalists useful would be an exaggeration, because they are actually not being very useful at all. By dutifully refusing to consider, even in passing, other alternatives in Syria they have betrayed their allegiances, which is obviously not to the pursuit of truth. To assume your audience is so blissfully ignorant that they cannot imagine other scenarios regarding the chemical attack in Syria for themselves only serves to further alienate the mainstream media monsters from their subscribers. Thus, Western journalists are not useful idiots per se; they are simply being idiots.

Incidentally, this explains in a nutshell why the masters of the mainstream media universe are so terribly anxious to silence alternative media voices from the Internet. The existence of dissenting, unscripted voices throws into stark contrast just how biased, prejudiced and undemocratic the Western press has become. Better to manipulate the Internet algorithms than to risk Western audiences hearing voices that challenge the official narrative.

Once again, the ridiculously obvious question needs to be asked since the Western mainstream media refuses to: Why would Assad, who was defeating the rebels on every military front with modern military technologies, resort to the most primitive and egregious form of military methods imaginable, that of chemical weapons? Why would he commit the one act that would undoubtedly bring NATO members into the fray, thereby destroying the results of an 8-year struggle? The short answer is he would not. Not in a million years. However, even if the Western media stubbornly refuses to consider that line of reasoning, it fails to explain why they were unanimously blaming Assad for the attack when experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had not yet arrived in Douma to conduct their forensics work. Instead, they cast aside their journalistic duties in favor of serving as mindless cheerleaders for war.

Yaffa took the hysteria a notch higher, however, when he suggested that it was Russia that was behaving like a madman in Syria by warning it would

Whether thanks to their successful madman routine, or the success of arguments for restraint by U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, Putin and his generals must be pleased, Yaffa wrote, apparently disheartened that something worked to put the brakes on full-blown military action in Syria.

The Russian effort to preemptively terrify the West into limiting its military operations in Syria began last month, when Valery Gerasimov, Russias top military officer, warned that Moscow would shoot down missiles fired at Syrian territoryand, whats more, if Russian forces came under threat, would strike back by targeting launch facilities and platforms, Yaffa wrote.

Strange that even the prospect of Russia actually proclaiming it would defend itself from an outright attack is deemed the delusional ranting of a madman. Such is the position of the Western media as it continues to perpetuate the myth of a Russian bogeyman as it works to undermine peace in favor of yet another regime change operation.

Clearly, alternative voices in the deeply compromised mainstream media jungle are needed now more than ever.
Government efforts to control what appears on the Internet (inside Russia) and in domestic mass media are not sufficient to keep out damaging evidence of corruption among the Russian leadership. This got a lot worse after the April 2016 release of 11 million documents stolen (via hacking) from a Panama based international law firm (Mossack Fonseca). Data from these documents showed many prominent Russian officials did business with Mossack Fonseca, a firm that assists wealthy people who want to set up overseas bank accounts and corporations whose owners are very difficult for most people (or even other governments) to identify. The Mossack Fonseca records provided details of enormous wealth owned by Russian officials who could not explain where it came from. In the state controlled media these revelations dont exist (more Western lies not worth repeating) but these details get into Russia via the Internet and eventually reach just about everyone. The damage done is considerable because it makes Russians realize that since 2014 Russia has been making a lot of headlines but not much else. The economy is a mess, it has fewer allies and the future looks dim. Invading Ukraine and Syria has not helped solve any of the fundamental problems. What passes for good news is things like foreign economists recently agreeing that the Russian economy is shrinking less than expected this year (1.2 percent smaller GDP rather than 1.5 percent). Victories in Syria and Ukraine dont pay the rent or put food on the table. More and more Russians are just getting by and the appeal of the new nationalism is fading.

What went wrong? Russia entered the 21st century with a new elected government dominated by former secret police (KGB) officers who promised to restore economic and civil order. They did so but in the process are turning Russia into a police state with less political and economic freedom. A growing number of Russians opposed this and the government responded by appealing to nationalism. Russia has returned to police state ways and the traditional threatening attitude towards neighbors. Rather than being run by corrupt communist bureaucrats, the country is now dominated by corrupt businessmen, gangsters and self-serving government officials. The semi-free economy is more productive than the centrally controlled communist one but that just provides more money to steal. A rebellion against the new dictatorship has been derailed by astute propaganda depicting Russia as under siege by the West. Yet opinion polls that show wide popular support for this paranoid fantasy has left enough Russians with democratic impulses to continue demanding better government and needed reforms. But for now most Russians want economic and personal security and are willing to tolerate a police state to get it. That atmosphere, plus the anxiety generated by the Ukraine aggression has scared away a lot of foreign investors and many Russian ones as well. Russia can downplay this in the state controlled media but without all that foreign and Russian capital the economy cannot grow. The only major economic power Russia can still do business with is China and the Chinese recognize the economic weakness of Russia and refuse to get too involved.

Syria

While there are common goals in Syria and Russia is willing to work with the Americans Iran has made it very clear that it cannot cooperate with the Americans to the extent that Russia has. After all, the Iranian religious dictatorship justifies its power because of its vow to destroy America and Israel. Iran has its own plans, which it apparently does not share with Russia or anyone else. Meanwhile Russia is eager to make whatever deals it can to end the war in Syria, declare victory and get out. The stalemate in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions have proved more damaging to the Russian economy and leaders than the government will admit. A clear victory in Syria would pave the way for an acceptable end to the Ukrainian mess. Many American military leaders and intelligence officials are warning the U.S. government that closely cooperating with the Russians will not end well for the United States and the West because the Russian goal is keeping the Assad government in power. That is not and never will be popular in the United States, not as long as Irans official policy is death to America and Israel. But American leaders are attracted to the idea that cooperation with Russia and Iran in Syria would do more to destroy ISIL than any other strategy.

Meanwhile Russia needs Iranian help in Syria and elsewhere. Iran has expanded its Syrian mercenary force of Afghan, Iraqi and other Shia volunteers it has recruited, trained, armed and paid for. The largest and most effective Shia paramilitary force is from Lebanon, where Iran has supported the Hezbollah militia since the 1980s. Thus Syrian government forces carrying out offensive operations around Aleppo or in the east (against Raqqa) are usually about half Syrian while the rest are largely controlled by Iran while air support and logistics largely supplied by Russia. While Iran is very loud about its refusal to cooperate with Americans it has no problem letting Russia handle that for both of them. On the ground Russian and Iranian forces are tightly integrated with Syrian forces. That is the main reason for the recent Syrian government successes in fighting the rebels and especially ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant). Another unsung factor is Russian diplomacy, which manages to deal with the blowback from series of Russian brokered ceasefires that were promptly broken by Russian supported Syrian forces. Meanwhile Iran apparently expects ISIL to be gone from western Iraq soon and from Mosul by the end of the year. ISIL is expected to concentrate in eastern Syria for a last stand and Iran wants to get some credit for the defeat of ISIL in that finale.

In most of Assad controlled territory (about 20 percent of Syria) the forces are Syrian (military, police or local militia) aided by some Iranian and Russian advisors. Although Russia officially withdrew their forces from Syria during March they had to leave behind at least half the troops and equipment simply because otherwise the Syrian government (an ally of Russia since the 1970s) would again be in danger of losing the civil war, as they were before the Russians showed up in late 2015. A crucial factor in the revival of the Syrian armed forces has been the enormous Russian logistical support. This logistical angle is largely unseen but is has replaced a lot of worn out Syrian military equipment and Russia brought in spare parts and technicians to help the Syrians repair a lot of the elderly (Cold War era) Russian armor, aircraft and artillery. Hundreds of these systems were returned to service and did wonders for Syrian army morale since it is much safer (and effective) to fight using armored vehicles, artillery, air support and new supplies of ammo. Some new Russian artillery (multiple rocket launchers) have shown up, with mixed Russian/Syrian crews. This is mainly to get some combat testing for these new rocket systems, to make them easier to move in the export market.

Ukraine

Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine (Donbas) but at a low level and usually instigated by pro-Russian rebels. Artillery (rockets, howitzers and mortars) is fired almost daily at Ukrainian forces. Just as in Syria, Russia sees ceasefire agreements as opportunities, not situations where Russian forces stop fighting. Russian efforts to grab a portion of eastern Ukraine appear to be on hold and they are. But keeping the pressure on Ukraine, and giving its forces in Donbas (largely Russian troops and mercenaries plus a few Ukrainian rebels) busy. The Russian government apparently accepts the fact that their bold effort to grab Donbas has failed but cant admit that and have not yet come up with a politically acceptable way to admit defeat and get out. Meanwhile Russia has brought more of its troops to the Ukrainian border, making it look like preparations for a major offensive. A closer look reveals that these troops are neither trained, equipped nor otherwise ready for a major offensive and neither is Russia. But putting on a show of possible major misbehavior keeps Ukraine and other East European nations bordering Russia in a properly intimidated state of mind. Russia has been doing this for centuries and it still works.

In Ukraine most of the violence is taking place outside the rebel held city of Donetsk. Ukraine continues to gather evidence that many of the rebels are actually Russia troops. The resulting videos of Russian soldiers captured in Donbas are convincing but have no effect on Russia which dismisses it as part of a vast Western conspiracy. The original pro-Russian Donbas Ukrainians (most of them ethnic Russians) have become discouraged because the fighting has dragged on. The Ukrainians refuse to give in. This war is two years old and has left more than 9,500 dead and over 20,000 wounded. Most of the casualties have been civilians. There is a ceasefire in place but no progress on working out an end to this Russian misadventure.

The Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014 had some benefits for the victim. It finally forced Ukraine to get serious about the corruption that had crippled its economy since it became independent in 1991. That led to long-overdue military reforms as well and more national unity than Ukraine has seen since the 1990s. That made it possible to quickly put together a large enough military force to halt the Russian advance by late 2015. Ukraine is learning from this, as are other nations that border (often quite nervously) the self-proclaimed resurgent Russia.

July 11, 2016: In the south (Dagestan) police cornered a wanted Islamic terrorists (Admir Talibov) in a house and when he refused to surrender killed him. Talibov was believed involved in a February suicide car bombing (he provided the car) that left two policemen dead and 18 civilians wounded.

July 8, 2016: In the south (Dagestan) Russian commandos searching for Islamic terrorists outside the city of Makhachkala clashed with armed men, killing eight of them while suffering one dead. Some of the dead Islamic terrorists were apparently responsible for recent attacks on police. In another clash in the same area three soldiers were wounded. Since 2013 Dagestan has become the main terrorist battleground in the Caucasus and the national government has kept trying to suppress the Islamic terrorist activity down there. While not a complete success, there are still some active Islamic terrorists who refuse to surrender or go elsewhere. Some of these diehards had gone to fight overseas (mainly Syria and Pakistan) and returned to continue the fight.

In central Syria (Palymyra) a Russian Mi-35M armed transport helicopter went down because of (according to the government) ISIL ground fire in the form of an American TOW anti-tank missile. In theory a TOW missile could hit a slow moving helicopter at low altitude. But ISIL has never been seen using American TOW missiles (which were given to some anti-ISIL rebel groups) and several of the videos that later showed up, of the Mi-35M going down, indicates that the cause may have been friendly fire (an unguided rocket from another nearby Russian armed helicopter). In any event the two man crew of the downed Mi-35M were killed in the crash and there has been no word on anyone getting to the wreckage and examining it for signs of what sort of weapon brought it down.

July 2, 2016: A North Korean diplomat in Russia has defected, via Belarus, to somewhere in Europe. The diplomat got out with his wife and son. This was made possible by Russia agreeing to help China put pressure on North Korea to enact needed economic reforms. China and Russia have joined South Korea, the United States and Japan in an effort to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program. North Korea is not cooperating even though China is apparently prepared to do the unthinkable and cut off all trade with North Korea. While the UN sanctions do not prohibit imports of essentials, like food and these continue, China can simply close its North Korea border to any trade. Because of the legal market economy in North Korea that means some food would be still available but at higher (market) prices. The government continues to import enough Chinese food to avoid another famine like the one that killed over a million people in the 1990s. The North Korean government has also refused to do what China has done and let the market economy legally spread to larger enterprises (like manufacturing or farming and mining). That means the North Korean government can no longer pay workers in food as it was able to do since the 1950s because of food and other aid coming in from Russia (mostly) and China. Most of that disappeared after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. For the growing number of North Koreans who have seen how the Chinese economy works they know that if China cut all trade with North Korea the shortages, especially of food, in North Korea would have catastrophic consequences within weeks or months. This year North Korea got a very visible and painful reminder of its dependence on China when, in March China began enforcing all the UN trade sanctions against North Korea. Now China promises more pain if North Korean rulers do not become more cooperative. So far the North Korean leadership remains defiant. Russia is helping out when asked.

June 30, 2016: In the eastern Mediterranean a Russian frigate apparently came too close (for safety) to an American destroyer. The United States complained to Russia which refused to admit there was a problem. While some American naval officers believe the incident was deliberate others point out that most Russian warships dont get out to sea much and their commanders and crews are relatively inexperienced compared to their Western (especially American) counterparts.

June 29, 2016: The government announced that differences with Turkey had been cleared up and the two countries would resume normal economic and diplomatic relations, in addition to cooperating more closely in counter-terrorism matters and dealing with the civil war in Syria. This reconciliation had been in the works for a while but got a major boost because of yesterdays Islamic terrorist attack at the largest airport in Turkey. This was carried out by Islamic terrorists based in Syria and killed 45. Despite this many Turks believe Russia, Iran and the United States have formed a secret alliance to defeat the Syrian rebellion and do a lot of other evil stuff. Many Arabs believe the same thing and believe it is all part of a Western effort to destroy Islam.

June 28, 2016: The government announced that fifty of the most senior officers of the Baltic Fleet had been fired and replaced with newly promoted officers or commanders who had proven track records in other parts of the navy. This was not surprising to those living near Russian Navy bases in the Baltic because the true capabilities of the Baltic Fleet have been an issue for some time. In May the government ordered a thorough investigation of the state of the Baltic Fleet and its fifty or so ships. The results of the report were delivered on June 10th and apparently confirmed suspicions that the current fleet leadership had failed to improve the capabilities of the Baltic Fleet. Since the 1990s Russia has (especially in the last decade) replaced most of the older Cold War era warships it had to retire because of old age. In 2008 the Baltic Fleet had 75 ships and at this point retirements (because of age or years of little or no maintenance) had reduced that to fifty ships that are mostly new. Much more money was given to the Baltic Fleet since 2010 for maintenance and training but that seemed to have little impact on the effectiveness of the fleet. The May investigation confirmed that in detail and that resulted in a typically Russian solution.
The new American secretary of defense is the first combat infantryman and combat commander to run the Department of Defense. Equipped with that background he sees a lot of problems his predecessors missed or underestimated. In particular, the guy at the top understood the seriousness of a growing problem in the military; not enough time to carry out all the required training and verification events. In other words, too much paperwork and pointless busywork. This degenerative process got worse once the Cold War ended in 1991 and throughout the 1990s there were more and more mandatory training and verification tests. Many of these new requirements were based online, which somehow supposed to make them less onerous.

By 2002 a U.S. Army study found company commanders had 297 days worth of mandatory training and testing events each year, but only 256 training days in which to get it done. This absurd situation got worse after 2002 and because many of these requirements were imposed in response to unfavorable publicity or political pressure (or both) one could not just quietly drop a lot of them. That would subject you to more mandatory sensitivity and ethics training. There was no mandatory reality training and verification so commanders had no choice but to pretend much of this useless training and verification took place. In some cases that wasnt enough and some recent fatal ship collisions in the navy were attributable to this requirements overload problem. The new secretary of defense had personal experience with this problem while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now attempting to fix it without triggering a backlash that would have angry politicians imposing even more mandatory training. In addition to all the additional, and largely pointless, training requirements, there was more paperwork, even for tasks that had long been quite simple to accomplish. This was often of the typical bureaucratic bloat variety where you had to file a request for permission to file a request for a request.

This sort of thing is nothing new and is often called the Sukhomlinov Effect because of a World War I Russian Minister of War who exemplified it with his fancy uniforms and colossal incompetence. The Sukhomlinov Effect describes a common pattern that develops in armies during peacetime. Untroubled by an armed enemy (and the need to be practical and effective), armies tend to concentrate more on style than substance. That means that sharp looking uniforms become more popular than developing better fighting skills. You can see the snappy uniforms, but not the fighting skills. Thus men who "look" like generals (tall, ruggedly handsome guys with broad shoulders and splendid posture), who wear the uniform well, are more likely to be promoted. A frumpy looking fellow, who has the awesome tactical skills, will go unnoticed, and unpromoted. The Sukhomlinov effect has been compared to a vampire that makes its victims weaker and weaker over time.

This pattern tends to apply universally, with even sergeants being selected more for their bearing than for their battlefield abilities. It's often noted that, once a war begins, the peacetime leadership is often found wanting, and is quickly replaced with guys who can get the job done, even if they don't look so great. Troops who are successful in combat often partake of what might be termed the "Bandit look. This image derives from the ill-equipped, unkempt Mexican irregular troops, some of whom were bandits (at least some of the time), who outfought the splendidly attired French in the 1860s and the neatly uniformed Federales in the Revolution which began in 1911. These casually attired forces even outmaneuvered the comparatively well-turned out gringos under John J. Pershing, in 1916.

During the Vietnam War, most U.S. troops sported starched and pressed fatigue uniforms. The people at the numerous headquarters were particularly resplendent, with even their combat boots sporting a shine you could see your face in. Generals flitted about in helicopters featuring Simonize jobs any corporate limo would be proud of. In contrast, the Viet Cong and NVA wore dingy black pajamas. U.S. troops actually in the field, particularly those who were better led, soon adopted attire less elegant than that of their commanders. The best American forces, those actually able to go out there and beat the Viet Cong at their own game, on their home ground, regularly partook of the "Bandit" look that drove general Pershing and his troops nuts earlier in the century. Some extremely successful American commando units even preferred the black pajamas for some operations.

To a greater or lesser degree, in peacetime, all armies try to look good, and one way to do this is by concentrating on appearances to the exclusion of many more important concerns. When war comes, it's the army which has been least corrupted by such peacetime pathologies which win. The modern version of this involves piling on mandatory training courses and verification tests to ensure everyone has all the skills and social attitudes the government demands.

In the United States, the problem was there was never anyone in a position of authority to call out this insanity for what it was and fix it. Case in point were several scandals that made the news because of mandatory verification tests for the sailors who maintain and operate nuclear reactors on ships. By 2012 the U.S. Navy had already spent several years fighting allegations that there was pervasive cheating on the many qualification exams members of submarine crews must regularly take. This first made headlines in 2010 when the captain of the USS Memphis (an SSN, or nuclear attack submarine) was dismissed, along with ten percent of his crew, because they cheated on nuclear equipment qualification tests. After that former crewmen and officers on nuclear subs came forward pointing out that the practice was widespread. The reason was that the tests had been made more and more difficult, beyond the point where it made any sense. Rather than lose a lot of nuclear power system personnel, the officers tolerated cheating. More senior commanders, caught in the middle, looked the other way. The Navy insists that this has not, and is not, happening. It was, and it still is and the best commanders can do is wait for the periodic media and political outrage does not cost the navy too many valuable sailors and officers.

Three times between 2007 and 2012 the navy admitted to such cheating (twice on subs, once on a nuclear powered aircraft carrier). These incidents were revealed by inspections conducted by the high command. The Navy insists that there is no widespread cheating and that the tests are not excessively difficult. But sailors and officers who operate these nuclear power plants accuse the brass of covering their butts with the use of more tests and inspections while pressuring the senior officers on the ships (captains and heads of nuclear power departments) to keep their sailors in the navy. Many of these highly trained personnel are getting out of the navy, in part because of the poor leadership at the very top.

At the same time these cheating scandals were big news the U.S. has had to pay a lot more to keep experienced people with certain skills. Some types of submarine and nuclear power technicians were offered a bonus of up to $125,000 if they re-enlisted for another three years. This came about because, next to the SEAL commandos, the submarine service, especially nuclear power specialists (or "nukes"), is the most selective job and candidates require nearly as much training. These specialists have an easy time getting good civilian jobs if they get out. These civilian jobs had far fewer Sukhomlinov Effect problems since civilian firms that become too ineffective go out of business.

Meanwhile, the navy had to hustle to retain the services of over a thousand technical personnel to staff the nuclear power plants on submarines and aircraft carriers. The navy never lowered standards for nuclear power specialists. There has never been an accident with nuclear power plants used on hundreds of U.S. submarines and surface ships since the 1950s. This admirable safety record has not been easy to achieve, especially as more time had to be spent taking training verification tests. What the navy lost sight of was that the navy nuclear power program worked for many decades because the senior commanders were competent and understood what their subordinates had to put up with. Gradually that dedication and understanding was lost and the navy never acknowledged the problem. As the old saying goes, there are no bad troops (or sailors) only bad (ineffective) officers. And most of these inept leaders have a bit (or a lot) of Sukhomlinov in them because nothing hides failure (for a while) than new uniforms and more paperwork.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Friday met UK Prime Minister Theresa May on the sidelines of Commonwealth meeting at Windsor Castle.

The two leaders discussed matters of bilateral interest.

Prime Minister Abbasi congratulated Prime Minister Theresa May on a very efficient steering of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.

Prime Minister Abbasi highlighted the plight of the Kashmiri people and urged the international community to respond to the current human rights situation in the Indian-held Kashmir.

He informed Prime Minister May about Pakistans efforts in war against terrorism.

He also underscored the importance of strengthening bilateral relations, especially in the context of trade and investment, and thanked UK for the work done by its development agency in Pakistan.

Abbasi also appreciated the appointment of a trade envoy by the UK government to help explore trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, especially in the post-Brexit context.

He also spoke of his visit to Kabul and underscored Pakistans commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister May appreciated Pakistans efforts in war on terror. She appreciated Prime Minister Abbasis efforts in reaching out to Afghanistan during his recent visit to Kabul.

She said that Pakistan-UK relations were strong and underscored the importance of further enhancing trade between the two countries.

In response to PM Mays reference to the recent alleged use of chemical weapons, Prime Minister Abbasi recalled Pakistans principled position of condemning any use of chemical weapons and upholding the principles of the UN Charter.
The chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Imran Khan left for London today on two-day visit to take part in a fund raising ceremony.

As per details, PTI secretary information Fawad Chaudhary and Aown Chaudhary accompanied Imran Khan during the visit.

Imran Khan will attend fund raising campaign in Manchester, chair Overseas party meetings and also discuss important issues with party leaders.Imran will also meet with Pakistani community and later he will spend last day with his children before returning to Pakistan.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif along with other party leaders are already in London.
Sikh Pilgrims, who had had come to Lahore from India for their religious Besakhi festival on Saturday returned to their homeland through three special trains.

Besakhi is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. It is the Sikh New Year festival, which is celebrated on April 13 or 14, and also commemorates 1699, the year Sikhism was born as a collective faith.

The Minister For Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), Tariq Wazir Khan, gave away gifts to the pilgrims on their return, who traveled from three special trains from Wagah border to India.Those who were returning after participating in the event applauded the security arrangements made by the Pakistan government and said that they consider them as more safe in Pakistan than in India. The love that we got from this country and its people could not be explained in words, they said.

The pilgrims further expressed their satisfaction over the way the Pakistan government is safeguarding their religious sites.It is pertinent to mention here that this year witnessed a controversy during the pilgrims visit when a press statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs of India alleged that its high commissioner in Pakistan had been prevented from meeting Sikh pilgrims at Gurdwara Punjab Sahib in Hasan Abdal.

Pakistani Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal said the Evacuee Trust Property Board had extended an invitation to the high commissioner of India to attend the main function of Besakhi at Gurdwara Punja Sahib.However, he said, ahead of the function the ETPB authorities noticed Sikh pilgrims protest for the release in India of a film on Baba Guru Nanak Devji.

Fearing any untoward situation, Dr Faisal said the ETPB authorities contacted the Indian High Commission and suggested the cancellation of the high commissioners visit. The Indian High Commission officials agreed to the suggestion.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar questioned on Saturday that who would dare to impose martial law in the country.

Speaking at a ceremony in Lahore, he maintained that democracy will continue to prevail in the country formed by Quaid-e-Azam.

I will leave my post on the day martial law is imposed in the country. There is no existence of judicial martial law in the constitution, said the CJP.

Whenever any decision is taken, uproar of judicial martial law is raised. Those talking about it should clear their heads, asserted the Chief Justice.

The sanctity of vote is to serve the nation whereas the responsibility to provide basic rights is on the state, he added.

Have I done something wrong while working for the provision of basic rights? I do not have the right to increase the number of my judges. I should be provided with resources, the CJP declared.

The Chief Justice pronounced that Pakistan was neither gifted nor given to us in charity. Pakistans future would not have been like this if Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal had been among us in the beginning. How unlucky are those who do not have their own country. We have to work for Pakistan while setting aside personal gains, he said.

The CJP stressed over the importance and significance of equal education. The nations receiving education are progressing in the world. We have to eliminate the discriminatory culture. Providing equal system of education to all is the responsibility of the state, he said.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi is on an official visit to China. During the visit, the Naval Chief visited Shanghai Naval Base and called on Commander Shanghai Naval Base, Rear Admiral Wang Jianxun.

Upon arrival, Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi was received by Commander Shanghai Naval Base, Rear Admiral Wang Jianxun. A smartly turned out contingent of PLA(N) clad in ceremonial dress presented him the Guard of Honour followed by a call on with Commander Shanghai Naval Base.

Later, the Naval Chief visited PLA(N) Ship YANG ZHOU. The Admiral was briefed onboard by the Commanding officer of the ship. During his visit onboard, the Naval Chief interacted with ships crew and appreciated their professional competence. Chief of the Naval Staff also visited Chinese aviation assets.
Back in September last year, Sharp showed us what the TV industry has in store once 4K becomes the norm and people move on to bigger and better things: the 70-inch, Aquos 8K television. The display is about to launch in Europe, and, as expected, it carries a hefty price tag.

Already available in China and Japan, Sharps LV-70X500E, to give it its full name, will arrive in European markets before the end of Aprila month later than originally plannedand cost 11,999 Euros (around $13,779) with taxes included.

So, what do you get for all that cash? Theres the 33.2 million pixels from its 7680 x 4320 resolution, HDR support through HLG and HDR10, a display with 1000 nits of peak brightness, local dimming over 216 individual zones, an 8 ms GtG response time, and 86-percent BT2020 color gamut coverage.

The TV also features eight HDMI ports four HDMI 2.0 (with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling & HDCP 2.2) and four HDMI 1.4 inputsa 2.1 audio subsystem, a USB port for showing 4K video or 8K still images, and a LAN port for IP control.

Unlike Japan, Europe has no experimental 8K broadcasts, so the TV is aimed at those in the medical sector who could use it for high-resolution scans, as well as designers, engineers, and other professionals.

No word when, or if, sharp plans to bring the Aquos 8K television to the US. With 4K technology only now starting to become more mainstream, its unlikely that everyday consumers would rush out and buy such an expensive display.
It's no secret that many internet users don't care for ads. While many will accept the occasional non-intrusive ad to help support their favorite websites, online advertisements have gotten quite a bit more sophisticated -- and arguably annoying -- over time.

Pop-ups, pop-unders and autoplaying videos are all common ad formats today. As such, it wasn't a surprise to see the Adblock Plus browser extension take off.

Similarly, it was no surprise to see online content publishers protect their business model by pushing back against adblocking extensions. Some websites have resorted to paywalls while others have turned to polite pop-ups asking users to turn off their adblockers.

One publisher, Europe's Axel Springer, turned to legal action. The publisher brought a case to Germany's Supreme Court with the hope that the court would ban the distribution of Adblock Plus, arguing that serving an extension which blocks online ads while allowing some companies to pay to be "whitelisted" violated Germany's competition laws.

Fortunately for Adblock Plus and its legions of fans, Reuters reports the court today threw out the case, effectively overturning a lower court's ruling that "operating a white list was tantamount to unfair competition."

"We are excited that Germanys highest court upheld the right every internet citizen possesses to block unwanted advertising online," Adblock Plus said...

Adblock Plus was quick to celebrate their victory with a statement and a GIF. "We are excited that Germanys highest court upheld the right every internet citizen possesses to block unwanted advertising online," Adblock Plus said after the court's decision.
Chile's President Sebastian Pinera, Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso, and Dominican Republic's President Luis Abinader are the active top politician implicated in the leak. | Read More
Angie Ellis of 80 20 Investments, who was leading in week one of the four-week race, has dropped to fifth place in week two.

Her original $100,000 portfolio was worth $108,192 last week but has dropped to $104,744.

Elliss original $10,000 in small-cap gold explorer Nagambie Resources; worth $13,421 last week, is now worth $9,211.

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Another of her picks, Novatti Group, a global finance software technology and systems integration provider, has dropped back somewhat this week.
A backlog of reports to the child protection hotline is running into the thousands and waiting times for callers have blown out to as long as two hours, according to community service workers who want Premier Gladys Berejiklian to intervene.

The Public Service Association (PSA) has written to the NSW Premier to "implore" her to "intervene before it is too late".

"We do not want the death of a child to be the impetus for [Family and Community Services] to fix this system, but unless something is done fast this is almost inevitable," the letter says.

Child protection workers say the backlog of reports to the helpline is in the thousands and waiting times have blown out to two hours. Credit:John Donegan

The PSA says the introduction of a new $120 million computer data system called ChildStory late last year "has proven to be a disaster".
Young Sydney comic Sam Campbell has won the Melbourne International Comedy Festivals prestigious Barry Award.

The accolade  one of the most coveted comedy awards in the world after the Edinburgh Fringe comedy award  comes just three years after Campbell was nominated for best newcomer for his first solo show at MICF. He also won the directors choice award at the festival in 2016.

Comic Sam Campbell holds up his Barry Award. Credit:Paul Jeffers

From a strong list of candidates, Campbell's The Trough beat fellow nominees Lano & Woodley, Anne Edmonds (appearing as her character Helen Bidou in Welcome to the Spinnaker Lounge, which also starred Campbell), New Zealands Rose Matafeo, US comics Alex Edelman and Natalie Palamides, and Britains Tim Key.

However double act Lano & Woodley did not leave empty handed, winning the peoples choice award after selling in excess of 25,000 tickets for their first show in 12 years, Fly.
Q: Is there a difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio? JENNY NOTH, BEAUMARIS, VIC

A: They are the same grape  both mean "grey pinot", in French and Italian respectively. The not very appealing name refers to the appearance of the grapes, which are actually more pink than grey when ripe. The problem is that the wines they produce they can be frustratingly variable. There is some vague agreement among Australian winemakers in regards to the style difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio, but it's not regulated. Pinot gris is loosely based on the wines of France's Alsace region. They tend to be rich, soft, generously flavoured wines, often with a complex, spicy nose and sometimes a touch of sweetness  all this as a result of using fully ripe grapes.

Illustration by Simon Letch.

Pinot grigio is loosely modelled on the Italian style, which is made all over Italy, the best wines coming from the verdant northern regions of Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige. The grapes are generally harvested earlier than Alsace gris, and as a result the wine is usually a bit lower in alcohol, lighter, crisper, drier and lacking the spiciness that comes with riper grapes. Both can be very good, but grigio has a bigger market and this is partly because it tends to be a little cheaper.

A typical grigio will suit pairing with lighter foods than a gris. For example, grigio might go well with salads and cold seafood, gris might suit bigger-flavoured foods such as roast chicken and crayfish, especially if they're accompanied by a rich sauce. Gris can sometimes be similar in "shape" to chardonnay and can be a chardonnay substitute. This especially applies to those that have been barrel-fermented in the manner of chardonnay. To further confuse matters, New Zealand also produces a lot of pinot gris and these wines can be quite sweet.
Federal Labor will move to crack down on gay conversion therapy if Bill Shorten wins government, vowing to work with the states and territories to ban the discredited practice.

One week after The Sunday Age revealed sections of the Victorian Liberal Party were pushing for new laws allowing health practitioners to offer conversion counselling, Labor has given its strongest signal yet that it would seek to make such therapies illegal.

Shadow health spokeswoman Catherine King and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

At present, the only state with specific legislation attempting to stamp out gay conversion in clinical settings is Victoria, which now has a Health Complaints Commissioner with the power to investigate and ban unregistered practitioners  including anyone who treats homosexuality as a disorder.

Gay conversion therapy is discredited and dangerous, Labor MP Catherine King told Fairfax Media on Saturday.
The Catholic Church, one of Victorias wealthiest institutions, has found itself repeatedly targeted as part of a crime spree that some believe could be an inside job.

The Sunday Age can reveal that 23 churches and religious buildings have been robbed in the past two months, with offenders potentially reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Mass collections, as well as electronic equipment, keys, and other small items.

The Catholic Church has been the victim of a series of burglaries in recent weeks Credit:Pat Scala

A 42-year-old man from Kew has been charged with burglaries that took place in Box Hill, Brunswick, Canterbury and Camberwell, and has been remanded to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 18.

But many others churches have also been hit - including some from other religious denominations - in the suburbs of Reservoir, Clifton Hill, Malvern, Ashburton, Caulfield, Melton, Oakleigh, Camberwell, Balwyn, Mentone, Coburg, Doncaster, Glen Iris and Ivanhoe West.
Ms Callus said Mr Mittiga often asked her and her family for money for fuel and cigarettes, and when she gave him the last $800 to fly back to Adelaide it was only because she wanted him to leave. My daughter said she told him all her feelings, and he didnt help her at all. He was never there," she said. Mr Mittiga was this week convicted in Broadmeadows Magistrates Court of providing counselling services in Victoria in breach of a ban. He was ordered to pay back the money Ms Callus had spent on his services, and fined $10,000 plus legal costs. In 2015 the former gambling counsellor to AFL stars was barred from providing any health service after South Australias Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner found he had at times failed to provide addiction counselling and rehabilitation services in a safe and ethical manner.

Under new laws that ban can also apply in Victoria, and he was prosecuted by the states Health Complaints Commissioner. But Mr Mittiga told The Sunday Age he was not aware of the law at the time and would be vigorously appealing the conviction. He said that he had tried to help Ms Callus daughter, but she had not done what he suggested. You can try to help people, but if they dont accept the help, you cant blame the helper. Mr Mittiga is still advertising his services and said he continued to accept work in other states where the ban did not apply, though he did not have any current clients.

The conviction comes as Victorias Health Complaints Commissioner, Karen Cusack, launches a major investigation into the unregulated private drug and alcohol sector, which will focus on two main providers. Ms Cusack said she was concerned about exploitative billing practices where family members were paying up to $30,000 for treatments, only to have their loved ones exited from the program shortly afterwards. Families are in a desperate situation to get their loved one help, and because they often have to resort to the privately funded provider, theyre almost forced to pay whatever theyre asking, Ms Cusack said. It is an area of concern. The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer Sam Biondo said although there were many good providers, there was also unconscionable activity occurring in the private rehab sector  with people being misled about treatments and success rates. He said he knew of family members borrowing money or digging into their superannuation to get help for their loved ones.
Two teenagers have been arrested following a hit-run crash that killed a newlywed couple in Melbournes outer-east after a stolen car drove through a red light at horrendous speed.

The 19-year-old Boronia man and 15-year-old Belgrave girl were arrested at a Belgrave home about 1.15pm on Saturday.

They are currently receiving medical treatment and remain under police guard.

The couple killed in the crash have been named as Matt Goland, 38, and Bita Zaeim, 32.
A police spokesperson said Mr Beake contacted his family by phone on Thursday evening.

Mr Beake was due to meet family in Cloverdale on Thursday afternoon and was planning on catching public transport but never made it.

Police have found 78-year-old man Francis James Beake who went missing on Thursday.

On Saturday police said Mr Beake had been located after he went to a home in Bedford.

"The resident of the address identified that the person appeared to be lost and phoned police, at which point it was established the man at the address was Mr Beake," police said.

Mr Beake has been taken to hospital for a health check as a precaution.
Australia and the United Kingdom are pledging to intensify their joint fight against cyber attacks coming from state proxies amid warnings of growing threats from countries including Russia.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has reached the agreement with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after a joint declaration by the 53 nations of the Commonwealth on the dangers to civilian and military networks.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has reached an agreement with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after a joint declaration by Commonwealth nations on the dangers to civilian and military networks. Credit:AP

The two leaders agreed on the policy statement in private talks on Saturday at the British Prime Ministers country house, Chequers, to discuss national security and trade.

The written agreement commits both countries to a new era of practical cooperation on security.
People stand in front of damaged buildings, in the town of Douma. Credit:AP

Beirut: Almost two weeks after a suspected chemical weapons attack killed almost 40 people in Syria, a team of experts arrived on Saturday at one of the sites of the alleged attack in the city of Douma.

"Early on April 21, a special OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) mission for finding traces of chemical weapons left for the city of Douma to the place of suspected use of toxic chemicals on April 7," said Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, according to a report from the official Tass agency. The OPCW later confirmed in a statement its team had reached one of the sites to collect samples.

"The OPCW will evaluate the situation and consider future steps including another possible visit to Douma," read the statement, adding that the samples would be sent to a lab in the Netherlands for testing.

The nine-person team's mandate is to determine if a chemical attack took place and what chemical agent was used. It cannot apportion blame.
In the field of three musical revivals on Broadway this season, one of these things is very much not like the others. Up at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater, Lauren Ambrose has a luxurious two-story mansion to dance all night in as My Fair Lady's Eliza Doolittle. Down at the Imperial Theatre, Carousel's complicated love story is set against both a sparkling seascape and a heavenly forest of stars. And then you have Once on This Island, a show that is, quite literally, a disaster area. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's 28-year-old property is getting its hands, feet, and every other body part dirty in the pit of sand that now constitutes the in-the-round stage at Circle in the Square Theatre. It's the farthest thing from the pristine trappings of the delicate Broadway classics by Lerner and Loewe, and Rodgers and Hammerstein, but for scenic designer Dane Laffrey, messy was the only way to go.

"We're talking about a group of people at the mercy of the wind and the rain," says Laffrey from a seat in an empty preshow house. "It felt so natural that we would just allow the piece to sort of exist in an honest space."

These people at the mercy of the elements are the citizens of Haiti  the hurricane and earthquake-ravaged island nation where Michael Arden's production of Once on This Island is located (the novel My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl on which the musical is based is nebulously set somewhere in the Caribbean). An overturned boat, a pool of flood water, and a jackknifed 18-wheeler carrying relief parcels filled with macaroni and cheese are a few of the set pieces that settle us into a post-disaster environment.

A bird's-eye view of Circle in the Square Theatre, designed like a Haitian village by Dane Laffrey.

( Andrew Kluger)

The shadow of that aesthetic was the starting point for Laffrey and Arden, a pair of collaborators who had already worked together on Arden's 2015 revival of Spring Awakening (Laffrey's Broadway debut) and who began their creative mind meld 20 years ago as friends and senior roommates at Interlochen Arts Academy (Arden was an actor, while Laffrey, even then, was set on design). By a music workshop in December 2016, Laffrey already had a set model with several elements that made it into the final design (including the theater itself, which he dreamed into reality by presumptuously designing his early model around Circle in the Square, though they had not yet acquired the venue).

Time passed, producer Ken Davenport landed them their dream theater, and the creative team was working against real Broadway deadlines, when a work trip to Port-au-Prince forced Laffrey to pump the brakes.

"That trip sort of upended our process a little bit," he said. Was it back to square one? "No  but kind of."

"It had this incredible density. The photos don't exactly capture what that is," said Laffrey, attempting to verbalize his immediate impressions. "I guess we were expecting to see the evidence of natural disasters  the years of political corruption, incredible poverty, and a lack of infrastructure. And that's there. But the thing we couldn't have known until we were on the ground was how much resilience is present. It really informed the design."

The flood waters got to stay, as did the beat-up truck ("I do have a bit of a love affair with that truck," Laffrey confessed)  though instead of being the center of a large installation at the end of the stage, it now inconspicuously pokes out of the corner as if it just drove through the theater's wall.

A view of the truck in the corner of the Broadway theater. "It is an actual 18-wheeler trailer that was brilliantly turned into a piece of scenery so it could be transported and support the weight of the band," Laffrey explained.

( Andrew Kluger)

Agwe, the God of Water, spends most of his time in this flooded portion of the set.

( Andrew Kluger)

The change may sound subtle, but for Laffrey, it helped transform the spirit of the room to one more in keeping with what he and Arden experienced in Haiti. "It was sort of wallowing in a sense of destruction, as though something had just befallen this theater," he said, describing his early designs. "We got away from there and thought, 'That's not quite it. The country doesn't feel victimized. It feels vibrant and amazing.' I think we had sort of misunderstood that."

Rather than a feeling of "What do we do?", as Laffrey described it, the space began to convey a feeling of "Life goes on."

And in Once on This Island life does go on  through the art of storytelling. "The Sad Tale of the Beauxhommes" is performed as a theatrical origin story of an island divided by hate and racial prejudice, while the Romeo and Juliet love story of peasant girl Ti Moune and the wealthy Daniel Beauxhomme becomes an immortal fable about the power of love. "We needed to lean into this primal aspect of people receiving story in a circle," said Laffrey. "Being down there in the sand and sharing that space with the audience feels like a powerful thing."

Mia Williamson as Little Girl tells a story to her divine castmates.

( Joan Marcus)

Of course, such a "primal" design filled with natural elements like sand brings challenges of its own. "It's temperamental," Laffrey joked. "It has to be disinfected, the sand gets tracked out and has to be replaced  plus there are goats," (a pair of Broadway stars named Sparky and Peapod who periodically join the cast onstage). "It's kind of like a living thing, which is good and bad."

Good: The stage requires no drainage despite the 30-second monsoon that happens in the middle of the show each night. "The sand actually absorbs it and just wicks it away  which is kind of amazing because that would have been impossible."

Bad: "It gets really dusty," he said, just as a man down on the sand pulled out a hose to do what has evolved from a watering-can dampening to a full preshow soaking. "We discovered that on the second day of tech. That was a dangerous day," he laughed.

"It's challenging for the actors," Laffrey admitted, "but I think if you actually ask them in a serious moment when we're really talking about the beating heart of the piece, I don't think you do it another way. It's not illusory. It's real. You inhabit it, and it conjures whatever it conjures  and not because we're tricking you. All of that feels central to my practice and what I want to make across my body of work."
Driving Manual with Honda Millennial-Focused Shifting Gears Experience in Los Angeles







 LOS ANGELES Apr 20, 2018; Yesterday Honda hosted more than 53 media and social influencers at its "Shifting Gears" celebration of the manual transmission in the San Gabriel mountains. The program was designed to showcase Honda's 16 vehicles offered with manual transmissions as well as to teach drivers how to operate a manual transmission for the first time. Participants had the chance to experience everything from the cheerful Honda Fit Sport to the high-performance Civic Type R from the modern lineup, as well as a variety of vintage Honda models, including the Honda Civic CVCC, Prelude SH, S2000 CR and more, sharing their experiences on social media using the hashtag #DriveManual.

"There's something special, something intimate and pure about being in complete control of your car," said Sage Marie, Assistant Vice President of Honda communications. "In a fast-coming world of autonomy, we mustn't forget some of the simple joys that have been part of driving since the very beginning."

Honda continues to offer manual transmissions in multiple trims of its entire gasoline-powered passenger car lineup, including the Honda Fit LX, Sport and EX, the Civic Sedan LX and EX-T, Civic Coupe LX and EX-T, the Civic Hatch LX and Sport, and Accord Sport 1.5T and 2.0T sedans. The Civic Type R and Civic Si Coupe and Sedan are offered exclusively with manual transmissions. The HR-V crossover is also offered with a six-speed manual in LX and EX trims.

Experienced drivers were able to sample a variety of new cars on some of the most dynamic roads in southern California, while beginner and novice manual drivers were given the chance to learn in a four-activity Driving Confidence program, before graduating to the open road.

"The Shifting Gears event was a great opportunity for manual transmission drivers of all experience levels to enjoy the increased control of driving stick," said Kristen Lanzavecchia, a participant in the program. "As a newer MT driver, the Honda team's behind the wheel training boosted my confidence to make driving manuals fun instead of daunting!"

As Honda continues to push forward with some of the industry's most advanced safety features through deployment of its Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technologies, the personality of its affordable, fun-to-drive cars remains intact. It's a part of the DNA and original promise from the founder of the company, Soichiro Honda, who said, "The value of life can be measured by the number of times your soul has been deeply stirred." For the engineers at Honda, continuing to develop vehicles that enthusiasts can be proud to own is part of the brand mission.

For More Information

Additional media information including detailed pricing, features and high-resolution photography of all 2019 Honda models is available at hondanews.com. Consumer information can be found at automobiles.honda.com. To join the Honda community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/honda.

About Honda

Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V and Pilot sport/utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan.

Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2017, 93% of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
The Carillon had a strong showing at the Manitoba Community Newspapers Association's annual awards on Saturday night, winning 11 awards in the annual competition.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/4/2018 (1267 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Carillon had a strong showing at the Manitoba Community Newspapers Association's annual awards on Saturday night, winning 11 awards in the annual competition.

The night began with a festive start for the newspaper, as The Carillon was recognized for having the best Christmas edition of the past year.

Reporter Jordan Ross was recognized with a second place award for agricultural writing for his feature story on the disappearance of cattle from New Country Ranch near Zhoda. Ross got another second place nod for environmental writing, for a story about beet juice being used to combat ice on the streets and sidewalks of La Broquerie.

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Reporter Dave Baxter earned two awards on Saturday, but not just for The Carillon. Baxter garned a second place award in the best tourism story category for exploring the Poutine Trail. He also took third place in the best education story category for a piece he wrote for the Selkirk Journal, prior to joining The Carillon last summer.

Editor Grant Burr won a first place education writing award for his story about the work of Grunthal teacher Michael Zwaagstra to develop world religion course curriculum for the province's education department. Burr was also selected for second place honours for an editorial on Bell MTS and its services in the Southeast.

Designer Janet Begalke-Smith notched a second place win for best in-house ad design, for a full page advertisement for the Carillon Homes website.

The Carillon's bi-monthly special agriculture section, Agriculture Now, was also named as one of the best in the province, with a second place award.

The paper took second place overall honours for its circulation class in the general excellence competition, with specific second place recognition awards for its editorial page as well as its layout and design.

Flin Flon newspaper, The Reminder, took home top honours as the best overall newspaper in the province at the weekend ceremony.
Photo: Daniel Grill/Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Even the most thrill-seeking among us are, deep down, creatures of habit, at least to a certain extent. The brain is wired to be wary of change; weve evolved to be on high alert for new creatures and climates, because reliably knowing who to trust, where to live, and what to eat increased our odds of survival.

Even as the circumstances of human life have changed, that tendency has stuck with us. Research has shown that infants struggle with change, like being removed from a swaddled blanket, and adults react more intensely to novel faces than familiar ones, explains Abigail Baird, a psychology professor at Vassar. Although the threats we face now are less acute, being cautious of new figures and new circumstances still helps us navigate the world safely; having a routine allows us to do it more efficiently.

As a result, we tend to maintain our routines for long periods of time, says David Pillemer, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of New Hampshire. A transition can be exciting but its a disruption of routine, and a disruption always involves an adaptation. You have to change, and you have to grow, Pillemer says. In other words, a transition is work. The process can be uncomfortable and overwhelming  but specific strategies can help you navigate it successfully.

Acknowledge what youre losing.

Transitions always include an element of loss. If you relocate to a new city for a promotion, youre also leaving behind friends or family. If you go through a breakup to ultimately find a better partner, youre also leaving behind a relationship, and a person, you once cared about.

All change begins with an ending. The first thing people need to understand is in endings, we need to talk about what were losing. Its a very uncomfortable process, says Susan Bridges, president of the transition consulting company William Bridges Associates and co-author of Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change. Mourning and processing a loss is an important step toward later embracing the change thats caused it. Its okay  normal, even preferable  to not feel entirely celebratory about your new big step just yet.

Establish realistic time frames.

You cant prevent yourself entirely from feeling overwhelmed, but looking ahead can at least help you enter this new phase knowing what to expect, says psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne, professor emerita at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. For instance, many people are eager to reach retirement. But if they havent considered how to spend their time  like finding hobbies to explore or securing a part-time job  that coveted period can devolve into an unhappy, television-filled daze. Its just like packing for a trip. Youre usually happier when youve taken a little time packing than when youve done everything in a big rush, Krauss Whitbourne says.

Take some time to set realistic expectations for how youll feel as the transition unfolds. In the first three weeks, you might be completely overwhelmed; in the next three months, slightly unsettled. Maybe it will take a full year for those emotions to fade enough for you to appreciate the change you embarked upon. When you feel anxious, these expectations will remind you that you wont always feel this way. No matter how good the transition will ultimately be, there will be pluses and minuses. Its perfectly normal to have stress along with the good, Pillemer says.

Just make sure to think critically about whats stressing you out. Push back against irrational anxieties, says Robert Taibbi, author and licensed clinical social worker. Recognize maybe its the day or the mood, but Im going down a rabbit hole that will lead to criticism, and I need to keep perspective.

Make a list of action items.

Identify concrete tasks you can complete that will help you move forward. If a move is stressing you out, make it a point to go find your local grocery store or coffee shop. If a breakup has you trapped in a rut, sign up for a fun group class or an online dating site. Think: heres what I can do today to keep moving and keep going, Bridges says. Each tiny step will help you feel more comfortable and confident with your new situation.

One thing that should definitely be on your list: reaching out to your support system. Friends and family who have known you for a long time can be a strong anchor through change, providing reassurance, advice, or even just help with physical tasks like packing boxes (you know you have a true friend when they agree to help you with a move). It also couldnt hurt to ask someone you respect if theyve ever been in a similar situation, because they may have uncovered important lessons in the process. We learn more from positive examples. Find somebody that seems to have navigated a transition successfully and take a page from their playbook, Krauss Whitbourne says.

Take time to reflect.

Transitions also offer a unique opportunity for reflection. Packing up your apartment in preparation for a move, for example, might lead you to rehash old memories from your time there as you sort through the things youve accumulated. These reminders, in turn, can help you think about how youve grown, and how you hope to grow in the future. Leaning into those thoughts can help you embark on the next chapter.

Change unplugs you from moving forward in one direction all the time, so it gives you a chance to reflect on your values and whats been important to you and who has sustained you, Krauss Whitbourne says. Reflection can help readjust the course youre on to go in the right direction.

Reflecting on previous transitions that went well can also be reassuring  and shouldnt be too much of a mental stretch, since research suggests periods of change might be especially memorable. Pillemer and his colleagues, for example, have found that our memories tend to cluster around moves weve made over the course of our lives, a concept the authors dubbed The Relocation Bump.

There are a few explanations as to why memories are more salient around transitions, Pillemer says, but one is that transitions provide the landmarks throughout our life story. Its difficult to categorize time as a series of hours, days, or years, but distinct stages and environments help organize our autobiography. We can refer to events as occurring right when I moved to New York or after my daughter was born. Pivotal transitions turn our countless days of existence into a compelling narrative.

Identify new opportunities.

Another helpful approach is to explore the opportunities that the change made possible. The disruption may lead you to learn new skills or form unexpected relationships. Years ago, Taibbi and his family relocated to Charlottesville, Virginia, to be closer to family. Taibbi struggled deeply with the move, he says; before, his life was consumed by his career, but now, he struggled to find a new job. He fell into a depression as he sorted through the experience. But he had always wanted to explore writing, so in that time he decided to start, starting with stories for magazines and eventually tackling his first book. When a new job did materialize, Taibbi decided to take a part time position so he could continue writing and spending time with his children.

Now there was space for me to explore and experiment. It gave me an opportunity to develop a new side of me, Taibbi says. Ive written 12 books now and I would have written none.

These types of moments, along with time and effort, can help feelings of anxiety and unease to subside. When the transition period comes to a close, youll be ready to dive in to whatever the change has brought you. The best thing to do is to look at that time of uncertainty as being a time of exploring, Bridges says. This is where the opportunities are.
Hillary Clinton. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The sun was streaming through the large plate-glass window in Little Canal, a coffee shop near Amy Chozicks Lower East Side apartment. (Chozick lives on Clinton Street  seriously, folks.) Chozick had just had her hair colored, and wore a white T-shirt with blue slip-on sneakers. Now and then, she glanced with slightly astonished delight at her 8-week-old son, Cormac, who slept soundly in a compact, black stroller by her side as she sipped an almond-milk cappuccino.

Chozick was pondering her imminent departure from the sleep-deprived, soft-focus bliss of new motherhood and her reentry into the adrenalized scrum of politics, where she anticipated being attacked, ridiculed, and probably called a c**t on Twitter again  or, to be more specific, a donkey-faced c**t. Am I going to cry on Morning Joe? she joked. Im very emotional right now.

Chozick spent a decade of her life  from her late 20s to late 30s  covering Hillary Clinton, first for The Wall Street Journal during the 2008 election and then for the New York Times for 2016. Now shes written a memoir about the period, Chasing Hillary  a sort-of Bridget Joness Diary meets What it Takes coming-of-age rom-com set on the campaign trail, with a tragic twist at the end (spoiler alert: Clinton lost). Im sure its going to piss off [both sides], Chozick says. Im bracing for that.

There was a wide feeling among Hillary supporters both during and after the election that the Times  and the broader media ecosystem  played a role in Donald Trumps upset win. Hillary-ites and some media watchers protested that the Times gave too many column-inches to scandals like Hillary using a private email address at the State Department; and failed to properly investigate Trumps Russia ties, business dealings, and sexual-assault allegations.

Chozick says she wrote her book with these criticisms in mind, attempting to offer a mea culpa wherever she thought one was due. She categorizes a few stories she wrote as probably over the line  for example, one about Clinton press flacks escorting her to the bathroom at the Clinton Global Initiative  and still wonders about the papers decisions regarding the WikiLeaks email hacks, which, after all, had been stolen by a foreign adversary. The Times not only reported on the fact that the hacked emails existed, it mined the stolen emails for stories about, among other topics, divisions among Democrats, Chelseas takeover at the Clinton Foundation, and fund-raising. Chozick ultimately wrote six stories and one blog post using the hacks. (I chose the byline, she wrote. I always chose the byline.) That decision, more than anything else, has been the thing that kept me up at night. Like, oh shit. I did the thing that a hostile government wanted me to do. If Hillary lost, you wanted her to lose because of mistakes she made or because of voters whims. You didnt want any candidate to lose because of a hostile government interfering in an election.

Of course, the possible threat to our democracy didnt keep her so awake at night that she didnt use some of those hacked emails in her book.

She knows her introspection wont be enough for many people (although Hillary supporters may find Chozicks description of inching her chair away from Sanderss during an interview to avoid his breath just a little satisfying). And shes sure die-hard Hillary staffers wont be mollified. [Theyre] gonna hate me, she sighs. But honestly? As Chozick richly details, they already didnt like her  they really, really didnt like her.

Chozick began her travels with Hillary in 2007, when the Journal transferred her from her assignment as a foreign correspondent in Japan to the equally foreign environment of the Iowa caucuses. Chozick had been an admirer of the Clintons  when she was a teenager in Texas, she went to see the First Lady speak and she admits that the first presidential vote she ever cast was for Bill.

At the first Hillary rally she covered, she stood up and clapped along with the crowd, until a more seasoned journalist pulled her back into her seat. (Dude! Dude! What the hell are you doing?) Chozick was still learning the ropes of breaking news and  having worked her way up from life as a spottily employed Conde Nast intern  she was as thrilled and starry-eyed as Mary Richards mid-hat toss.

Of course, it couldnt last. In the years after the 2008 election, she moved to the Times to join the late, great David Carr on the media beat, and then, in 2013, (former) executive editor Jill Abramson put her on Hillary  649 days before Hillary announced her candidacy. The move led other organizations to assign reporters to trail her, to the frustration of Hillary and her staff, who were hoping for a little more down time after her resignation as secretary of state.

The Times and the Clintons have a fraught history  the paper broke Whitewater in 1992 and published a 1993 profile of Hillary (Saint Hillary), in which the First Lady bared her soul and the author did the journalistic equivalent of an eye-roll. From that point onward, Chozick asserts, the Clintons distrusted the paper and attempted to ruin the life of the beat reporters assigned to cover them.

In the book, Chozick calls Hillarys mostly male press flacks The Guys and gives them pseudonyms based on sartorial choice (Brown Loafers) or rank in Hillaryland (O.G.  the original guy). (I covered Hillary a bit over the years, and I can say that anyone who went anywhere near the campaign will have no problem breaking the code. In fact, its a testament to Chozicks observational skills  or perhaps the idiosyncratic comic stylings of Hillarys staffers  that you could almost guess who each person is based solely on the insults they sling at Chozick.)

According to Chozick, The Guys spent the years leading up to the campaign and the campaign itself cock-blocking her stories, complaining about her tone, tattling on her to her editors, and generally trying to get in her head, telling her she would be eaten alive in the steel cage match of Times newsroom politics.

Clinton and Chozick. Photo: Courtesy of Amy Chozick

The prevailing wisdom in 2016 was that  thanks to social media and the ability to livestream events  campaigns could get their own messages out. The media was superfluous. Hillary and her staff didnt even travel with the reporters, a significant departure from the traditional model of candidate in the front (of the plane or bus), press in the back. This deprived campaign reporters of the you-are-there color and palace intrigue theyd once been able to funnel back to their organizations. In the book, one of Chozicks colleagues describes being in Hillarys press corps as a sensory deprivation experience.

The journalists chasing Hillary were almost exclusively female, and Chozick writes that it was either a slap from the patriarchy or a stroke of bad luck that by the time women got this chance, Twitter and livestreaming and a (female) candidate who had zero interest in having a relationship with the press vastly diminished the role of campaign reporters.

Trump could only benefit from a weakened press pack. The broad strokes of his reality-TV persona  a billionaire who makes tough-but-fair decisions  were far more appealing than the seedy details were now discovering through the work of the press, special prosecutor Robert Mueller, and one very clever porn star. And the empty calories of Trumps policy-free speeches at raucous rallies were perfect for streaming straight onto cable news, without context or commentary.

For Hillary, however, it may well have been a mistake to give the media a cold shoulder. Though Chozick acknowledges that the 30 years of misogyny directed at Hillary had put her in something of a no-win situation, she says that ignoring the press didnt help. The image many Americans had of Hillary was of a ruthless, calculating, overly ambitious, godless, ice queen bitch who was possibly capable of murdering friends and running a pedophile ring. It was ludicrously more negative than her hard-working, deeply religious, policy wonk self.

Instead of confronting the lock-her-up and shes-so-shrill crowds with radical honesty, Hillary  as has mostly been her practice throughout her career  rarely or never addressed the most human and sympathetic aspects of herself (her Methodist faith, her perseverance through the humiliations of Bills infidelities in the 90s and the loss to Obama in 2008). The upshot, Chozick says, was that she and her fellow journalists were left to write a million WHAT ABOUT HER EMAILS? stories (as Chozick herself calls them).

You could even argue that Chozick herself could have been the one to bring the real Hillary into the light. True, the reporter threw some below-the-belt jabs at Clinton  for example, in a story about Clintons strong showing in her first presidential debate, Chozick led with a back-handed compliment about how bored Chozick was with Hillarys stump speech, but how interesting she always found her debate performances. But Chozick also spent days in libraries reading through Clinton papers and writing detailed stories about her career and friendships. Most of these pieces, Chozick says, disappeared into the Times website with nary a click  but if Hillary had cooperated and given Chozick access, maybe they wouldve made it onto the front page and gotten more eyeballs. It seems like it might have been worth it for the campaign to try putting away their sticks and offering a few carrots.

Instead, the campaign came to believe that Amy despised Hillary and then antagonized her. And Chozick  frustrated that she couldnt get the insider stories that her bosses might deem worthy of the above-the-fold bylines  felt under assault and believed that Hillary hated her.

By all accounts, however, this might be called a tragedy of misperceptions. Chozick makes clear in her book that she respected the candidate and craved her attention. And a former Hillary staffer tells me that while the campaign did feel that Chozick held the Clintons to a higher standard through a lower standard of reporting, Hillary certainly did not hate the journalist: Hating people is not her style. The staffer, who read an early copy of the book, goes on to opine that Chozick was not always an honest broker and the book seems to be more of the same. It ridicules people with a smile, contributing little to the public discourse.

Chozick didnt vote in the election  she never does in contests she covers, she says. She insists she was neither the Clinton supporter shed been as a teenager, nor a Hillary Hater, but rather a detached political reporter. It makes me sad sometimes. That, as a political reporter, you cede your ability to be really excited about a candidate, she says.

Chozick does wish she could take back a few stories and anecdotes that she now sees as mean. There was the story about having a Clinton press minder escort her to the bathroom. It was true, but was it worth it? What was that really doing to inform readers? she muses, looking back from her sunny seat in Little Canal. Not that you pull punches to make sources happier, but you have to decide which targets are really important. And there were certainly lighter stories like that that I thought were funny but that made the relationship very toxic.

Chozick said she learned that you can write a little riff you think is funny and throw it up online but, when youre writing about something as important as politics or as controversial as the Clintons, nothing is just a little thing. That little thing could have a life of its own. That thing could have Fox News talking all day. If she had to do it over, she says, shed be more careful thinking about the whole media industrial complex. She might try to give The Guys more time to respond to requests for comment, and prepare them better for negative stories so they werent blindsided.

Still, Chozick sees a bit of gender bias in the criticisms of her work: Some of the stories I wrote that were called snarky  maybe some of them were. But some of them I just tried to put color and voice in. Sometimes Id think, Well, a dude could write this and it would be funny and observational and a woman writes it and its bitchy. One faction among her detractors, accused her of taking the low road because she didnt want it to appear that, because she had a vagina, she was in the tank for Hillary. Others suspected that she was just jealous of the first female presidential candidate, Chozick says. I was like, Really? Are we in Mean Girls?

The last time Chozick saw Hillary was not long after Trump took office, at a charity fund-raiser for Girls, Inc., at which Chozicks cousin was being honored and Hillary was the keynote speaker. It was in this very tacky Marriott Marquis in Times Square on a Wednesday afternoon, she says. There was some drama happening at the White House  Chozick doesnt remember which one. Hillary spoke and obviously the women [in the audience] were really moved, and I saw [one of Hillarys press aides] behind the curtain. And I was really sad. It was sad.

After watching Hillary for so many years as the presumptive first female president, her reduced stature pained Chozick. I dont want to sound like some crazy fan girl who thought she should have been president, but you just see this person who was so prepared. Im still a journalist. It wasnt about politics. It was about this person who has devoted her life to being prepared. She took it so seriously. It was just sort-of  Chozick trails off. Somber.

The book, at times, reads as though Chozick is cashing out her chips. Toward the end, after she realizes she wont be heading to D.C. to become a White House correspondent, she casts the chase for bylines and scoops as ultimately pointless: Id let my hero of a husband down. Id put off having a baby. Id thrown punches in the Steel Cage Match and gained at least 12 pounds. Id even become an unwitting agent of Russian intelligence. In the end, we all lost. I was done.

Chozick, however, is not done. She remains devoted to the cult of the Times and will return as a writer-at-large for the business section after her maternity leave. I think the book is partly a love letter to me ending up [at the Times], she says.

In a funny way, the book is also a love letter to Hillary  not the kind of love letter you write to someone youve just fallen for. Its the kind of love letter you write to someone after youve broken up, when youve had some time to think, and you realize that it wasnt all bad, that, in fact, you had some pretty good times  and that you were at least half of the problem.

And yet, what seeps off the page is that Chozick still isnt over Hillary. Shes not sure who, if anyone, had the moral high ground in her battles with The Guys. Shes conflicted about WikiLeaks. She writes that she cant explain her and her colleagues fixation on Hillarys private email server, except that it was an almost out-of-body impulse. In our interview, she says she feels she should apologize, but then is unsure to whom. It seems like shes still not sure how to metabolize her decade-long one-way relationship with Hillary, the first woman president who got away. She took over my life in an interesting way because I had this job, but I think there are millions of women like us who feel like their life has been tethered to this firebrand of a woman, she says.

She talks about perhaps going abroad again as a foreign correspondent. She talks of wanting to take back with her to the Times her post-campaign realization that she was more proud of the biographical features she wrote than the quick news hits that made page one. But then, in the same breath, she wonders if a journalist who stops chasing front-page bylines is like a shark that stops swimming: dead.

Somewhat surprisingly, she says shes looking forward to getting back to covering politics and, perhaps, dipping in and out of campaigns. There are so many women running, she says, and women giving money to candidates, that I think there will be a lot of interesting threads. Asked if she ever envisions a future as the next Maureen Dowd, another snarky  er, colorful and voicey  former campaign reporter, Chozick says, Who doesnt want to be Maureen?
Amazon and Big Data

Jeff Bezos has the power to use data to shape public opinion

A controversy over the possible misuse of users personal data accumulated by Facebook has not yet subsided as another technology giant has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump.

Amazon.com Inc. controls some 45 percent of the online retail business in the United States (or about 4 percent of the countrys total retail sales) and has become a retail powerhouse in several other developed countries.

Trump has raised several issues with this company. One charge is that Amazon does not pay enough to the postal service for the delivery of its merchandise; another is that the retailer pays insufficient taxes; and another is that as online shopping expands, jobs are being lost in shopping malls and other traditional outlets.

Business Issue

While the matter of postage fees should be a business issue between the postal service and Amazon, it appears that the taxation issue is being addressed and the company is liable to pay taxes in nearly all U.S. states. The European Union, too, has looked into the matter, and Amazon is likely to be charged more for conducting business in Europe as well, at the expense of its profitability.

As part of natural market evolution, consumers increasingly do their shopping online, instead of driving to malls or visiting high street shops. Of course, a reduction of jobs in traditional retail most likely will follow, but new jobs are already being created elsewherein the distribution systems that service the online transactions. Amazon is the front-runner in this field. This revolution in retail can be slowed down by protectionist regulations. But eventually, the new system will prevail if that is what the consumers want. Real Issues There are, however, two real concerns about the company that cant be dismissed so easily. There is Amazons near-monopolistic market position, which can be used to squeeze suppliers and to push possible competitors out of the market. It is up to the U.S. legal system to decide whether these circumstances justify putting in motion an antitrust procedure. In this context, it is not reassuring that Amazon has a strong lobbying team and a publishing platform with The Washington Post. Another point of concern is data protection. In the process of doing business, Amazon collects a wealth of information on individuals, their spending attitudes, their likes and dislikes, and their behavior as consumers. This data is so comprehensive that Amazons algorithms can anticipate what people may order. Its pool of stored information is probably even bigger than the one Facebook has, and it covers a large part of the population in developed countries. Data Risk The biggest risk here is obvious: Is this information going to be put to other uses, to the detriment of Amazons customers? In this context, the coming update of the EU Data Protection Directive of 1995, which regulates the processing of personal data within the European community, may merit attention, despite its complexity, as a part of a possible solution. The use of big data for business should not be a primary concern, but only as long as the objective is to improve services, not to acquire a dominating market position. Data misuse also becomes a threat when third parties trying to influence politics and media get hold of this valuable information. To sum things up, the access to personal data by technology groups is a legitimate concern. It is especially dangerous now that governments are making broad demands for information about individuals, which is illicit, as it undermines the right to privacy, an essential ingredient of a free society. If accessible to the authorities or media, pools of information such as those collected by Amazon can facilitate damaging intrusions of citizens privacy. Trump might be correct on another point as well. As the issues of Amazons data and its retail market position arise, it is a concern that the companys founder and CEO, and one of the largest shareholders, also owns the Post, the U.S. capitals most influential daily. One would like to assume that neither the famous newspaper nor Bezos have the intention to misuse Amazons information through the Post. The advantages for both and the possibilities for abuse, however, make this scenario rather unlikely. Prince Michael of Liechtenstein is the executive chairman of trust company Industrie- und Finanzkontor, and founder and chairman of Geopolitical Intelligence Services. This article was originally published by GIS Reports Online.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Sensitive congressional data obtained by Congressional IT aide Imran Awan and his associates could become part of a court case filed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

In response to the DNC lawsuit, President Donald Trump said that his campaign would request the data among other things.

Just heard the Campaign was sued by the Obstructionist Democrats. This can be good news in that we will now counter for the DNC Server that they refused to give to the FBI, the Debbie Wasserman Schultz Servers and Documents held by the Pakistani mystery man and Clinton Emails, President Trump wrote on Twitter.

Imran Awan, a naturalized Pakistani national, began working in Congress in 2000 as a contractor and was hired by several Democratic representatives in 2004. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) put Awan on the payroll in 2005.

Imran Awan has been at the center of an IT scandal that has been quietly brewing in Congress since September 2016, when the House Office of Inspector General (IG) found that Awan and his family members accessed congressional servers without authorization multiple times.

Click on timeline to enlarge.

The investigation also revealed the suspicious use of servers of the House Democratic Caucus, which could have been used to store documents taken from other offices or evidence of other illicit activity, according to the IG presentation, which is not public.

This data could then have been exfiltrated from Congress using Dropbox, which the Awans had installed on at least two computers according to the IG.

While file sharing sites, such as Dropbox, have legitimate business purposes, use of such sites is also a classic method for insiders to exfiltrate data from an organization, the IG report states.

Thousands of Congressional files had been filed in two separate Dropbox accounts, which contained information that was likely sensitive according to the IG.

In total, the Awans and their associates worked for 44 House Democrats. It is unclear how many offices they didnt work for had their data accessed and potentially stolen.

Data stored on congressional servers includes Representatives e-mails, personal documents, data that constituents send their representatives, their agenda etc. This information is of great interest to foreign intelligence agencies as well as private businesses.

Last week, The Daily Caller reported that the father of Imran Awan, Haji Ashraf Awan, had transferred a USB drive to a Pakistani senator who was also a former head of a Pakistani intelligence agency. It is unclear what information was contained on the USB drive.

Citing a former business partner of Awans father, The Daily Caller also reported that Imran had bragged he had the power to change the U.S. president.

In total, the Awans and associates were paid an estimated $7 million in Congressional pay since 2007.

DNC Lawsuit

On April 20, the DNC filed a lawsuit against the Trump campaign, Wikileaks, and Russia, alleging they cooperated during the 2016 presidential elections against Democratic Candidate Hillary Clinton.

The lawsuit comes at a time when the narrative that Trump colluded with Russia to win the elections has been thoroughly disproven.

A year-long investigation by the House Committee on Intelligence found that no evidence of collusion exists.

The findings corroborate those of an investigation by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, ordered by then-President Barack Obama, which concluded in January 2017 that no evidence of collusion exists.

Similarly, The Washington Post reported earlier this month that President Trump himself is not a target in the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections.

Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenstein also informed the President last week that he is not a target of Muellers probe.

A central claim in the DNC lawsuit is that Russia hacked its servers and disseminated the material obtained.

The DNC, however, continues to refuse to allow the FBI to access the servers in question for forensic examination. Instead, the DNC only provided the FBI with a report by private firm CrowdStrike.

The cybersecurity firms own credibility came under fire after an influential British think tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the company misrepresented data on Russian hacker groups.

Then-FBI Director James Comey said during a March 20 House Intelligence Committee hearing that the FBI never got direct access to the machines themselves.

Two months earlier, Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the FBI had made multiple requests at different levels to gain access to the devices for their investigations, but they ultimately needed to rely on a private company hired by the DNC to share with us what they saw.

He confirmed the FBI had requested and was denied access to both the DNC servers and Clinton campaign chairman John Podestas personal devices.

A July 24, 2017, open memo from a group of former intelligence officers called Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) used forensic evidence to show the DNC emails were not hacked.

According to VIPS, the DNC files were downloaded from the DNC directly by someone using an external storage device, such as a USB thumb drive. This means the files were downloaded locally, by someone who was physically present at the DNC location.

The downloading took place in the early evening, from a location in the Eastern Daylight time zone, according to the researchers. It was carried out from a computer directly connected to the DNC server or DNC Local Area Network. The unknown individual copied 1,976 megabytes of data in 87 seconds onto an external storage device, according to VIPS.

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Father of Ex-Trump Advisor HR McMaster Found Dead, Called Suspicious

Philadelphia police are investigating last weeks death of the father of H.R. McMaster, a former general and former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, according to reports.

H.R. McMaster Sr.s death was described as suspicious. He was living at Cathedral Village, a continuing care retirement facility.

We want to reassure you that the safety and welfare of every resident at Cathedral Village remains our utmost priority and we will continue to make every effort to ensure their well-being. It would be inappropriate to comment further until the investigation is complete, Cathedral Village said in a statement.

His death was ruled accidental by the Philadelphia Department of Health, but police later said that his death is being treated as suspicious, without elaborating.

We are working closely with the Philadelphia Police Department to thoroughly and carefully review this tragic incident. This investigation is in the very early stages, a spokesman for Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, Joe Grace, was quoted by Philly.com as saying.

Sources told NBC Philadelphia that the elder McMaster fell and hit his head and was placed in a recliner but wasnt treated or monitored.

Investigators are trying to determine if workers at Cathedral Village falsified paperwork before giving his family misleading information, the NBC affiliate report stated.

H.R McMaster Jr. was named as national security adviser to Trump in February 2017 and resigned in March.

Philly.com also reported that there had been an uptick in deficiencies cited by health inspectors during inspections at the home.

The Department of Health is aware of the situation and is in the process of conducting an investigation in the form of a facility survey, said a spokesman for a Pennsylvania agency that regulates nursing homes, Philly.com reported.

H.R McMaster Jr. was named as national security adviser to Trump in February 2017 and resigned in March.

The former Trump advisor has yet to comment on his fathers death, which reportedly occurred on April 13. McMasters last day in the Trump administration was April 9.

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Deputy James Long of the Marion County Sheriffs Office arrested former student Sky Bouche 19, after Bouche fired a shotgun into a classroom, striking a student. (Marion County Sheriffs Office)

Florida School Resource Officer Arrests Shooter Accused of Injuring Student

A teenage gunman who allegedly shot one student at a Florida high school was apprehended by the school resource officer before he could hurt anyone else.

Deputy James Jimmy Long of the Marion County Sheriffs Office arrested former student Sky Bouche 19, after Bouche fired a shotgun under the door of a classroom, striking a student.

Bouche, currently living in Crystal River, had been a student at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida. He returned to his alma mater on the morning for Friday, April 20, bringing with him a short-barreled shotgun concealed in a guitar case.

Bouche fired a single blast under the door of a classroom, the Ocala Star-Banner reported. Pellets struck one student in the ankle.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told Fox News that Long heard the shot and immediately rushed to the scene.

Long did not hesitate. He went right in, Wood said at a news conference.

Fewer than three minutes elapsed from the first report to Bouches arrest.

Bouche didnt offer any resistance when arrested, Woods said.

The 17-year-old student who was injured was hospitalized with a nonlife-threatening wound in the ankle. He was in good condition Friday night, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.

As he was being led out of the school in handcuffs, Bouche told reports I didnt shoot anyone. When asked what he would say to his victim, Bouche replied, Sorry, followed by, its not going to make it better anyway.

After firing the single shot, the Banner-Star reported, Bouche dropped his weapon.

Fox News reported that teacher Kelly McManis-Panasuk talked with Bouche, keeping him calm until Long arrived.

He wanted to be arrested, McManis-Panasuk told the Banner-Star. I really dont think he meant to shoot the gun. I think it really was an accident. He just wanted someone to listen to him.

Bouche was charged with terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm, culpable negligence, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a short-barreled shotgun, interference in school function, and armed trespass on school property.

The shooting came on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine, Colorado, school shooting, the first major high-school shooting in the United States. Students at high schools across the nation staged walkouts to protest gun violence at high schools.

Students at Forest High had planned a walkout, but then cancelled it after the incident Friday morning.

From NTD.tv

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James Comey Gave CNN News Hook to Report on Trump Dossier

Newly released declassified memos written by former FBI Director James Comey reveal that he warned President Donald Trump that CNN was looking for a news hook to report on the so-called Trump dossier.

Comey himself, however, ended up giving CNN the news hook it needed to report on the salacious claims.

Just three days after the meeting, CNN published the story Intel chiefs presented Trump with claims of Russian efforts to compromise him, featuring in part the fact that Comey had briefed the president-elect on the so-called Trump dossier.

The Trump dossier had been spread and circulated for months among politicians and media organizations but was deemed not credible enough to report on directly.

It was inflammatory stuff that they would get killed for reporting straight up from the source reports, Comey wrote in one of his memos.

However, the high-profile briefing provided the legitimacy CNN needed to report on the Trump dossier. This resulted in hundreds of other media reports around the world, including Buzzfeed, publishing the dossier in full.

CNN has learned that the nations top intelligence officials provided information to President-elect Donald Trump and to President Barack Obama last week, CNN host Jake Tapper said in talking about the dossier.

It was later revealed that the Trump dossier was, in fact, an opposition research file paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.

Comey himself described the dossier as salacious and unverified in testimony before the House Intelligence committee under oath in June 2017.

Comeys meeting with Trump and CNNs subsequent reporting is just one of the examples on how unverified information became widespread in the media in an effort to discredit Trump.

Court documents in the UK revealed that Fusion GPS, the company hired by the Clinton campaign and the DNC to produce the Trump Dossier, had instructed one of the dossiers main authors, former British Spy Christopher Steele, to provide secret briefings to media organizations on the claims.

Among the reporters who received these briefings during the election were those of The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, The New Yorker, and Yahoo News.

But it didnt stop at just briefings.

In the course of its investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 elections, the House Committee on Intelligence discovered that Fusion GPS had made payments to a number of journalists.

The reporters involved had been active in reporting on Russia-related matters.

In January this year, a federal judge ruled that Fusion GPS needed to hand over all its bank records to the House committee, which include details on the payments to journalists.

The House committee also found that President Barack Obamas Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, had provided an inconsistent testimony on his contacts with media organizations.

Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, now a CNN national security analyst, provided inconsistent testimony to the Committee about his contacts with the media, including CNN, The House Intelligence committee wrote in a report published last month.

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Robert Mueller Warning: Many News Stories on RussiaCollusion Probe Are Wrong

Many stories about the investigation into collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia have been wrong, according to a spokesman for the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The spokesman did not articulate which stories have been inaccurate, but the statement was issued amid media inquiries about a McClatchy DC article that said Mueller had evidence that President Donald Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, traveled to Prague, contrary to testimony Cohen gave under oath.

What I have been telling all reporters is that many stories about our investigation have been inaccurate, the Mueller spokesperson said, according to Daily Caller and Washington Times. Be very cautious about any source that claims to have knowledge about our investigation and dig deep into what they claim before reporting on it. If another outlet reports something, dont run with it unless you have your own sourcing to back it up.

The McClatchy story was quickly amplified by a number of major news outlets, including Reuters, The Washington Post, and The Guardian, despite the fact that Cohen has vehemently denied the claim and provided travel documents, including a passport, showing he was in California with his son. Cohen also testified under the penalty of perjury that he never traveled to Prague.

Bad reporting, bad information and bad story by same reporter Peter Stone @McClatchyDC. No matter how many times or ways they write it, I have never been to Prague, Cohen tweeted shortly after the McClatchy story was published. I was in LA with my son. Proven!

Bad reporting, bad information and bad story by same reporter Peter Stone @McClatchyDC. No matter how many times or ways they write it, I have never been to Prague. I was in LA with my son. Proven! https://t.co/ra7nwjUA0X  Michael Cohen (@MichaelCohen212) April 14, 2018

The Prague story is vital to news outlets which have pushed the Russia-collusion narrative for more than a year because it would confirm one allegation from the so-called Steele dossier, a collection of reports compiled by a British ex-spy that forms the core of the collusion narrative. Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee covertly funded the dossier. It was then used by the FBI to apply for a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign, despite containing a barrage of claims that even Steele could not verify.

The claim that Cohen traveled to Prague only exists in the Steele dossier and was never verified by another source. Glenn Simpson, the co-founder of Fusion GPS, the firm that paid Steele, pushed the claim to news media and government investigators. Simpson still believes the claim and told the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that Cohen may have traveled to Prague via a yacht and a Russian airplane.

The statement from Muellers office reaffirms sworn testimony by former FBI Director James Comey who told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last year that many media reports about Trump-Russia collusion were wrong. Comey specifically discredited a Feb. 15, 2017, New York Times article that claimed that Trumps 2016 presidential campaign had repeated contacts with senior Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election.

At the hearing, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) pressed Comey further on the piece from The New York Times, asking, Would it be fair to characterize that story as almost entirely wrong?, to which Comey replied, Yes.

Comey went on to discredit other media reports, which have frequently cited unnamed intelligence and government sources to push their narrative that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to influence the election.

All of you know this. Maybe the American people dont, Comey said, addressing the Senate committee. He said when it comes to reporters writing stories about classified information, people talking about it often dont really know whats going on.
FILE PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets scientists and technicians in the field of researches into nuclear weapons in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang March 9, 2016. REUTERS/KCNA/File Photo

North Korea Shuts Down Its Only Nuclear Test Site as Trump Celebrates Progress

SEOUL-North Korea said on Saturday it would immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests, scrap its nuclear test site and instead pursue economic growth and peace, ahead of planned summits with South Korea and the United States.

President Donald Trump spearheaded an international effort to pressure the communist regime to abandon its nuclear weapons program. He sent a celebratory tweet shortly after the news became public.

This is very good news for North Korea and the World  big progress! Trump wrote. Look forward to our Summit.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country no longer needed to conduct nuclear tests or intercontinental ballistic missile tests because it had completed its goal of developing the weapons, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Kim is scheduled to hold talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next week and with Trump in late May or early June.

The pledge to halt the development of nuclear weapons, initiated by his grandfather, would mean a significant reversal for Kim, 34, who for years has celebrated such weapons as a pillar of his regimes legitimacy and power.

A testing freeze and commitment to close the test site alone would fall short of Washingtons demand that Pyongyang completely dismantle all its nuclear weapons and missiles.

But announcing the concessions now, rather than during summit meetings, shows Kim is serious about decentralization talks, experts say.

The northern nuclear test ground of the DPRK will be dismantled to transparently guarantee the discontinuance of the nuclear test, KCNA said after Kim convened a plenary session of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers Party on Friday.

The Norths official name is the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The Pyunggye-ri site is North Koreas only known nuclear test site. All of its six underground tests were conducted there, including the last and largest in September.

Praise

Leaders in Europe, Asia, and Australia praised Kims announcement.

South Korea said the Norths decision signified meaningful progress toward decentralization of the peninsula and would create favorable conditions for successful meetings with it and with the United States.

China, North Koreas sole major ally, has been frustrated by its defiant development of weapons and welcomed the announcement, saying it would ease tension and promote decentralization.

The Chinese side believes that North Koreas decision will help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula, a foreign ministry spokesman, Lu Kang, said in a statement.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it welcomed the announcement by North Korea and called on the United States and South Korea to reduce their military activity in the region.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also welcomed the North Korean statement but said it must lead to action.

Whats important is that this leads to complete, verifiable decentralization. I want to emphasize this, Abe told reporters.

Australia and Britain were also cautious.

The British government said in a statement that Pyongyangs commitment was a positive step and hoped it indicated an effort to negotiate in good faith.

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said verifiable steps would be needed to ensure testing had indeed been halted.

The European Unions foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini said North Koreas move was a positive step and called for an irreversible decentralization of the country.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said North Koreas announcement was a step in the right direction but it must disclose its complete nuclear and missile program in a verifiable way.

Evidence

Were all looking for evidence that Kim is really serious about negotiations, and announcements like this certainly suggest he is, and that he is trying to make clear to the world that he is, said David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

North Korea has said its nuclear and missile programs are necessary deterrents against U.S. hostility. It has conducted missile tests with the aim of being able to hit the United States with a nuclear bomb.

The tests and escalating angry rhetoric by Trump and Kim raised fears of war until, in a New Years speech, the North Korean leader called for a reduction in military tensions.

He sent a delegation to the Winter Olympics in the South in February, leading to a thaw in relations with his old enemies.

Nam Sung-wook, professor of North Korean Studies at Korea University in Seoul, said it was sensational that Kim had personally declared plans to suspend nuclear development, but added that his remarks left questions.

It still does not seem clear if it means whether the North will just not pursue further development of its nuclear programs in the future, or whether they will completely shut down all nuclear facilities. And what are they going to do with their existing nuclear weapons? Nam said.

U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea after its first nuclear test in 2006 and extended over the past decade have banned critical exports such as coal, iron ore, seafood and textiles while limiting oil imports.

That has threatened the policy of byungjin  simultaneous military and economic development  that Kim has adopted since taking power in 2011.

(Additional reporting by Heekyong Yang and Ju-min Park in SEOUL, Idrees Ali and David Brunnstrom in WASHINGTON and Alana Schetzer in MELBOURNE; Editing by Robert Birsel, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Andrew Roche)

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Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on June 8, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Reports: DOJ Watchdog Probing Comey Memos Over Classified Information

The top Department of Justice watchdog is investigating issues surrounding the classified information contained in two memos that former FBI Director James Comey leaked to his friend, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News and The Wall Street Journal.

At least two of the memos Comey sent to his friend, Daniel Richman, contained classified information, the sources say. Comey redacted parts of one memo before he handed it to his friend. The other memo was classified confidential after Comey was fired from the FBI.

The memos contain Comeys recollections about his meetings with Trump.

The inspector generals scrutiny of Comey comes at the same time as his former top deputy, Andrew McCabe, is under a separate investigation by the top prosecutor in Washington. The pair has traded barbs over the past few days, accusing each other of lying.

Comey has claimed that he wrote the notes as a private citizen. The White House has countered that he wrote the memos on an FBI computer and the language follows the protocol of an FBI document.

Leaking on a sensitive case regardless of classification violates federal laws including the privacy act, standard FBI employment agreement, and non-disclosure agreement [that] all personnel must sign. I think thats pretty clean and clear that that would be a violation, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said at a briefing in September last year.

As FBI director, Comey had the authority to determine classification, but he leaked the memos after he had already been fired.

Comey said that his intention in leaking the documents was to trigger the appointment of a special counsel to continue the investigation into Russian election meddling. His move succeeded when Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller to lead the special counsel probe.

In one memo describing a January 2017 meeting with Trump, Comey wrote that he considered the information within SECRET.

I am not sure of the proper classification here, Comey wrote. So have chosen SECRET. Please let me know if it should be higher or lower than that.

In January this year, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) had determined that at least one of the memos Comey leaked was classified and called on the Justice Department to investigate.

Reports that Comeys memos contained classified information surfaced as early as July 2017. Trump blasted the leak when the news surfaced.

James Comey leaked CLASSIFIED INFORMATION to the media, Trump wrote on Twitter on July 10. That is so illegal!

On Thursday, April 19, when the memos were released, Trump renewed his criticism.

James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Trump wrote. Really, does everybody know what that means?

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US Government IT Providers Source 51 Percent of Parts From China, Raising National Security Concerns

A congressional commission report found that the top manufacturers supplying IT equipment to the U.S. government have sourced an average of 51 percent of the parts from China since 2012. The lack of a proactive strategy for managing U.S. supply chains, combined with the Chinese communist regimes malicious intent, constitutes a great risk to U.S. national security, economic competitiveness, and the privacy of American citizens, the report says.

The report was released on April 19 by U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a congressionally mandated organization dedicated to investigating national security and trade issues between the United States and China.

Based on publicly available information, the report found that an average of 51 percent of the parts shipped to seven top U.S. IT manufacturersHewlett-Packard, IBM, Dell, Cisco, Unisys, Microsoft, and Inteloriginated from China. These U.S. manufacturers, in turn, provided most of the computers, routers, software, printers, and other IT products that are used by the U.S. government.

Among the seven companies, Microsoft tops the list, with 73 percent of its parts sourced from China, according to the report.

Jennifer Bisceglie, chief executive of Interos Solutions, told The Washington Post that much of the U.S. governments annual $90 billion budget for IT was spent on Chinese products or products that contain parts made in China.

The report cautions that the seven companies are not the only ones providing IT equipment for the U.S. government. Other top federal IT providers such as AT&T, Abacus Technology, and Amazon Web Services have not been surveyed.

More than 95 percent of commercial electronics components and IT systems supporting the U.S. government are commercial off-the-shelf products, according to the report, and Chinas role in the global supply network of these products is significant.

For years, national security experts, as well as U.S. officials, have sounded the alarm regarding the possibility that adversary nation-states could be sophisticated enough to introduce a malicious defect in U.S. equipment, maybe even an exploitable defect that can be triggered at a time of the adversarys choosing.

Given the ever-increasing threats posed by the Chinese regime to U.S. national security, there have been growing calls for a comprehensive review of the U.S. manufacturing industrys reliance on parts made in China, especially products that are eventually sold to and used by the U.S. government or even the U.S. military.

The report also points to a list of Chinese industrial laws and policies that were enacted in the past few years, all of which seek to aggressively elevate China and Chinese manufacturers to dominate the worlds information and communication technology (ICT) market in the future.

These new regulations present a serious dilemma for U.S. multinationals and a threat to U.S. national security, the report says. If U.S. companieswhich are the primary providers of ICT to the U.S. federal governmentsurrender source code, proprietary business information, and security information to the Chinese government, they open themselves and federal ICT networks to Chinese cyberespionage efforts.

Cyberattacks on supply chains could also become easier and more prevalent as developing technologies such as 5G mobile network technology and the internet of things exponentially increase avenues for attack, the report says.

The report recommends the creation of a centralized leadership within the U.S. government to supervise and regulate the supply chain, which would require U.S. government contractors to disclose who supplies their parts. In addition, it also suggests that Congress tie program budgets to supply-chain monitoring to ensure compliance.

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In this photo illustration, a visual representation of digital cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin, Ripple, Ethernum, Dash, Monero and Litecoin is displayed on Feb. 16, 2018 in Paris, France. Digital cryptocurrencies have seen unprecedented growth in 2017, despite remaining extremely volatile. (Photo Illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images)

When Will We See the Blockchain Breakthrough?

Despite the promises, the technology is facing severe setbacks

Blockchain technology has been described as being as transformative as the internet itself, but so far real progress is lacking and the headwinds are getting stiffer.

A block-chain is the transaction validation technology behind bitcoin and other crypto products. It has a very high price in terms of per unit transaction cost, but has some promising qualitative possibilities.

The technology combines industrial-strength encryption with a public ledger that allows market participants to validate transactions collectively. Blockchain by design is extremely inefficient in order to achieve its primary purposenamely, securitybut has the advantage of having a public transaction record.

No Use Cases Yet

In a survey of the mortgage industry and other domains, to date, we are not able to find any commercially successful adoptions of the blockchain technology. Despite an enormous amount of hype and billions of dollars invested, the combination of 1) encryption and 2) public ledgers has yet to find a viable use caseother than cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin.

Ironically, the strong cryptography of blockchain has failed to protect some networks of crypto products from hacking and fraud, raising basic issues about the cost-benefit tradeoff of this type of approach. And the high cost and other operational considerations have so far thwarted efforts to drive adoption. Consider some recent developments:

Analyst Rob Chrisman wrote, Decisions by Depository Trust & Clearing Corp., BNP Paribas, and SIX Group to stop working on blockchain projects reflect Wall Streets concerns about industry readiness and cost.

A March 27 Reuters article read, Wall Street has been much more excited about the system underpinning bitcoin than the cryptocurrency itself, but the global financial industry has not yet been able to do much with the technology known as blockchain.

Murray Pozmanter, managing director of DTCC, said, Basically, [blockchain has become] a solution in search of a problem.

As initial enthusiasm for the blockchain technology ebbs, partly due to the overhyping and different scams surrounding the multiplying crypto products, some observers are starting to argue in favor of using a distributed ledger technology (DLT) without the costly encryption component of cryptocurrencies.

Mortgage Application?

One possible use case for the mortgage industry is the documentation of title transfers for residential mortgages, an area that is rife with fraud and inaccuracy. Since the financial crisis of 2008, there has been a certain level of distrust with respect to residential mortgages, noted attorney Michael Reyen, writing in American Banker. This distrust is rooted in the secondary mortgage market, in which thousands of residential mortgage loans were originated and then sold and assigned to successor lenders and/or trustees, sometimes multiple times.

But hope springs eternal. On April 4, Ranieri Solutions, a financial services technology investment firm founded by the father of the securitized mortgage market, Lewis S. Ranieri, announced a partnership with Symbiont, to explore opportunities to use Symbionts blockchain platform to improve all aspects of the mortgage industry.

The mortgage market, despite significant efforts, continues to lag behind from a technological standpoint, creating inefficiencies that impact mortgage loans throughout their life cycle, said Ranieri. By partnering with Symbiont, a proven blockchain pioneer, Ranieri Solutions believes that together we can implement this transformative technology to bring necessary efficiencies, transparency, and security to the mortgage markets.

Regulatory Hurdle

While improving the system for conveying and documenting ownership of residential homes is clearly a valid goal, it is far from clear that blockchain is the right technology solution for the problem. Property records are the unique province of the various states.

Although there is obviously a need to improve the property sale and title recordation process, the chief obstacles to change are political and bureaucratic. Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code and the Blue Sky laws for the securities industry provide a political roadmap for such an adoption process, but blockchain may not be the right solution for this task.

Coming out of the 2008 financial crisis, the states, Congress, and the mortgage industry fashioned a national standard for the foreclosure process via legislation, litigation, and enforcement actions. In the case of property records, there is no immediate political catalyst to bring the states together and have them voluntarily adopt a treaty mandating a consistent recordation and disclosure system for real property transfers.

However, there is at least some experimentation in the space, even though its doubtful whether blockchain is the right technology, and even if it is, it may have to be centralized after all.

The Deloitte Center for Government Insights found last March that land registration was the second-most popular area of focus for public-sector experiments being conducted with blockchain, behind digital payments and currency, wrote Chrisman.

And Bert Ely, writing for The Hill, started to suggest a practical roadmap to make such an enhanced property recordation system a reality. A real-world application of DLT will occur only if it makes economic sense, Ely wrote. An application that minimizes the potential for fraud, is highly accurate and very fast in executing transactions, will not be implemented if it is more costly to operate than an alternative, less sophisticated technology.

The pursuit of accuracy strongly suggests a central authority or governing body must oversee a specific application of DLT in a permissioned environment, with pre-agreed rules and procedures to ensure the accurate entry of transaction data into the DTL ledger, the prompt correction of data-entry errors, and overall data integrity.

Anything Is Possible

Of course, anything is possible given enough time and expenditure, but we continue to believe that the blockchain is a solution in search of a use case. The qualitative benefits of a DLT, for example, impressive as they may be, do not offset the additional cost of using this technology. In that regard, blockchain seems to violate the Three Laws of Silicon Valleycheaper, better, fasterfor the adoption of a new technology.

In the case of the mortgage industry, improving the way in which property records are updated and maintained is clearly a desirable objective. But we think that before such a system is considered, the various states need to agree on a consistent national data template for property records.

This all sounds great in theory. The tough part is doing the heavy lifting to make it a reality. Until then, blockchain will remain a clunky, very expensive solution looking for a relevant problem.

Christopher Whalen publishes The Institutional Risk Analyst and is the author of Ford Men. This article was originally published by The Institutional Risk Analyst.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
NORWALK  A prospective affordable-housing development for a long-plagued industrial section of South Norwalk apparently has fallen through, leaving neighbors wondering whats next.

The plan was fine, it was OK, but we wanted a zone change. We wanted a mixed-use development  some stores and that kind of stuff, said Ernie Dumas, president of South Norwalk Citizens for Justice. We have to go back to the drawing board.

Dumas said South Norwalk residents want to be brought to the table if another plan is put forward for the former Pac-Kit plant at 56 & 57 Chestnut St. and the AMEC Carting property behind it.

Heritage Housing, Inc., a South Norwalk-based developer of affordable and senior housing, brought Dumas and others to the table earlier this year when it proposed apartments for the land.

Company President David McCarthy  not the former city councilman  said he was working with the NRP Group as the prospective developer of the plan.

The developer I was working with was unable to move forward with the project, so its not happening right now, McCarthy said. I dont know about whether it would happen in the future, but as of right now, my involvement has ceased.

McCarthy said NRP Group had entered into a contract to purchase the properties but didnt do so.

It never really ever got to the point where there was a public presentation, he said. There was a concept and the developer decided not to pursue.

An illustrative site plan, titled Chestnut Street Multifamily Proposal and obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media from a resident, showed a four-story residential building with 116 apartments.

The plan showed a structure extending westward from the former Pac-Kit property, along Olean Street to Kossuth Street, and southward toward Hemlock.

An accompanying spreadsheet, titled AMEC Site Affordable Housing Affordability Matrix, detailed the apartment breakdown. The spreadsheet stated all apartments would be priced as affordable at 60 percent, or below, the area median income.

One-bedroom apartments would rent from $651 to $1,441, two-bedroom apartments from $773 to $1,721, and three-bedroom apartments from $883 to $1,978, with prices depending on the unit type.

The spreadsheet referenced the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program, Norwalks Workforce Housing Regulation and the Norwalk Fair Housing Advisory Committees call for housing accommodating households earning $35,000 to $65,000.

As of Friday, the defunct project remained listed on Heritage Housings website under the title South Norwalk  Affordable Housing, Norwalk, CT. A summary referenced a proposed 120-unit affordable housing project that was to be financed with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, tax-exempt bonds, and local and state funds. Construction was anticipated to commence in 2018.

Steve Kleppin, Norwalks director of planning and zoning, said no plans have been submitted for the Chestnut Street or AMEC properties.

Several years ago, the parcels at the western portion of the potential development site were the subject of a battle between residents and AMEC Carting over the latters storage of large construction waste-debris containers.

AMEC Carting received numerous zoning violation notices from the city, and submitted a plan to correct them through landscaping and other improvements. The Zoning Commission rejected the plan and the containers were removed.

AMEC did not respond for comment Friday on what it plans to do with the land.

The area was addressed last Wednesday as the Zoning Commission held a public hearing and later adopted zoning changes recommended by the South Norwalk Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Plan. The commission stopped short of extending the SoNo Station Design District into the Industrial No. 1 zone where the AMEC and former Pac-Kit parcles are located.

Developer Keith Brown, who purchased the former Pac-Kit property in January, expressed concerns about his and other properties zoned Industrial No. 1 becoming non-conforming uses under the changes.

I own property at 57 and 56 Chestnut Street, and as far as potential development, I happen to be leaning toward industrial there, right now, Brown said. But I dont think it should be precluded that it could be residential, because I think it is actually as close to the rail station as some of the industrial pieces that are over in the existing SSD (SoNo Station Design District) expanded zone.
NORWALK  The Connecticut Department of Transportation neednt spend millions to bring train service back the Wall Street area of Norwalk.

Thats the message of the Wall Street Neighborhood Association, which has asked officials to advocate for slapping down some concrete and lighting at the north end of the Mechanic Street Parking Lot.

Not a station or a platform, just a concrete walkway be permitted and that the MTA approve the scheduled stops, and allow the conductors to open the doors, and flip up the removable floor over the hidden stairs just like Merritt 7 does, said Jason Milligan, owner of Milligan Realty Estate and a member of the new neighborhood association. The costs involved should be relatively minimal. Perhaps the expense can be justified by the parking authority or the city. If not I feel confident that the money could be raised privately.

In an email to Mayor Harry Rilling, state Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff and other officials, Milligan included photographs of the prospective train stop in the Wall Street area, the existing station at Merritt 7, and Metro-North Railroads schedule for the latter location.

The Wall Street Neighborhood Association formed this spring to offer the city help and input on restarting the stalled redevelopment project known as Wall Street Place. But the association is hardly the first group of residents, taxpayers, merchants and other stakeholders to weigh in on Norwalks future.

At a time when local, state and federal budgets are tight and the wheels of government turn too slowly for some, grassroots organizations in Norwalk are proving to be the impetus on bringing attention to issues ranging from transportation and development to neighborhood blight.

Save Norwalks Historic Downtown

Norwalk 2.0, the economic and community development organization co-founded by former Zoning Commission Chairwoman Jackie Lightfield, recently came out against the citys plan to turn over the 91-space Main/High Parking Lot to a private developer.

Within four days, the groups petition to halt any possible transfer landed 1,000 signatures.

Ive been working the phones, talking to the property owners, so were still getting the word out, Lightfield said Tuesday while visiting businesses near the parking lot. If you come here by next week, everyone will have a petition in their windows and be collecting signatures.

Norwalk Harbor Keeper goes to court

While some community groups are working to be engaged, others are seeking to alter public policy and have taken strong steps to that end.

In January, Norwalk Harbor Keeper sued the Connecticut Department of Transportation in federal court to invalidate the departments $1.1 billion plan to replace the Walk Bridge over the Norwalk River. The group wants the DOT to evaluate less costly and disruptive plans for the replacement.

Jonathan Cohen, spokesman Norwalk Harbor Keeper, said the organization formed out of its members love for the harbor and river, and wanted to have a positive influence on how both are regarded by policy makers. He described the approach as positive rather than oppositional.

Weve done that with great energy but were frustrated and we feel that the DOT and the state have not really given us a respectful hearing, Cohen said. We were just getting a pro-forma, formulaic process out of the state. They were not listening to us. They were not really responding with real substance to polite, serious questions, so they pushed us to a posture that led us to file a lawsuit.

Crosswalks needed in Central Norwalk

The Norwalk Green Association, meanwhile, formed to promote local community initiatives and improve the livability and walkability of the area from the green to Mill Hill Historic Park and East Wall Street through expanded use of pedestrian walkways, cross-walks and bike routes to enhance safety and improve traffic flows through central Norwalk.

This month, association founder Brad Craighead asked the Norwalk Traffic Authority to consider crosswalks on East Avenue, at St. Pauls Place, as well as on East Wall Street, at Knight Street.

While you may think that thats a long way from Norwalk Green, our constituents, basically, are what we have defined as a five-minute walking distance from the center of the green and that includes all the merchants that are on East Wall Street, Craighead said.

Involvement throughout city

Central Norwalk isnt the only area where people have sought input on public policy.

South Norwalk Citizens for Justice formed over residents ongoing frustrations with AMEC Cartings storage of construction debris containers off Kossuth Street. The citizens group won that battle and continues to speak up against noise, pollution, truck traffic and other industrial activities within their neighborhoods.

Weve been fighting for a long time and were still holding our meetings, said founder and president Ernie Dumas. We formed because of the condition of our community and we wanted to see change. We accept change but we wanted to be part of the change. I thought that the people that live in our community should know that they have a group that is fighting for them.

The Manresa Association formed to advocate and educate for a future positive use of 125-acre Manresa Island after learning NRG Energy planned to decommission its power plant there. The association since has co-founded with the city a reuse study for the property.

The Norwalk Association of Silvermine Homeowners weighed in on the states plans to overhaul the Route 7/Merritt Parkway interchanges.

The Coalition of Norwalk Neighborhood Associations, another organization of concerned residents, will host Norwalk Tax Assessor Michael Stewart at City Hall on Monday evening as part of the groups interest in the citywide 2018 property revaluation.
TelefAnica Brasil S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides mobile and fixed telecommunications services to residential and corporate customers in Brazil. Its fixed line services portfolio includes local, domestic long-distance, and international long-distance calls; and mobile portfolio comprises voice and broadband internet access through 3G, 4G, and 4.5G, as well as mobile value-added services and wireless roaming services. The company also offers data services, including broadband and mobile data services. In addition, it provides pay TV services through direct to home satellite technology, IPTV, and cable, as well as pay-per-view and video on demand services; network services, such as rental of facilities; other services comprising internet access, private network connectivity, computer equipment leasing, extended service, caller identification, voice mail, cellular blocker, and others; wholesale services, including interconnection services to users of other network providers; and digital services, such as entertainment, cloud, and security and financial services, as well as sells wireless devices and accessories. Further, the company offers multimedia communication services, which include audio, data, voice and other sounds, images, texts, and other information, as well as sells devices, such as smartphones, broadband USB modems, and other devices. Additionally, it provides telecommunications solutions and IT support to various industries, such as retail, manufacturing, services, financial institutions, government, etc. It markets and sells its solutions through own stores, dealers, retail and distribution channels, door-to-door sales, and telesales. The company was formerly known as TelecomunicaAAes de SAo Paulo S.A. - TELESP and changed its name to TelefAnica Brasil S.A. in October 2011. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in SAo Paulo, Brazil.

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LONDON (AP)  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ready to take bold decisions to rebuild the economy after the coronavirus pandemic as his Conservative Party met Sunday for its first annual conference since 2019. The Tory conference opened Sunday in the northwestern city of Manchester as a shortage of truck drivers to delivery fuel across Britain continues to cause empty pumps and long lines at many gas stations.

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Wall Street analysts have given Greencore Group a "Buy" rating, but there may be better buying opportunities in the stock market. Some of MarketBeat's past winning trading ideas have resulted in 5-15% weekly gains. MarketBeat just released five new stock ideas, but Greencore Group wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Vedanta Ltd. is a natural resource company, which engages in the exploration, extraction, and processing of minerals, oil, and gas properties. It operates through the following segments: Copper, Aluminum, Iron Ore, Power, and Oil & Gas. The Copper segment focuses in custom smelting and also include a copper smelter, a refinery, a phosphoric acid plant, a sulphuric acid plant, a copper rod plant, and three captive power plants. The Aluminum segment comprises refinery and a captive power plant at Lanjigarh and a smelter, a thermal coal based captive power facility at Jharsuguda both situated in the State of Odisha in India. The Iron Ore segment explores, mines, and processes iron ore, pig iron, and metallurgical coke. The Power segment consists 600 MW thermal coal-based commercial power facility at Jharsuguda in the State of Odisha in Eastern India. The Oil and Gas segment involves in the exploration and development and production of oil and gas. The company was founded by Dwarka Prasad Agarwal on June 25, 1965 and is headquartered in Mumbai, India.

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New Zealand-bred mare Shartin has proven to be aggressive by nature since arriving in the stable of Jim King late last fall. Described by her former trainer Dean Braun as a bit bossy, Shartins eagerness finally got the better of her in the last preliminary leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series April 13.

Established as the 1-5 favorite off three impressive series victories in the preceding weeks, Shartin surprised punters and her trainer when she broke into a gallop as the wings of the gate folded. Although she recovered her stride as the field entered the first turn, Shartin became rough-gaited and again rolled off stride just before the half. She finished eighth beaten 7-1/4 lengths, her first finish outside the exacta in nine stateside starts.

She was overly aggressive. I dont have a real good explanation about what happened, I sure know it wasnt very pleasing, King remarked. The first one I could explain because she was overly aggressive and just had a gate problem, which we can work with. The second break, I was a lot more concerned about that.

Although Shartins streak of wins in the first three legs of the series earned her a place in the final and boosted her record to 14-for-22 with $182,492 earned, it may have also contributed to her mishap last week. With enough points accumulated, King gave the five-year-old daughter of Tintin In America a week off, skipping leg four. Shartin came back too fresh and aggressive last week. The ease of her wins has also means King doesnt truly know how well Shartin can handle the half-mile track.

At this point, we really dont know quite what she is. I certainly dont think weve seen her limit, King said. We dont know what she thinks of a half-mile track that much because shes never been out of the handholds; shes been in-hand at all times. Timmys given her such wonderful trips that she hasnt had to go to work yet.

Shartin and regular driver Tim Tetrick will start from post one as the 8-5 favourite in tonights $373,000 Matchmaker Series Final. She will face seven rivals: Sell A Bit, Medusa, Lady Shadow, Motu Moonbeam, Dudesalady, Twinkle, and Lakeisha Hall.

King took several steps this week to have Shartin primed for the final. First, he adjusted her new hopples to more closely match the set that shipped with her from Australia. Next, after consulting with down under conditioners, he trained Shartin Friday morning (April 20) to expend some of her pent-up energy.

I actually did take her hopples up a little. They were pretty new hopples, so not the ones she came with. I got the hopples out that she came to this country with and measured them up and they were a smidgen longer, not much, so I took them up a little. We made a little adjustment on her head, nothing major, King explained.

I actually trained her some (Friday) to try to take some of the spitfire out of her where usually I train horses three days out and leave it at that, King continued. Its been ok for the weeks we were racing weekly, but this time she was just awfully fresh. She was really eager, so Im just trying to do something a little different that I think might suit her. That is one of the things theyll do down under is give a horse a little work the day before to try to take the edge off them.

With the final looming and adjustments made, King hopes he has Shartin poised for a top effort tonight. Most of all, he wants to put last weeks breaks in the rear-view mirror and look forward to the races ahead.

We really have got to try to put that behind us. We really cant go in with a fear factor, thats for sure. At the same time, weve got to be concerned and know that shes capable of making a mistake, King said. I dont think theres anybody in there whos stronger than she is. From here, its all her and Timmy.

In addition to Shartin, King will start Christen Me in the $100,000 George Morton Levy Series Consolation. Although Christen Me seeks his first win of the year, an inside post position draw off a pair of good races earned him morning line favouritism at 9-5. King will also start Newborn Sassy in a $40,000 Mares FFA Pace for Matchmaker Series eligibles. She is the 8-5 early choice.

We have a great opportunity, King said. The stage is set for us to have a really happy night or a really disappointing night, but were expecting the best.

First post time tonight night is 6:50 p.m.

(SOA of NY)
EDMONTON - A store employee at an Edmonton shopping mall who was attacked while trying to stop a thief has died.

A Facebook page called "Pray for Iain Armstrong" was set up to provide updates on the mans condition while he was in hospital.

On Friday, a post announced the 61-year-old had died from his injuries.

Previous posts said Armstrong suffered brain damage and a severe spinal cord injury.

Armstrong was one of the founders of Bunches Flower Co., an Edmonton floral business.

Police were called to Southgate Centre last Tuesday to investigate the attack but have not arrested a suspect. (CTV Edmonton)

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NEW DELHIOffenders who rape girls under 12 may now be subject to the death penalty in India, according to an ordinance passed by Indias cabinet Saturday after a nationwide furor over the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl.

In an emergency meeting, Indias cabinet approved an amendment to the law protecting children from sexual offences that will set the minimum penalty for the gang rape of a child under 12 to life imprisonment or death, and the minimum for the rape of a child to 20 years up to a maximum sentence of life or death. It also doubled, to 20 years, the minimum punishment for the rape of a child under 16.

The new ordinance also calls for rape cases to be investigated in two months and trials to be concluded in the same span, as well as for new forensic labs and fast-track courts to be added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been under fire for his response to the crisis sparked by the arrest earlier this month of eight suspects in the January rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir.

With a Muslim victim and alleged Hindu assailants, the case rapidly became polarized, and two legislators from Modis political party were ultimately forced to step down after they attended a rally in support of the accused. Around the same time, a legislator from Modis party was arrested for raping a teen in a separate case in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

On Tuesday, Indian Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi called rape and child sexual abuse in India a national emergency, with 100,000 such cases pending in courts.

The whole country was enraged, and it cannot happen that the central government does not listen to us. Some change will occur, Swati Maliwal, the chair of Delhis commission for women, told reporters Saturday. She said she will end a nine-day hunger strike she staged to protest government inaction over the controversial rapes.

Maliwal said she was happy about the governments move but said police still need more accountability and resources.

But others criticized the ordinance, arguing that the possibility of a death sentence will not act as a deterrent and that India needs to improve its prosecution and conviction rate for rape and child sexual abuse cases. Supreme Court lawyer Karuna Nundy says that the rate of rapes has not decreased since the death penalty for the crime was introduced in India in 2013.

The death penalty is easy political candy to hand out to angry and upset citizens, but its much harder to work on justice systems that guarantee swift, certain punishment for sexual assault or to limit the violent patriarchies that cause rape in the first place, Nundy said.

Swagata Raha, a legal researcher with the Centre for Child and the Law at the National Law School of India University at Bangalore, wrote an opinion piece Saturday for website ThePrint, arguing that the death penalty will make it difficult for children to come forward and disclose sexual abuse because 94 per cent of offenders under Indias Child Protection Act are relatives or otherwise known to their victims.

I feel its a very reactionary measure, and certainly not the change those of us who work in this space would like to see, Raha said.

In 2012, another highly publicized gang rape and murder of a young college student prompted India to tighten its rape laws and set up fast-track courts. Four men were ultimately convicted and sentenced to death in that attack. But incidents of reported rape have risen 60 per cent since then, to 38,947 in 2016, according to National Crime Records Bureau data.

A 2016 investigation by the Washington Post of nearly 400 fast-track rape courts found that those set up to speed the prosecution of rape cases do not always have the impact that advocates hope for.

Interviews with lawyers, activists and prosecutors showed that the quality and success of the courts vary widely. Some described proceedings bogged down from long waits for forensic evidence, police reports and repeated adjournments, with witnesses turning hostile and refusing to testify because they have settled the matter with the family of a suspect.

In New Delhi, for example, there was a backlog of 3,487 cases in the capitals fast-track courts, some of which had been languishing for years, the Posts investigation showed.

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LOS ANGELESActor Verne Troyer, who was best known for his role as Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies, has died at the age of 49.

It is with great sadness and incredibly heavy hearts to write that Verne passed away today, a statement posted Saturday on Troyers Facebook page said. No cause of death was given.

Troyer, who starred in a number of commercials and films over the years, gained international fame with his role as Mini-Me, a 2-foot-8 inch version of Mike Myers Dr. Evil, in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember.

Troyer was hospitalized this month after friends, concerned about his behaviour, called authorities.

On the night of April 2, a friend called police and said the person who lived at Troyers North Hollywood address was depressed and wanted the police to come check it out, said Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Matthew Barrick, without confirming that it was Troyer.

Officers were dispatched, and about an hour later, they requested paramedics for unspecified medical aid, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson said.

About 15 minutes later, an individual at the house was taken to the hospital, officials said. Questions on the persons condition were directed to the mental evaluation unit at Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys in the San Fernando Valley.

A message posted to Troyers Instagram account the next day said, Asking you to keep Verne in your thoughts and prayers. Hes getting the best care possible and resting comfortably.

The statement posted on his Facebook page Saturday referred to the recent troubles.

Verne was a fighter when it came to his own battles, the statement said. Over the years hes struggled and won, struggled and won, struggled and fought some more, but unfortunately this time was too much. During this recent time of adversity he was baptized while surrounded by his family.

On April 6, 2017, Troyer wrote on Instagram that he had battled alcohol addiction in the past and that he was voluntarily checking himself into a treatment center. While its not always been an easy fight, Im willing to continue my fight day by day, he wrote.

Troyer became a celebrity and pop-culture phenomenon after starring alongside Myers as Mini-Me. Troyer, who was 2 feet 8 inches, was a versatile actor who was widely recognizable from his various roles. He played the goblin Griphook in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone and the ice hockey coach Punch Cherkov in The Love Guru.

One of Troyers first film roles came as a stunt double for a baby in the film Babys Day Out (1994).

He also appeared in Men in Black (1997), How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009).

He made headlines in 2008 when he sued celebrity news site TMZ and sought $20 million in damages for a sex tape Troyer said the website stole and posted online. His lawsuit said the tape was for his own personal, private use.

Troyer had a YouTube channel with more than half a million subscribers on which he frequently posted comedy skits. In his last video, posted three weeks ago, Troyer was in an armchair and talked about his pet peeves.

Just because Im small people think that they can come up to me and tap me on the head, he said. Im not a lap dog.

Myers wrote on Twitter: Verne was the consummate professional and a beacon of positivity for those of us who had the honor of working with him. It is a sad day, but I hope he is in a better place. He will be greatly missed.
Even on the phone, Roseanne Barr sounds cold.

I dont mean cold as in heartless. I mean cold as in what the hell am I doing in this country and why are there ice storms in April? The ghastly spring temps have been murder on her sciatica. Or, as the comedian recently tweeted, with fingers too numb for capitals and apostrophes: im freezing my fallopian tubes off in canada!

I asked, Is it going to be cold when I tour?  Barr tells me, on the line between standup gigs in frigid Burlington and Ottawa this week. And everybody was like, No, spring is a wonderful time in Canada. 

Not that shes complaining.

Even if the weather gods picked a wretched time to inflict misery on her joints and back, Roseanne Burrrr is feeling the cross-border love. The biggest star on U.S. television right now is crisscrossing the province like a 16th-century fur trader, bringing her observational humour to outposts  shell perform at the Rose Theatre Brampton on Sunday after a Saturday show in Kingston  that often get overlooked when comics perform live in the midst of a career renaissance.

These are shows that Ive had booked for a long time, she explains. And when I started working on Roseanne, I kind of had to move them. So I needed to make them up.

Last months revival of Roseanne, the groundbreaking ABC sitcom that originally ran between 1988 and 1997, landed like an atomic bomb even insiders never saw coming. More than 25 million watched the premiere. A month later, Barr has the No. 1 show on network television, an army of new and old fans, and the grudging respect of an industry that often does not know what to make of her.

I live a real life, says Barr, who tends to the land on a macadamia farm in Hawaii, replete with livestock, beehives and visiting grandkids. I guess a lot of (celebrities), they dont live in the real world. They live in a bubble. I tried to be part of that for a while, but it just was not good for me. So I moved back to regular America.

With her show back in production in Los Angeles, Barr now inhabits two planets. Im lucky that I get to have a world where my work is valued and I get to do some glamorous stuff. And then I go home and rake cow s--t. Its a good perspective.

What hasnt changed since 1985, when she first appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, is her disdain for the easily scandalized.

I love to puncture self-righteousness, says Barr. Thats what comedy is about.

While other comics may lament the outrage mobs that roam social media in search of offence, real or imagined, she sees political correctness as an opportunity.

Its the best time for comedy, says Barr, now 65. It makes for really fertile ground for comedy. Because people want to hear a viewpoint they can laugh at. The audiences are smart and I think theyre fed up with it, too  My act is not politically correct at all. I dont like that stuff. I think its censorship. I like to make fun of it.

As you might imagine, these instincts can lead to blowback.

In a recent episode of Roseanne, there is a scene in which her character, Roseanne Conner, and husband Dan (John Goodman) wake up after falling asleep on the couch.

Roseanne: Its 11 oclock. We slept from Wheel to Kimmel.

Dan: We missed all the shows about Black and Asian families.

Roseanne: Theyre just like us. There, now youre all caught up.

A number of viewers, including other sitcom writers, were highly critical of this exchange, which they deemed dismissive, unnecessary, belittling and possibly even a racist shot at ABCs Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat.

Barr scoffs at such analysis. She is unrepentant.

They misinterpreted the whole joke, she says. I mean, its just ridiculous. They dont even get it.

She questions the motivation of her critics.

Theyre gunning for me, she says. Theyre gunning for my show. Its part of being No. 1. Its part of being the best. They totally misinterpreted it. That was a joke that was supportive of their shows.

It probably doesnt help that Barr, like her character, voted for Donald Trump.

To wear a MAGA cap in Hollywood is like marching into a public library with a Taser. You will be seen as unstable and dangerous. You become a pariah.

I dont support everything he does, says Barr, referring to Trump. But theres never been a president that I dont have something to say about.

Reminder: Barr ran for president in 2012. Would she ever run again?

I never stop thinking about it, she says. But I dont know. Im so old now. Im tired. But I think I have declared myself president for life of the United States. So Im going to keep giving my opinion because I live in a country where thats possible.

As for another recent criticism  her retweeting of far-right conspiracy theories  Barr offers an explanation.

I try to use my Twitter site like I do everything else, where its like, Hey, heres what they are saying. Read up on it,  she says.

It doesnt mean that I support or believe it myself. But its interesting.

But then she seems to double down by saying conspiracy theories can sometimes be true. She cites disgraced comedians Bill Cosby and Louis CK.

I was the first one to call out both of those guys and I was attacked for that, says Barr. They were like, Oh, shes rehashing conspiracy theories. Then they turn out true. And it pisses me off because they never say, Oh, Roseanne was right two years ago. They just move on to the next thing.

Are you ever wrong? I ask, before moving on to the next thing.

I like being right, she replies, droll irony now in effect. The only time I was ever wrong was once I thought I was wrong. And it turned out I was right.

On Thursday, Barr was named one of Time magazines 100 Most Influential People. One of the reasons she wanted to return to network television, she says, is to help slice through the political and social polarization. Though it may be hard to believe, she wants to be a sounding board more than a lightning rod.

She wants to be a uniter more than a divider.

I wanted to help people be able to talk intelligently about actual issues rather than retreat to their little pens that they have us all in, and parrot talking points that, you know, the powers that be give us to keep us separate. We have to coalesce and solve problems.

Barr hopes the next new episode of Roseanne, to air on May 1 (7:30 p.m. on CTV), will spark dialogue.

The first show back is going to be a really political show, she promises.

Its about getting Muslim neighbours and thats very political. But we have these Muslim professors that we asked to watch the show and they loved it and said it was a great way to open a discussion on this real issue. Thats what I think TV is supposed to be for. You talk about things. You dont blacklist people and get angry.

So if you see a familiar face near a local theatre this week  her standup act is headed to St. Catharines (Monday), Oakville (Wednesday) and Guelph (Friday)  say hello and maybe buy this macadamia farmer a hot chocolate.

The domestic goddess from the 80s is now the grand dame of comedy.

And she still has a few things to get off her chest.

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The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is expected to grow fast in the coming decades and we have many reasons to celebrate this population boom. New residents bring their skills and talents, and they spur economic growth from which we all benefit.

We should be building a healthy supply of new homes equally fast so that newcomers and established residents can find places to live at prices they can afford. Unfortunately, as things stand, getting new homes to market in the GTA is a process hindered by red tape and lengthy delays.

In order to get approvals for a new project, developers have to navigate layers of government regulation. On the municipal level alone, they go through 15 major approval steps to complete a townhouse complex or a single-family home, and nine major steps for a highrise building.

To be clear, our industry supports regulation that ensures safe, well-built projects. The problem arises when avoidable delays in the approvals process hold up housing projects.

As an example, many development applications hit a snag when they are reviewed for compliance with the municipalitys zoning bylaws. Because zoning bylaws are not updated regularly, a development application could meet provincial intensification targets  and even the municipalitys own official plan  yet still not comply with outdated zoning bylaws. This means that the developer has to apply for variances or amendments, which often translates into delays. To give a recent example, a condo and townhouse project in a Toronto neighbourhood, representing about 200 units of new housing, had months added to its timeline because the developer had to apply for more than 20 bylaw variances.

Provincial regulations can also create unnecessary delays in bringing new homes to market. In York Region, for instance, communities have been waiting since 2014 for an environmental assessment approval from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change for a sewage solution project that is intended to service Aurora, Newmarket and East Gwillimbury. Without this crucial piece of infrastructure, new housing development in the area is stalled.

What do these delays and red tape mean for you? It means housing is slow to come to market, and if you are looking for a new home to buy, you have fewer options to choose from.

Delays also add tens of thousands of dollars to developers costs, so your new home will ultimately cost more.

And delaying the building of new housing means that your municipality misses out on the tax revenues that new residents would bring, which translates to less funding for community needs like transit, libraries and emergency services.

Its time to make housing a priority in the GTA and look for solutions to end unnecessary, costly red tape and bring new homes to market faster. The lead-up to elections is the perfect time to talk about this, and other housing issues, with your candidate for public office.
MONTREALStarting next week, asylum-seekers arriving through the Canada-United States border could be fast-tracked to shelters and services in Ontario if that is their preferred destination.

After a cry for help from Quebec, which claims there could be 400 refugee claimants coming into Canada each day this summer, federal officials said they are working on a triage plan.

Its not clear yet whether refugee claimants will be flown, bussed or sent on a train, but those who indicate, upon arrival, that they want to go to Toronto will soon be hustled out of Quebec.

Read more:

Quebec pushes federal government for more help with asylum seekers

Quebec preparing for up to 400 asylum seekers a day at the U.S. border this summer

Opinion | Theres nothing illegal about asylum seekers

We are in the process of working at the officials level with both Quebec and Ontario to determine  what is in the art of the possible, what could it look like, said one federal official, speaking to reporters on background Friday.

I think one of the main points to consider is  how would the province of Ontario and Quebec and the municipalities in those provinces like a system to be designed that also suits their needs.

Parts of the new plan, which was hatched at a meeting Wednesday night, will be in place in the coming days.

Will it be completely functional by the end of next week? I cant say, but certainly some basic elements of it will be in place, said an official.

A spokesperson for Ontario Immigration Minister Laura Albanese said the province is working with Ottawa and Quebec, but that it was too early to comment on details of how and where asylum-seekers might be transferred to Ontario.

Her Quebec counterpart, David Heurtel, said this week that his province had shouldered more than its fair share of the elevated number of asylum-seekers and would begin shutting its 1,850-bed shelter system when occupation rates reach 85 per cent.

Those foreign nationals who avoid official border posts and enter Canada through Roxham Road in Quebec, as most do, are exploiting a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement. The Canada-U.S. immigration treaty states that an asylum-seeker must make their claim with the government of the country in which they first arrive.

If the person is already on Canadian soil when the claim is made, the rules of the treaty cannot be applied.

According to the RCMP, there were 20,593 people intercepted crossing into Canada between official ports of entry in 2017. Most were picked up at Roxham Road, which connects Champlain, N.Y., with Hemmingford, Que.

Last year, there were some 51,000 people who sought asylum in the country, a number that includes those who entered through traditional methods and those who crossed into Canada illegally.

Already this year, there have been 6,373 irregular crossings. Most of those arriving have come from Nigeria, Colombia, the United States, Pakistan and Haiti.

Some have been living south of the border and decided to flee the country due to U.S. President Donald Trumps crackdown on immigration. Others have flown into the U.S. on tourist visas with the sole purpose of making a refugee claim in Canada.

Federal immigration officials are trying to inform potential claimants that they must meet strict standards before they will be granted asylum. The department has aimed information campaigns at diaspora communities and is also working with American border and immigration authorities to control and prepare for the flow.

Once an asylum-seeker has arrived in Canada and been processed for a hearing with the Immigration Refugee Board, they are permitted to move wherever they wish in the country. To ease the strain on big cities, immigration officials hope to start providing better information about housing and job opportunities that may lead newcomers to smaller communities better able to absorb them into their workforce and housing market.

Maybe its a question of an asylum-seeker who only knows of the city of Toronto or Montreal. Theyre not actually educated enough about our country and thats our responsibility to help them make informed decisions about where they could live .

But officials steadfastly refuse to say how many people they expect to see flowing across the border as the weather begins heating up or when the school year ends for the summer.

Its near impossible to predict the future arrivals to the country by irregular migration, said one border official.

We do know right now that we have roughly, on average, anywhere from 75 to 80 people a day crossing through the Roxham Road location. A few weeks ago that might have been as low as 50 a day. Its very difficult to say where were going.
OTTAWAThe Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is warning pregnant and breastfeeding women about the potential dangers of cannabis use.

The society points to evidence-based studies that suggest potential growth and development issues if cannabis is used while pregnant or breastfeeding.

That includes pre-term labour, low birth weight, lower IQ scores and impulsivity and hyperactivity in childhood.

Read more:

Canadian doctors given advice on prescribing medical pot

More women in California are using marijuana during pregnancy, study finds

Ontario prepping reefer awareness campaign on the dangers of marijuana as legalization date approaches

The group says the main psychoactive component of cannabis  THC  crosses the placenta into fetal tissue and can also accumulate in breast milk. And thats regardless of whether cannabis is vaped, smoked, eaten, or in pill or topical form.

The organization announced its public awareness campaign on April 20, a date associated with pro-cannabis activism. The campaign includes two videos and material on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The doctors group also pointed to research that suggests 70 per cent of pregnant and non-pregnant women believe there is a slight or no risk in using cannabis once or twice a week during pregnancy.

Should cannabis become available for sale this summer, it is important that individuals be aware of the health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women, the societys head, Dr. Jennifer Blake, said Friday in a release.
EDMONTONThe United Conservative Party says four of its members will not seek re-election when Alberta voters go to the polls next spring.

The four include Wayne Drysdale, who represents Grande Prairie Wapiti, Pat Stier from Livingstone Macleod, Little Bows David Schneider and Bonnyville Cold Lake member Scott Cyr.

A party official says the four men made their own decision about not running again and wanted to get the word out before the partys annual meeting next month in Red Deer, Atla.

Read more:

Jason Kenney wins Alberta legislature seat in byelection

Alberta UCP leaders walkout on buffer zone debate prompts pro-choice fundraiser

Alberta status of women minister calls out UCP member over tweet dismissing womens marches

The official says their decisions have nothing to do with the party vetting candidates before next years election.

In a release, leader Jason Kenney thanks the four for their service, and notes the party is attracting new candidates that reflect a more diverse Alberta.

On behalf of our party and caucus, I know Wayne, Pat, David, and Scott will be missed, Kenny said Friday.

Together they leave a proud legacy as founding members of our growing party, and each played a critical role in a unity process that brings us ever closer to fulfilling our promise to renew the Alberta Advantage.

With their departure, I am encouraged by the calibre of candidates our party is attracting, which I believe will reflect the diversity of todays Alberta.

The 25-member United Conservative caucus currently includes 23 men and two women.

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HALIFAXPrime Minister Justin Trudeaus government is being pushed by backbenchers and grassroots Liberals to take a more progressive stance on issues such as pharmacare, prostitution and illegal drugs.

The pressure came Friday during the first full day of the Liberals national convention and it was motivated, at least in part, by a determination not to be outflanked by the NDP in the battle for progressive voters in next years federal election.

At the same time, however, Trudeaus ministers were applying some pressure of their own  urging party faithful to get out and sell the governments support for the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in the face of opposition from environmentalists, some Indigenous groups and British Columbias NDP government.

One resolution, proposed by the national caucus, calls for the countrys universal health-care system to be expanded to include coverage of prescription drugs, echoing a call by the Commons health committee last week.

Finance Minister Bill Morneaus most recent federal budget announced the creation of an advisory committee, headed by former Ontario health minister Eric Hoskins, to study the implementation of national pharmacare.

But Oakville MP John Oliver, a member of the health committee, warned that the fight for pharmacare is not a done deal and he urged delegates to support the resolution to send a message to the Prime Ministers Office.

I think its so important that Liberals own this issue, we dont let the NDP own it. We need to own it as Liberals, its got to come out of this convention as the No. 1 priority.

New Democrats approved a resolution on national pharmacare at their recent convention.

Oliver warned that very powerful lobby groups, including the big pharmaceutical companies and insurance companies, will fight a universal pharmacare plan. And he said there will be all kinds of other people resisting it.

Another resolution proposed by the caucus calls on the government to decriminalize simple possession and consumption of all illicit drugs, adopting a model similar to that used in Portugal where the emphasis is on getting drug users into treatment.

New Democrats have adopted a similar resolution.

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor reiterated Friday that Canada and Portugal are very different countries. And she noted that Trudeau has been clear that legalizing recreational marijuana is as far as hes prepared to go in removing the criminal prohibition on drug use.

But Toronto MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith urged grassroots Liberals not to take no for an answer.

The government is committed to the grassroots, the government is committed to evidence and if we come out of this supporting (this resolution) I think the government will change its mind, he told the workshop.

At another workshop, there was little evidence of support for a resolution calling for the decriminalization of prostitution, proposed by the partys youth commission.

But Young Liberal president Mira Ahmad said its very popular among youth delegates, who make up almost one third of the roughly 3,000 Liberals at the convention.

Youth have a history of challenging the party status quo and pushing for progressive policies, she said after the workshop.

Some Liberals may not like it, she added. But thats why the Young Liberals exists, to bring issues like this to the table.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould said the government is already considering decriminalization, among other options, for dealing with the sex trade.

Wilson-Raybould also indicated that shes open to listening to arguments about decriminalizing all drugs, although she stressed her priority is cannabis, which is to be legalized this summer.

However, Petitpas Taylor, the lead minister on the drug file, was decidedly cool to the idea. She warned that decriminalization is not the silver bullet solution to the opioid crisis.

During a panel discussion on the environment and the economy, Environment Minister Catherine McKenna appealed to delegates to back the governments determination to see the Trans Mountain pipeline expanded. Getting bitumen from Albertas oilsands to tidewater in B.C. is part of the balance the government is trying to strike, protecting the environment and reducing carbon emissions while still growing the economy, she argued.

We have to stop the polarization, McKenna said.

Thats why I need you to stand up and support what we are doing to take action on climate change and also support projects that make sense in getting resources to market.

Outside the convention, a handful of protesters denounced the pipeline and the governments environmental policy in general. And inside, Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr acknowledged that some Liberals are also likely uneasy about the pipeline.

Within our party there will be those who think pipelines are not a great idea, but when they hear the arguments about the alternatives of moving the product by rail or by pipeline ... I think they will see the position that we have taken.

Carr said hes not comfortable watching the Alberta and B.C. governments duke it out in public over the pipeline. But while he understands theyre standing up for their provincial interests, he said the federal government has another priority.

There is only one government of Canada. We will be accountable for protecting the interests of the entire nation.
Neighbours of one of Torontos most significant green spaces are challenging the corporation that for decades has claimed to own it. Mount Pleasant Cemetery and nine other locations across the GTA totalling more than 1,200 acres rightfully belong to the public, not Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries, they say.

Friends of Toronto Public Cemeteries, along with Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, are set to face off in court this summer against the not-for-profit corporation.

They want a judge to declare that Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries belongs to the public as a trust and a charitable organization that must be governed by appointed or elected trustees, according to court documents. And they want the province to delve into the corporations finances and board of directors to determine if it has violated legislation from 1826 that originally declared it a public trust.

I love the cemeterys deep tranquillity and the sense its a shared, sacred space thats rich with the history of Toronto, said Lorraine Tinsley, a board member of Friends of Toronto Public Cemeteries, who has lived near Mount Pleasant since 2000 and walks there weekly. We need to exercise stewardship and take care of it for future generations.

Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries spokesperson Rick Cowan said they have always encouraged the public to enjoy the green space of the 10 cemeteries.

Our only requirement is that people respect the space they are in and recognize others may be there grieving.

When asked about the legal proceedings launched by the neighbourhood group, Cowan said it would be inappropriate to comment on a case before the courts, but that it involves the interpretation of legislation from (the mid-1800s) and whether that legislation impacts how the Mount Pleasant Groups board is constituted.

Margot Boyd, who has been a vocal member of the neighbourhood group, lives in a house that backs onto Mount Pleasant Cemetery. She has spent countless hours reading books under a mature pine, jogging along the weaving path, or walking from headstone to headstone with her three young sons.

For the people who live around here, this is our New York Central Park, said Boyd, adding if the judge rules in the corporations favour she will be personally devastated.

I will burst into tears and worse if we lose Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The neighbourhood group contends Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries is a charity, and the province should treat it as such.

In 2006, the corporation was advised it was considered a charitable organization by the provinces Office of the Public Guardian and Trust, said the offices legal counsel Nicholas Hedley in an affidavit filed with the court. The provincial body that, according its website, plays an important role in protecting charitable property, took no further steps when Mount Pleasant Group didnt comply.

The corporation has several aspects that complement its charitable character, including its role in leading cemetery innovation, providing park-like settings and possessing historically recognized monuments, said Hedley.

In a responding affidavit, Mount Pleasant Group vice-president Glen Timney said the corporation is different from cemeteries with charitable status in that it doesnt depend on donations and its 10 sites generate enough revenue to take care of its property and buildings.

Last year, the corporation brought in $86 million in revenue, according to a financial statement published on its website. Its assets totalled more than $560 million. Like most cemeteries in Ontario, it is exempt from paying income tax and like all cemeteries in the province is exempt from paying municipal property tax.

If it were a charity, Mount Pleasant Groups finances would be under much greater scrutiny, said Toronto estate lawyer Daniel Nelson, who is not involved in the case.

Given the vast amounts of money involved, this is millions and millions of dollars, lets be more transparent about whether this is a public trust or not, Nelson said.

When Mount Pleasant Cemetery was founded in 1826 as the first non-denominational burying ground in Toronto, it was set up as a public trust and therefore belonged to the public and was overseen by the province, the neighbourhood group says in a factum filed with the court.

Trustees were appointed through a public process legislated by the province (much like the board of the Royal Ontario Museum) and they expanded beyond the original 205-acre site, just north of St. Clair Ave. E., to Prospect, Necropolis, Pine Hills cemeteries and others, according to the factum.

But in the late 1980s, for reasons unknown, the trustees changed course, the factum says.

The corporation no longer sought public input into trustee appointments, or held elections, as theyre required to as a public trust, the neighbourhood group says. The trustees renamed themselves directors and in the 2000s denied a trust existed, and made decisions without adhering to the proper governing processes, they say. Those allegations have not yet been tested in court.

Mount Pleasant Group maintains ever since it became a corporation in 1871 and transferred all relevant property previously held by trustees to the new corporation it has had the right to change its nomenclature, according to an affidavit by its president Glen McClurry.

The neighbourhood group has a history of challenging the corporation. In 2012, Mount Pleasant Cemetery announced it would upgrade the incinerators in its crematorium to what it deemed to be the most clean and efficient system in North America, eliminating almost 100 per cent of emissions and particulate matter.

However, residents, including Tinsley and Boyd, wanted the crematorium removed entirely in fear it released toxins detrimental to their health.

Wong-Tam, whose ward borders Mount Pleasant Cemetery, went to the Environmental Review Tribunal in 2013 to try to stop the cemetery from upgrading its incinerators. Her application was turned down because of lack of evidence that the new incinerators would harm the environment, the Star reported.

That same year, the neighbourhood group, now with more than 130 members, launched the current legal proceeding.

When I learned about the governance issues, I realized it might be our best bet at tackling the inappropriateness of industrial incinerators in public spaces, said Tinsley.

Wong-Tam did not respond to a request for comment, but did write in her affidavit that she is acting as a resident of Toronto, not as a representative of the city or council.

Maintaining public assets in the public realm is a matter close to my heart ... I, along with other residents of Toronto, have an interest in Mount Pleasant Cemetery and a right to vote on who should manage (Mount Pleasant Group), Wong-Tams affidavit says. Neither of these rights appear to be acknowledged by (the corporation).

Boyd said while she wouldnt be interested in becoming a trustee, shed like to have the opportunity to elect someone who represents her interests.

While the corporation allows the public to use its cemeteries expansive green space for recreation, it could reverse that decision at any time, said Pamela Taylor, another board member of Friends of Toronto Public Cemeteries. If the cemeteries are recognized as a public trust, it would be a way to guarantee the gates are kept open indefinitely.

But Cowan says the corporation has no plans to change its policies around public access and will continue to keep the properties open during business hours for passive recreational use.

The case will be heard at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as an estate matter in late August. Also named as respondents are the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Public Guardian and Trustee. The province did not respond to a request for comment.

The issue is also slated to come up at city council next week when Councillor Josh Matlow introduces a motion requesting that staff report back to management committee in July on the citys interest in the legal proceeding.
Note - May 15, 2018: See correction on bottom.

In dealing with international child custody and abduction cases, Canadian judiciaries must look beyond parental intent and consider all relevant circumstances in the childrens interests before deciding what country the kids should live in and if they should be returned, says the Supreme Court of Canada.

In a 6-3 split decision, the court said current Canadian jurisprudence predominantly focus exclusively on the parents will and desire when determining the childs habitual residence.

The hybrid approach is fact-bound, practical, and unencumbered with rigid rules, formulas, or presumptions, the court ruled in a decision released Friday.

When applying the Hague Convention, the multilateral treaty that administers the return of an abducted child, Canadas highest court said judges must consider factors such as how long the children have lived in one country, how often they visit there if they arent residents, their living conditions and the reasons of the stay, as well as their citizenship and nationality.

No single factor dominates the analysis. The circumstances of the parents, including their intentions, may be important, particularly in the case of infants or young children, the court said. But there is no rule that the actions of one parent cannot unilaterally change the habitual residence of a child.

The case before the court involved the two children of a Canadian woman, Kate Baggott, and her now ex-husband John Paul Balev, a Bulgarian and Canadian dual citizen.

The couple married in Toronto in 2000 and moved to Germany for his job. Their children, now 15 and 12, were both born there but would not have been eligible for German citizenship until they were 18. The marriage fell apart, but the family was still living together when Baggott and the children moved back to Canada in 2013. The father agreed to let them stay in Canada for 16 months.

In administering the international treaty, the first court ruling found that Baggott had wrongfully retained that children and that they must be returned to Germany. A subsequent court decision in Canada ruled the children should remain with their mother here  a decision that was later overturned by an appeal court, which sent the kids back to Germany in October 2016.

Although the ruling would not have any effect on the case because German courts ultimately awarded the mother sole custody last year and allowed her and her two children to return to Canada last April, the Supreme Court said the law requires clarifications.

The interests of children should be paramount in any family law issue brought before the courts, said Baggott. The hybrid model does give childrens interests consideration and respect before the courts that was missing before. However, serious advocacy work remains for those of us who seek to make the Hague Convention a true tool in the protection of childrens rights.

Whats really great about this decision is we are taking seriously that children have ideas. They are not a property. They do have a voice and their opinions should be part of the process, added Patric Senson, the mothers lawyer.

In dissent, Justices Michael Moldaver, Suzanne Cote and Malcolm Rowe said Baggott and Balevs children were habitually resident in Germany because there was no parental agreement for them to settle in Canada. The hybrid approach goes against the Hague Conventions purpose to enforce custody rights across international borders, they added.

The result is an unprincipled and open-ended approach  untethered from the text, structure, and purpose of the Hague Convention  that creates a recipe for litigation, they wrote.

Balev agreed.

The hybrid approach basically plays into the hands of parents who abduct or wrongfully retain minors abroad. It gives weight to factors such as acclimatisation and preferences which will basically turn the matter into a custody dispute, Balev told the Star.

The abducting or retaining parent will only have to convince the children that they should stay where they are, which would not be hard to do given that the other parent will have virtually no contact with the children.

Correction - May 15, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said John Paul Balev went to German authorities claiming that Kate Baggott abducted their son and daughter. In fact, he did not do that. As well, the article previously referred to a Canadian lower court ruling that the children should remain with their mother in Canada. In fact, the first court ruling in the case determined that Baggott had wrongfully retained the children and they must be returned to Germany. The article also stated that the children, now 15 and 12, were not eligible for German citizenship. In fact, they are eligible once they turn 18.
The TTCs largest union says it has cancelled an agreement that allows employees to work overtime, a decision that could leave the transit agency short-staffed within a matter of days.

TTC management and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113 have an agreement that allows members to work 64 hours a week, which is longer than the 48 hours spelled out in the Employment Standards Act. Both sides must agree to the deal in order to extend it.

In a letter sent to management on Friday afternoon, the union, which represents nearly 11,000 transit employees, said it wouldnt agree to extend the arrangement past April 30. Unless Local 113 reverses the decision, the TTC could find itself without enough workers at the end of the month.

The move comes as the two parties have reached an apparent impasse in negotiations for a new contract.

Because the province has designated the TTC an essential service, its employees arent legally allowed to strike.

Frank Grimaldi, president of Local 113, denied the union was rescinding the overtime agreement as a way of pressuring management into making concessions, and claimed the decision had nothing to do with contract talks.

The two are unrelated, he said in an interview.

According to Grimaldi, union reps have been concerned, for some time, that the TTC is using the overtime provision to avoid hiring more workers and to leave some positions vacant. He said that would make it easier for the TTC to privatize some positions at the agency.

Its pretty clear that they want to keep these jobs open in order to contract out, he said.

In a brief statement, TTC spokesperson Brad Ross described the overtime arrangement as mutually beneficial.

The agreement provides TTC employees (members of ATU Local 113) with the ability to earn overtime, while the TTC is able to save on certain service costs, mostly on weekend closures, he said.

Ross wouldnt say what the impact on transit service would be if the agency isnt able to ask employees to work overtime. The TTC is reviewing the implications of this change now, he said.

The TTCs collective bargaining agreement with Local 113 expired March 31. On Tuesday, the union accused management of walking away from the bargaining table.

The TTC says it has asked the ministry of labour to appoint a conciliator to help the two sides reach a fair agreement.
A review of the handling of missing persons cases by Toronto police has granted an unusual degree of authority to a small community-based committee, its members say, allowing them the power to determine just what the review will probe.

Its actually very remarkable, and important as a new sort of way that these kinds of reviews are conducted, that its a directly community-led process, said Shakir Rahim, a member of the four-person committee and a board member with the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP).

The review could include questions about how police handled the disappearances of the earliest victims of alleged serial killer Bruce McArthur.

But it will not address police conduct related to McArthur specifically, due to the continuing investigation and his pending trial.

The committee will meet for the first time next week. It expects to report on its suggested terms of reference on June 21.

Fred Kaustinen, executive director of the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards, told the Star that the way the scope is being set is very rare. The closest comparison to that level of community input would be to the last round of searches for a Toronto police chief, he said.

Police boards dont do a lot of these types of reviews to start with. I think there should be more. And I cant think of another version of what youre talking about, he said.

Lawyer Sara Mainville, another committee member whos worked previously on a federal environment assessment review, said she was attracted to the missing persons review because there seemed to be a lot of very careful consideration into giving some independence to us.

Rahim said the level of community input at play was reccomended by ASAAP. If this is adopted as a new way to determine terms of reference going forward, more broadly, its a new way of approaching this issue in Canada  of how we conduct inquiries and reviews.

On paper, the Toronto Police Services Board, the civilian oversight body who struck the committee, has the only formal ability to decide terms of reference for the review. But, Rahim said, the message theyve received was that the board will be open to adopting the report the committee expects to bring forward in June.

The groups first meeting is slated for next week, and its expected to meet weekly after that. They wont be the ones conducting the review; their job is just to set the framework.

Alongside Rahim and Mainville will be police board member Ken Jeffers and Monica Forrester, engagement co-ordinator with Maggies Toronto Sex Workers Action Project. Toronto lawyer Breese Davies has been retained to act as the facilitator of the working group.

Davies comes to the group with a background in criminal and administrative law, and involvement with a number of inquests and inquiries, including probes into the overseas torture cases of Maher Arar, Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El Maati and Muayyed Nureddin.

Ill understand any potential intersections with criminal investigations, and any concerns around ensuring our work doesnt interfere with any criminal investigations, Davies told the Star on Friday. And I obviously have experience with police inquiries, so I think thats the combination of experience they were hoping I would bring to the table.

Rahim said theyve been led to believe police will be co-operative with the independent review, but said it was important that the terms of reference establish exactly what the requirements will be for Toronto police in terms of that co-operation.

He also stressed the importance of looking at previous and relevant inquiries, such as the B.C. review of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and determining how their reccomendations have been incorporated within the Toronto Police Service.

Mainville, meanwhile, says one of their most important tasks will be to determine the outer boundaries of what they intend to probe, when grappling with such large issues. If theyre going to create a recipe for success, she said, no one component can be ignored.

Shes been on committees before where a government receives a report and theyll Frankenstein it, she said, because they cherry-pick what they like about it and what they dont.

Itll be up to the group members to champion the reviews findings collectively, she said, in order to make a transformative difference for Toronto and its police service.
There were at least six guns  including a pistol  stashed in closets, linen drawers and cabinets throughout Rocco Zitos North York home when the reputed mobster was shot dead in his front hallway, court heard Friday.

Zitos brick bungalow on Playfair Ave. was thoroughly searched by police after he was shot around 5 p.m. on Jan. 29, 2016, Const. Irvin Albrecht testified at the University Ave. courthouse.

Zitos son-in-law, Domenic Scopelliti, 54, has been charged with murder.

We had received information that there might be concealed areas in the house (and) that we should be mindful of that, Albrecht testified.

One rifle was stored by a radiator. Some bullets were stored by picture books of dogs in a drawer. Another rifle with a scope hung on a hook in the ensuite bathroom, under a towel. Some ammunition sat in a drawer on bedroom night table. The pistol was in a pouch in a locked cabinet by the dining room.

In his opening remarks to the jury, Crown attorney Iain Sunderland said that Zito, 87, was killed in a domestic dispute over money, not mob activity.

Sunderland also noted that Zito was suspected by police of Mafia activity throughout his adult life.

Albrecht said he was mindful to look for discreet locations when searching Zitos home.

Officers checked out a backyard chicken coup, doghouse and plenty of drawers and closets.

In addition to the guns, they found plenty of cash, Albrecht said.

That included $2,165 in Canadian bills and $251 in American currency found in a briefcase, $17,475 Canadian in a pair of wallets, $2,000 Canadian in a paper envelope, 18,570 Euros in a wallet and $1,750 in Canadian bills in a drawer.

A bank statement found in the home showed Zito had more than $1 million in his account, court heard.

In addition to the guns and ammunition, police also found a device called a silencer, used to suppress the sound of gunfire. A firearms licence in Zitos name was also found. It had expired in 2006, Albrecht said.

A police officer who arrived on the scene minutes after the shooting said he heard a faint knocking sound from a locked basement door, near the feet of Rocco Zito, who lay motionless in the front hallway.

Const. Steve Zettler described a chaotic scene after arriving at 5:18 p.m.

Three women stood over Zitos body, sobbing. There was a hole in a basement door near the body, as if a bullet had been fired through it. And then there was a faint knocking sound on the latched door.

You still didnt know if you had a suspect with a gun in that basement? asked Scopellitis lawyer, Brian Ross.

Thats right, Zettler said.

We had information that the suspect was still possible on scene and possibly armed, Zettler said.

Zettler said he couldnt believe his ears when he heard the faint knocking sound.

We heard a knock on the basement door, a faint knock, not a hard knock, Zettler said. I kind of looked at my partner, like: Is that what I really heard? A knock on the door?

He didnt open the door, which was bolted shut. The police emergency task force arrived shortly after and took over the crime scene, Zettler said.

Const. Kelli Webb also described the scene around Zitos body. Webb said a crying, older woman didnt want to leave him.

I tried to speak to her, tell her that she needed to leave the house for safety reasons, Webb testified.

When the woman didnt respond, Webb and another officer led her outside for safety reasons, Webb said.

There might still be somebody in the basement, Webb said.

Neighbour Stephanie Elias told court she had gotten off work around 5 p.m. that evening. It was already dark when she saw Scopelliti driving from his house, she said.

He just waved and nodded before he took off, Elias said.

Court has not heard the origin of the knocking sounds from the basement.

Albrecht said there were two exits from the basement to the exterior of the house.
A man is charged in two alleged sexual assaults at one of the two Mississauga outlets of Tanned Bodies, a Greater Toronto Area tanning salon chain.

Peel Regional Police said the first alleged assault took place nearly two years ago. On June 12, 2016, a 29-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by the suspect during her tanning session. She left the outlet, on 3050 Confederation Pkwy., and contacted police.

However, police did not follow up with any charges.

A second alleged assault took place on April 10 at the same Mississauga outlet. Police said a 23-year-old woman was sexually assaulted during her tanning session by the same suspect. She then left and contacted police.

Nine days later, police arrested and charged a man.

Gary Edwards, 44, faces two counts of sexual assault.

He appeared at a bail hearing in a Brampton courthouse on Thursday.
Like hundreds of workers who devoted decades of their lives to General Electric Peterborough, Roger Fowler and Ed Condon wanted one thing: recognition that one of Canadas oldest and largest industrial facilities, for all the promise and opportunity it offered, also made them sick.

After years of denied compensation claims, a review launched last fall by the provincial compensation board offered the chance to do just that  by re-evaluating some 250 previously rejected cases filed by workers with a range of crippling and often terminal illnesses.

For the Fowler and Condon families, the process has inspired hope in one case and heartbreak in the other.

With its review three-quarters complete, the board has reversed its position in about 48 per cent of the cases it originally denied. Aaron Lazarus, vice-president of communications for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, said the decisions are based on new evidence and updated science supporting a link between workplace exposures and illness.

A 2016 Star investigation revealed working conditions in decades past at GE Peterborough, in which workers described asbestos fibres floating thick in the air, open pots of lead and mercury dotting the shop floor and 23 massive dip tanks of varnishes and solvents used to coat and degrease motors spreading fumes throughout the plant. GE maintains safety has always been its priority and that it followed the best available practices at the time.

Hundreds of pages of documentation, including reports from the ministries of health and labour, showed unsafe levels of toxic substances at the facility between 1960 and roughly 1980, as well as repeated warnings by government inspectors about poor housekeeping, shoddy ventilation and lack of personal protective equipment.

But of the 660 compensation claims filed since 2005, about half were initially denied or withdrawn for apparently insufficient evidence.

Overall, what were really trying to do is help bring closure, Lazarus told the Star.

For 72-year-old colorectal cancer survivor Roger Fowler, that is exactly what the WSIB review has accomplished. And the results are life-changing.

His cheque, received Wednesday, means medical bills covered, financial help for his kids, a fishing trip or two, and most importantly, official recognition that his workplace saddled him with 26 years of sickness and surgeries.

I actually feel like Ive had my justice now, like Im being acknowledged that this actually took place, Fowler says.

I would like to see everybody looked after that got sick in there, he adds. I know its not going to happen. But I would like to see that.

Ed Condon did not live to see the progress made by his tight-knit community of colleagues, although his daughter Cindy Crossley says she knows he would be proud of what they have accomplished.

Condon died of an inoperable brain tumour in 2012. In his final months, he carefully documented the chemicals he had worked with. The final list was 42 items long and included some of the worlds most deadly substances: arsenic; cyanide; vinyl chloride; asbestos; lead; benzene; DDT; epoxy resins; silica; and cadmium.

In February, Crossley learned her fathers case was denied for a second time.

Honestly, we were shocked, Crossley says. People talk about a roller-coaster, but that truly is what it feels like.

The trouble, she feels, is that while the board rightfully initiated a claims review, systemic problems  which led to so many denials in the first place  remain unsolved.

The task of providing sufficient evidence to win a claim, she and her husband, Steve, say, is often nearly impossible for grieving families with no background in navigating the compensation system.

Mums tired. Shell never give up, but it takes its toll, Crossley says. Its such a confusing process. Nothing is straightforward or easy to understand.

Although scientific advances in occupational disease may help some GE workers, Crossley adds, its an area of research that receives little attention and funding.

A report produced for the WSIB in 2010 determined that the province had no effective reporting or surveillance of occupational disease or exposures and no central repository of data on the subject. It also said there was little interaction between the ministries of labour, environment and health in tackling occupational disease even though the issue affects all three and warned that the province suffered from a shortage of trained experts in occupational health.

The link between exposure to multiple toxic substances over time and different kinds of cancer is still poorly understood, making it difficult to win compensation, particularly in cases like her fathers.

There wasnt a healthier man, Crossley says of her father. He showed up (to GE) every single day of his working life for 42 years. How can you possibly say, No, its not the workplace? 

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Last week, the Ministry of Labour announced a review of how work-related cancers are evaluated to ensure the compensation system takes into account best practices and the most up-to-date medical science, including the effects of being exposed to multiple substances in a workplace.

The review will be led by Paul Demers, director of the Toronto-based Occupational Cancer Research Centre and a professor with the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Occupational diseases, especially cancers, can be difficult to link to workplace exposures, said Ron Kelusky, the ministrys chief prevention officer. Its not unusual for a worker to file a WSIB claim many years after a job has ended due to the complexities of these diseases.

Labour Minister Kevin Flynn said his government was dedicated to ensuring all injured workers continue to be treated with dignity and in a timely manner by the compensation system.

Trusting a system that let him down for more than a decade, was hard, Fowler says.

Although elated about the outcome of his claim, Fowler initially believed his case was hopeless because it was rejected by the compensation boards highest level of appeal, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.

Until I saw the final letter the other day, I didnt believe it, he says. After all this time and these disappointments and other people getting turned down, you get worried.

I can never get back what Ive lost. But I can go forward now not worrying about anything.

That is the quietude the Condon family is still fighting for. His daughter is now challenging the boards second denial of her fathers claim.

It shouldnt be a battle over years. We shouldnt have to lose employees, their spouses, Crossley says. People shouldnt have to die off while theyre waiting for the right thing to happen.

It doesnt matter whether youre a firefighter, whether youre a rocket scientist or whether youre a factory worker, she adds.

Your life matters.
For environmental reasons, Jillian Lucas carries a reuseable metal straw in her purse when she absolutely needs one for cocktails.

Although she doesnt expect everyone to do this, she wants restaurants to limit their use of plastic straws to reduce waste. Thats why she started The Last Straw, a Toronto initiative that seeks to dissuade their use in the citys food scene.

By Saturday morning, about 149 restaurants and bars had signed onto the concept, Lucas said.

We throw out so many straws every day, and Im hoping we can really make a change in the restaurant industry, that straws on request will catch on. The bartenders are busy, they are used to putting straws in drinks and theyre doing their best, but sometimes you end up with a straw anyway, she said.

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The one-day initiative, which took place a day before Earth Day, may also inspire people to bring down their plastic waste footprint in other ways.

This might be the catalyst for other changes, Lucas said, for bringing reusable shopping bags, for using a reusable water bottle.

Nick Peach, owner of Dumbo Snack Bar, located in Parkdale, said he hasnt stocked straws since he opened the eatery in March, calling the choice a no-brainer.

But it doesnt stop there. He doesnt carry other single-use plastic items, like skewers, and aside from whats in the bathrooms, Peach doesnt use disposable napkins, either, preferring linens instead.

He made this choice by getting feedback from the community, he said.

It made a lot more sense to reach out. I got a list, he said.

Peach appreciates The Last Straw campaign but said he wants to see the concept in practice year-round.

I would love to know how many of these restaurants are going right back to serving straws, he said.

Lucas said she didnt know how many restaurants would revert to using straws after Saturday.

Ashley Wallis, program manager of the freshwater file at Environmental Defence, echoed Peach concerning the need to abandon straws for good.

Im really happy that people are talking about plastic pollution, these generally unnecessary plastics, she said. When it comes to The Last Straw, I would like to see it move past a one-day initiative and be more of a permanent campaign. Id love to see bars around Toronto or across Canada choose to stop providing straws unless a customer specifically asks for them.

I hope this campaign becomes more of a jumping-off point for people to think about all the other single-use plastics theyre using, and how they might be able to minimize consumption, she said.

Maggie Ruhl has reduced the use of straws at her Parkdale diner, Skyline Restaurant, by about 95 per cent, she said. For about four months, plastic straws have been dished out on a request basis only, or for milkshakes.

While aware of the initiative, she said she settled onto the idea on her own after seeing a viral video of a straw being extracted from a sea turtles nose.

Its something that every server and bar owner thinks about because when we deal with the garbage, we see it all. Its environmental, entirely. Its really hard to stay on top of stuff in a busy restaurant. It seems like a small thing, but it actually has a huge impact, she said.

And besides, she continued, nobody drinks out of straws at home.
A woman who surreptitiously married her ex-boyfriend after he suffered a catastrophic brain injury spent six years fighting his family in court  paid for by Ontarios taxpayer-funded legal aid system.

Now, in a landmark decision, Ontario Superior Court Justice Edward J. Koke has ruled that Legal Aids ongoing support of Kathleen Anne Worrod was an abuse of process that undermined the public interest and wasted precious judicial resources meant for low-income Ontarians.

Worrods case forced the family of Muskoka landscaper Kim Kevin Hunt, 57, to needlessly spend hundreds of thousands of dollars of its own money on legal bills, the judge said, ruling that Worrod and Legal Aid are now on the hook.

It is the first time that Legal Aid Ontario has been ordered to pay costs in a losing case it funded. Justice Koke ordered $385,279.54 be reimbursed to Hunts family to help offset the expense of their court fight.

Hunts sons started legal action against Worrod in 2012 to have her secretive marriage to their father voided, saying he did not have the mental capacity to consent. She fought back, saying she wanted to stay married and claimed ownership of his house.

Half of the $385,000 must be paid by Legal Aid. The judge said Worrod is responsible for the other half, but noted that she has no assets and works at a Tim Hortons in British Columbia so is unlikely to pay.

If there was ever a case which cries out for full recovery costs against a respondent this is it, Koke wrote in his April 17 decision. Ms. Worrods marriage to Mr. Hunt was arranged through trickery and deceit.

Legal Aid said it is not liable for costs, typically paid by legal losers to the winners. A Legal Aid Ontario spokesperson said it considers itself a funder of legal services, not a lawyer or party, to be held liable.

We are currently considering our options in terms of next steps with regard to this case, said a spokesperson for Legal Aid, which is funded by both the provincial and federal governments. Legal Aid Ontario has a process when it comes to approving financing for legal aid certificates, with various checkpoints along the way. This process was followed in this recent case, he said, adding that Worrods side of the case cost less than $25,000.

Koke criticized Legal Aid for placing a lien on Hunts home in Worrods name in 2012, saying it should have known then that Hunt was a vulnerable person because a certificate protecting the title to his farmhouse was already registered by the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee. The certificate is a form of protection to block anyone from using his asset while Hunt remained vulnerable. Legal Aid would have been aware that it was dealing with a vulnerable individual, Koke said.

As well, Koke said, Legal Aid funding paid for an expert report in 2015 that found Hunt was intellectually incapable of making independent decisions. That finding, the judge said, should have triggered Legal Aid to stop supporting the case. Worrods defence at the trial was built on the premise that Hunt was capable of consenting to marriage.

Koke said Legal Aid failed to properly and conscientiously monitor the meritless case against Hunt.

Worrod could not be reached for comment on this story.

In his decision, Koke said, Clearly, on the date of marriage Mr. Hunt did not have the mental capacity to consent to marriage. Ms. Worrods actions were careless and self-serving to the extreme.

Though Hunt was the victim of a growing problem called predatory marriage, this case was unique because the predator had the financial backing of a government-funded agency, his lawyers wrote in their cost submissions to Koke this year.

Hunts family was forced to spend $500,000  including his lump sum disability insurance payment  to fight Worrods claims, the costs ruling said.

The $200,000 disability payment that went toward the court case was supposed to be used for personal care, rehabilitation and renovations to make Hunts house more accessible.

By failing to properly monitor these costly proceedings, Koke said in his ruling, Legal Aid contributed significantly to the hardships and challenges which Mr. Hunt and his family faced after his devastating accident, not to mention the needless waste of judicial resources.

If it was (Worrods) intention to wreak financial havoc on Mr. Hunt and his family from the security of her residence in British Columbia, she could not have found a more co-operative and loyal ally than Legal Aid Ontario.

Kokes harshest criticism targetted Legal Aids continued support for Worrod after it paid for a report by a clinical neuropsychologist who concluded that Hunts brain injury left him unable to make independent decisions. The report was filed in January of 2015. Legal Aid should have terminated the funding at that point, Koke noted, since its own expert concluded Hunt was extremely vulnerable. Its action (or failure to act) constitutes an abuse of process, he wrote.

Hunt nearly died from an ATV accident near his home in the town of Novar, just outside of Huntsville, on June 18, 2011. He was in a coma for 18 days and spent four months in hospital with severe brain damage, before being released into the care of his two sons, who became his legal guardians.

Three days after he left the hospital, Worrod had Hunt whisked away for a private wedding at a Blue Mountain motel, a marriage so hastily arranged that the minister who performed it first met Hunt, with Worrod, in a gas station parking lot a few hours before the ceremony.

Marriage gave Worrod access to Hunts future wealth, including his monthly disability insurance payments. She also claimed ownership of his house, and was still on title, though Hunt had bought her out of her share with a signed agreement when the on-and-off couple split up before his accident.

On the day of the wedding, Hunts panicked sons, Justin, 32 and Brad, 28, tracked down their father to the motel through his credit card purchases. Police arrived and waited with Hunt until his boys arrived. He went home, without Worrod. She did not live with him after the wedding, so the house was never a matrimonial home. A court order later prevented her from contacting him, although the trial heard that she often ignored it.

After years of legal wrangling, Hunts sons went to trial last fall hoping to void the marriage and sort out ownership of the house. They won. Koke declared the marriage void and agreed that Hunt was the sole owner of his home, though the judge still needed to decide how to award court costs.

Costs are often awarded to the winning side and Hunts lawyers, Andrea McEwan and Amanda Bettencourt, of Torontos WEL Partners, requested Legal Aid Ontario be held responsible, along with Worrod and her Parry Sound lawyer, who was paid by Legal Aid. Koke did not hold Worrods lawyer responsible for any costs.

In reaching his decision on costs, Koke fixed the costs at $385,279, which includes HST of $39,000 along with lawyers fees, payment for expert reports, witness fees, process servers, court filings and research.

Worrod, the judgment said, has lived in B.C. for about two years.

If, as the Ontario court said, Worrod is unlikely to be able to pay, that means the Hunt family will recoup half the costs awarded to them, though McEwan said Legal Aid has 15 days to appeal.

Legal Aid said it gave Worrod a certificate that would have paid for $25,000 in legal costs, but her final bill probably came to less than that amount. We are quite surprised by the bill for the other side, the spokesperson said. Legal Aid lawyers work at reduced rates and limit billable hours charged to clients.

In his decision, Koke called Hunts lawyers fees reasonable because the Toronto firm has expertise in consent and capacity cases and the heavy lifting in proving the case fell to the Hunt family.

Money will help, but Hunts eldest son, Justin, said the priority is the 57-year-olds rehabilitation. We care and love our father and feel obligated to make his life better for him as we know he wouldnt make it on his own, he said.

During the six years of litigation, Worrod paid nothing out of pocket, Hunts lawyers said.

In effect, legal aid, a government-funded agency, has financed the litigation of the perpetrator of a predatory marriage, the Hunt lawyers submission said.

Kokes judgment sends a clear message about the exploitation of vulnerable people, said Kimberly Whaley, senior partner at WEL Partners, who has spoken publicly about the growing problem of predatory marriage, particularly in an aging society.

This was a very, very vulnerable person who was exploited in a time in society where we are seeing people who are vulnerable being exploited financially, Whaley said. The court is taking these issues very seriously.

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No one understands the power of populism like a progressive populist.

Jerry Brown has been there. As the iconic governor of California  now in his fourth term  Brown understands the vagaries of politics, the volatility of public opinion, and the venality of powerful interests.

He ran (and lost) insurgent campaigns for the presidency, but he has dominated California politics longer than anyone alive. Now, at age 80, he is in the fight of his life  or, as he puts it, whats left of it.

Read more:

Opinion | Martin Regg Cohn: Why Kathleen Wynne and Jerry Brown are soul mates

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Opinion | Worlds second largest carbon market a winner for planet and economy

Not just his fight, our fight. Not just Californias battle, but Ontarios war to win or lose.

The governor has harnessed his power as a populist-environmentalist to lead the crusade against global warming  by pushing back against the climate-denier-in-chief in the White House. But he fears Donald Trumps thinking is contaminating Ontario, just as the poison of carbon infects the province.

It would be a tragedy if Ontario attempts to go backward, Brown warns in an interview.

There is an obligation to reduce carbon poison in the economy of Canada and the economy of the world  were all in it together, he tells me, after inviting me to hop in his car for the ride to the legislature where he will meet Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell (herself an expert on global warming).

Time is a-wasting.

But the environmental times are a-changing in Ontario, and Brown can feel the chill wind blowing north over global warming. He worries that if voters here follow Americas lead by electing an anti-environmental leader, Ontario will change course on climate change  and leave California out in the cold.

Which is why he flew to Toronto this week seeking help for his counterattack against the U.S. presidents policies. Brown came, he saw, but he didnt quite conquer.

In fact, he barely got an audience. In an unprecedented move, the opposition Progressive Conservatives refused to let Brown address the legislature.

Given that California boasts the worlds sixth largest economy and is a major trading partner at a time of NAFTA upheaval, the snub came as a surprise. Instead of addressing MPPs from all parties, Brown encountered a province poised to vote in a new premier, Doug Ford, who vows to dismantle Ontarios cap and trade alliance with California and who has suspended his own Progressive Conservative Partys recent promise of a carbon tax.

Brown, who launched his career by campaigning against corrupt insiders and entrenched elites, is awake to the perils of populism gone awry  there and here. In a public speech after meeting Premier Kathleen Wynne, he warned Ontarians to be wary of Americas experiment with Trump.

He wants to get the message out that California is leading the charge against Trump, and that Canadians have joined hands with his state in a linked, market-based cap and trade program to lower greenhouse gas emissions at the lowest possible cost to the private sector. It was a Republican idea, embraced by his predecessor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as the best way to achieve their bipartisan environmental goals.

Until Trump stood in the way. Brown worries that may happen here with the sudden Progressive Conservative promise to axe a carbon tax.

Is this the party position now? the governor asks me incredulously. Well, I mean, theyre following Trump.

Until recently, Ontarios four major political parties, like the two major parties in California, shared a non-partisan consensus on fighting climate change through carbon pricing. All that changed when Ford renounced his own partys election platform, doing everything in his power to do nothing about global warming.

Brown points out that daily changes in the price of gasoline dwarf the cost of cap and trade or a carbon tax  amounting to mere pennies at the pump. But if a populist keeps telling people theyre being ripped off, people will fall for it.

I think it can be just propaganda. If you say something over and over again, its like the Big Lie, he muses in our interview.

Removing cap and trade is political snake oil because no one will notice any tax relief in the future. Even were they to be successful I dont think they will see one dollar in their pocket, so its kind of a consumer fraud.

It takes a populist to know a populist. Brown, who has bounced back from political setbacks, believes people will wake up to what he calls an existential environmental challenge.

I would say this: If they think Trump is the saviour  you can go off the cliff, but then the rebound for the opposite will be all the stronger, so I would say it will be a very temporary deviation.

Brown believes the Trump tide will be turned back, whether or not it seeps across the border to Ontario. But he bats away a question about his environmental legacy, recalling a recurring line in his speeches:

This isnt for me, the aging governor likes to say. Im going to be dead. Its for you.

Martin Regg Cohn is a columnist based in Toronto covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @reggcohn is a columnist based in Toronto covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @reggcohn

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LIMA, PeruAuthorities in Peru say at least two German tourists were killed and another 10 injured when their minibus went off the road and fell into a ravine in the Andes Mountains.

Highway police chief Jorge Castillo said rescuers were trying to retrieve the bodies of two male tourists trapped in the wreckage of the vehicle, which crashed shortly before reaching Chivay, a city 712 kilometres southeast of Lima.

Castillo said the accident occurred Friday afternoon when the minibus was on a downhill curve. Video obtained by The Associated Press showed several tourists helping to carry people on stretchers.

The tourists were heading from Arequipa in Perus southern Andes to the Colca Valley.

In November, four German tourists died in another accident in Perus Huancavelica region.
BIREUEN, IndonesiaIndonesian fishermen rescued 76 Rohingya Muslims stranded off the coast of Aceh on Friday, authorities said, in the latest attempt by members of the persecuted ethnic group to flee Burma by sea.

The group of eight children, 25 women and 43 men was brought ashore in their wooden boat Friday afternoon. It was unclear how long they had been at sea, said Riza Yulianto, the police chief of Bireuen regency in Aceh on the island of Sumatra.

Acehs Disaster Mitigation Agency said the Rohingya told local authorities that they wanted to reach Australia.

Read more:

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Report urges Canada take lead to aid Rohingya refugees

The agency said it was co-ordinating with the local government to provide temporary shelter. It said seven people were given medical treatment.

Officials were interviewing the refugees, and villagers had donated clothes and food, said Hidayatullah from the local civic group Rapid Response Action.

Hidayatullah, who uses one name, said fisherman went to the aid of the Rohingya after seeing the boat at about 2 p.m. Its sail wasnt working, he said.

Burmas persecution of its Rohingya Muslim minority has sparked an exodus of some 700,000 refugees over land into neighbouring Bangladesh since August. Some have also tried to flee by boat. Burmas military said it was carrying out counter-insurgency operations.

An Indonesian fishing boat rescued a group of five Rohingya in weak condition off westernmost Aceh province on April 6, after a 20-day voyage in which five other people died.

Just days before, Malaysian authorities intercepted a vessel carrying 56 people believed to be Rohingya refugees and brought the vessel and its passengers to shore.

Rohingya, treated as undesirables in predominantly Buddhist Burma and denied citizenship, used to flee by sea by the thousands each year until security in Burma was tightened after a surge of refugees in 2015 caused regional concern.

The International Organization for Migration said the Indonesian government had asked it to send a team from its Medan office in Sumatra, including Rohingya interpreters, to help local officials with humanitarian assistance.

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FULLERTON, Calif.The Democrats message to Mai Khanh Tran was polite but unsparing. With half a dozen Democrats running for Congress in her Orange County district, they showed her a discouraging poll and argued that she could not win  and risked fracturing the party in the June primary election.

Tran pointedly replied that she was the only qualified woman, the only immigrant and the only physician in the race.

I said to them, frankly, let the voters decide, recalled Tran, a pediatrician.

The National Democratic Party was not chastened: On Wednesday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took sides in that House race and backed Gil Cisneros, a Navy veteran and former Republican.

With their forceful intervention in Orange County, national Democrats have lunged into an impatient new phase of the 2018 primary season  one in which they are clashing more openly with candidates and local political chieftains in their drive to assemble a slate of recruits for the midterms.

In districts from Southern California to Little Rock, Arkansas and upstate New York, the party has begun interceding to help the Democrats it sees as best equipped to battle Republicans in the fall.

The approach is laced with peril for a party divided over matters of ideology and political strategy, and increasingly dominated by activists who tend to resent what they see as meddling from Washington. A Democratic effort to undercut a liberal insurgent in a Houston-area congressional primary in March stirred an outcry on the left and may have inadvertently helped drive support to that candidate, Laura Moser, who qualified for the runoff election next month.

But in some areas, Democratic leaders have concluded it is worth enduring backlash to help a prized recruit or tame a chaotic primary field.

They are moving most aggressively in California, where the states non-partisan primaries present a unique hazard: State law requires all candidates to compete in the same preliminary election, with the top two finishers advancing to November. In a crowded field, if Democrats spread their votes across too many candidates, two Republicans could come out on top and advance together to the general election.

There are at least four races in California where Democrats fear such a lockout, including the 39th Congressional District, where in addition to Cisneros and Tran there are two other Democrats running: Sam Jammal, a youthful former congressional aide, and Andy Thorburn, a wealthy health insurance executive who is backed by allies of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. The district is among the most coveted for Democrats nationwide  a seat left open by the retirement of Rep. Ed Royce, a popular Republican, in an area Hillary Clinton won by about 8 percentage points.

National Democrats may also intervene in the Southern California districts held by Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Jeff Denham, where multiple Republicans and Democrats are running, and in the seat held by Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican who is retiring. Voters receive mail-in ballots starting in early May, making the next few weeks exceptionally important.

House Majority PAC, a heavily financed Democratic group that spends millions in congressional elections, recently polled all four races and has been conducting digital surveys that simulate the complicated California ballot, according to people briefed on the groups strategy. The super PAC has run ads in California in the past when Democrats have faced disaster in primary season.

Rep. Judy Chu, a Los Angeles-area Democrat, said the open primaries had led Democrats to take unusual steps to prevent Republicans from dominating the first round of voting.

That would stop our goal of taking the House back, Chu said. We have to have a viable candidate, and I think that if it does turn out to be a Democrat versus a Republican, the Democrat will win.

Chu said the campaign committees endorsement of Cisneros was a signal to donors and volunteers that it was time to close ranks.

But picking favourites is not easy for Democrats: Until mid-March, Southern California lawmakers were divided in the 39th District race between Cisneros, who is backed by Rep. Linda T. Sanchez, an influential member of the Democratic leadership team, and Jay Chen, another Democrat who was endorsed by Chu. It was only after Chen opted against running, with a call for party unity, that Chu and other Democrats swung behind Cisneros.

Sanchez said the glut of Democratic candidates remained concerning across California, and acknowledged having lobbied the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to back Cisneros. National leaders, Sanchez said, had a role to play in terms of trying to talk to nonviable candidates and urging them to be team players.

Meredith Kelly, a spokeswoman for the committee, said the group was taking action in California because voters deserve to have a Democrat on the ballot in November.

Any decision to get involved in these races is toward that goal and based on intelligence from the ground in California, extensive data and partnerships with as many local allies as possible, Kelly said.

In the 39th District, Democrats went beyond prodding underdogs like Tran, 52, to stand down. Thorburn said the DCCC presented him with polling that suggested attacks on his finances and business record would be damaging in the general election  data Thorburn dismissed out of hand. He said the committee clearly indicated its preference for Cisneros.

Thorburn, 74, is now the most unsettling rival for Cisneros and national Democrats, pairing a pointed ideological message with a personal fortune to spend on advertising. Deriding Cisneros as a wishy-washy newcomer to the party, Thorburn said he would strike back hard if the committee were to attack him, as it did Moser.

Im much more of a fighter than the national party, Thorburn said, warning: If they do something like they did in Texas, we would come back guns blazing.

Cisneros has won over important state groups, including the muscular California Labor Federation. But his campaign office, at a strip mall in Brea, about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles, showcases his national allies: One wall boasts an enormous sign from the gun-control group Giffords, which supports him, while another displays photographs of Cisneros with Barack and Michelle Obama.

Cisneros, a soft-spoken 47-year-old who became a philanthropist and Democratic donor after winning the California lottery in 2010, said his unlikely biography was at the core of his message, along with issues like gun violence and health care. He said his views on those subjects had been consistent, though his party registration had changed. From the beginning, Cisneros said, its always been about getting my story out.

Interviews with voters in the Republican-held district revealed why the race is so promising and tumultuous for Democrats. A labyrinth of highways and shopping centres and residential developments, the district has shifted in recent years as its Latino and Asian-American communities have grown. But a dozen voters there said they were not following the race or remained undecided.

At a shopping mall in Fullerton, a hospital worker named Lynn  who declined to give her surname because she did not want to be identified at work  said she wanted to repudiate Republicans but had not picked an alternative. An Asian-American woman in her 40s, she said she was alarmed by President Donald Trumps environmental policies and what she described as an outpouring of overt bigotry.

Its not because I want a Democrat  I just dont want a Republican, she said. Ever since you-know-who became president, people are really racist and its really, really obvious.

Some voters sounded unlikely to take their cues from national parties. Outside a Fullerton coffee shop where Jammal was greeting voters, Adam De Leon said he was suspicious of the candidates using personal wealth to sway the race. De Leon, 72, said he favoured Jammal, 36, because of his government experience.

What does it tell you when people spend millions of dollars to get into a position that pays maybe $140,000 a year? De Leon said, somewhat underestimating the $174,000 congressional salary. Its all about power and connections.

The Republican field is in flux, too. Young Kim, a longtime aide to Royce, is the front-runner but has several candidates challenging her from the right. With Republicans in Washington focused on defending beleaguered incumbents, they have been less intent than Democrats on shaping open primaries.

For Democrats, that project extends beyond California: On the same day the DCCC endorsed Cisneros, it also boosted candidates in New York and Arkansas who face contested primaries. In New York, the committee enlisted Juanita Perez Williams, a former candidate for mayor of Syracuse, to challenge Rep. John Katko this month, though a lower-profile Democrat was already running with the support of local party leaders.

That kind of big-footing may be trickier in California. Chen, the Democrat who opted out of the 39th District race, said the party still faces a precarious situation there. He said he had decided against running after conducting a poll that showed him neck and neck with Cisneros and Thorburn  but with Democratic voters fragmented enough to create an all-Republican general election.

He predicted none of the remaining Democrats would follow his lead and get out.

If youve never been involved in the party before and you just ran because you want to run, then you dont really have those considerations, Chen said. They are new to this. They dont have bridges to burn.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. For weeks, President Donald Trump had grown increasingly frustrated with the cable news chatter that he couldnt hire a big-name attorney for his legal team.

But the president boasted to a confidant this week that he had struck a deal that he believed would silence those critics: He was hiring Americas F--ing Mayor.

With the addition of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump gains a former U.S. attorney, a past presidential candidate and a TV-savvy defender at a time when the White House is looking for ways to bring the presidents involvement with special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation to a close. Trump has been weighing whether to sit for questioning by Muellers team, and his lawyers have repeatedly met with investigators to define the scope of the questions he would face.

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Giuliani will enter those negotiations, filling the void left by attorney John Dowd, who resigned last month.

The deal was finalized over dinner in the last week at Mar-a-Lago, the presidents coastal Florida retreat. On Monday, Giuliani was spotted at a West Palm Beach hotel, gleefully puffing on a cigar but declining to talk to the press.

Giulianis addition to the legal team fulfills his long-delayed hope for a White House job. After drawing wide praise for his leadership in New York after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Giuliani ran for president seven years later, only to see his bid quickly falter.

He has known Trump for decades  his bomb-throwing rhetorical style can at times mirror that of the president  and he became an aggressive surrogate for the celebrity businessman from the early days of his insurgent presidential campaign. Giuliani had been widely expected to join Trumps administration, but was passed over for the position of secretary of state, the position he badly wanted, and eventually left without a Cabinet post.

But the president kept in touch with Giuliani, sometimes calling to ask for advice, both on policy and personnel, and frequently asking for the ex-mayors take on how the stories surrounding the administration were playing in the media.

Trump frequently sought Giulianis opinion of developments in the special counsels ongoing probe into possible Russian collusion, according to three people familiar with the conversations but not authorized to publicly discuss private talks. At one point last summer, the president informally floated hiring Giuliani, but did not follow through, according to one person familiar with his thinking,

Trump then moved to formalize the arrangement in recent days, touting Giulianis tenacity  and raving about his star power with the vulgar variation of Giulianis Americas Mayor nickname while talking with one person, who not authorized to discuss a private conversation.

In a statement announcing Giulianis hire, the president expressed his wish that the investigation wrap up soon.

A number of Trump allies have believed that Trump has been ill-served by his current legal team and applauded the addition of the hard-charging Giuliani.

I for one will sleep much easier knowing that Mayor Giuliani and these other people have joined the team to give the presidents team extra power, said Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trumps 2016 campaign who also served as deputy communications director when Giuliani ran for president in 2008. I know that Rudy has made it clear that the goal is to try to get this wrapped up here as expeditiously as possible.

The White House has struggled to retain prominent lawyers as Muellers probe continues to expand, leaving its team feeling overwhelmed and overmatched. One person close to the White House expressed surprise that Giuliani would accept a job under such challenging conditions.

Trumps legal team has been told by Mueller that the president is not a target of the investigation, suggesting hes not in imminent criminal jeopardy. But he is currently a subject of the probe  a designation that could change at any time.

Trump personal attorney Jay Sekulow told The Associated Press that Giuliani will be focusing on the Mueller investigation  not the legal matters raised by the ongoing investigation into Trump attorney Michael Cohen. That probe is being led by the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, an office that Giuliani headed in the mid- to late 1980s.

Giuliani also previously served as associate attorney general, the Justice Departments No. 3 position, during the Reagan administration.

Cohens office, home and hotel room were raided last week by the FBI, which is investigating the lawyers business dealings, including suspected bank fraud. They also sought records related to payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who both claim to have had sexual encounters with Trump several years ago. The White House has denied the claims.

The raids enraged Trump, prompting him to publicly weigh whether to fire Mueller or Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. He also intensified his public criticism of the Mueller investigation, calling it an attack on our country.

Giulianis addition to the Trump legal team puts a renewed spotlight on his past legal and consulting work. His flirtation with becoming Trumps secretary of state was thwarted, in part, because of growing concerns about his overseas business ties.

After leaving office as mayor, Giuliani advised foreign political figures and worked for lobbying and security firms whose clients have had complicated relationships with the U.S. government. While not personally involved in lobbying, Giuliani spent years at firms that represented foreign governments and multinational companies, some of which had interests that diverged from those of the United States.

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The Stars democracy reporter Sabrina Nanji trained an instructive spotlight this week on a major  possibly pivotal - challenge facing the Liberal and NDP campaigns in the June 7 election in Ontario.

In studying the unlikely coalition that makes up so-called Ford Nation, Nanji encountered a Windsor resident, a single mother on social assistance, who was having trouble finding work and who had two children under 12, both with learning disabilities.

The womans answer to her plight?

She plans to vote for the team of Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford.

She intends to do so despite the fact none of the sketchy proposals Ford has so far set out would alleviate her considerable problems, and could quite possibly make them worse.

So why would someone dependent on government, being offered the enticements of denticare and pharmacare and improved mental-health services by other candidates, opt for a retailer of deep budget cuts, corporate tax cuts, privatization, deregulation and an inevitable reduction of social services?

It is, on the face of it, a puzzle.

But the phenomenon of voting against ones own economic interests is hardly unique to Ontario. That trend has supported the rise of populist leaders across the continent and around the world.

As Thomas Frank wrote more than a decade ago in his book Whats the Matter With Kansas?, the question of how so many people can get their fundamental interests so wrong is the pre-eminent question of our times.

As Frank said, people who identify as working-class continually opt to support conservative agendas that favour the corporate classes and have done historic harm to working-class people.

Their answer to a corporate world that has so manifestly screwed them, Frank marvelled, is to support rich men dedicated to serving the interests of that very world.

His book tried to understand the species of derangement that has brought so many ordinary people to such a self-damaging, political extreme (that) they strangle their own life chances.

The woman in Windsor revealed something of that by explaining she reached her decision because she felt abandoned by government and politicians.

Her vote  and those of many like her  will be motivated less by consideration of her own economic concerns than by values, moral interests and that large sense of woundedness.

In fact, that self-image of victimhood is a recurring drumbeat in populist parades, as is the resentment at having been disrespected by patronizing and undeserving elites.

Populists believe that if the collective voice of ordinary, authentic people  of which they are one, and however inexpert they may be  were heeded all would be great again.

Since the populists are unwilling to admit that the real world might be complicated  that solutions might prove elusive even for people with good intentions  they need somebody to blame, Harvard politics professor Yascha Mounk says in his new book The People vs. Democracy.

And blame they do.

To that end, populist leaders like Ford manufacture a parade of cartoonish scapegoats  bent-pinkied champagne sippers and the like - for followers to target.

The American professor George Lakoff has said that if we were wholly rational, we would make ourselves aware of the relevant facts and figures and calculate our way to the logical conclusion.

But voters dont behave that way, he said.

They vote against their obvious self-interest; they allow bias, prejudice and emotion to guide their decisions. . . Or they quietly reach conclusions independent of their interests without consciously knowing why.

Deft politicians (as well as savvy marketers) take advantage of our ignorance of our own minds to appeal to the sub-conscious level.

While it might seem a simple task for Fords opponents to change such minds by setting out some facts and figures, the challenge is extraordinarily difficult.

Perhaps no one understands the phenomenon of populism and the tenacious loyalty to Ford Nation better than Nick Kouvalis, the one-time strategist for the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

Kouvalis grew up among such folks in Windsor, ran focus groups to study them during the former mayors rise, and knew that emotion  not economics  drove their political decisions.

They believed the elites had been given so much that little was left for them, Kouvalis told city councillor John Filion for his book The Only Average Guy: Inside the Uncommon World of Rob Ford. That sense of unfairness put a chip on their shoulders.

Ford Nation inherently has been treated like s---, he said. Thats how they feel. They didnt get their fair share in life. They were rejected.

He said populist leaders play to that grievance and, to date, Ford has been running to type and laying it on with a trowel.

What should concern Premier Kathleen Wynne and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath  as polls consistently suggest Ford enjoys support in majority government territory  is how immoveable those drawn to populists are once committed.

Once theyve made a decision they have a hard time admitting theyre wrong, he said.

Wynne or Horwath will need to find a way to crack that nut and shift the attention of such voters from their large grievances to their immediate interests.

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Ford-Wynne showdown goes south in a hurry, Cohn, April 19

I would deduce from Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynnes fear-inspiring, bogus-branding bunkum  deeming Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford as a bully  that she is desperate to shift voter focus off the latest dire credit news in the aftermath of the latest Liberal budget. Moodys Investors Service downgraded Ontarios credit rating from stable to negative after Finance Minister Charles Sousa reneged on last years promise to balance the budget.

Spare us the absurd, ludicrous comparisons of Ford to U.S. President Donald Trump. Ford will most certainly mirror his brother Rob, who respected the taxpayers, and has pledged to halt Wynnes deficit spending that is pillaging the standard of living for future generations.

David C. Searle, Toronto

Kathleen Wynne leads a tired, incompetent and corrupt government. Doug Ford leads a venomous, hollow and Trump-like opposition.

So why did neither Martin Regg Cohns front-page column nor Robert Benzies reportage once mention the only adult in the contest and the only party with an actual platform: Andrea Horwath and the NDP?

And if the Ontario electorate gets stuck with either a lifeless Liberal or a caustic Conservative government in June, why will the Star blame Horwaths third-place finish on the NDPs lacklustre campaign, when the major media refuse to cover her?

Howard A. Doughty, Richmond Hill

In the 21st Century, when the whole world is being torn apart, Canada and all provinces and municipalities have a duty to take a new direction at governing. Our so-called politics have turned into a childish, destructive and disrespectful game for the benefit of a few, and has taken on a negative connotation reflected in the disinterest and cynicism of the voters.

Each party, at any level, has a pertinent but partial view of the future. Only a portion of the population will choose you, but you will take the pledge to serve all.

It is high time to put aside your partisan tactics and views and start as mature people, co-operating with each other toward the well-being of all Canadians and the protection of the Earth for the sake of future generations. Otherwise please step aside.

Nicole Abouhalka, Guelph, Ont.

Americans who take the time to follow Canadian politics beyond your prime ministers travel wardrobe are shocked that many of the least-decent aspects of the 2016 U.S. presidential race have oozed over the 49th parallel into Ontario.

Nastiness in business or in politics always finds a way, even among a people renowned for their highly polite ways. May the peace, order and good government for which Canadians are famous find a way to return to your province soon enough.

Mary Stanik, St. Paul, Minn.

I want to say thank-you to Premier Kathleen Wynne for standing up to PC Leader Doug Ford by calling attention to what he truly is: a bully.

Fords copy-and-paste of Trumps misogynistic lock-her up this week proved hes not worthy of being considered leader of this province.

For far too long, the media have allowed Ford to get away with his glib aw-shucks-folks act. Our province still hasnt fully received from the last folks who cut spending with no plan, other than to bully the people Ford might label the little folks.

James Smith, Guelph, Ont.

Ontarios premier is pulling every political trick out of her well-worn and barely recognizable hat, before the election is even officially underway.

Her latest diatribe demonstrates to all residents why so many Liberals who were her colleagues at Queens Park are seeking other employment opportunities.

Lets face it, Ontario. We could vote Liberal and watch this province spin further down the toilet or we could examine what Doug Ford and Andrea Horwath have to say.

Lets hope our populace in this once-mighty province will look to the PCs or NDP to lead them going forward, because its quite obvious the Liberals lost their way many, many years ago  starting with the gas-plant scandal, the selling-off of Ontario Hydro and, now, the desperate rantings of a premier comparing Ford to the president of the United States.

J. Brunins, Britt, Ont.

Let the brainwashing begin. It seems Premier Kathleen Wynne has forgotten she is running for the job of Ontarios premier, not president of the U.S. Shes also forgotten she is running against Doug Ford, not Donald Trump.

The fact is, her government has run out of ideas, run out of money and run out of time. She wants us to forget the gas-plant scandal (including the conviction of a high-profile Liberal staffer), high (and unjustified) electricity rates, carbon taxes and a questionable sex-ed curriculum that many Ontarians disagree with.

In place of that, she offers us the fear that Doug Ford will promote a vicious brand of politics that traffics in smears and lies. Hell say anything about anyone at any time because, just like Trump, it is all about him.

But the fact is, no other party can compare to the Liberals when it comes to smears and lies. History has shown the Ontario Liberals will say anything about anyone at any time because theyre desperate to hold on to power.

Of course, this very same tactic backfired on Hillary Clinton in 2016  a woman who so alienated the average voter (whom she called deplorables) that shell be remembered as a footnote in history and not a major contributor. Come June 7, I pray that Ontarians will do the same to Wynne and the corrupt, lying, arrogant party she leads.

Steven Eleftheriadis, North York

Promises that dont add up, Editorial, April 19

I truly hope your editorial about Doug Fords election promises is read by all of eligible voters in Ontario. The PC leader has no plan and wants to bring us back to the 1990s, when another PC government laid waste to support systems, such as water, education and even municipal government. I hope voters can see through this crap and not elect a haphazard PC government based on nothing.

Bruce Compton, Pickering

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Pipeline plan may be untenable, CEO says, April 19

Now its getting weird. Its bad enough that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot see the difference between building another bitumen pipeline and carbon pricing, but now he wants taxpayers to pay for it.

Let me try to explain things simply. The purpose of carbon pricing is to make fossil fuels more expensive, thereby reducing demand. The purpose of building a pipeline is to increase supply of fossil fuels.

Now heres a question for all you students of economics. When demand sinks and supply increases, does the price go up or down? And when the price goes down below the cost of production, should you a) stop production or b) grab more subsidies from taxpayers?

As long as the Trans Mountain project was 100-per-cent privately financed, then Kinder Morgan could run with whatever business model suited them. But if my tax dollars are going in, and since I dont recall pipeline nationalization mentioned in the Liberal election platform, I have a few requirements off the top of my head: Carefully defined pricing and volumes to ensure long-term profitability, following a review of the $7.4-billion capital cost estimate, and guarantees that it wouldnt inflate once it becomes a government project.

Wait! Someone checked the market  there are many lower-cost producers and demand for oil is expected to dive once the dangers of climate change become obvious.

No, not with my tax dollars!

John Stephenson, Etobicoke

The Liberal plan to push through and fund the Kinder Morgan pipeline is the final betrayal for this past Liberal supporter. The Liberals have not reinstated environmental examination of projects and have not allowed electoral reform. I wish to leave a livable planet for my grandchildren and have no ability to elect politicians that reflect this desire. I have lost my faith in the existing political system and it appears my only remaining choice for protecting the planet is civil disobedience.

Douglas Wade, Toronto

Realizing of course that democracy remains the best form of government we can hope for, and that Canada by world estimation abides the near the top of preferred democracies, it seems that our admirable good fortune in assembling and preserving our cunningly crafted mosaic is escaping the attention of many Canadians.

Two Green Party members of B.C.s legislature are, in effect, holding the Canadian economy, federal government and oil-producing provinces hostage to their purist environmental ideology. No new pipeline, ever, in our province.

In this, they are directly aided and abetted by their grateful friends, the thereby governing NDP party, assorted First Nations and Quebec.

Its been awhile, but this must be Canada. The peaceable kingdom is once more squabbling on all fronts.

This is nuts. Two members of one provinces legislature? Surely its time to run the risk and decide if we are a country, a workable federation with sensible who-does-what power prerogatives conceived now, not 1867. Lets open up the Constitution and start to grow up.

P.D. Brown, Toronto
In Southern California, the largest protest is in Los Angeles, a gathering that has typically drawn thousands of people. But demonstrations are planned throughout the region, from Orange County to the Inland Empire, from Redondo Beach to the San Gabriel...
At a time when federal-provincial tensions are on the rise, two court rulings this week offer a timely reminder that the Constitution does not cast the provinces as junior partners of a unitary federation.

In a unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court found that New Brunswick is within its rights to forbid its citizens to bring home more than a token amount of beer and spirits from another province.

Notwithstanding the section of the Constitution that states that goods should move freely between the provinces, the top court noted that the Canadian federation is built upon regional diversity within a single nation.

Read more:

Supreme Court upholds law prohibiting Canadians, wherever they live, from buying beer wherever they want

Supreme Court beer ruling could apply to Trans Mountain pipeline feud between Alberta, B.C.: experts

According to its nine justices, that means provincial governments have the autonomy to develop their societies within their respective spheres of jurisdiction.

The consternation that attended that decision was not limited to beer and wine drinkers; had the top court ruled the other way, its judgment would likely have affected a host of provincial regulations in areas ranging from environmental controls and supply management for the poultry and dairy industries to financial regulations.

This weeks ruling forecloses a constitutional shortcut to bypass provincial obstacles on the way to a barrier-free internal economic union. With the Court speaking with one voice, the odds that this weeks ruling could be revisited any time soon are just about non-existent.

Could the ruling have implications for a potentially imminent legal showdown between B.C. and Alberta and the federal government over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion?

Maybe.

It should incite the governments of Alberta and Saskatchewan to exercise caution as they look to their trade arsenal to retaliate against their B.C. counterpart, for the top court takes a dim view of the constitutionality of erecting trade barriers for the purpose of punishing another province.

But, on the core issue at hand in the pipeline debate  the extent of the federal constitutional authority to see the project through versus B.C.s right to protect its environment  the beer ruling offers limited insights, for the case did not revolve around competing federal and provincial jurisdictions.

New Brunswick was not the only province to score a landmark court victory on Thursday; while legal experts were still parsing the tea leaves of the beer ruling Thursday, the Quebec Superior Court became the first to reconcile Quebecs determination to pursue a referendum mandate for secession on its own terms with post-referendum developments in the Supreme Court.

At issue was Quebecs bill 99, a law adopted in 2000 under Lucien Bouchards PQ government in response to the federal clarity act.

It re-affirms the right of Quebecers to determine their political future under rules set by the National Assembly. Among those, the law prescribes that a pro-sovereignty mandate is to be based on a simple referendum majority of 50 per cent plus one.

In her 100-plus pages ruling, justice Claude Dallaire put the provincial law under the lens of the Supreme Court 1998 reference on Quebec secession and found no grounds for conflict between the two.

She concluded bill 99 did not claim for the province new powers that are not already guaranteed in the Constitution, nor did it lay a legal path to a unilateral declaration of independence.

As a result, she found that it remains within the purview of the National Assembly to set the terms under which Quebecers would pronounce on their political future. (It does not follow that the province could impose the terms under which the rest of Canada would respond.)

It took 17 years that included many judicial detours to arrive at a resolution of this challenge. The ruling is that of a single judge in a lower court. If it were appealed, no one can presume what a higher court would make of its findings.

There has been a lot of water under the bridge since Bill 99 was initially challenged. Over that period, the nine Supreme Court justices who took part in the secession reference have all retired. In Quebec, support for sovereignty is stagnant. Dallaires ruling will not turn the clock back to a time when the debate over the provinces future was the top-of-mind issue of its political class.

Still, the Quebec law emerged from the first leg of its legal voyage in better shape than many, including supporters of its prescriptions, expected. With the federal government backing the challenge and against the backdrop of the Supreme Court secession reference, more than a few believed the deck was stacked against Bill 99.

As this weeks legal developments illustrated, when it comes to the courts and the federations constitutional architecture, no one is guaranteed a slam dunk.
COTTAGE HILLS  A Cottage hills woman is facing methamphetamine charges after police performed three undercover drug sales and found dozens of possible evidence items at her home.

Aprildawn D. Harrison, 27, of the 100 block of West Drive, is charged with one count of unlawful intent to deliver methamphetamine and a count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine. The charges refer to an alleged sale on April 18; however, a court document outlines undercover buys on two previous days in April.
JERSEYVILLE  Recent felony charges filed by the Jersey County States Attorneys office include:

 Tarah Leigh Ridenour, 28, of the 18900 block of Power Line Road, Grafton, was charged April 16 with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony. The charges stem from an April 8 incident involving less than one gram of heroin. Bond was set at $25,000.

 Todd L. Partridge, 46, of the 3200 block of Hickory Ridge Lane, Brighton, was charged April 16 with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony, after he was allegedly found in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine on April 16. Bond was set at $5,000.

 Mark A. Dawber, 34, of the 600 block of Curtis Place, White Hall, was charged April 16 with one count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony, and one count of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. The charges stem from an April 15 incident involving less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bond was set at $5,000.
The adage that failures can teach many lessons seems quite...
According to reports, actor Arjun Kapoor will star in the Hindi remake of film Premam, a Malayalam blockbuster, which was remade to equal acclaim in Telugu. The film, which will be directed by Abhishek Kapoor, features three female leads, but they have not yet been finalised.

The ensemble from the original Premam involved young actors Nivin Pauly, Sai Pallavi, Madonna and Vinay Forrt. Premam traces the life of a man through his relations with three different women in his life.

Premam had become something of a sleeper hit in Tamil Nadu, inspiring numerous memes. When reports came of a possible Tamil remake, fans of Premam campaigned against it on social media.

Premam was the biggest hit of Malayalam in 2015. On a meagre investment, it reportedly minted over Rs 75 crore worldwide. Directed by Alphonse Puthren, Premam had completed 125 days in Kerala.

Arjun Kapoor is working on Namaste England and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, which will be released this year. Arjun Kapoor had recently starred in Half Girlfriend, an adaptation of a Chetan Bhagat novel of the same name. He said it was an emotionally grueling but fun experience. Kapoor played Madhav Jha, a young boy from Bihar, in the Mohit Suri-directed film, which also starred actress Shraddha Kapoor as the female lead.
Shocked by the rape and murder of a minor Bakarwal girl, Jammu and Kashmir government has begun work on bringing an ordinance to make rape of a minor punishable by death.

State law minister Abdul Haq Khan told THE WEEK that an ordinance would be brought in the lines of the Central ordinance that was passed by the Union cabinet today.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had also talked tough on the issue and said that the government would make the law that would award capital punishment to those involved in the rape of a minor.

"We will never ever let another child suffer this way,'' Mehbooba had tweeted. ''We will bring a new law that will make the death penalty mandatory for those who rape minors, so that little girls case becomes the last."

Khan said the government was working on the ordinance and it will soon be passed in the next cabinet meeting. ''The law will then be passed in the assembly in the next session,'' he said.

The need for a separate law stems from the fact that Central laws are not directly applicable to J&K due to its special status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

After the cabinet meeting, the ordinance will be forwarded to Governor N.N. Vohra for promulgation.

Khan said the government was also opposed to shifting the ongoing trial of rape and murder of the minor Bakarwal girl outside the state.

The government decision to award capital punishment to those involved in the rape of a minor has the backing of all opposition parties in the state.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has recently asked the government to convene a special session to discuss the passing of the law. The PDP, which is in an alliance with the BJP is trying hard to sound tough on the issue, despite facing attacks from some legislators of the BJP like Chowdhary Lal Singh who has demanded Mehbooba's resignation.

Singh and C.P. Ganga, another BJP legislator, were forced to resign from the cabinet after attending a rally of Hindu Ekta Manch that demanded CBI investigations into the Kathua rape and murder.

After resignation also Singh has held rallies in Jammu demanding CBI probe into Kathua rape and murder.
In a land mark decision, CPI(M) Party Congress in Hyderabad has decided to approve coordination and understanding with Congress in parliament on the agreed issues and if needed building a left and democratic front.

The political resolution adopted in the 22nd Party Congress on Friday did not describe Congress as a class enemy but contended that any electoral alliance with Congress might jeopardize the chance of resurgence of the party in the country.

The resolution said, We have tried to keep this spirit of the comrades in mind. As far as the political line is concerned, any political alliance with the Congress is ruled out. Such an alliance with the major party of the Indian ruling classes will weaken our struggle against building the unity of the people for a policy alternative to the ruling classes. It is on the basis of this line that future electoral tactics will be decided.

As far as the word understanding is concerned, we have defined the scope of that understanding with the Congress party. Within Parliament we have understanding with secular opposition parties including the Congress on agreed issues. We take forward the Visakhapatnam Party Congress resolution that we need a broad mobilization of all democratic and secular forces against communalism, it said further.

The resolution also said that the party would try to build a left and democratic front as an alternative.

Summing up the discussion over political resolution, CPI(M) politburo member and party's former general secretary Prakash Karat, while arguing in favour of Sitaram Yechury placing a document on minority view, said It is unprecedented that two views have been put before the Congress. The Central Committee decided that since this is a political issue it should be decided in the highest body of the party, the Party Congress. That is why Com. Sitaram Yechury placed the Central Committees minority point of view.

He further stated, It is not a question of some words, understanding and alliance, as some delegates have stated. It is the approach of how best to fight the BJP and RSS, and ensure their defeat. A large number of comrades asked the leadership to resolve the issue so as to go back from this (Party) Congress with the message of unity.

He then called upon the party to first wage the struggle to defeat the authoritarian communal regime of the BJP and then to build a strong CPI(M) to advance the struggle for democracy, secularism and socialism to forge a strong left and democratic front to create a left and democratic alternative.

The resolution did not define that such left and democratic front would be an anti-Congress entity.

Many senior leaders turned it a victory for the party members who wanted an understanding with Congress to checkmate BJP across the country. In Visakhapatnam party Congress, the resolution had ruled out any understanding with Congress.

This time it was the alliance which has been ruled out. An alliance means a pre-poll alliance which CPI(M) refused to undertake with Congress. But accepting understanding means there are a lot of scope and a lot of hope, said a leader from Bengal attending the party Congress.

Sources have confirmed a senior central committee member from Bengal along with a politburo member, also belonging to Bengal, sat with Karat and pleaded with him not to allow the break of party for the second time.

Yes we told him that despite erosion in power, CPI(M) is big in Bengal and in Tripura. It would be sheer inability on our part if we allow another break in the party on the same line over Congress. Prakash gave a patient hearing and all senior leaders later sat together to chalk out a strategy, said the leader.

Sources said Yechury was visibly happy after the finalising of resolution and Karat, though had to relent, did have a face saver as well. He won some and lost some. Though he prevented Party Congress from having a direct alliance with Congress, he had to budge to allow Congress as a political force with whom CPI(M) would have to adjust in the future. After this Yechury will be all set to get his second term unopposed.

We supported a Congress government in the past. But now central committee has been empowered to formalise any policy based on the political resolution taken in the party Congress, said the senior leader attending the congress.
Rs 2,000 and 500 notes constitute 97 per cent of the Rs 4.13 crore that the Income Tax Department has seized in poll-bound Karnataka till now, authorities said on Saturday.

The revelation comes in the backdrop of a cash crunch being witnessed across various regions in the country as a number of ATMs had gone dry.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), that makes policy for the ITD, had recently asked its probe wings in the country to check these instances.

The results of this exercise in Karnataka are now known.

"Though the election process is just beginning, the investigation wing of the department in Bengaluru has already seized cash of Rs 4.13 crore and gold jewellery of 4.52 kilogrammes valued at Rs 1.32 crore.

"The interesting fact in these seizures is that the majority of the cash is in the denominations of Rs 2,000 and Rs 500. Out of the total cash seized, an amount of Rs 4.03 crore is in these higher denominations," the department said in a statement.

The seizures have been made since the Election Commission announced on March 27 the schedule for the Assembly election in Karnataka.

It said that these revelations have come at a time "when people are finding it difficult to withdraw the money from the banks/ATMs" and that this development is sure to raise eyebrows. "Among the cash seizures, Bengaluru city tops the list with the figure of Rs 2.47 crore, followed by Bellary at Rs 55 lakh," it added.

It said that while there are reports of cash shortage in some parts of the country, cash "seems to be flowing" in the poll-bound state.

It said that as part of the enhanced alertness in the wake of the single-phase polling scheduled on the May 12, the investigation wing of the department in Karnataka and Goa has "stepped up its surveillance and monitoring activities."

"A high level of alertness is being maintained in airports and railway stations," it said.

"A person carrying Rs 16.5 lakh was intercepted at one of the airports. The source of the cash could not be explained by him. Follow-up action was taken in Mumbai and cash of Rs 37 lakh was found and seized from the Mumbai premises," it said.

A total seizure of "unaccounted" cash amounting to Rs 53.50 lakh was made in the case, it said.

In another instance, it said, a contractor in one of the districts of the state was searched and it was found that "he had made payments to another person who, in turn, had withdrawn cash from the amount transferred."

"The cash withdrawn of Rs 55 lakh was seized and the contractor also admitted to concealment of Rs 16 crore," it said.

The department said it also recovered "household articles worth Rs 9.51 crore intended for distribution (during polls) that was found in a warehouse near Mysore."

"After careful investigation, it has been established that this was meant for distribution (as illegal inducements). The district election officer concerned has been alerted to ensure that these items are not actually distributed during the election process," the tax department said.

In another case in Karnataka, it said, cash of almost Rs 50 lakh was seized from a private person.

The department has set up a 24 x 7 control room in the state capital to receive election-related complaints from the general public and other agencies of Karnataka, and strike teams have been formed in all the districts to act upon any information received.

"The department is into intelligence gathering at various places of public transport and its air intelligence units are keeping close watch in all the airports in the state of Karnataka and also in the neighbouring state of Goa," it said.

The probe wing of the department, it said, has also "gathered details of all contract payments made in the last quarter of the completed financial year and is making a comparison with previous years for identifying the abnormal cases."

This data is being co-related with all bank transactions and available cash withdrawal intelligence, it added.

The counting of the votes for the 224-member Assembly is scheduled on May 15.

The EC has appointed a number of election expenditure observers in Karnataka, apart from other Central observers, to keep a check on black money and illegal inducements used to bribe voters.
Bribery involving the police is a fact of life for many Indians, unfortunately. From seeking money, property or electronics, bribe demands assume a variety of forms, including the comical.

In one such incident, a lady sub-inspector was suspended for demanding a pizza from a restaurant owner, who came to register a complaint in Lucknow.

The incident happened at Hazratganj police station, where the restaurateur, Rohit Berry, went to the police station to file a complaint against a man, who did not pay for the food in his restaurant.

The sub-inspector registered an FIR, but asked Berry to bring a pizza when he came again to take the copy of the FIR.

"She asked us to bring food and take our FIR copy. We supplied the order but they returned it and paid us after the incident went viral on social media," said Berry.

SSP Hirendra Kumar confirmed the suspension of the sub-inspector and said a departmental inquiry has been initiated in the matter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday night said he had a "wonderful meeting" with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and discussed multiple aspects relating to bilateral cooperation as well as other global issues.

Modi met Merkel during a brief stopover in Berlin after wrapping up his visit to the UK where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and held a series of bilateral meetings.

It was the third and last leg of Modi's three-nation tour to the UK, Sweden and Germany.

"Had a wonderful meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel. We discussed multiple aspects relating to India-Germany cooperation as well as other global issues," Modi tweeted.

The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Germany cooperation, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, adding that Modi's visit "demonstrates India's mutual desire to strengthen the strategic partnership".

"Further cementing a cherished friendship! PM @narendramodi warmly welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery ahead of the bilateral meeting," Kumar said in a tweet.

Modi's meeting with Merkel comes after German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's trip to India last month, which focused on boosting economic and strategic ties between the two countries.

Germany is India's largest trade partner in the European Union bloc.
The humble life of Marxist leader Manik Sarkar had been a poll plank of the CPI(M) in Tripura to take on its luxurious political opponents. According to an affidavit submitted by the former chief minister along with his nomination paper during the recently held assembly elections, Sarkar's asset was Rs 1,520 as cash in hand and Rs 2,410 in bank account.

However, Tripura's longest serving chief minister's pro-poor image took a hit with reports that Sarkar demanded an SUV and a new residence from the newly formed BJP government.

In a letter addressed to Tripura legislative assembly secretary Bamdeb Majumder on March 26, the CPI(M) leader has asked for arrangements to be made for a befitting residential quarter.

Sarkar and his wife Panchali Bhattacharya have been staying at the party office since March 8 after the left government was routed by the BJP in Tripura.

Bamdeb Majumder confirmed receiving the letter from Sarkar. Sarkar verbally requested to allot him either an Innova or Scorpio as he is not physically fit to travel in an Ambassador car, he told a national daily.

According to a report in the daily, though Sarkar was offered a Bolero jeep he did not accept it as it was about five years old and had been driven 1.25 lakh km.

The ruling BJP and the Congress were quick to slam Sarkar's demand for an SUV, saying it has busted the myth surrounding his simplicity.

His demands are a blotch on the ideals of communism, said BJP's Mrinal Kanti Dey while Congress spokesperson Tapas Dey said Sarkar has given scope to his critics to question his intentions.
Seniority, backwardness and supreme sacrifice of the family were being cited as reasons why legislators should be made cabinet ministers, hours before Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is to expand his cabinet on Saturday evening. The cracks in the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee are widening, and in public at that.

Ironically, the names of legislators who will be sworn in was finalised at a meeting between Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the chief minister; and those who felt they had 'chances' but don't see themselves in the list now, are blaming the party high command.

While there has always been disappointment among those who do not get a ministerial berth, this time, legislators are giving vent to their frustration.

Among those who are upset at their exclusion is Gurkirat Singh, MLA from Khanna, and grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh who was assassinated by terrorists.

Gurkirat said the party high command in Delhi was to blame for him not being made a minister. "I accept the decision," he said, but pointed out that he belonged to a family of "traditional Congressmen, leaders who have continuously won elections for the party. He felt that while his grandfather had brought back peace to Punjab, shaped new development and made the supreme sacrifice for the state, now the family's claim to leadership was brushed aside.

Sangat Singh Gilzian, MLA from Urmur constituency in Hoshiarpur district, quit his post in the AICC and as vice president of the PPCC, saying the chief minister was not giving representation to backward classes in the cabinet. Dramatically enough, he announced his resignation and his anguish over being denied a cabinet berth through a video message on social media. While he has been an MLA three times, Gilzian felt his seniority was being ignored.

Navtej Cheema, legislator from Sultanpur Lodhi, did not cite specific reasons on why he should have been there, but felt hurt at not being called to take oath. He intended to take up the matter with the chief minister.
The Gujarat government is expected to appoint a special public prosecutor for Surat rape-murder case of a 11-year-old girl, even as the police arrested three accused from Gangapur in Rajasthan.

The accused are likely to be brought to Gujarat on Saturday.

Minister of state for home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said on Friday that among the three arrested included the key accused.

The rape and murder of the young girl in Pandesara, near Surat, the diamond capital of India, had become a challenging task for the police. The body of the victim was found from Pandesara on April 6.

After the postmortem was done, Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma had said that the girl was brutally raped and there were 86 injury marks on her body.

The police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.

In what was an uphill task to track down the accused, the Surat police began probe by by examining the CCTV recordings near the place from where the victims body was found. Mobile data and the CCTV footage were within the radius of three-kilometer area from the spot.

The focus was then zeroed in on a black car that was moving suspiciously within the area. Police also found three train tickets from a house in the area.

Jadeja said that they would appoint a special public prosecutor to take up the case in a fast track court.

The identity of the girl is not established yet. However, the police are trying to match the DNA samples of the victim and another woman, who was found dead in a nearby area on April 9. It is believed that the woman could be the young girls mother.

The Surat police were helped in the case by the Ahmedabad Crime Branch.

The police also went through the profiles of over 8,000 missing girls from various states of the country.

Jadeja said that more than 400 police personnel were involved in the search operation.

The police are also probing human trafficking angle. Prima facie it is believed that the girls mother was working as a construction worker and that the mother-daughter duo could have been brought to Surat by promising a job.

Gujarats state commission for women had also swung into action and asked for a report by the Surat police.
Tech giant Google is all set to change the entire messaging playing field. As per the Verge, Chat is what Google aims to crown as the new universal standard, replacing the old-school SMS.

Chat will use Universal Profile for Rich Communication Services for it to work properly making Google rely on the telecom operators. Earlier this year, Google said it had 43 carriers and device makes signed on to support RCS, while an updated list shows 55 carriers, 11 OEMS and two operating system distributors: Google and Microsoft. In India, Google is talks with Airtel, Jio and Vodafone for the Chat service.

Chat is not an app like Hangouts or Allo but is to be seen rather as a technology or an extension of an already existing app. Chat will be a carrier-based service and a Google service. Its just Chat, not Google Chat. Chat, like your regular SMS, will not have end-to-end encryption. Otherwise, the Chat is expected to work just like iMessage: integrated to the basic messaging app with abilities to send pictures and videos and send receipts and what not.

Google expects big from Chat, as seen from how Anil Sabharwal is now the head of the new project. Sabharwal has an amazing track record especially with the Google photos app, the most successful app from Google in recent years. Google is giving up on having its own consumer messaging app and is determined to go ahead with Chat, especially with the history of Android's messaging mess (see illustration).

Rich Communication Services (RCS) has failed several times since its inception in 2007, and yet, Google has spent the last couple of years trying to get consensus around something called the Universal Profile, a standardised way to make RCS work across carriers. SMS is going to be replaced one way or another. You can either be part of the replacement or continue to watch Apple and Facebook run away with text messaging, might be in par to the argument Google made to the carriers.

Uses care about features, especially if they are not restricted to OS, and Chat is aimed at catering over two billion users. To bring RCS onto the playing field means bringing together the carriersa Herculean task. With this kind of resources and determination extended, Google might just be able to pull it off.
There were more than 700 million workers living in poverty in emerging and developing countries who were unable to lift themselves above the USD 3.10 per person daily threshold in 2017, the International Labor Organization has said.

The rate of progress has slowed, and many developing countries are failing to keep pace with the growing labour force, ILO Director General Guy Ryder said.

"Despite significant progress, in 2017 there were still more than 700 million workers living in poverty in emerging and developing countries, unable to lift themselves above the USD3.10 per person daily poverty threshold," Ryder told International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its annual Spring meeting.

Noting that the rebound in economic growth has strengthened job creation and the global unemployment rate is expected to fall slightly during 2017-19 (after a three-year rise), he said however, the labour market recovery is uneven across country groupings, with continued rises in the numbers of people unemployed in developing and emerging economies.

Ryder told IMF that new policies are required to foster decent jobs for youth in an era of rapid technical change. The ILO estimates that 67 million young women and men are unemployed globally, and around 145 million young workers in emerging and developing countries live in extreme or moderate poverty, he said.

"New automation and digital technologies pose further challenges. The opportunities they present will demand innovative policy solutions," he said, adding that proper infrastructure and equal access to information and technology should complement investment in education and skills and effective approaches towards lifelong learning.

Ryder said that in Africa, working poverty is forecast to stall at 24 per cent of the workforce during 2017-19, with numbers rising from 104 to 110 million.

In Asia and the Pacific, the share will drop only marginally from 16 to 15 per cent and the number of workers in poverty will still be close to 300 million by 2019. The slowdown in progress threatens not only workers' individual well-being, but also our global ambition to eradicate poverty by 2030, he said.

Ryder said that policy makers must ensure that workers in advanced, emerging and developing countries all benefit from a global trading system that produces fair outcomes.

Failure to do so risks the multilateral system, as the IMF warns, with significant economic costs and political risks for all nations. Key to restoring faith are policies to ensure fairer distribution of the benefits of trade, he said.

"Stronger labour market institutions, including minimum wages, sustainable enterprises, collective bargaining and freedom of association, are the right answers to political populists who exploit income disadvantages to undermine open economies and open borders," ILO chief said.
North Koreas announcement of a halt in its nuclear and missile tests was met with scepticism by many South Koreans on Saturday, highlighting political risk for the Souths president as he embarks on the latest push for peace on the peninsula.

North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site, instead pursuing economic growth and peace, the Norths state media said.

But in South Korea, which is still technically in a state of war with its unpredictable, isolated neighbour, many ordinary people expressed scepticism about the sincerity of the announcement, and stressed the need for caution.

A declaration is just a declaration, student Kim Han-nuri, 23, told Reuters in downtown Seoul on a sunny spring morning.

Unless theres a change in its dictatorial system, I dont think we can completely trust anything North Korea says as it isnt a normal country ... I dont believe we can build normal diplomatic relations and our safety cant be guaranteed.

South Koreans have lived for decades under the threat of war with their hostile and now nuclear-armed neighbour.

Theyve also seen several earlier pushes for reconciliation that raised hopes of peace only to end in a return to acrimony.

Polls suggest South Koreans have become increasingly indifferent to the threat of war, with bigger concerns being more mundane issues like jobs and the pressures that have accompanied South Koreas rapid development since the 1950s.

Liberal politician Moon Jae-in won a presidential election last year, promising a moderate approach to North Korea with the aim of reviving a sunshine policy of engagement.

But no one anticipated the speed with which relations have improved since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a conciliatory New Years address at the end of last year, following months of sharply rising tension over his weapons.

Back to square one?

Moon, who is preparing for a summit with Kim this month, remains popular but voters are suspicious of North Koreas intentions and some would certainly judge him harshly if he was seen to be rushing blindly into North Koreas embrace.

Yeo Young-ju, 44, said North Korea had developed nuclear bombs despite decades of efforts to engage it, and this time it should get no economic benefits until its promises were proven to be true.

This will be the third inter-Korean summit. North Korea looked as if it would denuclearize during the two previous summits and then we were back to square one, Yeo said.

We need to verify if they indeed get rid of their nuclear material, Yeo said.

Lee Jeong-hyoo, 72, said South Korea should learn from a history of broken promises.

We must not be deceived, Lee said. We have to watch this really carefully.

In Japan, which until recent months North Korea regularly threatened to destroy in a sea of fire, people were also doubtful.

I cant believe what the North has just announced, said IT worker Sayuri Nakata, 27, referring to North Koreas promise to give up its nuclear weapons tests.

Theyll just probably just do them anyway.

-Reuters
Husain Haqqani takes pride in pointing out inconvenient realities. Baiting the Pakistani establishment, Haqqani has always tried to cut through propaganda to speak the truth. His latest book, Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming a Dysfunctional Nuclear State, is in keeping with this tradition.

Haqqani offers a detailed counter to widely held beliefs in Pakistan. Insecurity remains the hallmark of Pakistans political and intellectual conversation, he writes. This insecurity, which he believes has shaped Pakistan, is what he seeks to examine. Using history to reflectand as a reference pointHaqqani has traced the journey of Pakistan from the transfer of power to its current avatar of a country described by Madeline Albright as everything that gives you an international migraine. Rather than critical reflection, Pakistan chooses denial, says Haqqani, which he attempts to address.

The way Pakistan perceives itself versus the world is flawed, he argues. One of the most outrageous imagined plots suggests that the flood in 2010 was engineered by the CIA, writes Haqqani. The world viewed through the prism of religion and firm belief that India is a permanent enemy adds to the distortion.

He also delves into the Pakistani psyche to explain how the country evolved into a dysfunctional nuclear state, using the writing of scholars to bolster his argument. And, he criticises all the actors who have played a role in itthe Pakistani state, the military, the politicians, and even the intelligentsia.

There is busting of several widely-held myths. The Islamisation of politicsthe blame cannot be laid solely on General Zias door, he writes. Religion-based politics was used by many leaders. But, at the core of his argument is the need for Pakistan to still justify the two-nation theory. He suggests that clinging on to it has prevented Pakistan from seeing itself as part of the modern state. One of the biggest challenges since its creation was the monumental task of formulating an identity distinct from India, he says, quoting historian Mubarak Ali. That, and the belief that India is out to destroy it.

He hopes that Pakistan will find the courage to reimagine itself before circumstances force it to. On 16th December 1971, Pakistans troops were about to surrender in Dhaka while Pakistans newspapers were claiming victory, he says. The narrative collapsed because of circumstances on the ground in East Pakistan. Wouldnt it be better if a more honest narrative was allowed? Or at least some people would have been allowed to forward a more honest narrative.

Reimagining Pakistan: Transforming A Dysfunctional Nuclear State

By Husain Haqqani

Published by HarperCollins India

Price Rs 699, pages 336
Less than a year after FBI director James Comey was firedand after a significant advance, no doubthe has come out with a book, Truth, Lies and Leadership. A widely anticipated tell-all, everything to ensure that it becomes a bestseller has been followed to the script. President Donald Trump has come out all guns blazingA proven leaker and liar, weak and untruthful slime ball'', are just some of his colourful adjectives. He threatened Comey with prosecution, saying that it was his honour to fire him. His job of handling the crooked Hillary Clinton case, and the events surrounding it, will go down as one of the worst botch jobs in history'', he tweeted. The criticism forced a memowhich Comey judiciously kept, while he was FBI director, on the conversations he had with Trumpto be leaked.

So, is it worth it? For all the promises of a tell-all, Comey doesn't really spill the beans. Not all of them, anyway. He does confirma stunning assessmentthat Russia was involved. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an extensive effort to influence the 2016 presidential elections. This was through cyber activity, social media, to denigrate Hillary Clinton so that Trump gets elected. Comey writes about how Putin hates Hillary.

But, if you're looking for juicy details on Trump, you might be in for some disappointment. Comey had to brief the president-elect on what, he writes, is now commonly known as the "Steele dossier. It contained information gathered by a former allied intelligence officer, but which was not validated. It had wild stuff, including that Trump engaged in unusual sexual activities with prostitutes in Russia, while on a trip to Moscow in 2013. This included prostitutes urinating on a hotel bed in the presidential suite of the Ritz Carlton, where the Obamas had spent the night. Another allegation was that these activities were filmed by the Russian intelligence to blackmail Trump.

The meeting in which he does bring up the details is awkward for Comeyhe describes it as an out-of-the-body experience. Trump denied that he was eager to protest the allegations weren't true. I added that I wasn't saying that the FBI believes the allegations, he writes. The only thing was to let him know they were being circulated. He again strongly denied the allegations, asking...whether he seemed like a guy who needed the service of prostitutes,'' writes Comey.

The relationship is described as uncomfortable by Comey, though he doesn't use the word. He talks about an awkward hug that Trump bestowed on him in full public view. Then, there is the famous one-on-one dinner. The memos sort of fill in the blanks that Comey left out in his book. In the book, he describes how Trump asked for loyalty. Trump also tells him his wife doesn't believe the lies about the prostitutes, even one per cent.

Life begins with a lie, writes Comey. Everyone lies at some point in their life. The important questions are about what, and how often? Comey hasn't told the complete truth either, even though it is an immensely readable book, in which he is a hero. There is a time when he is completely honestperhaps, the most damning indictment on American intelligence, when he writes, Like many others, I was surprised when Donald Trump got elected.
Nowadays a section of [police] officers [in Tripura] are scared of contempt of court. I control the police. The way the officials are reacting is as if contempt of court is a tiger. I want to assure all of you that I am the tiger. Biplab Kumar Deb Tripura chief minister

Change in fashion killed my career. Women started wearing such short clothes, there was nothing left to pull. Ranjeet veteran actor, who played a rapist in many Bollywood films

When I started writing in the 1950s, there were no such things as literary festivals in India. Even book launches were rare. Those days writers were anonymous. We werent visual, we werent seen because there was no television, there was no internet. Ruskin Bond author

The BJP is the biggest jumla [false promise] party in the country. It is the party that has only lies and hatred to offer. If you speak against them, they will unleash central agencies against you. The BJP is a party of a dancing dragon. It doesnt follow human rights and democratic rights in states where it is in power. Mamata Banerjee West Bengal CM
The young Bakarwal girls brutalisation and death has cracked open societal fault lines in Jammu, releasing a lava of anger that was simmering. That the child was from a nomadic Muslim Bakarwal family and all the eight accused are Hindus has flamed communal fires, polarising the community and politicising the crime.

The unrest is on since the day the young girls body was discovered near the temple by a shepherd. Outraged, the entire neighbourhood blocked the Jammu-Pathankot highway, threatening not to bury the body till they got justice. There was no communal divide then. It began, locals say, when a Gujjar leader from Udhampur gave the tragedy a communal twist after the accused were arrested. In a knee-jerk reaction, the villagers then formed the Hindu Ekta Manch.

The Manch demands a CBI probe, raising doubts over the composition of the investigative team (one member allegedly had a rape case against him once). The Jammu Bar Association got so militant, it even tried to thwart advocate Deepika Singh Rajawat from filing the charge-sheet in court. The trial started this week.

As the political fires rage, the victims foster family, unlettered and bewildered, decided to advance its summer migration by several weeks. The father left with the livestock several days ago, while the mother moved to her parents home initially, and then, took to the road herself. The sons are elsewhere. They are afraid.

After a days search, we caught up with the girls foster mother in a meadow below a railway bridge, a few kilometres before Udhampur. She was breaking camp. Shed always sleep on my right arm, the mother sobbed, caressing a picture of the child. I miss her. I couldnt eat for a month after she died.

The child came into their lives soon after the family lost three children in a bus accident. She was my husbands sisters daughter. We got her when she was two months old, to fill the void. Now she has left a bigger void. Her uncle speaks about the interdependence between the Bakarwals and the local residents. Every winter, we settle in their forests. We sell milk to them. We depend on each other, he says.

We hear a similar sentiment on the other side. She was our daughter, too, says Raj Khajuria, Manch member and local resident. They came to the temple tap for drinking water. We have lived together since the 1950s. Beyond this common sentiment, though, the narrative changes. We dont brutalise daughters. This is the land of Vaishno Devi. This isnt Kashmir, or even UP/Bihar, say Manch members, insisting that innocents have been arrested.

What neither side talks about are the regular skirmishes between the two communities. The charge-sheet mentions a history of FIRs and counter FIRs in nearby police stations. The crime branch says the prime accused, Sanji Ram, wanted to ensure that they would be out of the area for good. He had a history of hostility with the Bakarwals.

Across the state, nomads are treated with suspicion as land encroachers. The feeling got aggravated by the state governments announcement that till it drafted a tribal policy, nomads should not be disturbed from where they are living. The Forest Rights Act is not applicable in Jammu and Kashmir, which leaves nomads vulnerable, says political analyst Zafar Choudhary. There are around four lakh Bakarwals in the state. With urbanisation, the land mafia, which includes people from all political parties, is into land grabbing, pushing the nomads further away.

The temple, the main site of the crime, is at some distance from the village. It is a rectangular building, approximately 40x22 feet. It has no nooks or chambers. It has three doors and several large windows through which one can get a clear inside view. Women come twice a day to pray and light lamps. In the same complex is a tree dedicated to a pir, and every Sunday, there used to be a feast here (it has stopped after the crime).

Ram, known to go into trances and receive visions, had the key to one of the doors. Is it possible to keep a sedated child here for days, even rape her on the premises without anyone noticing. How could a dead body be kept here? Would no one get a smell? asks Madhubala, his daughter. She is sitting in protest under a tree for weeks now, demanding a CBI probe.

Rams younger son, who studies agriculture science in Meerut, is a co-accused. My brother has his attendance in college for those days. He was writing an exam in Muzaffarnagar, says Madhubala. Police suspect he created an alibi by paying the college staff. Details of his attendance records and the exam centre as well as the money trail are still being verified, the police said.

Rajawat, who represents the victim, says the charge-sheet is based on scientific investigations, with forensic evidence, call records, accounts of witnesses and confessions. Those who feel the real culprit needs to be booked should help us in investigations, she said.

The anger over the arrests points to a growing concern over the changing demographics in Jammu. First, Kashmir was cleansed ethnically, now they are targeting Jammu, says Ankur Sharma, a member of the Jammu Bar Association, who is representing six of the accused. He says a CBI probe will be impartial, and so the government is against it. The Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, who began settling in Jammu a few years ago, have added to the fear.

In this fraught landscape, somewhere, the focus has moved away from the fact that an innocent child paid in the most terrible manner for no fault of hers. Will she get justice? Or will beti bachao, beti padhao remain just a slogan?
The conscience of the nation has again been stirred by a string of horrid crimes against women and children. The failure of the guardians of the law, be it in politics or in uniform, has added to the gloom, as the nation repeatedly wakes up to news of rape, mutilation and murder. The politically powerful appear to be immune from accountability.

The deterioration in law and order does not bode well for the BJP. Also, the efforts by hindutva groups in Jammu to communalise the case have sent a dangerous message.

Recent crimes in Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Haryana have exposed major shortcomings in the police machinery. The protests by lawyers and political workers in Jammu, who are supporting the accused in the case related to the rape and murder of an eight-year-old, and the UP governments kid-glove treatment of a ruling party MLA accused of rape, are equally disturbing. In Jammu and Kashmir, two ministers in the PDP-BJP government who participated in the protests were forced to resign, while UP witnessed the belated arrest of the accused MLAKuldeep Singh Sengar of the BJP.

The UP Police had earlier received praise from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for its crackdown on gangstersmore than three dozen wanted men have been killed in encounters in the past one year. But, it is now taking the flak for having tried to protect Sengar and his influential relatives.

The MLA and his family are accused of carrying out premeditated attacks on an impoverished family in Unnao district. The attacks began nine months ago, and they culminated in the custodial death of the man whose daughter was allegedly raped by Sengar.

The daughter had the courage to lodge a complaint against Sengar. Demanding justice, she even tried to kill herself outside the chief ministers residence in Lucknow. This allegedly prompted the police to arrest the father on charges of possessing illegal firearms. The police took him to the station, where he was beaten to death, allegedly by Sengars supporters.

The BJP has been criticised for the way it reacted to the incidents in UP and J&K. The lethargy of the state governments in dealing with the cases, and the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, became talking points.

The situation even prompted Manmohan Singh to ask Modi to follow his own advice and speak more often. Through news reports, I know that he used to criticise me for not speaking up, Singh said in a recent interview. I feel that the advice that he used to give me, he should follow it himself.

BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi slammed the opposition for being selective in its criticism, and for not commenting on the rape of a woman in Assam. It caused much unease among the BJPs allies, as the party seemed to be clutching at straws to defend itself. In Srinagar, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti put her foot down, and demanded the resignation of two BJP ministers who had supported the accused. This happened after her government was criticised by her brother and cabinet minister, Tassaduq Mufti. In Lucknow, Yogi bowed to the demand for a CBI investigation into the Unnao case. Interestingly, Lal Singh, one of the two J&K ministers who were forced to resign, has also demanded a CBI probe to ensure justice. He has accused Mufti of politicising the case.

The image of the BJP was dented further when the rape and murder of a seven-year-old at Etah in UP came to light. The police, however, maintained that no politicians were involved in the case. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said there could be no laxity in preventing crimes against women and children.

The deterioration in law and order does not bode well for the BJP. Also, the efforts by hindutva groups in Jammu to communalise the case have sent a dangerous message. The situation demands that the political leadership act swiftly, and without fear or favour.
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Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings, NAMM Holdings Inc., NSC Fayetteville LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Nashville-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National MedTrans LLC, National Pacific Dental, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes, Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Medical Services LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., Newton Holdings LLC, North American Medical Management - Illinois, North American Medical Management California, North American Medical Management California Inc., North Puget Sound Center for Sleep Disorders LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd., Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care, Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care of Huntsville, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Omesa S.A., OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., OneNet PPO, OneNet PPO LLC, Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum, Optum Bank, Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics, Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Clinical Services, Optum Clinics Holdings, Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings, Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions (Philippines), Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Government Solutions, Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health & Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (India) Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology (UK) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (US), Optum Health & Technology (US) LLC, Optum Health & Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US), Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US) Inc., Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health Services (Canada) Ltd., Optum Health Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions (UK) Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio, Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs, Optum Labs Dimensions, Optum Labs Dimensions Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs International (UK) Ltd., Optum Life Sciences (Canada) Inc., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Nevada Accountable Care Organization LLC, Optum Operations (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 703 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Public Sector Solutions, Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket, Optum Rocket Inc., Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services, Optum Services (Ireland) Limited, Optum Services (Puerto Rico) LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Solutions do Brasil  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Optum Technology, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Women's and Children's Health, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360, Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO Florida LLC, OptumCare ACO Holdings LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Health Plan of California Inc., OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Holdings New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Financial Services, OptumHealth Financial Services Inc., OptumHealth Holdings, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight, OptumInsight Holdings, OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx, OptumRx Administrative Services, OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Illinois, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA, OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois, OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland, OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Puerto Rico LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Maryland, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada, OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings, OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet Services, OrthoNet Services Inc., OrthoNet West, OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the Mid-Atlantic, OrthoNet of the South, OrthoNet of the South Inc., Ovations, Ovations Inc., Oxford Benefit Management, Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance, Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans (CT), Oxford Health Plans (CT) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NJ), Oxford Health Plans (NJ) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NY), Oxford Health Plans (NY) Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, P2 Lower Acquisition, P2P Link LLC, PCCCV, PCCCV Inc., PCN DE Corp., PHC Subsidiary Holdings, PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYS Holding Corp., PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI, PMSI Holdco II, PMSI Holdings, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado, PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., PacifiCare of Nevada, PacifiCare of Nevada Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Paoli Ambulatory Surgery Center, Paoli Surgery Center L.P., Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Pasteur Plaza Surgery Center GP Inc., PatientsLikeMe, PatientsLikeMe LLC, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica - PANC., Payment Resolution Services, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Network, Pharmacy Review Services, Pharmacy Software Holdco Inc., PhyServe Holdings, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physician Care Partners, Physicians Health Choice of Texas, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians Plaza Holdings LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico, Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings, Plus One Holdings Inc., Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Precision Dialing Services Inc., Preferred Care Partners, Preferred Care Partners Holding, Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group, Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., Premier Choice ACO, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Prime Health, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network, PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley, PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona, PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley, PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley, PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley, PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands, PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside, PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino, PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City, PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula, PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success, ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success LLC, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Medical Management, ProHealth Physicians, ProHealth Physicians ACO, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management, ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, Procura Management, Procura Management Inc., Progressive Enterprises Holdings, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical, Progressive Medical LLC, Progressive Solutions, Promotora Country S.A., Pronetics Health Care Group, Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Management Services LLC, Pueblo-SCA Surgery Center LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., Quality Software Services, QuarterMaster Newco LLC, R&H Family Fitness Unlimited LLC, Rally Health, Rally Health Inc., Real Appeal Inc., Recaudacion y Cobranzas Honodav Ltda., Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management, Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rocky Mountain HealthCare Options Inc., SC Affiliates LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA California Surgical Holdings LLC, SCA Capital LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA EHSC Holdings LLC, SCA EWASC Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Nashville ASC LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA SSC Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Center of Cullman LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Partners LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Mokena Properties LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-ND VBP Inc., SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Shelby Development Corp., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Wilmington LLC, SCA-Wilson LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SPINETRACK 20/20 Inc., SRPS LLC, SXC Comet, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Savvysherpa Administrative Services LLC, Savvysherpa Asia Inc., Savvysherpa LLC, Scanner Centromed S.A., ScripNet, ScriptSwitch Limited, Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Senior Care Partners, Serquinox Holdings LLC, Serquinox LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Limitada, Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Limitada, Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., SharedClarity LLC, Shelby Surgery Properties Inc., Sierra Health Services, Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options, Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products, Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators, Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sirona Infusion, Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad Editorial para la Ciencia Limitada., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria S.A., Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Southwest Medical Associates, Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center of Bakersfield L.P., Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits, Specialty Benefits LLC, Spectera, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA, Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Spotlite, Spotlite Inc., St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, StoneRiver P2P Link, StoneRiver Pharmacy Solutions, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Streamlines Health LLC, Summit Home Infusion, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Clarksville L.P., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of Spokane LLC, Surgery Center of Summerlin LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Center of Vero Beach Inc., Surgery Center of Wilmington LLC, Surgery Center of Wilmington Properties LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Belleville LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings, Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, Symphonix Health Insurance, Symphonix Health Insurance Inc., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologias de Informacion en Salud S.A., The Advisory Board (Chile) SpA, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Lewin Group, The Lewin Group Inc., The Magan Medical Group, The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Thousand Oaks Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys, Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, TriMed LLC, Trinity Infusion, Trio Motion LLC, Tucson Arizona Surgical Center LLC, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UHC Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UHC Global Health Services BC Ltd., UHC International Services, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings (Ireland) Limited, UHCG Services (Ireland) Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHIC Holdings, UHIC Holdings Inc., UICI Funding Corp. 2, UMR, UMR Inc., USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors L.L.C., USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD Administrative Services, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD CT (Mo), USMD Cancer Treatment Centers, USMD Cancer Treatment Centers GP, USMD Diagnostic Services, USMD Holdings, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Inc., USMD PPM, USMD PPM LLC, USMD of Arlington GP, Ultima Rx, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Administrative Services, Unison Health Plan of Delaware, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A., United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Management Services Inc., United Resource Networks IPA of New York, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., UnitedHealth Advisors, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Finance Inc., UnitedHealth Group Global Healthcare Services Limited, UnitedHealth Group Global Services, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group Information Services Private Limited, UnitedHealth Group International Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth Group International GP, UnitedHealth Group International L.P., UnitedHealth International, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealth UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Canada Limited, UnitedHealthcare Global Medical (UK) Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare India Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia, UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International I S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International V S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VI S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Services Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas, UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida, UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England, UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York, UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah, UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington, UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands, UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UpFront Insurance Agency LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings, Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO, Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network, Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vida Tres Internacional S.A., Vidaintegra S.A., Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., WebInsure Benefits LLC, WellMed Medical Management, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida, WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., WellMed Networks  DFW, West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, WillowB Labs LLC, Wilmington ASC LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, Your Health Options Insurance Services, Your Health Options Insurance Services Inc., Your Partner in Health Services, divvyDOSE, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative, inPharmative Inc., and ppoONE.
GUILDERLAND -- A Rotterdam man is accused of threatening to use a knife on the owner of a home he'd broken into, Guilderland Police said Saturday.

Brian Beolncik, of 4th Avenue, is charged with burglary, first-degree robbery and criminal weapon possession after stealing property from the home in the 1900 block of Western Avenue just before 1 a.m. Saturday, police said.

The homeowner, who was threatened as Beloncik fled, was not hurt, police said.

Arraignment was pending.
FINANCIAL

LEVERPOINT MANAGEMENT LLC

Beverly Rowe joined as a treasury specialist. Rowe previously served as a community branch banker at Branch Banking & Trust.

Raymond Caouette joined as a treasury specialist. Caouette previously served as a financial service representative at Berkshire Bank.

Jonathan Ausfeld joined as a senior corporate accountant. Ausfeld previously served as an accountant for Logistics One Inc.

Angela Politzi joined as a staff accountant II. Politzi previously served as an accounting assistant for the Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York.

Dianna Acors joined as an investor services specialist. Acors previously served as a pre-admission testing MST at Ellis Hospital.

Sean McEvoy joined as a staff accountant I. McEvoy previously served as a staff accountant at the Albany Community Action Partnership.

Sandra Weiner joined as an administrative assistant. Weiner previously served as a branch administrator for Canon Solutions America Inc.

HEALTH CARE

SARATOGA HOSPITAL

Ramez Awwad joined as a physician in the Medical Group  Ear and Sinus Surgery, and will also see sleep medicine patients. Awwad, who is board certified in both otolaryngology and sleep medicine, previously worked at Capital Region ENT.

MEDIA

THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE PROJECT (PEP)

Langdon Jenkins joined as an associate creative director, focused on copywriting. Jenkins is an award-winning creative director who has 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology advertising fields.

PROFESSIONS

FELDMAN, KLEIDMAN, COFFEY, SAPPE & REGENBAUM LLP

Bain R. Loucks joined as a senior associate. Loucks previously served as an attorney at two law firms in New York City, one where he defended product liability claims against automobile manufacturers and negligence claims against transportation companies, and the other where he represented professionals in malpractice actions and disciplinary proceedings.

FIBERLIGHT LLC

Mike Kopp joined as vice president of channel. Kopp is responsible for designing channel programs and leading the sales team toward revenue growth.

LECHASE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES LLC

Phill Lawrence joined as a project engineer in the Albany office. Lawrence previously served as an assistant project manager on various projects in Massachusetts and the Capital Region.

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RIVKIN RADLER

Stanley J. Tartaglia Jr. joined as an associate in the commercial litigation, general liability, medical malpractice defense and professional liability practice groups. Tartaglia, who previously served as a senior litigation associate at Carter, Conboy, Case, Blackmore, Maloney & Laird PC, represents professionals in the defense of claims involving medical malpractice, construction litigation, insurance law and commercial litigation.

TULLY RINCKEY PLLC

Carol A. Crossett joined as a partner. Crossett, who previously practiced general and complex commercial litigation, concentrates her practice on corporate and commercial litigation matters, estate and business succession planning and transactional matters.

SERVICES

TRANS-BORDER GLOBAL FREIGHT SYSTEMS INC.

Kristilda Cobani joined agent pricing and routing in the Round Lake office.

Benjamin Zeigler and Micalena Vanelli joined import operations in the Round Lake office.

Yair Asher joined export operations in the Round Lake office.

 Jennifer Patterson
Ikea chair assembly easy ... for a robot

Robots have been designed to perform many tasks: assemble cars, vacuum rugs, tend bar. Some have even been trained to write news stories (gulp!).

Now, however, researchers in Singapore have met perhaps the ultimate challenge, assembling a chair from Ikea.

A robot was able to assemble a chair in just 20 minutes and 19 seconds, The New York Times and other outlets reported last week.

It's not the first effort. A researcher at Cornell University, Ross A. Knepper, in 2013 was part of a team that could put together an Ikea table.

That attracted the Singapore team, which tackled the even more difficult chair.

But even the robot took several tries to put the chair together, The Times reported.

Food boards Amtrak as prepared passenger

That's what we felt when we heard about the new food service Amtrak plans for the Lake Shore Limited.

Sleeping car passengers starting June 1 will be able to have meals delivered to their rooms or dine in a private cafe or lounge car.

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That's the good news.

The bad news? The food  everything from chilled beef tenderloin and chicken Caesar salad to breakfast breads and fruit plates  will be prepared elsewhere and delivered to the train before it starts its journey.

Amtrak is introducing new dining cars systemwide, but we thought they'd come with a kitchen. This, the railroad says, will be more efficient.

The Lake Shore, by the way, "typically operates daily between Chicago and New York, with a section to and from Boston."

This summer, of course, the New York section won't get any closer than Rensselaer, where passengers will change to local trains, which will travel to Grand Central Terminal while track work is performed at Penn Station.
Albany

Two female employees at the state Division of Criminal Justice Services who were punished following their testimony in a sexual harassment investigation have not been contacted by the ethics commission that was asked more than a month ago by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to conduct an expedited review of the case.

Several other current and former employees of DCJS who were witnesses to the alleged misconduct of a former DCJS director also have not been contacted or interviewed by the state Joint Commission on Public Ethics, known as JCOPE.

The two women, Gina L. Bianchi and Kimberly Schiavone, were recently ordered by DCJS officials to move into smaller offices  including one that was formerly a closet  and transferred into new jobs against their wishes.

Alphonso David, counsel to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, issued a statement on March 18  the same day the Times Union published a story about the alleged mistreatment of the DCJS employees  indicating the governor's office had "asked JCOPE to expedite its review and conduct its own fact finding. Anyone who is found to have engaged in inappropriate or retaliatory behavior will be held responsible to the fullest extent possible."

Walter McClure, a spokesman for JCOPE, on Friday declined comment on the investigation.

Cuomo's counsel also had said that the Governor's Office of Employee Relations was directed in December to begin a "full and thorough investigation of the allegations" after the governor's office became aware of the situation. But the two women have not been contacted recently by GOER, according to their attorney.

A spokesman for GOER did not respond to a request for comment. Janine Kava, a spokeswoman for DCJS, said the agency is cooperating with the new investigations.

"JCOPE has requested documentation related to this matter and DCJS has provided more than 1,000 pages of documents in response," Kava said. "We are fully cooperating with both the JCOPE and the GOER reviews and as these are ongoing, we cannot comment further."

The former DCJS director, Brian J. Gestring, was abruptly fired last month for what the agency said was an unrelated complaint involving inappropriate comments in the workplace. Gestring also has not been contacted by the ethics commission or GOER, according to his attorney.

Gestring was fired four days after the Times Union reported that he was never punished by the agency after an inspector general's investigation found that he had threatened female employees with physical violence and engaged in years of sexual harassment.

DCJS said the termination of Gestring, the director of the agency's Office of Forensic Science since 2012, was unrelated to the inspector general's findings. The agency's spokeswoman said Gestring was fired for an inappropriate remark he made "at an off-site work meeting in June of 2017." She did not provide details about that case.

Sources familiar with that allegation told the Times Union the June 2017 incident took place during a DNA training session at the State Police crime laboratory, where Gestring allegedly had made a vulgar remark as the group examined a rape case involving young children. A female State Police scientist filed a complaint about his remark, but the agency took no action.

The investigation of Gestring revealed a history of offensive and inappropriate behavior that began shortly after he started working for DCJS in July 2012. Records indicate that about four months after Gestring was hired, he received two counseling memos for misbehavior. Gestring signed the memos certifying that had read them, but added handwritten notes claiming he disagreed with the findings, had been forced to sign them, and that staff at DCJS had "agendas," according to details of the inspector general's investigation shared with the Times Union.

"Significantly, no action was taken to address this defiant response and mitigate further misconduct in the future," the inspector general's office concluded in a confidential summary of their investigation.

Investigators, who obtained sworn testimony from multiple DCJS employees, said they were also told that Gestring had once encouraged a female manager to file fraudulent sexual harassment charges against a male colleague in an apparent effort to have him terminated. The woman refused.

In October, Leahy Scott and her deputy inspector general, Spencer Freedman, met with DCJS's top legal counsel, John Czajka, and Executive Deputy Commissioner Michael C. Green to outline the findings of the inspector general's investigation and to turn the case over to DCJS. Czajka and Green asked the inspector general's office for copies of the testimony  including tape-recorded sworn interviews  that had been obtained during the investigation.

Leahy Scott, who was appointed inspector general by Cuomo in 2013, followed up the October meeting with a five-page letter to DCJS on Dec. 6 outlining the findings of her office's investigation. The letter recommended the agency take action against Gestring and two other officials accused of mishandling the allegations, First Deputy Commissioner Mark Bonacquist and Karen Davis, the human resources director.

The agency did not take action against those employees.

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Gestring's standing with DCJS began to unravel on March 18 when the Times Union reported that DCJS had punished the two women who provided testimony about Gestring to the inspector general's office.

Bianchi, an attorney who has worked at DCJS for 24 years, was terminated by Green  currently DCJS's top official  on Dec. 5 after he interrogated her for more than two hours about her testimony to the inspector general's office. Bianchi was able to fall back into a lower-paying job with the agency due to state hiring regulations, but took a $40,000-a-year pay cut. The agency also ordered her to move into a smaller office after the Times Union asked about her situation last month.

Bianchi was interviewed as a witness by the inspector general's office and had not filed a complaint about Gestring. Her attorney, John W. Bailey, said she believed that her testimony was confidential.

The same day that Bianchi was terminated, Schiavone, a manager in the Forensic Services Office who had reported directly to Gestring since 2012, was notified by three top DCJS officials, including Green, that she was being transferred to a different department because of their concern that she would not be able to work with Gestring anymore.

Schiavone had filed a workplace violence complaint against Gestring last August, but the agency did not follow up and never interviewed her about the complaint, said Bailey, who also represents Schiavone.

Bailey said that Schiavone filed a request last month  after Gestring was fired  to be reinstated to her former position in the forensic science office. He said the agency refused the request.

Bailey said Schiavone is now working in a small office that was formerly used as a closet.

"This matter has been investigated by the inspector general," he said

"And it's clear," he claimed, "the governor or DCJS are not happy with the inspector general's findings and they're shopping for a favorable report. They're looking or a report that refutes the inspector general."

In a prior statement, DCJS said its decision last December to terminate Bianchi and transfer Schiavone were "appropriate actions ... to maintain the appropriate work environment at DCJS."

Gestring, 48, is a former New York Police Department scientist who was also a member of the state's Commission on Forensic Science, which oversees crime laboratories across New York.

The examination of Gestring's alleged workplace misconduct began last May when investigators with the inspector general's office stumbled onto the charges during an unrelated probe of negligence by a DCJS employee involving DNA evidence in a Suffolk County criminal case.

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstu
Barbara Pierce Bush, the wife and mother of U.S. presidents, was laid to rest Saturday following a funeral service in Houston where mourners affectionately remembered her as a tough but loving family matriarch who believed in helping others.

In a solemn ceremony lightened by frequent laughter and joyful hymns, a procession of American political icons, family members and friends honored Bush at the service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church on the city's west side.

As four former presidents looked on from the front row, including her beloved husband George H.W. Bush and eldest son George W. Bush, eulogists remembered Barbara Bush as the dedicated, resilient and sharp-witted cornerstone of a great American family.

Speakers recalled her love and compassion for all her family, her many friends, her countrymen  and her deep religious faith. About 1,500 people attended the 80-minute private service, which was followed by a private burial hours later at the Bush presidential library in College Station.

"She believed in and practiced the principles of honesty, tolerance, decency, courage and strength  and perhaps above all, humility," the Rev. Russell J. Levenson Jr., the church's rector, said in his homily. "She lived according to the mantra of the Bush family for many years: Don't get caught up in 'big me.'"

Barbara Bush died Tuesday at age 92 of complications from congestive heart failure and respiratory issues at her west Houston home. Her husband of 73 years, George Herbert Walker Bush, was by her side, having held her hand throughout the day. Her death set off a period of mourning throughout the Houston region and the country, as Americans celebrated the remarkable life of a local and national idol.

The day before the funeral service, thousands of people paid tribute Friday at a public visitation, where George H.W. Bush greeted mourners for a brief, yet poignant, part of the 12-hour procession.

Several of the nation's highest dignitaries attended Saturday's funeral, adding to a sense of reverence that filled the cavernous Gothic-style church. Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton and current first lady Melania Trump watched from one side.

They were joined by foreign leaders such as former British Prime Minister John Major and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. Several immediate Bush family members were seated on the other side of the aisle, including George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush. Representatives of other presidential families, past Bush administrations, members of Congress and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also attended.

The elder George Bush, wearing socks emblazoned with books in homage to his wife's devotion to literacy, dutifully watched from the center, often with his daughter Dorothy's hand stroking his back. His wife's casket, draped in fabric that matched the altar, rested nearly within arm's length.

President Donald Trump, who drew the sharp-tongued wrath of Barbara Bush during the 2016 presidential election, decided not to attend "to avoid disruptions due to added security," according to a White House statement. Multiple presidents have skipped funerals for first ladies in recent decades.

Trump tweeted Saturday morning that he would be watching the 11 a.m. service from his Mar-a-Lago estate. Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn also did not attend  he was already overseas; she was recovering from surgery.

Barbara Bush met with staff in August 2016 to plan her funeral arrangements, and she had been offering input up until shortly before she died.

The service was punctuated with periods of emotion, beginning with a moving rendition of "My Country, 'Tis Of Thee" by the St. Martin's Parish Choir. Daughter Dorothy "Doro" Bush Koch read an adapted passage on death from "Romeo and Juliet." Six of Bush's granddaughters took turns tearfully reading from Proverbs on the theme of motherhood, a role that Bush had lovingly filled.

"Her children rise up and call her happy," read one line, striking a chord, "her husband too, and he praises her."

Three eulogists  historian Jon Meacham, longtime friend Susan Baker and son Jeb Bush  each painted a portrait of a devoted mother with a no-frills attitude. They offered deeply personal reflections on themes that echoed in the days after her death.

Jeb Bush, who served two terms as Florida governor, recalled how his mother deemed her style "a benevolent dictatorship," wryly adding that it "wasn't always benevolent."

"We learned how to not take ourselves too seriously. We learned that humor is a joy that should be shared," he said. "We learned to strive and be generous and authentic from the best role model in the world."

Jeb Bush said his mother taught her children to "sit up, look people in the eye, say please and thank you, do your homework, quit whining and stop complaining, eat your broccoli  yes, Dad, she said that." (George H.W. Bush famously was not a broccoli fan.)

"The little things we learned became habits, and they led to bigger truths," Jeb Bush said.

Even in her 90s, Barbara Bush could instill fear in misbehaving her grandchildren. But "every grandchild knew their 'Ganny' loved them," he said.

Jeb Bush said his mother would not have wanted him to get "weepy." He spoke animatedly but choked up once, momentarily, when recalling how his mother stopped dying her hair when it turned white.

"She was beautiful," he said, "to the day she died."

After his eulogy, Jeb Bush stopped to lean over his dad. They each patted the other on the back.

Speakers frequently returned to Barbara's seven-decade marriage to the only man she ever kissed.

The eulogists read from letters George H.W. had written to Barbara, professing his love in youth and old age. The elder seemed to get choked up during one such reading.

Meacham, who authored a defining biography of George H.W. Bush, told of visiting the couple in recent months and asking about George's survival during World War II, when his torpedo bomber was shot down over the Pacific Ocean by the Japanese. Barbara remarked that George must have survived for a reason, and George, wheelchair-bound as he battles Parkinson's disease, slowly raised his left hand and pointed at his wife and said, "You were the reason."

"Barbara Bush was the first lady of the greatest generation," Meacham observed.

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Here, among the church community that the Bushes had been a part of for more than 50 years, was an attempt to honor Barbara Bush in the manner she would have wished: with gratitude and with strength.

Born in New York City in 1925, Barbara Pierce met her future husband at a holiday party three weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was 16, he was 17. The couple married in January of 1945 and made their first move to Texas after he returned from the war and graduated from Yale University.

As George H.W. Bush's political career took off, and the couple had six children, Barbara Bush became the family rock.

"Barbara, the tough but loving enforcer, was the secret sauce of this extraordinary family," said Susan Baker, the wife of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

The family moved around, with George H.W. Bush rising from Houston-area congressman to CIA director, China envoy, vice president and finally president. By the end, they counted 29 different homes.

"Rather than bemoan their many moves, Barbara just laughed and said, 'One thing I can say about George: he may not be able to keep a job, but he's certainly not boring,'" Susan Baker said.

Still, their life was not without tragedy. In 1953, their daughter Robin died of leukemia at age 3. Barbara Bush was buried beside her at the family plot later Saturday, and speakers said she looked forward to being reunited with her in heaven.

Barbara Bush exuded fierce loyalty and practiced grace as her husband gained political clout.

Multiple speakers recalled how Barbara Bush helped shape the national discourse around HIV and AIDS when she visited a shelter for infected children and hugged them as well as an adult male patient in 1989.

"The images sent a powerful message, one of compassion, of love and of acceptance," Meacham said.

Barbara Bush's devotion to literacy also dotted each speech  her national literacy foundation has raised more than $110 million since its start  as did her kindness to many friends and acquaintances. Despite her immense public standing, she maintained an everywoman aura rooted in humility.

"Here in Houston," Levenson said, "we saw her at major galas, behind home plate at Astros games, praying here in the pews, catching up with a neighbor while pushing her own buggy in Walgreens."

The service, which ended with a blessing from the ninth Episcopalian Bishop of Texas, concluded with the hymn "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee." As the casket was wheeled up the center aisle, George W. Bush pushed his father's wheelchair behind it. Laura Bush walked beside them, and attendees waved or shook hands with the elder Bush as he passed.

All around him were people who loved his wife, his family. Rounding the corner, toward the church's exit, the elder Bush raised his hand to his forehead in a salute. As several grandsons helped carry the casket from the church's front doors to a waiting hearse under a gloomy sky, the extended family followed, gathering at the edge of the walkway. In the hours to come, George H.W. Bush would travel 90 miles by motorcade to the Bush presidential library on the campus of Texas A&M in College Station to bury his wife in a private ceremony.

In her final days, as she rejected any further medical aid to focus on comfort care at home, Jeb Bush said he asked his mother about dying, whether she feared the end. Closing his eulogy, he recited her response:

"Without missing a beat, she said, 'I believe in Jesus,' and he is my Lord and savior. I don't want to leave your dad, but I know I will be in a beautiful place."

Mike Snyder, Robert Downen, John D. Harden and Brent Zwerneman contributed to this report.

jacob.carpenter@chron.com

emily.foxhall@chron.com
In the wake of the devastating shootings in Parkland, Fla. in March that claimed 17 lives, students rallied across the nation to protest inadequate gun control. Such student advocacy in the face of utter despair is a testament to the resilience of the survivors, the strength of their convictions, and the thirst for change.

Official school reactions have ranged from supportive to hostile, with policies regarding the walk-outs a seeming reflection of the political landscape in which they are located. In New York City, the bastion of American liberalism, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sprawled horizontal on aside-walk as part of a "die-in" with students. In contrast, trigger-friendly territories such as Needville Independent School District in Texas issued an edict warning students that "disruption of school will not be tolerated...understand that we are here for an education and not a political protest."

Education and political protests are not mutually exclusive, and if anything, they share the distinguished honor of being pillars on which democracy rests. To sever the tie between education and political agency is to grossly misunderstand the very nature of a democratic society, which  this administration not withstanding  is one we still purport to be.

Constructive citizens are not birthed at the womb but born instead in schools. A public education as envisioned by the Founding Fathers (specifically, Thomas Jefferson) exists "to instruct the mass of our citizens in these, their rights, interests and duties, as men and citizens." Citizens were expected to participate in political decisions and a public education was to equip individuals for such an endeavor. For the American revolutionaries, public education was created as a safeguard against the tyranny of the aristocracy, or any type of authoritarian rule for that matter.

For schools seeking to threaten students with punishment for exercising their civic duty, they should note that the Constitution does not bend as easily to the whims of school administrators as they would like. The First Amendment protects the right of expression in schools. The Supreme Court has consistently affirmed that students do not "shed their constitutional right to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate."

School officials can neither ban speech based on an expectation that the speech will cause a disruption nor punish students more severely than they would otherwise another type of conduct. These prohibitions on student protests are a misguided attempt to strong-arm youth whose politics school administrators disagree with. Not only do they undermine constitutional and democratic ideals, but it is also a manipulative attempt to force students into accepting unfair reprisals by framing punishment as a natural consequence of choice. As long as their demonstrations are peaceful and non-disruptive, protestors remain under the aegis of the First Amendment.

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History is made of civil dissenters, many of whom were students standing up against the injustice around them. From the students who sat in at "whites only" counters in North Carolina who were integral to desegregation, to the Vietnam Protests on campuses nationwide that led to the withdrawal of American troops from war, to the Tiananmen Square Protests in China that exposed the country's human rights violations to the world, student protestors have changed the course of history.

The gun lobby is powerful but not impervious to civic action. The Parkland students and their peers through persistence and conviction are ready to lead in the place of legislators who have failed them. They embody the best of democratic ideals- advocacy on behalf of the oppressed and exercise of civic duty. We do them a disservice when we smother their voices instead of fostering their leadership.

Serena Andrus is an Emma Willard alumna and now a second-year law student at CUNY Law School.
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is both a crossover and a pickup. Whether you believe that to be true, whats important is that the concept will go into production this year. Or next year. Hyundai has been a little iffy on the timetable, but its pointing to the same conclusion. The company loves the Santa Cruz, and it has plans to build a production version. At the end of the day, thats the most important thing.

The Santa Cruz crossover pickup finally received that all-important green light from the companys decision-makers

Remember when Hyundai showed the concept version of the Santa Cruz at the North American International Auto Show back in 2015? Its been so long that its hard to blame those who have actually forgotten about it. But, Hyundai hasnt forgotten it. In fact, Brian Smith, the COO of Hyundai Motor America, told Motor Trend that the company talks about the Santa Cruz a lot. We love it, he says.

Like it or not, that love that Hyundai is professing is coming to fruition because after a few false starts to get the project going, the Santa Cruz crossover pickup finally received that all-important green light from the companys decision-makers. The pickup is going to happen, people. Thats no longer a question.

The pertinent question to ask is when its going to happen. Back when the idea of turning it into a production model was first floated, then-CEO Dave Zuchowski championed hard to have it arrive in 2018 as a 2019 model. It seemed like a timetable was set, but then, Zuchowski left Hyundai, which led to all those plans stalling. It took until last year to get the project going again, so, for now, look for a 2019 debut for the Santa Cruz.

The Santa Cruz has the potential to cut across both crossover and pickup segments

You can argue that Hyundais missing the boat as far as booming pickup sales are concerned, but this car is deemed important enough that the company isnt going to rush its production for the sake of generating headlines. On that end, its hard to blame the company for thinking long-term. The Santa Cruz may be pegged as a novelty - its a lifestyle pickup!  but it has the potential to cut across both crossover and pickup segments, something very few models in the two segments are capable of doing.

Theres no word yet on how much of the concept will translate into the production model, but you can expect a good amount of influence to come out of it. With the exception of a few overeager bumps in the body, the concept looked as if it was ready to roll out of Detroit three years ago. Itll be interesting to see how much of it will change with the passing of time.

Whatever happens, the Hyundai Santa Cruz is going to be a production model. If you thought this day would come, give yourselves a pat on the back. We certainly didnt.

References

Read our full review on the 2015 Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept.

Read more Hyundai news.

Source: Motor Trend
Bodies that work with the Earth's magnetic field to determine location. Female-only societies. Telling whether you're a friend or a jerk there to make trouble with just one whiff. Homes so efficient they keep one steady temperature all the time. No, we're not talking about new X-Men or other comic book characters, we're talking about animals with skills we can only dream of.

These seven animals are way smarter than us -- just another reason to pay some respect when we encounter them in the wild.

1. Homing Pigeons

Jacqueline Veissid / Getty Images

While most humans need several types of maps and a compass to find their way home after a long journey, the homing pigeon can return from extremely long distances (more than 1,100 miles) without any guidance.

Well, as a matter of fact, they do have some help: According to research by the University of Frankfurt, these pigeons have iron-containing structures in their beaks, which help them sense the Earth's magnetic field independent of their motion and posture, and thus identify their geographical position.

Research results released this year indicate this magnetic charm is present in other birds as well.

2. Ants

Andrew Mounter / Getty Images

Despite their size, the world's many varieties of ants have amazing skills. One of the most impressive is the mycocepurus smithii from the Amazon, a super feminist species that has developed the ability to reproduce via cloning -- dispensing with both sex and males -- to evolve into an all-female breed.

According to research from the University of Arizona, it's not clear when the change happened, but by reproducing without sex, the ants avoid the energetic cost of producing males and double the number of reproductive females produced each generation.

Unlike us humans, ants have also learned super efficient ways to organize their traffic. And 2006 research by the Berkeley University of California has established that the trap-jaw ant (odontomachus bauri) can close its mandibles at an incredible speed: The strike lasts 0.13 milliseconds, 2,300 times faster than the blink of an eye. This allows them to jump enormous heights for their size. But don't take our word for it, check out the video:

3. Elephants

Nigel Pavitt / AWL Images / Getty Images

They're huge, and sometimes they seem tired and slow. But it's no surprise that this mammal's peculiar nose is really something: Research from the University of St. Andrews suggests that elephants can keep track of up to 30 absent members of their family by sniffing out their scent and building a mental map of where they are. How useful would this little feature be for moms with several kids?

Even better, according to another study by the same University, elephants can tell whether a human is friendly or a threat by their scent and color of clothing. So good luck trying to fool them.

4. Termites

John W. Banagan / Getty Images

In Zimbabwe, the termite species Macrotermes michaelseni has developed a precise technique to farm a specific fungus they feed on. As this fungus can only grow at 87 degrees Fahrenheit, and temperatures outside range from 104 degrees Fahrenheit during day and 35 degrees Fahrenheit at night, the termites have come up with a system to keep the temperature steady in their mounds by constantly opening and closing heating and cooling vents.

This is such a useful idea that Loughborough University has conducted research in order to use the same technique in human buildings. Case in point -- the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe has been modeled after the termites' system.
IN ITS second pandemic budget, the Government will focus on agriculture and diversification and will seek more private sector engagement in the economy.

In an interview with the Sunday Express on Friday,
Most people enjoy crafting as a hobby or side hustle. But Shelley Ann Crawford does it as part of a deeper purpose. The self-taught craft artist uses her talent not just to help herself, but also to help others in need.
While businesses prepare to participate in the Covid-19 safe zone initiative, Government is warning that there will be fines and penalties of up to $25,000 for those found to be in breach of the safe zone requirements.
Another interesting option from the west of Switzerland is this:

Take the 11:47 from Geneva to Chambery. Change there for a TGV to Turin. Arrival there at 16:18. book on
Thank all for the helpful information! I learned a lot about traveling by train in Germany. I often feel that researching the trip is part of the fun.

Man-in-seat 61:

You obviously are very experienced and knowledgeable about train travel in Europe. But with all due respect, it is not ALL just as simple as going out of one train into another in 2 minutes. Is it? If the 2 trains share a platform, yes. Otherwise, not quite. The connection at Steinach, in all likelihood is infinitely feasible. But it involves platforms 2 numbers apart. Since walking across the tracks is not allowed, one has to walk over or under. For a novice that never had the experience of a 4-min train transfer, know nothing about the station, and have a flight to catch that same afternoon in Munich, it's a reasonable worry.

For those that might be interested in the particulars for reference in their future travels: If I leave at 5:41 from Rothenburg with 2 transfers as I originally planned, I would have arrived in Steinach at 5:55 and connect to a 6:00 train to Wurzburg for the second and last change. If I miss that connection, the next train leaving Steinach is at 6:14. It will change at Treuchilingen and Augsburg, both transfers are more than 10 minutes. (It is also cheaper if I take this train to start at Rothenburg, at least if I book now.). All other connections at Steinach that will take us to Munich before 12:00 noon involves some 4 or 5 minute transfer (at stations other than Treuchtlngen). I would not relish the stress of it again if we happen to miss one already. So I decided to take the 5:41 train from Rothenburg with transfer in Steinach, Treuchtlingen and Augsburg.

I did find a photograph of the station (Steinach) on a blog showing stairs going underground. The blogger described conveyor belts along the steps that moves the luggage up and down. This may explain how a 4-min transfer is made easier despite the stairs. Also, as Destination expert explained, The sole purpose of that station is to ferry tourists to and from Rothenburg. The connections will probably wait. Another answer from the German Forum told me that there will just be 2 trains there.

If I ever travel by train in Europe again, I will certainly check all train details before booking accommodation for the night before a flight. I thought I was being careful when I made sure (only) that the train will get us to Munich at least 4 hours before departure. Had I known, we would get ourselves to Munich, or at least Wurzburg, for the night. I intent to look into changing our booking, but it may cost 60 euro according to the terms of that particular booking.
Well, I've always theoretically thought 3 weeks is the minimum for both countries if you are well organised and have a clear idea of where you want to go.That's based on my trips where I have spent typically about 3 weeks in various specific parts of Australia and 4 weeks touring both islands of NZ. I realise that people coming from the other side of the world on what may be a rare visit to this region with far more limited time will have a different approach to their trip planning and will want to see a larger variety of places in a more efficient manner. Nevertheless there is a point beyond which 'seeing as much as possible' as the saying goes, becomes a blur rather than a satisfyingly busy trip. So be careful of pushing your itinerary to the extreme. I like OZ's >>be both brutal and discerning in your choices<< and Longhorn's >>Seeing less is seeing better<<.

So my preliminary thoughts on what you have told us are . .

Cairns/Port Douglas, start in that region as November is starting to go into wet season, do the boat trip out to the reef on one day and visit the Daintree Rainforest on another day, think about what else might interest you in the area (Kuranda for example?).

Sydney, spend a few days there, a wish list of sights and attractions will help figure out how many days you need and get some specific advice about how to group them and what transport to use.

Blue Mountains and wine region, you could either do a road trip around the Blue Mountains, and Jenolan Caves if that interests you, and the Hunter Valley or perhaps another wine region, or if you won't be driving you can take a tour or the train to the Blue Mountains and a tour to the Hunter Valley.

Play around with those basics and see how many days that leaves over for you.

Both New Zealand as in your original post and the Australian outback as in OZ's classic suggestion would give you a very different experience to the other two regions. I note that you have not posted on the NZ forum, which always gives me an impression of NZ being an add-on and not a high priority.
>>>I will be travelling with 5 relatives that are above 60 years old<<<

Your itinerary basically doesnt include attractions or highlights of Sydney whatsoever. Have your party travelled to Sydney previously?

Id highly recommend you consider one or two days without any plans, for unforeseen reasons; exhaustion, delays, illness, weather etc.
Hi there - solo female traveler in mid-30s here.

Wondering if it is safe enough to drive from San Jose to Manuel Antonio?

I arrive into San Jose Airport early in the morning (approx 7a) and am thinking of renting a car to make the 3.5 hour trek to Manuel Antonio because I thought it might be nice to make some stops on the way.

A few days later I need to leave Manuel Antonio to catch a flight back to The States at around 2am so I plan to take a shared shuttle for that trip as I'm unfamiliar with the roads at night (plan to drop the car off in Manuel Antonio).

Is it safe enough to drive that route during the day? And would love any suggestions on stops to make if it is!

Looking for any advice/feedback at all.

Many thanks in advance.
I have been trying to figure this all out on my own for hours and days now, but my head is spinning so I will ask for help. We just booked our plane tickets to Liberia at the end of May. Here is that we have roughly planned so far:

Day 1: Arrive in Liberia @ 8:30pm

Day 2-5: La Fortuna or Arenal

-Volcano hike or kayak on lake in mangroves

Day 4-5: Monteverde

-Cloud Forest

Day 6-8: Beaches- Montezuma?, Nosara?

-snorkeling, and surfing if possible.

Day 9: Liberia

Day 10: Leave Liberia @ 7am

Yes, I am so very aware of all the car rental/bus posts, but my head is spinning with all of the information. I can't tell which method of transportation I should take. I do not want to be travelling for more than half a day each time. My Visa covers CWD, so I would just cover mandatory TPL if I rent a car. I did, however, just see a stipulation where the vehicle can't be an "off road vehicle".

So, my questions to you super knowledgeable people:

What methods would you recommend for travel? Maybe only rent a car for the beach side (I read roads were good on that side)? City bus with the Liberia/Arenal/Monteverde route seems looong and complicated, but might be easier coastal side?Any insights?

Does the route sound good and logical?

Is there anything else in these areas we should see, or recommendations in place of what I have picked?

Do the beaches chosen sound okay, and do you have any other recommendations? Non super touristy will be great. We may have our own snorkel gear.

We are on a budget, so will be avoiding tours as much as possible (and they just aren't our thing). Cloud Forest seems doable. What about the Arenal hike, or kayaking on the lake?

This is all I can think of at the moment. I've been staring at a screen for too long and my head hurts. If I think of more, I'll add it. I'm not planning anything to a "T", just straightening a few big things out before I get there. 10 days is too short of a time...

Thank you for your help, if you have answers and suggestions!
Re: Do we need a return flight ticket to enter Vietnam?

11. Re: Do we need a return flight ticket to enter Vietnam?

Galen A

This person doesn't have a visa because they will be using a 15 day visa waiver. With these the authorities in Vietnam often ask for proof of onward travel.

When you have a normal 30 day visa ,they don't normally ask(although they can if they want).

This is well documented on this forum. As DP says, a bus ticket across the border is good enough.
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My wife and son will be visiting Kyoto in May and when we return to Tokyo, we want to stop by the Hakone area. I'm curious; does anyone know if the train from Odawara to Hakone the same train that proceeds onto Gora?

The reason I ask is that we, like many tourists, will have our suitcases with us. Being middle age (OK mid 60s), we prefer to limit our physical exertions.......and am wondering if we proceed onward to Gora if we will have to switch trains in Hakone, possibly to a smaller and probably crowded train.

Any comments provided will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Alan
We would love some Japan travel advice. We are very excited to visit Japan and have 3.5 weeks in July/Aug with our 2 girls ages 6 and 9. We have planned a potential route but are struggling with where best to put 1-2 days of the trip. Our kids are seasoned travellers but we are still a family on holiday and like to 'travel' (and move around) but also need to relax and factor in travel time and the need for just hanging out time (so where is the best place to do that-- cafes, water parks, etc.) And would love to visit the summer festivals but can't seem to make it all work with the route. Ok the itinerary...

1. Tokyo- Arrival day plus 3 nights (with day trip to Kamakura)

2. Matsumoto - 2 nights

3. Magone/Tsumago hike - 1 night

4. Kyoto - 9 nights with day trips to Himeji, Arahiyama, tea ceremony, cooking? origami/gift wrapping classs ?? (but 2 of those days are travel in/out days)

5. Nara - 2 nights. (can u do 3 or is that too much?)

6. Koyosan - 1 night (2 full days) with the monks

7. Osaka - 3 nights (city, aquarium, water park, chill)--too much?

8. Hakone - 2 nights

9. Tokyo - 2 nights during O-bon

We (think) that we can't fit inHiroshima or Okinawa...and would love any tips.
Re: Itinerary critique - 11 days in Japan! What do you think....

5. Re: Itinerary critique - 11 days in Japan! What do you think....

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Hello. I'm planning a 7/8 day trip to West Japan in early November (not counting the flights). My itinerary starts from Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, Okayama, Kurashiki, Himeji and finally Kyoto (I'll be using the JR West Pass that includes Shinkansen Nozomi). However, in the last few days, I thought about including one more day to my trip and go to Nara. But I don't know if I'll start my trip from Nara (the original plan is arriving at Kansai International Airport and go to Hiroshima via Shin-Osaka on Shinkansen Nozomi, and make the trip back from there). I thought going from Kansai Airport to Nara directly and then Hiroshima or at the end of my trip, from Kyoto to Nara and to Kansai Airport. My trip is from 3rd November until 10th November, so if Nara is to go first maybe 2nd of November, but if last is 11th of November, and I don't know which one to go.

Besides that, will I be able to see fall foliage during that days in Japan?
We are planning to travel to Japan late in May (very last minute holiday). We will only have 6 days for this holiday, so I was thinking of flying to Osaka for 3 days then to Tokyo for the remainder, and flying out from Tokyo. My questions are:

1. Would you prefer to stay in Kyoto or Osaka - and why?

1b. Is it easy enough to travel between Kyoto/Osaka for a day trip?

2. We're planning to get the train to Tokyo - is this easy to do? Do we need to book the train weeks in advance, or is a couple days ok? And how do you book the train?

2b. I know we pass Mount Fuji on the train, is it possible to get off the train for a couple hours to walk around the area or not? If you can, is this another train ticket?

Thanks so much!
The time on your ticket is the time for the ferry security line, not the time you will be at the Pedestal.

You can go to Ellis first if you wish by simply staying on the ferry when others disembark at Liberty Island and go back later.

There is a secondary security screening before entering the Pedestal. I'd probably do the Pedestal museum first.
I am taken aback by the level of creativity and innovation engineers have. They are in a league only the moguls can play along. What kind of structure have you seen lately that amazed you? Well, I have seen several. The thing that I took note of is the ability to maximize space that is already limited to fit all amenities a household should have; small house designs in Kenya.

Source: Soul Fam Fund

Thanks to population increase, Kenya is suffering some challenges such as rural-urban migration; land shortage, economic instability, among others brought about by demographic factors. In the midst of all this, housing has become a real menace, especially in urban centers. Consequently, people are looking for ways to gain home ownership and bid the landlord hustle goodbye. It so happens then that land to build on is significantly small and all this space has to be put to optimal use in order to come up with beautiful house designs in Kenya.

Creativity then comes in handy as architects try to strike a balance between family needs for a comfortable housing and space limitation. This means some amenities have to be squeezed yet fit seamlessly in the unexpandable space. Here are some of the astonishing small house designs in Kenya.

READ ALSO: Property management companies in Kenya

Small house designs in Kenya

Source: Home Design Blog

These are some of the top small house designs in Kenya quite affordable to middle-level income earners;

Koto small house designs in Kenya

Source: Koto on Pinterest

These are small houses built from polystyrene lightweight panels reinforced to form concrete structures that are resilient and durable. This house plan is made possible by the KOTO housing corporation. The home has typically all amenities of a standard home creatively laid out so it fits in small spaces. For instance, the kitchen can be openly linked to the living room and dining room so that the area is not portioned. The bedrooms can be partitioned but may not be as spacious. A Koto house can be of two to four bedrooms.

Shipping container homes  Small house designs

Source: Materialicious

This is yet another beautiful house design Kenya that is quickly gaining dominance in the market. It is made of shipping container material yet it is irresistible. It is cheap, strong, and the construction material is widely available and all weather resistant.

These modern house plans in Kenya have hit the market really hard and the architects are excited about it much as the residents are. Shipping container homes have been in existence for over 5 decades now but innovation has made it appear as a new feature in the industry. Various Kenyan house plans with photos will help you learn about the same.

Maisonette house designs in Kenya

Source: Fireeconomy

This is common in this day and era, thanks to gradually reducing land size. A house of between two to five bedrooms is built on two floors; ground and upper floors. This style makes it possible for houses to fit in small parcels of land, making maximum use of the ground and the area above it.

2 bedroom house plans in Kenya

Source: Muthurwa

This is a good-to-go small house design in Kenya befitting a small family. The house has two bedrooms not so spacious but enough for both comfort and privacy. In urban areas, this type of a house is common and has housed many families along with their assets. Although the house may not be as elaborate as such, it has not been deprived off what a home should have.

Three bedroom house plans in Kenya

Source: Pinterest

A three bedroom house plans in Kenya is relatively bigger than the latter of course with an additional bedroom. The house is more spacious and sufficient for household amenities. It is ideal for a medium-sized family that values large spaces. If space on the ground is limited, the architects may decide to have this house in a maisonette design rather than the bungalow one. This is to ensure rooms have ample space and there is some land left that can be put to other use.

Four bedroom house plans in Kenya

Source: David Chola

Such a housing unit has ample spaces. The living room or the lobby area is large, well lit with long window panes and has sufficient air circulation. The kitchen has enough space to fit your home electrical appliances along with storage area. The dining area, similarly, may be a bit extended and sufficient to comfortably hold a big family at a go.

However, if such a house is under the category of small house designs Kenya, space may be limited. Nonetheless, this beautiful house design maintains an elegant, deluxe and luxurious home. Architects and constructors have proven that indeed, land is not the only determinant of a house plan. Creativity and technology has now been left to maneuver the industry. Try and check out other small house designs in Kenya as it is important to be keenly on the lookout for new ideas being actualized for our benefits.

READ ALSO: Best building construction companies in Nairobi Kenya

Source: Breaking News
-Journalist Dennis Omondi is admitted to Apolo hospital in India

- Omondi is suffering from leukemia whose treatment is expensive

- At least four bone marrow tests have proved incompatible

Kenyan journalist Dennis Musundi Omondi who is battling cancer of the blood at an Indian hospital is appealing for a bone marrow donor after failing to get compatible cell from his relatives.

Doctors had conducted bone marrow tests on Omondi's four brothers but unfortunately none of them matched his type.

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TUKO.co.ke understand that doctor Evans, a cancer specialist, informed Dennis's relatives that it was advisable to get a donor from non-family members.

READ ALSO: Wataalamu waonya dhidi ya kuoga kila siku, ijue sababu

Dr Evans, a cancer specialist handling the West TV reporter said relatives apart from the own siblings cannot donate born marrow for transplant. Photo: Ole Omondi/Twitter.

READ ALSO: Kenyan journalist Dennis Omondi in need of urgent medical aid finally flies to India, still needs your financial assistance

Bone marrow transplant from matched unrelated is better for survival than haploidentical transplant but have an extra cost of KSh 3.5 million, a relative said.

"My four brothers have done bone marrow test as donors but unfortunately, none of them matches with me. With this it means I will have to wait for long as the hospital figures out where on earth to get someone who has similar cells/bone marrow like mine. This means more cost," the father of one tweeted on Monday, April 16.

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From a House girl to an MCA - On Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Breaking News
- Miguna claimed a Jubilee operative had been attempting to bribe his lawyers

- The NRM leader identified the man as Opondo Kaluma

- He said Kaluma had been pretending to be one of his lawyers

- Miguna said Jubilee was using the man to intimidate lawyers and judges

The Miguna Miguna citizenship woes took a new twist on Friday, April 20 when the fiery lawyer revealed there were attempts to bribe his lawyers.

Miguna who is at loggerheads with the State over his Kenyan citizenship, was bundled out the country for a second time even after the High Court issued orders barring his deportation.

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In Twitter posts seen by TUKO.co.ke, Miguna singled out a man he identified as Opondo Kaluma whom he accused of being used to intimidate his lawyers on the orders of President Uhuru Kenyattas party, Jubilee.

READ ALSO: We know Uhuru-Raila deal is to stop DP Ruto - Jubilee MP

Miguna Miguna stands in the middle of a road in Mombasa after he was blocked from attending a past rally graced by Raila Odinga. Photo: Miguna Miguna/Twitter

Miguna who is also a Canadian citizen, said Kaluma had been attending all court sessions with an intention of bribing his advocates.

Opondo Kaluma has been attending court whenever my matters come up for mention or hearing in order to bribe my genuine advocates on behalf of @JubileePartyK tyrants. He has published malicious falsehoods about me in the social media. In @Julius_S_Malema's terms, he is a sell-out!, he posted on his Twitter page.

The self-declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) general is being represented in court by lawyers John Khaminwa, James Orengo, Nelson Havi, Judie Soweto, Cliff Ombeta and Edwin Sifuna among others.

Miguna Miguna in a hospital in Dubai after he claimed he had been sedated by Kenyan authorities. Photo: Miguna Miguna

READ ALSO: Lady claiming to be Uhuru Kenyattas unknown daughter lights up the internet

Miguna said he had been informed Kaluma had been pretending to be one of his lawyers explaining that he had never met him.

I have been informed that a man calling himself OPONDO KALUMA has been pretending be one of my advocates while dancing on imaginary graves he has constructed for me. I have never met Kaluma and he has never been my advocate, he said.

READ ALSO: Raila Odinga holds a yet again rare meeting with retired President Mwai Kibaki

Migunas troubles started the moment he defiantly administered a controversial oath of office to Raila Odinga as the Peoples President at packed Uhuru Park grounds on Tuesday, January 30.

He would later taunt the Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i daring the government to arrest him for his role in the Raila coronation.

The government honoured his pleas when they visited his Runda home in style and pounced on him by bombarding his house with explosives and throwing him behind police cells in different stations.

READ ALSO:Meet Kenya's first female Muslim Vice Chancellor heading Technical University of Mombasa

Miguna Miguna signs Raila Odinga swearing in certificate at Uhuru Park. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook.

Five days after his dramatic arrest, he was kicked-out of the country an d declared persona non grata as he had renounced his Kenyan citizenship, according to the government as earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke.

He attempted to return to the country on Monday, March 26 but no nonsense Immigrations officials blocked him at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) as they demanded for his travel documents.

For three days, Miguna made a home at a toilet at the airport as his lawyers battled in court to see him walk to his country of birth in vain.

The government defied and disobeyed all court orders issued in his favour and he was again bundled out of the country back to Canada forcing the court to convict Matiangi, Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet and Immigration PS Gordon Kihalangwa.

The trio were slapped with a KSh 200,000 fine after they were found guilty for contempt of court.

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Amazing Story of DJ Euphorique: Uhuru Kenyatta's DJ (Person Documentary) | Faces of Kenya - on TUKO TV

Source: Tuko.co.ke
- Uhuru said homosexuality was not a non-issue for Kenyans

- The President said Kenyans have a culture that does not recognise homosexuality

- He declined to debate further on the issue insisting it was of no major importance to Kenyans

Homosexuality debate in Kenya is not important, President Kenyatta declared during an interview with an international television station in the United Kingdom during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

Uhuru said that as the leader of the Kenyan people, he was bound by their wish and beliefs and could not go against their customs and beliefs.

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READ ALSO: Sell-outs, I see you - Miguna lashes out at those behind his woes

Uhuru told CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour that Kenyans made it clear on their position on the subject when they passed a new Constitution. Photo: PSCU

I want to be very clearI will not engage in a subject that is not of any major importance to the people and the republic of Kenya.

This is not an issue, as you would want to put it, of human rights. This is an issue of society, of our own base as a culture, as a people, regardless of which community you come from, he said.

READ ALSO: Uhuru Kenyattas historic handshake with the queen and how he just got it right

Uhuru told CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour that Kenyans made it clear on their position on the subject when they passed a new Constitution.

He said it was unacceptable and agreeable explaining that the laws of Kenya were clear on homosexuality saying almost 100% of Kenyans support the Constitution.

The Head of State said he would not be dragged into discussing the issue as long as he was still in office and that he would only make his personal opinion known once he retires in 2022.

However, he said those who practice homosexuality should not be mistreated, abused and discriminated upon but warned they should be careful not to break the law.

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Amazing Story of DJ Euphorique: Uhuru Kenyatta's DJ (Person Documentary) | Faces of Kenya - on TUKO TV

Source: Tuko
- William Ruto launched a historic poultry auction at Kambi Kuku in Uasin Gishu County

- The auction raised KSh 6 million with a total of 5,000 chickens sold at KSh 1,200 each

- Ruto said the county government would help poultry farmers in the area form cooperative societies

- He urged residents in the area to invest in poultry farming in order to improve their lives

- Ruto spent his youthful days selling chicken to supplement his parents income

Deputy President William Ruto is evidently a certified hustler who fits the grass to grace tale.

Ruto rose from selling chicken and groundnuts along the Eldoret-Malava highway to supplement his parents income.

The DP on Saturday, April 21, seemed to revisit his roots when he returned to Kambi Kuku in Uasin Gishu County where he spent his youthful days selling chicken to motorists, to launch a poultry auction as reported by Deputy President Press Service (DPPS)

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READ ALSO: Im not responsible for lives lost after my victory  Uhuru

Ruto launched poultry auction at Kambi Kuku in Uasin Gishu County where he spent his youthful days selling chicken. Photo: William Ruto/Facebook

The activity, the first of its kind in the history of Kenya, raised KSh 6 million and brought together small-scale poultry farmers from Jua Kali, Turbo and its environs with a total of 5,000 chickens sold at KSh 1,200 each.

The auction raised KSh 6 million with a total of 5,000 chickens sold at KSh 1,200 each.Photo: William Ruto/Facebook

Addressing the traders, Ruto said the county government would help poultry farmers in the area form cooperative societies to eliminate middlemen who exploited them by buying chicken at lower prices.

The county government has been asked to help poultry farmers form cooperative societies to help them in marketing their chicken, he said.

READ ALSO: 3 Premiership clubs likely to be relegated this season

He decided to launch the auction in the area where he earned the name hustler after selling chicken to make the ends meet. Photo: William Ruto/ Facebook

Ruto urged residents in the area to invest in poultry farming to improve their lives saying it could create a chance to lift women and youth out of poverty and improve their living standards.

Even the richest man on earth, Bill Gates agrees that it is through poultry keeping that we can eliminate poverty, he stated.

Ruto assured poultry farmers of the availability of a slaughterhouse and storage facilities. Photo: William Ruto/ Facebook

Ruto assured them of the availability of a slaughterhouse and storage facilities that could keep their chicken safe for even a month.

READ ALSO: We know Uhuru-Raila deal is to stop DP Ruto - Jubilee MP

We have a ready slaughterhouse and storage facilities in this area. Its now upon farmers to invest in the sector to increase their production, he said.

The DP said the auction would be held yearly at a venue to be identified by the county government.

The DP said the county government would help poultry farmers in the area form cooperative societies. Photo: William Ruto/ Facebook

He said he decided to launch the auction in the area, where he earned the name hustler after selling chicken to make the ends meet as a gesture to boost poultry business among youth and women groups in the area.

READ ALSO: Picha za wanawake warembo waliokuwa wapenzi wa Ali Kiba kabla ya kupata mke

He said poultry farming could create a chance to lift women and youth out of poverty and improve their living standards. Photo: William Ruto/ Facebook

He would wake up and spend his day selling chicken to motorists at Kambi Kuku, a makeshift marketplace built around the bumps along the Eldoret-Malava road.

Ruto, never shies from talking about his humble beginnings and credits his rise to God and sheer hard work.

Ruto never shies from talking about his humble beginnings and credits his success to God and sheer hard work. Photo: William Ruto/ Facebook

As previously reported by TUKO.co.ke, the DP, during last General Election said he would go back to rearing chicken if Kenyans decided NASA should be in office.

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Tuko News Willy Paul Interview for Tuko Buzz: Relationship, critics and going secular | Tuko TV

Source: Tuko Kenya
- ODM refuted claims that Raila Odinga is solely to blame for poverty in Nyanza region

- John Mbadi argued undevelopment existed in Nyanza even before ODM formation

- He said the party has tried to do its best despite limited resources at its disposal

Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Party has come out guns blazing to refute claims by a section of clergy that the party is responsible for stalling development.

An Anglican bishop James Ochiel recently blamed the soaring poverty levels in Nyanza region on NASA leader Raila Odinga's brand of politics.

Speaking on Saturday, April 21, ODM Chairman John Mbadi said it was inappropriate for a section of church leaders to heap blame on the party leadership, stating development challenges faced the region even before the party was formed.

READ ALSO: She was courageous and fearless - Uhuru Kenyatta mourns Baringo South MP

Anglican Bishop James Ochiel blamed Raila Odinga for poverty in Nyanza region. Photo: Orange/ Twitter

Mbadi described the attack by the clerics as outrageous saying that the party was doing a lot to improve the welfare of its people.

Additionally, he said over the years ODM nominations has always been subjected to a lot of pressure, with limited funds and staff to do the work.

Mbadi argued that unlike IEBC with trained and qualified staff to handle the polls, the party has been struggling with mean and inexperienced staff to conduct the nominations.

READ ALSO: Picha za wanawake warembo waliokuwa wapenzi wa Ali Kiba kabla ya kupata mke

He cited Nyanza for instance, where out of the 27 Constituencies in Luo land, they only reported complaints in five constituencies including his own -Suba.

''Even me as the Chairman I was elected on a popular will and my elections contested and challenged from the party, political parties tribunal and to High Court,'' he said.

Kisumu County ODM cordinator and former Assistant Minister Prof Ayiecho Olweny also defended the party saying over the years they have battled for equity.

READ ALSO: 30 top county officials on the chopping board as Sonko declares war on corrupt cartels

ODM Chairman John Mbadi said poverty has been there in Nyanza even before Orange party was formed.

''ODM has been around in less than ten years. You cant blame it yet the slow pace development are hinged on funding by the ruling elites. They can frustrate,'' he claimed.

Homabay Women Rep Glady's Wanga also condemned blanket condemnation by Church.

''If the Church has speficic leaders they want to label let them go ahead and name them, than put everybody together. I have done a lot for my people to see and cite,'' she said

This comes barely days after outspoken Ochiel said lack of development in the area was as a result of ODM party which imposed bad leaders on the voters as reported by TUKO.co.ke.

READ ALSO: Gor Mahia drawn against Yanga, Rayon, USM Alger in group stages of CAF Confederation Cup

Anglican Bishop James Ochiel blamed Raila for poverty in Nyanza area. Photo: Nam Lolwe/ Twitter

Speaking to the Standard in Homa Bay, the tough speaking bishop claimed it was the opposition chief and the party top brass who influenced election of MPs in the area.

We are not doing very well like the other counties because some leaders were imposed on the people. These leaders know that their loyalty to the party leader, Raila Odinga, is the only thing that will get them re-elected and not development, he grumbled.

Majority politicians from Nyanza were sponsored to parliament by the Raila-led party and the party ticket is a sure bet to any political seat.

The cleric also took issue with the continued dominance of one party in Nyanza region saying this locked out potentially development conscious leaders who may not be loyal to the Orange party.

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Fred Matiang'i, Joseph Boinnet and Gordon Kihalagwa slapped with Ksh.200,000 fine - on TUKO TV.

Source: Tuko
- MP Shah came forth to clarify matters surrounding the outrageous medical bill following public outcry

- It said medical bill is not dictated by duration of stay but by medical procedures accorded to the patient

- The family of late Matilda Anyango was left in limbo after it was slapped with a hospital bill of KSh 858,355

- The hospital had written to Safaricom to request for a paybill number on behalf of the family to raise funds

- Anyango was attacked and stubbed by armed robbers in Kangemi at night and taken to MP Shah hospital

MP Shah hospital raised eyebrows recently after issuing a family with an exorbitant bill which stirred a public outcry across the country.

The family of late Matilda Anyango was left in limbo after it was slapped with a hospital bill of KSh 858,355 as posted on Facebook by Boniface Mwangi.

The hospital, on Saturday, April 21, emerged to clarify matters surrounding the astounding bill in an online statement seen by TUKO.co.ke.

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READ ALSO: She was courageous and fearless - Uhuru Kenyatta mourns Baringo South MP

READ ALSO: Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho maintains he will challenge William Ruto in 2022

According to the facillity, Anyango was taken to the hospital on Wednesday, April 11, shortly before midnight after sustaining injuries which had led to massive blood loss.

"As with hospital protocol in which every patient has the right to emergency treatment and due to her critical condition, she underwent emergency surgery by multi disciplinary team of surgeons. The patient was in a critical state and needed life support in our Intensive Care Unit," read a section of the statement.

The hospital said despite the best medical and surgical efforts the patient succumbed to her injuries on Thursday, April 12.

READ ALSO: Kenyans pressure Larry Madowo to marry after sharing video of self cooking ugali

The deceased was stubbed by armed robbers in Kangemi and was taken to MP Shah hospital at around 9.30pm. Photo: Business Today

READ ALSO: Picha za wanawake warembo waliokuwa wapenzi wa Ali Kiba kabla ya kupata mke

It stated the medical bill is not dictated by duration of stay in the hospital but by the extent and complexity of the medical procedures accorded to the patient.

The hospital said it had issued the family with a breakdown of the bill.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, Anyango was attacked and stubbed by armed robbers in Kangemi on the night of Wednesday, April 11, and was taken to MP Shah hospital at around 10.30pm.

The 32-year-old lady was hospitalised at the facility but succumbed to her injuries 12 hours later on Thursday, April 12 at 10.00am.

What shocked the family most was the amount of money they were asked to pay for the 12 hours Anyango had been hospitalised.

In the interim bill, the family was asked to pay KSh 42,600 bed charges for the night she had been there which left Kenyans online wondering what the exorbitant fees was for.

Other charges included: KSh 500 for casualty procedures, KSh 22,200 for theatre gases, KSh 1,500 for nursing, KSh 2000 for admission and KSh 14, 250 for laboratory investigations.

There was also theatre charges valued at KSh 90,500 and procedure fees of KSh 20,100 among others.

The letter dated Wednesday, April 18, did not indicate that the lady had since passed away. Photo: Jackie Arkle/ Twitter

What's even sad is the hospital has refused to release Anyango's body until the bill is cleared.

Interestingly, the hospital's management wrote to Safaricom to request for a paybill number on behalf of the family with which they could raise funds.

The letter dated Wednesday, April 18, did not indicate that the lady had since passed away.

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Source: Tuko
More than 2.5 thousand civilians have been killed as a result of the armed hostilities started in Donbas four years ago.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) reported this on Twitter.

"Over 2,540 civilians killed & 9,000 injured since hostilities started in e. Ukraine 4 years ago. Death toll rises almost every day," the report reads.

The UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Neal Walker, stated that the crisis caused by the conflict in Donbas affected 4.4 million people, 3.4 million of them needed help. Residents of the areas along the contact line regularly come under shelling.

ish
One Ukrainian soldier was killed, and another one was wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) area in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Dmytro Hutsuliak said this at a press briefing on Saturday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"One Ukrainian serviceperson was killed, and another one was wounded in enemy attacks. The soldier was immediately taken a hospital where he received the necessary medical assistance," he said.

Hutsuliak also added that Russian-backed militants continued to violate the ceasefire regime. Over the past day, they launched 36 attacks on the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, using weapons prohibited by the Minsk agreements.

ish
An agreement between the Russian Government and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on cooperation in the field of information has been terminated.

The corresponding document has been published on the official Internet portal of legal information of the Russian Federation.

"On April 20, 2018, the agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on cooperation in the field of information signed in Moscow on February 27, 1998 was terminated," the statement said.

According to the agreement, the parties were obliged "to support, encourage and improve mutually beneficial cooperation between the media of both states, as well as between relevant agencies and organizations working in the field of mass media, the specific conditions and forms of which will be determined by the participants, including through the conclusion of direct agreements between them." In total, the document consisted of 13 articles.

The agreement was concluded for a period of five years and was to be "automatically renewed for the same said period if one of the parties does not send a notice of its intention to terminate the agreement to the other party six months before the end of the relevant period."

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Secretariat of the non-governmental organization "Boao Forum for Asia" (BFA) initiates the establishment of cooperation with Asian media and invites Ukrainian media outlets to cooperate in holding annual forums.

The head of media relations of the Secretariat of the Boao Forum for Asia said this during a meeting with the representatives of Ukrainian media, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"We intend to establish a media cooperation organization in Asia. We emphasize that the voice of European media is becoming more influential all over the world. We are facing an era of interrelations and the issue of transition from classical to new media is important for us," she said.

At the same time, she stressed the interest in partnership in holding a forum with leading Ukrainian media. "We invite leading Ukrainian mass media outlets to become a partner of our office. We are interested in cooperation with Ukraine and invite Ukrainian experts to take part in the forum," she noted.

In turn, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine Mykola Bilous noted the need of intensifying the work of Ukrainian media in Asia.

"The Boao Forum for Asia, your proposal and your interest in Ukraine show that the time has come to intensify our work in the Asian direction," he said.

As reported, China hosted the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on April 8-11. This forum has been held annually since 2002. BFA is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries closer to their development goals.

This year's BFA conference has the theme featuring "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."

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China plans to establish a free port system in its Hainan province, turn the island into a tourism hub and open direct flights between the province and Ukraine.

Deputy Director-General of the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Hainan Province Ms. Dai Zhen said this during a meeting with a delegation of Ukrainian journalists, Ukrinforms correspondent reported from Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province,

"Now we have only 57 international flights. In 2-3 years we plan to increase their number to 100. There are good prospects to open a direct flight to Ukraine," she told reporters at the meeting, noting that this was the first visit of the Ukrainian delegation of journalists, which coincided with the date of the announcement of the abolition of visas for Ukrainians travelling to Hainan.

As reported, visa requirement for Ukrainians travelling to the Chinese province of Hainan will be canceled from May 1, 2018.

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The press office of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) of the People's Republic of China notes the need of strengthening communication and intensifying the exchange of information with Ukraine.

Spokesperson of the State Council Information Office of China Hu Kaihong said this during a meeting with a delegation of Ukrainian media, an Ukrinform correspondent in the People's Republic of China (PRC) reported.

"We have a common desire for a good future and it is important for us to meet and exchange opinions. We hope that our cooperation will continue to develop in the future," the PRC press offices director said.

Kaihong also stressed the need to establish communication between China and the cities of Ukraine, which are investment-attractive to the PRC through the media of both countries. "We believe that media communication promotes communication between peoples," he stressed.

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In France, the fate of Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko illegally detained in Russia and other captives of the Kremlin is discussed at the official level.

Ambassador of Ukraine to France Oleh Shamshur said this in an interview with lb.ua online portal.

"There are many people in France (both at the official level and among the general public) who are genuinely concerned about the fate of Roman Sushchenko and other Ukrainian prisoners," Shamshur said.

According to him, family members of Ukrainian captives visited France at the invitation of the French Embassy, where meetings were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the President's Office, and the Parliament.

"During the visit to Kyiv, Jean-Yves Le Drian together with Pavlo Klimkin and Iryna Gerashchenko met with Ukrainian soldiers released from Russian captivity, relatives of Ukrainian captives and political prisoners of Russian occupation regime, as well as missing persons. France's strong commitment to further efforts to free people illegally held by Russia and to search for missing persons was confirmed," the diplomat said.

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There is a queue for punitive confinement caused by the fact that the detention center is overcrowded.

The Russian-appointed administration of a pretrial detention center in the Russian-occupied city of Simferopol in Crimea has decided to place Volodymyr Balukh, the Crimean farmer who kept raising the Ukrainian flag above his house after Russia's occupation of Crimea, in punitive confinement.

The alleged reason of the punishment is "violation of the internal regulations," Balukh told his lawyer, who visited him on April 20, the Crimean Human Rights Group wrote on Facebook.

Read alsoHuman rights watchdog reports four violent deaths in Crimean prison

"The Ukrainian will spend three days in a punishment cell. The decision on placing a person in a punishment cell is taken by a commission made of pretrial detention center workers. Prisoners who are in a punishment cell are prohibited from sending or receiving letters, having visitors, except the lawyer. They cannot buy food and essentials. Neither are they allowed to receive parcels. They are allowed to go to bed only at specially designated time at night," human rights activists said.

However, Balukh has not been immediately transferred to the punishment cell, as there is a queue for punitive confinement caused by the fact that the detention center is overcrowded.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) detained Balukh on December 8, 2016. FSB operatives claimed that they had allegedly found 90 ammunition rounds and several TNT explosives in his attic. Balukh's defense and human rights activists assert that he is a victim of repression over his public pro-Ukrainian position.

On March 14, 2018, the Kremlin-controlled "Supreme Court of Crimea" reviewed Balukh's original verdict and sentenced him to three years and five months in a penal colony settlement and a RUR 10,000 fine.

On March 19, Balukh said he would go on hunger strike in response to the verdict. While on hunger strike, he drinks only water and tea.
The enemy used heavy weapons and Grad systems.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 36 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as killed in action (KIA) and another one as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoRussian-led forces launch savage Grad attack against defenders of Lebedynske in Donbas

"In the Donetsk sector, the militants fired banned Grad multiple rocket launchers at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Lebedynske, having launched 40 missiles. In addition, the enemy used 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms near Lebedynske. Moreover, the defenders of Butivka coal mine, and the villages of Shyrokyne, Vodiane, Novotroyitske, Pisky, Hnutove, Verkhniotoretske and Opytne came under militant fire. Small arms were also used against the defenders of the towns of Maryinka and Avdiyivka, and the village of Nevelske," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Saturday morning.

In the Luhansk sector, the aggressor opened fire from banned 122mm artillery systems at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Popasna, from 82mm mortars and infantry fighting vehicles near the village of Troyitske, as well as from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms near the village of Novhorodske. Furthermore, the invaders used grenade launchers and sniper weapons near the village of Zaitseve, infantry fighting vehicles near the village of Krymske, heavy machine guns near the village of Travneve, and small arms near the village of Novoluhanske.
Critical civilian infrastructure is severely impacted, as ceasefire agreements are consistently disregarded.

The Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Mr. Neal Walker, on Friday briefed Member States and International Organizations on the dire humanitarian situation faced by 4.4 million conflict-affected people in eastern Ukraine.

"After four years of conflict, 3.4 million people in Ukraine are struggling to cope with the impact of the humanitarian crisis and urgently require humanitarian assistance and protection," United Nations in Ukraine reported.

Every day, the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine forces millions of civilians to make impossible choices whether they eat, have medicine, or their children go to school. Critical civilian infrastructure is severely impacted, as ceasefire agreements are consistently disregarded. There were on average 40,000 violations per month last year alone. During his briefing, Mr. Walker said that, "only this week, five water treatment workers were shot while trying to maintain critical water infrastructure along the "contact line." Today, water supplies to over 345,000 civilians hang in the balance. Last year alone, over 130 incidents affected critical water infrastructure."

Read alsoOSCE reports 43 civilian deaths, 120 injuries from mine explosions in Donbas since last April

Over 600,000 people, including 100,000 children, bear the brunt of the continued armed clashes along the 457-km 'contact line.' Every month, over 1 million people are forced to cross the "no-man's land" through checkpoints, many to simply access basic humanitarian and social services. More than 2,500 civilian men, women and children have been killed, and over 9,000 injured, since hostilities began four years ago.

Explosive hazard contamination in eastern Ukraine is impacting 1.9 million people, including around 200,000 children. The use of landmines across urban areas, farmland and the checkpoints is a constant concern. "Last week, landmines killed a family of four in eastern Ukraine. In 2017, over 235 civilians were killed or injured by landmines and other explosive remnants of war," said Mr. Walker.

The humanitarian community is committed to meeting the humanitarian needs of all conflict-affected people in Ukraine. In December 2017, humanitarian agencies launched a highly prioritized US$187 million appeal to reach over 2.3 million of the most vulnerable people in Ukraine with assistance and protection services. So far, this appeal remains largely unfunded. In his concluding remarks, Mr. Walker said: "Today, I call on Member States to stand in solidarity with conflict-affected people in Ukraine and to help urgently address this 97 per cent funding gap. I continue to call on the parties to the conflict to take all measures necessary to ensure international humanitarian law is respected  civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected. The only solution to the crisis in eastern Ukraine is peace. We do not want to mark any further anniversaries of continued conflict."
The militants continued to use banned weapons both in the Donetsk and Luhansk sectors.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 31 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on Saturday, April 21, with two Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoUN: Four years of conflict in Ukraine leave 4.4 mln people in dire humanitarian situation

"In the Donetsk sector, the militants opened fire from 120mm mortars and tanks at our fortified positions near the villages of Pavlopil and Pyshchevyk. The aggressor also used 120mm mortars against the defenders of the villages of Vodiane and Novotroyitske, grenade launchers and small arms near the town of Avdiyivka, and the villages of Hnutove, Vodiane and Nevelske, and heavy machine guns near the villages of Pyshchevyk, Novotroyitske, Chernenko and Talakivka. In addition, the aggressor fired from infantry fighting vehicles and small arms near the town of Krasnohorivka, Butivka coal mine and the village of Lebedynske, while the defenders of Pavlopil and Novotroyitske came under sniper fire," the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations said in an evening update as of 18:00 on April 21, 2018.

In the Luhansk sector, the Russian occupation forces used 120mm mortars against the Ukrainian positions near the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka, Katerynivka and Zaitseve, as well as 82mm mortars near the villages of Novoselivka, Luhanske, Novhorodske and Zaitseve. Furthermore, the invaders fired grenade launchers of various systems and small arms near the village of Krymske, grenade launchers near Zaitseve, and heavy machine guns and small arms near Novoselivka.
One of the narratives pushed by Moscow shortly after the tragedy encouraged officials to compare the crash to the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand before the First World War and accuse Kyiv of provoking a new world conflict.

Kremlin leaks have revealed Russian use of disinformation over the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014.

Emails hacked by a coalition of Ukrainian activists called Cyberhunta from accounts linked to senior Kremlin officials contained a briefing document that set out eight separate messaging lines to take over the crash, which killed 298 people, The Times reports.

The eight narratives sought to blame Ukraine for the disaster, although the Boeing airliner was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile. The briefing note was dated July 20-27, 2014, the week after the crash.

One of the narratives encouraged officials to compare the crash to the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand before the First World War and accuse Kyiv of provoking a new world conflict.

The briefing note was found among more than 4,165 leaked documents. British officials believe that Russia has spread disinformation after the chemical weapons attack in Douma, in Syria, and the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury.

A Whitehall source said that a total of 31 different false or distorted narratives had been pushed out by Russian officials and through state-backed media channels. They included claims that there was no gas attack in Douma, that the UK staged the attack and that Britains intelligence services carried out the attempted assassination of the Skripals in order to justify an increase in defense spending.

Read alsoMH17 downing: Media shed light on involvement of Russian ColonelThe MH17 briefing, which was titled Thematic lines for work in the political field, was among thousands contained in the Surkov leaks, named after Vladislav Surkov, a Kremlin spin master. The Kremlin claims that the Surkov leaks are fabricated.

The documents were analysed by InformNapalm, a Ukrainian open source journalism group, who released them online. The last of three tranches was uploaded in November.

The first part of the SurkovLeaks materials is available here, the second part is here, and the third one is here.

Bob Seely, a Conservative MP and Russia expert, and Alya Shandra, managing editor of Euromaidan Press, a Ukrainian news website, have further examined the leaks and translated key parts. Their research will be published by the Royal United Services Institute this spring.

Read alsoUSA Really. Wake Up Americans: Russia launching another propaganda outlet in U.S.Seely told The Times: This document is the only written evidence to prove that the Russian state has actively engaged in disinformation strategies which it has attempted to disseminate to global audiences. Until now we have lacked evidence that the Russian state has used messaging deception. We have heard their diplomats and media but there has been nothing in writing.

After the joint U.S., British and French airstrikes on Syria on Saturday morning US officials said that they had tracked a 20-fold increase in Russia-linked disinformation. British officials are also understood to have tracked a significant spike in disinformation from automated online accounts, including on Twitter and Facebook.
It is thought that a search of flight manifests in and out of the UK has yielded specific names in the hunt for the Skripals' would-be assassins.

Police and intelligence agencies have identified key suspects in the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, The Telegraph understands.

Counter-terrorism police are now trying to build a case against "persons of interest", who are believed to be back in Russia.

The Telegraph has been told that the criminal inquiry, expected to take many more months, is understood to have made a major breakthrough in identifying key people over the nerve agent attack.

It is thought that a search of flight manifests in and out of the UK has yielded specific names in the hunt for the Skripals' would-be assassins. Police have also drawn on extensive CCTV footage in Salisbury and have also trawled car number plate recognition cameras.

Read alsoRussian infowar: Twitter battles rage over Salisbury case

But counter-terror police will hit a diplomatic brick wall in trying to interview  let alone prosecute  the suspects.

Investigators have privately admitted the huge difficulties in bringing charges while any demands British authorities for access to the "persons of interest" will further ratchet up tensions between the UK and Russia.

Authorities now believe Col Skripal, a Russian double agent who spied for Britain, was targeted at his home in the Wiltshire city by a Kremlin-backed hit squad which smeared the novichok nerve agent, contained in liquid form, on his front door handle.

The emails of Yulia Skripal, 33, who lives in Moscow, were monitored prior to her flight to the UK to visit her father the day before they collapsed on March 4, giving the hit squad advance notice of when he would be guaranteed to be at home.

Authorities were foiled in the prosecution of the prime suspects in the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian agent who was poisoned with the radioactive substance polonium-210 at a London hotel in 2006.

Police were able to identify Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun  based on Litvinenko's own account before he died and overwhelming forensic evidence of a radiation trail  but Russia refused the UK's extradition requests. Both men deny wrongdoing and Lugovoy was given further protection after being made a Russian MP.

Authorities recognise that proving the case against Skripal's would-be assassins is much more arduous than in the Litvinenko poisoning. Litvinenko knew his killers and had met with them while the Skripals were poisoned by nerve agent left on the door, likely the night before they collapsed on a bench in a shopping precinct.

Read alsoG7 countries urge Russia to urgently address all questions related to Salisbury incident

David Videcette, a former Metropolitan police detective who investigated the 7/7 London suicide bombings, said: "Gathering the evidence to prove which individuals tried to kill the Skripals is going to be very difficult.

"There may be circumstantial evidence that shows certain Russians were on certain flights and were also in Salisbury at the time but that doesn't necessarily prove evidentially that they carried out the attack. I suspect that is where the police have got to so far."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We are not discussing specific lines of enquiry."

The attack on Col Skripal, 60, who was convicted in Russia of spying for Britain before resettling in Salisbury in a spy swap, has plunged relations between Moscow and London into crisis.

Britain has blamed Russia for the nerve agent attack, pointing out the Kremlin had the motive and also access to a substance that was developed by the Soviet Union.

In a further deterioration of diplomatic ties, Alexander Yakovenko, Russia's ambassador to the UK, claimed on Friday that British authorities had injected the Skripals with nerve agent developed at the military research laboratory at Porton Down, ten miles from Salisbury.

Russia has demanded access to Col Skripal, who remains in hospital but no longer in life threatening condition, and to Yulia Skripal, who was discharged just over a week ago.

The decontamination of Salisbury began in earnest yesterday with police cordons put in place in nine 'hot spots' where it is feared traces of the nerve agent could still be lingering.

Officials sought to allay concerns by insisting the city was still safe for residents and visitors, and there was no additional risk to the public. But four cordons were installed overnight, including at The Maltings shopping centre, where the Skripals collapsed and at The Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant, where they had been eating and drinking beforehand.

The decontamination process is expected to take several months with work on the local police station, two ambulance stations and the council building prioritised.

Officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), joined local council, police and health chiefs in trying to reassure the public at a residents' meeting on Thursday evening.

Defra's chief scientific adviser Ian Boyd told the meeting: "We have to make an assumption that in certain circumstances there will be relatively high concentrations, probably in very, very specific locations, which could be at levels that could be toxic to individuals.

"In these locations, there may well be higher concentrations that we still have to find, but we already know there are some high concentrations within those locations."
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

The Audit Oversight Board (AOB) would like to emphasize to all auditors and public interest companies that only the auditors registered with AOB can audit the financial statements of public interest companies.

Islamabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018) : The Audit Oversight board (AOB) would like to emphasize to all auditors and public interest companies that only the auditors registered with AOB can audit the financial statements of public interest companies.

AOB is an independent regulator established by the parliament in 2016 in line with international practices. The objective of AOB is to enhance the quality of audit of financial statements in public interest.

AOB has now registered audit firms that have satisfactory quality control review (QCR) rating. AOB registers audit firms based on the recommendation of the Quality Assurance Board established by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP).

This list of audit firms is available on the website of AOB and it will be updated on an ongoing basis. The definition of a public interest company covers a wide range of entities including listed companies, public sector companies, banks, insurance companies, funds, securities brokers, and utilities.

Starting from 23 April 2018, AOB inspectors are beginning their field work in Lahore and Karachi for a thorough review of ICAP's QCR framework.
(@FahadShabbir)

Ambassador of Ukraine to Pakistan Volodymyr LAKOMOV on Friday visited the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and met Executive Director, HEC, Dr Arshad Ali here at the Commission Secretariat

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2018 ) :Ambassador of Ukraine to Pakistan Volodymyr LAKOMOV on Friday visited the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and met Executive Director, HEC, Dr Arshad Ali here at the Commission Secretariat.

Issues pertaining to collaboration in higher education sector were discussed in the meeting. Talking to the ambassador, Dr Arshad Ali stressed the need for collaborative efforts and joint research initiatives between Pakistan and Ukraine, said a press release.

He said HEC accords high importance to collaboration with foreign countries in order to mutually share academic experiences. Briefly highlighting the functions of HEC, he said the Commission is committed to promoting higher education and research culture in the country.

HEC is actively playing its role in turning the country into a knowledge-based economy, he stated. The ambassador appreciated HEC for its role in promotion of higher education in Pakistan and its struggles to strengthen international relations through academic collaboration.

He admired National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) for excellence in various academic fields. The meeting brought under consideration the upcoming visit of a two-member delegation from Ukraine as well as the modalities of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) likely to be signed between Kyiv National Linguistic University, Ukrain and National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad for a collaborative project on linguistic, cultural and scientific cooperation.

Under the MoU, the two sides will enhance bilateral cooperation in humanitarian sphere and will establish communication channels allowing exchange of linguistic, cultural and scientific knowledge.

They will promote teaching and research in the fields of bilateral interest in addition to provision of mobility for teachers and researchers between the two institutions. They will identify specific areas wherein collaboration can be mutually beneficial.
Chairman of Hurriyat forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in Indian occupied Kashmir, has demanded stern punishment for the rapists and killers of 8-year-old Aasifa and reopening of all rape cases committed by the Indian forces' personnel since 1990.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018 ) :Chairman of Hurriyat forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in Indian occupied Kashmir, has demanded stern punishment for the rapists and killers of 8-year-old Aasifa and reopening of all rape cases committed by the Indian forces' personnel since 1990.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressing a gathering at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar said, while today there is a global outrage and demand for justice for Aasifa, Kashmiris demand justice for the hundreds of rape victims.

He said that the Indian forces' personnel had committed the heinous crimes of gang-rapes in Kunanposhpora, Chak Saidpora, Pazipora, Shopian, Badasgam, Balipora and other areas to break the resolve of the Kashmiri people and intimidate them into submission.

He said that all these incidents must be investigated through impartial agencies to punish the culprits. The Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik in a statement in Srinagar expressed serious concern over the increasing human rights violations by the Indian troops in the occupied territory.

The resistance leaders said that the Kashmiri people pursuing right to self-determination were facing the worst kind of Indian state terrorism. Hurriyat leaders, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza and Javaid Ahmed Mir, addressing public gatherings in Islamabad, Srinagar and Budgam areas deplored the silence of the international community over the Indian brutalities in the occupied territory.

Meanwhile, shutdown was observed by the Muslims in Kishtwar, Bhadarwah and Ramban areas of Jammu region, today, to demand speedy trial in the rape and murder case of Aasifa Bano. Complete strike was also observed in Uri town of Baramulla district against the brute rape and murder of the minor girl.

Hurriyat leader, Imtiaz Ahmed Reshi, led a demonstration in Soura area of Srinagar against Aasifa's brutal rape and murder. Indian police arrested the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front Chairman, Muhammad Yasin Malik, after raiding his residence, today, and lodged him at Kothi Bagh Police Station in Srinagar.

The police also arrested four youth in Prichoo and Malikpora areas of Pulwama during house raids, last night.
Third phase to repatriate Internally Displaced People (IDPs) of North Waziristan agency from Afghanistan has been started.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018 ) :Third phase to repatriate Internally Displaced People (IDPs) of North Waziristan agency from Afghanistan has been started. FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) official said that all arrangements were made to bring back IDPs through Ghulam Khan area into Pakistan and they are making efforts to repatriate all IDPs in third phase Radio Mashaal reported.

The Official said eight families were returned to Pakistan on Wednesday adding that only five families had reached in North Waziristan from Khost through Ghulam Khan crossing point.

He said that arrangements were made for return of fifty to sixty families on daily basis.

The Official said that it was final phase of repatriation and IDPs of North Waziristan should reach to Gulan Khan camp, Khost. All benefits of IDPs will be given to those, who will arrive Pakistan through Ghulam Khan.

The Officials admitted that IDPs had showed concerns about their vehicles in Afghanistan but only IDPs would be sent back home on priority basis while matter of vehicles would be resolved latter on.
Two unidentified armed robbers looted cash, jewellery, bike and other valuables from a house in Green Town, Fazal Park road area late Friday night.

KHANEWAL, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018 ) :Two unidentified armed robbers looted cash, jewellery, bike and other valuables from a house in Green Town, Fazal Park road area late Friday night.

According to police sources, Muhammad Bilal was sleeping in his house along with eight other members of his family when two armed robbers entered his house and sprayed some substance, making all family members unconcious.

However, elder sister of Bilal did not fell unconscious as she had covered her face with a piece of cloth. The robbers held her at gunpoint and took away motorcycle, bicycle, cash and five-tola gold ornaments from the house.

Two robbery incidents had alraedy taken place in the same locality few days back, but the police had failed to arrest any robber so far. The locals demanded DPO Khanewal, RPO Multan and other senior officers to take action against criminals.
(@FahadShabbir)

Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested seven Pakistanis, deported from Turkey, at Sialkot international airport on Saturday.

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018 ) :Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested seven Pakistanis, deported from Turkey, at Sialkot international airport on Saturday. The FIA officials said the accused had reached Turkey illegally. They have been sent to jail after registration cases against them.
Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir has directed the Deputy District Officers (DDOs) Health to play their active role for eliminating quackery from the province.

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018 ) :Punjab Minister for Primary and Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazir has directed the Deputy District Officers (DDOs) Health to play their active role for eliminating quackery from the province.

He said this while addressing the monthly conference of DDOs Health at a local hotel, said a press release issued here on Saturday. He said that DDOs should not take any pressure or influence while taking action against the quacks and sealing their clinics.

"The government is fully backing the officers in this regard," he added. Minister said that quacks were big source of mishandling and aggravating the diseases and patients of dengue and other diseases paid heavy price for the negligence of quacks.

He said that Punjab was proud of the success of EPI programme which was result of tireless efforts of the officers and the staff of Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department as well as the field officers due to which the routine immunization coverage in Punjab had been crossed 80 per cent.

However, it could be reached upto 100 per cent if the community, especially parents cooperated with the Health teams and took responsibility for giving basic right of health to their children, he added.

Imran urged the parents to spare time for their children to get fully immunize them against the diseases including polio. On the occasion, Secretary Health Ali Jan Khan directed the officers to make visits of health facilities in their jurisdiction as routine of their official activities and must take immediate steps for removing the gaps, identified during their visits to the health facilities.

The meeting evaluated the performance of deputy district officers for making the healthcare service delivery at town level. Director General Health Dr Munir Ahmed, senior officers of the department and DDOs of all the towns from the province attended the conference.
(@FahadShabbir)

Two children reportedly lost their lives at City Hospital Khairpur due to non- availability of oxygen on Saturday.

Khairpur, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018) : Two children reportedly lost their lives at City Hospital Khairpur due to non- availability of oxygen on Saturday. According to the details, two children, who were brought at city hospital Khairpur died due to alleged non availability of the oxygen at the hospital.

Heirs of the children staged protest outside the hospital and demanded stern action against the authorities over negligence.
A police constable injured in firing of armed miscreants expired during treatment in hospital here Saturday morning.

Hafizabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018) : A police constable injured in firing of armed miscreants expired during treatment in hospital here Saturday morning. The police team on Friday-Saturday night signaled to stop a suspected motorcycle near Head Sagar in Hafizabad but instead of a halt they opened fire at police injuring a constable Umer Usman and sped the scene.

The injured cop deployed in Saddar Police Station was shifted to hospital in critical condition where expired despite all out efforts of medics. The police after registering a case into the incident have started an investigation.
Violent protests against a proposed change to Nicaragua's pension system have left at least 10 people dead over two days, the government said Friday.

Managua, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Apr, 2018 ) :Violent protests against a proposed change to Nicaragua's pension system have left at least 10 people dead over two days, the government said Friday.

In the biggest protests in President Daniel Ortega's 11 years in office in this poor Central American country, people are angry over the plan because workers and employers would have to chip in more toward the retirement system.

The government is willing to hold a dialogue and Ortega will issue a formal call on Saturday, Vice President Rosario Murillo said, adding: "At least 10 compatriots have died." Demonstrations rocked the capital Managua and nearby cities for a third day.

The new law, besides increasing employer and employee contributions, would cut the overall pension amount by five percent.

"We are against these reforms, which means we're against this government taking from the pockets of Nicaraguans," said Juan Bautista.

He said riot police brutally attacked demonstrators like him because "the dictator does not like people to protest." A woman nearby shouted: "The people are tired of this repression!" Students from Polytechnic University have been holed up on their campus since Thursday evading police.

Other students took refuge in nearby buildings or residences. In Las Colinas, south of the capital, demonstrators raised small barricades and with their hands raised asked the riot police not to target them. Four independent television outlets were taken off the air after they broadcast the demonstrations on Thursday, and two were still blocked on Friday.
Residents of the tiny African kingdom of Swaziland on Friday weighed up their country's new official name after the king unexpectedly announced it would now be known as "eSwatini".

Mbabane, Swaziland, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Apr, 2018 ) :Residents of the tiny African kingdom of Swaziland on Friday weighed up their country's new official name after the king unexpectedly announced it would now be known as "eSwatini".

King Mswati III, one of the world's few absolute monarchs, declared the name change at celebrations on Thursday marking 50 years since independence from British colonial rule. Meaning "place of the Swazi", eSwatini is the local Swazi language name for the nation landlocked between South Africa and Mozambique.

Critics of the king, who took the throne in 1986 aged 18, said the move was an example of his authoritarian and wasteful reign in a country that suffers dire poverty.

"We see here King Mswati's autocratic style," said Alvit Dlamini, head of the Ngwane National Liberatory Congress, a political party which, like others, is not allowed to run in elections.

"He can't change the name of the country on his own. He was supposed to consult the nation." Dlamini said that the change would be expensive for Swaziland, where 63 percent of the 1.3 million population live below the national poverty line, according the World food Programme. "This will come with major cost implications, we are a broke country," he said.
Recently, Revo-i robotic surgical system has been proved to be safe in the preclinical animal studies. Our aim was to evaluate the safety and proficiency of Revo-i robotic platform in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa).

A prospective study was carried out on 17 male patients with clinically localized PCa from August 17, 2016, to Feb 23, 2017 at our urology department using Revo-i . Patients underwent Retzius-sparing robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RP-RARP). Primary outcome was to describe the RS-RARP step by step surgical technique using Revo-i . The safety of Revo-i was assessed by measuring the the intraoperative and the postoperative complications within 30 days following surgery. Early oncological outcomes were assessed by surgical margin status and biochemical recurrence (BCR). Continence was defined as 0-1 pad usage. Surgeons' satisfaction with Revo-i was assessed using the Likert scale.

All surgeries were completed successfully, with no conversion to open or laparoscopic surgery. Median patient's age was 72 years old. Median docking time (min), console time (min), urethrovesical anastomosis time (min) and EBL (ml) were 8, 92, 26, and 200 respectively. One patient was transfused intraoperatively due to blood loss of 1500ml. Postoperatively, two patients (11.8%) received blood transfusion, and there were no other serious/major complications. The median hospital stay was 4 days. At 3 months, four patients (23.5%) had positive surgical margin, one patient (5.9%) had BCR, and 15 patients (88.2%) were continent. Most of surgeons were satisfied with Revo-i performance.

The first human study for the treatment of patients with localized PCa using Revo-i robotic surgical system was carried out successfully. The perioperative, early oncological and continence outcomes are encouraging. Further prospective studies are warranted to support our preliminary results. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

BJU international. 2018 Apr 12 [Epub ahead of print]

Ki Don Chang, Ali Abdel Raheem, Young Deuk Choi, Byung Ha Chung, Koon Ho Rha

Department of Urologic Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29645348
Pope Francis meets with staff and students of the English Seminary in Rome and tells them love of God and love of neighbour are the foundation stones of their lives.

By Sean-Patrick Lovett

The Venerable English College in Rome was founded in 1579 as a seminary to train priests for England and Wales. This year marks what Pope Francis himself called a series of significant anniversaries in the life of the Church in England and Wales. These include the 900th anniversary of the birth of St Thomas Becket, the founding of the first English Seminary in Douai in 1568, and the restoration of the English College itself 200 years ago.

Love of God

Reminding the seminarians that a deep relationship with the Lord must be their first priority, Pope Francis admitted that it is harder for you than it was for me. This, he explained, is because of todays culture of the temporary. And this is precisely why it is so important to nurture your interior life, he continued, learning to close the door of your inner cell from within. In this way, he said, your service to God and the Church will be strengthened.

Love of Neighbour

We serve others, said Pope Francis, not out of mere sentiment, but in obedience to the Lord, and always in cooperation with others. Confirming that loving our neighbor is not always easy, the Pope suggested we need to be firmly grounded in God who loves and sustains us. This inner strength, he said, is what characterized the lives of the 16th century English College martyrs. All forty-four of them.

Banishing fear

Pope Francis identified fear as one of the major obstacles we face in life, including fear of oneself. But we can overcome it with love, prayer, and a good sense of humour, he added, referencing his most recent Apostolic Exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate. Holding up the example of the College Patron, St Thomas of Canterbury, the Pope affirmed that, when we succeed in overcoming our own fears, we are able to help others overcome their fears as well.

Building friendships

The Popes words of encouragement, spoken, as he said, like a father, directly from the heart, concluded with an invitation to the seminarians to nurture good and wholesome relationships that will sustain you in your future ministry. Friends are not just those people who agree with us, he said: they are gifts to help us on the journey to what is true, noble and good.
Iran vows expected and unexpected moves if US exits deal

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attends a meeting with Muslim leaders and scholars in Hyderabad, India.

Reuters, Dubai :

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday Iran's atomic agency was ready with "expected and unexpected" reactions if the United States pulls out of a multinational nuclear deal, as U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to do.

"Our Atomic Energy Organization is fully prepared ... for actions that they expect and actions they do not expect," Rouhani said without elaborating in a speech carried by state television, referring to a possible decision by Trump to leave the accord next month.

The deal reached between Iran, the United States and five other world powers put curbs on Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has called the agreement one of the worst deals ever negotiated. In January he sent an ultimatum to Britain, France and Germany, saying they must agree to fix what the United States sees as the deal's flaws or he would refuse to extend the critical U.S. sanctions relief that it entails.

U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood said on Thursday Washington had been having "intense" discussions with European allies ahead of the May 12 deadline, when U.S. sanctions against Iran will resume unless Trump issues new waivers to suspend them.

Iran has said it will stick to the accord as long as the other parties respect it, but will "shred" the deal if Washington pulls out.

"Iran has several options if the United States leaves the nuclear deal. Tehran's reaction to America's withdrawal of the deal will be unpleasant," Iranian state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying in New York. Rouhani said his government intended to prevent instability in the foreign exchange market after a possible Washington exit from the nuclear accord when the central bank this month slapped controls on markets in an attempt to unify the Iranian rial. "This was a preventative blow against any American decision on May 12. They fully hoped to ... cause chaos in the (foreign exchange) market. I promise to the people that the plot of the enemy has been thwarted, and whether or not the nuclear deal remains in effect, we will have no problem," Rouhani said. On April 9, Iran moved to formally unify the country's official and open market exchange rates and banned money changing outside of banks, after its currency, the rial, plunged to an all-time low on concerns over a return of crippling sanctions.
Cameroon is denying a report by the U.N. refugee agency that it has forcibly repatriated close to 400 Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers since January, but it says people running to areas prone to regular attacks by Boko Haram had to be moved to safer localities.

Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of Cameroon's far northern region that shares border with Nigeria's Borno State, a former stronghold of Boko Haram, said Saturday that there had been no forced repatriations of refugees from Cameroon's territory. He said Cameroon had complied with agreements made with Nigeria and the refugee agency regarding voluntary repatriation of Nigerian refugees, and that his government would assure the refugees' safety until they left Cameroon.

He added, however, that people who had settled outside their camp at Minawao  especially in the Logone and Chari administrative unit that is prone to Boko Haram atrocities  had to be moved to safer localities where they could also receive humanitarian assistance from the U.N., the government of Cameroon, and well-wishers.

U.N. report

On Friday, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported that despite warnings, Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers who had fled Boko Haram violence were continuing to be returned from Cameroon, and it underscored the need to provide international protection to those in need.

In the report, the UNHCR said that since the beginning of 2018, 385 Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers had been forcibly returned from Cameroon  the majority of them last month, including 160 on April 10 and another 118 a week later.

The UNHCR said it recognized legitimate national security concerns of states affected by the Boko Haram crisis, and stressed that it is important that refugee protection and national security are not seen as being incompatible.

There are about 110,000 Nigerian refugees in northern Cameroon. Ninety thousand are at the Minawao refugee camp. The UNHCR says 5, 000 have arrived since January, when the multinational joint task force of the Lake Chad Basin  composed of troops from Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger  launched attacks on the Sambisa Forest, stronghold of the insurgents.

Mamadi Fatta Kourouma, coordinator of the UNHCR in northern Cameroon, said about 60,000 refugees want to return, and the Cameroon-Nigeria-UNHCR commission is assuring that any repatriation takes place in safety and dignity.

Surrounding villages

He said close to 30,000 refugees have been living in villages surrounding the Minawao camp for up to three years, and that UNCHR wants to help them return as well.

The Lake Chad Basin task force announced last year that it had rolled back Boko Haram's gains and said the terrorist group was living its last moments, but warned the insurgency had switched to terror attacks and remained a threat.

The conflict that began in northeast Nigeria eight years ago has left at least 25,000 people dead and forced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.

Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger are calling on the displaced population and refugees to voluntarily return to towns and villages, but to be vigilant as the terror group is gradually being eliminated.
Canada's government has pledged to help the province of Quebec cope with a growing influx of asylum seekers crossing from the United States, as officials say the province is reaching "saturation point."

The federal government said this week it will review a breakdown of costs Quebec has incurred as thousands of refugee claimants arrive in need of housing and social support.

Canada also said it will work to divert newcomers away from Montreal, Quebec's largest city, to regions better equipped to welcome them.

"Quebec' resources are at a saturation point," Quebec Immigration Minister David Heurtel told reporters this week.

Federal and provincial officials met on Wednesday, and federal ministers said afterward they would take steps to help the province.

More than 26,000 people have crossed the Canada-U.S. border illegally to file refugee claims in Canada in the past 15 months  a dramatic departure from previous years, when so few crossed the government didn't keep track.

The influx has strained Canada's refugee system, worsening backlogs in refugee tribunals and sending aid agencies scrambling.

The number of border-crossers peaked at 5,712 in August, 2017 and dropped to about 2,000 a month over the winter but has picked up again, with Canadian police intercepting 6,373 in the first 3-1/2 months of 2018.

The vast majority of these refugee claimants crossed into the primarily French-speaking province of Quebec, where the influx sparked political tensions in an election year and backlash from anti-immigrant groups.

But while the federal government pledged to ease the pressure on Quebec, it has yet to find places to send people. Toronto, Canada's largest city, has also been stretched by a refugee claimant influx.

The government must also determine how refugee claimants will travel, and asylum seekers would have to be willing. "We can't tell people where to go," said Mathieu Genest, a spokesman for federal Immigration and Refugees Minister Ahmed Hussen. Heurtel said the steps were in the right direction.

The most recent arrivals have been predominantly Nigerian, many of them with valid U.S. visas, Genest said, suggesting they were using the United States as a transit point.

Canadian officials have been in touch with their U.S. counterparts about this, Genest said. "If someone is using the U.S. as a conduit to get to Canada it means that they are not using the visa for what the visa's intended for."
An international chemical weapons monitor group said a team of inspectors collected samples Saturday at the site of an alleged gas attack two weeks ago in the Syrian town of Douma.



The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said a report based on the findings and other information gathered by the team will be drafted after the samples are analyzed by designated laboratories.



The group added it will "evaluate the situation and consider future steps, including another possible visit to Douma."



The fact-finding team's attempts to enter the town were postponed several days due to a series of security-related setbacks.



Emergency responders said at least 40 people were killed in the suspected April 7 gas attack, which the U.S. and its allies blamed on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.



The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons, a violation of international law, and invited the inspectors to investigate.



They arrived in Syria on April 14, the same day the United States, Britain and France launched a barrage of missiles targeting three chemical weapons facilities in Syria.



Ken Ward, the U.S. ambassador to the OPCW, claimed on April 16 the Russians had already visited the site and "may have tampered with it," a charge Moscow rejected.



On April 9, Moscow's U.N. ambassador told the U.N. Security Council that Russian experts had visited the site, collected soil samples, interviewed witnesses and medical personnel, and determined no chemical weapons attack had taken place.



U.S. military officials have said the air strikes were designed to send a powerful message to Syria and its backers, showing that the United States, Britain and France could slice through the nation's air defense systems at will.


China has strongly refuted suggestions its multibillion-dollar economic corridor now under construction with Pakistan has "hidden" military designs as well.



Beijing has pledged to invest about $63 billion in Pakistan by 2030 to develop ports, highways, motorways, railways, airports, power plants and other infrastructure in the neighboring country, traditionally a strong ally.



The Chinese have also expanded and operationalized the Pakistani deep water port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea, which is at the heart of the massive bilateral cooperation, known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, or CPEC. The strategically located port is currently being operated by a Chinese state-run company .



China has positioned CPEC as the flagship project of its $1-trillion global Belt and Road Initiative, or BRI, championed by President Xi Jinping.



"I want to make it very clear, BRI initiative and with CPEC under it, it's purely a commercial development project. We don't have any kind of military or strategic design for that," said Yao Jing, Chinese ambassador to Islamabad. He made the remarks in an exclusive interview with VOA.

Within five years of finalizing and launching CPEC, Jing said that 22 "early harvest" projects out of the 43 total projects under CPEC have been completed or are under construction, with a total investment of around $19 billion, the largest influx of foreign investment in Pakistan's 70-year-old history. The projects have already brought 60,000 local jobs and effectively addressed the country's once crippling energy crisis.



Power plants built under the joint venture, officials say, will have added more than 10,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid by June, leading to a surplus of power.



While speaking to VOA, the Chinese diplomat urged the United States and India to "come to the CPEC project" and "witness the progress on the ground" for themselves, saying it will enable them overcome misunderstandings vis-a-vis CPEC.



"There are some kind of doubts that may be there are some things hidden in it. I think that when you have an objective lens to look at this project and to come to the ground to find this progress on the ground then you may have a better understanding of what we are doing here," said Jing.



The Chinese envoy was responding to concerns expressed in Washington and New Delhi that Beijing could try to turn Gwadar into a military port in the future to try to dominate the Indian Ocean.

Jing explained that a state-to-state defense-related cooperation has for decades existed between the two allied nations and China through "normal channels" is determined to contribute to "military and strategic ability' of Pakistan.



"We don't want to make the CPEC as such a kind of platform," the ambassador emphasized.



However, he added, it is "natural and understandable" that the project's massive size and design has raised doubts and suspicions" about its aims.



The skepticism about Chinese intentions stems from, among other things, a massive airport being built in Gwadar, with a landing strip of 12-kilometers. China has given nearly $300 million to Pakistan for the construction of the airport.



"Basically, it is for China and Pakistan to make this project a successful economic project, then we can make it clear our intention here," Jing said.

India is also opposed to CPEC because a portion of the project is located on territory that is claimed by both New Delhi and Islamabad. But Pakistan and China both dismiss the objections as politically-motivated.



CPEC aims to link the landlocked western Chinese region of Xinjiang to Gwadar, allowing ships carrying China's oil imports and other goods from the Persian Gulf to use a much shorter and secure route and avoid the existing troubled route through the Strait of Malacca.



There are currently up to 10,000 Chinese nationals working on CPEC-related projects in Pakistan. Ambassador Jing said that 21 new mega-projects, including the establishment of Special Economic Zones across the country, are ready to be launched in the next stage with particular emphasis on encouraging private engagement.



In the next five to seven years, officials estimate, CPEC will have created employment for half-a-million Pakistanis. The country's troubled economy, lately impacted by insecurity and energy crisis, has grown 5.4 percent in the previous financial year, the fastest rate in a decade, and officials forecast the expected growth in the year ending June 2018 will be six percent.



Pakistan's deepening cooperation with China comes as the country's diplomatic relations with the U.S. continue to deteriorate. Washington complains that Islamabad is not doing enough to eliminate terrorist groups using the country's soil for attacks against neighboring countries, including Afghanistan.



While U.S. economic assistance has significantly reduced in recent years, the Trump administration also suspended military assistance to Pakistan in January and linked its restoration to decisive actions against terrorist groups.



Pakistan strongly rejects the allegations and says it is being scapegoated for the U.S.-led coalition's failures in ending the war in Afghanistan. .



China is also worried about the spread of regional terrorism in the wake of a low-level Muslim separatist insurgency in its troubled Xinjiang border region. But Beijing has steadfastly supported Islamabad's counterterrorism efforts and dismisses U.S. criticism of them.



China's arms exports to Pakistan have in recent years exponentially increased while exports of military hardware from the country's traditionally largest supplier, the U.S., have reportedly declined to just $21-million in 2017 from $1-billion.



"China will never leave Pakistan. I shall say we have confidence in the future of Pakistan," said Chinese Ambassador Jing, when asked whether terrorism-related concerns might also push Beijing away from Islamabad.



China's investment under CPEC has also encouraged hundreds of private Chinese companies and thousands of Chinese nationals to arrive in Pakistan to look for business opportunities and buy property. The influx of the foreigners has raised alarms among local businesses and sparked worries that the Chinese labor force will take away local jobs.



Jing stressed that China and Pakistan are working together to promote mutual people-to-people connectivity through enhanced education and cultural linkages to improve mutual understanding.



Ambassador Jing says there are eight Chinese universities working to promote Pakistan's official Urdu language while 12 Pakistan-study centers are working to promote mutual understanding between the two countries. There are 22,000 Pakistanis seeking education in China.



Pakistani officials say currently, about 25,000 students are learning Chinese language in 19 universities and four Confucius Institutes affiliated with the Chinese Ministry of Education.
The Indian cabinet has approved the death penalty for convicted rapists of children under the age of 12 to stem a worrying rise in violent crime against young girls and women.



The emergency executive order was announced on Saturday following a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of nationwide outrage over the brutal gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl and other rape cases of minor girls.

It lays out more stringent punishment for rapists, enhancing minimum prison terms from 10 to 20 years for the rape of a girl below 16 and from seven to 10 years for older women.



Suspects can be prosecuted in court using the ordinance after it is signed by the president. But it must be approved by parliament to become law.



The move to introduce the death penalty is seen as an effort to signal the government's commitment to fight crimes against young girls and even infants as it comes under mounting criticism for not doing enough to tackle what some call India's epidemic of sexual violence.



The document approving the new measures said that "While expressing deep anguish over such incidents, it has been decided to devise a comprehensive response to deal with the situation."



The government order also said more fast track courts will be set up for speedy trials and set a two-month time limit on investigations.



Indian cities in the past week saw street protests by agonized citizens after details emerged about the horrific gang rape of an eight-year-old Muslim girl in Kashmir in January, who was kidnapped, drugged, raped for days and then murdered. Anger grew because Hindu activists had demonstrated in support of the eight arrested men who are now being tried in a fast track court.

Another case in which a 16-year-old girl accused a ruling party lawmaker in Uttar Pradesh of allegedly raping her and intimidating her family to block the filing of charges also shocked the country. He has been arrested. A brutal rape and murder of a 11-year-old girl was reported from Gujarat state.



Expressing concern about such incidents on a visit to London recently, Prime Minister Modi said, "Any time a small girl is sexually assaulted, it is painful for all of us."



Many women activists and lawyers welcomed the measure introducing capital punishment, but said implementation was the key in a country with a slow moving justice system.



"It is the fear of the law which is going to protect the girl child and it is fear of the law which can check the increasing crime," said Abha Singh, a lawyer and rights activist. "It was the public anger which has led to it." She, however, pointed to the fact that the conviction rate in rape cases was worryingly low at about 28 percent.



Some said that while stiffer punishments might be a deterrent, they alone cannot solve the problem of sexual violence, pointing out that, despite stricter laws implemented in the wake of the 2012 gang rape of a physiotherapy student, rape cases have been on the rise.



India has the death penalty only for the most serious cases, such as brutal murders or terror attacks.
The International Organization for Migration says it does not have money to protect Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, from the impending regional monsoons and cyclonic storms.

Monsoon rains are expected to hit in the coming weeks, causing floods and landslides, and severe damage to the fragile structures sheltering more than 700,000 Rohingya who fled violence in neighboring Myanmar.

Humanitarian agencies have been working to shore up the overcrowded refugee settlements so they can withstand the worst of the coming winds and heavy rain.

However, IOM spokesman Joel Millman says his agency is worried that a funding shortage will prevent the necessary life-saving precautions to be taken. He says the IOM has received only 7 percent of its $180 million appeal.

"You can imagine how worried people must be on the ground," Millman said. "That said, they do everything they can every day and we make progress every day. We distributed a lot of equipment. We moved several thousand people to what we hope is safer ground, and we are preparing for the impact of rains on sanitation, which is the health risk."

When the cyclone and monsoon seasons hit in the coming weeks, Millman warns, the Rohingya, who are living under tarpaulins on highly unstable ground, will be forced to survive months of rains, floods and landslides.
Officials in Afghanistan confirmed Saturday that Islamic State militants have forcibly shut down telecommunications services in two districts of the eastern Kunar province.



Provincial Director of Communications Sayed Ahmad Madad told VOA that Manogi and Chapidari districts have been without cell phone service for two weeks.



IS militants, he said, have threatened to destroy communication towers if Afghan companies running the operation in the area attempted to resume service.



Islamic State operates in Afghanistan under its local name of Khorasan, commonly referred to as IS-K.



Provincial authorities say the terrorist group is active in five districts of the province. The group launched its regional operations in early 2015 from bases in the eastern province of Nangarhar, which borders Kunar.



Both the volatile Afghan provinces border Pakistan. IS militants lately, are also expanding and intensifying attacks in northern Jowzhan province. U.S. military airstrikes this month in the area have killed dozens of IS members, including the terrorist group's chief of operations for northern Afghanistan, Qari Hekmatullah.



Meanwhile, officials and residents said the Taliban has not lifted its ban on cell phone service in insurgent-controlled areas of southern Helmand province.



The Islamist insurgency controls or contests much of the country's largest poppy producing province.



The Taliban "believe the Afghan government is utilizing private communication systems for military and intelligence operations," Omidullah Zaheer, communications director of Helmand, told VOA.



Insurgents sent a note to all private communication companies in the area within the last week, asking them to suspend their operations, he added.



The insurgent action has shut down at least 120 communications towers in the area at a time when Afghan security forces backed by U.S. counterparts have stepped up counterinsurgency operations in Helmand.



The Afghan defense minister's spokesman, Mohammad Radmanesh, however, told VOA the disruption would not affect their ongoing security operations because the military has its own "tactical communication system" independent of private services. But the action has added to the problems of residents in the area, he added.



The Taliban has also pressured communication companies in parts of nearby Uruzgan and Zabul provinces where insurgents frequently stage raids on Afghan forces.



The insurgent group's move against cell phone service comes as the Taliban is expected to announce its so-called annual spring offensive later this month, which leads to more hostilities across Afghanistan.



Radmanesh did not rule out opium harvest season as a possible motive behind the Taliban's move against communication services. He said the insurgents want to prevent locals from tipping off security forces about the presence of the Taliban in poppy fields.



The insurgent group, according to U.S. military estimates, receives close to 60 percent of its revenue from narcotics activities, including smuggling and taxing local growers.



A new air campaign against Taliban financial streams began in November 2017 under U.S. President Donald Trump's new Afghan war strategy, which has destroyed hundreds of the Taliban's drug-processing labs in different parts of the country, mainly in Helmand.



"Airstrikes in March cost the Taliban more than $40 million in lost revenue," the U.S. military announced on Friday. It said that 339 precision weapons have been used against Taliban and the Islamic State, "degrading, dismantling and disrupting their revenue sources."



According to a report by the U.N. Office on Drug and Crime, the total area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, the world's largest opium-poppy producer, was estimated at 328,000 hectares in 2017, a 63 percent increase compared with 2016.



"In Helmand province alone, cultivation increased by 63,700 hectares (+79%), which accounted for about half of the total national increase," the U.N. report said.
As Iraq approaches an important election to choose a new parliament and government, the Islamic State terror group has vowed to carry out attacks against candidates running for office.

Referencing the Jordanian radical Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's 2005 call for a "bitter war" on Iraq's parliamentary elections at the time, the group said Friday that candidates and voters who participated in the elections would be considered infidels and outside Islam.

"Candidates in elections are claiming divinity and seeking to become demigods, while those who vote for them have taken them as divine and partners to God," the IS terror group report said, quoting al-Zarqawi.

Al-Zarqawi is known as the IS godfather who led an offshoot of al-Qaida in 2004. He was killed in a 2006 U.S. airstrike in Baqubah, north of Baghdad.

Claims in three attacks

An infographic that appeared on pro-IS social media accounts Friday claimed the group was behind three separate attacks in Anbar, Kirkuk and Diyala provinces in the last 10 days. It said the militants had targeted "polytheistic democracy," referring to Iraqi political candidates for the elections scheduled for May 12.

VOA could not independently verify the authenticity of the report.

IS claimed the attacks this month targeted a headquarters of al-Hal party in Anbar's Hit city, a leader of the Turkmen Nationalist Movement in Kirkuk and a leader of the Turkmen Front in Kirkuk.

It said 25 candidates, party members and their guards had died in the attacks.

Iraqi officials were not immediately available to comment.

7,000 candidates

Iraqi political parties on Sunday started campaigning for parliamentary elections, in which nearly 7,000 candidates are competing for 329 seats.

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has promised successful elections despite the challenges of stabilizing areas retaken from IS and returning millions of Sunni residents displaced by war to their homes.

In a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month, al-Abadi discussed accelerating a U.S.-led campaign to defeat IS remnants in the country and the prospects of reconstructing the war-torn areas in Iraq.

"The two also emphasized the importance of the success of the upcoming elections to complete the building and construction phase," a White House statement on the phone call said.

Remnants of IS

The elections next month will mark Iraqis' first trip to the ballot box since the rise of IS in 2014. The group gradually took control of large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, establishing a so-called caliphate.

The Iraqi government declared victory against IS last December. But IS remnants have taken advantage of territorial disputes between the central government and the Kurdistan region in Kirkuk, Diyala, Saladin and Nineveh, and the vast desert terrain of Anbar, to regroup and carry out terror attacks.
Iranian Kurds say police have stepped up their intimidation of striking shop workers engaging in a sixth day of protests against government restrictions on border trade in Irans impoverished northwest.

Kurdish residents of the region who contacted VOA Persian via social media said Iranian police briefly detained dozens of people Friday, ordering them to sign pledges to end the strikes before releasing them. They said police warned other shopkeepers to re-open their stores Saturday or face arrest.

WATCH: Shops Closed as Part of Strike in Javanrud, Iran

Iranian Kurds began shutting their stores last Sunday in the towns of Baneh and Javanrud to protest a months-long government blockage of border footpaths they rely on for trade with northern Iraqs Kurdistan region. Residents have complained that the blockades caused further hardship in Irans minority Kurdish areas that already suffer from a lack of manufacturing and job opportunities.

Irans official IRNA news agency quoted Banehs deputy governor Nejad Shahidi on April 15 as saying that Iran acted at Iraqs request to bring order to border trade and preserve security in border areas.

WATCH: Shops in Marivan, Iran, are Closed in a Workers Protest

In recent days, the strikes have spread to six other towns: Mahabad, Marivan, Piranshahr, Saqqez, Sardasht and Sarpol Zahab. Residents told VOA Persian that they planned a seventh day of strikes Saturday in defiance of police warnings.

WATCH: Shops Closed in Piranshahr, Iran, in Protest of Border Restrictions

Iranian Kurds in a far northern town near the Turkish border said the strikes happening to the south inspired them to stage their own protest Friday. A video sent to VOA Persian showed dozens of protesters sitting and standing next to a street in Bazargan.

WATCH: Protesters Rally Near Turkish Border in Bazargan, Iran

Residents said the protesters were angered by a recent increase in departure taxes on Iranians for exiting the country for purposes other than pilgrimage. They said the move has made travel to Turkey unaffordable for Iranian Kurds whose income relies on visiting the country to buy relatively cheap items for sale at home. Irans parliament approved the departure tax increases in February.

In another development, an Iranian opposition news site said support for the striking shop workers is growing in Irans Kurdish communities. The Kaleme website affiliated with detained opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi reported Friday that two groups issued statements supporting the protest movement: the Center for Cooperation of Iranian Kurdish Political Parties, and a student group at Marivans Payam-e Nur University.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOAs Persian Service.
Thousands of students to walkout across US in call for gun reform

Students walk out of their classrooms to demand action on gun reform in Washngton Square park, New York City on Friday.

Reuters, Colorado :

Thousands of students again walked out of classes across the United States on Friday, marking the 19th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School with a show of unity aimed at pressuring politicians to enact tighter gun restrictions.

Students from more than 2,600 schools and institutions planned to leave their classes at 10:00 a.m. local time, organizers said.

It was the second student walkout since the Feb. 14 massacre of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and the emergence of a national student movement to end gun violence and tighten gun restrictions.

Many of the demonstrators wore orange, a colour that has come to represent the movement against gun violence, as they observed a 13-second silence in honour of those killed at Columbine.

"I'm trying to get an education, but I still have a small fear that someone will come in with a gun," said Ayanna Rhodes, 14, who walked out of Washington International School to join hundreds of local students in front of the U.S. Capitol. "It's an issue that's been in this country for a long time."

Two gunman went on a shooting rampage at the Colorado high school in 1999, leaving 12 students and a teacher dead before killing themselves. The massacre stunned the nation but since then, school shootings have become commonplace.

Even as students prepared for their protest on Friday morning, news began trickling out that one person was wounded in a shooting at a high school near Ocala, Florida.

The latest gun violence unfolded about 225 miles (360 km)northwest of the Parkland high school, where two months ago a former student killed 17 people in the deadliest high school shooting in U.S. history.. Despite widespread revulsion over the school shootings, the issue of gun control remains sensitive in Colorado and across the country, where the Second Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms.

Dudley Brown, president of the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights, said the gun-control movement seeks to have the government take away constitutional rights.

"The main objective of these students is to ban firearms completely, and confiscate the firearms of law-abiding Americans," Brown said. "We will oppose them at every step."

Students walked out of high schools in New York, Detroit and Washington, among hundreds of other cities and towns. Many were waving placards with slogans such as "No more gun violence" and "I should be worried about grades, not guns."

Outside the White House, scores of young protesters sat in silence while they listened to the names of gun violence victims read aloud.

The walkouts, speeches and drive to sign up voters were aimed at pressuring U.S. politicians to enact more restrictions on gun sales in the run-up to November's midterm congressional elections.




A Myanmar police officer testified Friday that he and several colleagues were ordered to entrap two reporters working for the Reuters news agency, dealing a major blow to the governments case against the journalists.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have been detained since Dec. 12 on charges of violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act that could get them up to 14 years in prison. The two helped cover the crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where a brutal counterinsurgency operation last year drove about 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to neighboring Bangladesh.

Police Capt. Moe Yan Naing told the court that his superior had arranged for two policemen to meet the reporters at a restaurant and hand over documents described as important secret papers in order to entrap them.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, counsel for the two journalists and Reuters, called on the prosecution to drop the case immediately, and if not she said the district judge should dismiss it.

It is now clear to any impartial observer that this case is a bungled attempt to entrap two innocent young men, she said in a statement. The U.S., U.K., Canada, the U.N. and the European Union have already demanded the journalists release, and further action may follow if the case is not resolved.

Moe Yan Naing said he and other colleagues who had been interviewed earlier by Wa Lone about their activities in Rakhine had been interrogated under the direction of Brig. Gen. Tin Ko Ko of the 8th Security Police Battalion.

Security forces in Rakhine have been accused of serious human rights violations, including rape and extrajudicial killings, against the persecuted ethnic Rohingya Muslims. Last week, Myanmars military announced it had sentenced seven soldiers to 10 years in prison for their part in the killings, a case covered by the two reporters.

According to the police captain, Tin Ko Ko ordered an officer who had previously spoken to Wa Lone to arrange the Dec. 12 meeting, and threatened other police officers he sent to the meeting that if they did not carry out the arrests, they would be sent to jail themselves.

The reason why I testified the truth was because police should have their own standard and dignity, Moe Yan Naing told reporters outside the courtroom after testifying as a prosecution witness. Whatever I testified was the truth.

He was able to speak to the media only briefly before being led away by a plainclothes security official. He has been under arrest since Dec. 12, apparently for having spoken to Wa Lone the month before.

Reuters issued a statement after the hearing saying that the court had finally heard the truth.

One of the prosecutions own witnesses admitted that the police received orders to plant evidence and arrest Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo on false charges, it said. This case cannot be squared with fairness or justice, and its time to bring it to an end. We call for our journalists immediate release.

Clooney said silencing critics through false arrests and arbitrary detention flies in the face of Myanmar's professed dedication to the rule of law and free speech, and risks lasting damage to the country's reputation and economy.

But the truthful testimony of a brave witness is a step in the right direction, she said in Fridays statement.

Defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said: ``We cannot say exactly if the two journalists will be released or not, but police officer Moe Yan Naing has revealed the real case.''

This is such a big risk for him for telling the truth, Khin Maung Zaw said, expressing concern for his safety. This is why you all journalists should watch closely over him because we dont know whats going to happen. We dont even know if he is coming in to the next hearing with an injured face.

Other prosecution witnesses have earlier offered confusing and conflicting testimony, lending weight to the belief that the arrests were a clumsy setup by the government, which is sensitive to any reporting critical of its activities in Rakhine.

However, the judge has denied defense motions to drop the case.

We are very surprised that the truth has been revealed, and we thought since the beginning that this case was set up, said Than Zaw Aung, another lawyer for the reporters. We did not expect that the police would testify like that. But this testimony will be a very strong support for the defendants.

Wa Lone reaffirmed his innocence to journalists as he was boarding a police truck to be taken back to jail.

The truth is coming out. I believe that truth and justice is coming, he shouted.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay said he would not comment on the proceedings because the judiciary is independent and the trial is ongoing.
Days of protests in Nicaragua over a social security overhaul have resulted in the deaths of at least ten people, including a journalist reporting live via Facebook. Some rights groups estimate the death toll since Wednesday, when the demonstrations began, is as high as 25.

In a nationally televised address Saturday, President Daniel Ortega said he is open to negotiations so that there is "no more terror for Nicaraguan families." Ortega added, however, that he would only meet with business leaders.

"What is happening in our country has no name," Ortega said. "The kids do not even know the party that is manipulating them...Gang members are being brought into the kids protests and are criminalizing the protests."

Soon after his televised speech, demonstrators were back on the streets in several cities, including the capital, Managua, after tensions had calmed down somewhat Friday night.

Late Saturday, journalist Angel Gahona was covering the protests live on Facebook from Bluefields, a town on Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, when he was shot and killed. In the footage that has circulated widely on social media, gunfire is heard, Gahona falls down and several voices call out to him.

The United States condemned the violence and excessive force used by police Sunday.

"The United States calls for a broad-based dialogue involving all sectors of society to resolve the current conflict, restore respect for human rights, and achieve a better, more democratic future for all Nicaraguans," U.S. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement, adding that the U.S. calls on the Nicaraguan government to allow journalists to operate freely.

President Ortega is a former guerilla soldier. His vice president is his wife Rosario Murillo.

A court decision allowed Ortega to run for re-election in 2011, even though the country had a one-term limit. Three years after that, his leftist Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) party, gained enough support in congress for a constitutional amendment to allow unlimited presidential terms.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says a staff member was killed Saturday in southern Yemen.



"One of our colleagues was killed by an armed man in Taez city," Red Cross official Adnan Hizam said.



Security officials told the Associated Press that Hanna Lahoud of Lebanon was shot by the gunman who opened fire on a ICRC vehicle.



If was not immediately clear how many people were in the vehicle and if there were any more casualties.



More than two million people have become internally displaced in Yemen since March 2015. That is when a Saudi-led coalition began a bombing campaign against Houthi rebels in support of Yemen's government.



Yemen, the site of the world's largest humanitarian crisis, has more than 22 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Aid agencies warn needs are increasing - fueled by the ongoing conflict, collapsing economy, lack of social services and livelihoods.


A Rohingya Muslim man among the group of 76 rescued in Indonesian waters in a wooden boat says they were at sea for nine days after leaving Myanmar, where the minority group faces intense persecution, and were hoping to reach Malaysia.

The eight children, 25 women and 43 men were brought ashore Friday afternoon at Bireuen in Aceh province on the island of Sumatra, the third known attempt by members of the ethnic minority to escape Myanmar by sea this month. Several required medical attention for dehydration and exhaustion, local authorities said.

Fariq Muhammad said he paid the equivalent of about $150 for a place on the boat that left from Myanmars Rakhine state, where a violent military crackdown on the minority group sparked an exodus of some 700,000 refugees over land into neighboring Bangladesh since August.

The refugee vessel was intercepted by a Thai navy frigate and later escorted by a Thai patrol vessel until sighting land, Fariq said. The group believed the Thais understood they wanted to reach Malaysia and were dismayed when they realized they were in Indonesia, said Fariq, who gave the identification numbers of the Thai vessels.

'We could not stay'

We were forced to leave because we could not stay, could not work so our lives became difficult in Myanmar. Our identity card was not given so we were forced to go, he told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Local officials and a charitable group are providing shelter and food for the refugees. The International Organization for Migration said it has sent a team from its Medan office in Sumatra, including Rohingya interpreters, to help local officials with humanitarian assistance.

Rohingya, treated as undesirables in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar and denied citizenship, used to flee by sea by the thousands each year until security in Myanmar was tightened after a surge of refugees in 2015 caused regional alarm.

Third attempt in April

In April, there has been an apparent increase in Rohingya attempts to leave the country by sea. An Indonesian fishing boat rescued a group of five Rohingya in weak condition off westernmost Aceh province April 6, after a 20-day voyage in which five other people died.

Just days before, Malaysian authorities intercepted a vessel carrying 56 people believed to be Rohingya refugees and brought the vessel and its passengers to shore.



Mohammad Saleem, part of the group that landed Friday in Aceh, said they left from Sittwe in Rakhine state, the location of displacement camps for Rohingya set up following attacks in 2012 by Buddhist mobs.



Were not allowed to do anything. We dont have a livelihood, the 25-year-old said. We can only live in the camps with not enough food to eat there. We have no rights there.
Several former U.S. presidents were among the hundreds of mourners to pay their respects Saturday to former first lady Barbara Bush, who died Tuesday at the age of 92.

She was the wife of the 41st U.S. president, George H.W. Bush, and the mother of George W. Bush, the country's 43rd president.

In addition to her husband and oldest son, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended Bush's funeral at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in the southern city of Houston, Texas.

Bush and her husband began attending the church after moving to Houston in the 1950s.

First lady Melania Trump was also at the invitation-only service, as were former first ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Melania Trump represented President Donald Trump at the service.The president tweeted Saturday that he was "Heading to the Southern White House" (his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida) to watch the funeral on television.



The former first lady selected her second-oldest son and former Florida governor Jeb Bush to deliver the eulogy, along with her longtime friend Susan Baker, the wife of former secretary of State James Baker III. Historian Jon Meacham, who wrote a biography of her husband, will also participate in the eulogy.

"She was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning," Jeb Bush said.He also joked that his mother called her style "a benevolent dictatorship."

"But honestly, it wasn't always benevolent," he said, drawing laughter from the congregation.

Baker described Barbara Bush as "smart, strong, fun and feisty."

Thousands of people attended a viewing Friday to say farewell to Bush, one of the country's most influential political matriarchs.

Bush will be buried at the Bush Library at Texas A&M University, about 160 kilometers from Houston, where the couple's 3-year-old daughter, Robin, is buried. She died of leukemia in 1953.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Saturday that he was contemplating a visit to China for discussions on issues that have global leaders concerned about a potentially damaging trade war.

"I am not going to make any comment on timing, nor do I have anything confirmed, but a trip is under consideration," Mnuchin said at a Washington news conference during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings.

Mnuchin said he discussed the possible trip and potential trade opportunities with the new head of China's central bank.

Tensions have escalated between the U.S. and China over Beijing's attempts to challenge America's technological prowess, raising the prospects of a trade war that could hinder global economic growth.

Mnuchin said he had spoken with a number of his counterparts who have been forced to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" trade policies, including U.S. tariffs on foreign aluminum and steel and on up to $150 billion in Chinese goods. Some of the leaders, he said, were focused on exemptions from the tariffs.

He said he emphasized that the U.S. was not trying to construct protectionist trade barriers with the tariffs. Instead, he said, "we are looking for reciprocal treatment."

Mnuchin also said he wanted the IMF to do more to address what the Trump administration believes are unfair trade practices. He also called on the World Bank to redirect low-interest loans from China to more impoverished countries.
The UN refugee agency denounces the latest forcible deportations of Nigerian refugees to violence-prone Borno State by Cameroon, calling it a violation of international law.

The UN refugee agency says it is alarmed at what appears to be an unsettling pattern of forced returns. So far this year, the UNHCR reports Cameroon has forcibly deported 385 Nigerians to Borno State, the majority of them this month.



Most recently, the agency reports 118 Nigerian asylum seekers were forcibly returned on April 17. Just a week earlier, on April 10, 160 Nigerian refugees and asylum-seekers were deported.



UNHCR Regional spokesman for West Africa, Romain Desclous, says the April 17 group had arrived in Cameroon only two days earlier, having fled violence by the militant Boko Haram. On a line from Dakar, Senegal, he tells VOA it is shocking for people to be returned to face the same risks from which they have fled.



"We are concerned it has happened this month twice already," said Desclous. "We were concerned and alarmed that it had happened several times in the past 12 months. So, we had shared our concern with the government and the authorities that this is something that is in contravention with international and even national obligations. And we are working with the Cameroonian authorities to make sure it does not happen again."



Desclous says refugee returns should be voluntary and should only take place when conditions are conducive for their safe return. He says this is not the case in Borno State, which is still wracked by violence.



He commends Cameroon for its generosity in hosting 87,600 Nigerian refugees as well as another 240,000 refugees from Central African Republic.



He recognizes Cameroon has legitimate security concerns stemming from the Boko Haram crisis. But, he notes this does not exempt the government from its obligation to protect people fleeing insecurity and persecution.
The United States is calling out North Korea, China, Russia and Iran as "morally reprehensible governments" that violate human rights on a near-daily basis. But the State Department's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 2017" also cited improvements in some countries' records, including Liberia, Uzbekistan and Mexico. VOA's Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine has more from the State Department.
Students across the United States marked the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting by walking out of their classrooms. This protest against gun violence comes on the heels of a previous national school walkout and the March for Our Lives rallies. From Washington, VOA's Jill Craig has more.
The Pan American Health Organization aims to get 70 million people in the Americas and the Caribbean vaccinated this week as part of the U.N.-designated World Immunization Week.

Dr. Flavia Bustreo worked for years at the World Health Organization and for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. She says, Immunization and vaccines are the most powerful public health tools that we have.

WATCH: WHO Urges Everyone: Make Vaccines a Priority

Imagine, she says, how many lives could have been saved if a vaccine for AIDS were available in the 1980s, when doctors discovered the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS.

Between April 24 and April 30, the U.N. wants everyone to be aware that vaccines save millions of lives each year, from the very young to the very old. Its encouraging governments to invest in immunization efforts, telling advocates to make vaccines a priority, and urging people to get themselves and their families vaccinated.

Only in humans

According to the WHO, close to 13 million children have lost their lives to diseases in the last 35 years  lives that might have been saved if these children had been vaccinated.

Measles is a disease that exists only in humans, not in the wild. Its highly contagious and can cause blindness, deafness and intellectual disabilities, yet many parents are concerned that the vaccine could harm their children, even though study after study shows the vaccine is safe.

Other parents dont vaccinate their children because they have never experienced how sick measles can make their children. In 2017, measles killed 35 people, mostly children in Europe. In Italy, there were 3,232 cases of measles from January through June, while in 2016, there were only 478 in the same time period.

While global measles deaths have decreased 84 percent worldwide in recent years  from 550,100 deaths in 2000 to 89,780 in 2016  the WHO reports that measles is still common in some developing countries, particularly in parts of Africa and Asia.

Comeback for measles?

Measles has now been eradicated from the Americas, but with the number of parents who dont immunize their children, there is growing concern that the highly contagious disease could make a comeback.

The WHO reports that immunization rates in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are as low as 40 percent in some areas and continuing to decline, increasing the risk of larger outbreaks.

Bustreo says when children are not vaccinated, it affects their health and the health of others.

We need to have vaccination coverage that is about 90 percent in order to have what we call the herd effect  which means you cover the children who are vaccinated, but also, because of the reduction of transmission of infections, you also cover the children that are not vaccinated, she says.

Vaccines exist for many other deadly diseases as well. The WHO aims to vaccinate as many as 1 billion people from 27 high-risk African countries by the year 2026 against yellow fever  a mosquito-borne disease that can be fatal.

Misinformation in Brazil

On the VOA program Africa 54, Dr. Ken Redcross told viewers, Its fatal because it can cause liver failure. It can cause kidney failure. It can even cause whats called a coagulopathy, which is a long word to mean that it causes a problem with our blood clotting.

In Brazil, efforts to vaccinate up to 24 million people against the disease have fallen short because some fear the vaccine is unsafe. Officials have been trying to counter this misinformation. Red Cross says not only is the vaccine safe, its also highly effective. It confers 90 percent immunity. And thats huge as a vaccine goes, Redcross says.

Brazilian public health authorities announced in early 2017 an outbreak of yellow fever in several eastern states of Brazil, including areas where yellow fever was not traditionally considered to be a risk. Since the end of 2017, yellow fever cases have reoccurred in several states, including areas close to the city of Sao Paulo.

Yellow fever in U.S.

On its website, the Florida Department of Health says yellow fever was a major public health concern in the U.S. and was responsible for several large outbreaks in Florida during the 1700s and 1800s.

The mosquito that transmits yellow fever is in the southern U.S. With international travel, theres concern that yellow fever could again become a major public health concern in the U.S.

The WHO is urging countries to strengthen routine immunizations. Among its goals by the year 2020: to complete international efforts to end polio, which now exists in only three countries, thanks to a highly effective vaccine. The WHO also wants to control more vaccine-preventable diseases and develop new vaccines for HIV and other diseases that still plague the modern world.
BUP holds discussion meeting on sexual harassment

A view of the 46th Syndicate Meeting of Bangladesh University of Professionals held on last Tuesday at the University campus with Vice Chancellor of the university Major General Md Emdad-Ul-Bari, ndc, psc, te, in the chair. Prof M Abul Kashem Mozumder, Ph

Campus Report :

A discussion meeting titled "Strategies to Prevent Sexual Harassment" was held Wednesday organized by Sexual Harassment Prevention Committee of BUP in cooperation with the University Grants Commission of Bangladesh, UN Women, Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers Association at Central Conference Room, BUP. The purpose of this discussion meeting was to implement the direction provided by High Court Division and create awareness regarding sexual harassment in BUP and its affiliated institutions.

BUP VC Major General Md Emdad-Ul-Bari, ndc, psc, te was present as the chief guest and Dr Md. Khaled, Secretary of University Grants Commission of Bangladesh was present as the special guest. Besides, there were also present BUP Registrar, Treasurer, all deans and chairmen and other guests.


Members of the MDC-T formation led by Thokozani Khupe fight over posts at the party's Extraordinary Congress being held in Zimbabwe's second largest city, Bulawayo. The election of political activist Linda Masarira is among the most controversial moves being criticized some members of the party.
LONDON (Reuters) - Caledonia Mining plans to buy gold assets in Zimbabwe and increase its stake in the Blanket mine after the removal of the countrys tough ownership rules.

Keen to attract investment to revitalise the countrys struggling mining industry and economy, Zimbabwe has revised its laws since the departure of former President Robert Mugabe to allow foreign firms to fully own operations, with the exception of diamond and platinum mines.

Previously mines had to be 51 percent owned by Zimbabweans.

Caledonia, which operates the Blanket mine in southern Zimbabwe, has been encouraged by its investors to look at expanding in Zimbabwe for the first time in years, head of corporate development Maurice Mason told Reuters.

At the end of December Caledonia had a cash balance of $12.8 million.

Mason said it was ready to tap equity markets for cash for larger deals, but in the meantime the company will focus on low-cost acquisitions. It plans to target mines that had previously been forced to shut because of a lack of investment.

There were many mines that closed because the operating environment was too tough, Mason said, adding that Caledonia was evaluating a few mines.

With (new) capital they could produce far more gold.

One stumbling block to M&A activity in Zimbabwe was the valuation gap between buyers and sellers, Mason said.

London-listed Caledonia is also investing $4 million over the next 18 months to explore the area around Blanket in an effort to boost output to about 80,000 ounces a year by 2021, from 56,000 ounces last year.

Zimbabwe is emerging as the last frontier for gold mining in Africa, Mason said.

Gold output is falling in neighboring South Africa because of soaring costs while Tanzanias top gold producer, Acacia Mining, has also cut production after a row with government over taxes.

Caledonia will probably increase its 49 percent stake in Blanket mine by buying the governments 16 percent stake, Mason said.

The company is not alone in seeing new opportunities in Zimbabwe. A Cypriot investor signed a $4.2 billion deal in March to develop a platinum mine and refinery in Zimbabwe, which President Emmerson Mnangagwa said showed the country was open for business.

Analysts, however, have cautioned against the perception that investors are ready to flood Zimbabwe with capital, citing the short time the new government has been in power as well as concerns over foreign exchange restrictions.
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2 get to 8-yr jail for Yaba trading

UNB, Cox's Bazar :

A court here on Wednesday sentenced two people to eight years imprisonment each for possession Yaba tablets. The convicts were identified as Sheikh Absar Kamal, son of late Abul Kashem and Rashid, son of Islam Mia of Teknaf upazila.

According to the prosecution, members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) arrested the convicts along with 9,920 pieces of Yaba tablets, Tk 3.90 lakh cash and a motorcycle from Teknaf upazila on June 1, 2015.

Later, a case was filed in this connection with Teknaf Police Station.

After examining records and witnesses, Cox's Bazar District and Session Judge Begum Salma Khatun handed down the verdict.




RAJSHAHI: A human chain was formed at Zero Point protesting police torture on Rajshahi Press Club General Secretary Saidur Rahman on Wednesday evening.
Democratic globalisation

Federico Mayor Zaragoza :

"If we don't do everything possible to democratize globalization, globalization will pervert national democracies", said the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, as President of the "International Panel on Democracy and Development" set up by UNESCO and chaired by the man who had worked so hard, at a global scale, in favour of giving voice to the peoples -as required in the first sentence of the Charter of the United Nations- to allow constant participation from citizenship as should be the rule in a genuine democracy.

He also mentioned how risky it was to exchange "trade for aid" because it led to put an end to foreign aid for the sake of integral, sustainable and human development, leaving initiative in the hands of major trade corporations.

"Globalization is not governed by democratic principles, and decisions taken are neither the result of a process of free expression of opinion I think the essential philosophy for the proper operation of global democracy is the same as for national democracy: promoting a countervailing power, listening to everyone's opinion, in particular the opinion of the members of the opposition and of the weakest, in order to reach agreements that make everyone feel duly represented".

"Globalization is not governed by democratic principles, and decisions taken are neither the result of a process of free expression of opinion... I think the essential philosophy for the proper operation of global democracy is the same as for national democracy: promoting a countervailing power, listening to everyone's opinion, in particular the opinion of the members of the opposition and of the weakest, in order to reach agreements that make everyone feel duly represented"

This was Boutros Boutros-Ghali's (1922 - 2016) way of thinking, those were the ideas he clearly expressed in his Agendas for Peace, Development and Democracy, the ideas that led many rich countries -in particular United States Republican Party- to feel prejudiced against a second mandate from a Secretary-General that had so openly and convincingly expressed his opinion against globalizing neoliberalism.

His book "En Attendant la Prochaine Lune" (1997-2002) starts with the reflections he made on 1 January 1997 about the reasons that prevented him from being nominated for a second term in such a high-level position, as was normally the case. The relevance of this book lies in the memories that the former Secretary-General recalls about this painful period. In the first place, he mentions the moment when he was replaced by the new Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

I had the opportunity to personally attend this event. The Secretary-General that had made the greatest contributions to the democratization of United Nations was forced to quit his job because President Clinton was a weak president, confronted to the influential Republican Party that dominated the power scenario in the United States, under the leadership of Senator Jesse Helms. And that is why, disregarding the support of a vast majority, Boutros Boutros-Ghali gave yet another lesson of common sense and sense of timing when he accepted to be replaced by a civil servant from the United Nations who met all terms and conditions due to his recognized undertaking of the tasks that he was trusted with and to his personal and family background. He wrote: "I don't really regret leaving behind a job, a way of living, a house, friends but rather to have to start from scratch at 74, under a new sky, new responsibilities, in an environment that is still completely odd to me"

On 1 January 1997 he flew to Paris on board of a Concorde with his wife Lea, a woman with an unusual personality, very much up to the standard of his well-known husband. When they arrived to the Hotel Meurice, "as if everything was the same the scenery that had remained unchanged was a great relief and it helped me start a new life after having left the UN behind"

On 10 January he was greeted by President Chirac at the Elysee "with the cordiality, simplicity and true friendship that were one of his best kept secrets". We had both lost a battle because he had been in the last period my strongest pillar, my floating log, when other Nations had decided to abandon me pressed by the American hurricane

In another one of his "diaries" he had written: "I knew that he republicans and the Zionists would oppose my re-election". During this meeting he was "introduced" by Chirac to the position of General Secretary of "La Francophonie, an organisation whose aim was "to protect multilingualism and cultural diversity", and which had to be elected for the first time during the Summit Meeting of Heads of State and Government to be held in Hanoi in November 1997. The French President suggested that starting from May he should travel around Africa and Asia to ensure the success of his candidacy.

He describes the occasion when on 4 March -during the presentation of the "Amicorum Liber" from Hector Gros Espiell- Karel Vassak invited him, with my persistent support, to prepare his own. Lea was very pleased with this project. Boutros seemed somehow reluctant to accept the proposal, but he finally did. On 12 May he recalls we had lunch together and I asked him to chair the International Commission on "democracy and development".

He explains: "Federico Mayor had previously created a Commission chaired by Javier Perez de Cuellar on "culture and development", and he had entrusted Jacques Delors with the responsibility of yet another Commission on "education and development"

On 18 May he told me who were the 22 members of the Panel, amongst them well-known international personalities such as Nadine Gardiner, from South Africa, Basma Bint Talal from Jordan, Mohammed Charfi, Tunisia, Abid Hussain, India, Attiya Inayatullah, Pakistan, Robert Badinter, France, Bruce Russet, U.S.A., Juan Antonio Carrillo Salcedo, Spain, Rosario Green, Mexico" "This will be -he says- a new and wide-scope academic adventure . I am fully aware of the challenge I will be faced with".

But there is no doubt that he had a great experience in this particular area. In fact, in December 1986, when the 51st session of the General Assembly of the United Nations was about to end, as was his term as Secretary-General, Boutros-Ghali submitted his third Agenda within one of the issues for discussion entitled "Support by the United Nations system to efforts made by Governments to promote and consolidate new or restored democracies".

Amongst the six sections it includes, the most important and timely is certainly the one devoted to "Democratization at an international scale". Once again Boutros Boutros-Ghali was running ahead of events, because he was familiar with the ins and outs of oligarchic groups supported by neoliberalism. He names the "new actors" in the international scenario that shall thereafter be taken into account: "regional organizations, NGOs, members of the Parliament, local authorities, academic and scientific circles, companies and, in particular, mass media". According to him: "A culture for democracy leads to the promotion and reinforcement of a culture for peace and to development by means of an adequate governance".

Despite being fair and universal, the United Nations cannot promote democratization movements. But it can, however, help every country to find its own way towards democracy. Boutros was the first Secretary-General who, despite reaffirming United Nations neutrality, overtly declared himself in favour of the democratic system, a declaration that reflected a change in what had been up to then the traditional position.

"Democracy contributes to preserve peace and security, to protect justice and human rights and to promote economic and social development". As a matter of fact Boutros Boutros-Ghali's perspective and action duly completes the 1966 Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The different "Summits" that were held since 1992 also highlight the need to finally give a voice to "We the peoples": they were allowed to speak about environment in Rio de Janeiro, 1992; about population in Cairo, 1992; about human rights in Vienna, 1993; about women in Pekin, 1995; about the habitat in Istanbul, 1995 about social development in Copenhagen, 1995

The next meeting was the Millennium Forum that gathered together, in May 2000 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 1350 representatives of NGOs, civil society organisations, associations representing new actors It was, therefore, urgent to make an assessment of the meetings held during the first part of the nineties so that attention was finally paid to the specific directives that were required to allow implementation -at a national, regional and international scale- of suitable actions for the 21st century and the third millennium.

The Forum concluded with the Final Declaration from the Civil Society -"We the peoples"-and the Agenda for Action ("Strengthening the United Nations for the Twenty-First Century") that included specific proposals such as: transforming the Security Council; reshaping the International Court of Justice all of which have been ignored up to now, although they remain at the disposal of mankind, once we will no longer be distracted and subjugated by the gigantic media power, and we will realize that there are essential changes that must be made without delay.

The titles of the extensive work written by Boutros Boutros-Ghali are an unusual and extraordinary reflect of his life as a politician and as a human being: "The Problem of the Suez Channel", 1957; "General Theory of Alliances", 1963; "The African Union Organization", 1969; "The Egyptian Path to Jerusalem", 1997; "My Life in the Glass House", 1999; "Peace, Development, Democracy: Agendas for the Management of our Planet", 2001; "Democratizing Globalization", 2002

19 November 1997 was the 20th anniversary of the wise and courageous visit of President Anwar el-Sadat to Jerusalem, "the most important event in my political and diplomatic career 20 years have elapsed: history will recall this exceptional visit as one of the greatest moments of the 20th century.

In my contribution to his "Amicorum Disipulorumque Liber" on "The Human Right to Peace" I wrote in the prologue "Boutros Boutros-Ghali's term occurred at the same time as a series of radical changes in international affairs". The "post-Cold War" had indeed nothing to do with "previous post-wars". And yet Boutros Boutros-Ghali knew which the priorities were. And which were the main references and recommendations raised during the most relevant meetings of the United Nations. We had the raw materials but we lacked the ability to use them in a hostile environment headed by United States Republican Party. In my paper I told the following story: "My granddaughter asked me recently why we hadn't kept the promises we made during the Earth Summit. I told her that to take action one needs to feel involved, responsible, one needs to recall, to compare She is still waiting for that to happen. Everyone, men and women are still waiting. I hope we will not deceive them. I hope the United Nations will have the support they need to put into practice the Plans to promote tolerance, dialogue, cultural exchange, peace".

Boutros-Ghali's friends and pupils unveiled -in his book Amicorum- an extraordinary man in extraordinary circumstances, I felt satisfied that the UNESCO, a "thinking" organisation within the United Nations family, had been at the root of this book. Some of the contributors worthwhile mentioning were the following: Jacques Delors, Mikhail Gorbachev, Juan Antonio Carrillo, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Enrique Iglesias, Robert Badinter, Shimon Peres, Ismail Serageldin

Finally I would like to mention how vividly I still recall the proposal made by Karel Vasak, Bernard Kouchner and myself to the Secretary-General of The United Nations concerning the "humanitarian interference", a concept that should prevent atrocities such as those committed in Cambodia and Rwanda from ever happening again with no reaction from the international community.

The UN blue helmets should only intervene in two specific cases: general violation of human rights and genocide. But the "duty to intervene" due to humanitarian reasons was overtly at odds with the sacred sovereignty of Nations -despite massacre? How many victims are hiding behind the term "sovereignty"? Could Pol Pot really claim that he had legal powers that justified his atrocious insanities?

If the United Nations were "re-democratized", they would be in the position to rely on article 42 of the Charter that allows an armed intervention in case of massive violations of human rights or in case of "clear menace against peace and international security".

Boutros Boutros-Ghali was overthrown but he reappeared as leader of La Fancophonie, as President of the Council of the European Centre for Peace and Development; he, therefore, made his re-entry into the international scene, and he shall remain there forever as a beacon thanks to the audacious and truthful messages he conveyed about peace, justice, development and democracy, all of which demand the implementation of multilateralism he so much yearned for.



(Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Former Director-General of UNESCO (1987-1999) and president of the Foundation for a Culture of Peace).


Enforce counter-trafficking law

NONE of over 3,500 cases filed under the counter-trafficking law across the country has disposed of since the formulation of the act. It has left the victims and their families in utter frustration. They are also deprived of getting remedy and compensations. Whereas the perpetrators are threatening them to withdraw the cases due to relax mood of police. Lengthy legal process and absence of separate tribunal have made the situation very critical. Prevention and Suppression of Human Trafficking Act was formulated in 2012 but its rules are not framed till the date, according to a newspaper report.

We know that recruitment agencies and their brokers lure the underemployed people arranging them decent job compel to sell their ancestral house, farmland or take loan at a high rate -particularly in the rural areas. Human Trafficking Monitoring Cell of Police Headquarters recorded that 114 trafficking cases in the first three months of the current year. The number of human trafficking cases increased to 778 in 2017 from 677 in 2016. We think, the government must be 'more labour-friendly' to execute the relevant laws to protect the rights of the country's migrant workers.

Experts called for facilitating formal labour migration to reduce trafficking incidents. It is urgently necessary to reduce procrastination in the existing legal system. By this time, the trafficking victims should be given psychosocial counseling to help them recover from the trauma.

It's a complete shambles that Parliament had enacted an excellent law but the authorities are yet to take any step to implement it. On the other hand the traffickers are enjoying privilege. In some cases police hesitate to touch them due to close linkage with the ruling high-ups. A Thai court in 2017 sentenced an army general to 27 years' jail in a landmark human trafficking trial that focused regional attention on the lucrative underworld trade. But not a small fry in Bangladesh has faced such trial.

As unemployment rate is exorbitant, we think the human trafficking may be increased due to lack of enforcement of laws. Here, the government must generate employment and increase legal migration facility to address the problem. Besides, cancellation of agency license those involve in the trafficking can also check the trouble. But first of all, the government should immediately frame the rules for the act to expedite the prosecution.






Radhika Apte to play war heroine Noor Inayat Khan

Radhika Apte, who was last seen in PadMan with Akshay Kumar, has now signed a Hollywood film. She will step into the shoes of World War II heroine, Noor Inayat Khan, who is also known as Nora Baker. She was the first female wireless operator and British spy, who parachuted into Nazi-occupied France to aid the French Resistance. Her services to Jews through the Special Operations Executives unit made her Britain's first Muslim war heroine. Noor was posthumously awarded the George Cross, UK's highest civilian decoration. Tentatively titled, Miss Atkins' Army, the film will have a mix of English, French and German. Indian actor Dev Patel will be seen in a lead role.

Talking about the movie Radhika said, "It's an extremely interesting role. Many Indians were a part of the British Army but their stories remained unheard. Noor's father was an Indian Muslim and she was a pacifist. So it's not a case of typical casting. It was an inspiring movement that brought together many worlds in different ways." The film also features Batman Begins' actor Linus Roache and River actor Rossif Sutherland. Radhika animatedly says, "It's the beginning of what seems like a great experience. The cast is brilliant and I'm really excited."

Radhika, who is married to a London-based composer and violist Benedict Taylor, says she has no intention of ever leaving India. "Every film that I do outside my country only generates the kind of work that I want to pursue. So, I'm happy exploring different stories," she says. Lydia Dean Pilcher will direct and co-produce the World War drama. Radhika is also part of British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom's The Wedding Guest alongside Dev Patel.
Kind and caring Breda was always thinking of others
Its Earth Day on Sunday; the one day of the year that is supposed to draw our attention to the plight of the planet.

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This article was published 21/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Its Earth Day on Sunday; the one day of the year that is supposed to draw our attention to the plight of the planet.

Were to pull up our organic cotton socks, buckle down and clean it up. But given the scale of problems like landfill, waste and water issues versus our individual capacities to make a dent in them, it feels like were throwing a Hallmark holiday at the problem.

Shia Su documents her zero-waste lifestyle in a new book.

Does individual action make a difference?

Looking at Canadian Shia Sus beaming face on the cover of her book Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Trash (Skyhorse Publishing, $23.99) makes you think: Maybe. Shes holding a Mason jar with the one years worth of non-recyclable, non-compostable garbage that she and her husband generate from their household.

Zero Waste is a manual for the virtually garbage-less life. It is practical and comes from real experience. That includes the chapters on toilet paper, managing menstrual and other hygiene, keeping house, food prep and storage, shopping, wardrobe, and first steps. Su describes her book as "beginner-friendly and full of easy hacks and one-minute recipes." It is laid out like a cookbook that lets you pick and choose and start anywhere.

Shia Su shared her thoughts on going "zero waste."

Winnipeg Free Press: What spurred you to go zero waste?

Shia Su: I never intended to go zero waste. Like most people, I heard about zero waste and dismissed the idea as "too unrealistic" for me. However, my husband and I did want to reduce our trash and live "a tad" more sustainably.

We made it a fun challenge: "Lets ask the sushi place around the corner if theyll put our takeout order into our own containers!" Or: "Lets just ask the store owners, maybe they can order organic oats in a big paper bag for us!"

We had the nicest conversations and ended up with a 25-pound bag of organic oats, a standing weekly sushi order in our own containers, and big smiles on our faces!

WFP: How long did it take you to "get to zero?"

SS: There really is no "zero." Our economy isnt set up to enable this yet. I think it took us maybe a year and a half to fit our trash into a jar. But its hard to tell because we dont really know when exactly we started out.

WFP: What was the biggest obstacle?

SS: I think its a matter of mindset. We never took the "zero" very seriously. We simply ended up this way because each and every step was so doable! The "zero" in "zero waste" feels so overwhelming, and makes people focus on what doesnt work (yet) instead of the potential or what they have accomplished. I want to change the mindset from deficit-oriented to empowerment.

WFP: What was the easiest step?

SS: Using our net laundry bags as produce bags. I thought wed get weird looks, but nobody really cared and cashiers never even bat an eyelash! Only once a cashier kept turning our bags because she was looking for a label with a bar code to scan. She thought the bag was a new product!

WFP: What was the biggest personal change you had to make?

SS: It was to learn how to cook with real ingredients. We had been living on processed and junk food so neither my husband nor I knew how to cook from scratch! To reduce plastic waste, we gradually quit buying processed food. Suddenly we had fresh ingredients at home and had to figure out what to do with them!

WFP: What did you gain?

SS: I am grateful my health has improved so much. I am allergic to so, so many things. Im vegan and I couldnt eat soy and many nuts! Most raw fruits were off-limits and spring was my personal asthma hell. My skin couldnt tolerate the majority of conventional beauty or cleaning products. Replacing processed foods with real, organic foods, sticking to natural methods and not being exposed to harsh chemicals and harmful substances in cosmetics has done what most medication wasnt able to! I didnt get rid of all my allergies, but they have become quite manageable.

WFP: What did you lose?

SS: I lost some weight. Not a lot, but noticeably. We also shed most of our possessions. We relocated to another continent with what could have been carry-on luggage if it werent for the pocket knives.

WFP: How and where should people start on this journey?

SS: Anywhere. Just start with what catches your eye. What you are curious about? What you feel is doable at this moment? Dont over-think.

Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

WFP: Can you share a few tips?

SS: My biggest piece of advice is to adjust your mindset. You will fail at some point. So what? It is like a toddler learning to walk; they will inevitably fall, but you dont see them quitting. Remember to have fun with it! There is so much to discover, so much to explore!

Remember to be kind to others around you. In my experience, family and friends need time to adjust. They will get used to it, eventually.

When you go to a store, try to put yourself into the shoes of the staff, and try to make it as stress-free for them as possible. The service industry is hard work. Show them some appreciation, smile, be nice! Do not insist on your special request when a place is swamped and everyone working there already struggling to keep up with orders.

For more information about Shia Su and her zero-waste lifestyle, visit wastelandrebel.com or check out her Instagram account, @_wastelandrebel_.

Twitter: @WendyKinginWpg
Salman, Katrina all set to leave for tour to USA in June

Salman Khan is one of Bollywood's biggest superstars and over the years he has made a brand out of himself. Everything from his dance moves, clothes, accessories to his attitude and body language is a rage among his fans. Salman was recently proven guilty in the 1998 Blackbuck poaching case. But, soon after the actor was given bail from the jail. And just a few days back the actor was given the liberty to travel overseas.

After Salman got a nod from the Jodhpur High Court to travel abroad, the actor grabbed the first opportunity to announce his international tour. The actor will be going to The United States of America as well as Canada along with Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez, Daisy Shah, Sonakshi Sinha, Prabhudeva, Guru Randhawa, Maniesh Paul and a few other artists for the Dabangg: The Tour Reloaded event. Salman took to Twitter to confirm the news, the actor wrote, "All set to travel the seven seas !Next stop USA & Canada. So be ready for# DabanggReloaded .@ DabanggTour2018@ ZEEAmericas @ sahilpromotions @beingbhav@ theJAEvents @SohailKhan # jaevents# sohailkhanenetertainment."

The tour will commence on June 22, 2018 in Atlanta and end on July 8, 2018 in Toronto.
Thousands of free, popular childrens apps available on the Google Play Store could be violating child privacy laws, according to a new, large-scale study, highlighting growing criticism of Silicon Valleys data collection efforts.

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This article was published 21/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Thousands of free, popular childrens apps available on the Google Play Store could be violating child privacy laws, according to a new, large-scale study, highlighting growing criticism of Silicon Valleys data collection efforts.

Seven researchers analyzed nearly 6,000 apps for children and found that the majority of them may be in violation of the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA. Thousands of the tested apps collected the personal data of children under age 13 without their parents permission, the study found.

"This is a market failure," said Serge Egelman, a co-author of the study and the director of usable security and privacy research at the International Computer Science Institute at the University of California, Berkeley. "The rampant potential violations that we have uncovered points out basic enforcement work that needs to be done."

The potential violations were abundant and came in several forms, according to the study. More than 1,000 childrens apps collected identifying information from kids using tracking software whose terms explicitly forbid their use for childrens apps, the study found. The researchers also said that nearly half the apps fail to always use standard security measures to transmit sensitive data over the web, suggesting a breach of reasonable data security measures mandated by COPPA. Each of the 5,855 apps under review was installed more than 750,000 times, on average, according to the study.

Unfortunately for parents, theres little consumers can do to protect themselves since the policies and business practices of app developers and ad tracking companies are often opaque, Egelman said. The study also points to a breakdown of so-called self-regulation by app developers who claim to abide by child privacy laws, as well as by Google, which runs the Android platform, he said.

Some of the apps in question included Disneys Wheres My Water?, Gamelofts Minion Rush and Duolingo, the language learning app. The findings also suggested that app creators that had been certified as COPPA-compliant were no better than any of the other apps at protecting childrens privacy. The researchers used a testing platform that allowed them to see in real-time how often the apps accessed sensitive information  such as location data and contact lists  on a phone and what other entities the apps shared that information with.

Disney, Gameloft and Duolingo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The researchers note that Google has worked to enforce COPPA by requiring child-app developers to certify that they comply with the law. "However, as our results show, there appears to not be any (or only limited) enforcement," the researchers said. They added that it would not be difficult for Google to augment their research to detect the apps and the developers that may be violating child privacy laws.

Google did not respond to a request for comment.

Critics of Googles app platform say Google and other players in the digital advertising business, like Facebook, have profited greatly from advances in data-tracking technology, even as regulators have failed to keep up with the resulting privacy intrusions.

"Google has basically looked the other way while it was able to generate revenues off of childrens apps," said Jeffrey Chester, the executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. "The new, alarming report is further evidence that Google is thumbing its nose at the only federal online privacy law that we have."

The study, "Wont Somebody Think of the Children? Examining COPPA Compliance at Scale," was published in the journal Proceedings on Privacy Enhancing Technologies last week.

 Washington Post
Manitobas climate will be like that of Nebraska and South Dakota by 2050 and like northern Kansas and possibly even northern Texas by 2080.

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This article was published 20/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitobas climate will be like that of Nebraska and South Dakota by 2050 and like northern Kansas and possibly even northern Texas by 2080.

Farmers, among others, will have to adapt.

That was the message from the people behind the new Climate Atlas of Canada, which released another platform on Friday for industries including agriculture and forestry.

The climate map shows longer growing seasons, more days of over 30 degrees Celsius temperatures, and greater variability in precipitation. For example, there will be more precipitation in winter and spring but less in summer.

"What it means is the possibility of floods followed by droughts," said Ian Mauro, University of Winnipeg geography professor and co-director of the universitys Prairie Climate Centre. "The risk to farmers is amplified to where were talking about multiple disasters in a single season."

It will mean farmers will have to learn how to retain water when its available to use for possible shortages in summer, he said.

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The climate change atlas, which is found at climateatlas.ca, is designed to help industries and governments improve their planning.

Manitoba farmers are already changing crops. They seeded more than two million acres of soybeans last year and are starting to grow large acreages of silage corn, two crops that barely registered in the province five to 10 years ago.

"It seems inevitable farmers will migrate to new varieties that require more heat. Corn is a heat-loving plant," said Danny Blair, U of W climatologist and director of the Prairie Climate Centre, which is the driving force behind the climate atlas.

One group paying attention is the Canadian Association of Landscape Architects. The association told Mauro recently that it has always used historic climate normals in its planning. "They realize that is not the right practice anymore. They need to know what the future normals are going to be," Mauro said.

bill.redekop@freepress.mb.ca
Clouds of pungent smoke drifted across the front lawn of the Manitoba Legislative Building on Friday, as hundreds of cannabis lovers kicked off their annual 4/20 celebration to the tune of Peter Toshs classic reggae hit Legalize It.

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This article was published 20/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Clouds of pungent smoke drifted across the front lawn of the Manitoba Legislative Building on Friday, as hundreds of cannabis lovers kicked off their annual 4/20 celebration to the tune of Peter Toshs classic reggae hit Legalize It.

With federal legalization of marijuana on the horizon for late summer or early fall, Toshs plea could finally be answered by the end of the year  and for lead event organizer Steven Stairs, this years 4/20 event felt different.

"Four-twenty will always mean a civil disobedience protest to me, at heart, however this year were able to take that protest vibe and incorporate it with a celebratory atmosphere where we can do things like recognize our losses, but acknowledge our wins."

"Winning is having legalization," said Stairs, a local cannabis activist. "Winning is having cannabis available in stores. Winning is having people being able to buy it and not be criminals."

The new legal restrictions that will come with legalization  like Manitobas ban on home cannabis cultivation, which will be legal in most other provinces  will be fodder for 4/20 protests in years to come, Stairs said.

"And those are the things that we have to recognize and still continue fighting for, but also recognize that we are on the threshold."

Cannabis aficionados at Fridays event took in the sun as they smoked and contemplated the future of legal cannabis in Canada.

University student Tyler Abraham came "to smoke some weed in public and make a stand, being happy its legalized."

Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press. Anthony Audy disappears in a cloud of smoke after taking a hit from his pipe on 4/20 at the Manitoba legislature Friday.

"Im really hoping it gets fully legalized soon, to the point where you can actually smoke outside, like out in public, and no one really cares," he said.

"Like in California, you can walk down the street with a blunt and not get stopped by the police."

A pending Manitoba law that will effectively limit legal cannabis consumption to private property means Abrahams California dream is unlikely to come true in this province.

But, that law wont actually stop people from using cannabis where they want after legalization, said a Winnipegger named Tish, who declined to share her last name. She said Manitoba should allow cannabis lounges, "like people go to a bar to have a drink  you go there, have a smoke, and then go about your business."

Tish, who said shed been using cannabis since the 1980s, said she was heartened to see a crowd of like-minded people downtown on Friday.

"It makes me feel that finally the truth about cannabis is out there, that its not the demon weed, its not the gateway to anything but the fridge, and that its actually calming to society," she said.

"I feel that theres nothing wrong with it, you treat it like alcohol with adults, and it helps with so many medical conditions, even just anxiety. And you dont have to get stoned. I have stuff that I just have just for pain, and you dont get stoned with it."

Still, plenty of Manitobans were definitely taking the opportunity to get high on Friday, and some didnt even need their own supply. A line of people waited for free "dabs"  potent, smokable doses of a cannabis concentrate known as "shatter"  underneath a tent near Broadway.

"Were checking ID, weve got to make sure that everybodys of age, and we just want to abide by the law," said Stephen Andrews, one of the operators of the dab booth. "We have one day to freely do what we want, we want to go by the authority."

Daniel Crump / Winnipeg Free Press Marijuana enthusiasts gather on the front lawn of the Manitoba legislature Friday to celebrate 4/20.

Local cannabis businesses also got in on the action, using the April 20 marijuana festival as a marketing opportunity. Bailey Krahn, of Main Street head shop Krahnic Kulture, was offering a smorgasbord of bongs, pipes, grinders, vaporizers, rolling papers and of course, incense. She said she was eagerly awaiting legalization.

"I want it to help people," Krahn said. "I want it for medical reasons, I want it for pain reasons, PTSD, theres so many amazing things that a simple plant can do, and I think everybody should be able to enjoy what it can bring them."

Security officers from the Manitoba legislature patrolled Fridays event, but didnt appear to interfere.

"The 420 protest is held every year and the organizers have cooperated with law enforcement as well as officials with the City of Winnipeg and the province to ensure that the protest is conducted safely and peacefully," said Justice Minister Heather Stefanson in a statement.

"However, that does not mean that our government condones cannabis use in public places, especially by young people."

"The organization, the effort and the community spirit thats put into an event like this definitely eliminates (stereotypes)" about cannabis users, organizer Stairs said.

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He pointed out that lots of other public festivals allow and promote alcohol consumption in public. "We have done everything that any other community group would have to do, and our event goes off without a hitch."

Although 4/20 events across the world are associated with the so-called "stoner" subculture, lots of Canadians use cannabis. About 4.2 million Canadians aged 15 and older have used cannabis in the past three months, according to a survey published by Statistics Canada on Wednesday.

Its not yet clear whether legalization of the plant for recreational purposes will result in a significant increase in cannabis users. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents to Statistics Canadas survey said "they would not be more likely to try (cannabis) or increase their cannabis consumption" after legalization.

 with files from Nick Martin

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca
OTTAWA  Hundreds of prisoners with gang affiliations are incarcerated at federal institutions across the Prairies. But Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and Winnipeg gang-diversion specialists say theyre trying to help offenders leave the gang lifestyle before they leave prison.

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This article was published 20/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Hundreds of prisoners with gang affiliations are incarcerated at federal institutions across the Prairies. But Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and Winnipeg gang-diversion specialists say theyre trying to help offenders leave the gang lifestyle before they leave prison.

CSC data provided to the Free Press show the agency last fall identified 1,026 prisoners as members of what it calls "security threat groups," mostly gangs but also white supremacist-groups.

Almost half are involved in Aboriginal gangs, such as Native Syndicate, Manitoba Warriors and Indian Posse; others are involved in street gangs, such as Terror Squad; and a few are involved in motorcycle gangs, such as Hells Angels.

Longtime social worker Mitch Bourbonniere regularly works with men who have been released from Stony Mountain Institution, a half-hour north of Winnipeg.

"There are lots of people inside the institution and in the community that are working very hard to offer men support on choosing a different path," said Bourbonniere, who works with Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin.

"Its really, unfortunately, just two scenarios: they come out either sick and tired of it and needing and wanting to get out, or they come out more entrenched and harder."

Those who do leave gangs have "just a ton" of basic needs, from housing, work and official identification to addictions, "addiction to the lifestyle" and cultural connections, he said. "Theres several layers of need when someone is leaving that life."

The CSC data span 12 federal institutions and healing centres between the Rockies and northwest Ontario. In Manitoba, that only includes Stony Mountain, but Ottawa said it cant provide data specific to that prisons almost 800 offenders due to privacy and safety concerns.

There are roughly 4,000 prisoners housed in those institutions, though the CSC data also include those on temporary absence, active supervision and those unlawfully at large  suggesting slightly less than one-fourth of federal prisoners in the Prairies belong to such groups.

The data show that at the time of recording, no known Prairie inmates were involved in cults, terror groups or Jamaican gangs, while 12 were identified as being in white-supremacist groups.

CSC lists these groups when they involve more than two people. Prison guards use them to house rival gangs separately, and plan programming to steer them away from the gang lifestyle.

Officials admit its hard to get an accurate grasp on these affiliations, especially with the "increasingly complex and diverse" makeup of federal institutions.

"We recognize the challenges associated with working in a correctional environment and have a number of strategies in place to manage and reduce violent incidents in our institutions, in order to ensure a safe and secure environment," CSC spokeswoman Laura Cummings wrote.

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"In some cases, separation is not always a realistic approach to dealing with (gangs). We individually assess each situation and employ interventions at the institutional level deemed to be the most effective."

Bourbonniere agrees, saying the footprint of Winnipeg gangs hasnt changed much in 10 years, but theyre no longer as segregated to specific area or racial groups. "Its much more mixed at this point."

He said men with gang affiliations often cant disavow those groups while incarcerated without a real risk of violent retaliation. He said programming that emphasizes skills and Indigenous teachings often plant the idea of leaving these gangs, but inmates feel they cant do so until later.

"Seeds can be planted within the institution itself. There are opportunities in the institution for men to work on themselves and make changes," he said. "When youre still inside, you have to do what you have to do to survive."

CSC houses inmates serving sentences of more than two years, which are generally more violent and severe. The majority of prisoners in Manitoba are housed in provincial correctional centres.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
A Winnipeg Police Service car smashed into a storefront on the corner of Main Street and Polson Avenue on Saturday afternoon.

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This article was published 21/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Winnipeg Police Service car smashed into a storefront on the corner of Main Street and Polson Avenue on Saturday afternoon.

Pritpal Singh, an employee of the store, was inside moving some drinks with co-workers at the time of the accident.

He remembers hearing police sirens and the next thing he knew a cop car had broken through the front door and was driving towards him.

By the time it came to a stop, it was merely a couple metres away from hitting him, he said.

It (sounded) like a blast, because the glass was broken. It was like a blast. It was crazy. We were scared, a full-speed car coming at you  Pritpal Singh

"It (sounded) like a blast, because the glass was broken. It was like a blast. It was crazy. We were scared, a full-speed car coming at you," Singh said.

Police said the cruiser was responding to a high-priority weapons call  with sirens on  at the time of the accident.

While travelling southbound on Main Street, the cruiser collided with a red car trying to make a left-hand turn onto Polson Avenue, according to an eye witness.

He said it looked as if the car tried to speed through its turn before letting the oncoming cruiser pass.

"They didnt make it. It looked like the cop car tried to dodge them, but clipped the back end and spun them out. Then, the cop ricocheted right into the store. I mean, look at that  look how hes perfectly parked in there," the eyewitness said.

"It was like a pinball machine, the way he shot in there, like a pool pocket. He bounced right in. I couldnt believe my eyes. Ive never seen anything like it in my life. It was like a movie.

"What a sound. It was quick, loud, bam."

According to Singh, one of the cops was bleeding from his arm after the crash and seemed in shock, although neither officer appeared seriously injured.

Police said the two officers, as well as an occupant of the other vehicle, were transported to hospital. The officers were in stable condition, while the occupant of the car was in unstable condition.

The red car was left smashed up in the southbound lane of Main Street. One of its doors had been ripped off from the frame and was left leaning against the back bumper of the vehicle.

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Groups of people gathered around the scene taking pictures and talking under the warm afternoon sun. Shattered glass was scattered about the road and police could be seen dropping evidence markers down on the pavement.

The back end of the police cruiser stuck out of the front entrance to the store with its hazards lights blinking.

Traffic was shutdown on southbound Main Street between Inkster Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue.

The closure was expected to last until the evening, according to police.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

@rk_thorpe
It could be one of the most important nights of politicking Manitoba has seen for some time.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 20/4/2018 (1261 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

It could be one of the most important nights of politicking Manitoba has seen for some time.

Tonight, in a hangar at the Southport Airport near Portage la Prairie, several hundred people, along with a handful of high-level VIPs, will gather for a dinner to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Forces participation in Norad. Good food, good drink and a performance by the vaunted RCAF "Jet Stream" band will help mark the occasion.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Major-General Christian Drouin is the keynote speaker for Saturday's Southport gala dinner, an annual fundraiser which this year promises to be the site of considerable political lobbying.

However, for a select few in attendance, there will be a healthy serving of politics on the side.

This years RCAF dinner comes at a critical juncture for what is known now as the Southport Airport and Commercial Properties, a not-for-profit entity created out of the ashes of the now-departed CFB Portage la Prairie. When Ottawa shuttered that facility in 1992, government officials brokered a deal to keep a major piece of the RCAFs 3 Canadian Forces flight training school in place as the chief tenant of the privately run airfield. For more than 25 years, it has been a win-win scenario.

However, the RCAF is currently considering a consolidation of all training activity at a single military facility. Given the size and scope of the operation at Southport, and competing military and political interests tied to 15 Wing at CFB Moose Jaw, that could conceivably lead to the end of military pilot training in Manitoba, and a loss of 350 jobs tied to that operation.

As interest in the future of the RCAF intensifies here in Manitoba, we have the scheduling of the Southport gala dinner, which has gone from charity fundraising event to major political lobbying opportunity.

In addition to a number of reeves, mayors, councillors and MLAs from the area, this years dinner will feature an appearance by Premier Brian Pallister and an array of senior RCAF brass from Winnipeg, including Brig.-Gen. Dave Cochrane, head of 2 Canadian Air Division, and Major Gen. Christian Drouin, head of 1 Canadian Air Division, who will serve as the keynote speaker for the evening.

"There is a little bit of concern here," said Peggy May, the CEO of Southport. "There have been rumours that a one-base solution might be the way things go. Were going to make sure that were out there letting Public Works and DND know about all of the good work we are doing here."

The concern comes from something the RCAF calls the Future Aircrew Training (FacT) initiative, which will set the tone for the next generation of pilot training. FacT is modelled somewhat after programs in other Commonwealth countries as a way of preparing the RCAF for the introduction of what is called "Fifth Generation" aviation technology.

Focused largely on fighter aircraft, Fifth Generation jets generally feature stealth technology, the ability to sustain supersonic flight without afterburners, advanced manoeuvrability and highly integrated sensor systems. However, Fifth Generation is also used to describe the need for changes to training and military strategy.

How Fifth Generation technology will impact the structure of the RCAF is largely a mystery right now. RCAF officials could not be reached for comment. However, a 2017 DND interview with Lt.-Gen. Mike Hood, commander of the RCAF, suggested that along with a whole host of innovations, FacT may lead to the consolidation of all training for pilots, air combat systems officers and airborne sensor operators "under one cohesive umbrella." What that looks like at ground level, however, is anyones guess.

May said Southport has been told that DND will issue a RFP sometime before the end of 2019 for a single contractor to provide pilot training starting around 2023. Whether that means it has to be done at one location remains unclear, she added.

Also unclear is whether the "one-base option," as its referred to, immediately disqualifies Southport. May said Southport has been careful to make strategic investments to keep its facilities on par with what is offered in Winnipeg or Moose Jaw.

Right now, pilot training is split between the Manitoba and Saskatchewan bases. Phase One training for all RCAF pilots begins in Southport, with advanced training at Moose Jaw. May said all pilots who will be flying fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters return to Southport for final training; jet pilots stay at Moose Jaw. As a result of this configuration, nearly 80 per cent of all new RCAF pilots earn their wings in Manitoba.

The politics of military bases is, however, only partly connected to military preparedness and strategy. A good portion of it is also based on federal-provincial relations, and regional political proclivities. Given some of the issues at stake in the FacT deliberations, there should be some interesting dinner-table conversations at the Southport gala on tonight.

No province wants to lose any aspect of its military presence. Like most provinces, Manitobas politicians and economy have suffered through several generations of reorganization, downsizing and out-and-out base closures. Without exception, they have been political nightmares.

The RCAF gala dinner is taking place, in fact, almost exactly 29 years after the announcement of the closure of CFB Portage la Prairie, which was included in a raft of DND budget cuts delivered as part of the 1989 federal budget. That decision sparked weeks of angry condemnation from then-premier Gary Filmon and other Manitoba politicians, many of whom had not quite recovered from the 1986 CF-18 debacle, which saw the federal government intervene to award a jet maintenance contract to a Quebec firm.

If there is any narrative thread that connected these stories  apart from the fact they both involved the loss of military investments in Manitoba  it was that the initial anger and consternation over the federal decisions quickly translated into high-level dealmaking between Manitoba and Ottawa.

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In the case of the CF-18, compensatory discussions led to the establishment of the National Microbiology Laboratory, a facility that has paid dividends to the local community far in excess of the original CF-18 contract. Following closure of CFB Portage, it was the creation of the Southport entity and a commitment to keep a robust pilot training operation in Manitoba.

Are there similar deals to be done as part of the FacT initiative? Its too early to say, particularly since the RCAF has not clearly said it will pursue a one-base option for flight training. RCAF brass are no doubt aware that scenario will unleash all kinds of interesting political tremors.

Southport is an important part of the RCAFs presence in Manitoba, and a key driver of economic activity for Portage. On the other hand, Moose Jaw is already a larger facility and  perhaps more importantly  it is Saskatchewans major military asset.

If theres a trump card in this equation, it could be the personal involvement of Pallister, who hails from Portage and who represented the area when he was a federal MP and a MLA in Filmons government. Provincial sources indicate the premier isnt likely to allow pilot training to be shipped out of Manitoba "without a fight."

Pallister brings gravitas to the deliberations, but it will take more than his looming presence to knit together a solution if the military decides that its one big umbrella should be located in another province. Its going to take some nuanced discussions, of the kind his predecessors used to ensure that every loss of military assets was translated into an equal or larger gain.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
3 ousted students brought back to Sufia Kamal Hall

DU Correspondent :

Dhaka University (DU) authority brought back three residential students of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall on Friday evening. They were forcibly ousted from the dormitory early Friday 'for spreading rumour on Facebook'.

Hall Provost Prof. Sabita Rezwana Chowdhury and a residential student confirmed it to The New Nation.

The DU adminstration asked them to return to their hall within a day of ousting, as the decision triggered widespread criticism and protests on the campus.

They are Sharmin Shuvo, a 2nd year student, Parvin, a 4th year student of Mathematics department, and Kamrunnahar Liza, a 4th year student of Theatre and Performance Studies department.

Prof. Sabita said that they returned to their dormitory by Friday night.

Denying the allegation, Prof. Sabita Rezwana said "I handed over to those students to their families for counselling as they were spreading rumours on Facebook about different issues during quota reformation movement".

She said, "We held a meeting on Friday night to know the condition of residential students of hall where around five thousand females attended and expressed their opinions."

Sabita Rezwana accused the vested quarter of spreading rumour on Facebook in order to mar the congenial atmosphere of dormitory though most of the students were living well.

Wishing anonymity, a student of Sufia Kamal Hall told this correspondent "We have talked with provost on Friday night about several problems in the dormitory. None did express their opinion about Facebook rumour or latest incident."

Earlier, Bangladesh General Students Rights Protection Forum sought removal of the hall chief and gave 24 hours ultimatum to authority to bring back those students with dignity.
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Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, counter-service packaging, foodservice disposables, take-out food packaging, first aid products, point of purchase displays, stationery, bags, and cleaning and hygiene supplies to grocery stores, supermarkets, retail chains, convenience stores, food wholesalers, ethnic grocers, and organic food outlets. It also provides food packaging, napkins, disposable tableware, food service disposables, guest amenities, light and heavy catering equipment, cleaning and hygiene products, and safety items to hotels, restaurants, caterers, the leisure sector, and food processors and packers; and footwear, gloves, safety helmets, workwear, harness equipment, tools, safety signs, traffic management, and ancillary site equipment, as well as ear, eye, respiratory, and face protection products to customers in the industrial and construction markets. In addition, the company offers cleaning systems, floorcare items, hand cleansing products, hygiene paper, janitorial products, cleaning machines, mops, polishes, and protective clothing and washroom chemicals to facilities management companies, contract cleaners, and other industrial and healthcare customers; and counter service packaging, point of purchase display items, stationery, and cleaning and hygiene products to department stores, boutiques, office supply companies, retail chains, and home improvement chains. Further, it provides gloves, aprons, bandages, facemasks, gowns, headwear, mattress covers, overshoes, procedure packs, tapes, wipes, incontinence products, and swabs to the healthcare sector, including hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, and doctors' surgeries and clinics; and various products to government and education establishments. Bunzl plc was founded in 1854 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Hasina for implementation of C`wealth Declarations

UNB, London :

Placing a three-point recommendation, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday called for early implementation of the Commonwealth Declarations on its comprehensive reform, connectivity and cyber governance.

She urged the Commonwealth Secretariat to frame an appropriate action plan and work out programmes in consultation with the member states to this end.

The Prime Minister made the call during the retreat session on the second day of the 25th CHOGM

summit in London on Friday (local time).

While speaking about Commonwealth reform, Sheikh Hasina said, "The organisation in its present form, structure and orientations, is inadequate and can only partially meet expectations of the peoples."

In her three-point recommendation, she called for formation of an eminent persons' group to propose necessary reforms, creation of a Development Fund and a Platform to achieve SDGs; and enhancing Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's role in protecting and promoting political values.

Hasina said, any review and reform of the Commonwealth must bring a strong development focus to the forefront and must increasingly be connected within itself.

She also stressed ensuring a greater role of the private sector and various professional groups in its programmes.

While attending the Retreat Agenda on the Global Context, Hasina said trade, investment and connectivity are the key to a more prosperous future.

Welcoming the draft Declaration on Connectivity, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh believes in connecting ideas, knowledge, technology, culture, people, road-rail-air, movement of goods, services and investment.

Hasina said trade connectivity through a rules-based, transparent, inclusive and fair multilateral trade regime is crucial.

She mentioned that Bangladesh within its neighbourhood has been working for the implementation of Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal BBIN sub-regional connectivity project.

Hasina underlined the need for having a quicker action plan on the connectivity agenda and called for Commonwealth partnership for multisectoral infrastructure projects under the action plan.

About Cyber Declaration, she said the principles and guidelines for cooperation in cyber governance are crucial, and added that technology, expertise sharing and capacity building must remain a priority for people. "Development of the ICT sector is a national priority for Bangladesh."

She said, her government believes that access to information and communications technology and ICT related capacity-building are fundamental to reducing digital divide, alleviating poverty, achieving sustainable development and inclusive growth.

Pointing out opportunities and challenges on cyber issue, she said the member states need to promote 'openness' in the global data ecosystem for a free, dynamic, and secure internet across nations.

Addressing the threats of cyber-attacks and spread of terrorism through internet is also important for future generations, she said adding that her government's policy of 'zero-tolerance' takes this into cognisance.

At the retreat agenda on Financing and Governance of the Commonwealth Secretariat the Prime Minister said, Bangladesh values the knowledge and expertise of the Commonwealth Secretariat for enhancing its work.

She underscored making the Commonwealth more representative, focusing on innovative financing and involving private sector partnership and programme co-financing initiatives.
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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. 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University is for producing leaders and not lackeys: Provost is not a jail keeper

The Dhaka University authorities have drawn flak for driving out female students from Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall late Thursday night. Terming the incident shameful, Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the platform of students that led the recent quota reform movement, demonstrated on the campus yesterday, as per local daily reports.



After widespread criticisms and demonstrations, the hall Provost Prof Sabita Rizwana said that three girls had returned to the dorm after giving written statements that "they would not spread rumours again". Contradicting witness statements that four girls were driven out of the dorm at night, she insisted that three girls were "handed over to families for counselling. We did not revoke their seats." Witnesses said two of the students left the dormitory at 11:45pm and 12:15am while the others walked out at 10:30pm. The DU administration has been saying that these students had spread rumours using fake accounts on Facebook during the April 10 incident at the dormitory.



What is clear beyond doubt is that the allegation against girl students was not involvement in any violent act but they were spreading rumours using mobile phones. So there was no immediate crisis for which urgent and arbitrary action of removing their residential hall at midnight was called for. Formal disciplinary proceedings could have been drawn asking to defend themselves. Any responsible citizen would know what the university administration is teaching the student about fairness and one's legitimate right not to be punished unheard. The university authority seems unaware of their lack of competence that higher education values most freedom of expression. The university should be a place to leaders; not for lackeys.



The provost added that she had a "successful" meeting at the hall with over 500 resident students around 8:30pm. Before throwing out the students from the hall on Thursday, the authorities had gone through the students' mobile phones. In reality the so-called successful meeting was nothing but a litany of threats against the students who were told that if they protest or spread fake rumours all of their studentships would be revoked.



VC Prof Akhtaruzzaman told reporters at his residence that it was the responsibility of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall authorities to hand over the students, who had spread falsehood on Facebook, to their families. He said it was done to safeguard the dignity of the hall and all the students, and by doing this, the hall authorities did a good job.



Instead of being critical of the conduct of the provost for acting like a bully and for threatening the students and interrogating them about their Facebook posts, the VC endorsed and defended her for taking such outrageous action. The provost has the responsibility for looking after the students and protect them from danger, but behaved like a jail keeper of frightened prisoners.



This clearly shows the moral delinquency of the VC. While it is permissible to punish people who spread fake rumours, throwing female students out in the middle of the night is a medieval era attitude to punishment. There are much more civilised ways to correct such behaviour. Those who took part in the protests are being picked up by DB men while allegations of deaths threats and conspiracies against them exist.



It is painful how university education is being destroyed by politicisation of the worst kind. The Dhaka University authorities have no idea about the autonomy of the university administration. Our appeal to the Vice-Chancellor is: If you cannot maintain autonomy and integrity of the university then show your own integrity and resign. We do not want university administration to become a laughing stock before the whole world. Dhaka University used to enjoy a very pride position among the famous universities everywhere. Do not ruin its reputation as a place of higher learning. The university must be immune from meanness of politics.


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A US military intelligence report leaked to the corporate media makes the claim that the April 14 missile strikes carried out by Washington in conjunction with both the UK and France have failed to destroy the Syrian governments alleged chemical weapons capabilities. It makes the implicit case for more extensive and deadly raids that could trigger a military confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia, which has troops in Syria backing the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

The leaking of the report, which was featured by the New York Times under the headline Missile Strikes Are Unlikely to Stop Syrias Chemical Attacks, Pentagon Says, and covered extensively by Reuters, came amid new reporting from the scene of the alleged chemical weapons attack that was the pretext for the April 14 missile strikes on Syria, exposing the incident as a fabrication.

Russian television broadcaster VGTRK interviewed a Syrian boy who featured prominently in a video posted by a rebel group that constituted the principal evidence of a chemical attack in the Eastern Ghouta city of Douma on April 7, which was invoked by Washington, London and Paris as the casus belli for an unprovoked act of military aggression carried out in flagrant violation of international law.

In the video filmed by the British and US-funded, and Al Qaeda-linked, NGO, the White Helmets, the boy is seen amid a chaotic scene of screaming adults and panic-stricken children being hosed down with water to counter the effects of the supposed chemical attack.

Speaking to the Russian television crew, 11-year-old Hassan Diab confirmed that he was the boy in the video. Somebody was shouting that we had to go to the hospital, so we went there, he said When I came in, some people grabbed me and started pouring water over my head.

His father, who like other residents of Douma said he had heard nothing about a chemical attack that day, told the Russian broadcaster: I went to the hospital, walked upstairs, and found my wife and children. I asked them what had happened, and they said people outside were shouting about some smell, and told them to go to the hospital. At the hospital, they gave dates and cookies to the kids.

The TV crew also interviewed medical personnel at the clinic where the video was filmed. One of them said that while people had turned up complaining of respiratory problems caused by dust from bombings in the city, he was surprised by the sudden influx of patients accompanied by the White Helmets film crew.

He recounted: Some people came here and washed people. They said: Chemical attack. Chemical attack. We didnt see any chemical attack symptoms.

A similar account was provided by a very different source, the right-wing pro-Trump US cable network USNN, which also managed to get a TV crew into Douma. Its correspondent reported that after interviewing some 40 residents, Not one of the people I spoke to in the neighborhood [where the attack allegedly occurred] said that they had seen anything or heard anything about a chemical attack on that day.

USNN also spoke to medical personnel at the clinic where the rebel video was filmed. One of them told the cable broadcaster that it had been a routine day until, Suddenly, out of nowhere... a bunch of strangers burst into the room screaming that there was a chemical attack. They brought in alleged victims and started hosing them down with water.

He added that the strangers were videotaping everything. As soon as they washed everybody off, they packed up and they left.

The doctors reported that they didnt see any indication of a chemical attack and that the people brought in looked totally normal, with none of the symptoms of being affected by a chemical agent such as chlorine or sarin. The head surgeon at the clinic also reported that on the day of the alleged attack, the facility recorded zero deaths.

The report by the right-wing US broadcaster also featured video of massive stockpiles of mortar shells and other weaponry found in Douma after the evacuation of the Al Qaeda-linked rebels, which the reporter recounted reached, in some cases, from the floor to the ceiling.

These reports largely echo the earlier account provided by the veteran British Middle East correspondent Robert Fisk of the Independent, who also reached Douma and interviewed a senior doctor at the medical clinic. The physician said a White Helmet had burst into the clinic shouting Gas and triggering a panic, which was then filmed by the groups videographers. The doctor told Fisk that no one there was affected by gas poisoning.

The US, Britain and France have all claimed that they have proof that the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack on April 7, but have yet to make public a shred of evidence.

Nor have they indicated what possible motive the Assad government, which has crushed the Al Qaeda-linked rebels in the Damascus suburbs of Eastern Ghouta, would have for using chemical weapons on a population that was largely hostile to these Western-backed forces at the close of the Syrian militarys successful campaign.

The motive for fabricating such an attack, on the other hand, is obvious. It provided the pretext for a coordinated campaign by the US and its European allies that had been planned and organized long before April 7.

The latest reports from Douma have further underscored the criminal and corrupt role played by the US and Western corporate media, which has faithfully served as a propaganda conduit for the US-led war drive, while dismissing the mounting reports from the scene exposing the chemical weapons attack as a hoax as conspiracy theories.

Using the fake chemical weapons incident as a means of casting an act of imperialist aggression as a crusade for human rights, US, British and French imperialism launched the missile attack of April 14. This was part of a desperate bid to counter the strategic defeat suffered by the Islamist militias that the US and the other Western powers, along with the Saudis and other Gulf oil monarchies, have backed with billions of dollars in arms and funding since the CIA-orchestrated war for regime-change began in 2011. The last of the rebels withdrew from Eastern Ghouta just hours after the missile strikes. Civilians who remained have denounced the Western-backed militias as terrorists who deprived them of food and medicine and summarily executed anyone who opposed them.

Among the targets struck by American, French and British missiles was the Barzah Research and Development center, which Western intelligence agencies claimed was involved in chemical weapons production. Employees of the facility, however, reported that its work was developing chemical formulas for cancer drugsin short supply because of the US and EU embargo against Syriaas well as antidotes for snake bites and scorpion stings that were distributed throughout the region. The research center, which has been repeatedly inspected and cleared by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), was largely demolished.

OPCW investigators sent to Douma have reportedly been unable to reach the site because of security issues, including coming under small arms fire on Wednesday. The Western powers and the rebels they support on the ground in Syria have a clear motive for impeding even the semblance of an independent investigation that fails to come up with any evidence of the chemical attack invoked as justification for military aggression.

The unraveling of the official story of the events in Douma and the leaking of the US military intelligence report are no doubt more than coincidental.

The Times led its article on the report by stating that it concluded the Syrian government is expected to resume its chemical weapons program, despite President Trump saying mission accomplished.

Reuters said the report concluded that the missile strikes had only a limited impact on President Bashar al-Assads ability to carry out chemical weapons attacks.

The news agency went on to cite US and allied intelligence sources as claiming that chemical weapons were being stored in schools and apartment buildings, which one of the officials referred to as human shields.

This reference is particularly ominous, providing what is effectively an advance alibi for future US attacks killing large numbers of Syrian civilians.

In sync with the US military and intelligence apparatus, the Democratic Party is pressing for an escalation of the US war in Syria. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi held a press conference Thursday revealing that the House Democratic Caucus had held a meeting the day before to discuss how to unite the US Congress around the drafting of a new authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) to replace the one passed in 2001 in the wake of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. That legislation, directed against Al Qaeda, clearly does not cover military operations against the Assad government in Syria, which has been battling US-backed Al Qaeda affiliates.

The Democrats, along with the predominant layers among Congressional Republicans, are pressing for the Trump White House to pursue a more aggressive military confrontation with both Syria and its principal allies, Russia and Iran, and to abandon Trumps recent pledge to bring the troops back home from Syria.

The policy is clear, the ability to achieve it is not, said the House Armed Services Committees top Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington in a C-SPAN interview Thursday. I dont think lobbing missiles once a year, saying mission accomplished and calling it good is going to achieve that policy objective.

The policy Smith referred to is the overthrow of the Assad government in furtherance of the unfettered US domination of the oil-rich and strategically vital Middle East. With over 2,000 US troopssupplemented by proxy forces recruited from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militiaoccupying a third of Syria, including its main oil and gas fields, decisive layers within the US political establishment, spearheaded by the Democrats, are demanding a far more aggressive military policy that threatens to unleash a massive war with devastating consequences for humanity.
As teachers in Arizona and Colorado prepare to go out on strike next week, educators in Oklahoma are warning teachers that they must take the struggle into their own hands and seek to unify across state lines in order to prevent their strikes from being betrayed by the unions.

On Thursday, Arizona teachers voted by 78 percent for a state-wide walkout. They have demanded an immediate 20 percent pay rise for teachers, wage increases for all other school employees and the restoration of more than $1 billion in school funding cuts imposed over the past decade. Arizona teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation. Many teachers work two or three jobs, including as Uber drivers and pizza deliverers.

Teachers protesting in Mesa

Judy, an Arizona teacher, described the impact of the slashing of school spending in comments to the World Socialist Web Site. Per pupil funding is below 2008 levels, she said. Weve lost librarians, computer teachers, paraprofessionals. We used to have a full-time counselor, now we have no one in that role. We have increased class sizes. Everyone is paying more for benefits. Our governor keeps signing tax cuts for corporations.

The Arizona Educators United Facebook page, which was set up by Arizona teachers and has grown to nearly 50,000 members, together with the teachers union, the Arizona Education Association, has delayed the walkout date until April 26. The unions aim is to give Republican Governor Doug Ducey and the state legislature time to come up with a gesture and avert a walkout.

There have been growing demands for a strike in Arizona for more than a month, but the unions worked to delay a strike vote until they had succeeded in selling out and shutting down the strikes by teachers in Oklahoma and West Virginia. The unions are seeking above all to prevent teachers in different states from linking up so as to prevent a nationwide struggle.

In Colorado, school districts are continuing to announce that they will be forced to close on Friday, April 27, the day after the Arizona walkout, because hundreds of teachers are declaring that they will not report to work. The districts that have already announced they will be closing include Jeffco (86,000 students), Cherry Creek (54,000), Poudre (30,000), Thompson (16,000) and Adam 12 (38,000). Jeffco will also be closing the day before, on April 26.

While the Colorado Education Association has called a state-wide rally on April 27, it has not called for any strike action. The push for a strike is coming from rank-and-file teachers.

Teachers are also pressing for a strike in Kentucky, but the Kentucky Education Association has repeatedly stated that it is opposed to any state-wide walkout.

The teachers protests and strikes in the US are part of an expanding wave of strikes by university lecturers and teachers internationally. The past week has seen strikes in the UK, the Netherlands, Lebanon and Kenya.

Teachers in Oklahoma have made statements to the World Socialist Web Site and on social media calling on teachers in Arizona to draw the lessons from the betrayal of their 10-day walkout by the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). After channelling the strike behind futile efforts to lobby the big business Democrats and Republicans, both of whom have gutted education spending for decades, the unions abruptly shut down the strike on April 15 and sent teachers back to work without meeting a single one of their demands.

Sarah with her daughters protesting at the state capitol

Sarah, a teacher with Oklahoma City Public Schools in the states capital, said there needed to be a nationwide strike, which could take place only in opposition to the efforts of the unions to isolate teachers state by state. A national strike would be amazing, she said. I think they [the unions] didnt want us united out of fear we would take over. They would lose their position, power/money. Just like insurance. Keep us poor and sicktoo sick, too tired, too poor to do anything about it, and living in fear of taking an actual stand.

Sarah issued a warning to her counterparts in Arizona who are preparing to strike: Dont blindly follow the unions or associations like we did. They WILL give in to pressure from lawmakers and boards. Do NOT believe them when they tell you they wont.

She said teachers needed to form their own subgroups [on Facebook] now. She continued: This way we could discuss trying to continue the strike without the backing of our boards, our admin, and the unions. Our fault was not starting these groups until OEA [Oklahoma Education Association, the state affiliate of the NEA] had already called an end to the walkout. Had we had them in place to begin with, we would have been much more prepared and ready to go.

Sarah described the impact of the unions sellout at her school. In the wake of the strike, schools have announced the extension of the school day to make the teachers pay for the lost hours from the walkout. When they added an extra hour at the end of our days for the rest of the yearnormal schools get out at 4 p.m., but my school, a late start, we dont get out till 5 p.m., and we teachers have to stay until 5:20 p.m. So Im at work from 7:30 a.m. for meetings until 5:20 p.m.

Randy, an Oklahoma school teacher, made the following statement to the WSWS: I would say this to the Arizona teachers. Dont trust the union. The OEA came in with all these megaphones and stages and port-a-pottys to try to buy the teachers. Many teachers thought these people were on our side.

The day before they called the strike off, teachers cornered Alicia Priest outside her office. She was on video saying the strike was not even close to being over, that there was a long fight ahead of us. She was reassuring people that we were not giving in. This was less than 24 hours before the strike was called off.

That shows they absolutely cannot be trusted. It seems like they knew how long they would be out for, and that the work with the legislators would not achieve what they were asking.

Randy called on teachers in Arizona to create their own coalition. He continued: Do not let the union speak for you, because the union will call the strike off. They will settle for nothing. Its the job of the union to keep workers off strike. The union has a vested interest in this situation. If they can keep workers off strike, they can tell the superintendents and employers, Look at all the strikes weve stopped.

One of the other things is the desperate need to connect teachers across state lines, he said. We need to see what we can do. If we can get a few states to go on strike simultaneously, others will follow. Thats when well be able to call the shots. The power is with us, nothing happens without the workers. Bringing the country to a halt is gonna send a message.
Directed by John Curran; written by Taylor Allen and Andrew Logan

This is a good film, not a great one, but given the cultural and political context in which it has been produced, Chappaquiddick is a considerable achievement. The film was written and cast well before Donald Trump was viewed as a serious presidential prospect. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival late last summer, but only went into general distribution in the United States in early April.

Kate Mara and Jason Clarke in Chappaquiddick

The subject matter, as the title suggests, is the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, who was taking part in a reunion for former campaign aides of Robert F. Kennedy on the weekend of July 18-20, 1969, on Chappaquiddick, an islet adjacent to the larger island of Marthas Vineyard, off the southern coast of Massachusetts.

Kopechne, 28, was riding late at night in a car driven by Senator Edward Kennedy which went off an open wooden bridge and plunged into the water. Kennedy escaped, under circumstances that have never been made clear, but Kopechne drowned. Kennedy later pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was sentenced to two months in jail (suspended) and a years probation.

The film deals with the accident in its first 20 minutes, and devotes its main attention to the efforts by Kennedy and his family and entourage to manage the political uproar that ensued. Chappaquiddick limits its focus to a single weekfrom the Friday of Kopechnes tragic death to the following Friday, when Kennedy made his guilty plea, then gave a televised address to the nation in an effort to salvage his political career.

Chappaquiddick

Given that the events in question are intrinsically political, it does little credit to director John Curran (The Painted Veil, Stone) and producer Mark Ciompi that they declared their intention to avoid making a political film. And indeed, this is somewhat misleading: the entire substanceand valueof Chappaquiddick is that it takes an unsparing look at the behind-the-scenes mechanics of the capitalist political system in America.

The films central character, Edward Kennedy, was the only survivor in 1969 among four sons of Joseph P. Kennedy, a wealthy financial operator (he would have been a billionaire in todays money), and a fascist sympathizer in the 1930s, who was by all accounts the driving force of the familys rise in American politics.

Kennedys oldest son Joe was killed in World War II; second son John was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946, to the US Senate in 1952, and as president in 1960, dying to an assassins (or assassins) bullets in 1963; third son Robert was a junior witch-hunter during the McCarthy era, then his brothers attorney-general, a US senator from New York after Johns murder, and then himself assassinated in 1968 at the height of his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Against this backdrop, youngest son Edward (Ted) Kennedy was considered the laggard, a playboy in his young adulthood, elected to the US Senate in 1962 (at the age of 30) to fill out the remainder of his brother Johns term, reelected in 1964. But by the summer of 1969, a year after his brother Roberts assassination, he had been chosen Senate Majority Whip, the number two position in the Democratic leadership, and he was widely expected to run for president in 1972 against the incumbent Republican, Richard Nixon.

Chappaquiddick

Chappaquiddick begins with a scene in which this political expectation forms the backdrop. Edward Kennedy (Jason Clarke) has brought to the island the boiler room girls, so-called because they played a key backstage role in his brothers presidential campaign, in an effort to persuade them to join his own political operation. He presses Kopechne (Kate Mara), now managing a mayoral campaign in New Jersey, to join his staff. She is hesitant to return to Washington, still traumatized by the murder of Robert Kennedy.

The two leave a party, with Kennedy driving and importuning Kopechne to go with him to the beach. Later he would claim he was driving her to catch the last ferry to return to her hotel room in Edgartown, on Marthas Vineyard. Obviously intoxicated, he drives too rapidly down an unlit dirt road and plunges off a bridge into the water. He is next seen pulling himself up on the shore, then walking several miles to the house where the party is ongoing.

Kennedy returns to the scene of the crash with two aides, Joe Gargan (Ed Helms), his cousin, and Paul Markham (Jim Gaffigan), a former US attorney, and they make a few half-hearted attempts to dive down and open the car door behind which Kopechne lies trapped. Gargan and Markham then row Kennedy across to Edgartown in a small boat, returning him to his own hotel room, while urging him to call the police and report the accident.

The senator makes several calls to Joseph Kennedy (Bruce Dern), but none to the police. In his first call, he tells his father, Im not going to be president. In a second call, his stroke-afflicted father croaks out only a single word, alibi. Edward Kennedy initially follows this advice, claiming that Mary Jo was at the wheel of the car. He tries out this lie on Gargan and Markham, to their apparent disgust, before thinking better of it when he finally goes to the Edgartown police station in the morning to report the accident.

This sequence establishes the pattern for the rest of the film. While Kennedy is occasionally visited by flashbacks of Kopechnes imagined drowningin images that convey considerable pathos, even horror to the viewing audiencehe and his aides are preoccupied with minimizing the damage to his political career. They treat the Kopechne family, the police, the legal system and the press as so many pawns to be manipulated on their chessboard.

One scene, in particular, is worth the price of admission. After making his statement to the policewritten for him by Markham to minimize his own culpabilityKennedy is flown back to the mainland and goes to the family compound in Hyannisport. There he unexpectedly confronts a room full of political operatives and advisers summoned by his father, a war council of sorts.

These aides discuss how the police, the courts and the press can be most effectively handled to avoid irreparable damage to Kennedys political prospects. The scene gives a glimpse of the ruthlessness and cynicism of the US ruling elite. The most vocal in this group, and the most willing to confront Kennedy with the potential problems caused by his own conduct, is Robert McNamara, the former secretary of defense and Vietnam war criminal, effectively portrayed by Clancy Brown.

Equally effective, in this reviewers opinion, is Dern as Joseph Kennedy. With gestures, stares, and only six actual words of dialogueAlibi twice, and Youll never be great, addressing Edward with contempthe conveys both the powerful personality and the true nastiness of the father of the Kennedy clan.

The actors portraying the four main characters, Clarke as Kennedy, Mara as Kopechne, and the comedians Helms and Gaffigan as Joe Gargan and Paul Markham, give life to their more complex roles as well. Clarkes Kennedy is the picture of ruling class entitlement, quickly overcoming any (minor) scruples in the name of preserving his political career. Mara manages to express intelligence and a strong personality in her brief screen time.

Jason Clarke and Bruce Dern

In this reviewers opinion, the main limitation of Chappaquiddick is that it doesnt really convey the actual concrete historical context. The script seeks to date the events, in a somewhat mechanical fashion, with frequent references to the Moon landing the same weekend, and references to the assassination of Robert Kennedy the previous year.

But the events otherwise unfold without any real sense of the political conditions in which they transpired. You have no idea that Richard Nixon is presidentin a film focused on the man preparing to challenge him for reelection!and the word Vietnam does not appear in the script, as far as I could tell.

The early scenes of the party on Chappaquiddick thus ring false. How could a group of Kennedy aides and campaign workers assemble for a reunion in July 1969at the very point when US troop strength in Vietnam reached its peak, at 550,000 soldierswithout any mention of Nixon or the war in their conversations. As one who lived through that period, I doubt that any social gathering of that day could have been so non-political, let alone a reunion of those who worked on the campaign of an avowedly antiwar presidential candidate.

Mary Jo Kopechne was apparently quite knowledgeable about the war in Vietnam, had read widely on it and helped in the drafting of Robert Kennedys speeches on the subject. She had also moved to the South at the height of the civil rights struggles, teaching school for a year in Montgomery, Alabama (1962-63). Mara conveys a bit of this, particularly in delivering the line that the RFK campaign felt like public service, not politics. But there is nothing more after that brief hint.

To this reviewer, it is perfectly plausible that the young women who attended the Chappaquiddick cookout were idealistic and intelligent veterans of the Robert Kennedy campaign, not party girls or Kennedy groupies as depicted in some quarters.

The fact that none of the other women on Chappaquiddick that weekend, all friends of Kopechne, lent themselves in any way to subsequent gossip and conspiracy-mongering speaks well of them. Also, notably, not one of them has been swept up in the current #MeToo campaign, and sought to add reminiscences of alleged misconduct by Edward Kennedy (or his aides) to the mountain of decades-old trash being peddled by the New York Times and other corporate media outlets today.

As for the fate of Edward Kennedy, there is no need to alter the conclusions drawn by the World Socialist Web Site on the occasion of his death, nearly nine years ago. We said at the time that Chappaquiddick scarred his political career, but, More important, however, were vast changes in American politics and the Democratic Party that gathered strength in the 1970s.

Jason Clarke and Kate Mara

By the time Kennedy felt able to make a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, challenging the incumbent Jimmy Carter in 1980, the political establishment had shifted well to the right, and he was defeated. As the WSWS noted, The Democratic Party, underscoring its turn to the right, rejected Kennedy. His oft-quoted the dream shall never die speech at the 1980 Democratic National Convention was, in fact, the last hurrah of American liberalism. By then the program of American liberalism had long since become hollow. Lacking any political substance, it increasingly assumed a demagogic character.

Chappaquiddick has received a generally favorable critical response, but there has been one prominent attack on the film that deserves comment and a rebuttal. In an op-ed column in the New York Times, published two days after the largely favorable review of the work by the newspapers long-time critic A.O. Scott, liberal journalist Neal Gabler (An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood, 1988) denounces the film for allegedly distorting the tragedy. Gabler goes so far as to brand the film as fake history, in an effort to link his criticism with the campaign against fake news being waged in the American media.

The Times decision to publish such a column is itself remarkable, given that the newspaper has been spearheading the #MeToo campaign, over largely unproven allegations of sexual misconduct, witch-hunting politicians, artists and entertainers, and lumping together indiscriminately everything from unwanted requests for a date to sexual assault.

Chappaquiddick involves the death of a young woman at the hands of a powerful man who escaped the legal consequencesno one has died in any of the myriad #MeToo episodesbut the Times has no problem handing over its op-ed pages for an impassioned defense of the senator as victim of falsification and character assassination.

Gabler only identifies one actual distortion, the depiction of Joseph Kennedy as still able to speak a few words, although since his 1961 stroke, according to Gabler, he was so debilitated that he could only babble incoherently. He objects to the film portraying the Kennedy patriarch like a Mafia don, but that is both arguably true and well within the purview of artistic license.

Gablers main objection to the film, insofar as it is possible to cull something from the largely disjointed series of imprecations, is that an artist should not take liberties with the story of Edward Kennedy because not enough years have transpired so that he has passed into the public domain, and because the Kennedy family  remain politically active, and divisive.

Actually, it is remarkable that so many years have passed since Chappaquiddick without any serious treatment of the affair on film. That suggests the continuing power of Democratic Party liberals in Hollywood, who would oppose any effort to tarnish the image of the most important brand in post-World War II Democratic politics.

Gabler does not cite any significant falsification in the film, nor can he, since it adheres cautiously to the public recordindeed, Chappaquiddick manages to remain ambiguous about how long Kopechne could have survived under water, and whether she could have been saved if Kennedy had called the police and a diving crew as soon as possible.

What the Times columnist really objects to is the films depiction of the cynical political spin-doctoring by Kennedy and his aides to salvage (more or less successfully) his political career. This is not helpful to todays Democratic Party, which chose Kennedys nephew Joseph Kennedy III to give its rebuttal to Trumps state of the union speech in January.
In a major escalation of the anti-Russia campaign targeting both Moscow and the Trump administration, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday filed a lawsuit charging the Russian government, the Trump election campaign and top Trump aides, and WikiLeaks and Julian Assange of conspiring to undermine the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton in order to secure the election of Donald Trump.

The legal action essentially brands the US defendants as traitors.

The civil suit, seeking millions of dollars in damages, was filed in the US District Court in Manhattan. The Democratic Partys 66-page legal complaint contains no new information about alleged Russian hacking or Trump campaign collusion. It simply repackages the official narrative based on the report issued in early January, 2017 by the CIA, the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which provided no substantive evidence for its charges, with the addition of subsequent media revelations, such as reports on the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting between Trump campaign officials and Russian nationals.

The lawsuit repeats the absurd narrative that Clinton lost the election because of Russian interference. In fact, she lost because she ran a right-wing campaign as the candidate of the political and military/intelligence establishment and masses of workers were disgusted with the Democrats after eight years of Obama.

The legal filing and the accompanying statements by DNC Chairman Tom Perez have the stench of a McCarthyite-style witch hunt, with Russia substituted for the Soviet Union as the foreign enemy against whom all patriotic Americans must unite. The Democrats are resorting to the type of rhetoric that was the stock in trade in the 1950s of the John Birch Society, which denounced Eisenhower as a stooge of the Kremlin.

The Democratic Party, with this legal action, is suing Trump's closest associates for conspiring with a hostile foreign power against the United States. The fact that it names Assange as a co-conspirator makes it clear that the aim is not only to remove Trump from office and whip up a war atmosphere against Russia, but also to criminalize political opposition and impose strict censorship on the Internet.

The suit essentially endorses the denunciation of Assange and WikiLeaks by outgoing CIA Director and pending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as non-state intelligence agencies of a hostile foreign power.

The lawsuit underscores the militaristic and anti-democratic basis of the Democratic Partys opposition to Trump. The Democrats, who have become the party of choice of dominant factions within the military/intelligence complex as well as large sections of the corporate-financial elite, are not opposing the fascistic administrations brutal attacks on the working class, on immigrants, and on democratic rights. Rather, they are speaking for ruling class factions that demand a more aggressive military policy against Russia both in Syria and in Eastern Europe.

In a statement announcing the legal suit, DNC Chairman Perez declared, During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trumps campaign. This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for president of the United States in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency.

He added that the Democratic Party suit is not partisan, its patriotic.

This accusation of treason against the defendants is spelled out in the language of the filing. The following are excerpts:

In the run-up to the 2016 election, Russia mounted a brazen attack on American democracy. The opening salvo was a cyber attack on the DNC, carried out on American soil Russia then used this stolen information to advance its own interests: destabilizing the US political environment, denigrating the Democratic president nominee, and supporting the campaign of Donald J. Trump, whose policies would benefit the Kremlin.

In the Trump campaign, Russia found a willing and active partner in this effort Russian agents trespassed onto the DNCs computer network in the United States, as well as other email accounts, collected trade secrets and other private data, and then transmitted the data to Defendant WikiLeaks, whose founder, Assange, shared the defendants common goal of damaging the Democratic party in advance of the election.

The conspiracy constituted an act of previously unimaginable treachery Under the laws of this nation, Russia and its co-conspirators must answer for these actions.

The suit does not name Trump himself, but it does list as defendants the Trump campaign, Trumps adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trumps son Donald Trump, Jr., former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Trump confidant Roger Stone, campaign adviser George Papadopolous, campaign aide Richard Gates, Russian businessmen Aras Agalarov and his son Emin Agalarov, London-based professor Joseph Mifsud, WikiLeaks, Assange and 10 unnamed John Does.

Manafort, Gates and Papadopolous have already been indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is heading up the Justice Department investigation into alleged Russian meddling and possible Trump campaign collusion. Gates and Papadapolous have pleaded guilty to perjury charges and agreed to cooperate with the Mueller probe. Manafort is contesting his indictment in court.

The politically filthy character of the Democratic anti-Russia campaign was underscored Friday by the publication in the New York Times of an op-ed piece by Republican Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, an arch reactionary of the Birchite variety. In the column, Gardner calls for the State Department to place Russia on its list of state sponsors of terrorism, alongside Syria and Iran.

The filing of the lawsuit takes place one week after the US-British-French missile attack on Syria, carried out on the basis of fabricated charges of a gas attack by the Syrian regime on civilians in the Eastern Ghouta city of Douma. That criminal action has been followed by growing demands in the media and from politicians of both parties for a far wider war in Syria and a more aggressive military posture toward Russian and Iranian forces in the country.

New provocations and pretexts directed against Russia are emerging on virtually a daily basis to set the stage for a full-scale war in Syria and eventual military conflict with nuclear-armed Russia. This drive for war is propelled by the convergence of deepening economic and trade tensions, sharpening geo-political conflicts between the US and its nominal European allies, an intensification of the political warfare in Washington and a continuing rise in working class resistance to austerity and inequality, expressed in the ongoing wave of teachers strikes.

The faction fight within the American ruling class and state has reached unprecedented proportions. Following the recent FBI raid on Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, which threatens the president with possible indictments over his corrupt business operations, the civil war between the White House and the chief federal police agency, the FBI, has grown more explosive.

James Comey, whom Trump fired as FBI director last May, is promoting his new book by giving interviews in which he denounces Trump as a liar, mafia-type figure and likely sexual pervert. On Friday, Comeys memos on his private meetings with Trump, in which he accuses Trump of pressuring him to drop investigations related to the Russia allegations, were leaked to the press.

Both sides are now denouncing their political opponents as criminals and threatening them with criminal prosecution and jail time. Trump has denounced Comey as a liar and a slime ball and called for him to be prosecuted. Former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, fired last month by Trumps attorney general, has been referred for possible criminal prosecution by the Justice Department inspector general.

Under these conditions, the Democratic lawsuit is aimed at furthering a policy of expanded war abroad and political repression at home, and, if necessary, replacing Trump with an equally reactionary but more competent and reliable chief executive of the American ruling class.
For the fourth Friday in a row, the Israeli military responded to unarmed Palestinian demonstrators on Gazas eastern border with live ammunition, killing four and wounding hundreds. The wanton repression brings the number killed since the beginning at the end of last month of the Great March of Return protests to at least 39.

Among those killed Friday was a 15-year-old boy, Mohammad Ibrahim Ayyoub. The three others murdered by Israeli snipers were identified as Ahmed Rashad, 24, Ahmed Abu Aqil, 25, and Saad Abdul Majid Abdul-Aal Abu Taha, 29.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that a total of 729 Palestinians were wounded in the protests, including by live fire, rubber bullets and tear gas inhalation. At least 156 of the wounded were struck down by live ammunition.

Last week, one person was killed and 969 injured, including 233 hit by live fire from Israeli troops.

The protest, which has been backed by a wide range of Palestinian organizations, is to continue until May 15, observed by Palestinians as Nakba Day, or Day of Catastrophe. It marks the founding of the state of Israel, which was based upon the forced expulsion of 760,000 Palestinians from their villages and homes in 1948.

The March of Return demonstrations are in support of the right of these refugees and their descendants, who make up some 1.3 million out of Gazas population of 1.9 million, and number at least 5.5 million internationally, to return to their homeland, a right guaranteed under international law and reaffirmed by United Nations resolutions. Successive Israeli governments have rejected this right, given that its recognition would lead to an end of the Jewish majority within Israel itself.

The participation of large numbers of young Palestinians in protests that involve the strong likelihood of being shot dead or grievously wounded is more broadly a testament to the desperate conditions they confront within the blockaded and besieged enclave of Gaza, which has been justifiably compared to an open-air prison.

The unemployment rate for Gazans stands at roughly 46 percent, with 65 percent of those under 30 jobless.

In advance of Fridays protest, Israeli warplanes dropped leaflets over Gaza signed by the IDF headquarters. It charged Gaza residents with participating in violent disturbancesnot a single Israeli has been injured in the course of three weeks of protestand warned them to Stay away from the [border] fence and do not attempt to damage it. The warning came as protest organizers moved tents erected in conjunction with the demonstrations 50 meters closer to the fence.

In the midst of Fridays carnage, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman visited Kibbutz Saad on the Gaza border, gloating that, thanks to the murderous response of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), fewer demonstrated than on previous Fridays.

If, as the Israeli military has claimed, the number of protesters was reduced from the 10,000 who marched last Friday, the number of dead nonetheless increased fourfold. These numbers make clear that, despite widespread international denunciations of Israels shoot-to-kill order against the unarmed Gazans, IDF troops have been instructed to step up the killing.

Liberman dismissed those gunned down inside Gaza as hired activists. He further claimed that, as a result of the peaceful protests, there are many more terror acts and a lot of terror activity.

Neither Liberman, nor anyone else in the right-wing Israeli government, has provided a shred of evidence to support their claims of Palestinian terrorism connected to the mass protests.

In recent weeks, however, there has been a sharp uptick in terrorist acts by right-wing Zionist settlers against Palestinians. On Wednesday, over 160 Israeli settlers forced their way into East Jerusalems Al-Aqsa mosque compound, a flashpoint for previous eruptions of conflict. Other settlers stormed the Bethlehem district site of Solomons Pools and the Ramallah-district village of al-Mazraa al-Gharbiya. On Thursday night in the village of Burqa, settlers slashed the tires of Palestinian-owned vehicles and painted slogans on cars and walls threatening that Palestinians would be expelled and killed. Last Friday, settlers attempted to set fire to a mosque near Nablus. And last month, they assaulted a bus of schoolchildren in Yatta town, south of Hebron, injuring several.

The IDF has issued warnings against the settler violencewhich it regularly facilitates and assistsbased on the concern that it will provoke mass upheavals in the occupied West Bank at the same time that Israeli troops are deployed to violently suppress the Gaza protests.

The World Health Organization has warned that the mass casualties inflicted by the Israeli security forces are threatening Gazas health care system with collapse. Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with the influx of injured patients, said Dr. Gerald Rockenschaub, WHOs head of office for the West Bank and Gaza Wednesday. With further escalations expected during the coming weeks, the increasing numbers of injured patients requiring urgent medical care is likely to devastate Gazas already weakened health system, placing even more lives at risk.

Rockenschaub went on to note that Gaza medical facilities are already extremely limited due to chronic shortages of medicines, medical disposables, and inadequate supplies of electricity and fuel for emergency generators in hospitals, all of which are the result of Israels blockadeaided by Egyptof the territory. Israel has also refused permission for gravely wounded Palestinians to leave Gaza to seek medical treatment, a vicious act of collective punishment.

Palestinian health officials have charged that the IDF is using new and more devastating weaponry against the unarmed protesters. Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, a spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry, said that Israeli snipers were using a new kind of ammunition that was causing grievous injuries.

The bullets were seeing now are the deadliest the Israeli army has ever used, al-Qidra told the Amman-based news site Al Bawaba. The bullet penetrates the body and explodes inside, damaging multiple organsnot just the targeted area, he added. He also charged the IDF with employing a new type of gas, far more toxic than regular tear gas, which was inducing violent convulsions and vomiting among its victims.

The European Parliament Thursday issued a resolution calling on Israel to refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters and noting that the use of such force against unarmed protesters constituted a serious breach of the Geneva Conventions, i.e., a war crime.

The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov declared in a tweet, It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children! and demanded an investigation into the killing of the 15-year-old on Friday.

The US State Department, however, has steadfastly refused to criticize Israels bloodletting. At a press conference called by the department Friday in conjunction with the release of its 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights, spokesperson Heather Nauert, formerly of Fox News, repeatedly refused to take questions on Gaza.

The US corporate media has followed the State Departments lead, providing little if any coverage of the mass shootings of unarmed protesters. If these events had taken place in Russia, Iran, Venezuela or Syria, they would have produced front-page headlines and non-stop broadcast reports. Because Israel is a key ally in US imperialisms drive to assert is hegemony over the Middle East, the media dutifully covers up its crimes.

Also largely silent are the bourgeois Arab regimes. It was reported that last Saturday envoys from the Egyptian security services visited Gaza and demanded that Hamas, which governs the territory, call off the protests. Hamas officials reportedly rejected the appeal, pointing out that the March of Return enjoys broad popular support.

Egypt was no doubt acting on behalf of Saudi Arabia and the other Sunni oil monarchies, which are ever more closely aligning themselves with the US and Israel in preparation for military confrontation with Iran. The dictatorial regime of Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Sisi also fears that the eruptions in Gaza could spread to its own border with the territory, threatening to reignite social upheavals in Egypt itself.
The decision of Washington, London and Paris to launch missile strike against Syria on April 9, risking a direct military clash with Russian forces in the country, is reverberating internationally. As the Trump administration prepares for talks with North Korean President Kim Jong Un over his countrys nuclear program, it is inflaming military tensions in East Asia.

Last August, on the anniversary of the US atom bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Trump threatened North Korea with fire and fury like the world has never seen if it did not abandon its nuclear program. At the time, the Chinese foreign ministry let it be known that such actions might provoke Chinese intervention in a US war against North Korea. Its spokesman Geng Shuang refused to confirm or deny whether China would intervene militarily in North Korea after a US attack, declaring it a hypothetical question which it is hard to answer.

That is, Beijing left open the possibility that, as in 1950 during the Korean War, it might attack US troops in Korea to keep them from marching through North Korea to attack China or Russia.

Now, US think tanks are recklessly hailing the April 9 strike as proof that Washington can thrust aside such warnings from its nuclear-armed rivals, and threaten to bomb North Korea if it does not cut an acceptable deal with Trump. Dakota Wood of the Heritage Foundation told CNBC: If the US now says that it will not tolerate North Koreas offensive military capabilities, Kims government will have to take that statement seriously and consider potential military consequences.

Bombing Syria gives the US more leverage in nuclear discussions with North Korea, said Andrea Taylor of the more Democratic-leaning Atlantic Council. She claimed it increases US credibility in the eyes of countries across the world, whether its Moscow, Tehran or Pyongyang.

Amid growing concern in Tokyo at the danger of being sidelined in the Trump-Kim talks, sections of the Japanese political establishment similarly hailed the strikes on Syria as an opportunity to intimidate North Korea. The Asahi Shimbun wrote: Government officials are hoping that the latest bombing of Syria can be used to demonstrate to Pyongyang that Washington would not hesitate to use force if necessary. A high-ranking Defense Ministry official said the air strikes will send a strong message to North Korea that the United States would take military action.

The Japan Times wrote that the April 9 strike will serve as a stark reminder to North Korea of the 2011 US-led intervention in Libya that ended in the gruesome execution of its leader. NATOs war in Libyawhich directly preceded its proxy war in Syriaended, the paper noted, with Gaddafi being sodomized with a bayonet before being shot dead immediately after his capture in 2011.

The Japan Times also remarked that the North Korean regime follows Middle East events very carefully in order to formulate its own policies, and in particular to explain the necessity from its standpoint of obtaining nuclear weapons. In 2013, after the NATO murder of Gaddafi, the North Korean regime justified its argument that a nuclear arsenal is critical to its national security with an allusion to Libya, citing the tragic consequences in those countries which abandoned halfway their nuclear programs.

In Washington and Tokyo, sections of the ruling elite are hostile to Trumps plan to meet with Kim. Their calls for Trump to exploit a summit to bludgeon North Korea into submission with military threats only heighten tensions, which, just like the NATO powers strikes in Syria, could explode into conflict between major nuclear powers. In particular, the Chinese regime has made clear that it views the threats against North Korea as a challenge against its basic national security, for which China has gone to war in the past and might do so again.

Chinas hawkish, state-run Global Times newspaper responded to the April 9 strike with an editorial titled, After Syria strikes, will North Korea be next? Noting the US dispatch of the carrier USS Carl Vinson to the Asia Pacific region, it warned that a US strike on North Korea, like the recent strike on Syria, could rapidly escalate into war.

It wrote, In view of Pyongyangs several thousand artillery pieces and a large number of short-range missiles aimed at Seoul, a symbolic strike against North Korea by the US would bring a disaster to the people in Seoul Once Washington resorts to military means toward Pyongyang, it is unlikely to be limited to nuclear facilities and related military infrastructure. A US-South Korea joint decapitation attack against the North is highly possible. Thus, a military strike on the North will very likely evolve into large-scale bloody war on the Peninsula.

While the Global Times did not spell this out, a US act of aggression along these lines, as the Chinese foreign ministrys statement last year made clear, could rapidly escalate into an all-out regional and global war. The Global Times warned the North Korean regime not to undertake any action, like a new nuclear test, that could provoke a US military response.

As in Syria, the ruling elites of the major capitalist powers involved see no way out besides stepping up threats of vast military conflicts. If his summit with Kim goes ahead, Trump will undoubtedly use every means at his disposal, including blunt military threats, to make clear that Pyongyang effectively has only two options: reaching an agreement based on surrendering to US terms on its nuclear arsenal and entering US imperialisms political orbit, or a US military onslaught posing the danger of nuclear annihilation.

Should North Korea attempt to reach a deal, however, it is increasingly clear that this would simply by a prelude to stepped-up US intrigues against North Koreas neighbors, Russia and China, who are the unstated targets of US threats against Syria and North Korea. By bombing Syria despite the presence of Russian troops there, and threatening North Korea despite warnings from China, Washington has made clear that it will not let itself be deterred by the danger of all-out war with nuclear-armed states.
A student was killed and three others seriously injured as under construction wall of a school collapsed on them at Shibrampur in Pabna on Saturday.
Six weeks after the March 4 parliamentary election there is still no new Italian government in sight. On April 13, President Sergio Mattarella also broke off the second round of consultations without any result.

A coalition between the strongest single party, the Five Star Movement (MoVimento 5 Stelle, M5S), and the far-right Lega has so far failed because the leaders of these two parties, Matteo Salvini (Lega) and Luigi di Maio (M5S), both lay claim to the office of Prime Minister. M5S and Lega came closer together in March when they agreed to elect the chairmen of both chambers of parliament.

The Five Star Movement is ready to form a coalition with the Lega only on condition that Silvio Berlusconis Forza Italia is not part of the government. There are political synergies with the Lega, explained Di Maio, but Silvio Berlusconi must step aside. A government in which Forza Italia was also involved is absolutely out of the question.

The Five Star Movement had gained support mainly through the denunciation of the widespread corruption, which Berlusconi personifies. It fears that joining forces with the media billionaire could cost it masses of votes. M5S member Alessandro di Battista even referred to Berlusconi on Facebook as the absolutely worst in our country.

Arithmetically, Lega and M5S do not need the support of Forza Italia to govern together. But for Salvini, breaking with Berlusconi is still an unacceptable condition. If the Lega were in government alone with the M5S, it would be the smaller coalition partner, and as a result, Salvini would have to leave the post of Prime Minister to Luigi di Maio.

In the elections, the Lega received just over half (17 percent) as many votes as the M5S. However, together with its allies, Berlusconis Forza Italia and the fascist Fratelli dItalia, it is the strongest group in parliament, at almost 40 percent.

To the president, too, a government involving Forza Italia appears less risky. Sergio Mattarella is now trying to get the 82-year-old Berlusconi on board, who is unable to hold office himself because of a tax evasion conviction. On April 17, he called the new Senate President Elisabetta Casellati (Forza Italia) and the new Chamber of Deputies President Roberto Fico (M5S) to the Quirinal Palace and involved them in the formation of a government. Elisabetta Casellati, a long-time confidante of Berlusconi, was commissioned with negotiating with the M5S to persuade them to accept Berlusconi.

Berlusconi himself has so far refused to collaborate with the Five Star Movement, which in his words, does not even master the ABC of democracy. He advocates a grand coalition as in Germany that would encompass the entire right-wing alliance and the Democrats (PD).

The PD has so far rejected all coalition offers. It was the loser of the March 4 election and its seats have more than halved in the 630-seat parliament, from 377 to 163 seats. In the Chamber of Deputies it has only 111 seats and in the Senate only 52 seats.

Although Matteo Renzi, the former government head and PD general secretary, would be quite willing to collaborate with Berlusconi, the current transitional leader of the party, Maurizio Martina, has so far insisted on leading the Democrats into opposition. He also rejected a call for talks by Luigi di Maio.

However, after its election defeat in September 2017, the German Social Democrats had vowed to go into opposition, only in the end to enter Merkels grand coalition again. Similarly, the PD could again play a role in a coalition government with the right-wing alliance or in an all-party government of national unity.

But Matteo Salvini wants to avoid such a solution above all. He is counting on the upcoming regional elections in Molise (April 22) and Friuli Venezia Giulia (April 29), where he hopes for a further upswing of the Lega vote. On Sunday, at an election campaign in Molise, he said, It must be clear to all: If we win in Friuli and in Molise, then we will form the government in fourteen days. Otherwise, the Lega would call for new elections.

President Sergio Mattarella has so far categorically ruled out new elections. As a last resort, he could possibly install a so-called technocratic government, like the Mario-Monti government, which came about under pressure from the EU in 2011 to replace Berlusconi. Even such an emergency solution would depend on being tolerated by a parliamentary majority.

The crisis in forming an Italian government makes clear how deep is the gulf opening up between the population and official politics. The demise of the PD was because it had tried to resolve the crisis at the expense of the working class. It made employment even more precarious through the Jobs Act and other measures, sharply attacking pensions and other social gains. Poverty has doubled; more and more young people are leaving the country to find a job abroad.

Any future government will continue this course, under pressure from the EU and global capital and to rescue the ailing Italian banks. Moreover, a Lega or M5S government will massively intensify measures against refugees and migrants. Salvini has already announced that he would expel 600,000 so-called illegal immigrants.

Added to this is the pressure to participate in the EUs war strategy and to defend its own economic interests through rearmament and war. This has once again been shown by the reaction of all parties to the bombing of Syria. While the majority of the population, which had already vehemently opposed the Iraq war and the Libyan war, regards the war in Syria with disgust, leading politicians welcomed the April 14 attack.

Paolo Gentiloni (PD), the caretaker government head, stressed in parliament on April 17 that Italy was not neutral. Although it had not participated in the bombing, it supported it in recent days and will continue to do so to counter Assads alleged chemical weapons. PD head Maurizio Martina uncritically reiterated the unsubstantiated allegation of a Syrian chemical weapons operation in Duma and expressed his full support for the Gentiloni government, the EU and the UN.

Luigi di Maio commented in a similar vein. The head of the Five Star Movement, which has so far been marked by EU scepticism, explicitly emphasized his devotion to the EU, the UN and the Security Council. We stand by the side of our Allies, said di Maio. In this difficult phase, I believe that the EU must have the strength to stand together and united. Berlusconi poses as a staunch supporter of accelerated rearmament and demanded: We need a strong army.

Salvini and Giorgia Meloni, head of the post-fascist Fratelli dItalia, spoke out against the attack. Not because they oppose militarism, but because they do not see it taking enough account of Italys imperialist interests. While Salvini praised far-sighted Putin, Meloni said her party was against the attack, not because we are friends of Putin or Assad, but because we are a movement of patriots. The nations that are intervening in Syria have geopolitical interests: are they ours too?
After the Social Security Institute in Nicaragua (INSS) announced Tuesday a ruthless austerity package directed against the countrys pension system, the largest protests since the Sandinista Front for National Liberation (FSLN) returned to power in 2007 have erupted across the major cities, while the government of the long-time leader of the FSLN, Daniel Ortega, has called on its supporters, operatives and police apparatus to launch a Permanent Defense Mobilization.

The Nicaraguan branch of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has recorded the deaths of 27 people, including a journalist, 43 disappearances, 20 detained, and dozens injured. These numbers have not been confirmed by the Red Cross. The FIDH is financed by the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundation, tied to the US intelligence apparatus, but the Nicaraguan government has not countered this information.



On Sunday, as reports surfaced that police officials were being arrested for not complying with orders to repress demonstrators, Ortega announced that he was cancelling the pension reform and setting up a negotiation with the business chambers, the trade unions and the Church.

After government buildings, other infrastructure and FSLN headquarters were attacked, and some burned in Esteli and Managua on Friday night, the military was deployed in these two cities. The next day, in his first public address about the demonstrations, Ortega appeared next to military and police chiefs, appealed for reconciliation within the ruling class, defended tax exonerations for big business, and emphasized that FSLN has for decades been a bulwark of stability for bourgeois rule. Without referring to the repression or dead, he sought to sow fear, with warnings about a civil war, and criminalized protesters as agents of imperialism, gang members, drug traffickers and exterminators.

While reactionary organizations aligned with US imperialism are likely attempting to take advantage of the current crisis to exert pressure on the ruling clique, the demonstrations appear to be a genuine popular explosion against right-wing reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Initial protests on Wednesday were composed largely of pensioners and University students in the two largest cities of the country, Managua and Leon. Activists of the right-wing opposition, Broad Front for Democracy (FAD), have been rallying some demonstrations, clearly seeking to gain control of the protests. During the last two days, thousands more, mostly youth, have joined the wave of demonstrations in 11 other cities and several smaller towns. Students have been arrested and at least 37 people have been injured.

Starting on July 1, existing pensions are scheduled to fall 5 percent, while future pensions will be 12 percent lower. At the same time, the signed executive decree increases the social security contributions from workers and employers by 0.75 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. Beyond denunciations by the bourgeois media and business chambers, these measures were not only suggested last year by the International Monetary Fund, but constitute a major diversion of income from the working class to the national ruling class and their imperialist bosses.

The FSLN political apparatus, including several media outlets controlled by the business clique around Ortega, the Sandinista Youth, all major trade unions, local government officials, and Catholic leaders, have organized concerts, demonstrations, and staged photo-ops in support of the INSS resolutions.

Moreover, videos from Managua posted on social media showed police pick-up trucks transporting groups of men wearing Sandinista youth t-shirts, who attacked demonstrators on Wednesday, targeting journalists. Similar incidents were reported in Leon and Masaya, while students barricaded themselves inside the Central American University (UCA) and the National Engineering University (UNI) to protect themselves against these pro-government shock groups and anti-riot police, who have used tear gas and rubber bullets against the demonstrators.

Vice-president Rosario Murillo, wife of Ortega, characterized the protesters as tiny groups that inflame and destabilize to destroy Nicaragua. The government suspended classes nationally on Friday, while the US embassy closed its offices and called on the forces of order to respect media and the rights of protesters.

On Friday afternoon, the international Western outlets celebrated that the local leader in Nueva Guinea, Francisca Ramirez, has called for peasants to march to Managua in protest of all of the reforms of laws in this country. Ramirez gained some fame internationally as the leader of the protests against the planned Inter-oceanic canal granted to the Chinese firm HKND.

In a dramatic about-face, the main business chambers and the all-powerful business council, Cosep, which have ruled the country hand-in-glove with the FSLN bureaucracy, have opposed the INSS measure and called for a lock-out by employers in the private sector on Monday, including a march for dialogue and peace in downtown Managua. So far, the only reported strike occurred on Friday afternoon by employees of the private bank Lafise.

In response, the government folded and announced talks with the Cosep about the INSS policies among other themes, with the business chambers calling on the weight of the funding to fall more heavily on the state finances and the workers.

All the major business chambers have used the increase of the quota required from employers to fund INSS to threaten workers with mass firings or dropping them from the social security program, which could potentially end up undermining the INSS finances. Their interventions in the current political crisis reflect a growing feud within the ruling class, which is losing confidence in Ortegas ability to contain social unrest within the country, especially as they prepare much more sweeping attacks against the social rights of the working class.

Government officials and FSLN operatives have justified the pension cuts as a measure needed to expand elderly health care; however, a source with access to the INSS financial records told Confidencial that the institution was simply approaching bankruptcy.

On Thursday, a worker in Managua in contact with the WSWS reported a complete media blackout of the protests. Daniel Ortega ordered to close down four TV channels, she indicated, adding that many are joining the marches, with a genuine desire to resist the INSS measure and attacks against freedom of the press, but do so with hesitation regarding those organizing them.

At the same time, Nicaraguans are relying on social media to avoid the government blackout. In fact, on March 12, Rosario Murillo announced that she was discussing with the president of Congress measures to revise social media access in the country, indicating it was damaging the ability to live in harmony.

The FSLN first came to power in 1979 under a petit-bourgeois nationalist movement, including Castroite guerrillas. They were voted out in 1990 as the government began imposing IMF-austerity diktats. The Sandinistas, however, kept a significant amount of control over the state bureaucracy and military during the following decade. Since returning to power in 2007, the self-proclaimed socialist government has only deepened the exploitation of the Nicaraguan working class as cheap-labor platform largely for US imperialism, diverting virtually all wealth back to investors abroad or the local client elite. The top 10 percent of the population receives as much income as almost the bottom 70 percent (ECLAC-UN Economic Commission for Latin America).

Close to 85 percent of the working population has incomes below the ECLAC threshold of four poverty linesinsufficient to keep out of poverty an average-sized household. This measure has remained constant since at least 2002. Moreover, since 2008, inequality has increased rapidly.

Central Bank of Nicaragua figures show that the percentage of economic participation (above 15 years old) jumped from 52 percent in 2009 to almost 75 percent in 2016, amid a demographic boom nearly doubling the overall working population and more than doubling foreign investments. Despite such a large growth of potential contributors to INSS, the INSS fund turned a $7.5 million surplus in 2012 to a $75.8 million deficit in 2017, which suggests that, proportionately, workers are being excluded more from the health care and pension system. Some analysts also suggest deliberate mismanagement and corrupt investments to favor the ruling clique around Ortega.

The Ortega faction of the ruling class has been compelled to deepen its austerity measures to repay interest payments that are growing about 20 percent each year and to counter the loss of Venezuelan aid in recent years. For this, it has turned more decisively to set up a police-state dictatorship to suppress growing social opposition.

Nonetheless, just like the local business chambers, US imperialism is threatening to end their tolerance of the corrupt FSLN bureaucracy, particularly by keeping under consideration the Nicaragua Investment Conditionality Act in the US Congress, which could end Managuas credit access from international financial institutions. Moreover, as the Trump administration pursues a more aggressive military and economic confrontation against its current major rivals, Russia and China, Washingtons pressure seeks to force the FSLN government to cut its growing ties to Moscow and Beijing or to install a regime that will.
North Korea announced yesterday it had suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its northern nuclear test site. It was the latest in a series of concessions offered by Pyongyang in the lead-up to a summit scheduled next Friday between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and a later summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

The official Korean Central News Agency quoted Kim as saying: We no longer need any nuclear test or test launches of intermediate and intercontinental range ballistic missiles and because of this the northern nuclear test site has finished its mission.

The agency said the country was making the shift to actively engage with regional neighbours and the international community to secure peace in the Korean Peninsula and create an optimal international environment to build its economy.

Trump immediately hailed the announcement as very good news for North Korea and the Worldbig progress! He tweeted: Look forward to our Summit. Despite the North Korean move, however, there is no guarantee that the Trump-Kim meeting, for which no date or location has been announced, will go ahead.

Only two days earlier, during a joint press conference with visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump reiterated threats to walk away from a summit with Kim. While saying he hoped for a great success, the US president declared: If I think that its a meeting that is not going to be fruitful were not going to go. If the meeting when Im there is not fruitful I will respectfully leave the meeting.

Yesterday, South Korean President Moon reported that Kim had also dropped the Norths demand that the US withdraw its 28,500 US troops from the Korean peninsula. Pyongyang has consistently cited the presence of US troops as a justification for the development of a nuclear arsenal, but Washington and Seoul have always rejected their removal out of hand.

Moon made this statement as North and South Korea installed a telephone hotline between the two leaders. South Koreas presidential office said a successful test call was conducted between Seouls presidential Blue House and Pyongyangs State Affairs Commission.

On Tuesday, Trump said he had given his blessing to South Korea to discuss a peace treaty in the talks between Kim and Moon. For decades, the North Korean regime has sought a treaty to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War, together with security guarantees from Washington. Twice, in 1994 and 2007, de-nuclearisation deals were struck with the US, only to have Washington sabotage and ultimately renounce the deals.

By promoting the prospect of a deal, Trump may be calculating that he can transform North Korea from a US foe to a strategic partner or ally in Washingtons confrontation with China and Russia, both of which have borders with North Korea.

A gulf remains, however, between what the US and North Korea mean by denuclearisation. While Washington demands a total shutdown of North Koreas nuclear and missile programs and an intrusive inspection regime, Pyongyang wants an end to the US nuclear deployments in South Korea, which include warships and strategic bombers.

Trumps manoeuvres have also provoked intensive vying for position by the other major powers involved in the decades-old conflict over the Korean Peninsula, particularly China and Russia, as well as Japan and South Korea. He has set off alarm bells by holding out the prospect of reaching an accommodation with the North Korean regime, which is desperately seeking to end punishing US-led economic sanctions and attract foreign investment via pro-market measures.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is preparing to visit Pyongyang soon, possibly after the planned Trump-Kim meeting, CNN reported Wednesday. It would be the Chinese leaders first official visit to North Korea since he came to power in November 2012.

Xis trip would follow Kims first-ever visit to Beijing last month after a period of deteriorating relations, during which Kim purged several key officials with close ties to China, including his uncle Jang Song-thaek. Kim angered China by continuing missile and nuclear testing, giving the US a pretext to ramp up its provocative military activities in the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also requested a summit with Kim. For now, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accepted an invitation to visit Pyongyang, offered during North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-hos recent trip to Moscow, where Ri met with Putin.

While Kim is no doubt seeking to shore up relations with Beijing and Moscow as he prepares for negotiations with Trump, both China and Russia fear that the Trump administration is seeking to strengthen US imperialisms position in North East Asia, at their direct expense.

Via trade war measures, Trump has rapidly escalated a US economic, diplomatic and military offensive against China, begun under Barack Obama, to combat Chinese influence and prepare for war. Under mounting pressure domestically, Trump has also stepped up the US confrontation with Russia, including by conducting missile strikes against Moscows ally, Syrian President Bashir al-Assad.

The Chinese and Russian responses came on top of Japanese Prime Minister Abes trip to Florida to meet with Trump. Tokyo is concerned that any US deal with North Korea would cut across their strategic and economic interests. Abe had strongly backed Trumps rejection of any talks with Pyongyang, and was exploiting the North Korean missile tests to push ahead with moves to remilitarise Japan.

The summit between North Korean leader Kim and South Korean President Moon is slated to take place this coming Friday in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between the two Koreas. Ahead of the meeting, Kim and Moon will have their first direct contact via the new hotline. No doubt the outcome will be watched closely as an indicator of what to expect at a meeting between Kim and Trump.

Such are the geo-political tensions and instability in Asia and the world that it is difficult to determine in advance whether a Trump-Kim summit, if it takes place at all, will produce a deal, or function as a new provocation that leads to war. Any agreement, however, is likely to compound, not lessen, tensions and pave the way for confrontation and conflict, if not immediately in Asia, then elsewhere.

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A paper published in March by French economist Thomas Piketty cites data showing that the democratic political systems in the US, France and Britain are oligarchies in which all the major parties are tools of the super rich, serving to manipulate the population and crush social opposition from below.

The paper, titled Brahmin Left vs. Merchant Right: Rising Inequality and the Changing Structure of Political Conflict, shows that the traditional left parties of the political establishmentthe Democratic Party in the US, the Labour Party in Britain and the Socialist Party in Francehave become the preferred parties of significant sections of the ruling elite, abandoning any pretense of social reform. Though the study does not explicitly address parties such as the German Social Democratic Party, the Spanish Socialist Party and the Italian Democratic Party, the process Piketty describes is a universal one.

The general conclusion is clear, Piketty writes. We have gradually moved from a class-based party system to what I propose to label a multiple-elite party system. Back in the 1950s-1960s, the party system was defined along class lines: the vote for the left-wing parties was associated to both low-education and low-income voters, while the vote for right-wing parties was associated to both high-education and high-income voters.

These days are gone. Today, the political systems in these three countries have little to do with the left vs. right party system of the 1950s-1960s because the formerly left parties now mirror in social composition and program their Republican, Gaullist and Tory counterparts. Each of the two governing coalitions alternating in power tends to reflect the views and interests of a different elite, Piketty writes.

The absence of any major party with working class support helps explain rising inequality, because there are no mechanisms through which the working class can influence the direction of government policy. This has produced widespread disillusionment in the working class, which Piketty claims is responsible for both the rise of mass abstentionism and the strengthening of right-wing populism as low education, low income voters might feel abandoned.

The chart below tracks the difference between the Democratic Party share of voters in the top 10 percent of the income scale versus the Democratic Party share of voters in the bottom 90 percent over time.

The chart shows that in the 1940s through the early 1970s, working class voters were far more likely to support the Democratic presidential candidate. This began to shift in the mid-1970s, changing drastically over the course of the Obama presidency and culminating in the 2016 election, in which the Democratic vote share was 10 percent higher among the top 10 percent than it was among the bottom 90 percent.

The following chart breaks down the share of the Democratic vote by income decile over the course of each presidential election from 1948 to 2016. The bright red line, showing the Democratic share in 2016, indicates that almost 60 percent of voters in the top 10 percent, top 5 percent and top 1 percent voted for the Democratic Party, the first time a majority of the wealthy and affluent voted for the Democratic candidate. The Democrats have won more than 40 percent of the wealthy vote only in the 1990s and 2000s. In the 1950s through 1970s, the top 1, 5 and 10 percent supported Republicans by margins ranging from 70 percent-30 percent to 85 percent-15 percent.

In France, a similar process is playing out. In the 2017 elections, for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, voters in the top 10 percent of the income distribution were more likely to support left parties (including the Stalinist French Communist Party, Jean-Luc Melenchons France Insoumise and Emmanuel Macrons La Republique En Marche).

In Britain, the same basic shift is taking place, though the Labour Partys share among the bottom 90 percent remains about 11 percent higher than among the top 10 percent. However, this figure is down substantially from the roughly 40 percent higher vote share which Labour received among workers in the 1964 and 1966 general elections, won by Labour candidate Harold Wilson.

The Democratic, Labour and Socialist parties have found new social constituencies among the elite as they have loyally prosecuted the interests of the capitalist class. In each country, they have slashed funding for social programs, reduced workers wages and provided trillions in bank bailouts and corporate tax cuts, paving the way for an unprecedented growth in social inequality.

The British Labour Party, despite the pacifist phraseology of Jeremy Corbyn, is no less pro-war than the Tories, while in France and the US the Socialists and Democrats are the most aggressive advocates of imperialist expansion. Under Democratic President Barack Obama, Socialist Party President Francois Hollande and Labour prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, these parties have bombed, invaded or established a military presence in most of the Middle East, Central Asia and large parts of North and Central Africa. Just last week, these parties and their conservative counterparts joined forces to bomb Syria on the basis of a fabricated pretext.

The immense concentration of wealth within each country and worldwide has transformed the governments of the democratic imperialist countries into oligarchies that can brook no opposition to their programs of war and social counterrevolution. Such forms of rule are incompatible with basic democratic rights, as evidenced by the Democrats oversight of mass surveillance and police violence in the US, the Socialist Partys implementation of a permanent state of emergency in France, and the Labour Partys refusal to protect whistleblower Julian Assange from the looming threat of US prosecution.

The leaders and functionaries of the Democratic, Socialist and Labour parties have joined enthusiastically in the march to the right, which was made possible by the trade unions, which suppressed and isolated the struggles of the working class in each country. Employing the poison of nationalism, the unions responded to the globalization of the worlds productive forces by entering into a corporatist alliance with their ruling classes against the workers. They chained workers politically to the Democratic and Labour parties in the US and UK and to the Socialist and Stalinist parties in France.

The data underlying the Piketty report makes clear that the left bourgeois parties and the trade unions are institutions of oligarchic domination, which is why workers are abandoning these organizations in droves. But at precisely this moment, pseudo-left groups such as the International Socialist Organization (ISO) and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) in the US, Momentum and the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the UK, and the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) in France are urging workers and youth to put their faith in efforts to work with these parties and the trade unions, pressuring them to adopt pro-worker reforms.

This bankrupt orientation is not merely a political mistake. It a reflection of the rightward shift within the upper-middle class layers that form the base of these anti-Marxist and anti-working class organizations.

On a world scale, a massive political polarization is taking place. The top 10 percent, fearful of losing its privileged position, is shifting to the right. The bottom 90 percentbillions of workers worldwideis entering into a conflict with the oligarchy and its political representatives that has revolutionary implications.
The following text is the last of four resolutions passed unanimously at the Fourth National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) held in Sydney from March 30 to April 2, 2018 (see: Resolutions 1, 2, 3). Greetings to the congress were delivered by delegates from Socialist Equality Parties in the US, Europe and Sri Lanka and the Socialist Equality Group in New Zealand. The incoming national committee re-elected James Cogan SEP national secretary, Cheryl Crisp assistant national secretary and Peter Symonds World Socialist Web Site national editor.

1. For the Socialist Equality Party, building the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the youth movement of the ICFI, is a strategic task. As in every revolutionary period, young people, with their enthusiasm, energy and audacity, will be in the forefront of the emerging class struggles. The task of the IYSSE is to recruit, educate and train young workers and students who, as members of the SEP, will become an essential component of the revolutionary leadership of the working class.

2. The IYSSE is the only youth organisation that unequivocally explains to young people: you have no future under the capitalist system, other than war, environmental disaster and deepening social deprivation. The IYSSE will energetically intervene on university campuses, in the schools and among working class youth, to build an international anti-war movement and develop a political struggle for free, high quality education at all levels; for the right to secure, well-paid employment, and for all the social and democratic rights of the working class.

3. The IYSSE will only be built in a fight for the perspective of socialist internationalism against every other political tendency, which, in one way or another, defend the profit system. In order to establish clubs on university campuses, the IYSSE has had to wage a series of struggles against the concerted attempts of university administrations, student unions and the pseudo-left organisations to block its presence. The IYSSEs political fight against war and for socialism cuts across the transformation of universities into centres for militarism and war, and their subordination to the interests of the corporate and financial elites.

4. This is part of a global process, which finds its sharpest expression in Germany. In that country, the IYSSE has come under repeated attack for its powerful opposition to attempts to transform university campuses into bastions of pro-war propaganda, aimed at legitimising the revival of German imperialism. The IYSSE in Australia will collaborate with its sister organisations internationally in building a socialist youth movement against the political preparations for military conflicts, which threaten to drag the younger generation and all mankind into a catastrophic world war.

5. The IYSSE opposes every attempt to divide workers and young people through the promotion of racism and nationalism. The IYSSE has a particular responsibility to combat the mounting vilification of thousands of Chinese international students, who are being witch-hunted by the political and media establishment as a potential fifth column of the Chinese Communist Party. As with the demonisation of Muslim youth in the bogus war on terror, this xenophobic campaign is aimed at cultivating a pro-war atmosphere and justifying Australias central role in the US-led plans for war against China. The IYSSE will likewise fight the growth of far-right and fascistic tendencies, above all by clarifying that their emergence is a product of the betrayals of the working class by the Labor Party and the corporatised trade unions.

6. A central task of the IYSSE will be to combat attempts by the pseudo left to divert the emerging oppositional movement of students and young people behind false claims that capitalist parties such as Labor and the Greens can somehow be pressured to the left. The bankruptcy of protest politics, and the fraud that Labor is some kind of lesser-evil, have been demonstrated time and time again. The National Union of Students, along with Socialist Alternative and Socialist Alliance, continue to promote such falsifications. These organisations, representing the material interests of a grasping, selfish, upper middle class layer, seek to suppress any independent struggle by students and working class youth against the ongoing assault on education, against the myriad expressions of the social crisis and against the drive to war. The reason is that any such struggle could rapidly become a threat to the existing social order. The IYSSE will fight to educate young people in the understanding that all the political, economic and social issues they confront have their source in the outmoded capitalist profit system, which must be replaced, through a revolutionary movement of the working class, by socialism, not only in Australia, but internationally.

7. The IYSSE will continue to expose the pseudo-lefts promotion of identity politics, which is used to divide students and young people on the basis of gender, race and sexuality, and to deny the centrality of class as the primary division in society. The #MeToo movement, which is attacking key democratic rights, including the presumption of innocence and due process, underscores the right-wing, anti-democratic character of identity politics.

8. The IYSSE will fight for historical truth in opposition to post-modernism. Developed by ex-left professors and intellectuals in the late 1960s, post-modernism is directed against the scientific and historical Marxist understanding of the law-governed historical process, and of the revolutionary role of the working class. Against every form of philosophical irrationalism and historical falsification, the IYSSE fights to bring the great lessons of the strategic experiences of the working class throughout the 20th century to the younger generation. Chief among these experiences is the October 1917 revolution, the opening shot of the world socialist revolution, and the struggle waged by Leon Trotsky and the Fourth International against its Stalinist, i.e., nationalist, degeneration.

9. The IYSSE will fight to turn students and young people to the working class and its struggles. It will clarify that the working class is the only revolutionary social force capable of abolishing capitalism and beginning the socialist reorganisation of society. Above all, the IYSSE will educate and train students and young workers as fighters for the ICFIs perspective of socialist internationalism in the convulsive class struggles that are already beginning to emerge.
Students at an estimated 2,500 high schools and middle schools across the United States participated in a nationally-coordinated walkout against violence in schools on Friday.

The event was organized through social media by high school students from Connecticut to mark the 19th anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School. Newtown, Connecticut was the site of the December 2012 mass school shooting that left 20 children between the ages of six and seven dead.

The walkout was the third major nationally coordinated student action since the Parkland massacre on February 14, when 19-year-old Nickolas Cruz shot and killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. The protests of student youth are taking place at the same time as an expanding wave of walkouts by teachers.

The demonstrations Friday reportedly received financial and organizational backing from Indivisible, which is oriented to the Democratic Party. While the Democrats are attempting to direct the anger and opposition of youth into the midterm elections and calls for gun control reform, the demonstrations this year have revealed broad hostility to the entire political and corporate establishment.

A student holds a handmade sign at the rally: "Our lives are worth more than your guns"

Members of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) spoke with students participating in several of the walkouts.

Hundreds of students rallied in Washington Square in New York City. Briana, a senior at Brooklyn Tech in New York, told IYSSE members that while people are dying, the politicians just stay silent rather than isolate themselves. They dont listen to people our age When the politicians do agree it is only to benefit themselves. Asked if the school shootings were part of a broader problem, she responded, I cant say how violent the rest of the country is, but there is something in the culture here. People can feel alienated, and there is an ease with which people can get guns.

Triston, a junior at Harvest Collegiate High School in Manhattan, said that guns are mostly used to cause harm and not to protect, especially when considering the deep psychological and social pressures upon individuals. Our country is so broken that it doesnt give people the help that they need.

We have easier access to guns than we have to basic necessities. He elaborated, There are problems of poverty and oppression. People cant get welfare and food, but they can get guns. You can also see the police shooting innocent kids.

Students gather outside of the high school before the march begins

Nearly every student spoke of the lack of basic necessities and also the lack of art, culture and meaningful school programs. Nothing is actually being done [in response to shootings], and a lot of schools dont have resources, explained Khalilah, a junior at Beacon High School in New York. He explained that violent outbreaks are much more common if you dont have stuff like an arts program to help students relieve anxiety. Some schools dont have advisors or guidance counselors to help students.

Scores of school administrations across the country threatened disciplinary action for those students who chose to participate in the walkouts. Some students held on campus vigils to avoid punishments. Others set up memorials. Students at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland hung decorated shirts over the fence of their school for the 199 teens that have been killed at schools in 2018.

Bethesda Memorial

Hundreds of the 1,000 Chicago high school students who walked out of several high schools and met at Grant Park for a rally will be forced to attend Saturday school to make up for the missed class time. Similar reports of harsh penalties have come from schools in New York, Michigan, California and Texas.

Group of students hold signs outside of Downers Grove North High School before the march

In defiance of a threat of four-hour detention, students at a Chicago suburban high school at Downers Grove North (DGN) walked out of class and gathered outside the school building, then marched to a local park where they held a rally. Several students spoke and expressed frustration that no action has been taken despite massive demonstrations in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

Andy, a DGN alum and IYSSE member at the University of Illinois Chicago, was invited to speak. His speech addressed the social causes of mass shootings and the role of the US military in creating a culture of violence.

He told the crowd, For every day that you all have been alive, your country has been at war. In Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Yemen and Palestine, the pain felt by the Parkland and Columbine victims is felt every day. This is carried out not by rogue actors, but by bombs and guns paid for by the United States of America.

Andy Thompson of the IYSSE addresses the students at the rally

Andy presented an alternative to the violence of American society. Instead of spending trillions on war, lets fund education, healthcare and create jobs, he said. Instead of allowing a tiny handful of individuals to grind society into the dirt, lets build a new world, a socialist world, where the working class can democratically decide how resources are used. A world where war and death will never be an option. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality calls for an end to violence, an end to war, an end to poverty and exploitation. To make this possible we must fight for socialism.

Andy received a warm response from the students in attendance. One student, Hannah, said, I agree with the perspective that Andy spoke about today. Theres no other way but to be radical. This is not going to stop today for me. This is something that I am going to stick with until it is fixed. People think about the victims of school shootings as statistics and numbers and money, but thats not what they are. They are actual human beings. I think capitalism is BS. Its all about taking advantage of everything that people do.

Nick, a junior at DGN, told our reporters that he did not think that gun control was necessarily the answer to the issues of violence, noting that there were more fundamental causes: Theres also the issue of poverty and issues with the educational systems in some areas. When it comes to school shootings, I think it comes down to mental illness.

IYSSE members asked Nick for his thoughts on the billions of dollars spent on the military. I think there should be more funding for mental health support services at schools and more funding for schools in general, so people can get a better education and not have to turn to gangs.

A student holds an IYSSE sign at the rally: "#Enough Poverty and Low Wages!"

During the march, a WSWS reporter spoke to Cosette, another student at DGN. School shootings have a lot to do with mental health problems, Cosette said. I think that if youre a problem kid, the school shuns you and puts you on the outside. When youre isolated like that, you just have time to brood about why youre upset.

A recent study by the Journal of Child and Family Studies revealed that mass school shootings have resulted in more deaths since 2000 than in the entire 20th century. There have been twenty school shootings so far in 2018, with 25 people killed, meaning that such acts of violence and desperation now occur on a weekly basis.

On Friday morning, before the nation-wide walkout began, one high-school student shot another peer in the ankle in Ocala, Florida.

Ben and Hannah, Downers Grove North High School students

Since the start of the year, 387 people have been shot by police, which is significantly higher than the toll of 353 at the same time in 2017. Major cities like Indianapolis, Denver, Albuquerque and New York reported higher homicide rates in the first quarter of the year. Rates of addiction, drug overdose, domestic violence and suicide are also increasing.

While students and youth have expressed their outrage at an irrational system that fuels violence and despair, the ruling class has only sought to boost the police state apparatus, prepare the ground for world war and a crackdown on democratic rights. The Trump administration, backed by Democrats and Republicans in Congress, has boosted the powers of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) to carry out an escalated program of data collection, internment and deportation of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Congress also passed the federal budget, which slashed funding from social programs and increased funding for the military by $17 billion. The Democratic Party is pressing the hardest for an agenda of militarism, police crackdown and war, including the unanimous backing of the bombing of Syria this week.
The UKs participation in the US-led bombing of Syria has been met with widespread opposition among workers and young people.

Many did not believe Prime Minister Theresa Mays assertion that the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad carried out a chemical weapons attack on Douma April 7. A majority rejected the claims of May, US President Donald Trump and Frances Emmanuel Macron that they had acted out of humanitarian concern.

Since 2003, when the Labour government of Tony Blair dragged Britain into an illegal war based on the lies of weapons of mass destruction, anti-war sentiment has resisted all efforts by the ruling class to move away from the Iraq syndrome.

There has been no popular support for military operations by the UK, in Iraq, Libya or Syria and there is real concern at the whipping up of tensions with Russia. This public opposition to militarism forced the Conservative government of David Cameron to hold a parliamentary vote in August 2013, the failure of which prevented Britain from participating in planned airstrikes against Syria.

The role of the Stop the War Coalition (STWC) in the run up to the air strikes against Syria was to politically demobilise popular anti-war sentiment. The coalition directed all public protests by workers and youth to making futile appeals to parliament andabove allbacking Jeremy Corbyns personal protests against war made as leader of the pro-war Labour Party.

The STWC has been promoted as the semi-official leadership of the anti-war movement since 2003. Corbyn was its chairman until winning leadership of the Labour Party in 2015. All its protests since April 7 were conceived of as adjuncts to the main action that was to take place in parliament under Corbyns leadership.

The STWC issued just one statement prior to the April 14 missile attacks, on April 9, condemning the bombing attacks on the people of Douma in Syria, including alleged chemical attacks and all outside military intervention including that of Russia and Iran.

Only after this prominent profession of opposition to Russia and Iran did the statement, equally condemn that of our own government and its allies and call for a ceasefire on all sides and a political settlement

The statements only concrete proposal was to urge supporters, Write to your MP to ask them to oppose further military action in Syria, with a petition attached to that effect.

On the day following the attack, May was denounced for having deliberately avoided consulting parliament and only then for risking dramatically widening the war.

STWC offers alternative foreign policy strategy for British imperialism

Outlining what was meant, two days later, STWC convenor Lindsey German predicted that this proxy war is drawing to a close, even though the agonies of the people of Douma, suffering bombing as well as the alleged chemical attack, have continued. Everyone now agrees that it will do so with Assad still in power and with the Russians and Iranians in a strong position.

Western imperialism, she concluded, has no clear strategy except more lashing out with little purposewhich is the net effect of this latest attack. The unintended consequence of the war in Iraq has been the strengthening of Iran. The failed strategy of regime change in Syria has also strengthened Iran. So now Iran will move to centre stage.

And Russia? she asks. the tensions between the powers are worse than at any time since the Cold War, and we have nuclear powers involved in clashes in a cockpit of war.

German speaks in a manner indistinguishable from a foreign policy analyst in a bourgeois think-tank. Her organisations support for Corbyn and Labour is based not on mobilising against the warmongering of the ruling class, but reinforcing his efforts to formulate a new foreign policy for British imperialismone that recognises the need to distance the UK from the US and to rely more on soft-power and negotiated alliances with the European powers.

In an article written on November 4 last year, Labour Badly Needs to Adopt Corbyn's View of War and Peace, the STWCs John Rees complains of a Zombie foreign policy dominating the ministries of the Western powers, Out-of-date Cold War structures, post-Cold War failures and defeats that have left an exhausted but malignant security and defence establishment losing public support.

Corbyn offers a way out of this quagmire for the imperialists. He brings a unique, at least in the establishment, set of views and values to this debate that is thwarted because Labour policy is the exact opposite of its leaders: It is pro-Trident, pro-NATO, and in favour of spending 2 percent of GDP on defencea NATO requirement that very few NATO countries, including Germany, actually bother to meet.

Rees draws on an inexhaustible supply of political complacency to argue for British imperialism to take advantage of a new constellation of forces worldwide.

NATO is a creature of the Cold War, he says. But there is little or no credible threat of Russian invasion, while, The danger of a nuclear exchange with Russia is lower than at any time since it acquired such weapons in the 1950s.

The NATO alliance is, moreover, fraying at the edges All this at a time when the US, the dominant state in the Nato alliance, has a President [Trump] who had to be coerced by his own political establishment into abandoning his campaign trail hostility to Nato.

Time then to abandon the special relationship, which leaves the UK under-labouring for the USs pivot to the Pacific.

The truth is this: Western imperial architecture is outdated, its wars have ended in defeat, its allies are untrustworthy, and its leading state is losing the economic race to China. It is therefore time for Labour to Adopt Corbynism.

This statement was the basis for a series of STWC public meetings running since January, the Why We Need An Anti-War Government Tour.

These were used to support Corbyns efforts to convince his Blairite opponents to accept the need for a fresh political turn and to end the civil war in the Labour Party alluded to by Rees.

Among the announced speakers at these meetings were no less than six Labour MPs, including four members of Corbyns shadow cabinet and a trade union representative on the partys National Executive Committee. Also speaking was Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the civil service union, PCS.

The STWC fully endorses Corbyns refusal to wage any struggle against his partys right-wing, who are not interested in his calls for a new and civilised mission-statement for British imperialism. A whole section of the STWC website, Tony Blair Watch, is dedicated to archiving articles denouncing the imperialist warmongerthe last being from October 2015. Nothing is written against his present-day acolytes in the Labour Party, or the fact that Blair remains a member despite agitating against a Corbyn-led Labour government!

In the two parliamentary debates lobbied by the STWC, on April 16 and 17, Corbyn was almost alone in speaking against the bombing of Syria as the right-wing of the party solidarized with May. And 55 Labour MPs abstained on his placatory motion calling for a parliamentary vote on future military action.

This illustrates the reality of any Corbyn-led Labour government. Even were he to continue to personally oppose warand this is by no means certain given his record of capitulationhe heads a party whose MPs would, in large numbers, back future military action by British imperialism and ensure that it went ahead.

How the STWC neutered the mass anti-war movement

The Stop the War Coalitions role in neutering opposition to the bombing of Syria flows from the bankrupt politics of the pseudo-left and Stalinist groups who set it up in 2003.

Prior to the Iraq conflict, the STWC was able to mobilise a demonstration of over one million people. But its key political leadership, the Socialist Workers Party and Communist Party of Britain, enabled Blair to wage warwith the collusion of the trade union bureaucracyby preventing anti-war sentiment from becoming the starting point of a political movement of the working class against the government.

The SWP insisted that all demands, including the exclusive focus on Bliar Blair, must be acceptable to anyone opposed to war, particularly by STWC affiliates, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain. Above all, confidence must be placed in a handful of Liberal Democrats and Labour MPs, such as Corbyn, alongside the French and German governments and the United Nations to act as a counter to the war aims of London and Washington.

Having politically eviscerated the anti-war movement, the STWC was given semi-official status as, time and again, it has insisted mass pressure and electoral self-interest will force various governments to listen to the will of the people.

The STWC today would like everyone to believe that its orientation to the Labour Party is due to its new left leadership. But in 2007, the STWC used the imminent departure of Blair to issue a humble appeal to Gordon Brown to Pursue a foreign policy independent of the administration of the United States of Americathe same demand it makes today.

Brown has been at the Prime Ministers right hand throughout the decisions on Iraq and Afghanistan. Nevertheless, it is our conviction that mass pressure, combined with electoral self-interest, can force the British government to break from George Bushs wars, it wrote.

Pro-war record of the Socialist Workers Party and Counterfire on Syria

The STWC portrays itself as an opponent of wars in Libya and Syria. To do so the SWP and its offshoot, Counterfire, which now runs the STWC rump together with the Communist Party of Britain (CPB), would like everyone to forget their support for Western-backed Jihadi forces in both countries.

The SWP portrayed these proxy Western forces as freedom fighters of the revolution. Writing in the January 7, 2012 Socialist Worker, Simon Assaf argued against unfounded Fears of Western interference the notion that ordinary Syrians struggling to change their country are the pawns of a Western plot is absurd.

The western-backed Syrian National Council (SNC) and Free Syrian Army (FSA) were described as carrying out military operations to protect civilians from the regimes security forces. So far, there are no formal ties between the FSA and the civilian organisations of the revolution, such as the Coordinating Committees, the Syrian Revolution General Commission and the Syrian National Council (SNC). (emphasis added).

When the Cameron government backed away from bombing Syria in 2013, this was hailed as a vindication of the STWCs call for independence from the US. A rally the next day, August 31, saw German, now a member of Counterfire, declare, Weve said for some years that one of our aims as a movement should be to break Britain from following the US in every step of its foreign policy.

An article on Counterfires web site stated, Parliament has finallyunder the weight of long-term pressurecome close to reflecting public opinion.

Tariq Ali, once a leading member of the Pabloite United Secretariat, said that after living in this country for 40 years or more... It feels for the first time you are living in an independent country.

Corbyn becoming Labour leader in 2015 should, according to the STWC, have been the beginning of a political counter-offensive against Britains war-drive. Instead, in December, Corbyn granted a free vote to Labour MPs on whether to support of UK bombing raids on Syria allowing the Conservative government of David Cameron to overturn the 2013 vote against air strikes with the backing of 66 Labour MPs.

No criticism was forthcoming from the STWC. As Andrew Murray, the Stalinist co-chair of the STWC with German explained, We have to think about everything we say, and how we protesthow itll not just impact on public opinion, but how it could impact on Jeremy, who is a very staunch friend of Stop the War We have a lot of money in the bank with each other, as it were.

These are the events leading up to this months relentless promotion of Corbyn, who heads a party of war committed to NATO, Trident nuclear weapons and supports the right-to-protect legislation used to justify every humanitarian bloodbath waged by the UK in the Middle East and Africa.

Far from acting as the leader of an anti-war movement, Corbyn has never called for a single public protest. Moreover, any struggle against war must necessarily be a political struggle against the government sending armed forces overseas. At no time has Corbyn ever tied opposition to war to a call for the working class to bring down the Conservatives. He was taunted in parliament for failing to move a motion of no-confidence in the government by Tory Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The domination of the STWC by Counterfire and the CPB has led rival pseudo-left groupings, such as the SWP and the Socialist Party, to distance themselves organisationally from it. But their own orientation is identical in all fundamentalsprotests of an essentially pacifist character directed towards the election of a Corbyn government. Whenever reality disproves their political schema of Corbyns fighting for Labours transformation, then apologias or tactical silence prevail.

Corbyn is the central figure around which a complex of already existing political and social relations between the leadership of the pseudo-left groups and the Labour and trade union bureaucracy has coalesced.

German, Rees, Murray et al, and their peers in the SWP and SP, act as advisors and propagandists to the bureaucracyoften, as with Murray, who is chief of staff for Unite leader Len McCluskey and an adviser to Corbyn, in lucrative positions. Their message to the working class is always to place political trust in the bureaucracy and pressurising it for reform.

The building of a genuine anti-war movement can only proceed through a ruthless exposure of the remnants of the STWC, which serves as an obstacle to the necessary independent political struggle by the working class on a socialist perspective against imperialism and the profit system.
HSIA extension CAAB considering Bashundharas proposal to operate first heliport

Anisul Islam Noor :

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is actively considering a proposal of Bashundhara Group to set up the first heliport and aeronautical complex in the private sector, sources said.

To have third terminal building and to develop various existing structures in order to expand Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), the CAAB plans to relocate all private helicopter service provider's hangers complex.

According to Bashundhara Group, for the expansion of the third terminal, installation of all helicopter service companies from HSIA is under process.

On the occasion, Bashundhara Group took a project to establish the first private heliport and aeronautical complex at five nautical miles east of Shahjalal International Airport.

The total land area of the project is 7 lakh 50 thousand square feet. In the meantime, general inspection has been done by the cautionary inspector. Bashundhara Group is now waiting for the NOC to start the project.

In the project proposal, arrangements have been made to build heliports of all helicopter companies operating in Bangladesh, including future expansion for the next 25 years. At the same time, there will be all other facilities to render helicopter services including flight operations, offices and commercial spaces, MRO institutes, academic institutes etc, in the heliport and aeronautical complex.

CAAB member Mustafizur Rahman told The New Nation that Bashundhara Group has proposed a project to set up heliport and aeronautical

complexes in the private sector. "We have completed primary inspection of the proposed project site. There are a lot of other processes left in the project to be finalized, " he said.

At present, private helicopter company operators at different places including their hangers at the place of 2 lakhs 19 thousand 297 square feet at Shahjalal International Airport.

Currently, eight companies are operating helicopters commercially. These are- R and R Aviation of Sikder Group, Bangla International Airlines, BRB Air, Meghna Aviation, Partex Arotechnology, Square Air, Bashundhara Airways and South Asian Air. Among them, most of the helicopters are Sikder Group. There are seven helicopters of different models.

It is to be noted that South Asian Airlines launched the first commercial helicopter service in private initiative in 1999. Until 2008, only two non-governmental organizations were providing this service. There are a number of companies waiting to get the license now.

Many business people are now using regular helicopters to avoid traffic jam and to go outside the metropolitan area. Garment traders rely on helicopters to visit the factory with foreign buyers outside Gazipur and Chittagong and Dhaka. Everyday Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport General Aviation Hanger passengers fly by the helicopter and land here.
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A California father says he feared he and his family wouldnt survive after they became stranded in their Hawaii rental home during a severe flood while on vacation last weekend. Now, the man is thanking pro surfer Laird Hamilton for saving him, his wife and their three children.

Jamas and Erin Gwilliam arrived in Hanalei on the north shore of Kauai along with their children  ages, 11, 9 and 6  on April 9 and spent several days hiking, surfing and lounging on the beach. But tragedy struck less than a week later, last Saturday, when record-breaking rainfall struck the Hawaiian island.

The rain just kept getting more and more intense throughout the day. Before we knew it, by mid-afternoon, we were stranded, Jamas, 38, tells PEOPLE. I had never seen so much rain. It was insane. Water was all around the house. It was really scary. I was wondering if we were gonna get out of there.

Jamas and Erin Gwilliam (front) with Laird Hamilton (back left) and children

The unprecedented floodwaters measured more than 28 inches on Saturday, destroying homes, damaging bridges, and making it difficult to use the roads, according to CBS News.

Erin and I tried to stay calm. When the thunder and lightening started on Saturday night, there were definitely some tears shed. It was a sleepless night, Gwilliam tells PEOPLE. He says the entire house was surrounded by water, but none got inside as the home sat on a hill.

U.S. Coast Guard officials said rescues in Hanalei were impossible. So, Hamilton, a big wave surfing legend, took matters into his own hands.

Laird Hamilton (left) helps girl out of boat

He was kind of rallying the troops. Here was a guy who was using the skills and resources he had available to make a difference, not waiting for emergency personnel to come, Gwilliam says, adding that he contacted a friend who sent Hamilton to help.

Following his friends instruction, Gwilliam and his family fled to the edge of a nearby river on Monday where he was told to wait for Laird.

We were like, Wait for Laird? Like, Laird Hamilton?  Gwilliam recalls. When we made it to the edge of the river [Laird] pulled the boat up and I handed my kids to him and helped my wife get into the boat. I helped him push the boat off the side of the bank and he took us down the river. Laird had a home on the other side of the river  the safe side of the river.

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Hamilton, 54, had been coordinating with friends to pick up several people stranded by the waters. Gwilliam says the pro surfer was kind and helped to calm his children. Now, with the Gwilliams back home in San Diego, Hamilton is still doing all he can to help those on the rain-soaked island. The athlete and his crew have been shuttling the people across the river, to his home and ultimately to a nearby fire station.

Hamilton did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

He was super amazing. Hes calm under pressure and he was taking it very seriously, he tells PEOPLE. It was pretty impressive, but hes a humble guy and I know he doesnt want the spotlight on him.

In the wake of the rescue, Gwilliam has been using his story to raise awareness about the harsh floods. Hamiltons wife, Gabby, set up a GoFundMe page to benefit those affected by the flood.
A suspect was taken into custody Friday following a shooting at a high school in central Florida, authorities said.

Gunshots broke out Friday morning at Forest High School in Ocala, some 38 miles south of Gainesville.

Within minutes, a school resource officer on campus found a 17-year-old student who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The officer also located the suspected shooter, identified as a 19-year-old male who is not a student at the school, according to Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.

The suspect was taken into custody without incident, and the wounded student was transported to a local hospital for treatment, the sheriff told reporters at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Woods said the shooting appeared to be intentional, but it's unclear whether the suspect was targeting anyone in particular.

Sky Bouche, the suspected shooter, is being cooperative and talking with investigations, the Marion County Woods said in a later press conference Friday afternoon.

PHOTO: Students are led out of Forest High School as law enforcement agents prepare to enter the school on April 20, 2018, in Ocala, Fla. (Bruce Ackerman/Star-Banner via AP)

Bouche faces eight charges, including terrorism, aggravated assault with a firearm, culpable negligence, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm on school property, possession of short-barreled shotgun, interference in a school function and armed trespassing on school property.

The arrest affidavit shows Bouche was allegedly using a 17.5-inch barreled shotgun and the report indicates police suspect he was under the influence of drugs, but not alcohol. Bouche is listed as a resident of Crystal River, Florida, which is about 40 miles southwest of Ocala.

Bouche arrived on campus with the shotgun hidden in a guitar case and put on a tactical vest and gloves in a bathroom before the shooting, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. He also allegedly told police after his arrest that he had originally planned on carrying out some type of shooting on April 13 -- Friday the 13th -- but "chose to target a school because he thought it would gather more media attention."

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As Bouche was escorted out of the Marion County Sheriff's Office Operations Center, he was hounded by questions from reporters.

When one reporter asked if Bouche was "trying to shoot someone," he shook his head.

"I shot through the door," he said. "I didn't see anyone."

Sky Bouche, 19, faces eight charges, including terrorism and aggravated assault with a firearm, after allegedly shooting a student at Forest High School in Ocala, Fla., on Friday, April 20, 2018. (Marion County Sheriffs Office)

Then, when asked by a reporter what he would say to the victim's family, Bouche replied, "Sorry."

"It doesn't make it better, anyway," he said before he was led into a police van.

Woods called the injured victim and the deputy for took Bouche into custody "heroes." When Woods visited the injured student in the hospital, he said he told him, "I am so glad it was me and not one of my friends."

The shooting took place in the school's main building, according to Marion County Public Schools. Approximately 2,200 students attend Forest High School. The students were evacuated and the high school placed on lockdown, along with 17 other schools in the area.

Jonathan Grantham, deputy superintendent of Marion County Public Schools, said there was no indication before the shooting that anything was amiss.

National School Walkout: Everything to know about the upcoming event to end gun violence

Students across US set to walk out for gun reform on anniversary of Columbine massacre

PHOTO: A Marion County Sheriff's Deputy stands outside Forest High School as students exit the school after a school shooting occurred on April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. (Doug Engle /Star-Banner via AP)

PHOTO: Nikki Brown, center, hugs others in front of Forest High School on April 20, 2018 in Ocala, Fla. (Doug Engle /Star-Banner via AP)

The shooting happened just minutes before thousands of students across the country were set to rally against school gun violence in an event called the National School Walkout. The event is taking place on the anniversary of the massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado, where two students opened fire in 1999, killing 12 classmates and one teacher.

However, one of the student organizers of Friday's walkout said the event is a direct response to the mass shooting in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 students and educators dead.

"The fact that this keeps on happening ... I knew I needed to do something," Lane Murdock, a sophomore at Ridgefield High School in Connecticut who helped organize the walkout, told ABC News.

ABC News' Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
Barbara Bush was remembered at her funeral as a loving wife, mother and friend with a devilish sense of humor and who represented the best of the World War II generation.

"Barbara Bush was the first lady of 'the greatest generation,'" presidential historian Jon Meacham, a friend of the Bush family, said in a eulogy at Saturday's funeral service in Texas that drew signatories from across the nation and around the world.

Meacham recalled the snowy-haired former first lady's "long and consequential life," not least her promotion of literacy, her quick-witted humor and her trademark faux pearls.

"She was candid and comforting," Meacham said, describing her as a point of light" who "kept everything and everyone together."

Some 1,500 guests filled St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston for the service. Barbara Bush, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, had requested in her last wishes a modest funeral at the Gothic-style cathedral, where she and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, were devoted members for decades.

PHOTO: Attendees arrive at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for funeral services for former first lady Barbara Bush, in Houston, April 21, 2018. (David J. Phillip/Pool via Reuters)

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in his eulogy described his "precious mother" as someone who "filled our lives with laughter and joy."

"She was our teacher and role model on how to live a life of purpose and meaning," he said.

PHOTO: Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush speaks during a funeral service for his mother, former first lady Barbara Bush at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, April 21, 2018, in Houston. (David J. Phillip , Pool/AP)

Susan Baker, the wife of James Baker who served as secretary of state under former President George H.W. Bush., also paid tribute to her longtime friend, Barbara Bush, whom she called "Bar."

In her eulogy, Susan Baker recalled how the former first lady "took me under her wing." She described her as "smart, fun and feisty" and an "amazing, caring and beautiful friend."

"The world saw a compassionate but strict mother who inspired her children with tender but firm lessons," she said. "Barbara, the tough but loving enforcer, was the secret sauce of this extraordinary family."

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"Bars beauty was evident in every day of her life," she added. "Saying goodbye to our special friend is painful."

PHOTO: Former First Lady Barbara Bush is interviewed for 'The Presidents' Gatekeepers' project about the White House Chiefs of Staff at the Bush Library, Oct. 24, 2011 in College Station, Texas. (David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images, FILE)

Barbara Bush's casket arrived Friday at St. Martin's, the nation's largest Episcopal church, where she lay in repose as the public was invited to pay respects from noon to midnight, according to the Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home in Houston.

The Rev. Russell Levenson Jr. and the Rev. Dr. Peter Cheney were co-officiants of Saturday's service, which began at 11 a.m. local time. Barbara Bush's grandsons served as pallbearers.

PHOTO: Accompanied by his wife, Hillary Clinton, left, former President Bill Clinton arrives at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for a funeral service for former first lady Barbara Bush, April 21, 2018 in Houston. (David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images)

Four of the five living ex-presidents attended Saturday's funeral service, including former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, as well as former President Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State and first lady Hillary Clinton. The Clintons' daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was also in attendance.

Following the service, a funeral procession brought Barbara Bush's casket to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum near Texas A&M University in College Station for a private service, where she was buried in a family plot beside her daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. The Texas A&M Corps of Cadets were expected to line Barbara Bush Avenue outside the library to pay tribute to the former first lady.

PHOTO: First Lady Melania Trump arrives at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for a funeral service for former first lady Barbara Bush, April 21, 2018, in Houston. (David J. Phillip/AP)

First lady Melania Trump attended Saturday's service on behalf of the first family, White House deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in a statement. To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service, President Trump will not attend.

Similarly, in 2016, then-President Obama did not attend the funeral of former first lady Nancy Reagan, while his wife did. Sitting presidents have rarely in recent decades gone to the funerals of former first ladies, according to FactCheck.org, a project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia.

Trump, who's at his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for the weekend, extended his "thoughts and prayers" to the Bush family via Twitter and said he planned to watch Barbara Bush's funeral service from the "Southern White House."

Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

Former first lady Barbara Bush dies at age 92

Barbara Bush's death prompts outpouring of support from politicians, public figures

Barbara Bush's funeral: 'We'll be celebrating her life,' pastor says

COLUMN: Remembering Barbara Bush's adventurous life

PHOTO: Former First Lady Barbara Bush poses for a portrait on Aug. 23, 2001 in Houston. (Pam Francis/Getty Images)

Born in 1925, Barbara Bush served as first lady from 1989 to 1993. She died shortly after deciding to forgo further medical treatments for her failing health.

PHOTO: Former Presidents George W. Bush, left, and George H.W. Bush arrive at St. Martin's Episcopal Church for a funeral service for former first lady Barbara Bush, April 21, 2018, in Houston. (David J. Phillip/AP)

Former President George H.W. Bush is "broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, his wife of 73 years," according to Jean Becker, chief of staff at the 93-year-old former president's office.

"He held her hand all day today and was at her side when she left this good earth," Becker said in a statement.

Former President George W. Bush described his mother as a "fabulous first lady and a woman unlike any other who brought levity, love, and literacy to millions."

"To us, she was so much more," he said in a statement after her death. "Mom kept us on our toes and kept us laughing until the end. Im a lucky man that Barbara Bush was my mother. Our family will miss her dearly."

In his eulogy at Saturday's service, Meachum recalled a funny moment from the final days of Barbara Bush's life. She was in the hospital and asked her doctor if he'd like to know why her eldest child, former President George W. Bush, "turned out the way he did," according to the presidential historian.

"And then she announced, 'I smoke and drank while I was pregnant,'" Meachum said as laughter erupted from the crowd of mourners inside St. Martin's Episcopal Church.

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the country will be suspending its nuclear tests ahead of much-anticipated talks between the two Koreas next week, and the U.S. and North Korea sometime next month.

Kim announced his country would "no longer need any nuclear tests, mid and long and ICBM rocket tests," and therefore is suspending nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles starting Saturday.

The communist country also says it is also shutting down the Poongye-ri nuclear test site where six underground tests have taken place.

The surprise announcements were delivered through North Korean state news outlet, Korean Central News Agency, and later on state TV.

FILE - In this Wednesday, April 18, 2018, file photo, people watch a TV screen showing file footage of U.S. President Donald Trump, right, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, during a news program at the Seou (The Associated Press)

President Trump: U.S., North Korea already talking 'at extremely high levels'

Pompeo-Kim Jong Un meeting raises stakes over confirmation: White House

Pompeo met with Kim Jong Un over Easter weekend: Officials

North Korea has "verified the completion of nuclear weapons" and now "the Party and our nation will focus all its efforts towards socialist economic development," Kim was quoted saying at a meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea convened Friday. The state TV stressed the meeting discussed policy issues related to a "new stage" in an "historic period."

The two Koreas are set to hold a summit meeting next Friday at the truce border village of Panmunjom, while U.S. President Donald Trump and Kim plan to meet sometime in May or early June at a yet-to-be-announced location.

Trump hailed the news of Korea suspending its nuclear tests as "very good news for North Korea and the World."

North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2018

A message from Kim Jong Un: North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Also will Shut down a nuclear test site in the countrys Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests. Progress being made for all!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

The news came earlier this week that Mike Pompeo, Trump's as-yet-unconfirmed pick for secretary of state, met with Kim in early April. No details of the talks were released, though Trump said this week the meeting went "very smoothly" and the two got along "really well."

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Denuclearization of North Korea has been a key issue going into the talks between the U.S. and North Korea. The North is suspending, not freezing, its nuclear tests for now, but both Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have expressed high hopes that the North is ready to give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for economic assistance.

Policy measures announced by the Norths state TV suggest that Kim aims to improve quality of living. The country's leaders is quoted as saying that North Korea's long-term economic plan is to "provide proficient and culturally [advanced] lifestyle to all people."

"North Korea's announcement signals a stepping stone for phased denuclearization," said An Chan Il, president of Seoul-based World Institute for North Korean Studies. "They are showing proof to the world that they have begun their efforts to eventually denuclearize, starting with shutting down the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. Punggye-ri test site is known to be the one and only nuclear weapon facility in North Korea at the moment. A significant slowdown in this facility was monitored in March, adding evidence that North's announcement was not a spontaneous one."

Experts have cautioned that the wording of Kim's announcement specifically mentions a "suspension" and not a "freeze."

"For North Korea to announce a nuclear freeze, they must have mentioned shutdown of the nuclear facility in Yongbyon," said Kim Yong-hyun, professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University in Seoul. "But this announcement said to suspend only the Punggye-ri facility and missile launches according to KCNAs report. Still, there is a possibility open for discussion regarding Yongbyon facility which produces plutonium."

PHOTO: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, shakes hands with South Korean National Security Director Chung Eui-yong after Chung gave Kim the letter from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 5, 2018. (Korea News Service via AP, File)

"Some say this beginning phase should be called a 'freeze,'" said Kim Kwang-jin, a former congressman at the National Assemblys Defense Committee. "But others see a complete abolishment of already-made plutonium, uranium and missiles as a 'freeze.' That is why key terms should be clarified before the final negotiation."

South Korea's presidential office welcomed North Korea's announcement as well.

Presidential secretary Yoon Young-chan said in a written statement released Saturday, "[The] North's announcement will brighten prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington."

The statement referred to the Norths suspending of nuclear tests and missile tests as meaningful progress toward denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

"It is not a declaration of nuclear dismantlement because it has not yet reached the consensus of some practical compensations for the abandonment of nuclear weapons," said Cheong Seong-Chang, director of unification strategic studies program at the Seoul-based Sejong Institute.

PHOTO: A South Korean marine soldier passes by a TV screen showing file footage of South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, April 18, 2018. (Ahn Young-joon/AP)

"Since the economy has been in a state of containment after several nuclear tests and missile launches, the compromise with the international community was an inevitable choice for Kim Jong Un," Cheong added.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who visited Trump in Florida this week, was more cautious in his acknowledgment of Kim's announcement of suspending nuclear tests.

"What is crucial here ... is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles," he said. "And I will keep a close eye on that."

ABC News' Hakyung Kate Lee contributed to this report.

Editors note: This story was corrected from its original version to reflect that North Korea says it is suspending nuclear testing, not its entire nuclear program.
This just in: The longest-standing British monarch is preparing to take her final curtsy.

Queen Elizabeth, who turns 92 years old tomorrow, issued a formal request for the Commonwealth Heads of Government to appoint her son, Prince Charles, as her successor during an official meeting at Buckingham Palace yesterday.

She said, It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949.

The monarch went on to say that she hopes Prince Charles will carry on her legacy, adding, By continuing to treasure and reinvigorate our associations and activities, I believe we will secure a safer, more prosperous and sustainable world for those who follow us: a world where the Commonwealths generosity of spirit can bring its gentle touch of healing and hope to all.

Prince Charles is the first in a long list of heirs to the throne, so the announcement was a long time coming. Nevertheless, Queen Elizabeth hadnt publicly backed her son as the next Commonwealth leaderuntil now.

May the odds be ever in your favor, Prince Charles.

RELATED: Love the Royal Family? Download the 'Royally Obsessed' Podcast
Its not every day an actress wins a coveted award, or declines to go accept it. But in this case, actress Natalie Portman did both, when she recently announced that she wouldnt be traveling to Israel to accept the Genesis Prize Foundation's Genesis Prize.

The presentation ceremony was scheduled for June 28, but was promptly cancelled, according to the statement, once the foundation learned through Portmans spokesperson that the actress could not in good conscience move forward with the ceremony.

Dubbed the Jewish Nobel by Time magazine, the award honors extraordinary individuals who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their outstanding professional achievement and commitment to the Jewish people and Jewish values, such as social justice, tolerance and charity, according to a press release from the foundation. Former recipients of the million-dollar prize include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actor-director Michael Douglas.

Portmans decision not to travel to the award ceremony drew criticism from some, including Israel's minister for culture and sports, Miri Regev. "I was saddened to hear that Natalie Portman has fallen as a ripe fruit in the hands of BDS supporters," Regev said, associating the actress' act with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement that protests Israel over its treatment of Palestinians and the West Bank.

But Portman denies any involvement with the movement and instead decided to release a statement on her Instagram, stating that her words had been mischaracterized by others.

A post shared by Natalie Portman (@natalieportman) on Apr 20, 2018 at 3:37pm PDT

I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony. By the same token, I am not part of the BDS movement and do not endorse it," she wrote in the statement. The actress continued by saying that she treasures her Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance, but noted that the mistreatment of those suffering from todays atrocities were not in line with her Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power," she said.

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The Annihilation actress closed out her statement by saying that the entire ordeal has inspired her to support a number of charities in Israel. I will be announcing them soon, and I hope others will join me in supporting the great work they are doing.

Sounds to me like Portmans decision to boycott the ceremony definitely falls in line with the mission of the award, and kudos to her for standing by her beliefs.

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Managua (AFP) - Violent protests against a proposed change to Nicaragua's pension system have left at least 10 people dead over two days, the government said Friday.

In the biggest protests in President Daniel Ortega's 11 years in office in this poor Central American country, people are angry over the plan because workers and employers would have to chip in more toward the retirement system.

The government is willing to hold a dialogue and Ortega will issue a formal call on Saturday, Vice President Rosario Murillo said, adding: "At least 10 compatriots have died."

Demonstrations rocked the capital Managua and nearby cities for a third day.

The new law, besides increasing employer and employee contributions, would cut the overall pension amount by five percent.

"We are against these reforms, which means we're against this government taking from the pockets of Nicaraguans," said Juan Bautista.

He said riot police brutally attacked demonstrators like him because "the dictator does not like people to protest."

A woman nearby shouted: "The people are tired of this repression!"

Students from Polytechnic University have been holed up on their campus since Thursday evading police. Other students took refuge in nearby buildings or residences.

In Las Colinas, south of the capital, demonstrators raised small barricades and with their hands raised asked the riot police not to target them.

Four independent television outlets were taken off the air after they broadcast the demonstrations on Thursday, and two were still blocked on Friday.

Murillo compared the protesters to "vampires demanding blood to feed their political agenda."

The opposition said more than 20 people were wounded while the writers group Pen Nicaragua said that at least 11 journalists were attacked while covering the demonstrations.

"We call on the Nicaraguan authorities to act to prevent further attacks on demonstrators and on the media," said Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights."

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She urged the government to let people "exercise their right to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly and association," and urged protesters to demonstrate "peacefully."

She also said demonstrators were attacked by government supporters in the city of Masaya.

Miguel Mora, director of the private television channel 100% Noticias -- which the government blocked -- accused Ortega of applying the same censorship he imposed in the 1980s during the Sandinista Revolution.

When Ortega returned to power in 2007 he promised to "never censor a media outlet -- and today he is doing just that," Mora told Channel 14.
U.S. President Donald Trump slammed OPEC for inflating oil prices after the cartel showed a willingness to further tighten crude markets.

Looks like OPEC is at it again, Trump said on Twitter, not long after energy ministers finished their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Oil prices are artificially Very High! No good and will not be accepted!

The presidents ire followed a stream of bullish signals from a meeting of oil producers in Saudi Arabia, chiefly from the kingdoms Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih. The crude glut thats weighed on prices for three years has almost been wiped out by OPECs production cuts, but instead of celebrating victory the group is finding reasons to keep going and drive fuel inventories even lower.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, fell about 69 cents at the time of the tweet, before trading down 0.8 percent at $73.17 a barrel as of 2:31 p.m. in London.

The purpose of the shift in OPECs target was clear: Theres capacity for prices to rise even further beyond their current three-year high, Al-Falih said.

We have seen prices significantly higher in the past, twice as much as where we are today and the global economy has the ability to absorb costlier crude, the Saudi minister said.

International oil prices surged to almost $75 a barrel this week and U.S. gasoline is the highest in almost three years. Yet OPECs choke-hold on its own production is only getting tighter. Saudi Arabia is said to desire crude closer to $80.

Accusation Denied

The closest U.S. allies within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries rejected Trumps accusation. Prices arent artificially high, said United Arab Emirates Oil Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei. Saudi Arabias Al-Falih echoed that view.

We are doing our role to correct the market, Al Mazrouei said. There are many things affecting the market, not just supply and demand, including geopolitics that are beyond OPECs control, he said.

Russia, Saudi Arabias most important ally in the production cuts, gave its backing to continuing the cuts until their end-2018 expiry. Theres no obligation to stop just because the pacts initial goal  stockpiles in industrialized nations back in line with the five-year average  is at hand, said Energy Minister Alexander Novak.

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Helping Texas

Novak also rejected Trumps accusation, while also arguing the groups production cuts have helped U.S. producers to boost output. The deal helped to restore the industry of Texas, he said in an interview with Bloomberg television.

Soaring U.S. shale production has been a nagging concern for OPEC and its allies, but the groups key players appear to be more fixated on the immediate benefits of high crude prices. Saudi Arabia needs to cover weighty domestic spending and attract investors to a partial sale of its state oil company, Aramco. Russia is relishing its new role as a major Middle East power broker, while also enjoying bigger financial gains than anyone from the accord.

Russia is keeping all options open and Saudi Arabia is talking about a 2019 extension, UBS Group AG analyst Giovanni Staunovo said by email.

Going Deeper

Novak wouldnt rule out some easing of the production cuts this year, but said it would depend entirely on the situation in the market. For now, the group is cutting ever deeper, and Saudi Arabias Al-Falih chided nations that havent been implementing their fair share of the curbs at the opening session of the Jeddah talks. Iraq and Kazakhstan have pledged to improve their compliance, according to the closing statement from the meeting.

Overall, OPEC and its allies cut 49 percent deeper than the agreed 1.8 million barrels a day in March, according to the statement. Thats the biggest reduction ever and the seventh month the group has surpassed its target, Novak said.

Much of those additional reductions werent intentional, according to the International Energy Agency. An economic crisis and  chronic mismanagement dragged Venezuelas output to a multi-decade low, while Angola lost production from aging fields. Others were temporary, such as field maintenance in Algeria. The involuntary cuts may keep getting deeper if Trump reimposes sanctions on Iran next month.

Ministers seemed to embrace the notion of a significantly tighter oil market. Saudi Arabia in particular gave a strong indication that higher prices wouldnt be a bad thing. Every year the world needs to develop new daily production capacity of about 4 million to 5 million barrels and invest hundreds of billions of dollars, but thats not happening right now, Al-Falih said.
Just as Hollie Mackey was about to get up from her seat to go to the bathroom during Tuesday mornings Southwest Airlines flight from New York to Dallas, flight attendants asked passengers to stay seated due to continual turbulence. Mackey put her seatbelt back on, shared a glance of disappointment about the bumpy ride ahead with the woman seated at the window to her left and settled back in. Moments later, the unthinkable happened.

Mackey, 42, was seated in the aisle seat on the same row as Jennifer Riordan, a mother of two and bank executive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was killed when Flight 1380s left side engine exploded just 20 minutes into their trip. When debris from the explosion blew out the window next to her, it caused Riordan to be partially sucked out of the aircraft through the gaping hole where the window used to be. Mackey and a teen girl sitting between them immediately came to her aid.

I grabbed onto Jennifers belt loop area and wrapped my arm around her waist, and tried to pull her in. The little girl did, too, Mackey, an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma, tells PEOPLE.

RELATED: Southwest Passenger Recalls Struggle During Deadly Flight: There Was Quite a Bit of Blood

As the damaged plane traveled hundreds of miles an hour, thousands of feet in the sky, Mackey and the teen held onto Riordan as the cold air and the deafening sound of the aircraft engulfed them.

It was really loud, you couldnt hear. We tried yelling for help, we tried, but you couldnt hear anything, she says.

As hard as they tried, Mackey and the young girl couldnt pull Riordan back inside.

It was more of a helpless feeling than anything else, Mackey says. With the altitude and that air pressure at that time, we were not physically able to move her at all the air pressure was still too much.

Riordan was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the explosion, and Mackey believes it is what kept the 43-year-old from being pulled out of the plane completely. Mackey says she, too, felt the force of the suction drawing her to the window.

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We were feeling it pulling us a little bit. It wasnt strong enough to pull us out, I dont believe, Mackey says. But I wasnt certain it wasnt strong enough to pull the girl out if I unbuckled her and tried to move her out of the way.

The seatbelt is what held her inside, she says of Riordan.

Throughout the ordeal, Mackey says she kept her thoughts on helping those around her, and not on what could happen if the plane went down.

It momentarily crossed my mind it could crash, she says. Then I thought, Well, I cant do anything about that, so I might as well focus on what I can do something about and hope for the best. 

As the aircraft continued its descent to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia, two Texas firefighters who were also passengers helped pull an unconscious Riordan from the window. She was then given CPR by retired nurse Peggy Phillips for almost 20 minutes until the plane touched the ground.

The NTSB believes metal fatigue on the 18-year-old Boeing 737piloted by hero pilot, Tammie Jo Shultsled to one of the engines blade breaking mid-flight, sending shrapnel into the planes fuselage and breaking the window next to Riordan.

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health announced Riordans death was caused by blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and torso. Riordans family announced Thursday the founding of a memorial website, The Jennifer Riordan Memorial Trust, where givers can support causes that were important to Riordan and help the family meet financial needs after the traumatic event.

We appreciate the outpouring of support for our family and the love for Jennifer, the statement, provided to PEOPLE, states. Hearing stories of how she impacted everyone in so many meaningful ways has truly touched our hearts. To honor her legacy, an official memorial site has been created to fund causes that were near and dear to her heart.

Later that night after landing in Philadelphia, Mackey took a plane to Dallas and caught a connecting flight back to her home in Norman, Oklahoma, where she reunited with her family. Once there, she was able to reflect on the days traumatic events.

I think you can breathe a little bit more, I didnt have to be strong anymore, and it was finally my turn to get to drop everything, cry and think about how scared I was, she says. I didnt have to be strong because I didnt have anyone to be strong for anymore.

Mackeys thoughts  and her heart  remain focused on Riordans family.

Both of us expected to be going home to our families and sleeping in our own beds that night, she says. I kept telling my husband, somebody elses family doesnt get to have this tonight, and it isnt fair.

This article originally appeared on People.com.
On Thursday, teachers in Arizona voted to reject a proposed raise offered by Governor Doug Ducey and will stage a state-wide walkout beginning next week. The Arizona Education Association and the Arizona Educators United, a grassroots organization leading the #RedForEd movement, announced yesterday that the walkout will begin on April 26. Should they fail to reach an agreement before then, it will mark the first time in Arizona history that teachers have walked off the job.

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Last week, Ducey attempted to prevent a strike by offering teachers a 20 percent raise in salary over three years, starting with a nine percent increase for the 2018-2019 school year. The proposal was rejected by the teachers, however, as it failed to meet their original demands. The educators werent just asking for a raise in salary but also increase in school budgets, as Arizona has slashed education funding over the last several years.

According to NPR, Duceys plan was initially supported by two major education advocacy groups, Save Our Schools Arizona and the Arizona Parent Teacher Association. Both, however, withdrew their support when it became clear the plan called for taking money from other education employees to pay for the teachers salary increases. Beth Simek, President of the Arizona Parent Teacher Association, said that an analysis from the Joint Legislative Budget Committee staff combined with her organizations research led the group to reverse course and reject Duceys proposal.

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In light of the funding streams that have come to light regarding the 20 by 2020 plan, we can no longer support the governors proposal, said Simek. As a voice for children, we hope to see the governor and this legislature find a sustainable, long-term permanent funding source that does not hurt others in the process.

Teachers say they are willing to work with the governor to create a new plan, but until they are presented with a plan that is fair to themselves, their students, and their fellow education employees, they intend to strike.

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Yerevan (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Armenia over the last week to protest what they say is a power-grab by the ex-president after he moved to become prime minister.

Here are profiles of the veteran politician Serzh Sarkisian and opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan:

- Sarkisian: balance abroad, corruption at home -

A shrewd former military officer, Sarkisian has led Armenia since 2008 but has held high posts in the South Caucasus country ever since 1991, when the country became independent following the collapse of the USSR.

The 63 year-old began his political career when war erupted in the late 1980s with neighbouring Azerbaijan over his native Nagorno-Karabakh region, a conflict that is now frozen but technically unresolved.

He headed the mountainous region's self-defence forces between 1989 and 1993 and has since played a key role in negotiations over the area.

Sarkisian is in part putting forward his experience in regulating the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute as a reason for him to remain in power.

In foreign policy, Sarkisian has remained a close ally of Armenia's former master Russia but has also been able to maintain relatively warm relations with the European Union.

"He has been able to keep Armenia's age-old balance between the West, Europe and Russia which is unprecedented in the post-Soviet space," said sociologist Gevorg Pogosyan.

At home, however, corruption in the police and judiciary as well as poverty has left an increasing number of Armenians dissatisfied with Sarkisian's rule.

"People took to the streets because of poverty, unemployment, corruption and because nothing is changing," Tatuk Hakobyan said.

All of Armenia's parliamentary and presidential elections under his rule have been accompanied by opposition-led protests.

"There is huge discontent in society," sociologist Pogosyan told AFP.

"He has infringed on the tradition that exists in our country: all previous presidents have left power on time, he promised he would too."

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- Pashinyan: from fugitive to leader -

A fortnight ago, few in Armenia would have believed that opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan could bring tens of thousands of people out onto the streets of Yerevan and other cities, paralysing traffic and disrupting businesses.

Before these protests, Pashinyan was most closely associated with the tragic events of 2008, when 10 people died in clashes between police and supporters of Sarkisian's opponent in a presidential election.

He directed street demonstrations at that time and was put on a wanted list following the deaths.

The father-of-four went into hiding but in 2009 turned himself in, though was released in 2011 under a prisoner amnesty.

A former journalist, the 43-year-old later set up the Civil Contract party, which entered parliament last year as part of the opposition coalition Way Out.

With his fiery rhetoric and penchant for asking awkward questions, Pashinyan has proved a thorn in the side of Sarkisian's ruling Republican Party.

After being injured along with dozens of others at a protest on Monday, he has appeared at subsequent demonstrations with a bandaged arm and bruises under his eyes.

"Pashinyan differs from the majority of opposition figures in that he is daring, he's not afraid, he's creative, he's got a quick wit and stamina," Pogosyan said.

It is these characteristics which make Pashinyan appealing to young Armenians who grew up after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Pogosyan added, though older generations have also turned out for the street protests.

"People go to him because they are confident he's not going to make secret deals with those in power, he won't betray the movement," Pogosyan told AFP.

Analyst Aleksandr Iskandaryan said the opposition in the country had been crushed and Pogosyan was its sole figurehead.

"He has managed to personify (this movement)...Today the opposition in Armenia is him," Iskandaryan told AFP.
At the age of 28, Swedish DJ Avicii was found dead Friday in Oman.

Before he was a Grammy-nominated electronic artist, Avicii was known as Tim Bergling. His DJ name came after a friend told him Avici was a level of Buddhist hell, according to a profile in GQ. He added an extra i because the name Avici was taken, the magazine reported.

His publicist announced the news of his death in a Friday statement.

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It is with profound sorrow that we announce the loss of Tim Bergling, also known as Avicii," read the statement. The family is devastated and we ask everyone to please respect their need for privacy in this difficult time. No further statements will be given.

Avicii had won two MTV Europe Music Awards and a Billboard Music Award.

Avicii stopped performing in 2016 due to complications from acute pancreatitis. His cause of death was not immediately known.

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This article was first written by Newsweek

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Ever since 20 million people took to American streets on April 22, 1970, over the lack of regulation of corporations pollution, Earth Day has been an annual chance to motivate citizens to do something good for the planet. The protests and the movement of which they were part helped lead to the creation that year of the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to do just that, and President Bill Clinton later awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom to environmentalist and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson for leading the charge in founding Earth Day.

Even so, some confusion remains over who founded Earth Day  and whether, as one headline put it, an Earth Day co-founder killed his girlfriend and composted her body. That confusion is thanks in part to the photo above, which shows a man standing at the podium for Philadelphias 1970 Earth Day observations.

The man in the photo is Ira Einhorn, who in the 1960s and early 70s was known as an academic expert on the counterculture movement. While teaching at his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania, he once reportedly broke out the joints, stripped naked and danced in the classroom, TIME reported  and at Harvard University he once said a little more hugging could do Harvard a lot of good. Despite his unconventional methods, he did have a way with conventional types, and was well known as a smooth-talker who could hook up fellow crusaders with funding for their various initiatives.

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Yet a decade later, Einhorn went from being known as a peace-loving hippie to being known as the Unicorn Killer.

On Mar. 28, 1979, a homicide detective discovered the body of Helen Holly Maddux rotting in a heap of newspaper and Styrofoam packing material in a trunk in Einhorns home 18 months after she had gone missing. Einhorn, who had dated Maddux, said it was a set-up, organized by sinister forces due to his antiwar activism. He fled the country just days before his trial was set to begin in 1981, but was tried in absentia and found guilty of murder in 1993. (Unicorn was his nickname because of the German meaning of his surname.) After being on the lam in Europe for more than 15 years, he was extradited to the U.S. to be convicted by a jury of first-degree murder in 2002 and sentenced to life in prison.

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But what about the Earth Day connection?

Rumors of his association with Earth Day started quickly; a 1988 book about Einhorn, The Unicorns Secret, makes the case that he purposefully spread the idea and quotes him as having told people that he planned, directed, and emceed the entire event. In press about the book, Einhorn was called the organizer of the event. That descriptor appeared to stick, and hes still sometimes referred to as a Master of Ceremonies of the Philadelphia Earth Day celebration.

When the murder investigation made news, that idea did too; TIME magazine was one of many news outlets that published the above photo and described Einhorn as a founder of Earth Day when covering the case.

In fact, two organizers of Philadelphias Earth Day celebration, Edward W. Furia and Austan S. Librach, wrote to TIME after the magazines article on the case ran, explaining that in fact  no matter what else Einhorn may have done or said  he wasnt the founder of Earth Day, and there was no meaningful link between Earth Day and this convicted murderer.

They also explained what was really happening in that photo: He was not even a member of the committee of 33 men and women who did [organize the event]. The photo you ran was taken during a one-hour period when Einhorn literally occupied the podium, refusing to get off the stage and delaying Senator Edmund Muskies keynote speech. It was an unsuccessful attempt  at least at that time  to seize 15 minutes of fame. Now a notorious murder, flight, trial in absentia and foreign capture are giving Einhorn the national media attention he so desperately craved.

Caption from LIFE. In a Washington D. C. ghetto, key Earth Day staffers (from left) Denis Hayes, Andrew Garling, Arturo Sandoval, Stephen Cotton, Barbara Reid and Bryce Hamilton gather for a group portrait.

1970 Earth Day staffer, Denis Hayes.

1970 Earth Day staffer, Arturo Sandoval.

1970 Earth Day staffer, Barbara Reid.

1970 Earth Day staffer, Stephen Cotton.

1970 Earth Day staffer, Bryce Hamilton.

1970 Earth Day staffer, Andrew Garling.

While that mystery may technically be solved, rumors of a connection between the founding of Earth Day and the crime still linger. (Einhorns involvement also led to a secondary debunked conspiracy theory, which is Einhorn chose April 22 for Earth Day because it was Vladimir Lenins birthday.) But these days, Earth Day activists are busy trying to debunk conspiracy theories, such as the one that global warming is a hoax, that are perhaps more worrisome than anything the original 1970 organizers could imagine.
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - A boat carrying 76 Rohingya Muslims landed in northwest Indonesia on Friday, the latest in what rights groups expect will be a wave of dangerous sea crossings by members of the persecuted minority from Myanmar. The group, which included eight children and 25 women, suffered from varying degrees of fatigue and dehydration, authorities said. "They docked at our port voluntarily and we have notified immigration and police about it," said Muzakkar A. Gani, deputy regent of Bireuen, a district on the northeast coast of Sumatra island where the boat arrived. Rights groups said last week that a boat carrying 70 Rohingya had left Myanmar for Malaysia, but it was not immediately clear if it was the same vessel that landed on Friday. This month, Indonesian fishermen rescued at least five Rohingya off Sumatra and media reported that five had died at sea. Tens of thousands of Rohingya fled from Myanmar by sea following an outbreak of violence in western Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2012. That exodus peaked in 2015, when an estimated 25,000 people fled across the Andaman Sea for Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, many drowning in unsafe and overloaded boats. Last year, according to rights groups and the United Nations, some 700,000 Rohingya fled from their homes in Myanmar to Bangladesh after Rohingya militant attacks in August sparked a military crackdown that the U.N. and Western nations have called ethnic cleansing. Buddhist-majority Myanmar rejects the accusation, saying its forces have been waging a legitimate campaign against "terrorists" who attacked government forces. Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population, usually accepts asylum-seekers arriving by boat but they have limited rights and many end up spending years in camps and detention centers. (Reporting by Reuters stringer in BANDA ACEH; Writing by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Darren Shuettler)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - A Brazilian prosecutor warned of "ecocide" in recommending against a drilling license for French oil major Total close to a huge coral reef near the mouth of the Amazon River.

The prosecutor's office for Amapa state said "the only way to guarantee avoiding environmental damage to the area is to deny the license."

"Authorizing oil drilling activity without adequate studies violates the international obligations that Brazil has signed," the prosecutor's office said late Wednesday, warning of "large-scale environmental destruction that would amount to ecocide and a crime against humanity."

The recommendation was sent to the government environmental agency Ibama, which has 10 days to respond.

On Tuesday, environmental campaigners Greenpeace said that a previously discovered coral reef had been found to extend right into where Total plans to drill.

The enormous reef was found in 2016, but is only now said to overlap directly with Total's blocks, 75 miles (120 km) off the Brazilian coast, the group said.

The finding, made during a research expedition, invalidates Total's environmental impact assessment, which is based on the reefs being located at least five miles (eight kilometers) from drilling, Greenpeace said.

Contacted by AFP, Total declined to comment.

In 2013, Total joined BP and Brazil's Petrobras to buy the exploration blocks near the mouth of the Amazon. But they have yet to secure the go-ahead from Brazilian environmental authorities to start drilling.

In August, the regulator Ibama told Total it would have to provide additional information.
By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday it would strongly support Zimbabwe's re-entry to the Commonwealth and praised President Emmerson Mnangagwa for impressive progress since Robert Mugabe was toppled in a military coup. But it said Mnangagwa, who became president following a military take-over, would still have to deliver on free and fair elections in July to win over Zimbabwe's critics at home and abroad. Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth network of 53 mostly former territories of the British Empire in 2003 after Mugabe, who had ruled Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980, came under criticism over disputed elections and land seizures from white farmers. "The UK would strongly support Zimbabwe's re-entry and a new Zimbabwe that is committed to political and economic reform that works for all its people," the Foreign Office said in a statement. As Harare looks to rebuild its international ties, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met his Zimbabwean counterpart Sibusiso Moyo and ministers from other nations over breakfast on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. Moyo - the general who went on state television in khaki fatigues last November to announce the military takeover - also met ministers from neighbouring African states and Australia at the breakfast. Mugabe cast himself as a liberation hero but opponents said he drove Zimbabwe's economy into the ground and made the country an international pariah. He was forced to step down in November during a coup and was replaced by Mnangagwa. Johnson praised Mnangagwa's record in office in the past 150 days but said a bellwether for the direction of a new Zimbabwe would be the election in July. "The Zimbabwe government must deliver the free and fair elections the people of Zimbabwe deserve and which it has promised," he said. The election will pit Mnangagwa against a clutch of opponents including 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa from the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change. David Coltart, a former education minister and member of parliament from the Movement for Democratic Change, said he was shocked by the speed with which Mnangagwa has been welcomed back to the fold after an unconstitutional seizure of power. "I am utterly appalled by the @Commonwealth18 and the British Government feting the #Zimbabwe regime," Coltart said on Twitter. The West imposed sanctions on Mugabe and members of his inner circle, accusing them of rigging a series of votes - charges they denied. Now Zimbabwe has said it will invite Western powers to monitor its national elections for the first time in more than 15 years. "President Mnangagwa has been in power for 150 days and while Zimbabwe has made impressive progress, there is still much to do," Johnson said. "That's why Britain, the Commonwealth and the wider international community will do everything it can in supporting Zimbabwe on its path of reform." "The UK stands ready in friendship to support a Zimbabwe that fully embraces the rule of law, human rights and economic reform," he said. (Additional reporting by Ed Cropley in Johannesburg; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Richard Balmforth)
By Alexis Akwagyiram LAGOS (Reuters) - President Muhammadu Buhari has drawn criticism from social media and the opposition alike for saying many young Nigerians think they need "do nothing" to enjoy free homes, hospitals and schooling because they live in an oil-rich country. Buhari, who said last week he will run for a second term in elections next February, made the comments in London where he is attending a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. "More than 60 percent of the population is below the age of 30," he told a business forum on Wednesday. "A lot of them haven't been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free." This went down badly with the very people the 75-year-old will need if he is to remain leader of Africa's top oil producer. The median age in the nation of around 190 million people is just 18, according to the United Nations. His remarks prompted the ironic hashtag #LazyNigerianYouths on Twitter even though Buhari, a former general who was also a military ruler in the 1980s, did not use the word "lazy". Young Nigerians cited examples of their industry and fortitude in a nation where most people live on less than $2 a day, public services are poor and corruption is rife. "Imagine living and surviving in a country that has no plan for you and constantly tries to make life hard, yet we survive and try to break through. We are not #LazyNigerianYouths," wrote Twitter user @UmehOMA. Others used another hashtag - #LazyNigeranPVC - in reference to the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) used to cast a ballot, linking Buhari's comments to next year's election. "Dear #LazyNigerianYouths 2019 is around the corner let us get our #LAZYNIGERIANPVC so that we can show him our Laziness," said one Twitter user called @Blessmhe. "UNPATRIOTIC" Buhari has promised to fix the economy and reduce Nigeria's dependence on oil but it fell into recession in 2016, largely due to low crude prices. Growth returned last year but remains sluggish, and four out of every 10 people in the workforce are unemployed or underemployed. The opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) described Buhari's comments as "false, derogatory and unpatriotic". "Most disheartening is that these are the same young persons who form the highest demography of voters that put their confidence in him in 2015," it said in a statement. The PDP, which was in power in 1999-2015, has not selected a presidential candidate. Buhari himself still requires his party's endorsement, although many see this as a formality. Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and erstwhile Buhari ally, said he backed the young. "I will never refer to Nigeria's youth as people who sit and do nothing. They are hardworking," Abubakar, who left the president's party in November and rejoined the PDP, said in a tweet. Abubakar, who has declared his readiness to run for president in 2019, also said "their entrepreneurial spirit, work ethic, and creative abilities are things of pride and should be applauded". Bashir Ahmad, a presidential aide, tweeted that Buhari had "always applauded and celebrated Nigerian youths who excel in different areas of endeavour, from sports, to academia, and other realms". (Additional reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; editing by David Stamp)
By Shu Zhang and Cate Cadell BEIJING (Reuters) - A state-backed Chinese trade body said compliance is now a core risk for Chinese firms and that the government must speed up the implementation of guidelines on corporate oversight following a U.S. ban on sales to ZTE Corp. U.S. authorities this week forbade American companies from sales to ZTE for seven years, saying the Chinese telecom company had broken a settlement agreement with repeated false statements - a move that threatens to cut off ZTE's supply chain. The ZTE case represents a "milestone" and government leaders should urge the company to boost compliance oversight to ease "disastrous" consequences, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) said in a policy proposal seen by Reuters. "We can see compliance risk has become a core risk for Chinese firms that join international competition," the trade body said in the proposal dated April 18. The authorities should introduce compliance training measures for government officials and business leaders, the body said. China is set to implement a set of new national standards on compliance management systems on July 1, as the government steps up efforts to monitor companies' overseas operations and strengthen their compliance management to curb risk. The trade body said the action against ZTE came "at a sensitive moment" in Sino-U.S. trade relations and so it cannot be ruled out that the United States is seeking to exert pressure on China through sanctions against ZTE. The United States and China have threatened each other with tens of billions of dollars in tariffs, fanning worries of an intensifying trade war. "The most urgent priority is to ease the disastrous impact on ZTE caused by U.S. sanctions through efforts from multiple sides," the CCPIT said, noting that it would be "unrealistic" to ask the Unites States to remove the order. It called on the government to go through informal channels to lobby key U.S. firms who sell components to ZTE, including Qualcomm Inc and IBM Corp, to seek leniency with U.S. Congress members on the matter, the proposal showed. The trade body said top compliance experts, including those working at ZTE's American suppliers and other multinational companies, had held a discussion this week on the U.S. sanctions to form the CCPIT's policy proposal. Calls to the CCPIT's news department went unanswered on Friday. ZTE did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. ZTE said on Friday that the U.S. ban on the sale of parts and software to the company was unfair and threatened its survival. It said it would safeguard its interests through all legal means. (Reporting by Shu Zhang and Cate Cadell; Additional Reporting by Sijia Jiang; Editing by Miyoung Kim)
Antananarivo (AFP) - One person died and 17 others were injured Saturday in clashes between Madagascar's security forces and thousands of opposition activists protesting against new election laws ahead of a vote later this year in the restive island nation.

Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana said in an address on state television that the country faced a "sad" day with the loss of a life during the demonstrations.

"According to the official report, there is one death and 17 wounded," he said.

Earlier, Olivat Alison Aimee Rakoto, head of the public hospital HJRA in Antananarivo, had told AFP that they had attended to "17 wounded..., one of whom succumbed to his wounds". He did not specify if the injured were protesters or police.

The premier said an investigation had been launched "to shed light on the cause of this death".

"We must now get rid of our habits of looking for solutions through violence," he said.

Authorities had earlier in the week declared the protest illegal but opposition activists defied the order and forged ahead with the demonstration, which saw thousands throng a public square outside city hall in the capital of Antananarivo.

Clashes erupted after police fired tear gas to try to disperse the protesters as the crowd grew and overwhelmed the security forces, occupying the square, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Some of the demonstrators reacted by hurling rocks at the officers.

The opposition has accused the government of President Hery Rajaonarimampianina of wanting to muzzle it through new electoral laws in the run-up to presidential and legislative elections due to be held in late November or December.

The opposition claims that three new laws, adopted earlier this month, favour the ruling party and put in place obstacles to the disadvantage of opponents.

Rajaonarimampianina is out of the country on official business, according to his office, which did not specify his location.

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"The message to the president of the republic who is out of the country, is that it would be good that you remain where you are," opposition lawmaker Hanitriniaina Razafimanantsoa said.

Elected in 2013, Rajaonarimampianina has not yet announced whether he will stand for re-election.

But two former heads of state have already mooted runs: Marc Ravalomanana, who was president from 2002 to 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, who removed him during a coup.

Both were barred from running in 2013 and their parties were behind Saturday's protests.

The Indian Ocean island nation endured several years of turmoil after Ravalomanana was ousted as president in the 2009 coup that led to the withdrawal of foreign investment and donor money.

Ravalomanana was overthrown following an army mutiny that allowed Rajoelina -- then Antananarivo mayor -- to become the country's unelected transition president until 2014.

Rajaonarimampianina's arrival in power brought a temporary end to Madagascar's long series of political crises.
Students across the United States have walked out of class to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre and demonstrate against gun violence in America.

The student demonstrations  planned in communities nationwide from Los Angeles, to Florida, and New York  carry with them a renewed urgency following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, where 17 people were killed in what is now the deadliest high school shooting since the Columbine attack 19 years ago.

In New Yorks Washington Square Park, several thousand students crowded in front of the parks iconic marble arch. Most of the demonstrators were not alive when two students killed 13 people at Columbine High School nearly two decades ago, shocking the nation and forcing schools to grapple with the new reality that their classes may be next.

I dont know what a world looks like without school lock downs. I dont know what a wold looks like without the looming threat of gun violence in schools, without us being taught  to hide under cover, or hide under this specific door because then the shooter wont see you, Harrison Picallo, a 16-year-old sophomore at Brooklyn Technical High School told The Independent.

These things have always been my life.

Jonathan Green, an early speaker from LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, boomed one of the central messages  and threats  of the demonstrators to the politicians in Washington and statehouses around the country where gun control legislation remains little more than an intangible concept.

Were here to say: Now is the time, he said. Your thoughts are not working and your inaction will not be tolerated anymore.

Some of us will be able to vote in 2018, he said, to thunderous applause.

Most of us will be able to vote in 2020, he continued. We will not forget.

In communities across the country, students held their own demonstrations as well, maintaining momentum for the movement while providing the opportunity to students to register to vote before November, when polls will open for the midterm elections.

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Students at a Kansas City area high school were pictured walking along their track with wooden crosses. In Lafayette, Indiana, students left class carrying signs that read protect me not your guns. They left school in Arlington, Virginia; in Nashville, Tennessee; in Grand Blanc, Michigan; in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; in Souther California; and, of course, in Parkland, Florida.

Maya Brady-Ngugi, an 18-year-old senior at Bard High School in Manhattan, emphasised that the issue is not just a mass school shooting problem. It is one that touches on lives in all communities, she said, and the current movement must embrace an intersectional approach to make sure that its not just in white and affluent communities where gun violence is ended.

Every single time there is a shooting of a black person, and I hear about it, Im personally affected by that, Ms Brady Ngugi, who is black, said.  There are black people who are dying, and people, honestly, dont care. I could die and there would just be nothing done.

The walkouts follow after months of intense debate surrounding Americas gun laws, led by students including those who survived the Parkland shooting on Valentines Day.

One month after that shooting, students held a similar school walkout to the one Friday, calling for an end to the gun violence epidemic that impacts all communities  from the affluent city of Parkland to struggling minority communities in the south side of Chicago.

We hear about this every day. Ever since I was a child, I remember hearing about Columbine, I remember hearing about Sandy Hook [in 2012]  I was in 7th grade  and now Im a senior, and this is still happening. I really dont know why it is still happening, Nande Trant, a 17-year-old senior in Brooklyn, told The Independent at the March walkout. It needs to stop.

Following that walkout, hundreds of thousands of people marched in Washington and across the country for the March for Our Lives demonstration that called on politicians to change gun laws  or face the wrath of a young and emerging electorate that organisers are pushing to register for the first time.

The pressure from students has led so far to limited successes in statehouses across the country.

In Florida, politicians passed passed rare gun control measures that lifted the age required to buy a firearm, while also allocating funds to boost school security. In Vermont, the state legislatures passed a series of gun control measures for the first time, including one that allowed authorities to take guns from a man who planned a school shooting, but was caught. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo pushed for and implemented measures that allow courts to take firearms from people convicted of domestic violence abuses.

We need greater and better gun control laws, Christopher Lane, an 11-year-old 6th grade student at Kipp Infinity Middle School and a keynote speaker at the New York walkout, said. Even though the Second Amendment says you have the right to bear arms, it doesnt mean you have the right to shoot up a school with an AR-15, or a weapon of war.

Ian Desoucey, a 17-year-old senior at Brooklyn Technical High School who will be of voting age by the coming midterm elections in November, said that the expectation that the energy to change gun laws would diminish are ill-placed. He was organizing an event on the 19th anniversary of a high school shooting, after all.

The fact of the matter is its not going to peter out because gun violence isnt going anywhere, he said. Even if our organizers sputter out, theres going to be another shooting. This isnt going away. Its not going away, so we need to do something.
Donald Trump tweeted the recently released memos show no collusion  but that might not be the conclusion that jumps out most

Donald Trump shakes hands with Jamese Comey at the White House on 22 January 2017. Photograph: REX/Shutterstock

Beginning in January 2017, when he first met Donald Trump, James Comey, then FBI director, carefully described each of his interactions with the new president in memos he shared with top deputies and lawyers within the agency. Comey said he wrote the memos because he thought the president might later lie about those interactions.

Seven of the memos, running as long as four pages each, were released on Thursday night on the initiative of Republicans in Congress, who have accused Comey of leaking classified information by causing some of the material to be passed to the press.

Although the memos undercut that accusation  most of them are stamped unclassified and others are slightly redacted  Trump publicized them with an unusual late-night tweet on Thursday claiming that they show clearly that there was NO COLLUSION and NO OBSTRUCTION.

Those might not be the conclusions that jump out for most readers. Here are six takeaways:

Comeys story is consistent

Descriptions in the memos of key interactions with the president are consistent with descriptions Comey has given elsewhere, including in testimony before Congress and in his new book, A Higher Loyalty.

In one memo, Comey describes a private dinner in which Trump said I need loyalty. In another memo, Comey describes a private meeting in which Trump asked him to let go of an investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Trump has flatly denied that either scene took place. I hardly know the man, he said of Comey in June 2017, denying he asked for loyalty. Im not going to say: I want you to pledge allegiance. Who would do that?

In another denial, Trump tweeted in December 2017: I never asked Comey to stop investigating Flynn. Just more Fake News covering another Comey lie!

The Comey memos, which are clearly contemporaneous accounts written with the even tone and careful eye of a practiced criminal investigator, seem to lend weight to Comeys version of events, and indicate that it is Trump who is the liar.

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Trump returned constantly to the prostitutes story

In January 2017, it fell to Comey to describe to the president allegations, summarized by former British spy Christopher Steele, that Trump had been with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel room during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant. In five of the seven Comey memos, Trump discusses the allegations, which included a description of the prostitutes urinating.

Heres how Comey describes Trump talking about the allegations:

I said the Russians allegedly had tapes involving him and prostitutes at the presidential suite at the Ritz Carlton in Moscow from about 2013. He interjected: There were no prostitutes; there were never prostitutes. He then said something about him being the kind of guy who didnt need to go there and laughed (which I understood to be communicating that he didnt need to pay for sex) 

At about this point, he turned to what he called the golden showers thing and recounted much of what he had said previously on that topic  He said he thought maybe he should ask me to investigate the whole thing to prove it was a lie. I did not ask any questions. I replied that it was up to him, but that I wouldnt want to create a narrative that we were investigating him, because we are not and I worried such a thing would be misconstrued.

The president brought up the golden showers thing and said it really bothered him if his wife had any doubt about it  The president said the hookers thing is nonsense but that Putin had told him we have some of the most beautiful hookers in the world.

He then went on at great length, explaining that he has nothing to do with Russia  was not involved with hookers in Russia (Can you imagine me, hookers? I have a beautiful wife, and it has been very painful), is bringing a personal lawsuit against Christopher Steele, always advised people to assume they were being recorded in Russia, has accounts now from those who traveled with him to Miss Universe pageant [sic] that he didnt do anything, etc.

Trump wanted to go after the reporters

Early in his administration, Trump was taken aback by the publication of details of phone calls he held with foreign heads of state and other leaks. The president and Comey had multiple bracing calls about the topic, according to the memos, in which Comey wants to go after the leakers and Trump suggests jailing reporters.

I explained that the FBI gathers intelligence in part to equip the president to make decisions, Comey writes, and if people run around telling the press what we do, that ability will be compromised. I said I was eager to find leakers and would like to nail one to the door as a message. I said something about it being difficult and he replied that we need to go after the reporters, and referred to the fact that 10 or 15 years ago we put them in jail to find out what they knew, and it worked. He mentioned Judy Miller by name. I explained that I was a fan of pursuing leaks aggressively but that going after reporters was tricky, for legal reasons and because [Department of Justice] tends to approach it conservatively. He replied by telling me to talk to Sessions and see what we can do about being more aggressive. I told him I would speak to the attorney general 

The president then wrapped up our conversation by returning to the issue of finding leakers. I said something about the value of putting a head on a pike as a message. He replied by saying it may involve putting reporters in jail. They spend a couple days in jail, make a new friend and they are ready to talk. I laughed as I walked to the door Reince Priebus had opened.

The memos are precise

The precision of observation in the Comey memos would seem to further bolster the former FBI directors credibility in the he-said, he-said war with Trump. Of his private dinner with Trump in the White House Green room, Comey writes: The conversation, which was pleasant at all times, was chaotic, with topics touched, left, then returned to later, making it very difficult to recount in a linear fashion 

At various times, he talked about the inauguration and crowd size, the campaign and his effective use of free media (earned media), the extraordinary luxury of the White House (which he compared favorably to Mar-a-Lago), his many activities during the day and week, his young sons height, the viciousness of the campaign (where I interjected about Adams and Jefferson; he said he had been given a book about it, which was upstairs), how he had not been mocking a handicapped reporter, had not assaulted any of the women who claimed he did (reviewing in detail several of the allegations), and many other things.

Trump questioned Flynns judgment

In a 28 January 2017 memo describing his private dinner with the president, Comey writes that Trump had deep reservations about the judgment of his national security adviser, whom Trump would remove two weeks later.

He then went on to explain that he has serious reservations about Mike Flynns judgment and illustrated with a story from that day, Comey writes. In the story, Trump tells British prime minister Theresa May that she had been the first foreign leader to call him after his inauguration, when Flynn interrupted to say that actually a different foreign leader, whose name is redacted from the memo, had called prior to May.

Trump then confronted Flynn and grew heated that he did not know about the earlier call, Comey writes, concluding: In telling the story, the president pointed his fingers at his head and said: The guy has serious judgment issues.

Later, chief of staff Reince Priebus, whom the Trump administration offered as Comeys White House liaison, asks Comey if Flynn was under surveillance. Comey replied that the direct question was not appropriate but then answered the question. The answer he gave was redacted.

Trump had mastery of the details

The president has often appeared indifferent to or incapable of mastering the details of policy. (On healthcare: Nobody knew healthcare could be this complicated; on North Korea: After listening [to Chinas Xi Jinping] for 10 minutes, I realized its not so easy.)

But Comey, who has told interviewers he thinks Trump is of above average intelligence, describes a deep understanding on the part of the president of how he, Comey, had thrice taken the public stage during the election.

He knew the sequence of events extremely well, breaking them down in his lexicon into Comey One, Comey Two and Comey Three developments, and he walked through how he saw each played out during the campaign, in great detail.
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he will give the commencement address at the United States Naval Academy in May. Last year, the president gave a speech at the commencement ceremony at Liberty University, which gave him an honorary law degree, and at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

So exciting! I have agreed to be the Commencement Speaker at our GREAT Naval Academy on May 25th in Annapolis, Maryland. Looking forward to being there, Trump tweeted.

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Vice President Mike Pence gave the commencement speech at the Naval Academy last year and spoke at the University of Notre Dame graduation ceremony. Pences address at Notre Dame prompted a group of graduates to walk out in protest, The Hill reported.

This year, Pence will speak at Hillsdale College, a conservative Christian college in Michigan.

The commander-in-chief and his second-in-command are part of an annual list of politicians to speak at commencement ceremonies. Here is a roundup of political leaders speaking at commencements this year:

Senator Kamala Harris (D-California) will speak at the University of California, Berkeley on May 12. Meanwhile, civil rights leader Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia) will give the commencement address at the University of California, San Diego on June 16. Lewis will also head Harvard Universitys 367th commencement on May 24.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton will be the featured speaker during the senior class day at her alma mater, Yale, on May 20. Clinton graduated from Yale Law School in 1973. The former Democratic presidential nominee spoke at her other alma mater, Wellesley College, during last years graduation ceremony.

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Clintons former running mate, Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) is set to address Radford Universitys graduating class on May 5.

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The recently fired former secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, is scheduled to address the graduating class at the Virginia Military Institute on May 16, CNN reported. The military institute announced Tillerson as commencement speaker in February when he was still part of the Trump administration.

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter will be at Liberty University this year. The 93-year-old will give the commencement address to the graduating class on May 19. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson will also be a speaker at Liberty University where he will address the first graduating class of the universitys College of Osteopathic Medicine on May 19.

Al Gore, former vice president to Bill Clinton, is set to speak at the University of Maryland, College Park on May 20, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garrett is one of several speakers this year at Southern New Hampshire University. Garrett will address the graduating class of the College of Online and Continuing Education on May 13.

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is scheduled to speak at Campbell Universitys law school graduation on May 11. Meanwhile, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey will speak at MassBay Community College on May 17, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor and billionaire philanthropist, will address the graduating class of Rice University in Houston, Texas on May 12.

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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will speak to New York Universitys 2018 class on May 16 at Yankee Stadium. Trudeau will receive an honorary doctorate of laws from the university, NYU announced earlier in April.

Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) will be busy this commencement season. The junior New Jersey senator is set to give commencement speeches at Franklin & Marshall College on May 12 and Kean University on May 17. According to CNN, Booker will also speak at Princeton Universitys Class Day on June 4.

Fellow Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) will also be busy this year. Warner is set to address the University of Virginias College at Wise on May 5, the College of William and Mary on May 12 and Virginia State University on May 13.

Several members of Congress will give graduation speeches in their home states. Senator Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) will address the graduating class of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on May 5. Senator Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) is set to address the small graduating class of York College in York, Nebraska on May 5.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) will speak at the University of Minnesota, Morris on May 12.

Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) will address the graduating senior class at Colby College on May 27.

Representative Luis Guiterrez (D-Illinois) will return to address his alma mater, Northeastern Illinois University, on May 7.

Representative Ted Lieu (D-California) will speak to the graduating class of UCLA School of Law on May 11.

Some governors will also get in on the action. Ohio Governor John Kasich will speak to Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government class of 2018 on May 23. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf will speak at York College in Pennsylvania on May 12.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown will give addresses at the University of Colorado Boulder on May 10 and the Oregon Institute of Technology on June 16. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam will stay in his home state and will address Virginia Techs graduating class on May 11.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
The Democratic Party has filed a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the campaign of Donald Trump, the Russian government and Wikileaks, alleging all three conspired to swing the 2016 presidential election and saying the former reality television star did so gleefully.

In the latest twist to a saga that has consumed much of the Trump presidency, a lawsuit filed in New York by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) claims senior members of the Trump campaign collaborated with the Russian government and its military spy agency in order to help the now-president and hurt his rival, Hillary Clinton. Among those named in the suit are Mr Trumps eldest son and his son-in-law.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Russia launched an all-out assault on our democracy, and it found a willing and active partner in Donald Trumps campaign, DNC Chairman Tom Perez said in a statement on Friday morning.

This constituted an act of unprecedented treachery: the campaign of a nominee for president of the United States, in league with a hostile foreign power to bolster its own chance to win the presidency.

The civil lawsuit, filed almost 18 months since Mr Trump secured the presidency in a result that surprised most political observers, comes as Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether there were links between the campaign and Moscows alleged meddling in the election. Both President Trump and President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly denied any such interference or collusion.

So far, Mr Mueller has filed charges against four former members of Mr Trumps team, including former campaign manager Paul Manafort, who has pleaded not guilty to more than a dozen charges. He also brought charges against a Dutch lawyer, 13 Russian nationals and three Russian organisations.

The Washington Post said the lawsuit, which seeks millions of dollars in damages, echoes a similar move enacted by the DNC during the Watergate scandal.

In 1972, the DNC sued former president Richard Nixons re-election committee seeking $1m (714,000) in damages for the break-in at Democratic headquarters in the Watergate building in Washington DC. They eventually won $750,000 (535,000).

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This time, the DNC is seeking compensation from the various plaintiffs for allegedly hacking the computer networks of the Democratic Party and disseminating stolen material found there, purportedly through Wikileaks.

Wikileaks has never revealed where it obtained the DNC emails that it published on several occasions during the campaign, most notably on the eve of the Democratic Partys convention in Philadelphia in July  the same day Mr Trump was revealed in an Access Hollywood video from 2005 apparently bragging about sexually assaulting women.

Mr Trump, who has told his lawyers he is prepared to sit and be interviewed by Mr Mueller as he believes he will be cleared by the probe, is not personally named in the suit as a defendant.

Rather, it identifies a series of members of his campaign team who are known to have met Russian officials during the campaign, among them Mr Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates.

Explosively, it also names the presidents eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, and Mr Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner. Both men have denied any wrongdoing, even after it was revealed they took part in a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer at Trump Tower in June 2016, who had allegedly told them she had incriminating material on Ms Clinton.

Mr Mueller already charged Mr Manafort and Gates with money laundering, fraud and tax evasion, in a case brought last year. In February, Gates pleaded guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI, and is cooperating with investigators. Mr Manafort has pleaded not guilty.

The DNC lawsuit also names the Russian military intelligence service, the GRU, as a defendant, which has been accused by the US government of orchestrating the hacks, as well as WikiLeaks, and the groups founder Julian Assange.

The lawsuit was also filed against Roger Stone, the long-time ally of Mr Trump who said during the campaign that he was in contact with Mr Assange.

The Post said the lawsuit contained previously undisclosed details, including the specific date when the Russians allegedly breached the DNC computer system: 27 July 2015.

According to forensic evidence cited in the filing, the partys system was breached again on 18 April 2016 and, the hackers began siphoning documents and information from DNC systems on 22 April.

The suit notes that four days later, Mr Trumps then foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was informed by Josef Mifsud, a London-based professor, that the Russians were in possession of thousands of emails that could be damaging to Ms Clinton. Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to a charge brought by Mr Mueller of lying to FBI agents.

The first release of the DNC emails on the eve of the partys conference revealed that members of the supposedly neutral committee had been working to help Ms Clintons campaign, and damage that of her primary rival, Senator Bernie Sanders. As the scandal spread, DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned.

Mr Trump was at the time quick to seize on the DNCs misfortune, urging Russia to hack his rivals emails and help find thousands of emails that went missing from the personal email server that she improperly used during her time as secretary of state.

I will tell you this, Russia: If youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Mr Trump said at a news conference in Florida. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.

The White House directed enquiries to the Trump campaign. There was no immediate response from Mr Assange or the Russian government to the lawsuit.

Mr Stone said the lawsuit was based on a left-wing conspiracy theory. NO proof or evidence, he he told Reuters.

The Trump campaign dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous. This is a sham lawsuit about a bogus Russian collusion claim filed by a desperate, dysfunctional, and nearly insolvent Democratic Party, said Brad Parscale, Campaign Manager of Donald J Trump for President Inc.

With the Democrats conspiracy theories against the presidents campaign evaporating as quickly as the failing DNCs fundraising, theyve sunk to a new low to raise money, especially among small donors who have abandoned them.
Pot may be legal in eight US states and the capital, but tokers getting behind the wheel on a national weed appreciation day could be in for a downer as police forces crack down on intoxicated drivers.

In places like California, where recreational marijuana has been legal since January, law enforcement officials and doctors are worried about an increase in people arrested for erratic driving and hospitalized with overdoses.

The issue is particularly acute on April 20, or 4/20, a national day of celebration in cannabis culture -- especially after 4:20 pm when usage surges.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association which looked at 25 years of data on fatal crashes in the US found that the risk was 12 percent higher between 4:20 pm and midnight on April 20, compared to the same time frame a week earlier and a week later.

The penalty for driving under the influence (DUI) applies to both alcohol and other forms of drugs.

There is a serious "lack of knowledge on the users, so they still feel like 'I thought I can drive, it's all legal now,'" said John Hernandez, an eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.

- 'We're all OK' -

On a recent cool weeknight Hernandez pulled over a DUI suspect at a police checkpoint. The first thing he noticed was that the car reeked of pot.

The driver, a slim, well-dressed 20 year-old man with bloodshot eyes, told Hernandez that he smoked some pot at noon, nearly nine hours earlier.

His three friends in the vehicle, all about the same age, protested. "He's OK, we're all OK," said the sole woman in the group.

Hernandez was unconvinced, and put the suspect through a standard DUI roadside test: walk in a straight line, stand on one leg, touch your nose.

"I told him 'Put your hands on your side,' but he had his hands way out there, like an airplane," Hernandez told AFP. "It looked like he's trying to fly away or trying to keep his balance."

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The suspect said he was nervous, and that was causing his legs to be shaky -- "but that's also a sign of someone who's under the influence of cannabis," Hernandez said.

The young man failed the test.

Hernandez slapped on the handcuffs and sent him to a nearby bench to join other suspects waiting for a ride to the police station.

At the station the suspects are placed behind bars until the marijuana effects wear off. Next will come a court date, the likely loss of their driver's license, and the stain of a criminal conviction.

- 'Like a gun' -

Aside from weed for smoking, marijuana dispensaries sell items like pot-based candy and chocolate.

Experts warn that children could seriously overdose if they mistake the weed sweets for regular candy.

Mark Morocco, a professor and emergency care physician in Los Angeles, said doctors have seen a "gradual but progressive increase" in pediatric marijuana overdose cases since January.

Children in a pot haze usually just seem "altered," Morocco told AFP.

Doctors first have to rule out an infection or a trauma, the two leading causes of death or injury of pre-teen children.

Then they have to consider "more rare and more insidious" possibilities, such as an overdose of prescription medicine.

A marijuana overdose is "the last thing we think about," he said.

Overdosing on pot is not lethal, and the treatment is rest until the effects wear out. In the case of a minor, a social worker must also be called in.

Morocco tells parents to treat marijuana the same as prescription medicine, or "like a gun -- you need to have positive control over it in your house."
Emily Thornberry was booed by a Question Time audience last night after she denied Russia was interfering in a chemical weapons inspection by officials in Syria.

The shadow foreign secretary faced an angry backlash when she suggested that delays holding up inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were the result of the United Nations and its red tape...and their safety stuff.

Last night commentators on social media claimed that her remarks were strikingly similar to those made by Russian minister Sergei Ryabkov, who said earlier this week that inspectors had not been given UN approval to carry out their mission. They had.

The latest controversy follows the decision by the UK, France and the US to launch strikes against the Assad regime for a suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta.

Reports suggest that as many as 75 people were killed during the attack, thought to have been carried out by Syrian regime forces, while several hundred were injured.

Inspectors from the OPCW have been sent to Syria to examine the site of the attack but have been prevented from accessing the area after a UN security team were fired upon on Wednesday whilst doing reconnaissance.

The Syrian regime and Russia have since been blamed for the incident, with the US defence secretary General Jim Mattis accusing President Assad of attempting to clean up the evidence before the investigation team gets in.

Support for air strikes on Syria has increased in the past week

His comments were last night echoed by Liz Truss, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, who told the BBC audience that the Russians have stopped the weapons inspectors from coming in.

They have stopped action being taken and the reality is these dreadful chemical weapons that have been used to flush out innocent citizens from their homes in Syria have been backed, not just by the Assad regime but also Russia has turned a blind eye and Russia is on the security council, she added.

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Russia frankly is a rogue state that has been allowed to do this.

However, to the frustration of other panelists, Ms Thornberry fired back that she did not accept the allegation against Russia, adding: My understanding is that its a United Nations problem with their red tape and their safety and getting their safety stuff through.

Turning to who was responsible for the attack, Ms Thornberry also appeared to cast doubt on the conclusions drawn by the UK, French and US Governments on the Syrian regimes culpability.

Syria strikes | Read latest

I was at the Security Council discussion when it was first happening and you have the Americans on one side saying of course it was the Russians and Assad who were responsible for these chemicals and the Russians were saying there were no chemicals used at all, she continued.

Listen, whatever my personal opinion is, there are weapon inspectors in Damascus and they are going in and what they need to do is they need to prove that the chemical weapons were used and that is the baseline and that is where we start.

I want Assad prosecuted for this and if he is going to be prosecuted we need to have evidence that everyone can agree on.

It comes after Jeremy Corbyn was openly challenged by his own MPs after he suggested that other parties could have been responsible for the attack because they had access to chlorine gas.

Meanwhile, a group of senior MPs have today formed a cross-party group to to ensure Britain can respond to any aggression from Russia "from an informed standpoint".

Support for air strikes on Syria by party vote

The group will be lead by Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, and will be also be guided by senior Tory Nicky Morgan, who chairs the treasury committee.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Tugendhat said that Britain could be doing "a lot more" to put pressure on Vladimir Putin's "gangster" regime.

He added that the UK should follow the United States lead in bringing harsh sanctions against close associates of the Russian president in the wake of Salisbury and the chemical weapons attacks. "I am very keen that we respond in a particularly targeted fashion against those who are effectively the oligarchs, the princes around the new emperor in the Kremlin, he added.

"I think it is important we target those who support Putin and his effective gangster regime.

"There is a lot more we can do and the reaction of the recent sanctions from the US on the Russian government were extremely powerful and were very clearly noted by the Kremlin regime."
Rome (AFP) - European Parliament leader Antonio Tajani called on authorities to pursue those who ordered the killing of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia after colleagues published more of her investigations and delved into the mystery surrounding her death.

Caruana Galizia was murdered last year in a car bombing after exposing entrenched corruption among Malta's elite, and this week journalists released a series of revelations that emerged from documents she had left behind.

Three men have been arrested for the murder, but Tajani says authorities should investigate if higher powers ordered the killing of Caruana Galizia.

"We're not going to shut up, we're not going to stop investigating until we find who sent Daphne Caruana Galizia's killers," Tajani said in an interview published on Saturday by Italian daily La Repubblica.

Tajani, 64, says the journalist's death must be resolved if Europe wants to differentiate itself from countries where journalists are routinely killed or imprisoned for political reasons.

"We have to be hard, otherwise how can we complain about (Vladimir) Putin or (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan?"

La Repubblica is the Italian representative on the "Daphne Project", which has seen journalists from 18 media outlets around the world secretly sifting through documents.

Caruana Galizia, 53 when she was killed, gained a huge audience by shedding light on the dark-side of Maltese politics.

In the years leading up to her death she had gone after the ruling Labour party, virulently attacking Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and more recently had also targeted the leader of the opposition.

"Investigations can't favour one political side, they have to uncover the truth and make it clear that in Europe you can't kill journalists when they discover something inconvenient," said Tajani.
Mark Zuckerberg (Picture Getty)

Facebooks privacy settings are notoriously complicated and difficult to get to grips with  and theyre about to change once again.

In the coming days, all European Facebook users will be asked to review their privacy settings  and how much information they share with Facebook.

Its not a knee-jerk reaction to the Cambridge Analytica scandal  its to do with new European privacy regulations, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which come into force on May 25.

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Facebook has avoided these regulations for users outside Europe, by moving non-EU users to being governed by Facebook Inc in the U.S. rather than Facebook Ireland.

This move will mean that up to 70% of Facebook users wont be subject to Europes tough new privacy laws (which will remain in place in Britain even after Brexit).

All users in the UK will have to agree to a new set of regulations and privacy rules in the EU in the coming days  and users elsewhere will also have to review their privacy settings.

Erin Egan, VP and Chief Privacy Officer, Policy said, Were introducing new privacy experiences for everyone on Facebook as part of the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including updates to our terms and data policy.

Everyone  no matter where they live  will be asked to review important information about how Facebook uses data and make choices about their privacy on Facebook. Well begin by rolling these choices out in Europe this week.

Heres what the new rules mean.

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Websites which track you

Facebook is revamping its privacy settings (Getty)

Users will be asked to choose whether to opt for ads based on data from Facebook partners  in other words, sites and apps which track you using Facebook tools.

Facebook has done this for years, but users will now be asked whether they want ads personalised using data from websites they visit.

Facebook says, Well ask people to review information about this type of advertising, and to choose whether or not they want us to use data from partners to show them ads.

Your profile information

Facebooks new privacy settings will also walk you through the information you share on your profile  such as relationship status and political leanings.

Facebooks new settings (Facebook)

Revealing details about your personal politics or your religious leanings can put employers off, security experts at Norton warn.

Facebook will now ask all users to review what theyve shared and give the option to delete it.

Facebook says, well ask you to choose whether to continue sharing and letting us use this information. Including this information on your profile is completely optional. Were making it easier for people to delete it if they no longer want to share it.

Face recognition

Facebook has started contacting users about facial recognition this week.

Users are asked to click a single button to accept and continue if they want to turn on facial recognition, but if they want to turn it off, they must take a little more time by going into their manage data setting options.

The software will allow the social network to recognise people in pictures, letting their friends tag them online.

The technology is already used in the US to tag people in photos, but Facebook was forced to drop similar plans for EU users in 2011 after protests from privacy campaigners and regulators.

Facebook is now explicitly asking European users for consent to facial recognition pic.twitter.com/YErXPGjFPE  Jennifer Cobbe (@jennifercobbe) April 16, 2018

Facebook has introduced the opt-in ahead of GDPR  but not all experts are convinced that the biometric technology complies with the terms of the regulations.

Irelands data protection commissioner Helen Dixon told the BBC: There are a number of outstanding issues on which we await further responses from Facebook.

In particular, the Irish DPC is querying the technology around facial recognition and whether Facebook needs to scan all faces  i.e. those without consent as well  to use the facial recognition technology.

The issue of compliance of this feature with GDPR is therefore not settled at this point.

Facebooks updated terms of service

A key feature of GDPR is to stop companies assuming they have rights to peoples data  instead people have to actively consent.

This means all Facebook users will have to agree to letting Facebook use their data.

Facebook says that the new Terms of Service dont give it any additional rights over customer data  but that they make clearer how peoples data can be used.

Facebooks new settings (Facebook)

Facebook says, ;We will also ask people to agree to our updated terms of service and data policy, which include more detail in response to questions about how our services work. Were not asking for new rights to collect, use or share your data on Facebook.

New privacy shortcuts

This change was well overdue, so its a welcome part of the Facebook GDPR updates  its made its privacy menus clearer and easier to access.

Facebook says, The new Settings and Privacy Shortcuts features we announced last month were built with GDPR in mind, and people will start seeing them this week. Our recently-expanded tools for accessing your information will allow people to see their data, delete it, and easily download and export it.

New rules for users aged 13-18

Facebook has revamped the rules for young users  who will now require parental consent for features such as sharing political views on their profiles.

Facebook has turned off facial recognition for users under 18, and blocks them from setting their posts to Public.

Other features require parental consent.

Facebook says, Under GDPR, people between the ages of 13 and 15 in some EU countries need permission from a parent or guardian to allow some features on Facebook  seeing ads based on data from partners and including religious and political views or interested in on your profile.
Washington (AFP) - France criticized Washington's trade tactics on Friday, demanding Europe be permanently exempt from US steel tariffs, while refusing to be drawn into a "vain and pointless" trade fight with China.

"We will not be satisfied with a provisional exemption," French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

"The increased tariffs cannot weigh like a sword of Damocles on trade relations among states," he said, warning that France would not "enter a battle with China."

"This would be vain and pointless."

The "real matter is redefining trade multilateralism while acknowledging the reality of China," he added, saying reforms were necessary in Chinese trade practices that have long faced criticism as unfair and overly subject to state intervention.

"We have difficulties in steel overcapacity. We have an issue on the protection of our technologies, we do not want the plunder of French technolgies," said Le Maire.

The remarks, which partly restated earlier positions taken by France, come less than two weeks before Washington's metal tariff exemptions are due to expire for major trading partners, including Europe, Mexico, Canada and others.

Le Maire's statements constituted a pointed rebuttal to Washington's stance in the trade tensions that have hung over this week's meetings, a traditional bastion of trade liberalizaton.

IMF chief Christine Lagarde and World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo have warned new trade barriers and sabre-rattling on commerce threatened to undermine the global economic recovery.

European and American officials said last month they had begun talks to resolve differences over metal imports after President Donald Trump unveiled the punishing tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum.

But US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told the gathering on Friday that unfair trade was itself a threat to global prosperity and called on the IMF to "step up to the plate" in addressing global imbalances.

Le Maire said he was heartened that European member countries had maintained a united front in dealing in the trade talks.

"I am delighted that efforts at division did not work and that no country has given in to the urge to negotiate separately," he said.
Paris (AFP) - France urged the Syrian regime and its ally Moscow on Friday to grant weapons inspectors immediate access to the site of an alleged chemical attack, accusing them of "obstruction" aimed at eroding the quality of the evidence.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), who arrived in Damascus last Saturday, needed "full, immediate and unhindered access" to the site in the town of Douma.

Their mission has been put on hold after a United Nations security assessment team were fired at, and officials at the OPCW have said that Russian and Syrian forces have likely removed key evidence.

"At this time the OPCW investigators still have no access to the chemical attack site in Douma. If Russia and Syria ultimately abide by their commitments, it will take (the investigators) at least two weeks," Le Drian said in a statement.

"The OPCW mission has as its goal establishing whether a chemical attack indeed took place and identifying the nature of the chemical agent used. This obstruction will obviously harm the quality of the investigation," he added.

"It seems likely that this attitude is intended to make proof and material evidence linked to the chemical attack disappear."

France joined the United States and Britain in launching air strikes a week ago against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, in retaliation against an alleged chemical attack in Douma which local medics said killed at least 40 people.

Le Drian said Russia was issuing "contradictory official statements on the chemical attack".

"One day the attack didn't take place, the next, it was carried out by armed groups," he said.

"A day later, it's a Western manipulation. There's no concern for either coherence or truth when it comes to sowing doubt and confusion."

He reiterated France's assertion that it has conclusive evidence of a chemical attack in Douma on April 7 as well as proof that it was carried out by the regime.
Arrests have already been made in Newnan, Ga., as police gear up for a possible clash between neo-Nazi demonstrators and counter-protesters on Saturday.

Before a rally planned by the neo-Nazi, white supremacist group the National Socialist Movement (NSM) had even begun, police had arrested anti-fascist counter-protesters who were blocking roads and wearing face masks, Fox 5 Atlanta reports. Images posted on Twitter also show heavily armed police officers pointing weapons at seemingly unarmed counter-protesters.

A cop points a gun at a protester #Newnan pic.twitter.com/wsQuy6LqVx  Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) April 21, 2018

The NSM rally, which was scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., got started around 4 p.m., when a small group of NSM members entered Newnans Greenville Street Park, according to a Facebook live video posted by Fox 5. The NSM crowd looks to be far outnumbered by counter-protesters, who gathered outside the limits of the park.

Counter-protesters were directed to stay on a nearby street, according to city officials. Members of groups including Antifa, the Democratic Socialists of America and the Workers Solidarity Alliance were expected to turn out in opposition of NSM, USA Today reports.

The dueling gatherings bring to mind a similar face-off last year in Charlottesville, Va., which left a woman dead and sparked outrage and protests across the country.

The Newnan Police Department is planning regular patrols before, during and after the demonstrations and is closing nearby roads to traffic. More than 20 public safety departments were consulted leading up to the event, and approximately 400 public safety officers were set to be on hand, according to Newnan officials. Many businesses will also close on Saturday, in an effort to keep people away from the downtown area.

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Our No. 1 priority is the safety of our people and their property, Newnan Police Chief Douglas Buster Meadows told USA Today.

Meanwhile, many businesses stayed open late on Friday night through an event deemed #NewnanStrong, which was meant to celebrate the diversity in our community and make up for revenue that businesses would lose on Saturday. The organizers are also encouraging the citizens of Newnan to counter Saturdays rally with positivity online and in person.

Celebrate your neighbors, co-workers, the people that you interact with every week that bring value to your life, they wrote on their website. There will be plenty of hate happening in the park on Saturday. Let us overpower that with a flood of community and love on Insta and FB.
BERLIN (Reuters) - German lawmakers will question a senior Facebook Inc manager about data privacy in the wake of revelations that the personal information of millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house of parliament will grill Joel Kaplan, Facebook's vice president for global public policy, during a closed-door session on Friday morning. The meeting mirrors the appearance of Facebook's Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg before a U.S. Congressional joint hearing on April 10-11 over the scandal engulfing the world's largest social network. The 87 million Facebook users affected included nearly three million Europeans and Zuckerberg is also under pressure from EU lawmakers to come to Europe to shed light on the data breach. "Facebook needs to show more openness and transparency when dealing with user data," said Nadine Schoen, deputy leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc in the Bundestag. She said Facebook needed to do more than just pay lip service and it remained to be seen how serious the company was about really improving user rights. "It is not enough to exchange the gray T-shirt and jeans for suit and tie," she said in reference to Zuckerberg's appearance in the U.S. Congress. The senior lawmaker said that Facebook so far was giving the impression that it only wanted to save its business model. "For example, the company is already rowing back in the supposedly world-wide announced implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation," Schoen warned, referring to privacy rules that will enter force in the European Union next month. "We no longer need excuses, but facts," she said. German Justice Minister Katarina Barley last month summoned executives of the firm, including European public affairs chief Richard Allan. Misuse of data by Facebook means it will in future be bound by stricter regulations and the threat of tougher penalties for further privacy violations, Barley said after the meeting. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Douglas Busvine)
Just as students around the country were preparing another walkout against gun violence on Friday morning, a 19-year-old man shot a 17-year-old student at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods identified the suspected shooter as Sky Bouche, a former student of the school.

Marion County school officials canceled classes for the rest of the day. Students had planned protests there, a Marion school board member confirmed to CNN, but gun violence had stymied their efforts.

Craig Ham, Marion County Public Schools deputy superintendent of operations, told The Associated Press that Bouche was able to bring a shotgun onto campus by placing it in a guitar case and blending in with students. Once on campus, Bouche fired at the bottom of a locked classroom door, causing pellets to strike one student in the ankle.

Outside the sheriffs office, Bouche told reporters that he shot through the door. Asked by a reporter whether he was sorry, Bouche said, It doesnt make it better anyway.

Within three minutes after hearing gunfire, Deputy James Long, the schools resource officer, located Bouche and detained him, Woods said at a news conference later Friday.

Bouche offered no resistance during his arrest, Woods said, adding that the motive for the shooting is unclear, though the suspect is cooperating with detectives. The FBI is looking into Bouches history and is checking his computers.

The 17-year-old student, whom officials did not publicly identify, suffered injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

Woods said the student told one of his deputies, I am so glad it was me and not one of my friends.

The attack occurred exactly 19 years to the day after two teens fatally shot 13 people at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. It also comes at a moment when student activists, most of whom werent yet born at the time of the Columbine tragedy, are stirring up momentum for gun policy reform.

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The shooting has shaken the community. Jake Mailhiot, a 16-year-old Forest High student, shared an image of his heavily barricaded classroom door with News4JAX:

CHILLING PHOTO - 16-year-old Jake Mailhiot at Forest High School took this photo after students and a teacher barricaded themselves in their psychology class during today's school shooting. https://t.co/gokOThOQTp pic.twitter.com/rnW4kNT9jf  News4JAX (@wjxt4) April 20, 2018

In other places around the country, students walked out of class at 10 a.m. local time.

A Connecticut teen organized the recent demonstrations, aiming to keep the American publics focus on gun violence more than two months after a shooter left 17 people dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Its the third major student-led protest since the tragedy at Stoneman Douglas.

Ocala is located around four hours north of Parkland by car in a state with some of the nations most lax gun laws.

Although organizers of Fridays walkout expect students at around 2,500 schools nationwide to participate, overall turnout is expected to be smaller than a similar event staged March 14, on the one-month anniversary of the Parkland shooting. At some schools, students are encouraged to take other action, too, by registering (or pre-registering) to vote and contacting their representatives.

In response to the Forest High School shooting, Woods said that every school campus in Marion County will have officers and deputies present starting Monday morning to ensure that the parents know that law enforcement is there.

Marina Fang and Carla Herreria contributed reporting.

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"God could come down and say to me, 'You must take this vaccine.' And I'd be like, 'Sorry, Charlie,'" said Karen Roses, who was fired after New York's mandate went into effect.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday called on India's leader to focus more on women in the wake of the "revolting" rape and murder of two young girls.

While she praised the nation's economic performance, "what has happened is just revolting," Lagarde said when asked about the incidents in the past week involving a seven- and an eight-year-old girl.

"I would hope that the Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, pay more attention, because it is needed for the women of India," a visibly angry Lagarde said.

"It's not just a question of talking about them."

Speaking as the International Monetary Fund opens its Spring meetings, she said she chided Modi earlier this year at a gathering in Davos because "he had not mentioned women enough."

Lagarde, a long-time advocate for women's rights, said the comments reflected her personal view, not that of the institution.

The gang rapes and murders of the two girls sparked nationwide outrage and demonstrations throughout India.

A 2014 UN report said one in three rape victims in India was a minor. Nearly 11,000 cases of child rape were reported in India in 2015, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's latest figures.
Moscow (AFP) - Inspectors from the world's chemical arms watchdog arrived Saturday in the Syrian town of Douma, where an alleged chemical attack took place earlier this month, the Russian foreign ministry said.

A team from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) have been in Syria for a week but had not travelled to the city because of security fears.

"According to the information we have, the special OPCW mission... arrived on the morning of April 21 in the city of Douma at the sites suspected of having toxic substances," the ministry said in a statement.

"The security of the OPCW has been guaranteed not only by the Syrian side but also by the Russian command in Syria."

Dozens were killed in the suspected gas attack in Douma, near Damascus, on April 7, widely blamed on President Bashar al-Assad's forces, according to emergency workers.

The Syrian government has consistently denied using chemical arms and invited the OPCW to investigate.

The Russian ministry said it expects the OPCW to carry out an "impartial investigation".

"Especially since this is the first visit to the scene of a suspected chemical incident in the history of the so-called Syrian chemical record," it said.
Washington (AFP) - Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says Tehran is open to prisoner swap negotiations with the US if the Trump administration shows a "change of attitude."

Negotiations are a "possibility certainly from a humanitarian perspective, but it requires a change of attitude," Zarif said in an interview with CBS television's "Face the Nation" set to air Sunday.

Five Americans are held in Tehran, including 81-year-old Baquer Namazi, who is in failing health.

Zarif blasted the US administration for showing "disrespect" toward Iran, a frequent target of President Donald Trump's wrath.

Trump has said he wants to rip up the Iran nuclear deal, and his new National Security Advisor John Bolton has advocated for regime change in Tehran.

"You do not engage in negotiations by exercising disrespect for a country, for its people, for its government, by openly making claims, including this illusion about regime change," Zarif said, according to interview excerpts.

In January 2016, after months of secret talks between senior Iranian and US officials during Barack Obama's administration, Tehran released four Americans in exchange for seven Iranians being released in the United States.

A fifth American, identified as Matthew Trevithick, was also released separately as an "associated goodwill gesture."

According to Zarif, there are "many" Iranian prisoners being held in the United States or elsewhere at America's request, "including a lady who had to give birth in an Australian prison because of a US extradition request."
The second-in-command of Iran's most elite force has warned Israel against moves that further threaten Tehran's interest in the region, especially Syria, where the West and its allies have targeted Syrian government positions.

Brigadier General Hossein Salami, commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, said Friday that a war between Iran and Israel would lead to the latter's total annihilation. Israeli jets have targeted the positions of Iran and its allies in Syria, but Salami said his country was now ready to retaliate at any moment.

"Our fingers are on the trigger and the missiles are ready to launch, at any moment that the enemy wants to start something against us, we will launch," Salami told a crowd gathered to commemorate the birth of revered Imam Hussein, according to Iran's semi-official Mehr News Agency.

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"We have learned methods of overcoming our enemies," he added. "We can target our enemies' vital interests wherever we want."

GettyImages-948014324

ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images

Iran supports an independent Palestinian state on Israeli territory, some of which has been annexed without international recognition. Israel argues that Iran has threatened its national security through its support for various, mostly Shiite Muslim militias, especially the Lebanese Hezbollah, which regularly threatens and sometimes clashes with Israel. Hezbollah, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S, Israel and some of their allies, was formed with Iranian support in the 1980s in order to tackle an Israeli occupation of Lebanon and the powerful paramilitary group has since fought two major wars with Israel.

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Hezbollah, along with other Iran-backed militias from Afghanistan, Iraq and beyond, has recently been focused on battling rebels and jihadis trying to overthrow the Syrian government, which has mostly overcome a 2011 uprising sponsored by the West, Turkey and Gulf Arab countries. These Tehran-sponsored fighters have played a crucial role in defeating the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria.

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With ISIS largely decimated, Iran's growing footprint in the Middle East has become a major source of concern for Israel, as well as fellow U.S. ally Saudi Arabia. Last week, Israeli jets killed several Iranians when they bombed a Syrian air base and Israeli officials have threatened more attacks. Salami said Friday that he was prepared to go to war, one that would not be as limited in nature as previous conflicts.

"We know you very well. You are very weak. You have no depth. Every point of the land you occupy will be reached by flames from the north and the west," Salami said, as reported by the semi-official Fars News Agency. "Listen, any war that occurs, be certain that it will lead to your elimination."

"There is no way for you but the sea. Do not trust your air bases, the flames will reach them and they will quickly be made useless," he added. "Do not leave it to America, Britain and France. By the time they arrive, you won't be there. So be careful of your behavior and do not make risky calculations."

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Institute for the Study of War/Reuters

The U.S., U.K. and France launched a series of airstrikes against Syrian state-run facilities they claimed were involved in the production of chemical weapons. The attack came nearly a week after a suspected toxic gas attack that they believed Bashar al-Assad was behind. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he "fully supports" the strikes in a statement released Sunday. Russia and Iran, however, have cast doubt on their ally's culpability and condemned the U.S.-led operation in Syria.

In a speech Sunday, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah criticized the attack, telling followers the operation failed to achieve its goals.

"If it was to submit and blackmail, it failed. If it was to frighten and break the morale of the Syrian people and their allies, this also failed and the opposite happened. If it was to lift the morale of the militants, the attack frustrated and disappointed them according to what their leaders stated," Nasrallah said, according to Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese outlet Al Manar.

"Finally, if their goal was to change the equation for the benefit of Israel, the Israelis were also frustrated and stated that Trumps beautiful rockets got a zero result," he added.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Shares in Japanese drug maker Takeda dropped Friday after a potential rival in its bid to take over Ireland's Shire Pharmaceuticals said it was no longer considering making an offer.

Analysts had raised the prospect of a bidding war between Takeda and Botox-maker Allergan after the global pharma giant said it was also considering making a bid for Shire.

But in a statement late Thursday, Allergan announced it now "does not intend to make an offer for Shire."

Takeda was trading down as much as 3.98 percent on Tokyo trade on Friday morning. Around 0100 GMT it was down 2.04 percent at 4,990 yen.

On Thursday, the Japanese firm said "discussions between the parties regarding a potential offer are ongoing," after Shire rejected a new bid valued at around $60 billion.

Takeda's cash-and-shares offer valued Shire at 42 billion ($60 billion, 48 billion euros) and was pitched at the equivalent of 46.50 per share.

Shire, which is based in Dublin but listed in London, said in a statement that it had rejected three takeover approaches from Takeda because they all "significantly undervalued the company, its growth prospects and pipeline".

But it added that its advisers have entered a dialogue with Takeda to discuss "whether a further, more attractive, proposal may be forthcoming".

The deal would represent Takeda's biggest-ever takeover, according to Japanese media.

Led by Frenchman Christophe Weber, the Japanese firm has been actively looking overseas for acquisitions.

In 2011 it took over Swiss rival Nycomed for 9.6 billion euros (then $13.6 billion).

However, some analysts are concerned that a takeover bid of this magnitude could put too much pressure on Takeda's own finances.
TOKYO (Reuters) - A volcano in Japan erupted on Thursday, shooting clouds of smoke and rocks into the sky, and prompting authorities to ban access to the peak, but there were no reports of any damage or casualties. The eruption of Io Yama, a 1,298 m (4,258 ft) high volcano on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, was the latest in a series of eruptions in Japan this year. One person has been killed. Television footage showed grayish smoke jetting from several spots on the side of the mountain in the Kirishima range, in a rural area about 985 km (616 miles) from Tokyo. A warning level for Io Yama was raised to "3" from "2" on Japan's 5-level scale, with the Japan Meteorological Agency warning that volcanic rocks could be hurled as far as 2 km (1.2 miles). In January, a member of the military was killed and 11 people injured, some critically, when Kusatsu-Shirane volcano rained rocks down on skiers at a resort in central Japan. Two months later, Shinmoedake - a volcano which featured in a 1960s James Bond movie, and in the same Kirishima range as Io Yama - shot smoke and ash thousands of meters into the sky. Japan has 110 active volcanoes and monitors 47 of them around the clock. In September 2014, 63 people were killed on Mount Ontake, the worst volcanic toll in Japan for nearly 90 years. (Reporting by Elaine Lies; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Jim Carreys artistic output is becoming more political by the day.

The actor-turned-artist has taken another shot at President Donald Trumps administration with his latest portrait  of former prosecutor and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who this week joined Trumps legal team:

Ghouliani: Finally, a face we can trust! 8^ pic.twitter.com/IU1IG8sf0T  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) April 20, 2018

Ghouliani: Finally a face we can trust, Carrey sarcastically captioned the artwork that he shared to Twitter Friday.

The portrait follows Carreys unflattering depiction of Trumps personal attorney Michael Cohen, who is now at the center of a federal investigation, which he posted online the day before:

Carrey has also recently taken aim at Fox News host Sean Hannity:

If u believe wrestling is real u may even believe Fox news, Info Wars and the robotic drones on Sinclair Broadcasting. But wrestling doesnt harm viewers. Performers like Sean Hannity and Alex Jones should join the WWE where their hyperbole will do less damage to the culture. pic.twitter.com/HHsfvRaToJ  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) April 3, 2018

National Security Adviser John Bolton:

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Bombing Syria should interrupt the news cycle for a day or two, Mr. President. Moscow has agreed to act like theyre upset. Well call it: OPERATION DESERT STORMY DANIELS. pic.twitter.com/fckMwetIes  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) April 14, 2018

And Trump himself:

Dear Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery @NPG, I know its early but Id like to submit this as the official portrait of our 45th President, Donald J. Trump. Its called, 'You Scream. I Scream. Will We Ever Stop Screaming?' pic.twitter.com/LrCmlXXpv7  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 29, 2018

Did anyone watch 60 minutes last night? Hell of a piece about a poor kid from Greece named Giannis Antetokounmpo whos making it big in the NBA. America still has some magic. Pity you have to wade through so much cultural sewage to find it. ;^} pic.twitter.com/H4BTPcw8bu  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 27, 2018

Lawyer and lucky charm Joe diGenovia hopes to put Dirty Donald's troubles in the rearview mirror. But the objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. ;^P pic.twitter.com/td8vGaQdKu  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 21, 2018

If you liked my last cartoon you may also enjoy...



"THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST WING AND PUTINS FLYING MONKEYS pic.twitter.com/slBG7j1s8d  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) March 19, 2018

It should no longer be a surprise to people that Caveman Trump would hire a man like Porter, whos accused of beating his wives. If you want nasty things done, you hire nasty people. Thats how criminal syndicates thrive. #impeachprehistoricpotus pic.twitter.com/86JaEMcp2M  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) February 9, 2018

...and the blind shall see and the lame shall walk and the cheats shall inherit the earth! #StateOfTheUnion pic.twitter.com/BYuzgzLtZF  Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) January 31, 2018

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A kangaroo has died in a Chinese zoo after people threw objects at it in an attempt to get it to hop.

Visitors to Fuzhou Zoo in Fujian Province had been trying to get a response from kangaroos by throwing bricks and concrete chunks.

A veterinary surgeon said the 12-year-old female marsupial died from a ruptured kidney after being hit. Separately, a five-year-old male suffered minor injuries from the projectiles that were intended to get the marsupials up on their hind legs when they were sleeping or resting, as they would only be normally be active from 8am to 10am and 3pm to 5pm each day.

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State-run China Central Television reported that the dead female will be stuffed and displayed to stop future incidents.

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VCG/VCG via Getty Images

The zoo will also ensure security cameras are not just pointing toward the enclosure but to the visitor areas as well.

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The zoo has now reduced the number of kangaroos on display to three. It has not been reported whether anyone has been charged over the incident, which occurred on February 28, AFP reported.

Conditions at Chinas zoos have caused controversy recently due to their disrepair and light regulation. Footage emerged in February of live puppies being fed to pythons at Riverside Zoo in Henan Province.

Last June, tigers killed a donkey released into a zoo in Jiangsu province by investors angry over a business dispute. Also last year, a visitor to a zoo in Ningbo, near Shanghai, was mauled to death by tigers.

Sun Quanhui, chief scientist from the organization World Animal Protection, told China Daily: "People feeding animals with human food, or touching or scaring zoo animals, are often seen in China."

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This article was first written by Newsweek

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Four young protesters and a police officer were killed in increasingly violent clashes over social security cuts in Nicaragua, Associated Press reported Friday.

Protests began Wednesday after a new law was signed increasing tax contributions and cutting pension income in the social security system. Some demonstrations began peacefully, with protesters waving placards and chanting, Viva Nicaragua libre! (Long live a free Nicaragua!)

But in some areas, pro-government forces clashed with protesters, police lobbed tear gas and fired rubber bullets from behind shields, and buildings were set afire. A police officer and protester were fatally shot on Thursday in Nicaraguas capital, Managua, where thousands took to the streets, and another protester was shot dead in Tipitapa, northeast of the capital, the Red Cross told Reuters.

AP reported that two protesting university students were killed on Friday.

One eyewitness reported on Twitter that five buildings, among them the National Lottery in Leon and the student center at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, were burning Friday afternoon. Protests had reportedly spread to at least 10 cities.

Cinco casas, entre ellas una donde esta la Loteria Nacional, en Leon, y el Centro Universitario de la Unan (CUUN) en ese departamento, se queman en estos momentos. Sucede entre las protestas universitarias contra las refoemas en el INSS. @laprensa pic.twitter.com/yAITVPCkDy  Josue Garay (@_JosueGaray) April 21, 2018

Lisseth Guido, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross of Nicaragua, told Reuters on Friday that 48 people were treated for various injuries.

The government shut down most main news sources other than La Prensa, a protester who asked her name to be withheld told HuffPost. La Prensa was reporting that police were switching from rubber bullets to live ammunition.

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The United Nations human rights office urged the government in a statement to fulfill its international obligations to ensure people can freely exercise their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful gathering and association.

The protester, who works for a local nongovernmental organization, said that demonstrations began peacefully but violence erupted in clashes with pro-government protesters and security forces. She said the protests have been flashing across the country and are largely organized on social media.

Demonstrators chant against social security cuts in Masaya, in western Nicaragua. (Photo: )

This is spread nationwide ... its young people going out to the street protesting, especially students, protesting against these reforms. And each time its been a peaceful protest. [But when] theyve been met with the pro-government movement, they have been violent, she said.

The protester told HuffPost she was protesting with a group Friday in Nindiri, outside of Masaya in western Nicaragua, when a group of pro-government protesters appeared armed with flash or stun grenades and confronted them. When a leader of the protest against the social security changes declared Its our right to protest peacefully, someone came up and pushed this guy on the ground, and he hit his head and started to bleed, she recounted.

Security forces have seized vehicles carrying provisions for protesters, and invaded an area near Managuas Metropolitan Cathedral where the church had been collecting donations.

The protests are the largest to hit Nicaragua in the 11-year presidency of onetime Sandinista guerrilla Daniel Ortega, who was also president in the 1980s. The country erupted in the wake of the new law, which the government insists is necessary to protect the survival of the social security system. Ortega has yet to comment on the protests, La Prensa reported.

Protesters outside a cathedral in Managua. (Photo: )

Though the change in the social security law was the trigger for the protests, discontent has been growing over a variety of issues. Critics complain that Ortega has betrayed the Sandinista principles with a power grab and crackdown on dissidents, and blamed government ineptness and even alleged corruption for the failure to effectively fight a massive fire in a protected tropical forest earlier this month.

The protests are a consequence of years of unsatisfied demands and growing repression and censorship to dissident groups, Manuel Orozco, senior fellow at the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington, D.C., told The New York Times.

The protester said that people are just wanting to be heard and they want social program changes to be repealed and evaluated to be more equitable.

On a deeper level, [we want] government change, but we dont even have a proper opposition, she said. Its just individual people coming out on the street. I come from a Sandinista family, my friends come from Sandinista families; we no longer consider ourselves part of the party. It doesnt matter what party people are from, they just want change.

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Photo credit: Getty Images

From House Beautiful

The 2018 edition of the Lyrid meteor shower began on Monday, April 16. But if you haven't had a chance to head outside and watch it yet, don't worry. The annual meteor shower doesnt hit its peak until late Saturday, April 21 and into the early hours of Sunday morning.

For the best chance to see the show, head outside to an area far from light pollution just after midnight local time on Sunday morning and face east.

"Take in as much sky as you can," Bill Cooke, a meteor expert at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, told NBC News MACH. He expects that viewers should see about 10 meteors per hour.

However, this weekend's weather could affect your chances of seeing the meteor shower. Accuweather Astronomy distributed a map where the sky will be clearest across North America on Saturday night, so you can plan for optimal visibility.



The #Lyrid meteor shower will put on a dazzling display later this week: https://t.co/CtoRHZxRSo pic.twitter.com/6E3RiirE27 - AccuWeatherAstronomy (@AccuAstronomy) April 17, 2018

Those in California, the Northeast, and parts of the Southwest, Midwest and the Carolinas will have the most luck seeing the meteor shower on Saturday night, while large parts of the South and Midwest from eastern Texas over to Mississippi up to Missouri and even southern Illinois will have the lowest chance of visibility.

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Named after the Lyrid constellation from which they radiate, the Lyrids are caused by bits of space debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher-or Comet Thatcher for short-hitting the Earths atmosphere and creating bright streaks across the sky when they burn up. While the Lyrids arent as bright as the Perseids that happen every August, they are the oldest known meteor shower in the world, with sightings dating back to 687 B.C.

If you miss out on the Lyrids this weekend, your next chance to see a meteor shower isnt far off. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower will peak on the night of May 6 into the morning of May 7 as the Earth passes through the debris Halleys Comet leaves behind each year.

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Shannon Mani was reported missing by her family on Friday 13th June: Facebook

A man has been charged with the murder of his 21-year-old girlfriend whose shot and stabbed body was found stuffed in a suitcase.

Quentin Neal, 27, admitted to stabbing 21-year-old Shannon Mani, a student and aspiring dentist who was five months pregnant at the time of her death, police in the US city of Milwaukee alleged.

He has been charged with first degree intentional homicide, first degree intentional homicide of an unborn child and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Ms Mani was reported missing by her family last Friday after she failed to pick her younger brother up from school and did not show up at the cosmetics shop where she worked.

Mr Neal seemed uneasy and said he would not go along when asked by the police about Manis whereabouts, a police complaint stated.

It also alleged that he changed his story  initially saying to police that he had texted her on 13 April but hadnt received a response, before saying that she had sent him a photo that day.

Investigators later discovered a conversation between the pair on that morning which saw him ask if she was still visiting his home and her reply that she was almost there.

A police search of Ms Manis home two days later found blood in the basement.

Defendant Quentin Neal

Mr Neal claimed that he had last seen Mani on the afternoon of 12 April, but when approached about the blood he admitted that she had been at his home on the 13, the police complaint said.

He claimed that there had been an argument, and also that he had shown Ms Mani a gun that he had bought for protection.

He claimed that Ms Mani took the gun and a knife from the kitchen, then tried to pull the trigger, but it failed go off because of the safety.

According to the complaint, Mr Neal said that he then shot her twice in the head, causing her to fall down the stairs into the basement. She then came at him at which point he took the knife and stabbed her in the head and neck.

Mr Neal allegedly then led officers to a storage locker he had rented, where they found Manis body in a suitcase with a bag over her head.

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She was bound at the wrists and ankles with duct tape, and duct tape had also been used to cover her eyes. The suitcase also contained bloody towels, duct tape, a knife handle, and a knife blade, police alleged

Mr Neal told police that they could find Ms Manis phone in a pond and her purse in a gas station bin.

Ms Mani was hoping to become a dentist and as well as working in the cosmetics shop, she worked with special needs children.

She was like my little sister, so its really hard, her friend, Christina Hic told Fox6. She was wonderful. I dont...she wouldnt hurt a fly, so I dont know why this happened to her. She wanted to change the world. She wanted to. Sorry. She just had so many dreams she didnt get to accomplish, she said.
A man who spent nearly 25 years on Californias death row has walked free in the rape and killing of his girlfriends toddler daughter after it was found that there was no evidence a sexual assault had even occurred.

Vicente Benavides, 68, was supposed to be babysitting his girlfriends 21-month-old daughter, Consuelo Verdugo, while her mother was at work on Nov. 17, 1991.

He told police he lost track of the child, and eventually found her outside.

Benavides and Consuelos mother rushed her to a local hospital, saying Consuelo had been running after her older sister when she hit her head on a door.

Doctors repeatedly tried to insert a catheter into the little girl, but each attempt was unsuccessful.

Consuelos condition worsened, and a week after she had been brought to the hospital, she died.

A forensic pathologist said Consuelo died from injuries indicative of being sodomized.

Benavides was arrested and charged with felony murder, rape, sodomy and lewd conduct.

Several doctors testified that the girls injuries were caused by sexual assault, and Benavides was found guilty of the charges against him. He was sentenced to death.

But nearly all the doctors who testified that Consuelo was sexually assaulted later recanted, saying they hadnt seen Consuelos full medical records that showed the injuries to her genitals and other areas may have been caused by her medical treatment.

"Her injuries can instead by attributed to medical intervention, including repeated failed efforts to insert a catheter... rectal temperature taking, use of paralytic medication and physical examination," according to the California Supreme Court's ruling.

There was no evidence when she was first hospitalized that Consuelo was sexually assaulted, officials said.

Several doctors also noted the purported cause of death was "anatomically impossible," since the organs typically injured in a sexual assault were unharmed.

"[W]e never had any concern that Consuelo had been the victim of any type of sexual assault," one of the little girls nurses went on to say.

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In the states Supreme Court ruling, it was noted that a forensic pathology expert interviewed by the deputy attorney general said she was "embarrassed about the pathologist because what he says isnt even... anatomically possible. She elaborated, 'I'm embarrassed that... a pathologist didnt know better, didnt know anatomy better.'"

Evidence suggested Conseulo may have actually been hit by a car, officials said.

"The receiving charge nurse noted Consuelo had blown pupils, often seen incident to blunt force trauma from an auto accident," the state Supreme Court's ruling said.

The state Supreme Court ruled last month that incorrect medical testimony was presented at Benavides trial, and on Thursday, a judge ordered him released from San Quentin State Prison.

Benavides was the 162nd person on death row in the U.S. to be exonerated since 1973, according to the Innocence Project, which helped secure his freedom.

Kern County District Attorney Lisa Green said she will not retry Benavides.

"Upon an objective review of the facts, there is insufficient evidence to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," she said in a statement.

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This article originally appeared on the Conversation.

In the 1930s, Harry J. Anslinger, the first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, embarked on a fierce anti-marijuana campaign. Highlighted by the 1936 anti-marijuana film Reefer Madnesswhere marijuana is depicted as a dangerous narcotic that makes good kids become sex-crazed killershis propaganda efforts also maliciously linked marijuana use to African Americans and ethnic minorities.

By 1970, legislation codified cannabis as one of the nations most dangerous drugs: the Controlled Substance Act classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it possessed high potential for abuse and had no acceptable medical use. Over 40 years later, the classification remains.

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01_11_Marijuana

GETTY/Robyn Beck

But research has shown that marijuana, while still criminalized at the federal level, can be effective as a substitute for treating opioid addicts and preventing overdoses. Massachusetts, which recently legalized medical marijuanaand where heroin overdoses have soaredcould be a fertile testing ground for this potentially controversial treatment.

The medical case for marijuana

Before being criminalized, marijuana was used in the US to cure depression and a variety of other mental health ailments. Many studies have supported the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids, along with the ability of marijuanas psychoactive ingredients to treat nausea, help with weight loss, alleviate chronic pain, and mitigate symptoms of neurological diseases.

Other research, however, contradicts claims regarding the benefits of cannabidiol treatment. Some say marijuana actually poses a risk for psychosis and schizophrenia. Although the FDA has approved some synthetic cannabinoids for medical treatment, federal agencies do not support marijuana as a legitimate medicine until more clinical studies have been conducted.

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The scientific debate over the harms and benefits of marijuana has impeded federal lawmakers from moving forward on marijuana legislation reform. As a result, in 23 states, medical marijuana has become legalized by popular vote.

Marijuana policy dilemma

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With each state crafting unique medical marijuana regulations, we find ourselves at a crucial turning point in drug policy. Public health professionals claim the road map used by big tobacco will be copied with legal marijuana, and addiction rates for marijuana will increase to those we see for tobacco. Others warn that if medical marijuana is used indiscriminately and without focused education on the uses and forms of medical marijuana, a prescription pain pill-like crisis could occur.

Among drug treatment specialists, marijuana remains controversial. Although some research has shown marijuana to be an alternative treatment for more serious drug addiction, addiction treatment specialists still view marijuana as highly addictive and dangerous. These views handicap policy reform, but despite its status as a Schedule 1 drug, recent research shows marijuana could be part of the solution to the most deadly drug epidemic our country has seen in decades.

Massachusetts: a case study

In 2012 Massachusetts became the 18th state to legalize medical marijuana, though the first 11 dispensaries are not scheduled to open until sometime in the coming year. This situation presents an opportunity to implement sensible, research-based policy.

Massachusetts, like many states across the US, has seen a dramatic rise in opioid addition fueled by the increase in opiate prescription pills. In Boston, heroin overdoses increased by 80% between 2010 and 2012, and four out of five users were addicted to pain pills before turning to heroin.

Meanwhile, the leading cause of death among the Bostons homeless population has shifted from AIDS complications to drug overdoses, with opiates involved in 81% of overdose deaths. This is an alarming finding given recent expansion in clinical services for the citys homeless.

Addiction specialists and health care professionals in Boston have been at the forefront of integrating behavioral and medical care. Naloxone and methadone are currently the main solutions to address the growing opiate addiction and overdose problem. But Naloxone is an overdose antidote, not a cure or a form of preventative therapy.

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Methadone, like heroin and other opioids, has a very narrow therapeutic index (the ratio between the toxic dose and the therapeutic dose of a drug). This means that a small change in dosage can be lethal to the user. Marijuana, however, has one of the safest (widest) therapeutic ratios of all drugs.

Research shows that marijuana has been used as a form of self-treatment, where users take cannabis in lieu of alcohol, prescription opiates, and illegal drugs. Thats one reason why researchers are calling for marijuana to be tested as a substitute for other drugs. In this capacity, marijuana can be thought of as a form of harm reduction. While researchers dont seek to discount some of the drugs potential negative effects, they view it as a less damaging alternative to other, harder drugs. Despite these findings, marijuana is rarely incorporated in formal drug treatment plans.

A recent study might change this policy. Comparing states with and without legalized medical marijuana, it found a substantial decrease in opioid (heroin and prescription pill) overdose death rates in states that had enacted medical marijuana laws. In their conclusions, the researchers suggested that medical marijuana should be part of policy aimed to prevent opioid overdose.

Outside marijuanas harms and benefits, missing in this discussion is the social environment of drug use. Drug use is social in nature. Where and with whom drugs are used influences why and how they are used. Socially acceptable or moderate use of drugs can be learned through social rituals in socially controlled settings.

Studies in the Netherlands found that using marijuana in Amsterdam coffeehouses encouraged a stepping-off hard drug use. These studies also found that when young people used marijuana in a controlled coffeehouse setting instead of a polydrug-using environment, they learned to use marijuana moderately without combining with other drugs. Along with providing access to marijuana, its important to instruct users on safe and effective medical marijuana consumption.

Since Massachusetts has not yet opened its medical marijuana dispensaries, it is too early to see if medical marijuana legislation will help reduce opiate addiction in the Commonwealth. Using recent research findings, Massachusetts policymakers have a unique opportunity to implement medical marijuana policies that address its contemporary opiate overdose. Medical marijuana could be part of drug treatment for heroin and opiates.

For homeless people, however, getting a marijuana card is expensive and buying medical marijuana from a dispensary is beyond their economic means. Street drugs are more prevalent in their social setting, easier to obtain, and can be much cheaper. From a policy perspective, addressing the alarming rates of overdose deaths among the homeless in Boston could mean distributing medical marijuana cards to homeless addicts for free and providing reduced cost medical marijuana.

Formerly demonized and later legislated as a Schedule 1 substance, marijuana could diminish the damage wrought by harder drugs, like heroin. While opioid use is a nationwide epidemic, Massachusetteslong at the forefront of developing scientifically based public policyhas the opportunity to be at the forefront of cutting-edge, socially-informed drug policy.

Miriam Boeri, Associate Professor of Sociology, Bentley University.

The Conversation

This article was first written by Newsweek

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What do Chuck Schumer and John Boehner have in common? They've both "evolved" on the issue of marijuana.

On Friday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced his plans to introduce legislation decriminalizing marijuana, calling the bill "simply the right thing to do" in light of the number of people serving long jail sentences for possessing small amounts of the drug.

"The time has come to decriminalize marijuana, Schumer said in a statement. "My thinkingas well as the general populations viewson the issue has evolved, and so I believe theres no better time than the present to get this done."

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But while Schumer is the first party leader to ever come out in favor of decriminalization, he's hardly the only leading voice on the issue, especially as members of the GOP warm up to the idea of marijuana reform.

Just this week, former House Speaker John Boehner wrote on Twitter that, whereas he was once staunchly opposed to legalizing the drug, he now believes removing cannabis from the government's list of substances with "no accepted medical use" could help veterans and fix the opioid epidemic. (Of course, this statement also came with an announcement that Boehner was joining Acreage Holding, a company that invests in the cannabis industry.)

Marijuana reform advocates are happy to see the issue gaining bipartisan momentum, but they say it could be cause for concern for Democrats: If they hope to win not just in 2018 but in 2020 too, they need to come out strong on decriminalization and legalization, especially as their counterparts on the other side of the aisle start matching their platform.

"Democrats have historically been the ones who've owned this issue," Erik Altieri, the executive director at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, told Newsweek. "But if they don't take it seriously and get their act together, they risk losing it to Republicans."

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Democrats have long been criticized for being too slow to embrace marijuana legalization, an issue that has had widespread support among blue voters for years now.

A recent Gallup poll found that a majority of Democrats have supported legalizing the drug since around 2009. As of October, 72 percent of Democrats, along with 67 percent of Independents and 51 percent of Republicans said they would support marijuana legalization. These findings make marijuana legalization "one of the least polarizing issues of our time," FiveThirtyEight's Harry Enten wrote, adding in parentheses: "and one that some political party might be smart to take advantage of."

It's becoming more unclear which political party that will be. Despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions's ongoing attacks on medical marijuana and marijuana legalization, President Donald Trump has gone to other lengths to prove he supports state rights to legalize the substance. Last week, Trump called Colorado Senator Cory Gardner to reassure him that he wouldn't let his Department of Justice's decision stand in the way of the state's marijuana laws.

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There's still time for Democrats to claim the issue for themselves, and prove themselves more progressive than Republicans putting forth similar stances.

This week saw Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders join two other rumored 2020 contenders, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), to cosponsor a separate bill that would legalize marijuana and withhold federal funding from states that continue to criminalize the drug and target minorities. One strategist argues the move isn't for the sake of proving themselves more radical than their party leadership, or pushing the party further left, but to establish a strong record for themselves on marijuana.

"Are they trying to distinguish themselves from Schumer? No," Rodell Mollineau, a political strategist and founder of Rokk Solutions, a communication strategies firm, told Newsweek. "Theyre trying to distinguish themselves from the other 15 hypothetical candidates that will be running in 2020."

Altieri said legal marijuana will likely be a litmus test for Democrats competing in 2020.

"It would be hard to imagine any serious presidential candidate would be able to oppose legalization marijuanaand silence is no longer acceptable on this issue," Altieri said.

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First Lady Melania Trump (Photo: Brett Coomer  Pool/Getty Images)

Dignitaries from across the country gathered at St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston on Saturday to say goodbye to the former first lady and first mother Barbara Bush. The matriarch of the Bush family passed away at the age of 92 on Tuesday.

In attendance were President Bill Clinton, first lady Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama, and his first lady, Michelle Obama. The couples were seated in the front row of the church next to first lady Melania Trump, who was unaccompanied, after president Trump decided to not attend to avoid disruptions.

The president tweeted that he would be watching from his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Heading to the Southern White House to watch the Funeral Service of Barbara Bush. First Lady Melania has arrived in Houston to pay our respects. Will be a beautiful day!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

While many attendees honored Bush by wearing her favorite color, royal blue, Melania, Michelle, and Hillary all chose to wear black.

Melania Trump opted for a black classic three-quarter sleeves blazer and pencil skirt. She looked elegant, holding a small black clutch. She wore her hair down, styled with loose curls through her blond ends.

Hillary and Bill Clinton (Photo: AP Photo/David J. Phillip )

Hillary Clinton wore a black and white boucle jacket, which she wore unbuttoned over a black dress. Her short hair was styled back, showing off sparkling stud earrings, and she wore a Chanel bag over her shoulder.

Michelle Obama paid her respects as well, wearing a black belted dress.

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama (Photo: AP Photo/David J. Phillip )

In a touching moment before the start of the first eulogy, Bushs granddaughters recited Bible verses. Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, struggled to hold back tears as she spoke.

Jenna Bush Hager recites Bible verses at her grandmothers funeral (Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle / POOL)

Jenna was accompanied at the altar by other grandchildren of Bush, including her twin sister Barbara Pierce Bush. Jenna wore a conservative black turtleneck dress, while Barbara showed off her arms and chest in a fit and flare dress with a plunging neckline.

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Barbara Bush (Photo: AP Photo/David J. Phillip, Pool)

Their mother, Laura Bush, also a former first lady, was also holding back tears for her mother-in-law. She wore a black blazer and skirt with a statement pearl necklace.

Over 1,500 friends of the former first lady were in attendance at the private ceremony. No first lady has ever been given an official state funeral. First ladies are generally accorded the same courtesies as military family members at Arlington National Cemetery, meaning that the family can request military body bearers and a military chaplain, according to the Defense Department.

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Michael Cohen and President Trump (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters, Leah Millis/Reuters, Saul LoebAFP/Getty Image, AP)

Michael Cohen, Donald Trumps lawyer and self-proclaimed fixer, likes to boast about his loyalty. Im the guy who would take a bullet for the president, he told Vanity Fair last year. Theres no amount of money in the world that could get me to disclose anything about them, he said, reporting that he had turned down a $10 million offer for a tell-all book about Trump and his family.

That was the accepted view of Cohen by legal observers right up until the FBI search of Cohens office and residences last week, and the disclosure that he was under investigation by the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan. Since then, a number of analysts have been wondering aloud whether Cohens loyalty will pass the acid test of a federal indictment. That includes Michael Avenatti, the lawyer for actress Stormy Daniels, who told The View that without question, Cohen is going to roll on the president.  Hes not going to look at his wife and say Im going to take a bullet for this president. Jay Goldberg, Trumps own former attorney, told Trump directly not to trust his longtime associate. The 51-year-old Cohen, Goldberg warned, is not suited to stand up to the rigors of jail life, by which he meant the possibility of being raped in prison. Perhaps not since Thomas a Becket has one mans conscience been so thoroughly debated and dissected in public.

Whats remarkable about this analysis is the largely unquestioned assumption that Cohen will be indicted, and that he has incriminating information on Trump to trade for leniency. On the former point, we dont know, of course, but on Friday his own lawyer, in the course of fighting off a lawsuit by Daniels, predicted that an indictment might be imminent. The investigation was reportedly focused on Cohens role in paying off Daniels to keep quiet about her relationship with Trump. But Cohen has a business empire of his own, in taxi medallions and real estate, that could also be the meat in the ham sandwich that, as the saying goes, prosecutors can indict at will.

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As for Trump, Bloomberg reported that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein assured him last week that he isnt a target of the U.S. attorneys investigation, but theres a widespread belief that all that could change with a word from Cohen.

Trump himself weighed in with a series of tweets Saturday morning, reassuring his followers that I dont see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!

Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, Trump wrote, adding pointedly: even if it means lying or making up stories.

But Cohen is too loyal to do that, isnt he?

I do not presume to know another mans heart. But I side with the skeptics who, when Cohen says hed take a bullet for Trump, suspect he has in mind at worst a flesh wound. From the evidence, Trump and Cohen did not have a particularly long or close friendship; they met when Cohen bought an apartment in a Trump building, and their relationship seems to have been mostly about business. And as the Times reported Friday, Trump hasnt always been kind to Cohen, who didnt get the White House job he is said to have coveted  or, in the pungent phrasing of Trump confidant Roger Stone, Donald goes out of his way to treat him like garbage.

But the larger point is that if Trump is relying on personal loyalty to see him through this crisis, it is further evidence that the self-proclaimed master dealmaker and negotiator is a self-deluded fool. It is a quality Trump is known to prize above all others; in The Art of the Deal he lavishes praise on his onetime mentor Roy Cohn for how he stood by his friends, leaving out the fact that he cut off contact with Cohn when the latter was dying of AIDS. Former FBI director James Comey  who learned about the limits of loyalty as a U.S. attorney, when he used informants to take down the leaders of the Gambino crime family  described Trump demanding his loyalty in a conversation like Sammy the Bulls Cosa Nostra induction ceremony. Comey offered honesty instead. As the title of his new book signifies, he held himself to a higher loyalty, to the country and the Constitution. (Trump has denied the conversation.)

In any case, the request was meaningless. Loyalty to an individual  rather than a principle or an institution, and outside of marriage or family  is a concept that basically outlived its usefulness with the decline of feudalism. In modern society, it is a transactional virtue at best. Legislators are loyal to their party leaders to the extent they expect to be rewarded for it. Soldiers are loyal to one another, to the point of risking their own lives, because they trust their comrades to do the same for them. At worst, loyalty is a negative virtue and an impediment to justice, invoked by gangsters to  well, keep their fellows from ratting them out to prosecutors. Ask John Gotti how well that turned out for him.

Hillary Clinton surrounded herself with exceptionally loyal aides, and look where it got her. Clinton, unlike Trump, was loyal to her staff in return, and, as I have argued, not necessarily to her advantage. She should have been able to see the danger in having as her closest aide someone whose husband was under investigation for sending lewd messages to teenagers, and cut ties with Huma Abedin before the FBI seized her computer, setting in motion the chain of events that Clinton believes cost her the election. But that would have been disloyal of her.

In Trumps current situation, he might consider heeding the advice of legal scholar Alan Dershowitz, who said on CNN: I have told every client I have represented over the last 53 years: Assume your best friend will flip. The president has to assume that his closest friends, his greatest associates, the people he trusts the most, if exposed to the pressure, the risk of life imprisonment, will flip. Among the Trump confidants caught up in Muellers investigation, the most prominent holdout against the pressure to cut a deal is former campaign chief Paul Manafort, who had barely any personal relationship with Trump. Michael Flynn and Rick Gates, who were much closer to the president during and after the campaign, have both pleaded guilty and are cooperating with the investigation.

It demonstrates the truth of the aphorism attributed to the late President Harry S Truman: You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. Dogs, unlike lawyers, have been bred over millennia for loyalty. And they never talk.

It might be too late, though, for Trump, who is the first president in more than 100 years who doesnt own a dog.

_____

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A mother of four who left her children home alone while she jetted off to Germany has been sentenced to two years of probation, avoiding any prison time.

Erin Macke, 31, had been charged with four counts of child endangerment and could have faced up to two years behind bars on each count.

In February, she entered an Alford plea of guilty, meaning she acknowledged that prosecutors likely have enough evidence to secure a conviction at trial.

Macke spent a week in Europe, posting photos of herself by the Danube River and beaming in Bavaria.

She left behind 12-year-old twins and two daughters aged 6 and 7. Police found the children alone in their Iowa apartment. Officers also discovered a handgun in the home.

Her ex-husband, Matthew Macke, gave an impact statement in court, saying the mother has no remorse for what she did.

"Erin's decision to leave the children was intentional, done knowingly and she has not accepted any responsibility and continued to place blame on everyone else," Macke said in court.

The father told Inside Edition, "In my eyes, it was a clear, deliberate, intentional act. I'm very angry, but not surprised."

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By Shoon Naing YANGON (Reuters) - A Myanmar minister expressed concerns on Thursday about "very poor conditions" in Rohingya refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh, and said repatriation of the Muslim minority should start as soon as possible due to the coming monsoon season. The United Nations and rights groups say a Myanmar military operation in the country's northwest in August has sent nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh. Most live in flimsy, bamboo-and-plastic structures perched on hills around Cox's Bazar, in southern Bangladesh. Fleeing Rohingya refugees have reported killings, rapes and arson on a large scale. The United States and the U.N. have described the military crackdown as ethnic cleansing, an accusation that Myanmar denies. "Seeing is believing and we saw all the people in the camps are in very poor condition," Myanmar's Social Welfare Minister Win Myat Aye told reporters in the country's main city, Yangon, after his two-day visit to camps near Cox's Bazar. "Our main thing is to start the repatriation process as soon as possible because the monsoon is very near and we are very worried for those who fled to Bangladesh," he said. Myanmar said on Saturday it had repatriated the first Rohingya family. The Bangladeshi government and the United Nations refugee agency, however, said they had no knowledge of any such repatriation. After months of fraught talks, Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees within two years. Myanmar set up two reception centers and what it says is a temporary camp near the border to house the first arrivals. But a senior U.N. official who recently visited Myanmar said the country was not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees. Win Myat Aye said Rohingya returnees would be entitled to apply for National Verification Cards (NVCs), which are part of the government's ongoing effort to register mostly stateless Rohingya that falls short of offering them citizenship. He said those NVC holders would be in turn be able to apply for citizenship in Buddhist-majority Myanmar within five months after they were "scrutinized according to the law". "Those who are entitled to become citizens will become citizens," he told Reuters, without elaborating. Myanmar's panel of international advisers on Rohingya issues has warned the coming monsoon season could bring "enormous deaths" as refugee camps in Bangladesh are not built to withstand the storms. (Reporting By Shoon Naing; Writing by Yimou Lee; Editing by Alex Richardson)
The city of Newnan in Georgia is bracing for the annual meeting of white supremacist group the Nationalist Socialist Movement (NSM), which will mark the birthday of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler on Friday and march through the town center on Saturday.

Newnan authorities expect 50-100 people to attend the planned event. Keen to avoid the deadly incident and clashes of the "United the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in Augustin which the NSM participatedthe police have mobilized around 400 officers from local, state and federal agencies to guarantee public order after consulting with 20 law enforcement agencies.

The Michigan-based NSM is listed in the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center database on hate groups as one of the largest neo-Nazi group in the U.S. Michael Hill, the leader of white supremacist, neo-Confederate group League of the South, will also speak at the NSM meeting.

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In an attempt to isolate the the rally held at Greenville Street Park, authorities will close down the surrounding area in the morning, the City of Newnan wrote in a post on its Facebook page answering some Frequently Asked Questions about the rally, scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

04_20_nsm

Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Counter-protesters, including some Georgia-based Antifa groups, will have a designated area along the street and police are erecting fences and barricades to separate the demonstrators, CBS46 reported.

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Newnan Police Chief D.L. Buster Meadows told residents to stay clear of the area to avoid showing support for either group. "Neither one of these groups represent who we are and what we stand for, he told local news outlet The Newnan Times-Herald.

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But many Newnan residents are furious about the city authorizing the march without consulting with the local community and business owners, many of whom have chosen to close down for the day fearing outbursts of violence.

As expenses for the rally are shouldered by the town authorities, residents also wondered how much it would cost them to "cover this embarassment to the county," as one reply to the city of Newnan's Facebook post read. In October, hundreds of counter-protesters gathered on the streets of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to oppose a "White Lives Matter" rally. According to Meadows, that event cost the city around $250,000.

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Residents are showing opposition to the rally in different ways. A petition on Change.org was set up five days ago to demand an injunction to stop the rally, while the hashtag #NewnanStrong is circulating on social media to promote a public festival scheduled for Friday evening meant for the community to come together and support each other.

Earlier this month, Republican Congressman Drew Ferguson of Georgia condemned the rally in a statement. Every citizen has the constitutional right to express their First Amendment freedoms to free speech and protest, but the racist views of neo-Nazis are completely abhorrent," he said, urging the Newnan community "to stand together to show that there is no place for hate or intolerance in Georgias Third District.

But Georgia isn't the only place bracing for neo-Nazi rallies. The German town of Ostritz, near the Polish and Czech border, is also expecting a gathering of hundreds of right-wing extremists for a three-day event starting Friday. A contingent of 1,000 police officers is expected to confront a similar number of neo-Nazi demonstrators, as well as at least another left-wing 1,000 counter-protesters, in the town of 2,300 people, according to German newspaper Spiegel.

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(SEOUL, South Korea)  South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that his rival, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, isnt asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. If true, this would seem to remove a major sticking point to a potential nuclear disarmament deal.

North Korea, a small, authoritarian nation surrounded by bigger and richer neighbors, has always linked its pursuit of nuclear weapons to what it calls a hostile U.S. policy that is embodied by the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, the 50,000 stationed in Japan, and the nuclear umbrella security guarantee that Washington offers allies Seoul and Tokyo.

Although Moon reported that North Korea isnt asking for the U.S. troops to leave, he said the North still wants the United States to end its hostile policy and offer security guarantees. When North Korea has previously talked about hostility it has been linked to the U.S. troops in South Korea.

It wont be until Moon and Kim meet next week, and then when Kim is to meet U.S. President Donald Trump sometime in May or June, that outsiders might know just what North Korea intends. Until then, caution is needed over the statements the various leaders are using to set up their high-stakes negotiations.

Moon and Kims summit on April 27 will be only the third such meeting between the countries leaders. Moon, a liberal who is committed to engaging the North despite being forced to take a hard line in the face of repeated North Korean weapons tests last year, is eager to make the summit a success and pave the way for Kim and Trump to settle the deep differences they have over the Norths decades-long pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Many analysts believe that Kim sees the meeting with Trump as a way to bestow legitimacy on his own leadership and on a rogue nuclear program that he has built in the face of international criticism and crippling sanctions. Many say it is unlikely that the North will trade away its hard-won nuclear weapons without getting what it wants in return.

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North Korea is expressing a commitment to a complete denuclearization, Moon said during a meeting with the heads of media organizations in South Korea on Thursday. They are not presenting a condition that the U.S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of the American troops in South Korea.  North Korea is only talking about the end of a hostile policy against it and then a security guarantee for the country.

Trump revealed Tuesday that the U.S. and North Korea had been holding direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for their summit. Trump also said that North and South Korea are negotiating an end to hostilities before next weeks summit.

North Korea has long sought a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War. Some South Koreans fear the North could use such a treaty as a pretext for demanding the withdrawal of the American troops in the South. Some worry that potential discussions on formally ending the war may distract from already difficult efforts to rid the North of nuclear weapons and apply robust verification of that process.

The armistice that halted fighting in the war was signed by the U.S.-led United Nations Command, North Korea and China. South Korea was a member of the U.N. Command but was not a direct signatory.

In their previous summit in 2007, the Koreas declared a commitment toward ending the war and vowed to pursue discussions with others. But the efforts faltered and relations between the rivals worsened after a conservative government took office in Seoul in February 2008.
North Korea has condemned the U.S. and its alliance with Israel, which continued to experience deadly clashes between security forces and Palestinian protestors.

On Friday, the official Korean Central News Agency called the U.S. out for repeatedly defending Israel from criticism at the United Nations Human Rights Council, which U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley once called "a haven for dictators" and has threatened to pull the U.S. out of. Palestinians have threatened to lodge a complaint with the international body over rising casualties as Israeli forces reportedly opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators near the Gaza border, where dozens have been killed and thousands injured since violent protests erupted over Israel's historic and ongoing seizure of land.

"Israel's wild act of destroying Mid-east peace and mercilessly killing Palestinians is a hideous crime that deserves denunciations thousands of times," the state-run agency said of a commentary by North Korean Cabinet paper Minju Joson.

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"If the U.S. is interested in protecting human rights, it should keep pace with the efforts of the international community to denounce and check Israel's human rights abuses," Minju Joson wrote. "But, the U.S. chimed in with Israel in the eyes of the international community, fully disclosing that it is applying double-dealing standards in human rights and politicizing it."

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MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/Getty Images

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The rhetoric comes at a time of relative calm in the usually tense relations between Washington and Pyongyang, which the U.N. has also censured for reports of human rights abuses. After a year of sparring with President Donald Trump, North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong Un reached out to U.S.-backed South Korea in January, in an effort to end the decades-long conflict between them. The U.S. was hesitant in endorsing the talks, but Trump has since accepted a historic invite to meet Kim face-to-face, making him the first sitting president to meet a North Korean leader.

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As the anticipated late May or early June deadline for the meeting approaches, major rifts still exist between the two. The U.S.'s decision to gather the U.K. and France and attack suspected chemical weapon facilities belong to the Syrian government may have resonated with North Korea, another target of U.S. military threats and an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said the U.S.-led cruise missile strikes were "an action that was taken against weapons of mass destruction, and I think this gave a certain message to North Korea as well," according to the Agence France-Presse.

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SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea has defied increasingly heavy international sanctions to build a nuclear weapons program that the country argues is necessary to defend from potential invasion. Kim and his predecessors have been deeply critical of U.S. interventions and invasions across the Middle East and have deployed personnel to assist Arab states in their wars with Israeli in the 1960s and 1970s. It has also helped to fund left-wing Palestinian militias and has supported an independent Palestinian state.

North Korea called the U.S. a "cancer" and recommended it lose its U.N. Security Council veto privilege after Trump decided to recognize the disputed city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, defying Palestinian counterclaims in December.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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A New York mailman has been arrested for stockpiling thousands of pieces of undelivered mail, spanning almost 15 years.

The man, Aleksey Germash, 53, has been with the U.S. Postal Service for 16 years, before his bosses received a tip about a parked car with 20 bags of undelivered mail, close to the Dyker Heights, Brooklyn post office to which was recently assigned.

The U.S.P.S. called in Germash for questioning. Asked about the car, the post office veteran confirmed that the vehicle in question was his own Nissan Pathfinder and the mailbags inside it were packages and letters that he was meant to have delivered, NBC reported.

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Germash allegedly told investigators that he was simply overwhelmed by the amount of mail he had to deliver, but made sure to deliver the important mail, while the rest stayed in his car, apartment and work locker.

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John Moore/Getty Images

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After a brief search of Germashs possession, investigators found around 17,000 pieces of undelivered mail, with at least one of them bearing a postal mark from 2005. The biggest hoard of packages and letters was in the mailmans car, according to New Yorks local news outlet Pix11, estimating that the Nissan contained around 10,000 pieces of undelivered mail. Approximately 1,000 pieces lay in the mans locker at the Dyker Heights post office, while another 6,000 or so pieces remained in his apartment.

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If deemed to have unlawfully destroyed, detained or delayed post, a U.S.P.S worker could face up to five years in prison, while if deemed to have done so improperly, as opposed to illegally, they could face up to a year in prison.

Germash may not face quite such a severe punishment, however. A Philadelphia postal worker who was found in 2015 to have retained 22,000 postal items was only charged with obstruction of mail in 2015a misdemeanor punishable by no more than six months in jail.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Two unidentified men shot dead a Palestinian man in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Malaysian and Palestinian authorities reported, and Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister said the suspects were believed to be linked to a foreign intelligence service. Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot. "Preliminary investigations found four gunshot wounds on the victim's body. Two bullet slugs were found at the scene of the incident," Mazlan said in a statement. When contacted later by Reuters, Mazlan declined to comment on reports that the victim was a member of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or had been targeted by hitmen. "It's too early to say, we are still investigating all aspects." Palestine's ambassador to Malaysia Anwar Al Agha later identified the victim as Palestinian Fadi al-Batsh, an engineering lecturer, but declined to say if he was a member of Hamas. Witnesses at the scene had told him that the two suspects had "European features", the ambassador told Reuters. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency, state news agency Bernama reported. He added the victim had links with foreign intelligence and was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organizations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building. The victim could have been seen as "a liability for a country that is an enemy of Palestine," Zahid was quoted as saying by Bernama. Hamas, which exercises de facto control over Gaza, said one of its members had been "assassinated" in Malaysia and it had sent a delegation to meet with Malaysian officials to discuss the killing. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh said Israel's Mossad intelligence service had been behind past attempts to assassinate Palestinian scientists, and that al-Batsh's killing "follows this sequence." Officials in Israel declined to comment. Batsh's uncle Jamal al-Batsh spoke to Reuters in the town of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip. Asked who he blamed, he replied: "The Israeli Mossad. The Israeli Mossad stood behind the assassination of educated people and intellectuals because Israel knows Palestine will be liberated by scientists. "Therefore, they tracked this young educated man." Batsh was a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specializing in power engineering, according to the university. A Palestinian in Malaysia who knew Batsh told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the victim was also an imam at a mosque close to his residence. In recent weeks, tensions have been running high at the Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians have ramped up protests demanding the right to return to their former homeland. Israel's use of live fire has drawn international criticism but the Israeli government says it is protecting its borders and takes such action when protesters come too close to the border fence. (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff in Kuala Lumpur and Nidal Al Mughrabi in Gaza; Writing by A. Ananthalakshmi; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and William Maclean)
This Novembers midterm elections are some of the most highly anticipated in years. Polling shows Democratic voters favor impeachment, and Republicans have warned that President Donald Trump could be impeached if Democrats take back Congress.

Polling also shows the two major parties are moving further and further apart, meaning the old strategy for how to win elections (run toward the party base to win primaries, then pivot back to the center to win general elections) is becoming an increasingly difficult balancing act.

While November is still a long way off, primary season began with the Texas primary on March 6, which was set up a showdown between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto ORourke for one of the states two Senate seats. On March 20, Illinois held a primary that put in motion what is expected to be the most expensive gubernatorial race in U.S. history, and also ended a bitter battle between a conservative Democrat and a progressive challenger for the states third House district.

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Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images

The rest of the state primaries are scheduled between now and November, beginning with Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia going to the polls on May 8. Below is the schedule for the other primary election dates, courtesy of the National Conference of State Legislatures, as well as the dates for two special elections that will occur before Election Day on November 6, 2018.

April 24  Arizona 8th District special election

May 8  Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia

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May 15  Idaho, Nebraska, Oregon, Pennsylvania

May 22  Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky

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June 5  Alabama, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota

June 12  Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Virginia

June 26  Oklahoma, Colorado, Maryland, Utah

August 2  Tennessee

August 7  Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Washington, Ohio 12th District special election

August 11  Hawaii

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August 14  Connecticut, Minnesota, Vermont, Wisconsin

August 21  Alaska, Wyoming

August 28  Arizona, Florida

September 4  Massachusetts

September 6  Delaware

September 11  New Hampshire

September 12  Rhode Island

September 13  New York

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Prince Charles is confirmed as the successor to Queen Elizabeth II as next Head of the Commonwealth - AFP

The Prince of Wales will one day succeed the Queen to become the next Head of Commonwealth, it was confirmed on Friday night, after leaders reached an agreement to honour Her Majestys vision, duty and steadfast service to the institution.

The Prince will take on the honorary position in the Commonwealth at the same time he eventually becomes King, following the sincere wish expressed by the Queen this week.

"I am deeply touched and honoured by the decision of Commonwealth Heads of State and Government that I should succeed The Queen, in due course, as Head of the Commonwealth, he said.

Meanwhile, I will continue to support Her Majesty in every possible way, in the service of our unique family of nations."

Theresa May, the Prime Minister, announced the decision from the 53 Commonwealth Heads of Government after private deliberations at Windsor Castle on Friday.

There, presidents and prime ministers from across the world convened to finalise plans for the future of the Commonwealth, enjoying the hospitality of the Queens home at the end of a week which has seen senior members of the Royal Family out in force.

Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana, said the decision to make the Prince of Wales the next honorary leader was reached by strong consensus, while Theresa May insisted it was unanimous.

The Prime Minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell, said he had been convinced the decision was a good one thanks to his belief that the young men of the Commonwealth need a strong male role model.

HRH The Prince of Wales: "I am deeply touched and honoured by the decision of Commonwealth Heads of State and Government that I should succeed The Queen, in due course, as Head of the Commonwealth....(1/2) pic.twitter.com/mRy3oujsxd  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) April 20, 2018

The decision is a one-off, with Prince William, Prince George and future heirs not automatically in line to be awarded the non-hereditary position.

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Speaking at a press conference after the retreat, Mrs May said that the Commonwealth itself exists in no small measure because the vision, duty and steadfast service of her majesty in nurturing the growth of this remarkable family of nations.

On behalf of all our citizens I want to express the gratitude for everything Her Majesty has done and will continue to do, she said.

The Queen and the Prince of Wales at the official opening of CHOGM Credit: Yui Mok /PA

Today we have agreed that the next head of the commonwealth will be His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.

His Royal Highness has been a proud supporter of the Commonwealth for more than four decades and has spoken passionately about the organisations unique diversity. It is fitting that he will one day continue the work of his mother, Her Majesty the Queen.

The announcement followed a concerted effort on the part of the Royal Family this week, beginning with Prince Harry and culminating in a speech from the Queen herself.

About | The Commonwealth

On Monday, Prince Harry had embarked on work as the newly-appointed Commonwealth Youth Ambassador to emphasise the familys ties with the Commonwealth, paying tribute to his grandmother's long service and his father's foresight on issues such as climate change.

His brother, the Duke of Cambridge, swiftly followed, welcoming CHOGM delegates by warning them they would be seeing a lot of the Royal Family during the week with a twinkle in his eye.

"For us in the Royal Family, supporting The Queen who has dedicated her life loyally and without fail to the Commonwealth is an enormous honour, he said.

On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales began his own work at the CHOGM forums, regaling attendees with his fond memories of his visits to each of their countries, and spending time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi admiring an exhibition about India at the Science Museum.

Prince Charles - Dimbleby comment

While the combined efforts of the princes were no doubt appreciated, the Queen left nothing to chance.

On Thursday, as she spoke at the official opening of CHOGM at Buckingham Palace, she made a heartfelt address spelling out for the first time her hopes for the future of the Commonwealth, and offering her full support to her son.

It remains a great pleasure and honour to serve you as Head of the Commonwealth and to observe, with pride and satisfaction, that this is a flourishing network, she told the assembled heads, she said.

"It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations, and will decide that one day The Prince of Wales should carry on the important work started by my father in 1949.

Leaders meet at Windsor for the CHOGM retreat Credit: PA

While it was understood that the Princes position as future Head of Commonwealth has been quietly decided for some time, the Queens public words had a galvanising effect on world leaders.

In the same ceremony, Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, said of the Prince: "We are certain that, when he will be called upon to do so, he will provide solid and passionate leadership for our Commonwealth."

Later that day, Malcolm Turnbull, the Australian Prime Minister, confirmed his country strongly supports the continuation of the king or queen of the United Kingdom as the head of the Commonwealth. "Prince Charles in time will succeed his mother, he added.

Heads of government join the Commonwealth's Secretary General Baroness Scotland (right) for the Windsor Castle retreat Credit: PA

"The head of the Commonwealth, which is a ceremonial role, a role of honour rather than one of political authority, that role I think should continue, and this is the very widespread view, with the Queen's successor."

Speaking to press, Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, said: "I very much agree with the wishes of Her Majesty that the Prince of Wales be the next head of the Commonwealth."

And Ralph Regenvanu, the foreign minister of the Pacific state of Vanuatu, disclosed: "We see it almost naturally that it should be the British royal family because it is the Commonwealth after all".

The Prince of Wales, Queen, Baroness Scotland and Theresa May at a Buckingham Palace dinner to celebrate the Commonwealth Credit: PA

Others had expressed frustration that the issue had overshadowed more important discussions.

Tevita Tu'i Uata, Tonga's trade minister, told ITV News that people in his country "are drowning" due to rising sea levels, saying: "Maybe sorting out who is going to lead the Commonwealth maybe also an issue, but it's not as pressing an issue to [Tonga] as taking care of climate change."

Prince Harry is to be the Commonwealth Youth Ambassador Credit: AFP

From today, the Prince is expected to represent the Queen in the honorary role at future Commonwealth meetings, the next of which will take place in Rwanda in 2020.

He has previously attended the meeting four times, in Edinburgh in 1997, Uganda in 2007, Sri Lanka in 2013 and Malta in 2015 when he appeared with the Queen.

Since 1969, The Prince has visited 44 Commonwealth countries. In the last year, he has travelled to Australia, Vanuatu, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and India.
Damascus (AFP) - Rebels started leaving a new area outside the Syrian capital Saturday, state media said, after a new deal was reached between opposition fighters and the Russia-backed regime.

The agreement for the East Qalamun area is the latest in a string of deals that have seen rebels and civilians bussed out of former opposition strongholds near Damascus.

"Buses carrying terrorists and their families start exiting Al-Ruhayba", a town in East Qalamun some 60 kilometres (35 miles) northeast of Damascus, state news agency SANA said, using its usual term for rebels.

State television said 3,200 fighters and their relatives were expected to leave Al-Ruhayba, as well as the nearby towns of Al-Nasiriya and Jayrud on Saturday.

It showed images of buses moving in what it said was Al-Ruhayba, most with their curtains drawn.

SANA late Friday said an agreement had been reached for fighters to leave Al-Ruhayba, Jayrud and Al-Nasiriya starting Saturday.

They would be transferred to the rebel-held northern town of Jarabulus in Aleppo province and to the neighbouring province of Idlib, where hardline rebels have their strongest grip on power.

The regime is pushing to secure the capital after it announced its full reconquest last week of what was the last major rebel bastion outside Damascus.

Eastern Ghouta was emptied of rebels after a nearly two-month deadly assault on the enclave and several Russia-brokered deals that saw tens of thousands of people transported on buses to Syria's north.

Earlier this week, a deal was inked that saw around 5,000 people including 1,500 fighters exit Dumayr, a town just to the south of Al-Ruhayba.

The regime has simultaneously turned its sights on the southern districts of the capital where the Islamic State jihadist group has a presence.

Regime forces have bombarded the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp on the southern edge of Damascus in recent days in a bid to dislodge IS fighters.

Syria's conflict has killed 350,000 people and displaced millions more since it broke out in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-government protests.
Tehran (AFP) - Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday that officials were failing to respond effectively to mounting popular protests, in part because they are being threatened by unnamed behind-the-scenes forces.

Recent weeks have seen social media filled with videos and reports of protests, but since they are barely covered by domestic media and access is restricted for foreign journalists, they have been hard to verify.

They include protests by farmers over water shortages in Isfahan; by ethnic Arabs over the treatment of minorities in the southern province of Khuzestan; and over administrative reforms in the southwestern city of Kazeroon.

The videos appear to show these localised protests taking on broader slogans against the Islamic establishment, such as: "Our enemy is right here and falsely they say America is our enemy".

But in a wide-ranging speech carried on state television, Rouhani said officials were failing to respond and appeared to have taken "a vow of silence".

"As people haven't got enough information... as people don't see plans for the future, as people see the current problems, they may get upset and angry, come to the streets and cry out," he told senior officials in Tehran.

"(But) we speak little to the people. Our government managers have taken a vow of silence. I don't know who told them to. I don't know what they are scared of."

Rouhani said a major problem was that officials were being intimidated by unnamed "supervisory bodies".

He did not name them, but Rouhani has previously clashed with the powerful Revolutionary Guards and the conservative-dominated judiciary over their outsized role in politics and the economy.

"When in the morning (an official) is going to work, somebody sends him a text message, another calls him, another threatens him... the country cannot be run like this," he said.

In the past month, Tehran's reformist mayor Mohammad-Ali Najafi and the deputy head of the environment agency Kaveh Madani both quit their posts following pressure from hardliners, though Najafi claimed he left for health reasons.

"Don't pay attention to some letters, some threats. If you are scared to respond, send them to me," Rouhani said.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani had a bold prediction about the Russia investigation when he joined President Trumps legal team this week: I dont think its going to take more than a week or two, he told the New York Post, to get a resolution.

That might seem like a far-fetched statement about an investigation thats already lasted a year and has resulted so far in more than 100 charges against 19 people and three companies.

My reaction to his statement? Ha-ha,' Peter Zeidenberg, who was deputy special counsel in the Scooter Libby case and worked with Mueller at the Justice Department, said over email. The time-table is controlled by Mueller, not Trump or Giuliani.

But allies in Trumps legal world say they hope that Giuliani can leverage his expertise and personal relationships to bring an end to the probe hanging over the president.

I have no idea how realistic it is, says Victoria Toensing, a lawyer who nearly joined Trumps legal team last month before conflicts prevented her from doing so. If anyone can do that, it would be Rudy.

Trump also mentioned in a statement about Giulianis hire, saying he wants to get this matter quickly resolved for the good of the country.

The special counsels office declined to comment.

Giuliani joins a team that has seen dramatic turnover in recent weeks  former lead lawyer John Dowd quit the team in March  and has reportedly been struggling to fill open positions. Dowd now expresses support for Giulianis hire: Im for Rudy, he says. In the meantime Jay Sekulow, known for taking on religious freedom cases, has been in the lead on the outside team for Russia matters.

Jay Sekulow was drinking from a fire hose, says Toensing. I dont care how great you are  and I think the world of Jay  you cant fight somebody with two hands tied behind your back. Youve got to have the personnel power.

Sekulow announced the hire of two other lawyers this week: the husband-and-wife team of Jane Serene Raskin and Marty Raskin. About Giuliani, Sekulow said in a statement, We welcome his expertise.

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Former New York City mayor and federal prosecutor, Giuliani earned the praise of numerous lawyers in Trumps orbit, many of whom say his particular experiences will be useful in his new role.

He knows all that New York stuff, says Toensing. He knows New York, he knows the Justice Department, and he knows Trump.

Giulianis old U.S. Attorneys Office, the Southern District of New York, is currently investigating Trumps longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen, on a referral from Muellers office. FBI agents raided Cohens office in April and seized documents, including those related to Cohens payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Giuliani earned his spot in Trumps circle during the campaign, when he was a frequent and fiery surrogate for the candidate on television and at rallies.

I am sick and tired of the defamation of Donald Trump by the media and by the Clinton campaign. I am sick and tired, he said during an energetic speech at the Republican National Convention in July 2016. This is a good man. Trump reportedly considered Giuliani for Secretary of State before Giuliani withdrew from contention in December 2016.

While Giulianis bombast and ego likely attracted the admiration of the president, others are more critical, including former FBI Director James Comey, who recounts working for Giuliani in the U.S. attorneys office in the 1980s in his new book A Higher Loyalty.

It took me a while to realize that Giulianis confidence was not leavened with a whole lot of humility. The cost of that imbalance was that there was very little oxygen left for others, Comey wrote. Though Giulianis confidence was exciting, it fed an imperial style that severely narrowed the circle of people with whom he interacted, something I didnt realize was dangerous until much later: a leader needs the truth, but an emperor does not consistently hear it from his underlings.

Giuliani is now stepping into a complex legal situation where some questions remain unresolved. The White House has been publicly wishing for the investigation to end for months, and Muellers team and Trumps are still negotiating over whether the president will sit for an interview, among other matters.

Richard Ben-Veniste, who was one of the lead prosecutors on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force and knows Giuliani from the U.S. Attorneys Office, says its highly unlikely that Giuliani can push the investigation to a rapid close. If Trump does sit for an interview, for example, that will take some time to prepare for. The job of preparation for an interview of this importance requires a skilled lawyer and diligence of preparation on the part of the client, he says. I think theres much more to do in the investigation.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Saturday it had killed nine militants who had been plotting a terrorist act in the volatile Dagestan region in the south of the country. Russia's anti-terrorist committee said on its website it had received information that militants who planned to carry out an attack early next month were hiding in Derbent, the second biggest city of the Muslim-majority republic of Dagestan. Russian special forces detected two groups of militants in different parts of the city. The militants opened fire after being ordered to lay down their arms and were shot dead. There were no casualties among civilians or special forces, it said. Separately, Russia's Federal Security Service said on its website it had killed an Islamic State militant in the neighboring Stavropol region. The militant had planned an attack on the regional government buildings. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi forces on Saturday shot down an unidentified toy drone that hovered over a Riyadh neighbourhood home to royal palaces, state media said, prompting a security alarm in the capital.

"At 1950 (1650 GMT) a security checkpoint in Khuzama neighbourhood of Riyadh spotted a recreational remote-controlled drone," the Saudi Press Agency reported.

"Security personnel at the checkpoint dealt with it according to their orders and instructions in this regard," SPA added, implying that the drone had been shot down.

The statement followed unconfirmed videos on social media that appeared to show heavy volleys of gunfire in that neighbourhood, triggering speculation of a possible coup attempt.

But the government ruled out any major security breach, adding that an investigation had been launched into the incident.

Government officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the whereabouts of the Saudi king and crown prince during the incident.

Security around the palaces appears to have tightened in recent months as powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman oversees landmark social and economic reforms to prepare for a post-oil era, despite the risk of riling religious hardliners.

The 32-year-old prince has also overseen a major military shake-up and a royal purge as he consolidates power to a degree well beyond that wielded by previous rulers.

Last October a gunman shot dead two Saudi guards and wounded three others at the gate of the royal palace in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, according to the interior ministry.

Royal guards killed the gunman, identified by the ministry as a 28-year-old Saudi national armed with a Kalashnikov and three grenades.

Saudi Arabia is also embroiled in a long-running conflict with Iran-backed Huthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen, dubbed by the United Nations as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Huthi rebels have repeatedly fired missiles into Saudi territory, including the capital Riyadh. Saudi Arabia claims to have intercepted most of them.
By Rania El Gamal and Stephen Kalin DUBAI/RIYADH (Reuters) - Saudi Arabian security forces said they had shot down a recreational drone in the capital on Saturday after online videos showing gunfire in a neighborhood where royal palaces are located sparked fears of possible political unrest. The Riyadh police spokesman, quoted by the official Saudi News Agency (SPA), said a security screening point noticed the flying of a small unauthorized recreational drone at 7:50 p.m. local time (1650 GMT), leading security forces to deal with it according to their orders and instructions. There were no casualties, and King Salman was not at his palace at the time, a senior Saudi official told Reuters. "The king was at his farm in Diriya," the official said, naming another area of the capital. Amateur footage circulating earlier on social media showed loud gunfire that lasted for at least 30 seconds, leading to speculation online about a possible coup attempt in the world's top oil exporter and questions about the whereabouts of the king and crown prince. One video showed two police cars parked in the middle of a dark street. Reuters was unable to independently verify the videos' authenticity. Asked about the footage, the official said the drone had been shot down, and added that the government would introduce regulations for the use of recreational drones. Saudi Arabia has witnessed a series of radical political changes over the past year under the king's son, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has spearheaded reforms to transform the economy, open the country culturally, and impose a more tolerant form of Islam in the deeply conservative kingdom. The 32-year-old leader ousted his older cousin as crown prince last summer in a palace coup and then jailed dozens of top businessmen and senior royals, including billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and National Guard head Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, in an anti-corruption sweep. Most of the detainees have been released after reaching settlements with the government. Space for criticism has also narrowed in recent months following the arrests of prominent clerics and activists in an apparent bid to silence dissent. Those moves have helped Prince Mohammed consolidate his position in a country where power had been shared among senior princes for decades and religious figures exercised significant influence on policy. But they have also fueled speculation about a possible backlash against the crown prince, who remains popular with Saudi Arabia's burgeoning youth population. Prince Mohammed returned earlier this month from a foreign tour that included the United States where he sought investments and support to curb Iranian influence in the region. Riyadh and Tehran are locked in a decades-long struggle for supremacy that is being waged in several countries, including Yemen. Iran-aligned Houthi fighters there have occasionally dispatched drones across Saudi Arabia's southern border, but there was no apparent connection between that conflict and Saturday's incident in Riyadh. (Additional reporting Sarah Dadouch; Writing by Stephen Kalin; editing by Andrew Roche and Daniel Wallis)
Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump's secretary of State pick Mike Pompeo is likely to be rejected by a Senate panel after all its Democrats opposed his nomination, but he may still win final confirmation next week.

Senator Chris Coons on Friday became the last Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to announce his position.

The panel has 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats.

With Republican Rand Paul joining all the Democrats in opposition, Pompeo is now expected to be reported unfavorably out of committee -- a rare result -- despite a full court press by the White House to get him across the line.

"I do not make this decision lightly or without reservations," Coons said in a statement.

While he was convinced Pompeo, who currently heads the CIA, would help improve conditions for career professionals at the State Department, "I remain concerned that Director Pompeo will not challenge the president in critical moments."

Coons said he worried that Pompeo "will embolden, rather than moderate or restrain, President Trump's most belligerent and dangerous instincts."

The committee's Republican chairman, Senator Bob Corker, has scheduled a Monday panel vote.

Regardless of the outcome, Corker is expected to report the nominee to the full Senate for a vote. The White House is eager to see a final vote next week, before Congress goes on a one-week recess.

Pompeo, a former congressman, has promised to "push back" against Russian aggression. And he made headlines this week when it emerged that he secretly traveled to North Korea and met with leader Kim Jong Un ahead of a planned Kim-Trump summit.

But Democrats have warned Pompeo could be excessively partisan, something Corker sought to knock back on Thursday.

"I realize my Democratic friends in many cases feel like that in supporting Pompeo, it's a proxy for support of the Trump administration policies, which many of them abhor," Corker said.

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But he insisted there was no one in Washington "that has more current knowledge about the threats" today than Pompeo.

He still has a shot at confirmation. Republicans hold 51 of the chamber's 100 seats.

With Senator John McCain out indefinitely as he battles cancer, and Paul opposed, Pompeo would need support from just one Democrat if all other Republicans back the nominee.

On Thursday, Senator Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who is up for reelection in November in a state won handily by Trump in 2016, announced her support for Pompeo.

Republican Senator Jeff Flake, meanwhile, has said he remained undecided.

Pompeo has been quietly courting other Senate Democrats from red states in his hopes to win a majority.
A congressional measure to allow babies to be present on the floor during votes in the Senate passed unanimously on Thursday. The rule change allows parents to bring children under the age of one to the floor instead of being forced to miss important votes. The change is a huge win for Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, who earlier this month became the first Senator in history to give birth while in office when she delivered her daughter, Maile Pearl Bowlsbey.

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Under current rules, Senators are required to be physically present on the Senate floor in order to participate in a vote. But until Thursday children were not allowed on the floor, meaning that a new parent like Duckworth would be forced to either miss essential votes or leave her daughter in order to cast her vote. With this new rule, Duckworth wont be expected to make an unnecessary compromise just to do her job.

The new measure allowed Duckworth to become the first Senator to vote with a baby in tow. She brought Maile to the floor for her first political outing during a vote on the confirmation of James Bridenstine to be the next NASA administrator. Duckworth voted against Bridenstines confirmation.

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I think its historic, I think its amazing. It feels great, Duckworth told reporters as she was entering the Capitol to cast her vote. It is about time, huh?

Despite the rule being voted through unanimously, the idea of voting-with-child did get some pushback from a few Senators, including Utah Senator Orrin Hatch who asked, But what if there are 10 babies on the floor of the Senate?

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Other than some light opposition, the change was generally embraced by Senators from both parties. Senator Ben Sasse, a strong conservative from Nebraska, voiced his support for the decision, writing, We, as a society, ought to be coming alongside new moms and dads and supporting them as best we can.

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The post Senate Unanimously Votes to Allow Babies on Floor During Votes appeared first on Fatherly.
By Justin Mitchell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday backed the decriminalization of marijuana, unveiling a bill removing it from the federal schedule of controlled substances days after President Donald Trump softened his own stance over the drug. Schumer said his position had "evolved" and threw his support behind more local efforts to legalize the substance that has already been legalized in some form in most of the 50 U.S. states. "I have long believed that states should function as their own laboratories of democracy," Schumer said in a Twitter post. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last year showed marijuana legalization or decriminalization was popular, especially among young people. Washington, California, Oregon, Colorado and a number of other states plus the District of Columbia have legalized or decriminalized marijuana for recreational use, while 29 states allow use of marijuana for medical reasons. It remains illegal, however, under federal law. U.S. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado last week said that he had convinced Trump, a fellow Republican, to protect from federal interference those state laws that legalize marijuana for certain uses. The shift by both Trump and Schumer comes as U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has sought to crack down on marijuana decriminalization efforts. Sessions, who opposes marijuana use, in January rescinded a policy issued by Trumps Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, that dialed back enforcement of the federal ban in states that legalized the drug. April 20, the date of Schumer's announcement, is informally celebrated as a holiday by marijuana users known as "4/20." Schumer's new position, first reported by VICE News, comes as Democrats have high hopes to re-take the House and Senate in the November 2018 midterm elections. "My thinking  as well as the general populations views  on the issue has evolved," he said in a statement. "Its simply the right thing to do." (Reporting by Justin Mitchell and Susan Heavey; Editing by Tom Brown)
GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP/Getty Images

At least 50 members of a migrant caravan that has been travelling through Central America and Mexico has reached the US border and are seeking asylum.

The group, which at one point reached a peak of 1,500 people from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, had prompted US President Donald Trump to call in the National Guard troops from Arizona and Texas in order to secure the border and continues on with plans to build a 2,000-mile border wall.

The group dwindled as word of Mr Trumps threats spread and Mexican authorities separated those who were legally allowed to stay in Mexico from those who were not. Though some of the migrants have been granted entry, "there have already been cases of people being illegally turned away by border officials when trying to request asylum at the U.S. border," a spokesperson for Pueblo Sin Fronteras, an immigrant rights group, told Newsweek.

More migrants are expected at the border near Tijuana, Mexico, soon as well. Since yesterday, some began to cross into the United States to turn themselves in from Tijuana and request asylum. We understand more...will do the same, Jose Maria Garcia, director of migrant assistance organisation Juventud 2000, told Reuters.

Per US Citizenship and Immigration Services, asylum seekers must "demonstrate [they] have suffered persecution or fear that they will suffer persecution due to" five factors: race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. The majority of migrants in the caravan are fleeing some of the world's most violent areas in terms of gang violence, murders per capita, and drug cartel control. They have up to one year to apply for the status after they arrive in the US. The process can take up to 180 days and involves being fingerprinted and government officers running a check on all the claims being made in the application.

Mr Trumps comments about the caravan have followed the tone of his other policies on immigration. Earlier this month the president ditched prepared remarks at a speech in West Virginia to say that women in the caravan are [being] raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before, despite there being almost no evidence on which to base the claim.

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And remember my opening remarks at Trump Tower when I opened. Everybody said, 'Oh, he was so tough.' And I used the word 'rape.' And yesterday it came out where, this journey coming up, women are raped at levels that nobody has ever seen before. They don't want to mention that, he said.

While the distinct absence of evidence for the suggestion does not rule out the possibility that there are incidents of rape taking place within the caravan, Mr Trumps claim that there were reports that came out yesterday does not check out in a survey of media reports.

His comments in West Virginia also highlighted sanctuary cities, which he said are "the worst", adding that "its basically a city to protect a lot of people that are bad people. Really bad. Cities like Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago have vowed to protect the confidential information of undocumented immigrants and not assist federal authorities with rounding them up. Instead, local police focus on combatting criminal and violent activities.

Other matters on immigration the administration has pushed of late include praising construction of the roughly 2,000-mile US-Mexico border wall and ending the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme seemingly over a political fit with Congressional Democrats. The decision to end the programme has left 800,000 people brought to the US illegally when they were minors in a legal limbo. They had been allowed to stay, study, and even work while paying taxes through Daca.
Authorities identified Sky Bouche, 19, as the suspect in a shooting at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, Friday morning.

Officials said the suspect was in custody of 9 a.m after reports of a shooting at the school. One student was reportedly injured and was treated by medics at the scene, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook.

Bouche, 19, did not attend the high school, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said during a press conference. According to the sheriff's office, the incident involved one 17-year-old student who experienced non-life threatening injuries.

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"He is being cooperative and he is cooperating with our detectives. FBI is helping us in regards to obtaining information about his past.

The motive remained unclear, Woods said.

Woods said that Bouche was taken into custody and no weapons were involved in his arrest. The sheriff did not clarify if the victim and the shooter knew each other, or if the victim was targeted.

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"Today, [Marion County] should be proud of their first responders. They did not hesitate, went in and basically in three minutes engaged with the shooter and brought him into custody," Woods said.

The shooting occurred on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. Nineteen years ago, 12 students and one teacher were shot by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who killed themselves after the attack.

Woods said during the press conference that he was angry the incident occurred at the school, where 2,000 students are enrolled. He said he did not want parents or students in the county to fear going back to school.

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Its a shame what society has come to and that we even need to be here on a school campus. This is not just a law enforcement problem, this a society problem. We as a whole need to do something," he said.

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Woods said he did not know if the shooter intentionally chose this day for the attack.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Allison Mack attends Wizard World Chicago Comic Con 2013. (Photo: Getty Images)

Smallville star Allison Mack was arrested on Friday for her alleged involvement in a sex cult.

Mack, 35, and Keith Raniere, the founder of the self-help group NXIVM, were both charged with sex trafficking, sex-trafficking conspiracy, and forced-labor conspiracy. Raniere was arrested by the FBI in Mexico in March.

So, how did an actress on the CW end up purportedly recruiting sex slaves  and ultimately land in jail?

Mack first made headlines a few months ago over her alleged involvement in NXIVM (pronounced nex-e-um), which has several Hollywood ties  including her former Smallville co-star Kristin Kreuk.

Kreuk, 35, is best known for playing Lana Lang on the hit show and currently stars on CBSs Burden of Truth. However, the 35-year-old actress wanted to set the record straight on what she knew about NXIVM and a reported secret sorority within it called DOS, also known as Lord/Master of the Obedient Female Companions, according to the New York Times.

Kreuk also retweeted a post from actress Sarah Edmondson that read: For the record, my dear friend @MsKristinKreuk was never in the inner circle of #NXIVM. She never recruited sex slaves and has been out since 2013 before s*** got weird. She is a lovely person who should not be dragged into this mess. Thank you. #Cult #DOS #freedom #TRUTH.

Smallville (Photo: Getty Images)

Allison Macks involvement, however, may be a bit more complicated. Mack played Chloe Sullivan on Smallville from 2001 to 2011. She has since appeared on Wilfred and American Odyssey, with her last credited appearance coming last year, voicing Evelyn in Lost in Oz.

Mack is so close with Keith Raniere, its believed that she was hiding out in Mexico with him last month. A photo circulating online depicted a blonde woman at the scene of Ranieres arrest. It has also been speculated that she is the actress and DOS master referred to as Co-Conspirator 1 in the federal complaint filed in New York, who allegedly directed their slaves to have sex with Raniere.

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During Fridays arraignment in New York, one of her defense lawyers entered a plea of not guilty on her behalf, and she was ordered detained by the judge.

While Macks involvement is likely to come out in court, she has made no secret of her admiration for Raniere.

Listening to Keith Raniere explore thoughts on media, love and humanity. Mind is blown. I am so inspired.  Allison Mack (@allisonmack) October 27, 2013

On Macks biography page on her official website, she credits Mr. Raniere for mentoring her in her study of acting and music. In her last blog post, from July 2017, she discusses the quest she has been on to find herself since 2013.

The other morning I woke up and realized I have dedicated my life to this quest of self discovery. But I still feel like I am searching for something out there to get discover whats in here,' she writes. For the last 4 years I have been in an ongoing class broken up into segments of 8 day intensive workshops. So every 3 months, I spend 8 days with a group of amazing people who are all seeking to experience themselves and their lives more deeply. It feels like my lifes study. Since the last workshop I have been contemplating my quest more deeply. What is self? How do I know it? Where does it come from? My mentor, Keith, is always encouraging me to spend time with myself.

Last year, she interviewed her mentor on his Keith Raniere Conversations YouTube channel in a segment called Balancing Genius and Insecurities. Mack appears to be awestruck in the 12-minute video.

U.S. Attorney Richard P. Donoghue claims Raniere created a secret society of women whom he had sex with and branded with his initials, coercing them with the threat of releasing their highly personal information and taking their assets.

After Ranieres arrest, FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney added: As alleged, Keith Raniere displayed a disgusting abuse of power in his efforts to denigrate and manipulate women he considered his sex slaves. He allegedly participated in horrifying acts of branding and burning them, with the cooperation of other women operating within this unorthodox pyramid scheme. These serious crimes against humanity are not only shocking, but disconcerting, to say the least, and we are putting an end to this torture today.

Donoghue gave the following statement today after Macks arrest: As alleged in the indictment, Allison Mack recruited women to join what was purported to be a female mentorship group that was, in fact, created and led by Keith Raniere. The victims were then exploited, both sexually and for their labor, to the defendants benefit. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting predators who victimize others through sex trafficking and forced labor.

Mack was last active on social media in March, sharing a photo of her and her mom.

Her most recent post is also from March 22 and is a video of a boy asking, What do you practice?

A bail hearing has been set for Mack on Monday. Raniere will be arraigned at a later date.

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The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that four people were killed during protests near the border between Gaza and Israel on April 20. Another 729 people were reported injured.

This footage is said to show Israeli snipers at the border with Gaza on April 6.

Demonstrators turned out to border areas of the Gaza Strip for the fourth Friday in a row, on April 20, demanding the right to return to what they consider to be their land in Palestine.

The IDF has responded to the demonstrations, which include burning tires, throwing rocks, and attacks on the border fence, by firing live bullets, rubber bullets, and dropping and firing tear gas at people behind the border fence. Credit: Shady Salfite via Storyful
Several passengers are being hailed as heroes following an engine explosion on a Dallas-bound Southwest Airlines flight on Tuesday. But witnesses say the flight attendants on the ill-fated plane also went above and beyond to help passengers  even as they feared for their own lives.

Without a doubt in my mind, those individuals are heroes. I dont use the word hero loosely, Kristopher Johnson, a 38-year-old father from El Paso, Texas, tells PEOPLE of the crew members. They kept their calm and composure and said, Everybody, were gonna get through this. The medical professionals onboard tended to the passenger that was injured, but the rest of us only had the flight attendants.

Flight 1380 from New York City made an emergency landing in Philadelphia that morning after one of the engines exploded and sent a piece of shrapnel flying into the aircraft. The plane suddenly depressurized and descended from more than 30,000 feet to about 10,000 feet in about five minutes, CNN reports. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) believes metal fatigue on the 18-year-old Boeing 737 led to one of the engines blade breaking mid-flight, sending shrapnel into the planes fuselage and breaking the window next to mother of two, Jennifer Riordan, who died after being partially sucked through the window.

Southwest Airlines pilot and crew members during plane's emergency landing

Johnson says there was chaos after the abrupt explosion. And another passenger, a New Jersey resident who asked to remain anonymous, says the crew members were sure to put the passengers first.

The flight attendants went into complete action mode, running up and down the aisle, helping people put on their masks, making sure the oxygen was flowing before they started putting on their own masks, the anonymous passenger tells PEOPLE.

The flight attendants were saying, Heads down, brace position, dont look up! It was very instructive on what to do and preparing for the worst, you dont know whats going to happen. 

As the situation unfolded, Riordan, a bank executive from New Mexico, was partially sucked through a window broken by shrapnel. Although other passengers were able to pull her back into the aircraft, witnesses reported that she went into cardiac arrest. Firefighter Andrew Needhum and a fellow passenger Tim McGinty helped pull Riordan back into the plane. Meanwhile, the anonymous passenger says, a flight attendant rushed to get a defibrillator from the front of the plane to help the woman.

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RELATED: Woman Nearly Sucked Out of Plane After Engine Explosion Blows Out Window on Southwest Flight

RELATED VIDEO: Woman Nearly Sucked Out of Plane After Engine Explosion Blows Out Window on Southwest Flight

According to Johnson, it was the crew who kept the more than 135 passengers calm as pilot Tammie Jo Shults landed the aircraft safely.

They werent screaming, they werent crying uncontrollably, Johnson says, noting that one flight attendant became emotional. I heard in her voice when she was talking, she was visibly shaking but still made the announcements. Flight attendants were saying, Lower your head and brace, brace. Then we landed.

Upon reached ground, shaken passengers immediately contacted their loved ones and Riordan was taken to a local hospital where she later passed away. Riordan died from blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and torso, Philadelphia Department of Public Health spokesman James Garrow said Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.
Former MI6 officer Christopher Steeles dossier on Donald Trump was denounced by the US president and his supporters as fake. The ongoing investigation into the Donald Trumps Russian connections, however, has shown much of it to be true. But two notable allegations have remained unproven.

Mr Trumps personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, had vehemently denied the claim, made in the report, that he had met with Russians with ties to Vladimir Putin in Prague; insisting he had never even been to the Czech Republic. And then there was the lurid account of the US president using prostitutes while on a visit to Moscow, something which gained huge publicity and he has strongly denied.

Mr Cohen had sued Fusion GPS, an investigative firm which had commissioned Mr Steeles report, and a news website declaring in a tweet: Enough is enough of the #fake #RussianDossier. Just filed a defamation action against @BuzzFeedNews for publishing the lie filled document on @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and me!"

But Mr Cohen has now voluntarily dropped his legal action. It followed reports that Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into whether Mr Trump was the Muscovite Candidate in the Presidential election has found evidence that Mr Cohen had, indeed, made a trip to Prague.

The claim that Mr Trump had hired prostitutes to urinate on the bed once used by Barack and Michelle Obama, who Mr Trump hated, and the alleged filming of it by the Russians, has resurfaced in the memoirs of James Comey.

The former FBI Director, who claims Mr Trump fired him after he refused to drop the Russia inquiry, recounted the US president repeatedly bringing up, unprompted, the sex allegation, saying at one stage theres no way I would let people pee on each other around me. Im a germaphobe! The theme continued, according to memos just released by Mr Comey.

The president said the hookers thing is nonsense but that Putin had told him we have the most beautiful hookers in the world one of them stated.

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The memos, in which Mr Trump was also shown to be speaking in unflattering terms about General Michael Flynn, his former national security adviser who has been subsequently charged by Mr Mueller, were provided to Congress at the demand of House Republicans who, it is believed, thought they would undermine Mr Comey as well as the wider Trump investigation.

The consensus is that the move has turned out to be massively counter-productive. Honestly, I am aghast that they thought this was going to be helpful to the president and undermine Comey, therefore the FBI, therefore special counsel Mueller commented Jack Quinn, who had acted as Bill Clintons lawyer. I cant get over the fact that they made this calculation. I am sure the president is not going to be sitting up tonight writing thank you letters to them.

In the view of Robert Emerson, a British security analyst: It is the simple rule that barristers follow when questioning witnesses, dont ask something without roughly knowing what the answer is going to be. What came out was hardly flattering for Trump. Theres another reference to Russian prostitutes and Trump simply cant seem to get away from other sex allegations.

The claim that Mr Muellers team have information about Mr Cohens visit to Prague came following a raid on his office and home in New York by FBI agents. They were seeking information about payments made by Mr Cohen to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress, who claims that she has had sex with Mr Trump. But, according to multiple sources, there was also search for material pertaining to an investigation into alleged fraud, tax evasion, money laundering and Mr Cohens actions while working for Mr Trump and real estate purchases by Russian buyers.

Mr Trump denies having sex with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Mr Cohen denies any wrongdoing.

While the Mueller investigation continues to expand, with Mr Trumps former national security advisor Gen Flynn, his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, and campaign staffers Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos already charged by the Special Envoy, the President is facing difficulties finding lawyers to represent him.

Mr Cohen is now enmeshed in a serious criminal investigation and a senior member of Mr Trumps team, John Dowd left recently after disagreement over strategy. According to reports five large, prestigious law firms have declined to defend the President in the Russia investigation.

Mr Trump has now turned to an old ally, Rudy Giuliani. His main role, the former New York Mayor told CNN, would be to interact with Mr Mueller and bring things to a conclusion, as it needs a little push..

His appointment has been greeted with general derision on social media - portrayed as a sign of Mr Trumps desperation. Mr Giuliani pointed out that he had known Mr Mueller a for a long time, since when he was mayor and the Special Counsel was the FBI Director.

There is, however, a Christopher Steele connection to Mr Giuliani and the Trump affair. During his investigation in the run-up to the US election, the former MI6 officer had been regularly supplying information to the FBI. But he became frustrated at what he saw as lack of progress in the Trump inquiry. The Bureau seemed, instead, to be devoting their resources in the pursuit of Hillary Clintons email transgressions.

The New York office, in particular, appeared to be on a crusade against Ms Clinton. Some of its agents had a long working relationship with Rudy Giuliani  by then a member of the Trump campaign  since his days as public prosecutor and then Mayor.

As the election approached, FBI director James Comey made public his bombshell letter saying that Ms Clinton would face another email investigation. Two days before that, Mr Giuliani talked about a surprise or two youre going to hear about in the next few days. Weve got a couple of things up our sleeve that should turn things around".

After the letter was published, Mr Giuliani claimed he had heard from current and former agents that theres a kind of revolution going on inside the FBI over the original decision not to charge Ms Clinton and that Mr Comey had been forced by some of his agents to announce the reinvestigation.

Democrats wanted to know at the time into how Mr Giuliani acquired this knowledge  without getting an answer. Now, with the Special Counsels investigation going at full steam, Mr Giuliani may find his old acquaintance Mr Mueller and his team asking him that same question, with the power to demand answers, and opening another chapter in the Trump affair.
The students at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida had planned to participate in the national walkout against gun violence Friday morning. But a student was shot at the high school before the walkout started, sparking a school evacuation and sending the rest of the district into lockdown.

One 17-year-old student was injured and has been hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The shooter  a 19-year-old man who is not a student at the school  was taken into custody by a school resource officer within three minutes of the shooting at 8:39 a.m., Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a press conference Friday. The school resource officer did not fire any shots, and the shooter was taken into custody without resistance. Woods said the shooting was intentional, but could not confirm whether the shooter and the victim knew each other.

Its a shame what society has come to, and that we even have to be here on a school campus. You know, society has changed since I was a kid, since I was in school. This is not just a law enforcement problem, this is a society problem, Woods said, adding that he spent Thursday in nearby Gilchrist County, where two sheriffs deputies were shot and killed at a restaurant. We as a whole need to do something. My feelings, my emotions are running rampant.

On Thursday, Forest High School shared information about the walkout, which was scheduled to start at 10:20 a.m., inviting any student to participate in the student-led civic demonstration if they chose to. Students across the country participated in the National School Walkout on Friday, which marks the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School.

Tomorrow we will be participating in the student led civic demonstration. This voluntary event will take place during CAT period with an announcement releasing students that wish to participate. Any student not wanting to participate will remain in their CAT period class.????????????  Forest High School (@FHS_WildcatLife) April 19, 2018

Woods said he did not know whether Fridays shooting was related to the date of April 20, given that it coincided with the national walkout and the Columbine anniversary. The Forest High School shooting came more than two months after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida  a mass shooting that has sparked multiple marches and walkouts against gun violence.

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What happened down south almost came here to Marion County, and they need to stop, Woods said at Fridays press conference.

Im angry, Im sad, and I want to do something, he said. And we will do something, and we are doing something, and its evident by what was accomplished  the success of the actions of the first responders today.

Forest High School students were evacuated to the First Baptist Church of Ocala, where their parents picked them up. Authorities said there was no shooting at any other Marion County school, but all schools were placed on lockdown as a precaution.
(Photo: Brian Snyder / Reuters)

Students around the country walked out of class on Friday to bring attention to gun violence in the U.S. The walkout also marked the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colorado.

Photos from around the country show students protesting peacefully and making their voices heard, as well as protesting silently outside the White House.

See the latest images from the second round of school walkouts below.

New York City

Students from Fiorello H. Laguardia High School walk out of their school.

Students from the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Queens.

Students from Fiorello H. Laguardia High School march out of their school.

Washington, D.C.

A student attends a rally outside the White House.

Students attend a rally at Lafayette Park.

Students march to the U.S. Capitol.

Emma Corcoran joins students observing 19 minutes of silence outside the White House.

Students from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, join the walkout.

A sign that reads 'Mr. President How Many More People Have To Die For You To Care?! ' lays on the ground.

Students march to the U.S. Capitol.

Parkland, Florida

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed during a mass shooting earlier this year, leave school together for the National School Walkout.

Delany Tarr, a senior, signs a poster as she gathers with some of her classmates from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Chicago

A student holds up her hands while taking part in National School Walkout Day to protest school violence on April 20, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois.

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Washington, D.C.

Daisy Hernandez, 22, joins students and gun control advocates for the March For Our Lives event.

Students react during a speech at the rally.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student Emma Gonzalez stayed silent for 6 minutes and 20 seconds in her speech.

The crowd listens as Emma Gonzalez speaks at the rally.

Gonzalez included six minutes and twenty seconds of silence in her speech, the time it took a shooter to kill 17 students and faculty at Stoneman Douglas High School.

Los Angeles student Edna Chavez cries as she speaks about the shooting death of her 14-year-old brother as she addresses students and gun control advocates during the "March for Our Lives".

21-year-old Alexander Voneiff of Alexandria, Virginia, cries as he shows marchers his "Enough" shirt.

Young girls wave down at marchers from the balcony of the Newseum.

A boy displays his hand-made sign as he poses for a photograph.

Demi Lovato performs 'Skyscraper' during the March for Our Lives.

Singer Lin-Manuel Miranda (L) and Singer Ben Platt perform.

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(SYRACUSE, N.Y.)  A fraternity suspended at Syracuse University over an offensive video said in an apologetic statement on Friday that the activities were intended as a satirical sketch depicting an uneducated, intolerant person.

Each semester our new members are given the opportunity to write and act out a skit, in order to roast the active brothers. This event was never intended to be centered around racism or hate. This year, one of these brothers is a conservative Republican, and the new members roasted him by playing the part of a racist conservative character, the New York schools Theta Tau chapter says on its website .

It was a satirical sketch of an uneducated, racist, homophobic, misogynist, sexist, ableist and intolerant person. The young man playing the part of this character nor the young man being roasted do not hold any of the horrible views espoused as a part of that sketch.

The chapter said its embarrassed, disappointed and ashamed, adding, Anyone of color or of any marginalized group who has seen this video has every right to be angry and upset with the despicable contents of that video.

First and foremost, every single member of Theta Tau would like to apologize to everyone affected by the racist video, the chapter said.

The national engineering fraternity said in its own statement that despite the context, theres no excuse.

Both the national group and the chapter stressed that they support inclusiveness.

On Friday morning, a group of students demanding change confronted Chancellor Ken Syverud, who previously called the video racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and hostile to people with disabilities.

Syverud said on the schools website that it will conduct a top to bottom review of its fraternity and sorority policies, activities and culture, and many aspects of college life will include diversity and inclusion training.

Syverud said he would be consulting with a wide range of students, faculty and staff on Friday and over the weekend.
Exercising one of the perks of being Africas last absolute monarch, Swazilands King Mswati III announced Thursday that he would officially change the name of his country to the Kingdom of eSwatini.

He declared the surprise decision during a joint celebration of the 50th anniversary of Swazi independence as well as his own 50th birthday, according to Reuters.

On several previous occasions, the king has referred to Swaziland using his preferred term eSwatini, meaning land of the Swazis in the Swati language, including during a 2017 address to the U.N. General Assembly.

Speaking to a stadium audience east of the capital on Wednesday, Mswati described the change as reverting back to the countrys original name before colonization by the British, Reuters reports. The country gained independence in 1968.

50/50 Golden Jubilee celebrations in Swaziland ????????King Mswati III celebrates his 50th birthday while the kingdom marks 50 years of independence pic.twitter.com/CKHmzHc5hW  Nomsa Maseko (@nomsa_maseko) April 19, 2018

The king added that the renaming would also help resolve an international branding issue. Whenever we go abroad, people refer to us as Switzerland, he said.

Mswati, who is the son of the previous monarch Sobhuza II and reportedly has 15 wives, was crowned in 1986 and rules by decree. He has elicited criticism for his regimes human rights records, and for living a lavish lifestyle in a small, landlocked nation that has the worlds highest HIV/Aids rates and where most of the population relies on subsistence agriculture.
Washington and Pyongyang are carefully considering locations for a planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un.

"The meeting location will be the result of compromise, carefully chosen so as not to provide propaganda fodder for either side," said one analyst.

Potential choices include Sweden, Scandinavia and Mongolia.

As the White House and Pyongyang prepare for a historic summit , one of the biggest logistical sticking points is location.

President Donald Trump and North Korea ruler Kim Jong Un are expected to sit down face to face in May or June to discuss the rogue state's nuclear weapons program in what will be the first meeting between sitting U.S. and North Korean leaders. Where the landmark encounter takes place is a crucial component of the summit, strategists told CNBC.

"These are two parties that both value symbolism and optics, and I cannot imagine any one of them will give in easily and cede ground on the location issue," said Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, associate scholar at Foreign Policy Research Institute, a Philadelphia-based think tank.

Mike Pompeo , Trump's pick for secretary of state, and Kim reportedly spent the most time on this issue during their recent meeting , which is "very telling for how much it matters," Silberstein continued.

Trump, this week, said there were five places being considered, but didn't provide any further details.

"The meeting location will be the result of compromise, carefully chosen so as not to provide propaganda fodder for either side," said Miha Hribernik, senior Asia analyst at global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft. "The end result will likely be a venue in a third country without a direct security stake on the Korean Peninsula."

Here are a few potential locations for the high-stakes negotiations:

Western Europe

Sources familiar with the talks have told various news outlets that Sweden and Switzerland are among the places being considered by the White House. A senior North Korean foreign minister traveled to Stockholm and Helsinki for diplomatic talks last month but it's not clear whether the summit was on the agenda.

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A Wednesday editorial in China's state-run newspaper The Global Times dismissed that prospect, saying "North Korea won't choose a Western country as Kim's safety could not be fully guaranteed." The summit location must be in a country where North Korea's security interests are assured, the editorial warned.

Many analysts, however, said it's entirely possible for Kim to accept politically neutral countries like Sweden, Finland or Switzerland.

Pyongyang

For Kim, the North Korean capital is likely his top choice.

"The North Koreans have hinted that they would love to have it in Pyongyang, that would show to the world that even the United States president is willing to come to North Korea," said Rodger Baker, vice president of strategic analysis at advisory firm Stratfor. "It puts North Korea as clearly an equal with the other big powers."

The White House, conscious of those power dynamics, isn't expected to give Kim that advantage.

While Trump may favor Pyongyang because of the grand welcome he would receive, "the optics of a U.S. president traveling to Pyongyang to meet North Korea's leader  almost like paying tribute to him, or that's at least how North Korean propaganda would portray it  may too obviously be too much for the U.S. to bear," said Silberstein.

Panmunjom

Known as the "truce village" sitting in the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea , Panmunjom is the only place in the fortified area where soldiers from both countries near one another.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in is set to meet Kim in Panmunjom on April 27 and, according to Stratfor's Baker, it's possible that Trump and Kim could also choose to meet there. The Moon-Kim summit "would be a test of that as a viable space," he said.

China/Russia

Kim's government may have offered a Chinese city, such as Beijing , or the Russian port city of Vladivostok as potential choices, according to the Global Times editorial, because both places provide the North with security guarantees.

But that's unlikely to sit well with Washington.

"Beijing and Vladivostok are contenders, but unlikely to be selected," said Hribernik. The U.S. is currently experiencing frosty ties with China and Russia so it will "almost certainly not allow" either to stage manage such a historic meeting, he continued.

Ulaanbaatar

The Mongolian capital, which borders Russia and China, is in the running due to its easy accessibility by train or plane from North Korea, according to Hribernik.

Mongolia also has diplomatic relations with both Pyongyang and Washington, making it a more likely candidate over a Chinese or Russian city, added Silberstein.





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The US-led air strikes against the Syrian regime also sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ahead of talks with President Donald Trump, Japan's defense minister said Friday.

Observers have suggested the strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could strengthen Trump's hand in talks, as they showed Kim that the West has the political will to back up its rhetoric -- as well as the capability for precise strikes launched from afar.

"This is an action that was taken against weapons of mass destruction, and I think this gave a certain message to North Korea as well," Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said through an interpreter.

Mattis said last week's strikes on three facilities tied to Assad's chemical weapons program had garnered broad international backing.

"Let me address Assad, should he ignore the international community," Mattis said.

"There has been full support for that regrettable but necessary attack on his research and engineering part of his weapons program -- weapons of mass destruction. He would be ill-advised to ignore the international community's statement, and we stand ready to address anything in the future."

Onodera was at the Pentagon for a meeting with Mattis, who said the US-Japan alliance was "the cornerstone for peace and security" throughout the Pacific region.

"Together we are carefully reviewing a possible new path to peace, and at the same time we remain vigilant," he said, referring to North Korea.

Onodera said the US and Japan must work "synergetically" along with the international community to "make North Korea abandon all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile program in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Trump and Kim are expected to have talks around Kim's nuclear program in late May or June. The location of what would be a historic summit has not yet been disclosed.
Yarmuk (Syria) (AFP) - Heavy regime bombardment pounded a southern district of Syria's capital Saturday, state media and a monitor said, as government forces pressed their campaign against Islamic State jihadists entrenched in the area.

IS still holds large parts of the Palestinian refugee camp of Yarmouk and the adjacent Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun districts on the southern edge of Damascus.

Since Thursday, regime forces have been shelling them heavily in a bid to pressure IS fighters to withdraw.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said six civilians have since been killed.

"There are clashes and intense air strikes today, but no strategic advance on the ground," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Syrian state news agency SANA said government forces were targeting IS supply lines and had destroyed weapons depots in the area.

A reporter contributing to AFP from inside Yarmuk said there was steady shelling throughout the day on Saturday, with the booms of air strikes reverberating across the district.

Residents were hiding in the basements or ground floors of their modest cinderblock homes, too afraid to go outside.

Syrian warplanes and helicopter gunships could be seen flying above the camp, as billowing masses of thick grey smoke emerged from the skyline.

Once a thriving district home to some 160,000 Syrians and Palestinians, Yarmuk has been devastated by more than five years of clashes and a crippling government siege.

Thousands have fled over the years as the humanitarian situation has grown more dire.

IS overran most of Yarmuk in 2015 and Al-Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate maintained a small presence in Yarmuk until it withdrew a few weeks ago.

Another small pocket is controlled by the regime and allied Palestinian fighters.

IS overran large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, but has since lost most of that territory to several offensives.
Budapest (AFP) - Tens of thousands of Hungarians took to the streets in Budapest for a second consecutive Saturday to protest against newly reelected Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The crowd, estimated at around 30,000 by a AFP photographer, marched through the city to a rally where speakers demanded a non-partisan public media.

Campaigning hard against immigration, the 54-year-old Orban's overwhelming victory April 8 saw his Fidesz party secure around half the vote.

But among criticisms regarding the fairness of the election, observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation said the campaign was marked by media bias.

As part of sweeping reforms since he came into power in 2010, Orban has turned the public media channels into what his critics call "government mouthpieces".

Many of the demonstrators, most of whom were young, chanted "democracy" and brandished Hungarian and European Union flags.

An organiser, Viktor Gyetvai, 20, told AFP the protest "was not going to change the system overnight" but was aimed at sparking a "civil movement" to challenge Orban.

"These are first steps, a sign that there are many Hungarians who want to live in a democracy, with independent institutions, and a free media," said Gyetvai.

More demonstrations will be held in provincial cities in coming weeks, he said.

Last Saturday some 100,000 protestors held a protest in Budapest days after Orban's win.

The victory handed Orban his third consecutive two-thirds parliamentary majority and a legislative free rein for the next four years.

Since then Orban has signalled an escalation of his long-running onslaught on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) linked to the liberal US billionaire George Soros.

Orban accuses the Hungarian-born 87-year-old of plotting to destroy Europe though mass immigration.

A pro-Orban newspaper recently published a list of some 200 "Soros mercenaries" that included staff at NGOs, universities and investigative journalism websites.

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A vote on a controversial "Stop Soros" package of bills targeting NGOs is likely to be among the first to pass through parliament after it convenes May 8.

The package apes similar laws in Russia and would slap taxes on foreign-funded NGOs that "support" illegal immigration.

Under the proposals, foreigners deemed to support asylum seekers could be stopped from entering Hungary, NGO staff face being barred from approaching border areas and organisations will undergo "security tests".

Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF) network said Friday it is considering moving its office from Budapest, possibly to Berlin, if the laws are approved.

Organisers of Saturday's opposition rally said the next demonstration would take place outside parliament May 8.

"This system is not democracy," said the main speaker at the rally, Peter Marki-Zay, a former Fidesz voter who shot to nationwide prominence in February after winning a shock mayoral election against Orban's party in a provincial city.

A united anti-Orban front should be built from scratch, said the 45-year-old, as the existing opposition parties had failed to present a challenge to the powerful premier.
The WW2 bomb is removed (PA)

Berlin police have successfully defused a huge World War Two bomb, which led to the evacuation of some 10,000 people.

The 1,100lb bomb was believed to have been dropped by the British.

The bomb was found during construction work in the Heidestrasse district, leading to homes, ministries, museums and even nearby hospitals all being evacuated.

Authorities said by mid-afternoon that the bomb had been successfully defused.

Police were seen examining the bomb (AP)

A short bang  there was a controlled explosion of the detonator away from the bomb, the police said.

Earlier, an 800 metre exclusion zone has been placed around the site of the bomb.

Shelters had been put up for those affected.

The discovery had caused widescale disruption to the German capital.

The bomb was discovered earlier in the week by construction workers (PA)

It is the latest in a number of unexploded bombs found recently in Germany including one at Berlins Tegel airport and another in Frankfurt last year, which led to the evacuation of 65,00 people.

An estimated more than 2,000 tons of bombs and ammunition are unearthed in Germany each year.

More than 363 bombing raids were carried out on Berlin during the Second World War.

British bombers alone dropped more than 45,000 tons of bombs during the conflict.

Police had tweeted about the bomb before it was defused, calling it the origin of all evil (PA)

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Berlin police tweeted about the bomb on Friday calling it the origin of all evil, because of the disruption it has caused to the city.

However, after the discovery, they added there was no immediate danger to residents because of the bomb.

Earlier on Friday, the authorities said they had no idea how long the operation to defuse the bomb would take and would depend on the condition of the missile.

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IN the end, it took several hours.

Deserted: Berlins main train station was evacuated because of the bomb (AP)

Despite the successful outcome, there had been travel disruption in the city.

Rail company Deutsche Bahn warned of large-scale disruption for trains on Friday.

Images showed the central train station to be completely deserted of passengers while the operation to remove the bomb was carried out.

By Friday afternoon however it was reported that Berlins main train station had opened again.
SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The driver of a truck packed with migrants, 10 of whom died due to sweltering Texas heat in July, was sentenced on Friday to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty in October to federal human smuggling charges.

James Bradley, 61, could have faced the death penalty in the case, considered one of the deadliest human smuggling incidents in modern U.S. history.

"This was the equivalent of torture," U.S. District Judge David Ezra told Bradley when he handed out two concurrent life sentences at a court in San Antonio.

In July 2017, federal investigators say Bradley picked up as many as 200 immigrants from a smuggler in Laredo, and took cash to haul them to San Antonio, where associates of the smuggler would take them to their destinations.

Bradley stopped the tractor-trailer rig packed with people in a San Antonio Walmart parking lot in the mid-summer Texas heat.

Many of those aboard ran after he opened the doors, but police found 39 people in and around the trailer, many suffering from dehydration and heat stroke.

Eight people were pronounced dead on the scene and two others died at hospitals. Those who died were from Mexico and Guatemala and included four people between the ages of 14 and 17, officials said.

Prosecutors presented police body camera footage to the court that showed dead bodies stacked on top of each other in Bradley's trailer, some foaming at the mouth.

Bradley did not testify at the hearing, but a video was played to the judge in which he apologized for his actions.

"There is not a day or night that goes by that I don't relive this scene," he said in the video. "The images of their dead bodies haunt my nightmares."

In March, Bradley's co-defendant, Pedro Silva Segura, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport aliens resulting in death and faces up to life in prison, prosecutors said.

The case brought fresh attention to the dangers of human trafficking and came as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration pledged to crack down on illegal immigration.

In what is considered the worst migrant smuggling case in modern U.S. history, 19 people died after traveling in an 18-wheeler truck through Victoria, Texas, in 2003.

(Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Tom Brown)
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a strong ally of Donald Trump: REUTERS/Chris Keane

Stalwart Donald Trump ally Rudy Giuliani is joining the presidents legal team.

A statement from Mr Trumps attorney Jay Sekulow announcing the decision quoted Mr Trump as saying Rudy is great.

He has been my friend for a long time and wants to get this matter quickly resolved for the good of the country, the president was quoted as saying.

Mr Giuliani matches the preferences of a president who places a premium on loyalty. The former prosecutor, New York City mayor and Republican presidential candidate was a leading surrogate for Mr Trump during the presidential campaign, warming up crowds with chants of Lock Her Up!

In an interview with the Washington Post, Mr Giuliani said he hoped to negotiate an end to special counsel Robert Muellers investigation of Russian interference in the presidential campaign and potential linkages to the Trump campaign. Mr Trump has assailed the probe as an unjustified witch hunt.

The addition of Mr Giuliani, along with former federal prosecutors Jane Serene Raskin and Marty Raskin, bolsters Mr Trumps diminished legal team at a critical moment.

Mr Muellers investigation, having already produced indictments of multiple former Trump campaign aides, is building towards a potential interview with the president himself. Acting on a referral from Mr Muellers team, the FBI earlier this month raided the home and office of Mr Trumps longtime personal lawyer Michael Cohen.

Those developments have paralleled turmoil within Mr Trumps legal team, with former lead attorney John Down resigning last month and the president reportedly struggling to secure more legal representation.

Multiple prominent attorneys have declined to join, and attorneys Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing reversed their initial commitment to come on board, citing conflicts of interest.


The man chosen by Donald Trump to be the new head of Nasa is a climate change denier who has made a career out of ignoring science and might disregard scientific advice about the safety of launching astronauts into space, US senators have warned.

Giving Tea Party congressman James Bridenstine the final say on whether to launch a manned space mission would, it was claimed, be terrifying.

But Mr Bridenstine was still confirmed in the job this week in a vote that split 50-49 along party lines  in contrast to the unanimous senatorial approval granted to all 12 previous Nasa leaders.

The confirmation of Mr Trumps nominee came despite Mr Bridenstine telling Congress in 2013 that global temperatures stopped rising ten years ago. Global temperature changes  when they exist  correlate with sun output and ocean cycles.

Not only did this statement rely on debunked claims of a global warming hiatus, it also flatly contradicted the first sentence of the Nasa website page explaining the causes of climate change: Most climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trend is human expansion of the greenhouse effect.

During a November confirmation hearing Mr Bridenstine softened his position slightly to accept that global warming is still happening and human activity absolutely is a contributor to the climate change that we are currently seeing.

But the Oklahoma congressman still refused to accept that humans were the primary drivers of climate change, instead saying: It's gonna depend on a whole lot of factors. We're still learning more about that every day. In some years you could say absolutely. In other years during sun cycles and other things there are other contributing factors that would maybe have more than an impact."

This again contradicted the website of Nasa, the organisation which Mr Bridenstine now leads, which states: The intergovernmental panel on climate change, a group of 1,300 independent scientific experts from countries all over the world, concluded [that] industrial activities have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years.

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The panel also concluded there's a better than 95 per cent probability that human-produced greenhouse gases have caused much of the observed increase in Earth's temperatures over the past 50 years.

Mr Bridenstines apparent disagreement with the overwhelming scientific consensus prompted Brian Schatz to warn his fellow senators voting on whether to approve the congressmans appointment: Jim Bridenstine is a climate denier with no scientific background who has made a career out of ignoring science.

And that is terrifying.

This [Nasa administrator job] is about whether you are going to rely on people who actually know things, or rely on your own politics and your own ideology. When you have final launch authority you better rely on science.

If something goes wrong people could die.

The Hawaii senator was backed by Bill Nelson, the Democrat from Nasas home state of Florida, who said that the administrator who had the final decision on the lives of astronauts needed to be a scientifically competent, consummate space professional, not a politician.

Mr Nelson, a former astronaut, said: From an understanding of Nasas history, and having lived through some of its darkest moments, I think what is not right for Nasa is an administrator who is not [adequately] prepared to be the last in line to make that fateful decision on go or not go for launch.

In his 2013 speech, Mr Bridenstine demanded an apology from then president Barack Obama for the gross misallocation of research funds towards climate change, suggesting the money would be better spent on studying extreme weather forecasting and warning systems.

His appointment also comes amid concerns about the Trump administrations apparent removal of references to global warming in official documents and websites, and its alleged block on government officials speaking about scientific research.

Mr Nelson alluded to both Mr Bridenstines speech and the Trump administrations record when he warned: Given Nasas mission to study the Earth, congressman Bridenstines past statements on climate change are troubling to say the least, particularly in this administration, where words like science-based and climate-change are being scrubbed from government documents, and where some scientists have been restricted from speaking publicly about scientific findings.

Nasa needs a strong leader who understands the critical importance of studying the Earth, and is willing to put his job on the line to protect Nasa scientists.

Congressman Bridenstines record suggests that he will do otherwise.

Mr Bridenstine is a former Navy pilot with combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, who is also the executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum.

Mr Bridenstine, who has also spoken out against gay marriage, has a triple major in economics, psychology and business from Rice University and a Masters of Business Administration from Cornell, but no formal academic qualifications in science subjects.

In November he responded to suggestions that government scientists now feared being punished for speaking publicly about their climate change work, by promising: I will not punish them. Im not going to reassign anybody based on that, because that would be punishment.
President Donald Trump recently invited his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to Washington but never followed up with any details, Moscows top diplomat has claimed.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Kremlin had taken Trump at face value when he suggested Putin should visit the White House during a recent conversation, but is now unsure if the offer still stands.

We assumed that the president of the U.S. made such an invitation during a phone conversation, which is widely known about and is not a secret of any kind, means he will be happy to see (Putin) in the White House and then they would be happy to meet in the context of a follow-up visit, Lavrov told state news agency RIA Novosti. It is not clear what conversation he is referring to, but one of Putins aides, Yury Ushakov, made similar claims earlier this month.

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Ushakov, who is one of the Kremlins top experts on the U.S., said that during a call between the two leaders last month, Trump suggested holding a bilateral meeting with Putin in Washington.

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Such an invitation was not mentioned in the White Houses official readout from the call and the Kremlin statement made no such claim either. The readout issued by Putins office mentioned that Trump and Putin dedicated particular attention to holding a possible high level meeting but did not refer to its location or who invited whom. Trump himself , after the call, voiced his intention to meet Putin "in the not too distant future," but also did not say where and whether he had initiated an invitation. Asked about the prospect of Putin visiting the White House on Trumps invitation, the State Department referred Newsweek to the White House, while the White House did not immediately confirm or deny Lavrovs account of the conversation.

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Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP/Getty Images

According to the Russian diplomat, Trump mentioned the idea of a meeting more than once. That is why we naturally let our American colleagues know that we do not want to be intrusive but we do not want to be discourteous either and, taking note of the fact that President Trump had made such a proposition, we assume that he will elaborate on it, Lavrov said.

Asked what has happened since, Lavrov answered tersely: President Putin is ready for such a meeting. Preparatory work for the meeting is not going ahead, however, and Lavrov said Moscow would announce it if the possibility for a meeting draws nearer.

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The Kremlin has a history of jumping at the suggestion of a meeting with Trump, when the U.S. president has suggested this is a possibility, often to little avail. Most awkwardly, Trump hinted he may meet Putin in November, on his way to a summit in Vietnam, only for a succession of Russian officials to go on the record to suggest that the meeting is likely and, eventually, definite. The White House and then Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ultimately said no exchange was agreed and that Washington would only organize one if it was a meaningful meeting. Ultimately no sit-down took place and the two leaders exchanged pleasantries and a few remarks on the sidelines of the summit.

Ex-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Steven Pifer told Newsweek at the time that Putin may be keen to boost his image by simply meeting with the U.S. president, without the intention of a paradigm-shifting discussion. The Trump administration does not benefit in the same way from superficial run-ins with the Russian president.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps personal attorney, arrives at federal court in New York on April 16. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

President Trumps simmering anger over the criminal investigation of his personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, finally found an outlet Saturday: an article in the New York Times suggesting that Cohens loyalty to the president might break under the threat of an indictment.

In a series of tweets starting around 6 a.m. ET, Trump attacked a front-page Times article headlined (in the print edition) Punching Bag for President Has New Clout, and (on the website): Michael Cohen Has Said He Would Take a Bullet for Trump. Maybe Not Anymore. Trump fired off the tweets from his Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida, where he has spent much of the week.

Both versions make the point that Cohen, who, according to the article, has been the object of Trumps bullying, now may be in a position to give prosecutors evidence they could use against Trump in court. The article cites Trumps confidant Roger Stone as saying: Donald goes out of his way to treat him [Cohen] like garbage.

Trump has reportedly been told he is not a target of the investigation in the Southern District of New York, and it is not known what Cohen might be able to tell prosecutors, or what was seized in the April 9 FBI raid of his home and office. The raid is believed to have focused on Cohens role in paying off the adult actress Stormy Daniels not to discuss her relationship with Trump. However, Cohen has been a high-ranking executive in the Trump Organization and describes himself as the presidents fixer.

Aides to the president have described him as furious over the search of Cohens records and obsessed with the case. His tweets began with an attack on one of the reporters on the story, claiming he doesnt speak to her.

In fact, the reporter, Maggie Haberman, has been one of the reporters Trump has spoken to the most, including an on-the-record Oval Office interview.

.non-existent sources and a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, a fine person with a wonderful family. Michael is a businessman for his own account/lawyer who I have always liked & respected. Most people will flip if the Government lets them out of trouble, even if.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

.it means lying or making up stories. Sorry, I dont see Michael doing that despite the horrible Witch Hunt and the dishonest media!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

Cohen hasnt been indicted for anything (although his own lawyer said Friday he expects he will be), so the issue of cooperation with the government presumably hasnt arisen. But a number of people close to Trump, including his former lawyer Jay Goldberg and the legal scholar Alan Dershowitz, warned the president in the past week not to count on Cohens loyalty in the face of a possible jail term.

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In referring to Cohen as a businessman for his own account, Trump seemed to be attempting to distance himself from Cohens affairs. Cohen does have his own interests in real estate and taxi medallions, but he was deeply involved in deals for the Trump Organization, including its efforts to build a tower in Moscow as recently as 2015.

The president didnt specify who he meant by a drunk/drugged up loser who hates Michael, but in a tweet a few hours later, Haberman offered her opinion that he was referring to his former aide Sam Nunberg. It was also unclear why Trump claimed to have nothing to do with Haberman, who covers the president regularly for the Times. Her colleague Michael S. Schmidt tweeted this photo, showing Haberman with the president, shortly after Trumps tweetstorm:

"who I dont speak to and have nothing to do with.." pic.twitter.com/972GAcsxYp  Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) April 21, 2018

Read more from Yahoo News:
Rudy Giuliani announced Thursday that he was joining President Donald Trumps legal team in order to negotiate an end to special counsel Robert Muellers probe. Its not the first time the former U.S. attorney has tried to bring a conclusion to a Justice Department investigation: More than a decade ago, the former New York City mayor intervened in a federal investigation into the illegal marketing of opioids on behalf of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma.

Its unclear how successful Giulianis efforts were. No one at Purdue went to jail, and the company continues to sell OxyContin, a powerful and addictive opioid painkiller. But the company and its top executives eventually pleaded guilty to criminal and civil charges related to allegations the company knowingly misrepresented OxyContins addictiveness, ultimately agreeing in 2007 to pay more than $630 million in fines. That agreement didnt end the companys legal troubles, however: Dozens of states, counties and cities are currently suing the company and others like it for its role in the opioid crisis.

Giuliani, who spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention and served as a Trump surrogate during the 2016 presidential campaign, formed a consulting firm called Giuliani Partners in 2002, shortly after his tenure as New York City mayor came to an end. According to a 2007 New York Times investigation into the firms connections to Purdue, the drugmaker was Giuliani Partners first and longest-running client and hired Giuliani to convince public officials that they could trust Purdue because they could trust him. The Times reported that Giuliani participated in two meetings between Purdue executives and the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, which was investigating the company.

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As a celebrity, Mr. Giuliani helped the company win several public relations battles, playing a role in an effort by Purdue to persuade an influential Pennsylvania congressman, Curt Weldon, not to blame it for OxyContin abuse, the Times reported. A consultant to Purdue told the Times the company had paid Guilianis firm several million dollars over the years.

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Everything I did with Giuliani Partners has been totally legal, totally ethical, Giuliani recently told Associated Press in 2007. Theres nothing for me to explain about it. Weve acted honorably, decently.

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Mark Makela/Getty Images

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On Friday, a Purdue Pharma spokesperson told Newsweek that Giuliani Partners has not provided consulting services to the pharmaceutical company since 2008. The Giuliani Partners website appeared to be down on Friday, and a call to its offices went unanswered.

In 2016, Giuliani joined law firm Greenberg Traurig to run its cybersecurity and crisis management practice. At the time, Greenberg said Giuliani Partners would remain an independent consulting firm but would enjoy a strategic alliance with Greenberg Traurig. On Thursday, Giuliani announced he would take a leave of absence from Greenberg as part of his move to join the Trump legal team.

This year, more than a decade after Purdue and its executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges, the company announced it would cease sales calls and visits to doctors offices to promote OxyContin.

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Between the time Giuliani started working on behalf of Purdue Pharma in 2002 and the end of 2016, the last year data is available, more than 300,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses, according to numbers compiled from the National Center for Health Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Istanbul (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday criticised Austria for planning to ban any possible campaigning for the June elections, saying that countries attempting to undermine his country's democratic struggle would "pay a price".

Erdogan this week called snap elections for June 24, bringing the polls forward by a year and a half.

Both Austria and the Netherlands have announced their governments would not look warmly to any possible campaigning on their soil by Turkish politicians.

In an interview with private NTV broadcaster, Erdogan took aim at Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz who said Friday campaign events would "not be welcome" and would not be allowed.

Erdogan said the steps taken by Kurz would "entirely turn against him."

"Turkey's struggle for democracy cannot be easily restricted," he said.

The early election will accelerate the transition to a new presidential system which critics fear will lead the way for one man rule.

Kurz had told Oe1 radio Friday: "The Turkish leadership under Erdogan has for years tried to instrumentalise communities of Turkish origin in Europe; this has been the case for Erdogan's campaign events and those of his supporters."

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also said Friday campaigning in the Netherlands would be "undesirable."

"They are Turkish elections, so the campaign should remain in Turkey," he said, warning that any campaigning by Turkish politicians could cause public disorder in the Netherlands.

Erdogan said he would address Turkish origin voters in a European country without elaborating further.

"We have finalised our preparations abroad. I will not publicise the country now but God willing, I will address a crowd of 10-11,000 at a meeting of an international organisation," he added.

Turkey's EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik also blasted the prime ministers of Austria and the Netherlands, saying they were "not leaning on democratic values".

"With this approach, Austria and Holland are poisoning democratic values in their own countries. By doing so, they are helping spread of racist political movements hostile to European Union values," he wrote on Twitter Saturday.

Last year, Turkey's relations with some of the EU member states including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands, took a strained turn after they banned rallies ahead of a constitutional referendum won by Erdogan.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Twenty people were killed in an air strike by a Saudi-led military coalition in southwestern Yemen on Friday, residents said. The attack hit a car transporting 20 passengers south of Taiz province, locals told Reuters. Six bodies had been identified but the rest were charred beyond recognition, they added. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said it would investigate the report, but declined to comment further. "We take this report very seriously," he said. The coalition intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 against the Iran-aligned Houthis who ousted the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The Houthis now control the capital Sanaa. Coalition air strikes have repeatedly struck civilian targets while trying to target Houthi forces during the three-year war. The coalition says it does not target civilians. Houthi fighters killed two people, including a woman, and wounded four others on Friday in an attack north of Taiz, residents and medical sources said. The Yemen war has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced more than 2 million and driven the country to the verge of famine, according to the United Nations. (Writing by Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
The Twitterverse was transfixed Friday night by the sound of millions of Americans scratching their heads over President Donald Trumps tweet from Mar-a-Lago, accusing his former FBI director in a convoluted conspiracy theory.

Really, does everybody know what that means? the president asked. Based on an avalanche of responses on Twitter, it appeared many people didnt.

The president claimed former FBI boss James Comey leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a special council, so the probe was illegal to begin with.

James Comey illegally leaked classified documents to the press in order to generate a Special Council? Therefore, the Special Council was established based on an illegal act? Really, does everybody know what that means?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2018

Tweets pointed out  repeatedly  that its special counsel  not council. And that special counsel Robert Mueller was named by the Department of Justice, not Comey, after the president said on national TV that he fired his FBI director because of this Russian thing.

But several on Twitter had a pretty good idea about what it all means:

It might mean you are the only guy over 70 up after 11pm...  Dennis McDaniels (@mcd3putt) April 21, 2018

You know your lawyer sucks, because the first thing any lawyer tells you is to shut the hell up.  Mike Wert (@MikeDWert) April 21, 2018

Go to sleep, would you! Your mind is trying to think too hard.  coffee first (@austinman4) April 21, 2018

John Barron!!!! Youre still up?!?!  Pandora (@CheetoTweet) April 21, 2018

I dont think you know what anything means, really  Christie (@Christie_D22) April 21, 2018

You just can't seem to spell counsel correctly. Is that a Wharton thing?  MJdowntheshore (@MJdowntheshore) April 21, 2018

Actually it's a Trump U thing.  Expose Fox News As State Run Media (@leftcoastlefty5) April 21, 2018

Earlier in the day, Trump blasted Wendy Wasserman Schultz in a slam tweet about the Democratic National Committees new lawsuit against the Trump campaign. He later changed it to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the former chair of the party. People on Twitter guessed he might have confused her with the late New York playwright Wendy Wasserstein  or with Wendy from Peter Pan because hes a lost boy.

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(Photo: Donald Trump/Twitter)

Trump is on a tirade about someone named Wendy Wasserman Schultz. Hes just making up people now.  Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) April 20, 2018

It's fitting Trump just called Debbie "Wendy Wasserman Schultz" since he's the real life version of a boy who refused to grow up.  Nick Jack Pappas (@Pappiness) April 20, 2018

Shit, where's Captain Hook when you need him?  Trine Daely (@TrineDaely) April 21, 2018

Wendy Wasserman Shultz is the perpetrator of the Bowling Green Massacre. Jeez!  Mary Prevost #EnoughIsEnough (@CrimeDefense) April 20, 2018

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Lima (AFP) - Two German tourists died and 12 other people were injured Friday when their minibus fell into a ravine on an Andean road in southern Peru, police said.

The vehicle, which carried 12 German tourists along with their Peruvian driver and another Peruvian, fell about 20 meters (65 feet) while traveling from the city of Arequipa to the town of Chivay around 3:00 pm (2000 GMT).

The surviving 10 German tourists and their two Peruvian crewmembers were taken to hospital in Arequipa, a police official in Chivay said.

Chivay, home to about 6,500 inhabitants, is located more than 3,600 kilometers (2,240 miles) above sea level in the mountains of the Colca Valley, a popular tourist destination in the South American country.

Hours earlier, another accident occurred in the same region that left seven dead and 18 injured, after a passenger bus fell into a 60-meter (yards) ravine.

A separate bus plunge on Friday, in the northern region of La Libertad, killed at least 11 people when it landed at the bottom of a 200-meter chasm, police said.

Peruvian authorities recommend driving with extreme caution in the winding and narrow Andean routes.

On January 2, 52 people died, while 45 were killed on February 21 -- in both cases after passenger buses fell into ravines of nearly 100 meters.

Almost 2,700 people died in traffic accidents in Peru in 2016, according to official figures. The data for 2017 have not yet been published.
The U.S. has challenged China, Iran, North Korea and Russia over their human rights records in a new report that called out all four nations, which have already been designated as leading foes of Washington.

The State Department released Friday its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. The report echoed the sentiments expressed by President Donald Trump's "America First" National Security Strategy in calling out the quartet of nations typically placed at the top of the current administration's foreign policy concerns. The document was introduced by acting Secretary of State John Sullivan, who himself made the connection between U.S. priorities and this year's report, arguing that Trump's strategy "recognizes that corrupt and weak governance threatens global stability and U.S. interests."

"States that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly; that allow and commit violence against members of religious, ethnic and other minority groups; or that undermine the fundamental dignity of persons are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests. The Governments of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, for example, violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result," Sullivan wrote.

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"Our foreign policy reflects who we are and promotes freedom as a matter of principle and interest. We seek to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. The United States will continue to support those around the world struggling for human dignity and liberty," it added.

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KONSTANTIN ZAVRAZHIN/AFP/Getty Images

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In the report, China was censured for the "authoritarian" government's tight control over the country's political and legal system, including in regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, where separatist movements have attempted to break away from Beijing's command. Last month, the ruling Chinese Communist Party successfully petitioned to change the constitution as to abolition presidential term limits, giving Chinese President Xi Jinping the opportunity to rule indefinitely.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, who also consolidated his power in an unprecedented re-election last month, was accused of dominating an authoritarian system as well. The U.S. report claimed that Russia tolerated violence and extrajudicial killings targeting members of the LGBTQ community and anyone that questioned the Kremlin, including activists and journalists.

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The report said Iran's revolutionary Shiite Muslim leadership, headed by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, restricted basic social freedoms and slapped suspects with harsh sentences and executions for crimes not considered to be serious offenses by the international community. It also laid into Tehran for its sponsorship of foreign groups, such as the Lebanese Hezbollah, as well as its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose Iranian and Russian backing has helped him mostly overcome a 2011 uprising sponsored by the West, Turkey and Gulf Arab states.

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The State Department charged North Korea with "egregious human rights violations by the government in nearly all reporting categories," including lack of freedoms, having no due process, forced disappearances and executions as well as poor overall living conditions for people both imprisoned and free.

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KCNA/Reuters

Trump released his debut National Security Strategy in December, targeting China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as leading rivals of U.S. interests abroad. He wrote that "China and Russia challenge American power, influence and interests, attempting to erode American security and prosperity. They are determined to make economies less free and less fair, to grow their militaries, and to control information and data to repress their societies and expand their influence."

He also condemned North Korea's "rogue regime" and Iran's "evil dictatorship," both of which were designated State Sponsors of Terrorism by the State Department as of November. All four countries named in the report criticized the U.S. for releasing the document, with Russia and China blaming the U.S. for not being able to accept their rising influence on the world stage. North Korea and Iran also argued that they were wrongly included and rejected accusations lodged against them.

ABC News reported that the Trump administration's first annual Congress-mandated human rights report faced backlash for dropping references to "reproductive rights" and Israel's "occupied territories." In addition to the countries named in the report, the U.S. human rights situation has also drawn attention from the United Nations, including an "early warning and urgent action" report in August that expressed concern over rising race tensions, a deadly attack during far-right protests in Charlottesville, Virginia and the Trump administration's response.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and European regulators on Friday will announce they are requiring emergency inspections within the next 20 days of fan blades of nearly 700 CFM56-7B engines worldwide after the crash this week of a Southwest Airlines jet that killed one person, two sources said. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and European regulators will announce they are mandating the inspections that were recommended by engine maker CFM International, a partnership of Frances Safran SA and General Electric Co, in a bulletin earlier Friday. The emergency inspections apply to 681 engines worldwide, including 352 in the United States. CFM said more than 150 have already been inspected. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Backakra (Sweden) (AFP) - The UN Security Council met in a secluded farmhouse on the southern tip of Sweden on Saturday in a bid to overcome deep divisions over how to end the war in Syria.

In a first for the Security Council, which normally holds its annual brainstorming session in upstate New York, the 15 ambassadors and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were this year invited to hold an informal meeting in Backakra by Sweden, a non-permanent member of the body.

The United Nations' special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is expected on Sunday.

"We still face a very serious divide on that (Syria) matter," Guterres said as he arrived along with the ambassadors.

"We really need to find a way in relation to the violation of international law that the use of chemical weapons represents," he added.

The farmhouse is the summer residence of Dag Hammarskjold, the United Nations' second secretary-general who died in a plane crash in Africa in 1961.

Situated in the heart of a nature reserve, just a stone's throw from the Baltic Sea, the farmhouse consists of four buildings around a courtyard and has been completely renovated in recent years.

The southern wing serves as the summer residence for the Swedish Academy which awards the Nobel Literature Prize.

With both New York and Damascus thousands of kilometres away, the council is exploring "the means to strengthen and make more effective United Nations peacekeeping missions," the Swedish government said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom welcomed the decision to hold the meeting in Sweden, "where there is a long tradition of peaceful conflict prevention and resolution".

But she warned against being too hopeful the Syrian issue would be resolved over the weekend.

"Hopefully there will be some new ideas on the table and I think itll be on those tracks: the humanitarian situation, the chemical weapons," she said.

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But "not even the beautiful settings like these can solve all the problems", the minister added.

Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said on the Syria issue: "We're not having that much success, we're still deadlocked.

"Retreats like this are very important -- to get away from New York sometimes and discuss these things in a way that we can really try and find a solution."

British ambassador Karen Pierce said: "We are determined to try and find a workable solution, so we will keep doing that with our Russian colleagues."

While the war in Syria is not the only topic of the deliberations, it is high up on the agenda because it was an issue that divided council members deeply in recent months.

Skau said Backakra was a "fitting and inspiring venue" to reconnect with the power of diplomacy.

"It's a place to roll up our sleeves, take off our jackets and ties and come up with some real and meaningful ways forward," he said.

- 'No excessive hopes' -

Air strikes by the US, UK and France on April 14 targeted three sites, which the countries argued were used by the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad for a chemical weapons programme.

Syria has been accused of using chemical weapons in an attack a week earlier in Douma, the last rebel stronghold near Damascus.

Assad and Russian allies have denied that Syria was responsible for the attack, which according to rescuers, left more than 40 people dead. But the Western powers insist that the Syrian regime had crossed a red line.

The air strikes, conducted without a Security Council resolution, have led to fierce tensions between Russia and the other permanent council members, the US, France, Britain and China.

Moscow has used its veto on the council 12 times since 2011.

A fact-finding mission from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the Syrian town of Douma has finally arrived at the site of the alleged chemical attack, Russia's foreign ministry said.

Some non-permanent member countries of the council have been critical of the trip to Sweden.

With the conflicts the council has on its table, including the one in Syria, it is abnormal that the council would travel so far, said one ambassador, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"What will happen if something bad happens?" the ambassador asked.
Facebook/Air Force amn/nco/snco

Three US Air National Guard members have been disciplined, and one of them fired, for an incident involving a childrens dinosaur puppet.

Master Sergeant Robin Brown, a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) with the Air National Guard, was removed from her position at the Tennessee Joint Public Affairs Office after video circulated of her taking her enlistment oath with a tyrannosaurus rex puppet in hand.

In the video, an unnamed colonel administers the oath while holding back a smile. Ms Brown repeats each line of the oath back, moving the sock puppets mouth along as she speaks. It was not immediately clear why she chose to employ the puppet.

The oath, which is required of each person who joins the US armed forces, contains lines such as: I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

The backlash was swift. The video was viewed more than 2m times, and met with hundreds of outraged comments.

As a previous member of the Air National Guard/Air Force, I was [appalled] at how childish this was, wrote one Facebook user. When a person raises their hand to pledge an oath to defend this country it is serious and not a laughing matter.

Other users said they had contacted the Air National Guard directly with their complaints.

On Wednesday, the Tennessee National Guard responded with a statement saying Ms Brown had been removed from her position at the Tennessee Joint Public Affairs Office, and that other administrative actions are underway.

The colonel who administered the oath was forced to retire. The senior NCO who filmed the video was removed from his position as a unit first sergeant, and received an official reprimand.

I am absolutely embarrassed that a senior officer and a senior NCO took such liberties with a time-honoured military tradition, Major Terry Haston, the Adjutant General of the Tennessee National Guard, said in a statement.

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He added: Not taking this oath solemnly and with the utmost respect is firmly against the traditions and sanctity of our military family and will not be tolerated.

Lt Gen L Scott Rice, the director of the Air National Guard, also condemned the video in a statement.

The oath of office or enlistment not only signifies our commitment to our nation, but pays respect to our fellow service members and to those who came before us, he said. This action goes against our very foundation.
The showdown between "Fearless Girl" and the "Charging Bull" is coming to a close.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Thursday that the bronze statue, of a girl standing defiantly in the path of her adversary, would find a new home in front of the New York Stock Exchange by the end of the year.

State Street Global Advisors, one of the financial firms that funded the statue, said it's only fitting that "Fearless Girl" remain in the city's Financial District, as its executives had hoped it would draw awareness to how few women sit on corporate boards. The company argues the statue has already had a measurable impact: Since the installation of "Fearless Girl" in March 2017, State Street says more than 150 companies have hired women to their boards.

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"Our hope is that by moving closer to the NYSE she will inspire more companies to take action," Cyrus Taraporevala, State Street's president and CEO, told CNN.

Many were disappointed to find that State Street Global Advisors was behind a statue they believed had been spontaneously installed as a feminist statement free from corporate ties. More disappointing still was when it emerged that a Department of Labor audit found that the company had paid more than 300 female employees at the company less than their male colleagues. State Street agreed to pay them a $5 million settlement.

Fearless-Girl-FiDi

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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It wasn't the statue's only controversy.

Just a month after the installation of "Fearless Girl," Arturo Di Modica, the Italian sculptor behind the "Charging Bull," hired attorneys from the New York Civil Liberties Union to threaten legal action against the city for copyright infringement. Di Modica claimed placing "Fearless Girl" directly opposite of his iconic statue had been done without his permission, and fundamentally changed the message he intended his work to convey.

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Besides, "Fearless Girl," he said, wasn't a sincere feminist call to action so much as it was an "advertising trick."

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Whether or not they agreed with Di Modica's artistic concerns, others found it difficult to get past what Ginia Bellafante called the statue's "false feminism" in a piece for The New York Times.

"Is the root of this effort an organic wish to buoy the ambitions of confident little girls in high-tops?" Bellafante wondered at the time. "Not particularly.'

Still, in some measure, that has been the effect. Countless young girls have posed beside the statue, or hugged it, or adorned it with pink pussy hats and Wonder Woman crowns. Its sculptor, Kristen Visbal, is happy to see it remain a Manhattan fixture.

She told CNNMoney: "Fearless Girl [will] continue to inspire the global community regarding gender collaboration in every aspect of life."

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) was found in contempt of court on Wednesday for not following a court order to fully inform thousands of Kansans that they were eligible to vote.

U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, a George W. Bush appointee, rebuked Kobach  who is running for Kansas governor and was in charge of President Donald Trumps voter fraud commission  in her finding and demanded he pay attorneys fees associated with the motion to hold him in contempt. The finding also underscores how Kobach wrought confusion in the state and neglected to make sure that thousands of eligible voters knew they were allowed to cast a ballot.

This confusion affected people like Tad Stricker, who wanted to make sure his Kansas voter registration was valid ahead of the 2016 presidential election. He had registered in the state two years earlier but was humiliated when he went to vote in the 2014 elections and was told he needed to cast a provisional ballot because he wasnt on the voter rolls. Kansas law in 2014 required people to bring proof of citizenship when they registered to vote, and state officials said Stricker failed to do so when he registered at the Department of Motor Vehicles that year.

Robinson blocked that law in 2016. She ordered Kobach to make sure that the approximately 18,000 people whose registration status was uncertain were fully registered and allowed to vote. Robinson also told Kobach that affected voters should be sent postcards confirming their eligibility to vote and telling them their polling places.

But Kobach also didnt update the states election manual to reflect that people didnt have to prove their citizenship to register to vote, leaving state election officials without clear guidance to inform confused constituents.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) was found in contempt of court on Wednesday for failing to fully educate Kansans that they were eligible to vote. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Stricker says he called his local election office in Sedgwick County before the 2016 election and asked to confirm that he was fully registered, but that the person on the other end of the phone told him his status was unclear. Stricker says he was told there were a lot of legal issues up in the air.

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Stricker and his fellow plaintiffs, who are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, say the Kansas law that was put on hold in 2016 violates the National Voter Registration Act. The law says state motor vehicle agencies must offer people a chance to register to vote and can only ask them for the minimum amount of information necessary to do so.

At a trial held about the issue in March, Kobach argued the law was necessary to prevent noncitizens from voting. He presented 129 cases of noncitizens trying to vote since 2000 but has said there could be thousands of them on the rolls. Several studies have shown voter fraud is not a widespread problem.

Plaintiffs argued that Kobach could have assuaged confusion after the 2016 order by updating the state elections manual to reflect that people did not need to prove their citizenship when they went to register at the DMV. Instead, he took down the document altogether, saying that Robinsons order did not amount to final law and that the manual was continuously informally updated. Bryan Caskey, the states election director and a Kobach staffer, also testified that he was too busy to update the document.

Robinson fired back at that rationale, noting that Kobach had amended the document in 2012 to reflect the proof of citizenship law.

This publication is the policy and training Bible for the 105 county election officials, she wrote. Given that the Courts preliminary injunction was issued almost two years ago in May 2016, four years after the last revision, the Court does not find credible Defendants rationale for not amending the document.

Local Kansas election officials are responsible for sending out the postcards to registered voters, and different counties have different practices for how they send them out. But Kobach is responsible for making sure that all the officials are complying with the law.

Kansans rely on these postcards to confirm theyre registered to vote and to tell them where theyre registered.

The postcard is considered by traditional in Kansas to be the way you know youre fully registered to vote, Margaret Ahrens, the former president of the Kansas League of Women Voters, testified during the trial. Its because its traditional. ... That is the way we think about being fully registered in Kansas. The postcard is significant.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) failed to ensure that voters affected by a 2016 court ruling received postcards like this one confirming their eligibility to vote. The former head of the Kansas League of Women Voters testified that the postcard "is the way we think about being fully registered in Kansas." (Photo: ACLU)

The other side of the voter registration postcard people typically receive in Kansas. (Photo: ACLU)

Kansas had previously sent letters to anyone who failed to prove their citizenship when registering to vote, informing them that their registration was incomplete. But after the order, Kobach was required to send affected voters a new notice to let them know they could disregard any previous notices telling them they werent fully registered and that they could look up their polling place online.

This meant that thousands of voters who thought they had registered in the state received two official letters telling them completely contradictory information. The postcards could have helped get rid of confusion by telling Kansans once again that they were registered to vote.

Kobach and his lawyers initially said in court documents that they were only obligated to send affected voters the court notice, not the postcards. But when Robinson reminded Kobach in court last month that he had previously assured her in court that he would send the postcards, Kobach changed course, saying his office had orally instructed county officials to send the postcards and could not force them to do so.

Robinson said she did not find it credible that Kobachs office had orally instructed officials to send out the postcards. Kobachs office said after the trial that it had given written orders to the county officials to send the postcards, but Robinson said on Wednesday that was too little, too late.

Robinson appeared to be similarly unimpressed by Kobachs claim that the courts order on postcards was unclear.

The term register is not ambiguous, nor should there have been any question that these voters were to be treated just like any other registered voter prior to the 2016 election, she wrote.

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Actor Natalie Portman has withdrawn from a planned appearance at an Israeli award ceremony, citing recent distressing events in the country.

Portman, who starred in Black Swan and the Thor and Star Wars franchises, had been due to receive the Genesis Prizedubbed the Jewish Nobelin Jerusalem on June 28. The event has now been cancelled, the Genesis Prize Foundation said.

One of Portmans spokespeople told the foundation: Recent events in Israel have been extremely distressing to her and she does not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel She cannot in good conscience move forward with the ceremony.

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Natalie Portman

REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Though it was not specified exactly which events 36-year-old Portman was referring to, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds wounded in recent weeks during protests along the Israel-Gaza border.

Israeli soldiers have fired live ammunition at Palestinians taking part in Land Day protests. Demonstrators are calling for the right of return for refugees and their descendants who fled or were forced to leave their homes after the creation of Israel in 1948.

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The United Nations and a host of human rights groups have called for an independent and transparent investigation into the killings. Israel has maintained that its soldiers only fired on those deemed a threat to its troops or the border fence. Tel-Aviv claims Hamasthe Islamist group in control of the Gaza Stripis using the protests to plan and carry out attacks on Israeli forces.

Portman, who was born in Jerusalem and moved to the U.S. when she was 3 years old, has previously voiced her opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After he won the 2015 election, the actor told The Hollywood Reporter, I'm very much against Netanyahu. Against. I am very, very upset and disappointed that he was re-elected. I find his racist comments horrific.

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Gaza protests

REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

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Portman was chosen to receive the $1 million prize in November 2017. The foundation said the actor's prize fund had been doubled to $2 million by Israeli philanthropist Morris Kahn. The award honors those who serve as an inspiration to the next generation of Jews through their professional achievements and commitment to the Jewish people and Jewish values, the foundation says.

After receiving the nomination last year, Portman said she is proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage. It is not clear whether Portman will still receive the prize money, which the actor said would go to programs that focus on advancing womens equality.

We are very saddened that she has decided not to attend the Genesis Prize Ceremony in Jerusalem for political reasons, the Genesis Foundation said. We fear that Ms. Portmans decision will cause our philanthropic initiative to be politicized, something we have worked hard for the past five years to avoid.

Previous winners of the prize include artist Anish Kapoor, violinist Itzhak Perlman, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and actor-director Michael Douglas.

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Nevache (France) (AFP) - Around 100 far-right activists on Saturday tried to block a French alpine pass used by migrants in a bid to "ensure that no illegal immigrant can return to France".

Members of the rightwing Generation Identity (GI) movement trudged through the snow up to Col de l'Echelle near the border with Italy, where they erected a "symbolic border" and unfurled a huge banner telling migrants to "go back to your homeland".

The protesters also said they planned to spend the night there.

The pass is a "strategic point of passage for illegal immigrants" entering from Italy, GI spokesman Romain Espino told AFP, criticising what he called "a lack of courage of the public authorities".

"With a little bit of will, we can control immigration and borders," he added.

The group -- mainly French but also including Italians, Hungarians, Danes, Austrians, English and Germans -- plan to set up a "symbolic frontier" using plastic wire mesh.

Espino said the activists want "to explain to the potential migrants that it is inhumane to make those people crossing the Mediterranean or the snow-covered Alps believe that these routes are not risky".

"They are not going to find El Dorado, it's immoral. Those who pay for it are the French," he added.

The local prefecture said in a statement the protest had gone off without any disturbance, adding that by early evening some of the activists had already left the site.

For the past year, the French Alps have experienced a sharp increase in arrivals of young people, mostly from Guinea and Ivory Coast.

According to authorities, 1,900 illegal immigrants were sent back to Italy in 2017 compared with 315 the previous year.

Migration remains a big issue along the French-Italian border, France's interior minister Gerard Collomb said on Friday night, referring to the around 50,000 people denied entry in 2017.

"We have decided to renew the border controls for six months," he told lawmakers during a debate of the controversial asylum immigration bill, which is branded as "inhumane" by the left, but a "little law" by the right.
Students across the United States walked out of class to protest against gun violence on Friday, April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

Students were to walk out at 10am and hold a moment of silence for 13 minutes  a minute for each victim of the shooting.

A similar walkout event was held in March, one month after the Parkland shooting, to protest gun violence.

At James Madison Memorial High School in Madison, Wisconsin, students created a memorial with the names of those who were killed by gun violence in the first week of 2018, as shown in this video. The names of the Columbine victims also were included in the memorial. Students laid flowers at the memorial and a moment of silence was held for 13 minutes during the walkout. Credit: _sophieguthier via Storyful
New Yorks attorney general has asked officials to change state law so President Donald Trumps aides can be tried for any criminal acts committed in the state, even if they have been given a presidential pardon.

In a letter sent to New Yorks top lawmakers, including Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) said that he was troubled by Trumps frequent discussion of his ability to issue pardons and that he was worried those who had committed crimes in the state would escape prosecution. New York has a double jeopardy law that prevents individuals from being charged with the same crime twice, even if the charges originated at the federal level.

New Yorks statutory protections could result in the unintended and unjust consequence of insulating someone pardoned for serious federal crimes from subsequent prosecution for state crimes, Schneiderman wrote in the letter, dated April 18. Even if that person was never tried or convicted in federal court, and never served a single day in federal prison.

We are disturbed by reports that @POTUS is considering pardons of individuals who may have committed serious federal crimesacts that may also violate NY law.



We must ensure that if any president issues such pardons, we can use NYs laws to bring such individuals to justice. pic.twitter.com/oPEkwTrB0S  Eric Schneiderman (@AGSchneiderman) April 18, 2018

New York currently has 12 exceptions carved out of its double jeopardy law, and Schneiderman has proposed the pardon issue be carved out in a similar fashion. The Constitution protects against multiple prosecutions by the same sovereignty (such as the state or federal government) for the same offense.

Since the Nations founding, presidents have used this power sparingly, largely to do justice, rather than subvert it, Schneiderman writes in his letter. Yet recent reports indicate that the President may be considering issuing pardons that may impede criminal investigations.

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Theres no indication that the attorney generals office plans to prosecute any current or former aides, but as The New York Times noted, Schneiderman has long clashed with Trump. The president himself has called him the nations worst AG.

Trumps lawyers reportedly raised the idea of pardons last year for former national security adviser Michael Flynn and onetime Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, according to the Times. Both have been indicted as part of special counsel Robert Muellers probe into Russian interference in the presidential election, and Flynn has already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Last week, Trump issued a contentious pardon of I. Lewis Scooter Libby, the former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney in the George W. Bush administration. Libby was convicted of perjury and obstruction of justice in 2007 after a leak that revealed the name of a CIA agent.

I dont know Mr. Libby, but for years I have heard that he has been treated unfairly, Trump said in a statement. Hopefully, this full pardon will help rectify a very sad portion of his life.

Schneiderman said he hoped to hold any pardoned aides accountable for their actions in the state, saying he didnt believe the broad nature of state law was meant to help criminals avoid prosecution.

The Legislature could not possibly have intended this result, he wrote. I stand ready to work with you to advance such legislation.

Clarification: Language in this story has been amended to clarify the constitutional protections against multiple prosecutions for the same offense.

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The test launch of a Hwasong-12 intermediate range missile in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Aug. 29, 2017. North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
Marcel Konomi got to see what a real communist country looks like. Growing up in the Albanian capital of Tirana in the 1980s, he experienced firsthand the nature of a closed country where citizens have very little political and religious rights.

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Things changed in 1990, he says. There were significant reforms and we felt things opening up. That was also when I discovered that my maternal side of the family was Jewish. Many relatives, who I first learned were Jewish, took advantage of the freedom to immigrate to Israel.

Despite the relative freedom, Konomi says there were many difficulties in the 1990s too, mainly financial difficulties.

The Konomi family, which immigrated from Albania

I decided to go study business administration in Greece and returned to Tirana five years later. I found out that there had been a real improvement. The city was moving somewhat closer to the status of other cities in Europe, and I began my banking career, he says.

Financial difficulties and public corruption

But Konomi realized that the poor country was closing in on him in every way. He describes a lot of financial difficulties, a lot of corruption and few opportunities for the young generation. The Jewish community is tiny.

He got married and had two children. My wife and I gave quite a lot of thought to their future. Two and a half years ago, we decided they would be better off in Israel. I contacted the Jewish Agency and we made the move.

Marcel Konomi. Glad to be in the Jewish state

Did you know Israel?

I had visited the country several times before and I have quite a big family here, mainly in Beer Sheva. When we made aliyah, we visited them and lived in the city for a while.

The family, together with the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, were very helpful to us during the first months, which werent easy. There are language and mentality barriers, and we are trying to adapt to them.

After several months, we started looking for work and realized that most jobs in the financial area, which we specialize in, are in the center. We found jobs and moved to Petah Tikva to be closer to our workplaces.

How do you summarize the decision so far?

The bottom line is that its a positive experience. The children have adapted very well, they speak Hebrew and feel good. There are still quite a few difficulties, and we still have to get used to a atmosphere which is different from the one we lived in until now, but Im glad to be in the Jewish state and connect to my roots.
For more than a decade now, the government has been trying to come up with ways to deal with the problem of asylum seekers . For more than a decade now, aid organizations have been running to the High Court of Justice in an attempt to thwart every government move. And the High Court nearly always imposes the organizations position. Is that reasonable?

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Well, Sweden decided to deport a 106-year-old asylum seeker to Afghanistan, which is a much more dangerous country than Eritrea, Rwanda and Uganda, jointly and separately. Many others have been forcibly returned to the same country.

In general, the threatening phrase forced return is mostly a deception, because all returns to these countries are voluntary rather than forced, and all Western states return people forcibly. But its only in Israel that judicial activism has reached terrifying levels that are disrupting government procedures and harming democracy. Not in Sweden, in Israel. And at the end of the day, the propaganda of lies is turning Sweden into the appropriate model and Israel into a villain.

We can dissolve the Knesset and put the judges in charge. After all, they have already annexed the authority to grant citizenship to Hamas supporters in Jerusalem, to issue orders on the supply of electricity to Gaza, etc. (Photo: Noam Moskovich)

The main argument justifying the High Courts intervention in government decisions and its rejection of laws is that the judge overrides the politician, as rule of law isnt just majority rule. Rule of law, we are told repeatedly, and rightfully so, is also the rule of basic rights. And who will protect us from the tyranny of the majority? The judges. Only the judges.

But this theory clashes with reality. There is no historical proof that judges protect human rights more than politicians do. Aharon Barak, the great priest of judicial activism and of harming democracy for the sake of the rule of judicial oligarchy, went all the way back to Germany of the Weimar Republic, and then to Nazi Germany, to justify the activism. In an interview to Yedioth Ahronoth in 2015, Barak argued that in Germany in the 1930s, the court was unable to strike down laws I truly believe that if Germany had a strong court and judicial review at the time, Hitler could have been prevented.

That isnt true. Germanys supreme court took the liberty to strike down laws in as early as 1925. Did that save democracy? Absolutely not. One of the greatest judges of all times in the United States, Learned Hand, said: Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it.

There is no need to mention that Hand strongly opposed activism. Here, he would have likely been portrayed as an unenlightened person, because thats the systemwhoever is against a reinforcement of the oligarchy is immediately turned into an enemy of democracy.

Which takes us back to the notwithstanding clause issue. It already exists, for example, in the Canadian constitution, and there is no need for a special majority to override the constitutions orders or to revalidate laws that have been struck down by the supreme court.

Barak himself has made it clear in the past that the Knesset, knowing that a law it is very interested in enacting violates a constitutional right, can enact such a law with a two-third majority and for a limited period of time. In other words, the law will be temporary. I am very much in favor of that.

African asylum seekers. There is no need to like the right-wing government or the Likud party to realize that sometimes, just sometimes, the Right is right (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)

In fact, thats exactly what happened in the Mitral affair. The Knesset banned non-kosher meat imports. The High Court ruled that the law violates Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation (while blatantly ignoring a basic law which states that Israel is a Jewish and democratic state) and accepted the petition. The Knesset added the notwithstanding clause to Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation, and the High Courtfollowing another petitionacknowledged the Knessets authority and dismissed the petition.

But now, unbelievably, the oligarchys supporters are arguing that the notwithstanding clause is a threat to democracy. How exactly? Is Canada less democratic than Israel? Wasnt the change in Basic Law: Freedom of Occupation democratic? After all, a complete rejection of the notwithstanding clause not only contradicts common sense and legal precedents, both in Canada and in Israel, but it also gives the High Court a sort of divine and supreme status.

We can dissolve the Knesset and put the judges in charge. After all, they have already annexed the authority to grant citizenship to Hamas supporters in Jerusalem, to issue orders on the supply of electricity to Gaza, etc. This is what former US President Abraham Lincoln was referring to when he said that if the policy of the government is to be irrevocably fixed by decisions of the Supreme Court, it is plain that the people will have ceased to be their own rulers.

There is no need to like the right-wing government or the Likud party to realize that sometimes, just sometimes, the Right is right. The notwithstanding clause is an essential need, and not in order to harm the rule of law or democracy. On the contrary, its an opportunity to reach a much more decent and democratic arrangement in terms of the different authorities powers.
Jewish Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland was one of the only four Democratic senators who opposed the world powers nuclear agreement with Iran in 2015. Earlier, in 2012, he initiated a letter to Barack Obama, together with Republican Senator Susan Collins, calling on the American president not to offer the Palestinian unity government any financial support.

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Bernie Sanders of Vermont, another Jewish senator who run quite a successful campaign against Hillary Clinton as part of the Democratic primary election ahead of the 2016 presidential election, was one of the supporters of the nuclear agreement. He will also be remembered as one of the eight senators who chose to skip Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Congress speech before the 2015 Knesset elections.

Cardin and Sanders represent different, and sometimes contradictory, approaches within the Democratic Party concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But its no coincidence that both of themalong with other senators and Congress membersattended J Streets 10th Anniversary National Conference, which was held in Washington this week.

Prime Minister Netanyahu at an AIPAC conference (Photo: Reuters)

In the past decade, J Street, a nonprofit liberal advocacy group, has become the little sister of the big and powerful AIPAC. It challenges the convention, which was unshakable for years, that being pro-Israel means supporting all moves made by the Israeli government without any criticism.

J Street introduced a new type of pro-Israeliness into the Jewish-American discourse, which sees its main mission as advancing a two-state solution for two people as a necessary move for fortifying a Jewish and democratic state and as the most important Israeli interest according to its worldview, even if it contradicts the Netanyahu governments worldview.

Ten years after J Streets establishment, AIPAC also decided to make its support of the two-state solution public in its latest conference. We must all work toward that future: Two states for two peoples. One Jewish with secure and defensible borders, and one Palestinian with its own flag and its own future, the lobbys Executive Director Howard Kohr said. This statement was met with attacks on AIPAC from the Israeli Right, which saw it as a violation of the unwavering support for the Israeli government, which is doing everything in its power to thwart the solution.

File photo: Senator Bernie Sanders at a J Street conference (Photo: AP)

The common thread between Senator Cardin and Senator Sanders joint appearance at the J Street conference and AIPACs decision to stress its support of the two-state solution is that there seems to be a crack in the Jewish American leaderships uncompromising support for the Israeli governments policy. And the more Netanyahu and his government celebrate the Trump administrationperhaps the least popular administration among the US Jewrythis crack keeps growing.

The Jewish leadership, even its more conservative part that includes AIPAC leaders and less progressive senators like Ben Cardin, is attentive to the voices emerging from the Jewish American public, most of which is unhappy with the stalemate in the peace process led by the Netanyahu government. It is hearing and it is listening.

Granted, the support for Israel on the right-wing side of the American political map is at its peak, but less than 30 percent of the US Jewry leans towards the Republican Party, and Israel cant afford to lose not only Americas Jews but also their political leadership.

Instead of burying their head in the sand, Israeli government leaders must understand that the US Jewry and its leadership, whose support has always been taken for granted, wont keep pledging unequivocal support if the government keeps rejecting negotiations.
A small town in Germanys far east braced Friday for the arrival of hundreds of neo-Nazis planning to attend a music festival timed to coincide with Adolf Hitlers birthday.

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Police in Germany and neighboring Poland were checking people arriving in Ostritz for the Shield and Sword festival.

Neo-Nazis at the music festival in Ostritz (Photo: EPA)

The two-day event is expected to attract up to 1,000 far-right extremists from Germany, the neighboring Czech Republic and Poland.

Authorities have been unable to stop the concert from happening because it is taking place on private property, but a court on Friday confirmed a ban on the consumption of alcohol during the event. Judges said the neo-Nazi bands would likely fire up the crowd and alcohol might make attendees more aggressive.

Gift shop at the music festival (Photo: Reuters)

Civic groups are planning to protest the event at Ostritz, a town of some 2,300 inhabitants on the border with Poland.

The region has long been a hotbed of far-right extremism. The anti-migrant Alternative for Germany received almost 30 percent of the vote in Ostritz in last years national election.
Oscar-winning actress Natalie Portman said she chose not to attend a ceremony in Israel to accept a $2 million prize in June, because she did not want to be seen as supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was scheduled to speak at the event.

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Portman's decision, which she said was "mischaracterized by others," had caused a minor backlash in Israel on Friday after organizers of the prestigious Genesis Prize award ceremony said they cancelled the prize-giving.

The Genesis Prize Foundation had quoted a representative of Portman who said recent "distressing" events in Israel caused the actress to back out and that she would "not feel comfortable participating in any public events in Israel."

Natalie Portman (Photo: Getty Images)

This led many to interpret her decision as connected to the international criticism of Israel for its military response to violent Palestinian rioting on the Gaza-Israel border during the last few weeks, in which 35 Palestinians were killed.

Some ministers in Netanyahu's right-wing government said Portman appeared to have been manipulated by the Palestinian-led international campaign to boycott Israel.

"Let me speak for myself," Portman said later in a statement posted on Instagram. "I chose not to attend because I did not want to appear as endorsing Benjamin Netanyahu, who was to be giving a speech at the ceremony."

Portman said she did not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which aims to isolate Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.

"Like many Israelis and Jews around the world, I can be critical of the leadership in Israel without wanting to boycott the entire nation," she said. "I treasure my Israeli friends and family, Israeli food, books, art, cinema, and dance."

"Israel was created exactly 70 years ago as a haven for refugees from the Holocaust," she said. "But the mistreatment of those suffering from today's atrocities is simply not in line with my Jewish values. Because I care about Israel, I must stand up against violence, corruption, inequality, and abuse of power."

Natalie Portman (Photo: GettyImages)

She asked people to "not take any words that do not come directly from me as my own."

Portman said in her statement that the backlash has inspired her to make numerous contributions to charities in Israel. She pledged to announce those grants soon.

The Genesis Prize has been awarded since 2014 to individuals for excellence in their professional fields and "who inspire others through their dedication to the Jewish community and Jewish values."

Previous winners have included former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, sculptor Anish Kapoor, violinist Itzhak Perlman and Hollywood actor Michael Douglas, all of whom donated their prize money to charitable causes.

When Portman was announced late last year as the 2018 recipient, she said in a statement released by organizers at the time that she was "proud of my Israeli roots and Jewish heritage."

After announcing last November that Portman will be receiving the prize, the foundation announced a month later that the cash award was being doubled due to a contribution from Israeli philanthropist Morris Kahn.

Portman announced her intention to donate the money to organizations dedicated to promoting equal rights for women in education, the economy, health and politics.

Israeli philanthropist Morris Kahn, who contributed the prize, said the prize money will still go toward supporting the fight for equality for women.

"I do not support her (Portman) decision to cancel her participation due to what she calls 'the recent events in Israel,'" Kahn stressed in a statement.

"Along with the Genesis Prize Foundation, we will take care of the women's rights organizations for which the $2 million matching grants fund was created, and to which I contributed along with the Michael Bloomberg Foundation. Those will not be affected in any way. The prize will be transferred by the Genesis Prize Foundation and not by Ms. Portman, and I hope other philanthropists will support this important cause of equality and empowerment of women," he added.

Portman was born in Jerusalem and moved to the United States at age three. She won the Best Actress Oscar in 2010 for her role in "Black Swan". In 2015, she directed and starred in "Tale of Love and Darkness," a Hebrew-language film set in Israel based on an Amos Oz novel. Her success is a great source of pride for many Israelis.
A Palestinian electrical engineer from the Gaza Strip was shot to death Saturday morning in Malaysia by two unknown perpetrators riding on a motorcycle, according to media in the country.

According to the reports, Fadi al-Batash was declared dead at the scene.
A Palestinian electrical engineer from the Gaza Strip was shot to death Saturday morning in Malaysia by two assailants on a motorcycle, according to Malaysia police.

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Dr. Fadi M. Albatsh was declared dead at the scene after the assassins fired 10 rounds at him.

Albatsh, 35, a lecturer at the British Malaysian Institute at the University of Kuala Lumpur, was shot while he was on his way from his home in the Jalan Gombak neighborhood to a nearby mosque for dawn prayers at around 6am.

Fadi M. Albatsh

Hamas said Saturday Albatsh was one of its own "loyal" members, describing him as a "shahid (martyr) who was characterized by his excellence and scientific creations. He made important contributions in this field. He participated in international conferences in the field of energy. The shahid set an example by growing closer to Allah and in his activity for the Palestinian issue."

Hamas stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But media affiliated with Hamas claimed Albatsh was "assassinated by the Mossad."

Palestinian websites have identified Albatsh as a relative of a senior official in the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Khaled Albatsh, who also accused the Israeli Mossad of carrying out the hit and demanded Malaysian authorities to conduct an urgent investigation to expose those responsible for the killing before they have a chance to flee the country.

Scene of the assassination

Malaysia police has launched an investigation into the incident.

According to Malaysian media reports, the assassins, who were described by witnesses as "white men" with "European features," were driving a powerful BMW 1100cc motorbike. Security camera footage showed they waited for Albatsh for 20 minutes until he arrived at the scene.

"Preliminary investigations found four gunshot wounds on the victim's body. Two bullet slugs were found at the scene of the incident," Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said in a statement.

The police said it believes "this was a targeted killed and not a terror attack, because there were other people at the scene but the assassins focused only on (Albatsh)."

Police are now examining security cameras in the area in an effort to identify the assassins. "We're not ruling out any line of inquiry, including the possibility that elements identified with ISIS are behind the assassinations," police said.

When contacted later by Reuters, Mazlan declined to comment on reports that the victim was a member of Hamas or had been targeted by hitmen. "It's too early to say, we are still investigating all aspects."

Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told local media the government was looking into the possibility of the involvement of "foreign agents" in the killing, saying the suspects were believed to be Europeans with links to a foreign intelligence agency.

He added the victim had links with foreign intelligence and was active in pro-Palestinian non-governmental organizations, describing him as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building.

"His killing could have some links with foreign intelligence agencies or he may also be considered a liability to nations unfriendly to Palestine," Hamidi was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times English-language daily.

Scene of the assassination

Albatsh's uncle Jamal Albatsh, speaking to Reuters in the Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip, said he believed the killing was the work of Israel's Mossad espionage service.

"The Israeli Mossad stood behind the assassination of educated people and intellectuals, because Israel knows Palestine will be liberated by scientists. Therefore, they tracked this young educated man."

Fadi M. Albatsh, originally from Jabalia in the Gaza Strip, worked in Gaza's electric company before leaving for Malaysia in 2011. He did his BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering at the Islamic University of Gaza in 2006 and 2009, respectively, and received his PhD from the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. He has won awards of excellence in his field in the past.

His official biography said his research interests included power converters, power quality and renewable energy. However, Israeli media reported that he was also deeply involved in the Hamas drone development project.

Palestinian Ambassador Anwar H. Al Agha was quoted by the New Straits Times newspaper as saying Albatsh was supposed to have left for a conference in Turkey on Saturday.

Albatsh, a devout, religious man who served as a second imam at the mosque, was married and had three children.

Albatsh's Facebook shows affiliation with Hamas. After the hit on senior Hamas military commanders during Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Albatsh posted their photo and wrote "We're all Hamas."

Eighteen members of his extended family, including children, were killed in a particularly deadly bombing in Gaza during Protective Edge.

He also posted a photo of himself with a symbol affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood following the second revolution in Egypt.
A kite affixed with a Molotov cocktail that was flown from the Gaza Strip into Israel caused a fire at an agricultural warehouse in an Israeli community near the border overnight Friday.

No one was hurt in the incident, but considerable damage was caused to the warehouse.
Jason Greenblatt, the American envoy to the Middle East, urged Palestinians not to respond to the death of a 15-year-old teenager during clashes with the IDF on the Gaza border in order to avoid further escalation.

"A full investigation by Israel of Mohammed Ayoubs death is underway so that we will be able to understand what happened. As we mourn the tragic loss of a young life, we must all resolve to avoid causing more suffering by responses to his death," he wrote on his Twitter.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Saturday the only ones to blame for the death of a 15-year-old Palestinian teen on Gaza border the previous day are Hamas leaders.

"It's those cowardly leaders who hide behind women and children and send them to the front as human shields, so they could keep digging tunnels and carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel," Lieberman said.

"I once again tell the residents of Gaza, a secret for living long: Don't go near the fence," he added.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Saturday the only ones to blame for the death of 15-year-old Palestinian teen Mohammed Ayoub on Gaza border the previous day are Hamas leaders.

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"It's those cowardly leaders who hide behind women and children and send them to the front as human shields, so they could keep digging tunnels and carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel," Lieberman said. "We already know from past experience the use of UNRWA facilities, hospitals and mosque for terrorism."

Lieberman on the Gaza border (Photo: Israel's Defense Ministry)

He went on to say that in Friday's clashes "We saw that the IDF is the most moral army in the world, which made the maximum effort to avoid hurting innocents. I once again tell the residents of Gaza, a secret for living long: Don't go near the fence."

Meanwhile, a video purporting to show the shooting has been making the rounds on social media.

Footage from social media purporting to show shooting

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Four Palestinians were shot dead by IDF troops on Friday during skirmishes with on the Gaza border, according to Palestinian sources. The violence erupted following the renewal, for the fourth consecutive week, of the March of Return staged by the Palestinians in the coastal enclave in recent weeks, some 3,000 of whom have descended on the border. So far, at least 32 Palestinians have been killed in the clashes over the past four weeks, with some 1,600 others wounded by live fire, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The European Union on Saturday called to launch a full investigation" into the death of Ayoub and three other Palestinians on Friday. "As we once again mourn the loss of lives, the EU calls on the Israel Defense Forces to refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protestors. As stated repeatedly, the priority now must be to avoid any further escalation of violence and loss of life," the EU said in a statement. "As we once again mourn the loss of lives, the EU calls on the Israel Defense Forces to refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protestors. As stated repeatedly, the priority now must be to avoid any further escalation of violence and loss of life," the EU said in a statement. Mohammed Ayoub

The UN's Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov, called for an investigation of the "outrageous" incident. It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children! Mladenov fumed in a Twitter post. How does the killing of a child in Gaza today help peace? It doesnt! It fuels anger and breeds more killing. Children must be protected from violence, not exposed to it, not killed! This tragic incident must be investigated. It is OUTRAGEOUS to shoot at children! Mladenov fumed in a Twitter post. How does the killing of a child in Gaza today help peace? It doesnt! It fuels anger and breeds more killing. Children must be protected from violence, not exposed to it, not killed! This tragic incident must be investigated.

Jason Greenblatt, the American envoy to the Middle East, urged Palestinians not to respond to the death in order to avoid further escalation. "A full investigation by Israel of Mohammed Ayoubs death is underway so that we will be able to understand what happened. As we mourn the tragic loss of a young life, we must all resolve to avoid causing more suffering by responses to his death," he wrote on his Twitter. "A full investigation by Israel of Mohammed Ayoubs death is underway so that we will be able to understand what happened. As we mourn the tragic loss of a young life, we must all resolve to avoid causing more suffering by responses to his death," he wrote on his Twitter.

Palestinian rioters on the Gaza border (Photo: EPA)

The IDF has launched its own investigation the incident.

According to the IDF, a sniper in the Israeli army is given authorization to shoot only from an officer at the level of a battalion commander or above. In such a case, they are permitted to open fire on a central instigator, aiming at his ankle or below his knee. Full data on each sniper fire is recorded in real time via the rifle's telescopic sights lens.

The Palestinians said Friday they want the UN Human Rights Council to establish a commission to carry out an independent investigation of the killing and wounding of Palestinians during the Gaza protests.

Palestinian rioters on the Gaza border (Photo: EPA)

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said his counterpart in Geneva will start the process early next week with initial consultations that will hopefully culminate in an emergency meeting of the rights council and approval of a resolution authorizing a body "to investigate these crimes."

"It seems that the Israeli occupying forces are not restraining themselves, they're not listening to anyone and they are continuing with this massacre," Mansour told reporters.

Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement late Friday that "Hamas is continuing to instigate violence against Israel as rioters today used firebombs and other means in attempts to damage the fence and infiltrate our sovereign territory."

He called on all UN officials "to condemn Hamas for encouraging violence, promoting instability and for the despicable act of exploiting women and children by placing them in harm's way."

Palestinian rioters on the Gaza border

The UN Security Council has not commented on the protests because the United States, Israel's closest ally, has blocked proposed statements supported by most members critical of the high death toll and Israel's use of force against protesters.

With Security Council action blocked, the Palestinians are turning to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council where there are no vetoes. Mansour noted that in the past, the Palestinians were successful in getting the rights council to authorize three different fact-finding missions and commissions.

He said the Palestinians will not accept an investigation announced by Israel into its military actions in Gaza because "it cannot be credible."

Palestinian rioters on the Gaza border (Photo: EPA)

An investigation must be independent and transparent, Mansour stressed, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, other countries, and most recently six independent human rights investigators have called for.

The rights experts issued a joint statement on April 17 saying: "Despite Israel's commitment to investigate the events of the past few weeks, security forces continue to use live ammunition and rubber bullets against the protesters, killing and wounding dozens of mostly unarmed protesters, women, men and children alike."

The joint statement welcomed an Israeli probe, but said an independent investigation "is the only way to truly address what has happened in Gaza, and to prevent its recurrence."

Palestinian rioters on the Gaza border (Photo: EPA)

The investigators cited reports that some Israel officials suggested the purpose of the Israeli probe is "to avoid scrutiny" from the international community and the International Criminal Court.

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda called for an end to violence in Gaza on April 8, noting that the Palestinian territories were subject to a preliminary examination by her office, and she was monitoring events there closely.

Under the Rome Statute that established the ICC, the court won't assume jurisdiction if there is a national investigation, a point Mansour stressed.

"I believe that Israel recently announced that it will investigate its conduct precisely not to allow the ICC to proceed with an investigation," he said.
Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has called recent anti-Semitic incidents in his country a "disgrace."

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"As long as Jewish schools and synagogues in Germany need to be guarded, as long as youth are being attacked on the street for wearing a kippah, as long as German music awards are given to anti-Semitic provocateurs  it's a disgrace," Maas said at an event marking Israel's 70th Independence Day in Berlin on Thursday.

He further asserted that Germany's "relations with Israel are a wonderful gift," adding, "Sometimes I feel as if Germans aren't worthy of it."

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Israel's Ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff praised Maas for his decisive position against anti-Semitism and anti-Israel sentiments.

"I remember Heiko Maas's arrival to a Hanukkah candle-lighting event at the Brandenburg Gate, under the open sky, in the incessant rain. He came to speak out against the burning of Israeli flags several weeks earlier at the same spot," Issacharoff said.

Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (Photo: EPA)

Earlier this week, a 21-year-old Israeli Arab, Adam Armush, was attacked by Knaan S., a 19-year-old Palestinian asylum seeker from Syria, on the street in Berlin's Helmholtzplatz neighborhood, because he was wearing a kippah.

Armush said in an interview with German TV Deutsche Welle that he was not Jewish and was wearing the kippah as an experiment after he had a conversation with a Jewish friend who claimed to him that wearing Jewish identifying markers was not safe in Berlin.

In other media interviews, Armush described how he and his 24-year-old friend left their apartment wearing kippahs when a group of three young men standing on the street began verbally abusing them for wearing kippahs.

"When they kept cursing us, my friend asked them to stop cursing, and that got them angry. So one of them ran at me," Armush said.

The youth that attacked them removed his belt and repeatedly hit Armush, while calling out "Yahudi" at him - "Jew" in Arabic.

The attack in Berlin (:    )

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Aramush took out his phone and started recording the assault. He said he "felt it was important to film, because I didn't think we could catch him before police arrived. I wanted to give police something to go on."

The video was given over to the Berlin police, which said the suspect, who was identified from the footage and witness statements, had turned himself in on Thursday.
The European Union urged the IDF on Saturday to "refrain from using lethal force against unarmed protesters," after four Palestinians, including a teen-age boy, were killed by army fire in protests along Gaza's border with Israel.

In a statement, the European Union's diplomatic service called for a full investigation of Friday's shootings.
Sweden's foreign minister welcomed on Saturday North Korea's announcement that it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of summits with South Korea and the United States.

Margot Wallstrom said that it's "good news" that steps are being taken "to de-escalate and to defer from further bomb and missile tests."

But she added that "we have to keep the pressure up with the sanctions regime and everything else we are doing."

Wallstrom spoke before an informal working meeting in southern Sweden between UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Security Council ambassadors.
Hans Asperger, the Austrian paediatrician who pioneered research into autism and after whom Asperger syndrome is named, actively cooperated with a Nazi program under which disabled children were killed, an academic paper published on Thursday says.

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The article by medical historian Herwig Czech published in the journal Molecular Autism says that Asperger referred severely disabled children to Viennas notorious Am Spiegelgrund clinic where almost 800 children died under the Nazi program  many of them by lethal injection or being gassed.

After reviewing archive documents including Aspergers personnel files and patient records, Czech found that although Asperger did not join the Nazi party itself he did join affiliated groups and publicly legitimized race hygiene policies including forced sterilization.

Hans Asperger

Asperger managed to accommodate himself to the Nazi regime and was rewarded for his affirmations of loyalty with career opportunities, the paper said.

It added, however, that nothing suggested Aspergers work on autism was tainted. He first described a group of children with the condition as autistic psychopaths in 1938. Aspergers syndrome, a mild form of autism where those affected are relatively high-functioning, was later named after him.

Viennas medical faculty was purged and its ranks filled with Nazi ideologues after the countrys annexation by Hitlers Germany in 1938.

The paper said that after that annexation, Asperger tried to prove his loyalty to the Nazi regime, giving public lectures in which he declared his allegiance to central elements of Nazi medicine, including race hygiene. He also signed off on reports with Heil Hitler.

His involvement in the Nazis child euthanasia program included being on a commission that screened more than 200 patients at a home for mentally disabled children, the report said. Of those, 35 were deemed uneducable and sent to be killed at Spiegelgrund, where they died, it added.

The (child euthanasia) program served the Nazi goal of eugenically engineering a genetically pure society through racial hygiene and the elimination of lives deemed a burden and not worthy of life, the reports publishers said in a statement.

Asperger, who died in 1980, also recommended the transfer of two girls, one aged two and the other five, to Spiegelgrund, it said.
MOSCOW - The Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday welcomed an announcement by North Korea that it will halt nuclear and missile tests and called on the United States and South Korea to reduce their military activity in the region.
WASHINGTON - The United States labeled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea on Friday as "morally reprehensible" governments that it said violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them "forces of instability".

In releasing the State Department's global human rights report for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with a poor human rights record. Improved human rights in Uzbekistan, Liberia and Mexico were global "bright spots," Sullivan added.
Some 150 seminal documents were released this week by the State Archives in honor of Israel's 70th anniversary. The rare glimpse they afford at the early days of the state allows one to experience a sliver of the pervasive spirit among the fledging Jewish settlement (Yishuv) that had just gained independence.

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One of the documents contains a statement from then-US president Harry Truman, who declared American recognition for the State of Israel on May, 14, 1948: "This Government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine and recognition has been requested by the government thereof. The United States recognizes the provisional government as the de facto authority of the State of Israel."

The message, written just 24 hours before the official declaration of independence 70 years ago, came into effect at midnight and the United States was among the first to recognize the Jewish state in its first month.

Declaration of state (Photo: GPO)

The documents touch on many subjects, from how the IDF was established to the division of roles in the transitional government and the attempt by the Israeli forces to break the siege of Jerusalem during the War of Independence.

They not only reveal significant, fateful decision making processes, however, but also bring to light some interesting anecdotes. For example, a letter sent by the Jewish National Council Director Zvi Lurie to the director of radio broadcasting 24 hours before the declaration of independence, with a schedule for the first day of the state.

"At first, I was certain that Ben-Gurion would address the festive meeting apart from reading the declaration as you told me," Lurie wrote. "Since he did not do so, it is right not to settle for the festive meeting, but to invite Ben-Gurion or Shertok (Moshe Sharetted) to a brief speech tonight."

Further in the letter, Lurie suggests that the speech be given at the beginning of the broadcast, at around 8:10pm, and concludes with a request that if this does not happen, that Sharett should speak in his place the next day: "If you decide not to, I ask Moshe to speak tomorrow, at least for 10 minutes."

President Truman's missive (Photo: State Archives)

On May 16, 1948, the transitional government met for its first practical meeting and made several critical decisions, as summarized in a synopsis of the meeting. Among other things, it was decided to ask Arab countries to recognize the Jewish state and to appoint representative offices in friendly countries. The assembly also chose Dr. Haim Weizmann as the first president, in a 9-2 vote.

A few days later, Weizmann accepted the position with a reply letter: "I am thrilled by the choice and I accept it. I am sorry that I am not with you right now, but my thoughts and prayers are with the people fighting for our independence in the war. It would be appropriate for Israel to have a future on behalf of those who fell in battle."

Israel's first president Haim Weizmann (L) shaking hands with Moshe Sharett (Photo: AFP)

Weizmann was referring to the War of Independence, which de fact broke out after the United Nations vote on November 29, 1947, and intensified with the invasion of the Arab armies the day after the declaration of the establishment of the state.

On the May 26, 11 days after the declaration, Ben Gurion announced the formation of the IDF. The IDF order stated that the army would have naval, land and air forces, and that conscription would be instituted in times of war. The government was to decide, at a later date, the draft age.

Eleven days later, government secretary Ze'ev Sherf wrote to all its members that according to the government's decision, the area in which all the government departments would be located in Tel Aviv would henceforth be called the Kirya.

Also among the documents is a letter from President of the Jewish National Council Yitzhak Ben-Zvi to newly elected president Haim Weizmanndated June 3, 1948in which the former demands the Hebraization of the surnames of new immigrants to make them more Israeli.

"The Hebrew form of life must be ensured, primarily by the assimilation of Hebrew names in public life. The order of the day is to infuse into our lives Hebrew rather than the cloak of the Diaspora, Ben-Zvi iterated.

Yitzhak Ben-Zvi (R) wrote Weizmann to underline the importance of Hebrew nomenclature (Photo: Fritz Cohen, GPO)

The state flag as we know it was officially chosen only on October 28, 1948, almost six months after the declaration of independence. The debate over what the flag would look like lasted from the time of the declaration and dealt with three alternatives.

At a meeting of parliament's Symbols Committee held on June 2, provisionary government member David Remez suggested "a simple flag with two stripes of blue and white," but this idea was rejected by cabinet secretary Shlomo Kedar, who claimed that "such a flag, merely blue and white, already exists in the state of Bavaria and the flag of the city of Lucerne in Switzerland."

The session then dealt with choosing a state emblem and Remez said: A state emblem is a more urgent matter as the foreign affairs minister mentioned the need to issue visas and place signs above diplomatic buildings in foreign countries.

He later suggested that the symbol be a shield surrounded by gold, the upper part painted white and the bottom painted blue, an emblem that seems light years away from the Menorah and olive leaves that were finally chosen in February, 1949.
Palestinian electrical engineer Fadi Albatsh, assassinated in Malaysia Saturday morning, served as imam in the mosque at whose entrance he was killed, where he explained to a member of his congregation that Gaza's problem was the "siege and blockade by the Zionist occupation."

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Albatsh was not only a cleric, however, but also considered outstanding in his field of electrical engineering and served as a lecturer at Kuala Lumpur University's British-Malaysian Institute.

Albatsh (R) explaining Gaza's problem

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The slain engineer's father pointed a finger in blame at Israel for the killing, saying, "The Mossad is responsible for my son's assassination. I demand Malaysian authorities open an investigation into the matter."

Fadi Albatsh at his mosque

The scene of the assassination (Photo: AFP)

The countries providing such assistance for Gazans, Albatsh was heard saying, were Malaysia, Turkey, Qatar and Tunisia. "The main supply of everything in Gazawater, fuel, gas, electricityis controlled by the Zionist occupation," the cleric said.

"The problem is the siege and blockade by the Zionist occupation, which means that the main supplythe gate surrounding Gazais actually owned by the Zionist occupation. That's why the people are suffering, because we don't have enough supplies to cover the demand of the people in Gaza," he explained.

Albatsh speaking about Malaysia's support for Gaza

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Albatsh then went on to say, "Thank God, Malaysians are actually very active in supporting the Palestinians. There are some NGOs (that) are running many projects in diverse aspects, like for example education, building destroyed houses, supplying food to poor families and many other relief projects."

Examining Albatsh's resume, two projects on which he worked stand out as possibly having to do with controlling motors and transmitters that may be installed onboard drones or other unmanned aerial vehiclesthe fields of "DC motor control" and "built FM receiver circuit."

The expat Palestinian may have assisted Hamas with its drone enterprise in Gaza by specializing in the aforementioned fields. Hamas engineer Mohammad a-Zawahri, who was assassinated in Tunisia in late 2016, also helped the Gaza terror group improve its UAV capabilities.

Later Saturday, Hamas's military wing confirmed that the Palestinian engineer and lecturer shot dead in Malaysia was one of its commanders.

Albatsh's relatives in Gaza (Photo: Reuters)

Hamas said Palestinian engineer Fadi al-Batsh was a "loyal" member and a "scientist of Palestine's youth scholars." It gave no further details on his scientific accomplishments but said he had made "important contributions" and participated in international forums in the field of energy.

The funeral service by the Islamic movement's militant wing, though, suggested al-Batsh was actually one of its military commanders. At a mourning house in the Gaza Strip, a banner described al-Batsh as a member of the military wing.

The scene of the assassination

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A mourning house in Gaza for Albatsh was then opened by the terror group, with a main banner at the entrance to the tent describing Albatsh as a member of the military wing and "a commander."

Ten masked terrorists in camouflage uniforms stood in a line outside the tent in Jabalia, the slain man's hometown, to greet mourners. The ceremony is typical for senior Hamas commanders.

Members of Hamas's military wing at the entrance to Albatsh's mourners' tent

Albatsh's father Mohammad told Ynet Saturday night, speaking from the family's Jabalia mourning tent, that the Mossad was behind his son's assassination and disavowed any links he may have had with Hamas.

The father then recounted how he received the news of his son's demise. "I got up for morning prayer and received a call from an international number I did not recognize. The person on the other side said he was an acquaintance of Fadi, and that he was shot by two people. I later saw all of the details on Facebook," he said.

Mohammad Albatsh had no doubts as to the guilty parties behind the attack, saying, "There's no other possibility except the Israeli Mossad being behind the hit."

The father's statement ran contrary to an official statement put out by Hamas, which initially stopped short of blaming Israel, saying only that he had been "assassinated by the hand of treachery." But later its top leader accused Mossad of killing him as well and threatened retaliation.

Ismail Haniyeh told The Associated Press Saturday that based on previous assassinations "Mossad is not away from this disgraceful, terrible crime."

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh vowed revenge for the 'disgraceful, terrible crime'

"There will be an unsettled account between us and it," Haniyeh said at the Gaza mourning tent, referring to Mossad. "We cannot give up on the blood of our sons, youths and scholars."

The deceased's father, meanwhile, insisted that his son "did not belong to any of the Palestinian factionsneither Hamas nor Islamic Jihad. His academic success (in electrical engineeringed), his studies and the international conferences he attendedall were things that may have motivated the Mossad to assassinate him."

The late Fadi Albatsh was behind 18 studies in his field, his father added, saying he was slated to attend an international conference in Turkey Sunday. The Albatsh patriarch refused to answer what interest would have in taking out his son if he indeed had no organizational ties.

Man puts up poster in Jabalia (Photo: Reuters)

"It's not an internal hit. My son is a martyr who's in Allah's hands now," was his only comment.

Besides his Hamas affiliation, Albatsh was also a cousin of Khaled Albatsh, a senior official in the Islamic Jihad militant group, who accused the Israeli Mossad spy agency of the assassination, without providing evidence.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said during a televised speech that "the resistance forces now have the ability, the power and the missiles that can hit any target in Israel."
Fourteen-year-old Mohammad Ayoub ignored his mother's objections and slipped away to join this week's protest along the Gaza-Israel border, just hours after Israel's military dropped leaflets in his Gaza village warning residents to stay away.

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A few hours later, the teenager was killed by an Israeli bullet to the head, Palestinian health officials said.

Video from the scene

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"He asked his aunt to tell me he would be back in an hour," said his mother, Raeda, who instead buried her son late on Friday.

Ayoub's mother (Photo: Reuters)

His death brought to 35 the number of Palestinians killed since border clashes intensified on March 30 in an ongoing protest known as "The Great March of Return"evoking a longtime call for refugees to regain ancestral homes in Israel.

For a month, clashes had erupted at the demonstrations and Israeli soldiers had used live fire to keep Palestinian crowds away from its border fence.

On Friday, Ayoub had been among the thousands who gathered to protest, some of whom used catapults and sling-shots to launch stones at Israeli forces, hurled burning tires and tried to damage the fence.

Israel says it is doing what it must to defend its borders and accuses Hamas, the Islamist terror group which rules Gaza, of staging riots and using the crowds as cover to try to carry out attacks. Hamas denies this.

Friday's border protests again turned violent (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

Israel's use of live fire has drawn international criticism and Ayoub's death received special attention.

"It is outrageous to shoot at children! How does the killing of a child in Gaza today help peace? It doesnt! It fuels anger and breeds more killing. Children must be protected from violence, not exposed to it," UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter.

US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt put out his own tweet: "A full investigation by Israel of Mohammed Ayoubs death is underway so that we will be able to understand what happened. As we mourn the tragic loss of a young life, we must all resolve to avoid causing more suffering by responses to his death."

Ayoub's family said friends of their son told them he was not among stone throwers.

IDF to investigate teen's death

The IDF said it will thoroughly investigate the death of the teenager and added that Hamas intentionally acts to endanger youth by sending them to the fence to serve as human shields for their agenda.

(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

An IDF Spokesman said, There were violent disturbances Friday at the fence with about 10,000 participants, during which explosives and Molotov cocktails were hurled and attempts were made to damage the fence. Our forces used a series of measures to disperse rioters and in certain cases, when there was no alternative to stop the danger, they used live fire according to rules of engagement.

The IDF stressed that any incident in which someone is killed by army fire is meticulously investigated by the relevant personnel and the findings are transferred to the Military Advocate General.

The IDF is working on an ongoing basis to learn operational lessons and to reduce the number of casualties in the security barrier area, the statement continued. Unfortunately, Hamas deliberately and calculatingly endangers civilians. Every week it places young children, teenagers and women, at the forefront of the riots to serve as human shields for the Hamas agenda.

The IDF has repeatedly warned citizens against approaching the fence and against taking part in violent activities and terrorist attacks. The IDF will continue to act professionally and decisively to protect Israeli citizens and security infrastructures, the statement concluded.

A photo published by the IDF Spokesperson's Unit (Photo: IDF Spokesmans unit)

The methods used to carry out terrorist activities and damage infrastructure under the guise of smoke and demonstrations were clearly on display in a photograph disseminated by the army.

One squad consists of youths igniting security infrastructures, and another squad waits and pulls the damaged object by rope until it is uprooted. They can then proceed to infiltrate Israeli territory in order to carry out attacks in Israel.

Tight control

The protests are expected to peak in mid-May when, according to Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Gaza scenes would be replicated elsewhere on Israel's frontiers.

Israel's defense minister on Saturday said the leaders of Hamas bore responsibility for Ayoub's death.

"Those cowardly leaders who hide behind woman and children and send them forward as human shields so they can continue to dig tunnels and carry out acts of terror against Israel," said Avigdor Lieberman.

(Photo: IDF Spokesmans unit)

Hamas, designated a terrorist group by many Western countries, denies this.

More than two million Palestinians are packed into the narrow coastal enclave. Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005 but maintains tight control of its land and sea borders. Egypt also restricts movement in and out of Gaza on its border.

Matthias Schmale, the Gaza director of operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides aid to over half of Gaza's population, said Ayoub was the third student of UN-run schools to be killed in recent weeks.

"Deeply disturbing news that child killed yesterday was yet another student at UNRWA school - two others were killed previously," Schamale wrote on Twitter. "Children should never be targets."
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said Saturday that 15-year-old Mohammed Ayoub's death at Gaza border skirmishes will be investigated.

"Every incident in which a person is allegedly shot by IDF gunfire is thoroughly investigated by the relevant command hierarchy and is reviewed by the General Staff's investigative panel," the spokesperson's unit said in a statement.

"Hamas endangers citizens deliberately by staging them on the frontlines of violence for the fourth consecutive week. Young children and women are sent to the fence as human shields," the IDF added.
The Backstreet Boys boy-band landed in Israel on Saturday, and will perform on Sunday at Rishon LeZion's Live Park.

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During their stay in the country, the fab five will spend the night at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv.

Three years after visiting Israel for the first time and creating surprising hysteria among local fans, the popular 90's boy group will perform in Israel as part of their "Larger than life" world tour.

Backstreet Boys land in Israel as part as their "Larger than life tour" tour (:  )

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According to producers Guy Beser and Shay Mor Yosef from the Bluestone Group-Live Nation Israel, tickets to the show were sold out in less than 72 hours.

D.J. Dalit Rechester will be their warm-up act.

Backstreet Boys will give one performance in Israel (Photo: Orit Pnini)

The boy-band was scheduled to come to Israel in the summer of 2014 and give three performances, but had to cancel its arrival due to the delicate security situation after Operation Protective Edge, to the disappointment of its many Israeli fans.

The Backstreet Boys eventually arrived to Israel in May 2015, and gave an electrifying performance.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday urged Russia to help solve the Syria crisis as he set off for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) major industrialized nations in Toronto.

The Syrian conflict has badly damaged already strained relations between the West and Russia, which backs President Bashar Assad.

"We need constructive contributions from Russia to reach a peaceful solution," Maas told reporters before his flight, adding that this was equally true of the Ukraine conflict, which the G7 foreign ministers are also due to discuss.
Behind the high concrete walls of Baghdad's Jewish cemetery, Violette Saul lies at rest under a weathered and cracked tombstone, one of the last memorials to an ancient community that is now all but extinct.

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The Iraqi nurse was buried a decade ago alongside thousands of others in the sands of a country where her community thrived for more than 2,500 years.

A cracked tombstone in the Baghdad Jewish cemetery. Precious few members of Iraq's once vibrant Jewish community remain (Photo: Reuters)

Drive west to the shores of the Mediterraneanjust a day's journey geographically but a world away politicallyand there is a lament inscribed at the entrance to the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Israel: "The Jewish community in Iraq is no more."

It is no accident that such a somber epitaph to Iraq's Jews should be found in Israel, where tens of thousands of them fled after 1948 amid the violent spasms that accompanied the birth of that state.

That transplanting of an educated, vibrant and creative community unquestionably enriched Israel, which celebrated its 70th anniversary Wednesday.

But it also denuded Iraq of a minority that had long contributed to its political, economic and cultural identity.

In 1947, a year before Israel's birth, Iraq's Jewish community numbered around 150,000. Now their numbers are in single figures. And they are missed.

Ziyad al-Bayati, an Iraqi Muslim who looks after the rarely visited graveyard near the east Baghdad neighborhood Sadr City, said his father used to reminisce about an Iraq in which ethnic communities lived together.

It was a time, Bayati said, that predated the turmoil around Israel's creation, the wars of later years, and the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein and unleashed years of sectarian bloodshed.

"My father used to say it was the good times when people lived peacefully side by side," said Bayati, 48. "There is no concern shown for the cemetery, (even if) the culture of people here is to respect the dead and their graves."

The chronology of Jews in Iraq stretches back some 4,000 years to the biblical patriarch Abraham of Ur, and to the Babylonian monarch Nebuchadnezzar, who sent Jews into exile there more than 2,500 years ago.

Old land to new land

The creation of Israel in 1948 and its successive defeats of Arab armies caused further bursts of popular anger and violence against Jews, an episode of history that is written in graves in the cemetery, where five Iraqi Jews accused of spying for Israel now lie side by side.

Between 1950 and 1952 about 125,000 Iraqi Jews were airlifted to Israel. Each came with one suitcase, and all had to give up their Iraqi citizenship.

Suitcases brought by Iraqi Jews to Israel (Photo: Reuters)

For one of them, Aharon Ben Hur, memories of Iraq are bitter. Now 84 and the owner of two falafel restaurants in Tel Aviv, he recalled the 1941 Farhud pogrom that killed more than 180 Jews during the Jewish festival of Shavuot. His father and younger brother were among them.

"They were thrown from the second floor. My father died ten days later and the boy almost immediately. He held him in his hands, and they threw them down 100 stairs. I was saved," Ben Hur said.

He left early, in 1951. Some hung on much longer. Emad Levy, 52, was the last of Baghdad's Jews to immigrate to Israel, in 2010.

Aharon Ben Hur with a photo of his younger self (Photo: Reuters)

"We kept our tradition, the holidays, the synagogue," he told Reuters during the build-up to Israel's Independence Day. "But it's not the joy you feel here during a holiday, walking down the street where most people are Jewish."

Levy is among perhaps 600,000 Israelis, out of a population of some 8.8 million, who can claim a measure of Iraqi ancestry, according to the heritage center in the town of Or Yehuda near Tel Aviv.

Inside a building built in the style of a traditional two-storey Jewish home in Baghdad, there are displays of religious and cultural artifacts of Jewish life in Iraq through the centuries. Visitors walk through the reconstructed crooked alleys of Baghdad's Jewish quarter and view a scaled-down replica of the city's Great Synagogue.

Exhibits at the museum depict a hard landing for the Iraqi immigrants in the early years of Israel, where Ashkenazim, or Jews of European descent, were the ruling elite and Sephardim, Jews with roots in the Middle East, faced prejudice.

The Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center in Or Yehuda (Photo: Reuters)

One photo shows Iraqi newcomers being sprayed with DDT pesticide. A tent has been erected on the floor, showing how the immigrants were initially housed.

But it also records how Iraqi Jews have gone on to become generals in the Israeli military, cabinet ministers, legislators, business executives, entertainers and celebrated writers.

Few expect ever to go back, amid the violent turmoil that still envelops Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and other countries that once had thriving Jewish communities.

90-year-old Zevulun Hareli (Photo: Reuters)

Now aged 90, Zevulun Hareli joined a Jewish self-defense underground movement in Iraq, and recalls the fate of some of his fellow Zionists in 1948.

"They were children, 14 or 15. They were tortured. They were hanged. Their genitals were burned," said Hareli, who immigrated to Israel in 1949. "Iraq said Zionism is a crime."

Some still harbor more positive sentiments. Edwin Shuker, who was born in Iraq, has made several visits to the Baghdad cemetery in recent years, sometimes bringing people who want to say Kaddishthe Jewish prayer for the deadover the graves.

He says he is welcomed by Iraqis when he goes back, and encounters nostalgia for a time when Iraq included a "mosaic" of minorities.

"No-one is going to move back," concedes Shuker, 62, who had to escape Iraq in 1971. "However, there are many who would be very receptive to visiting their shrines and where their ancestors are buried. The Iraqi Jewish community is the most ardent Jewish community, probably anywhere, that is so attached to its birthplace, because of its history."
Let anyone who actually believed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make good on his word to only give a five minute speech stand up. Only one? Okay, Yuli, you can sit back down. The rest of you, you're hired. Welcome to the State of Miri Regev.

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According to the laws of that country, what's the point of being in power if you can't cheat, lie, renege on agreements, catch as catch can and do whatever you please? Decent folk, who stick to their words and agreements should seek residence elsewhere. Miri Regev rules supreme here.

And she has indubitably been successful at it. Her victory photo was broadcast to every home Wednesdaythe culture minister sitting next to the prime minister's wife, thick as thieves, giggling and hugging not due to the enormity of the occasion but at the ploy's success.

Culture Minister Regev (L) and Sara Netanyahu. The pair's ploy worked to perfection (Photo: Herzliya Studios)

Because there is no other way to describe the events surrounding the torch lighting ceremony for Israel's 70th Independence Day but as a deceitful ploy, concocted by the two women leading Netanyahu (so as not to say leading him by the nose), as well as the premier himselfwhose collusion (so as not to say weakness) enabled the deed to go through.

It's not like it couldn't have been done another way. The Israel Prize ceremony that took place Thursday showed you can have a stately, dignified and even moving ceremony, without pyrotechnics or gargantuan budgets.

Miriam Peretz's speech and, moreover, her earnest embrace with David Grossmantwo bereaved parents coming from such different worldsshowed that culture, manners and humility are stronger than kitsch and hollow catchphrases.

And Education Minister Naftali Bennett? He has once again proven that when it comes to stateliness, he's got Netanyahu beat.

An embrace by 2 bereaved parents: Miriam Peretz (L) and David Grossman (Photo: Mizmor)

Netanyahu attended a torch lighting ceremony he was not supposed to attend. He did not offer a welcome greeting, nor were "a few sentences from the Declaration of Independence" on offeras the handshake agreement with the Knesset speaker said, after ten minutes of cordial, positive words between the two.

Bibi was pleased, Edelstein later characterized their meeting. He even complimented Edelstein on his ideas: to toast the IDF's soldiers, to say a sentence or two about Israeli hi-tech and to bid farewell and walk off.

O, our Yuli, how the mighty hath fallen. It was the man who was denied the right to Aliyah, who has known innumerable indignities in a Soviet forced labor camp and has served three years of hard labor in a gulag that fell, like a rookie, in a trap of vulgarity and duplicity.

Two days earlier, on Memorial Day eve, he received a letter from the Culture Ministry's director-general instructing to limit his speech to only seven minutes, due to time constraints.





PM Netanyahu's speech ran 14 minutes instead of five (Photo: Herzliya Studios)

What we got onscreen was a ringing slap in the face, shaming on live television, a public humiliation in front of the entire country. Instead of the five minutes allotted him, the premier spoke for 14 minutes, in a speech that with the passage of time will be crowned the beginning of the election campaign.

And, truth be told, he can speak. When the mission was to leave his mark on the ceremony, to be the only one talked about after the fact, to leave behind the Knesset speaker and all other ministers and MKs Regev so diligently sat far away, where cameras never reach  what more do you need?

Edelstein told his inner circle Thursday that it was fortuitous he spoke before the prime minister, because if he had to follow him he would have found it hard to maintain an air of festivity. "You can't give off positivity when you're fuming on the inside", he told them. I think that sums up the feeling of the betrayed speaker.

Not only the length of the speech and its content broke agreements, however. Edelstein would not consent to entering together with the prime minister. According to the agreement, the prime minister and his wife should have entered and sat down.

The Netanyahu couple entering flanked by honor guard (Photo: Herzliya Studios)

But here the culture minister took a liberty to grovel and sent an honor guard to welcome the Netanyahu couple. Regev did not only crack the Holocaust, you seeshe has also cracked Sara Netanyahu's genome.

And she knows precisely which victory photo the prime minister's wife is after: entering to the sound of trumpets alongside the prime minister, hand in hand, while waving regally to the assembled crowd with a shy smile and to hear the cheers of the crowd as soldiers stand at attention.

No prime minister's wife received such an honor previously. And that's exactly what Regev gave her.

The prerogative of being the person authorizing the ceremony to proceed was also taken from Edelstein, when the IDF officer overseeing the proceedings appealed to both Edelstein and Netanyahu and asked for permission to go ahead.

"Gentlemen," he said, rather than "sir," as is customary. Edelstein was so stunned he couldn't speak. But count on Netanyahu to not let such an opportunity pass him by as he quickly nodded to show everyone who's boss.

Knesset Speaker Edelstein entering (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Edelstein, for his part, looked as if he was signaling to the solider he's been kidnapped and was there under duress. The scorn, contempt and laughter at the Netanyahu residence after the ceremony can only be imagined, as they tallied these small victories.

Edelstein further sought to differentiate between the premier and himself by having Netanyahu announced as a torch lighter while he was the Knesset speaker giving a speech. Both Netanyahu and Edelstein were introduced with the same language.

"I tried going with the holiday's spirit," Edelstein told his confidants, when he explained the longest 14 minutes of his life, wearing what he described as a "poker face."

He couldn't say whether he felt like a sucker. It's not like he was walking along when an armed brigand mugged him. It was the prime minister of Israel who pickpocketed him.

All of this criticism hardly bothered Regev. Perhaps even quite the opposite. The fact she has sullied the cleanest man in the Likud party may help her considerably in the race to come, in which everything is permitted en route to the next primaries.

Edelstein came first in the Likud's last primaries, a feat he is unlikely to duplicate (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

After the spat with Netanyahu, Edelstein's chances of finishing firstlike last timeare now slimmer than the chances of Bibi sticking to his word on the torch lighting ceremony.

They exchanged no words during the ceremony itself. When Edelstein spoke, Netanyahu drummed on his knees impatiently, as if Edelstein was eating up his speech's time and not the other way around. They will most likely not be speaking anytime soon either.

After the ceremony, Edelstein met with members of the Knesset guard to apologize to them for the events they were forced to take part in. "I have seen everything in life, as well as these things," he told his confidants. "So if everything's allowed, let's see what I can do."

With all due respect to the speaker, however, until he's seen Regev, he ain't seen nothing yet.
News

Peter Navarro Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy

Written by Peter Navarro Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy

Washington, DC - Our allies and partners want to buy American. They know U.S. industries produce the most technologically sophisticated and effective defense systems in the world. When our allies and partners are better equipped to defend themselves, there is greater regional peace and stability  and far less need for American service members to be in harms way.

For too long, we have made it too hard to provide our allies and partners with the defense capabilities they require and that are in Americas interests. Thats why the Trump administration announced Thursday two landmark policies aimed at reforming the international sale of U.S.-produced arms and the export of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

By approving a new and updated U.S. Conventional Arms Transfer (CAT) Policy Presidential Memorandum and updating the processes for the exports of UAS, President Donald J. Trump is strengthening both our economic and national security, fortifying critical bilateral defense relationships that extend U.S. influence and bolstering the capabilities of our allies and partners to advance shared security objectives.

Mr. Trumps new CAT policy provides the organizing principles and objectives the U.S. government seeks to achieve through arms sales and the criteria the U.S. government considers when making arms transfer decisions. This policys adoption, and the reforms to follow, will ensure that American interests are put first in our decision-making.

The CAT Policy is the first step in a wider effort to achieve greater efficiency and flexibility in U.S. defense trade. The presidential memorandum directs a government-wide initiative to improve our conventional arms transfer processes while advancing our national security and economic interests. Under this administration, there will be no prouder and more active advocate for U.S. sales than the U.S. government itself.

The State Department, in coordination with the Department of Defense, will continue to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether these arms transfers to allied and partner nations support our national interests and conform to applicable laws and international commitments.

The U.S. aerospace and defense industries contribute almost a trillion dollars annually to our economy and support about 2.5 million jobs while maintaining a significant global trade surplus. As Mr. Trump works to balance our trade with the rest of the world, further strengthening a critical part of our export economy and defense industrial base is a logical and critical step.

The international sale of American-made military and commercial UAS offers an important tool to take this step. The UAS sector represents one of the most dynamic emerging areas of defense technology.

Although the U.S. leads the way in UAS technology, overly restrictive policies enacted by the previous administration have accelerated an undesirable outcome: Strategic competitors like China are aggressively marketing to and making sales in international markets that are forecast to be worth more than $50 billion a year within the next decade.

Already we are seeing Chinese replicas of American UAS technology deployed on the runways in the Middle East. In June, at the Paris Air Show, Chinas Chengdu Aircraft group featured its Wing Loong II medium-altitude long-endurance UAS  a knockoff of General Atomics Reaper.

The Trump administrations UAS export policy will level the playing field by enabling U.S. firms to undertake direct sales to authorized allies and partners. By expanding international sales opportunities, American industry will be further incentivized to do what it does best  invest and innovate.

This will keep our defense industrial base in the vanguard of emerging defense technologies while creating thousands of additional high-wage jobs and generating substantial export revenues.

In transferring UAS technology, we must ensure that the U.S. military maintains its technological edge over all competitors. Additionally, we must  and will  ensure U.S. produced arms are not used to violate human rights.

Mr. Trumps new policies therefore strike an important balance. As applicable, they require enhanced end-use monitoring, direct the Federal Government to work with partners in reducing civilian casualties in conflict, and champion principles of human rights and international law, including the law of armed conflict.

When we enable our allies and partners to more efficiently obtain appropriate American defense articles and services, we improve our national security. Partners who procure American weaponry are more capable of fighting alongside us, and ultimately more capable of protecting themselves  with fewer American boots on the ground.

Providing our allies and partners with greater access to U.S.-produced arms will also reduce their reliance on not just Chinese knockoffs but also on Russian systems, consistent with the Countering Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act.

In the coming weeks, the Departments of State, Defense and Commerce will be reaching out across American industry and civil society during a public comment period to build a deeper understanding of the issues involved and obstacles facing our exporters.

Whether there are internal barriers, like unnecessary red tape, or external barriers, such as unfair offset requirements, this administration will be ready to tackle them.

During the rollout of his historic National Security Strategy in December, Mr. Trump stated a fundamental principle governing that strategy: Economic security is national security. At the heart of that nexus is Americas defense industrial base.

These new landmark reforms will be an important catalyst for strengthening American industry; the stewardship of our national security; and the strengthening of our international partnerships. By advancing all three, the administrations new policies will promote American prosperity and help preserve peace through strength.

This op-ed appeared in the Washington Times on April 19, 2018.
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - On Tuesday, at 6:25 p.m. Yuma Police Officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of 2500 Block West 21st Lane.

The initial investigation revealed that shots were fired in the street while two male subjects were fighting. One subject was struck in the leg and fled the scene on foot. One subject stayed on scene. Other subjects fled in a vehicle westbound.

The subject with the gunshot wound was located at Regency Square Apartments. He was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center and released.

The investigation is ongoing.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call Officer Shawn Waymire with the Yuma Police Department Special Operations Group at (928) 373-4787 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
Multinational companies in Ghana enhance the country's economic growth. Ghana has enough resources for local and foreign investors to exploit. Several local firms have grown into multinational companies. However, most potential local investors face financial challenges that hinder them from investing extensively, unlike external investors. As a local investor, do not worry about competition from foreign companies because the government's strict laws and strategies regulate both parties' activities and promote fair competition.

Photo: canva.com (modified by author)

Source: UGC

The history of multinational corporations in Ghana reveals that most of these companies originate from Europe and America. There were 37 more American companies in Ghana between 2011 to 2016. The government is transforming the local economy into an export-led economy to nurture local companies into multinational businesses. A strategic export-led economy exposes local investors to international trade initiatives like the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

What are the top 10 multinational companies?

Foreign companies' branches must have the country's name regardless of their parent companies' country of origin. For example, MTN Ghana and Ecobank Ghana Limited. Below are the best multinational companies in Ghana:

1. Coca Cola

Equatorial Coca-Cola bottling Company runs Coca Cola brand in Northern and Western Africa. Photo: pixabay.com

Source: UGC

Everyone in the world knows this global soft drink brand, thanks to how heavily they invest in marketing and advertising. The plastic bottling and sugar-free versions as popular as their other products.

2. MTN

The August 2020 MTN Shareholders' AGM. Photo: MTNGhana

Source: Facebook

MTN dominates the nation's telecommunication industry because it is a pioneer media transmission and telecommunication service company. Some of the innovative services that help it outshine its rivals include MTN Mobile Money services and customer reward points.

3. KPMG

KPMG, one of the big four accounting firms worldwide, is a combination of accounting and auditing firms that offer professional services to over 147 countries. KPMG Ghana has more than 500 employees.

4. Olam Limited

Olam Ghana Limited's 2019's Fortitude Testing Kits donation to Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Photo: NMIMR_UG

Source: Twitter

Investing in this country helped Olam to become an agribusiness giant worldwide. Olam is the leading food and industrial raw materials supplier globally, from cocoa, cashews, coffee, and rice, to over 19,800 countries in the world. However, the company is not listed on Ghana Stock Exchange.

5. Total Petroleum Limited

A branch of Total Petroleum Limited. Photo: Jobwebghana

Source: Facebook

Total petroleum, a Total Group branch, is a pioneer oil and gas company in the world and the first international company in Ghana. It was established in this nation over 50 years ago, and it records more than 3 billion Ghana Cedis annual turnover yearly.

6. Ecobank Limited

Ecobank is exceptionally beneficial in the country's financial sector. It is a local unit of the Pan-African bank, Ecobank Group. Ecobank Group's headquarters are in Lome, Togo, and it has branches in over 33 African nations. The bank began operating in the country in 1990 and procured TTB (The Trust Bank) for GHC 220 million in 2011.

7. Benso Oil Palm Plantation Limited (BOPP)

One of Benso Oil Palm Plantation Limited's conferences in 2019. Photo: turkazzi

Source: Twitter

The government-owned company processes palm oil and related products like RBD palm oil and vegetable oil. It is the largest palm oil producing company in West Africa and exports its products to Europe, America, and Asia. Moreover, BOPP expanded its investments into the oil refinery business and oil mixing.

8. Fan Milk Limited (FML)

GCB Bank Limited's logo. Photo: French Embassy in Ghana / Ambassade de France au Ghana

Source: Facebook

The company makes a fortune out of various milk desserts, including yogurts, organic citrus drinks. Their drain-based and natural milk products are natives' favorite food. Abraaj Capital, a Dubai-based financial specialist, began controlling FML's international operations after obtaining 56.6% of its shares. The takeover enabled the company to meet the market requirements of the country's milk industry.

9. Guinness Breweries Limited (GGBL)

GCB Bank Limited's logo. Photo: GhanaNewslocal1

Source: Twitter

GGBL capitalizes on the locals' rich drinking culture; hence top companies in Ghana that invest in alcoholic refreshments experience quick success. Guinness breweries produce and sell both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

10. Unilever

Unilever is Europes seventh most valuable company for over 85 years. Photo: RevistaMerca2.0

Source: Facebook

It is among the top European companies in Ghana since it was established on 14th July 1992. Unilever's headquarters are in London and Rotterdam, and it has extended branches to over 190 countries worldwide. The company makes food and beverages, beauty products, cleaning agents, and personal care products.

Multinational companies in Ghana enhance the flow of money in the country's economy because some earn a gross income that way more than the country's yearly budget. Furthermore, these corporations have more advantages, including employment creation, and they are the highest paying companies in Ghana.

Yen.com.gh made a list of the best investment banks in Ghana. What are investment banks? They are unique banking organizations that help their clients (individuals or organizations) raise capital for business investments and help new firms go public.

These financial institutions also provide them with financial consultancy services and act as intermediaries between investors and security issuers. They walk with the client throughout their journey toward financial independence.

Source: Yen.com.gh
If you wish to travel from Ghana to the USA, you need a visa. However, before you can get one, you need to go through the US visa application Ghana process and then pay a set fee. The applicable fees for a visa to the USA have always been unclear to many people in Ghana. In fact, several Ghanaians have fallen victim to online scammers who claim that all they need is to send money, and their visas will be processed instantly. This is a lie. So, whats the real cost of visa from Ghana to the USA, and how do you get one?

Image: canva.com (modified by author)

Source: UGC

Before you apply for a visa, it is essential to distinguish between a visa and a passport. A passport is granted by your country of citizenship, in this case, Ghana, and it allows you to enter Ghana as well as other countries that dont require Ghanaians to have a visa. A visa, on the other hand, is a form of endorsement that is placed in your passport and grants you permission to countries that require Ghanaian citizens to possess a visa in order to enter or stay for a specific period.

Major types of US visa

There are mainly two types of visas; the immigrant and the non-immigrant visa. The non-immigrant visa is for people who are only visiting the country for a temporary stay like a vacation. Immigrant visas, on the other hand, are for those seeking permanent residence in the USA.

Fortunately, the American embassy offices in Accra can process both types of permits. With the right documentation and money, you will get your visa processed. Another thing to note is that these two types of visa are further broken down in various classes. You need to have a specific reason to visit the US to be given the right permit.

What is a non-immigrant visa?

A non-immigrant visa is given to foreigners who seek to enter the USA on a temporary basis for various purposes including medical treatment, temporary work, and tourism, among others.

How to apply for a non-immigrant visa

The application process for a non-immigrant visa is not usually as hectic as commonly assumed. The only challenge is getting it approved, though. This is considering the conditions that you are required to adhere to before finally getting the stamp.

All applicants are required to fill out the DS-160 form. This US visa application form is an online application document that can be accessed at the official U. S Travel Docs website. The language used in filling the form is primarily English with comprehensible characters based on the English language.

Once youve completed and submitted it, you need to book an appointment with the embassy for an Interview. You should carry your passport with you. Note that the passport should be valid for more than six months beyond the end of your proposed stay in the United States. Additionally, you also need to have a 2 by 2 passport photo of yourself and a receipt for US visa application fee.

Image: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

Generally, the cost of visa from Ghana to USA is one hundred and sixty dollars, which can simply be paid through the local currency then converted into dollars. The fee is non- refundable. Besides, paying doesn't guarantee that your application process would be a success.

Types of non-immigrant visas

The non-immigrant visas, just like passports, are also in different categories which include;

1. Tourist/business visa

The tourist or business visa is officially known as visa type B. The permit is issued for Ghanaians who are visiting America for either medical treatment, leisure, or business intentions. The only way for this kind of visa to be approved is by stating that you are visiting the state temporarily and only intending to stay for a specified period before flying back.

You should also be financially stable to sustain yourself during that short stay. Additionally, you should indicate that you have strong ties to Ghana both economically and socially with a permanent residence to affirm that.

2. Exchange visitor visa

This visa is meant for those who intend to visit America for either cultural or educational exchange programs. The exchange visitor visa is the one ideal for them.

However, for the application to be approved, you first need authorisation from the program sponsor confirming that you are indeed part of the program before getting your application forms and other necessary certification. Its officially classified under visa type J class.

3. The transit/ship crew visa

This type of visa is mainly intended for people who are in transit to another destination and only need layover privileges from America. However, for the permit to be approved, they still need to affirm that they are in the state temporarily, have enough funds to sustain themselves while in the country and evidence of transportation arrangements.

Also, they need to provide their permit certifications for their next destination. The ship crew visa, which is mainly for aircraft and sea vessels passing through the regional waters, also functions similarly as the transit visa. It falls under class D of the visa type while the transit in type C-1.

READ ALSO: 9 facts about the worst terror attacks in the United States history

4. Student visa

When privileged to further your studies in the united states of America, you will be required to have a student visa for your stay in that country. The application process should be formal and through a recognised Ghana-based school or program.

The most common type of student visa is mainly for people who will be studying for more than eighteen hours a week. Due to this, it is officially classified as class F-1 type of visa.

5. The work visa

Just like the student visa, those privileged to work in the US would be required to apply for a work visa as non-immigrants and only working within a specified time frame. For the process to be efficient, your prospective employer needs to file a petition allowing you to apply for the visa.

You will then be required to wait for approval from the U. S citizenship and immigration offices. Nevertheless, the period for your temporary stay in the country will highly be based on the nature of work and how you will be needed.

Other work-based visa types require people to visit for only that intended purpose then fly back as soon as possible. The reason for their visits limits the length of the stay. They include; athletes, artists, and entertainers, religious workers, intracompany transferees, journalists, and media crew, among others.

What is an Immigrant visa?

Image: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

An immigrant visa is issued to foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in the United States.

Applying for an immigrant visa

Applying for an immigrant visa tends to be more involving than a non-immigrant visa. You need to seek sponsorship from a legal permanent resident or a U.S citizen that is currently residing in the country before the application process commences.

The sponsor, who may be your relative or prospective employer, must also file a petition for you to apply for immigration. The U.S Citizenship and Immigration office is in charge of the petition. You will have to wait for its approval before filling US visa application in Ghana documents.

Types of US immigrant visa

There are five main types of immigrant visas cutting across all the possible reasons why any Ghanaian may wish to be an American immigrant. They include;

1. Family-based immigration

The family-based immigration visa is found in two main categories; the immediate relatives and family preference categories as stipulated in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The close relative immigrant visas allow an unlimited number of immigrants intending to seek permanent residence in America.

They are usually founded on a close relationship with a U. S citizen termed as immediate such as a parent, spouse, child under the age of twenty-one and adopted an orphan, either adopted within America or abroad.

The family preference category, on the other hand, tends to be limited to a particular type of members for immigration purposes. They are for specific family relationships such as unmarried sons and daughters. However, the law also clearly stipulates that cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws are not eligible to sponsor any relative for immigration.

2. Fiance visa

This is also another type of visa that is pretty straightforward. It is issued for a non-US citizen who is a fiance or fiancee to a U. S citizen. The law states that a non-citizen ought to have been married within ninety days after landing in the country.

READ ALSO: A list of the most popular American male names

3. Employment-based immigration visa

Every fiscal year that runs from 1st October to 30th September, about one hundred and forty thousand visas for prospective employees are made available as directed by the U.S immigration law. Spouses and children below the age of twenty-one may also be part of the immigration process.

The duration taken for this type of visa to be fully processed and approved may take quite some time. This is because in most cases, applicants do not follow the instructions as required. But still, the time frame for the approval varies from one individual to another and cannot be fully be predicted.

4. The diversity visa

This type of visa came as a result of the need to diversify the American immigrant population. Therefore, each year united states of America, generate about sixty thousand visas that are to be distributed through the lottery. The US Visas website posts the instructions for participating in the lottery.

5. Returning resident visa

Returning resident visa is simply a confirmation that even though you stayed abroad for more than one year, you are still an American and you need to go back. Even so, its not as simple as imagined since you still need to prove to the consular regarding some issues before you qualify for the visa, they include;

You have a permanent resident in America that is acknowledged as lawful by the government authority

You left the country with intentions of going back and have not changed your mind ever since

You left the country only for a temporary departure but if you ended up overstaying, was because of some factors that you had no control over and for which you were also not responsible for.

When applying for the visa, you need to notify the U.S embassy of your intended travel at least three months in advance to give room for processing. There are also some vital documents that you need to submit to the consulate, comprising of a re-entry permit, permanent resident card, and a completed the US visa application form Ghana.

How to apply for a US visa online

Image: unsplash.com

Source: UGC

Even though the majority gives up on US visa application Ghana somewhere down the line, a few resilient souls are still adamant on going to America, living and working there. Though it can be hard to get a US visa, your chances are better if you meet all the requirements and follow instructions correctly.

One important thing that you need to do before you apply for a visa is to know precisely what you want. Once you have that figured out, find the most appropriate permit from the table above. To help you through, here is a detailed breakdown of the steps you need to follow.

The pre-application phase

The US visa application can be stressful if you are misinformed. Therefore, you need to inform yourself about these basic things before you begin your application.

Find out if you need a visa: If your country is involved in the US visa waiver programme, you dont have to sweat over a permit.

If your country is involved in the US visa waiver programme, you dont have to sweat over a permit. Determine which visa you might need: The immigrant visa will have different requirements compared to the non-immigrant visa.

The immigrant visa will have different requirements compared to the non-immigrant visa. Get to know what is required for your application: This includes the visa fees and documents.

This includes the visa fees and documents. Finally, with a clear vision, apply for the visa: The process varies depending on your application centre.

Documents you must have

Your documents must be legal as any alteration can disqualify you from any future applications. Before you head to the US embassy, carry the following:

Your current passport and any other older passports you may have

One very recent coloured photograph

A printed out confirmation page of the online submitted form DS-160 with the CEAC barcode

A visa fee receipt. This is paid to the bank before booking an interview appointment

The original appointment letter you received.

If you are targeting a non-immigrant visa, attach documents showing evidence of what takes you to the US. This includes things like sponsorship letters and medical insurance. Links to jobs, schools, and strong family ties are concrete evidence that you will not overstay your welcome.

Applying for the visa

Application for US visa online is a simple procedure, provided you had done your research keenly. Apply in these few steps;

Start by paying the visa application fee. Download the fee receipt that is processed

Schedule your appointment online on the US embassy website

Keep checking your email to know when your US visa application status

Visit the US embassy in your country on the date and time indicated in your appointment letter.

It is true that getting a permit could be a bit of a hassle, but the good news is; unless you are a criminal, then theres a chance of getting a visa if you stick to the instructions given and be resilient. Sometimes you have to do it over and over again.

What is the cost of a visa from Ghana to the USA?

The cost of a visa varies depending on the class type in which it falls. For instance, permits in class B, D, C-1, and F belonging to business, crew, transit, student category respectively cost one hundred and sixty dollars in application fees.

READ ALSO: List of American foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Class H, R, and L are given to seasonal workers, religious workers, and intracompany transferees, respectively. For these visas, you need one hundred and ninety dollars for the application process to go through. Here is a detailed breakdown of the fees you will pay for your respective visa application to the USA, both in USD and the Ghanaian currency (GHS).

Image: ustraveldocs.com (modified by author)

Source: UGC

Whether you are wondering about the US visa application Ghana process or the cost, it is essential to follow the set guidelines closely. The last thing you want is to miss a rare opportunity because of a simple mistake. Once you are through all the steps and have paid the necessary fees, you will be free to realise your American dream.

Source: Yen
- President Akufo-Addo has said it is possible to develop Ghana without foreign aid

- The President has reiterated his commitment to achieve this goal

- But some Ghanaians on social media have said this is simply impossible and unattainable

President Akufo-Addo has stated that it is possible for Ghana to be developed without depending on foreign aid.

The President has said Ghana is endowed, and that with the proper management of the countrys natural resources, it is possible to say goodbye to foreign aid.

But some Ghanaians on social media seems to hold a different view from the Presidents.

President Akufo Addo

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They are pessimistic about the Presidents goal, and have given many reasons on social media why the goal is unattainable.

These Ghanaians made their views known on the official Facebook page of YEN.com.gh, in a public survey.

READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong exposed as Ibrah Money names him as a money laundering accomplice?

Here are 7 reasons given by the social media users as to why the 'Ghana without aid policy' is a mere mirage.

1. This user believes even if it is possible to develop Ghana without foreign aid, it can not happen under Akufo-Addo's government or the NDC government. According to him, the only person who can really achieve this policy is PPP's Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.

2. For this user, it is completely impossible to develop Ghana without foreign aid because "even America depends on aid from China." From his comment, Sampson seems to say Ghana has not reached a self-dependency level to do without foreign aid.

READ ALSO: Ibrah Money was arrested together with these 8 powerful names for money money laundering

3. This user believes Ghana's politicians are not capable of developing Ghana without foreign aid.

4. This user feels governments only talk but at the end there is "no show."

READ ALSO: Ebony's response to her managers when they asked her about her 17 tattoos

5. This user believes poverty in some parts of Ghana shows Ghana beyond aid is not possible

6. According to this user, many African countries would continue to depend on foreign aid for a long time and Ghana is no exception

7. According to this user, Akufo-Addo is only doing a "talk-shop'

READ ALSO: If you insult anyone who praises me in a secular song, you lack sense - Obinim

Ghana trends: Ebony's father names the guilty | Homosexuality legalized in Ghana?

READ ALSO: Blame my daughter's death on her management  Ebonys father

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Source: Yen News
Indonesias Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti deals with some dangerous men in her role, but they dont rattle her. She has an equally intimidating weapon on her side: Google.

Partnering with the search engine firm, Pudjiastuti is catching illegal fishing activity in real time, after thousands of vessels locations were revealed online. In her mission to clean up an industry once the domain of crooks, shes convinced powerful local operators with foreign interests to stop practices that were robbing the economy of billions of dollars of revenue each year.

"You have money, you have power, you have the reach probably to make me fail or to even basically eliminate me," Pudjiastuti recalls telling the industrys so-called godfathers in meetings shortly after joining President Joko Widodos government in 2014. But I also will not stop."

After hunting down violators and blowing up their boats in public spectacles, Pudjiastutis approach has become more sophisticated. In a global first, the minister has teamed up with Google to use satellites to spot illegal fishermen from space. Its paying off: Indonesias fish stocks have more than doubled in two years, and an industry plundered by foreigners for decades is once again contributing to economic growth.

In a sprawling archipelago of 17,000 islands, the potential is vast. While fishing currently accounts for just 2.6 percent of Indonesias gross domestic product, that portion has grown about 40 percent since Pudjiastuti started her role. At that time, there were some 10,000 foreign vessels fishing illegally in Indonesias territory. She says theyre now all but gone.

Read also: Jokowi sides with Susi on ship sinking controversy

Global Pirates

But its not game over for the minister: she says local boats are still working with global pirates who catch fish just outside the permitted zone, which are then shipped to foreign destinations. And thats where Google comes in.

"They still steal from us. We see it on Google fishing watch," Pudjiastuti said. "They use Indonesian-affiliated companies and businesses and basically take their catch a few miles beyond the exclusive economic zone, where a refrigerated mothership is waiting."

Indonesia last year became the first nation to share its Vessel Monitoring System information -- government-owned data used to monitor maritime traffic -- with Global Fishing Watch, an online mapping platform co-founded by Google and funded by partners including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Pudjiastutis initiative instantly made nearly 5,000 previously invisible boats viewable. She has called for other nations to follow her lead, with Peru last year committing to making its fishing data available.

Brian Sullivan, the manager of Google Ocean and Earth Outreach, said information from Indonesias VMS was fed through the same algorithm used by Global Fishing Watch to produce a new set of analytics. That was then added to raw satellite imagery to produce an even more detailed footprint of fishing activities in near-real time.

Susi reached out to us and said I like what youre working on, wed like to see how we could use that information in Indonesia, California-based Sullivan said in a telephone interview. She has been probably one of the most progressive ministers within fisheries for taking something that historically all governments had kept extremely close.

Watching You

By using machine learning and watching how a vessel moves, Googles technology is able to establish patterns, and determine whether a vessel is in transit or fishing.

A study published last month found that foreign fishing in Indonesia dropped by more than 90 percent and total fishing by 25 percent following the tough policies introduced by Pudjiastuti, which also included a ban on all foreign-owned and -made boats from fishing in Indonesia and the restriction of transfers of fish at sea.

"We know what it looks like when a vessel is broadcasting because we see that vessels position, said Sullivan. And if it then goes quiet for a while and then reappears on the other side of a marine-protected area that would be considered suspicious activity."

Read also: Minister Susi graces Anne Avantie's runway, dons elegant 'kebaya'

Ship Wrecker

With almost 34,000 miles of coastline to monitor, the minister and her partners have a big job. But its not just about economic gains and food security: its also about sovereignty, an issue that plays well for the domestic audience.

In 2016, Indonesia marked its Independence Day celebrations by sinking about 70 foreign fishing vessels, mostly from Vietnam but also from China. It was an overt display aimed at sending a message: the nation intended to protect its lucrative fishing grounds, including in the South China Sea.

Since the end of 2014, Pudjiastuti has sunk more than 350 other boats.

They take our resources. If we dont put an end to them theyre going to come back and fish again, she said. And now I am screaming -- I want to tell everybody Be aware, they are moving to you.
- Joyce Dzidzor says she has lost all her investments in business due her HIV/AIDS status

- The former AIDS Ambassador says she no longer lives with her kids due to lack of shelter

Ghanaian actress and former-HIV/AIDS Ambassador, Joyce Dzidzor Mensah, is appealing to Ghanaians to help her raise money in support of her kids education.

According to Joyce, she currently finds herself in a deep financial crisis as a single mother and unable to provide for her three kids as a single mother.

Speaking to News One in Accra, the former AIDS ambassador disclosed that no Ghanaian company and individual wants to work with her because of her HIV/AIDS status.

Joyce Dzidzor, Former-HIV/AIDS Ambassador

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Therefore, she has no means of raising money in support of herself and her family, including her three kids.

I am currently not living with my children because I dont have a place to stay. I am in deep crisis. My medications are also very expensive and I cant afford it she told NEWS-ONE on Thursday.

Joyce, in her interview, indicated that though she had invested some monies into a food business and a barbering shop, speculations about her HIV/AIDS status have collapse her businesses.

I invested all my money into a barbering shop and a small food joint but people started complaining the food is infected with virus and so people shouldnt buy from the joint. Everything has collapsed and I have lost all my money, she added.

In December 2014, Joyce Dzidzor publicly announced that she lied about her HIV/AIDS status for years and had never tested positive for the disease before working with the Ghana AIDS commission as an HIV/AIDS ambassador.

READ ALSO: Stonebwoy is 'sitting on your neck' in Ghana music - David Oscar jabs Shatta Wale

After that declaration, she has been on several media platforms trying to defend her actions, even though she has received widespread criticisms from Ghanaians and the Ghana AIDS Commission.

However, in 2016, she made a shocking U-turn to say she, indeed, tested positive for the virus but had to lie about her status to protect her children from stigmatisation.

It looks like because I have done campaigns and my face is everywhere, it is difficult for people to even work with me. So right with my situation as a single mother with three children and no job, I am pleading with the general public to support me with money to start something to take care of my children, she pleaded.

She also added that, I realized that I have destroyed my life just because I tried to protect my children at school by denying my status. I am in crisis now and if people are able to support me and my family, I am willing to come back to work on TV and radio to educate people on HIV & AIDS.

READ ALSO: 8 young Ghanaian millionaires social media users suspect to be fraud boys'

In this video, Ebonys father names some people he believes are guilty of his daughters death. The question of whether homosexuality should be legalized in Ghana becomes a bone of contention:

Yen.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook.

Source: Yen.com.gh
The new Managing Director of TV Africa, Mr. Ekow Blankson, has shared his opinions on the kind of style the movie industry in Kumasi have adopted.

Once an actor and known for his great acting experience, Mr. Blankson said movies by film makers from Kumasi are not different from the old concert party.

The actor explained that Kumasi movie sector do not prepare script to guide actors on set. Mr. Blankson noted they have adapted the concert party style and transformed it into film.

Ekow Blankson

READ ALSO: Photo of Kuami Eugenes die-hard fan who looks just like him pops up on the internet

I think the Kumasi movie industry is a different form of film making, its actually concert party where you dont prepare a script and follow. They are given pointers and they have to create out of it and that is the concert party style and they have enhanced it into film, Blankson told SVTV Ghana.

Speaking on recent acting skills of young film makers, he said they are a bunch of jokers. He added that there is no reality on the screens when it comes to acting these days.

For me personally, I think that our new crop of actors are just jokers. Unfortunately, they arent as exciting and real as people have done in the past. Sometimes it gets a bit worrying watching them perform.

READ ALSO: Photos of Osei Kwame Despites mansion show up on the Internet

Acting isnt a substitute at all In America, they have realized a lot of revenue from Tourism especially with film. Film has given them a lot of foreign exchange and also same in India, Canada, Australia and even in Africa, Nigerians are doing so well in movies.

As many film makers complain that theres no work to do because the industry is challenged, Nigerians come into Ghana and they tap the talents and resources we have here and make lots of money, He continued.

Mr. Ekow Blankson is the current Managing Editor of TV Africa. Ekow also worked with Media General Ghana Limited, Ghana as the Director of Brands & Corporate Communication.

He also worked with Multimedia Broadcasting Company (Luv fm & Nhyira fm) as General Manager. Mr. Blankson has also starred in some award winning Ghanaian movies.

Check out some of the trending news in Ghana in YEN.com.gh's video below

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Source: Yen.com.gh
Ghanas president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuf0-Addo, has presented a list of the total number of employees currently working at the Jubilee House.

The presidents release of this information is in compliance with Section 11 of the Presidential Office Act, 1993 (Act 463), which requires the President to submit annually to Parliament, a report on the staffing position of the Office of the President.

Nana Addo

READ ALSO: Photos of Osei Kwame Despites mansion show up on the Internet

The list shows that there are currently 998 workers at the Jubilee House . The breakdown of the list is given as nine ministers of state, 27 presidential staffers, 256 other/junior appointees and 706 employees of public/civil service staff.

See the list by visiting this link.

READ ALSO: Shatta Wale reveals recent affair with Bhim Nation girl

In this video, Ebonys father names some people he believes are guilty of his daughters death. The question of whether homosexuality should be legalized in Ghana becomes a bone of contention:

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
Ghanaian Instagram model, actress and slay queen, Moesha Boduong on Friday apologized to Ghanaians after she received heavy backlash from a section of the public over her recent CNN interview.

Moesha who was interviewed by CNNs Christiane Amanpour on her television series, Love and Sex Around the World incurred the wrath of many, after she told the world that she sleeps with peoples husbands in other to raise enough money for her two years rent.

Captain Smart, Adom FM presenter

READ ALSO: Nana Boroo narrates how Kwame Sefa Kayi almost killed his passion for music (Video)

The actress in her interview insisted that the Ghanaian economy is in such a way that women dont make enough money, but have to resort to other means of making money in order to keep up their affluent lifestyles.

Though Moesha was widely condemned and shamed by some Ghanaian personalities, a popular Adom FM presenter, Captain Smart upheld Moeshas comment.

The radio presenter endorsing her comment argued that, Moeshas interview with CNN was spot on, and also a good opportunity for Rent Control to revise Ghanas rent policy.

Captain Smart concluded that, actress Moesha stated what is obvious and must therefore be commended for being bold to address a very sensitive issue which is eating up many young Ghanaian women.

However, some social media users have expressed divergent opinions about Captain Smarts comment that appears to be endorsing of Moeshas comment.

READ ALSO: Joyce Dzidzor begs Ghanaians for money in support of family

Below are some views expressed by some readers of Yen.com.gh:

READ ALSO: Former Regional Minister arrested over illegal lumbering

READ ALSO: Stonebwoy is 'sitting on your neck' in Ghana music - David Oscar jabs Shatta Wale

In this video, Ebonys father names some people he believes are guilty of his daughters death. The question of whether homosexuality should be legalized in Ghana becomes a bone of contention:

Yen.com.gh is building a platform where Ghanaians can share local news and own experiences with each other. Witnessing an incident? Want to tell about a local problem? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Message us on Facebook.

Source: Yen
- Moses Foh Amoaning, has descended heavily on the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

- According to the ace law lecturer homosexuality can never be endorsed in Ghana

A senior lecturer at the Ghana School of Law, Moses Foh Amoaning, has descended heavily on UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Philip Alston, for insulting the Speaker of Parliament for his anti-gay stance.

According to him, the UN expert is stupid, further describing him as an idiot for not respecting the views of the Speaker of Parliament and Ghanaians.

Moses Foh Amoaning

READ ALSO: Husbands should stop providing for side chicks  KKD

This comes after Mr. Alston referred to Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Ocquaye, as delusional for consistently declaring his anti-gay stance.

In an address following a fact-finding visit to Ghana, the UN official went in hard on the Speaker, insisting he (Prof. Ocquaye) cannot wish away what is a fact when it comes to accommodating gays in Ghana.

I believe that if he thinks there is not a very significant proportion of gay people in Ghana, he is deluding himself. You cannot wish away a physical fact. The percentage of gay people in any population is significant, he opined.

However, Mr. Foh Amoaning believes such comments constitute an insult to the Speaker and should not be tolerated at all.

He, therefore, described the UN expert as a bigot, stupid and an idiot after losing his cool on live radio.

My dear how would I respond to this idiot. He is so bigoted and to be honest very stupid. I mean every word of it, he said on Accra-based Starr FM.

Do you understand the word delusion to be deluded? Do you understand that word? You tell me, you are a journalist, what is the meaning of deluded?

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You sit there for a Caucasian to call the speaker of your parliament deluded and you are fine with it my dear. When I say he is an idiotlook, I intentionally used that word because I wanted to provoke you, because you see he doesnt provoke you because the language is coming from a white person so you dont see anything wrong with it.

He added that the West should not be allowed dictate what we should accept and what she should not accept, insisting the issue of homosexuality cannot be poked down on Ghana.

I am sick and tired of this arrogant bigotry being thrown around by Europeans and because we ourselves are not thinking through these things, we allow them to insult us poke down upon us and to say anything they like even Ghanaian journalists dont seem to appreciate what is happening, he added.

Watch the trending news on YEN.com.gh this week:

READ ALSO: Police CID, Interpol deny arrest of social media millionaire

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Source: Yen Ghana
A CAMCORDER VIDEO CAPTURES THE SETTING OF THE STORY, AN ANTIQUE PADDLE WHEELER BOAT ON THE MOVE - THREE TIERS OF WHITE EDWARDIAN ...
Damac Hotels & Resorts, the hospitality arm of luxury real estate developer Damac Properties, sees Expo 2020 Dubai as an opportunity to go beyond the current 13,000 keys being developed, and to reach 15,000 keys by 2021, said its chairman.



Today, Dubai is one of the most visited cities in the world and as it gears up to welcome over 20 million visitors leading up to Dubai Expo 2020, the industry has completely shifted gears with more than 29,000 hotel rooms in 95 projects currently at different stages of construction, remarked Hussain Sajwani.



Damac Hotels & Resorts will be present at Arabian Travel Market 2018, running from April 25 to 28 in Dubai, UAE, a leading global event for the Middle East inbound and outbound travel industry for the last 25 years. The event generates more than $2.5 billion of travel industry deals.



The most interesting aspect of Dubais hospitality sector is that one size does not fit all. While measurable sector growth is calculated in terms of room volumes and revenue, travellers finding unique destination experiences are what define long-term success in any market, Sajwani said.



Dubai and the UAE have successfully found a formula to consistently deliver unique experiences for tourists, and the numbers verify this as well - Dubai visitors occupied 29.2 million room nights last year, up more than one million from the year before.



Sajwani explained that when Damac Hotels & Resorts was founded six years ago, it was established to create at-home experiences for travellers by providing luxury hotel stays that combine the comfort of home. Damac Maison Royale The Distinction which launched last September, is the perfect example of an ultra-luxury, five-star hotel apartment offering which makes visitors feel at home while creating a luxury experience based on the finest services, he said.



Dubai is also a preferred destination for visitors from neighbouring countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, who prefer Sharia-compliant amenities. Damac responded by introducing the Ghalia brand, offering the first certified Sharia-compliant serviced luxury hotel apartments. By constantly creating innovative offerings and experiences, Damac continues to attract investors and end-users for its hospitality products, said Sajwani.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE authorities said work was progressing well on the Emirates Road Extension project, being developed to link capital Abu Dhabi with the northern emirates of Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain, and is set for completion by July this year, said a report.

The project, being developed at a total cost of Dh90 million ($24.4 million) will help reduce traffic congestion on the entry points leading to Ras Al Khaimah City by 30 per cent, said state news agency Wam.

Minister of Infrastructure Development Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi underlined the importance of completing the construction works of ongoing infrastructure projects nationwide as per schedule and in a way that ensures UAE continues its coveted ranking across global competitiveness indexes.

Al Nuaimi made his remarks while touring the Emirates Road extension in Suhaila and Shamal in Ras Al Khaimah.

"The ministry is keen to progress through world-class projects that will befit its prestigious global ranking in all international competitiveness indexes," Al Nuaimi said while noting that the country has achieved the first position for four consecutive years in the area of road quality.

Emirates Road, or "E611," is being developed to link Abu Dhabi with the northern emirates of Ras al-Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain and will run parallel to E311, without passing through the city of Dubai.
Expo 2020 Dubai recently brought together contractors, sub-contractors, project managers, regulators and partners in Dubai for the first of a series of health, safety, quality and environment (HSQE) leadership events.



The session heard from a variety of stakeholders including Expo 2020s construction and health and safety team leaders as well as regulators Dubai Municipality and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE).



It covered a wide selection of HSQE subjects related to the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region.



Ahmed Al Khatib, Expo 2020 Dubais senior vice president for Real Estate and Delivery, told the conference that the health and safety of all workers on the site  which now number 15,000  was a joint responsibility.



This is about our collective commitment to do the right thing and to demonstrate leadership to all our teams to make sure the high standards Expo 2020 has set are enforced across the project, he said.



The scale of the challenge facing us will grow greater and it is up to all of us to meet that challenge head on and to succeed.



Tony Aikenhead, chief infrastructure and delivery officer at Expo 2020 Dubai said: This is about providing leadership and a collective commitment to ensure that the high standards we have set at Expo 2020 are achieved. We are working very closely with all contractors and the Dubai authorities in a collaborative environment.



Dr Sultan Al Jamal, head of the Human Trafficking Crimes Monitoring Centre at Dubai Police said: This is a team effort as we build on the work that we at Dubai Police have already achieved with Expo 2020 in ensuring the safety of workers on the site. This has also been done in collaboration with MOHRE, Dubai Municipality, and many others.



We are all in this together, supporting a global event that is of such major importance to Dubai and the UAE. We are all proud to be making this contribution.



At peak, construction workers on the 4.38-sq-km site will number 35,000. Expo 2020 Dubai is on course to complete its shell and core construction a year before the World Expo opens on 20 October, 2020.



To date, more than 14.5 million work hours have been completed on the Expo 2020 site.



All major design elements are complete  the last being the iconic Al Wasl Plaza, a 150-metre wide, 67.5-metre tall domed space that will be enjoyed by millions of visitors. Laing-ORourke will develop Al Wasl and two surrounding buildings. The development of Al Wasl Plaza will be managed by Meraas, with the steel work for the dome trellis provided by Cimolai-Rimond ME.



The three theme districts are also progressing well, a statement said, adding external cladding work on the three theme pavilions has begun and will be completed by the end of this year.  TradeArabia News Service
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and participating non-Opec countries have achieved a conformity level of 149 per cent in March with their voluntary production adjustments, the highest level so far, said a joint ministerial monitoring committee (JMMC) in its report.

''Once again, participating countries have demonstrated unwavering dedication to achieving the rebalancing of the global oil market, as demonstrated by the high conformity level of 149 per cent," stated the report.

Their collective efforts continue to yield positive results, with market fundamentals being solid. OECD commercial stock levels have been adjusted from a peak of 3.12 billion barrels in July 2016 to 2.83 billion barrels in March 2018, corresponding to a drop of 300 million barrels, it added.

Nevertheless, JMMC said the current commercial stocks remained above levels seen before the market downturn.

The highest conformity for the month of March 2018 followed successive months of record-breaking performances, it added.

The Opec-non-Opec joint panel urged all participating countries to remain focused on and, where necessary, intensify their efforts on the basis of the core principles of transparency, fairness and equity, which are central to the "Declaration of Cooperation."

Given the ongoing transformative impact which the "Declaration of Cooperation" has on the global oil market, the JMMC said it will continue to think through further means of strengthening the co-operation.

The next JMMC Meeting is scheduled to be held on June 21 at the Opec Secretariat in Vienna, Austria.
European Union is set to sign an MoU for strategic cooperation in energy with Egypt, which is fast becoming an important gas and electricity hub that can provide energy security for the bloc as well as the entire region, said a report.

Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete will be in Egypt this week for a high-level meeting with government officials and energy stakeholders, reported state news agency Wam.

Canete will also meet European energy companies and open the EU-Egypt Sustainable Energy Business Forum & Exhibition. Furthermore, he is likely to pay a visit to the Zohr onshore gas facility in Port Said.

''The visit is a key element of the external dimension of the Energy Union, a political priority of the Juncker Commission," remarked Canete ahead of the visit.

"The EU and Egypt are strategic partners on energy. The potential for an even closer energy cooperation between the EU and Egypt is enormous, and I hope this visit will herald a new phase of closer and more intense relations amongst us,'' he added.

Egypt, he stated, can lead the way of the clean energy transition in the Eastern Mediterranean and thus contribute to the Paris climate goals and the worldwide decarbonisation effort.

"There is much to gain in terms of access to new sources of energy and market opportunities, for European and Egyptian citizens and businesses alike. The EU stands ready to support Egypt in its energy market reforms and to boost sustainable energy investment," he added.
The total value of the hospitality and tourism projects in the GCC region, numbering around 1,156, is more than $147 billion in March, said a report released ahead of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2018.

The largest travel and tourism show in the Middle East, ATM kicks off tomorrow (April 22) and will run until April 26.

As many as 492 hospitality projects worth $39.4 billion are currently in progress  including tendering stage and under construction, stated BNC Network, a leading project intelligence provider in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

BNC tracks more than 28,000 live construction projects with a value exceeding $7.7 trillion.

Among the 1,156 hospitality projects, 724 projects worth $78 billion are hotel projects while 140 hospitality projects worth $50 billion are resort hotels and 292 hospitality projects worth $19.5 billion are hotel apartments.

As many as 492 hospitality projects worth $39.4 billion are currently on progress - including tender and under-construction stage.

As many as 210 hospitality projects worth $26.8 billion are in the pipeline  in planning, concept and design stage. However, in terms of value, $80.9 billion worth of projects  or 55 per cent of the projects  are currently on hold.

Most of the hotel projects are being constructed in the UAE, especially in Dubai in order to prepare the city to welcome a record number of visitors during the World Expo 2020 mega event, remarked Avin Gidwani, the chief executive of BNC Network.

"Dubai is racing against time to deliver a large number of hotel rooms and service apartments to be able to handle 20 million hotel guests per year and 25 million visitors during the Expo 2020," stated Gidwani.

Besides, with the opening of the Saudi economy, under the countrys current leadership, one would expect a lot more tourism projects coming up in future, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030, he added.

The Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) the emirates tourism regulator, said the city of Dubai needs 40,000 additional hotel rooms in order to host such a mega event.

Dubais nearly 600 hotels and serviced apartments collective has an inventory of more than 100,000 hotel rooms.-TradeArabia News Service
New Delhi (IANS): The BJP leads recognized political parties with the highest number of 12 lawmakers at the central and state levels who have declared cases of crime against women against them, followed by Shiv Sena and TMC, Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said on Thursday.

After the Bharatiya Janata Party comes Shiv Sena with seven such MPs/MLAs, and Trinamool Congress with six, the ADR said in a report.

All major political parties give tickets to candidates with cases of crime against women, especially rape, and therefore hinder the safety and dignity of women as citizens, said ADR, which along with the National Election Watch analysed the election affidavits of current MPs and MLAs.

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These are serious cases wherein charges have been framed and cognisance taken by courts. Hence, political parties have been, in a way, abetting to circumstances that lead to such events that they so easily but vehemently condemn in Parliament, the report added.

Out of 1,580 MPs/MLAs whose particulars were analysed for declared criminal cases (33 per cent of the total), 48 lawmakers  45 MLAs and three MPs  have declared cases of crime against women.

Among the states, Maharashtra has the highest number of 12 such MPs/MLAs, followed by West Bengal (11), Odisha and Andhra Pradesh (5 each), said the Delhi-based think tank.

Recognised political parties gave tickets to 327 candidates who declared cases related to crime against women. Of these, 40 were given tickets by parties for Parliamentary elections.

Various recognised parties gave tickets to 287 such candidates for Assembly polls.

In five years, 118 such independent candidates also contested the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha polls as well as Assembly elections.

Three MLAs with cases related to rape against them are Gonuguntla Suryanarayana of Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, Jethabhai G. Ahir of Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat and Gulab Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar.

The ADR and NEW demanded that candidates with criminal background should be debarred from contesting elections, political parties should disclose criteria for selecting candidates and that cases pending against MPs and MLAs should be fast-tracked.
Turkey currently meets almost half of its energy needs from local sources, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources Fatih Donmez has said. Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Donmez said that Turkey is placing huge importance on local sources of energy so as to reduce its traditional dependence on imports. "We want to meet two-thirds of the country's energy needs from local sources by 2023," he said, adding that the ministry held two major tenders for solar and wind power plants last year.

As Daily Sabah writes in an article "Half of Turkey's energy generated from local resources", he pointed out that Turkey set up the highest number of solar power plants in Europe in 2017. "We are third Europe in wind power. This shows there is still a lot of opportunity in Turkey's renewable energy sector," he said.

"Another important development was the arrival of global renewable energy giants in Turkey. Many of them have already set up production, research and development facilities here."

Donmez said that Turkey generated 4,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy as of 2017 and was planning to add another 1,000 megawatts by the end of this year. It is also planning to set up wind farms with an installed capacity of 600 megawatts.

He said that there is a huge difference between a 1,000-megawatt wind farm and a gas-fired power plant with similar output. "We prefer renewables because there is no emission, it's clean and we can depend on completely domestic natural resources. We spend a considerable amount on energy import. Our aim is to reduce that number. At present, approximately half of Turkey's energy output comes from local sources and we want to raise it to two-thirds by 2023," Donmez added. "Our policies on renewables and domestic coal have been determined to serve this purpose. We are attaching great importance to domestic resources in order to reduce external dependence for energy," he said.

Donmez also revealed that the energy ministry last week launched an afforestation campaign, which will plant one sapling for each natural gas, electricity subscriber and new car owner.

"The campaign will be supported by the different energy sector companies. We will plant 5 million saplings in total," Donmez said.
The negotiation process on the Karabakh issue is extremely difficult. The Armenian side insists on recognizing the actual situation, according to which Karabakh de facto is a self-proclaimed republic. This is rejected categorically by Azerbaijan, which is legitimately upholding its territorial integrity. Nevertheless, the history of the Karabakh negotiation process knows the time when the meetings of the heads of state took place at a high confidence level.

In the second half of the 1990s, the parties were more than ever close to concluding an agreement and putting an end to the contradictions. The name of Heydar Aliyev, an outstanding politician and third president of Azerbaijan, was linked with this process, as he was convinced that it was possible to settle the Karabakh conflict only by the peaceful means.

As it is well-known that the best war is the one that was prevented. The decision of General Secretary Gorbachev to resign Heydar Aliyev in 1987 was one of his most short-sighted decisions, as Aliyev had vast experience in governing the state, which the leaders of Azerbaijan of that time did not have. The Karabakh conflict could be prevented if Heydar Aliyev returned to power in Azerbaijan earlier. Nevertheless, the war and the subsequent occupation of Azerbaijani regions did not stop him in his striving to restore the territorial integrity of the republic and overcome the intercommunal catastrophe.

In 1996-1997, the international mediators confirmed the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, seeking to provide the highest level of self-government for Karabakh Armenians. However, the problem was not solved after the Bishkek Protocol was signed. It became obvious that the problem required an active bilateral cooperation, which was demonstrated after 1998 when Heydar Aliyev was re-elected as the president of Azerbaijan. Since spring of 1999, Aliev has repeatedly met with the president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan.

The Washington meeting of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan demonstrated that both leaders found a basis for mutual understanding. Both were comfortable with the format of the confidential negotiations at the highest level, it was convenient for Aliyev to communicate with Kocharyan, who himself was a native of Karabakh. Kocharyan even called Aliyev his teacher, although Aliev, complaining of the military escalation of the problem, noticed that Kocharyan was apparently his poor student. Since the first official meeting, the situation on the demarcation line remained calm. Azerbaijan and Armenia have no other way out - only to solve these problems step by step. This aspiration could be traced during the initiative meetings in Washington, Paris, Key West (Florida, USA). Aliyev's position was that the ceasefire regime should be maintained, moreover, it was important to convince the opponents that the restoration of the territorial integrity did not imply any discriminatory policy towards the Armenian community of Karabakh.

Heydar Aliyev tried to reduce the level of tension, demonstrating respect for the common history and cohabitation of Armenians and Azerbaijanis. One of the brightest bilateral meetings was the Aliyev and Kocharian summit on October 11, 1998, in the village of Sadarak on the border between Nakhichevan and Armenia.

The nature of the meeting symbolized Heydar Aliyev's desire to restore the relations with Armenia, thereby preventing a crisis of perception between two peoples. The need for mutual concessions was recognized, which, incidentally, could provoke the critical consequences for the leadership of both republics. The talks resembled a meeting of old acquaintances, whose peoples had previously walked together and stood side by side, solving common problems.

Everyone who lives today in Armenia and remembers the negotiations of 1998-2003, talk about that period as a particularly productive one. Many associate that time with the personality of Heydar Aliyev, thanks to who the solution of the Karabakh problem seemed to be just around the corner. The current authorities of both countries should continue the policy of Heydar Aliyev, not transferring the burden of war to the subsequent generations, as there is nothing to expect from the further escalation except hatred and military clashes. Taking into account the fact that Azerbaijan is now managed by the successor of Heydar Aliyevs policy, his son Ilham Aliyev, and Armen Sarkisyan who cherishes the European values became the president of Armenia, the peoples of both countries are looking at the settlement process with the great hope.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said Thursday that his rival, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, isnt asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula as a precondition for abandoning his nuclear weapons. If true, this would seem to remove a major sticking point to a potential nuclear disarmament deal.

As The Time writes in the article North Korea Drops Withdrawal of U.S. Troops as a Condition of Nuclear Disarmament, North Korea, a small, authoritarian nation surrounded by bigger and richer neighbors, has always linked its pursuit of nuclear weapons to what it calls a hostile U.S. policy that is embodied by the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea, the 50,000 stationed in Japan, and the nuclear umbrella security guarantee that Washington offers allies Seoul and Tokyo.

Although Moon reported that North Korea isnt asking for the U.S. troops to leave, he said the North still wants the United States to end its hostile policy and offer security guarantees. When North Korea has previously talked about hostility it has been linked to the U.S. troops in South Korea.

It wont be until Moon and Kim meet next week, and then when Kim is to meet U.S. President Donald Trump sometime in May or June, that outsiders might know just what North Korea intends. Until then, caution is needed over the statements the various leaders are using to set up their high-stakes negotiations.

Moon and Kims summit on April 27 will be only the third such meeting between the countries leaders. Moon, a liberal who is committed to engaging the North despite being forced to take a hard line in the face of repeated North Korean weapons tests last year, is eager to make the summit a success and pave the way for Kim and Trump to settle the deep differences they have over the Norths decades-long pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Many analysts believe that Kim sees the meeting with Trump as a way to bestow legitimacy on his own leadership and on a rogue nuclear program that he has built in the face of international criticism and crippling sanctions. Many say it is unlikely that the North will trade away its hard-won nuclear weapons without getting what it wants in return.

North Korea is expressing a commitment to a complete denuclearization, Moon said during a meeting with the heads of media organizations in South Korea on Thursday. They are not presenting a condition that the U.S. cannot accept, such as the withdrawal of the American troops in South Korea.  North Korea is only talking about the end of a hostile policy against it and then a security guarantee for the country.

Trump revealed Tuesday that the U.S. and North Korea had been holding direct talks at extremely high levels in preparation for their summit. Trump also said that North and South Korea are negotiating an end to hostilities before next weeks summit.

North Korea has long sought a peace treaty with the United States to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War. Some South Koreans fear the North could use such a treaty as a pretext for demanding the withdrawal of the American troops in the South. Some worry that potential discussions on formally ending the war may distract from already difficult efforts to rid the North of nuclear weapons and apply robust verification of that process.

The armistice that halted fighting in the war was signed by the U.S.-led United Nations Command, North Korea and China. South Korea was a member of the U.N. Command but was not a direct signatory. In their previous summit in 2007, the Koreas declared a commitment toward ending the war and vowed to pursue discussions with others. But the efforts faltered and relations between the rivals worsened after a conservative government took office in Seoul in February 2008.
If a minute of silence for every single person killed during the Second World War will be announced today, the world will be silent for 100 years. After the Third World War, if it happens, the world will be silenced forever, Anatoly Iksanov, executive director of the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund of the CIS member states, said on the eve of international forum "The Great Victory Achieved Through Unity: Heroism of Partisans in the Great Patriotic War."

"This victory was achieved through unity of multinational people. Unfortunately, today there are a lot of talks about the possibility of a new world war. People completely forget about lessons of the Second World War. It's important for us to remember these lessons and teach them to our young citizens who live in the post-Soviet space today. We must tell them about the price we paid in order to achieve this victory and protect them from another catastrophe," Anatoly Iksanov said.

He said that during 11 years of its existence, his fund implemented over 650 international projects in the territory of the former Soviet Union, not only in the CIS, but also in the Baltic States, Ukraine and Georgia. Since 2014, this fund finances international forum dedicated to victory in the Great Patriotic, which was held in Kursk, Moscow, Minsk and Astana in different years.

This year this forum will be held in Bryansk on April 25. President of the "Eurasian Studies Institute" Development Fund Valery Tursunov said that this forum started off as a regional format, when representatives of the peoples of the North and South Caucasus gathered in the city of military glory Tuapse in 2010. Second forum was held in Vladikavkaz, and in 2014 organizers managed to gather representatives of all 15 republics of the former Soviet Union. Bryansk was chosen as a venue for this forum this year. "This year marks 75 years since liberation of the Bryansk region. We will also discuss partisan movement at the forum - how it was created, how it worked in the rear," Tursunov said.

Executive director of the North-South political center Anzhelika Trapeznikova explained that during the war years forests of the Bryansk region became center of the partisan movement: "More than 60 thousand inhabitants of the region, Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, representatives of many other nationalities, united in 27 brigades and formations, 139 detachments, ruthlessly fighting against the enemy."

Speaking about the forum's program, Trapeznikova noted that representatives of national delegations will participate in the wreath-laying ceremony near the Eternal Fire at the monument to soldiers and partisans-liberators of Bryansk. They will also visit the "Partizanskaya Polyana" and "Khatsun" memorial complexes. In addition, there will be working sessions dedicated to information support of public initiatives. Final statement of the forum will be prepared based on key topics of the discussion.

Historical and documentary exhibition of archival materials will also be an important component of the forum. As Anzhelika Trapeznikova said, "a unique historical and documentary exhibition will be held in the framework of this forum for the first time. It will tell about creation and development of the partisan movement, role of government bodies, tasks that the partisan movement had, and results this movement achieved. Exhibition will present 200 documents, 30 photographs from funds of various committees of the USSR. Documents will help to tell about the scale of the partisan movement, to tell guests and forum participants about different partisan detachments and leaders of this movement, to demonstrate heroism of the partisan movement in the rear, to show multinational composition of partisan detachments."

Many young people will attend forum this year - students, journalists, activists of social movements, volunteers.

Traditionally, political and public figures, as well as scientists showed interest in this forum. One of the forum participants, academician of the Russian Academy of Social Sciences Alexander Chachia, said: "I'm a son of the Red Army officer, a veteran who participated in this war, who fought in Berlin, and it's my sacred duty to honor his memory and memory of his friends, fellow soldiers, comrades-in-arms in this terrible war that Soviet people had to wage from 1941 to 1945. I always participate in such events together with representative delegation from Georgia. Delegations from all the post-Soviet republics, including those with difficult relations, participate in such forums. All difficulties, all misunderstandings that exist in relations between peoples, resentment and grievances accumulated in recent years fade to the background during such events. People lighten up."
Turkey will hold presidential elections ahead of schedule - on June 24, 2018m instead of November 3, 2019. Parliamentary elections will also be held on this day. This decision was made by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for speedy transition of the country to the presidential republic. Head of the political research of the Center for Modern Turkish Studies, Yuri Mavashev, discussed reasons behind this decision and its consequences in an interview with Vestnik Kavkaza.

- What made Erdogan held elections a year and a half early?

- Before assessing this seemingly unexpected step it's necessary to analyze events that happened a year ago. On April 16 of last year, a constitutional referendum on changing form of government from parliamentary to presidential republic was held in Turkey. After it ended, amendments to the constitution were approved, according to which president becomes a full-fledged head of state, while the post of prime minister is abolished, and the role of parliament becomes more nominal. It's also worth noting that a single voting day is introduced, in other words, presidential and parliamentary elections will be held simultaneously.

There are several reasons for both presidential and parliamentary elections to be held early. For Erdogan, it's extremely necessary to ensure right configuration of parliament, and the ratio of parliamentary forces, in my opinion, is one of the key factors that prompted president to intensify process of transition to presidential republic. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) doesn't have unconditional support of the electorate right now. 50% support this party, but they are very, very hesitant. In addition, some of those who initially supported this party in the past don't agree with its current policy. There's a city elite that think that political Islam, the basis of the AKP's and Erdogan's ideology, should be implemented differently. In these circumstances, president has to hold elections at the right time in order to get loyal parliament, otherwise he will face a serious obstacle in the future. Electoral preferences are formed, among other things, by those deputies that will be elected to parliament as well as to local authorities during municipal elections.

In the end president holds elections when he can afford to win and guarantee his power, that's how domestic policy works. On the one hand, he says that it's necessary to continue fight against terrorism in Syria and Iraq, but it's not the reason for holding elections early, rather a consequence of Turkey's internal problems. Erdogan can't openly say that he feels insecure in Turkey, insecure because of protest sentiments in Istanbul and Ankara. By the way, population of Istanbul and Ankara opposed amendments to the donstitution duinrg referendum, which means that large Turkish cities are against expansion of Erdogan's powers, that they see future of the republic differently than Erdogan. Another challenge for Erdogan is that a number of supporters of political Islam would like to see other leaders instead of him.

Current situation is complicated by personnel problems, associated with a lot of changes in the AKP because of the FETO, which significantly influenced balance of political forces in the country. It should be noted that one of the reforms has already come into force - president can head the list of any party, although previously Turkish presidents had to be nonpartisan. It's no coincidence, just like the fact that Erdogan became chairman of the AKP last May - now he, one way or another, merges with the party. By setting up early elections, he tries to strengthen positions of his party. In addition, Erdogan needs all amendments to the constitution to come into force as soon as possible in order to obtain more power.

- How will this situation affect election campaign in Turkey and final results for Erdogan himself?

- Erdogan will be able to capitalize on successes achieved in Syria and Iraq in the fight against the YPG in the remaining two months, so it will protect him from any unpredictable events that may occur in the next 1.5 years (and we should remember that international situation can radically change). The West has very difficult relations Russia, which represents an Eastern alternative to Western states, and Erdogan understands that something like anti-Russian campaign can happen with Turkey. He doesn't want to wait for this to happen, and understands that perhaps there's no time left, and it's necessary to go against expectations of his enemies both inside the country and abroad, until new protests, natural or organized, begin. There's no time, processes in the international life that are undoubtedly influencing Turkey's domestic policy due to its geopolitical location are just too fast. Turkey can't hide from international problems, it's always on the front line as a bridge between Europe and Asia. In addition, everyone follows event that happen in Turkey.

As for the results, Erdogan will likely win. If not in the first round, then he will win in the second one, where he has to get the majority. Will opposition succeed in nominating single in such a short time? It's big question due to the fact that elections will happen early: all calculations of the oppositionists mean nothing. It's possible that Meral Aksener will oppose Erdogan, perhaps many voters will vote for her. President undoubtedly thinks that opposition has huge potential, which is evidenced by rally, attended by 1 million people, which was organized by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, not the most popular person in the country that can't become a rival to Erdogan.

- What exactly will change after Turkey will complete transition to presidential form of government?

- The most important thing is that president will become commander-in-chief and army leadership will fade to the background. In addition, the government and party apparatus will finally merge, precisely and head of the rulling party are the same person. Due to this, no person outside of the AKP (or those loyal to it) will be able to hold high state posts. Just like in our Soviet era, no person outside the rulling party could hold state post, or become academician or professor. Now, in Turkey, you have to join party for career growth. In addition, there will be no prime minister, only vice-presidents. These changes will happen in Turkey thanks to new constitution.
Governor of Crimea Sergey Aksenov invited the Syrian delegation, who participated in the 4th Yalta International Economic Forum (YIEF), to visit the peninsula as tourists.

He noted that within the framework of the forum the personal relationships were established that will allow developing the region more effectively.

"We will be happy to see you in the Russian Crimea, not only for work but also for rest," Aksenov said at the end of the conference entitled Economic Development of Syria".
Georgian Prime Minister Georgy Kvirikashvili said that the ruling party Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia will present a worthy candidate for the presidency at the elections that will be held this fall.

He recalled that the country will have the last direct presidential elections, and the winner will head the country until 2024.

"We are going to hold important elections in the autumn, we will choose the president, our party will have a worthy candidate, and we should all be together to vote for a worthy candidate," the prime minister said at the conference in Ambrolauri.
Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has expressed gratitude to Artur Rasizade for his activity as the countrys prime minister, APA reported citing the Azerbaijani presidents press-service.

President Aliyev said on April 21 that Artur Rasizade has worked effectively for many years holding high positions in civil service.

Rasizade worked hard for Azerbaijans development under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev both during the USSR period and during the years of independence, said the head of state.

It was pointed out that Artur Rasizade spared no effort for even more strengthening Azerbaijans independence and for achieving great success by the country under the leadership of Ilham Aliyev as well.
Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China on April 23-24, the Ministry said in a statement on Saturday, TASS reports.

"He will hold talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, and a meeting with President of the Peoples Republic of China Xi Jinping is planned," the statement said.

The meetings will focus on the milestone in political relations between the two countries of this year - the upcoming visit of Russian President to the country, which is expected to be coupled with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Qingdao in June. Heads of ministries will also share views on the current state and prospects of strategic collaboration.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared that Pyongyang no longer needs to continue ballistic missile and nuclear weapons testing, according to the state-run KCNA news agency.

The country's military will cease nuclear testing by April 21, according to a report released early on Saturday. The test site in Punggye-ri, North Korea's only publicly known nuclear weapons testing facility, "will shut down" in order "to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests," Kim said.

"As the weaponisation of nuclear weapons has been verified, it is not necessary for us to conduct any more nuclear tests or test launches of mid- and long range missiles or ICBMs," Kim told a meeting of ruling Worker's Party of Korea at a meeting on Friday, according to an AFP translation of the KCNA, Sputnik reports.

Pyongyang "will join international efforts to halt nuclear tests altogether," Kim also noted.

The leader promised that the country's nuclear weapons would only be used if North Korea found itself under attack, but that its nuclear and weapons technology would not be handed over to third parties.

The announcement comes just days before Kim is to meet South Korean President Moon Jae In. Earlier this year, Kim and US President Donald Trump agreed to meet one another in person in May or June.
A string correspondent for Russian Chechen Republic's media company "Grozny" has been killed in Syria, according to the Republic's head Ramzan Kadyrov who reported it in a social media post in Vkontakte, Sputnik reports.

Syrian national Ihab Balan has been shot dead in Syria, Kadyrov said, expressing his condolences to the relatives of the correspondent as well as to the staff of the broadcaster.

The Chechen leader has also condemned in strongest terms the activity of Daesh terror organization, saying that the terrorists "yet again revealed their true colours by killing a man of the most peaceful profession."
Armenian Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan on Saturday issued a statement with respect to the current domestic political situation in Armenia.

Each and every citizen of our country has the right to hold peaceful demonstrations and marches. Unfortunately, those public assemblies have frequently crossed the limits prescribed by law, and assumed unwarranted and anarchic manifestations," the PM said, in particular, in his statement, News.am reports/

The developments taking place are fraught with unpredictable consequences; they jeopardize public rule order, and undermine the complex and delicate harmony of Armenias society. In order to avoid irreparable damage, I call on National Assembly MP Nikol Pashinyan to sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiations; this should be done immediately, he said.
Armenian President Armen Sarkisyan met with the leader of the opposition party Yelk, Nikol Pashinyan.

The head of state said that he hopes for a dialogue with the protesters.

The meeting between Sarkisyan and Pashinyan took place on the Republic Square in Yerevan during the opposition rally.

Sarkisyan added that he would meet with protesters later, RIA Novosti reports.

Recall that in Yerevan the opposition rallies against the appointment of former President Serzh Sargsyan to the post of head of government have been held for a week already.
The UN special envoy for Syria has said tensions need to calm down between the major global powers in order to restart diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Syria.

Staffan de Mistura made the comments after holding talks on Friday with Sergey Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, in Moscow, Al Jazeera reported.

De Mistura said that chemical weapons inspectorsin Douma, Syria, should do their job as quickly as possible and without any interference.

"We need a political de-escalation, not only a military de-escalation, and I think that would be possible with further discussions," he said.

De Mistura said he was pleased to hear that there is a "strong commitment" from Russia to the political process.
HA NOI  The real estate market continues to be attractive to investors, but the level of competition would be much higher this year and the following years.

This was heard at the Vietnamese business forum: voices of property companies in the 2018-19 period held in Ha Noi on Wednesday. The forum was under the award ceremony of BP500- Top 500 Best Prosperous Firms 2018 in Viet Nam.

The report based on a survey of the top 500 companies showed that real estate would continue to be a stable and attractive profitable channel this year.

However, the competition would also be fiercer as the market has high integration, requiring businesses to pay attention to sustainability and longevity of their projects.

The report also revealed that the macro-economy which was expected to have stable growth this year would be a pre-condition for estate, construction, retail and high quality agriculture sectors in the upcoming time.

Prof ang Hung Vo, former deputy minister of Natural Resources and Environment said the shortage of information in the property market has been a big issue for its development.

Recent land fever in special administrative economic zones as well as other forecasts on the real estate market is only qualitative, Vo said, adding that the market still lacked of published information.

He gave an example that such information of how many condotels will be offered in the a Nang market and whether capital should flow into the real estate market or not should be published.

If we do not have data, we cannot discuss about development, forecasts and co-operation among investors in the estate market, he added.

He suggested that the Government should have real and open data to help investors have an overall view about the market.

Sharing the ideas, ang Huy ong, former deputy minister of Planning and Investment said there should be co-operation between the Government and businesses to ensure information in the market.

ong said the property market has not had information only on estate projects but also materials, suppliers and finance.

The real estate market has been an important index of the economy in addition to securities and the macro-economy, he said.  VNS

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Top 10 prestigious real estate investors in 2018:
HCM CITY  HCM City authorities are demanding that district authorities strictly enforce regulations on separating land plots for sale, especially in suburban areas where the practice has led to rising prices.

One of the hotspots is District 9, where land prices are climbing daily.

The office of the districts Peoples Committee is packed with people every day, looking to settle administrative records related to land, including adjustments, renewals and extension of land-use rights certificates, according to local media reports.

Many of the visitors to the office are mortgaging their land-use rights to borrow bank loans.

Notary offices in the district are also busier than ever, with many people completing procedures for land transfer.

Speculators are focusing on land in the districts Tang Nhon Phu A and B wards, including on the streets of Lo Lu, Nguyen Xien, La Xuan Oai, Vo Van Hat and Nguyen Duy Trinh, according to a representative of a land registration office in District 9.

Land plots that have certificates of land-use rights are being traded at a brisk pace at high profits, attracting many speculators, local real estate agents have said.

One cause of the rush is the deadly fire at the Carina apartment complex in District 8 last month. More buyers are looking to invest in land and houses instead of apartments.

Le Hoang Chau, chairman of the HCM City Real Estate Association, said the real estate market was in danger because of the skyrocketing prices.

To make the most effective investment, buyers need to be aware about legitimate and accurate land information.

During the last five years, the average price of land in Phuoc Long B Ward in District 9 soared by 130 per cent, while in Thu uc District prices surged by 170 per cent, according to a local real estate company.

At a recent meeting of the HCM City Peoples Committee on the separation of land plots allowed under a city decree, Tran Vinh Tuyen, vice chairman of the Peoples Committee, issued a warning letter about the possibility of a property bubble.

Tuyen said land brokers and speculators were giving false information in order to raise prices and that very few people know the real value of land.

Some people are basing their decision to buy land on information provided by officials with whom they have a connection. But some officials might give false information because of their own personal interest, triggering spikes in land prices, according to Tuyen.

The city authorities have demanded that district authorities and agencies solve the problem as soon as possible, he said.

Pham Lam, general director of DKRA Viet Nam, said the land fever would lead to a real estate bubble unless it was controlled in a timely manner.

Stricter regulations

Late last year, the citys Peoples Committee amended a regulation by allowing large plots of land to be divided into smaller plots.

Though it took effect early this year, the citys Department of Planning and Architecture recently decided to amend the regulation again, making the procedures much stricter, especially in new residential areas.

According to the recently amended regulation, land buyers of large plots now have to build new roads before they divide the land in new residential areas.

District authorities also must draw up detailed planning (1/500 scale) for new residential areas where land plots are separated for sale.

Plans for land separation in new residential areas where new roads will be built along with surrounding infrastructure must be approved by the Department of Planning and Architecture.

The department will then comment on the plan in written form after a maximum of 15 working days from the date of receipt of the official letter sent by the district.

Nguyen Thanh Toan, deputy director of the Department of Planning and Architecture, said the criteria stated in the guidelines for land separation in new residential areas would be applied consistently in all 24 districts.

The citys aim is to slow down speculation, according to authorities.

Tran Khanh Quang, general director of Viet An Hoa Real Estate Consultant JSC, agreed with the citys new stricter regulation. Investors who want to divide land plots for sale in new residential areas would have to spend more time and money to do so.

Phan Cong Chanh, a real estate expert, said: The new regulation will force investors to bring products to the market more slowly and will add costs, which would have to be passed on to the customer.

Depending on the purpose of the individual, if only one or two land plots are separated, the new regulation will not affect the investor much. But investors who separate a large amount of land plot for sale will face more challenges, he noted.

Against the backdrop of land fever, real estate experts said that buyers should be cautious before investing in land plots.

Nguyen Xuan Loc, general director of realty company Techcomreal, said that buyers should only choose projects that have legitimate building permits and easy access and connections to infrastructure.  VNS
HCM CITY  Saigon Securities Incorporation (SSI) targets pre-tax profits of VN1.615 trillion (US$70.8 million) on revenues of VN3.41 trillion ($149.56 million) this year, year-on-year increases of 12 per cent and 15 per cent.

At its annual general shareholders meeting in HCM City on Friday, the company also laid out its medium- and long-term business strategies for each of its areas of business like securities services, treasury, investment banking, and asset management.

Shareholders approved a change in the companys name to SSI Securities Corporation.

The companys rationale was that SSI was a well-known brand in the domestic and international financial markets.

Last year it was selected by Forbes Vietnam as the only securities company among Viet Nams 40 Most Valuable Brands, with its brand valued at $26.5 million.

Nguyen Hong Nam, the companys deputy general director, said SSI achieved high growth last year, with revenues rising 19.8 per cent to over VN3.04 trillion.

Its pre-tax profit was more than VN1.4 trillion, a 23 per cent rise, he said.

Its revenues from securities services were VN1.328 trillion, a year-on-year increase of 53 per cent and accounting for 43.5 per cent of total revenues, he said.

SSI retained its position as the leading brokerage on both the HCM City and Ha Noi exchanges with a 15.26 per cent market share compared to 13.04 per cent in 2016.

Viet Nams GDP growth rate is expected to be 6.7 per cent this year, and investment from the private and foreign sectors is expected to increase sharply, he said.

This year is also forecast to be the peak year for divestment and equitisation, he said.

These are positive factors that would boost the securities markets this year, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  National branding must accommodate international integration and sustainable export development, according to experts at the annual brand forum organised yesterday by the Viet Nam Trade Promotion Agency (VIETRADE) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT).

Vu Ba Phu, VIETRADEs director, said the forum was a good opportunity to discuss branding trend development and the benefits of sustainable exports to foreign markets as many Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are implemented.

Phu commented that Viet Nams current brand competition strategy has been strongly implemented at the local, national and international level, though businesses still hope for further state guidance on branding related issues in the import and export sector.

Ngo Chung Khanh, deputy director general of the MoITs Multilateral Trade Policy Department, said that the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has made national branding more urgent than ever.

By opening up of the domestic market and reducing many tariff lines to 0 per cent, the CPTPP will grant a plethora of prestigious imported products access to Vietnamese consumers, causing some local brands to lose on their own turf.

Khanh suggested that Vietnamese businesses step up their branding strategy to combat foreign competition.

Nguyen Quoc Thinh, advisor for the National Trademark Programme, also emphasised the importance of brand identity in the integration period.

According to Thinh, the process of brand building relies not only on product quality but also on customer service, as nowadays buyers have hundreds of different reasons to choose or reject a product.

As such, he advised that since customers tend to pick products with the most reliable information and standardised quality, domestic firms should aim to establish such credibility.

The forum commemorated notable national brands including the Hanoi Trade Corporation (Hapro), Chu au ceramics, Hanoi Trading Service Fashion Jointstock Company (Hafasco) and the Thuy Ta Joint Stock Company.

Nguyen Tien Vuong, Hapros Deputy General Director, expressed his delight in seeing the company affirmed as one of Ha Nois leading brand names, in both its main areas of import-export and domestic trade, ranging from convenience stores, electronics, clothing to dining services in nearly 80 countries and regions around the world.

Vuong said that in order to expand and develop its brand name in foreign markets, Hapro has been actively participating in trade fairs, market surveys and other promotion activities, which he recommended to other firms.

Across the world, over 80 countries are actively implementing national branding programmes to promote local brands in overseas markets, said Phu.

This years Vietnam Branding Forum focused on solutions for brand development in foreign markets, as well as its role in market expansion and an overview of the National Trademark Program with practical experiences from local businesses.

Established in 2003, the Vietnam National Trademark Program has been the sole State-sponsored only programme for the promotion of national goods and services branding.

Since 2008, April 20 has been the official Vietnam Trademark Day to acknowledge domestic businesses, promoting noteworthy local brand names in both Vietnamese and international markets.  VNS
HA NOI  More efforts should be made to boost administrative reform in the banking system to further facilitate access to credit for micro, small and medium enterprises.

This was the consensus at the conference titled Reforming administrative procedures  improving credit access held on Friday by the State Bank of Viet Nam and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI).

According to VCCI data, 97 per cent of the 500,000 enterprises operating in Viet Nam are small and medium sized (SMEs). Of these, 85-90 per cent are micro and small companies.

Bank capital has contributed significantly to the development of the private economic sector, especially the SMEs. This was demonstrated in the rapid improvements of both the overall business environment and the credit ranking of the country.

Viet Nam s business climate ranked 68th out of 190 economies surveyed in the World Banks Doing Business Report 2018, a jump of 14 ranks against the previous year  a record improvement. Its Getting Credit Index was among the top 30 economies, with the 29th position.

VCCIs chairman ao Tien Loc said that the banking sectors contributions to the economy are more than the numbers, particularly given that about 55 per cent of medium- and long-term capital is being provided by bank credit.

At present, about 80 per cent of credit is channeled into the production sector while the capital supply for the Building-Operate-Transfer (BOT) tends to decline, Loc said. However, he pointed out that a number of enterprises have still found it difficult to access bank credit.

Some businesses told me that they have thousands of hectares of farmland for production, but bank regulations require the mortgage of workshops to get loans. This is not to the advantage of agricultural enterprises, Loc said.

In fact, this type of businesses is often small-scale, lacks collateral assets and management experiences and is vulnerable to market changes, all of which make it difficult for them to gain credit from banks.

We need to change the method of giving credit so that farmers can use their own land as the mortgage to get capital to grow their businesses. This is not the responsibility of the banking industry, but the Government, Loc said.

Growth engine

Micro, small and medium enterprises, as well as women-owned businesses, are defined as the engines of growth and innovation in the APEC region, alongside agriculture and innovative startups, in which additional investment is urged.

One of the critical issues for their development is financing, and the Government should improve credit access for these targeted enterprises, especially reforming lending procedures for agricultural and startup businesses, Loc said.

ao Minh Tu, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV), said Viet Nam has created a legal framework to build a truly equal credit relationship between banks and businesses. Banks have cut back a wide range of cumbersome procedures, as well as provided diversified products.

At present, SBV has built a big database on credit information, which helps assess the performance of enterprises, their creditworthiness and financial capability. Businesses also know the banks information. VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged Samsung to expand investment in Viet Nam not only in the field of assembly of electronic products but also to improve its technological development and to manufacture new generation technology products.

Phuc spoke as he received Koh Dong Jin, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications and Executive Director of Samsung Electronics in Ha Noi on Friday.

Viet Nam is proud of the presence of Samsung and thanks to Samsung, Viet Nam has become the leading mobile phone manufacturing center in the world, he said.

He affirmed that the Viet Namese Government applauded South Korean investors, especially Samsung Group, and pledged to create more favourable conditions for foreign investors in the country.

The PM sent his congratulations to Samsung Group for celebrating the 10th anniversary of Samsung Electronics Viet Nam (SEV).

Starting with an investment of US$670 million for SEV, Samsung is currently the largest foreign investor in Viet Nam with total investment jumping almost 26 times to over $17.3 billion. Up to now, the full presence of Samsung in Viet Nam includes eight factories and a research and development centre, in which SEV (Bac Ninh) and SEVT (Thai Nguyen) are two most largest mobile factories of Samsung in the world.

SEHC (HCM City) is the largest household electronics factory in Southeast Asia and SVMC is the largest Samsung research and development centre in the region. In the Samsung development strategy, Viet Nam is a global base of both production and research and development activities.

For the first time, Viet Nams export turnover exceeded $200 billion, and Samsung Viet Nams export turnover also made sharp breakthrough with over $54 billion, contributing more than 25 per cent to Viet Nams export turnover. SEV has created jobs for some 160,000 local workers.

Koh Dong Jin sent his thanks to the Vietnamese Government for facilitating their investment and production in Viet Nam.

He said Samsung has always worked to bring the most advanced and modern applications to their production in Viet Nam and here the company will work on the development of technologies such as 4G, 5G, Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence.

He agreed with the PMs proposal to build a smart city in Bac Ninh and other localities in the country.

10 years of development

On the same day, SEV celebrated the 10th anniversary of establishment in Viet Nam.

Speaking at the event, Deputy PM cum Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh said Samsungs success in Viet Nam has also been a success of the countrys reform policy and constantly improving quality in the investment environment.

Chairman of the Viet Nam Association of Foreign Invested Enterprises Association (VAFIEs) Nguyen Mai told Viet Nam News that FDI firms have made great contributions to Viet Nams export turnover by exporting valuable processed and manufactured products.

Bac Ninh Province, for example, has shifted from an agricultural to an industrial province with industry and service value now accounting for 92 per cent of economic production. FDI capital in the province registered by the end of 2017 had reached $15.5 billion thanks to the investment of Samsung.  VNS
The International Vietbuild Exhibition opens its door today in the central city of a Nang with 300 domestic and international businesses joining in.  Photo baodautu.vn

A NANG  The International Vietbuild Exhibition opens its door today in the central city of a Nang with 300 domestic and international businesses joining in.

This years expo is also attended by 54 enterprises and groups from the US, Germany, Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

On display at 1,000 booths is a wide range of products used in construction, building materials, real estate, architecture, exterior-interior decoration, solar energy machines and smart home technologies.

The five-day event will offer an excellent opportunity for domestic businesses to meet, exchange experiences, and transfer technologies with foreign partners. Meanwhile, visitors to the exhibition will be able to discover a raft of new products for use in building a modern, smart, and convenient house.

A series of activities will be held including seminars, trade exchanges between businesses, and the introduction of new housing projects, urban developments, and the use of environmentally friendly construction materials.  VNS
HCM CITY  Viet Nams fishery sector will gain advantages and export opportunities once the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) take effect, heard a seminar in HCM City on April 20.

Vuong uc Anh, from the Ministry of Industry and Trades Department of Export-Import, said the CPTPP and EVFTA are new-generation trade deals with trade facilitation as a core value via cutting tariffs.



Under the EVFTA, aquatic products, excluding canned tuna and fish balls, will enjoy a zero tax for a maximum of seven years. While under the CPTPP, Canada and Peru will cut taxes to zero per cent once the deal takes effect. Other countries will offer tax reductions in accordance with roadmaps.



Anh said the signing of the EVFTA and CPTPP will afford Vietnamese fishery firms chances to expand export markets, especially new markets such as Canada, Peru and Mexico, given that Viet Nams biggest rivals - Thailand and China - in this sector have yet to sign the FTAs with the European Union and have yet to join the CPTPP.



Similarly, in the shrimp sector, Viet Nam now ranks second globally in terms of shrimp exports with a market share of 14 per cent, behind India (15 per cent). After EVFTA and CPTPPP comes into force, Viet Nam will enjoy a reduction in import duties on raw shrimp and export duties on processed shrimp to EU and CPTPPP; meanwhile India is not a member of the CPTPP, the FTA negotiations between India and the EU are also being suspended. This is seen as an opportunity for Viet Nams shrimp export products to compete with leading exporters in India.

According to businesses, export taxes to some seafood markets are very high. Specifically, shrimp export of Viet Nam to the EU region has an average tax of 6-20 per cent, tuna products are imposed average tariffs ranging from 11 to 20 per cent. For markets in CPTPP, each country applies different tax rates, ranging from 2 to 10 per cent. Therefore, when EVFTA and CPTPP becomes effective, the reduction of tariff lines will help Vietnamese seafood exporters reduce prices significantly, improve competitiveness and export turnover.

According to experts, Vietnamese aquatic firms will also have chances to improve technology and product quality, join the regional supply chain and diversify materials supply sources. In particular, signing new-generation FTAs also requires the State to reform mechanisms, thereby creating a stable and transparent business environment.



However, domestic enterprises also face competition with foreign rivals and stringent regulations on product quality and trace of origin. Therefore, they need to build business plans for medium and long term and renew technologies to join the global value chain for sustainable growth.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam is reviewing and updating the countrys carbon emission target to better comply with the Paris agreement on climate change and prepare for the global assessment later this year.

Deputy minister of environment and natural resources Vo Tuan Nhan announced the review during a consultation workshop on Wednesday, where international partners such as UNDP and EU contributed ideas and technical expertise to help the country reduce its emissions.

Deputy minister Nhan said that Viet Nam started its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) back in June last year and the report has been mostly completed. The greenhouse gas mitigation component focuses primarily on energy-related policies, industrial and agricultural production, land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) and waste.

Evaluation of data needed for calculating costs and the feasibility of greenhouse gas mitigation in various areas and opportunities to mitigate greenhouse gas emission between 2020 and 2030 were also discussed.

Delegates debated Viet Nam s capability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 8 per cent by 2030 and even achieve a 25 per cent cut with international support. They identified priority solutions for greenhouse gas mitigation and challenges to take such measures.

At the event, the review team proposed 45 plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture, industry, energy and LULUCF to achieve a cut of more than 299 million tonnes of CO2 between 2020 and 2030.

The team is working to review the local status of climate change adaptation, calculate losses and damage and benefits of integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation, and evaluate impacts of Viet Nam s emissions cut target on the countrys socio-economic development.

Hoang Anh, an expert from the agriculture ministry and a member of the NDC review team, suggested the NDC include issues like Agriculture 4.0, organic agriculture and aquaculture.

According to Prof. Tran Thuc, vice chairman of the advisory council for the National Committee on Climate Change, the NDC is one of Viet Nam s responsibilities to the international community. Close coordination between ministries and State bodies is vital for the development and implementation of Viet Nam s NDC, he stressed, adding that socio-economic development is Viet Nam s ultimate goal but it must be realised in tandem with adaptation to climate change.

After signing the global climate agreement in Paris in April in 2016, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc officially ratified the accord in November the same year  coinciding with the day the accord went into force and effectively binding Viet Nam to the deals terms that set out to keep global warming in check. As part of the efforts shared by 195 nations, each country is expected to submit an updated report on its NDCs every five years in to ensure the global temperature rise will not exceed 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level by the end of this century. The agreement also seeks to eventually achieve net zero emissions.
HCM CITY  The international Color & Style Trophy hairstyle competition will be held in Viet Nam this year, with the winners chosen in October.

Local and foreign hairdressers, both amateur and professional, living in Viet Nam are encouraged to join the competition.

Contestants can send their entries to website http://colorstyletrophy.com.vn from June 1 to July 30 for the elimination round.

The judges will consist of 2016 Color & Style Trophy Indonesia winner Lie Kuang, Elle Viet Nams Creative Director Dzung Zoko, fashion stylist Huong Color, make-up artist Tung Chau, and photographer Thien Minh.

They will choose the 40 best hairdressers to enter the semi-final rounds in Ha Noi and HCM City in September. The final will take place in HCM City in October with 20 finalists.

The winner will be invited to join a business forum for international leading hairdressers in South Korea later this year.

Color & Style Trophy began in the UK in 1955. It has been organised in dozens of countries and territories, including France, the US, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan.  VNS
A NANG  Following a six-month trial, the central citys tourism department has officially launched a chatbot application called the Danang FantastiCity chatbot to promote easy access to information on tourism and events.

Deputy director of the department Nguyen Xuan Binh said at the launching ceremony yesterday that the application, in English and Vietnamese, had earned positive feedback from tourists from 12 countries and territories.

A leaflet for the Danang FantastiCity chatbot. a Nang City has officially launched the chatbot to support tourists visiting the city.  VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Binh said the application wiould help visitors search key information including attractions, things to do, events, hotels, cuisine, directions, Automatic Teller Machines (ATM), public rest-stops and weather forecasts.

He said tourists could search the chatbot at danangfantasticity.com, fanpage Danang fantasticity, or by using messenger on Facebook, in order to avoid wasting download time.

a Nang at night.  VNS Photo Le Lam

Binh said the city was working on adding Japanese, Chinese and Korean language versions and more updated data.

The chatbot, an artificial intelligence technology, was used during the 2017 Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week in a Nang last year.

a Nang is the first city in Viet Nam to use chatbot technology in tourism.

An overview of the Co Co River in a Nang city.  VNS Photo Le Phuoc Chin

According to the citys tourism promotion centre, the chatbot fanpage has attracted over 10,000 followers, and 121,000 queries have been answered since last November.

a Nang hosted 6.7 million tourists, of which 2.3 million were foreigners, in 2017.  VNS
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomes Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China Chen Wu during a reception in Ha Noi yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc welcomed the ongoing visit to Viet Nam by Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China Chen Wu during a reception in Ha Noi yesterday, saying it will promote cooperation opportunities between the governments, people and businesses of the two nations.

The PM emphasised the importance of realising common agreements and perceptions by senior leaders of the two Parties and States as well as further boosting the comprehensive partnership between Guangxi and Viet Nam, and between Guangxi and Vietnamese border localities in particular.

He suggested continuing to upgrade existing mechanisms towards creating the most favourable conditions for customs clearance at border gates, and asked Guangxi to facilitate cross-border trade, promptly pilot the one-stop shop mechanism, and develop logistics infrastructure to raise two-way trade.

PM Phuc agreed with Chens proposal to upgrade transport connectivity between Guangxi and Vietnamese localities, saying that both sides could consider building and renovating bridges to boost trade ties.

Welcoming Guangxis capable firms to do business in Viet Nam, the leader said the two sides should also increase cooperation in the fields of culture, healthcare, education, labour and people-to-people exchanges, as well as in the fight against crimes and maintaining a borderline of peace and friendship, thus contributing positively to the common achievements between the two Parties, States and people.

Chen, for his part, said the visit aims to continue realising common agreements and perceptions by senior leaders of the two Parties and States.

Chen proposed choosing several outstanding products for the pilot mechanism such as Viet Nams watermelon and Chinas apple.

Guangxi wants to enhance road and railway transport connectivity with Vietnamese border provinces and upgrade border gates, he said, adding that the two sides could fortify collaboration in education, culture and health care.

Chen promised to continue building a borderline of peace and friendship with Viet Nam, step up the fight against cross-border smuggling and transnational crimes, and well prepare for the upcoming CAEXPO in which Viet Nam is expected to participate. VNS
HA NOI  Myanmars State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Presidents Office, has successfully wrapped up her first official visit to Viet Nam.

During a reception with Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong reiterated Viet Nams consistent policy to strength and expand the friendship and multifaceted co-operation with Myanmar.

The State Counsellor highlighted similarities between the two nations and said Myanmar will closely work with Viet Nam in maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and in building a united and strong ASEAN Community.

The same day, Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi told National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan that the parliaments of Myanmar and Viet Nam should enhance co-operation and increase the sharing of legislative experience, particularly in improving capacity for female legislators.

NA Chairwoman Ngan lauded the increasingly important role of women in Viet Nam and the world at large, adding that women have become more equal to men, many of them became prestigious national leaders like Aung Sann Suu Kyi.

Aung San Suu Kyi said, in her position, she always supports the enhancement of co-operation between the two parliaments as they are very important bodies that represent the peoples voice and are at the forefront of national reforms.

The State Counsellor said she was impressed to learn that Vietnamese ministries have cut more than 600 business and investment conditions and she hopes the Vietnamese NA, Government and ministries will share experience with Myanmar in this area.  VNS
HCM CITY  The investigative police unit in HCM City has issued a decision to arrest Nguyen Van Tung, investor of the Carina Plaza in the city as part of an investigation into a serious blaze that occurred on March 23 and killed 13 people.

Tung, who is the director of the Hung Thanh Ltd Company, will be put in custody for four months.

The information was confirmed by Colonel Nguyen Sy Quang, spokesman of the HCMC Police Department.

The proceedings are in line with the 2015 Criminal Codes Article 313 on violation of fire safety regulations.

On March 23, a blaze, which was caused by a motorcycle in the parking area of the Carina building, broke out and killed 13 people, with 11 of them dying of smoke inhalation and two jumping out of windows or balconies.

Some 90 more people were injured and had to be hospitalised. The fire also destroyed 150 motorcycles and five cars, causing damage to another 10 cars.

Previously, investigators on March 26 pressed charges relating to the inferno at the Carina Plaza residential block, which they said resulted from violations of fire prevention and fighting rules.

The authorities also identified that the investor of Carina Plaza had not properly followed fire safety regulations. When the fire broke out, it turned out that many items of required equipment were not present, and the fire alarms and sprinklers did not work.VNS
SEOUL  North Korea will carry out no more nuclear or intercontinental ballistic missile tests and will shut down its atomic test site, it said on Saturday in a move immediately welcomed by US President Donald Trump.

Pyongyangs declaration, long sought by Washington, will be seen as a crucial step in the fast diplomatic dance on and around the Korean peninsula.

It comes less than a week before North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in for a summit in the Demilitarised Zone that divides the peninsula, ahead of a much-anticipated encounter with Trump himself.

The North had developed its weapons in what he called a "great victory", and so "no nuclear test and intermediate-range and inter-continental ballistic rocket test-fire are necessary for the DPRK now".

"The mission of the northern nuclear test ground has thus come to an end," he added at the gathering of the central committee of the Workers Party, according to the official KCNA news agency.

The party decided that nuclear blasts and ICBM launches will cease as of Saturday - the North has not carried any out since November - and the atomic test site at Punggye-ri will be dismantled to "transparently guarantee" the end of testing.

Within minutes of the report being issued, Trump tweeted: "This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit."

Seoul too welcomed the announcement, calling it "meaningful progress" towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

"It will create a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming inter-Korean and North-US summits," the South Korean presidential office said in a statement.

Pyongyang has made rapid technological progress in its weapons programmes under Kim, which has seen it subjected to increasingly strict sanctions by the UN Security Council, the United States, the European Union, South Korea and others.

Last year, it carried out its sixth nuclear blast, its most powerful to date, and tested missiles it said are capable of reaching the US mainland.

Kim and Trump traded threats of war and personal insults as tensions ramped up, and even when there was an extended pause in testing, US officials said that it could not be interpreted as a halt without an explicit statement from Pyongyang.

South Korean envoys have previously cited Kim as promising no more tests, but Saturdays news is the first such announcement directly by Pyongyang.

"Certainly this is a positive development," said Daniel Pinkston of Troy University. "Its a necessary but not sufficient step in North Korea returning to its past non-proliferation commitments."

FRESH CLIMATE

The formal declaration of an end to testing comes after Kim stated in his New Year speech that the development of North Koreas nuclear force had been completed.

In the same address, he said he had a nuclear button on his desk, prompting Trump to tweet that he had a bigger one of his own.

Events have moved rapidly since then, catalysed by the Winter Olympics in the South, and Seoul is now pushing for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War, raising hopes that a settlement could finally be reached on the peninsula.

But there is a long way to go and Moon himself acknowledged this week that the "devil is in the details".

The US is seeking the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation of the North, while according to Moon, Pyongyang wants security guarantees, leaving much room for negotiation.

The North has long demanded the withdrawal of US troops from the peninsula and an end to its nuclear umbrella over South Korea, something unthinkable in Washington.

For its part, Pyongyang has been relatively reticent about the process, making its first official reference to contacts with the US only last week, when KCNA said Kim had discussed "the prospect of the DPRK-US dialogue".

But the leader told the Workers Party meeting: "A fresh climate of detente and peace is being created on the Korean peninsula and the region and dramatic changes are being made in the international political landscape."

NEW STRATEGIC LINE

For years, the impoverished North has pursued a "byungjin" policy of "simultaneous development" of both the military and the economy.

But Kim said that as it was now a powerful state, "the whole party and country" should concentrate on "socialist economic construction", in what he called the partys "new strategic line".

Several factors have driven the Korean rapprochement, including the North feeling that it can now negotiate from a position of strength, concern about the belligerence of the Trump administration, and the looming impact of sanctions.

Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies told AFP: "This is in effect a declaration of abandoning the byungjin policy for the sake of economic development."

"The North will now engage in negotiations with the US to obtain the normalisation of ties, guarantee against attempts to undermine its regime, and the lifting of sanctions which are essential for developing economy and improving peoples livelihoods," Yang said.  AFP
One of the fundamental building blocks of the modern IWC company was its concise and practical-minded approach to engineering movements, perhaps a consequence of being in the German-speaking north of Switzerland, rather than the Francophone, metier dart-inclined region around Geneva.

It was a philosophy that went into high gear in the late 1980s when the firm was led by the late Gunter Blumlein and his dream team (the best known being Kurt Klaus and Richard Habring), several of whom were also instrumental in developing the early watches at A. Lange & Sohne.

The bountiful spell, which lasted till the early 2000s, gave birth to many of the brands signature calibres and complications  from the Da Vinci perpetual calendar to the seven-day automatic or even the Il Destriero Scafusia, a magnificent uber-complication cleverly built on a Valjoux 7750 base.

Those developments allowed IWC to develop its diverse and robust current collection. But movement innovations became a less frequent in the last decade or so, and some serious-minded enthusiasts could be forgiven for feeling nostalgic.

And then came the Tribute to Pallweber 150 Years, the flagship of its Jubilee Collection. Boasting double digital display with jumping hours and minutes, the Tribute to Pallweber and its cal. 94200 once again adopts the IWC philosophy of smart engineering for affordable prices as such things go  the Tribute to Pallweber in steel costs US$25,000. Its much like the original Da Vinci of 1985, which was the most affordable chronograph with perpetual calendar on the market; still an expensive watch but the most economical thanks to its inventive construction.

Ironically, the inspiration for the Tribute to Pallweber was a budget-minded timepiece. Invented by Austrian watchmaker Josef Pallweber and licensed to several watch brands, though IWC was the best-known adopter, the original Pallweber mechanism was basic. The Tribute to Pallweber had to look the same, but be built to a whole new standard of quality.

The historic mechanism was not able to fulfil the requirements of the technical standard and the expectations of a client today, explains Stefan Ihnen, the chief of technical development at IWC.

The Tribute to Pallweber is a complete new conception for IWC. The base movement has two separate gear trains with two separate barrels which are only connected when winding the watch, and are wound simultaneously, in parallel.

Both gear trains are connected via the patented trigger mechanism, continues Mr Ihnen, One gear train powers the balance wheel and every minute, gives the impulse for the minute change to the second gear train that moves the discs of the digital displays.

The Tribute to Pallweber recreates the look of the pocket watch, with the same dial layout and lettering, albeit with glossy lacquer finish and slightly more modern fonts. The 45mm by 12mm case is large, a consequence of the display and movement. The movement size was to have the biggest possible display, says Mr Ihnen, The whole diameter under the dial is used for the three discs.

And it was also to keep the movement thin. Mr Ihnen adds, The diameter gave us the opportunity to position all necessary parts on a relative comfortable surface and to keep the height of this complicated movement in a relative good range. The result is a calibre with the componentsarranged concentrically and spread out, rather than stacked up.

Mr Ihnen is also keen to point out the size is not an outlier: The Tribute to Pallweber is not larger than other IWC movements. The 38mm diameter is a standard which we also use in the calibre 52000 and 59000 families.

The movement diameter might the impression of a small balance, however it is not that small for a modern 4Hz oscillator, he continues, adding that the size is commensurate with the mainspring, Technically, only one of the barrels is giving the energy to the balance wheel.

Understanding the Movement

Written with the assistance of Richard Lee

In an ordinary wristwatch, a single gear train powered by the barrel powers the entire movement continuously as the mainspring unwinds, with the escapement regulating the release of energy. This results in the steady sweep of the seconds, minute and hour hands across the dial.

Digital display watches of the mechanical sort, however, rely on separate discs for the digits of the time display, instead of hands. Unlike hands, the discs have to jump in quick, discrete steps. The Tribute to Pallweber has three such discs  one for single digit minutes, another for 10-minute segments, and the last for the hours  while the seconds are shown conventionally on a sub-dial at six.

Intriguingly, Mr Ihnen lets on that the identical-looking discs are actually from different metals: we used aluminium, steel and copper alloys according to the specific needs like weight, friction and wear.

In terms of physics and mechanics, the biggest challenge is the minute display, as its discs have to jump instantaneously every 60 seconds, a task that creates two problems.

High energy requirements

First, a relatively high amount of energy is needed to drive the jumping discs compared to the hands in a conventional movement. That was solved with a second mainspring with a secondary, standalone gear train (in red) dedicated to powering the discs. Timekeeping, or power transmission to the escapement, is still accomplished by a separate, conventional going train (in blue).

The two-train solution differs from similar watches with comparable digital displays, most prominent of which is the Lange Zeitwerk. While visually similar, the mechanics behind the two are quite different.

The Zeitwerk uses a single, relatively large mainspring barrel to drive both the timekeeping and digital discs at the same time. It relies on a constant force mechanism known as a remontoir, essentially a small spring that winds and unwinds rapidly to deliver small doses of energy, to regulate the power required to jump the minutes display every 60 seconds. Built to maintain a near-constant torque to the escapement even when the minute disc is jumping, the remontoir is a more expensive and complex solution, which is one reason why the Zeitwerk is a pricier watch.

The Tribute to Pallweber takes a simpler approach, exploiting the large movement diameter to accommodate two large mainsprings. An upside of this construction is the impressive power reserve of 60 hours, putting it ahead of the competition; the Zeitwerk, for instance, has a 36-hour power reserve, while the F.P. Journe Vagabondage III is 40 hours.

Controlling the jumping discs

The second conundrum is coordinating the movement of the discs  some form of mechanism is required for the timekeeping train to ensure the digital disc train jumps every 60 seconds.

Enter the cam wheel. A cam is essentially a disc with an irregular (as opposed to round) profile, usually paired with a lever (often tensioned or spring-loaded) that runs along its edge. The profile of the cam controls the position of the lever and is typically used to facilitate a sudden jump. Thus, it is often used in complications such as calendar mechanisms and chronograph minute counters.

The cam is the key component for the functionality of the Tribute to Pallweber, as illustrated in the following animation:

The cam wheel (blue) is continuously driven by the timekeeping train. Meanwhile, the digital disc gear train (red) is locked by a pair of release levers (orange) that are sprung, with a coiled cylindrical spring connecting them (the spring will be familiar to nerds as a key component in another IWC invention, the split-seconds mechanism of the Doppelchronograph).

These levers are the sole components that block the power from the secondary gear train, while synchronising its release in regular intervals. The release levers ride along the cam wheel until one abruptly falls when it reaches the step on the cams edge. The falling release lever then frees the release wheel (red) momentarily, allowing it to rotate the single-minute disc by one-minute digit. Once the single-minute disc has advanced by one digit, it gets stopped by the other release lever. The process then repeats every 60 seconds.

To prevent damage of the release levers sharp tips when they drop into the steps of the cam, a set of eccentric screws prevents the levers from falling the full distance, meaning that the tips of the levers do not contact the edge of the cam. The screws also allow the watchmaker doing movement assembly to fine-tune the tolerances of the release levers motion for a more precise jump.

Driving the discs

While the mechanism above accounts for the single-minute disc, there still needs to be another set-up for the 10-minute and hour discs, which only rotate at regular intervals of every 10 and 60 minutes respectively.

Thus, it is mechanically logical that the 10-minute disc should advance forward a step (60) each time the single-minute discs does a full rotation. Likewise, by the same logic, after the 10-minute disc does a full revolution, it should actuate the hour disc forward by one digit (30). The trick is getting these discs to discretely jump from one digit to the other in sync. A regular gear train will simply rotate the discs continuously, instead of a crisp jump.

IWC achieved this effect by using a set of Maltese crosses to drive the 10-minute and hour discs.

A Maltese cross (also known as a Geneva Mechanism) converts continuous rotational motion into intermittent, stepped rotations. The advantage of using a Maltese cross is that it locks the discs in fixed positions between the intermittent rotation, simplifying the mechanism and making it less susceptible to shocks.

The Maltese cross cam is widely used for intermittent rotating or jumping mechanisms in watch displays, for instance in Urwerks signature satellite cube display and the Louis Vuitton Spin Time. The Maltese cross system is well known and not so complicated, says Mr Ihnen, but the huge challenge was to produce these parts in the necessary precision and quality.

In the Tribute to Pallweber, power cascades from a full rotation of the single-minute disc (red) driving the 10-minute disc (green) in a 60 step (e.g. from 29 minutes to 30 minutes). Likewise, when the 10-minute disc does a full rotation, it drives the smaller Maltese cross (purple) which in turn drives the hour disc forward (e.g. from 9:59 to 10:00).

Naturally, the transition to the top of the hour consumes the most power since all three discs are simultaneously jumping. This will intermittently impart a high load onto the mainspring  hence the prudent decision to have two separate gear trains. The means the widely varying load of the digital discs gear train will not affect the going train that handles timekeeping. The only extra load on the going train is the relatively small amount of energy required for the cam wheel to raise the release levers every 60 seconds.

Everything in the Tribute to Pallweber performs in sync, regardless of the number of discs that are jumping. Each time the seconds hand crosses 60, the discs jump with a tolerance of 0.25 to 0.50 seconds.

For all of the complexity in the Tribute to Pallweber, one of the major hurdles in its development was its acoustics. A fear we had while working on the first prototypes was the sound of the minute change, says Mr Ihnen, As the case is damping the sound of the jump. The construction of the movement and case had to be tweaked in order to make it audible. You do not only see the change of the minutes, but also hear it.
Local Historian Writes Book on Purchase Area

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 20, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 20, 2018 | 10:44 AM | PADUCAH, KY

A local author who has written a book about the history of the Jackson Purchase will be in Paducah Saturday for a book signing.



Richard Dwayne Parker, author of The Wild World of the Jackson Purchase, says he has always been interested in the history of the region. His book delves into many different areas of local history, an area often overlooked by many historians.



The book features more than 100 stories about the history of the Purchase area, and also features photographs and illustrations done by Parker himself.



Parker was born in Murray and raised in Paris, TN. He studied history at Murray State University, and became a social studies teacher. He says his local family roots have helped drive his interest in the rich history of the area.



"I kind of realized that noone really knew much about history past Bowling Green. I really got interested in it, and this is how the book came about." Parker said.



Parker will hold a book signing at the Market House Museum Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Copies of his book will be available for purchase.
By The Associated Press Apr. 19, 2018 | 06:50 PM | FRANKFORT, KY

Kentucky's front-line elections officials received cybersecurity training in another preventive step against hacking, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said.

County clerks statewide attended training by the federal Department of Homeland Security on preventing and detecting cyberattacks, Grimes said.

The session comes a few weeks before the state's May 22 primary election. Kentuckians will have a long ballot this year with races for county positions, the legislature and Congress.

"We work every day to monitor and fortify our defenses against any actor  foreign or domestic  that seeks to undermine our democratic process," Grimes said. "Today's trainings are crucial to protecting, defending and increasing confidence in our elections."

The training is meant to help county clerks guard against breaches of voter registration systems, Grimes said. The goal is to expand the training to Kentucky's thousands of precinct election officers this summer ahead of the November election, she said.

Grimes said Kentucky was not targeted by Russia in the 2016 election.

But those safeguarding the state's election system are confronted by repeated "probes" from would-be hackers  abroad and in this country  attempting to access the system, she said. Those probes do not extend to voting machines, which are not connected to the internet, her office said.

And Grimes pointed to a round of indictments by special counsel Robert Mueller accusing 13 Russians of an elaborate plot to disrupt the 2016 presidential election. He charged them with running a huge but hidden social media trolling campaign aimed in part at helping Republican Donald Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

"Make no mistake, we have foreign adversaries that are seeking to try to get across the message that democracy is broken and that it does not work," Grimes said. "We are here to say that it does, and we are going to defend it every step of the way."

To secure Kentucky's election system, officials need to recognize potential vulnerabilities, Grimes said. Other steps are being taken to protect election integrity. One measure is to require that all future election equipment purchased in Kentucky provide a voter-verified paper trail, she said. Federal funding will help Kentucky transition to a fully paper-backed voting system.

The state also is working with a cybersecurity firm to strengthen the security of Kentucky's election processes, she said. Grimes outlined the state's anti-hacking efforts to reporters after a meeting of an election integrity task force that she created in 2012.
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Soviet Time Tidbit: Gates to Hell  Door to Hell: The Gates of Hell is a huge gigantic wide hole found in Turkmenistan. It is not a natural occurring hole but helped to development by a 1971 Soviet drilling accident that caused the hole to leak dangerous gases. Scientists figured the best solution was to burn the gas off so they set fire to it. It was suppose to burn out in a few days.It has been burning non-stop since then and its glow can be seen from miles away. It is not known when (or if) the fires will burn out. 1971 to 2018 = 47 years



Information: Gate of Hell is located near Derweze, which is a village in Turkmenistan of about 350 inhabitants, located in the middle of the Karakum Desert, about 260 km north from Ashgabat. Darvaza inhabitants are mostly Turkmen of the Teke tribe, preserving a semi-nomadic lifestyle

The Derweze area is rich in natural gas and while drilling in 1971, Soviet geologists tapped into a cavern filled with natural gas. The ground beneath the drilling rig collapsed, leaving a large hole . To avoid poisonous gas discharge, it was decided the best solution was to burn it off. Geologists had hoped the fire would use all the fuel in a matter of days, but the gas is still burning today. Locals have dubbed the cavern The Door to Hell.

The whole drilling rig collapsed into this hole and it is still unknown what became of the huge rig. But definitely that added to the folklore, as they say in the rumors, The drilling rig is on the other side of the door to hell

In the darkness of night, flames dance and lick the air, casting an ominous glow that can be seen from miles around in the desert of Turkmenistan. The source of all this light and heat is a massive crater, in which blazes an unceasing inferno, dubbed by locals the Door to Hell. For decades, the fires within the pit have been burning without end, fed by a seemingly unlimited pocket of natural gas. The Door to Hell might easily be placed among the worlds most incredible natural wonderthat is, if it wasnt man-made. So, what manner of mortal man cast open this gaping chasm and set alight its endless fire, seeming so much like an apocalyptical vision? Well, they were geologists, actually.

This is what the gateway to the netherworld looks like#GateToHell pic.twitter.com/DhZes31Zbf  IN THE NOW (@IntheNow_tweet) April 9, 2018

This video is great and really as you look into the hole, you can just see how it is the entrance to hell and falling into the hole would be hell, as you are cooked alive, screaming

Soviet Time Tidbit: Gates to Hell  Door to Hell: One big oven

Goes to show what we dont know about the fuel available on earth

WtR
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You may know by now that my beat as international birder is being pinched by re-allocation of routes from our DMARDS-dependent fleet to our cost-effective colleagues. Our range of destinations is reduced as required and this week I said a fond farewell to Buenos Aires, Argentina. This post will be a reflection on how much pleasure the city has given me and the posts that it has inspired. A dozen posts have come from this destination and you can see them here. Golden-browed Warbler, Guira Cuckoo, King Rail, Double-collared Seed-eater, Rufescent Tiger Heron, White-tufted Grebe, Spot-flanked Gallinule, Great Grebe, Green-barred Woodpecker, Chalk-browed Mockingbird, Rufous Hornero,

The photographs in this post have come from my final visit. I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed having the opportunity to take them.

There are 3 sites which I have made a habit of visiting and I have worn a well-trodden path between them. The first and most productive is Costanera Sur. Once a grand esplanade on the Rio Plata, it is now an area of reclaimed landfill which leaves the promenade marooned half a mile inland. It is close enough to our crew hotel to allow me to visit as soon as we land and again (quickly) on the morning we return home.

I first visited here as a nascent birder in 1996 and added marvellous birds such as Southern Screamer, Spot-flanked Gallinule and White-tipped Plant-cutter. Suddenly, schedules changed and the destination became a shuttle from Sao Paulo and I didnt get the chance to revisit these birds for 15 years (and 2 days). On my return, I realised that they are reasonably common birds and was thrilled to be able to see them and blog about them for 6 years until, as the world gets smaller, the route is again lost as a destination.

Ribera Norte is to the north of the city and right on the shoreline. It is often inundated by high tides and has to restrict access to parts of the reserve or close altogether. During my 15 year absence, I had become a very keen birdwatcher and wanted to get as many birdy hours in the field as possible and champed around the outside of the reserve until I was allowed in at 09.00. Many subsequent visits were curtailed by flooding, but even when just 200m of trails are open, it is well worth going. I was delighted to be able to complete a full circuit, a bit squishy in places, on what would be my last visit and witnessed a young Roadside Hawk being moved along by an adult pair.

I first visited Parque Ecologico Vincente Lopes when I was denied access to Ribera Norte and cycled the couple of miles along the estuary on the advice of another birder. It is a fenced area of woodland surrounding a small lake similar to Ribera Norte, but is slightly raised and thus defended against the high tide.

I always look forward to visiting here as Striped Owl can often be seen from the boardwalk that passes through the marshy area. Fences are a great comfort when personal security is at the forefront of your mind, but is an impediment in that it prevents early morning access until someone opens the gate. It also means you have to scale the fence when nobody bothers to check if the reserve is empty before clocking off early.

But what goes around, comes around. Hopefully, the loss of Buenos Aires will mean the reinstatement of other lost routes, or maybe even new and exciting ones. Adios Argentina.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California's unemployment rate held steady at 4.3 percent in March.

The state Employment Development Department said Friday that employers lost 7,200 nonfarm payroll jobs but the rate still tied the record low set in February.

In March 2017, the state's unemployment rate was 5 percent.

The department says California has gained more than 2.8 million jobs since the economic expansion began in February 2010.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
LOS ANGELES - Verne Troyer, the actor best known for playing Mini Me in the Austin Powers films has died at the age of 49, according to his official Facebook account.

A post on his Facebook page said the actor passed away on Saturday.



The Los Angeles Times reported that Troyer was hospitalized in early April.

The actor who starred in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Austin Powers in Goldmember, has also been in commercials, Comic Cons and even YouTube videos.

Depression and Suicide are very serious issues. You never know what kind of battle someone is going through inside. Be kind to one

another. And always know, its never too late to reach out to someone for help.

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Islamic Extremism Remains Top Driver in Persecution of Christians Across Globe

A Assyrian woman holds a cross during a rally on August 17, 2014 organized by Assyrians in Berlin denouncing persecution by the Islamic State terror group against Christians living in Iraq. ( Reuters/Thomas Peter) While the Islamic State has largely been driven out of Iraq and Syria, various Islamic extremist groups remain the largest persecutors of Christians around the world, according to a new report from Open Doors USA. The Christian organization recently released a list highlighting some of the greatest human rights offenders toward Christians, noting that 215 million believers face intimidation, prison -- even death -- for their faith in Jesus Christ across the globe.

"Islamic oppression" was overwhelmingly identified as the top driver of Christian persecution, with the majority of the groups identified by Open Doors falling under the umbrella of Islamic extremism. "Islamic Oppression is one of the most widely recognized sources of persecution for Christians in the world today -- and it continues to spread -- aiming to bring many parts of the world under Sharia law," says Open Doors. "The movement, which often results in Islamic militancy and persecution of Christians, is expanding in Asia (Philippines, Bangladesh, Indonesia) and Africa (Egypt, Nigeria, Somalia)." After killing and displacing thousands of Christians in Iraq and Syria over a span of three years, IS lost its last stronghold in Iraq in late 2017. However, the group isn't finished with its reign over terror, says Open Doors, as it's now spreading to Southeast Asia. Al-Qaeda, another Islamic extremist group, has also continued to fight in countries throughout the Middle East, often marking Christian communities as specific targets. Open Doors notes that the group, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, "takes advantage of distracted governments" to inflict "intense persecution" on Christians. In Eastern Africa, the radical Islamic terrorist group al-Shabaab continues to terrorize Christians, particularly in Somalia and Kenya, says Open Doors. The group operates under Sharia law, which includes the slaughtering of anyone who identifies as Christian. Al-Shabaab took responsibility for the slaughter of 148 people, mostly students, at Garissa University College in Kenya in 2015, where gunmen took over 700 students hostage, killing the Christians and freeing the Muslims. Open Doors identified Nigerian Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram as another primary persecutor of Christians, noting that the group has for years "conducted raids, bombings and assassinations against any target it deems Western, especially churches and schools." Also in Nigeria, Hausa-Fulani Muslim Herdsman pose a threat to Christian communities that "may arguably be even worse than Boko Haram," says Open Doors. "Clashes with militants among the predominantly Muslim group have claimed thousands of Christian lives as they raze entire villages and brutally kill and rape," says the group. "However, unlike the atrocities and attacks of Boko Haram, Fulani violence has gone relatively unreported in national news headlines." Other groups responsible for carrying out persecution against Christians include drug cartels in Colombia and Mexico; the Kim Jong-un regime in North Korea; and Hindu Nationalists in India. Behind it all, says Open Doors, is "Satan, who prowls this world as a roaring lion." The organization clarified it shared the list of Christian persecutors "not to stir up anger -- although righteous anger is expected -- but to move us all toward prayer and action." "So as we pray against the evil mentioned in this article, we can also pray hopefully that God's kingdom would come, and His will would be done," says Open Doors. "Here on earth now, and then in completion for eternity."
Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa

By State Senator Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa

Doing the right thing isn't always politically expedient, but a strong leader does what's necessary regardless of her critics. Governor Kay Ivey exemplifies this kind of no-nonsense leadership.

Last year, our state faced a difficult decision: should we listen to the politically-correct, out-of-state pundits or do what's best for the future of Alabama?

All across Alabama, we have monuments and statues that tell our storied past. Many of these moments have affected our entire nation and shaped us to be who we are today. History doesn't just tell us where we've been, it often provides signals and warnings for how to avoid repeating past errors. As George Santayana once wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Nearly one year ago, I sponsored the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act, a law that protects historic monuments and memorials in Alabama from thoughtless destruction.

More specifically, the Memorial Preservation Act prohibits the destruction or alteration of public monuments older than forty years, and established a standing committee to hear waiver requests from cities and counties, while historic artifacts under the control of museums, archives, libraries, and universities were specifically exempted from the prohibition against removal or alteration.

This law is the result of countless discussions with other legislators, historians, and interested citizens, and the intent is to preserve memorials to all of Alabama's history - including the Civil War, the World Wars, and the Civil Rights movement - for generations to come.

We've seen a wave of political correctness sweep the nation, and too often, these attempts have resulted in re-writing of the American story. This politically-correct movement to strike whole periods of the past from our collective memory is divisive and unnecessary. In order to understand our complete history and where we are today, we have to tell it as it happened.

As a lawmaker, I believe it is incumbent upon us to preserve our state's history, and I am grateful that Governor Ivey, in the face of criticism, stood up for the thoughtful preservation of Alabama's history - the good and the bad. As father and grandfather, I am especially grateful she understood the importance of our children and grandchildren learning from the past, so they can create a better future.
A man charged in this week's robbery attempt at a downtown Birmingham bank is now charged with a second holdup.

Benjamin Madison, who was convicted of manslaughter when he was just a teen, was charged Thursday with first-degree robbery of Synovus Bank on Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard. Birmingham police on Friday announced that he also robbed the Servis First Bank which is located at 324 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard.

The March crime happened at 9:05 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13. Authorities said the suspect was armed with a gun and fled the bank with an undisclosed amount of money. There were no injuries.

Investigators released bank surveillance photos of the suspect, who was nicely dressed and wearing a cap and necktie.

This week's holdup happened Wednesday at 9:11 a.m. Once inside, the suspect pulled out a handgun and approached a teller. After the suspect approached the teller, an armed security employee of Synovus Bank approached the suspect. The suspect immediately surrendered and got on the ground. The security employee of Synovus Bank held the suspect at gunpoint until Birmingham Police officers arrived on the scene to take him into custody.

The 37-year-old suspect is now charged with two counts of first-degree robbery. He is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Court records show he was convicted of murder in 1999 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

He was convicted in the July 7, 1997 shooting death of 14-year-old Sherita Scott

Benjamin Madison was sentenced to 15 years in prison Monday for killing a 14-year-old girl early in the morning of July 7, 1997. Sherita Scott was outside a friend's home and leaning against a car when gunfire erupted. A bullet struck the girl in the head.

At trial, his lawyer argued that the teenager fired the pistol in the air to scare off someone who made a threatening gesture or remark near the group. The trial ended early when Madison entered into a plea agreement - manslaughter and a 15-year prison sentence. He was originally charged with murder.

Madison remains jailed on $105,000 bond.
The city of Birmingham has apologized after a pre-dawn robocall woke residents up Friday morning.

In a statement that came nearly five hours after the 5 a.m. wake up call, the city said the call notifying residents of Birmingham's All Hazards Week was supposed to go out at 5 p.m. instead.

"We apologize for this mistake and the inconvenience it caused everyone this morning," the statement said.

The early morning call occurred because of human error, according to the city.

Mayor Randall Woodfin stated on his official Twitter account that the city was working to address the issue and to keep it from happening in the future.

"Please know that the city of Birmingham values your interest in staying informed and connected," he stated. "Again, we apologize for this human error. Thank you."

Information about this year's All Hazards Week isn't available yet on the city of Birmingham's website.
A Huntsville man has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars for the slaying of 18-year-old Cornelius Morris.

Jeremy Cattage was convicted Friday, April 18, 2018 and sentenced to prison at the culmination of a weeklong trial in Madison County Circuit Court.

Jeremy Cattage on Friday was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life without parole. Madison County Circuit Judge Ruth Ann Hall handed down the sentence at the culmination of a weeklong trial.

Morris was fatally shot during the early morning hours of July 26, 2015 as he rode in a car on Plummer Road at the intersection of Reseach Park Boulevard. Another passenger, 20-year-old Alexis Crawford, was injured in the shooting.

"The verdict in this case was the right one and a just one," said Madison County Deputy District Attorney Maggie Wallace in a statement to AL.com. "You can't say that it's a win in a case like this because in the end we're still left with the fact that one young man lost his life and the other will spend the rest of his life in prison.

"But we got justice for Cornelius Morris and his family and the people of Madison County," said Wallace who prosecuted the case with Assistant District Attorney Paul Barnett.

The victims had just left a Huntsville strip club with four other people. Prosecutors alleged Cattage followed the victims from the club. The prosecution sought to prove that Cattage fired the shots because of an ongoing dispute with Marcus Fletcher, the driver of the Malibu, and front-seat passenger Fred Tapscott.

Cattage fired at least six shots at the Malibu, said Wallace. Crawford was hit once in the abdomen and a second time in the leg. Morris suffered one gunshot wound to the back of the head.

The vehicle of a passerby also was struck by gunfire.

Wallace told the jury at the start of the trial that Cattage admitted driving his cousin's silver Charger and following the victims from the strip club that night, though he denied shooting at the car.

Cattage's defense team, from the Birmingham Revill Law Firm, had argued that prosecutors didn't have enough evidence to prove their client was driving the car from which shots were fired.

Cattage also was convicted of first-degree assault and shooting into an occupied vehicle. The judge sentenced him to 20 years for the assault and 10 years for shooting into the bystander's car.

Cattage's cousin previously was charged in the case as well. But in January prosecutors dropped all charges against Marqueze Cattage, citing insufficient evidence. They added him to the list of witnesses to testify against Jeremy Cattage. Lawmen searched for Marqueze Cattage but they hadn't found him by the end of the trial.

That's not the first time charges have been dropped in this case. The Cattage cousins initially were charged in 2015, but a Madison County district judge dismissed the case for lack of evidence. In 2017, prosecutors took the case to a grand jury and obtained indictments against the cousins.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall shouldn't have any doubts about what his challengers think about him after sharing a Huntsville stage Saturday with two of them.

Marshall, who was appointed AG by former Gov. Robert Bentley before Bentley left office under a plea deal negotiated by the attorney general's office, was called corrupt and a party-switcher at the Madison County Republican Men's Club breakfast.

But Marshall, who recused himself from the Bentley investigation conducted by the AG's office, reminded voters they know him from his 15 years as district attorney in next-door Marshall County and said he's running on his record as attorney general.

Candidate and Birmingham attorney Chess Bedsole said there was "corruption" in the attorney general's office, but it was "corruption of the heart." "You cannot value your own career more than you value justice for the Alabama people," Bedsole said referring to Marshall.

Alice Martin, a former U.S. attorney and assistant state attorney general, said she was a lifelong Republican, while Marshall "switched parties in 2012."

Members of the Madison County Republican Men's Club enjoy breakfast and listen to candidates for attorney general in Huntsville on April 21, 2018. (Lee Roop/lroop@al.com)

Marshall, Bedsole and Martin mostly used their brief time at the podium to talk about their records and priorities and, in the case of Marshall and Bedsole, their commitment to President Trump's agenda. All three are running along with former Attorney General Troy King in the June 5 state Republican primary. King was not at the breakfast.

Bedsole said violent crime in Alabama is increasing in "double digits every year" and "drug sales are off the chart."

"Local law enforcement needs to be protected and helped by leadership in government," Bedsole said.

Bedsole, who worked on the Trump transition team and was the president's state campaign chairman, said Trump will get a second Supreme Court appointment.

"If we don't have the right attorney general who knows what to file (then), we are never going to move the line that the federal government has laid down on us for the last 50 years," he said.

Marshall said he has the support of 27 Republican attorneys general because he has already joined them supporting Trump's travel ban and "the baker who believed he shouldn't have to bake a cake for a gay wedding."

Marshall also said he has filed 10 lawsuits against gambling in Alabama and fought the attempt to hide a Confederate memorial in Birmingham behind barriers.

Martin told the crowd she was a federal prosecutor in Memphis, a U.S. attorney in North Alabama, and a trial judge. She is also a resident of Florence married to a husband whose family owned Martin Industries, she said.

As U.S. attorney, Martin said she and her public corruption task force "prosecuted and convicted more than 140 federal corruption cases in the state of Alabama." She urged voters to look at Marshall's contributors, saying they are the same people and corporations who gave money to former House Speaker Mike Hubbard. Hubbard has been sentenced to four years in prison but is free while appealing his conviction on ethics violations.

"That is my No. 1, 2 and 3 issue...," she said. "I want us to make ethics stronger. I don't want us to be on the nightly news and the brunt of people's jokes."

Updated today, April 21, 2018, at 3:56 p.m. to correct that Hubbard is free while appealing his case.
Two people have been charged with murder after authorities found the body of a Eufaula man reported missing in late March, according to Eufaula police.

Jesse James Maness, 24, and Isabella Elizabeth Dooley, 22, both of Eufaula, were arrested on murder charges this week.

Maness was arrested Thursday and Dooley was arrested Friday evening, police said.

Police said more arrests are expected.

Deyasime Keyon Sheppard was reported missing March 26 after he was last seen at a local convenience store two days before, police said.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Sheppard left his home and never returned.

Isabella Elizabeth Dooley

Sheppard's body was found earlier this week buried at an area off Gammage Road outside of the Eufaula city limits, police said.

The incident is still under investigation and additional arrests are anticipated.
An investigator testified today that Morgan County Sheriff's Office officials "lied" and provided "piecemeal" evidence to have the fired jail warden arrested during an investigation into a local blogger.

The testimony came during a hearing in the criminal case of Leon Bradley, the longtime Morgan County warden who was fired after Sheriff Ana Franklin said he leaked information to blogger Glenda Lockhart.

Leon Bradley

Lockhart authors the Morgan County Whistleblower, a blog that has, for years, been critical of the sheriff and her office. (On the blog, Lockhart was the first to prove Franklin had used the jail's food fund to invest $150,000 in a crooked car lot.)

The sheriff contacted several law enforcement agencies about getting search warrants and pursuing a case against the warden. Among those agencies was the Etowah County Sheriff's Office, which sent Investigator Stephen McGlathery to take over the case for Morgan County. McGlathery got a warrant for the warden's arrest in September 2017 on a misdemeanor charge of tampering with government documents. Lockhart hasn't been charged with a crime.

McGlathery, an Etowah County sheriff's investigator, testified today that he used information gathered by the Morgan County investigators to get probable cause for Bradley's arrest.

"They lied to us, they used us," McGlathery testified today about the Morgan County Sheriff's Office.

McGlathery was one of several witnesses to testify in Morgan County Circuit Judge Glenn Thompson's courtroom. The sheriff and two investigators also testified, as did other current and former employees of her office.

Ana Franklin

A central question of the hearing was whether Franklin and her office illegally obtained evidence to get Thompson to issue search warrants for Bradley's home and Lockhart's office in October 2016. The hearing was set after Bradley's lawyers filed motions for dismissal of the charge.

Lawyers Robert Tuten and Nick Heatherly have said they believe Franklin and her deputies concealed their use of a paid confidential informant and a surveillance software to gather information about Lockhart and the warden. The lawyers have alleged Franklin and the deputies didn't tell the judge about that when they requested the search warrants.

The hearing was tense, at times, including when the sheriff -- the first witness to take the stand -- became combative during questioning by Bradley's lawyers.

Franklin testified about giving Lockhart's grandson Daniel $500 to work as a confidential informant and provide evidence to the sheriff's office. Daniel Lockhart provided emails from his grandmother's computer to the sheriff's office.

Daniel Lockhart has said in a sworn statement that he was paid to install keylogger software on his grandmother's computer. The software was provided by the sheriff's office, he said in a November 2016 deposition.

Daniel Lockhart said he was approached in August 2016 by sheriff's deputy Sgt. Blake Robinson. Robinson, who worked with Daniel Lockhart at the Falkville Volunteer Fire Department, offered to pay him for gathering information about any sheriff's office employees who were providing information to the blog, according to a transcript of the deposition. The sheriff's office didn't tell Daniel Lockhart that his grandmother was a target of the probe.

At the time, Daniel Lockhart, a 2016 graduate of Falkville High School in Morgan County, was 20 years old. He was working as a laborer at his grandmother's business and said he made a copy of a key he borrowed from her so he could get into the property after hours.

In the statement, the 20-year-old said he hacked his grandmother's email account and the blog. He also said he took pictures of emails between his grandmother and the ex-warden, as well as correspondence she had with Chris Hendon, an FBI agent. Hendon sat in the courtoom today behind Bradley and the defense attorneys.

The keylogger software captured Glenda Lockhart's passwords, which Daniel Lockhart claimed he wrote down and gave to the sheriff's office.

Franklin, Robinson and Lt. Robert "Bones" Wilson today denied under oath today having knowledge of the keyloggger software until after the search warrants were obtained. But, according to McGlathery's testimony, the Morgan County crew admitted during a meeting that one of their staff members had given the keylogger software to a confidential informant, who installed it on Lockhart's computer.

That staff member was Justin Powell. At the time, he was a jailer, though he was transitioning to the position of IT director.

Powell admitted today in testimony that he gave Daniel Lockhart the keylogger software and showed him how to use it. But, Powell testified that the sheriff didn't know about that until weeks later when it was revealed at a federal court hearing.

Glenda Lockhart

Glenda Lockhart, who watched today's hearing in the courtroom, has filed a civil suit in federal court alleging Franklin and her office illegally gathered information for the search warrant by paying Daniel Lockhart to break-in, hack and steal her data using the keylogger. Glenda Lockhart's computer was at her business, Straightline Drywall and Acoustical, LLC, a federal contractor that installs drywall and acoustical products. The business is located in Falkville, a small town in south Morgan County.

Heatherly, one of Bradley's attorneys asked Robinson today whether the sheriff's office had ordered Lockhart to commit burglary at his grandmother's business.

Daniel Lockhart lied to his grandmother to get into the business after hours, according to the defense. He told her he and his girlfriend needed to use the internet. Heatherly asked Robinson about whether it was legal for Daniel to go into his grandmother's personal office and access her personal email accounts without permission.

"How do you justify that what you had this young man do was not burglary?" Heatherly asked. "You had no evidence or documentation showing he had a lawful right to enter that business, access those records and access that personal email account?"

Robinson told the court that he believed Daniel Lockhart's actions were "lawful."

McGlathery disagreed.

"From the way it sounds, they paid him a substantial amount of money and he did go into the property he didn't authority to and took items that did not belong to him," McGlathery told Heatherly during questioning.

Franklin, Wilson and Robinson also denied coercing or threatening Daniel Lockhart to work as their informant. Heatherly questioned them about whether they threatened to arrest Daniel Lockhart if he didn't provide information they wanted.

McGlathery testified that if he knew in September 2017 what he knows now, he wouldn't have decided to get a warrant for Bradley's arrest.

Bradley's case is being prosecuted by the Alabama Attorney General's Office because Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson recused his staff.

More than a dozen witnesses were sworn-in today, though only seven were called to testify before the end of the business day. Testimony will continue Tuesday morning.
Judith Ann Neelley, originally sentenced to die for the 1982 brutal slaying of a 13-year-old Lisa Ann Millican in DeKalb County is now set for a possible shot at freedom next month.

A parole hearing for Neelley has been set for May 23 in Montgomery. Millican's family is trying to organize protests to urge the board to deny parole.

It has been 35 years since Neelley was arrested in Millican's brutal slaying.

"We are both saddened, disheartened and angry at the prospect of this monster ever getting paroled. We will be at that hearing speaking out against this injustice!" said Cassie Nicole Millican, speaking for Lisa's family. "I would like to implore people to write letters and protest against this potential travesty."

Last month, Neelley won her legal fight for a chance at parole when the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unconstitutional a 2003 retroactive law enacted to prevent her parole.

Lisa Ann Millican

As Alabama Gov. Fob James was about to leave office he commuted Neelley's death sentence on Jan. 15, 1999 to a life sentence. He was unclear whether the sentence was commuted to life with or life without the chance of parole.

He later claimed he intended to commute the sentence to life without parole, but the order did not specify.

James, however, told The Post, a Cherokee county newspaper that when he commuted the sentence he believed that there would be no possibility of parole for Neelley.

The appeals court reversed U.S. District Court Judge Keith Watkins' ruling that Neelley's 2014 lawsuit challenging the state law--Act 2003-300--was filed too late under the statute of limitations.

The appeals court said in its March opinion that the 2003 Act did not apply to Neelley because the retroactivity clause went back to 1998 and she committed her crime in 1982.

Alvin and Judith Neelley

The crime

Neelley in late September 1982 kidnapped Lisa from the Riverbend Mall in Rome, Georgia, and took her to a motel room for her husband Alvin to rape. Over the next several days, Alvin raped Lisa four times, with Neelley assisting as needed by beating her and handcuffing her to the bed to prevent an escape. When the couple was done, Neelley took Lisa to Little River Canyon outside Fort Payne where Neelley injected Lisa six times with liquid drain cleaner in a botched attempt to kill her. After that didn't work, Neelley led Lisa to the rim of the gorge. Over Lisa's pleas to go home, Neelley shot Lisa in the back and then shoved her into the canyon.

A jury recommended Judith Neelley serve a sentence of life imprisonment without parole but the judge instead imposed a death sentence.

As Alabama Gov. Job. James was about to leave office he commuted Neelley's death sentence on Jan. 15, 1999.

Alabama law says a person with a life sentence could be eligible for parole after serving 15 y ears. Neelley had already served more than 15 years by the time of commutation so she sought parole.

Alvin Neelley was convicted in the death of a woman in Georgia and died while in prison there in 2005.

Those interested in writing letters to protest Neelley's parole can send mail to the below address:

Alabama Board of Pardons & Paroles

Attn: Rhonda Carter

301 South Ripley St., Building D

P.O. Box 302405

Montgomery, AL 36130

Even if Neelley is granted parole in Alabama, she likely won't be a free woman for long.

According to parole board Executive Director Eddie Cook Jr., Georgia has a detainer warrant pending for Neelley. She does not have any pending cases in Georgia, but she was given a consecutive life sentence there for a 1999 kidnapping case. If she is granted parole and released from Tutwiler prison, authorities in Georgia could come arrest her and take her to a Georgia state prison.
The Alabama Board of Education named Eric Mackey as the new state superintendent of education today. Mackey received five votes out of nine. He will start his new job May 14.

His contract will be negotiated and voted on at the May 10 regular board meeting.

Mackey is well-known to board members, having served as the executive director of the School Superintendents of Alabama since 2011. The SSA advocates on behalf of schools and school superintendents in the legislature and is the professional organization for superintendents and their leadership teams.

Mackey, 48, started as a high school physics teacher in Calhoun County in 1993, rising to superintendent of Jacksonville City Schools where he served for eight years prior to working for SSA.

During his interview, Mackey told board members he hadn't originally considered applying for the job, but hearing the board discuss at their December meeting the need to hire a superintendent that will stay for four or five years changed his mind.

"If you want somebody for a couple of years, I'm not your person," Mackey said. "We need some long-term stability, and I want to do it for the long term."

The board's last hire, former Massachusetts Education Commissioner Michael Sentance, lasted barely a year before resigning days ahead of an expected board vote to fire him.

Board members interviewed two other candidates: Hoover City Schools Superintendent Kathy Murphy and Jefferson County Schools Superintendent Craig Pouncey. Each interview lasted about an hour.

Director of Communications Michael Sibley asked each candidate the same nine questions, covering everything from academic standards to how to ensure schools have adequate funding.

They were originally expecting to interview four finalists, but former Texas Education Commissioner Robert Scott withdrew his application Friday morning due to travel problems, according to national search firm Chairman Gary Ray.

Board members made no remarks during interviews and there was no public discussion about any of the candidates. Board members voted by ballot after interviews were finished.

Board members voting for Mackey include: Gov. Kay Ivey, Mary Scott Hunter, Cynthia McCarty, Jeff Newman, and Betty Peters.

Pouncey received votes from Stephanie Bell, Ella Bell, Yvette Richardson, and Jackie Zeigler.

Murphy, the only female finalist, received no votes.

Prior to the vote to accept the ballot totals, Ella Bell lodged her objection to Hunter's being allowed to vote since a lawsuit where Pouncey is suing Hunter for defamation hasn't yet gone to trial.

"It is known that Mary Scott [Hunter] and Craig Pouncey are in the midst of a dilemma right now," she said.

Calling Hunter "prejudiced" against Pouncey, Bell asked how it was possible for Hunter to vote.

Board members did not respond to Bell's question, instead voting to accept the ballot count and naming Mackey as superintendent.

Board Vice President Stephanie Bell, R-Montgomery, said after the meeting she was pleased with the search process, crediting Ray and Associates with bringing quality candidates forward and thoroughly vetting candidates.

The Alabama Education Association sent out this statement after the vote:

"AEA congratulates Dr. Eric Mackey, the new Alabama State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Mackey brings a wealth of education experience and knowledge to the position and we look forward to working with him to move Alabama schools forward. "We're excited to have someone so familiar with education in Alabama back in leadership. Alabama students and educators will greatly benefit from his guidance," said AEA President Sherry Tucker.

See Mackey's full interview here.

ASRA congratulates Dr. Eric Mackey @egmackey on being named Alabama's new State Superintendent of Education. We are grateful for his service on our Pre-K Task Force and look forward to continuing to collaborate with him in his new role. #PreK4AL #ALBOE  ASRA (@ALSRA) April 20, 2018

East AlabamaWorks is pleased with the announcement of Dr. Eric Mackey as @AlabamaDeptofEd State Sup. of Ed. Dr. Mackey has deep roots in East AL a teacher, principal and superintendent.We look forward to seeing Dr. Mackey move the state forward with job-ready graduates. @egmackey https://t.co/GO4pHqsZf2  East AlabamaWorks (@EastALWorks) April 20, 2018

Congratulations Eric Mackey! Down Syndrome Alabama wishes you the best in your role as the new Alabama State Superintendent! DSA staff and members are available, willing and eager to work with you on behalf of all students who receive special education services.  Down Syndrome AL (@DSACARES) April 20, 2018
The latest fundraising efforts by Roy Moore references the Washington Post's Pulitzer - a prize it won for stories detailing allegations the former Republican Senate candidate had sexual contact with teenage girls in the 1970s.

An email from the Roy Moore Legal fund is topped with the headline "Washington Post's 2018 Pulitzer Prizes for Roy Moore investigation, Russia reporting."

"They spread slanderous lies and made numerous false accusations. They attacked my character. They dragged my reputation through the mud. They even attacked my wife and family. But instead of being held accountable in a court of law, the Washington Post just won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for their lies and slander against me and my family. Meanwhile, I'm being sued for standing up and defending myself and my family from ruthless lies and attacks. And it's exactly why you and I must stand strong in our legal fight against the forces of evil."

The email continues:

"Can I could on you to please help me strike back by chipping in a donation of $1,000, $500, $250, $150, $100, $75, $50, $35 or $25 to support our Legal Defense Fund?"

Moore established the defense fund to fight a lawsuit filed by Leigh Corfman, one of the women who said Moore had sexual contact with her when she was a teenager. Corfman filed a defamation suit after the election, claiming Moore and his campaign defamed her by saying she was a liar and immoral. Moore, who denies all the allegations, has filed a countersuit against Corfman.

As of the first of March, Moore said he'd raised $32,235 out of his $250,000 goal.

The Washington Post was awarded a Pulitzer Prize earlier this week for its Nov. 9, 2017 stories detailing allegations against Moore, who eventually lost the U.S. Senate race to Democrat Doug Jones. Alabama Media Group/AL.com's John Archibald received a Pulitzer as well, in part for his commentary on Moore.

Kayla, Roy Moore's wife, criticized the journalism honors earlier in the week.

"When journalism becomes a political tool to assassinate someone's character with false accusations because they disagree with him politically, it is no longer journalism and not worthy of any prize," Kayla Moore said in a Monday night Facebook post.
Evangelist Scott Dawson, a Republican candidate for governor, said a Montgomery abortion clinic's failure to report that it had a 13-year-old patient warranted an investigation of all Alabama abortion clinics.

The Department of Public Health found the violation during an inspection of the clinic, Reproductive Health Services, in January. The reporting requirement is intended to expose incidents of sexual abuse.

"As governor, I will immediately call for full investigation of all abortion clinics in the state of Alabama and at minimum, I will see to it that the Department of Public Health is held accountable to enforce their own rules, and that entities operating like this will be closed!" Dawson said in a press release.

The Department of Public Health's inspection report said the girl initially told the clinic she was 15 but later provided a birth certificate showing she was 13 before having the abortion. It said the girl's parent did not speak English. The abortion was performed in January 2016.

The report says the girl had a second abortion at the clinic in April 2017, when she was 14.

The clinic did not report the girl's age to the Department of Human Resources until after the inspection in January of this year, the Public Health report says.

"When a 13-year-old child--with non-English speaking parents--is given an abortion, without a third-party counselor and no suspicion of sexual abuse and no report, we know Montgomery needs new leadership," Dawson said.

The age of consent in Alabama is 16. It's a crime for anyone 16 or older to have sex with someone who is age 12-15 and more than two years younger.

After the inspection, the clinic provided the Department of Public Health with a correction plan, revising the way it obtains and reviews information from minors and the forms it uses.

Girls younger than 18 need the consent of a parent or a waiver of consent approved by a court to have an abortion.

Dawson is one of three Republican challengers to Gov. Kay Ivey in the June 5 primary.
The first school year for the Gulf Shores city school system will be 2019-2020, Interim School Superintendent Ed Richardson said Friday.

The decision, made the same day that Alabama State Board of Education hired Eric Mackey as the permanent school superintendent, ended two months of uncertainty and disagreements on when the new city school system would start.

Richardson, in a letter that went out to the Baldwin County School System and the Gulf Shores Board of Education, said that both sides will need to submit a separation agreement to Mackey's office "by, on, or before Jan. 18, 2019."

"I trust that both systems will use the coming months to try and resolve your differences and make the transition between the systems as smooth as possible," Richardson wrote.

Kevin Corcoran, president of the Gulf Shores city school board, said they are still prepared to open for the 2018-2019 school year. The newly-formed city school board, announced in December, had been pushing for a breakaway from the Baldwin County School System by the start of the fall.

"We were and are fully prepared to become operational in 2018," Corcoran said in a statement. "Regardless of the timeline, there is much work to be done."

Gulf Shores school officials are negotiating a final agreement with Huntsville city school superintendent Matt Akin for the permanent superintendent job in the coastal Alabama city. Corcoran indicated in his statement that he was hopeful to finalize the negotiations next week.

"Hiring a permanent superintendent will allow Dr. Akin and our board members with a unique opportunity of engaging our community and building a collaborative vision for Gulf Shores City Schools," Corcoran said in the statement. "With this major hurdle being decided, it is our hope that (Baldwin County) Superintendent Eddie Tyler and the (Baldwin County School Board) will share our vision that we can forge forward and execute a mutually acceptable separation agreement this summer."

Tyler, in his statement, said he believes Richardson's decision allows for the "best transition" for the students, teachers and families in Gulf Shores.

"We have always been focused on what was in the best interest of the students, teachers, and families," said Tyler, who has held the position that it was best to wait until the 2019-2020 school year for Gulf Shores to officially begin its city school system.

Baldwin County's position was based on the construction timeline for a new school to be built and opened in Orange Beach. The new $14.9 million school for grades 7-12 will house students who currently attend schools in Gulf Shores, but live in Orange Beach.

"We have always felt this start was in the best interest of the students and teachers," he said. "We are confident that everyone will be well-served by this decision from Dr. Richardson."

Richardson was first approached in February to decide on the start date for the Gulf Shores city school system after talks broke down between Gulf Shores and Baldwin County school officials.

The Gulf Shores City Council voted in October in favor of the school split, and city officials had urged for the new school system to be started before the 2018-2019 school year.

City secessions from a county school system are nothing new in Alabama. There have been 70 splits before, though Gulf Shores is the first city to entertain a split from the Baldwin County School System.
A mother said she withdrew her daughter, an African-American 15-year-old, from an Eufaula private school because she said the school failed to punish or stop white students who were using racial slurs around the few black students.

Janice Stewart said her daughter, Hannah Nolan, wrote a letter to Lakeside School officials addressing the environment. Her letter paints a picture of the rampant use of the n-word in the halls and the classrooms of the majority white private school that serves as one of just two alternatives to Barbour County High, the county's lone public high school and a school that sits on the state's list of failing schools for 2018.

Lakeside School Headmaster Rick Rainer declined to comment on the incidents because it involved students.

Stewart said she contacted Rainer about five times throughout the year asking him to address the problems. She also emailed Nolan's letter to Rainer on April 9, but Stewart said little was done about the issues.

"(Rainer) would say, 'I'll take care of it, and I promise it won't happen again,'" Stewart said. "Then, as time went by, it would happen again. It's very disturbing to my daughter."

Nolan told Al.com that she grew up in the Barbour County School District, but last year her parents transferred her from Barbour County High to Lakeside during her freshman year. Nolan believed the courses at Lakeside would better prepare her for an Ivy League university. Her dream is to attend Harvard University.

Barbour County High School, which contains grades 7th through 12th, has been on the failing schools list since 2016. The only other educational options listed by the local Chamber of Commerce are two small majority white private academies, including Lakeside.

But Nolan she said she felt disappointed by her experience. In her letter, Nolan described all the racially charged statements she witnessed during her sophomore year. Nolan told Al.com the first incident happened while one white student told another white student, "I like black people. I don't like n-----s."

"(The white student) told me to cover my ears at first and I was like, 'For what?'" Nolan said. "Then (the student) said it. I was in shocked because I talked to her. I would call her an associate and I was really shocked. I didn't know what to say."

Around January, Hannah said a white student told another white student who was dating a black male at the time to, "Stop acting like a n----r." Later in the year, Hannah said another student referred to the black teacher as a "crazy n----r."

She listed several other occasions in her letter, which was obtained by Al.com. The students' names Nolan used in her letter are hidden due to legal reasons.

She also noted the growing number of African-American students at the school, which was founded in 1968 as private schools expanded across rural Alabama to combat court-ordered desegregation of the public schools.

"By you refusing to address the problem, you let it be known to Caucasian students that it is okay to use this word and other racial slurs because there are no repercussions," Nolan wrote in her letter to the school. "You should have thought about these scenarios before offering scholarships or accepting African American students."

Rainer told Al.com he received and read Nolan's letter.

"It doesn't ask for a response and I do not have one," Rainer said to Al.com via email. "Anyone is entitled to an opinion and that is obviously hers."

Of the 322 students who are enrolled in the pre-kindergarten - 12th grade school, 17 of them are not white, Rainer told Al.com via email. The alleged instances go against the policy listed in the school's handbook which forbids racial slurs. "Any student who engages in objectionable conduct is subject to discipline up to and including expulsion," the school's harassment policy reads.

Stewart said one student was suspended for a few days for using a racial slur towards another black student earlier this month. Stewart said that didn't happen until after she and her husband spoke to the chairman of the school's board of trustees, identified as Robert Dixon, Jr. on the school's website. The rest of the students were not suspended, Stewart said.

Stewart said the environment made it very uncomfortable for Hannah. During Christmas break, Stewart said her daughter cried about being tired of the environment and wanted to leave. After the student was suspended, Stewart said her daughter was teased.

"Numerous girls were coming up to her and saying, 'Why are you making a big deal out of it? Why are you snitching?' They were clueless of what using such language does to people,'" Stewart said.

April 6 was Nolan's last day at Lakeside. Due to the experiences she was facing at the school, Nolan's parents decided to take her out of the private school and enrolled her into a virtual school called Acellus through Booker T. Washington High School in Tuskegee.

"What 15-year-old should go through that problem when she is going to school to get her education?" Nolan said to Al.com. "First, it was of course awful and I didn't feel good. But now I'm OK. I'm not in that toxic environment anymore. I'm not in that negative energy."

Stewart identified herself as pro-public schools, but didn't want her daughter to attend a failing school. She also said she didn't want her daughter to attend a private school that offends black individuals. In order to prepare for her daughter's future, Stweart has researched Harvard's admissions requirments extensively. Nolan is reading from a reccomended book list and doing a lot of ACT preperation so she can get a high score. Since Nolan wants to be an educator, she will volunteer in a primary classroom once a week next year, Stewart said.

"It's a balancing act and nothing is set in stone," Stewart said. "A parent should do whatever is practical for their child being prepared to leave the nest."

Although Nolan has left Lakeside, Stewart isn't forgetting about her daughter's experience. She is demanding that the faculty, staff and student body go through yearly diversity training.

"Lakeside and other private schools were first and foremost established to separate themselves from children like Hannah. When racism is the foundation or root of the school the fruit produced will be from the root," Stewart said. "I have decided to stand against this issue for those who can't and for those who won't."
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All details about the new Ertiga, albeit for the Indonesian market, were accidentally revealed - good for us!

The 2018 Ertiga was scheduled to be unveiled on April 19 in Indonesia, but accidentally, all the information about the second-gen model was revealed on Suzuki Indonesias a day before. We were quick enough to spot it and get the information before the page was taken down. So, heres everything you need to know about the upcoming new Ertiga.

Design

Its a Toyota Innova Crysta! Its a Honda WR-V! Its a Mitsubishi Xpander (yes, thats a real car). Nope, its the new Ertiga.

Suzukis designers have had to take a lot of inspiration to come up with the look of the new Ertiga, but the different elements do sit well together. No body panel has been carried over from the older MPV, though it still has the same silhouette. The Ertiga is underpinned by a variant of Suzukis new Heartect platform found under the bodyshells of the Ignis, Swift, Baleno and the Dzire in India. The new Ertiga is 99mm longer, 40mm wider and 5mm taller though the wheelbase has remained the same at 2740mm. The increased dimensions have improved interior space, especially the boot space (with the third row of seats up) which has gone up by 18 litres to 153 litres.

The new Ertiga does look smart, no doubt. Highlights at the front include the twin-pod headlights with projector lamps, a new chrome grille, a new front bumper and a muscular hood. At the side, the Ertiga may look a bit familiar to the older model, but looks less boring, thanks to some cuts and creases on the doors, new 15-inch alloy wheels, and a new rear three-quarter glass design. At the rear, the new Ertiga is as exciting to look at as its front. This is helped by the new taillamps which look like they have been directly lifted from the Honda WR-V, the new tailgate design and the new bumper. The taillamps have Volvo-like lighting theme, with waterfall brake lights. Overall, the new Ertiga looks quite fancy on the outside.

Inside, the Ertiga retains the beige interior theme but gets a completely redesigned dashboard. The highlight is the three-tier design with a taller upper dash with end-to-end A/C vents (ala Audi), a thick section of faux-wood and a lower beige bit. In Indonesia, the Ertiga will be fitted with a 6.8-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. Expect the Indian version to get the same 7.0-inch Smartplay system as the current model, though. The steering wheel is the same flat-bottom unit as that on the Swift and the Dzire, and so is the new instrument cluster.

Like the exterior, you will be hard-pressed to say that anything on the inside has been carried over from the previous model, except for the obviously old air-con controls. It seems like the Ertiga will not get an automatic climate control system even in this all-new version.

Features

There arent many new features on the new Ertiga. It retains the second row roof-mounted A/C vents, push-button start/stop, keyless entry, rear parking sensors, dual airbags, ABS, EBD, height adjustable front seatbelts, split- and flat-folding second and third-row seats.

All-new features include LED projector headlamps, LED brake lamps, ventilated front cup holders and front power/USB power outlets from the Swift/Dzire. Additional safety equipment includes new electronic stability program (ESP) and ISOFIX child anchorage points on the second-row seats.

Engines

In Indonesia, the Ertiga is powered by a 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder K15B petrol engine developing 105PS of maximum power and 138Nm of peak torque, paired with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

In India, though, the new Ertiga will continue to be powered by the same 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder 92PS/130Nm K14B petrol, paired with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The diesel variants, on the other hand, will be powered by the 1.3-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged 90PS/200Nm D13A SmartHybrid engine paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch the new Ertiga in India in 2018 itself.

Source: ZigWheels.com
Yadav alleged since he did not have the money, he was asked to take the patient to some other hospital.

Banda (Uttar Pradesh): An 11-year-old boy died allegedly when he was denied treatment at the government hospital after his family failed to give the "Rs 5,000 bribe" demanded by a doctor.

Pushpraj Singh Yadav of Panchnehi village had taken his nephew Vinod to the Government Medical College for treatment of fever on Friday.

"The doctor in-charge of OPD demanded a bribe of Rs 5,000," he claimed.

Yadav alleged since he did not have the money, he was asked to take the patient to some other hospital and he carried his nephew in the lap to the district hospital.

He said that as he was waiting to get a slip made at the district hospital, Vinod died.

The uncle then took the body to District Magistrate Divya Prakash Giri and complained about the behaviour of the doctors. The body was then sent home in an ambulance.

The DM, when contacted, said the family had brought the body to him on Friday and an inquiry has been ordered to probe the allegations against the doctor.

The two-member team, comprising City Magistrate Ramesh Tewari and Deputy CMO MP Pal, has been asked to probe the matter and submit their report at the earliest on the basis of which further action will be taken, the DM said.

The principal of the medical college, Dr Brijendra Nath, has said that since the condition of the boy was very bad, the doctors had advised taking him to other hospital for treatment and that the allegations of bribe were false.
Rape in Kathua and Unnao have provoked unmatched displays of public anger since 2012 gangrape murder of Delhi woman.

New Delhi: Amid nationwide outrage over sexual violence against young girls, the Union Cabinet is expected to clear an ordinance, or emergency executive order, to award death penalty to those convicted of raping a child up to 12 years of age.

The meeting will be headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returns from a five-day foreign visit.

Cases of gangrape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Jammu's Kathua and rape of a 17-year-old girl in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao have provoked the biggest displays of public anger since the 2012 gangrape and murder of a young woman in the national capital.

Read: Centre to move for death penalty for child rapists, top court told

Much of the anger was targeted against leaders of the ruling BJP who were seen to be protecting the rapists in both cases. It was amid this public anger that Union Minister Maneka Gandhi last week put out a video message that spoke about her intention to request the Cabinet to introduce death penalty for child rapists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also got called out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde on Thursday. She called the gangrape and murder of the eight-year-old girl in Kathua "revolting" and hoped "Indian authorities, starting with Prime Minister Modi pay more attention" to the condition of women.

The government plans to bring the ordinance to amend the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, news agency PTI quoted sources aware of the development saying.

As the POCSO law stands today, the maximum punishment for "aggravated assault" is life in jail. The minimum sentence prescribed is seven years in jail.

After the Nirbhaya case in December 2012, when the criminal laws were amended, a provision of death penalty in case the woman either dies or is left in a "vegetative state" after rape was introduced through an ordinance which later became the Criminal Law Amendment Act.

On Friday, the government informed the Supreme Court that it is actively considering amending the penal law to introduce death penalty to those convicted of sexually abusing children up to 12 years of age.

"An ordinance today is the best way to deal with the issue. An amendment bill will have to wait (till July) when the Monsoon session commences," PTI quoted a law ministry official as saying.

In his first comments on the gruesome incidents of rape in Unnao and Kathua, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last week said that no criminal will be spared and daughters will get justice. He said such incidents shake our sensibilities. I want to assure the nation that no criminal will be spared. Justice will be done. Our daughters will get justice, he said.

Also read: We only question daughters where they are going, must ask sons too: PM Modi

In London, Modi had said, "We always ask our daughters about what they are doing, where they are going. We must ask our sons too." The person who is committing these crimes is also someone's son, he said, adding that rape of a daughter is a matter of shame for the country.

(With inputs from PTI)
Tarun Gogoi also slammed Assam Sattra Mahasabha for its stand regarding hearing of a joint parliamentary committee on April 17.

Guwahati: The Assam Sattra Mahasabha a leading religious institution associated with tradition of Vaishnavism in Assam has stirred a major controversy by supporting the Joint Parliamentary Committees step to grant citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindus.

The stand of the Sattra Mahasabha faced the strong protest across the state with numerous organisations coming out openly opposing the Sattradhikars (Head priests) accusing them of acting as an agent of RSS.

The Jorhat unit of AJYCP (Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chhatra Parishad) staged a protest in front of the head office of the Assam Satra Mahasabha in Jorhat, holding placards and burning effigies. They said that they have been protesting the Citizenship (Amendment) bill as it intends to divide the state on religious line. Srimanta Sankardev dreamt of an Assam where there is no religion-based division. The mahasabha is doing exactly the opposite, they added.

The powerful All Assam Students Union (AASU) general secretary Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that all the people who came to Assam after 1971 must not be granted citizenship in Assam, irrespective of what religion they belong to.

The Ahom Royal Society has also termed the bill destructive to the Assamese community. The All Assam Matak Sanmilan commented the bill plans to make Assam a land of non-Assamese, which shall never be expected.

Former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also slammed Assam Sattra Mahasabha for its stand regarding hearing of a joint parliamentary committee on April 17 on the proposed amendment of the citizenship act.

I think representatives of the Mahasabha who had participated in the hearing were highly influenced by the BJP. The Satradhikars in general are non-political. However, we have seen that the BJP and the RSS are trying to influence some of them who had participated in a recent meeting of the RSS. The representatives of the Mahasabha are duty bound to conserve and promote the culture created by Sankardeb - the great saint and social thinker of Assam. They are thus deviating from their duty, said Mr Gogoi.
States like Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu will also be a part of the plan-making.

New Delhi: In a bid to put in place a foolproof strategy to check radicalisation among youth, particularly by terror outfits like ISIS, Home ministry has sought inputs from different ministries and some states to prepare a detailed blueprint for the same which then be placed before the Cabinet also for further discussion. The recently created Counter Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) in the Home ministry has in a written communication to different ministries including information & broadcasting, law, HRD and minority affairs sought inputs for preparing a comprehensive plans to counter radicalisation.

Similarly, views have also been sought from some states, where cases of radicalisation have come to light, like Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.

Sources said most of the ministries and states who have been roped in this exercise were stake holders in dealing with menace of radicalisation as they are either directly or indirectly connected with the issue whether it was monitoring all forms of media, dealing with educational institutions or States facing terror and thus could help provide a better perspective into the issue. One of the main factors for initiating this exercise is that it would help put in place a blueprint, which in turn would act as a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), for various agencies at the Centre and States who will have to put in place these mechanism at different levels to counter the spread of radicalisation.

So far both the Intelligence Bureau and the National Investigation Agency have the technical expertise and specialists in monitoring the social media to track spread of radicalisation which intone was leading to indoctrination of the youth. But sources said there was a view within the government mere criminal investigation into such incidents was not adequate and there was need to adopt a multi-pronged comprehensive strategy. While security and intelligence agencies are doing their work in dealing with the threat of indoctrination among the youth. But we need to work on different levels and involve different agencies in dealing with the issue. For instance the I&B ministry can help prepare a plan how to launch a counter offensive to deal with radicalisation on different platforms like social media, print and electronic media. Similarly, HRD Ministry can provide inputs on whether some initiative can be launched in schools and colleges to insulate young minds from radicalisation. The minority affairs department too can provide details on how the problem can be deal with among the minority communities,''a senior government functionary said. Sources claimed from various ministries and state governments once a detailed blueprint is finalised it will be placed before the Cabinet for a wider discussion.
'Is it right for the PM to speak on an issue like rape on foreign land? Why speak about the insulting incidents abroad?' the Sena asked.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, a constantly combative ally of the BJP, said one may have a deep dislike for the Congress or the Gandhi family, but speaking about domestic issues on foreign land does not suit anybody. (Photo: AP)

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Friday launched a new attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about domestic issues abroad and said he is coming back "empty-handed" from the UK which has given shelter to fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, a constantly combative ally of the BJP, said one may have a deep dislike for the Congress or the Gandhi family, but speaking about domestic issues on foreign land does not suit anybody.

The party said Modi should follow the advice of his predecessor Manmohan Singh and speak more often. "(Former PM) Manmohan Singh has advised Modi to speak more often and to speak on time. He has also said that Modi's advice to him when he was the prime minister is now applicable to him as well," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

"The advice given by Manmohan Singh is only fair. Except bhakts, who are flying in the air, the whole country feels the same... However, what Manmohan Singh said was only a half truth. Modi may become a 'mauni baba' (mute spectator) in India, but he talks abroad," it added.

"Is it right for the prime minister to speak on an issue like rape on foreign land? Why speak about the insulting incidents abroad?" the Shiv Sena said.

"Why should a picture of prevalent corruption, rape incidents and an insecure country should be painted outside?" it said, adding that on a visit to Japan, Modi had spoken about black money and corruption in India.

"You may have enmity with the previous regime. You may also have a deep enmity with the Congress or the Gandhi family... Speaking about the incidents occurring in the country on foreign land does not befit anybody," the Sena said.
Relations between India and Pakistan turned frosty after the Pathankot terror attack in January, 2016 and the Uri attack.

Beijing/New Delhi: There will be no bilateral meetings between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with their Pakistan counterparts at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meets to be held here, official sources said.

"There will be no meetings with their Pakistan counterparts," official sources here said, ruling out any planned meetings between the Indian and Pakistani ministers.

Swaraj who arrived in Beijing on Saturday will take part in the foreign ministers meeting of the SCO to be held on April 24.

The same day Sitharaman will take part the SCO defence ministers meeting.

The meetings, which are part of the preparations for the SCO summit to be held in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June, have become prominent as they are the first such meetings after India and Pakistan were admitted into the eight-member group last year.

Both events are to be attended by the respective ministers from Pakistan.

A host of issues including that of regional security and counter terrorism are expected to figure in the meetings.

Relations between India and Pakistan turned frosty after the Pathankot terror attack in January, 2016 and another strike by terrorists on an Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in September that year.

The SCO, in which China and Russia play an influential role, specialises in regional security, counter terrorism and related issues.

The organisation consists of China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said yesterday that issues related to terrorism will be discussed at the SCO foreign ministers' meeting.

"We believe it is a purpose of the SCO to promote relevant cooperation in that field.

Security has been a priority of the SCO since its inception," she said and defended Pakistan after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed it as "terror export factory" at an event in London recently.

So the upcoming meeting will see participants exchanging views on the relevant issues, along with major international and regional issues, Hua said.

While Modi is scheduled to attend the SCO summit, officials say Pakistan is expected to be represented by its President Mamnoon Hussain as its Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had recently attended the Boao Forum for Asia in the Chinese city of Boao.
The speculations were triggered after Sinha on Friday described jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad as his 'best friend'.

Shatrughan Sinha recently met Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his younger son Tejaswi Yadav. (Photo: PTI)

Patna: Hours after former Union minister Yashwant Sinha quit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), his ex-party colleague Shatrughan Sinha has clarified that he will stay in the BJP only and will not join Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

"There were rumours that I would quit the party because I had not been given the ticket. But, I am clarifying it today that I am here to stay and I am not going to go anywhere," said actor-turned-politician Sinha, who has criticised top BJP leadership and its decisions on multiple occasions, on Saturday.

The speculations triggered after Sinha on Friday described jailed RJD supremo Lalu Prasad as his "best friend".

Sinha recently met Lalu Prasad's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and his younger son Tejaswi Yadav.

Earlier, the BJP leader met jailed Lalu in a Ranchi hospital where the latter was admitted in March.
It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations. Queen Elizabeth II

Britains Queen Elizabeth II greets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace in London on Thursday as the Queen hosts a dinner during the Commonwealth heads of government meeting. (Photo: AP)

London: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday joined other heads of government for the leaders retreat at Windsor Castle, which will conclude the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (CHOGM) in the UK.

The closed-door meetings comprise the informal segment of CHOGM, where the leaders meet without any pre-set agenda and without the presence of their close aides.

At the retreat  unique to the Commonwealth  heads meet privately to discuss collaboration on global and Commonwealth priorities. They will also consider reform and renewal of the Commonwealth, a Commonwealth statement said.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will be absent from the group of 53 heads of government as he had to rush back to Cape Town after violent clashed broke out in the country.

The issue of succession is expected to be the dominant at the retreat at the grand Waterloo Chamber of the Castle, one of the homes of Queen Elizabeth II  the Head of the Commonwealth.

She expressed her sincere wish that her son and heir Prince Charles step into her shoes in her opening address for CHOGM on Thursday and a general consensus see-ms to be building around the 69-year-old royal.

India has no objection to Prince Charles as the next Head because he has worked hard for the institution. However, we are also clear that there should be no institutionalisation of the post, a senior Indian official said.

The 91-year-old mona-rch, who has ruled out long-haul travel, is unlikely to attend any future Commonwealth summits in far flung member-countries and is keen to pass on the baton to the 69-year-old Prince of Wales.

It is my sincere wish that the Commonwealth will continue to offer stability and continuity for future generations  and will decide that one day the Prince of Wales will carry on the important work started by my father (King George VI) in 1949, she had in her speech at Buckingham Palace.

The Commonwealth is one of the worlds oldest political association of states, with its roots in the British Empire when some countries were ruled directly or indirectly by Britain. Independent countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific have joined the Commonwealth over the years, with the last two members to join  Rwanda and Mozambique  having no historical ties to the Empire.

Some experts have argued that the end of the Que-ens term as head of the organisation is an opportunity for the non-hereditary post to be passed on to a non-royal in order to distance the group from its colonial past.
Cordon and Search Operations (CASO), abandoned in 2002 due to public outcry of human rights violations, were also started.

New Delhi: More than a year after the Indian Army launched Operation All-Out, a relentless no-holds-barred offensive against militancy in Kashmir, an ongoing meet of Army commanders at Maneckshaw Centre in the national capital is likely to have decided that the militarys job was settled now and it was time for the politicians and civil society to take over.

A top military source familiar with the developments in Kashmir told this newspaper: The Army is on a reconciliatory mode now as its job is nearly done. Thereby, the Army brass is also sending out a message that it is time for the politicians and civil society groups to take over.

Also opining that the contours of the resolution of the Kashmir issue lies in the realm of politics, the official said that with the onset of the working season in Kashmir from April to October, it is time for all types of businesses and tourism industry to flourish.

He underlined that it was important for people to utilise this period for their livelihood rather than spend time in fighting.

On Friday, Lt. Gen. A.K. Sharma, director general (staff duties), briefed the media on the ongoing Army Commanders Conference: It was felt that priority must be accorded to ushering peace by conducting counter-terrorist operations that minimise collateral damage. Radicalised youth must be brought back into the mainstream by carrying out de-radicalisation and collective approach that focuses on convincing the youth to shun violence and gun culture.

This is in sharp contrast to what Army chief General Bipin Rawat said just before launching Operation All-Out.

On February 14 last year, during a wreath-laying ceremony for four armymen killed in Kashmir, the chief had said: Those who obstruct our ops (operations) during encounters and are not supportive will be treated as overground workers of terrorists We would now request the local population that people who have picked up arms, and they are the local boys, if they want to continue with the acts of terrorism displaying flags of ISIS and Pakistan, then we will treat them as anti-national elements and go helter-skelter for them.

With the change in tactics being necessitated because militants were believed to have been hiding among the civilian populace, Op All-Out entailed a major shift in the counter-insurgency tactics that sought to toughen the rules of engagement with the Army fanning out into the hinterland in the Valley and operate in a seeking and engagement mode. Five sensitive areas  Kulgam, Traal, Pulwama, Budgam, and Shopian  were made the focus of the operations. The counter-insurgency grid was also rearranged.

Cordon and Search Operations (CASO), abandoned in 2002 due to public outcry of human rights violations, were also started.
Two accused and another accomplice allegedly hatched conspiracy to kidnap the boy and demand money from his father to repay money-lenders.

The boy fell from the bike and received head injuries. Clueless on how to deal with the emergency, the two accused battered him to death, the police said, adding the body has been recovered and sent for postmortem. (Photo: Pixabay)

Ghaziabad: A class 10 student was allegedly kidnapped by two teenage boys, who, in panic, ended up killing him after the boy fell off their motorcycle and received severe head injuries, police said on Friday.

Senior Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Krishna said that Vaishali-resident Pramod Sharma lodged a missing persons report on April 17 in which he said that his 16-year-old son had gone out of their house the previous day but did not return.

Police said they launched an electronic surveillance and acted on tip-off to trace the teenager. The initial probe led them to the two accused, also class 10 students, who confessed during interrogation that they allegedly kidnapped the boy for money so that they could repay one of their's loan, police said.

One of the accused had allegedly borrowed around Rs 2.5 lakh from different people to fulfil his expensive hobbies, police said, adding the lenders were pressuring him to return their dues. They said that the two accused and another accomplice allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kidnap the boy and demand money from his father to repay the money-lender.

On April 16, they allegedly asked the boy to help them in some computer-related homework. They served him some sedative-laced drink and were taking him on a motorcycle when he fell off and received head injuries, the police said.

Clueless on how to deal with the emergency, the two accused battered him to death, the police said, adding the body has been recovered and sent for postmortem. The two accused have been detained while another is at large, the SSP added.
Liga Skromane, a resident of Ireland, has been missing from Kerala's Kovalam since March 14, 2018.

Liga's sister Ilze has been using social media for spreading the word. She also tweeted External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday for help.(Facebook Screengrab/ Ilze Skormane)

Thiruvananthapuram: After more than a month of frantic search, the Kerala police have found a headless body of a woman hanging upside from a tree which they suspect to be that of a 33-year-old Latvian national, who went missing from Kovalam on March 14, 2018.

According to an NDTV report, the woman's sister identified the body on Saturday morning. However, the police are waiting for forensic reports for an official confirmation.

"Ilze Skromane, Liga's sister has identified the body this morning. But we still will be going ahead with a DNA test as well as a postmortem report, to confirm the identity," senior police officer Manoj Abraham told NDTV.

Liga Skromane, a resident of Ireland, has been missing from Kerala's Kovalam since March 14, 2018. Her husband Andrew Jordan (42) and her sister Ilze Skormane had been frantically wandering around the streets looking for Liga since she left.

Andrew, holding a poster of his wife's photo had also offered to give a reward of Rs 1 lakh for anyone who gives information about Liga or help find her.

Liga's husband and sister had also appealed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to help them trace her.

Liga's sister had earlier in March alleged that it took at least five days for the police to act.

Liga, a well-travelled woman with Lativan passport had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on February 21 for Ayurvedic treatment of post-traumatic depression.

According to reports, she went to a beach in Kovalam, about 40 km from the state capital, on March 14, without informing her sister, who was accompanying her on the trip.

She went missing from the treatment center in Pothencode. Based on the inputs from the rickshaw drivers, it was learnt that she took a ride towards Kovalam beach.
Addressing an event in Patna, Yashwant Sinha said, 'Today I am ending all ties with the BJP.'

BJP dissident Yashwant Sinha, who has not left any stone unturned in criticising the BJP-led central government has quit from the party. (Photo: File)

Patna: BJP dissident Yashwant Sinha, who has not left any stone unturned in criticising the BJP-led central government has quit from the party.

"Today I am taking 'sanyas' (retirement) from any kind of party politics, today I am ending all ties with the BJP," the 80-year-old BJP veteran announced during a meeting of his organisation Rashtra Manch in Patna on Saturday afternoon.
As circumstances make us aware of problems as society, we need to take steps to protect our children from abuse at hands of sexual fiends.

The brutal outrage of modesty of minors across the nation has stirred a national outrage resulting in mass protests, vigils and outcries.

Kathua, Unnao, Etah, Indore, the cases of rape against minors seems to be suddenly on the rise. The brutal outrage of modesty of minors across the nation has stirred a national outrage resulting in mass protests, vigils and outcries.

The judicial machinery is still deliberating upon the charges levied/ to be levied against the perpetrators or the judgements that need to be decreed, but we as a nation cannot await another Kathua, Unnao, Indore or Etah to happen before national conscience strikes again.

We need to act. Act fast.

People are beginning to understand and talk about how sex offenders can be a friend or a family member. People are getting aware how the famous, powerful, and revered too can be offenders.

As circumstances make us more aware of the problems as a society, we need to take steps to protect our children from further abuse at the hands of predators and sexual fiends.

Here are ten ways to protect your children from predators.

Encourage children to talk to you: It is obvious children will not know when to say no or run away from an adult. This would be too confusing for them. Instead, build trust by regularly talking to them about their day and making them comfortable raising any topic around you. If your children report any unacceptable behaviour, it is your responsibility to take action.

Get educated on sexual abuse: Research has shown that 1 out of 6 girls get molested by the age of 18 and a typical sexual predator will assault 117 times before being caught. Knowing the facts is of vital importance. Educate yourself about sexual abuse.

Look for the Red Flags: Sex offenders often groom parents and children to gain their trust. They can be very smart and fool you into believing they are trustworthy, but there is always a "red flag" that is just a little bit unusual.

For example, an adult with too many toys and video games in his house where several local kids go every day is a possible red flag. If he doesn't seem to have any adult friends or activities, this is a bigger red flag. Paedophilia should not be entertained.

Know the whereabouts of your children and their company: Be friendly enough with your children that they tell you where they are or with whom. Know your children's friends and their parents. Make sure they are reliable before you allow your child to spend time at their house.

Make sure there are multiple chaperones for groups of youngsters: There should always be more than one adult with any group of children. Offer to chaperone activities for youth. Get to know other chaperones well. Adults should confront any suspicious activity of another adult. Don't just let it slide. Often, secrecy and difficulty in talking about these issues are some of the best tools a sex offender has.

Make children aware that the danger may come from someone they know: Make children aware of good touch and bad touch, "Bad touch is bad touch and no one gets to do it to our bodies. They should know that if someone touches them inappropriately they have to go to an adult and complain.

Find therapy for victims: All victims of sexual abuse should have easy access to therapy. If a school has similar facilities, endorse them there or seek help from a professional counsellor.

Understand the signs: Abuse does not necessarily mean broken bones or a black eye and swollen lips. It can be something extremely cerebral as well. Adults should be knowledgeable about the signs that children are in need of counseling. These signs might be significant changes in sleeping, eating, mood, or strange behaviour that does not quickly go away.

Take action if you suspect abuse: If you suspect that your child has been abused, do not hesitate to contact the police or social services.

Support Research, create awareness: Those treating victims and sex offenders must be appropriately trained in the most up-to-date methods. Support sex offender research, training, and management by raising the issue in your community and making people aware.
The accused used to follow the delivery boys from the warehouse to the destination and steal the parcel bags once they went to deliver.

The accused planned to steal the bags of courier boys, as these bags usually have expensive parcels. (Photo: Representational)

New Delhi: A 25-year-old man was arrested for stealing a bag containing cell phones, shopping cards from the vehicle of a courier delivery boy in southeast Delhi's New Friends Colony, a police official said on Saturday.

On March 21, the courier delivery boy with an Okhla-based company, told police that someone had stolen his bag when he had gone to deliver a parcel at Tribhuvan Complex, Mathura Road. The bag contained mobile phones, cheque books and shopping cards.

On April 16, one Amit Mehrolia, was nabbed and questioned in connection with the case, the official said. Initially, he denied any involvement in the case but after sustained interrogation, Mehrolia told police that he was currently working as a taxi driver but he was not earning enough to meet his needs.

The accused told the police that during 2014-15 he used to work as a courier delivery boy for an online shopping portal and was very well aware of the courier delivery process. Along with his associate Arun, he planned to steal the bags of courier boys, as these bags usually have expensive parcels and he thought that by selling these articles, he could make quick money, the official said.

Mehrolia used to wait outside the warehouse of the courier company in Okhla and once the delivery boy would leave the godown, the accused used to follow him on a motorcycle, he added. Once the delivery boy used to reach his destination, there were times, he would leave the delivery bag on his bike and only take the parcel to be delivered to the destination.

"Since the delivery bag remains heavy during the morning session, the delivery boys generally leave it on their bikes and the accused was well aware of this fact. On seeing the opportunity, accused persons stole the bag from the bike of the delivery boy and vanished from the spot," said Chinmoy Biswal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast).

The accused used to sell the stolen mobiles and other items to passersby and used to consume liquor from that money, he added.
He ended the 25-day-long fast after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal promised a 23-acre campus.

New Delhi: The G.B. Pant Government Engineering College has been barred for the second year in a row from admitting students because the institute has failed in creating basic facilities and infrastructure in the 10 years of its establishment.

Last year, All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) had put the government-run college under the no admission category for the year 2017-18 due to the same reason.

An AICTE notification dated April 12 stated that the college lacks facilities such as research labs, sick room, common room for boys and girls and placement office.

The AICTE said: After examining the matter... it has been decided that G.B. Pant Government Engineering College be placed under no admission category for the academic year 2018-19.

The college faculty blamed the Delhi government for the move that has threatened the very existence of the institute, established in 2007. The college doesnt have a permanent campus as yet and operates from a makeshift campus in Okhla.

The apex regulatory body for technical education has given final no admission notice to G. B. Pant Government Engineering College. Last year, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, had in his Budget speech said that the seats in the college will be doubled, Joshil K. Abraham, assistant professor (English), told a news agency.

He said that the AICTEs no admission category means the college will be shut down.

Mr Abraham said: There are only three government engineering colleges in Delhi  Ambedkar Institute of Advanced Communication Technologies and Research (AIACTR), Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Government Engineering College (Joshil K. Abraham) and G.B. Pant Government Engineering College. Where will the students from economically weaker sections go if one of these is closed?

Both students and teachers of the college have been asking for a campus since March 7, 2017.

They began their protests by sleeping in the classrooms at night. On April 5 last year, Mr Abraham went on a hungerstrike demanding a permanent campus.

He ended the 25-day-long fast after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal promised a 23-acre campus.

The protest was called off on April 29. However, the construction work for a new campus has not started as yet.
The administration does not have any plan on how it will clear the dues of retired employees.

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has not paid gratuity to 4,900 former employees for the last one and a half years and BEST committee member, Sunil Gadacharya moved an adjournment motion over it. Committee chairman Ashish Chemburkar made several attempts to persuade him to withdraw his motion, but Gadacharya demanded voting on his motion, which was rejected as it only received three votes. The Sena voted against it, while the BJP staged a walkout from the committee meeting. To clear the gratuity, the BEST needs Rs 320 crore

As soon as the meeting commenced, BJP member Mr Ganacharya moved the adjournment motion over the pending of gratuity of the employees. Targeting the BEST administration, he said that it was not serious about clearing the gratuity of former employees. He also pointed out that former employees have dues ranging from Rs 15 lakh to 60 lakh. Despite this, they are being asked to vacate the houses of the BEST. Moreover, the administration does not have any plan on how it will clear the dues of retired employees.

Shiv Sena corporator Anil Kokil said that the administration is working arbitrarily. The day is not far away when the situation of BEST employees will become like farmers of Maharashtra and that BEST general manager Surendra Bagde would be responsible for it. While replying to the proposal, Bagde said that the gratuity would be given in instalments for which the administration would either have to take a loan or borrow money from the BMC.
Uddhav reluctant, adamant on going solo, unhappy with many BJP decisions.

Mumbai: Talks between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha poll alliance might not take off so easily. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray seems reluctant to start talks saying that the party has already passed a resolution to go alone for the polls. Finance minister and BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, who has been entrusted with the responsibility to break the ice between both parties, is also taken aback by Senas cold shoulder.

When Mr Thackeray, who is on a tour of Maharashtra, was asked about the meeting with Mr Mungantiwar, he said that his party had already passed a resolution to contest the polls separately. The Sena chief also opposed the governments proposal to hold the monsoon session of the legislature in Nagpur. He said that, as per the agreement, the session should be held in Mumbai.

Senas approach towards the alliance has also prompted BJP leaders to go on a re-consideration mode. Sources in the party said that despite repeated appeals to the Sena, no positive response has been received. Our leaders, including chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, have appealed to the Sena on several occasions to have a discussion on the issues. However, desired reply is not coming from the Sena. The Sena seems to be firm on its view to go alone for the polls, the source said.

Mr Mungantiwar had decided to meet Mr Thackeray at Matoshree on April 16. However, he pulled out at the last minute. Sena sources also said that the political situation has changed drastically in the last four years and it is no more in favour of the BJP. They also said that the party is not happy with many of the BJPs decisions.

Despite our opposition to the Nanar refinery project in Konkan, the BJP went ahead and forged an agreement with a Saudi company. Sena MLAs are also upset over discrimination in sanctioning funds for development work in their respective constituencies. Uddhavji even went to meet the CM but the latter kept him waiting for two hours. In this scenario, it is difficult to start any talks with the BJP, Sena sources said.
At present, the UN has six official languages  English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic.

Ever since he completed his term as Punjab governor in 2015, Shivraj Patil has been leading a quiet life. He is barely seen or heard though he is spotted occasionally at Delhis India International Centre. But he was pulled out of semi-retirement last week, making a series of appearances on several television channels. Since Mr Patil was the home minister in the Congress-led UPA government, he was much sought after by the media for his reactions to the acquittal of all the accused in the 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case. With the BJP launching an all-out offensive against the Congress for coining the term saffron terror and defaming all Hindus, no senior Congress leader or other former home ministers (P. Chidambaram and Sushil Kumar Shinde) were available for their views. Surprisingly, even former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, who never misses an opportunity to lash out at the BJP and the RSS for its divisive agenda, refrained from commenting on the courts verdict. As a result, it was left to Mr Patil to defend the Congress even though he was asked to step down as home minister in 2008 following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Nevertheless, Mr Patil made a valiant attempt to counter BJP charges, stating that the Congress did not use the term Hindu terror and that the party was of the firm belief that terrorism has no religion and that all perpetrators of terror attacks must be punished.

It is well-known that senior Congress leader and Chhindwara MP Kamal Nath wants the party to project him as the chief ministerial candidate in the year-end Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. His colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia is also in the race for the same post. But given the intense infighting in the partys Madhya Pradesh unit, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has steered clear of taking a decision, keeping all aspirants on tenterhooks. But the CM-hopefuls have not given up trying. In fact, Mr Nath has taken a cue from former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh, who recently completed a six-month-long Narmada parikrama, and sought divine intervention for a decision in his favour. Not only did Mr Nath put in an appearance during Mr Singhs padyatra, he recently took a helicopter to Jhoteshwar to seek the blessings of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. He also offered prayers at the Tripur Sundari temple and is learnt to have organised a yagna, apparently for good luck. It is now to be seen if Mr Naths prayers will be answered. Its all in the hands of God and Mr Gandhi.

After coming to power in 2014, the Narendra Modi government has spared no efforts to lobby with the member countries of the United Nations to make Hindi one of its official languages but to little avail. At present, the UN has six official languages  English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Arabic. All the documents published by the UN are printed in these languages. But getting the same status for Hindi is an uphill task as Indias demand must be supported by two-third members of the member countries. In fact, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj admitted that the government had not met with success while replying to questions in Parliament. Since Indias endeavours have not yielded results, the Modi government has settled for the second-best option, but at a price. It is shelling out nearly $2 million to hire a five-member staff (based in New York and Delhi) to translate and upload reports from the UN in Hindi on its official website and on the social media. Needless to say, the southern states, which have always opposed the imposition of Hindi by successive governments, will not be happy with this development.

Congress president Rahul Gandhis move to send his own team of observers to poll-bound states to give feedback on probable candidates has sent his own party members into a tizzy as those aspiring for tickets are not sure if they will make the cut. This has also confused the BJP, its main political rival. When Sonia Gandhi was party chief, there was certain predictability about this exercise as the observers deputed to recommend names of candidates and those seeking tickets enjoyed a cozy relationship. Their political rivals, too, had a fair idea of the names of Congress candidates, which enabled them to set their field in advance. They picked their own candidates accordingly and, in many cases, set up independents or even entered into secret deals with Congress contestants. Mr Gandhi broke with the tradition in the recent Gujarat elections and followed it up in poll-bound Karnataka, resulting in considerable resentment among the old timers. In fact, his selected observers have already been dispatched to Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh though these states are due to go to polls only in December. Predictably, both the contenders in the Congress and their opponents have been left to guess about the outcome of these visits.
Mature democracies run as much by the letter of the law, as they do by the spirit of national interest.

Perhaps I am just old fashioned. Or, perhaps, the DNA of being a former diplomat still compels professional restraint in me. Or, perhaps, I have not made the transition to being a full-blooded politician. Whatever the reason, I do believe that when the Prime Minister, or the President, or the vice-president are on a state visit abroad, or are attending a multilateral event outside the country, the perennial slugfest of internal politics should momentarily be put on pause, or at the very least, not used to embarrass the dignitary who is, in that constitutional role, representing the country as a whole.

I say this, because on several occasions in the past  and most recently during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to London for the Commonwealth Summit  the Opposition did nothing to reduce, postpone or put on hold, the adrenaline rush of political acrimony directed against him. The result was that even as he was interacting with the leaders of other countries, or speaking at the summit, anyone who was watching the Indian electronic media, or monitoring social media, or reading about what was being said about him and his government in India by his political opponents, would have wondered whether he was worth talking to in the first place.

It is a matter of pride that India is a vibrant democracy. With the next parliamentary elections around the corner, and with the Karnataka elections imminent, it is but natural that the political atmosphere will be charged, and accusations and counter-accusations will fly fast and thick at the slightest provocation. It may also be true that many of the accusations of the Opposition are not off the mark, and that certain incidents in the country at this time, such as the horrific Unnao and Kathua rape incidents, where the role of some BJP leaders was shockingly deplorable, and the PMs silence was disappointing to say the least, had outraged the entire country. It is but natural that some of the anger and hostility of this backdrop would cast a shadow when the PM was abroad, and could not be camouflaged merely by the pageantry of ceremonial pomp and sartorial elegance that is so visible when dignitaries go abroad.

But even so, it is hardly edifying when India publicly washes the dirty linen of its internal political acrimonies before a foreign audience. I believe Opposition leaders would be far more dignified  and, in the process, win far more public respect  if they said that so long as the PM is on a state visit abroad, and is speaking for India as a whole, there will be a temporary moratorium on the vicious slanging matches directed at him. Visits of this nature are but for a few days. Let the political attacks continue unabated until he leaves the shores of India, and let them resume the moment he returns. But, in the interim, some form of volitional restraint is perhaps desirable.

This advice applies to the PM himself. There have been instances in the past when he has brought up internal politics on foreign soil, especially when he is interacting with NRIs or the Indian community. This is equally undesirable, and  just like with the Opposition  he would win far more respect if he were to say that he would not like to speak of political differences at home. This feeling was voiced by a long-term ally of the BJP, the Shiv Sena. In the latest editorial of its mouthpiece Saamana, it asks the question: Is it right for the PM to speak on rape cases in a foreign country? Why should a picture be painted of India as witnessing a rise in corruption and rape cases and as an unsafe country? The editorial also mentions that PM Modi had made the same mistake by speaking about black money and corruption, and attacking the Opposition, when he was in Japan. Of course, this criticism, while valid, also begs the question that if the Opposition is so sensitive about the right projection of Indias image when the PM is abroad, is it prepared to also put in abeyance the virulence of its attacks on him during this period?

When Mr Modi was in London, there were some protests against him there. Peaceful protests are not uncommon by some sections among those living abroad when a head of state or government comes visiting. But surely no one can condone the fact that in London, some protestors tore down the Indian flag from an official flagpole for the Commonwealth Summit. According to reports, an Indian journalist was also attacked at Londons Parliament Square. It was entirely appropriate for our high commission to strongly protest against such behaviour. In a statement, the MEA said: The UK side has regretted the incident, including at the highest level. The flag was immediately replaced. We expect action, including legal, against the persons involved in the incident and their instigators.

A spokesperson of the UK foreign office said: While people have the right to hold peaceful protests, we are disappointed by the action taken by a small minority in Parliament Square. More importantly, the spokesperson reiterated: The visit to the UK by Prime Minister Modi has strengthened our relationship with India and we look forward to working even more closely together on a number of important areas. This is precisely the point. When a PM goes abroad he is there to discuss, at the highest level, issues that are vital to Indias interests, including economic interaction, investments, security, defence collaborations, technology, multilateral collaboration, and the fight against terror, apart from bilateral specific matters. His brief, and that of his political detractors in India, must be to ensure substantive gains in these matters, and not a continuation of the incessant linguistic vitriol that goes on at home.

Mature democracies run as much by the letter of the law, as they do by the spirit of national interest. When there is an enlightened combination of both letter and spirit, conventions emerge, of behaviour and custom, practice and restraints. It is time for all political parties to think of such conventions when Indias interests are being pursued abroad.
The first few decades of Congress rule hid the fact that we Indians are also like our brothers in Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

In Sri Lanka, the mostly Buddhist Sinhala speakers fought Lankas Tamils over religion and language. In India we wonder how Buddhists and Hindus can hate each other but that is the nature of majoritarianism. (Representational image)

The post-colonial tradition of the Indian subcontinent has been one of religious and ethnic majorities ganging up against the minorities.

In Sri Lanka, the mostly Buddhist Sinhala speakers fought Lankas Tamils over religion and language. In India we wonder how Buddhists and Hindus can hate each other but that is the nature of majoritarianism. It always finds an enemy.

The Lanka civil war lasted over a quarter century and killed one lakh people, including several Lankan leaders and former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It ended with a horrific attack on camps that included civilians.

In Bangladesh, the initial nationalism was based on language and unified Bengali Muslims and Hindus against West Pakistans militarism and imposition of Urdu. Surprisingly, M.A. Jinnah, a Gujarati who himself spoke almost no Urdu, wanted it imposed on the Bengalis.

The violence the resistance produced expelled the West Pakistan Army with the help of India in 1971. Unfortunately, one aspect of Bangladeshi nationalism then became religious. Attempts were made and continue to be made to Islamise the Constitution. The division of the polity has become secular versus communal. Secular in this case means the Muslim party that wants to accommodate Hindus and communal is the Muslim party that sides with the religious extremists like the Jamaat e Islami. It is that 10 per cent or so of the minority population that takes up much of the focus of mainstream politics. We are of course familiar with this formulation.

In Pakistan, the initial majoritarianism was sought to be curbed by Jinnah. With the Punjabi Muslims of Lahore refusing to accept North Indian Muslim refugees coming from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, these families settled in Karachi. Violence began against the urban and well-off Hindu population of that city, whom we know today as our Sindhis. Jinnah made a few speeches that first attempted to stop the Hindus from leaving, because he wanted minorities to remain. But he was overwhelmed by the violence and gave up trying to stop the Sindhis from migrating, blaming India for his problems.

Jinnah had made a famous speech a few days before Independence in which he indicated that he wanted a secular Constitution. Jinnah said that the State should not recognise the citizen based on religion and stressed equality under the law.

He died a year later, having ruled with absolute authority and before the constituent assembly could really shape the laws. After his death the natural trajectory of the Pakistan movement took over and the laws began to be Islamised. Under Ayub Khan in the 1960s it was written that no non-Muslim could be Pakistans president. Under Z.A. Bhutto in the 1970s, a law came that banned non-Muslims from the post of Prime Minister.

Under Zia ul Haq in the 1980s came a flurry of Islamic laws, including whipping people for drinking alcohol, putting rape victims in jail if they could not prove the crime, and allowing murderers to escape if they paid the victims family blood money.

In the 1990s the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif attempted to pass an Islamic law, the infamous 15th amendment that would make him a permanent ruler. Such fervour also touched the rest of the polity.

A little later, Pakistans Supreme Court banned banks from charging interest saying it was unIslamic. Mr Sharif was removed from office recently and banned permanently from politics by the Supreme Court. It used a law that specifies that leaders should be good Muslims.

India was fortunate to be led for the first few decades by a party, Nehrus Congress, that was inclusive. Our Constitution has some upper caste Hindu majoritarian aspects, particularly in its Part IV, the directive principles. Such as touching upon cattle slaughter and prohibition of alcohol (strongly resisted by Congressmen who took the adivasi perspective). But for the most part the Constitution is a truly secular document and the best produced in South Asia. Nehrus and the Congresss inclusive instinct did not end there.

Today Indias Prime Minister tells the world that he has given more respect to Ambedkar than Congress. But the fact is that it was the Congress that gave Ambedkar the position in the Constituent Assembly and the Cabinet, despite his losing elections. Despite having a two-thirds majority, Nehru also accommodated S.P. Mookerjee, the Jana Sangh leader.

The first few decades of Congress rule hid the fact that we Indians are also like our brothers in Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. We have a majoritarian instinct that is powerful and that is today asserting itself against the minority.

I dont have to demonstrate what I mean. One look at any days newspapers will produce the evidence.

The claim of the Hindutva leaders and intellectuals is that our majoritarianism is reactive and not proactive. The claim is that what we are doing is justified and it is not the same thing as was being done and is being done in the rest of South Asia.

But of course there is no difference.
In the report, US terms the four nations as 'morally reprehensible' governments, making them 'forces of instability'.

Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with poor human rights records. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The United States on Friday labelled China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as morally reprehensible governments that violated human rights within their borders on a daily basis, making them forces of instability.

In releasing the State Departments global human rights report for 2017, acting Secretary of State John Sullivan also singled out Syria, Myanmar, Turkey and Venezuela as nations with poor human rights records. Improved human rights in Uzbekistan, Liberia and Mexico were global bright spots, Sullivan added.

Michael Kozak, a senior State Department official who helped oversee the report, said he did not think policies by President Donald Trumps administration on freedom of the press, refugees, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights and other issues undermined the report or left the United States open to accusations of hypocrisy.

The governments of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea violate the human rights of those within their borders on a daily basis and are forces of instability as a result, Sullivan said in a preface to the congressionally mandated report that documents human rights in nearly 200 countries and territories.

Countries like these that restrict freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, allow and commit violence against religious, ethnic and other minority groups or undermine the peoples fundamental dignity are morally reprehensible and undermine our interests, Sullivan added.

Sullivan said Russias government continues to quash dissent and civil society, even while it invades its neighbours and undermines the sovereignty of Western nations.

We once again urge Russia to end its brutal occupation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, to halt the abuses perpetrated by Russian-led forces in Ukraines Donbas region, and to address impunity for the human rights violations and abuses in the Republic of Chechnya, Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the United States seeks to lead other nations by example in promoting just and effective governance based on the rule of law and respect for human rights.

Quite a distinction

Critics in the United States and globally have accused Trump of giving short shrift to human rights as a foreign policy issue, and of cozying up to authoritarian leaders in Russia, the Philippines and the Middle East. Trump also frequently attacks the US news media.

I think we make quite a distinction between political leaders being able to speak out and say, That story was not accurate, or using even stronger words sometimes, and using state power to prevent the journalists from continuing to do their work, Kozak told reporters.

Kozak said the standards used in the report, which is among the most widely read US government documents, tended to be derived from international treaties or American law.

I think the report is very clear about the kinds of things that we consider to be inappropriate restrictions on freedom of the media ... using the legal system to go after members of the press, using physical force and so on. It doesnt go to the nature of discourse in a country, Kozak said.

The reports release comes at a time of increased tensions with China over trade and other matters. It also coincides with deteriorating relations with Moscow over its support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whom Washington accuses of using chemical weapons on his own people, and US accusations of Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election.

Sullivan accused China of spreading the worst features of its authoritarian system by restricting activists, civil society and freedom of expression.

We are particularly concerned about the efforts of Chinese authorities to eliminate the religious, linguistic and cultural identities of Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists, as well as restrictions on the worship of Christians, Sullivan added.

Trump has agreed to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the coming months even as Washington increases pressure on Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons.

Sullivan said Kim oversees one of the most repressive and abusive regimes in the world and accused Pyongyang of systematically neglecting its own people to underwrite and fund its illicit weapons programme and child labour.

Sullivan said the right of peaceful assembly and freedoms of association and expression are under attack almost daily in Iran. Sullivan also condemned what he called ethnic cleaning of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar, and said those responsible for attacks against the Rohingya should be held accountable.
Many ordinary people expressed scepticism about the sincerity of the announcement and stressed the need for caution.

South Koreans have lived for decades under the threat of war with their hostile and now nuclear-armed neighbour. (Photo: File)

Seoul: North Koreas announcement of a halt in its nuclear and missile tests was met with scepticism by many South Koreans on Saturday, highlighting political risk for the Souths president as he embarks on the latest push for peace on the peninsula.

North Korea will immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and scrap its nuclear test site, instead pursuing economic growth and peace, the Norths state media said.

But in South Korea, which is still technically in a state of war with its unpredictable, isolated neighbour, many ordinary people expressed scepticism about the sincerity of the announcement, and stressed the need for caution.

A declaration is just a declaration, student Kim Han-nuri, 23, said in downtown Seoul on a sunny spring morning. Unless theres a change in its dictatorial system, I dont think we can completely trust anything North Korea says as it isnt a normal country ... I dont believe we can build normal diplomatic relations and our safety cant be guaranteed.

South Koreans have lived for decades under the threat of war with their hostile and now nuclear-armed neighbour. Theyve also seen several earlier pushes for reconciliation that raised hopes of peace only to end in a return to acrimony.

Also Read: Ahead of summit with South, US, North Korea suspends nuclear, missile tests

Polls suggest South Koreans have become increasingly indifferent to the threat of war, with bigger concerns being more mundane issues like jobs and the pressures that have accompanied South Koreas rapid development since the 1950s.

Liberal politician Moon Jae-in won a presidential election last year, promising a moderate approach to North Korea with the aim of reviving a sunshine policy of engagement.

But no one anticipated the speed with which relations have improved since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made a conciliatory New Years address at the end of 2017, following months of sharply rising tension over his weapons.

Back to square one?

Moon, who is preparing for a summit with Kim this month, remains popular but voters are suspicious of North Koreas intentions and some would certainly judge him harshly if he was seen to be rushing blindly into North Koreas embrace.

Yeo Young-ju, 44, said North Korea had developed nuclear bombs despite decades of efforts to engage it, and this time it should get no economic benefits until its promises were proven to be true.

This will be the third inter-Korean summit. North Korea looked as if it would denuclearize during the two previous summits and then we were back to square one, Yeo said.

We need to verify if they indeed get rid of their nuclear material, Yeo said. Lee Jeong-hyoo, 72, said South Korea should learn from a history of broken promises. We must not be deceived, Lee said. We have to watch this really carefully.

In Japan, which until recent months North Korea regularly threatened to destroy in a sea of fire, people were also doubtful. I cant believe what the North has just announced, said IT worker Sayuri Nakata, 27, referring to North Koreas promise to give up its nuclear weapons tests. Theyll just probably just do them anyway.
by Nirmala Carvalho

For Mgr Cornelio, society as a whole is experiencing a trauma". The girl was sleeping in the street with her parents. She was abducted by a young man who knew the family. Her body was found with signs of violence in the afternoon. The Church is trying to educate young people to respect women and girls. Spiritual leaders have met to condemn "this crime against humanity".

Bhopal (AsiaNews)  Indian society as a whole is experiencing a trauma, said Mgr Leo Cornelio, SVD, archbishop of Bhopal, as a result of the alleged kidnapping, rape and murder of a six-month-old girl, yesterday, in Madhya Pradesh.

The news has hit a country already reeling over the death of eight-year-old Asifa Bano. The PTI press agency has reported that the blood-soaked body of the infant was found in the basement of a building in Rajwada area, in Indore.

"The accused is seen carrying the infant in CCTV images at around 4:45 am. He then took her to the basement of the building, some 50 metres away from where the family was sleeping. Her body was recovered later in the afternoon," said HC Mishra, Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

Bheel, the man accused of the crime. was known to the infants family.

The childs body was discovered in the afternoon with a head wound indicating that she was dropped to the ground. According to the autopsy report, she was raped before she was killed.

The Catholic Church is trying to "raise awareness about girls and women in our schools in rural and semi-urban areas, Mgr Cornelio told AsiaNews.

Even in our hostels, we are teaching children and young people to respect girls ... In every platform, in small communities we are teaching and educating people on how to show respect to girls and women."

The Catholic Church is working on educating and informing the community in cooperation with other spiritual leaders  Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains  with whom Church leaders have met "on many occasions" to "condemn this crime against humanity."
by Shafique Khokhar

In 2016, Tayyaba was brutalised by her employer for misplacing a broom. To avoid being taken into custody, the woman and her husband (an additional session judge) refused to leave the courtroom. Some two million cases are still pending in Pakistan, a country whose justice system protects the upper classes.

Islamabad (AsiaNews)  A Pakistani court has convicted Additional Session Judge Raja Khurram Ali Khan and his wife for torturing Tayyaba, a ten-year-old girl who worked for them as a house maid.

Justice Aamer Farooq sentenced the couple to one year in jail each and a fine of 50,000 rupees (US$ 430) each.

When the sentence was read on Tuesday (17 April), the two defendants refused to leave the courtroom to avoid arrest. Justice Farooq granted them bail.

"First a judge and his family abuse a child, then another judge abuses justice. This is the kind of persecution visited upon the poor and disadvantaged communities, said Rojar Noor Alam, manager of Caritas Pakistan, speaking to AsiaNews.

The case dates back to December 2016, when news spread that the judge's wife had punished the child only because she had lost a broom.

The incident prompted the Sindh Provincial Assembly to approve the Sindh Prohibition of Employment of Children Act 2017, which outlaws the work of children under the age of 14.

For the Caritas manager, "instead of setting a precedent by giving justice to the poor, the court benefited the upper classes. What kind of rule of law can we expect in this country?"

For Aamir Kakkazai, a Muslim writer and researcher, "Due to media pressure, the authorities handled the case smoothly, efficiently and in a timely manner, without any interference; followed by the conviction and the sentence. It was an improvement for our courts. Then came the release. We condemn our respectable courts.

"In Pakistan the justice system is outdated and does not meet the criteria of accessibility, fairness, transparency and equity, said Muhammad Zubair, manager of the South Asia Partnership Pakistan programme.

"In many cases, he adds, it takes generations to get justice. Often the injured parties avoid going to court because of the slowness and the high costs of the trial. Some reports suggest that about two million cases are still pending. This situation is responsible for the increase in anarchy in society.

"For poor people like Tayyaba, getting justice is still a distant dream. Often the poor are forced to settle the case out of court with compensation. In other cases, they can face death threats and are exploited by their oppressors."
The announcement by the North Korean leader helps the upcoming inter-Korean summit on 27 April and makes a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un possible. The world reacts positively. Kim wants to focus on the economy.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies)  North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared that he will suspend nuclear and missile tests at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site starting today.

In a statement quoted by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Mr Kim said it was no longer necessary to carry out missile tests because "nuclear weaponisation" had been achieved. "The northern nuclear test site has completed its mission," he added.

The decision to halt missile tests, according to KCNA, is also aimed at pursuing economic growth. Mr Kim reportedly pledged to "concentrate all efforts" on developing a socialist economy.

This development seems to reduce the chances of a war that seemed very likely only a few months ago.

Today's announcement was made possible by the start of a dialogue with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who invited a North Korean delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. This, in turn, is paving the way for the upcoming meeting between Moon and Kim on 27 April.

The end of missile and nuclear tests has also made possible a meeting between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, perhaps in May or June.

The worlds reactions

South Korea welcomed the end of tests. "North Korea's decision is meaningful progress for the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, which the world wishes for," the South Korean presidential office said in a statement. "It will create a very positive environment for the success of the upcoming inter-Korean and North-U.S. summits."

US President Donald Trump also reacted to the announcement. "North Korea has agreed to suspend all Nuclear Tests and close up a major test site. This is very good news for North Korea and the World - big progress! Look forward to our Summit," the US leader said on Twitter.

China too praised Kim's decision. "The Chinese side believes that North Korea's decision will help ameliorate the situation on the peninsula," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang was quoted as saying.

Likewise, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday welcomed North Korea's decision.

Stabilise the economy

According to several experts, Kim Jong-un's decision is motivated by the desire to end UN sanctions, which have dealt a heavy blow to the countrys economy as a result of its nuclear and missile programmes.

The North Korean economy is in fact in a shamble, especially after China decided to enforce the latest round of sanctions adopted in September. China accounts for some 90 per cent of North Koreas aggregate trade.

The sanctions cut off coal exports, reduced illegal international business, as well as North Korean imports.

Sanctions also brought to a standstill the new economic zones Pyongyang set up following in Chinas footsteps to attract foreign investment.

Malnutrition and disease are widespread among North Koreans, potentially undermining peoples loyalty to the regime's elites.

"Kim appears to have determined that economic achievement could help him stably keep his regime and burnish his image overseas," said Cho Bong-hyun, a senior researcher at the Industrial Bank of Korea.
The country has met two of the three criteria required for a better status. The Gross National Income (GNI) per capita reached US $ 1,996, above the 1,230 threshold. Still, in some parts of the country, at certain times of the year, people earn less than $ 0.12 a month. About 70 per cent of the population of the five northern provinces live below the poverty line. About 44 per cent of Lao children under the age of five are stunted.

Vientiane (AsiaNews/RFA)  For the first time since it was ranked by the United Nations as one of the worlds Least Developing Countries (LDC), Laos has fulfilled the eligibility criteria to be removed from the list and could see its status upgraded as early as 2024, this according to the UNs Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

Last month, in its triennial assessment. New York-based ECOSOCs Committee for Development Policy (CDP) announced that Laos had met two of three criteria  Gross National Income (GNI) per capita and for the Human Assets Index (HAI)  required to move above LDC status. The Economic Vulnerability Index (EVI), which measures resilience to shocks and stability, has not yet been met.

The CDP has noted that if Laos can support its development improvements and meet again the criteria in 2021 (even just two out of three), it will be "formally removed from the LDC list in 2024".

The CDP noted that the GNI per capita of Laos, which was first put on the LDC list in 1971, had reached US ,996 in 2018, above the threshold of US ,230 or more, whilst its HAI had reached 72.8, above the threshold of 66 or more. By contrast, Laoss EVI stood at 33.7, close to the threshold of 32 or below.

The announcement that Laos had met eligibility requirements follows decades of promises by the ruling Communist Party that its management of the economy would see the country graduate from the list by 2020.

However, some experts point out that most Laotians are still very poor and conditions for them have not improved that much.

In some parts of the country, at certain times of the year, people can earn less than $ 0.12 a month. About 70 per cent of the population in the five northern provinces live below the poverty line and, if Laos leaves the LDC list, it would get less foreign financial assistance.

According to an assessment last month by the World Bank (WB), Laos's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by an average of 7.8 per cent over the past decade thanks to the development of its natural resources, which contributed about a third of growth.

According to the WB, Laos has halved poverty, reduced hunger, and improved education and health outcomes in recent years, but continues to lag in other key areas  most notably on child nutrition, with an estimated 44 per cent of its children under five being stunted.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

According to scholar Tjundeshev, Batu Khan was the true founder of Russian statehood. China, India and Turkey also descend from the Tatars. For him, it is so difficult for Russians to learn to be free; they always need a strong hand to rule them." Russias isolationism is also Tatar in nature. Foreigners are seen as enemies. Telegram, the instant messaging service, has been blocked.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  A recently published book has generated a lot of buzz in Russia. Titled The Great Batu Khan, founder of Russian Statehood (      ), the tome is by Gennady A. Tjundeshev (Haramos), a historian at Khakassia State University (in Asian Russia, where Tatar-Mongols hail from).

Its publication has revived the memory of the times of the "Tartar yoke", when Russia was under Asian rule for more than two centuries, between the 13th and the 15th centuries. It has also inspired some comparisons, especially with President Putin, who was re-elected on 18 March and has acquired the status of tsar and great leader.

The great Batu Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan, who, in 1240, imposed the dominion of the so-called "Golden Horde" on the principalities of ancient Kievan Rus, which disappeared from history as a separate entity.

The Tatars were defeated for the first time in 1380 in the Battle of Kulikovo. Dmitry Donskoj, Prince of Moscow, led the way inspired by Sergius of Radonezh. Eventually, the city of Kyiv (Kiev) was against itself by the 17th century, but Asian domination ended only in 1480 thanks to the great prince Ivan III, father of the ideology of Moscow as the Third Rome. According to Tjundeshevs interpretation, Russia has never freed itself from the legacy of the Tatar Khans; instead, it has made it the basis of its civilisation and state organisation.

The idea is not particularly new. Napoleon, contemplating Moscow burning in 1812 from the walls of the Kremlin, uttered his famous words: Scratch a Russian, you find a Tatar. Many historians recognise the importance of the rule of the Golden Horde in the development of Russian society. The word money, dengi (), comes from Mongolian and survives in the memory of the taxes that Russians had to pay to the Khans to obtain formal diplomas, Jarliq (), which today means label, price tag, in modern Russian. Thus, todays Russia is more the offspring of the Golden Horde than Kievan Rus. Tsar Ivan the Terrible, who conquered the last Kazan khanate in the 1500s, incorporated the main Mongolian leaders into the Russian administration. The tsar of "Holy Russia", to whom many today compare the reigning president (Ivan IV and Putin IV), dropped out of government for a whole year, putting one of his Mongol khans, Simeon Bekbulatovich, in his place.

On 19 April, in an interview with Radio Svoboda, Tjundeshev reiterated his thesis. "The Golden Horde introduced the imperial spirit to Russia, and Batu Khan was the true founder of Russian statehood [. . .]. The mindset of Russians is mainly Asian. Even if the population is of European stock, only a small minority think within European parameters. This is why, says the Tatar scholar, it is so difficult for Russians to learn to be free; they always need a strong hand to rule them.

In the Russian Duma everyone always votes as the president wants, like in the Kurultaj of Genghis Khan. The founder of the Mongol Empire at the beginning of the 13th century was in reality a very advanced man for his time, able to adapt to different situations and different cultures, including religions. From the Tatars come nations such as China, India, Turkey and Russia, which embrace different faiths like Confucianism, Islam and Orthodox Christianity.

According to the scholar, "Confucian ideas adopted by Genghis Khan spread to Russia: the family as the cell of society, the untouchability of the head of state, the verticality of power so dear to Putin". The Tatar spirit is very visible in the army and its initiation ceremonies (hazing), and in the legal field, where the will of the powerful reigns and presidential decrees are worth more than the existing Constitution. One example cited by Tjundeshev is the decree on "federal districts" of 13 May 2000 when, at the beginning of his first presidential mandate, Putin replaced elected heads of federal districts with presidential envoys in total disregard of the constitution.

Russias international isolation, described recently by Putin adviser Vladislav Surkov as the only possible basis for the country's foreign policy, is also a throwback to the geopolitical conditions under the Mongols, who saw in every foreign power an enemy to annihilate, and often deemed treasonous the less loyal of their subjects. Thus, Russias inward turn is showing up in paradoxical and almost grotesque ways; one example is in the recent decision to shut down Telegram, an instant messaging service run by the brothers Nikolay and Pavel Durov, who have refused to give the Russian government its codes. Unfettered modernity is resisting Asian totalitarianism.
ACRA Executive Director Sharon Faulkner, far left, Auto Rental News Executive Editor Chris Brown, left, Impact Award winner Bobby Klyce, center, and Avis Budget Car Rental VP of Government Affairs Robert Muhs, right, after Klyce recieved his award at the 2018 International Car Rental Show in Las Vegas. Photo: Martine Rouzan

Robert Bobby Klyce, an Avis franchisee serving Birmingham, Ala., received the Auto Rental News Impact Award during Tuesdays morning keynote address at the 2018 International Car Rental Show for his longtime service and dedication to the car rental industry.

Introduced by the American Car Rental Associations (ACRA) Sharon Faulkner and Vice President of Government Affairs for Avis Budget Group Robert Muhs, Klyce was heralded for his dedication to promoting and managing the Avis brand.

Bobby is a fierce advocate for the licensees and a fierce advocate for the industry, Muhs said.

Klyce grew up in the car rental world. His family started renting cars in Birmingham as the Motor Livery Co. in 1918. In the 1930s, Klyces grandfather purchased the Hertz name for the state of Alabama, which the family retained until Klyces father sold Hertz back to the corporation in 1970 to purchase an Avis franchise.

ACRA Executive Director Sharon Faulkner introduces Bobby Klyce. Photo: Michaela Kwoka-Coleman

After graduating from the University of Alabama, Klyce returned to his hometown to work for his father at their Avis locations.

Faulkner said that there are few people in the car rental industry who have been involved as long as she has, but Klyce has her beat by a few years. Personally, Bobby Klyce has been a great resource for me, she continued. He listens, he gives great advice and he has supported my work with ACRA for many years.

Muhs said that he, and everyone at Avis, is honored to have Klyce as part of the Avis Budget family.

To be honored by my peers, Im humbled, Klyce said while accepting his award. I have to thank everyone Ive worked with, from Avis Budget corporate to all the licensees. And I have to say that Im not going anywhere just yet.

Avis franchisee and Impact Award winner Bobby Klyce addresses the 2018 International Car Rental Show during his award acceptance speech. Photo: Michaela Kwoka-Coleman

In addition to his tenure with Avis, Klyce is an ACRA board member. He has been involved with the Avis Licensee Association for 35 years, most recently as chairperson, and has been a member of the Avis Advertising and Policy Committee for 20 years, where he also now serves as chairperson. Additionally, Klyce is a member of the Avis System Advertising Trust.
The Los Angeles World Airports Board of Airport Commissioners approved the release of the final request for proposal to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility at Los Angeles International Airport.

The Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility will house rental car agencies in one facility and will be the eastern terminus for the Automated People Mover train system. The facility is designed to reduce congestion in and around the airport by eliminating the need for rental car shuttles to pick up and drop off in the terminal loop.

The project includes the design and construction of the Consolidated Rent-a-Car facility, rental car storage, a customer service building, cleaning and fueling facilities, and roadway improvements. The selected developer will also be responsible for operations and maintenance of the facility, as well as financing a portion of the project.
The Californian's Robert Price answers your questions and takes your complaints about our news coverage in this weekly feedback forum. Questions may be edited for space and clarity. To offer your input by phone, call 395-7649 and leave your comments in a voicemail message or email us at soundoff@bakersfield.com. Include your name and phone number; they wont be published.
Harold Pierce covers education and health for The Californian. He can be reached at 661-395-7404. Follow him on Twitter @RoldyPierce
Increased pedestrian and bike access, additional parking facilities, and a shuttle service are just a few of the things that the City of Baker
The Kern County Fairgrounds hosted the Medieval California Festival on Saturday. The festival includes joust and sword-fighting shows, food, live music, kids activities and more.
14:47 | Lima, Apr. 20.

At around noon, she was transported in a police vehicle to serve house arrest in Lima's Santa Anita district.

According to the Judiciary, the house arrest status was granted within the current legal framework.

In a statement, the institution explained both Morote and Liendo had completed a 25-year prison sentence and that no additional restrictions had been imposed on them.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  The Latest on North Korea saying it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site (all times local):

9:25 p.m.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has welcomed North Korea's announcement that it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests, and praised the way the U.N. Security Council "really came together" in order to achieve that.

Speaking at an informal working meeting of the Security Council ambassadors in southern Sweden on Saturday, Nikki Haley said pressure and sanctions coming from the U.N. enabled the isolation of North Korea "until they had a good behavior, and now we are seeing they want to come to the table."

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres told reporters in Sweden that he was optimistic about North Korea's decision, saying that "the path is open for the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

In an earlier statement released by his office, Guterres wished the two Koreas ahead of their April 27 summit "every success in their courageous and important task of resuming sincere dialogue leading to sustainable peace on the Korean Peninsula." He also praised the establishment of a direct telephone link between the leaders of North and South Korea.

___

7:45 p.m.

Sweden's foreign minister has welcomed North Korea's announcement that it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site ahead of summits with South Korea and the United States.

Margot Wallstrom said Saturday that it's "good news" that steps are being taken "to de-escalate and to defer from further bomb and missile tests."

But she added that "we have to keep the pressure up with the sanctions regime and everything else we are doing."

Wallstrom spoke before an informal working meeting in southern Sweden between U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Security Council ambassadors.

___

2:25 p.m.

China, North Korea's main ally, is welcoming Pyongyang's decision to suspend its nuclear and missile tests.

The official Xinhua News Agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang as saying Beijing wishes for North Korea to continue to achieve results in the development of its economy and improving the living standards of its people.

He says China will support North Korea through dialogue and consultations with "relevant parties" to resolve their concerns and improve relations.

Kim Dong-gil, the director of the Korean Peninsula Center at Peking University, says now that North Korea has nuclear weapons, he believes they will use them as a bargaining chip to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War, make arrangements to guarantee North Korea's safety and ultimately allow North Korea to open up its economy to the rest of the world.

___

12:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump tweeted Friday night about reassuring signals from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and said it was a sign "Progress being made for all."

His tweet said: "A message from Kim Jong Un: 'North Korea will stop nuclear tests and launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles.' Also will 'Shut down a nuclear test site in the country's Northern Side to prove the vow to suspend nuclear tests.'"

Trump, who is at his South Florida resort of Mar a Lago, was referring to North Korea's announcement Saturday that it will suspend nuclear tests and intercontinental ballistic missile launches ahead of its summits with Seoul and Washington. But the announcement stopped short of suggesting it has any intention of giving up its nuclear weapons or scale back its production of missiles and their related component parts.

The new North Korean policy sets the table for further negotiations when the summits begin.

___

11:35 a.m.

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reacted with caution to North Korea's announcement it has suspended nuclear tests and long-range missile launches.

Abe, a hard-liner on the North, said he welcomed the announcement carried by state media early Saturday as a positive development.

He says: "What is crucial here, however, is how this development is going to lead to the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of nuclear arms, weapons of mass destruction and missiles."

Abe says Tokyo would maintain its policy coordination with Seoul and Washington.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who made the announcement at a party meeting, is to hold summits with South Korean President Moon Jae-in next Friday and President Donald Trump in late May or June.

___

9:20 a.m.

South Korea's presidential office has welcomed North Korea's announcement it's suspending nuclear and long-range missile tests as "meaningful progress" toward the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Presidential official Yoon Young-chan said in a statement Saturday the announcement will brighten the prospects for successful talks between Seoul, Pyongyang and Washington.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a border truce village next Friday in a rare summit between the rivals aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang. A separate meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump is anticipated in May or June.

___

8:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump appears to be confirming news that North Korea has agreed to suspend nuclear and long-range missile testing.

Trump has tweeted, "This is very good news for North Korea and the World" and "big progress!"

He also says he's looking forward to his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

North Korea said early Saturday it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency says the country is making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

___

7 a.m.

North Korea says it has suspended nuclear and long-range missile tests and plans to close its nuclear test site.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the suspension of nuclear and ICBM tests went into effect Saturday.

The country says it's making the move to shift its national focus and improve its economy.

The announcements came days before North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is set to meet South Korean President Moon Jae-in in a border truce village for a rare summit aimed at resolving the nuclear standoff with Pyongyang.

The North's decisions were made in a meeting of the ruling party's full Central Committee which had convened to discuss a "new stage" of policies.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Citing job growth and debt reduction during his eight years as Florida's governor, Rick Scott said Monday morning that he hopes to "shake up Washington" with a run for U.S. Senate.

As widely expected, Gov. Rick Scott announces Senate run

Announcement made at construction firm in Orlando



Scott will run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson

"I am running for U.S. Senate for the great state of Florida," he said to a cheering crowd at ODC Construction in Orlando.

"People are flocking to Florida, because this is where you can live the dream of this country," Scott said. "We have to take that same mission to D.C."

Weve cut regulation, weve streamlined permitting processes, weve had a 47 percent increase in tourism in just seven years, Governor Scott said. Weve outpaced the nation in job creation, weve outpaced the nation in labor force, weve outpaced the nation in GDP growth.

Here is the introduction ad @ScottforFlorida (R) released on Facebook as the term limited Governor announces his bid to challenge Bill Nelson (D) for Floridas U.S. Senate seat. @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/tPECwt1cMp  Greg Angel (@NewsGuyGreg) April 9, 2018 <_script charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js">

Scott opened his announcement by emphasizing the state's close ties to Puerto Rico, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Puerto Ricans who moved to Florida after the storm will likely be crucial in this election.

Scott is a multimillionaire and former health care executive who used his own wealth to help win two close races for governor. Now, he's crafting his U.S. Senate campaign on being "an outsider."

Critics were quick to pounce.

"For eight years, Rick Scott has put himself and his political interests above the people he serves, and in the Senate he would do the same thing. Here's his record: lost jobs, low wages and an economy that works for himself and his political donors, not to mention higher healthcare bills, a broken public education system and scandal after scandal," Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo said in a released statement. "There is no limit to Rick Scott's dishonesty and Floridians don't trust him to look out for them in the Senate. Floridians deserve better than Rick Scott."

Scott will run against against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. Nelson has held the seat since winning it in 2000.

The two have already ramped up criticism of each of other over the last year: on February's school shooting, oil drilling off the Florida coastline and handling of nursing homes flooded from Hurricane Irma.

President Donald Trump has publicly encouraged Scott to run for Senate.

With the balance of power so close in Washington, the race for this U.S. Senate seat is expected to be one of the most expensive in the nation. It's also expected to be close  the last Quinnipiac University poll in late February had Nelson with a 4 percent edge over Scott.

Scott will be leaving the governors office in 2019 because of term limits, and a Senate run has been rumored for months.

Despite his official announcement, records show Governor Scott has not yet filed paperwork with the State. He is likely to do that next month between April 30 and May 14, opting to pay the filing fee of $10,440.

What we can expect from a Nelson vs. Scott Senate race

Senator Bill Nelson reacted to Governor Scotts announcement by saying: Ive always run every race like theres no tomorrow  regardless of my opponent. While its clear that Rick Scott will say or do anything to get elected, Ive always believed that if you just do the right thing, the politics will take care of itself.

Nelson has earned praise from Republican peers in the Senate, including Floridas Republican Senator Marco Rubio, for being able to work across party lines on legislative efforts. While Rubio in the past committed to not to actively campaign against Nelson, he did tweet hours after Scotts announcement in support of the Governor, encouraging followers to vote and contribute to Scotts campaign.

In Orlando, some have taken issue with the governors failure to show support for victims of the June 12, 2016 Pulse nightclub attack in the same way that he has to victims of the February 14, 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

It is anticipated the race for Floridas U.S. Senate seat may be more closely watched than even the election to replace Scott as the states top leader.

In his first bid for governor, Rick Scott poured more than $75 million of his own fortune, created from his healthcare executive days, into his campaign.

Washington Post is reporting that Scott is due in Washington, D.C. as part of an official push to raise capital for his campaign.

Paul Paulson of Orange County, and a Florida Republican State Committeeman, believes Scott has a better chance at challenging Nelson, compared to other Republican candidates in the past, and that alone will help Republicans earn votes and campaign donations.

We now have a proven winner, hes beaten other candidates in the past, hes able to raise money, hes got a message that we have to bring jobs, Paulson said. We have to do something great to turn around Washington.

President Donald Trump has in the past given his unofficial support to Rick Scott, should he run for Governor. President Trump praised the Governors response to Hurricane Maria last year, a storm that battered the states keys and southwest side.

The storm itself may also be giving candidates an advantage.

Since the storm, an estimated 200,000 Puerto Ricans have moved to Florida, providing a large pool of potential voters, needed in what will be a close race.

According to the Florida Department of State, statewide registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by a margin of only about 253,000.

There are still approximately 3.5 million registered voters who identify as a minor political party, or no political affiliation.

Samantha-Jo Roth, Troy Kinsey and Jerry Hume contributed to this story.
Turkey continues to stubbornly refuse to acknowledge its blood-stained past and perpetrating the Armenian Genocide, Armenian representative at the Cyprus parliament Vartkes Mahdessian said addressing the House plenary.

April 21, 2018, 09:49 Vartkes Mahdessian: Turkey continues denying Armenian Genocide, fears legal consequences will follow

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 21, ARTSAKHPRESS:Mahdessian thanked Cyprus which was the first European country to pass a parliamentary resolution recognizing the genocide in 1975, Cyprus Mail reported.

It is truly unthinkable that civilized states, who appear to be protectors of human rights and democracy, continue to yield to the pressure exerted by Turkey, taking advantage of its geostrategic position and purchasing power, which stops them from recognizing the Armenian Genocide, said Mahdessian.

He said the genocide was a tragedy that shocked the then civilized world and which created deep wounds like no other event in the long course of the Armenian nation.

As to why Turkey has so stubbornly refused to recognize the Armenian Genocide, while Germany has recognized the Holocaust of the Jews, Mahdessian said that the main reasons were the legal consequences of such a move and its impact on Turkish society.

Turkey is not willing to pay even one cent to the survivors of the Genocide and their offspring, since it would not be only for the Armenians, but also the Greeks, the Assyrians, and perhaps the Kurds, and the Cypriots, he concluded.
Lethal Farm Bill Rider Would Let Pesticides Harm Wildlife A rider to House Republicans' Farm Bill would let the Environmental Protection Agency approve pesticides without consulting experts on their harm to thousands of endangered species nationwide, including salmon and California condors. If approved, this would be one of history's most aggressive attacks on the Endangered Species Act.



The bill echoes a request by Dow Chemical for embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to stop work analyzing the harm of three pesticides, like the neurotoxin chlorpyrifos, on endangered plants and animals  work that would've created reasonable species protections.



"This will accelerate extinctions for some of our most vulnerable species," said the Center's Lori Ann Burd. "The pesticide industry has contributed a million dollars to the House Agricultural Committee and is cashing in on its investment."



Read more in the Houston Chronicle and tell your representative to oppose this dangerous bill.
Armenias Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan made a statement on April 21 about the ongoing domestic situation, the PMs office said.

April 21, 2018, 12:21 PM Serzh Sargsyan calls on opposition MP Nikol Pashinyan for immediate political dialogue and negotiations

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 21, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESSSeveral demonstrations and marches took place in the capital city Yerevan during the past week. Each citizen of our country is entitled with the right of peaceful demonstrations and marches. Authorities have respected this right and will always continue respecting it.

Unfortunately, these public gatherings have frequently crossed the permitted limits of law and received unnecessary and anarchic manifestations, which are talked about in detail in the numerous statements of the police. The ongoing developments are fraught with unpredictable consequences, endanger public order and harm the Armenian societys complex and delicate harmony.

Each of us must remember, that besides him, no less proud Armenian citizens are living, studying, working and resting in this country. The harmony of our society must be based on solidarity and tolerance.

I am deeply concerned with the domestic developments. With the goal of avoiding irreversible losses, I call on Member of Parliament Nikol Pashinyan to sit at the table of political dialogue and negotiations. This must be done immediately.

I am sure that all political powers of the country can contribute to forming such a dialogue adequate to the situation, the Prime Minister said.
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